November 7, 2010

Eat, Netflix, Wii

I’d been trying to read “Eat, Pray, Love” for nearly 3 weeks now. It’s a good book, nothing boring or difficult to break through like say, the entire section describing hobbit feet in the Lord of the Rings books. But - I have pretty much read everything lying around the book. This month’s Lucky, Rolling Stone, the 9th Sookie Stackhouse book (which by the way I have yet to finish the others, but this one seems to catch my attention.)

Maybe I’m just not into transcendency, or maybe I am just not a traveller.

October 7, 2010

Leslie Journal 9.10.10

(Yes this is October, but I’m writing...let’s focus on that!!)

Tacos consumed: 3
Free Sandwichs from work lunch tray: 2

New things I must purchase based on recent accidental discoveries: Pesto Sauce & Olive Dip

Birthday presents for others consumed today: 1 (shameful, but an unfortunate pitfall of buying something for someone else that you are obviously aware is fabulous) In my defense, I have tried to deliver said present on 3 separate occassions. Now I will have to buy it all over again.

Today’s Events:
On CC’s -
I was charged an annual fee for my Best Buy Card which I’ve only possessed since March. So apparently Best Buy’s year is not the accustomed 12 months, I mean because it’s like September. So I wrote them a note of my disdain, reminded them of what a good client I’ve been, and basically got back a very pleasantly written “rules are rules, now pay up bitch.” And so I will pay up and cancel my account tomorrow and most likely (despite really liking the store)..never return there again. Which is truly a shame, because I just got a Wii and would have loved to have purchased some games I couldn’t necessarily have found at Wally World or Target. They won’t be losing thousands of dollars, but at least hundreds of dollars.

On refined sensibilities and wine -
Took the time to research and purchase a medley of wines with actual flavors and differing consistenctencies. I figured after years of stumbling idly through a medly of $2 offerings from various happy hours, I owed it to myself to find that wine that the television sophisticates enjoy (usually in a bubble bath while reading, I’m not that coordinated). And finally.... tonight I can declare a winner from both red and white wine sectors..drumroll and trophy goes to Horton Vineyards - Niagara (White) and Eclipse (Red). Goodbye Sutter Home.

July 25, 2010

Ode to Teacups

My wordsmith friend Jenn wrote me (and our group) a poem using Pantera's Cowboys from Hell as a starting point to honor a recent visit to Busch Gardens. Since I rarely get poems or group trips to Busch Gardens. I thought it deserved a proper home here on OEF versus Facebook wall posts from days past. Plus it’s a fairly accurate recap of a very fun day in addition to it’s mad rhyme skills.

Ode to the Teacups
Over the saucer where we sit cramped |We’re kinda scared but mostly amped | Spin fast, shout out, spread chunks within, without | We’re gonna spin so fast likely hurl | Chances are it’ll be a girl | This little teacup is about to attack | We’re trapped and can’t turn back
 | You see us comin' | 
And you all together | 
Run for cover | 

We're spewin all over this ride
 | Here we come reach for your poncho | You’d better watch out my friend, you see |There’s a gurgling down below | Aimed at you we’re on the teacups from hell | Deed is done, the teacups won |Ain't talking no tall tales friend cause | Turkey leg, your doom | Lemon icee sprayed on everyone | Aimed at you we’re on the teacups from hell | Pillage the cup, trash my clothes |Food coming out of my nose' | Cause a ghost town is found | 
Where the long lines used to be| So out of the darkness and into the light | We hurled on everything in sight | Disgusting teacup puke rampage | Left riders and park workers enraged |You see us comin' 
|And you all together 
|Run for cover 

 | We're spewin all over this ride | Here we come reach for your poncho | You’d better watch out my friend, you see | There’s a gurgling down below|Aimed at you we’re on the teacups from hell | Deed is done, the teacups won | Ain't talking no tall tales friend cause | Turkey leg, your doom | Lemon icee sprayed on everyone | Aimed at you we’re on the teacups from hell | Aimed at you we’re on the teacups from hell

p.s. I now have a season pass to B.G. so whenever you folks want to go.
Call a girl!

July 23, 2010

31 x 31: UPDATE

Last year around June, I published my 31 x 31 list. Nearing 32 now, I achieved several of these small goals. I thought I'd take a moment to recap, and add some bonus's that have helped me out alot this year. The Italics were the things I'd accomplished already, the blues are now the one's I've finished more recently. The other bolds I still need help with....ahem. :)

So friends..here is my list, help me if you can/want to:
1. Ride Motorcycle (preferably drive one, but baby steps...)
2. Ride Mechanical Bull
3. Get a Tattoo
4. Increase income substantially.
5. Restore outdoor garden!! (poor flowers! I failed thee)
6. 31 Brand New Drawings
7. Post my website. www.lesliepaxton.com
8. See the Grand Canyon (Larry!!)
9. See Chicago
10. Bling Team Field Trip
11. Conquer Gryffon at Busch Gardens.
12. Take some friggin classes!

