Meaning

March 22nd, 2007

I was thinking the other night about downloading music and what it means for the poor old cd.  I am a child of tapes and a teenager of cds - meaning, I guess, that when I was a child (excluding my first Kiss albums) my music came on tapes and when I turned about 14 I got my first cd player and from there on out it was all cds.  As a kid I would get actual tapes from the store or tape music directly from the radio…oh the good ole days.  It took a lot more patience back then to accomplish that sort of thing.  You would have to wait for the radio station to play the song you wanted and be ready with your tape recorder…and pray that your little sisters wouldn’t come in and yell something which would interfere with the recording….because remember for all of you born after 1980 - the tape recorder was taping from your speakers, not internally.

Anyway, where am I going with this…basically I’m thinking about why I love my cds so much and even now when I could easily download new music I still will go and buy a cd most of the time.  And I think it’s for the same reason I buy books and don’t go to the library.  Because there is a slight chance this book with be so good that I couldn’t part with it.  The book becomes the physical thing I can hold on to when I’m finished reading.  I can just glance at my bookcase and see it sitting on the shelf and it makes me happy - like getting a hug from a friend.  And I love my cds the same way, even when I’m not listening to the music I can see the cd cover in passing and think back on how the music makes me feel.  And going one step further, I love physical cds because they come, if I’m lucky, with lyrics and I’m a person who can’t help but sing along.  I also love liner and artist thank you notes.  It just takes me one more step closer to knowing, or feeling like I know, what the musician was thinking about when they created the music.  Because if I love the cd, like I love Chinatown by The Be Good Tanyas, for instance, I want to be able to cram every ounce of them into my brain…and I feel like I get that from buying actual cds.

NOW, I know what you are thinking - A, Krista you are making not one ounce of sense or B, Krista - um haven’t you heard of websites??  And my answer is this - I know I am not making sense, but this is my blog and I don’t always have to and B, but I can’t be on a website all the time.  Like, right now I can see my Chinatown cd…I can look at it and see the cover and smile about how awesome the album is…but I also can see behind it my Patty Griffin album that I was listening to along with it and my Wilco cd…all of it…visually and not virtually.  I suppose that is what I don’t like…I don’t want all of my stuff to be virtual…I don’t want them all to be stored somewhere that I can’t see.  I want them to be sitting in my apartment, next to my books, and my cat, and my shoes….does that make sense?

Can I get an amen?

Memories

March 19th, 2007

Hippo, originally uploaded by kriscuz.

I just wanted to post something pretty today.

I Heart Police Blotters

March 16th, 2007

Here are some reasons why -

An Elma man was charged with theft, resisting arrest
and second-degree obstruction of governmental
administration after a store owner reported the man stole
a 30-pack of beer and fled the scene on a go kart. Police
followed the suspect, who threw the beer and fled on foot
on Erie Street. Police found him hiding under fallen brush.
 

A patrol responded to the complaint of an unwelcome
guest pounding on the door of a French Lea Road
residence. Upon the officer’s arrival, the suspect, who had
a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, was standing on
the porch. When asked what he was doing, the suspect
said he was, “trying to get some action.” 

Harassment was reported on Sheridan Drive. Someone
entered a restaurant, pulled the complainant’s hair and
yanked menus out of her hands.

An Amherst resident returned to her home to find the
house unlocked and a non-threatening note in her
bathroom.

A Marine Drive tenant reportedly threatened to get the
landlord “ghetto style.”

A police officer responded to a complaint of a suspicious
person on Seneca Street. The officer stopped to question
an individual, who refused to answer questions and had
no identification on him. When the patrol asked the man
to have a seat, the suspect backed away. The officer
grabbed the man’s arm, and the suspect began to wrestle
with him, dumping over a container of an alcoholic
beverage he had been carrying. The suspect was placed
under arrest but began talking about Satan, “the beast”
and Leviathan, and started reciting strange chants. He told
the officer, “Oh yeah, buddy, you messed with the wrong
guy.”

