Pavlov's Bell
I spoke to my Mom on Sunday. After the usual Mom stuff (how hot it is in Arizona, do I miss her, she’ll be coming up in November, etc) we have the following exchange:
Mom: You don’t send me emails telling me what is going on in your life. How am I supposed to know?
DM: That’s why I have a blog, Mom.
Mom: Oh. Yeah, that’s right. I got kicked out of the library.
I have to wonder about what my Mom did to get kicked out of the library. I am assuming that it is because they were closing but part of me wonders if she staged a library coup or if she tried smuggling out books without checking them out. I like to think that my Mom might be a bit of a rebel.
Anyway, since the library is thwarting her from catching up on my blog and since I’ve had reports demanded (Hi, Johnny!); I’m going to give you some information about what’s going on in my life.
Random Stuff
I am still sick. Not as sick as I was a few weeks ago but sick enough that I am still coughing and feeling sick to my stomach. Keem has decided my new nickname is Emphysema Girl because I smoke on occasion and she’s convinced that is why I am still sick. I laugh at her theory. Well, I would, if I didn’t cough up a lung (that’s an exaggeration. It’s not that bad).
My hair is getting longer. Not astoundingly long because it is barely touching the back of my neck. Not long enough to actually put into a pony tail or pull back and have it stay in one place. But long enough that it is kind of tousled and wavy and doesn’t drive me absolutely insane with wanting to cut it all off. I think we have made it through the in between stage, folks. Thank God. It does need to be shaped but I can live with it right now. See for yourself.
About Work
My friend Katie, the one that talked me into coming to the Stock Transfer Department, is leaving me. Her last day is on Friday. She says we will still see each other and I should not be sad but I am. Katie (I like to pronounce her name Kay Tee instead of Katie. It is fun. It's how DM should be pronounced, Dee Em, instead of slurred together or, as the mean Keem has done before, pronounced as Dim) is a cross between Keem and myself - practical yet also fun and spontaneous and willing to hug trees. She has a great laugh and I am going to miss her so much and I am kind of crying right now realizing that I will not get to play with her ponytail anymore (it is bouncy and I play with it like a cat would play with bouncy things) or have her walk by my desk and say "Dana" in the dramatic way that my name should be said. Her going away party is on Friday at TreVina at Valentino's which is the big castle building near my work which will be fun because I want to live there (it looks like a castle. I am the self-proclaimed Queen of the Universe. Is this really such a stretch?). If you are in the area on Friday, you should come over there and say goodbye to Katie and comfort me when I start sobbing since she is leaving me.
This is for Katie. She will understand. DON'T GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a new friend! Well, she's been sitting by me for awhile now but I'm really glad that she is there. Her name is Rachel and we email each other back and forth when we are frustrated about our day and our calls. She is getting married and she tells me about her trials and tribulations planning the perfect wedding. And I, proving that I am the perfect friend, laugh at her. Well, come on. She wants shoes that cost $600! She's not going to buy them but still...are they gold plated shoes? No? Then what is the point? Rachel has expensive tastes. I do not. The most money I ever spent on shoes was $40 and that was way too much.
As a joke, I told her and her mother (her mom also works with us) that, if I ever get married, I would either get married by Elvis (impersonator, people) or Bryan (who is an atheist minister). When I mentioned this to Beth once, I asked her which she thought would freak out Mom the most. Beth's response was "How about an atheist minister dressed up as Elvis?" If Bryan would do it, that would be the coolest wedding ever, don't you think? And no, I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon, Mom. Don't freak out yet. Reserve that for my wedding. Which, honestly, the way my romantic life is going, probably won't be for another 20 years. If ever.
About Karaoke
I had a really, really, really great time at karaoke on Sunday. This is not surprising, I usually do, but it was a nice evening. I got to complain about the whole Harry Potter thing to Bryan because, even though he is not reading the books, he has seen the movies and has listened to Liz talk about them. He has an interesting theory about what happened and I am quite intrigued and now waiting eagerly for the last book.
Andrew was not at karaoke. This is quite sad. Andrew is a lot of fun to talk to and, well, kind of mock, because he reminds me of my little brother. Oh, wait; I don’t have a little brother. But if I did have one, I think he would be like Andrew. Here is a picture of Andrew.
Beth and I were making him pose. It was fun. It's nice to have a friend who will let you take pictures of them for no reason. Unlike other people who will take pictures of you and then hide behind the karaoke monitor when you try to take their picture.
Bobby used the phrase “his baby’s mama” and I pleaded with him to never call Tia that or I would have to hurt him (Tia is his girlfriend and I think I’ve mentioned that she is pregnant and actually due very soon. We (Beth and I) are excited about this and have insisted that he bring pictures and we may have suggested that he scrapbook the blessed event. I think he laughed at us (this may have actually been me, I don’t remember)).
There was a Gil (guy I like) sighting, as you may have determined by reading my 104 things (103 & 104), but I must be very sneaky about this because it was mentioned that Dean would be reading Beth’s blog and wanted a mention. Since Dean is a Chalet regular and has read my blog before (even though he did not leave comments, dang him. Sure, leave comments for Beth. That’s just well and good. Obviously you like her better than me), I cannot reveal anything that might give too much away as to Gil’s secret identity. So I must deprive you of the fascinating comedy that is my life. I’m sorry but I have to have some secrets. Which, by the way, is what the title of this post was going to be about if I could find a good secrets related song but I can’t and my co-workers are not being helpful.
