Motivated Sellers

We took a look at a condo tonight. Some of the cabinets in the kitchen didn't open properly. The walls were dirty. There was a huge crack in a wall. The carpets were not in good shape. The toilet was permanently running. The kitchen flooring was crappy. There were dead bugs and a foot print in the bathtub. The realtor said that the seller was very motivated and would do whatever it took to sell. Minus cleaning the place up, I guess.

Depression Triggers

Going out to purchase a take-and-bake pizza from Papa Murphy's, and then having all the toppings slide off to the bottom of the oven where they instantly burst into flames as you are taking the perfectly cooked pizza out of the oven.

The Lurker

Back when FW&BF and I used to go out (when we lived in the same town, that is,) we used to see the same person every time. We referred to him as "The Lurker." Now he wasn't the exact same person every time, but there was always a lurker there. Lurkers appear to be interested in you, but they never actually manage to say anything to you. They just keep popping up wherever you are in the bar. We were constantly afraid that The Lurker would get up the courage to say something to us, as generally we were not interested in The Lurker. So it created an interesting sort of shuffle around the bar, a constant game of positioning yourself away from The Lurker, and then finding the The Lurker next to you once again, and re-positioning yourself. I miss those days.

A Polly Rink

Last night we went to Montelago Village to go ice skating. The internet said that they had a floating ice rink. We thought it sounded a little weird; it seemed like it might be hard to keep your balance while a floating ice rink was bouncing around. We got to the rink, prepared with our extra layers of socks, and were dismayed to see the size of the rink. We did not end up paying $30.00 to ice skate. It was tiny. And, there were many little children skating around with their traffic cones. Basically several accidents waiting to happen for a klutz like me.

So we went to Sunset & Vines for wine and appetizers. It was excellent. I recommend the crab cakes and the sliders too. The Joel Gott Cabernet wasn't half bad either.

Dirty Tricksters

We went out dancing at Cherry last night. It is the nightclub at the Red Rock Casino. It's a pretty cool place, fairly small, but easy to get into. They have a pool/patio area that is gorgeous. The DJ began the night by playing hip hop and rap. And all of a sudden they changed to house music. I can't stand house music. I think it should either be hip hop or house music night. The dancing was over once the house music started.

Quote of the (9)...

"She's hotter than a Mexican pepper."

Black Friday Definition

I thought to myself--I really don't like crowds, but maybe I will do some online shopping on Friday, as long as I'm home. I want a new set of pots and pans, in addition to my Christmas presents, of course. I had flyers for quite a few stores, but I didn't see the perfect set on sale. So I figured I'd see what was on sale at Macy's and Dillards. I tried to go to macys.com. I got some message about how they were too busy, and that I needed to wait while other shoppers finished up. As it turns out, I will not be doing any shopping this Black Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Gobble! Gobble!

Happiness And Wishes

Happy Birthday Dad!

Is That A Swimsuit?

P&AF and I went to the heated pool to swim some laps. After we had been there for awhile, a couple came out of the indoor hot tub with their two kids. I'm assuming that the kids were theirs, but it is possible that they were babysitting. The little girl (maybe 6?) was wearing a sort of little white ballet outfit or dance outfit. It was completely see through, with some silver glitter in front. She also was wearing just plain underwear as bottoms. The couple then proceeded to make out in the hot tub. The kids were alternating between playing in the hot tub and playing in the pool. Either way, it didn't seem to affect the parents getting hot and heavy. They were going at it whether Jane and Junior were a foot away or not.

About Spinning

We tried a spinning class tonight. I've never been to one before. I thought it was a pretty good workout. But-I did not know that it was a high impact workout-whooo--that workout was made for a superior sports bra. We're talking 4 barbells; if you happen to know the barbell system. It also was a little harder on the knees than I anticipated. The funnest part of the class was the singing. In between telling us to tighten up the tension on the bikes, the instructor would take little breaks to turn down the music and tell us to shout out the words. Picture ten sweaty, out-of-breath spinners singing, "I...can't...get...no....SATISFACTION!!!" It was a trip. Then at the end of the end of the class, during the cool down, the instructor went through to ask everyone to name something they love. P&AF said, "Turkey Tom." This confused a majority of the class.

See What I Mean?

I just saw the headline about the cruise ship pulling into Florida with some 700-odd passengers on board who are sick with the stomach flu. That is one reason why I have always been a little bit afraid of taking a cruise. They must be so germy if everyone gets sick that fast, and then there is no way to get away from it. You're just stuck on the sick boat in the middle of the ocean. It sounds horrible.
That's only one of my slightly irrational fears. I can't think of any other ones right now. Except for the possibility that I might get hit in the head by a stray rock that flies up from a car tire as I am waiting to cross the street.

Blogger's Block

So, for the first time during my post every day in November plan, I feel like I have nothing to say.
I think we're going to get a take-out Thanksgiving from a restaurant instead of cooking. My kitchen is too small, and there are only two of us. It would probably just make a huge mess, and we wouldn't get to make everything we wanted anyway. I don't know what restaurant to go with yet. Next year, I am hoping to have a nice kitchen that is perfect for making a turkey. And jello pretzel salad. We will make jello pretzel salad this year to supplement the restaurant take-out.