13. See Barack Obama speak (live)
14. Go Camping and Tubing!
15. Cook something difficult (lamb?)
16. Read Twilight Series (for fun).
17. Take mom to Red Lobster as a surprise (must be a surprise!!)
18. HOST a party.
19. Bloc Party AGAIN
20. Learn a real dance - something fancy.

21. Get paid for a freelance.
22. Cancel useless bills.
23. Professional Sports Game (any sport, whichever one avails itself)
24. Run a marathon (Rock'n Roll is looking good).
25. Fix a broken friendship.
26. Complete the big family book.
27. Dive! (versus ungraceful cannonball flops)
28. Hiking
29. Comiccon!
30. Paintball
31 & 32 are "personal". Sorry team I have to do those on my own. ;)


It's getting there. Maybe by 33?

June 11, 2010

Random post

A couple of months ago, I randomly came across a blog that is written by a woman who is trying to conceive. I had some free time at work, so I poured through her posts, starting with the oldest posts and working my way toward the present day. She has been writing the blog since 2007.

She seemingly has no problems getting pregnant, the babies just don't "stick," as she refers to it. I keep going back occasionally, hoping that she has announced that she is pregnant. Instead, she is still talking about fertility drugs and test results. Her sister is pregnant and she talks about coming to terms with that. Sometimes she sounds bitter (who could blame her?), but most of the time she is still hopeful. Sometimes she even talks about having twins.

She has many many links to other blogs written by women in her situation. Some have never conceived and some conceive and lose the babies. When I have down time, or sometimes on my lunch break, I randomly read some of these blogs.

I don't know what the point of this post is, I am just really touched by these blogs. They seem to be constantly on the back of my mind. I'm just in awe that these women keep trying and are so hopeful. I hope they all

Anyway, sorry for the random post...I've been up since 3 am!

June 9, 2010

Notes on Confidence

Keep your head up.
This is problematic as I am constantly covering my mouth like Miss Celie.
Hold your hands in a steeple gesture (together pointing) while listening.
If I flapped my arms anymore than I do already, I would take flight.
Keep your movements to a minimum, don't fidget.
See Above.
If you don't agree, STATE SO.
I avoid conflict at all costs, this goes against my nature!
Speak up, don't let others finish YOUR SENTENCE, remember sentence completion leads to self esteem.
I guess, but sometimes its sorta nice when someone actually knows what I am talking about
When meeting someone new - explain what you do, then company name, then your own name.
I see the logic here, this used to happen in college alot.

While rummaging through some old paperwork in my office drawer, I found I'd actually written down some helpful hints I found in a forward. I thought I'd post them here (and my subsequent arguments to each) before I committed the sticky note to the round file.

May 17, 2010

Leslie Journal May 15-16

Weight: 1_0
Number of Coke Zeros consumed: 12
Insect bites acquired in a 20 minute walk around the block: 9
Number of "attempted" runs up Mt. Trashmore: 2
New TV taken in: Pregnant at 70, Pregnant and Paralyzed, and Pregnant and morbidly Obese --then a switch over to VH-1 for Tough Love Couples, What Chilli Wants, and Brandy and RJ.

I spent most of Saturday looking for old letters my mom wrote to add to a scrapbook, ironically I put them away not to lose and have lost them even worse. :?  I'm vowing to speak to St. Anthony this evening to see if we can work on this problem.

My nephews each took turns testing my endurace with a veritable obstacle course of activities this weekend, I took 6 ibuprofen, a women's 1-a-day and a red bull and attempted to make them "tired." 

LJ ran up and down Mt. Trashmore 3 times. I did once. I did however, cheer enthusiastically and hobble to the top. On the other side - we "discovered" a wooden kingdom of sorts where LJ encouraged me to follow him. I got stuck twice on the slides and was reminded of childhood and why I stopped riding slides.

Teri enjoys being strolled and listening to my ipod, so that was relaxing the first walk around. By walk number 7 of cheering and clapping - I begin to think I was being featured in a physical fitness montage sequence. FYI: there is never just one thing that you can do with children. Running, playing, eating - it's just like Doritos..if you spin them once you must spin them 50 x.

Cam and I celebrated our first hour of non-crying (wailing) - I was awarded a smile, a burp, and then 2 hours of screaming and crying. I have not given up on Cam.  I did however drink half a bottle of wine and fall asleep in the living room...when his parents got home of course.

:)

April 28, 2010

A Test Frequency

After many, many months in seclusion, I sorta feel like re-entering the blogging game. One of the reasons I've been gone is my inability to easily blog from a computer that may or may not reside in a building in which I may or may not be employed. So I'm testing out this blogger-by-email feature again. If it works, there's a possibility of more communicae from me in the days, weeks, months, & even years to come.

