This weekend I packed up some stuff and traveled down to Durango, CO to visit some people down there. I hate to say it, but being down there again, I'm really glad I left. Not that Durango is not a great place, it's just not for me. There's nothing there and what little there is, is massively expensive. It was a fun trip though. My dear friend Arrakis went with me which made the 7 hours (one way) in the car highly tolerable. It was nice to see the friends I made down there, but it is also nice to not be there anymore. Sunday morning, Arrakis and I did the down-town-tourist thing and I found a gorgeous ring in this little swank jewelry store. It was a gold band with inlaid opals and a decent sized diamond. It was only $3600, so if anyone has some extra cash on them, I have a birthday coming up .....in June..... What else did we do? Not much, just kinda hung out with people. Good times.

Some People

I know y'all (whoever reads this) just love hearing about the toystore! So today, a lady came in to exchange a broken water wiggly that she bought a few days ago. After the exchange, she showed me her reciept and said "I got all this stuff here the other day and I forgot to get it wrapped" and then looked at me like I was supposed to do something about it. I told her that the store policy was that we couldn't just hand out wrapping paper. She huffed and puffed and said "What do I have to do, go get all the stuff and bring it back here so you can wrap it?" I wasn't sure how to respond to that so I shrugged. She was storming off looking for her son by then though, so it was ok. After locating her toddler, she said to me, "I guess I could buy eveything again and then return what I already have." I told her she could if she really wanted to (in a very 'customer service' sort of way) and she went off in search of her items. Fortuantely her child crapped his pants just then so she chose to leave the store. Now, at some point, wouldn't it have been easier to just get some wrapping paper and wrap it herself? I mean, how hard is it really to get wrapping paper? There's even a Hallmark store in the same strip mall as the toystore, they sell that kind of thing don't they? Maybe not, but still, how hard can it be to find some? Certainly easier than either re-buying 10 some-odd toys and then coming back to the store to return the same 10 some-odd toys that she bought earlier or going home and finding 10 some-odd toys and coming back to the store and getting them wrapped. She didn't come back durring my shift, but I don't know about the rest of the afternoon. I really think she was serious about coming back to get her stuff wrapped.

James Joyce

This last Friday I went and saw a production of James Joyce's The Dead a Musical. I read The Dead (the "short" story) my senior year of high school for Mrs Lake's English class and I hated it. Typical of Joyce it is riddled with tedious detail (three pages to explain what was eaten for dinner), obscure sybolism and many (old Irish) political references. I went to the play because I was morbidly curious to see how they made this story into a play, a musical at that. I have to say that the play was better than the story, but is still wasn't good. The first scene was more like a musical review. Everyone is at a party, there's some political discussion, every character has to sing at least one song. The songs were not bad - sort of traditional Irish sort of music- but it just went on and on. The problem with the whole thing is that The Dead (the story) is 30 some odd pages of detail and very little action or plot for that matter. This becomes a problem when you try to take it and put it on stage. The play was something like 90 minutes with no intermission. The lack of a break was a good idea because, given the opportunity, many people would have left durring the break.

Just a bit of silliness really

So, the thought occurred to me for a fleeting second that the title of this blog might give the impression that I think I am the center of the universe. I don't really think that. In fact, I'm even of the opinion that our solar system is heliocentric. How can I be the center of the universe if I'm not even the center of our little star system? Not to mention the Milky Way! Although I have to say, it would be a bit too much being the center of an infinate, yet expanding, thingy.

Toyland Toyland Wonderful Girl and Boy land

Ok, so working in a toystore is often very fun. I mean, I get paid to play with toys all day, what could be better? Except I don't really get to play with the toys all the time, only when I have nothing else to do. This happens more often than you would think, especially recently. For some reason people aren't too keen on buying toys in January and February. But I digress. I like my job most of the time and if there is one thing I can really complain about, it's the music they play in the store. Some of it is almost tolerable, like we have a Harry Connik Jr sings Disney (or something like that) CD that isn't horrible. But there are some CDs in circulation that are dreadful. For example, right now I'm (unfortunately) listening to a bunch of children sing Elvis songs. I'll admit I'm not HUGE fan of The King to begin with but when children are singing his songs.... Shoot me now!

