insufficient focus

It was time to move. Here's my new address!

2009-08-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I like Insufficient Focus. Cause it's sooo accurate. But it's easy to misspell and is kind of a hand cramp to type it all out. You would be amazed at the people who don't bookmark.

Until I get bored in my new address and decide to come back here you can find random thoughts and distractions over at

girlvaughn.com

hopefully the 3 people who read me in Google Reader will update. please please please...

dare you! and by you I mean me.

2009-08-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

I've had this one in my drafts for a while. I've been afraid to commit. I get like that. Afraid. Of commitment. Don't tell husband.

ANYWAY - it's been in my drafts for so long that I can't remember where I found the link to begin with, I THINK it was from Liz. Seems like a Liz thing. And I mean that with the craziest amount of respect possible. Leave me a comment if you also linked to this site so my 12 readers will know who else rocks my world in the creativity department.

so.

Here's the thing. I like lists. I am trying to get my crafty on because I need even more distractions from my laundry (sarcasm) and I also feel like my brain is going (abso-fucking-lutely true). This list is perfect because it's A) a list, B) crafty and C) inspiring. It should totally keep my brain going for a bit... And by publishing it here, out loud, I am committing to doing these things. right? I think I will do them in order. hmm. Except that walking is SUPER boring. Hmmm. maybe I will do them in reverse order? No. IN ORDER. 1 per week. How hard is that right? I. Can.Do.It.

1 per week. Starting next week because walking is boring. Also, I don't really like poetry. So week 5 is gunna be tough. Also, this list is 100 things long. So I am making a 2 year commitment. sigh. See the first sentence. I.CAN.DO.IT. Also, when it says "draw" I probably won't draw. I suck at drawing. Maybe YOU can do some of the things on here, write about it, email it to me and I will post it on your behalf. We'll get through the list super fast. Just don't do any of the ones I want. Do the (hard) drawing ones. And the walking ones. Email to insufficientfocus at gmail dot com.

i can do it?

The List. by Keri Smith. Author. Illustrator. Guerilla Artist.

