Rules of Engagement

Generally accepted tenets of blogging as listed in Justinsomnia:

• post regularly
• title each post
• link to things on the web
• provide each post with its own url (permalink)
• allow full access to archived posts
• allow comments
• identify updated content with an appropriate label (such as “update” or “correction”)
• provide a feed (rss, atom, etc)

We all have our own way of doing things in the blogosphere and this is a sign of healthy creativity. A blog by its definition is a web log. WEB log. On the web and usually for public consumption (reading). Surely a blog’s success shouldn’t rest solely on the number of comments received or on the fawning minions and robotic automatons who are in reality people one knows IRL showing up basically to bolster ones sagging ego. Yes it is pleasant to discover kindred spirits in cyberland and serendipitously connect, but there are bound to be others who don’t see eye to eye on every entry. Its life—deal with it. True joy comes from meeting new and diverse people out there in the far corners of cyberspace who land on ones site via other links or happy accidents. Their championing your partisan views is greatly appreciated but not obligatory. Since when is commenting mandatory? Is it right to insist on comments and punish those who don’t by blocking them from further reading? Who has the kind of time to leave statements on every single one of their bloglinks anyway? Shouldn’t comments be given in the true spirit of free will, generosity, and with a magnanimous desire to make a valid contribution to the topic at hand? On the other hand, abuse and unwanted spam deserve zero tolerance. Verbal attacks are completely unacceptable, unnecessary, rude and demand deletion with utmost haste and minus retaliatory sparring. Just delete. No need to start a flame war which is a waste of time and effort. And since when has lurking become a dirty word? We welcome lurkers, not try to drive them away! Isn’t this how one decides if a particular site is to our taste? And haven't we all sometimes pulled up a blog and then got busy forgetting we had opened it while hours clicked away before we finally remembered it was patiently sitting minimized, awaiting our eventual return? What could be more complimentary than taking the time to get to know the person(s) behind the typed words by perusing their archives? Why would this be frowned upon causing forbidden access and what on God's green earth would possess a person to falsely accuse an innocent lurker of being a scheming stalker??? A stalker lies in wait to do bodily harm to an unsuspecting victim and his intent is highly despicable and downright criminal. Reading another’s blog in no conceivable way resembles this devious, illegal act.

In conclusion, here are a few suggestions I would like to add:

Don’t squash and vindictively delete gently-worded, opposing viewpoints that even slightly differ from your narrow-minded view.

Don’t be so paranoid that you only allow “friends” (aka family, mindless sycophants, or combination thereof) to visit your blog.

Don’t think everyone has to comment on your preshus blog.

Don’t get pissed that your blog is being read *gasp* by someone you haven’t personally approved.

Don’t leave hateful, venom-spewing, curse-riddled, name-calling private messages to someone you don’t know who has done nothing to deserve your psychotic diatribes.

Yes, this is directed specifically toward a certain blogger and no, they are not one of our exceptional links. :) *steps away from soapbox*

Sauerkraut and Weenies

When you get preggers, smells are more.... intense, I guess I should say. I smell things more than I usually would and am much more sensitive to different odors.

Today there is a horrid smell of ass or sauerkraut downstairs in the breakroom hallway. As the day warmed up, the stinch has become more intense... so much that someone has propped the doors open to allow the stinch to flow out. I'm sure in their mind it was to let 'fresh air in'.

To get from my area to darn near anyplace else in the building I/we must go through one of two doorways. One being this ass/sauerkraut aroma filled hallway or the other being the entryway leading to the mens bathroom which is in a constant state of poop smell.

No way around it, I must hold my breath to go see any V.P. or hit a pop machine, or this very sensitive little lady just might blow lunch chunks on the floor. I mentioned said raunchy smell to one of the techs and he agreed the ass/sauerkraut smell is burning his nasal passages. If a dude can smell it.... it's bad!

Grand Finale

Classes are over, graduation is past and our learned scholars are packing their bags and heading out this week as they finish finals and giddily sprint for the exit. Our days will get considerably quieter (and interminably longer) and I will actually reach a point where I long for the phone to ring and the sound of student chatter in the hallways. As I drive past the nearest dorms on my morning commute, my eyes will sadly gaze at the empty parking lots bereft of their various and sundry vehicles. Sure we have summer classes, but it’s just not the same. It’s funny how thrilled I am to see the little devils leave the premises after a semester chock full of sensory overload—a solid, relentless barrage of ringing phones and streams of faculty, staff, and students crossing my threadbare threshold. No wonder I scurry home, immediately cowering under the covers, hiding from the raucous, demanding world outside, begging the cats to take any messages. And yet by summer’s end, I eagerly await the fresh batch of wide-eyed collegians, nervously enduring freshman orientation and biting their nails in anticipation of their first exciting day of new experiences and nameless, unfamiliar classmates. As they depart our familiar halls, whether transferring to four-year institutions or entering the world of commerce, I wish them all the best in their transition to the next big adventure.

Across From the Trees

For lunch today, my sis and I tried a new little hole in the wall. A few weeks ago the guys in my area had lunch brought in. It smelled SO yummy and looked absolutely scrumptious! They got burgers and fried artichoke hearts (which I tasted and they were fantastic) but they said there was pizza and it was the best!

Sis and I decided we'd try the little joint today. The guys gave me the approximate location - which is in a less desirable part of the city, but hey.... it's daytime and we'd be ok! I headed out to meet her... drove past the place about 10 times trying to find it because it was not what I expected. It was a junky hole in the wall. It appeared to be an old gas station converted into a deli. We headed inside and stood under the beer and cigarette sign to order our lunch.

