This was all in my head just now and needed to get out.

I just got the shit beat out of me tonight on the phone bank, and the thing is, I can't fault these people for it because I, too, cannot stand the political calls this time of year. But I do it because I said I would and I am nothing if I am not Integrity Girl, and so "smile-and-dial" I did, and people were mean and called me names and hung up on me and yelled at me and one guy took his phone and beat it on the counter a couple of times (wow, I've done that, but you know, I always made sure the caller had already hung up), and AGAIN, I am not blaming them, but I ask you - if you don't recognize the number, and it's 6 days from Election Day, why not just DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE? And furthermore, for all of you who were in bed sleeping because you get up early, why (again) answer the phone if you are trying to sleep? I don't. It's probably going to be some political call.

Like I said, I don't fault them for being pissed off at me, but it still sucked. I'm tired, and I have to watch ANTM on DVR tomorrow night instead, and dodge everyone at work tomorrow who wants to tell me who got booted, and I am hungry but it's 9:30, and I have to get up at 5am.

So there. Poor me. Blah.

"She was born in '32 and was she ever pretty"

What to make of me waking up the last two mornings with Beach Boys songs in my head. Yesterday morning it was "Ballad of Ole Betsy" from "Little Deuce Coupe" (the album) (and it's a great song, by the way, certainly not a song that anyone unfamiliar with the Beach Boys would know) and this morning it was "Little Deuce Coupe" itself. I am a person who always has a song in their head, often more than one, and I am also the self-proclaimed Lyric Girl of our time, so it is perfectly normal for me to wake up with a song in my head (and that's the reason I can't use a clock radio for an alarm clock). It takes me about 3 or 4 minutes to figure out why I have that particular song in my head, and it usually is from something on the TV as I drifted off to sleep the night before. But I can't figure out the two Beach Boys songs. Especially "Ballad of Ole Betsy".

And then, as I got in Barbie's car tonight to go to Mark's party, ready to tell her about these mornings' phenomenon, what CD is she playing? "Good Vibrations" (the 1975 one). Okay so that's kind of weird, but only kind of, because I grew up in a Beach Boys household. And then on the way home from Mark's, she introduced me to Brian Wilson's newest CD - "That Lucky Old Sun". Newly released, and I had no idea. I'll be buying it tomorrow.

Growing up, my older brothers (and Barbie) loved the Beach Boys. Loved them. They were pretty much the background music of my life. My dad even liked them because of the harmonies. And when I say Beach Boys, I mean Brian Wilson's band, not the crap you see on tour these days, not Mike Love living off the dream and just being embarrassing and selling out every chance he gets. I mean Brian Wilson and his music and his vision, the sound of his voice and the meaning in his lyrics. Before you say, "Uh, what kind of meaning is "Surfin' USA" supposed to give us...?", remember that the surfer albums were the beginning, and there is much more beyond that. If you have the opportunity, go do some research. Listen to "Pet Sounds", or "Surfs Up", or hell even "Holland". There's a lot more to it than "California Girls", believe me.

Pretty much everyone in my family can carry a tune, I think, (even Benny, in a Neil Young kind of way) or is at least musically inclined, and there was a lot of passion in the fan-dom. Luckily it is one of those things that never goes away, so I am still just a huge fan of Brian Wilson and his music and his genius and his story. And what a story it is. Just listening to those three songs on the new CD brought me back to a place that made me happy; that's what Brian's voice does to me.

So anyway, I still don't know where "Ole Betsy" came from, but it's been nice to hear it again in my head these last couple of days. I am the kind of person that believes there are signs everywhere, so I'll figure out one of these days just what the universe is trying to tell me.

A little blue

So I just got home from work about an hour ago. Granted I had a hair (cut only) appointment in the middle of leaving the office and actually getting home, but nevertheless I was working and with a client up until the time it took me to drive from Cedar Hills to Murrayhill(ish). And I'm a little blue.

I needed a signature on a deed from the ex-husband to the ex-wife so we can close on the sale of their house tomorrow. She has spent the last two days, and tomorrow, cleaning out the house. It's her house - she won it in the divorce, so really it's her responsibility. But while we stood around and waited for the ex-husband to show up, we talked about how excited the buyers are to move in, about how her kids marked up a wall in their bedroom, little things like that. She told me that she had been an emotional wreck from the time she left my office this morning at 10 til the time I showed up, around 7. She didn't regret the divorce, but she was still sad packing up ten years of memories in her little house.

