I don't want to alarm anyone...

...but I am completely immersed in Lifetime movies. How did this happen? Honestly, I blame Holiday in Handcuffs. No, really, I blame the fact that Lifetime plays re-runs of Frasier, Will & Grace, and Golden Girls, and the commercials have totally sucked me in!!!!! Today I watched Friends Til the End, starring Shannen Doherty, natch, which was basically the poor man's Single White Female, and then Cyberstalker: His Secret Life, which randomly, stars that cute little kid from the best version of Peter Pan ever (the last movie I saw in the theater with Scotticus before I moved to New York in 2004-- why do I remember these kinds of details?).

I'm fighting the urge to record Normal Adolescent Behavior, starring Amber Tamblyn, which comes on tonight. I'm fighting it like this sad little TV boy is fighting his internet porn addiction. Which is to say, dramatically and huffily, and insisting to my roommate that I do not have a problem.

All I can think about is A Dog Took my Face, and Gave me a New Face, so I Could Change the World: the Celeste Cunningham Story.

food poisoning is not awesome

So, she got up yesterday in LA, the sun was shining, the birds were singing... Hello, Jamie was going home. Her home. Her home in which she had not seen in 26 days. She had her coffee, the same coffee she had been drinking for the past 10 days, packed, and shuttled off to the airport in glee. She couldn't wait to get home, have dinner with a friend, sleep in her own bed, and go to yoga the next morning.

Oh, but the universe had other plans.

At the airport, Hello, Jamie stopped at Starbuck's and bought a roasted veggie sandwich. Rosemary ciabatta bread with spinach, squash, zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers (which I took off, obviously) and some sort of pesto spread. Ironically, the night prior to purchasing said sandwich she was telling someone about the noravirus outbreak at the Moscone a couple of weeks ago, and how she felt safer eating prepared food that didn't contain any meat or dairy. Stupid Hello, Jamie.

She boarded the airplane and promptly fell asleep, even though she had a full 8 hours the night before and it's only an hour long flight. She woke up when the pilot asked the flight attendants to "prepare for landing." Her tummy hurt. Nausea, cramping, and so very tired. She assumed maybe it had been a somewhat bumpy ride (not remembering because she had been asleep) and that could have caused the queasiness. She stopped on the way to baggage claim for a coke. It tasted terrible, but the bubbles made her feel a little better. She threw it away though, because it tasted so bad.

When she got home, she felt worse than ever, so she canceled her dinner plans sadly (she's been gone for a MONTH!) and walked out for a ginger ale and a lemon-Calistoga. The ginger ale tasted like sugar and the Calistoga tasted like Lysol. She lay on the couch and moaned.

And then the vomiting started. After that she felt a little better, but still queasy. She tried to drink some water, as she was parched. Then she started vomiting the water. THEN she started dry-heaving, shaking, shivering, and cursing Starbucks from the floor of the bathroom.

Finally, around 9pm, she was so thirsty she couldn't stand it, so she had some ice chips. Then a sip or two of water. Then a little peppermint tea. Then some ginger ale, which suddenly tasted so amazing she finished the entire bottle. By the time 10 o'clock rolled around all said liquids were still in her body, so she went to her lovely, cooshy bed she had missed so much and slept for 11 hours.

Now she is starving. And tired, and dehydrated.

To all those who didn't like Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

Seriously. I have talked to like, 3 people (men, in fact) that didn't care for the film. I keep hearing things like "he's too old; those fight scenes aren't believable" and "it's just too far-fetched." To which I answer, sorry, but have you not seen the other 3? I have, all 4 in a row, this weekend, and I think the 4th is just as good as the others. (I could have done without the aliens, because, really, way to mix your genres there, Spielberg- but even with, the movie is great.)

I think those of you who say he's told old now? Really mean you're too old now. The first three that came out in '81, '84, and '89, respectively, are forever linked in your mind to that period in your life. You found them more believable because you were a kid. They are grand, bold adventures that belong on the big screen. Just because you are a little older/wiser/harder now doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a good fictional tale of mystere and wonder. So is Indy!! I mean, come on, I was 5 when I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater, in my dad's lap, screaming in horror when those things flew out of the Ark and those Nazis faces melted off. I was 8 when Temple of Doom came out, about the age to believe yes, I could be Short Round and go on fantastical adventures with Indy!!! I was 13 when the Last Crusade opened, the age to get starry-eyed about such a heroic and handsome man as Indiana Jones. This is just another chapter in the story, and I thought it was exactly what it should be.

