Blind Date

I dreamt last night that I was dating a blind guy. It was interesting, because I started to think about all sorts of ways to be attractive for him, and what he wouldn't notice.

First off, my hair would definitely change. Now, when it looks good, it feels crunchy. But a blind guy would want soft hair! So I'd probably get a much shorter cut. I also thought about smell. He'd probably be more sensitive to smells, so I'd have to shower more often, pay attention to the lotions, hair products, deodorant, colognes that I wear, and watch my farting.

He wouldn't notice make-up, except may be the taste of lip gloss, so I could skip out on that a lot more!

I don't think dating a blind guy would affect how my partner would feel about my weight. Either way, he'd be touching me, so it's still a personal choice how firm or round (s)he prefers. Similar for breast size, although there'd be less focus on the look of them and more on the feel and grab-ability. :)

Vera's Hurt!

Yesterday, as I was leaving the school parking lot, someone hit Vera!

I was driving through the parking lot, when I noticed this SUV backing up.  My first instinct was to slam on the brakes (which I did), and I knew that I needed her to notice me.  So I yelled, "Ah!"  She didn't notice me until she heard my side mirror crunching in to my door.  :(  May be the horn would've been a better choice?

When she first got out of her SUV, she was still talking on the phone!  And not in an, "OMG, I just hit someone, I gotta go!" way, but in a "Yeah, yeah.  I should get off the phone..." way.  It was a speaker phone, but still.


Luckily, a campus security officer was in the same parking lot, so he came over to helped.  Unfortunately, he didn't see anything.  He helped us remember all of the information that we should exchange, and reminded me that the college's auto shop was still open.  The other person took FOREVER to get her insurance information, saying that it was her father's car.  Poor, broken Vera was blocking her SUV from leaving, and I wasn't about to leave until I had her insurance information!  Eventually, after talking on the phone several more times, she gets me her father's insurance information.  While I'm getting all of her information, she asks whose fault it was.  I just stare at her.  Then say, "Yours."  My Prius is quiet, but it's not invisible!

Since my side mirror was now dangling limply on the door, I went to the auto shop to get it removed.  I knew the instructor, Larry, so he was really nice.  He even asked me how I was doing!!  So sweet.  The students took off the mirror while I graded papers.  Larry looked up the part, and found that it cost over $250.  Who knew that Vera had heated mirrors?  Looking at the door damage, he said that the whole repair would probably cost over $1k.  The other driver had asked me not to call insurance because her father is a mechanic.  But for a thousand dollars of body work?  Heck yeah I'm calling my insurance! 

On my drive home, I sorely missed my mirror.  You don't know how often you use it until it's not there!  


The next day, I left Vera with the body shop that Allstate suggested, and got a very red Versa.  This is the second time that I've had a rental Versa, and they don't hold a candle to my Vera!  I mean, where's the back-up cam?  Why doesn't the radio show me what songs are playing?  Why can't I change the radio or the temperature from the steering wheel?  You really expect me to do math to figure out my average gas mileage?  Why do I have to click the fob to unlock the door?  Why do I have to put the keys into the ignition?  It's all so arcane.

After almost a week in the shop, I finally have Vera back.  Yay!!  I do miss some features of the Versa, though.  I like how you could choose how much face versus foot fan you wanted.
The insurance company called, too.  Although I paid my deductible at the auto shop, I'll be getting it all back because they've agreed that I'm not at fault. And Larry was right, it did cost about $1000!

All's well that ends well, I guess.

Glee Locker Room

While listening to all of the Glee soundtracks on my run yesterday, I was thinking about the show.  I was struck by how there have been a somewhat high number of scenes in the boys' locker room.  Then I tried to think of any scenes in the girls' locker room.  Nope, none.  What does this say about gender in the Gleeverse?  Are only men allowed to be healthy, fit, and strong?  You can't tell me that the Cheerios don't work out.  We have seen Rachel on an elliptical in her own room, but never with others.  We've seen Quinn in physical therapy, but that's about it.  I mean, even Artie and Leprechaun are in these locker room moments.  These skinny or dough-y guys are seen the locker room or gym, but no women?

