Bring On the Clowns

Cirque Du Soliel last night was AWESOME! Not just really cool, or pretty good, but amazing. First off, it was nice to walk into the big tent and confirm that it was air conditioned. Ahhhh! How nice, since it peaked at like 98 degrees today and was still steaming at 7:45 when we got to the big tent.

I won't say too much about the show because I don't want to ruin it, but it was really beautiful. Kind of a blend of gymnastics and dancing and the performers were so fluid. We were so impressed because if a stunt didn't work the first time, they did it again! Some of the stuff they did was just crazy, totally crazy. I recommend it highly!

The Vacation State

	Kev and I went up to Portland this weekend to visit a friend from high school. While we were there we decided to add to our list of brewery tours. The three of us ended up with a private tour of the factory (those Maine folk are so pleasant). Of course, it is tough to drink up the free dixie cup of brew after a long night of bar hopping. Check out the keg flag, that's the coolest! I want a keg flag. Afterwords, we went to the outlets and got some great stuff at the north face. Sweet! I love a good deal and we needed some more gear for our trip.

Sound the Trumpets

Ok, can my heart slow down? I did it. Talk about sureal. I could hear myself saying the words and I could see them digesting it, but that did not feel real. Maybe it is becuase I have thought about it like a bazillion times. Hell, a bazillion times today even. What if? How? When? Ahhhhh!

For the most part, I think I did a very good job. Maybe I'll look back on it later, after it all sinks in, and decide I should have or shouldn't have said one thing or another. You know what, it's over and I'm ok with that. I probably figited a little too much. I figit when I'm nervous and I blush, big time, like a circus clown.

How'd they take it? - Pretty well actually. I know they were surprised at first and I don't think they believed me until I handed out my little letter. The letter was the clincher, it said "I'm not kidding". Whoa! I still haven't reached relief, though I am very much still jumping out of my skin. Calm down, its over

Q Day

Oh man, this is killing me. It is like having a crazy big secret and having to hold it down. Only I keep going back and forth from wanting to scream at the top of my lungs in joy or in pain. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news and I don't know what type of a reaction I'll end up with. I think I have had a frog in my throat multiple times and flys in my tummy all day. (Add some lillipads and we'll have all the workings of a little swamp.)

Today is the day I drop the bomb at work. I have been thinking about this whole procedure for awhile and am ready for the relief that comes with knowing it is all over. My letter is perfect (Thanks Mikey P) and printed. But I've never given my notice, well besides at Super Stop and Shop, but please...

It's all about the timing, though, right? It would be nice to announce my departure just at quitting time, but that means waiting... the waiting is so horrible.

This has got to be one of those things that when it's over you look back on and say "humf, that wasn't bad at all, I wonder what I was nervous for." Of course it is easy to say that when it's over. On the otherhand, I am so excited about my future endeavors that I am still happy to give my notice. I have to remind myself about that, least I forget.

"There are two things that can hinder your dreams; money and imagination. If the second is great enough, the first will never be a problem." Unknown

Think Fast

On the way into work today, it was raining (big surprise, since it has been sunny about four times in the past four weeks). It was heavier rain though and it made for a longer commute. Sometimes you just have to accept the longer timeframe though and be happy that you are moving along.

I was going along the slow (aka boring, lame, dragging...) portion of my trip, when I share the road with only a few other suckers and a white Jetta came barrelling from behind to about 100 yards ahead of me and then did a graceful little twirl, like he meant to do it, you know like he was on ice skates!?!

So here I am taping the brakes and where does the guy end up? In my lane facing me. I knew I wasn't going to be stopped by the time I got there and wanted to avoid any chance of collision (duh). I couldn't go left around him because another car was in my same boat, a black Taurus or something and he was going to the left. I'm not sure I could have gone left anyway, without a little ice skating move like the Jetta.

Think Fast! Luckily, I did and cruised right around him to the RIGHT (right through the grassy "breakdown lane"). Good thing there wern't any guardrails and VERY good thing it wasn't the busy section of the trip where that would have easily resulted in a ten car pile-up.

So let that be a lesson - They should never put guardrails on the side of the highway (well, as long as the side is flat).

An Oops Awakaning

This morning was the first day in a loooonnng time that I was planning on sleeping till... whenever. I don't have anywhere to go and I don't have any real plans except to sort through all the digital photos we took on our CA trip. (Finally).

It was a late night and I was nice and cozy, but my mental alarm clock went off and I looked at the clock at 7:54. Now on a day like today I should have been able to say "Ah, I can still sleep..." and roll over. But in my sleepy haze I totally confused myself into thinking it was monday (because heavin forbid that I would really ever have the chance to sleep past 8am). And this monday I have an 8am work meeting about an hour's drive away.

So, I basically freaked out; jumped out of bed like a crazed lunatic and ran to the hallway. "Shit!" I thought about calling my boss, how would I get there in time? Why didn't I set my alarm? and about a hundred other thoughts streaming through at warp speed. When, of course I realized it was SUNDAY!

It took at least 30 mins to slow the heart rate and fall back asleep. Luckily, I did fall back asleep and woke up at 11am. Although I feel a nice nap coming on in the afternoon.

