Going Postal

Just when you thought the phrase "going postal" had left our lexicon, it's back!!!

A Post Office worker was bound and determined that we not take the US Postal Service lightly. Reminding us civilians that the Post Office is a damn hard place to work (I wouldn't want to do it), an ex-postal employee in Santa Barbara opened fire and killed six of her former coworkers according to an AP report.

Thank you un-named assailant for kicking it old school and re-edumacating all us. (...Sigh...)

Miss Taken Identity

Recently among some blogsites there has been a to-do about who we are as bloggers. Some of the blog sites I respect have responded* to some people's assumptions. Do the people who read the blogs really know the bloggers just from reading? To me this is silly, but what the hell, let's join in the fray and address the silly.

I can say with some certainity that some of the people who read my blog probably do know me because I have gotten down on my knees and marketed my blog to my friends. Please, Pleeeease read my errant writings about nothing and everything in particular.

Do I think I know the people whose blogs I read? With the exception of two blogs, the answer is a resounding no. I can say that the blogs belonging to Erica and Aileen have given me a better appreciation of the people that they are; enriching the moving picture I formed having known them.

What makes blogs great to read is the validation that we readers get in knowing we are not alone in our experiences, thoughts and ambitions. Two dimensional writings do not give us access to the more complicated gray areas of a person's psyche even if we try to convey that psyche through the written word.

A recent painful lesson was taught to me about the inaccuracies of translating a real connection to that of the nebulous world of email. I cannot imagine trying to make a real connection solely out of the gray areas in cyberspace.

There are many great blogs out there. I love reading them. These blogs stir my creative juices. A thousand ideas come to mind for my next post. I read some blogs and revel in how well written they are.

Read my blog and you will notice words left out of sentences, misspelled words, and even occasionally grammatical errors. I do my best and am constantly editing my posts. I must edit one post a bazillion times and still find errors. Editing is not my forte.

If you are reading this, and I thank you from the bottom of my soul for doing so, create your own blog if you are so inclined or if you already have a blog, leave me the link. I'll read it.

Which leads me to welcome a brand spankin new blogger to the world, my0p.

If you are not inclined to write, thank you again for reading.

* Mask of Anony -Blog-O
More Sound & Fury
Playing Nice
Blah

In addition: Erica has reminded me of another reason to read blogs: fall down, smile hurting, painful abdomen, tear swiping, drop to the floor ....laughter. Salut Erica !!!!

Transexpistols

It all began innocently. I was listening to Steve Jones on Indie 103 over the web while instant messaging my friend Brad.

Steve Jones was spinning, of all things, Journey. Then he started mocking:

'I will cram Journey down your throats until you throw up. All Journey. All the time.' Or something like that.

Jones named all the Journey songs. I think he had a list written down in front of him. Then he played another Journey song.

I laughed out loud. Why? This is Steve Jones, guitarist of the Sex Pistols, playing Journey with a vengeance. The mere thought is hilarious.

I relayed my amused state to Brad who then sent me to a Sex Pistols tribute band website: Transexpistols. (The site is a little out of date but worth a visit.)

God, don't ya just love it!!!

These gals... umhum... guys are among the most flattering forms of imitation that the Sex Pistols could receive. The band has favorable press reviews which is more than the originals achieved in the beginning.

What does the press know? Don't take it from me or their reviewers. Give them a listen.

Jones are you listening?


Sidenote: I have mentioned Indie 103 before in this blog. Rolling Stone calls this station America's Coolest Radio Station and the Blender calls Steve Jones the Punk who Saved Radio. Indie 103 has the creds to live up to the hype. Henry Rollins, Joe Sib, Dickie Barrett, and Crystal Method as radio hosts make my impressive list.

What's more impressive about this station are the DJ playlists. Pretty much anything goes. Check it out for truly good music radio. Everything from Wilson Pickett, Johnny Mathis, Patti Smith and the Pogues to The Specials, Radiohead, Disturbed and TSOL. Plus more mainstream artists such as; The Foo Fighters, The Police, Interpol, and Weezer in between. A communication corporation, Entravision, has finally done something right. Click here for show listings.

Ok, That's all the commercial time I have for today.

