brain barf… yum!
So today, I was surprised I received flowers at work… thrice!
It’s Administrative Professionals Day and even though I’m not an assistant to most of the people I received flowers from, I do enough logistics work for them that it was very nice of them remember!
I’m posting a picture of them on my desk (ignore the strange black posterboard backdrop… I wanted to cover up some random junk on my desk). The flowers on the left are from some off-site consultants I work with.
The loverly orchids are from Bossguy; he gets bonus points for these because they are totally stunning and I love orchids.
The third set of flowers are from the two teams of on-site consultants (including the ones who brought me flowers about a month ago). P.S. – Yes there’s a piece of WB artwork in the background, but I don’t work for Warners.
Oh, and one of the other execs bought some muffins and scones for me in the morning, too.
I kind of felt bad because the main receptionist in the lobby kept having to call me to tell me to pick up flowers but she didn’t get any herself. And without her, I wouldn’t be able to do my work. So after I took a picture of the flowers, I gave her my flowers from the off-site consultants (you know the people who won’t walk by and notice that my flowers weren’t on my desk anymore and down at the lobby instead).
Anyway, the flowers were a nice way to distract me from the fact that I was at the office until 8:30 and that I *just* finished doing sending a presentation out for Bossguy about 15 minutes ago.
Back to my other work now…
And I was just very rude to my Mom on the phone. She was calling me from Taiwan, but my blood pressure shot up about a thousand points because she just started listing a shitload of things for me to do. I don’t mind doing them, but she didn’t even give me a chance to get a pen and write it all down.
And then I said that I needed to write this stuff down and she was all “let me tell you what I need first, then you can write it down.” And I was all like, “And then you have to repeat everything you just said? No thanks.”
Oh, and I am kind of under a lot of pressure right now. I started telling her why and she was all “Calm down!” This is good advice, but it would’ve been more welcome if it hadn’t followed a litany of “to do”s.
But I didn’t forget to tell her that I loved her at the end of all that.
Thanks for all the good mojo yesterday, but it apparently wasn’t enough.
I have to re-do what I was trying to do in two weeks, when I evidently will need even more good mojo.
I’m not so much upset as I am disappointed.
(sigh)
Thanks in advance for your good mojo. I need it.
(I know you’re going to ask, “Good mojo for what?” I’m not sharing yet, but just know that I will take all the good mojo I can get! Thanks!)
The combination of lack of sleep, working hard, and not eating well is starting to take its toll. It didn’t help that aside from a protein bar, a Diet Coke, and a can of Fresca, the only “food” I had for today was a leftover jelly-filled donut from Krispy Kreme (blecch! I hate jelly-filled donuts!). A co-worker had offered to pick up lunch for me, but I foolishly thought I was going to be able to leave the office myself. She was not thrilled to find out that my lunch consisted of a donut.
I’ve also been staying fairly late a work lately and my co-worker was IMing me to make sure that I left close to “on time” today…
[17:24] co-worker: i swear, there HAS to be a way of making sure that you leave by a certain time EVERY day.
[17:24] co-worker: maybe you could threaten to turn into a pumpkin at 6:00!:-D
[17:24] joz: It’s ok
[17:25] co-worker: no…seriously….it’s not ok. don’t turn into ME!
[17:25] co-worker: although, i must admit that i’m getting MUCH better at leaving on time. but, i still work through most of my lunches.
[17:25] joz: Yeah, I worked through my donut today
Hey, at least I made her laugh.
I was awakened this morning by a phone call asking me a question I couldn’t quite remember the answer to. I said that I’d go online and find the answer and as I flipped on our office lightswitch, I heard that distinctive “buzz-pop!” of the lightbulb dying a quick death.
Our overhead light has two bulbs but now they’re both officially burned out. We don’t have anything taller than a step ladder and we have high ceilings, so that is why I had previously bribed ProfessorEric to change our lightbulbs for us by first feeding him yummy Thai food and then inviting him over to “hang out” at my place (and change our lightbulbs). I think it’s more fun to have my lightbulbs changed that way than to ask our neighbor if we can borrow his ladder.
Since ProfessorEric’s not in LA these days, what tall person can we find to get on our stepladder and change the light bulbs in our office?
I guess it would be easier/faster to get our neighor’s ladder, though, wouldn’t it?
…and I’m distracted by retro 80s arcade games. Damn you, J, for sending me the link!!!
Also distracting me greatly is this stupid squares game, via Mikey.
Flourless almond-chocolate cake
Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling time
Servings: 10 to 12
8 ounces (2 1/2 cups) blanched, sliced almonds
8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Scharffen Berger 62% cacao), broken into chunks
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2cup high-quality cocoa powder, such as Valrhona or Droste
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
1/2teaspoon almond extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)
7 large eggs, room temperature, separated
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the almonds into a shallow baking dish and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the almonds are light brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Raise the heat to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cool slightly.
3. Grind the almonds with one-half cup sugar in a blender or food processor to make a fine meal. Combine with the cocoa powder, mixing well. Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Beat in the remaining sugar, then add the salt and extract, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. Beat the egg yolks in one at a time. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the melted chocolate, then the almond-cocoa mixture, mixing well.
6. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir about a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently but thoroughly fold in the remainder. Spread into the prepared pan. Gently bang the cake pan on the counter once to release air bubbles.
7. Bake 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool 20 minutes. Unmold onto a serving plate so the bottom faces up and cool completely.
8. Serve the cake plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Each serving: 474 calories; 10 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 35 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 164 mg. cholesterol; 240 mg. sodium.
In the vein of Papal Name Abbreviations (ala – John Paul II = JP2), the new Pope, Benedict XVI, shall be know as Pope B16!
B16!
Bingo!*
*Yes, I know that the B in Bingo only goes up to 15.
Or we** could call him Pope Bomber (for the B-16 Bomber).
**And by “we” I really mean “I.”
This was sent to me via email last October by Yoshi’s mom. Who knows if it’s true, but it’s fun to read…
An 1898 novel by Morgan Robertson foretold the sinking of the Titanic, 14 years before the great ship went down. In Robertson’s book, a ship full of wealthy and powerful people is on its maiden voyage when it strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic on an April night and sinks. The two ships shared many other eerie similarities. The most interesting is the name of the ship in Robertson’s book: the Titan.
A “quidnunc” is a person who is eager to know the latest news & gossip.
Madcap comedienne Lucille Ball was kicked out of drama school in New York City when she was 15 because she was too quiet and shy.
One acre of hemp will produce as much paper as four acres of trees (and can be replaced next season).
Lyme Disease is named after Lyme, Connecticut where it was first recognized in 1975.
Oct 15,1997 – British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green broke the land-speed record by driving a jet-powered car faster than the speed of sound.
There is a hotel in Sweden built entirely out of ice; it is rebuilt every year.
Back in 1892, Italy passed a law that raised the minimum age
for marriage for Italian girls to 12 years of age.
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three presidents: his father’s, President Garfield’s, and President McKinley’s. After the last shooting, he refused ever to attend a state affair again.
The first US president to make use of television and addressed the nation from the White House in 1947 was Harry Truman. In this speech, Truman requested that the American people not eat meat on Tuesdays, nor poultry on Thursdays, to save on feed grains to help the starving in Europe.
The first written account of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, was made in 565AD.
Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other color.
In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry said: “They’ll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run.” Only a few hours after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, Perry hit the first and only home run of his career.
You shall see from the IMs from yesterday below why one should not begin IM conversations with me with those famous last words “must bash head in… i have debbie gibson songs in my head…”
[15:34] stkyrice: must bash head in…i have debbie gibson songs in my head…
[15:49] jozjozjoz: Are you Lost in My Eyes?
[15:49] stkyrice: *groan*
[15:50] stkyrice: No, just a Foolish Beat
[15:57] jozjozjoz: Ha
[15:59] stkyrice: or it could be Only In My Dreams
[16:15] jozjozjoz: Don’t go there
[16:15] jozjozjoz: Mr. Electric Youth
[16:16] stkyrice: hahahaha
[16:16] stkyrice: i have a bad joke to go along with that, but it only works if i talk in real time
[16:18] jozjozjoz: Yeah, it doesn’t work if the joke is Out Of The Blue
[16:18] stkyrice: *groan*
[16:18] stkyrice: stop it!
[16:19] jozjozjoz: You started it. I can’t help it if I’m “Red Hot”
[16:21] stkyrice: oh god
[16:22] jozjozjoz: “Between The Lines” there are a lot of bad puns I can send over.
[16:23] jozjozjoz: At least I’m not making Debbie Gibson poetry… because “No More Rhyme” is coming from me
[16:23] jozjozjoz: But I’ll stop now, because “Who Loves Ya Baby?”
[16:23] stkyrice: lol
[16:33] stkyrice: god
[16:34] stkyrice: for the love of god, stop!
[16:37] jozjozjoz: P.S. – This IM conversation is SO getting blogged
[16:43] stkyrice: LOL
Actual IM I sent today:
I a vanilla ice cream Drumstick… yum!*
*For the record, I am NOT a vanilla ice cream treat. I did, however EAT the above-mentioned frozen snack. Also, please do not speculate on my “yumminess” as I did not intend to do so for myself.
Dear Computer,
I’m sorry I was mad at you last night and I that I lashed out at you by posting about it on my blog. That was rude and insensitive of me, and for that, I apologize.
I realize that though it was your fault that my Sims game was killed, it was not your fault I ate all that junk food last night. That was unfair.
Nonetheless, I would like to offer an olive branch out to you… if you’ll stop crashing and erasing my games/work (not necessarily in that order of priority), I’ll stop bad-mouthing you on jozjozjoz.com.
I think that’s fair.
Thanks,
::jozjozjoz::
Dear Computer,
Today you died in the middle of my Sims game before I had a chance to save it.
I was so upset I ate half a bag of Chex Mix, a frozen french bread pizza, and spray cheese out of a can for dinner (instead of something halfway healthy).
Computer, I blame YOU for my impending bloatiness and weight gain.
Gah!
Spitefully yours,
::jozjozjoz::
*That = Call 1-800-PORSCHE
UPDATE: Why did I call 1-800-PORSCHE?
What Vince said.
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