Category Archives: Love/Loathe

January 28, 2010 · 1:32 pm

Love & Loathe — 01/28/10

Loathe:

* The way the house smells like ashes when it rains. Downdraft in the chimney, I guess, don’t like it.

* The wet dog smell in the garage when it rains. It’s been nearly 5 years and the previous owner’s legacy lives on in the garage for some reason.

* I found some notes I had written when in high school and I realized that typing has caused me to lose my lovely penmanship, because now I’m apparently used to “writing” at high speeds. Slowing down and actually penning things with a real pen might be a good thing to do sometimes.

Love:

* McDonald’s hot fudge sundaes. It’s the simple things, My People, and they must use fake milk or something, because I have nooooo problem digesting them.

* My warm rice bag thing that I heat up in the microwave. Good for all ailments, from lady problems to muscle strains, it’s an all-around wonderful thing.

* My scanner. I have two of them, actually, and have primarily been using my HP for the last year. But I recently installed the software for my Canon LiDE 600F flatbed scanner on my Toshiba laptop (remember my other laptop went bad a few months back). I had forgotten how well put together this flatbed scanner is and, while not the fastest thing out there, it’s got some really nice, well thought-out features.

* The six baby guppies born yesterday morning. They’re so cute, swimming around with their itty-bitty eyes looking at things, eating microscopic food and pooping microscopic poop.

* This plant… I can’t remember its name and I always forget that it’s a winter bloomer, but it doesn’t forget. January comes around and it spills over the fence with profuse flowers, in shades of blue, periwinkle and lavender. It makes me happy to look at it.

* Can’t wait to go to Disneyland tonight and back up to the mountains tomorrow. Maybe a McDonald’s sundae on the way to both of those places. Mmmm.

One Last Thing:

** Click to continue reading (password protected as it’s career related).

16 Comments

Filed under Love/Loathe, Money Hump Building

January 21, 2010 · 11:21 pm

Love & Loathe — 01/21/10

Loathe:

* Somehow one of my rear tires on my car dropped to only 10 pounds PSI. I thought it was maybe a slow leak, but it hasn’t lost any pressure since I refilled it to the 26 PSI that it’s supposed to be at this morning. Not sure what that means…

* Of course, I discovered it this morning at 1 AM, when my intuition told me to go check my tire pressure. Which I did and then worried about it until 5 AM when Tony got up and I made him double-check my tire pressure taking skills.

* The reason I was worried was because I needed to drive (or row) my mom to the airport for a domestic trip. I’m glad I checked it, because I ended up driving roundtrip to the airport two times. Once to drop off my mom and once to pick her up when Southwest Airlines canceled all their flights out due to weather.

Love:

* Homemade waffles.

* Honey baked ham.

* Another evening with my mom… an unexpected gift, although there was a certain amount of stress involved and wasted time at the airport.

* It’s snowing in the local mountains. Like, a LOT of snow. That means we’re going up tomorrow. So, here’s to safe travels for everyone in the house.

* My mom and I have been going to the gym together, including the aquatic exercise classes, and they’ve been letting her in on our membership. I’m not sure if they’re supposed to do that, but I love them for it. In fact, it almost makes up for all the pool issues they have there.

One Last Thing:

Here’s something weird… when I have insomnia due to worry, I ponder really weird things that are unrelated to the worry at hand. For example, my “worry” last night was that my tire wouldn’t hold air and I wouldn’t be able to get my mom to the airport in time because I’d have to spend MONEY on a new tire, and how was I going to do that AND get her to airport? Turns out that the tire held air and her flight was canceled… so there.

Yet, one of the things I was thinking about last night, totally unrelated to the real worry, was whether people who wear hats cause themselves to have a thinning hairline or whether they wear hats to cover up a thinning hairline. Similar thought about glasses… if your eyesight starts to get bad, and you do start to wear glasses, does that cause your eyes to get lazy and then you need thicker glasses, and then your vision gets worse, and then you need even thicker glasses?

I think I should go to bed tonight. Oh, and I’m moving my Love & Loathe list to Thursday… even though you were too polite to say anything about it, I know you missed it on Tuesday. *muwah*

18 Comments

Filed under I ♥ My Miata, Love/Loathe, Sometimes Thinking Exhausts Me

January 12, 2010 · 11:58 pm

Love & Loathe — 01/12/10

Loathe:

* My car is getting older and coming up on some of those major maintenance mile markers. Such as needing a new timing belt and a 90,000 mile tune-up. Seriously, I really cannot believe I’ve had this car for 8 years in March. It blows my mind.

* December bills… property taxes and auto insurance are hefty bills that make my money hump scream in pain this time of year. Also brings home the reality of needing a job.

