Thursday
August 2, 2007

Today is otherwise entitled, "The Day of the Princess".

Oy.

At work that is. And yes, the same princess who couldn't open a box. Our boss is gone for the next couple of weeks, and of course, I had expected some sort of event to happen with her, but not quite this soon.

A little wisp of a thing, she had turned the air conditioning off and put the dial on heat. HEAT! When it's over 100 degrees outside! One of the fellows complained that it was so hot in the office, which is when we discovered what she did. I told her that it's understandable she gets cold, but she also has to factor in that there are others that depend on being cool on hot, summer days. But of course, in her eyes, I was being selfish and only thinking of myself. *eye roll*

So then the other fellow came over and informed the princess that she put the control on "heat". She said no she didn't and got up to follow him to the boss's office where the control is located. I said simply, "yeah you did" and laughing a bit. She snapped back, raising her voice, "THAT'S ENOUGH CHARLOTTE. NOT ANOTHER WORD OUT OF YOU WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH!"

We've? Maybe she has an invisible friend that sits with her. I heard princesses can be like that.

Yeah. So. When she came back, I told her not to raise her voice to me like that again; it was unnecessary. She snaps back that she's not putting up with my attitude (she doesn't have one). Then she adds, throwing in, "You better remember that I'm a client." *gasp* I was so skeered.

Not.

One of the fellows at the office said something about her weighing only 18 pounds and really needing to consider wearing woolens to work if she's that cold. It made me laugh, which I definitely needed after she had told me to shut up.

Today is going to be a glorious day. Is it Friday yet?

 

Friday
August 10, 2007

My boss has been gone the past two weeks and it's been absolutely awesome. It's been extremely quiet, a few phone calls here and there. Otherwise, I was able to actually get some work done without interruptions, including things I've been wanting to get taken care of for some time now. He'll be back on Monday, but only for about a little over a week before he's gone again for another week.

Tony will be going on a two week vacation this month as well, the lucky dog. His job shuts down for the last two weeks of August and he gets paid for it, on top of now regular vacation that he fought for and won. Lucky dog. *mutters*

 

Friday
August 17, 2007

Whew! Well my boss's return wasn't so bad after all; he was actually quite relaxed. But then I suppose two weeks of enjoying good Italian food does that to a person. I know I'd be happy!

I updated my resume on Monster.com, only because it's something that I like to do (and makes it easier for me when the time does come to look for another job). So, because of that, I've been getting tons of calls. I had one offer that was really very tempting; a lot more money and superior benefits. Had it not been downtown Manhattan, I might have at least interviewed. Too, it was one of those jobs I'd have to drag my 3-piece suits out of the closet and wear daily. Ugh.

Did you catch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance? My girl won; Sabra. She's so beautiful in her lines and style; one very classy woman! And only four years of dance training to boot. A natural!

I was thorougly glad that Lacey didn't win. She was not passionate about dance, and admitted she had given it up because she never really liked it, and only auditioned for the show because she seen all the glory her brother got! Neil and Danny are both good looking guys and Danny is a most incredible dancer; Neil dances well, and both will have sparkling careers, I'm sure, albeit the careers of dancers are usually short-lived.

My most favorite of the dancers though, was Sara the B-girl. I was so happy to see her showcased in several dances last night! She was amazing in how she progressed and learned and put on a dazzling show; the west coast swing and the -cough- disco -cough- routines being my favorites of hers. However she needs to work on extending her lines and making her dimunitive self seem "big" like Sabra did quite well. Sara will be sought after too; she's one foxy chica!

The past few days have proved to be most interesting and it has made me question something that I cherish, and that is friendship.

Apparently, the motel I had stayed at for the big Gathering in July, had discounted even further, by not charging for the last night there. However, I was not told this by those I shared the room with, but by a few others whom had heard the boasting. Now, this sort of irks me big time. First of all, I contacted the motel and informed them that if they wished the full payment, the other half they could get from my roommates, reminding them that having made the decision to stay until Monday, I had contacted them to authorize another half of the room fee for Sunday night. However, the motel then tried to stiff me for the entire fee for that particular night that was apparently "not charged." Makes one go "hmmmmm" now doesn't it? The motel did not get the full fee from me. In the end they felt it wise, I suppose, considering that I had already filed with my bank the paperwork to contest the bill.

This group of people love to use the word "family" when speaking of the roleplay group as a whole. Yet, when it gets rough going, rather than act with the maturity of adulthood, it becomes rather like those clusterfucks we all experienced in junior high. Insults fly, and those who once used the term "love" in a sentence to a particular person, now suddenly deem that person the incarnate of evil.