The guy working - we still cant figure out what nationality he is... but has a foreign accent - told us he was out of artichoke! We both gasped for air and squeeled 'no way!' He went to the back and found two... which he said we could have for free. yeah! So we get those.. and we ordered cheese sticks with marinara and I ordered some Cowboy maynard sandwich and sis ordered an All Meat Calizone. Our thinking was, we'd share all our food so we could taste more.

We whipped out our money and he said 'no no.. you pay afterwards. Lets see if you like it first'. We already knew we would!

He brought out our two artichokes with garlic mayonnaise and our cheese sticks. They were the biggest cheese sticks i'd ever seen in my life! One probably carried a good 500 calories and added 2 immediate pounds to your hips. Both were good, btw...

Then came our calizone and sandwich (with fries). I would have never eaten there if someone hadnt told me about it or if I hadnt tasted it... for it was very scarey looking. But... I think this is my new favorite place to eat! It was all good! It really was the best pizza. It wasnt drowning in bread like ALL the other pizza joints. It was a thin bread - even thinner than thin crust pizza... and alot softer - stuffed full of meats. I mean stuffed too. We stuffed ourselves.

Just as we're leaving... and trying to pay... he asks if we'd like dessert. We decline because, well we're stuffed! He says 'you like chocolate!?' Of course we like chocolate! 'I be right back!' and with that he dashes off. He came back to the table with the best looking 10 layer chocolate mousse cake we'd ever seen. One bite and we were sold... had to finish it! Gosh it was good!

Palma's... you wouldn't think so, but it is awesome food!!!!

A Through Z

May showers bring June flowers I suppose as it’s raining cats and dogs today and there are various percentages of thunderbloomers forecast for the next seven days. So we are starting May out a tad watery shall we say. I stole this from our darling Ms Sizz…

A - Available or Single? No and no. (but I’m a great flirt)

B - Best Friend? If sisters are considered best friends. I’ve gone the ‘one best friend’ route and it’s never pretty. Some day we’ll talk about that.

C - Cake or Pie? Pie please and about the only kind I don’t care for is mincemeat. (shudders) I like cake but it has to be really good—no Walmart cakes, thank you.

D - Drink of Choice? I think we all know the answer to this one. Wine, preferably Chardonnay, Merlot, or Sauv Blanc but I’m not overly picky.

E - Essential Item(s)? Cell phone, tote bag, tweezers, makeup, earrings, planner.

F - Favorite Color? Silver, then pale pink.

G - Gummi Bears or Worms? Yuck. Neither.

H - Hometown? Cleveland, OH *Cleveland Rocks*

I - Indulgence? Regular haircuts, expensive fragrance, yearly trips.

J - January or February? Toss-up. January because we have the best chance of snow but February because of abundance of red hearts and it's shorter.

K - Kids? Sure.

L - Life is incomplete without…Love.

M - Marriage Date Yes.

N - Number of Siblings 1 younger sister.

O - Oranges or Apples? Apples. I like oranges but they are messy.

P - Phobias/Fears Heights, claustrophobia, getting stuck in an elevator. (You would not want to be in there with me, trust me on this one.)

Q - Favorite Quote: “Biting my truant pen, beating my self for spite, Fool, said my Muse to me, look in thy heart and write.” - Astrophil and Stella

R - Reasons to Smile? A warm, sunny day, or fat, fluffy snowflakes silently falling from the winter sky. Being alive.

S - Season? Summer.

T - Tag Three Must I?

U - Unknown Fact About Me: I’m entirely too sensitive. And I'm a stalker! NOT

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Carnivore. I love juicy, medium-cooked steaks with a lot of salt.

W - Worst habits? I'm sneaky.

X - X-rays or Ultrasounds? Must I choose from this strange choice?

Y - Your Favorite Foods Ice cream and it can be 0 degrees out, I don’t care. Steak mentioned above. Seafood. Coconut cream pie. Italian Cream cake. Pretty much any dessert. Pizza Supreme.

Z - Zodiac Gemini.

Happy May 1, darlings!

New Baby

My nephew and his wife just had their second baby.... a little girl.

They named her Sapphire Leanne.

When my sis told me, I had a moment of silence followed by a what!?!?

I'm not sure where the Sapphire came in... but the Leanne is after my sister I suppose. She joins a big brother J.D.

Congrats!

I dont have any pictures yet, but if I can get some... I shall post!

Cosmetic Caper

Occasional absentmindedness is one of my harmless quirks but I’m detecting an undercurrent of malicious intent afoot. It all started in March when fellow assistants and I took "S" out for a cozy lunch before her retirement. If you recall, I chauffeured the gang to our bistro of choice and it was upon our return to Chaos College that I reached into my bag for lipstick reapplication only to find my favorite Estée Lauder shade missing in action. Now I distinctly remembered tossing it in that morning so this made no sense whatsoever. The usual suspect places were gone over carefully with a fine tooth comb (desk drawer, tote bag, makeup basket) and still I came up empty handed. I looked high and low in every crevice of my office, car, parking lot, and house with no luck. I even suspiciously grilled my fellow (male) coworkers and checked for telltale signs of color enhancement on their thin, pale kissers. They passed the grueling interrogation. Or could BW be the sneaky culprit? Does he furtively snoop in my makeup basket when I depart for work or paw his way through the dark depths of my purse, snatching his chosen selections in his pussycat jaws and spirit them away to some hidden stash under the refrigerator for future aesthetic experiments in makeup application? I really got worried when two lipliners decided to join their fellow decorative renegade but they were discovered in the recesses of an abandoned handbag having simply failed to make the switchover. Whew! And yet I wonder what has become of my colorful, high-spirited, cherry-hued runaway. I do hope it’s found the happiness and love it craved and that its new owner is treating it with the respect and dignity accorded its high-class pedigree. Till we meet again…