* Coughing. Especially the dry, unproductive, tickle cough that goes on and on. Then I try to stop it and I feel like I’m choking, but NEWSFLASH TO THROAT, THERE’S NOTHING IN THERE TO GET OUT! So annoying.

Love:

* Naps. I had a glorious nap on Saturday and felt so relaxed afterward. I love naps like that. Usually naps make me feel all tongue-furry and foggy-brained, but not that one.

* Sea World. I went yesterday with my mom and I just love that place. I shouldn’t be surprised by that, considering how much I love my fish, but I am. Plus, Sea World has a freshwater aquarium building and I spent about 20 minutes staring at their cichlid tank. Because the water’s cleaner in someone else’s side of the tank (or grass is greener on the other side of the fence?). Something like that. Plus, my mom totally enabled and encouraged me, she wanted to see them, too. No, really. She even said so.

* Ummm, I just mentioned Sea World, right? Of course, that means chocolate funnel cake. Yep, I love that, too.

* People who truly care about me… that whole “unconditional love” thing. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I really, really am surrounded by those type of people in my life. That it’s a blessing not to be taken for granted.

* My Topsy Turvy. California weather is confusing the maters out of my tomato plants. I have ripening tomatoes hanging out of my Topsy Turvy. Why does that sound a little bit naughty?

One Last Thing:

One of those things that never gets old. Driving down the freeway and shouting, “HEY!”

Everyone in the car, “What?”

Then, “NO, REALLY, HAY!”

16 Comments

Filed under Love/Loathe

December 29, 2009 · 1:26 pm

Love & Loathe — 12/29/09

Love:

* Time with family. It’s been nice having my mom here for this most special time of year.

* Keeping busy and going places. How on earth did I ever have time for a job?

* Driving around with family, loaded up with hot chocolate, and appreciating the Christmas decorations that so many of the neighborhoods around here put up. We really have some amazing stuff in these parts.

* Our neighbors. I wondered why, when I bought my home, I didn’t get the home in the upper part of our neighborhood and ended up with this one instead. Now I’m so glad I did. I love our neighbors.

Loathe:

* Getting sick. It’s been awhile and I thought the echinacea I’ve been taking this year must have helped my immune system. I mean, I missed the multiple rounds of germ infestations at work and several early rounds of family colds and flus. But this one hit me on Sunday and is going through me fast. Ugh. *snort* *cough*

* Being so tired and achy. Really, what do my shoulder and neck muscles have to do with my ears and sinuses being congested?

One Last Thing:

If you happen to watch the Rose Parade on New Year’s day, be looking for Tony on the Honda float (aka the Ship of Dreams). He’ll be on there, with his little, representing the Big Brothers of OC. I’ll be sitting in the grandstands with our parents. Exciting stuff, My People!

26 Comments

Filed under Love/Loathe

December 22, 2009 · 10:57 am

Love & Loathe — 12/22/09

Loathe:

* Fish freak outs. I mentioned that our little tank of guppies and tetras is infected with ick, which is a parasite that attaches itself to fish and infects their little bodies and eventually their gills and is just a terrible way for fish to die. I called my Fish Whisperer for reinforcement because we’re losing the little ones left and right.

He made an off hand comment to “make sure your big tank doesn’t get infected.” I laughed it off, because I use a smaller vacuum for the little tank and a big vacuum for the big tank. Plus, I sterilize all the tools with beyond-boiling-hot water after every tank change. But then… I realized that I had just used the small vacuum to clean my cycle tanks and did I sterilize? I don’t know, can’t remember, am sure I did, but do I want to take the risk? And what about the goldfish tank?

So, I spent a couple hours last night sterilizing all the tank tools, siphoning out and refilling the cycle tanks, changing the filters, turning the heaters up to 88°… GAH! GAH!! Damn parasites. *takes deep breath*

Love:

* My fish. Otherwise, all the stress I go through for them wouldn’t be worth it.

* That my mom may be arriving here this afternoon.

* Crockpot beef stew… I made some for my mom’s anticipated arrival yesterday. She can have some tonight instead. I believe there is nothing that says “I love you” after a super long trip better than homemade beef stew.

* King Leo Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peppermint Patties. I found these in the Walgreens in Iowa last week. True to form, I found something I love and, of course, they are a specialty, seasonal candy and not every Walgreens has them. Walgreens, you’ve been warned, the hunt is on.

* I spent way too much time on Sunday painting my nails like candy canes. Not perfect, but I love them.

* Our bird spent hours just hanging out and cuddling with us this past weekend.

* Squirrels eating peanuts.

* Birds on a wire. I don’t know why, but I love this. Probably wouldn’t be wise to park under them, though.

