Carolina Hurricanes

Last night I got to go to my first ever hockey game. It was the Carolina Hurricanes vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs (do not get me started on Canada's blatantly unorthodox grammar). Alas, we lost, 4 to 3. I went with my brother, Matthew--I took him for his birthday. My company has season tickets in the fancy-schmancy "Championship Club," and I was lucky enough to snag a pair for this game.

We had quite a time getting to the RBC Center. My boss drew me a map of a back way to get there in order to avoid traffic, but I left it on my desk at work. Duh. I had redrawn it right after he drew it (because his handwriting is worse than a doctor's) so I actually was able remember most of it. But "most" was not good enough. We made it all the way to the arena. It was right there. But I made a left-hand turn too soon, when I should have gone through the light and turned left at the first driveway. Needless to say, this resulted in about a 30-minute delay, because I couldn't just "whip a U-y" with cops everywhere directing traffic, not to mention solid lines of cars coming from the other direction. So we got back on the freeway, but going the wrong way (Garmins don't come in handy when you're trying to go a back way and not the most direct way) and backtracking on the freeway was not an option since that was exactly the traffic we had wanted to avoid in the first place

Anyway, we finally got there and turned at the right place, and were directed to awesome parking spots right by the door. We asked someone where the VIP entrance was and got to avoid the long lines at the metal detectors. After asking yet another RBC employee how to get to our section, we finally found it. It was like entering a restaurant, with a maitre'd at a podium, except this guy hands out wristbands and drink tickets. Once we entered the Championship Club area, Matthew said, "You gotta get more tickets so we can come back!" Not only did we have posh leather seats, but there was a big buffet and plenty of chairs and tables where you can eat and watch the game on giant plasma TV's. I had some pizza, salad, half a panini, and some macaroni and cheese. Fountain drinks are unlimited. Matthew enjoyed a burger, pulled pork, and pasta salad with huge chunks of salami.

After we ate, we went to our seats and started to watch the game. From what I hear, 4-3 is a high scoring game for hockey. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to watch a game that is 1-0. The Canes were playing awfully. This was the fifth game in a row that they've lost, and it was obvious why. They can't keep the puck, and when they do get it, they can't hit it. Seriously, it was like (as my brother said) they allowed the first six spectators who arrived to suit up and hop into the rink. It was still exciting, though, when they did score, and they played that ridiculously loud horn thing that could wake the dead. I was surprised that I could actually follow where the puck was without having the benefit of a camera panning its course.

Speaking of cameras, I got to test mine out a little bit. The zoom rocks!!!



Unfortunately, since I'm still limited by the 32 MB card that came with the camera, I had to take pix at lower resolution with a higher compression rate. But I was very pleased with the speed--hardly any shutter lag. And I think the image stabilization is fantastic.

Naturally, the zambonis were of interest, providing something new to photograph.


Here's one of me and my brother (taken by the owner of my company, who was sitting in the other two company seats with his wife).


When the game ended, we thanked my boss for sharing his tickets with us, and left. I was anticipating gridlock getting out, but apparently the VIP's also have their own exit lane, which made things super easy. It had been a relatively quick game and it was only about quarter after 10, so my brother and I decided to catch a showing of Borat. It is definitely not for the thin-skinned, but it was hilarious with a capital H. I nearly peed my pants during the scene where he's just learned how to talk like a gangsta and he's trying to get a hotel room. On the way home, my brother and I kept doing "remember whens" (the bear!, the family photos!) and we were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. Good times.

Can you hear me now? Not really.

I can't decide if I'm shocked, amused, outraged, or a combination of all three. My cell phone broke today. All I was doing was closing it (rather gently, actually) and somehow the hinge just suddenly broke. (By the way, the phone is almost two years old.) It's quite a pathetic looking piece of electronics now, but it still works. A coworker told me he had the same phone and the same thing happened to him, and he was able to use it for over a month like that. I have to say, this never happened with my Motorola, which is still perfectly usable. If it didn't involve transferring all my new numbers, I'd probably switch back, but I think I'll just limp along.

Thankfully I'm up for Verizon's "new every two" program only a couple weeks from now. Of course, that's assuming I stay with Verizon. I've contemplated switching to a different provider. Although I've heard Verizon is the best overall in terms of coverage, they don't cover my apartment so well. For a while Alltel's "My Circle" promotion intrigued me (pick 10 numbers, any network, or even landlines, and get unlimited calls to them), but when I checked it out, it was a bit disappointing. "My Circle" is only available with certain plans, the cheapest of which is $20 more than I currently pay and includes 900 anytime minutes--double what I have now. If I doubled my minutes, I wouldn't need "My Circle"! I'll probably stick with Verizon, because I won't be living in this apartment forever, and it does have good coverage in the Triangle and has proven reliable throughout my travels. Crossing the country, only Oklahoma City was inhospitable to Verizon. The only thing is picking out the phone. So many to choose from! And from what I've heard, certain phones have better reception than others...so if I pick right, reception might improve in my apartment. That would be awesome! Does anyone have any opinions on Nokia vs. LG vs. Samsung vs. Motorola?

