Latest Entries
beach volleyball
22 August '08 by the.muse, under Entertaining the Masses.
Let me just say without shame or hesitation, I freakin' love Phil "the Thin Beast" Dalhausser. I not only loved watching him play and help Rogers bring home the gold medal to the U.S. in men's beach volleyball, but I'd be more than happy to be a leading lady in his life story if he's ever interested.
I'm just saying… GO USA! Man, despite all the complications and political arguments that can be made about Beijing's dealings of the games this year, I still love the Olympics. There's nothing like the spirit of the games, and watching countries come together to compete with good will and sportsmanship.
It also doesn't hurt when your own country does well, though…
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my thoughts exactly
13 August '08 by the.muse, under Everything Football, Sweet Home Alabama.
Since college football season is only a few weeks away, I thought it would be great to think about who exactly hates whom the most? Does Alabama hate Tennessee or Auburn most? Does Auburn hate Georgia or Alabama most? Does Georgia hate Auburn or Florida most? These are intriguing questions… And, they vary from person to person based on experience, usually from visits to the opponents field in question.
However, I agree with this fella's sentiments exactly…
Preach on, brotha, preach on… ROLL TIDE! 
Kick off is August 30!
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all in one piece… or so i thought
05 August '08 by the.muse, under Ins-and-Outs.
Well, I finally made it to Washington, D.C., or the land surrounding it anyway. Thankfully, Sassy is putting up with me for a while until I find a place to hang my hat. She's been busting her hump to make sure that Chez Sassy was ready for me to cohabitate. It's strange having 'roommates' again, or some sort of roommates. I feel like I'm on a long vacation while I'm here. Just instead of a vacation, I'll have a job to go to, and my stuff isn't always in a suitcase, it has a place.
Anyway, the trip up wasn't too terrible. I'm not a fan of long drives. More than 30 minutes in the car drives me crazy. I hate driving. Of course, I also hate being in the car and not driving. Don't ask me… I think it's some sort of control thing. Anyway, the shortest way from Alabama to D.C. is up through Chattanooga, Knoxville, Bristol, Roanoke, etc. In other words, a few short 1-2 drives on a few interstates, but then I'd be spending half my day on the dreaded I-81 through some of Tennessee and much of the northwestern border of Virginia. That interstate is like a broken record… It's trees and mountains, exit. Trees and mountain, exit. Over and over and over. There's nothing to see but trees and mountain. Of course, you can chuckle at the occasional humorous name of a town or park, but otherwise… nothing. The nothing also goes for cell phone reception at one point. I laughed when I was leaving a message for DP, and then the call dropped… just around the curve was a sign: "Now Entering Technology Corridor of Virginia." Seriously? Then, can you explain to me why I just lost my cell phone coverage? Technology corridor my behind. I'll tell you what Virginia has on I-81, and it's not technology: it's nothing.
So, after arriving barely awake and all together, I unloaded and a few days into my stay decided to grocery stop. This is where my fun just began. After picking up a few food items that would last me a couple of days, we came home and I started putting things in the fridge. When I went to stand up, all of a sudden, WHAM! I smacked the crown of my head on the box at the top of the fridge. All I remember was immediate pain, and tears flowing down my face (and this girl only cries when it really hurts). I composed myself and went into my 'room' and laid down on the bed. Before I knew it, I was asleep. When I woke up about an hour and a half later, my head was throbbing. I called my mom, who just happens to be a nurse, and asked her all about it, and of course, she freaked out thinking I had cracked my skull or something. After a couple of days of heavy sleep and exhaustion, we've come to the conclusion that I probably gave myself a mild concussion. It's sad too, because what kind of sorry story is that? You got a concussion? How? I hit my head on the refrigerator. Oh. See? No pizazz. Now, if only there were some type of squirrel or sport involved, maybe then it would be much funnier or cooler. But no, I'm just a dumb klutz.
Then, yesterday. Oh… I ran out of checks. Accidentally. I don't ever write them. Who plans for this stuff? Well, usually me. But, give me a break on one, right? So, thankfully, I have amazing family, and they send me a set of checks through the mail. It was sent Express Mail with a signature delivery confirmation. It was guaranteed delivery by 3pm. Well, both Sassy and I arranged our schedules so that someone would be home to sign for the package. We checked the mail at 3, and there is a note from the post office saying that no one was home and the package would be at the post office by 5pm. But, here's the kicker… I was sitting in the living room by the door ALL DAY. No one ever knocked on the door. In order to get a signature, wouldn't you knock on the door? Something? So, I went to the post office at 6:30pm (since it closed at 7) to give him some extra time to pick it up. They can't find the package or the delivery guy. Seriously? I was told I could return the next morning by 8:30am when they opened to pick it up. I arrived, picked it up, and asked to speak to a supervisor. She said the carrier was off that day, but she would speak to him and ask about the package. However, Sassy says it happens all the time. I mean, I'm sure he'll say he knocked… if he doesn't, they'll dock his pay or chew him out for costing the post office money by not doing it, because I'm surely asking for my money back when it didn't arrive when it was guaranteed.
So, there it is. I'm searching for an apartment. Got a 'busted-up brain pan' as Mike calls it. And, I'm seriously holding a grudge against the postal service because they're insane and they're unreliable. Now, I've just got to finish up a few things on my to-do list before my new job starts and I'll be done. Tomorrow, I'll be hanging out with some small-timers getting my fingerprints done. At least I'll feel safe since the building is full of police, right?
