Greetings

Velcome to Skidoo.

Don't know anything about music? That's ok, neither do I.

But you can still play along on my job's new music blog. It's brand-spanking new and we're trying to fatten it up with posts before we officially put it out there. You'll be the first to sneak a peek! That makes you special!

• music.beloblog.com

BPS is going to take away my blog

I've been so absent here because I've been so consumed with the topic of there lately. Let's play catch-up:

• My boy Ty finally got the heck up out of The Dallas Morning News. A fine institution it is, but he was very ready to say (scream, actually) Adios. I'm very happy for him. He starts his new job as a PR guy for a non-profit in downtown. Some of us paper types plus a bit of his crew are going to celebrate at Slip Inn on Thursday night with some old school hip-hop. Hmmm ... you know when you're not fresh meat when the music from your school days can now be considered "old" anything. Whatever. Slip Inn's a good time, mayne.

• My friend Derek has a friend he calls "Stacy from England." She read my spy-cam post below and had Derek hook me up with the next best thing: a Hencam. Not quite sure a chickencam will help me see within myself but, hey, it's worth a try.

• I only get to see my man, Brian, on weekends now that the school he works at has started back up. BLAH! Miss you, baby.

• A co-worker Holly and I attended Inwood Theatre's Midnight Madness movie on Friday. The feature was none other than the CHEESIEST "film" ever cobbled together in the history of the art form, Flash Gordon. And I have to say, it was awesome! It's one of Holly's favorite tongue-in-cheek geek movies (she knew every line ... scary), and I knew I would like it from the premise alone: Flash Gordon and some chick get hurled into outer space and land on a planet whose ruler is going to destroy the earth with "hot hail." Unless, of course, Flash can save the day. I can't even begin to describe the "effects" in this movie. Serioulsy, rent it. Few films are this truly horrible that you'll have a great time laughing everytime you hear the words "hot hail."

Tons more has happened, but it's getting late. Next time, kiddies!

If you stalk me with hidden cameras, I won't mind as long as you give me copies

Lately I've been wanting to set up little spy cams all over the house, in my car, over my cubicle, so I can watch myself.



It's so easy for me to perceive other peoples' personality blips. I sometimes even get paranoid that they're using them against me, or that them and their big, bad blips are out to get me.

Then the needle on the record screeches off and stops the show and I gotta ask myself, If certain people you encounter are annoying as all get-out, how is it that you're not?

Then I sez to myself ... Chances are, o indistinct member of the unwashed masses, that you're just as annoying.

Not that I'm not self-aware; I'm sometimes almost too much so. But I need to see myself more objectively, outside of my own skull. I need a bigger clue about how I react to others, how I move, my facial expressions, my habits, my body language, if I look fat in those jeans.

You know when you hear your recorded voice, and you're like, "Ew! I sound like that?" That's not at all how you hear yourself speak. Your words are resonating through your head, distorting how you sound to the rest of the world. And you're the only one who thinks you sound that way.

I guess I could just ask those closest to me, "Hey, tell me how whack I am. In a constructive way, of course." But I mean dang. That'd be ten times more uncomfortable for them than it would be for me. (If you're reading this and wouldn't mind holding up a mirror for me [and I actually know you], please, let 'er rip).

I could use the perspective, though. It's hard to see myself from here.

Skidoo hearts skrilla

I take in regular freelance tasks from Metro (apart from my regular job) for extra skrilla. It's "clerk work," such as typing up crime reports for the police blotter and putting together tiny profiles of high school students from a questionnaire they fill out for the "Good Kid" spotlight. I really appreciate the extra $600-$800 a month it slaps onto my paycheck, especially since, by now, I can do the work in my sleep. Here is a sample of the thought soup running through my head when I'm com-pilin' and pro-filin':

• "Crap, can anyone see me typing this up?"
• "Crap, two years removed from being a Metro clerk, and I'm still ... a Metro clerk."
• "Shut up. Pride goes before a fall. Feel blessed."
• "Yeah this is helping me get my car paid off. But will I ever be freelance-free? After the car, then there's my 2002 taxes. Then there's my school loan. By then, I'll be wanting a house."
• "Milk, fruit, pads, cereal, gluten-free waffles, cotton balls ... no wait, I still have pads left over from last month ... uumm ... green tea, toothpaste ... "
• "Crap, my editor just walked by. I hope she can't tell I'm trying to be sneaky."
• "I'm not trying to be sneaky ... this only takes me 20 minutes, and Lord knows I make up that time elsewhere."
• "Hmmm. This girl says 'The two people I would like to meet are: Oprah Winfrey and my dad.' What a winner. Way to step up, there, dude. Bastard."
• "I really need to do this at home."
• "I miss Brian."
• "Brian better not pull that emotionally-absent bunk on me again this weekend."
• "Ugh, these capris have gotten tight."
• "Oh good — the 'Italian roast is ready' e-mail. Nope Christy, staaaaay, staaay; wait til you're finished typing this up ..."
• "Why has the 1400 block of Whipporwill had an aggravated robbery, two criminal mischiefs, four vehicle burglaries, three residential buglaries and one indecent exposure, all in one week? G-H-E-T-T-O, that's why."
• "Shut up, Christy. Pride goes before a fall."
• "Fall, schmall. I'm done. Give me some coffee."

Love me some Hill Country

I got back from my THIRD road trip in two months to the Austin/Fredericksburg area. I like them thar hills! Brian, I have to say, is a terribly awesome travel companion. We had such a blast. Enchanted Rock, Bees Cave, Austin, Wimberley ... gorgeous stuff. I have to write some more about it, but meanwhile, here are the requisite vacation photos (it's the album with the black and white mug of me cheesing).

Perverted fiscal priorities

2001: "Shortfalls in federal and state funding and changing population patterns have placed a tremendous burden on our aging power plants, water systems, airports, bridges, highways and schools. In short, America has been seriously underinvesting in its infrastructure for decades and our report card reflects that unfortunate reality."

2005: "American Society of Civil Engineers's 2005 Report Card for America's Infrastructure assessed the condition and capacity of our nation's public works with an overall grade of D. ASCE estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to good condition."

2007: (CNN) — "At least six people were killed when an interstate bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed Wednesday evening, in what the governor called a 'catastrophe of historic proportions.'"