The sadness of it all, is not only had I seen it all before, but was once that incarnate of evil, and though the apologies came eventually, and the promises of not letting anything like that happen again, history repeats itself, and I see people getting hurt through it all over again. It's a battle I am glad not to be a part of, and I do not get bullied into being told who I can and cannot have as a friend. A real friend would never ask such a thing.

Then another friend left and posted her reasons, though no one tore her apart over it, but because her post held nothing but truth, they deleted her post, the post of nine or so others — and all the nasty posts which led to the onslaught of people leaving, as if that would just erase their guilt.

So much for family and love, eh?

Another enigma that just boggles my mind has to do with those within a roleplay group, and the lack of a grip on reality.

Roleplaying is a fantastic way of escaping the angsts of the real world for awhile, to relax and enjoy the company of others, while everyone is being just as silly as you are. Roleplaying became popular with the advent of Dungeons and Dragons ("D&D") and over the course of years, other "tabletop" roleplay genres developed, such as portraying roles from Star Trek.

Of course, roleplay filtered over to a mass media of communication: the internet.

Popular genres of roleplay include medieval times, vampires, marvel comics and an idiosyncratic sci-fi genre known as Gor. In some of these genres, particular roles require a set behavior that have defined rules in the roleplay. For example, mages practice magic, warriors fight in battles, slaves must be completely obedient, and so forth.

While most roleplay genres are not plagued with problems of separating the real world from fiction, there is one in particular that does. In one genre, I roleplayed a high dragon (who shifts into human form for the most part), in another, a wicked mage. While I might wish I could cast some of those magic spells, it's rather obvious I cannot. Nor can I shift into dragon form and breathe fire on the idiots of the world. I'm sure that my fellow roleplayers in these room pretty much realized that as well.

The world of Gor offers a bit of a problem, which is that there are a handful who attempt to life the so-called lifestyle in their everyday lives, and such, I believe, is one reason why the separation of the real world and a fantasy world is difficult for some.

In roleplay, if a roleplayer decides that they don't like the direction of their character, it can be cast aside and a new character created. The purpose of roleplay is a simple equation: INTERACTION + FUN = ENJOYMENT. When that equation no longer calculates, then it's time to make adjustments. Usually, roleplayers will agree on storyline, such as the character was killed in a blaze of glory or flapped its dragon wings and flew off into the sunset never to be seen again.

In the Gorean roleplay world, it presents a problem because of these that consider it -not- a game, who have so immersed themselves into this -lifestyle- that such a thing is an atrocity to their minds. Those who portray "slaves" may beg permission to shelve their character, only to have it denied by one who plays a "Master" and I am just confounded by both sides of that coin! (More of Gor and "gamers" and all that can be found on my Gorean pages — soon to be added to my blog there as well.)

Me, myself and I play a role in a chat genre, but regardless of what that role is, be it a dragon, or a slave on Gor, it's my decision 100% if I decide not to continue playing that character. I might be a "slave" on Gor and "owned" in a fantasy world, but that is not the case in reality. I wouldn't even be on that fantasy world without the help of reality; a computer, electricity, and so forth. Therefore, there would be no begging for permission to shelve enter my thought channels, and if confronted and told that such was denied, my response would be:

1. Did you buy my computer? No? Oh yes, I bought my computer.
2. Do you pay my electric bill? No? Oh yes, I pay the electric bill.
3. Do you pay the rent/mortgage on my home so that I can have said electric services? Oh yes, I pay the rent/mortgage on my home.
4. Do you own me? No? Of course not; slavery is illegal in the United States.

I know those who say they "live as a slave" but even so, it's a slavery with permission by the person portraying a slave. It is still a form of roleplay, though in the physical world.

I left a roleplay room once. I was threatened with death. Well, not me, but my character. I was so scared. -rolls my eyes- The truly scary part was how serious they took it! Reality check on Aisle 4 please!

And this all brings me back to friendship. What friend tries to control a friend?

TGIF!

 

Monday
August 20, 2007

What a weekend; it went far too fast and I got nothing accomplished that I wanted to. But the weather — was absolutely beautiful. Sunday was a bit muggy but not bad, the air was cool enough. Saturday, however, was the perfect day.

At least I didn't have the battle of the motel room to deal with over the weekend; that had finally concluded on Friday. I alerted "friends" to know of my problems and being that I'm friends with the incarnate evils (there's two of them now), they were rather snippy about it all. They claim the motel owner gave them copies of my receipts. Their receipts show something totally different than the receipts that I was given. They said weren't overcharged and they felt the price was very worth it.

