Thursday, June 30, 2005

3 is a bad number today.

So, I got 3 hours of sleep last night.

Because K decides to go out and get shitfaced and come home at 3:30 am, not calling to say he would be out that late.

Of course, like Lucy must when we leave her in the mornings for work, I paced and I stared out the window. I worried; that's what I'm supposed to do. (Unlike Lucy, however, I refrained from chewing up any newspapers from the newspaper basket).

So on 3 hours of sleep I am about to go into a 3 hour meeting. A 3 hour meeting in which I put my first challenge of my new job to the test.

At least we got to wear shorts today. (Office clean-out day this afternoon; what I look forward to all year!)

Hopefully 4 will be my magic number, since 4-day weekend here I come!

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Girl crush, reversed.

I think I have a female admirer.

On Saturday afternoon I was standing in line at the neighborhood Safeway, about to purchase some goodies for a cookout that evening, when suddenly I felt eyes on me. You probably know the feeling.

Glancing over to the next aisle, I see a girl, about my age with a straight blonde bob, staring at me. It wasn't one of those stares where you wonder if you have a big booger dangling from your right nostril or if perhaps she recognizes you from somewhere but can't figure out where. No, this was a very peculiar mix of admiration, curiosity, and maybe jealousy? It was also a weird stare that made me sense some kind of hostility or something that wasn't exactly the friendliest of feelings. I can't say for sure, just that we girls--we sense these things.

In any case, chick was totally checking me out. (I was looking kind of cute after a shower in hemp pants, a white wife beater, my favorite Rainbow flip flops, and some crunchy bling. Heh.)

I'm really not being conceited here. I mean, I check other girls out all the time. I admire. I pick up fashion tips. I wonder what it's like to be them. I develop 5 minute crushes. Girl crushes, that's what they are. They're perfectly normal. What I'm saying is that I was part flattered, part uncomfortable. She was fixated on me, scowling almost, for what seemed like forever. I smiled at her and instantly, she looked away.

When I swung around the parking lot in my car, she was leaving the store. I looked in my rearview mirror and there she was, still semi-scowling, still staring after me. Intently. I almost waved.

So last night, I am walking Lucy around the school before going out to dinner with Kevin. (OK, the curl up with O magazine and sleep thing never happened. Of course I had to get my margarita on!). We pass the tennis courts and.......there she is! I don't look at her, but still feel those eyes. I'm sure she recognizes me. And I'm certain she's staring.

What is her perception of me, I wonder. Why the hostile stares? Why am I so weirded out by it?Why do I feel kind of special about it at the same time? I tell Kevin about her when we get into the car to go to the restaurant. Baby, this chick has a crush on me. She's playing tennis at the school.

What does Kevin do? Just like the embarrassing Mom who wants to check out the little boy on the playground who pulls your hair, he whips the car to the left, towards the school.

"Oh my god, baby! No! What, you're going to do a drive-by?" I shriek.

"I want to check this chick out." He laughs, visibly pleased at my squirming. Kevin is loving this.

He pulls up alongside the tennis court, driving very slowly, as I am ducking in the front seat.

"Does she see you, does she see you?" I whisper.

"No, she's playing. She's not that cute."

"Baby! Are you jealous?!"

"No, I think it's pretty funny."

"Maybe I should sit up, so she can see what a hot boyfriend I have!"

Now, I'm the one who thinks it's pretty funny. And I laugh about it all through dinner.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

I taste a celebration coming on.

PROMOTION.

That's right, that's what I got.

I am now a partying, fun-loving, not-ready-to-settle-down, twentysomethingalmost thirtysomething youngster with an even BIGGER big girl job.

Lord have mercy. I'm a Director! I get to direct things!

To celebrate, I am going to go home and pour myself a cocktail, curl up with my new O magazine in the LoveSac, and fall asleep by 9 PM. I'm tired as shit.

Monday, June 27, 2005

So rosalicious, why do you want this position?

Let me ask you this:

Have you ever been interviewed by your own office, by people you already work with?

WOAH, doggies! So much of interviewing is all the pleasantries and get-to-know-yous and fluff-fluff stuff that is meant to put you at ease.

There is no beating around any bush when you have had 2 years to get all that stuff out of the way.

Good thing I spent yesterday prepping for the grueling inquiries of my peers. And by prepping I mean sipping chardonnay by the pool and munching on bruschetta with home-grown basil and fresh mozarella. Yes, it's a very good thing I did all that.

In any case: fingers crossed, folks. I'll let you know what happens.

Friday, June 24, 2005

Rosie, rosie.....how does your garden grow?

Pretty fast, apparently.

