Bye Justin

It's one of those days when the temperature is just about perfect and the sun is shining down to warm the skin as the cool breeze brushes your hair around your face. It was so nice that I got off the train a stop early so I could walk the extra half mile to the building in which my office resides.

I am however a bit saddened today. I've known for some time that my blog crush Justin was up to something. You might recognize that I've had a blog crush for some time as I've written about him for about a half year now. Well today he posted his Two-Weeks Notice. Since initially "meeting" Justin, we've become friends on Facebook so I've been enlightened to his newest adventures which are always seemingly amusing [for example: "I had to stand in a trough to have a shower this morning", or "Anyone know how/where I can become a certified drivers-ed instructor?", and even as simple as "On a bus to London..."]. It'll just be sad to watch him go. I do have to say though, [I hope he reads this], Justin is much braver than I am. It takes a lot of courage to grasp the concept of being unhappy with a career choice; then to leave it behind and try something new. It's scary, and I commend him for his change! So I say good luck to him, but I know his luck from having read his blogs, there's really no point to wishing any luck to him! But he knows he has a pal in St. Louis, and that's just swell for now!

I did do something different yesterday, which consisted of going to a food demo show! I've done this once before though never blogged about it. A friend, Kelly S., works at a place called The Kitchen Conservatory. It's a cool place where they sell kitchen/cooking/baking items, but also where they teach cooking classes. What happens at the demo shows I've gone to, she [or the chef of the class] cooks a three course meal (and cocktail) in front of an audience of [at most] 14 people all stationed around a counter where she works. We the audience then get to eat her delicious food! Well, last night's was all about lavender [my favorite smell]. If you ever get the opportunity, please try the Honey-Lavendar Ice Cream. It was divine! You can read all about the stuff we got to try at Kelly's blog found at barbaricgulp.com!

Since I'm around today, I shall share a word...
amish: [urban slang definition] To be completely grounded and deprived of all means of modern technology. [a.k.a my mom]

Cartoon Steph

I am super bitchy today, I almost feel as though the wind has been knocked out of me, as if I’ve been shoved to the floor and kicked around a bit. I want to talk about most of it so you’ll have to bear with me and endure a long and possibly boring blog. I will alternate the goods and bads.

I’ll start with bad…yesterday a coworker who shall remain nameless got some really bad news. I refuse to mention specifics of the news [I don’t gossip here] because it’s horrible and I can’t even imagine the sorrow. All you need to know is that when you hear your coworker that upset; you should realize how important people are.

A good thing, also relating to a coworker, is that Justin, my blog crush, recommended some bands I might like. One of these bands, Billy Talent, is coming to St. Louis in October. He sent the recommendation based on the fact that they play shows with a band I like Alexisonfire. Nice suggestion Justin, I thank you sincerely!

A crappy thing is that I glooped mustard all over my shirt at work, then proceeded to open my soda to have it explode all over my desk and pants. This of course is all part of the day where nothing seems to work. I can’t get my building model to behave how I would expect; it won’t mesh right for a finite element analysis, among other crappy ass things!

A good thing…for those of you that think I am too prepared [looking at you Christine], I managed to dig up another decent shirt to wear at work that is mustard-less and cola-less.

Now, I'm tired of crappy ass stuff so I am going to ignore how crabby and pissed off I am. I am going to ignore my rant on media. I am going to ignore my rant on people who think they are better than me. I am going to ignore my rant on people who ignore me. Instead I am going to show you a cartoonized version of myself that I think is adorable. It is a work in progress by Mike C. Should you feel compelled to make your very own cartoon version of me, please do so. I am very amused by the thought!


Before I go I want to send a quick thanks to Ironstef and Mike C. for dinner and a wonderful discussion of Skank Ham. I want to thank Becky for allowing us to come hang out in the pub (there really are few options in GC). I want to thank those people on Twitter to which I randomly/seldomly communicate; you all always seem to have a way to make me laugh or smile (though you probably don't know it you certainly deserve a thanks). You would be surprised how a quick step away from work and into some silly video, or even some smart article/blog can really just wake me up, clear my head, and get me back on course. If there is ever a way I could help you, I certainly hope you'd ask!

Word...
cubular: Anything that is "cool" in a "business-geek" office context; often used ironically. This is a term derived from "cubicle" and the surf-slang "tubular".