The ex showed up, and of course he was a somewhat good-looking guy. After ten years of marriage, and two kids, despite a little bit of grey around the temples, he looked great. She, on the other hand, well, maybe not so much. I mean she didn't look BAD, but I'm sure she wasn't in the same body she started out with ten years ago. It got me thinking, as I left, how it seems like guys always come out smelling like a rose, but the women always seem to look like they still have every bad situation hanging on them. Covered up by a baggy sweatshirt and jeans that might could have gone up a size. I don't know why they are divorced, I don't know their story at all. And I don't know why it made me so sad. I felt like maybe I knew their story, but it probably isn't what I'm thinking. And I'll never know. But I am betting it will take a while for me to forget the image of her crying over memories of the good times while she cleaned out the closets and went through old pictures. I guess I should just be happy for the couple moving in, but I don't know, maybe I'm just too cynical for that.

On another note, it seems that not only is everyONE out to get me, everyTHING might be out to get me, too. Whitney's printer took a dump on me today, and we don't have a bunch of IT people running around the KOIN like we used to, so I had to go log on to another station to print anything, and of course, that station's default printer ended up being the label maker, so imagine what 25 pages of escrow instructions looks like on little labels and you can see my frustration. Not to mention having to wait longer for courtwork, having the escrow system throw me out no less than eight times, and having Outlook freeze up and immediately boot me off the internet and consequently Whitney's webmail. That happened about three times, but logging back in to her webmail sucks - her password is ridiculous.

So I'm cutting my losses and I'll start over tomorrow. I really hope for everyone that tomorrow is a better day.

Oh crap I forgot Downey.

So last weekend when Becky T(H) was here, we met for breakfast Sunday morning at a little place called Mandy's which as it turns out ISN'T called Mandy's really, even though the sign out front says it is. It's about 8 miles from me, west, in the little tiny bit of country that still remains after a booming decade or so of building in Washington County. Lots of farmland, rolling hills, filbert trees and livestock. Across the street is a little gift store and u-pick farm called Smith Berry Farm, and it was there that we took photos of the H family for their Christmas card. Charming. Pumpkin-y. Harvest time and all that.

Anyway the restaurant was cute and had a really good vibe and when I mentioned it to Barbie afterward, we decided to get some breakfast there the following Saturday (which was yesterday). So we did. I never EVER bring a camera, and I'm not sure why that is, but here's the outside of it. Thanks, internet.

Here's what it looks like inside. I had the oatmeal again. It's that good.
Afterward we ran some errands and all that. It was a dry, sunny-off-and-on day but chilly, and I do like Fall for that crispness. I prefer it to be sunnier, and even crisper, but hey, it didn't rain.

Later I needed to hit a supermarket and didn't want to battle Saturday traffic to the Fred Meyer, so I went to the Safeway. Here's why I hate the Safeway.

It's flipping EXPENSIVE.

Seriously, as an example, and I don't think many boys read my blog, so if you are a boy and you do and this bothers you, suck it. A box of Tampax 36 count was $9.49. NINE DOLLARS AND FORTY NINE CENTS. That is INSANITY. But, you know, what can you do? It's not like you can skip them. I suppose I could have gone to the Rite Aid or something and saved $3, but it was already 3pm and I still had shit to do. Who does the Safeway think it is, charging this kind of money for feminine protection, the Haggens? It's the fucking SAFEWAY. Not to mention every other flipping item in my shopping cart was at least $1 more than my friendly (not in my) neighborhood (anymore because I move so God damn much) Fred Meyer. Fuck, man. So just because I live where I live I should be paying more for this crap? God it irritated me. But I paid for it all and am living with it, and all because the drive to the closest Fred Meyer involves no less than 10 stop lights and innumerable mini-van driving assholes who don't focus on the road long enough to realize they are IN. MY. WAY.

Plus my Fred Meyer at any time after 10am on a Saturday is a zoo.

So the election is coming upon us, and though I don't talk much about politics on this here blog (mostly because I don't know enough about it and I want you all to keep thinking that I am really smart), I will say that I just watched a YouTube vid about a McCain/Palin rally somewhere in Ohio (certainly not near any actual city, I'll tell you that much) and it was really scarey to think that all these flipping hillbillies are going to vote. Probably. And vote for McCain. Because (and here is what is really scarey) (beyond the fact that just BEING hillbillies is enough to give one night sweats) they don't like Obama for the simple reason that they think he is a muslim, and they don't like the color of his skin. I would really like to think that perhaps they are in such a remote section of Ohio that the newspaper doesn't get delivered to them, so they aren't abreast of the issues and would be making their decisions based on THAT, as opposed to the (probably true) idea that if they DO get the newspaper they simply cannot read it. Hillbillies scare the crap out of me. ALL stupid people do.

