Tuesday, August 31, 2004

All Is Well in the World...Almost

Woo hoo! My dad is doing great. Surgery went off without a hitch. The procedure proved easier than anticipated and went very quick. He's already able to put weight on it.

As for me, well, I'm fighting what I believe to be a sinus infection. I blame Harry Potter. I've been knocking around a cold for a week. Last night, I got so caught up in the latest Harry Potter that I didn't get enough sleep. Woke up feeling fine, but soon realized that wasn't quite the case. The joy is, I don't have health insurance. Can you picture me smiling? I scrounged up what remained of an antibiotic prescription from December when I had bronchitis (when I get sick, I get bronchitis pretty easy, so nipping this in the bud is of the essence.) Hopefully this will take care of it. If you have any tips, please send them my way.

Monday, August 30, 2004

Best Wishes to My Dad

Hey everyone. If I could borrow a bit of goodwill, my dad is having knee surgery tomorrow. It should be fairly simple surgery, but hey, it's surgery and his knee has been killing him. If you think about, please send good wishes (or prayers if you're into that) for my dad.

In other news, no caffeine today and amazingly enough, no caffeine headache. I suspect it might be due to a potential sinus infection drawing all my attention. At least work went well today. Woo hoo!

Oh, make sure you catch some of the Republican National Convention. As always, it's good to engage in political dialogue.

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Decaf Sucks

I started out my day with the traditional breakfast out with the b/f. We decided on the local IHOP and in an effort to be good, I ordered decaf coffee. Not the best decision I've ever made. I think I'll be drinking a lot of herbal tea. At least with the honey, I'll never notice that lack of caffeine.

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Dark Days Ahead

Here's your warning, kiddies.

I'm giving up caffeine, again, after today because I already have a caffeine headache.

Why?

Because I know I drink too much of it and caffeine is bad for a person. But I tell myself that the crankiness should inspire some great blogging, if I can cope with the headaches.

Friday, August 27, 2004

My Favorite Thing About California

My b/f and I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant, ever. We've probably been there a half dozen times since we moved here. It's one of those great, small family run businesses. I always order the same entree, chile relleno and enchilada suiza. My mouth just waters thinking of it. I want to convince the owners to open locations in the Midwest because we need these kinds of authentic Mexican restaurants there.

Truth be told, there is one thing that makes this place my first choice for eating out. Guacamole. Fresh, made at your table in front of you, guacamole. Cutting open and scooping out a few avocados. Mashing them up with a knife and spoon. Adding tomato, onion, jalapenos, and I think cilantro (hmmm, cilantro, reminds me of their yummy salsa). No lime juice needed as the guacamole won't last long enough to go brown. We've finally learned that we can go and just order it for dinner and be full.

How good is this stuff? The past few days at work have been pretty crappy for me personally and I feel like today was a good day because we went to this place for this specialty.

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Why I Love My Referrer Log

I'm No 1. According to Yahoo. If you do a search for "Misc Karen." This may not seem like much, but a few months ago, I wasn't No. 1. I'm also No. 9 and my weblog review is No. 10.

I decided to do a little checking.

On Google, I'm now No. 1, and the next 4 listings reference this blog. Oh, I'm also No.1 on MSN and AOL.

Wow, I'm making my own little notch on the web. Nice warm fuzzy felings.

Vegas: The Details

Saturday started early. Way too early, especially considering I was so excited the night before that I didn't fall asleep until 10 P.M. How early did our day start?

1:00 AM - Wake Up Call

Our alarm clocks went off simultaneously. Why so early? The b/f wanted to get to Vegas while it was still dark so we could see the lights of the city as we approached. Being somewhat sniffly and never a morning person, I slept the better part of the way.

