Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! But it didn't taste nearly as great coming back up, I tell you what. No sooner had I finished my last bite of pie when I started to feel queasy. The next 14 hours were the worst of my life. The next morning my dear sweet hubby took me to the doctor. As we were leaving the doctor's office, the front bumper of the car got caught on another car's trailer hitch, ripping our bumper off. That was really great. Really. Great. Fortunately, I'm off work on holiday for the next 5 days, so I won't need to use up any of my 120+ hours of sick time that I've accumulated. Instead of being sick during work time, I opt to get sick during my personal time. What can I say? I'm a team player.

That's right. I had my first run-in with a glass sliding door last night. After 27 years free of glass door injuries, I was doing so well! I was watering the plants, and some sneaky little troll closed the door behind me, sabotaging my plant watering efforts. I was a little mad because it hurt my face to slam into the glass like that, but I was also laughing my ass off, which was kinda confusing for me. What to do? Laugh or cry? How about both!

But I did leave a mark from my face smashing into the window!! I had to go back and check, and sure enough, there it was. My face right there in the glass. I don't know why, but I think it's especially funny to see people get hurt or fall from doing stupid stuff like that. Even if it's me... Anyways, I'll have to keep an eye out for that sneaky troll to prevent this from happening next time.

Remember, Just because you can see through things, doesn't mean you can walk through them! whoa......

Ellerose is finally here!

Born yesterday at 1:49pm
6lbs. 4oz (and a week overdue!)
21 inches long

Ellie and her mom are doing great. A minute after she was born she just laid there so calm and mellow, blinking her big eyes looking around at everybody. I'm just so taken by her. She is so calm and sweet and alert, it's like she knows what she's doing already.

The economy is growing, the stock market is booming, and productivity is at an all time high. So where's the extra dough going? I'll tell you this much, not to you or me.

http://www.cepr.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1243&Itemid=45

"Saying that the majority of the country's economic gains in recent years have gone to the top one percent of the income ladder understates the trend. You have to cut the pie into even smaller slices to get the full picture. Because while the bottom half of the top one percent of the income distribution have done far better than the average wage slaves, it is a smaller slice still -- the top .01 percent -- that has grabbed most of the gains--seeing an impressive 250 percent increase in income between 1973 and 2005 -- from an economy that's grown by 160 percent.

"...(Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez) found that despite several periods of healthy growth between 1973 and 2005, the average income of all but the top ten percent of the income ladder -- nine out of ten American families - fell by 11 percent when adjusted for inflation. For three decades, economic growth in the United States has gone first and foremost to building today's modern Gilded Age."

So, we're working harder and making less than ever before. We've all heard this story before. And we all want a slice of the pie. But apparently not as much as the aforementioned .01 percent that we're giving all our money to...

...because he's mad at him for not taking enough units in his first year of college. No joke. If you knew my dad, this punishment would make perfect sense.

One time, he watched my sister spend all afternoon waxing her car. As soon as she left to take a shower, he turned on the sprinklers because he was mad at her for eating all the pickles. Why would he get mad at someone for such an act? Because "Pickles are expensive!", apparently.

Another time, he put super glue in the lock to my sister's room while she was out because he didn't have a key, and it is his house, after all. The following morning, I guess he must have had a moment of remorse when he saw her sleeping on the couch. He woke my brother up at 6am and put him on a ladder to climb through the window so he could fix her door.

On several occasions he's purposefully left the front door open so my sister's dog could escape. He's left rat poison in her rabbits bunny run, successfully killing the smallest bunny, Chewey. When he gets mad at someone, he does everything in his power to wreak havoc in that person's life. Unfortunately for all of us, he really doesn't know any better.

The thing is, when I was an angsty teenager, I had 3 sisters to soften the blow. If any one of us was getting too much parental attention, it was easy to defuse the situation by bringing up something much worse that one of my siblings had done. We all, at one time or another, have taken a fall for each other. Now, all of us girls are in our mid to late twenties, leaving my poor little 19-year-old brother at home with more parental attention than he can handle. He's a good kid... but that won't last long with the way he's being treated. And I know from personal experience that it won't ease up for him for another 5-7 years.

