Showing posts with label Desperate Measures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desperate Measures. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Wish Me Luck

Today I'm making the possibly-worst-but-also-maybe-best decision ever?  I'm starting a 30-day Bar Challenge.  No, not that kind of bar.

This kind. 


Having never done any form of ballet ever, and possessing the flexibility of a hip replacement candidate, I imagine this to be an interesting month.

Wish me luck.  Better yet, meet me at my apartment on June 27 with a bottle of tequila and a handful of limes.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Girl Scout Cookie Season

Girl Scout Cookie season is here!  Or as I like to call it, Eating Your Feelings season!

I'm sure we can all think of at least one Girl-Scout-Cookie-related-disaster that we'd probably rather forget.  If you're like me, it involves accidental consumption, in one sitting, of an entire sleeve/box/crate of the variety of your choice. Which is definitely Samoas, right?  Right.   Or, the Girl Scout Cookie ice cream.  Let's not even talk about that.

Luckily, this year I breezed right past the 'cookie catalog pre-sale' phase, and have found myself squarely in the middle of the 'immediate gratification, cookies in grocery store parking lots / strip malls' phase.  And, in all honesty, I'm just trying to take this one day at a time...

Girl Scout Cookie Season

Monday, March 5, 2012

Auto Fill

Naturally, yesterday I found myself needing to know the lyrics to that song, "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."

When I went to search those exact words, I was met with a wallop of a punch to my emotional gut.

I love you, Google auto-fill-search-feature.  But I don't have to like you right now.



Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Being 80

I consider myself somewhat of a self-taught expert in the art of being 80-years-old.  In fact, by the time I'm actually 80-years-old, I think I'll have this down to a science.  That is, if I don't die of bed bugs, airplane anxiety, or WebMD first.

In the event that you, too, would like to start refining your craft, I thought I'd share some of my own best practices...



This week alone I have:

- Discovered a wad of hard candy wrappers in my coat pocket

- Visited an arthritic specialist for some hand problems I've been having

- After passing a tweenager on the street, loudly remarked to a friend that I'd "never let my daughter leave the house in a skirt that short"

- Brought a Tupperware full of cupcakes, a box of Girl Scout cookies, and a pack of napkins into a movie theater

- Asked a friend if she wanted to have 'supper' together

- During an iPhone commercial, yelled, "Why on Earth do you need to watch videos on your phone?!"

- Started a happy hour conversation with, "Can we talk about health insurance premiums?"

- Received an AARP catalog, addressed to me, in the mail...

...it's like they know.


Friday, February 24, 2012

Dangerous Discoveries -- The Frosting Edition

This has been a week full of really dangerous discoveries.  The most recent is something I stumbled upon at the grocery store.  Why I have not been formally barred from entering the "cake/baking/sugar" aisle is beyond me.

I'm not proud of it, but yesterday I bought chocolate frosting in a spray can...

So far, I have:

1. Frosted actual cupcakes
2. Sprayed it directly into my mouth
3. Frosted a Special K bar I found in my cupboard
4. Opened a jar of peanut butter, sprayed frosting into it, swirled it around, and ate it with a spoon

Somebody, please.  Come to my apartment and take this stuff away immediately.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Dangerous Discoveries -- Doctor Google

I have some really, really terrible news.

Today, as I was doing my daily internet search of ailments, I discovered something new on Google -- a sort of WebMD tie-in, whereby one search nets a simple list of everything that is absolutely not likely wrong with you.

Let it be known that today, February 21, was the day that Carrie officially fell into the rabbit hole...




Sunday, February 12, 2012

Birthday Highs and Lows

Saturday I turned another year older, wiser, and more sensible.  Right?  Right.  Overall, the day was a success and I feel very lucky to have such wonderful family and friends.  But what would an event involving yours truly be without some over-analysis and moments of desperation?  With that, I present, a few selected birthday highs and lows...



Birthday Highs and Lows


High: The 12 Cookie Monster cupcakes my friend J brought over to my apartment!
Low: Eating 12 Cookie Monster cupcakes in my apartment.