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attack of the ants
29 July '08 by the.muse, under Ins-and-Outs.
So, I'm in the last long haul of the packing for my move back to Washington, D.C. When I arrived home tonight, I was planning on getting the suitcases ready for the remaining clothes in my closet, when I noticed that I had company: ants. And I mean, a few hundred of them. They were all over the floor, my boxes in the floor, and even worse, the shoes. First of all, I hate ants. When I see them, I automatically get that feeling like they are crawling all over me, or that they are biting me… it is probably some overwhelming sense of paranoia, but whatever. So, I proceed to try to find where they are coming from… I look to where they are gathered. Much to my disappointment, it's around my shoes.
I went through each pair, banging them together to de-ant them, tossing them to the side when they were free of the occupation of the ant army. Of course, each pair freed only showed another horde of ants that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Ick. Then, I saw where they were all headed, and poor Sassy experienced my dismay over the telephone. They were eating one of my favorite pair of flip-flops! These aren't just ANY run-of-the-mill flops now. These are conforming Mush Tevas that are so incredibly comfortable, and I just bought them at the beginning of the summer. I'm furious! What in the world could make an ant want to EAT a pair of shoes? I'm sorry, but building a nest is not a satisfactory answer… there are sticks, leaves, and dirt for that. Mush topsole and tubular webbing are not your typical anthill architectural standards, unless they are building some Park Avenue Six for the West Side and have been duped into thinking they're in another city.
So, now they have divots in the top of them. And what is my excuse? Well, the ants attacked, and apparently, they were really, really hungry… or either they have a really self-righteous and uppity queen bee who is displaced in more ways than one.
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internet telephone
27 July '08 by the.muse, under Ins-and-Outs.
So, one of the problems that metro Birminghamians are faced with is having Charter for cable service. I'm not complaining… because for the most part, they are pretty reliable. Lately, they've been on a big push about 'saving' people money on their cable bills. With the latest changeover to digital cable with the fancy-schmancy HD television that my father 'bought my mom for Christmas,' the cable bill went up. My mom was telling me about how Charter called to tell her about how they could lower the cable bill by putting them on a bundle package if they changed their telephone service to Charter. When it comes to the geekery questions, they always ask my brother or me, since we're techie nerds (I'm a little lesser than my brother… probably a lot actually, but I can get myself from point A to B better than most). I immediately tell my mom no. Why? Simple reasoning, actually… let's travel back to a few weeks ago.
I was trying to troubleshoot the wireless network at their house because the internet connection wasn't showing up, and I had done everything I knew a Charter tech would tell me to do from restarting modems and routers to computers, renewing leases, etc. Anyway, I finally called tech support, because I finally caved and realized that they would have to reset everything from their end or that the problem did not lie within the house. When you call tech support at Charter, you have to go through the dummy system and say yes and no to all of these questions that make you reset everything and they reset the modem, blah, blah, blah. But, my favorite part (and the point of my story) was when the computerized voice asks: 'Are you using our Charter telephone service?' I replied, 'No.' Surprisingly, the computer responds, 'Good! That should make this process easier.' What? Seriously? Easier? You're slamming your own product to the customer? Methinks you should reconsider your computer run-through for your computers. Or at least consider a word change!
In all seriousness, this is why you should leave your telephones to cell or bell providers. If the internet goes down, and your phone is on there too, you have no way of fixing it, and you're still using your minutes on that cell, and wasting the money you spent on internet telephone. Plus, take it from me… I had a VoIP for a while, and it drove me crazy. It sounded worse than cell phone reception in Podunk. Stick to the big dogs when it comes to the phone. Even the internet providers believe it… it makes tech support easier and faster. 
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best time noted
26 July '08 by the.muse, under Ins-and-Outs.
As I've noted some of my better times that I've had, I can honestly add the following to my list:
- An epic nap at the lake
I feel refreshed, and yet still feel ready to go to bed. It's amazing how restful an afternoon storm brewing on the water can become and how peaceful it can be when you wake up. Ahh, the lake will be one of the things I will miss, when I can't just take a quick drive up to see the grandparents or take a swim. Instead, I'll have to wait for major holidays or take vacation now. And, buy a plane ticket or spend lots of money on gas.
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coffee crash
21 July '08 by the.muse, under All Things Considered Southern.
I can't believe this video… This is a serious crash after you've had your morning coffee.
You know you're from the South if just after you got hit by a car, the first thing you think to do is to reach down and pick up your cap. Oh man, oh man.
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offers
17 July '08 by the.muse, under Ins-and-Outs.
I'm vague, yes. And I have to be until I have it in my hand. But, I have an incredible offer that I will most likely be unable to refuse because of the great opportunities it holds with it… and it causes me great joy.
More details soon… I promise.
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how to…
16 July '08 by the.muse, under Leg-Slappin' Fun, Social Quandaries.
So, my friend Mike over at Beltway Scramblings shared a link, attempting to horrify me, but actually left Sassy and I laughing. It's a how-to site on kissing, or sort of. Take a looksie for yourself.
Thanks Mike, for the link, and the laugh.
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counting?
16 July '08 by the.muse, under Leg-Slappin' Fun.
Thanks to my friend Shope, this amazing gem kept me and Sassy laughing and in tears for the longest time tonight. I'd like to thank Shope for now giving me something to always look forward to as I watch 'Sesame Street' with my niece and wonder just what words someone might replace one day with a vulgar one in order to make a song just this freakin' hysterical.
Enjoy… but, you should know, it's most likely NSFW… but you'll be glad you watched it later on.
