remember when you didn't know what the internet was?

yeah, me neither. (almost.)



"Like a computer billboard."

conversation of the [yester]day

At church.

Dude: I like your sweater! I think I could wear something like that.
Me: Thanks...but I'm not sure how I feel about that statement.
Dude: I mean, if it was a lot bigger. Like for a man.


In a related story, I was also told that I looked patriotic. Apparently January 30th is the new July 4th.

this is what i'm dealing with.

And the Facebook friending shenanigans continue.

I'm pretty sure I'm about to cave to peer pressure and start accepting requests.


Update: This just in from Scott.

And, yes, I've now reached the point where I'm posting Dilbert comics.
A low point or high point?
You decide.

how's this for dramatic?

You can delay the inevitable.
But don't fool yourself into thinking it will change the outcome.

It won't.

i ain't gonna be your fool anymore.

Last night I went to my first show of 2011.

I hate to get all dramatic, but I will. (duh.)

The thing is, I've been completely uninspired by music lately. I never want to listen to anything, which is unusual. But last night, sitting nearly as far away from the stage as I could get, I felt "it" creeping back in. Whatever "it" is. I mean, there were times when I had to close my eyes (that's when you know it's good).

And it felt good.

So, thanks, Amos.

This video isn't from last night's show, but he did open the show with this song and it's my favorite (so far) from his new album.

"when other friendships have been forgot, ours will still be hot!"

Here's the thing: I don't accept co-workers as friends on FB.

After moving to Seattle I accepted a few co-worker friend requests, most likely because I was new and too nervous not to. But I soon determined that I was going to keep work life more separate from personal life than I had at my last job and made the decision to accept no more.

I only had to decline a few requests for the first 2.5 years (Question: Should I be asking myself why more co-workers didn't want to be FB friends with me? Answer: I don't care.) It just wasn't an issue.

Until I switched clients.

The friend requests came rolling in and I panicked. I didn't decline them but I didn't accept them. They just sat there. And that seemed to be working.

Until one day I got called out.

You see, apparently if someone is awaiting acceptance of a friend request certain actions show up in each other's newsfeeds. For example, changing a profile picture. And I had just changed my profile picture, which showed up in the newsfeed of the co-worker awaiting acceptance, which drew her attention to the fact that I had never accepted her request.

Busted.

"So, why do you hate me?", she randomly called out over the cubicle wall.
"Yeah...not really sure what you're talking about.", I replied.
"You won't accept my Facebook friend request, so clearly you must hate me."

And since then my FB rule as become a "thing".

Today I was sent this and had the following IM conversation:

CW: This is funny given your FB shyness.
Me: If I had access to your wall, I would post this there.

Look, I just want to update my status in peace. Is that so wrong?

dog paddle.

I just ordered three swimsuits online.
This can only mean one three things.


1. I must be heading somewhere warm soon that would require the use of such an item. Fact.
2. I'm not depressed yet. Everyone knows swimsuit shopping is THE worst. However, I shopped online and didn't have to try them on. Talk to me in 3-7 days and see how I'm feeling.
3. In 7-10 days at least one of them will be sent back. Probably two. Hopefully not all three.

baby, it's cold outside.

If you could only have one of the following winter accessories, which would you choose?

Hat
Scarf
Gloves

When my mind is left to wander, these are the things I think about...

conversation of the day

Re: Tron.

Me: I need some ideas for ad executions to send out as thought starters. A light cycle game perhaps?
TN: Yes, that would work...Or you could show lots of Olivia Wilde.
TN: Nerds love girls.
TN: But they do also love light cycles.

karma

I should have known that after spending at least 30 minutes the other night watching YouTube videos of people falling down and laughing ourselves into tears that I should watch my back.

This morning I woke up early to try to get a jump on the week (Shocking, I know.). As usual, I was running a little late but there was no way I was going to let the extra effort of dragging myself out of bed go to waste so I gathered up all my things and rushed out the door. It's been cold here. Really cold. And last night the front steps were already a little slick. Clearly my early morning brain did not remember this fact as I rushed down the steps.

Or at least I started to rush down the steps.

And then I found myself sitting on the steps with my left leg bent strangely underneath me and my right hand sitting in a puddle of water.

I was stunned. It all happened so quickly and it was like I couldn't comprehend what had just taken place. (And now I know how sweet little Channing felt as she crawled out from underneath the rubble looking so disoriented.) So, I just stood up, looked around to see if anyone saw me and hurried off. I mean, I still needed to catch that bus.

But I couldn't just let this event go unshared, so I sent a text to the roommate.

Me: Warning. Front steps are very slick. Just ate it.

CC: OMG! I thought I heard you leave but not take all the stairs. Just heard a thud and then silence but then no screaming. Hope you are ok! Happy Monday!

Me: Yup, just one thud and then I was stepping onto the sidewalk. Like magic. No time to assess the damage, there was a bus to catch!

CC: Dude, so sorry. Only up from here.

AND THEN EIGHT HOURS LATER...

CC: I'm really sorry but I forgot to tell you that when I got your text this morning I just laughed my face off. I'm still thinking about your slip...and laughing. Hope your day got better.


At least she added the part about hoping my day got better. And it did make for a good story for all of my co-workers. So, there's that.

