I went to two different sales this weekend, which is unusual. One was on the way home from work on Friday, and there must have been 15 cars parked in front of this house. I thought, "Wow, this sale should be great!" and went in. Unfortunately not a whole lot was there, but I did get for $25:
--a Scooby-Doo lunch box from the '70s (no thermos)
--3 boxes of Japanese coil incense
Then DH and I went to one today that was in one of our favorite neighborhoods, Hollywood Heights -- yes, the houses are all little 1920s bungalows and I wish we could afford to live there. We got for $3:
--a few albums, Mahalia Jackson and a couple of touristy "Songs of Old Mexico" and "Songs of Hawaii" which I picked for the cute front covers
--a handful of old 45s of stuff DH liked, like Roger Miller (King of the Road!) and Allan Sherman (Hello Muddah!)
--a hurricane glass from Pat O'Brien's bar in New Orleans
--a little clay dish with a lid (for salsa or guacamole, I'm thinking ) with Mexican-type designs
--a green 4-dish appetizer set from a pottery co. in California, probably 1940s
So I probably paid too much at the first one, but made up for it at the second
--I know I’m evil, but I laughed out loud at the title of a thread in Get Personal, “Anyone ADD?” by “capricious.” I don’t know this forum member (who hasn’t logged on since March) and it’s nothing personal, but how funny is that? A word that means “impulsive or unpredictable” is starting a thread about Attention Deficit. Hee! I haven’t read it, but I want to hop into the thread and say, “oh yes, me too, I will be doing something and – ooh! Shiny! That reminds me, I need tinfoil from the store. What were we talking about again?” I’m going to hell.
--I’m not an Oprah fan, but now that my work schedule includes working from home, and afternoons are quieter than the mornings, I’ll have it on in the background sometimes. She had a great series last week called the Debt Diet which revealed what I have long suspected: many people are living way beyond their means and using credit to inflate their earnings. They followed 3 families, one of which seemed nice enough (2 schoolteachers), but the other 2 families were flat-out clueless. Seriously, one family ate out for every meal, they never cooked, they didn’t own a toaster or coffeemaker or dishes and ate everything off plastic plates and cups. They had 5 cars for 2 people!
So a big part of the series was not just saying “stop spending money” but asking why. At one point one of the women was saying how she didn’t even think about spending money, she just shopped. She didn’t know how much they owed for the second mortgage or credit cards, she just kept it out of her mind. When she was asked, “Why are you absent from your own life?” it was a lightbulb moment. “Oh, so this is my life? It’s not at the mall? It’s not in InStyle or Lucky? It’s not getting the jeans that Jessica’s wearing, or getting my glowing orange MysticTan?”
Celebrity culture is nothing new – I have a Photoplay from 1926, and in between movie reviews are “the latest fashions from Paris” so you could presumably throw out all your old clothes and run out to buy the new ones. But it’s so pervasive now. How do we know where Britney is shopping for baby clothes? Because the store manager is calling every news outlet to report it. Why should we buy the new $500 Louis Vuitton bag? Because they sent a free one to Lindsay Lohan to be photographed as she’s buying coffee.
So be like Chuck D and don’t believe the hype! Yeah boyeeee!
I confess: I love shopping at head shops. I am not a pot-smoker -- I've tried it a few times at parties and I suppose I enjoyed it, but that was years ago and to me all the trouble of buying it on the "black market" (that sounds funny to say) isn't worth the mild buzz it gives. Not that I'm into stronger drugs, I've never tried anything stronger, but I guess the allure of alternate realities isn't tempting enough for me. Give me some friends and some beer or wine and I'm having a great time.
But head shops are so cool, probably because of the whole dorm-room chic -- I love the bamboo curtains and band posters and black lights. Maybe because I never lived in a dorm or an apartment with roommates and didn't have the "real" college experience, because I lived at home the first 3 years of college and then moved out with my then-boyfriend and now-husband. I kinda feel like I missed out on the fun.
