I Always Wanted To Be A Flight Attendant

I unsuspectingly stepped out of the miniature version of a half-bathroom into a closet-size space occupied by two men.

"You gonna pass out peanuts?" the shorter man asked. He pointed to the basket of shiney, logo-covered peanut packages.

Willing to go along with him, I replied confidently. "Sure!"

I don't think either he or the taller man were expecting me to actually respond. I would imagine that if he's ever done that before, people stare at him and bumble some sort of attempt at a response.

"All right," he said.

I picked up the basket. "Are you serious? Because if you are, I'm doing it."

"Yea I'm serious," he said. "Come on, we can do it together."

He passed out peanuts in the ABC seats while I took care of the DEF seats. We passed by my travel companion, that also unsuspecting man in my life, in his aisle seat. He looked up me twice, but quickly returned to his magazine.

The shorter man asked questions about my trip - why I was going and had I been there before. I told him to visit family and yes. A woman around row 12 in an E seat asked me if she could use her laptop now. I granted her permission.

Both men offered my travel companion and myself an on-the-house beverage for my labor. We thanked them, but just ordered water.

After returning to my seat, the taller man brought my water. Half way through enjoying the contents of that plastic cup I decided I was getting hungry and thought a snack would be good about then. That was when I realized it. I didn't grab peanuts for myself.

Snip Snip

I took Radley to the vet this morning for the standard puppy shots and responsible dog owner procedure of having him neutered. I was really excited to take him in because he'll be so subdued tonight when we bring him home. Kelly said I was looking forward too much to having our dog drugged up. When I took him in, because he was a stray (and is apparently from what the ladies at the desk could tell a pure bredpointer around 4 months old), they scanned him for a microchip. Since he didn't have one, though, we're putting one in him so we can really claim that he's ours. When I was leaving him, I felt like I was leaving my baby. I had explained to him in the car that I was only leaving him there for the day and that the doctors were nice people who would take very good care of him and that Kelly would pick him up this evening, but I still felt a sad sense of abandon in just leaving him there. I think I may have almost felt better waiting in the lobby for them to be through with him.

But that passed after I drove away and the reality that he is a dog in the good hands of a skilled professional rushed back to me. In the meantime, I'm making sure he'll be comfy and a little spoiled tonight when he comes home.

Quandries

I've been wondering about this a lot lately. For no good reason, really. I discussed it with Kelly, but he didn't have any answers either. I wonder how blind people know they're wiped clean after pooping. I think this is a very serious topic. I mean, sometimes you have to wipe a lot, nearly filling the toilet with toilet paper, and sometimes you hardly have to wipe at all. You know how much wiping needs to be done based on what you see. But if you can't see, then how do you know? Would you do a standard four wipes like Kelly recommended and then just change your underwear if you start to smell bad a little later? What if you're at school or work and forgot a clean pair of underwear? It's not like you can have someone in the bathroom with you every time you poop to check for you to make sure you're clean. Or if you're blind and your senses really are heightened like they say, does that include your sense of touch on your bum? I doubt it, but I've never been blind so I don't really know.

I'm sure Surita would have something to say about this.

I'm Bored And Need Some Entertainment

Well, I'm not really bored and I have plenty to do, but that was Bethany's subject line in the email she sent me with this survey-type thing in it. I've seen lots of other people do these on their blogs so I decided to be cool like them. Besides, on the question of whom is the least likely to respond to this, she said that she didn't think I would. And she's right; I never do stuff like this. I've found that I'll do it out of spite, however, if someone thinks I won't. Hence, this post.

