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Wendy News
June 9, 1999
Issue #9
Alert, but far from panicked.
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TABLE O' CONTENTS:
o Eh.
o I'll Give You What For
o Kitties
o Reviews
o What I Ate Today
o Letters
o Really Official Credits
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Eh.
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Maybe it's because it's a Monday, but I feel kind of bummed out today. I
felt kind of bummed out yesterday and Saturday, too. I think I have
some ideas as to why. For one, neither the California job nor the Florida
job called me back. Which isn't to say it's definitely all over, but that's
how it looks. And maybe those weren't the jobs for me anyway, but it was
nice to have things in the hopper (I am lovin' the cliches today). I don't
even really want this job at the Law Department anymore. Oh, I asked to go
permanent, and they told me to fill out an application (what is this, the
mall?), but now I'm having second thoughts. My boss doesn't seem to have a
very good sense of humor. Plus, today she told me they're monitoring
everyone's Internet use, so I'm not to use the Internet at all. Feh. Who
needs it?
So that's the job scene -- a big mystery. The usual void of "wait a minute...
what the hell am I doing?" The money situation is getting to me, although I
know that's completely lame. I just wouldn't mind knowing that I could go to
Europe right now for two weeks if I wanted to. That's all. I just spent $55
at the drug store today. Yeesh. I'm paying for my own health insurance and
STILL have to pay the nasty co-pay of $15 on every prescription I get. God
bless COBRA (without it I wouldn't have insurance at all), but damn the
American health care system. Then there's car insurance, food, student
loans, VISA payments, all my health and beauty supplies... it's so expensive
to be me.
Oh, boo-hoo, right? I don't know what my problem is today. I'll just cut it
out.
Mark and I had our four-month anniversary on May 28th! "Who'd have believed
we'd make it this long?" he cooed to me. We saw "Polyester" in
Smell-o-Vision (as it was meant to be seen) and snuggled, as per usual. The
book he gave me is actually pretty good, so now I feel like a big heel
complaining about it. (It's "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John K. Toole. I'll
review it when I'm done reading it.) I take it all back, okay? I also
ordered an Annie Lamott book from barnesandnoble.com, which I am eager to
get crackin' on. I'm glad I've started reading again. I was becoming quite
the TV junkie. I have to curb that habit, since there's very little worth
watching ("The Simpsons" is really the only thing worth ignoring the phone
for). Plus all those commercials do drain my will to live.
Mark and I had a big nasty fight the other night. It was terrible. Of
course, it was over nothing, as fights usually are. We're still getting used
to each other. Miscommunication seems to be our biggest downfall, along with
our crippling insecurities. Heh-heh. But we're both smart enough to talk it
out (although I would recommend leaving the Mexican restaurant before you
even get started). Love! Who knew it was so much work?
So who the hell knows what's going to happen in life. Right now, all I feel
like doing is getting out of here -- travelling, I mean. I go to Olympia in
September, but would I love to get out of the country for a couple of weeks.
I'm thinking about it, even though I'd have to put myself in further debt to
do it. Life is short, baby. (Again with the cliches.)
Sigh.
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I'll Give You What For
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Just for the halibut (get it? Halibut?) I'm gonna have another contest and
give something away. Because it's fun, that's why. This week I think the
prize will be a Disney Cruise Line baseball cap. Don't get too excited.
The question is: Who's this guy with the plunger? (Isn't he CUTE?)
Send your answers to hall_wendy@hotmail.com with your name and address. You have a one in 44 chance of winning, FYI. I'll announce the winner in the next newsletter. Love ya.
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Kitties
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I miss my kitties. I don't see them very much anymore, because I'm not home
much anymore. I do try to spend at least a couple of nights a week at home,
so they remember who I am. Grover especially seems to miss me like crazy.
When I come home, he sits on my lap for as long as I can stay reasonably
still. If I move too much or make any loud noises, he's outta there. (Watch
out for those toenails!) Milo's happy to see me, but he's pretty much happy
to see anybody. He's a happy guy. (Watch out for the drool.)
I think they're doubly confused because we've had boxes all over the house
for weeks. My mom's new house is being built and they keep pushing back the
closing date. We've packed, then unpacked, then repacked the silverware,
among other things. I have to unpack it again, because we finally got a firm
date for the closing -- June 9, a month away. Poor kitties. Four more weeks
of cramped confusion and mess. Although I don't know if the mess bothers
them or not. Milo fell madly in love with a box top precariously perched on
a pile of newspapers. He slept in it until it gradually fell completely
apart. Now he sleeps in an empty shopping bag discarded on the floor. I
think maybe he likes the mess.
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Reviews
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NATUREMADE CALBURST CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT SOFT CHEWS
I was so excited when I saw the commercial for this because I have a giant
bottle of calcium pills that I look at every morning, cringe and run away
from. (Remember the scene in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" when Pee-Wee is
rescuing all the animals in the burning pet store and he keeps stopping and
looking at the snakes and then going and getting something else, like the
birds or the monkey? That's me with the calcium pills. Of course, in the
end, Pee-Wee does come screaming out of the flaming pet store with all the
snakes clutched in his hands and collapses on the sidewalk, whereas I just
leave my calcium pills to get dusty next to my Snoopy Band-Aids, but you get
the idea.)
