I have so much more work to do

Starting something new this weekend. I am addicted to the online quizzes. (They help to fill the down time at work.) Therefore, I have decided that weekends are for quizzes.

I really liked that evil quiz until I found this one.

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead... But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself. You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place. You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

And of course on Monday, I will probably fill you in on my weekend.

Speechless

I had planned on posting something else today but changed my mind after Wednesday afternoon. Damn the internet!

Over an eight year span I used to hang out with this guy -- usually when I was between boyfriends. No one could understand why I didn't just date him but I think he wasn't really into commitment. Our arrangement worked just fine. Somehow he magically knew when I had just broken up with some guy and would call to ask me out. The last time I spoke to him was back in 2002, right after I decided to go into teaching. He was recovering from a motorcycle accident.

About a year ago, I realized that I hadn't talked to him in some time and tried to call. I was told he was no longer at that phone number. Seemed kind of strange at the time because I was sure that if he had changed his number, he would have told me. I didn't ask anything more of the person on the other end and hung up.

A few days later it dawned on me that he had probably died, mostly due to his line of work. I kept meaning to search the newspaper archives but would always think of this when I wasn't at a computer. Wednesday afternoon was kind of slow at work so I decided to do the search. It confirmed what I already knew; he died in 2003. He wasn't much older than I.

At least I know that he didn't just move without telling me (like another one of my friends just did recently). It's just kind of weird that the person who I knew I could always count on is no longer around. I guess I'm going to have to find some other guy who will randomly show up at my favorite bars and drag me out when he thinks I've had too many cocktails.

Blowing off steam

I wrote this post shortly after getting rid of the hideous boy. I don't know why I never got around to posting it. Anyway, here goes...

I know. I am supposed to be the party girl. I shouldn't let people get to me. I do. I was just programmed by my Southern mother to not speak up all of the time when I am truly pissed. That means that I keep some stuff in and let it fester. Here's my chance to get stuff off of my chest by listing things that piss me off:

1. Presumptuous men -- like that one I just got rid of. Remember that old saying about making assumptions? That's all I have to say.

2. OK. So this is about to become a list of all the things I did not like about the boy. But asking questions for the sake of asking? If it is not an intelligent question, keep your mouth shut. The boy liked to ask completely inane questions at restaurants and bars. If there is an explanation in the menu, don't you think you should read that first before asking? Maybe it's like asking for directions.

3. Let's keep harping on the boy, Yes, I am a partygirl. I know a lot of people who do a lot of drugs. I don't date them. I am the queen of compartmentalizing folks. Drugs are never allowed into my dating compartment though.

4. Lack of commitment/planning. OK. So maybe these should be two separate topics. The first has nothing to do with dating. It's all about making decisions and sticking to them. Even more important than sticking to them, it's about following through. The second is that sometimes one has to make plans. Using the boy as an example, he decided that he would impress me by making plans for dinner and a concert. It would have been really impressive if he had thought to make reservations at the restaurant. If a restaurant is on the Chronicle's list of the top 100 in the Bay Area, anyone with half a brain would realize that they should call the restaurant to check on the reservation policy. Once more, perhaps that is like asking for directions.

5. Not knowing where the hell you are going. ASK FOR DIRECTIONS!

6. An inability to recognize the empress that I am. If I tell you to do something, it is a royal command and should be followed. Disregard me at your own peril.

Now that I've gotten these things off of my chest, I am feeling much better. And you? Like I really care how you feel.

Maybe next time, Dagny

So I tabulated the votes and the dusty rose won out over the blue. Sorry, Dagny. (No, I am not talking to myself. I am talking to Sillypants's daughter.) I paid for the rush delivery because I really need to start showing up to SnB and soon. Isn't it pretty?



Since this will eventually be a cardigan, I will be sure to post photos as the it develops. I'm using this cool Debbie Bliss pattern. I just love her books.

In other news, I received a phone call on Thursday night from some boy. I think I met him around three weeks ago. I have this thing about boys and phone calls. If they cannot call me within two weeks of our meeting, then I just can't remember them. The way I figure it is if he can't pick up the phone within that two week window then either (1) he wasn't that interested, or (2) he's too busy for me. Then again maybe I will call since he's a bit persistent -- called again on Saturday night.