I told my brother that in dad's house whoever pays the bills makes the rules, and if the rules are "When I don't like you, I steal and/or destroy your things", then those are the rules. He can either take his crap and get a new toothbrush, or leave.

Work has been non-stop mad crazy busy for weeks now. For me, at least. It just drives me crazy when people ask me to help them out, then they go home early. My new strategy is to take a really long time to do just about everything.

I can't keep up this pace.

I just need a little nap.

I'll be under my desk.

i got a promotion and a raise. i also got to move my office to a more quiet area, no longer right under the bosses nose. nice. it surely is a nice transition. my new job involves a lot more writing of proposals and reports. i'm working on my first of many proposals, and it's proving to be quite fun. there's about 6 of us that get to decide everything from the design of the study to the formulation of the data collection instruments. now, i'm sure most of you just read "nerd nerd nerd, nerd nerd nerd nerd." what can i say? all you need to know is that it's good shit for me! :)

don't you love it when you finally get a report off your desk that has consumed every little bit of your free time for the last 2 weeks? don't you love it even more when you're told to fill out an overtime form to get paid time and a half for all those extra hours? Woo!Hoo!

... i very well may miss being exempt.

so i buy these big bottles of water that i frequently bring into work so i can stay hydrated throughout the day. while hydration is an important goal, i don't always make it through the whole bottle and frequently leave it sitting at my desk to be consumed the following day. one day i returned to work to find that my water had gone missing. i wrote it off to an extremely efficient cleaning crew. nonetheless, i continued to carelessly leave my unfinished bottle on my desk for later consumption.

this brings us to my current state. minutes ago, i reached over and grabbed a bottle that had been previously opened and took a sip. as i set the bottle down, i noticed something floating in the water. upon closer inspection, it appeared to be some sort of dust or fuzz. i am now daunted with the thought that my water has been tampered with, and even worse, i've consumed a sip of said tampered water. my initial reaction was to purge immediately to rid myself of any fuzz that may have gotten into my body. i talked myself out of such drastic action, but i remain thoroughly disgusted.

based on the homeland security advisory model, my water bottle threat level has been escalated to orange, or high. citizens should continue to be vigilant, take notice of their surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to authorities immediately.

in the mean time, while i may remain un-hydrated for the rest of the day, i can say with confidence that i've learned my lesson.

Chicago is a very cool city. there's so much to see and do, tons of good restaurants, good shopping, great architecture, and good museums. the weather's a little unpredictable, so you have to be prepared for anything. we went for a walk one day, and it was about 75 degrees. within one hour it dropped down to 50. fortunately, everything you need is within walking distance, because driving in the city is insane. i could only take a week of that shit. in la, you have to be a defensive driver, in chicago you have to be on the offense. i don't think i drove over 30mph all week because there was so much traffic, and i can't even count how many times i got cut off. i was sitting at a red light waiting for it to change, and some idiot pulled around from behind me and tried to cut me off. i started out with patience, and ended up ready to leave the car at the side of the freeway and walk to the airport. despite the aggressive drivers, the people are surprisingly friendly. enrique asked some old guy for directions, and he said "i'll walk you there." enrique said that wasn't necessary, and the guy said "what, are you denying my company?" and proceeded to engage in conversation as they walked to their destination. everywhere we went, it was really easy to interact with people, which gave the city a really cool vibe.

but i am glad to be back home. i'm more comfortable on the border between the city and the suburbs where the sun is shining all the time, and i can drive 80 on the freeways. yesterday i changed lanes in front of someone and they flashed their headlights at me. i thought that was kinda cute. it made me laugh.



cool architecture










the artist calls it the cloud. the locals call it the bean.


the beaner and the bean


the beans bellybutton. (under the bean)




holding Chicago together


the john hancock tower from the bottom


john hancock tower from the top




view from the bathroom


sunset from the plane

(I got the horoscope from http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2007/01/january_2007_ho.php. I have to admit, I really like the To-Do To-Don't format.)

