Perfect day for a sleepy nap

I may not make it all the way through today. I am struggling with whether I'd like to take vacation time this afternoon or not. I'm going to stop accruing it if I don't take some in the next few weeks, so I do need to take some time, but no one else is today, and I feel like I will be a bum if I'm the slacker leaving early. I also think I want to reserve it for the next two weeks, just in case. I'm really leaning towards leaving early today. My brain needs a break to find some clarity.

Booo for my late-streak

Boss had to be a boss today and I got "yelled at" for coming in 10-15 minutes late each day this week. Granted, it was exaggerated by my cube-neighbor who always comes in late and leaves on time, so we both were tut-tutted. I fall into a crack with my levaing time. If I lived 10 minutes closer, my timing would be perfect because I could leave on an even time- like, "leave by 7:30". The problem is, if I leave at 7:30, traffic is horrid. If I leave at 7:40, traffic is okay but I get here late. If I leave at 7:15, #1, I'd get to work about 7:40, and #2, it'd be wicked early. Dumb traveling time and traffic. I suppose it will be early days for me then. I may be lazy, but it's annoying because I have to spend today and tomorrow, and early next week feeling guilty about my behavior that I can't do anything about now, yet still irritated, because "the man" (not just my boss) indicates I be here by 8 am everyday. We don't even open until 8:30. I'm going to need to figure out what to do now with all my spare time in the mornings. :(

Quick Chat

Got a notice that Linger is waiting for me at the library, so this saturday I will be cruising by there. Hopefully I will be able to finish The Power and the Glory prior to then, especially since it's due after a renewal (plus I've been talking about it forever- for shame). They have a cozy reading room that overlooks the river, and I'm going to go for a "me-calmed-down" phase.

Dinner last night was ruined because even though it cooked all day, it wasn't plugged in. I love coming home to $15 worth of meat and veggies that have sat out for 10 hours AND the added bonus of nothing to eat when you discover it. I scrambled to make myself some pasta with cheese and mope around a bit before passing out for a nap. The plan was to go to the gym but husband didn't get home until almost 9 and I had decidedly less desire to go traipsing through the gym after I had been cozy and sleeping. The plan is to make it there tomorrow night, when he'll be home earlier. We're both supposed to make it there on our own today, but we decided last weekend that we actually like making each other go and exercising next to each other. Weird, because I never really thought that would be a comfort. Turns out, it is.

Now I must plot out where inside the cool building I can secure a safe napping spot during lunch since my car is an oven the last few days. I have the choice of being caught in a bathroom, meeting room, or trying to get shut eye in a locker room that has a single wooden bench (with no back) and lights that don't shut off. It's times like these that nap-booths need to come to America.

Thar she blows! Gonna be another long one

Nearly everyone is gone today at work. Not that I need people to be here to do my work but it's a motivating factor and without it, the day drags. Luckily, I put more awesome music on my ipod, so I'll be entertained by new songs. Among those on my latest go-playlist:

Brandi Carlile; Christina's new (rather trampy) album; Club 8; A Fine Frenzy; Fleet Foxes; Florence + the Machine; Gossip; The Swell Season; Ingrid Michaelson; Grizzly Bear; La Roux; Leaves; Lenka; Marie Digby; John Mayer; Real Estate; Norah Jones; She & Him; Seal's "Soul" album; The Temper Trap. I know some of these aren't "new" but I still like to rediscover old classics.

Last night we ate a really fab crockpot dinner consisting of that steak I jabbered on about yesterday. (Toss some chopped onions under a flank or top round steak. Top that with a mixture of 1 can salsa, 2 tsp chili powder; salt, pepper, oregano. Top that with a can of drained black beans and cook for 7-9 hours on low. Pop in chopped red & yellow peppers for 30 min. on high. Wa-lah!) It was pretty tasty and is supposed to be healthy too. We're really on the Good Ship Healthy-Eats these days.

Now, I just have to get back into the swing of visiting my old friend, the gym. We've kind of been on the outs because I find him pretty boring and I don't like to call on him more than a couple of days a week because there are more interesting or necessary ways to spend my time. I begrudge Mr. Internet, Stevie Clean, and Ms. Library much less, and have recently become very partial to spending time with my latest most-favourite friend, Sally Napsalot. Just like Stella, I'm certain I will get my groove back soon and update on this sometime in the near future.

Insert Jeopardy Song Here

I can just tell today is going to go on forever. It's supposed to rain, and for once I'm not so tired that I feel like taking a nap at lunch in my car. I'd much rather be at home cuddling with my puppies, reading, and enjoying the smell of the crockpot cooking up what I assume is going to be a stellar southwestern steak and peppers meal.

