Thursday, February 26, 2004



You're Cambodia!

Life's been really rough, but it's slowly improving.  You know
way too much about the skeletal structure of humans, mostly from being forced to study
it.  This has given you a fear of many things, most especially the color red.
 The future has to be more promising though, and your greatest adversary can now
never come back to hurt you any more.
Take
the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

Cut Halifax A Frickin' Break Already!

Okay, after Hurricane Juan, you'd think the fair city of Halifax, Nova Scotia would get a break for a little while. Nope. The city and greater metro area got slammed with about a meter (AKA 39 inches) of snow last week. Pictures here.

What's Considered Bad?

I got asked the question of whether an earworm was good or bad. It can be both.

Example of a bad earworm: "Love & Affection" by Nelson

Example of a good earworm: "Megalomaniac" by Incubus

These Dreams Go On When I Close My Eyes...

I woke up feeling drained, as though I had worked late last night. Funny enough, if I was still full-time I would have been at a meeting that didn't end until 10:30 PM, but anyway...

My dream consisted of various scenes from standing on some rocks on the beach of Durand-Eastman Park discussing the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" with my friend, Ben, to seeing people who would potentially act in a movie based on that book. That dream is easy to explain since I had a conversation about that with Stenz this past Saturday. The next dream was slightly odd.

I dreamt I was in my bedroom at my parent's house and it was set up exactly how it used to look while I was growing up (instead of the sewing room/guest room mess that it is now). In my dream I had to tell a huge Grateful Dead fan that Jerry Garcia had died. He didn't know apparently. I was so upset for him that I started sobbing. It was the kind of crying that wracks your whole body, complete with soaking through a wash cloth with tears and snot. Not a pretty picture. I find it funny that I would be so upset over Jerry dying as I'm not a Dead fan. I figured, based on the interpretation copied below, that I was just working out stuff in my sleep. Like that's anything unusual, but I've never cried like this before in a dream.

Dream Interpretation:

To dream that you are crying, signifies a release of negative emotions that is more likely caused by some waking situation rather than the events of the dream itself. Your dream is a way to regain some emotional balance and a way to safely let out your fears and frustrations. In our daily lives, we tend to ignore, deny, or repress our feelings. But in our dream state, our defense mechanisms are no longer on guard and thus allow for the release of such emotions.

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

AWOL

You know that things have picked up when I don't even update my blog for a week. Work got busy. Super busy. Then I was out of town, so no blogging. The news? Here's a run down of last week:

Wednesday: Work. Drinks with Friends at The Cherry Lounge
Thursday: Work. Lots of it.
Friday: Trip to Buffalo to get fitted for my wedding dress bodice, some dress-related shopping, visiting various relatives, going to the Sabres game (unexpectedly) with my Uncle Don, and a cuppa tea with my Aunt after the game
Saturday: Wedding photographer interviews with Matt and dinner at The India Gate with our friends, Mike & Londa
Sunday: Absolutely nothing in a sit-on-the-couch-and-watch-movies-all-day way.
Monday: Lunch with Matt and grocery shopping.

That should get you caught up. Matt and I did decide on a photographer. We just need to meet with him again to sign the contract and give him a deposit. We're also borderline ready to book our honeymoon. Excitement galore! Plus, we have a trip to Cleveland to see Heidi & Kevin, and bunches of friends this Friday and Saturday for one last fling before they move to Rochester. Never a dull moment!

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Spring Is Coming!

In Upstate New York, a sure sign that spring is really coming is when the sap starts running in the maple trees. Well, don't let the uber-cold temperatures of this past weekend get you down, because the sap is running in my hometown! I'm hoping the same is true in a week or less down here because I'd like to get out to Sprague's near Cuba, NY for a meal chock full of carbs involving REAL maple syrup and pancakes.

Monday, February 16, 2004

Latest Earworms

  • "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" by The Darkness

  • "Hey Ya!" by The Outkast

  • "My Immortal" by Evanescence

  • "Long Lost Friend" by Better Than Ezra

  • "L'autre valse d'Amelie" by Yann Tiersen


Saturday, February 14, 2004

Happy Valentine's/Anti-Valentine's

A little something for everyone... romantic or gagging-with-a-spoon...

