Cyndi's Place

So I wanted a Specialty's sandwich...

2011-08-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love Specialty’s but ordering in their store takes a certain amount of patience. I usually order online. This past week was an exception.

Full disclosure: This represents a typical exchange at Specialty’s. This is not meant as a complaint about their customer service. However, when I have what I view to be a simple order and want to get in and out quickly, sadly so that I can go back to work right away, having to take the time to answer all these questions just makes me want to cry…

(que drama)

Cashier

I can help who’s next.

I’d like a Snickerdoodle and a sausage and cheddar breakfast sandwich.

(start to hand over cash)

Cashier

Annnnd would you like anything to drink with that?

No, thank you.

(start to hand over cash)

Cashier

Isssss this for takeaway or for here?

To g… – uh, takeaway.

(start to hand over cash)

Cashier

(indecipherable question)

Excuse me?

Cashier

And your name is?

Cyndi

(start to hand over cash)

Cashier

Your total is $7.47.

(in my head)

Finally!

(hand over cash, struggling not to shove it in his hands)

Cashier

Would you like your receipt?

(shoulders slumping)

No, thank you.

(thinking)

I’m free! I’m free! Except for waiting for my sandwich…

Annnnnnnd scene.

Random Thoughts

2011-06-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

I really dislike the Mill Creek post office. They refuse to deliver packages to my apartment complex. Every time I receive a package, they put a notice in my mailbox that the package is waiting at the post office for pick up. Well, Saturday is the only day I can get to the post office so if I get a package on Monday, it's five days before I can get the package. And if I'm busy that Saturday or sleep in too long, then it's 12 days! Yeah, that's the kind of service I love! When I moved into the apartment, they told me that the post office wouldn't leave packages but they didn't know why. After making a special trip to the post office two packages ago I asked why they didn't deliver packages to my complex. She said that the apartment has lost too many packages and blamed it on the post office not delivering them. She said that the apartment manager wanted the post office to sign in every package they deliver and that they delivered too many to do that. I even contacted the USPS through their website to complain about the situation. They said that my apartments won't accept packages from the post office but I can call and have the package forwarded to work. sigh... UPS is the only service I can trust to deliver to my apartment as FedEx seems to turn packages over to the post office for the last leg of delivery.

I am so glad that I lived in Pittsburgh for a year, even if I was only a baby when that happened. Someone today saw my Pittsburgh stuff on my Jeep and asked if I was from there. "Uh, yeah!" (I was 18 months old when we moved away.) But I could at least say I lived in Carnegie (true). She was from Moon Township, which I've heard of but don't really know what area that is. Usually I 'fess up pretty quick that I grew up in eastern PA, but that I got my taste in sports from my Dad who grew up in Beaver Falls. Today I didn't have to as we were both getting in our cars at that point.

I finished reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this week. It took me a little bit to get into it because too much of it was taking place in the business world - I already studied that stuff too much in grad school, it's not something I would choose to read about in my spare time. But once the murder mystery really took hold then it was good reading. I would rather have not read the sex stuff but I guess if I'm going to read a "grown up" book instead of young adult books that's a consequence I'll have to deal with. I'll read the other two books in the trilogy, but first I want to re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before I see Part 2.

That's all for now I suppose...

Brought to you by the letter E

2011-05-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to see Guys and Dolls at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle. It was the first time I had ever seen it and I found the show to be really enjoyable! It's a classic musical with a good number of laughs throughout the show. When you walk into the theatre you see "Guys and Dolls" in huge letters on the stage. While the letters don't stay center stage the entire time, you do see them off to the side bordering the stage. The letters looked like the picture below.

There was one thing that kept bothering me throughout the show. There was a giant E on the set and I could never figure out what it symbolized or stood for!! If you know me, then you know that this actually distracted me from some of the story. The E was transformed into a newsstand, appeared to be a balcony, and was worked into the set in a few different ways. I was definitely able to still follow the story, but instead of watching the actors I was watching the E to see if they would finally reveal it's purpose. I thought maybe as the finale was happening we would suddenly see a new word and say "that's what the E was all about!" Nope - never. So I don't get it. What was the E there for?! If anyone can enlighten me on this subject I would be forever grateful! Or at least until I forget about it, whichever comes first.

There was one song in the show where the message bothered me. The two female leads were singing about marrying the guy today and changing him tomorrow. Really?! I know this show premiered on Broadway in the 50s (according to its Wikipedia page), and maybe (???) that's what women were supposed to believe then, but it really gets under my skin when I hear women talking about changing her husband/boyfriend/S.O./whatever. And I don't care if this paints me as naive, but if you have trouble accepting him as he is, then why are you dating him? I'll let that one go there...

Some final random thoughts:

Dear guy about seven rows in front of me, one section over and about two seats in - I could see every time you looked at your cell phone. Seriously you were worse than a woman hoping for a text from the guy who just stood her up. Put the phone away!
Dear theatre patrons in general, would it kill you to stand and applaud for even just a minute at the end of the show before you dart off to your car? Before the bows even started people were leaving! And since it was a gradual standing ovation, it was very noticeable. I felt really bad for the actors: "Wow we must have really killed it tonight - those people couldn't wait to get out of here!"
I think there was something else I was going to comment on but I don't remember now. I'll update this if I remember.
Ha! I remembered!! I knew that Ewan McGregor played the lead a few years back in a London(?) production. (Just double-checked Wikipedia - yep, London) For one of the songs I was picturing him in the role. Made a good show even more enjoyable.

My Idiot Vacation

2011-02-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t always a Green Day fan. I was familiar with their music through the 90s but didn’t buy any of their CDs until American Idiot in 2004. 21st Century Breakdown was released in 2009. Both albums I can (and do) listen to on repeat for hours on end. The first time I saw them in concert was when they opened their 21st Century Breakdown tour in Seattle on July 3, 2009. One word - A-ma-zing! They know how to entertain a crowd no question! And they have lots of pyrotechnics which is an immediate draw for me. :) After that concert I went back and bought every single one of their other albums. I even flew to Denver to see them in concert in August 2010 as they were not coming to the Northwest on that leg of the tour.

In 2009 American Idiot was made into a musical and opened at the Berkeley Rep, drawing rave reviews. After a highly successful run there the show moved to Broadway. It officially opened on April 20, 2010. I knew I wanted to see the show, no question! I didn’t make any plans to begin with. Beginning September 28, Billie Joe Armstrong played the role of the drug dealer St. Jimmy for a week while the actor normally in that role attended to family matters.

In December it was announced that Billie Joe would return to the role of St. Jimmy for 50 performances. Initially I wasn’t planning on going. But then I had a dream that I went to NYC with my dad and he surprised me with tickets to the show! In the dream I didn’t get to actually see the show due to a series of unfortunate events, but I woke up the next morning really, really, really wanting to see the show! Having recently received a decent bonus from work, I decided I was going! So I hopped on their website and purchased a ticket for Presidents Day weekend (so I wouldn’t have to use any vacation time).

Let me tell ya - the show far exceeded any of my expectations! I knew what some of the songs were like thanks to bootleg video that made it on YouTube, though I really did try and limit the number of videos I watched since taking video is prohibited. But to see the show in its entirety was fantastic! I was in the fifth row - I figured if I’m gonna fly 3000 miles specifically to see the show then I’m gonna get as good a seat as I can! It was perfect! I was exactly eye-level with the stage, so I still had to look up. I’m glad I wasn’t in the first row though! Not that I would pass those seats up in order to see the show... I could see the actors’ expressions perfectly and made eye contact with some of them while they were performing - it was cool! (Stark Sands has great eyes.) Some of John Gallagher Jr’s spit even hit me! Seriously, those people in the first couple rows were getting hit a lot - he’s quite the spitter! Billie Joe was great in the role - totally owned it! As much as I would have enjoyed seeing Tony Vincent in that role I loved being able hear the songs in Billie Joe’s voice. (I could make a fangirly type comment here but I’ll preserve my pride, or what’s left of it.) A few of the original cast members have moved on to other projects, but most of them were still with the show so I got to hear the actual people singing that are on the cast recording - though there’s going to be a lot of changes within the next month. I can’t say I had one favorite cast member as they all were awesome! Well, aside from BJA obviously. :) I do think Whatsername may have been my favorite song - even more so than 21 Guns. What they did with that song is beyond phenomenal! If I lived in NYC who knows how many times I would see the show! There’s plans underway for a tour of the show - if they announce they’re coming to Seattle I’m gonna start saving my pennies! Oh! There is one cast member, Jason Kappus, who is from Seattle, and performed in Catch Me If You Can at the Fifth. That’s one show I wish I had gone to see.

After the show I did join the throngs outside hoping to see the cast. Um, okay, specifically Billie Joe. Ben Thompson and Stark Sands came out and gave autographs and pics. And then the real screams began! I didn’t actually get to see BJA as I was too far back in the crowd, but I saw his reflection in the mirrors above the crowd. Wait! I think I did see him as he was getting in his SUV.

As for the rest of my time in New York - it was great! The nonIdiot highlight was seeing my friend Jennifer from high school for the first time in almost 20 years! I went to see her perform in Comedy Sportz, and even though her team was robbed (I almost think literally though there is a chance I missed one of the one-pointers because I thought it was a tie) I had good laugh. If you’re ever in NYC you have to check them out! We went to dinner then and did some catching up - it was a good conversation! I strolled through Times Square after dinner to take in the lights. I decided to walk by the St. James Theater (where American Idiot was playing) on the way back to my hotel, and came upon theater patrons waiting outside the theater across from the St. James. Turns out they were waiting for Al Pacino to exit after his performance in Merchant of Venice, so I hung out too! Got a decent pic of him. He hammed it up for the crowd. Oh my word though you should have seen this 40 or 50-something year old woman screaming for him! The cop nearby was getting ticked because he had to keep telling her to move back on the sidewalk. Made me laugh! Who knows, that could be a glimpse into my future!

Sunday was more strolling around but this time along Central Park West. Jen works near there so we met up again, saw the Dakota where John Lennon lived and was killed, and went to see the Imagine memorial in the Strawberry Fields area of Central Park. Walked back to Times Square along Broadway then went to Rockefeller Center. After the show I went back to “the Rock” and went up to their observation deck. What a sight from there! Got some (hopefully) great shots of the Empire State Building lit up - something I failed to do last time I was in NY. Monday I went to lower Manhattan to Battery Park and the Financial district. I was surprised to see that it had snowed! Not much but definitely enough to make the trees beautiful. Didn’t stay too long though because I was getting really cold! The timing was pretty good though as after I got back to Times Square I had enough time for a casual lunch and then head back to the hotel for the airport shuttle.

And thus ends my Idiot vacation. I’m writing this on the airplane now and will post once I’m back in my cozy apartment. Pics will be coming!

So... who want to go with me next time???

Random observations from my time in Manhattan:

Men do talk about shoes - where to buy them and who has good return policies
Fangirling/boying is not limited to people in their teens and 20s (and 30s)
The streets are decorated with pretty white lines that serve no purpose
Taxi and shuttle drivers have mad driving skillz
One is able to walk much farther when wearing real sneakers
Saying “no thank you” to a street vendor is translated as “No really I want to hear more about what you have to say - I’m just making you work for it.”
People will scoff at you for having a camera around your neck - “Oh, you’re not from around here, I see the camera” - even though that statement was prefaced by “can you tell me how to get to...”

American Idiot on Broadway Free Track Download

2011-02-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

I was at the Feb. 20 evening performance.

