When I close my eyes
-Heart

Editor’s note – this post is all over the place, for those that are tangent weary, you’ve been warned.

Last week a local high school teacher came to my place of business for a two day look at how technology and business collide. She was looking for ways to get her students excited about technology in the classroom and how to prepare them for careers where technology is essential. Andre and I loved talking to her– she was energetic and very curious and it made for a very enjoyable conversation.

I guess that’s why I dreamed last night that my entire office was invited to a high school classroom to talk about what we do. (I should mention she took one of my cards and one Andre’s cards and promised to call when school starts to schedule us to chat with her 10th graders about what we do). And I’m sure the other reason I had this dream because I spent part of the weekend watching My So-Called Life on DVD.

Tangent – My So-Called Life was brilliant television. I vividly remember sitting in homeroom one morning in 10th grade when Colleen Craft excitedly asked me and the Crackel twins if we were watching the show. When we all said no, she said, “You have to watch it! Seriously, you like, totally HAVE to watch it. It’s like, so exactly what school is like. And if more people don’t watch it, they will like, cancel it. And plus, the guy on there is totally hot.” Well, the last part was all it took to get my attention. (Hello, Jared Leto). But for some reason I didn’t get to see a whole lot of the show. (Probably because I didn’t want my parents catching me watching something that featured underage drinking and drug use). UPDATED TANGENT - It was on against Friends. That totally explains it. So now, I’m revisiting it on DVD. And geez, was it ever spot on for what I remember it was like to be a 15 year old. You know, that time in life when being addressed by an adult on any topic would simply elicit a heavy sigh and eye roll from you.

Still on the tangent - And speaking of Jared Leto – I remember equating him with that guy Josh that was a senior when I was maybe in 9th grade. (You know who I’m talking about Heather and Grace!) The guy with the long brown hair that we all loved. His senior quote was simply, “love.” Anyway, I love some Google, I totally remember his last name and googled him and found out where he graduated college and that he still lives in the area and his email address. Ok, so I did one quick Google search – a cyber stalker that does not make me. (Heather and Grace, next time we're all in town, we should totally do a drive by). I’M KIDDING, PEOPLE. Mostly. How is it possible that I can remember all of that but have been trying for over a week to remember who my 11th grade English teacher was? Ugh, American Lit, I bet that’s why I can’t remember. Give me the Brits any day. (Sorry, Holli).

Now, back to my dream. My coworkers and I loaded up on a bus and went to visit the school. The entire time on the bus I was panicking because I was going to have to talk to a bunch of disinterested teenagers that would probably laugh at me. I was even more disturbed to realize I had simply brought along a baking pan and a skillet as my props. No laptop, no projector, no luggage tags with the logo, etc. Nope, just a skillet and a baking pan.

We arrived at the school and were split into several groups. I was sent to a kindergarten class. YEA! At least I could use the pan and skillet to make some noise – maybe I would tell them that I was a drummer, they would think that was cool, right? After all, they are five; it won’t take much to entertain them. And then, Will and Jessica from So You Think You Can Dance walked in and the kids went crazy. Will and Jessica? Really? At least put me in the room with Mark and Chelsie or Twitch and Kherington or Joshua and Katee – somebody with personality! I skulked to the back of the room and listened to everyone else talk about what they do for a living and finally I raised my hand and asked to be excused. I took my pan and skillet out into the hall to find the ladies room. I was frightened to discover that these were kindergarten bathrooms. This meant that the doors were only three feet tall. I finally found the teacher’s lounge and went back to my assigned classroom to discover the kids were taking a nap.

Here we discussed the pros and the cons of the four a week, 10 hour days many of us have been working and I wisely told the group that I had learned to sleep with my head propped up on my hand next to my computer which made it look like I was working to the casual passerby. (Totally not true). Then someone yelled at me and my clock went off. It was one of those mornings when I literally cried out, “Noooooo!!!!!!!”

So what can we make of the madness?
1) I love So You Think You Can Dance
2) I love My So-Called Life
3) I wish I had of gone to high school with Jared Leto
4) I don’t like speaking in front of groups of people
5) I didn’t empty the dishwasher last night, consequently leaving some dishes still in the sink
6) I didn’t sleep well at ALL
7) I’m tired even though I had Saturday and Sunday to rest (Well, just Sunday. I worked around the house all day on Saturday).
8) I still heart Josh, class of ’93 with his long brown hair and bad ass senior quote
9) Clinically, I’m probably totally insane.

What do you think it means?

'Cause somebody told me
That's where dreams would be
Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas
Finally see my name upon the Palace marquis

Gonna quit my job and move to New York
'Cause somebody told me that's where
Dreamers should go
Gonna quit my job and move to New York
And tattoo my body with every Broadway show.

Listen up now honey, you're gonna be sorry
Can't get out from under a sky that is falling
And you say
No fame no money I'm nobody
The way I'm running has sure got me down on my knees.
But next stop, Vegas please.
Gotta get to Vegas
Can you take me to Vegas?

