Monday, July 31, 2006

Tomorrow's forecast

Hot and humid (duh) with a “feels like” temperature of 107. Bleh. Blurg. UGH.


My pirate name is:


Dread Pirate Bonney



Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network


Thanks to Spider Walk who swashes my buckle and buckles my swash. ;)

Double-meme gum

Avi wants me to do this meme, but I want to do the other one, so I'll compromise and do both.

Meme 1: Things you don't usually tell anyone . . . (the one I want to do)

...a strange combination of food you like to snack on.

Fat free cottage cheese with steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce. NUM!!!!!

...something you do that other bloggers who read you might find odd if they saw you doing it.

Swear a string of obscenities so long that Hay blushes and asks me to stop.

...when you were 7, what you wanted to be when you grew up - that you never told anyone about.

A veterinarian. Or a brain surgeon. Or a teacher. Or an astronaut. Or unemployed, because that sounds really super fun. The ones I told people about are the ones I'd actually be good at.

...the thing you don't tell people at work about yourself.

The address or name of my blog.

...what you like to do when no one else is going to be home for a stretch of time.

Wear minimal clothing, get a nice big glass of (whatever I felt like) and some sort of cheese product and watch horror movies, one after the other after the other after the other after the other after the other.

...the thing you believe - politically - that you don't admit to people who think you think like they do.

I don't believe in voting for my local politicians other than the governor, senators, and congressmen because I don't know or care who the other people are. And even those people are voted in by me based on their popularity. Yes, with me it really is a popularity contest.

...that one thing from your childhood, outside of your parents, that you try to maintain some kind of connection with, and how.

My love of animals.

...a song or group or singer you secretly like that everyone else groans about.

The “had a bad day” song from American Idol when the contestants get voted off. Poor Hay has to listen to me sing it at the top of my lungs.

...do you close the bathroom door when you're the only one home?

Sometimes, but generally not.




Meme 2: Have you . . . (the one Avi is forcing me to do...ow-ow-ow!)

(x) Smoked a cigarette
( ) Crashed a friend’s car
( ) Stolen a car
(x) Been in love
(x) Been dumped
(x) Shoplifted
( ) Been fired
(sort of) Been in a fist fight
(x) Snuck out of your parent’s house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Lied to a friend
( ) Skipped school
(yes to animals) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(by mistake) Set a part of yourself on fire
(x) Been skiing
(x) Met someone from the Internet
(x) Been to a concert
(x) Taken painkillers
(x) Love someone or miss someone right now
(x) Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(x) Made a snow angel
(x) Had a tea party, pretend or otherwise
(x) Flown a kite
(x) Built a sand castle
(x) Gone puddle jumping
(x) Played dress up
(x) Jumped into a pile of leaves
(x) Gone sledding
(x) Cheated while playing a game
(x) Been lonely
( ) Fallen asleep at work/school
( ) Used a fake ID
(x) Watched the sun set
(x) Felt an earthquake
(x) Slept beneath the stars
(x) Been tickled
(x) Been robbed
(x) Been misunderstood
(x) Petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo OR jackalope
(x) Won a contest
(In front of a cop, no less -- oops!) Run a red light/stop sign.
( ) Been suspended from school
(xxxxxx) Been in a car crash?
(x) Had braces
(x) Felt like an outcast/third person?
(x) Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) Had deja vu
(x) Had deja vu (Avi added this one)
( ) Danced in the moonlight
(x) Liked the way you looked
(x) Witnessed a crime - witnessed, perpetrated, whatever.
(x) Questioned your heart
( ) Been obsessed with post-it notes
(x) Squished mud through your bare feet.
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep.
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang karaoke
( ) Paid for a meal with only coins - I was such an asshole in high school.
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t.
(x) Made prank phone calls.
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose?
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain.
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe.
( ) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about. (Sun set, yes.)
(x) Blown bubbles.
(x) Made a bonfire on the beach, at the lake?
( ) Crashed a party
(x) Gone roller-skating
(x) Had a wish come true
( ) Jumped off a bridge

1. What time is it? 12:06 pm EST

2. What is your name? Nice try, Avi

3. Any nick names? Poppy, among others

4. Mother’s name? Mom (duh)

5. Dr. Pepper or whiskey? Neither. Water or fountain soda Coke/Pepsi

6. Body piercing? Pierced ears but I don't use them.

7. How much do you love your job? I honestly hate what I do.

8. Favorite vacation spot? York Beach, Maine (and the surrounding areas of Kittery, Ogunquit, York, etc.)

10. Ever been to Africa? No

11. Ever steal any traffic signs? No

12. Ever been in a car accident? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

13. A, B, C, D, DD cup size? I'm now a firm C instead of a large C small D thanks to some sort of miraculous weight loss that happened because I told my body to do it.

