Begging for Approval

How pathetic is this? When you buy or sell stuff on ebay, you receive feedback from the people you work with. Ten positive feedback responses, and you get a yellow star. And when you get a yellow star, you also get a certificate-- a "Yellow Star Achievement Award."

So I printed it off and posted it on the wall above my computer. Pathetic.

Blogger on Demand

I just got a phone call from Liz (Code Name: Foxy Friday), my Sugar Bowl roomie. Much like a junkie in need of a fix, Elizabeth desperately needed me to post something new to my blog.

Of course, I told her she needed a hobby. She said that her hobby was reading my blog.

Anywhoo, since nobody wants to deal with a pouty redhead, here's your freakin' post, Liz.

Oh, and for those of you who haven't seen it yet, I've finally put a picture on my Blogger member page. Check it out here.

Now if y'all will excuse me, I have more crap to put on ebay now.

Movie Night

Cory and I hit the ol' Hollywood Connection tonight for a movie. And without going into too much detail (because I could talk about the superiority of French documentary films all night), let me just say this:

Baby penguins are quite possibly the cutest thing on the entire earth.

Tomorrow, the lovely Deborah and I will be seeing a late afternoon matinee of Wedding Crashers. Anyone else care to come along?

UPDATE-- Rock Star: INXS

(How much do I hate that I'm hooked on a reality show?)

This week, America came to it's senses and put Heather in the elimination group. I don't care if she's performed with Elton John and Ryan Adams... she's awful. I was glad to see her go.

I was a little torn up by Daphna's elimination, though... Yeah, she murdered "Rock the Casbah," and for that, she sucks. But she had a great voice.

For some ridiculous reason, Brandon still hasn't been voted off. He totally ruined a Squeeze song this week. I think all the creepy guys in the world must be rallying around his cause and voting for him every week.

My favorites this week: Mig and Tara. They rocked. And seriously, how can you not love a guy who was once in a band called "Randy Badass and the Slickmaster Five?"

Book 'Em, Dano

Tonight, I was joking with a co-worker, who asked me if I'd read an article in the newspaper about NASCAR. I responded "What? You think I actually read?" Of course, I was joking.

But has anyone else noticed the appalling lack of books on my reading list at the left? I started off so strongly... but I don't think I've finished a book since April. So sad.

Cory and I made a trip to the library tonight, though... and I picked up another Christopher Moore book. I've only read the first three pages, but so far, it hasn't disappointed.

Rolling in the Dough

By the way, I'm an ebay hundredaire now. And it only took a month to earn my first $100. At this rate, I'll have earned my first million and can retire when I'm...

869 years old!!!

Of course, if I invest all that money, I might be able to retire by the time I'm 700. Anyone know a good broker?

Thoughts from a Mad Bulgarian

I occasionally receive peculiar little emails from our bizarre former co-worker, JD, a Bulgarian immigrant with a twisted sense of humor, who used to work as a producer at our station.

Here's the latest pearl of wisdom from our Eastern-European pal:

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me and we all could use more calm in our lives.

By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr. Phil show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.

So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and, before leaving the house this morning I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Baileys, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of both Prozac and Valium prescriptions, the rest of the Cheesecake, some Saltines and a box of Chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel.

TV Time

Two things. First, is anyone here as hooked on "Rockstar: INXS" as I am? Even Brooke Burke can't ruin that show for me (try as she might). Unfortunately, the show is on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights... all nights which I work. I only wish that the show was all performances, and less of the "later... at the Rockstar mansion..." crap.

By the way, my favorite is Ty. First of all, he's my age, and he rocks the mohawk. And even though Brandon and I share an alma mater in Central Michigan University, I find Brandon a little creepy.

Second, did anyone else see former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on Thursday night? The whole sketch was a stroke of genius.

Getting a Facelift

No, not me. I look damn good for 35, thank you very much. I'm talking about the 'ol blog. I was all inspired last night to change some things around. Unfortunately, after about half an hour of fussing and tweaking, the best I got was changing my blog name.

By the way, if you don't recognize the tagline to my blog, it's from a song by the Presidents of the United States of America.

Getting Personal

People send me these damn things all the time... usually I just ignore them, but since Cory sent this one, I figure it deserves some kind of response. So rather than annoying the hell out of my friends, I'm just posting it here. That way, your e-mailboxes are safe from the excess clutter.

I'm leaving Cory's responses on the questionnaire... his are in italics and blue, mine are in the bold purple. Isn't that cute? Pink(ish) for the girl, blue for the boy. Can't say I'm not original!

