The stars must be aligned with sun and moon, and the universe’s negative energy is shining upon my head.  Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but the frustrating circumstances that are beyond my control  have been taking it’s toll the past 2 days.

Let me share a little story…

So, yesterday at 11:45 I got an email from a big manager that they are going to be in town at 12:30 and they want to go on sales calls with me, etc.  So, of course, I plan on being nowhere to be found at 12:30…and decide to take my lunch break parked with a good book in some shady spot.

So, I drive my car to a local park, and pull up to the parking lot.  There are no marked stalls in this gravel area, so use your imagination…I drive by a bulldozer at one end, 3 or so empty spaces, car, empty space, car.  I decide that I would park on the opposite side of the last car, and as I drive that way, I see it’s a handicapped stall so I swing around and park in between the two cars, roll down my windows and turn off the car.

I didn’t realize the car to my left had a mom and her teenage daughter in it…and as I’m reading, I notice that they turned UP their stereo.  I wasn’t listening to music, so it was no big deal.  Then the lady starts griping how SOME people have a lot of nerve parking up her F-ING @ss and they should move their car.  Especially since there are 3 F-ing empty spaces at the other end of the lot.  She continues to say how I parked up her f-ing @ss, until her daughter shouted “MOM stop!  Just move your car!”

Since it was obvious how I was inconveniencing her day, she starts up her car and tears out of her spot, spraying gravel the whole way and goes and parks on the other side of the other car.  She then continues to b!tch and moan about how f-ing rude I was for at least another 10 minutes.

Now, I realize that what I did was akin to standing too close to someone in the elevator.  You just don’t do it.  But honestly, I parked close, but not so close that they couldn’t easily get out of their car.  And I’m a pretty non-confrontational person to a complete stranger, that if they asked me to move, I probably would have done it without a thought.

After some time, and several dirty stares they finally left.

So this begs the question: Did I handle it right by just ignoring her?  Because I’m still thinking about it a day later, did she win?

Let’s face it: if I said anything to her, no matter how calm, it would have escalated the situation.  Do I appear weak and scared by not saying anything?  Remember, she has the power of crazy on her side.  For all I know, she could have a weapon in her car.  She looked normal, was dressed in nice work clothes.  She was just nuts.

I was at the park needing a retreat from the crap I’m getting at work, and this is the joy I find.  She’s certainly teaching her child that it’s okay to be crazy to complete strangers.  There’s a lack of politeness in society these days, and many people find it easy to treat someone on the street with contempt.  People just don’t care about those outside of their world anymore, and that has really worn me down.

On an up-note, I’m going to Oregon tomorrow with the love of my life to spend a fun-filled weekend with my good friends Luke & Erica.  We’ll have good food, good drink, and great fun!  AND I realized that I have next Thurs/Fri off, as well…no plans, but maybe a few days is what I need!

So, yet again, I’ve been a bad, bad blogger.  Life has been truckin’ right along, and I’ve been less than inspired to write about it.  Not sure why.

So, they’ve had a bunch of layoffs at work, and today we got notice of a wage freeze for one year.  Apparently they don’t feel it necessary to give the employees that are left (and taking on extra duties) the courtesy of a bare bones cost-of-living wage increase.  I’ll still be getting a wonderful performance review, but no raise that usually accompanies a job well-done.

I was having serious doubts as to how well my performance review was going to turn out.  I suspect I might not have gotten a raise, anyways.  Not for lack of trying, but for lack of results (thank you, lovely real estate market crash).  Because I’ve not had great results, and I have new bosses that aren’t familiar with the great work I have done, they could potentially put me on “performance review,” and worse case scenario fire me.  I’ve been getting my ducks in a row in case any worse case scenario comes about…but I’m trying to not think along those lines.

Carv auditioned (and got a part in a play) most recently, and I have taken on the duties of props designer.  The whole reason I got involved was because I love everyone in the show and thought I would be around them often.  Oh, nay nay!  As it turns out, I get to do all of the work on my own time, which is a little disappointing.  It’s a new challenge, though, and I will know if it’s something I’ll want to do in the future.

I’m also thinking about trading my fancy car in for something a little more manageable.  I have about 2 yrs. left on the loan, but the payments are much more than I can afford these days.

