A busy weekend is here. Tonight, Matthew and I are having dinner at Kobe Steakhouse. It’s one of those restaurants where you’re seated around the chef, who chucks cooked steak and chicken into the mouths of hungry patrons. That should be entertaining in and of itself. Tomorrow, we have my co-worker’s wedding reception to attend. It’s being held at an ultra-swanky mansion in Midtown Omaha. I imagine that meal will be delicious, as well. We enjoy getting dressed up for a night on the town, so long as it doesn’t happen every night ;-)

Work went well today, for a Friday. I find that I can accomplish quite a bit when I listen to my iPod. That way, I’m not as easily distracted by other conversations and the like. People don’t find it as easy to approach me to gab, which has become a pet peeve of mine as of late. As a writer, it can be hard to concentrate on a story when someone stops you mid-sentence just to chat. It looks like I’m just sitting there, doing nothing, when in actuality I’m reading what I’ve written or thinking of a way to write what I want to say.

I’m reminded of a story: One of the guys who works in the press room was up front in the newsroom last week. Margaret and I were hard at work on stories, when this clown blurts out, “Jeez, it must be nice to just sit there and watch TV all day!”

Honestly. For starters, since when the hell did a PC function as a TV at work? Couldn’t he see the Microsoft Word files open and populated with words? Secondly, I get the vibe from a handful of our press guys that because our job doesn’t involve manual labor, it’s not important. If I remember correctly, we print newspapers so people can read what we write.

Check this out: http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

(Thanks to Molly for sending this my way!)

I’ve seen on my friends’ blogs through Blogger that images automatically appear with a nifty border. Anyone know the HTML code to use in LJ to create the same effect?

Me at Macworld New York, circa June 1999. That iBook was rather clunky, but it was my first portable Macintosh. I think it had a 3 GB hard drive. And I loved it.

I still feel in a transitory state with my job. I have a few options out there, but nothing has surfaced that rings true. Nothing has clicked or sent a resounding ring of confidence. It’s all about patience and timing, right?

I really learned something about myself during Tuesday’s kitty experience: I need to roll with the punches a little better. For much of my life, I’ve made changes when something wasn’t right. “Fix it” was forever my motto. Don’t let a day pass when you’re not completely at peace with something. But when a new experience like the kitten surfaced, I kinda freaked. Rather than allowing myself time to adjust to the situation, I reacted on my immediate emotions and returned the kitty. And as much as I can’t stand Dr. Laura, a bit of her advice sticks in my head: Don’t base your decisions on your emotions. So there. I think I want to try this cat ownership again in the future, with full knowledge that both me and the animal will need a few days to adjust, and not a mere six hours.

Riddle me this: What is the allure of the poncho this fall? I see them in all the stores, hanging off racks like miniature blankets with fringe. And I have yet to see a woman who looks attractive (and not simply hidden) wearing one. I’m all for expressing who you are through fashion; I certainly do it myself. But can someone please share with me how a poncho makes someone look good? It merely looks like you’re wearing a blanket with a hole cut in the middle.

Thanks for your sweet words about the kitty, but I decided late last night to return him/her to the original owner. Last night was a little rough. The kitty didn’t really come near me until Matthew got home. It didn’t eat. It didn’t use its litter box. And, the more I thought about it, a 3-month-old kitten needs much more attention and care (at first) than what I can provide right now, which would be an hour in the morning and three or four hours in the evening. I work on the weekends, too, so that rules out the majority of Saturday and Sunday.

I know I made the right decision. I wouldn’t rule out having an older cat down the road, especially at a time when I will have more free time in my schedule. I’d rather the kitty be properly cared for now.

Even when the kitten left, Matthew reminded him/her that its name would forever be Tolkien :-)

Wendy Townley: this cat doesn’t want to come near me

Tony Dreibus: yeah give her a few days. don’t mess with her, just feed her and give her a place to crap and she’ll be out in a few days.

I picked up my new (very little) friend today. I brought the 3-month-old kitten home in a kennel, and it seemed to take the car ride OK. The owner doesn’t know the sex of the kitten; nor do I. I imagine a trip to the vet will answer that question, at which time I’ll name my new furry friend.

My boyfriend wants to name the cat Tolkien, but I’m not 100 percent sold on that idea. Regardless of what I name him/her, Matthew says he’ll still call the cat Tolkien :-)

Here are a few photos from its first day on N Street. Enjoy :-)