His Side

6/26/04 - Oh my lucky stars, an update! Sorry folks for my tersosity (that is, lackawordicalness) this last month or so. Work has been very draining the last month or so, leaving me with little energy to write much of anything. On the plus side, overtime is great.

I was supposed to stay in Sweden until the 28th (in fact I'd be in Stockholm right now) but my boss and I decided that it was a good idea for me to get back to work earlier so I could fix a few software bugs and have more time to finish up my paperwork before leaving. Wow, I basically have a week left at work here.

Sweden was fun, and it's always nice eating like a king on your company's dime, but living in a hotel gets old pretty quickly. I'll soon have some pictures from the trip posted in our photo album for your viewing pleasure.

Did I mention laundry? Before making the trip, I figured "Hey, I don't need to pack two weeks worth of stuff because the fanciest hotel in all of Scandinavia must offer some great laundry services." Upon arrival I learned that it was great, at least in price. The hotel wanted the equivalent of $8.00 to wash a shirt. One stupid shirt. They wanted close to $10.00 to was a pair of pants. I could have spent $70 getting work shirts and pants washed, not to mention socks and underclothes. My traveling companions (Steve and Jerry) and I quickly decided that we weren't going to play that game, even though our company would pay for it anyway. We looked up laundry services in the phone book... and found one entry. Apparently every one in every apartment in Gothenburg has their own washer and dryer. There are no do-it-yourself coin operated laundry-mats. The one place we found was a drop-it-off type place. And it closed at 6:00. And we got off of work at 5:30. Cripes! So we had to explain to our paying customers that we needed to leave early because we were running out of clean underwear. They had a great chuckle at that, but not a-one of them offered to let us come over to their house and do laundry. Anyway, we get to the laundry place and find the one person in Sweden who doesn't speak English. Steve has to use a combination of sign language and smoke signals to convey that we want our clothes washed, not incinerated. Our clothes were ready a day later, to the tune of $100. Plus they were wrapped in butcher paper, so we looked like we were carrying sides of beef from the grocery store. The moral of the story? A side of beef would have been less expensive than getting our laundry washed.

Her Side

6/25/04 - Okay... Happy birthday to Garrett and Ryan (belated), Leslie, Amye, and Don.  Jeez, folks.  I guess Halloween was good in y'all's mama's houses. 

I'm happy to report that while friendships may not maintain the same initial intensity, they do remain the same overall.  For example, I talked to my ex-boyfriend Tony, who I haven't kept in touch with much, on AIM last night.  While we did get into a heated conversation about the war in Iraq (Tony playing the part of Sean Hannity neo-con), we were able to round out the conversation with some fun banter similar to that which we enjoyed before we embarked on that silly dating journey - even trading Sifl and Olly quotes.  I had a few great laughs, and even though we've been broken up for *gulp* five years (!!!), we haven't skipped a beat in our friendship.  I've also been in contact with a few other old friends, and really, nothing between us has changed.  Rather, we have changed - and that, as my girl Martha would say, is a good thing.

Drew and I are off to Barnes and Noble to try to find some audio books to listen to while we're on our long, long journey back into the deep South.  I'm getting more excited and more apprehensive by the day.  How in the WORLD am I going to say goodbye to my goddaughters?!

6/23/04 - YAY!  Drew got home a few days early.  He came in yesterday at about 1 pm.  However, if Dave Letterman were ever to do a Top Ten List entitled "Signs Your Husband Has Been in Sweden Too Long,"  "Saying 'Maybe we should get a station wagon!'" would be number one.  Yikes. 

What, exactly, is the point of ear buds for your cell phone if you're going to hold the phone in one ear and the wire in the other?  Ear buds are great if you're driving, not when you're walking around Target.  Besides, you just look like you're talking to yourself.  Maybe it's a great disguise for people who ARE talking to themselves. 

Y'all wanna know something that bugs me?  Of course you do.  That's why you read our website.  I'm bugged by quotation marks in random places - when used to emphasize a word, for example.  At one of the laundromats in El Segundo hangs a sign that says "Use only 'quarters,' please."  By "quarters," does the laundromat owner really mean something else?  Can I use pigeons instead?

Does anybody - ANYBODY - know when Sex and the City season six part two comes out?  I can't find it anywhere. 

Drew and I were looking at hotels to stay in during our trip.  We'll be staying in Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio, and New Orleans.  I think we've pretty much nailed a hotel to stay in while in New Orleans, but if anyone has any suggestions for good "hotels" in the other cities, let us know.  (See?  Don't the quotation marks add a sinister double entendre to the word "hotel?")  In other news, I can't WAIT to stay in the Monteleone!  It's been my dream since I was but a wee lass!  Let's hope Raytheon covers both nights... 

We saw Shrek 2 tonight.  Absolutely hilarious.  Take the kids.  By the way, am I the only person in the world who is bored to tears by the Harry Potter movies and books?  Try as I might, I can NOT get into it.  I fell asleep during the first movie and was simply bored during the second one, and I'll be darned if I'm going to see The Prisoner of Azkaban.  I tried to read the first book, couldn't get past the 3rd page.  Guess it's just not my thang. 

6/20/04 - The two people I still consider to be without a doubt my best friends because they have never let me down and have always been emotionally available and supportive to me are Rob and Angie.  Yet I only talk to them, maybe, once every six months.  I don't feel that our friendship is diminishing, nor do I feel that they will ever not be my friends.  But is it possible?  Are there really lifelong friendships that allow both people to evolve and mature without compromising the stability of the friendship? 

