Gray Fuzzy Death Monster

I have a spider in my office. I found him this morning (and yes, it is a he, much as most Greek monsters were inexplicably female.) I was preparing for a supplier audit tomorrow, which prompted me to move my laptop bag and retrieve the disc drive to replace my DVD rom drive and there he was. I told myself he must be dead, for he didn't move. So I put the bag down slowly, backed out of my office, and walked to my best friend's cube and asked him to kill a spider for me. He said, "sure."

He grabbed a mug (his favorite, I might add, which made me shuddery) and a piece of paper and walked out of his cube. Then he went back and grabbed a laminated brochure instead of the paper (which had more substance to it, so I was slightly relieved, not able to imagine the usage of the paper as a tool against the lurking evil.) Then we marched back to my cube (on the way he exchanged his mug for a styrofoam cup, much to my relief, as I would have had to secretly dispose of the mug if it had been used.) I let him go in first, but I could still see from the doorway that the gray, fuzzy, death monster had moved.

Crap.

We looked everywhere. We even grabbed my emergency flashlight to probe around in the dark places, but it didn't work. (Damn!!) He moved papers, lifted pencil holders, opened cabinets, and searched for it, all to no avail.

It is still in here. Of that I am certain. It was too big to get away unnoticed, but we can't find it!! Now I am jumpy and nervous and it is very hard to concentrate. My legs are very itchy with psychosomatic crawlies and red and stingy from where I keep slapping them. My socks keep falling down, too, so now I am certain that it is going to find its way into my shoe. That is where it wants to be. I need duct tape.

Digital Portfolio

So has anyone seen these new portable image viewers? Instead of carting around your portfolio with a dozen or so images, you can instead sport an image viewer that ways 11 ounces and can hold 200 Fine Quality digital images. Popular Photography just did an article on them. Fascinating, yes? It is, as Pop Photo dubbed it, an EyePod.

Larry said not to buy toys.

Fear and Fear Alike

So, my company lost power this morning as I drove into work. My office sits on the manufacturing floor, hundreds of feet away from the nearest natural light source that our production space offers. I was not in my office when the lights went out, as I was not on time to work due to the rain. Thank the great beings that be. I don't mind dark. But dark with no penetration of light is a little bit different. Pitch black, I believe it is called. I couldn't find my doorknob when I did get in to open my office. I had to leave my cavern and head for the open bay door to mingle with the other workers who waited for light.

It is not my story, however, that I tell. I don't even really have a story, but just a sentence. My friend was in the bathroom when the lights went out. No windows, self-closing door, a dozen stalls, AND the fact that it is nestled near my office all make this a TERRIFYING experience. I have always dreaded that. It is something that I used to think about when I used to work until 9:00 every night. What happens if the lights go out? Is it natural? Did someone or something turn them off?

She said it was crazy. She got dizzy because she had nothing to set her bearings on. She fell into one of the walls just trying to find her way out. She is fine. My imagination is not.

Corporate Comfort

I have a little fountain in my office. I purchased it at Cost Plus or Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or one of those types of places for around $20.00. The original reason for the purchase was for the fountain to act as a contradictory noise source to the incorrectly manufactured transformer that keeps me company while I work. The transformer is just outside my office and the constant hum was oppressive. My fountain, little though it may be, conquered the bellowing, yet subtle, cacophony coming from the transformer. It gurgles irregularly, often overflows, spits foamy bubbles (that I do not know the source of ) and has gorged my office plant to ten times its original size. It is the main attraction of my office. Most people who come to visit me comment on how homey and comforting my office is, and only a few of them recognize the relevance of my fountain in the atmosphere of the small, bleak space. I love my little fountain. It is small and unobtrusive. It has a small footprint on the surface of my C-shaped desk. It is corporate comfort.

True

I looked around on Blogger today and read a couple of blogs (inspired by the quick response of monster on my previous blog question) and made a shocking realization. I read some of these blogs and saw the history of people's lives, saw the amazing transformations in their lives, the struggles, the pain, the joy, and they became characters out of any story you could read about modern life, only they are real.