Take a Quiz - The Citizenship Test

Citizenship Quiz
Every day thousands leave their homelands to settle here in the land of the free. Before they become citizens they are required to take a citizenship test and score 80%. Could you pass this test if you took it today?

This quiz I got from goofball.com.

Try it out! Happy Friday!

Adventures in Dating Part 2

Recently I went on a blind date. I have been on exactly three blind dates in my life; this last one being the best. I have nothing against blind dates in general though perhaps I should. The two previous had been disasters, but I went on them willingly because the people who love me best are the ones that choose the dates for me.

The first blind date was with a guy that had ADD maybe even ADHD. At twenty-two, I knew nothing about ADD. My phone conversations with the guy had been great prior to the date. We decided to meet at a dance club on my suggestion. My friend and her boyfriend were to meet us later. (I know now that my choice of locations was poor to say the least. People with severe ADD cannot concentrate amid so much noise and movement.)

After dancing for a while, we stopped to get a drink and talk. I love conversation. With my date however, I couldn't get a word in edge wise. My date would change the subject in the middle of his own sentences and two words into mine. My head was spinning. Where was the guy who could hold a conversation for an hour on the phone?

The next set up (don't you love that term set up) was with a guy who had no conversational ability. On any subject.

Me: Do you like music?
Him: Yes.
Me: Who's your favorite band?
Him: I don't know.
Me: What do you like to do?
Him: Hang out.
Me: Really? Where?
Him: Here and there.

And so it went on any topic under the sun I could think up. While I was coming up with new subjects to introduce, my date picked his nose. These vague answers and an adversion to him touching me had me thinking that we weren't well matched. I got the feeling that he thought so as well.

It was later that I discovered he really liked me and wanted to go out again. Why? What would we talk about? I had exhausted the conversational spectrum with the exception of public cleaning of nasal orifices.

I mentioned to Maria being set up, by Jennifer, on this latest blind date. Maria knows all about my blind date history. She quizzed me about the guy. I told her I knew nothing really but it couldn't be worse than the others. Jennifer and her husband, Gino, would be with us for dinner guarding against complete mayhem if we were totally adverse to each other.

Maria then gave me the standard female advise. Wear this. Not that. (This conversation took place over the phone so descriptions were more lengthy.) Say this. Don't say this. Wear this...etc.

The date went well. Good guy. No odd incidents or strange personality quirks to report. We stayed up late and were a little well for the wine.

The next day I induced Jennifer to help play a practical joke on Maria. Lack of sleep must be my excuse.

Jennifer called Maria to express concern about my behavior the night before. I listened on the extension.

Jennifer: Maria, I know Michelle told you she had a date last night at my house. She didn't seem herself. She seemed distracted. I wouldn't normally call but I am concerned.

Maria: Uhmm.

Jennifer: Michelle made weird noises during dinner. She didn't even talk to her date.

Maria: Are you sure you are talking about Michelle?

Jennifer: I know. You should have seen what she was wearing. It was something my grandmother would wear.

Maria: Hmmmm. Uncomfortable noises coming from over the phone.

Jennifer: She kept interrupting the conversation. It was like she had ADD. I think she even picked her nose. I was embarrassed to have set her up with my friend.

Maria: That's not Michelle. She would not do that. You are describing dates Michelle has been on. Am I am being punked?

Both Jennifer and I began laughing uncontrollably.

Thank you Maria for defending me. Hopefully you are still talking to me.

Horror Movies

I can't do them. Honestly. I get too grossed out. Especially the ones that are really cheesy - the slashers. I try and watch. But these movies all have a thing crawling out of someone's mouth. The thing usually has a tail. I am going to vomit now. Could not watch snakes eat rats on the science field trip in third grade for the same reason.

The ones that are stupid I can do, sometimes. I can watch these thanks to an evening called Stupid Horror Movie Night when I was nineteen. Every Sunday, for that summer, a group of girl friends would get together at Maria's house. We would bring the requisite junk food. We would dish guys we were seeing or trash those we were breaking up with.

About one a.m., we would all grab our blankets, sleeping bags, etc. and settle to watch the classics like Truth or Dare, Basket Case, and my all time favorite It's Alive.

It's Alive gets my consistency in editing award.
One scene has a kid running.
As he runs, it's day.
It's night.
It's day again and he's still running.
A car chases after him.
Yet the kid still gets home first.