Awesome

Basketball practice in jeans with black leather assless chaps on top.

Where I Find Them

As I was going through security at the airport the other day, I began to take off my shoes and my coat. The agent standing behind the metal detector looked at me, reiterating that I needed to take off my shoes and my coat-"Yeah, that's right. Take off your shoes. And your coat. And your pants. And your undergarments."

Health Insurance...or Not!

I think health care in Nevada is the worst that I've ever encountered. If I try to use the HMO tier of my plans, then it takes about 3 months to see a doctor. If I use the PPO tier, then I can't get any tests that I need. I finally saw a good doctor last weekend. And then, when she ordered a test, my insurance denied coverage. They will cover it if I wait until the end of January for an appointment with the HMO people. Luckily health care is really not time sensitive. Right?

The Barefoot Airplane Problem

I took a plane to Reno today. The problem with taking your shoes off on a plane is not so much the actual taking off of the shoes. The problem lies in taking off the shoes, and then proceeding to take over your neighbor's space with your barefeet. Taking off your shoes and resting them comfortably in your space, right in front of your seat or under the seat in front of you is good. Taking off your shoes and crossing one of your barefeet over your knee, with your ankle up on your thigh, and your barefoot hanging out into your neighbor's space, often touching their thigh, is disgusting. Keep your barefeet off me.

Cat Terrors

I have mentioned the cat haven that is my apartment complex in previous posts. There is one cat that is currently very, very annoying. We refer to it as the "cow-cat." This is because it is large with black and white markings like a Holstein. This cat likes to yowl through all hours of the night and day. It sounds like it is saying, "Mrooowwww---yo-yo-yo-yoo-yoo-yo-o-o-o-o...." This is not the most pleasant sound at 4:30AM.
Also, Henri has taken to knocking over the papason chair for fun. I thought that she was doing it accidentally, i.e. she just went to lay down in it, and then her weight caused it to topple. However, I witnessed her, in one of her frantic moods, tearing about the house tonight. She walked in the office, knocked over the papason, and then walked back out of the office non-chalantly. She promptly began attacking a brush, further demonstrating her feistiness. I think it is because she is on a diet.

Halfway There

The Packers beat the Vikings today. That means I am half way to a great season.

House Hunting

One of my favorite things about looking for a new house is when the seller's try to convey the urgency with which our new home must be purchased.
Seller: "You know, these incentives aren't going to last forever."
The best part is that P&AF always responds to them.
P&AF: "Really? Are you sure? I kind of thought they would..."
The sellers then become flustered. Often another seller, listening from another room will join the conversation to reinforce the urgency that the first seller was trying to make us feel. It's excellent.
I generally just watch in amusement, wondering if the sellers all really think that I am somehow going to drop $200,000.00 on a townhouse that I just saw for the very first time 20 minutes ago. No big deal really, kind of like picking out a candy bar at the drug store.

Barefoot and Bizarre

I went to a seminar for work yesterday. I walked into the room, which was more like a dungeon than a lecture hall. The walls and ceiling were all black; the tables were black; and there were small lights placed around the room, like those you would find over a bar in a house. It was also freezing cold. Anyway, I looked for a spot when I came in. I found an open seat at a table with a guy who looked fairly normal...upon first glance. After sitting down, I first noticed that he had taken his shoes off. He had been wearing loafers with no socks, and then took them off to sit with his legs crossed on his plastic chair. Every now and then he would also bend one leg completely up, and sit with his arm wrapped around it. He was wearing khaki shorts and a biker's shirt with his barefoot-ness. I get very grossed out when people take their shoes off at inappropriate times. It isn't that I don't like feet, because I have nothing against them in general. But I just don't understand why people need to take them off in seminars or on planes. Or at least, if they take them off, they could keep their feet discreetly hidden. Like under the airplane seat in front of them, or under the table---anyplace where I don't have to see them or hallucinate that I'm smelling them. This seminar guy also asked several questions of the presenter; he even made some "suggestions," which mostly seemed to irritate the presenter. The funniest part was that a couple times he was asked what business he was in. He answered (in as many words as possible) that it was extremely long and complicated, and he really couldn't go into it; there just wasn't enough time. I had trouble not laughing. It's humorous (and slightly ironic) when people spend as much time as possible telling you that they just do not have the time to explain something.

Do I Belong Now?

In all the places that I've lived since high school, I find that it usually takes awhile before I feel comfortable in a new geographical area of the country. There are some places that never ended up feeling right to me. It was like I was constantly living on a different wavelength or plane of existence than everyone there. Northern California was great; I think it was the first place that truly felt like home to me. So the transition to living in Vegas has definitely had some hitches. One, of course, would be the weather, but more than that it has to do with the general climate created by the people. That's how it is in most places, it's whether you really fit in with the people wherever you're living. At least for me, that's how it is. The other night I was driving home from work, and I drove past the intersection where this entertaining guy hangs out. He wears insane costumes; sometimes he looks like a clown, other times he is wearing an expensive looking suit. He usually stands there yelling at cars, playing the keyboard, or making gestures as people drive by. So, as I was saying, the other night I was sitting at the light where he stands. He looked at me, smiled, waved, and blew me a kiss. That must mean I'm starting to get it here. It's all falling into place.

