I’ve been sick for over a week. Typically, this would be something that I can deal with and don’t have to worry about, but I was scheduled to host Alex’s bachelorette party at my house. So, I had to focus all my energy on feeling good enough to clean the house, get everything prepped, and party the night away.
Last Tuesday, I rested on the couch watching TV specials about Richard Ramirez. Now, those of you who knew me in high school may recall that I was very intrigued by serial killers. Not in the weird psycho crazy way, but enough so that I aspired to be just like Dana Scully and work for the FBI as a medical examiner or forensic profiler. Sure, I dropped out of the pre-med track in college, but I did graduate with a degree in psychology, got a job with the government, and work with medical information on a daily basis. Not quite the same thing, but whatever.
Wednesday, I made it to work but not for long. I left after lunch and headed home to sleep. Thursday, I called off and spent the day on the couch. By Friday, I was starting to lose my voice and was not feeling much better. But, I had to go on with preparations for the party, so I worked at cleaning the house and Kristen came over to make penis cookies. We had a good time drinking liquor and baking. Then I decided I had to practice maintaining my stamina, so I met up with Matt and his friends. This resulted in a trip to White Castle. Up until that point, I had only had White Castle once, and I do not recall much of it except that it was to commemorate watching Harold and Kumar with Alex and Mgan. That being said, it is no wonder my memory is a bit foggy, as we were notorious for our memory impairing hobbies in those days. Alcohol, however, does not have quite the same impact and so I do remember this second experience much better. It wasn’t too bad. I recommend the mozzarella sticks and the little chicken sandwich thingies.
Saturday, I awoke to pretty much no voice. I ran some more errands, doped myself up on cold medicine, and got to work finishing the house cleaning. Alex and Ashley showed up early in the afternoon and the festivities began.
I miss my partying days. My trip with Robin to visit Steph in Milwaukee made me yearn for the days of yore where we used to tear it up on the dance floor. Saturday night was no different. Kristen, Ashley, Mary, Catherine, Patty Jr., Alex, and I hit the streets. Well, Mary was pregnant, so after dinner we threw her in a cab so she could go home and rest ;) But, Saturday was like the old days. We spent the night at our old stomping grounds, Brother’s. I can’t tell you the last time I was there! We danced and drank. Patty Jr. invited the infamous Joe Ferg to come out with us. Forget the strippers – for Alex, this was better. She was in bachelorette heaven. Lots of drama ensued, much like the old days. I swear it was like we stepped back in time. Toward the end of the night, Alex had enjoyed a little too much liquor, so Kristen dragged her home. Apparently, Ashley, Catherine, Patty Jr., and I stayed. There are pictures. I remember dancing with some little dude, very much like the little man we met in Milwaukee. Except this guy kept trying to grab my boobs, so I ditched him. I went outside to make more drunk dials (BTW thank you for your patience people I called and texted :) ) and was cornered by this Steve Buchemi looking guy who claimed to be “30” and wanting to buy me a drink. I was alone and going with the flow, so I went with it. I ordered a Guinness and proved to be a much stronger beer drinker than he. Then the girls grabbed me and dragged me home.
We arrived to a very passed out Alex on my shiny clean porcelain throne. Catherine managed to carry her to the couch. We then sat around chatting, talking about the night, and ordered pizza online. The last thing I remember is talking with the neighbor guys on the porch with Catherine.
Then after that I woke up at around 7 AM in my bed. Sick as a dog. No voice whatsoever.
I wasn’t as sick as poor Alex, though. It took her whole day to recover, sleeping and sleeping and popping Advil. Luckily, she was in good shape around 6 when it was time to take Ashley to the airport.
Joe got home around then, and we spent the rest of the night relaxing. His nose, however, was stuffy. We awoke this morning, both of us really sick. I still couldn’t sleep and Joe was in bad shape. I had to take today off as well. So, I’ve spent the past two days sleeping and eating. And I’m still not feeling exceptional. Unfortunately, I’m so behind at work that I have to go in tomorrow. At least my voice seems to be coming back and the runny stuffy nose has subsided and left a nice big honking red, chapped rudolph nose in it's wake - perfect for the holiday season!
So, that’s been my week.
Congratulations Alex! I can’t wait for the wedding!!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Mountain
And, yes, we did go to Seattle a couple of weeks ago.
And, yes, it was a great time.
And, yes, it felt like home.
And, yes, the mountain is ridiculous and huge and frightening and thrilling.
And, yes, I loved the Seattle DDS office.
And, yes, it is expensive as all hell to live out there.
And, yes, it would be worth it.
And, yes, I am even more addicted to Starbucks then I have ever been in the past.
And, yes, we saw the original Starbucks.
And, yes, we saw people smoking crack in public.
And, yes, we were stared at for dressing in business attire during the workweek (the layered casual look 24-7 is my dream come true)
And, yes, we didn't hear a single bad song at all during the entire trip.
But, no, we have not made a decision yet.
However, if I could spend every day of the rest of my life catching a glimpse of Mt. Rainier, I need not ask for anything more.
And, yes, it was a great time.
And, yes, it felt like home.
And, yes, the mountain is ridiculous and huge and frightening and thrilling.
And, yes, I loved the Seattle DDS office.
