Never, ever, ever...

Put tap water, even purified water, into a coffee machine! NEVER! I tried to de-lime the espresso machine. It took all day. Not only did I waste several hours, but the thing still didn't work! I swear, it will be distilled water from now on. I'm just glad it was a cheap espresso machine and not one of those fancy Italian numbers for $800 or something. I was so upset. I wasted some coffee grounds, too. Some yummy Verona from Starbucks. I had the fat-free half-and-half poured out to be steamed. It would have been fantastic. Damnit!!!

So, I guess I have to get another one sometime. It shouldn't be too horribly expensive to replace the one I had. It wasn't expensive to begin with. I wish I could afford a better machine, but I'm po'. Should be a couple of weeks, probably. Oh well.

Can't wait to see when Crowded House are coming. I know they've got some festival dates, but not really a tour set up yet. Hopefully soon. I would really, really, really like to go. I can't imagine they wouldn't play, at least, Austin. Hurry!

I guess I don't have anything to blog about, just my coffee escapade. Can't imagine that even if my machine had worked that the coffee would have tasted that good with all the lime in it. Yuck. Maybe it's good that I didn't get any coffee out of it. : (

It started with an oil change...

Just about time for it. Almost exactly on the nose. So, I took my car to Walmart, thinking the rush would be over after the morning. Nope. So, I'm in a long line and it takes forever for the guy to realize there's a new car there to take my information. But when he does, he tells me it will be an hour. I'm pretty sure it will take the full hour, too, plus a little more. That was at about 11:30 or so. Oh well. At least I brought a book. It was the book I was going to read at Starbucks later, but I didn't think I'd finish it while waiting. I did get through quite a bit of it, though. Still, I was there about an hour. Maybe a little longer. After that, I went to the library. That didn't take forever, but a little longer than I meant for it to. I was looking for a specific book and couldn't find it. It was probably checked out because I'd seen it there before and it wasn't there this time. Oh well. I still managed to find 3 that I wanted to read.

Then, it was Starbucks. I was getting a migraine, so I wanted something liquid, as opposed to a thick Frappuccino. I got a passion tea lemonade and asked Damon if they were going to get the coconut syrup for summer, but he said it wasn't coming for phase 1 and he didn't know about later. But he also said he had a little syrup left over from the year before. So, I was thinking, well I'll get a mocha coconut Frappuccino this Saturday with Dad. Then, I sat down to read and finished my drink, but wasn't that far from the end of the book, so I stayed a while longer, reading and almost finished the book. Then, I hear this "Hey, Baby!" and I really knew he wasn't talking to me but to someone else in the store, but he was right next to me, so I looked up briefly, only to see Dad standing there smiling at me. Surprise! Cool, and he'd just finished a call and could stay a while. I got another drink and Dad got a Frappuccino, too. It didn't seem like we were there that long, but Dad kept asking me if I was usually there that long. Well, my phone died this morning and I forgot to charge it, so I didn't have it with me. I also don't have a watch with a battery. I was like, yeah, sometimes I stay a while. Usually thinking about an hour to read or so. Not a terribly long time. So we talked for a few minutes and I'm thinking Dad needs to get back to work soon, but maybe he's off for lunch or something. No. It was 5:00! Wow. I had no clue it was that late. I didn't think I'd been there that long.

Dad thought I needed to get home because I hadn't eaten lunch. I wasn't terribly hungry, but knew I needed to eat anyway. So, we both said goodbye and I went home. Traffic wasn't horrible for it being rush hour, and I got home around 5:30. Dinner at about 6:00 or so. The game started around then (Game 2 of the Spurs-Nuggets series). So I watched that with Mom. Also did a load of laundry. Nothing exciting, although the Spurs managed to pull off a win. We're still pissed that they let a 17-point lead get away from them, though. Walked the dog, regular wash my face, etc. stuff. Overall, a long day. I bought some coffee beans at Starbucks, too, so I can make some espresso tomorrow. Woohoo! Too tired tonight. Wish I had some more exciting stuff to write about, but, hey. This is me we're talking about. So, now I'm thinking I'll turn the computer off for the night and get back to the job hunt tomorrow. I don't plan on going anywhere, but you never know. Stuff happens. Hope everyone out there is doing well. Keep in touch. : )

