"Is Butter a Carb?"

Today's lesson:

"When lending out DVDs or books [or clothing for that matter], make yourself a list of what's gone out IN THE EVENT THAT IT NEVER COMES BACK."

I lent a friend a pile of DVDs and books approximately over a year ago. It took over 6 months to get 4 of the books back. I was overly gracious and overly confident - at the time - and didn't bother writing down what was lent. BIG MISTAKE.

I don't even know what's missing anymore. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (book, not DVD) never came back, but the other 3 books in the series did. Thirteen (movie featuring Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed - fantastic) is missing from my collection, but Summer Sisters, the BEST Judy Blume book since Forever... came back in one piece.

But really, those are the only things I can identify.

Why is this even a problem? I keep taking trips to Wal-Mart (like I will be later this afternoon) and I always saunter by the cheapie DVD racks, DYING to look through. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M MISSING AND WHAT TO REPLACE.

I have the most obnoxious DVD collection ever. It's 99% BAD girlie movies from the 80s-90s.
[Sidenote: I just glanced at the shelves - I am also missing Say Anything - John Cusack at his finest.] Ugh. It drives me bonkers that I just don't know what's missing.

So, today's lesson: WRITE THINGS DOWN. KEEP INVENTORY. Why? Because when you lose touch with the person who has your treasured books/DVDs, you're going to want to replace them. Stat.

"But THAT Should TOTALLY Work"

Due to a lack of French Vanilla coffee pods in my kitchen, and the fact that regular coffee sends me to the bathroom faster than a McDonald's cheeseburger, I put a splash of chocolate milk in my afternoon coffee.

Yes, in addition to both regular milk AND sugar.

Result?

Delicious central.

Secondary result?

Bathroom expedition took approximately 50% less time than a usual coffee.


AWESOME!!!

Things That Are Annoying

1. Out of the 4 courses I am taking this semester, only one has a final exam. It's NOT annoying that I only have one exam and that I wish I had more - my one exam takes place on December 23rd, at 2 p.m., a.k.a. the last possible day for exams, or, I do not get to possibly go on vacation (or enter hibernation) until the last possible day.
2. My top-notch cute as a button awesome -and only- black leather jacket has mysteriously grown a slight tear on its sleeve. How that got there, BEATS ME. What am I going to do about it? Fix it. How? Let's not go there. It's going to be a long documented trial. Any ideas?

I Know How I Feel About Fakes...

But really, I'm willing to cave.

We all saw the SATC movie. We all fell in love with Manolo Blahnik's "Something Blue". With a price tag of $945 USD, I cannot rationalize that purchase EVER. I'd sell all my purses in exchange for these. Forget that they were featured in the movie - I couldn't care less. It's that cobalt blue satin color that reeled me in. The classic shape. The TO-DIE-FOR jeweled buckle.

$945 is still WAY over budget, especially when shoe budget is between $5 and $25 these days. NOT MUCH I CAN BUY WITH THAT.

And, despite being fervently morally opposed to anything NOT real, I came across these guys and have signed up for an email notification for when my size will be available. IF EVER.

These are the real Something Blues:Excuse me while I mop up my drool puddle.

And these self-loathing Martinez Valero "Zenith" pumps are the knock-offs:

At $159.99 USD, these guys aren't such a bargoon either, but I'm plenty positive that blowing 2 bills on shoes is SLIGHTLY more reasonable than blowing close to 10 bills on the real ones.


Now, before ANYONE jumps down my throat for promoting fakes, let's play a round of clarifications:

• I am NOT suggesting anyone purchase shoes from those "cheap" Louboutin/Manolo sites - those are fully fake and for LOSERS.
• These pumps are really seasonal and trendy. By the time the next SATC movie comes out, there'll be a new Manolo endorsement.
• I own ONE pair of actual Manolos, so DON'T JUDGE ME for wanting these.
• Nobody should pay full price for things featured in a movie.