Let me use Andy as an example.  Sorry, Andy.  Back in tha 99, Andy and I talked constantly, all the stinkin' time.  Almost every day.  I think I was definitely the more codependent in the friendship, but I do believe it was a solid, wonderful friendship.  Then I moved (evolution #1), which obviously put a strain on our friendship.  Then I was married (evolution #2), which was another strain.  Mind you, we still talked, but never on the phone.  Just online, in a group setting.  Then I said something stupid, he and I got into a fight, and didn't talk for several months (mutation #1).  I apologized, but that didn't seem to restore the friendship we had even before the mutation.  Now, had we not had evolutions 1 and 2, would we have transcended the mutation?  I can't remember the last time we actually talked to one another.  I know his marriage (evolution #3) and job (evolution #4) have added to his absence, and my complete lack of effort to call him sho nuff don't help.  (Note to self - e-mail Andy once done with update.)

My relationships with most of my New Orleans friends are like this right now.  I wonder if they'll strengthen once Drew and I are back in that same time zone, but part of me isn't hopeful, even though I miss these people like crazy.  Dave, Andy, Lauren, Brigette, a few others.  They'll always be in my friendship radar, and I'd do almost anything for them, but will we ever have the relationships we once had? 

So what do y'all think?  Are there really lifelong friendships that maintain the same closeness and stability?  Or does such a relationship require familial or marital ties?

What?  Have I been watching what lately?  Why yes, I did watch the entire 5th season of Sex and the City last night.  And the first 4 episodes of the 6th season tonight.  Why do you ask?  The overly-riddled-with-question-marks update?  Oh, you.

6/19/04 - First and foremost, SHOUT OUT to my friend Kitty who, if everything went well, had her first baby yesterday, a baby girl named Sarah.  I say "if everything went well" because I got an offline message from her yesterday saying she was going in for a c-section.  YAY!  Sarah is going to be among the most loved children on this planet and I can't think of a more deserving couple.  I can't wait to see pictures!!!

I didn't wanna actually do an update yesterday because I felt too whiny, so I'll do it today.  Warning: funny mother-in-law stories ahead. 

I left on Saturday.  My flight left at 8, and I wanted to get the cats to the cargo area as soon as possible, so we left the apartment at 6.  The cats were TERRIFIED.  They were crying and rustling around and hissing and I'll start crying if I don't stop thinking about it.  My poor kitties.  I was guilting myself like crazy.  Oddly enough, I prayed for God to calm me down and help me stop worrying, because worrying literally helps nothing.  Just like God sent the angry transvestite to me when Drew had his heart attack, God sent me a boisterous black woman comedian to lift my spirits.  She just kept talking and talking and everything that came out of her mouth was funny.  Thankfully the flight from Houston to New Orleans was short, so I didn't have much time to worry.  I got in, got my rental car (which was a Chevy Trailblazer!!) and went and got the kitties.  Poor Louie was hiding under his blanket.  My poor, poor kitty.  When we got to Ma Spiehler's house, they got out and promptly all found places to hide.  They've adjusted really well though, and really warmed up to Ma Spiehler, although it seems to really make her angry that they don't come when she wants them to.  I know they're in good hands and will be okay.  I miss them though, it's bizarre for my apartment to be so... still...

In response to Lauren's signature on my guestbook, the cats were flown in a special cargo area that is designed for animals to fly in.  The temperature is the same as that in the passenger cabin, and it's pressurized, and it's very comfortable for animals.  The airline also didn't allow the cats to be sedated, as cats sometimes have allergic reactions to certain sedatives and will barf all over the place.  That bummed me out, I wish they could have been sedated.  And yes, you're right, Sam and Mocha are small kitties.  I've had 4 people tell me their kitties are 10 pounds or less.  I stand corrected.  :)

Sometime Sunday morning, I heard Ma Spiehler rustling around and talking to the cats.  I woke up a little bit to look up and saw she had come in to the room I was staying in to talk to the cats.  Privacy is a concept absolutely lost on my mother in law.  She noticed that I had almost imperceptibly moved, so she sat on my bed and asked me how I had slept.  I looked toward the window and noticed it was STILL DARK OUTSIDE.  I told her I was still sleeping.  She didn't take the hint and started telling me all the things the cats had done overnight.  I fell asleep as she was talking, so I assume she took the hint then.  I heard her come in from outside sometime later, and looked up again, and noticed she was in the room again talking to the cats.  She noticed that I had opened my eyes, and started telling me that she had gone to WalMart and gotten a scratching post and a few cans of tuna because she knows they like tuna juice.  I thought, oh no, it's like 9 in the morning or something, I've slept in a little too late.  Yeah, it was actually seven.  This woman does NOT SLEEP. 

For the rest of the week, any time the cats would do literally anything, she would poke me and make me look at them.  If they sat down in the middle of the floor, she'd nudge me with an amused look and say "look at that!"  There are only so many witty things you can come up with to say when you've watched them poop for the umpteenth time.  Ahh, well, I guess she's just in awe of them.  She also made me go look for them nearly every hour, to make sure they hadn't gotten out, although she very rarely leaves her house.  If you have a cat, you'll understand how terribly annoying this was.  Well, maybe not... the Spiehler mansion is pretty darn huge, and looking for three cats in this stinkin' house wasn't the easiest task.  Especially with all the potential hiding spots.  Oy. 

