1. Textsfromlastnight.com is my favorite way to laugh. One nugget: "Well for starters, I'm drinking vodka out of a bell pepper"

2. Finally got internet at the new house, thus allowing me to read textsfromlastnight. This shit is seriously laugh out loud funny.

3. Got a call from the contractors, if all goes well, I will have new flooring a week from today.

(Bonus) 4. I suck at being sick. I am on day three and feeling no better, and I am about to take everyone's head off.

1. Chicago meetup tonight! WOOO!

2. SpiffyLady has an interview for the job she's most excited about of all the ones she applied to next week. I'm super-nervous for her. I know it's just the beginning of the search for her, and she still has plenty of options and plenty of time if this one doesn't pan out, but I'm worried that anything else is going to seem like a consolation prize. Guess that's not really a worry for now, and for the time being, I should just keep her excited about the interview!

3. Continuing the process of taking all of my personal stuff off of my work computer and moving it onto my laptop. Tedious, but sort of enjoyable. I've always loved cleaning physical spaces, and I like cleaning computers (not the physical components, mind you) almost as much.

1. Called in sick to work because of a babysiting emergency; as punishment, now feel sick.

2. Finished Sister Souljah's new book Midnight. Her first novel, Coldest Winter Ever, is one of my favourite books. Midnight is terrible, I am so disappointed - I don't know why she is hatin' on black women so much.

3.Looking foward to a family evening out at a "Fun Fair". This allows me to avoid cleaning the car today. I have successfully put off cleaning the car of all the children's crap for months now. My excuses are legion.

1. Bored.
2. Tired.
3. MEET UP AT THE GOAT! MEET UP AT THE GOAT! MEET UP AT THE GOAT!
(my Lab once retrieved three baby bunnies from their nest. Came prancing up to me, with one bunny foot sticking out of his mouth. He very sheepishly responded to the command to DROP and the poor little spit-covered bunnies hopped away, hopelessly confused and smelling of dog)

1, Odd -I stayed home sick from work too. Something I never do. I've been having a lot of trouble feeling motivated at work anyway. Woke up with a headache and funny stomach, was dillydallying but planned to go in anyway. Went to bike in, found the bridge closed for a 2-hour inspection. Decided that was the universe telling me to stay home. I do legitimately feel sick, though I gave myself a hard time over the decision because I know I also don't want to go to work emotionally.

2. Got a call for a phone interview for a job I'm interested in. Yay.

3. One more day of work before the long weekend and my mini-getaway until Monday.

1. Jetlag has hit me, after a good day yesterday (up at 5.30, 11 hours in the office, but awake until 2am).

2. I was going to have a marathon Apprentice night tonight, watching the two episodes I'd taped while I was away, plus tonight's show. I watched the first one, then my tired brain made me delete the one I hadn't seen. I know who got fired though, but I still wanted to see the show, as it was the TV Shopping Channel one, which is always a good laugh.

3. I just had sheekh kebab and salad (with ranch dressing, of course) for dinner. And I have Norfolk strawberries and creme fraiche for later.

4. Yay! Just remembered the BBC iPlayer, so I can see the episode I just killed.

1. Five minutes left at work.
2. Crabby because I'm trying to eat less and not drink during the week.
3. Nose is itchy due to a (re)piercing but I can't scratch it because my fingers have cooties on them.

1. My son graduates from high school tonight.

2. My mom who came down from Buffalo for the event is sitting in the family room glued to the TV watching pseudo-history about the pyramids.

3. My in-laws who came down from Albany are in the living room glued to the TV watching a court show.

Both TVs are turned up louder than they need to be.

*sigh*

1. New web favorite: fmylife.com. Like Mecha, the contributors are of all ages and demographics and that makes it even more appealing.

2. My Friday-night Chinese food place is closing after 35 years. Aaagh! Luckily I think there's a good alternative nearby.

3. I really, really hate people who say that the reason why they lied to you is because they were lying to themselves. And who use you to figure out what their problem is, and hurt you in the process. RELAX PEOPLE, this has nothing to do with Ardiril

1. I couldn't get moving this morning for anything. Some days are like that, too exhausted even to read, just lay down. Fell asleep, woke up and felt great.

