Huh
Ever since that last entry, I've actually thought of this LJ a whole bunch of different times. I kept thinking of all the different things I could write or talk about. I guess it is nice to be spitting words out again, after months at work of spitting out nothing but numbers and acronyms.
So first thing's first, I just have to laugh at the fact that we have a new radio station up here with the tagline of something to the effect of "Today's Popular Music, Without the Rap!" It's funny because I've noticed a strange trend in music up here this last year. Pop/Top 40 Music has definitely shifted to significantly more male singers and included a lot more rap/hi-hop elements. There's a weird synthesis of pop and hip-hop happening and I'm not sure how I feel about it. There's also a trend of ensemble songs happening lately. So this station took out all the rap, hip-hop, and other modern elements in pop and is sticking with the Michael Buble, Colbie Calliet world of pop. It's been interesting to watch music evolve these last couple of years. I like it all, honestly. I am getting a bit sick of auto-tuned guys with hip-hop influences singing pop songs, however. It's just getting old already.
So I was in San Francisco for a work off-site back on Friday. Arriving there was a weird moment. It's been 90+ here all week (high of 103 set for today, ugh, kill me...), but when I got there? 57 degrees and misting. Oooh yeah. It's amazing what a couple of hours can do. Much more than the weather, though, it was the buildings that flipped me out. I felt like a side of me had been asleep for a great long while and it instantly woke up when I saw tall buildings again. I love urban places. I love tall buildings, I love tons of people walking out on the sidewalks. Folsom? None of that. Boring, dull, far-too-safe suburb. I enjoy the snobby sensibility, but there's no excitement here. I perked up instantly going into SF. Walking through the city (it was for a scavenger hunt type task--we placed SF Amazing Race on teams that mixed people from various branches of the company), it brought me back a lot to Chicago. I miss Chicago. I miss big cities that excite me. LA wasn't doing it because the downtown, sky-scraper territory is just kinda trashy and I never bothered to go there. At least West LA and Culver City didn't feel suburban, though. Chicago was totally my type of place though. It's the energy I miss most of all. And that's really what it is. Folsom has zero energy. People just go through their dull suburban lives. Huhm. It's not all bad though. It's interesting to see "lake culture" as most people here are here for the lake, river, nature trails, etc. We have good nature here, to be sure. I just need a better urban center nearby than friggen Sacramento. Talk about no energy. Dullest big city I've ever found.
Kelly's mom--Betty--is staying with us again this week. Saturday night to Wednesday morning.
I hate that woman. Yes, I can actually say it here. I hate her. She's one of the weakest, most obnoxious people I've ever known. I tried giving her a fair chance, but she only proved more and more that she is the personification of Kelly's worst mental hangups on steroids. And Kelly talks to her at least 3 times a day, often for at least 30 minutes each time. It doesn't matter if I'm driving her back from a date, if 9:00pm hits, she has to call her mom, even in my car. It's the rudest single thing I can ever think of and my absolute biggest gripe with Kelly. It also bothers me that she uses these calls to report absolutely everything we do/see. I feel like she blogs about our days together to her mother and that makes me not enjoy the things we do, knowing I'll have to listen to her--and her reactions to her mother's reactions, which are worse--on the ride home. I really don't think I'm out of line to resent all as much as I do, and I'm pretty sure Kelly knows how I feel and chooses to do it anyway, because frankly, she is more worried about her mother's opinions and reactions than mine. Why? Because I can handle my opinions and reactions like an adult while her mother throws temper tantrums and conniption fits if she isn't appeased. God I hate that woman!
Okay, calming down now. I don't want to end this entry mad. That really should have been its own entry, but oh well. Not like I'll probably end up caring if/when I read through this in the future (Hi future! How's it going?).
Anyway, Dana (my boss), Dan (her boss, who's office window is directly across from my computer), and Michelle (Dan's admin who sits next to me) are all on vacation all week, so this should be a relatively chill week at work. That much, I am very grateful for. I just need my work to magically finish itself and I'm all set!