And, yes, it is expensive as all hell to live out there.
And, yes, it would be worth it.
And, yes, I am even more addicted to Starbucks then I have ever been in the past.
And, yes, we saw the original Starbucks.
And, yes, we saw people smoking crack in public.
And, yes, we were stared at for dressing in business attire during the workweek (the layered casual look 24-7 is my dream come true)
And, yes, we didn't hear a single bad song at all during the entire trip.
But, no, we have not made a decision yet.
However, if I could spend every day of the rest of my life catching a glimpse of Mt. Rainier, I need not ask for anything more.
eastern ohio is done
i spent thanksgiving weekend traveling throughout eastern ohio, hitting up all sorts of family events. i saw family i haven't seen in at least 10 years, i was able to get some of my baby pictures and old family photos (a hot commodity after the divorce), even things with my mother were relatively calm, though she hardly talked to me and left my aunt's early.
today joe and i organized our living room and set up a christmas tree. somehow our house looks larger. i really like how everything is arranged. maybe i'll be in the christmas spirit this year, we'll see. no promises, though.
today joe and i organized our living room and set up a christmas tree. somehow our house looks larger. i really like how everything is arranged. maybe i'll be in the christmas spirit this year, we'll see. no promises, though.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
a hard day of workin' the polls
Robin inspired me, on our trip to Milwaukee, to earn a little extra income by working the polls.
The Election Polls, perverts.
In Franklin County, you don't get much money. It averages out to be around $7.50/hr between your two hour training class and a 15 hour work day. You get a $10 bonus if you show for a practice session. I signed up because I get free Poll Worker leave from work, so I really rake in the cash. ooh.
I was selected to be a provisional judge. That means I am the democrat that oversees the provisional ballots (my opinion on those is a whole different story). After a bunch of confusing trainings, I feel relatively un-confident in my ability to handle it.
But, 4:15 AM today rolls around. I get up, shower, make a delicious breakfast, pack some snacks, and head to my precinct. I arrive to find a overly friendly man trying to figure out how to set up his equipment. He turns out to be the Presiding Judge (a.k.a. my boss). He's with a high school girl who is part of the special vote team program they have going on for kids that are about to graduate. I know nothing about anything, so I just try to set up my stuff. A couple arrives (the republicans) and I find that the only people who have an idea of what is going on are me and the high school girl. Everyone is freaking out and trying to do things how they were done last election, which have changed quite a bit. No wonder there's always drama at important elections, like that whole 'hanging chad' debacle.
We finally get set up and are ready. Too bad voter turn out was pathetic. I spent 15 hours sitting on my ass actually wishing I was at work.
or did I?
First of all, we were to report at 5:30 AM to our precinct. If you don't show, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. One of our workers didn't even show until 8:30 AM. She claimed that she was out of town on a family emergency (in my line of work, that's the oldest excuse in the book.) She then later talked about how she cooked turkey for dinner at her home the other night. She was the Presiding Judge last year - the boss - how does this woman not show for her one day job on time???
It turns out that our new Presiding Judge happened to be an author. He has just published a book. It is one of those motivational books. I'm not one for identifying the culprit, so I'll just say this - he was like a joyologist with a prostate problem. He primarily spent the day performing magic. and performing more magic. And doing some origami. And more magic. He ran around talking about his theories on his favorite subject and encouraging everyone to go on amazon.com to buy his book. I wondered if, after providing me a long explanation on his beliefs in the "A's" and "R's" of joy, I should pay him. Don't get me wrong, though, ee was very nice and brought us homemade treats to munch on during the long, painful, godawful day.
Where do they find these people? Or where do these people find them?
I'm not sure I'll do this pollworker thing again. I know the next election is the Primary, so it will have a larger turn out and the busy-ness should make the day go by faster. But, I don't know that $7.50 is worth what I went through today.
The Election Polls, perverts.
In Franklin County, you don't get much money. It averages out to be around $7.50/hr between your two hour training class and a 15 hour work day. You get a $10 bonus if you show for a practice session. I signed up because I get free Poll Worker leave from work, so I really rake in the cash. ooh.
I was selected to be a provisional judge. That means I am the democrat that oversees the provisional ballots (my opinion on those is a whole different story). After a bunch of confusing trainings, I feel relatively un-confident in my ability to handle it.
But, 4:15 AM today rolls around. I get up, shower, make a delicious breakfast, pack some snacks, and head to my precinct. I arrive to find a overly friendly man trying to figure out how to set up his equipment. He turns out to be the Presiding Judge (a.k.a. my boss). He's with a high school girl who is part of the special vote team program they have going on for kids that are about to graduate. I know nothing about anything, so I just try to set up my stuff. A couple arrives (the republicans) and I find that the only people who have an idea of what is going on are me and the high school girl. Everyone is freaking out and trying to do things how they were done last election, which have changed quite a bit. No wonder there's always drama at important elections, like that whole 'hanging chad' debacle.
We finally get set up and are ready. Too bad voter turn out was pathetic. I spent 15 hours sitting on my ass actually wishing I was at work.
or did I?
First of all, we were to report at 5:30 AM to our precinct. If you don't show, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. One of our workers didn't even show until 8:30 AM. She claimed that she was out of town on a family emergency (in my line of work, that's the oldest excuse in the book.) She then later talked about how she cooked turkey for dinner at her home the other night. She was the Presiding Judge last year - the boss - how does this woman not show for her one day job on time???
