In My Head


Thursday, June 29, 2006
Thank you for all the good thoughts. I took the DC-2 exam yesterday afternoon and passed it! It was seriously difficult, despite all my studying. There were quite a few stumpers on it, so I just took my best guess.

I am so happy and relieved, you have no idea. Now I just have to submit the application for the QKA credentials to ASPPA. Hooray!

Brian took me out to dinner last night and we had a great time. Then I came home and mowed the lawn. I know, I'm strange! But I have been so consumed by this exam for so many weeks that it felt awesome to be able to relax and get some work done around the house. Plus, yesterday was sunny and dry for the first time in almost a week, so I wanted to take advantage of the good weather.

At bedtime, we were laying there and I started to laugh. Brian asked suspiciously, "What are you laughing about? Do I even want to know?"

I replied, "I'm laughing because every night for the past three months, I have thought and obsessed and worried about this exam before I fell asleep...and now I don't know what to think about, since I don't have to worry about the exam anymore!"

He sighed and was silent for a moment, then said in a resigned voice, "I guess that means we'll have to start painting the basement now, right?"

That man. He knows me so well! I always need a project to keep me occupied or else I go stir-crazy.

And it looks like I'll be getting that iPod after all...

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Posted by Lori at 6/29/2006 10:37:00 AM |
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Man, am I tired. I've been sleeping poorly for two weeks, due to my stress over this exam I'm taking tomorrow. Last night, Brian was asking me questions from the sample exam, and I actually fell asleep while he was reading a question to me!

Oddly enough, a few days ago I got a fortune from a fortune cookie that read "If you think you can, you can." So I taped it to my computer monitor at work and have been repeating it to myself frequently. Whatever works, right?

At this point, I don't know how much more studying I can do. I either know the material or I don't, and no amount of additional studying is going to help me either way. Logically, I know that I am well-prepared, but I always doubt myself. Always. I don't know why.

If I pass this test, I've already promised myself that I will break down and get an iPod. Gasp! Yes, I've decided that it's time to finally move into the twenty-first century. Aren't you proud?

Also, I've been getting up around 5:45 a.m. and hitting the gym from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., then coming to my office to shower and dress for work. There is a small ladies' locker room in my building, complete with stall shower, which is pretty cool...if it weren't so freaking grody! I just shower as quickly as possible without touching anything and, of course, while wearing flip-flops. Eeew.

It feels good to get my workout in early, so my evenings are free. Unfortunately, around 1 p.m. I hit a wall, energy-wise. And today it appears that I'm hitting my wall at 10:30 a.m. instead of after lunch.

I am going to bed very early tonight.

Think good thoughts for me tomorrow afternoon!

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Posted by Lori at 6/27/2006 10:45:00 AM |
Monday, June 26, 2006
As I have mentioned about a thousand times already, I went to see Journey and Def Leppard in concert at the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ on Friday night. My observations of the concert, in no specific order…

• First of all, Journey was fantastic—much better than I had expected. Many people were saying that their set wasn’t long enough, but I thought that playing for one and a half hours was plenty. The big surprise? They didn’t play “Open Arms.” The hell?!? How can you go to a Journey concert and NOT hear “Open Arms?” Other than that, they played all their big hits of the 80s, plus a slew of newer songs that I didn’t know.

• Where did all these mulletheads come from? I never see any guys with mullets these days, but there were TONS of ‘em at that concert. And women with huge, mall-chick hair and many acid-washed denim accessories: jackets, jeans, purses, backpacks.

• Def Leppard: fucking brilliant! They sounded great. Played all their hits, and some stuff from their latest album, YEAH!, in which they reworked 60s and 70s classics from Sweet, David Essex, and Badfinger. They looked great—especially Phil Collen, who I later learned is a kick-boxing vegan. Seriously, the man has the body of a 30-year old. Unbelievable! I was totally drooling. Joe still looks good, too.