I'm listening to Shanghai Girls by Lisa See as I drive to and from work. I used to be really irritated by the characters- they were so selfish and ignorant. They've had so many bad things happen to them by the halfway point that I can't help but like them, so now they're just slightly ignorant. Not to say it's not worth reading, because it is. Surprisingly, these stupid, selfish characters are worth investing in, if only for the fact that the book explores the experience of Chinese immigration to the US (California) in late 1930's. I'd say it is worth taking a look.

Outside of the audio-experience, I'm reading The Power and the Glory, which to my surprise as I got through the first few pages, is about a renegade nicknamed 'the whiskey priest'. If that's not cool, I'm not sure what is. I feel like Graham Greene has a lot of elements of Christ-personified in his books, and my guess would be that it happens here too, but I'm happy to read and find out.

Little Charlie has been on a record-streak for non-bathroom accidents in the house. Streak broken yesterday, and it was all my fault. I ignored him because I just couldn't get my ipod updating to work. Low and behold, not more than two minutes later, I hear a sharp, high powered spraying of liquid on the floor. He only squirted a bit, to tell me it really was time, poor guy. He wanted to go outside, he really did, and he told me, but dogs are apparently only as smart and wonderful as their owners. I guess this gives me something to shoot for.

I sure wish it was Rex Manning Day

Title comes from a blog post I just read by See Frankie Write about how Empire Records should be a Young Adult novel. I adore that movie and have been pondering why I don't own it, or my other favorites, including Scream and possibly, The Craft. I'm too busy these days and have a sick dog, which throws things off even a bit more. I just relaly don't know how the next few days will shake out and what nightmares could await us. I think the only cure for my mini-blues/stress/sleep-deprivation is a roof-top dance party.

Busy Bee buzz buzz

I found myself with a larger stack of work than I anticipated earlier when I was listing my responsibilities. I'm not quite in the mood to hang out and laugh at the video of last night's plan commission meeting, so I'm here, doing this for about three more minutes. I need to write the minutes for a meeting where no one showed up. The joys of public disinterest...

I'm smack in the middle of The Year of the Flood (companion novel to Oryx and Crake which I LOVED) by Margaret Atwood. I can't wait to dig into her other stuff. It's difficult to explain, but it centers on the lives of two women who are segregated from the outside world because a waterless-flood (an airborne plague of sorts) was released months ago by a pharmaceutical company. Pretty much everyone who wasn't locked in an airtight space was killed, animals and animal/human gene hybrids are running rampant, the whole semi-apocalypse deal.

I'm also in the middle of The Eight, by Katherine Neville which is a mix of historical and regular fiction and is about the fantastic world of Chess. I'm not joking- that's what it's relaly about. I've heard that the ending either blows your mind or is kind of "eh". I'm a fan of chess, especially when I'm winning, and therefore am hoping it will be the prior.

In other news, I met with two HS buddies and one of their adorable babies. Lots of fun. Looking forward to meeting up with gard school friends for pizza at our cute little riverfront Italian place on Saturday. Note to self: Remove majority of dog hair from home and stock the liquor shelf. Off to punish myself at the gym. I might just go sit on a stationary bike with my book. At least it's something, right? {slight cringe and guilty face} Iiiiiiiittt's Taco Night!!!

My library stack is sick! (and other ramblings)

Recently I have been really stuck on that saying that never reeeallly caught on 10 years ago. Anyway, I mean that my (sadly ever-growing) pile of library rentals is sky-high and ALL things that I want to read yesterday. I still have many of the books I listed the last time I had a major list. Thank goodness I can renew books, and check-outs are a month because I am going to be selfish. I have a record 27 items (eesh) checked out right now. Granted, 1/3 of them are CD's that I can't burn yet (for my own listening pleasure only) because our itunes computer cracked out on us. Technically it was the mouse that began leeching battery fluid, but it was a "good excuse" to upgrade. Yay for (not-so) new technology I need to learn to use! Therefore, I still have a staggering 18 books that "need" to be read by the end of July. Among those I am eagerly anticipating when I'm done with the current reads:

The Power and the Glory. It's old but I adored the Quiet American, hated The End of the Affair, and am curious as to which side of love/hate Graham Greene I'll end up on.

The 13th Hour. Dude is accused of killing his wife, he's innocent and is given the chance to go back and find out what happened & re-do things.

Les Dangereuses - The original Cruel Intentions. Catherine and Mr. Valmont? Yes please. Blame me being a teenage product of the 90's...

In other news, Husband and I watched Brick last evening. It had a good storyline, but the high-school scenario meshed with a 1940's Detective/Police Chief scene and language that No One (other than perhaps modern Shakespeare) would use was a stretch. I just see Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who still rocked this movie) as the weepy kid from 10 Things I Hate About You. Again, I was still a teen in 2000...

I probably have way more to share, including the tornado-like uprooting of our only backyard tree, my new affection for women singers who to me sort of sound and look like fairies, my pee-hazardous dog-child, and my excitement at completing the paint job on my thrift-store nightstand find. I have a very exciting life- just livin' the dream.