When I'm at work and 4:30 p.m. hits, I like to play a game called, "5 Places I'd Rather Be." Today's locations include:
1. On a ship (heavily medicated) in the Aegean Sea
2. Disneyland. (This happens once every few years, and I've been seeing lots of commercials lately.)
3. On the deck of a beach house looking at a sunset
4. Hanging out in CA with my sister's puppies
5. In an empty pool
The list is different every day, but #3 and #4 show up pretty often.
I'm usually wiped out by 3 p.m. After five hours of sitting behind a desk I tend to get antsy. If I could find a job that allows me to work on a laptop from anywhere, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Technically, this job could easily be that, but unfortunately, my bosses would see it more as a detriment than a benefit.
My least favorite time of the day has to be the afternoon, specifically 2-5, even on the weekends. During the week it drags and I'm prone to falling asleep. On weekends it's kind of a signal to me that the day's almost over, meaning Monday will be here before I know it. Yeah, 2-5 is a killer for me.
So what exactly is my favorite time of the day? Oddly enough, it's 2-5 a.m.--well, if I'm still awake. During those times when I'm still up, I find myself enjoying the complete silence (well, as silent as it can possibly be considering where I live). There's something about thinking that I'm the only one awake that's comforting to me. I know no one is going to bother me about deadlines or projects that need to get done. I know that no one's going to interrupt me if I have a thought that needs to be written down. I know it's just me and my thoughts, and I'm OK with that scenario.
On Friday night I stayed up until 4 a.m. reading a book. For some reason I felt compelled to finish it. It's been a while since I've done that and it felt good. There were a few moments when I stopped reading and just listened. What did I hear? Nothing. Absolutely nothing--and it was nice. It was just me and the book, and I felt...relaxed. Let me tell you, that doesn't happen very often. Yes, I get tired to the point of not being able to move or think, but that's not what one would call relaxed.
Anyway, I'd also have to say that morning, around 6-8, is another favorite--if I'm actually up at that time. I find it really odd that I like these times of the day when I'm totally not a morning person. It takes me 30 minutes just to drag myself out of bed in the morning. But I have a feeling that if I didn't have this lame 9-5 schedule to maintain, I'd be a better morning person.
Anyway...right now I'd rather be in bed. Night!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Song in My Head
Apparently I have music on the brain this weekend. Occasionally I become obsessed with finding something on the Internet, and I don't stop until I find it. A while ago I decided to look online for a clip of a show. If you must know, there was a scene in What I Like About You where one of the characters sang an old song from the 40s. I liked her version of it so much I decided I needed to find that scene online, and I did--on YouTube.
For some reason, I felt like listening to the song today, but when I went to the bookmarked link I found out the page no longer existed. Of course the video was taken down because Warner Bros. complained--whatever.
Thankfully, it didn't take me too long to find the video on Dailymotion. But then I decided I wanted the video file just in case that one got ripped down, too. I knew the only way I was ever going to hear this version of the song again was through this show. So, after a little research, I managed to capture the video from the site. I thought that was it. I thought that was enough to satisfy me. Nope. I decided that I only wanted that one scene and didn't want to fast forward through the first six minutes of the video. So again, after some research, I was able to convert the video, edit it down and make a new copy.
No, the story doesn't end there, because of course I needed to be able to listen to it on my iPod whenever I wanted. Since I don't have any fancy editing software, I couldn't isolate the audio and get rid of the extra dialogue. Without going into all the boring details, I did manage to do what I could to clean it up and can now share the final product with you. Yes, it was a long process, but well worth it for me.
So here it is..."The More I See You" performed by Allison Munn:
Friday, July 17, 2009
Grease Is the Word
I'm sitting here on the couch trying to relax and watching Grease. For the millionth time. I don't know what it is about this movie, but it's the only one that makes me want to sing. Well, this and the Sound of Music. "Summer Nights" comes on and all of a sudden I'm bopping my head and trying to hit that high note both Olivia Newton John and John Travolta do so well. You know what I'm talking about. You know you've tried to hit that high note, too. Don't deny it.
Well, tonight that wasn't the song that made me bust out like Whitney Houston on crack. As I caught up on my blog reading, I suddenly started singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You." I didn't even know I was doing it until I found myself struggling to breathe. Yeah, I never could figure out how to get the breathing right while singing. Or maybe I just have bad lungs from inhaling all the NYC bus fumes.
Anyway, point is I'm not much of a singer. If you heard me, you'd know why. My sister instantly shushes me when she hears me start to sing along with the radio. I blame my mother for my inability to carry a tune. The only difference between me and her is that she doesn't care and will sing her little heart out at church until the very end. I guess I need to give her credit for her I-don't-give-a-crap attitude.