There's also a scene where a husband slaps his hysterical wife. Her head turns in the opposite direction of the slap. Now that's acting!

Contemplating my Thumbnails

I'm MELTING! I'm MEEEEEELLLLLLLTTTTINNNG!!!!

Ok. I'm not. Nor is my house though it sounds like it. Working at home is a curse. I can get a lot done, or I can watch the squirrels play in the showers of snow melting from the roof. Or I can post on my blog.

I went to CVS over the weekend. When do I not go to CVS? They had Easter stuff out. Wow!!! Over two months away and Easter is around the retail world corner? Alrighty then.

There is a new chocolate on the market. New is not the right word. (New to Hershey Kisses, maybe.) Hershey has introduced candy coated mini Kisses. Of course, of course!, I bought them.
I impulse buy anything wierd.

The candy is Hershey's attempt to make the new MM. Problem is you can't make a new MM. Can't be done. MMs are MMs. They are my initials. I love them. Ok I may love them even if they weren't my initials.

The new Kisses are not good. I am not a big chocolate Kisses fan, at least not the kind you buy in a plastic package at a store. Chocolate should be the serotonin fix that God intended. Chocolate that fixes my serotonin levels are Toblerone, MM's, Nutella, and the Almighty Godiva.

Yes, Europeans make the best chocolate but unless you are planning to visit some specialty shop or a visit to Europe, I am mapping out reasonable chocolate fixes.

Ah well. Back to work.

Music Day

I wanted to do a post about music for sometime. I started one a few months ago and stopped it cause as much as I love cheese the post was just a little too cheesy. However, I was listening to Josh Bell play violin and reminiscing about how much I loved playing viola in school. I just wish I loved to practice the instrument as much. Then Mopeychick posted her ipod song lists. Maybe now is the time to post about music.

I was sitting in horrendous traffic the other day; the kind of traffic that you can get out of your car, take a mile walk around, and come back in time to move your car an inch. This kind of commuting makes me glad I keep the car stocked with an endless supply of CDs. I pulled out a CD I made last March. I dub it my Rahul inspired CD because it has some hip-hop influence. Rahul is a friend who loves hip-hop. (Actually, most of my friends have some influence on my musical tastes especially if the friend introduces me to a new musical artist.)

The "Rahul" CD also contains a number of songs, also known as the cheesiest songs on the planet that just make me smile. These songs I think are my top 5 songs that will always bring a smile to my face.

Liz Phair -Banana Splits cover Tra La La La
The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
Gene Kelly - Singing in the Rain
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes- My Favorite Things
Bon Jovi - Shot through the Heart (only because I used play this song when working at Sound Warehouse to watch this guy who was always trippin. His head would spin from corner to corner of the store as the sound bounced from speaker to speaker. It was hilarious.)

Listening to the CD started me thinking, cause what else do I have to do in hell traffic, about my other personal top 5 music lists. The top 5 songs that I dance to, the top 5 songs I relax to, the top 5 songs to drive fast to, etc... If this sounds strange, I can't help it. My thoughts just wander this way.

I believe we all have our top 5 lists playing in our head depending on personal circumstance because music tastes, like political and religious beliefs, conform to our personal experiences.

Think about the songs you like and why. Were you twirling a baton at the time you were listening to the Cars like Mopeychick? Breaking up with your boyfriend and now you can't stand the songs he listens to. Dancing at a club with a hot guy who made you feel fabulous and now the song that was playing is in your repertoire?

You get the picture. Music is a culmination of personality and life circumstances.

side note: my blog profile photo and inserted picture are by Paul Brent

How to Tell if You are on a Date

Ok that should be obvious, right?

Well, if you and the person have arranged to meet somewhere or he is picking you up, then yes the date is obvious. Sometimes it's not sooooo easy. At least not for me and I am truly oblivious to many things.

First non-date date rule: If he pays, you are on a date.

I met a guy about two years ago at a poetry group I attended. Nice guy. He and I would run into each other all over town. We could talk for ages.

Sounds great? What was the problem? I had no 'I am interested in you' chemistry on my side. I just wasn't attracted. Actually I thought I was making a friend or at least an acquaintance.

