This is a Photo Challenge catch up post.   ready?  set?  GO!

This weeks photo challenge is hosted by Blondeemum   Her subject is My World.

My 'cube' at the new job!  Yeah I know . .it needs some decoration!

The Auditorium at KSU.  Where I've played some rather interesting gigs over the past few years. 

The pit of South Pacific.  (hard to see, I know)  Its hard to stealthily take a picture during a musical. 

Lookit those trumpet players hard at work!  *loL* 
If you were keep looking straight past them (into the black) . . there
is a big black wall there.  And on the other side?  The
audience!

All random places that I was working at the time of the photo challenge. 

NEXT!!!

This weeks photo challenge is hosted by StinkyPinky   Her subject is: Emotion

Many
faces of a silly little girl we'll call "The Pudge".  (many will
recognize the name from the previous post.  This is the subject of
'The Pudge-Muffin' song.)  She loves her Auntie Mere-Mere very
much.  I was the one who first got her to walk more than just a
couple of steps.  I walked in the room . . her face lit up . . .
and she staggered like a drunken toddler all the way across the
room.  . . . . Looked AALLLL the way up at me, and promptly fell
on her butt.   Got's to love her Auntie Mere-Mere!  And
Auntie Mere-Mere loves her to biits! 
(please be respectful to the Pudge and her family, and don't steal her pictures.  Thanks.    )



NEEXT!

This weeks photo challenge is by Aspenjade Her subject is: Fur, Feathers & Fins She wrote: Most of us have pets of some kind in our life, and those of us that do know how much they can mean to us.  And even those of us who don't have pets are still affected by the many animals that share our world with us, whether it be feeding the pigeons in the park, or watching a squirrel scamper up a tree.  So show us some photos of the animals in your life!

My
kitters . . "Mook."  She's so funny.  But if you notice . .
she's just a tiny thing really.  Very deceptive with all that
fuzzy hair. 

Neeeeexxxtt!!!

(ooo.. I'm up to date now.)  And now for the current Photo Challenge! 

This weeks photo challenge is hosted by Crude_Oil Her subject is: Weird or unexpected weather shots

Though not really weird . . . or unexpected for that matter, still . . it weather.    Of some sort. 



But
for me, its bed time. . . for I'm into work early tomorrow.  Today
just really sucked it up.   We had so many people calling in,
I didn't have time to pick my nose, let alone try and get my own work
done. 

So in to work early I go.  Yaaayyy.  5:00 am comes too quickly. 



Niite! 



~Mere  `@(_)

Randomisims       

 

*  People bitch about money constantly. 

*  Our company calls people and offers to enroll
them in a program that will pay their hospital bills.

*  People bitch and yell at the folks offering
them help. 

*  curious

*  I have the bestest best friend.

*  Even with a car full of tantrum-y 5 yr old,
and screaming 1 yr old.

*  She waits to make sure I have the keys to my
apartment before driving away.

*  I love that girl.

*  People think we’re sisters.

*  Or lesbians.   

 

 

*  We’re not.

*  To calm the baby down, we sing the “Pudge-Muffin”
song in 2 to 3 part harmony (if the 5 yr old is up to it), and in every musical
style we can think of.

*  We did Disco “Pudge-Muffin” today in the
car. 

*  We’re freaks.

*  I was told yesterday at work that I had a “great
phone voice.”

*  Then he said . . . “that’s quite a compliment
coming from a guy with major hearing problems.” 

*  He was an incredibly sweet elderly
gentleman.  We talked about the
Browns.  He was lonely.

*  “Pleases let me know what else’s you need if
anything!”

*  statement found on a letter attatched to an
application yesterday at work.

*  -=blink=-

*  I bought a lovely fabric today to cover the
back of my desk with.

*  pictures soon.

How Many Hours . . .

 

*  work till 5.

*  grocery store

*  don't forget a birthday card for Dad.

*  feed the cat

*  load of laundry #1

*  cook lunch for tues & wed.

*  put kitchen back together.

*  load of laundry #2

*  lay out clothes for tuesday.

Why does my monday night sound like a saturday afternoon? 

