today is a good day to live in australia

the outfit i have planned for tonight

the weather report for tonight

and on a slightly related note. diamond strength my ass.

i am rather smelly right now

why can't i find a self tanning lotion that doesn't make me smell like a 13 yr old boy's stale gym sock?

for those of you who are on a computer all day

here is a fun free game site where you either play a bingo style game or spin a lottery wheel to collect points that you can redeem for giftcards. i keep it on in the background while i do my other work.

here is the link - have fun!

resolutions

new years resolutions. cliche? yes. high expectations? yes. something i do anyway? yup.

1) lose 20 pounds by may 1st. my brother is getting married in june and i really want to feel comfortable in my bridesmaid dress. i plan to do this by adding more fruits and veggies into my diet,cutting out processed foods and dairy, eating organic, and exercising more frequently. 5 pounds a month should be doable if i don't lose sight of the goal.

2) be 90% vegan by this time next year. i have been researching the vegan lifesytle over the past few months and have found that i really agree with it. i'm not a huge meat eater to begin with, so i don't think that will be a problem. but i do like my cheese. i have already been experimenting with vegan products and recipies and have found them to be SO healthy and tasty.

3) letting go of perfection. i have always procrastinated doing something because i couldn't do it perfectly. it's a crutch. and a lame one. it's better to try my best at something and enjoy the process instead of being obsessed with the end result.

4) take my dogs on more walks. now that burton can't go to the dogpark, i need to make sure that they both get their exercise. i owe it to them, even if it's just a quick walk around the block. i want this to eventually be a daily ritual.

5) pay down my debt. i will be getting another waitressing job after the new year and all the money i make will go to paying off my credit cards. i am at the start of a downward spiral and if i don't do something soon, i will be screwed when i'm older. i'm also going to save money by getting back into my couponing habit, trying to buy only the necessities, going to the library instead of buying books or renting movies, and not using the credit cards.

i think that's probably enough to keep me busy in 2008. i've already started working on everything except dog walking over the last few months, so it shouldn't be a sharp transition. and if i can let my perfectionism go out the window, i should be able to keep plodding on even if i slip up.

deep breath

while driving along 1-70 with my mom the other day.

KATIE! Watch your speed!

i'm only going 65

you're going 70! and the speed limit is 55!

mom. i'm fine. i'm keeping up with traffic*

well that doesn't matter - you're still going above the speed limit. look, you're going faster than that person there (points out slow ass grandma car in right lane). you're going to get another ticket.

mom, the only time i get tickets is with the photo radar in a school zone.** besides, it's going to be 65 in a few miles.***

she had a death grip on the seat until we reached our destination, driving 70 the whole way. being a grown-up is fun.

*which was actually true and i think that's the safest way to drive
**also true
***again, true.

bone machine

today at my favorite grocery store, sunflower market, i purchased a bunch of ingredients to make 5 vegan casserole and/or crock pot delights. this is my first actual foray into the vegan lifestyle, which i was convinced was probably the way to go when i read "skinny bitch".

there is a mushroom "tuna" (how chickpeas can substitute for tuna i have no idea) casserole in the oven. i will let you know how it turns out.

i also purchased 2 ~8" ham bones for the puppers. they each received a bone at approximately 5pm. it is now 6:03pm, and while kitsu has been chewing on her bone at an appropriate rate as pictured below..

burton somehow misunderstood the assignment.

i took it away from him as soon as i realized what he did - i don't think that it's good for him to have eaten the bone. hopefully it will pass without incident - the last thing i need it another trip to the vet. :(

this is why i keep procrastinating

i got a 95% on the final project for my class this semester.

the one we were supposed to work on every week through the semester so that it didn't become too overwhelming.

the one that i knocked out the weekend before it was due.

the one i turned in thinking it wasn't quite complete, but was probably good enough.

is grading too easy in this program? or am i just a rock star?

i choose the latter.

you are a target market

i am a product of consumerism and it disgusts me. i was thinking about this today when i was going through all my email and it was advertisement after advertisment for christmas presents and gift cards. this post was originally going to be about how silly it is that every company thinks that their product is the best christmas present and a rant against christmas spending.. but then i thought.. wait a minute, i am totally guilty of this too. probably not nearly to the extent of other americans - but it's there, and not just around christmas time either.

