What song or lyrics are stuck in your head at the moment? What album is it from?
Submitted by Lox Ly.
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. From the St. Elsewhere album. I sing it to my cat all the time.
Because she is. Just like me.
What is your browser's default home page set to?
Submitted by Kelev T. Cat.
Yahoo. Though I rarely stay there upon start up. I usually head on to my email, then my blog, then a list of bookmarked pages under favorites.
Why is Yahoo my default home page? It's got a bit of everything which I can see at a glance upon entering the internet. If anything of interest catches my eye in those first few seconds, I click on it, otherwise, I move on with my surfing routine.
One of the best decisions of my life was buying my house (condo, if you will). One of the worst decisions known to man is to have it run by a group of totally inept, unorganized, inefficient, lame-brained idiots called The Association (or The Ass, if you will).
Ever since I moved in, the first thing I noticed was that the windows, sliding glass door and entry door were all crappy. Crappy materials used, crappy (dis)function, crappy construction -- the door doesn't even meet the threshold as there is about an inch of space that can be seen between the floor and the porch outside. It's a constant source of amazement to my cat who wonders what fascinating activity lies beyond the big, ugly door. If I, someone who doesn't often notice architectural defects, notice something's crappy. Something is crappy!
Like many people, I wanted to do some repairs/upgrading to 1) add my own personal touch 2) improve the overall appearance and 3) increase the value of my home. Over the course of about 8 months, I met with four window contractors. It didn't really take all 8 months, but I met with the first one last November, and the last 3 in July. And, believe me, it was NOT a pleasant job to meet with some of these guys!
The first contractor I met with in November seemed like he was new to the business. I thought it was kind of "cute" that he reminded me a lot of Vince Vaughan. I kept seeing the similarities and wondered if it was him doing some "research" for his next movie role. As the meeting went on, it was quite evident that this guy was totally clueless. I think I made it clear that I was sold on wanting to replace my windows, yet he went on with the whole "spiel" on how beneficial it would be to replace my windows, etc,. That was an hour of my life I'll never get back. Then, at the end when it was time (for him) to wrap up the deal, I told him he was only the first contractor I met with and that I would need to meet with the others before I could make any decisions. He then gave me a sob story on how if I signed with him before the holidays (Christmas was coming up in a few weeks), he would get some sort of bonus, etc. As heartwrenching as that may have been, I was still not in a position to make any decisions at that time, and reminded him so again. Then, just before he got up to leave, out of the blue, just so randomly, he says that I'll probably decide not to go with their company. Wow, talk about the power of negative thinking! Dude, why did you even go there? I was too perplexed to react and thanked him for his time and gave him the standard, "I'll call you." It felt like a date gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Fast foward to July of 2006. I was smart this time and decided to consult the Better Business Bureau to do a little research on the contractors I would be considering. To my non-surprise, the contractor I met with in November did not receive such a great rating, with several complaints filed against them within the past 12 months. Just think, one of those would have undoubtedly been ME, should I have succumbed to notVince's pleads. I dont blame notVincent, but if that's the m.o. their company is encouraging, then it's no surprise there were many unhappy campers.
I picked 3 contractors who I met with within a matter of weeks. The first contractor, "Earl" was a piece of work. We scheduled to meet on a Saturday at 1:30 p.m. However, at noon, the doorbell rings. Lo and behold, it was Earl. I asked Earl what he was doing there so early since I had not expected him for another hour and a half. Earl said that he ended his last appointment early and decided to stop by my place in hopes that I would be able to meet with him early as well. Well, it turns out that I actually had things to do. I was making lunch for my son and his friend, I didn't have my materials ready, I just wasn't prepared for Earl. He offered to return and I agreed.
Two hours later, there's no Earl. I didn't leave the house. The boys were playing in the living room close to the front door, so in the event someone knocked or rang the bell, someone would have heard something. I wasn't too far away as I set up my notes and laptop in the dining room. What happened to Earl?
Imagine my surprise when I called Earl on his cell phone and he told me he was on his way back home. I asked him what had happened to our meeting and he said he came by and rang the bell and knocked on the door but no one answered. He even went to say he knocked, went back to his car, and came back and knocked again to no avail. I was perplexed. At any rate, we decided to reschedule for the following week.
In the meantime, I had met with another contractor that was a lot more reliable, but I wasn't thrilled about their product, even though they did work for one of my neighbors down the street. The third contractor was also early, but he got me at a good time and he wasn't a big flake. So far, I like contractor #3. Later that day, I was supposed to meet AGAIN with Earl. The time came and passed. Again, no Earl. Again, I call Earl on his cell phone. This time Earl told me that I was supposed to have called him the day before to confirm the meeting. At this point, I'm sick of Earl. But, I told myself I was going to see 4 contractors, and his company had the highest rating on the BBB site, so there had to be some redeeming qualities to them, right? Earl made another appointment to meet the following day.
