Giddy Girlie

Last night I had to take the elevator at work (I'm usually a stair master) because I had a cart full of boxes and it was the first time that I have used the elevator. The 1st thing I noticed was also the most disturbing.

There is a sign above the buttons that says "If you should become trapped inside the elevator DO NOT PANIC. There is little danger of running out of air or of this elevator dropping uncontrollably."

1) define 'little danger'
2) define 'uncontrollably'

You may remember my previous elevator experience. I think I am on the verge of a phobia. Except I keep riding Tower of Terror like Rain Man watches the People's Court.

[for the record, I DID try and photograph the sign, but the light in there is too dim and the flash just blurs it all out]

Posted by giddygirlie at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friday night we were unsuccessful in finding a bbq that fit a) our budget and b) our patio, so we decided that for Saturday's afternoon with friends that we would order a party platter from a local Mexican restaurant. Done and done.

Saturday morning we met the Cool Neighbors at the movies to see Pirates of the Caribbean III, and despite some people's reservations, I thought it was actually pretty good. It didn't feel like nearly 3 hours, if that is saying anything. Plus, the movies are awfully well directed and a lot of fun, so I had a good time. After the movie, everyone came back to our house to go swimming and I knew the kids were anxious to get to those diving boards (the pool closest to us has 2 diving boards, one is about 12 feet high) so I put out a deli platter and everyone had a sammich and then off to the pool we went. The Coolies had plans to be elsewhere by 7pm to watch the UFC fight, so around 3, 4, 5, and 6pm I asked if anyone was ready for dinner (the mexi food I was going to order) and no one was yet. Then it turned out that everyone blew off the fight to hang around at our place for a while and then holy shit it's almost 9pm, so I took everyone's order and high tailed it to Jalapenos, where they closed the door - literally - in my face. Man, I am the WORST hostess. Now I had to go back to my guests and offer more sandwiches or pizza. Lame. Anyway, it all worked out and they ended up staying even longer. The kids were having such fun drawing at Ryan's art desks that they didn't want to leave. Next time, everyone should just pack PJs and a pillow and I'll go order food, regardless of people saying they're not hungry yet. I promise.

Sunday, we met up with Adam, Miss Bliss, & Mr. Bliss for dinner at Doughboys and then another round of Cartoon Overlord. I'm so glad that we met early for dinner, so that we had extra time to chat because by the time we'd fully outlined the 2nd TV show pitch that is going to make us millionaires and embarrassed Adam in front of his "real" friends, we had just minutes to spare. Ever the dork, I talked too much about my cats at dinner, and while telling yet another amazing Ruckus story, Adam interrupted to say "Wait, I'm sorry. Is your cat's name Breakfast?" which I totally wish it was. I've been calling him Breakfast, the Most Important Cat of the Day ever since. So I am laying dibs to it NOW, internet: my next pet will be named Breakfast.

Doughboys has amazing food, and I seriously want to make a weekly appointment to eat there until I get through the whole menu. #1 on my list: Rice Krispy pancakes ("malted pancakes made crunchy with lots of rice krispies, then topped with a thick, creamy marshmallow cream"). The red velvet cake is AMAZING, which was verified by Miss Bliss, who is a southern gal herself and knows from good red velvet. Holy jeebus, that icing... I still have a piece of it in the fridge and I am scared to eat it and see the goodness end!!

Over at the Acme Theater it was the last night of Cartoon Overlord, which I am so glad that we got to see. We all submitted drawings (Ryan submitted a devil piggy guy, Adam drew a guy in a cheap home made Elmo costume, I drew the king of the sea monkeys, and Miss Bliss drew a kick-ass background) and then found our seats. While I was showing Adam the video on my camera of our pervy neighbor with his nightly sex show, we noticed that the guy in front of us was playing Gameboy. LOSER! Seriously, you can't be content to entertain yourself on pervy videos on your camera like everyone else?? Sheesh.

The first sketch of the night was the one drawn by Ryan and Bliss (see it on YouTube) and I barely got my camera turned on in time. Then Adam's came up (see it on YouTube), then mine (see it on YouTube). I am the worst camera man ever but YOU try and not laugh and lose control of your camera arms -- you can't!! I felt especially honored that the Overlord saw fit to end the sketch of both mine and Adam's submissions, for failure to please him. He noticed!!

After that, everything is pretty much downhill. I spent part of the day on Monday moping and the other part making a paper maiche skeleton. Why not?

Posted by giddygirlie at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

One of my goodlyiest friends is graduating from college this week, and it has been a long hard and winding road -- but that's his story to tell.

Anyway, I want to get him something nice. Something thoughtful. Something useful. Ryan is giving him a piece of art that he worked on that is John's favorite and is worth quite a few pennies. He said that I could share the gift, but I dunno... it's not something that I would pick. You know what I mean?

Anyway, that's why I need your help internetz! Any ideas? What are you buying for your grads? If it's any help, he's starting his new job as a CPA in 6 weeks or so, and will have his own office for the first time. But are the "executive" gifts too cheesy to start off with?

