disturbing trend..

Here in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area I have noticed a very disgusting trend. At first, I thought it was just something that the teens were into, but I have noticed that the 20 somethings seem to ahere to this practice as well... "wearing pajamas in public". ***boggle***

Now I know some of you are rolling your eyes with your fingers on the key board ready to blast me and saying something to the effect, "ummm.. Bee...didn't Michael Jackson walk into court a few months ago wearing his ...ahem...pajama bottoms?" To all of you out there you are thinking that I say, "just because I groove to the hip melodic beats of Michael Jackson and the extended Jackson clan doesn't mean that I condone him or anyone else leaving their home in david and goliath pj bottoms. Its just not right even when the King of Pop does it". But I'm still a fan .. so there. :-P

I just don't get it. Its bad enough that you obviously rolled out of bed and into the public domain. But is it really necessary to exclaim to the world that you did so. I was especially disgusted at the gym the other day when I looked up the from the hip adbuctor weight machine to be eye to eye with this grunting, sweaty, overgrown teen who was yes, working out in his pajama bottoms. eewwww. I seriously had to quickly divert my attention to the television monitors to avoid gagging from the site. eewww.

Pajama bottoms in public.. I dunno...it just bugs me. What's so hard about slipping on a pair of jeans or sweats to give the illusion of cleanliness and proper hygiene? Its just another thing to add to the list of depictions of sheer laziness at its best...

this man scares me..

THIS MAN SCARES ME!!!

You may recognize him from those late night infomercials where he is shouting excitedly about millions of dollars of government money that's allegedly yours for the taking.

As many of you know I have a STRONG adversion to people in costume, stiltwalkers, clowns, Elmo, Big Bird... live & in person they all freak me out. This guy is no exception. He frequents my local coffee shop quite often, and yes each time I have seen him he is wearing one of those crazy question mark outfits. HE FREAKS ME OUT. He even has a mini cooper that he parks outside of the coffee shop... its pimped out in orange with black question marks all over it. **boggle**

The last time I went to get coffee and saw him in there, we made eye contact and he raised one of his bushy eyebrows at me. I got scared and ran out burning myself with the hot coffee that splashed on my hands accordingly.

Could it be I stayed away too long?

Hey Folks! I'm still here.. alive and kicking.

Ahem.. I am forced make a special shout out to kgreen who introduced me to a very cool, yet addictive web treat. Seriously, if you are a music lover or even a music liker you will quickly become addicted to this site. But please, finish reading my entry before you skip over there... its been a while since you've heard from me. :-)

So anyway, don't let this part of my writings dissuade you, but while fooling around on the aforementioned site I couldn't get my ultimate favorite song to play.

"Hold On" by Wilson Philips.

I absolutely love this song! It is truly the best song ever written. Every hero needs a theme song. "Hold on" is mine. I play it before I go to the gym... I play it in my mind to talk me out of a tasty starbucks grande caramel latte.. I play it in my mind every morning before I start working... If I were Popeye that "Hold on" would be my spinach. If I were Superman.. "Hold on" would be red kryptonyte... If I were a big mac.. yes you got it.. "Hold on" would be that very special sauce.. you get the picture.

Actually don't really sing it that often, I was more than mildly exaggerating there. I truly only sing/listen to it maybe a few times a year. But I think I might be more motivated and productive if I did incorporate it into my daily ritual. I'll get back to you on that.. I'll let you know how it goes.

Okay enough about me.. not really.. but I'm sure you are ready to check out the site.. here it is.. enjoy.. let me know what you think!

www.pandora.com

For those of you not familiar with "Hold on" by Wilson Philips.. SHAME ON YOU... here are the lyrics so you can get your "slamming, classic, hits from the early 90s merit badge"...

I know there's pain

Why do lock yourself up in these chains?

No one can change your life except for you

Don't ever let anyone step all over you

Just open your heart and your mind

Is it really fair to feel this way inside?

Chorus:

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to

Turn around and say goodbye

Until then baby are you going to let them

Hold you down and make you cry

Don't you know?

Don't you know things can change

Things'll go your way

If you hold on for one more day

Can you hold on for one more day

Things'll go your way

Hold on for one more day

You could sustain

Or are you comfortable with the pain?

You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness

You got yourself into your own mess

Lettin' your worries pass you by

Don't you think it's worth your time

To change your mind?

(Chorus)

I know that there is pain

But you hold on for one more day and Break free the chains

Yeah I know that there is pain

But you hold on for one more day and you

Break free, break from the chains

Some day somebody's gonna make you want to

Turn around and say goodbye

Until then baby are you going to let them

Hold you down and make you cry

Don't you know?

