May 2, 2002Is it Monday??
Man, what a morning! It feels like a Monday around here. Everyone's frantically running around trying to find that lost "something." And since I've worked everywhere, I end up doing all the research for it. Oh well, I think we got just about everything worked out.
Thanks everyone for your antics Tuesday to make me feel better. :) The day just started out bad when I ended up 30 mintues late to work because I overslept. But I'm better today.
Posted by Olivia at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)
Find me in: Working Girl Blues
May 3, 2002Vroom!!!
I did this a second time, a couple days later, and got the VW Beetle. Cute and bubbley. I guess it all depends on your mood the day you take the quiz. Oh well.
Posted by Olivia at 9:35 AM | Comments (5)
Find me in: Quizzicles
May 6, 2002Monday Mission 5/6/02
1. Do you have any tattoos? If no, why not and what would you get if you did get one. If you do have one or more, tell us how you came to get it, and why you chose the design you got inked with.
No tattoos here. Getting the belly button pierced was enough pain for me!
2. Has anything ever happened that caused you to believe, or disbelieve, in a Higher Power.
Sometimes it's hard to believe when there's so much anger, pain and hate in the world. But I can't think of any single incident, no.
3. Have you ever seriously considered, or even attempted, suicide?
No, never.
4. Has anyone you have known committed suicide?
Umm..a friend of a friend I had only met a couple of times. But the situation's a little questionable.
5. This weekend you and I are going to the nature park for a picnic. I'll bring the blanket and make all the arrangements. You pack the picnic basket. What's inside?
Pasta salad, fruit salad, potato salad (yum!)..can you tell I like salad? Maybe some chips for a little crunch. :)
6. Have you ever been mad at God for something that happened (or didn't happen)?
Not that I can think of.
7. Post (or describe) an image of someone that is no longer with us. Tell us about that person.
Oh man, I'm not good at this stuff!
BONUS: Who are you?
If I knew it would take the fun out of life :)
Posted by Olivia at 12:34 PM | Comments (3)
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May 6, 2002What in the world?!?
Ok, somebody entertain me with a story about this picture here. But remember, this is a kid-friendly site :)
Posted by Olivia at 5:01 PM | Comments (4)
Find me in: Huh?
May 7, 2002Random
This is one of the funniest things I've ever read:
Posted by Olivia at 2:59 PM | Comments (1)
Find me in: Huh?
May 9, 2002I thought I did accounts payable...
Well, here I sit, for the third afternoon in a row, filling in for the secretary to the Dean of Finance. I was asked to help out on Tuesday because her mom had to go to the hospital, but never did I imagine that 2 days later I would still be here. If it had been anyone else I probably could have said no, but since this is one of the Deans of the college, I don't have much choice.
I haven't gotten any work done all week. It seems like everybody has something they need done, right away, 5 minutes ago. And of course, most of it doesn't relate to my work. I have fixed more people's problems this week than I've actually paid bills. I guess that's what happens when you've worked just about every department and know what's going on. Someone said yesterday that not too much longer and I'd be running the college. I don't know about all that, but it was a nice thing to say.
I've been so tired this week. We went to Jennifer's last night so Jeff could install her new iMac, and I fell asleep almost immediately after sitting down. And I thought I'd been doing good the last few days by going to bed at 12:30! Well, except for last night, but that's another story that I'll let Jeff tell when he wakes up :)
I'm so excited it's Thursday. Arguably the best night of TV (Monday coming in a close second). I just hope I can stay awake for it all. :) Isn't it sad when the most exciting part of your week is watching a tv show? Oh well. That's just this week. Maybe next week will be more exciting.
In 2 weekends Jeff and I will start the seemingly endless tour of custom vehicle shows for the summer. Since he's going to be taking pictures for several different people and/or websites, I think we're going to be hitting all the ones we can. Which is ok by me. Isn't Jeff lucky to have someone that totally supports his crazy hobbies? Ok, off my soapbox now.
