My Biggest Fear

My biggest fear is public bathrooms. Obviously I'm talking about the biggest of my "silly" fears (not fear of dying or losing a limb or anything like that). I hate using public bathrooms, especially ones where there are no stalls and you have to lock the door to the outside. Those are the worst because every time the door handle jiggles you freeze whatever you're doing and make ready to slam the door shut if need be. I get paranoid even in bathrooms that have the door lock and the slide lock, even with this double protection I try to get in and out as fast as possible. And then there are the bathrooms where none of the stalls lock. Either the lock is broken, or it the sliding part doesn't match up with the other side. I think I have posted about this before but one of my ideas for a new business is to hire myself out as a bathroom consultant. I would go around a make sure all the female restrooms had stalls with locks that work properly. I have been in places that have brand new bathrooms where the locks don't work. Talk about sh**y construction - if you are installing the door to a stall in a bathroom how hard is it to double check that the lock works? (Don't get me started on the crappy construction in Georgia, we have several outlets in our house that are obviously crooked, and the mirror in our downstairs bathroom is completely off center)

The second part to my fear of public bathrooms is that I am also terrified of walking in on someone. I knock, jiggle the door handle a few times, make a lot of noise before I walk in, open the door very slowly, etc. I don't know why this particular thing frightens me - I can't remember any horrible experiences from my childhood that may be affecting me now.

How much is a margarita pitcher worth?

So we went to Pappasito's tonight (Party on the Patio, 5-7, with free appetizers!!!). Seemed like a good idea. And it was, until we got the bill. My friend S and I split a "Wave" pitcher of margaritas. When we got ready to pay I asked the waiter how much our pitcher was and he said "$29.95". I said "No we only got one, how much for just one?" and he said "$29.95". I said I didn't believe him so he brought us the bill. Sure enough one pitcher of margarita was $29.95! Do you know all the things you could buy for $29.95 (for example 4 combo meals from Chick-fil-A, 3 bottles of wine, 1 pair of Reef flip flops, or 2 eye shadows from Urban Decay)!!!!!!!!! Things that are better than just one pitcher of margaritas? Now I will grant you that a pitcher of margaritas is pretty damn good, but not $30 good, more like $15 or $20 good.
This is just another good reason to only drink BEER!

Slacker!

I have been a slacker lately - it's been more than a month since my last post. I haven't felt particularly inspired lately so here are some miscellaneous thoughts:
1. "Peruse" - this word actually means to read carefully. My boss says it a lot but he uses it to mean browse. I haven't told him that he is misusing the word because I feel it would sound precocious.
2. Nelly Furtado - I think this might be THE CD of the summer. It is the kind of CD that makes you nod your head and bounce to the rhythm. Definitely a great CD to plug in while getting ready for a night out on the town.
3. Kathy Griffin - I'm so glad a new season of "My Life on the D-List" has started up again! She cracks me up.
4. My Motorola Razr Phone - This is one of my favorite new things. I especially like downloading ring tones for my friends. Except I have to remember to set my phone to vibrate during the work day. Otherwise my colleagues are treated to snippets of "Pour Some Suger on Me" and the University of Florida fight song.
5. My wish list - if I had an extra couple of thousand laying around right now I would buy 2 things. 1) A GPS wristwatch device. Garmin makes one that has GPS capabilities and allows you to download your workout information to your computer and then analyze it. If you're feeling really rich you can also buy one with a heart rate monitor to see how many calories you burn. 2) A nice, semi-professional camera. I like taking pictures and would love to have a camera that allows you to adjust the light settings & speed. This might be my graduation present to myself when/if I ever get done with law school.
6. Pirates of the Caribbean - Can't wait for Dead Man's Chest to come out. Why don't more guys wear eyeliner???
7. MySpace aka CrackSpace - I think I am the only person I know who doesn't have a myspace page. And just for that reason I refuse to create a page. I have a hard enough time keeping this page updated!

