DH and I kid each other about music tastes -- he managed music retail stores for over 10 years and his tastes run the gamut, while I'm more in a rut. I grew up listening to one of the biggest "college rock" stations in the country, KROQ in LA, so my CDs are a ton of Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Cure, old U2 and REM. He likes those too (how irresistible is a man with a Kate Bush CD? ) but makes fun of me for listening to nothing past 1987. But I do! The most recent CDs I burned off iTunes to play in the car are Killers and White Stripes, but he says they don't count because they "sound retro."
I listen to some things he's brought home -- I like the Chemical Brothers, Twilight Singers (Greg Dulli from Afghan Whigs' new band), Beck and Fatboy Slim. But Radiohead? Flaming Lips? (I just typed Flying Lips, that's how out-of-touch I am ) They're arty and I don't get them.
We've been together so long that it's just a part of our relationship; he's more diverse in music than I am and if he talks about something enough I'll try to listen to it. But I'm stubborn and like my old skool stuff. Now where's my Adam Ant?
DH and I usually spend Sunday running around doing errands -- today we went to Michaels for a few little things (black silk cord for pendants, sewing needles & thread) and Cost Plus (outside lights and Cafe du Monde coffee), but if we see signs for estate sales we'll pull over to check it out.
Estate sales are like weird garage sales -- garage sales are when people bring stuff out of the house to sell, and it's strange to be walking through someone's house where everything there has a price tag. We went to one several months ago where it was obvious the guy died and if he had relatives they weren't interested in much of his stuff. The house was great though, I wish we could have bought it. We got a way cool telephone table that just needed a new seat cover for $24, plus some souvenir state plates and an electric clock for $1 each.
The one today, from what it sounded like, was an elderly couple who were probably moving to an assisted living place and didn't have room for a whole house full of stuff. They had some really nice things -- lots of crystal and silver, and it seemed weird that no other family members wanted it. Maybe they didn't have any close relatives and once they took what they wanted, didn't want to hassle with the other stuff? Who knows.
I got some 45's of Harry James and Woody Herman in cute little box sets -- the Woody Herman one is called "Dance Date on Mars." Far out, man! But my favorite is a "Host & Hostess Book" from 1940 -- recipes and menus for occasions such as "Week-End Entertaining" and "Give a Barn Dance" and a whole chapter on crazy games to play.
My favorite recipe so far is one "For the Calorie Counters": Hot Clam Boullion with Pimiento Whipped Cream. All together now: ewwww.
I'm completely overwhelmed by the latest update, with the Lupercalia and Carnaval Diabolique additions. So many great scents! I don't want to go through the whole list of every new scent, but the ones I'm interested in are:
Svadhinaopatika -- the amber blends are OK on me, not great; they don't seem to last very long, but I love the honey blends and would like to try this
Vasakasajja -- I've been really liking the champaca blends lately, so nice and incensey/floral
Chintamani-Dhupa -- another incense blend that sounds exotic and romantic and great
Khajuraho -- I sniffed last year's at a Meet-n-Sniff and while I thought I would love it, it was a bit underwhelming. All the ingredients sound nice though, so I should try a bottle
Parliament of Monsters -- another incense blend. More please!
Australian Copperhead -- what a great idea to do so many variations of Snake Oil. I want to try the blends that focus on my favorite BPAL notes, like vanilla or honey or musk, so this one with amber and vanilla sounds nice
Death Adder -- same as above, with black coconut and vanilla
Temple Viper -- same as above, with sugar cane, frankincense and champaca
Western Diamondback -- if this had the leather from Dead Man's Hand or Quincey Morris, I will die!
Wild Men -- maybe red amber would be stronger than regular amber? The additional ingredients sound nice
In conclusion: I ordered Haloa (before the Yules disappear), Haunted (a GC that I've been wanting forever) and Australian Copperhead
--I placed an order today; I got bottles of Litha and Obatala. I ordered only 2 because of the extra April Fool's bottle I ordered -- it's complicated. Basically I limit myself to 3 bottles or about $50/month, and if I go over in one month I try to make it up the next month. Oh, never mind, it's stupid
--Happy Mother's Day to pet moms too! The blog of valentina, she posted her puppy pics and I know DH has our cat pics posted somewhere but I'm an intarweb doofus and don't know how to access them. We have 2 cats, Cookie and Shadow, who are very sweet and very shy. We've had them over 11 years, since they were 8 weeks old.