As usual, Ebert agrees with me.

Next up for me- Prince Caspian, Wall-E, Sex & the City (I know; I didn't really want them to make it, but since they did, I will see it), and The X-Files. I love summer movies!

in which she goes on a customer service rant

So, last night I walk into the hotel, around midnight, after working for 14 hours and stopping for a cocktail and some tater tots on the way "home," and decide I need a bottle of water. The vending machine is literally 20 steps past the front desk. I get there, and only have a 5-er, so I go back to the desk and ask for 5 ones. There were 2 people at the desk, an older gentleman and a woman in maybe her late 30s. The guy gives me the ones and the lady asked me if I had been in the sun (because my face was red, shocker). I said no, it was probably just the vodka, and she laughed and told me I was funny and cute. I head back to the machine where my co-worked was buying her bottle of water with all change. It works fine and then we proceed to try about 8 different $1 bills with no luck. We decided maybe it was full of ones and I decided to walk back over to the desk for some change. The following was exchanged:

Me: Could I have some quarters please? Your vending machine's not taking my bills.

Lady, who just told me I was funny, sternly: Ma'am, we are in the middle of a shift change. We cannot exchange any money at this time.

Me: Well, you gave me change for my five like 2 minutes ago? I just need some quarters for the vending machine.

Lady: Ma'am, we are in the middle of a shift change. If you could just take a seat for 10-15 minutes I will be right with you.

Me: Ahahahhahha, oh, wait, for real? 10-15 minutes? Just to get some quarters?

Lady: Ma'am, we are in the middle of a ...

Me: Whatever. *stalks off, thirsty*

End scene. So maybe I was a bit snippy, but seriously????

Well, at least it wasn't as long as this vending machine story.

"I spent two solid weeks creating this medival civilization from the ground up!"

Picture it, Los Angeles, about 10 minutes ago.

I just met Dean Haglund, better known (to me) as Richard "Ringo" Langley from The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen series. He now, apparently, is selling earth-friendly keep-your-computer-cool thingies, which he is advertising at my show.






He is a super nice guy, really open and sweet. He gave me an autographed photo and asked me questions about myself, and staunchly refused to tell me whether or not he will appear in the new X-Files movie and/or anything about it. He apparently has a his own comedy show and just finished touring England.




By the way, you can see his commercial here, and you can buy his product here. Yeah, I'll plug it! Oh, and his super-cute girlfriend/business partner? Better known as Chloe, the girl from the copy shop, who Ross slept with when he and Rachel were "on a break."

happiness is....

...discovering that your $600 tax credit had been direct-deposited into your checking account on May 9th and ordering yourself Doctor Who, The Complete 3rd Series before sending the rest to your credit card. Also? Getting free shipping. Thanks, government! Thanks, Amazon.com!

in which the survey says....

Yes, Karen, I will do your survey, because today my job is just that boring. Today.

Do you know the words to The Star Spangled Banner?
Uh, I guess I do? Not being the baseball fan that Bischer is, I don't have the opportunity to sing it as often as she. But I could probably do it on a bet.

Do you think the guy should always pay on the first date?
If he is the one that did the asking and I am the one that did the accepting then yes, I do think he should pay. I guess I am old-fashioned that way (I also think they should open doors and lift heavy things for me-- not because I can't do it myself but because I grew up in the South and it's just what polite men do). But if it was a mutually-agreed casual hanging-out thing, then I wouldn't stress over payment options.

When was the last time you stayed awake for over 24 hours?
uhhh, last February at Traders Expo in NYC? Maybe. I worked a 21-hr day so I'm sure once you factor in transportation and showering/getting ready time it was close to 24. Maybe not over. But close. And also last Thursday. I woke up at 6:30am on the east coast and went to bed after 1am on the west coast-- again, not over, but close.

What is the last movie you saw in a theater?
Iron Man. I might be alone in my principles, but it was a solid B-. ("There he goes, off to his room to write the hit song, Alone in my Principles." Name that quote!)

