Where Have I Been?

I don't know where I've been. I checked in last night and saw that I haven't posted since last Thursday. That sort of weirded me out. It seemed like it was more recent than that. Of course last night I didn't feel like posting either. Go figure.

So, updates on the way.........

On Friday morning I took the Jeep in for service. While I was there I saw this cool little Mercedes on the lot so I took a test drive. It was one of those supercharged smaller cars they make. A 2005. It was fun to drive. Killed a little time too since I was informed that the Jeep had a recall that I didn't know about and my appointment took an hour longer than planned.

Naturally after that morning I just couldn't hang at work so I popped in and left twice. Nothing really going on anyway. One of the trips was to get a Mrs. Potato Head for a sick co-worker. She went in to get her tonsils out on Friday morning. I told her on Thursday that the best part of getting my tonsils out (I was 5) was that I got ice cream and a Mr. Potato Head . I got the toy because I was so bummed about staying in the hospital. So I decided she needed a Mrs. Potato Head to cheer her up. :)

Lets see.... Oh, The Cardinals won the World Series. That was cool. Afetr the Kenny Rogers cheating incident I was hoping that the Cards would stomp all over them. Turns out they did. Thanks guys!

I fell asleep watching the game though. We had friends over for Thai that night and the wine knocked me out.

Saturday was fun. I had most of the day to myself. Doing whatever I felt like doing. I love days like that. Its dangerous to leave me to my own devices sometimes but I do know how to entertain myself.

I did manage to cook a great dinner that evening. I don't cook too often but when I do it's pretty darn good.

I got laid twice over the weekend. That is a new (recent) record for me.

I managed to see The Evil Dead finally. I know, it's an oldie but I never saw it all the wat through. It cracked me up! I love Bruce Campbell anyway so seeing his first big movie was fun. Now I need to see Evil Dead II.

Sunday was spent finishing up a honey-do list around the house. Then I decided to be artsy and get started on some cool painting designs for the house. I miss all the artwork I had at the old place. This time around I can't do cartoons. It needs to be classy. I have some cool ideas and designs ready. I'll post pics when they are done.

Oh yeah... I did see some Football. Mostly its backround noise for me and I don't pay a lot of attention to it. But the Giants won. (Yay Kat!) Pittsburgh lost again. What's up with them anyway? Whatever. It's just not Baseball so I don't really care too much.

So here we are, all caught up. I'm still surprised that I haven't been here since Thursday. Let's see how long until the next post.

Question Of The Day

Is it necessary to tip someone at a buffet place?

I mean, one of those people who seat you and sometimes bring you a drink and then say "There's the buffet." Then you don't see them again. They really don't do anything.

My friend and I had this discussion after going to the buffet today. We left a mini-tip but still can't decide what is right or wrong.

True Art

I wanted to show off my newest artistic creation. I made this at dinner tonight. I call it "Lonely Trees On Lonely Mountain."





I always prefer art with good taste. :)

Sold

First thing this morning we got the news that our company has been sold. Sold to a huge billion dollar, worldwide company. The place is in a mild uproar. I'm not sure why since we all knew it was a possibility. I should say probability.

For anyone who hasn't been through one of these transitions it can be unnerving. But if things go the way it seems they will, we will end up much better off than before.

Not the upper management of course. They are always the first to go. But they get the golden parachutes and move on to bigger and better things.

So all day we are having employee info meetings. The place should be crazy all day. I think it should be a fun time. Somehow I'm not nervous at all. Maybe I like being bought as a commodity. I feel special. ;)

Maybe I'm Confused.....

I've seen this sign at the local KFC for several days now. It says "New Famous Bowls". I keep looking at that sign and wondering about it.

How can something be new but also be famous? If it's famous that makes one think it has been around a while. At least long enough to be famous. Which means it can't be new anymore. Right?

I feel a little confused about this. But maybe it's just me.

Geeky Afternoon

I'd like to say that my weekend was so amazingly exciting that I just can't tell you everything. I'd like to say that but I can't. The weekend was cool, just not too exciting.

I visited with a friend Saturday afternoon. She always keeps me entertained. We hung out and then had lunch at this weird Asian type place. It was good but the place was like an old diner. Yeah, a diner that served Thai. Weird.

