Dec 30, 2010

You bitches make me feel guilty.

I can't cook.



Upon reading this statement you're probably thinking, "YES, YOU CAN! I can cook and so can you! It's not that hard, and can be so REWARDING! Jessi, cook something! :) !!!!!"

Shut up. I hate cooking. I know I can cook. I can also volunteer to teach Sunday School. I can sell magazines door to door and wax my own pubic hair. But I choose to do zero of these things. Because that's the power of free will.

But you lovely little ladies with your Vera Bradley clutches and your banana hangers are making me ill. It seems like everyone these days is making their own cooking blog. And if they're not dedicating an entire blog to the business of listing recipes and posting out of focus photos of pie, they're using their personal blog for a once-a-week Paula Deen shout-out.

I have to give credit where credit is due. My former college roommate used to get drunk and make us pasta. She was known to fall asleep on the kitchen counter surrounded by her measuring spoons and using her oven mitts as a pillow. Since her days of following the Moose tracks through the ice cream (to another roommate's chagrin), she has started her own cooking blog, hilariously titled "That's What She Fed." I can stand behind something like this.

My mother is an excellent cook. As I've mentioned before, it is her specialty. She makes homemade cinnamon rolls every Christmas. Everyone wants in on Darlene's cooking. My grandmother has not been well recently. When asked if she would be attending my mother's 50th birthday party, she answered with a question,

"Will she be making food?"

You're in luck, Nanny. My mother is the kind of person who can and will and can't stop cooking for her own birthday party. So my grandmother came to the party. As did anyone else with common sense. My mom is a great cook. A typical southern woman, she enjoys recipes that include butter. And sugar. And melted butter. I have creeping obesity.

Thankfully, I have married a man who enjoys cooking. He loves to make a big ole mess (which is also what I call cooking). He makes big breakfasts with eggs and bacon and toast and home fries. We are in love. And most of the time I don't mind cleaning up the big ole mess. We have a healthy relationship when it comes to cooking. I will make grilled cheese at any given time, and he will decide when he wants grilled cheese and when he'd like to make real food instead.

But these girls. THESE GIRLS. Quit it with your exotic recipes. Your slideshows. You are making me feel bad. My house is immaculate, our bills paid and the oil is changed in the car. But stop posting torturous material. I go to Trader Joe's exclusively for flowers and wine. And my new years resolution is to stop feeling guilty about this part of myself. I'm not turning into Rachel Ray anytime soon. She has nodes anyway.

Dec 22, 2010

Children know best.

Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who understands what Christmas is all about?!
Linus: Sure, I can tell you what Christmas is all about: December 25 is associated with the birth of many Pagan gods, including Mithra, Horus, Hercules, Zeus, and Sol Invictus. The Roman festival Saturnalia would also end around this time. Christianity imported many of these Pagan myths and traditions into its own customs around 400 AD. Today Christians express outrage that Christmas is losing its Christian roots. This is ironic since it was Christianity that hijacked the holiday in the first place to make it easier to convert new followers. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful opportunity to share our love with friends and family, and commit acts of goodwill for those that are less fortunate. It is a time for children to revel in their innocence and wonder about the world, and adults to find their inner child. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.


It's a funny thing, Christmastime. Four weeks ago you were stuffing your face and sharing the same awkward moments with the same people. Here you are again. This time you've got a new sweater (wouldn't want your extended family to know you only have one sweater!!) and you're ready to make this shit quick. You're also not as willing this time to feast in reckless abandonment since you've reached your winter weight gain limit and your pants feel like they may not be joining you in the new year. You've got your $15 gift handy for your white elephant exchange (it's a scarf) and you're on the edge of your seat. Hoping for gift cards. Children inevitably end up with the best gifts post-exchange. Because, really, Christmas is about children and making sure they never cry because they're annoying when they cry. Also it's nice to avoid letting children grow up too fast with too few happy childhood memories because nobody wants to have to help pay for therapy and/or bail later down the road.

Children are smart. You ask an adult what they want for Christmas and they say something silly like, "Continued health of the family... a job market turnaround." You ask a kid, and they have a list of fourteen possible options including applicable accessories and extras. They list them in desired order, placing special emphasis on specific and highly necessary details. Swan Lake Barbie is on the list, but if you get the Swan Lake Barbie with the red hair and not the blond hair, Santa is going on her shit list. I distinctly remember asking for Puppy Surprise as a kid, making sure to stress that I wanted the maximum amount of puppies- NO EXCEPTIONS. I was a thorough, though terribly bratty child. Imagine my parents' anxiety upon realizing that Puppy Surprise was indeed also a surprise to its purchaser, with no way to predetermine how many puppies one might end up with. I think my parents were more nervous than I was come Christmas morning. I ended up with three puppies, one more puppy than the minimum. Thankfully, I was so excited about my other gifts, I barely made a peep about the mistake.