Party Pooper

I'll admit. I've never been "hip" or "cool" or any of those things. I never liked parties. I never liked going to bars. I'd much rather hang out at Starbucks than a bar, really. But this week is Fiesta here in San Antonio. I just feel like I should be as excited as everyone else. But no. I'm really more annoyed than anything else. Traffic is horrible everywhere. There are so many tourists going around and none of them have any clue where they're going. They like to drive 40 mph down a 70 mph highway, looking for the right exit. And, there's so much traffic in the other lane that I can't go around. Really, if I weren't trying to make it on time to a job interview I wouldn't care. Meeting new people can be cool and it's nice that my city is pretty and lots of people think we're nice and friendly, etc. Great. But the increase of tourists means the possible increase of stupid tourists. The ones who think they can get a hotel room for $30 a night even during our most popular travel dates. During Fiesta, you probably can't even get a room at Motel 6 for under $100 a night. Really, you're lucky to get a room at all. They will book up. All of them. Maybe even out to San Marcos, Fredericksburg, etc. Then, they get to Fiesta and they're pissed that they have to pay $10 to park, the food is overpriced and you have to pay for that even after admission to an event. And then, it's hot out (and humid this week), all the bugs are coming out, there's going to be those drunk idiots all over the place, parades blocking traffic...really, need I go on? And really, I don't understand the appeal of parades. To me, they're pretty dull. One float looks just like another, in my opinion. There's only so much they can do, after all. It's just a float. And I don't want to go hang out with a big crowd of people watching so-so bands play while I get beer spilled in my hair. They will probably be smoking, too, because everything's outdoors. Yuck. And I'll have to swat flies away while I eat, and I doubt the food is any better than I could get in a nice comfortable restaurant. Really, Fiesta doesn't sound fun to me and I don't see the point. Everyone says it's fun and I should go sometime. Maybe it would be better after I got there, but it's hard to sell it on me. Someone would have to tell me what's supposed to be fun about it. I just think there are other attractions in San Antonio that are better than a weeklong party. Maybe I'm pretty lame. Well, probably I'm pretty lame. My idea of fun is obviously different than a lot of other people's.

Another thing going on right now is the wildflowers in bloom. At least that, I can appreciate. They're pretty. There are some bluebonnets, although not as many as I expected. They're kind-of going away now. Most of them are these yellow ones that I don't know the name of. They look kind-of like daisies, but yellow with brown centers. Really, all you see is a sea of yellow. Then, there are these pretty deep, red-violet ones. Usually I don't see that many of them, but there are more than usual this year. There are a lot of lavender ones, too. Again, I'm probably not the person to ask about this because I don't know the names of any of them. I wish I did.

Today, I went to SAC in the morning because I got an e-mail that Disney was recruiting interns, and not only for California, but they said they had positions nationwide and they owned a lot of companies, so it wasn't just animation, either. That would be cool if I knew how to do it, though. Then, I had my interview at a third temp agency. I had a hard time figuring out the parking because everything said tenant parking and I didn't think I counted as a tenant. I don't actually work there or anything. So, I finally found visitor parking and I went inside. The agency's office was right near the entrance. I went in and the first thing they did was make me watch an "orientation video". WTF?!! I hadn't had to watch a stupid video at the other temp agencies. I tried not to let them know how stupid I thought it was, though. I just watched the dumb thing, and it was pretty dumb. It was tips on how to dress appropriately for an interview, workplace safety (use a wrist support when typing--that kind of thing), and basically to call them about every little thing that comes up with the employer. They somehow managed to drag it out into a 16-minute presentation that was obviously done back in the '80s. The interview itself was pretty short, then they had me do some testing. This time, I did it in their office, so the keyboard was this ancient thing like a typewriter keyboard and not like a modern computer keyboard where the keys are quiet and flat and close together. So, I don't know how I fared with their equipment, but I can hope I did okay.

Then, I get home, and what has Mom done? She bought a French lemon pie at HEB! Oh no. I've got to eat some of it. I don't want it to spoil and I know she won't eat it all. It just seems like she's whipping out all the desserts that she knows I can't resist right now. She should know I want to lose weight. I haven't been keeping it a secret. But those pies are expensive and I feel obligated. I also don't want her to feel bad. She wouldn't ever say anything. She's not like my Grandma that way. But I'm afraid of what she would think. She does get her feelings hurt after all. She's a human being. At least dinner was just rotisserie chicken and peas. Nothing fattening. I'll see how small a sliver I can cut later to at least show her I like the pie. I don't know what to do about tomorrow. Maybe another tiny sliver, then I'll feel like my obligations are done. Why can't she find something healthy? I'll have to come up with some suggestions maybe. Surely there are some good recipes I could at least alter or something to make them lighter.

