i want to be in the new sections, in the new offices, moving my furniture around, putting things up on the walls, organizing my shelves, breathing in the smell of new paint and carpet. i’ve spent most of the morning visiting everyone in their new offices. as soon as i came back to my desk to do real work, the network went down. so i had lunch and now i have a load of work to accomplish but i don’t want to work. i just want to help someone unpack.

today, i straightened my hair for the first time in, oh, probably two months. it became glaringly obvious that, while out doing my grocery shopping, i was getting a lot of looks from the opposite sex. i mean, a lot. this is interesting because, when i leave my hair curly, i get more positive comments from women.
women seem to covet curly hair, while men are attracted to straight hair. this is a very interesting contradiction.
i have no idea what it means in the big scheme of things, nor am i inclined to speculate on it at the moment as the frozen stuff i bought is sitting on the counter melting as i type this. so, while i put the groceries away, what’s your take on this? c’mon, share with the group.

i woke at 4:30 this morning curled up into a fetal position and shivering like a soaked cat. i was about to be assaulted by three men in rubber masks carrying guns and i couldn’t find anywhere to hide. i felt completely vulnerable and doomed. all i wanted to do was save his wife from being abused and him raping any more women. i didn’t know she’d tell him i knew. i didn’t think he’d come after me like that. i think i’ll get another lock on my door.

i was absolutely shocked to hear the news that douglas adams, author of the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy died yesterday morning. i can’t even begin to tell you what that series of books meant to me as a dorky, unpopular teeny-bopper. it provided a connection to other people. when i’d say “where’s your towel?”, it was as if doors opened. i instantly had something to talk about with other kids.
i’m thankful for doug’s brain (the size of a planet) and i hope to meet him for drinks at milliways someday.

well, i guess the latest job action rumour (pickets up at 2 o’clock today) was again, just a rumour. dammit! i hate this feeling. they can shut us down at any moment. literally. of course, because i didn’t want to work today or would have liked to go home early, they’re leaving us alone. fuckers. if you’re going to cost me money, at least do it when i want you to!
i’m going to blow bob off and not go see the mummy ii with him tonight. i’m going to stay home, eat microwave popcorn and jasmine rice and watch dawon’s creek. i may even do my laundry. actually, it’s highly likely i will do my laundry just so i can sleep in tomorrow before meghan and i go shopping.
yesh… we’re going to the mall. she’s getting mark some new jeans and wants to go to the linen store and is taking me in hopes i will keep her from spending too much money. ha! what she doesn’t realize is the only reason i didn’t go loopy in ikea last week was because i wanted to get out as soon as possible and go get something to eat. she has no idea! i could use new towels, and that shower organizer and i still have a 20% off coupon for there. mmm, discount.

so, i feel kind of obligated to do some of the work that’s piling up. more when i’m less swamped.
in the meantime, feel free to discuss the political climate of british columbia as we approach election day next week.

having the hiccups while brushing your teeth is not only annoying, it’s dangerous. one wrong spasm and you can lodge your toothbrush in the back of your throat or through your soft palate and into your brain. gingivitis just doesn’t seem as daunting in that light.

whenever i feel uninspired or meek with words i tend to start linking to outside sources rather than risk typing my feet into my mouth. it is much easier to just let someone else do the talking sometimes. “here, read this,” takes so much pressure off.
i can’t seem to formulate a complete train of thought lately. i get a blurb and when i try to expound, it whithers pathetically. or, i can have this prolific mental prose running through my brain, but when i sit at the keyboard, i can’t retrieve it. it’s so very agonizing. especially when it’s something i was rather pleased with.
i was just reading my archives. i don’t do it often; but, when i do, i’m usually surprised by them. “holy shit,” i think, “that’s good!” a lot of the time i don’t give myself enough credit, or any at all. but, as i read them and start to feel a little confident, a little pleased with myself, that’s when the doubt creeps in. the doubt that i’m only going downhill from there. that i’ve used up my quota of creativity and i’m trying desperately to build something great out of the stale crumbs which are left.
on the topic of bees, i’ve decided that if they were bigger and less likely to sting me, i’d like a nice, fat, fuzzy one as a pet.

