Random thoughts, rantings and other amusing anecdotes ...
Did I mention shopping? I'm really good at that...
About Me
Name::Lys From::Philadelphia, PA, United States
Not much to tell - just another gal in her 30s, living in her fave city, wanting to find her new escape... (besides shopping, of course) View my complete profile
You know what's sad - knowing how badly the entertainment biz manipulates the media to promote whatever they have going on. Some things that have me going "ARRUUUU" and realizing that there's a publicist at work doing anything to "get ink". I can say with certainty that I don't follow the mantra of "Any Publicity is Good Publicity" and, when I would hear potential clients talk about it like "Oh lets do XYZ and then leak it to the press", well then - that's a ship I don't want to assist. So when I hear some stuff in the media, my eyes get a hell of a workout from all the eye rolling and sighing and "Oh puleaze... what the hell". I do giggle when I read some sites because, let's face it, they are paid for scandal and b.s. Heidi & Spencer from the Hills - stars? Really? For what? If anything, they manipulate the media. Not to mention all the celebs with "paparazzi shots" that are clearly staged for attention. Again - oh brother.
So, let's take a peek at some of the breaking headlines this week:
Real Housewives of NYC's Countess is getting divorced - news breaks today - when she's beginning her book tour. Hmmmmm.
More Housewives b.s. with other housewives getting threatened either by "non-boyfriend" or otherwise. Wait - contract decisions and season decisions being made by Bravo Suits to see if it's worth the interest. Hmmmmm.
ATL Housewives fighting, more b.s. etc. while filming - drumming up ATL interest because that show is a hot funky fried mess. Hmmmmm....
LeeAnn Rhimes and her "co-star" Eddie Cibrian both getting caught in an alleged "cheating scandal". Convenient that it "breaks" right before their Lifetime Movie premiere. Personally, I think many people wouldn't give a crap about Eddie Cibrian but LeeAnn - oh let me tune in and see that movie. Hmmmm... I would guess that someone at the network might have leaked that mess. *insert eye roll*
Sham-Wow guy was arrested for beating the crap out of a hooker, allegedly in Miami - Spokesperson says that the companies he endorses won't remove the infomercials. Hmmm.. sales must be down - or a competitor must be hot on the heels.
Kendra from Playboy's Girls Next Door is releasing a "stripper pole & workout" much along the lines of Carmen Electra (Original much! *snort*) but - wait for it - she's promoting a reality show that will be following her during her "engagement and wedding plans". Hmmm... she's really gonna marry that cat - Ummmm. I'll believe it when I see an actual wedding license. Til then I'll lump it with all the other "reality" shows.
Speaking of Girls Next Door - Holly Breaks a Rib; wait Holly Fractured a Rib; wait Holly might have bruised a rib. Wait - Holly is playing the sympathy vote so as to not get voted off Dancing with the Stars... Hmmmm
JLo's wearing her wedding ring - JLo looks great. JLo's got a handbag line - wait. JLo is the QUEEN of manipulating the media. Moving on...
Reminds me of that old saying that I used to hear - believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see. So, if you excuse me, I need to catch up on some fiction reading - where's the US Magazine...
To Wii or Not To Wii... Coupled WIth A Guilty of Idiocy...
I've been wrestling with the decision - Shoes or Wii and, if y'all know me as well as I think you do, you know that's a tough call.
Well, tonight - I bit the bullet and hustled my behind to Best Buy to pick it up. I figured I'd see if I liked the Wii first before I picked up the Wii Fit and did my research. See, when I make my mind up for a big purchase - it's not an impulse. It involves more than one trip, extensive research, in the case of shoes - some fondling action, and lots of what if scenarios playing in my head.
I originally was going to get it last week and, after I checked out, I went to pull out my USAA card and *bam* it wasn't there - I had left it on my breakfast counter in the kitchen. That's God's way of saying "Hold Up, Lys - have you REALLY thought this through?" Thankfully, I did as I had some major pet bills this week with Shadow's annual checkup and shots and their quarterly baths.