~ ~ ~

While I have you, a movie recommendation: Go rent The Lake House! It is a wonderful film.

~ ~ ~

Oh, and one more thing: if you like Parmesan cheese, try Kraft's new Grate It Fresh. It is so cool. It actually works really well, and the taste of the cheese is entirely different than the powdered stuff.

Laugh till your sides hurt...

Little Miss Sunshine is a must-see movie! It is laugh-out-loud, scream-at-the-screen hilarious!! Man, that horn had me cracking up! And the "Where's Olive?" scene is classic!

The Emmys tonight are also very entertaining. I loved Conan's intro. But Stephen Colbert was ROBBED! More than once! His presentation with John Stewart was patent evidence of how much he deserved to win.

Tips or TMI?

I was shopping at Target today and in the hair care aisle almost one entire side was taken up by Pantene. How on earth did we reach this point, people?! How many different kinds of shampoo, conditioner, mousse, gel, and hairspray can one manufacturer sell?! Apparently like a hundred. Anyway, I was contemplating trying a new kind of mousse (named "Pantene ICE," apparently due to the way it will make my hair shine like an Arctic glacier) when I noticed another woman pondering all the options. I said, "They're trying to confuse us," and she agreed. She appeared tobe at a loss for what to pick, so I decided to offer my opinion. "My favorite conditioner is this one," pointing to Pantene's Daily Moisture Renewal. "It's as good as the stuff that comes in hair coloring kits." She seemed grateful for the suggestion, and even asked my opinion on shampoo. I said that I've tried Pantene shampoos but have found that Suave works just as well, and I directed her to Suave Humectant. She said, "Thanks! I'll try these and see how it goes." I of course had to insert a disclaimer: "Everyone's hair is different but I hope it works for you!"

As I made my way up and down the aisles filling my basket, it occurred to me that I have pretty strong brand preferences when it comes to many products. Now, I'm no Consumer Reports, and I have done no scientific testing, but I thought I'd list a few of my favorites in case anyone out there is not happy with what they're currently using. This is a very self-indulgent post and I forgive you if you stop reading right here because you're thinking to yourself, "Who the heck cares??!"

Dental care:
Toothbrush: Oral-B Cross Action, regular size head (which used to be "compact") with soft bristles--who uses the hard ones??


I think the "Cross Action" thing is new, but I have used Oral-B for years. I like the way the handle feels in my hand and the bristles are soft from the start--no "working in" period.
Toothpaste: Colgate Tartar Control Whitening. I've used this solely for years now, and I have zero cavities.


I like the way it tastes and foams up. Can't say it does much in the area of whitening, though.

Hair products:
Shampoo: The aforementioned Suave Humectant. Lathers well, rinses well. Not expensive.
Conditioner: Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal. Super thick. Worth the extra couple of dollars compared to Suave's less rich (ha, ha) conditioner.


Mousse: Pantene Extra Fullness mousse. It doesn't necessarily make my hair fuller, but it definitely makes it easier to comb and style, and when I don't use it, my hair does not feel as conditioned. I used to use Suave, but this is better.

Shaving:
Razors: Venus. Three blades means a close shave and, ironically, less likelihood of getting cut.


It kills me to buy the refills because they are ridiculously expensive but, again, it's worth it. I tried going back to cheap twin blades and it was a mess.
Shaving cream: I usually just use soap lather.

Paper products:
Toilet paper: Cottonelle double rolls. (Honestly, why does anyone buy regular rolls anymore? Does anyone really enjoy changing the roll?)


It's single ply but does not feel like it at all. They have a thicker version but I don't like it as much.
Paper towels: Viva select-a-size. I think I've mentioned this before. I used to use Bounty select-a-size but now that they offer it in Viva, Bounty is only a backup. Viva is almost cloth-like, and is worth the few extra cents. Select-a-size is an easy way to make a roll last longer, because most jobs don't require a full sheet.

Air freshener:
Oust fragrance-free.


You really know it works because the smells are gone, not just covered up by some putrid flowery scent.

Pet products:
Kitty litter: Feline Pine (or, preferrably, the pet-store-generic brand, but they always seem to be out of it).


This stuff truly absorbs odors, and you don't have to scoop it every single day (unless your cat is super picky about that kind of stuff). It does have some tracking issues, but I've never used any litter that doesn't. I used to use the crystals but they are sooo expensive.
Scratchers: Comet loves the corrugated cardboard scratchers.


I've tried scratching posts but he was never interested in them. I had a roommate a while ago and her cats loved these cardboard things, and when Comet started using them, I was surprised but grateful. I have several around the house and he luuuuuvs them, especially if I put fresh catnip on them. He started scratching the carpet a little while ago, right by my bedroom door, so I moved a scratcher there and he started scratching that instead. Marvelous!

