PickledCherub

This has been quite an exhausting emotional roller coaster type week for me: a sad, lonely, ill Christmas (but I'm usually sick on Christmas); emotional meetings with my bosses at (that ended up being good); considering adding two humans to our household (a lady and her baby); thinking about getting a puppy (not until after we get back from Austin); seriously considering not having the wedding (but eloping--we decided, after talking with Chris's mom, to have it); hearing that my aunt thought she wasn't invited to the wedding (which is funny, because, technically, as of yet, no one has been invited to the wedding); sending an email to my brother and sister about my feelings and getting chided for it because I sent it to my sister's work email (well, that was a flub, sending it to her there, but she's told me many times that she doesn't check her other email addresses). The list goes on and on. But maybe the good things that happened should be mentioned more thoroughly:

A pleasant yet goofy Christmas/Hanukkah Eve with Ethan and Greg playing Scrabble and then Monopoly. Ethan made the most delicious cookies.

Christmas Night at Steve and Holly's house, watching some TV, watching Tatum spin around on the floor.

My awesome Christmas present from Chris.

Sleeping in and making really good, fluffy, crisp, buttermilky pancakes and strong coffee.

Delicious roast leg of lamb with cauliflower, potato, carrot and leek oven pan roast side.

Watching the "Vicar of Dibley" Season One from Netflix. This is a very funny show. Dawn French is a genius. I wish I were more like her.

Talking with mom.

Talking with Marian and Shauna.

Hearing Alexia's family in the background.

Keeping most of my plants alive.

Not smoking for six days.

So, not a terrible week, all things accounted for.

My family didn't call me this year. I am really upset with them. My friends called me. What is wrong with my family? How did we get to be such distant brats? If dad were still alive this shit never would've happened. The thing that bugs me the most is that I know they were all together in the same place for hours, and I called them all, and no one fucking thought to call me. That is bullshit.

This was mostly a shitty, lonely Christmas this year. Chris got me a wonderful present.

I can't really speak today. My voice has disappeared. It doesn't hurt too much, but it's annoying.

Also, we need to buy some groceries, and I haven't gotten Chris a present yet. Not really.

I'm playing the Gmail Email game with myself.
*What? To see how many unread messages I can have in my Inbox.
*Who? Me.
*When? Over the last few days.
*Where? On the internet.
*How? By not opening up new messages in my Inbox.
*Why? I am bored, and I am sick of email, and most of it is crap.

I'll be the first to admit that this is a Lame Game. It's not even a game at all. I just don't want to see the number go down. I'm at 20 already. I have been reading some emails.

Yes. I cannot believe it, either.

I read about this video sharing service on a Portland Blog That I Read (thanks to Greg). I looked around at it and I think it's pretty neat, so I signed up. You can see my profile here. Of course, Chris already has a profile, he always beats me by four months. It feels a lot like Flickr--good thing. But a lot of people use Revver tags on their videos so they can make money through advertising. I have to wonder, though, how do these sites make money? Is this the whole "Web 2.0" thing that I don't understand? I kind of understand how Google makes money, but does anyone really click on ads? I mean, I do sometimes, but I've never ever bought anything that way. I love the internet, I love creating content and sharing it with my friends (and a handful of other people who may or may not give a damn), but on some level, I wonder how these people are making any money. I know that Flickr has Pro accounts, and I've been in the room while Greg and Chris argue about how Music for Dozens will make money. (It turns out that the original method, burning CDs and shipping them, is still what keeps them in the black.)

I've been very concerned about money lately because that's the main focus of my job. Unlike being a server, I'm thinking about money not in terms of me (tipping) but in terms of the whole business (sales, paying vendors, ordering beer, cutting hours, labor). Business seems so straight forward, but even in a restaurant, it's not cut and dry. It stresses me out in an entirely new way. Now, if someone complains about the service, I get freaked out, because we need their money.

And Christmas is coming and everyone I know is either getting sick, sick, or getting over being sick.

It is sleeting right now, and some snowflakes are twinkling down. I made sure to go to the grocery store before the weather happened, and it started to sleet as soon as I pulled up to the house.

I don't want to go to work. It is dangerous out there, and Chris is in Washington.

I decided to make a cooking show and put it on the internet. You can get it on iTunes, still under Amysue Sings a Song.

The first "episode" or maybe it's better to call it a "teaser" is called "Glasses."

I plan to do some cooking pretty soon. Maybe on Tuesday. I'd like to have some people over and then we could eat food together.

This is my plan to become world famous. I will be bigger than Tina Fey!

OMG Chris made this you need to look at the real page and get off your high holy horse RSS feed ass.

Chris actually "stole" it.

love

It took about 3.5 hours door to door!

I'm sitting on the floor in Shauna's room, which is bright red. A really pretty red.

I'm so happy to be here with my buddies! I saw Marian's office, and it's pretty cubical.

I think that "cubical" is the new "tubular." For my generation, at least!

Ruth got us a new warm blanket and we love it. Chris' feet stink. I'm going to Oakland.

Wednesday, December 7 - Portland(PDX) to Oakland(OAK)


Flight 583
Depart Portland(PDX) at 08:55 AM and
arrive in Oakland(OAK) at 10:35 AM

Friday, December 9 - Oakland(OAK) to Portland(PDX)


Flight 2657
Depart Oakland(OAK) at 02:10 PM and
arrive in Portland(PDX) at 03:45 PM