So on Wednesday, I drove up to Bran'n, Mis'ippi (which is how natives pronounce Brandon, Mississippi) and got a P.O. Box and some various info from the chamber.  On the way up, I took the 59 and the 49, then on the way down, I took the 55 all the way back.  I had hoped to get my daddy a t-shirt from Southern Fried Choppers, but, like last time I stopped there, they only had 3XL.  Daddy ain't that big.  (Don't worry, Daddy, you're getting something much cooler.)  One thing that was really exciting was being able to see really how far it was from my mom's and my mother-in-law's.  It was a little over 3 hours to get from the Spiehler dungeon to Brandon, then a little over an hour to get to my mom's house (well, to Brookhaven).  That's AWESOME.  I stopped and had lunch with my mom.  That's so cool.  And, it only takes 8 hours and some change to get to my dad's house.  I'm gonna love this.  No more $600 tickets to get somewhere in an emergency.  No more missing birthdays, football games, Mother's/Father's Day, reunions, anniversaries, Thanksgivings, nothin'.  We are THERE, baby. 

Funny story, I did a map from Brandon to Boonville, and when the map centers over Boonville, the dead center is about two blocks from my grandma's old house.

My flight from New Orleans to Houston got stuck in a holding pattern because there was such a horrible storm over Houston.  Basically, we flew in a circle for about 45 minutes.  Needless to say, when we finally got to Houston, people had missed their flights or had to haul arse to get to their flights.  I was luckily taking the same plane to L.A., so I was good to go.  My flight got in about an hour and a half late.  It was quarter to 9, I was supposed to be at a party at 7:30, I still had to write out a check and grab a few things, and I was in a huge hurry.  So I took a cab home, tipped the cabbie, did what I needed to do, and went to the party.  It was basically my friend Amye's highschool graduation party, and I had a GREAT time, it was so much fun.  I got home and Matt called me so we could go to Raytheon to pick up the Jeep that Drew had left there to avoid having to park it on the street for 6 days AND getting a ticket on street-sweeping day. 

So last night, after having written out that quiz and everything, I went to Quizno's to get myself a low-carb chicken carbonara wrap.  Yummy, yummy, yummy.  I thought to myself, I have a ten dollar bill left over, because my cab fare was $7, and I tipped the cabbie $2, from a twenty.  Oh, no.  In my awful, awful rush, I had given the cabbie a twenty, and instead of telling him to give me eleven dollars back, I told him to give me ONE dollar back.  I tipped that cabbie TWELVE DOLLARS, because I was in such a rush and wasn't thinking.  I feel like a first rate tool, folks. 

Anyway, I got my Quizno's, rented Love Actually, and honestly my night didn't go too badly.  Love Actually was a great movie, I highly recommend it, unless you have kids.  I might go to Blockbuster and rent the 5th season of Sex and the City tonight.  That'll keep my mind off of how lonely I am for a good 9 hours. 

I promise, I'm going to update more because I have absolutely nothing to do.  The movers are packing everything, and even if I do pack to keep myself busy, the movers will unpack and repack everything so it's to their liking.  My updates may not be quite as long as the last two, but a few musings are in order.  Due to popular demand, I might muse on Target bathing suits.  They SUCK!  Night!

6/18/04 - It's 5:30 pm.  I haven't taken a shower.  Drew's in Sweden, the cats are in Louisiana, I have no plans for the evening, and I'm bored out of my fool head.  I've finished the books I want to read, I've cleaned my apartment, I've made a few necessary telephone calls, and literally have nothing else to do.  I considered going to donate blood, but I don't have anyone to drive me home.  So I'm gonna steal an idea from my little cousin Veronica and do the biggest quiz, EVER.  Here goes. 

