cindy's world

I always suspected that my Dodopuff has an opinion about whether he wants his ears cleaned, and ear-cleaning is not something that just “happens” to him when I feel like cleaning his ears. I think he’s been manipulating me, and today I got confirmation.

There are times when he’d just sit in front of me and meow piteously and scratch his cone with his hind leg, making a tap-tap-taptaptap noise. Sometimes I’d stop and observe him, see which ear he’s going after, then Q-tip that ear or clean it with a cottonball and disinfecting solution the vet had given me. He used to struggle, so I just figured he didn’t like me screwing with his body parts. Today, he’s doing the rat-a-tat-tat thing, and I stood in the bathroom where I was getting ready for work, kept my eye on him, and opened the drawer that I keep Q-tips in. Hearing the sliding sound, Dodo came running into the bathroom meowing and plastered himself to my leg. He purred loudly when I Q-tipped his little ears. He totally KNEW where the Q-tips are kept and he KNEW when his cone-scratching has achieved the desired effect!

Now I think back to his other actions, like when he’s out of food and I’m being lazy on the couch ignoring his meows, and he’d jump onto tables and countertops and knock things over (which he normally wouldn’t do) and make all this noise, to force me to get up to chase him off the tables, and then he’d go running to his food and sit looking pointedly at his empty bowl now that he got my attention.

That clever little feline!

You know how I have a certain admiration for Dove Chocolate wrapper fortunes? (See past Dove advice here.)

Today, it says this:
“There’s a time for compromise…it’s called ‘later’.”

What the heck is that?! I thought Dove Promises (R) Messages were supposed to be romantic and conducive to love and relationships. If they printed more than ONE of these, and everyone followed that advice, then we’d have a lot more cases to handle at work. Yuck.

*throwing wrapper in trash*

Maxim, the premiere junk magazine for men, has recently published a Top 5 list of women. But unlike other pop magazine lists, the women who made the top 5 are the current MOST UNSEXY WOMEN, in Maxim’s educated opinion. And the winners are…

5. Britney Spears
(Ouch! Sure she’s nowhere near her previous “Slave 4 U” rocking legs and body half-nekkid onstage dancing pre-babies self, but even in her heavily criticized recent MTV Music Awards bikini, she had an hourglassy figure, her stomach didn’t jiggle when she jumped around, and I didn’t see any stretch marks. Her body still kicks my never-pregnant body’s ass.)
4. Madonna
(She’s a bit manly for me, but I’m not sure what this is about since she’d mainly stayed out of the public eye for awhile — did she lose points for all the baby adoption back-and-forths? If that’s it, then geez, it’s not like she’s angelina freakin-jolie.)
3. Sandra Oh
(I have to agree with this. I get that she’s a great actress and is making her mark for Asian Americans in popular media, but can they find an uglier Asian chick to represent us? For some reason, there are a lot of non-Asian people who think she’s just gorgeous, but every Asian I know, and among people who are familiar with Asians in general, think she’s just awful on the eyes.)
2. Amy Winehouse. Weinhaus? Whinehouse?
(I have never heard of this person, but apparently she’s a talented musician who’s always getting crap for being physically unattractive. I’d look her up if I knew how to spell her last name.)
1. Sarah Jessica Parker
(WHOOP WHOOP! Take THAT, SATC! I hate that show. I consequently and unreasonably hate all people who act on it. I don’t get what all the hype over SJP is about. Okay, she’s skinny [emaciated], she’s got boobs and legs and maybe even an ass, but that wirey big hair and fuschia streak of blush up her cheeks? Ick! They also dress her character horribly on SATC. Adam Carolla [previously of KROQ’s “Lovelines”, TV’s “The Man Show” and current KFI Talk Radio’s “The Adam Carolla Show”] refers to her as “one of those women that YOU women love and want US to love or find attractive, and we just DON’T.” Right there with you, Adam. I don’t, either.)

