Blowin' in the Wind

It seems I've fallen off the edge of the earth...whoops!

I just came up with that title randomly. Then I thought maybe I'd post some of my favorite blog entries I've read lately so it would make sense... Then I realized I haven't read any that were all that noteworthy.

Things to be excited about:

My birthday is in 9 days. WOOO!!! This means I get to see some out-of-towners I miss too.

Shark week is next week.

I got a new riding lawn mower. Andy says I look awesome on it. I think he only said that because I was wearing a see-through dress without a bra at the time. Or because me on the mower means that he's not mowing.

My parents got siding and got their pool fixed, so I now I shall swim swim swim!

I am going to the cider mill soon, and will eat apple cider donuts.

My sister has lost 20 pounds and is getting a promotion.

Andy will be back tomorrow

Tonight is dinner & drinks with J.

I got 125K on Bejeweled Blitz.

I will be getting cable & Internet at my house this weekend.

Well, that's all I can think of right now, but I'm an excited lady!

Pearl Jam Rock Band

Cool because fans get to pick the set list... Maybe not quite a FTW, since there IS a Beatles one coming soon, but... Ya know.

I need to get back into these games. I haven't played in too long. Tonight, in the absence of my other half, GH:WT here I come! :)

I feel like a total lame-o. The only things I've posted about lately all pertain to my relationship drama, and that's pretty much boring and crappy. I have no real excuse for it, I don't suppose, outside the fact that my life has been fairly uneventful lately....that might actually be a total lie.

So after the Toadies concert, which was fucking awesome, came the weekend I went to Rockford for AMarie's bridal shower. It was a great weekend. Spent 2 consecutive nights at the 'Tudes, which by default makes it a great weekend! Plus it was just fun to take a road trip with the Mother Unit. We stopped at a winery on the way, and just dilly-dallied our way up there & back. The shower was really nice, and she claims they like the knives we got, so it's all good in the hood.

Then 2 weekends ago was the Beale Street Music Festival. We road tripped down to Memphis, where it proceeded to rain the entire weekend while we were at the outdoor music festival. That made it slightly unpleasant but only slightly. I like mud. And I love James Taylor. And Wet Willie's was everything Bill said it would be! Although Miami would have been a better setting for slushies than rainy Beale Street, but what can ya do!

This past Friday I saw Fleetwood Mac. It was a pretty awesome show. Stevie Nicks sort of wimped out of the high notes, which was disappointing, and they did a really awkward version of "Never Going Back Again", my favorite FM song. But Lindsey Buckingham is a GOD, and his awesomeness far overshadowed any of the disappointment I felt at times. Great show. After that we went to see a coworker in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. They were great as well. I never thought I'd see an Asian Stevie Nicks! :-p The scene was pretty odd - it was a circus party...Satin swings above the bar & people in bizarre costumes. Fun though, once the crowd dissipated some!

Besides that, just did housework & saw my Mom and Grandma on Mother's Day. What's new in your lives?

Leo
7/23 – 8/22
Overview
The sun is rising just a bit more brightly today and your heart is just a bit lighter. Do you feel the tide turning? Hope is a powerful thing, and you've been able to hold on to enough of it to make a real difference. Blue periods can be tough, but they always result in more self-awareness and contentment. Slowly, you're entering a positive phase of strength, confidence, and knowing what you want. People are ready for the 'new you' to shine!

So for the past few months I've been getting these inexplicable extreme pains in my lower abdomen. It's been random when they happen until the past 3 or so weeks when it's been almost constant. I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago, and they sent me to get an ultrasound. I finally got the results last week and it turns out I have something called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (or, as I call it, POS). Basically both of my ovaries have multiple cysts on them. There is nothing they can do about it until at least 3-6 months from now, if I'm still in pain. For the time being, I pop painkillers like they're candy. And they didn't say what happens after 6 months. I just know I can't handle this for that long! Gar!

GOING TO SEE THE TOADIES TONIGHT! FUCKING PUMPED!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTIE!

...And a happy 420 to the rest of you. ;)

I need to get the Internet - stat! It's hard for me to keep up with this not having Internet access at home...

Same ol', same ol' right now - balancing work & a social life is always fun & challenging! :-p

Planning out my summer & trying to budget accordingly...

Spending far too much time thinking about what is & what could be.

...I miss Rolla a ton.

This weekend was fantastic.

J bought a chair off of a random guy on the street during the parade. We had to ratchet strap it to the trunk to come back to KC. It was awesome. Her level of ridiculousness makes me quite happy, and it also makes her fit in quite well with the Rolla crew.

We did a power hour at 10 AM.

Pie on Pi Day.