So these NatureMade CalBurst chews are intended to be somewhat candy-ish,
for those of us who don't want to swallow those nasty horse pills. I bought
cherry flavored, but they also have chocolate flavored. (I don't happen to
like chocolate-flavored things. I want the real thing or get it away from
me.) You can chew up to three chewies in a day, and you get 60 in a package
for about $9. They smell delicious. Better than they taste, though.
They don't taste bad. But if you're expecting a Starburst (which,
admittedly, I was), you're going to be disappointed at this slightly dry,
not nearly as sweet version. It left a yummy cherry aftertaste and was
reasonably easy to get down, so all in all I consider this a monumental
success. I can't wait to eat more. Mediocre candy AND I'm getting a healthy
supply of bone-building calcium (which I will partially destroy by drinking
my caffeinated beverages).
Rating: Yay! Healthy chewy kinda-candy calcium!
2nd Rating: I had my mom try one of these because her doctor TELLS her to
take calcium (but does she? No.) and after sniffing it, making a face and
remarking that it "smelled medicinal," she painfully chewed it for several
minutes. When she was done and ostentatiously picking it out of her teeth,
she looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, but I think it's foul." Now, if you
want MY opinion, I think she was just being difficult and snotty for the
sake of aggravating me (this is all subliminal, of course) and on a better
day might have given this product a better chance. She didn't WANT to like
it because she was feeling disagreeable. I also have this second theory
about her not doing things to take care of herself, but I can't get into it
right now. Mothers.
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CRAISINS
Speaking of chewing on something loaded with sugar but that's also (kinda)
healthy, I tried those Craisins (cranberry raisins, FYI) from Ocean Spray. I
passed those by in the grocery aisles for months, ignoring them because
surely dried up cranberries aren't going to taste so good. But they were
smart, old Ocean Spray -- they loaded these babies with sugar so in the end,
they taste just like Fruit Roll Ups (which I dearly miss. I know they're
still out there, but they're all multi-colored and cookie-cut up and small
and chintzy. They're not the same anymore.).
Of course if I had bothered to read the packaging it says "Surprisingly
Sweet Snack" and if I had given it one more thought I would have realized
that this product is mass-marketed in the U.S. of A., so they can't make
them taste healthy -- they'd go belly up. They give you little recipes on the
bag to make with the Craisins, but I like them au natural. In fact, I am no
longer addicted to my Hershey's TasteTations hard candies, because I'm busy
devouring these little soldiers.
Oh, okay, the healthy part -- you get some fiber. It doesn't say anything on
the package about vitamin C, but how could it not have that? I'm making the
assumption that it does. So you see, another chewy, healthy supplement to
your already well-balanced nutrition regiment (yep, TV dinners and chocolate
pudding count). Gee whiz, what in the world would you do without me?
Rating: Deeeeelicious, plus (kinda) healthy!
2nd Rating: Mom loves these as well. Of course, she's the one who bought
them. Hmmm... I wonder if there's a connection....
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What I Ate Today (including predictions for later)
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Land O'Lakes Cocoa Classics -- Chocolate & Raspberry
1 banana
2 handfuls of Craisins
1 NatureMade CalBurst soft chew
Wolfgang Puck's Microwaveable Chicken Pappardelle in Mushroom & Spinach
Alfredo Sauce
1 Jell-O Pudding Snack -- Chocolate
1 can Pepsi
*2 liters Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water
*Tuna melt (made at home)
*1 Arizona Iced Tea with Ginseng
*2 Dole Fruit and Juice Bars -- Strawberry
*1 Rich's Frozen Chocolate Eclair
*1 more NatureMade CalBurst soft chew
*1 glass Orange Juice
*Predictions.
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Letters!
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AWWWW!
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Wendy,
My life got busy too, and I finally got caught up with your newsletters
tonight. Even though I missed the trivia deadline, I wanted to be included
in the fan count.
Back when I had a job (my heart wasn't in it so I quit and am back at school
full-time at the ripe old age of 33), I was in charge of our website. I put
up a rave review of a company (which is still up since they haven't had
anyone update their site in the 10 months since I left) -- I was wrong to do
so. All the credit that I gave to that company should have gone to you.
The spirit and soul that I thought was them left when you did. I'm glad you
kept writing and I'm glad that I found it.
Thought you should know,
Kathleen
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Really Official Credits!
Editor, Writer, Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore: Wendy Hall
To write to Wendy, send her an e-mail at: hall_wendy@hotmail.com
To visit Wendy's website, go to: http://www.oocities.org/soho/studios/1232
-- it's long, but reliable. Bookmark it, wouldja?
"Wendy News" is a Girl Planet Production. Copyright 1999, All Rights
Reserved. Any stealing, cheating, backstabbing, duplication or otherwise
funky bad behavior without permission from Wendy Hall will result in Girl
Planet Productions giving a ringy-dingy to our Super Lawyers (yes, they do
wear capes).
Confused? Don't be.
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