• At one point during the show, the fortysomething guy to my right turns to me and says, “Wow! You sure are a big fan, huh? You’ve been singing every word to every song they’ve played so far!” OH YEAH, I replied. “So do you think they’ll do an encore?” he asks. Well, of COURSE they’ll do an encore, I told him. “What song do you think they’ll do?” Duh. Pour Some Sugar on Me, I shouted. Is there any other song that is more encore-appropriate than that???? Sure enough, after they exit the stage and the audience begins chanting, they reappear and do a fab rendition of “Sugar.” Am I good or what?!?!

• I am ever so glad that we had reserved seating. It started thunderstorming around 9 p.m. and I was concerned for the throng of people sitting in the lawn seats. Lightning scares me and I probably would’ve left the concert altogether if we were out in the open.

• $12.50 for a frozen strawberry daiquiri in a “souvenir” plastic guitar-shaped cup is way too much money, but I will still gladly pay it when it is 90 degrees and 100% humidity. Yuck.

• I got home around 2 a.m., waaaay later than I’ve stayed out (or even stayed up when I’m at home) in a very long time. I’m getting old. Seriously.

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Posted by Lori at 6/26/2006 10:09:00 AM |
Friday, June 23, 2006
Looks like this summer will be quite eventful for me. Tonight is the Def Leppard/Journey show.

Next weekend, I'm taking my mom to see Michael Buble.

Then I'm going with her to see Steely Dan and Michael McDonald in August (shut up).

And about five minutes ago, I bought tickets to see these guys. also in August:



It's gonna be a great summer!!

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Posted by Lori at 6/23/2006 03:17:00 PM |
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Do you know what tomorrow night is?



That's right baby, Def Leppard time!

For those readers who missed it, here is the reason why I am so freaking amped to go to this concert.

Also appearing onstage:



I'm still pretty psyched about seeing Journey, too, but they've kinda lost their lustre for me since Steve Perry left the group back in 1987.

I'll tell ya, I need a good night out. I am so stressed out about the DC-2 exam that I'm taking next Wednesday. I'm hardly sleeping at all this week and I've been doing some last-minute cramming. I need to chill for a night.

Soooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!

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Posted by Lori at 6/22/2006 05:06:00 PM |
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Or, should I say, one of many:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

"Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill...

"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

"I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes."

Charles Swindoll

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Posted by Lori at 6/21/2006 02:59:00 PM |
Monday, June 19, 2006
When I was just a wee slip of a girl starting out in this field, I worked at two huge, internationally recognized financial services firms.

Like most large companies, both places were chock full of all the corporate bullshit bells and whistles you might expect. When I worked at Vanguard, we were forced (OK, not forced, but strongly urged and may I say perhaps even blackmailed?) to participate in time-wasting crap like World Diversity Day. This was an annual event in which each member of each staff in my department had to bring in food items from our assigned "culture" and recite a little spiel about it. I mean how fucking stupid is that? I'm there to get a job done and get the hell to happy hour, not learn about the indigent cuisine and hunting habits of the little-known Fijian Kummonawannalaya tribe. It was like a third-grade book report. Christ.

In 2001, I moved to Principal Financial Group, where the seemingly de rigueur office decor were a bunch of asinine motivational posters. I'm sure you've seen them before. These posters depict a photograph of something as random as the Great Sphinx or a dewdrop on a lilypad, and then proceed to wax poetic about some abstract crap like "Courage" or "Teamwork," thereby motivating all of the staff to....ridicule it? I don't know. That's all we ever did, anyway. It's not like these posters illuminated some life-changing concept for us.

So you can imagine how tickled freaking pink I was to discover these spoofs. Comic gold!

