Do you remember this song? For about two weeks I rocked this like it was going out of style.
The year was 1997. I was in high school.
The strangest part of getting older is how everything suddenly feels like "just yesterday" when in reality it was over a decade ago. And what on EARTH was I listening to back in the day?
In:
sing-a-longs
Okay, I know. I am breaking my New Year's blog-update resolution: breaking it with a ten ton hammer. Let me summarize in a quick update:
I think I just took my last road trip this weekend.
Unfortunately I'm one of those people who really does like to drive - not the daily commute, of course. I love road trips, packing up the car with food and stuff and people (dogs are people too) picking a direction, plotting a course, loading up on music and hitting the road. The longer the better. It's one part therapy, one part recreation, one part cheap travel. Last Friday after a crappy week at work and breaking up with Handsome Fellah* I decided a road trip was in order. I packed up the car, grabbed some grub, hunted on Craigslist for a relatively sane rideshare companion and headed to PDX for some TLC from BBGB.
It was a great trip, the sun, wind, open windows, political discourse, music. And then came time for the fillup.
$65 dollars
Watching the numbers at the pump roll north I counted off meals, shoes, movies, books, all the things $65 bucks could have gone toward. All for a 6 hours and two days of driving and i would still have to put gas in the car for the return trip!
It occured to me that it's cheaper for me to get a therapist than hop in the car when the world's troubles are on my shoulders. Granted, hanging out with BBGB is like family - but I could have easily taken the train or a bus down for a helluva lot cheaper. Then it occurred to me how environmentally irresponsible my little hobby was - sure I've gotten better about doing Craigslist rideshares whenever i get a wild hair to hit the road to PDX, but its not always been like that. Time for a major lifestyle overhaul.
So, with a heavy heart I pulled up to the house Sunday night I said goodbye to my road-trippin days. My one regret is that I never drove cross country when it was remotely affordable because I've always wanted to see the country from behind the wheel. Still, I've had lots of awesome adventures, and great tales.
When I woke up this morning it occurred to me if I sold my car I could save about $300-$400 a month in insurance, car payments and gas. Sure I'd be taking the bus and Zip Cars more, but that's still a drop in the bucket comparatively. Holee crap, one step closer to my travel goals!
In:
....or Bust,
Car Love
These shoes: Frye's Belted Harness Boots
So I know these wouldn't USUALLY fit the definition of "spring shoes" but i have wanted a pair since before forever.
I bet they would look cute with a skirt, too.
I was seriously worried that the shenanigans with my car was going to put a dent in my savings/travel plan.
However, the opposite is true. I was able to cover my deductible and the excess rental car fees with my thus far measly albeit sufficient UhOh Fund without touching a piece of plastic. Okay not counting the check card the cash came out of. So my UhOh Fund has taken a hit, but hey, that's what it's for.
So although in some respects I'm almost back to square one with the Uh-Oh Fund, I learned two important things:
1. Up the overall Uh-Oh savings goal to $1500. Uh-Oh's can be more expensive than you'd think in lots of little ways.
2. Tapping the Uh-Oh fund is Hu-way better than calling the parents when you hit a rough spot. It's pretty empowering to know that whatever 'it' is, I can handle it without Mummy, Daddums, or the cards.
I'm keeping up my 10% plan, and the Travel Fund is steadily increasing. No, I am nowhere near $1k a month.
Yet.
Now I'm trying to decide how to handle this stimulus check business iffnwhen it arrives. I'll probably reward myself with at least one pair of spring shoes (I have been a GOOD GIRL) but the big decision is whether to put the rest in savings, or to throw it at some old debt. Have to run the numbers on that one - interest rates and all.
(and no, Prez Shrub, that does not mean blowing it all at Nordstroms, either. That measly check isn't gonna get me far there anyway. But thank you for your sound economic advice)
In:
....or Bust,
Fund-raising
I think of a great idea for a blog post on the bus, but by the time that I get unwedged enough from between my fellow riders to write it down I've forgotten what I wanted to say.
So that's my excuse. That is also reason # 999 that I need an iPhone.