2. Just had my first ever duk mandoo guk. I had no idea what I was ordering. The menu was in Korean and the English translation could have just as easily been French. I love situations like that. I just point at something and hope for the best. This time I was very lucky.

3. My last stop was at an Italian deli. Neither of the employees spoke much more English than "1/2 pound", "1 pound", and the like. I picked up some oil-cured olives (not quite so much salt but still...) and some asiago.

All this and much, much more is within a ten-minute walk of my new apartment.

1. Had another slow leak in one of the pipes last night. (It's been a problematic fitting since it was one of the ones my dad has had lying around SINCE THE 70s! and has already slow leaked twice and been fixed. It's getting replaced at some point tonight or tomorrow.)

2. My boss' boss came down to our place today to talk to some other peeps and to have a heart-to-heart chat with me and proceeded to tell me that they've suspended the policy to pay for half of support staff's library school tuition. Just what I needed to hear. (Of course, listening to my boss basically plead with me to choose any other career after she had left was mildly entertaining. And depressing.)

3. UMD has no timetable on when they'll have all admissions out. I'm still 'pending decision.' I did email with one of the people working in the iSchool office and she said that my track is very competitive and that they've already got people on the waitlist. Fucking fantastic. Just the cherry on top of this shitty, shitty day.

Sperose, why did your boss plead for you to choose another career? Not clear on something here. What does the waitlist mean for you?

1. I have so many emails to reply to, it's a bit overwhelming
2. I am going to be late leaving work today, and it's all my fault because I pissed around all morning
3. Three of my friends are pregnant and they are all asking for my advice. I don't feel qualified to give any. Oh well, they mainly want reassurance, which I *can* do.

1. We got our marriage license this afternoon. I found this bureaucratic step oddly affecting.

2. My oldest niece graduates from high school this week! Family lunch to celebrate!

3. I have been on edge and nervous and letting the wedding planning party planning take over my life. Starting this morning, I'm taking steps to get a little more rested and grounded: more fruits and vegetables, less caffeine, and more time outside.

"Three of my friends are pregnant" - This also has nothing to do with me. ;-P

My boss has his MLS (and has had it for a while) and seems to think that being a librarian is a horrible career choice and has talked to me about it several times. (I'm going into the archives track, not the general one, which seemed to not be such a flamebait sort of thing.) The fact that there's a waitlist and that I can see that all of the classes are full and all that means that I'm either going to be denied and have to try and reapply (which is going to be a serious bitch because I had an impossible time trying to get 3 recommenders as it is) or that I'm going to get waitlisted too, which means that I'll have to wait and hope that a bunch of people drop so I can start the program in the fall.

Had another slow leak in one of the pipes last night.

I hate plumbing. . .water NEVER stays where it's supposed to. (although I would rather have plumbing than not)

1. Enduring a temptation. I have to work late tonight. I just went into the break room to get my ham out of the fridge and there are bagels in there. I am on Atkins. I know, I know, but it totally works for me.

2. Current production got two great reviews last week and we are sold out Friday and Saturday this week. Happy. Bonus - most fun kissing on stage I've had since Jr. High.

3. Need new running shoes. Have for awhile. Can't seem to get them in the budget, but hopefully after next payday I can take care of this.

1. Also stayed home from work today due to sore back. Couldn't bear the thought of sitting upright in a chair all day. Spent the morning on the heating pad, covered in kitten. Am now at the library doing online things. I have about 20 minutes of upright left in me, then it's back home to the heating pad.

2. After having experienced what my mid-30s feel like with no ambition and no plans and no goals, I've decided what I want to be when I grow up. Am meeting with an advisor soon to figure out how to make the Master's happen. Just now registered with a local community college so that I can take some refresher math/science courses this summer or fall. I wasn't all that good at them the first time around and it's been a looooong time, so I'm a little intimidated. But I also know that I'm smarter than I was as a 20 year old, so I think it's probably all going to be okay.