School is winding down for all the college folks again. I can't believe it's been 2 years already. They went by so fast. Much faster than when I was actually in school. Craziness. I've been looking for announcements about my high school having a reunion, but have yet to find anything. So if anyone comes across Tabb High School Class of 1996 reunion, please let me know. I guess we've past the 5 year mark, so I shouldn't expect anything until the 10th or 15th year, huh? Yikes, let's not go there.
The State has decided that since we're not getting raises this year, that they'll give us a "bonus." For me, since I was hired after October 2001, my bonus will be prorated. Which sucks, but is better than not getting one at all. The only thing now is that I have to decide whether I want to take it as bonus pay or leavetime. Truthfully, I'd be getting more money from the deal if I took the leave, but I could use the actually money more. So now I'm torn. And I have to decide by the end of this month. I could take it 50/50, but since I'm only getting 5 days leave or some wacky percentage of my pay anyway, doesn't seem worth it to split. Well, if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
I'm off to find something exciting to do for the next 2 hours; wish me luck!
Posted by Olivia at 3:14 PM | Comments (3)
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May 13, 2002Monday Mission 5/13/02
1. Have you ever given someone a present you just KNEW would be "da bomb" and when they opened it you could tell they just hated it? What's the story there?
No, not that I can think of. I actually prefer to not be in the room, just in case they don't like it!
2. What do you do that you would prefer that Mother never finds out about?
Well, if I told, she might find out!
3. Ever get in any arguments with your mother? What was one of the worst?
Of course. Don't all mothers and daughters argue? Probably the worst was over a boyfriend I had in high school. The one I remember most was when I committed "forgery" on a school paper. She broke the pepper shaker she was so upset! But hey, I was in 3rd or 4th grade, I didn't know what I was doing.
4. When was the last time someone special hurt your feelings? Did you tell them or keep it to yourself?
Not going there.
5. Has your mother ever laid any guilt trips on you or made you feel like you can't do something good enough?
Guilt trip, definitely, she's famous for it! Like, just this weekend; we live a few hundred miles away from each other amd I couldn't just "hop" on over to see her for Mother's Day. :)
Made me feel like I'm not good enough? Never.
6. Looking back on your life, was there ever a point you see as the "crossroads" where you made a decision(s) that changed the course of your life? A path you did not take? What was that path, and do you ever daydream about what your life would have been like on the "road not taken?" Tell me about that.
I can't really think of one particular instance that changed the course of my life, I think it's just a combination of a lot of different decisions. But sure, there have been decisions I've made that make me wonder how things would be now if I had gone the other way. But I don't regret them; reminisce and wonder, sure, but not regret.
7. That was an awesome picnic basket you put together, let's stroll out by the lake as the sun sets. A cool breeze blows off the lake as the orange and red reflects off the ripples in the water. I can tell something is on your mind and I ask you. You think about how to reply but finally you say ...
Um...umm...right now, honestly, the only thing on my mind is, when is lunch?
BONUS: What do you think will come of that? I will finish these questions and eat! :)
Posted by Olivia at 1:46 PM | Comments (1)
Find me in: Questions to Ponder
May 15, 2002Crazy..
I am slowly going crazy...
Ok, maybe a little faster than I'd really like.
People are just...well...hmm..what's a nice word? Uneducated. Yeh, we'll start with that. I'm not upset that people aren't educated, because I know everyone has their own reasons for things. But what I am upset about, are the people who don't know about a certain subject matter, but insist on being in the middle of things. And then bring in an unneccesary number of people because they think no one already involved will be able to figure it out.
It's so frustrating. If people would just listen to what you say, and have a little faith that someone else will be able to get it right, this would be a whole lot easier.
This is very similar to a certain friend of mine's situation. Email. Phone call. "Did you get my email?"
Yeh, it's kinda like that. Only worse. Arg.
Posted by Olivia at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)
Find me in: Working Girl Blues
May 17, 2002Friday Five 5/17/02
1. What shampoo do you use?
Currently it's Neutrogena Clean, but I switch a lot.