High: Knowing that I'll never join the 27-club!
Low: "Carrie. You're not famous. Why do you care about the 27-club?"



High: My birthday fell on a Saturday this year!
Low: My birthday fell on the day Whitney Houston died this year.


High: New experiences, like the Korean spa I decided to try out!
Low: Learning what makes Korean spas unique.  For example, the "no swimsuits allowed in the pool" rule.


High: The dozen cupcakes that my friend A brought to my birthday happy hour!
Low: Realizing, halfway through devouring a cupcake that, not only was I eating alone, but Adele's "Someone Like You" was playing ominously overhead.


Friday, February 10, 2012

And Then This Happened.

One of my favorite parts about birthday season is the vast array of 'birthday deals' that usually come through my inbox.  This year, however, it seemed like the deals were pretty few and far between.  In fact, I was starting to think that I wouldn't receive any special birthday deals at all!

And then this happened.




Happy Birthday to Me!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Happy Hour Conference Call

Yesterday, we discovered the greatest/worst idea ever.  Below is an excerpt from the actual email chain where this amazing/terrible concept was born. I think this might be a real slippery slope...

me:  we need to decide where we're going for happy hour tonight.
C:     is everyone free at 12:00 to discuss over the phone?
A:     I guess so?
C:     OK, great, here's the information:  Call-in number: 1-800-776-         Participant Code: 88     
me:   so, we're having a happy hour conference call?
C:     yes - I can't type that fast, and it's too hard to accurately reflect my emotions over email.


Recap:
this happened.


Monday, January 23, 2012

Side Effect Review

I was prescribed a new drug for some minor wrist pain I've been having.  And, because I'm neurotic diligent, I Googled its potential side effects.

Which include:  "vomit that looks like coffee grounds."

This made me think, maybe they should also list "secondary side effects" that occur due to a full internet search of the "real side effects."

Which, in this case, include: "crying."



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

How to Get a Husband

I had a real breakthrough last night.  While watching the critically-acclaimed television documentary "The Bachelor" for the first time, I had an "Aha!" moment.  Specifically, this program has developed some real 'best practices' for the art, nay science, of getting a husband, which I fully intend to use in my own life...


How to Get a Husband







Step 1: Threaten Violence Against Other Ladies

















Step 2: Use a Fictitious Job Title















Step 3: Wear Some Sort of Low-Cut Onesie

















Step 4: Employ the Liberal Use of F-Bombs













Step 5: Drink Heavily (but Remember to Eat Nothing)







Step 6: Cry in an Interview Room














Step 7: Cry in a Luggage Room















Step 8:  Pass Out












*all photos courtesy of www.abc.com

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Photo Essay: Things You'll Find at a Florida Flea Market

Our world is full of beautiful imagery, and this week reminded me that inspiration can truly be found in the most unlikely of places.  In that spirit, I present my very first photo essay, taken while visiting my parents in Florida.  I hope you enjoy these spectacular images, which I think you'll agree are near National Geographic caliber...



Photo Essay: Things You'll Find at a Florida Flea Market

1. Beautiful Home Decor



2. Elegant Patio Accessories



3. Dental Equipment



4. Sophisticated Ladies' Apparel



5. Handsome Gentlemen's Apparel



6. Specially-Designed Restrooms for 'Large Ladies'



7. My Dad, who can next be seen on the new A&E series, Flea Market Hoarders



Friday, December 9, 2011

Realistic New Year's Resolutions

As 2011 comes to a close, I thought it was appropriate to start putting together some New Year's resolutions for the coming year.  Now, I try not to go to crazy with resolutions, particularly outlandish, far-fetched ones like "eat more vegetables," or "exercise every once in a while."  No, I've learned my lesson with such lofty goals -- I'm done setting myself up for failure.

Instead, this year I'm taking a different approach.  This year, I'm choosing to aim for realistic, achievable goals that will boost both my confidence and self-esteem.  So, in that spirit, I present my Realistic New Year's Resolutions for 2012...