Food (this is more preference stuff, not so much advice--again, I don't know why you should care, but for what it's worth, here ya go):
Macaroni and Cheese: Kraft Thick & Creamy. So much yummier than the regular.
Butter vs. Margarine: I was raised on margarine but recently switched to butter because it all has the same amount of fat anyway (reduced fat margarine is WATER, folks), and butter is at least all-natural fat. Plus it is soooo much tastier.
Milk: 1%. I was raised on skim, but switched to 1% when I moved out on my own because skim expires too fast. I'm very accustomed to 1% now, to the point where skim tastes and looks yucky.
Drinks: I prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke, although it used to be the other way around. In college, the cafeterias served Pepsi products and when I came home for vacation I tasted Diet Coke and was like, "Eww, what is this?" I'll take either but if given a choice, Pepsi it is. Although I don't usually buy soda at the grocery store. I like flavored sparkling waters, usually peach. Most stores make their own brand. I don't even know if there IS a national brand. Wal-Mart's has the best peach flavoring. It seriously tastes like you bit into a peach!
Crackers: My favorite is Cheez-It Twists, in Cheddar-More Cheddar flavor, followed by Cheez-It Crisps. But I've switched to Triscuits recently because my doctor said I should eat more whole grains. I like the Triscuit Thins, as well as the Rosemary-Olive Oil flavor. Stay away from the Garden Herb. It tastes like a cracker with soup mix on it. Yuck!
Chips: Oh there are so many yummy ones, but if you're looking for something a little less unhealthy, try Doritos Baked Nacho Cheese. They are quite good. You don't miss the extra fat at all. Stay away from baked potato chips though. They are nasty (at least in my humble opinion)!

Gum:
Mint: Orbitz, in original flavor. Very nifty packaging that fits neatly in your purse (Friday I discovered that Trident has recently adopted similar packaging), and a great pepperminty taste. Chewable for a loooong time (I frequently pop a piece after lunch and keep it until dinner time).


Other: Bubble Yum Sugarless, in bubblegum flavor. Sometimes you're in the mood for something besides mint. This has a classic bubblegum taste yet is not bad for your teeth! You can blow good bubbles with it too, although it loses its flavor pretty quickly and becomes unchewable after about 30 minutes.

So do y'all have any tips or preferences?

Marathon post

Holy cannoli do I have a lot to write about! If I think about it too long I will be overwhelmed and not want to write at all, so let me just dive in.

I got a new car! Saturday I went to Carmax in Raleigh with my parents with the intention of test driving a few different models to get a better sense of what I really wanted. My plan was to look now, buy next week. I purposely had not prepared to actually purchase a vehicle (I didn't even have my trade-in with me!), so naturally, I found one that I could not pass up.


I got a Silver 2004 Honda Accord Coupe, 4 cylinder, with all the bells and whistles. I have finally joined the 21st century with those new-fangled "power door locks and windows," not to mention remote entry, a sunroof, a CD changer, and stereo controls on the steering wheel. Oh, and did I mention how much I love the sleek and sporty styling? :-) (More pix here.) It drives like a dream and I absolutely love it. It is surprisingly clean and new-looking for being two years old (with about 30k miles). The other cars I test drove (a Nissan Altima and a Honda Civic) couldn't hold a candle to my Accord. (I didn't test drive a Camry because they didn't have any on the lot with fewer than 50,000 miles.) One of my geeky favorite things right now is how the door sounds when it closes. It is such a satisfying swoosh, you know?

So I'm trying to think of a name for my new car. My last car went its whole life nameless, so I would like to call my current car something uniquely suited to her. Any suggestions?

The whole car-buying process was pretty simple and easy at Carmax. I had a female salesperson who I felt comfortable with, and there was no pressure because there's no negotiating. Due to my being unprepared, the process took a little longer, and of course Saturday is their busiest day, but overall I was pleased with how it worked out. They also gave me a decent price for my trade-in, which they are going to auction off, so I feel better that some unsuspecting customer will not get stuck with its problems. I was kind of sad to see her go...she served me well over the years, and was the first car I bought. The hardest part, though, was giving up the stereo and speakers that I had just installed a year and a half ago. They were kick-butt!

I saw Superman Returns at the IMAX. Wow, what an incredible movie! Four scenes were in 3D, and I wish so many more of them were. The music gives you goosebumps, and the throwbacks to the original movie are very clever. I'd originally wanted to catch the 1:45 showing but it was sold out so I had to go with the 4:45. To kill time, I got a combo ticket for the Exploris museum and looked around there. It's a really neat place! So much interactive stuff for kids but it's fun for adults too. I wasn't really sure what kind of museum Exploris is, because it's not art, it's not history, it's not science. It's kind of a combination of all three, with culture and economics thrown in for good measure. The teacher in me was thinking, "What a great place for a field trip!"

Even though the museum is cool, it still did not take up three hours of my time so I ended up wandering into the presentation room where they usually have a short film about the museum's mission, but yesterday it was showing the World Cup final game. I have never in my life watched soccer, or cared about it in the least, but I totally got into the game! I had to go get in line for the movie at 4, and was bummed when the game went into overtime. But guess what they had playing on a plasma screen for those queued up? So I got to see the 30 min of overtime...which was pointless...and we were entering the theater right after the third penalty kick. Minutes later, from my seat inside, I text messaged Google to find out who won. I heart technology!