1. Go for a walk. Draw or list things you find on the the sidewalk. 2. Write a letter to yourself in the future. 3. Buy something inexpensive as a symbol for your need to create, (new pen, a tea cup, journal). Use it everyday. 4. Draw your dinner. 5. Find a piece of poetry you respond to. Rewrite it and glue it into your journal. 6. Glue an envelope into your journal. For one week collect items you find on the street. 7. Expose yourself to a new artist, (go to a gallery, or in a book.) Write about what moves you about it. 8. Find a photo of a person you do not know. Write a brief bio about them. 9. Spend a day drawing only red things. 10. Draw your bike. 11. Make a list of everything you buy in the next week. 12. Make a map of everywhere you went in one day. 13. Draw a map of the creases on your hand, (knuckles, palm) 14. Trace your footsteps with chalk. 15. Record an overheard conversation. 16. Trace the path of the moon in relation to where you live. 17. Go to a paint store. Collect 'chips' of all your favorite colors. 18. Draw your favorite tree. 19. Take 15 minutes to eat an orange. 20. Write a haiku. 21. Hang upside down for five minutes. 22. Hang found objects from tree branches. 23. Make a puppet. 24. Create an outdoor room from things you find in nature. 25. Read a book in one day. 26. Illustrate your grocery list. 27. Read a story out loud to a friend. 28. Write a letter to someone you admire. 29. Study the face of someone you do not like. 30. Make a meal based on a color theme. (i.e. all white). 31. Creat a museum of very small things. 32. List the smells in your neighborhood. 33. List 100 uses for a tin can. 34. Fill an entire page in your jounral with small circles. Color them in. 35. Give away something you love. 36. Choose an object, draw the side you can't see. 37. List all of the places you've ever lived. 38. Describe your favourite room in detail. 39. Write about your relationship with your washing machine. 40. Draw all of the things in your purse/bag. 41. Make a mini book based on the theme, "my grocery list". 42. Create a character based on someone you know. Write a list of personality traits. 43. Recall your favorite childhood game. 44. Put postcards of art pieces/painting on the inside of your kitchen cupboard doors, so you can see them everyday (but not become deaf to them.) 45. Draw the same object every day for a week. 46. Write in your journal using a different medium (brush & ink, charcoal, old typewriter, crayons, fat markers. 47. Draw the individual items of your favorite outfit. 48. Make a useful item using only paper & tape. 49. Research a celebration or ritual from another culture. 50. Do a temporary art installation using a pad of post it notes & a pen. 51. Draw a map of your favorite sitting spots in your town/city. (photocopy it and give it to someone you like.) 52. Record all of the sounds you hear in the course of one hours. 53. Using a grid, collect various textures from magazine and play them off of each other. 54. Cut out all media for one day. Write about the effects. 55. Make pencil rubbings of six different surfaces. 56. Draw your garbage. 57. Do a morning collage. 58. List your ten most important things, (not including animals or people.) 59. List ten things you would like to do every day. 60. Glue a photo of yourself as a child into your journal. 61. Trasform some garbage. 62. Write an entry in your journal in really LARGE letters. 63. Collect some 'flat' things in nature (leaves, flowers). Glue or tape them into your journal. 64. Physically alter a page. (i.e. cut a hole, pour tea on it, burn it, fold it, etc.) 65. Find several color combinations you respond to in public. Document them using swatches, write where you found them. 66. Write a journal entry describing something "secret". Cut it up into several pieces and glue them back in scrambled. 67. Record descriptions or definitions of subjects or words you are interested in, found in encyclopedias or dictionaries. 68. Draw the outline of an object without looking at the page. (contour drawing). 69. What were you thinking just now? write it down. 70. Do nothing. 71. Write a list of ten things you could to do. Do the last thing on the list. 72. Create an image using dots. 73. Do 3 drawings at different speeds. 74. Put a small object in your left pocket (or in a bag), Put your left hand in the pocket. Draw it by feel. 75. Create a graph documenting or measuring something in your life. 76. Draw the sun. 77. Create instructions for a simple everyday task. 78. Make prints using food. (fruit and vegetables cut in half, fish, etc.) 79. Find a photo. Alter it by drawing over it. 80. Write a letter using an unconventional medium. 81. Draw one object for twenty minutes. 82. Combine two activities that have not been combined before. 83. Write about your day in an encyclopedic fashion. (i.e. organize by subject.) 84. Write a list of all the things you do to escape. 85. Cut a random shape out of several layers of a magazine. Make a collage out of the results. 86. Write an entry in code. 87. Make a painting using tools from the bathroom. 88. Work with a medium that is subtractive. 89. Write about or draw some of the doors in your life. 90. Make a postcard that has some kind of activity on it. 91. Divise a journal entry using "layers". 92. Divise an entry using "layers". 93. Write your own definition of one of the following concepts, sitting, waiting, sleeping (without using the actual word.) 94. List 10 of your habits. 95. Illustrate the concept of "simplicity".

shit, I don't know what subtractive means.

Dangerous Neighbors, Hal Fishman, and German automobiles.

2009-08-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today in LA there was a standoff between the poeleece and some dude. I never met the dude. I can't say anything about him. Other people who may or may not have met the dude think it's cool to say things about him. Private, gossipy things. And my local newspapers think it's cool to report this nonsense as news.

The Daily Breeze said:
"Neighbors who did not want to be identified said ____ "sounds like he could be dangerous," but he has never caused any significant trouble for them.

"He's got issues. He doesn't take his medication, he doesn't do that well," a neighbor said."

Yeh, I'm pretty sure Thelma next door is an expert on mental health.

Also, this was from an article called: "Westchester neighbors say standoff suspect needs meds for mental issues"

I'm sorry - but who the fuck cares what the neighbors think? Get a freaking doctor on the phone. Get HIS doctor. But they can't. If someone who actually knows something about this man cannot talk to the news nobody should. And why is this its OWN story? Good grief people - are we THAT desperate for entertainment?