"ARIES (March 21- April 19)
No one has ever accused an Aries of being too Pisces, too unable to take a stand or have an opinion or make up a big ol' Aries mind. No one ever confuses Aries with Cancer, always dreaming of the future or the past and never fully present. Aries can make decisions quickly, right now! In the moment! But Aries has a bit of an impulse-control issue, too, so in 2007 your To-Don't is clear: Don't live entirely based on your impulses. Use your big Aries brain and your equally big heart to balance out your decisions. Acting on impulse may be fine at the grocery store or the shoe store, but it gets harder to justify "I just wanted to!" with family and friends and work. Your To-Do for 2007 is a good one, though: Do spend more time indulging your snooty, refined, prissy self. Aries make excellent foodies, and great wine lovers, and fabulous art critics. Aries folks can enjoy the finer parts of life like nobody's business. Make it your business!"

"TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taureans are alternately thrilled about the big year ahead, terrified of what could go wrong at any moment, or in complete "I'll think about that later" mode. Typical Taurus. This 2007 To Don't will be very tough for you: Don't minimize your own fear, or anxiety, for a minute longer. You tend to get nervous and suppress it to new and unknown nether regions of the psyche, where it rears up and wakes you in the middle of the night and then you lay awake with no way to deal with it. It's completely ok to be a basket case inside sometimes. It's not weak to have worries or doubts, and it doesn't make you a failure to fear something. Your 2007 To Do is happier: Do something on a regular basis just for you, something that pleases you and makes you happy and relaxes you. Ya'll are some of the best do-ers in the zodiac, so make your own comfort a project and put yourself at the top of the list of people you need to "do" for. "

OK, so I'm on the cusp, but my little taurean self couldn't agree more on the whole "I'll think about it later" deal. (See how everyone else came out with these "lists" and whatnot last week, while I was thinking about it later?) Interesting that fear seems to be the theme here. "Don't minimize your fear or anxiety." What's that supposed to mean? I think I need to do the opposite of that; quit worrying about things I can't change... just let go. Although I guess the subject of fear has forced me to think about some stuff... I can do "happier". So, here's the list....

• Cook dinner at least 3 times each week. (I mean real dinner. Sandwiches are ok from time to time, but this every night  sandwich routine is getting out of hand. I always talk myself out of it. I say "April, you don't have enough time to cook dinner tonight." But that's not true! I really enjoy cooking when I actually do it, I just need to make it part of my routine.)

• Spend 15 minutes each evening tidying the house and tending to my miscellaneous home projects. (Read: finally get the office organized, the balconies cleared off, get rid of the dead weeds in the flower boxes and plant some actual flowers for crying out loud! BUT don't get overwhelmed trying to change the world in one day.)

• Take one photo a day. (I need documentation of my existence...;))

• Drink a lot of water. (But not as much as this lady: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16614865/ )

• Go out dancing.

• Moisturize.

• Leave five minutes earlier. (My trip to work used to take 15 minutes. But there's more idiots on the road and traffic has gotten worse, so now it takes longer, but instead of accepting this fact I insist on leaving at the same time and complaining nonstop about traffic, "Why is traffic so bad? All these friggin people need to get out of my way! It should not take this long to go just six miles!" But it does. That is life. Leave earlier and relax, stop making yourself crazy with road rage.)

• Bring lunch to work every once in a while. (Part of "Stick to The Budget")

• Host a dinner party in which I actually cook a real dinner.

• Do something fun on my birthday.

• See more people and get out more. (A part of me thinks I need to stop hiding under the comfort of my little rock on Florida Street, while another part of me just loves being at home. You see, I am a comfort loving girl, and it's cold outside and so cozy inside. But I do believe that balance is important, and I'm a little lopsided right now.)

• Laugh a lot everyday.

• Clean and organize the office.

• Stick to The Budget.

• Go to a museum.