We have a great head shop near us, called "Puff 'n' Stuff." Hee! They actually have a decent beer selection (I Boddington's) and wine and cigars, but they also have the crazy pipes and rolling papers and accoutrements of the serious smokers. I love looking at all the stuff in the glass cases -- maybe because it's illicit, but some of these glass pipes are really beautiful. I don't even smoke cigarettes, but it reminds me of opium dens and lounging on pillows and thinking deep thoughts.
Another early posting! It's been fun to hop in and have it be already "live." I ordered Hungry Ghost Moon (ginger candy, sugar cane and rice wine? *falls over dead*) and Et Lux Fuit (amber, vanilla musk and honeycomb? *gets up, then falls over dead again*). Plus a bottle of Madrid, which has been languishing on my big-bottle wishlist for so long that it's starting to sneer and flip me off.
Madrid was a frimp received with my very first order, placed in October 2004. It's not too clove-heavy, it smells more like sitting outside at a cafe drinking red wine and smoking a clove cigarette.
I'm debating on CT3 -- I have a bottle of CT2, and while it's OK-smelling (it started fruity like Mi-Go, then goes cologney like how Wolf Moon ends) the idea of experimentation is more fun. But there are so many other bottles I want, do I want to spend the funds on something I may dislike? Why not order something I know I'll like? Who knows, I'll probably cave by August and buy a bottle anyway
June 1 is Marilyn Monroe's birthday! She was born June 1, 1926 (the year Rudolph Valentino died). I tried to post a live picture but failed, so here's a link:
http://sourballs.org/icon/marilyn_small
She liked teh smellies too! Her favorite was Chanel No. 5, but she may have liked BPAL for the sheer decadence.
valentina's post got me pawing through the laserdiscs and DVDs for favorite movies in general, and I must babble about Defending Your Life. Albert Brooks wrote, directed and starred in a movie all about what happens after you die. It's a mix of Occidental/Western religion and Buddhism with some bureaucracy thrown in, because we all love that! Woo!
While I don't like everything Albert Brooks does, he's so dry and smart in this one plus it makes you think for days afterward (or years, but I'm slow ). The premise is after you die, you go to Judgment City and you have to "defend your life," and here on Earth we have to prove we weren't conquered by fear so we can move on to the next level. You're assigned a defense attorney and during your trial you're shown scenes from your life and the attorneys argue before a couple of Gods/judges about whether you faced your fears.
One scene is when he's 10 or so and is confronted by a bully at school, and he backs out of a fight. The prosecutor said he was afraid -- getting hurt, looking foolish -- while the defender argues that "he wasn't afraid, he was showing restraint!" Hee!
So what's my fear? Number one is probably not being able to to support myself -- living on the street, no money or security, where every person is a potential predator and enemy. So am I facing my fear, by working and trying to save, or just avoiding it?
*Edited for spelling, duh
inkdarkmoon posted about a shipment she was afraid was lost/stolen, and luckily she found it, but since we all do quite a bit of shopping and online ordering I wanted to toss in one experience I had last year.
I believe the problem started with a local beauty supply store with a member loyalty program, where you sign up and get a membership card, and they'll send you mailers with coupons and sale notices. No problems by itself, but my mistake was after I used my mailer with the coupon, the salesgirl asked if I wanted to keep the mailer. I said no and didn't give it another thought. Unfortunately (and this is total speculation) I believe the salesgirl kept the mailer with my name and address, and since I paid with a credit card she had my credit card number too.
I didn't know of any problem until my credit card statement, when I saw a charge for almost $250 to a clothing store at a local mall. I hadn't been to that mall in a couple of years, and had never shopped at this store. It was a week or so after my trip to the beauty store. I disputed the charge and paid the rest.
About a month later I got "proof" of my purchase from the clothing store: they had a screen shot of my name and address, and UPS "delivery" to my house that of course wasn't my signature (it looked like Cynthia something). I called bullshit and disputed this "proof," as they didn't have my scanned credit card, just the number manually entered (the credit card company can tell), the store didn't have my signature on file, and UPS' delivery proof wasn't my signature. I also tracked the UPS shipment online and sent to the credit card company, because it showed that right after shipment the "customer" called and rerouted the package to Will Call! So UPS showed the package signed for at my house, but if you brought tracking up it clearly showed the package was diverted.