i have gone into debt buying new furniture and clothes and a car and god knows what else. hell, i had to get a second job to pay for it. i get on my high horse about the marketing and gluttony and materialism, but although i try to support local business more than chains and try to buy most things on sale, i still find myself spending $100 at target on things i don't really need. or buy new clothes even though i have a ton in my closet because i was influenced by an episode of "what not to wear". i feel a bit hypocritical.

there is a healthy balance that i just need to find. i think i've been close to it, actually, since realizing that i need to save money. it's all about distinguishing what you want from what you need. this is a hard thing to distinguish when you are bombarded with ads and commercials convincing you that their product is all you need to be happy.

i want to live this perfect, healthy lifestyle - be in control of my finances, not put crap into my body, pollute less.. but it's really, really difficult for me to do right now. and it all boils down to how many (or how few) $$$ i have in my pocket.

i blew off a date tonight

we were supposed to meet for tapas and drinks at 8 tonight. around 4 pm, i decided i didn't really feel like going out tonight and didn't think i could muster the pre-requisite First Date Enthusiasm.

i have exchanged a few emails with this guy and he seems nice enough, but i just haven't gotten excited about the pictures he sent me. and there was nothing in the emails that made me particularly intrigued. honestly, i was just giving him a chance because my friend jess told me i should maybe think about taking more chances on guys that may not fit my ideal. just give them a shot, she said, if anything, at least you'll get a free dinner.

but after suffering through my last "just give them a shot" guy on saturday, i am a little gun shy.

so i sent him a text asking for a raincheck and apologized. at first i had the best intentions to actually cash it in.. and then i decided to myspace him. you know, just to see if there were any other pictures that made me a little more excited.

when i scrolled down the profile, i realized that i had probably just saved myself from sitting through another bad date.

height: 5'4"

that would explain the line in his email "..and i really dig short girls!"

i am 5'3" and i am short for a girl. and although i have lowered my height requirement down from the standard 6', to "at least a couple inches taller than me when i'm in heels", 5'4" just doesn't cut it.

i know this is shallow, but i also know that i will not be attracted to him. especially since there wasn't really a mental connection there in the first place.

so i figure i did us both a favor. i saved him some money and i saved me some time.

and i've decided that i want to go back to my old style of dating - only go out with someone if i am excited about them, not just for the sake of going out. i would rather spend the night at home than out somewhere trying to make conversation with someone i'm not into.

besides, 24phd came over last night and we made out like teenagers - so there.

creepy craigslist personal ads

just a few i came across today.. are these people for real??

these are from the M4W section in denver.

Have You Ever Been To An XXX Theater? - 51
This has been a fantasy of mine and I think it would be pleasant to meet a lady who was comfortable enough with the subject to actually look at this as an enjoyable experience. Sorry is that offends you but I think one should do everything in life that intrigues us.What do you think?
I've been told that I am handsome, distinguished, communicative and sometimes erotic. Let's do this if you are the woman who is going to go with me.

eew. on a FIRST date? hmm.. wants to go to an XXX movie theater (do those even still exist?) yet is only "sometimes" erotic.


420-Booze-Food-Nice Place, all I need is you - 35
Let' meet at my place
Sex will be optional and up to you
I am a nice white guy
Divorced, no kids, sexy

apparently all i need are no standards.

Personal Priorities
I need 1 woman to love.

well, i guess he could be asking for 2 women.

WTG? - 43
This cant be that hard. Iam looking to meet outgoing, headstrong women that dont have ex-issues. Will send pic for pic. I could write a book on what i like in women, but just no time to be online.

WTF is WTG? guess who he just broke up with. a shy, passive woman with "ex-issues".

Married and lonely for the holidays - m4w - 40
I AM A MARRIED BLACK MALE with children. My marriege has been over for a long time. Why do I stay? because I have kids that I can not leave and financial reasons. Therefore I am looking for a women that can relate and may be in the same situation. I want to be with someone that needs intimacy, and a great listner. Also note, I give great hugs and massages. I consider my self a helpless romantic. I love to travel, eat good food, and drink Red Wine. Also note, I am not looking for a one night encounter. However I do LOVE TO EAT PUSSY so if you want to get licked right get with me. PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT DESPERATE I DON'T WANT TO JOIN SOMEONE'S CHAT LINE OR A DATING SITE SO PLEASE DON'T EMAIL THOSE LINKS. NO GAMES PLEASE.

