It's Monday and this is all I've got

Waiting at the corner of DeLongpre and Vine, a police car sat in the left turn lane while I was in the right lane. This guy starts crossing the street looking like he's up to no good and then he stops in the middle of the crosswalk and waves at the police officers. Really? Because nothing says "I'm up to something" like looking as if you're up to something. Then, silly me, I was making a right on red and actually hesitated because the police were there. It's a perfectly legal move, but I guess my old rebel days and mindset have me nervous around the po po still.

Since they repaved Wilton, they added this at the corner of Wilton and Beverly,
which is awesome. If you've ever taken this route, you may remember that Wilton becomes one lane between Beverly and 2nd Street. Before this new addition, you had to play "Who's car has more pick up" in order to go from two lanes to one and still make it through one of the shortest green lights in the city. Jamie, being of manual transmission, does a pretty good job out of the gate, but there's always some idiot not willing to accept defeat who has to muscle his way in. I'm happy for this new traffic pattern, although I still saw four cars in the right lane go straight across. Oh well, it's new. They'll get used to it.

Look at my little Shamrock growing like a weed:I'm so happy for my little plant. Unfortunately, the bean that I was trying to grow did not sprout. It turned moldy instead. ew.

Last night after chatting with my Mom, I heard this buzzing sound like a swarm of locusts. What the ? Is Moses back and no one told me? I looked all around my apartment, decided it was outside and then looked out all my windows. Turns out a guy in the house around the corner, whose backyard abuts mine, was playing with a remote control car with an engine the size of a lawn mower. I might add his back yard is about as big as my living room, so really it was just hitting the wall and bouncing back. But, dang, it was loud.

Also, this Savage Chickens cartoon reminded me of my quiet night.Of course mine should read "Gnome's high heels" and "lawn mower-sized remote control car."

Hope y'all had a more productive Monday than I.

Scrabblicious

I recently purchased an adorable Scrabble Tile necklace from Etsy. Actually, I purchased two--one in the classic natural wood tile and one in the Special Anniversary Edition tiles, which are black with silver letters, for special occasions. Here's a photo:
I love it and have worn it every day since it arrived. Criss, while complimenting me on my necklace, said, "I'm sorry you're only worth one point, though. I think C is worth 3." This got me thinking, so I looked up the values of all the letters according to Scrabble. My whole name--first, middle, last--is only worth 18 points. MY WHOLE NAME!! And why? Because my entire name, save the first letter of my last name, is made up of what I like to call "the Wheel of Fortune letters"--R, S, T, L, N and the vowels A, E, I, O, U.--which just happen to be all the 1 point letters in Scrabble. Even if we throw my Confirmation name in there, it only adds 4 points. It's also entirely made up of 1 point letters. The six-letter word "quiver" has as many points as my entire name.

Now, I don't want to equate my self worth with my Scrabble worth, but it's hard to feel special when your name is so ridiculously common. I might as well be Jane Smith (with all due respect to the Jane Smiths of the world). Actually, Jane Smith=21 points.

And what about Criss? Her entire name is 33 points, and that is without any bonus squares, my friends. What's your name worth? Here's the breakdown.

1 point: A, E, I, O, U, N, R, T, L, S
2 points: D, G
3 points: B, C, M, P
4 points: F, H, V, W, Y
5 points: K
8 points: J, X
10 points: Q, Z

So much for a half day

Sometime yesterday afternoon, folks started getting feisty and asking the HR manager, "Can we wear jeans tomorrow? It's kind of like Friday." The HR manager, trying to keep the customers satisfied, called the boss (who had left at 3pm for a meeting) and asked if we could wear jeans. The boss said, "Why? It's not Friday?" Then, since these same feisty folks had been bugging her about a half day, HR Manager went ahead and asked the boss if we could have a half day. Without going into detail, her answer was an unequivocal "No." Half the office left early anyway, but being the diligent worker that I am (and paranoid that the boss would call at 4:55 and I'd be fired for not being there), I stayed--until exactly 5:05pm. Then, like a fool, I went to the grocery store.

It wasn't as bad as expected. Okay, it was bad, but I only need apple pie fixings so I pretty much had four things to buy and I was out. Since I don't use white flour and sugar on a regular basis, I wanted to buy the smallest package of each. No such luck on the flour, but I grabbed a box clearly marked Pure Cain Sugar.
What I didn't notice was the (not so) fine print:I immediately called my sister Katie for advice. I had 1/4 cup of regular sugar, a whole box of powdered sugar and a whole box of harder-than-granite brown sugar. Whatever will I do? Kate said to go with the brown sugar and the 1/4 cup of regular--sort of a mixture. Since the brown sugar was like a rock, I broke off a piece and popped it in the coffee grinder. I is smart. I'll let you know tomorrow how it worked.