I feel like Channing and I have a special bond.

i've missed you.

I miss writing on this piece of the world wide web. I really do. It's just that I haven't been able to form any real thoughts lately. So, I give to you a random list of thoughts. No need to thank me.

• I went to a fireside tonight that I really enjoyed. It wasn't one of those times when it was exactly what I needed to hear (you know how people always tell those stories?) but it was something I needed to hear. And it made me think about some things.
• I watched 3.5 seasons of Felicity in less than two weeks. It was the best and worst decision I made over the break. And Ben is a dreamboat. And Noel is now on Grey's Anatomy. The end.
• Speaking of TV, we got rid of cable a couple months ago. Me. Without cable. And there have only been a couple times when I wished I could just go downstairs, turn my brain off and find something to watch on the TiVo.
• Not only am I not watching TV on the actual TV, but I'm only watching two shows online. TWO SHOWS.
• Music players that launch automatically on blogs are totally unnecessary.
• I've been avoiding reading because books suck me in and take over my life. I most recently fell victim to the Hunger Games series and read all three books over the course of six days even though they weren't awesome. Finding a balance is hard.
• Since I'm confessing things I'm avoiding, I've also been avoiding writing 18 thank you notes for work. 
• I taught RS today and it's possible that I told the class that I had to make it an actual goal in 2010 to not go to concerts on Sunday. You know, because it was something I was doing enough that it required a goal to stop. I'd like to think it wasn't one of those awkward moments when someone gets up and starts confessing inappropriate things to the congregation, but there is no guarantee.
• On Friday I had to be to work by 8:00am. I joked with my boss and co-worker that "I'm pretty sure I can handle it for one day". And sure enough, I woke up at 7:37 in a panic having slept through two alarms. It's not the recommended way to start the day.
• Have you seen my motivation? Because I sure can't find it. It's a problem.
• You know how sometimes you're just sitting there and an emotion just dumps on you out of nowhere? That happened to me today when I realized just how much I was missing a particular friendship.
• A couple weeks ago I did a little temperature test of the upstairs bedrooms. CC's room was 71.8 degrees, mine was 64.6. They're five feet apart.
• I got a package from my mom this week and inside was an afghan she had made. I love it.
• I asked for a guitar stand for Christmas because I thought if I actually had my guitar out I would play it more. So far that was a false assumption. I have yet to pick it up.
• However, I think I want to take guitar lessons. And maybe voice lessons. Is that totally crazy?  I know, it is.
• Today marked the return of the Sunday nap into my life. And it was good. 
• A few weeks ago a guy stopped me on the street as I was walking to the bus and said, "Excuse me. You have a beautiful smile." And he didn't even seem crazy.
• A co-worker recently told me that "your attention to detail is noted". I can't decide if he thinks it's a positive or negative thing.
• There are two Stephanie's on my team now and we keep getting called "The Stephanie's". I kind of hate it. But what should I have them call me instead?
• Nat comes to Seattle so soon! It's going to be a good weekend.

the tube of you

Try and tell me this isn't the most adorable thing you've ever seen. Go ahead, try.


And maybe this is only funny at 1:00am, but I think this video is hilarious. Specifically the part when she emerges from the rubble looking totally disoriented.

conversation of the day

Scene: I'm sitting at my desk, minding my own business (Probably checking FB. What? It's lunchtime.) when a co-worker walks by...

CW: Steph, did you get your haircut?
Me: Cut? No. [Pulling my hair away from my head to show the length]
CW: Oh. It's LONG.
...
CW: You should cut it.


Noted.

it's that time.

Let's talk about 2010.

It seems as though the general consensus is that 2010 was the worst.
I don't know.
I mean, sure, there were a lot of things I could have done without during the course of the last 12 months. Duh. But 2010 was good to me in a lot of ways.

I'm just saying, let's not call it a complete failure, okay?

I don't typically make resolutions; at least not earnestly. But I did in 2010.
I made them.
I meant them.
I accomplished portions of them.

Drink more water. I did. Then I didn't. Then I really did. One word: STRAW.

Serve. This is what complete failure looks like.

Do hard things. I'm going to put an enthusiastic check in this box. Five course meal at Rover's where fish and glands were involved. 80's dance party where costumes were involved. Camping. New friends. Golf lessons. Hip hop dance classes. Scooters. And many more social situations I would have rather avoided, but did not. I will admit that I lost my enthusiasm for this goal in Q4, but I'm getting back on track. Hard Things, you haven't seen the last of me! (I'm shaking my fist in the air right now.)

Give people the benefit of the doubt. Well. I can say that I tried. Sometimes I tried harder than others, but I did try.


So, what about 2011?
I've decided to take it back to the basics this year.

Love. Just love people. All people. Don't allow myself to get frustrated or annoyed with others (or myself) so easily. And if I do? Get over it and move on. It's kind of like "give people the benefit of the doubt", but on steroids.

Also? I'm bringing Service back. (Did you just sing JT's Sexy Back to yourself? Just admit it. You did.) I'll keep adding this to my list of resolutions until I stop making excuses and do it.


There you have it. I'm going to love you all so much this year. Get ready.

2011.

Happy New Year!
(a few days late.)

I'm ready, twenty-eleven.