A-List Party

Yesterday was the A-List Party!


I have mentioned it before that the HOK Blog made the A-List in the St. Louis Magazine for best company blog. We rock, of course we'd make the A-List. Anyway, I got to go to the party and it was interesting! As soon as John, Jeannette, and I walked up to the roped off street party, we thought, "There is no way Justin would go in there". I later confirmed with him, that would have been the likely result!



I hitched a lift from John Gilmore who was also taking Jeannette to the party. We didn't want to stay at work until party time, so we took off and went to Llywellen's for some pre-party drinks! I went with a Tennant's and snacked on some chips and rarebit. We then walked on over to Maryland Plaza in the fabulous Central West End.


There was a red carpet that led into the party. Inside the roped off street party, tables were set up for A-Listers wares (restaurants, etc.). I sampled here and there, but didn't check with enough to have any sort of review on that! It was all free for the sampling though, so I did take advantage of some adult beverages. There were a handful of other HOKer's at the party enjoying the samples and company. Time passed quickly for the party that started up well before the 7:30 pm ticket time! Towards the evening, our group meandered upstairs to the bar Mandarin where we stood on the rooftop to look down on the party below. I had a refreshing but sweet martini (with a cucumber in it) and a lovely gin and tonic!







It was about quarter after ten when I took out of the party to catch a train home to the East Side. Along my journey I heard, "Stephanie Spann, how are you?"; it took me no time at all to recognize Seth Teel's voice, as it's one of a kind. He was hanging out at the Majestic enjoying his own adult beverages with friends (and tossing around a spiderman beach ball, hmm...).

Anyway, despite the fact that I didn't dress in any shabby-chic wardrobe with fabulous-too-tall-for-me-stilettos and carried my messenger bag with me in a sort of unclassy manner; it was a great party. I didn't fit in, but I was proud to not fit in also. No need to match the masses! I was asked what I did wear. The answer: a simple black dress (knee length, boat neck, pocketed front, loose fitting, belted at middle, cotton) with my pink and gray loafers! Yes, loafers and dress. It's me. Did you expect anything else?








[This was updated at a later date and time!]

Word-
8008135: A way to spell "boobies" so no one knows what it is, usually indicating porn or pictures of boobies. Used by computer nerds.

You're The Last Thing That's On My Mind

Driving home to be with you ... the highway's dividing, the city's in view ... As usual, I'm almost on time ... You're the last thing that's on my mind ... Wish I could tell you, the way that I feel ... but tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel ...

Those are the lyrics from a Barenaked Ladies song called "Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel". In replacing my Zune (and thusly losing all music so refinding all music), I found this song that I had not heard in ages. I've always loved it because the song itself means something. "You're the last thing on my mind" is something I want someone to think of me in their few last moments. To know I had a wonderful and loving effect on someone so dearly that they want me in their last thoughts is just endearing! The second reason I like the song is because it has this soft melodic music that makes you think the song is about something other than dying in a car wreck ... ha, not funny, but really funny!

Anyway...Yesterday I met Amanda at the gym at SIUE and the deer were out in forces. In fact, at SIUE, they've gotten so used to the humans, they just hang out in the open with the humans. I have a picture of one the fawns that was hanging out in the grass! I saw two others hanging out in the open on my out as well!



I am yet again consuming the breakfast of champions! Yum-um-um!

- Which yields this fine looking superhero to your right -

Now, if you were paying attention, you'll see my really cool friends at work in that picture. Didn't see them? Okay, well here, I'll point them out!


One more thing, today is Canada Day. As you likely know, my blog crush Justin is in Canada! So to him I say, "Happy Canada Day", may it be a merry day. Do whatever it is you do today with great joy! [Ed. Note: I suggest doing whatever it is you do everyday with great joy!] Be sure to check out his blog post, The Story of Canada Day.

Word-
on chill: Having a relaxed state of mind. In chill mode.

Random Dialogue

Annoying Stuff:
Would everyone please stop asking me my opinion of North Korea? Would everyone please stop telling me about North Korea? It scares me. It scares the living day out of me. I will be severely disappointed if I am not DEAD before the world erupts into total and complete chaos from biological and nuclear warfare.

Interesting Website:
Drunk Texts, which I am known to send quite a few!

Odd Threat:
Justin, my blog crush, was threatened today with "watch your back". I am assuming until told otherwise that it is a sort of facetious threat. Weird though.

