Coming Soon: Unisex Bathrooms

But first... You can't get away for a nooner at a small company without everyone being all up in your business. Mel randomly disappeared for a long lunch today and everyone and their brother asked Jennifer and me where she was. (She said it wasn't a nooner when I made that joke. Yeah, yeah...)

So yeah. I think the next big thing is unisex bathrooms. Not the one-off, single room ones, but making all public bathrooms open to both genders. We've pretty much abandoned separate men's and women's fitting rooms, so bathrooms are the next logical thing.

That will mean more bathrooms for the ladies. YES. They would have to get rid of urinals though. What will guys do for social time?

There will be a lot more sex in bathrooms, with everyone going in there.

Just saying.

KathyL: I've actually seen unisex bathrooms before. They just have doors on the stalls that go all the way to the floor.
Me: Cool. Then the only thing missing is a space to straighten your cami or adjust your bra or whatever, since you can't just do it in front of the sink anymore.
KathyL: They could put mirrors on the inside of the stall doors. Then you can just adjust things in the stall.
Me: That makes it even MORE interesting for all the people having sex in there. Heck... now I'm looking forward to this.

Heh.

Friday 5 Bonus Questions

1. If someone insisted on paying for it, would you rather have a gardener, a housekeeper, a personal chef, a driver, or a personal assistant?
EASY! A personal chef.

2. If someone insisted on paying for it, would you rather have a personal masseuse (or masseur), a sex surrogate, a personal trainer, a therapist, a makeup artist and hair stylist, or a life coach?
Makeup and hair, please.

3. Would you rather have a non-creepy secret admirer who sent you the occasional small gift and admiring note, a professional agent who kept an eye out for your next job and applied on your behalf and negotiated your salary, a private investigator who found out what people are saying about you and found out interesting things about people you know, or a personal photographer to capture all your special moments in ways that always made you look your best?
Personal photog.

4. Would you rather have limitless closet space (for clothes only), limitless shelf space (for books and music only), limitless hard-drive and cloud storage, or an eidetic memory?
Eidetic memory.

5. Would you rather have perfect pitch, the ability to do long or tricky math problems quickly in your head, ambidexterity, an inerrant BS detector, or the uncanny ability to know exactly what the weather’s going to be like in your neighborhood within twenty-four hours?
Perfect pitch.

6. In what way have you stubbornly refused to grow up?
Being an enthusiastic fangirl of talented musicians.

7. In what way have you stubbornly refused to be open-minded?
I can't stand when people convicted of heinous crimes spend decades in prison and then suddenly get off. After all their trials and all the evidence over all those years, someone magically gets them out of trouble. It takes a LOT to even make it into prison at all. I think some are just able to play the system.

8. In what way have you stubbornly refused someone else’s kindness?
I lost a baby several years ago when I was six months pregnant. A girl I knew at the time happened to be in a support group for moms who had experienced a stillbirth. She talked with me and invited me to join their group. She was incredibly sweet and helpful, and normally I'm receptive to that sort of kindness. It was just one of those situations where, at the time, I didn't want to be the center of attention, nor did I want to champion any causes or become a part of a group. Many feel comforted by those very things, but for me in that situation, it was overwhelming.

9. In what way have you stubbornly refused to be apologetic?
I refuse to be apologetic for my fangirly behavior at concerts. :p

10. In what way have you stubbornly refused to take a short cut?
There are so many things in life that don't have short cuts, that I take any that I can!

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Revvin' Up Your Engine, Listen to Her Howl and Roar

We had an internal meeting and Richard, a regional team member in Cali, called in. Our project manager was talking about a few sites who are "in the red zone"- her way of saying that they are coming up against some SUPERtight deadlines that they have to meet before participating in this new trial.

Then she said there was one site whose deadline is not until April, but they are even less likely to be able to meet all the deadlines than the others.

I asked what zone they were in.

"The O-zone! They are really out there!"

Richard: The Danger Zone!

The Twilight Zone... we hit them all.

So the meeting got back on track and went on a few more minutes while we talked about another subject. Then Morgan mentioned the Red Zone sites again.

Just then, "Highway to the Danger Zone" started blasting into the conference room through the speaker phone. Ahahaa!