I've been through hell this past quarter and I figured that the Wii if anything would give me something to deal with the frustration of the daily and perhaps have some fun. Hell, even throw some exercise into the mix because, while Wiggs has been giving me quite the workout chasin' after his little troublemaking behind (more on that in a future post), I need something that really will push it over the edge.
So, tonight, off I went to Best Buy with the thought process of buying the Wii first - setting that up and seeing if I like it. If that worked out, then I'd pick up the Wii Fit this weekend using cash back if possible.
I walked into Best Buy and Oh.My.GOD it was like Christmas Stalkers all over the place. No matter how many times I told them I was "just looking", they came at me like a swarm of locusts. I even had this one guy go "Ma'am - if you have a question on games, I know them all - I play most of them". I felt like I was in an episode of Big Bang Theory and was about to tell one of those guys to take a hike.
I pick out a game (Cooking Mama - harder than it looks), grab the Wii and head to the check out. Then I get assaulted by this guy sellin' me HARSH on the warranty and talking to me like I'm a flippin' idiot?!?!? Ummm... newsflash bucko - I know way more than you think I do and, if there is a problem, your "quasi warranty" isn't going to help shush my mouth - thats fo' dayum sure. I have no patience for people that are stuck on stupid and this boy was stuck hard. He kept pushing and wouldn't accept NO for an answer so finally as I was ready to return everything and tell him that he can take that warranty and #*@*@*#*#, I decided to quell the evil wench inside of me and just tell him to finalize the sale - period. I had that look and he tried one last attempt and I shut it down quick. The Hard Sell = No More Sales at Best Buy. And when I say NO, I mean NO.
Damn! What part of NO did Best Buy People not understand - N or the O?
So, Best Buy lost a long term customer by a bunch of overzealous sales people at the Altamonte store. I'll be picking up any future games, etc. at any other store BUT Best Buy.
As for Wii - it took a bit but it's set up. And, since I'm taking the day off tomorrow to get the car checked out from the accident, I might have to drop by Sears to pick up the Wii Fit - because while they may stalk me, they know when not to push that button with me.
Every Thursday, I have organic fruits and veggie delivered from Orlando Organics. I adore this service and I'm really pleased. I find myself looking forward to seeing what I get and making it like a challenge to use items I wouldn't normally pick up. It's up to me to leave a cooler outside my door on Thursday mornings for them to leave the goodies in. I've been really good about this for a while now.
On Thursday mornings, I get up, take the pug out for his walk and then clean out the cooler as I fill it with ice packs and leave for work. Simple - no problem with that routine.
This week, I get home and notice that in place of the cooler is an insulated bag from Orlando Organics but no cooler. What. The. HELL!?!?!
Now I left that cooler out about 8:30/8:45. They come around 11 - so that tells me that in that span of TWO hours, someone thieved the cooler. You could tell it wasn't out for trash as the ice packs were laid out nicely and there was paper towels lining it over the ice packs. Any IDIOT could tell that - trash only comes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is THURSDAY.
SO, by my powers of deduction it leaves only one alternative - one of the dorm residents decided that they needed a cooler for beer for the multiple parties that have been going on around these parts - and my money's on the idiots who vandalized the elevator, raise hell on the floor and, of course, haven't learned what life really is about.
And boy did those punks hear my thoughts as I was discussing the issue on the phone. These kids aren't paying their own rent - their parents are as confirmed by the office. These kids go to GOLF SCHOOL for cryin' out loud - GOLF SCHOOL. And I'm guessing that 90% of those idiots won't even go pro - but sure Mom & Dad - send these boys to Florida with a nice car so they can learn how to be a professional golfer like Tiger Woods. And I might have said that should they get out of line, I'm whippin' out my cane and cardigan to call the Altamonte PD as the Courtesy Officer hasn't really been able to do much and the problem is getting worse. However, should the Altamonte PD have public calls about the drama over here, well then - the complex won't like that.