1. Time now: 8:11 a.m.
2. Name as it appears on birth certificate: A M J
3. Nicknames: Quite a few people call me A--. I fought forever on the spelling of that to include the "e" that naturally follows the "g" in my name, but to no avail. Finally I just gave up and went with the masses. My siblings and friends from high school are the primary groups that call me A----. My parents used to call me A----bear and still do on rare occasions and my dad calls me Runt with the same frequency.
4. Piercings: Yup, a bunch. I took out my eyebrow a couple months ago when I started that horrid affair as a waitress and took out my nosering a couple weeks ago when I decided I looked better without it. And the myriad ear piercings have been coming out, too. Seven in one ear and four in the other, I think. Altogether something like 14 additional holes in my body.
5. What is the most recent movie you've seen in the theater? I saw that one about the plane crash with Kathy...What is it called?...Oh, yea, something like "Flight of the Phoenix." It was all right. It was your predictable human survival story.
6. Eye color: Brown
7. Place of birth: Boise, ID
8. Favorite food: So many wonderful foods! Why pick just one?!?
9. Ever been to Africa: No, but I almost did a couple summers ago. It just didn't work out. I would still like to eventually, though. There's one country in Africa that isn't so tourist-destination-like, but has a really cool name that would be fun to have in a passport. Djibouti. The last time I scoped out their political scene, though, the country was involved in wars of sorts and everyone was starving. This isn't the place to go for a tropical getaway.
10. Ever been toilet papering: Once. In eighth grade. It was my friend Alisha's idea. A couple of us were staying the night at her house and they couldn't believe I'd never done it. So we randomly assailed one of her neighbor's houses down the street in the middle of the night. I remember thinking it was incredibly lame. The coolest part for me was that it was in the middle of the night of a winter month and we were outside in lightweight pajamas and not cold at all. It was southern California.
11. Love someone so much it made you cry: Yea. Cried just last night, actually.
12. Been in a car accident: Yes, and it was an awful experience that I never wish to repeat.
13. Croutons or bacon bits: I'm not really a fan of bacon on my salad, but I sure love croutons. But salad is good without either, also.
14. Favorite day of the week: I don't really have one. They're all just days. Time is fluid. You can be fixed on a time or be looking forward to a moment, but once it comes it's gone again just as fast.
15. Favorite restaurants: There are a ton of restaurants I love to eat at. I don't think I could pick just a couple. I love eating out in general, honestly.
16. Favorite sport to watch: Hands-down I love watching people dance. Ballet, hip hop, modern, square dancing. It doesn't matter all that much to me. I love it all.
17. Favorite drink: Usually I'm drinking water, although since it has gotten colder I've been drinking copious amounts of tea, also. I am a huge wine fan, but lately I've been pulled (as far as cocktails go, anyway) toward tequila drinks like margaritas.
18. Ice cream: Yes please. Anything without cherries.
19. Disney or Warner Brothers: Warner Brothers. I'll take a transvestite rabbit over a bumbling mouse any day.
20. Favorite fast food restaurant: I don't eat a lot of fast food. Actually, it's really rare.
21. What color is your bedroom carpet: Off white with mild flecks of brown.
20. How many times did you fail your drivers license? Never.
21. From whom did you get your last email: No clue. It was yesterday and a seemingly insignificant detail that I did not lock in my memory to hold dear forever.
24. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card: I could say Express but they don't have shoes. That would mean I'd have to save room on my alleged credit card to buy shoes somewhere else. Or perhaps Bed Bath & Beyond so I could buy stuff for my house. Since I have a credit card I can max out I'll have to hide it from K, otherwise he'll take it to Home Depot and come back with a bunch of stuff I won't use.
25. What do you do most often do when you are bored: Knit or clean.
26. Bedtime: I like to be in bed by 11, but sometimes that's difficult when you consider that I have to coordinate that with when K wants to go to bed. Lately, though, that has been the time we've turned out the lights. It makes getting up in the morning so much easier.
I omitted 27 and 28 because they were the obligatory questions about who will or will not respond to this. First of all, it isn't an email and second of all, I don't care. And 29 was stupid. I just killed a huge spider next to me on the couch.
30. Favorite TV shows: I never watch television.
31. Last person you went to dinner with: K.
32. Ford or chevy? Neither. I like German cars.
33. What are you listening to right now? Nothing. The sound of the heater vent, I guess.
34. What is your favorite COLOR? Why is "color" in all caps? I thought about changing it, but decided to let the writer of this survey look stupid instead. I don't really have a favorite color. It depends on what I'm selecting colors for.
35. Lake, Ocean or river: Ocean, baby.
36. How many tattoos do you have: None.
37. Which came first? God or evolution? I don't believe in "God" and I think Adam and Eve are myths as much as Zues and Hera are myths. I don't know how we came to be here on this earth any more clearly than the next hominid.
38. Time you finished this: 8:44 a.m.