Officers responded to Harvard Avenue, Depew, to
investigate a report of a motor vehicle accident with a cat.
The cat was pronounced dead at the scene. (something tells me the cat didn’t have much of a chance)

A 43-year-old Depew woman reported that her 41-
year-old husband hit her with a hot dog during an
argument.

A woman reported that she had been receiving strange
phone calls almost daily since Sept. 1 in which an
unknown caller whispers, “What do you want?” and, “Can I
clean your house?”

Several pairs of women’s undergarments were found
super glued to the hood of a person’s car near Brompton
Road. It turned out that someone was playing a prank on
a friend.

The patrol stopped a vehicle for crossing over the
double yellow lines on Union Road. The driver appeared to
be nervous and had bloodshot eyes. When asked if he had
taken any drugs, the suspect replied, “I’ve taken all sorts
of drugs, but nothing in the last couple months.”

A man in the Sheridan Parkside neighborhood had said
that he was chased by another man with a Louisville
Slugger baseball bat. When asked why, the party admitted
to having an affair with the first man’s wife.

Police responded to a parking lot on Sheridan Drive over
two youths fighting over a fast food order. One of the
boys apparently had stolen the other’s sweet-n-sour
sauce.

A security guard of a Depew grocery store reported that
a man grabbed a 12-pack of beer, some powdered drink
mix, a can of sardines and a box of condoms and ran out
the door. (Sounds like he’s got one heck of a night planned)

Police responded to a report of a disturbance at an
Edson Street address. They arrived to find a vehicle parked
on the front lawn and still running. The driver said she
had received harassing phone calls from a female at the
address and decided to confront her and drove onto the
lawn, nearly striking several people. She reportedly exited
the vehicle screaming and trying to punch everyone in the
front yard.

An East Bentham Parkway resident reported someone
tasted her meatloaf. No evidence of such crime was
found.

A young boy called from a cell phone on Kings Highway
reporting he had been knocked off of his bike by water
balloons thrown by a group of high school seniors in a
car. (awww, this one is just sad)

A Sable Palm Drive resident complained her boyfriend
was intoxicated and urinating on everything.

A man reported he went to get his car from a Genesee
Street parking lot when he lost his 13-year-old son.
Reportedly the youth saw a spider, panicked, and was
hiding somewhere in the lot. He was located. (again, this kid is 13!, unless he’s retarded he will never live it down)

Menacing was reported on Kenville Road when a woman, in her 30s, dressed in all red clothing, was chasing people in the street with a fork. She was taken home. (what can I say, I was having a bad day)

Lancaster police and fire officers responded to a report of a fire on Sandridge Road in Alden, but determined that a resident had burnt his pancakes.

A 20-year-old woman was locked out of an Euclid Avenue house by her 14-year-old brother, who was “just being a punk.”

A Bramblewood Lane resident reported that a turkey could not seem to find its way out of a neighbor’s backyard, which is completely fenced with a swimming pool. Resident said turkey was “crazily walking back and forth.”

Several young men “seemed to be up to no good,” a Homewood Avenue caller reported. The group was sitting in the driveway on lawn chairs enjoying cigars because the home-owners wife didn’t appreciate the smoke smell in the house.  (this one just made me laugh because I like to think about the person who made the call about men being “up to no good)

A Main Street, Depew, man, after reporting the theft of
his medication, asked police if it was true that if you file a
police report you can get a free prescription. Officers
gave the man a “stern, verbal reply” to this comment, and
told him the rumor was false.

A Depew resident reported that four suspicious adults
with children were in the area, ringing doorbells. Police
determined the suspects to be Jehovah’s Witnesses.

A male was reportedly yelling and screaming in his
Randolph Avenue driveway. Police reported he actually
was trying to rap.

Police aided a confused adult on Walden Avenue who
stated “The eye in the sky was watching her.”

 

The Wonderful World of Temping

March 16th, 2007

I’m temping again after getting the cleat from the NFL.  So you know what this means?  Yep - it’s time for the much loved…Temp Rating System ™!

Just so you can remember - here is the rating scale:

1 = Hellish
3 = Are they serious with this shit?
5 = Fine, if you have no expectations
7 = Niiiice
10 = Are there any job openings?

