| worth every damn bit of sacrifice pt.2 |
[06 Oct 2008|09:34am] |
seeing as how my mom now owns a challenger (it pisses me off, but i'm not going to get into it), i've decided it's time to break down and start customizing my charger. i love me my brucey, but he's so bland as is and i really don't have any plans to ditch him anytime soon.
i've only checked one site, but there's so many options i'm not sure what to do. i don't want to get too crazy and make him look gaudy, but i want some kickin' noticeable graphics. i'm also considering adding a spoiler, but i'm not sure on that yet and have no clue what that'd run me (about $500 if what mopar listed was correct). if i can't have a factory daytona/super bee/etc... model, i'll just come up with something myself.
i'm strongly considering these exact rally stripes. helps that this image gives me a good idea of how they'd look on my color of car.
i'm also loving the bottom rocker panel stripes; they seem to work with the rally stripes even though it seems like too much in my mind.
a black-out trunk panel would be nice, but it really only works if i go the route of quarter panel stripes (shown in pic) rather than rally stripes. plus, the whole look is like a mock version of existing daytona models so, to me, it seems less interesting as it's more common.
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| still not inspired |
[02 Oct 2008|03:41pm] |
it's that time of year again and, as usual, i have no idea what costume i want to make (if i make one at all). so i went looking for ideas and here's two awesome ones i came across courtesy of the chicago tribune (i wish i was this creative!).
sears tower and hancock building
publisher's clearing house prize patrol
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| happy lucky monkey day! |
[24 Sep 2008|12:24pm] |
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mood |
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 chipper |
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much better day for me.
got up with time to take a shower and get everything taken care of that i usually need to in the morning. at the very least, i look and feel good thanks to the shower. maybe it's not as hard to shower in the morning as it usually seems... even managed to grab a cherry pie flavored larabar for breakfast. going to have to remember to stock up on those next time we go to trader joe's.
buses actually running and on schedule so i made it to work on time--barely, but still. have taken to attempting the daily crossword puzzles in the red eye paper so actually reading the red eye and then working on that keeps me occupied during a very boring commute. unfortunately, i can usually only do a third or half of the puzzle which makes me feel dumb. the answers usually aren't too complex of words, but my mind just can't think of them. ;_;
going to stop at borders tonight to pick up another jimmy buffett book. i've been meaning to for years and just haven't gotten around to it. the real motivation comes from my dad asking me this past weekend if i have any more books by buffett; he apparently really liked the two i had. i gave him tim dorsey's hammerhead ranch motel along with a few others, so i hope he likes that as much as i did and they tide him over until i finish where is joe merchant?. the fact he was even interested enough to ask for more makes me want to buy the books i'm missing so i can bond with him in a sense over something i love dearly. might be a good lead into introducing dad to the music as many of buffett's songs involve his characters and/or stories related to them.
david will be coming home today so that in and of itself is enough to put me in a good mood. after previous discussions i finally feel better about things even if they were stupid concerns. i'm back to that nice positive mode about things. since he's also got a job interview tomorrow and wanted to go out for dinner regardless of how it goes, he agreed to check out a local thai place i found out about today. didn't think i'd get to go there so soon, but how can you really turn down $5 pad thai?! ^^
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| Writer's Block: Greenery |
[15 Sep 2008|04:42pm] |
Today in 1971, Greenpeace was founded. How are you helping to keep your section of Earth green these days?
anything i do that can be construed as being "green" is not done to be intentionally so. unlike many of the people i see, if i recycle something etc... i do it because it's the sensible thing to do--not because i need to validate myself with a pat on the back and an example of how i'm better than those that don't.
this fad with saving the earth should've happened decades ago and i would not be surprised if the obsession eventually dies off like fads usually do. people only seem to be interested because they can save money during a floundering economic period and validation that they're not a terrible person. if people truly cared, they would've been conserving energy and recycling and all that jazz without the expectation of a reward--they would've done it for the sake of it being the right thing to do.
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| blast from the past |
[09 Sep 2008|08:47pm] |
holy crap, they're still playing this commercial on tv; i remember this from when i was a kid. the text bits (like at the end) have been altered a bit, but it's the same otherwise.