American Idiot on Broadway Free Track Download

As seen in Everett

2011-02-05T00:51:00.000-08:00

As we were leaving the Silvertips game, I saw this sign:

This may be my favorite picture of 2010

2011-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

This is a picture I took on a day trip to Snoqualmie Falls last year. At first I just saw the worm-like branch reaching out from the tree. After I set it as my desktop picture at work I noticed that there's also a stick insect eating a dog in the picture. And in fact it looks like the stick insect is grabbing the worm. That is one terrifying stick insect!

This picture also makes me want to take a photography class so I can learn how to cut down on the glare from the sun coming through the trees.

Why Cyndi don't do book clubs...

2011-01-22T01:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight I finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was one that I wanted to stay up late reading but would eventually have to put down so I could go to sleep (somehow the work day tends to go better for me if I actually get more than 4 hours of sleep a night). Tonight on the bus ride home I realized I only had a few more chapters to go, so when I got home I curled up on the couch with my dinner, put a show on TV I wouldn't watch but would give me background noise, and read away!

At the end of the book there are discussion questions. I read over these and said, "now this is why I don't do book clubs!" I mean really! Why ruin a good book by trying to go into an analytical discussion of it? Is it so wrong to want to read a book for entertainment purposes and not dissect it into pieces?? I remember a class discussion of a required book in English in high school (or was it college?). The teacher was going on about where foreshadowing could be seen in the book, and I was thinking, "what in the world is she talking about?!" Now, I know what foreshadowing is and I enjoy trying to figure out what is being foreshadowed in a book, but in this instance I really think the teacher was reaching. I believe that sometimes a story is just a story. Just go along for the ride! Thankfully I was wrong about the foreshadowing in Water for Elephants though! I was going to be very sad if I was right.

On a side note, I usually enjoy reading interviews with the author if they are included with the book. I like getting background information on how the book came to be and what the author's perspective is.

One of the discussion questions is: In what ways and to what degree do Uncle Al's maneuvers and practices regarding the defunct Fox Brothers circus reflect traditional American business practices? How would you compare his behavior with that of major businessmen and financiers of today? What alternative actions would you prefer?

This is what I'm supposed to be thinking about while reading a book? I can't just think that he's a despicable man and move on? Sheesh!

Another question: In connection with Jacob's formal dinner with August and Marlena in their stateroom, Jacob remarks, "August is gracious, charming, and mischievous." To what extent is this an adequate characterization of August? How would you expand upon Jacob's observation? How would you characterize August? Which situations in the novel reveal his true character?

Sigh... enough with the heavy! Now I'm not against book discussions and once in a great while I may participate in such things, but personally I enjoy reading the book for entertainment purposes only.

There was one question that kind of piqued my interest: Sara Gruen has said that the "backbone" of her novel "parallels the biblical story of Jacob," in the book of Genesis. On the first night after his leaving Cornell, for example, Jacob - as did his biblical namesake - lies "back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone." In what other ways does Water for Elephants parallel the story of the biblical Jacob? How do the names of many of the characters reflect names of characters in the biblical account?

I'm gonna have to go back and read Jacob's story in the Bible again because I didn't pick up on any parallels. Maybe I'm just forgetting aspects of his story though.

Along those lines, the Bible is probably the only book that I enjoy reading from a more analytical perspective.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to seeing the movie come April!

Afterthought - here is a post from the author regarding the biblical parallels that I found on Amazon's website:

There are anagrams, both exact and phonetic: Catherine Hale=Leah, Marlena L'Arche=Rachel, Alan Bunkel (Uncle Al)=Uncle Laban

There is the flat rock, the dream, the animal husbandry for Uncle Laban, Jacob and Rachel (Marlena) leave with Uncle Al's (Uncle Laban's) best livestock, Jacob must do an additional seven years of animal husbandry in order to be with Marlena, he breaks his hip, etc. Some of his children's names are the same as well.

Two years ago today...

2010-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Twilight opened in theaters. I did not see it that day. Or any day. I didn't see it until it was out on DVD for a while and my friend had a girls night to watch it. At that time my thought was "Okay, I can see what the fuss is about. It's a cute movie but I don't see myself getting into the hype of it all." I should really know better than to make statements like that.

Fast forward to fall 2009. New Moon was coming to theaters November 20. I was considering seeing it in the theater this time. But I decided to read the first two books of the series first to see if I thought it might be worth it.

Oh. My. Word.

Yeah, I totally fell in love with the books. No, they're not the greatest written books in the world, but they are fun romantic books in my opinion. And because they're young adult books written by a Mormon, they're not smutty either!

So that sealed it for me. I saw New Moon in the theater. I also got to see Twilight in the theater as well since theaters were showing it right before New Moon, although I went to the showing of Twilight then left since I wasn't catching the midnight showing of New Moon. I went the second night.

FYI - even if you go to see a Twilight movie at a 21 and older theater (God bless Cinebarre), there will be lots of screaming women when you see Jacob Black without a shirt on.

iTunes Shuffle for Today

2010-10-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Playlist October 25, 2010

Foxboro Hottubs - She’s a Saint Not a Celebrity
MercyMe - House of God
FFH - Cover Me
The 77’s - Sounds O’ Autumn
The Cranberries - Pretty
MercyMe - Come One, Come All
Maroon 5 - Sweetest Goodbye
Newsboys - Everywhere We Go
Jars of Clay - Goodbye, Goodnight
Darlene Zschech - Shout to the Lord
Clint Black - Hey Hot Rod
The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret
The Katinas - Draw Me Close
Canvas - More of Your Love
Hoobastank - Same Direction
Huey Lewis - Oh! Darling
Tracy Byrd - The First Step
Sixpence None the Richer - Tension is a Passing Note
Moulin Rouge Soundtrack - Sparkling Diamonds
Audio Adrenaline - Undefeated
Larry Stewart - Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Relient K - Maintain Consciousness
Kutless - Beyond the Surface
Dido - Here with Me
Jars of Clay - Crazy Times
Keith Urban - Faster Car
Avalon - Adonai
Jars of Clay - Thou Lovely Source of True Delight
Jars of Clay - This Road
The Killers - A White Demon Love Song
Celtic Lore - Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Celtic Lore - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Third Day - It’s Alright
Phillips Craig & Dean - Wonderful Merciful Savior
MxPx - Christmas Day
Jars of Clay - Dead Man (Carry Me)
Toby Keith - I Wanna Talk About Me
City on a Hill - The Gathering
Faith Hill - Over the Rainbow
The Cranberries - Waltzing Back
Garth Brooks - Every Now and Then

iTunes on Shuffle

2010-10-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

My playlist for today:

Foxboro Hottubs - The Pedestrian

Green Day - Scattered

Foxboro Hottubs - Mother Mary

Kenny Chesney - When I Think About Leaving

Bono/Gavin Friday/Maurice Seezer [Moulin Rouge Soundtrack] - Children of the Revolution

Riverman - Light of the Moon

Green Day - Dominated Love Slave

Hangnail - Do You Hear What I Hear

Green Day - Stuart and the Ave

Canvas - I Can Fly

Keith Urban - Could Fly

George Jones/Kathy Mattea - You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Green Day - Best Thing in Town

Brad Paisley - No

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends (Live)

Steven Curtis Chapman - Much of You

Avril Lavigne - Fall to Pieces

Kutless - Push Me Away

Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia (Live)

Sara Evans - You Don’t

Beekin - Blindsided

Uncle Kracker - In a Little While

Clint Black - Half the Man

Eager - Draw Me Back

Green Day - Horseshoes and Handgrenades

Third Day - Saved

Sara Evans - I Give In

Beny More - Manzanillo

Brad Paisley - Waitin’ on a Woman (w/Andy Griffith)

Kutless - Taken By Love

Rachel Lampa - When I Fall

The Galactic Cowboys - Not of the World

Switchfoot - Evergreen

Garth Brooks - What She’s Doing Now

Jars of Clay - Truce

Russ Taff - What Child is This

Passion Worship Band - Revolution Cry

Third Day - Sing Praises

Green Day - Macy’s Day Parade (video)

Green Day - Christian’s Inferno
M. Ward - For Beginners

PFR - Pour Me Out

Canvas - We Cry Out (Student Ministries)

Bryan Adams - All I Want is You

Jars of Clay - Five Candles (You Were There)

Green Day - Westbound Sign

Audio Adrenaline - We’re a Band

Kutless - Changing World

PFR - By Myself

The Mistletoe Players - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Beekin - Broken Wings

Brad Paisley - Too Country

Avalon - Take You At Your Word

Todd Agnew - Lay It Down

Newsboys - Secret Kingdom

Peggy Lee - Winter Wonderland

Three Doors Down - Citizen/Soldier

Kutless - Arms of Love

Garth Brooks - Every Now and Then

Maroon 5 - The Sun

Third Day - Mama

Brad Paisley - Part Two

The Cox Family - ‘Neath the Old Olive Trees

Green Day - 21 Guns

Todd Agnew - Still Here Waiting

American Idiot Broadway Cast - Letterbomb

Luma - Ever So Slow

Faith Hill - This Kiss

John Berry - The Long and Winding Road

Third Day - Nothing At All

Celtic Lore - O Come All Ye Faithful

Sting - Cherry Tree Carol

PFR - Tried to Tell Her

Brad Paisley - Rainin’ You

Three Doors Down - It’s Not My Time

A follow up to "Dear Comcast, Good Riddance!"

2010-07-22T02:18:00.000-07:00

I had a couple people comment to me that they were surprised to see Comcast comment on my previous blog post. I'm not - I know they have a department that watches the internet for blog posts, etc. I hope they read this one too, because there is an individual in that company that deserves a raise - a huge one at that!

After Comcast left the comment on my blog, I followed up with an email to them. I believe in giving second chances, or in Comcast's case, third and fourth chances - I know, I'm a glutton for punishment! But if they were willing to come down in price and not hassle me about the triple play package I would continue my service with them. At the same time, I was also adamant that I was keeping the order to disconnect in place unless they came down in price. I held off switching to a competitor temporarily until I could determine if Comcast truly wanted my business. I had two people respond with something along the lines of "we'll review your request and contact you." Then on Monday I received a call from Elyse S. in their Executive Customer Care department. I actually talked with her last summer when we were having trouble with our cable reception. Let me tell you, Elyse is a rock star!

This girl knows how to get things done! I talked with her today and she set me up with the promotional rate that I requested. She then reviewed the cable package I was getting to see if I could get a more basic package that had the channels I watched, and guess what - I was able to go down a level of service! I am losing MLB Network, but I didn't watch that one regularly, although it was a nice extra. But it's not worth an extra $10 a month to me.

And here's what was super cool about Elyse - not once during our conversation did she hide behind company policy and tell me she couldn't get me the rate I requested. She didn't act like she was doing me this huge favor and that I should be eternally grateful to her. She didn't try and push extra products on me. However, she did listen to what I asked and worked with me to find a solution I found acceptable. She provided me with customer service!

So Comcast, please give Elyse a raise. She deserves it!

A final note - while I may view Elyse as a rock star, be assured that my opinion of Comcast otherwise has not changed. I know that if I call their toll free "customer service" number, I will again end up hanging up on the account representative. For that reason I have saved Elyse's direct line and email address and I will be using her as my contact point anymore with the company. Here's hoping another company doesn't realize what an asset she is and steal her away from Comcast!

Dear Comcast, Good Riddance!

2010-07-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Comcast,

Good riddance! Seriously. I never want to have anything to do with your company ever again. Based on the conversation I had on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 with Joseph, one of your account representatives, I am completely convinced that you have no desire to actually provide customer service, but rather just want to push as many of your "services" on people as possible, disregarding the customer's, excuse me - account holder's - actual need for this "service."