In other news, today is Roy's (my world-famous nephew) birthday. Happy (Holy Crap, I can't believe this) 27th Birthday, Roy!! I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday and all the many birthdays we celebrated together from that day forward. I love you, Roy.

I spotted this at Staples:Times are tough since Joanie left him.

Resistance is futile. You will spend your life savings on yarn.

I have avoided Yucca (the street, not the plant) the whole month of April. I have plugged my ears and averted my eyes when my fellow knitters began extolling the bargains to be had at the giant 50% off everything sale at Black Sheep Knittery. I have said, "No, I have plenty of yarn and I have bills to pay, a car to fix, laundry to do, food to buy." Yet, I found myself in need of 10.5 and 10.75 circular needles for my new project, since I FINALLY finished my top-down baby cardigan for the child born in January. (no, it probably won't fit him) So, with an hour 'til closing, I popped into Black Sheep Knittery "just for some needles and maybe to poke a bag of yarn or two." Yeah, right. Two circular needles, three Lantern Moons (because they're so pretty and 50% off), a bag of cashmerino, and a couple of magazines later I left and ran home immediately to check my bank account to make sure rent is covered. What is it that makes me lose control of my senses when I'm surrounded by yarn. If I had had more money in my account, I would also have purchased four skeins of linen in the prettiest yellow-purple-brown colorway that reminded me of a landscape. I'm a baaad girl.

So, what have I been up to? The office move is complete. Junk has been hauled away, offices are in order, windows have mini-blinds, people have trash cans, the training room in set up, and the new receptionist/ office manager starts Monday. I, for one, couldn't be happier. Of course, this now means I'll have to be at the boss's beck and call again. Oh well.

Baby sweater is complete. It looks like this.

I'm quite proud of it. Look at the adorable hood, the raglan sleeves, the seamless construction--perfect. If only I had finished it in time to actually fit the intended child. He's a small baby, so maybe it will fit him for a month.

I'm also almost finished with the first hand-warmer I started back in December for Stella. I have the thumb to do, which I started today but, being a dumbass, I started knitting it backward--or inside out--and have to redo it.
I started Tami's sweater today (which is what I needed the circulars for) but I have a feeling that's going to take some time. It's fancy and all.

In non-yarn related news, I have a lovely view from my new office. I can see all the way to the ocean (theoretically, if the smog clears) and up to the Hollywood sign, which still makes me happy after 12 years of living here, and points east.

Just look at that lovely view of traffic and rooftops. Pardon the reflections; it was sundown.







Thursday, and this is why I bitch about the parking on my street, these signs were posted.

To what do I owe this inconvenience? ENTOURAGE! I don't care how cute Adrian Grenier is, I get mighty peeved when my parking is taken up for trailers. Just one of the hazards of living in the heart of the 'wood--Hollywood, that is.
Note there is no time listed on the sign. So imagine my irritation when Mr. Parking Enforcer said to me, as I was getting into my car at 8:10am, "You're lucky. I was just about to have you towed." I glanced around, noticed I was indeed the only car on the street, and said, "Um, why?"

He pointed to the sign. "Yeah, I know, but I live here."
Him: "That doesn't matter. All cars are supposed to be off the street by 8:00."
Me: "Sez who?" (I know; I'm so mature)
Him: "Says the notice that was posted on your front door."
Me: "There was no notice on MY front door. I noticed the sign last night when I parked, but the sign doesn't have a time listed."
Him: "It's from 8:00am to 8:00pm. The notices were posted everywhere."
Me: "Everywhere but my door."
Him: "You're just lucky."
Me: "So what's this for anyway?"
Him: "Entourage...you know, the TV show. They're filming up the street."
Yeah, they filmed up the street on the 7th floor of a building on the corner, but they have to take up three streets for the freakin' trailers. Arrgggh!!!

Let's see, do I have anything else to say? Sweater? Check. Parking? Check. Work? Check.
That ought to do it. I have to do laundry and bake brownies tomorrow. Here's hoping I have enough cash for quarters and that the brownies don't burn.

My new office!!!

I stopped by the new offices today. I am excited and thought I'd share.

Those are my windows up there with the red arrows. Don't mind the editing.

Inside my office. Hopefully, it won't look like this when I move in.

