This blows "Exploding Varmits 2" right out of the water!

This Saturday I went to the Pico Blanco Staff Reunion/Holiday Party. I've gone for the past eight years and it is a good nerdy time to be had by all. We sing boy scout songs, share inside jokes, some people wear their uniforms, and above all we play Pico Bingo.
Pico Bingo is a pretty simple concept. When you arrive you get a bingo sheet and place a piece of paper with your name in the "Pico Bingo" box. Then as the party gets started you go around and get signatures from fellow partiers to fill out the bingo squares. In order to play you must however bring a Pico Gift. This is a cheap item, usually under $10, that is somewhat rediculous. Things like opened bags of candy, a spagetti fork, Hannah Montana gear, records from the 70s, etc. The most rediculously awesome gift in recent memory was "Exploding Varmits 2" on VHS. Anyway, the whole point of the gifts is that when we play Pico Bingo, when your name is called out of the box people check it off their bingo sheet and you can go up and pick up a rediculous gift. It's a good time to be had by all.
This year when my name was called I went up and picked up a big box which was pretty light. When I opened it up there was one of those fake dove ornaments you can put on your Christmas tree. I thought it was pretty, however when I went to pick it up to show everyone - it moved its little beady eyes to look at me. There was a fucking live bird in the box. Mind you, I did not say cage or box with bird supplies such as toys and water, but just a box.
When I told everyone my present was a bird they all laughed because they thought I was trying to make them believe it was a real bird when actually it was a fake bird. So I whipped it out. Cue stunned, slack-jawed silence.

A little secret...

Sometimes when I am alone - such as driving my truck in the woods at work - I put a toothpick in my mouth, listen to Alan Jackson, and pretend I am a Republican.

General Update

No cute funny story, but just an update of the different facets of my life...

Things are going good. I moved out of my mom's house, which was the first big step for me. My new house is awesome; it's a garden apartment (half underground) in a big Victorian near downtown. I can walk to the grocery store and any of my favorite hangouts downtown. That is DEFINITELY my favorite part. My room is nice and big, which is nice after living in Peach Street cupboard for so long!
My roommates are super awesome! Jackie is the one who's here the most and she is on the fast track to becoming one of my new best friends. She's in school to become an acupuncturist and often pokes me with needles or does Chinese medicine for me to relieve my various aches and pains. She also is a great listener which is good for me being a big talker! My other roommate is Leleia, but I never really see her. She mostly stays at her boyfriend's house, but she seems cool enough.
This week I purchased a queen-sized bed. This is my first big bed I've ever had, so I am feeling pretty pampered. I am loaded up with a body pillow and three others. Along with my wubby I feel like the princess and the pea on that thing.
The job is going smashingly. I am getting trained for chainsawing, which rocks! Yesterday we were bucking (cutting felled stuff into smaller lengths) up some trees and I got to buck a whole tree by myself! I did however get poison oak on my face...grrrr. Hopefully soon I will be a certafied faller and then I can run a chainsaw whenever I want!
Christmas is coming up soon which I am stoked about. No real big plans but I am excited about my presents. For the first year ever I actually thought of a gift my dad would like instead of having to ask him. I also have some nice presents for my girlies up here in town that I am excited about.
Nick's coming out in 6 days! I am excited to see him and excited to spend the holidays with him. I know that so many others of my friends do not get to see their sig. others as much as I get to see Nick, soI feel truly grateful for that. We've got lots of fun plans and he's here for almost two weeks so goodtimes on that!
Anyway. That's pretty much it in my life right now. Enjoy the catchup!

T-day Thanksgiving

things i learned in texas:

- Texans have never heard of vegetables. only lard.
- Tell a Texan that you would like the "taco no meat", they say "would you like it with chicken?"
- I can freakishly do way more decline push-ups than regular ones. mostly because I am a savage.
- Mushy words are nice. But helping you, protecting you, and trying to anticipate your needs is much nicer.
- Mexico has a big flag demonstrating to the US their pride. We have a GIANT-could-be-seen-from-space lit up U.S.A. across an entire mountain range to say "fuck you guys".
- For a town of 100,000+ people, El Paso has nothing to do.
- Never, ever go on Dire Street.
- Always check the coolant levels.
- Doesn't matter if you only worked out your arms, you will not be able to use your left calf for 3 days.
- Never assume the roommate isn't home.