And BTW, where is the follow-up mention from the neighbors of what they did to help this man if he was doing so poorly. Love thy neighbor and all the biblical bullshit? I guess gossip about and slander thy neighbor is good enough. I thought that was only ok when you did it on Sundays. And on the 7th day they talked shit? no?

Ok - so you say, well it's the Daily Breeze, circulation South Bay, what do you expect. Right. Well I went looking for ACTUAL NEWS and headed over to ktla.com**** and, lemme tell ya, Hal Fishman is sooo rolling over in his grave** because freaking KTLA cited The Daily Breeze. They did say that the police "would not publicly identify" the suspect but apparently KTLA, who is owned by the Tribune Company who also owns the LA Times*, was not bothered by that and cited the Daily Breeze for providing it - along with more genius quotes from nosy neighbors.

Also, they did not spell Volkswagen correctly.

I guess my point is - don't talk about things or people you know nothing about. Sorry, Thelma, I guess I just assumed you don't know anything about mental health and that you don't have an actual job because you were free in the middle of the afternoon to talk to "reporters" - maybe you work from home. Maybe you are a therapist who works from home. Maybe you are *his* therapist and that is why you didn't want to be identified. Yeh - I'm gunna go with that.

--- uh, also KTLA just updated their story - but they didn't actually change anything in the story they only changed the title to say that he is in custody. The neighborhood still thinks he is dangerous. By the time you click on the link the story will probably be different and Volkswagen will probably be spelled correctly. Trust me it was all there. The neighbors might say I'm crazy but I know typos when I see 'em. (note, I did not proof read this post. Do as I say, not as I do.)

* see, in my head, since the Tribune Company owns both LA Times and KTLA, KTLA should be more reputable. Although I have not read the Times in a while***, so who knows how reputable they actually are.
** I dunno maybe he was cremated, he seems like an open-minded guy.
***I am NOT renewing my subscription stop calling me.
****I don't know why I thought this was "actual news". I think I was looking for a video of his car being rammed.

Superstitions save more than just baseball games.

2009-08-13T03:21:00.000-07:00

I am really sort of superstitious. If I allowed myself I could easily never step on a crack or wake up at 6:30 am again (9/11). ANNND Since I have enough cute little quirks I don't have a lot of extra time to freak out about weird and seemingly random shit and I need to really focus my crazies. Some things cannot be ignored though.

Many years ago I had the wooooorst stomach ache. I was totally convinced it was gas (sexy) or stress (because husband has me convinced that every ailment is stress related). It hurt so bad I could barely walk, let alone drive, and had to get a ride to work (oh, conservation!). I snapped at my boss (she deserved it). I couldn't eat or sleep for 2 days. And I was just generally miserable (along with everyone around me). I was IM'ing with a good friend about my aches and pains and somehow over IM we decided that I should go across the street from my office to Sav-On and get a snack and some Gas-X. After the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and pills didn't work I FINALLY called my doctor who told me to go straight to the emergency room. So I IM'd my friend again and asked her if she could take me to the ER at around 8 that night (apparently when my doctor says "immediately" I hear "In 5 hours") because Future-husband-to-be had a hockey game and we didn't think it would be worth it for him to miss it just because I had tummy ache. Turned out I had a benign tumor the size of 2 softballs. No shit. I TOTALLY blamed Sav-On. Every time I went into the Sav-On or drove past ANY Sav-On I blamed them for my tumor. Those Peanut Butter cups gave me a TUMOR! (I did not, however, stop eating peanut butter cups. It wasn't their fault, it was Sav-On's fault.)

And today I saw a tweet about the scammers at the Jiffy Lube on Pico and Cloverfield. Ugh. That Jiffy Lube. A couple years back I was pregnant for like 65 seconds and that Jiffy Lube was one of the last places we went while I was still pg. I completely and totally blame that Jiffy Lube for causing that miscarriage. Not because of fumes, or toxins or poor customer service. For absolutely no other reason than I went there and something bad happened right after. Stupid Jiffy Lube.