What were you doing for a living 9 years ago?
Partying like it was 1999? Oh, for a living. Errr, Komen Foundation, I think.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
I can't remember but I feel like it probably came from either Krysten or Tom. They are both such wonderfully and unabashedly expressive friends.

Do you read on the toilet?
No, no, a thousand times no!!! I agree with Karen- how do people do this? First, I don't go into the bathroom unless I actually have to go, so I just do my business and leave the bathroom. Second, I'm sorry for playing the nutrition card, but if you have to take in reading material, you are not getting enough fiber in your diet.

Favorite author?
Eeek... I couldn't possibly pick just one! Jane Austen, CS Lewis, Tom Robbins, John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver, J.K. Rowling, Tom Casiello.

Have any snow dances/superstitions for getting a day off of school?
This question baffled me. I grew up in Texas, where it snowed enough to cancel school maybe once every 3 years, so not enough to develop traditional superstitious dances.

What's your favorite Shakespeare play?
The Tempest. "O, brave, new world, that has such creatures in't!!"

Done any gambling?
When I go to Vegas I give myself only $20 because I am petrified I would never be able to stop.

Your opinion of the 80s?
Cringe-worthy, in a so terrible-it's-awesome kind of way. And yeah, I'm taking about fashion, music, and movies/TV.

If you could change something in any book, movie or TV show:
Carrie would have ended up single at the end of Sex & the City (which may still happen, since they inexplicably felt the need to make a movie). And Mulder would have died in his quest at the end of The X-Files (another thing that still may happen as they are still making movies, though not so inexplicably). For that matter, I would have been OK with Harry Potter dying at the end of the series. Hey, whatever, I'm a sucker for a solid literary romantic hero.

Favorite Disney movie?
Fantasia. Or maybe Aladdin.

What song are you listening to or thinking of right now?
Singing in my head: Prince Ali, fabulous he, ali ababwa...... Thanks, previous question.

What is your stance on politics?
"Anyone who is capable of getting himself elected president should on no account be allowed to do the job." ~Douglas Adams.

What can you never say no to?
Food. Friends. Food and friends together.

in which she wonders if anyone is still reading

I looked at a random post from Dec 2005 (when I started No Day but Today) and it had 18 comments. Do 18 people even read this thing??

So, I'm in LA, and I actually moved hotels yesterday because the one I was in was so, so crappy. Sad. Anyway, I got a full night's sleep, yay, and on the way to work this morning, stopped at a little Asian convenient store for a coffee, and wonder of wonders, found the Japanese coffee-in-a-can that I drank every morning when I was in Hawai'i last year!!! Really odd, because I've never seen it anywhere else, and I was just telling my co-worker about it 2 days ago, and how I much I loved it and wished I could find it in the states.

Needless to say, my week got infinitely better upon the discovery of this little gem. A friend of mine once asked me how much of my day I spent thinking/talking about food and I have to say, most of it. Is that wrong?

full moon

I honestly believe people go crazy at the full moon. Almost every month, I throw my hands up in exasperation and wonder why so many people are being douchebags/jacka$$es/just straight-up insane and sometime before the end of the day someone or something reminds me that it's a full moon. This month is no exception (full moon tomorrow).

Thank you, Bisch, for reminding me that some greatness can come out of people-- even if it's just a bootie-shaking, hairbrush-screeching song about how much people suck.

Thursday, the third day city

OK, kids, I'm leaving Boston today for Los Angeles, my 3rd city in my 26-day May-cation. Which is a poor choice of wordisms because it wasn't anything close to to vacation. I got to sleep until 7am this morning, which is 3 hours later than I've slept for the the last 4 days (on the east coast, natch)!!

I was working in the marshalling yard this week (3 million lbs of freight for a 3-day show... this industry is ridiculous), which I normally hate, but our Boston yard is a bit of a different beast. It's a lot closer to the CC, for one, making it vastly more convenient in every single way, and I adore Billy, the guy who runs the yard, there were 2 of us, so I didn't feel too overwhelmed, and it gave me the rare opportunity to hear Bostonians say the words "pahk" and "cah" and "yahd" pretty much all day every day with no accent jokes involved. Plus I got to drive the Gator. Despite the lack of sleep it was a pretty good week.

