Barb's Burblings

What the stars say about me

I remain oddly fascinated by what my astrological sign says about me. I found yet another site detailing the traits of a Scorpio. Some of the highlights:

...compulsive and obsessive...

Their feelings are so intense that even when their love is of the highest, and most idealistic kind, they are nevertheless frequently protagonists in tragic, even violent romances, "star-crossed lovers."

I'm just going to go ahead and blame my obsessiveness on being a Scorpio. At least I'm not all crazy like the folks on Totally Obsessed. I watched 3 episodes of that over the weekend. Watched in horror. That show makes me feel completely normal and much better about my own life.

Current song in my head:
"The Search is Over" by Survivor

Quick lesson

When writing, remember that "i.e." means "that is" and "e.g." means for example (and both should only be used in parentheses). If you're writing and want to include examples, DO NOT USE "i.e." That is WRONG. WRONG. For the love of God.

I'm sorry. It's the same stupid manuscript. It's quarter to 1 on a Saturday night. My frustration level is fairly high. And after dealing with that, a lot, for well over 100 pages...I couldn't deal with it anymore.

Whither art thou, Mr. Darcy?

My favorite part of Entertainment Weekly is the "What to Watch" column. It had been written by Dalton Ross for quite some time, but his successor, Alynda Wheat, is proving to be excellent as well. Namely, it's entries like this that make me like her:

Tuesday, 10-10:30. Dog the Bounty Hunter (A&E, TV-PG-L). Did we seriously lose Nero Wolfe for a former Mafia princess and a dude who chases bail jumpers? What would Horatio Hornblower say? Is he even coming back?! We Anglophiles carried you, A&E! You owe us!

Does this mean John Adams is Pete Best?

With all of these books about the Founding Father hitting the bestseller lists, Joel Achenbach compares them to the Beatles.

Squirrel Update

The Indians won the game, 4-3. The squirrel remained on the field. One can only assume that the management in Cleveland is going to treat that squirrel very well.

From the wrap on the Yankees site:

The squirrel, which appeared in the outfield in the early innings, remained on the field for the entire game, even causing two stoppages of play when it made its way to the infield.

"The squirrel really struggled for us tonight," joked Derek Jeter.

For the full squirrel story, complete with video, go here.

Rally Squirrel

I'm watching the Indians-Yankees game on ESPN2 and during the bottom of the 3rd inning, a squirrel starts running around the outfield. Gary Sheffield watches it, keeping his distance. The squirrel runs around right field for a while, clearly enjoying the lovely grass. The game is continuing, but the camera guy knows that the squirrel is more entertaining. The squirrel breaks for the infield, coming in toward Enrique Wilson. Like Sheffield, he lets the squirrel run free. The squirrel decides to see if he can have a conference on the mound with El Duque, but the home plate umpire stops the game to wait for the squirrel to head back toward the outfield. As the commentators delightedly watch, the squirrel finally takes off for left field, making a play for Hideki Matsui. I guess the squirrel went foul and left the field; that's the last we saw of him.

But during this, the Indians manage to break the tie and take a 2-1 lead. Maybe the squirrel is their good luck charm? I mean, the Indians have somehow managed to have a longer losing streak (9) than the Orioles (8).

Edited to add: Nope, the squirrel is still on the field (top of the 5th). Looks like he remains in the outfield, though. The tv guys are helpfully giving us squirrel updates. I credit the squirrel--the Indians keep making insanely good plays.

Current song in my head:
"Talkin' Baseball (Simpsons version)" by Terry Cashman

Appetizing

Need to spice up a business lunch? Just launch into a detailed description of your recent eye surgery. Works every time.

I love my baby (and I don't mean Brian)

The Washington Post had a nice article about my car-to-be. It makes an interesting point; more people are buying the Prius than the Civic Hybrid because the Prius is more different. Which is, admittedly, what drew me to it. I test drove both and they're very comparable. But the Prius is cooler. And I just can't say no to that. Of course, the Civic costs less...No. I want my Prius.

I bet there were some really confused fish

Adam Dunn hit a baseball in Ohio and it landed in Kentucky. That's just crazy! But also really, really cool.

Another Olympic controversy

Looks like the Iraqi Olympic soccer players aren't too happy about being used in a Bush campaign ad. And how cool was it that Iraq made it to the quarterfinals?

Beautiful day

Today was just one of those perfect days, even though it did start with being woken up by the phone at 9:30. But when the phone call is from Dave saying he has tickets to the Orioles game...well, I didn't mind being woken up. The tickets were amazing. And free! Thanks to a friend of a friend of a friend, I wound up sitting maybe 10 rows back behind the Blue Jays' dugout. It was awesome. We were so close. It was fantastic! Sure, the Orioles lost (Brian went 2-5; his average is up to .282) but I didn't really care. The end was exciting and again, we were really close. That makes up for a lot.