Okay, that was a quick update, and it’s feeling a little negative, so I’m gonna hush up now.  Everything is not all sour grapes – hey – I’m going to a Star Trek fanmovie audition in Seattle on Sunday!  I might be a Klingon. :o)

Hey there!  Again, life has been a whirlwind, and I haven’t had the time, or really the inspiration to write.  I will give you a quite bullet point list, in no particular order, of the happs of Amanda:

• I’m head over heels for Carv.  He’s the bomb diggity.
• We are going to see Rocky Horror Show on Friday, and YES, we are dressing up!  (I’ll try to get photos.  I’ve not dressed up all dominatrix-ey before!)
• My work has laid off almost 20 people, and we have combined forces with a company 45 minutes to my north.  I have all new managers who split their time between both companies…which has essentially meant that they spend all their time up there, and forget about us mostly down here.
• It’s been awfully stressful.
• I had a great 4^th of July.  Summer couldn’t be going better.
• Next Thursday, I’m going with a group of people to the IMAX theater’s midnight showing of the Dark Knight.  Stoked? Why yes, I am.
• I had a job interview today.  I think it looks promising, although the pay is not ideal. 
• In the long run, it might be more beneficial for me, though.  It’s a gamble.
• My Jesus birthday is in a few weeks.
• Been thinking about selling my car.  It’s paid off in 2 years…but I could refinance, or get a newer, less expensive car…that I don’t have to put premium gasoline in.
• I’m doing sucky at eating healthy.  I think it’s the stress.
• Even though I don’t have any extra $$, life is pretty good these days.
• That’s it, I’m out!

 

Subject: A fairy tale

 

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl 'Will you marry me?' The girl said 'NO!'

And the girl lived happily ever-after and went shopping, dancing,
camping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, did
whatever the hell she wanted, never argued, didn't get fat, traveled more,
had many lovers, didn't save money, and had all the hot water to herself.
She went to the theatre, never watched sports, never wore friggin' lacy
lingerie that went up her ass, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled,
felt and looked fabulous in sweat pants and was pleasant all the time.
The End

 

 

So, I really wanted to do something extra-ordinary for Carv – he’s always been so sweet to me…it was my turn to knock his socks off.

I’ve been planning this for at least a month and it just kept getting bigger and bigger.  With my dad’s help, I was abl to get a limo to pick us up and take us to Seattle where we saw “Teatro Zinzanni,” which is like a cirque, vaudeville-type show, along with a four star, 5 course dinner by Chef Tom Douglas.

We didn’t slack when it came to our outfits, either.  When I told his mom what I was going to do, she got very excited, and promptly ushered him out to buy a tux.  A little extreme, I thought at the time, but I knew he would look good…and he did.  He came completely fitted with top hat, cane, and white gloves.  (I wore a black dress with a red belly dancing scarf tied around my waist, and snappy red shoes!)

He had a special corsage & boutennire made by his sister.  They were absolutely ginormous.  You can see the Christmas tree on Carv’s lapel in the photo.  (We took them off before the actual event. No offense, sis!)

Carv saw the limo outside and goes “Who’s riding in a LIMO?!!!”  Hehe…yes, he was surprised.  And how perfect is that? He hates to drive.  I really don’t like to drive….so we ride in style!

It was a good thing that the wait staff were all in fancy garb, and the men in top hats as well, because most of the crowd was NOT dressed up for the occasion.  (Hey, it’s Seattle.  These people don’t dress up for ANYTHING!)  We were, of course, the best dressed couple there!

My favorite part of the evening was at a certain point in the show they had all the couples share a dance to the song “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.”  The lights were spinning, and it was probably the most magical, movie moment of my life.

The show was good.  There was juggling, a contortionist, a trapeze artist, and a magician.  And in between they served a decent dinner, but the dessert was the highlight! 

This was definitely an unforgettable experience, and if you are in Seattle or San Francisco, you should check out Teatro Zinzanni.  It’s a COOL THING!

 

 

 

 

Time is counting down to when I take off for my Jesus Birthday Celebration in Savannah & Orlando.  Disney World here I come! 

I know this vacation will be well worth it.  I’ve been struggling with a little bit of burn-out & negative thoughts at work, so I’m ready to recharge my batteries!

