Lonelygirl15 has fabulous eyebrows

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

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.

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*)

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.

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!

How Gross Are You?

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.



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.

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!

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 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 ;)



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

“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. :)