Then I had a lovely evening playing with my friends. We sat around and played and ate and chatted. It was lovely. Then I got home and talked with my sister and Jody and caught up with them, which was also great. And now Carrie and I are caught up in the George Michael Behind the Music. He was crazy young when he hit it big; he was in his early 20s when Wham! was big, and around 25 when Faith came out. That's just kind of crazy to think about.

I didn't get the work done I should have, but that's okay. There are times when it's more important to unwind and play.

Current song in my head:
"Faith" by George Michael

Behold the cute!

New photos in the Colin and Scenery photo albums. See how my apartment was when overrun by cats.

The Lethargy Zone Redux

I walked into the office this morning and immediately knew something was wrong. It was approximately the same temperature inside the building as it was outside. The lobby was warm, the elevator was stifling, and my office was full of hot, unmoving air. The air conditioner broke last night. The temperature in the office is hovering around 81 degrees. I already was tired and had a headache; being warm was the clincher.

I was in the Lethargy Zone again.

Sophomore year of college, Jody, Mary, and I lived in a 130-year-old dorm where the heat was provided by gnomes and there was obviously no air conditioning. And it was hot. We spent most of August and September laying on our beds and eating Pop-Ice. It was the Lethargy Zone. You couldn't do work when you're that hot.

And I'm back there. It's hot. It's Friday. I'm expected to work? I should've just stayed in bed. All my work could be done from home. And they won't let us go home because they're getting it fixed. So by the time we do get to leave for the day, it'll be cool. Swell.

Current song in my head:
"You and I Both" by Jason Mraz

For Carrie's Wedding Album

Carrie and her boyfriend Dom. There were no orange-shirted trolls to stop him from putting his arm around her.

For the wedding album

It seems only fitting to start my blog's new location with a picture of my boyfriend and me. Aren't we cute? Too bad the evil orange-shirted trolls wouldn't let me get closer. Oh well.

You can see all of my pictures from FanFest here.

Time for a "judicious retreat"

My horoscope for today:

If you wake up in the mood to hibernate, do everything you can to pull it off. Every now and then, it's necessary to take a judicious retreat. It's your turn. Of course, if you have the right company, it might not be necessary -- it's mandatory!

Dang it, I knew I should've just stayed in bed. I could've just stayed at home and worked on editing from there. D'oh!

And did anyone else catch Paul Hamm win the gold last night? That was fantastic! What got me was when his score was announced and his coach (?) was hugging him and calling him an Olympic champion, and you could see him go, "No!" And he somehow managed to not cry during the medal ceremony, but you could tell he was close.

Current song in my head:
"Cracklin' Rose" by Neil Diamond

Spoiled

Another nice thing about spending a good chunk of the day away from the office is that I'm, for once, not spoiled for all the Olympics events. I've found out the results of pretty much all the big events before they aired, which has led to me not really watching the Games, and when I do, not getting that into them. And I'm certainly not getting all, "Let's go, Team USA!" I'm getting much more of a kick out of watching stuff like table tennis and women's volleyball (I'm currently watching an equestrian event) than the big stuff like swimming and gymnastics.

I've always liked the Winter Games more than the Summer Games, even enjoying my Winter Games computer game than my Summer Games one. When the Winter Olympics are on, I'm glued to the tv. At the moment...well, I flip over during O's games.

From the "Technology is Evil" file

I don't know where that navigation bar came from, but I'm annoyed at how it interferes with the actual page. Stupid Blogger. Makes me wish I were more savvy about web pages and stuff.

How I met my boyfriend

Whee! I met Brian today! I attended the O's DC FanFest this afternoon. Don't worry, my boss told I could take a super long lunch as long as I came back with Brian's autograph and a picture of the two of us. Which I did (well, the pictures haven't been developed yet; I'll post the pics when I get them, assuming that I don't look like total crap, which is a possibility--it was hot and sunny so I'm sure I was all gross). Anyway, Brian was, naturally, totally adorable. And no, I didn't get to touch him, really (our hands brushed as I got the signed picture from him, but that's about it). The little cards he signed listed things like his favorite food (sushi) and hobbies (reading and golf), which indicate that we're clearly quite compatible. I mean, the boy reads. Sexy!

I also met Reserve Oriole Boyfriend Larry Bigbie, who I actually managed to speak to. He gave me a big smile when I walked up (I guess I made a pleasant change from the large group of children in front of me; it was totally a "How you doin'?" look) and I made some comment about how both of us bat left-handed and throw right-handed.