That is all.
In:
Get On Da Bus
Spring in Seattle is like winter in Seattle. Only warmer. And wetter.
And while in some situations those two qualities would definitely be considered a good thing, in this case, they're the qualities of a tease. A tricky little harlot that offers a glimpse of sun, a hint of warm and then sends you damp and sniffling back indoors.
I love this town.
Signed,
Lets just get right to summer then, already.
Thursday afternoon, after four weeks of bouncing between the mechanic and insurance companies, two rental cars, delayed car parts and THE REST OF MY LIFE, I thought I was going to loose my mind.
Actually I'm pretty sure I'd already lost my mind and was finally noticing this. All over $2500 worth of exhaust system damage (start at the catalytic converter and keep adding parts and labor)
On top of it all, I've gotten new responsibilities at work which I inherently love because they involve photography -- but are totally overwhelming at the moment because I've got to learn yet another Tool and skillset. For about two weeks I was literally passing out at 8:30, getting up at 5 and starting the day all over again.
Wednesday I broke down with BBGB (over IM, of course). I'm tired, I'm stressed, I have no time, I am overwhelmed. How much is this going to cost me and when is this going to be over had become the constant litany replacing a usually very fun and interesting daydreaming life. I haven't blogged in WEEKS. Boo hoo me.
There's a reason she's my bestest girl buddy ever. Her solution: get some perspective and a massage.
See, we are Californians, and in California we know there's no mental upheaval that can't be solved with a lil pampering. In fact, I bet this applies to all women, but Cali girls are the first ones that I have ever heard admit it. Out loud. In mixed company. We are not afraid to admit: when the going gets tough, the tough get a rub down. Fellas, take note.
It was my idea to throw in the pedicure. By the time I was sitting under the lamp watching my cute pink toes dry I had a whole new mental frame.
Thank god I have insurance - the repair is covered. I get to cruise around in a sweet rental car (drive it like you stole it, baybee) for two weeks. When all of this is over, I'll have no problem getting my car to pass Washington emissions because I will have an almost entirely brand new exhaust system. And i have cute little flowers painted on my big toes.
So while I'm not going to thank any part stealing junk heads anytime soon, I really have nothing to complain about. Just need to grow some patience, and start blogging again.
In:
Car Love,
Was Happenin
...you get to go to the mountain, even though your car is out of commission (long story, see the one about the exhaust pipe thief)
...you run into FLOML snowboarding, and your heart doesn't even flutter.
...you find yourself enjoying an unexpected companion: great conversation, laughs, and good runs. At the end of the day you can say you have a new friend. (Code name: 2Plank)
...you finish the day with a quite house, a hot bath, and Joseph Campbell.
...bedtime looks like heaven. You're convinced your pillows have gotten even softer than they were when you left them this morning.
Pretty damn delightful.
D says:
another day, another turkey burger
Rosie says:
LOL
Rosie says:
mmm, i might go have seconds of Indian food in a minute. i did a bad thing today
D says:
what was your sin of choice
Rosie says:
i stole a bottle of Tobasco from the cafeteria to keep in the kitchen on my floor
D says:
HA
Rosie says:
cause i go thru about a bottle a week
Rosie says:
and i'm tired of running downstairs to get it
D says:
me too
D says:
buy your own silly
D says:
dont get fired over some hot sauce
Rosie says:
lmao, it's still in the building, just upstairs I'm jsut restocking
D says:
uh huh
Rosie says:
as long as it doesn't leave the building, I haven't stolen anything
Rosie says:
just misplaced it
D says:
it all depends on who defines stolen in the hierarchy
Rosie says:
hehehe
Rosie says:
thanks sweetie, I suppose I'll take the heat when it hits me
Rosie says:
oye...even funny man robin williams can't keep a marriage going...I'm not even going to TRY...lol
D says:
im really past the point of being surprised
Rosie says:
ya - i just wonder what is the problem? i mean, ultimately what's going on - is marriage just outdated, do we have more options? are people just not willint to work things out? is it just that more people get divorced cause it's an option now than back in the old days? Wtf? I guess they don't publicize the marriages that work