It turns out that our new Presiding Judge happened to be an author. He has just published a book. It is one of those motivational books. I'm not one for identifying the culprit, so I'll just say this - he was like a joyologist with a prostate problem. He primarily spent the day performing magic. and performing more magic. And doing some origami. And more magic. He ran around talking about his theories on his favorite subject and encouraging everyone to go on amazon.com to buy his book. I wondered if, after providing me a long explanation on his beliefs in the "A's" and "R's" of joy, I should pay him. Don't get me wrong, though, ee was very nice and brought us homemade treats to munch on during the long, painful, godawful day.
Where do they find these people? Or where do these people find them?
I'm not sure I'll do this pollworker thing again. I know the next election is the Primary, so it will have a larger turn out and the busy-ness should make the day go by faster. But, I don't know that $7.50 is worth what I went through today.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Another one bites the dust
This weekend was crazy. It starts with Friday. I'm running tons of errands, getting ready for a Halloween Party on Saturday up in Northfield at Alex and Mike's place. Joe has spent days researching and accumulating the various aspects of his costume (I'll keep it a secret because I have a feeling we will reuse the idea next year). At 5 o'clock, Kristen picks us up to grab Mexican with Liz and Greg and friends, then on to Lakewood High School (in Central Ohio, not Lakewood City) for Rob's Marching Band Highlights Show.
In the middle of the show, just after I notice that this guy we went to college with that Alex used to be in love with is at the show...(perhaps a teacher at the school?), I think of her, and get a voicemail from her. Since I'm at a concert, I can't exactly answer, so I wait until the show is done. On the way back to Columbus, I listen to my voicemail.
"Hi Jess, it's Alex. We're kinda worried about you and hope you're still on your way."
I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The party was tonight (Friday). I'm such a dumbass. I call her and apologize profusely and think about what a moron I am. I then apologize to Joe for spending so much time working on his costume for it to be worthless. What is funny is that we just saw an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which they try to get out of a party by showing up a day late. But, the hosts invite them inside anyway, since they took the trouble to come. We surely weren't doing that, but I felt pretty lame.
Saturday starts with me waking up and remembering that I am an idiot and we don't have to drive to Northfield. We then do some cleaning and around 6 o'clock, we shower and head out to Gallery Hop. We wine and dine at our favorite bars, Joe bumps into Mayor Michael Coleman (literally), and we get prime window seats at R.J. Snapper's. We finish the night with the best ice cream in town - UDF. I get my usual, Blue Moon, smothered in hot chocolate. (Un)fortunately, my punk rock buddy isn't there to attempt to sell me drugs. I don't remember much else, except stupid neighbor girl was blasting her crappy ambiance music all night to a party of screaming frat boys until past 4:30 AM.
Sunday, Cloak dies. He was our second fish to kick it. Go figure. I go to Goodale to earn an extra $10 at Poll Worker training, then dinner at Johnny Rocket's. E. Gordon Gee wandered in, bow tie and all, as we were paying our check. Our second brush with Columbusite fame in the same weekend!
After dinner, we went to see "Across the Universe." It was pretty good. It was in the same vein of many of my '60's era favorites - Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Forrest Gump.
Today, back to work. I'm thoroughly tired and thoroughly sick of the office. They announce the supervisor selections, so I have to deal with people going "oh, I thought you were a shoe-in." Finally, 3:30 rolls around.
We grab salad bar at Sunflower, then turn on Grey's Anatomy to dream about Seattle. A knock at the door - it's the postman. He's carrying two heavy boxes. One has my new zebra striped Converse. The other? Seattle tourism materials and a recruitment letter from the DDS Chief.
This really may happen...
In the middle of the show, just after I notice that this guy we went to college with that Alex used to be in love with is at the show...(perhaps a teacher at the school?), I think of her, and get a voicemail from her. Since I'm at a concert, I can't exactly answer, so I wait until the show is done. On the way back to Columbus, I listen to my voicemail.
"Hi Jess, it's Alex. We're kinda worried about you and hope you're still on your way."
I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The party was tonight (Friday). I'm such a dumbass. I call her and apologize profusely and think about what a moron I am. I then apologize to Joe for spending so much time working on his costume for it to be worthless. What is funny is that we just saw an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which they try to get out of a party by showing up a day late. But, the hosts invite them inside anyway, since they took the trouble to come. We surely weren't doing that, but I felt pretty lame.
Saturday starts with me waking up and remembering that I am an idiot and we don't have to drive to Northfield. We then do some cleaning and around 6 o'clock, we shower and head out to Gallery Hop. We wine and dine at our favorite bars, Joe bumps into Mayor Michael Coleman (literally), and we get prime window seats at R.J. Snapper's. We finish the night with the best ice cream in town - UDF. I get my usual, Blue Moon, smothered in hot chocolate. (Un)fortunately, my punk rock buddy isn't there to attempt to sell me drugs. I don't remember much else, except stupid neighbor girl was blasting her crappy ambiance music all night to a party of screaming frat boys until past 4:30 AM.