thanks to andrea, i found mighty big tv and managed to catch up on the entire season of felicity (which hasn’t been broadcast here, goddammit) in a mere ten minutes. of course, it’s not quite the same without the soundtrack and perfect teeth, but it helped fill a void.
now i have to go catch up on jack & jill.

i have a sneaking suspicion i might be allergic to flax seeds. the first time i ate some flax bread i was covered by a strange rash for a week. now, the really tasty “harvest seed” bread i’m eating has flax seeds in it and i’m having this weird throat thing happening concurrently. i haven’t had said bread the last two mornings and i think that the symptoms are subsiding. of course, i could just be aclimating to the discomfort and they’re not at all related.
in other news, i now have the most relaxed forearm in existance. one of the managers just zapped me with dr. ho’s muscle massage system and it felt damn good. i think i may invest in one for myself. i really like the rapid-fire setting which feels like a super-hard shower massage. mmm… massage.
the rumours were false. no job action today. it took a really long time to get out of bed this morning as i was actually looking forward to the day off to get some stuff accomplished. the bastards picket when i don’t want ’em to and don’t when i’d appreciate it.

the rumours are that there is going to be some sort of job action tomorrow. ugh. well, if we are picketed, that will give me all day to work up the courage to go to the doctor to get this weird throat thing checked out.
i know i’ll jinx myself by saying it… screw it. i’m not telling you.

being told “you look like you’ve lost weight” the day after you ate a bag of chips, a chocolate bar, a package of jelly beans and three ounces of almonds for dinner.

this post is for paige so she can comment freely here until such time as those IT bastards have fixed her computer. go for it, babe. it’s all yours…

you’re in a public washroom. you have to relieve yourself of some serious gas. conscientiously, you wait until you’re alone. then, just as you’re about to let it rip… someone else walks in.
“okay,” you think, “i can hold it ’til they leave.” they do their business, but seem to take a long time. finally, you hear the flush and wait for the handwashing to be finished.
the tap shuts off. you eagerly await the fading clicks as they leave you and your flatulance alone. but, no! the water starts running again. there are strange noises as their presence persists. you can feel the gas roiling about in your bowels, just waiting for an opening to escape in a perfumed plume.
eventually, you give up. the moment has passed. the urge to fart has faded, just as hunger does if you go too long without food. you’re left feeling unsatisfied, frustrated but still bloated.
the end.

last night at approximately 8pm, my intercom buzzed. as you know, i don’t get a lot of unexpected visitors, so i was appropriately shocked that someone was at my door. my first thought was “it better not be that kid selling chocolate-covered almonds again.” my second thought was “maybe it’s jason come to fetch his damn chessboard.” my third thought vaguely involved census-takers, meghan and beer.
i answered the buzzer with a trepidacious “hello?” and was delighted to hear a gruff “have a package for you” in reply. yay! a package! i buzzed him right in and accepted a very large, by my standards, box from the short, ginger-haired fellow. i thanked him and quickly shut the door and set about opening it. it was just the hundred-dollars worth of books i’d ordered for my mom’s mother’s day present, but still… i love getting packages.
as i wrapped up the books in purple cellophane, i couldn’t help but think of how absolutely stunned my mom will be when she opens it and sees what i got her. of course, i hear today that she needs to replace her oil tank for the heating oil, so i’m kind of kicking myself that i couldn’t just give her the money towards that. maybe i’ll fish some out of my savings account to help her out.

so, i’m reading up on lenses, f-stops and film speed. i used to know all this stuff, but that was in 11th grade and after mom sold my slr camera, i had no reason to retain it. i’m just so consumed with the desire to take pictures again it’s almost painful. i can’t afford a new camera, so i’m thinking i’ll go around the “second hand” stores (aka pawn shops) this weekend to see if there’s anything decent used out there.
i seriously can’t afford a digital right now, so i’ll go back to my roots and get a nice, sturdy 35mm and play around with that. i’m also thinking i’ll fish out my old black & white negatives and get them developed. i know there are a couple water shots i really want to see again.
*click*

i got a postcard from paige and goddess and basil and ashley and scott and laura today! of course, it arrived 30¢ postage due, but we’ll forgive ’em for that because it totally made my otherwise shitty monday.