T H E W H A T E V E R
.[ .001. ] first name: Stacey
.[ .002. ] middle name: Janette
.[ .003. ] last name: Spiehler (née Branson)
.[ .004. ] nickname(s): Honey, Bug, Bunkie, Junior
.[ .005. ] gender: Female
.[ .006. ] age: 23
.[ .007. ] birthday: August 5th
.[ .008. ] height: 5'8
.[ .009. ] hair color: brown
.[ .010. ] eye color: blue or green
.[ .011. ] race: white
.[ .012. ] do you wear glasses or contacts: I have both, which one I wear depends on the trendy factor of my outfit du jour
.[ .013. ] do you have braces: grrrrrr... until the second of NEVER.
.[ .014. ] is your hair long or short: getting longer
.[ .015. ] where were you born: Boonville, Indiana (oy)
.[ .016. ] current location: El Segundo, California, where the sewer meets the sea
.[ .017. ] zodiac sign: Leo
.[ .018. ] how many languages do you know: 2 and some others - I have English and French pretty much down, can carry on an elementary conversation in Spanish, and know a few pages from my "Learn Italian in 30 days" book.
.[ .019. ] nationality: American!
.[ .020. ] bad habits: complaining, bossing, fidgeting, constantly highlighting whatever I'm reading on the screen over and over and over again... but I guess that falls under fidgeting
.[ .021. ] piercings you have: 6, all in my ears
.[ .022. ] piercings you want: labret (bottom lip), but Drew put the kebash on that one
.[ .023. ] tattoos:  Drew's initials on my lower back
.[ .024. ] tattoos you want:  I'd like a Christian-based one, but I'm not creative enough to come up with something cool.
.[ .025. ] today's date: June 18, 2004
.[ .026. ] time: 5:48pm
.[ .027. ] What are you thinking about: what I'm thinking about
.[ .028. ] mother's name: Donna
.[ .029. ] father's name: John
.[ .030. ] step-parent's names: Steve, Vicki
.[ .031. ] brother(s)'s name(s): Seth
.[ .032. ] sister(s)'s name(s): Amanda, Alanna, Jennifer
.[ .033. ] favorite aunt: Who can tell these days
.[ .034. ] favorite uncle: Yep, no idea.  They're all awesome.
.[ .035. ] favorite grandparent: Grandma PEGGY!
.[ .036. ] worst relative: How much time you got?
.[ .037. ] best relative:  How could I possibly answer this?
.[ .038. ] do you get along with your parents: Yep. 
.[ .039. ] does anyone in your family understand you? rarely
P E T S
.[ .040. ] do you have any pets: Yep
.[ .041. ] what are their names: Pez, Louie, Stella
.[ .042. ] what kind of animals are they: kitties
S C H 0 0 L
.[ .043. ] are you still in school: No indeed
.[ .044. ] did you drop out: As soon as I could
.[ .045. ] current gpa, or last gpa you got: UNO stopped counting when it dropped below 1.
.[ .046. ] favorite grade: 12th
.[ .047. ] least favorite grade: 10th
.[ .048. ] favorite teacher: Mrs. Wells
.[ .049. ] least favorite teacher: I can't remember.  Guess it WAS that bad.
.[ .050. ] favorite subject: Languages/anatomy/chemistry
.[ .051. ] least favorite subject: MATH, freakin' gym
.[ .052. ] do/did you buy lunch or bring it: bought it, and still owe Nicki some kickback
.[ .053. ] play any sports on the school's team: yeah, fatball. 
.[ .054. ] do/did you do any extracurricular activities: French Club, sophomore class representative, baby!
.[ .055. ] are you popular: oh yeah
.[ .056. ] favorite dance: Senior prom was great.  Oh, and the Tootsie Roll. 
.[ .057. ] favorite memory: The last three years of my life have been one big favorite wedded bliss memory.
.[ .058. ] least favorite dance: "Freaking."
.[ .059. ] least favorite memory: I have lots of those.
.[ .060. ] most humiliating moment: being swung around at the bus stop by my hair while getting beat up by Erin Domeyer... oh, and many, many things I did when I was 18 and 19, but I'll spare you.
F A V 0 R i T E S
.[ .061. ] number? 5
.[ .062. ] clothing : whatever has an element of trendy and comfy
.[ .063. ] shoes: flip flops (especially pink)
.[ .064. ] saying:  Jeez, Louise
.[ .065. ] tv show: Sifl and Olly
.[ .066. ] sport: football or basketball (but only during playoffs)
.[ .067. ] vegetable: green beans
.[ .068. ] fruit: watermelon
.[ .069. ] movie: Aladdin, Man IN (not ON) the Moon, several others.  I don't play favorites too well.  Except for grandmas.
.[ .070. ] magazine: Redbook (which, by the way, I will NEVER subscribe to because nearly 2/3 of the magazine is full- and half-page ads)
.[ .071. ] actor: Erf, I don't know.  Ryan Gosling has caught my eye of late.  Go rent The Believer.
.[ .072. ] actress: I dunno.
.[ .073. ] candy: most things chocolate
.[ .074. ] gum: Extra sugar-free bubble gum
.[ .075. ] scent: Drew's cologne, Drew's cooking
.[ .076. ] candy bar: 100 grand
.[ .077. ] ice cream flavor: chocolate chip cookie dough
.[ .078. ] color: blue
.[ .079. ] season:  Christmas
.[ .080. ] holiday: Christmas (yes, I did mean to put that twice)
.[ .081. ] band: BURLAP TO CASHMERE!!!!!
.[ .082. ] singer: Steve Delopoulos
.[ .083. ] group: See .081.  And yes, I know there's a difference.
.[ .084. ] rapper: Jay-Z
.[..085. ] type of music: I'm down for anything
.[ .086. ] thing in your room: Drew, when he's there
.[ .087. ] place to be: near Drew
.[ .088. ] radio station: Air 1