--One funny Mother's Day story: we were living in Cincinnati and were in some shopping area north of the city on one Mother's Day, maybe 1997. Of course every restaurant was packed and we espied a Kenny Rogers Roasters. We had never eaten there, but had always made jokes, like "Is the piped-in music all Kenny?" and "Do all the workers have to wear fake white beards?" Yes, we crack ourselves up. Anyway, we ended up eating our words as everything was seriously good -- the chicken, the sides, it was like the Seinfeld episode where everyone was addicted like crack. We were moaning at the table, it was some good eatin'.
Another big one:
Aries -- this actually sounds like a nice combination, but I’m concerned about the black pepper and dragon’s blood overpowering everything else. I’ll read the reviews instead.
Ides of March 2007 -- I don’t really want cologney scents, and the reviews for the previous version made it sound too masculine for me. But this was a favorite for many and I’m glad old favorites pop back up.
Ostara -- another blend of a bunch of cool-sounding ingredients, but there’s a lot of florals and I think I’ll order Fire Pig instead for my “spring fling” with fruit instead of flowers.
Pink Moon -- this was a huge debate for me before the update, as I have a sniffie of the last Pink Moon and was really waffling on ordering a bottle if the formula was the same. The previous version reminded me of Love’s Baby Soft with extra flowers. However this version is different and carnation, while sugared, goes way too spicy-strong on me most of the time. Too bad.
Roux-Ga-Roux -- pretty cool concept (a Mardi Gras curse!) but too many plants.
And more cool General Catalog blends:
Calico Jack -- while I would love to order this for the name/image alone, I’m sure all I’ll get is detergent. I’ll read reviews to see if it’s more complex.
Poisoned Apple -- this reminds me of the Snow White ride at Disneyland, it was considered a scarier “dark ride” that everyone rides through in those pod-type cars on a track. At one point you turned a corner and there was a mannequin of the Wicked Queen dressed as the Old Woman and she’s holding out the poisoned apple. Soon we realized if you reached out far enough you could quickly grab the apple! Yoink! So many of my high-school friends had little souvenir plastic apples. Sorry, Disneyland workers, who had to replace the apples! ANYWAY. The red apple with the hemlock sounds good, as I really liked Hemlock by itself.
Bien Loin d’Ici -- red musk, honey, Moroccan spices, everything sounds good, can’t wait to read reviews.
Croquet -- nice fizzy citrus, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pink lime
The Dodo -- This one might be nice too, we’ll see *eyes cassia suspiciously*
Knave of Hearts -- Roses? ‘Nuff said
Queen Alice -- err, what’s sandy cider and wooly wine? I won’t get this because of the carnation anyway.
51 -- cool, an alien scent! I definitely want to read reviews of this one ( X-Files theme)
Squirting Cucumber -- wonder if this is similar to the previous Blue Moon? That was very fresh cucumber-like on me.
Voodoo Lily -- cool name, but I don’t like straight-up floral much except for rose.
Brown Jenkins -- this sounds pretty nice, another lighter incense-type.
The Deep Ones -- another detergent one, probably. But what does crushed coral smell like?
In conclusion: I ordered bottles of Fire Pig, Boomslang and Western Diamondback
I'm getting all screwed up with these three-day Lunacy updates -- I convinced myself it would be live on Monday, and yet when I stumble to the computer on Sunday morning there it is! Not that I'm complaining, heh.
Wolf Moon -- I had a bottle of the previous Wolf Moon (the first Lunacy I ever ordered), and while it was nice it ended up a little too men's-cologney on me and I swapped it away. The previous one didn't list any notes, so it may be a completely different blend, but with the pine and juniper it becomes a no-no
Lycaon -- this sounds really interesting, a lot like Schwarzer Mond, but I'm a bit concerned about the "blackened" myrrh -- I don't want something to smell burnt on me.
All the new Salon scents sound great, just like in Act I. These seem to have a lot of thought put into them. I would like to order imp sets of both eventually, but I'll wait until the job situation sorts out.
And the Resurrected scents are still here! I told myself if I was re-employed I would splurge on a bottle of Glasya, but alas, nothing's happened so I thought I would miss it. Now I can order! Plus Glitter! I'll take this as a sign that I should order these while they're here.
In conclusion: I'm ordering Carnaval Diabolique, Glasya and Glitter. Yay!
A big one with Salon III:
Rose Moon -- Bulgarian rose, tea rose, violet leaf, opium poppy, Bois de Jasmin, patchouli leaf, honey, blue lilac, balsam, woodruff, and lemon peel. -- I knew I would most likely want Rose Moon, as I love the BPAL rose blends. This does sound nice, I’m just hoping the Bois de Jasmine does not mean JAZZZMIN!! that will amp and overpower. I’m pleased to see blue lilac too, that’s one of the few single notes I have tried and it’s really lovely.
