Road Construction+ A Race= Road Rage

Yesterday morning all I wanted to do was get to work. Nothing major. I allotted more time than necessary because this stupid city is all ripped up. I should've just slept at work to ensure that I made it to work on time. Everything was going fine until I hit the Lake Nokomis area. For some reason, they decided that it would be fun to block off Cedar for a race. There was no warning of this. All of a sudden--bam-- street closed. I was forced to weave my way in and out of the neighborhood. Did I mention that all of the side streets were either blocked off or under construction? I went in circles for about ten minutes before I pulled over and asked a construction worker how to get back to Cedar. He was full of attitude and directed me back to the road blocked portion. I gave him attitude back and told him I couldn't get through that way. I ended up driving off in a huff. At this point, I started to panic. I had 15 minutes to get to work. I started to swear and scream. I continued to go in circles, until I ended up back where I started. I asked the State Trooper, who was blocking off the road, how to get around this. He said, "go up this street, take a right at Bloomington, take a left at the tee, take another left at the park and go straight at the stop sign." Huh. I was so confused. He was talking way too fast for me. I asked him to repeat it and he got all crabby with me. I was at my wits end. I told him to speak slower since I wasn't familiar with the area. Major rudeness followed from him. I went back the way I came and called work and told them I would be late. I was at the point of tears until I saw a nice looking couple walking their dog. I asked them how to get out of the mess and they nicely and slowly gave me good directions. Yay! I hauled ass to work and found myself dealing with idiots who can't drive. I can't even tell you the last time I used my horn so much. Long story short, I ended up getting to work 6 minutes late, which isn't bad, but still. I was so frustrated. And angry. I left my house a hour before work. On a Saturday morning. I shouldn't need a hour to get to work. I couldn't believe how unhelpful the construction worker and the trooper were. I wasn't asking them to break rules and let me drive through the barricade. I just needed to get myself to work...somehow. Is it really that hard to be pleasant and give good quality directions? Stupid Minnesota Nice. If you're going to block off a major road, please put up a sign ahead of time that informs people when the road will be closed. If you don't have the courtesy to do that, put up signs for a detour that won't take me on a tour of South Minneapolis.

Make the construction stop! For my sanity. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

Revenge of the Writer's Block

It's back. Just when I think I'm in the clear, it hits me. ARGH. Yesterday I was so ready to work on my screenplay and I just felt so trapped by it. It is very hard to explain. I wanted to come up with a three act structure. I've got Act I down, but it's II and III that need help. I guess I really need to just come up with an outline of some sort. I've got an ending in my head, but I'm not sure that I like it. I just don't know how I want it to end. I don't want the super happy ending--that doesn't fit with the story.

Part of my problem is I've been working with this story for two years. A lot has happened to me in two years. I am not the same person I was when I started writing. I'm having a hard time getting back into the head of old Michelle. I'm not sure how I can do that. I do really want to reflect this change somehow in the screenplay.

-SIGH- I guess for now, I am embracing my writer's block. My next day off I need to leave my apartment and head to Dunn Bros to see if I can't end my writer's block.

Sidewalk Watering

I have stumbled upon a weird phenomenon: sidewalk watering. The past couple of days every where I go, there's someone watering their sidewalk. It started on Sunday when a friend and I were driving back to her house from lunch. At first, I thought it's just a coincidence and shrugged it off as an oddity that I haven't seen since my Grandpa was still alive living on the South Side of Chicago. Last night I went for a walk and I saw a minimum of three people watering their sidewalks. It's all over the Twin Cities. What is the point to this? I just don't get it. It seems very wasteful and there doesn't seem to be a point to watering the sidewalk. Most of the people doing this are older. I wonder if this is their secret way to be nosy and see what's going on in their 'hood. That has to be it.

Best.Shoes.Ever

Aren't these the coolest shoes? I am so excited! Sparkly silver space age Chucks. I found them on super clearance at the Gap (of all places) for $9.97. Such a bargain. They were regular price $60. I am not sure what I am going to wear them with, but I couldn't pass them up. I think pretty much anything. They would be cool with a dressier outfit... like a skirt or a party dress. I can't wait to wear them.

I love my Chucks. I've been wearing them for half of my life. In high school I wore black high tops and my beloved black one-stars. They're just such classic shoes and always so comfortable. I can wear them for 8 hours at work and my feet never hurt. If the stopped making Chucks, I'd be very, very, very sad. I can't think of anything else that I still like from high school. They're also the one thing that I don't really mind if everyone wears. Usually, this makes me mad, but with Chucks, I just don't care. And they're my thing. My trademark shoe that I now own in silver. Hooray!

