Okay, although i'm not grading my dates anymore due to some karmic balance, i still have to keep my faithful readers updated on the goings on of my pitiful and amusing dating life.

Last saturday i went out with The Linebacker. Rose grad from 99 who used to play football. He suggested that we meet at a local bar for drinks. No problem. When i walked in though, he didn't stand up which defintely loses points. Except when i get there, he has ordered a Pepsi. I asked him if he drinks and he said not really. So why suggest a bar??? Who knows. I get a beer anyway. Other than that things were fine, but i just didn't quite feel the vibe. It was a nice evening out of the house though.

Fastforward to last night. I went out the the Paramedic. Irish Catholic red head who likes roller coasters, romantic comedies, and would never wear black and brown. Quite possibly the perfect man. We went out for ice cream last night. And in true avoiding karmic fashion, i am going to avoid comment on this date. Let's just say, it was good and we're going out again sometime next week. Maybe this guy will actually get his real name on my blog instead of his code name. But for now, he'll still be known as the Paramedic.

Read this article

In summary, a homeless man found $21,000 in savings bonds in a trash can and turned them over so the man who owned them could get them back. The community gave him $4,000 for his good deed. But...why would the community give him money you may ask?? Because the tight ass that owned the bonds only gave the homeless man $100! Wow...can we say cheap skate?? $100 on $21,000 worth of bonds that got thrown away! I'm really kind of disgusted. I suppose it's better than the guy not giving anything at all. But it almost seems like this guy gave him $100 as an obligatory gesture because he knew people would hate on him if he didn't. Well...honestly...this guy felt obligated...i would much rather he didn't give anything at all. It's called an act of gratitude, not an act of burden.

So i had to have an x-ray on my hand and i have to get steroid patches. Yeah. Hopefully it'll heal on its own, whatever the problem is.

Also, i'm kinda freaked out by this whole sniper thing. Rest assured, I will not be traveling I-69 for a while, at least until all these attacks are done.

I haven't posted a useless survey in a while. And you never know, something may have changed in the last few weeks. So...for your mindless consumption:

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
open

2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
nope

3. Have you ever 'done it' in a hotel room?
yeah

4. Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
can't say that i have

5. Do you like to use post-it notes?
they are the only things that keep me organized at work

6. Do you cut out coupons and not use them?
no

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?
I'm going to go with the bees on this one

9. Do you always smile for pictures?
yeah

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who complain all the time

11. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
out

12. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
no

13. Have you ever peed in the woods?
yes

14. Do you ever jump up and down to make your privates bounce?
no that hurts

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils?
i used to, until i started working around drugs. It's bad to chew on pens that are covered in drugs.

16. How many people have you slept with this week?
does columbo (my dog) and manny (my stuffed manatee) count? If so...two men every night! Wow...i'm a studette!

17. Do you like popcorn from those big tins?
nah...it goes stale before i can finish it

18. What is your "Song of the week"?
Diary of Jane-Breaking Benjamin

19. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
I love men in Pink

20. Do you still watch cartoons?
I'm never up that early

21. Whats your favorite scary movie?
Arachnophobia

22. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
A pirate never reveals where she hides her booty

23. What drink do you have with dinner?
I'm boring...water

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in
i don't eat chicken nuggets, but if i did it would be ketchup

25. What is your favorite food/ cuisine?
Mexican

26. What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
Waking Ned Devine, Neverending Story, Princess Bride

27. Last person you kissed/kissed you?
Jason...6 months ago...*sigh*

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
for about a year

29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
doubt it. But everyone has their price

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
Last wednesday

31. Can you change the oil on a car?
no, but i can check it!

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
yes X2

33. Ran out of gas?
nope

34. Favorite kind of sandwich?
Mozarella and Portobello Panini from Panera

35. Best thing to eat for breakfast?
belgian waffles with blueberry compote

36. What is your usual bedtime?
10:30ish

37. Are you lazy?
no

38. When you were a kid what did you dress up as for halloween?
I wasn't allowed to dress up for halloween

40. How many languages can you speak?
just english, but at least i speak it well, usually

41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
Cosmo

42..Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
legos all the way!