Blue Moon -- Mugwort and bay, for psychic sensitivity…Juniper, for divination through dreams…Orchid and galbanum, for complexity, wisdom and noscere…with a potent lunar-charged blend of exquisite Asian woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, davana, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, melilot trefoils, wood aloes, and pale creeping buttercup. -- I knew I would most likely want Blue Moon too. I have a sniffie of the previous Blue Moon and while the initial ingredients are the same the “base” differs slightly. I still see cucumber and wrote down that it smelled like a “perfumed cucumber, clean and refreshing.” It looks like this will go away, then be here for the next Lunacy update too.
Tamamo-no-Mae -- soft skin musk, brushed by white tea leaf, rice flower, black locust flower, white sandalwood kodo smoke, dry ginger, benzoin gum, and Amacha. This one sounds nice too, hopefully light and pleasant for the summer.
Gemini -- Lavender, benzoin, orchid, and frankincense. Unfortunately lavender goes very antiseptic-herbal on me a lot of the time. No thanks.
And a quick run-through of Salon III:
Bat -- Dusty amber, grey musk, red orchid, moonflower, night-blooming phlox, stock, honeysuckle, English ivy, toadflax, and purple salvia. Amber usually means “smells nice but disappears,” and dusty amber seems even more vague.
Cleopatra -- Accords of peach kernel, hemlock, aconite, and belladonna, with bitter almond, saffron, honey, myrrh, hyssop, frankincense, and palm. I like the BPAL Hemlock, but really disliked the BPAL Belladonna, plus almond is not a favorite and peach = plastic.
Death and Life Completed -- Grey amber, carnation, lemon balm, hydrangea, Chinese peony, white sandalwood, cypress, juniper, cedar, hibiscus, and African daisy. Carnation, nooooo! Too spicy on me.
Fox Fires -- Weeping cherry, watery bamboo pulp, nettle tree bark, green tea incense, soft musk, rice wine, and Japanese tree lilac. Another Asian-themed that sounds nice.
Kiyohime -- Salty ocean spray, red kelp, black plum, lychee, sea moss, green musk, hachiya, plum blossom, and matcha. Salty ocean spray = box o’ laundry detergent.
Love and Pain -- Lavender, Balkan tobacco, black musk, dark vanilla, and golden copaifera. Everything sounds good except for that darned lavender.
Macbeth -- Lightning-charged ozone, steel, myrrh, mugwort, colophony, ajowan, and leather. Lightning-charged ozone = “mountain spring” scented box o’ dryer sheets.
Mad Meg -- Fire-scorched earth, black mandarin, cinnamon bark, bitter almond, sage, vetiver, and balsam of peru. Cinnamon bark AND bitter almond? Ugh.
Madonna -- Hyssop, pomegranate, Angel’s Trumpet, Indonesian patchouli, iris, white orchid, and frankincense. This sounds interesting, I love dark fruit blends.
Monna Vanna -- Russian rose, mimosa, gardenia, bois du rose, parma violet, calla lily, red currant, ambergris, and bourbon vanilla. Roses are usually good, plus a dark fruit bonus.
Philosopher in Meditation -- Smoldering woodfire embers, Galen’s Kyphi, and Abramelin incense. I love incense blends, but I’m afraid the woodfire embers will be eye-wateringly strong.
Schlafende Baigneuse -- Skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord. This sounds beautiful, except I’m nervous about the white cream curdling on me.
Smiling Spider -- Bitter clove, black musk, mahogany wood, and patchouli. I like the sweet clove of Madrid, but this sounds too dark and masculine.
Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree -- Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear. Yay for honey and blue lilac! Sounds very pretty.
Sunflower -- Sunflower bouquet, black amber, creeping black moss, wilted greenery, and scorched, dry stems. Sunflower sounds unique and this blend sounds interesting.
Sunrise with Sea-Monsters -- Ocean mist, kelp, ambergris, amber, white pear, osmanthus, freesia, and seafoam accord. Is it laundry day again?
In conclusion: since I ordered Lady Luck Blues on the 13th, and since Blue Moon will be around for the next Lunacy, I’m ordering Rose Moon and Tamamo-no-Mae!
I caved today and ordered bottles of Chokmah and Nahemoth, unsniffed and completely swayed by reviews and recommendations of other forumites. Especially filigree_shadow, darn her encouragement! With the collective references to Snake Charmer, Hellion, Snake Oil, Smut and Bordello, I had to give these a whirl.
My only worry is that the update on Friday will be glorious with lots of LEs I will want to purchase. We'll see!
