Saturday, May 31, 2008

Friday, May 30, 2008

Classical Gas

I filled up in Grand Prairie tonight for $3.79/gallon, and when I drove home to OC I saw that gas is $3.92/gallon here...only about 10-12 miles apart or so. What gives?

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Little Thoughts

-Since when did the Design*Sponge guest blog morph from a design blog to a wedding blog? Aren't there ENOUGH wedding blogs/tv shows/magazine/websites? GAG ME. No really. Turn around and go get the biggest spoon you can find - I really need to fit into this wedding dress.

-The dogs next door have reached raucous heights. Impressive, really. This guy wins the "obnoxious house" award for sure.

-Whether you choose to ignore it or not, global warming is happening. It is not a conspiracy created by Al Gore. And your saying it isn't real, or telling people that going green isn't important, does not change the current situation. Maybe this makes you feel less guilty for driving a gas-guzzling sports car or not buying CFLs, or not recycling, or being a compulsive shopper, or littering, or leaving the lights on all the time, or never turning off your computer monitor. But it is still happening. YOUR God might have given you the right to bear arms and drive a Hummer, but MY God asked that I take care of His creations, a.k.a. THE EARTH and the plants and animals that inhabit it. (I'm still working on that whole not-judging thing, but at least I recycle and crap.)

-I can't wait to start composting! I finally found an affordable composter under $100 that I could take with me whenever I move to my next house. Now I won't have to throw away coffee grinds, coffee filters, tea bags, yard clippings, eggshells, etc. And it makes free, nutrient-rich dirt. Why do homeowners drive all the way to Home Depot and purchase dirt that is bagged in plastic and has been shipped here from some other state, when they could MAKE THEIR OWN DIRT? I will never understand it.

-Tonight there was a totally insane police chase on the news. But I'm really glad that the guy didn't hurt anyone. It was crazy!

-THIS IS SO COOL. It appeals to both my green side, and my stick-it-to-the-man side. I want to start up a group around here. Who's down? (more here)

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

See That Animal

I didn't have my camera with me on my dinner break so you're just going to have to take my word on this one, but I saw a WILD TURKEY in our parking lot here at work. No lie. This isn't completely shocking I suppose, because our office is surrounded by federal protected grasslands. We have had mountain lion spottings, tarantula spottings, and coyote spottings. But never a turkey, until now.

A co-worker had also seen her (her?) and was looking around the shed where I spotted her. This person lives in the country, and said that since the turkey was female, and didn't fly off, that she probably has a nest near the shed outside. Awwwww...baby turkeys!

(If anyone makes an Thanksgiving references, then I am not approving your comments! This is an animal-friendly site, people.)

Monday, May 26, 2008

Bang Bang

I am used to hearing gunshots by now. After having lived on Lower Greenville for 2 years (someone was shot across the street with a machine gun one afternoon - a drug deal gone bad), Deep Ellum for a couple of years, and then Expo Park for a year, I have heard my fair share of gunfire. But so far it has always been pretty far away in the distance. Tonight I heard one shot, very close by, then a pause, and then a whole round of shots. Yikes. Couldn't have been more than 2 or 3 blocks away. Kind of freaked me out, I have to say. And I'm not all that easily freaked out.

The bizarre thing is that not 2 hours ago I was having dinner with friends in Bishop Arts and we were talking about this very thing. And I was telling them that I have heard gunshots everywhere I have lived in this city, but never very close. Apparently I jinxed myself. Like the night I was hanging out with a friend whose cat played fetch and i said "man I wish my cat played fetch," and THAT NIGHT when I got home she started playing fetch. Maybe I should say "man I wish I would win the lottery." Or "I have never ever won the lottery." Maybe that will make it happen. Of course I'd have to buy a ticket first...ugh, details.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?

It was TIME. I am simply not a long-hair kind of gal. And I like change.






Friday, May 23, 2008

The True Story Of What Was

When I was around 5 or 6 years old, someone asked me "How old is your doll?"

Always the practical and straightforward child, I looked up at him and replied "It's just a doll."


duh.

Monday, May 19, 2008

The Long List of Girls

So last night at the BRMC show, after I had mentioned that it bothers me when people wear band t-shirts to see that specific band (it come off quite uppity, as if the person is saying “nah nah nah naaah naaah – I’m a bigger fan than you are!"), I was told that I should start a list of things that bother me, because I seem to have a lot of them. Ok, fine. Here goes nothin’. I’m sure I will not think of everything that bothers me in the first go-‘round, so as I think of more things I will post them in separate blog entries. Some I will try to explain and others I will not.

1) …well, as previously stated, it bothers me when people wear band t-shirts to see that band. And I think that instead of the intended meaning (I’m a way bigger fan than you, bro’), it just says “I bend over easily and paid 30 bucks for this t-shirt that will shrink so much that I can’t wear it in a year when this band comes through town again.”

