Change your blogrolls, links, and favorites because this blog is now defunct. From now on, you can catch up on my daily shenanigans at www.lestlie.com, my new online home. I'm hoping like hell that this is the last move, but it just had to be done. Wordpress is far superior, and now that they have a certain functionality that I was in great need of a year and a half ago, there's no point in me staying with Blogger.

Bye bye blogger, hello (again) Wordpress!

Blogging comes in bursts

Tornado Sirens
They were testing the tornado sirens today as part of some tornado safety program in Kansas. It was a little bizarre to drive into my grey and grey blue apartment complex, empty because most of its inhabitants were away at work, with loud emergency sirens going off. I kept half expecting to find myself in the middle of an Eastern European air raid or something.

Speakerphone
I really can't stand the speakerphone feature, or the people who insist upon using it in situations where it's completely unnecessary, such as when they are checking their voicemail and can't be bothered to pick up the cradle, or when they decide to have very loud conversations in which all parties are yelling because they can't hear due to the use of the speakerphone in question, or when they perform any of the above actions (or any others, to be honest) in a small office full of people who are trying to conentrate on their own work and who either pick up the phone cradle or use their headsets to avoid disturbing others. Really, the only place I want to see a speakerphone used is in an office conference room or on a cell phone when someone is devoid of a free hand, such as when they're driving or putting on makeup (guilty).

The Economy
I didn't get the job that I applied for at the branch that I've been with since September 2008. I was very hopeful and very well qualified, but I just didn't fit the bill. In the end, they hired someone from outside the company who is a Certified Pharmacy Technician. I took the news pretty badly, despite the cheerful front that I put on when I talk to someone about the job. Sure, I'll apply for the position that will be open in two weeks. Surely I'll get that one! I'm qualified and they love me there! It actually shames me to say this, but since I was turned down for the job, I'm less willing to overlook all of the small, petty things that I deal with on a regular basis. I don't want to take anyone's crap because, in my eyes, I took crap from everyone on my team (and the parents of our patients and the doctors and nurses - I could go on) from Day One, I went above and beyond what I was expected to do in my position, and I still got turned down for a job. I'm beyond upset that I didn't get the job, and terrified at the thought of having to find a new job in four to six weeks, which is when my contract will be up. No one's hiring for a decent wage with the economy like this, and the ones that are hiring are so saturated with applicants that it's that|much harder for people like me to get noticed.

Laughing at my heritage - fun for everyone!

You may not know this, but I'm a member of the Cherokee Indian tribe. I actually have my little blue membership card and everything. Matt, my lovely boyfriend, thinks it's absolutely hilarious to make fun of my heritage, going so far to introduce me to new people like this: "...and this is Lestlie, my girlfriend. She's Indian. Feather, not dot."

Keep that in mind while I describe the following for you:

Tonight, as I played iTunes DJ, I took a moment to dance to "Connected" by Stereo MCs and he said, "STOP DANCING! If you don't stop dancing it's going to rain!"

Love you too, sweetheart.

The Watchmen: A NSFW* Review

*Actually, it might not be safe for any situation. Be warned.


Matt and I saw The Watchmen last night. Though neither of us expected the movie to be spectacular, we didn't expect it to be as terrible as it actually turned out to be. Even as I type this review, I'm having trouble deciding where to begin. I can, however, pinpoint the moment where the movie stopped being a promising Steampunk comic book film and started to be a mockery of an absolutely fantastic comic book - when the soundtrack included such random hits as "99 Luftbaloons" and "The Sound of Silence". Don't get me wrong, those are two great songs, but...in a comic book movie? Used in that context? No. I won't have it.

Let's see, what else was wrong with that movie? Oh yeah! The fact that I saw more dangling, blue penis last night than I ever wanted. Seriously, every five minutes this would flash across the screen:

Full-frontal nudity is no biggie to me, but come on, people. Dr. Manhattan actually assumed the lotus position while facing the camera. Naked. It was like the directors were trying to see just how many shots of Billy Crudup's CGI penis they could get into the movie. I'm curious to find out how many scenes containing the penis ended up on the cutting room floor, and why most of the ones that made it onto the big screen couldn't have joined those as well.