End catty rant.

It was so freakishly, insanely hot last nite that I flopped back and forth on my leather couch dying, unable to fall asleep. (No way I was going upstairs to bed; that’s even worse!) I looked over at the densely-furred Dodo, sleeping soundly on the floor, and wondered whether he was actually dead from heat exhaustion. I had windows and doors open, but there was no breeze. I think it was in the muggy low 100s until 4am. At some point in the middle of the night I rummaged through the guest bathroom medicine cabinet, thinking I might have a spray bottle in there somewhere so that I could mist myself, and found a Citrus Punch Body Splash (with moisturizing Aloe Vera!) in a little spray bottle from Bath & Body Works. I spritzed myself down, then spritzed the air in the bathroom, hallway, living room, dining area. I think it helped and I fell asleep soon, only to be awakened by an irritated “grrr” from Dodo as he crinkled up his sensitive cat nose and darted into the kitchen to get away from all the Citrusy goodness.

Poor cat, it was a bad evening for him. I ran a bunch of errands after work and got home late to find that the garage door had been open all day for some reason. I ran in and the cat seemed fine, and my house appeared uninvaded. He yelped and complained about the heat, and I figured he’d enjoy some ice, so I put 5 squares of ice cubes in one of his cat dishes, put the dish under his nose so he can sense the coldness, and I placed it on the floor for him. He eagerly lapped at the ice cubes, except that because I stupidly didn’t put any water in the dish, Dodo’s tongue got stuck on an ice cube. He made a protesting sound deep in his throat, shot his head back spilling the dish a little, and shook the ice cube off. Altho I added water to the ice after that, he wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

This morning, I discovered that on the 3 remaining wooden garage doors in our project, there was a long printed notice or advertisement stapled (yes, STAPLED, as with a staple gun, permanently affixed metal pieces) to the front of the garage doors. Mine was one of those doors. It was from The Mesa Companies, that stupid garage door replacement company. The note reads:

PLEASE CALL [phone #] EXT 2203
TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR
PREMEASUREMENTS AND THE
INSTALLATION OF YOUR NEW GARAGE DOOR!
HOA DIVISION
[the same phone #]
REPRESENTATIVE: _____________________
DATE: __________________
TIME: __________________

Are they freaking kidding me? They’re gonna staple up notices as if it’s OUR negligence that’s keeping our doors from being changed, and they even highlighted the first line, as if yelling at us to call them to cooperate with them, when it’s THEM who’ve failed time and time again to follow through on THEIR jobs? The other laughably ridiculous thing is, the phone number which they printed TWICE on this notice, is the very same number that always rings and then goes to a voice mail that nobody ever returns. No one in my association had been able to reach a live person on that number, nor have had their/our messages left on that number returned. You can’t GET to extension 2203, because no one ever picks up to transfer you there! Plus, I already GOT my appointments for premeasurement and installation made, the dates have come and gone, and it was Mesa’s stupid incompetence that caused my door to not be changed! That reminds me. They have 3 phone numbers to reach me, and they never called when they “supposedly” couldn’t get a hold of me to install the door on Monday, and they never called me back when I called them Monday after seeing that they didn’t change my door. I had to call THEM to find out THEIR mistake. And nice job on not filling in the representative name, date or time on the notice. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for or affiliated with such idiocy, either.

I’m so calling Better Business Bureau as soon as I get my door installed.

I am thisclose to reporting Mesa garage doors to the Better Business Bureau. Not only do they rarely pick up their phone (I’ve called at 8a, 10a, 1p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 5:30p, it doesn’t make a difference), but when you leave a voice mail they don’t call you back. My neighbors have had the same problem. I finally called a different number my homeowner’s association secretary emailed me last week, and managed to reach a live woman at 8a, and she was very helpful. She said I didn’t need to take any time off of work for them to come by; I only needed to put my garage door on “manual” mode for them to measure things and check out my door opener motor (last Wednesday), and then place it on “manual” again for them to replace the actual garage door today. Then I could pay them the balance owed with a credit card through the phone once the work is done.

