Robot Conquers Mt. Brownie

News at 11.

Previous Adventures of Robot.

Protractor or Scale, I think?

 

I bought a new notes book with Monet's bridge painting on the cover. It's so beautiful. And it matches my Monet desktops.

 

My first doodle should have straight lines. Sort of set the mood for the whole book. Does that make me slightly crazy?

 

I drew a...um...what's the scientific ruler thing? The triangle with the straight corner angle?

 

 

Oh, shut up.

Stupid fortune cookie. 

2.1.15 Dailies

Here's an easy way to help the homeless community near you: Build a hygiene kit.

At your local dollar store, purchase some (or all) of the items listed below. 

The idea of hygiene kits started while passing out lunches at MLK Blvd. and 3rd Ave., where a lot of Detroit's homeless community can be found.  Several men asked me if I had any toilet tissue. You don't realize how important even something as basic as toilet tissue can be to someone without a home.

I went to several dollar stores for my purchases because I was looking for specific types of items. For instance, instead of buying a toothbrush and a toothpaste, I found the toothbrush/toothpaste travel kits.

You can keep the kits in your back seat for days when you find a homeless person at one of the entrance ramps. Helping someone stay clean is a really easy way to help them maintain their dignity.

Quick tip, you can use stickers to separate the men's from the women's kits.

1 roll toilet tissue

1 bar soap

1 minipack Facial tissue/Kleenex

Antibacterial wipes, spray or gel

1 toothbrush

1 toothpaste

1 bottle water (won't fit in gallon bag, but easy to carry)

1 comb

For Men, add...

2 razors

1 can shaving cream

1 men's deodorant

For Women, add...

1 pack maxi pads

1 bottle scented lotion

1 women's deodorant

Stuff I didn't Think About until After

Small mirror

Nail polish

Emergency 1st Aid kit (band aids, alcohol wipes, etc. Sort of a smaller version of this.)

Washcloth

Shampoo

http://miatrek.blogspot.com/2014/09/worthwhile.html

http://miatrek.blogspot.com/2014/06/on-kenkyo-and-hansei.html


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There's too much to watch on TV! I don't know where to turn. And I can't remember all the station numbers. lol

Okay, there's ...

* Puppy Bowl XI

* Zombie Bowl (TWD with Shane!)

* Nonstop

* Law & Order Marathon

I need Liam Neeson to come over and shovel my snow. I'll bet he'd shovel the hell outta my snow. It would be completely obliterated lol.

--------------

Wow. Even with all the lights off, the illumination from all the snow falling makes it look like all the lights are on.

MONDAY 

Robot scoffs at baby shower invite. News at 11. 

TUESDAY

They upgraded the restrooms and added those automatic flushers, and now the stupid toilet keeps splashing my butt with water before I can pull my skirt back down and run out. 

1.11.15 Dailies

SUNDAY

Check out this amazing video.  A man in Perth, Australia gets his leg caught in the open space between a train and the walkway.  The crowd of strangers come together to quickly save the man. They rock the train car until the man is finally freed. It took the teamwork of this group of random strangers to free the man no one knew.



With the wolf pack to Punch Bowl Social, a new spot in

downtown Detroit. This place is awesome - a pub with a bowling

alley with shuffleboard with karaoke with more swanky dinner

service if you choose.

The most notable thing in this video for me is that the people did it without second guessing themselves. No one thought, "Screw this. I'm late for work." I want to be the person right in the middle of the crowd. You can barely see him in the sea of people helping. But without him, it may not have worked.

My goal is to perform an anonymous act of kindness. Every day, for the rest of this year. 

Let's all try to do something kind to someone we don't know every day. It could be anything. Maybe pay for someone else's gas when you're at the gas station. Or buy someone else's drink. Or something seemingly smaller. Like smiling warmly at a stranger.

You never know how burdensome someone's day might be. And offering a kind smile might impact them more than you know.

It's the most humble gift you can offer.

So write me. And let me know what you did today to help someone you've never met.

MONDAY



Ugh..hate calling in.
Esp. when your boss
doesn't answer his phone.