*drool

Today I saw the hottest. man. ever.
I was very innocently sitting at my desk looking up t-shirts, because that's the kind of important work my boss has me do in the mornings, and he walks in. If it wasn't for my puma-like reflexes, my mouth would have probably hung slack at this man's tall, built, blondie-ness. He turns to me and gives me that kind of eye contact that says, "Hey boo. Underneath those ill-fitting clothes I can tell you are stack of curves I would like to get to know. I am going to look past the box-like frumpy shape your uniform makes you and give you the official 'whats up?'". Oh wait, wha? You're also an Paramedic Hottie? My own personal Para-McDreamy? It was at that point I exploded.

Let me tell you why this is pathetic. (Something tells me you are making up your own reasons already - meaning you Mariana).The man was wearing full camo. He had a Nascar hat that was tore to pieces. He had just returned from hunting pigs on our Forest, that when they catch them - they slit their throats and turn them into sausage. He looked like he was probably a gun-toting, card carrying member of the Libertarian Party. What the hell is wrong with me? I swear, Republican men are like the Devil's candy.



ps. Nick still makes me absolutely crazy ga-ga stupid for him, so no worries. And if Para-McDreamy really got up in my hottness, I would have to politely say, "No. I got something twenty times better in Texas." Cuz I get my sexy Army Ranger, gun-shooting, short-hair, Manly-like-a-real-man boyfriend who also votes Democratic and is willing to watch Twilight with me :-)

Well, have you?

Have you ever had dozens of ladybugs fornicating on you while you try to do your job?

Oh the joys of being a Forester...

My life is too many pieces

So normally I dont really write in my blog that much because my life is pretty boring. I go to work, I come home, shower, eat, talk to Nick, watch TV, repeat. It's so boring in fact when I was asked recently, "So what are you're hobbies? What do you like to do in your spare time?" I. had. no. answer. Sigh, pathetic.
Anyway, but there reason I haven't written recently is actually because I have too much stuff going on. I can't think of a way to condense it into cute little stories. So fuck it. Here it is in disjointed thoughts. I will at least put them in chronological order.
1. Monday - Nick left after spending 6 days here. It's a hard thing for me because the time we're together is such a small fraction of our total time together, but it's the only time I feel normal. When he's here life feels sparkly and fun.
Most of all though is he makes me feel normal. Wanna be violent and punch REALLY hard for slug bugs? Go ahead and hit me. Wanna make funny noises for no apparent reason? Aaa-dorable. Want to talk yourself in awkward circles cuz you're embaressed? Hil-arious.
Then he left and I have have a tendency to stare at the passenger seat and wonder where is he? It just seems natural that he's always supposed to be there, so why is he always gone?
2. Tuesday - Barack Obama got elect. I cried like a baby. Democrats got the Senate, Gubenetorial and House. I will do this only once to Bear & Chad for payback for the past eight years... "How you like dem apples!!!!!!???!!!" *sticks out tongue*
3. Tuesday - Prop 8 passed and I was supremely disappointed that on a day we overcame such predujice and ignorance from the past, we just kept going on the same damn path of inequality. Oh yes, two adult tax-paying citizens who love each other can't get married because religions say its wrong even though we have seperation of church and state. Sigh.
4. Wednesday - I moved out of my parents house! Yay! Finally! No more futon lovin' when Nick comes into town. No more of my mom's snoring when I am trying to go to bed! No more mom waking me up clanging dishes in the morning! Whheeee!

I think that is all...

Impatience

Nick comes in today, today, today! I seriously have no idea how I am going to sit still much less concentrate at work today. I haven't seen him in two months and he's here in less than 12 hours!!!

Of course...