A month later the credit card company said I wasn't responsible for the charge, mainly because of my UPS tracking proof which the store conveniently didn't include. My guess for all of this is that salesgirl at beauty store called the clothing store and used my info, maybe with an accomplice at the clothing store, charged my card and shipped the goods, but then called as the "customer" and picked up the package at UPS later.
The kicker is that when I was going through receipts, the clerk at the beauty store was "Cynthia." Coincidence? Part of me wanted to call both stores and raise hell and get people fired, but I have no real proof it was even the beauty store salesgirl. I've never gone back to the beauty store though.
I started responding to the Las Vegas thread and realized I have too much to say We go to Vegas usually once a year. We're not big gamblers, but we end up having a blast without spending (or losing ) a lot of money. Our tried-tested-true tips are:
--Go during the week instead of the weekend. Hotel prices on weeknights can be less than 50% of what you'd pay over the weekend.
--Don't just look for the cheapest hotel rates, think about what else you want to do and see. A cheap hotel isn't a bargain if it's way off by itself and you have to take a cab to do anything else.
--Everyone should try a huge Vegas buffet once. Rio has a great one, and like the others, lunch is cheaper than dinner for the same food.
--Don't forget about free drinks! If you're gambling (even at the penny or nickel slots) cocktail waitresses will walk by and bring you whatever you want, even mixed drinks (although notoriously watered-down and in teeny glasses). Bottled beer or water is best to avoid the teeny glasses.
--There's technically an "open container" law, but you'll see people walking around all the time (especially downtown) with their beer or crazy half-yard drinks so it's no big deal.
Fun free stuff to do: Rio (west of the Strip) has a Mardi Gras carnival, with floats that hang from the ceiling where people toss beads. Oh! The last time we were there they had both male & female cocktail people who would intermittently hop up onto stages above the slots and dance, then hop back down. It was SURREAL and HILARIOUS
--Flamingo has a bird sanctuary, nice to walk through
--Mirage has a nice tropical walk-through, lots of waterfalls, and you can see the white tigers
--Treasure Island has big pirate boats in front, and at night they'll put on a show. It used to be an "arr, matey" pirate show but the last time we were there they were switching it around to "Sirens of the Sea" or something like that; we haven't seen it
--Venetian has the canals with singing gondoliers
--Tons of window shopping: Forum Shops at Caesars is the hugest, but Aladdin has a nice-sized mall too, with a Sephora
--Downtown is great, especially at night -- a bunch of older, smaller casinos within 3-4 blocks. Plus light shows at night, and a few huge souvenir shops that are cheaper than the Strip hotel gift shops. We bought a pseudo-neon Welcome to Las Vegas sign that was $30 downtown, then back at the Flamingo it was $40!
OK, now I want to go again
Yes, the title is sarcastic. I do not understand the excitement of cultivating your ulcer around some dudes running around. DH isn't a huge football fan, thank goodness -- his drug of choice is basketball. So 5 guys running up and down the court dictate not only his mood for the evening, but it dictates our evening:
--we have to watch the pregame yakking about what a great game this will be. But I can understand anticipation (Update Speculation thread, anyone? )
--then it's the game, 2-3 hours of tense up-and-down, back-and-forth *yawn* At least DH isn't yelling at the TV during all this.
--don't forget, after the game it's post-game commentary! Oh goody. Lots of yakking about how the game went. If the team won then everyone played great against formidable opponents. If the team didn't win then it's the refs' fault.
I'm just bitter because I want to watch CSI reruns instead.
As a by-product of the LJ drama, I wanted to post about people's avatars. I really like seeing everyone's avatars, especially ones who change them all the time (wink at valentina!). I should change mine more often too.
Avatars are so cool because they're teeny little pictures that represent whole people, and the more avatars seen the better. I don't care if you're changing them every day, or posting extras in your signature -- I love seeing them. Is it someone you're in love with, someone you want to be, or a cool picture of a flower that you think is rad?