I'm writing this from Pittsburgh, PA. Well, technically Belle Vernon, right outside of Pittsburgh. I have trainings in this area all week and apparently, who knew, the baseball All-Star game is here this week. My flight was on time (in the smallest plane I've ever flown in--a two/aisle/one configuration with overhead bins on one side only) but Enterprise did not have the level of car I reserved. They tried to talk me down for a few bucks less a day, but I know how the car rental industry works...if they don't have what you reserved, you get something higher for the same price. So I ended up in a Jeep Liberty. Sweet! It drives quite well, and doesn't feel too big. But I don't like the quality of the interior. It screams "posh utilitarian," if that makes any sense. And get this: it's 4WD! As if I'll take advantage. You're more likely to see Paris Hilton get a PhD in rocket science.

My first opinion of the Pittsburgh area is wouldn't wanna live here. I drove through some gnarly areas. I'm not talking ghettoes, because I haven't been into the city proper, but just really downtrodden, forsaken areas, where you would not want to pull off the road to get a CD from your suitcase even though you can't find a decent radio station. My hotel is about 45 min from the airport, although it took me an hour to get here due to tons of construction and traffic, and it's an okay area. The hotel appears as if it hasn't been renovated since Reagan was president, but it's decent enough. I watched a Dolly Parton special on CMT while reading my blogs and found out lots of interesting things about her. I really like her. She seems so genuine and humble and positive and just a nice person. I would love to go to Dollywood someday. I'll just add it to my ever-growing list!

Sprinkles

Sorry it's been a week since my last substantive post. I wish I could say that I'm so busy I haven't had time to give the blog a second thought, but the truth is, I think about it every day and just haven't been able to come up with something compelling to write about. I was reading my favorite, James Lileks, yesterday, and he was talking about sprinkles.

If I die next week, put sprinkles on my coffin; it’ll soften the blow. Sprinkles make anything better. They’re tasteless, waxy, nothing but pointless sugar, but they’re SPRINKLES! I look for sprinkles in my own daily life, actually. That leather gear-shift knob option at the dealership: sprinkles. A new icon set to replace system defaults: sprinkles.

So I was thinking, what are some of my sprinkles? Well, I love electronics, for one. I got myself a new toy from Amazon: the Garmin StreetPilot i5. It's one of those handy GPS navigators for the car. With all this impending travel, I figured it would come in pretty handy. I researched the options, and you can spend over $1000 on these things. My main requirement was that maps for the entire U.S. come preloaded. I didn't want to mess with USB cords and CD's--and running the risk of being somewhere I haven't loaded the maps for. (Total coincidence: I just read about David Pogue's recent nightmarish experience with an ill-equipped device.)

When it comes to electronics I usually spring for all the bells and whistles, because, well, they're my sprinkles. But I read lots of reviews and there were so many problems with the fancier units locking up and not functioning. The i5, on the other hand, got solid reviews, and I liked its small size and the fact that you can run it on batteries (no unwieldy cords to grapple with). It also happened to be one of the least expensive units--especially considering it has preloaded maps. Both buy.com and Amazon had it for the same price. I decided to go with Amazon, which turned out well, because when I selected two-day shipping I was offered it for free (the shipping!) if I signed up for a three-month trial of Amazon Prime (a program that gives you free two-day shipping on all orders for $79/year). I figured I would just cancel after the three months, and in the meantime enjoy free fast shipping.

So far I've used the i5 around town and am pretty happy with it. It took a while to acquire the satellites the first time, and it still can take up to a minute, but once it's locked in there haven't been problems losing the reception. I haven't driven anywhere unfamiliar yet, but I've had it on to see what it can do. It wants to put me on the most obvious main routes, and sometimes I know quicker and easier back ways. But if I were unfamiliar with the area, sticking to the main streets would probably be better anyway. I can tell that the maps are a little out of date (I would guess about a year old) because one of the newer shopping centers here does not exist in its database. But I simply input a nearby intersection and it got me there fine. The screen is plenty bright, the volume is plenty loud, and I even got to choose a British accent for the voice directions! The only issue has been figuring out where to put it. It comes with a windshield-mount suction cup, which works great en route, but when left sitting in a hot car for a few hours, it falls off. Not to mention that if it's stuck to the windshield, the little gadget is in full view of any envious passers-by who might see fit to break my window and treat themselves to a "sprinkle" of their own.

Let's see, what else is a sprinkle? Mmm, the new KFC bowl. I tried it for lunch today, even though I was a little wary of the gravy-cheese combo (they looked at me funny when I asked to put those on the side, and said, "It's the bowl," as if it's some sacred combination not to be toyed with, so I buckled). It was dee-lish! I looked on their website to check out the nutrition info, but I guess it's too new of an item to be listed there. I'm sure it's sky-high in terms of fat, calories, cholesterol, and carbs. But at least the portion wasn't outlandishly large. In fact, it seemed kind of small, but afterwards I was quite full.

