THE LAST FIVE ...

Closing up shop
- Wednesday, Aug. 02, 2006

It may be time for a change
- Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Entry in the air
- Friday, April 21, 2006

Still here
- Thursday, April 20, 2006

Music of the moment
- Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Or ... BE RANDOM!


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101 in 1001
American Road Trip, 1998


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Chupatintas
Dancing Brave
Fugging It Up
Kitty Sandwich
Mister Zero
Sideways Rain
Ultratart
Velcrometer


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Monday, Nov. 25, 2002 - 5:31 p.m.

The post office: Where time stands still

What is wrong with the post office in that it cannot forward mail in a timely fashion? I got a phone bill for the old apartment last week ��a full week after payment was due (Nov. 14) on the bill. Because Lori is finishing out the lease through November, we've obviously kept all utilities active. But because Lori was expecting to move out in August ... then September ... then October ... the accounts had been transfered to my name. But because Lori stayed, the accounts are still in use, even if I'm not, technically, paying for any of them past October (with the exception of the water, which is a three-month billing cycle).

So anyway, basically, my mail sits around in either the Newark distribution center or in the Edgewater post office for three weeks before it gets forwarded to Cliffside Park and to my new mailbox. When the bill came last Wednesday, I wrote out the check and sent it off. On Friday, I got a missed payment notice from the phone company (that piece of mail seemed to only take a week to get forwarded to me). But because I didn't get home until after 5:30 p.m., there was nobody at the phone company to speak to, so I had to wait until this morning to call them. When I called on Friday and went through the automated options, it listed my outstanding charges as the $99 for one month. When I called this morning, before I spoke to a customer service rep, it was twice that � already the November statement has been posted. I should've just paid it by credit card over the phone, but I'll wait until after Thanksgiving to take care of that one. It won't be due until Dec. 12 or 13 anyway.

To the phone company's credit, the woman who helped me said she'd make a note that my payment was on the way and should get there by Friday, the date the past due notice told me that the phone service would be suspended. She also said she'd make note that I had sent payment, which would likely give me a few extra days before they suspended service. She then asked if I wanted the address on the account changed to my new one, but when I explained that we'd be disconnecting everything in another week, she clearly understood my reasoning, which surprised me. Of course, the phone company probably charges to change mailing addresses on accounts, the way they charge to change a name on an account that otherwise does not change.

I just hope I don't have the same problems with the electric, cable and water bills when they come in. Whenever that will be.

Christmastime Is Here

I went to watch the Notre Dame-Rutgers game at Ship of Fools in the City Saturday and then met up with Casey, who spent the day shopping, in midtown. It's definitely the Christmas Season ��Fifth Avenue was packed, the stores were decorated, and the lights were up on the lamp posts. Hooray.

Yesterday, we put up a shelf in the living room and then two globe lamps over the dinner table before heading to IKEA to look for a few furniture necessities: some sort of storage/bookshelf option for my side of the study and a "vanity" for Casey were our objectives. We found those, as well as an orange plastic stool to go with the "vanity" (really a desk) and a TV swivel tray so that when we eat at the aforementioned dinner table, we can turn the TV for better viewing with less effort. Out of all we went for, only the stool was in stock. Both pieces of furniture and the TV revolver were out. So now we have to go back in two weeks.

Near IKEA, at Jersey Gardens, we went to look for a gift at Illuminations for Casey's dad and Carol, but what we were looking for was out. Instead, we each dropped 80 bucks on clothes at Banana (me) and boots at Kenneth Cole (Casey), then went to Short Hills and laid down more bills at Illuminations and Williams-Sonoma. So much shopping it hurt.

Then we went home. That was the weekend, basically.

I really can't think of anything else worth blathering about.

Except that my one fantasy football team has hit the mother of all slumps. Through nine weeks, I had the highest-scoring team in the league. I've now lost three in a row ��through no fault of my own, in terms of which players to start and sit. It's all been my players' lackluster play (I'm looking right at you, Drew Bledsoe) and the other teams' season-best performances (fuck you, Joey Galloway, for so many reasons).

I eat too much junk food.

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