GOOD Hockey news... (even if I didn't get to see it)
Last evening Bates tapped in the game winning goal (his first as a Cap) against the Canes with 6 minutes remaining! Congrats Batesy.

Feeling better now, thank goodness! Aside from being able to enjoy a meal again (no chicken, thanks) and even more snow not much new going on here in the frozen tundra known as Johnstown. I did however make the final plans (and reservations) for my vacation with my mummy. I will only be hitting the Hawaii portion since my time between classes wasn't as expected, but at least I have a heck of a cool vacation planned!

On another big note: I did get THIS email in my inbox yesterday which is a little foreboding.

* Media Advisory*

To: All media and fans

Who: Johnstown Chiefs

What: A major announcement regarding the future of the franchise.

When: Saturday, January 31, 2004 during the first intermission of the
Chiefs vs. Reading Royals game (approximately 7:40 p.m.). The game
begins at 7:05 p.m.

Where: Cambria County War Memorial Arena; Johnstown, PA

"How could a view become so twisted? You know my weaknesses. -Depeche Mode"

I think it's time to rename my blog... "lack of cake, lack of hockey and two pissed off dogs". So the night before last I convince my dearie friend Kirkus to go grub with me. I partake in some mighty tasty chicken quesadillas... well at least they were tasty going down. I ended up with a stomach ache, nothing surprising after all that cheese etc. But they woke me back up!

After hourly trips to the bathroom starting at midnight I quickly diagnosed myself with food poisoning. Yum. Morning finally came and I still felt pretty bad, so work was out of the question. Now... here's the kicker. What do people do when they're stuck at home in bed? Watch TV, right? Bzzt - too much show had covered my dish and I had been too icky the night before to fix it, so no TV for me (thus no hockey).

Normally when I stay home the dogs get a little extra attention and play time, so they were, needless to say, a bit peeved with me. Satin took to jumping up on the bed and walking over me periodically to make her presence known.

So here we are, Thursday morning, can we put some icing on that cake that I was too sick to eat? Sure enough... car is stuck as stuck can be. I guess not moving it for two days allowed the guys in the plows long enough to get me 110% stuck. After 50 minutes trying I conceeded and called the man with a Ford to come get me (how humiliating).

As to make sure that my entry ends on an up note to shatter the image of those that would say my blog is bleak... at least the past 36 hours helped my diet. :)

I hate my friends. Yes, I hate them... you... YOU! I hate you. Ok, so why am I pissy at the people that I truly do love and adore? I'm feeling needy and not getting what I want, I'm female, I'm allowed to be pissy.

To the "friends" that decide it's cool to go to the whore's house for a weekend after all I heard from my invites down to NC were that it was too far to drive etc etc, bite me. It's not a matter of choosing between him or I - it's a matter of accepting her and what she is. But I'm sure there are lots of people that will never understand that. If you don't get it... ask your wife.

To the friends that don't wanna go hang when I wanna go hang :P
Today's a big day for me, mentally, and all too often - today included - people that I expect to be there for me aren't because they're too busy otherwise. I have a life too, and yes, I understand, I'm just feeling pissy... so I felt the need to share it with the world on my blog.

I was recently told that my blog is very bleak and depressing. Not in those words, I'm paraphrasing. Yeah, I guess it is. But it truly is my vantage point on the world. I've never been a perky happy about the world type of person.

I've also decided as a way to give my blog something special I'm also going to take a line from the song I'm listening to when I finish each entry. So let's make with the new tradition, shall we?

"Excuse me, think I've mistaken you for somebody else. -Jewel"

So it's Monday again. Amazingly I didn't have a hard time getting out of bed... but I would have, had I known the mess that waited for me outside. I thought I was being pretty slick by shoveling last night *BZZZT* This morning not only was my walk completely covered again, but I was also plowed in quite tight. Again, thank God for 4WD.

So the Chiefs won on Saturday night, the only of the two home games I attended this weekend. Lots of fights, as anticipated, so it compensated for going out in the hella cold. I guess I have the consolation of knowing even if I was still in NC I'd still be freezing my ass off.

Saturday was my second ice skating lesson. I finally have my swizzles down pat, but couldn't quite get the backwards thing going. Maybe next week. After watching the way the hockey players moved on their skates more closely on Saturday I think I got a bum pair... mine sure don't do that.