Random Dialogue:
Why won't you answer me, ever? Is it too much to ask for from you? Am I just not good enough for a response? Do you want me to leave you alone? Why won't you just tell me? I hate feeling insane. Even worse I hate feeling ignored. I also really hate repeating myself.

Word:
F-U money: Any amount of money that allows you to maintain a desired lifestyle without employment or assistance from anyone.

Tides of Change

In the tides of change come great new things . . .

Economy got you down? Lose your job recently? Check out this networking website to see what other people are doing! Thanks to Janet for blogging it!

I wanted to say thanks to my sis Holly for actually blogging this past weekend. I am always asking people to blog, partly because I find it so relaxing when I write; partly because I enjoy reading blogs; and partly because I am just damn nosey! In any case, Holly blogged. So thanks! In fact, thanks to everyone that blogs so that I may read...Justin, Janet, Frank, The Carr's, Dan Z., Kelly. I don't even know these people, but I seem to know little insights to their personalities that make me happy to know them, but well, not know them! Moving on . . .

You may or may not know that last week I had two deadlines (and a short week). I won't discuss the details of either (one because I can't due to confidentiality agreements, and two because I'm so glad it's over I don't want to think about it); but I was so happy to see the following e-mail from my boss.



Here is another e-mail that I have saved, and so on days when I'm down, I read this to know everything will be okay if I make it through the day. (I covered this person's name since I didn't get approval to show it here).



It's these little things that really get me through each and every day. I swear by it. If we can't close our eyes at the end of the day feeling happy about something or someone, knowing we did what was right and best for us, then what do we have?

Small list of things that get me by (cont'd)-
Practicing obiedence traning with Bella and watching her learn these simple tasks such as sit, wait, and heel.
Knowing that Riley is a genius of a dog, and watching him teach Bella simple tasks.
Neighbors not recognizing me due to such hard paced efforts and health change.
Bike rides where the honeysuckle is the only thing I can smell.
Being sleeping, laying down, not thinking about sleeping, and simply dozing off into dreamland.

Likes/Dislikes-

Claiming that genetically altered monkey's research done for human health reasons (maybe is, maybe not), is this necessary? Where will it go? Super race? What happened to Darwin's "survival"? Too many questions for me to ponder, thus causing brain overload!

Last of Last Week's Comic Sharing-


Word(s)-
toy: A graffiti artist's term for a novice. More experienced artists will often write "toy" next to the tag or graf of the novice.

nerdrection: When a nerd experiences or anticipates a certain event that is expected to have a positive effect.

Can You Take Me Seriously?

I know, before you say it, I am aware this is blog number three of the day [excuse my bitchy tone, but I did learn to count thank you very much, and frankly who cares how much I write anyway]! In my defense, I wrote the last one Tuesday night. [Are you reading this in MySpace and wondering where the 2nd blog is? Check it out here!]

Part of my wanting to write is just to get a break from thinking; the other part of my wanting to write is based on me hoping to show you some things and ask you a question to which you will give me a response! In any case, I'm full of want. So . . .

First, read this entertaining blog . . .

Then take a look at the posted comments (as seen below) . . .



Now, I know that this HOK Life work blog is a fun sort of thing we do, it allows for some "goofing"; but can we be taken seriously after something like this? [If you weren't sure, we are chiding the public/media over the hysteria of the swine flu, or at least I was 100%]

I feel like we work for the Onion! [I wish I worked for the Onion!]



My answer is that we can be taken seriously after acting so goofy! We are entitled to our opinions, which can include a profound annoyance with hysteria that media promotes/creates. We are entitled to have fun at work as well! So yes, we can be intelligent, witty, and silly.

But then again, while I care for my job and respectfulness gained from others, do I care if people think I am serious or even goofy? Not really! [Then again, I am writing about it, so I obviously do care maybe?]

So, what do you think?

I Am Not Smelly!

My favorite smells-
First there is the smell of lavender; then there is the smell of fresh cut grass; lastly there is the smell of the bike trail on a fresh Spring day (no, not the smell of dead animal from winter whose rotting corpse is now thawed and smelling as such; but the smell of the fragrant flowers in bloom mixed with that fresh air smell). There are other smells that are wonderful such as the smell of some one familiar, puppy breath, Bella's ears, that spot on Riley right between his eyes, fresh lemonade, a limey gin and tonic, baked goods, my favorite perfumes, old books, new books, pizza, popcorn, etc. I'm sure we could all name dozens of smells we love or miss.