Don't get me wrong, I am gleeful that there aren't gratuitous scenes of these girls changing in the locker room while having a conversation, but I do wonder what this pattern is telling the viewers about what's appropriate for girls and boys to do. 

As I considered this (while still running), I realized that there are a lot of scenes in girls' bathrooms.  Like, a lot.  Including several songs.  I don't remember any songs in the boys' locker room, except Sam singing to himself in the shower.  Of course the writers want private areas for some of their conversations or songs, but is it necessary to have them be gender-segregated?  The library is a pretty good place for a private conversation, too.  A high school student in a library seems much more realistic than Leprechaun in the gym. 

What I see in this pattern of gender-segregated locations is that women are supposed to stare at themselves in the mirror, trying to perfect their hair and make-up, while men are supposed to be buff. For all of the groundbreaking that Glee does, this is a disappointing pattern.

How to Get Your Prescription in 11 "Easy" Steps!

Step 1:  Get prescription from your doctor(s).
Step 2:  Wait for vacation because you work 9 hour days and don't have time to get your prescriptions in your daily life.
Step 3:  Go to pharmacy that only serves hospital staff.
Step 4:  Get your mother's prescriptions at a CVS, but save your prescriptions because you have Target pharmacy coupons (and have used Target pharmacies before).  
Step 5:  Go to a Target that does not have a pharmacy.
Step 6:  Return home from vacation.
Step 7:  Go to a Target with a pharmacy, but learn that one prescription must be ordered so you'll have to come back.  Take back prescriptions because this isn't a convenient Target to get back to.  Also learn that your Target pharmacy coupons are expired.
Step 8:  Skip the gym to go to a convenient Target.  Drop off prescription. 
Step 9:  Go back to convenient Target a few days later (after that one prescription should've arrived) after a doctor's appointment.  Learn that prescription wasn't filled because your insurance changed prescription plans at the beginning of the year.  Wait 20 minutes while they try to get your insurance information correct.  Leave with assurance that prescription will be filled within the next day or two. 
Step 10:  Go back to convenient Target on your one day off every two weeks.  Learn that the ordered prescription was for a gel, but Target got a cream.  The pharmacist will not give out the cream until the doctor okay's it.  Super-nice pharmacist calls the doctor right then to get approval. 
Step 11:  Get your prescriptions!

Geek, Defined

I was reading this blog about geeks.  It discussed what geeks have in common with each other.  Her conclusion was what geeks, who love a variety of things (she lists: "science fiction, fantasy, video and tabletop games, comic books, science, technology, and math"), have in common is their attention to details.  They like the minutia of things, and delve deeper into their interests. 

I disagree, mostly because I don't see that in myself.  Sure, I can be pretty detailed or focus on minor points, or make sure that I know as much as possible about an interest (ahem, Firefly...), but I'm not all that interested in the minutia of most of my passions.  Heck, I'm not even watching The Clone Wars! 

What I see as the binding component is our passion.  Or passion for something.  And that we follow this passion unabashedly, unapologetically, and without reserve. 

I can't decide if that needs an addendum, though. Must the thing that a geek like not be adored by the general public?  I mean, people swoon over Justin Beiber.  Does that make them a kind of geek?  Is loving Twilight a "geek" thing?  Harry Potter?  The Hunger Games?  I'm not sure.  May be all that defines a geek is our fanaticism, regardless of the topic.  I mean, are high school drama geeks really stereotypic "geeks?"  Or are they just interested (obsessed) by theater?  May be it just so happens that many geeks tend to love nerdy* things, and that's why the term geek now covers the love of many of these things.  Unlike the original blog, I don't think "geek" and "nerd" are interchangeable.  To me, geeks are into sciencey, sci-fi, superhero stuff, but incredibly so, while nerds are into learning and thinking.  