I don't consider myself a good cook, but I like it when we're home at night and we can have a simple dinner. I like to try a recipe if it pops up and sounds interesting, the easier the better. Food Network is a total staple of mine. DH is a steak-and-veggies type of guy, so there's never anything too complicated.
We were at Red Lobster the other night, home of the awesomest Cheddar Biscuits. We scarfed a couple down but they seemed a little off. I said, "These taste kinda salty" and DH agreed. Then he floored me by saying, "Yours are much better." I stopped and turned to him, agog: "What a nice thing to say!"
Mine have a twist -- instead of using milk or buttermilk I use beer, so they become Beer-Cheddar Biscuits. I can't use something cheap, like Miller Lite; I like using something hoppy like Bridgeport or Trademark Pale Ale. I made a batch tonight while watching the end of Ghost Whisperer, which is slowly becoming a favorite TV show, but I'm a huge fan of bangs and false eyelashes.
We recently spent some money fixing a couple of broken components -- we debated about whether it was worth it, and decided the repairs were cheap enough compared to buying something new. We have to laugh, though, at how we ended up with the latest in 1990s technology, among other decades:
--one repair was the minidisc recorder. Minidiscs were a Sony-only product when CD recorders were still prohibitively expensive. Sony did release albums on minidisc (Simon & Garfunkel, etc.) but these weren't in the US very long, they were more popular in Japan, and it was only Sony/Columbia artists. The best part was recording whatever onto blank minidiscs, like concerts off TV
--the other repair was our combo CD/DVD/Laserdisc player. Laserdiscs started in the early 1980s, the precursor to DVDs except record-size instead of CD-size. We have about 100 laserdiscs and it's nice to have one player hooked up to our big TV that plays laserdiscs and DVDs
--of course we have a couple of record players, with a couple of boxes of records. We have a Victrola from probably the 1940s, it's a record player in a nice wooden case with an AM radio with tubes. It needs a needle though, and I have no idea where to get one
--we have a couple big boxes of cassettes, boxes of videotapes, a wall of CDs (600? I haven't counted recently), the DVDs are overtaking another set of shelves, and don't get me started on the books
What are we supposed to do with all this stuff? It seems passe now to have "hard copies" of things -- you're supposed to buy your iPod and download everything. So are we just dinosaurs for keeping all this?
So, I have a job. I'm an HR admin for an orthodontics company -- saving the world from crooked teeth. This means I send payroll to be processed, get everyone paid and signed up for medical, dental and life insurance. We have stock options and I prepare the agreements and keep track of all of those. I work for the General Counsel (in-house attorney) helping with contracts and litigation.
In general, I like my job. We have a main office, but Boss Lady and I are in a different state and work out of our houses. I'm at her place 2-3 days/week, and at home the rest of the time. It's very flexible, in that I can run to the grocery store and do other errands if I'm caught up. I love that aspect -- I can be free for an hour or two, in the middle of the day! If it's busy, though, and we're working on a big project I'm expected to be checking email constantly and by the phone.
Because it's a sales company, everyone's very outgoing and energetic. I'm told I have a pleasant phone persona and don't mind answering questions on the phone or emailing all day. The company is doing great (as far as I can tell, but I don't see sales figures). I feel fortunate that Boss Lady (whom I worked for previously) liked me so much she wanted only me for the job. It's exciting to be working for such a young and growing company -- I sometimes compare it to the Lab, in that things seem to have taken off with demand.
What's no-so-great about it? Boss Lady can be abrupt and demanding. She likes me to make calls for her, then stands next to me and corrects me during the call if I've misunderstood something. Look lady, if this call was so important to you, and you don't have anything else to do at the moment, why aren't you on the phone?
Other people can be demanding too, like I have nothing else to do except answer their vacation time questions over and over. Seriously, our policy isn't that confusing, and no you don't get all your vacation time for the year up-front. I don't care that "every other job you've had" did that -- that's a stupid way to do things, because if you left a week later we'd owe you that unearned vacation time. Does that make any sense to you? Go sell something.
It's not an exciting, artistic job, but with DH's job we can pay the bills and have fun money left over. What more can we ask for?
It's update time! Oh how I love updates, although this one was only for the Lunacy. I did order Harvest Moon -- when I saw the will-call notice and they mentioned Harvest Moon, I first thought I wouldn't want it because I previously had a bottle of HM04 and while it started out nice and autumnal, it ended up a bit too strongly floral for me and I gave the bottle to my mom. So when HM05 came out I didn't order, but the reviews sounded more fruity and I wish I would have tried it. Now this blend sounds totally new and different, so I'm in!