2. Do you use conditioner? What kind?
Always! St. Ives moisturizing? or is it the body building? I can't remember.
3. When was the last time you got your hair cut?
Yikes! Way too long!
4. What styling products do you use?
Hairbrush and the wind :)
5. What's your worst hair-related experience?
I wanted a spiral perm so bad when I was in 7th or 8th grade. My parents got it for me for my birthday. It fell out after 2 days, so the salon redid it. Only stayed for a few weeks before it just made my hair wavey instead of spirally. Haven't tried anything like that since!
Posted by Olivia at 8:46 AM | Comments (6)
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May 20, 2002Monday Mission 5/20/02
1. When was the last time you went out with a true love of yours? What did
you two do that made it so special?
Well, we go out and do things all the time, but not like a date.
2. Which far-away friend would you most like to see again?
My best friend; haven't seen her in at least a year and a half.
3. Any high or low points about this past weekend? What went on?
High points: the whole weekend, it was a great one. Low points: having to run across Busch Gardens to catch up with the group!
4. I've been thinking about getting a buzz-cut for the summer, a big
change for me. Have you ever made any drastic changes to your appearance?
I chopped about 3 feet off my hair once. A year later it was at my chin; a little too short that time!
5. How long do you think a couple should date before they get married?
Or if you are married, do you think you should have waited longer to get
hitched?
I think it's different for every couple. There's no certain length of time people should wait, just when ever they feel the time is right.
6. I just found out my long-time friend does not like Star Wars (!)
and has only seen the original 1977 movie! Have you ever discovered anything new
or shocking about a long-time friend you thought you knew everything about?
Hmm..I'll have to think on that one.
7. Well we had a nice picnic and saw the sunset, but now it's dark and
I think we should liven things up. Let's call some of your friends and go out.
Who do you want to invite and where should we all go?
Well, knowing my friends, we'd end up back at someone's apartment, with the guys playing Quake, and the girls watching a movie and falling a sleep on the couch! In fact, that's what happened Saturday...hmmm...
BONUS: Why can't ya be good to me?
I'm not?
Posted by Olivia at 12:45 PM | Comments (2)
Find me in: Questions to Ponder
May 21, 2002Office gatherings and Star Wars
Jeff and I spent most of this past weekend at work related functions. Friday was a going away party for one of my co-workers. Jeff finally got to meet everyone I work with; hope he wasn't too frightened!
Saturday, after Brian arrived, we all rushed to Taco Bell to grab some lunch before heading to the theater to see Star Wars. I have to admit, the movie was pretty good. I was in not hurry to see it, but since everyone else wanted to right away, I figured I wasn't going to be the only one left out.
After the movie we ended up back out at our dirt, showing off the progress on the first two buildings. I can't believe how quickly things are progressing! As we headed to dinner, Lauren and I had to make a brief stop on the side of the road to remove a HUGE spider from the van. But don't worry, no one was hurt (aside from the spider), and we made it to dinner safely. :)
Sunday was spent with Jeff's co-workers at Busch Gardens. We got there at 10, when it opened and left at 7, when it closed. Long day, but we all had a great time. One of the women in the office, who organized the whole thing, fixed a picnic style lunch for everyone. She did a great job;there was even plenty for me to eat!
A bunch of us tried to stick together through the park, so it was interesting trying to get everyone on a ride at about the same time. At one point Jeff and I missed the train to take us from France to Italy, so we had to run across the park to catch up with everyone. But you know what? We got there before they did! Needless to say, we were exhausted Sunday night.
Overall, it was a great weekend. I hope everyone else had as much fun as I did.
Posted by Olivia at 8:59 AM | Comments (2)
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May 22, 2002Flat tires, cat scratches, and a clean bathroom
I woke up Monday morning and felt just terrible. Maybe it was just my body telling me I needed more sleep. Maybe it was my mind saying it wasn't ready to think about invoices and money and bills. Whatever it was won out over the feeling of responsibility. So I took the day off!