Rosie says:
but still, it just puzzles me
D says:
im not convinced that humans are monogamous by nature most animals aren't
Rosie says:
true
D says:
i think that yeah we raise youngins with a single partner but then most animals go off with someone else
Rosie says:
interesting
D says:
almost half of marriages end up in divorce, but factor in marriages with infidelity, and "open marriages"....there not a whole lot of till death do us part in there
Rosie says:
yeah i'm just wondering if there needs to be some differentiating between sexual intimacy and lifelong relationships - i mean don't get me wrong, I'm not headed for the open relationship, but sometimes i wonder if this whole storybook bullshit about "happily ever after" and "soulmates" (there's one person for everyone) doesn't create this unrealistic expectation that the one person you marry will be able to be "all things" rather than just acknowledging our biology (attraction may vary)
Rosie says:
and valuing emotional loyalty and intimacy at a higher level (something i don't think we do at all) i mean, if sexual intimacy is the biggest value in a relationship it seems inevitable that things are going to fall apart. its a biological drive essentially but when two people 'get' each other in an emotionally intimate way that is the kind of thing that keeps people friends for life - so why can't that work for marriage too
Rosie says:
we live in a culture where men are denied permission to access and express emotions for risk of being weak or less manly which leaves lots of men's emotional sides immature (undeveloped rather than 'childish') then all we have to bond with is the sexual/attraction level of intimacy which is bound to fail, change or switch to another partner
D says:
we gotta get you a book deal
Rosie says:
sheeesh...quit ya teasin me
D says:
and i didn't even have to rub your feet
Rosie says:
oh don't worry, i'm keeping a tab of all the feet rubbing I have coming
D says:
from who
Rosie says:
IF i ever do see you again you better be ready
D says:
oh boy
Rosie says:
After you get done, there won't be any feet left for anyone else
D says:
well damn, did i promise to rub any thing else
Rosie says:
uh...not that i recall - at least not while either one of us was sober
D says:
thats prolly a good thing
Rosie says:
what the not remembering or the not being sober
D says:
what may have been promised in a drunken state
Rosie says:
oh yeah, course
D says:
shit i might end up pregnant
Rosie says:
lmao keep it in yer pants, buster
D says:
i always have....with you
Rosie says:
well that makes ONE person
D is a boy -er- man, that I've known since we were both 19. He's the best friend I've ever had. We talk about everything. Usually while I'm waiting for some program to load, or files to copy or other such goofiness. He is my twin - and I love him more than life. This is why.
In:
Relationships
Today I returned from the bus after a blissful sunny afternoon wandering around downtown and climbed into my car. I started the engine and immediately knew something was wrong. It sounded like no one had bothered to install a muffler on my car. Parked on a busy street and against a high wall I couldn't safely take a look, so I let it run for a minute, made sure there were no fluids dripping and drove the mile and a half home.
Safe from traffic in the driveway I got on my hands and knees and looked under the car.
Muffler - still attached. No visible holes.
Exhaust Pipe.
Missing.
Yeah, someone had cut the exhaust pipe from the muffler to the header. About two feet of pipe was missing, cleanly sliced off. In fact, the first cut on the header side was too high so they pulled out and moved further down.
Just so you know - I wasn't parked in a lot all day, or even on a side street. I'm parked on a major street, busy all day and yet some asshole had the unmitigated gall to break out the saw and pull a usless peice of pipe from my car. I mean, the muffler I could understand, the header even...if your desperate and you really need a stock muffler or header...please take mine.
But the pipe. The stupid pipe you could get at ace hardware for a few bucks. INSTEAD YOU STOLE MINE? REALLY?
D is convinced it's revenge. He's wondering who's man I stole. Maybe I should have a convo with HF about that one, eh?
Honestly, I must have pissed somebody off. The funny part is, well it's just funny. So bizarre, and unbelievable. It's just random. D's second guess is that it's "mistaken identity," whoever it was thought the car belonged to someone else.