Why am I talking about smells? Well I smell really good today. I am not smelly! It's a combination between my hair, my body, and my perfume. I'm wearing Inis, one of my three favorite perfumes (pay close attention to that, my birthday is approaching (Ralph, Body, Inis)). I washed with lavender soap last night and I can occasionally catch a whiff of that literally soothes me to the bones. Then there is my hair. It's just the cheap shampoo that I buy, nothing fancy (recycled containers, not tested on animals), but it smells clean and wonderful when it brushes across my cheek.

But seriously, why am I talking about smells? I just didn't have anything else to talk about!

And that paragraph above about not having anything to talk about, it's a lie! You knew that, I almost always have something to say! I also should mention that I do not lie very well. I end up telling on myself (as I just did); or I look rather suspicious when I try to lie. So there you have it, I talk a lot and can rarely lie.

So about my weekend-

I posted a video in my blog at stephysite.blogspot.com. I post so many places, I don't know where else it might be. Probably YouTube (my user name is Stephysite), but I'm fairly certain that is set to private!

I went for two bike rides, one with Eva, and one alone. I've video'd both rides, but the content is shaky at best. The audio for the ride with Eva is classic! Deadly classic! I will post that when I get the chance.

I, ... I mean Chris, saved frogs from the pool, but they went right back in, so, ... eh, yea, so much for saving frogs.

I finished Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson. It was a very good book, I recommend it. Sweet love story.

I went to watch the Cards vs. Cubs game at the Trowbridge's house on Friday. I spent most of the time hanging out with my cool little friend Grace. We ate a lot of popcorn! We had some good conversations about her upcoming birthday party. Her birthday is May 23rd. She will be 4.

I went to a skating birthday party for my niece Grace, who just turned 5! Happy birthday Gracie! I hope she likes everything she got; it was a good party for her! Her actual birthday was April 23rd (Holly, correct me if I'm wrong).

I got a bird feeder for the back yard. I haven't seen any birds eating from it yet. I imagine they are scared off by the thought of Bella the Beast charging at them.

You should read Justin Z.'s blog. Funny stuff! Poor guy got a j-walking ticket. Obviously not enough crime in Toronto!

Side note-
A shout out to baby cousin Sara whose 21st birthday is today! Happy Birthday baby doll!!

----

Words of the weekend and today-

frenemy: Friends, yet enemies. Or an enemy disguised as a friend.

NIB: "New in Box", often used for selling EBay items. Refers to being brand new and never used.

Staying Sexy with Laughter

... ha ha ha ... give me a moment to control my laughter! Wow, I haven't laughed this much in ages. I know I know, you need an explanation ...

So for starters, let me say that you should check out the movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Now if you are Amanda, maybe you won't like it. It does however have Jason Mewes in the film. It's disturbing, [in fact hours since I've watched it and I'm still just as disturbed]. It's a good laugh though, or so I thought. NOT for children, in fact, it's barely suitable for adults!

What else is making me laugh today? I'm sure you could have guessed, but blogs! My beloved blogs!

Typically I step into the office, hit that button that makes my computer wake up, and then spend my beginning moments of work hoping for hysterical blogs. I didn't even get that far before I started laughing! It started well before I even got to the office! You see, this started while I was getting ready for work.

Ha, before we go with THAT thought, let me say NO, I wasn't laughing at myself in the mirror because of how hideous I looked when I woke up; let's just nip that joke in the bud!

Where was I, oh right, getting ready for work. I dressed nice (as nice as I can dress [cowboy boots]). I even put on makeup. Not just the makeup that covers my Pale Expressionless Face, but real makeup! During this time, Chris asked me if my blog buddy from Toronto was going to be in town. This made me laugh. It's a good thought, I rarely, and I mean rarely put effort into my appearance! Ask anyone I know; I care that I look presentable, clean, and unhippie-like; but as for makeup, I tend to find it a wasteful use of product and time! So I can see where one might come to the conclusion that I was trying to impress someone. And I don't try to impress just anyone, so yet another good conclusion drawn to my blog buddy from Toronto! Good conclusions! Funny though. Funny.

