My brain is running wild, trying to process way too many things at once which makes focusing on a single topic impossible. Instead I'm just going to share some of the random junk floating around in there.
- I hate going back to the doctor over and over again only to be told "huh, that didn't work, let's try this instead!". I feel like a science project. And I'm tired of being poked at like a lab specimen and made to feel like I'm deformed or something.
- Daylight Savings (aka one of the few things Bush did that I appreciate) - I suffer from night blindness so it's awesome to be able to do something after work instead of rushing home before I can't see anything. I still haven't mastered that "lose an hour of sleep" thing though.
- Feedburner is really messing with my blog feeds and I'm losing patience with it. My favorite tech problems are always the ones that other people also suffer from but nobody seems to have a solution.
- This new medicine tastes like the monkey cages smell at the zoo. No wonder you're supposed to drink 8 oz of water with it.
- My brain is on so much crack, I can't seem to process simple things. Like we're getting a new fridge because the old one sucks, runs all the time, is horribly inefficient, etc. Well, what do we do with all our food in between the emptying it out of the old fridge and waiting for the new one to get cold? They're taking the old one away to recycle so I doubt they're going to wait around and let us have them up simultaneously. These are the things that keep me up at night.
- I think I'm the odd duck that doesn't pee myself in excitement for blog giveaways. Don't get me wrong, I've thrown my name in for some great ones. But mostly, I've gone to great lengths to protect my identity - so what happens if I win? You want my name and address? PANIC ATTACK!!! So it's got to be really appealing (or a lot of fun) for me to put my name in, which means the SITS Spring Fling should be interesting today...
- Related to the former but can you buy a PO Box and register it to your real name, say Jane Smith, but receive mail there for a different name, say Cate Q. McFacePuncher?
Yeah, that's about all I've got. I'll try harder tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Run, run! Save yourselves!!!
Today is "Panic Day". Am I the only person who finds it somewhat insulting that Panic Day follows International Women's Day?
First of all, International Women's Day happens to be the day we Spring forward so we already get ripped off by an hour. Oooh, let's honor women on the shortest day EVER!!! I mean, if you're sure it's completely necessary! Then! We follow it up with Panic Day.
I don't think this is a coincidence. Nor do I think it was the work of a woman. You just know men were behind this. They probably thought it was funny.
My point? Not really sure I have one today. Except that it's Panic Day and I have a rather un-fun doctor's appointment scheduled. So maybe I'm just whining.
Whatever, that's my random observation for the day. Sadly, it's all I've got.
By the way, it's also "Barbie Day" and "Napping Day". I don't know about that whole plastic perfection thing but the napping I'm totally down with. Maybe I'll do that instead of the doctor. Or maybe I can get the doctor to prescribe daily naps and working from home on my porch. That would be ten kinds of awesome.
First of all, International Women's Day happens to be the day we Spring forward so we already get ripped off by an hour. Oooh, let's honor women on the shortest day EVER!!! I mean, if you're sure it's completely necessary! Then! We follow it up with Panic Day.
I don't think this is a coincidence. Nor do I think it was the work of a woman. You just know men were behind this. They probably thought it was funny.
My point? Not really sure I have one today. Except that it's Panic Day and I have a rather un-fun doctor's appointment scheduled. So maybe I'm just whining.
Whatever, that's my random observation for the day. Sadly, it's all I've got.
By the way, it's also "Barbie Day" and "Napping Day". I don't know about that whole plastic perfection thing but the napping I'm totally down with. Maybe I'll do that instead of the doctor. Or maybe I can get the doctor to prescribe daily naps and working from home on my porch. That would be ten kinds of awesome.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Confession: Woman driver
I have a confession to make... Remember how I gave up swearing for Lent? Yeah, well, it lasted roughly a week. And to explain why, I have provided you with a handy diagram:
Do NOT laugh at my diagram or I will punch you in the face!
So, Thursday night, after an exhausting day of The Boss being completely on crack about this event we were hosting, it was time to drive over to the opening evening party (the majority of the conference happened on Friday during the day). Because of limited parking, we carpooled to the location. I offered to drive, with about half of my coworkers in the car with me.
Now, please refer to the lovely diagram. The green car lane was going left and the purple car lane going right. We are in the blue car, making a left into a narrow lane that is surrounded by construction barrels.