I'm leaning heavily toward cash, because he is going to Europe with his wife in a couple of weeks, but that's all been paid for by his (very wealthy) family. I know some extra spending money never hurt, but is $100 in an envelope too impersonal?

Posted by giddygirlie at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

My Lack enthusiasm is today's hack: http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2007/05/one-million-stipple-side-table.html

Yay for boredom and Ikea furniture! :)

Posted by giddygirlie at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Battle for the Bed continues, but at least I know I am not alone. Maybe we should start a support group for people who have to sleep with a squid or a gecko. We will give out complimentary bedside fans to keep them from overheating and advise about recent strategies (knee pillows, cats as buffer layers) to help everyone get a good night's rest.

Posted by giddygirlie at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday, I was shopping at H&M and had my own celebrity sighting -- and she was looking at the SAME DRESS that I was. Can you believe it? Celebrities also like reasonably priced summer clothes! Awesome!!

Posted by giddygirlie at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Surveys cause people to crack under the pressure. Maybe worse than group greeting cards, even. It's that same kind of pressure. I've seen it before - where one of the admins signs "Happy Birthday" on a funeral condolence card already signed by 15 other people or where someone writes "have a great birthday, you deserve it and you are really nice and let me use the copy machine when I just have one quick thing to copy before you start the big collating job..." The latter typically ends in a scribble that terminates in a cartoon cake. C'est la vie.

Today I was reviewing some event surveys and it apparently had the same stress effect. The comment sections were rife with this stuff: "event showing legal aspects was helpful to reality", "relevence of the topic at hand to the current business", "practicality related", "the chicken at lunch was dry".

It might be helpful to know that 1) we served beef at lunch and 2) the question asked was "would you suggest this event to a friend?"

Posted by giddygirlie at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Tuesday is day four of this particularly stupid headache. I am done.

I am going home to make myself a turban like this, only out of ice to cool my brains.

Posted by giddygirlie at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"dick gas" is officially my new favorite obscenity, and all apologies to the CEO who actually was born with this moniker. May buddha bless you, dude.

Sunday was a whole barrel of awesomeness, with the exception of my hair that decided that "flippy" was the recipe for the day and cooked it up by the stew potfull. (Yes, that's a real thing.) Firstly, Sunday began with catching up on Sopranos on DVD until 4am, which was awesome. Then I slept in until 11am, which is also awesome. We roasted outside in the sunshine for a while - awesome - until I was forced to put on some pants already so that we could drive up to LA to meet up with Bliss, Kate, & Adam for some deli at Canter's and then Cartoon Overlord, which is the BEST improv/sketch comedy/live animation you have ever seen. AWESOME.

Dinner was delicious and a freaking riot. Ryan even noted as we left "do we really have to go someplace where we can't talk now? I am having so much fun." I am already arranging a sleepover, and sincerely hope that Adam will come too -- because anyone that witty and handsome AND has a thing against M. Night Shymalan? Fuggetaboutit! Plus, he is a legitimate comic nerd (his words) so he and Ryan hit it off like gangbusters. Awesome.

The awesome company aside, Cartoon Overlord was a riot. It really doesn't translate to see it on the web, because you can't see the actors or hear the Overlord himself. It really was an experience and all of us left with sore cheeks from laughing so hard. In fact, we're planning a repeat for anyone who cares to join us -- anyone from 'down south' like me and Ryan are welcome to carpool along. We're thinking Memorial Day weekend, so no one has work on Monday and we can stay in LA and yak and Canter's until we run out of money or they run out of cupcakes.

C.O. is held at the Acme Theatre in LA which is in a cool neighborhood. In fact, I was glad that we were leaving the theater so late so that no one was mocking my nerdishness when I was taking pictures of the sidewalk stencil tags. Pictures to be posted on Flickr shortly. But next time, I plan to get there early enough to shop on Melrose, maybe buy a gigantic bird cage (see Flickr), and eat my body weight in cupcakes. Doesn't sound like a bad plan.

Posted by giddygirlie at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

All day yesterday, I thought it was Friday. But the worst part was that I kept thinking it was Friday. I would acknowledge that, no, today is Thursday and then in an hour think to myself "oh yeah! I get to sleep in tomorrow!" NO YOU DON'T. Geez.

I guess I have been super excited for the weekend because there is so much going on!

• Diamond Previews came out this week with the Hiding in Time promo & ordering info. Yay! Go Ryan!
• Saturday is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, which is cool because - free stuff - and also making the rounds to shake hands and kiss babies and sign autographs. (2006's event was a success) Unfortunately, Hiding in Time is not available in print yet, so no freebies of that book.
• Saturday is also Cinco de Mayo, which means many burritos will be enjoyed!
• The THREE new H&M stores in Orange County have opened -- 2 are about 2 minutes from my office and the other store is 2 minutes from my house!! I am going on a spree!
• Sunday, I am meeting up with Kate and Miss Bliss and potentially some other fun LA peoples (ahem) to see Cartoon Overlord which is going to be awesome, but also totally beside the point because HELLO! Kate & Bliss? I should go ahead and pack my overnight bag now. I'm not going to ever want to go home. Tantrum forthcoming.

Posted by giddygirlie at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)