** Don't look up!

yea, it happened!! the 2nd time in about 9 years. i was out walking Mick last night and not 2 minutes after we left the house i felt something warm on my forehead. i reached up to wipe it and looked at my hand. it was white! a bird SH*& on me!! ugh i was instantly grossed out and walked to the nearest patch of grass to wipe the rest from my hand. it also got on the top of my sunglasses! so NOT COOL at all! i powered on though and finished the walk, stopping only long enough to text "meggy" about this crazy stroke of what i called "horrible, messy luck!"

when i got home i went upstairs to survey the damage and was surprised! it had not landed in my hair at all. in fact, there was only a small spot remaining above my eyebrow. i then got my deep scrub mask from the cabinet and proceeded to burn the skin off with some quick exfoliation! i also washed my hands.

i have heard people say that it is actually GOOD LUCK! this came from deb (my mom) so i am not sure i can believe it but 2 other people told me the same thing today so i am going with it! now if i could just get that damn stimulus check in the mailbox today...

anyway, leaving this pop stand soon to head home briefly. then driving to the metro station outside dc to pick up "chi-girl". she is in town until early tomorrow am. we really only see each other once a year. last time she was here was mid october 07. we will have a low key evening...dinner somewhere local because her flight is early (730am) and i will need to drop her at BWI by 6am...(i hope to come back and sleep a few hours). she will also get to meet caps' so that is good. we plan to stop by his "new bachelor pad" later.

that's all folks..got stuff to do! PEACE

** "Knee-capped!"

that's right..this morning at 10! i was walking out the front door, (backing out really to lock the door) and somehow my heel got caught in the hem of my pants. it happened so fast too! all i heard was a "rip" then i was down! i landed on my kneecap and knocked my shoe off! (glad that my neighbors weren't around because they probably thought i was hitting the bottle early) not really sure how i haven't mastered leaving my home after almost 4 years but clearly i need to work on that! it will not only be a nice purplish bruise tomorrow but it will certainly give me character and a ridiculous story to boot!

work is quiet and slow here. talked to a few people, have read at least 40 emails already and responded to some and just finished a delicious cherry yogurt and then had some tomato soup! all i can say is..."don't believe the hype!" the "healthy request" campbell's soups aren't tasty at all! almost no salt and pretty much no flavor either. i added some pepper and still was only able to stomach half of it. we have some pretzels here (which i am sick of) but at least they have taste so i may need a few in an hour. waiting on an appointment at 3 that i really hope doesn't take longer than an hour since i won't get any new business from it...

calgon, take me away...to get an ENERGY DRINK, please! :)

** Thar She Blows!

haha, gotcha. please get your head out of the gutter now! i am talking about my fridge! apparently at some point yesterday, the water line that runs from the back of the ice maker down through the floor and into the basement broke and was leaking everywhere!! ugh

the ironic thing about this is that my roommate "Richmond" stayed in town this weekend because his girlfriend came for a visit. if he had been in home in VA, I more than likely wouldn't of discovered the FLOOD downstairs until this am when I typically do laundry!! he called to tell me this at 10pm last night when I was at "OC girl's" 30th b-day party (i will upload some pics soon)! right before my almost "american idol-like" rendition of pat benatar's "hit me with your best shot"! I was in no shape to discuss leaks/floods then...I did stay about another 45 minutes after that though..

it wasn't too bad, however, the water did leak for a good 6" onto the carpeted area and I now have 2 fans blowing on HIGH to get it dry as quickly as possible. I will need to replace the water line so for now, we have an "ice ban" here at casa de sharkgirl!

"OC girl's" party was a good time. I got there around 830 and stayed until a little after 11...it was a long day of lifting and sweating from the move and I was tired...most people had been there earlier but there were still a good 25 people when I arrived. she was feeling no pain and neither was her husband of 9 months! thank goodness they were sleeping there too. karaoke was in full effect and that seemed to get everyone up on their feet..well, kind of. some were swaying a little more than normal!

today has been a day of typical domestic sunday stuff. laundry, vacuuming, gave mick a bath (used my special hair-straightening shampoo since I ran out of his "coco bongo"), some light dusting, took him out for a run, etc.