For two nights we've had peace and quiet - they keep trying to say hi to me and pet my dog (I am praying that Wiggs lets his leg fly on one of them) but they have gotten the mean mug and aren't worth my time to acknowledge.
However, should they care to return the cooler - well then, I'll be back to pleasant neighbor status.
I had so many things I had to read in my Google Reader I finally bit the bullet and hit "Mark All Read" and, tomorrow I'm starting fresh.
There's something that I'm looking forward to with that - getting to know my favorite blogs all over again without the nagging feeling of "Oh My God I haven't read 8 posts by XYZ and I need to catch up". It's like the honeymoon phase all over again as I start to figure out where I'm going with my blogging fun.
And, yes, I know I totally phoned this post in but know that I'm starting over fresh - therefore forgive me if I forget to comment on XYZ post from the past month.
Sometimes I just don't know if I'm coming or going. Finally started to get the house in order and add to that my terrible two year old but really ten year old and should know better debil dog aka Wiggs, I'm about losing it.
See, when my dad is here, Wiggs is well behaved. We had a few incidents but nothing major that would make someone going "ENOUGH!" Well, when my dad left, it was game on.
This morning, as I'm trying to leave the house, my neighbors must have cracked up laughing because all they could hear is this scream coming from me "WIGGLES YOU DO NOT BITE THE CAT ON THE NECK! SHE'S NOT A PUPPY! SHE'LL WHUP YOUR AZZ!!!! DOG DO YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU EFFIN' CRAZY??" as I'm chasing him relentlessly around the room. The cat hissed and ran; Wiggs took off after her with me following closely behind.
Then it was time for "The Face Off". *cue the Rocky theme song*
Picture the Cat hissing, back arched as she's giving ME the eye roll and blasting the dog from her perch on the chaise.
The Dog is directly below the Cat's perch, looking up at her wild eyed face and made his move towards her as if to say "Enough you wench, I've had it. You will BE my friend - this is MY house too and I'm the leader of the pack. The "Momma" - she's got no spine so conform damn cat; conform". I'm probably giving the dog too much credit as sometimes I think the cat has a bit more brain power but you could tell Wiggs was having none of the cat's nonsense that she's been dishing on the daily since he moved in.
As for the spineless, screaming like a banshee momma, well, I booted his pug behind out of the room, onto the couch and grounded him like he was a two year old. No cookies - well, until tonight when I get home. Point is - enough is enough, I say and I've had enough. These two wouldn't DARE do that with my dad in town so for them to even go this far means that they share a mutual agenda and that is to drive ME bat**** crazy.
Someone please send Morgan - my sanity is in dire need.
To Quote Pretty Woman: Yo, Bloomingdales in Orlando - Big Mistake, Big BIG Mistake...
I swear - shopping at Bloomingdales has gone from being enjoyable to just downright irritating. I made an excursion to the Millenia Mall this weekend to do a little "retail therapy" - on the agenda: Cole Haan shoes, a little Kooba purse fondling and, of course, the Bloomingdales Home Sale.
While entering shoes, sales person did NOT greet - as a matter of fact, the Bloomingdales sales manager looked RIGHT through me and blatantly ignored me. Eeehhh, I thought - whatever. Well, he didn't get a sale, that's for sure. Nor did his sales peeps. I just laughed it off with my father.
Head over to purses on the hunt for some Kooba bags (my fave) - sales people were just not interested in working - more like interested in chatting and engaging in a lot of "customer - we don't have any customers". No sale for them.
I laughed it off again and told my father about that line in Pretty Woman - you know where she came back to the store going "Big Mistake - Big BIG Mistake" when the salesperson decided to not make a sale. See, I wasn't dressed "up" for Millenia - dress jeans, a wrap sweater and some sneaker like shoes. Of course the bag was recognizable - as the woman in Cole Haan followed me around like I was her BFF. However, handbag wenches in Bloomingdales were not helpful at all. Fine then.