14. 2 Door or 4 Door? 4-door

15. Favorite pie? Chocolate Creme, duh!

16. Favorite number? 4

17. Favorite movie? I can't pick just one.

18. Favorite holiday? Christmas and my birthday tie.

19. Favorite food? Tacos! and my homemade mac and cheese.

20. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

21. Favorite brand of body soap? Ivory (cuz I'm not allergic to it)

22. Favorite TV show? Dead Like Me (*sniffle*)

23. Toothpaste? Crest with Scope.

24. Favorite smell? the ocean

25. What do you do to relax? Take a hot bath.

26. Message to your friends reading this? ... Yah, hi!

28. What do you do when you are bored? Apparently I study when I'm borrowed. Oh, no no no. I watch movies and TV, or I cook, or I shop, or I pester Hay or the kitties.

29. What do you enjoy receiving? I'll go with Avi and Lisa's answer: Oral sex. Avi's answer, too: I also like getting packages in the mail. And, my answer: PRESENTS.

30. Furthest place you will send this message? The Internetses is pretty durn far...

31. Who will respond the fastest? AVI! (he already did it)

32. Least likely to respond? If I knew then it would take me a while to find out, now wouldn't it...

33. Who's the best Avitable? That would be Avi.

Paris Hilton's Ultra Sexy Baby Shower



The Jennifer Aniston impression is my favorite.

Found at: MollyGood

accablée

I am overwhelmed. Trying to taper off my back medications (while my back isn't fixed yet, just trying to get down to only one medication) during a very stressful time of year at work while also attempting to study and take practice exams for the real exams (plural, two exams which are 3 hours each and which cover approximately 350 pages each of “textbook” material) has sent me a bit over the edge.

This morning I had an anxiety attack. Sometimes I can stave them off by crying, which is what I chose to do before it got any worse. It worked, but I'm not sure for how long. I really wish I wouldn't feel so embarrassed about this issue and just get some fucking help for it, you know? Sorry to say that blogging about it isn't quite enough. I really need professional help to deal with this.

One of the issues swirling in the cess pool is that je n'ai aucune confiance en moi. I believe I will fail before I have even given myself the chance. I believe that I am a faker, a poseur, going through the motions of being all smart about computers and such, but then when it comes down to being tested (either in written or in project form) I will fail. There's no evidence to support this, it's just a matter of being in a career I never wanted to be in, just happened, so I feel like I'm somewhere I shouldn't be. Sure, I intellectually have the brains and the drive to wake up, come to work, and kick some motherfucking ass at this job. But, then I remember what my true, heart-felt passion is and I feel guilty both for not pursuing my true passion and for wasting everone's time including my own doing something I don't want to do.

I do, yes, understand that most of us are not doing what our passion is to do. I guess I'm just having my mid-life crisis a few years early and trying to figure out if I'm going to yet again do absolutely nothing about it, or if I'm going to grow a pair and do something constructive. ... Doesn't look good for the home team, but we'll see?

Friday, July 28, 2006

The next big catfight in little Hollywood

Assuming the letter is real, I'd just like to go on record by saying that the feud between La Lohan* and Morgan Creek's CEO is not going to end well. *tsk*



*Full cred to Perez for the Lindsay nickname. (I don't wanna get sued either, P.)

“Ass sucker” (but in a charming way ;)

In case you're me or Lil then listen to the whole Perez meets Howard Stern chat here.


















Photo credit: Joe Roch

Poppy's got your crack riiiight here.

Did you want to see some webisodes of The Office? Ones only shown on the web, not on TV? Yah, I thought you did. Go here for your fix, you Office junkie!!!! ;)
Il fait chaud.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Final Destination 3 quickie review

The movie was of course predictable if you have seen the other two, but I really enjoyed the gross out factor in this one. They went all hardcore on our asses and there was blood and guts everywhere. Awesome!