Any more sprinkles? Have you seen the new progress bars over on the right? And my new Relocating to NC graphic? Those are definitely sprinkles! How about getting change and finding state quarters or the new nickels--ridiculously thrilling sprinkles! Oh, and guilty pleasure TV, that's a big sprinkle--shows like Gameshow Marathon. I watched it last night since American Idol and Lost are over. It's a fun concept. Their first game was Price is Right, and it's a hoot to see celebrities trying to figure out how much things cost. Of course, they also had rather odd items up for bid, things that no one would know the price of, like a ceiling-suspended "bubble chair." And in the Showcase Showdown, there was a vintage Mustang. Something like that is really not fair to put up for bids, because who knows what kind of condition it's in?

One touch that I liked was that the games and set were exactly like the real Price is Right, down to the old-school digital readouts of bids, and the giant wheel. Of course, the celebrities don't get to keep what they win; lucky home viewers win all the stuff. (You can enter via text message, or online.) The winning celeb each night advances into the final round (Family Feud with the celebrities' own friends and family!), and the winner of that will win $100,000 for their charity of choice. The next episode is tonight, and they're playing Let's Make a Deal. From the previews, it looks like it's the same celebrities, which is odd. They showed a whole bunch more in the audience, who were never called up... Some of the other games they'll be playing are Card Sharks and Press Your Luck. I loved those shows as a child!! (I told you I was a couch potato in my youth.)

At the same time on ABC are the finals of the National Spelling Bee. That could be interesting too. I came across this blog, written in real-time by an on-location observer. Did you ever see Spellbound? Good movie!

So what are your "sprinkles"?

Around the world

I'm always on the lookout for good blogs to read, especially since I spend about 7 hours a day surfing the web. (I'm told the slow times won't last long; soon I'll be traveling for trainings, and then it'll be fall, which, since our clients are mainly schools, is the busiest time for Customer Support.) My latest discovery is not a blog, though. It's a new weekly newspaper column. But since you can read it online, it's updated regularly, and it's about someone's life, it's pretty much like a blog. (Just imagine your blog being published in the New York Times...holy cow!)

Anyway, this guy is going to travel around the world in 90 days. Dreamy, right? The catch is that he's on a budget. No more than $100/night for lodging, and $40/day for meals (hello, Rachael Ray!). This seems incredibly doable, since that's basically how I always travel. But this guy is going to some pretty far-out places: Pakistan, Croatia, and Galicia to name a few. Of course, his itinerary may change since he doesn't want to be tied down by pesky planning. He has not enumerated any specific budget limitations for transportation, but since he plans to use low-cost air carriers, buses, trains, and ferries, it will probably be pretty cheap. Anyway, his column will appear every Wednesday, chronicling his journey, and I have high hopes that it will be entertaining reading.

Couple blogs to check out

Work has been really slow lately (thus the post at 4:00 on a weekday afternoon). In the down time, I have been doing some blog reading. I discovered two great blogs I wanted to share, in case you too have a lot of spare time to kill. I've read both of the blogs in their entirety, which is a testament not only to my boredom, but to their interest level.

The first is called "M in the UK," about a girl from Canada (I think) who is in London for the summer. She recounts her explorations of the city and posts some great photos. It has some good tips, too.

The second is called "...ontherails," written by a British guy who moved to Canada and is taking a 30 day train trip across the United States. His writing is vivid and wistful. He's made it all the way to California now, and should be posting soon about his latest adventures. He talks about a really cool-sounding program called the Hospitality Club, which basically hooks up travelers with a host who has a spare bed or couch. I love that something like this exists, even if I would never be able to take advantage of it (or act as host, for that matter). Single gal, safety, and all that.

I stumbled upon both of these blogs simply by clicking on "Next Blog." Ninety percent of the time, it's gobbledy-gook, but occasionally you come across a nugget that makes wading through the muck worthwhile.

Big Kitties

This afternoon my parents and I visited Carnivore Preservation Trust (CPT) for a tour of the compound. It's out in Pittsboro, about a 20 minute drive from where I live. CPT is a sanctuary mostly for large cats but they have binturongs and kinkajous as well. Naturally I took a zillion photos, which you can see at my Flickr site. I'll post just a few of them here.

I must admit I did not find our tour guide to be particularly knowledgeable or engaging, however most would probably say I'm being too hard on her. She said that baby tigers are 2-3 ounces at birth, when it's actually 2-3 pounds, and she kept saying that the tigers were "chuffling," when the correct term is "chuffing." Granted, I used to volunteer at the Wildlife Waystation in Southern California, which could explain some of my superciliousness. I will say that overall I was satisfied, because of course the main attraction was the cats and they did not disappoint. We saw servals, ocelots, caracals, leopards, and tigers. The snow leopard was hiding up on a platform in his enclosure and the binturong was in his little house, so we didn't get a good view of them. Also, the white tiger was not in the mood for visitors so we only saw him from afar. But with the others we got to be pretty close.




Great new restaurant. For dinner tonight we went to Carrabas here in Apex and I was thorougly impressed. Both the food and the service were excellent. I had the Chicken Bryan, which came with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, and a lemon basil sauce. To. Die. For. I was literally giddy after my first bite, it tasted so good. The garlic mashed potatoes were also deelish, and the bread was perfection. Two thumbs way, way up. To top it all off, on our way out, an elderly gentleman shook each of our hands and bid us "Arrivederci!"

