A post in which I cook and listen to Judy

Work was work. I did a bunch of stuff on month end today, and a fairly slow morning picked up into a busy afternoon. Unfortunately, a call with one account kind of soured the day. I’ve been dealing with them for months, but we’ve given them so many concessions at this point that they just feel they can dictate terms. It’s my job to try to hold the line on further concessions, so when he calls me and I don’t give him what he wants, he yells at me. Yesterday was one of our worst calls. But part of the job I guess.

Despite the article, I hit the gym after work. The article does say that the benefits of exercise are many, even if it doesn’t help you lose weight, and I am trying (most of the time) to watch what I eat. It does make me feel better. Monday I went in feeling like crap, and felt better when I was done. If it keeps me off Zoloft or something, I guess it's worth it. If nothing else, I guess I should keep exercising to pay for smoking. I went home and ate a big salad and some peanuts for dinner.

TCM was having a Judy Garland marathon tonight. I watched the end of Summer Stock, and listened to I Could Go On Singing while I cooked. That has never been one of my favorites of hers. She’s really showing the strain (despite makeup, wardrobe, Technicolor, and Hollywood magic) at that point in her career, and it just seems to hit a little too close to home for me – it’s kind of like watching her diary, or her real life. It was her last movie. Plus it's just a sad picture, about loneliness and isolation. Probably not something I should really be watching right now. The critics say it is one of her best performances though; and the songs are really good.

I’m really pissed that the Bette Davis marathon is Saturday, when I’ll be at the bear party. There will be several of hers on that I haven’t seen. They don’t show her obscure movies that often, and usually when they do it’s at 4am or something. I’m wishing I had a DVR, which is unusual for me.

I decided to go ahead and cook tonight since I had some odds and ends for stir-fried rice that I had been meaning to make all week and kept putting off. It didn’t turn out terrifically well. I got too much sauce and too much oil in the pan, so it turned out kind of salty and oily. Plus I forgot to put the sesame oil in the stir-fry rush so some of the depth of flavor is missing. But it’s OK. And I have dinner ready to pop in the microwave when I get home tomorrow if Miss Kat and dana invite me over. I also steamed some asparagus I bought last week. Apparently the second season is in right now – they are pretty little spears, and cheap.

I chatted a bit on line after I cleaned up the kitchen. I talked to some guys about going to the bear party on Saturday.