KC

Every missing piece of me, I can find in a melody

2009-12-25T03:46:05Z

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Went to New York, saw a show on Broadway.

2. Did you keep your New Years' Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any, and I doubt I will this year either.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close to me, no. But someone I admired & had met a few times did pass away.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, per usual. ;) Toronto in July & Vancouver in September.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More money. Ha. Better health/less pain.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- Jan 12 - the first day at my current job.
- Mar 29
- Oct 31 - seeing my first musical on Broadway.
- Dec 24/25 - MY FIRST EVER WHITE CHRISTMAS OMG Y'ALL!!!! (I know it's not the 25th yet, but that snow looks like it's going to stick. YAY!!!)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a new job. (Well, I technically got the job at end of 2008, but I didn't find out for sure that I was hired till 2009, so I'm counting it as this year.)

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not failure so much as disappointment - being told I don't qualify for surgery.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yup. My knees are still evil things and keep me in pain on a regular basis.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new camera. I heart it very, very much.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I dunno? No one sticks out in my mind.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
TBD.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Vacations & new camera. I tried not to spend much money other than those, since I am on a lower income than I used to be. :(

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
All three of my vacations! WHEEE!! I love travelling, and I miss getting to do it as much as I used to.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Man In The Mirror" - Michael Jackson
"Come On Get Higher" - Matt Nathanson

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
  a) happier or sadder?
        About the same
  b) thinner or fatter?
        About the same
  c) richer or poorer?
        Poorer. Which is sad, considering this time last year I was in my 9th month of unemployment!!!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd been able to do more running around in NYC.. that my knees hadn't just about killed me.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I wish I'd spent less time in pain. Evil, evil, evil arthritis!

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Per family tradition, I will be having Christmas lunch at IHOP with mom & brother.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Mom. Emily via texts

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Nope.

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't ever have just one. Ha. Flashpoint, Dollhouse, Chuck, Bones, HIMYM, White Collar, Leverage, and many, many more. Too many. :[

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope

26. What was the best book you read?
I read quite a few books this year, I'm not sure which was the best.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't know that I had one this year. I went through iTunes and looked at all songs I added this year - nothing really jumped out at me.

28. What did you want and get?
A new job!

29. What did you want and not get?
More money. Hahah.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I only went to the movies maybe once or twice this year, so I'm gonna pass on this one.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old?
I turned 35 this year. I went out to dinner at The Melting Pot, but other than that I didn't do anything special.

32. What would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
For my knees to be more stable/in less pain. A bigger paycheck. ;) Someone else to pay for all my travel. haha

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
"Whatever" Hah.

34. What kept you sane?
My best friend, Emily.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I dunno?

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I dunno, probably marriage equality. After all, equal is equal is equal. There should not be any exceptions to that.

37. Who did you miss?
Emily. She lives too darned far away!!

38. Who was the best new person you met?
The vast majority of the new people I met this year were at my new job.. so I suppose them? Hah.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
All that glitters isn't gold. Or, to use another cliché, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"So you run, so you hide
Then you watched as they died
They all fell, you could fall too
Or you could sew your wings
And try to fly right through

So give me all your fear,
Throw it all away
Think about the good things,
No matter what they say
We'll take tomorrow, baby, yeah
One day at a time"

Year in Review posts for previous years: 2008 ~*~ 2007 ~*~ 2006 ~*~ 2005

(Cross-posted at Facebook)

Stolen from inkandchocolate

2009-12-11T01:37:18Z

This made me a lil sniffly, but smiley too..

At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without Keiran_C by my side.

Which song was this lyric from?

Mom's B-day Help!

2009-11-18T17:18:24Z

Today is my mom's birthday. She told me over the weekend that she didn't want any ecards with Hoops & Yoyo. (It was more like "I don't want any cards with the weird animals that sing and dance and are strange" or something to that effect, but yes.) So, of course that means she needs to get TONNES of them!!! Which, dear friends, is where I ask for your help!

I would absolutely LOVE it if you could help me out by sending her a Hoops & Yoyo ecard today. I do not expect you to spend any money on it - so just the free ones are fine. I think there are about 6 free ones to choose from.

My mom's name is Linda, and I set up a special temporary email address just for the birthday cards for her: mom-bday@puzzleiam.com (And yes, this temp address does forward to her real one. I just didn't think she'd like me posting her real address everywhere. ha.) It doesn't matter if you know my mom or not - please send a card! Feel free to spread the word and ask your friends to do the same!