A- for gore, D for plot line, but A+ for entertainment factor!

blah blah blah

So, I don't want to go into a long thing about all this shitty stuff, but today's bad mood is brought to you by: a. the crimson friend; b. my first period in a very long time without a buildup of anti-inflammatory medication in my body (I am no longer taking that medication for my back); c. I was stood up again yesterday by the same person as before; d. It's fucking hot out and it's just pissing me right off the ledge; e. I am really sick of wasting my entire summer on this certification business, which is making me seriously reconsider my career path in life and I don't actually want to deal with it (also pissing me right off the ledge).

So, let's just be done with those issues and return to a pleasant day. One good thing: Hay and I had a nice chat at bedtime last night. He's such a sweetie. :)

And one more “so” for the road:
So.

If you're afraid of “geek speak” then you might want to skip this one.

(Although, I think this is freakin' hilarious...)

Enclosed please find the recipe for messing with your neighbors if they're freeloading off your bandwidth. I'm a particular fan of the redirection to kittenwar. I can never, ever choose a kitten. I always have to reload the page to see more kitties. Recipe location thanks to digg.

Cecropia juicica

One of the cecropia moths has not coccooned yet. Know how I know? BECAUSE IT'S CRAWLING AROUND MY LILAC BUSH, AND IT'S AS BIG AS MY GD HAND!

SEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!???

DSC00022.JPG

I made a whole set of him, go see it. Hi res!

Hay wanted me to pluck him off. Anything that juicy I cannot touch. No, Sweetie, not even with gloves.

I'm in a bad mood. Happens.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog.
You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful.
And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Yippy skippy Meryl strippy?

Guess who's going to see The Devil Wears Prada with her convenience store friend this evening? ME!


(I have to get all my movie theater movie watching out of my system. :)

Swashbuckler review

Oh, there is so a SPOILER ALERT on this post.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was a bit too hyped, à mon avis. The plot line was not as tight as the first one. I was never endeared enough to Cap'n Jack to care that the Kraken ate him (uh huh, sure it did), and I didn't particularly care for the sappy story lines that didn't even make much sense. Why was everyone so enthusiastic about agreeing to bring Jack back? The chemistry between William and his father on Davy Jones's ship was lacking. And, why the feck was it so easy for William to steal the key? C'MON! I also did not appreciate the implication of rape that would have occurred if the “sea-phantoms” had not appeared to interrupt armed-with-swords Ragetti and Gibbs as they drooled and poppeted over the weaponless Elizabeth on the island. I still don't understand the sexual tension between Elizabeth and Jack, it just wasn't played up correctly for me. I understand intellectually that his bad boy ways attracted her to him, but I didn't feel it. My favorite part was watching Davy Jones's face squiggle around – very realistic!

Rating: C+ for plot. A- for visual. B for entertainment value.

Croaked

Hay found this little guy on the driveway:







My theory is that his toes suddenly stuck to the hot pavement and he couldn't hop away. Stinky. I picked him up (clearly) and stuck him between the Celosia in the front garden. I think he'll be happy there.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The fiefdom of Bill ruined my summer

Did I mention I'm reading Microserfs by Douglas Coupland? I am. Just thought I'd mention. I love it. I'm such a nerd. It's what I read as a break from studying. My first practice test is next weekend. I'm 2/3 of the way through my reading for the exam. I'd love to just ditch it and have a trashy summer, but. Not gonna happen. That's okay, if it weren't for Bill I wouldn't have a certification to study for.

Auntie Pop

Found this over at Celebrity Mound...



This is a photo of Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of Brit, with her nephew Sean Preston. CUTE. The thing I don't get: Where the hell are they? That looks like my parents' basement from the 70s, but my parents have no money. The Spears estate can't be that poor yet. (Someone's gonna tell me that sofa is worth $100k, aren't they... This is why I have no money or class.)

Photo credit: BritneyBoards.com

Meow yummy meow meow

Go ahead, be gone with it.



Don't bother watching Making the Video for SexyBack because Justin is a big old dork in real life, but his album persona makes you want to lick the sandpaper off his face (and a few other places ;).

Yippy skippy pirate shippy

Guess who's going to see Pirates of the Caribbean today?! ME!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Rosario Dawson without make-up

I loved Clerks II. The audience loved Clerks II. I almost cried at the almost end. 5 out of 5 stars. Go see it if you had any interest at all in Clerks. Just in case you were wondering, this movie is totally inappropriate for children. Really. Very bad. The scene with the donkey is almost not even appropriate for adults. In fact, it is not. That's all I'll say. Oh, oh, oh, one more thing - also, Pillow Pants the pussy troll and all his little friends: very inappropriate for the kids. BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Addicted.