Anyway, I guess I'd better get going. I'm only rambling today anyway. Same as always.

Found this while cleaning the other day...

R and I meeting Michael Hutchence of INXS. I was much younger then (thinner, too). I think we were much more excited to meet him than he was to meet us! We had such a great time that night, though.

I want to post some pics of Qui-Qui when I can sort through them. He was a unique dog. He never tore up his toys. He kept all the toys he had when he was a puppy even. He used to sling this bell around in a circle until it flew out of his mouth. Sometimes it would hit us in the head, too. Still, it was cute. He also had this thing about inanimate objects coming alive, so he'd test them with his nose to make sure. He also had a great sense of humor and could tell when we were joking with him. It was always so cute, that realization on his face when he recognized what we were doing. He'd start wagging his tail and wanting to play. He was just so cute. I could go on forever talking about him and probably still not get across how great he was. I miss him so much.

Well, I think I should go eat dinner. I got Bucky's new bowls. I think he was more excited to get them than the treats I got him. He wouldn't stop tearing at the bag. Freak puppy. At least I know he likes it, though. It's actually getting pretty hard to type with him here in my lap, so perhaps I should save the blogging for later.

Metallic Water

Perhaps I made a boo-boo in selecting a dog bowl set from the dollar section at Target. I thought it was a good deal. You get two bowls and they were both small enough for my dog. He was eating out of a hamster dish before. So, these were the right size, but they were made out of some metallic substance that must flavor the water. He won't drink out of it. He'll go in to Mom's room and drink Snoop's water. If he can't get in there, he won't drink water for a while and will go in there later, dying like he's hiked across the desert. I didn't want to toss out a perfectly good bowl, and sometimes he'd drink out of it at night, when I close my door. But, really I feel bad for the little thing. Poor puppy. If he hates it that much, I should just see if I can find another one that he'd like. He will eat the food out of the bowl. It just seems to be the water that tastes nasty. So, I have to see if I can get a dog bowl set for less than $10. Maybe I can get some dessert dishes at Ross or something.

I did find out why it's nearly impossible to get an unedited version of a Shakespeare play, though. Duh. I should have thought of this before. But, he didn't publish many of his plays while he was living, and the ones that he did publish, it's questionable as to his involvement. They may have been published by actors who performed the plays and tried to remember the dialog, or by patrons who went to the performances and took notes and later tried to fill in the dialog. This is because later editions showed versions that were sometimes drastically different than the ones printed earlier. Supposedly the ones printed later were done from Shakespeare's own manuscripts, although this is also questionable for some of the plays. So, publishers now trying to release his plays have to try to piece together from the different versions out there, what parts were most likely written by Shakespeare. Complicated. Surely, I wouldn't want that job, although the research might be fun. I just think it would take forever and I'd never be satisfied as to the outcome. I'd always have questions that would nag at me forever.

I am trying sometimes to diet. It's hard. Really, especially when I cook, I don't always know the nutritional value of what I make. It's hard to say, this is an okay dinner and that's too fattening. I mean, I try to make healthy choices, you know, like not frying food, cutting down on sugar, etc. But sometimes, even doing that there are questions. How much is a serving? Is flour bad, and how much is okay? How can I make tuna casserole without all the carbs of regular pasta? Is whole wheat pasta better, or does it taste so crappy that I won't eat it? You know, like eating healthy while still maintaining taste that I like and getting enough to eat. So, right now I'm hungry and I don't know if I should go in there and make an early dinner and just eat light later, or go ahead and try for a light lunch and hope I'm not starving at dinner and wanting to overeat. I have some fruit for a snack, but I don't know if that'll do it. I wish I had some cherries. They were something like $5 for a small package last time I looked. So, usually I don't even look. They're always expensive. But they're good to munch on. There probably aren't any cherries out right now and it's pointless to look anyway, but I want some.

Well, I do have another job interview. It's at another temp agency. Nothing special. I didn't see a job posting for them, but they usually have a lot of jobs and maybe they can find something for me. That would be good. Hopefully between all the temp agencies, someone will find me a job. Please. Interview is Monday, I'll let you know how it goes, although I doubt I'll be leaving there with a job that soon. Hopefully soon though. I just want something, although getting a foot in the door as a graphic designer would be great. I doubt that will happen right off, but I can hope. The job with the aircraft engine parts place was filled already. They said my other test scores were good, but I'm worried about them anyway. How can I not? It might determine whether someone hires me or not. Aaaaaahhhh!