.[ .089. ] tv channel: Food Network, Mtv, Vh1, Discovery, History, A&E
.[ .090. ] junk food: mozzarella sticks
.[ .091. ] overall food: I don't know
.[ .092. ] store: Bed, Bath, and Beyond
.[ .093. ] shoe brand: don't have one... anything comfy/trendy
.[ .094. ] drink: caffeine free Diet Coke
.[ .095. ] restaurant: don't have one
.[ .096. ] shape: what?
.[ .097. ] time of day: bedtime
.[ .098. ] country: America
.[ .099. ] state: Louisiana
.[ .100. ] boys name: Andrew, Tyler, Ryan, Baxter, others
.[ .101. ] girls name: Rose, Agnes, others
.[ .102. ] mall: Del Amo
.[ .103. ] video game: SSX Tricky
.[ .104. ] shampoo: L'Oreal Smooth Vive
.[ .105. ] board game: 80's Monopoly
.[ .106. ] computer games: Mah Johngg
.[ .107. ] car: Bentley Arnage (I dream small)
.[ .108. ] music video: Good Charlotte's "Hold On"
.[ .109. ] swear word: This site is PG.  It'd be a boner to put up a swear word.
.[ .110. ] word: kerap
.[ .111. ] month: December
.[ .112. ] cartoon character: um... dunno
.[ .113. ] scary movie: Signs
.[ .114. ] team: Saints... though the fact that the state of Louisiana subsidizes them really makes me rethink that favorite
.[ .115. ] possession: Mr. Bear, several pieces of family jewelry
F i R S T T H i N G Y O U T H i N K O F . . .
.[ .116. ] eminem: salsa
.[ .117. ] dog: peaches
.[ .118. ] hot: dog
.[ .119. ] britney spears: boobs
.[ .120. ] nsync: joey
.[ .121. ] real world: chicago (don't know why - I hated that season)
.[ .122. ] orange: juice
.[ .123. ] choice: life
.[ .124. ] f*ck: PG
.[ .125. ] bisexual: choose
.[ .126. ] black: flag (huh?)
.[ .127. ] icq: AJ (the only person I've ever talked to on ICQ)
.[ .128. ] insane clown posse: Shawn
.[ .129. ] linkin park: Breaking the Habit
.[ .130. ] jack: marie (grandparents' names)
.[ .131. ] rainbow: snowball
.[ .132. ] cherry: pie
.[ .133. ] cucumber: melon
.[ .134. ] shark: attack
.[ .135. ] lifehouse: 80's band (what??)
.[ .136. ] bat: sh*t
.[ .137. ] leather: John Kerry's face
.[ .138. ] whip: cream
.[ .139. ] american: pie
.[ .140. ] water: fall
.[ .141. ] volcano: blast
T H i S - 0R - T H A T ?
.[ .142. ] rock or rap: depends
.[ .143. ] rock or pop: Pop Rocks
.[ .144. ] rock or r&b: depends
.[ .145. ] rock or metal: rock
.[ .146. ] rap or pop: depends
.[ .147. ] rap or r&b: depends
.[ .148. ] rap or metal: depends
.[ .149. ] pop or r&b: depends
.[ .150. ] pop or metal: depends
.[ .151. ] r&b or metal:depends
.[ .152. ] linkin park or limp bizkit: Linkin Park
.[ .153. ] tool or korn: Tool
.[ .154. ] selena or jennifer lopez: JLo
.[ .155. ] hot or cold: hot
.[ .156. ] winter or summer: winter (I LOVE Christmas)
.[ .157. ] spring or fall: fall
.[ .158. ] shakira or britney: is there a difference?
.[ .159. ] icp or eminem: eminem
.[ .160. ] marilyn manson or rob zombie: rob zombie
.[ .161. ] kittie or garbage: again, difference?
.[ .162. ] mtv or vh1: both
.[ .163. ] buffy or angel: Angel
.[ .164. ] dawson's creek or gilmore girl: Dawson's Creek
.[ .165. ] football or basketball: either
.[ .166. ] summer olympics or winter olympics: who cares?
.[ .167. ] skiing or snowboarding: skiing, because I've never snowboarded
.[ .168. ] rollarblading or skateboarding: rollerblading, because I've never skateboarded
.[ .169. ] black or white: black
.[ .170. ] orange or red: red
.[ .171. ] yellow or green: Green
.[ .172. ] purple or pink: man, do I hate purple
.[ .173. ] slipknot or mudvayne: who?
.[ .174. ] hot topic or pac sun: You know I love me some studded leather chain wallets that say "Korn" on them.
.[ .175. ] inside or outside: outside
.[ .176. ] weed or alcohol: alcohol
.[ .177. ] cell phone or pager: Cell phone
.[ .178. ] pen or pencil: pen
.[ .179. ] powerpuff girls or charlie's angels: Charlie's Angels.  Beyonce never did a song for the Powerpuff Girls.  Yeah.
.[ .180. ] scooby doo or dino: scooby
.[ .181. ] dragon ball z or pokemon: are these questions getting dumber?
.[ .182. ] star wars or star trek: Yeesh.
.[ .183. ] tattoos or piercings: Tattoos (though they hurt much, much worse)
.[ .184. ] prep or punk: personally, prep.  Only 'cause I can't make the punk look work.
.[ .185. ] slut or whore: Neither.  Have some respect.
P R i V A T E L i F E
.[ .186. ] do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend? No
.[ .187. ] do you have a crush?  Yes, but he's married and is in SWEDEN.  *whine*
.[ .188. ] do you love anyone right now? I love everyone
.[ .189. ] have you ever been in love? every day
.[ .191. ] who was your first kiss? Matt Foley
.[ .192. ] how many hearts of have you broken? One, but it was mutual
.[ .193. ] how many people broke your heart? Two
.[ .194. ] best quote to sum up love? It don't pay the bills... So choose your best friend.
.[ .195. ] so what is your bf/gf/crush like: my best friend, my ideal, the best thing in my life, and drop-dead gorgeous
.[ .196. ] do you have a picture of him/her? several
.[ .198. ] do you have a picture of yourself: No.  I'm a freakin' vampire. 
.[ .200. ] do you go by looks or personality: Both
.[ .201. ] ever kiss a friend: Yep
.[ .202. ] are you still friends: I married one of them
