No power, no nothing

Our power went out around 3pm today (which, sadly to say, is pretty close to the start of my day thanks to my current sleep patterns). It didn't come back on until nearly 9pm, leaving me unable to get anything accomplished today. I wanted to do some laundry and write some cover letters and send out resumes. Well, I was kind of in the midst of narrowing the jobs I wanted to apply for when the power suddenly went out and then I just couldn't work on them without the job descriptions in front of me! Yes, I considered going to the library to work on them and I have done that before but I find it such a nuisance because they only let you use the computers for one hour and I get totally caught up constantly checking how much time I have left. Duh - I suppose I could have taken my dad's laptop to the library and used their free wi-fi (I assume they have free wi-fi, but I don't even know)... but his computer has no word processing software on it.

Anyway, I was so frustrated with it all. Plus, I was waiting for a phone call and without electricity we also have no answering machine. And for the one hour I did go out, I was certain I was going to miss the call and probably did.

I hate being dependent on electricity like that. I did finish the book I was reading and got in a 45-minute walk, though, so all was not lost. AND, it was the first day I've done any walking since my injury where I didn't come back feeling some pain. Phew, finally healed. Although that toe still doesn't bend...

Word of the day: embonpoint

n : plumpness of person : stoutness

My sentence for embonpoint: I think the Cheri Stuffed Chair from Kmart (see today's other entry) would be quite comfortable for most people; however, those with excessive embonpoint might find it lacking in support.

What's the chair stuffed with?

Kmart has a 'Cheri Stuffed Chair' for sale. Yes, I'm tempted to buy it just so I can tell everyone what it's called even though they don't ask.

Things I like, part 3: AllaboutSP.com

This Web site is awesome! While graphically it is a bit busy and the framing is enough to drive someone to drink, the content is pretty sweet for any fan of South Park. It seems pretty thorough although honestly I'm not too interested in participating in South Park forums or reading the pseudo-bios of the characters (if you can even read Kenny or Kyle's over the walllpaper). The exciting part of it all is that it features ALL episodes of South Park for streaming viewing! Not just the episodes, but also the South Park movie, early pre-show cartoons featuring the South Park guys and other rare media, like Robin Williams performing "Blame Canada" at the 2000 Oscars. Although nothing is downloadable, it all seems to be commercial-free and in pretty good shape. It's really pretty great and was a big help when I decided I wanted to catch up a bit on the show I hadn't watched since like 2002. It even has that controversial episode about Scientology that caused Isaac Hayes to leave the show. Like I said, pretty sweet.

P.S. The site is in the process of moving to an easier-to-remember URL - the one in the title of my post, AllaboutSP.com.

Things I like, part 2: Free stuff!

Who doesn't love free stuff, though? I feel like I've gotten more free stuff in the last six or seven weeks since I've been back living with my parents than I'd gotten in the last six or seven years - and I'm not even talking about the fantastic things like free room and board and a free vacation.

Let's see... first, I got a $10 coupon from Express for my birthday. While I know the idea behind the coupon is to get the person to go in the store and spend MORE than $10, I found a cute and comfy tank top for $9.99. Free tank, yay!

This week, I happened to be in the right place at the right time and got a free pass to see John Tucker Must Die, which wouldn't exactly have been my first choice of a movie to see right now but it wasn't bad. (I saw it last night.) At the movie, I picked up a free poster, too. Free movie, free poster, yay!

I filled out this online survey from Lucky magazine and they say I will get a free T-shirt, so yay! (Although, honestly, I will believe that when I see it.)

My mom had two $10 coupons to use from Kohl's and although technically she only got them after she spent $50 or more in purchases twice, she didn't want them and gave them to me. So they were free to me! And, just like Express, I'm sure they expect you to spend more than $10 each time you redeem one of them but, just like Express, I was able to find two items I wanted for less than $10 each! I got a nifty lunch bag for $9.99 (along the lines of this, although I like mine better) and a nice blouse to wear under my suits for $8.80 (should I ever have an interview!) so not only were they two free items, but they were two practical items as well. Yay!

Word of the day: desideratum

n : something desired as essential


My sentence for desideratum: A fair salary, health care and vacation days are all things I consider desideratum as I look for a job!

Things I like: Sizzlers

Not to profess my love for this new profession I've chosen, but, the county public library system where I'm living currently has these things called 'Sizzlers' which are basically new titles that are usually in heavy demand. To help patrons get these items more quickly rather than having to wait as 1,000 requests are filled (no joking, the newly released DVD Failure to Launch currently has 1280 hold requests outstanding), the library sets aside certain copies of these titles to let patrons get them by chance. There is no reserving these Sizzlers and they also need to be returned in a week. It's basically first come, first served.

Having book sizzlers is not new at all, and they're great, but now the library also has DVD and magazine sizzlers, depending on the branch. For instance, last week I was able to check out the current issues of Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly! Previously, the current issues could not be checked out at all. I'm pretty pleased by this since I love reading magazines but don't love paying money to read magazines. And with the DVDs, it's kind of a nice bonus for patrons who actually go into the library to look. I know a lot of people just request titles from their computers at home and only go to the library when they know their request has arrived. It's nice to know you might be able to catch something in just by showing up.

Word of the day: lacuna

n 1: a blank space or a missing part : gap
2: a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure

My sentence using lacuna: Cheri's blog is full of lacunas since she doesn't post every day.

Addicted

Here's hoping that admitting it is the first step...