Things I Never Thought I'd Say

Ah...There are so many chart-toppers for this list!

One that comes to mind is a genuine "You are the cutest puppy ever!" I've never been a huge pet fan for more than a couple days at a time - and that was when the pet was new and exciting and living in my house by someone else's decision, usually a parent. Radley's been here for only four days now, but I can still tell him positive things and mean it and be cuddling or petting him at the same time. It's a big deal, I think, considering that I've also already started complaining about what a pain it is to have a pet...We have to put him outside, make sure he has somewhere to sleep, feed him, take him places, make sure he's well exercised...The list goes on and on.

Here's another one: "No! Chewing on the door frame is bad!" Being a puppy, Radley feels it necessary to chew on things. He's really good about not chewing on our things, but rather sticking to his toys. Except for the door frame in our bedroom, which Kelly installed last summer. For some reason, Radley has found that particular door frame a delicacy.

I suppose those are the big ones, but I'm certain more will come up in time.

Pic

Here's a picture of Radley! Well, not entirely. This is just a random photo I found on line that looks disturbingly like him, only a little bigger and more confident. Even the markings bear a striking resemblance.

And congrats to Jen and Patri for guessing the book. Tell you what, I'll buy you both a sno cone. Or since Patri never bought me the one I won last summer on her blog, we can call it even.

Safety And Excitement

We brought him home from my mom's last night. She had found him wandering about her front yard last week and took him in because it was cold. No one else claimed him so we think that perhaps he was abandoned. We chose the name Radley for him. There's a free sno cone in it for you if you can name the novel.

He's adjusting well so far. We sat with him in the living room on the floor last night while we ate supper and now he thinks that that spot is the best, safest and most cozy spot in the whole house. He retreats back there when he isn't sure where else to go. To get him to want to sleep on his bed in the other room we sat there with him for a while too. He whined for a little while last night when we turned off the lights and left the room, but he calmed down and went to sleep soon.

We enclosed him in a room with all wood floors because he isn't completely potty trained yet. This morning when we woke up we were excited to see that he hadn't used the floor for a bathroom at all. He had, however, peed all over his bed as soon as he saw and heard us up. Evidently, he was excited as well.

And So It Begins

Kelly and I have decided that we shall become a family unit comprised of more than just the two of us. It begins tonight. Last night we went to the store and procured all the necessary items. Then we came home, removed stickers, threw away the wrapping and opened cans. We solicited advice from the man at the store. He recommended a specific toy, but told us that other than that we were well on our way and in fact doing better than most. Kelly already knows he gets to do the lifting, food purchasing and handling of things that involve bodily functions. He may do the washing, too. I'll probably take care of most of the maintenance and cleaning. We'll both play and teach and nurture.

For the last week, since we started discussing this possibility, our home and our lives have been filled with joyous expectation. Last night while shopping we were absolutely giddy. I can only imagine what the culmination of excitement will be like tonight. We know this can be a huge undertaking, but we think we're ready.

Butterfly Wings

Last night, Kelly and I went to the Boise State campus to hear Gloria Steinem speak. She said a lot that I agreed with and a lot that resounded with me and a lot that stood out to me. Perhaps the thing she said that I have thought the most about since last night was about butterfly wings. She used the chaos theory statement that the flap of a butterfly's wings here can cause a windstorm across the world. Her point was that we do a lot every day that seems harmless or meaningless but in actuality causes problems later or elsewhere. Now, of course she tied this message into her overall statement of feminism and humanism and the greater problem at hand, but this one simple message...

