ampersand

Setbacks.

Dealing with a massive disappointment this week, I’ve been alternately despondent, filled with rage, quietly optimistic, and full-on exhausted. I fear what yet another winter here will mean for me, my head, and my sanity. Once more, I feel trapped in a life that, nearly 30 years in, still doesn’t feel like mine. I use too many commas. I want to cry and hit something or just disappear in a more complete way than I already have.

Tweets of the Week 2010-07-25

• RT @abchao: Shut up, Monday. #
• @bargainvil Congrats! What is it? in reply to bargainvil #
• @labossdebecosse If there's something holding you back, maybe it's a sign you should wait. in reply to labossdebecosse #
• @labossdebecosse All those things it doesn't have, not sure if it'll appreciate in value + you're conflicted? Pass. in reply to labossdebecosse #
• Seaberry Ricolas are making this day slightly better. Even though I'm not sure seaberries are real. #
• Wolowitz is NOT going to be happy Bernadette is dating Hoyt. #
• @LQ [Any cocktail with a paper umbrella] http://tswl.us/ctn4QW #
• Ice cream helping throat feel less shredded. #
• I wish SNL was on right now. This would be a good Really? to bring Amy back for. Because, REALLY?! http://bit.ly/bSGANs #
• Aren't boys the topic of all her albums? RT @DoseDotCa: Taylor Swift releasing a concept album about BOYZZZ! http://bit.ly/aAnG7v #
• @DoseDotCa Or maybe kitty cat posters and scratch 'n sniff stickers. in reply to DoseDotCa #
• The new thing I learned today: the Doogie Howser, M.D. theme song is REALLY long. Or I have the extended mix. No idea why. #
• Faith is in short supply 'round here tonight, along with Schedule 2 controlled substances. #
• @robgokee Aw, thanks! And the same to you, good sir. in reply to robgokee #
• @goddessofhearth Beyond that, how were they? It sounds like a cereal I can really get behind. in reply to goddessofhearth #
• RT @JimGaffigan: #tweetingfromheaven Up here there are SIX seasons of "The Wire"! #OmarBack #
• @goddessofhearth Mini Wheats are in my top 10 of cereals. I'll have to check 'em out! in reply to goddessofhearth #
• Have an overwhelming desire to watch Heartbreak High. Is it even available on DVD in Australia, let alone anywhere else? #
• @bargainvil No, the show is Australian. I'm in Canada at the moment. in reply to bargainvil #
• thanks for the #FF @rxmxa and @annafleet! #
• "I have a pair of Bill Bixby's glasses from when he used to be your best friend." BEST unused #30Rock quote EVER. From: http://bit.ly/boS5Iz #
• @BLACKBAGtweets inspiration & interaction, not avoidance. in reply to BLACKBAGtweets #
• @TDHblog Hooray for small victories! in reply to TDHblog #
• Oh The Donnas, your music = how this reserved girl sometimes wishes she comported herself. #
• Sir, the point of the telephone is so that the person on the other end can hear you, not the ENTIRE OFFICE. #
• @alliecine because you've had a #ff filled day, and naps are awesome? in reply to alliecine #
• Watching the back-door pilot to Empty Nest. Same set, Rita Moreno, a HiTG!, no Dreyfus nor Richard Mulligan. Plus Golden Girls. Weird. #
• Watching "Taking Woodstock" is making me realize the hippies were shrewd capitalists who merely lacked hygiene & barbers. #
• Well, you know, till it all went to hell. The drugs & music helped them forget. Is that what people should do nowadays? #
• Final thoughts on Taking Woodstock: Jonathan Groff is way hotter as a dirty hippie than a bitchy show choir traitor; Liev Schreiber rules. #
• Belated #FF the hilarious @DRUNKHULK, thanks to the always awesome @carterbays. #
• @mcfluffypoo That could be painful. Better get the armor out. in reply to mcfluffypoo #
• Movies like "Dinner with Friends" may have meaty roles for the actors, but rich white people arguing about their infidelities? Yawn. #
• Thank you Facebook, for making any copy I write for client pages sound like a co-dependent teenage girl. Stupid "like" crap, oy. #
• A bunch of scripts to read. Don't wanna print 'em or sit in front of my computer. Phone too small. Dammit, an actual (sorta) use for iPad? #
• Head ouchy. Nap needed. #
• Loved Peggy, loathed Betty, fear for Sally. Glad to see the boys back too. #MadMen #