Instead of going back to sleep, as I had planned, I was up and out of bed at 8:30. I decided that since I don't have weekends anymore to get things done, that Monday would be the day. So I called the vet, and made an appointment for Gizmo to get updated on his vaccines. After taking a shower and getting ready for the day, I ended up running all over town.
Great Clips-hair cut
Pet Smart-a larger carrier and some new toys to get me back on Gizmo's good side after the vet appointment!
Wal Mart-pick up pictures
home-eat lunch, catch up on my daytime television from last week (taped)
Hallmark-needed a couple of cards
Ukrops-gotta get Jeff his milk :)
home-watch a little more tv, check my finances-oh wait, that's what I was going to do for the afternoon..
After getting back from Ukrops, I was standing in the bathroom and heard a screeching sound, followed by a loud thud. (Not a good sound to hear after having your car fixed from a nasty accident). Across the street was a black Miata, up on the sidewalk. I watched the lady get out, look at the passenger side, and then get back in. She drove it down, off the sidewalk, and tried to drive down the road. I could hear from the deck that the tires were blown, so she didn't get very far.
I grabbed my cell phone and headed down the stairs. By the time I got to the fence, another man had come over from our complex and had handed the lady a phone. He left after she made her call.
I ended up standing over there for almost an hour talking to her, and then her husband, while they did what they needed to do. It seemed weird to talk to some random person for so long, but I know I would have appreciated it had I been in the same situation.
I was amazed at how many people just drove on by, not even slowing to see if we needed anything. And half of those people were talking on the phone. I have to admit, there were several who stopped, so that was nice. Luckily the lady only lived in the subdivision right down the road, so her husband came right away, decided there probably wasn't any damage beyond the two flat tires, so he had the tow truck take the car back to their house.
By the time the tow truck came, I had to run to get Gizmo to the vet on time. There were only two other dogs in the "waiting room" when we got there, and both were very quiet. But then one of the exam room doors opened and out came 2 chocolate labs. They were both so friendly, and didn't bark at all, but they would whine any time their owner walked across the room, even for a minute. Needless to say, it got very loud and crazy very quickly. Gizmo doesn't usually have a problem with dogs, but with so many bigs ones in one place (that echoes), I think he got a little freaked out. By the time I got him into the exam room, he was getting really nasty.
The 10 minutes we spent with the doctor consisted on a lot of hissing, growling, and other noises I've never heard him make before. The doctor and assistant really impressed me with the way they were able to hold him down for the shots (2-rabies & fe-luk). Poor cat, not a happy camper. He's been a little lethargic the past day, and hasn't wanted to play, but he hasn't been mean to me like I thought he would. Maybe it was the bread we shared after his appointment. :)
I had a very productive day, and even managed to squeeze in a couple loads of laundry and cleaned the bathroom. It was nice to have a day off. It was nice to be able to take a day off!
Yesterday wasn't nearly as productive. I had this fog in my head all day long, and couldn't concentrate, but after very solid sleeplast night I feel much more energized today. Or maybe it was the fear of oversleeping and missing the staff meeting this morning...no matter..now, if I only had some work to do...
By the way, ask Jeff about HIS Tuesday..
Posted by Olivia at 12:20 PM | Comments (1)
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May 22, 2002Happy Birthday & Anniversary!
Happy Birthday to my grandfather and Happy Anniversary to my parents!! Yay!!!
Posted by Olivia at 2:51 PM | Comments (1)
Find me in: Family Fun
May 24, 2002NC, overdue invoices & Frosted Flakes
For having a four day week, it sure has been a long one. I think it's due to lack of work at work. No, really. About 2-3 o'clock everyday, I run out of things to do. It's hard to do your job when people don't call you back. But since I'm so backed up with my "after hours" work, I've been forced to do some of that during the day. Which gives me less overtime hours. :( Oh well.
So here I sit, eating my Frosted Flakes, wondering what I'll do for the next 5 hours. Fridays are very slow days in my office. Several people only work half day anyway, but today many others decided to take off, to give them a 4-day weekend.