OOOOOOKAY! My feeling? If they're happy about it; cool. I myself was not going to take getting stiffed for a charge I had never authorized.

The motel room rate was reasonable — that is, if the room was worth it. The shower was inhabited by microscopic creatures that had quite a nest growing, and the pipes were leaking so badly, the carpeting was growing more soaked by the day. I dropped a bottle of one of my prescription pills there in the room one morning climbing over my pile of things. If I had been home, I would have scooped up the dropped pills and put them back in the bottle. In that motel room? No way! I didn't even walk barefoot on that carpet.

I have paid similar room rates at much nicer — and cleaner — places.

Enough of that nonsense; it now holds a place in history.

Other notable events of the weekend was saying goodbye to a friend who's moving away; or rather, has now completely moved. She's a phenomenal person and I'm absolutely regretting that I had voiced such good things about the chat room that I recently left, and she as well. Oh. Apparently, I'm a deadbeat because I wasn't active in that room for some time. At least, according to the room leader who's supposed to be such a great and wonderful friend. The enjoyment of real life doesn't compute to him; the importance in his eyes is being active in the chat room. The thing is, I've never denied being inactive, and would leave messages on the board stating my intentions of remaining so. Ah yes, but it's because I'm friends with the two evils, I'm guilty by association.

Oy.

I must mention, however, that after finding that rather nasty post about deadbeats and all, I did receive a comment from one member that she was sorry she had misread the shelving of my long-time character as leaving the room altogether, and yet another comment from a member detailing the heart wrenching of losing said character associated with the room since the beginning of history, and that in no uncertain terms did it mean I had to leave the room and a bunch of stuff of me and assumptions (but excuse me, they had all assumed that in shelving, I was leaving — but that minor detail seems to have been forgotten). Of course, both of those were slammed into the wall with yet another comment from the room leader (and a supposed good friend) about me and drama and games and the welfare of the room. Considering I hadn't 1. been in the room in eons, and 2. posted anything except my leaving and the mishap of the motel room bill, I had to scratch my head a moment, then responded that it's all moot anyway, I'm engaged in a roleplay that currently will not enable me to go -anywhere- — but thanks. To which came the reply, "Good luck" and then it was promptly locked up.

Don't you just love a schoolyard bully that stomps his feet and cries and pouts when someone won't play a game his way?

Since I couldn't post it there, I'm posting it here: "I don't need a wish of good luck, but thank you. I'm with friends and I'm having the most incredible fun of my lifetime ever on Gor."

As one of my evil friends, Daniella, said to me, "boy, I'm glad I'm not so dependent on a chat room that I would not have a life without it."

Wise words, and amen to that sentiment!

It's September almost. Where has time gone?

 

Wednesday
August 22, 2007

Today is my wedding anniversary! Two years already. It still seems like yesterday I was inhaling all those flowery scents sitting on the Oahu shoreline enjoying heaven. Ah, memories…

Tony sent me a beaaaaaaaaaautiful arrangement of red roses to my job today! Awwwwwwww … AND! A box of chocolate covered strawberries. YUM! I shared among friends I work with. I even offered the Princess one.

My boss left today for Barcelona. He'll be gone for a week. Part of the time spent on business at a conference, but even then, the conference is more fun that work related.

My granddaughter is growing SO fast. Speaking of which, I need to update her photo album now. My other daughter broke her camera (dang kids!) … At least Amanda has her camera phone in the interim! Though the photos coming in are few and far between.

I would like to go out there for Thanksgiving to see the baby …

 

Thursday
August 23, 2007

This just in! Paranoia strikes the heart of roleplayers!

Well, apparently, those in the chatroom I recently left behind. There has been a deluge of them registering onto another site's message boards.

Basically, this group of chatters are about the sole occupants of the Gorean roleplay world on a particular website (chat site "A" as reference). Once a website filled with several active homes, they have all left for better sites where they have a more equal voice on how to run their home, among other things. Bascially, chat site "A" is under totalitarian rule and the masses rebelled — and left, including their monetary support for said chat site. I myself had been a member of that chat site as well, until recently when I opted not to renew. There was no longer a reason to support the chat site, since I had left the chat room there.

The really most pathetic thing I noticed, however, is that the room leader's virtual mate promptly made a post in which, if you really think about it, she prostitutes herself begging for money to support the chat site.