And I grade the following perks:  snacks and drinks, chair, other admins, boss man, air tempertature, location, and extras.

Today I am temping at a place I’ll call Real Estate Whopper and here are the grades.

  • Snacks and Drinks: 4 - Negligable - They offer water at three different tempertatures (Cold, Warm, and Hot) ohhhh, and the corportate standard pod coffees and teas.  And get this…they have a coke machine…a machine where they charge you 60 cents for a soda…um, hello Real Estate Whopper, most companies give you free sodas these days!  And if that wasn’t bad enough…it was all sold out!  No snacks at all.  Yesterday they had what looked like a stale tray of holiday cookies left over from some boring meeting, but who is going to touch those? 
  • Chair: 6 - after raising the chair up to normal person height (the girl I’m temping for (Natasha) must be a dreaded mini person) it was ok.  Nothing fancy, although it does have a nice extra back support.  I bet Natasha had to pay for it herself.
  • Other Admins: 9 - I’ve only been introduced to one and she’s pretty darn nice.  She showed me how to do things and is really pleasant - not much small talk from her, but who really needs that?  The cube walls are high and I can’t see anyone else anyway.
  • Boss Man: 8 - What boss man?  There is no one here.  I have no idea why they even bothered hiring an admin for three days.  Yesterday I was given exactly 15 minutes of work…for the entire 8 hours and today it looks like I’ll get even less work.  I shouldn’t complain about that, it gives me more blog time, but I kind of like to be kept busy…it makes the day go by faster.
  • Air Temperature: 6 - Yesterday everyone was complaining it was too hot in here, but I didn’t really notice.  Today it’s cooler because it’s SLEATING outside.  Seriously, sleating and hailing…it actually hurt to walk to work.  They are calling for 3 to 5 inches in the city.
  • Location: 7 - I’m right behind FAO Shwartz, which would be cool if I were 10 years old…and that also means I’m right next to Bergdorfs which would be cool if I had MONEY.  All in all the location is ok.  It’s only about 4 blocks from the subway, so it’s manageble.
  • Extras: 3 - Um, not really any extras.  Most of the websites I like to look at during the day are blocked.  WTF?  They block “Alternative Journals”.  Nazis!  I’m surprised they didn’t ask me to burn the novel I brought with me at the door.  I have no work to do and I have to listen to ex-jocks talk “money” all day.  Uck.  However, as I noted before the cube walls are high and not many people are around so I pretty much have my time to myself….hmm, I wonder if I could watch Lost from the computer…

Temp Friendly Average: 6.1 - I wouldn’t be upset if I was posted here again, but I wouldn’t look forward to it.

*Update - I just noticed, it seems Natasha is really covering her bases when it comes to spirituality.  Within her cube there are 3 pictures of saints (Our Lady of Guadalupe particularly - I’m not quite sure what she does, but Natasha seems to think she can help.  Ahh, after further research it seems Miss Guadalupe is in charge of making children get born…something tells me Natasha might be preggers).  There is also a Budda shrine.  I’m not kidding.  There is an actual shrine to budda.  It’s on a striped mat.  The Budda is placed in the middle and there are what appear to be bead necklaces around it, like the kind you get for showing your tatas to floats in New Orleans…who knew Budda liked those?  Around the necklaces are 8 smooth pebbles and to the right of Budda is a few leaves in water.  ABOVE the Budda is a dreamcatcher.  I’m not making this up! 
 

Yeah, I know it’s been a long time - And?

March 15th, 2007

dear best friend,
i thought of all people i could write you about my problem.  after all, you are the best friend.  i have a friend that is NOT a good friend.  however, she’s a friend i’ve had for a really long time and is someone i’ve confided in a lot- someone i used to think of as my best friend.  lately we don’t spend much time together anymore and don’t talk like we used to- it’s more just catching up on stupid little things than being friends.  she is in a relationship with another friend of mine and they like being together and in their apartment more than being with other people.  i notice more and more how manipulative she is, how she puts me down, and how she puts down things i do.  i would confront her about this, but i’ve tried this before and NEVER win arguments.  i’m not good at fighting and i’m too nice.  i realize i need to move on and not be her friend anymore, but how can you just stop being someone’s friend?  it’s hard for me because i don’t have a lot of close people in my life.
signed,
too nice to mean people.