I also ordered bottles of Hellcat and Morocco, another couple of catalog blends that were giving me dirty looks from my "wanted" list. Hellcat is so creamy sweet, some people think it's too foody but I just love it in the imp, it's a perfect fall scent. At a previous Meet-n-Sniff I got an imp of Old Morocco and fell in love -- it's a perfect dark brooding incensey blend. From what I've read it may have to be aged, so we'll see.
I am a bit disappointed that my order from 5/13 is still outstanding -- I know the Lab is catching up, but it would be personally exciting for me to receive an order early (ahead of the pack) instead of late. Hopefully this means I'll get all 3 outstanding orders in July!
ETA: Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! I came home and there was my 5/13 order with no click-n-ship. Aw yeah
I didn't post after the Carnaval Diabolique update because I wanted to wait for Chrysanthemum Moon to place an order. So now that Chrysanthemum Moon is up: HOLY CRAP! What a great update! I'm truly blown away by the size and scope of CD, and that there are more scents over the next year to look forward to. The art! The descriptions! The potential wonderful smellies!
I didn't think I'd like Chrysanthemum Moon, but sure enough I read the description (linking to CD, natch) and decided to go for it. I also ordered bottles of F5 and Mme. Moriarty. CDs I would like to try in upcoming orders:
Carnaval Diabolique -- what the heck will opium smoke smell like?
Gennivre -- I haven't tried much of the tea blends, and this sounds nice
Midnight on the Midway -- sugared incense?? This I gotta try!
Xanthe -- this might go on the back-burner just because of all the fruit. I love the fruity blends, but more so when they're paired with something dark or boozy (like Perversion or Bordello)
And the GC additions were great! I want to try:
Caliban -- ugh, it's been so hot here and I've really been trying to find a nice summery fun blend to wear, as most of my BPAL bottles are dark and brooding. So salty seas, wine and tropical ferns sound great
Cockaigne -- milk, honey, sweet cakes and wine? Yes please!
Death of the Gravedigger -- snow and soil sound intriguing
Les Bijoux -- skin musk and honey? Yum!
Lyonesse -- so many favorite ingredients, like vanilla and amber and musk, but with sea moss added? Weird and cool!
Port Royal -- see above re: summery scent
Hey! What's happening? I feel elderly as I have never blogged. So I'm testing!
I guess I'm pretty happy in general, as opposed to my blog title. Matt Groening (pre-Simpsons) used to have a little comic in LA Weekly called "Life in Hell" (maybe he still does? I haven't checked) and there were a few collections that were published in the '80s with such titles as "Love Is Hell" and "Work Is Hell." One of his strips was the 9 types of couples, and DH and I fit the mold of Sourballs vs. the World, i.e. "can you believe the crap that is on TV?" Hence the title of my blog and DH's website.
We started dating in January 1991, when I was 20 and he was 25. I know! That sounds like I was a baby, but of course I didn't feel like a baby because I was so effing mature. Heh. We got our own place in July '91, and my parents were pretty accepting considering their 20-year-old was moving out with some guy she knew for a year. But here we are, 15 years later. Things turned out fine, Mom.
I've felt strange because nothing's been happening with the job situation. Nothing. I'm there through this week, and then I have no idea. I haven't heard back from my previous job, even after leaving a message last week. I'm not in panic mode, because between the bonus, severance and vacation time I have a few months of money, but I'd much rather save than spend. I'm glad I get to vent here.
Of course, that hasn't stopped us from going to estate sales! We haven't bought much -- an old radio cabinet with the radio removed, very art deco '30s that we want to put records in. DH bought a mini-fridge for the garage for $15. I bought a sewing book by Better Homes & Gardens from 1961 for $1.50. I found a 1950s red record tote to carry 45s -- my mom has a couple (pink? blue?) with the same exact graphics, so I was pretty jazzed to find one full of records and in great condition for $12.50.
My sister's husband and his band blew through town on Thursday. We realized between all the CDs we have, we've never seen him play live. He writes his own stuff and arranges other songs in a jazzy lounge vibe. We had a blast going up to Denton to see him and another jazz band play.
valentina's post got me pawing through the laserdiscs and DVDs for favorite movies in general, and I must babble about Defending Your Life. Albert Brooks wrote, directed and starred in a movie all about what happens after you die. It's a mix of Occidental/Western religion and Buddhism with some bureaucracy thrown in, because we all love that! Woo!
While I don't like everything Albert Brooks does, he's so dry and smart in this one plus it makes you think for days afterward (or years, but I'm slow ). The premise is after you die, you go to Judgment City and you have to "defend your life," and here on Earth we have to prove we weren't conquered by fear so we can move on to the next level. You're assigned a defense attorney and during your trial you're shown scenes from your life and the attorneys argue before a couple of Gods/judges about whether you faced your fears.