And speaking of shoesies, I ventured into Aldo for the first time in ages [lies, I bought awesome MBMJ-inspired lace-up booties over the summer] and they have AWESOME shoes in. Like even better for seasonal trends than Steve Madden, when we all know that SM knocks off EVERY designer shoe on the planet. Aldo, while they knock off EVERYTHING too - for some odd reason - seems to have hit the fall shoe nail on the head with great shoes. I was heavily impressed.

http://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/women/boots/tall-boots/75426698-velardi/97 those guys? AWESOME. Over the knee AND heeled AND platformed. Delicious. You can just call me Vivian.

http://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/women/pumps/almond-toe/76343755-fawson/12 the grey and taupe are suede. I used all my self-restraint and didn't even TRY these on, for fear I'd leave with them. Too yummy!!!

Of course, since shoesies that are YUMMY and cute and exciting aren't in this week's budget, I settled my shopping craving at Old Navy. With this dress. At $20 CAD + tax, I couldn't resist. I grabbed it in the grey/black combo. Adorable central!!! Now if I only had some beautifully fabulous thigh-high boots to go with it...

Group Projects - Revisited

This semester marks my beautiful return to school. Not that I haven't been taking classes now for a good 2 years, but I am now taking more than 2 a semester.

Two of my four classes INSIST on multiple group projects. I am really just not the biggest group-project fan. I've had more than one terrible experience, including one where 3 of my 4 group members ABANDONNED THE CLASS without any warning, leaving my 5-man group a duo. I've had to write reports on group members who were completely uncooperative. I've had group members use BABELFISH to translate their work.

The upside - that may also be a downside - is that all of my groups are premade by my professors. Which can be amazing, because if the group is crap, I can bark at my professor with reason. It's particularly awesome in the class that I don't know anyone in. No last-one-chosen-for-the-team for me!

Which brings me to this...

In this particular class, where I have no friends - YET - we have a presentation tonight that was assigned last week. It's a "quick & dirty" presentation, as my professor so willingly dubbed it, and it's worth no more than 5% of my final grade. Totally don't care.

We were split into groups, and my group has 6 other members, making us a petite group of SEVEN PEOPLE. It actually worked out pretty fantastic - everyone volunteered for specific tasks. I am presenting, obviously.

Because we had a week to prepare for this, we all agreed that we would not meet in person (7 people to coordinate is a pain. Even organizing 4 people is tough), and we'd just correspond via email. Sounds normal and fair, right?

WRONG-O.

My group has been sending emails galore. I have responded to a bunch, with QUESTIONS of my own. NOBODY ACKNOWLEDGES MY EMAILS OR ANSWERS THEM.

Prime example:

Since I am presenting, and doing not much else, I've offered at least 5 times to make a Power Point presentation.
"Would anyone like me to make a power point?"
"Do you think we need a power point?"
"Is someone making a power point presentation?"
"Should I make some mock-up slides to work with?"
"CAN SOMEONE ANSWER ME SO I CAN POSSIBLY DO SOMETHING?"

Last night, in one of the group emails, one girl had the NERVE to write
"Also is anyone putting together any audio visual material together?"

To which I threw my laptop across the room, shrieked, and then casually responded, TODAY, that I have no problem making slides, BUT TO PLEASE INFORM ME BY NOON SO I CAN ACTUALLY DO IT.

Nobody has responded yet. It's like I JUST DON'T EXIST.

Meanwhile, it seems like I'll be spending my day brushing up on E. Cora Hind's personal life & biography, so at least I won't look like a total douchebag when I have to present tonight.

And on ANOTHER Note...

On a completely other note, non-blog/spam/anger related, I am taking my first major step in the art of not-shopping and saving money.