1. What is your occupation? Professional Sportslady (Promotions Producer)
2. What color is your underwear? Usually White. Boring, huh? (Preferably black)
3. What are you listening to now? I've been singing along to Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection" a lot lately. (Foo, Coldplay, Elvis Costello, Interpol, you know...good stuff)
4 What was the last thing you ate? Pizza at the "Mellow Mushroom" Ham, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms. (Cape Cod Chips....goooood.)
5. Do you wish on stars? It depends on how desperate I am for good luck... so lately, I've been doing it a lot. (Naah...)
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? You know that crappy white crayon that you never, ever use? That's me! (fuchia)
7. How is the weather right now? Okay. It isn't too hot because it's dark out, and it hasn't rained in the last few hours. (Bordering on bad....hurricane Dennis is knocking...good otherwise.)
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jan and Steve... it was a joint effort. (My mother)
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I'd better. I'm planning on marrying him someday. (Yup...she's aiight.)
10. How old are you today? 35. Ugh. (28)
11. Favorite drink? There was a bar in Kirksville that served a drink called the "crash and burn." They served it in a fishbowl. Very tasty. (Fresh squeezed Lemonade from legendary Toomer's Drugs in Auburn, AL....heaven in a cup.)
12. Favorite sport to watch? Hockey... and it's back, baby!!! (Chiefs football, yo)
13. Have you ever dyed your hair? Various shades of blonde most of my adult life-- plus brief bouts with red, brown and black. However, I haven't colored my hair in over a year, now... not even highlights! (Blonde highlights in college, and working in the greenhouse.)
14. Do you wear contacts or glasses? Both. (Yes)
15. Pets? (My sweet, sweet Zoe) Ditto. I love that Cory loves her so much. By the way, she turned 10 last week!
16. Favorite month? Probably June. I usually get to take some time off in June because it's a slow month for sports. (September...I guess. Football season.)
17. Favorite food? Pineapple. (Chinese)
18. What was the last movie you watched? "Sin City." It was beautifully done, though probably an asquired taste. (In the theater - War of the Worlds...Intense. At home - Seabiscuit (again) )
19. Favorite day of the year? Any day that Cory and I have a day off together. It only happens about 10 times a year. (Christmas.)
20. What do you do to vent anger? Cry. (Listen to music, maim, pillage, plunder...all those medieval instincts.)
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? I had a lot of stuffed animals... I think my favorites were probably Snoopy and a stuffed lamb. (I was a big fan of my stuffed puppy Henry)
22. Fall or Spring? I used to say Fall, but since I started working in Sports, I've come to really dread high school football season because of all the extra hours I work. (Spring (Fall means that Christmas is just one step closer) )
23. Hugs or kisses? Hugs. But I'm not opposed to kisses. (Hugs)
24. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry (cherry)
25. Do you want your friends to email you back? Since I'm not actually emailing this to anyone, I guess not. (yes.)
26. Who is most likely to respond? (The Sportslady) nice to know he has so much faith in me.
27. Who is least likely to respond? Cory, since he's the one who sent this to me in the first place. (Josh)
28. Living arrangements? (Townhouse with The Sportslady and Zoe) What a coincidence. I live in a townhouse with Cory and Zoe.
29. When was the last time you cried? This afternoon. (Drop of a hat....seriously, my bro's wedding...such a little softie.)
30. What is on the floor of your closet? Very little. Most of it's on the floor of every other room in the house! (What's not on the floor of my closet?)
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Anne. Since 7th Grade. (Jaime....pretty much since birth, when you think about it...)
32. What did you do last night? Went to the movies. (Took in the sights at Myrtle Beach, SC....ate at Dick's Last Resort...the usual.)
33. Favorite smell? The smell of cookies baking. By the way, Cory's answer will probably make you barf... (The Sportlady's skin....(Sappy, I know...but, oh so true))
34. What inspires you? The Olympics (the thought that I could help others)
35. What are you afraid of? Being alone. (taking risks)
36. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese and pickles. (cheese topped with ketchup....a simple man indeed.)
37. Favorite car? Those Pontiac Solstices are just so darn cute! (Ferrari....can't really get into one, though...maybe that's why I like it.)
38. Favorite dog breed? St. Bernard. Except smaller. And with less slobber. I'm really more of a cat person. (Boxer)
39. Number of keys on your key ring? Six. But I only use two of them. (8 (I've always said you can judge responsibility by the number of keys you have))
40. How many years at your current job? It'll be four years in October. (3 and a half in C-Town, 6 years total.)
41. Favorite day of the week? Wednesday, because it's usually either my day off or the last day of my work-week. (Saturday)
42. How many states have you lived in? Five- Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, and Georgia. (Two - Missouri & Georgia (Show Me - Peaches))
43. How many cities have you lived in? I'm not sure exactly, but here are the seven that I can think of-- North Grafton, Hopkinton, Rochester Hills, Mt. Pleasant, Kirksville, Ottumwa, and C-Town. (3 - Kirksville, C-Town, Warrensburg, and Kansas City (Blue Springs)...seems like more...)