Some old TKE alums who were staying in an RV in the TKE parking lot offered us a place to stay. We were more than excited about it, but once it came time to pass out, we couldn't find them anywhere. So it was a weekend of 3-way spooning!! :)

Got drunk with Morning last night...It was pretty amusing. Except then he snored so loud I had to go to the spare bedroom and sleep for a couple of hours!!! :p

Unfortunately I missed a lot of people on my too-short trip to RoMO, so I shall have to go again before the semester is through!!

...Which one wins for you?

I try very hard to keep a healthy balance of the two, but it's super hard!

I'm talking to a good friend, and the subject comes up. A person she works with asked her on a date last night. They have been good friends as long as they've known each other, and recently she suspected he might want more than that. She made a plan - he asked her out, she said no. Simple plan. Unraveled plan. She voiced her concerns (dating a coworker, having to keep it secret, messing up a friendship), and he just asked her to think about it. So, of course, she has been.

I asked her if she is attracted to him and she said yes. And I know she likes spending time with him. To me, that only makes sense that they should at least try dating out & see what happens. To her, the fact that they work together and it's a "bad idea" outweighs any of that.

I decided it's probably better to be rational all the time than emotional all the time, but obviously neither one is going to be ideal...When should you let one or the other win?

So in celebration of my upcoming RoMO trip, I am going to share some quotes that have been said in that most absurd of towns...

me: Shellie loves the circle flash.
Shel: I do! The only thing I love more is biscuits and gravy.

E Rocka: "How many handles of Congress does it take to kill a baby?"

E Rocka: Wait. I can see you! That seems wrong.
T Pain: You're trying on sunglasses, not a blindfold.

E Rocka: Mickey, what's all this stuff? Dirt? What is this?
Mickey (slurred): I dunno. A weather report?

Anna: "Smoking seeds causes infidelity"

NB: "They're making a new Passion of the Christ..."
E Rocka: "Does he live?"

HC: "Cats are like sixteen year old girls. If you ignore them and treat them badly, then they love you."

E Rocka: "I can't come out today...I'm wearing my math panties."

E Rocka: "That makes me wonder what happened to my brother's friend Crackhead Ted. He got fired because he used to skip work too much to go to Cubs games."
A Cash: "That would be my dream."
E Rocka: "To get fired & become a crackhead?!"

everyone: "We're an imaginary bluegrass band....and we're excellent!!!!"

Mickey: "Well, I don't know! I've never had to call Dysfunctional Family Services before!"

E Rocka: "It doesn't matter what you look like as long as you like to drink beer."

Bob: "Those are all words. ... But when you put them together, they make no sense."

E Rocka: "What does it say?"
Mickey holds up a sign - 'LBC meeting in the bassment'
E Rocka & I: "Bassment?! Mickey that's not how you spell basement!"
Mickey: "That's how it's spelled on BET!"

T Pain: "Was that Braydon or the wind??"

Me: "I just put on the cheese."

T Rumble: "This is your life. Welcome to it. Drink a beer."

me: "Are we riding you home?"

J Howell is ridiculous, and I told her yesterday that I do believe one could find her number on a bathroom wall. I am pretty much okay with that, as I appreciate ridiculous people FAR more than 'normal' ones.

This weekend was the housewarming. Overall, I'd call it a success. I was happy with the turnout, and I think everyone had a good time, for the most part. I was disappointed in myself for passing out early, but can't say I was surprised. My combined total of sleep for Wednesday, Thursday & Friday nights was somewhere around 7 hours. Then with all the boozin' and food in my belly, I passed out at like 2. For the record, though, I woke up at like 5 and drank some more until 7 or so... Slightly less lame.

Party pictures:









Now I am SO ready to be in Rolla to party it up. This will be the first time I've been one of those Rolla-ites who had to cram all of my St. Pat's celebrating into one weekend down there, but I'm determined to milk it for all it's worth! I'm going to party my ass off completely and totally. Here are a few things I've read/gotten re: this years Pat's that make me happy:

text from E Rocka at 8:13 this morning: "815 and I'm 3 beers in :)"

Garth, commenting on a FB status: "Im sitting in your tech writing class with a 64 oz CFM mug full of natty."

...And I bought a ridiculous amount of green things from Target.

WOOOOO!!!!! I'm SO ready.

March Weekend Calendar of Events:
3/7: Housewarming Party! Come one, come all! Unless I don't like you...then go away. This means I have DBert, Gronlicia, CC, Vogelson, & Sass 1 and 2 all coming in town! Hurrah! Plus it should just be a killer time!

3/14: St. Pat's, Rolla Style! Yessss. Leaving Friday, heading to Rolla for one whirlwind taste of my favorite holiday in my favorite town, taking JHowell & perhaps MC, though I'm guessing his money woes will dictate otherwise.

