Follow my thoughts...Houghton to Orange Roughy.

I was trying to explain how far Houghton is from Milwaukee. So I was looking at Michigan on Google maps. And Mackinaw caught my eye...

My Wisconsin-native coworker is adamant that Mackinaw and Mackinac are pronounced differently. Which is irritating for 2 reasons.
1. They aren't. Both are pronounced "naw".
2. I'm from Michigan. She's from Wisconsin. Mackinaw is in my state so it is pronounced the way I say. I'm not even getting into the proper spelling of Cheboygan...

So I then went to http://www.m-w.com/. Which also has the handy tool of pronouncing words for you. Which proves the correct pronunciation is naw" Listen here yourself: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?ggmack02.wav=Mackinac It's silly I have to prove this, but...

I also searched Mackinaw. And found out there is such a thing as a Mackinaw Trout. Which is described as 'a large dark North American char '. Char? They just aired an episode of Iron Chef where they were cooking Arctic Char, I wonder if they are related...

So I search Arctic Char. Same genus, different species. But the wiki entry also refers to 'the Monterey Bay Aquarium "Seafood Watch" program. So I look that up...

And find this very cool Seafood choice guide. http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx Which makes me very happy as I can remember a few eat/don't eat fish rules, I can rarely keep them straight and this comes as a printable pocket guide too. Did you know...

Orange Roughy is on the avoid list. See the notes from the site below.

Orange Roughy
This deep sea fish, once known as the “slimehead,” grows very slowly and doesn’t reproduce until it’s 20 years old.

Consumer Note: Orange roughy live 100 years or more—so the fillet in your freezer might be from a fish older than your grandmother!

Health Alert: Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for orange roughy due to high levels of mercury.

Summary: Unfortunately, years of heavy fishing have decimated orange roughy populations. Although fishery management plans are now in place, it’ll take decades for this slow-growing fish to recover. Another concern with orange roughy is the way it’s caught—by bottom trawling. This fishing method can damage the seafloor habitat, and we don’t know what impacts that damage might have on fragile deep sea ecosystems.

Have a nice day.

I had to ruin another person's day today. She was sure the qwerty in the qwerty keyboard was the inventor's last name. Because her 3rd grade teacher said so. I think teachers get bored and make crap up all the time. Or maybe it's just this: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/09/03/state/n182420D74.DTL&type=science Actually my Mom used to have fun doing that to me. The inventor is C.L. Slope by the way and he invented in in Milwaukee.

Boys are bad drinking buddies.

...and by bad I mean I feel like crap for at least a day after, and feel disgusted about the amount of money I just paid to feel like crap. I try telling them I'm not drinking, then I get strange looks and exclamations of complete disbelief. I try and have managed not to drink or drink in moderation (2 per evening) but that has not been consistant.

It is either go out with them or languish in my house, what am I to do?

What other activities can I entice them into that does not involve drinking, or at least is limited? And at a reasonable price?

A month of no internet, yikes!

I finally have my computer functioning after nearly a month of issues. My video driver was being a brat, so I got the IT manager at work to fix it for me. It's strange not to be able to read my email and look things up, I mean really, am I supposed to use the phone book to find things instead of go0gle maps, are you kidding me?!

I'm watch Pr0ject Runw@y so I'll make this short.

1. My old house in Berkley is now listed at $149,000. When I bought it just over 2 years ago, it was listed for $234,900. It makes me happy work bought it from me, but sad that no one loves it as I did.

2. I got digits from a guy on Match, right before my computer crashed. A month ago. Too late to call? Yeah probably, but a poor excuse on my part... if I had really wanted I could have gone to an Internet cafe and looked up his number.

Later!

What is the Pep+o for verbal diarrhea?

Okay, I've realized for a long time I talk way too much and way too loud. The loud part I'm not sure what I can do without obsessing about it and that would make me really unhappy to be that controlling of how I am. I try to dial it down when I hear it, and being around my family helps they are all exactly the same and it lets me hear it and recognize it. The only things I have found my volume level useful for is ordering drinks in a loud bar and leading Sound Off. :) Oh and if needed, I can speak to a large room and everyone can hear without amplification, but I've never spoke to a large enough group to make that impressive. Any votes for how many poeple I could handle in about my normal speaking voice? I'm thinking at least 200. ;)

But I'd like to work on the verbal diarrhea. I'm in a class right now and it is so obvious and annoying to me. I have NO filter. It's not going to be good for me at work in the long run.
I think the top 3 aspects are; interrupting by starting to speak before someone is done; finishing people's sentences; and wanting to answer every question, or even offer unsolicited help.

The first part might be helped by really trying to be a better listener, and to do that you have to keep your trap closed until the other person closes theirs. And not be thinking about what I would say. I think I am listening a lot because I do have something to say back, but I miss things. Maybe starting with the sales tool, "I think what I just heard you say is ..., is that right?"

My mom exacerbated the finishing sentences, she stops and waits for me to do it or asks me to all the time. I tell her to "use her words" now. My boss stops mid-sentence all the time and doesn't finish the thought, but I've tried really hard not to guess the ending and I think I'm doing ok.

I'm not sure what to do about answering everything and giving unsolicited "help". Stop and count to 5 or 10 and see if someone else will talk? Try thinking to myself what I would do? I even make little noises when I think of something and don't say it. I'm afraid I am incredibly desperate for attention, from a chil dhood of not seeing my parents much and now living alone for the last 8 years. How can I 'warn' someone on my M@tch profile and make it sound like a positive?