Two Funny Videos

Here's something to make you laugh
Tom Cruise proves he is a white boy
Check out this video here (at youtube.com). It's a clip of Tom on BET's 106 & Park doing his version of Yung Joc's It's Going Down dance. Everytime I watch this it makes me giggle. Not that Tom Cruise is a horrible dancer but he looks a little awkward and uncomfortable - more like the rest of us and less like a mega-movie star.
Quick movie review note: Mission Impossible III is AWESOME. And I am not a Tom Cruise fan, I think he's strange, conceited, and out of touch with the real world but that doesn't stop this from being one of the best movies I've seen in a while. I spent almost the entire movie at the edge of my seat. It was exhausting! At the end I felt like I needed a nap because it was such an intense 2 hours. It might be better than even Batman Begins which was my last favorite action movie. This is definitely going on my To Buy DVD list.

Colbert roasts the President
This might be funny to only certain people - you have to like Stephen Colbert's style of comedy. He held nothing back in his speech and said things that made me gasp and go "Did he really just say that???". I like the fact that Stephen was true to his style but I'm sure the planners of next year's White House Correspondents will think twice, maybe even 3 times about who they ask to attend.
See the video here (one note - it's kind of long, about 24 minutes)

Mother's Day Gift Idea

If you're like me you always struggle to come up with ideas for a gift for your mom on Mother's Day. Well, problem solved! I just heard about this great new product that anyone would love. It's The Beer Belly (check it out here). Here's what their website says:
The Beerbelly: Is made up of a neoprene “sling” and a polyurethane “bladder” with a tube for dispensing. The bladder is held in an insulated pouch in the sling which is worn under your clothing for concealment. When worn, it looks just like a beerbelly. And it’s high-quality!Just think of the possibilities: Your favorite brew at the ball game instead of what they happened to be serving at seven bucks a pop.
And it's only $34.95
I never thought I would want my stomach to look bigger but here is one occasion where I just might!
(p.s. Do you think their best customers will be Nascar fans?)

Restaurant Recommendation: Pao de Mel

There is not an Atlanta Bread Company (my favorite "fast-food"/lunch type restaurant) near my work so I am forced to venture to other destinations for lunch. I go to lunch about once a week and every week, usually around 11 am the inevitable question pops up "Where should we go for lunch?". It's always the usual suspects - Moe's, Jason's deli, Moe's, Mellow Mushroom, Moe's, or sometimes Willy's. Today I found a new place called Pao de Mel. Its a Brazilian bakery serving breakfast, lunch, & dinner (but the menu is always the same). I tried the ham & cheese sandwich, which doesn't sound especially exciting but this wasn't your ordinary ham & cheese. It was on a yummy, fresh baked roll, with 2 slices of thick cut ham and melted cheese. It was served warm and it didn't take long for me to eat the whole thing. And it was only $1.50! We also tried the hot dog stuffed roll. Next time I want to try the cream cheese stuffed bulgar wheat roll and some of the delicious looking desserts. And the rolls stuffed with mozarella and sprinkled with parmesean. And the sweet pastries. And also the brazilian hamburger:)

p.s. a friend just reminded me about Scalini's and now all I can think about are their garlic rolls drenched in butter! YUMMMMMMMMMM

Weird Fact

Did you know? I just found out that Screech from Saved by the Bell (and Saved by the Bell The College Years) is Mike D's brother (Mike D from the Beastie Boys). I guess it makes sense, Dustin Diamond (Screech) and Mike Diamond (Mike D) but I never put two and two together. However, they are NOT related to Neil Diamond.

It's Great to be a FLORIDA GATOR!