.[ .203. ] so moving along..do you smoke? No
.[ .204. ] do you smoke weed? No
.[ .205. ] ever trip on acid? No
.[ .206. ] how about a little x? No
.[ .207. ] crack, heroin, anything else: No
.[ .208. ] beer good or beer bad: hate beer
.[ .209. ] are you the sissy who drinks wine coolers: yes
.[ .210. ] do you like smirnoff ice: yes
.[ .211. ] prefer beer or liquor: Liquor
.[ .212. ] what kind of cigarettes: Still don't smoke
.[ .213. ] are you a virgin: nope - but I was till my wedding night :P
.[ .214. ] do you have any kids, if so how many: None yet, unless you count the furry, pointy-eared kind, then 3
W O U L D Y O U E V E R
.[ .215. ] bungee jump? Yep
.[ .216. ] sky dive: probably
.[ .217. ] swim with dolphins: Sure
.[ .218. ] scuba dive: Why not
.[ .219. ] go rock climbing: done
.[ .220. ] eat poop for $1,000,000: Whose poop?
.[ .221. ] turn your back on your friends for personal gain: absolutely not
.[ .222. ] steal a friend's boyfriend/girlfriend: I did it once
.[ .223. ] cross-dress: I dressed like a boy until I was 20
.[ .224. ] lie to the police: I've done that too
.[ .225. ] run from the police: Only if I could outrun them
.[ .226. ] lie to your parents: Yep, been there.
.[ .227. ] walk up to a stranger and kiss them: I've done that, too (sorry, Mom and Daddy)
.[ .228. ] be nice: Please.  I exude nice.  Now get out of my face.
.[ .229. ] walk out of a restaurant without paying: Never.
.[ .230. ] steal: I did once when I was about 5
Y O U R F R i E N D S
.[ .231. ] best friends: Drew, Rob, Angie
.[ .232. ] known longest: Nicki
.[ .233. ] wish you talked to more: everyone I know
.[ .234. ] wish you saw more: everyone I know
.[ .235. ] how many friends do you think you have: I guess that depends on your definition of "friend"
.[ .236. ] who drives you insane after a while: Ronnie, though I love him dearly and know he'd understand
.[ .237. ] who can you stay around forever and never get sick of? Jeez, I married him.
.[ .238. ] ever lose a good friend because you took it to the 'next level': Nope.  Married him.
.[ .239. ] craziest: Billy
.[ .240. ] loudest: Alyson
.[ .241. ] shyest: Angie (though that's gotten better over the past 5 years)
.[ .242. ] best hair: Angie
.[ .243. ] can always make you laugh: Drew
.[ .244. ] best eyes: Drew
.[ .245. ] best voice: Angie
.[ .246. ] most serious: Rob
.[ .247. ] sex symbol: Drew (to me, at least)
.[ .248. ] hot tempered: me
.[ .249. ] most impatient: me
.[ .250. ] shortest: Samantha
.[ .251. ] tallest: Matt
.[ .252. ] talented: Amye
.[ .253. ] best: Drew
.[ .254. ] annoyin: I don't really have annoying friends...
.[ .255. ] nicest: can't pick
.[ .256. ] best personality: all of em
.[ .257. ] most opinionated: me... or Lauren... or Rob... or Drew... yeah, we all have a poopload of opinions
H A V E  Y O U  E V E R
.[ .258. ] flashed someone : yep
.[ .259. ] told the person you liked how you felt: yep, and I highly recommend it.
.[ .260. ] been to michigan: nope
.[ .261. ] gotten really really drunk: yep... but haven't since
.[ .262. ] gone to jail or juvi: nope
.[ .263. ] skateboarded: yep
.[ .264. ] skinny dipped: umm, halfway?
.[ .265. ] stolen anything: once, when I was a baby
.[ .266. ] wanted to kick my a** for doing this: what does that even mean?
.[ .267. ] kicked someone's a**: I have three younger siblings.  What do you think?
.[ .268. ] pegged someone in the head with a snowball: whenever I can
.[ .269. ] broke a beer bottle: yep.  I used to work in a bar
.[ .270. ] gotten into a bar, under-aged: In New Orleans, nobody's underage...
.[ .271. ] kissed someone of the same sex: yep
.[ .273. ] gone on a road trip: yep
.[ .274. ] gone on vacation without adult supervision: Oh my gosh, NEVER!
.[ .275. ] been to a concert: yup
.[ .276. ] been to another country: France, Italy, and Mexico... but does Tijuana really count?
.[ .277. ] talked back to an adult: Don't ask my parents this question.
.[ .278. ] got pulled over: Twice
.[ .279. ] got in a car accident: Nope
.[ .280. ] broke a law: I'm sure I'm breaking some arbitrary law right now.
.[ .281. ] given money to a homeless person: yes
.[ .282. ] tried to kill yourself: just to get attention
.[ .283. ] cried to get out of trouble: Please.  I lived with my dad.
.[ .284. ] kissed a friend's brother or sister: No
.[ .285. ] kissed a brother or sister's friend: Nope. 
.[ .286. ] dropped something on the floor that you were cooking and let someone eat it anyways? Yes indeed.
O P i N i O N S
.[ .287. ] what do you think about pop music: It has it's place
.[ .288. ] about boy bands: They have their place
.[ .289. ] about flag burning: Some people will do anything to get attention
.[ .290. ] of the war on terrorists: Fight terror with terror!
.[ .291. ] about suicide:  Think about those you'll leave behind
.[ .292. ] about people who try to force their opinions on you? Whateva.  Just don't expect me not to force mine on you.
.[ .293. ] about abortion: Women deserve MUCH better. 
.[ .294. ] about rock/metal music: They have their place.
.[ .295. ] where do you think you'll be in 10 years: I have no idea.