I called to see about transferring my service to my new apartment. I asked about getting the promotional rate as I personally know several people who have been able to get their rates dropped. You would be proud to know that Joseph said that the promotional rate was for new customers only and refused my request. However he was quick to point out that I am currently on the double play bundle, and if I moved to the triple play I could save money. I said I wasn't interested in the triple play and continued to argue my case for the promotional rate. He held his ground and I held mine.

By this point I was extremely frustrated. I asked to speak to a manager. He refused that request too. He suggested again for the third or fourth time that I move to the triple play which included home phone. Here's the deal - I have absolutely no use for home phone service! That's why I kept saying no. Finally he wore me down to the point where I finally asked just how much I would save by switching to triple play. Even though I have no use for home phone, if the savings are as great as he seemed to insinuate then what the heck, I'll add a service I'll never use. His response, not quite verbatim, was, "Well your base rate is currently $140, and the triple play would lower it to $130." Excuse me? $10.00 is my "savings"?! That's not even ten percent off! I told him that was no discount to which he said, "but you get your home phone in that rate." Again, I have no use for home phone service!!!

I'd had enough by this point. I told him just to cancel my service completely effective at the end of the month. Finally a request that he agreed to immediately!

Here's what I find most frustrating about this situation. I've been a Comcast customer for the past nine years. You don't even need all the fingers on one hand to count the number of times I've been late with a payment; I can't even remember the last time that happened! If Joseph had just held his ground by saying he couldn't give me the promotional rate as I'm an existing customer, or if he had suggested reviewing my account to see if there was a lower package available that could save me money, you'd still be getting my money. But instead you had him constantly push services that I don't need or want claiming that I'll be saving money.

This by no means is an isolated incident. A few years ago when I called to add DVR service I was told I had to go to the silver tier or whatever the heck it was called at the time in order to get the DVR. Again, I was already happy with the channels I was receiving, but your account representative pushed more stuff on me which I didn't need. Yes, I fell for it then, but no more!

Do you know how refreshing it was when I called a Comcast competitor that their representative first asked what channels I was interested in, and did I want internet and phone service. When I said no to the phone service she didn't bring it up again! After talking with her I looked online to see what kind of package she was recommending. Would you believe it was one of the lowest packages they offered? No frills that I didn't want. And it's at least $50 a month lower than what I was paying with you - and that's after any promotional rates! I haven't signed on the dotted line yet with your competitor, but again, you don't need all the fingers on one hand to count how many days until I do.

So to you Comcast I again say, good riddance!

Cynthia

Twilight: The Movie vs the Book

2010-06-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to write a blog about Twilight the movie for a while. Then after I started it I decided I should read the book again first. So I did. And now I watched the movie. Here are my comments...

And just in case for whatever reason I actually have to say this: SPOILERS!!

“Under a near constant cover of rain” - seriously! Have you looked at the average rainfall for Forks? It’s like 18 inches a month! (okay, I just double checked and it’s over 10 inches a month for six months of the year)

Okay, in the book, Charlie buys the truck off Billy because Billy can’t drive anymore as he’s confined to a wheelchair. Remember that for later!

I’m not sure how they can explain Bella’s natural clumsiness without a narrative, but her hitting Jacob with the truck door just looks like bad directing - or so I think.

First day of school. Bella leaves the window down on the truck. In Forks - the super rainy place. Suuuuuuuuure!

Ah, in the book gym comes after biology. Minor technicality but it does come into play in the book. But since those scenes aren’t in the movie, I guess it doesn’t matter...

“Aren’t people from Arizona supposed to be like really tan?” - Man that line does not make me miss high school at all!!!

Lunch! I like the way they introduce the Cullens better than in the book. :) One of the rarities where I prefer the movie over the book!

Love Edward’s smirk when Jess says that no one’s good enough for him.

Edward’s got a good stare - just sayin’... Channeling Colin Firth IMO.

Still wish Hardwicke had gotten a better response out of Rob for when Bella walks in front of the fan, but I do think it’s growing on me. It’s a scene though that always makes me laugh. Love that Bella smells herself - I could totally see me doing that!

Wow - those stares though. Even if I was attracted to the guy I might be - no, definitely would be - creeped out by them! I’d be thankful that he’s trying to change classes after!

“Fine - I’ll just have to endure it.” Love that line!

Hmmm... there were no cafe scenes in the book - just sayin’. All the characters in the cafe are added for the movie.

Side note - Forks is much more racially diverse that I would imagine for a Northwest logging town!

I like her mom... (in the book they use email though, not phonecalls)

In the book, Rosalie drives a BMW - a Mercedes in the movie. And Emmet’s Jeep isn’t introduced until the game of vampire baseball. Again, just sayin’... :)

Okay, I’m glad they left the Lauren chick out of the movie.

Grrr.... the Grisham Mill scene and later the boathouse scene. Neither of these were in the book. Personally I wish they hadn’t added them to the movie. Maybe they did it to appeal to the male audience. I don’t know. I’ll gripe more about this later.

Love Bella’s mittens! I would buy a pair if I knew where to get them...

Back in Biology. Yep, if Edward started charming me with his questions (nevermind that it’s part of his vampire lure - the whole “you find me irresistible even if you don’t want to” thing) I’d be willing to get past the stares from last week. Yeah, I’m a sucker that way...

“You were gone.” Um, yeah Bella, I’m guessing Edward knows he was gone. (I forget if that line is in the book.)

I do wish they had kept some of the linear story in the movie as far as Bella and Edward goes. She should have discovered his cold hands during lab.

LOL - I love that Edward just turns and walks away!

Bella sleeps kinda funny. Or maybe it’s because I usually sleep on my side that I think it just looks kinda funny...

Wonder why they had Bella saying she was going to Jacksonville instead of Seattle - maybe it sounded more plausible?

The greenhouse scene isn’t in the book either, but it doesn’t mess with the story too much. Other than I wish that they left the cafeteria scene in the movie...

“Hey look - it’s a worm! It’s a worm!”

Okay, I guess they kinda left the cafeteria scene in with them talking at the buffet, but it’s just not the same as in the book. :(

LaPush - Yep, I’ll buy that as a PacNW beach - for reals! (oh wait, it is, isn’t it?!)

I’ll still hold off on my griping about the boathouse scene...

LOL at the name of the book below the link for Quileute Legends! Guess it’s not a real book though, and the “author” is actually the name of a production team member.

Personal pet peeve with the Port Angeles scene - when Bella’s being cornered in the alley, there’s a couple making out in the background. Apparently they just ignore her trouble then?? They’re gone when they show another wide shot. So either they don’t notice the four noisy boys ganging up on a girl, or they get a whiff of trouble and get out of there before they witness anything! Sadly it actually sounds like what most people would do...

But I love, love, LOVE the growl!!! And I totally want to drive like that!

I wish they would have kept the car conversation as it was in the book - she confronts him about being a vampire in the car, not in the woods like in the movie (oops - that part’s still coming up).

Ah, the restaurant scene. One of my favorite scenes in the movie. And that’s Rob singing in the background... I would totally be like Bella though and be more concerned that there was something wrong with me. :)

The car scene part 2 - probably one of my least favorite scenes in the movie. I don’t like her reaction to his cold skin (really Hardwicke? That’s the best you could get out of her?) I’m getting nit-picky now aren’t I?

Okay, now I finally get to go off about the added characters and the Grisham Mill/boathouse scenes. Like I said, none of these were in the book. All added for the movie. I possibly could have been okay with the added storyline except that they killed off one of Charlie’s good friends. And as we find out in New Moon, one of his best friends later dies of a heart attack! So now they’ve put Charlie through not just one but two deaths of his good friends in a short period of time! That’s my gripe.

Another tangent... if you were a teacher at the high school, and you saw a female student walking into the woods behind the school with a male student following 20 feet behind her, wouldn’t that sound some kind of alarm in your head?

I’m not a big fan of the woods scene. Of course it’s supposed to be one of the climaxes of the movie where she confronts him about being a vampire and he throws her on his back and runs with her, but there’s just something in the way she delivers her lines that I just don’t buy. And the camera angles - while I’m fairly confident Hardwicke was purposely inconsistent with the distance between Bella and Edward, the lack of continuity is kind of like nails on a chalkboard to me...

And while I’m ranting (really though - I do thoroughly enjoy this movie!) I like the running/fast vampire scenes in New Moon better.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“How long have you been seventeen?”

“A while.”

I like the vague confirmation. :)

Oh Edward, how sparkly art thou! (does that sound like the early 1900’s?)

“You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.” I admit - I like that line...

“So the lion fell in love with the lamb.”

“What a stupid lamb.”

“What a sick, masochistic lion.”

Awwwwww.....

The meadow scene - again I wish it was more along the lines of the book. Although they do spread the conversation that takes place at the meadow throughout the movie.

Another one of my favorite scenes - when they show up to school together. Just because I guess. :)

Okay, I admit it. I still get confused during the rock scene. How many different days does this encompass? Two? Three? First it’s just overcast, then downpouring (different shirt), then overcast again with them completely dry in their original shirts. Theories?

I love Edward’s expressions when he realizes that something he said didn’t come out right. “It wouldn’t be like drinking your blood for instance.”

“So you’re worried not because you’ll be in a house full of vampires but because you think they won’t approve of you.” Is it just me or does Rob’s English accent come out when he says “worried?”

Oh hey Billy! You can drive after all! Though that is a nice truck, so maybe it’s outfitted with those hand pedals or something.

I would love to get a screen capture of Edward glaring at Billy though. It would make a nice desktop picture don’t you think?!

Meet the Parents (cue Jaws theme). Okay if I had just told my boyfriend’s parents that I was hungry and then he says that I already ate, I’d be smacking that boy! Just let me be a respectable guest! Sheesh... :)

Did I mention that I love Alice’s hair? Jasper’s is pretty cool too for that matter.

I love those doors that open to nowhere! I gotta get me some of those!

Side note - the tree climbing scene isn’t in the book. It’s cool though.

That’s really Rob playing the piano. Whether it’s him playing the music we’re hearing I don’t know...

I won’t say anymore about the side story they added.

Rumor is that Stephenie Meyer (in the cafe scene) was working on Breaking Dawn on her laptop. She made sure that they didn’t shoot from an angle where they could see the screen otherwise people would try and read what she was writing. My question is, why work on the novel at all? Just do the fake characters/writing. No one would know the difference if they can’t see the screen!

It was in this scene that I realized they made Bella a vegetarian in the movie. She’s not in the book. I kind of liked this angle though. Bella’s a vegetarian. Edward’s a “vegetarian.” Kinda cool...

Oh - I looked at a county map. If the killer had headed east, I don’t think that Kitsap county was the next one over. Just sayin’...

Bella and Edward sitting in a tree (er... bedroom). K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Um, Bella if you’re so against being cold, why are you wearing just a t-shirt and underwear? Charlie’s okay with you cranking the heat up like that? There I go being all nit-picky again...

Typical dad with a shotgun... :)

Vampire baseball!!!! Oh yes... Personally I think Jasper and Emmet steal the scene here.

James still makes me think of a Brad Pitt wannabe. And not in a good way.

Back at the house, I’m still not sure Charlie wouldn’t have seen Edward in her room...

Why do they keep insisting on calling the tv the “flatscreen?” Just say TV already!

“Bella you are my life now.” Again - awwww....

Phoenix - Bella being thrown against the pillar? Ow!!!

Kinda wish they had kept the part of Alice’s origins in the story, but I can understand why they didn’t.

Here he (Edward) comes to save the daaaaaaaaaay!

There’s a bit more of the fighting scene than is described in the book, but it’s good. Let’s see Edward fight for his woman!

I love a good bonfire.

So if a vampire bites you but doesn’t drain your blood, you become a vampire. When Edward was sucking out the venom then, I guess we have to assume his own venom didn’t go into Bella? Kudos to my sister for asking this question.

