maraschino

'Tis The Season...

First of all, I know the true meaning of Christmas and Hanukkah has been lost throughout the years and replaced by commercialism and capitalism.  What really singes my shorts is not only are we inundated by horrible shop! shop! shop! commercials, but that many of the TV ads think it's cute to diss, or outsmart Santa.  First of all, Holmes, no one disses Santa and expects me to be okay with it.  Secondly, in my own little way, I have purposely imposed a boycott against these establishments that think it's "cute" to attack poor Santa.  Note to advertisers now and in the future -- Santa will always rule, beeyotches!

Another ad that really boils my blood is the one from a certain online bidding/buying site.  Their horrid commercial consists of an off-key, smarmy, ungrateful, brat who "sings" about all the terrible gifts the people IN THE SAME ROOM gave her last Christmas.  She was clearly brought up by a pack of selfish wolves who knows no manners and therefore couldn't pass any onto her.  Nor, does it seem, has she ever set foot in a church and listened to a Christmas sermon, whence the true meaning of Christmas is explained.  Instead, this selfish, entitled snot proceeds to criticize her family and relatives for giving her the "wrong" gift.  Giving.  Her.  The.  Wrong.  Gift.  The only logical resolution to that would be to not give her anything ever again.  And ship her to Somalia to do charity work for a year. 

So what am I doing about Christmas this year?  I do not mean to indicate at all that I am better than anyone else during this holiday, but I do try to keep the true spirit in mind.  I'll admit, I go through the same old steps everyone else does and buys gifts for certain people in my life.  This year, however, is a bit different for me because I am going to give more than usual to the local homeless shelter this year.  As someone who spent years (yes, that's years with an 's') trying to get a home loan modification, I could just as well be one of those homeless.  I was a normal, working, tax-paying citizen who, like many others, found herself suddenly unemployed during the tanking of many businesses in the past 3 years.  I found myself unemployed for 7 months and making the full mortgage  in only the first 5.  In the last two months of my unemployment, I was only able to make 2/3 of what the total should have been.  When I finally found a job (look up "underemployed" and you'll see my photo there -- but hey, I'm grateful to be working again), I applied for a loan modification and from the process, you'd think I was asking for the President's blood sample.

Long story short, after many tries (applying, getting rejected, applying again, ad infinitum) I finally got the modification.  I can totally relate to those in the shelters, living out of their cars, or otherwise down-and-out.  It can happen to anyone.  Hopefully this isn't my last post before Christmas, but if it is (after all, 'tis the season to be busy with holiday stuff), I wish you all a Merry Christmas, or Happy Hanukkah, or happy Festivus to the rest of ya's.

 

 

 

 

Un-Happy Friday

For those of us who have to work for a living, there's nothing more we look forward to than a Friday, especially after a long work week.  That has been true in my situation for many, many years up until recently.  What I never thought would happen, happened -- my co-workers and I are actually dreading Fridays.  So why the sudden change of heart?  Since the middle of January, the company I work for has decided to go on a pink-slip spree.  No kidding, in one week alone, we "lost" 5 employees!  The sharks are definitely circling.

After the initial shock of the mass exodus, we never dreamed that it would happen again, week after week.  After the first five individuals, which, by the way, we couldn't find rhyme nor reason for their demise since they were not in the same department, and some not even from the same office, they kept dropping like flies.  One was a 20+ year veteran of the company, one was a temporary employee and the rest were in various stages of being colleagues, friends and comrades.  It has truly been devastating and scary.  The news keeps coming week after week.  The "geniuses" at the upper management level who make these decisions clearly haven't thought through -- or they don't care -- how this would impact the rest of the staff.

Unfortunately, it's quite obvious to us that the Big Wigs' philosophy leans towards more toward the not-caring end of the equation.  That's just too scary and predictable for us to be able to contain our anxiety over.  We are all a crazy, nervous mess, not to mention the people who initially loved their jobs and weren't disgruntled are now nervous.  No one is safe.  Way to go shithead Big Wigs!

Tomorrow is another Friday.  The fourth Friday since the initial shock of the first casualty.  I have a feeling no one is going to wish anyone a Happy Friday because they haven't been happy for several weeks, and if they let another unsuspecting individual (or 5) go tomorrow, we are not going to associate Fridays or the company or the Big Wigs with anything remotely pertaining to "happy" for a long time, if ever. 

It had been evident for some time that the company's procedures with regards to their dealings with personnel were rather questionable, but this sort of thing is just reprehensible.  Despite the fact that the individuals affected so far were our friends and colleagues, yes we know there could have been a completely legitimate reason they were let go.  However, as we see it at face value, they way it was handled was highly insensitive and very insulting.  Whatever dignity these people had were stripped on the day they were let go.  It didn't have to be that way, but that's how the management (mis) handled it.  Highly questionable, indeed.

