I am Kristy’s complete lack of surprise

I'm sitting on the couch, using Tom's laptop, drinking coffee, and watching Desi Jams on WFBT, a channel that has a bunch of multi cultural programming including Indian news and Bollywood videos every saturday morning. This music makes me want to shake my bootie and write a blog post - go figure :)

Last night I went to MicrCenter to look at the laptops and possibly even buy a Palm TX. They're also having a big "build it yourself" sale on all kinds of pc components, so I was looking around, maybe I could get a new motherboard, or some more ram. Nothing really caught my eye - my computer, not counting my case, fan isn't really broken so I moved on to the pda area. I do really like the palm tx, and I probably would've bought one last night if someone would've acknowledged my presence in the store. I understand that I lack the requisite testicles to get proper service in a computer store, but Micro Center? Come on.... So after standing there for awhile and watching the people behind the counter help everyone else, I resigned myself to not buying a pda and went to check out the laptops.

I was pleased to see the new Averatecs looking very much apple iBook like, since the only thing Apple does well is product design, well for the most part. Holy crap are the the thinkpad x41's are beautiful. They're just the right size, thin and light and convertable, but not bulky. I could seriously see myself toting that around at work and school, being all productive n stuff. The only thing that I don't like about it is that typical thinkpad nipple in the middle of the keyboard that acts as a pathetic excuse for a mouse. Yes, that's exactly how I want to move my mouse around, by fingering a nipple. Thanks IBM! What brilliant design! It really doesn't matter however, I'll get one of those tiny laptop mice for use when in not in tablet mode. I'd probably also get a usb cd rom drive, but only carry it around when I think I might need it.

If I could bring myself to spend 2k+ on a laptop, I would totally get one. I'm going to wait until after I finish paying my credit cards off first, like a good girl, so maybe next quarter, le sigh. Is it too geeky that I get all excited over a laptop? If you saw it, you would too... Seriously, it's beautiful. So no laptop quite yet - but I stil might get that pink Razr, I still don't know. Decisions Decisions. Don't worry Mom, I'm saving some too.

01.28.06 11:26am(2 comments)

drink some of this… it’ll put color in your cheeks

My life has been kind of hectic lately, between puppies, work, school and everyone else, I hardly have any time to think anymore or do fun things like post on kristyland. Here are a few snippets from my life:

Chicago taxi cabs: EXPOSED!

So there's a passenger's bill of rights for chicago taxi cab riders with a bunch of things ensuring a good ride, including not having the cab driver use a cell phone while you are riding in the cab. Then, Chicago passed a 'you must use hands free devices if you want to use your cell phone and drive in the city' ordinance, and they'll ticket you if you get caught holding your cell phone, red handed. So how do these two things relate? Well, the taxi cab drivers, in their limitless creativity, have taken it upon themselves to all get earbuds and chat away on a cell phone in any number of languages while driving your ass around town. So, you ask them to stop talking on the cell phone, and not only do they deny talking on the cell phone, but they also tell you that you shouldn't lie, that it was the radio (even if you heard the other person talking in some foreign language and the radio programming was in English), that it's none of you business, etc. Now it's okay if this were a singular incidence - OH NO! Now, I don't take cabs very often, but I've had this problem in every cab I've ridden in this year, minus one. Now, I've posted my complaints to the city, some while even still in the cab, which I admit is not so smart. But damn! The last cab rides Tom and I took on Saturday night, included fighting with a driver and getting out after a 3 dollar trip only to get into another cab where the driver was speaking into an earbud on a cell phone - what do you do in that situation? I sure as hell wasn't going to say anything! It was fucking cold and I wanted to get home...

You will die a horrible, horrible death if you are not prepared.

I'm taking two classes this quarter 1) Systems analysis and design and 2) Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery. The first class is something that I'm familiar with, but it really highlights the lack of quality education received from bowling green - but that's for another post. The second class focuses primarily on how to plan for bad shit and then also how to recover. A few things go on in these classes that kind of bug me"

1. Money money money... MONEY! - Only a few people in my classes work for non coporate entities and they really highlight how soulless corporate America really is. Everything is focused on the dollar, the bottom line, and it's very hard for these people to find motivation in much else. Especially in the disaster recovery class, it's easy to see that even though we're planning to save many things, people and business resources, that much of the plan lacks any trace of humanity. I understand that it *is* a business course and we're focused on planning for business, but... Well, I don't know; it just bugs the shit out of me and reaffirms why I'm really comfortable in the non profit environment.

2. YOUR POINSETTIA'S WILL DIE!

I can't even begin to tell you how morbid the Disaster Recovery class is. Last night we watched this sappy video about the Oklahoma City bombing, and it was really nice to reminisce about a time when FEMA did their job and the primary and even secondary needs of most of the victims were satisfied less than 24 hours after the disaster. Anyway, this class has me all wierded out like a tin foil hat-er, so I'll probably be in the market for some duct tape and a first aid kit soon - and I'm almost convinced that Elvis shot JFK.

For the love of Dog!

