Thursday, January 17, 2008

let it snow, let it snow

It's funny how we never grow out of the part of our childhood that makes us excited to see it snow. I guess it goes back to days out of school spent sledding and having snowball fights and freedom from cars and adults. Even now, as it's been snowing for 5 minutes here, I find myself wanting to get out of here and go drive around or sit at home and watch it snow on the city. I love the quiet purity that comes with it, the heaviness in the air. The people at work are like a classroom full of children, looking out the windows and squawking endlessly about the snow and how they're going to get home and all that. Me, I look forward to rough conditions. Not that we'll get any. Most likely, it'll snow for an hour or two, then ice a bit, then rain. That's been our pattern for several years now. But, I'll take what I can get. If it's going to be cold and I'm going to sit in my house in layers like Nanook of the North, then I may as well have something to look at outside.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

7 (?) Weird Things

As weird as I am about most things, you'd think I wouldn't have any problem coming up with 7 things to list. Actually, I don't. The problem is finding interesting ones. But, let's see what we can get, eh?

1. I rarely sit back on the couch or in a chair. In fact, I'm sitting on the edge of my chair right now typing this. At home, I sit in the middle of the couch and lean forward on my knees most of the evening. Once I sit back and relax, I fall asleep. Almost immediately and nearly every single time.

2. I have fallen asleep while lying back and eating potato chips. I kept eating the chips.

2a. I'm incredibly classy.

3. I don't read the newspaper or watch the news. On the rare occasions that I do pick up the paper, it's on a Monday morning so I can see if I know anyone on the obituary, er, I mean engagement page.

4. I like bluegrass music. But only on certain days, in certain weather conditions. It needs to be a cool day, like in late Autumn, or a bright cold one with a fire going.

5. I was in 2 musicals in high school. I can't carry a tune with a bucket.

6. I obsess over how I smell. I put my coat in the closet when I get home so it doesn't smell like the fire or cigarettes. I keep my bedroom door shut so my room doesn't smell like fire or food or cigarettes. I constantly buy new cologne because I like to always smell different. I don't understand people with b.o. or the ones that their nights follow them to work the next day. Everyone has a distinct smell about them, so much so that I can usually tell you who's coming into the room without looking (it's more than perfume/cologne...it's something else, but I don't know what it is), and I can't imagine being noted for that smell not being a good one.

7. I would like to have grown up in the 50s. I would've so had a hot rod and a leather jacket. Actually, I would now if I had some extra money. The car, that is. I already have the leather jacket. And chaps. And leather pants. No, I'm not a freak. I used to ride a motorcycle most of the year. Really. Swear. And, no I don't parade around in all that leather now. Although that would make for an interesting day at work ....hmm.......

EDIT: I think I just consumed enough garlic in my lunch to safely avoid or even kill vampires for the rest of my life. Move over Buffy...I mean Van Helsing.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

News Flash!!!

There's a headline on Yahoo this morning that says MP3 players may cause hearing loss.

What's next? Big Macs make you fat?

I'm glad that the news world is keeping me abreast of all that's happening.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Screw you Winter!!

Normally, I'm a fan of winter. I like cold days, warm houses, good food, big sweaters, and all that jazz. Not anymore. Winter can officially kiss my ass. It was 9 last night. In some parts of the country, I know, it's a lot colder than that and for a lot longer than one night. I also understand that I had no snow and ice to contend with on top of the freezing cold. However, that's not my point, and I don't care.

Wanna take a guess on how cold it was in my house when I got home at 3:30 yesterday afternoon? Go ahead. I'll wait while you ponder it.

42. Forty-two. 10 degrees above freezing. That is ridiculous. Absolutely and positively ridiculous. But, J, don't you have heat? What about your fireplace? What about living in a house that's not pushing 100 years old?

1. yes, I do have heat. I have a kerosene heater and an electric heater. The main heat for the house is oil/radiator heat. I refuse to turn the furnace on because I refuse to pay near $4 a gallon for fuel oil. On both principles of me being tight and tired of the government screwing me and everyone else AND the simple fact that I don't think I could afford to run the tank dry in a month or two and have to refill it to the tune of $700, I say nay, nay to the oil heat. Thanks, Government, you've really stuck on in us all this time. What good is it to have tanks on the oil fields if oil prices keep going up and up? Stupid bastards. I bet the oil moguls aren't freezing at night. Pfft.

2. The fireplace works pretty well, as long as it's only down to 30 or so outside. Most of the heat gets lost up the chimney if it's much colder than that. I'm going to push the landlord to see if they'll either put in a stove insert or at least split the cost with me on it. Plus, I'm running on low on wood (ha! whatever!) and am waiting for my supply to come.

3. I could move, yes. But, I really, really, really like this house. The thought of going back to something newer and all pre-fab like everything I've ever lived in really, really makes me sick to my stomach. I love my house with the old, cracked plaster and wood floors and big porch. It's the first place I've lived in that has character on its own without me piling money into it to make it look like something it's not. Instead, all of my stuff compliments it. That, and I hate moving. I just moved in August. I don't really want to do it again. Besides, winter's only like 3 months. And, it's supposed to be 70 here by Monday. What the hell? I mean, I don't care...Go, Global Warming!! I'm taking my aerosol can outside right now and emptying that bastard to speed the process up.

To top it off, my back seized up this morning in some sort of spasm that I can only think came from lying under a blanket in front of the heater on my couch for 4 hours or so and then going to bed under a pile of blankets and fearing to move from one position on punishment of frostbite. I would like to choke someone today out of sheer frustration.

All that whining being completed now, I would like to say that I'm stopping at the store tonight to pick up those wool fingerless gloves that people seem to like because it's really, really hard to drink beer when even the koozie is cold.......

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Let's gooooooo..........


Dear Jimmy Johnson,

I hope you and your spray on hair are eating a big plate of shut the hell up today. It's bad enough that I have to listen to you ramble incessantly on Sundays, but I thought I was going to jump through my television after you last night during the pregame show. Please stick to endorsing hair spray and leave the rest of us alone.

Dear Rich Rodriguez,

I hope OSU beats you senseless in the upcoming season. Oh, and thanks for undercoaching against Pitt because you were on your way out the door without telling anyone and costing us a chance at a national title. Jackass.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

200---what???

Oddly, I still feel the same this year. When the clock ticked 12:00 and the ball dropped and Dick Clark looked as if he was ready to steal Ryan Seacrest's soul so he could make it another year, I couldn't tell much difference. Hell, I didn't even drink a lot. I put my coat on and headed home. Odd, that.

The best part of the weekend? A fancy dinner Friday night with good friends and Law and Order marathons.....

I didn't make any resolutions this year. I really never do. Hell, who am I kidding? I can't resolve to get up at the same time every day to come to work. I figure there's no reason to set myself up for disappointment later in the year Everyone knows I don't have much resolve. I don't know, though. I did watch my favourite movie Monte Walsh and decided that maybe I don't have to change with the times as much as I sometimes feel the pressure to. So, in some backhanded way, maybe I did make a resolution. To stay me.

Hmm...hope it works out better this year than it has in the past :-P