I'm liking this Facebook thing

I joined Facebook one week ago. I thought it would be another myspace thing ~ a bunch of people I barely know wanting to be my friend in order to promote their band/music/cause/whatever. Wow - it's been a tremendous connection vehicle!

At first, I was accepting friend requests simply because he/she asked. Not anymore. I'm viewing FB as much more personal, intimate connection therefore being more selective. I've connected with classmates from high school ~ including a former teacher; former students from my years of teaching and interpreting; former co-workers, current co-workers and my very close friends.

However, the connections that are most special to me are the ones I'm making with my sorority sisters - Alpha Sigma Theta at CSUN. I can't believe I've found these women after almost 20 years! One sister has pictures posted - and I was in one of the pics. Good grief! My hair was biiig and very 80s (thank you KMS Ice hairfreeze). At the time I thought I looked goood. :)

Those were wonderful times; brief - too brief - but wonderful. I hope to connect with many more...

Thanks, Facebook!

What kind of fool am I?

National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo also known affectionately as NaBlahBlah) starts Saturday, November 1st. And I signed up again. Uh...yeah. I'll be on vacation the first week of November. And I don't have a laptop. Ugh.

I'm trying out this Blogger feature that allows your pre-written blog to post at a later date. Let's hope it works!

Sadly, it doesn't give me a week's worth of blogging topics...

Can he really do this?! WTH?!

originally posted by beatgirl 10/28/08

- unbelieveable -

I cannot believe what I witnessed today...

I was at the downtown [Portland OR] Rite-Aid, standing in line at the pharmacy.
There were two girls in front of me and one was picking up her prescription.
I over heard the cashier say "Your prescription is ready but you wont be able to pick it up today. You will have to wait until tomorrow"

The girl was confused...as was I over hearing this.

The girl said "If my prescription is ready, why cant I pick it up? I need it today. "

She was a little frantic.

She said to the cashier "Its Plan B. I cant wait until tomorrow. Whats the problem?"

The pharmacist approached the counter and said "I have your prescription. I will not dispense it to you because it is against my religious beliefs. There will be another pharmacist working tomorrow. You can pick it up then."

My jaw hit the floor

Who the fuck is this guy? Who is he to impose his personal beliefs on customers? What if this girl was raped? Who the fuck cares what the reason she needed it for...who the hell does he think he is? Besides in the wrong profession.

The girl turned to me with a shocked look on her face and said "Can he do that?"

I said "I dont think so" I then gave her directions to another pharmacy in the area.

I proceeded (along with several of my girlfriends) to call the Rite Aid corporate offices and complain.

They were mortified. They said they would contact the store and find out what happened.

We then received a call from the pharmacy manager of the downtown store. She said that although she apologises for me overhearing the conversation that should have been more confidential, that the pharmacist has the choice of whether to dispense medication based on his beliefs.

WTF????

I went off on the manager for awhile and then told her that I will never step foot in Rite-Aid again.

And I wont.

This is not over.

~ Can he really do this?? I am stunned. I need to google this...

well I may be the Mayor of Simpleton...

That Girl has been texting me for two weeks about this myspace application called 'YoVille' ~ "Girl, you should join, it's so much fun! You get an avatar and an apartment to decorate!"

So, of course, I check it out.

And, she ain't lying!

Check out YoVille, people. Design your avatar, go into town, meet people at the Coffee Shop, buy stuff at YoDepot to decorate your apartment, eat at Vinny's Diner to increase your energy and speed (how quickly you move through town), go to work at the Widget Factory, challenge others in town to quick games of Rock/Paper/Scissors or Tic Tac Toe (if you win, you get coins). It's pretty cool to explore and wander around the town ~ I was in the coffee shop yesterday and broke out into the Robot dance! w00t w00t

Yes, it's a tremendous time-waster.

Yes, I'm a tremendous Simpleton.

Who cares ~ it's fun! Thanks ThatGirl!

Everybody's doing it...

I like myspace. I do! Music, friends, blogs, stuff. I just like it.