** Smells like Summer!

just wanted to mention that a close friend of mine from chicago's g-mom passed away on wednesday. it has been tough for all of them and very emotionally draining as well. my thoughts are with them and I hope that we will eventually get to see them sometime later this summer as they were supposed to fly in today.

ah...the first full day of summer 08! so far, so good. the last 4 days here have been great! temps in the low 80s and low humidity. that doesn't happen too often this time of year so I enjoy it while it lasts. going to help caps' in a little bit with moving into his new place in towson. it's about 4-5 miles from here which is certainly better than 15 miles. his bro n law, daughter and her b-friend are also helping. i will have my SPF 15 on today! and will work up a sweat too so as far as I am concerned, this is my "workout" for the day...

have "OC girl's" 30th b-day party later. i am sure there will be a ton of people there and lots of booze! that is how they roll. their wedding was a blast back in Sept. 07. one of the most fun i can remember...well, sort of! ha

mick has been giving me the evil eye for a good 30 minutes now. he gets in this weird phase usually on saturdays where he doesn't eat his food in the am. this is odd for him because 97% of the time, he woofs it down within 2 minutes (he is 100lbs+ afterall)!! i could also hear his stomach growling loudly so maybe he needs a dose of pepcid AC today! when he got sick last october the vet said i had to give it to him for 5 days straight! it works though so as long as i still have some, a little "peanut butter" trick may be coming his way...

** Feels like Spring!

it is awesome here! it was in the mid 70s yesterday and the same for today! i was happy to turn off the AC and let some fresh air in! this is the type of weather that i could deal with 6 months of the year (i do like winter)...makes me happy to be alive and well.

quiet in the "office" today. Pirogi gal didn't show yesterday nor today. not a surprise to me since she gave her 2 weeks notice last week and she would just play online games and take smoke breaks! no reason to pay someone 8 hours to do that. also since her drive down from PA is at least 20 miles plus as well.

buffalo bill and boat man are working on a deal. we are also having a lunch "meeting" with some peeps later this am that are trying to "court" us to come and work for them. so it was quiet 3 minutes ago, now the "men" are yelling at each other! never a dull moment, i tell you. they really are like 2, 10 year olds! friends one minute and fighting and cursing at each other the next...fun stuff! :)

yesterday we took a field trip to superfresh for ice cream and pretzels (ugh). when we came back buffalo bill decided to lock us out of his office since boat man only gave him $5!! again, silly. that didn't stop the 2 of us from taking 2 bags of trash, a few chairs, some thick files, a large plant and office table and pushing it in front of his door! it made for a "mini" obstacle course when he emerged 15 min. later...haha! what other office do you know where you can do that and not get a warning or fired?!! here...that is it.

** Father's Day

and so it begins...this time of year makes me think of the start of summer, long, hazy days and almost daily trips to the pool (when i was 12)! those days are long gone for me...one too many sunburns over the years and i can no longer woof down 2 glazed donuts during "adult swim" and hop back in the pool 10 minutes later and keep my girlish figure!! such is life...

also wanted to mention tim russert's sudden passing on friday. kinda crazy that someone i can remember seeing for many years on the news and in particular on sunday mornings, is no longer around. sad, really because each person that knew and worked with him raved about how great and down-to-earth a guy he was. very devoted to his wife and son and really just loved his job and that came across on tv. i got emotional a few times watching the tributes to him and had to change the channel. makes you stop and think how precious life is and that people in your life can never be taken for granted.

i have also been thinking about my cousin brian today. after all, it is father's day and he is no longer around either. he would have been 34, while his son fergus is now 5. only a month from now will mark a year since his passing. this is still deeply emotional for me as it is for many other members of our family.

on a lighter note, it was a year ago that i adopted my dog mick from good ol' kentucky! we marked the occasion will our usual romp through the field and his eating of some grass and sticks. it is true that having a pet, does help to reduce some stress in your life. now if he could only get a part time job and help with the bills...

went to my friend "viti's" bridal shower yesterday. she now lives in philly and has for a couple of years. her wedding to "R" is in late august and i know that she is really looking forward to it. there were 14 of us at baldwin station for lunch. it was hotter than a hooker in church too! we sat outside and although we were on the patio, there was little to no breeze. we kept taking ice cubes from our glasses and rubbing them on our wrists. amazingly this works!! we had our choice of a crabcake sandwich or thai spiced shrimp salad. i went for the shrimp salad and it didn't disappoint! also had a raspberry tart with lemon coulis (yes, i am a foodie) and vanilla ice cream.

she got the usual stuff: china glasses, place settings, silverware, a mixer and some more fun items...nighties and some earrings (from yours truly).