Don't you know things can change

Things'll go your way

If you hold on for one more day yeah

If you hold on

Don't you know things can change

Things'll go your wayIf you hold on for one more day,

If you hold on

Can you hold on

Hold on baby

Won't you tell me now

Hold on for one more day 'Cause

It's gonna go your way

Don't you know things can change

Things'll go your way

If you hold on for one more day

Can't you change it this time

Make up your mind

Hold on

Hold on

Baby hold on

Happy New Year!!!

Should all acquaintence be forgot and never brought to miiiind..
We'll take a cup something, something, something
for auld lang syne (sp?)

(don't judge me you don't know the words either)


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

'tis the season

ahem...me..me..me..meee...hit it!

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

a new gwen stefani CD

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

2 prada bags

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

3 peach martinis

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

4 plasma tv's

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

a 5 karat diamond ring!

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

6 cashmere sweaters

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

7 nights of dancin'

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

an 8 month vacation

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

9 first class tickets

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

10 mini islands

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

11 bedroom mansion

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love sent to me..

a 12 figure jackpot ($X00,000,000,000)!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Holidays!!

Its not that I'm cheap...

.. I just love a good deal.

The thing I can't figure out about myself, is why my couponing strategy, zeal, passion doesn't carry over to grocery shopping. Although I'm pretty good about using the bonus discount card, there is absolutely no way that I EVER remember coupons for groceries. e.g. i will forget to use coupons that are attached to the item that I'm buying. "buy item x and save $1.00 now". yeah.. my pantry is filled with boxes with those coupons on them.. eh.. what can I do?

But I do I have a practice that is quite miserly. Actually its a practice that rides the fine line between genuis and cheapness. Okay.. so my little sony radio that I wear around my arm when I go to the gym, it uses triple A batteries that wear out in about 15 to 20 trips to the gym. But me being the genius that I am, I don't throw that batteries away. NO. I save them for my television/cable remote controls which require a significantly lower amount of battery power per use in order to operate. Seriously, the alleged dead batteries from the sony radio will last at least 6 months in the remote control.. Genius or cheapness? Either way, I'm sure mom and dad would be proud to know that I clearly learned something in my circuit design courses. Now that's tuition $$ well spent!

handywork

Every now and then, I get completely caught up. I watch one too many HGTV, TLC home improvement shows. (Trading Spaces, Design on a Dime, Moving up...yada yada yada). Those shows are really dangerous because they give me the mistaken impression that everything is sooooooo easy. "I can do that too!", "wow, look how easy that was!", "look how this one accent changed the entire dimension of the room"

Right.

Well I got bit by the bug once again. I decided to put up a wall mirror (actually a housewarming gift from last year ... ssshh). Anyway, the project started last Sunday before Thanksgiving. I realized I didn't have a level (or rather couldn't find my level) so I went to home depot as part of my Sunday errands and bought a new one. By the time I got home and started setting up my tree (another story) and everything else, Charmed was on, and then Desparate Housewives, so I didn't get around to actually putting up the mirror. I saved that treat for yesterday.

Well.. 6 drill holes in the wall later (note: the mirror only required 2) the mirror was up and secured to wall. It took me a total of 57 minutes for me to hang that damned mirror. The distance between the drill holes required a level of precision that I could only accomplish through sheer trial and error. I actually don't know how I finally got the mirror affixed to the wall. For all I know little mirror bits and pieces are scattered on the floor from the dramatic drop from the wall. *sigh*

Lesson to be learned, Don't believe the hype. You can not do it yourself. Hire someone. There is no personal satisfaction in handywork. I speak the truth.

New York Minute

TAXI PLEASE....
Okay, what's up with the yellow cabs? Specifically I'm talking about the ones in the car line up at LaGuardia Airport, actually Kennedy too for that matter. Let me 'splain. It seems that every time I hop in a yellow cab with a Brooklyn destination the cabbie feigns ignorance on how to get there. **boggle** At which point I have give explicit directions on how to navigate the highways/streets to get to my destination including how to get out of the taxi lane and onto the highway..

I feel ...

(1) if you (cabbie) are bold enough to drive out of Manhattan to pick up customers you should be ready and prepared to drive to anywhere in the TRI-STATE AREA -that's NY-NJ-CT for you non-new yawkers.

(2) If I have to give detailed instructions, I should be given a discounted fare. 25% seems fair.

Damned cabbies.

----------

DRIVING IN THE CITY

For those who don't know New York City is the most highly regulated city when it comes to traffic laws. Things that you wouldn't even thing would be illegal are in this city of mine.. e.g...

1. NO right turn on red!
2. NO talking on your cell phone while driving unless you are using a hands free device.
3. NO horn honking unless there is implicit danger.

Now rule number 1.. eh its just necessary, new yawkers barely stop at a red light, allowing turns on red would probably wipe out 5% of the pedestrian population annually.