  Happy Monday All.                                                                         ~Mere `@(_)

I woke out of an extremely deep sleep sometime earlier this morning, to the sound of someone yelling my name. 

 

It sounded like they were right next to my head.  Or at least in
the same room.  But it didn't sound like it came from inside my
head (like it usually does when I'm dreaming).

Very strange.  it creeped me out. 

Then I jumped awake exactly one minute before my alarm was to go
off.  Another deep sleep to instant, wide-eyed awakeness sort of
thing.  My first thought was . . "OH  MY GOD WHAT TIME IS IT"

I guess my body is getting used to getting up at 5 . . and is now starting to freak out if I sleep past 8.  

heh. 

Something strange happened last night. . . something that generally doesn't happen.  (well 2 things really)

1.  The Music Director fell asleep at the keyboard . . . and made one really loud snore. 
We were all laughing so hard, I could hear snorts from all the way
across the pit.  We had to *try* to be quiet . . but it was very
difficult!

2.  A major name in the music biz showed up last night. 
  That never happens.  never ever ever ever. 
They're too *snobbish* to go to things like that. 
But there he was . . .standing above the pit chatting to us.  Carl
Topilow .. conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Director of the
Orchestral Program at CIM, and Conductor of the NRO - National
Repertory Orchestra . . was at South Pacific. 

So.

Strange.

Warning . . .   this is a rant.   

why . . . why why why
why.  Why?  
Why do people drive like they've never been
in a car before? 
Why do people driving down the highway, doing
about 55,
with no one in front of them, feel the need to hit their
brakes?  
Is the road infront of them suddenly going to stop
with no notice?  hmm.  Don't think so. 
GHOST! 
hmmm.  nope.

More the question is, why am I CONSTANTLY surrounded by them? 

Happy
Halloween!!!

The Buttercup Story . .
.

 

So I mentioned that I
was going to go have lunch with a buddy of mine.  I hadn’t seen him in FOREVER!  We had a great time, though we only have 40
minutes . . . but thankfully I work right down the street from him, so we can hang
out now and then, which is nice! 

 

So I guess I’ll start
with how I met Kurt.

 

I took this job in
downtown Cleveland
. . . it started out as a temporary receptionists position . . but they all
liked me so much, they tried every which way to keep me in the company.  I was shipped from the reception position, to
the file room, and then onto the service center, where Kurt worked.  Now. . this is no small company.  It was in a large downtown building, and took
up 4 floors on the top of the building. 
I worked on floor 29 and 30.  (it
was great when it got super stormy/windy outside.  The building would sway.  Half the office would end up going home
sick.  *lol*  I was the weirdo with my forehead stuck to
the office window, looking down as the building moved.  It was COOL!!!)

Anyways.  When I moved into the service center, I was
introduced to everyone.  (I’m horrible
with names . . you introduce me to 2 people, there’s a slight chance I’ll
remember at least one of the names.)  As
we went around and stopped at cubicles and things, we passed this one guy in
the hall. . . he said a quick “hey” and kept on goin.  “That was Kurt”.. . . . the girl giving me
the tour shook her head, shrugged, and offered me no explanation.  But what I *did* notice about him was his
eyes. 

 

Holy coolest eyes on the
*planet* batman!  They were this . .
seafoam green color. . . and he pointed those suckers right at me with his
brief “hey” and then he was gone.  He was
a darn good lookin’ guy too.  Short . . .
but just about everyone is short to me. 
(sorry all. . anyone under 6’ is short to me. *lol*)  But my main thought that day was . . . “Wow .
. I need to meet that guy.” 

 

Well . . it ended up
that I was going to be doing some work with him, so I got to work pretty close
with him for a while.  (lucky me!). 

 

Soon found out he was
(is) married with 3 lovely children (and the cutest, sweetest, most awesome
wife on the planet).

 

Not much later, I found
out he was just as much a goofball as I was. 
Possibly more. 