So I was finally ready, hit the trail we call Interstate 55 and trolleyed into work. I walk in, hit that button, prepare for blogs. I was not disappointed!

The first couple of blogs I read were not funny, entertaining, or anything really. They just are what they are, blogs I read. But then I got to the second of Janet's blogs. I was to say the least, intrigued. I read, became confused, started clicking links, became more confused, reread the blog, made sense of everything, and then reclicked links. Laughter ensued! Riotous good time I tell you! I encourage you to do the same. It's a great blog about a shitty hotel with great advertising. You have to check out the advertising agency as well. Open the link several times and notice how the website changes every time. EVERY TIME! I like these people!

Then I noticed there appears to be a book associated with this hotel/hostel/place. I think I need it! Thanks Janet, you are awesome!

I moved onto the HOK Life blog. Today's blog post that I read was from Mike P. He wrote about sustainability, a big topic with HOK. He always writes very well and always has the greatest titles to links. Just when you think a title might mean one thing, it ends up meaning something else. And really, can anyone deny a link titled Stay Sexy? I know I couldn't! I would encourage you to check out the article, then find out how to stay sexy baby!

You might be wondering why the last blog I talked about was funny. Well, in my head, Stay Sexy might have meant few clothes required for "Lightening One's Load". Ha, my mind, it's always in the gutter!

So, now, are you still wondering why I put makeup on and curled my hair? Photos today for work. That's all!

The Gospel According to Biff

It's Monday. I can't say if I'm glad or sad about this. On one hand, it gets me back to my routine, on the other hand it gets me back to my routine! In either case, my hands are full of routine!

Anyway hi-lights from the weekend and road trip to Kansas City:

Boca di Boppi (actually Buca di Beppo, but Eva and I took it to extremes and had a whole conversation that no one else understood! In fact, I am sure we didn't understand either!)

Matt and Erika Herring have an adorable child (looks like a baby). It, I mean she, cries a lot. I have a soothing effect on the child for some reason. Eva has a similar effect. I believe this is for two reasons. The child loved our plump bosoms, and we sang Rancid to her. Who wouldn't love to be serenaded by Rancid?!?! Her name is Molly and she's a cool little thing. For the record, they are good parents.

There were weird rabbits located around the Plaza in KC. Don't ask me where the Plaza is, all I know is that it was south of our hotel. Anyway, weird rabbits all over. Giant human sized weird rabbits.

Eva and I bought boots. Larry's boots. Pretty sweet if you ask me!

Free hugs were being given out at the Plaza. Free hugs guy restored my faith in humanity, but as usual, that quickly flew right out the door. What happened? Oh nothing really, just a accumulation of annoyances. I have a very very tiny list of people that are allowed on my planet (free hugs guy is one of them). Sorry, but there isn't enough room on my awesome planet for people that make me mad or annoyed. (Holly & Drew, you are both good, you are family that I like, you get to stay so don't get paranoid).

I think I drank sour milk, still alive though.

My newest Madness album showed up in the mail!

The English Beat were awesome. Eva and I almost didn't even go. The local KC crap radio station was holding a Prom Theme for the show. Eva and I showed up in our cowboy boots, jeans, and regular tops. Everyone else (except for maybe 3 other people) were in prom gear. Tuxedos, dresses, gowns, etc. We did however go in and skanked our happy little hearts to soreness! An adorable boy standing next to us (in a stylish and dapper hat (drool)) skanked with us. The girl he was with was not too happy about this. Oh well, we had a great time!! Great, and I mean great show!

My blog crush Justin Z. made the Toronto Star (local paper). You should read the article and blog!

I, as usual, bought a new book to read even though I am reading two books (and a third for work) as I write! Looks good though. A book by Christopher Moore called A Dirty Job. Very few people could vie for favorite author in comparison to Douglas Adams, but Moore is one of them! He wrote a book called Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal that I really enjoyed. I'm excited to read Moore (yes, pun intended)!

Well, this is where I need to stop and move forward with my routine! So now, the words, you know what I'm talking about:

Friday - bardcore: A pornographic movie with a Shakespearean plot.
Weekend - C and E: People who show up at church only on Christmas and Easter.
Today - girlfriend button: The button on the controller of an Xbox, Playstation, or Wii you have to press to pause the game when your girlfriend wants to talk.

