Wanna get away?

At one point yesterday, I had to drop off a package at a client's office. I've been there a few times and the receptionist is quasi-familiar with me. There are always a couple of people milling around the front room whenever I go in there, but usually I barely notice them beyond a body in motion.

This time as I was moving to leave, I noticed a cute guy making his way through the reception area heading my way. I got to the door just before him and he waited to let me pass like a gentleman, but for some reason the door wouldn't move...probably because I was pulling when I should have been pushing.

Needless to say, I was hesitant to go back to the client's office later in the afternoon to drop off another package. Not that I was worried the cute guy would be there (my luck just isn't that good), but that the receptionist would be laughing at me. Hopefully, she will have forgotten by tomorrow.

Can you say, Duh?

Pretty sure I've been saying this for a while, but there was an article on Yahoo about an ex-contestant saying that American Idol is rigged. Of course, the audience doesn't pick the winner. Do they ever really say that or is it just implied?

Way too much money goes into and is made by this show. The producers have to control the outcome. Not that most of the winners of the show ever make a huge splash after it's over, but they do pretty well comparatively.

Of course, everything has to be taken with a grain of salt, too. With regard to the contracts being unfair, it depends on the point of view. Most of the people who sign them are usually naive and don't have legal representation protecting them. Then again, who among us doesn't sign or agree to a "terms of service"without fully reading them?

I don't understand...

When I was growing up, my parents never had a "date night". They went out and did stuff together, just the two of them. Never once did I hear them call it "date night."

If you are married, embrace it. You paid your dues on the dating scene. Clearly, you don't remember how crappy it was to be dating. The anxiety, the confusion, the frustration...it's not all fun and games.

How much will that cost me?

I was staying at a hotel a while ago and saw this page in the standard book of amenities/room service offered.

It doesn't say that it's free and to be honest, they were few and far between with regard to the staff.

What's Included?

I was out shopping at Costco the other day, when I saw this cabinet for sale.

It seemed pretty run of the mill




It didn't really catch my eye until I saw the notation:

I'm not sure what accessaries are, but I think I'm glad that they are not included.

Hasn't This Died Yet?

There is yet another article in the Bee about the NBA's sad attempt to move the Kings into a new arena at Cal Expo.

"What I learned this week is we have a viable project," NBA representative John Moag said. "There wasn't one developer who said, 'You're crazy.'"

No what they said was, "You're stupid." At least that's my guess...

"It comes as no surprise. We learned a project of this size is not financeable in today's market," said Brian May of Cal Expo. "Everybody has a different opinion on when economy is going to bounce back."

First of all, financeable is not a real word. Try "cannot get financing."

Secondly, do the words, "No, Duh!" mean anything to you? Have you looked at any recent sales of commercial properties? Oh that's right...there haven't really been any! The credit market has been frozen for the last 10 months. Where have you been living? Under a rock?

While I try to slow my pulse, I wonder about something. The people who support this new area keep saying that Arco Arena is antiquated. How so? They never seem to have any examples of how Arco Arena has reached its functional obsolescence.

Let's say for argument's sake that Arco Arena is functionally obsolete. Is it really going to be that much more expensive to upgrade the facility as opposed to abandoning it and building a whole new arena complex from scratch? And what about all the infrastructure already in place out in Natomas? Have these pro-Cal Expo arena people even been on Business 80 in the past 20 years? It gets jammed up at the slightest hiccup and it's riddled with potholes.

And with regard to the argument that its the Arena that is inhibiting the Kings' income...give me a break. Don't you think the fact that they have a crap team has a little more to do with low attendance at games than a crappy arena? Have you been to Candlestick Park lately? That place is one 3.1 quake* away from falling into the Bay and from what I can tell, it still packs in the fans when the 49ers play there.

*For those of you outside of California, that's a pretty slight temblor. If you aren't sitting down quietly reading a book in a high rise building when it hits, you might miss it.

Note to Office Manager

While I'm still not sure what possessed you to put the paper shredder right next to my desk, and since I don't work for Enron, it seems completely unnecessary and way too goddamn noisy. Why don't you let it live with the other clamorous machines in the copy room?

Also, can you let Jack know that he needs to shut his office door when he's on the phone? 85% of the office is forced to be a part of the negotiations with his clients. His voice immodulation syndrome makes it difficult for the rest of us to get work done. Woe to the poor sap who is sitting at their desk when he walks through the cubicles on the cell phone to his wife!

Shopping at Michaels

I was indulging my need for new Halloween decorations (yes in the middle of July) when I came across a Wagon Wheel. I hanker for a hunk-a cheese!

Now that you all have Time for Timer stuck in your head, what could anyone possibly do with this? Set up a diorama of the Old West?

Idiots

As I drove into work, I noticed something different about my office building. There was yellow tape in front of the door. It was then that I realized that the door was sans glass. Some dumbass had broken in with the help of a football sized rock.

