Cupcake Makes An Appearance!

I randomly just got a phone call from Cupcake. We talk probably once a week, though it was odd that she called in the middle of the day, as her job keeps her really busy. Anyhow, she starts off by asking for dating advice (she is trying to get back out there), and then she tells me how she is back in great shape because of working out (she's consistently a 0-2 and toned, so I'm not sure how much more fit she could be). I give her my 2 cents on a rather train wreck of a date, as any good friend would do. Then she asked me about a dream she keeps having about me, my mom, and my dad. Uh-oh She keeps running into us in her dream and she asks me why she keeps dreaming about me/us. *Danger Danger!!* While I am far from an expert on dreaming/sub-conscience/unconscience....I know enough to have a pretty good idea of what is going on. How exactly do I answer?

Here is the main issue....Cupcake is a great girl, but she is not a great girl for me. We dated for most of HS, tried a summer in college, and then we were casually whatever after her divorce for about a year and a half. I was really happy to see her getting her life back on track, but that seemed to have fizzle. We decided about 5 months ago that being just friends was the better route....so that's where we are at. She is trying again to get some momentum in the right direction, so I've been trying to help her with that.

Okay....so how do I answer her? I decided to be very general about it and explain that often a dream is our brain blowing off steam. Sometimes things linger and that carries over into our dreams, but other times a dream is just a dream. I told her that I/my family may just be on her mind a lot. All of which I think it true, but I also think she isn't being as honest with herself about some lingering feelings she may have for me.

I don't mean to come off as it being all about me, but we have a lot of history, and as recently as 5 months ago she mentioned thinking about her and I being together. Maybe if things were different, or if we didn't have as much history as we did, but in the end she can only be my friend. I'd rather have her as a friend 30 years down the road, than someone I lose because it didn't work out for the umpteenth time. While at times I think, "why not?"...but then I think more rationally and admit the answer. I'm just hoping that one day I can find my partner and she finds her's, as I think our friendship will be better off once we are both settled into relationships.

I Love Car Alarms That Keep Going Off!

It has been happening for the last few days. Typically it'd go off at least 3-4 times a day...for no apparent reason. I have been in and out so it may be happening more, who knows. I called it in today because it woke me up.....*grumbles*. The office was like, "Oh....is that it in the background?" Yeah.

I want to take a baseball bat to the Ford whatever in my parking lot.

Triple Booked!!

I have a weekend in October that has been triple booked....ARG!!

1. Good friend from college is having her wedding. This wins because she is a great girl (yet another girl from my past gets married off, I'm like Chuck!).

2. 20 friends are headed to Las Vegas and want me to come along. This is what I was planning to do with my free plane ticket. I already had a free hotel room through my casino host.

3. Also in Las Vegas is a conference that I could present at, which would allow me to expense the trip to my work. It'd take a half a day and no one would be the wiser!

No worries though, it will be a great college reunion, and I'll get to see a great girl marry a really nice guy. J. and I would get to hang for the weekend, and it will definitely make for some great blog fodder.

Quotes From My Friends

Every once in awhile my friends say things that crack me up....and every so often I share some of the quotes on here. It has been awhile, so these have been backlogged for a few months.

Quotes From My Friends

Me: I haven’t done ANYTHING today.

GuyRoommate: I have….I got some old man pants and my penis tested!

***

Friend #1: why can't i walk into the locker room of my gym without being greeted by the sight of some old bastard, one foot on top of the counter, crotch spread wide like a model in a hustler photo shoot, using a portable hair dryer on his balls? it's ghastly. not only that, it makes the room smell like the cheddar-cheese covered popcorn my gram used to make on her old potbelly stove and it makes me feel nostalgic and sad.

use a towel on your nads, or maybe do a little manscaping, for chrissake. less hair would allow you to dry faster, possibly saving others from having that terrible vision loaded forever onto their mental hard drive.

besides, on most of you old guys, your unkempt equipment looks like gray and dying willow trees...except for that albino geezer; yours looks like you've got a tiny naked ann coulter for a penis.