• Move. I've been renting for 7 years now. Imagine how much equity I'd have if I owned all this time? Of course there's always an excuse not to buy. I can think of about a thousand right now. It's a very scary thing to do, but the sooner the better. At some point this year, I will pay down my debts. (Granted, I must stick to The Budget, but it's so close!) When this happens, I need to buy a place. This great little apartment on Florida Street has been perfect for my life so far. But it's time to find a home to settle down into, and more importantly, start building some equity.

last monday, our water was cut off because the management company forgot to pay the water bill. on tuesday, we got a notice on our door saying that we owe them $67 because our rent was late. we pay our rent in full and on time every month, which is apparently more than they can say for themselves. i think THEY should be giving US $67 for going a day without water. on wednesday, someone knocked on our door and told us they were going to cut the lock from our garage if we didn't open it for the inspectors who, for all we know, randomly decided to stop by. the dryer has been broken for 2 weeks now. after several calls to the management company there has been no return call. 2 days ago, a "terminator" entered our apartment (without notice, of course) and said that he'll be fumigating tomorrow and everyone needs to be out for 5-6 hours. no notice, written or otherwise. a few hours later, they posted a notice on our door saying that an inspector will come by tomorrow to inspect, nothing about an actual fumigation. they left a number for us to call with questions or concerns. i called with my questions and concerns about their lack of communication. surprise surprise, after 2 days of leaving messages i have yet to get a call back. stupid. stupid. stupid.

Stolen from Sam...

Poor Hamster
S.C.E.


My friend named Ezra
Has a girlfriend named Ita
Who has a hamster named Earl
If you can even name such creatures

I go to Ezra's house to smoke and separate
One side of me goes to sleep
The other side speaks in tongues
It's sometimes hard to tell the difference
It's sometimes hard to tell the differance.

We sit and sit
And sit
And
Sit

Someone
Or should I say Ita?
If you can even name such creatures
Brings in the hamster
Or should I say Earl?

Earl runs and runs
And runs
And
Runs

They take him out of his cage
They hold him to keep him from escaping
They blow smoke on him for their own pleasure
How disgusting

Over and over again
He is pulled out of his plastic world
Only to be sealed right back into the clear prison
The miserable cycle

He has no chance
The poor hamster
His only goal in life
Is freedom

They do it over
And over
And
Over

They take me out of my cage
They hold me to keep me from escaping
They blow it in my face for their own pleasure
How disgusting

Over and over again
I'm pulled from my plastic world
Only to be sealed right back into the clear prison
The miserable cycle

I have no chance
Poor hamster
My only goal in life
Is freedom

It's disgusting.

i needed to buy some dog food, which would be a simple enough task if someone hadn't spiked the crack in long beach yesterday. i was about to pull into a parking spot when all of a sudden this psycho appears out of no where and starts running down the street towards this guy yelling "you better not fucking go in there you faggot! i'll fucking kill you!" you should have seen the expression on the other guys face. priceless. he not only went in there, he went in there really really fast. i pulled into a spot behind the laundromat next to the pet store. the psycho proceeded to run into the laundromat and jump on top of the washing machines yelling at people, throwing laundry all over the place, causing general terror among the patrons. i stood there and watched for a minute wondering what it takes to throw someone elses laundry across the room, and what would i have done if it was my laundry. the police were by the time i left the pet store.

flash forward to a few surprisingly uneventful hours later, i'm sitting on my couch eating a pop-cycle all nice and comfy-like when i hear this female yelling in front of my house "This is MY neighborhood fuckers! MY NEIGHBORHOOD!!!" then the response "Someone call the police! She's got a gun!!" She replied "MY NEIGHBORHOOOD! GET OUT!! GET OUT!!" then i hear, "Everybody get down! She's gonna shoot!" Granted, i was by myself and slightly paranoid, so i threw myself on the ground faster than you can say "gee-willikers". tragically, i lost my pop-cycle in the chaos. i felt kinda silly when no shots were fired, but the police were there within 90 seconds.

i write this as a warning to all you readers out there. there is something wrong with the crack in long beach. DO NOT BUY ANY MORE CRACK!

sometimes, when people talk to me about boring things, i'll stop listening and start thinking about something more interesting. i tend to have a hard time keeping up with the conversation when this happens, but i normally do ok by saying "huh....uh-huh...yeah..." so long as i get the gist of what we're talking about, i can even throw in an occasional comment of interest. so when i say "wow. that sounds like a very interesting television program. i'll have to keep an eye out for that one", i'm actually picturing myself eating an ice cream cone while on a roller coaster.