Thank you very very VERY much to any & every one who sends her an ecard today!

Wanna see some tweets?

2009-08-19T05:16:41Z

LoudTwitter is back! Woo hoo!! So, now that it's back, I'm going to start up the twitter filter!

It is completely opt-in: if you want to see my tweets when they're reposted here in my lj, just vote "yes" in the poll below, and I'll add you.

If you do not want to see them here at lj (because you follow me on twitter already, or you're just not interested in tweets, or any other reason), you can either vote "no", or do nothing at all!

And like I said when I was originally contemplating the filter - I will not be offended at all if you choose no. :) After all, that's part of the reason I'm creating the filter - so you don't have to see 'em if you don't want to.

View Poll: Twitter Filter Opt-In

Let them eat cake!

2009-04-07T18:17:23Z

Story time! First, let's come up with some abbreviations. Hmm. I have several coworkers. My boss, we'll call N. Then, there is D1, D2, L and J. In another department (but sits RIGHT next to ours) is E. Not all of those are in this story, but I just felt like naming them all. ;)

So, yes. Coworker J had a party this weekend, and she had bought a couple of cakes - and neither cake had much eaten from them. So she brought one of the cakes up here to share with the department. There was roughly half the cake left, maybe just a lil bit more. It was a round chocolate cake, 2 layers, w/choco frosting, and a whole mess of strawberries on top.

Since it was morning, no one touched the cake. (I didn't eat any because I'm allergic to strawberries. But if it'd been something I liked... I might have had some.) So, coworker E comes over and helps herself to some cake. A couple hours later, she gets some more. Now, that's no biggie. It's open to everyone, she can have a couple of slices if she wants.

Except... instead of taking the traditional wedge-shape slices you cut a round cake into, E COMPLETELY scooped out the CENTER of the cake. Now, if you don't like frosting, that's all fine and dandy. Cut yourself a proper piece of cake, then either just trash the frosting, or scoop it off and leave it in the side of the cake container for someone who does like frosting. Don't SCOOP OUT THE MIDDLE!!!! Not only did she scoop out the center of the cake - leaving a 2 inch outer circle of TONNES of frosting - but she also ate all the strawberries & strawberry goo that was on top of the cake too.

At one point, a woman from yet another department came by, and she was going to get a slice. She was completely shocked and appalled that someone had hollowed out the cake like that.

The cake was left there over night, and E's helped herself to it again today. This time - she was scooping out JUST the bottom layer of cake from the circle she'd left. Which left behind, just the top layer and the mass quantities of frosting. So, without a bottom - you guessed it, the cake is collapsing in on itself. THEN she started to harass us to eat some of it, so she wasn't the only one eating it. Ummm... even if it'd been a flavor cake I could eat.. I wouldn't touch it now, that it's been completely destroyed. UGH!!!

Sorry it's a crappy picture, but it's from my crappy cellphone.

People really amaze me sometimes.

An Open Letter...

2009-02-04T18:43:34Z

Dear Idiot In The SUV Who Has Almost Hit Me Every Morning This Week:

Please note that when you turn a corner, you are supposed to move mostly past the oncoming lane before turning onto the street. If you, as you do daily, turn the corner as soon as you reach the curb closest to you, then you are going to turn into MY lane, and take off the front end of my car. The ONLY reason you have not done so yet, is because I am paying attention and slam on my brakes roughly 2 car lengths back from my stop sign. I SHOULD be able to pull up closer to the stop sign without fear of getting hit by your idiotic ass.

Trust me -- waiting 2 more seconds before turning will NOT make you late for work. Hitting my car, however, is guaranteed to make both of us late, and will require you/your insurance to pay all of my repair and medical bills.

No Love At All,

The Driver of the BRIGHT YELLOW Car Who Knows You Can See Me Coming Before You Turn.

Late Night Confessions of an Excel Addict

2008-12-29T09:32:51Z

Excel is my weakness. I'm not sure exactly when or how it happened, but it became a program I have to have. Not just needing to have the program on my PC, but to a point where I am using Excel at least once a day. And, honestly, I use it quite a lot more than that. On an average day, I am guaranteed to have 4 programs running at all times: Firefox, AIM, MSN, and Excel.