I did play poker with the guys on Saturday evening. I was losing badly until we played Acey-Deucey. I was losing worse then. Until I caught a break and won the huge pot. That made me pretty much even for the night. Not bad.

Sunday was weird. Yardwork in the A.M. It was supposed to rain but never did. Then later my Mom of all people stopped in to say hi. It's been months since I've seen her. She and my Aunt were out shopping and decided to stop in. Yay me. :P The visit lasted about 2 hours but seemed like maybe 12.

Afterward I decided to unwind with a nice game of Civilization II. I have all the versions but I like the second one best. I worked on conquering the world while Football was on. Unlike most of my guy friends and a select few of my women friends, Football just doesn't capture my attention. Its just a filler between Baseball seasons for me. I do follow what happens but it isn't like the Yankees are on or anything. So when Football is on it stays in the background for me.

If you know me you know my attention span. It's kinda child-like so I started scanning channels to see if any movies are on. Movies capture my attention unlike most other things. I had options too. I could watch Shopgirl (which KB says sucks), Herbie Fully Loaded or a Vampire thing on Sci-Fi. I switched to Sci-Fi and knew right away I had seen that one. Basically it was crappy so I chose the Herbie movie. I will confess something here; I had seen that too. 4 times. But I like it and I like Lindsey Lohan so I watched it again.

What? I have a weakness for red heads and .... never mind.

Luckily Baseball was soon on and that killed the remainder of the afternoon/evening. Not much excitement going on this weekend. A total geeky Sunday afternoon. But it was nice.

Now it's time for work again. Another "Yay me" is in order, I think.

Happy Monday.

I Don't Get It

I got one of those timer things that you have to get when your coffee pot doesn't have it's own timer. You program it and then plug it into the power outlet. Then you plug the coffee pot into it and when it's time it allows the power to come on.

What I don't get is that it works on batteries. The timer is plugged into the power outlet but it works on batteries.

Doesn't that just sound dumb?

Seems like if it is plugged into the house power it should work on that power.

But it doesn't.

I don't get it.

Lesbians and Babies

There are some things in this world I just can't take. Some things that gross me out so much it irritates me. Today one of those things happened.

One of the women that works here brought in her baby. For whatever reason about an hour ago I walked through the lunchroom into this small crowd of babbling, goofy acting women passing this little kid around. They were acting as if they had never seen one before.

I just watched for a minute and wondered. They really bugged me acting like idiots.

Then this guy came in and started being a dork too. Grabbing the kid and lifting him way up in the air. Talking baby talk. Thats when I left. He was the worst.

Scenes like that really gross me out. Why? I dunno. They just do.

So tonight I am having dinner with my lesbian friends. We are headed out to a steak house to have some good food, commiserate about the Yankees and generally unwind. They are a cool couple. One good thing for sure is that I will never have to worry about a scene like the aforementioned from them. They have nieces and nephews that visit a lot but they don't act all retarded when they see them.

I wonder if a gay couple that has kids ever acts totally annoying about them too? Maybe I should ask.

I still don't get why people bring their toddlers in to work anyway. It's like showing off a new car or something. "Look coworkers. Heres the latest model. I made him this year!"

Yeah, it's probably something like that.

Yellowtail Sucks

I took a friends advice and tried Yellowtail Shiraz last night. What a mistake that was! I eagerly opened the bottle, let it air just a bit and then gave it a taste. Immediately I thought I'd throw up on the spot. It was worse than nasty.

So what did I do? I waited a little while and tried again. I'm like that. Can't just give up on something without giving it the full-out college try. But it just got worse. Sometimes when a wine is not great and it airs a little it will get better. This one didn't. It just got nastier. Like rotten vinegar. (Does vinegar get rotten?)

The worst part? It made my stomach feel bad. Kinda burning and nauseated.

So it wasn't a wine for me. I was so looking forward to it too. But I won't be turned off to Yellotail in general. I will try another one. Just not that Shiraz stuff.

Anyone else have a good wine recommendation? After this experience, I'm not afraid to try anything.

