I don’t often find myself out in the greater Madison and San Juan area, but on a recent trip, I drove past this, gasped so hard it required a huff on my Albuterol, and pulled a quick and highly illegal u-turn. I challenge the SacRagians to find a more awesome sign than this one in the 916.

Email sign photos to RunnerGirl1971@gmail.com for consideration for some sort of fantastic prize.

Things are still tough all over for a lot of folks, and I’ve (fortunately) been in hiring mode in recent weeks. Following up on last November’s post, here are some tips from an employer’s perspective. The bottom line is to make yourself stand out in only the good ways, minimize any potential embarrassing or awkward moments, and follow through.

Continue reading “How to find a job, part II” »

How can the folks at Bonney Plumbing live with themselves, knowing their new radio jingle COMPLETELY rips off the old Sacramento Union one?

No long-term Sacramentan could ever forget the Union’s “Four forty-four fifty five five five. That’s the number for the classified!” Fast forward a couple of decades, and now Bonney is singing the “four forty-four” tune. That is SO not cool.

This might go down in the annals as one of the landmark copyright cases. I’m just reminded so much of that Vh1 interview of Vanilla Ice explaining that “Ice Ice Baby” has one more quarter note (actually, I think it’s a hemidemisemiquaver) than Queen’s “Under Pressure.” And I quoth, “See Queen’s is din din din dindindindin, and mine is din din din dindindindin ch.” (The “ch” is the high hat — you know, with the souped up tempo. I’m on a roll; it’s time to go solo.)

Note to Mr. and Mrs. Bonney (who seem like lovely people, by the way): Just don’t touch the old “GET IT NOW! AT FLORIN ROAD TOYOTA” with the entire staff singing along, and we’ll be fine.

I’m all for civic pride, but come on people.

You can continue to badger Dustin Pedroia if you:

• Have never made a disparaging remark about the place where you grew up and how eager you were to leave
• Have never made an offhand remark when you were young (or even not so young) that you wish you could take back
• Have never thought that someone’s words could be taken out of context or interpreted differently when retold by a different person
• Think that a 25 year old who earned the American League Rookie of the Year and American League MVP titles, who is making millions, and who is living in one of America’s most wicked cool cities wouldn’t draw comparisons to his current situation vs. where he was raised

Just chill, or else this person might make a new video (warning: salty language!)

As I’m driving around, slightly zoned out (but not so zoned out to be a danger to myself or society), the traffic reports are usually the same, so I don’t pay too much attention.

There are, however, instances where a reporter will give information on a major accident or hazard that is sure to clog up the roads for some time, and the reporter rarely repeats where this incident is located. He or she will just say, “So stay clear of THAT area!” and move on with the rest of the scoop from the (insert sponsor’s name here) traffic center.

All I ask is that they simply wrap it up by saying, “Again, that’s on northbound Watt near Folsom” or wherever the incident is.  I find myself having a DVR reflex, like I’m reaching for a phantom remote to hit the back-up-15-seconds button to hear the location. Alas, there is no such technology in my rig.

Am I just being picky?

It’s been a while since I’ve last posted, but I just have to say that those Pottery World radio ads are really annoying. I will not go to that store based on how lame the copy is and how shrill the woman is doing the VO.

In these troubled times, expressing ourselves artistically is how we survive — the hope of a new sunrise (and perchance that Laurence Fishburne can deftly fill William Peterson’s shoes.) RunnerGirl thusly introduces The Sac Rag haiku competition.  That’s right — with no authorization from our esteemed founders, I am going all rogue and am offering the grand prize of a genuine canvas bag from THE actual Mood Fabrics in New York City, as seen on Project Runway. You can only buy these at the Mood store.

Here are the rules:
1. Your entry must follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure of haiku
2. It must address a current event
3. Entries must be received no later than noon on Friday, February 13.

Here is an example to get you started:

Obama, save us
Billions* and billions, like stars
We’re shovel-ready

*Assuming you pronounce it like “bill-yuns”  and not “beel-ee-ons”

OK. GO!

Wait, WHAT?!?!

Rick Springfield, aka Dr. Noah Drake, will be performing at Tuesday’s tree lighting at the State Capitol. Festivities begin at 4:30pm.

(Maybe Luke and Laura will renew their vows on the Capitol steps during the ceremony, too.  I was always more of a Bo & “Fancy Face” Hope fan myself.)

Mario Lopez will be the MC; although, I’m sure it will be too cold outside for him to show off his ripped abs.

RunnerGirl will be out of town on business; otherwise, I would SO be there.

“Nobody is indispensable” is what my mom has always said when the economy has started to look bleak, encouraging me to work harder and diversify my skills.

The downturn affected me (and also sac-eats, as he is married to me, and my layoff also greatly affected him) in early October as I was laid off.  I had the feeling that it was coming — namely, I had been involved in closed-door meetings in the previous two cycles of layoffs, yet I was not included in these meetings this time around — so I had at least mentally prepared myself a bit.

Here is how I got into an even better position in five weeks flat: Continue reading “How to find a job” »

Even if you didn’t grow up in a KCTC “Music Of Your Life” listening household with parents who grew up in the WWII era, it would be impossible to not enjoy The Cosmopolitan Cabaret’s presentation of Forever Plaid.

Sac-eats and I just returned from the 8pm show, where we were treated to 90 brilliantly executed minutes of ’50s and ’60s tunes in four part harmony — which proved to be the ideal antidote to the figurative election hangover. Still smiling ear-to-ear, I’m already plotting which table I need to reserve for my next visit to this show.

Continue reading “Mad About Plaid: Seeing this show once is not enough” »