No promises, tho.

April 17, 2010

April 6, 2010

I wish you would,

come back, that is.

Just got back into town after a 3-day Easter break. Although maybe I shouldn't reference Easter. We did nothing with eggs and as far as religion is concerned; I just barely drove by the local church to see its' members up on the cross.

At any rate, the title of this blog post is referencing an episode of "The Office" - where Jim has left Scranton and returned to Scranton and he's telling Pam that while he came back..he never really "came back". Pam laments that she wishes he would "come back". As I hope we will return to semi regular blogging.

While I keep writing, I've not been "posting". I blame the superior strength firewall at the place I may or may not work and general computer exhaustion in the afternoons.

I'd considered cheating on blogger with word press just so we could all post without the worry of firewall, but it comes at a price (literally) and I'm cutting bills here and there...can't really afford to create ANY new bill. It's also a tricky thing moving posts and hoping everything moves over just right. It's too dangerous to tinker with 7 years of memories, rantings, celebrations, and midnight epiphanies. At least not until we publish our book. Blogger in Drafts solves a lot of my frustrations for free.

I've been toiling late at night in Flash & Dreamweaver - which is not as intuitive as one would think. But I'm getting it. I will have a "leslie-built" pfolio site up by my birthday. In the meantime, I will blog here once a week. If I have time to post witty facebookings..I have time to elaborate on them.

Tonight - (which could be a separate post)
I basically had green onions, pickles, and zinfandel in my fridge upon my return from Covington. My mom gave me a TV to "replace" my current TV (which isn't broken). I'm not completely sure why it's here, but it is and I think the kitchen should be it's home. We now have terrible neighbors on both sides of my townhouse and I'm googling the Norfolk police number. I'm getting too old to be the mature, let it slide type and I have to go to work tomorrow.

Read something funny at a gas station (where I was forced to stop due to rest area closures in VA).
"Restroom customers, please honor us with a purchase as well as your POO. Thanks so much!"
-
the management.

I'll leave with that thought.
Goodbye and Gnite

January 31, 2010

It is hot in my house and I

am sorta tired of the snow.

The novelty of "snow in Norfolk" wore off very quickly after 8 hours of eating, reading, and general couching. For starters, my neighbors let their puppies outside to do their business for like 12 hours in the wintry mix. I say let them out loosely, I think the puppies got out and no one watched them because their masters were out partying. I heard whimpering at 4, 5, 6, & 7 am - and looked around outside to not see anything. The whimpering became a howl - so I found some snow boots, and some warmer pajama pants and trudged out to find a tiny dogcicle under one of my lawn chairs. He'd been out so long his paws were starting to curl under. I knocked on the door for a solid 20 minutes until I got a very sleepy (stoned) Swamp Donkey to answer. Fearing I would say something vicious - I just handed her her dog and said, "Here's your dog, you may want to actually watch your pets". It is my sincerest hope that swamp donkey never breeds as I'm certain she would be one of those mothers that would leave her baby in the car.

Note
: I only found one dog - puppy numero dos is still missing and I worry when it does heat back up someone is going to find a frozen spaniel hidden someplace it might have tried to get warm.

Gripe number two comes from my general madness over other humans who must drive despite everything being shut down. Nothing is open. Where are you going? The one ihop on Battlefield? or perhaps the Outback in Portsmouth? Why?

Gripe number three - None of the secondary roads have been scraped. NONE. 7 Trucks for 7 cities = one for each city. I can't even walk around my neighborhood without sliding, much less jog or drive. Could we maybe just get some salt?

I think I'm getting old - because the novelty of winter weather is wearing thin on me. The prettiness of the snow lasted for about 4 hours, before I found I was tired of Lucky Charms, Pizza Snacks, and social networking.

I think I'm going to delete my Myspace page tonight or tomorrow. Because I am old-weirdly bored-stressed-neurotic and thats one less thing I want to worry about these days.

January 13, 2010

FML - My Electronic Life

This morning at nine, I began searching for a font to match a provided flattened logo I needed to edit. I alternate time to time whether to start A's and go forward, Z's and go backward, and M's and alternate.

I opted to start with the Z's in my font library*.

* It's important to note I have over 5,000 fonts.
The font that turned out to be the match was Aardvark Cafe (7 hours later)


...which starts with an A.

FML. :(

January 4, 2010

2010...x 10

I resolve to:
  • Use night cream on my face, so that I don't look like a leather handbag by the time I'm 40.
  • Get to work on time.
  • Cook one new recipe out of my comfort zone a month.
  • Maintain last year's weight loss resolution.
  • Call and visit my mother as much as possible.
  • Be there for my brother.
  • Speak to people with my voice as well as my keypad.
  • Embrace my inner bitch more often (she's only trying to help.)
  • Stop biting my nails!
  • Actively pursue new freelance business as if I've never been burned by it before.