Phone calls that awake you at 2:17 a.m. do little for your productivity later in the day. I had one of those last night. My eyelids are heavy and I’m having trouble staying up and at ’em. This wouldn’t pose a problem if I wasn’t going to tonight’s Bright Eyes show at the Orpheum. But good music and great booze will always win over an early bedtime.

Last night, in an attempt to create something for dinner that doesn’t require me to Just Add Water, I was opening a can of chicken when I sliced through the pad of my right thumb. It bled and bled as wounds traditionally do, but the real pain arrived today. I never realized how much I use my thumb when I could no longer use it: typing, writing, securing my necklace, buttoning my sweater. You get the idea. Wearing a clunky Band-Aid helps a little, but not much.

I officially began my Christmas shopping last week with an online purchase. One may second guess the allure of online shopping because of the shipping charges. However, when one considers the gas spent driving to and from a mall or retail store, paired with the potential of long lines and crappy customer service, those extra few bucks necessary to have packages delivered to one’s home or workplace certainly is appealing.

Problem is, I have a stack of coupons from a number of stores I want to shop this season, and those coupons are only good at the store — not the Web site. Assuming I’m able to efficiently shop in these stores, the experience shouldn’t be a problem. I use their Web sites to determine my purchase, so I don’t spend a lot of time walking through the store.

This weekend flew by. However, it’s not often I’m excitedly awaiting Monday morning.

I took in an art opening at the Hot Shops Art Center Saturday night. I’d highly recommend spending some time at the Hot Shops’ art gallery. There’s a great variety of works to get lost in on a rainy afternoon.

(1) You may have read this on CNN’s Web site. It appears former FEMA Director Mike Brown exchanged several emails in the first weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Interesting stuff.

(2) This email ad has to be among one of more ill-used methods of stealing Apple’s iPod and iTunes campaign. Shame on them, whoever the hell they are.

After two-and-a-half hours, I am completely out of candy! We had plenty of great costumes come to the door tonight. The best: two little boys dressed as Darth Vader, light saber and all!

I received my first call from a headhunter on Monday. It was odd, because the woman left me a voicemail message at work, saying she wished to discuss a “career opportunity.” I was rather surprised, as I hadn’t shopped out my resume in well over six months. I returned the woman’s call and had her e-mail me details of the position, simply for humor’s sake. I asked her point blank how she found me, and she said they have lists of agency employees they continually review.

I visit the headhunter’s Web site…and their offices are one block away from my work. I can probably see her car from our parking lot.

Scary.

Here’s a portion of the e-mail I received at home on Monday:

I enjoyed talking with you on the phone this afternoon. Enclosed is some information about the Account Director position we discussed. This company is looking for individuals with a 4 year degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications or Business, 3+ years ad agency experience, and individuals that would be comfortable working with physicians. Clients consist of medical clinics, specialty hospitals, manufacturers of surgical instruments and pharmaceutical companies. Salary is $40K + incentive (estimated at $70-100K). (Note: base salary may be adjusted upward depending upon experience.)

Let me just say: This so does not match my qualifications.

Today’s the day I get to see Illinois Sen. Barack Obama speak at a fund-raiser luncheon for Girls Inc. of Omaha. There’s a press conference 30 minutes before the luncheon that I may also attend. More details later…

So I had the pleasure of meeting Margaret Yang last night. Charming young lady, actually. Loved her preppy clothes, her black nerd glasses and the gray scarf that covered her nose and mouth while she was flying her little airplane.

I now see how some would find similarities between Ms. Yang and myself — excluding the fact that she’s Asian.

And that Max Fisher? What a character! He certainly had his fair share of rainy days, that’s for sure. Poor, Max. He merely wants to be the hero all of the time.