GO GATORS!
I wnat to say CNOGRATLUATINOS to the Gator baksetabll taem. It wsan't the bset gmae I've seen them paly but who cares!!! They won!
Here's waht else is giong on this week:
Dogwood Festival - Looknig froward to enojying the sun & hnaging out with the puppy at the prak (sans alcohol unforutnately)
Registration for Fall Semester - Tihs is relaly the frist time I've had to comepte with other stduents for classes and it's annoying. Even thuogh we are techincally the same rank I feel lkie it shuold count for something that I've been at GSU for 2 yaers (vs their one).
How I Met Your Mother - Will Ted & Robin fianally get toegther! Unlkie Friends or The Office it looks like the wrtiers of this show are going to gvie us an anwser instead of stringing us alnog for 9 seasons.
11 more days until I can drink - enough siad
2 more weeks of classes - Don't reimnd me (Finals are amlost here!)
(Side bar - someone in my ofifce just cooked popcorn. It is toatally unfair to do taht and not offer it to your cowokrers. Buttery popcorn is like crack - easily addictive and bad for you.)
Cynthia McKinney - Will she be chraged? Waht will she be chagred with? I am resevring judmgent until I hear her side of the stroy.
No New Office - Boo
p.s. this psot has been an expeirment. I ocne raed that as long as the frist letetr and lsat letter of all the words in a sentecne were corrcet then the sentnence would still be readalbe. Do you agree??

Random bits for the week:

1. A lot of people have asked me how I’m doing on my Lenten sacrifice. So far so good. I did have one (and only one) Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day, but I figured if the Catholic Church issued a dispensation saying it was OK to eat meat on Friday, then it would be OK for me to have one tiny beer in celebration of my heritage. When I did have my first sip of Guinness I was immediately reminded of Frank the Tank, “Once it hits your lips, it's so good!”
2. Check out http://www.frankcaliendo.com/. I think I am a little late in jumping on the bandwagon for this guy, apparently he’s been on MadTV and does Madden impressions for Monday Night Football. But I just discovered him and he does the most dead-on George Bush impression. Gobble Gobble!
3. I LOVE THE GATORS! They have been playing awesomely (is that even a word) during the tournament and I can’t wait to watch the NCAA Final Four game on Saturday. I also have a lot of respect and admiration for Billy Donovan. I think he should be Coach of the Year.
4. Happy Birthday to my puppy Abbey who turned 1 year old last Friday.
5. Spamalot is one of the best pieces of entertainment I have ever seen. We saw this musical in NYC and it was a laugh-a-minute, non-stop riot. The songs really add to the Monty Python style of humor.
6. Jeff Gordon shows his competitive streak. The 24 car was in position to take 3rd at the Bristol race on Sunday but was spun out on the last lap by Matt Kenseth. I am normally a MK fan but this was really uncalled for. When Kenseth tried to apologize after the race JG gave him a hard shove backwards. While I don’t condone violence I was glad to see JG let his emotions show. He almost always takes the high road, refusing to comment negatively on his fellow drivers, but this time he really showed his frustration. MK should just be glad it wasn’t Tony Stewart that he spun out. If he had bumped the 20 car he’s probably be in a hospital right now.

Hard core Natalie

For all you Star Wars geeks you are going to LOVE this video of Natalie Portman. It's the Digital Short from SNL. It's Natalie like you've never seen her. This video is awesome - it must be by the same guys behind Lazy Sunday. Check out the Natalie Portman video here. And you can see more from the guys behind Lazy Sunday here.

Atlanta Traffic subject of student comedy

Update!! Click here to watch the whole video (~5 mins)
Did you ever think you could make a short film, and a comedy at that, out of driving the speed limit? Sounds crazy to me but that's exactly what these Georgia State students did. See the story here. We all know that the speed limit on Atlanta highways means nothing. It's a guideline more than a law. But these students took the speed limit to heart. A group of them got together and drove the speed limit in all 4 lanes of I-285 simultaneously. I'm trying to find a copy of the actual video they made. When I do I'll post a link to it here.

Fans of The Office Unite!

Check out
http://www.supersizedoffice.com/

What would your reason be? Mine would be: I've given up alcohol for the next 40-something days and The Office is all that's keeping me going!