Crap Alert!

Ok, actually, right now, I don't have any crap for sale on ebay. I planned on putting some items up for auction today, but then I got distracted and never got around to it.

But, by popular demand, I'm adding a link to my auction crap on the left side of the page (under "More From The Sportslady"). Some stuff will be going up for auction tomorrow afternoon... feel free to make all the snide remarks you want.

Update: I finally put some of my crap up for auction tonight. I had planned on doing it earlier in the day, but our power went out thanks to a particularly nasty thunderstorm.

Goodbye and Godspeed

It's been a while since I blogged about Mike... not because I haven't been thinking of him... because not a day goes by when I don't think of him dozens of times.

This morning, I found out that The Boondogs (a favorite band of Mike's) wrote a song about him that they've put on their new album. Go ahead and check it out.

Thanks to the Lady Crumpet for the link.

Ebay Update

I know, I know. You all want a link to the stuff I've put on ebay. I considered making it into a scavenger hunt... where every day I give you a hint, and make you try to find the items I've put up for auction.

Problem is, my first set of auctions is over, and I haven't had the time to put anything new up on ebay yet. So it would be pretty hard for you to find them. That's out.

So my first crop of crap has sold on ebay... eight items, seven of them toys from my childhood. There's a story behind item number eight, though.

Cory's convinced that people will buy anything if it's on ebay. I'm not so sure about that. I mean, yeah, people bought all my crap, but it was good crap. Some Breyer horses, some doll house furniture. When I've gotten rid of all of that, I'll start working on the model train stuff.

Working on Cory's theory though, I ran an idea past Jan one night. "I should just make some crappy paintings and try to sell them." I have the art supplies, all I'd really need to pay for is the canvas.

Thus began the great ebay art experiment.

So I made a couple of really silly, cheesy paintings of cats. And when the paint dried, I put them up on ebay, for about a buck more than I spent on the canvas. And somebody actually bought them. Ok, maybe they bought them as a joke gift for a friend. But maybe they bought them because they liked them. That much, I don't know.

It's at this point that I should mention that I actually have some artistic talent. No, you really can't see it in the two kitties I painted, so you'll have to trust me on this. I'm no Artemisia Gentileschi, but I can color inside the lines pretty nicely.

Up until now, the only people who have my "art" hanging in their homes are family members. Let me tell you, it's a strange feeling to know that someone I've never met will have something I painted in their house. Maybe Cory's right... people will buy anything on ebay.

So, here's where you come in. I paint better when I have a good idea. Problem is, I'm plum out of ideas, good or otherwise. So I want you to give me suggestions for my next ebay "masterpiece." I want a subject and I want a style. You can suggest color schemes, medium (acrylic, watercolor, oil), even size of the painting (but remember, the bigger the canvas, the more I'll have to spend). Be as vague or as specific as you want. And no, I won't make you buy the painting if it doesn't sell on ebay.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get to it! You wanted to be a part of my budding ebay entrepenuership... here's your chance!

I know, I know...

I've been a real blog slacker (again) lately.

The usual excuses: Stressed out about work, depressed because one of my only friends in C-Town just moved away, trying to enjoy a couple days off without spending all of my free time on the computer, and busy trying to sell off my childhood on ebay. You know how it goes.

Cory and I will be hitting the open road this weekend, so I won't get a lot of blogging opportunities.

To tide you over, I've posted my results from (and links to) a few on-line quizzes below. I expect responses and discussion waiting for me when I get back in town.

The World's Shortest Personality Test:

You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

What Age Do You Act?

You Are 27 Years Old

27 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

What American Cities Best Suit You?

American Cities That Best Fit You:

70% Philadelphia

65% Chicago

65% Los Angeles

65% New York City

55% Las Vegas

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

What Personality Type Do You Have?

You Have A Type "A-" Personality

A- You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

The Quickie IQ Test

Your IQ Is 125

Your Logical Intelligence is Exceptional Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Movie Night

Cory's been saving his free movie tickets (a six-year anniversary present from work) for a month to go see War of the Worlds. Last night (opening night), we drove past the theater, saw about a jillion cars in the parking lot, and decided to forego movie night and just get a nice cold Labatt at Buffalo Wild Wings instead.

Tonight, we went to the movie. And it was awesome. I kept catching myself clutching Cory's arm through the whole thing. I strongly recommend seeing it.

But something even more exciting happened before the movie started. I saw a trailer for this movie. And I actually teared up, I was so excited. Sure, I'll have to wait 161 more days to see it, but it gives me something to look forward to. Until then, I'll be watching the trailer. Repeatedly.