I made sure not to set foot outside the house that day. I walked around with my cell phone and house phone close by. I even hung around downstairs just so I couldn't miss hearing the door. Time ticked on...and on...and on... Finally, just as I was about to give up on Earl, he calls me and asks me where I was! What, are you kidding me!??! I in turn asked him where he was. He said he was in front of my house. I walked to the front of my house and didn't see a soul. Turns out, he was on the other side of the street in a completely different complex!! This is what happens, boys and girls, when you drink while on the job.
So, I finally meet with Earl. He was full of it. Full of hot air and everything else, and allegedly, smelled of booze. This cannot be their best salesperson. They did windows, but they did not do entry doors. He was going to get a "buddy" of his to install a door for me that he would pick up from Home Depot. Sounded sketchy. I said I had to think about it. For some reason, I don't know what happened, he suddenly talked me into providing him a deposit to get the work done. I plead temporary insanity because my brain was pretty fried at this point, and I just wanted him to leave, so I reluctantly shelled out a deposit for them to do the work -- contingent upon approval from The Ass.
I submiteed my request around the second week of July. I didn't hear anything back until the beginning of August (because, they're oh so busy...). I completed even more paperwork and provided more support to the job I proposed to be done. I received written consent from all my neighbors, provided all the dimensions, time it would take (1 day), and brochures of the company I wanted to do the work (not Earl's!). By the way, when I came to my senses, I demanded my deposit back from Earl's company. Maybe I need to start drinking more.
More time goes by.
Today, I get a letter in the mail from The Ass. It's addressed to me, but the letter starts, "Dear Ms, Carroll:" (yes, the comma after the Ms is theirs). Here it is in its entirety for your viewing pleasure:
"As Management Agent for the Columbia Square Maintenance Association, I have been requested by the Board of Directors to respond to your request to replace the windows in your unit.
Please be advised that the Board of Directors did review your request at their last meeting. The Board would like to know why you wish to replace the windows [You mean, the 3 page proposal I sent at their request last time wasn't sufficient enough?!]. At this time the Board is denying your request pending responses to their questions.
You are invited to atend the next Board meeting to be held on September 20, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at Villageway Management, 2 Venture, Suite 500, Irvine, CA 92618. By attending the meeting you can answer any questions the Board may have regarding your request. If you are unable to attend, please respond in writing to the above questions.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at (949)555-1212, thank you.
Sincerely,
VILLAGEWAY MANAGEMENT, INC."
Oh...you are damned right I am SO going to be there! BRING IT ON, BIATCHES!!!
I enjoy a good infomercial as much as the next person, but why oh why are they often 1) loud (Billy Mays, I'm looking at you!), 2) cheesy and 3) repetative? The ones that intrigue me are the for weight-loss. They make it look so easy! Look! One promises that for only 90 seconds a day, I can have "flat, sexy, rock hard abs!" I know it's too good to be true, but isn't that what infomercials take 30 minutes or longer to try to talk you into? Then, there are those "motivational" infomercials that make one want to up and subscribe to Billy Blanks' Tae Bo regime. Except, not so much for me because it looks so...exhausting! Exercise is hard I don't want to sweat that hard doing anything, truth be told. Ok, I'll admit it, I'm just lazy.
Some infomercials, though, are really convincing. I mean, if both Vanessa Williams AND Jessica Simpson say Proactiv really works, ya gotta believe them, right?! Actually, the product does look like it really works. I was thisclose to buying it once but, I don't really have an acne problem. But, if I did, you're darned tootin' I'd check into Proactiv, if anything, just to prove that the heavy celebrity endorsements are merely as a result of tremendous financial compensation (aka bribery)!
I'm actually a big sucker for home improvement items. I was thisclose (again!) to buying the broom with the plastic bristles that's supposed to pick up pet hair and other things a regular vacuum can leave behind. I actually found it at a Target store and bought it for $10 but I didn't find it to do everything it promised (ooh, big surprise). However, I would have felt like an even bigger loser if I went back to Target to return the $10 item for a full refund. What a doofus. I just gave it to my parents and said, here you go -- have an extra broom! Nevermind that the bristles are plastic. Just use it for the garage, or something. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?