43. Are you stubborn?
definitely

44. Who is better...Leno or Letterman?
Letterman

45. Ever watch soap operas?
no

46. Afraid of height?
Depends

47. Sing in the car?
always

48. Dance in the shower?
i'd trip and fall

49. Dance in the car?
yeah

50. Ever used a gun?
yes

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
Last Thursday for charity

52. Are musicals cheesy?
love 'em

53. Is Christmas stressful?
sometimes

54. Ever eat a pierogie?
nope

55. Favorite type of fruit pie?
blueberry

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Marine Biologist

57. Do you believe in ghosts?
I don't disbelieve

58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?
yeah

59. Take a vitamin daily?
nope

60. Wear slippers?
yes

61. Wear a bath robe?
It's pink and has an "A" on it. My grandma made it for me!

62. What do you wear to bed?
Summertime=nothing Wintertime=everything

63. First concert?
Aerosmith

64. Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart?
Meijer

65. Nike or Adidas?
New Balance

66.Cheetos Or Fritos?
Doritos (geez...i'm picky)

67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
peanuts

68. Ever hear of, "gorp"?
nope...is it something to do with Star Wars?

69. Ever take dance lessons?
unofficially yes

70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
I love public servants i.e teachers, EMTs, Dr.s, Social Workers, police officers, firemen

71. Can you curl your tongue?
yeah

72. Ever won a spelling bee?
no

73 . Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Would you believe me if i said i was right now?

74. Own any record albums?
no, but i did

75. Own a record player?
no

76. Regularly burn incense?
gives me a headache

77. Ever been in love?
yes

78. Who would you like to see in concert?
Breaking Benjamin and Fiona Apple (again)

79. What was your last concert you saw?
Fiona Apple

80. Hot tea or cold tea?
both

81. Tea or coffee?
tea

82. Favorite kind of cookie?
no bake

83. Can you swim well?
yes

84. Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose?
yes

85. Are you patient?
hm...sometimes

86. DJ or band at a wedding?
DJ

87. Ever won a contest?
yes

88. Ever have plastic surgery?
yes

89. Green or black olives?
black

90. Can you knit or crochet?
crochet

91. Best room for a fireplace?
Den

92. Do you want to get married?
eventually

93. If married, how long have you been married?
N/A

94. Who was your HS crush?
Someone i never dated? Scott something

95. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?
No

96. Do you have kids?
NO!!!!

97. Do you want kids?
maybe

98. Whats your favorite color?
purple

99. Do you miss anyone right now?
always, i live 11 hours away from my family

100. Who do you wanna see right now?
Hayley. I talked to her and now i miss her!

I have one thing to say people. Leave the fanny packs at home.

I'm going to make a list of the states I've been to. I'd like to see all 50 before I die.

South Carolina
Indiana
Michigan*
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Maine
Massachussettes*
New Hampshire*
Virginia
Kentucky*
Tennessee
North Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Alabama
Mississippi*
Arkansas
Texas
Arizona
New Mexico
Utah
California
Missouri
Illinois
Kansas**
West Virginia*
Maryland*
New York
Connecticut*
Washington, D.C. (althought not technically a state)

That's a grand total of 30 so far. Only 20 more!

FYI, I've also been to England and Canada. One of these days i'm going to hike the ireland coast.

*=i only spent a short amount of time in this state
**=i was born here, but don't remember anything about it

Editors Note: Hayley made me this website! Go check it out!! Where I've been!
Editors Note II: It has been pointed out that i listed New Hampshire twice (as well as SC) and that i forgot NY and DC.

I have discovered why Americans are fat. I have discovered the true secret behind American obesity. Two incidences come to mind i think fully demonstrates my theory.