Has anyone else heard of this? Is this a common car prank? Is there something special about stock exhaust pipes that I don't know about?
WTF?
I'm hungry for it now. This morning I woke up with a gnawing in my proverbial belly. It said one word: TRAVEL.
After two weeks of cramming travel books at the library and Barnes and Noble, here are my top destinations so far (in no particular order):
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Panama
Indonesia
Cambodia
Spain
Chile
I'm starting to look at travel by region - that way I can hit up multiple countries in one trip. The problem is, I want to go to them all AT THE SAME TIME.
How on earth do I decide where do I go first?!
In:
....or Bust
Lately I've been thinking about gossip. One of the many little indulgences I allow myself is the occasional snark - either among friends or in the larger public sphere of celebrity trainwreck action. Unlike pizza and ice cream (both of which can be worked off when consumed in moderation) I am beginning to see how the use of words can have far more lasting, and insidious impact.
In the Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz refers to one of the primary Agreements of "Using your word impeccably." In short: words are powerful, we can use them to build up or tear down, and we owe it to ourselves (and others) to use our words in a way that creates, not destroys. Ultimately when we use our words destructively - even if it appears to be against others -the true damage we cause is to ourselves.
So my obsession with snarky gossip - from chatting with the girls to celebrity snarking- not only serves no ultimate purpose, but it degrades myself in the process. Trouble is, it's so ingrained I'm not sure how to change that.
Of course, the universe reveals information exactly when I'm finally open to receive it and this little gem crossed my radar.
According to legend, the Greek scholar Socrates held a particular disdain for gossip. When faced with a juicy tidbit of info, it is said he had a three part test before allowing the giver to proceed. Summed up briefly (the whole post is circling the internet in infamy, go look it up if you need the details) here is Socrates criteria:
1. Is it valid? Do you know if the information is factual and true? Do you personally know the people involved?
2. Is it good news? Is the news your relating positive?
3. Is it useful? Is there true value to me knowing (and you sharing, or vice versa) this bit of info.
How true is this story? Ultimately, does it matter? If it was Socrates, Plato, MC Hammer or God itself. I believe it. I asked for help in how to break this bad habit, and the universe gave me the tools I need to make it happen.
I'm committing to stop feeding the gossip monster bits of my own humanity. I owe myself at least that. I'm even going so far as to drop my links to WWTDD and YBF - even Fug Yourself has to go. And before you start groaning at my being a goody two shoes - just remember, if it really is something YOU feel alright doing, nobody's stopping you, or wagging a finger in your face, least of all me.
And really, those blogs have enough links to keep a bazillion people coming there every day. Loosing me won't make anybody cry. I'm not trying to start a movement, or spoil anyone else's fun. This time it really is personal.
AKA. How to Operate a Chainsaw
This weekend HF and I went to help clear trees off his brother's property. Bro and his wife are building a house on their property - their first - and this was sort of a "family" event. Wife was out shopping so I hung out on the couch to get some writing done. I was doing really well. Of course, the short attention spanned master of procrastination has other ideas. Attracted by the sound of powertools, I headed outside to see what the boys were "up to."
The boys were doing very cool things with very scary chainsaws. They also found good use for an extra set of hands and before I knew it I was helping to pull down said alders in the desired direction. Which was kind of like playing chicken with a falling tree. Fun. Not content with just dodging trees, I decided I needed MORE danger.
So I asked to learn to run the chainsaw. I can't exactly explain the appeal to you, except for to say its the kind of thing you crave when you grow up in a house full of intellectuals. I mean I have READ about chainsaws, but I can't say I've actually been close enough to one to see the blade. HF OWNS his own chainsaw. WOW.
To his credit, HF didn't even hesitate when I asked. Outfitted in gloves, goggles and a stern lecture on how "carelessness with the chainsaw can kill you," he pointed me at the nearest fallen trees and proceeded to teach a course in "Chainsaw operation 101."
Which amounted to "101 ways to maul yourself if you don't pay attention to what your doing with a motor operated saw."