Last Question From TMI Tuesday

Summer got in one last question for me. Funny how everyone who asked something (except Peachy) doesn't have a place for me to ask them something.)

Summer asked two things actually: "If you could switch jobs tomorrow and do anything you wanted (as long as it didn't involve sports), what would it be?"

I can think of two things I'd love to do. I would love to have my own shop. A place that would specialize in local artists as well as carry the classics. I have a passion for the classics, Monet being my fave along with John Singer Sargent. But there should be a place where unknowns can show their talent and make some money too. Maybe get discovered.

The place would have an area where live music could be played on special nights. Maybe a small stage complete with bar (of course). Not a nasty place. A decent place.

It would have a 60's style coffee shop in the basement and there could be cool happenings scheduled there like the beatniks did way back when. Besides, how can you not have good coffee?

The other thing I'd like to do would be own and operate a high class Bunny Ranch in Vegas. :)

Summer also asked: *I bet you thought I was going to ask something else, didn't ya?*

I did think you would ask something different Summer. You missed a good opportunity. I was willing to answer anything. ;)

For Meritt

Help a little? :)

Two Questions So Far

I've gotten only two questions so far for TMI Tuesday. Ok, and some chickens commented that are afraid to play. (Meritt & Yoj) But why? Would I ask naughty questions of you? ;)


Spacebrain asked this: Did you ever wonder why?

Answer: Buddy, I wonder why all the time. I wonder why I'm here. Why you're there. Why crappy songs stick in my head even when I want to forget them. Why some women look prettier than others. Why the Yankees couldn't hit during the post season. Why birds don't poop bomb cats they see as they fly. Why my mind wanders even when I'm in a meeting with the President. Why anyone likes rap music. Why red wine sucks so much. Why flushing a toilet works without stuff flying back atcha. Why people have kids but never seem happy when they are out with them. Why the place you work is still open. Why I never remember a name unless I hear it 100 times first. Why someone actually wrote the book of love since its full of crap anyway.

I wonder a lot more things too. Mostly I wonder why you asked that question. :)

Peachy asked: Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?

Answer: Peachy, I think I'm dressing down this year. Maybe a pro wrassler in those skimpy tights. (I'll have to stuff the front like they do too.)

For work I'm going disguised as someone who really loves being there. Just for that day I think I can do it. :)

TMI Tuesday

Lets have some fun today, shall we? Lets play a game we'll call "Too Much Information Tuesday". Heres how it works:

Ask me a question. I will answer it as honestly as I can (or will). But I will answer it. It may be a story. It may be a sentence. It may be a one word answer. But it will be answered.

The catch is that not only do you get an answer you may or may not like but if you ask a question you get a question in return. You have to answer it.

Anyone asking a question will get a question. So if no one asks today I will know you are all too chicken to have me ask something of you. Anyone game?

Sexy Ugly

I actually talked to my sexy-ugly crush this weekend. It was a chance meeting so I sort of forced the issue. It turned out to be rather pleasant.

For those of you who don't remember what sexy-ugly is, it's a term I got from the movie "Kissing Jessica Stein". Jess and Helen were talking about people they found attractive even though they weren't really physically attractive. Like Mick Jagger. They are sexy but not pretty. Sexy-Ugly. :)

So when Lisa and I were talking about the movie we both laughed about that scene. Then we compared notes about people we thought were sexy-ugly. I mentioned a person who we both know from work who I have always had this strange kinda crush on even though she isn't very attractive at all. There is just something about her. Thats who I ran into this weekend.

I was at Lowe's Saturday walking down the main aisle and I saw her walking toward me. My first thought was, "What is she doing way up here?" My hometown isn't all that close to work. As she approached she looked up and smiled so I stopped and started a conversation. She recognized me from work too so it wasn't so hard. Turns out she had moved nearby a few years ago. She loves the area. Shes the outdoorsey type and lives near the Applachian Trail so it's perfect for her. We talked for a while. It was pleasant to see that she was kind of cool. You never know. She could have been sexy-ugly and a goober. But she's not.

So now I can say hey to her when I see her these days. That will be a nice change. But now I wonder if I will still have the same fascination with her. Sometimes knowing a person changes the interest level. Maybe the fantasy is the thing? I doubt it but you never know. We'll see I guess.