I never said I was articulate around cute boys. Hey, that was better than me with Brian ("Um, can I get a picture with you?").

I wandered around and got other autographs and took lots of pictures (also attending a very hot: Javy Lopez) and chatted with some very nice people. There was also free food, which is definitely a plus. And an excellent cover band.

On a sad note, it looks like Jerry Hairston, the other second basemen, is out for the season with a fractured ankle. Which only proves that the O's made a very good decision in not trading Brian. It is upsetting; Jerry's been doing really well in the outfield and it was nice having them both in the lineup.

Current song in my head:
"Centerfield" by John Fogerty

Goin' to a movie fest at the county jail

Uh oh. It's the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. You know what that means: Elvis Movie Marathon!

Smokin' hot -- and not just in looks

The American League Player of the Week? Just guess. Check out those stats! And I'll get to meet him Wednesday...

Mmm, cookies

I was at the grocery store yesterday and I found myself debating what to do. I wanted to buy something sweet, for when I, you know, crave something sweet. But I didn't want to buy cookies, because I'd wind up eating them in 3 or 4 sittings and feel guilty and then they'd be gone. Then I came upon these. Nabisco has started putting out 100 calorie packs of various products, including Chips Ahoy. Instead of actual cookies, they're "thin crisps" that seem like a combination of a cracker and a cookie. Kind of weird, but they're actually quite good. I highly recommend them. So I can satisfy my craving, but not feel guilty about it. And I know I sound like a commercial at the moment, but I'm just really, really happy about this. (No, it doesn't take much to make me happy.)

A tricky strategery

Do you miss Will Ferrell's George W. Bush impersonation? Check out a clip he did here to raise money for ACT (America Coming Together).

Kiss me, I'm left-handed

Tomorrow is Left-Handers Day! I think everyone should celebrate by treating a left-handed person to dinner.

I know you're all looking

I know you're all looking forward to when the baseball season is over and I stop talking about Brian. But really, he had a fantastic night last night. He went 4-5, walked once, and the one time he didn't get a hit or a walk, he wound up on base anyway (having hit into a fielder's choice), so he got on base all six times he was up. He's only grounded into one double play this season in 436 at-bats, the best ratio in either league. He's tied for second for stolen bases in the AL. And he's just too cute. Plus, 8-game winning streak! Yay!

So I'm in a very chipper mood. I woke up to the recap of the O's game. I lost some weight. I'm getting a vacuum cleaner for cheap and a bunch of chick lit books for free (you should check out Freecycle, "a grassroots movement of people who are giving [& getting] stuff for free in their own towns"). It's my compressed week, so I have Friday off. With tomorrow's paycheck I should be able to pay off one of my credit cards. I can sleep in on Saturday because my Saturday morning tutoree is on vacation. I found out that an author I really like is going to be in town next week doing a book signing. Next week is the Orioles DC FanFest, where, with any luck, I'll actually meet Brian--but will be fun even if he isn't there. AND it's Becca's birthday! Whee!

Plus, it's been pleasant outside lately. Not too hot, not too humid. Lovely for August. What's not to love?

Current song in my head:
"Lost in Love" by Air Supply

With all of my talk

With all of my talk of Brian lately, I feel like I've been neglecting my other boyfriends. Don't worry, guys--I still love all of you!

Aww, my boy wrote an

Aww, my boy wrote an article! It needs some work; I'll have to offer up my skills as an editor, I guess. But he's a baseball player, not a writer, so I'm not going to critique, other than to point out that for some reason it has that his father's name is "Robert" when it's actually "Michael." Bizarre. (Oh, and feel free to try to win an autographed, game-worn jersey for me!)

You can tell the summer is drawing to a close, as once again the Washington Post is getting overrun with articles about the Redskins. Argh.

This part of the month of August always makes me think of Spotlight, though, as it's this time that we always had our performances (for some reason the dates August 6-11 spring to mind, which I think were the performance dates for Barnum). Man, I miss those days. Of course, the last summer performance I was in was 11 (!) years ago. Frightening. Stupid time passing.

Current song in my head:
"What Do You Do With a B.A. In English?/It Sucks To Be Me" from Avenue Q

I got another nice letter

I got another nice letter from Toyota today, reassuring me that yes, they do know that I still want a Prius, but it'll be a while. But they thank me for my patience, which is sweet of them. It's not like I have much of a choice, other than going to the dealer and robbing them of their one Prius. Which I wouldn't do. Obviously. *cough*

I'm still working on that manuscript. It's soul-killing. Chris is taking forever with her chapters, too, and it's insanely behind schedule. I can't wait until it's gone. I'll still have to look at it, but man, I'm going to do the dance of joy when it goes into typesetting. Yes, this is the manuscript where the authors pluralized "child" as "childs." Right now I should be working on it. It's not happening so much. Damn you, procrastination! Damn you, Internet!