* Experiments. So, I told you I bought green bags and that so far I’ve been really impressed with them? I decided to conduct an experiment with a carrot. I put a carrot in the bag the day I bought the green bags, which was the week of 11/10/09. Yesterday I took the carrot out, it hadn’t gone soft or bendy, but when I sliced it open, here’s how it looked. It had holes in half of it. Kind of cool, huh?

One Last Thing…

I guess I could go on and on this week. I apparently have a lot of things on my mind. But I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas.

We hope your holidays are blessed beyond belief.

28 Comments

Filed under Kid Substitutes, Longbits, Love/Loathe

December 15, 2009 · 10:04 pm

Love & Loathe — 12/15/09

… the travel edition!

Loathe:

* People who stop in the middle of doorways of public places to regroup or organize their belongings. This is always a pet peeve of mine, but even more so this time of year when stores are so busy. One selfish, thoughtless person can cause huge foot traffic jams.

* Jet lag.

* Packing and unpacking.

Love:

* How thoughtful and considerate people seemed to be in the town my aunt lives. I’ve never met so many friendly strangers!

* My aunt and uncle. I was startled to learn that they’ve been married 52 years this year. It’s absolutely fascinating to see how their marriage works — they each have a clearly defined role, know what’s expected of each other and they report in with each other throughout the day. Beyond that, they are each their own person with their own interests and are interested in the other’s life but not to the extent they want to control it. I love how they are with each other and I loved the time I spent with them.

* Sleep schedule boot camp — my aunt and uncle retire to bed early and rise early. Willingly. Because they want to. If I didn’t get my butt to bed, I was left feeling sleep deprived when 4:30 AM came along and the hosts were up and at ’em for the day. We’ll see how long my new and improved schedule lasts, now won’t we?

* Family picture albums and the stories behind the pictures.

* That I had great compatibility with my seat mates on all my flights.

One Last Thing:

On my journey home today, the plane had just landed in Las Vegas and we were 15-20 minutes early. Seemed to be a recurring theme for my trip, the pilot coming on and saying, “We’re ____ minutes early landing! Oopsie!” Yes, he really did say “oopsie.”

Anyway, so we’d just landed, and were early, except the pilot advised us that there had been a security breach in the terminal and none of the planes were leaving, so we didn’t have a gate.

I’d been “holding it” because I hate using the airplane bathrooms and had strategically rationed my liquids to make it to the airport’s restroom. However, facing an unknown indeterminate amount of tarmac time, the tempo in my bladder increased so that I couldn’t focus on anything but that. I waited a minute to observe the activity or, rather, the inactivity, at the five possible gates we were facing. I determined it would likely be awhile, so I got up to go to the bathroom.

The flight attendant looked askance at me, and I informed her that I needed to use the facilities. To which she replied, “Well, I can’t tell you no, but I do have to tell the guys (nodded her head toward the cockpit) that you’re in the bathroom.”

As if that would intimidate my bladder? I shrugged and said, “I have to go, soooo…” And in I went.

Now, let me tell you, there is nothing like trying to use an airplane toilet while under duress, knowing that the pilot and co-pilot know that there is a renegade passenger using the bathroom. For all I knew, if they got the go ahead to get to a gate, they might have to inform the tower that they can’t move because “we have a passenger using the facilities.” Wouldn’t THAT just be great. I’d have a black mark on my perfect bathroom scorecard.

It finally started, a little trickle, and then I realized that I had to go poop, too. In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose. Not only am I the renegade passenger, but I’m the renegade pooper! Fastest poop I ever pooped, let me tell you.

Upon returning to my seat, I was pleased to note that the same amount of inactivity was occurring at the gates, so my flagrant fragrance of the facilities had not been broadcast to the persons beyond the front of my own plane. At least someone had had movement.

After my layover in Vegas, I did make it home safely and it goes without saying, I suppose, that it’s good to be home and able to use my own bathrooms.

10 Comments

Filed under Longbits, Love/Loathe

December 8, 2009 · 6:21 pm

Love & Loathe – 12/08/09

Loathe:

*Insomnia and being tired. I’m doing OK now, but it was really sucking a couple days ago. *YAWN*

* Barking dogs. I hate that *almost* as much as much as I hate coughing.

Love:

* Rain. It rained yesterday. Poured, actually. I loved every second of it.

* I particularly loved that I didn’t need to drive anywhere yesterday. I even managed to hitch a ride with my husband to the gym, so my car stayed nice and dry. I had momentary sadness for all those poor people who were likely stuck on the freeway. First real rain of the season is always a doozie, you know.

* Decorating the house for Christmas while it was raining outside. That was really nice.

* It’s cold, but sunny today. Tug came inside from being out in the cat run earlier. He smelled like winter and had a hot spot on his butt where the sun was warming him.

