Last night was my first official blog-meet... It was fantastic.

Thanks go to John of TexasBestGrok for being the chief organizer. He was coming to town on business and with a few e-mails managed to round us all up for dinner. In attendance were Rob from Llama Butchers, Ted from Rocket Jones, The Maximum Leader from Naked Villainy, Goddess Dawn from Caterwauling, Lysander from Lysander of Alexandria, Buckethead from The Ministry of Perfidy, and Matt the Blog-less Wonder.

Thanks to Union Street for giving us a nice room to to chill in and for serving up some good food and some tastey beer.

The conversation was great... and funnier than I ever would have imagined it could have been. I found 3 new blogs to read and got to know a little better those behind the ones I already did. If this is what a blog-meet is like, count me in for many more.

I'd love to have a beer with any one of these bloggers again, any day of the week...as long as they can explain to their wives why they are having a beer with a grad student....

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The first time I took this it said I wasn't worth jack... a big ol' $0.00 to be exact... but I went to Eric's and saw what kind of cash I come from and tried again...

Overnight, I'm worth a fortune!

The bums lookin for a sugar momma should be coming out of the woodwork any time now... maybe I'll go to Burger King ads in a skimpy bathing suit and get engaged to someone named Prince Cat too...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:10 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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I threw our rings into a box
Filled with broken memories and fools gold
And I woke up again last night in this lonely bed without you to hold
And I walked around the house pullin' pictures off the walls
Just like I've done a hundred times before
Makin sure I've got 'em all

Chorus
Makin sure I've got the hard to find
Little things that make me think about you
'Cause I'm tired if this house always breakin' me down, feelin blue
No there's nothing left to say
I'm puttin' memories away

Well, yesterday I found your dress
I guess there's some things I missed in our room
But it didn't break me down the second that I found it like it used to
With red wine and tears I've been gatherin' all the years we spent together
I need to move on
'Cause I know you're gone forever

Repeat Chorus

No there's nothing left to say
I'm puttin' memories away

-- Gary Allan

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yeah, you read the title correctly... I want an equal right to pee...

I went to lunch today with one of the other interns and while I was waiting for my sandwich, he looked for a bathroom. The shopkeeper noticed and told him it was down the hall. So the dude left and came back with no problem.

I decided using the bathroom was probably a good idea. So when he got back I went down the hall myself. The door was locked, so I waited. I didn't hear any noise. Then I decided that if someone really was in there all that time, I didn't want anything to do with the bathroom after them... So I walked back down the hall.

On my walk back to the food the other intern told me that the shopkeeper told him women need a key to use the restroom. The shopkeeper angrily gave me the key and glared at me for needing to pee... WTF?

I just bought food from the dude and he's going to be a dick about me needing to pee? When I got back he flat out said, men ok...women no - use a key.

Maybe I should just be happy I got the right to vote but you know, I think I deserve to pee just as much as a man does. I was so bitter over the deal I'm damn near ready to boycott the place all together.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:31 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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...and becoming more distinguished... At least that's the nice way to say some dude's getting older.

Today, it's none other than Blog-Dad, Eric.

Go wish him well, and send him some CDs... Fiona's been taking over the car again...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 05:16 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Just as Rob of Llama Butchers is advertising...we have finally got ourselves a DC blog-meet.

Other DC/NoVa/MD folk are welcome to join us

We're planning to meet at Union Street Public House in Alexandria on Saturday, October 15 at 6:30ish. If you're in the neighborhood, you're more than welcome to stop by. ... Stalkers and moonbats need not apply. But groupies are always encouraged.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:59 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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My last apartment in San Diego had the perfect place for me to put my bed. It fit in the 'nook' under the window where I could gaze down to the courtyard on a sunny day or nap in a sweet breeze. It was a peaceful, safe, sanctuary that both calmed and inspired me. It also gave me a place to hide my magnetic poetry ... below is what one special afternoon inspired ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 07:12 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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If there is any question about why I so enjoy my Tuesday night instructor, just read his piece in the Washington Post about the media and terrorism (I've posted it below the fold) even if it is a few years old. I think he's trying to start a new reality show, "Who Wants To Be My New Hero?" A little wordy but I think he shows promise as a contestant.