Jeff & I will be heading to NC this evening for the first event in the Show-N-Shine circuit of the summer. Should be fun. We're hoping to run into some of the guys on CustomTacos, but I'm not sure how many are planning on being there.
Umm..I think I've run out of things to say now! Agh!!
Posted by Olivia at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)
Find me in: Working Girl Blues
May 24, 2002Friday Five 5/24/02
1. What's the last vivid dream that you remember having?
If only you had asked a couple of days ago...they've all faded now. :(
2. Do you have any recurring dreams?
I have before, yes. I used to have one when I was sick, and had a fever as a kid. My parents & I were in it, and we were all very very tiny, in a white room. Kind of like in Willy Wonka, when the kid's shrunk into the tv? And we're having this pillow fight, with feather pillows (which I've never owned before), but we weren't just playing, we were all very mean. Very strange.
I have one now too, but I honestly can't remember what it is.
3. What's the scariest nightmare you've ever had?
Hmm...I do remember waking up terrified one time, but I can't recall what it was about.
4. Have you ever written your dreams down or considered it? Why or why not?
Don't think I've ever written any down, but when I was in college I asked a friend who was a psych major, about one I was having at the time because it was very confusing. *
5. Have you ever had a lucid dream? What did you do in it?
I have lucid dreams all the time. Especially after the alarm goes off in the morning, and I drift back off for a while. They're the most fun becuase you can semi control what's going on. And those typically turn out to be the recurring dreams that I have.
*The one I asked my friend about had my brother, my ex-boyfriend, Super Soaker water guns, a huge iron gate, and this muggy bog we were trying to run though. I just remembered that. Wow. Of course, there was much more to it, but that's all I'm remembering right now.
Posted by Olivia at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
Find me in: Questions to Ponder
May 27, 2002Monday Mission 5/27/02
1. What happened this weekend that made you smile?
It was just a great weekend overall. Look for an entry about it later :)
2. Did you make someone smile today? If not, will you try?
I think I might have ;)
3. Have you any clothes or accessories you love to wear but just totally embarass the person you are being seen with?
No, because I would be the one embarassed first.
4. What was the catch phrase you said the most in High School?
Some people!
5. Who are you remembering this Memorial Day? (or for those not celebrating it, tell me about someone worth remembering)
All the men and women who risk their lives for our country, no matter what their job.
6. Do you think you are a good friend?
I would like to think I am, and if I'm not, I hope someone tells me!
7. (continued from MM 2.20) That outing tonight was a blast ... but that was last call. I totally overdid it and shouldn't drive, anything we can do while I try to "dry out?"
Well, since we stayed home, there's no last call, and no driving, so we'll just hang out here and let everyone crash on the floor :)
BONUS: Do ya love me, now that I can dance?
And we didn't love you before?
Posted by Olivia at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)
Find me in: Questions to Ponder
May 28, 2002Show-N-Shine Burlington, NC
This weekend kicked off the first of many car/truck shows we will be attending this summer. And what a weekend it was. :)
It was only a 3 and a half hour drive there, which was good. Jeff & I passed by the exit for our hotel and continued on to the mall, where the show was going to be held. There were a few cars being put into the mall, and we came to give one of the guys a ride back to the hotel. The place we were staying (paid for by someone else), was 7 exits back the way we came, and with cramming four of us into Jeff's truck, that's about all I could take! I was stuffed up on top of the sub box; good thing I'm somewhat flexible!
We got our keys from the office, said goodnight to Chris and Josh, and headed to the room. We were not prepared for what we walked in to. Let's just say it was slightly below our standards. Ok, more than slightly. Since we were sharing a room with Mark & Julia, we couldn't really go somewhere else until they got there. But they got a pretty late start and weren't going to be in until around 2am. Jeff and I carefully got in the bed, making sure to knock the comforter AND the blanket on the floor, and tried to get some sleep. I remember waking up once when the came in, oh, and pretty much every time I moved.