Head up to the home sale and fell in LOVE with a Le Creuset wide oval oven which is smaller, much like a braiser, and not deep like a full dutch oven. I got ahold of a sales person from Furniture who was so helpful and we hunted for it left and right. The housewares sales person - Amal - well, when she felt that she had to do her job and help us after taking all the more "dressed up" people who didn't plan on buying a thing and those that were waiting AFTER me - decided to tell me that a dutch oven is just like the braiser - same thing and I should just buy the dutch oven. Newsflash, I know my Le Creuset and that, my dear Amal, is NOT the same. What's funny is that the gal from Furniture knew more than the housewares gal, Amal, and that, of course, gave Bloomingdales the title of Guilty of Idiocy. Epic Fail. Doesn't surprise me - the Orlando Bloomindales needs a severe overhaul.
Just as well - I love giving my money to better retailers like Chefs Catalog and other worthy spots that know their product lines. As for Bloomingdales, we're not going to be BFFs ever. Especially the Bloomies in Orlando.
So, I decided to take this weekend and just chill out - especially after last week. While I wanted to retreat into my shell yesterday and nurse my wounded ego, SL and J refused to let me pout. Off we went to the Orlando Home & Garden show and, oh mai holy hell, it was like a late night infomercial exploded all over the exhibition hall - Sham-Wow, Laundry Balls, a woman trying to sell me a $300 pressure cooker, etc. It. was. crazy. Thankfully I found a couple gems and will post about them this week over at Cooking in Stilettos.
My Phillies won another game - I should send them a cookie because, while I've been ready to have a "come to Jesus" session and preparing my case that would advocate the cutting off of a few bar tabs of some players, today they pulled it out and showed the Cardinals what's what. A great game and I didn't have to travel to Clearwater to watch or risk sunburn. That's next week.
The "dorm" aka apartment complex is bad -more than 3 days ago. I get into the elevator with the pug for his daily constitutional this morning and those idiots ripped the town certification and help box off it's hinges. Seriously - who the eff does that? Let's not talk about the massive amounts of beer cans and cig butts everywhere. We pay over $1k a month for this? I. Don't. Think. So.
It's so freakin' hot here that the pug got sick - it was either that or the reduced fat potato chips that I slipped him on the sly. Never again - what a mess!
Tomorrow starts another week of hell - and I don't foresee it stopping for at least another few weeks. I think Starbucks and I are going to be BFFs even more than normal.
However, in good news, I was able to finally put my new fave album on my iPod - did you know this chick used to be on Club MTV & The Grind back in the day... anyhow - take a listen - the vocals on this gal are crazy!
Day from hell; week from hell; month from hell. Hell, Hades, whatever you call it, I'm in it. I should be thankful, gracious and positive, but I'm not. I'm bitter, evil and annoyed and I don't like this feeling one bit.
I keep telling myself tomorrow will be better but its like an episode of Groundhog Day where the same basic mundane b.s. occurs over and over again. I feel like that kid Oliver "Please, sir, can I have some more" as I hold my hands out for another slapdown.
For now, I'm retreating into my shell and nursing my wounds. I just don't know how much more of this I can tolerate.
People, apparently I no longer live in an "upscale apartment home community". I now live in a dorm. I thought my WNEC/DumbPath days were long ago.
While I've blogged before about the idiot golf students that live on the first floor of my building, apparently their campus now lives here. We have three recent move-ins - all college students. Not to mention the influx of students I noticed hanging out on balconies this evening, on cells in front of apartment buildings and others coming in from a hard day of classes golfing, clubs thrown casually in their sassy convertibles bearing tags from Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Jersey. And while I love seeing Northern Peeps here in the south, I detest interacting with young idiots and, truth be told, I'm now surrounded by them and being held hostage.
If this is our future generation, I'm really scared.
:::sigh::: Yes, I know - I'm feelin' my age. Someone pass me a cardigan and a cane while I sit on the porch and call the Altamonte Police incessantly. Grandma here needs her sleep.