On to the next, Los Angeles, to a dying show that will probably bore me to tears. But my AE used to be a CTG so it will be nice to be with her for a week, nice to be in a place where I don't have to wear a fleece every day, and nice to not be so busy and tired I can't think straight. Yesterday I was so exhausted I was approaching delirium-- at one point I couldn't remember the word for "sleeve."

Gotta go wrangle my suitcase. See you in LA!

shoesing a city

I love my home, Texas-- I really do. I have spent about 27 of my 31 years there, and it will always have a special place in my heart. It's comfortable and sensible in all the right ways. But when I moved to New York in 2004 it was in hopes of capturing those flutters I feel walking up the subway stairs into the skyscrapers of Manhattan... and capturing them for keeps. New York has an energy all its own- just a glimpse of the skyline can excite me. But New York was a fling-- she couldn't provide me what I wanted in a city-mate. New York was was a fancy and beautiful pair of high heels that pinched my toes after a while. I left in search of something else-- namely, a solid relationship with a city that could still provide me with the butterflies that drew me there in the first place. Something between a sensible loafer and a daring stiletto, if you will. And I have truly started to feel that way about San Francisco.


When I walk out of my house and catch the bridge peeking out of the fog. When I get to the top of Mount Sutro and can see the little colorful houses all lined up side-to-side, from the Bay to the Ocean. The smell of eucalyptus and fir when I get within blocks of Golden Gate Park. The sound of sea gulls and smell of salt air, even among the tall buildings of commercial downtown. The slew of Asian grannies climbing onto the #6 bus with their canvas bags stuffed full of fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. The food-- my Lord, the food! In cheesy college relationship terms, I'll always care about Dallas, I had a lusty fling with New York, but I'm in love with San Francisco. She's my chuck taylors, comfy enough for every day but still has enough style to keep me interested. She is for keeps.


Traveling gives me the opportunity to explore other cities, and see what it is that other people see in them. I don't think I've ever made it a secret that I am not really a fan of New Orleans, where I spent my last 7 days. There is plenty to dislike- the heat and humidity, the cockroaches and caterpillars, the constant search for a healthy meal, the fact that the trashiest place in town is also the hottest tourist attraction. (Stupid Americans.) But New Orleans also has a certain charm- the jazz, obviously, and the architecture, and the slow-moving pace of a solid people who can't be rushed into commerce and industry. This trip wasn't any grander for me than previous ones, but yesterday I had a day to myself, so I downloaded Ryan Burrage's Toulouse Street Blues onto my ipod, and set out determined to find a New Orleans I could love.

I went to Uptown and found a yoga studio. A noon class on a weekday- jam-packed. I was so surprised! The owner/teacher also offers the class in French, which I found charming. I had lunch with my book at a Lebanese cafe. I walked with an older Jewish woman who grew up in Queens and settled in the South, where she became a vegetarian and walks 10 miles a day. I rode the St. Charles streetcar from end to end. I did my laundry, went to a cookout where I ate crunchy corn on the cob and fresh-scrubbed red potatoes, and decided that maybe I judged New Orleans too quickly. I can see what other people see in New Orleans. I can even understand why someone might want to live there.

But I think I'll stick with San Francisco.

as if the world doesn't have enough absolute fools doing ridiculous things in the name of "religion"

I am in New Orleans this week. I missed Jazz Fest by a day but have managed to score plenty of unhealthy food, overpotent beverages, and post-fest live jazz. The other big deal going on in town right now is ACOG, the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. ACOG was one of our clients when I worked at AVMG so I've seen many ACOG meetings in many cities, and there is always a hefty slew of protesters as close to whatever convention center as the local police will allow, holding signs of mangled, partially aborted babies and shouting how everyone inside is going to hell. New Orleans is no different, except this time they are right outside my hotel window.

Let's just set aside for a moment that A) not all ob-gyns and certainly not all conference participants perform or condone abortions, and B) there are plenty of other activities going on in New Orleans at each and every moment of the day that a conservative Christian-type could be protesting, and say this: how exactly is chanting "God hates whores" and blindly screaming your assuredness of one's eternal damnation going to change one's view on your religion and its beliefs and practices???

While I believe and 100% support everyone's right to his beliefs and his right to state them, I am most assuredly not OK with the following:

small child, maybe 7 or 8 years old, to me: God hates you!!!
me, with as much kindness as I could muster: I really don't think God hates me.
mother of said child: Yes He does, you whore!!!!!!