The Season of Lent is here

I am giving up alcohol this year for Lent. (insert sounds of shock and awe here). Yes, I said alcohol. I am nervous about giving this up because it's going to be hard! Which is no excuse of course, being that the point of Lent is to sacrifice for Christ and remember his journey in the desert. I have been telling people about giving up alcohol because I think it will help keep me honest. I know I am up for the challenge (and it is a challenge) so I will keep you posted as to how I do.

What are you giving up for Lent?

Take my 2006 Predictions Survey!

What are your predictions for 2006? Who will win the ACC Championship in football? Will Britney and Kevin still be together? I put together 20 questions for you to answer regarding what will happen in 2006. At the end of the year I'll go back and send your answers back to you so you can see if you were right! Please put your name in the last question of the survey so I'll know who to send the results to in December. Click here to take the survey or visit
http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB2252WP5VZNQ

Blargon by William Safire

I always like reading William Safire's On Language in the NY Times. This week's was about jargon used in the media and in relation to blogs. Check it out here

James "Fake" Frey

When I first heard about the allegations against James Frey I dismissed them as minor embellishments. But then I read the report on the Smoking Gun (read it here) and now I doubt everything James Frey says. And I am not going to read My Friend Leonard. At first I thought, "Well it's such a good book, who cares of some of the details were altered, as long as the heart of the story is true". But now I doubt anything in the book is true, except for the fact that he was actually in rehab. I think James Frey has always been someone who wanted to be bigger and badder than he really was and his image of himself in the book reflects that. But now, when the heat is on, he won't step up and say "I lied, most of the book is false". I think if he did that I would respect him. I still might not like him, but I would at least respect him. And I would be able to believe things he said in the future. As it stands now I wouldn't believe anything he said.

Top 10 Delights

To balance my top 10 pet peeves I decided to write a top 10 pleasures list (Webster’s Dictionary lists “pleasure” as an antonym to “pet peeve”). These are not in any particular order:
1. Dinner and drinks with friends. Especially at a good restaurant like Tacqueria, Tijuana Garage, or Pappasitos (notice a theme here?).
2. Friday. Everything about Friday is good. I can’t remember having a bad Friday. It is easier to get up in the mornings, the sun seems to shine a little brighter, the only negative is that time seems to slow on a Friday. 5 pm can’t get here soon enough!
3. Hanging out at Atlanta Brewing Company on a warm, sunny, Friday afternoon. So really this encompasses #1 and #2, but it’s still worth mentioning. $5 for an all-you-can-drink brewery tour, with your friends, is unbeatable.
4. Road trips! (aka Vacations) Going anywhere, as long as it’s out of Atlanta. I love the A-town but everyone needs to escape once in a while and remember there are places that exist sans traffic jams!
5. Football season. Every year I look forward to the start of football season. There’s the hope of a national championship, tailgating with your friends, and parties to watch the away games. This year I’d like to combine #1, #4, and #5 by planning a road trip to watch a GT football game (in an RV would be even better!).
6. Laughing. I laugh easily and sometimes as silly things. These things have recently made me laugh: Wait, Wait, Don’t tell me! (NPR’s weekly quiz show), Waiting (the movie, it was hilarious! but crude), How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and trying to imagine how you tape a groin injury (seriously, think about it! If anyone knows how this is accomplished, tell me!).
7. Email. I would not classify myself as an email addict (I don’t check email on the weekends) but I am an addict-in-training. I wonder if I would be able to stay in touch with high school and college friends as much without email.
8. Abbey. Coming home and seeing my puppy Abbey almost always puts a smile on my face (except for that one time she ate the mail and destroyed a Tears for Fears CD). Her tail wags so violently that she goes into a full-body shake.
9. Accomplishments. They can be big or small but I love the feeling of achieving something. A good grade on an exam, or just cleaning up the house. It’s such a satisfying feeling. Makes me understand why people like to keep “to-do” lists.
10. Reading. I can get lost in a book, so much so that I am able to completely block out the outside world. I am currently reading (well, really listening to) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I just finished Scarlett (which I loved!) and next I want to read The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

