Supply Lady

I’m the designated supply person for the office for the month of August. When you are the supply person, you are supposed to buy a month’s worth of paper towels, hand soap (because we’re too delicate to use the stuff building management puts in the dispenser), paper plates, cups, napkins, etc. The coffee club supplies their own supplies related to coffee. I am not a member of the coffee club because I am a coffee snob and refuse to drink coffee that comes in a 5 gallon bucket. Not to mention the little packets of dried cream.

The group I work with is self-described as having too much time and money on their hands and therefore they like to have a little bit of Martha at the office. I’m all for a little bit of Martha at home but at the office? The office is not my home away from home. It is where I go to make money to pay for my real home. It is a means to the end. Therefore I don’t see the point in spending too much money on fancy schmancy paper towels and other products that we use once and throw away. Except for plastic cutlery. I’ll spend a few extra cents for those because I hate having a fork tine break off in my lunch.

Once I had to bring in paper plates for a potluck lunch and I went with Chinet dinner plates. Practically a sin. I figured Chinet would carry me through. These folks expected me to go to the party store and create a theme. Know what? I don’t live anywhere near a party store and I’m not going across town to buy plates and cups to create a theme. Unless, of course, I’m having a group of people over to my house and then I’ll make an effort.

Last night Kroger had a pack of 8 paper towels on sale. I bought them and these folks will have to live with those rolls of paper towels for the month of August. I may get nuts and buy another pack of Chinet plates. Just my passive-aggressive way of rebelling.

Posted in General Spleen Venting | 2 Comments

The Better-Half Rocked It

The better-half worked on the porch while I was away this past weekend. I was mighty impressed when I got home to see how much he did by himself.

Posted in House Proud | 1 Comment

Moon Landing

I was one of those kids who didn’t see any point in walking. I had a mean crawl that took me anywhere I wanted to go and I was really good at going places quickly.

My mother told me the story of watching the July 20, 1969 moon landing and how I was standing watching what was going on. She really thought that I was going to take unassisted steps just as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. What happened was that I just fell down.

Of course, what really happened is history now.

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And That’s How She Became My Favorite

While at the beach on Saturday, I started reading The Writing Life by Ellen Gilchrist. I’ve read nearly everything she’s ever written. Her books take up a shelf and a half on my bookcase…at least they did before we moved. Now, they take up a big box since I haven’t unpacked them yet. I’ve seen her give a reading and I recommend her books to anyone who will listen to me. She’s my favorite.

I chuckled to myself when I read the following:

I am oppposed to professors copying stories and giving them to their studients as it violates copyright laws. I have done it several times with poetry written by people who are dead but I felt bad about it and won’t do it again.

Reading stories that my creative writing professor photo-copied was exactly how I was first introduced to Ellen Gilchrist.

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A Little Tired and a Little Pink

My sister and I got back into town around 6:30 last night and let me tell you those last 100 miles were killer. It seemed like someone was stretching out the highway in front of us as if it were a big elastic band. Also, the rest area at the North Carolina and Virginia border is for crap. It is embarrassing that the Virginia rest area is so very nasty and the one on the other side of the road is so nice. Good job North Carolina.

We did a whole lot of nothing while in Florida and that was very nice. We hung out and talked and ate and turned ourselves pink on the beach. The turning pink thing wasn’t so great but that’s our own damn fault. Saturday night as I was going to sleep I apologized to the skin on my shoulders.

We amused ourselves by going to the Daytona Flea and Farmer’s Market on Sunday afternoon. We could only take about 30 minutes of that much fun and had to go have some lunch. I described the flea market to the better-half “as if a dozen dollar stores exploded”. It was kind of disturbing to see turtles for sale in little boxes. And parrots. Someone was selling parrots and some of the parrots looked like regular size and some were newly hatched and laying in a box together-alive, dead? Who knows. Honestly, I don’t know my birds so they could have been cockatiels or whatever big exotic looking birds are called. I think birds shouldn’t be pets. I think birds in captivity are creepy. The people shuffling around the flea market were kind of creepy too.

Posted in Thinking | 1 Comment

Road Trip Tunes

I made a couple of CDs for our listening pleasure during the drive to and from FL. Some of my selections cracked me up. I hope my sister isn’t reading this because the surprise will be blown…I’m sure she’ll enjoy the songs anyway.

CD 1:
Willie Nelson-City of New Orleans
Amy Ray-Driver Education
B52s-Roam
Nelson Riddle-Theme from Route 66
Beastie Boys-No Sleep Til Brooklyn
Eurythmics-Sisters are doing it for themselves
Indigo Girls-Chickenman
James Taylor-Country Road
Jerry Reed-Eastbound and Down
Jim Croce-Rapid Roy
John Mayer-Why Georgia
Laura Cantrell-Roll, Truck, Roll
Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Eric Clapton-Mainline Florida
Michelle Shocked-Memories of East Texas

CD2:
War-Low Rider
Nanci Griffith-Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound
Chuck Berry-No Particular Place to Go
The Pretenders-Middle of the Road
Sheryl Crow-Steve Mcqueen
Simon & Garfunkel-Baby Driver
Supertramp-Take the Long Way Home
The Beatles-The Long and Winding Road
Todd Snider-Forty-five Miles
Tracy Chapman-Fast Car
Eddie Grant-Electric Avenue
Foghat-Slow Ride

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I’m on Vacation, how ’bout you?

I’m officially on vacation until 7:30 am Tuesday morning when I have to be back at my desk. Whoooohoooo.

I went by the grocery store on the way home to pick up snacks, ice and drinks. I also got the cat and the better-half some provisions for the weekend. I was most worried about the cat because the better-half said he’d take care of his own grilling and chilling needs.

My sister is picking me up tomorrow morning in her new-to-her mini van and then we’re going to burn up I-95 on our trek down to Florida. My FL sister said the weather predictions are for beautiful weather. I think it would be very nice of NASA to figure out the problem with the shuttle and send it up while we are there. My sister says we’d be able to see the launch from her house. That would be so very, very cool.

I’m not sure about how frequently I’ll post, but if one of us does something particularly embarrassing I may post from my sister’s house.

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Two Things that Made Me Double Take

I was sitting at a red light and glanced across the intersection and saw a Lexus SUV with bright yellow on the tires and the wheel wells. Dude, when the street line painting guy tells you to get out of the way he’s not kidding. Hope you enjoy that bright yellow on your black expensive ride.

Who says Richmond has a drainage problem? Last night it rained a lot and this morning there was a ring of sandbags around a couple of office buildings. Guess the office workers are tired of walking on soggy carpet.

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Good Eating

I went to the new sushi place down the street today for lunch. Very good and I hope the better-half and I can go there soon for dinner. I went with a British woman that used to work in our office but has moved over into another building. She’s so very interesting and we had a nice time. She got bonus points for not correcting my chopsticks form.

Tonight for dinner we made a simple salad and then had crusty bread with bresaola. Light and delicious.

Tomorrow night we’re having Jerk Chicken. I just chopped up one of our jalepenos for the marinade and made the mistake of touching my face. Ooooh, fire. Pain now means delicious tomorrow night.

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We can grow more than weeds and crab grass

Check out the evening harvest:

Posted in Eating | 1 Comment