Having spoken with a few co-workers over the past couple of days, it's no surprise that everyone is on edge.  We can only reassure one another that if we know in our hearts and our heads that we have tried our best, there's nothing else we can do but accept our fates.  It's too bad that the morale is at an all-time low (considering we thought it had already been at an all-time low, it actually got lower!).  The only people that aren't worried are the executive staff and the individuals making these seemingly senseless, sadistic decisions.  

The rest of us can take solace in knowing that, like a lamb to slaughter, any one of us could be next.  In a twisted way, it has brought us a little closer together and made us kinder to each other in anticipation of the looming dread ready and waiting to pounce upon any one of us.  Not surprisingly, it has made us very wary of the decision-makers in the company and has polarized the peons from the bigwigs.  Those decision-makers have not only done a disservice to the people who make the company run, but have put their own reputations at risk.  Who among us can trust those that are supposed to support and encourage us?  If this is their idea of leadership, we want to detract. 

 

 

And In The End...

According to the Mayan calander the world as we know it will come to an end this December.  I don't know too much about the details of this calendar that has the Nostradamus-types up in arms, and it makes me wonder what other ancient civilizations' calendars showed, but some people really believe this.  As for me, I can't even believe the 21st Century weathermen/women - sorry, meteorologists, who can't even "predict" the next few days' weather with any accuracy.  Not to pick on the Mayans, (but it is their calendar that started all of this) but if they were so accurate with the end-of-the world prediction, why didn't they predict their own demise and take precautions to extend their own civilization at least until the end of this year?  If THAT were to happen, I would be preparing to live it up from now until December 21, maxing out my credit cards, eating everything in sight and partying like it's 1999.

I decided not to have a "new year's resolution" this year, not because I don't have a laundry-list of personal attributions I can improve upon, but because I'm a firm believer that new year's resolutions were made to be broken.  It's almost inevitable.  Does anyone know anyone who has kept a new year's resolution?  I don't.  And I've been around for many, many years.  I'm a firm believer that people can resolve to engage in self-improvement anytime of the year.  As the saying goes, "better late than never."  If I declare a new year's resolution right now and I break it tomorrow, there's no way I'm going to think I can start it again and it would count.  It wouldn't count.  I called it a new year's resolution and broke it within the first month.  I lost.  I can't go back.  Too much pressure to keep.  For a society with notorious major commitment issues, new year's resolutions are the LAST thing we are going to be successful in maintaining!

So, what's in store for this year?  Well, since I'm not going to count on the world ending in 12 months, I guess I will have to keep planning for the near future.  Self-improvements?  Sure, I have that laundry list to choose from.  I'm also going to try to remain employed.  I'm going to try to obtain employment elsewhere becuase of my extreme dissatisfaction with my current situation.  Unfortunately, the economy is still in the toilet and it doesn't look like it's going to really improve much any time soon.  To be sure, the jobless rate has gone down, but finding work is still a difficult task.   In the meantime, despite the unpleasantness of real life, we must keep on keeping on.  Life is too short even without the looming apocalypse.

 

Long Time, No See

Here's the blog I thought I lost! Woohoo.  It looks like I stopped blogging when Lost ended.  I really loved Lost.  I lived Lost for a long time.  Now, it's time to move on.  Real life is often more interesting, and a lot of situations that happen just can't be written.  No matter how crazy and twisted my imagination can be, sometimes nothing can equal the twisted $#!% that happens in real life.  And, that stuff is definitely worth writing about.   Even though a lot of "writable" stuff has happened to me in the past year, I was sorely lacking in the intent to write them down.  Of course, much of what happens is best captured during the time, or shortly after it happens, not years later.  However, I also buy into the saying, "better late than never." 

The good news for me is that now that I've rediscovered my blog (one of either 3 or 4), I can write my thoughts down once again.  The bad news for you...is that I can write down my thoughts again!  But seriously, I often have something to say.  People may agree, or disagree...that's what makes America the best country in the world.  As for the other blogs...I suspect they won't be lost for long.

Maraschino - out!

Never Again

Despite the fact that I've been sorely absent as of late from my 4 (or is it 5?) blogs, I do love to write. I just suffer from procrastinationitis. Terribly. As you can tell from my Lost Tawk blogs...I think I crapped-out mid season six. And, it was the last season of the series! Not to worry, though (as if, HA!) I will do the remaining episodes. At some point in time. Maybe even this year. But I can't promise.