Okay, fine, my SECOND step. Step 1 was to unsubscribe from online sample sale website email notifications. Thanks, RueLaLa, but I don't need to see all the yummy things for sale THAT I CAN'T HAVE NOT ONLY BECAUSE I AM POORSVILLE, BUT BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO SHIP TO THE COUNTRY NORTH OF YOUR BORDER. Hautelook asked me to write a paragraph on why I don't want their emails anymore. I wrote something to the effect of "I am trying to stop spending money and I want to avoid temptation AND YOUR STUFF IS PRETTY PRICEY ANYWAYS." I'm pretty sure Gilt Group(e?) purposefully made their unsubscribing thingy crappy so I can't actually stop getting their emails. Revolve newsletters pissed me off from the beginning because UNLIKE shopbop, they do NOT have coupon codes often or FUN promotions. THAT is why shopbop still gets my email-love. Beyond the Rack also gets to stay because they're from Montreal. And I've had 3 successful orders from them. Which I shall not mention... CHEAP JBRAND JEANS AND CHEAP MIMI AND COCO TOPS AND CHEAP ED HARDY SCARVES. Whoops...

Right - back on track...

Step two is returning over-priced items to Urban Outfitters that A. don't fit so well [see ill-fitting skirt, exhibit A] and B. are pretty, but really useless considering the style [see fancy printed top that I really don't want to return because it's so pretty and stylish and trendy but I am going to return it because I am a really good girl who needs to save her pennies, exhibit B].

You know what, Urban Outfitters? YOU ARE VERY OVERPRICED FOR WHAT YOU ARE SELLING.

Thankfully, my F21 experience was so MIZ, that I won't even be REMOTELY tempted to take my return $$$ and head over to blow it on CRAP. No, I'll just put it in the bank and then open up my computer and ORDER THE 3 CARDIGANS FROM F21 ONLINE.

Maybe.

Spam Commenting = THORN. IN. MY. SIDE.

I get a TON of spam comments on my other blog - http://www.craftwithjackie.com . Like not your average run-of-the-mill spam. I just moderated through 60+ comments - 3-5 were approved. 60 were SPAM. So, what's included in the spam category?

Russian PORNOGRAPHY links.

Russian COMMENTS.

Casino/gambling websites.

"Prescription" drug links.

And, my favorite, a SPAM CONVERSATION, which, of course, I shall transcribe for everyone's reading pleasure. These guys were all supposed to be comments on the SAME POST. [Note that at first glance, some can KIND OF be mistaken for real comments - until you realize that the signature on each one is a SPAM LINK. That, and they all come from the same IP address. See? NOT SO STUPID AFTER ALL.]

Submitted on 2009/09/14 at 5:09am
Despite…

Submitted on 2009/09/14 at 9:04am
Here you are!

Submitted on 2009/09/14 at 12:53pm
Frankly speaking

Submitted on 2009/09/14 at 4:35pm
Vice versa.

Submitted on 2009/09/14 at 8:14pm
I am ever so sorry!

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 12:47am
Let me see…

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 4:18am
It`s OK!

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 7:53am
I am ever so sorry!

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 11:40am
OK.

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 3:37pm
Well

Submitted on 2009/09/15 at 8:44pm
Have a good weekend!

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 2:10am
You are welcome!

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 5:42am
In half an hour in two days,

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 9:43am
Hopefully…

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 2:15pm
Oh, what weather!

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 6:16pm
Can I have a hug?

Submitted on 2009/09/16 at 11:30pm
Is this the way to the library?

Submitted on 2009/09/17 at 6:17am
The point is that…

Submitted on 2009/09/17 at 1:42pm
Can you tell me …, please

I get comment notification emails - obviously - and before I cleverly figured out it was spam galore, I was confused as heck. I couldn't understand for the LIFE OF ME why people were leaving weirdo comments, and worse, WHY SOMEONE ELSE WAS SAYING "THANK YOU" FOR ME. I GET TO SAY "THANK-YOU".

On that note, I DO like comments.

JUST NOT ONES THAT ARE STUPID AND POSSIBLY SPAM-RELATED.