There was a fun “What is your favorite movie” conversation between James, Beth, Dean and myself. Now, I don’t typically say what my favorite movie is because I love a lot of movies, normally I will say I have a favorite movie for different genres. I was, however, forced by James to say what my absolute favorite movie is and, when cornered, said the first thing that came to my head. Dear Internet, I’ll tell you as well. My favorite movie is “So I Married An Axe Murderer” with Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. I love this movie. How can you not? It is hilarious and romantic and suspenseful and, well, quite perfect. I was amused and jealous when James told me he has the banner from this movie over his bed.
Just for fun, I give you one of my favorite quotes from this movie – I should mention that Mike Myers character is a coffee house poet with a slight fear of commitment. This is from when he is trying to get Harriet (Nancy Travis) back after breaking up with her.
Harriet. Harry-ette. Hard-hearted harbinger of haggis.
Beautiful, bemused, bellicose butcher.
Un-trust... ing. Un-know... ing. Un-love... ed?
“He wants you back,” he screamed into the night air like a firefighter going to a window that has no fire... except the passion of his heart. *
I am lonely. It's really hard. This poem... sucks.
*This is my favorite line.
We also talked about music. The conversation turned towards Aimee Mann (which led into movies because I am supposed to see “Magnolia” since she did the entire soundtrack. The fact that I hate Tom Cruise was disregarded because, apparently, this movie is so good I will not even notice his presence). I liked Aimee Mann from ‘Til Tuesday, of course, but rediscovered her by watching a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode. Dean also remembers that episode (it’s a good one) where Spike and some vampire chick are fighting and he stakes her on the stage. When Aimee Mann is leaving the club later, she says to someone else “I hate playing vampire towns.” The song she sings, the song that rekindled my interest in her music, is called Pavlov’s Bell. Eureka! We have a title (lyrics at the bottom of the post, as usual)!
I love Sundays incredibly so and hate when they come to an end. Sometimes I really wish I didn’t work Monday through Friday. I could easily spend hours talking about movies and music and comic books and books and everything like that. But no, I have to be responsible and work. Dang it. Liz and I also had a discussion about being the responsible one and the one that management relies on to cover other people that call in sick but when you call in sick, they don’t believe you. This just happened to her and I’ve had a few jobs that I ended up quitting because of it. I might just post about it some day.
Monday’s Adventure
That is going to be a post all by itself. Highlights:
1. Beth and I went to the theater that James manages to see “March of the Penguins,” narrated by Morgan Freeman. I sincerely recommend that you see this movie. It was fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more.
2. James let us view the movie for free. This was very sweet of him, unless you consider that he threatened to kill us if we tried to pay for the movie. I wanted to thank him when we were leaving but he had already left for the day. I’ll be sure to thank him either on Thursday or Sunday because this was a wonderful experience.
3. I cried during the preview to “Dreamer,” new movie with Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning. Beth laughed at me because apparently I didn’t just cry, I sobbed. While I usually cry at previews the sobbing seems to happen when horses are involved. Can I help that I’m sensitive?
Work Again
I have realized that I know a lot more about comic books, etc. than I thought. Matt (the boss) and I had a 15 minute discussion about the "Fantastic Four" movie and whether it would be any good. I have a problem about the fact that Jessica Alba is playing Sue Storm, she should be in her late twenties, early thirties. Then we started talking about the X-Men and how disappointed we were that Beast wasn't in the 2nd movie but he might be in the 3rd and how Rogue was too young and was supposed to get involved with Gambit, not Ice Man, etc. And it dawned on me that, y'know, I'm really kind of a big geek. In fact, if you asked me to right now, I'd probably still remember how to play Magic.
Anyway, that's been my weekend. Kind of trivial but always exciting. Since it's me, after all. Hope you all had a great weekend as well. Tomorrow I will be meeting Beth at the Chalet for another night of karaoke. She doesn't get off work until 11:30 but it will still be fun to spend some time with her. Key, one of the non-singing regulars, has indicated that we need to play darts again so hopefully he will be there.
And I know you've been avidly waiting for the lyrics to Pavlov's Bell, so here you go. And it does kind of work with the theme of secrets since "We can't talk about it."
Pavlov's Bell - Aimee Mann
Oh Mario, sit here by the window
Stay here till we reach Idaho
And when we go, hold my hand on take off
Tell me what I already know
That we can't talk about it
No, we can't talk about it
Because nobody knows that's how I nearly fell
Trading clothes and ringing Pavlov's bell
History shows there's not a chance in hell
But, oh, Mario, we're only to Ohio
It's kind of getting harder to breathe
I won't let it show, I'm all about denial
But can't deny all that needs belief
That we could talk about it
But we can't talk about it
Because nobody knows that's how I nearly fell
Trading clothes and ringing Pavlov's bell
History shows, but rarely shows it well
Well well well
Oh Mario, why if this is nothing
I'm finding it so hard to dismiss
If you're what I need then only you can save me
So come on baby give me the fix
And let's just talk about it
I've got to talk about it
Because nobody knows that's how I nearly fell
Trading clothes and ringing Pavlov's bell
History shows, like it will show and tell
So tell me
That's how I nearly fell
By ringing Pavlov's bell
So baby show and tell
Oh Mario, Mario
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