Anyone else have an example of someone they think is sexy-ugly?

Gotta Wonder Sometimes

Today I was waiting at an intersection in a left turn lane for traffic to break. There was a lot of traffic going both ways. I noticed a family on one side of the street waiting to cross. A Mom, Dad and 3 kids, one in a stroller. I knew they would be waiting a while. The Father seemed to know that too. He stood there beating on that crosswalk button that never works trying to get the walk light to turn on. I thought he was trying to pound it into the pole the way he was hitting it.

After a while I saw him grab one of the boys shoulders and push him toward the street. He kept prodding the kid like he wanted him to cross the street. I thought "WTF is that all about?" That's when the kid quickly hopped off the curb and ran through traffic to cross.

I just about freaked because I was sure he would get hit. He didn't but it was close.

Then I saw the Father yelling at him and the kid went to the crosswalk button on the other side and leaned on it, just holding it down.

Apparently the Father figured that pressing both buttons would make the crosswalk light work. It didn't. The lights changed and they had to wait a little longer for traffic. Then it changed and the left lanes got those arrows things so I went. They were still waiting but as I went by I heard the guy yelling for the boy to come back across to them. ???

What a dumbass! He made that kid run through traffic for nothing. I wanted to stop, get out, walk up to him and slap him hard in the back of the head. What a freaking retarded thing to do.

I didn't see if the kid came back across or not. I didn't hear any sirens so I guess that kid did OK. Still, how impatient can a person be to risk injury to their own child?

There sure are some morons out there.

My Life

"What are you looking at?"
YB- "Look at the grass. It's all frosty. But only on top. It looks like crystal with the sunshine glazing over it. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Huh. Just a reminder that Winter is coming and everything will be dead soon."

YB- "What are we doing this weekend? Let's blow off to that cool Bed N Breakfast just for the heck of it. The one near the Gardens."
"What for? There's nothing we can do there that we can't do here."

YB- "What are those for?"
"I got new door knobs for the entire house."
YB- "What!? Don't you realize these are the original brass knobs from when the place was built? They are true antiques, over 50 years old. You can't get these anywhere anymore!"
"Whatever. I want new ones."

YB- "Check out this new song I'm writing. Its actually starting to sound good."
"Oh, so thats what you've been wasting your evening on. I wondered where you were."

YB- "Which wine shall we try tonight?"
"Wine?"
YB- "Yeah. I think we should try the new one... the Yellowtail. It was highly recommended."
"Why wine tonight?"
YB- "It's cold outside. It's a good night to build a fire and sit in front of it with a good wine. Just hang out."
"A fire tonight? I don't think so. I don't want to smell that tonight."

*sigh*

Daily Decisions

Today I made one of those decisions that you make just to get by. I made the decision not to feel bad anymore. So I don't. It's a mind over matter thing. Today I will be OK.

Think it'll work? I'm hoping.

A lot has happened since I've been out of it. Being in la la land on Wednesday I didn't realize that the plane crash in New York took the life of Cory Lidle. I was surprised to hear all the hoopla last night about his "limited flight experience" and "should he or shouldn't he have been flying where he was" etc... For craps sake people! His wife and kid just lost someone dear to them. Seems to me there are more important issues than who or what to blame on the crash. Sometimes I think the media are trained in heartlessness. Perhaps when they graduate media school they have their hearts and consciences removed.

RIP Cory. I feel for your family.




Other news I've missed... hmmm, I see that crazy guy in Korea is acting up again. I think he wants a war for some reason. Paris Hilton is still in the news for her DUI. How fascinating. *yawn* The Mets won. Good deal. A New York team should be in the Series. The stock market is still on speed. I knew I should have spent some money there this past year.

OK, maybe I really haven't missed much after all. :)

So yesterday I came in to work because I had an important project to do. I wasn't feeling up to it but it had to get done. That was one of those daily decisions for yesterday. While I worked I kept ignoring how I felt. We got everything done. It was a longer day than expected but we got done anyway. Today I feel wrung out. I think it took a lot out of me. But I am feeling better. Just tired. I think I'm well on my way back. But now I think today probably shouldn't be a full day. What do you think?