I use Excel for anything and everything. One example: I use it as a tool to aide in planning of vacations. I'll create one tab to make a list of rental car companies, and the prices each one offers, along with any coupon codes, etc, that I might need. I create another tab with different flights, so I can pick which is best. I'll have another for hotels, where I can list locations, prices (with separate columns for price per night, taxes, overall price, and price per person), and I'll have additional columns for comments, where I can log things like if there's an additional fee for parking or internet, or anything else they might decide to charge me for. Once the decisions are made, there will be a tab with all the confirmation numbers and specific details, to print out easily and pack in the carry-on. A separate spreadsheet will help me keep a list of potential places to visit, along with the hours and prices of each attraction. I'll even use a spreadsheet to help me plan what to pack on the trip, breaking things down into a checklist type format - IE. one column for shirts, another for pants, another for undergarments/nightwear/etc, and columns for shoes, or toiletries, or medications. There will be one tab with what needs to be packed, another for what is packed, and even another to break down my clothes by day, to make sure I have the right amount of each type of clothing packed. Yeah. I know, I'm insane. To further prove how crazy I am -- I had a total of 7 separate multi-tabbed spreadsheets when I was planning my birthday trip to Vancouver this year. ;)

And I use it for so much more than just vacation planning. If I need to create a list (for absolutely anything at all), 99% of the time I'm going to do it in Excel. In the summer, when it's almost time for all the TV shows to start back up -- you guessed it, I'll create a spreadsheet for it. Not only will the file have a list all the premiere dates for all the shows I watch, but I also use it to create a weekly grid, so I can visually see what show is on what night at what time -- and figure out what needs to be DVR'd. (This is the list I created this for this fall. Shows have been adjusted since, but that was what I was originally watching.) Hmmm, I really need to work on a new list, since shows are about to start shifting around for the spring, and my midseason shows will be starting up soon. :-[

If I am shopping for something - yup. I'll start a spreadsheet for that, too. That way, I can compare different models or brands, and see what the differences are, easily. And once I decide on the specific item I'm buying, I can use another tab, to list all vendors and their prices, to make sure I get the best cost! I have a sheet for books I want to read, and I have one for jewelry I want to buy. I've got another spreadsheet for jobs I've applied for, along with the contact info, dates I applied, any follow up taken, and any other job-hunt relevant info. I just did a search on my entire PC -- as of right this second, I have 586 excel files on my computer, dating all the way back to February of 2000. (Oh yeah. I rarely trash my old Excel files, either. Ha. :-[ )

So... yeah. I want to get certified as an Excel Specialist. There's still some things I need to learn before I can (like macros), but I think it would be nice. Especially considering my every day dependency on Excel.

I have no idea why I wrote an entire entry confessing the depths of my addiction to Excel, but I did. And since I am attempting to get back into the habit of posting again, I'm posting it. ;) Anyone who actually read all this has my sympathy and appreciation. Haha.

Even all the bad songs ain't so bad

2008-10-23T02:08:34Z

I'm supposed to be writing a "real" post. But. Well.... what can I say? I love stealing memes. ;) The real post will come later.

1. How did you get into 29 (George Strait)?
I wouldn't say I'm "into" George. I like a good bit of his earlier music, but I'm not that crazy over anything he's recorded in a while.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22 (Trisha Yearwood)?
"She's In Love With The Boy"

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33 (Maroon 5)?
It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open
You come anytime you want

4. What is your favorite album by 49 (Sara Bareilles)?
Little Voice

5. How many albums by 13 do you own (Scott Grimes)?
2 - the only 2 he has out, to my knowledge

6. What is your favorite song by 50 (Emerson Drive)?
"I Should Be Sleeping"

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad (Darling Violetta)?
Sad, no. Wistfully nostalgic, yes. (The "Angel" theme)

8. What is your favorite album by 15 (Sons of the Desert)?
The special live album they recorded @ Fan Fair 2000, with us fans in the studio with them.

9. What is your favorite song by 5 (Sirsy)?
Tie between "Whenever You're Around" and "Paper Moon"

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy (Garth Brooks)?
Many many many many songs

11. What is your favorite album by 40 (David Kersh)?
Goodnight Sweetheart

12. What is your favorite song by 10 (Bryan White)?
Wow. Um. "Blindhearted". And "So Much For Pretending". And "You Know How I Feel". And "Someone Else's Star". And lots others.