One night we met at the coffee shop and he was on the way to the movies and asked me along. Yes, I agree this should have been my first clue. Got to the movie and he paid. Again, a clue!! Truly people I am dense.

I didn't get a clue until he was dropping me back at my place. He suggested we sit on his deck with a glass of wine and watch the water. Sounds nice if you are with someone you want to be romantic with.

I made my excuses. Two friends of mine in California really had to clue me in that this was a date. Maybe it had been too long? I don't know...

Since then I've been on a few dates and thought I will now know when I am dating.

Second non-date date rule: If it looks innocent, it's not.

Over the holidays, my mom and I went to dinner at a good friend of my mom's. She and her son live there. You'd think I'd know if two moms and two kids of the opposite sex are involved in an activity especially dinner that I'd be wise? Uh, no.

The son greets me and immediately corners me in conversation. I was a little taken back . The two moms were not joining in our conversation despite my best efforts to include them. Second or third clue?

The son and I went for a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. On the way back, he hesitantly says, "I don't know how to say this.." This was my first clue. "... It sucks that you live so far away (We were in Atlanta. I live in Boston.), but I'd like us to email each other. "

I know I'm on a date at this point and he's not a bad guy. Again not terribly attracted. I agree to write because there is no danger on my side and honestly don't think there is any on his side.

Over my dating life, with the beauty of hindsight, there were plenty of times I should have known I was on a date. I have not been perceptive to say the least. In my defense I do know when I am attracted and when it's mutual. Hey, I am getting better.

Holysmoke Bat....BAT

I innocently was wasting time on the internet last night downloading songs (ie: Nena's 99 Red Balloons, Frank Sintatra's Blue Skies, and Dropkick Murphys' The Gauntlet) when I saw out of the corner of my eye a shadow flit by. I ignored it thinking it was my hair falling out of my ponytail, again. Then, I saw the shadow again.

A bat was flying up near the ceiling. I screamed, "Aggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhh.", and ran for the door leading to the living room. As I turned to shut the door, I could see the bat airborne on the far side of the room. His, could be her, wingspan looked enormous and he was flying straight toward the doorway where I was. I accidentally had showed him an escape route.

I closed the door and heard a small thud.

Adrenaline up, I realized I needed to call the fire department. Our local fire department will safely remove bats and set them free outside. (Bats are good for the ecosystem, feeding on insects. Plus they are cuter (cute being a relative term) than spiders.)

However I was not thinking fast enough. The phone! I left it in the other room with the bat.

Sigh.

Thinking that bats might be sound sensitive, I went to the stereo and turned it on pushing the volume up. About 20 minutes later, I got brave enough to open the door and inspect the situation. Armed with a rolled up yoga mat, I entered the room.

Slowly I went. Hitting the doorway and walls just inside the room with the mat. No bat. I made a grab for the phone. Still no bat. I sat at the still active computer and looked up bats. My vigilance was sharp; head turning every few seconds and yoga mat at the ready.

The bat site, http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/bats/house2.htm gave me a sense of hope that the bat had found the way out. (My suspicion is that the bat came down through the chimney. Bless his little posing as Santa Claus heart.) As I could still not detect the bat, I relaxed slightly.

I left the room leaving the light on and closing the door just in case.

This morning I opened the door with rolled yoga mat still in hand eyeing the room with caution. The bat was there. He was folded up in a compact square shape hanging from the blinds in the window partially hidden by the curtain.

I quietly closed the door and called the fire department. The phone was still in the living room from the night before.

Three firefighters showed up on the doorstep five minutes later with a net and a pole thing. All three of them went into the room with the bat closing the door after them. I could hear them discussing how to get the bat down. After a few minutes, one came out and requested a chair to get closer to the bat. Apparently the bat was not cooperating with their efforts. Two minutes later, the firemen left with bat in hand, well in net.

I collapsed on the couch and turned on the TV. Van Helsing, movie about Dracula, was on. Is someone trying to tell me something?

Mile High Up

Update: congratulations Brad!!! Even though New England turned in a somewhat sloppy performance , the Broncos were on top of their game. Bailey's interception was spectacular.

Broncos goal: Super Bowl and don't look back!! (In this case I believe the team that defeats you should push for and win everything!!)