Ok, so what on earth compelled me to volunteer to write some letters for my ding-bat boss? (Sidenote, my dingbat boss makes all previous bosses look like Oprah. That's another rant for another time.) I plead temporary insanity. Before all my readership (all 1 of you) and all of humanity and God, I swear to NEVER do that again! First of all, they are letters to vendors about inaccurate accounting practices. WTF?! We are NOT in the accounting department! Then, she nitpicks at them as if she knows what she's talking about. Newsflash - she NEVER knows what she's talking about. One letter she say not too be too "harsh," and to just tell them that "next time..." please comply, etc. But the very next letter, she says to "put some teeth" into it and tell them the request will be returned for correction. I'm no accountant by any means, but these letters can be condensed into two sentences to get the point across without sounding douchey. But her crazy, brainless, over-bleached mind needs to make things more difficult than they should be. Oy vey!

So, lesson learned from me -- no more volunteering to do dingbat anymore favors, and any letters I write will be solely from ME. Y'all heard it here first!

Ironically, one of my newest (and emptiest) blogs is my "Letters to ____" that I created on another site. Well, turns out I cannot access that site to post from my (apparently not-so-smart) phone. Guess my next letter should be to T-Mobile...!

QotD: Endings

Yes. I'd say that falls under the saying about Death and Taxes being the only things one can count on in life. All things will come to an end, eventually.

QotD: Easter Sunday

Yes, my family celebrates Easter. We went to my parents' house where my aunt (mother's sister) and cousin were also staying. Having flown into town just a couple days before, they were still a bit jet-lagged. It would be their first time spending Easter with us.

I brought dessert and a fully-cooked turkey that I had gotten up at 7:30 on a Sunday morning to start roasting. It was one of those "fool-proof" dealies that didn't even need thawing. And, I've made it before so I felt confident about the plan.

After careful monitoring, and allowing it to roast for the suggested amount of time, I took it out to cool. Leaving it in its roasting bag and pan, I carefully placed it in a box for transport.

We got to the house and unloaded the goodies. The table was set and the food laid-out. I unpack the turkey and get ready to place it on the tray. Upon removing the roasting bag, I discovered that I had inadvertently roasted the bird UPSIDE DOWN and that the part that took the longest - the breast- was sorely under-done from sitting at the bottom of the pan in it's own juices. MAJOR FAIL.

We did what we could and righted the bird, put it back in the oven and let it finish cooking. Because I didn't want to keep our first-time Easter guests waiting, I insisted we begin eating and wait to partake of the bird when it was done.

Despite the major snafu on my part, the meal was a success and our visit was enjoyable. The turkey finally finished thoroughly cooking and tasted like there was no issue. In the future, I suggest manufacturers put a "this end up" sign on their bags of turkeys. Otherwise, I'll have to fully be awake and coherent before I get up at the crack of dawn (that's how it felt on a Sunday morning!) before I think about roasting another bird!

Maybe next year, I'll just bring the rolls.

Lost Tawk: Recon

Yay, finally a Sawyer AU! However, BOO that Charlotte was in it. It didn't surprise me that he was a cop. I thought it was a nice touch that Myles was his partner. I wish we got the scoop as to who Myles' girlfriend was. I think that would have been waaay better than the snooze-fest with Charlotte. Speaking of which, overreaction much, Sawyer? Ok, so Charlotte was a little slow on the uptake, discerning right from left, up from down, but GEEZ, get a grip, man! The girl may be book-smart but common sense obviously wasn't one of her strengths.

At any rate, it made for forwarding the plot that Sawyer clearly has daddy issues (as with most of the characters) and he's hell-bent on finding Anthony Cooper, even if it means alienating his best buddy and partner, Myles. Poor Myles took it personally and decided not to be Sawyer's friend anymore. This? Makes sense in 1st grade, but whatever.

Back on Craphole Island, Sawyer is playing both sides of WTFLocke and newly-arrived Widmore & Company. I hope he gets the two sides going at each other because I think that would be fun to watch. And since I don't know which side (if either) is good, then it should be an interesting match. The one thing that made me flinch was his comment to KHate about getting them off the island. I hope he means the other Losties and not KHate because I think she should be sacrificed to old Smokey. I think she owes it to humanity in general to "take one for the team."

Lost Tawk: Sundown

A week late and a dollar short.  But nevertheless, the final season goes on.  And I will miss it when it's all over.

This episode illustrates what's up with the Temple and how WTFLocke amasses his posse.  Turns out that Claire is in cahoots with WTFLocke and is part of the plan to purge the Temple of its inhabitants at the same time gaining followers to WTFLocke's leadership. 