In leaving the room as well, a friend, Daniella, had posted about her reasons to decide to leave; said post disappearing rather quickly as if it never existed. She, being a member of another site (chat site "B" as reference) and knowing several who awaited to hear of her leaving chat site "A", placed her post on the boards there, along with her missive that the home she left is in great denial of things wrong in their home. She received mostly posts in support of her, however, a member of chat site "A" alledged that she had altered her post and was lying; to which, and to my delight and laughter, Daniella responded that not only did she write and save the post on WordPad, but she also took screenshots of her post to prove, should there be need to, what her original post was — which I know for a fact as she sent me copies just because. The crier-of-falsities was succinctly without ability to say anything more then! Naturally, another member came forward to respond with a bunch of drivel that was difficult to follow, both in type and in reasoning. Needless to say, none responded in support of his post.

Amusing.

More amusing is the fact that Daniella has recently moved and has no access to the internet at this time! The post was in vain. Alas …

So, now it seems the hoards from chat site "A" have registered on the boards of chat site "B" apparently to keep an eye on us evildoers. It seems those rather undeniable truths Daniella had posted (well, of course they were denied — by a very, very, VERY few) have hit too close to home and perhaps have others questioning? *smiles* Truth does hurt.

If all those loyal followers only knew what was said about each of them behind their backs at the Gathering in July …

OMG! Tre is gone from Top Chef. I knew he was going; I told Tony after their competition came to a close and the judges were deliberating "Tre is going home; he messed up the worst." He failed as Executive Chef in the competition, and miserably so. I'm a bit saddened for he was one of the better chefs and I thought for sure he'd make it to the finals. Sara, though I don't like her at all, however came through and displayed exactly what an Executive Chef does in the kitchen — make sure the food is well prepared, tastes good and is out on time! Casey is starting to lag lately and she'd better shape up quickly, or her time comes soon to go as well. She's another of my favorite chefs. All of the chefs are pretty shakey right now; any of them could go. I think I'll gag perpetually if Howie wins the title. That man is disgusting and I'd make sure not to eat anywhere he works! Unless you like good ol' sweat in one's food… Me? No thanks!

Tonight is So You Want to be a Superhero? I'm so hooked on the show because it's just so different from other reality shows. I was upset when Basura left last week, but she pulled a major no-no when she ignored the request of helping find a lost child. Stan Lee is always throwing in sneak tests! I hope Hygena goes this week; she is getting rather annoying. I'm going to cast my prediction for the winner this season — Parthenon. I think it will be more due to giving the gay community a superhero than him actually deserving the title. He's smart, but he's rather smug at times, and boy! do I want to smack that silly smile off his face at those times! Defuser is becoming more annoying too. I like HyperStrike best of all; Whip-Snap second.

The weekend cometh and I cannot wait…

 

Wednesday
August 29, 2007

Well, the Princess showed up for work today, like I knew she would. After all, the boss had said that he just MIGHT be back in time to pick up his car that he left here at work "before the two of you leave for the day."

Or probably not. He won't be happy but he won't bitch at the Princess; she can do no wrong. So much for his, "YOU are the most important here; if (Princess) ever becomes a bother or a difficulty for you, she will go; I told her that too."

Promises. None of his promises ever came into being. Except the health insurance, but … I wish I had gone for the money instead coz he gives me grief when I need to go to the doctor! So, it's literally wasted money.

Last night, I sat at my computer and just didn't feel like looking at it at all. I wasn't feeling too great, neither was Tony, both of us dealing with major sinus-allergy problems. He made a homemade chicken soup that was so delicious. We just curled up in bed, JD vascillating between my side and his side on the floor, enjoying a cool breezy night and watching stupid stuff on TV. He now understands why I like Bones so much.

Yes, the drama of that roleplay room is ever-continuous. However, one of them who apparently thinks she is a friend to use my real name did in fact use it on a message board. I was not pleased. Neither is she a friend. She's one of those big-time drama queens boo-hoo-hoo-feel-sorry-for-me types. yawn I gave her a piece of my mind in such a tactful way and blew her arguments to bits because; she alledged many things based on assumptions and in her allegations attempted to smear a few people, which … is what she was condemning the person, my friend Daniella, who started the thread, that she was making allegations and smearing people! Which, Daniella was not doing, just pointing out basic facts and expressing an opinion rather nicely, as a matter-of-fact, and received many kudos for it.

Ah, well, those people really do need to get a life.

I wish I could go take a nap right now. I need new books to read.