Today was the first day I was really able to ride my scooter around instead of my car. I know that doesn't make much sense since I have had the thing for 2.5 weeks now but it's true. Pretty much I have only ridden it to my dad's house just to get used to driving it and then I have ridden it to work twice to commute. But the whole reason I bought the thing was to help me do all my around town driving. I live in an area with a lot of stop signs, pedestrians and traffic lights all of which are killer on my Jeep gas mileage. So I bought my pretty scooter to drive around and help me with errands and visiting friends.

Anyway, like I was saying, today was the first day I really got to experience the scooter for what I bought it for. Happy little errands around town. As I was scooting I was thinking about how I was going to get home and write this blog that I am currently writing right now, which is pathetic but I don't care. I wanted to write it because I wanted to share my joy. The joy of my bright orange scarf whipping in the wind behind me. The joy of people stopping to talk to me at stoplights and ask me about my scooter. The joy of the nods I get from motorcyclists who don't realize I am actually only driving a 150cc scooter. The joy of just being on a bright orange thing that is brand new and completely bought by me with no help from any other parties. It's the first thing I have ever really owned and gotten for myself completely with no help. It makes me smile just to ride around in traffic!

Anyway, as I was driving around town and thinking about taking pictures of me with the scooter and what kind of quippy descriptions I was going to put on my photos... it happened. I'm parked at a stop sign and some BIG ass truck makes a three point turn. They don't see me. I freeze. Since I've only had the thing for 2 weeks my hand can't find the horn. Big ass truck hits me and plows me and my scooter over. The scooter dumps to the ground, I go rolling a few times and then hit a guardrail. As I am falling all I can think of is, "NOOO! Not the brand new scooter!" I get up and imediately start crying because that's who I am: a big fat crier. I just was so terrified and so instantly aware of the fact that my new shiny, less than 100 miles toy that I was so happy with all day was not going to escape this incident unscathed. Luckily I wasn't hurt, only a minor knee scrape. The scooter fared well too. Basically a few big scratches along the side that dumped, which the other driver will pay for.

In the end it's all going to work out. I wasn't hurt, the scooter will be taken care of. But damn if I didn't cry big fatty tears all the way home knowing my scooter joy bubble had been so violently popped. :*-(

It's time to be a big girl

I've decided to finally move out of my parent's respective homes. I am too cramped at my mom's, seeing as we share a room which is really awkward when Nick comes to visit. And my Dad and Kathleen have strongly hinted that unless I am pumping out some grandkids (seriously, their words, not mine) they would rather have me move out.
PLUS I would really like my own space, my urges to "nest" are getting out of control. I mean seriously, don't even let me walk through a Bed, Bath & Beyond because I will probably faint from desire to decorate.
Surprisingly I can get a nice room + utilities in a good location in Santa Cruz for around $700/mo. So that completely works in my budget and I am completely stoked on that.

Target move out date: Dec 1st
Current Furniture: bed frame, dining table and chairs, privacy screen, coffee table, two dressers, a kitchen/cooking stuff, tableware set & possibly a desk
Furniture Needs: mattress, couch, bookcases, computer chair

A slightly depressing week.

Yesterday I had the good fortune to have the day off. My brother was in town and I had a few friends that were free, so it was shaping up to be an awesome day. Except what usually happens, happened.
I hung out with my friends Zach and he made fun of how annoying I am and how he didn't really want me around. Kidding of course.
I had lunch with my parents and they made jokes about how annoying I am and how they want me to move out. Kidding of course.
Then I hung out with my brother and friends and they made jokes about how annoying and stupid I am and how they didn't really want me around. Kidding of course.

The thing is, this sort of thing doesn't really bother me because everyone kids around and I can take a joke. I'd also like to think I can throw down a good "zinger" now and then. But the thing is if someone were to follow me around to all my different friend groups, my family and my work you would probably see that everyone makes jokes about how annoying I am and that they can barely just tolerate me. And when you put different groups doing the same thing together in one day, a person can begin to feel a little bit annoying and unwanted.

So today is my depressed day. Where all the attributes I fear about my personality (my stories aren't funny they're just weird, I am a grating person, that no one really likes having me around and I just keep showing up so they just keep tolerating me) I just accept as truth. At least for today. Tomorrow I will probably feel a lot better and try to forget about it.