 

It started with little
jabs here and there. . . poking fun at me . . calling me blonde.  It turned into an all out rubberband
war.  *evil grin*  I’d walk by his cube and zing a rubberband in
there.  I didn’t always hit . . but I
knew exactly when I did.  *bigger evil
grin* . . . cause you’d hear . . “OW! 
Goddamnit!”.  (that would be my
cue to either run or duck for cover.) 
ZING a rubberband would come sailing back at me.  Hehe  (Our buddy Dave (the IT guy) had his own
little game along with our rubberband game. 
He enjoyed winging paperclips over my cube (he sat diagonally to me) . .
. and he always loved it when he heard me swear.  Cause that meant he’d made a basket.  Right down my shirt.  (I’d swear, and two fists would enter my
vision . . and I’d hear “SCORE!” . . what a nutcase!)

 

We would always go to
lunch together (Kurt and I) . . sometimes with our “group” (Anna, Dave, Kurt, and
Mary-Alita).  We’d always have a
blast.  It was quite a mix of
people.  Myself (the pale, tall blonde,
Anna, the 5’ olive skinned Indian girl, Dave the shaved head tattooed IT guy,
Kurt – the ‘cracker’, and Mary-Alita
– the outspoken black woman.  Oh BOY the conversations and laughs we’d
have!!)

 

Well. . . Dave drove
this car . . it always made us laugh.  He
bought it used off this family who had let their 16 year old girl drive it (so
he got it REAL cheap!)  But on the back
of the car, was this HUGE, SPARKLY sticker of The Power-Puff Girls. We of
course laughed endlessly over this, and happily dubbed his car the
Bubble-Mobile.  And, (much to his
consternation), we gave him the nickname Bubbles!  (you cant have a bubblemobile wi/o powerpuff
girls!!  *laughing*  And of course (as I mentioned) . . you can’t
just have ONE PPG. ..  there has to be
3!  So Kurt soon became Buttercup. (If you know those three . . . Buttercup is the one with the bad attitude. *lol*)  and of course we needed one more.  Anna and I already had nicknames (Anna was Midget
and I was Giggles.  They called her
midget because she and I hung out together, and it always looked funny . .
cause she’s 5’ tall, and I’m 6’1. .. AND she was dating this guy who was 6’5.   
why do all the short girls get the tall guys?!?!?!  They called me giggles because I’m a pretty
happy person in general, *and* I was always laughing at them.  So . . . it was dubbed.)

 

But anyways, so
Mary-Alita was the only one w/o a nickname, so she became Blossom.  (which wasn’t quite as funny as the other
two, *but* we had to round it out somehow!). 

 

We ended up running with
the theme.  Anna and I would print out
pictures and make stickers and leave them all over their cubes. (Bubbles and
Buttercup of course) . . . OF bubbles and buttercup!

 

Kurt *hated* his
nickname. *lol*  (which of course made it
that much more fun)

 

I
ended up having to leave that job, and most of us kinda just sepearated as a
group.  We tried to get together now and
again, but it was difficult.  (We did
make it to the bar a few times, this cool place called Howl at The Moon Saloon,
but it didn’t last long.  Though, those
nights were FUN!)  So I left that job in
March of 2002.  I’ve seen Kurt maybe a
few times right after, and then only about 3 or 4 times since.  I miss him a bunch!  He’s always so fun.  He picks on me, and then flinches (I’m
guessing his wife smacks him. *lol*)  But
NOW! I work right down the road, so that’s cool.  We’ll be hanging out more.  I’m glad! 

 

Ok
this is running on and on . . . I’ll skedaddle for now.  If I had any pics of Kurt I’d post them, but
unfortunately, every pic I have of him is dark. 
(he wasn’t really the picture type) 
*lol*  I’ll have to get one
now.   

 

Have
a great Sunday all!

 

~Mere
`@(_)

South Pacific Blog!

Well .. .
its pretty obvious that we’ve hit the halfway point in the run of the
show.   

 

When a show
starts . . . everyone pays really good attention.  We’ve only had a few rehearsals . . . this
could possibly be the first time we’ve actually run through the show with the
cast.  (sounds crazy . .but I’ve been
there.  It’s a nailbiting
experience!).  Measures are counted
carefully, everyone watches the conductor (well ok .. . watching the conductor
totally depends on the conductor . . but that’s a different story.)  . . . and everyone listens and
concentrates. 

