Friday afternoon entertainment

My neighbor is a really happy guy. Which is a good thing, since my former neighbor was an abusive, demented drunk.

Thing is, I don't think my new neighbor realizes I can hear everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) that goes on in his apartment. Right now, he's singing in the shower. I'm sitting downstairs, and I can hear him all the way down here. And it's bad, in a totally hysterical way. If he knew that I could hear him, he'd probably be totally embarrassed, and never entertain me again.

But I've sworn to myself, if he starts singing something I know, I'm heading to the bathroom and joining in!

S**t or get off the pot!

One of my father's favorite phrases when I was growing up was "Shit or get off the pot!" He liked to use this phrase to jolt us into motivation, to keep us from dodging life's problems.

Today, I found another use for this phrase.

We've had some unreasonably (yes, you read that right, I did not mean "unseasonably") cold weather here in my corner of Virginia. I also have a window just above the toilet in my bathroom. (Don't ask why I had to clarify the fact that my toilet is indeed in my bathroom.) These two facts basically eliminate the idea of bathroom as library. A draft from my less than adequately sealed window (in the bathroom, of course) makes potty time seriously uncomfortable.

Don't even get me started on the shower situation! It feels like I'm one of those looney polar bear divers!

I (heart) Seattle

I just returned from a conference in the beautifully rainy city of Seattle. I'm a big city girl who is temporarily living in a (painfully) small town, so whenever I get to go to a city it's a huge treat.

Why do I love Seattle? Because after freezing my ass off in Virginia, a balmy day of 42 degrees and buildings with more than four stories was quite refreshing. And I want to go back. Let me tell you, there are some good eats in Seattle, including the most excellent seafood outside of my homestate of Florida. (Sorry, I'll always be a Floridian!)

You often hear people bitching about the rain in Seattle, but I thought it was somewhat calming. Rather than a torrential downpour, the Pacific northwest offers a light mist to a drizzle. Just enough to cleanse the air, but not enough to soak your clothes.

I really miss living in the city. In Seattle, within a few blocks of my hotel, I could find a grocery/drugstore, cafe, restaurants, public transportation, and (of course) a Starbucks. In my dinky little town, you really need a car to get anywhere unless you live downtown like me. And Wal-Mart (or, Mall Wart, as I prefer) has pretty much beaten out the specialty stores.

Big cities, please bear with my lack of inattention while I spend a couple of years focusing on my career. This is really important, and I promise to come back to you!