Check it out.

Before:

After:


Before:

After:


I just love the growing process! It amazes me. Right now we are able to eat all our greens (spinach, lettuce, mesclin, mixed greens) and radishes. The roma tomato plant is starting to form fruit, and so is one of the green peppers. Our garden also contains cucumbers, zuchini (those bad boys are gonna get frickin' HUGE), eggplant, a sad little chili pepper plant that's not doing so well, basil, sage, mint, and red pepper.

All will soon be RIPE FOR THE PICKIN'!

Sippin' on Gin and Juice

Tangueray and Tonic, yeah I'm fucked up now.....

Last night, 4 Tangueray and Tonics, 10 Marlboro Lights, and some personal disclosure later, an innocent happy hour turned into what is now a perfectly lovely Friday hangover.

A Tangueray rep was on hand to keep us fully stocked in Tangueray schwag:



The booklet you see in the picture is a book on horoscopes, Tangueray-style. Seeing as Megan and I are both Capricorns, we were a little offended that the Tangueray horoscope indicated we were DULL. Hrrrmmph.

It also said we were strong, sensitive, and hard-workers.

Alrighty, I suppose I'll drink to that.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Some stuff before I get on my merry lunching way.

  • I have to purchase TWO wedding presents for the TWO weddings we're going to next weekend. I'm not really close with either of the couples, so it's Bed, Bath, and Beyond for some plastic kitchen supplies and navy blue soap holders. I have never bought anything off someone's registry before because I thought it was, well, thoughtless and generic. But now, I am admittedly a little thankful for the convenience. Just for the record: I will force my own wedding guests to use a little originality. I might just request handmade gifts only, just for the sheer indulgence of seeing what goodies people come up with!
  • It's been raining and storming everyday at precisely the time I get off work, 5 PM, for the past 3 days. Stop, already.
  • So I just call to make a doctor appointment and guess what? My doctor is no longer with Kaiser. This is like the 3rd doctor I've had that's left. How is a girl supposed to get any decent consistent health care?
  • I got pulled over this morning by the po-po and didn't get a ticket! It's my charming morning demeanor, I'm certain.
  • I had a really bizarre dream last night about steak and my neighbor having diarrhea. I'm sure you probably don't want to hear about it.
  • I have no plans yet for this weekend. Hallelujah.
  • I lazily watched some really bad TV last night. The Runaway Bride interview with Katie Couric and Who Wants to be a Hilton. I sort of liked the Hilton one, mainly because I am a stickler for etiquette. But when I tried to hold my wine glass by the stem, like you're supposed to, I spilled it all over the couch. Luckily, K was not home to chastise me. Lucy just licked it right on up for me and all was fine and wine-free again. I then made mushroom turnovers and continued to take advantage of K's absence and the bad TV by watching two back-to-back episodes of the Golden Girls!
  • I think I want a burrito bowl for lunch.

OK, that's it. For now.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

One more thing.

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone!

The abridged Telluride recap.

I don't know if it was all that delicious New Belgium beer, the good people watching, the strong sunshine, the gorgeous scenery, the robin-egg cloudless sky, the awesome tunes, or the other un-mentionable substances, but when Jenn looked over at me and said I love my life, I couldn't have agreed more.

We couldn't have had a more perfect weekend in Telluride. (And this is going to be the last post about Telluride so for the love of god quit rolling those eyes!)

Unlike most everyone else, we stayed in a condo instead of camping. Jonathan's parents own one there and so along with his sister Shira, her friend from Israel Amalia, Jenn's brother Peter, his wife Ali, and some young man whose name escapes me, we made the most of showers and toilets and a kitchen and a balcony overlooking main street, and the other amenities that accompany ski-town condo living. Yes, it was most luxurious, despite sleeping in a (comfy) nest on the floor.

The process of festivaling soon became automatic. Breakfast in the morning. Showers and the lathering up of sunscreen. Walking Lucy and her new boyfriend Sammy before heading out for the day. Spreading the tarp and blankets out and setting up low-slung chairs. Getting settled. Buying a smoothie because of trying to hold out until noon for a beer. Buying a beer, and then more beer as the afternoon wears on. My beer of choice this weekend was New Belgium's Loft. I think maybe once I tried something else. After beer, buying cokes after dark for Bourbon. (The unofficial rule being: No Bourbon until dark. You know, pacing oneself is key at TBF.)