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| blah... |
[31 Aug 2008|10:46am] |
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mood |
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 blah |
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lovely, i get to spend my extended weekend halfway miserable with a sore throat. what started out yesterday morning as a barely noticeable tickle in the back of my throat, evolved into a full-fledged sore throat by the evening. it's "better" today in the sense it's not so much completely painful as it is annoying and really scratchy.
after the last few pretty decent days i've been having, i figured something would come up to ruin things for me right when i was somewhat getting out of my funk. i don't care what anyone else says or believes, i believe there is some vague sense of balance in this world. it's not necessarily major or any kind of punishment, just a case of "shit happens"; something to keep things in check and remind you to appreciate the good things.
for all those annoying optimists who just say "oh well!", i'm sorry, but it's kinda hard to be in any kind of good mood when you just want to rip your throat and nasal passages out--unless i can beat said optimists with them...
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| free food is win |
[29 Aug 2008|08:51am] |
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mood |
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chipper |
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man, i totally rock at this winning free things. first the buffett tickets, now a $50 gift certificate for a japanese restaurant i liked. here i come again, kamehachi!
kamehachi (old town location)
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| linguine love |
[23 Aug 2008|03:06pm] |
lemon linguine with spinach and crispy prosciutto
linguine in a light sauce of lemon juice and olive oil. tossed with chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, prosciutto, and wilted baby spinach. garnished with grated mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan.
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| on the road again |
[15 Aug 2008|08:03pm] |
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mood |
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 exhausted |
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so. it's 8pm and i'm still not out of peoria.
the car's pretty much got as much as it can possibly hold so now i have to figure out how to fit my computer, jrock mags, and a few other random things in. i didn't think i had that much left to get rid of, but well, i've pretty much filled the emptied dumpster out front.
still need to quickly vacuum but i may forgo trying to clean much more than that because i just don't care anymore. i'm tired, achy, and haven't eaten yet; will have to stop at taco bell on the way home because that's my only option right now.
it hasn't sunk in yet that i'm done here. so very weird walking out of work today knowing that would be the last time i'd ever walk out of there. i can only hope people keep in touch, especially those that somehow also wind up in chicago some day. i think i'm just too tired and ornery right now to care that i'm leaving...
but i do need to start hauling the comp stuff out so this is me signing off.
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| not looking for salvation, just a salty piece of land |
[10 Aug 2008|07:34pm] |
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mood |
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blah |
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i can't decide if there's something depressing or satisfying knowing that everything you own can be crammed into a car and a truck.
a good chunk of my stuff was loaded into my parents' truck yesterday so they could take it home for me to sort through this friday before we go to chicago saturday. a bookbag full of design books and my ps2 went to chicago with david. threw a couple more things into the car to take to work tomorrow and give to people that wanted them. probably need to throw more stuff out, particularly from the kitchen area. i've still got some work cut out for me, but there's just not much left.
otherwise, all i have left to entertain myself is the computer and some books. if my tv wasn't so big and clunky, i would've had them leave it so i'd have it for the rest of the week. unfortunately it's too heavy for me to carry clear out to the car by myself so it had to go. with that gone, that also means no video games or movies. and with no furniture left, my desktop computer is sitting on the floor in the space where the desk used to be; feels like years ago when i'd spend hours laying on the floor working on my laptop during the summer.
all things considered, though, it's strangely kind of nice laying here on the floor with the breeze coming in through the windows. the floor's filthy, but oh well--it's just kind of nice to have so little cluttering up my space.
i still worry how badly this week is going to go for me. the reality of it all set in days ago, but that doesn't make things any better. if anything, i'm really going to miss the people i worked with. maybe it's my fault for getting so attached, but i figured i should probably play nice since i'd be here for awhile--who knew i actually wouldn't. sure my attachment means my time here was worthwhile, but that doesn't make it any easier. it also doesn't help to know that when i'm gone, things will go on as usual without me--i highly doubt much of anybody is going to care that much that i've left. i'm just another casualty of the impending buyout, but at least i'm leaving of my own accord.
i'm really afraid of how i'm going to react friday. i know me and i know i'm a softy--i pray i don't break down into tears and look like the wuss i am. it's just work, people constantly move from job to job. yeah, of course i'll get people's home and email addresses in an attempt to stay in contact, but i get the feeling it's just one of those niceties everybody does and doesn't necessarily stick to. as time goes by, i wouldn't be surprised if contact ceases between me and coworkers who mutually agreed to keep in touch. such is life, i guess...