Tom and I took the puppies to the vet on friday and Sybil had tooth #13 extracted, I3 - one of the small teeth in front. Ruby had her sutures taken out and was treated for an ear crud issue for which she continues to get twice daily treatment. Both puppies are resting quietly on my lap. Ruby will be attending training as soon as there are enough people signed up for the classes. Sybil and Ruby are getting along swimmingly, although Ruby still has some potty issues for which both puppies have been banished to spend their days in the well equipped and comfortable kitchen along with a wee-wee pad.

That's about it for now, I gotta get ready for work.

01.24.06 8:40am(4 comments)

our house… is a very very very fine house

with two doxies in the yard. life used to be so hard. but now everything is easy cuz of you.

lalalalalalalalalalalala

Phoenix was good - grandparents are good, but damn I'm glad to be back in Chicago.

I'm really tired. Got in late last. Got up early this morning. And it looks as if I'll be working double extra overtime + taking two grad classes this quarter. Plus all of the other little things that I like to do to make the world a better place.

Do not fret, beloved readers. All is well in kristyland, albeit hectic. May I live in interesting times, eh? I do realize that there has been a severe lack of content on here, so much so that one would have to reach waaaaaay back into the archives to find anything of substance that's not a quiz or a general "this is what I did that one time with the thing and the stuff." Do forgive and do realize that I do my best thinkin' nowhere near a computer. So I think of all these interesting philosophical things to blog about, and then I get myself in front of a kristyland blog post and I'm all, "bleargh." What a dilemma!

As soon as I get that refund check from my student loans, I think I'm going to buy a new pda - mostly so I can get my shit organized, not having to face the shame that there are lawyers who can barely manage a right click who own pda's and use them successfully and although I am queen of the geeks I am without pda, but also to be able to do some jotting when I'm on the train and some gum chomping, cell phone blabbing, pink ipod having (hey, we all have our faults), designer clothes and pointy shoes wearing trixie opens up that pandora's box inside my head and gets me thinking about modern feminism instead of reading the book du jour or knitting a few rows.

01.17.06 8:26am(0 comments)

Name that Dog!

Tom and I are rescuing another dachshund this saturday, but we have no idea what to call her. She's coming from the breeder that is a friend of the breeder where Sybil came from. Gabby, her current name, is a 5 year old mini, red brindle, smooth dachshund and is probably related in some way to Sybil. We're not so fond of the name "gabby," so we'd like to change it to something else, preferably ending with the long e sound, or at least a vowel sound. Extra bonus points go for suggestions that include names that sound good with Sybil, include a b, or appeal to our geek nature.

PLEASE HELP! We're picking this dog up on saturday!

01.05.06 12:10pm(10 comments)

first quiz of the year!

01 What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?

Got the hell out of Ohio for good

02 Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more?

Making a new year's resolution is like tattooing your S.O.'s name on your butt, so I've done neither

03 Did anyone close to you give birth?

I don't think so.

04 Did anyone close to you die?

No one that I was close to, but a few famous people that I admire kicked it.

05 What countries did you visit?

Umm... I went through Indiana a lot, and they've got something like their own little country over there.

06 What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?

Organization.

07 What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

March 12 - the day I moved to Chicago for good.

08 What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting the fuck out of Ohio.

09 What was your biggest failure?

Having not got the fuck out of Ohio earlier.

10 Did you suffer illness or injury?

I caught some nasty pharyngitis bug that totally kicked my ass and inspired me to always carry around a bottle of hand sanitizer.

11 What was the best thing you bought?

Sybil :)

14 Where did most of your money go?

paying off debt.

15 What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Getting the fuck out of Ohio

16 What song will always remind you of 2005?

In the aeroplane over the sea - Neutral Milk Hotel

17 Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder *much* happier

older or wiser both.

thinner or fatter? THINNER! w00t!

richer or poorer? Still poor, but with less debt

18 What do you wish you'd done more of?

Exploring Chicago

19 What do you wish you'd done less of?

spending money on stuff I didn't need.

20 How did you spend Christmas?

With my family in Bartlesville, OK.

22 Did you fall in love in 2005?

Certainly - sometimes you don't realize how much you love and need someone until you're no longer living in the same state.

23 How many one-night stands?

haven't had one of those in a very long time.

24 What was your favorite TV program?

House

25 Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Nah - I still hate republicans.

26 What was the best book you read?

Michael Chabon: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay (I totally agree with Kerrie on this one)

27 What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Grates

28 What did you want and get?

To get the fuck out of Ohio

29 What did you want and not get?

An engagement ring

30 What was your favorite film of this year?

Primer

31 What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Tom and I had a night on the town, including our favorite sushi spot, Tank. I turned 26.

32 What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A budget at work and a willingness to spend money on technology.

33 How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?

Baggy - I kept losing weight but I didn't buy new clothes.

34 What kept you sane?

Optimism and Tom.

35 Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Barack Obama - now my senator!

36 What political issue stirred you the most?

What political issue doesn't stir me? Most of them make me really angry, so it's hard for me to choose.

37 Who did you miss?

TOM!

38 Who was the best new person you met?

Board Game Group friends

39 Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:

Never give up on your dreams.

40 Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

"And one day we will die

And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea

But for now we are young

Let us lay in the sun

And count every beautiful thing we can see

Love to be

In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me"

01.02.06 12:50am(9 comments)