You never hear children harassing others to "put Christ back in Christmas" and "remember the reason for the season" because children know well enough to keep their trap shut. Children are too busy scouring the Sunday ads for toys they may have somehow glossed over to pull you aside and exclaim with their eyes closed about the "magic and splendor" of this holiday. Children are too busy doing what everyone else should be doing: minding their own business and planning their next move. I'm all for giving, and for experiencing the joy of helping others who don't have the luxuries I do. I throw my change in the red bucket, and I pay my outrageous taxes to the city of St. Louis. But this Christmas, instead of being cheap and sharing only your religious beliefs with others, show a little childish pride and go sit by yourself until somebody asks what you want Santa to bring you.

Dec 20, 2010

All I Want for Christmas

Is to get out of St. Louis. And World Market gift cards.

Dec 17, 2010

Spanx for Dudes

They all did it because of the job market.. or for extra back support.

I was watching Ever After last night at 2am (I have no regrets) and this commercial came on. Please consider the implications of the target demographic for Ever After at 2am.


Dec 15, 2010

He likes chicken.

But the kid can actually sing, so... whatever. Someone please give him a job. We are in a recession, guys. AND TALENT IS TALENT.

May I present St. Louis's new anthem:

Dec 14, 2010

LL Bean & Friends

Well, it's that time of year. The time of year when your mail consists solely of life-altering gas bills, all those Netflix dvd's you put on the bottom of the list because nothing good's been released on dvd in months, OH AND CATALOGS. They found us. Our mail carrier must scoff at the varying degrees of white we are based on how many CB2's we get in a single day. (One day it was 3.) And while I very much enjoy skimming through these mind-blowing collections of shiny house things, my favorite catalogs are those of the LL Bean variety.

LL Bean has been around longer than Christmas. At least it seems that way. And if I hadn't watched "The Origin of Christmas" on the History Channel the other night (guys... it wasn't Jesus.), I would have reason to believe that the Beans themselves invented the Christmas tree and maybe even the concept of marriage, family, and appreciation for the outdoors. They are resilient, welcoming, and look good in plaid. They understand the vain desire to monogram any and everything possible.

LL Bean catalog collecting is a signature move for newly married couples. Brandon and I, however, have been receiving these bad boys forever. We don't actually consider purchasing anything from them, but it's nice to know there might be a family out there who looks great in big fluffy awkward coats and wants to decorate an entire tree with wellie ornaments. My favorite part of the LL Bean catalogs is typically the pet section. Without a doubt, each time I flip through a new LL Bean, I will fantasize about having a large dog with a matching large dog bed. I remember being little and asking my mom if we could get dog beds. Like, for my brother and me. Also, I dare you to tell me there is anything more rugged than a clean-shaven man in earmuffs holding a puppy.

Wikipedia says that LL Bean was founded in 1912. (Also that they are known for their excellent customer service.) But I think that maybe the spirit of LL Bean, and all its glossy counterparts, may have been born in a barn somewhere in the Middle East, surrounded by cows, horses, sheep, and maybe a few decked out gay men to steer the marketing approach toward women. I think that maybe the concept of this hike-loving, canvas bag-toting company was rooted in something bigger. Something so magical it brings people together. I think that LL Bean had something to go with the origin of Christmas. Maybe the History Channel never checked into this possibility. Worse yet, maybe they don't even get LL Bean catalogs.

Canvas bag full of puppies seemed appropriate.

Dec 3, 2010

What do you say to your loving, sensitive, scientist husband

After he tells you he just killed 60 mice and is very sad?

Apparently not this:

me: im sorry you had to kill 60 mice
:(
im sure they were happy to be no longer living in their stinky cages with their stinky mouse friends
they are in mouse nirvana now
lots of cheese and wheels and no cats
Brandon: I'm going to mouse hell.
me: there is no such thing
only mouse nirvana
lots of holes in the walls
Cinderella is there, and she will enlist their help in making dresses

And especially not this:

Travis: tonight you should be like
brandon
let's watch ratatouille
or mouse hunt
OH
THE WITCHES
YOU SHOULD WATCH THE WITCHES

Nov 26, 2010

As we enter the holiday season...