As the bands came on we would consult the official TBF program. Assess who we liked and who we really wanted to see. We shared what we knew about each band, where they were from. Everyone was good. You could have been bad and still have been good. I discovered I loved Kathleen Edwards, Hot Buttered Rum String Band, the John Butler Trio, the Burnett Family Band (they gave me goosebumps--they were 2 daughters and a son and the parents, all so very talented!), and King Wilkie. I already knew I loved Wilco, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Split Lip Rayfield. Yonder Mountain String Band, sort of surprisingly, put on the best show in my opinion.

The best things about the Telluride Bluegrass Festival are the things that are so distinctly Telluride. Pastor Mustard, the MC. A cornball, but lovable just the same. Sam Bush and Emmylou Harris, king and queen of Telluride, respectively. New Belgium Brewing Company . KOTO, the radio station that broadcasts the festival live. The gondola that takes people back and forth between Mountain Village and the town. Town Park itself, and the ever-present view of that beautiful waterfall. Peoples' homemade flags (one near us was one of those swiffers). Autumn Teneyl , the clothing vendor I had a mild obsession with. Spicy Greens, a delicious salad served up year after year. Biota, a new biodegradable bottled water. Straw cowboys hats and cigarette butt collecting contests and hula hoops and all feet wearing Chacos and the Utne Reader ring toss and the sound of the river running nearby and the Laidlaw shuttle busses and the kids having meltdowns in wagons and Elks Park where we watched a friend perform in the band contest. Margaritas, strong-ass margaritas, at Cornerstone Grill and iced lattes at the Steaming Bean. We even had Shabbat.

All of it was so wonderfully, wind-erfully, environmentally-friendly Telluride. All of it.

Alas, the memories live on.....hopefully we'll be back again next year. I know Yoni and Jenn will be.

Check out the slideshow of our trip here!

Monday, June 20, 2005

This is the view I had all weekend long.



We had the best time. It's so hard to get back into reality, but get back into reality I must.

My feet are finally clean again, my hair brushed, bra put back on, outdoorsy-hippyish-natural fiber clothing laundered, car unpacked, tarp folded, money spent, dog worn out, Rosalicious worn out.

Oh yeah, and I'm finally sober.

More on the details of our rockin-bluegrassy time when I get all the pictures up.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

In one hour I'm on my way to becoming a festivarian.

I'm currently sitting at my desk listening to the skin-tingling voice of Allison Krauss and I'm getting so excited I think I might pee my britches. Or fart in them. (Sorry, that was childish. I apologize for that image/smell/sensation.)

What I am really doing is getting ready to blow this pop-stand and head down south to the good times that await us this weekend in Telluride!

The oil is changed in the car, the liquor is bought, fifty bucks of good organic snack foods....all accomplished over my lunch hour (OK, hour-and-a-half). Cash, rain gear, tarp, tent, secret flasks for sneaking in Jim. Ready.

All those dirty hippies who worship the String Cheese Incident? THEY'RE ALL AT WAKARUSA!! Woo-hoo!

Try not to be too jealous.

Even though there is free wireless internet the the festival all weekend, don't expect me to be one of those festigeeks and post some shit up online while I'm trying to listen and dance to the likes of Wilco and Yonder Mountain String Band.

I will be back Monday with pictures and a recap you probably won't want to miss.

Until then,

Your favorite rosalicious

In linen, they might be OK.

Who said white jeans were allowed to come back in fashion?

Who?

Never.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

I bet this post will make you want to ask me what my issues are.

I'm writing today off.

I have been dealing with issues galore. Personal issues. Work issues. My whole day has been one long frustrating string of emails dealing with issues.

When did I aquire so much drama?

I am trying to breathe deeply and I am trying to remain grounded.
I am trying to remember what's really important and I am trying not to take stuff so personally.
I'm trying to sort out what's worth fighting for and what's worth letting go.

I'm not good at handling so much at once. I need direction.

I know drinking's never the answer, but c'mon. Will somebody send me over a bottle of the hard stuff?

You're right. Then maybe something a little less aggressive, perhaps.

(Lest I add to the mood, I have to go to the dentist in an hour.)

Monday, June 13, 2005

100+ Things

Because every blogger worth her weight in pinot grigio does this, I present to you.......

100+ Things About Moi.

1. I was born in Staunton, Virginia on January 4, 1976. I am so glad that when I was 3 my parents moved us 30 minutes away to Charlottesville, Virginia. Had I grown up in Staunton, I would be a much different person. (Read: a hick).

2. I am actually really proud to say I am from Virginia and specifically from Charlottesville. Virginia is simply beautiful, and Charlottesville is a really cool, artsy, college-y town. The town's most famous residents are/were Thomas Jefferson and Dave Matthews.