The piece is a little old but it is no less true today than it was in the year following 9/11. He calls for what some people say is censorship of the media - he says it is common sense. And I for one think he is right on the money. Report the news but can you guys please start leaving out some of the specifics? Tell American's that their freight system might not be as secure as they'd like but leave out the specific company you interviewed/researched, the specific location, and what the guard staff normally does with their time! For christ's sake... that's just common sense people.

If the military can function and communicate within the limits operational security, I think the media can get on board with the same concept without short changing their overall purpose or the public interest.

Read for yourself and decide. Nut-job or sensible individual? more...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 07:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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None of my teams won this week... And the Steelers winning doesn't count because they beat my precious Chargers. Apparently someone missed the memo on how that one was supposed to go ...

So, I can either cry in my beer about it or keep em coming until I forget this week's games ever happened.

Option two sounds nice...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:42 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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...with guilt...

Since I started my internship I have been terrible about keeping my cell phone charged. The building I work in saps the battery but I continue to leave it on, just in case. If I'm not at home, it doesn't get charged. This weekend I simply forgot to charge it and the battery went dead. During the time that it was off, a dear friend I haven't heard from in a long while called...

...from Iraq...

I feel just awful that I wasn't there when he wanted to talk to someone back home, some touch with normalcy, or worse...what if he needed some kind of comfort?

The only good part of the phone call was knowing he's ok. During his last deployment I was able to stay in touch via the internet. This time I have heard from him only twice. The last time he messaged and said the truck he had been riding in was part of an IED attack. The time between our communications has been so long that I find myself checking the casualty list for his name at least a couple times a week.

I can't even tell you ... I feel just terrible ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 05:58 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I've never used Wachovia bank so I can't say from personal experience what kind of service they provide. Based on this, I'm guessing it's not so good...

Location: A sign shop on a main road known for slow commuter traffic

The lesson? Don't piss off a sign shop or they'll make a sign big enough for everyone stuck in traffic on their way to/from work and everyone out doing their errands on Sunday afternoon to see...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:39 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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After all my troubles with the head of my department and this blog, another faculty member has published an article espousing the benefits of blogging. This professor is a representation of the opposite side of academics publishing their opinions than the one I have previously blogged about here - He has a point, he argues it articulately, and maintains professionalism throughout. I am proud to say he is representing our institution in the public eye.

The article itself references the importance of academic blogs in multiple disciplines and closes by saying blogs should be embraced wholeheartedly. Here is the link so you can read for yourself what he has to say.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:33 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It's raining out right now...

Well, actually... it's more of a downpour right now...

A persistant, unrelenting, ever flowing ... constant...

I know that there is noise as I click the keys and the TV rambles on in the other room, but I can't hear anything over the millions of drops hurling to the ground only to splash away and become part of something new.

Some of those drops will become a puddle for little feet to jump in ... some of them will become mud as they saturate the earth ... some will cling for hours to a window until they are knocked down by another wanting to take their place ...

The wind is playing too tonight...

It has broken umbrellas and teases the blinds ... patiently waiting to guide the rain through the skies as it falls...

Or is it just raining here tonight ... ?

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:27 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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For a long while, Thursday was my favorite day of the week. It was always the day I was most tired, most burned out, and most ready for the week to end. I grew addicted to ER and made Thursdays my mandatory lazy night of the week. I refused to write papers, I refused to go out, I refused to do laundry, and sometimes I even refused to just plain cook. Thursday was MY time and Lord help anyone that got in my way.

During my "work?-wtf-is-work?" period I forgot about the simple joy of Thursday.

