Thinking in vain...

What's the most pressing piece of business this morning on the last day before I take vacation?

Finding the remote to the TV so that my boss can watch Wimbledon.

There was a dead snake in the road. I work in a little historic district house right outside of downtown... in my head there should not be snakes, nor dead snakes in the road.

That is for the country. I don't work in the country.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot walking the block from my car to the office. I was looking for snakes.

Let me explain my irrational fear of snakes. When I was four we lived on a horse farm, my father found a 6.5 ft black snake while I was with him. We lived in Maryland for a while when I was 6-ish, in the country, and the woods surrounding the house were full of snakes. When I was 8, I was walking with my sister around a garden filled with Cypress Trees and a black snake came within a foot of falling on me.

So yeah, I keep looking under my desk. Don't laugh at me.

It is too early. But me and the boss are on vacation next week and we're trying to cram everything into this week and get it all done.

More on my trip to design hell which I went on yesterday when I get the chance. I know, you can't wait.

And I mean really hard. I have to write a 30-second description of my photograph (why I photographed it, what it looks like) for the visually-impaired.

I really am having a great deal of trouble trying to describe what it looks like (the why is easy).

p.s. Info for the Opening Reception on my MySpace page.

So I was watching Ghostbusters II on Comedy Central on Saturday afternoon (I didn't want to work, OK?).
Now, I'm not offended or surprised to see the new Trojan spots on this channel - what did intrigue me was the commercial right after it - or the very next commercial break, I can't remember now. Either way.

You know what the commercial was for? Kool-Aid. You know like the Kool-Aid commercials you'd (I'd) see while watching cartoons when I was little.

Well, it was the comedy channel, mabye they were trying to be funny....

I know, it's hard to imagine me shy. Right, anyways, stop laughing (I am really painfully shy). It was all we could do to get this kid to answer our questions. His dad was a friend of the boss so he actually did most of the talking.

He had just graduated from a local high school, he liked to draw but had never used a computer for anything but email and the internet (from what I could tell). He's going to Northern Arizona and has enrolled in their graphic design course/major. He showed me his sketchbook and laughed nervously... a lot.

That's all I know. I actually don't think he wanted an internship, he just wanted to know what he could do with a graphic design major.

So there you go. On another note, I don't know why my boss is always so shocked when she finds out, again, that I majored in photography and not design.

UPDATE: Wrong kid. There's another one who's coming for an interview about an internship - he is still in highschool.

For those that know me well and in person, I give you this:


toothpastefordinner.com

Okay, so the client I don't like - remember, the fast talker?

He's scared of me.

Let me write this again. He's scared... of ME.

I couldn't believe this when they told me. Yes I don't like him, BUT - I've only ever had to deal with him personally twice and I was nothing but nice.

So apparently he thinks I don't like him (I don't, but I don't think I showed it) and he's scared of me.

It's a good thing my boss thought this was hysterical.

***

Oh, if only I could get video of Samson (the half chihuahua-half beagle) trying to run on the wooden floors in circles. It's all he can do to keep his hind legs from sliding out from under him. It's hysterical.

So my sister gets every possible magazine known to man. I think it happened when we moved and she filled out this little form that the post office gave her to forward magazines.

Or when she decided to sign up to the Pottery Barn mailing list.

Anyways, she now gets Robert Redford's Sundance Catalog and I was looking through it last night.

And on the first page - a Holga for $75!! Even B&H only has them for about $40. Damn people for making this great little camera a novelty item, I got mine for $12.

I do love mine though. That said, I hope their little "book with instructions" mentions black electrical tape to keep the back from leaking light.

Oh and further into the catalog - a pack of 4 Cheerwines for $25, before shipping. Just call me, I'll get you some for like $0.89.

Just got home and opened a letter from WVTF. Seems the chair in the waterfall has been chosen as a finalist in the show.

I'm really excited, especially since after I entered I researched the juror (I know I should've done that before). Let's just say her style had me anxious that she'd like anything.

Finalists are exhibited July 2 - 31 and awards will be announced on July 20 at the Open House.

YAY! Send good vibes my way!



Addendum: This is why Doug is my favorite "GE Guy" - he goes, "just one?!"

Look what happens when poor, tenth-century folk have never seen a lion - they give us Mickey Mouse.

I dunno about you, but that smiley, happy face definitely says power and strength to me.

via The Discovery Channel

Adfreak has posted about Hillary Clinton's new "campaign song." And of course, as all three of you know, Celine Dion should never be used for endorsements ever again.

But, the intriguing part is that the video for her new campaign song parallels The Soprano's ending and Adfreak asks us to:

Consider: Someone in Clinton’s camp thought equating Hillary with a psychopathic, murderous crime boss would soften her image.

Well, um... one other thing - anybody think that spot is even odder after being reminded of this?

And as a disclaimer I'm not saying whether I believe that or not. I'm just putting it out there in reference to the "psychopathic murderous crime boss" image.

Monday when I got my car back I was a bit miffed about my door. I know I said I'm coming to terms with what it means to have a recycled door but it's still irritating. The door I received, while nice on the outside, is completely banged and scuffed up on the inside.

So while I was inside my car listening for new bumps or rattles or noises and noticing that the impact of the hit broke my radio display, I tried wiping down the car door... to no avail.

But what did I do after that?

Lock my keys in my car.

Yep.

The only good thing is I have one of the keyless things and my keys WERE NOT in the ignition.

***

So it seems I'm not overly sensitive about my door. I've gone and requested several other opinions and the verdict is in - I could definitely break my key off in the door if I'm not careful.