Tweets of the Week 2010-07-18

• @labossdebecosse Thanks! I'm super excited (and also terrified)! in reply to labossdebecosse #
• @hollyburns Crate & Barrel? CB2? Pier 1? in reply to hollyburns #
• No. RT @CBCArts: Legendary graphic novel writer #HarveyPekar has died. Stay tuned for more details. #
• Waiting for @theswellseason to take the stage! #
• BRILLIANT show, @theswellseason! Thanks for closing with one of my fave Springsteen songs. http://yfrog.com/3m71zkj #
• Really hope the awesomeness of the @oldspice guy gets dudes wearing Old Spice again. Love that scent. #
• @LQ [Silver, Gold, Elite] http://tswl.us/dwP0zo #
• My neck currently moves about as much as Jason Lee can move his during the Jaws homage scene in Chasing Amy. But not for the same reason. #
• Just telling me I'm using an "invalid document name" isn't very helpful! Tell me how to fix it. No numbers or odd characters in it. Grr! #
• RT @brizzly: Does @oldspice work on bears? Asking for a friend. #
• Someone in the office is watching Up. #
• Yay! RT @alisonbrie: RT @MadMen_AMC: Mad Men Season 3 Marathon Airs This Monday http://bit.ly/d0n4MA #
• The sunshine is great, really. But the fact that every surface in the office exists to direct said sunshine into my corneas is not. #
• Today is interminable. #
• Sigh. I miss Adam Brody. RT @vulture: Vulture's choose-your-own-adventure type guide to casting sensitive geeks. http://nym.ag/94IeQ3 #
• Checking out Socialite. I think I like it. #
• Yay! RT @CBCArts: CBC's 18 to Life to air on CW in U.S. http://bit.ly/aueaip #
• Today is a win. I have successfully opened my pudding. #
• Hoo boy, I can't wait to see The Town. http://bit.ly/9YKS3k #
• Cottage is not a verb. #
• @joannetsianos You can't say that and not post pictures! in reply to joannetsianos #
• Another FACEPALM from the Catholic church. The ordination of women is not akin to pedophilia, thanks boys. http://nyti.ms/aktfM0 #
• @joannetsianos hee, I meant the shoes! But that pink scooter is also cute. in reply to joannetsianos #
• One of my proudest accomplishments of 2010: Progressing beyond newbie to @sepinwall's veteran recaps of The Wire. #
• @joannetsianos me too! those red shoes RULE. Great buy! in reply to joannetsianos #
• LOVE! RT @EW: Springstreets is a map of Bruce Springsteen lyrics, kind of: http://bit.ly/9HFkN3 Love it. #
• They should advise on Tylenol 3 labels that you will probably wake up in the middle of the night to frantically listen to your iPod. #
• Car importing is either dead simple or ridiculously confusing. Probably overthinking it, as usual. #
• @regalbear I'll be importing my 2007 VW Rabbit into the US next month. Not overly exciting. :) in reply to regalbear #
• @regalbear VWs do rule, but it's not like I'm importing some exotic wheels. in reply to regalbear #
• Despicable Me is delightful. 3D is painful. Theatre reeked of gerbil cages and teenage boy feet. An overall commentary on parenting? #
• Also, there was an uber-creepy couple there who couldn't stop stroking one another in the concession line. #
• @ebertchicago In addition to Wallace, I got Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer, and James Joyce. in reply to ebertchicago #
• @Chookooloonks Have more rum, knock something else off your life list. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY! in reply to Chookooloonks #
• @sa_bing men's sunglasses have articles? in reply to sa_bing #
• Even with a migraine, I'm still reigning family Trivial Pursuit champion. #uselessbragging #
• @labossdebecosse Do you guys have a car now? Is there street parking? Because it's BEAUTIFUL! Congrats! in reply to labossdebecosse #

Ball of Confusion

This morning, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, and enjoying a tale of bureaucracy run amok (complete with dramatizations). In the entry, the author, named Rebecca, revealed that she frequently gets called Rachel. Of course, her sister is named Rachel, so that may explain some of that confusion.

However, I’m a Rachel. There have been many Rebeccas in my life, and not one has been my sister. However, in every class (and there have been MANY), job, and a number of social situations in my nearly 30 years on this planet, I’ve been mistakenly called Rebecca. Could it just be that most people only have enough room in their brains for one Hebrew girl’s name that starts with R?

There isn’t really a point to this post, just something I felt the need to ramble about for a few minutes while trying to remember the post I was writing in my head last night in bed. Laid up with one hell of a migraine, sleep was intermittent, punctuated by wishes (I kept waking up at 11 after the hour, and I figured it can’t just work on the hours of 11), freaky David Bowie dreams, and brief flashes of creativity. Maybe I should use air quotes around that word, since I’m not so sure how creative it is to post links to pictures of three recent crushes on dudes in some form of the public eye and be all “chicken or the egg” about them. Not very, I think.

Now that I’m (mostly) awake, maybe I’ll figure out some way to make that post interesting. Expect references to the TV show Fame. And possibly Scotch.