A few weeks ago, i got out of my car and i saw a car pulling out of its parking spot. Nothing unusual there, except in front of his/her front driver's side tire, was a large, empty bag of McDonald's. The trash dumpster closest to my apartment, is at best 50 feet away. 50 feet people!!! So Americans are not fat because they eat a Big Mac with biggie fries and a biggie coke. Americans are fat because they eat a Big Mac, biggie fries, and a biggie coke and are too lazy to walk 50 feet to throw away their trash. Or they are too lazy to even carry the 5 grams of paper contents in the bag up to their apartment and throw it away there. 5 grams!!! That is a negligable amount of calorie burnage there. Hell, even my 70ish year old neighbor can carry an empty McDonald's bag. I find it absolutely repulsive.

The second incident occurred just a few days ago. I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Some of you may or may not know the irritation i feel at the grocery store based on two things. One, i hate customers in a grocery store. I worked in a grocery store for 2 years. On the whole customers are rude and stupid. Mostly just rude. Oh! And they can't control their children. Or think because you are paid to work there, you are at there to satisfy their every whim. My other problem, is most grocery store workers are also rude. I speculate they are angry and bitter because they are working in a grocery store. You know what?? Get over it. Either go to college and get educated, or go find a different job. This is America. You do have choices. Okay...i'm done with my digression. My biggest pet peeve about grocery stores though is people who can't put their buggies (carts for all you hoosiers) in the buggy corrale. I began pulling into my parking spot at the store, only to realize that some jackass had put their buggy in the parking spot because they couldn't walk the 50 feet to the corrale. Once again...50 feet. Americans are fat because they will go to the store, buy their chips, cookies, ice cream, pizza, etc. but they can't even roll an EMPTY buggy 50 feet and put it in a buggy corrale. Not only is it lazy, but it's also annoying as hell when there is a buggy in the middle of the parking lot. Not to mention there's the risk of hitting your car with one of those things. And trust me...they can leave a dent.

And there is my theory on why Americans are fat. They go out and buy bad food, and then are too lazy to discard of their trash. Not only are they killing themselves...but also the environment.

Click on this link

Then select "This Week in Pictures July 6-13". The first picture says all that ever needs to be said about President Bush.

Fiona Apple last night was awesome! She played with the locusts on stage which was definitely the best part. She didn't sing my favorite song "Never Is A Promise" but no matter how long she had sang...i still would have wanted more. It was totally worth the trip down to Indy last night!!! Breaking Benjamin is going to have to put on an awesome show if they want to take her place as my favorite concert. I burnt my finger on the oven. Right on top of the knuckle of the middle finger on my right hand. Dammit!

So i've decided to retry my hand at online dating. It seems to be the new wave of dating...so i thought i would give it another try (not ignoring my horrible incident last october). So this guy sent me an e-mail right after i came back from vacation...and when i didn't respond to him within one day...he sent me another e-mail...to make sure that i got his original e-mail. Not a good sign. I hate needy guys. I wrote him back...and then he wrote me again...and then again when i didn't respond in one day. Excuse me...i have a life. Do you mind?? If i didn't e-mail you right away, it's because i either didn't have time...or haven't come up with something witty to say. If someone is going to be this clingy after a few e-mails...this guy will be worse than a pair of panty hose attached to your nylon skirt. So...i sent him this...

"Yes...i got your last e-mail. I have been busy. While your enthusiasm is flattering, it is also overwhelming. Thank you for your interest, but I don't see a relationship developing between us. Sorry."

many of you may consider this cold. But let me interpret what i really wanted to say.

"Yes...i got your freaking e-mail and didn't need a reminder b/c it's only been one day. While your insistent need to speak with me everyday might be flattering to some...i actually find it to be quite stalkerish and very freaky. Thank you for your interest, but there is no way in hell i'm ever going to go out with you. Fuck off."