But first week of doing full time school and full time job, I remember Thursday. And tonight I jumped straight back into it like a fat kid in a pool full of pudding... no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, no papers (although one is due tomorrow), no work, and no cell phone. Just some salad, some pizza, a stolen cookie, the Apprentice and ER. Life is good...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I had a lot of things I wanted to write about today but they are just going to have to wait...

a full day of work
paper writing in the library
the class from hell (in which I almost started a riot tonight)

I had planned on taking a bubble bath but after getting home at 10pm and prepping my clothes ready for tomorrow, I'm just too damn tired to do anything. And for some reason, my stomach is killing me. No more fun for me tonight.

More on the makings of the riot later...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:51 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Whoever is designing these shoes... I hope you die a slow, painful death at the hands of your own torture devices. And I can think of a million and one ways to use these things as torture devices, let me assure you.

After two days in the wonderfully cute black heels that I thought fit so well I am damn near in tears at even the thought of having to wear shoes. By lunch my toes were literally bleeding.

At the expense of a paper due tomorrow I am desperately trying on every shoe I can find in the house to see if I can get my toes in anything without crying. I'm not having much luck...

With no less than 5 band-aids on my feet, and one injury left uncovered, can I call in sick because I can't walk?

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:30 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Since I found out about this internship I have been pestered by family, friends, classmates, and anyone else who knew about it with the inevitable... "So...what exactly will you be doing during your internship?" I always had to come back with either the truth (I didn't know), or something witty, yet believable like, "My job will be to save the world from idiots like your ex-girl/boyfriend."

But today I found out what I'll actually be doing instead...

Re-writing/updating procedural manuals, developing quality assurance procedures from existing metrics, and overall making the assistant to the head of the office look good.

Not exactly what I had in mind when I signed on, but better than the call center I thought I was going to be sitting in.

Humorously enough though, I have already managed to put my foot in my mouth. In trying to characterize myself for the boss I managed to say... I'm an anal fixer ... before I realized how it would sound out loud. Perhaps the words perfectionist or detail oriented would have been a better fit...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Hallelujah! Four weeks into this course and the flashing fluorescent migraine maker is finally fixed.

Unfortunately, that little God-send did not improve my ability to concentrate. The instructor got knocked off his agenda by a student induced tangent and once he was of, it was clear that the derailment was fatal for the lecture as a whole.

Poor little agenda... he never even had a chance...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:44 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Wow...It was a really full day! We showed up at the ungodly hour of 8:30a to get pre-screened and collected in a conference room by 9:00a. Ice breaker games and chit chat lasted for almost half an hour, but then it was down to serious business.

What came next was aboslutely grueling work...an hour and a half spent having paperwork explained, blanks filled, and signatures checked. My brain was truly taxed...

At 10:30 we were sent to find ourselves some lunch. Which made us happy since 10:30 is a much more reasonable breakfast time than the earlier 7:15 when I had a piece of toast. I ended up leading a posse to Starbucks and then my office mates to a courtyard. I parked myself in the shade, sat up on a cement call, kicked my shoes off, and enjoyed my iced americano & turkey sandwich. You know, we felt a little rushed though... only three hours for lunch! You can't fit food and a decent map in that time... I mean, I'll do my best to try... but I can't make any promises...

So... disappointed with the medicore lunch plans ... we trooped back for our last brief of the day. Boy, we sure exherted ourselves on that one, I tell ya... and after being sent to an office that turned us away, our day came to a close at the late hour of 2:30p.

I know it's going to be tough, but I made it through the day so I know I can make it through those that come after. The first step is always the hardest...

But I think I can do Federal work...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:41 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Don't worry if you don't see me around as regularly as you usually do... the blog and I have not broken up, we're just on a break.

Ok ok... I admit it... I'm having an affair!

Or at least I will be ...

My internship starts in a few hours with an official orientation at the main department building downtown. From now on my days will be spent working for the man, and for free no less...

I will still be sharing lots of stories (hopefully more than usual), I'll just be slamming them down Bou-style ... several at once for those that are unfamiliar.

See you again soon!

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:50 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Okay, I'm jealous.

Posted by: dick at October 03, 2005 08:49 AM (XlQVK)

2 Heck, if all you wanted was to work for free, you can work for me!

Posted by: Ogre at October 03, 2005 08:51 AM (/k+l4)

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