2nd Star to the Right :: Neverland. I think I want to live there.

You are longing for some love and affection at this time - not that you have been deprived of tender loving care - but there are times when everyone needs to try something new or to go 'somewhere' else to perhaps experience that little extra 'understanding'.

You are a leader in every sense of the word. You know where you are going and you know what you need to do in order to get there. You exercise an inherent initiative in overcoming obstacles and difficulties. You either hold, or wish to achieve, a position of authority by means of which full control can be exerted over events.

You need a friend - a close friend - and you are willing to become emotionally involved with the right person, but you are very demanding and particular in your choice of partners. You are constantly looking for reassurance and it is perhaps because of this that you tend to be somewhat argumentative, but you try to hold back - careful to avoid open conflict - since this might reduce your prospects of realising your hopes of establishing a warm caring relationship.

Presently, you are experiencing stress because of restriction on your independence. You need and seek respect from other people and it is essential that they appreciate you for yourself and not for what they would like you to be. You have your own beliefs and convictions and you would like to be respected for them. You are anxious to avail yourself of every opportunity that may come your way but nevertheless, come what may, you have the need to control your own destiny without imposed limitations or restrictions.

You don't like conflict and you endeavour to avoid criticism. You want to do your own thing and to be able to decide what is right for you. You have considerable personable charm - and this is used with considerable effect on those that keep your company.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It describes me fairly well, but I'm not sure I wanna know all this.

Get your own Colorgenics profile.

12:33 PM | allison | # |

Ok. Back to work now. For a little while anyway. It's lunchtime soon.

11:34 AM | allison | # |

OOOOooooooooooh. This is super-cool. I don't remember how I got there, but just run your mouse over the site and watch the music notes.

Hooray for random web-surfing during the middle of the work day!

11:29 AM | allison | # |

Where do you do your best thinking? My mom told me once that she does her best thinking while running the vacuum. My dad says his best think time is during his run. Mine is in the shower. Is that strange?

This morning, while covered head to toe with suds and bubbles, I thought about a horrible thing I did in the second grade. And what got me thinking about the second grade was the Today Show. They were talking about the Challenger disaster because Christa McAuliffe's back-up, whose name I can't remember, was officially slated to fly on a mission in 2004. That was in in 1986 - I was only 7 years old at the time, just about to turn 8. Which would put me in second grade, which was undoubtedly the worst year of school in my elementary education.

I had a teacher who I thought was unbearable and unattractive. None of my friends were in my class - they all got Mrs. Anderson again, who had been our first grade teacher and then moved up a grade to teach the same year we did. But what I remember the most about that year is this: I did a horrible thing to a fellow student and not only did I never admit it, I never apologized either. I can't even remember what it was that got me so angry at this person, but in all my second grade wisdom, I did the only thing I could. I wrote a note in red ink on yellow construction paper and put it in his cubby in our classroom. The note said, "I hate you."

When he found the note, he told the teacher and she made us sit until the person who wrote the note came forward. I sat in my desk and said nothing. Nothing. And I slid the pen I wrote the note with up my sleeve and threw it away on the playground after lunch that day. I felt horrible. I still feel bad about what I did, but is it too late to apologize?

My brother, it turns out, became fairly good friends with the younger sibling of the person I wrote that awful note to way back in second grade. The last time I asked about this person, he was doing well and was happy. So, obviously the note isn't a huge part of that person's memory, but it's still a part of mine.

I'm sorry I wrote that note. I wish I could remember what it was that made me so angry and I apologize if I hurt your feelings or caused you to think less of yourself. I know this happened more than 15 years ago, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

8:54 AM | allison | # |

Ok, so while my A/C was out and it was too hot to do anything else, I decided to clean out my desk drawers cause I could just sit on the floor in front of the fan to do it. I found some really old forwards from college - some funny, some not so funny. But I'm thinking that they were probably funny to me then, otherwise why would I have printed them out, you know? But they're not funny now.

Anyway...I did find one thing particularly interesting. It wasn't an email forward, but just written on a pad of paper in my handwriting. I'm relatively certain that this comes from The People vs. Larry Flynt, but I'm not totally certain. But I thought it interesting enough to share here. Let me know what y'all think.

I have a thought for you. Murder is illegal. But you take a picture of someone comitting the act of murder and they'll put your picture on the cover of Newsweek. You might even win a Pulitzer Prize. And yet, sex is legal. Everyone is doing it or wants to be doing it. Yet, you take a picture of two people in the act of sex, or even just a picture of a woman's naked body, and they'll put you in jail.

