DONE!

OH LORD

I am so tired. I was invited to one happy hour - didn't go. Another happy hour - didn't go... I am so emotionally and physically exhausted I could go to bed right now and sleep for hours. I'm tempted, but the down side is that I'll wake up at midnight, and I won't be able to sleep... so I'll wait a few hours, I suppose. I DID take Antonio for a short walk, though. I've decided that I need to lose weight and be a better mom to Antonio before I consider getting another cat. I've been working so much that he hasn't been getting the attention he needs... but starting next week I am going to cut back those work hours to something more reasonable and walk him more often. He's a good dog, and he deserves it.

Congratulations, sales team, on meeting your goal today!! It's a HUGE accomplishment, and we are SO proud of you!! I'm sorry I couldn't drag myself out with you, but the fun you are having right now is well deserved (just be safe!). The celebration is bound to continue at karaoke tomorrow, I hope. Come one, come all. :)

And for the record...

...I WANTED TO SEE THE JOHN ADAMS SERIES, TOO!

Dr Peppers

The most fun my back seat has seen in a long time!

Finding Lulin...

Has anyone seen her? Yesterday is was overcast, so I tried to find her today with my Bushnell binoculars, but I can't tell one light apart from another. She's supposed to be close enough to be seen with the naked eye, but every light looks the same to me whether I am looking with my Bushnells or without. Just look at this photo taken from Virginia yesterday! This was taken with a camera! I WANT TO SEE HER (and yes, I am having a tantrum - you should see it in person... lots of stomping is involved.)

Update: 10:30 PM
I SAW HER, I SAW HER, I SAW HER, I SAW HER!! She's ENE of Saturn tonight and SUPER hard to see with the naked eye, but once you look at Saturn through the binoculars - BAM! THERE SHE IS! I am so happy!!!

"The Name of the Game"

I've been listening to ABBA a lot lately... and a few songs are going to make the short list for a new playlist, that I will, most likely, listen to for days on end. 

ABBA is my comfort food (even though it's not, actually... uh... food). So far I've got, "That's Me," "Our Last Summer," "Under Attack" and "The Name of the Game."

Just for kicks I've included the lyrics to "The Name of the Game" here for your reading pleasure. 

Yeah. Creepy, ain't it?

I've seen you twice, in a short time
Only a week since we started
It seems to me, for every time
I'm getting more open-hearted

I was an impossible case
No one ever could reach me
But I think I can see in your face
There's a lot you can teach me
So I wanna know...

What's the name of the game?
Does it mean anything to you?
What's the name of the game?
Can you feel it the way I do?
Tell me please, cause I have to know
I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow

And you make me talk
And you make me feel
And you make me show
What I'm trying to conceal
If I trust in you, would you let me down?
Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?
Could you feel the same way too?
I wanna know...

The name of the game
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Does it mean anything to you?
(got a feeling you give me no choice)
(but it means a lot)
What's the name of the game?
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Can you feel it the way I do?
Tell me please, cause I have to know
I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow

And you make me talk
And you make me feel
And you make me show
What I'm trying to conceal
If I trust in you, would you let me down?
Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?
Could you feel the same way too?
I wanna know......
Oh yes I wanna know......

The name of the game
(I was an impossible case)
Does it mean anything to you?
(But I think I can see in your face)
(but it means a lot)
What's the name of the game?
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Can you feel it the way I do...
(got a feeling you give me no choice)
(but it means a lot)

Movies

I have watched a lot of movies lately... it's a symptom of my nesting. Even cooler, I've actually seen three of the five movies nominated for Best Picture. Yeah... I know. I'm cool. I totally picked best actress, best actor and best picture. This has been a good year, and these awards were well deserved.

Anyway... here are some quick and easy comments on the movies I've seen recently:

The Wrestler - Good. Good acting for sure. A bit gory though. It's sort of painful to watch, but yet worth the time, if that makes sense. And although I respect Mickey Rourke's comeback (I actually looked up his story on Wikipedia to get his "real" history), I think his skin is weird. And by weird, I mean gross... but, of course, now I feel guilty because I know what happened to make him look that way. So karma comes back to bite me in the butt: I think he's creepy, and now I feel bad about it. Moving on...

Milk - Simply amazing. Sean Penn (regardless of how you feel about his politics) was phenomenal. Truly incredible. I think this role has been one of the best roles of his career, and the Best Actor win was deserved 100%. He said it best when he won last night when he said, "I didn't expect this, and I want to make it very clear how hard I make it to appreciate me often.. But I am touched by the appreciation." This is a movie you shouldn't miss - it's well acted, and historic. Go. Go now.