Finally, a weekend loaded with hockey once again. Tonight the Chiefs are taking on Roanoke and tomorrow is Reading - which typically produces some good scraps. Now to locate willing subjects to accompany me to the game.

I've also started making appointments and getting things all lined up for both my spring vacation with mummy and for my strategic preemptive strike. I'm not sure how comfortable I feel about it, but I think this decision is in my own best interest. Anyone who knows me can guess what I'm referring to here. Either way it will be comforting to not be the one who gets served. And it's nice to have some level of control over my own situation.

Classes start up this coming Monday. eMarketing this term. *woot* I've been looking ahead to the summer and pondering two classes at once, but I'm not sure how foolish that would be. It also depends on when the summer session begins, given my planned vacation. You'd think they'd have summer dates on the UMUC website by now, but they don't.

The new laser printer arrived yesterday, now I need to procure a printer cable and I'll be all set to print my taxes for this year. Pretty sad reason to finally get off my butt and buy a printer, huh! Here's to hoping that my tax return will be as pretty as it was in years past. It would be nice to instantly pay off my vacation without tapping any reserve funds.

Back to the salt mines ya'll.

Plotting... planning... beating to the punch.

Like the colors? Yeah they're awful, but they're definitely more me than the perky blues and whites that the blog defaulted to. BLAH!

So for my rant ... Nine years. Today would have been nine years. I can't believe I'm 28 years old, I can't believe I'm ready to get a divorce, I can't believe I'm living in Johnstown again. It's odd to look across a timespan and feel like you stepped through a void which popped you out the other end right back where you started nine years previous, only difference is how OLD you feel!

It's also sad to realize how different your life is NOT without someone than with someone. What's changed around my house? I have less laundry to do that's for sure. But really, what changed? I still fall asleep with the dogs if anyone, I still watch TV alone in the evening, I still grocery shop and/or wander through Value City solo. I still have bills to make sure are being paid, meals to cook, dogs to feed, and bathrooms to clean. I guess I was fortunate in that I had more than one "Best Friend" with whom I could share just about anything. If I hadn't, loosing that solitary one would have been the biggest change.

Sure I still see the username on IM (when I do get to log in) and want to bs, I still notice things in stores that would be the perfect gift, or websites and news stories that should be shared... nothings really changed, except I don't send the IM, buy the gift, or share the site.

Are long term relationships just illusions, designed to make you not notice how old you're getting? Gawd, I sound like Carrie Bradshaw off of Sex in the City. Is that why single people dwell on their age so much more than those that are not single? Well I would fret as I see 30 coming up quickly now, but I'm holding at 28.

While I'm sure there are friends that would read this post and think "great, Judy's getting all bummed again", that's not true. While I'm still not excited about the prospects of the upcoming months, I'm simply telling it like I see it at this point. As I've always said, "Life sucks, get a helmet".

Early morning chapping of the ass to ensue. Okay, it's safe to say when you get a message saying "call us at this number" you shouldn't bother... it's designed to piss you off. First they put you on hold for a half an hour and then they connect you with "Kyle's mom" (yeah... biggest b*tch in the whole wide world). Like I need to be spoken down to that "a mortgage is something that needs to be paid on every month ma'am". I'd like to see the telephone jockey's credit rating beside mine and see who needs the lecture.

So since the payment I made to the mortgage company wasn't a full one they didn't bother to put it towards the payment, they put it towards the principle. So despite payments that would easily cover a mortgage payment going TOWARDS the payment they just say "eh, you still owe us a payment". WTF? Mortgage companies have now eclipsed insurance companies on my sh*t list.

All is straightened out now, no worries... but it just goes to show that business is full of morons and idiotic policies. I have another rant planned for today, but I'll save that for a separate post, when I'm no longer pissy. Hopefully someone has cake or cookies in the kitchen to help alleviate the demons crying out in my soul at this moment.

