School Nerd

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

This may be a little geeky, but I am actually excited about school starting--even if it is over one month away.    Part of it is the shopping for school supplied.  The other part is the "getting organized":   books,  folders, schedules.
 

posted by suzyjax on 7/20/2004 05:12:00 PM > 0 comments

Not a "detail person"

In Missouri, our state auditor is running for governor.  Last night in a televised debate, she said that her opponent was a "detail person" while she was not. 
The state auditor isn't a detail person?  Isn't her job about the details?
 

posted by suzyjax on 7/20/2004 05:04:00 PM > 0 comments

We don't need no stinkin' Ponchos

Sunday, July 18, 2004

People who know me can attest I am no fashion diva.  However, working at a university one can usually keep up on some trends.  However, I was completely thrown for a loop when the fashion pages AND several department store ads featured ponchos.  Hello?  How 1972 is this? 
 
I had many a knitted poncho in my childhood.  I hate to think America's youth will be subject to the same.   
 
It does prove that the fashionistas do not have many original thoughts.  And it might just encourage folks to be pack rats if clothing is going to come in style every 30 years.

posted by suzyjax on 7/18/2004 01:08:00 PM > 0 comments

Ho-made Ice Cream

Now.  Finally.  On July 18th.  I feel like it is summer in St. Louis.  Not because of the heat.  1) I finally had a pork steak on July 4th weekend and today.....I made homemade ice cream.   I wanted to treat the women I work with (at job #2) and felt this would do the trick.  Some had never had it before, so it was nice to school someone on the pleasure of homemade ice cream. 
I also wanted to try new recipes, so they were the guinea pigs for the one today.   It turned out well and it was very portable ingredient wise (no eggs, no sugar).  I got the recipe from the Eagle Brand site. 
 
Next up before calling it a summer:  

• Snow Cone
• Watermelon
• Ride the Ferris Wheel at Forest Park

 

posted by suzyjax on 7/18/2004 12:02:00 PM > 0 comments

Shooting the Messenger

Friday, July 16, 2004

Yesterday, furniture was left out by the dumpster in the library.   This morning some big wigs come in, very upset about it, and ask why it is there.  I am not working on the library remodel and told them that those who were should be in soon.
 
The left one of the maintenance guys here to "get to the bottom of this" and he was temporarily called away.  Of course, this is the time my boss comes in.  I go to her office and let her know what has transpired.  She gets mad at me (me?!) saying she called someone about this yesterday. 
 
Now, why is it necessary to shoot the messenger?  I was just relaying what had happened so she wouldn't be caught off guard.  Isn't that what good employees should do--give their managers a heads up when something is brewing?  Well fuck that in the future, let her drown for all I care. 
 
I don't get the attitude.  And, to top it off, she brought her kids in today too so this happened in front of them.  I must have missed the "take your children to work day and show them what a bitch you can be" promotional advertising. 

posted by suzyjax on 7/16/2004 07:33:00 AM > 0 comments

Two Doors Down They're Prayin' and Singin' and Feelin' the Gospel

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Back in February, a congregation bought the empty church building that is two doors down from my house. Honestly, I hadn't realized that the former congregation was no longer meeting there, but they had moved out in November or December.
Since February, the city has been giving them a lot of trouble about the building and its land and have not issued an occupancy permit. This is a small congregation with 45 current active members. They are about to be bankrupt from paying for this building and paying rent to there current meeting space.
The final issue appears to be parking. The church only had 45 parking spaces. Because the building seats 201, the city requires 50.25 parking spaces. Thus, the church need a variance for the 5.25 parking spaces.
Last night was the big Board of Adjustment meeting. This issue was the only item on the agenda. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until the residents were asked to speak. Then two people who live down the hill on adjacent streets start talking about how since the parking lot was first blacktopped 15 years ago they have had backyard flooding with any substantial amount of rain. The meeting completely shifts to this problem that the acting Director of Public Works had been aware of--for 15 years. 15 years!
I could feel the board members slipping away, they were going to turn down the variance over an issue that had nothing to do with the current parking! One board member attempted to steer it back, but this went on for 45 minutes. They had it in their minds that the neighborhood didn't want this to happen.
When they were going to vote, I finally said that I had come here to speak. I requested that the board grant the variance, and to do so for many reasons. One, this is small congregation where the parking would not currently be an issue. Secondly, we needed to let this congregation start to meet in the building so that they could grow financially, as well as in numbers, so that they could make any future improvements. Third, NOT granting them the variance was not going to solve the rain flow problem. The proper channels were for us to contact the sewer district (MSD) to address this. Otherwise, anyone else who would try to occupy this building would need to address the same issue. Not granting the parking variance is NOT going to get it fixed. Granting the variance would allow ALL property owners to work together on this problem. I told them only good could come from a church in the neighborhood and only 'not good' could come from an empty church building. This building was a church for over 40 years with this parking situation and was until late 2003 and I would like to see it be a church again in 2004.
After that, the people who were complaining about the drainage said they did not have an issue with the variance and wanted the church, they just didn't know who to address the water issue.
The board voted unanimously to pass the variance.
The neighbors and I decided to go to the next City Council meeting so that the city can address the water drainage issue with MSD. Hey, even I know standing water = mosquitoes = West Nile Virus.
You know...I really should run for office someday. I like helping my neighbors.
posted by suzyjax on 7/15/2004 12:34:00 PM > 0 comments