5:30 AM - The Day Begins

We park at the Riviera and the gambling begins. I'm happy to say that when we left app. 45 minutes later, I was almost $20 up. I should have stopped then

We proceeded north, hitting the Aladdin (rather unimpressive) and continued on to the Stratosphere. It was during this time that I saw hookers for the first time (that I know of.) Three of them. Two older ones followed roughly 20 feet back by one that looked about 15, with her hand in her skirt scratching away. I turned to my b/f and told him that we would be taking a cab back instead of walking. Yeah. Didn't happen. On the walk back, we saw them again. This time there was no scratching.

We also hit Circus Circus and the Stardust, losing money all along the way.

10:00 AM - The Venetian

Okay, this was hands down my favorite casino/hotel of all the ones we went to. Gambled a little while. Got my first comp drink (water with lemon, as the rising heat was leaving me a little parched.) By noon, we had made our way to the canal shops on the second floor. I loved this area. Nice sky painted on the ceiling (though I secretly hoped that it had been done with lights so that way at night they could project a starry sky.) While not terribly authentic looking, it had the nice feel of an Italian square. Much to the b/f's dismay, we did the gondola ride. Everyone watches the gondolas and takes photos, so we felt like we were a bit on display. (Which has led to my theory that the ride was created for wives/girlfriends who want to show off that they are with someone willing to do it.) We even ended up on someone's wedding video. Oh, and I bought the $15 picture of us on our ride because I'm the kind of g/f who wants to show off to all her far away friends that she got her b/f to go on a gondola ride.

2:00 PM - The Buffet

Having pretty much gone through our gambling allotment, we decided to eat. So we hit the buffet at the Bellagio. Way too long of a line. Food wasn't worth what we paid since it was still the brunch buffet. Disgruntled, I decide to get a mimosa since it was free.

3:45 PM - The Walk, and Oh Yeah, the Blisters

We made the long walk from the Bellagio to the Riviera where our car was parked. It was hot, but since it was under a 100, it was rather cool weather for Vegas. Oh, did I mention that I wore sandals? Not my greatest moment. I ended up with 3 blisters. Also, we walked to hard that my shin splints started acting up. This is when I started getting really cranky.

5:30 PM - The Family Inn

We arrived at the Vegas home of one of my co-workers who was putting us up for the night. At this point though, the b/f was ready to make the drive back to southern California. I wasn't. I didn't think it was safe to drive that tired. So when we arrived, we had agreed that we would take a nap, hit the strip for the few last things we wanted to see, and then head home. The b/f wasn't terribly thrilled with this, and as such, didn't lay down until 7. At 8:30, when the alarm clock went off, he told me to reset it to 10:30. At 10:30, he told me to reset it to 3:30 (though he later claimed that he said 3) Sunday morning.

3:30 AM Sunday - Or, OMG I'm Up Again Early

We head back out for one last cruise of the strip because at this point we are too tired and cranky to do anything interesting. We finally find the Luxor's Pyramid and wonder how in the hell we missed it on the way in. Then we hop onto the 15 and head south. The b/f keeps asking if I'm going to stay awake this time because there were some really cool things I missed on the way up. I tell him that I will try my best and we'll see what happens.

4:30 AM - What Did He Expect?

I fall asleep.

7:00 AM - Just in the Nick

As always, I know when to wake up. This time it is for Sunday breakfast, a tradition for us now as it is the only day he usually doesn't have to work.

The Wrap-Up

I'm sure you can imagine how the rest of the day went. I slept a lot. So did the b/f, who did all the driving.

As for Vegas, it was great, but I could have lived without going and I could definitely live without going again. What can I say, my idea of good day is curling up with a good book. I do wish we had spent more time on the southern end of the strip as it had some really cool casinos that we didn't have time to go to. Of course, I might be overly sentimental about it when I go to pick up the pictures today.

Monday, August 23, 2004

Quick Hello

Hey gang. I just wanted to say a quick "Hi!" so no one worries about me being buried in the Nevada desert. I had a great time and promise a full accounting of the trip.

