Things you may want to know about:

1. The flaming vagina.  Lord of the rings II was very good.  The flaming vagina – I mean, eye of sauron, was not as obvious in this film.  Just didn’t seem to hang out with the other characters as much as it did in the last one. Other than that, not so much walking and talking and character development.  I would have appreciated a little more character development, and a little less head bashing.  And when I say head bashing, I’m not talking about the kind of character developing head bashing that happens sometime with a one on one fight, but the kind of head bashing that occurs between armies of thousands vs. ten-thousands, and that last for hours and hours.  It was exhausting.  But that doesn’t make this any less of a good movie, it just makes it exhausting. More so, I thought, than the first one.
2. from the List of Things that I Wanted to Say, but didn’t say at all because I’m polite/too nice/wimpy/overly concerned about my career:
   “so, we’ve worked together for 3 and ½ years, and you think I’m making up this emergency? Because it sure seems like you don’t believe me right now.  You’re thinking, right now, that I am shirking my duties to you and this project, and just walking out?  That I don’t have a real emergency?  But I’m not going to tell you about my emergency, dude, because it’s none of your business, and also, because this isn’t a freakin’ pissing contest.  It’s not a competition to see who can work more and put more of their life on hold.  It’s a job with a noncrucial self-imposed deadline, and it’s up against a real life emergency with people I care about and the place where I live.  And real life people I care about win.”
3. I love nice lunches with my coworkers. I love getting silly on nachos and chips and salsa. I love feeling like I like the people I work with for who they are, and not just how good of a job they do.
4. Things that may happen this weekend:  Maybe go swing dancing on Friday.  Maybe pedicures on sat.  Maybe xcountry skiing on Sunday.
5. Horses I encountered on the way to check on my flat tires:  4+.  Number of flat tires: 2.  Reason for horses: Operation Impact, which targets areas around NYC which haven’t experienced the same dramatic drop in crime.  Matt and I went to check on the car, which has 2 flat tires (both in the front, both new, perhaps a seal/seating problem?) and encountered several police cars and even more police horses.  They were standing around in a school, and when asked, an officer said they were on patrol.  Since when did horses patrol Spanish Harlem?  I asked some neighborhood kids what they thought was up, and they suggested maybe trespassing.  Since when did horses protect the neighborhood from trespassing?  Since Operation Impact, that’s when.  Michelle called up the precinct the next night and asked if our neighborhood was part of Operation Impact, and they confirmed this.  They also confirmed that’s what the horses are all about.  Or, the pony patrol, as Michelle is wont to refer to it.]
6. Speaking of flat tires, I have two flattening tires. Both on the front, both are brand spankin’ new tires.  I have to hope that they just put the tires on the wheels wrong at the end of December when I got the new ones.  I went out to move the car on Tuesday and found them both totally flat – but I took a chance and brought the car up ½ a block to a taxi cab repair shop while I was outside, and they were sweet and filled up all of my tires for me.  I tried to pay them, but the guy wouldn’t even take it! He was very nice.  NYC is full of very nice people, y’all!
7. something else from the List of Things That I Wanted to Say:  “What’s that?  The Company’s standard merit raise is x%?  and that’s what I’m getting?  So tell me this:  how does that make me want to work harder?  It’s not for comp time, cause I can’t take any, and if I try to take sick time I have an argument on my hands.  It’s not for overtime, cause that’s an argument right there, and after the argument, I experience severe taxation, not so much more money, and then I find that perhaps my tax bracket has shifted and I’m screwed.  So, I don’t get a bonus, I work so very very hard and I get a STANDARD merit raise?  Now, tell me again:  why would I want to work hard for this company?”
8. New Toffee Nut drinks at Starbucks are so good.  And also, I am so torn about Starbucks. I mean, they provide their workers with a health plan (part timers too!  so unusual! AND, their domestic partners!), and they’re one of the best companies for a woman to work for, apparently – but they’re so nasty and pestilent and all about spreading and putting local guys out of business.  I don’t know if the good is worse or better than the bad!
9. That bomb thing from last time?  It was, apparently, nothing.  Someone here at work said something about a news reporter splayed across the road taking pictures of a bag full of what looked like dirty clothes.  Someone also said she’d asked an officer what was going on and was told “Don’t ask questions – for your own safety!” which made someone else and I laugh really hard, and then I said “Soylent Green is people!” and no one laughed, and I sat down and got back to work.
10. Surreal Life was a hoot.  But have any of these people ever watched a reality show before?  And has Corey Feldman ever talked to a smart person before?  High School Reunion?  Not so hootish.  One of those “reality” shows where they try so hard to make it interesting that they include all of these crazy people.  Or, at least 2 crazy people.  So far that I’ve identified as such.  I think everyone is on this show either for the exposure (hello, my actress/cocktail waitress friend) or to prove to their old classmates that they’re so different, and special. Yo, and everyone, I want you to know that the specialness?  Was there before and now look what you missed out on you foolish shallow person.  Except for conscious recognition of that last part there. 

OK, revisions to weekend plans, no dancing today, pedicures tomorrow definitely, and then a birthday lunch for a college pal, and then, def. Cross country skiing.  Yay!