 

Dear Lover Not A Fighter,

First of all, capitalization was invented for a reason…use it. 

Now, down to business.  Life is too short to deal with people who make you feel bad about yourself. 

Sure, you could try to figure out their reason for being manipulative.  You could look into their little manipulative soul and see a person who feels unsure of themselves and their own shortcomings.  Who picks on you because you let them win all of the fights.  You are an easy target.  (Side note - what’s with you not being good at arguing?  Maybe you should look into a debate class?  It never hurts to be able to get your point across - whether it be with a coworker or the little man who makes your coffee in the morning and always puts too much sugar in the cup even though you keep telling him not to…)

A friend is someone who knows all of your secrets but doesn’t dredge them up to make you feel bad about yourself.  Although, even KristaOverbyBestFriend must admit sometimes it is hard not to hold back a story when you know you could make a whole bunch of people laugh…like bringing up the fact that one of your best friends puked in a glass cup once at a party.  Or something like that.  But you know what I mean - don’t let people treat you like shit.  Even if that person once was close, something has now happened that changed that relationship. 

Relationships are constantly morphing because the people in the relationship are evolving too.  Show me a person who has had the same best friends their entire life and I’ll show you a person whose either incredibly boring, non self-reflective, or living in an alternate reality where their best friend is Scott Baio and a dog named Lassie.  I’m not saying you can’t keep friends forever, you can, only they are moved around on the FriendScale ™.  You haven’t heard of my FriendScale you say?  Well, here you go. 

(in the perfect world this would be colorful and shit - just imagine a really cool looking table below)

Me - electric blue - no one loves you as much as you love you (or should).   

Bestest - this would be in a nice calm blue shade - Knows your strengths and all of your faults but loves you anyway.  Would defend you even if you weren’t in the room. Has heard all of your stories but brings up one of your favorites just to hear you tell it to someone new.  Will kick you in the ass when you need it, but never stops thinking you rock.

Good - yellowish orange - Likes you a lot.  Laughs at all of your jokes, even the dumb ones - however, they might roll their eyes at you.  Will come over and hang out with you even if you are sick and don’t have anything to say.

Fine - white - Enjoys your company.  Thinks of you when they are throwing a party and is sad when you can’t make it.  Will cancel plans with you if they have a date, but that’s cool with you cause you’d do the same to them.

Um - olive green - When you think of hanging out with them you are happy, but once actually in their presence you question why you still hang out with them…yet something keeps you hanging on.  Maybe it’s because they know a lot of cute people or maybe they make a mean bean dip - either way they aren’t going anywhere…and you are cool with that.

I’ve Been Really Busy Lately - red - They annoy the hell out of you but you used to go to the same day care and your parents are best friends. 

and finally

Seriously Dude, You suck and I’ve kicked you off my FriendScale ™ - brown - They have over stayed their freind welcome.  They treat you like shit and drain the life force from your body.  You would rather be at work than spend another two minutes in their company.

And remember, people slide back and forth and inbetween this scale and if you notice someone has been stuck on a low level for longer than you’ve known them it’s time to give them the boot…for now…not forever, cause people change sometimes and maybe your absence will cause them some much needed self reflection…and if they do and they are cool, maybe and just maybe you can let them back into the wonderful world of you. 

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad about yourself.  Relationships that make you feel like that were meant to stay in high school - even if this means subtracting a much needed friend from your FriendLibrary ™.  I’ll explain that one later. 

Now that we’ve taken care of that problem lets focus on finding you some new friends…and a backbone.  Both are easier to come by than you would imagine and I bet you have more of both than you think.  You just need to be open to it.

Love and kisses,

Your Best Friend

I am a Polar Bear

January 3rd, 2007

Happy New Year.

Sorry I haven’t written in awhile.  I’ve been busy with life business. I’ve had ideas about things I want to write about. I had an open letter to Caroline Rhea all ready to go in my head. It was a letter asking her why she wore the outfit she wore on the Biggest Loser finale last month..or was it the month before?? I can’t remember.