So for today I apologize. And I apologize for all those times where I've said things that make people cringe because I don't know where the "line" is. I really don't want to make people feel uncomfortable, most times I am just trying to say something ridiculous to make people laugh. I am sorry for any other aspects that I try to control but sometimes slip out and make people look at me like I am crazy. I will try to improve!

Tomorrow they're will be no apologies though, because try as I might I have the memory of a goldfish and always forget to not be crazy.

So I lied...

Today. Today I am the official (aka it's here, I own it, I can pick it up when I want) owner of an orange scooter.

It's different than the original one I showed you, but now it looks more manly so Nick doesn't have to feel so loserish riding "bitch".

YAY!! *doing a happy scooter dance*

Ready To Be The Cat Lady

So Della called me last night at 11:30. (For those of you don't remember, Della is my best friend) Anywho, she called me to tell me she and her boyfriend of three years have gotten engaged.

Now this means I have one married friend and FOUR engaged friends in the span of 6 months. And no, not piddly little friends I don't care about. The women I consider my best friends and my closest friends. In fact, of all my friends with boyfriends only Jessica (not Brick) is left. But lets face it, she and her boyfriend moved in together after 2 months, so they move fast. They have have been dating a year now, so it's only a matter of time! If she gets engaged I will have the complete set.

That's right girls. Fully expect me to bring my 20 cats to your wedding. My invitation better say "Liz + 20 small guests"

Reasons Why Skype Is Evil

1. Because I am by my computer to talk on the phone now, I get very distracted playing solitaire.
2. I used to have to wait until 9 to talk to Nick, but now I can talk anytime of day. Therefore I want to talk ALL times of the day. It's made me very needy.
3. You cannot touch boyfriend even though you can see him.
4. You cannot sex boyfriend even though you can see him.
5. I haven't figured out how to talk to anyone else on Skype. Mariana, where are the wonders of chugging contests you were telling me about?
6. For some reason whenever I talk on it, I have a nightmare that night. Is staring at a webcam bleeding my brain?
7. It made me fall in love with it so quickly, now I am addicted.

Orange Crush

I just put a deposit down for a brand new orange scooter. i will arrive in 1.5 weeks at which point I will explode from happiness. Here it is!
Loveeeessss

Any suggestions for a name?

It's a virtual graveyard

So most kids, when they have a birthday party, get a Mylar balloon of some kind. people also get these shiny concoctions at weddings (although a weeee bit tacky at a wedding), anniversaries, graduations and even the occasional bachelor party.

The balloon usually festively decorates the room during the event and then is kept around for the memory of a happy occasion. Over the next few days it will slowly deflate and eventually people will decide it is a poor reflection on the good time that was had and perhaps it should be popped and thrown out.

However, sometimes the balloons don't make into the trash. Sometimes the knot isn't tied tight enough, or the little kid didn't quite hold on and the balloon escapes into the ether. If you're like me you probably watch it until it is a speck in the sky and then maybe wonder about where it will land. I can tell you.

They ALL land at Soquel State Forest. Seriously. I don't know if it is the wind currents or something but they are EVERYWHERE. We see them on the hillsides, they are buried in the dirt, they are hanging from the trees, they're in the middle of the trail. EVERYWHERE.

Just today I saw seven (7!) shiny balloons in a four hour span!
It's a friggin' graveyard people.

The main public entrance to the Soquel State Forest and the office that I work at for the Forest are about 25 minutes apart (~5 miles). So when we go out to the woods we take this "state vehicles" entrance that is MUCH closer (1/2 mile). To get to this entrance we have to drive through a quarry, and we usually stop to say hi to the quarry guys since we have a pretty good report going.

Anyway. So we stopped there today and the Quarrymaster leans out of his little hut and says, "So I hear you guys are going to be putting some logs on the ground next summer?" (i.e. we're doing some logging). My boss goes, "Yup, that's the plan!" To which Quarrymaster says "Good! We can't be the only guys raping and pillaging the Earth around here...it makes us look bad!"

