Mexico!

FINALLY!

We are going on a vacation! It has been waaay to long since we have been on a real vacation. I am sooo looking forward to this trip! We are going for 5 days and 4 nights and another couple, our friends J and J, will be going too!

This will be a much needed trip away from home. I am sooo excited! We are going to the Riveria Maya - a little south of Cancun. The hotel looks great and there are all kinds of opportunities for snorkling, exploring and adventuring. I can't wait!

Now all i need to do is revise my leave request....

Movie Review: Fight Club

I saw this movie once a few years ago and was disturbed by it but enjoyed it. I picked it up at Best Buy after Christmas and just got around to watching it again. This time it was a little different because i knew how the movie ended so as i watched the movie I spend the whole time wondering how "Jack" could be doing all of these things himself and to see if there are any continunity issues - people addresing Tyler directly or something like that... I didn't find anything, but my reaction was the same as the first time I saw the movie - disturbing and mind blowing... it makes me wonder why more people who are slaves to the corporate Ikea world we live in don't just totally lose their shit and start a revolution.

I watched the movie again today but this time with the commentary function turned on - Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonam Carter, and the Director. It was interesting to get their take on how the movie was shot and the difficulties they had with the filming, etc.

I am going to watch more movies with the commentary function....

Every Occasion in Life as Explained by the Jerry Seinfeld Show

ok - so every situation that happens in your life has been parodyed on the Jerry Seinfeld show. For example, one of my most favorite classic scenes is the "reservation" scene where Jerry is at a car rental place and in an attempt to claim his vehicle has the following conversation with the girl at the counter: (episode 28, "The Alternate Side")

Rental car agent: Next please.

Elaine: Well, go, go.

Agent: Can I help you? Name please?

Jerry: Seinfeld. I made a reservation for a mid-size, and she's a small. I'mkidding around, of course.

Agent: Okay, let's see here.

Jerry: Sixty-six years old?

Elaine: Yeah, well, he's in perfect health. He works out, he's vibrant. You'dreally like him.

Jerry: Why do people always say that? I hate everyone, why would I like him?

Elaine: What do you think, would you go out with a sixty-six year old woman?

Jerry: Well, I'll tell you, she would have to be really vibrant. So vibrant,she'd be spinning.

Agent: I'm sorry, we have no mid-size available at the moment.

Jerry: I don't understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation?

Agent: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars.

Jerry: But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have thereservation.

Agent: I know why we have reservations.

Jerry: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how totake the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation andthat's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybodycan just take them.

Agent: Let me, uh, speak with my supervisor.

The agent goes into an office with a window in the door so she can be seenspeaking with someone.

Jerry: Uh, here we go. The supervisor. You know what she's saying over there?

Elaine: What?

Jerry: Hey Marge, you see those two people over there? They think I'm talkingto you, so you pretend like you're talking to me, okay now you start talking.

Elaine: Oh, you mean like this? So it looks like I'm saying something but I'mnot really saying anything at all?

Jerry: Now you say something else and they won't yell at me 'cause they thoughtI was checking with you.

Elaine: Okay, that's it. I think that's enough, see you later.

The agent returns.

Agent: I'm sorry, my supervisor says there's nothing we can do.

Jerry: Yeah, it looked as if you were in a real conversation over there.

Agent: But we do have a compact if you would like that.

Jerry: Fine.

Agent: Alright. We have a blue Ford Escort for you Mr. Seinfeld. Would youlike insurance?

Jerry: Yeah, you better give me the insurance, because I am gonna beat the hell out of this car.

The reason i bring this up is because i made an appointment with my trainer at the gym for 6 am this morning and SHE DIDN'T FREAKING SHOW UP! For the appointments we had earlier in the week she was 5 minutes late for those. Man. This is a business transaction. I am PAYING for this person's time. She had damn well not do this again or I am going to get another trainer.

I just read my "contract" and I might have to fight "the man" a little harder than expected to get out my contract with this girl. Geeze! It's just rude and bad for business. You make an appointment with someone - you should be there! Especially when that appointment is at 6 am in the freaking morning.

I've gotta call the gym manager later today. The contract says that as a "client" if I don't provide at least 12 hours notice before cancelling a session then I get docked that session. Well.... does it work both ways? If my trainer doesn't show up do i get a free session?? doubt it, but i'm going to try....

Worst Fish and Chips Ever

So, last Friday some friends wanted to meet up for drinks at this Irish bar down the street, J. Patrick's. We had been there before, but only for beers. First thing, while they do have a good beer selection, they are kinda pricey, and like all good bars in baltimore, they only take cash.

So BF and I decided to go early and get food before our friends showed up. I got the "fish and chips" with cole slaw and BF got the Shepard's Pie. Our fist thought of "there's no way they can mess these dishes up" was immediately disproven when our food came out.

My "fish" was literally a flat fish-stick. fish-stick. - And the fries tasted like they had been in the frier all day long. Both tasted nasty - i could only have a few bites.

So i was looking forward to my cole slaw when the woman in the kitchen comes out and tells me they are out. Crap! So i got the "green" salad.

What this woman brought out to me had nothing green in it what-so-ever. It was the core of a head of iceberg with some diced tomatoes.

Shepard's Pie was no better really. BF sort of suffered through it.

So... moral of the story: only eat fish and chips at Maggie Moores across the street from the Hippodrome. No more food at J. Patricks.

PS: the funniest part about this whole thing was that while we were being grossed out by our food this guy next to us (a frat-boy federal hill type) called his buddy to come to the bar and meet up with him b/c the "food was sooo good." Dude was eating mussels and mozzarella sticks...

Jeopardy!

what a great show! I used to watch it every night with my dad when i still lived at home. I thought he was the smartest man in the world. It seemed that he always knew the answer (question). I used to tell him that he should try out for the show but he never did.

I heard a story on NPR on New Year's Day - an old interview with Ken Jennings talking about his experience on Jeopardy and his new book. He said that he grew up over seas in a country where English was not the native language. He and his friends at his english school would rush home everyday to watch Jeopardy on TV b/c it was the only english language television program that was on. I found his story facinating and i am looking forward to reading his book - if i ever get some free time.

Other possible careers....

When i was 10 i wanted to be an astronaut. I thought it would be the coolest thing ever and I would go around telling people that i would be the first woman on Mars. I had that dream for about a year, until i discovered that you had to be in the Air Force to be an astronaut. I knew that i didn't want to be in the armed services so it sort of shot down that idea... but i would always think about it. Maybe someday I'll be able to go into space. Branson is doing some crazy stuff with Virgin Galactic.

Speaking of space - we are entering a new space race and we are quickly being overtaken by other countries whose name rhymes with "Dhina". Our country needs to get on the ball and stop short-changing our space program...

back to other careers... for a short time I also thought about being a teacher - maybe in high school or something. I still think about it sometimes, but now it would have to be college. I have a few friends who are/were high school teachers who have had a pretty hard time with it. Kids today are freaking insane. Granted they worked at one of the worst high schools in the City but still.... i don't know that i'd be able to handle that.

Last night a friend of mine told me that she is looking for a job that will allow her to work from home (to write off the house as a business expense), not do very much and get paid at least as much as she is making now... Amen! I told her if she figuered it out to let me know... Smart woman.

i also have always known that I would work for "the government" in some capacity... as the profile says, right now it is "other duties as assigned." I do a lot of different random stuff. I like working on the Hill but it can be a huge pain in the butt too... I guess it is all relative...