Richard: Yeah, I'm available to DJ all our meetings.

That would so rock! I've got a playlist lined up for my 1 o'clock tomorrow.


Saturday 9: Unicorn
"The Unicorn" was selected because Monday is St. Patrick's Day. Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) This song was recorded by The Irish Rovers. While it's said that on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish, can you honestly claim Irish heritage?
I can honestly claim Irish heritage. One of my Great Grandmas' sides of the family goes back to Ireland. And there are a LOT of them. Good Catholic peeps.

2) According to the 2000 Census, Massachusetts is the state with the largest percentage of residents of Irish descent. Have you ever been to The Bay State?
I went to Boston on a cruise, where we spent the afternoon in Salem. We also spent a few days in Onset for Jeff's family reunion a couple of years ago.

3) Other than St. Patrick, what is Ireland famous for?
BEER!! Just like Germany. I come from beer people.

4) St. Patrick's Day is celebrated the world over. They even watch marching bands and wave Irish flags on St. Patrick's Day in Moscow. Does your town have a St. Patrick's Day parade?
I Googled it and we do not. Weird.

5) "The wearing o' the green" is one way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Will you wear something green in honor of the day?
Oh. My. Gawd. I was the one Monday morning, saying "What is this- Green Shirt Day?! Ahaha!" Yes, dorkass. Actually, it is.

6) Have you ever had green beer?
I have!

7) Have you ever ordered a Shamrock Shake at McDonald's?
Nope. But I saw a few people post about them on Facebook.

8) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?
No, but I wish I did!

9) Speaking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious. What brand of cereal is in your kitchen right now?
Honey Nut Cheerios

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Saturday Meme on Friday

The other day, a friend was talking about her young son and how she wants to "get him off the Strattera."
I thought, Why would she want to have him stop playing the violin?  It's been such a creative outlet and calming activity for him.

Then I realized I was thinking of Stradivarius.

Yep.


Saturday 9: Theme from Peyton Place ("Wonderful Season of Love")
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) Spring, summer, fall or winter: which season do you consider most wonderful?
spring

2) Crazy Sam learned this song when she played flute in the high school orchestra. Did you participate in many after-school activities?

• Brownies
• 1 year of girl scouts
• captain of our official neighborhood twirling team, the Scarsdale Stars (not even kidding)
• elementary school Student Council (any political dreams I had ended after fifth grade, when the Council went with the Beaver as our brand new school's mascot. BEAVERS? REALLY? We could have been the Bears, but no.)
• played piano
• school musicals
• school choir
• middle school basketball and volleyball teams
• high school Journalism- started as a sports reporter my freshman year and worked my way to advertising manager
• Junior Engineering and Technical Society
• annual Juniors vs. Seniors Powder Puff Football game- two years
• Latin Club, where BobbyM suggested that our club t-shirt should say Da mihi caput. Good times.

3) The flautist next to her in the orchestra was Jeanne Pepitone. After a little Facebook spying, Sam learned that Jeanne is now Jeanne Moran, a nurse with a husband and a daughter. Sam shot her a "friend request." Do you keep up with your high school classmates?
Many of them!

4) When she performed with the school orchestra, Sam was required to wear gray slacks and a black sweater. What are you wearing right now, as you answer these questions?
a pink, short nightgown

5) Sam was especially dedicated to the school orchestra because she had a crush on Mr. Hanley, the school's musical director. He was the dark/thin/sensitive type. Tell us about a teacher you remember, and why he or she stands out.
I had so many outstanding teachers. One who stands out was my Physics teacher, Mrs. Lee. She is the person who helped me decide to be an engineering major and which discipline to choose. I had wanted to be a doctor, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to take the blood and gore. I loved math and physics, so she thought a health-related engineering major would be perfect. She was right! She spent a lot of time with me on that whole thing. She always made time to talk with me and I appreciated it so much.

6) Because Sam was so crazy about Mr. Hanley, she was desperate to attend his band camp. Her parents wouldn't allow it unless she could pay her own way, and so she didn't get to go. Were your parents strict or permissive? If you have children yourself, what's your parenting style?
My parents were permissive. Not to an unreasonable extent, but more permissive than almost all my friends' parents. I think we were pretty permissive with Lauren, too. As my mom used to say, it's easy to be a "laid-back parent" when you have a kid who typically makes good choices.