Another thing that I totally bought into were the Bare Minerals make up products. sigh. When will I ever learn?! Theoretically, it's probably good for skin that's sensitive to standard make up chemicals. However, I didn't think it looked all that great on me. Fortunately, I didn't buy it through the infomercial where I understand they rope you in to a club-like subscription where they send you a refill every month or so. I actually found that stuff at Sephora. But, I did end up buying the kit, which I guess was a lot cheaper than buying all the items separately. However, I don't use the "warmth" or the darker of the two foundation shades. In fact, I don't really use much of the line anymore except for the mineral veil and cover-up which I ended up buying separately because it wasn't part of the kit. So much for saving money.
Could someone please tell me why the recent infomercials I've seen are offering 2 of their product "for the price of one?!" What am I going to do with two hair straighteners, lint trap cleaners, magic bullets, chop wizards or ab loungers? Here's a nifty thought informercial ad monkeys, why don't you give us the option of buying two if we so desired, and sell us just one for half the cost?
In the meantime, I'm contemplating my next indulgence for either the fountain-of-youth called Susan Lucci's Youthful Essence or Lauren Hutton's fool-proof face disk. Decisions, decisions.
With summer winding down, and me counting the days, I'm both anxious yet unprepared for another school year. It doesn't help that last June, I received a notice from the school that my child had not returned a text book, and our options were either to return it as soon as possible to the library, or pay the $32 to replace it. Upon questioning my son, he swore he turned it in and showed me the now-empty bookcovers which he used to cover said textbooks. My son may not be the best student in the world: "forgetting" certain homework assignments, due dates and test dates, but I can certainly believe him when he tells me he's turned in his textbooks.
I called the number on the letter to discuss the issue with whomever could help resolve the situation. First of all, the letter stated that the office would be open during certain hours while summer school was in session from June through July. I made sure to call during those hours. Imagine my surprise when I received a recording that the office hours were closed until sometime in August. Wow, talk about confusing. First, you accuse my child of not returning something, and then you don't give me the chance to resolve the situation in a timely manner? This does not bode well for you, Administration Monkeys.
Fortunately, when I tried again the following day, I was actually able to speak to a live human being. She explained that I would need to discuss the issue with the librarian, who would, conveniently not return to work until August 23. I wrote down the date and made note to pay a visit to the librarian to settle this issue on that very day. In the meantime, however, I was not to receive his grades as they are being held until the book is either retuned or paid for. Also, he would not be able to register in the fall until the book is either returned or paid for. As if it were any consolation, the live person on the other end of the phone said that they'd rather have the book back than the money. This comment from the administration that's making all the children pick up their registration packets from the school because the district is too cheap to mail them out! Somehow, I found that hard to believe.
Because I didn't want to waste any time on the morning of the 23rd, I decided to call the school again to make sure the librarian was indeed going to be there. To my surprise, I spoke with one of the assistant librarians. I explained to her I had received the letter, and the teacher vouched for the book's return and how I waited until now to talk to someone to resolve it, and she immediately jumped on my case about how they can't accept the teacher's vouching, and that the book wasn't returned and it needs to be returned or paid for before I could receive grades, etc. bla bla bla ad nauseum. When I was finally able to get a word in edge-wise, I told her that, under no uncertain circumstances, I am positive he returned all his books becuase he showed me the empty book covers, not to mention I hadn't seen any random textbooks floating around the house over the summer and, frankly, I believe my child's word. She finally backed off and quickly became very cooperative saying she'd look for it on the shelves and that she'd call me as soon as she finds it (or not).
I must admit, I was getting rather nervous when I hadn't heard back from her until nearly 1:00 pm. this afternoon. She was very apologetic saying that they've been busy and she thoroughly checked the shelves, and lo and behold, there was the book he allegedly didn't return. They must have "scanned it wrong" when he turned it in. How about that?! It was there all along. Isn't that something? Now I can receive his report card. And, he can register for school. Yeah. All that hassle just to prove my case.
The good news is that my son was right; I believed him and went up to bat for him. The whole ordeal only added much unneeded, unnecessary and unwanted stress in my life (as if I don't have enough already)! Besides, I had already seen his grades online. It was less stressful not knowing.
I'll be the first to admit I'm a freak. I LOVE watching cold case files shows. Not the wimpy made-for-tv "CSI" crap, with the terrible acting and the horrible writing, but the REAL cold case files! Murder, intrigue, suspense...it's all there. And it's REAL. Did I mention it was real? Give me true stories anytime!