"may be" his "marriege" has been over because his wife disagrees that he "licks right".  please note that he is not desperate.

man seeking much older women - 29
im 29 6ft 200lbs. very attractive(really), nice body. Im not a freak. Just a normal sensitive, funny, laidback guy. I really want to please a older women between 50-70. Ill lick you, rub you, ad have sex with you. Just a one or three time thing. Nothing serious, just fun. Come on I know women still want it at that age. Dont be shy drop me a line. Maybe we can have a nooner today!

oh no, you're not a freak (really).

and this is why i no longer look for dates on craigslist.

i always have the best intentions

i'm trying to get a kick start on my new years resolutions, which include going to the gym 5 days a week. i used to do it and loved it. i thought once i started working from home, it would be easier to go to the gym because i could, you know, go any time i wanted.

today i had a dentist appointment at 9 am. the dentist is really close to my gym. so last night i had the plan of getting up early and going to the gym before the dentist. i ended up waking up late, so that didn't happen.

and here is how the rest of my thought pattern went:

ok, i'll go to the gym after the dentist. but i can't wear my gym clothes to the dentist.. it's in cherry creek. they'll think i'm a slob. maybe i can take my clothes with me and change into them there. but i don't know where my gym bag is and i don't have any other cute bags to tote them in. plus i can't remember the combination to my lock. crap. if i go after the dentist i won't be home all morning. it will take from 9-10 at the dentist, then i won't probably be ready to work out until 10:30. an hour workout and it's 11:30 already. and i'll probably want to stop at target since it's right next door. but what is my clients call this morning and i'm not available?

and then the skinny bitch voice inside of me (who i've been trying to make appear more often) said "GET YOUR FAT ASS TO THE GYM AND STOP MAKING EXCUSES!".

so i packed my gym clothes in my messenger bag and set off to the dentist with the full intent of working out afterwards.

when i was checking out at the dentist, i got a call from my best friend that lives in california. we've known each other since we were 5. she said "hey... what are you doing today?" and told me that she was stuck at DIA for the day. she was supposed to have a 30 minute layover, but her flight out was cancelled and she's in denver until tomorrow morning. so of course i skipped the gym to go pick her up from the airport.

so i always seem to start out with the best intentions and then life happens.

tomorrow, i WILL make it to the gym!

it's big, but not THAT big

so this chilly sunday night, i'm sitting in my big comfy chair catching up on my blog reading, with a bowl of hamburger helper (lasagna flavor*), watching really bad celebrity tv on VH1.

i had a better night planned, i swear. movie night. 2nd date with the boy, who shall now be named 24phd** who didn't even flinch when we ran into my ex friday night. movie night was his idea, even. and i don't think it's because he's lazy. but this afternoon i received a text from 24phd saying that his boss needs him to work on a grant that is due tomorrow and he's so sorry but he has to go to the lab and can't do movie night.

no biggie. at least i didn't have to clean the house. and we've rescheduled for tomorrow.

at any rate, there is about a foot of space between me and the edge of my big comfy chair. a foot of space that my 85 pound malamute has deluded himself into thinking he can fit into. every time i'm in the chair. i get the paw first.. and the look like "hi mom, whatcha doing? what? i'm just standing here!". then the second paw.. and the third and fourth. so he's standing in the foot of space facing the back of the chair. but he can't just lay down in that position. no, burton likes to be facing the tv, of course. so he turns, sticking his big ass right in my face and tries to lay down sideways, as in across my lap. this doesn't work so well when i also have a computer in my lap (and his ass has automatically sent a few emails before they were ready and shut down a few programs unsaved). so i push him over and he gives me an exasperated sigh and a look that says "will you please move so that i will be more comfortable?" and then kicks me trying to get his legs to fit in the space.

this has become an hourly ritual. because after about 15 minutes, he decides he needs a drink of water or has to go pee or needs to take a toy away from kitsu. then he comes back to resume the position. sometimes kitsu will feel left out and want to join the party too. she usually jumps up and sits on burtons head. i want to get a picture, but once they're in the chair, i'm pretty stuck.

it's nice in the winter though - at least the side of my legs stays warm.

and if you want to see a really cute video of a puppy that could be burton's twin, go here.

