Status Update: Phx

Did I mention I was in Phoenix? It seems like so long ago since I last wrote anything. I traveled in on Monday and got settled into my apartment, then jumped right into work. It was a bit confused, not really knowing any of the deals, but it's payroll - pretty much always the same. We went out to a great restaurant Monday night and I was going to get the steak tacos but everybody else was ordering them and I hate to duplicate. I ended up with some delicious scallops. I'll get the tacos next time.

The office is a pit - used to be some engine repair shop. By the time I got there it was workable, but they only got desks and chairs the Friday before! And it's usually cold but we have space heaters. Today we got floor lamps so we could turn out the overhead lights. I don't understand how people can spend day after day under those nasty things. I also swiped an ottoman from the costume office next door. They don't come in until tomorrow and they'll never miss it.

The apartments are fine - nothing special but livable. Although I do enjoy the gas fireplace... There's a canal nearby and my boss and I have been walking in the mornings. I know I'll have to find some sort of boot camp soon but it's better than nothing.

So far, everybody in accounting is getting along. Three of us worked on EA so that should be ok. The 4th seems pretty cool and she has the 2nd cutest dog in the world. I'll have to take a pic of her. Foxy was going to be the office dog, but M is allergic to her. We're going to restrict her to "Foxy Fridays". It's not that bad since she has a very shrill bark and tends to go after people who come into the office. Luckily she's all of 10 pounds.

It's getting late and I have to get up to walk. T will kill me if she gets up that early and I don't. But I want to, so it's ok.

Outta Here

We've moved and I'm about to leave for Phx. The house is a wreck, but it'll be nice once it's all unpacked and sorted out. More later...

Philly?

I picked this up from girlfiend and the beagle mom, but I don't know that it's all that accurate... I lived in Indiana for the first 9 years of my life then Tennessee until I was 25. Most people think I have a southern accent. I don't think it's all that noticeable unless I'm around other southern people - then my drawl really kicks in. Whatever.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Midland
The South
The Inland North

Holiday Cats!

And last but not least, here's my ill-fated attempt to make Christmas cards using pics of the cats in a Santa hat. Notice the death stare from Baxter...

Holiday Pics #2!

My sister and I made Christmas cookies and put them in a tin that I remember from forever. It was nice to continue that tradition. Of course, Sofie made herself right at home at Grandma and Grandpa's house...

Holiday Pics!

This is the magnificient tree topper my parents have used ever since I can remember. Like I mentioned before, the light patterns on the ceiling rotate when the bulb heats up.
Pretty, isn't it?

Book List #27

When I started The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing by Melissa Bank, I was really into it and thought it was going to be a good find. I was wrong. Maybe I'm the wrong generation for it, or maybe I just don't have the life experience's to appreciate it, but I was disappointed in everything after the teenage years. I just kept wondering what point it was trying to make... And when they threw in the bit from another woman's perspective, I was totally off. I couldn't figure out if they had jumped years again or what. I wouldn't recommend it.

Bug Bite

I had to take Sofie to the vet this morning - she's got what looks like a bug bite on her right front leg and she's been licking at it since yesterday. The doctor said it probably was just a bite, but it could also be some kind of non-cancerous skin tumor (Sofie's been vomiting and had diarrhea this morning). Anyway, she got a couple of shots and some pills for the itching and some antibiotics. We just have to keep an eye on her for a couple of weeks.

Walk-Thru (Or Not)

We had the walk thru today in our new townhouse and decided to take Sofie along. She seemed to really like the place and the husband took her out onto the patio, which made her pretty happy. We went upstairs and had a look around then headed back down. I was in the lead and Sofie was right by my side. When we got to the 1st floor, she took off, leaping her way thru the dining room until she bonked right into the closed sliding glass door. I was the only one who actually saw what happened although the husband and our agent both heard it. Poor thing. She probably thought she had a clear shot outside. She kind of staggered back to me and I picked her up, trying to console her even though I was laughing out loud. She wasn't hurt, just stunned. But I don't think she's ever do that again.

10%

I reached my 10% goal at WW tonight. Hoorah for me! No plans for saying what that number actually is, but it is almost half of what I want to lose. Never should have regained the weight, but I did and now it's time to lose it.

Bye Vespa!

A driver is coming by this morning to pick up my Vespa to take to Phx. Yeah! I'm glad it worked out - now I'll have a way to get around a bit, even if I can't really use it to get groceries or anything major. At least I won't be stuck at home...

I have to find out from T how the office and apartments are. She traveled yesterday (as far as I know) and I need to make sure the apartments are fully stocked before I finish my packing. I don't want to have to worry about towels and pots & pans and stuff. I just want to take clothes, shoes, and books. Keep it simple this time.