Sunday, Cloak dies. He was our second fish to kick it. Go figure. I go to Goodale to earn an extra $10 at Poll Worker training, then dinner at Johnny Rocket's. E. Gordon Gee wandered in, bow tie and all, as we were paying our check. Our second brush with Columbusite fame in the same weekend!
After dinner, we went to see "Across the Universe." It was pretty good. It was in the same vein of many of my '60's era favorites - Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Forrest Gump.
Today, back to work. I'm thoroughly tired and thoroughly sick of the office. They announce the supervisor selections, so I have to deal with people going "oh, I thought you were a shoe-in." Finally, 3:30 rolls around.
We grab salad bar at Sunflower, then turn on Grey's Anatomy to dream about Seattle. A knock at the door - it's the postman. He's carrying two heavy boxes. One has my new zebra striped Converse. The other? Seattle tourism materials and a recruitment letter from the DDS Chief.
This really may happen...
Sunday, November 4, 2007
So, back to that Seattle thing...
Events have been rather crazy lately. I'm sick of my job and sick of Columbus. I feel as if I'm going nowhere and after having lived in the Short North/Victorian Village neighborhood of Columbus for over a year, I'm starting to feel like I've seen it all.
Joe has been feeling this way too. The problem is that two people with a Bachelor's in Psychology can't go many places. We're lucky with the job we have -- it pays enough to live comfortably, it's secure, and it's flexible. But, it is a state job. Meaning, if you "moved around within the company" you'd just move around within the state. Ohio. I've lived here for 26 years of my life and I have 26 years to go until retirement. That is my entire life I've already lived! That leaves me feeling hopeless.
Joe found the silver lining in August, when he came across a job announcement for what we do, but for the State of Washington. I did some research and found that there were three offices -- Spokane, Olympia, and Seattle. If we were to leave, we'd have to do it now. No house. No kids. No responsibilities. We latched on halfheartedly to the idea of moving to Spokane. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. Beautiful wilderness. But the more research we did, the more we realized that it was out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of no concerts (besides the promise of Ted Nugent at the Indian Reservation Casino), no nearby "big cities," and other sources of entertainment was severely disappointing. But, I applied anyway. And, I put in for Seattle and Olympia for good measure. What the hell, it wasn't like I lost anything in applying.
Weeks went by and I never heard anything. Oh well, it gave me hope for a moment. But a relocation to somewhere over 2500 miles away was a little drastic and crazy, right?
Suddenly, I get a call from the Seattle DDS Chief. He didn't realize I was on their certification list, but he's interested. He had another person applying, so I told him to give that person a job, but keep me in mind for future endeavors. Still, I wasn't thinking anything would come of it.
September rolls around, and with that comes the NADE Conference (Blue Elf Shoe trip). Joe and I chatted up the Washington delegates. We met a woman who transferred to Seattle from the Utah DDS. She gave us the lowdown from the view of someone coming from another state. She told us she was glad she made the choice.
The Monday after we get back from South Dakota, they've posted for supervisor in our office. I'm eligible, and my chances were high. Despite my reservations and my sincere desire to possibly pursue the Washington gig, I applied. I put all of my soul (and stress) into the process. I decided that if I don't get the supervisor gig, Washington is meant to happen. If I do, I'm meant to stay in Ohio.
A month goes by.
The week of the test, the Seattle DDS Chief calls me. "I can hire you," he says. I can't believe it. There goes my belief in "fate," or so I think. On the spur of the moment, Joe and I find a cheap flight and hotel in Seattle for Veteran's Day Weekend. I figure, we can see the city, that way we'd know what we were saying no to if need be. If anything, it's just a nice vacation over a long weekend.
Friday, I got my rejection letter. I did not get the supervisor position. The second that letter was handed to me, I was the happiest I had been in months and months. This was it! It was now or never. The signs all pointed to it - a cheap flight to see Seattle, the DDS Chief's weirdly timed call, the fact that I did not get the position. Joe jumped in and called the Chief to let him know he too, would be coming with me.
We are meeting him this Friday, a week after I was dealt my fate. Who knows what will happen?
P.s. If you or anyone you know is interested in subletting a really awesome 2BR duplex in Victorian Village, let me know ;)
Joe has been feeling this way too. The problem is that two people with a Bachelor's in Psychology can't go many places. We're lucky with the job we have -- it pays enough to live comfortably, it's secure, and it's flexible. But, it is a state job. Meaning, if you "moved around within the company" you'd just move around within the state. Ohio. I've lived here for 26 years of my life and I have 26 years to go until retirement. That is my entire life I've already lived! That leaves me feeling hopeless.
Joe found the silver lining in August, when he came across a job announcement for what we do, but for the State of Washington. I did some research and found that there were three offices -- Spokane, Olympia, and Seattle. If we were to leave, we'd have to do it now. No house. No kids. No responsibilities. We latched on halfheartedly to the idea of moving to Spokane. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. Beautiful wilderness. But the more research we did, the more we realized that it was out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of no concerts (besides the promise of Ted Nugent at the Indian Reservation Casino), no nearby "big cities," and other sources of entertainment was severely disappointing. But, I applied anyway. And, I put in for Seattle and Olympia for good measure. What the hell, it wasn't like I lost anything in applying.