Mine came from downtown Las Vegas (different from the Strip, where all the huge hotels are). Downtown is a lot of fun, because there are a bunch of older, smaller casinos within 3-4 blocks and you can walk from one to the next with ease. Someone had the idea of installing neon signs randomly from old bars & restaurants, so as you're walking down Fremont Street you'll look down a side street and there will be 3-4 signs with plaques in front so you can read about them. DH took a crapload of photos, both during the day and at night, and they're way cool -- unfortunately some are so large that they'd look like glowing blobs inside a teeny square. The "Restaurant-Bar-Jackpots" came out so clean and bright, I really like it.
I know, creative title after all that went on this weekend, right? But it's not just the LJ stuff, it's this latest episode of Intervention I watched. Y'all watch Intervention, right? It's on A&E -- every week is 2 new people addicted to heroin, meth, alcohol, etc. and they're followed around in their pathetic lives until the exciting intervention (sometimes with Jeff! Hi Jeff! He's like Dr. Phil with a spine ) where they're given a choice to either get their lives back or continue their patheticness. The show's addictive, har!
It got me thinking about the LJ drama this weekend. There are some people who can't exist without drama -- either as a willing victim or an active participant. The show seems to feature many people who individually can't seem to handle "life" and all it implies, including "earning a living" and "dealing pleasantly with others." So if the drama exists, they don't have to deal with their own issues. Part of becoming an adult, though, is dealing with these issues. So someone posting anonymously and flaming people they don't even know except by an avatar are in need of drama, and if they have to create it they will.
So if everyone's represented by an avatar, what does that make me? Either I'm a gambling-addicted lush who eats food, or an actual restaurant. OOH! Can I be the Brown Derby? Cool!
This title was stolen from Anchorman, which like many other movies the first 10-15 minutes are the best -- "I love scotch! Scotchy scotch scotch!"
I put on some Smut before DH and I went out to grab some food and beer. Smut starts out almost agressively strong, but ends up a really nice sweet musky YUM. valentina sounds more sophisticated in that she mixes with O to make Smut-O-Rama, which is very creative and I should try. Bottle orgy! Woo!
I have several bottles that may be "in demand" on the resale market, but I would never sell them just because I like them so much. Smut is one of them -- it ends up so nice, I'm sitting like a dope with a smile on my face, that I would never want to sell them even if it was double what I paid.
If anything, I'll swap something I like but am not in love with. I don't care if it's LE for GC either, if it's something I really want. It's all about spreading the love.
--I placed an order today; I got bottles of Litha and Obatala. I ordered only 2 because of the extra April Fool's bottle I ordered -- it's complicated. Basically I limit myself to 3 bottles or about $50/month, and if I go over in one month I try to make it up the next month. Oh, never mind, it's stupid
--Happy Mother's Day to pet moms too! The blog of valentina, she posted her puppy pics and I know DH has our cat pics posted somewhere but I'm an intarweb doofus and don't know how to access them. We have 2 cats, Cookie and Shadow, who are very sweet and very shy. We've had them over 11 years, since they were 8 weeks old.
--One funny Mother's Day story: we were living in Cincinnati and were in some shopping area north of the city on one Mother's Day, maybe 1997. Of course every restaurant was packed and we espied a Kenny Rogers Roasters. We had never eaten there, but had always made jokes, like "Is the piped-in music all Kenny?" and "Do all the workers have to wear fake white beards?" Yes, we crack ourselves up. Anyway, we ended up eating our words as everything was seriously good -- the chicken, the sides, it was like the Seinfeld episode where everyone was addicted like crack. We were moaning at the table, it was some good eatin'.
I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl with this update. This was the first one in almost 2 years where I was actually online and then noticed Beth's announcement. It was exciting! Like a rollercoaster, woo! *bounces in chair*
The Salon scents that sound great are And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt and Death of Sarandapal. Both have honey, which due to my love of O are tempting. Plus Litha sounds nice, but it sounds like something with the specific goal of annoying my allergies with all those plants So I'm on the fence, but I have a couple weeks to decide. I knew Lotus Moon wouldn't work because lotus is bubblegummy on me, and paired with pine it became a no-no
This was a great end to a craptastic week.