Current song in my head:
"Mary Mac" by Carbon Leaf

It feels like fall outside.

It feels like fall outside. It goes from being typical August (hot and humid) to being cool and breezy. I left the apartment this morning and felt like I should run back inside for a coat. It's slightly overcast, which doesn't help.

My apartment is currently overrun with cats. There are three there at the moment: Colin, of course; Mia, who I'm watching for Dave and Amber; and Linus, who I'm watching for Liz, a coworker. They're all about the same age, and the overlap of Linus and Mia will only be for a couple of days. It's definitely bizarre having all these cats around, but kind of nice. Except, you know, when they decide to get into a fight in your room--on your bed--at 2 a.m.

Current song in my head:
"I Saw the Sign" by Ace of Bass

The Mariners were in town

The Mariners were in town for a 3-game series so I thought I'd head up and catch a game last night. They're doing worse than the O's, so I knew there'd be a decent chance that I'd get to see the O's win one. So I headed up, bought a ticket, and to my delight, saw that Brian was the cover story for Outside Pitch, the unofficial O's magazine. Hurrah! So I made my way to a seat in my favorite section (Section 72). To make the day even better, Brian came out of the dugout and I saw that he was wearing his pants the cute way (i.e., with high socks, the old-fashioned way), which he hasn't done since the beginning of the season. Pants the cute way:

It was a good game, other than the hour rain delay (it was raining so hard that you couldn't see third base from left field, and there was thunder and lightning all over the place; it was awesome). Brian went 2-4 with 2 RBI and a walk. He had his last at bat in the bottom of the eighth. And he hit a foul ball right that landed about 10 feet to my right. It totally would've been mine except for the father and son sitting between the ball and me. The father snagged the ball. It should've been mine; I totally would appreciate more than the kid. I kind of wanted to grab the ball from the kid and run, but I figured it might be bad karma to mug an 8-year-old. So I went home without it, but still fairly chipper. The O's won 6-3, sweeping the Mariners. Yay!

Except that, due to the rain delay, I didn't get home until midnight. The joy of living where I do is that I can go to an Orioles game and be home by 11, getting me to bed at my usual 11:30. But no. So now I'm really tired. But still fairly happy.

Current song in my head:
"Mix Tape" from Avenue Q

There are certain things I

There are certain things I can't resist. For example, cake. Or, say, insanely cheap airfares to London. Which happened to pop up recently and which I had to take advantage of. You can't say no to airfares of less that $300. You just can't. Well, I can't anyway. So I'll turn 26 in London, getting English boys to buy me drinks. Now I just have to wait the 3 months before I go.

I picked the dates I did (November 3-10) based on the fact that I thought it'd be cool to be away for my birthday. And I realized this morning that I'd be leaving the day after Election Day. Hopefully I'll know who our next president will be when I embark. I imagine it will lead to some interesting discussions. And with any luck, they'll involve sentences like, "Yes, I am very happy that Kerry was elected."

Current song in my head:
"Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez

You all need to go

You all need to go get tickets for Avenue Q right now. I'll wait. I saw this on Thursday and it was the best show I've seen in a long time. Very funny, but it had an emotional core that's missing from a lot of comedies. And it also seemed geared to people my age, i.e., recently out of college. You should at least visit the website--it has a few video clips. I mean, a show that has a song called "Schadenfreude" has to be good.

So the trade deadline has come and gone and my boy is still with the Orioles. That doesn't mean he's guaranteed to stay there, but he'll be around for the time being (thankfully!). Poor guy, though; he blew an important play in yesterday's game so probably isn't feeling too good (he also hasn't had a hit in the last couple of games). It's OK, Brian; I still love you!

I had a good week away from the office. Of course, now I have to go back. I think the hardest part about going back to work is just trying to get back into that routine. I get used to not going to work, to sitting around and sleeping in and lazing around. I enjoy that! Oh well. I guess I need to do something to, you know, pay rent, etc. But if you're having trouble getting into your day, you can always play Simon for a little bit.

Of course, now I need to unpack and go through my mail and pay bills and update my check register and clean the litter box (particularly important since we have two cats in the apartment at the moment--we're watching Mia, Dave and Amber's cat) and go through 4 days' worth of newspapers. And, of course, go out and buy the Avenue Q cast recording.

Current song in my head:
Just the beeping from playing Simon