Thanks. i hoped you would say that.

So theres my mindless chatter for the morning. I'm feeling goofy but Ok. Now I need to catch up on the important stuff. (Blogs) That's a good daily decision to make.

Pardon The Interruption

I've been sick. Too sick to blog. Too sick to work too (but that was a good thing).

I shall return.....

Safety Gurus

I believe in the whole 'Safety First!' idea. I really do. Especially in the workplace. But I also believe that having a full time safety department is a weird thing.

It's one of those groups that always have to insert themselves into every scenario. They are the "What if?" people. The "You need to..." people. They are constantly trying to justify their existance.

They can drive you crazy.

This week the safety manager at work decided it will be 'Drive Safe To Work Week'. I haven't heard of any special thing nationwide so it seems we are trying to be a trendsetter maybe? There are these signs stuck everywhere in the company. Every hall, every door. You can't escape them.

Here are a few examples:

An automobile's best performance investment is its driver.

Move over and stop. That ambulance may be carrying someone you know.

Pedestrians have the right of way even when they are wrong.

Unless you are a race car driver driving isn't a competative sport.

This is my personal fave:

How well would you work with someone speeding by your desk at 60 m.p.h.?

(I really don't get that one.)

Having a safety committee is a fine thing. Having a safety department is a little over the top. No matter what you do anymore they are in your face. Its probably because of all the jerks who like to sue everyone for their own stupidity.

I even met a guy once who went to college and graduated with a degree in safety. Now he was a strange fellow, lemme tell ya! How does a person decide to go to school and major in safety?

So this week we are all learning to be better drivers. Safer drivers. Thanks to the cool signs all over the buildings. Personally, I think if someone could cruise by my desk at 60 m.p.h. I'd have to give them kudos. After they stopped of course. ;)

"Thanks safety gurus for making me a better driver. I feel safer already."

Monday Morning Stuff

I feel like I should have a lot to talk about this morning. I feel like it but somehow I don't.

I could talk about how the Yankees stunk it up in Detroit this past week. But I choose not to. One thing I will say is that it is exceptionally difficult to pull for your team for 7-8 months and then watch them implode like that. Its tough living and dying every game, every pitch sometimes, up & downs the whole season just to have it all gone without a fight. Probably the best lineup ever assembled and they couldn't score at all. I wonder if it would be easier if the team actually wasn't as good as they are?

Ah well, they did have a good season.

I'm feeling a little blah today. Like I'm starting to feel sick. You know how that works, the initial warning signs hitting you and you know something is coming. Its not the being sick, its the anticipation. Knowing its coming is the worst.

Friday night I went to a happy hour with a bunch of people from work. I went to hang for a little while and then head home. Of course happy hours always turn into several happy hours. I left late. But it was a great time. There are many incidents I could tell about but I won't. You all know how happy hours can get crazy. This one was no exception. But the one highlight I will tell about was when I was introduced to the 'red-headed slut'.

Everyone knows how much I love red-heads and all so when my friend Lindsey told me she wanted me to meet a red-headed slut, well I just thought that was OK. :)

Turns out it was a drink. It was a good one too. It made me head feel a little funny. OK, I'm a lightweight so it made me feel a lot funny. That was the end for me. Nothing but cokes after that one. But it was worth it.

Played golf with the boys yesterday. I swear, that game was invented by the devil. One time out and I play well. Next time out you'd think I had never played before. If someone can explain that to me I'd appreciate it.

Tonight I go for my first guitar lesson in 19 years. I decided I need to get some help with practice habits and such. I am far more rusty than I originally thought when I started with the band. So going to lessons will help with getting into good practice habits as well as having extra work with the song list. Could be fun.

I saw this freaky movie on SciFi Saturday night. I love those low-budget movies. Sometimes they can be pretty good. This one surprised me. It was called "Rest Stop". It was about this woman who stops at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere. While in the can her boyfriend disappears. As it turns out this rest stop is the hunting ground for a demented redneck in a yellow pick-up. Apparently he has been torturing and killing for decades via stranding women at that rest stop. It was pretty good, to tell the truth. Not an Oscar winner but good for a cheap thrill.