2) Hummers and the people who drive them. Hummers are a giant FUCK YOU to both the environment and the other drivers on the road (you know, the whole killing-machine thing). Not to mention that a) I have never ever seen more then 2 people occupying a Hummer, which goes against my theory that people should only buy that size of car that they actually NEED for their family and lifestyle, and b) c’mon, Hummer drivers are compensating for something BIG (hmmmm…or shall I say something incredibly small? Hahahahahaha). Someone once asked me if I would hate a Hummer that ran on bio-diesel, and yes, I would still hate it because of the killing-machine thing, and the general attitude of the people who drive them. The whole “I own the road” thing. Ugh.

3) Drivers who have to almost come to a complete stop to turn right.

4) Fruit for dessert.

5) The dogs next door that bark all night long and keep me up.

6) The three three giant mosquito bites that I have on my elbow right now.

7) Personalized license plates. I think I have done several myspace blogs regarding this already. It was the worst in CA where they allow hearts as a symbol. I’ll excuse you while you go puke. My theory is that if you are going to pay a ridiculous amount of money on your license plate, then it should go to a good cause, like the “Texas Wildlife” plates or the ASPCA plates. Because no one cares that U[heart]2DANCE or that AMY[hearts]JIM or whatever the hell else you think is creative.

8) Drivers who go slow in the fast lane on the highway. Again, one of my theories: on a three-lane highway, the far right lane is for the slow drivers (speed limit and under) because then it’s easier for people to merge onto the highway. The middle lane is for drivers going the speed limit --> speed limit + 10mph, and the far left hand lane (aka the FAST LANE) is for people going speed limit + 10mph and over. Ok, glad we got that cleared up.

9) Litter-ers.

10) Animal abusers.

11) Anyone who doesn’t put sunscreen on their babies/children at places like the beach or Six Flags.

12) People who treat wait staff rudely.

13) When people stare at what’s in my grocery cart at the supermarket.

14) I think that if you are at a restaurant, and for example, your entrée comes with a side of salsa and some chips, and you run out of salsa because there is just not enough for your chips, and you ask your waiter for some “extra salsa,” that if they are going to charge you $3.50 for a tiny bit of salsa that they should tell you this when you ask for it and not surprise you on the bill. Because that tiny side of salsa was NOT worth $3.50, AllGood Café!!

15) Run-on sentences (see #14).

16) I hate that my PT Loser has never gotten over 17mph, even though 90% of my driving is highway miles, and when I bought it, Moritz Chrysler assured me it would get 25-28 mph. HA! What a big fat bunch of liars they are.

17) Animal testing.

18) Gas prices, and the fact that we even make gasoline-powered cars given all of the alternates we have today.

19) When people don’t believe in global warming and/or believe that it was a “conspiracy created by Al Gore.” Pfffffffffffffffffffffffft.

20) Fire ants.

21) Misuse of “good” and “well.”

22) George W. Bush

23) Guys who claim that they want a low-maintenance girl, but who only like long hair. That is what we call an oxy-moron. Long hair is never low maintenance. It takes longer to wash, longer to dry, and longer to style. And it always ends up stuck to your feet as you walk across the living room and clogs up the shower drain.

24) Couple that don’t match, i.e. a really tall guy with a really short girl, or vice versa. When these couples spawn, they create a bunch of these boys who grow up to be 5’8”. This does not help the tall ladies, a.k.a., me.

25) McMansions.

26) Crocs. Could there be an uglier shoe?

27) When people tell me that my greyhound is skinny.

28) Can I put my neighbor’s barking dogs on the list again?

29) People who answer their cells/texts less than 50% of the time.

30) Crotch rockets.

Ok that’s all I’ve got at the moment – more to come soon, I’m sure.

And I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Green Arrow

Oh man, Dallas barely squeaked in this list. Looks like I need to move to Washington state or Oregon....




2008 City Rankings
Best Green Cities 1 - 100

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Reel Deal

reasons why reel push lawnmowers rock:

--The 2-cycle engines found on most power mowers, blowers, and weed-eaters contribute 5%-10% of the air pollution in Southern cities.

--Cutting a lawn with a manual reel mower is easier on the grass and provides a healthier lawn.

--Manual reel mowers are much easier to use than most people think and require about 1/20th the maintenance of a power mower.

--Mowing with a reel mower is smooth, quiet, and puts you more in touch with the environment around your home. Burn calories, not gasoline!

--Personally speaking, the reel lawn mower is much lighter and easier for me to handle on my own. I never have to buy gas for it, and it only cost $99. The only maintenance is keeping the blades sharp, and the grass clippings automatically drop back into the lawn and serve as mulch. What could be better?

This is the reel mower I bought, but as with any other product there are many brands and pricepoints. Like these, or these...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

salvation

Here are some of my Salvation Army finds from this past weekend!

Blue floral tray:

blue McCoy vase (stamped on bottom):

blue/green ashtray-type thingie:

white bud vase, frame, and ashtray (for parties, I don't smoke):

moss green glasses and bowl-thing:

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Gimme The Car

spotted in Deep Ellum outside a residence:

Friday, May 9, 2008

I'm Begging You for Mercy

mish-mash:

-Replacing coffee pots is expensive, as they break waaaaay too easily. I don't even know how mine broke. I put it in the sink with warm soapy water in it, came back an hour later, and it was all cracked on one side. Piece.of.crap. The cost to replace it is $15 at Target, which is about half of what I paid for the entire coffeemaker. Ridiculous.