Anyway, it was basically asking her why she has such bad taste. I also had a side letter prepared for the producers of the show asking them why they don’t hire her a stylist. The show seems to be popular…I would think they would have a budget for Caroline to buy some clothes. It seems she gets most of her clothes at JC Penney…or perhaps TJ Max. They don’t just look cheap…they are completely wrong for her. She is round…I understand the perils of being round, because I am round. We round people can’t wear round clothes. We need angles. We need sharp edges to counter our own roundness….Caroline wore a dress on the finale made entirely of round edges..and it was just so sad. Caroline, if you somehow come across the post I want you to email me. Give me a budget and 2 hours and I’ll make you look 200 times better. Promise. Love from one round girl to another.

This post is not supposed to be about Caroline Rhea…it’s supposed to be about my New Year’s Day adventure. Yes, I had an adventure! I had an idea a few months back about something I wanted to do. I guess I’ve always wanted to do it…since the first time I heard about it. So this year I was like, damn it…do it! Do it Krista! Follow thru on something for God’s sake! So I did it…and this is what I did…

www.flickr.com
  

This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called Coney Island Polar Bear Swim. Make your own badge here.

I did the Coney Island Polar Bear New Year’s Day swim! I said I was going to do it…and by God I did it. I don’t think anyone thought I would go through with it…maybe even me. I think I surprised myself. Not only did I need to wake up early-ish after staying up until 6 AM the night before, I had to don a bathing suit (not an pleasant task), take off my pants exposing my pasty white skin, and jump in an icy cold body of water! ICY.

Here’s how it went down. The night before I couldn’t sleep so I thought I would save time in the morning by getting a bag together of things I would need the next day - primarily my bathing suit, which I hadn’t seen in awhile. So I start looking…and looking…and finally find it..in a bag…with my sarong…which I hadn’t worn since August…and I apparently had forgotten about it and let it sit…wet…in the bag…for MONTHS. And it SMELLED…bad. But I didn’t have a choice, I had to wear it. I had no other suiting options. So I fabreezed the shit out of it, hung it up and hoped for the best.

In the morning I woke up at 10 AM and walked over to the suit…and it still stank of mold and old chlorine..the fabreeze hadn’t worked. Oh well, I figured I would be in the water soon and the ocean would wash that smell right away.

My friend, Rebecca, who I had told a few weeks ago my plan to jump in the ocean decided to join the madness and brought her little sister, visiting from Ohio, along. The ever silent Josh came along too as the official photographer. He soon found himself in the role of mom as well, as we looked to him to watch our bags and towel us off.

We road the F train to Coney Island looking like bag ladies in our sweats, tee shirts, old jackets, and greasy New Year’s eve hair. We joked that Josh had probably never had the “pleasure” of escorting such lovely woman, and probably never would again. As we walked toward the boardwalk we saw an assortment of other Polar Bears gathering. It was quite an eclectic gathering of individuals. Stout men with giant beer bellies, young girls with bikinis and sequined pants, old ladies wearing fur coats..all of us deciding the best place to be was at the trash strewn shores of Coney Island…in our bathing suits…in the rain…ready to jump in the cold cold Atlantic. I really would have considered it an enjoyable day even with the ocean plunge. Just watching all the people was enough for me. I could have sat my ass down on the beach and smiled just observing. The tubby little lady with the black bathing suit and camera mounted on a helmet. The two jokers wearing bad polar bear costumes fake fighting on the beach. The group of Staten Island Polar Bears who looked like they were still riding the beer wave from the night before.

Our little group decided we needed a club name and immediately dubbed ourselves the Pen-guines….pronounced either Pain-gun or Pen-gwine depending on your disposition. I preferred the former. Josh made up a flag out of a receipt and his umbrella. It was glorious.

Finally, it was time to jump in. People started pealing their clothes off, piece-by-piece. Trying to keep as much on as possible until the final moments. There was some sort of countdown and all of a sudden people just started running for the water. I tore my jacket off and grabbed Rebecca’s hand and ran for it.