Actually. Now that I think of it. Jiffy Lube and Sav-On had to be in cahoots. Because of the tumor I got at Sav-On I lost one my ovaries. And even though the doctors' say that has absolutely nothing to do with fertility or reproduction I just refuse to believe that could be true and I know that my LAUSD health classes have taught me more than their med-school-ing, even though I didn't actually *pay attention* in school and especially in health class. Except when they talked about how snorting drugs will make your nose disappear - that shit totally scared me straight.

Moral of the story - don't go to drug stores and don't get your oil changed and you will live a long, healthy life with all of your ovaries. Even if you're a dude.

Sometimes the pressure to come up with a snappy title is just too much

2009-08-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Man, I was on a roll for a while there. Random thoughts left and right. Up and down. Forwards. Backwards. Upside down you turn me??

Totally lost my mojo after that "hey, you can call me Webster because I totally redefined 'creativy' based on what *I* think is creative even though the most creative thing I have done this year is decide on what to have for lunch" incident.

Time heals. Random thoughts starting to pop up again and the urge to whack them back down is lessening.

You've been warned.

Wood you like some paper?

2009-08-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

I saw these cards at Borders recently and instantly and seriously fell in love with them. They're WOOD dudes!

I want them all...

Night Owl Paper Goods. Love.

for real. it doesn't get any sweeter.

creative: resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.; imaginative

2009-08-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today someone told me that they thought one of the, uh, methods I use as a creative outlet was, in fact, not creative. That's weird. I mean wouldn't I know what my creative outlets are? Isn't that one of those things that's subjective? We don't have to all think alike do we? We don't have to all like and do the same things right? I mean, isn't it BETTER that we don't all love the same restaurants (imagine the wait for a table), the same bands (I don't like those big venues), the same shoes (hard enough to find your size). Imagine how much harder it would be to find a significant other if we ALL found the exact same qualities in a person attractive.

Be strong. Be different. Be creative. It's scary but critics can't matter when you are answering your calling*. If the comments are not constructive, if they are not from a loving place, don't listen. Unless your creative outlet is stealing, murdering, raping, or lobbying for high fructose corn syrup have the fuck at it. If they don't like what you create they can ignore it.

*no, Twitter is not "my calling" I'm making a bigger point here. sheesh.

I can probably pour milk on my own, right?

2009-07-31T03:21:00.000-07:00

My husband cooks. Yep. That's right. COOKS! And he kicks ass at it too. Even if it's "just" salad or heating some leftovers - he has the magic touch for real.

The biggest mistake I can make is to not make plans when he is out of town. Like Wednesday night. He was gone for just one night. I thought: "easy. I can make a baked potato. Eat in. Get to bed early. Piece-o-pie."

wrong.

I SWEAR, all I did was heat, in the oven (recommended) some frozen veggie chicken patties and heat, in the microwave, a baked potato. Yeh Yeh - I know, the oven is better but the chickies were already in there and, bitch please, I do not have the patience to wait an hour for a potato. The chicken was meh - was ok I guess for fake chicken. I think it had freezer burn - it tasted like it had come out of the microwave - mushy and not cooked enough but still hot. And the damn potato was overcooked! AND I burned my thumb on the damn plate.

Cereal or eat out with the girls from now on. That's it. No more of this "cooking" stuff for me.

A few more words about 500 Days of Summer

2009-07-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

Some things I meant to say in my "review" and totally forgot because I was too busy being out of focus.

1) Here is a really cool guide to the locations visited in the movie.

LAist Map of the Day: The Landmarks of 500 Days of Summer

2) At the Century City showing we saw what is possibly the saddest movie trailer in the history of movie trailers. I do not cry at movies. I hardly cry at all. That would require a heart. And emotions. ANYWAY - I cried. It sooo hit home for me, but even my friend who comes from a "good, loving home" was reaching for the tissues. It is executive produced by Oprah & Tyler Perry (say what?) and was a Sundance film that earned a gang of awards and was described in one review "perversely gloomy." Fuck yeh. I. cannot. wait. to see it, and I am already prepared for the complete and total emotional breakdown I am going to have after I see it. We all need goals right! Man, between this movie and The Road - I am looking forward to drinking very heavily those few months.