Are we really a country comprised of SO MANY uneducated idiots throwing around the n-word and basing their opinions on someone's middle name? I'd like to think that living here in the Pacific Northwest people make their decisions and choose their candidates based upon how those candidates reflect their personal beliefs. Not that I think anyone who votes for the Republican Party is bad, I just think that there better be good reasons for ANYone to vote for ANYone. Just do your research, folks. Don't just assume shit because your back-water holy-rolling preacher told you what to think. But if you DO consider yourself a Republican, and a somewhat educated, intelligent person, consider this: if I were you, I would be insulted by McCain's choice of vice presidential running mate. Insulted. Like maybe he thinks that you're stupid enough to believe that just picking a woman, ANY woman, and an ex-beauty queen at that, will be enough to make you think he is forward thinking and representing women across the country. Because he is not. Just the hillbilly women. That's just frightening to me.

Happy (end of your) Birthday RiverGirl!

I know I left you a long message with a little bit of song and a little bit of drama, but let me end the evening by saying Happy Birthday to Kimberley on the blog.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIMBERLEY!

41, it's nuthin.

I realize that it's 4 minutes past my bedtime and tomorrow it will feel like I haven't slept in a week, but this was worth it. Why am I up so late, yet again, on a school night? That Dave E. was in town from Wisconsin, in McMinnville again but wise to stay in Lake Oswego - civilization, if you will. We went to dinner at Manzana's. I ordered steak for the first time IN MY LIFE at a restaurant. It was good. But Barbie says now I'll be having meat dreams tonight. I'm a little bit frightened.

So Happy Birthday to Kim, and Happy Meat Dreams to Joyce. And apparently to Dave.
He had the ribs.

A must see.

Couldn't have sang it better myself.

Saturday morning wrap up

So yeah. Back to once a week. Sorry about that.

This weekend my friend Rebecca T. (H.) (one of the Beckys) is in town to visit family and friends and remember why she left Beaverton, so last night we got together with her sister in law Denise and another friend from way back, Keeli. Keeli and I were never terribly close (okay, not at all) in high school, but back when Becky (sorry, I have to) got married (really? Eight years ago?), Keeli was the Matron of Honor and I was the Maid of Honor. On account of the whole spinster thing I got going on. Anyway, that wedding was a kick in the ass. Keeli and I got along really well and her husband was a hoot and I just remember racing around in some club in downtown Seattle trying to get away from the bouncers who were trying to throw everyone out at closing time. I do believe that was the first time I tried that dangerous but oh-so-lovely concoction of Jaegermeister and Red Bull. Good times. We had such a great time and swore we would stay in touch and then, well, you know, it's pretty much been eight years... You know how that goes.

So because it is ALWAYS good to see that Becky, it was also a treat to see Keeli again, and I am happy to report that she still has that great sense of humor that mixes well with mine and we all had some great laughs and I am really glad that I got to spend such a great evening out. Although I will say that I am a bit disappointed that the people behind "Aks Jeeves" (not ASK Jeeves, mind you) don't appear to have kept up their site. And that bums me out because that was a really funny story.

This morning is one of those really good Fall mornings - sunny, dry, colder than CRAP, awash with opportunity to really get some shit done to my home. I vow today to find something to put in that stupid cubby in the living room so I can finish putting up my pictures. And to clear off the bar in the kitchen. And maybe even take my car through the car wash since I got a free coupon for Kaady's for taking my car in for service at the Beaverton Honda. On a day like today, how could I NOT want to do all this? I may even go to Ikea. Why not? The world is my oyster.

And yes I still have a job (buried this deeper into the post). And it's been busier than crap. I am telling you my head nearly popped off this week due to the stress and crazyness that working in this particular unit in Lincoln Tower involves. I also almost killed the receptionist. Which is bad, because I like the receptionist, and we NEED the receptionist, and if I HAD killed her, like I almost did, it would have been really bad for everyone.

Next week, Beaverton branch, and then the week after that, downtown. I like working downtown because I get to see fun people like Alysa and Saundra and Sarah and that Kellie C. Granted I am usually there for like a week before I actually SEE them, but, you know, I like to keep a low profile...

