Month: February 2013

Decision time

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It’s Book Club time again.  We’re meeting this Friday to discuss The Secret Keeper (which I really liked), but that’s nothing to worry about.  No, it’s next month I’m worried about.  March is almost here, and that’s my month.  I have to host the entire club here, at my house, and I have to pick the book.  And I need to be able to tell them which book on Friday.  So I need some help.  Off the top of my head, here are three I think I could suggest.

I think any one of those would be fine.  World War Z is the slightly crazier pick.  I’ve read The Shadow of the Wind, but not the other two.  Is it cheating to pick a book I’ve already read?  It was only a few months ago.  Other suggestions?

I’m going to need ideas for food, too, but that’s weeks away.

I don’t know my Haydn from my Arrieta

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I was listening to the radio the other day on my way home from work, and the guy (I guess he’s still called a DJ, even if he does work for the classical music station) introduced the next piece of music as The Spanish Dances by I-don’t-remember-who (he remembered who – I don’t).  The music started, and I thought, this doesn’t sound very Spanish, but what do I know.  Then the music cut off, the radio went silent, and after a couple of seconds, the DJ (that just doesn’t sound right) said, “My apologies.  I jumped ahead.  That was Haydn.  These are The Spanish Dances.”  And then something that sounded somewhat more Spanish (more classical guitar, less orchestra) started.

Good story, huh?  I know.  Hush.  It struck me as odd, though.  You so rarely hear silence on the radio, and I’ve never heard music get cut off so abruptly like that, outside of emergency broadcasts.  If it were me, I probably would have let the Haydn finish, then apologize, identify it correctly, and continue with the actual Spanish Dances.

A swing and a miss

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I went to Starbucks this morning, the one with the drive-thru.  I like this one for a couple of reasons:

  1. It has a drive-thru.  I’m lazy and I don’t want to get out of my car.  Also, this drive-thru tends to be faster than going inside and standing in line (the two times I’ve done that at this particular location).
  2. They make my wonderful syrupy drink the right way.  The other Starbucks with a drive-thru (closer to my office) ALWAYS messes it up.  Somehow, they manage to make it taste kinda fruity.  Every time.  So I don’t go there anymore.
  3. Every once in a while, someone starts a pay-for-the-car-behind-you chain.  It’s nice, and I like that it happens somewhat regularly, regularly enough that I’ve been in that chain half a dozen times in the last few months.

Today was one of those days.  I got to the window, and the cashier (is she a barista?) told me that the woman in the car in front of me paid for my coffee.  I handed her my card and asked her to ring up the car behind me, and when the cashier handed me my card and my receipt, she said, “She also wanted you to have this,” and handed me a CD.  A music CD, in a sleeve, like many of the others Starbucks sells.  How exciting!  That’s different – maybe that woman just wanted to make someone’s day (more than buying their order would)!  I’d never heard of the guy on the CD, but I’m open to new music.  This could be cool.  Happy Monday!

Well, I got into the office and googled it.  Surprise!  It’s Christian rock.  I don’t think that should be allowed.  I mean, Christian rock should be allowed to exist (I guess), but proselytizing* via the Starbucks drive-thru is not cool.

Hm.  It just occurred to me – I don’t think she bought it at Starbucks for me.  I assumed she had, but I doubt Starbucks would sell it.  I think she gave it to them to give to me.  Weird and weirder.  Well, it’s not working.  I’ve spent half the day wondering how I should get rid of it.  Do I know anyone who might appreciate it?  Not really.  I don’t want to just leave it somewhere or give it to some unsuspecting stranger – that’s how I got it, and it didn’t make my day.  And I’m hesitant to just throw it out.  Maybe John knows someone.  Or I can always leave it at a church.  I know where I can find some of those.

*Maybe she wasn’t proselytizing.  Maybe the guy on the CD is her boyfriend or husband or son or cousin, and she’s helping him gain a wider audience.

Acting like a child. Except for the refinancing thing. And the taxes.

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I can’t figure this weekend out.  I’m in kind of a funk.  A petty annoying funk.  I did stuff yesterday (the gym, wrestled with TurboTax on linux, a couple of errands), but not enough.  I HAVE to get to the store today (we’re nearly out of calf liver for Roxy, and we need some other essentials), and I need to go to the gym…I think I’m going to put off my pedicure until later in the week or next weekend…

I did just finish our taxes, so that’s something.  I broke down and used my work laptop.

I’m on the verge of pouting because I have to go to the store.  Or because I have to go to the gym and the store, and that’s a lot of time out of the house.  Pouting!  Jesus.  I think it’s Sunday Afternoon Syndrome.  I can feel the weekend slipping away.

[Break]

Haven’t left the house yet (it’s about two hours later), but I’m about to.  John and I did finally call the bank to discuss refinancing, and now that we have all the numbers, it’s possible that we just won’t.  It depends on when we’re really trying to get out of this house.  I feel better having gotten that information (I’ve backed off from the pouting ledge).  And we’re about to go to the store.  Looks like the gym isn’t happening today.  I can take a day off, right?

Goats!

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Did you know goats are evil?  It’s their eyes.  Their eyes give them away.

All of that adorable playing and attention-hogging is just a ruse. What adorable playing?  This adorable playing!  (Please bear with me through this 2-minute video.  They really do do some cute things.)

Clearly, I met some goats last weekend.  And fed them and played with them and picked a favorite.  (Baxter, the brown one, is my favorite.  Dad’s favorite is Bruiser (black with blue eyes).  Trixie wasn’t all that interested in us.)

Baxter: “Whatcha doin’?” Or possibly, “My plan to take over the world begins with you. Look into my eyes so I can take over your brain.”

Titles are hard when brain stops working

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Sorry about yesterday.  This week was kind of odd.  Busy odd.  Like, I can’t remember sitting down and relaxing much odd, even though I know I must have.  My brain needs lots of help to get out of work-mode, which is why I’ve been relying on other websites so much.  Today will be no different.  Thanks to Tom and Lorenzo, let’s talk about Channing Tatum.

I like him okay (I’ve seen him in one movie and a couple of interviews, and he was plenty likeable), but I don’t find him attractive at all.  Certainly not HAWT, like so many other women seem to feel.  I think it’s his head.  And neck.  The combination of the two.  They’re thesame size.  I have the same issue with The Rock and Vin Diesel.  It’s a type, and it’s not mine.  Channing Tatum, at least in this suit, looks great if you only look from the shoulders down.

I still think he’s a little too body-builder for me.  I’m sure John will be relieved to know I’m not going to leave him for Channing Tatum.