Finding the Off Switch

Ever since I can remember I've had a problem with thinking. I am always thinking. My brain never turns off. This was wonderful when I was in school, I could always be working on papers in my head. It's not so much fun now that I'm done with school. The constant thinking and over analyzing things. I just wish I could turn it off. Nothing seems to work. I've tried journaling before going to bed, but that doesn't work. I think it's a lost cause.

Make the Construction Stop!

I don't know how much longer I can take the constant construction all over Minneapolis. It is driving me nuts. I would really like to have my usual two options of how I want to go to work, instead of being forced to take the side streets since 35W is ripped up. Not that I don't enjoy taking the side streets everywhere I go, but I like to have options. Construction on its own isn't so bad, but I don't like it when it causes traffic jams at 9:30 at night. Like tonight. It was horrible. I almost needed some anger management classes after dealing with the traffic and the dumb drivers. My trip home was 45 minutes, instead of 20. Oh, Minneapolis, I wish you had a better public transportation system.

And I am going to stop blogging about this right now before I sound even more like a crabby old lady. At least I haven't taken an active interest in the Weather Channel.

I heart Natalie Dee

From Nataliedee.com

Stop the World I Want to Get Off

The title of this post was one of my Mom's little sayings. She would say this whenever she saw something just so ghastly and appalling. Lately, I feel like I have a "Stop the World I Want to Get Off" moment just about everyday. When did we become such a rude nation of idiots who push and shove, flip someone off, and generally lack basic manners and courtesy for others? I just don't get it. I don't remember people acting like this ten years ago. Well, I am sure some people did... but not everyone. I know that living in Minnesota there's the lovely passive aggressive Minnesota Nice, but it goes beyond that (don't even get me started on MN Nice). We have become a nation of selfish impatient rude people. No wonder other countries hate us. I hate us, too. It just gets so old. It wears me out. I am tired of seeing people behaving like a bunch of baboons. I am tired of leaving work and thinking I would be happy if I never saw the general public ever again. I having evenings where I don't want to go out, because I don't feel like being around people. I frequently have to bite my tongue when I see someone treating another person poorly. I have become so desensitized that it doesn't phase me when someone calls me a bitch. It actually makes me laugh.

What does this come down to? We've become a society of people who are impatient and self-centered. No one bothers teaching manners to their children. People think they have this sense of entitlement that allows them to treat the poor barista like crap when he or she can't make their half caf grande soy mocha fast enough or makes it ok to plow their SUV into another lane without checking their blind spot. If everyone would just take a step back and think about their behavior and calm down, I would be a lot less crabby.

El fin to Permanent Writer's Block

For the past couple of months, I have felt like I am suffering from permanent writer's block with my screenplay. It's horrible. I want to finish it, but it seems like this hopeless train wreck. The was a fleeting moment a couple of months ago when I honestly thought I would never finish it. I felt like such a failure. This indescribable feeling of crappiness.

All of that is over! Lately, though, I have felt more motivated to work and finish my screenplay. I don't know what made that happen, but I will not be over thinking it. Maybe I have more angst. The bad, evil thoughts are back in my head. Whatever it is, I am going with it. It's a lot better than nothing. I am taking this new found interest in my screenplay and putting it towards constructing an actual plot. I have to stop just writing these scenes. I am coming up with a timeline. I think that will help. As abstract as I can be, I do need to some sort of planning. I need to just write without editing as a I go. I need to give myself more time. Hopefully, this will get better results. It just has to. My current method of just writing stinks.

I am still so serious about this. My screenplay is not another silly pipe dream a la my childhood when I had all these projects that I abandoned. I will finish it. I must.

So Exciting!

Today I finally arrived at the party: I bought myself an iPod. Woo-hoo. I must admit that's pretty cool. So very slick. I am so excited to download podcasts onto my iPod. And it appeals to my randomness. My musical tastes range from Bob Dylan to Mary J. Blige to Oasis to the Dixie Chicks to Radiohead. And pretty much everything in between. Except for the crappy stuff. The shuffle feature was made for me.

It was family day at the iPod store. I was so focused on buying my iPod that I almost didn't notice the herds of children drooling and banging around on the iPhones and iPods. Seriously, people get a grip on your offspring, or keep them at home. I also wondered why there were so many people in there at two in the afternoon. Doesn't anyone work? Although, now that I have an iPod, I can go run errands and not have to listen/ deal with the rest of society. Yay for technology. I can go around in my own personal bubble of good music! I heart technology.