** Quiet time at the Office!

ok, so today when I came in I decided it was best to keep quiet about yesterday. at this point, i certainly am not going to rely on someone else to assist with my loans!! clearly, that doesn't fly! that being said, i came in with a signed loan application today and was completely happy to scan it in myself and email it wherever it needed to go.

Pirogi gal was here and taking up space again..basically answering the phone maybe 8 times, taking smoke breaks and playing games! yes, i said PLAYING GAMES! anyway, she has left for the day and i am in a better frame of mind now...

just talked to my friend cougar (old coworker). she went back to work tuesday after 3 months maternity leave and was having a crappy day. she was transferred to another office and her boss had a meeting with her today and said something like the guy that she replaced "wasn't as lazy as her!" WTF?! who does that? she didn't apologize and just kept talking after that. people really have no filters these days. this is a 43-yr old educated woman and clearly went off the deep end! when cougar mentioned that she needs 2 30min breaks a day to "pump"...her boss then said "that must be annoying." wow-wonders never cease! you would think since she has an 8 year old, she would understand.

getting busy again..gotta jet!

*** I have fire coming from my eyes!!

no words can express how irritated i am right now with a sh**ty coworker! totally incompetent and useless as far as i am concerned! basically has done nothing with a loan of mine from a week ago but was very quick to try and place blame on someone else when i discovered this today! have been making calls all morning to clear this up and get things moving now... she gave her 2 week notice yesterday but has really been on a "mental break" since january. as i sit hit pounding the keyboard she is literally playing computer games!! NICE huh??!

i am going to go for a ride to clear the mind because if i don't, i may choke her..she is only 5 feet away from me and that ISN'T a good thing for her!

** Sunday, Sweaty Sunday!

still Africa hot here! moved my car under the 1 nearby tree and put up the "sunshield" as well. it is expected to be 97 today without humidity! very oppressive heat, the kind that just walking to throw your trash outside makes you wipe your brow. ugh

took mick out for a walk at 930 and was happy to go from the shade of one tree to the next. we lasted 15 minutes. he did, however, stop by the "creek" to get some water and splash around...also to chase a squirrel.

have done some more laundry and vacuumed again. 3rd time this week! this dog sheds like a GRIZZLY BEAR! i watched a little food tv network, did a quick 15-minute hair mask and showered. i will be staying in most of the day. i really need to mow the front lawn BAD! it has been close to 2 weeks now...i plan to wait until at least 7 when it might only be 90 degrees!

our pool trip yesterday was a success! i didn't get burned. that SPF 30 works like a charm! we sat under the trees for the entire time and no, i did not swim. the shade and breeze were sufficient enough for me. dominic and "meggy" finally ventured in after 90 minutes of him waiting to see if any friends would show. no dice though. his hair alone could probably cause heat stroke! i am pretty confident that he is looking forward to his" summer do" maybe next weekend..

came back around 430ish. we all got showered and then went to "Leelynn's" around the corner. the AC was cranking and that was a good thing! had a delicious salad with salmon, craisins, goat cheese and candied walnuts topped with a mustard poppy-seed vinaigrette! it was great! i felt like i hadn't eaten a single vegetable in weeks! it had probably been a week...naturally had to get dessert. that pretty much cancelled out my workout yesterday! oh well, it was a chocolate pecan pie with caramel!! ridiculously good but certainly not necessary...

** Hot as BALLS here!

haha, sorry. i felt the need to pretend i was 15 again! it gets my point across though. this will be brief as i am on a strict time schedule!

it is supposed to be 95 today and 97 tomorrow and it is only JUNE 7th! this does not bode well for the rest of the summer, especially for those that don't think global warming exists! WAKE UP PEOPLE! i am headed to ellicott city for a few hours to meet up with "meggy", and "iron girl". i cannot believe i am typing this but we are going to the pool! this body hasn't seen a temp of over 75 since December of 2006 (when i was on a cruise)! i will have my SPF30 on and will try to stay in the shade with a book and hat on....

taking my new camera with me (from caps') and hope to take some pics of baby nina, dominic, etc. hopefully the battery will cooperate.

more later or tomorrow...STAY COOL PEEPS!