Please remember that the best songs, movies, books, and stories are never ABOUT Christmas, they just include it. Merry Christmas mood. Please excuse the fact that my Bareilles obsession extends past my respect for Joni Mitchell's original. eee.

Nov 24, 2010

I just love this girl.


It takes actual talent to make a song about a stalker something worth listening to. She could sing Hakuna Matata and make it sound like Bob Dylan wrote it.

Nov 23, 2010

Life as a Married Organ Donor

Salutations!

It's been quite a while since I graced this blog with my uninhibited thoughts and powerful rhetoric. Since the last time I posted anything (which was slightly awkward I should admit), I've gotten married, started a new hobby, and cut off all my hair.

See:









No hair. And yes, I donated it. Who doesn't donate their hair when they cut off something like 20 inches? Jerks. That's who.

Speaking of jerks, yesterday I paid a visit to DMV to get a brand new license sporting my brand new name that no one knows how to pronounce. While there, a man angrily approached the desk (not waiting for his number, mind you!) to demand to the clerk helping me (oh no he didn't!) "Does this little heart mean I'm an organ donor!!? I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR!"

Now this, in itself, was hilarious. I stood there stunned, hoping and praying for the opportune moment to tell him he will not need his liver if he is in 12 pieces and dead. This moment never came. Instead, SOMETHING BETTER HAPPENED.

The woman helping me excused herself and stepped toward the man. "Sir, I thought you requested to be a donor. I am sorry I misunderstood. Unfortunately, in order to remove your name from the National Organ Donor list, you must write a letter to the appropriate office."

I thought he was going to pull out a knife.

Instead, he began berating this poor DMV clerk for not doing her job properly, demanded a supervisor, and upon the supervisor's arrival, told her he DID NOT HAVE TIME TO WRITE A LETTER. That she should write and send said letter since this mistake was made by incompetence within her workplace. I almost volunteered to write his letter. I assume he ended up getting the matter resolved, but not without first asking pertinent questions like, "So if I'm in an accident, they'll let me die and then rip out my kidneys on the side of the road??!!!!" And I thought I hated DMV.

I have also taken up a new hobby since you last glimpsed into my blog life. I am well on my way to keeping bees. Yes, bees. Yes, in my backyard. And yes, I bet you think this is stupid/crazy/dangerous/useless/not something you would probably do. However, growing up in Virginia, my grandparents kept bees. And my grandparents kept me most days, too. So I was able to see how it's done, what it really means, and how rewarding a hobby it can be. I've read 9 books. I've joined the local beekeeping association, and attended my first meeting! I met a few local beekeepers who could potentially become excellent mentors. Workshops begin in February, where I will order supplies and bees, assemble my very first hive, and begin the process of creating a colony of productive little ladies. I'm ecstatic to finally have the space to keep bees. Brandon is not so ecstatic, however, for the daunting task of cutting grass around them. I told him I'd lend him my bee suit.

For anyone who really cares to read my ramblings, I'm sorry I haven't shared them with you. For anyone else, suck it. Happy Holidays.



Jul 1, 2010

REALIZATION.

Kooky, strangely sexually enticing pushy Progressive salesgirl= regular phone operator in ankle-length skirt on Mad Men. ALL RIGHT THAS COOL...


























That first picture was for you, Travis.

Jun 24, 2010

We all need a sassy gay friend.

I posted the Juliet one on fb, but in case you don't know how Youtube and related videos works, here's the second best one. Also, thanks Adam. :)

Jun 10, 2010

Remember when I was all "Whatever happened to Obama Girl?!!"

Love/Hate Relationship with Youtube, y'all.

SO.

While Brandon is on mental and social hiatus from life working himself to death in scienceland, I've been doing exactly what you'd expect I'd be doing: WORKING, laying on the floor playing with my cats, practicing piano, and watching the trashiest shit possible on our coveted Bravia.