I do so wish I could keep this kicky Clipper ship wallpaper. It's lovely, but they're painting it eggshell.

Try to keep up...it won't be easy.

This is how my mind rambles--on and on and on...
I had a blog post in mind. I thought about it on the freeway this morning. You see, a highway patrol car merged in behind me when I got on the 101 and every single driver who saw him SLOWED DOWN. People, it's 8:30am and we're going 20 miles an hour, tops. What's he going to nail you for? Use your turn signals like you were raised properly and get on with the business of driving.
But my mind, what with its endlessly spinning cogs, thought of the time back in Pennsyltucky when I totally outran a State Trooper (Dukes of Hazzard style) on the back roads of Saylorsburg. See, I had an expired inspection sticker...in Pennsyltucky you have to get your car inspected every year and it can't have anything wrong or you don't pass (unless you go to an unscrupulous inspection station) and then you can't renew your registration, which when I left cost $35 no matter what you drive--go ahead, Californians, cry...and I was going to regale you with that story because it's a good one. Oh, I'm a smooth talker and did I mention I was driving a manual transmission STATION WAGON? Hells to the yeah.

But then, I started instant messaging my nephew, The Roy, and MySpace came up in conversation, which led to contact with the past and finding out things about your ex, which reminded me of the rat bastard who broke my heart, which stirred up all kinds of feelings of inadequacy, but not really...because in reality, he got the shit end of the break-up stick. (and he knows it, which makes me happy) So, after Roy logged off (he is three hours ahead, after all), I started Googling people from the burg, because I get all sentimental sometimes. Shut up. I do too. So I looked up the ex (nothing), his wife (nothing), her sister (nothing), my old roommate (thousands of possibilities, but his last name is Smith, so that's expected), and a boy named Jeff (okay, he's a man now) who I used to be close to, who always made me laugh with his very dry sense of humor. I found his name mentioned on a blog of a guy who lives in the Allentown area (close enough) and saw a picture of a guy who could be Jeff, maybe, but last time I saw him he was 21 and had long hair and a cute little turned-up nose that prevented him from looking evil. Boy, he hated it when I would point that out.

Yep, that's what I was going to blog about until "Medium" came on TV. See, Allison (the mom) was shopping for a fancy dress for her oldest daughter (Ariel) and stumbled upon a murder scene. The next day at school, all of Ariel's friends were asking her questions about the murder ("was it bloody?") and Holy Crap, that's exactly what Amy Miller asked me the day after I found my neighbors murdered and my name was in the paper. And I thought about the murders and the stupid questions I got from people at the ESYA sports banquet, which I had to leave early because they were serving spaghetti and, well, nuff said. So, yeah, I was going to tell you all about the murders, but then I realized that most of my friends have heard the story and it's long and if you really want to hear it you can ask me and I'll tell you but it's hard to put into writing because...I RAMBLE.

Phew. And that's just a portion of my thoughts. It's a wonder I can get any work done during the day. But I do.

Where have I been?

Sleeping. Oh, and winning the Fuckling contest. Oh yeah! You will have to peruse Uccellina's blog to see the entries because I immediately deleted the photos from my computer, being as it's the work computer and all.

But the sleeping...Holy Toledo! I am beginning to think there's something wrong with me. I can understand being sleepy on Saturday, what with being out way past my bedtime to celebrate Miss Kendra's birthday and all. I had a friend over Saturday and, quite frankly, could not stay awake long enough to be a good hostess. My eyes kept doing that rolling-back-in-your-head thing, which I tried to hide by keeping my head down intent on knitting. She left at 4:30 and I promptly crawled into bed and slept until 7:30. I woke up, ate dinner, watched TV and was back in bed by 11:30.

Sunday, I woke and slept off and on until 10:30, before getting up and showering. I gathered laundry, got dressed to go, and well, fell asleep. I tried to get up and get moving many times throughout the day, but my limbs were weak and I was just really, really sleepy. At 4:00, I gave up and put my lounging around clothes on. And again, I was ready to sleep for the night by 11:30.

Yesterday, I took the day off to go take a test for a possible something something, did the now shockingly large pile of laundry, and came home by 1:15--and promptly fell asleep. Woke briefly when a friend called, but then slept soundly until 6:30. Naturally all of that sleep finally caught up to me and I could NOT sleep last night for nothing. Damn.

So what's wrong with me? Mono? Cursed by a fairy godmother? Narcolepsy? Ennui? I don't know. I'm awake and productive today, but it took some effort, folks.