 

About the
last show of the first week, is when you start to see a few traces of “comfy-ness.”  It generally starts in the trumpet
section.  (sorry guys. . . but its
true!)  (they’re the immature ones
anyways)    did I say anything?  What?  Noooooo.  *innocent look* 

 

Anyways. You
start to see the books appear.  Books,
magazines, day planners, cell phones (on silent) playing games, palm pilots,
etc.  Or the tpt players will start
adding things to the music.  A few octaves
here . . . a squeal there . . . nothing too major, and still generally musical.

 

Working up
to the end of the second week . . .  the
humor begins to work its way in.  In this
shows case . . . signs go up on the black wall behind us (that the cast onstage
can SEE!) . . . like “I love Joe Cable” and “We’re Horny”  (yes . . a trumpet player wrote that.  And actually tripped up one of the cast
members.  *sigh*  we of course died of silent laughter).  The trumpet players (again) start adding more
to the music . . . and this time they aren’t musical.  Now its more like farting noises, and
impossibly high pitched squeals.  (yes .
. the ENTIRE pit is above the age of 25).  
Of course the trombones have caught on by now (it takes them a while sometimes)  ((What?!?!? I only speak the truth!!)) . . .
and they’re piping in with the really low pitched farting noises.  Matched with the trumpet squeaker farts, the
poor violinist has the HARDEST time concentrating (considering they are right
behind her.)  (She’s the one who’s throat
hurts at the end of the night from keeping all the laughter down) 

 

Now
today.  Today was the clincher.  Today was the start of week 3.  and let me tell you.  All bets were off. 

 

The farting
noises began immediately.  The notes were
changed to “We’re Hairy” and “We’ve Got Gas!” (explanation . . there’s a line
in the show about someone forgetting to put gas in the generator.  This was the trumpet players comeback.  It referred ONLY to the trumpet players.  Considering their form of amusement)

 

By this
time  . . no one is even bothering to pay
attention any more.  The show is 3 hours
long . . and we’ve heard these tunes so many times before . . that we come in
at the right place out of habit.  We are
at the point of passing notes . . . throwing paper airplanes . . . using our
instruments as percussion extras . . . stacking mutes . . (the trumpets had a
HUGE tower of mutes stacked up.  If you
don’t know what a mute is . . . think about an empty aluminum can (only funny
shaped) . . . and then think about those cans . . stacked 5 to 6 high (ontop of
a trumpet no-less) . . and then imagine them hitting the floor.  Yes . .this is a LIVE musical.  In a REAL pit.  With an audience about 10 feet away from
us!!!! (fortunately for all involved . . . they can’t see us!)) 

 

Also by this
point . . we are mocking the cast.  “Overactor!”  That’s an often used term.  The director gets into it too.  Tonight, he made one of the male leads lose
concentration . . . and he skipped an entire line of dialogue.  (what was he doing you ask?  Well . . . he was making out with
himself.  Imagine seeing a rather large
(extremely gay) man rubbing his hands all over his body and gazing at you
longingly.  You’d skip a line (or 12) as
well.  ). 

 

Aaahhh it’s
the second half of the show . . . and it’ll just get more interesting from
here.  The last time I played with this
pair of trumpet players . .  the final
show rolled around. . . and I ended up being unable to play the entire final
song of the show.  Because I couldn’t
stop laughing.  Infact I was laughing so
hard, that I was crying and couldn’t breathe. 
Infact .. I don’t think *any* of the brass were playing.  So I’m just waiting . . . waiting to see what
will happen here.  (oh boy!)

 

Well ..
before I depart . . I shall leave you with some of my favorite lines from the
show. 

 

Emile
DeBeque to Nellie Forbush . . . “I like songs that go.  . . ‘I love you, and you love me, and isn’t
that fine?”  (of course . . . at that
point . . we’re miming Barney in the pit. 
‘I love you . . you love me . . we’re a happy family. . .hey . . hey why
do you have a gun?  Don’t point that at
me its not *BLAM*’  )

 

Commander
Harbison to large collection of sailors: 
“The Japanese are pulling out . . .. and there is much confusion!”    (BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  I have a horribly dirty mind . . but I snort
every time they say that)

 

And of
course. . . the best lyrics in the show . .. from the tune “I’m in Love with a
Wonderful Guy”: 

 

“I’m as
corny as Kansas
in August, I’m as normal as Blueberry pie” (blah blah blah . . I can’t hear
these lyrics cause I’m playing right now. . blah blah blah)

“I am in an
conventional dither, with a conventional star in my eye .. . please will you
excuse the expression I use I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy!!!”