So first thing's first, I just have to laugh at the fact that we have a new radio station up here with the tagline of something to the effect of "Today's Popular Music, Without the Rap!" It's funny because I've noticed a strange trend in music up here this last year. Pop/Top 40 Music has definitely shifted to significantly more male singers and included a lot more rap/hi-hop elements. There's a weird synthesis of pop and hip-hop happening and I'm not sure how I feel about it. There's also a trend of ensemble songs happening lately. So this station took out all the rap, hip-hop, and other modern elements in pop and is sticking with the Michael Buble, Colbie Calliet world of pop. It's been interesting to watch music evolve these last couple of years. I like it all, honestly. I am getting a bit sick of auto-tuned guys with hip-hop influences singing pop songs, however. It's just getting old already.
So I was in San Francisco for a work off-site back on Friday. Arriving there was a weird moment. It's been 90+ here all week (high of 103 set for today, ugh, kill me...), but when I got there? 57 degrees and misting. Oooh yeah. It's amazing what a couple of hours can do. Much more than the weather, though, it was the buildings that flipped me out. I felt like a side of me had been asleep for a great long while and it instantly woke up when I saw tall buildings again. I love urban places. I love tall buildings, I love tons of people walking out on the sidewalks. Folsom? None of that. Boring, dull, far-too-safe suburb. I enjoy the snobby sensibility, but there's no excitement here. I perked up instantly going into SF. Walking through the city (it was for a scavenger hunt type task--we placed SF Amazing Race on teams that mixed people from various branches of the company), it brought me back a lot to Chicago. I miss Chicago. I miss big cities that excite me. LA wasn't doing it because the downtown, sky-scraper territory is just kinda trashy and I never bothered to go there. At least West LA and Culver City didn't feel suburban, though. Chicago was totally my type of place though. It's the energy I miss most of all. And that's really what it is. Folsom has zero energy. People just go through their dull suburban lives. Huhm. It's not all bad though. It's interesting to see "lake culture" as most people here are here for the lake, river, nature trails, etc. We have good nature here, to be sure. I just need a better urban center nearby than friggen Sacramento. Talk about no energy. Dullest big city I've ever found.
Kelly's mom--Betty--is staying with us again this week. Saturday night to Wednesday morning.
I hate that woman. Yes, I can actually say it here. I hate her. She's one of the weakest, most obnoxious people I've ever known. I tried giving her a fair chance, but she only proved more and more that she is the personification of Kelly's worst mental hangups on steroids. And Kelly talks to her at least 3 times a day, often for at least 30 minutes each time. It doesn't matter if I'm driving her back from a date, if 9:00pm hits, she has to call her mom, even in my car. It's the rudest single thing I can ever think of and my absolute biggest gripe with Kelly. It also bothers me that she uses these calls to report absolutely everything we do/see. I feel like she blogs about our days together to her mother and that makes me not enjoy the things we do, knowing I'll have to listen to her--and her reactions to her mother's reactions, which are worse--on the ride home. I really don't think I'm out of line to resent all as much as I do, and I'm pretty sure Kelly knows how I feel and chooses to do it anyway, because frankly, she is more worried about her mother's opinions and reactions than mine. Why? Because I can handle my opinions and reactions like an adult while her mother throws temper tantrums and conniption fits if she isn't appeased. God I hate that woman!
Okay, calming down now. I don't want to end this entry mad. That really should have been its own entry, but oh well. Not like I'll probably end up caring if/when I read through this in the future (Hi future! How's it going?).
Anyway, Dana (my boss), Dan (her boss, who's office window is directly across from my computer), and Michelle (Dan's admin who sits next to me) are all on vacation all week, so this should be a relatively chill week at work. That much, I am very grateful for. I just need my work to magically finish itself and I'm all set!