Go, amych! Good luck with grad school.

Aargh, Vortex. I run into that attitude so much where I work, it's a wonder I'm not in a straightjacket somewhere. I'm a great believer in, if you want it tomorrow, you get it today, but so few others believe in that. I'll join in on Aimee's smite and say, may they bind everything backwards and in Sanskrit.

Good planning.

But doesn't it bite even more to have to be that vigilant?

Years ago, I had a chatty, cordial relationship with a mom and pop registration company I hired to manage the data processing and invitations for a major non-profit national meeting. I heard all sorts of 'it's going great!' until I woke up (like in the movies, stock upright and sweating) at 4am with a psychic flash that they had fucked me royally.

Waiting until normal business hours nearly killed me. Their response when I demanded proof that they'd done what I paid them for? "Um, well soandso has been out with personal problems and, well, we didn't want to tell you (for the last 3 MONTHS) because we didn't want you to get upset." DUDE. It's a week before the event and no one has received their registration materials. You didn't think that might upset me?

Rather than curse the dark, I hired temps to come in and do the whole months long project in. one. day. Superhuman. And super expensive for the reg company. I fear the expenses (which they did pay) may have put them out of business.

eta: woe, still angry after all these years leads to bad typing.

Just saw a picture of a bear in a zoo getting a "Birthday cake" made out of fruit and chocolate. There were slices of watermelon, avacado, melon, chocolate twists for candles, and in the center of the cake was...a chocolate bear.

I mentioned this to Andi and she agreed this was odd. I then said, "it isn't like we put edible people on top of our cakes. We have wedding cakes, but--oh no. Now I have an idea. I didn't want this idea, but now I have it. "

She looked at me and grinned.

I continued, "Wouldn't people look at us strange if we did have edible figures on the cake?"

She jumped right in, "We could take molds. Then use sugar free chocolate..."

I love this woman.

Yay amych!!!

I second the recommendation of New Balance shoes for walking. The store where I got my shoes a couple of weeks ago -- where the employees watch how you walk, and examine the pattern of wear on your old shoes, and carefully measure your feet -- ended up recommending New Balance *running* shoes to me, even though I told them I would be walking (*fast* walking, but walking nevertheless).

The shoes, as I believe I mentioned, feel like heaven.

FTR, my feet are wide as hell, I have high-ish arches, and I'm on the upper end of overweight. New Balance shoes have always done me right.

my feet are wide as hell, I have high-ish arches, and I'm on the upper end of overweight.

Steph, that sounds like the perfect solution for me. Do you know the model name of your shoe?

Thirding the New Balance rec.

They are, as Steph says, heaven on your feet.

Yay amych! That's really awesome.

Finally got an appointment thing with a recruiter today. Apparently they need medical secretaries. Woo. Still no apartment, which is bad, as apparently everything else in the world depends on a residence, and a residence depends on money. Who set up this wanky system?

I haven't worn New Balance in forever. I started having a problem with them slipping off my heel, so I switched. First to Nike and then to Ryka. I'm not happy with my latest pair, I might have to go try New Balance, again, with so many recommendations.

The reason I have New Balance running shoes is because I don't know what to look for in non-krav exercise shoes. I went to the New Balance store, and the guy watched me walk, quizzed me about what I needed them for, and pulled out a pair of shoes to try. Felt good, work fine.

I had a pair of New Balance walking shoes I loved, until my parents' bunnies ate them one weekend when I went home. (Seriously, I left them in the den overnight and when I came down in the morning they were full of holes. Apparently they were delicious.)

Er, which is not particularly relevant to this conversation, except to say Do Not Leave Your Shoes Overnight In A Room With Bunnies.