Get your tissues. Check it: Precious.

50 words about 500 days

2009-07-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

(500) Days of Summer. A review in 50 words (not counting the last 13)

I like the new M. Ward CD (music is subjective, fuck off). M. Ward likes Zooey Deschanel. So I go see her new movie.* I really liked it! I thought it was super cute. I want to work at a greeting card company that plays Black Lips at their parties.

* this makes complete sense in my brain. Also, this sentence doesn't apply to the count - because whenever you see "*" on here you should immediately stop reading because it means I am losing my mind. and my focus. oh also, the soundtrack was really good.

sdcc

2009-07-28T03:21:00.000-07:00

San Diego Comic-Con 2009.
Let's get to it bitches. A quick review of SDCC09

1) This year the crowds were INSANE. You really need to feel love for your fellow man and your Action Figure collection to brave these crowds. And it is not just in the convention center and the 45 minute wait for an Iced Grande Soy Caramel Latte I am talking about, it's all over the Gas Lamp. Someone was saying they had to wait an hour for a Subway sandwich. SUBWAY! AN HOUR! Eat Fresh?! What?

2) There were some cool exclusives - I am sure I don't need to tell you that! You are a fan. A collector! You knew months ago about the Jason Voorhees Bust with removable mask, limited to 400 at the Con right? riiight? Oh you were coming here to start your collection. Got it.

3) The Sideshow Collectibles booth was amazing.

4) Panels - there were some really cool ones. The lines were suuuuper long. You have to really want to have your picture taken by Neil Gaiman. Hopefully you didn't even go to the Twilight panel without a 2 day supply of food and a sleeping bag.

5) there were people in crazy costumes! Hey look a Storm Trooper!

6) The free wi-fi was a nice touch! thank you convention center.

So there you have it. Another year down! See ya next year!

Full disclosure: I didn't actually go this year. It really is basically the same every year except that it gets a little more crowded and a lot douchier. My back is messed up right now so I just couldn't get my head around driving 2 uncomfortable hours in the car to walk around a bazillion square foot convention center through the CRAZY crowds and the "fans" ---

A text I got from a friend that pretty much sums up my feelings: "Dear people who think this is cool: Stop coming. There are too many of you and you're ruining it for me"

There are lots of people who actually WANT to come here for more than just to say that they went. When Newsweek is doing an article about how to "look like a real fan" you know it is out of control. And the people who make fun of those women, and men, in Wonder Women costumes and talk about all of the "freaks" should really just stay home. This is not for you. It's totally jumped the shark. No longer cool. See there. It's not cool - so why would you go? You can find the exclusives online. You can watch the panels on YouTube. You can watch coverage on G4. Leave the looking like "real fans" to the real fans. There are not enough hotel rooms to go around.

See you freaks next year!

Hush Hush. Keep it down now.

2009-07-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

You know how people (and by people I mean therapists) suggest that if something is on your mind or if you have something to say to someone that you should write them a letter, you don't even have to send it - you can throw it away, but the point, I guess, is to just get it off your mind.

I totally just did that! My "people" would be so proud. But I did it on email. So that I can just delete it instead of throwing the piece of paper away, trying to cut down on waste, y'know. And I didn't input the person's name because I didn't want to accidentally hit "send" - here is the letter in case you need to use it in your office.

From: Me!
To: DoYouEver.StopTalking@work.com
Date: really, every day.
Subject: Have you heard that song Voices Carry?

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

Best Regards.
Looking frantically for my earphones.

Ow. My eyes.

2009-07-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

There should be a maximum number of fonts and styles in one email.