I waited for traffic to clear and then pulled across to turn into this teensy tiny (did I mention narrow?) lane, wanting to make sure I didn't do something stupid like hit anything with the front of the car in that far row of cones.
Instead, I cut it too tight and took out the barrel so helpfully labeled "HALP!!", scraping it against the front driver's side of the car.
It was at this point that I yelled out "F&%#!!!". With my car loaded up with coworkers. And this is how I failed at keeping my Lenten promise of giving up swears.
P.S. My car's ok. It's over 5 years old and has some minor scratches anyways. This just possibly caused some rubbing near the wheel that could probaby be buffed out. I'm not even certain that those marks weren't already there.
P.P.S. I'm not an all or nothing girl. I have redoubled my efforts to give up further swearing.
P.P.P.S. My coworkers are just going to add this to the list of things I shall never live down.
P.P.P.P.S. When I called Joe to confess that I had hit a barrel, he thought I said I hit an animal. He was quite concerned.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Speaking of Joe, I finally won the "fish is NOT a sacrifice" argument. More on that later!
P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Sorry about all those PS's. That was completely uncalled for.
Do NOT laugh at my diagram or I will punch you in the face!
So, Thursday night, after an exhausting day of The Boss being completely on crack about this event we were hosting, it was time to drive over to the opening evening party (the majority of the conference happened on Friday during the day). Because of limited parking, we carpooled to the location. I offered to drive, with about half of my coworkers in the car with me.
Now, please refer to the lovely diagram. The green car lane was going left and the purple car lane going right. We are in the blue car, making a left into a narrow lane that is surrounded by construction barrels.
I waited for traffic to clear and then pulled across to turn into this teensy tiny (did I mention narrow?) lane, wanting to make sure I didn't do something stupid like hit anything with the front of the car in that far row of cones.
Instead, I cut it too tight and took out the barrel so helpfully labeled "HALP!!", scraping it against the front driver's side of the car.
It was at this point that I yelled out "F&%#!!!". With my car loaded up with coworkers. And this is how I failed at keeping my Lenten promise of giving up swears.
P.S. My car's ok. It's over 5 years old and has some minor scratches anyways. This just possibly caused some rubbing near the wheel that could probaby be buffed out. I'm not even certain that those marks weren't already there.
P.P.S. I'm not an all or nothing girl. I have redoubled my efforts to give up further swearing.
P.P.P.S. My coworkers are just going to add this to the list of things I shall never live down.
P.P.P.P.S. When I called Joe to confess that I had hit a barrel, he thought I said I hit an animal. He was quite concerned.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Speaking of Joe, I finally won the "fish is NOT a sacrifice" argument. More on that later!
P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Sorry about all those PS's. That was completely uncalled for.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Six Word Saturday
Time for Six Word Saturday! For more information, please check out the link above. But here's the basic concept - summarize your life (or whatever) in six words. Easy! And short! Which, after yesterday's novel I'm sure you'll all thank me for.
And because I can't leave it alone with just one (especially a kinda aggressive one)...
To share your own six words, either leave a comment or use Mr. Linky below. A note/request if you link back to me though... I recently bought a domain name so if you could kindly link to www.showmyface.com instead of the old blogspot address, I would totallyhave your babies buy you a puppy appreciate it. Thanky!
Week from Hell, didn't punch anyone!
And because I can't leave it alone with just one (especially a kinda aggressive one)...
Rocking chair, porch and wine - bliss.
To share your own six words, either leave a comment or use Mr. Linky below. A note/request if you link back to me though... I recently bought a domain name so if you could kindly link to www.showmyface.com instead of the old blogspot address, I would totally
Friday, March 06, 2009
Interview with Juliet Colors at Profoundly Inarticulate
After trading interviews with Lyndsay early last week, Juliet Colors from Profoundly Inarticulate took me up on the offer to trade interviews today. Then I promised her some questions and then somehow didn't send them until way later than I had intended... But I think she's forgiven me. You can read her answers to my questions at her blog. Please check it out if you haven't already. There are so many things she posts that leave me thinking "Wait, am I posting in my sleep on some other blog and I just don't remember it? Because that is SO me!".