Friday, August 20, 2004

The Countdown Is On

Approximately 24 hours, I will be rolling in Vegas. Oh yeah, baby. I cannot wait. It has been a long, hard, busy week at work. I swear Monday lasted at least through Wednesday. The one thing that kept me going was knowing that I had a weekend getaway planned. And my co-workers rock. One is putting my b/f and I up in his guestroom so we don't have to pay the extortionary rates they charge at hotels on weekends. Another is hooking us up with some comps at the casino/hotel that he used to work out. Several others have been giving tips on where to go. I am giddy. Today is going to be the longest day ever.

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Vegas Baby!

Okay gang. I'm going to Vegas this weekend. WOO HOO! The b/f has the weekend off and we're headed to Vegas baby. We have less than a week to plan our trip, so please send suggestions and advice my way ASAP. Think of it this way. The more interesting my weekend is, the more interesting my blogging about it will be.

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Neener! Neener! Neeeeeeenerrrrrrrrrrrr!

Last night I was at Borders Bookstore with my boyfriend. I found a cookbook that I had been wanting for quite some time. I snatched it up and went to the checkout. The sales clerk asked me if I was a student because showing my student id would get me a 20% discount.

Now before I finish this story, there are a few things I should share with you.

  1. I still carry my student id from when I was in graduate school because I hope to use it for discounts at museums.
  2. My last job was at an independent bookstore. I have a pretty good idea of what they paid for the book. It's a lot less than the cover price.
  3. In many ways, I share my dad's hatred of big corporations and favor small, local businesses when I can. This is vital coming from a small town because corporations can drain small town economies.
  4. I generally avoid dishonesty and wrongdoing because I know it's going to come back and bite me in the ass.

My answer to question?

"Yes. But I'm from out-of-state, do I still qualify?"

"Yes. I just need you to fill out this form for the discount. Just name and school. Don't worry about the address. And sign it."

And that's what I did.

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

If I Were a Snob...

...I'd be a

HASH(0x8bf2c70)
You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every
book ever published. You are a fountain of
endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and
never fail to impress at a party.
What people love: You can answer almost any
question people ask, and have thus been
nicknamed Jeeves.
What people hate: You constantly correct their
grammar and insult their paperbacks.


What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanks to Folkbum who always finds diamonds in the rough over at Quizilla. He also found a great quiz for "Which modern day President are you?" I was only mildly traumatized when some unfortunate guessing led me to be labeled a Nixon.

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

An Interesting Trend

I am happy to report that there are more of you out there posting links to Misc Karen on your sites. Woo Hoo! Much thanks.

I've been checking out the sites of my referrers and I've noticed an interesting trend. Let's see if you spot it.

The Rant King, aka Kevin, will always be special to me as he was the first person to provide a link to this blog. It amazed me to think that someone other than my mom or my friend Jen (who has me linked on Nocturnal, see link to right) was reading my blog on a regular basis. If asked what I thought Kevin saw in Misc Karen, I'd guess the rabid sports fan noticed an entry I had on the NBA playoffs. I am also indebted to Kevin for introducing me to the hysterical site, Disturbing Search Requests.

Folkbum, aka Jay, is a Wisconsin blogger who amazes me. I wish I was as up on politics as he is. Not only do I share his love of politics, I'm also into education, as I have a degree in education too. I think he should be on the next TeamFranken.

Obz at Unsung linked me Friday, right before his review of Misc Karen came out Saturday morning. This Canadian has done more than anyone, with the possible exception of my parents, to increase my readership. How do I intend to thank him? I plan to "borrow" his idea, which he in turn borrowed from someone else, for a list of "100 Things About Me" for a future entry.

The newest blogger to link Misc Karen is Tara at Firty Kitty. Some words of caution to my mom, "Mom, Tara is a perfectly lovely woman, but I think you might be a bit uncomfortable reading her blog." Same goes for my mom's friends. Tara's blog is still on the new side (like mine isn't) but I can tell already that I like her sense of humor. The only flaw I can see so far is that she apparently lives in Michigan, a state that as a Notre Dame grad I am required to dislike.