Weeks went by and I never heard anything. Oh well, it gave me hope for a moment. But a relocation to somewhere over 2500 miles away was a little drastic and crazy, right?
Suddenly, I get a call from the Seattle DDS Chief. He didn't realize I was on their certification list, but he's interested. He had another person applying, so I told him to give that person a job, but keep me in mind for future endeavors. Still, I wasn't thinking anything would come of it.
September rolls around, and with that comes the NADE Conference (Blue Elf Shoe trip). Joe and I chatted up the Washington delegates. We met a woman who transferred to Seattle from the Utah DDS. She gave us the lowdown from the view of someone coming from another state. She told us she was glad she made the choice.
The Monday after we get back from South Dakota, they've posted for supervisor in our office. I'm eligible, and my chances were high. Despite my reservations and my sincere desire to possibly pursue the Washington gig, I applied. I put all of my soul (and stress) into the process. I decided that if I don't get the supervisor gig, Washington is meant to happen. If I do, I'm meant to stay in Ohio.
A month goes by.
The week of the test, the Seattle DDS Chief calls me. "I can hire you," he says. I can't believe it. There goes my belief in "fate," or so I think. On the spur of the moment, Joe and I find a cheap flight and hotel in Seattle for Veteran's Day Weekend. I figure, we can see the city, that way we'd know what we were saying no to if need be. If anything, it's just a nice vacation over a long weekend.
Friday, I got my rejection letter. I did not get the supervisor position. The second that letter was handed to me, I was the happiest I had been in months and months. This was it! It was now or never. The signs all pointed to it - a cheap flight to see Seattle, the DDS Chief's weirdly timed call, the fact that I did not get the position. Joe jumped in and called the Chief to let him know he too, would be coming with me.
We are meeting him this Friday, a week after I was dealt my fate. Who knows what will happen?
P.s. If you or anyone you know is interested in subletting a really awesome 2BR duplex in Victorian Village, let me know ;)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Dumnezeu sa’o ierte!
that's how us Romanians say "Rest in Peace."
Leopold died tonight. I didn't expect him to be the one that didn't make it, since he was the feisty one. Oh well. We found out that there was too much ammonia in the water because I was feeding them too much.
See? Love kills. Don't do it folks.
Rest in Peace, Leopold.
Dummezeu sa'o ierte!
Leopold died tonight. I didn't expect him to be the one that didn't make it, since he was the feisty one. Oh well. We found out that there was too much ammonia in the water because I was feeding them too much.
See? Love kills. Don't do it folks.
Rest in Peace, Leopold.
Dummezeu sa'o ierte!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I'm a Mama
That's right folks, I'm a mother. Joe and I decided that it was time to expand our family. We thought that fish were an easy way to start. We headed off to Petco, but no one bothered to assist us, so we went to Aquarium Adventure on Sawmill. If you have never been to Aquarium Adventure, you have not lived. It was like real live aquarium. Huge tanks, fancy "habitat". It was amazing.
We looked at the goldfish. After a couple minutes, we asked a guy feeding the fish to help.
"You want to get a goldfish?" he asked. "Well, you'll need a 30 gallon tank and twice a week water changes."
I gulped. Who knew goldfish required that much?
"Uh," I asked, "What do you recommend for a small...2 or 3 gallon tank?"
"Minnows. They're delighful. They can last quite some time. But, remember, the first 4-6 weeks is the most riskiest for fish loss."
Fish loss? There's a term for it? Joe and I hadn't realized the extent to which "Fishkeeping" was an art form. I spent the next day at work, researching online while the computer system was down. Having a home aquarium, no matter how small, was more work than I had anticipated. But, I was ready to dedicate myself.
The next day, Joe and I went to Petsmart. The saleswoman, not quite as much a fish conniseur as the guy at the aquarium place, recommended some great, sturdy fish. We purchased our aquarium, a 5 gallon, and set it up.
Two days later, we adopted our little fishies! We got three guppies and an Oto Cat:
Leopold, a little yellow guy with black spots and an opalized belly. He was a fiesty one, constantly attacking my fingers as I carried him home in the bag. He's pretty inquisitive, too.
Cloak, he's a black guy with a white face with a big fan tail that is injured. It's currently healing. He didn't initially want to be caught, and suffered some stress and trauma to the transition, but he's getting along much better now.
Margaret, he has red tail, blue core, and yellow front. He's not a Fancy Guppy, like his buddies, but demonstrated his place in the pecking order pretty quickly and took control of the aquarium. He used to pick on Leopold a bit, but they're all friends now.
They all swim together. It's pretty cute.
We also got an Oto Cat, Chupa, who spends his day sucking around the tank eating algae, dust, and whatever else he can get his little mouth on. Every once in a while, during mealtimes, he mistakes Leopold for a flake of fish food and will chase him around the tank.
So yes, Joe and I are proud parents of a tank full of fishies. Today marks one week of successful fishkeeping!
We looked at the goldfish. After a couple minutes, we asked a guy feeding the fish to help.
"You want to get a goldfish?" he asked. "Well, you'll need a 30 gallon tank and twice a week water changes."
I gulped. Who knew goldfish required that much?
"Uh," I asked, "What do you recommend for a small...2 or 3 gallon tank?"