Now I have a message for all of you good, moral Christian people who are complaining that breasts and vaginas are obscene. Hey, don't complain to me. Complain to the manufacturer, Ok? And although Jesus told us not to judge, I know you're going to judge anyway.

So, judge sanely, judge with your eyes open. What do you consider obscene? Is this obscene to you? Or perhaps that's obscene to you. Maybe this is obscene to you. But, what is more obscene? This, or this? This, or this? You know politicians and demigods like to say that sexually explicit material corrupts the youth of our country and yet they lie and cheat and start unholy wars. Look at 'em. They call themselves men; they're sheep in a herd.

I think the real obscenity comes from raising our youth to believe that sex is bad and yet it is heroic to go and spill guts and blood in the most ghastly manner in the name of humanity. With all the taboos attached to sex, it's no wonder we have the problems we have; it's no wonder we're angry and violent and genocidal. But ask yourself this question: which is more obscene, sex or war?

7:14 PM | allison | # |

Thankyouthankyouthankyou A/C repairman who came out to my apartment on a hot Saturday afternoon to fix my unit. The A/C gods will take care of you in your next life.

Aahhhhhhhh.....air conditioning is a wonderful thing.

6:57 PM | allison | # |

Ohmygodit'sfreakinghottoday.

And guess what? My A/C has decided,"eh, I don't feel like working today." Please, please, please let there be an A/C God who is going to send someone right away to fix my unit. I don't know how much more this I can take.

Tell me again why I moved to Texas?

3:21 PM | allison | # |

Ok. I'm a nerd, I admit it. I'm watching E! True Hollywood Story and it's all about the Dukes of Hazzard. I can't stop watching. I know there are more worthing programs on right now, but I can't bring myself to change it. And OMG this guy has his own General Lee. I wish I could be cool like that.

I was only a year old when this show first aired in 1979, but I remember watching it when I got older. When I was twelve I was convinced I was gonna marry Luke Duke. Yum.

But oh my, John Schnieder looks damn good now. Double Yum. I'm almost tempted to join the fan club. Almost.

8:44 PM | allison | # |

Time for the Friday Five. I've seen other bloggers do this and decided it was about time I joined the crowd.

Friday Five

1. What are your hobbies? I watch an incredible amount of television (see yesterday's blog) and read as much as possible. And I like to paint my toenails. Current toenail color: Glitterazti a.k.a. pink with sparkles.

2. Do you collect anything? If so, what? Ugh. I hate to admit it, but I collect Elvis stuff. I've got tons of it: pictures, dolls, postcards, clocks, keychains, books - I even have an Elvis pendent that I'm wearing at the moment. Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that.

3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do? I always wanted to take a martial arts class, but I don't have the time or the money to spend. And I'm enough of a klutz I'd probably end up hurting myself. Sigh.

4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity? Yes, and quite recently. I just provided the sweets for a neighbor's daughter's birthday party not too long ago. She could smell my pies from her place and came over one day and asked me if I would bake for the party. How fun is that?!

5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to? None, yet. I moved down here just over a year ago and I'm thinkin' I should start getting involved in stuff. Maybe a local theater group and a volunteer organization. I'll have to check out my options.

Have a good weekend, y'all. I think I'm gonna go back to bed now.

5:27 PM | allison | # |

Ok. So I just re-read everything I just said about Kingwood Cable and it totally makes me sound like a whiny bitch.

I don't care. Kingwood Cable sucks ass.

2:46 PM | allison | # |

Can I please just tell everyone right now how much I hate Kingwood Cable right now. This is the company that handles all the cable needs for the apartment complex I live in. I've had problems with my cable almost since I moved into my current apartment, which was almost a year and a half ago. When I moved in, I decided to splurge and get digital cable, thinking that not only would have a greater array of channel options, but the reception would be much better as well. WRONG!

Within weeks of moving in, I began to have reception problems with the lower channels. Normally, that wouldn't bother me because most of my television viewing is on cable channels like A&E or Comedy Central or HGTV. But the one low channel that is super-important to me, the one I watch the most is Channel 4 - NBC. The majority of my basic channel viewing time is spent on this station: Frasier, The West Wing, Law & Order (and all it's spin-offs), Friends, Crossing Jordan , ER, Will & Grace, Leap of Faith...obviously an enormous amount of my free-time is spent watching television and NBC shows in particular.

I'm not ashamed. I watch an incredible amount of television for one person. But I'm single and I have the time, so why not spend it doing what I love?