Slumdog Millionaire - Anyone who hasn't seen this movie yet should be beaten. Okay, no... I'm kidding. But it's a great movie. It's admittedly choppy, a bit unnerving at times (the spoon!), but it's well showcased, well directed. The acting is good, but it's not the acting that makes this such a fabulous movie. It's the story, the story-telling, the fantastical nature of the scenes, and, of course, it has love in it... so the girls will love it. It's actually NOT a Bollywood movie, it's English, but it has all of the fun and fanciful touches of Bollywood... so you'd never know. :)

Inkheart - Loved it. If you have teenagers or young kids, take them. It's like Jumanji meets Labrynth. Cool effects, nice story, good acting. It's a family film of sorts but good for adults, too. I enjoyed every minute.

Sherrybaby - (Netflix) Good, but another story about a girl who can't kick the habit. She has lots of sex, shoots up, doesn't understand why her daughter (who hasn't seen her because she was in jail) is confused. Okay... worthy up a weeknight viewing, but not a must see, unfortunately.

Half Nelson - (Netflix) Ryan Gosling does a great job in this story about a teacher who also happens to be a drug addict. I couldn't decide how bad I felt for him because the movie doesn't automatically try to get you to like the guy which was nice. He's a decent guy who cares about kids, but he's weak... he just can't stop, and actually gets worse. It's worth watching, but more introspective than entertaining.

Sweeney Todd - (Netflix) LOVED IT. Loved it more than when I've seen it on stage. It's so dark and morbid that it's a hard show to watch... but Johnny Depp made the character dark without being horrid. The music was great, the vocals were great, the scenery was awesome, and in creating the film version they removed the "chorus" scenes, so there's no singing/dancing street scenes... that should be helpful to those of you who don't like musicals. It's Johnny Depp, for goodness sakes... go see it.

I've also watched Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and two of the three DVDs for Weeds, Season 3. All good... and so my quest to make the most of my Netflix subscription continues...

Happy Birthday, Leslie!

Purging

I'm purging again. So far I have a trash bag full of clothes, a shoulder bag full of baseball hats and such, and a few laptop bags. I've been feeling like moving lately, possibly because I've outgrown the apartment I think, so I'm getting stuff OUT. I also need to clean/scrub my floors today. I feel out of sorts and need order. (This is a common theme for me, isn't it?)

- Dresser reorganized/purged
- Closet reorganized/purged
- Second closet reorganized/purged
- Linen closet reorganized/purged

I'm running out of places to look for stuff. More has to go...

Update:

- Reorganized kitchen cabinet
- Reorganized filing system
- Reorganized cables/electronics storage
- Threw away a broken DVD player
- Purged purses/bags

On My Mind

Here's a quote from Deja Vu, a 2006 terrorism movie starring Denzel Washington. This quote feels much closer to home now...

"Everything you have, you lose, right? Mother, father - gone. Good looks - gone. Loved ones gone in a second. That's what this job teaches you, isn't it? No matter what, no matter how hard you grab onto something - you still lose it, right?"

So is walking away better than losing?

Dinner with the Ladies: Vol I

I have no idea what is going on with Facebook - all of my photos are half-corrupted. AH! So irritating. Anyway, so most of the photos will be posted here, too.

The Dogwood, Hampden
February 20, 2009

Missing in these photos: Linda, Minerva, Michelle, Angie (sniff)

Lacy Made Me Do It

My new pretties... why does shopping buying always make me feel better?

Egg Yumminess

A friend at work gave me the recipe for mini egg quiches... for breakfasts to eat on the way to work Monday through Friday. So, I, uh... made some tonight and ate four of them. WHAT?! They were yummy!! Oh so yummy!!!

And I have three left for tomorrow. Haha!

On another note, I can't WAIT for dinner with the ladies tomorrow night. We are going to have some crazy, crazy fun! :)

Terrific Day

I had... a terrific day. My work day was productive, rewarding, and IDEAL. I am super excited about some ideas that I shared today, and I'm super proud that they went over so well. I'm happy. I'm cheerful! THIS is why I love working... for days like today... so I am rewarding myself tonight with wine and Ghost Hunters. Yeah!

Random Thoughts

- Being sad is a strange thing... right now every song I listen to seems to have some sort of relevance to what I'm feeling, whether Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, or Think of Me by David Archuletta. It's just distracting. And frustrating.

- I actually paid $30 for an oil change today. $30! No one tried to upsell me on the pricier oil, new filter, or anything. It was terrific... really.

- I love chili. Yep... still.

- I already want this week to be over. I wonder if that's a sign of how I'm dealing. Hmph. At least I have dinner on Friday to look forward to.

I Know I'm a Weirdo, But...

... it bothers me that the generic brand of my seizure medication is a totally different shape that the name brand kind. Like... it really bothers me. Ugh.

The new digs...

Updates

The blanket is coming along but is a lot of work! Check it out.

And Antonio is a cuddlebug. He likes it when his momma is home. :)

Today

I watched Invincible this afternoon. Very inspiring. Just like a girl, though, I was crocheting while watching a football movie. Heh heh. Oh well.