The first touch of water on my toes didn’t feel that bad. I guess it was just the knowledge that there was no turning back…it was all or nothing…and there was no way I came all the way to Coney Island for nothing. So I kept going and all of a sudden I was up to my waist and the waves were coming at me. The waters were fairly choppy since we were having a bit of rain and wind on Sunday. I think it was then I had the flash. It was sort of a white light sort of feeling. Don’t laugh…I’m not making a dying joke - I’m talking like this jolt of whoah! It felt great. Then I came too and found that I had lost one flip-flop (not the best ocean shoe) and still needed to dunk. The rule is you need to be completely submerged in order for it to count. So, I looked at Rebecca and she had already gone under and she said come on..you need to go under…so I walked out a little deeper, took a deep breath and went under…for like 2 second and then ran for shore. Rebecca found my shoe and when I finally made it to dry ground I found I couldn’t catch my breath. I have a touch of asthma and this probably wasn’t the smartest idea - I think my mother said it best when she said - but Krista, your lungs!
But I made it. Rebecca and I ran to Josh and found her sister already changing into dry clothes. We took some obligatory post-swim pictures, watched a woman get naked in front of everyone, and decided to look for a place to eat. PS - my bathing suit still smelled bad after the swim.

In about 5 minutes we found ourselves in front of heaping portions of Nathan’s hot dogs and cheese fries. Delish and the perfect after swim treat.

After our lunch we made it back to the subway and I went home to a hot shower, my pjs, and an afternoon of cozy movie watching. It was pretty much the perfect day.

I’m gonna do it again next year, but before I do I’m gonna have to buy a new swimsuit.

 

On Thinking - And Other Useless Hobbies

November 29th, 2006

Dear BFF,

Lately I’ve been having some existential dilemmas about the direction my life is going -assuming it is in fact going in any direction at all and not, as I fear, wandering aimlessly along the edge of a cliff only to eventually plunge off into a scorpion-filled pit. What can I do to make myself start waking up in the morning feeling optimistic about the proceeding day, rather than succumbing to the usual apathy that greets me?

Yours,

Seeking A Really Truly Rich Existence

Dear Desperately Seeking Sartre,

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  wha, huh, sorry…I must have drifted off there.  I don’t mean to make light of your question, it’s just….so….bor-ing.  Meaning of Life - Shmeaning of Life is what my imaginary Grandpa always said and I pretty much agree with him.  There isn’t a meaning to any of this and that’s why it’s up to you to make it as entertaining as possible while you are here. 

First things first…there are no scorpian pits in the United States.  Unless it’s of the metal variety or you are on Fear Factor.  You will never be minding your own business, walking down Broadway, when a pit filled with eight legged venomous invertebrates sucks you into their den.  Ok, well maybe if you live in Arizona you might find some scorpians…but how often do they congregate in a pit?  And why do you think your bony ass would be something they would want to chomp on?  Per-chaps, they would take a pass on you and suck up some little chubby baby…mmm, baby meat….where was I?  Oh yes, scorpians…not gonna happen…next.

Waking up apathy-less…have you considered drugs?  Wake and baking perhaps?  Or maybe a lovely pharmaceutical?  Or maybe you should just be happy you are alive, young, and healthy.  Judging from your email you seem generally intelligent and maybe even a bit humorous…I guess what I’m getting to is that you need to focus on the positive.  And the only way you can do that is by sheer force of willpower.  Just don’t allow your self to go down the dark road.  It’s hard and sometimes your little head is going to go there anyway, but if you try, just a little bit, hopefully it will get easier and easier every day that progresses. 

And if you want to know what works for me, I find that making fun of people is an excellent way to make myself feel better…also cookies, reality tv, a good book, sexin, and travel…especially traveling alone.  It’s empowering and makes for good stories later.  Also, don’t stay too long in a bad situation and try everything once.

I hope this helps…try not to think too much Mr./Ms. Thoughtfull-pants…sometimes you just have to be happy with existing. 