What I liked:

• the throwdown between Sayid and Secret Asian Man
• the thought of Claire killing Kate when she was talking about raising Aaron (but alas...)
• WTFLocke as Smokey wreaking havoc upon the Temple denizens
• the looks exchanged between our beloved Losties
• seeing Jin! tho he was tied up in the freezer
• ...and other things that I can't remember right now

What I didn't like:

• Claire not carrying out her promise to kill Kate
• not knowing where Jack and Hurley were
• no knowing where Richard was
• Sayid not being with Nadia in the FlashSideways
• extortion plots

What I didn't get:

• why the Promo Monkeys tease us with the promise of answers when what they actually do is leave us with yet more questions
• why the characters on the show still don't ask each other enough questions
• pretty much everything else

Overall a satisfying episode.  I really need to rewatch and missed the recap because I was taking a nap.  I hope the recaps with the pop-ups are available on the DVD.

 

 

 

Lost Tawk: The Lighthouse

Alright, this was pretty good. The only thing I call bull#h*t on is the fact that the Losties didn't notice the lighthouse before because they weren't "looking for it?" Really? REALLY?! Well I doubt that they were "looking for" the 4-toed statue but FOUND IT, regardless!!!!

Ok, now with that out of the way, we can proceed.

What I liked:
- Jack's flash sideways with his kid. Whaaaaaat?
- Claire as the new Rousseau...but with an evil twist.
- Hurley's inadvertent (or is it?) shout-out to Palin with the lame arm-writing. Haaaaa
- The cool lighthouse/funhouse mirror prior to Jack smashing it

What confused me:
- Jack having a son...I must have totally missed something in the past 5 seasons because I do NOT remember this fact AT ALL
- Why Jin lied to Claire about Aaron...but on second thought, perhaps to save himself?
- Why Claire didn't call her "friend" by name
- Secret Asian Man also having a son in the flash sideways....(sigh)
- How Jack & Hurley can just sashay out of the Temple and traipse all over the place without the Temple watchdogs not noticing them gone
- WTF was that in the crib Claire had?

What I didn't like:
- Seeing Claire's prisoner get axed
- Knowing Claire is possessed
- Jacob's vagueness
- The network's teaser that "questions will be answered" -- yea but at the cost of more being asked! I call BS.
- Cringing at Jin's busted leg
-Whatever the eff Claire had in that crib! I'm beginning to think it's best not to know.

All in all, a good episode. I think the lighthouse wheel is the new donkey wheel which Ben will also soon be turning. When they spoke of a visitor to the island, I was totally thinking it would be Desmond on his yacht. Ok, I was hoping it would be. I don't know exactly how many episodes are left, but seriously, more answers are needed so we can wrap this puppy up.

sigh.

Lost Tawk: The Substitute

Wow, I don't know if it's because I had such high expectations for this last leason but these past couple of episodes have been just "meh" for me. This was a Locke-aka-Smokie-centric episode, which sounds like it had lots of potential. But it's more mindscrewing of the poor Losties. Apparently not-Locke is trying to recruit new minions, or LOSTIES into his axis of evil. Poor Richard...I never thought I'd see him all scuffed-up like he was. And scared. Yikes!

Sawyer got sober awfully fast after his whisky binge. I wished he had shot not-Locke like he threatened. And why can't people on this show try to bargain or talk their way into/out of situations? If someone of dubious identity told me to follow them somewhere I'd prolly not do it. Instead I would ask for an explanation first and then proof, if necessary. But not this show.

Still, I thought it was nice seeing more of Locke and Helen's relationship. I felt bad for John during those scenes. Was I the only one who thought Waaaaaalt! was going to appear in one of his classes?

Ok, the things I enjoyed about his episode:
- Seeing Hurley looking all spiffy and hooking John up with an employment agency.
- Seeing Rose as manager of said agency.
- Seeing Benry humbled and a follower more than a tyrant leader.
- Seeing geekified Benry as the European History teacher!
- Hearing rollercoaster Smokie traipsing through the jungle
- Richard offering to "save" Sawyer by taking him back to the temple (o'Doom! - Heh).

Things I didn't much care for:
- Sawyer blindingly following not-Locke to Timbuktu and nearly falling to his death.
- Not-Locke's lame cave o'names.
- No mention of Claire as Rousseau 2.0
- Locke not going through with consulting with Dr. J. Shephard.

I'm sure there are more, but I can't recall. Must not have been all that memorable. I'll still watch the show 'til the bitter end. I just hope it doesn't leave me feeling bitter.