This is going to be another long one, folks, so get comfy! I hope you have some popcorn, a glass of Malbec, and a slanket. Maybe even a purring kitty. I tried to trim down my answers but I refused to skimp too much.
And now, to keep this from being any longer, here's the interview!
1) In your interview with Lyndsay, you brought up a very significant day in your life: Cate Independence Day, July 22, 2004. I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering what made this day so special for you. What exactly happened on July 22, 2004 and what led up to the events of that day?
The day that set off CID (because I'm not typing that out every time) was actually one month prior. I've referenced the poor relationship with my mother a few times and this was the culmination of years of aggravation. We were chatting online on June 22, 2004 and she was relentless, hitting all the pressure points in one conversation. Bad-mouthing my grandmother (Dad's mom). Using my FIL (who has been in poor health forever) to make us feel guilty about not visiting. Whining about how they have no money for a reliable vehicle to come see us because they had to pay for my brother and sister's expenses (both were 18 at this point and not working by choice), even though I never got a dime from them. And on and on.
On this particular day, I snapped. I went completely off about everything and everyone and every bit of crap she's ever given me and every lie she's ever told. I was shaking like a leaf the whole time and when it was done, I threw up for an hour. This was all at work, by the way. My dad called that night when I got home and I refused to speak to her. Told him I wasn't talking to anyone until I had figured out what I wanted to do because I was tired of the lying and being hurt.
I spent the next 30 days reading a couple of books, talking with friends, and searching my soul. I realized my mother is a horrible narcissist. Always has been and likely always will be. Rather than cut her out of my life completely, on July 22 I sent her an email naming a bunch of people that were off-limits for discussion unless they were in the hospital or dead because she says and does hurtful things to me and people I care about . She replied, demanding examples. And I replied that she could either respect my wishes or we would not be having a relationship.
It was necessary and has made things a lot easier for me. She still brings them up occasionally and I ignore or change the subject. And there's no shortage of other topics for her to needle me about. But CID was a great day in that I finally stood up to her.
That's long - and I've cut it down three times already.
2) In a previous post, you confessed to using a webcam to spy on your cats (and others) when you are away from home. I can't imagine my cats do anything more than sleep all day when I'm gone, so I'd like to know, have you learned anything interesting or useful through your use of this device?
Ahh, the webcam. We bought it for general house-monitoring when we're away on trips. It has also come in quite handy spying on contractors that have done building projects outside. It's handy when they insist they were there working all day and we know they only showed up for two hours.
But the most interesting cat-related thing we've seen was last September. Tonya's routine at that point involved sleeping on our bed all day so that's where we directed the camera. One afternoon I happened to pull up the live feed when our cat sitter was there. The sweet Cat-Sitter gently reach towards Tonya, talking to her in a calm quiet voice. Tonya allowed Cat-Sitter to scratch her chin for a few minutes. It was encouraging to see that Tonya was getting along so well with a stranger! And then Tonya pulled her head back and swatted the hell out that poor woman. I mean, KAPOW!!! BLAMMO!!! Not that Cat-Sitter tattled but we knew Tonya had been a very naughty kitty.
3) You've featured your cats Tonya and Rusty several times in your blog. (The clever Tonya even wrote a blog post of her own!) How did you get them each to agree to take you and Joe on as their people (slaves for life)?
On one of my last days at work before moving out of the area, I mentioned to the ladies there that I was excited to get a kitten when we moved into our new place. The next day, they gave me Tonya as a going away present. One of the ladies had a neighbor that had moved away, leaving behind two pregnant cats. Tonya was one of the babies. The vet cleared her for travel (she was barely 4 weeks old) and we threw her in the car with us for a 14-hour drive. As a result, she's an excellent traveler!
Rusty was all Joe's doing. Joe hit PetSmart one night to pick up more food for Tonya and they were having an adoption event. He saw Rusty and fell in love with him. He told me about him that night and I said no. Seriously, Tonya's enough of a handful! But Joe was persistent - even though he's never claimed to be a cat person. Finally I gave in and went to meet Rusty and he was such a sweet little boy, he won me over.
And I have to include this from Juliet's email because it cracked me up:
(Are compound questions okay? You won't punch me in the face, will you? Because numbers 4 & 5...)
4) You've mentioned before having multiple blogs besides this one (16 total). Why so many blogs? How long have you been blogging overall, and what do you hope to get out of it? Fame, fortune, friendship, etc.?