Swing Life Away

I just got back from a kick ass concert. The headliner was Rise Against, also playing were Tsunami Bomb, Alexisonfire and Only Crime. Tsunami Bomb and Rise Against totally rock my world and Alexisonfire is extremely decent. I'm not super hot for Only Crime but they're not bad. I got there about halfway through their set so.... Anyway, it totally rocked. I've been wanting to go to a concert for ages (not too many good bands come to this neck of the woods and I'm not wasting my money on crap) and so I got my loud-music-lots-of-sweaty-bodies-in-very-close-contact fix. Good times man!

<3 <3 <3

I dislike Valentine's day. Nothing could be less romantic than an official day to be romantic. That's not quite an original thought; it was in a comic strip yesterday, but it expresses my sentiments more or less exactly. Romance really should be spontaneous, not something you HAVE to do on a certain day in order to keep your significant other from dumping a glass of water on you head. What's worse than the holiday itself are the insipid people who get upset if they're boyfriend/girlfriend don't do something extravagant for them. It's all utter nonsense really. V-day is a holiday invented by the jewelry, card, and candy companies to make those in a happy relationship broke and those who are single feel like crap.

Deep Thoughts....

.... are highly overrated. Mostly because I can't think of anything deep right now. I'm normally not a shallow person, really I'm not. I'm, like, totally pensive and, like, way insightful. Just not tonight. I am also bored which is why I'm posting this tripe. Speaking of tripe, does anyone (anyone at all) know what it's called when a person takes on the honorable title of 'dame'? It's the female version of being knighted and I can't seem to find out what the proper term is. I've be saying that a person gets damed but that's not an actual word. Although Not-Jason says that if I believe in it, it will be.

Brimful of Asha

This Song has been stuck in my head all day. It is a silly song. It makes no sense. But it is a fun little ditty (or something like that). Look, lyrics!

Brimful of Asha
-Cornershop

eka sadi asha jena sadi sooka bella nah dinner bonothia ha kimmir kar ke.
There's dancing
Behind movie scenes
Behind the movie scenes
Sadi Rani
She's the one that keeps the dream alive
from the morning
past the evening
to the end of the light

(chorus:)
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45

And dancing
Behind movie scenes
Behind those movie screens
Asha Bhosle
She's the one that keeps the dream alive
from the morning
past the evening
to the end of the light

Chorus

And singing
illuminate the main streets
And the cinema aisles
We don't care bout no
Government warnings,
'bout their promotion of the simple life
And the dams they're building

Chorus

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Mine's on the 45
Mohamed Rafi -45
Lata Mangeshkar -45
Solid state radio -45
Fer-guh-son mono -45
Bonn publeek -45
Jacques Dutronc and the Bolan Boogie, the Heavy
Hitters and the Chichi music
All India Radio-45
Two in ones -45
Argo Records -45
Trojan Records -45

Chorus

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Mine's on the 45
seven seven thousand piece
Orchestra set
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Mine's on the RPM!!

Chorus

Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Mine's on the 45

.... maybe it does make a little sense?

Good Day

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobbos and Tramps! I am pleased to announce that Cassie the Great has made a miraculous and nearly complete recovery. She is continuing her ever vigillant work saving the world one cumquat at a time. She would like to thank all the people who are shorter than her for no specific reason and would like those who are taller to know that she looks up to them.

Walking Pnumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

Being sick is such a waste of time. Since Friday night I've been fighting with a nasty nasty cold/sinus infection/general yuckyiness. On Saturday I attempted to go to work and just ignore it. I lasted about a half hour in Toyland before I gave up and came home and slept all day. I finally managed to muster enough energy (and voice) to come in yesterday. A measly 6 hour shift and by the time I got home I was ready to die and so I passed out for a couple hours before dinner. I'm at work again right now (shhh don't tell 'cause I'm technically not supposed to be online) and surviving slightly better today. I'm here for 5 hours this time which, in theory, should be easier. Tomorrow I've got a 9 hour shift though. That should be fun. If you don't hear from me for a while you will know that it is because I have been drained of everything but the mucus that will still be clogging up my nose so I can't breathe properly.