Now rule number 2... I guess I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer because I didn't completely absorb this concept. About a year or so ago, I was driving in NYC talking on my cell phone. Realizing that the handsfree cell phone law was well in effect I put my cell phone on speaker as I enjoyed my leisurely ride into the city. Halfway through my journey, I pulled into a tollbooth way to pay the toll which was being operated by a police officer (post 911 precaution). I gave the officer a friendly smile as I handed over my toll fee, while continued to talk on the phone. He interrupted my conversation by asking me for my license and registration. Again clueless, I said to him, "oh wow, this is new. Is this some sort of new security procedure?". He then informed me that I was breaking the law by talking on my cell phone and driving. I course pointed out to him that the call was on speaker. He in return said, "Ma'am the law is that you must ride hands free of a cell phone. Your cell phone is in your hand and you are holding it up to your head". **insert shocked embarrassed expression here** Good news he let me off with a verbal warning. Lesson to be learned... a nice friendly smile can get you out of almost any jam.

Now rule number 3 really boggles my mind. How in the world can it be enforced. Don't honk unless there is imminent danger? huh? Its New York!!! Just breathing the air is dangerous. Moreover, horn honking is part of the local culture. Since this law has been in effect I must admit the streets of New York are noticeably more quiet. However, I feel like the general village idiot gets off easy with this law. I think the law needs to be amended to be something like, "NO horn honking unless there is implicit danger or the driver in front of you is clearly an a--hole". Not that I have road rage or anything. :-) But a tap of the horn is part of my driving technique...

my discovery...

I have a new discovery.... well sort of. Actually, I have Comcast's feature to onDemand to thank for my finding. I have coined the phrase

comfort TV ©

Yes folks. You read it correctly. I'm aaaalllllll about Comfort TV. Allow me to pontificate on this concept for a moment. ...

com·fort (noun)

• A condition or feeling of pleasurable ease, well-being, and contentment.
• The capacity to give physical ease and well-being: enjoying the comfort of my favorite chair.

So like the undeniable comfort of a favorite blankie, or a hot bowl of mac n' cheese, I am comforted by the onDemand lineup from Comcast. Specifically 80s hit favorites "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Fact's of Life". Quite honestly, its a sleep inducer for me. Within 15 minutes or less of watching an episode from either of these programs I am in a deep,restfull state - quickly drifting off to slumber paradise. You would have to be a sleep connoisseur like myself to actually get this concept.But stick with me, I'm going somewhere with this...

On one hand do I believe, this concept is really true American-couch-potato-laziness at its core. To develop a term for indulging in nostalgia TV is just another excuse for inactivity. But my pinko ideologies are quickly drowned out by the hip, still rocking beat...

"Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, What might be right for you, may not be right for some. A man is born, he's a man of means. Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans..."

or, the catchy, melody that forces me to bobb my head from side to side whenever I sing along...

"You take the good,You take the bad,You take them both and there you have the facts of life.The facts of life.There's a time you gotta go and showYou're growin' now,You know about the facts of life.The facts of life."

(do you also bobb your head from side to side when you sing the facts of life theme song? I think the head bobbing may be part of secret to singing the song correctly... I digress)

All I need is a good "whatchoo talkin 'bout willis" from Arnold Drummond or the witty banter exchange between Blair Warner and Jo Polnezchek not to mention the comedic overtures of Natalie Green and Tootie Ramsey to render me into blissful unconsciousness.

Now what would really be the pièce de résistance, is if Comcast were to add the Jeffersons to its 80s onDemand selection. Whew... I might never leave the house again. Actually not true.. I currently own 3 seasons of the Jefferson's on DVD and still manage to have an active and quite enviableble social life ;-) Note to self: bring Jeffersons DVD set home for thanksgiving. What could be better than the ultimate comfort meal coupled with the ultimate comfort TV program. Besides that turkey and the Jeffersons just go together. (you have to be a real fan to get that connection)

So there you have it folks. I have my vice... ComfortTV©... Find yours!

...I'd like to make a special shout out..

... to my friend Tam-Rock who is holding it down in the middle-east!!! For those of you who don't know Starbucks is truly global -blurring cultural boarders worldwide. Yes you can go as far as Jordan still be able to enjoy a tasty, tantalizing creme brulee latte. yum!

ACTUAL SHOUT OUT: "Tam! Do the damned thing out there...you international service, extraordinary MBA person!!! You know you rock!!! See you soon! Be safe!"

ramdon fans...stay tuned... more posts to come soon...

[NOTE: Thanks for all of the concerned e-mail and phone calls regarding Tam... Never fear, she is doing just fine and is in a safe, well secured location. She left jordan days before the suicide bombings occured.]