 

*passes
out*  I have to get up at 5:30.  that’s AM. 
 

don't forget to stay tuned
for the Buttercup Story! 

So its been
a wild and wacky week + weekend + week before. (sheesh . . how long has it been
since I updated?)

 

Last week
was especially interesting. 

 

Lets go
waaay back to Sunday night (the Sunday before the most recent previous Sunday.)   
Thaat would be the 16^th. 

 

I come home
. . . and my neighbor’s front door explodes open just as I’m about to enter the
house.  (being that it was about midnight
. . I just about jumped out of my skin.) 
Her door is directly across from mine . . . so my back was to her. 

“MEREDITH”.   It was quite possibly the loudest whisper I’d
ever heard.  I swung around so fast I
almost hit myself with my purse.  *lol*

“One of the
water heaters exploded sometime this evening. 
My apartment is flooded.  They
have to come tear the carpet out.  Don’t
turn any lights on going into your place that might be near that corresponding
wall.” 

 

                    

 

I thanked
her so much for waiting up for me (she really is a sweet girl) .. and ventured
in. 

At first
sight . . nothing seemed amiss. 

Until I
walked by the couch. 

 

My lovely
leather couch was sitting in a puddle of water. 

 

*sobs*

 

I grabbed an
armload of towels, shoved the couch as far out of the way as I possibly could .
. and threw all my towels down. 
Thankfully (for me .. not for my neighbor) .. it was *her* water heater
that blew up . . . there for it was more towards HER apartment . . therefore
SHE got most of the flooding.  I just got
some soggy carpet along the couch wall. 
(mmmm soggy carpet)  anyways  (sorry) 
heh. 

 

So after two
visits with the “heavy maintenance” crew 
(who actually sign all their notes “Heavy Maintenance” instead of by
name) . . . my carpet is back to normal. 
*yay* 

 

That took me
to Thursday.  Then Thursday
happened. 

 

I was going
out to my car to refill my water bottle. 
(I keep spring water in the trunk of my car . . . because I’d rather
lick my own eyeballs than drink Cleveland
City water.  bleck) 

So I marched
myself out to my car . . . stuck the key in the trunk keyhole . . and . .

 

*POP* 

 

Promptly busted
the key off right in the lock. 

 

*siiiiiiggghh* 

 

Greeeeaaat.  Now not only do I have no water . . . . I can’t
go anywhere!  Including the show I have
to play that evening.  *gaaah*. 

 

Thankfully I’m
a smart little tall blonde chick . . and I have spare keys dispersed to a few
key (no pun intended) folks around the area. 
Incase I do something stupid.  Or
my trunk eats my key and then belches out the little plastic bit.  Whatever. 
So within a few hours . . I had another key. 

 

I guess its
time to make more.  (and WD-40 my locks I
suppose)   

 

Now I just
have to figure out how to get enough sleep during the week.  ‘Cause I’ve been falling asleep at my
computer terminal.  I’ll only be out for
a few seconds . . . but I open my eyes to find all sorts of interesting things
that I’ve typed. 

 

Like . . . “Jennifferrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”  or the birth date of
06/0555555777777777777777777777777777777777 
  who the heck
knows.  Hehe  I think I need to get some better nutrition in
the morning . . to keep me going through the day.  The last thing I need is to be caught napping
w/ my fingers on the keyboard.  Hehe  

 

Ok. .. nuff
for now.  See that thing above about
getting sleep??  Yeah.  I need some. 
 

 

Have a great
HUMP day everyone!  I get to go out to
lunch with a really good buddy of mine who I haven’t seen in quite some
time.  I’m excited!  His nickname is “Buttercup”  *evil grin* 
I’ll have more on that story later. 

 

*falls
asleep in key boarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr r r   *drool*