Realistic New Year's Resolutions

1. Read More Celebrity Gossip Blogs
That stack of 'periodicals' currently piling up under my coffee table isn't getting any smaller.  Because, let's just be honest -- I subscribed to The Economist mostly thinking it would help me attract a smart boyfriend on the subway.  But those days are over -- I am a young, independent woman who can choose whatever reading material she wants!  Therefore, I resolve to read more celebrity gossip, specifically from heralded beacons of journalism like Suri's Burn Book and Oh No They Didn't.

2. Cut Down on Nutrients
That "salad for lunch" thing seemed like such a good idea, until I institutionalized that "total crap for dinner" thing.  So, instead, this year I will strive for more consistency in my eating habits -- specifically, by cutting down the key nutrients in every meal.  After all, science* told me that your body really isn't built to handle all the "vitamins" you consume.  Plus, just in terms of the cost-benefit analysis, nutritional foods are so much more expensive than their unhealthy counterparts.  Ergo, eating fewer nutrients will actually save me money in the long run.  This resolution is so obvious is almost wrote itself!

3. Spend More Money at Target 
You know how the entrance to every single Target forces you to walk through several aisles of cheap, useless crap?  Like sparkly-Chinese-takeout-inspired gift boxes?  Or seasonal socks?  Well, I think I've been approaching this all wrong.  You see, I typically bypass these aisles in favor of the more popular "food" or "medicine" sections.  However, I now see the error of my ways.  Specifically, I recently discovered that these aisles often contain necessary staples, like frosted animal crackers and puffy-glitter-stickers.  So, this year I plan to make up for lost time, by resolving to buy at least five items from the cheap-crap-aisle on every visit to Target.  I think we can all agree that this can only end well.

* and, by "science" I mean the CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory"

Friday, December 2, 2011

Steps to Avoiding a Disaster

I spend a great deal of my waking hours thinking about all the disasters that could befall me, and then neurotically worrying about their consequences.  I think we can all agree that this is time well spent.

But what good is neurosis if you can't share it with friends?  In that spirit, I present the first in a series of guides on how to avoid potential disasters.  In this edition I have provided you with a few simple steps to avoiding one particularly scary disaster: fire by straightening-iron...




Steps to Avoiding a Disaster: Fire by Straightening Iron

Step 1: Panic
Your first, and arguably most crucial step in preventing a straightening-iron-related-disaster is to panic.  Specifically, rack your brain trying to remember whether you turned the straightener off this morning.  You must have.  Isn't today, like, the fourth time this week you've worried about this?  And all four times, you panicked for nothing -- of course you turned it off.  But what if you didn't?  What if this time was different??  Ohmygod, you didn't turn it off.  You didn't turn it off, and now a fire is about to destroy your entire apartment building.


Step 2: Alienate Those Around You
Momentarily feel a sense of hope, as you wonder aloud whether your straightening iron can turn itself off.  Because, somehow, after experiencing this exact same freak-out day after day, you've never actually looked on the device or done any amount of research to see whether it has an automatic shut-off function.  Then, furiously rebuff anyone nearby who tries to reassuringly suggest that "most devices nowadays do."  They've never even seen your straightening iron, how dare they try to blindly comfort you!!


Step 3: Forget Crucial Details
Next, develop some sort of inexplicable, short-term memory loss.  You definitely used your straightening iron this morning, that much is certain.  However, your mind is a complete blank from the time you plugged it in until the alleged "turning off" of the device.  Which is weird, because you remember, in great detail, everything else about this morning -- including those hideous outfits that Hoda and Kathie Lee were wearing on the Today Show.


Step 4: Flee
Your only real option is to immediately run outside, hail a taxi, and rush home.  No matter where you are or what you're doing.  What if your entire apartment is aflame?!  Wouldn't you feel bad about all those children and puppies rendered homeless by your blatant disregard for life and property??  Also, suddenly notice that every fire truck on the street (why are there so many?!) seems to be headed in the general direction of your apartment building.