Oh hey, another song by Rob! I have to admit, based on these two songs I don’t think I would care for a whole CD of his songs, but they fit the movie and I like them on the soundtrack.

A bigger annoyance of lack of continuity - her oxygen tube in the hospital!

I’m guessing Carlisle dressed her wrist, otherwise wouldn’t the doctors at the hospital be concerned about a human bite mark on her wrist?

Prom time! Dude, my dad never gave me so many cans of pepperspray!

This is the one time the Edward irks me - he really puts himself between Bella and Jacob. Let them be friends at least!

“I leave you alone for two minutes and the wolves descend.” I love it!

Those are beautiful grounds!! Gazebo, lit tress - gorgeous!

One last question - wouldn’t Edward have heard Victoria’s thoughts? Or was he just so engrossed with Bella that he missed it?

Um okay - on to New Moon!

Of Griffey, a blown call, and an obscure anniversary

2010-06-03T00:57:00.000-07:00

Today Ken Griffey Jr announced his retirement from baseball - well, June 2 he did. It's midnight now as I'm writing this. I know I balked at Griffey coming back to Seattle after the way he whined and cried his way out of town several years ago, but I can easily admit now that I've enjoyed watching him play again. I can remember back in the Griffey/A-Rod hey day watching the two of them hit back-to-back homeruns in the Kingdome. One of the homeruns was the 50th of the season for one of them. I don't remember which one though. Anyway, it turns out that I got to see the last hit of his career - a walk off single on May 20 - and his last at-bat - a pinch hit force out on May 31.

To Griffey I say, "Thanks for the memories!" How cool that I got to see a future Hall-of-Famer play during the height of his career?!

His last hit

His last at-bat

A little while after hearing about Griffey's retirement, I get a text saying that Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers is pitching a perfect game. It was close enough to the end of the day so I pulled up the game on MLB.tv to watch the 9th inning. One out. Two out. And then this...

It was unbelievable! I felt so bad for Galarraga. He handled it with class though. After I got over the initial fury over the bad call, I started to feel bad for Jim Joyce, the umpire. I have to believe that he was 100% sure Jason Donald was safe. If there was any question at all would he really take the perfect game away from the pitcher?? I'm sure he's dealing with death threats now and he acknowledged after seeing a replay that he made the wrong call. Human element is a part of the game, and while I don't want to see instant replay as a blanket policy in baseball with every close play suddenly being analyzed, when it comes to a play like this I'm all for it!

Now about that obscure anniversary. May 19 marked the 10-year anniversary of Kris Benson pitching a complete game, Brian Giles signing a 7-year contract and (drumroll please) Jason Kendall hitting for the cycle! I remember being at a Mariners game with Pam, sitting along the third baseline. When I saw the highlights from that game on the big screen I started hitting Pam on the leg - I couldn't believe it! I was so excited! Pam - not so much. I believe her exact words were, "ouch!" :-)

Too... Much... Intensity...

2010-05-21T02:39:00.000-07:00

I have a couple ideas for blog posts. One on the more serious side, one not so much. I'm gonna start with the serious one as it's the one weighing on my mind right now. But the not serious one is already late - I should have posted it on the 19th. Whoopsies! But it's just gonna have to wait for now. I don't think I'll be able to stay awake to write two blogs tonight.

SPOILER ALERT: I am discussing the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, so if you watch it and haven't seen it yet - well, you've been warned!

Grey's Anatomy is one of my favorite shows. It's a medical drama based in Seattle (woohoo!). Tonight was the season finale. And it was a truly intense episode! My heart was racing from the get go, my palms were sweaty with anticipation, and more than once I screamed and put my hands in front of my face because I didn't want to see what had just happened.

The storyline was a man who, in grieving the loss of his wife, came back to Seattle Grace with a gun and started shooting people. His primary targets were the three surgeons who decided the best choice was to take his wife off life support. There was a lot more carnage than what I was expecting. Some characters died. Some survived. Others were called upon to step up in a way they haven't had to in the past.

I often try to picture how things I do must look to other people. If someone were walking by on the street and they could see me would they laugh at how worked up I was getting over a show? Arms flailing, screams and all? My guess is yes. Or if they didn't laugh then they just thought I was pathetic. The thought of what I must look like to someone made me laugh out loud.

Now, I know the difference between a television show and reality. Yes in one way I connect with the characters and I welcome them into my home each week. But these are actors portraying a fictional character. No one actually died who worked on that show. I was essentially getting worked up over nothing.

After the show I got onto Facebook and read my friends' updates. There was one that stood out. A high school friend today read a eulogy at her father's funeral. He passed away after fighting brain cancer for several months. Her dad was the same age as my dad. The death she was confronting was real. I read the eulogy - it was beautiful! So many wonderful memories were shared. And it made me feel very small for how worked up I had gotten over the show. All I could think about while reading her memories was how I would feel if I were facing my dad's death. I think devastated would only begin to express my feelings. Hopefully there are many, many, many years before I have to face that! And it makes me so very sad for my friend who is facing it now.

This doesn't mean that if I ever bring myself to watch tonight's episode again that I won't get worked up again. But it was a good reminder for me that while I can watch someone die on a tv show and laugh at my reaction, it's a completely different story for someone who is going through that with real emotions attached.

If you're looking for more reading, my friend's eulogy can be found here: The New Old Biddy

The writer's explanation of the tv episode is here: Grey's Anatomy

Manual Labor

2010-05-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

After watching my boss (the CFO) and COO (an engineer by trade) taking apart a desk today at work, I've decided/realized this is my philosophy when it comes to manual labor:

If a man's around let him do it.

If a man can't be found, do it myself then proclaim, "Who needs a man?!"

I choose to ignore that those statements are at odds with each other.

Responding to a comment

2010-05-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

So I received the following comment on my post about kids:

Cyndi,
Really enjoyed your blog! As you wrote, you not wanting children is not giving up on a dream! It was never a dream of yours in the first place; to have kids!
I hope you don't go through life explaining yourself!It's really no ones business but, your own.

It was from Anonymous. I don't think I actually know this person as I received a very similar comment on Twitter from someone I don't know. But I'd like to respond to their comment.

Really enjoyed your blog!

Thank you! This seriously means a lot to me!

As you wrote, you not wanting children is not giving up on a dream! It was never a dream of yours in the first place; to have kids!

Actually it was a dream of mine at one point. Through most of my 20s I wanted the family thing. If you've seen Sleepless in Seattle, there's a lookback scene near the beginning that shows Tom Hanks character's family going to a Cubs game. I wanted that! Well, going to a Pirates game though. :) Sometime in my early 30s though I began realizing that the things I was looking forward to didn't involve that family anymore, but just me!

I stand by my words that I'm not giving up on that dream - rather, my dream has changed. It's morphed. I don't feel sadness or regret that the family dream never came to fruition. I look forward to what the rest of life has for me!

I hope you don't go through life explaining yourself! It's really no ones business but, your own.

I don't! And true it's no one's business but my own, but I believe if I don't open up from time to time, then how is anybody supposed to really know me?! :)

So Anonymous, thanks again for your comment. Just wanted to clarify those points though.

Choosing a Suntan over Family

2010-05-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

First, never say never. I know that and I get that. But having said that...

This week's episode of Grey's Anatomy struck a chord with me. In this episode one of the couples is discussing having children. One partner wants kids - the other doesn't. But what she does want is "Spain, the beach, you in a bikini and a sangria." Later the partner bemoans to a friend, "she's choosing a suntan over family." Here's the thing though...

I get that.

I get not wanting to have kids. Because I feel fairly safe in saying - I don't want kids myself.

This isn't me giving up on a dream. Not by any stretch. This is just me being honest.

A few years ago one of my dearest friends asked me if I wanted kids of my own or if I was happy being the auntie to my niece and nephew and friends' kids. I said I was happy with where I was in life, but if I met "Mr. Right" sure I'd be open to having kids. She asked me the same thing again recently. My response had changed. Now I said, "I don't think so. In fact, if a guy I was dating wanted kids, it might be a deal breaker." (again, never say never, but...)

Here's where some of this thinking comes from - I recognize there is a lot I can do without kids. And I don't mean to portray kids as a burden with that statement - I certainly hope none of my friends would trade their kids to go back to a life without kids! But to be honest it's only been in the last couple of years that I feel like I'm beginning to live my life. That's an entirely different blog post, but it is an underlying thought to this one. And if you know me, you know one of my greatest desires is to travel. I want to take an extended vacation to Europe - a trip much easier to plan for one than for a family. There's another place which shall remain nameless that I want to travel to, and having kids would completely negate the ability to go there (trust me on this one).

So there you have it. That's how I feel. I know some may read this and question if I really mean it. I may very well wonder the same thing if it were someone else saying it. But yet, there it is.

Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go dream about the havoc I'm going to wreck on Denver in August. Sans kids. :)

I'm blaming it on the drugs...

2010-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

I had two different dreams this morning. I know it was in the morning because they were both interrupted by my phone alerting me to a text message. But that's besides the point. These dreams... two totally different topics, though they both took place in Seattle. One kinda gave me warm fuzzies; the other let's just say not.

In the first dream, I met Ryan Rowland-Smith of the Mariners. Apparently he lives two houses down from me in an underground house. (FYI - I don't live in a house, but in the dream I did.) My sister and I were out taking a walk and we saw him and started chatting. Here's what I remember - he had his own line of sweatshirts and they were really soft! On the back of the sweatshirt up by the collar (an outside tag if you will) was RRS written in script. I forget whether the front had Mariners or his name written on it, but it was a cool design. If I ever see one like that I'm buying it! So that's the warm fuzzies dream - it had baseball and sweatshirts. Good stuff.

Now the second dream - think end of the world stuff. I was at work. Normally this is what the view from my window is (on a nice day):

Now picture really dark and stormy clouds starting to swirl around. Several twister like clouds all at once sweeping down. Add fire bursting out from near the base of the Space Needle. Red flames, black clouds - getting the picture? Yep, pretty "end of the world" stuff Seattle was experiencing! So at work we started gathering our emergency kits and realized we were missing some stuff. (By the way, did you know on some boxes of cereal there is a gadget where you can heat up things like pop-tarts? Neither did I but apparently there is!) So some high school friends and I decided to head into Ballard to pick up the remaining necessities (yes, somehow despite the world ending there was still bus service!). Except what my friends didn't tell me is that we weren't just picking up supplies from a store as I thought - we were competing in track and field events too! Huh?!?! Okay, yeah I did track in high school, but really?! The world is ending and we have to compete to get supplies? I think I pretty much walked away at this point. Oh, and by the way, perfect weather in Ballard - go figure! I decided to head back to Seattle and help out my co-workers. At least that's what I think I did. I woke up at this point because of another text message and realized my jaw was really sore (I had my wisdom teeth out on Thursday).

So I took more drugs. Drugs - that's what I'm blaming the dream on. When all else fails blame the drugs.

I just really wish I could put together a picture of the red flames and black clouds because it looked really cool - aside from the disaster stuff of course.

Something I will never understand...

2010-04-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

So today wasn't a bad day. Wasn't a good day either. I guess it was more good than bad. I just didn't have any motivation. The end of the work day couldn't come soon enough! After a stop at DQ for a Midnight Truffle Blizzard I came home and watched a movie. The movie? He's Just Not That Into You.

I don't know if you're familiar with the book of the same name. The premise of the book/movie is it tells women how to read men - that they didn't "lose your number" or other such nonsense. The movie focuses on the lives of five women and I believe four men. Except for one storyline I think it's a decent movie. Ummm... if you're not secure as a single person you will hate it - especially the part where one of the women is involved with her sister's wedding. They utter the dreaded line - "We just want you to be happy." Ugh! That's all I'll say about that. Anywho... there is one storyline of the movie that I absolutely hate.