Stuck at home sick today. My own fault for pretending to know how to cook.  I was talking with a friend about my katana collection. It's not really a collection on purpose. Just that I have more than one. I have 4. Some were given to me by my Father for accomplishments, one I'm pretty sure is an heirloom, one has a hand-braided tsuka, one is an old ivory one (shh!) and an old crusty one I found at a flea market once...I'm sure I blogged about finding it, but I can't find the post. I couldn't believe that the owners thought it was an old rusty knife. I got it for 3 bucks, I think.

Although searching through my old posts made me laugh..a LOT. I don't even remember this. But it's hilarious.

Okay, I don't remember the point of my post.  Sigh.

I'm getting old.


TUESDAY

I don't know if it's my phone or the app, but ClipStitch has been really janky for me lately. So anyone who caught my singing in the mirror video before I could remove it, my most humble apologies for making you suffer through that. The app is adding the correct videos to the file, but ultimately saving other videos stored on my phone.

Thanks, Aussie-and-proud David for catching my erroneous caption about  the train car video above. It happened in Australia, not Scotland. (They don't "seem" Australian, though...Australians have a kind of way about them...don't you agree?)

To answer another question, I don't fear that my mother will read my very personal blog posts anymore. She doesn't read my blog. The only reason she did in the first place is because she accidentally set my blog page as her home page. My mom barely even checks her Facebook messages. Smh. 

I rescheduled my California trip to March. This will be the last opportunity I get to visit an old friend from the hood. Our lives ended up taking different paths, but she's still my oldest and best friend. She can't visit me once I'm in Japan because she's not allowed to leave the country. No, seriously. 

I rescheduled to March because she's forcing me to go hiking.

In mountains.

There are spiders in mountains.

WEDNESDAY

Oooh... "The Loft" looks pretty sexy. 

Open > Fandango App > find theater > buy ticket > pick seat > and DONE.

THURSDAY

Robot steals sad, lowly office laborer's chocolate. News at 11.

FRIDAY

I got an evening gown hanging behind me. I'm supposed to be st this year's NAIAS black tie charity ball in 1 hour. But I'm stuck at my desk staring at cms codes.

le sigh.

My shoe vid from last year's NAIAS.

Robot presents a riddle.

News at 11.

Once again, the girl gets it.

So, scientists plan to eliminate (the ancillary health risks from) mosquito bites by genetically removing the female mosquito from the whole damn process.

Robot gets a girlfriend.

Really?  That's where we are. Mosquitos are causing fiascos...hey, let's just get rid of the girl chromosome.   

I call "BS".  This is "Biblical Principles 101" all over again. How come we always get the blame?

God tells the woman, "Don't touch the damn fruit on the tree." Freaky (but empathetic) talking snake says, "God's just having a bad day. He's just playin'. Take all the damn fruit you want." 

 

So, God says, "Didn't I tell you to back up off my fruit?". God gets mad at the woman.

 

...who, let's just assume, didn't have a ton of experience dealing with shady snakes....

God doesn't get angry with the snake...well, not really...I mean...he got Hell and all, but...

God doesn't get angry with the man, who...actually, wait...where was Adam when all this went down, anyway?... Seriously... its not like he had an appointment for a job interview or anything. 

So typical.  Men cause the drama...but they're somehow magically "away" when you need back up...



Money?

 And God's logical solution...the logical solution...is to punish every woman ever to eternal pain and suffering and faux inferiority?

That doesn't make sense.

And so now, we're stuck with the competitive salary inequality and the sore boobs and the bleeding and the cramping and the chocolate and the random cry fests and the pushing of mutant vampiric creatures out of our bodies after they've sucked the life out of us leaving us with 18-year headaches and depression and stretch marks and husbands who are "busy job interviewing"...

And we have to like pink.  Regardless of our skin tone.

It's ridiculous.

Thanks a lot, Christians.  Nothing like insurmountable lifelong guilt.



Don't. Just...don't.

And then, wars.  Don't even get me started on wars.  Wars are escalated chest-thumping contests. "Mine is bigger than yours."  The world is overrun with leaders of the male persuasion.



If our nations were run by dames, there would be no war. Contrary to what you see on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta (interestingly, those fights are always over a man...and don't pretend you don't watch it), we ain't got time for that. We would be too busy fixing our predecessors' messes. Mending relationships with other nations. Being social. Hoping the other leaders will like us. Even if it's fake and we hate the other leaders' shoes... But never war. 

There would be no reason for social conflict. We wouldn't throw people into exile or persecute sects or proclaim genetic superiority. Well, not aloud, anyway. 