Dirty potato chips are so delicious that I just went online and ordered some. They're from Louisiana, so they're extra dirty. :)

Oddity.

It has occurred more than once that folks think I do opium just because my pseudonym is Poppy. Anyone who actually pays any attention knows that I just like the flower itself. I've never done any drugs at all, aside from ones prescribed for medical conditions, but people continue to make flippant comments that I am an evil drug user who is trying to corrupt others with my druggy ways. Um. Yah, farthest from the truth. I don't want to start an Internets war by giving specifics, but let's try getting to know people before insulting them, eh?

Let them eat cake! Bugs optional.

cake!

Friday, July 21, 2006

Despite eating like a total pig, I'm ravenous

Don't you hate that? Moi aussi.

Found this at B's blog and since she said I had to do it, here 'tis:

1. Recommend to me a movie, book, song, album, or musician

2. Ask me three questions

3. Post this on your blog so we can reciprocate

I'm curious to see if anyone leaves me a comment. The last time I asked if anyone had questions for me the only question I was asked was by now defunct blogger Oregano who asked how Hay and I met. Maybe I'm so dull that no one cares to know more about me, or maybe I'm too forthgiving so you know everything you would possibly need to know.

Gross call

We did not see Clerks 2 tonight because we went on a surprise boat cruise that didn't arrive back to shore in time for us to catch even the latest showing. We will go to the matinee tomorrow, though!

I am disturbed by a few celebrity stories, and need to speak about them.

Dakota Fanning has filmed a rape scene for her newest movie. A very graphic rape scene. And she's almost nude in the movie. She's 12. I just do not want to see that. I feel perved out even knowing about it.

Beyoncé's fans are petitioning that her video for Déjà Vu isn't good enough and should be refilmed with a different story line for the following reasons:
A) There is no clear story or theme to the video
B) The dancing is erratic, confusing and alarming at times
C) The sexual themes and shots between Ms. Knowles and Mr. Sean Carter PKA Jay-Z, are alarming and show unacceptable interactions between the two
D) The fashion in this video, while haute-couture, is unbelievable and ridiculous
E) The editing, while professionally done, causes one to get dizzy and disoriented
F) The overall feel of the video leaves a sense of much to be desired
G) The video is very disappointing and is not a clear representation of any of the songs themes

People, get a life.

Police suspect that Haley Joel Osment was drunk at the time that he crashed his car in a very serious, but not fatal, accident. He's 18. He is the good kid. Why is he drinking? Bad Haley, bad! You're a role model for kids who see dead people! *sigh*

Jessica Simpson's new video for A Public Affair is just stupid. And so are both versions (original; remake) of Paris Hilton's video for Stars Are Blind.

Tara Reid continues to take her shirt off despite her slop.

Okay, I'm gonna stop there.

Shout out to Hay. He knows why. Love you, Babe!

The big Kool-aid guy would be proud, although I'm not entirely sure why. Except, maybe because Jay and Silent Bob are involved?

Guess who's seeing Clerks 2 tonight? YAH, I am.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

The power of the vote

In America's first opportunity to sink or float the contestants, SYTYCD?'s Dmitry was voted off (in place of Ryan) tonight. Do you think this was deserved, or is this a “Chris Daughtry moment”? Discuss.

Photo credit: Fox

Facelifts make you crazy. (Not really.)

Has anyone else seen the HBO documentary Plastic Disasters? The facelift lady? (See right.) She's insane. Clinically. She needs treatment. She doesn't think she has BDD, but she so does.


Photo credit: HBO

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

The virgin wept for her prodigal son

Yah, that sounds good, doesn't it.

Perez Hilton is going to be on Howard Stern next week! Que la freakando fucking eff?! I cannot believe it. Howard actually reads Perez's site regularly, which is where he found out about the Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra split. :(

Lil, even if you're not into Perez, could you pretty please tell me about this interview if you catch it? I'm a Perez addict, can't help myself. And, of course, I love me some Howard. :)

Fives, but different than the fives I've done in the past

Got this from B who stole it from Nancy Drew

5 Things always in my purse:
1-Wallet
2-Chapstick
3-Cell Phone
4-Prescription sunglasses
5-Keys

5 Things always in my wallet:
1-Debit/Credit Card
2-Drivers License
3-Coins
4-Medical Insurance Cards
5-Other people's business cards from random events