.[ .296. ] who do you think you'll still be friends with in 5 years: whoever doesn't ignore me
W H A T D i D Y O U D O . . .
.[ .297. ] for your last birthday: Hung with my baby sister.  It rocked.
.[ .298. ] yesterday: Flew in from New Orleans, went to an awesome party, picked up my Jeep from Raytheon's garage
.[ .299. ] last weekend: Flew my cats to New Orleans, hung with my mother-in-law, watched the Lakers lose another game.
.[ .300. ] christmas: Hung out with family
.[ .301. ] thanksgiving: Went to Billy and Terri's
.[ .302. ] new year's: Roasted marshmallows around a campfire and shot off fireworks and smooched the man I'll be with for the rest of my life.
.[ .303. ] halloween: Dressed as Jessica in the morning, Don in the afternoon
.[ .304. ] easter: went to church and a friend's daughter's house
.[ .305. ] valentine's day: got a couple's massage then got some AWESOME food
T H E L A S T
.[ .306. ] thing you ate: a spoonful of all-natural peanut butter
.[ .307. ] thing you drank: water
.[ .308. ] thing you wore: my Rowan t-shirt and some underwear
.[ .309. ] place you went: Raytheon
.[ .310. ] thing you got pierced/tattooed: pierced, my ears, tattooed, my back
.[ .311. ] person you saw: Matt
.[ .312. ] person you kissed:  Drew
.[ .313. ] person you talked to: On the phone, some Swedish guy; online, Angie
.[ .314. ] song you heard: "Truth and Consequences," by Newsboys
.[ .315. ] show you watched: Dr. Phil
.[ .316. ] what are you eating: Nothing... but I think I'm gonna hit up a Quizno's tonight
.[ .317. ] what are you drinking: water
.[ .318. ] what are you wearing: how does this question differ from .308?
.[ .319. ] any shoes on: nope
.[ .320. ] hair: a floppy half ponytail, half I-just-woke-up 'do
.[ .321. ] listening to: "Truth and Consequences," by Newsboys
.[ .322. ] talking to : Nobody
.[ .323. ] are you p*ssed i made this so long ? Nah.  The more I do this, the less I think about how lonely I am right now.
Y E S O R N O
.[ .324. ] are you a vegetarian: No
.[ .325. ] do you like cows: Sure.
.[ .326. ] are you a b*tch: No, and remind me to give Veronica a talking-to for having answered "yes" to this question
.[ .327. ] are you artistic: No
.[ .328. ] do you write poetry: Occasionally
.[ .329. ] are you a fast learner: Only if the subject interests me
.[ .330. ] can you ski: Um... not well
.[ .331. ] are you british: I'm an American, son.
.[ .332. ] do you want to spear britney: No way. 
.[ .333. ] do the voices talk to you: No... what is wrong with you?
.[ .334. ] did you ever give barbie a haircut: Not that I remember.  I did cut my Rainbow Brite's hair once
.[ .335. ] would you eat mac &cheese with hot dogs in it: Nope.  It's not low carb.
.[ .336. ] do you think disney creators were on acid when they made 'alice in wonderland'? Probably not
.[ .338. ] are you stupid, insane, or physically handicapped: Nope.
.[ .339. ] crazy? Sometimes
.[ .340. ] hyper? Usually
.[ .341. ] are you short: Nope
.[ .342. ] are you tall: No.  Average, at best.
.[ .343. ] do you own a hot pink shirt: Good heavens, no.
.[ .344. ] how about orange pants: People my size should get arrested for wearing such colors.
.[ .345. ] can you see the flying monkeys: No.
.[ .346. ] are you evil: No. 
.[ .347. ] did you ever know someone who had a mullet: I have mullet in my genes.
.[ .348. ] is britney a whore: Bit of a homewrecker...
.[ .349. ] are you a teenage zombie: what the...
.[ .350. ] am i annoying you: You ask some stupid questions
.[ .351. ] do you like marilyn manson:  I don't think he was hugged enough as a child.
.[ .352. ] are you secretly from another planet: Does Boonville count?
.[ .353. ] have you ever done something you said you`d never do? Yep
.[ .354. ] do you shop at hot topic: No
R A N D O M Q U E S T i O N S
.[ .355. ] if you could be any animal, what would you be: a kitten, because MAN they're cute.
.[ .356. ] if you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would you eat: sausage, egg, and cheese mcgriddles
.[ .357. ] do you remember any of your dreams: usually
.[ .358. ] do you dream in color or black and white: color
.[ .359. ] do you admit when you need help with a problem: I wait as long as humanly possible
.[ .360. ] can people read you like a book: No
.[ .361. ] what's your biggest fear: infertility
.[ .362. ] do you talk a lot: sometimes
.[ .363. ] are you afraid of clowns: I have a bad history with balloon clowns.
.[ .364. ] do you like spiders: I HATE spiders.
.[ .365. ] how about grape kool-aid: Only if it's sugar free
.[ .366. ] can you drive: I'm an excellent driver
.[ .367. ] are you spoiled: probably
.[ .368. ] are you anti-social: not at all
.[ .369. ] do you see dorky people: no
.[ .370. ] do you see dead people: no
.[ .371. ] any last words: I still see 5 more questions.
.[ .372. ] now that this is over, what are you going to do: Shower and go get some supper
C U R R E N T
.[ .373. ] clothes: As I haven't changed clothes in the past 10 minutes, a Rowan t-shirt and some panties
.[ .374. ] music: Our Lady Peace, "One Man Army"
.[ .375. ] food: fooooooooood
.[ .376. ] drink: water