Yes, this is my Friday night.
Well, tonight that wasn't the song that made me bust out like Whitney Houston on crack. As I caught up on my blog reading, I suddenly started singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You." I didn't even know I was doing it until I found myself struggling to breathe. Yeah, I never could figure out how to get the breathing right while singing. Or maybe I just have bad lungs from inhaling all the NYC bus fumes.
Anyway, point is I'm not much of a singer. If you heard me, you'd know why. My sister instantly shushes me when she hears me start to sing along with the radio. I blame my mother for my inability to carry a tune. The only difference between me and her is that she doesn't care and will sing her little heart out at church until the very end. I guess I need to give her credit for her I-don't-give-a-crap attitude.
Yes, this is my Friday night.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Up, Down & Sideways
My last post was about a day I'd classify as a good one. Staying at home and just hanging out without a care in the world is one of my favorite things. It was a day I desperately needed--which I realized even more the next day.
For some reason I was in a bad mood all week. I'm not one of those people who's obsessed with horoscopes, but there is a slot on My Yahoo! page that gives me the daily rundown. Sometimes I read it in the morning, other times I read it at the end of the day. Oddly enough, each day seemed right on and it was creeping me out. It basically kept saying I was on the brink of blowing up--that I was in a pissed off mood and everyone should just keep their distance. Every day that week I almost walked into my boss' office and said, "I quit." I really wanted to--I've been daydreaming about it all year. I was so cranky I almost got into a huge fight with a coworker I normally get along with, but luckily it didn't go further than a few frustrated comments and tense moments.
As much as I love what I do, I can't stand the environment. This seems to be a trend with me. I'm one of those people who will always get the job done, but I hate being bothered with stupid details, pointless meetings or doing someone else's job. Sadly, that seems to be what the real world is all about and I'm finding it harder and harder to deal with this reality.
So after a week of being angry me, I really wanted to just sit back, relax and enjoy a great summer day, which did happen. I went to sleep that Saturday night completely content and able to push away the stresses that have been plaguing me for a while. It only lasted a few hours.
At 7:30 Sunday morning I heard water falling in my sleep. I inwardly groaned and thought that it couldn't be raining again, not after such a beautiful Saturday. I opened my eyes and saw the sunlight coming through my curtains, but where was the rain coming from? It dawned on me that it was coming from inside my home. I jumped out of bed and checked the bathroom. Water was falling from above. I ran to the kitchen and saw a small pond forming on my floor. I grabbed my robe and ran upstairs, praying my neighbors were home. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard someone on the other side stumble to the door. The hose that connected their toilet to the wall had burst and we couldn't shut the water off. Of course neither of us knew where the main water lines were so we had to wake the neighbors up. Luckily one woke up and was able to shut off the water.
I ran back downstairs and grabbed a bunch of bowls to catch all the leaks in the kitchen. Since I had no paper towels or rags, I had to grab all my bath towels and throw them down in order to save my hardwood floors. I furiously tried to dry the floor while emptying the bowls that were rapidly filling up. When I was sure that the floor was as dry as possible, I sat in my dining area and just waited for the water to stop falling.
The water damage may not look that bad here, but you should have seen the amount of water falling from the ceiling. The light fixture was full of water and when I opened the microwave, water came falling out.
My attempt at drying the floor. See how yellow the water in the bowl is on top of the counter? No, it's not urine, but it's still gross.
Luckily, my microwave still works.
As I sat there watching the water fall from my microwave into that little bowl sitting on the stove, I felt like crying, but instead called my mom and woke her up at 4:30 a.m. PT. I really needed to vent about this, especially since this was the third time something like this has happened.
Just some of the water damage in the bathroom. Everything else was covered in water--the toilet, the sink, the entire floor and my rugs.
The water damage above my front door. Since the wood warped by the door, it gets stuck in two spots when I open it. Granted, the first spot was already there before, but the second one was caused by the leak.
I spent the rest of the day at the laundromat washing all the dirty towels and disinfecting my kitchen and bathroom. By the end of the day I was completely exhausted and sadly, all my efforts to dry the floor did not keep them from warping.
Oh, and to top off the day, when I got home from the laundromat our fire alarm decided to go off. Within minutes we had the fire department at our front door. There was no fire, but they think the flooding that morning might have messed with the system. Nice.
Now, the question is, who's responsible for fixing the water damage and replacing the warped floorboards? Apparently, the issue is very confusing and the answers are split. After talking to my insurance company they said I could try to work something out with my neighbor but if that didn't work I could file a claim with them. So of course this whole thing has had my stomach in knots all week. I talked to my neighbor and she said she'd talk to her insurance company and that we'd try to figure this out together. I'm so defeated I don't think I care either way.