Of course, he wasn't counting on the alarm so he didn't get anything in his panic. Luckily, one of the neighbors has a surveillance camera on the outside of the building. Also, the office was broken into a few years ago and everyone's laptops were stolen, so most people don't leave them in the office anymore.

Apparently, my office building is a magnet for odd things.

• There was the bomb scare that turned out to be a homeless person's luggage.
• There was a mini-gang fight.
• One day we had an FBI stakeout in the conference room.
• There was the "episode" of Cheaters.
• We've had a plethora of cars broken into.
  
• And who could forget, the perv in the bathroom.

Who knows what the future might bring!

My newest addiction

For whatever reason, I just love playing Bejeweled on Facebook. Seriously, there has to be some sort of subliminal mind control on that thing. Once in a while, I find myself having flashes of moving those circles, diamonds and squares.

It's a little like the Tetris and Dr. Mario obsession I had in the early 90's. Now that I think about it, both of those games are lying around somewhere in my house...

70 Days until Autumn

The only thing that gets me through these 100+ degree days is the thought of autumn. Just over 2 months until some relief can be felt. Less than one month until the NFL pre-season. There's just not much going on in the summer.

I went to a party supply store just because I was bored. Was hoping I could find something fun, but there was nothing but some sad tropical/Hawaiian decorations. It's that barren time between holiday seasons. Retailers already try to stretch them out for months, but somehow there are still a few weeks with no excuse to shop, no excuse to celebrate.

This would be a good time of year to get married. There are no holidays to dodge. Most people are on vacation anyway. It's like that setting you see in movies when you can't really tell what time of year it is...it's either summer or spring, but since the plot line doesn't hinge on time passing, you never can be sure.

Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Teenager

No zits! Ok, I still have a few, but it's usually from hormones or stress and it's not as bad as it was back in junior high and high school.

Confidence - With experience I have learned to trust myself (mostly) and not worry so much about what other people think (mostly). Plus, I've realized that most people are just as nervous and shy as I am, so why not have fun?

No Curfew - I decide when to go to bed, how late I stay out, where I want to go, and who I want to hangout with...although, I appreciate my parents teaching me by setting boundaries, so that I make smart choices now.

Definitions

Unmarried - having no legally binding document on file with the county recorder's office.

Single - not currently in a dating/united relationship of any kind, degree, or stage.

These two states of being are sometimes mutually exclusive. You can be unmarried and not be single. Just ask your significant other.

Summertime

I've been day dreaming about autumn. All the events, the cooler weather, more sports are dancing through my brain as I struggle through the heat and trying to find ways to entertain myself since I refuse to watch any of the crap on prime time television.

Maybe it's just me, but summer moves by quickly after July 4. It's not the exact halfway point of the season, but it sure seems like it.

I do miss having summer vacation. 3 months of no responsibilities, no worries, just relaxation. It's probably the only thing I miss about school. Well, I do miss seeing my friends, too, but that's a given.

Summer Reading

Because my sister wouldn't stop talking about how great it was, I started reading the Twilight series. Within a week or so I've plowed through three of the books and have started the fourth. The first book was great. The second sucked and the third didn't make up for the crapfest of the second book. Now, I'm in the fourth book and up to the chapter where it begins with Jacob as the first person narrator and I'm not sure if I want to continue.

I don't like it when I know where a plot is going. Mostly, I just don't like Bella. She's a really annoying dumb character. During the first book, I could relate and empathize with her as a scared teenager developing a crush on a classmate. Then the author created a love triangle that I never bought into in the second book. The third book as a bit better, but the love triangle never went away in a satisfying way.

This fourth book started off promising, but now it's looking a bit lame. I guess I should give it another try since there's nothing on TV anyway.

I also read Something Borrowed. Yes, I'm a speed reader. Actually, I don't read every single word. I skim over the boring parts to get to the juicy plot points. I could relate to the main character pretty well, sad as that may be. While I liked this book, I think it's too fairy-tale-esque for my jaded heart. The reality is that once a cheater, always a cheater.

I think I'll read Something Blue and see if I like it better.

On Vacation

I've learned that I don't like to be on vacation longer than 3 to 4 days. After that, I get irritable and just want to go home.

Also, I'm very indoorsy. Sitting by the pool induces many of my phobias. Getting sunburned, being in a crowd, not to mention the vat of germs percolating in the center of it all. It's not that I mind getting wet. It's that I mind getting covered in various bacteria in which mass quantities of humanity have dipped.

Natural bodies of water are just as bad as community pools. I can't stop thinking about what might be lurking in each droplet.

And just in case you were wondering, I don't walk in dirt if there is a paved path to follow instead. I especially won't walk in dirt/rocks if I am not wearing the proper foot gear. It's kind of like camping...why bother if there is a more civilized alternative?