so don't ask if you don't want to know
Posts tagged gangplank
Past and future plans
Apr 10th
I’m getting involved more. I’ve always been on the PodcampAZ planning team, but I recently joined the Ignite Phoenix crew and started volunteering at Gangplank. And yesterday I went out with ImprovAZ on their Fake Protest Flash Mob. It was awesome!
You know, last week we hit 100° but yesterday was so friggin’ cold we only hung out there for about a half hour. There were so many of us we split up and fake protested on two separate corners. Some people have no sense of humor, but we did get at least half the cars going by to honk – or at least smile and wave. I didn’t want to stop!
I’m currently editing one podcast and helping someone else put their audiobook together, so “work” is going well. And Sheila, Evo and I are working on a new project now that Evo@11 is over. I haven’t actually put an episode together yet, but we’re getting there. This project is a bit more involved than a regular podcast.
I’m officially going to Vegas for my birthday. I invited my daughter-in-law Krystal to go with me and apparently that meant Max and Casey could go as well. Fine, they can wander off and do guy stuff. Poor Ginnie isn’t old enough, so we had to promise another trip in November when she turns 21. I have a couple more girlfriends meeting me up there and have invited (SNOWCALLA!) even more so I might end up with a real party. I’ll be there April 29th through Sunday.
I’m also officially going to Balticon Memorial Day weekend. All my podcasting friends go and I’ve missed the fun too many times. Flight’s pre-paid, admission’s pre-paid, so now I just have to pay for a room (roommate Evo?) and food/drink.
Then there’s SkepchickCon, June 30-July 3. That’s not official. It really depends on my finances after those first two trips. Another fun drive up to Minneapolis but I’m pretty sure I’d have a place to stay (AGAIN, SNOWCALLA!) so it’s just gas, food, and convention costs. That’s a maybe.
And I’d like to go back to TAM. TAM 9 is in Vegas mid July, but I’d be just as happy hanging out outside of the actual meeting. It’s so expensive to attend and I don’t want to press my luck by asking for a freebie again this year.
I think that’s it for now. Crap, I forgot I had eggs boiling and all the water boiled away. I have NO attention span.
Book Judging
Feb 22nd
Something I’ve had to change from my previous thinking, is judging people by their appearance. Actually, judging might be a bit harsh. Maybe “instantly compartmentalizing people based on their appearance” would be closer. Judging implies I also add weight to whatever I compartmentalize them as, which I don’t do as much.
For instance, in my previous life (before social media) I’d see this guy and my first impression would be motorcycle builder or roofer. 
Not that there’s anything wrong with either, but you wouldn’t expect as much intelligence with people in those positions versus engineers or CEOs.
But I happen to know this guy Derek. He’s like, brilliant. He’s one of the founders of Gangplank, he’s heavy into growing Chandler, and he’s apparently the go-to guy for Phoenix-area reporters when discussing local business.
He’s so much smarter than me that when we’re in the same room I just listen in awe and try to interject something amusing occasionally. Nobody cares that he comes to work every day in shorts and t-shirts and ball-caps and might not even own a suit. What matters is who he is, not what he looks like. (Though I’m not sure about that beard-thing, Derek)
I use Derek as an example only because he popped up on my TV yesterday. He’s just one of countless people that have taught me that appearances can be deceiving. I’ve met so many really smart, articulate, nice people that from a distance the old me would have pegged completely wrong.
I feel like I’ve been coming out of a fog in the last few years. There’s my previous life of… well, too many mistakes to go into, but close-minded and safe works. And now there’s my new life where I try really hard to learn from my new friends and stop making assumptions. But we all need to stop making instant value judgments. I’m getting closer to being a decent person myself, but I occasionally backslide:
I’m sure she was a really nice girl.
Happy Thanksgiving
Nov 25th
Not a huge deal in our bunch. Ended up making dump cake and going over to Casey’s where we gathered at his neighbor’s for dinner. There was a nice turkey and ham choice and we all had more than enough to eat.
The after-dinner conversation was… interesting. After Holly’s disgust with anyone eating dark meat (me) we moved onto the have-you-ever-hads. We all had a chance to show our ignorance of basic meat origins. I knew bulls never fuck the same cow twice but I’m still a bit confused on the difference between bulls and steers (male cows w/no balls?) and why if bulls are so picky, there aren’t more bulls. Then onto baby animal meat. Then… my son confesses he believes we will eventually start eating human meat and he wonders what would taste better, roasted babies or well muscled adults.
Ugh. And I gave birth to that boy.
After dinner I headed over to Gangplank to see who was around after their Nowhere Else to Go dinner and hung out with friends and watched a couple of them dance and play with the new Xbox Kinect system. Nifty.
I hope your day went well.
Oh what a night!
Feb 12th
Wednesday. Humpday. So much fun day.
I sold my old computer to Casey for the $160 that owed him. I told him the old flat screen didn’t work. I told him the power button didn’t always work which is why I never turned it off. I’d forgotten a couple of power cords and his babysitter left her purse here so I needed to deliver that stuff to Casey’s work at 3. Wandered over to Gangplank after that and managed to get some work done before Evo finally showed to record Gangplank’s podcast and then Evo@11. And that was fun, we had Jeff on again and he’s always a hoot, but the real fun came after.
