Love means nothing in Tennis

First of all, I think I should be given a round of applause because this is my 4th update in a week. This is either a sign that I have turned a corner and have need to communicate with the invisible people out there in cyberland or recently I have just had way too much time on my hands. Maybe it's a little bit of both.

A month ago, I signed up for the Tennis Channel. I have been waiting three years to get it and it was worth the wait and the extra $3.95 I'm paying. (I got other channels too with the upgrade but it was the Tennis Channel that I wanted.) For those who don't know me. I am a tennis NUT! I am the type of person who gets up at 2 in the morning to follow a match in Australia on my computer. Now, that's hardcore! The past couple of years ESPN has been my only outlet for tennis and while, yes their coverage has improved it still leaves little to be desired and to make things worse, they dropped most of the clay season. So come spring, I missed all the warm-up tournaments to the French Open. Oh that sucked. It's hard to handicap a field when didn't get a chance to see them. The clay season isn't my favorite part of the tennis year anyway but it drives me crazy that there is tennis on TV somewhere and I wasn't able to see it. Well, that is all in the past now. I got up around 9:30 this morning and I have seen Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Marat Safin, and later Rafael Nadal! SWEET! And, the Tennis Channel is getting the Eurosport or Sky Sport feed so I don't have to listen to the all the gabbing between points. I do miss Mary and Cliffy but they will be back for the French. I love this channel so much!

What is a girl to do?

So I'm not moving to Chicago after all. This sucks but for now it is the best decision for me. I really don't know what I want to do so that makes it difficult to look for a job. But the real deciding factor is that I owe my parents too much money and I really don't want to go into anymore debt and anyway, if I wait another year for some of my friends to graduate, I'll have someone to live with in Chicago. So until then, I'm ok (well, maybe not ok but fine with) staying. I'm pretty sure I will be made a lead soon so that will help my cause. Of course it sucks, once I decide to stay others have decided to lead. Damn them! Now, if only I came to this decision before I gave up my apartment. I have two options. I can either move back into my parents house or find a cheap apartment here. My friends have already signed leases so so much for finding a roommate. I'm not really that comfortable placing an ad for one. and 1 bedroom apartments are expensive. But at least I wouldn't have to live with my parents. I'm not sure any of us are truly looking forward to that. My friend Melinda, just recently graduated from Creighton and is moving back. I tried to convince her to move in with me for the summer but I think I failed but I'm still hopeful. I'm really pretty stressed out about this whole thing. Being an adult sucks.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

So, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, a restaurant downtown is having a special on Coronas. I think they are $2 for a bottle. I really don't know because I don't ever go downtown anymore, except maybe once a month but this is what my roommate Sarah tells me. Apparently when you order a Corona, it comes dressed in a little sombrero and bandana. How cute is that? Sarah has been going there every day this past week and brought home the little sombrereo and bandana to show me. They are now on my stuffed Chihuahua, squirrel?. And let me tell you, he looks absoulutely adorable. I'm sure you are looking at his name and puzzling what is with the question mark? Well that's part of his name. Squirrel? You have to say it as it is a question. Crazy, no? There is a story behind it. Of course there is a story. One does not come up with such things without having a reason for it. My sister and I like to watch the movie, Fools Rush In with Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek. Yes, not the best movie in the world but good when your in the mood for a nice light romantic comedy. Anyway, there is a scene where Matthew's character's parents show up at his house to surprise him and Salma's chihuahua runs out of the front door. The dad ask, "Squirrel?" Kat and I just think it was the funniest line of the whole movie and we joke that if we ever got a dog it had to be a chihuahua and it's name is going to be squirrel? And we would insist on everyone pronouncing it like they were posing a question. Now this idea has giving us hours of amusement and also amusement for our friends. This past Christmas, Sarah, my roommate, bought me a Beanie Baby Chihuahua. It was love at first sight. I knew from the moment I held it my hands that this Chihuahua was my squirrel?. When you put it down it naturally sits and cocks it's head to side as if itself is asking, squirrel? It is too cute. So, now I have my Squirrel?. Maybe one day I will get a real one but for now Squirrel? Is all the Chihuahua I need.

This is the kind of stupidity that I have to deal with. I had the following conversation with a customer on Saturday, April 29, 2006.

Scene: Barnes and Noble, Coralridge Mall, Coralville, Iowa City.

The Salesperson (ME) is standing at the computer in the fiction section, trying to clock out for her lunch. She is approached by the a middle aged blonde woman.

Customer: Excuse Miss, do you work here?

Me: Yes, what can I help you with? (Why are you bothering me now? All I want to do is go to lunch?)

Customer: Where is your non-fiction section?

Me: um...What are you looking for because everything except for this section we are standing in now is non-fiction. (I love this question because it is so stupid?)

Customer: Oh, everything on that side?

Me: Everywhere but right here, ok the cafe isn't non-fiction but everything else in the store is. What are you looking for? (ok she's an idiot)

Customer: I don't know. I need to do a book report for a class and I need, like, four non-fiction books?

Me: Ok, what are you interested in? What do you like to read?

Customer: I like mysteries. (She knows that mysteries are fiction right? Please do not tell me I'm going to have to explain to her what non-fiction is.)

Me: Ok, how about true crime.

Customer: that doesn't sound too bad. I don't want anything too heavy.

Me: Ok, well, um...Let's see.

Customer: Non-fiction is real right?

Me: Yes (Oh, good there is something going on upstairs.)

Customer: ok good.

Me: How about the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil? Have you seen the movie?

Customer: Yes

Me: Well, you will like the book if you liked the movie. I'll let you look around. Let us know if you need any more help.

End Scene.

This one is for my fan. I finally updating my blog. I would have updated it earlier but we had technically difficulties with our internet. Sadly, I have to write this all over again. It was a really nice piece of writing too. Oh well. Let's not live in the past.

So I am back from Great Britain. I loved it and yes I am sad that I am back. Not that I don't like Iowa City but London and Cardiff are wonderful. They both are great cities, with so much to do that I have to go back. I miss my sister but it was cool to hang out with her again. My Aunt Carole came with us. We don't get to see her that often so it was wonderful to reconnect with her. She is the coolest. We went the the Tate Britain museum and saw Westminister Abbey. We did the Pub quiz with John (Kat's boy). We didn't do that badly but we did get our picture on the Quiz master's website. Cool, huh? Do you want to see Photos? (You may have to sign up to see them but it's free)

Since I have been back I have done nothing but work. Ok, so that's not totally true but it feels like it. Not that I'm complaining because I can use the cash but I feel like I haven't really accomplished anything in the past week that isn't work related. I need to rework my resume before I start appling for jobs in Chicago. I have to call this lady for my insurance. I have to do laundry. ( I really need to do laundry). So, hopefully now that I have been back a week and have got the vacation all out of my system I will be more productive this week. Cross your fingers.

So, there you go, loyal reader. I promise to update more often. Love Ya!