I know things could have totally been worse, like both of us being out of town and my entire home being drenched in gross yellow water. I get that, but I was still really annoyed. Now that a week has gone by, I don't really care at this point. If she wants to help with the expenses fine. If not, fine. After doing some research, I think the repairs might actually cost less than my deductible anyway.
I'm sure this story was a little boring to some of you, but if you were able to hang in there, thanks for reading. I guess I still needed to vent a little more.
For some reason I was in a bad mood all week. I'm not one of those people who's obsessed with horoscopes, but there is a slot on My Yahoo! page that gives me the daily rundown. Sometimes I read it in the morning, other times I read it at the end of the day. Oddly enough, each day seemed right on and it was creeping me out. It basically kept saying I was on the brink of blowing up--that I was in a pissed off mood and everyone should just keep their distance. Every day that week I almost walked into my boss' office and said, "I quit." I really wanted to--I've been daydreaming about it all year. I was so cranky I almost got into a huge fight with a coworker I normally get along with, but luckily it didn't go further than a few frustrated comments and tense moments.
As much as I love what I do, I can't stand the environment. This seems to be a trend with me. I'm one of those people who will always get the job done, but I hate being bothered with stupid details, pointless meetings or doing someone else's job. Sadly, that seems to be what the real world is all about and I'm finding it harder and harder to deal with this reality.
So after a week of being angry me, I really wanted to just sit back, relax and enjoy a great summer day, which did happen. I went to sleep that Saturday night completely content and able to push away the stresses that have been plaguing me for a while. It only lasted a few hours.
At 7:30 Sunday morning I heard water falling in my sleep. I inwardly groaned and thought that it couldn't be raining again, not after such a beautiful Saturday. I opened my eyes and saw the sunlight coming through my curtains, but where was the rain coming from? It dawned on me that it was coming from inside my home. I jumped out of bed and checked the bathroom. Water was falling from above. I ran to the kitchen and saw a small pond forming on my floor. I grabbed my robe and ran upstairs, praying my neighbors were home. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard someone on the other side stumble to the door. The hose that connected their toilet to the wall had burst and we couldn't shut the water off. Of course neither of us knew where the main water lines were so we had to wake the neighbors up. Luckily one woke up and was able to shut off the water.
I ran back downstairs and grabbed a bunch of bowls to catch all the leaks in the kitchen. Since I had no paper towels or rags, I had to grab all my bath towels and throw them down in order to save my hardwood floors. I furiously tried to dry the floor while emptying the bowls that were rapidly filling up. When I was sure that the floor was as dry as possible, I sat in my dining area and just waited for the water to stop falling.
The water damage may not look that bad here, but you should have seen the amount of water falling from the ceiling. The light fixture was full of water and when I opened the microwave, water came falling out.
My attempt at drying the floor. See how yellow the water in the bowl is on top of the counter? No, it's not urine, but it's still gross.
Luckily, my microwave still works.As I sat there watching the water fall from my microwave into that little bowl sitting on the stove, I felt like crying, but instead called my mom and woke her up at 4:30 a.m. PT. I really needed to vent about this, especially since this was the third time something like this has happened.
Just some of the water damage in the bathroom. Everything else was covered in water--the toilet, the sink, the entire floor and my rugs.
The water damage above my front door. Since the wood warped by the door, it gets stuck in two spots when I open it. Granted, the first spot was already there before, but the second one was caused by the leak.I spent the rest of the day at the laundromat washing all the dirty towels and disinfecting my kitchen and bathroom. By the end of the day I was completely exhausted and sadly, all my efforts to dry the floor did not keep them from warping.
Oh, and to top off the day, when I got home from the laundromat our fire alarm decided to go off. Within minutes we had the fire department at our front door. There was no fire, but they think the flooding that morning might have messed with the system. Nice.
Now, the question is, who's responsible for fixing the water damage and replacing the warped floorboards? Apparently, the issue is very confusing and the answers are split. After talking to my insurance company they said I could try to work something out with my neighbor but if that didn't work I could file a claim with them. So of course this whole thing has had my stomach in knots all week. I talked to my neighbor and she said she'd talk to her insurance company and that we'd try to figure this out together. I'm so defeated I don't think I care either way.
I know things could have totally been worse, like both of us being out of town and my entire home being drenched in gross yellow water. I get that, but I was still really annoyed. Now that a week has gone by, I don't really care at this point. If she wants to help with the expenses fine. If not, fine. After doing some research, I think the repairs might actually cost less than my deductible anyway.