Mo Stinky Mo Problems

November 16th, 2006

Dear Best Friend,

I have a date at a fancy asian restaurant and i want to wear a skirt with stockings, but customers are required to remove their shoes at the restaurant we’re going to. how can i ensure that i wont ruin dinner with my smelly feet?? stockings are the worst!

Signed,

Not gellin’ like magellan in Brooklyn

Dear Stinky,

Have you thought about washing your feet before putting on the stockings? Or better yet, wash your feet AND your stockings so everything is fresh when you go on your date? Something tells me, because you are focusing on your feet, you might just have abnormally stinky feets. Which is cool. It happens. Have you ever put baby powder on your tootsies before your socks, or stockings? That’s really good for cutting down on sweat, which causes the odor. Although, then you have the additional problem of getting the white powder everywhere. It would take some extra effort, but probably worth the time.

If you can’t do that, you could go the hipster avenue (you said you did live in Brooklyn) and wear those dance tights (otherwise known as leggings) instead of your stockings. Ugh, but all these suggestions are really taking the focus off the real issue, plus leggings are just stupid. Rejoice in the fact you have a date. You’ve got a date. That’s awesome. Whooo, dates. Good stuff. And, as I’ve said before you want someone to like you for you…and if you have stinky feet….it’s better he knows that now, rather than 3 months in when he walks in on you covertly fabreezing your smelly-ass feet and thinks you are fabreezing an entirely different area…which wouldn’t be very healthy…fabreeze is for fabrics…not body parts.

Job Shmob

November 15th, 2006

Hi Best Friend,

They say that knowing is half the battle, and I know I need to make a change, but I am having a hard time actually doing that. I have had the same job for almost six years, and I’ve totally outgrown it. It’s time for me to move on. But I am having trouble actually motivating myself to look for a new job — any ass-kicking tips on getting over the fear of the unknown and finding something bigger and better? Also, I haven’t gone on a job interview for years, and I’m pretty terrified of having to do it. What are your tips for a nervous interviewee-to-be?

Yours,

Stuck in a Rut

Dear Stucky,

Have you thought about becoming a really bad employee and forcing your employer to fire you, therefore taking the onus off you and putting it on your employer?  It’s just a thought because then you wouldn’t have to make any yucky decisions at all.  Yes?  No?  I’ve heard it’s worked in the past.

Ignore that comment above, it’s a bad idea.

I think I’m going to turn the tables on your for a moment and ask you this question, What are you getting out of staying at this job?   What is it that you are feeding off of in this situation, because no one in their right mind stays in a bad situation unless they are getting something out of it, even if it’s something a little twisted.  Do you crave stability more than advancement?  Does staying at this job allow you to take the focus off of other areas of your life?

Even if that was true in the past, I think the fact that you wrote me, shows you are ready to make some changes, like you said - knowing is half the battle - so it’s time to make a charge at the other half.  Get your resume together and start putting feelers out there.  Take baby steps.  Just because your resume is being sent out doesn’t mean you have to take another job.  Just make some movement in that direction.  Build up your speed gradually.  Think of it like dating an ugly guy.  At first you are repulsed by his giant head and hairy ass.  Then after awhile you are like, wait a minute, when I rub up against his butt it’s like petty a furry kitty and his giant head is sometimes good when need to find him in a crowd.  So you see…giant head…job….kitty…..resume….what was I saying?

Oh yeah, and about interviewing.  I’ve heard blue is the best color to wear in an interview.  Apparently it’s a more trustworthy color, whatever that means.  I’ve find no matter what color you wear you need to feel like you look really good.  It helps the confidence factor.  Once you feel like you look good enough to hire you need to talk the rest of yourself into feeling good enough to hire as well.  It always helps me if I write out a series of questions to ask the interviewer.  That way if I space I always have notes.  Plus, employers like people who are inquisitive.  Remember you are interviewing them too.  You hold the upper hand.  I’ve also read that people naturally like people more when they’ve been the one doing most of the talking (we are all, afterall, most interested in ourselves) so have questions ready to keep them talking. 