I know this was super – short, but I wanted to give all of you an update since it’s been awhile since I’ve written.  Also – Go See Ironman.  AWESOME movie!

Okay, I usually email my posts in, but it's been a few hours, and it hasn't shown up so I'll just cut and paste.

 

This last weekend in Portland was so much fun.  Here is what we did, and my thoughts on the experience:

Japanese Gardens  To enhance your zen-like experience, you are encouraged to silence your cell phones upon entrance. Despite what I would consider swarms of people for a park, this was very relaxing.  Lush and green, I could tell that a little bit later in the season, the flowers will be breathtaking.  Photographers were out in droves, and it was only slightly irritating to have to walk around or wait for them. Definitely a place to sight-see!

Saturday Market  I was very excited to walk down to the market.  There’s so much local flavor – music, food, booths.  This is probably one of the larger outdoor markets in the country, but because the weather was so nice (85 degrees), the people were packed in side by side.  My excitement wore off very quickly, and I got to where I didn’t even want to stop and look, we just did a once-thru and got out of there.  I do like the market, but I like my space, too…and once it started feeling like herding cattle, the fun was lost.  Definitely something to experience, but I do think I like Pike’s Place Market in Seattle a little better.  (There’s more produce & flowers, opposed to junky jewelry and Coach knock-offs).

China Town  We didn’t spend much time in China Town, but we did have a rather authentic lunch.  (I thought it was weird that the chickens were on a rotisserie in the window).  This was my first experience with Dim Sum, and it was rather tasty!  I did not understand anything the waitress said, and Carv was better at “translation” than I was…or maybe he’s just better at faking it.  Loved the food, though!

Powell’s City of Books  Okay, I’ve been to Powell’s several times, and for the reader, it’s a religious experience.  When they say “City of Books,” they tell no lies.  It’s a city block, 4 stories high.  It’s the largest new/used bookstore in the U.S. , possibly the world.  It can be a little overwhelming, but I love it.

Andina Restaurant  We met up with my good friends Luke & Erica for dinner in the Pearl District.  The food was Peruvian, and I tried lots of new things.  Fried octopus (not horrible, but not something I’d order normally), beef hearts (had the consistency of chewy beef jerky), and a yucca relleno that was reminiscent of mozzarella sticks.  Out of everything I tried of the evening, my favorite taste was Luke’s beverage “SACSAYHUAMÁN” which had a habanero infused vodka paired with passion fruit puree.  Sweet AND spicy, that taste danced in my mouth for awhile.  I wish more restaurants served “tapas” style.  The portions were smaller and meant to be shared.

Blue Hour  This restaurant was the 2^nd in our evening, and we just stopped for a drink.  The restaurant felt like a hospital, and the service was not stellar, but this might have been overlooked by the distraction of all the décolletage by the female employees.

Paragon  The last restaurant in our foray – we went here for the rosemary fries.  They were tasty, and served in a festive cone-shaped contraption.  I am eagerly anticipating Carv & Luke having a Fry-Off, since apparently both of them cook up fries that makes the women's clothes just fall off.

Finding I-5 Okay, so I’ve been to this area a dozen times and never had a problem, but I got us good and lost trying to get back on the highway.  We did end up on a major highway type thing that took us well out of our way, but eventually we landed back on the I-5 North.  It’s a good thing that I was driving, because I’m not confident that our relationship could have withstood the stresses of being lost in a major city had Carv been at the wheel.  And it only took us an extra hour to get home. :o)  What an adventure!

Okay, so I had a whole plan to write today about my fabulous weekend, but due to work shiznit hitting the fan at 8:10 am, I will just do a weekend in pictures and hopefully I can update this entry tomorrow.

Carv & I went to Portland and we saw: The Japanese Gardens, Saturday Market, China Town, Powell’s City of Books, and a plethora of restaurants.

New Food I tried: Dim Sum, Beef Hearts, Octopus, Duck, Yuca plant, acai berry drink, habanero tasty drink, blue corn drink.

Okay, okay.  The cake turned out “alright.”  It wasn’t the fanciest cake, by any means, but it tasted pretty good, and wasn’t too bad to look at.  I was the only paranoid one…and sometimes I can get paranoid.

