27 May 2007

The Age of Aquarius

I felt like I was in a flashback to my youth at the Topanga Days Country Fair this weekend. The majority of the attendees were dressed in their hippie garb. They were dancing, and drinking, and smoking weed. But it wasn't a flashback. In fact the majority of the hippies that we saw weren't alive during the Summer Of Love so they couldn't even be nostalgic about it. My friends and I remarked on the number of scantily clad young women dancing up front who kept falling out of their clothing and kept right on dancing!

Yesterday was Indie Rock day. The music was fabulous, especially Minibar! It was a good day for celebrity sightings as well. There was an Indian food stand that had yummy berry tea and I got the best 10 minute massage of my life. She spent the whole time on my number one trouble spot.

We plan to go back on Monday. I may even dig up something paisley from my closet!

20 May 2007

A really fabulous birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a really fabulous day (as you could probably tell by the title of this post).

So here's my recipe for the perfect birthday day:

Sleep late (or later than usual)
Watch movie -pausing to answer the phone and chat with faraway friends who remembered your birthday
go to Starbucks and try a coffee you have never tried before (hopefully paying for it with a Starbucks card you got as a gift)
go shopping for books & dvds
have a lite lunch
get a manicure & pedicure
maybe a bit more shopping
go out for a great fondue dinner with good friends, don't drive yourself (you'll be drinking), and bring your own wine (so you can drink as much as you want and you know it will be good)
Be sure and end the day with a long chat on the phone with a faraway family member.

Repeat as often as necessary. Birthday not required.

Today is my father's birthday. He would have been 80 years old today. He passed away 20 years ago, just before his 60th birthday, while I was still in college. I think he would have enjoyed my birthday recipe as well.

Tonight I am having dinner with an old friend from High School who is in town on business.

Yay!

18 May 2007

Pardon my venting

Isn't it bad enough that the Postal Rates went up? Do I have to suffer because the Post Office won't send my stamps?

I ordered the new stamps last week and some 2 cent stamps so I could use up the stamps I still have.

USPS.com was happy to take my money but they still haven't sent the stamps to me. 8 days later and I can't mail a letter unless I go to the Post Office tomorrow and buy more stamps.

I called but they were completely unsympathetic.

Be warned - do not buy stamps from the United States Postal Service online. They don't know that doing business on the internet means that they have to actually send the merchandise that people pay for.

I have filed a dispute with my credit card company and I refuse to pay for what I have not received. I would recommend that everyone stop using the Post Office to mail their letters, but unfortunately they have a monopoly.

We now return you to your regular programming...

10 May 2007

So many bands, so little time

First the back story on this adventure:

My cousin & I are the same age - just a few months apart. We wanted to plan something together when we turned 40. She was going through a pretty troublesome divorce at the time so we put it off a year.

Then we made plans to see a favourite band touring in the Midwest in August near our family roots. This time a drunk driver had his say when he broadsided her car over Memorial Day weekend.

Thankfully, she survived and, though she suffered severe brain trauma, she is determined to return to her life before the accident in as many ways as possible. She has made tremendous steps. So, we decided, at last, to make plans.

We are going to Austin City Limits this year. We bought the tickets a month ago. She convinced me not to wait until they announced the lineup and assured me that there would be a selection of bands that I would want to see. OMIGOSH! Was she right!!!

The announcement of the lineup was made this morning. Pete Yorn will be there (with Minibar backing) and that alone would be worth it, but there are so many more. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I don't know if I will be able to see them all (I may have to develop a ranking system - unfortunately the LA bands will be lower on my priority - except Pete).

Woo Hoo! I can hardly wait until September.

07 May 2007

The thrill of victory, the agony of the feet

My softball team, The Heat, had our second game of the summer season yesterday. We won again, 14-5, but the game was not without incident.

A newbie on the team had a rather serious injury. He tore his Achilles tendon and will require surgery and that means he is on the DL for the rest of the season.

It's really a bummer because he was a great all-around player and we really enjoyed having him on the team. I hope he will still come to some games and consider playing again next season.

I had another great day (other than worrying about the injured player). I walked (thrown out at home - AGAIN!) and singled (left on first - but an RBI for me!). My batting average for the season is still 1.000. YAY!

The only bummer about winning the two placement games is that we may be bumped up to a higher division. And of course, the injury to our new player.

If you, dear reader, are the praying sort, please pray for our player and those taking care of him.

UPDATE - Our Player had surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. He is expected to recover in a few weeks.

03 May 2007

Marian The Librarian

As part of my temp job at WDAS, I am in charge of the Library on the 2nd Flr Concourse.

I have spent two afternoons shelving new and returned books since taking on this gig and there are just a few things that are driving me crazy.

First, the call numbers are not in alphabetical order. This just drives me crazy when I am shelving books because call numbers that begin with C are between W and T. Really! Who thought of this system?

Second, people re-shelve their own books. There is a sign that clearly states to leave returned books on a specific bookshelf next to the check-in computer, but people don't listen. The problem is that they also don't re-shelve them where they are supposed to go. This makes my job harder when it's time for me to re-shelve.

Third, there's no room for the books. Seriously. Today I had to put a book on a shelf two stacks over because there was no room any closer. See above for how irritated I'm going to be next time I have to put something on that shelf.

We have an intern coming for the summer and I think re-organising the Library is the perfect task for us to do together (or for her to do with the permanent person if I have gone by then). I think I will mention that at the next weekly staff.

The funny thing about this job is that I worked in the Library in High School and in College and it is deja vu all over again to be doing it now.

Everything old is new again...