One scene is when he's 10 or so and is confronted by a bully at school, and he backs out of a fight. The prosecutor said he was afraid -- getting hurt, looking foolish -- while the defender argues that "he wasn't afraid, he was showing restraint!" Hee!
So what's my fear? Number one is probably not being able to to support myself -- living on the street, no money or security, where every person is a potential predator and enemy. So am I facing my fear, by working and trying to save, or just avoiding it?
*Edited for spelling, duh
We set a record this weekend: we went to four estate sales and didn't buy anything. Which got us debating and deciding what is an estate sale, because 2 of the houses didn't qualify in our opinion. (We pulled these assorted addresses from a list of the local paper's, so estate sales were listed differently than garage sales.)
One house was a young family obviously in the process of moving and had all their crap out in the front yard, and you could go into the living room and see the old-timey piano (which was pretty cool, actually), but you couldn't go anywhere else. That is not an estate sale!
The other one, after we visited we were creating this whole backstory: stylish anorexic bobblehead mom and her bobblehead daughter wanted to sell ex-husband's stuff (because they got the house and some of his stuff in the divorce), but couldn't muster the carbs to lug the furniture out to the driveway, so they called it an "estate sale" so they didn't have to move from the couch after the filling lettuce leaf they had 3 hours before. Yes, we amuse ourselves It was a few pieces of totally overpriced furniture, and when I asked if they were selling the house they said "no." So it wasn't an estate sale or even a moving sale! Rip-off!!
So our new rule is: if there aren't other cars in front, we're not going in. The first place and the last place totally passed that rule; the last place a bunch of cars and had so much stuff, we couldn't even look through it all. Most of it wasn't great, though, and the lady in charge wasn't giving any deals (even thought it was 3:00 on a Sunday) and at one point someone asked about the shoebox full of old postcards and she said they were $1 each! Ripoff!!!
The first place was awesome: a local actress from the 1930s who built this beautiful house on a hill in this cool hidden part of town. We were having total Hollywood Hills flashbacks -- the house was seriously beautiful, gorgeous floors and ceilings and archways and staircases. There was almost nothing left to buy, but I was so jazzed to be able to walk through it, it was this great house and they had pictures up of her in her heyday. I left dreamy-eyed
That's what I like: seeing a cool old house, that people lived and loved there. I like taking a piece of that back with me -- not like a vampire, but an appreciator.
The last hour of work, from 4:30 to 5:30, ran the gamut of emotion.
Low: this huge project I've been working on for over 6 months has blown up in my face. The vendor that we selected and that I've been emailing and sending stuff and basically being on-call and totally available to them, called and said due to a backlog of projects they're very behind and guess what? Since we're obviously not as important as other clients, we were selected to be put on the back-burner and instead of completing in May it'll be November. Oh, and they technically haven't "started" anything -- they've asked me for everything under the sun, but that's been it on their end.
I've rarely heard my boss curse like that -- not at me, at them, but I feel like crawling into a hole. I'm so frustrated and embarrassed, I could burst into screaming tears right now thinking about it. I'm trying to console myself, that we haven't paid them anything yet and if Boss Lady says "screw them" we will go to the second vendor and start all over with them, not a huge deal. This is how business works. But I really felt like things were going OK and to be blindsided like this means I don't know shit.
ANYWAY.
High: my forum raffle prize arrived today! I won a decant set of Single Notes: Blue Lilac, Carnation, Coffee Bean, Freesia, Light Myrrh, Sweet Pea, Tomato Leaf and White Rose. According to the Reviews section, Tomato Leaf and White Rose were unreleased. I've never sniffed a SN -- they were discontinued in October 2004, about a week after I placed my first order. I don't think I have a sophisticated nose at all, so it's been interesting to sniff these "pure" notes and see how they translate into the blends.
Unfortunately I've had crazy skin allergies and haven't been able to wear anything in a week. The Masque gave me an ugly rash on the top of my hands & wrists -- I apply there because I've had breakouts in the past and the skin is thicker on the top than the bottom. So it's been boring and stinky Benadryl cream instead of my nice smellies. Last night, since the rash was disappating (not itchy, but still lots of red bumps) I put on Black Phoenix on the bottoms of my wrists, and this morning woke up to a rash there! Not itchy, but definite red bumps. Grrr.
So eventually I want to test and post reviews. They smell amazing in the imps, and I can see how they have such a rabid following. It would be great if LE bottles could be released of some of these.