As I type this the last of my two rats, Bree is slipping away. I came up this evening to check my email, let her run and to feed her only to find her lethargic and old lady like in the bottom of her pen. I picked her up and warmed her for a little while after discovering she wasn't already dead. She wabbles as she moves in a tight little ball... not looking well at all. God speed sweet little Bree. :(

First skating lesson down... 7 more to go. Granted I wasn't hell on ice, BUT I didn't do too bad. I only fell when instructed, but I did have a couple odd dance-like attempts to stay vertical. I never realized how taxing on your ankles ice skating is. Hopefully that is something I will adjust to.

After the morning's lessons on Saturday I took a visit in Altoona. It was a very good trip despite the VERY BAD karaoke we sat through at the White House. No, I didn't sing, I can't believe you even had to ask.

*WARNING I will be ruining some content on a movie here, so if you haven't seen Freddy vs. Jason and don't want me to ruin any surprises for you, don't read on.*

The next to the last copy available at blockbuster, but movie acquired! I did have my heart set on watching the Hurricanes vs. the Lightning, but quickly lost interest as the Lightnings upped the Canes by 5 long before the end of the first period. So it was time to move to the living room to enjoy Freddy vs. Jason.

Was it cheesey? Of course. Don't be silly and expect some deep plot line in the umpteenth sequel to either one of these classic characters. I was never much of a Jason fan, and don't know the backstory on him, but I found the mother character to hold a little Psycho flavor to it - I'm also a big Norman Bates fan, so this was just butta' to me.

I was disappointed with some of the quick wit and quips of Freddy's that were cut from the final film. Freddy's dry, sarcastic humor is probably one of the main reasons why I think he's such a cool guy.

So who wins. On sheer abuse of the other I think Freddy comes out way in the lead. I was a little dismayed with the ending, which suggested that Jason was a little more triumphant, however - both live on, which is a plus.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but nothing will ever kill me. Lets see first they tried burning me then they tried burying me but this... this is my favorite, they even tried holy water. But I just keep on ticking!"

Last night I had the pleasure of watching a great hockey game... can you believe it was the Capitals playing it? The Caps and the Flames were tied at zero until the last six minutes of the game, during which time the following happened:
5:37 remaining - Washington score (1 - 0)
4:39 remaining - Calgary score (1 - 1)
4:09 remaining - Calgary score (1 - 2)
1:00 remaining - Washington score (2 - 2)
0:39 remaining - Calgary score (2 - 3)
0:01 remaining - Washington score (3 - 3)

Granted the Caps didn't win but wow, sweet game. I could have napped through the first two periods however. However my feeble attempts to do so were foiled every time the announcer said something about Battaglia. *grin*

Now, this morning I guess I can fein excitement and say I had the pleasure of cleaning a good 5 to 6 inches of snow off of my car, but everyone would know I was lying. If I didn't have to clean the car and go to work I could have easily enjoyed watching the dogs run and frolic in the snow, which as far as I'm concerned, is the only pleasure I get out of snow. bah-humbug.

Rat bastards. One thing I hate more than anything else is a thief. I've had issues with candy disappearing from my cubicle for months after I left for the day. So I started hiding my candy, a concession I was willing to make gracefully even though it chaps my ass that my food was becoming vapor.

Last week I came to work one day surprised to see my name tag half dangling from outside my cube. I assumed it was just the inherent weakness of the velcro which resulted in the perilous dangle of my name tag. After a moment I noticed... my smiley faces were missing! A bit of backstory here, I purchased smiley faces to inundate Kirk on his birthday last July. In an effort to make use of my purchases I used them on my in/out markers and on my name tag, over the O's in Coposky. So here I am thinking someone in upper management saw them, didn't like them, and took it upon themselves to remove them from my name tag. Fine.

Now, today I'm leaving the back area and I see my smiley faces being used on the cleaning staff's in/out markers. THIEVERY! Let the letter writing begin.

The horror of hockey dogs and cake.
Yes, I'm also a huge horror fan. I've got the dvd collection of all the Freddy (Nightmare on Elm Street) movies. Well, except the most recent one, Freddy vs. Jason... as was maintained by Walmart's lack of product last evening. Is the movie really that popular? I haven't seen this one just yet given the weakness of my close friends' stomachs *wimps* so I am eagerly anticipating this purchase. Everyone knows who I'll be cheering for - and not just because I've always been a Freddy fan, but it would be nice to see him carve up someone named Jason. Did I say that? Oh be quiet - I'm kidding.