Last Wednesday after work, I returned home after they supposedly measured the door and examined the area, but I couldn’t tell if they were there. They didn’t leave a note or call me. On faith, I again followed their instructions to set my garage door on “manual” this morning. I excitedly drove home after work…and found NO CHANGE. There was no note, no explanation, no phone call. They had all my work numbers, too. I went inside and called Mesa. When a female picked up, I explained my problem and asked her to verify whether they were out at my house today or even last week. She put me on hold, then forwarded me to the same voice mail that I always got before when I’d call and would never get a callback. ARGH! I hung up, called her back, and figuring she was a receptionist, asked for the specific extension of the service department. She transferred my call there, and it kept replaying a message about how important my call is to them, and how they’d be right with me. Then, another message saying I can keep holding, or push 2 to leave a message and they’d get back to me within 1 hour. I kept holding. Soon, the message changed and added to its rotation, that my anticipated wait time is less than 5 minutes. I waited, listening to these same 3 or 4 messages over and over, for over 10 minutes. Finally, I pushed 2 to leave a message. Pressing that option led me to be automatically transferred to yet another voice mail, where the recorded message said that I am calling after their regular business hours and if I left a message, I would get a callback tomorrow. I checked the time. 5:32p.

WTF!! Did these people let me sit on hold on purpose until it came time for them to go home, and then they just simply left me on hold, even tho I was supposedly the “next caller” just “hold[ing] for the next available operator”, all of whom were no longer in the office?! I left a voice mail and hung up, pissed.

I hate that I’ve already paid $600 toward this garage door. I probably could’ve worked out a better deal on my own, with more reliable people.

I had a productive evening today. By “today,” I mean yesterday, as I realize it is now past 2am.

It started wee early in the morning when I got to work at 8a. With some time to spare before court opened up, I called the company that’s doing all our association’s garage doors, and for the first time in 6-7 unanswered phone calls and unreturned voice mails, I actually reached a live person! Turned out I don’t even need to be home for the workers to come measure my door and then replace it, I only have to place the door on “manual” mode, so I made the measurement appointment for tomorrow (er, later today) and the replacement appointment for next Monday. I’m finally getting a metal roll-up door instead of that stupid old wooden door that gets waterlogged when it rains! Yay!

After work I drove directly to a hair salon across from my neighborhood to get a trim. My March short cut with the layers had grown out, and looks horrible in that in-between shapeless phase. They were able to work me in right away without an appointment, and the lady retrimmed my layers, gave me some long bangs, took a half-inch trim off the bottom, and I look MUCH less shaggy now. Totally worth the $16. Haha. I’m so not about the hair.

I’d planned to go to the gym, having not worked out since Friday, but fell asleep at home while waiting for the gym crowd to die down. After a restless sleep in which it was so hot that I flopped from one end of the leather couch to the other several times, left and went to a different couch by the open back patio door and returned to the first couch, I woke up a little before midnight and started some chores. I cleaned out, rinsed and changed the litter box, swept the cat area and kitchen, swept the garage floor, took out the trash, did some dishes. And now I have insomnia. I hope I don’t forget to put the garage door on “manual” in the morning. Eep!

Just heard on the Greg Behrendt (author of “He’s Just Not That Into You”) show:

“Sex is important in a relationship because without it, you’re just friends with a growing resentment.”

No wonder I love his book.

I got this ad via e-mail today:

Four Minute Dating Party for Thirtysomething and Fortysomething Singles
Title: Four Minute Dating Singles Party
Venue: Sushi Dan (Los Angeles, CA)
Full Price: $20.00 Our Price: $10.00
Are you single in the city? Would you like to meet other interesting, professional and fun singles while cutting through all the hoopla of the “first date” scene? Here’s your opportunity to experience several first dates in one evening. When the event ends, you’ll get to write personal notes by email to anyone that you’d like to get to know.