Sofie Hates Cows

We noticed on our way home, driving I-40 cross country, that Sofie is intensely interested in cows. Every time we passed a field, she'd stare at them as if she suspected them of being the real masterminds behind every evil in the world (cow conspiracy). Maybe she thought they were big dogs in a big dog park but it really seemed as if she didn't like them in the slightest. We never got the chance to let her see one up close, but that may be for the best.

Christmas Cards

The husband and I are moving. We sold the condo and bought a townhouse and are in the process of packing everything up. Needing boxes, we did what we always do - raid the dumpsters at the book stores. In so doing, I came upon a box of Christmas cards. The writing on the box indicated they were to be destroyed after receiving credit from the company. The box was taped shut and thrown in the dumpster - no evidence of the store employees having done anything other than that to ensure the "destruction." I scooped up the box and brought it home and found it contained a ton of those really expensive cards - from $5 to $7 each. I sorted thru them and kept everything that was for a generic recipient (which was about 70%). I didn't keep any Hanukah or God cards - didn't want to be a hypocrite.

Anyway, is this wrong? Did I steal these cards? Or am I just recycling? Don't misunderstand me, I'm absolutely planning on sending these things out next year. I'm just wondering if I should be concerned about any ethical/moral aspect.

Book List #26

I just finished Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. It was the husband's choice and I'm glad he gave it to me. Initially, I had trouble suspending my disbelief over the main character's allergy to branding (the use of trademarks and such) but I finally just accepted it. Mostly, I was worried that Gibson would take the predictable route and the ending would suck. There are a lot of scenarios that get set up and it's easy to assume he'd go with the trite conclusion. I haven't read enough by him but I should have guessed the husband wouldn't recommend it if he was that kind of writer. Basically, try to read it without trying to read into it and it'll take hold. I will admit I'm wondering if it would be possible to recreate the experience of the "footage" in the real world but with the prevalence of YouTube, it's probably already being done...

Vespa

I have to call the Transpo Coord and see if he can get my Vespa to AZ for me. I hope it works out, because I know I won't get a car to myself. Not like I'll be able to get a case of water home from TJ's but at least I'll be mobile.

The Rest Of The Trip (Condensed)

I got bored with recounting my trip home. Not much more happened anyway, except they shut down the interstate thru New Mexico again due to the 2nd blizzard. We found out when we hit Amarillo, Tx. Luckily we could go south thru NM and hit the 10 (again) this time going west. It wasn't so bad and we did get to go thru Roswell. It's a nice enough little town but we didn't stop for long. Actually, most of the little towns weren't so bad. Not that I'd want to live there, but at least it wasn't Texas. Blech.

I took pics of the tree topper and I'll post them when I get a chance. I've been packing and time pretty much slips away from me. Feels like there's a million things to do.

Job Hunt

I just turned down "Starship Dave" with Eddie Murphy. My friend Mo originally asked me to do this last April when it was going to be in Shreveport. Now it's with a different accountant and it's all going to be in LA except for 2 weeks in NY. I told him if my Phoenix show fell apart I'd let him know.

The Trip To Tn (Days 5 & 6)

Day 5 (Saturday 12/23):
We finally got a chance to sleep in. I don't think we got out of bed, except to walk the dog, until 10:30am. Heaven. Then we found out my brother K had been taken to the hospital - his "stomach virus" was a bit more serious than everybody else's. Not surprising, really. Ever since his motorcycle accident he's ended up in the hospital whenever he's gotten anything more than the sniffles. You know, I really can't remember what we did all day. I know we went to McKay's again, we went to Border's, and we went over to the house for dinner, but other than that there wasn't much going on. My brother T came in from Indiana but I didn't even see him until they all got back from church (no, I did not go to church).

Day 6 (Sunday 12/24):
The husband got sick overnight. He didn't leave the hotel room at all. Sofie and I went over to the house for the day so he could rest. My sister and I finally got the tree decorated - she had most of the house done, but hadn't gotten around to doing the tree (when we got home on Thursday, I went downstairs to see the tree and was disappointed, but I'm glad I got to be involved in the end). I decided Sofie needed another run and took her out to my parents' back yard. It's not fenced, but the neighbors have a fence and the yard backs up to woods. It's also on a cul-de-sac so I figured it was pretty contained. She really had a good time and didn't stray very far. If I ever felt she was going off on her own, I would just say "goodbye" and start walking away and she'd come running back. We stayed for dinner then went back to the hotel. The husband was still sick. It didn't take long for me to be sick, too. I'd had flashes on Saturday but when nothing really happened, I figured it was over. But I spent Christmas Eve in the hotel bathroom. It was not something I'd want to do again - it's bad enough to be sick but to have to hang out in some strange hotel bathroom - gross.