Several friends have told me about facebook, encouraging me to join. When asked 'Why? What's the difference?' no one could tell me. 'It's just better...' didn't quite cut it. It took a threat from Chickens for me to even look at FB. And am I glad I did!

I joined (read: succumbed to peer pressure) on Friday and I've reconnected with so many people: high school friends, my first high school English teacher, several of my Alpha Sigma Theta sisters from CSUN. Incredible! I spent several hours clicking through photos and updates, posting comments, catching up. Tons of warm and wonderful memories rushed over me. Yeah, sounds corny - I know. But it's the only way to describe it!

The only thing that bugs me? Everyone wants to know about my brother! ;)

...Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn't already have

There's a girl who lives in my building named E. We used to be friends ~ hang out, chat on the stairs, dinner, watch TV, shopping, drinking and all kinds o'fun with a group of mutual friends. Good times, yo ~ and I have pics to prove it :)

A couple of years ago, she began to withdraw from the group. Each of us reached out in some way to her, knowing the risk of pushing her away for good was a true possibility. Each of us let her be herself and work out her stuff.

A year ago, our group of friends unraveled and split. It was a hit from left field and truly caused [somewhat of] a downward spiral ~ questioning all sorts of things about me, what a true friend is, who my true friends are, etc. In the split, E denounced 3 of us (whose friendship remains) and rekindled her friendship with 2 others. The whole thing made for a sad situation really. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't hurt.

E still lives upstairs and I see her on rare occasions. One all-too-familiar scenario makes me laugh every single time - she will be walking out of her apartment, I'll be walking up the stairs to mine and she'll back into the alcove to avoid me. Really?! Are you kidding me with that?? There have been times when our paths have crossed on the stairs or at the mailboxes...and she looks right through me. Right through me. As though I am nothing. It's a weird feeling - trust me. I mean, I look at strangers and give something - eye contact, a nod, a smile, something...something. I get nothing. I've said hi on previous encounters and watched her squirm in her discomfort. A painful sounding grunt came out once. So, I stopped.

For all the sadness and hurt I feel at losing friends, can you believe I'm civil enough and aware enough to go out of my way in order to ease HER discomfort? Huh...who really lost a friend in this situation.

As emotional as I can get sometimes, I am definitely happy to have a heart.

Like the Alan Parsons Project says: I wouldn't want to be like you.

Halloween meme

randomness...feed your mind and your blog
10.12 Happy Haunting

1. What's your favorite Halloween costume?
~ 7th grade - Sierra Middle School - Susan, Mary and I dressed as Three Muskateers candy bars! We each painted a box to look exactly like the candy wrapper complete with the ingredients and such. We won the costume contest :)

Do you still dress up for Halloween?
~ if I was going to a party, sure I would. As a general rule? No, no, no.

2. Pumpkin Carving, is it fun or overrated?
~ totally overrated! One of my least favorite things about Halloween. How very bah-humbug of me.

3. What's your fav Halloween treat?
~ CANDY CORN! mmm! I had a lively conversation with DJ Big Jim about our preferences for eating candy corn.

4. Do you watch scary movies? If so, what are your favorites?
~ I do watch scary movies ~ Exorcist, Halloween, others I can't think of right now...recently went to Knotts Scary Farm. Boy did that place live up to its name...

5. What's your favorite scary book? Pet Sematary and IT. Those are books to put in the freezer for sure!

Mentoring 2008

When I quit my job as a sign language interpreter/teacher in 2000, I was relieved. I couldn't wait to get a real job with real adults (not the counting-the-moments-until-retirement teachers) and have real conversations about things other than 'Who do you like better: NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?'

So, there I went...off into the real world. And as I went through my day, I felt something missing. Real adults? Check! Real conversations? Check! Took me two years of temp jobs to figure it out - the kids. I miss the kids!

I had been at The Company for a couple of months as the Corporate Receptionist when a group of high schoolers came through with swag from the set of FRIENDS ~ shirts, pencils, mugs, pictures. So, I asked a) where did you get that stuff and b) where did you come from to get that stuff? Turned out the kids were part of The Company's inaugural Mentoring Program. The kids were from A Place Called Home who, in association with Youth Mentoring Connection, partnered with The Company. I would see these kids every couple of weeks, listen to them talk about the program and their mentors; I would see some of the mentors everyday, listen to them talk about the program and their kids (mentees). I wanted to be part of it!

