The World According to Tiff Sniff

I have a couple of important posts I really really want to get out here, but I just can't seem to find the time and the inspiration to write them all at the same time. And they're important, so I want to be sure I write what I mean.

So to keep you satisfied (and by that I mean "to keep you reading this thing until I put something worthwhile up here"), here are some of the things running through my mind instead of the important stuff.

1. I am addicted to Hapi Wasabi Peas. I need to find a place to buy them in bulk.
2. My brother's birthday is in a week, and I have no idea what to get him. Any ideas? He makes bagels and donuts for a living right now, while saving up money to go back to China and simultaneously preparing for grad school (to pursue a PhD in philosophy).
3. I had a dream that The Police announced a concert at the Exit/In. I screamed in my dream. I probably screamed in real life, too, but my roommate was housesitting so there was no one to ask.
4. Someone here (at work) stole my coffee mug. My coworker Erica gave everyone on our team matching coffee mugs for Christmas, as we're affectionately called "the coffee crew" by the rest of the company. I mistakenly put mine in the dishwasher once, and someone else took it out and I haven't seen it since.
5. I'm playing hooky from my accounting class tonight. I just couldn't do it this week.
6. Have I mentioned lately how much I like my job? Well, other than getting reamed out by a higher-up last week. But Friday night one of our clients played a concert here in town and I went as a part of my job. Although this client isn't someone I would listen to outside of work, it's still fun to get paid to go to concerts. And it was a good concert.
7. I got my hair cut last week, so I'm not such a John-Mayer-lookalike anymore. Thank God.
8. Funny story I told my friends this weekend: recently I had the first date I've had since moving back from Cali (yes, funny, but that's actually a different topic). Anyway, in telling one friend about it, I realized that that wasn't true. I had another date a couple of years ago that I didn't tell anyone about. It was with someone I knew through one of my jobs, and he had been wanting to take me out to eat. I wanted to maintain a happy relationship with him, so I agreed to one date. Fortunately, it was awkward and didn't go too well, and he didn't ask again. The reason I never felt it was worth mentioning? He took me to Shoney's.

Eight is my lucky number, so I'm signing off. Happy Monday!

There were guys before you; there have been a handful since.

But you're the only one I still see in my dreams.

2111 Stamp-
My Peter Pan PB may
Have salmonella.

Getting it in under the wire....

Today I am thankful for:
1. Songbirds, like the one that was singing, notwithstanding the snow flurries, outside my window this morning.
2. Pants that make my butt look great.
3. H&M (for selling said pants, along with other fabulous clothes)
4. My upcoming trip to Los Angeles to see my long-lost friends
5. New friends
6. News about old friends, like finding out Naseem is engaged!
7. Thursday night TV shows (The Office, 30 Rock, ER)
8. Romans 8, which seems to be everywhere I turn lately
9. Hillsboro Village (it just makes me happy to spend time there)
10. Fridays!

Have a great one, everyone. Oh! Before I go, one more haiku for today:

My drive to and from lunch today:
People out today
Do not seem to know where they
Are trying to go.

John Mayer and I
Suddenly have the same hair.
It's time for a change.

Wagamama has
Chili Chicken Ramen soup.
Today I want some.

I am going to try
To compose a haiku post
Every day this week.

Sunday afternoon (See the fabricsnob for more details.)
Red-hat-wearing man
Watches us through the window.
Gets mad, bangs on glass.

Sunday night/Monday morning
Sting, Andy, Stuart –
Legends of rock; but I ache.
They’re not playing here.

Maybe Tuesday
Illness is a thief
Taking sick days better used
For something more fun.

Plans for Friday
Star Wars, George Lucas:
Is he genius or did he
Rob Kurosawa?

Friday night, Belcourt
Seven o clock with my friends
We will know the truth.

With Valentine's Day a-coming, I wonder how many of us out there really know our stuff. The following is an excerpt of a game we've played the last couple of years at our annual "Sisters before Misters" bash. No cheating, now. (No, these choices aren't on this year's game.)

Romance Novel Title or Cosmetic Color Name?
1. Spellbound
2. Love Her Madly
3. Passing By
4. Traffic School
5. Nice Ride
6. Can't Get Enough
7. Younger Man
8. Stainless
9. Snog
10. Denim Dreams
11. Star-Kissed
12. Tease Me
13. Friction
14. Zero Guilt
15. Possession

Post your answers in the comments. Winner gets bragging rights. And maybe donuts, depending on where you live.