Tweets of the Week 2010-07-11

• @sa_bing Yay for finally getting pie! And a good choice at that. Will send you Ubu. in reply to sa_bing #
• @sa_bing Sure sounds like America! in reply to sa_bing #
• OK, the Queen is FLYING to Waterloo? That's why there were people waiting outside the airport this morning? #
• @sa_bing Aw, I love Heartland Rock. in reply to sa_bing #
• @annafleet I did. He should produce more movies like it! in reply to annafleet #
• @p_town Ha! That's hilarious. I seriously wonder what the flight time is. Probably around 15 minutes. in reply to p_town #
• So, when the REAL DeLorean clock day happens, what do we do? Walk around in puffy vests and call things 'heavy'? I'm in! #
• Like 5 notes in, and Otis Redding Live on the Sunset Strip is best live album EVER. Wow. #
• @maggiefox Roommates! in reply to maggiefox #
• @davidakermanis A movie theatre. in reply to davidakermanis #
• @photojunkie Sending you good vibes for a speedy recovery! in reply to photojunkie #
• Saw a truck with a SAMCRO sticker this morning. It totally made my day. #
• Does that milk carton gadget from Friends actually exist? Because I apparently lack the brain power to properly open a carton. #
• I AM the comma master. #
• @p_town Actually, today, I think it could be either/or. Editing is a fine balance! in reply to p_town #
• Hey you! In the GTA? Free on Mon. July 12? Wanna come see The Swell Season? We got one (or two) tickets. @ or DM me for details. #
• @auntlisa No worries! They're $50 each. section R.ORCH, row G, seats 33-34 in reply to auntlisa #
• Was kind of hoping for Uruguay to upset. They're a plucky little nation. #
• @sa_bing How odd, my 7th grade report was on Germany. Could we tell the future of 2010 World Cup Semifinalists? in reply to sa_bing #
• @mcfluffypoo that could work for the latest photo task! in reply to mcfluffypoo #
• @Scarypharaoh Yay! Congrats! What a cool name! Best news of the day! in reply to Scarypharaoh #
• @mcfluffypoo Somewhere around Aug. 23. Whoa. in reply to mcfluffypoo #
• @rxmxa Ugh, that's horrible news. in reply to rxmxa #
• Dear Wyoming, why are your hotels so ridiculously priced? You're making me reconsider Colorado! #
• To the douche in the BMW, roundabouts are not your own personal racetrack. You're supposed to YIELD to traffic ALREADY in the circle. Dick. #
• @JaredGolberg Don't forget 'written by Aaron Sorkin'! in reply to JaredGolberg #
• Heat & humidity, now with 100% more manure smell! #
• Awesome LA transit news. Not an oxymoron. http://bit.ly/btZ47N (via @Spacing) #
• @KayKayCannon CONGRATULATIONS! #
• Bummed that Katey Sagal and Sons of Anarchy were shut out again. #emmys #
• @televisionary Can I go in your absence? ;) in reply to televisionary #
• Well, didn't this week just go from fairly awesome to totally shitty. #
• Anybody got any leads on freelance gigs and/or remote work scenarios? #
• @goddessofhearth a girl's gotta pay her rent in LA, that's all. :) in reply to goddessofhearth #
• @dangaede Nothing yet. I'm just trying to gather contacts/gigs etc. for when I move, since keeping this job isn't an option, sadly. in reply to dangaede #
• .@POLKAROO is on Twitter. This made my day. Thanks for the heads up, @nparts #
• Taking Elance skills tests. It's good for the ego. #
• LeBron should've pulled a Kelly Taylor and chosen himself. Except that probably wouldn't net him bajillions of dollars. #
• How the hell did 'Holy Roller' by Nazareth get into my iTunes? #
• @ptc555 did you get a certificate or something? in reply to ptc555 #
• @nprmonkeysee DOUBLE FEATURE! Then you can compare and contrast Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. in reply to nprmonkeysee #
• @mcfluffypoo That has to be it. Unless, in some alternate universe, the musical stylings of Nazareth increase productivity. in reply to mcfluffypoo #
• Hey, @Twitter, can you verify @Polkaroo? #
• BUBBLES! Might have to start watching now. RT @MichaelAusiello: Exclusive: FRINGE casts WIRE star Andre Royo http://bit.ly/bia59F #
• @sa_bing So people confuse it with Pepto the morning after? in reply to sa_bing #
• Get ready Los Angeles, I am ON MY WAY. Well, you have like a month and a half to prep. Anybody need a Canadian roommate? #
• @kelseylink Sorry, I'm not due to move till mid-August. Good luck with your search! in reply to kelseylink #
• Virgin Money looks really interesting. Kiva-esque, kinda. http://bit.ly/8hG9CV #
• @ptc555 ha! I'd LOVE to go to the Price is Right. But I could never afford to pay the taxes on all the FABULOUS prizes! in reply to ptc555 #
• Someone just set off fireworks. In the middle of broad daylight. Geniuses round these parts, man. #
• Beyond exhausted, and it's completely without merit. #
• Anybody know if AT&T will ship a US phone (with plan) to Canada? #

Tweets of the Week 2010-07-04

• Wimbledon finals are so much less fun without Pete Sampras. Yes, I just used "fun" and "Sampras" in the same sentence, without irony. #
• A little nervous about the coming week at work. Shit is about to get real. In other news, _Sit, Ubu Sit_ is a great memoir. #
• Do I have it in me to bake chocolate chip cookies tonight? Alas, I fear I do not. #