As far as other business goes, I had quite an eventful three day weekend.  Thursday night, Carv & I went to see “Run Fatboy, Run.”  (Slightly charming if Simon Pegg can be believed to be fat <hardly.>  This is more of a renter folks!)

Afterwards, we decided to go on a midnight run to Wal Mart to get groceries for my Indiana Jones sleepover.  This being our first grocery trip together, was quite the learning experience.  We were in the produce section, and he had to go get some strawberries, and I wandered onto the meat aisle, which is visible from the produce section. I really didn’t feel like I was gone for long, and when I came back, I couldn’t find him ANYWHERE.  I looked, and waited for a few minutes…and finally decided to move on, that he would catch up.

Well, apparently this was the wrong move, because when I found him almost 45 minutes later, he insisted that he was in the exact same spot as I was, waiting for me for 10 minutes.  I tried to do a little more shopping, but I could feel the fire being bore into the back of my head by his stare, so we finished.  It probably didn’t help that I was getting slap happy and giggling because it was so late. I hate shopping at Wal Mart.  Hate it.

Friday we went to the Farmer’s Market, and watched another movie…Death at a Funeral.  This was very funny – I quite enjoyed it!  If you like British humor, you might, too!

Saturday we spent getting ready for my party – and by attendance, it was a smash.  I had about a dozen people there, most with their jammies on & fuzzy slippers.

Carv did a lot of cooking, and it was delicious!  He does prompt me to be a little more adventurous with my food choices, and I tried Spicy Southwestern mussels.  They were Dee-Lish!  His Monkey Brains (jello shots) were scary, but once we encouraged everyone, they got eaten, and his eyeball soup was tasty.

The only casualty from the drinking game would be none other than the hostess herself.  Shortly after the 2^nd movie started, I made my way to the bathroom and pretty much made myself cozy on the floor for the next two hours.  I was not completely out of my faculties, but it was a combination of the drinks I had and the spicy food that put me over the edge.  Cheap champagne, you are not my friend!

More than anything, I felt guilty that I left Carv in charge of everyone, and also feeling like he had to take care of me.  He was a trooper, though…and I’m pretty sure he’s forgiven me, although it will probably be something he teases me about for a long, long time.  Consider this a lesson learned!

I’m excited because it’s Wednesday!  And that means I’m driving out to see Carv, have dinner w/ his family, and watch Top Chef!  I am by no means a gourmet, and would not even raise my nose to say I’m a foodie, but I do like to watch this show.

Carv, on the other hand, is very MUCH a foodie, and always talks about all the different foodie foods he likes to make.  (Please keep in mind that he has YET to cook for me!)  He does come from a long line of good cooks, it seems, though.  So I’m anxiously awaiting my first special Dinner a la Carv.  But, I think his mom is cooking tonight.  Tacos.  I LOVE tacos.  So I agreed to bring a dessert. Easy enough, right?

Well, I decided to go super simple, and make a jello poke cake.  Light and fluffy goodness, how could I go wrong?  So, I pull my cake out of the oven last  night, and it had a big sink hole right in the middle of the cake.  WHAT THE CRAP?!

I called my mom, and asked her what I should do.  Should I still bring it? Or should I just put extra cool whip in the middle of the cake so you can’t tell until you cut into it? :o)

Well, get ready, I’m going to take it, and they better not tease me about it, or they can go make their own damn cake.  It still tastes good, and that’s good enough for me.

So I’ll show up with my orange creamsicle cake with the big sink hole, and a nice BOX of wine.  Whattya say?

With my assistant out, and scheduling on a brand new system, it has been quite a busy day!  I wanted to take a moment to update on the goings-on in my world.  (I know, riveting stuff).

This was the last weekend for “Boy Gets Girl,” with our largest crowd being Saturday night. (34 people, woohoo!!!)  Sunday’s performance was a little bit of a let down, with only 5 people in the audience.  We got the set tore down after the show and I got home around 8pm last night.  Let me tell ya, a bubble bath never felt so good!

So, I feel almost obligated to go to jazzercise tonight, but I am tired and not really feeling like being around people.   You know you’ve had enough when the idea of doing laundry is more appealing than being out and about.