When I had moved into a role within The Company which would allow me the flexibility to participate, I signed up for the Mentoring Program. I was a mentor to Erick for two years; then a mentor to Marqietta for two years. Last year I took a break. In August, I signed up again.

Two weeks ago, all of the mentors and the kids got together for food, games and bowling at Jillian's. The casual environment allows all to feel comfortable mixing and mingling, trying to find out what's what. Such a thrill to see so many kids participating (almost 50)! There were several kids who had been in the program for a few years - and I loved seeing and reconnecting with them. The point of the evening? For the kids to find an adult he/she connects with and vice versa. I was able to meet all of the kids, made connections with most and asked the program directors about one kid in particular. At the end of the evening, everyone gets a sheet of paper and is asked to list the 3 people he/she has made a connection with. No guarantees! Just your preferences. I skipped #1 and #2. On line #3 I wrote - "Boy or girl. You know me. Pair me with the person who will get the most from and give the most to me."



On Tuesday, we found out our mentor/mentee pairings for the year:

Introducing ~ Rissa & Gerica!

Isn't she adorable?! I'm super excited about mentoring and can't wait to get to know my new friend!

Rita Hayworth gave good face

Nordstrom had a make-up event on Saturday morning. I know it's supposed to be exclusive, invite-only type of thing, but seriously - does it have to start at 8:30 a.m.? Egads. I was only fifteen minutes late.

All participants were given a great tote bag which contained a bottle of water *and* breakfast. I know! Berries and a scone/muffin/biscuit thing. Nice touch, Nordstrom.

Videos of each make-up line were played, interspersed with give-aways from the managers of each counter. I made notes on several products to check out and paid special attention to the Smashbox video as I had a 'consultation' (read: put makeup on meeeee!) with them after the event.

First stop - NARS. The account rep was adorable and lively. He danced up and down the runway; and was the only one to come all the way to the back of the audience where I was sitting. His model wore a gorgeous lip gloss called All Night Long. I tried it on, loved it, bought it. No wonder it's voted best by Sephora customers!

NARS Lip Gloss ~ All Night Long

Next on my list was Laura Mercier. I know the brand name but am only familiar with the Stick Gloss (Black Orchid - my favorite). The account rep also highlighted berry lips with a product called Lip Velvet. The color, Cassis, is a dark intense color which I tried on, loved and bought. I am so easy.

Laura Mercier Lip Velvet ~ Cassis

I made my way over to the Smashbox counter - second in popularity to MAC (of course). The account rep was lovely, offering to move my appointment 30 minutes so I wouldn't have to wait around. The woman who did my makeup was great ~ she asked what I liked, blended when I didn't like, showed me wonderful products and was truly helpful. When I hemmed and hawed at some of the products and brushes she was pushing, she suggested alternatives and saved me a lot of money. My favorite product is the waterproof eyeliner in Navy. My eyes looked amazing! I told the gal she had to come do my makeup every day.

Smashbox Cream to Powder foundation ~
excellent coverage, very light,
stayed in place all through my adventures at Knott's Scary Farm!

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Line in Navy ~
amazing product that sets in 60 seconds and won't smudge or move.

Smashbox Doubletake Lip Color Sugar/Spice ~
nothing beats convenience! Lip liner on one end, gorgeous color on the other.
The texture is very nice and smooth - didn't tug on my lips when I used it.




OK. THIS is the best lip gloss I have *ever* seen. It's Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Pur in Black. Yes, black. The host of the event wore it, but I was too far back to see. I made my way to the YSL counter in time to see it applied to a 16 year old girl. It was applied sparingly, so the color was a lovely berry tinged with black - it was very cool. I saw the host of the event putting more on and it was black - looked pretty cool. I'm watching everyone try it out, completely baffled at how different the color was on each woman. Someone tapped my shoulder; I turned to see the national account rep/lead makeup artist with the black lip gloss.

