Things Annoying Me Right This Minute...

1. The purple streaks in my hair I got last month have entirely washed out!
2. It was sunny a minute ago and now it's about to rain...again.
3. All my salad fixins have gone bad. Why can they make healthy food that doesn't spoil?
4. Someone keeps calling me at 9am and doesn't leave a freakin' message -- I HATE THAT.
5. I still have red puffy bags under my eyes in the morning so I look the part of herion chic without the heroin or weight loss.
6. I have a lot of work to do and zero motivation.
7. Comcast decided to take off one of my favorite music channels -- FUSE -- so now I have to pay extra to have it even though it was initially included with the cable package I've had for over a year now.

What a bunch of packrats!

As I work on an article for starwars.com, I'm half-watching "Clean Sweep" on TLC. Man these people are freakin' whiners. Basically, if you're not familiar with the show, a crew of a carpenter, designer, storage/organizer expert and a perky host get sent to a suburban home of usual a couple or a grandma who have way too much crap. The decide to clear the two worst rooms, put all their crap on the lawn and then have 30 minutes to sort their stuff into piles of "keep," "sell" and "trash." Then the organizer expert goes through for a second pass of their keep pile to get ride of more. You'd be shocked at how many people freak out about having to get rid of their supposedly beloved junk.

Last night the mom of the child star who played Chunk in Goonies was forced to get rid of her dusty boxed up Cabbage Patch doll collection. She threw a fit. It was almost hard to watch because the organization expert was about to punch her. Tonight it's yet another suburban couple who have old bowling trophies, endless toys for their kids, creepy Precious Moments figurines and a Thighmaster still in the box.

As I snicker at the whiny yuppies, I wonder what I could get rid of. Having moved 4 times in a year in 2003, I unfortunately got rid of way more than I wanted. My book collection was cut down to 1/3. I gave most of my crafting supplies and stereo (oops) to a past roomie. And only kept a third of my clothes. My pals Steve and Sharon got my sleepaway couch and all my plants.

It was sad to see so much of my stuff go, but in a way, going from a spacious one-bedroom apartment to a huge house to now a tiny studio apartment, it teaches you how to clear the clutter real quick. Of course, I've been in this apartment for a year and I'm noticing that I'm starting to have piles of books, magazines, craft projects, etc. So it maybe time for another eBay and Goodwill purge. I'm pretty sure I even have a mint-condition Dionne Warwick Psychic Friends Network video boardgame around here somewhere! ;-)

I'm Gonna Miss You, Lennie!

Jerry Orbach -- 1935-2004
You were the best thing on "Law & Order" and the show just won't be the same. We're gonna miss you big time, Lennie. Here's hoping there's a decent hot dog stand in the sky.

More about Jerry can be found here.

Feel free to honor Jerry through fan art and more here:
Law & Order: Artistic Intent
Law & Order Coloring Book
Lennie T-shirts