"Minnows. They're delighful. They can last quite some time. But, remember, the first 4-6 weeks is the most riskiest for fish loss."
Fish loss? There's a term for it? Joe and I hadn't realized the extent to which "Fishkeeping" was an art form. I spent the next day at work, researching online while the computer system was down. Having a home aquarium, no matter how small, was more work than I had anticipated. But, I was ready to dedicate myself.
The next day, Joe and I went to Petsmart. The saleswoman, not quite as much a fish conniseur as the guy at the aquarium place, recommended some great, sturdy fish. We purchased our aquarium, a 5 gallon, and set it up.
Two days later, we adopted our little fishies! We got three guppies and an Oto Cat:
Leopold, a little yellow guy with black spots and an opalized belly. He was a fiesty one, constantly attacking my fingers as I carried him home in the bag. He's pretty inquisitive, too.
Cloak, he's a black guy with a white face with a big fan tail that is injured. It's currently healing. He didn't initially want to be caught, and suffered some stress and trauma to the transition, but he's getting along much better now.
Margaret, he has red tail, blue core, and yellow front. He's not a Fancy Guppy, like his buddies, but demonstrated his place in the pecking order pretty quickly and took control of the aquarium. He used to pick on Leopold a bit, but they're all friends now.
They all swim together. It's pretty cute.
We also got an Oto Cat, Chupa, who spends his day sucking around the tank eating algae, dust, and whatever else he can get his little mouth on. Every once in a while, during mealtimes, he mistakes Leopold for a flake of fish food and will chase him around the tank.
So yes, Joe and I are proud parents of a tank full of fishies. Today marks one week of successful fishkeeping!
Friday, October 12, 2007
the library wait
Today I cut out of work early. I was exhausted after last night's Smashing Pumpkins concert. On my way home, I stopped by the library to pick up some CDs I had on reserve. A small crowd of about 15 were gathered in front of the doors. I checked my clock - it was 5 'till 10. The library opened in 5 minutes. I joined the group.
I had never waited in line to go to a library. Especially the little Columbus Northside library, with its 4 rows of books and a handful of computers. It was mostly good for having reserves sent to it, for convenience, but for browsing, you're best going to the main branch. This wait, though....it sort of reminded me of my old Toys R Us days, when parents would crowd around outside the doors on the day after Thanksgiving (or Black Friday as they call it here in Columbus), peeking inside, checking their watches irritatedly. So here I was with this diverse group, waiting to get into a library. I knew what my purpose was, but what were they all waiting for?
The group consisted of a well dressed middle aged Asian man, forehead pressed against the windows, peeking for the (lucky) employee who will unlock the doors. Behind him was a couple, both with some missing teeth, the woman wearing an old Starter jacket for some football team. Remember when those were popular? The man was sporting a nice mullet. Behind him were several men who appeared to have just gotten out of the shelter for the morning and were waiting to have a nice, comfortable place to spend their day, surfing the internet on the free computers to kill time until their group therapy session later that afternoon. Next to me was a woman who had pulled up in her SUV and stood there, staring at the door, not looking at anyone else. Beyond her was a kid, about my age, holding (and then dropping with a loud thud on the cement making everyone turn and stare) a book about punk rock. Then came this guy, probably in his late 30's, with intellectual glasses and a sort of disheveled artist look about him. He pulled into his parking space, traipsed right up to the doors, stood there, looked around at the group gathered around him, and let out a loud sigh.
Finally, the poor little librarian came and opened the doors. People pushed and shoved to be the first ones in. I couldn't believe it. This was the library! I hardly doubted any of those waiting were there to get their READ on.
I was highly amused by the event I witnessed this morning. It seemed to be a regular occasion. The staff inside were all poised for the flood of customers. Artsy guy was trying to sneak books on the reserve cart, while the aide was shooing him away. The shady characters made a beeline to the back "study tables" and computer terminals. A couple women pushed past me, hurriedly, to grab who knows what book off the shelf.
I grabbed my reserves and left.
The library. Who knew?
I had never waited in line to go to a library. Especially the little Columbus Northside library, with its 4 rows of books and a handful of computers. It was mostly good for having reserves sent to it, for convenience, but for browsing, you're best going to the main branch. This wait, though....it sort of reminded me of my old Toys R Us days, when parents would crowd around outside the doors on the day after Thanksgiving (or Black Friday as they call it here in Columbus), peeking inside, checking their watches irritatedly. So here I was with this diverse group, waiting to get into a library. I knew what my purpose was, but what were they all waiting for?
The group consisted of a well dressed middle aged Asian man, forehead pressed against the windows, peeking for the (lucky) employee who will unlock the doors. Behind him was a couple, both with some missing teeth, the woman wearing an old Starter jacket for some football team. Remember when those were popular? The man was sporting a nice mullet. Behind him were several men who appeared to have just gotten out of the shelter for the morning and were waiting to have a nice, comfortable place to spend their day, surfing the internet on the free computers to kill time until their group therapy session later that afternoon. Next to me was a woman who had pulled up in her SUV and stood there, staring at the door, not looking at anyone else. Beyond her was a kid, about my age, holding (and then dropping with a loud thud on the cement making everyone turn and stare) a book about punk rock. Then came this guy, probably in his late 30's, with intellectual glasses and a sort of disheveled artist look about him. He pulled into his parking space, traipsed right up to the doors, stood there, looked around at the group gathered around him, and let out a loud sigh.