OK, time for more coffee. Happy Monday to everyone. :)

To The New York Yankees.....

Nice job.


Real.


Fucking.


Nice.






(Except for you, Captain Jeter.)

... And why is he still in there?

I think Joe is losing his mind.

As I'm Watching This....

... I am totally disgusted that RJ is still pitching. I knew he was washed up before this season. He does not deserve to be pitching in the post season. He is over the hill.

I hope the Yankees score after that loser is out of the game. He sucks ass!

Just Like My Old Job

This comic really makes me laugh.....




...I think because I could see this exact thing happening where I used to work. Thats how they handled almost everything.

Plus the punchline is funny (to me). :)

Could Be An Interesting Day

Did you ever take a longer road just because you felt like it? I did that this morning. I took a longer, more out of the way road just because the road fit my mood. It is secluded, lonely and deserted. It took far more time to go that way but I really didn't care. Somehow that worked for me this morning.

Did you ever think something about someone and then become surprised that you were right? I did that this morning. I was waiting in the coffee line this morning wondering why it was so slow. I noticed a new face behind the counter. She looked really young. I thought she also looked European. She was new and in training. I noticed one of the regular people showing her the keys and I thought it was excessive. She didn't seem to understand the labels. I remember thinking, "I wonder what country she is from?" Then I spoke to her. She had some heavy accent, maybe French? I dunno. She had this really long french braided hair that hung to her waist. Maybe she really was French?

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and wondered where the nice drivers have gotten to just to be surprised when one shows up? I had that happen this morning. I was stuck for a while trying to turn left across traffic. I waited and started thinking that I had been stupid to end up there. Then suddenly the line of traffic stopped and I saw a guy waving me across. I went by him and waved. That was pretty cool of him. His light was still green and he didn't need to do that. I thanked him several times even though he didn't hear it. Maybe he had been stuck in that left turn lane before too.

Have you ever seen a sight that made you feel the word "alone"? I saw a kid standing all alone in the rain waiting for the bus this morning. It was still half-dark out too. He had a rain coat and his backpack on and was waiting all by himself. I thought, "Now there is a lonely looking picture." It made me think that I knew what "alone" felt like.

Have you ever realized that a day old conversation may have meant more than you took it to mean when it was live? I did this morning. Something my best bud talked to me about yesterday suddenly clicked in my head that it may have meant something totally different than I had taken it for. I can't wait to see her today.

So that's how my brain is working this morning. Tonight we are having a big time happy hour downtown. Lots of people going. Two good people are leaving the company and one has a birthday. Should be fun. It's gonna be the second time we've mingled with co-workers. I think I'll skip out on too much boozing. Gotta keep up appearances. Besides, I can't be late for the Yankee game. :)

With my brain wavelength-ing (I just made that word up) like this, it could definitely be an interesting day.

The Times They Are A'Changing

For the past 2 months I have been stuck to the new job like old chewing gum to the bottom of a shoe. It has been the most high paced, non-stop time I can remember at work in a very long time. This week has been the worst of it all. It seems like I just got started on Monday morning and suddenly it's Thursday. But this week marks a change.

The hard stuff is over. We have accomplished everything we needed to accomplish to get the project back on the right schedule. We have pushed and pulled, bitched, freaked out, laughed and run ourselves ragged and now the tough stuff is done. Life can now resume again.

I am looking forward to it. :)

I got a call from the big cheese yesterday congratulating my group for the job we've done. That was cool. No matter who you are and what you may think of the big cheeses of the world, a call like that feels good. (Good thing he's an OK guy. That made it even better.)

So now I can get into a more normal routine. We all can. There is still work to do. But the work load is much more manageable.

Most of all, I am really looking forward to scheduling days off. That sounds sweet. :) Perfect timing since the Baseball post-season has started. Woo-Hoo!!

I am also looking forward to catching up with everyone. I have been lax in the blog world since I started here. Couldn't be helped though.

So pats on the back for all the good people I work with these days. Even though they will never see this post I want to put that down here so someday I can look back and remember this feeling. Accomplishing what we have feels pretty good.