Not too much new on the hockey front this week. It's definitely a slow moving week at that. I have a pretty big hankering for a nice hockey game, but of course they'll be out of town all weekend. All for the best given other plans that have come up anyhow.

Incidently - happy birthday to my mother dear!

An awful pic of me... but at least the pretty-boy helps clean it up:

http://www.geocities.com/piggygrrl/hockey.htm

Hockey hockey hockey!!! Yesterday was, needless to say an excellent use of my day. Hit the Penguins/Canadiens game in the burgh with a bus group. Pathetic game, but cool to get down there anyhow. After watching the Pens get stomped 8-0 I felt the need to watch a team that stood a chance, so I hit the Chiefs game and got to enjoy them shutting out Reading 2-0.

Now if THAT isn't a good enough game... they had Richard Paul signing autographs afterwards. *drool* So I stood in line to get a photo signed. Cutie cutie cutie. Ok, I'm done drooling, at least for now.

Then on the way out I see a fellow fan club member, who was cool enough to snap a shot of me with Richard at the Christmas party... she had a print in hand for me. *woot* Yeah, of course my eyes look goofy as they do in all pictures (damn little slits) but it's not an awful photo. Definitely cube-worthy.

Yes, 2004 will be MY YEAR. After 2003, someone owes me. *smile*

Current cake supply: a chocolate cake procured at the BiLo up the street. It will do. Hopefully it will also drive me to get my rear on the eliptical trainer.

Weeehaaa... Lemieux is out for the rest of the season... what a shame. And you notice the Pens start to look a little better on the ice right after his old ass takes off the gear. Granted it isn't too often I'm cheering for the Pens, but to see them beat the Devils last evening was a plus.

The Canes will be stepping into DC tomorrow night. Too bad I won't get to see that game *grumble*. Maybe I _should_ cough up the cash to get the rest of the season on DirecTV. That could be bad for my grades this term however. *smile*

Now on to more personal matters.
I snapped and ripped up the carpet in the bathroom. Yes, I've started planning the next phase of the household upgrade. It's kind of hard to figure out what I want to do, as everything I like is a little too large to work well in my puny bathroom as well as out the hall and in the kitchen. Eh. Time will tell.

Oh, and I get to meet the 'rents this weekend - wish me luck. *wink*

Ah Monday. And a full work week at that. Not exactly the best time to be moody... or, mayhaps the moody is partly a direct result of the work factor, who knows. On the 10th I celebrate one year away from Buildscape and all of the other details that go along with that saga. It's definitely a month of milestones and anniversaries to whiz through.

Another thought on my mind today is that the mind is most definitely a creature of habit. I spent part of today marveling at how stupid we truly are. So I write the date correctly with a 2004 and think to myself... "wow, that's the first time I've actually wrote 2004." All the while I'm also realizing how many other times this past weekend I've dated papers etc, but with a 2003. MORON.

Now, let's talk about Johnstown. It's January and raining. What's up with that? Granted, I hate snow, so I shouldn't be complaining but really now. Does that bode well for the remainder of the year? NEIN! Plus the dogs are in a constant state of muddy right now. With mom returning from Texas today and my carpet in the nasty condition it's currently in things do NOT bode well for me :)

Alas, the new year. I guess it started off with a bang. New Years Eve, in front of a sell out crowd, not only did the Chiefs pull out a win, which is becoming a bit too rare for my liking, but I also got to cheese in front of the 4000+ fans. Yes, yours truly got to take the fuel shot. I'm proud to say, while I didn't suceed, I DID get much closer than the other contestant and had they not blocked most of the net off... I would have scored.

The Christmas decorations are down and away, greatfully... now of course I've managed to lose everything that is suppose to be out in their sted.

I have decided to start turning my eyes towards other redecorating options with the new year. Maybe ripping up the carpet in the kitchen, bathroom and hall and replacing it with tile... but then that would lead me to want to redo the whole bathroom. Ah the possibilities. If I were smart I would instead start saving for my intended vacation later this year *huge grin*. Watch out Hawaii and Alaska, here I come. That said, I suppose the intended diet that would ax cake from this conversation completely becomes a little more pressing of an issue.