Lexus parallel parking

I always wondered about about the new Lexus that self parallel parks. Having lived for three years in a city apartment with no off street parking I perfected the skill of parallel parking in a spot only inches larger than my four door Honda Civic. I thought it was a sham so when I read the NY Times article by Calvin Trillin I was redeemed.

"Then I got behind the wheel and we set out to find a beautiful spot. Well, not exactly a beautiful spot. A spot that is worthy of that name — a truly satisfying spot, a spot good enough to spin yarns about in bars where parkers gather — requires some skill to get into. The Advanced Parking Guidance System works only if the spot is six and a half feet longer than the car — the sort of spot, in other words, that the average Manhattan parker comes upon about once every 14 or 15 years. The only parker who might need help from a guidance system to get into such a spot is a parker who is driving himself home from rotator cuff surgery. For Lexus to offer a self-parking system for a spot that size is the equivalent of some high-end kitchen-equipment manufacturer offering a self-carving system that only works on meatloaf."

via kottke

Now I am in L.A. and I am so happy I have a place to park my car. Though the lot is so small I spent the first 3 months scraping the side of my car against the house trying to manuever out of the driveway. Its 2007, still no flying cars.

america's next top elbow in my ribs

I am a thin (skinny) looking girl. Yet nothing looks more awkward to me that watching 3 future models in a group hug on television. Ouch. elbows, ribs, no squishiness. Someone was bound to get an eye poked.

more training (and a note on internet browsers)

idiotic training continues here
I forgot my massive binder and the "homework" contained within on the second day. If my other rant didn't contain my thrill of in-service training, that statement alone should illustrate the responsiveness my anal-retentive homework obsessive-compulsive butt has to this class. Just send good vibes to the dept. of ed in California so that I can receive money for this drivel instead of class credit. I have enough class credit in my opinion, I just want the cash.

I am supremely lazy when I come home from a strenuous day of sitting on my butt and listening to teachers complain about the math program (when they are not reading aloud sections of the manual). I read things on the Internet and watch silly cable. Recently, I re-added a site meter to my blog. My only insight I have from this is (I am fantastic at wasting time ) more people I know should be using Firefox. I mean it! Tabbed browsing! It is fantastic. If you are at your home computer and can download you should at least check it out. I have no more to say, other than, do you have cable? Are you watching Weeds and Project Runway? I think I will watch Weeds tomorrow and then catch the Runway on one of the multitude of reruns during the week. (I am currently watching too much TV). I can't wait to get financially together (maybe sometime next year, but at least something will be in direct deposit by November) to start exploring the Korean BBQ in the neighborhood, as well as the Carry OK as it is pronounced by my Korean friends (Kareoke) and other shady bars and grocery stores in the neighborhood.

evil things, good things

I just got off the phone with the certificated personnel HR lady. She now informs me (not really a surprise but irritating nonetheless) that she doesn't expect to hear from the state for 3-4 weeks. Hmm, that would be after school starts, and after all my training and orientation. Oh, she has new information...if it doesn't go through I can reapply for an emergency certification or for a one year certification, but they like to wait to hear about the full on certification first. Good of her to tell me this now. Then she says the contract will only be for one year (at this point does she think I care, whether it is for one year or ten, I just want the paycheck and the stability). I am taking this to mean that no matter what the first outcome, I will have a job (just not an ongoing contract). I will also take this to mean that when they deny my cool person certification I will have to go get another money order for $55 and try to get another kind of not as cool person certificate. She didn't say that, I just believe that is what will occur. I would love to be able to have one conversation that involves all the required information and not some half-assed version.

the good things?
I also just got off the phone with my former landlord, who apologized repeatedly and told me he is putting my security deposit in the mail tomorrow. This was fine with me, because now I know it is coming and it is coming to my new address.

I started a blog at blogsome under the same name. I think I might move over there because it looks like an easy way to categorize posts. I'll have to see how lazy I am about actually setting it up. You should check it out if you are interested in a banner that has cute puppies. Other than that there is not much going on over there.

Are you watching Project Runway tonight? Do you hope neck tattoo leaves just so you don't have to look at his neck tattoo any longer? Do you have a fun group of people that you watch with or do you have your own version of Michael who will be falling asleep on the aforementioned comfy IKEA chair when he is not to busy making fun of my taste in reality television. If it were up to him we would be watching World Poker Tournament all the time.

we interrupt your regularly scheduled program for...

As an avid reader of my blog you may remember this post about how WCPO can suck it.
Today (again) I realize I need to leave the fine city of Cincinnati* as they interrupt my Friday television with a special news report BREAKING NEWS ( I think, who got shot?** is it near my house? like a couple blocks away?) NO! but UC has named a new basketball coach. wow. That was exciting. Definitely worth interrupting the regular programming. ***

* does the sarcasm shine through here? Do I need to italicize or faux air quote?
**the only shooting they talked about was the cross town shootout. New coach guy has never missed one. Good to hear it new coach guy.
*** also a reason why I was happy to watch Duke go down earlier this week. I get irritated by basketball obsessed universities.

Now I must go, and watch Oprah teach me how to get out of debt. And exclaim over a teenager that owns 25 VS bras. Oprah says "almost more...I mean...almost as many as I own." How is it we can take this woman seriously about debt reduction. Did you see the show where people came and shopped in her closet rejects and she gave the money to charity? When I bring my closet rejects to the Goodwill I drive away fast so I can't see them throw my stuff away.

like you need more reasons to be glad you're not me

I spent the majority of today watching This Old House, Ask This Old House, New Yankee Workshop* and 101 Starlicious Makeovers(E!), while typing a paper on my exciting action research project--creating high self-efficacy in early literacy learners. Woohoo! Go tier one cable with laptop and wireless internet.

(yeah, I know if you were in my position you would be:
1. typing the paper in a secluded office with some ambient music playing in the background
2. watching NASCAR or NY Giants football or some scary show on the PAX network
3. outside enjoying the unseasonably warm fall weather before the (supposed) snow comes on Tuesday
4. using your Tivo or fabulous Netflix to watch more more more TV yay!)

but you didn't make this to enjoy your with your fantastic cable television and laptop free afternoons.














*yay Norm is using a lathe.

yay for commercials for prescription drugs

tired of vague prescription drug commercials? this is hysterical. I got this from wouldashoulda.com.
It reminds me of the purple pill. I didn't know what that was for three years until I asked a nurse at the pharmaceutical company where I worked.