One of the women believes she met her soulmate at the grocery store. They meet by chance, start chatting which turns into flirting, and then the man tells her he's married. He gives her his number as he has "contacts in the music industry" which she's trying to break into. Instead of going their separate ways and leaving well enough alone, she begins to fantasize about him. She talks to her friend about him and her friend encourages her to call him!! The friend tells the story of a friend of a friend who met her husband while he was still married to another woman. The man left his wife, married the other woman and now they're living happily ever after. The friend makes a statement along the lines of "it's not fair that you have to give up the possibility of him being your soulmate because he's married to someone else." This philosophy just blows my mind!

My two best friends are married. In fact, most of my friends are married, male or female. I can count the number of single friends on one hand - seriously! Even if I didn't have Christian values, I can't imagine ever allowing myself to date a married man. To be the "other woman?" My best friend's worst nightmare? (Actually I haven't asked if their husband having an affair is their worst nightmare - I'm going out on a limb with that assumption.) Never! I could not do that to them! And I'm not talking about their husbands specifically, but a married man is somebody's husband!

It blows my mind that there are people in society who seem to have no problem with encouraging their friends to have an affair. I know, or at least hope, that most people - Christians or not - have an issue with this. But there is a segment that doesn't see what the big deal is. And to that I can only say "Wow! Really?!" Fortunately to my knowledge none of my friends have had an affair. If I found out they were, I don't know how I would be able to look them in the eye. But that leads into a whole other discussion which I'm going to pass on at this time.

Okay, soapbox over.

Oh, and in the movie the woman has the affair, the man confesses to his wife who ultimately kicks him out, and the other woman ends the affair. No happily ever after.

Wow - I've been MIA huh?

2010-03-16T22:08:00.001-07:00

But really, has anyone noticed???

What I'm giving Thanks for

2009-11-28T23:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, I should have posted this on Thanksgiving - but better late than never right?

Family - I am truly thankful for my family. I feel wonderfully blessed to have been born into this family. My parents have been a wonderful example of how to make a marriage work. Same with my sister and brother-in-law. Speaking of - my brother-in-law is truly my brother in every sense except by blood. He's awesome. And my sisters are my best friends. And I love my nephew and niece dearly (and how did my 15-year-old nephew get to be 6 foot 1?!) I don't dread spending time with my family - especially at the holidays. I may not be much of a games person when hanging out with friends, but I enjoy playing games with my family. There will always be laughter - often at someone's expense, but no one's immune so I guess it all evens out. And even when I'm frustrated with my family for one reason or another, I truly know they have my best interest at heart. My family is the one place I let my guard completely down and I love them for that!

Friends - There's friends, and then there's friends. The ones who stay in your life even when your paths take different directions. These are the friends who know when I'm feeling down and say something - even if I'm putting on my "everything's good" face. They put up with my obsession of the moment - be it a band or a movie or a boy - and laugh with me at me because of it. These are the friends I love and cherish. I won't name names but you know who you are - so thank you!! :-)

Laughter - Seriously - I love to laugh! I'm pretty easy to make laugh too because I just enjoy laughing. And I'm laughing at myself half the time! I hope I never get to the point where I take things so seriously that I can't find the humor in a moment.

Music - I love to listen to music. It's why I studied broadcasting in college - I wanted to work in radio. Well that never panned out the way I hoped but I still love listening to it. I have music going almost all the time except for when I'm watching tv. Music helps me get through my work day, even if it means having people laugh at me because I'm bopping my head to music when they walk into my office (I like to think that I catch myself in time before they realize what they just witnessed). I went to three and two-halves concerts this year - four different genres of music. (The two-halves comes from the Black Eyed Peas / Tim McGraw show before the NFL opener in Pittsburgh - not full length concerts but still saw them live so it counts.) That's the most concerts I've been to in a long time! So much fun though... If I were stranded on a desert island my iPod and a solar charger would be the one thing I'd want with me.

Job - I am grateful to have a job, especially when I know too many people right now who don't by no fault of their own.

Furlough day - Yes, I'm thankful that we had a furlough day at work Friday. With the workload I have right now I most likely would have gone into work had the office been open. But since it was closed I could take the day off guilt free and spend it with my family instead.

Roof over my head - I don't count my blessings often enough for the little things in life that are really big things - like having a roof over my head. Often when I see someone who's homeless I can't help but wonder what circumstance life dealt them that they ended up where they are. I doubt any of them had the goal of being homeless and I think it can be too easy to say "well if they just try harder they wouldn't be where they are." So I'm thankful that I can sleep in a bed at night and not have the wind blowing around me. And I pray for those that don't have that luxury that someday they will again.

God - Everything I've listed above is because of God. I don't credit Him enough for it. And I'm thankful for the salvation I have through Him even though I don't deserve it. At all.

One of these days...

2009-11-25T00:40:00.000-08:00

...I'll get around to updating the blog again. I keep meaning to but just haven't yet. Ummm... soon! I really hope...

What an amazing game!

2009-08-08T02:19:00.000-07:00

I went to the Mariners game last night with my family and it was amazing on so many different levels!

First the fact that I was with my family was awesome. My parents had just driven back from eastern WA visiting my sis and her family, and they brought back Aric and Ashlee with them for a week's visit. I love those kiddos! Kiddos is getting to be something of a misnomer anymore though! After the game when I said goodbye to them I had to stand on my tiptoes to give Aric a kiss on the cheek (embarrasing for the 15 year old? You betcha!)

It was Griffey bobblehead night so we were trying to meet up at 5 when the gates opened so that we could be sure to get one. When they were still about 5 miles from the ballpark stuck in slow traffic, I went ahead (as the designated ticket holder for the game) and went through the gates five times and picked up five bobbleheads so that everyone got one! By my third time through the gate the security guard wasn't even checking my bag anymore. Good thing I did it too. They were out of bobbleheads by 5:30, actually earlier, just about the time they were getting there. As I was walking up to meet them at the car, a woman stopped me and asked how I got the bobbleheads. "I showed up at 5."

"Oh, because we dropped my two kids off at the gate but they were turned away saying they didn't have anymore."

(to myself) "Well if you just now dropped them off of course they're gonna be out. And don't even tell me you're trying to guilt me into handing over any one of these dolls. I had five tickets - we have five bodies for the tickets!"

Then I ran up to the family and gave them all hugs - cuz that's what I do!

Aside from the family I was excited about the game for one reason - Jack Wilson! As sad I as I am about him no longer playing for the Pirates, I am excited that I get to see him play as a Mariner. Even better than when Kendall was traded to the A's - cuz this team plays 81 games in Seattle! I even talked about Wilson with one of the guys while getting the bobbleheads and said how much the fans here are going to appreciate his defense (say what I will about Seattle fans - they do recognize good defense when they see it). Then Wilson goes on to make an error in the first inning - oy! He made a couple good plays later though to make up for it.

So once we got our food and made our way to the seats and nicely asked the two people sitting between our sets of tickets if they would be willing to switch seats - which they did - it was time to play ball! Well, in about 40 minutes... (insert twiddling thumbs here)

Okay - play ball!

Seriously, this was one of the most fun ballgames I have been to in almost a year, and few before that reached this level of enjoyment. Pretty much from the get go until the end of the 10th inning the crowd was really into it. And I think the wave was only attempted once! I loved how much Aric and Ashlee were both following the game and getting into it! Pam and George - you're raising those kids right! Ashlee sent Pam a text telling her what inning it was and the score. Aric was yelling and pumping his fist at good plays. You really have no idea how much good it did my heart to see that! Towards the end of the game the crowd was getting into the "Hey! Ho!" chants which both Aric and I joined - arm waves and all! Yeah, it really was a great game. And when Ryan Langerhans hit the homerun in the 11th to win it, there really was no doubt about it! And if you know me, you know that I get more enjoyment out of the younger guys trying to make it in the bigs than the guys who already have the big contracts. Too bad about all those fans that left after the 10th - they missed out! But even then - I was impressed with the number of fans that stuck around!

During the 10th or 11th innings seagulls decided to start invading the outfield - nothing like what happened earlier this season at the Jake or wherever that one happened, but they were definitely making their presence known! Two started flying in the direction of Jack Wilson but he had his back to them. He turned and when he saw them he jumped. It was great - way to be a man! :-)

The only down part about the game was the snarky uppity sitting in front of my mom. At one point in the game she turned around to Ashlee and told her to stop kicking the empty chair in front of her. Good thing it was my mom who was sitting behind her because I doubt I would have held my tongue! That's all I say about that!

Bottom line - great game!!!

So fun...

Let's do it again! Who's in?!

The fam:

My friends were also at the game. Guess who gave him that onesie? :-)

A video of the Navy Leap Frogs:

Dogs and Pig

2009-03-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

see more dog and puppy pictures

Vote for Brad Paisley!!

2009-03-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

After going to his concert in Tacoma, I have to strongly encourage everyone to vote for Brad Paisley as Entertainer of the Year. He definitely deserves it!!

It's a Pirate Dog!!!

2009-03-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

see more dog and puppy pictures

Two Months MIA

2009-02-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Has anyone missed me? Or have we figured out I'm really not good at keeping up the blog and you only check back here once in a while. Since my family's probably the only one's who read this, then you already know how completely stoked I was that the Steelers won the Super Bowl - again! Take that you bunch of sore loser Seahawks fans! And now it's 5 days and 10 hours until pitchers and catchers report - woohoo!!

I'm hoping that after I finish up with school I'll start updating this thing more regularly. In the mean time I'll try and remember to throw something out here to satisfy your appetite.

As you were.

One smart penguin!

2008-12-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

Wonder if this was intentional... :-)

2008-11-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

World Champions!!!

2008-10-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Phillies win, 4-3!!!

Just think how excited I would be if it were the Pirates instead!!

World Series!!

2008-10-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

Go Phillies!!!!

Update:

Game 1 - Check. Phils win 3-2. Chase Utley is so cool...

Game 2 - Done. Rays win 4-2. Next game is Saturday night in Philly.

Game 3 - Check. Phils win 5-4. Like a little rain is gonna stop the Phillies...

Game 4 - Check. Phils win 10-2. An old time routing.

Game 5 - WOOOOOO!!!! See above.

Next up - the Championship Series

2008-10-10T00:09:00.001-07:00

National League

LA Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies - Pick: Phillies
Easy choice on so many levels. I hate the Dodgers. The Phillies are from PA. Still hate the Dodgers. Chase Utley is cool. I could go on, but really, I just really, really, really want Philly to take this series. A sweep would be awesome!

American League

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Pick: It's a toss-up
This one's a hard series for me to pick. I love the whole "last to first" story of the Rays, but Jason Bay plays for the Red Sox. I think I'll give the edge to the Sox for that reason. But if by chance the Rays win, I won't mind that either.

So if it ends up being the Red Sox vs the Phillies in the World Series, would it be bad for me to wear my J-Bay jersey while cheering for the Phillies? Such a quandry...

I love October baseball...

2008-10-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

Division Series Picks

National League

LA Dodgers vs Chicago Cubs - Pick: Chicago
Currently the Dodgers are up two games to none. This isn't good. The Dodgers rank in my bottom three teams - I can't stand them! So I just want them to lose. Unfortunately in the best of five series, this means the Cubs have to win all the remaining games. The next two games are in LA, so the edge is definitely on the Dodgers side. I hate that.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Philadelphia Phillies - Pick: Philly
I bet I just surprised a few people by picking the Phils over the Brewers, because one just has to look at the Brewers roster to see that Jason Kendall is their starting catcher. What's more surprising is that this is actually an easy pick for me. Usually I'll rank Kendall above the Phillies, but in the playoffs, advantage goes to teams from PA. If the Pirates can't be in the playoffs (and there's no light at the end of the tunnel for that saga), then I pick Philly. And the Phils are up two games to none, so it's looking good for them to make it to the NLCS.