I really want to be quieter. I have the utmost for those people that don't say much, and then what comes out of their mouth is almost always the exact perfect thing to do. Since I never shut up, people stop listening, and since I have no filter, for every 20 bad ideas, I might have one decent one, but everyone understandably stopped listening after the first few bad ones...

I think I just need to get laid. It's been a frighteningly long time. No I won't admit to how long, it's that bad.

Why can't I sleep?

Thinking of all of you tonight, hope all are well. have you all given up on me blogging? I would.

Thanks a lot Bolte, now I'm hooked on Project Runw@y.

Does anyone else like Mad Men?

Laura, Invite me to your blog.

Heather,
I'm so sorry everything has been so crummy this summer, but I hope the cat will help. Can't believe she didn't kill you in your sleep for attempting to bathe her though, mine would. Indoor cat food should help, I think it is sort of "diet" for their lower activity level. If you can't get her groomed then brushing and they make something like handy-wipes for cats that might help. Why do I always try to give too much advice? Sorry.

I've actually written back to someone on M@tch which is is a big step for me. That's enough of that. Although he's and Av's fan ,so it may already be over.

Saw Delrue at Whorley's BBQ Sunday. He and G-friend live less than a mile from me. My liver said, "Ut-oh'. He already called for Margarita Monday. yikes.

I'm going to Matt's going away party in the Port (30 min north) Friday. Not drinking 'cause I have busy Saturday and to avoid kissing the same guy I did last time I was drunk up there. I'm hoping I can play the I don't know what you're talking about card. Matt's moving down here and will be less than 10 minutes away. Sorry liver.

Running/playing in a work kickball game Saturday. It's BYOB. Gotta love Milwaukee.

I miss all you girls, Jackie's wedding was great, but I miss you all so. Silly fun is the best fun.

Come visit me!! soon!

I'll be in the D the weekend of October 10th (the 9th is the first Wings home game), who wants to party?

I'm not tired and I am in this rapid improvement workshop project thing all week, I need to be sharp. Too bad I guess. I'm going to try to go to bed now.

Hope the cat comes when I call and isn't out "playing" with another mouse.

'Nite.

I wake up at 4:50am, I get to work at 8:20am.

Where does 3.5 hours go?

I signed up for a boot camp exercise program. The health coach at work recommended it as I had not followed through on any of the grand plans of exercise and changing habits I had for myself. (Yeimy, it may take 21 days to make a new habit, but I can't get to 3. :) )
Since I am very impulsive, I signed up for a 1 month, 5 days a week (the max) class right after talking to the coach. Today was day 3. Camp is a 5:30 am to 6:30 am, at a beach on the lake front about 10 min from my house. I really do like it, but last night I was having dreams of class being cancelled in the am. but I do love that sore muscles, feel like I really accomplished something feeling first thing in the morning. Since I am back to about my highest weight ever, I hope this works.

I flew home for game 1 and 2 for the Wings in Detroit last weekend. Spent time with my family, went to see Ironm@n with Dad (I heart Robert Downey Jr.) and saw Mom for Mother's Day. I have the game on right now, so GO WINGS!!

Bad Mood / Good Mood.

I was in a bad mood leaving work. My boss is getting very snarky and it's really bothering me. It's worse than that, I thought we were sort of friends, but the smart remarks from her lately are not the way you treat a friend, and certainly not someone that works for you.
The guy that hired me, who was my boss's boss, left for a new job at the beginning of the month. I really liked him, worked well with him, he's a big reason I took this job. Bastard, I can't believe he abandoned me.
My boss has started behaving much more sarcastic and bitchy every day since he left it seems. (he also hired her, maybe she feels abandonded too.) Before this change, I thought we got along great.
Either we are sick of each other from sharing an office 10 hours a day, and/or she's overwhelmed with having to do her job, half of the old boss's job, and the job of another guy that left for a new job last week, and/or I am likewise overwhelmed from sh!t rolling down to me, and/or I am now finally seeing her true colors. Regardless, things need to change, because she is making me dislike a job that until recently I really enjoyed. Mean people suck. Grrr, I'm getting angry again just re-reading this,must put this out of my mind. I've never worked for a woman before, is that the problem?

After work though, I chatted on the drive home with the MTU student soliciting for cash for MTU. He was fun and is really excited for Senior Walk this Friday.
I took Isabelle for a walk in the park.
I called my friend Matt and finalized plans to watch the Red Wings game together tomorrow night. GO WINGS!
I found a way to fly home for the Red Wings game next weekend for $5.00. Thank you frequent flier miles! I HAVE to get a N*rthwest Airl!nes Cr*dit card and start racking up more points. They share flier miles with the local airline that flies direct Milwaukee to Flint. SWEET!
I read a few blogs. Allana and Laura, thanks for the BM laugh!

So now I am in a great mood.

Health stuff:
I went to a Sleep Disorder presentation at work today. We get points for going to things like this that add up to gift cards and cash if you do all the healthy reward steps. Anyway, I'm tired and grumpy all the time. I get up and wake up a lot at night and seem to need a lot more sleep than most, but even with 9-10 hours sleep, by the end of the week I can hardly function at work. The only way I seem to function is taking at least one pain reliever PM every night at 8, then go to bed around 9 and get up around 6:30. But I'd rather fix what's wrong than medicate. This presentation gave me a lot of hope that this part of my life could be much better. So I plan on making an appointment soon. Does anyone else have problems with sleep?