Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Bullmoose News

I made the news last night. I also made the paper today. It's true. And I didn't shoot anyone, win a medal or patent a new drug that cures cancer. I ran into a bullmoose. Yup. Me and 4 other vehicles, actually. It's not every day I make headlines and unfortunately I didn't get to see it in the paper OR the news. It's like there was a party thrown for me and I missed the whole thing. Sad. Anyhow, here's the skinny:

A large bullmoose, standing at approximately 7 1/2 feet tall and weighing approximately 7-800 lbs, wandered onto I-80 Eastbound on Monday evening. I believe he was trying to cross over to greener pastures on the golf course on the other side of the highway. Darn those medians. I happened to be on my way up to Park City where I was dog sitting at around 10:40 pm, after having had dinner with two friends and played a delightful game of Quiddler (if you haven't played, you should try it. It's great.) . I noticed there were more lights ahead of me than I expected and then, very suddenly, I hit something very big.

I thought it was an entire wheel and tire of a car. Or perhaps somebody's engine. It was huge. It caused my two left tires to raise up off the ground completely and my car started to lean. It leaned so far I thought I had passed that sweet spot of balance and would soon be rolling over. Thoughts: "I think I'm gonna die. Hmm. That's early. Crazy. What was that? Darn it. Wait, my car has a steel frame! I might survive. I hope I don't brake anything. Whose going to get to the dogs?" You can think a lot in a millisecond.

Thankfully, my car leaned back over to where it came from and gave a giant, calamitous THUD as it landed on all fours back on the pavement where it came from and where I truly felt it belonged. I then stopped my car, put the hazards on and got out. I parked my car in the left lane. I figured I was better off staying there, as I seemed to have stopped my car right in front of another car that had actually flipped over. Clearly, that car had leaned too far.

I got out, afraid I might find a bleeding, dying someone trapped in the car in front of me. As I looked inside I was puzzled to find that no one was there. Good. But odd. I noticed a guy on the side of the road and asked him about it. He said the lady that was walking nearby had been the driver and that she had gotten out and seemed ok. Two people who had been driving behind me got out of their car and ran up to me(yes, I'm still in the left lane) . They exclaimed how amazed they were my car hadn't flipped. A brief feeling of validation that I really had been in some danger just a few moments before swept over me. "Thanks for noticing," I think, as if I was a 7 yr old who had just done a cartwheel and had been praised on my execution of the nifty stunt. A couple of other cars parked in the way of it all, to warn other cars and block them from hitting the moose. People are so good.

After a few more moments of assessing the situation and finding a whole bunch of people who seemed to be hanging out on this stretch the highway, I was able to figure out what had happened and learned of the very large bullmoose. There had been a semi-truck that hit it first. Thank heavens. All other cars, including mine, that had fallen prey to this "bump" in the road would have been totaled, and likely the drivers and passengers would have been killed, had they encountered such a large beast. Take it from me. You don't want an 800 lb beast being propelled at you through your windshield. Had there been a fight between me & my VW Beetle and a standing 800 lb bullmoose, the moose, if anyone, would have been the winner. No doubt about it.


The semi-truck was completely smashed in on its front end. After the semi hit it and then gained control and pulled into the shoulder of the highway, a small car hit the carcass and flipped. Then another car hit it and had damage. Then I hit it and, likewise, had damage. Pam, my poor, beautiful beetle, was undrivable. She did not move. So sad. And such a mar for me. I had been so good at not getting in accidents.

The highway patrol had come in droves, accompanied by ambulances and a fire truck. An officer kindly pushed Pam from the back and we were able to get her off the highway and onto the shoulder of the road. Someone else dragged the animal carcass off. The EMT checked out the lady who had flipped to see if she had any injuries. Things were being taken care of. After being out for a bit, I became keenly aware it was FREEZING COLD outside. I was shivering uncontrollably. The officers were kind enough to let me sit in one of their cars to warm up. Upon entering the backseat of the vehicle, I found myself in a warm, confined cage. Better than a cold outside, I say. But MAN, They really box those criminals in. The officer in the car joked with me that he hadn't turned on the electric shock on the cage. I laugh nervously. "Really?" Don't worry. He was joking.

Male had kindly agreed to come rescue me at the scene, but it would take him a bit to get through the backed up traffic. As my stay in the cage looked like it would be a while, the officer asked me to make noise every now and again so he didn't forget I was there and accidentally drive home with me. I said that would be pretty scandalous to have a girl in the back of his care overnight. He said that probably wouldn't be such a bad thing. I laughed. Funny, nice to see cops have a sense of humor. Then I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring. Huh. A single cop. Hadn't expected that. "Hey, look at that! Male is here! Yeah!!!" -- good timing. Male opened the door and let me out of my cage. What delight to have a boyfriend who will come rescue you from a bullmoose at 11:30 pm. I'm talking about the carcass, of course.