And if a leader accidentally pressed the red button,  the "offended" nation would benefit from an international trade surplus thanks to all the shiploads of flowers and cupcakes and Louboutins in apology.

About the 2k swim in Mass., I haven't quite made it beyond that 1k swim stretch. My body just doesn't seem to embrace that level of endurance. I klonk out 1 mile. By "klonk out", I mean that my arms and legs get too heavy to lift.
 

My late friend's mother knows someone who will race in my place. A guy, of course. He'll probably blast right through the finish line.  No transfers needed - I registered in her name.

I'm disappointed that I can't conquer all, but I'm excited that someone will still race in her name. And for a cure for cancer. I'm working on other ways to honor my promise.

Some friends and I acted as servers for an event where a four diamond restaurant provided two families in need with a fancy five-course dining experience.  I wanted to list the menu items here, but honestly, there was so much food, I can't remember everything...or which course they went with.  It was family style, so we brought giant plates of each item out, and helped the families sample each item.  Plus a birthday cake to celebrate one of the little girls' birthday. I saw the kids from both families talking to each other. I wonder if they'll connect again.

There were two banquet captains there to coach us and make sure we didn't break anything (me mostly). Left me pooped. 

 

 

 

Robot throws a Big Red



 

News at 11.

Rude Reminders

Robot shoves fortune cookie fortune in tired, overworked employee's line of sight. News at 11.

Robot be cray...

...all up in my bidness.

Robot Prefers Chai Tea

News at 11. 

Robot stirs tea

News at 11.

In and Out

Why is a beef jerky wrapper stuffed into the women's restroom sanitary bin?

What the hell kinda salty snack attack parties go on in here???

I should bring Robot in here for a photo. But then I'd have to wash his little hands. 

Week in Review

27-year old former child star Frankie Muniz has suffered a mini-stroke. He says he isn't a drug user and takes decent care of his body. (Although...lotta drama.)

I recently confessed to suffering a mini-stroke, as well.  Like Muniz, I'm not a druggie, and I generally eat pretty wisely. (Except for my foodie attack as of late.)  And, like Munez, stress seemed to be the culprit. For me, some was work-related. Most of my stress was family/quake-related. Before that, I'd experienced a bout of Bells Palsy (the one where the side of your face goes all slack), also stress-induced.

Mini-strokes are more common than you think among members of our age group (30-45). We have all sorts of new responsibilities and concerns, and we handle them so differently than our parents did when they were our age. No one in my parents' families have ever divorced. Marriages today last what...5 years tops? We're like new fiberglass cars vs. the old big boat steel cars.  We just aren't made the same.

If you do visit the link posted above, please check out the links provided at the bottom.  You really could save someone's life just by paying attention to the signs.

On the Holiday...Really? Was I the ONLY person in The States working the day after Thanksgiving??

I spent some of the holiday visiting friends in Ontario, Canada.

Remember the pink lemonade cookies?  YES. I bought more.

I saw a commercial for an app called Credit Karma and decided to try it. Credit Karma is a free phone app that monitors your credit and gives you status updates.  Given the sensitive/confidential nature of the program, I wanted to try it for a while before giving it a recommend. 

The app keeps you updated on your credit score - and all its gory details  - and gives you real time "credit report cards" and your credit history. It also free (good) advice and tips on improving your credit. 

Thumbs up from me. You'll need to enter your personal information after the install, but you won't be asked to enter it again. And the app will never ask for your credit card or financial info.

The Swedes have created a radical new drug program.  Clinics in Switzerland now give actual doses of heroin to heroin addicts. The reasoning is that an addict can learn to control his impulse to use if he uses in a controlled environment.

The decriminalization of drugs in other countries has been linked to a significant drop in new reported cases of HIV.

Latin Americans are considering adopting a similar program to stamp out drug-related murders, kidnappings and overcrowded prisons.

Not sure what I think about that. I suppose that, if I knew when and where I'd get my next dose, it would stop me from doing something horrible to get the money to buy it.  But then, if I knew when and where I'd get my next dose, I'd never gain the will to break the habit.

  

On Paying it Forward... PIF means that you perform an act of kindness without accepting anything in return. The person you've assisted then pays it "forward" by helping the next person instead of paying you for what you've done. 