No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but almost: we lost our DSL modem in one of the thunderstorms last week. Dial-up is working but obviously slow. Boo.
I'm trying to lurk when I can!
DH and I usually spend Sunday running around doing errands -- today we went to Michaels for a few little things (black silk cord for pendants, sewing needles & thread) and Cost Plus (outside lights and Cafe du Monde coffee), but if we see signs for estate sales we'll pull over to check it out.
Estate sales are like weird garage sales -- garage sales are when people bring stuff out of the house to sell, and it's strange to be walking through someone's house where everything there has a price tag. We went to one several months ago where it was obvious the guy died and if he had relatives they weren't interested in much of his stuff. The house was great though, I wish we could have bought it. We got a way cool telephone table that just needed a new seat cover for $24, plus some souvenir state plates and an electric clock for $1 each.
The one today, from what it sounded like, was an elderly couple who were probably moving to an assisted living place and didn't have room for a whole house full of stuff. They had some really nice things -- lots of crystal and silver, and it seemed weird that no other family members wanted it. Maybe they didn't have any close relatives and once they took what they wanted, didn't want to hassle with the other stuff? Who knows.
I got some 45's of Harry James and Woody Herman in cute little box sets -- the Woody Herman one is called "Dance Date on Mars." Far out, man! But my favorite is a "Host & Hostess Book" from 1940 -- recipes and menus for occasions such as "Week-End Entertaining" and "Give a Barn Dance" and a whole chapter on crazy games to play.
My favorite recipe so far is one "For the Calorie Counters": Hot Clam Boullion with Pimiento Whipped Cream. All together now: ewwww.
I don't consider myself a good cook, but I like it when we're home at night and we can have a simple dinner. I like to try a recipe if it pops up and sounds interesting, the easier the better. Food Network is a total staple of mine. DH is a steak-and-veggies type of guy, so there's never anything too complicated.
We were at Red Lobster the other night, home of the awesomest Cheddar Biscuits. We scarfed a couple down but they seemed a little off. I said, "These taste kinda salty" and DH agreed. Then he floored me by saying, "Yours are much better." I stopped and turned to him, agog: "What a nice thing to say!"
Mine have a twist -- instead of using milk or buttermilk I use beer, so they become Beer-Cheddar Biscuits. I can't use something cheap, like Miller Lite; I like using something hoppy like Bridgeport or Trademark Pale Ale. I made a batch tonight while watching the end of Ghost Whisperer, which is slowly becoming a favorite TV show, but I'm a huge fan of bangs and false eyelashes.
After reading darkity's previous posts about going to see Thomas Dolby, I just had to post about old skool concerts. Granted, it's been awhile since I've gone to a show -- I'm at the point now where seeing someone "live" means paying $50 to go to a crowded, smelly place and hear someone perform the CD that I could be listening to in the comfort of my home. Bleh. So here's my index:
First concert: Rick Nelson at the Palomino in LA, about 8th grade, 1984? This was the ex-50's-teen-idol-turned-country-singer and my friend had an obsession with him. He was pretty good! And looked damn fine!
Most memorable concert: Jane's Addiction, Pixies and Primus at the Hollywood Palladium, December 1990. I remember Primus started, and while I had never heard of them they were amazing live, great musicians. Pixies were next, and they were about to break up and probably couldn't stand each other -- Frank Black screamed a lot, that was the gist of it. Jane's Addiction was great, I love them.
Other concerts: (this is me looking through my ticket stubs)
--Monkees reunion tour in 1986 *hangs head*, but I was a sophomore in high school! What do you expect?