Really? REALLY??? This is being done in the name of God? I clearly know God a lot better than she does, but I am most distressed that she is teaching her children such blind, hateful, intolerant rage and connecting it with something that should be loving, kind, and good. How very opposite of Christ-like.

Inexplicably, this morning they were chanting "God hates fags." Which I'm pretty sure has nothing to do with ACOG.

a hundred things

So, Bischer talked me into blogging a hundred things about me. Apparently it was all the rage in the blog world a few years ago and I missed the trend. Maybe I will bring it back. I'm somewhat daunted, but I do love a good challenge, so I think I'll take her up on it. Hey, you may learn something new. Hey, *I* may learn something new! I wonder how long it will take me? I will let you know in 100.

1. I really, really hate shaking hands.

2. I am obsessed with food. I like to eat it, cook it, smell it, read about it, talk about it, watch other people cook it, and generally obsess over it. I don't know how it happened because not one of my four parents are even remotely interested in it, past its necessity to live.

3. I am very, very poor at forming first impressions. I almost never like someone upon first meeting. People pretty much always grow on me though, so I'm working on giving people 2nd chances more readily.

4. I love soup.

5. I am freakishly good at math. I took the Academic Excellence Award for college-level calculus when I was in high school, but I can't do simple arithmetic without a calculator.

6. I dream a lot, almost every night, and I almost always remember something about them.

7. Psychologists say that most people are intrinsically attracted to people like themselves, and I think it is probably true, as all of my favorite literary heroines are not-that-girly, intelligent, somewhat scrappy, and have either curly or auburn/red hair (Anne, Lucy, Lyra, Hermione).

8. Apparently, I love hyperlinks.

9. I believe I have a relatively healthy body image (about 85% of the time... -ish), and I think that's pretty damn impressive considering our current society.

10. If I won the lottery, I would quit my job and travel for at least 2 years. Pick your country, kids, because I intend to fly a friend to meet me at every new airport.

11. Olives are my favorite food.

12. I don't like sports (playing them, or watching them). I'm sorry. I don't think you sports fans are stupid, or that sports don't have a place in the world-- I'm just not interested.

13. Proving someone wrong is never in my agenda. If you think I'm the best friend in the world then I will probably continue to amaze you. If you think I'm a lazy slacker then I really can't be bothered to try and change your mind.

14. I am only sick at most about once a year. I'm kind of a baby about it.

15. If I was 8" taller I would probably be a Rockette right now.

16. I would choose potato chips over a candy bar 99 times out of 100.

17. I think I like sci-fi and fantasy because it always comes down to good vs. evil and good always wins. Which is weird because in a regular, realism-based drama, I love a good solid unhappy ending-- I think it's more realistic.

18. I really, really like being by myself. But I always test remarkably close to 50-50 on those introvert/extrovert tests (Myers-Briggs, for example), and I think I'm becoming more extroverted with age.

19. I hate it when people whistle.

20. My favorite things to shop for are cocktail dresses and high heels, but I wear jeans and sneakers pretty much every single day.

21. I had insomnia from the age 10 to the age 30 and now suddenly I sleep like a rock!! Knock on wood. I don't know why but I am not going to ask any questions. Maybe my natural circadian rhythm just works better in the Pacific time zone or something.

22. I am almost never bored.

23. I love making lists (and a copy of the list, in case anything happens to the first list).

24. Most of my closest friends are type-B personalities and I think that's probably for the best(there's a reason opposites attract).

25. I would rather spend $100 on a nice meal out than a new outfit.

26. I love to laugh, and hear other people laugh. Laughing is cool.

27. My favorite scent is lavender.

28. I have been to 48 states (I'm missing North Dakota and Alaska).

29. I love love love babies, but don't really like children.

30. I think people are inherently good. That may make me naive, but the alternative would make me very, very sad.

31. I have never been off the continent. Lame.

32. My favorite thing about living in Northern California is sleeping every night of the year without central heat or air.

33. I believe in helping people less fortunate than I am.

34. The classiest lady I ever knew was my grandmother.

35. I still sleep with a teddy bear.

36. I enjoy talking about pooping. (Hey, Everyone Poops.)

37. I have 3 tattoos and 7 piercings, but I still think I look fairly mainstream.

38. One of my favorite things in the whole world is clean sheets and freshly shaved legs.

39. I am considering bangs but I think I will probably regret it. Someone talk me out of it.

40. This list is really hard.

41. I am not fond of convention, but I guess it's a good thing it exists or else people wouldn't be able to do things unconventionally.