I emailed a girlfriend in California whom I haven't seen since Christmas. We've been friends since junior high and she doesn't have the highest self-esteem in the world, even though she's smart, pretty and hilarious. So I worry about her, especially in the guy department. The comedian Bill Hicks wrote a song called "Chicks Dig Jerks" ("Hitler had Eva Braun / Manson had Squeaky Fromme / I don't know how the world works / All I know is chicks dig jerks") and she picks these boyfriends (and a couple of husbands) who seem to treat her like crap and she doesn't see a problem.
Anyway, she's in a doozy situation, in that a few years ago her dad and stepmom won the lottery. They bought a huge house where we grew up, but they're barely there as they spend all their time now at their "ranch" in another state. So my friend is staying by herself in this massive house just a few minutes from her job. Sounds great, right?
I'm thinking initially that would be wonderful -- a big house where everything's fancy and new, everything paid for, close to my job so I could cover my own expenses and save huge amounts of money. But then reality would kick in: she can't redecorate anywhere, and the house is currently neo-Miami Vice. She's basically the 24-hour maid, gardener and unarmed guard for free. Nothing "belongs" to her, she's just house-sitting. Plus I'm afraid of her becoming a target, even though the house is all securitied-up, and I don't want anyone (that she knows or doesn't know) taking advantage of her.
So ultimately I would have to decline living in the big house for free. I wouldn't be independent and that's really important to me at this point. I need our own space, as shabby and homely as it is, but it belongs to us.
Currently listening to: "This Side" by Nickel Creek -- I this CD
Currently smelling like: Port-au-Prince, then Montresor
My unofficial goal with this blog was to go 1 full month of entries, and I couldn't even accomplish that -- I created an entry yesterday, but deleted it as so craptacular I couldn't post it, lots of familial complaining. So what's happened since then?
Yesterday: my Mom turned 60! I can't believe it. That sounded so old when I was growing up. DH even said, "Your mom is 60? She doesn't look it." She doesn't act it either. That's my goal: to not act my age. My mom has so many hobbies and interests, plus she and dad own their own business, they're busy and interesting. I admire their lives and want to be more like them in that aspect.
Today: we probably spent too much at Home Depot, but I told DH as we got in the car, "I like going into those stores, I just wish we had the money to do what we wanted." It was outside stuff, topsoil and grass seed and stain and waterproofing for a little wooden bridge. Then we went to a pub and drank beer and I had the best baja spicy shrimp tacos EVER and then came home and watched Sopranos. Oh, and both the Suns and Mavericks won their playoff games, so DH is happy.
I thought I'd be heading down to my boss' house, but she emailed me last night and said she had a haircolor appointment that will suck up the morning so don't bother. So I caught up on a few little things, but then the afternoon became eerily quiet. I went for a walk and came back to no emails or messages. I watched Dr. Phil (while cleaning up in the kitchen & den), and no one called or emailed.
I think people are unofficially planning tomorrow off -- Boss Lady will be going until noon and her kids get up, then she's off too. Tomorrow's going to be dead dead dead. You know what that means: shopping! I'll probably place an order for the Villainess update. I should decide what to get Mom for her birthday next week. I need a small clothes and shoes update, so I'll poke around.
I should also do practical things, like vacuum and hang up a couple pictures that we bought frames at Michaels for and I've put the pictures in. If I'm really motivated, I should lug out the sewing machine (it must weigh 50 pounds, my grandma's old one) and finally finish my sleepshirt -- with cute bacon-and-eggs fabric! I have a pile of fabric that I've bought to make shirts and pillows and I should finally do something. Or take the embroidery silk I bought at an estate sale (a big bag, probably 50 spools, for $3) and add a design to a shirt or sweater.
Or, knowing me, I'll do none of the above
I've had a spate of aggressive sales-type people call for all manner of things: pitching a payroll service, hiring them as a salesperson or a Director, etc. I try to be pleasant but firm, and it's in one ear and out the other. I especially like when they try to get people's phone numbers and I guess I'm supposed to be all, "Oh, here's everyone's personal numbers, just because you asked for it."
I'm especially impressed with the lady today who seemed to be eating during the entire call. I don't know how she managed to interrogate me, write everything I say down and eat what sounded like a burrito. Really endearing.
My biggest fear is that I'll lose my temper and they'll end up being hired, and forevermore see me as that rude girl in HR who's nasty on the phone. Heh.
I have a few stop-down TV shows: Sopranos, Intervention on A&E, original CSI, and Most Haunted on Travel Channel. It's a British show that up until a couple of weeks ago runs around England (with occasional jaunts to Ireland and Scotland) to spend the night in a haunted house, pub or wherever. The first half is the best part, they go into the history of a place and grab a psychic or two to find hot spots. The second half are the vigils, where people will split up and sit in different places with night-vision cameras and freak out over every little bump. The second half is kind of a drag, unless you like hearing people stare bug-eyed into darkness asking, "Did you hear that?"