I guess part of me never thought about how the blog can open you up to the world. People I have never met know some of the inner workings of my mind. In some ways it's creepy, but in some others it becomes a window of opportunity to possibly positively affect someone's life.

I want to do that. I want to quit my horrible corporate job and find a career that helps people daily. Some of you know I toyed with joining the Peace Corp about two years back, but that was too drastic of a maneuver (especially because I had SPF, who I surely would have lost or missed TERRIBLY the whole time.) So I have been talking ever since about doing something that will help people here, in San Diego. Helping kids would be ideal, but I doubt myself so greatly sometimes, I wouldn't want to end up being a bad influence.

I don't know. I guess I think that I have my life together enough that I could spare the emotional, financial, and temporal efforts to help people. It doesn't change the plan at all. It just enhances it.

I digress. My ultimate blogging purpose today was to exclaim my sudden amazement at the caliber of bloggers out there, and the trials and tribulations that they are willing to share, which could, theoretically, help someone who reads them.

The Anvil of Daylight

So, I am historically known to mishear lyrics of songs and come up with fascinating new meanings/words/phrases that have not been ingeniously created by brilliant song writers. A good example of this would be the word "antiviriality", which I had defined as "when fact is fiction." I get this from the U2 lyrics for "Sunday, Bloody Sunday"..."When fact is fiction...antiviriality..." So, for those of you who know the actual song, you can see my problem.

So I have a new problem. I heard the new Beck single on my way to work this morning and the line "The Anvil of Daylight" stuck out from the song as a brilliant, extremely prolific and descriptive metaphor that I really admire. Problem is, I don't know if it is really in the song.

So, for the adventurous of you out there, can anyone verify if this is actually part of the lyrics or just another wonderful mishearing? I would look myself, but I am quite busy and I know that there are at least three of you out there who will find it faster and better than I would anyway, and it is more fun to blog about it...which probably took more time than it would have just to look it up. Sigh.

So, the hunt is on!

Dropping a Line

So, Valentine's Day was nice, even though I stayed home sick (or maybe in part because of it) and dinner was nice, but now my hubby is in Colorado. He took off this morning at around 4:45 and headed for his 6:20 flight. He will be gone for two days. Sigh. He is sweet. Such a sweetie.

Wamez - Yes, I see that you have fingers! Now keep it up and we can all get along...

JQ - Also glad to see you blogging again.

Bye!!

Am I the only one with Fingers?

I have been noticing a pointed lack of blogs from those that I read. The current updates are weeks old and the comments grow into wacky land. Maybe that means I am reading them too often, or maybe I am too dependent on friend and family updates, but seriously people, you need to blog. Either that or I need to start reading other blogs regularly, and not those of people I care about. Any suggestions?

I LOVE MY FAMILY

Just all around. Good folks.

Great Googalie Moogalie!!!

Soooo, as some of you have already heard...

I HAVE A BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE U2 CONCERT TOUR OPENING SHOW IN SAN DIEGO!!!!!

I got it because I am such an outstanding employee. I know that doesn't seem possible having had as many problems with my boss as I have, but I honestly think people have started to tell him that he needs to treat us better. I don't know. I almost quit the other day because he humiliated me in front of a room full of VPs, and the next day he apologized and told me about the "Thank you" ticket for doing such a good job.

This works out well, though, because SPF and I could only get three tickets to the second show, so now JB, JQ, and SPF can go to that and I can meet the band two days earlier. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I just wish I could share the backstage pass with JB. They are his all-time favorite, I think. Unfortunately, I don't think I can. But I will try and get something signed for him from Bono or The Edge. JB, do you have any requests?

Oh, and because I am so HAPPY about this, JB, JQ, and SPF, your U2 tickets are on me. :)

Oh, and because I am sticking around at this company until after the concert, I will also be going to Tokyo in April. :)