*made with almond milk because i'm trying to cut down on my dairy intake after reading "skinny bitch".
**who is of course, 24 yrs old (i like me some young ones!) AND 2 years away from a phd in a ridiculously difficult medical research field.

run in with the ex

so i'm out on a date last night at the rio, a mexican place with margs so strong that you're only allowed to order 3 of them. total.

this is a first date - someone i met online, of course, and things are going well. we're standing at the bar, and out of the corner of my eye, i see a side profile that looks VERY familiar. it took me a minute and then i realized it was my ex. yeah, the one i was accidently married to.

i didn't know if he had seen me. i hadn't seen him since last december. i had barely talked to him since last december. the last thing i wanted to do was have to make small talk with my date standing right there.

i quickly grab our coats and my purse and whisper "let's go upstairs, quickly, i'll explain in a minute". turning my back so that the ex doesn't see my face.

we get upstairs. i apologize for being about to commit the biggest faux pas one can do on a first date. "you aren't going to believe this. that guy standing next to you at the bar was my ex boyfriend. i haven't talked to him since december. we were married, technically. so i guess he's actually my ex husband. i am so embarrassed"

my date was so cool about it. score a point for him!

while we were chatting upstairs, my ex came upstairs and looked like he was looking for someone. did he see me? he HAD to have seen me. why wasn't he coming to talk to me if he'd seen me?

on my way out, we made eye contact. i acted surpried. "oh my god, i THOUGHT that was you! how have you been?!?". he introduced me to his new friends. i asked about the family. chatted for a couple minutes. gave him a hug and left.

my date was completely unfazed. we danced the rest of the night at another bar and had a wonderful time.

maybe i'll go out with this one again.

tag i'm it again

i was just tagged by one of my good friends and sorority sister, stacey.

If you have been tagged, please follow these rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

so here goes.

1. when i was 4, i pulled the fire alarm in preschool "just to see what happened". the firetrucks came and we all had to line up. i didn't tell my parents, but that night was parent-teacher conference night and the teacher asked them if i had told them what i did at school that day..

2. the tv i watch sometimes can be embarrassing. full house and sabrina the teenage witch reruns. mary kate and ashley movies. even some of the sitcoms on "teen nick". and then i am wistful about being a teenager and wish i was back at that point where life was so simple. then i snap out of it when i remember what high school was REALLY like.

3. i couldn't roll my r's if my life depended on it.

4. i only wash my hair every 2-3 days. it looks better that way. when i let it air dry, it's naturally wavy and now that it's long, i've realized how sexy that is. buh-bye flat iron, i'm going au natural!

5. i sing to my dogs and dance with them.

the following people are tagged:

aarwenn
erin
shannon

i would have had 5, but stacey already tagged me and laurel. i think i need more readers!

fired

i had never been fired before in my life, until today.

last night i got cut from my shift because i had a "bad attitude". i don't disagree with them, but i talked to the manager about the reasons behind my attitude (we were overstaffed and everyone was bored and not making any money. plus i felt that 2 people were being snappy with me and treating me unfairly - one of those being his wife). i told him that i was stressed with school at the moment and i would change my attitude and hang in there until we got busy again. problem solved, so i thought.

then i get a phone call today saying that he talked it over with his wife and they think it's best to terminate our relationship. WTF? i can't have ONE bad day? ONE bad day which i apologized for? it seems like they were looking for a reason to get rid of me and i'm not sure why. i have never had any other complaints and am one of the best servers they have. the only thing i can think of is that i don't quite fit in with the other staff (all 20 yr old college students that are stoned on the job half the time and like to goof around a lot). i also wasn't afraid to speak my mind when i didn't think things were going well and i don't think they liked that.

i am a little shocked but i'm trying to stay positive and hope it is for the better.

don't sit in my section

while doing some research for my final project this semester, i came across this disturbing, albeit entertaining blog entry. be sure to read the comments and her replies.

crazy restaurant customer

talk about having some control issues.

lady, here's the thing. you're expecting 5 star service from a 2 star restaurant. you think that just because most people like something, doesn't mean the server should assume YOU like it, and that the server is wasting their time and being inefficient. i think it's more inefficient to not make assumptions about the 99% of customers that would like a refill of the same drink they've been drinking.

and seriously, WHO orders 4 sides of ranch? if you were rude to me for not bringing you enough, i would probably bring out a soup bowl full and sweetly say "is this enough ranch for you ma'am?" so that you would at least look stupid in front of the other customers.

you also state that you don't care about the servers name or the specials. if you so obviously don't care about the server and the restaurant, then why should the server care about you? studies have shown that introducing yourself to the table and telling customers about the specials actually increases the tip percentage.

if i did everything you suggested, i would risk pissing off 99% of my other customers.

if you're so picky about everything, maybe you should stay home and cook your own goddamned food.