* Tony picked up this remote control light switch for the floor lamp I’ve had stuck in a corner in our entryway for years. The plug attached to the switch is in a weird place and that’s where the lamp had to live because of that. Now, NOW, the lamp can live ANYWHERE in our house and I just love that. It’s all about the simple things, My People. Surely you’ve figured that out by now, right?

One Last Thing:

Pictures are always good…

Overview…

View from my desk…

Around the corner from me…

Nativity corner… that is one big camel, eh?

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care…

The tree…

Typically, I set this little display up at my job…

No help at all, and they were asking for a raise. As if!

16 Comments

Filed under Love/Loathe

December 1, 2009 · 12:59 pm

Love & Loathe – 12/01/09

Loathe:

* My birthday month is over.

* The radio station I listen to started playing Christmas music ONE WEEK BEFORE Thanksgiving. I was irritated by that until I remembered that they STOP playing Christmas music at 11:59 on 12/25. Backwards to me, they should play Christmas music AFTER Christmas, I think.

* The bizarre overreaction of a certain family member to a request to meet for coffee. If the fair had a contest for Weird Family Members, I think this particular one would win all the ribbons available.

* All the big bills that come due in December — like property tax, auto insurance, to name a couple. Ugh.

Love:

* Seasonal flavored coffee. Pumpkin Spice and Eggnog flavors are what I’ve had so far. So good.

* Doing things I would never have thought to do and loving it. Like a taking hike in the marsh areas of the Orange County coastlands.

* Slide on toilet paper dispensers.

* Reading the Twilight books. I really enjoyed them.

* My cat, Tug. He is so loyal and responsive to me. I call his name and wherever he is, he comes running with a purr-meow. I love that and I love him. I’m so glad we found each other and can’t believe that it was seven years ago. Thanksgiving of 2002 I found him in Texas, he grabbed me, didn’t let go, and I flew him home to California.

(This is his “Let me on your lap so I can knead you” look.)

One Last Thing:

Speaking of Texas, and all the good things there, my mom and I will be visiting the Houston area the end of January. If you happen to be in the area and want to hook up, let me know and we’ll see if we can coordinate.

25 Comments

Filed under I have Family, I have Friends, Love/Loathe

November 24, 2009 · 2:27 am

Love & Loathe — 11/24/09

Loathe:

* That each company these days wants applicants to complete their online application instead of just submitting a resume. That really wouldn’t be so irritating, except they all use the same software and the “resume importer” of that software is just simply pathetic.

* Being such a night owl. My sleep hours are all jacked up, it’s gonna be tough to get back to normal when I get a job.

* There is *always* something going on with the gym’s pool. This week the pool’s heater isn’t working, so the water is pretty frigid. Since I’d gone through the effort to get there, I swam anyway. Cold water is not a good friend to hot muscles and now I’m suffering with sore arm muscles. Plus my goggles never seal right when the water is that cold.

Love:

* Green bags. Read about them, found them for cheap in Ross. Tried them. So far, they’ve kept my lettuce crisp, just like new, for over 2 weeks. All my other veggies fresh, too… onions, zucchini, cucumber, everything. Unbelievable.

* Turkey pepperoni. I make homemade pizza with a salad every couple of weeks for dinner, and I was surprised at how tasty turkey pepperoni is vs. the regular sausage pepperoni.

* Orowheat Sandwich Thins. Tasty and low calorie. Kinda pricey in the grocery store, but I found them in Costco for cheap. Cheap makes me happy.

* Having book reading days. I’ve been reading a lot of books lately.

* The movie, The Blind Side. After the 3rd try, we finally got in and got a decent seat. Yay! La-la-la-Loved the movie.

One Last Thing:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

22 Comments

Filed under Love/Loathe

November 17, 2009 · 11:18 pm

Love & Loathe — 11/17/09

Love:

* I took care of traffic school today online. Passed it with 100%, thank you very much. Which really means I shouldn’t have gotten a ticket in the first place. I knew better.

* Doing traffic school online while wearing my feetie jammies.

* Priceline.com — bidding on a hotel room, having my bid accepted and getting a sweet deal. I love sweet deals.

* Turkey sandwiches.

Loathe:

* Having cold feet and hands.

* White kitchen sink. I really miss the stainless steel sink I had at my former condo. I’m sure I hear you asking “Why, what difference does the sink make?” Well, if I don’t bleach it after every usage? This is what it looks like.

One Last Thing:

When I bought this t-shirt last week, I made the comment to Grace, who was with me at the time, that “Boy, there sure are a lot of inspection stickers inside this shirt…” Based on my comment, she assured me that the shirt was indeed well-inspected and likely safe to wear.