3/21: Bienvenido a Miami Girls & MC, landing in Miami that Thursday for an epic weekend on South Beach. Can NOT wait.

3/28: AMS23 Bachelorette Party! I don't know how I'm going to plan the party of all parties to top the rest of the month alone, but I'm going to try my darndest!

So basically, in April I will be too poor to leave my house. For at least 2 months, I'm guessing...Bummer. Oh well, I'll just chill around my house so it's all good. Occasionally I will allow people the luxury of my company for the small fee of food and/or booze.

So...Rasta is back from the VI. This is where I think things could potentially get messy. I think he and I being friends will work out just peachy, I just don't know what he'll have to say about the Morning situation. And for some reason that matters to me, kind of a lot.

Sister is sick. Not sickly, though. Her face is freakishly swollen on one side along the jaw. She went to the doctor, and they said she had the symptoms of mumps. Really?! So they took blood but we won't know for a couple of days. She's had her shots & whatnot...Very weird. I am thinking it's not mumps, but they didn't even have a single other suggestion...We shall see.

So yesterday was Fat Tuesday (not to be confused with Tisha Tuesday). Of course, when you're me, every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday. :-p ANYWAY... We went to Sherrisa's for a night of "Wii and drinking"...Only somehow there was not a single second of Wii play. A raucous round of Fuck the Dealer, then J Howell & I played Rock the Clock, and then...karaoke. I remember a particularly ridiculous rendition of Me & Bobby McGee, courtesy of Angie...And a LOT of Dixie Chicks with Brandi. Really, I should never be allowed to karaoke. ...But it's so fun!

It's wino night!! ...Don't say you weren't warned.

Morning's phone just died, which makes me sad, but before it did I asked him my default question, which I use to immediately judge people & decide whether or not I like them: You're stranded on a desert island, which 5 albums do you have to have?

The rules: It can't be a mix CD or any of that BS. It CAN be a greatest hits album, or even a multi-disc set, as long as that is how it was released by the recording company. Basically it has to be all one artist per album.

That being said, his answers were: Queens of the Stone Age: self-titled, Eagles of Death Metal, Beatles - Abbey Road or 1...Incubus - either Make Yourself or Morning View...And I can not remember the last one for the life of me. But moral of the story is his answers were legit. And I asked AMS23 hers, which were also spectacular.

Here's the thing, though - I ask people the question all the time, and honestly if they were to ask me mine I would tell each of them a different 5 albums. I am trying to lock it down, but I just can't. So for today, here are my Desert Island Albums:

*Annie Lennox - Medusa

*Band of Horses - Cease to Begin

*Crosby Stills Nash & Young - So Far

*Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key of Life

*O.A.R. - Stories of A Stranger

And because I have a really really hard time narrowing this down, I am allowing myself 3...make that 4...err, 56... runners-up, which are:

John Butler Trio - Grand National

Supertramp - Breakfast in America

Rusted Root - When I Woke

Citizen Cope - The Clarence Greenwood Recordings

Sublime - self-titled

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

....Who am I kidding?! I want to turn this into a list of Angie's 100 favorite albums because they are great from start to finish! But alas, that would be ridiculous. So for now, I shall go boost mi amigo's ego & finish my wine.

What are yours??

One more thing, though, today Sister's friend J decided he could beat me at some sort of music knowledge competition. I was almost insulted by this thought. Is that wrong of me?! Regardless I feel like I might have put the little punk in his place, for now. ;)

And to be ironic (in the Alanis Morissette sense of the word) I am including a song that is in no way, shape, or form on this list:

I don't know who or why, but someone who controls the fates does not like me. Yesterday was a mediocre day, as today seems to be shaping up to be. I spent most of the day working on a cymbal-related project that I should be completely done with this week finally. After that MC & I went to pick up my fridge. Uneventful...Somehow we got it safely to its new home. Then I alphabetized my DVDs (how's that for a mundane detail!) and Dad came to pick me up & take me to the house. Somewhere in all of those things, Morning & I made plans for him to come up and watch a movie, presumably Star Wars.

I was convinced he was going to arrive before us, so I made Father turn the boogie up. Shortly after exiting the interstate, we were truckin' along at somewhere between 50 & 55 mph's, when a GIANT (and I mean GIANT) raccoon came from nowhere and we obliterated it. It was huge - I feel like we might have actually high-centered the Saturn on the raccoon. At this point, hideous sounds start coming from underneath the vehicle; we're dragging something. I'm not sure what, but I'm convinced it's the raccoon, and I have this unearthly horrible mental picture of this. My phone rings. Morning is lost. I try to give him directions, and then one of our phones drops service. Hideous noises still occuring.