-These ceramic trays and bowls, found through Design*Sponge, are amazing. I like them all, but love #4, #5, #6, and #9. If you really love me you'll buy one for my new house.

-Palm trees are a bitch to cut out in photoshop. But after 2.5 hours of lasso-ing, my palm trees look SHARP. Watch out world.

-Tonight I am so so so looking forward to taking Ambien for the first time in an attempt to sleep through the incessant barking of the dogs next door. I am excited, to say the least.

-This weekend brings a long to-do list. Included are:
-mowing the lawn and pulling weeds
-measuring and cutting shelf paper (aka wallpaper I bought online because there is no such thing as stylish shelf paper) for all of the kitchen cabinets
-wash my car
-Hang curtain rods
-celebrating a friend's end-of-the-semester with brunch and thrift store shopping
-decide on paint colors
-get an oil change
-hanging a shelf or two
-picking up
-breaking down boxes
-looking for a dog trainer/behaviorist
-trying to get the kitchen door to latch
-vacuuming/mopping
-Target and home depot trips
-putting new knobs and pulls on the biult-in cabinets/drawers

...and maybe at some point, relaxing.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Here & Now

Is anyone else's clover flowering like crazy? It's a clover-fest in my backyard. See how prettttty!







Block Party

(I went to this a few years ago and it was a lot of fun! And FREE!)

May 10, 2008

The 5th Annual Bishop Arts District Block Party, Car Show & Urban Street Bazaar will take place Saturday, May 10th!

What better place to show off dozens of vintage automobiles than the small-town streets of the Bishop Arts District? On May 10th, traffic halts for a line-up of drop-dead-gorgeous cars from your youth and your grandfather’s.

The fun doesn’t stop with the car show. Throughout the day merchants will lure you away from the steel beauties with open houses, sidewalk sales, in-store entertainment, and our famous food offerings. Prizes will be handed out for the best cars and we’ll clear the streets for dancing and entertainment. And don’t miss the Urban Street Bazaar which will be held in the district for the very first time.

Schedule of Events
Car registration begins 9:30 a.m.
Classic Car Show 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Live music & dancing 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Urban Street Bazaar 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

overheard in the back patio of the Cliff Cafe

"Wow - you don't even feel like you're in the hood down here!"

Monday, May 5, 2008

Takin' Care of Business

Today I got partially down my list and...

-greeted the garage door guy at 7am only for him to look at it and inform me that it needs all new springs and cables and that they'll have to order those and come back another day at this God awful time of the morning. He was, however, able to provide me with a second garage door opener for a mere $40.

-changed the cat litter

-went to the County Tax Office and stood in that looooong line and got my registration renewed, after it being expired since April 2007, for $60.90.

-went to Discount Tire Co. and waited in another loooooong line to get to new front tires, for $211.

-unpacked a HUGE plastic bin of stuff in the garage

-cursed the next door neighbor's yapping dog dozens of times

-spray painted some IKEA stuff

-finished assembling IKEA Vinstra dressing table:



-gathered items for garage sale/goodwill/etc

-finally watched my latest Netflix - "God Grew Tired of Us"

Friday, May 2, 2008

Body Movin'

I am almost completely unpacked, and the closer I get, with every box I throw away (or give away), Sweetums clings even harder to the boxes that are left. Maybe this shoe box can stay...though I'm not sure how to make it work with the decor.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

i am sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner

I am a HUGE fan of Spiral Diner Fort Worth and Spiral Diner Dallas. And I'm not even vegan. I love it so much I wrote a glowing review on Yelp.com.

I've been trying to convince my mom to go with me but somehow every time I suggest it the conversation goes a little something like this:

mom: "What sounds good?"

me: "Let's go to Spiral Diner!"

mom: "But I'm hungry. You know, really hungry. I need protein."

me: "They have a huge menu, with lots of protein options - not just tofu."

mom: "But I need meat."

me: "Mom, protein is protein."

mom: (getting testy and annoyed) "You know what I mean."

me thinking: No, no I don't know what you mean. What you mean is that you don't want to try anything new and anything outside of a steakhouse freaks you out.

Well, Spiral Diner is earning more and more non-vegetarian, non-vegan fans. I keep telling her that their "ate layer burrito" is to die for, but she still refuses to go with me, citing "must eat animal protein" as the excuse.

For my final argument, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I would like to quote a comment left on this GuideLive article:

Posted by Melody @ 3:43 PM Wed, Apr 30, 2008

"My daughter and I went last week for lunch. She's vegetarian and I raise cattle and definitely love meat. The menu was amazing. She had the wrap with hummus, roasted sweet potatoes, spinach, and other veggies and it was delicious. I had the "traditional" burger (patty was made of brown rice, nuts and ground veggies). If it had been a blind tasting test, I would have never believed I wasn't eating something beefy and with real life mayo and fixings! The place was very busy and most all were men--overalls, suits, etc. Location is very easy to get to and we will be regulars!"

I rest my case.

*****(Click here for the full Dallas Morning News article.)*****


:) I win!