Drew, I Think You'll Dig Today's Word

Ah, what a beautiful morning it is! It's freezing and there was a significant earthquake in Italy, wonderful! (Give me a second to clean up the sarcasm spewing from every pore)!

So my friend Clint (or at least I'm claiming him as my friend) is in Italy for work. I Facebook'd him this morning as soon as I found out about the It'y earthquake to make sure he was okay, and he is! He was about 400 miles from the epicenter (for states people, that would be from about St. Louis, MO to Columbus, OH). Likely enough to have felt it, but considering that I do not know what the soil and ground conditions are, it is hard to say for certain. I feel I have some authority in this disposition as I did after all write my Master's thesis on seismic retrofit of existing structures. This did require some research into the effects of earthquakes of any magnitude and distance.

Anyway, enough bragging about the my splendid intelligence (damn it, more spewing sarcasm, what a gooey mess)!

As you might have noticed, I like to encourage people to look at sites or images, whatever it may be, that I find interesting. Sometimes I like those things because they were creative, or odd, or right up my alley. In any case, I hope you take the chance to at least click on the links. It's very exciting for people to see how many hits they get on a website, to see who refers them, and to get noticed. People like to be noticed, as I'm sure you do too!

On that note, here is a list of sites (from previous blogs):
O'Connell's, my favorite place to have a few (has the best bartenders)
Art work by Jason Potter, graphic arts guru!
Dan Z., yet another amazing artist.
My blog crush Justin, awesome sense of humor!
HOK Life-what's going on where I work (my cult in other words)
A book I want to read!
I LOVE, and I mean LOVE books, especially pop-up books, so these two books are on my "Buy this for me" list! Nightmares, and phobias!
Something else on my "buy me this" list!
For foodies!
For bookies! (ha, not that kind)


If you have some cool sites, send them my way, and if I like them as well, I'll stick them in a blog and encourage people to read!


Words of today and the weekend (Drew, I think you'll dig today's word):
(weekend's word)
sauce: Very good. Amazing.
In Use: The TV show CSI is sauce.

(today's word)
porkchop: Police helicopter.
In Use: The porkchop is hunting for perps tonight.

Bananus

Okay, I'm cranky this morning. Why? I don't know. I feel disgusting, I feel cranky. I at least smell good. Enough about me. If you want to read about me, you can ask to be part of my more private journal.

If you follow along with all of my blogs (an endless number); you will know that I have lied to you today. I told you that my Wordpress blog would have different content than my other blogs. Eh, at least here you get the word of the day!

I want you to either read the Wordpress blog or to check out the four links I have listed below:
Punk Rock Skulls
Barbaric Gulp
Justin Z.
HOK London

I have more to say, but will have to talk later. I have a morning meeting and actually need to prepare!

Word of the day (makes me think of Nanerpus):

Bananus: The little brown part at the bottom of the banana that no one in their right mind eats.

In Use: Only monkeys eat the bananus!

Funerals Suck and Justin Rocks!

So today is a new day, but you know that already.

Today is Amanda's father's funeral. It makes me miss my dad. I still plan on going to lay on top of his grave and just crying for about an hour. You'd have no idea how much you'll miss some one until they are no longer around to hold you when you just need to be held. I could talk hours about my own dad; I have a lot to say about him. He was a good person, some of the time, and a bad person a lot of the time. It's what one might expect with an abusive alcoholic father. I wrongfully wished him gone for a long time. I had always assumed that his drinking and desire to be "outta his mind" were due to the fact he was unhappy with his life, unhappy with his family. He degraded me often, so I had also therefore assumed, he didn't want me around. I knew his alcoholism was a disease, something he couldn't quit. It took me a really long time to know there was a difference though. The sober guy that was my daddy was the coolest man on the face of the planet. He was funny, smart, and loved music. We would rock out all the time together. We listened to everything! When I was small and we would be travelling by car, he carried me up the apartment stairs when I fell asleep from the ride. When I was upset, he'd let me curl up in a ball in his lap and he would just hold me. Those are the things I really miss. But what I guess I'm really getting around to talking about is the funeral, not really my dad.