Speaking of excessive, distracting nudity, I'm still completely baffled by the two sex scenes in the film. I get that the Swedish chick who played Laura is hot, but I felt that it was a little unnecessary to show her having sex with the Nite Owl. Also? We get it. Flamethrower. Haha. Orgasm. Whatever. Unless a sex scene is furthering the development of the two characters involved, I don't really see the point. Since neither sex scene did anything for the plot of the film (when is a man's inability to perform ever funny, really? For me that was just awkward.), I felt like I was watching Space Nuts, the most hilarious porno I've ever seen. Or not seen, if you're my mom, aunt, grandparents or great-uncle. Because I'm a good girl, for real. But in all seriousness, you're more likely to get a better story out of this movie than we did out of the Watchmen:

Available at fine retailers nationwide.

Some people will say that I'm being too hard on the little-movie-that-couldn't, but I have to disagree. I went into that movie with no expectations whatsoever - the movie had nowhere to go but up in my opinion...or so I thought. It was so terrible that I fully expect it to obtain a strong cult following, a la Rocky Horror or Pink Flamingos. (Two really fantastic movies, by the way. Watch those instead.)

I guess I could have skipped the snark and described the movie to you the way that I described it to Matt last night as we drove away from the theatre, but that wouldn't have been as much fun, now would it? Instead, I'll leave you with that comment, insulted, disgusted, and tempted to never read my blog again. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've seen aborted fetuses that looked better than that movie.

Being Threatened at Work is Super!

I was threatened at work today. I was also called a stupid, incompetent bitch...behind my back, but totally within earshot.

I have been at my current job since September, at a place that I love, working with coworkers and clients that I adore. I have known since that first month that I wanted to be a permanent part of the team, so when a full-time position opened up, I jumped at the chance to apply. Not only did I apply, but I got an interview, which is being followed up with a second interview tomorrow afternoon. (Wish me luck!)

The second interview was a source of contention between myself and a few of the other temporary employees - five of us applied and only two got called back. While the two of us who got called back made sure to congratulate each other and wish each other good luck, the ones who did not get call backs made sure to belittle me (me, mind you, not the other girl), call me stupid, call me a bitch, and make very rude remarks regarding the work that I produce. I started out doing Data Entry at this job and got a promotion because I was doing so well on the job, but according to one person I'm "just data entry and don't deserve the job." I was so upset today that, at one point, I had to excuse myself to the restroom because I was afraid tears were about to start, and there was no way in hell that I was going to let them see tears. One of the girls even went so far as to say that if I even looked at her the wrong way, she would "go all Chris Brown on [my] ass and post pictures and video to YouTube."

I'm trying to write this post as calmly and nicely as I can, because despite my anger, I want to remain as professional about the situation as possible; I didn't even respond to the girls at work who were harassing me. I refused to give them the satisfaction of feeding their immaturity. I also don't want anyone from the company to Google me and find a post full of hate and fury. I might be feeling a lot of anger, but the last thing I want is for that anger to spill out, unbridled, and cost me a job that I have wanted for so long.

That's another thing that worries me: the job. What if I don't get the job and I've gone through all of this harassment and mental anguish (caused by coworkers, not stress!) for nothing? I guess I'll find out soon enough - my interview is tomorrow after work and I think that a final decision will be made by Friday.

The manager of my branch has allegedly contacted the temp agency that we all went through, but I don't know if anything will be done. Technically, that girl's threat is legally considered to be assault, but I doubt anything legal can be done on my part since the threat wasn't made to my face, but behind my back/across the cubicle wall to other people about me.

We'll see - wish me luck on the interview and serenity for the next few days...

101 Things Follow-Up

Yep, I'm still doing the 101 Things in 1001 days. I bet you thought I'd forgotten about it, right? I admit, I haven't been pursuing the goals as actively as I should, but I'm still pretty darn proud of myself. Go check it out for yourself. I decided to update the list since I achieved goal #61 last night thanks to a Victoria's Secret gift card from Matt (given as a birthday gift).

Tonight we'll be going back to Peachtree to see if they really are worth the hype. The management said they'd pick up half of our tab if we came back, and I never turn down free food and drink. I also heard that it's Mardi Gras night in the Power and Light - this could be an interesting night!

If you haven't lived this, this may help you understand...

I've lived in Tornado Alley all my life. I have seen tornadoes go over buildings and into parks and hit houses right next to mine. I've seen neighborhoods flattened, lives forever changed by two minutes of soul-crushing terror.

I have always enjoyed standing outside in the storms, watching the clouds build, predicting the way the storm would turn out. When I was a kid, I would always stand above ground when everyone else was in the basement hiding. If the men were brave enough to watch the storms, then so was I. I have always had a healthy respect for the damage that tornadoes that could cause, and I've seen and heard more than a few tornadoes rip apart families and lives, but nothing really prepared me for this video. I was actually shaking by the time it was over.





via Miss Britt