So, for the past month, I've been pestering my eye doctor because I NEED my prescription for my contacts and, of course, J.C. Penny Optical has this woman who just, for lack of a better term, is an imbecile. I called her AGAIN this morning and the first words out of her mouth "Well you never spoke to me". Honey, I DID speak to you and YOU are an idiot is what I wanted to scream at her as I know her voice quite well. However, I just spelled out what she was to do and, within minutes, my script was in my hot little hands. Had I gone to the store, I would have lost my marbles in there and told her and her store manager that, clearly, while I should be nice she's wasted ONE month of my time and I can't get that back.
Wait - it gets better.
So I place my order with 1-800 Contacts who I have used for YEARS and, tonight, I get this message from them:
I apologize for this inconvenience, unfortunately we have been unable to verify your prescription with your doctor's office. We have been in contact with the JC Penny Optical ... are unable to locate your records. At this time we have temporarily canceled your order since we are unable to verify.
HOLD UP! PUMP THE BRAKES! WHAT THE @*@**@# did they just say - JC Penny Optical couldn't find my records? They just sent them to me TODAY! And 1800 Contacts just straight up and cancelled my order without reaching out to me so I could address it? That's straight up foolishness. They made a unilateral decision without reaching out to a customer to tell them that it was a problem. I'm beyond annoyed.
SO, with that being said, I'm going to start researching options and, yes, I think a breakup is in order, not only with my eye doctor but also with 1-800-Contacts who I had a long and enjoyable relationship. Sadly, that is no longer.
This whole weekend was a whirlwind - baseball game on Saturday in Clearwater (Tigers what, Tigers who - should have rolled over and went belly up in the 3rd inning - sorry Hotfessional! and another game here in the land of the Rat on Sunday (they lost - dangnabit but it was to a cute bunch of players - be still my heart, I think I found Rhett Butler in the ATL!) All in all, great company, beer, substandard but still better than Subway cheesesteaks and fun times. No Victorino spotting, but I've decided to head to a Phillies/Rays game this season so I can see my fave "Flyin' Hawaiian".
However, the game left me with something that is NOT so nice - a bright red sunburn which begins on my ear, goes down my neck and covers my right arm and hand. Just one long red hurtful stripe. :::sigh::: Well then - I know my Phillies want me to wear "red" but I don't think a sunburn was the translation
Oh well - thankfully I found in the back of my cabinets some Alba "After Sun Relief" lotion - that stuff makes it feel a little bit better... Now if only I could find something that would help my Phillies win a couple games!
Forgive me as I'm blogging via Blackberry. I'm exhausted from quite the day...
After an energizing walk with Mr. Wiggs, it was off to Clearwater with Kar to check out my Phillies who were playing the Detroit TIGERS (not Lions - Thanks Charles for the correction lol). My beloved Phillies spanked those Tigers 8-2.
However,while our sets rocked (right next to the Phils dugout) to my left and in front of us were Tiger fans. In back of us must have been distant relatives of The Nanny because OHMYLORD noone in Philly sounds *that* pronounced.
No Victorino action sadly. Mostly it was Greg Dobbs, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth. I also caught a brief glimpse of Rifleman's mancrush - Brad Lidge - but couldn't get a quick shot.
Tomorrow its off to Disney to watch the team battle the Braves. That won't be such an easy win I think...
That's the choice I make on the daily. No matter HOW crazy life can be, I am trying so hard to stick with the eternal optimist point of view...
This morning, as I'm headed out to work, I am driving down the aisle past the new apartment building when I hear *Bam*. Wait - that's not part of the Fergie song, I think and realize that one of my new neighbors wasn't paying attention and backed up into the back end of my car with her jeep. Granted it was the tire that did the damage to my little Cougar but I'm thinking "WTF" and pulled over to a parking space for the Come to Jesus session.