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30 (Common Rotation)?
The concert in LA, February 17, 2002. So many good friends there with me, and such a great show.

14. What is your favorite song by 38 (Robbie Williams)?
"Angels"

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy (The Great Divide)?
"Pour Me A Vacation"

16. How many times have you seen 25 live (Tony Lucca)?
Ummm... 2.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23 (Billy Joel)?
Wow. I don't remember. Maybe "Piano Man"?

18. What is your favorite album by 11 (Our Lady Peace)?
Healthy in Paranoid Times

19. Who is a favorite member of 1 (Headstones)?
Hugh!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

20. Have you ever seen 14 live (Rascal Flatts)?
Yup. 6 times.

21. What is a good memory involving 27 (Matthew Good)?
Seeing him in concert at Massey Hall on 10/26/07 with my best friend.

22. What is your favorite song by 16 (Blessid Union of Souls)?
"I Wanna Be There"

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47 (Michelle Branch)?
"Everywhere"

24. What is your favorite album by 18 (Jason Mraz)?
I don't think I like any one album more than the others.

25. What is your favorite song by 21 (Matchbox Twenty)?
"Mad Season"

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26 (Mark Hildreth)?
"Beauty Of It All"

27. What is your favorite album by 3 (Lonestar)?
Lonely Grill

28. What is your favorite song by 2 (Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir)?
"Puzzle I Am"

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32 (*NSYNC)?
"I Want You Back"

30. What is your favorite song by 8 (Amanda Marshall)?
"Dark Horse"

31. How many times have you seen 17 live (Alanis Morissette)?
None. (And, "isn't it ironic" that every time I get this question, it's for artists I've never/barely seen?)

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy (New Kids on the Block)?
Many!!! "Please Don't Go Girl" will always be special to me for some private reasons.

33. What is your favorite album by 12 (Keith Urban)?
Be Here

34. What is the worst song by 45 (Kalan Porter)?
I don't know.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34 (Steve Carlson)?
"Now That My Love Is Gone"

36. What is you favorite album by 48 (Vertical Horizon)?
Everything You Want

37. How many times have you seen 42 live (Joss Stone)?
None.

38. What is your favorite song by 36 (Butch Walker)?
Either "Mixtape" or "Take Tomorrow (One Day At A Time)"

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28 (Barenaked Ladies)?
"Shoebox"

40. What is your favorite album by 7 (Brother)?
Exit From Screechville

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy (Sarah McLachlan)?
"River"

42. What is your favorite album by 41 (Jason Sellers)?
I'm Your Man

43. What is your favorite song by 24 (Michael Bublé)?
"Home" & "Feeling Good"

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46 (Augustana)?
None?

45. What is your favorite song by 35 (Chantal Kreviazuk)?
"Feels Like Home". Reminds me of my best friend.

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy (ABBA)?
Pretty much all ABBA songs make me happy!

47. What is your favorite album by 4 (Train)?
Alive At Last - just because I love the live versions of their songs.

48. Who is a favorite member of 37 (Steve Wariner)?
Well, since Steve is a "he" and not a band ... I think that's pretty obvious. ;)

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43 (Nickel Creek)?
"This Side"

50. How many albums do you own by 20 (The Corrs)?
6

My last.fm account is here. Feel free to add me if you haven't already. :D

Sigh

2008-08-11T12:08:11Z

I got back home yesterday. I didn't want to leave Vancouver. Sure, my knees are still screaming in protest from the trip, but I don't care. Temps in the 60's & 70's beat temps in the 100's any day. ;) Plus, it was so nice there. Sigh. Ugh. Oh well. Now to see if my knees will work long enough to get me to the car so I can go to school. Meh.

lost

2006-05-25T03:00:48Z

...... wtf?

keiran_c @ 2005-10-07T19:30:00

2005-10-08T00:30:02Z

I've been meaning to post this for a while, and just keep forgetting. :-[ haha. Oops? Anyway. God, I look AWFUL. I already had a sore throat, and was beginning to get sick, though, so I'm really not surprised at exactly HOW bad I look. :-[

I'll try to get more pictures from the Toronto trip up into an album this weekend, and link to 'em later. Although, we know I'm a master procrastinator, so I can't promise it will happen. Hee!!

:-*

2004-12-14T00:03:16Z

Hi, I just wanted to say I love you.

And you.

And you.

And you and you and you.

And all of you.

*spreads the love*