I kind of thought that was awesome.

A revelation

I hate girls with flat stomachs. They go around wearing whatever cropped jacket or tight t-shirt they want and it looks totally rocking.

I hate girls with tiny thighs. Lithe little legs that come up to a perky butt. Good god it's all unfair.

Then I realized that to have those things, 99% of girls need to basically starve themselves. Aaaand I get to eat cake and french fries.

Therefore my life is, and always will be, better.


ps. this excludes Candace because I don't hate her at all. Maybe just a little bit of slight jealousy :-)

I

Things I am excited about

This week will be full of stokage:
Monday - Few of my school friends have met her, but my bestest friend in the whole wide world is coming to town tomorrow. Ms Della Vanderbundt and I spent many a junior high/high school/college/current night drinking slurpees, talking about penises, laughing til we probably were in danger of passing out, and then pretending we were deep by talking about life and stuff. She's my Chad to my Bear. I haven't seen her since April and it's going to be awesome!

Tuesday - My friend Kevin and his bro-heim Jeremy are coming up to visit me from LA. I met Kevin on a cruise I took in high school. We had an awkward make out my sophomore year of college (he touched my boobies) but in general have remained friends despite the distance between us. Kevin and Jeremy are on a road trip to Seattle (with these gas prices I thought road trips went the way of the do-do) and I am their first stop!

Wednesday - Nick, nick, nick, nick, Nickelodeon! Very possible that Nick will arrive on Wednesday for a THREE WEEK PASS. Good god I would faint from the possibility. He is making me happier everyday I have been with him, so I am going to probably explode from excitement and mushy feelings unless I get to see him soon. Seriously. It could be ugly. My insides probably are solely made up of bunnies, marshmellows, heart and glitter at this point.

Last thing to be stoked on:
I just got my overtime check! Woot!

I hope everyone else has as much fun stuff coming up!

My mom and I went to the musical "Urinetown" last night, and as always she brought the dog along. Whenever we go out into public with Nico he dons his little vest and does his best to act professional.
Now, despite the fact he is wearing the BRIGHT orange vest and has a BRIGHT orange leash all of which are covered in writing saying, "Hearing Dog" or "Guide Dog - Do Not Pet" I am constantly surprised with how ignorant people are about the whole thing. I understand the occasional restaurant waiter who upon first seeing us gives my mom the ol, "You can't bring dogs in here," and then they have the double take moment when the see the vest and go, "oh. nevermind." That's legit. They're doing they're job and then see their mistake.
Nope usually its the common man which has a tendency to udder the stupidest stuff. What I really don't understand is that for some reason they all think because it's a hearing dog everyone in my mom's party lives in Cone of Silence. Because there is nooo possible way we would be able to hear you talking about us from 3 feet away is there?
Here's some gems from last night.
1. After we had been waiting in the lobby for 20 minutes next to this old woman and her daughter who were saying the usual things like, "Oh look at the puppy," and, "Wait mom, it says Heeeearing dog," we head into the theater. Then the mother leans into her daughter and goes, "She's bringing the dog into the theater?" (Her utter tone of disgust not able to be communicated in type) Yes, you dynamic duo. Even though you've got the brain power to figure out that it is in fact a service dog of some kind, you would think we would just leave Nico sitting in the lobby for two hours? Riiiight.
2. As we were walking out of the theater this man says to his entire posse, "Oh my god. Look that lady brought a puppy in here, that is sooo Californian." Right. Or you could take the 2 seconds to look at the BRIGHT orange vest and not look retarded.
3. Then of course there is the everyday, everywhere we go comments of, "It's a puppy." "It's a little training dog." Which isn't that bothersome in itself because I get it, he's small. But I cannot express how we hear this about 20 times when we go out anywhere. Which goes back to the whole Cone of Silence thing. we can hear you. all of you. Would you walk down the street and say in a normal voice, "Oh my god. Look how tall that lady is!" No, cuz it's rude to talk about the other people even if they have something that makes them stand out. Unless there's a dog involved and then all bets are off.

For Mariana, a little blast from the past.

