Verbal smack-down is Monday's main event

I had an amazingly full weekend, starting on Friday. Going to the mini-metropolis of Under Construction Forever's campus wasn't bad - it was good to get away from the office, even if it was just for a day (except, now I need a bumper sticker that says "I brake for perpetual construction on I-4"). I found the topic of students' internet use and how it effects university policies quite interesting. Coming from one of the first generations to have home computers with internet access (back in the stone-age of dial up connections as your *gasp* ONLY choice), I don't have the same mind-set as the typical older administrator that MySpace and Facebook are tools of the devil. Yes, they are creating a social vacuum where students are creating and nurturing more on-line social connections at the detriment of the development of interpersonal skills - but in the same respect, professors using podcasts and more correspondance and web-only courses being offered by those same administrators don't exactly help that situation. And yes, there is a level of accountability in what is posted in the public domain. But, if children were raised with more values and common sense these days, would it be as much of an issue? Is it even really an issue at all? Social networking sites are not the harbinger of the societal appocalypse. They're what chat rooms were in the 90's. And our culture didn't implode upon itself because of chatrooms, now did it?

The walk on Saturday was fun, if a bit longer than I'd expected (and I was surprised to run into people I knew, but the chance to just sit in Starbucks and chill on the way back was nice). I had a good time going out to a nice, fancy dinner and then hanging out with my husband's friends later that night and watching them play video games. Smoke and all. It was like old times.

On the way back from ORL, just outside of Lakeland, is a sign for "Downtown Orlampa". No - it's not a retirement village for Oompaloompas. It's a sign of the future!

One of the professional staff has been getting a brow-beating by their supervisor all morning. I can hear every word. It's awesome!

Foot - meet mouth

This Just In: Brandon Flowers is a nutter. And every time I turn around I see another story about how he can't seem to be able to keep from opening his trap about some thing or another. I mean, just shut up, Brandon. Nobody. Cares. And I implore you - invest in a good razor, for cripes sake!

And just how did they come to be called The Killers, anyway? Here's the answer, maybe - by assaulting random F-list celebrities? From Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Idiota

Today's work motto: Stupid is as stupid does. And some of my co-workers do a whole lotta stupid. If the questions they ask are any indication, anyway. The new HR chief is trying to plan a pumpkin carving contest, as some sort of uber-fun morale booster. Sorry. It takes mor then gutting a squash to raise my spirits. The best method usually involves dollar signs. Showing up in my bank account. I'm thinking that big, sharp cutting implements are not the best thing to give to some of us disgruntleds, anyway. This comes after her very first priority of instituting official "spirit days", on Fridays. Which means we get to wear jeans and company t-shirts. And there was great rejoicing across the land. I wonder if Hawaiian Shirt Day will be next, hmmm??

"Your methods are stupid; your progress has been stupid; your intelligence is stupid!" ~ GIR

The door. Is ajar.

I hate the door being open all day. It's thrown off the temperature regulation in the building and it's freezing in here. Like a meat locker. Except - I am not a piece of meat. I am a human being. Not to mention I am subjected to the noise of the main building and the constant dinging of the elevator. Plus, there are bugs. Of the flying, buzzing variety. EWW. Now I have the least privacy of anyone in this office. Pretty sad when I'm dreaming of a worker-drone cubicle of my very own.

Kitty went in for her spay and declaw this morning. She was very good with her checkup - no clawing or biting, not even a hiss. The vet assisstant called about half an hour ago and said that she had come out of surgery, and was in recovery doing fine. She comes home on Monday afternoon. I can feel secure that my new windows, new carpet and drapes, and furniture, as well as the mattress corners she has done her best to desimate, are safe from her raging claws of destruction. As long as there are no lasting physical or psychological side effects, all should be well. Skyler will be next for a checkup and vaccinations. We're reevaluating whether she should become more of an outside dog, since she's becoming more cranky in her (pending) old-age. She growled at Little D the other day. I'm not sure what brought it on, but I wasn't happy to see it either way.

Upcoming: Conference for work on Friday, and Race for the Cure at the crack of dawn on Saturday. We walk 2 miles to the starting line, walk the 5K (3.11 miles) for the event, then walk 2 miles back to campus for our cars. Brilliant. And my husband said to me last night "you haven't been to the gym this week..." - I wonder why. But it's for a good cause. So NO whining.
UPDATE: My legs hurt like a mother-effer. I am so out of shape.

Boh! My squeedily spooch!

I'm playing hookey today. Shhhhhh. Don't tell anyone. Really, though, I am feeling a little under the weather, mostly due to a lack of sleep. Generally achy with an upset stomach. Like you wanted to know the details of my malady.

This weekend was full of family fun. We went to dinner at Fred Flemings's BBQ on Friday. It was a little over priced for the portions, but not bad. We went t0 Quaker Steak on Saturday night, and then we went bowling. Dev had a great time. We'll probably do that again, but I'd like to see how he reacts to putt-putt golf, next time. And his friend Nicholas turned four, so we went to his birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese's on Sunday. Aside from a nasty tantrum in the beginning (nothing a few well chosen words and a couple minutes in the restroom to calm down doesn't fix - no physical punishment needed), he had a really great time. Is it just me, or was Chuck-E-Cheese cooler when I was a kid? Their Skee-Ball just sucks now - there's this ledge at the end of the ramp that kept making the balls fly up and over to the next lane. I started wondering how many lawsuits had resulted from injuries. And I guess their hand stamping ink washes off with soap and water - when we were leaving and the girl tried to find our stamps to make sure we belonged together mine and the boy's were gone. So much for security measures.

I'm not really looking forward to work this week. I don't know how the task of getting everyone to the conference on Friday became my responsibility, but I'm dreading it. I don't have time to screw around with renting a van, I have way too much to do. Really, if I'm not planning on going in the van, someone else may have to arrange it. There are only five other people planning on going, so it may no even be worth it and they should just carpool as I have suggested. Of course, I'm not necessarily looking forward to driving to Orlando by myself, either, but I'll be better off. It looks pretty simple. I just hope I don't get lost. Which I tend to do. A lot.