I'm sure this story was a little boring to some of you, but if you were able to hang in there, thanks for reading. I guess I still needed to vent a little more.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
It's Starting to Feel Like Summer
One great thing about where I live is that I'm just a short walk away from one of the most amazing views of NYC. Of course this means I have a great view of the Macy's fireworks display on the Hudson this year. Normally it's on the East River, but for some reason they moved it to my side--which made me very happy.
After weeks of rain and thunderstorms, it finally started to feel like summer. The weather was great today and the sky was completely clear--a perfect night for a massive fireworks display. So, at 9:00 I started my trek to see my first New York fireworks show. It did not disappoint. Here are a few pics:
And here's a short video clip:
Ever since I moved here, I haven't actually gone to see the fireworks display. I don't particularly like huge crowds and I hate traffic even more. When I lived in Jersey City I could hear the fireworks, but I could never really see them. One year I remember going to my bedroom window and seeing a brief glimpse of them, but I usually just sat in front of the TV and watched them--best view if you ask me.
Another year I was driving home from my friend's house in Queens, but I couldn't really see anything since it was overcast and drizzling. The worst part was being stuck in traffic and sent to an alternate route. Other years I was back in California and watching the fireworks either from my friend's balcony or on TV.
I actually really like the 4th of July. There's something about summertime, BBQs, fireworks and hanging outside that appeals to me. It's like the epitome of summer, and I love summer. Of course there are some days I detest it--like when I'm walking around and the air is so thick I can't breathe or the smell of the city is so bad it makes me want to gag. What I do love is how the sun sets later and how everything seems a little more laid back. I love summer dresses and sandals, smelling BBQ in the air with an ice cold lemonade in my hand, and most of all, the cool breeze that sweeps over you when you need it the most.
Unfortunately, I don't have a grill here, but I was still able to make myself a burger, some sweet corn and a simple pasta dish to get me in the 4th of July spirit. Of course I topped it off with some strawberry cheesecake ice cream and a bowl of cherries that I'm consuming right now. That's another thing I love about summer--the fruits. I've kept my fridge stocked with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries and nectarines. I'd probably have watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe too if I wasn't so lazy about cutting them up. Maybe I can talk my mom into doing it for me when I go home again.
Anyway, I hope all of you had a fabulous July 4th. I'm going to see if I can squeeze in one more ep of True Blood before I go to bed. Yes, I've added yet another show to my list of favorites. And yes, I know this is getting ridiculous. :)
I think I hear my neighbors yelling again. Sigh...
After weeks of rain and thunderstorms, it finally started to feel like summer. The weather was great today and the sky was completely clear--a perfect night for a massive fireworks display. So, at 9:00 I started my trek to see my first New York fireworks show. It did not disappoint. Here are a few pics:
And here's a short video clip:
Ever since I moved here, I haven't actually gone to see the fireworks display. I don't particularly like huge crowds and I hate traffic even more. When I lived in Jersey City I could hear the fireworks, but I could never really see them. One year I remember going to my bedroom window and seeing a brief glimpse of them, but I usually just sat in front of the TV and watched them--best view if you ask me.
Another year I was driving home from my friend's house in Queens, but I couldn't really see anything since it was overcast and drizzling. The worst part was being stuck in traffic and sent to an alternate route. Other years I was back in California and watching the fireworks either from my friend's balcony or on TV.
I actually really like the 4th of July. There's something about summertime, BBQs, fireworks and hanging outside that appeals to me. It's like the epitome of summer, and I love summer. Of course there are some days I detest it--like when I'm walking around and the air is so thick I can't breathe or the smell of the city is so bad it makes me want to gag. What I do love is how the sun sets later and how everything seems a little more laid back. I love summer dresses and sandals, smelling BBQ in the air with an ice cold lemonade in my hand, and most of all, the cool breeze that sweeps over you when you need it the most.
Unfortunately, I don't have a grill here, but I was still able to make myself a burger, some sweet corn and a simple pasta dish to get me in the 4th of July spirit. Of course I topped it off with some strawberry cheesecake ice cream and a bowl of cherries that I'm consuming right now. That's another thing I love about summer--the fruits. I've kept my fridge stocked with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries and nectarines. I'd probably have watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe too if I wasn't so lazy about cutting them up. Maybe I can talk my mom into doing it for me when I go home again.
Anyway, I hope all of you had a fabulous July 4th. I'm going to see if I can squeeze in one more ep of True Blood before I go to bed. Yes, I've added yet another show to my list of favorites. And yes, I know this is getting ridiculous. :)
I think I hear my neighbors yelling again. Sigh...
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