Liz's Perfect Man:
Big, pursed lips
Makes me tea
Is on time (I am hyper-actively puntual. he'll give me a coronary otherwise)
Bakes with me
Makes me laugh everyday (still true!)
Teaches me about something new (still true!)
Tells me I am beautiful (still true!)
Hugs, cradles and nuzzles well (so true!)
Comfortable spending time with my friends
Content to spend the night in
Puts my name on something public (Like a skywriter? I think I just meant like a tree or something)
Clean shaven
Kisses me and holds me in public
Talks and charms my parents
I can talk with freely (I will talk to him whether he likes it or not. Its my nature)
Can express his emotions/frustrations with me (true!)
Isn't lazy (Someones gotta motivate me outta bed)
Good samaritan and person
Chivalrous
Kisses my forehead (still true!)
Holds my thigh (This is creepy for some reason)
Scratches my head
Listens to his horoscope (This is obviously a dealbreaker)
Makes me chicken soup when I am sick (Yeah, he's totally perfect for doing this. specially cuz he forgot I am a vegetarian)
Unexpected gift, unexpected time (Who doesn't love surprises?)
Snuggles in the morning (I mention snuggles a lot. Apparently its important)
Knows my favorite TV shows (At the time it was Dawson's Creek. aaawesome!)
Kisses at stop lights
Likes my laugh (This is still true and VERY important. If he hates it, we're screwed.)
Defends me
Knows magic tricks
Doesn't talk back to waiters
Doesn't wear mirrored sunglasses
Talks to pets like children
Knows the color of my eyes (They're shit brown. Fuck it up and you're retarded)
Lets me beat him in games (Why would he have to let me, when I am going to kick his ass anyway?)
Beard on the back of my neck (Seems to contradict my clean shaven requirement)
Listens
Is patient
Positively impacts my life
Drives an off-road vehicle of sorts (Very environmentally responsible of me)
Thirst for learning
Can fix things
Loves to travel
Can build things
Makes time for me
Has an accent
Is a leader (Leadership usually is conjoined with a uniform. Double bonus!)
Artistic cowboy (Yeah, yeah. I know)

Damn you visa commercials...

I would just like to say I loooove the Olympics. I love the ceremonies, I love the outfits, I love the touching stories that go along with each athlete, I just love the whole thing!
It's such an amazing thing to see our entire world come together to compete. The idea that every athlete there is the best their country has to offer and one gets to walk away the best in the world is so inspiring! Plus the fact that it gives meaning to sports that otherwise get no attention (archery, diving, fencing, etc) is pretty cool as well.
And I think the most interesting thing about the Olympics and being a spectator for it, is that you are cheering people on not because they represent a sport or a country but because they represent the possibilities of the humanity. Sometimes I don't care if the athlete is from the US, but rather that they pushed passed insurmountable odds to showcase their talents and the things they love. That to me is where the true inspiration of the Olympics comes from. They swimmer who doesn't have an Olympic sized pool in the entire country to practice in, the Afgani woman athlete who had to leave the country because she received death threats about compete but carried the flag into the stadium representing her country as a big "Fuck You", or the people who are trying to win the first medal of any kind for their entire country. It's all so emotional!
Good god. And the commercials. They seem to capitalize on this whole "triumph over adversity" thing and the ability to push past normal limits of the human spirit thing to emotional crafted masterpieces. "But he...and his father...finished." Friggin' gets me everytime man.
If you want to find me... I'll be in front of the TV watching NBC...

Long-distance relationships and why Texas is the worst state ever.