 

Thursday
August 30, 2007

I decided not to stop at the store on the way home because it was a gut feeling that the elevator would be down again. It always happens on those days I have bags, and not filled with light stuff either. It breaks down at least once a week, sometimes going two weeks; it depends on the weather. I think they finally figured out that it's those horrible horrible bright bright bright lights (6 or 8 in all) they hooked up in the elevator that draws all the electricity because now they're all off — except one. I swear, it's brighter than a summer day in that elevator with them all blazing brightly. Basically, what's been happening is that during those relatively few days we've had of ungodly heat, at the very peak of the heat when everyone turns on their ACs and fans, it draws electric box to overload and … the elevator just stops.

This morning's excitement, however, was not elevator related but much worse! The past few days we haven't been feeling quite right, and battling nagging headaches. I stepped out into the hall way this morning leaving my apartment to head to work and — WHOA!!!!! The smell of gas was stifling!! I knocked on the super's door, but he wasn't there naturally, but finally I did get his correct beeper number and paged him. JUST as I was going to call the fire department/Con Ed, he called me. He said he'd send someone right away to check it out. I told him that if I didn't hear from my husband within a half hour, I was calling the fire department. Mostly it wasn't distrust of him, but rather our landlord, who, with 95% of the apartments empty in the building, what better way to make a big bundle of cash than for the place to catch fire! When I got to work, I called home and he said the super had just finished telling them that, supposedly, some old man on the 2nd floor forgot to turn his oven off. Oh yay, let's just blow the place up why don't we? We decided — we HAVE to move out of there, the sooner the better!

Needless to say, I was a few minutes late getting to work, but so be it!

My boss gave me a pretty scarf from Spain; or rather, more like his wife picked it out. She's a doll.

Speaking of which, my boss covered for the Princess. He said he already knew about her being gone; it was in her calendar. Uh, yeah. My other co-worker and I both had (photo)copies of his calendar; it wasn't marked in there. Whatevah!

Who Wants to be a Superhero? is on tonight; if Hygena doesn't step up her game, she'll be next to go. It should be interesting to see how they all do with the school kids!

I got a refund on the motel from last month. Seems the owner realized he could be in severe trouble for allowing someone else to authorize a charge on my credit card without my knowledge. Oops!

 

Friday
August 31, 2007

Happy TGIF-Before-a-3-Day-Weekend!

Who Wants to be a Superhero? was pretty funny last night. Silly people. When they were dealing with the school kids, I knew then and there that Parthenon would be sent home — and I was right. If you can't get the support of children, then you're pretty darn sad indeed. He bored those poor kids to tears! I just cracked up when they did the poll and he didn't even get ONE vote from the kids on who they liked! His face was just … precious. What a dumbchit. You're told to sit with a group of kids and come up with the answers to the puzzles — and then you don't let them help you? Instead, treat them like they're a hindrance? Yeah, way to go Parthenon! You are the weakest link!

Wait. That's Anne Robinson's line. Gotta love Anne!

It should be a quiet day today at work. I hope so. It would be a nice lead-in to the holiday weekend.

Laurell K. Hamilton isn't coming out with a new book until October. *mutters* A friend of mine at work got me hooked on another author from Australia. She tries to write like Laurell's Anita Blake series, with a few different twists. The first book was hard to get into, but by the end of the book, I was hooked! Keri Arthur is her name, and Full Moon Rising is the starter book of the series.

I've been perusing the new television season. Of course, they aren't bringing back The Nine because I enjoyed that show. I haven't seen signs of Traveler returning yet either, and I will be quite unhappy if that's not returning! I got hooked on Drive and they took it away. Seems Fox does that more than the other stations though. ABC did it with relatively few, but Fox, it seems every show I like they take away. It all started with John Doe and that other show that preceeded it with Tiffany-Amber Thiessen a few years ago. Greg the Bunny too because it wasn't "family" oriented, and it was replaced by Cedric the Entertainer. Please don't tell me that was "family" oriented! That was all pretty much BS because of Bernic Mac, but at least we have the Greg the Bunny DVD! But since all those shows, Fox has progressively been quicker to yank the chain on television shows; at least those shows I really enjoyed.

Heroes is coming back, though. That'll be a show to buy the DVD collections for sure. I've only bought a few collections like that: Deadwood, Dead Like Me, Carnivale… Of course, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars is returning; I heard there's a new dance reality show coming out. It sounds interesting, mostly because it puts the choreographers Bruno and Carrie from Dancing with the Stars on the line to show their talents and skills.

So, Lindsay Lohan apparently got drugs while in rehab, Brittany Spears has a new CD, Hulk Hogan's son is out of the hospital and Owen Wilson was prompted to get well faster by the surprise visit from his brother.

So, who really gives a chit?

Not me! Have a nice day!