On a disappointing note, I have a $50 gift certificate for a restaurant here in town that I just found out went out of business.  How irritating is that?  Granted, I won the certificate about a year ago, but still!  I’ve been meaning to use it!  I was saving it for a special occasion.  Blah…oh well. 

Okay, that’s all for now! 

So the play this weekend went well.  Friday night was NOT my best performance, twice my mind went totally blank all of a sudden and I couldn’t remember my name, let alone my lines.  As my friend Beth says: Recover & Dominate!  The only people that really knew  were the other actors, but everyone has done it, so they could only tease me so much. :o)

When it comes to surprises, I’m really bad about keeping the secret.  I mean, Christmas kills me.  You buy presents, and then I have to wait WEEKS to give them to everyone?!!!  The anticipation really gets my adrenaline going.

Anyways, I just had a BRILLIANT idea for something for Carv…and although it seems like I should wait for a special day like his birthday, I just don’t know if I can wait until June for this one.  I’ve been bouncing around ever since I thought of it, and I just wanna blab to him and everyone.  It’s gonna be GREAT! Carv – you are gonna looooooooooooooooooove me!

So, the show went well this last weekend.  My performances were pretty good (and really, that’s what I can control, so that’s what I care most about).  The average attendance was….about 15 each show. :o)  A little lame, but oh well.

My parents endured the show on Sunday.  Now that I think about it, they never said that they “enjoyed it,” but that Carv & I did a good job.  I heard later that my mom told my aunt it was sad.  I know it’s not happy, but I never really considered it sad…more creepy.  They said I played a detective very well, and that I must have watched a lot of Law and Order, which I DIDN’T (hate that show).  I did intentionally take some of my mannerisms from my dad, though.  Just two more weeks and I’ll be done!

Here's a photo of me, which Carv says makes me look like Hillary Clinton.  I'm not seeing it, but I can't see much beyond that ugly jacket.

Here's a photo of Heather (the leading lady) and Carv.  We will be glad when the sideburns go away.

I’m a little stressed today, and I can’t really put my finger on the exact reason.  Yes, work is annoying  me.  We are having a system conversion at the end of the month, and I’m trying to be positive that when they tell me little quirks in the new system will be fixed by then, they will be, BUT I’ve worked at this company long enough to know that that is a big joke.  MANTRA: I shouldn’t stress out about things beyond my control.  I’m residually stressed for a few things going on with Carv, but again, not really much he can do about these things, let alone me.  REPEAT MANTRA.

I’m totally stoked about a pajama party I’m throwing on April 5^th.  We will be watching all three Indiana Jones movies and I’ll be making breakfast for everyone that actually stays overnight.  It’s pretty funny…about 25% of the people I’ve told about this pajama party idea roll their eyes in disbelief or disgust or something, but 75% of the people are GIDDY with DELIGHT!  I even have some friends from Oregon that are gonna make a special trip up, I think!

Even funnier was my mom’s reaction when I told her what I was plotting.  “Is it….girls only?” She asked me.

“Heck no, mom!  Everyone’s coming!  Can I borrow all of your air mattresses??”

Hehe…I’m sure my parents are wondering where they went wrong with me…

The play I’m in opens this Thursday!    Some aspects of it I am excited about.  Just the opportunity to be in a show again is thrilling.  I’ve met new people and am making new friends and it’s just nice to stretch beyond my current circle.  So, yay for that!

There are aspects that I’m nervous about.  Mostly I’m nervous that I might pull a Cindy Brady and forget all my lines the minute I walk on stage.  (Does anybody remember that episode?  Hmmm…all I remember is Cindy staring at the flashing red light on top of the tv camera).  I’m also a little nervous that the audience is going to be very close to the action.  Hopefully with lighting I won’t see them much.

I will say that it has been a tough show, mostly because it is NOT a happy story, and I guess the end has a twist, in that it doesn’t end the way you think it should.    So, after rehearsal I’ve been a little drained.  There are other reasons that have made it a tough show, but I’m going to blame it on the script. 

It’s definitely a good experience, though! 

