She Walked Away

Culture QotW: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Which team are you rooting for this baseball season?

WHAT??? What part of BASEBALL is CULTURE?? My apologies to my boyfriend Keith Olbermann, but last time I checked, baseball was either a sport or a pasttime. Geesh, Vox.

 

 

Career Planning

I've made a few decisions this week. Mostly, I have a knot in my stomach about them, but I am forging ahead with my new direction.

I've decided to pursue a dual degree - instead of my original plan to obtain a BFA, then continue on to an MFA. I'll be busy: I'll be working less, borrowing more, and in school ALL THE TIME (like I am not already).

Whew! It is good to have a plan.

What's this, then? As I drove in to work this morning, there was a rather slow-moving car in front of me. Not slow-moving in the sense that she was cautious or environmentally aware, but like, 20 MPH in a 30 MPH zone - for no apparent reason. As I wondered whether to risk being judged as a road-rager by passing her, I saw that her license plate frame read, "Basket Consultant." Now that's a high-powered career option I had not considered.

"We need basket arrangement advice on this wall - STAT!" I totally get it now.

That's Fookin' Sexie

I've been consoling myself at work lately by playing bits of the UK version of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on my second monitor while I work. I mostly just listen, but occasionally catch a glimpse of what's actually happening from time to time - without cutting into my productivity at all.

Firstly, the UK version of this show is hands down better than the US version. Not surprising, that.

Secondly, the UK version is a much better indication of Ramsay's personality that anything he's done over here, this side of the pond. His coarse language is balanced nicely by his compassion and concern. In the British version of the show it is, anyway, and I am happy to believe it. I love a smart, appealing man with well-placed, colorful language. Sexy, I tell you.

As I watched an episode of this show in which he helps a vegetarian restaurant owner in Paris revamp her business, I couldn't help but notice how sexy it was that they broke away to Gordon, pedaling around Paris, on a bicycle with a basket. That's sexy, too. I set out trying to find an internet image to post here, but couldn't find it.

My search found this sexie tidbit:

 

Kitchen_001

Now THAT's sexie. If you know me, and you know Eddie, you know why I called it s-e-x-i-e. Next month, darling, next month.

So apparently, there was a two-part drama on Network Five in the UK called "Kitchen." Must. find. it. now.

British telly is so fookin' sexie!

 

 

Good Neighbors, Bad Neighbors

It wasn't an April Fool's joke, the house to my East is again vacant. The assorted inhabitants, anywhere from 3 to 18 cheap beer swilling, cigarette-smoking, bonfire-starting, bottle-shooting, trash-collecting, dog-neglecting kids, have moved on to their next, uh, home. They even took their broken loveseat, with the mismatched cushions, from the front porch! Hooray for me! I might actually be able to sleep.

But wait! Last week, as they were moving out in shifts, I woke to all the critters staring at me as the sound of breaking glass filled the room. Was Fnn in the basement, knocking things around? No, all kitties and canine were looking at me from various places on the bed. As I left for work a few hours later, I saw what the cause of the noise had been. The neighbor kids had been pitching glass bottles over the wall between their house and the property to the East of them. This yard and driveway had broken glass all over them. Vandals? Nowhere to be found.

So yesterday, when I surmised that the whole house was, in fact, empty, I was elated.

After being home for an hour or so, my neighbors to the West were ringing my doorbell. It seems their house had been broken in to during the day. Understand: I love these neighbors. They're very young marrieds, with a dog and three cats. We get along great and I would not hesitate to help them out if they needed it. They had come home to find jewel cases strewn about their driveway and a broken pane of glass on one of their doors. The police had asked them not to go in the house until they arrived, but Mrs. Neighbor was frantic that someone had hurt her dog or cats. You can see why I like her...

Turns out, the thieves took mostly electronic equipment. They also threw garbage all over the house and tossed around clothes and other personal items without taking them. The critters were unharmed, thank goodness, and Mr. and Mrs. Neighbor spent the night cleaning and trying to put everything back to order. I offered a bottle of wine or beers to them, but they were set on getting things back to normal as much as possible. I am so happy that sweet neighbor dog and kitties were unharmed, but I am so upset for my GOOD neighbors that they have suffered this violation. Mrs. Neighbor admitted to me that she will be adding a larger breed dog to their menagerie as soon as possible. I would loan them Olive, but I am fairly confident that she was the deterrent to my house having been broken into. My suspicion, I'll admit, is that the Bad Neighbors are the culprits.

 

Olive not being neighborly