--Duran Duran at the Forum in July 1987 (with Erasure opening) -- I love both of them
--David Bowie at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, August 1987 -- this was the first instance where I got up at 5:00 a.m. to wait in line for tickets, and we had the worst nosebleed seats ever! Never again, I swore. He was OK live, but Siouxsie and the Banshees opened and they were fab
--Sting at the Forum, March 1988 -- he was great
--Hothouse Flowers at the Coach House (teeny restaurant/club in San Juan Capistrano), February 1989 -- they were great, a crazy Irish jam band
--Midge Ure at the Coach House, April 1989 -- lead singer of Ultravox, yum. He didn't have to play a note and I would have sat there dreamy-eyed
--Replacements at the Hollywood Palladium, May 1989 -- just before they broke up and they probably all hated each other at that point. All I remember is LOUD
--Love and Rockets at Irvine Meadows, July 1989 (Godfathers opened) -- they were pretty good. Dang, I went to a lot of concerts in 1989!
--B-52's at Universal Amphitheater, January 1990 -- they were great
--Pearl Jam at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, November 1993 -- they were great live, but it was butt-ass cold standing outside in a field. My cousin and his wife live there and we all went to the concert and stayed overnight at their house so we had a great time, I just remember COLD COLD COLD
--Dave Matthews Band at Riverbend in Cincinnati, June 1997 -- I thought they were incredibly boring live. I'm not a huge fan, but every song I recognized sounded exactly like the songs on CD or the radio. *yawn* We wanted to see Los Lobos open for them, then we left afterwards. Los Lobos is great, always -- we saw them at Jazz Fest in Columbus (2000?) and the place was mobbed.
--Beck at Veterans in Columbus, Ohio, February 2000 -- he's crazy and the show was a heap o'fun. Hank Williams III opened and he brought the house down, everyone went nuts.
--Moby at Newport Music Hall, Columbus, October 2000 -- since DH worked at Virgin Music we were able to meet him before the show. He was very nice and signed our ticket stubs and CD, and drew little pictures. His show was GREAT -- seriously, I thought it would be him noodling on a keyboard but he had a full band and was jumping all over the stage
That's really been it -- since we've moved to Dallas we haven't gone to a concert. I'm old.
DH and I kid each other about music tastes -- he managed music retail stores for over 10 years and his tastes run the gamut, while I'm more in a rut. I grew up listening to one of the biggest "college rock" stations in the country, KROQ in LA, so my CDs are a ton of Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Cure, old U2 and REM. He likes those too (how irresistible is a man with a Kate Bush CD? ) but makes fun of me for listening to nothing past 1987. But I do! The most recent CDs I burned off iTunes to play in the car are Killers and White Stripes, but he says they don't count because they "sound retro."
I listen to some things he's brought home -- I like the Chemical Brothers, Twilight Singers (Greg Dulli from Afghan Whigs' new band), Beck and Fatboy Slim. But Radiohead? Flaming Lips? (I just typed Flying Lips, that's how out-of-touch I am ) They're arty and I don't get them.
We've been together so long that it's just a part of our relationship; he's more diverse in music than I am and if he talks about something enough I'll try to listen to it. But I'm stubborn and like my old skool stuff. Now where's my Adam Ant?
One guy from work flew into town tonight for a meeting tomorrow, and DH and I were going to take him to dinner. We're driving to his hotel and almost got run off the road!
Why is it instinct with some people that when there are 2 lanes going in one direction with no turn bays, and someone's stopped to try to make a left turn, the person behind them simply veers into the right lane? It's like the tradeoff between waiting behind someone and causing an accident is a toss-up. So we're in the right lane and luckily DH swerved in time, was able to hop the curb, not hit the electric pole and pull into a Brothers Chicken parking lot. The other car slowed down, some guy in the passenger seat half-assed waved to us, like "sorry you almost wrecked your car," then pulled away.
DH was so mad, and we didn't even know if our car was damaged at that point, that he took off running down the street waving after the car. I in the meantime was writing down the license number, but after I hopped out of the car I checked the front and everything looked fine. One guy came out of the restaurant making sure the car wasn't hit. He saw DH take off down the street and said, "Damn! He's mad!" Hee!
Anyway, I didn't want to go on about bad drivers. We had a great dinner and I pick him up first thing tomorrow to go to the meeting. So tomorrow will be a beating, then it's the weekend! *boogies in my chair* And my rash went away, so I'm trying to wear my BPAL smellies without being all itchy! I'm wearing Pink Phoenix and I smell goooood.