As I think about what defines a geek, though, I'm starting to see how the passion component must involve the thinking component that I tend to apply to nerds.  Geeks use their brain about their passion.  That might make the difference between someone with Beiber Fever, and a Scooby (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fan).  That would definitely, in my opinion, put Twilight into the fluffy fan category, while HP and THG probably garner their fanatical base because they have messages, messages about friendship, sacrifice, and activism.  Plus, cool visuals and a rollicking plot.  Drama geeks, I assume, thought about their art.  I can't say the same about athletes; they weren't called "basketball geeks" for a reason, right?

The characteristic of social awkward is often attributed to geeks.  Not without reason, I grant you.  May be one of the parallels of being obsessed with your thing is social awkwardness.  May be being socially awkward means that you don't realize how far off of center your passion makes you?  

In sum, I believed that geeks are defined by their obvious passion for a topic, but this blog has helped me understand that it isn't just passion that makes a geek.  Geeks often think about what they're passionate about.  So may be I don't disagree as much with The Mary Sue blog as I thought...

Security Threats

I fly a lot. 

I tend to fly somewhere at least once a month, but often more. 

I am an expert traveller.

But this past flight, I experienced two security threats that I've never experienced before.

First, as I was walking to the security line, I saw a guy in khaki pants and a blue button-down shirt taking pictures of an ATM machine, and the newspaper dispensers next to it.  He picked up a container of cleaners and turned around, but did not leave.  I thought that this was very suspicious.  So I told the TSA/ICE worker who stands at the exiting end of security (the side where the travellers exit to get their bags).  He looked out the door, then said, "Well, he's got cleaning supplies so he's probably from the bank." 

Um, have you ever watched a movie about spies?  Espionage?  Any of the Ocean's 11 series?  A *classic* disguise is to look like a worker!  No one pays attention to blue collar workers! 

Sigh.  I did what I could do, so I got in line.

But the line was long.  Incredibly long.  In this small airport that I often fly out of, it was inordinately long.  As I stood in line, it got closer and closer to boarding time.  Then it was boarding time, but I was about four or five people from the TSA agent who checks your ID and ticket.  I was so close! 

I finally was putting all my stuff through the machine, and having no problems.  Fifteen minutes until the plane takes off!  I grab everything and wait for my shoes to come out.  As I see them sliding closer, I hear a TSA agent yell, "Omega Alpha!"  Then all of the agents repeat it; "Omega Alpha!"  And the agent by the x-ray machine asks us to step away from it.  I have 15 minutes!  I can see my shoes!  Other agents have locked down the security area, so I just have to wait.  After a few minutes, an agent yells, "All clear!"  All of the other agents repeat "All clear!"  The agent near my gets my shoes out of tunnel, and I walk directly to the gate.  I put my shoes on there, watching as everyone is boarding my plane. 

I'm in the back of the line, but I made it!

In all of my years of flying, I've never seen these two incidents.  It was strange.  But my flight was fine, and I got to my destination safely.  So I guess that's all that really matters.

Not Too Tired

I am EXHAUSTED today. After a 14 hour work day, then reading The Hunger Games for another couple hours, I was NOT ready to wake up this morning. The whole day has been a struggle sit up, keep my eyes open, and converse like a normal person. And doing work? Hardly. I've tried. I've actually, really tried. But it's been an uphill battle.

I imagine that today's workout will similarly be a struggle. But I should recognize that I'm not considering not going. Oh, how nice it would be to go home and go to bed after work! Instead of honestly considering that option, I'm just preparing myself for a trying jog, and hoping that I'll start feeling better when I start moving.

My normal mindset is to go to the gym, so it takes a lot to get me to skip it. In fact, I turned down dinner with a friend so that I could get to the gym at least twice this week. I wanted to recognize my dedication in this blog, though, rather than letting it go by like I usually do.