It's GO time in the NFL. Eight teams remain. The Denver Broncos are playing the three time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, in the divisional playoffs. Yet, the Pats are the underdogs going into Mile High Stadium. The Broncs have not lost at home this season.

I am not a big football fan. I barely watch the playoffs. I am more the baseball person. Have been since I won baseball tickets for getting straight As in elementary school. However this is football season and ever since I learned a little bit about the game, I have been a Pats fan.

Last year at this time, I was talking to a coworker, Brian, about a software system and was referred to Brad for a particular issue. Brian issued a forewarning that Brad was grumpy because the Broncs were out of the playoffs. Of course me being me, I immediately called Brad to check out the state of said grumpiness.

My concern today is for my friends in California. Could the usually unflappable Brad be a serious grouch for the remainder of the football season or worse yet, could he be unbearably smug for the rest of the year? Will Brad rub the Broncs helmet sitting on top of his desk for good luck only to bury it in a drawer? Or will Brad start carrying the helmet to all his meetings and conference calls?

Only time, approximately 72 hours, will tell.

Food for Thought

I have finally shaken a head cold that has incapacitated me a couple days over the past two weeks. On those days I had the painful lesson re-taught to me that daytime television is incredibly boring. I could not concentrate on reading. Sleeping was a good alternative. I kept the TV on to help me go to sleep faster. I could only sleep on the couch because the couch allowed me to sleep in an upright position letting me breathe better.

While hovering on the edge of sleep, I heard a guy on some show announce the segment on the latest workplace fashions. His next statement actually woke me with laughter. 'Alright. Let's bring out the grossly underweight models now.'

This statement got me to thinking about the realities of body image. If people in our country are becoming more and more obese, why are models and fashion projecting underweight norms? The two have a symbiotic relationship I am sure. (I am too lazy / busy to go look it up.) Both images are unhealthy and trying to achieve one image can propel a person into the other.

My friend, Maria, is on a diet. (ok considering it's January, who isn't?) She is on a medically supervised diet and exercise program. Listening to what she has learned about the way our bodies handle food and the nutrition food provides leads me to wonder how we as a nation became obsessed with body image and then food.

What triggered it? Fast food? Technology? The increasing sedentary nature of the workforce? All of these factors, plus a few more, combined?

la dolce Divas have blogged their frustration and have come up with a simple but effective suggestion on the dieting resolution season. But does our obsession with body image seem to be increasing? I know I could list ten things I don't like about my body without hesitation. Most of my friends can do the same.

Frankly I am tired of looking at my hips and wishing they were not so curvy. I want to focus on being healthy. I rather work on getting my cardiovascular system in order than think about the caloric intake of anything I ingest.

Diver Down

David Lee Roth has come to Boston.

There seems to be a lot of artists out in radio land shifting their talents from one forum to another. Steve Jones and Dickie Barrett are examples of musicians combining their talents and personalities by spinning music over the California airways, Indie 103, and doing it well.

Boston's WBCN added Roth into the morning slot rotation filling the gap where the Howard Stern Show used to be before he left for satellite radio.

When I say filling the gap, I mean it. Roth has nothing new. His program consists of his glory days of yore and the remnants of Sterns' non-satellite audience. Roth's time slot is reduced to an imitation of Stern radio.

Maybe I just kick it a little too old school but Stern has also been putting his genre out there for awhile now. Don't get me wrong Stern is smart and uses his degrading wit to entertain. Just not my form of entertainment. But then again I don't think his style hits my demographic, the female one, too often. So live and let live.

I was a little excited when I heard Roth was coming into the Boston radio market hoping to hear a fresh spin on the world coming through the airways. However, hearing the competition, I am more than happy keeping FNX dialed in. The Swasey morning show also offers not much new; however, the personalities on air are funny and more importantly the station actually plays music in the morning!!! Not new, but refreshing.

I am going to keep searching for good radio. Right now I am liking The Lock Up on Radio 1. I am just not sure how to define good radio, but I'll know when I hear it.

Problem Pics

When I see a great picture, I fall in love with it. I like seeing how other people interpret the world. I've seen great photos out on the web. Photos that are truly artistic. *

As the photo here shows, I know I am not the best photographer in the world. Heck, I usually don't even take pictures when I go someplace. Yet, every now and then, I want to capture the moments that are important to me.