Today is supposed to be my first day of unemployment. Yesterday morning I woke up fully expecting to have my office cleared out by 5:00pm. But first, I had some other business to attend to.

My husband and I were scheduled for our final interview at the INS office. As we were sitting in the waiting room, I received a voicemail, but decided to wait until later to check it. After 2 hours in the waiting room, Officer B* called our name and ushered us down a long hall into his office. Before we sat down, he told us to raise our right hand and swear to tell the truth. We sat, and he began to review our paperwork. Officer B reminded me of Eddie Murphy's brother from the Chapelle Show. He looked up at our lawyer, who was standing behind us and asked her to sit down. She explained that she has back problems and was hoping to stand. He said "Well, if you insist. But people standing in my office makes me irritated, and I would much prefer to have you sitting." I wasn't interested in seeing an irritated Officer B. He likes to be in charge, and he wants you to know it. Our lawyer politely took a seat. He asked us a series of questions, everything from how we met to what vacations we've been on together. As we answered he would study our facial expressions and pause for a few seconds after we stopped talking. It was like he was reading our faces like a polygraph. We didn't have much to hide, but it was a nerve-wracking experience. In the end, we were approved! Walking out of that office, we felt like we just won the lotto.

We shook hands with our lawyer and were ready to bust out the champagne when I decided to check my voicemail. It was my co-worker telling me that today is NOT my last day of work, I STILL HAVE A JOB!! This little 10 minute segment of my life just went from overwhelming to ecstatic. It was the most exciting 10 minutes I've had in... well, no, not the most exciting, but it's up there! In the end, I can't say I know why things worked out the way they did, but damn! What a day!



*names have been changed to protect Officer B's identity ;)

no more work for me! at this time next week, i will be unemployed. it's kinda hard to get up after being knocked down like that. i'm having a difficult time trying to figure out where to go from here. i guess i'm still trying to figure out what i want to be when i grow up...

i'm back from new york, with no luggage! they lost my mom and sister's bags on the way out there, and mine on the way back. and the best part is, they don't know where it is or when it will get back to me. it's now been 48 hours, and they are clueless. i was told to fax in all my receipts for clothing and toiletries for reimbursement.

normally i'd shop at express, but this sounds like a situation that calls for a little banana republic. i am in for one KILLER outfit. and i'm searching for the most expensive undergarments i can find. i feel like i need some diamonds on my ass. and shoes? why not? how can i go on without shoes?!

but i'm glad to be home. family is great, travel is great, but enough is enough, and i'm glad it's over.

...well, almost over, pending the arrival of my luggage. if it's missing for more than 5 days, we'll start talking about all of the irreplaceable items in there.

"Time is a monster that cannot be reasoned with.
It responds like a snail to our impatience
then it races like a gazelle when you can't catch your breath."

On tuesday, my boss asked to see me in her office. she sat me down and told me that they have to start laying people off due to lack of funding. if we don't get any contracts within 30 days, myself and 2 other co-workers are to be laid off. i still don't know what to make of this. there's always ups and downs working for "soft money", and we all know that we could loose our jobs at anytime. but you're still never really prepared for the shock of having someone say "you're done".

Just a few months ago, i looked into my other employment options due to the lack of job security here. i weighed out all my options, and decided that i didn't want to leave. i like my job. i like the company. i like my co-workers. i like traveling. looking at my other options made me realize how much i like working here. and now, i'm done. i'm a wreck. suddenly all of my fears came swooping into my head at once. everything in my life can change within the next few weeks.

After allowing the reality of the situation sink in for a few days, i realize that i always land on my feet. i just need to prepare myself for the next step, and i want the it to be in the right direction. as of now, i'm employed through september 8. i have no idea where i'm going or what i'm going to do after that. that is a terrifying feeling.