Did you really read that whole thing?  Or did you just skip to the end?  Oh well, I didn't do it to pass your time.  I miss my husband.

6/9/04 - ACK!  So... busy... can't find head... or time to update...

I turned on the news this morning and yep, Ronald Reagan is still dead.  Hasn't changed.  But boy, do they somehow find a way to make that fact new all over again.  And again.  And again.  By the way, is it wrong that I'm glad the money going to Ronald Reagan and his Secret Service people and all the freebies he's got is going to go back into the economy?  I'm sure that's not a healthy thing to think, but sheesh.  Ex-presidents are rollin'. 

Quick, yet long update.  The past week has been nothing but chaos and insanity.  We have gone from wanting to drive our cats across the country to simply wanting to subject them to 13 hours of torture instead of the 72 hours of torture we had originally planned.  Since it's $167 per cat, times three cats, I had originally planned to take one of the cats on board with me.  So I chose Stella, because she's the most sensitive.  I found out that the weight limit for an animal to be brought aboard with you is 10 pounds.  WHO HAS A TEN POUND CAT?!  I know my cats are Amazonian, but honestly, if your cat is less than 10 pounds, I'd like to see it.

So I reserved the specially-approved-for-animals cargo area necessary for the cats.  And my ticket.  And the rental car, with extra expenses for being under 25 and for renting from an airport location.  I hate Enterprise because they charge extra for renting from the airport, but they were the only ones that would rent to me.  Gimme a break, jerks, I've been married for over 3 years, not to mention paying my own bills for 5.  I won't wreck your stupid Neon. 

So then, I had to go to the vet to obtain the required health certificates for each cat.  That's $42 for the exam, and $27 for the health certificate.  Per cat.  I don't know if any of y'all are keeping a tally of how much I've spent so far on this mission.  I've stopped keeping track because I had to start taking anti-depressants.  (I kid.)  I get back from the vet's office, look over the health certificates, and realize that every single one of their vaccinations are overdue.  I call them back and ask why this was not brought to my attention when I had lugged my three well-over-ten-pound cats down there earlier.  So I had to haul them back down there to get at least their rabies vaccination updated.

In the meantime, we've had a TON of other stuff going on.  My landlord was showing the apartment so I had to make it extra-special clean for that.  Not to mention, since I don't really *have* to do anything as far as the move goes, I feel like I need to do more things.  I've obsessively re-organized my cabinets/bedrooms/shelving over and over and over again.  It's getting to be a little frightening, but I can't stop myself.  Also, I've been working some for Terri, which has been REALLY good for the cash flow.  And I took my vacuum cleaner to a "repairman" who screwed it up more than it was screwed up in the first place.  While I'd love to vacuum right now, it's such a pain in the butt to accomplish that I'd just as soon leave it until I get back.

Wow, what negative vibes I'm putting into the universe right now.  Complain, complain, complain.  I'm sorry.  Let me try to put some good karma back in.  I've seen two really good movies lately, The Day After Tomorrow and Super Size Me.  I just saw The Day After Tomorrow this evening, and it was incredible.  What absolutely amazing special effects.  Super Size Me was awesome, too, very eye opening about the over-consumerism that is America. 

We had a pretty successful garage sale, although we still need to get a lot more sold.  Drew's going to try to have a short garage sale after I leave on Saturday, and everything we don't sell will be donated. 

I got two compliments on my "Support The Troops, Hate The War" t-shirt today, which made me very happy. 

Alanis Morrissette lost her virginity to Dave Coulier.  Yes, Uncle Joey from Full House.  What?!

6/2/04 - So yeah, the nothing-but-veggies thing lasted about as long as it took to go to work.  I did some work for the boss yesterday, and one of my co-workers brought in a chile verde burrito... I sniffed, and I sniffed, and... yes... I had a bite.  The prospect of going home to carrots and celery didn't seem like so much fun.  And boy, was that chicken breast with tons of cheese and guacamole good.  I could have had another.  So I'm compromising with myself - I'm gonna have fruit and veggies for breakfast and lunch, and whatever for dinner.  I did pretty well today, but I am STARVING right now, so that's not good. 

Since I have nothing interesting to say, I'm gonna do a news review.  Click on my comment for the full story.

This is just cool.

This, however, is not.  I guess contracts mean nothing your boss makes the law that enforces them.

God starts His own impeachment process.

This is pure genius.  I told Drew he should order while he's there just to say he did, but he refuses.

This story is incredible on so many levels.  First of all, it's a WATER GUN.  Water guns ARE toys.  Guns that shoot bullets are not toys.  Water guns are toys.  And the mom certainly has a reason for an aversion to guns; her mishandling of a gun caused her to shoot her boyfriend.  OY. 

The ACLU is incredibly intolerant and totally against free speech.  They're just mad because the opposition wouldn't have an equally effective license plate slogan.  Somehow, "Choose choice" lacks similar gravitas.