3. Am really, really hoping that my temp university job turns into a permanent university job. Not because I like the work, but because full-time employees get tuition reimbursement, and I have no idea how else I'd manage to pay for grad school.

4. Is it crazy or stupid to do this? By the time I get a degree (if it all works out), I'll be pushing 40. That, I think, is the scariest part. I guess I'm not sure whether it's worth the investment.

Mudpuppie. . .I did not launch on my current job until around the age of 38. . .and I am 58 now and make fairly good money (for Oregon) and have a pretty unique niche in this town.

So, yeah, get your ass a Masters. The alternative is having the same feeling you are currently having, 10 years from now.

Plus, after being in the work world, one tends to be a bit less resentful about sitting in school. At least it was like that for me.

1. It's been in the low 90s for several days. This is the PNW for fuck's sake.
2. Day three of headaches. I'm sure #1 is making it worse.
3. It's supposed to cool down to the 70s later this week. I can't wait.

Mudpuppie, yay! And yes, what danf said. You can be 40 and have a master's degree, or 40 and not have a master's degree. But you'll be 40 either way. (Also, a good quarter of the people in my master's program were in their 30s and 40s. Mid-career shifts are all the rage.)

1. I had a good meeting with my supervisor this morning. She makes me feel good about being clueless, but in a good way -- she turns it around somehow and shows me how my being clueless was actually not cluelessness but somehow helpful to both me and my clients. I always learn something from what she's saying *and* walk away feeling like I know what I'm doing. Which means she either has a great deal of faith in my work or else is supernaturally talented at giving feedback.

2. I have to lead a support group tonight and I'm not really in the mood. I'm sure that when it starts up, I'll get in the mood, but right now it's making me sleepy.

3. We got a new duvet and duvet cover and they are suuuuuuuper comfortable. It was so nice to wake up this morning.

I didn't get my masters until I was 41 and my sister didn't get her BS until she was 51 so yea, get the degree. I'm never going back to school again but I'm glad that I went through it. Once you get the degree, no one cares how old you were when you got it.

1. Talked to an electrician this afternoon about coming over to do an estimate on re-wiring some rooms in the house. Most of the wiring in our house was done around the time that Chester A. Arthur was in office so it's probably time.

2. Stressed out about buying a new car this coming weekend. It's a cheap car, Honda Fit, but dealing with car dealers always pisses me off.

3. Going out to drink beer and eat pirogis at Geek Night tomorrow.

I also advocate getting the degree. :)

1. The kids discovered a teeny LED flashlight and are actually cooperating in a conspiracy against mom - reading in the dark "you hold the page and I'll hold the light" "My turn". It's too cute for words.

2. I am loving the new leisure pool at work. I go and jog in the "lazy lagoon" during lunch, then recreate in the hot tub before going back to work. also amused by students in innertubes getting flipped over by the strong current.

3. Signing up to take the GRE next week for my masters. I'll be 40 before I start. :)

lysdexic... Mrs. Doohickie didn't get her bachelors until she was 42. Just sayin'.

1. Filling up my bike tires (for 75 cents! sheesh, at least you get a working nozzle) reveals that the back wheel bearings are shot. Well, my fat ass did that and I got ten years out of a $99 Target bike, so hey.

2. An orange traffic cone must have fallen out of a truck, it was sitting in the street. Glommed. Occasionally these things are helpful for cutting tree limbs, although people still like to drive or walk right under you for some reason.

3. Finally got every. single. property. utility bill paid and on "easy pay", which you can only sign up for when you're up to date. What a mess my dad left.

3a. Seeing him in the memory care unit tomorrow. I half want to bring him this professional drawing of the house somebody made a few years back, but it would just make him ask us when he is coming home, so I guess not.

*crosses fingers for miko*


1.Sears customer service for repair eats santorum. They can deliver things, why do I have to be put through four different extensions(and the last with no voice mail) to attempt a pickup?
2. Am strongly leaning toward NOLA for the 10 year meetup.
3.Found a primary care doctor I like.

3. Finally got every. single. property. utility bill paid and on "easy pay", which you can only sign up for when you're up to date.

(((dhartung)))