Let the Chips Fall Where They May

...Only I hope they fall in front of me.

It's my nephew's birthday this weekend and Kevin and I went up on Friday after work for a game of poker. The way the cards were falling, you'd think it was my birthday.

We've been up a couple of times before and I definately am not a threat, but I love cards, I love a challange and they only play for quarters so I keep coming back for more. Before the first time we played I said to my bro-in-law "How do you play?". He shook his head and said "Oh man, you are in traa-ble". There was no beginner's luck for me and I went home a big fat loser. The second time I faired a little better but still came home in the red.

Last night I ended up $7! Hooray for me! It was a full house night (in my hand, I mean). Maybe I should have been at Mohegan Sun instead.

At least now, I know what beats what.

Driving Tunes

Tuesday night I decided I needed some good driving music to aid me in the long hour trip up to work. So far it has been ok, but I thought maybe a disk full of fun and crazy tunes could be a good substitute for some coffee. The last 20 mintues are definatly the worst and without the coffee I drag myself out of the car.

I had a couple of good tunes picked out, couple of Stones, Talking Heads and ZZ Top. I am horrible at remembering names of tunes so I went to the trusty net to see what other people thought. There were tons of sites devoting space to the topic so it made it pretty fun. (Some of those folks don't seem to have the same idea as me for driving music, though).

I played the cd yesterday and made it all the way up sans coffee (of course I had one later in the afternoon, whoops). There are some ridiculously stupid things that you get when you download though. I got a song that has "pop" all over the place and my Radar Love tune just cuts off. But the Strokes Hard to Explain tune was a nice surprise.

By the way, this marks my 100th entry!

Do you Yahoo!?

I had wittled my spam email down to a minimum, no more than maybe two a week. It took numerous tries at the 'remove me' game and just ignoring other uncredible addresses. It was great.

Then at some point last month I clicked the This is Spam button on Yahoo! and entered into some contest. I swear, from that point on I have gotten more spam than I know what to do with. There are few things worse than clicking on Inbox(8) just to see eight spam messages and no sweet messages from friends or fam!

Now I set up SpamGuard, which automatically filters all the emails Yahoo! thinks are spam into my bulk mail folder. Of course that means when I open up I see Inbox(1) Bulk Mail(5), which still isn't that exciting but at least I'm not crushed when I finally make it to the inbox.

Thing is, I can't help constantly checking the bulk mail to see what kind of junk I am missing out on. I could be learning about 'college degrees for everyone', 'the smallest digital camera', 'mail order brides from Russia' (no joke, I really got that one) and people trapped in third world countries that just need access to my bank account to get freed (little do they no, my bank account is not getting anyone anywhere).

I'd set up another account, but I'm sure they'd follow me. Besides, my email address is the only thing that has stayed constant for the past 4+ years, while my phone numbers and snail mail addresses are constantly on the move. It's kind of comforting.

A Decent Proposal

I love working at a place where the boss asks "I buy, you fly?" and five minutes later I'm walking back to the office with a six pack.

Field Day Flop

The good news is that the rare grasshopper sparrow will be spared. I will also be spared, spared of some awesome music for my listening pleasure. Radiohead, Beck, Beastie Boys, Interpol, Elliott Smith, Beth Orton and the list goes on...

I, along with approximatly 50,000 other people, was planning to attend the field day festival this weekend in Calverton, Long Island. Over the past week or so there has been soo much uncertainty about the whole thing and I spent a lot of time today trying to figure out what the deal was. Would the concert go on? NO! It was finally relocated to Giants Stadium and the line-up was trimmed after lacking the required mass gathering permit. Who was planning this thing? Mickey Mouse?

The crazy part is that the official website was like the last one to announce the cancelation. So it leaves us all in limbo. Even though we saw at 1:45pm that it was cancelled and moved, it just didn't feel official until almost 6pm when the posted it on the field day website. I also got a loud phone call from ticketmaster. How sweet of them to make a decision with a whole two days left before the weekend. I'm just glad I don't have hotel reservations, plane reservations or anything else. That could be ugly. Some of the townsfolk will bear an unusual burden. Beer anyone?

20, 25 Do I hear 25

Kevin and I went to an auction this weekend. I have been looking for these beautiful porcelin Chinese style soup spoons. Something you would eat won-ton soup with. I am not a fan of the won-ton, but I have a thing for the perfect spoon. One of our dining halls at college had GREAT soup spoons. The kind that really bellow out so you get some soup. Gasp! It's amazing!

Needless to say I have about 15 of these wonderful spoons. I guess the thousands of dollars spent to go there was well worth it, on a per spoon basis that averages out to... ugh nevermind, I don't want to know.

Wow, I got off the subject. Anyway, we went to this auction because they were supposed to have Chinese things. That was the theme. It turned out that it was mostly Chinese furniture but we stayed to see what it was all about anyway. Once the bidding started, Kev looked like a gambler.

him-"We haven't bid on anything."
Me-"Right, because we don't need anything. What are we going to do with more stuff?"

But then this beautiful mirror came up and we set our limit ($30), bid away and WON (for $26 out the door, none the less). The mirror is super sweet with a beaveled edge and this leaf pattern around the edge. Very sharp!