Within the past week:
1. The Little Couple- They are trying to multiply, guys. They're seeing a fertility specialist and hoping to find a surrogate. That bitch gon' get PAID. And it might even be an easy pregnancy... with a LITTLE ONE ON THE WAY!!! I slay me.
2. Kendra- She's embarrassed about her sex tape. Right. Because as Hugh Hefner's former girlfriend, we are all shocked and disappointed in your behavior. Also, her baby AND her husband being named Hank is just downright agitating. You aren't going to call him "Baby Hank" forever. Or... right.. you probably will.
3. Kate Plus 8- the cable went out halfway through. I'm starting to rethink my current state of Athiesm. There's some sort of message here. THE BEST PART WAS WHEN AIDEN GOES "THE DANCE FLOOR IS GONE BECAUSE MOMMY GOT ELIMINATED." YESSSS.
4. Some really terrible Lifetime movie about a man who has a twin and he tricks him or something I'm so sorry. It was like 3 in the morning when I got home from work and needed to unwind but I can't watch "paid programming" without dying a little inside. Unless it's for Slap Chop, even though I already have one and it's the Pampered Chef version so it'll never break. I digress.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Toddlers in Tiaras. I'm done with Say Yes to the Dress (you're fat and you have bad taste just elope already), and 16 and Pregnant is probably filming a new season, SO... those little bitches, their southern accents and their spray tans are MAKING. MY. LIFE.

The episode tonight was actually upsetting. The mom yelled at her son in front of the judges. Bad Form. She proceeded to huff his choreography to him while onstage spotting his stupid backbend in his spiderman costume, then admitted she thought he'd lose and she couldn't wait to order a pizza and pass out. Y'all. I love my TV. Anyway, I just spent 40 minutes trying to locate a video of the little girl from a million episodes back who wanted to win so she could use the prize money to buy a cow. 20 bucks to anyone who can find said video.

May 31, 2010

Another Dar Gchat

Mom: Hopefully this week you'll have some down time

Me: Nope. Just Tuesday but I'm off Friday and Saturday. But I'll be a baller by then with all the shifts I'm working

Mom: Meaning you will be crying

Me: No. Meaning I'll be rich

Mom: Oh-

Apr 13, 2010

F Bombs and Darlene

Backstory: I recently joined a band, and Monday afternoon I sang for a few thousand people at the Cardinals opening day rally.

Actual text message conversation regarding said gig:

Mom: How was the show
Me: Soooooo much fucking fun. And yes. Fun enough to use the f word to my mother. I'll call you later.
Mom: Sooooo f'ing glad!


I also have a HUGE self-inflicted tambourine injury. What is my life?

Mar 22, 2010

Health Care Reform

Trolling status updates today made me realize how many uncivilized, close-minded facebook friends I have. "Socialist"?? You'd surely feel differently if you found out you had cancer, or were in a serious accident and your insurance premium couldn't cover everything. If you're healthy and in your 20's, there is absolutely no reason to be shitting your pants about this. Ask your grandparents what their 20's were like and I'm sure you'll understand how much things can change. On second thought, maybe don't ask your grandparents anything. They're probably pissed because they all feel entitled to ridiculous amounts of money and extensive meticulous care for their terminal illnesses. 

Mar 15, 2010

The Cable Guy

So the cable guy came. We'd been having issues with our cable box, and Brandon had driven to the nearest Charter location where they had given us a new box. Well, the new box sucked even more and we got a total of seven channels, which didn't include HGTV and therefore constituted an emergency. So this morning I'm sleeping, all bra-less and covered in cat hair. My phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Yeah, ma'am. Charter service here. You got problems with your cable?"
"Um. Okay. I'll come let you in."

My wit was not strong enough at 9am to respond with "I have problems with more than just my cable, thank you."

So I let him in. And he looked like Snoop Dogg. I immediately regretted not taking the 40 additional seconds to put on a bra. I was wearing brandon's sweatpants and had some serious JBF hair.  Anyway, he walks into my living room and has this look of sheer shock. I am not fully awake at this point, but the little monsters had been up for a while and were anticipating being fed. Dylan sniffed Snoop's leg cautiously, and then ran away. Dylan never runs away. Dylan is like Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Both cats LOVE strangers. So I came to the conclusion that my cats are racists and that I would deal with that later. To ease D O double G's fears, I smiled politely and said, "Oh, they're very friendly. They won't hurt you."

Awkward silence. He blinks. Of course not, Jessi. They are cats, not German Shepherds. Great. This is going so well. Twenty minutes later, the cable is fixed and Mr. Cable Guy is quickly on his way out. My cats have hidden themselves in the smallest crevices available, and won't even come out for treats. I need to call Brandon about the house inspection later, and now I'm going to have to talk to my furry children about social injustice.

I sit back down to watch my long lost good old cable, AND FINALLY REALIZE that he'd probably never walked into some young, evidently-financially stable girl's apartment and SEEN A 12 FOOT STRIPPER POLE IN THE MIDDLE OF HER FUCKING LIVING ROOM. Or at least, if he had, the girl was like "uhh, umm oh", or had improvised something like "That's my skinny mirror" or "It's structural."