Top 10 Pet Peeves

I stole this idea from Aisha's blog. And I only have 9 pet peeves, but you get the idea. Not in any particular order:
1. People who say "Taking a half day?" when I leave at 5 pm. This joke is old. And not funny. And I've heard it about 100 times already. I believe a lot of people put in the hours just for the appearance, not because they are actually that busy.
2. Baby strollers - I am not totally anti-baby stroller, just when they are used in a store. Most aisles in the store aren't big enough to move through without hitting something anyways. I don't need to navigate around your stroller too. I especially hate it when people leave their stroller in the aisle and wander off. I'm sure I'll sing a different tune when it's me lugging around a 30lb sack of kid, but for now it annoys me.
3. Annoying people in my law school class. There are really only 2 main people who bug me. One guy likes to hear himself talk and the girl, well, she likes to hear herself talk. They ramble on pointlessly or just reiterate what someone else has said. Shut up already.
4. I have one professor at law school who insists that we are all in class on time (or we're humiliated and marked absent). I am fine with this policy except that he regularly goes over our scheduled class time. Class is supposed to end at 8:45 and for the 1st 3 classes we did not get out on time. My time is just as valuable as yours so if you want me to respect your schedule then you should respect mine.
5. People who don't write notes on their christmas cards. Really, just drop me 2 sentences about how you're doing. Even my parents are guilty of this. This year I just got a card that said "Love Mom & Dad". I know we probably email all the time but there's something special about a handwritten note.
6. Rappers who thank God at awards cermonies. Especially those rappers whose songs have especially violent, drug-related, or chauvinistic lyrics. I think it was Oprah who said "Don't thank God for music you can't sing in church".
7. Cyclists who do not say "On your left". I frequently go running/rollerblading/biking on a paved trail near by house and I hate to be taken by surprise by a bike rider whizzing past me. It makes me want to stick out my arm or leg and make them fall. But then that would hurt, so I don't do it. If I am with someone else I usually make an obnoxious comment like "Brooke, watch out for the rider COMING UP ON YOUR LEFT" or "On your left a-hole". But I stopped saying that last one because one time I caught up with the guy at a stop light and it was a little uncomfortable.
8. Bars where the music is too loud. I am probably showing my age but I hate having to scream at my friends at a bar. After a while I get tired of the effort and just stop talking, which makes me want to leave. I don't mind some background music, but I just want to be able to hear and speak to my friends without shouting.
9. Bars that still allow smoking. I am ready for GA to outlaw smoking indoors altogether. I have stopped going to certain bars that allow smoking indoors because I hate the smell that gets into my clothes and hair. I'm fine with other people's right to smoke, but I have a right not to smoke with you!

Westminster Dog Show

Online Poll: Do you think the Bull Terrier deserved to win Best in Show at Westminster? See the picture. I was really disappointed to see this dog win. I am a dog lover but I don't find anything attractive about this dog. The quote about this dog was that his head was perfectly egg-shaped. I don't want that to be the highlight of any dog I own. Of course I am partial and think the Springer should have won (one note, I can't tell the difference between the male & female springers that won best in breed. They look exactly alike!).

Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is coming to my town soon! It looks like we have good tickets, fairly close to the stage. Close enough that if we shout I think Seinfeld will hear us. He usually does this bit at the end of his shows where he takes questions from the audience. SSSOOOOO if you have a question for Jerry Seinfeld let me know and I will ask him (or at least try). Only 1 rule, it can't be stupid (like "Will Jerry & Elaine ever get together?" they aren't real people). My bf suggested "When was the last time you saw Kenny Cramer (the real Kramer)?" and "What do you think of Curb Your Enthusiam?") Note: Shout out to Aisha for liking Curb. That show is hilarious.