I am addicted to Big Brother All-Stars. Like majorly addicted. It's bad enough that it's on television three nights a week but I've also realized that clips from the live feeds are constantly being added to YouTube. Like constantly. So I have literally spent hours watching these clips that wonderful, generous, just-as-addicted fans post on YouTube for the benefit of us cheapskates who do not want to pay the $40 to subscribe to the Live Feeds. I know I haven't done this in the last couple of years (especially last year when I barely even watched the show) but when I used to work in a cubicle all day, I would read written recaps of the action in the house. However, these YouTube clips are waybetter. Like way better.

So, yeah, I've been pretty good today and only watched like two clips but I'm kind of jonesing to watch more before I go to bed.

All I want

I saw this ad online earlier for a concert here with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Big Head Todd & the Monsters and I got a little excited. If I was a concertgoer and if I had $22.50 to spare (let along $35) and if I had actually read the entertainment section of a local newspaper and/or Web site recently enough to have known in advance about this concert, I might have gone! I still remember when Todd the Wet Sprocket performed outside the school cafeteria when I was an undergrad. AND, the Fear CD is the only CD that I stole from somebody when I was in college... although, technically, I didn't steal it because my roommate or a friend borrowed it and it ended up in my collection unbeknownst to me.

Word of the day: debouch

v 1: to cause to emerge : discharge
2: to march out into open ground : emerge, issue

Good girl

I was a good girl yesterday and spent about six or seven hours working on cover letters and submitting resumes for four jobs that sound pretty cool. Hopefully one of them will pan out. Another job that sounds awesome just came across the listserv so I'll have to get in motion and send that out in the next couple of days.

Cleaning up

I spent the day (or part of it anyway) helping my mom clean out one of the closets in a spare bedroom. There are not words to explain all the crap that my mom saves and I feel it is part of my mission in life to help her organize and downsize whenever I'm home. No lying or exaggerating, my mother could open her own stationery store with all the greeting cards, stationery, thank you notes, wrapping paper, ribbon, bows, gift bags, tissue paper, post-it notes and other school supplies. Crazy!

Word of the day: factotum

n 1: a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2: a general servant


If I had run across the word 'factotum' on like a standardized test like the SAT or the GRE, I would never have guessed it was a person...

Starting from the beginning

I'm excited to see that ABC will start airing Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays (its new night come this fall) starting from the show's very first two episodes this Thursday, July 6. Although I've seen a couple episodes along the way and my parents have nearly the entire second season on DVD, I am happy to have a chance to watch the show from the beginning.

Oh, never mind that the stupid Web site editors have the dates as Sunday, July 6. The "July 6" part is correct. The "Sunday" part is not.

Ouch

Actually, it doesn't hurt much anymore (except when I try to put ALL my weight on it) but is it bad that I can't bend my injured toe yet? I hurt it Friday morning... The swelling seems to have gone down, although the discoloration is still extreme.

Word of the day: gasconade

GASCONADE

n : bravado or exaggerated boasting

While I was gone...

...I got NO job offers or interview offers at all. Not that I really have sent out any resumes in about a month (approximately - yes I know that's awful) but you never know when someone who got your resume four months ago might call. So when I got home and finally checked the voicemails and the messages and the emails, there was nothing offering me a job! Damn!


...I had a birthday. So, yeah, now I'm a year older and still unemployed.


...I decided I'm going to start doing Pilates. I bought this book on doing Pilates without machines a few years ago and never did anything with it but I came across the book again right before I left for SC and now I think is the time to start it up!


...I continued to get my Word-of-the-Day emails:

VICISSITUDE
n : a change or succession; especially : an often unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance

FULIGINOUS
(pronounced with a hard u and a soft g)
adj 1. a: sooty b: obscure, murky 2: having a dark or dusky color

Vacation over

I'm back from my trip to the beach! Sun, sand, shopping, swimming... how much more fun can there be? Yes, Hilton Head was nice. The weather was mostly nice - it rained early in the week but not enough to ruin the entire day. The sun was hot - but not too hot. I didn't even really get burned at all, for once, and did end up with a little bit of a tan and I do think my hair is just the teensiest blonder, so these things make me very happy. Better still, I didn't come home 20 lbs. heavier after eating pretty much non-stop while I was there!! I'm sure I can attribute that to actual exercise, since I swam and walked - two things I do not do regularly (although I should!).

I also was able to read a handful of books, which was nice. I haven't really read much while I was in grad. school, guiltily thinking that if I was to read something, it should be the actual articles and textbooks assigned to me. The last month or so since graduation, I just wasn't really in the mood to read and get wrapped up in the lives of others. On vacation, I read a few books I'd bought but hadn't yet gotten around to reading. Two of them were books I'd wanted to read for awhile and picked up at the same library sale last fall. One, I was pretty disappointed in while the other was pretty good. What's remarkable is how many similarities the two books had. It's almost like I have a 'type' which I suppose is true but I honestly didn't think these two books were going to be that similar. Besides those, I also read a couple of fluff titles, a standard murder mystery and a light romantic comedy. And magazines, of course.

In the bad news department, I managed to majorly stub/bruise/break one of my toes on one of the last days so I was in a lot of pain and didn't get to walk along the beach as much as I had wanted to but I'm sure it will heal soon enough. I don't know how or why but I manage to majorly hurt one of my toes at least once a year. It gets swollen and disgusting-looking (black, blue, purple and yellowish) and then I limp around for a few days from the pain. I guess it's because I'm a clutz. And because I walk around barefoot as much as possible.