American League

Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Pick: Tampa Bay
I like to say that Tampa Bay being in the playoffs as the AL East Champs gives me hope as a Pirates fan, but the truth is management decisions make a big difference. Prior to this year the Pirates have done nothing but make bad decisions. The jury is still out on the new regime in Pittsburgh and I probably won't have an opinion for a couple more years to see how these moves work out. But I still like the story of the Rays and I want to see them go far. And I want to see the White Sox lose too because of Griffey. It still ticks me off the way he whined and cried his way of Seattle, and it ticks me off more how much Seattle embraces him still as the savior of baseball for the city. So let me get this straight - the man acts like a baby and demands to be traded, and you welcome him back with open arms? I will never understand Seattle sports fans. Tampa Bay is up two games to none, so it also looks good for them to make the ALCS.

Boston Red Sox vs LA Angels of Anaheim - Pick: Boston
Two words: Jason Bay. The guy's a class act and when I talked with his sister-in-law she said that he really enjoyed playing in Pittsburgh. That's when he was still a Pirate. The boy is kicking butt in the series too! If it weren't for J-Bay, it's very likely that I would be pulling for the Angels (sorry, Sam!). They have Mark Teixeira, and that's just a cool last name. So really this series is Bay vs Teixeira. Based on the teams alone, I would like to see either of them advance. Currently the Red Sox won one game, and the second game is on now. Boston is up 5-3 in the 7th inning, but the Angels are trying to mount a comeback. We'll see!

Violence is bad, but...

2008-09-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

If this article is true, then I think it's kinda funny. I think Ichiro is a great player, but I never hopped on the Ichiro bandwagon. Plus, he's slowing down. Or not giving as much effort. One or the other. I still think he should have gotten to the ball that ended Morrow's no-hitter. Don't interpret that to say that the no-no was a given otherwise - 3 outs is a long way to go when a pitcher's over 100 pitches - but it would have ended the inning. I do wonder who wanted to knock him out... I'm guessing that if anything even slightly resembling this situation actually happened then what is being reported is blown way out of proportion.

New York, New York

Beth and I went to the Big Apple a couple weekends ago. It was great! I had so much fun. The obvious highlight was going to a game at Yankee Stadium. I finally made it to the House that Ruth Built. I was not disappointed - except that I wasn't able to go to Monument Park. We tried - we really did! We got there right when the gates were opening, but by the time we got to the entrance of Monument Park, it was at capacity - and we entered through the gate closest to it! Oh well...

As we stood waiting to get into Serendipity on Saturday night, Beth asked me what I would want to take in if we were there a few more days. Honestly it was hard for me to come up with something! Yes, a show would have been fun, but we crammed so much into the three days we were there that I was just exhausted and ready to go home. And you know it's saying something if I'm ready to go back to Seattle! Last time I went to PA I was so bummed out the night before returning - I just really wanted to stay there. So... I guess I'm not a New York City type of girl. Fun place to visit, but there is an expiration. Beth - I'm pretty sure she could have stayed there for another month!

Is it unpatriotic to look up Lady Liberty's skirt?

Another season almost over

The Pirates are almost done with their 2008 season, and honestly? I'm ready for it to be over. Sixteen losing seasons in a row - it's takes a toll on a fan! And there's no end in sight yet. I'll start looking forward to spring training come December, when hopes and dreams take precedence over reality, but for now I'm ready for the postseason and watching football. Whatever football I can watch besides the Seahawks. So right now I'm pulling for Tampa Bay and Philly in the playoffs...

Anything else?

Not that I can think of...

Oh....Wow....

2008-09-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

See a pattern?

Beth and I went to the Mariners game tonight against the Yankees. It was Brandon Morrow's first major league start. He had been kicking butt as our closer, but the Mariners decided they wanted him to be a starter, so he went down to Tacoma and played for the Rainiers for a little while in order to get stretched out. I was looking forward to watching him start tonight. Also, Xavier Nady, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was in town with the Yankees so I was looking forward to watching him play as well. Here's a pic of Morrow's first pitch as a starter. (That's Morrow on the right)

The game was awesome! Morrow was perfect through the first three innings, then gave up a walk in each of the fourth and fifth innings. But... no hits! Mr. Morrow had a no-hitter going on! Sixth inning? No hits. Seventh inning? No hits. As the eighth inning starts I'm shivering, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't entirely because of the chill in the air! Nope - try some nerves on Morrow's behalf. One out. Check. Walk - bummer. Two outs. Check. But then... a double. My shoulders drooped as much as Beth's when there's no hot dogs at Costco. Man I was really hoping he would pull it off. This is the closest I've come to watching a historical game! Three things I want to see: a no-hitter, a perfect game, and a cycle. Maybe some other stuff too but that's at the top of the list. But man was the crowd into the game! They were cheering loud for every out, and there wasn't always a sign telling the crowd to cheer! And talk about a standing ovation! Morrow deserved every bit of it.

There was one part of the game that really annoyed me though. The people in the seats right next to us. Rude. Obnoxious. Drunk. They had all three going! The guy who was sitting right next to me was the worst. I've sat near obnoxious drunk people before. Sometimes they're funny. But that definitely was not the case tonight. During the third inning the beer guy went by, so this guy got out of his seat and went into the aisle to hail the guy down instead of waiting for him to start back up the stairs like just about every other fan does. So another fan asked him to sit back down and that just set him off. He gets his two beers (that's all they can sell to one person at a time) and then comes back to the seats. He proceed to drop the f-bomb pretty much every other word while complaining about the fan who asked him to sit down. Finally the woman behind us asked him to tone it down since she had kids with her. The guy apologizes and says he didn't realize his ticket had a PG rating on it. Well I didn't realize mine had a R rating! They finally left after the seventh inning stretch. If it wasn't for them the evening would have been perfect. Oh well, sometimes I guess ya gotta take the good with the bad!

I think maybe I'll look into getting a Morrow jersey... :)

Seattle isn't all that bad...

2008-08-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

I admit I have my share of days when I'm just tired of Seattle and all I can think about is where I want to move to next (Cyndi trivia: Phoenix is in the top 5 - I honestly don't know why but it just keeps popping up there...). But then the weather turns nice in Seattle and I actually walk around outside. There's this little place in Seattle that is fairly unknown - it's called the Pike Place Market. Kidding! It's one of the must-see places in Seattle. This past Friday I took a stroll at lunch and ended up down by the market. Turns out it was Farm Friday, so Pike Place is closed to traffic and farmers set up their tables in the street. Keep in mind that farmers are always present at the market, but maybe they get more space on Fridays - I don't know... I bought one of the huge cookies one of the vendors sells, and then strolled through the market. It can be very easy to spend a bunch of money there, but I was good and kept it to the cookie and some very good Brazilian coffee (you know the stuff, George!). Here's a couple pix from my stroll...

A necessary stop each time - the very first Starbucks! There's almost always some street musicians outside of it.

Looking down Pike Place. The main market building is on the right.

WOW!!

2008-08-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

Around 2:30 today I suddenly remember that the Pirates were playing a day game, so I pull up the game on mlb.com to check on the score. Pirates were up 1-0 in the sixth inning! I check the stats and see that Jeff Karstens is pitching a no-hitter. The brief thought entered my mind - "maybe it's a perfect game!" I figured someone probably got on base, but I looked back through the plays for the heck of it, and sure enough - he was perfect through six innings! Man the biggest smile broke out on my face... Here one of the guys who came over in the trade for the Yankees, which the Pirates got absolutely ripped over, was pitching a perfect game! As the game progressed, and he continued getting the outs, my hands started getting shaky and sweaty. I can't believe I got nervous for him! Sadly with two outs in the eighth inning, Chris Young of the D-backs got a double off him - no perfect game - no no-hitter. But... It was such a great feeling to experience that - even by means of the internet!

Congratulations Jeff - and welcome to Pittsburgh!!

AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast

One of my favorite baseball memories...

2008-07-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

My family has the tradition of attending the Mariners' Opening Day game. We usually sit in the centerfield section - it's a "family" section and alcohol is not allowed in it, therefore the seats sell slower than the other sections. :) Since we are sitting a long way from home plate, I bring along my binoculars. One year, maybe 2004 - the year the picture below was taken, my niece Ashlee is using the binoculars and we can tell she's looking at something in particular, but it definitely wasn't the game. So we ask what she's looking at. Her response?

"The cotton candy man!"

Naturally, we bought her cotton candy...

Another year, another loss...

2008-07-16T00:31:00.000-07:00

I'm bummed that the NL lost - again. But at least Nate McLouth got to play in a good chunk of the game - made a great play too! And showed some hustle...

The All-Star Game is great. I really enjoy watching it. Especially in order to watch the token Pirates player. I am a big proponent that every team should have a representative. Currently that's the way it is, but there's always talk of "how to fix the game" and someone will always suggest getting rid of that requirement.

There's more I could go on about, but really, I'm tired.

Good night.

All-Star Break

2008-07-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

It's that wonderful time of the year again - time for the All-Star Game! It's one of my favorite times of the year. You have many of baseball's greatest players all on one field playing for only two teams. Now, I may live in an American League city, but I will always cheer for the National League. Go Pirates! If you ever have the chance to go to a game - do it! Seriously, it is just amazing. I have so many great memories of Pittsburgh in 2006. The game's in St. Louis next year - anyone? Anyone? I'm going...

This year it's in New York at Yankee Stadium. If I weren't in school, I would be there. I look at the aerial shot of the ballpark, and boy do I wish I were there! I still hope that it works to go to New York this year so I can see a game there. We'll see!

In honor of the 2008 All-Star Game... (and a big ol' shot out to Josh Hamilton for smacking 28 homeruns in the first round!)

Justin Morneau

Home Run Derby Winner

AP Photo / Kathy Willens

Gretchen Wilson
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

(Ummm... voting's over by the way)

Go to Bat for Pat!

2008-07-08T23:06:00.001-07:00

Voting ends July 10! Vote now!!!

I have a new favorite Mariner

2008-06-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

Guess why Jeff Clement is now my favorite Mariner. This even tempts me to buy his jersey. I'll give it some more time though to see how long he stays with the M's.

It is done.

2008-06-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have voted my 25 times for the All-Star Game. I voted for four Pirates - Jack Wilson, Jason Bay, Nate McLouth, and Xavier Nady. Only one Mariner got my vote - Jose Lopez. He's about the only one batting over .300 so I thought he deserved it. Besides, Ichiro has been several times already. Time for some new blood I say! :) And Chase Utley for the Phils got my vote too. Otherwise I just looked at the stats and picked from among the best. If you haven't voted yet, voting ends July 2. Vote now!

I want to go to Antarctica (seriously!)

2008-06-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

I want to go to Antarctica. I'm not sure what triggered this desire, but for the last 3-4 years I have said that I want to go there. Yes, I know it's bitter cold [right now weather.com isn't showing the current temperatures, but the 36-hour forecast for the bases down there are around 30-35 degrees] but I seriously want to go there! Have I said that enough yet? I can just picture myself standing on an icy place with my arms spread thinking, "I made it!!!" I know REI offers a vacation package to the Antarctic. That is one of my options to get there. I'm sure there's other organizations too. But I do want to do enough research to know that whoever leads the tour actually takes care not to disrupt the environment there too much. Not that I'm a tree hugger by any means, but after watching Happy Feet and visiting places like the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld, it does make me conscious of the impact of humans on the environment.