I told Male about the accident and expressed some remorse. He assured me this one really wasn't my fault. The moose's hair was so black he would have been invisible to any and everyone. I couldn't have avoided it. As he says this, I think, "Thank you for not deeming me a stupid girl and a bad driver because of this accident." Not to say people don't deem me that anyway. I give them cause every now and again. But I was pleased this incident would not be used as ammunition. At least not by Male. My brothers are another story.

Home we went. Realizing my luck in not having been a bit early and the first to greet the beast was a little much to take in. Male stayed with me for a bit after we'd let the dogs out and then he sallied home. I was safe, home, in bed and very happy to be there.

Next on my to do list: maybe I should find a job closer to home.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Apologies for disappearance

I must apologize for my disappearance as of late. It has been a most unsettling and crazy time. And although not much has changed since it became so crazy and unsettling, I feel at least settled enough to write a post.

What was so unsettling? Well, as my dear sweet co-blogger has so artfully posted, we had a lovely family reunion with all the little bumps and bogs. And I actually really enjoyed most of it, although there were parts of it that were just a little too close for comfort. Nonetheless, it was time well spent with people I really love.

So, I return home on Sunday night, and go to work on Monday morning to learn that I was being requested to turn in my resignation letter! What you say? Resign? Why? I only started two months ago. Well, we can all try and figure out why and for what reason, but it was pretty clear to me that the business just wasn't there. Not enough business, no money to pay associate. So goes it.

To say the least, the last month or so has been a bit of a scramble, but it is slowly coming together, or at least I am starting to feel more comfortable about it. My spiritual side has been comforting me the entire time, and I really feel like I will/have been guided to everything that I need, and more than I need actually.

Without sounding to whimsical, emotional, or off on a lallygag, I really feel blessed for the experience despite the fact that I am in the middle of it. I am learning and have learned quite a few lessons, and although plain, simple, and perhaps only serve as a reminder of things that I perhaps already knew, or perhaps was slacking on, it reaffirms that faith of things which I believe in. Perhaps it is self delusionary, or perhaps it is real. I tend to believe the latter and cannot argue for much more support than that.

Regardless, I press forward in looking for new jobs or potentially new clients. Hoping that all goes well. I shall be more diligent in my posting, as my fellow co-blogger carried the line strongly without me, and I hope to be of more support!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

