Quick Thoughts

Haven't blogged in awhile and don't have much time, so a few quick thoughts:

1. I'm really glad that Election Day is just 6 days away. I haven't posted my endorsement yet (I know, I'll probably be the last major figure in the U.S. to endorse a candidate) but I plan on doing that on Monday. I'm still undecided as of now.

2. My mom, trying to convince me to vote for McCain, says "scissors" any time that I say anything to her about the election. "Scissors" as in the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (or whatever it's called) and how they kill these babies. As in, a vote for Obama is a vote for this act. I'm not going to lie, it's getting annoying.

3. HIPAA - the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - (not HIPPA as so many people think) and specifically the "privacy rule" - has to be the most ill-conceived piece of unimportant legislation maybe in the history of this country. Nobody has any idea what its intent is, but anytime somebody wants to get a hospital, doctor, workplace, or worker in trouble, invariably they shout about supposed (and false) HIPAA violations.

4. Baseball postseason has been a little dull; c'mon, Rays, we need one series to last more than 5 games!

5. I'm still really depressed about the Pitt loss to (sigh) Rutgers.

6. I would be remiss if I didn't welcome into the world my first 2nd cousin on dad's side of the family. Welcome Jacob Michael Burns! Congrats to Grandpa Grubbs who is a first time Great Grandfather (although a longtime great Grandfather - that was way too easy), to Aunt Carol and Uncle Mike on their first grandchild, and specifically to Chad and Charissa. Congrats!

My Love Letter to Kelly Clarkson

Oh Kelly,

You are the one that I want. You are perfect in every way; even perfect in your imperfections. I love you as a blonde, I love you as a brunette. I love you singing r&b, I love you singing harder types of rock. You have a wonderfully snarky sense of humor, on exhibit every time that I've seen you perform. You have the "joie de vivre" that I am searching for.

I am the guy for you. You are successful, and I have no ego, so I will be able to handle that. I will do the things around the house for which you don't have the time. I will accompany on your tours and take care of whatever you need me to do.

In other words, you complete me. If I had just 15 minutes to talk to you, I am sure that I could convince you of this.

Signed,

The Future Mr. Kelly Clarkson

*off to my 5 year college reunion today! Crazy!

A Revelation at Work!

So, I haven't posted about my job. I've been there for just over 5 months now. It's good, sometimes stressful, sometimes frustrating. I work closely with three other people; the four of us have desks in a room together, and we are the union's "resource center".

So anyway, our workload is directly correlated to the number of people calling. Sometimes it gets slow, so we get to talking about stuff. And yesterday, the one male coworker, Chris, said something that I've been saying for years now. Basically, both of us are sick of this whole "breakfast for dinner" movement. Instead, we want "dinner for breakfast".

I never thought I'd meet someone else who wants this. Ask anyone who knows me well and has gone to IHOP or Eat 'n' Park for breakfast with me. I am just as liable to order a grilled cheese sandwich at 7 am as I am a stack of pancakes.

So this was a bonding moment for Chris and I!

Future Wife Trait #14 - Appreciation of Pittsburgh

This is an important one to me. The city of Pittsburgh is such a great place. It is so unique in so many ways. Think about the ways in which it is great. It has such a awe-inspiring natural beauty with the mountains and the rivers. It has great transportations options with all of the riverboats and the inclines, plus more traditional buses and something resembling a subway. It has a multitude of ethnic neighborhoods, each with its own character and personality. The architecture is top-notch, with great downtown skyscrapers like PPG Place and Fifth Avenue Place, and churches like Heinz Chapel in Oakland. Quality of life ranks among the best in the nation. It has a great sporting tradition, with the Steelers, Pirates, Pens, and good college sports. It has many things that anyone would want in their city.

There are some people who "get" this, and some who don't. And to be honest, I think there are many more females who don't get it. There are some things about Pittsburgh that people may have problems with. The weather is variable, and the sun sometimes doesn't come out for days at a time. It's way behind the times; there isn't a post office downtown where you can buy stamps in a machine with a debit card! Even Knoxville has that. Fashions are decidedly 80s. If you are a female who is interested in the latest trends, you won't find them walking down East Carson St.

So, my future wife has to understand "the majesty that is the city of Pittsburgh" (a quote that can be attributed to me, circa 2001). She doesn't have to want to live here forever; I'm not sure I want to either. But she has to inherently "get" this city; if she doesn't, she can take the "T" all the way to South Hills Village as far as I'm concerned.

Future Wife Trait # 92

So I haven't posted in awhile, and I thought I needed to say something, since that's what the people (a.k.a. Beth) want. I thought I'd give you another wife trait, and also let you know that I am prepping a big post on my presidential vote.

Wife trait #92 - The ability to iron clothes

I can't iron for the life of me. I can't even say iron. I'm from Pittsburgh, we don't say it right, we say it "arn". Anyway, I love to do things around the house. I love cooking and baking, especially desserts but I can make dinners with the best of the non-professional chef males. I get on cleaning binges every week, dusting and sweeping and polishing, etc. Doing laundry and dishes gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

The one thing I cannot do is iron clothes. I have tried everything, to no avail. Now I have to resort to getting my clothes out of the dryer immediately when they are finished and hanging them up. This leads to hot buttons that burn when you touch them. I've tried the spray stuff that takes wrinkles out; it doesn't for me. I've tried actually ironing, and I suck at it. Basically, I've gone around my adult life (when I've been away from my mom's help) looking like a rumpled mess. "Nothing stays wrinkled" - this is an axiom relayed by my cousin Frank. Well...it stays wrinkled when I'm wearing it.

So, if you are gonna suggest a girl for me to go out with, take a look at her pants and see if they are wrinkled. If they are...NEXT!