3. Sissy Spacek also lives there. When I was about 10 or 11, my parents invited her to a party. I answered the phone when she called back with her regrets. Sissy was so nice (I'm sure she still is) and unpretentious.

4. I am a total neat-freak. I clean, no scrub, the house top-to-bottom once a week. It drives Kevin crazy.

5. I have a 10-year-old cat named Hendrix, after Jimi. He is all black and weighs 20 lbs. His favorite activities are eating, sleeping, eating, eating, and pulling CDs off the CD rack when he's hungry. Hendrix has also eaten psychedelic mushrooms.

6. I also have a dog named Lucy, who turns 2 on the Fourth of July. She belongs to both Kevin and I, but in the event that we should split, he gets her.

7. I baby talk incessantly to both animals.

8. I have a brother who is 27 and a half-sister who is 9. They both live in C'ville. I don't baby talk to them much.

9. I drink coffee every morning, except when I am hungover. Then I want to vomit at the mere smell of it. I season my coffee with lots of sugar and lots of half and half. I hate fancy coffee drinks.

10. I don't eat pork of beef. I do, however, eat chicken, fish, and turkey. But never on the bone. Ick.

11. I lived on a farm until I was 12. At one point we had 20,000 chickens. Someone burned down one of our chicken houses (I can't remember if there were any chickens in it when it was torched) and that was the end of that. My dad then tried raising sheep for awhile. That didn't work out and finally we gave up the farming life. I was pretty happy about that.

12. I learned how to drive a stick before I even got my license, before I had even driven an automatic. When I showed up to driver's ed class they thought I was a total loser because I didn't know how to work the car. I sure showed them with my manual transmission skills.

13. My current car is a 2004 Subaru Outback. And it's a stick.

14. I lost my viginity when I was 16 to a boy named Jeff Ward. We were camping with some friends and as soon as "it" happened I got up out of the tent and had to tell my girlfriends.

15. I was a floral designer for over 10 years. My mom owned a florist and taught me the trade. I worked my way through college in many different flower shops. Most recently, I was the floral buyer and manager at Whole Foods Market.

16. Then I got my "big girl" job. I'm now a fundraiser at a university. I don't really miss floral design at all. It was hard work for little pay.

17. My parents got divorced when I was 16.

18. I am much, much closer to my mom. I haven't seen or talked to my father in over a year.

19. I have really good handwriting. I'm also a pretty good at the art of forgery.

20. I still smoke the mary jane. Not as often as I used to, but I do.

21. I have never bitten my nails.

22. I am incredibly impatient.

23. I am also incredibly organized and and extremely punctual. Except I am always 25 minutes late for work. Everyday.

24. I used to be awfully fond of backless homemade hippie shirts and patchworked items of clothing. I loved making things out of hemp. My friend Emily and I used to make little hippie purses and we called them our "mountain bags."

25. I know how to sew, but referring back to #22, I am too impatient to follow a pattern. I am one of those "practical" sewers who mainly sews to make pillows, or curtains, or hem pants.

26. I am really gaseous. It's gotten worse as I have gotten older.

27. I love taking hot baths. I like it when Kevin comes in to "check on me" when I'm in the tub. Really, he just wants to see me naked.

28. I was on Paxil for 3 years.

29. I don't really like to cook. It's too bad because I've discovered that when I do cook, I'm pretty good at it.

30. My least favorite part of my body is my stomach. It has never been flat and probably never will be. My favorite part is my boobs- they're a perfect 34-C.

31. I am a terrible morning person. When I do get up and going, however, it's my most productive time of day.

32. I truly like the TV show Golden Girls.

33. I am terrified of snakes. Bugs and spiders are OK.

34. I was a cheerleader. I was also in a sorority. I only lasted a year in each.

35. I have absolutely no sweet tooth. Doughnuts are gross and taste like grease. Cake=barf. The only sweets I really like are ice cream and dark chocolate.

36. My middle name is Wynn. I like it.

37. I met my best friend in Girl Scouts in the third grade. She gave me a little travel game as my secret santa gift for Christmas. We had a really heinous leader whose daughter, a total snot, was in our troop. We hated her. Then Jess transferred to my elementary school out in the country and we've been friends ever since.

38. Jess thinks she "brought me out of my shell." I was really shy as a kid. I've worked hard to get over that. I still feel really uncomfortable being the center of attention.

39. I love to sing karaoke. But only when I am sufficiently lubed. Kevin is often embarrassed when I get drunk and there is a band playing wherever we are. Sometimes I will ask them if I can sing. It's always been a secret dream of mine, even though I seriously don't think I am that good.

