...is the elliptical trainer at my gym. I tried it before and I must have been getting it wrong or something, because it kept messing with my knee and/or back. One day recently when the gym was empty I figured I'd give it another try. If I managed to embarass myself, there wouldn't be any witnesses. After figuring the machine out, it is now one of my favorites. It doesn't mess with my messed up knee or back. Today I did 3 miles on the elliptical and another 2 miles on the treadmill. By the time I hit the treadmill, I was sweating up all kinds! And that is the best part about doing anything physical: sweating! Let's you know you're doing something!
The Lakers advance to the Finals!! Woohaa!! The T'Wolves were great opponents and K.G. does deserve much props for getting them this far.
Although it is on my reading list, I haven't started Whitman's work yet. Today I got to do one of my favorite chores, in the way of mowing the lawn. Something about the smell of fresh cut grass that's very, dunno, Spring. It's a clean and smells really fresh, not to mention a newly cut lawn is a great place to chill. The weather has been cooperating lately and tonight exemplified that. I got a cold drink and sat on the patio after sun set, enjoying the cool night air laced with the smell of that freshly cut lawn. Good stuff. After mowing the lawn I was supposed to go to the gym, but passed out shortly after. Either it was getting in at 4AM from hanging with Asaunta and them, or the lawn action knocked me out haha.
Today was the closest thing I've had to a high school reunion since leaving high school, and contrary to my initial disdain to doing anything similar this was COO'!!! I was grinning like the Chesher Cat on my way to meet Asaunta, Joy, and Allison at The Cheesecake Factory. It's funny, as these names come to mind, I recall their full names, like they're all celebrities of some sort and in a way to me they all are. Asaunta's sister and g-ma joined us and it was good times!
After dinner all of us, minus g-ma, went and played pool. That was just comedy. I'm convinced that when Asaunta and I get together we need to have cameras on us, because the funniest stuff ensues. Her sister is just as bad! I was laughing so hard that I cried at least twice.
I met Asaunta during my senior year in high school and was drawn to her, how shall I say this, utter lack of desire to be like everyone else and comfortability in this mind set. For this reason I was totally drawn to her. To my chagrin Asaunta has a pretty accurate description of our burgeoning history, and I have to ask myself why she still wants to be friends! haha!
Joy and I crossed paths in my French II class of my sophmore year of high school. We used to harass the hell out of each other in class, so much so that I got us seperated, but that didn't stop the harassment on either party. We had all kinds of fun in school. Oh yea, turns out, Joy and Asaunta are cousins! I had no clue. Apperantly everyone else knew of the relation or could figure it out by their looks and matching last names. Go figure.
Allison was part of my yearbook staff and all I remember about her was that she was very dedicated to getting the job done. She was one of the few people on staff who cared about getting work done.
Tonight was a perfect example of how the weather here can switch from normal to sub-continent monsoon in no time flat. On the way home from work, 4 droplets of water hit the windshield, making huge splat sounds. HUGE droplets of water! I'm talking like the ones they used in Matrix: Revolutions. I was on the phone as it started, and the person I was talking to asked WTF that was. It was ridiculous. Then I drove 10 minutes and just as abruptly as the shower started, I must have drove right out from under the cloud, because BAM no more rain. No waning, no decreasing of volume, just stop. Lightning made a profound a appearance too. Really cool and really LARGE multiple bolts appeared right above the high way. At home thunder rolled it like, Thor like he had was whooping on Loki up there in Asgard. The thunder was so loud, I thought someone had came home.
Pet Peeve #2: The Wannabe-Know-It-All Shopper
These are actually fun because when they leave they are usually mocked to no end. The Wannabe-Know-It-All Shopper is readily identifiable by their utter lack of knowledge regarding the product, combined with their unfathomable desire to cover their tracks when they are called on it. I love the customers who know what they're talking about, I mean REALLY know what they're talking about. Woe to the sales person who tries to get over on my friend Jay. Jay knows his stuff, inside and out, and probably has schematics somewhere for whatever he's out shopping for.
Soooo, The Wannabe-Know-It-All Shopper will spout specs that don't exist, except in their twisted little mind. They make generic, overreaching, and unrealistic statements that start something like, "It SHOULD..." Be prepared to get shut down if you come in talking like you know stuff, but don't really. If you come to get somethign and leave, cool, do that. If you're coming on a fact finding mission, be open minded about it, as the sales person may actually know what they hell they are talking about. Granted, not all sales people know what the hell they are talking about. If you happen to get one of those, ask for someone who does know.