But back to my point. Kingwood Cable totally sucks. They've been out to my house (nearly) three times already this year. The first time was in February - I was having reception problems again and had scheduled them to come out and take a look. Because I work, however, when I schedule an appointment, I always ask them to call me at work so I can run home and let the cable guy in (luckily, I only live about 10 min. from home). I know they have my work number. It was on my forms as the first number to call if they ever needed to reach me. So, I waited. And waited. And waited some more. No call ever came. But when I got home that night there was a message on my machine from the cable guy, saying he was on my doorstep and would wait about 15 minutes before he went on to his next appointment. I hate Kingwood Cable. Have I mentioned that?

So I lived with the terrible reception and missed about a month's worth of my favorite shows before I attempted to call again. It is now March. This time, the cable guy and I did hook up and he came out and replaced the coaxial cable cord that runs from the wall into my digital cable box. Presto! Instant reception! Hooray! I gave the cable guy a cookie.

But then...at the beginning of this month (we're now into April), my lower cable channels began to have so-so reception. Sometimes they were fine. Other times they were not. The problem I noticed the most is that when I can see the picture, I cannot hear anything; but when I can hear it, I cannot see the picture. Dilemma. So last week, I called the cable company again and scheduled an appointment. The cable guy called me at work and I headed home to let him in. When I got there, he told me that he had checked and tested all the cable leads to my apartment and they seemed fine. He also said that he had checked the amplifier for the complext out and that there was some sort of problem with it, and that the broken amplifier is what has been causing all my problems. There was nothing wrong with any of the cables in my apartment or leading to my apartment. It was the amplifier.

This is a conversation we had (approximately anyway - there was a lot of swearing going on in my head):

Me: So, the amplifier has been the problem all along?
Cable guy: Yeah, probably.
Me: So, why didn't anyone ever check that before? I seem to call you guys at least once a month.
Cable guy: Uh, I dunno.
Me: Are there other people in the complex who call you guys with the same problem I have?
Cable guy: Oh yeah. I'm out here all the time.
Me: And that's not an indication to you or your company of a larger problem?
Cable guy: What larger problem?
Me: The amplifier.
Cable guy: Yeah, maybe.

It was at this point that he told me he couldn't fix the amplifier but that he'd write up and order to make sure that someone else more quailified would have to come out to do it. This cable guy did not get a cookie.

So, after all that, it's been a week and two days since the cable guy said someone would come out and fix the complex's amplifier. I just got off the phone with the Kingwood Cable and the CS rep I spoke to said that there were no such order on file and would I like to schedule an appointment for someone to come out and take a look at things for me tomorrow.

The cable guy should be there sometime between the hours of 10:00 and 12:00.

2:40 PM | allison | # |

I guess he didn't expect this when he went fishing that afternoon.

This is my favorite part of the story: "You don't expect to get a human body. We've talked about it - you know, what if - but you don't really expect it."

Of course you don't expect. Fool.

2:16 PM | allison | # |

Hooray! My Entertainment Weekly Summer Movie Preview arrived yesterday afternoon, and I've spent a good part of my morning checking out all the new summer flicks.

Not so important when the Isralies and Palastinians can't keep it together and we keep bombing the crap of out Afghanistan, but it's a guilty pleasure.

I can't help myself.

2:13 PM | allison | # |

Good morning one and all! Have I said that before? I can't remember, and I'm too lazy to scroll down and check. It's another slow day at work. I've been reading blogs all morning and my cubie called in and said she's not feeling well. Eh.

I'm finally beginning to be happy with the layout of my blog. It's been so long since I had to use any HTML that I've forgotten or am blocking most of what I learned. I've had to re-teach myself bits and pieces and will attempt pictures and such later this week. My supervisor (along with all the other directors in our department) is away in Puerto Rico still, so our group is taking it easy this week. Our group is taking Friday as a comp day (woohoo!) and I'm thinkin' I'm gonna go to the zoo.

We used to take field trips when I was in grade school to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. It was an hour and half bus trip one-way, and our brown-bag lunches always got smushed and I inevitably had peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches that ended up being peanut-butter and jelly mush. Ah, the good ol' days.

10:11 AM | allison | # |

For some, the word grits is an all too descriptive name for a dish whose main feature might be unfavorably remembered as coarsely ground pieces of dried corn moistened into a mealy paste.

Hmmm....you think?

3:09 PM | allison | # |

Woohoo and good morning to everyone! I've finally made it through the mass of emails that collected in my inbox while I was at the Convention last week. I never realized how much folks depend on email as a form of communication until now. I mean, I remember a time when email wasn't an option. Do you remember that? Maybe I'm dating myself by saying that, but I don't really care. I already feel old anyway.