We had a really nice Valentine's Day(s). I managed to score free tix to Friday night's Sabres game from my co-worker. Matt and I weren't too sure the game was going to be that much fun since the L.A. Kings were playing pretty aggressively during the first period. Then our guys finally got their acts together during the second period. Matt had commented, unsarcastically, that it seemed like it was going to be Rory's (Fitzpatrick) night after he got sent to the penalty box for unsportsman-like conduct in the first period. Then the Sabres starting catching up goal-wise. Then the best moment of the night (sports-wise *winkwink*) happened. We finally got to see, live and in person, Rory score a goal. This goal finally put the Sabres in a winning position and the crowd starting getting nuts. The next period established the blow-out of a game (8-3) with lots of enthusiastic yelling for one more goal and hopes for a hat-trick for Afinogenov. An awesome time in the end (news story here). Plus, Matt helped further school me in various aspects about hockey. It will probably be one of the only sports I really understand. After the game we hit up Pearl Street Brewery for a beer and a light snack. We then decided it was too late to sensibly drive back to Jamestown and were able to score a room (no pun intended) at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Chippewa. It's a nice place if you're looking for something in downtown Buffalo. Somehow we were able to get a jacuzzi room for the price of a regular room. Guess we looked like nice people! The only bad part was me managing to pull a muscle in my neck when I was taking a shower this morning. I haven't had this happen since I was a kid, and it certainly sucks! Pain reliever and heating pad have been put to use, but I really can't turn my head to the left all that well. But that was the only sucky moment of the day. Matt took me out to dinner to The Watermark in Mayville. I had a surf and turf dinner of 3 jumbo shrimp, 6 steamed clams, and a 6 oz steak. All was very good and done to perfection. Much happiness and good times!

Now for those of you who sent anti-Valentine's, generally think that the holiday was manufactured by the "greedy bastards at Hallmark" (note - this is not my sentiment!), or are QuirkyAlones (formerly known as Singletons), here's an all-time classic for you all. The following is a transcription of a note my wonderful friend, Anne, sent me sometime in high school. I dig this out whenever I run across a friend who's looking for some words to laugh (or cry) by when enduring this sometimes torturous holiday:

Julia, woo! Sucky holiday! Yes, every year I expect Valentine's Day to be like some old Parisien (sic) movie (set in Paris) with roses and some hot French guy with a beret. But nooooooooo, it consists of sulking in homeroom while everyone else gets carnations & hating couples. And yet, this pathetic hopefulness continues each year. Ok, score one point for having the nerve to give Justin a valentine. Score one more since he said (mumbled) "thank you". But subtract one cause he was surprised/embarassed. That's good I guess but uh-oh... what if he gets the wrong idea. No, I wanted him to get the idea... oh well! Maybe next year! Ciao! Anne

Thursday, February 12, 2004

You are Shetland Wool.
You are Shetland Wool.
You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a
little on the harsh side. Though you look
delicate you are tough as nails and prone to
intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are
widely respected and even revered.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Buzz Buzz Buzz

Drudge is frantically buzzing about John Kerry's alleged infidelities. If the claims that ABC, Time Magazine, WAPA, and AP are true then I'm guessing this will hit by the 6 O'Clock news if they can shake out credible sources by then.

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Becoming A Starbucks Barista

Natalie MacLean has an interesting story about her training class to become a "barista" at Starbucks. I'm not a Starbucks fan, but the course sounds pretty interesting. I'd love to try a "cupping" sometime.

Sunday, February 08, 2004

"Do You Believe In Miracles? YES!"

Matt, Richard and I went to see Miracle tonight. What an effing, awesome movie! It was a great rush watching it. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still got all anxious waiting to see how the USA v. USSR game turned out.

After the movie we talked about how our kids, well.. Richard's kids, will grow up never thinking of Russia as an enemy country. They won't have first hand knowledge about the Cold War and and how we all had a wariness about the Soviet Block. The three of us joked about how it was so much easier having the U.S.S.R. as our enemy during the 80's. Hell, I'd take that over religious zealots crashing airplanes into skyscrapers any day.

Thursday, February 05, 2004

An Essential If Going North of the Border

Okay, some of the things listed in the American's Guide to Canada have a huge "Duh!" factor for me, but then again.. I'm practically Canadian. Still interesting stuff.

PHILIP COLAVITO, MOB ACCOUNTANT

Probably one of the funniest things I've read on McSweeney's ever.

President Bush on Meet The Press

For the first time in most of my office's memory, a sitting president will be a guest on one of Sunday's morning news talk shows. That's right. George W. Bush will be on Meet The Press this Sunday for an hour. This is pretty big news. I hope Tim Russert shreds him.

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Guess Who's In the News?

I’m famous.. again. We're pretty sure we know which Legislator shot his mouth off. The office and Matt are livid about the story, but I figure that it will let some of my contacts around town know that I’m looking for a job!