Not much new other than all that, except that Terri at work has a big knotted up muscle situation in her back that we decided to name Marjorie after that poor little bastard on America's Next Top Model (she had to portray the Hunchback of Notre Dame and frankly pulled it off so well it was nauseating), so that was fun, maybe just a small bit of sunshine in what really ended up being a harried week. And it's cold. REALLY cold. I have a staunch No Heat til November 1 rule, and I may be convinced to break it. Winter. I need a vacation.

I tried to tie it all in...

Maryann at work thinks I should be on the radio. She listens to a somewhat popular pop radio station's morning show on her way to work and the girl that is the "sidekick" to the main personalities I guess is kind of blah. I don't listen to that station. I listen to Mark and Brian syndicated out of LA's KLOS. So I don't know about this other chick that Maryann would want me to replace. I think I could do it. People say I mumble (I don't believe them) but I think if I were on the radio I probably wouldn't. You know, it would be my job not to, and I tend to pay more attention when I am at work. I don't know how one would go about putting together the demo tape, or even start the process, but wouldn't it be fun to give it a shot? I imagine one would have to have started trying about 20 years ago from where I sit, but as job changes go, that would be a good one.

I told you I wasn't going to start every post with "still employed", so let's make a deal - if I DO get laid off, I'll tell you about it here. I'll have the time. To my friends with whom I chat regularly, I'll tell you directly. I think I have a lot of people out there sending me good karma and positivity, and I appreciate that because I think it's working. It certainly couldn't be me skill, charm and great hair that is keeping me there, and it CERTAINLY isn't the fact that I've got a great tan, because let me assure you, I do not. That Becky H. is in the prep stages for a Mexico trip in late October (right?) so of course she is very tan, she gets the good looks-like-the-real-sun tan even from the booth. I do not. I get Booth Tan. I am not keeping any secrets from anybody when I tan mid-winter (or even mid-summer). It is clear on me what is real and what is not. So I'm currently wearing sweaters in colors that off-set the creamy whiteness of my skin. That sounds a lot prettier than it looks. Believe me.

Sometimes when I read my friends' blogs from down south I am reminded of the warm lazyness of my time in Cancun (the first time. There was nothing lazy about my second time there. Maybe I AM bitter...). Such a good memory. Like I am still there. I have of course been shopping for some sort of trip situation for December and I am so torn, but you know, warmth and tan-ness and vacation-lazy-good-times is good for my psyche, so I am going to have to just bite the bullet and book. Foolish? Perhaps. But I need to bring the real me back and that can only be found when I have something Mexican to look forward to.

Work's been busy (believe it or not) but I am guessing it's because of the shortening staff. Keeping busy is priority one, so I am happy for that. Keep on keeping on. The Planned Parenthood gig is also working well - I am really enjoying it. Did the phone bank thing twice last week, and though I am a major wimp and (despite being in bed within a half an hour of my bedtime and being asleep PRECISELY on schedule) felt overly tired like I was hungover or something on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I look forward to next week. These are what are called "persuasion calls" - and for a specific pro-choice candidate in each district. It's like a three sentence script and then asking if we can count on the call-ee's vote for said candidate, takes roughly 2 minutes, and so far I have only had like 4 out of 300 calls go sort of south. I can handle it.

And can I just say something, while we are on the subject? Being pro-choice means that you have the CHOICE to believe the way you want to believe. So if you think that abortion is horrid and wrong on ALL levels, that is your CHOICE. I'm pro-choice, and it doesn't bother ME how YOU feel about birth control, abortion, or any other reproductive right. I feel the way I feel, and that is the beauty of it. The flip side to this is that some would have others decide FOR you. The flip side is that they CARE about my beliefs on the subject, and want to take my choices away. And endanger the lives of others, in the end. So when I say that I am pro-choice and supporting candidates that are pro-choice, it doesn't mean necessarily that I believe something as extreme as abortion-as-a-form-of-birth-control. It means simply that I believe in our right to choose and live our own beliefs. Can you believe there are people out there that want to take that right away from you? It's crazy.

So now, today, I choose to go put on a sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes and go run some errands. Then later I will choose either to vacuum the living room or lay on the sofa and read about the vampires in Forks, Washington. And after that I'll choose what to watch on TV tonight. Because I can.

The right attitude to have

Here's Maril: as of today, an ex-coworker and an all around great gal. As you can see, she is not the type to let this situation get her down. THIS is what we need for inspiration - if it happens, it happens, and those of us with the right frame of mind will move on to bigger and better things. If that is the curve thrown our way, we have to just lean in and hit it out of the park. Because some of us can.

And Maril will.