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.

Sing Sing Sing

Me lookin' hot. This is a pic I sent to my Grandma of me all dressed up to go swing dancing a couple weekends ago. My grandma grew up in the swing era so she loves that I go once in a while. Since she is in NY and could't actually see me off, we sent her this pic. I like the pic so I decided to share it with all of you.

Marvin the Paranoid Android

DON'T PANIC

Can I just say how excited I am for the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy movie coming out in May. I'm a big fan of the books and from what I've read about it, the movie is going to be grand. Douglas Adams himself did most of the screenplay. It's not going to follow the plot of the books exactly, but that's to be expected to a point. I mean, the tv show didn't follow the books which didn't follow the radio show which was how it all started. And Alan Rickman (think professor Snape/Dr Lazaurus) could not be more perfect for the voice of Marvin. The only thing I don't like of the pre-release crap I've seen is Marvin himself. He's played by Willow in a costume (fine) but he's ROUND!! Marvin is supposed to be rather square and boxy. He ought to have a bucket head so that Zaphod and Ford etc can call him "bucket head." Besides, circles are funny and Marvin is not funny (ok, he's hillarious), he's depressed and cynical and crabby.

Another Random Thought

Whenever life gets you down, mrs brown, and things are hard or tough, and people are stupid obnoxious or daft and you feel that you've had quite enough....
Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving and revolving at 900 miles an hour, that's orbiting at 19 miles a second, so it's reckoned, a sun that is the source of all our power...
_Galaxy Song by Eric Idle

Random thought

Rock the Casbah!

Full Moon

Last night I had an adventure. I went snowshoeing by moonlight with my cynical-ex-boyfriend, Todd. It's amazing how much easier it is to breathe outside of the dredge that is filling the Salt Lake valley- once we got out of the smog, it was really a very clear night. If you (whoever reads this) have never experienced snow in the moonlight, it is something both beautiful and eerie. It sparkles purple and everything is heavily silent. I highly recommend it.

Stairway to Heaven

The other night I was evesdropping (people have interesting conversations and the guy was talking really loud) on a conversation about a chick who makes coffins for a living. How morbid. I think if I, for some bizzare reason, did that I would have to invent an entire character to go with it. I would become someone eccentric and odd. I would wear only blue (not black because that would be too obvious). I would never quite look people in the eye when I talked to them, I'd stare at their left ear or something instead. I would speak very softly and and not very often and what I would say would be really abstract and metaphorical. People would be totally creeped out by me but they would then think to themselves: "Well she makes coffins, that has to effect a person after a while. Poor girl, she's too young and pretty to be this crazy."

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

My weekend was wasted doing inventory at the toy store that is my place of employment. Saturday I was there from 8 to 8 counting little Schleich animals and books and bouncey balls. Today I was there from 8 to 3:30 countingn more books and then some more books and then videos. It was a blast, let me tell you. The best part is that I didn't get to spend any time with my peeps because I had to, you know, sleep when I wasn't at work. Sat night I did go to dinner with a couple friends but I was home by 11. Does this mean I'm getting old and responsible? Not bloody likely.

Second Star on the Right

So today, I saw Jessica Brownlee... Wait, I should change her name to protect the innoccent or something... I mean I saw Jennifer Bennet. Yeah, didn't talk to her or anything, not sure what I would have said. For those who don't know (most people) "Jennifer" was a very good friend of mine up from seventh grade until our Jr(ish) year of high school. Turns out though that she is a backstabbing, cold-hearted, self-serving, bitch. She fucked me over a few times before I decided that I would be so much better off without her. And since I haven't seen hide nor hair of her in over a year, I'm much happier. Anyway, I saw her in Subway. She was way ahead of me in line and I easily avoided her by staring at the menu as she walked past. This way I only had to experience the cold air of evil that hangs around her person for a few seconds. If I had talked to her, it would have suffocated me. It sounds like I'm holding a grudge, doesn't it? That's really not the case. I am at peace with myself and rarely spend a second thinking about her as it releases too much negative energy into my system. I just state things the way the are. Jessica... oh, I mean Jennifer is the worst person I have ever known. I aspire to be completely unlike her, she's my inspiration or something like that.