Why do people think i want to talk to them everyday? News flash folks! I don't!!! I know i'm cool and all, but i guarantee you that nothing exciting has happened to me in the 12 hours while i was slepping and working. I need at least 36 hours to recharge my charm. This doesn't come naturally!

Everyone get out your violins...i'm gonna whine for a bit.

My hand hurts. It's been hurting off and on for about 3 weeks now. Everytime i lift weights...or lift anything heavy with my right hand...it hurts for days. Not a muscle kind of hurt either. It's a joint hurt right where the joint of my thumb meets my palm. You know...that knobby part right at at your palm. Anyway...it makes cooking difficult because i can't lift anything moderately heavy (i.e. a full casserole dish) with my right hand. i have to use either just my left...or both hands. I am right handed. Dianna wants me to see the doctor...b/c i work with my hands everyday. Therefore...if it's something serious...i could potentially lose my ability to work efficiently...or work at all. But...i really hate going to the doctor just for her to tell me to take two aspirin and avoid lifting heavy things for a while. Do any of my wanna be doctor friends out there have any diagnoses?

Also...tomorrow is Fiona Apple. I've been so busy with vacation, and then trying to get back into the groove of things...that i haven't had time to get excited. So this is me getting excited! WOOHOO!!! This time tomorrow i will be listening to my favorite singer since i was 16.

It's official...i'm a nerd. I just finished reading Atlas Shrugged, and now i'm reading the cliff notes to make sure i have the best understanding of the material possible. Someone, please, stop the insanity. Also...i'm convinced my dog understands the word "present". I took him outside to go potty...and i told him i had a present for him, and he bee lined it back inside and waited for me to get his present. Who knew my dog was so smart??

So i'm back from vacation, and still in one piece. First we drove from Fort Wayne to Buffalo, NY on Saturday. We saw Niagara Falls that day and had dinner with Dan. The falls were cool but we didn't see any Canadians. I was hoping to at least see a Mountie. But the falls were all lit up and it was cool. And our customs agent back into the country was actually from West Lafayette. How weird is that?? The next day we got up and drove to Kennebunk, Maine. Our hotel was this cute little inn with lots of personality. Our room was small, but the beds were cool and they had nicely scented lotion. That day we took the trolley down to Kennebunkport and ate dinner at Federal Jack's. We shared a cup of clam chowder and we both had lobster. It was awesome! Then we walked down further into the Port and went to all the cute little shops. They were cool and there were a lot of them, and each one of them were different. Then we went back to our inn, had some dessert at the bar. I tried this great Heffe Weizen so then i set to figure out who made the beer. The next day we went whale watching and got to see a few finback whales and a basking shark. It was cool. Then we did some more shopping. We found out that the beer i liked was bottled in Portland by a company called Sebago. So the next day we drove up to Portland, saw 4 lighthouses, and then went to the brewery. We bought a 6 pack each of the beer and put it in our cooler. We of course had to keep it on ice the rest of the trip, but it was worth it. Then we kinda lazed around a little bit and went and watched fireworks on the beach. The next morning we got up and drove down to Boston, picked up Bridgets instruments, and then drove to NYC. We checked into our hotel, which was right in the middle of the theater district, and only a few blocks from Times Square. We walked around Times Square and the city in general, and then we went back to get ready for the show. We went at saw Avenue Q at the Golden Theater. It was hilarious!! We both were just cracking up the whole time. The next day we walked around NYC some more and then we went to Jersey City for dinner. We drove about half way through Pennsylvania that night. The next day we got up early and finished the drive to Fort Wayne.

Overall it was definitely an awesome trip. Kennebunkport had so much stuff to do! This week is the Fiona Apple concert, and the Three Rivers Festival. So i'll be busy doing all that stuff. I have a few weeks of relaxation, and then my bro come to visit. Oh! and let's not forget the Breaking Benjamin concert.