OK, so I mentioned bankruptcy before. I have several temptations other than BPAL that are dying to make me broke:
Villainess soaps (Brooke) -- currently I have One-Eyed Willy soap with Sugar Buzz Smooch in the shower. I'm not a bubble bath person
feMaledictions (sCara) -- her perfumes are OK, but I really like her soaps, incense, sprays, etc.
Goth Rosary (AntiSally) -- her conditioner is great, with interesting scents
Dark Candles (Helena) -- strongest candles and simmering oils in gothy scents. I'm an armchair goth; I don't dress like one, but like the themes (and the music).
My Lady's Chamber -- I find myself hoarding the incense instead of burning, which I shouldn't do. Really stinky incense, great themes and prices
Instant Living -- I love retro culture. Cocktail lounges, '50s decor. I'm not in any "scene" but I like the shopping. Really cute jewelry and home stuff
Reprodepot Fabrics -- I have a sewing machine but should really use it more. I still buy fabric though, especially if it's on sale. I'll get inspired every so often
Candles and incense -- Pier 1 and Illuminations have good candles in interesting scents. I'm always up for some good headshop incense, wherever I find it
General collecting and admiring:
Souvenirs -- matchbooks, charms for my bracelet, tablecloths, plates and ashtrays, light-up signs; anything that reminds me of trips or where I've lived before
Disneyland -- I'm in love/obsessed with the Haunted Mansion. I grew up 15 minutes from Disneyland and have been there more times than I can count, so the "golden age" of Disneyland is especially nostalgic
Old Hollywood, through 1950s -- again, where I grew up in Southern California it seemd obvious that you watched old movies and knew all the big names
Old Vegas -- like Hollywood, seedy and glitzy at the same time
Are they collections or hobbies? They seem like hobbies, in that the pursuit of them are as interesting as actually possessing them. DH grew up in Cincinnati during the Reds' World Series runs ('75 and '80) so we like Cincinnati and Reds stuff. I love hearing about what others collect too, as I live vicariously.
Hey! What's happening? I feel elderly as I have never blogged. So I'm testing!
I guess I'm pretty happy in general, as opposed to my blog title. Matt Groening (pre-Simpsons) used to have a little comic in LA Weekly called "Life in Hell" (maybe he still does? I haven't checked) and there were a few collections that were published in the '80s with such titles as "Love Is Hell" and "Work Is Hell." One of his strips was the 9 types of couples, and DH and I fit the mold of Sourballs vs. the World, i.e. "can you believe the crap that is on TV?" Hence the title of my blog and DH's website.
We started dating in January 1991, when I was 20 and he was 25. I know! That sounds like I was a baby, but of course I didn't feel like a baby because I was so effing mature. Heh. We got our own place in July '91, and my parents were pretty accepting considering their 20-year-old was moving out with some guy she knew for a year. But here we are, 15 years later. Things turned out fine, Mom.
I think I'll do a BPAL-centric entry with current favorites. I first found the site in September 2004, and did my usual hem-and-haw browsing. I try not to be an impulse shopper as I could get in some serious financial trouble. I finally placed an order in October 2004 and received it in December: a 5ml of Perversion and a 6-pack of imps. Oh Perversion, you cheeky thing! What a great first scent to get, and I was immediately hooked.
I started purchasing off the forums and eBay on top of placing orders, but cut that out soon after (see above re: trying not to go overboard). So I place monthly Lab orders for no more than 3 bottles, usually on Lunacy dates, and of course swap whenever something good pops up. No bankruptcy yet!
Here are my current loves, in the order of the bottles hanging out in my box:
Perversion
Bordello
Dead Man's Hand
Corazon
Port-au-Prince
Wanda
Shub-Niggurath
Alice
Tarot: The Star
Snake Charmer
Gypsy Queen
Dia de los Muertos
Sugar Skull
Haunted Palace
Pink Phoenix
Rose Red
O
Parlement of Foules
Smut
Antique Lace
Black Phoenix
Midnight Mass
Yeah. That's a lot, and that's less than half of the total bottles (most of which I like but aren't madly in love with, unlike the above-listed ones). I am utterly hopelessly smitten.