5 Things always in my refrigerator:
1-Butter
2-Soda
3-Cheese and chocolate (sorry, they're the same in my mind: orgasmic)
4-Water
5-Lots and lots and lots of condiments for all occasions

5 Things always in my closet:
1-Shoes
2-Kitties
3-Kitty toys
4-My wedding dress
5-Dresses from my former employer's retail line

5 Things always in my car:
1-At least one pair of shoes
2-Coins
3-Umbrella
4-Hairties
5-Lots of empty water bottles

5 (or more) Things always on my desk:
1-Lots and lots of project folders, with lots of papers in each
2-Water bottles
3-Dirty cups, clean cups, and unrecoverable cups
4-My menagerie of toys
5-Dust

Please, take it upon yourself to do this meme. We like it when you meme.
Okay, so I have about two seconds to post something before Blogger goes down for maintenance. Just wanna say I'm alive, and that work and studying* consume me, but this evening's adventure was grocery shopping. I actually was triumphant in the “passive-aggressive store clerk versus Poppy” scenario. When she was rude to me I just looked at her and said nothing. That's always a great option, because in this case silence speaks volumes. I was not, however, so quiet when I saw the same car that I had to swerve around at the end of my road (which had a lot of pot smoke pouring out of it!!!) stop in front of my mailbox to deposit some SPAM. I screamed, “don't put this crap in my mailbox!!!!!!” and tore up the paper in front of the whole neighborhood while the car was still parked in front of my neighbor's house getting lectured by him, too! The world aligns to my side this evening. A bientôt!!



*I know some of you are curious what I am studying. Information security. If anyone wants a kick ass computer security wizard working for them who has mad management skills lemme know. I think I might have capped out at my current job, which totally sucks. I thought I'd be there forever...

Bow diggy

Pam Anderson and Kid Rock are getting married. Congrats to the happy couple.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Lily Allen is a goddess

You need to go buy this single.



ME-OW.

Broken news

Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 09:16:18 -0400
From: CNN Breaking News
Reply-To: newseditor@MAIL.CNN.COM
To: TEXTBREAKINGNEWS@CNNIMAIL12.CNN.COM
Subject: CNN Breaking News

-- The space shuttle Discovery and its crew of six



When I saw this I immediately thought, “oh no, not again!” but then I read the rest:

have safely landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a 13-day mission that included a stop at the international space station.

...and was so happy I did a little clappy happy dance. :)

For P'nut



Photo credit: The Animal Archive

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Hiatus

Sunday garden party is on indefinite hiatus. I need to use my “free time” to study for my certification. I'm still taking pictures, just not taking the time to go through them and resize them and upload them and post about them. So. If you are jonesing for a flower photo you can visit my old photos at my flickr space.

My blog, however, is not on hiatus. This is my outlet for my thoughts, and without this outlet I am not a whole person.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Decisions, decisions

Study or go sailing? Study or go sailing?


Study.


I feel so old and responsible...

Friday, July 14, 2006

Stumbling toward Sebstacy

I was just using StumbleUpon.com and found this really cool site that somehow reminds me of the original Star Trek series. Put your cursor over the colory swirl, it will play tones. Trippy.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Hit me with your best shot

Fill in the blank: Out of all the toys in the store Lizzie could have stolen, she decided on the ____________.


My answer: fake poo.


I figured I needed to hurry up and post another one of these so that people would realize these things don't actually happen to me. Well, they kinda happen to me. Just not necessarily directly. Anyone who knows me knows I stole markers, not fake poo. And in that last one, that Abby got hit by only one pitcher of iced tea.

Entertainer

Fun sites:
Fellow.Bloggers.YouAreMyFriend.com
Fellow.Bloggers.YouAreMighty.com

A mean site:
Fellow.Bloggers.DoYouHaveEpilepsy.com
(surprise surprise, it flashes a lot)


Courtesy of Hay, who was trying to be nice. :)

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Hit me with your best shot

Fill in the blank: I would have tipped my server better if __________.

My answer is: she hadn't spilled that second pitcher of water all over me. Or, maybe even the first.

Quel dommage, tant pis, and all that jazz

I read a spoilers post a while back that revealed to me the new cast of Celebrity Fit Club. I guess I was in denial, hoping that it just wasn't true. Today I received confirmation of the lineup. I cannot in good faith watch this season because Vincent “Pussy” Pastore who recently beat up his girlfriend and got a slap on the wrist for it will be participating. Decide for yourself if you can soutenir such behavior; je ne peux pas. I am so disappointed in VH1. ... So long for this season, my fair weather friend.