Apparently, it’s a form of speed dating, but look at the target audience! 30- and 40-somethings! Waaah!! I’m still 30 yet!! Not 30-SOMETHING.

TurboTiger asked me in the comment section of the last post how one tells whether an avocado tree is male or female. So I figured I’d ask my dad. Here is that conversation.
me: Dad, how do you tell if an avocado plant is male or female?
Dad: WHEN IT HAVE FLOWER THE MAIL FLOWER ONLY FLOWER BUT FEMAIL FLOWER HAD SMALL AVOCADO
me: if it has an avocado, then I don’t NEED to graft it, right?
why would I need to have a male/female pair if the female’s already going to make avocados?
Dad: MAIL FLOWER HAD POLLEN. ADN FEMAIL FLOWER HAVE TO HAVE POLLEN TO MAKE PISTILE HAVE AVOCADO
me: but you said if the tree is female, then she’ll already have an avocado.
Dad: SOME TREE HAVE BOTH FLOWER IN SAME TREE
me: okay, now I’m confused.
so I don’t need a 2nd tree?
Dad: MOST OF THE TREE HAD BOTH FLOWER IN ONE TREE. NOT AVOCADO.
AVOCADO HAVE TO HAVE TWO TREE.
me: okay, so for an avocado tree, if the female already has an avocado with the flower, then why do I need a male avocado tree?
Dad: TO HAVE POLLEN TO MAKE YOUR BABY AVOCADO GROW.
WITHOUT POLLEN AVOCADO WL NEVER GROW
me: oh, so the female will have the baby avocado, but it won’t grow to be a big avocado unless the male tree pollinates the baby avocado?
Dad: YES,
me: oh. Thansk!
Thanks
When will it flower? Is it seasonal?
Dad: THAT IS WHY YOU NEED BOTH TREE
EVERY SPRINT
me: but if it’s in my courtroom, then it doesn’t KNOW it’s spring.
🙁
Dad: IF THE TREE OLD AS 2-3 YEARS
YOUR RIGHT. BETTER ON GROUND.
THINK ABOUT IT THE POT ONLY HAVE LITTLE SPACE NOT GOOD FOR TREE TO GROW
me: but I have no ground to put it in.
unless you and mom want some avocados.
Dad: IT IS A BIG TREE. WE DON’T KNOW IF WE HAVE SPACE FOR IT.
me: then what’ll I do?!
Dad: JUST ENJION THE TREE IN THE POT, AND NOT HOPE IT WL HAVE AVOCADO TO EAT.
me: what?! then what’s the point of having an avocado tree? I wanna eat avocados!
Dad: IF YOU MAY MAKE IT ALIVE THAT IS GOOD
me: can I eat the baby unpollinated avocados?
Dad: NO.
THAT IS WAY TO SMALL TO EAT.
me: rice is small.
Dad: RICE IS ALWAYS LIKE THAT SMALL.
me: okay, fine.

Did anyone reading this understand that conversation? Haha. BTW, see TurboTiger’s researched information in his comment on the previous post. His research said that there are indeed two “genders” of avocado trees, but instead of being a full male and a full female, one tree is male in the mornings and female in the afternoons, and the other one is female in the mornings and male in the afternoons. Can we say, “Ranma 1/2“? (Okay, who got that?) His research also showed that avocados start flowering in 5+ years (not 2-3), and that the tree needs to first be a height of like 15 feet to trigger it to flower. *looking at tree* *taking out ruler* My little avocado tree is 32 inches above the dirt right now. That’s just short of 3 feet. *sigh* Also, the avocado seed first went into the cup of water on March 22, 2006 and I think the first real growth appeared on it on April 6, 2006, so that’d make our boy…1 year and 3 months old. *looking at tree* *sigh*