Good times. Before each new bit of the lesson I got a worst case scenario explanation of exactly HOW I could maul myself if I didn't do it right. Which is probably why the final lesson was how to start the thing, as the wrong sequence of action can land you a saw blade in the schnoz - and though the blade wouldn't be running it would still probably hurt like a mother f*Cker.
So. Each alder I was allowed to work on was only about 4-8 inches thick, but apparently in all the pictures I have a very intense expression on my face as I maneuver the saw through trunks. Yes, you heard that right. Some people will naked pictures circling the internet - me? In mine, I am fully clothed and holding a chainsaw while massacring some fallen baby trees. God forbid I ever run for office.
I have to say HF is a pretty good teacher. He was patient, grave, but still let me have at it for as long as I wanted to, and didn't complain when I retreated back to my computer with a trembling arm. Of course, you'd be a good teacher to if you could spend part of the afternoon drinking beer while supervising your girlfriend sharpening your chainsaw blade.
Suffice it to say, my desire to run a 'saw is completely satisfied. Now I will have something interesting to add to a character's traits when I need an outdoorsy rural type. That's the great thing about being a writer: Everything is research.
In:
Was Happenin
Famous last words in the Book of Rosie...
My cube-mate (yes you heard that right, in my most recent employment incarnation I not only have to work in a cube, I actually have to share that cube with another full grown human being. May I note that it's not exactly a LARGE cube either)
So to begin again. Thankfully my cubemate and I have become an extended version of single-serving friends. She's my mom's age, and kind of an old hippie type, which is interesting only because we now both work in technology - afield nether one of us EVER saw ourselves going into. We spend a lot of time together, so we talk. Probably more than we should, but I'm just considering myself lucky that we have something to talk about, and that she's more interesting than That Guy my friend LegalGirl shares cubespace with. LegalGirl and I have agreed that That Guy isn't interesting enough to get a real code name. In fact, he doesn't appear to have much of a personality at all.
My cubepartner, Blossom, however is hu-way cool for an old chick (and I mean that in the best way) smart, liberal and opinionated, she seems like the kind of mom you wish your best friend had. Early on I shared with her that I was on this savings plan, to travel at the end of my contract. Today we wound up talking about travel again. Payday does that to a brain.
"So what you're gonna save like 1000 a month or something?" she asked.
I paused for just a second, my mouth open but my throat catching hard on the "I wish" I was about to utter. I did a bit of quick math - $1,000 for 12 months. That's a whole lotta travel freedom. What if I couldn't do it? Conversely, what did I have to loose by aiming aim high? As W. Clement Stone said, "Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you may hit a star."
I've made "go big or go home" my personal motto in everything from snowboarding to eating a good meal. It's gotten me big jumps, busted knees, unforgettable dining and a few extra pounds in the back end. Why not take that challenge to my finances? Granted, that would be almost 1/3 of my monthly take home, but as tracking my weekly expenses has revealed - I actually don't have that many if I limit my nights out and driving. And shopping.
The Law of Attraction dictates that you are only capable of achieving what you believe you can, alternately, what you believe in you can achieve. And belief involves a certain amount of faith. Even in the face of doubt and improbability.
So I closed my mouth, looked her dead in the face, then said, "Yeah, just like that."
Note to self: a moratorium has been placed on the purchase of all shoes until further notice.
That is all.
In:
Fund-raising,
The Paycheck
So guess who had a missed call she couldn't clear from her phone today? See if the caller had left a message the missed call sign would have gone away when I checked my voicemail. Unfortunately they couldn't be bothered - or the call wasn't that important in the first place (more than likely) so now, do I not only know what they wanted, but WHO the "they" are.
I didn't think it was so annoying at first until every time I left my desk and came back I did a double take wondering who on earth even knew the extension to reach me in this cavern of contractors. It really was annoying. Thank God Legalgirl was online.
Rosie: Damn that missed call thing is annoying.
LegalGrrl (She made me promise if I blogged this I would spell the girl as she prefered"grrl" which is SOOO 90's but is also how I prefer spelling my own monkier - as in RosieGrrl, anywho): Not u too?