Say no to thugs

Not taking the dare

I really need to not work in my industry anymore, but I stay in it for the money. I would be taking care of animals if I had my dream job, but around here there's absolutely no money in it. Money is what keeps the mortgage paid. Sucks to be me. Guess I'm dying early from a stress-related illness like the rest of America!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

How odd.

I returned from my orthodontist appointment to a voicemail from a doctor who said she couldn't tell me why she was calling, but that two other doctors (whose names I didn't recognize) had referred me to her. I don't have a super common name, and the doctor called me by name in the message. I left her a return message. We'll see.

Update: Mystery solved. It's a chronic pain specialist trying to schedule an appointment with me. Odder still, I cannot get ahold of her so I guess I won't be attending the appointment they offered to me for today. Not meant to be just yet.
I'M GETTING MY BRACES OFF AUGUST 23RD.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@!!!@~!!#%%*^*#%!@#$~!@#@#

Monday, July 10, 2006

Vindicated.

Guess who just signed a record deal with Clive Davis?



Now, that's hot. I can't wait to buy that first album which shall keep me warm all winter. :D

A-HA!

Lauren from The Hills (formerly Laguna Beach) looks like Ben Stiller's wife, Christine Taylor!



Thank you to Diane from BarbieMartini for helping me to realize what I thought was odd about LC...

(And, just in case Us Weekly was first, here's their post on the same subject.)

509

The Sunday garden tour yielded 509 world-viewable photos. Here they are. Um, trust me, you don't need to be teased. It's a freaking fantastic set.

Lonelygirl15 has fabulous eyebrows

...and knows how to crunkify her stuffed animals, too:

Saturday, July 08, 2006

This morning I took my father to breakfast so we could decide whether we would attend a two-day event on a Saturday or a Sunday based on the schedule sent to me in the mail with the tickets. I just don't understand why we can't go both days, but whatever, we can't, the tickets only allow us in one day. I did ask my dad if he wanted me to buy another set of tickets, but he passed. We then went garage sale hopping. I bought some kid books, a kid puzzle, a decorative teapot, and a plant table. I then went to my dad's house to watch the video he took of the fireworks we watched from my back yard. I mostly didn't get to watch them because I was too busy taking photos, so I sat in silence for the 10 1/2 minutes of footage my dad took before he ran out of room.

After this I went home to clean up for company later. I made my favorite feta-cream cheese phyllo dough cups. I just love those things, they rock so hard. The company came late and left early, and that's all I'll say about that.

After company, Hay found this little guy hanging onto one of the lilac bush's leaves:





I've never seen such a bug. I won't assume he's a caterpillar, because really he looks like he is some sort of primary color alien. I mean, what's up with those colors? Is my front yard suddenly a rain forest? Oddness.

UPDATE: Merideth explains that this is a Cecropia moth! Just hasn't transformed quite yet. Hay has since studied up and learned that the mature Cecropia moth is born without a mouth, living just long enough to find a mate and have babies. So, for now the pre-moth version is eating our lilacs. *sigh*

Tomorrow Hay and I are going to be touring several gardens, so when the Garden Party photos are posted you'll be oohed and aahed and overwhelmed. And, I'll likely be late posting. Such is life, it'll be worth the wait 10-fold.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Funny haha

I'm sporting intentional cameltoe today. Do you wanna see? Yah, I bet you do. I bought some size (number withheld) jeans from Victoria's Secret which show off my petite curves (because that's what Buddha gave me, harhar). The pants are only too tight when I sit down in my sloppy way -- ya know, slumped down with my legs spread like a guy. I don't want any angry comments about this, just look around in public at the way men sit and the way women sit. If the man isn't in a 3-piece suit then he takes up way more room while sitting than is absolutely necessary, and when I was 9 and realized that was what my brother was doing to get the most room in the backseat during long car rides I started sitting that way too. 20+ years later and I'm still sitting like a 14-year-old boy. Way to go, Poppy! Double-hump it, girl!


Photo courtesy of KevHead.com.

Star potential

So far, this is my favorite for The Office video contest:

7/7/5



In memory of those who died on July 7, 2005.

Oh, and to the bad guys: We're not afraid, ya punks.