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| cleaning out the fridge |
[06 Aug 2008|06:12pm] |
mix plate #2
leftover chicken, tomato, and zucchini stirfry from mom; i added onions and soy sauce.
scrambled egg with bacon and sweet bing cherries.
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| yay for box mixes! |
[04 Aug 2008|06:40pm] |
sesame teriyaki noodles
noodles and peas, carrots, and onions in a sesame teriyaki sauce.
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| feel the burn |
[03 Aug 2008|10:24pm] |
yellow curry soup
rice noodles, broccoli, onions, garlic, and cilantro in a broth made from yellow curry paste, coconut water, and milk.
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| this year gone by ain't been a piece of cake |
[01 Aug 2008|09:57am] |
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music |
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Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride - Trip Around the Sun |
] |
time for my recent tradition of listening to "trip around the sun". perfect birthday song and, no matter when i hear it, always brings tears to my eyes. but what a ride this year's been. as much as i've looked forward to eventually moving to chicago, now that it's a reality as of yesterday, i'm finding it hard to process. it's going to be a very overwhelming change and i have no doubt i'm not going to take it well at first. i'm going to miss my coworkers a lot and an area i finally got familiar with. if any other place felt vaguely like "home" to me, it was here.
and earlier this morning i heard what i believe to be a kitten mewling outside my office window. jerome heard it as well so at least it's not me going insane. what few maternal instincts i have kicked in and i really want to go out there and see what's hiding in the bushes. i've heard of cats having kittens in the bushes here, but if the grounds people can catch them they apparently get rid of them (don't remember if this means they take them to the shelter, but i'm pretty sure that's not what i heard). i know there's too many stray cats around, but i just want to go out there and round them all up and take them home. i want to at least try to save the few i come across rather than having somebody kill (shelter or otherwise) them because of overpopulation. funny how that all works, though, i could care less about babies, but show me a helpless kitten and i turn to goo.
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| "you mean you don't know the difference between the internet and our website...?" |
[30 Jul 2008|02:19pm] |
oh man, this was hilarious. it's a bit long (10 mins), but worth the watch.
the website is down
sales guy vs. web dude
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| what's sad is that this is so true... |
[28 Jul 2008|10:21pm] |
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| branching out |
[28 Jul 2008|06:37pm] |
noodles with pork & vegetables
somen noodles with pork, cabbage, carrot, and garlic. in a sauce of soy sauce, honey, and a little water.
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| Writer's Block: Phobias |
[24 Jul 2008|09:43am] |
do you have a remarkable phobia? does your phobia have a large impact on your life?
my three primary phobias are as follows:
1. fish. my strangest phobia that i didn't realize until a few years ago when i was in a pet shop. i always knew i hated fish--those creepy unblinking eyes, how they float when they die, etc... it's why i made a point to never keep them as pets. i'm fine in aquariums, especially when there's other people around, but being surrounded by fish tanks in the narrow aisles of pet stores almost brings me to tears. i've just learned never to go down these aisles--not a problem since i have no need to go down them in the first place.
2. heights. another weird one in that there's specific instances when it will kick in and it's just gotten worse with age. i'm fine in planes, roller coasters, and tall buildings. i'm fine with heights when in enclosed spaces, with the exception of the roller coaster thing (don't ask, i can't explain that one). looking over railings or out windows (open or closed) that are up high (3+ floors) scares the hell out of me. i have to stand a few feet back and/or cling to something for dear life out of irrational fear of potentially falling.
3. serious illness/doctors. this fear has basically turned me into a hypochondriac. what started years ago as being a germaphobe, has just gotten worse as i've aged. every headache could be the start of a deadly stroke. that strained muscle in my chest could be the sign of a heart attack. that time my chest hurt and i was afraid i had pneumonia or lung cancer--seasonal asthma. that lump on my neck? swollen gland.
i'm way too conscious about my body and every time something is just the teeniest out of whack i think the worst. sometimes it's almost crippling worrying about such things, but i can't stop it. once the thoughts are planted in my head, it can take days to get them down to a manageable level that doesn't interfere with my basic daily habits. i can't read/hear about anything medically related--even if it's something as outlandish as mad cow disease or flesh-eating bacteria--because i'll file away all the little symptoms for somewhere down the line when i think i've got them.
i'm terrified of doctors and the thought of being poked and prodded and whatever else they can come up with. just the thought of a needle having to be used on me turns me into crying child. i can't even visit other people in the hospital because i get light-headed, especially if i have to see an iv being messed with.
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