Postcard swap update. So my postcard swap is pretty much complete. I sent my cards out Thursday, and I've received cards from four of the six other participants. None of them arrived on the same day so it's been fun to check the mail and have my treats spread out. Most people forgot to take pictures before they mailed the cards, so I decided to just post photos of the ones I receive and the ones I sent. Mine were all slightly different but using the same materials and motif.

Sent

Received

Thank you to all the kind and crafty souls who participated. It is amazing to me how differently the theme of "Transitions" or "Spring" was manifested in everyone's creations. If you enjoyed yourself, I hope you'll consider participating in my next postcard swap, which will come around in July. The theme will probably something like "Old Glory." (Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole!) I'm also considering doing a store-bought postcard swap, for the non-crafty folks, which could be seen as a travel-by-mail and/or geography project. Any interest out there?

100k!

Considering I'm female and drive a relatively nondescript domestic sedan, I talk an awful lot about my car. I mean, there was the whole deer incident, with the subsequent repairs. Then there was the license and registration saga. And today I'm going to write about my car yet again. First of all, my personalized plate arrived and I must admit that since I put it on the car, every time I see it, I do a double-take, and I get a little rush of excitement.


You gotta love the sun glistening on the chrome. I swear I did not stage that!

And the even bigger news--my car has reached a rather significant milestone (ha ha, no pun intended): 100,000 miles!


If you know me, you know that I'm freakishly obsessed with my odometer reading. I've been looking forward to this momentous event for months now. Pathetic, I know. It is not a recent affliction. I've taken pictures of it at 10,000 miles (I remember it clearly: I had just driven up to my friend Marcy's house in Valencia, California, during some sort of break from college. I think it was Christmas. I took the photo with a disposable camera. This was back in 1999 and digital photography was still budding technology and very expensive.) I also have a picture from when it read 77,777, just because.


I mean, how cool is that? (You can even see the Check Engine light in the lower right-hand corner...that blasted thing mocked me for over a year. No one could figure out what problem was causing it to go on. I finally got it taken care of last June. Had to leave the car with the mechanic for a week...luckily, I timed it so it was the week I was here in NC visiting my new niece!) But I digress...

So clearly you can see I take my odometer reading way too seriously. In addition to the 100k shot, I actually took a pic at 99,999 as well. And a video of it turning over to 100,000. It happened just as I was pulling up to my apartment after having gone out shopping. I could not believe my luck, because I had seriously fretted that I would be speeding down the highway when it rolled over and I wouldn't be able to take a picture. Even worse, I was afraid I'd get lost in thought and miss it altogether (shudder at the horror!). I even contemplated--if it read 99,999 when I got home today--driving around the complex until it turned over. I am not kidding! Seeing the odometer at an even 100,000 makes me not want to drive the car and "mess it up." Yes, I am aware that all this makes me very weird. So be it. I'm letting my freak flag fly, as they say!

So what was I shopping for, you ask? Why, some sweet new speakers for my 'puter! I've been wanting a set with a subwoofer for quite some time, and it was one of those things I told myself I could buy when I got a job. Well, now's that time! They sound awesome!!

It kind of feels like my birthday or something, because I also treated myself yesterday to some new cookware. I was still using the same set I got when I moved into my first apartment in 1998. They were a'ight, as Randy from American Idol would say, but the lids were starting to look scuzzy and the teflon was scratching a little. So I got some new pots and pans from Sears. They're not chef quality or anything, but they're nice. My theory is, you either buy one top-of-the-line set and forget about it for 20 years, or you buy bargain sets every five or six years. I don't cook that much, so I've never been able to justify getting the expensive stuff.

So last night I ate with my parents at the Cheesecake Factory in Raleigh. I adore that restaurant. This was our first visit to one in NC, but I'd eaten at California CF's in Pasadena, Woodland Hills, Redondo Beach, and Marina del Rey. I've also been to the one at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. I would eat at CF all the time except that the wait is always ridiculously long. But the food is sooo delicious. At the risk of reavealing all my lunacy in this single post, I will confess that I'd actually had a dream about their Avocado Egg Rolls the night before. Nothing absurd, just that I was at CF and I ordered them. So when my parents called and suggested I meet them at the restaurant for dinner, I jumped at the chance. And you bet I ordered the eggrolls. Yummo, as Rachael Ray would say.

So tonight I'm looking forward to my ABC block: Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy. At some point I need to finish my postcards for the swap. I can't wait to see what everyone sends!

P.S. What is UP with the birds here? Lately they've been chirping and singing full-bore at like midnight! I'm not talking about a tweet-tweet here and a tweet-tweet there. It's a veritable birdsong master chorale, and it's wacky. They're supposed to shut up at sundown and not peep until sunrise! Or at least that's how it was in CA. I suppose and extra helping of chirps is not all that whine-worthy in the grand scheme of things, but it's just a little odd to hear it so loud so late. But really, who am I to be critical of weirdness? I just rambled for 350 words about my car's odometer!