(This photo of Georgie with the text I wrote makes me cry uncontrollably every time I see it. *sigh*)

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Meeting naughties

Quoted directly from Steel Kaleidoscopes:
    Top 10 Meeting Pet Peeves

    Admit it. Meetings can be a waste of time.

    While meetings are an absolute necessity to bring brilliant minds together, they can easily go awry. Productivity is the end game, but it doesn't always happen.

    Here's why:

    1. Meetings don't start on time
    This drives me crazy more than anything. If a meeting is at 9, it starts at 9. That means being ready to engage in dialogue at 9. The people filing in at 9:10 should just turn around and leave. You're a distraction.

    2. Rehashing
    For the people who come in late, meeting organizers feel the need to fill the late-comers in. Another waste of time.

    3. Organizer calls in
    If you can't be on site, reschedule the meeting (unless it's urgent or you live in another state). There's nothing more annoying than someone trying to run a meeting through Ma Belle with the participants staring blankly at the phone console.

    4. Introductions
    "Let's go around the room..." Suggestion - "Let's not." List the attendees in the meeting invite.

    5. No action plan
    You've been in these meetings. There is no real agenda. Just a dangling conversation. You glance at your watch and wonder why you're here.

    6. Grandstanding
    They're in every meeting, especially with senior management present. These are the people who make obvious point after obvious point only to hear their own voice and show everyone how smart they are. Annoying.

    7. People on laptops
    Why would you bring a laptop to a meeting? Meetings are about face-to-face dialogue. Look each other in the eye and get things done. Scribble some notes on old-fashion paper. You'll be way more present and attentive when you're not trying to locate the shift key.

    8. People on Treos
    Unless you're waiting for a groundbreaking decision or a frantic e-mail from IT that the site is about to go down, lay off the PDA. There's no reason to scroll through e-mail in a meeting. It's disrespectful to the person speaking.

    9. Side conversations
    The purpose of a meeting is for all in attendance to discuss issues as a group. That's why you're here. If it's important enough for two people to huddle at the corner of the table, it's important enough for the group to hear.

    10. Acronyms
    Tossing around acronyms may seem harmless, but not everyone knows what you're talking about. And because half the room is nodding, those who have no idea are probably too embarrassed to ask for clarification.

Stink-No-More

For some reason, yesterday and today my underarms haven't been so fresh. My solution when my Arm & Hammer won't quite cut it: a few dashes of Band-Aid brand itch relief gel spritz! It kills the stink on contact! Ya know, for when a girl's in a bind...

I'm not a Buddhist; I have Buddhist tendencies.

If it wasn't clear, and I don't think it was, the closest religion or spirituality I come to following is Buddhism. I am not prideful, and when I am prideful about something it embarrasses me. I will try to talk myself down to others in order to lift them up, and it is interpretted as me having a low self esteem. (I know, I said I do have it in an earlier post, but I can't give that up and still be me.)

I'm not a perfectly unprideful person or else I wouldn't have this blog, but one thing I really don't care for is the acknowledgement of my changed appearance. If I lose 50 lbs I don't want to talk about how I did it or why I did it, because that's not important. It just...is. My outer appearance reflects my inner peace, and that's that. I am a bit exhausted from the interactions that continue to happen around my workplace about my weight loss. I don't want to gain the weight back just to shut them up, but I'm running out of dialog on the subject.

Could we please switch to the next subject, perhaps instead speaking about The Moral Code*? Thanks.


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*It amuses me that Expert Village thinks of Buddhism as a hobby.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Well, that sucks.

I have a really great idea for The Office video contest but I can't for the life of me think of anyone who would agree to work with me to make it happen. ... Oh well.

Pleading

Dear Celebloggers,

Please stop posting photos of Kimberly Stewart. They hurt my eyes, and there's no reason to promote her. She's really just a famous guy's daughter. Let's leave her at that status. I'm a famous guy's daughter, too, but I don't go flouncing around town for paparazzi to photograph my hot bod. (I'm hot.) And I certainly don't want photos of me all over your blogs.

Thank you, that is all.

xoxo,
~Poppy

Ari Gold is just too funny to pass up.

DarkHat is quite blunt about Jeremy Pivens in his role on Entourage, but I think there's some good and well intention in there somewhere. Let's just say you should put down your drink, and make sure that your door is locked so that no one unexpectedly walks in while you're watching this.



I burst out laughing quite a number of times, even at the superiorly offensive stuff. I love how I can be offended but keep on laughing. High quality, Poppy. High quality.