42. Gay men love me.

43. I used to play the piano fairly well. I wish I had one so I could play more.

44. I only drink one cup of coffee a day, but it is absolutely necessary.

45. I hate the Southern accent (yes, I'm from the South).

46. I honestly think I'm "above" watching reality television.

47. I honestly don't care if you rolled your eyes at that statement.

48. I am obsessed with the concept and science of time (and also, time-travel, but that could be another line item).

49. I am obsessed with the concept of time-travel.

50. I don't think any man should take longer to get ready in the morning that I do.

51. I abhor people who are chronically late; to me, it says that they (perhaps subconciously) believe their time is more important than my time.

52. Ditto on people that don't RSVP- it's really, really easy (thank you, Evite); if someone doesn't RSVP I assume he/she is waiting for a better offer.

53. I love semi-colons; they're much more emphatic than a comma+ "and."

54. I always (try to) spell and puncuate properly, even via text message and IM.

55. I love the color pink, even though I am really not that girly.

56. I wear chucks almost every day.

57. I fear I might not be as interesting as creating a list of 100 Things about Me might infer.

58. I am in Mensa.

59. My middle name is Lee.

60. I have 0+ blood, which makes me a universal donor, but I can't donate blood anymore because...

61. I have had skin cancer.

62. I share a birthday with Alfred Hitchcock, Annie Oakley, Dan Fogelberg, Don Ho, Bert Lahr, and Fidel Castro.

63. "Phaino," which I use for my username most of the time, means "I shine" or "I [cause something to] shine" in koine Greek, which I took in college.

64. I used to use "texandthecity" when I lived in NY, but somebody already took it before I got my gmail addy out of it.

65. I am a vegetarian, mostly for health reasons, and the couple of times I've "caved" it's been for red meat. I never, ever miss chicken or turkey or pork (well, sometimes breakfast meats, but not like a chop or loin) but there's just nothing like a nice steak or cheeseburger (mmmm, cheeseburger....). If I could afford to eat grass-fed, hormone-free beef from a reputable farmer, I would probably eat it once every week or two. Since I can't, and you never know what you're going to get from a restaurant, I just think it's easier to rock my vegetable protein.

66. My favorite food is probably Mediterranean. I love lemon, olives, garlic, feta, and any combo of said flavors, which are usually all present in some form in most Mediterranean dishes. Plus? Falafel!!!! It's like a hush-puppy made with garbanzo beans!!! What's not to like?

67. My favorite 10 adult novels are as follows, in no particular order: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Stand by Stephen King, The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, The Time-Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Brave New World by Adolus Huxley.

68. I couldn't possibly narrow down my top 10 adult novels vs. my top 10 children's books vs. my top 10 non-fiction books.

69. When it comes to children's literature (which I am very, very fond of) my favorites tend to be series. I love The Chronicles of Narnia series, the A Wrinkle in Time series, the His Dark Materials series, the Anne of Green Gables series, the Alice in Wonderland series duo, the Wizard of Oz series, the Emily of New Moon series, and obviously, the Harry Potter series.

70. When it comes to music, I tend to gravitate toward oldies and classic rock. I love the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Hollies, The Who, and the like. New stuff doesn't much interest me.

71. I also love Broadway showtunes.

72. I missing singing in my car.

73. I don't miss owning a car.

74. ohmigah, I'm almost 3/4 of the way to the end of this list!!!

75. I have been practicing Bikram yoga for about 2 years. I want to be certified someday.

76. I am obsessed with Sudoku and Freecell.

77. I never gamble because I honestly don't think I'd be able to control myself.

78. When I travel, I never get my hotel room serviced. I don't know why people find this odd. I just like to feel like my room is "lived in" and honestly, who changes their sheets and towels every day when they're at home?

79. I absolutely loathe bell peppers. It's pretty much the only vegetable I won't eat. Sometimes I will use the seeds out of a jalapeno and I don't mind hotties like serranos and chipotles, but anything that's so mild I can taste the pepper part really grosses me out. PS> It's hard to be a vegetarian that doesn't like red peppers because for some reason it seems to be the universal standard in vegetarian dishes.