Pretty cheesy, huh?  Yeah, I thought so, too.  Until I actually acted upon it.  Turns out, its an exceptionally rewarding act.  And now I can't get enough. I'm addicted.

It goes like this. A while ago, my old boss gave me something of value that she no longer wanted, because she knew I would appreciate having it.  I practically begged her to let me pay her for it, but she instructed me to "pay it forward" instead.  I sort of rolled my eyes and agreed to do it.

I didn't think much more about it until an opportunity to carry it out presented itself a few weeks later. In a Laundromat of all places, back when my grandmother was still around. I was tired of carting all my stuff back to my car. I gave my bag of change (about $13, I think) and the rest of the box of laundry detergent to an older man walking in.  He hugged me and cried a little and told me that he really needed it.

And that, folks, is how it works. You do something of worth for someone. If they're human, they'll ask if they can repay you. You tell them to "pay it forward".  It's the greatest high.

I pay the bill for the person behind me at the Starbuck's drive-thru. That would be an easy way to get started.

My favorite pink sheets have turned sort of "pastel-y" after a few too many washes.  Speaking of that, I recently purchased an electric blanket, and oh...mah...gah.  On a cold night? Slide your feeties under the blanket, and you'll probably pass out from sheer pleasure. ("Pleasure" said in your best Pinhead voice.)

You can probably catch electric blankets on sale. This one has an automatic shut-off function, but I turn it off and unplug it in the morning, anyway.  You won't need to go any higher than 5 (or whatever the middle is), and you won't need to bundle up with clothes or additional blankets. 

The Boys in IT continue to do horrible things to my robot.  After the last ransom note with a photo of Robot stuck in my coworker's headband, I stormed up to the IT office, punched Brad in the arm and snatched my robot from his shirt pocket thing. 

Btw, it takes 2 Help Desk calls and a drive-by to get you to reset my password, but you've already decorated the IT office?

REALLY?

I caught Mike Epps' performance at the Fox Theater last week. I went alone. I sat between two couples on dates, in the front row up top. The woman on my right had the greatest laugh ever.

The section in front of my row was a high-traffic area, and it was literally like watching a fashion runway marathon. Beautiful women with perfect hair and nails and dresses and shoes...and they knew it! It was a show within a show.  Mike Epps is insanely funny. I cried my makeup off from laughing so hard. He loves Detroit, partly because we treat him pretty frickin well. (I know stuff because he stayed at our hotel. :)

I wanted to meet him after the show, but I was too cheap to shell out another $50 for a photo. I wanted to ask him why he decided to come to town on the same night as the Star Trek marathon. 

I transfer to a new department/ position on Monday. I didn't write much about it here. After my last class, I pulled up Selena Gomez and danced. No one caught me, except the surveillance cameras in the room. Which, now that I think about it, probably explains surveillance operators' snickers today.

I signed my offer letter a couple of weeks ago. The only people who knew before today were people that a huge gossiper in HR told. Just what feels like a natural career progression for me. I've pretty much been doing the new job for a while now already. The title change just gives me the acknowledgement. :)  Otherwise, not a huge deal. Although I'm already bragging about getting two computer monitors in place of one.  Count'em..TWO! I'm ballin'.

Here's more from Mike Epps show. Part of a long bit about sex & marriage.   NSFW.

The Boys from IT. Again.

The boys have been busy in my absence. They've kidnapped Robot and have been posting photos of him in various places around the building all week.

To Brad: It. Is. On.

Where's Robot?

Robot falls into candy death trap. News at 11. 

Halloween Fun + A Good Cause + Skating = Possible Shin Splints

If you're in the area, come celebrate Halloween and support a great cause with us tonight! Young Fathers Standing United is hosting a roller skating party...


"YFSU's Halloween Family Fun-Raiser on 10-31-13
Detroit Roller Wheels
6pm - 9pm
Raising funds for our annual Pre-Thanksgiving Food Drive
Loaded candy bags will be given out to youth, free school supplies, face painting, raffles, etc.
We are asking for a $5 donation upon entry.
No masks allowed.
For more info, call 313/731-2685.
Your safety is highly regarded, so YFSU took the precautions of hiring additional security outside the venue. Women and children may request escorts upon departure." 

So stop by so I can run you over!

Robot supports YFSU

Robot Strikes Again

Robot is greatly offended by aggressive new polish color, and moves in to strike.

News at 11.