The Trip To TN (Days 3 & 4)

Day 3 (Thursday 12/21):
After once again getting up at 4am, we drove all day and finally made it home. It was raining and about 55 degrees (warmer than SoCal). We checked into the hotel and walked the dog, then made the first of several trips to the best used book store in the country, McKay's. We saved up all the books that didn't sell at the Shrine and took them home with us - 8 boxes worth. They are kind of finicky about how many you can bring in for trade at once, so we had to split it up into 4 trips. Anyway, when we finished there, I called my family to let them know we'd made it in and that we'd be over soon. When we got there, we found out that my brother K was sick, that my brother B was sick, and that my sister was sick. Apparently there was some stomach virus going around. Lovely. Anyway, we introduced Sofie to my mom, who isn't a dog person and Sofie could tell. She would just sit there and stare at her, which slowly advanced over the course of the evening to growling. Not aggresive growling, just that "I-know-you-don't-like-me-what's-wrong-with-you" kind of thing. It didn't help that my mom's got macular degeneration and her right eye was all bloody from a leak. Must have freaked Sofie out. We chatted with my family and then my dad and I went and picked up some dinner. We were exhausted and went back to the hotel soon after.

Day 4 (Friday 12/22):
We finally got to sleep in a bit - didn't get up until 7am! We had some errands to run and had an appointment at the bank to finish up some stuff with the MIL's estate. On the drive over, I called my mom's office and found out she didn't go in to work. Yes, she had gotten sick, too. Anyway... while waiting at the bank, we got to talking about dogs and the woman we were meeting with said we could bring Sofie in with us (she was out in the car and wasn't happy about it at all, but we figured it was better than leaving her in the hotel). That was all it took for me to go out and get her and man, was she happy. She was actually pretty well-behaved, too. That took about an hour and then we had to stop by our own bank, then McKay's, then we went over to the house. My sister was feeling better and we talked with her for a bit. She told us about a dog park nearby and we decided to take Sofie there - she really needed to run. It was a nice looking place, but it was only off-leash for certain hours in the evenings and that wasn't going to work for us. I'm not sure why anyone would need a dog park that wasn't off-leash all the time. Isn't that just a walk? Anyway, the husband had found another dog park online and we drove over to it. It wasn't as nice as the commercial place, but it was off-leash. It was set in the woods in a bigger city park and there wasn't any grass. Thankfully, someone had put straw down otherwise it would have been a mud pit. there were some other dogs there, mostly bigger, but Sofie got her run on and that's all that matters. I don't remember too much else from that day - it wasn't that exciting. Maybe the husband will remind me of something I've forgotten.

The Trip To TN (Days 1 & 2)

Day 1 (Tuesday 12/19):
It all started so well. We got up at 4am and were in the car before 6am. The traffic was easy, the weather was nice, and we had Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. We decided not to stop in Lake Havasu - figured we'd save it for the drive back. When we got to Albuquerque, it was snowy but the roads were clear. We decided to go to the eastern side of the city before stopping. When we got to Tramway, a cop car was running a rolling roadblock and traffic was being narrowed to one lane. We decided we'd gone far enough and pulled off instead of sitting in traffic. When we got checked into our room, we found out the interstate had been SHUT DOWN from Tramway to Texas (the State of Texas, not some interstate exit...) - that's about 200 miles of major US interstate shut down. We went to bed with the idea the roads would be cleared in the morning.

Day 2 (Wednesday 12/20):
We got up at 4am again and turned on the tv - I-40 was shut down both east and west out of Abq and I-25 was shut down going north to Santa Fe. That left us with I-25 south. We decided to drive south to El Paso, Tx and head home from there. At least it wouldn't be snowy that far south. We got going and found the roads to be slushy, but not bad if you were cautious. After getting gas, we made our way to I-40 and headed back to the interchange so we could get on I-25. About 3 miles in, the cops had a roadblock going. Everybody had to get off the interstate. We listened to the radio to find out they had shut down the I-40/I-25 interchange because of ice (it's all bridges and overpasses). Damn. Luckily, we rememberd the basic layout of Abq from having visited while in SF with Used Guys. We took surface streets over to the west side of town, planning to get on the 25 from there. No luck, the cops had the access ramps blocked. Stopping at a gas station for a map, I told the ladies behind the counter I was hoping to find a route down through town that would get me past the blocks. They suggested I just take the access road and directed me to it. Sweet. We got on the access road and took it all the way to the end before we were able to get on I-25 south. I was starting to worry we wouldn't be able to, but it worked out. We were on our way to El Paso. We found out later they had shut down the access roads to keep people off the interstate. Thank dog we left when we did. 1100 miles later, we stopped for the night in Hope, Arkansas (home of Bill Clinton). It was a long damn day.

We're Not Dead

I know I've been remiss, but I swear I'll catch up soon. We made it to TN and back just fine. More later...