**It really was a MONDAY!

ok...so to start my day, i was a complete buffoon!! i am not even sure what planet i was on but here goes. i leave to head to work and after i am in the car, i do my normal routine (put on seat belt, put lunch on the floor, adjust radio). when i looked in the rear view mirror, i see my neighbors car. it was 3 seconds after that when i backed right into it!!! i felt like a complete fool! i turned off the car and got out to survey if there was "damage". luckily, there wasn't. but i stood there shaking my head wondering what in the hell i was thinking about. i still am unsure. there wasn't anything on their car (thank goodness) but i had a small scratch (that is what happens when you back into another car and the license plate scrapes the bumper)! my car is pushing 6 years old soon and i couldn't care less about a scratch on the bumper. i have had a softball sized dent on front passenger side since 04' and haven't worried about it at all. end of story is that i didn't leave a note on the car and wondered if they watched me from the house. i was feeling quite guilty for a good 20 minutes afterward...

work was about the same. buffalo bill was back after a 5 day hiatus. he has a bulging disk in his L5 and apparently that is REALLY bad and horribly painful! he is on percocet and was cheering occasionally as well as singing and whistling at times so hopefully he is getting better. boat man was in better spirits than last week and things are moving in the right direction around here and that is all i will say about that.

pirogi gal was the same, eating a sleeve of crackers, taking smoke breaks, taking cell calls and playing computer games. that lasted until about 2...nothing new there.

at noon i was starving and decided to have lunch earlier than usual. it was then that i popped my soup into the microwave and walked away! it blew up all over the place and wasn't even that hot to boot! ugh.. i was able to salvage what little amount was left. i followed that up with a crappy diet yogurt! now i know why i don't but that brand..it tastes weird. i would rather have the extra 50 calories and have it taste good.

great evening here ...about 78 so i will be jetting soon to take out mick and enjoy it! it is supposed to rain for the next 3 days so you gotta make the most of every great weather day! and again no AC needed (i did break down saturday when it was muggy and 85 and turn it on).

** WTF?! I cannot figure this out!

ok...i really don't understand how challenging installing software for a new digital camera and then transferring the pics to my computer can be (i want to say thanks again to caps' for the awesome gift)!

it has been close to 4 years since i really have messed with a digital camera but don't we think in that time, not only have the cameras gotten more sophisticated but the software should be easier?! just a thought people. i have now had 2 rounds of this in between laundry, vacuuming, catching up on CNN, lunch, taking mick out and still no dice. so far, i know that the software was installed although i am beginning to think incorrectly if that is possible. the issue is when i connect the camera to the computer it "isn't detecting the camera!" when i do finally have my ducks in a row, there will be some pics added to the blog.

yesterday was a good day. it was sunny and humid and about 85! i got up way earlier than usual 7:45 and got myself a cup of joe. gave mick a bath (he smells great and is shiny but his breath is like HOT garbage), and went to the gym. came back and showered then took mick for a run (mostly so he can eat sticks and gag).

at 4ish kneecaps came by and we headed down to aliceanna st. so he could look for a futon. who knew that you have close to 40 choices as far as frames & mattresses go?? the fabric adds another 100 choices easily. the cheapest frame was about $250 up to $1000! anyway, we were there 20 minutes and the salesman was an oddball. he was darting from customer to customer asking if they needed help and after 2-3 minutes would dart to the next victim! maybe he was short-staffed and just didn't want to say that? regardless, we didn't have any luck.

we headed over to su casa in canton to search for a bed frame. the store is cool and i have been in there maybe 3 other times. all kinds of kitchen stuff, pillows, mirrors, tables, rugs and furniture. caps ran into a former co worker that works there part time so we chatted with her for 15 minutes and he has a gameplan for possibly getting a good deal on the frame and rug he liked (will not be disclosing this here, ha)!

we had dinner at RED STAR in fells' which was fairly new (to me anyway) but a great choice since it is off the beaten path and not super touristy nor crowded. had a ALT sandwich (avocado, lettuce, tomato) that also had hummus and mozzarella. it came grilled and was delicious! caps got the fish tacos which were equally good and we split a molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream! those are the kind of desserts i refer to as "hot love" or "my new boyfriend"...my ladies out there can attest to this! as we were finishing up caps decided to text another former co worker of his and we ended up meeting up with him and his girlfriend at little havana in federal hill. a great night to sit outside on the water and it was crowded. i will call his friend "21 jumpstreet" and girlfriend "cupcake" (she works in a bakery) seem happy. they both have kids from previous relationships. cupcake is an anomaly, however. she is 30 and has never had a driver's license, she walks everywhere and doesn't watch much tv either. can't say i have ever met anyone that age that seemed so sheltered! it was really interesting to me. after a few margaritas/mojitos and some political rambling we headed home.