School Lunch

This can't be normal, but I'm obsessed with the cafeteria in my building. I've never worked anywhere with a full cafeteria before and it's this crazy smorgasboard of options for me.

Salad bar. Soups. Hot entrees with sides. Sandwiches and burgers. A breakfast bar with pancakes. There's even a Mexican food grill, LaRosa's and a Gold Star at the main cafeteria.

It's like heaven with blue cafeteria trays.

But the best part is that it's dirt cheap, like $5 or less for everything, with the drink.

My coworkers tell me I'll get sick of soon, and I probably will, but thus far the daily specials are still wowing me. Tomorrow there's a baked potato bar at base (that's Children's lingo for the main hospital) and since I'm meeting some people there, well... I might as well slather a potato in cheese and broccoli!

It's like school lunch back in the day, when you'd check the menu and see that Thursday was pizza day or whatever.

Only now I'm like, "Sweet! Wednesday is spinach and goat cheese lasagna day!"

Now if only they'd add tater tots and corndogs to the menu, it would be heaven.

UPDATE: My first potato bar experience was delayed for a trip to Cactus Pear instead. Mmm. Even better.

Has It Been a Week?

Can't say I've been busy because, well... watching The Hills and Project Runway doesn't really constitute as busy.

Though I did have dinner last night with a former colleague of mine from my Hamilton days, which was a fun trip down Route 4 memory lane.

What happened to this person? Where did that person go? So-and-so still works there?! I never talked to what's-his-face again after I walked out the door.

I always wonder catching up with someone I haven't seen in 7 or 8 years if I'll seem different to them. Gasp! Will they think I have changed?

Of course I still like to think of myself as the witty, rollicking colleague who dances on tables when the timing is right. Maybe I've changed a bit here and there, but largely I still think of myself as pretty much that same wicked cool person.

When I knew Randy I was about 25. I danced on tables. (Ok mostly chairs.) I was headed to grad school. I ran after work almost every day.

Hmm... On second thought, I guess I have changed. A lot.

Happy Thanksgiving

Pre-turkey stretching.

More Thanksgiving Day Race action shots here.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Friday


• Celebrated the Tall Drink of Water's 30th birthday at "The River," where the salsa flows spicy and long as the Nile. Did you know that instead of getting a free sundae or dessert (lame!) for your birthday, at The River you get a free shot of Tequila? Not to mention your Polaroid in a sombrero stapled to the front wall. Fiesta!

• Discovered that one of our favorite late-night spots for drinks and breadsticks is closed! R.I.P. HPT&G. (See related poll on the right.)

• Drowned my sorrows in a Shark Tank.


Saturday


• Saw this stilted beast on my way to the Running Spot for its annual sale, where everything is 20 percent off until next Saturday. Do stop in. I left with these fast as lightning Mizunos, and thanks to good friend Big Bri, a sweet Running Spot employees-only t-shirt. Ow!

• Went to see American Gangster. Eh. It was long and not that interesting. My mom and dad also saw it this weekend. My dad's full review was, "It was Ok, kinda like the French Connection, only not as good. Russell Crowe is so fat you could take him to slaughter."

Sunday

• Went to the Echo (Echo) for breakfast. They've raised their prices. Still worth it though. I recommend the Businessman's Breakfast, with two eggs, homefries, bacon and toast.

• Watched the Made premiere with Rocco. "Eh" to that too.

• Massive amounts of laundry to do. Currently choosing to blog and read magazines instead.

I'll Miss Ya, Joe

Michael Keating took this photo.

I got a lump in my throat this morning when I heard Joe died.

I'm sorry to hear it. I'll miss him.

Dust Off Your Antlers

The Jingle Bell Run/Walk is Saturday, December 8, and I'll be participating this year.

My poor sweet mama was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis, a very serious and potentially debilitating disease. And the Jingle Bell Run raises money for the arthritis foundation.

From what I hear the event is pretty festive - lots of costumes and santa hats and reindeer antlers. Fun!

I called my mom last week to see if she wanted to come down and walk the event with me, or just drink hot chocolate and watch everyone else walk. I told her I'd rip off my Jingle Bell run t-shirt at the end of the race and fling it at her, rocker-style.

Then she started to cry. Which made me cry. Then she tearfully rejected the idea, but added it was very sweet that I'd walk a race in her honor.

Then she said, "If it's real cold you don't have to do it, do you?"

"Well no. They're not going to come to my house and drag me out or anything," I said.

"Good. So if it's snowing you can change your mind. All they want is your money for charity anyway."

My mom, always practical.

So the Tall Drink of Water and I will don our warmest clothes (assuming it's cold that day) and head out for the 10 a.m. start time from the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

It's just three miles so TDW should have that knocked out in about 23 minutes. I'll meet him at the finish line in... ohhh, about an hour.

But we'll be there. With bells on. And maybe snowman costumes.

If you're around, please join us. You can even bring your dog and put antlers on him too! Or you can donate on my fundraising page.

I'll take a team photo for Susie and give it to her for Christmas.

The Office Is Now Closed

Our friends at The Office are on strike.

Drunk With Power

I was so excited stepping into the voting booth tonight I got a little light headed.

Election day is my all time favorite day of the year. (For those of you keeping score at home, I've blogged about this before.)

I vote for lots of very important reasons: Issues. Democracy. So I can feel smug. But mostly I vote to cancel out other people's votes who I hate.

Like say I sort of know a person, or heard someone on TV who was loathable, and I know they're going to vote the opposite of how I'd vote. I like to swagger into the voting booth, guns blazin' (read: pen) and fill in those squares with an image of that person in my mind all the while thinking, "Suck it so-and-so! Your vote is goin' down!"

Other times, like when I covered city councils and school boards in Virginia and Hamilton, I'd occasionally throw a vote to one of the crazies that was running, just in the hopes they'd get elected and make the meetings more interesting for me. Those meetings are really long and boring, you know.

Tonight I briefly considered voting for Justin Jeffre, just because I thought of all the fun Kari and I could have bloging about him on omgCincy.

I giggled at the potential headline ideas: Jeffre Wins! First Order of Bid'ness, City Wide Dance Party!

But in the end, ol' Justin didn't get my vote. He isn't hot enough. 99 degrees? Maybe. 98 degrees? No way.

Live Blogging

Tonight six of my BFFs and I will be blogging from the fall party of the season - Ronson and Kari's Mountain Chalet Soirée, in Ronsonville.

Do stop by.

You Down With OMG?

Partner-in-crime Kari and I have launched a new little project we call OmgCincy.

It's got snark. It's got gossip. It's got photos from bars where you should not being hanging out.

Come, join Kari and me - and former Mayor Charlie Luken - as we try to figure out wtf is going on in this town.

OmgCincy - It's hotter than a jail staph infection!