So I have realized that the past three relationships I have been in have been long-distance. I don't know what that says about me, but it has definitely made me a default expert in the trails of being separated for so long.
There's so much about separation that hurts. Being alone when you need someone to cry on, lack of snuggles or sex, no kissing, no every day silliness, not being able to reach them all the time on the phone, etc. It basically seems like it's a marathon race. EVERYONE knows how much it sucks to run it. It's a cronic grinding down of the quality of your relationship. The hope is though, that if you make it through the end of the marathon that the reward of finishing will outweigh all the hardships.
And in some ways long-distance relationships can be closer. You have to TALK to each other, have conversations and get deep. In normal relationships you can sometimes hide that by activity or sex.
This relationship with Nick is interesting. It's a lot easier than the other ones because there is a set time limit to the distance. He will be back in 9 months, which comparatively to the unending time with McAvoy or Kevin is nothing! It is harder though because he is very much a physical expresser of his feelings and pretty much zero on verbal expression of them. That gets a little difficult when all we have is a verbal relationship!
Oh well, such is the marathon of it all. I guess it's like with the real race. You just focus on the moment you're on. Don't think about the friggin' 22 miles ahead of you.

Little Known Facts

+ Toby Keith must perform in front of an at least 20 foot tall American flag, otherwise his voice comes out in a perfect falsetto.

+ Toby Keith is not a red-blooded American. He is in fact a red-white-and-blue-blooded American.

+ Toby Keith bathes in the tears of the Dixie Chicks.

+ Toby Keith is not white collar. Collars are for commies.

+ Toby Keith's song "Angry American" was actually written to target the Democrats.

+ Killer dolphins are trained by the sweet baritone of Toby Keith's voice.

+ Underneath Toby Keith's cowboy hat is the nest of an American bald eagle.

+ Toby Keith refers to his boots as 'Qaeda Kickers.

+ Toby Keith can prolong his erection by singing the National Anthem.

+ Jack Daniel's secret filtration technique involves Toby Keith's used socks.

My brother and his wife comes into town this weekend, which is to say my brother from Washington DC who is a reporter and not the Air Force one is coming into town. Sometimes I think people forget I have two, so I thought I would clarify.
It's always an interesting thing when Nick (my brother, not the boyfriend) comes into town. My mom and him honestly DO NOT like each other. But tragically they still love each other, so they try to visit and hang out with each other but it never works.
I think the problem is that my mom and brother are both really stubborn (i probably am too, but less ignore that for a second). They both get it into their heads that they are right and then cannot see it any other way.
I am pretty sure this is where my desperate need to compromise comes from because I am constantly playing the judge and laying the smack down on them two. "Mom, you're being rediculous because of A. Nick, you're pissing her off because of B. If you two just stopped A & B we can move on and pick a friggin' place to eat ice cream!" I am like a small time, familial Judge Judy.
So it's a mixed blessing today. I am excited to see my brother and Camila, but also worried about what rediculous fight they're probably going to get into.
Sigh.

Weed-wacking and other not normal work tasks

This week was my first normal week at work I've had since I started in June. For those of who don't know I have been away "fighting" fires since I was hired on with CDF last month. And by fighting fires, I mean checking-in the people who actually fight fires because I am just not bad-ass enough to hold a polaski. Besides, it sounds really hot being surrounding by flames. Just ask Chad.

Anyway. So this week was my first full week of normal, non-orientation stuff and HOLY JESUS AM I TIRED. Today I weed-wacked and pushed a "field and brush" mower around this abandoned house for four hours. Sounds easy, but the friggin mower is 5 feet long with a 3 foot blade and can chop up small logs just by running over them. Plus it self propels, so its tells ME where to go. And calls me names. My arms ache because they were being vibrated for the whole time and I had to hold up all the different tools, etc. Tonight at dinner I dropped my drink because my arm muscles just flat out gave up and said fuck it all to the whole Not-Make-Liz-Look-Like-An-Idiot thing.

But it was pretty fun to get outside and do real work after sitting on my butt at fires for 3 weeks. And let me tell you. I looked 7 kinds of sexy when I was done, sporting the ever graceful "dirt mustache" and raccoon dust eyes. Who wants to make out?

Sad news: nick went back to Texas today. seriously, that state sucks.

Welcoming myself

Look at me! Jealous of Mariana's new-found blog, missing my ability to embaress myself publicly with my random thoughts, but over LiveJournal... I have made a Blogspot.

The whole signing-in process really wore me out, so I am not going to write anything interesting today. Or right now. Cuz Lord knows I get bored enough and then write 4 times a day.