7) Sam liked Fridays because her favorite food, fried rice, was served in the school cafeteria. When you eat Chinese food, do you use chopsticks or a fork?
I use chopsticks with Japanese food and a fork with Chinese.

8) When Sam was a little girl, a new box of Crayolas could get her pulse racing. Now she loves her Sharpies. Do you enjoy shopping for school/office supplies?
LOVE it.

9) Do you have any plush toys? Or did you give them all up when you left childhood? 
I don't have any plush toys. No. The last one I had was in college. Jeff gave me a bear when I was at MD Anderson.

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Devil's Crossroads

I am up too early for a Sunday, watching Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which I haven't seen in a few years. Turns out, I still want my daughter to marry Nick Simmons, Gene's son. That kid is hilarious.

This episode is "Memphis Blues," and Nick goes to the Devil's Crossroads, where highways 49 and 61 cross in Mississippi. The Crossroads, if you recall from O Brother Where Art Thou? (I get all my history through George Clooney films), is where Tommy Johnson sold his soul to the devil to be the best blues guitarist who ever lived. In real life, this legend later became associated with blues singer Robert Johnson, after Robert wrote a song about it. (I supplement my history lessons with Wikipedia.)

Anyhoo... Nick and his friend are at the Crossroads and there is a fast food joint across the street.

Nick: When you're at The Crossroads, selling your soul to the Devil, it's good to know... that you can get yourself some chicken strips with a sweet dipping sauce.

Ahaha.

Enjoy the Oscars tonight, people!

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FInally the Weekend!

Song Lyrics of the Day

...Kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band
Make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me...

Sixpence None the Richer "Kiss Me"


Saturday 9: Waterfalls
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) This song encourages us to "stick to the rivers and lakes you're used to." What body of water is nearest your home -- pond, lake, river, gulf or sea?
Lady Bird Lake, technically a reservoir

2) Have you ever visited a waterfall? If so, please tell us about it.
I've visited Niagara Falls three times- once with Cathy in college and twice with Jeff and Lauren. I just think the falls are awe inspiring. The sheer volume of water is indescribable, something to behold. (I put this post on hold for a moment to look for my video of it just now, but ended up spending three hours organizing my photos and videos. I didn't find that one, but wow- I found a lot of cool stuff! Moving on...)

3) This song is from a CD entitled CrazySexyCool. Which word best describes how you feel today: Crazy, sexy or cool?
None of the above! I'm exhausted. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

4) The girls in TLC originally began hanging around together in an Atlanta-area hair salon. When did you last sit in a stylist's chair?
Maybe 3 months ago. I really need to get in and chop my hair again.

5) While she she spent her adolescence in Atlanta, bandmember Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins was born in Des Moines. Do you live in or near the town where you were born?
only 5,321 miles away

6) One of T-Boz' recent public appearances was on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Do you watch any of the popular Bravo Real Housewives shows?
I love RH of New York ("TAKE. A. XANAX!"), RH of New Jersey ("My husband didn't call me a (C word) to my face!") and RH of Orange County ("You are psychotic, Jesus Jugs.")

7) In the 1990s, band member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was romantically involved with an Atlanta Falcons football player. They shared his upscale, two-story mansion. How would you describe your abode (house, cottage, apartment, condo, studio, etc.)?
house

8) Ms. Lopes was accused of arson when, after the couple argued, that mansion happened to burn down. When was the last time you lost your temper? How did you express your anger? (If it was with a criminal act, you may wish to keep it to yourself.)
The most pissed off I've been recently was at work a couple of weeks ago, arguing with someone who is disrespectful to our clients on a daily basis. I literally took a deep breath and reminded her, loudly, but not yelling, that unless the client wants us to do something illegal or there is something we want to suggest as a more desirable alternative to the process in place, the client gets what they want. As soon as it became obvious that the argument was escalating, I removed myself from the situation. There are very few things I feel are worth a serious down-and-out. Work issues are definitely not.

9) Today the third member of TLC, Chilli, designs personalized handbags. They cost about $225 each. What's the most expensive thing you have bought recently?
A sectional sofa a couple of weeks ago. Yay! It's way cool!

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