One last thing, I’ve been on the other side of the interview table many times and I have to tell you, it’s almost more nervewracking to be the interviewer, especially when you are new at it.  It’s really an art and I don’t think many people have much talent for it.  So, chill - don’t freak out and remember if you don’t get the job, there is always your ugly boyfriend with the big head to greet you at the door when you get home…or not.  Sometimes it’s best to be single and date hot guys. 

Advice From Your BFF

November 13th, 2006
Dear Best Friend,
I want to date someone.  What’s the best way to go about finding someone to make out and hang out with on a regular basis?  And more importantly, what’s the best way to keep them?
Yours,
Wants to Give the Milk Away For Free And Not Have It Go Bad
Dear Milk-pants,
Well, don’t go easy on me on my first day of advice giving, Milky.  This is quite the question.  Luckily, you’ve asked the all-knowing me, so you are one step closer to make-out heaven.  I’ve always heard the best way to find someone is to let people know you are available.  No, I don’t mean showing your tattas, although that can work, I mean tell your friends you are looking for a meaningful relationship.  You might have a friend who knows someone who would be a good match. 
Speaking of match…we are living in a society that no longer frowns on the internet solution for dating.  I have many best friends who have found excellent companions on the interweb.  However, as we all know, the internet dating scene has almost corroded into the worst sort of meat market.  So many profiles, so little time to lie to them.  Right? 
Ugh, just writing this is making me depressed, so lets just skip to the keeping him part.  Yes, I can do that, it’s my website!
So, you find a guy.  He’s a friend of a friend who you met via the internet or at a glass blowing class for singles…whatever, you met him…and you are making out all over the place.  Now, how do you keep him.  You ready…drum roll please………
Be yourself.
It’s that easy.  If that doesn’t work, do you really want to be making out with his dumb ass all over Manhattan?  You want someone who thinks it’s cute when you misspell easy words in your emails to him, or thinks the way your hair never lays flat on the right side of your face is adorable.  You don’t want to hold on to some guy who the only way you can keep him is not ask him personal questions about his family and who pushes you down in the car when you pass his office.  Trust me on this one.  He’s not worth it.  In the meantime I like to make myself feel better by thinking of all the losers I know who are married right now…if they can find someone, you know you can.  And if that doesn’t work, think about that couple who panhandles on the subway.  The couple who both say they have multiple STDs, one working leg between them, and an IQ of 61.  If they could find each other in this crazy world, you know your guy is out there.  Just be patient, be open to new experiences, and be honest. 
Dear My Best Friend Krista Overby,

My left ovary has been paining me lately.  It sometimes makes me want to scream like a banshee.  It used to hurt only when I was ovulating, but lately it’s been hurting all the time.  What do you think it is?

Yours,
Having Lady Problems That Don’t Have Anything To Do With Boys

Dear HLPTDHATDWB,  

First and Formost Ms. HLPTDHATDWB, get ye to a Doctor.  Since everyone has different pain threshholds it’s hard for an outsider to know what level of pain would cause someone to scream like a banshee.  If a man told me something was causing him to scream in pain I would probably ignore him until I saw blood (since we all know most men would scream when stubbing their little toe) but since this letter is coming from a lady, I am taking it more seriously. 

I think anyone with a uterus has experienced the odd ovary pain.  Some women can actually feel when their egg is being released.  It’s usually about 5 minutes of slight discomfort, cramp-like feelings, coupled with the thought that sperm are off-limits for the near future.  And if you ever want to freak out a male friend, share the news about the releasing egg and then suggestively ask him if he wants to get a drink with you.  I guarantee his little legs won’t be able to move him away from you fast enough.

But back to you, Miss Ovary Pain, you seem to know the difference between the egg releasing discomfort and this new pain.  I referenced some medical documentation and the pain could be anything from an ovarian cyst to something more serious.  When you make an appointment with your OB/GYN they will probably ask you if you’ve had any irregular bleeding, pain while you are having sex, or thigh numbness and depending on some of your answers might schedule you for an ultrasound. 

Hopefully, you are just experiencing the normal pain of being a woman.  Pain that reminds us our clocks are ticking, because it’s not enough we get pressure from our mothers, we also have to have our bodies telling us we are one step closer to a life of lonely spinsterhood.  Can you tell it’s my birthday this week?