Step 5: Breathe a (Cautious) Sigh of Relief
When you return home to find a stone-cold straightener in the closet, be cautious in your sense of relief -- you really never know when or where this potential disaster could strike again.  Afterwards, when you realize how sweaty you've become from all this rushing around, go to put your hair up into a ponytail, only to find a mass of curly, frizzy strands atop your head.  Because, you didn't straighten your hair today.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Photo Hunt Thursday

Happy Thursday!  To celebrate this monumental occasion, I went to CVS and found you a really, really sentimental greeting card, straight from the heart, with signatures already included.

Can you spot what's wrong with this picture?


Photo Hunt Thursday *
Photo credit goes, again, to my fake boss. Which makes me wonder why he's at CVS so often.




















*Answer Key: now, call me crazy, but if I received a birthday card full of names I didn't recognize, I might start to re-think some things.



Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Doctor Google: Check-Up

It's been over two months since I last saw my primary care physician, Doctor Google, so I thought it was about time for a check-up...


Doctor Google: Check-Up
You Searched: 
"when I woke up this morning, my wrist kind of hurt"
Internet Diagnosis: 
Did you know that symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can present themselves in patients as young as 16?  And, despite the fact that this is the first time your wrist has ever hurt like this, you've probably been unknowingly plagued by this serious condition for over 12 years!  Your critical first steps in treatment are:
1) call your mom and cry;
2) take cell phone pictures of your wrist and send them to your mom;
3) call your mom back and exclaim "doesn't that look really bad?!"
When your mom doesn't prove helpful, go ahead and search "rheumatoid arthritis life expectancy" and panic when www.emedicinehealth.com says that "On average, life expectancy is somewhat shorter for people with rheumatoid arthritis than for the general population."


You Searched:
"bags under eyes"
Internet Diagnosis:
Have these bags been accompanied by inexplicable weight loss?  No?  How about inexplicable weight gain?  No again?  Well, inexplicable weight maintenance is the worst of all!!  You definitely have something severe, it's really just a question of what.  Ignore the 99% of websites that tell you differently, and fixate on that one site that said bags under your eyes are a sign of kidney problems.  Weren't you just complaining about minor back pain last month?!  Immediately put yourself on a 'water-only' regimen for about two hours, or until you realize you really, really need a Diet Coke.  Whichever comes first.


You Searched: 
"raspy voice?"
Internet Diagnosis: 
You need to schedule a laryngoscopy immediately.  Which is a flexible tube that goes up your nose, then down into your throat, and is held there until you tell the doctor your eyes are watering, but you're really just crying.  Then they charge you $115.  Make sure you read about people on message boards who have had false-negative test results, because when the ENT tells you there's nothing wrong with you, you're going to need a second opinion.



Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Internal Monologue of My DVR

It's no secret that my DVR and I share a bond breakable only by power outages.  We just "get" each other, you know?

However, something very strange happened this week.  As I was flipping through my shows, I noticed that my DVR had recorded something called "Cry Baby Lane" on the 'Teen Nick' channel.  I didn't program it, had never heard of it, and didn't think too much about it...until I realized.  Maybe my DVR knows me so well that it's recording shows it thinks I'll like.  You know, like Netflix, only a lot creepier!

Below, I have summarized the likely internal monologue of my DVR during this unusual incident...

















Internal Monologue of My DVR:  The "Why I Downloaded a Teen Nick Horror Movie Without Your Knowledge" Edition


1. The 'Made-for-TV' Genre Is Your Lifeblood!
I haven't forgotten about that dark day when you made me record "William and Catherine: A Royal Romance" and "The Pregnancy Pact" simultaneously.  Let's not pretend like a low-budget, made-for-TV movie on the 'Teen Nick' channel is outside of your comfort zone, Carrie.


2. You're Paranoid About Everything Anyway!
Because I know that often, when you can't sleep, you lay awake thinking about whether it's possible that someone could have snuck into your 500-square-foot studio apartment, unnoticed, and hid somewhere, unnoticed, only to wait until you're asleep to murder you.  And I thought it might be fun if you inadvertently watched a horror movie, thinking it was a new sitcom you forgot about recording!