40. I have never had a threesome. I don't think I ever will.

41. I am scared to fly. But that will never stop me from going anywhere.

42. I have tried a lot of drugs.

43. I still smoke cigarettes when I am out drunk at a bar. I will admit that I am still addicted, I'm just exceptionally good at controlling it.

44. I am not in the least bit religious. As a child we never went to church. My parents both grew up Presbyterian and I think it turned them off so much they decided never to take us. Whenever I would go to Catholic church with my neighbors I would feel embarrassed that I didn't know the bible or their prayers. This self-consciousness has stuck with me. I find church intimidating.

45. Even though I was an English major, I like science. I am pretty good at math. I did really well on the analytical part of my GREs and shitty on the verbal.

46. I keep a written journal in my underwear drawer and I sincerely believe that Kevin has never read it. I hardly write in it anymore.

47. I lust after cheese and salt. Nachos and fries are what I crave when I am drunk. Or PMS-ing. Or when I am sad or depressed.

48. I have serious issues with food. Although I was never anorexic, there were days when all I would eat were saltines. Or one plain dry bagel. Or some broccoli.

49. I think I experience guilt more than the average person.

50. I am good at making To-Do lists. Both personally and at work. I am also very good at getting things crossed off on them.

51. I hate shopping. Groceries, clothes, presents for people. I find shopping very stressful.

52. My alcoholic drink of choice is wine, hands down. I'll drink pretty much any varietal, I'm not a snob about it.

53. I also like margaritas, extra-dirty-extra-olives martinis, and bourbon.

54. I love a good front porch.

55. I am good at disc golf. I could be good at real golf....Kevin says I show potential.

56. I am also good at pool. I particularly enjoy going out with just girls and challenging some random guys to a game. They first try to act suave and macho, then inevitably they try to pick you up.

57. I have finally learned how to run. I actually like it. Getting out there and doing it is the hard part.

58. I dated someone who was 21 and worked at a carwash when I was 16. My best friend dated his roommate. We hung out at their place, which we called "The Apartment," almost every day after school. We basically would show up and get drunk on concoctions like Jim Beam and Tang. We also smoked really bad weed and witnessed some really ghetto activities.

59. My first job at the tender age of 16 was as a waitress at Aunt Sarah's Pancake House. I wore a white nurse dress, white nurse shoes, panty hose, a checkered apron and matching bonnet, and a name badge that said "Aunt Rosie." I made a lot of money working there. I almost cried when I quit to become a lifeguard.

60. I have dated a black man.

61. I have lived in Colorado for 6 years now. I love it here.

62. But I also miss the lush greenery and propriety of the South. I miss the southern twang. I am always self-conscious when I say "y'all" because nobody here says it.

63. I have really horrible bouts of insomnia. Because of this, I had a dangerously close addiction to Xanax. I still like Xanax. You got any?

64. Nobody in my family is officially gay. But then again, you never know.

65. I believe in ghosts. In fact, I think there is a ghost in my current house. This doesn't scare me.

66. My mom plays bluegrass music. I really admire her for this. I wish I played an instrument. I remember being a kid and my mom having band practice and me hating it. Now, it's my favorite music.

67. I am really stubborn.

68. I never had braces or wore glasses. But I was still a dork.

69. I don't like to admit it, but I like reading People and US Weekly. My old boss got me into it, since she had subscriptions to both. She's now gone, and I miss them. But I can't bring myself to buy one.

70. I live in Colorado and I don't ski.

71. I live in Colorado and I absolutely love hiking, backpacking, and being outdoors.

72. I have only been to jail once. It was on Martha's Vineyard and it was because I was drunk in public, but really my friend lived above an apartment that was having a party and some suspected drug dealers were there. Things got a little messy and my friend and I spent the night in a very low-key holding cell. The next day I had to go to court and pay a fine. I don't believe it's on my record.

73. I got pulled over for a DUI last spring, took the roadside test instead of the breathalizer and passed. (I was drunk, but those Yoga balancing poses really paid off).

74. I liked New Kids on the Block. But once my mom took me and Jess to see them in concert, I was over it. I have never been one to idolize and cry over celebrities.

75. When George W. Bush won the election this past November, I cried. And I stayed home from work the next day.

76. I love love LOVE garlic.

77. Even though I know it's bad for me, I still lay out. Since I am redhead, I now make sure to wear lots of sunscreen. I used to spend summers on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I have seen myself get tan. I still perhaps cling to this image.

78. If I have a daughter, I am naming her Maya. If I have a second daughter, I am naming her Abby. If I have a son, I don't know what the hell I'm naming him.