Oh well. I'd better go or I'll never get out of the house. Bucky's thirst should drive me out. I just didn't feel like taking a shower, drying and styling my hair, dealing with the mess that is my make-up job, etc. I must be a bad doggie mom. But, I'm also broke, and that's part of it. Sigh...

Magic Car

I don't know how else to explain it, but it happened again today. My car turned invisible. I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But, I can't think of another explanation. This has happened before. Usually it only lasts for a few hours, or even a day, but then it goes back to normal. Today, it was only for about an hour. It looked perfectly normal to me, like visible and red and everything. But other people must not have been able to see me because they were pulling out in front of me from driveways, intersections, etc. as if there wasn't an oncoming car. There can't be that many people out there with a death wish or who are seeking an insurance payoff from an accident. Plus, it all happened at once, in one single time span, whereas later in the day, everything seemed normal. They waited for me to pass before pulling out or crossing the intersection. But, earlier, it was every single car in front of me. Not just one or two, but every single one, no matter if there was enough room or not (usually not). The drivers never even looked at me, not one of them. Surely, they just couldn't see me, as the invisibility of the car must extend to me, too, enveloping me in it's magic. But this has happened to me more than once before. Usually, it lasts for an entire day and I have to be extra careful everywhere I go. It's not like my car is gray or silver or something that could blend into the pavement. It's bright red. It's a decent size, too, not a mini. Pretty obvious most of the time. I have no control whatsoever of the invisibleness. It can happen without warning and I can't control when my car becomes visible again, either. I wish I could add flashing lights and a siren. Maybe that would help.

No major news to report. Just a normal trip to Starbucks, after I dropped my old books at the library. I've got two newer ones that I checked out on Saturday, but I'm nearly done with the first one. I'll probably be done with the second one next week the way I'm going. I nearly finished Carol Goodman's The Ghost Orchid at Starbucks and will probably finish that one tonight. My hands are kinda shaky and I wonder if my iced caramel macchiato was actually decaf like I asked for. I just feel a little hyper, like my hands don't want to sit still for a second.

There is a second buyer interested in the darkroom equipment. He wanted an inventory of everything I had. He seems truly interested, but I don't think I'll really believe it's sold until I have the money in my hand and there's some extra space in the apartment. Too many people have told me they wanted it, and then never contacted me again. Really inconsiderate. Hopefully "Alex" will stick by his word and let me know if he changes his mind. He says he will. As much as I hate to be rid of the darkroom equipment, I think I'll be relieved to get it over with. It was hard enough to make the decision to sell it without dragging the whole thing out.

Well, I guess I have other things to do, so I'd better leave it here for now. If only I could take the typing test today, when I'm really hyper. I'd have done much better. Not that 50 wpm was really bad, but I know I could have done better if my fingers weren't locking up on me. They're just flying over the keyboard right now, of course. Oh well...

Maybe another interview coming up

I'm not really all that interested in the job. I think it's data entry mostly at an insurance company. No graphic design or photography involved. Pretty dull, really. But it's supposed to pay $10 an hour and up, so maybe I'd at least get good pay and benefits. Well, decent pay. Really, I just need a job and maybe the graphic design jobs will come later. I just have to keep trying. Anyway, that's what the temp agency is trying to get me an interview for, so we'll see. It's better than nothing and I wouldn't be wearing a headset. No sales either. Can't be all bad.

I had two people interested in the enlarger I'm selling. One wanted a payment plan until she found out the enlarger I had wasn't exactly the one she was looking for. Oh well. Don't know if I'll ever sell my darkroom equipment the way it's going. There's always something. Hopefully the other guy is still interested. I let him know it was still available.

The blender thing yesterday was actually my mini-chopper and not the blender. Mom was cooking this recipe we'd seen in the cookbook and wanted to try. But when we ate it, the sour cream in the recipe was so overpowering that you couldn't taste anything else. It just didn't taste very good. Mom was disappointed, too. : ( So, if we make that one again, we'll have to find a substitution. I'm not a huge sour cream fan anyway, although I don't mind a little on a baked potato. I just don't like a lot of it. I guess we thought the taste wouldn't quite be that strong with the other stuff that was in the recipe. I looked through the cookbook and found some other stuff I'd like to make, though, so maybe it will turn out better next time.

Well, there's not much going on today. I'll wait to see if I get a call for the interview. If not, maybe they'll have something else I might be interested in.