***

J.: As long as she doesn’t talk…and stand in that way with her gut….she’s an attractive girl.

***

Friend #2: I just tried to eat a Reeses cup without taking the wrapper off the bottom half. When it didn't taste right, I thought "hmm this one must have gone bad" before I realized what was wrong.

***

Friend #2: I feel kinda wrong singing "Gin and Juice" to [my new born] but she seems to like it.

***

Friend #3: lol. they just changed "telecommuting" to "teleworking" in our work policy. no matter the name i'm still tele-watching a movie or tele-playing a video game! suckers!

***

Friend #4: ehh, who am i kidding. i once ate a mcchicken that i found in my car.

***

Girl: Some girls are into S&M.

GuyRoommate: Some guys are into it too.

Me: I didn’t know you slept with dudes too.

Girl: Really?

GuyRoommate: *Silence*

GuyRoommate: Wait, no. I….uhm. That’s okay if you, but not me, wait. No. I mean….I do not sleep with dudes.

Me: Ever?

GuyRoommate: *grumbles*

***

Books I Recommend

The Tambourine Queen was looking for book recommendations, so I thought I'd post them here too.

Since I read mostly memoirs, that is what I've listed. Most are non-fiction recommendations, but all are worth reading.....

"Go Ask Alice" by Anonymous. It's a classic book @ a girl and her drug addiction, written in a journal format.

"Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood"...a quarter-life memoir of an alcoholic.

"Still Alice"....one of the Top 3 books I've ever read. A heartbreaking work of fiction @ a professors downward spiral into Early Onset Alzheimer's.

"Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back"...a memoir written by a mother and daughter about an out of control daughter who gets sent to rehab in Europe. Definitely in my Top 5 books.

"Wonder When You'll Miss Me"...a fictional story about a girl who runs away to a circus.

Let me know if you read any....they really are excellent books.

Warehouse 13: Who'd Have Thunk It?

SyFy (formerly the SciFi channel) has a new series called, "Warehouse 13". It is about two agents from a secret gov't agency that recover lost artifacts and secret/special items. Being on SyFy it has a slightly campy feel to it, sort of like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets the X-Files. I typically don't like SciFi shows, but this has just enough script and plot to hang in there. I'm not sure when it is on (I DVR it), but if you like something like "Firefly"..you may like this.

*edit*

Okay, episode 2 isn't nearly as good as the pilot....but I'm going to give it a few more episodes to keep me.

Ex-Roommate and "Fuzzy Math"

So I get an e-mail response to my utility bill e-mail. Essentially GirlRoommate used some "fuzzy math" to some how reduce what she owes me by another $200. I called GuyRoommate and we did some of our own math. After inquiring about our security deposit (which I figured we lost because of the state of our place when we left.....mostly due to GirlRoommate and friend's drunken antics), we found out that we are getting more back than any of us realized. Part of GirlRoommate's "fuzzy math" included her giving me her portion of the security deposit.....so with that added amount I'll only get screwed out of another $40-something.

At this point, I just want to be done with her, so I sent her an e-mail and said we'd be square if she send me a check with her "fuzzy math" number. I know she thinks she "got away" with something, but I'm going to let it go. I believe in karma, so I'm hoping she fails out of med school and realizes her mediocre status in life. She spent the last 9 months and 3-4 MCAT attempts to barely get into med school. I took the MCAT on a whim one weekend and scored significantly higher with ZERO studying. I shared that in a moment of weakness, and she stormed out fuming. She didn't speak to me for days after that...and that was when we were actually talking! Ahhh karma.