For the longest time, I lived with the pain and gave you every benefit of the doubt, because I didn't want to believe you were capable of something like that.

Once I realized you were, I realized you weren't actually the person I thought you were.

And it was easier to say goodbye.

is a sleaze. Seriously, when are they going to kill this character off so Rory can fall in love with a good, quirky, poor, artsy guy? They only have until May, when the series ends.

Ugh.

When we were in England last October, we had a special treat. We had one day off, and as a group, couldn't decide what to do with it. So we turned the money over to Michelle, and she planned our day. She done good. We had a day in Italy. Specifically, in Venice. It was an amazing day, perfect in the end, so I thought I'd tell you all about it.

We stayed in a hostel in Bologna, which is about 2 hours away by train. So we got up obscenely early to catch a train to Venice. We had to take a bus from the hostel to the bus station, only a 20 minute ride. In theory. We split into two groups unintentionally. Most of the group headed out to the bus stop early, but 4 of us ended up running a few minutes behind them.

Well, the 4 of us missed the only morning bus, and ended up having to walk about 2 miles of that toward town. Finally we got on a bus that took us to the station, arriving just minutes before our train left. We missed breakfast, but we figured that we'd just grab something from the cafe car. But our train didn't have a cafe car, it turned out.

Don't worry, the day gets better.

We finally arrived in Venice just before 11:00 a.m. It was beautiful. The weather hovered right around 70 degrees all day, and since it was past tourist season, the city wasn't too crowded. We didn't have a guide book or anything, since we didn't know where we were going, so we bought a map at the train station and decided to just wander. St. Marks, the cathedral, was south of the station, so we just started walking.



Venice looks pretty much like every movie you've ever seen set in Venice. It was almost Disney-esque, it was so perfect. We were all pretty hungry at this point, and Lynn and I were both needing a coffee fix, so we decided to find somewhere to eat. We entered a little piazza with a cafe with outdoor tables. We went inside to order, and the owner and his wife helped us, even though neither of them spoke a word of English, and none of us spoke Italian. But we managed to order cappucinos, pizzas, and calzones. We sat outside in the sun and just people-watched. We realized pretty quickly that we were the only non-Italians around. Apparently, we found a place the locals eat. The food was beyond description. The coffee was the best I've ever had. Couples, families, kids playing soccer, all wandered past while we ate.

At one point, a dog trotted across the little square, and Lynn pointed out that it was an Italian dog. As in, if she said, "Here, boy!", it wouldn't know what she meant.

As we finished up, the bells of a nearby church rang out the noon hour. Moments later, another bell joined, and then another, until every bell in the city was part of the chorus. Yes, I cried; it moved me deeply. It was a moment I'll never forget.



After lunch, we continued our meanderings. We got lost several times, but finally made it to the market, the Rialto bridge, and St. Marks' Square.

Now, I'm not one who likes to look like a tourist. In fact, I hate it. But I went into full-on tourist mode that day. Saying, "wow" at every turn, taking way too many pictures, the whole deal. But I didn't care.



There was a small strings orchestra playing at an outdoor restaurant, and a couple tangoed in the square just outside of it. A newlywed couple strolled through in full bridal garb, having their pictures taken. The piazza was swarming with people, but was still vast and intimidating. After an hour or so of taking pictures of the square and cathedral from every possible angle, we stopped at a cafe along the lagoon. A couple of glasses of red wine, some tiramisu, and another cappucino later, we all had our postcards written and addressed and were ready to head back to the train station.

We went back through the market, the better to obtain souvenirs and gifts for people back home. We ran into one of the guys on our team, and walked back up to the station, where he had arranged to meet the others on our team for dinner. We all went to dinner at a couple of different places. My group ended up at a romantic (wasted) little place right on the Grand Canale. We had amazing pasta and another bottle or so of red wine. Then it was back on the train to Bologna to get ready to go back to England.



So it was definitely a highlight of the trip, and actually one of the best days of the year. Kudos to Michelle for putting it together for us.

Now, to figure out when I can get back.....

More pictures here.