I'm Keith. I want to see this lip gloss on you. It would look beautiful over the color you're wearing now.

Seeing as I'm a girl, at a makeup event, who loves makeup, how could I refuse? Couldn't. Didn't.

Keith applied it, changing my berry lips to a deep dark cherry color. Sold! He only had 25, so I was lucky to get one.

This lip gloss is crazy cool! Sephora doesn't even have it. I can't wait to experiment with it - over liners, over other lip colors, on its own. Yes, Lys ~ it's coming to PhilaPA.

YSL Gloss Pur Black (limited edition)

Mean Girls ~ they're not just for high school anymore

90% of the time, I consider myself a confident person. I stand up for myself, defend my opinions, put myself out there to meet new people and am the first to laugh at myself. Last night, however, I was thrust back to high school and those insecure and inferior feelings washed over me.

Dinner with friends - easy enough. Making the last-minute decision to run home to change clothes would make me late. Not "L.A. time" late, but late nonetheless. Faded jeans, grey sweater over white tank top and black chunky heel loafer shoes - nothing fancy, casual, perfectly fine for drinks and dinner. Or so I thought.

I arrive, greet the girls. Looking fabulous, I admire key pieces ~ Great bag! The patent shoes are tres chic! Those boots are reason enough to have The Surgery!

You didn't have to get so dressed up for us. Looking me up and down.

These are my best faded jeans, I said with a laugh. And I remembered to match my shoes to my bag.

It's no wonder you don't date, Reese. You don't take your appearance seriously. Blink.

Clinton and Stacy wouldn't ambush me on Ventura Boulevard.

They would certainly stop and think twice.

The 'Bash Reese' portion of the show continued for 20 minutes ~ my appearance, my dating record, why I'm not going to the gym, why I stopped wearing contact lenses, my body language. I felt smaller and smaller with every word. I don't know where my confidence was hiding...smaller and smaller, sadder and sadder, feeling more and more like my 15 year old self than the actual 41.

And, tears fell. Not rushing, blubbering, splatter my glasses crying. The welling, the filling and a couple falling.

And, you always wear heels. I don't get that. Men are intimidated by tall women. You know that - you hardly date tall men.

I couldn't retort. I couldn't say anything. I wanted to laugh it all off. I really did! But the words just hit...the sting, the venom, the hurt. I didn't get it, didn't understand where it came from. Didn't understand why I was having dinner with the Mean Girls. And I was completely baffled why I was so affected. I'd had such a great day! The 15 year old self was so beat down by it all...but 41 showed up just in time to save her.

I stood, said thank you, grabbed my faux Marc Jacobs and left. I shook and cried out the door, down the street, in the car and all the way home.

This morning, I have two voicemails, several text messages and a raging headache.

The thing that sticks with me is how easily I was affected.

...but somehow the vital connection is made

:::the Heavens open:::

:::Angels Chorus sing:::

Like the Backstreet Boys, my internet is back. Alright!

Reese was sans internet for 3 weeks. No, seriously. However, after two more phone calls with five different people, I was able to convince AT&T to send a new modem to my work address. It arrived yesterday and I ran home to connect it. All the lights were blinking, but the connection wasn't made. Grrr! I would have stayed, called customer service again and tried to right the wrong, but I had a party to get to at the Hotel Fig!

Sadly, customer service was closed by the time I got home. You can bet I was on that phone once I woke up. And now...I have internet. Glorious internet!

I'm part of the world again. Thank you!

It's been seven hours and fifteen days...

OK. Maybe not quite that long. But, long enough!

I haven't had internet service at home for ten day. TEN DAYS! That's like...an...era or something. Good grief I'm going crazy! It is truly debilitating (okay, a bit Debbie Dramatic, but I'm making a point here, people). I'm in my office typing this...

Started with my modem going belly-up on 9/24. The telephone tech came out, checked my outside phone line and pronounced everything "A-OK!" (Verbatim. Seriously.) He wasn't able to hear my DSL line or any static, so he ordered me a new modem ~ covered under warranty, thankyouverymuch.