A couple #evfn friends showed up (too late) for the recording and somehow the semi-drunken conversation quickily deteriorated. Jeff mentioned some online site that censored wristwatch because of the word in the middle and talk morphed into which is worse: pussy, twat or cunt. Now everyone agrees cunt is the worst and most insulting but one particular person thinks pussy is worse than twat. I’ve never known anyone who thought that. And even funnier, if you knew the young and proper lady involved in this conversation you’d laugh your ass off. The whole thing was so sureal. She’s so prim and seemingly straight laced, and constantly worried about getting into trouble at work. And even funnier is the company she works for is well known for their super-extra-naughty advertising.
I laughed so hard tonight I almost couldn’t breathe. Damn near wet my pants.
The month from Hell
Oct 21st
If there really was a Hell, I’d be standing on the edge.
My car died. And I keep getting the same lame-ass phone monkeys when I contact Wells Fargo about what to do now. Could I please speak to someone who can actually READ the notes?
My phone died. Again. This time it just won’t charge or turn on. Eventually I get another replacement, but there was a week there when all text messages and voice mails evaporated.
My rent check got lost – which actually turned out OK, but I had a really angsty week worrying about late fees and stuff. With proof the bank screwed up I’m cool with no late fees. I lurve my landlord.
My son left for his second deployment to Iraq.
My support check is late. So I can’t even get another rental car until that shows up. And the car Ginnie borrowed for 5 minutes to pick me up from the rental place ran out of gas.
Daughter just happened to step outside tonight just as the ex was cruising past our place. I wonder how many times he’s done that! And Ginnie’s met the new girlfriend who was with him. Nice date, cruising past his ex’s apartment.
The program I bought to create the Program Directory for PodcampAZ has been giving me fits. It says I can use any Windows acceptable font, and is supposed to save to pdf but every time I try it I ended up with white text on white background. Finally, after hours of searching help pages for both this stupid program and Adobe, I managed to get it to work. But not on an Adobe reader – there are with X in it at the end of every line. Yet if I open the same pdf with another reader those marks aren’t there. I win?
I have the Evo @ 11 recording Wednesday night, possibly Gangplank‘s podcast too. I have a Podcamp workup on Saturday and I have Jury Duty next Monday.
I cannot WAIT for this month to be over.
On the edge
Oct 1st
I’m seriously thinking about defaulting on this car. I don’t know what else to do. Casey called me today to yell at me to get a new tire. Apparently his father checked it out and there’s a big chunk missing where it was jammed into a strut underneath. Could blow any minute. Fuck.
I got my check today and after paying all my regular bills (except the fucking car payment) I’m left with less than $200. New tire means no birthday present for Kira. New tire means being stuck at home more than I am now. New tire my ass. Car payment will likely be used as a down payment on something else.
Speaking of their father, Ginnie keeps dropping comments that I don’t really want to hear. Only to hope that as long as he’s happier maybe he’ll hate me less and someday we can be in the same room – for the kid’s sakes. She says she wants to ask him for either help getting a car or a new laptop for Christmas. And that he should be able to help her seeing as how his new live-in girlfriend makes big bucks and where could his money possibly be going, etc. I DON’T FRICKING CARE! I don’t ask. It’s none of my business and I don’t want the kids reporting back to him either.
Other than the car, I’ve been having a pretty lucky day. Slept good, great bagel for breakfast, decent sales at the grocery stores, good parking . . . knocking on my wood desk now.
Going to Gangplank tonight to record the Gangplank Podcast and Evo @ 11. I’ve been working on a new intro so we’ll see if Evo likes it. If so, it’ll be on this week’s show. And I’m going hunting for a better word processing/desktop publishing program than MSWorks. Works sucks ass. I’m managing, but I’ve volunteered to do the program for PodcampAZ and I’d like a little more flexibility.
S’all. Mebbe mo laterz.
A Little Song, A Little Dance, A Little Seltzer Down Your Pants
Jul 23rd
Whodafuck uses seltzer anymore?
Ain’t had much to say lately that isn’t the same old shit.
Apparently the Ex has someone reading my LJ and I say welcome to it. My opinion, my journal, bite me. Feel free, dear reader, to post comments. Just don’t be a pussy and make them anonymous posts. You got something to say? Back it up with a name.
Found out on MySpace that my niece is preggers. Laughing a little that my evilsister is going to be a grandma soon. Though she’s five years older than me, I always hit most of life’s milestones before she does. She beat me to the divorce thing AND has since remarried – for the better I think. I don’t like him, but she’s happy and he’s still around after umpteen years. Good on ya.
Casey ended up with a red Dodge Neon. I babysat yesterday so his roommate/babysitter could get some business done. Not today though! I have stuff to do!
I’ve been sticking pretty close to home the last few days. Gotta make that dollar stretch, you know. I figured out that once I pay my bills on the first of the month, I will have money for NME in Vegas AND a bit for D*C. I just don’t have any money now. Catching up on my car payments really left me broke. No regrets, just makes it tough.
Tonight I’m going back to Gangplank and this time I really need to jot down these steps. My memory sucks and I don’t want to screw this up.
Something going on Friday night. Something going on Saturday night. Hey! I finally have a life! Go me.