Tonight in my business class, we looked at a case studying Sir Ernest Shackleton, who led three expeditions to the polar region, and participated in a fourth. These were all in the early 1900's. He actually had a leadership style that can be applied to business today. I have to say that this was the most interesting case I have studied to date in the MBA program. I think I will be buying his book about his Endurance expedition.

And since I'm supposed to be the one with the sports blog - the Pirates whooped on the Yankees tonight! (sorry, Beth) This is the third time the Bucs have faced the Yanks in interleague play, and just the first time they have won. Yes, I do remain hopeful for the season even though the Pirates still have a losing record and are fourth in their division (out of six teams). And the Mariners whooped even more on the Mets. It's always a good thing to see the Mets lose! I'm pulling for the Rays and Phillies to make it to the World Series with the Phillies winning. I may be hopeful for the Pirates, but I do have to remain realistic!

Is there a consolation prize?

2008-06-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Goodbye Buddy

2008-05-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've written anything, which someone finally pointed out today. (Thanks, Andi!) I've been meaning to write for quite a while actually. Baseball has been under way for two months now. The Pirates are 26-29, three games below .500. The Mariners are 21-35, 14 games below .500. Guess who's the better team! :) Actually Pirates pitching has been pretty abysmal, and their fielding is just as bad, but somehow they have pulled off not being the worst team in baseball - Go Pirates!

The Penguins are in the Stanly Cup playoffs. Beth has waxed quite eloquent on hockey in her blog. The Penguins are down 3-1 in the series. It's not looking good, but until one team wins the necessary fourth game, the Pens remain in the hunt!

There were other things I was going to write about, but I don't remember what at this time. Today, however, I received some sad news from Pam - they put their beloved dog Sparky down this week. He apparently had a medical condition that has caused him to become more aggresive over the last several months, and it finally got to the point that they had a very difficult decision to make. I will miss Sparky greatly.

He was always a loveable dog. He thought he was a lap dog, and I'm sure Pam and George would have appreciated it if I would actually remind him of that instead of inviting him up on my lap. He loved to share a bed with you - just make sure you got in the bed first or else he hogged the whole thing! He's the type of dog you just put your arms around and give him a big hug! He will be missed greatly. See you in heaven, Sparky!

Let the Games Begin!!!

2008-03-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's a sad day when....

2008-03-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

One spills a latte.

It's even sadder when...

it's spilled in the car.

Even sadder still when...

I was counting on that latte to get me through my final.

The good news is the lid didn't pop off so I didn't lose too much of the latte. But it did make my car smell like coffee. I was told that if I use the cupholders then this wouldn't happen so much. I wonder if that's the two holes in my center console...

13 Days to Opening Day!!!

I love pictures of dumb cats.

2008-03-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Maybe this cat isn't dumb, but it struck a chord with me. With the walking sideways - not the hungover part. Just clarifying is all...

I'm an optimist.

2008-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Really, I am. I think it makes the daily grind easier. I'm especially optimistic when it comes to baseball. Come spring training I always have a hope that this is the year the Pirates break out of their now 15 year losing streak and win. After all, all teams have the same record come Opening Day (which is only 27 days away!). But then I come across pictures like this one of Jason Bay - one of the Pirates best players...

AP Photo/Al Behrman

I have no words...

President's Day

2008-02-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Today is President's Day. The only non-major holiday that I get off at work. I'll take any day off work that I can get! My parents came down for a day of shopping, so Beth and I joined them. Everyone ended up with something. Me - I bought the Jason Bourne trilogy books. Actually there are five books total, but I bought the ones that have been made into a movie. After saying goodbye to the parentals, Beth and I hopped into the theatre (not quite literally) to watch Enchanted. I would recommend it. So now I'm wasting time when I should be doing some homework. I came across this article - Bret Boone is coming out of retirement. One would probably think I'd be happy about this, but really, I just want to say "Really?" No, in this case I think the man should just stay retired. Close the book, Bret.

That said - Pam, do you still have that Doug Mientkiewicz rookie card? He's in the Pirates camp on a minor league contract...

42 Days to Opening Day!!

I killed it...

2008-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my parents got me an uber cute polar bear neck wrap. You take out the bag on the inside and heat it in the microwave. I really liked it. But tonight when I went to heat it up, I put it in for 30 seconds longer than I normally do - 2 minutes. Well... This is what happened...

So now I have to look for a new inside for my bear. Because I have to say, the bear really is cute! Sorry Mom and Dad...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-02-14T22:08:00.001-08:00

AP Photo/Al Behrman

Spring has sprung! 'Nuf said.

Behold...

2008-02-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

The M&M inside of me!

A dream come true...

2007-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

I don't remember what started this "dream," but for a long time now one thing I have wanted to do is sit in a hot tub with snow all around. Today that dream came true. Not even an hour ago I was sitting in my sister's hot tub out on their deck and there was several inches of snow all around us. It was beautiful.

Three more sleeps 'til Christmas!

2007-12-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here is it, December 22, 2007, and I haven't written anything in over a month. Whoopsidaisy! I've had a blog planned for a few weeks now, but never quite got around to writing it. I was going to start with how wonderful Thanksgiving was and how great it was to be with the family.

Then I was going to mention how Jason Kendall signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. That's still in the Pirates division, so I can't buy a jersey or anything, but it is an upgrade over the Cubs. I'll take it!

Then there was the whole Mitchell Report and steroids, HGH, and the rest. I was grateful to see that none of my favorite players were named in the report. Although Boonie did make the "incorrect" list that WNBC in NY posted. I don't have much of an opinion on the whole mess other than to say baseball had it coming and it's not going to change much in the sport.

Now there's Christmas. This year we're in Colville with the Beers. They have 3 or so inches of snow on the ground, so White Christmas - here we come! I think this may be the first one since I've moved to Seattle... Beth and I flew in yesterday and Mom, Dad, and Aunt Andra are driving over tomorrow. It will be a good time. It always is. I feel truly blessed to have the family that I do. We have our moments of shall we say disagreements, but we get over it and move on. So that's about it for now. I just wanted to check in for those of you that read this.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Skip the MLB Digital Download Service

2007-11-17T16:47:00.001-08:00

An email I sent today to the MLB.com Digital Download customer service:

*****
Hello-

This is to inform you that due to poor customer service and lack of product received, I will no longer be purchasing any digital downloads from MLB.com. I have purchased a total of 8 games from your service. Seven of the games were purchased prior to 2007, and as a result of your change in service providers five of these games no longer work. Additionally, the game I purchased in October of 2007 I still have not been able to download due to a bad link. After four emails which apparently you have chosen to ignore and a call to a customer service representative who just sent me another email with download instructions, I am no better off now than I was before.

Please know that I consider your service a complete fraud. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of correspondence on your behalf in my attempt to correct the problems.

Sincerely,

Cynthia
****

All total I spent less than $30 on this, and it's really not worth anymore time and effort on my part. A Google search on MLB Digital Download tells me that apparently I was completely ignorant to purchase anything based on DRM or whatever. Oh well. What's done is done. First MLB.com rips me off of a Freddy Sanchez 2006 All-Star Jersey ("Sorry Ma'am - even though you received a confirmation number for your order, we never received the order and we are now sold out and there's nothing we can do") and now this. While I won't say I'll never order another jersey from them, I'll definitely be checking out other sites first and use MLB.com as a last resort only. But I am definitely done with the download service. It could have been really cool but they chose otherwise.

As you were...

UPDATE:

The response:

Dear Cynthia,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Your e-mail has been forwarded to the appropriate department.

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Bad, then good, good again, then bad

2007-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

That's how my day went.

Bad - by the time I got to church, the Browns were up 14-3. This is kind of a big game because if the Browns win, then they'll be tie for first in the AFC North with the Steelers.

Good - good service at church

Good again - Steelers win 31-28!!!!

Bad - I decided to clean my room today. After dusting my shelf that hangs on the wall, I put the pictures of my family back on it. One of the pictures was pushed back too far, so I adjust it. In doing so, the other picture starts to slide. As I attempt to stop that one at the same time, I put just a bit too much weight on the shelf and it falls off the wall. The good news is I didn't drop the pictures. The bad news is my bobbleheads are on the bookcase directly beneath the shelf. Kendall fell to the ground, but no scratches. Stargell survived just fine. Giles? Not so lucky. He didn't fall to the ground, but he did get knocked over. The poor guy now has a hole in his head, has no bill on his cap, and is emitting fumes from I'm guessing the resin. Seriously, I don't know what it is, but after the bill broke off I noticed a strange smell. I leaned in to sniff the bobblehead, and boy did it stink! If I die tonight in my sleep, check for toxic fumes that may have come from the bobblehead. And if I die tonight, I want you all to know how much I love you. Don't get into any fights divying up my stuff. I'll see you on the other side! (That'd be heaven.)

UPDATE:

I survived the night. The next two nights in fact. We can all rejoice.

And the offseason begins...

2007-11-07T22:11:00.001-08:00

Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The Steelers are currently in first in the AFC North. Go Steelers! This season they are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the team, and have worn throwback uniforms for a couple of games. That's okay with me - they win just as well in the throwbacks as in the regular ones!

Big Ben is having a great season. Had a career game Monday night, but of course I had a mid-term that night and wasn't able to watch the game!

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

I'm trying to get myself to follow hockey more. Figured I would round out the sports in Pittsburgh. This is Sidney Crosby, one of the young studs on the team. He's the first teenager to win a scoring title in any sport (he turned 20 in August). He's the youngest captain in NHL history. He's just cool... The Penguins are currently third in their division. They got off to a slow start, but I'm confident they'll rise in the standings. They are getting a new arena that I believe will be opening in 2009. Maybe I'll go to my first NHL game that season!

World Series Champions

2007-10-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the

Boston Red Sox

World Series Champions

2007

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Beth and I are definitely related

2007-10-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

My mom will be proud I'm admitting that. Sometimes when our family gets talking about baseball Beth wonders if she's related. She is. We are. This past week confirmed it. Well, I've known for several years that we are in fact related, but this week brought it home again.

As Beth wrote in her blog this week, she had the opportunity to go see a performance that turned out to be an absolute phenominal show. I had blown off studying for a few days so I needed to focus on that and therefore wasn't able to go with her. But when she came home, she was literally breathless when she was describing the show. It made me wish I could have gone. But I know Beth got way more out of the show than I ever would have. And then it dawned on me...

She was acting the exact same way I do when there's a great baseball play! Yes, Beth, you were. Probably the most excited I've been over a baseball play was the grand slam Brian Giles hit to cap a phenominal come from behind win for the Pirates back in July of 2001. The Pirates were down 8-2 with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, nobody on. That hit left me breathless. And seeing Beth as excited as she was over the show reminded me of me!

So Beth, we really are related...

Welcome to the World Series 2007

2007-10-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

The teams have been set. Wednesday, October 24, 2007, the Colorado Rockies will take on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Most of the country will be cheering for the Red Sox because not many care about the Rockies. About half of the people cheering for the Rockies actually want the Rockies to win. The other just wants the Red Sox to lose. I'm a hybrid.

I'm cheering for the Rockies first and foremost because they are representing the National League and I am a National League girl. There are a few exceptions to that rule [Braves, Mets, and Dodgers - I don't like any of those teams...] but otherwise I will be cheering for the NL. Unless Jason Kendall or Brian Giles are playing in the AL and their team makes it. Then I'm cheering for their team unless they're playing the Pirates. And both will be long retired before the Bucs make it back to the Series. Just being real with myself... Back to the Rockies.

The Rockies are the NL team. Check.