80. I loooooove vinegar, or anything pickled. Olives, pickles, those little cocktail onions, okra, bean sprouts, garlic cloves, green beans-- anything you can pickle... all of it. YUM.

81. I pretend to enjoy crossword puzzles, because I feel like it's something I should enjoy, but really, I'm not very good at them, and frankly, don't find much pleasure in the process.

82. I'm hungry.

83. I'm hungry pretty much every couple of hours or so.

84. When I order at restaurants, it's something akin to Sally in When Harry Met Sally. "I'd like the chef salad, please, with the oil and vinegar on the side, and the apple pie a la mode. But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side. And I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it's real. If it's out of a can, then nothing." Waitress: "Not even the pie?" Sally: "No, just the pie, but then not heated." I wish I were kidding, but I'm soooooo not.

85. Currently I'm wondering if anyone is actually going to read this and thinking about how long it's going to take me to edit.

86. I think most people's common ailments can be fixed by better nutrition and exercise.

87. I tend to tell them so.

88. I should probably keep my mouth shut more often.

89. I am kind of a control freak.

90. However, I am also kind of a fill-in-the-gaps kind of person-- if I'm with a another control freak it doesn't bother me to let them take charge.

91. I have worn the same James Avery bangle every day since high school graduation in May of 1994.

92. I hate Las Vegas. I think it's trashy, and everything that's wrong with America all squished together and lit up in neon.

93. I hope Bisher is proud of me for this accomplishment.

94. Nothing makes me angrier than snobbishness. (Snobbery?)

95. I don't understand the draw of Julia Roberts (no offense, if you're reading this blog).

96. I can make an entire night (and actually, a pretty awesome one) out of Seinfeld, Friends, and Scrubs reruns.

97. I find it exhausting to stay mad at someone. That coupled with my horrible memory usually means I couldn't hold a grudge if I wanted to.

98. I want to plant an herb garden.

99. I think the greatest Gen X movie of all time is Empire Records.

100. I did it! I did it!! I did it!!!!! It took four sittings. I'm tired of myself.

Happy Cinco de Mayo. Love, Me.

in which she uses too many hyperlinks

Y'all, I swear I am not a hypochondriac. I want to be well and feel good. But I am falling apart, yo! After finally procuring a corticosteroid for my nasty eczema (which made it 98% better in a matter of hours- go, modern medicine, go!), I have settled on an allergy symptom system of 400mg guaifenesin (basically, Mucinex) and 10mg of phenylephrine (basically, Sudafed PE) twice a day, and a sinus rinse system, which yes, Jule, makes me feel like I'm drowning but actually helps a ton. Thanks for the recommendation. I can pretty much breathe when I'm vertical now, although my throat is always killing me by the end of the day. However, a couple of days ago I pulled a muscle in my back- I swear, by coughing (!!!), and my latest WTF!? symptom is this:

For the past 3 days I have been awakened around 6am by a ebbing/flowing sharp pain in what I assume is my diaphragm muscle. But it's not like a spasm; it takes around 8 seconds to make its cycle. I can feel it coming on, I wince, it subsides, I take a deep breath, and it happens again. Since it's so early, I try to breathe through it and hope it will go away, but I finally have to get up. Once I'm sitting or standing it goes away, so I try to go back to sleep, but am awakened by it again, until finally I just have to stay upright.

Any ideas? I've been taking the Walgreens nighttime cold multi-symptom stuff at night (325 mg acetaminohen, 2 mg chlorpheniramine maleate, 10mg dextromethorphan, and 5 mg phenylephrine) to help me sleep but I don't think any of that stuff would cause diaphragm cramping. *scratches head*

So, I leave tomorrow for 25 days. I KNOW![/Monica] New Orleans, Boston, Los Angeles. The good news is that I get to see Amy in New Orleans, and I haven't seen her since I moved so I'm totally psyched about that. The bad news is packing for 3 and a half weeks and 3 different climates is a pain in my ass. Today I am going to be very busy running some last-minute errands, cleaning the house so my roommate doesn't have to come home to my sloth, packing, watching my stories, doing one more load of laundry, syncing my iPod, picking out books, etc etc etc. I guess it's a good thing I'm already up and at 'em.

I'll keep in touch from the road. Cheerio!