Finally, the poor little librarian came and opened the doors. People pushed and shoved to be the first ones in. I couldn't believe it. This was the library! I hardly doubted any of those waiting were there to get their READ on.
I was highly amused by the event I witnessed this morning. It seemed to be a regular occasion. The staff inside were all poised for the flood of customers. Artsy guy was trying to sneak books on the reserve cart, while the aide was shooing him away. The shady characters made a beeline to the back "study tables" and computer terminals. A couple women pushed past me, hurriedly, to grab who knows what book off the shelf.
I grabbed my reserves and left.
The library. Who knew?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Soaring through corn
Oh, the prairie! The west has been awesome and has treated us well. I thought that Ohio was rural and full of corn--until I came out here. Corn stalks for miles and miles! Iowa was a great state. The picture seen here was taken in Cedar Rapids. It was not quite the thriving metropolis that I had expected, but it was cute and quaint just the same. Be sure to check out the photos I've been taking at my flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/jesspics). I update those as I can, but the blog part takes more time than I really have...these NADE conferences keep you busy!--so I'll try to let you in on my activiites as I have the chance.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Seattle
The Buckeyes are in Seattle this weekend to play the Huskies...
That's all I'm going to say about this right now...but it will be important a little bit later.
That's all I'm going to say about this right now...but it will be important a little bit later.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Blue Elf Shoe
A week from Friday we will embark upon our biggest road trip yet - The Great Plains. 2,000 miles, 9 states, tons of cities--all in 9 days. This will also be our 9th major trip together.
I can't wait!
We've been spending the evening compiling information from the many books I got out of the library, the internet, AAA, and various other resources to create a monster travel guide to remind us of the potential sites to see on our way and act as a little virtual scrapbook of our adventures.
During the process, Joe created this screen shot of our route, highlighting the "Blue Elf Shoe" shape. The "Blue Elf Shoe" first came into our lives as we searched out a restaurant in the Malá Strana section of Prague. There was a little corner restaurant that boasted an image that resembled a cute little blue elf shoe. We admired the place and when we were deciding on a route for our trip to the NADE Conference in Sioux Falls and saw the shape our tentative plan made, we couldn't pass it up.
I plan to photo blog on our adventures as we go, our hotels offer free WiFi. So, stay tuned next week to follow our travels as they happen! I can guarantee it will be an interesting read.
I can't wait!
We've been spending the evening compiling information from the many books I got out of the library, the internet, AAA, and various other resources to create a monster travel guide to remind us of the potential sites to see on our way and act as a little virtual scrapbook of our adventures.
During the process, Joe created this screen shot of our route, highlighting the "Blue Elf Shoe" shape. The "Blue Elf Shoe" first came into our lives as we searched out a restaurant in the Malá Strana section of Prague. There was a little corner restaurant that boasted an image that resembled a cute little blue elf shoe. We admired the place and when we were deciding on a route for our trip to the NADE Conference in Sioux Falls and saw the shape our tentative plan made, we couldn't pass it up.
I plan to photo blog on our adventures as we go, our hotels offer free WiFi. So, stay tuned next week to follow our travels as they happen! I can guarantee it will be an interesting read.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Dick Kiss
Sunday night we headed to Easton to check out the Bodies Exhibit. Afterwards, we decided to wander around the "Towne Center" and people watch. We entered the mall and saw that Andy Dick was performing at the Funnybone. I absolutely HATE stand up comedy and neither of us are Andy Dick fans, but come on...it's Andy Dick! You couldn't pass it up.
We approached the box office and asked if there were tickets left. The girl explained that Andy had offended some people with his earlier performances, resulting in some people actually walking out. She asked if we were easily offended. We aren't. So we were in.
We grabbed dinner at Abuelos. We shared a pitcher of house margarita. Yum! We were plenty tanked and ready to see Andy.
T-minus 2 hours to go, however. We had more time than we realized, so we headed over to the Max and Erma's Sundae Bar to waste some time. Drunk munchies are the best, especially when it comes to an ice cream buffet.
Finally, 7PM rolled around, so we headed back over to the Funnybone.
The show was great. Andy sat on stage accompanied by a guitarist. They played music, sang songs, talked about the big "walk out." He told offending jokes. We laughed, we drank. It was awesome.
At the end of the show, we hung around for a chance to meet Andy. Sure enough, he came out to see his fans. This resulted in plenty of groping, for both the men and the ladies, myself and Joe not excluded. Joe flashed the perfect picture as Andy planted one on my cheek.
Gotta love a good Dick Kiss.
We approached the box office and asked if there were tickets left. The girl explained that Andy had offended some people with his earlier performances, resulting in some people actually walking out. She asked if we were easily offended. We aren't. So we were in.
We grabbed dinner at Abuelos. We shared a pitcher of house margarita. Yum! We were plenty tanked and ready to see Andy.
T-minus 2 hours to go, however. We had more time than we realized, so we headed over to the Max and Erma's Sundae Bar to waste some time. Drunk munchies are the best, especially when it comes to an ice cream buffet.
Finally, 7PM rolled around, so we headed back over to the Funnybone.
