Thursday, July 28, 2005

who lives here?

as I currently work for a wholesaler, I fill orders for all kinds of cities and companies with odd names. Here are some of the more interesting town names (I suppose it might be bad to put up the weird company names):

Tea, SD (do they drink a lot? do they make it?)
Winner, SD (hope it is one)
Manilla, IA (like the envelope)
Montezuma, IA (don't drink the water)
Oconomowoc, WI (not somewhere we sell to, I just like saying it)
Correctionville,IA (guess what's located there)
Ladysmith, WI (do they make them there?)
Argyle, MN (like the socks)

and the winner is...

Nimrod, MN


really, now. who was the genius who named this town? I'm sure there was a reason, but I have no idea what it was.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

I'm bubble boy!

someone should just put me in a bubble, really. it's apparent to me that the world is trying to make me hurt.

so the mexican polka pains eventually disappeared, a few ben gay patches later. however, I then made the decision to play softball with some old coworkers.

first, I was asleep 5 minutes before the game started, in the middle of a glorius nap. then I got a phone call saying I was late (true, I planned on being there early), so I left, half asleep. got to the game and was placed in center field 15 minutes after waking in a daze... I can't catch to save myself even if I'm *awake*. But I was able to throw to shortstop a number of times, to my surprise.

The kicker was when I was up to bat. keep in mind, I haven't done this in over a year. I HIT THE BALL ON THE FIRST TRY. that was good. then I started to run. I ran. really fast. I ran so fast, in fact, that I felt myself starting to topple forward. I hit the base and tripped over it, causing myself to sprawl out over the dirt and gravel. yeah. you're not supposed to slide at first. they asked me if I was okay, and my reply was, "am I safe?" I, indeed, was safe. my next teammate, however, managed to hit the ball right to second, so I wasn't safe for long.

my knee hurt -- I had ripped my jeans -- but it didn't seem too bad. the next day, however, I thought I might die. I actually wondered if it was getting infected, because it also looked kind of gross. and it hurt. a lot. it was red and hot and oozey. but never, fear, fellow reader -- today it appears that I will be fine, and that my leg won't be amputated after all.

I may, however, have to forgo all future physical activity. and it's a good thing my middle name isn't grace, or my life would be *really* messed up.

Monday, July 18, 2005

good for the sweat glands, not for the cartiledge

so yesterday was an okay day. very good in some respects, not so in others -- hence the average score of "okay". served people food on the patio for the second of my two shifts at the restaurant (that shall remain nameless to protect... um... well, I'm sure someone needs to be protected). didn't make as much money as I should have, but that happens. they were going to close the patio and send me home. they -- in this case, the managers -- then changed their minds, and I stayed a few more hours under the understanding that life is truly unfair. then I went home. the day was going to be over by 10 pm. aaahhhhhhhh.... sleep.....

ROOMIE!!!!!

that's what I heard as I walked in the door. although screaming was not the noise I wanted to hear upon arriving, at least I knew I still had a roommate. she (of course) asked if I wanted to go out with everyone... they were going latin dancing...

here comes my mistake. against my better judgement, I decided to go with them. I figured, "I'm still young, I'm working away my summer, I should have fun, I will suck it up and go out!" I knew I wouldn't get in until after 2 am (something I NEVER do, especially now as I work 80 hours a week) and I had only ten minutes to shower and get ready. The getting ready part was the least of my worries, as all the girls in apartment were impressed at my agility in the bathroom. I got to the place in one piece, and had a good time. danced a lot -- it was kind of a mexican polka, not totally sure. fun, nonetheless. all I know was that I got to work on my not-leading-the-guy-while-dancing skills. Also got a workout that makes up for me not going to the gym this weekend. The guys all paid for EVERYTHING. (that was nice of them!) the getting home after 2 am (2:37, to be precise) wasn't even all that hard, either.

The hard part was realizing that I may be getting too old for this.

Is that possible? Me, hardly past my quarter-of-my-life mark (and that does depend on my life expectancy), am too old for *dancing*? Me, who thinks getting older is pretty cool? Me, who even likes the grey hair I have coming in (as long as it comes in a nice set of streaks or something). But also me, whose knees and hips are screaming in pain as I sit in my office chair at work.

really, I just might die tonight at the restaurant. it's time to buy some ace thermal wraps for my knees. I'd get them for my hips, but I don't think that would work well. curse my roommate for her fun activities she gets me into.

the blue hair and cartons of depends are on their way.

Monday, July 11, 2005

chicago is a big city

so I discovered something this weekend: chicago is a big city.

yeah, I know. most people know this already. most of those people are city people. I am not. I realized this over the weekend. between having to grow balls on the highway in a big hurry so I could merge, to needing two people to help me parallel park, I found out how much of a child of suburbia I truly am.

"so what?" you may think. a reasonable thought, I'll admit. I will tell you "what".


this is only a situation because I'm moving there in a month.

yes, in less than a month I'll be moving there with the brilliant sivilicious and her cat. it will be good. it will be a learning experience (to say the least). I will learn to parallel park. I will learn to ride the el. (which can I tell you how glad I am to finally know it is an abbreviation for elevated! I only wish it was an acronym...) I'm sure I will learn other things that I don't even know I don't know yet. I may not even realize that I'm learning things I didn't know I didn't know, I'll just all of a sudden know them.

I hope my odds of survival are in my favor.