79. I once thought I would be a broadcast journalist and started college as a communications major. Once I took a creative writing class, I was hooked. I struck a balance as an English major with a concentration in Creative Non-Fiction.

80. I don't think I am good with computers, but really I'm just too lazy to sit down and master it.

81. That's about the only thing I'm lazy with. I'm definitely a type-A personality and find it really hard to relax.

82. I like Oprah and think she's got good things going on. Kevin hates her.

83. I have only been to France, Egypt, Canada, and Mexico. My passport is wayyyyy expired.

84. I prefer Leno to Letterman.

85. Cheap incense makes me want to gag. So do un-natural beauty products. I am kind of a snob about my shampoo, lotion, and body wash.

86. I love to dance. One of the first questions I ever asked Kevin was if he danced. It's a requirement.

87. I am very comfortable in the water. Although, I used to work for a rafting company and just about shit my britches on one of their trips.

88. I have never been to Vegas.

89. I am not a big fan nail polish. Pedicures are very uncomfortable because my feet are so ticklish.

90. I think chewing gum, for the most part, is low class and obnoxious.

91. I believe in treating people how you yourself want to be treated. Long ago, I was a proponent of being able to say what you really think for the sake of being able to say it. But now, not so much. What's the point of saying something if it's going to piss someone off? What do you really hope to accomplish? Because the person you're criticizing is never going to see your viewpoint.

92. The older I get, the more I learn the value of admitting you're wrong.

93. I used to be an obnoxious drunk-dialer. I almost blew it with Kevin because of it. I have since learned my lesson.

94. I won a Go-Cart when I was 13. My mom was in Grease, the musical, and they used a Go-Cart for Greased Lightening. They drew my name in the raffle at the end of the show. Man, did we have fun in that thing.

95. I believe in abortion, strongly.

96. I have assisted in dying a poodle pink for Easter.

97. I hate Christmas. My favorite holiday is Halloween.

98. I have really horrible credit.

99. I can't stand for my feet to be covered in the bed.

100. I hate goodbyes. They make me uncomfortable.

101. I have never had a birthday worth remembering--it's at the worst time, right after the holidays. I was always so envious of people with summer birthdays.

102. I have lost 20 pounds in the past year.

103. I stole a bathing suit from Belk when I was in high school. It's the only thing I have ever stolen. Oh wait, no- also when I was in high school I snuck into a dorm room at UVA and stole a J. Crew shirt.

104. I get car sick in the backseat.

105. I met someone once on an internet dating site and then went out with him. It didn't work out, but I don't regret doing it.

106. I like ironing. I hate folding laundry.

107. I hate bad spelling, especially in public places. The coffee shop next door has a sign that says "Thank's." I hate when people add apostrophes when a word is plural!

108. I hate pretention. I hate when people try to top your story with one that's bigger and better.

109. I have a tatto of the OM symbol on my right shoulder.

110. I wear a size 7 shoe. I think my feet are pretty fucking cute.

111. I love the colors green and purple.

112. I think a "camel toe" is the most disgusting thing.

113. It also grosses me out when a waiter wipes down a table with a dirty old wet towel and then touches your plate, or sets the silverware down on the table when it's still wet. Sick!

114. I prefer the beach to the mountains.

115. I wish I were more decisive.

116. I like drinking. A lot.

117. White athletic socks annoy me, especially with sandals.

118. I blush easily.

119. I don't like to poop at work.

120. I hate drinking out of metal.

121. We recycle so much stuff we never even fill up a full trash bag each week.

122. I love cole slaw, sweet tea, deviled eggs, and baked beans.

123. I love yard sales but sometimes I feel self-conscious pawing around in people's stuff.

124. I turn 30 this year!

125. I hate those magnetic yellow ribbons that people put on their cars. And no, I don't subscribe to the whole "hero" thing. Our soldiers are there because we have a war-monger for a President.

rosalicious Tip: Donate your time

Why pay full price for a music festival ever again when you can volunteer and attend one for free?

That's what I did yesterday.

I donated two hours of one measly Sunday afternoon for a total of 6 hours of music!

My job was to sell beverage tickets at the Denver Botanic Gardens' Chatfield Music Festival. I sat in a chair, under a tent, listening to the sounds of Mindy Smith (oh my, her voice will bring you to goosebumps!), Arlo Guthrie (not his Dad, but still ah-ight!), and John Prine (Angel from Montgomery--I got to hear it! My signature song!).

I sold tickets to people drinking. And then I joined them.

Being a generous volunteer certainly was worth it.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Something to wrap your brain around.

People.

Get off your lazy asses and watch something thought-provoking this weekend.

May I recommend What the Bleep Do we Know?