I think that number (16) has possibly gone up since the last count. I have a lot of blogs that I registered mainly to snag the name for projects I had in mind at the time. I'm guilty of letting a lot of them sit empty at this point. And a few were used regularly for the duration of a project and now sit idle.
As for what I hope to get out of it? World domination. I have a 5 year plan that includes merchandising, charity concerts, and a political coup. Don't believe me? Stick around. In the meantime, if I manage to make some friends, cause a few people to think, or even just provide myself with an outlet from the voices in my head, that's nice as well.
5) One thing I really enjoy about your blog is your sense of humor. We can all use more laughs. Do you deliberately set out to give your blog a humorous tone, or does it just come naturally to you? Do you have any tips for other bloggers out there that aspire to be as entertaining and funny as you?
Thank you! I do try to find humor in situations. And sometimes I feel like my blog is a real downer so I do my best to add something light and fluffy when I can. Also, Joe is awesome but his sense of humor doesn't always coincide with mine. I figure there must be someone out there as twisted as me that might get a kick out of this stuff!
I don't feel that qualified to give advice but I'd say the best pointer I can give is to threaten bodily harm. The more I promise to punch people in the face, the more they keep coming back. No, not really. But pay attention to which of your posts are best received - capitalize on those but also remember that it's your blog and you need to write it for you first. And be responsive to your commenters! They are awesome wonderful individuals and without feedback, blogging is sorta empty (at least it is for me)!
Thanks again to Juliet Colors for providing such great questions. And no, I didn't punch her in the face. I enjoy these interviews a lot so I hope you've enjoyed reading this. And if brevity is more your style, make sure you come back tomorrow for Six Word Saturday!
P.S. Holy crap this is long. Seriously.
This is going to be another long one, folks, so get comfy! I hope you have some popcorn, a glass of Malbec, and a slanket. Maybe even a purring kitty. I tried to trim down my answers but I refused to skimp too much.
And now, to keep this from being any longer, here's the interview!
1) In your interview with Lyndsay, you brought up a very significant day in your life: Cate Independence Day, July 22, 2004. I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering what made this day so special for you. What exactly happened on July 22, 2004 and what led up to the events of that day?
The day that set off CID (because I'm not typing that out every time) was actually one month prior. I've referenced the poor relationship with my mother a few times and this was the culmination of years of aggravation. We were chatting online on June 22, 2004 and she was relentless, hitting all the pressure points in one conversation. Bad-mouthing my grandmother (Dad's mom). Using my FIL (who has been in poor health forever) to make us feel guilty about not visiting. Whining about how they have no money for a reliable vehicle to come see us because they had to pay for my brother and sister's expenses (both were 18 at this point and not working by choice), even though I never got a dime from them. And on and on.
On this particular day, I snapped. I went completely off about everything and everyone and every bit of crap she's ever given me and every lie she's ever told. I was shaking like a leaf the whole time and when it was done, I threw up for an hour. This was all at work, by the way. My dad called that night when I got home and I refused to speak to her. Told him I wasn't talking to anyone until I had figured out what I wanted to do because I was tired of the lying and being hurt.
I spent the next 30 days reading a couple of books, talking with friends, and searching my soul. I realized my mother is a horrible narcissist. Always has been and likely always will be. Rather than cut her out of my life completely, on July 22 I sent her an email naming a bunch of people that were off-limits for discussion unless they were in the hospital or dead because she says and does hurtful things to me and people I care about . She replied, demanding examples. And I replied that she could either respect my wishes or we would not be having a relationship.
It was necessary and has made things a lot easier for me. She still brings them up occasionally and I ignore or change the subject. And there's no shortage of other topics for her to needle me about. But CID was a great day in that I finally stood up to her.
That's long - and I've cut it down three times already.
2) In a previous post, you confessed to using a webcam to spy on your cats (and others) when you are away from home. I can't imagine my cats do anything more than sleep all day when I'm gone, so I'd like to know, have you learned anything interesting or useful through your use of this device?
Ahh, the webcam. We bought it for general house-monitoring when we're away on trips. It has also come in quite handy spying on contractors that have done building projects outside. It's handy when they insist they were there working all day and we know they only showed up for two hours.