100 things today

1. I am dog sitting at my boss's house right now.
2. I love the work commute from my boss's house. It's only five minutes away. Heavenly.
3. I like showing up early to work, and I was very easily able to do that today, because.. you guessed it! I'm staying at my boss's house.
4. I've decided my boss's house is too big. It takes forever to get from the kitchen to the bedroom to the shower to the closet... totally impractical.
5. I wish I had more time and more energy.
6. I chronically try to schedule more things to do in my life than I have time for and I don't know how to stop. This concerns me.
7. I'm not very good at the "games section" of the LSAT. I might have to work hard in order to improve.
8. I wonder if I have the mental capacity and enough energy and discipline to work hard enough to improve on the games section.
9. My ankle still hurts. It's been hurting for a couple months now. It totally bugs.
10. I wonder if the pain in my ankle has anything to do with the four inch platforms on my feet at the moment (they're red and strappy. what's not to love?) and all the other heels I wear regularly.... Nah.
11. I like being at work early. It's so quiet.
12. Veronica just came in and now it's not as quiet at work. Even though she doesn't make much noise. Kinda like her presence IS a noise. Ya know? But I like that she came in now anyway.
13. I want to celebrate my birthday next month by going to tea at the Grand America Hotel with friends. And I want to dress up.
14. I always think I want to dress up. If it weren't for the energy and time it took to get done up, I'd do it every day.
15. I wonder if I will even bother to celebrate my birthday this year. I normally don't, and I'll be dog sitting again up in Park City right then, which makes it even less likely that I would celebrate.
16. I started Therapy last week and I don't know what I think about that.
17. Okay, I have a few thoughts. I actually hate going to therapy. It's very draining and unpleasant. Despite this, I think it's a good thing.
18. I'm still not looking forward to my next appointment. I wonder if I can cancel it, even though I know it's a good thing to go. I can justify shopping, so why not canceling therapy?
19. I wonder why I wasn't ready to go to therapy 20 years ago.
20. People are complicated. Take me, for example. I'm very complicated.
21. I did some research yesterday on myself. It's very weird to see your personal attributes written on paper as part of a clinical study or as somebody's research. I feel like suddenly I can't take as much credit for who I am.
22. I wonder who I would have been had my life experiences been very different. I know this is pointless. But I wonder anyway and I feel a little robbed.
23. I am suddenly very thankful I am not a schizophrenic. How odd.
24. I look forward to lunch next week with two very good friends. I even daydream about what we'll talk about.
25. I marvel that Male knows almost everything about me and STILL keeps dating me.
26. I worry about Male's emotional stability and soundness of mind (see #25).
27. I think I need a haircut.
28. I think it's amazing I've let my hair grow as long as it has considering the fact I have the strong urge to cut it at least every other week.
29. A friend of mine said he liked how I looked with short hair, and at the time he said it I had long hair. I wonder if he meant to give me a hint or if he was just a clueless boy in not realizing it might come across as though he didn't liked my hair long as much he liked it short.
30. I want to go on birth control not because I need to control my ability to give birth, but because I saw a commercial that says it causes you to have your period only a few times a year and it controls acne. I think that sounds lovely and wonder if my doctor would give me a prescription.
31. I am excited for my parents to be leaving on a mission.
32. I mostly look forward to them being an ocean away.
33. I know I should feel bad about this, but I don't. This may be solely due to the fact my mother keeps trying to plan my wedding.
34. I'm excited for my new roommate, Sherrice. She seems very nice. And she's from NJ, so it's like she's a little bit of home for me.
35. I secretly wonder if Sherrice is a perfect match for my friend, Will.
36. I realize I try to match almost any cool girl I know with my friend, Will. I wonder what that means.
37. I wonder how Holly came up with 100 things so fast. I seem to be taking forever. Of course, I only think she came up with them quickly because it didn't take very long for me to READ it.
38. I'm still amazed at my lack of celerity because I've had so much going on in my head lately that I really thought this would be quick.
39. My mind has been starting to wander into territory it has never gone before, namely the realm of what could or would be in a "progressive" relationship with Male.
40. On occasion, I look forward to that progress.
41. I feel reassured that I'm still me when that happy daydream is quickly squelched by the fear of being disappointed and also by the dread I have always felt with anything resembling or associated with that kind of progress.
42. I love my ward.
43. I wonder if I should really get a law degree.
44. Having a law degree sounds cool. Don'tcha think?
45. I secretly think a law degree would make me feel smarter. Ok, so that's not such a secret anymore.
46. I wonder if it serves any other purpose for me.
47. Oh yeah. Money. And career options. Security. And being able to provide a valuable service for others. I forgot. I feel better now.
48. I wonder how other people become successful without having degrees. I don't think I could do that.
49. I hear Sharon Stone is a overflowing with energy; a real nonstop, go go go kind of person. I envy her and wish we shared more in common than just our name.
50. Halfway there. I must be a pessimist. The glass seems half empty at the moment.
51. I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving.
52. I'm really glad Male decided to come with me to go home for Thanksgiving.
53. I wonder how I will ever manage to go shopping in NYC if Male is with me for my trip home to Thanksgiving.
54. Hmmm... I may be planning a trip to Vegas, sans Male, to go shopping.
55. I think of myself in comparison to how I was two years ago and think I've become a lot less vivacious. Just thinking of how productive I was two years ago makes me tired now.
56. I wonder if I will ever get that energy back. Maybe when my ankle gets better.
57. I wish I saw my sister more often.
58. I want to buy my sister a straightener and a fabulous new hair cut for Christmas.
59. Ouch. That's going to be expensive.
60. I wish I could just give it to her now. But I don't think she'd like it if I gave it to her for no reason. I think I have to wait for Christmas. Dang it.
61. I look forward to hanging out with Justin next month.
62. I have slight concerns about looking forward to it. But I think it's not an anticipation unlike my anticipation for seeing other friends, which makes it ok. It's just hard to tell.
63. It may take me a few get-togethers with him to feel normal about the two of us.
64. Evolving relationships are tricky.
65. I wish it were lunchtime. I don't know what I will be eating, but I look forward to it anyway.
66. I wish the cake we had in the fridge at work didn't make my stomach sick. It tastes so good. I would have that for lunch if it didn't do that.
67. I would like staying in Park City better if they had a Golds Gym up here.
68. I'm glad I got to see my friend Adrian. She's so stinking smart, it's amazing.
69. I wish I didn't work so much. I look forward to not working so much.
70. I wonder when the time will come that I won't work so much.
71. I keep saying I want a dog, but suddenly I'm not really sure that I do. I love dogs. I like the idea of having one. But that doesn't necessarily mean that really I want one, now does it?
72. I wonder if I will ever be rich. If I were, what kind of rich person would I be?
73. I hope I wouldn't be silly and waste all my money on clothes, travel, cars and a big house. But I fear I would. They're so tempting.
74. I wonder if I'd just be better off as a farmer with a life full of more simplicity.
75. Life has so many distractions.
76. I think Male's great.
77. The ring I'm wearing always catches my hair elastics when I try to put my hair back. It drives my CRAZY!
78. I love my new cell phone. It has a planner inside with bells and whistles. And it's incredibly sleek and sexy.
79. I'm useful. I like that about me.
80. Sometimes I think I would love to have a "status" bag because they're so stylish and other times I'm so glad NOT to have one because of what they say and symbolize. To have or not to have. That is the question.
81. I think I'd rather save up and get a computer. Funny that they are worth just about the same amount of money. Depending on the bag, the computer could even be a lot less expensive.
82. I still like stucco on houses. I don't care what Male says.
83. I like wood floors and I hate wall to wall carpeting. It gives me the heebee geebees.
84. People who clean their cars regularly amaze me. I should clean Pam more often. She's so dirty right now (I can see her from my office window).
85. The weather is so delightful and the colors in the mountains are so pretty that I almost forget the dread of winter that tends to come when fall arrives.
86. I'm glad I can see the colors on the mountains so clearly from my office.
87. Dang, I've really got a good view!
88. I think it's funny that I call the front reception area of our suite, where my desk is located,"my office".
89. I'd think my boss was a lot more intelligent if he didn't use a girl with a master's degree as a receptionist and secretary.
90. I'm glad the girl who always decides to plant herself in front of our suite when she curses and argues at her ex-boyfriend, Alex, over the phone, is not there right now.
91. I'm glad I'm not as neurotic as she is and think Male may not be so badly off with a girl like me.
92. Poor Alex.
93. I think I will clean the fridge at work today. I've been thinking about it for a good week or so.
94. I wonder what I'll eat for dinner.
95. I wonder even more what I'll eat for lunch.
96. It's almost lunchtime. Yeah!
97. I still want to go see Little Miss Sunshine. Curses that Male has that no rated R movies policy. Maybe I'll rent it while I'm in Park City.
98. writing 100 things for today is a lot more of a task than I thought it would be.
99. My left pinky hurts because of a tragic mistake I made in my typing class in the sixth grade. I never learned to used the shift key with my right pinky.
100. I'm gonna wind up being one of those old people warning kids not to start bad habits when they're young and then I'm going to relate to them my story about my poor left pinky. Then they'll understand!.... Be afraid. Very afraid.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Weekly Word: "Spender"