One in four

A whopping 25% of the American Idol top twelve finalists are from North Carolina: Kellie Pickler (gives dumb blonde a whole new meaning), Bucky Covington (thinks he's "pretty" but his twin is better looking), and Chris Daughtry (hot rocker). But if I had to pick the winner right now, I'd have to say Mandisa. The girl can sing (understatement) and she is very well spoken. Also, her confidence is enviable. Anyone who feels comfortable admitting she sucked her thumb until age 24 is pretty secure.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On my way to work this morning I was listening to Sugarland's song "Something More." It was my anthem when I quit my job in L.A., but it's funny how the lyrics have lost some of their poignancy to me. The song talks about being burnt out and wanting more out of life, and refers to the daily grind of working. Well guess what? Working life is GOOD. Hard to wake up? Go to bed earlier. Traffic a pain? Leave a little earlier. I am so thrilled and grateful to be a contributing member of the workforce again. I haven't done much at my new job yet--I'm still learning--but I am just rarin' to go. I'm practically begging them to let me start doing something useful. I feel like I've been wasting away these past few months and now I feel energized. Inertia is a powerful thing. It's easier for a body at rest to stay at rest, while it's easier for a body in motion to stay in motion. That law of physics is so true for life in general.

Still no coche

I still don't have my car back! It was supposed to be done last week, but with the holidays cutting the work week short, they didn't have time to finish it before their four-day weekend. Finally they called on Tuesday and said I could pick her up at 4:00. I was in and out in less than five minutes...I should have known it could never be that easy! I never realized how attached I am to my car, but I drove off with a huge grin on my face. I was so happy to be driving her again! I stopped to get gas because I had dropped her off empty, and while at the station I decided to inspect the repair work. I reached back to the rear door that had been replaced, but couldn't get it unlocked no matter how hard I tried. Nor could I open the door from the inside. And of course, since it wouldn't unlock, I couldn't open it from the outside either. So I took it back to the shop and they were puzzled. They claimed it had worked fine when they tested it a couple hours previously. But they agreed it was not right now. They gave me the rental back (it was sitting where I had parked it mere minutes prior) and are now trying to fix the problem. I talked to the guy yesterday and he said they're trying to get another door panel and hopefully it will come in today. I really want my car back before the weekend. I do not want to ring in 2006 without her!

***

The other day I saw Flightplan with Jodie Foster at the dollar theater. It is a great movie! It's billed as a thriller, but there's no gore or anything. It's more psychological with some action scenes. I definitely recommend it.

Then last night I re-watched National Treasure, with Nicholas Cage. That is a first-rate movie! It's like James Bond meets Indiana Jones meets Da Vinci Code! I'm an American history geek as it is, so this film is right up my alley. Plus, now that I've been to Philadelphia, the scenes shot there were more exciting. Add it to your Netflix queue if you haven't seen it yet...you won't be sorry!

***

I learned a couple new board games recently. Bohnanza is from Germany. Basically you have a lot of bean cards and you have to plant and harvest them strategically so you can sell them for gold coins. It was hard to get the hang of at first, but when we did, it was fun! The other game is called Carcassonne...it's named after a region in France I think. In that game, there are a bunch of tiles with grassland, mountains, water, and cities, and you have to lay them out like dominoes and also claim the largest amounts of land, water, etc., to get points. I lost both games but wouldn't mind playing them again to get better.

***

I had a funny dream last night. Yesterday I discovered that a fellow blogger linked to my blog. I was so honored! So last night, I dreamt that James Lileks, my current hero, was also a regular reader, and that he also linked to my blog in his Bleat. Right, as if! But I was thrilled in the dream, as you can imagine!

Sturm und drang

I saw a very disturbing film last night--The Constant Gardener. It is billed as a political thriller told through the lens of a romance. The previews looked intriguing. While the story was very well crafted, the movie was shot creatively, and the performances were riveting, the overall impact was not pleasant. This movie hits you like a ton of bricks. If you have any compassion for fellow human beings at all, you can't help but be deeply disturbed by what this film shows. While it is based on a novel, I suspect what it depicts is not pure fiction. Basically it's about pharmaceutical companies taking advantage of poor Kenyans by using them as unwitting subjects in drug trials...specifically for an anti-TB drug that often has fatal side effects. It's the Tuskegee Experiment all over again. As if that weren't bad enough, the movie depicts shantytowns and villages where people live in such extreme poverty it is unbelievable. And then to top it all off, there are bandits that come around to steal from and kill these already beleaguered people. It really makes you take stock of your own life, and realize how easy we have it here. An embarrassment of riches. A nauseating abundance. I purchased dozens of Christmas gifts and will receive a many in return. Yet one in six people on this planet lives without running water! It makes you put things in perspective. Here I am, grumbling because they came out with the video iPod five months after I bought my iPod photo, and these people have to walk 40 km to get medical attention; they subsist on rice dropped by UN workers; and they live in fear that men on horses will sweep in, take what little they have, and/or murder them and their families. Atrocious.

I don't usually watch movies like that, because I prefer to be an ostrich with my head in the sand. At the same time, I feel guilty for choosing cheerful denial. Yet what can I do, realistically? Short of selling all my possessions (or better yet, giving them away) and joining the Peace Corps, I have no ideas. Of course the answer is to find some middle ground, between doing absolutely nothing and dedicating my life to the cause. That balance is frustratingly elusive.