Now did you spot the trend among all these bloggers? They are all northerners. This leads me to wonder if they somehow sensed my northern roots. Born in the northern Plains, my family migrated to a warmer climate when I was 2. Watching the movie Fargo is like listening to my extended family. The more excited I am when I talk, the more I sound like I grew up in Wisconsin. Get me in the right parts of Kentucky and you'll swear I sound like a native. I will have to reflect on what some of my more "northern" qualities might be, aside from knowing how to drive on snow which you can't really tell from a blog. Well, you kinda know now.

Monday, August 09, 2004

To Clean or Not to Clean: A Rationalization

I was driving home from work experiencing the warm, sunny California weather. Par for the course. As is occasionally the case, I didn't wear my contacts and as a result, I didn't have on my sunglasses.

Clean cars suck.

The glare is blinding.

Clean, shiny vehicles are road hazards.

My dirty, rusty Blazer blinds no one.

By not washing my Blazer, I'm performing a public service.

Yeah. Right.

No comment on the crack in the windshield.

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!

First off, I'd like to extend a welcome to those who are making their first visit thanks to the Weblog Review. Thanks for reading the review and following it up by checking out the blog. I hope you enjoy it.

To my regular readers, aka my parents and friends, if you wonder what I'm talking about, read this. You may need to scroll down a little bit.

Okay, now back to the purpose of this entry.

Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!

The Weblog Review gave me a good review. (For those not familiar with the site, I had to submit my blog for them to review it. I did this roughly 2 months ago.) I've noticed that over the past few weeks someone over there was doing reading in prep for a review. I fought the urge to put up a post begging them to be gentle.

Instead, they gave me a 4 out of 5 stars. You can't imagine how excited I was when I read the review this morning, and I'm not a morning person. Then I got to thinking about it. 4 out of 5 would convert to roughly a very low B. Then I wasn't so happy. Then I thought about the 40 that I got on my first calculus test at ND and 4 stars rock. I like my 4 stars, each and every one of them. I love them equally and have no favorites.

And in one last closing thought, I think the reading of the review was made all the more special by the simultaneous event of eating ice cream sandwich #16.

Friday, August 06, 2004

Sad, Idiot Girl

Hopefully you've mosied on over to idiotgirls.com. It's listed over to the right. Laurie Notaro is one the few, and I include writers, actors, and comedians in that, who can make me laugh out loud. A co-worker and I were joking about red mice yesterday.

At the tale end of June, I e-mailed the gang over at idiotgirls.com to get the free membership packet for the idiot girls club. Imagine my delight when Laurie herself replied by thanking me for her interest, but explaining that she wouldn't be able to send it to me until she got back from her book tour that was starting soon. I replied that I completely understood, that I would wait patiently, and that I hoped the tour was a success.

Now I've checked in at idiotgirls.com every so often since. The book tour is over. It has been for a while. I still haven't seen nor heard anything from them since. And I've been itching to e-mail her about that packet. I bite my fingers though because both times I wrote to her, I felt the pressure to be extra funny to impress the comedy writer with my wit and humor without sounding like a brownnoser. Of course, there are those who read Misc Karen who would love to see me try to be "extra" funny and write with wit and humor. But since my mom, in her unbiased opinion, loves my writing as it is, it must be good.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Chicken Verdict

As someone who had really enjoyed the Subservient Chicken for 5 minutes, I had high hopes for the Subservient President website put out by the folks at moveon.org. However, my referencing of the link (see yesterday's entry) has apparently renewed the interest of usdoj.gov in my blog. So hello again to my old fan club. Stay tuned for future commentary on Al Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. For those who couldn't care less about the politics stuff, my current ice cream sandwich count is up to nine. For those who don't care about care about ice cream sandwiches, I'll post something more interesting another time.

Monday, August 02, 2004

More Potential than Chicken

I just stumbled onto the Subservient President. So far I haven't been able to get many commands that do anything, so if you find some, let me know. We'll see if this President is truly subservient.

Ice Cream Sandwich Update

Of the original count of 24, 16 ice cream sandwiches remain. The boyfriend has only had one. I will never live this down.