I joke about filing for bankruptcy, but actually have experienced it almost-first-hand: I worked for a bankruptcy attorney for 2 years. It seemed I saw people at the worst point of their lives, but as I've said after working for attorneys for many years, "If everyone was rich and happy, no one would need an attorney."
We seriously had a Kleenex budget, because many times we had people crying in the office over their decision. There were straight-up dumbos whose logic was, "I have credit cards I can't pay, so to feel better I'll go shopping!" One couple who made really decent money (over $100K/year) had almost $300K in credit cards and loans. But a lot of people were there for normal bad luck -- divorce, where one person gets stuck with a house payment they can't afford on their own; illness; losing their job; people who owned their own businesses mixing their personal finances up with the business.
It drives me crazy, especially with this new "bankruptcy reform," that the general consensus is that people who file for bankruptcy are deadbeats and abuse the system by filing over and over. As I saw it, the system was in fact working fine, with honest judges and attorneys who wanted to be fair to everyone, including the creditors. The attorney I worked for flat-out refused to represent people whom she suspected were lying to her. She was one of the top bankruptcy attorneys in the city, and there was no way she was putting her license and reputation on the line for anyone.
What I learned was to be very diligent with our own finances:
--Pay important bills in full every month. Mortgage/rent, utilities, car payment & insurance.
--Everything else like credit cards that can't be paid in full, pay as much as possible. "Minimum amounts" are for suckers.
--If you can't pay off something in one month, try to pay it off the next month. Seriously. If that means less going out, less concerts or movies, do it and catch up.
--Pay everything early, not late. Creditors luuuuvs when you pay late, even one day, because not only do they get their money but they have the excuse to charge $25-45! Because you're one day late? Nah, man.
--If you don't like an interest rate, change it. If the mortgage is too high, you can refinance after a couple years if you've been good with payments. Credit cards, call them and ask for a lower rate. If not, use one of those 0% interest for 6 months offers with someone else. And keep track of the due dates too -- if it's no interest until June, pay it off or transfer by June.
Anyway, I'm going on and on. The point is, take control! Power to the people!
So, I have a job. I'm an HR admin for an orthodontics company -- saving the world from crooked teeth. This means I send payroll to be processed, get everyone paid and signed up for medical, dental and life insurance. We have stock options and I prepare the agreements and keep track of all of those. I work for the General Counsel (in-house attorney) helping with contracts and litigation.
In general, I like my job. We have a main office, but Boss Lady and I are in a different state and work out of our houses. I'm at her place 2-3 days/week, and at home the rest of the time. It's very flexible, in that I can run to the grocery store and do other errands if I'm caught up. I love that aspect -- I can be free for an hour or two, in the middle of the day! If it's busy, though, and we're working on a big project I'm expected to be checking email constantly and by the phone.
Because it's a sales company, everyone's very outgoing and energetic. I'm told I have a pleasant phone persona and don't mind answering questions on the phone or emailing all day. The company is doing great (as far as I can tell, but I don't see sales figures). I feel fortunate that Boss Lady (whom I worked for previously) liked me so much she wanted only me for the job. It's exciting to be working for such a young and growing company -- I sometimes compare it to the Lab, in that things seem to have taken off with demand.
What's no-so-great about it? Boss Lady can be abrupt and demanding. She likes me to make calls for her, then stands next to me and corrects me during the call if I've misunderstood something. Look lady, if this call was so important to you, and you don't have anything else to do at the moment, why aren't you on the phone?
Other people can be demanding too, like I have nothing else to do except answer their vacation time questions over and over. Seriously, our policy isn't that confusing, and no you don't get all your vacation time for the year up-front. I don't care that "every other job you've had" did that -- that's a stupid way to do things, because if you left a week later we'd owe you that unearned vacation time. Does that make any sense to you? Go sell something.
It's not an exciting, artistic job, but with DH's job we can pay the bills and have fun money left over. What more can we ask for?