It sticks, horribly, and it's not aligned right. The corner of the driver's door is banging into the back door and nicking paint. Apparently the car door I received was originally red.

So this means giving my car back to the shop... which I'm dreading so I haven't called yet. And yes, I realize I need to do this ASAP.

***

I've been trying to pack my lunch, but today I have to go out and get something to eat as our mayonnaise had expired and I didn't notice till after I fixed the tuna fish. Incidentally, it didn't make me sick on Monday, but I've again asked for a vote and it seems I should be safe rather than sorry and not eat it.

***

I have no idea what to get my sister for her birthday. Either of them.

And with a ballot I don't have... I'd like to know what company is selling my work email to all these con artists.

New Premier House
6 th Floor - 150 Southhampton row
Russell Square
WC1 B5 AL LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM
+447011139397

WINNING/BALLOT NO:GSA/XX3/7450

DEAR LUCKY WINNER,

YOU ARE LUCKY TO BE LISTED AS ONE OF THE BENEFICAIRIES OF THE MICROSOFT EMAIL REWARD. YOU ARE REWARDED WITH THE SUM OF $378,000,00 AND YOUR WINNING WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU REGARDING HOW YOU WANT TO COLLECT YOUR WINNING. YOU ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT OUR REWARD CENTER WITH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS, (microsoftreward@mail.ru) ON WHO TO COLLECT YOUR WINNING.

PLEASE MAIL BACK WITH YOUR INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS FOR DELIVERY OF YOUR WINNING.

NAME:

AGE:

SEX:

ADDRESS:

OCCUPATION:

COUNTRY:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBER:

NOTE: BENEFICIARIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSFER CHARGES.PLEASE INDICATE OPTION THAT BEST SUITS YOU.DECLARATION: PAYMENT MODE.

1.BANK TO BANK TRANSFER.
2. CERTIFIED CHEQUE MADE OUT IN YOUR NAME COURIERED TO YOU VIA OUR AFFILIATE COURIER COMPANY AND WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOUR ADDRESS.

NOTE THAT YOU HAVE LIMITED TIME TO GET TO CLAIM YOUR WINNING AS ALL UNCLAIMED WINNING WILL BE REVERTED FOR NEXT MONTHS BONAZA ON THE 15TH OF JULY 2007.PLEASE IN ORDER TO SECURE YOUR WINNING KEEP THE WINNING BALLOT NUMBER SECRET.


Disclaimer note on content of this message including enclosure(s) and attachments(s): The contents of this e-mail are the privileged and confidential material of VSNL.. The information is solely intended for the individual/entity it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient of this message,please be aware that you are not authorized in any which way whatsoever to read, forward, print,retain, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. We apologize if you have received this e-mail in error and would request you to please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and delete it from your computer. The views expressed in this e-mail message are those of the individual sender,except where the sender expressly, and with authority, states them to be the views of VSNL. This e-mail message including attachment(s), if any, is believed to be free of any virus and VSNL is not responsible for any loss or damage arising in any way from its use. Information contained and transmitted by this email is confidential
and proprietary to microsoft.

Someone needs to make me stop volunteering to do things.

Really.

I don't think anyone would be fooled by this, especially with the URL at the end.

A new YouTube video is promoting a movie called "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep." I'm not sure this movie interests me, and I love that sort of stuff. I've also never heard Nessie called a water horse... but maybe I dosed off during a program.

Anyway watch the video - found via Cryptomundo and one clever commenter notes that "at the end of the breaching action, the tail of the well known organism that the pleisasaur was edited onto… [is] an Orca. If this were done better, we would never have seen the tail."

But what better way to promote a movie then by faking some new footage? If they'd really wanted to make people send this video to all their friends and go to the website - they shouldn't have gone so over the top.

While I laughed at this... and I admit I'm weird. I don't know if this is effective to the target audience. An article on Slate states this is the best anti-drug ad - EVER. The commenters, however, disagree.

I am coming to terms with the term "recycled door."

I'm also coming to terms with the wreck breaking things that probably will not be fixed but bug me because my car was extremely well taken care of.

There's also a new sound from the engine that I'm ignoring. Hopefully if I ignore it, it will go away.

But I'm not driving the Monte Carlo - and that makes me very happy.

I found this today. Apparently Google has a homepage much like Yahoo and MSN for their Gmail users. Well, I knew that - but I didn't know they added themes.

The sun moves throughout the day in accordance to where I live. (That's where the sun is at 2:00, I also get sunrises and sunsets). Trust me, that was the best one.

Having a week-long vacation in two weeks makes one useless.

In other news, I received a message on my home phone (which I never check) on Friday from Enterprise informing me that Rockingham Group had called them and told them that Friday would be the last day they would pay for the rental car. I needed to return the car by midnight.

Oh hell no.

Of course by the time I get home Rockingham Group is closed as is my State Farm agent's office and the body shop. I called Rockingham Mutual and got some generic claims office, again, and left a message. I then called Enterprise and they told me not to worry about it since my car wasn't done.

So, I called the body shop this morning, they forgot to check the alignment and so my car should be done this afternoon. I called State Farm and my agent assured me that they would extend the rental car since my car isn't ready until this afternoon, but if I had a problem to let her know.

I then called Rockingham Group, got the voice mail of the woman I want to talk to and haven't heard a thing back since. I think this is the worst insurance company I've ever had to deal with, and I don't like dealing with the State Farm claims people. These people are worse. I can't wait for this to be over with.

Update: I FINALLY talked to her and the rental has been extended. Now I'm able to breathe normally again.