Modem arrives on 9/29. Great! Hook it up. Great! DSL light is green. Great! Ethernet cable light off. Not great! I flip the cord, make sure everything is in its place, connect the power. DSL light is green. Great! Ethernet cable light off. Not great! Grrr. I try mixing the cables from the original modem with the new modem. Nothing. Fine. I leave it alone.

On 10/1, I call AT&T DSL customer service. I go through the whole rigamarole with the dude - checking the connections, switching the cables, rebooting. I even endure the "Are you sure your power cord is plugged in?" nonsense. Finally, the dude says "You have a defective modem." What?! Are you kidding me with that?! Defective you say?? Huh. The dude orders me a modem to be overnighted to my home. I kindly request a new modem, not a refurbished one. "We do not send out refurbished modems, ma'am." "Huh. Then maybe you shouldn't print the word 'refurbished' on the invoice in bold capital letters." Just saying.

Not home Thursday. Get home Friday - no modem. Surprise, surprise. I call the DSL customer service line again. Go through the whole rigamarole with Louie, who transfers me to Justin, who makes me go through the whole rigamarole with him twice. "Justin. I just want a new modem please. I've been through this. The cables, the lights, the this, the that. I just want a new modem. How is a girl supposed to set her Fantasy Football team without the internet?" This got Justin's attention, so we talked FF for a minute. Then. Ohhhh, then..."Ma'am, we can send you a new modem but you'll have to extend your internet service agreement for one year, okay?" I laughed. I did! I laughed. "Justin. You looked at the notes, read that a new modem was supposed to be sent two days ago. YOU told me the order wasn't placed. NOW you want me to tack on an additional year to my service plan - by the way, I have no service - so I can get a modem to give me service? You might want to rethink that situation."

So, I'll have a new modem "by Tuesday at the latest."

I also called Billing. Joshua was lovely. He credited back one month's service fee, bundled my phone service options so that I save $35/month and made sure my account was noted with the 'order new modem/send new modem' comments. I like Joshua, he's nice.

In the meantime, I can check email on my cell phone but can't reply. I can send tweets via text, but can only read direct Twitter messages. And, I can check football scores but can't check my fantasy league status.

Oh dear Internet...like Robin Thicke sings: I'm lost without you.

The Surgery

I wear size 12 shoes. Adding insult to injury, I wear size 12EE. That's wide. Pretty damn wide, if ya ask me. I've worn size 12 since, oh...let's see...7th grade. Uh huh. As if being 5'11" at age 12 isn't enough.

Back in those days, there weren't a whole lotta footwear choices. My shoe wardrobe consisted of Nikes - white with the blue swoosh. In the 8th grade, I got a pair of blue Nikes with a yellow swoosh. Ooh, snazzy! Not so much.

At some point during my high school years, my sister discovered a store called Freeman's. It was a huge shoe store in Pomona. Aisles and aisles of shoes stacked from floor to ceiling. The newspaper ad advertised shoes "from 6AA to 14EEE!" Damn! I could definitely find shoes there. The only decent shoes in my size were called 'skimmers' - your basic flat shoe. I got 5 different colors of those skimmers; wore 'em out fast.

As cute as the flats were, I wanted current shoes; shoes like my friends. It wasn't to be. Well, there was the espadrille incident...

It was about this time, that I proposed The Surgery. There were two options to The Surgery:

1. Cut off my toes, shave down some of the bone, reattach the toes. Or,
2. Cut out a chunk from the middle of my feet, reattach accordingly.

It wouldn't take much as I just wanted to be a size 10. A size 10 has no problem walking into any shoe department and finding shoes. Besides, if I went any smaller than a 10, I'd probably fall over.

Times changed, Payless Shoe Sources popped up, plus-size catalogues carried fairly decent footwear in my size and the need for The Surgery waned. Would you believe I was 19 years old before I wore my first high-heeled pumps?! I know!

I've been on a shoe kick as of late...and that pesky desire for The Surgery has popped up once again. I found a gorgeous pair of Prada-inspired pumps online...and wouldn't ya know it, they only go up to a size 10. I could always do the espadrille shuffle...

Sigh.