Be right back; I have to go talk to my cats about Rosa Parks.

Mar 11, 2010

Major Milestone: First Time Home Buying

Things I've learned about buying a house:
1. Roofs are important. And expensive to fix. So don't buy a house with roof issues. Or mold. That shit is gross.
2. Location, Location, Location. They say it three times for a reason. Nobody wants a mansion if your neighbors are drinking 40s and training rottweilers on their front porch when you come home from work.
3. If your house has a cellar with meat hooks in it, I'm not buyin'. And apparently no one else is, either.
4. Big backyards are nice, but it really sucks when you can't think of anything to do in them after you've decided they're a fantastic selling feature.
5. Basements make great places for litterboxes. Y'all. We need a basement.
6. Attached/detached garages exist. And are baffling.
7. Respectable realtors won't let you look at a house if its on a corner lot and they know you plan to resell in 5 years. LIKE WON'T EVEN LET YOU LOOK.
8. Realtors are very busy people and develop immense patience, especially for people unfamiliar with the home-buying process who call them 15 times a day. God bless them.
9. No matter how big a house or backyard we find, we are not getting a dog. Period.

Mar 9, 2010

My fiance's Apple marketing critique

Brandon's response: "Wow. He can read really fast."

Feb 25, 2010

I totally don't even need cable

Speaking of Poker Face


Just in case you've never heard this version.

True Stories from the past 2 weeks of my life

1. At work last night, a guy on a date with another girl left me his number, a 12% tip, and the words "You wanna call me, girl?"  No. Kill yourself.
2. Last time I went to Barnes Jewish for my Human Microbiome Sampling, I got lost and ended up on the wrong floor: Endoscopy. I asked the lady at the desk where I could find clinical studies, to which she replied, "I have no idea. We do colonoscopies here." SO I SAID "AHAHA WELL I DON'T WANNA BE HERE!" Blank stare. Crickets. Old People coughing. I am destined to have colon cancer now.
3. I found BK heart JE drawn in the pavement a block from our apartment. When I asked Brandon if he had written it, he goes, "HAHA, Oh my god, yeah I totally forgot I did that; I think I was drunk walking home one night." Romance, y'all.
4. My car got broken into. They stole my cd deck, GPS, and all my cd's, including Lady Gaga. I have a hard time dealing with how racist I feel imagining the perps jamming to "Poker Face".

Feb 12, 2010

Remembering the king


My grandparents used to have huge Elvis paintings and Elvis bust sculptures all over their tacky house. I would sit on their plastic-covered couch and drink flat Dr. Pepper and wonder who he was. I think I want one. Maybe this one.

He's real. And I want him.

Feb 9, 2010

I remember this being like porn when I was 12.


Then Devon Sawa made Final Destination movies. LOL Ghosts/Extreme deaths

Feb 2, 2010

Whatever happened to Obama girl?


She made me wanna be all.. political.

Feb 1, 2010

I think I want ice cream after all.

One fun facet of wedding planning is selecting the cake. Brandon and I are pretty sure we are going an alternate route with an ice cream sundae bar since we both prefer ice cream, but we haven't made up our minds quite yet. Honestly, this is because recently we've gotten pretty addicted to Cake Boss, and I also watch the other cake shows on TLC. I know, you're super shocked about yet another mention of TLC. Go Little Chocolatiers. Anyway, I find these "cake artists" captivating. I want to go watch them in person. And then eat their masterpieces. Needless to say, their work has certainly weighed on my mind. I've been googling some cakes just to get some ideas for the consultation with our baker on Wednesday. While browsing images, I found some terrific inspiration:





Honey, does this cake make me look fat?











I would wait SOOOOO long in line for the perfect piece of this one.





I think it's waving at me.















The flower detail is exquisite.








I PAID FOR FUCKING SPRINKLES.









I found the unedited version of this one. You're better off looking at this one.







They also make cakes for people who don't want to have sex ever again after they get married. It's going to be a tough call.

Just found another reason to love Bareilles.

Jan 31, 2010

Grammy Thoughts

Thank you for reminding us about what prevented your attendance at Grammys 2009. I like your neck brace, girrrrrl.

Taylor Swift, you sounded like shit.