Voting Pays

As I mentioned before, we spent Sunday at Big Dog's watching the Packers game. One of the topics of conversation was the upcoming election. P&AF and I were the only two non-smokers out of a group of 8 people or so. We were discussing Question 5, which was an Indoor Clean Air Act of sorts. We actually had two smoking bans on the ballot here, but Question 4 was mostly written by casino advocates and a lot more lenient. Question 5 would ban smoking in all establishments that prepare food. I think there are some exceptions, but it is actually pretty strict. Anyway, P&AF and I wanted the bill to pass, so that the Packers bar wouldn't be so smokey.
Our conversation went like this-
P&AF: "So you're all going out to vote "No" on Question 5, right? So you can keep smoking here?"
Smokers: "No, what? That's not going to pass here anyway. That'll never pass in Nevada."
P&AF: "You don't think so?"
Smokers: "Nah, we're not going to vote. We only vote for president."
P&AF: "Perfect."
So, Tuesday rolls around, and we head to the polls to vote. I wake up this morning and QUESTION 5 PASSED!!! Quite the funny joke from my perspective...BUT Question 5 would NEVER pass in Nevada!

Vote!

I hope that you all went out and voted today.
After I finished voting, I was sitting on a bench in the lobby area of the library. A family of five came in to vote. There was a mom, a dad, and three little kids, all under about 5. The smallest little girl went running up to this big cow statue. It was pretty much the size of a real cow, and painted with a Las Vegas cityscape in Van Gogh style. The little girl was calling it something, like Nene. She gave it a big hug. It was just the funniest picture. A little tiny two year-old blonde girl hugging the head of this multi-colored cow statue.
It was a good end to my voting.

More Name Games

While at the Packers bar yesterday, P&AF's friend kept referring to me as Meredith. I often get that. Of course, not so often do I get it after knowing the person for about a year, and having the person pronounce my name correctly several times. P&AF kept trying to emphasize my name correctly. "MARYSE really wants Packer tickets for Christmas this year..." It didn't seem to have any effect. Possibly she thought she was saying "Maryse."

Bad Omen

When you are watching your favorite football team, and your center perfectly hikes the ball...right into your quarterback's face. Yeah, it happened. Yeah, we lost.

The Buzz And Boring

I think this blog might get kind of boring if I post every single day this month.
Every morning (during the week) when I leave my house, I hear a buzz alarm going off in a nearby apartment. I wonder how it can be going off for that long. I wonder why the person doesn't snooze it. I've never been much of a fan of the buzz. It actually gives me an adrenalin rush, similar to that of the experience of narrowly missing a head-on collision with a semi on a two-way highway. In college, my roommate used the buzz. It was horrible. She would snooze it, and then forget that she snoozed it, and leave to shower. It would go off again, while she was gone. I'd just be laying in bed, with my adrenalin-fueled heart racing at first, and then subsiding into a slower resigned beat of frustration and dread as I thought "Why am I awake at 7AM? Why won't the buzz stop? How am I going to shut it off? Will this pillow over my head help at all? What time did I even get in last night??" The pillows, and anything else within my reach, would then start flying across the room. I don't think I ever managed to shut it off.

Camp Ho

Last weekend P&AF and I went camping with a group of friends in Yosemite. We went grocery shopping the night before we left. As we were checking out, P&AF comments to the clerk.
P&AF: "Can you believe I get to camping with this girl?"
Clerk: "Don't worry, she'll put out."
P&AF: (At a loss for words.) "Really..."
Clerk: "Yeah, don't forget the condoms."
I was about 5 feet away looking at newspapers at the time of this conversation. I only caught the very end.
Clerk: "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Seriously? Is there something about camping trips that I don't know? Or do my jeans and sweatshirt somehow appear to be a tiny miniskirt with a halter top and 8-inch gold hoops to random grocery store clerks?

They Won't Touch You

As we entered a haunted house called "Mortuary" on Halloween, the gatekeeper told us that the actors would not touch us if we didn't touch them. We walked through the winding, dark hallways and came to a room that was made up of twin bed size compartments of chain link fence. The three people in front of us walked in between the compartments, and a supposedly dead person began swinging a piece of the fence out towards them. We began walking through, and the fence swung out, hitting me in the arm. The actor immediately broke character and goes, "Oh, Sorry!" I couldn't stop laughing after that. He just sounded so worried and sincere.

Everyday

I heard that bloggers are supposed to post every single day for the month of November. I don't know if I can handle the challenge. I might try though. I am a fan of the month of November. I especially like Thanksgiving. I am also excited to see Turkey Tom on Thanksgiving.