Thursday, March 01, 2007

My horoscope

Remember how I said I'm in New Jersey for work for the rest of the week? Well, this was my horoscope today:

That itchy feeling you've been having from time to time lately is good old wanderlust. You need to travel out of your familiar territory and experience a new culture. Being uncomfortable in an airplane seat is a small price to pay for the rewards you will experience once you land. Start planning a long-distance journey today -- and consider a foreign country. There are ways of making the trip fit into your budget.


Close, but no cigar.*

For the record:
  • I always have wanderlust.

  • To many, New Jersey is a new culture, but to me, that's not really the case. I mean, I spent twelve years of my life here.

  • It was a long and uncomfortable trip, but alas! I drove, so no airplane seat.

  • It's my employer's budget, not mine, that they should be worried about.



*What does that mean, really?



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course I had to look up the phrase:

Even a near miss is still a miss. The saying probably originated with carnival contests in which a cigar was the prize for hitting a target.

Beakerz said...

I can only hope that Jersey = Atlantic City.

have ....fun?

mad said...

And here all along I thought New Jersey WAS a different country.

CBK said...

It's obviously a poorly-timed horoscope that was supposed to be read by you prior to going to Morocco. Either that or it's a big load of crap. :-)

dara said...

DSL: Thanks for your research. Although, what kind of a carnival prize is a cigar? Gimme a stuffed animal or a goldfish.

Needtsza: It does not. New Jersey rarely means Atlantic City for me.

Mad: It's a different culture within the same country. It's the type of culture that values big hair, Bon Jovi, strip malls, and good pizza and bagels. I like to see myself as a translator of that culture.

cbk: Maybe they were off by six weeks. Or maybe I've been out of New Jersey for so long that it is a new culture.

Then again, after the work events of the day, I am thinking about planning a long distance journey to anywhere that my BlackBerry does not work.

DSL said...

So Justin and I were at a neighborhood Thai restaurant last night and they were showing a Bon Jovi concert on its big screens.

dara said...

DSL: To me, that sounds like an excellent date in and of itself. Then again, after talking to Justin earlier today, I'm sure it was even more excellent than just Thai food and Bon Jovi.

dara said...

And remind me to tell Justin that I now know where two White Castles are located along Route 9.

DSL said...

It was indeed and by the way, remember to tell Justin...

Justin S. said...

1) I'm not sure "You Give Love A Bad Name" is an appropriate song for the recently engaged...

2)I'm not going to New Jersey just to get White Castle...

3) http://www.word-detective.com/052598.html

Dear Word Detective: When and where did the phrase "Close but no cigar" originate? I believe it has something to do with early types of slot machines in the late 1800's. When someone hit the jackpot on one of these machines, the winner would receive a free cigar from the storekeeper whose machine it was. If a player didn't hit the jackpot but came close, the storekeeper or other patrons might chide him by saying "close but no cigar." -- Mark Zurblis, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

dara said...

Justin: (1) Maybe it's not an appropriate song for an engagement, but girls -- including your fiancee -- like Bon Jovi. And anytime you hear music you like, it's a good thing.
(2) I don't think it should be the only reason you go to New Jersey. But next time you go, I can tell you where to look.
(3) Thanks. But DSL covered this already.

DSL said...

1)I had to laugh at seeing him in concert up close. He loves to milk it, doesn't he! He's so 80s.

2)Yeah, we mustn't forget the comic book store.

3) Mine was the most common explanation but this was slightly different.