My 1 Year Old Keds

I got an email this morning from Zappos letting me know that the Keds I bought a year ago are still available in my size. Great, huh? I've really been wanting to replace my canvas fashion sneakers that are still in good condition because I only wear them in the summer. But, maybe I should have a second pair on blocks. So odd. At first I thought they wanted me to fill out a survey about how I like the shoes. That would make sense. I generally don't buy the same pair of shoes unless it's chucks.

Wow...

I think it is so cool that Prince is playing at First Avenue tomorrow night. I really wish I could find a way to get a ticket for that... it's not like he plays there everyday, heck or even once a year. I really like Prince. What makes him so darn cool is he does stuff like the show at First Ave. that's sorta sneaky. He hasn't forgotten his roots.

I found out that the Smashing Pumpkins are reuniting and coming here in October. That is very cool. I haven't decided if I want to go or not. Fifteen year-old me says, "Oh my gosh! You have to go! Billy Corgan is god!" Twenty-nine year old me thinks that maybe it's not such a good idea. It might be better to leave that back in 1994. It's not the complete original Smashing Pumpkins, either. Still, I am sure it would be a great show. If I went I'd have to wear Converse one-stars with a ratty flannel complete with three shirts underneath and some loose fitting jeans.

Happy Belated Birthday America!

I don't think anything is more American than the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile. This is the original wiener mobile that I saw at the Henry Ford in Detroit. The kid crawling over the railing is a nice, classy touch, too. What's a trip to a museum without an out of control child?

I hope everyone had a relaxing 4th of July. I went to my Aunt and Uncle's for a classic 4th of July BBQ-- hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, and beer. Yum! Nothing tastes better than a hot dog on a grill.

Always Late to the Party

from nataliedee.com

It seems to be a trend throughout my life: I am one of the last people to get the latest greatest tech gadget. Not that I really mind it, it's just how I roll. I think it comes from having thrifty (not cheap, there's a difference) parents who taught me how to manage my money. Plus, I over analyze everything to death. I can talk myself out of buying ANYTHING. I am also very cautious with how I spend my money. I nursed along my dying computer, nicknamed the Death Computer because it ran in it's own time zone, for a good two years before I caved and bought a new one. My cell phone? It's really old, but it still works.

For the past year, I've been contemplating buying an iPod and I've finally decided that I do need one (See? I am so behind the times). I have a ton of cds and I don't listen to them because I forget what I have. I have a bunch that I keep in my car, but I am so random that I'll be driving along wishing that I had Nirvana 'Unplugged' or Radiohead 'the Bends' with me. An iPod would help me organize all of my music. Not to mention, I'd be able to watch all of the episodes of "the Office" I download on it. It could be back up storage for my screenplay. The possibilities are endless.

The other day, I visited the Apple store at the mall. I was so excited. It was going to be the day that I finally got an iPod. Upon entering the store, I was annoyed by all the people in the store, just taking up space and letting their children play around with the iPods. After standing around for five minutes, little Johnny finally dropped one and I was able to play around with it. Thank goodness, I was just getting ready to go up to the parents and ask them if I could have a turn since I was actually in the market for buying an iPod, not destroying it. Well, I didn't buy one. Why? Not one salesperson came up to me and either greeted me or ask me if I needed some help. Plus, I was confused if I need the 30g or the 80g. Strike two, Apple store. Working in retail and customer service has turned me into a bit of customer service snob. They just lost a $300 sale for not acknowledging me and answering my questions. Before leaving, I did take about 10 minutes to play around with the iPhone (really slowly, too) as the herds of people stood behind me tapping their feet and giving me the death stare.

I think I am going to go back later in the week (on a weekday) and buy my iPod. Hopefully, it won't be family shopping day at the Apple store.

Sage Advice from My Dad

Tonight my Dad shared some of his classic Dad advice. He told me to not "mess around with any firecrackers on the 4th." I am such a pyrotechnic. I can't get enough of fireworks. I stocked up on them today at Target, so I could put together my own display on the 4th. Does my Dad realize that I've only played with sparklers about half a dozen times, and I don't mess around with fire? I don't even like playing around with matches. He means well, but seriously, I don't need the 'fireworks are bad' lecture. I just wonder how he comes up with these things. There must have been the traditional 'fireworks are bad' expose on the news. I love that! They show dummies playing with fireworks and starting themselves on fire. It's always a feature on all of the newscasts in WI around the 4th.

Just remember everyone, to avoid playing with fireworks on the 4th, they're dangerous. And the last time I checked, they're illegal in MN.