Also, the Rockies have never been to the World Series and therefore have never won it. Add that to being an NL team, and that is the perfect combination for 2007.

The Rockies have been on a roll. Will that survive the nine day layoff from the end of the NLCS to the start of the World Series? Time will tell...

The Red Sox won in 2004. That's recent enough that another team deserves the chance for glory. Again, ignore the fact that I would want the Pirates to win every year.

Now - given the fact that I am cheering for the Rockies, it is all but guaranteed that the Red Sox will win it all.

FYI - even though on my prior post I picked the Red Sox to go to the Series, I realized a day later that I really wanted the Indians in it. I didn't update it because I didn't want to jinx them. We know now how that worked out!

The funniest comic I've read in a long time...

2007-10-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I laughed hard. Truly.

Pig's so cool....

An October Update

2007-10-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

I know in my heart of hearts that my cheering for one particular team over another has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game. But sometimes I swear that I jinx teams by saying that I'm cheering for them. The Phillies and Cubs? Both gone. Swept under the carpet like a piece of dirt. The Rockies were so electrifying that power went out in Coors Field for 14 minutes. The D-backs just manhandled the Cubs. Although by listening to the announcers today it apparently is entirely Jason Kendall's fault that the Cubs lost. So now the two teams that I wanted more than anything to advance to the NLCS have packed their bags for the winter.

So who to choose between the Rockies and Diamondbacks... On one hand I say the D-backs for the sole reason of having them face the Red Sox in the World Series - that way there can be some kind of buildup of "brother against brother." [Stephen vs JD Drew] On the other hand, it doesn't really matter to me. I still foresee myself cheering for the National League regardless in the World Series. So... I'll pick the Diamondbacks. I like their uniforms better. :)

On another baseball related note - I was invited to see an advanced screening of The Final Season this past week. It's a movie based on the true story of a small town in Iowa that was losing its high school of about 100 students to a merger with a larger school. The thing was that the school baseball team had won 19 state championships in the past 25 years. The movie chronicles their final season (see the similarity with the title?). This is a great movie! It will definitely be added to my collection. My recommendation? Go see it.

It's October!

2007-10-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

That means it's time for the playoffs! This year we have the Cubs, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Rockies representing the National League; the Red Sox, Indians, Yankees, and Angels are here for the American League.

I'm a National League girl. Live in an American League city, but I hold true to my roots. I will cheer for the NL in the World Series, no matter who ends up there. As long as the Braves, Mets, or Dodgers aren't in the World Series, there's a good chance I'm going for the NL. Now keep in mind that I don't get all into statistical analysis with baseball, because that just seems to take a lot of the fun out of it. I pick teams based on whatever I feel like. So here's my summary of the teams:

Cubs - Pros: Jason Kendall. "Lovable losers." Cons: Kendall is relegated to backup duty. Division rival.

Phils - Pros: Pennsylvania. Chase Utley has a cool name, and he's good too. I got to see him play during his 32-game hit streak last year. A lot of other players on the team are cool too. Cons: Haven't come up with one yet.

D-backs - Pros: I like the new uniforms. I saw Stephen Drew play last year in the Futures Game at PNC Park during the All Star break. Cons: Jay Bell is retired, so they mean little to me.

Rockies - Pros: Ummm... my favorite color is purple, so the uniforms? Cons: Eh, they don't mean much to me either.

NL Rankings: Phillies, Cubs, D-backs, Rockies.

Red Sox - Pros: Fever Pitch. I think they're cool too. Cons: AL team.

Indians - Pros: The Pirates want to be the Indians of the NL (you'll understand that comment if you've been following the firings and hirings that have been going on in Pittsburgh). Cons: AL team.

Yankees - Pros: Yankees legacy. Andy Pettite. Jorge Posada. Cons: AL team. Another post-season, another Yankee appearance. Can't another team have a chance? (ignore the fact they haven't won a World Series since 2000.) [Beth's gonna hate me for this one.] [If it were the Pirates making the playoffs for the 13th year in a row, I would have no objections, naturally.]

Angels - Pros: My favorite AL West team aside from the Mariners. (I'd say the same thing about the A's.) Cons: AL team.

AL Rankings: Indians, Red Sox, Angels, Yankees.

World Series pick: Phillies over the Indians.

Like I said, no real baseball analysis that any expert would respect, but it's how I choose my teams!

Days of Relaxation

2007-09-24T14:57:00.001-07:00

So what does one do when she takes a couple days off work for some down time? So far, she watches the Steelers win (again!), works on her photos on her computer, organizes her school stuff, and tries to keep the toilet from dripping. So exciting! I was hoping to work on my scrapbook but I don't know if that will happen. Maybe I can at least finally get my Brazil pictures in an album!

This past weekend I went to the Northwest Women's Conference in Yakima. It was a great time! I got to know some more ladies in my church which is always good! And the speaker was amazing! Her name is Alicia Britt Chole. I have her book Anonymous although I haven't read it yet. Finding time for casual reading isn't easy! She spoke three times and all were based on this book. This is now the next book on my reading list. While I was down there I ran into a friend who is the youth pastor of a church there. We used to work at the same company. It was so good to see him! He is one who is not shy about his relationship with Christ and is someone I have always respected. I'm afraid I may have freaked him and his wife out at lunch though as I kept staring at them across the restaurant convincing myself to go say hi. I'll have to email him and apologize.

That's all for now!

Reminders of me

2007-09-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

As Beth has mentioned in her blog, she and I are not cat people. She's more anti-cat than I am, but I will never own a cat. Period. But when I go to someone's house and they have a cat, I usually don't have a problem petting the cat or letting it up on my lap.

Beth recently pointed our family to the website I Can Has Cheezburger? While many of the pictures I'm more "eh" than "cool!", there are some pretty darn cute pictures on there. I liked this one. Why? Because it's me! To quote Joey:

Cyndi don't share food!

Ask my family...

Once in a lifetime

2007-08-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

AP Photo/Nick Wass

What I would have paid to see this game in person! Not that I care about the Rangers or the Orioles per se, but 30 runs?! Definitely would have been worth the trip! This is a new record for the American League. Back in 1897 the Chicago Colts ran up 36 runs against the Louisville Colonels. That was 110 years ago! But for the "modern era" of baseball (starting in 1900) this is a record. Some highlights:

6 homeruns [one solo, three three-run shots, two grand slams]
30 earned runs [I won't even try to explain an earned run vs an unearned run to you non-baseball folks]
Every Ranger had a hit
The 8 and 9 guys had 7 RBIs each
A save?! Oh, yes!
Game time: 3:21 - I find that pretty amazing for a 30 run game!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270822201

And the poor Orioles... this was only game 1 of a double header! How do you get the umph up to actually play that second game??

I bet another team doesn't score 30 runs again in my lifetime...

From Pirates.com

2007-08-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

On this date: In 1905, Pirates legend Honus Wagner was ejected from a game against the Giants when he threw a ball near umpire George Bausewine during warm-ups before the fifth inning. Wagner was upset about a close play at first that he was called out on in the fourth. He would later be suspended for three games and fined $40.

"Wagner, Honus." Online Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2 Aug 2007
<http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-15105>.

I like this for a few reasons:

If I were to write a historical biography today, it may very well be on Honus Wagner, aka "The Flying Dutchman."

I'm one of those fans that likes it when a player shows enough passion to get themselves ejected.

Suspended three games - not too unusual for today's standards. But fined $40? I don't know what $1 in 1905 is worth today, but I wonder if it's like being fined $5000+ today?

Guess who's a happy girl...

2007-08-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

I could leave it at that and be happy. But I'll also mention that I was at the Mariners game tonight. No foul ball :( but it was still a good game. For the most part. Felix pitched a good game, even after colliding with Ben Broussard on a play. That was kind of scary. It's never a good thing to see a ballplayer laying on the field. I saw a rare blown save by JJ. He wasn't happy. And then the Mariners win in the 12th inning! And on top of all that, the Pirates won their third game since the All-Star break! Playoffs, here we come!

Let a girl dream... It's been 15 years...

Today's game had just about everything!

2007-07-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

Two home runs - one by Kenji Johjima, and one by Yuniesky Betancourt. The Mariners won - can't complain about that! A fan chatted with Ichiro and Raul Ibanez during a pitching change. Saw a toddler using a viaduct pillar for a restroom and a man changing out of his pants and into shorts outside of his car while waiting in traffic. But best of all, I got my very first foul ball ever!

To say I was excited is an understatement. I couldn't keep myself from smiling the rest of the game. It took another 2-3 innings before I was even willing to put the ball into my camera bag. I didn't want anyone to steal it! Not that they would have considering it was an A who hit it. Although there were several A's fans sitting right in front of me. Hmmm...

As those of you who have gone to a game with me, you know that I keep score and take lots of pictures. As I take pictures, I write the name down of the player for reference later on. I noticed on of the players on the A's, Donnie Murphy, was a new guy and not listed on their roster that was in the scorecard. Just as I finish writing down his name and jersey number, I hear the crack of the bat, and everyone arounds me jumps up and starts saying, "heads up!" I look up and try and find the ball. By the time I see it heading in my direction, I am pretty sure that it is going to land a couple rows behind me, and I lean forward for good measure. Turns out I was wrong about the couple rows behind me part... The ball came down between me and the back of my seat! Hit me in the lower back actually - got the bruise to prove it! (Not that you'll see that picture posted here!) So I reached down below me and picked up the ball and raised it up. The crowd applauded. :) And then I realize... the player that just hit the ball was the same one whose name I was writing down! Talk about your coincidences!

And that's not where the fun stops for this game - During one of the pitching changes a fan jumped onto the field and walked to Ichiro and Raul Ibanez who were standing in centerfield. He stood there chatting with them for a bit before security guards finally started chasing him. So he gives Ichiro a hug and is tackled by security and arrested. It was great!

Well color me surprised!

2007-07-27T00:13:00.001-07:00

I use Webshots to upload my baseball photos for the general public viewing. Why? Just because. You can get some pretty cool pictures off that site. Tuesday night I checked my stats for the week to see how many people have looked at my pictures and if anyone downloaded some pics. I had 15 pictures downloaded this week alone! WooHoo!! I feel special! It doesn’t take much to make me feel special. :)

I wish I knew what pictures get downloaded, but as far as I can tell it doesn't say. So my guess is these are the two most popular ones. The one with the sun behind the ballpark isn’t necessarily my favorite or my best picture, but I do think it looks cool. I have more games to upload, but I just haven’t had the time to rename the files yet. Hopefully I’ll get to that by the end of the season!

Ask me why I mourn...

2007-07-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's not because Jason Kendall was traded. Come midnight on July 31, 2007, I really didn't think he would be an A anymore. He's in the last year of his contract and the A's are known for ridding themselves of such players, especially if they have a younger guy in the wings - in this case Kurt Suzuki. I mourn because he was traded to (gag) the Cubs. (sob) For those who might not be aware, the Cubs are in the same division as the Pirates. Therein lies the problem. He now plays for the enemy! Maybe if they make it to the playoffs will I consider cheering for them, but really I just want every team other than the Pirates and Padres (since they're not in the NL Central) to fail miserably. But here's the bright side - he's in the last year of his contract. Maybe he won't be a Cub next year! And maybe being back in the NL will be a much needed boost to his offense! In the mean time, no, I will not buy a Cubs jersey - ever. And don't expect me to post any pictures of him in a Cubs uniform.

Pittsburgh Pirates
1996 - 2004

Oakland Athletics

2005 - 2007

And for questions regarding the Mariners - since they're not in the NL Central either, and now that Kendall is no longer an A, I will try to once again to gain a genuine interest in the Mariners. Tonight after the game I even felt a little happy that they won...