Random Thoughts

A few things that have been on my mind lately, but are not solid enough to warrant a full blog post dedicated just to them.......

1) I am really digging the TV show "Burn Notice".

2) I finally got a new dentist AND doctor set up for myself out here! Yay! My first check-ups are in two weeks.

3) Summertime in Ohio just reminds me of the 18+ summers I lived through in Wisconsin......and I therefore miss Wisconsin hardcore. :( I also miss the years of me being a little girl during the summer in Wisconsin, hardcore. (So many memories!)

4) I'd like to find a really good library around here, or in Dublin, to stake out a few good books to get back into leisure reading. I've done way too much technical reading (Motortrend, Macbook for Dummies, Popular Mechanics' Car Care Manual, etc.).

5) Two BIGGEST pet peeves: (1) going out to eat at a restaurant with a group of people, and when the bill comes, someone gets the 'bright' idea to just divide the bill total up by the number of people in the party. (That's CRAP!! What if I only ordered a $5 salad??! And here I have to help pay for your $15 steak?!?) And (2) drivers on the highway that hang out ALL DAY in the passing lane. Ummm, HELLO?!?! Wake up and look in your rearview mirror.....and MOVE OVER! I know several people immediately close to me that do this, 100% of the time they get in their vehicle, and it secretly drives me FREAKIN NUTS. Seriously. It makes my toenails curl. Please, save the toenails and drive with some sense!!

6) This summer will not be complete until I see Puddle of Mudd in concert. Theory of a Deadman and Shinedown are luxuries I would also like to chase after. :-)

7) At this time, last year, I was just coming out of THE hardest week of my life, ever. It was my first week of work at Nissan in Mississippi. The farthest I've ever been away from home, alone, for the longest amount of time. I remember it all so, SO well. I will always remember it. If only I knew, one year later, I'd be shattering that record..........

8) It excites me to pick out thunderhead clouds building up in the sky.

9) My cell phone is slowly losing its battery life length in between charges. Bummer, but life goes on. I'm still very satisfied with it, and there's more to life than some cell phone, anyway.

10) I've been feeling pretty good about myself. Being alone out here has given me all free time to focus on my body. I am eating right, exercising regularly, getting a consistent sleep schedule, and doing things to enrich my interests. *Pats self on shoulder*

11) Roxanne Steele is back, deejaying RAZOR in Green Bay!! Yessssss!

12) I've gotten back into trying to tend after a plant: I brought back one of my potted plants from WI, and yesterday, outfitted it with a nice little plant stand from Home Depot, to place it by the window. Oh so sophisti-chic. :-)

13) In conjunction with the plant stand, I also snapped up a nice emergency broadcast radio to use in the event of severe weather/natural disasters/power outages. (You can stop asking me about this now, Dad!!) This sucker runs on batteries, has a wall plug-in to use while you do still have power, and if all else fails, a hand crank to manually generate power. Stocked with an LED light, access to all 7 NOAA stations, AM/FM radio frequencies, and a plug-in to charge your cell phone battery......this will take care of me and the baby Beetle if we're ever sent to Hell in a handbasket out here alone in Ohio. :-)

14) The Beetle needs a good hand-bath, vacuuming, and rim cleansing. Grandpa, I want to use my Sonic Scrubbers!!

15) Ohio is not very car hand-bath friendly. It is against code to perform 'car maintenance' in my apartment premises, so I can't use a good ol' garden hose hook-up and spend 6 hours lolligagging with my car. Instead, I have to go to a public self-wash station and try to work for as long as possible there, until enough pressure builds from passers-by staring at me and hurrying me along.

16) One of my Japanese co-workers, Hidei, brought in what he kept calling "crackers" for all of us Americans to sample.....
Yeah, look closely. It's shredded almonds and petrified whole FISH. Full-bodied fish with eyes, head, backbone, the whole nine yards!!! I am not joking!! Click on the photo for a larger view!

I had to eat it. I had to. Hidei sat there and watched us Americans until we respectfully tried his 'gift,' as a way to demonstrate our gratitude to him for bringing us such a sweet gesture.

Uh huh.

I picked out and ate as many almonds as I could, before the inevitable came. These tiny, minnow-sized fishies. I squinted my eyes shut, unhinged my jaw, and just threw 'em down my throat. They tasted like fish, that's for sure. I just made sure not to chomp down and explode an eyeball or anything..........

How's that for random thoughts??? I'm off to go for my nightly jog now. :-P