I'm gonna lose my mind and sail the ocean.
'Cause somebody told me there were
Cherry blue skies
I'm gonna fix my mind with a final destination
And have a deep sleep upon a sweet dream
I'll never realize...no

Listen up now honey, you're gonna be sorry
Can't get out from under a sky that is falling
And you say
No fame no money I'm nobody
The way I'm running has sure got me down on my knees.
Next stop, Vegas please.
Can you take me to Vegas?
- Sara Bareilles

Love this song. This song is my theme song right about now. Car issues are the worst. Maybe I'm on the other side of it now, though. Also experiencing major league burn out. Must. Have. Vacation. Soon.

Or your all night restaurant
- SheDaisy

I’m in a cooking mood lately. I’m by no means the world’s best cook, despite that Food Science class in college that Holli made me take. Just kidding, you know I loved it – green muffins and all. But for some reason, lately I’ve had a huge interest in teaching myself how to cook. The problem is that I don’t have great instincts. I can find a recipe and follow it and be ok, but I have zero imagination.

So I’m working on it. I have to give props to the Pioneer Woman and her cooking blog for giving an average cook like me hope that good food doesn’t have to be super difficult. (Side note, Pioneer Woman is awesome. I love her blog, you should read it). I made her lasagna and am proud to say that it was very good. And hey, guess what, the Internet is GREAT for finding recipes and such, so I really don’t have any excuses anymore, right?

I’ll keep y’all posted on my cooking progress, too. Why, you ask? Well, I guess because it gives me something to blog about and as you can tell, I’ve had a huge writer’s block lately.

Now, does anyone have any suggestions (other than the obvious Chicken Marsala) on what to do with chicken and fresh mushrooms? I’m listening. Let me know.

-- Sara Bareilles

I could have been a meteorologist. No seriously. I think I could do it. What other job is there in the world that you can be flat out wrong 99% of the time and still stay employed? Oh wait, maybe a politician, but I digress.

The point is, if a runner up from The Bachelor can double as reporter and weekend fill in weather girl, I could totally do it. And I love weather. It is interesting to me. (Yes, Justin, that is my mother calling right now to ask me if I’ve checked the weather). And growing up where I did, I have a healthy respect for it. But all seriousness aside, pretty much any woman out there could do the weather.

Here’s why – our hair. No really. I can tell in the morning by my hair if it going to rain or not. And I’m right just as many times as those balding weather guys are. Who needs to study the Jet Stream and learn about wind shears and such? A girl with straight hair will tell you on days the humidity is up and/or days that rain is likely, her hair will try its best to curl. And on the other side, on days the humidity is up and/or days that rain is likely, girls with curly hair like me will find there somewhat lackadaisical curls will either refuse to curl at all or hyper curl into a Shirley Temple cut. These are facts, people. And this doesn’t even cover “big hair” days. Ladies, am I right?

Walk - personality
Talk - personality
Smile - personality
Charm - personality
-- Lloyd Price

So, I don't usually put much stock into those internet personality tests. They usually give broad generalizations based on a few easy questions. I was reading Pop Candy today and Whitney linked to a really cool, in depth personality test and it was pretty much spot on. I'm a Benevolent Visionary.

They tell me a Benevolent Visionary is the following, and I think it does sound like me:
Your imagination, self-assuredness, and knowledge of the world combine to make you a VISIONARY.

You enjoy having a routine, and prefer comfort and familiarity to risk and adventure.

You are somewhat rigid in your beliefs, which comes from both confidence and an aversion to change.

You are good at creating works of art in forms with which you're familiar.

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.

You are a great person to interact with—understanding, giving, and trusting—in a word, BENEVOLENT.

Your caring nature goes beyond a basic concern: you take the time to understand the nuances of people's situations before passing any sort of judgment.

You're concerned with others at both an individual and societal level—you sympathize with the plights of troubled groups, and you can care about people you've never met.

Other people's feelings are important to you, and you're good at mediating disputes.



Mouse over the graphic for details.
So, what are you?? Let me know.

I'm a Toys "R Us Kid

You know what I've been realizing lately? You never really get past kindergarten. I'm serious. Life is just a serious of hoops to jump through and things to do to fill up the day. Ok well, maybe life is really just high school. No one ever really grows up. Think about it. It's all about getting people to like you. It's all about avoiding those that don't. It's all about trying to keep the peace with those around you. You have to learn to play in the sandbox with everyone. You have to deal with the consequences of pushing someone down on the playground. And you have to deal with the consequences of someone trying their best to push you down. Life's hard. It can be fun and funny and happy, but it is still hard. And at the end of the day, I think we're all just a bunch of little kids running around trying to figure things out. Don't you think?