My brother called last night and we talked forever. I miss him like crazy and am so proud of him. I remember the day he came home from the hospital and Mom and Dad made a huge deal about me being the first one to hold him and really made me a big part of taking care of him. Maybe that's why we're so connected. He's always been the one who could make me laugh when no one else could and he's one of the few people I have trouble staying angry with. Although I am getting better at that :)

But back to the reason I feel old. Carl told me one of his girlfriend's roommates is Meg Dougherty. Evidently, we went to the same high school. I was a senior when she was a freshman, and don't really remember her at all. And now, she's a junior in college. And that's what made me feel old. Blah. Next month, it will have been six years since I graduated high school and two years since I got my degree at Mizzou. Blah again.

More later. I think.

10:08 AM | allison | # |

I just posted this on my group blogger too, but I thought it warranted being posted here as well.

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day,
so I never have to live without you.
-- Winnie the Pooh

Highly cheesy, I know, but I had two emails this morning - one from Lynn and one from Caryn and it just made me think about how far apart we really are. I'm way down here in Texas, Caryn is in Arkansas, Lynn in Colorado (but soon to be Thailand!) and Mel and Leanna are both in Missouri, but not the same city. Kinda makes me a little nostalgic I guess. Sniff.

I should be working or something, but all our directors in the entire department are gone for the entire week. They're all basking in the sun in Puerto Rico while we pretend to work. Mark and I are considering amassing a paper airplane fleet to throw at folks later this afternoon.

It's going to be a very productive day. I can tell already.

10:38 AM | allison | # |

One more thought. Carl just started a blog too. He's my brother. Super-cool guy.

Goes to school at North Central and is a music major at the moment. That will probably change, but I hope he never stops with the music thing.

He's amazing. Absolutely amazing.
I, on the other hand, was musically declined at birth.

2:52 PM | allison | # |

Good Sunday afternoon. Or something like that. It's after 2 already. I was going to try to get up early this morning so I'd get to bed at reasonable hour tonight, but I ended staying up until after 3 AM this morning chatting online to a friend I hadn't heard from in ages. He's doing ok - he's married, but unhappy, which is never good, but I think in his case, they'd both be much happier if they weren't married anymore.

Kinda like Caryn and me in a way - we're great friends, but terrible roommates. We fought constantly when we lived together, and it could have turned out horribly, but we both realized that if we wanted to remain friends, we just couldn't do the roommate thing anymore. Speaking of Caryn...she just IM'd me and told me she got to interview Mary Steenburgen for a story she's doing for the AP. Kinda cool, huh? Woohoo, Caryn!

I guess I should go to do laundry or something. I don't really feel like getting dressed today, so maybe I'll just go hang out on the patio while the laundry runs. Or maybe there's something good on television. Oh wait, what am I thinking? good tv on Sunday afternoon? Craziness. There isn't anything good on until tonight. Law & Order: CI and Six Feet Under. Ahhh...now that's good television.

2:03 PM | allison | # |

Ugh. I've spent the past three and a half days at my company's annual Sales & Marketing Convention. Tons of info, lots of people and I'm exhausted. And I hate working on Saturdays. It totally blows the rest of the weekend.

I got to meet all the reps and folks I talk to on the phone all time, but had never actually met. And today, just as I was leaving, I got a hug from Delma who works in our New Jersey office, just to thank me for the time I spent helping her out earlier this year. That totally made getting up at 6 AM on a Saturday not as bad as it could have been. So, thanks Delma.

I'm tempted to nap, but if I nap, I won't sleep tonight and then I'll nap tomorrow and won't sleep Sunday night and my whole week will be thrown off. Ugh. Again.

This has unintentionally turned into a bitch-session, but it feels good to get it out of my system. And I doubt anyone reads my blog anyway.

6:01 PM | allison | # |

It's 11 AM and I've already finished my to-do list for work today. Ugh.

I'm way too efficient for my own good.

And now I feel bad about getting made at my cubie the other day too. My bad.

10:48 AM | allison | # |

I'm sitting here in my gigantacube which I share with a co-worker, and she's driving me buggy at the moment. She's pounding on her keyboard and complaining about the fact that she can't get something in a word document to format. Geez. Who the hell cares? It's a freakin' word document, not something that's gonna make or break her entire career.

Ok.

I feel better now.

2:11 PM | allison | # |

Ok. So this is my first blog.

Woohoo.

12:38 PM | allison | # |