Rosie: Ah yeah, karma is a f*cking b*tch, eh?
LegalGrrl: Ya. Completely. Do u want ThatGuy's extension?
PAUSE
Rosie: Uh, yeah, I guess so. This is going to drive me crazy.
Once again, the universe checks in to remind one smart-ass girl to stop trash talking everyone else. One never knows when they might have information that one might happen to appreciate having.
LegalGirl says That Guy spent about two hours today trying to figure out how to make his phone stop displaying a bogus "new call" notification. He literally could not let it go. Not in the, "jeeze that's annoying, guess I will not waste one more second being annoyed and just ignore it," sort of way. More along the lines of, "I cannot function in any way shape or form unless I right this egregious error immediately!"
What's more sad: That it bugged him so much he couldn't work for trying to figure the damn thing out, or that the company is so fricking disorganized that no one along the chain of 'help' peeps could actually figure it out?
Either way, I can't fault him for trying - but I do feel for LegalGirl. I can just picture her ass-deep in Very Important Documents, trying to focus on copy editing said documents with the consistent drone of half-deaf That Guy on the phone with support in the background. Apparently she gave up at some point, cause I got the IM flash in the corner of my screen.
She did fill me in on the Visqueen show this weekend at Sunset - the show I was too late to get tickets for and was apparently great (as always, love Visqueen)
In:
The Paycheck
Oh shit, see what happens when I go looking to post that Mayer/Keys commercial - all kinda funny bidness comes up. I'd almost rather watch him do stupid funny shit than play music most days. This shit kills me:
Holy hell. Where did this boy come from? Yeah, he's a big goofy dork. Swoon.
In:
sing-a-longs
BBGB turned me on to these MTV ads - cause she understands my unhealthy and unholy obsession with John Mayer's well being. I don't have a crush on him, per se: it's just that Mayer is the kind of guy that composed most of my social circle in High School. Awkward, oddly charming, musically talented and most of the time attracted to the wrong women. The kind of guy I would have had a crush on if I hadn't had enough sense to know that I didn't stand a chance when compared to his idealized version of womanhood in the form of the popular, cheerleader-type (aka Jessica Simpson)
So anyway. Fast forward. Yes he writes sappy music with lyrics that real men hate because it puts all this pressure on them to be "That Guy" for their girlfriends (aka Say Anything Syndrome) Still, the guy manages not to take himself too seriously (cough, cough: Jack Johnson) He allows himself to be photographed in the Borat wrestling costume. AND....then there are the MTV rabbit commercials, which if you're like me and can't stand to watch what passes for programming these days on "WTF-happened-to-the Music Television," you probably missed:
Thank God for BBGB. Cause not only is Mayer in the suit, but the spots feature Alicia Keys, who is rocking my world and my Ipod. Turns out she did the fabulous outro vocals for Mayer's "Gravity," and he's featured on "Lesson Learned" from As I Am, which has not left my Ipod playlist since it was added. The chemistry between these two is outstanding - and I'm not even thinking THAT kind of chemistry. On pure musical talent and simpatico alone, this is a collaborations I never dreamed could be so amazing.
What do I not ADORE about Ms. Keys? Since the Tori Amos days I've been a sucker for a chick on a piano. And a chick that rocks a piano with some serious Motown soul? Oh mercy! Plus, in a world populated by trainwreck chicks with questionable talent (Amy, Britney, Lindsay...PARIS, anyone?) she is mature, gracious, sexy-without-the-slime and above all - a talented musician. She so composed, with just enough swagger to let you know she could still kick somebody's ass but she chooses to behave better than that. Plus the girl has a booty. Hallelujah. She looks like a real woman. Curvy, gorgeous, Beyonce take note: THAT is is the definition of bootylicious. Who knows, Keys could be a cranked out wackjob in real life, but she manages to keep her shit on straight. CLASSY.
Do I want to be her when I grow up? Hell yeah. Especially when you get to pull off this shit with Mayer at the Grammys:
I can die and go to heaven. Check that swagger. Hollah. That is all.
In:
sing-a-longs