But I’ve got friends who love me and they know just where I stand
- Jessica Andrews

Hi friends! Yea, 2 posts in 2 days! First of all, a note to my great friends who have asked – I am totally fine. Maybe not FDA approved/government regulation “fine,” but I’m good. I promise. I love all of you for asking and wondering about me. Sometimes I forget that you guys read this and really pay attention to it so I tend to just go off and let my sour mood seep through. I know part of that moodiness is what you love (the rants). And part of it makes you wonder just what the crap am I so pissed off about.

The truth is it hasn’t been a totally awesome year in some ways. In others, it has. I’m blessed. I have a house, I have a good job, I have a great family and I have the best friends a gal could ever ask for. And all of that far outweighs the negative crap that may have seeped into my mind over the past few weeks. I just have felt a little like Charlie Brown in the Christmas special. But the good news is, I will totally get over it and be fine. I promise.

So, let’s talk about 2006 people. Of course I’ll just hit some of the highlights and jump in with things I omit, ok?

January – The Oreo smashing incident (sorry Emily)
February 23 – The bad day/McDonald’s incident
March 8 – The Vomit Tour ‘06
April 5 – “Wet and Black” and menus
May 5 – Honey Barbecue wings
June 15 – Cell phone in the “Crowd Pleaser”
July 14 – Ok, so I talk to myself sometimes
September 11 – 5 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks
October 17 – The Ole Miss game
November 9 – A friend, a friend of a friend (FOF) and a dancing monkey


What a year, folks! Here’s to an even more awesome 2007!

Love,
Amy

I was talking to Holli the other day and we agreed that as adults, it really isn't the most wonderful time of the year. I mean, I don't know why, but I've just gone all Scrooge this year. I'm tired, irritated, stressed and what not. I don't know what my problem is. I'll be glad for a week off and away and maybe that will bring about the good cheer that I so desperately need. If not, could you pass me a cup of cheer along with some Vicodin? Thanks.

Anyway, I went to Chicago a few weeks ago. Many of you know what all transpired there, but for those that don't, let me just break it down into bite sized pieces: 1) My carry on was mercilessly searched and gifts were unwrapped, inspected and cleaned with wipes containing who knows what. 2) I got into an argument (hold it right there, it was NOT my fault) with a total tool with a Napoleon complex in line a the gate, 3) And I also had to witness a screaming match on the shuttle to the airport with the driver and a passenger which resulted in the passenger (literally) being left on the side of the street. All in all it was a great trip, though.

Otherwise I’ve been moving into a new office at work. Can I get a hell yeah? I’ve got a window, people. For those of you that know me well, you know that this small thing is colossal. I’ve been sun deprived entirely too long. And I’m aware of the irony of that – being that I’m a total ashy white pale face. Hey, Liesa, maybe my name should be Chief Pale Face Whines A Lot. What do you think? So there’s been lots o’ fun moving action to keep me occupied and to make my days all merry and bright. Seriously – is it time for my vacation yet? Grrrr…

I normally do some sort of year recap type thing, but I don’t really think I will this year. Not my best year, overall (not trying to be Debbie Downer here), but hopefully 2007 I’ll be back and fierce, y’all. Until then, peace, love, happiness and hugs from Dabbs straight at ya.

- ames

It’s no longer inside of me
Threatening the life it belongs to
-- Anna Nalick

Just a couple of bullet points:
1) James Blount – ok, so she is freaking beautiful. Stop your whining about it, ok? Seriously.
2) Daniel Powter – so I had a bad day, what’s it to you? I promise, if I hear this one another time on the radio, the only one “taking one down” will be my car stereo as it is ripped from my dash and thrown out the window.
3) Men and shopping carts. Guys, it DOES NOT make you less macho, less masculine, etc. to PUSH the cart. None of this pulling of the cart, one handed, all casual like. That is so not necessary. Real men can push a damn buggy at Wal-Mart, ok?

-- dabbs

And I'll prove to you its flat
You can keep your feet on the ground
But I'll be walking on air
You're pretty good at waiting
While I go running around
That's just the way it is
You know I, I got a hole in my pocket
-- Sheryl Crow

I know, I know, no updates forthcoming, sorry kids. Anyway, same old reason - crazy busy. A couple of quick, random things:

1) What is the world coming to when two of the top news links on cnn.com are about Ryan Seacrest and Terri Hatcher? Seriously. (And for the record, straight up I’m telling you Paula would win in that bitch slapping contest).
2) I got my teeth cleaned yesterday and was very excited to hear the entire Keith Urban Golden Road CD being played in the office. (Hey, it's the small things in life).
3) Saw a freaking awesome shirt yesterday - it was green and simply said, "Magically Delicious" with a four leaf clover.
4) There was a nun at the dentist's office. What? I'm a total Baptist, dude. I don't exactly get to see Priests and Nuns very often. She was very friendly. I'm sure it's totally inappropriate that I thought of the Sister Act movies, isn't it?
5) I just answered my work phone, "Hi, this is me." Yep, sure did, "Hi this is me." What is wrong with me? Fortunately for me, it was my dad.

So that's all I got, my friends. Comment away.

--dabbs