I Miss Composing

Ever since I sold my piano I've been at a loss, but I didn't realize it. There is something that composing and playing gives me that nothing else can. I miss having that outlet. I went looking for a replacement piano, but nothing has panned out. I think what I miss most is getting lost in the music. I used to play for hours, whether it was in a practice room, chapel, foyer, coffee house, or just my living room. I played mostly my own compositions, but I'd also play interpretations of other musician's music. Playing a piece as written is like running laps, it serves a function but is not really creative nor fulfilling. Replicating art has never been my thing.

I've never thought to title my pieces. Many of the pieces I play are unfinished, in a sense that they aren't where I want them to be yet. Some of the pieces have folded into each other, though others are distinctly different. I have one piece that comes from my interpretation of Pachabel meeting Lanz with a bit of Mozart sprinkled on top. It has a few different arrangements, not just in different keys, but whole different experiences within itself. I'm still not quite sure which version I really want, as it changes by day.

Another piece was my first foray into jazz improv, though it still hasn't fully developed into the free form I hope it to be one day. At times its shown more, though it is hard to get to that place because it's hard to trust myself enough to stumble and have it somehow fit. The stray notes are hard to accept, though I know they act as accents to the piece, without them it'd be too uniform, and ultimately boring. There is one part that has always been a tough transition, but every once in awhile I nail it. It isn't that it is hard, but the timing is purposefully off, and it is hard to be in the rhythm, hit the transition out of step, and then fold it back in without getting off track. A work in progress I guess.

I hope I can not only find my music again, but find those parts of me that have gone missing for far too long.

Possible Furniture Choices

Here are a few of my choices:

CouchesBoring, but cheap.

I heart this couch. The leather is super supple and it is really comfortable, bu it is more than I want to spend on a couch. $2500 down to around $1k. :(

Yes, a bit loud. It also comes in pale green and a camel. It is a great deal, though I think I may get tired of red.

This is the couch in the lead thus far. It is pretty comfortable, the leather is soft, and as a bonus the end seats recline! Pricewise it is in the middle and while I'm not wild about the "baseball" stitching, I think I'll get used to it.

Tables for my foyer
Decent, cheap, and relatively neutral.

This is much more functional, thought a couple hundred more....and it is from a semi-sketchy furniture place.

I love the look, though it is at the higher end pricewise. I think this is what I'm going to go with, though I have to wait because I'm already dropping a bunch of money on my living room, bed room, etc.

Ottomans / Coffee Tables

Basic storage ottoman, and a steal at $80 from Target.

This was a really comfortable storage Ottoman, though it is brown....which may or may not match the couch I pick.

Another brown one, though they are split storage areas. A good deal at $110.

These are my preferred storage ottomans. They are the most expensive, though as a set they are a pretty good deal (probably $50 less than if I bought them separately).

Here is the only coffee table I somewhat like, though I think I can do better. I also can't remember where I saw it, whoops.


I have a lot of empty wall space, so I'm also considering one or more of the following for my rooms:


Not sure why, but I like it.

A bit boring, but functional.

I really like this clock. And it is cheap!

Here is the mirror I bought for my foyer, clearance! $280 marked down to <$80 J. was in the reflection, so pardon the black circle. :D

So....what do ya think?

Pasta Night At The Loft!

Last night I decided to try out some fresh pasta I bought at the farmer's market. I had to improvise a bit because I'm still missing at least half of my cooking stuff, as well as real utensils....though I do have a 10-pack of silver looking plastic utensils I picked up at SuperWalmart. Btw, I had never been to a SuperWalmart before....what an interesting place.

Okay...on to the cooking!

Garlic & Parsley Fettuccine w/ Italian Sausage

I started with some fresh garlic and parsley pasta. I would eventually learn to make my own, but for now I'm skipping that step. I thankfully had a pot at my disposal, so I was able to use that for the fettuccine. One of the most common mistakes in making a dish like this is overcooking the pasta. Since I planned on combining everything in a sautee pan (or in my case....a wok), I had to make sure to only partially cook the fettuccine.