Back when Unsolved Mysteries was in its heyday, I was probably the only person under 80 who watched it religiously. I'm intrigued by any true mystery that may or may not be solved. As long as it's interesting. Murders are pretty interesting to me. Yes, I know I'm not right in the head for thinking that, but the thing with Cold Case Files, The First 48, The New Detectives, American Justice, City Confidential, Investigative Reports, The Modern Detectives (a show I'm not sure about the title since I don't get Court TV -- I know! It's a shame, but I watch it at my parents' house! Now y'all know why I visit so much!) is that for the most part, they are true mysteries and solved (or not) within the hour. And, as much as I love to see them solved and see the rat-bastards that commit the crimes behind bars or fried, even if it's left as a mystery, it's a good public service message: Watch out for this rat-bastards who committed these heinous crimes as they may still be out there. I still catch a rerun or two of Unsolved Mysteries. The late, great Robert Stack still gives me the heebie-jeebies! Man, did they get the perfect host for that series!
The one thing I didn't like about Unsolved Mysteries is anything relating to ghosts or the paranormal. Maybe it's because I'm a huge skeptic when it comes to such things. Or, maybe it's becuase I'm a big chicken when it comes to such things and I get nightmares after watching Casper cartoons, but ghost stories just don't often ring true to me. There are a few exceptions, however. I find the Queen Mary haunting intriguing as well as the comedy club in Hollywood. Nevertheless, I'm all about the unsolved-solved-brought to justice murder stories. Speaking of which, the Black Dahlia mystery is headed for the big screen and I. Cannot. Wait!! (Even if that movie poster freaks me out!! Help, mommy!)
Now, you're all probably wondering why I don't have Court TV since it's chock-full of this stuff. Well, part of the reason for that it's because I would NEVER leave the house for anything if I got my Cold Case Files/The First 48, etc. on A&E and "Body of Evidence" with Dayle Hinman, The Investigators, LA Forensics, etc. on Court TV -- I would just be a total recluse! I'd make up any excuse to "work" from home; I already pay my bills through the internet. I have a paypal account so shopping isn't a problem. The only thing is that I'd need the occasional fast-food fix and, oh yea, like do stuff for my son that would require me to leave the house every once in awhile. The other reason I don't want to add another show to my cable network is because I hate my cable network. They have a monopoly on cable tv, telephone, internet, and digital cable within what seems like a 50-mile radius of my home. They charge too much for too little and I despise them. Other than that, I'm good. Another thing I don't have is a TiVo-type system. Seriously, I would NEVER leave my house. Yes, I'm that much of a serious couch potato!
As it is now, I have my daily shows (heh-not to be confused with The Daily Show with John Stewart! Though I like him too!), my weekend shows and shows that I have on DVD. Oh yes I do! If CCF or TF48 were on everyday, those shows would trump any other show I'd typically watch. I have to have my Project Runway (go Michael!), Celebrity Fit Club (shut up, Nick!), Lost (is it October yet?), Animal Cops Miami/Phoenix/Detroit/Houston/whathaveyou (kitties!), The Secret Life Of.. [Food Network], classic Iron Chef (Morimoto...no don't make octopus ice cream!), and Flavor of Love. Yes, I said it - Flavor of Love!!! Guilty pleasure as long as I'm nowhere near that scene, it's good for grins and giggles.
I could go on, but Cold Case Files is about to start.
Gotta love it.
I've been assigned a BlackBerry as part of my new responsibilities at work. I thought I was already well-connected with my laptop at home and cell phone which everyone has the number to, but I guess this was so that I'd be even MORE connected, should I be away from said laptop and someone sends me a rather important email message. Point taken.
I have been able to use my BlackBerry for 3 days before, you guessed it, it stopped working. I didn't do anything to it!! I swear. In fact, I haven't really used it that much. I turned it on for a few minutes upon coming home from work the first day I got it, wiped it down (natch!), and familiarized myself with it. The following day, I took it with me and turned it on when I went to lunch. It just enforced the fact that 1) I rarely receive urgent messages when I'm at lunch and 2) the messages I do receive aren't the ones that need immediate replies anyway. But, nevertheless, I felt "connected," and had the peace of mind that I didn't miss an earth-shattering email during my lunch hour.
Again, when I came home at the end of the day, I turned it back on and was happy to have received a couple of messages. True, they weren't urgent, earth-shattering pieces of news, but some follow-up messages from a co-worker. It was fun stuff. It was all about sharing. Of course, it had nothing to do with actual work!
Not all my adventures in BlackBerry-dom have been all fun and games, however. This morning, it came in handy when I had to email my boss that I overslept and that I'd get my butt in gear and be there as soon as I could (oh yes that did happen!). See, it was very useful! Nevermind the fact that the time it took me to turn it on, look up her email address, compose my message and send it, I could have called her and half the population of the firm before I was finally able to hit the send prompt!
I know, I know, I need to enjoy this time while I can because one of these days I'll be longing to receive a fun email from a co-worker, or to say, at a very opportune time, "Sorry, my BlackBerry froze and I didn't get your message." What? The earth shattered? Some things I'd rather not know.
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