And now I am officially the worst daughter ever. I was supposed to take my mother to the airport on Sunday. Notice my use of the word "supposed." Well, I overslept because I am so not a morning person. My mother knows this. OK, and I did go out on Saturday night. I should have known that things were going to go downhill quickly after I had that shot of Jameson's. (Well, I had to have the shot because the guy who was paying for it just didn't believe that a girl could handle Jameson's.) I would have been OK but then I ran into this guy who I met on St. Patty's Day and his friends. Their drink of choice was Surfer on Acid. The guy and his girlfriend literally live around the corner from me. By the time I made it home, it was 4:30. I was supposed to be at my mother's house at 7:30. I guess I should just went with the guy and his friend to the friend's house to watch Back to the Future II -- yes, this was at 4:30 a.m. Yes, my mother is majorly pissed off with me. I kind of care, but then I remember how she booked her flight without consulting me. She just assumed that I would be able to take her to the airport. She ended up taking an airport shuttle and had to pay $60. A part of me thought, "Serves her right. I mean gas is 3 something a gallon and she was not offering to pay for my gas. At best she would have paid the bridge toll." I also think it is so wrong to make someone take you to the airport at that hour. I never would have done that to her. I guess it's like my aunt was telling me this past week. "Mothers are put on this earth to torture you."

I almost forgot. Happy birthday to Daniel.

Unsafe at any speed

I debated about whether I really wanted to post this but what the hell. Yes, I have these wild tendencies. Most of the time I manage to keep them under control. Then there are the other times.

There's a part of me that knows that once more I should slow up on the partying. I partially blame my job though. My current job? I could do it in a coma. Work has always been my deterrent to partying but if I don't need any brain cells to complete my job, where's the deterrent?

My college roommate was the one who said that I was on sabbatical previously. Now that I am back at work, the partygirl lifestyle should stop. I explained to her on Wednesday night that I was no longer a professional partier. Then again my job doesn't require much brain power. Therefore, I am now a semipro. That means that instead of heading out four to five nights per week, I now limit myself to two to three nights -- and yes, at least one of those nights is a school night.

I was late to work Easter Monday because I was out partying. What I failed to mention was that when I awoke, there was some strange guy sleeping on my living room floor. Don't ask me from where he came. So I got ready for work and then woke him up. As the day progressed, I thought more and more about it. He had a kind of street kid look about him. I figured that was the end of it.

On Wednesday I went out to lunch with a coworker. On our way back to work, I saw the boy -- wearing the same outfit he had on when I discovered him on my floor on Monday morning. So -- definitely a street kid.

Now don't get me wrong. This is not the first time I've taken in a street kid. The first time was when I met one in a bar in North Beach one Friday night. The guy was a recovering heroin addict and had no place to stay. It was 30 degrees outside that night -- too damn cold for anyone to be sleeping on the street. I took him home and fed him. We also talked a lot, mostly because he needed someone's voice to lull him to sleep. He was from Savannah originally and knew my aunt's sister. By Saturday night he had gotten in touch with his mother. The last time I saw him was when I dropped him off at a Western Union location in downtown San Francisco; his mother had wired money there for him.

So I'm 62% evil. I need to be. I'd be an absolute pushover otherwise. The evil stops me from being too trusting. I know. You could easily argue that in both cases I was way too trusting. It's just that usually my gut tells me when the story is OK. It hasn't been wrong ever. When I was a kid, I wanted to bring every stray animal home. It's kind of the same thing.

Usually when I start to think that my life is spinning out of control it's because I've done something like this. I think to myself after, "Have you completely lost your mind?" Then there's other part of me that thinks that this is what you're supposed to do. I mean, they're people after all.

Now on a completely different note -- things are going OK with my aunt. She came home from the hospital on Tuesday. Now we're just trying to figure out foods that she can eat that are actually tasty. If you know of anything that doesn't have any of the following in it, then please feel free to email me recipes: apple skins, celery, Chinese vegetables, coconut, coleslaw, corn, dried fruit, grapefruit, meat with casings, nuts, orange rinds, popcorn, potato skins, raisins, seeds, beans, cucumbers, dairy products, mushrooms, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, and eggs. Daunting list, isn't it?

Speaking of food, here's yesterday's lunch.



One of my fave childhood memories was going to Top Dog with my dad. I have been eating out way too much this week and needed to cut back a bit on the spending. Suddenly I knew just where I needed to head. Oh, and Gloria, if you haven't been there on your trips to the Bay Area, you really must go.