Now, about those days off.......

My New Super Power

I learned something new at Starbuck's this morning. If you use the cardboard sleeves that they give you for around the cups as a mime for whatever music is playing, someone will laugh.

Its true. Nicci was in a pretty foul mood this morning. So when I grabbed the sleeve waiting for coffee I started moving it like it was a mouth singing the song that was playing. Despite her mood and the obvious stupidity of it, she laughed.

Then I noticed the coffee guy watching me and he laughed. Behind him was Rachel Weisz (not really, just someone who really looks like her that works there) and she was laughing too.

Sometimes my goofinss can be a super power.

Spread the joy, thats me. ;)

Blame It On Society

I met someone at Starbuck's today that made me think of this comic:




When she walked into the store the first thing I noticed was her hard glare. She came through the door and when she was walking toward the counter she looked like her eyes were threatening to throw lasers at everyone. I was amused. But we all know that's the way I am.

So I watched her for a while. She was very pretty. Bright blue eyes, nice figure, generally attractive. She had a nice smile but it looked forced. The corners of her mouth were turned down when she was just standing still and not interacting. Her demeanor was very defensive. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her right leg never stopped its rythym, shaking impatiently.

The thought that popped into my head was that she didn't seem to fit in her clothes. You know that saying? She was dressed professionally and her hair was pulled back very tight into a little tiny ball. (Made me wonder what it was like loosened.) But the whole "leave me alone on penalty of death" attitude didn't seem to fit that pretty face because when the barrista spoke with her she gave a quick smile that totally changed her look.

Suddenly I felt the need to find out about her.

After ordering, she came to stand nearby. When she looked my way, I smiled. She hesitated and then smiled quickly and turned her head. Then she started looking at the news papers in the rack. Standing there with her back to everyone else, leg shaking in time to some secret rythmn. So I went to the rack and took a paper. Not intruding but close enough to her. She looked at me, raised an eyebrow and looked away again. Then I dropped the paper on purpose, right at her feet. I went to grab it but she quickly bent down and handed it to me. I thanked her and was rewarded with another quick smile. She just said "no problem."

Thats when my coffee was ready. I headed to the bar to grab it and the barrista called out another one ready. It was in a stainless steel travel mug. A big one too. Turns out it was hers. So she was right behind me when we got our coffee. I turned and almost bumped into her. I quickly stepped back like I had hit fire or something. I guess it amused her because she smiled again. I apologized and then I asked her about that big travel mug. She explained that Starbuck's will put your coffee into any mug you want. We started walking toward the table where the sugar and stuff is while she told me about the travel mug. I mentioned that she must really like morning coffee to have such a giant mug. Either that or she was the sleepiest person I had ever met. That made her smile again. She started to lighten up.

So the conversation kept going for a while. She told me her name and we chatted for about 10 minutes. She was very nice. At one point I mentioned that she scared me when she walked in, what with the laser eyes and all. She found that really funny. She told me she was one of those unlucky women that everywhere she went someone was hitting on her. Someone was trying to get her to give up her number, trying to find a way to 'know her better'.... etc.... She said she can be pretty defensive these days. Yeah, no kidding!

I just smiled because I understood that. Guys these days don't seems to have as much respect for women like they should. Actually, people don't have the respect they should for others in general. I told her I understood and that I was happy she spoke to me. She laughed and said, "Well, you have a nice face." ??? Ok, I'll take that.

With that she told me to have a nice day and off she went.

As I left to head out to work I started wondering about people like her. She was an attractive woman but she was hiding it thanks to the way society treats attractive women. She was hiding her natural personality too, just to keep herself safe from what she called 'bad people'. Kinda made me sad.

The question is, do we blame this type of thing on society or do we blame society on us?

I easily could be mistaken for one of those type of guys whom she called bad. My natural curiousity and friendliness (when I feel like it) could get me in trouble with the wrong person. But it would be a mistake for someone to think that way about me. But these days, being friendly can get your feelings hurt or worse, some pepper spray in the face.

Deep thoughts for a Monday morning, eh?

But as always, it was nice to make a new friend. :)