So, I was going to go to the gym during lunch, but the sun is shining, and the fresh Vitamin D was calling my name, so I took a walk instead.  I know I didn’t burn many calories like I would at the gym, but it sure smells a lot fresher, and put me in a better mood.  (Mood being relative, I’ve been riding that fine line of Ms. PMS SuperCrank.)  Oh well!

This last weekend Carv & I went to my good friend Lea’s birthday party.  We were sitting in a roomful of people that we didn’t know (Lea & hubby were in the other room) and here is the following conversation that we had with Lea’s mom:

Mom: So, where do you two live?

Me: Oh, I live in a condo here in town, and Carv lives in “Friendly Town.”

Mom: OH, I thought you were MARRIED…

Me: Oh no…he’s my…er…(glancing up at Carv)…he’s my buh….my…WE’RE A COUPLE!  (reassuring pat on his leg).

Carv: (laughing) She has trouble calling me her boyfriend.  We’re working on it.

Everytime someone new came into the room, Lea’s mom would introduce us. “This is Amanda and Carv.  THEY ARE BOYFRIEND - GIRLFRIEND”

By the third time she did this, I was pretty darn embarrassed and Carv was laughing because she was teasing me so bad.  I wasn’t upset, it was pretty funny.  But I do have some weird mental block at the word “boyfriend.”

Seriously, it sounds like such a high schooly thing to say.  There really isn’t any other word that fits him, though…because he definitely is my boyfriend (and I wouldn’t want it any other way).  When I have introduced him in the past, I’ve said “This is my friend, Carv.”  He has called me on that more than once, in a teasing way.  He says it doesn’t bother him, but on some level it probably does. 

Friend is not a very fair term – I just assume that people know what I’m talking about, or that they will figure it out, but it does leave it rather open ended.  I did tell him that I was practicing calling him “My Man.”  Which is true.  He then asked me if he was to call me “His Lady.”  And I said no – he doesn’t have any issue saying “girlfriend” so he doesn’t need a new term.

Thesaurus.com is helping me out with some new words…anything sound snappier than “boyfriend?” 

admirer, baby, beau, companion, crush, date, escort, flame*, follower, gentleman caller, gentleman friend, heartthrob, inamorato, lover, main man, man, old man, paramour, squeeze, steady, suitor, swain, sweetheart, wooer, young man, buff, bug*, devotee, disciple, fan, fancier, freak*, groupie*, hound*, wooer, worshipper, darling, dear, dearest, heartbeat*, honey, number one*, numero uno*, old man, pet*, prize, rave*, significant other, steady, sugar*, sweet, sweetie, sweetie pie, tootsie*, treasure, true love

Although it’s tempting to call him my tootsie, pet, or my old man, I think he might have me whacked.  I could call him my freak, or my boo…those just have kind of a connotation. Hmmmm…maybe freak could work.  Or my worshipper.

Am I goofy about the word “boyfriend?”  Tell me!

 

 

Monkey Bread Rolls

1 34.5 oz. package frozen cinnamon sweet roll dough or frozen orange sweet roll dough (12 rolls)

2/3 Cup coarsely chipped pecans

1/3 Cup butter or margarine, melted

1 Cup sugar

1/3 Cup caramel ice cream topping

1 Tablespoon maple-flavor syrup

 

1. Place frozen rolls about 2 inches apart on a large greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight to let dough thaw and begin to rise. Frosting packets if present, can be set aside for another use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 10 inch fluted tube pan. Sprinkle 1/3 Cup of the pecans over the bottom of the tube pan.
3. Cut each roll into quarters. Dip pieces in melted butter, then roll in sugar. Layer pieces in prepared pan. (Or dip and roll whole rolls; arrange rolls on their sides in the tube pan.) Drizzle with any remaining butter; sprinkle with any remaining sugar. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 Cup pecans on top.
4. Combine ice cream topping and syrup; drizzle over tops of rolls in pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let pan stand on wire rack for 1 minute. Invert rolls onto a large serving platter. Spoon any topping and nuts that remain in pan onto rolls. Cool slightly. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings.
5. 382 cal per serving, 14 g. fat, 2 g fiber

 

I might recommend putting a cookie sheet underneath the tube pan.  I used an angel food cake pan, and well, all the gooey caramel somehow ended up on the bottom of my oven.  Good thing it’s self-cleaning!!!