Through research, the general population of economists and financial advisors have found most people "grow into" their income. There's that initial point of being able to meet needs, (which I think is somewhere around $30,000 for a family of 4), and then everything after is really just the extra comforts and niceties we know, love and would like to know better .

I have reached the point where I am meet my own basic needs. Hallelujah. And now? Ooooh. I can easily imagine "getting by" on practically double my salary. I look forward to the year I can get my hair done regularly and fly to Europe for a two and a half week vacation, stomping and frolicking all over London and Paris. At that time, I would ideally be vacationing away from my fabulous home which I have filled with creature comforts of lovely furniture and home decor. Am I asking for a lot? Growing up in America where bigger is always better and spending money is fashionable, I might seem a "reasonable"gal. Take me to Africa and they would likely think me a Diva. It's just so hard to figure out "reasonable" when you look from a global rather than national perspective. It'd be easier for me if I didn't do that. Note to self: endeavor to be less globally minded. Then you won't feel so bad for being such a spender.

In looking at spending from another angle, I think about lavish hopes and wants and needs in relationships. You can lavish someone with kind deeds, thoughtfulness, affection, listening, patience, service, selflessness and a whole bunch of things. These things are free as far as money is concerned. But can you overspend? Can you give someone too much? And then, what about the receiving side? How do you know what your budget is? How do you know what it should be.

It makes a lot of sense to look at this kind of budget in terms of romantic relationships as well. I am reminded of the "love languages" theory. Let me think.... If I remember correctly, we have: physical affection, acts of service/kindness, compliments, gifts and quality time. Amongst these categories, one could draw out a budget of what you need and also what you tend to spend. Then, compare with whoever it is you are or would like to be romantically "relationed" to and see if you can adjust and meet each other's needs. It's TOTALLY like a budget. And if you or they can't do that... well... much like a job that can't pay your bills, you should likely find a different one that fits.

It seems to me these kinds of commodities translate into a type of universal budget that knows no class of people. What a lovely idea that we can all "afford" to spend and be spent on, where it would be possible that there be no poor. I suspect that I fall into the group of people who are low-budget. I don't ask much. But I have a concern. If you do that, do others budget you less because you don't seem to need it? Or does the excess go into a savings account that you can access later? Maybe I should become more expensive.....

On the other side of the coin,I don't think I give that much. Therefore, uncharacteristically, this makes me not a very big spender. I'm low budget on every end of this. How absurd. What I have in abundance I seem to dream up fewer ways to do things with. That's a really bad way to do things. From what I can make of this kind of budget, I think I should be 'spending' as much as possible. You'd think it would be so easy, considering my nature. If only that transferred into how I spend my thoughtfulness, service, patiences, affection and selflessness. Alas, I must endeavor to be a better spender AND be less globally minded. How's your spending going?