I've had a hard week, and an even harder few days, but in true Charissa fashion (and as reminded by Cassie)... it's time to rise above. I'm still sad, but I need to do what I usually advise my friends to do - act happy, pretend to be happy, and one day you'll realize you really are.

So today I'm going to watch Sweeney Todd, crochet, game, do my self assessment (fun), and eat chili. Tomorrow I'm getting on with it. You've been warned.

All Dolled Up...

...with no place to go. Yep. I got me some highlights and low lights today, thanks to Mary Blomme at Phillip Michael Studio in Fed Hill. She always cuts my hair perfectly, chooses great color, and is super friendly. Thanks, Mary! This helped my mood a bit.

Hibernation

I'm hibernating this weekend. With exception to a haircut, oil change, and a grocery run today... I'm staying in. Yep, it's V-day... I'm staying in. I am heartbroken, and I need to regroup.

Just to report...

Blanket status (stupid Vista doesn't note that this should be rotated... blogger bug)









Antonio status









Nails status

"I Love Jesus..."

I'm totally ripping this off from Jodi, but I just love it. So funny.

Layin' Low

Wednesday

Yes, I'm still in a bad mood, but work is keeping me busy. For nearly two weeks now I've been getting in the office earlier than usual and leaving late. Last night I fell asleep at 10:30 ish and woke up at 4 AM. Lovely. That was a great way to start my day. But I'm whining. Let's skip that. More importantly... this is what I've been listening to. Cheery, right?

Rissa Playlist Vol XVII
Too Much Rain - Paul McCartney
True - Ryan Cabrera
Someone To Tell - Ari Hest
Annabel* - Pat McGee Band
This Never Happened Before - Paul McCartney
Beautiful Ways - Pat McGee Band
The Way Things Used To Be - Peter Salett
I Fall So Deep - Gary Barlow
Margee Ann - Fernando Ortega
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Here - Rascal Flatts
When I'm With You - Sheriff
Those Sweet Words - Norah Jones

* As of today I am claiming Annabel as a potential daughter's name. You can't steal it - I have first dibs.

Baby Blanket Update

Time for bed... three rows of brown and two of pink down... now to rest the brain.

I'm Gonna Be a Baby Blanket

This is hard - I have to be so tight with my stitches for this to look good. Here you see three rows (one brown, two pink) in the beginning of a baby blanket. Maybe I should just stick with invitations... I think I'm trying too much.

Winez

I sent this from my new PHONE. Kewl... oh. These are the invitations I've been working on all night. Pretty so far, eh?

Stepping Up

It's already noon, and I have a lot I want to get done this weekend. I just sold my old TV (woo-hoo), and now I have to step it up wit the rest.

- Sell TV - done
- Dust - done
- Vacuum - done
- Trash - done
- Set up new phone (yay!) - done
- Shop for yarn for a baby blanket - done and started it - started
- Shop for paper for invitations - done and start making them... - done
- Call and make reservations for ladies' dinner
- Finish scarf
- Finish laundry - done
- Get emissions checked (missed the hours... next week)
- Get pants hemmed... or try myself??
- Copy more recipes - started
- Clean floors
- Launder sheets - done
- "Dry clean" shirts - done
- "Dry clean" pants - done

I DARE You to Guess What I Got Today...

Okay... no I don't. I GOT AN LG DARE! WOO-HOO! Here I come, Verizon! (Hopefully tomorrow!)

"Can you hear me, now?" :)

Good News Tuesday

1. I do not have cancer. That's right. The moles they removed tested fine. Woo-hoo. Old and wrinkly from skim damage I may be, but I'll be cancer free.
2. I did not hurt a certain someone in my life who set up a network and password and can't possibly communicate with me what exactly he did. Yes, he's still alive.
3. I was at work by 8:15 AM this morning.
4. I left work around 6:30 PM tonight.
5. Did I mention that I don't have cancer?

STUFT

Recipe to be posted whenever Nicole remembers to send it to me... or when I attempt to look it up... but YUM. YUM, YUM, YUM. I'm so impressed with us. :)

Um... wha?

Decent parking today... but what the hell? THAT'S new! Is this girl on a mission to hit every single thing possible in Baltimore? Jesus. LEARN TO PARK DRIVE!

Howling at the Moon

OMG... headache. Not horrible, but it's there. I haven't drunk myself into a headache since... wait. New Year's. Okay... so that wasn't too long ago.

BUT I HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE! Today is my SIX YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN BALTIMORE! Yep. I moved here six years ago today. Cool, isn't it? I can't believe I've been here six years.

So last night I met up with Liana and Karen - something I've been wanting to do for awhile - and went to Howl at the Moon. One of Liana's coworkers is moving to California, so they were having a bit of a party. Well... it was fun. Lots. And I needed it. Here are some highlights. Full album available on le Facebook. :)