I started thinking about the harmless things I do in my life. Berating other drivers from the safety of my enclosed sedan. Sighing and becoming inwardly pissed off when I have to repeat myself numerous times. Not calling people back because I think there will always be tomorrow, but knowing it's just negligence. These are little pieces of poison in my daily life. They hurt me and they hurt others, no matter how much I try to ignore or deny it.

I think that's what a lot of social groups attempt to do as their basis for the movement. Raising awareness. I think a lot of intelligent (and aware) social leaders know that they can't possibly win over an entire nation, or even most of a nation, but that if they do it right, they can make a heck of a lot of people think. Watching Ms. Steinem last night I saw a woman who was not trying to win over an audience with emotive cries for justice and power. In a rational fashion, she explained her stance nicely to all of us, telling us before she began that she didn't have any more answers than any of us because everyone has ideas and everyon can help. She spoke plainly and with a calm, straightforward manner. Like the butterfly, she shared her ideas and promoted thinking. And now my thinking spreads to others as well.

We're all butterflies of sorts.

Express

Last night was my first experience as an Express employee. We had a product-training meeting. Everyone seemed nice and all and I guess I'm excited to work there. As excited as you can be about a mall job. Kelly and I are excited about the clothing discount, that's for sure. And now, Limited, Inc. employees receive discounts at all Limited, Inc. stores...Which means I'll get a Victoria's Secret discount again! And I won't even have to straighten panty tables to get it!

Anyway, I'm glad to finally be starting work. I just wish I wasn't starting three part-time jobs (Express, writing and tutoring) on the same day with two full-time jobs pending in my near future. It's a little bit of stressful.

Just for the record I want to say that I had a really great day yesterday before my Express meeting. While everyone else in America was drinking beer that isn't good for them, eating snacks that aren't good for them, watching TV which isn't good for them, and being spoonfed unhealthy doses of "clever" marketing from corporate whores deemed A-OK by the censor boards smashed between segments of an overly deified sports event, I was spending time visiting with my good friend Krista. -smile-

I Want To Write Something Good

I want to write something today that will make me happy to have written it. The thing is, I don't have much to write about. Not a whole lot of activity takes place in my life on a daily basis any more. My interactions with people are limited as well. No school, no job. I've spent this morning working on my Boise State graduate assistant application. I am bored with filling out applications at this point. Name...Address...Phone number...Social security number...Names underwhich you were previously employed...Days available to work...Qualities that make you a stellar person...Brag so we think we may want to hire you...Tell us why you want to work here (basically suck up to us and tell us about the wonderful opportunities we'll give you, being the incredible and fascinating company we are)...Signature...Date. Email, fax, mail or bring your application to the following address. Call us next week to follow up. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I was thinking about this the other day: How cool would it be if businesses didn't actually look for work experience if you'd been in school? They could look at your application and see that you were in school and unemployed and they would be elated because you were concentrating on procuring an education rather than being distracted by a job with work politics and stress and early morning or late night shifts. And that would be highly valued.

Job Day

I had an interview with Wells Fargo this morning. It was a lame group interview and one of the girls interviewing with me looked like an overweight, female version of the Joker from Batman. But it went well and I'll probably be offered a position. Not like I want it, but I would take it just to start out with something.

After lunch I checked my email and there was an email in my inbox from this guy Steve with the Idaho Youth Ranch offering me an interview for a job I'd applied for. I called him and set it up for next Wednesday.

Shortly afterward, Julie from Express in the mall called to offer me a sales job at the store. Not randomly, of course. I had applied there a couple weeks ago. I'll do that part time, supplemental to whatever else I obtain.

And just an hour ago, another guy named Steve called me and offered me a job as a free lance writer for the Idaho Business Review. I accepted. I get to write and they're going to pay me to do it. What better job could there be? I didn't even apply for this one; I was recommended for it through a wonderful woman I worked with last year at Boise State.

Ah...Hooray for job day.

Finally.