Monday, September 25, 2006

I have a new blog. I created a new blog to try out beta blogger, before I realized I could have just converted my old blog. Please visit me at the new blog as I try to decide which one I will use, or until I figure out how to merge them. See you there. http://melissarambleson.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 11, 2006

At first glance, my drive to work this morning looked much the same as it did 5 years ago today. I drove in today on the interstate, wearing black pants, in an Altima, sunroof open, back window cracked, radio on. But nothing is the same, really. The Altima is a newer one, the last one the victim of an interstate collision. On September 11, 2001, I was in a really good mood as I drove into work. I opened the sunroof, cracked the back window to let a breeze circle through, cranked up The Floating Men, and sang all the way into work. Maybe my memory is tainted from all of the reports about the blue skies that day, but it is what it is, and my memory is that it was a beautiful day. I remember the sky being clear and blue. I remember the temperature was such that I was completely comfortable with the air conditioner turned off and with just the breeze from the open windows. I almost always listen to talk radio in the morning. I love music, I do, but I usually prefer to ease into my mornings and save music for the afternoon. But that day I was in an exceptionally good mood. I had an interview that afternoon that I was hopeful about, I only had to work a half day, the weather was good, traffic was decent, The Floating Men rocked, and all was well. Except that it wasn’t. I got to work around 8:45 and bopped down the hallway, stopping to say hi to Alaina, a co-worker who sat outside of my office. I noticed that she seemed frazzled. Before I could ask, she blurted out, “Don’t you know what’s going on?” I didn’t. I drove to work that day in complete oblivion, singing, ignorantly happy, while the world around me ceased to be the same. As silly as it is, I still feel guilty about that. Today my ride in was much more somber. It looked the same -right down to the black pants -except I did not listen to The Floating Men, but rather to replays of various broadcasts from 9-11-01. And I'm not the same. None of us are. And hopefully we never will be.

Friday, September 08, 2006

It's impossible to walk normally when listening to headphones. I find myself strutting like Beyonce. Which is probably really nothing like Beyonce at all. I wish I could strut like Beyonce, or sing like Beyonce, or dance like Beyonce, but I'm pretty sure that we have nothing in common. Maybe fondness for Jay-Z . That's about as far as it goes, I'm sure. I felt very much like an adolescent wearing headphones in the elevator. Weird. The man beside me had coffee and his Wall Street Journal and I am listening to Biggie. Doesn't take much to amuse me. Think about that if I have ever told you that you are funny. ha. ha. a haha.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

My back hurts
From lugging around
The weight of my decisions.

My heart hurts
Deep in the center
It’s raw at the incision.

My eyes hurt
As they adjust to
The unexpected vision.

My all hurts
From many bruises
Since the recent collision.

But I heal
A little each day
A misleading magician.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006



photo by Sylvia Warren
Went to see the Floating Men last weekend with The Kev...I think that will be his new name here in blog land. (And no , the Floating Men do not pay me to talk about them, although that's not a bad idea...) Had a blast. It just is my favorite thing to do, I think. There was such an awesome array of freaks there. And I mean that in the gentlest, most loving way, freaks, so don't be offended. There are always a handful, but this crowd was packed to the gills with them. I felt soooooooooo suburban, so "vanilla" as my brother would say. Oh well, there could be worse things, I suppose. I am ready to go again, already. But shows are few and far between these days. Jeff is busy with his full time day job as a conversation consultant (huh?) and Scot is away in Canada being a professor. (double huh?) I guess we're all a little suburban, aren't we? But whatever you call them, they freaking rock. I freaking love them. And it doesn't seem to fade, even after all these years. True love, I guess. ;)

Sunday, September 03, 2006



Steak & Shake - come on, can you get a cuter ad than this? I don't think so!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

I suddenly feel better about all of the stupid things I ever did at work. Like talking about one of my old bosses in a not-so-positive fashion after having failed to successfully hang up my phone after paging someone over the work intercom. Yep, there went my comments. All over the firm. For all to hear. But they were so muffled, thank goodness, that no one could understand. That was at my last job-that's all behind me now. Thank goodness we aren't allowed to page at my current job. Gives me the willies just thinking about how easily it can all go wrong... Anyway, watch this and feel instantly better about all of the dumb stuff you ever did at work. Feel free to post your dumbest and most embarrassing here! But good luck topping this. (Oh, and disclaimer, I am feeling lazy and did not verify that this is true. I tend to think everything is fake, in case you didn't know what. So if it's not for real - sorry. It's still funny.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF6n5alsG8M