Whoopi fired from SlimFast

Whoopi Goldberg was fired from her spokesperson role from Slim Fast for some deragatory references she made to George W Bush at a recent Kerry fundraiser.
This was done in response to a right-wing letter writing campaign.
I have voiced my concern with Slim Fast for cow towing to the right and not supporting free speech. You can too at their website.
In the meantime, Whoopi should say goodbye to bad rubbish--Slim Fast is not good for you and you can only maintain the weight loss by drinking a Slim Fast shake for a meal or two a day FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!

posted by suzyjax on 7/15/2004 12:10:00 PM > 0 comments

JTA thang

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

JTA called while I was driving home last night. Caught me only a few blocks before the house so I was pulling in the driveway before things could "heat up"--and before I could turn the car around and have some sort of rendezvous. It was odd because I had planned on doing some online flirtation with him that day but got caught up doing work (it can be so pesky).
So, we had a pretty hot and heavy online thing today--or at least as hot and heavy as online can get. It made the day fly--althought it was very productive workwise too. It's too bad the is going to the baseball game tonight.
posted by suzyjax on 7/07/2004 02:46:00 PM > 0 comments

Young Latin Men

Ya know, sometimes life can be good. Today, I had four new GAs assigned to me. The only downside was that I had nothing prepared for them to do (why does the university blindside us like this?). The complete upside is now I have four latin men to answer my every whim. Yes, life can be good.
posted by suzyjax on 7/07/2004 02:34:00 PM > 0 comments

The New York Media

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Today, I met my father for lunch not too far from my house. So, I decided to indulge myself and go home and take a nap before returning to work. Of course, I slept with the television going and had kept it on CBS's NY Affiliate, Channel 2 (which I had on that morning).
All of the "watch our local news" promos were about how the NY Post had come out with a headline stating that Gephardt was Kerry's choice for the VP position on the Dem ticket. Now, if anyone deserves this bashing it is the Post who seems to always point out when the Times misses a comma or an question mark. However, how 'bout reporting some news instead of reporting how others have screwed up the news?
In St. Louis, there is also a lack of reporting news. But, instead of attacking their counterparts it's 95% bragging on "the story we brought you first" or "only seen on channel...".


posted by suzyjax on 7/06/2004 12:54:00 PM > 0 comments

Adopt a Hottie

Friday, July 02, 2004

Think of all the money MoDOT could make for our roads and highways if they added an Adopt-A-Hottie to their Adopt-A-Highway program.

Well...at least I make myself laugh!
posted by suzyjax on 7/02/2004 04:58:00 PM > 0 comments

MoDOT Man

Yesterday on my lunch adventure, I spyed a hot guy in a MoDOT truck. He was pulling out of a parking lot that I was trying to pull into. We each gave the other that "second look".
At the time I wondered what shed (home base locations for MoDOT workers) this guy could work out of--I can't think of where there is a shed near where I was at the time.
So, being the resourceful librarian-type I went to MoDOT's site to see if it listed shed locations (it doesn't). However, they did list a toll-free number and e-mail option for anyone wanting customer service.
As someone who works job#2 on the phone, I imagined how funny it would be if they received calls from women wanting to know "who the hot guy working on I-70 on Tuesday" was and how they could contact him. The thought makes me laugh.
posted by suzyjax on 7/02/2004 04:48:00 PM > 0 comments

Cheney's Dropping the F-Bomb: What will our kids think or say

I seem to recall hearing on talk radio not to long ago about the prevelance of oral sex among junior high school students. The host seemed to want to blame this on Clinton who must have made blow jobs acceptable.
So, if we continue along that line of thinking: can we blame Cheney for our teens' potty mouths?
posted by suzyjax on 7/02/2004 04:45:00 PM > 0 comments

Putting on the political hat

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Getting ready to wrap up my work day. I think I will treat myself to one of those new frozen coffee drinks.
Need to put on my political hat, being the first Thursday of the month and all. I will be speaking to two Township's Democrat groups. So, it will be run from one right to the other.
Only 32 days until the primary!
posted by suzyjax on 7/01/2004 02:33:00 PM > 0 comments

Update the question: What would you do with $280 million

Noone won the big jackpot on Tuesday. Thus, Friday's drawing will be for $280 million.

So..what would you do with $280 million.
posted by suzyjax on 7/01/2004 02:31:00 PM > 0 comments

What a day!

This has been a crazy day and that's just part one. Work was crazy, tyical BS (ya know same sh**, different day type things). I took an extra long lunch to go to Illinois and buy some lottery tickets.
This turned into a nice drive in the country. On the way over, I took a ferry across the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. I drove through Alton and across the bridge to come back. I figure that ended up being about 30 miles out of my way. In the future, I will take the ferry again--it is worth the $6.50 fare to save the 1/2 hour or so.
The "river road" between Grafton and Alton was practically desserted. I didn't see any other cars. It was relaxing to have the river to my right and open road to my front and back. I didn't even see a barge until I was almost to Alton. If the river wasn't on my right I might have thought I was heading away from Alton.
I forgot how nice Grafton is--it would make a nice getaway without having to go too far away. Lots of cute shops that I would have loved to stop in if I had not run a few errands before I set out for Illinois.
I took Hwy 94 to the Grafton ferry. It is amazing that at one point you can have a strip of fast foods and Waffle Houses and then you are in the middle of farmland.
Saw lotsa corn. Tall corn. Will have to go back to the farm tomorrow so that I can have corn for the weekend.
Overall, nice lunch hour(s). It would be nice to do more often--if gasoline wasn't almost $2.00 an hour.
posted by suzyjax on 7/01/2004 02:13:00 PM > 0 comments

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