After a terrible sleep, we were all startled by a knock on the door at 6:30am. The wake up call was supposed to be at 7:15, so we thought that maybe they'd just gotten it wrong. (There was no one at the door). But no, at 7:15, the phone rang. Guess the knock was just someone walking by, being rude. The next adventure was taking a shower. It was so bad that Julia and I wore flip-flops in there.
Mark & Julia left since, Mark, as a judge, had to get to the show a little early. Jeff & I finished getting ready and headed out. After a brief stop at Burger King for breakfast, we found a car wash, scrubbed the truck down, and went to the mall. By then it was only 10:30, and we'd been up for 4 hours. Cars and trucks were starting to trickle in, so we walked around taking pictures as everyone was setting up their stuff.
That's pretty much what we did all day, just walked around the parking lot, taking pictures and talking to people. Had lunch in the mall and just hung out for the rest of the afternoon. Since Jeff was taking pictures for Jay (owner of the Show-N-Shine circuit), we got to mingle with the other staff and sit under the tent. If only we had done more sitting under the tent, and less standing in the hot sun. My shoulders would have appreciated it. :)
Jeff, Julia, & I drove over to Super K Mart sometime in the early evening, while we were waiting for it to get dark, so they could have the neon competition. Julia had decided to buy some towels to use at the hotel, and I desperately needed aloe or some kind of lotion. After the judges and other staffers finished tallying the scores, Mark & Julia headed back to the hotel to take showers and get ready for dinner. Jeff had to stay to take pictures of the neon. Not too long after they left, I realized I still had Julia's flip flops she used in the shower. I figured she wouldn't want to take one without them, so we called their cell and said we'd leave as soon as possible. A few minutes after we hung up, they called back and said they were switching hotels and did we want to go too?
It seems that once they got to the hotel, things had gone from bad to worse. All of the staffers for the show were staying there, as well as some of the show participants. At the end of the day they found things like: the same towels being folded up and put back on the rack, rooms not being cleaned at all, and a door standing open all day. Not the sort of thing you really want to come back to after a long day. After checking on prices and availability in the Comfort Suites across the highway, the 4 of us, and another couple with a toddler, headed over there.
Even though it was a bit pricey, it was worth every penny. A bed we could sleep in without worrying what was in it, a toilet that could be sat on, clear water from the bathroom faucet, fluffy pillows, need I go on? We got cleaned up, picked up Chris and Josh and went searching for food; it was a little after 10pm by then. After some wrong turns and fruitless drives down long roads, we finally found an Outback, which didn't close until 11:30. Yay!!
The food was good, the company was great, and the waitress was very pleasant; an overall great meal. Mark, Chris and Josh decided to check out the "nightlife" in Burlington while the rest of us went to bed. Despite the extremely comfortable mattress and the clean sheets, neither of us slept very well. We're both burnt pretty bad, so it was just very uncomfortable. But we must have gotten to sleep at some point, because it was 10:30 before we got up. Checkout was 11, so we rushed to get ready and get out of there. While eating the continental breakfast, we watched the news in hopes of more information on the bridge collapse. But CNN just wanted to cover "Bush in France."
So we headed back to the mall. The sun was painful on our already burnt skin so we stayed under the tent as much as possible. The audio contest, or DB Drag, went on for most of the day, until the awards at 4. We helped clean up as much as possible, said our goodbyes, and hit the road.
Despite the accommodations Friday night and the sunburn, it was a great weekend. Like I told Jeff, it's such a good break from the everyday life we live at home. And just think, only 2 weeks until the next one!
Posted by Olivia at 12:36 PM | Comments (9)
Find me in: The Garage
May 30, 2002Itchy & Scratchy
Remember what it felt like when you had chicken pox, and it itched so bad, but your parents said not to scratch it, it would only get worse?
Yeh, that's how I feel right now.
That'll teach me to go out in the outside without sunscreen again. Guess I should have paid more attention to Mr. Lurhmann.
Silly me.
Posted by Olivia at 12:47 PM | Comments (3)
Find me in: All About Me