The "WTF" thought immediately turned to "GRRRRR" which then progressed to the thought of "Oh it's ON now - what the hell - was she NOT paying attention and realizing that there were cars behind her?" Then I met her and saw how shaken up she was and I couldn't be a wench - I just couldn't.
I called the PD and, after assessing the information (no one hurt, she had little to no damage - my Cougar took the beating from that daggone Jeep tire), we agreed to exchange info, fill out the forms at the PD if necessary, and move from there. I took pictures of my car, the offending tire, wrote down the license plate etc. and flipped into Legally Blond mode.
After a quick chat with my lovely insurance company (USAA - LOVE THEM!), I have a plan in place, a coffee in hand and we'll take it one step at a time. I am looking at the accident this way - it could have been much worse. Sure, she's a bit shaken up but she'll look twice before backing up now, I think. What a way to meet your neighbors, huh?
It also comes to mind that the saying "accidents happen close to home" is indeed true. However, in my case, it was just a stone's throw from my own apartment. :::sigh:::
Bullets abound... be prepared... get that coffee/wine/cocktail and hurry back.
Why is it:
That when life gets crazy, one gets caught up in the whirlwind. The 9to5, home and don't even get me started on the pug has me going "WTH"
That when I'm away from my feed reader, I come back to *gah* so many blog posts that I wish my speed reading also came with speed commenting and, sadly, that can never be. I'm contemplating the idea of doing the unthinkable and hit the "Wipe Slate Clean" aka Mark All Read and hope that you all will forgive me as I start fresh. I figure you don't want 20 bizillion comments from the posts over the last month do you?
That people insist on playing the "blame game". I don't care WHO screwed something up - let's just figure out a solution and move on. Gah - if I hear one more person go "It's not my fault, so and so did that" I'm going to have a come to Jesus meeting with them and they will think I'm really a shrew.
That when some people are given an inch, they go for a foot. I know I try to be accomodating but c'mon - people need to use their brains and common sense more. I can't do EVERYTHING. Ugh!
That when I say I'm going to be nicer for Lent, I'm told I'm TOO nice and need to be more of a wench. That shocked me because I thought I had the wench thing down pat.
That my travels have been curtailed because I need to start focusing on the daily life here and, perhaps, I can go to Philly in a few months. Right now I am just too daggone busy.
That I have two (2!!!) Phillies games this weekend and it hasn't hit me yet that while my Philly crew is going to be freezing in their 1 ft. of snow, I'm going to be basking in the sun staring at Shane Victorino and the boys hopefully kickin' the Braves and the Detroit Lions butts.
That my cooking, while it has improved since I decided to pay attention at SOBE and actually WRITE about not only my time there but try some recipes (you can see the post HERE), it took one heavy pot to kick my ass and I pulled a muscle that hurt so badly that I am hobbling worse then that hunchback of Notre Dame. It even had me passin' out at 9:30 last night (which pissed off the garbage pail pug and I missed "24". Thank god for TiVo.
Speaking of TiVo - what is with it with me and stupid shows? Don't get me wrong, you'd have to drag me kickin' and screaming from NCIS, Criminal Minds and CSI (The ORIGINAL - I could care less about the other two) but I HAD to TiVo some new stupid show Runningin Heels (duh, the title alone made me hit the "Season Pass" button) and I'm ready to cat scratch one of the wenches on there. And, yes, I got sucked into the Real Housewives of NYC phenom (ugh Alex!!! Had no idea Bethany was at SOBE) and Top Chef (disappointing season - ready to smack up Hosea. Personally I don't care if he got "close" with Leah.) All in all, I'm turning into a fan of the reality "mind suck". Clearly, this needs to be addressed and stopped post haste and I need to be smacked.
That I haven't even had the urge to shop - don't get me wrong, I read my sale alerts and, yes, I contemplated a pair of Loubous that were $300 in my size but I'm not Elvis. I don't need any blue suede shoes boots.
That I just really want it to be Friday already because, dammit, this gal is exhausted.
And how are you all? C'mon tell me - what did I miss?