On top of all that lovely stuff, I've been feeling restless. I used to get this way when I was a teacher, during summer vacations. Too long with nothing to do, and I get depressed, which means I don't want to do anything at all. So it becomes a vicious cycle. I'm depressed because I'm not doing anything, but I'm not doing anything because I'm depressed. I even went for a run today to see if that would help clear my head. All it did was demonstrate how badly out of shape I've gotten in the past few months. Blech.

Lastly, the secret ingredient to Melissa's stew of malcontent: ambivalence about starting a new relationship. Do I want to get involved with someone if it's not headed for marriage? How do you know if it's headed for marriage until you're already involved? Could I handle another breakup? Am I ready to let go of the past? Oy, it's enough to make a girl wanna go hide under the covers and not come out until spring. But then I go back to those poor people in Third World countries, who really have something to moan and groan about, and I feel ashamed for indulging in self-pity.

Aaaaaaah! I need to snap out of it. I am optimistic that tomorrow will be better.

Getting cable TV and internet

I made an appointment with the cable company to have internet and TV services installed on Tuesday. I’d read online that Mediaworks stinks (enough to warrant the nickname Mediaworst) and my first impression wasn’t great. They do not give you a four hour window; rather, the appointment is for ALL DAY. The technician can show up any time between 8 am and 6 pm.

To prepare for this day long wait-fest, I purchased season one of Lost on DVD. I’d heard all the buzz, but had not watched a single episode. (I felt I already watched too much TV as it was and didn’t want to add another series to the mix.) But being faced with 12 hours of nothing to do except read, I decided what the heck. For the price of 2 movie DVD’s, I could get 24 episodes of a reputedly great show. I thought it was a pretty basic premise: plane crashes on a tropical island, the survivors play Robinson Crusoe. How could that remain fresh for more than one or two episodes? Turns out it really is a great show. Very high production values, closer to a movie than your average TV program. I found the writing and acting to be stellar. The plot is riveting, and develops at a good pace. All the different characters have compelling back stories and the format of the show, with the flashbacks, is unique and keeps every episode fresh. The creepiness factor is relatively low overall, given the fantasy/sci-fi element, but when you're a single girl watching it alone in a dark, empty apartment, episode after episode after episode, that factor automatically doubles. Frankly, the creepiest part was the title sequence. The simplicity of a single word, blurred, off kilter, coming toward you...fantastically unsettling. Brilliant design. Bravo!

Now, of course, I want to watch Season Two, but I’ve missed the first five episodes. Enter iTunes, which conveniently just started selling episodes for $1.99 the day after they air! Score for Melissa!

Now, I had time to watch almost the entire season one because the cable guy never showed on Tuesday. Let me correct that. He did appear at my door, long enough to write on a door hanger that services were not installed because I failed to sign a key release and leave him a check. He neglected, however, to knock or ring the doorbell. See, Mediaworks serves the “multi-family industry,” i.e., apartment complexes, and I guess most people don’t have time to wait around 12 hours for some technician to stop by (go figure!) so they tell the front office to let the cable guy in and they leave a check on the TV. I didn’t want to do that. Not like my place is filled with valuables, being practically empty, but a) Comet is here, and b) I wanted to be here to explain where to set everything up (since it’s not obvious, again due to the emptiness). So I was here, all day, watching Lost, waiting patiently and expectantly. When I found that card on my front door I was furious!

An irate phone call to Mediaworks did nothing to remedy the situation. They asked, “Did you step out for a moment and possibly miss him?” Uh, no. I even checked out the window for the van before going to the bathroom for crying out loud! I said I wanted the technician to come back, since he’d left the card less than an hour prior to my finding it. I was told this was not possible, and the next appointment was two days later. I asked to speak to the manager and was put through to her voicemail. I did not receive a return call. Several hours later I called back, only to get cut off after being on hold for 10 minutes. (Mind you, this is all happening on my cell phone during peak hours.) Called back again, waited another ten minutes, and was told I had already been rescheduled for tomorrow. Interesting, since tomorrow was supposedly already booked. Whatever, I guess I’ll take it. I told the lady to make a note in my file that I would be home, and the tech must ring the bell. The next day, I put the same door hanger back on my doorknob, after writing on the back, “I AM HOME. Please ring doorbell multiple times if necessary.”

He arrived around noon, and did ring the bell. He was the nicest guy you could imagine. (I did not ask him if he was the same guy as before.) We chatted for probably an hour. He said I was his last call of the day! At noon! Anyway, my cable TV and internet were activated so I was a happy camper. Finally! I’m not thrilled with the cable boxes they have or the on-screen guide...both seem like they’re from a decade ago in terms of functionality. Comcast’s were much better, as were Time Warner’s. Time Warner does operate out here, but they don’t service my complex. Bummer. As for the internet, it’s not as fast as Comcast was in L.A., but it definitely will suffice. After not having my own reliable internet connection since Sept. 19, I’ll take pretty much anything better than dial up!