While the film didn't change my life, as many others have proclaimed, it did give me something to wrap my brain around, something to actively listen to and reflect upon, instead of sitting numbly on my couch being force-fed the same old Hollywood bullshit that I usually watch (and admittedly, usually enjoy).

The movie is an intersection of many modes of thought--namely, quantum physics, spirituality, psychology, and biology. Instead of giving you a complete synopsis of the movie, which I honestly couldn't do if I tried, here are some theories from it that were reinforced or introduced to me:

  • We become "addicted" to certain emotions. Thus, they become habits. For me, it's a mix of depression and anxiety. If you've ever been to a good therapist, then you already know this.
  • We are responsible for our realities. Duh. But you'd be surprised how many people are "victims" instead of proactive makers of their own existence. Think how many people place the "blame" on God, nature, the neighbors next door, and (gasp!) the government.
  • Do we really love the person we proclaim to be in love with or merely the emotion of being in love? I was forced to think how quickly we can write off people who we were at one point in love with. (This applies to any emotion or sense).
  • We consciously create our day. Think about your day today, what have you done or thought to chart its course? Probably quite a bit. You, my friend, have the power to change a day gone awry.
  • We conciously create our whole realities. Thoughts and feelings aboslutely affect our physical reality.

There's lots, lots more to ponder and digest. You'll just have to watch it yourself (maybe twice, even) and form your own assessment of your reality.

Because really, what the bleep do I know?



Thursday, June 09, 2005

I was the third caller.

I just won something on the radio.

And I can't go.

I called in to KCUV and I won tickets to Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas at Red Rocks next Wednesday night. On top of that, I won free transportation to and from the show and a VIP tailgate with free food and drink.

We're leaving for Telluride after work on Wednesday, so I have to call and return the tickets.

(Big exaggerated sigh.)

The first person to contact me gets them.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Take me out to the ball game.

On Saturday night I attended my second ever baseball game. Call me un-American, guffaw if you will....but I'm from Virginia and there ain't no professional baseball in ol' Virginny! Except for Mama and Daddy's neighborhood softball team when I was little, and maybe some Tee-Ball, I hadn't seen a baseball game live until Kevin and his family took me to my first one last summer in Cincinnati.

I had no idea it was so much fun! No wonder it's America's favorite pasttime!

This past Saturday the Colorado Rockies played the Cincinnati Reds. Kevin was the rabble-rauser and cheered loudly for the Reds. I really wasn't that embarrassed. This is our view from where we were sitting in Coors Field:


My favorite things about seeing a baseball game are the food (peanuts! nachos! big pretzels!), the big jumbotron where they show unsuspecting fans picking their nose or staring weirdly into space, and naturally, the icy cold beverages! Look at us, just look how happy we are to be watching baseball:


Kevin was totally sneaky (and economical!) about pouring Jim Beam into our Coke. Here, he looks up with pride at a Kentucky-job well done:


I got close to the railing, you know, just in case they wanted to put me on the "Flex-a-tron." Or maybe even the "Kiss-a-tron." I would have really been into that:


Baseball games are cheap. Baseball games are on the bus line so you never have to drive to them. Baseball games are good people watching. Baseball games allow you to practice your singing skills during the 7th Inning Stretch.

And perhaps most importantly, baseball games are a great way to bond with your man. Because, you know, that's the secret. Girls who like sports always win. (Wink, Wink).

Monday, June 06, 2005

Monday, monday.

I've got the Monday blues.....oh so baaaa--AD--AD. Mama come and get me they're the worst I've ever had.

Those are lyrics that my Mom used to sing. I believe she wrote them. I believe she must have been feeling just like me today when she did so.

Let me tell you exactly how I feel:
I am in a MAJOR FUNK! Lord strike me down and cheer me up!

A)I feel like Ms. Dumpy-Dumpster Pants. That's exactly where these slacks need to go. None of my work clothes fit properly (lost weight, oh yes, I did!) and what little money I do have to refurbish my wardrobe must go towards fun play clothes and cute flip-flops and stuff I could never wear here to work. Unless one's idea of fun clothes is something stiff and pressed, something akin to what a banker or say, a defense lawyer, might wear.

And that's not my idea of fun.

So I continue to come to work looking like Rosa-frumpster-licious, struggling every morning to put on something that exudes power, success, and confidence. Really, I must look like I raided the racks at the Ann Taylor Factory Outlet, 'cause that's precisely what I did.

B)Exercise has totally been thrown on the back burner for cocktails and yard work and sleeping late and Kevin-time. Tomorrow morning I hop out of bed gleefully and don my running clothes and sport a huge grin while stretching and run around the lake at breakneck speed and come home to a healthful smoothie and maybe some morning nookie. Then I go about having a most productive day at work. Which leads me to....