SON OF HEAVEN

Brandon has this T-shirt. He also has a MATCHING SATCHEL. Both items were purchased for him when he was about 10 years old. It should come as no surprise that I cannot take him anywhere near seriously when he's wearing this mess. I tried to get rid of it and he threw a huge fit and almost cried while explaining its sentimental value. Whatever. As long as he's not trying to make sexual advances with it on, I'll let it fly. Yay dragons. They're real, you know.

It's just hair, okay. Or not hair.


I'm growing my hair out for my August wedding. It's gonna be all hippie-chic and probably have flowers in it Jenny-style, but you're never gonna know how long it is unless you come to the rehearsal dinner. Because it has to be up. It's a crazy pain in the ass already, and though I like being able to style it and let it be free (meaning I wash it every 2-3 days), I've decided that once I'm married I'M GONNA MAKE A CHANGE. Now I don't know what that means entirely. I was thinking something like dying it red or getting some crazy layers or something. Brandon has a better idea. He wants me to cut it all off. Like all of it. Like a boy. I am flattered he thinks I can pull this off and that this will be an attractive look for me, but I would love to know what anyone else thinks. The sheer idea is terrifying and I would fear for the stylist and her children should this whole business go terribly awry. I'm pretty impulsive, so I bet I'll end up doing it. So talk me out of it for Christ's sake.

Jan 29, 2010

I am motivated!!!!!! I think.

As many of you probably know, I spent all of November and December performing in HersheyPark's Christmas Show in Hershey, Pennsylvania. More on that later, I promise. 

I returned to my cozy, yet horribly insulated St. Louis apartment on New Years Day and promptly spent a number of weeks vegging out watching Teen Mom and baking things no one needs sitting around in their house. No job, no worries, no problems. Except for Amber and Leah. They shouldn't be living in a motel, and Gary should not be pulling out all the stops to bring her fucking meatloaf from Cracker Barrel to try to win her back. Can I keep the candle? SEE?! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!?! I need to get back into the world. I have auditions coming up, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be cast in a summer season here in the Lou. To prepare, I've been singing (read: annoying the shit out of my neighbors) daily, as well as attempting to stay in shape despite all previously mentioned baked goods. 

With all my spare time that I don't spend watching Teen Mom, Property Virgins, or Taboo on demand, I have been planning a wedding. 7 months from yesterday, I'll be a married woman. It's pretty exciting. Also terrifying. I have dreams all the time that it's the day of my wedding and everything is ready and no one shows up. Or that the food isn't cooked and it's being served and no one notices. Or that our officiant decides to whip out a bible. AGHHHH! NO! The fun part starts next week, when we meet with our florist, baker, chef, wedding planner, and officiant all in one day. Brandon has already expressed his apathy toward planning, citing his main desire for the big day as "Jessi being happy with everything." He's mine and you can't have him. So yeah, wedding. In the works. Don't be pissed if you're not invited. 90 person guest list, big families. Don't cry.

Even more exciting than a wedding, I'm being screened for this new Microbiome Study that's being conducted by the two major medical schools in St. Louis. I had to pass this super extensive medical screening phone interview, and in two weeks I have to have a dental, blood, and physical exam to finish the screening process. If I pass, all I have to do is come in two times in the next year to poop in a box, have blood drawn, and let them evaluate me. No drugs, no variables, nothing scary whatsoever. I get paid $650 for this. And the satisfaction of knowing I'm healthy enough for their Nazi screening. And they get all my bacteria. I like trading. Brandon's doing it, too. We're GON BE RICH! Yeah, I need a job. So I guess I'll get one.

As I wave farewell to embraced unemployment, I say goodbye to many things. In case you've never been unemployed, I've compiled a list of what it's really all about:
-Farmville. Like, a lot of Farmville.
-knowing exactly what time your mail comes
-looking like a very young soccer mom when you go meet your PhD student fiance for lunch and bring plastic utinsels with you so you won't have to get up
-MTV and TLC, though TLC gets more points for having quality programming accessible through on demand
-petting your cats, and taking pictures of them that you probably shouldn't show people
-baths (not to bathe, but because it's winter and it's cold)
-walking around the mall FOR EXERCISE
-plenty of time to bust out the old lingerie
-shopping for things you don't need and then abandoning your virtual cart once you realize you're wasting time
-wasting time
-playing on your pole in the middle of your living room but whining to yourself because its not warm and sticky like the ones in class.. boo hoo
-reading Newsweek to assure yourself you're still intelligent
-reading Ladies Home Journal because your mom sent you a free subscription
-eating chips