If I were in a bad mood this would really piss me off...

You Are 64% Gross

You're pretty dirty, and there's a good chance you're living in a total dump.
And your body? Not too clean either. Watch out for killer bacteria, Pig Pen!


But, since I'm in a good mood, this made me burst out laughing. I love the name calling at the very end, and the image of the lady stuffing her face with one of my favorite non-cheese snacks: Frawnch Freedom(!*) Fries. :) Thanks to P'nut who is somehow a very clean person. I just don't get it...


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*In computer programming, ! = Not. Example: “!=” means “not equal to”. I know, I really try to teach ya stuff here.

Updates

The convenience store friend apologized, emergency with the kids and she lost the piece of paper with my phone number to let me know. I gave her my digits again but we did not make new plans because it was too busy at the store. We'll see.

The stink in my office was indeed my leather belt. I wore it all day yesterday at home without smelling it, but my house is bigger than my office so I guess that explains it.

It's hot here today and I've been running all over in un-air-conditioned spaces. Therefore, ergo even, I stink. I can still see the deodorant, it's just succumbed to the fumes. Ahh, well.

Intentional explosions

Returned to the office today after a 4-day holiday weekend. It smells distinctly like something is dead in here. Likely a mouse. Or is it my leather belt? Will report on that later. Blech.

Got some fantastic fireworks shots this year because I used a tripod and infinite focus for most of the shots.

DSC08827


Thanks to my new girlfriend who reminded me to use that feature instead of the moon feature. Go see a few more photos over at flickr.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Venture

I had an awesome time with my new friends. They cooked some incredible food for me: a squash dish that was pretty much out of my world, President Nixon's Chicken, and rosemary bread. I made them my famous Banquet 4-minute chocolate silk pie, which they told me they loved. :) I got lots of love from their Beagle, so much so that I was covered in dog by the time I went home. I had so much fun that I invited them over for today's backyard 4th of July festivities. That means now I have to spend the day cleaning the house instead of studying (darn), so here I go. Happy 4th!

Monday, July 03, 2006

Quickies

The boiler is fixed. I'm so happy that I've taken two showers today. Yay for hot water!

One family out of two cancelled for our 4th of July festivities. You guys... Disappointing.

I found a prezzie for someone special! You'll know who you are when you get it. (Please note that if you recently received a gift from me you are unfortunately not the recipient of this gift. Sorry.)

We just bought $130+ worth of plants for $45. We are pretty sure the checkout girl was either uncaring or clueless. We double-checked that she had rung up all our purchases, and she confirmed that she had. Whatevs. That place is actually overpriced anyway, so :P to them. :)

I am off to dinner with new friends who are not the same as the one who somehow stood me up last week. Happy Monday night!

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Sunday Garden Party Time

Just under the wire, I have finally uploaded this week's set.

Teaser, because I know my bloggers like to be teased first ;)

DSC08576.jpg

Okay, now that you're good and wet, go see the rest!!!!

Nach-o Nach-o Man, I want to be a Nacho Man.

Hay and I were hot and bored so we went to the movies. We didn't much care what we saw, were shooting for Superman, but it wasn't in the cards so I asked Hay to pick from Devil Wears Prada, Click, and Nacho Libre. Being the Jack Black fan that he is (and moreso the non-Adam Sandler fan and not so into chick flick fan), Hay chose Nacho Libre. Let me just tell you that I laughed so hard I could have peed a little if I'd had to go. Double thumbs up if you like Jack Black humor and enjoyed Napoleon Dynamite. A+ for humor, B- for plot.


Nacho, courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Saturday, July 01, 2006

“I'm not retarded! I'm just shy, ya fucker!”


Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?




avoidant
Take this quiz!




I stole this from Maman. Now I'm all angry. Unlike for her, this is spot on for me, and I don't like that it is. (Please note the bit of sizzly steam bursting out the top of my head.)

Murphy's (gd c-word* of a whoo-ore) law.

Your boiler will wait until Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend to let you know about a soot build-up problem that has been around for quite some time now but is finally getting around to emitting black plumes of smoke out the outtake valve. Or, whatever that pipe to the outside world is called. Son of a bitch.

Looks like cold showers for the next few days, unless we really wanna fork over more than double per hour to have someone come out right now. (We're opting for the cold showers, or really more opting for pity from my next door neighbor who happens to be my dad.)



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*Censored for P'nut. :)