So this funeral, will be a Catholic service at some little church in the middle of Nowhere, Illinois. Last night was the visitation. I really loathe that part. People go and look at a dead body to see what the person, if they were still alive, might look like. I have an aversion to dead bodies for one. Secondly, I don't want to remember or see what some one would have looked like alive if they weren't dead. I want to remember the good things. When I think of dad, I think of the dead version of him, in the casket so that when you looked just right, he was smiling! So when I go to these things, I try only to glance when I have to, and spend more time ignoring than anything else.

But I've gone on long enough about some of my idiosyncrasies; it's time to move on to some one else's! That someone would be Justin, my favorite blogger [said with a dreamy smile and twinkle in my eye]! He didn't mention me this time, but a coworker that I don't know. In this story, Justin goes by a supposed character name of Mitch, of which I highly approve! His blogs are always thoroughly entertaining with little hints of sarcasm and misanthropy. I feel that while I don't know him at all, and have a slight aversion to his desire to be an architect, I feel he is a kindred spirit! He is after all my blog crush! I treat him as though he were Douglas Adams, an untouchable writer! But instead he is Justin Mitch Z! Ahhhhhh!

So I want to thank Holly for taking the time to blog, you go! No one has to write excellent to blog, you just need to do it! And if you are lucky, you might get one very interesting freak named Steph to fall in love with you!

I want to thank Eva for taking time yesterday to sit down to dinner with me and let me vent and whine pretty much the whole time. I don't share a rank, which is good to know!

Thanks people for reading, you don't have to; so I hope this is at least entertaining with a mix of odd humor, distaste for mankind, and a draw of strong depressive mood swings!

Onward with the word of the day:

ACB: Short for "air-conditioner booty". A woman whose buttocks, when viewed from the side, resemble a wall-unit air conditioner protruding from a house.

In use: Jodie's ACB was knocking people's drinks off the table last night!

Your Crush

Today will be a short blog. I have a lot to do for work, and I need to prepare notes for the lecture I am giving this afternoon at SIUE.

Last night I left work at 9 pm, meaning I was at work for 14 hours! It was exhausting! BUT, Justin mentioned me in his blog! It's like when your crush acknowledges you exist! I'm still floating on a cloud!

Here is your word of the day:
breezy: A woman who is easy. The word "broad" (slang for a woman), is combined with the word "easy", creating the derogatory word "breezy".

In use: Don't worry, you're not her baby daddy; she probably doesn't know who the daddy is. She ain't nuttin' but a breezy!

[Editor's note: If Justin's link is inadvertently removed for the MySpace readers, go to stephysite.blogspot.com to access this blog and link]

Justin is Number 2

So if you have ever read any of my previous blogs, you will notice that I have mentioned Justin's HOK Blog. Justin Z. is an excellent writer with a sense of humor that I find uber-spectacular! Well I got into work this morning, and I read my blogs; if you recall I rarely read news these days and go straight to the blogs. Anyway, I was catching up and saw that Justin mentioned me in one of his blogs! It's a bit of an equivalent of Douglas Adams making me a character in one of his books! Okay, so maybe the latter would be so much more awesome, but Justin is number 2, and frankly compared to Douglas being number 2 is pretty damn good! When you read his blog, be sure to note that I am NOT the blog stalker, which I could very well have been. If a blog stalker exists, I'm sure I'm some where on that list!

In other news, which I did pay attention to, the East coast, where I just was less than 24 hours ago is being hammered by a snow storm. I guess I got out just in time. Or maybe I got out too early. I haven't made up my mind on this subject yet. Since I didn't have my boots, I'm going with "just in time" for the moment.

I'm making plans for future travel, Austin in May, Indiana in June, maybe England in July, and Canada at least once this year. I have also agreed to do Denver sometime as well, and maybe some white water rafting. My fear of water may inhibit this last one, but it's so intriguing that I'm willing to bite the proverbial bullet! If I died tomorrow, I want to know I made the right choices for me, and fear should never hold a person back from doing new things. Call it ambition, call it stupidity, I think I have a little from column A and a little from column B! If you have any interest in going with me for any of these adventures, let me know! They are all tentative on having a job though.

Well, I've blogged enough for this morning, so I will now leave you with the words of today and past!

take the L: Short for "taking the loss". Frequently used to describe flunking a test, being dumped, stood up, beaten up, or robbed. Also relating to losing one's money in the stock market, gambling, or through exploitative business schemes.

off the hinges: Awesome. Unbelievably good. Wild. Cousin to "off the hook" and "off the chain".