BUT!! The past couple of weeks they've been in America! Southern California to be exact, my old stomping grounds. I'm mad that I missed the first episode on the Queen Mary, but the next episode was at the Whaley House in San Diego and I really liked seeing the house and hearing the stories.
I'm so excited, because tonight they are at the American Legion Hall in Hollywood, where my sister got married a few years ago! What a crazy place. The ceremony was on the ground floor, where they have a two-story atrium with a balcony all the way around. Next to that is a theater that was way spooky. Upstairs was a crazy-ass library that I'm sure will be referenced in the show -- that's where we were dressing and doing our hair. Then the basement was a ballroom and a separate bar area and that's where the reception was. It really was a great place to have a wedding, because you didn't have to drive from the wedding to the reception afterwards.
I don't remember anything weird happening, other than before the wedding Dad and I were hanging lights from the balcony in the atrium -- they were red and white Christmas-type lights wrapped in white tulle. Of course everything worked great as we were hanging them up, then just before the wedding one rope went out. Then afterwards I remember going upstairs from the ballroom and they were on again. Probably nothing, right?
This weekend we went to DH's old workplace one last time. We moved to Dallas 5 years ago because the music retail company he worked for in Ohio was begging him to take over a store -- he was offered places in Vegas, Denver and Southern California before he accepted here. He was excited because he would be involved from the ground up, as the outdoor, urban retail complex wasn't even finished yet, and he would be involved in construction and inventory and fixtures and hiring and everything.
Unfortunately for him, 2 weeks after he opened was 9/11. Retail across the country tanked, and his brand-spanking new store was no exception. Add in management changes, and suddenly the golden boy was a problem child. Without going into detail, things ended on a bad note, but it was a company-wide problem. They've since closed a bunch of prominent retail stores, and they're closing the one DH worked so hard to open.
So we go there on Sunday, a couple of weeks before their closing, and it's like a mausoleum. Empty, cavernous and depressing. But DH wasn't depressed, because he actually got a better job afterwards with lots more security. And he can Scoreboard!
The sports radio station we like here has a term: "Scoreboard!" Like if someone is bitching about how much greater a coach is over Phil Jackson, you just say "Scoreboard" and realize Phil Jackson has won 9 NBA championships. Not that I like Phil Jackson, he's a pompous ass , but he has scoreboard over Larry Brown or Pat Riley or whoever.
I'm babbling, but my point is to appreciate when you can Scoreboard over something -- not in a mean, malicious way, but more self-affirming.
What a surprise to get the update today instead of Thursday! This morning as I'm hopping in the shower I'm thinking, "3 more days until the update, then I'll place my next order. What'll it be?" Pretty exciting thoughts for the shower, hmm?
I'm so pleased to see the grapefruit scents back! Thanks to the lovely MichelleM at the last Meet-n-Sniff I got to test Baobhan Sith, which was very peppy and went on my Big Bottle list, but since it was DC I wasn't expecting to ever find it. I barely got to test Cheshire Cat last year, as I took a new imp to work and then dropped and broke it, but what I tried smelled nice. And all those Mad Tea Party additions! That's one of my favorite sections; King of Hearts, Mouse's Tale, Tweedledee and Tweedledum all sound great and I'll be keeping an eye out for reviews.
On top of that, the planets aligned and I received last month's order today. I love seeing that little red, white & blue box on the porch. I received Monster Bait: Closet (a creamy yummy blackberry), The Masque and Montresor (which I had sniffed before, thanks to the lovely jj_j at our last Meet-n-Sniff, and knew I wanted bottles before they disappeared). Plus frimps, all from the A's and B's, 4 of which I've never tried. I love that aspect too, to be able to receive random scents that you wouldn't pick out on your own.
What is it about these little glass bottles of smellies that is so fascinating? Sure, I place orders with lots of companies online, but nothing compares to the excitement of seeing an update, deciding on orders, and anticipating these oils.
I placed my monthly order, but it was for the Seamus statue with Hellion. The LEs on this update weren't tempting enough; Dragon Moon sounded OK, but dragon's blood goes quite floral and strong on me and tends to overwhelm. I haven't gotten into the Celestials. And I tried everything I wanted to in the Carnaval Noir series and have bottles of my favorites: Midway, Snake Charmer and Gypsy Queen. So what better time to invite an imp into my home, holding a 10ml no less?