Now it starts to sound like small things are falling off of the car, but the dragging sound is still going on. Umm....tiny pieces of raccoon? Ew. Finally the noise stops. Whatever we were dragging (the raccoon) falls off. All is well. Except....Morning calls again. More lost than before, and sounding none too pleased. I think I get him back on track, and then lost reception again. Turning onto the gravel...Okay, the rocks don't usually hit the bottom of the car this loudly. We get home, and the front license plate is missing, part of the grill is busted, and a whole piece of plastic that goes up under the front end is dragging the ground. Nothing to be done but bungee it up and wait for tomorrow to further assess this damage. At this point I call Morning...

I can't get him to answer, but it's not going straight to voicemail. I try a couple more times; eventually he ends up calling me. He is frustrated and going back home. So much for that.

Like any good fat girl, I stress-ate a corn dog & some cheese toast, made myself a Bloody Mary, and passed out. Please, tonight, don't suck. I'm begging you.

The game of phone tag ended last night, and it ended with a bang. I had a 3 1/2 hour long phone conversation with Morning, and I enjoyed at least 3 hours of it. :D The last 30 minutes I was pretty much half asleep.

I was informed that my blasphemous ways (I've never seen a Star Wars movie) must soon be remedied, so besides the dive bar crawl I think we have tentative plans to hang out. That shall be the ultimate test. I will say that there are very few people I can talk to on the phone for that long, so maybe that's a good sign. At the least I feel like we could be extremely good friends. We talked a bit about coworker dating, and I feel like he was all over the map with that, so I don't know his stance for sure. I guess I'll find out!

Ultimately, I have decided that those numbers mean nothing to me. It's a conclusion I was pretty sure I would draw anyway, but it's official now.

He has decided that I need to watch Star Wars, several Star Wars spoofs/remakes, Harlem Nights, and Smallville.

I have decided that he needs to watch Pi, Requiem for a Dream, Planet Earth, and I'm trying to think of more... Suggestions?

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
- Mark Twain

You hear it all the time: age ain't nothin' but a number, age is a state of mind, you're only as old as you feel, and so on & so forth. While I agree with this to a point, I'm beginning to wonder - what of age differences in relationships? If you're 80 but you 'feel' 18, should you date an 18 year old? I'd lean toward no...

Until recently I've been a firm believer in the "half your age plus seven" rule. It was basically the gospel in Rolla, and was so concrete in my mind that I didn't even look twice at people outside it. Well, as you might know, the last person I had a 'thing' with was outside this comfort zone. Just barely, though, so I could justify it if I needed.

Now, that is over, and I've started talking to someone who I think I may like to pursue further. Of course, "further" just means talk to him outside of work, so far. It could end up that there is some thing that I find out that just destroys this before it happens, but assuming there's not.... how old is too old?

I believe it should somehow be percentage-based, and ultimately I think most people are of that same mindset (the half-plus-seven is sort of based on this same logic...But when you get past a certain age it gets sort of creepy - a 90 year old and a 52 year old? I guess Hugh Hefner is still kicking even that in the ass). For instance, 6 years between 28 & 34 - not a big deal. 6 years between 21 & 15 - totally creepy. Right? But where....what....is this magic percent? Is it 80% of your age? So if you're 50, you can date a 40 year old by this rule, but all the way down to 32 with the half plus 7 rule....

This particular guy (we'll call him Morning) is 15 years my senior. And when I look at that number, 15, I see many things: He graduated high school when I was 2 or 3. He could legally drink when I was 6. 15 years is 65% of my life so far, and less than 40 of his. However, when I don't look at that number, I also see many things. Different things. I find him adorable. He seems to be a genuinely nice person. We have a similar outlook on life. We have a lot in common & overlapping interests. These things are the important things...right?

Let's see....80% of 38 is...over 30...Damn. And Morning's half + 7 age = 26.

I'm not worried about what other people think, as long as I'm happy. But then I wonder about things like the variance in sexual peak: Males reach this peak between 18-25, whereas females reach it between 25-40. This means that by the time I am in this peak age range, he will be at least 40 but anywhere up to 55. That's pushin' the Viagra years!! However, considering that I won't be having sex in my peak with a man who is in his peak unless he's 10 or more years younger than me, do I factor that in at all? It's not fair to women that mentally they mature faster than males but sexually it's so much later. Uggg put this on the list of reasons I hate being a chick. :/



According to this made-up chart I found on a random blog, I am right smack dab in the middle of the sugar daddy age group. Hmmm...

What are your guys' thoughts on this? Is there something I'm not thinking of that should sway me one way or the other??