C)God, I am so unproductive and unmotivated. At work anyway. At home I've been all lawn-mowing and weed-pulling and laundry-doing and meal-cooking. At work I just stare at my computer, procrastinating.

D)I have a headache. And gas. (Although, in my case, that's not so much a rarity.)

Well, if anyone has any suggestions for improving my week, or maybe a size 8 in some nicenewcrisp black slacks, give 'em up.

P.S. I had a great weekend, and next week we're going to Telluride!!

Friday, June 03, 2005

On this day today.

Exactly one year ago today, and I do believe at this very minute EST, Kevin and I were just arriving in Charlottesville, VA (rosalicious' hometown!) after 26 hours in the car together. We pretty much drove that bad boy straight, stopping only to sleep for 4 hours in a dank, dingy motel somewhere in Illinois.

After nursing my margarita-good-to-see-all-my-friends-and-my-brother hangover in Charlottesville the next morning, we stocked up for the week at Whole Foods (compliments of Mama's discount!) and once again took our places in the Subaru.....K at the wheel (although it wasn't really that way the whole trip--we would each drive for a full tank and then switch), Rose in the front, Lucy-Lu-Cutie-Cutes curled up in the back).

We stopped at a veggie stand right over the VA/NC border, just like we always did when I was a kid. Sweet corn and peaches and cantaloupe and peanuts and sweet vidalia onions and everything fresh and good and Southern!

Then it was over the Pamlico Sound and on to the beach and the thick salty air and weathered gray beach houses and sea oats and sand dunes and big bridges over waterways and trucks with fishing poles poking out of PVC pipes on the front. It was K's first trip to the Outer Banks. You could say I was just a little bit excited (and a little bit high....ahem, on life silly!).

This is the Hal 'N' Gail, the house we rented for the week:


It was just a short dash to the beach! Running home for a mid-morning Corona was never easier!

This is a view of the screened-in porch where we spent many evenings sipping alcoholic beverages and indulging in other adult pleasures:


The screen porch was essential in protecting us from all those pesky bugs that live on the island. It was also essential in hiding our debauchery from the more family-oriented types that were our neighbors.

This is just a sample of Gail's decorating sense. If you like shells and the colors pink and teal, then this is the place for you. Gail went to town with the hot glue gun. I mean, even the trash can had shells glued on it:


See that table in front of the window? Lucy chewed the rattan one day while we were down at the beach. We just spun the chewed part around towards the wall and voila, like new.

See the table between the couches? Well, that's where you can find the ubiquitous guest book. I think I probably signed it, oh, about 20 times. It sort of became my personal journal for the week, seeing as I forgot mine. I hope the people who have subsequently stayed there have enjoyed my daquiri-induced revelations about beach life and house decorating (sorry Gail, sorry Hal, but the shells glued to all the lightswitch plates were just a tad overkill).

We really did love our stay at the Hal 'N Gail and had ourselves a vacation that as you can see I'm still swooning over today.

I miss you, beach.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

My first blog, before I even knew what one was.

Back in graduate school at Colorado State University, I took a class called Writing Hypertext. We learned html, produced some really amateur-looking sites (all by handwriting code! no dreamweaver!), and basically experienced what it was like to write online.

I just found mine. It's still up on CSU's English Department website. I'm kinda stoked that it's still there and now, 3 years later, I'm pretty stoked I'm putting some of that knowledge to use on this here burgeoning blog project.

(I wish I hadn't have just told you that. Now you might expect greater more web-tacular things from me knowing that I took a graduate level class in it.)

In any case, I really wanted to laugh about the shit I wrote on there, not the design. (Although thanks to my very talented roomate there are some kick ass flower images that still stand to be admired. Admire. Ok, thanks.)

This piece is classic. Hardly the best writing, but it's very much rosalicious at age 25.

This one trips me out. God, what a drunk. I think I was exactly that when I wrote it*. As a matter of fact, I'm sure of it.

If you must, check out the rest of SoulPlantings .

*I have not written a single word of this blog while drunk. Yet.

A fab new word.

Overheard during a particularly vicious game of croquet on Saturday night:

Meow-ch.

Or,

Me-ouch.

Either way you spell it, it's a great word. Say it with me......MEOWCH!

Here is just one example of the word in context:

Kev: I'm going to kick that cat's ass if he poops in the coat closet one more time.
Rose: MEOWCH!

The next time someone rubs you the wrong way, go out and get meowchy on their ass!