I want to know if my disposable camera attraction is contributing to my inability of taking a good picture or am I just horrible.

Last year I bought an a digital disposable camera. If you used the camera to take pictures at a certain range, everyone appeared to gain 50-100 pounds. I bought the camera to snap my godson's birthday party. My pictures ended up with these ga-enormous kids running around. Trust me the kids were healthy kids.

The next camera I bought was the NEW ZOOM disposable camera for this past Christmas. The pictures were horribly grainy. I tried to get the HP software to improve them, but really, bad can't be made great when bad is your starting point.

I sent the pics to relatives and godparents of the kids with my humblest apologies hoping that capturing the moment would be worth it.

*To see gifted photographers check out: http://uaebelle.blogspot.com/ , http://www.ahagraphics.com/home.html , http://www.majestic-photography.com/ . These are a few photo sites I like or have been directed to by other bloggers.

Looking Back

I know it's cliché to look back over the old year and look into the new one. Normally I don't engage in cliché, at least I hope I don't without being comic. This past year, however, was full changes for me, and I can't help look back without some wistfulness and some joy. Two thousand and five was year that my friends and I have talked about as good and bad.

The year started out in normality. I traveled, for work, to Irvine, California for three weeks right after the dawn of the New Year. I had one planned flight out over a weekend for my grandmother's eighty ninth birthday party. The next weekend I was to go to Disneyland with some friends. It would be my first ever Disney park experience.

During the week I found out that my best friend's grandmother was succumbing to cancer. Nena died that week and I attended the funeral that weekend. (My best friend, Maria, and her family are my family at heart.) Nena was the maternal heart of the de la Torres. Her loss is still being felt. Already the year was a mixture of celebration and pain.

In February I visted London and Paris to train employees on new software. I met up with an old friend, Peter, in England; a man I like to think of as my wise friend. He wears wisdom around him like most people do clothes. I also took a day and saw Paris. Well a part of Paris. I loved and treasure that day. In March, I blogged my experiences in San Diego and Mobile. March was a truly good month. I gained confidence and calm with the events that took place then.

Later that spring I flew down for Sloane's birthday party. Sloane turned a year old and is Maria's second child and my godson's sister. I had renewed contact with a person I had met the year before. I met him in Atlanta in May for the birthday party and began to realize how to enjoy life again as I had not done for several months.

Unfortunately life became a whirlwind shortly after. During the summer I faced unexpected medical news that sent me into a tailspin and shoved my new found knowledge aside. I retreated from life a little. I also held onto, probably too tightly, to my friends. Luckily they helped me through the roughest parts of that summer and the events that ensued through the rest of the year.

Fall and Winter have not been especially wonderful except for a few bright events that have taught me more about myself. I have learned when to work on and when let go of events that change me. I learned this through my friend I renewed touch with earlier in the year. I also learned friends take all shapes and forms. I have a revived creative drive thanks to some people who inspired me through their own blogs. (Thank you Aileen, and Erica.) A new love of the outdoors came to me this fall, and last month I remembered what Christmas is through children's eyes.

A New Years call came from a friend who I have not seen for about a year. Maybe she is renewing and reflecting too.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Ever look at the labels on your food?

Go ahead. Look through your pantry and fridge. Look specifically for corn syrup.

IT IS IN EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

Miss sugar? I do.

I started revolting against corn syrup by looking for sugar instead in the products I buy. Why revolt? Well, I like my food to be food. I am not overly stuffy about processed food versus natural food; though I think it's a good idea. I just hate the idea of something being forced on me.

When I was little, say six to ten, my mom made homemade ice cream. She did not put in high fructose corn syrup. Believe it or not, I loved her ice cream more than what I can buy today. Nor do I love my hot coco or bread or for that matter cottage cheese more today than I do yesterday. All of these products plus a bazillion more contain corn syrup. Check out your ketchup, mustard, soda, frozen food, etc...

Check out the granola bars: corn syrup, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, egads....



Corn syrup is a gazillion dollar industry because sugar, sugar?, is too expensive. Let me tell you what's too expensive; my heating bill in winter. Damn $250-$300 a month. But sugar? Come on.