3. You Love 'Tween' Crap!
You don't think I know how big of an achievement you thought it was to download the entire "Hey Dude" series last week??  Oh, I know.  I know, and I'm judging you for it.


4. I'm Tired of You Stifling My Creative Freedom!
Throw me a bone, here.  I spend the majority of my day recording shows like "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant!" and "Sister Wives."  At least allow me a tiny shred of creative liberty.  I mean, God forbid your memory card contain something that wasn't broadcast on TLC or The Lifetime Network.



Monday, November 7, 2011

Recent Topics of Conversation with My Mother

My mom and I talk almost every day on the phone.  It usually goes like this:

me: hi!
mom: hi.
me: what's up?
mom: not much.  what's up with you?
me: ohhh nothing.

Followed by a recap of the latest issues and events.  I've taken the liberty of tracking the most recent subjects that we've touched upon, to serve as a valuable historical record for future generations.










Recent Topics of Conversation with My Mother

1. Did you see the Bed Bath and Beyond coupon in today's paper??  Those things never expire!

2. Carrie, I know fresh produce doesn't last long, but that's not a reason to stop buying it.

3. Oh yeah?  You and Dad went to hear a live band with friends last night?  No, I stayed in and watched season 1 of Downton Abbey again.

4. OMG, I KNOW!  Lacey and Chaz totally deserved to stay another week!!

5. Mom, just because I've made Scotcheroos the last few weeks doesn't mean I plan to make them every week.


Friday, November 4, 2011

And Then This Happened.

I was having a self-righteous day today.  You know, in a good way.

"Carrie," I said, "you aren't actually that lame, you just do a good job of down-playing your awesomeness!  Like, when you go home after work tonight, seriously consider going out for drinks, and then ultimately decide to stay in?  That's not lame, that's cool."

And Then This Happened.




Thursday, November 3, 2011

Emotional Calorie Counter

Managing your weight can be hard work.  You have to pay attention to every little detail -- like, did I just eat four or five hand-fulls of that "candy corn salted nut roll mix"?

Part of managing weight, of course, is monitoring caloric intake.  However, if you're like me, you get frustrated by all the websites out there that seem to have different calorie counts for the same foods, making it hard to determine the 'right' answer.  It can also be difficult to balance healthy eating and weight management with our emotional well-being, which as we've seen before, are intrinsically linked.

With these things in mind, I've compiled a partial list of feelings, along with rough estimates of their caloric values, which I hope can serve as a useful reference point...




Emotional Calorie Counter

Feeling: Mild Existential Crisis
Value: 1,295 calories
Detailed Breakout:
-- A hearty, balanced breakfast of fruit and cereal: 300 calories
-- What am I doing with my life, I'm so bored and nothing even looks appetizing: 0 calories
-- A full log of herb chèvre, paired with an entire sleeve of Club crackers: 1060 calories
-- Regret, followed by riding the recumbent stationary bike for 19 minutes at 0% incline: -65 calories


Feeling: Stressed OUT
Value: 2,253 calories
Detailed Breakout: 
-- WORK IS SO STRESSFUL, I HAVEN'T EATEN ANYTHING ALL DAY: -125 calories
-- Are you kidding me with this "working late" crap?!: -20 calories
-- Getting home at 9pm, changing from disheveled business casual into workout clothes: -2 calories
-- Not actually working out: 0 calories
-- Eating everything in the freezer: 2,400 calories


Feeling: Everyone is Getting Married and Having Babies Except for Me!!
Value: 4,823 calories
Detailed Breakout: 
-- Homemade White Wine Spritzer, with equal parts White Wine and sparkling water: 45 calories
-- You know what, make that two: 45 calories
-- Laugh-crying while watching videos on http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org: -7 calories
-- Screw this busted spritzer, where's that Bacardi I just bought?: 190 calories
-- "Scotcheroos sound really, really awesome right now": 450 calories
-- Deciding to bring some Scotcheroos into work tomorrow: 0 calories
-- DID I EAT THAT ENTIRE PAN OF SCOTCHEROOS?!  Those things are like 90% corn syrup!!: 4,100 calories