County To Eliminate Eight Positions
By D. D.

MAYVILLE - Six managers in the Chautauqua County government have accepted the career change incentive and two supervisors have chosen an early retirement plan.

County Executive Mark Thomas announced Tuesday that five managers will continue to work for the county full time until May 31 as part of the career change incentive: a deputy director of public facilities, two deputy directors of finance, deputy planning director and patient services director.

One employee, an executive assistant in Thomas' office, will switch from full time to part time and may remain employed in the office until the year's end.

Two supervisory employees took the early retirement incentive and left the county government in mid-January: an administrative officer in the Social Services Department and a supervisor in the Department of Public Facilities. Both positions are members of the Civil Service Employees Association labor union.

Thomas plans to eliminate all eight positions as part of the county's wage and benefit cost reduction.
Kate Hentz is the deputy planning director. A legislator said Julia (last name edited for my sake) is the executive assistant who will leave Thomas' office.

Names of the others were not immediately discernible because in most cases more than one employee shares those titles.

Thomas, a Democrat, would not divulge the names of the people in those positions, but he said Kenneth Bochmann remains employed by the county. He would not say whether Bochmann has accepted the career change incentive.
Legislator Joseph Trusso, D-Jamestown, said Monday that Bochmann, a deputy director of public facilities, had left county government.

Minority Leader James Caflisch, R-French Creek, said he had been told Bochmann would remain with the county until May.

The cost savings will be released next week, Thomas said.
''Right now, there's a whole lot of things being calculated,'' he said.

Some nonmanagement union employees have accepted the early retirement plan, he said. He plans to reveal the number next week.

Thomas must find $2.8 million in wage and benefit savings by the year's end. The county budget contains a subtraction of that amount in wages and benefits.

The county executive has said the savings will be achieved through administrative consolidations, retirement and career change incentives, union negotiations and, as a last resort, layoffs.

County legislators authorized early retirement plans for managers and union employees in November. They also approved a career change incentive that allows managers to work half-time for half their salary and full health insurance benefits while searching for a new occupation.

The county administration also gave employees the option of voluntary layoffs in December.
Thomas plans to include the anticipated human services consolidation in next week's announcement.

The term of Dr. Robert Berke, health commissioner, expired Aug. 1, but Berke has remained in the post since then. Thomas has said the county government's human services category, which includes the Health Department, will undergo a consolidation.

The county executive would not comment on whether layoffs are imminent. He said one CSEA member opted for a voluntary layoff. There also may have been one forced layoff, he said.
''I can't give you a definitive on that right now,'' he said. ''There might be one.''

Caflisch said he would not comment on the announcement until after he has had a chance to read it and find out more details.

Majority Leader Robert Anderson, D-Carroll, said the number of management employees who chose the incentives met his expectation.
''I think we were looking for somewhere near this number on the management side,'' Anderson said.

Thomas also announced that he will send a series of proposals to the County Legislature this month regarding the cost reductions.

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Be My Anti-Valentine 2004

The lovely Meg has brought back the always hysterical Anti-Valentine. I almost wish I had someone to send one of these too. I think my favorite this year is the one called "I Know".

Monday, February 02, 2004

What Would Willie Nelson Do?

Okay. Best Super Bowl ad EVER. Who would have thought it would be for H&R Block? Why is this the best? Well, it has to do with a little inside joke Matt and his brother, Glenn, came up with a few years ago. This back when all those darn "What Would Jesus Do" bracelets/necklaces/rolling papers/etc were quite popular. I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but it ran along the lines of "What Would Willie Nelson Do? Smoke Hashish!" It was the same answer everytime, "Smoke Hashish!" So thus a commercial where someone asks a Willie Nelson doll what they should do became a hysterical moment for me and caused me to want to shout "USA! USA!" It's all good.

Sunday, February 01, 2004

Dean v. Kerry

To put it bluntly, I've gotten all kinds of shit from people for supporting Dean after the news media went overboard on his Iowa concession speech. Quick note on that, if you listen to that speech as recorded from someone in the audience, the yell is barely noticable due to all the noise. Also, most of the major news organizations (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox) admit that they ran that story too much and that maybe they shouldn't have done the story to begin with.

So, here's a decent commercial dealing with Kerry v. Dean (requires Windows Media Player). It's a good ad other than the fact that I would change who does the speaking since it's a little grating in the beginning.

Cutting to the Scene with the Pixie

Ten years ago, I decided to do one of the most drastic things I had ever done to my hair. I went from a long style (below collarbone) to a p...