Things I have encountered this week that I would like to share.

Sex, lies and videotape
This is one of the many movies from the 80s that I've never seen, along with Gremlins, Say Anything and the entire Molly Ringwald oeuvre. To be honest, I don't know why I put it on my Netflix queue at all, and once I received it, it sat unwatched on top of my TV for a month. Then, when I finally did watch it, I spent the first ¾ of the film distracted. But once it was over, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was extremely erotic, and above all thought-provoking. And I realized with this movie that I have found James Spader incredibly sexy in everything I've seen him in except Boston Legal. But I never noticed before. Weird, huh?

Stephanie Plum
I am obsessed with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I read the last ones first, starting with #10 about two years ago, and I read 11 and 12 shortly thereafter. But it's only recently that I went back and started reading them from the beginning, and I can't put them down. I've been averaging one a day for a week, and this is in the midst of work and finals. I finished #7 last night, and now I'm worried that I'm going to run out of books within the next few days. There are very few books that make me literally laugh out loud, but these books do it every time. (People in McDonalds were staring the other day, because I was sitting at a table all by myself giggling hysterically.) And come on, have there ever been two sexier men than Joe Morelli and Ranger? I almost envy Stephanie her dilemma as she bounces back and forth between the reformed bad boy and the unapologetically unreformed. It makes me remember what that bad boy phase most women go through is about. Awesome quote:

"Last time you called me late at night you were naked and chained to your shower curtain rod. I hope this isn't going to be disappointing." -- Ranger

The Melting Pot
I had my very first Melting Pot experience last night. I'm not generally one for delayed gratification, so the "cooking" phase was difficult for me, but at the end of the meal, I was relaxed and comfortably full, not stuffed like I often am after going to restaurants. I haven't had fondue in ages, and the food was wonderful, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was gorgeous. Things that force me to slow down are usually good for me.

Digger
This was my absolute favorite computer game when I was a kid—back when I was still good at computer games because they hadn't gotten all fancy. I found it online awhile ago and downloaded it. It's very simple—you're in a mine, you're a little backhoe type of thing, and you're collecting emeralds while not getting zapped by little ugly monster thingies. You don't use a joystick or a mouse—just the arrow keys and F1. It's easy and mindless and I can't stop playing it now.

Writer's block

I'm self-consicous about a lot of things, but my writing isn't one of them. I've been writing for as long as I could hold a pencil, and I'm damn good at it. But I'll tell you what--when writer's block hits, there's nothing on this earth that can dislodge it.

I had to write a quote for a press release today (just the quote; someone else was writing the release) and I swear to God it took me close to an hour to write exactly 71 words. And don't get me started on the award nomination I just (sort of) finished. The first one turned out very well. The second is crap, and that means I'm going to have to rewrite it tomorrow.

I love to write. I hate to write when I have to write.

2006 = 1984?

From Simply Orwellian: Cutting and running from 'stay the course'
By Leonard Pitts Jr.
Originally published October 29, 2006
Available at the Baltimore Sun

The Party said that Oceania had never been in alliance with Eurasia. He, Winston Smith, knew that Oceania had been in alliance with Eurasia as short a time as four years ago. But where did that knowledge exist? Only in his own consciousness, which in any case must soon be annihilated. And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed - if all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth. "Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: Who controls the present controls the past." -from 1984 by George Orwell

I'm here to tell you we're going to stay the course. - George W. Bush, Nov. 28, 2003

We've got to stay the course, and we will stay the course. - George W. Bush, April 5, 2004

The United States of America will stay the course. - George W. Bush, Nov. 21, 2004

We will stay the course; we will complete the job in Iraq. - George W. Bush, Aug. 4, 2005

We will stay the course, we will help this young Iraqi democracy succeed. - George W. Bush, Aug. 31, 2006

Listen, we've never been 'stay the course.' - George W. Bush, Oct. 22, 2006

Dilemma

I am faced with a dilemma this evening. I find myself facing a situation that I thought I'd relish, but instead I am wracked with indecision.

I'm in grad school right now for library science. I'm in the middle of my first semester, and every class I attend just strengthens my knowledge that this is the right path for me.

I have serious ups and downs with my current job. There are days when I think that I can stick it out for the two years it will take for me to finish grad school, and then there are days when I don't think I can make it to the end of the week. It was on one of the latter days when I sent my resume to a headhunting firm that specializes in library staffing.

I got a call from them today. Now I'm excited, terrified, guiltstricken and indecisive. That's not how this was supposed to feel.

On the one hand, I see a world of possibility opening up for me. But this is way out of my comfort zone--it won't always be, but if I walked into a library right now my two classes worth of instruction wouldn't do me much good in the grand scheme of things. I don't know how to go about taking the time off to go to interviews. Only once in my life did I look for a job while I already had a job, and somehow that interview ended up being on a Saturday. (I do not count my restaurant jobs here. I did, on occasion, tell my restaurant bosses "This place sucks, and I'm going home and updating my resume so I can get the hell out of here." That is not recommended in corporate America.) And while I crave the career change, it scares the hell out of me.

Too, I feel guilty. I work for a very small business; we're at a point right now when anyone leaving would be potentially disasterous, but most of all me. There are three of us; the junior member of the team can't do my job, and my boss just doesn't have enough time. I feel like I owe them a warning, but I'm afraid to do that.

I have to call the headhunting firm back tomorrow and arrange an interview; I need to come up with an excuse for taking part of a day off; I need to get a handle on my guilt and decide how I'm going to deal with my current job. Right now, I'm going to bed. At least I can't be stressed when I'm asleep.

Things I Hate (Part III)

Getting excited because I have a new comment or friend request, only to discover that it's an ad. Getting MySpace spam is not cool.

Every single person who drives between Takoma Park and Olney during rush hour.

The fact that I can't afford to hire a cleaning service, yet can't force myself to actually clean.

A Word to the Wise (Part V)

If you happen to make your living by panhandling with an obvious severe physical disabilty, perhaps you should not be seen standing perfectly upright at a McDonalds in that same neighborhood.

Just a thought.

Dreams...

Last night I had a series of very odd dreams that I only half-remember today. But I remember one very clearly: I was doing my laundry. With Metallica.

Yeah, I don't understand my brain either.