Not only were the Oscars boring, but I didn't win either of my Oscar pools because I picked random, non-Rings stuff to win all the minor categories. I got all the major categories right, but so did everyone else! Predictable.

The only saving graces were Will & Jack, Ben & Owen, and Mitch & Mickey. (Also Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole looking so excited and bemused to be there.) I know Lord of the Rings deserved all those Oscars, but it was still a snoozer.

(Well, they deserved them all except Best Song-- I liked both the Triplets of Belleville song and the one Cold Mountain song better than that one. And of course, Kiss at the End of the Rainbow should have beat them all.)

Era, End of

Also yesterday was my last shift at Starbucks. It was kind of anticlimactic-- I did get to work with Ry, which I haven't done for a while, but I didn't see very many of my favorite customers and it was really slow, probably because of the Oscars, and we closed early. Cue the lights.

I only have one stupid customer story, courtesy of Ry. This woman ordered a mocha and insisted she didn't want a lid on it. "Well, I have to put a lid on it," he said. "In case you spill it or something."

"I'm not going to spill it," she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

Ry put the mocha on the bar and-- I'm sure you saw this coming-- she promptly spilled it all over herself and all over the floor.

"I just stood there and looked at her. I didn't say a word," Ry said. "I didn't think I needed to."

As I was in the back, locking up the safe and closing the store, I felt a pang of nostalgia. There are a bunch of new people at the store who I don't know and haven't worked with, and there will be more and more people there who don't haven't worked with me. They won't know that the tubes of caramel are called "weasels," or that a Grande nonfat latte is really "Charlie Brown on a diet."

I remember one day when we all put on sunglasses and did a weird reggae dance through the store. I remember when we played pastry basketball. I remember the nights we'd scream our heads off, right after the doors were locked, to let off the stress. I remember those days when I was in the groove, having fun, making cappuccinos, happy to be there.

I remember all the customers I've flirted with, befriended, and been annoyed by. And I remember all my friends who worked with me-- Ry, Janis, the Boy of Inappropriate Age, and so many others. It was a good place to work. And now I don't work there anymore. Sniffle.

Boozecon, Attendance at

Anyway, to backtrack on my weekend, the other thing that happened was Boozecon: the Christina edition. It was the usual, very fun gathering of friends and Suspects, and it was especially nice to meet the delightful Christina and to see Beth, Jeremy and Susan, all of whom I don't see as often as I'd like.

Actually, there were a lot of people there, now that I think of it. All of the above plus K. and M., Foo, Armless and Friend of Armless, Iggy, Wade, Ian, and Shannonk. And me! That's eighty-seven people.

While we were sitting around after dinner, drinking and chatting, Jenfu realized she wasn't going use her tickets to go see the Decemberists. "I love the Decemberists!" said Ian. "Who are the Decemberists?" I said. "They're on in 15 minutes," Foo said.

So we went! It was like a Hitchcock movie, where they tie you up in a rubber bag and throw you in the trunk of a car, and suddenly you're at a concert. I really enjoyed the show, and bought a CD and everything, to which I am now listening. Hooray, Decemberists!

Products, Bizarre Obsession with

In other news, I'm happy to report that my hair is doing magical things lately. It is bouncy and shiny and curls up fetchingly at the ends. I have no idea what's going on, except that I recently changed conditioners.

It's ironic that I have all these expensive styling products from Gwyneth's favorite Beverly Hills salon, or from Bumble & Bumble or whatever, and apparently the secret ingredient to perfect hair is Pantene conditioner. That's it: Pantene.

Speaking of expensive products, the other day, I counted up how many different products I use on myself in the shower. What's normal-- like three? Five? I use eleven. Eleven different products!

On my hair I use two kinds of shampoo and one conditioner. (In a rotational system. I have dandruff shampoo, clarifying shampoo and volumizing shampoo. My favorite is the tea tree oil shampoo that some unknown person left in my shower.)

On my face I use the Philosophy one-minute facial mask, and then Biore foaming cleanser. I use a bar of soap (my favorite is Bath & Body Works glycerin soap in coconut lime verbena) all over my body, and I have special sub-soaps for two of my special places that I will not tell you about because even I have boundaries. Then I use gel for shaving my legs, for a total of four different soap-type-things.

What are we at now? Nine? Those are the basics. And when I am in the mood to get all pampery, I use a lavender vanilla sugar-scrub on my arms and shoulders and an apricot-walnut scrub on my feet. I am insane when it comes to bath and body products. Insane.

The really insane thing is that I consider myself low-maintenance. I don't put anything in my hair except de-frizzer and shiny-fier as needed. I wear minimal makeup. I stay away from skirts and heels and pantyhose. I just have this weird bath product problem, and I need help.

Grownup, Living like a

The other important news is that the repainting/recarpeting is finally going to happen at my house. But even better, they're going to tear out the wall of the room next door and I will be moving into it. Or expanding into it. I'll be renting the entire bottom floor of the house for almost what I'm already paying. Plus I'll be getting space in the kitchen at last! I have to go buy pots and pans and... pasta, or whatever. Whatever goes in a pantry.

The best part is that my landlord is letting me pick out any colors I want for the new paint and carpet! I am thinking sort of a neutral/gray color for the carpet and then crazy colors for the walls: a medium blue for my bedroom, maybe an orange/yellow for the other room and hallway, and a pink bathroom.

I've been looking through home decorating magazines and the Queer Eye coffee table book for inspirations. Maybe I should do the Trading Spaces thing and pick one piece that I really like, and pick up the colors from there.

If I use my Buffy poster, is that wrong?