I brought the water to a boil and then added the fettuccine. I ended up cutting the fettuccine in half because it would be easier to work with in my wok later on. I'm not sure how long it took to cook, but no more than maybe 4 minutes. Once partially cooked I had to dump the water and put the fettuccine aside (in the wok). Since I didn't have a strainer I did it the old fashioned way with the top over the sink.

Next up was cooking the sausage. I picked up some homemade italian sausage from a local italian butcher/deli. When I first took out the sausages I couldn't get over how good they smelled. It was as if I could smell every spice/seasoning in them. While I'm not a big fan of boiling sausages, I lacked a grill or proper skillet pan to cook them....so I boiled them.

If I had my full kitchen available I would have made my own sauce, but for now I had to use a canned sauce that I added a few things to. As the sausage cooked, I diced up a tomato and some garlic. There are few things better than some fresh garlic in pasta. By the time I was done dicing and cleaning up a bit....the sausage was ready. I had to "spear" the sausages with my cheese knife, as I had no way to get them out of the boiling water....that was actually kind of fun.


I turned a burner on med-low, combined the fettuccine, garlic, tomatos, and sauce in the wok. The reason I do it this way is that the flavors get a chance to combine. Restaurants cook it this way not only for easier portioning, but it also tastes better. I then cut up my sausage to add to the wok. Some people like leaving the sausages whole, though I like the flavors to mix a bit more....personal preference. After a few minutes....it is ready. I cut a couple pieces of freshly baked italian bread (also from the italian butcher/deli).


Lastly I plated the food, added some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and viola!

As you noticed, I finally picked up some plates and whatnot. I chose some inexpensive stoneware from Walmart....budget shopping! What I love about stoneware is that it can go in the oven. Since I am sans microwave, it is important to be able to heat things in the oven.

Does Anyone Else Not Have A Microwave?

One of the downsides to my loft is that I do not have a microwave. I figured it'd be one of those things included everywhere.....but I guess not. Allegedly there was a time when microwaves were not only uncommon, but *gasp*....not in homes.

I remember growing up and heating things up meant setting the oven and waiting. It took maybe 20 minutes, but in today's GO-GO-GO world that seems like forever. Cooking in general has been a bit of a challenge here thus far, as most of my kitchen stuff is in a box somewhere that is not here. I did buy a small omelet pan, so I've been using that. I also used my wok to make pasta last night. I don't have any cooking utensils, so I have to be creative with my plastic cutlery and my Wusthof block set (knives). Check out my Pasta Night At The Loft for more on that.

I thought about picking up a microwave/toaster I saw at the store, but I think I may see how it goes without one for awhile; I don't use a microwave much anyway.

So is there anyone out there that doesn't have/use a microwave?

When The USPS Mails You Your Box In An Envelope....You Have A Problem.

Instead of renting a U-Haul for my 1500+ mile trip, I decided to mail my books and clothes, and pack my car with everything else. In general it worked, except for the following:

The envelope they sent me:



The contents (with a letter + envelope):


A closer look.....

All that was left of my package....


Here was the letter they included...

Dear Postal Customer:

A parcel addressed to or from you was in need of repair. Every attempt was made to restore your parcel to its original condition. If your parcel is devoid of some or all of the contents, please complete the enclosed form and return it in the envelope provided. Every effort will be made to locate your items.

An accurate and detailed descriptions is essential. Give names or initals (if personalized), characteristics such as brand or make, model number, color, size, and quantity to help us locate your items. Books - are they hard or soft covers, the titles and author if known. (attach additional sheets if needed).

I have no idea what was in the box. I need to inventory all of my things and try and figure it out. It was most likely a box of DVDs and books, though I'm hoping I didn't have pictures or other irreplaceable things in it.

*edit*

After going through my boxes....I'm 95% sure it was a box of DVDs. Judging by the size, I think there were probably 60 or so DVDs in the box. ARRRGG!!!