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Posted by Lori at 6/19/2006 11:19:00 AM |
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Got the idea here, so away we go:

I know – tons of useless trivia.
I believe – that there is no god, but I'm not obnoxious about it, and I respect everyone's right to their own beliefs.
I fought – with my parents constantly when I was a teenager because I was a rebel.
I am angered – when I hear about child or animal abuse. It sickens me.
I love – Panera!
I need – lots of “alone” time to be happy.
I take – a lot of Sudafed for my sinus issues. The pharmacist probably thinks I’m cooking meth in my kitchen.
I hear – coworkers laughing across the office.
I drink – very rarely, but when I do, I love girlie drinks.
I hate – close-minded people.
I use – a Neti pot to clean my sinuses (eeew, I know).
I want – for little because I don’t feel a need to compete with others.
I decided – a long time ago that you can’t change people, no matter how hard you try.
I like – to cook and entertain.
I am – generally a happy person.
I feel – fortunate that life has been so good to me.
I left – behind my best friend from childhood when she told me she wasn’t happy for me when I got married.
I do – too much shopping at Kohl’s, at least according to my husband.
I hope – to be a good mother, if and when that time comes.
I dream – in alarming detail and remember just about every one.
I drive – assertively.
I listen – to music just about every waking minute.
I type – very quickly.
I think – most people should talk less and listen more.
I need – at least seven hours’ sleep a night to feel human.
I wish – I could find a reliable, non-flaky workout buddy.
I compensate – restaurant waitstaff generously, because I was once a waitress.
I regret – almost nothing. Life is too short.
I care – about my work and my clients.
I should – finish my college degree.
I am not always – polite, especially to assholes.
I said – I’d never get married. Hah! I was the first of my circle of friends to do so.
I wonder – where I’d be if I weren’t married sometimes.
I changed – my major constantly in college.
I cry – rarely, but certain movies make me weep everytime.
I am – an ex-smoker (ciggies as well as weed).
I am not – a girly-girl.
I lose – my temper with my husband more often than I’d like.
I leave – clean laundry in the basket because I never get around to putting it all away.

Happy Friday's Eve!

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Posted by Lori at 6/15/2006 05:23:00 PM |
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
...who finds this photo to be simultaneously hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking???

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Posted by Lori at 6/14/2006 11:54:00 AM |
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
George Bush visits an elementary school to talk to the kids and to get a little good PR. After his talk, he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and George asks him his name.

"Stanley," responds the little boy.

"And what is your question, Stanley?"

"I have four questions.

First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?

Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?

Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?

Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when one-third of all Americans don't have health insurance?”

Just then, the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs the kiddies that they will continue after recess. When they resume, George says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?"

Another little boy puts up his hand. George points him out and asks him his name.

"Steve," he responds.

"And what is your question, Steve?"

"Actually, I have six questions.

First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?

Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?

Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?

Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when one-third of all Americans don't have health insurance?

Fifth, why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?

And sixth, what the hell happened to Stanley?"

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Posted by Lori at 6/13/2006 10:02:00 AM |
Friday, June 09, 2006
Ever since Madonna has debuted her latest album, Confessions on a Dancefloor (which I still ADORE, incidentally), she's been doing a lot of press to promote it. Now, of course, she's on tour. I've been seeing a lot of photos of her Madgesty popping up all over the web, and I have to tell you, I think she looks a hot mess. She has finally reached the critical age in every woman's life where a decision must be made between the ass OR the face. All those years of over-exercising and under-eating makes it obvious that she has chosen her ass. Unfortunately, her face has suffered for it. She looks almost disgustingly gaunt.

Yesterday, it was announced that she will be the newest face for Hennes & Mauritz, otherwise known as H&M, the cheapie European clothing conglomerate. I saw this photo on Yahoo! news this morning that accompanied the story:



Immediately, I knew this photo of Madonna reminded me of another woman...someone I haven't seen or thought about in many, many years. But for the life of me, I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was driving me nuts. After contemplating all day and night, I am pleased to say that I have finally figured out who Madonna has come to resemble!

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Posted by Lori at 6/09/2006 09:20:00 AM |

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