But the most interesting cat-related thing we've seen was last September. Tonya's routine at that point involved sleeping on our bed all day so that's where we directed the camera. One afternoon I happened to pull up the live feed when our cat sitter was there. The sweet Cat-Sitter gently reach towards Tonya, talking to her in a calm quiet voice. Tonya allowed Cat-Sitter to scratch her chin for a few minutes. It was encouraging to see that Tonya was getting along so well with a stranger! And then Tonya pulled her head back and swatted the hell out that poor woman. I mean, KAPOW!!! BLAMMO!!! Not that Cat-Sitter tattled but we knew Tonya had been a very naughty kitty.
3) You've featured your cats Tonya and Rusty several times in your blog. (The clever Tonya even wrote a blog post of her own!) How did you get them each to agree to take you and Joe on as their people (slaves for life)?
On one of my last days at work before moving out of the area, I mentioned to the ladies there that I was excited to get a kitten when we moved into our new place. The next day, they gave me Tonya as a going away present. One of the ladies had a neighbor that had moved away, leaving behind two pregnant cats. Tonya was one of the babies. The vet cleared her for travel (she was barely 4 weeks old) and we threw her in the car with us for a 14-hour drive. As a result, she's an excellent traveler!
Rusty was all Joe's doing. Joe hit PetSmart one night to pick up more food for Tonya and they were having an adoption event. He saw Rusty and fell in love with him. He told me about him that night and I said no. Seriously, Tonya's enough of a handful! But Joe was persistent - even though he's never claimed to be a cat person. Finally I gave in and went to meet Rusty and he was such a sweet little boy, he won me over.
And I have to include this from Juliet's email because it cracked me up:
(Are compound questions okay? You won't punch me in the face, will you? Because numbers 4 & 5...)
4) You've mentioned before having multiple blogs besides this one (16 total). Why so many blogs? How long have you been blogging overall, and what do you hope to get out of it? Fame, fortune, friendship, etc.?
I think that number (16) has possibly gone up since the last count. I have a lot of blogs that I registered mainly to snag the name for projects I had in mind at the time. I'm guilty of letting a lot of them sit empty at this point. And a few were used regularly for the duration of a project and now sit idle.
- I have a boring blog that's very tied to my real-life identity. Anyone that knows my name and Googles me will find that one so I'm very cautious and limited about the things I say.
- I have a blog where I just spout off angry things. If you're familiar with the concept of "unsaids", it's kinda like that. It's therapeutic sometimes to just type off a quick obnoxious post and be done with it so I can move on to something more positive.
- A few of you have noticed "Save My Face" attached to this profile but private. That's only open to me and contains all of the neuroses and whining too dark and boring to post here. You're welcome for that.
- This is the blog I use most regularly and enjoy the most. I'm most free and most honest here. It also has the largest readership.
As for what I hope to get out of it? World domination. I have a 5 year plan that includes merchandising, charity concerts, and a political coup. Don't believe me? Stick around. In the meantime, if I manage to make some friends, cause a few people to think, or even just provide myself with an outlet from the voices in my head, that's nice as well.
5) One thing I really enjoy about your blog is your sense of humor. We can all use more laughs. Do you deliberately set out to give your blog a humorous tone, or does it just come naturally to you? Do you have any tips for other bloggers out there that aspire to be as entertaining and funny as you?
Thank you! I do try to find humor in situations. And sometimes I feel like my blog is a real downer so I do my best to add something light and fluffy when I can. Also, Joe is awesome but his sense of humor doesn't always coincide with mine. I figure there must be someone out there as twisted as me that might get a kick out of this stuff!
I don't feel that qualified to give advice but I'd say the best pointer I can give is to threaten bodily harm. The more I promise to punch people in the face, the more they keep coming back. No, not really. But pay attention to which of your posts are best received - capitalize on those but also remember that it's your blog and you need to write it for you first. And be responsive to your commenters! They are awesome wonderful individuals and without feedback, blogging is sorta empty (at least it is for me)!
Thanks again to Juliet Colors for providing such great questions. And no, I didn't punch her in the face. I enjoy these interviews a lot so I hope you've enjoyed reading this. And if brevity is more your style, make sure you come back tomorrow for Six Word Saturday!
P.S. Holy crap this is long. Seriously.
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