The show was great. Andy sat on stage accompanied by a guitarist. They played music, sang songs, talked about the big "walk out." He told offending jokes. We laughed, we drank. It was awesome.
At the end of the show, we hung around for a chance to meet Andy. Sure enough, he came out to see his fans. This resulted in plenty of groping, for both the men and the ladies, myself and Joe not excluded. Joe flashed the perfect picture as Andy planted one on my cheek.
Gotta love a good Dick Kiss.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Partied too hard
Last Saturday was an interesting experience. We rocked the party as hard as ever.
It was the Reel Big Fish/Less Than Jake show at the Newport--the concert of the summer.
After a quick shower, we started the trek to campus. Less than one block down the street, this screeching cat came out of nowhere. “Meeeoww!” I am not exactly a cat lover, so I let out a blood curdling scream, and started running, thinking I was about to be attacked by a angst-ridden feline. Instead, the cat started purring and rubbing up against my legs. It meowed a little more. I thanked it for being so excited to see me, but explained that we had a concert to attend, so we continued with our walk. The cat stared at us, dumbfounded, as we continued up to High Street.
Two blocks later, we pass a porch party. A happy little dog was jumping around on his owner’s lap. We continue down the sidewalk. All the sudden we hear some barking, lots of chains rattling, and before we knew it, this little dog had chased us down the street and began jumping up and licking my fingers. The woman apologized, and grabbed the excited pup who finally relented to her arms.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized to her, “it appears we are attracting the neighborhood animals this evening.”
We made it up to High Street without anymore animal attacks. We were a bit early and weren’t interested in checking out the opening bands, so we proceeded next door to Bento Go-Go. They had just opened, and the bartender was cleaning up from the night before. He welcomed us in, poured us some delicious Saketinis, and engaged us in conversation about his upcoming move to Florida. He then encouraged us (successfully) to try the Cactus Bowl, a 5-shot beverage topped with 151. Delicious! It was exactly what we needed to get us ready for the concert. It came to be about time, so we wished him luck and proceeded back next door.
Every Less Than Jake show we run into some high school friends of Joe’s, David and Matt. Sure enough, we’re standing in the beer line and the guys spot us. They have the upstairs open for this packed show, so we head to the balcony. We make it to the top and Joe falls down the stairs. Miraculously, he does not spill his beer. He is, however, injured. He shakes it off like a real champ, though, and we rock out through Reel Big Fish. After they get off the stage, some spots at the edge of the balcony clear. We snag the prime spots. Less Than Jake comes on, and I swear, neither of us have ever danced as hard. Joe actually manages to punch himself in the face, knocking off his glasses.
At the end of the show, we are approached by a guy from the audience. “I just want to tell you guys that you ROCK!” he says. You know it is a compliment when a guy is paying more attention to your dancing then he is Less Than Jake’s awesome live show.
That was the best concert either of us can remember.
P.S. Joe has since begun healing.
It was the Reel Big Fish/Less Than Jake show at the Newport--the concert of the summer.
After a quick shower, we started the trek to campus. Less than one block down the street, this screeching cat came out of nowhere. “Meeeoww!” I am not exactly a cat lover, so I let out a blood curdling scream, and started running, thinking I was about to be attacked by a angst-ridden feline. Instead, the cat started purring and rubbing up against my legs. It meowed a little more. I thanked it for being so excited to see me, but explained that we had a concert to attend, so we continued with our walk. The cat stared at us, dumbfounded, as we continued up to High Street.
Two blocks later, we pass a porch party. A happy little dog was jumping around on his owner’s lap. We continue down the sidewalk. All the sudden we hear some barking, lots of chains rattling, and before we knew it, this little dog had chased us down the street and began jumping up and licking my fingers. The woman apologized, and grabbed the excited pup who finally relented to her arms.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized to her, “it appears we are attracting the neighborhood animals this evening.”
We made it up to High Street without anymore animal attacks. We were a bit early and weren’t interested in checking out the opening bands, so we proceeded next door to Bento Go-Go. They had just opened, and the bartender was cleaning up from the night before. He welcomed us in, poured us some delicious Saketinis, and engaged us in conversation about his upcoming move to Florida. He then encouraged us (successfully) to try the Cactus Bowl, a 5-shot beverage topped with 151. Delicious! It was exactly what we needed to get us ready for the concert. It came to be about time, so we wished him luck and proceeded back next door.
Every Less Than Jake show we run into some high school friends of Joe’s, David and Matt. Sure enough, we’re standing in the beer line and the guys spot us. They have the upstairs open for this packed show, so we head to the balcony. We make it to the top and Joe falls down the stairs. Miraculously, he does not spill his beer. He is, however, injured. He shakes it off like a real champ, though, and we rock out through Reel Big Fish. After they get off the stage, some spots at the edge of the balcony clear. We snag the prime spots. Less Than Jake comes on, and I swear, neither of us have ever danced as hard. Joe actually manages to punch himself in the face, knocking off his glasses.
At the end of the show, we are approached by a guy from the audience. “I just want to tell you guys that you ROCK!” he says. You know it is a compliment when a guy is paying more attention to your dancing then he is Less Than Jake’s awesome live show.
That was the best concert either of us can remember.
P.S. Joe has since begun healing.
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