Bottom line, you don't have to pretend like you're dumb to get information. Most sales people will bend over backwards if you ask actual questions. And if you happen upon an idiot savante sales person, ask for someone else.
I have decided to enumerate my pet peeves about dealing with people in a retail environment. If you happen to be one of these people and you get offended upon reading this, perhaps you should rethink your behavior.
Pet Peeve #1 - The Prick Shopper
The prick shopper is generally denoted by aloof and full of it behavior. On the one hand they don't want any help when you approach them, but when they want help they summon you like their boy Friday. They then get irritated if you are assisting another customer, as if we should lay in wait for them to make up their mind. Just because you go shop retail, doesn't mean you should treat the sales people like wicked, buck-tooth, ugly step children. So when this type of shopper dons this attitude they also will get upset, the sales people are less inclined to help someone whose body language wreaks of attitude. How would you like it if someone at your job and just rolled up on your demanding things? It's rude no matter the environment.
Today a customer just barged into a conversation, without even bothering to say excuse me or anything demanding what they wanted. Actually, this happened several times today. Thankfully this is rare, but it happens way too often.
Next episode...Pet Peeve #2: The Wannabe Know-It-All Shopper
We have been invaded by cicadas!! And hopefully I spelt that right, because these little bastards are no joke. First off, they are HUGE. Their wing span looks to be about 3 inches and their bodies look like mutant cockroaches. Secondly, the sound these suckers make is creepy. Whenever you are a wooded area, you can hear them. Around here everything is a wooded area. They sound like the droning music for a killer in a B horror flick.
Let's see where do I begin...
Over the last couple of weeks I've had to go into Washinton DC for business and pleasure, and the city never ceases to amaze . When I lived in the Bay Area, people would routinely refer to San Francisco simply as 'The City'. The same thing happened when I lived in Santa Barbara, as a lot of people would refer to LA as 'The City'. We had it all wrong, DC is THE City. You drive by Pennsylvania Avenue and wonder what those people in suits carting briefcases around are doing. How about that black stretch limo being escorted by 2 black suburbans packed full of mean looking men in suits. It registers the President usually travels with more protection, so you wonder - who IS that??
On one occasion to DC there was a bus parked on a side street adjacent to one of the monuments and this particular bus was no ordinary bus. The bus looked like it was nearly ripped apart from the inside out. The burned out carcas of he bus was sitting atop a flat bed trailer and then it occured to me where I saw this bus before. Someone overseas walked aboard that bus, loaded with high explosives on their person, detonated the bomb killing themselves and a lot of people on that very bus. No one walking by tried to touch it, they treated it more like people at a party trying to avoid talking to the guest covered in lesions over in the corner.
One of the trips to DC was to get together with my friend Oz from California. That was much fun. We had dinner over at his girlfriend's with another gal. Oz's girlfriend (insert drum roll) is from the same island as me AND graduated from high school the same year as me! What are the odds?!? Rock city massive! (And no I won't translate that last bit haha)
Politics is wrought with FUBARs, I don't find it necessary to offer any comments. The criticisms readily write themselves.
One last thing: single sheet toilet paper should be removed from the shelves of every vendor that sells them. They are worthless, much like our President.
Just about every woman I have come across out here smokes. There have been a very small minority who thankfully do not smoke. Old, young, the smoking bug seems to bite a lot of women. Smoking is such a disgusting habit. There's nothing sexy or cool about it. It offends just about every sense. The smell is disgusting. Gets into the smokers' pores, their hair and just permeates their whole being. The taste IS indeed like licking an ash tray. For someone who likes to make out, this is a serious drawback. No amount of brushing or gum can mask the taste for long. Even the sound of someone firing up is offensive. Guess the only sense it doesn't offend is touch, but smoking will make a person wrinkle prematurely and they'll be looking like an African Elephant by age 50. Oh yea - it kills people too. Bummer.
Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my Grandmas, Aunt Di, Cami (MILF extraordinaire), Beth (Jersey Princess), Cara (Carribean Queen), Eydie (Hawaiian Hotness), Lavida, Chantel, Niika, May and Claudia!
On other news: The Lakers are not out of the count! However, in 2003 they also lost the first 2 games, won game 3 but still lost the series to the Spurs. Hey Phil, T.P. is for whiping your butt, not for getting your butt whooped! Keep making adjustments!
Rent, no skip that, go buy The Last Samurai. This movie is worth it.