I don't want to promote violence but you sort of deserve a slap to the back of your head if your signature formatting is 4 lines with

Arial Bold in 10pt in black
Arial Bold in 10pt in red
Arial Bold in 10pt in blue
Arial regular in 10pt in black
Trebuchet MS bold italic in 10
Book Antiqua regular, italics, in 10pt in black

and you are writing your emails in Tahoma regular blue, 10 pt

I beg - please stop assaulting my eyes. I get headaches. Really bad ones. Your abuse of formatting is not helping. I would like to appeal to Microsoft to add one of those cute, but annoying, little animated characters that pop up when you are nearing the limit of fonts that common sense and consideration for your fellow man dictate

What should the max be? I dunno. 2? 3? It's like - there isn't a rule - but you know it when you see it. Six is too many.

mmmm? - eh.

2009-07-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

So there is a new(ish) restaurant in town with a fancy name and bright colors. I want to like it SO BAD. It's got outdoor seating (bring your dogs!), dark wood interior, sangria (!!), takes online reservations (cuz, y'know I am afraid of talking on the phone), there are lots of friendly servers, and it has a well designed website and menu. In my quest to force it into being my new favorite restaurant I've gone there 4 times in the last month.

La Grande Orange. A failed love story.

First visit:
breakfast: hash browns, huevos rancheros, latte.
The foam on the latte was beautiful and decent. The hash browns were greasy and delicious. And the huevos rancheros needed salt.

Second visit:
breakfast: egg salad sandwich, hash browns, orange juice.
The OJ was fresh squeezed and yum!
Hash browns were a little greasier this time. Still didn't stop me from plowing through them. The egg salad needed a lot of salt.

Third visit:
dinner: Sweet potato roll, Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos, red sangria.
The roll - omg. Soooo good. The "seared" ahi tacos were completely cooked and flavorless. The person I was with also ordered them and hers came with a side of mayo instead whatever more appropriate but completely forgettable condiment mine came with. It was just a mistake but it was kind of nasty for her to dunk it in the mayo. (unless you like mayo. then you would have been happy.)

The red sangria, along with the LGO cocktail she had were both really really good. They also have white sangria during the summer.

Fourth visit:
dinner: Sweet potato roll, miso-glazed salmon roll, crunchy tuna roll, red sangria and my friend had turkey meatloaf and a decaf coffee (uh? What?) and warm cookie with ice cream.

Again, the sweet potato roll was really good, altho not as good as the first time. The salmon roll is their "signature" roll and it was just ok. The crunchy tuna roll was equally meh. Her turkey meatloaf looked just like very thin lunch meat style slices of turkey COVERED in gravy (this is bad, unless of course you like your food to be drowned. you probably also like mayo. whatever drowns your boat.). She thought her coffee was bitter. And for desert she didn't think the teeny scoop of ice cream was worth an extra buck.

They say it's all seasonal and organic. And I am pretty sure they shop at the local farmer's markets - all of these things are a yay. Their food is just really underwhelming.

I think it is a fine place. Food is very average and very bland - so keep the salt close! I like the atmosphere and will continue to go back and try new things. It's a great place if you want to take visitors who are used to bland chain restaurants (I'm talking to you Cheesecake Factory) but want to try something in Santa Monica before you stroll them down Main St.

La Grande Orange
2000 Main St
SM CA 90405

Things I did not complain about today.

2009-07-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

The strong smell of perfume. Maybe some people like that.

People saying "ok, well let me know" after you already tell them that you are looking into something for them.

headaches

I pulled like 6 loose hairs off my shirt. I'm going bald.

The fact that most people spell Comic-Con incorrectly. Comicon. ComiCon.

How FULL I was after lunch.

My back

That sound. WHAT THE HELL WASS THAT SOUND? I had to go and find it

The fact that I found the source of the sound and the person is not there to turn it off and it's impossible to access.

People who don't know when to stop talking

Getting a meeting invite at 1:59 when the meeting is scheduled for 2

"miso" and "huevos" not being in the Outlook dictionary

People who don't publish the whole stories in feed readers. They only publish the headline for for first few lines - NO!

That voice. You know the one.

Who doesn't love a circus!

2009-07-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking to myself "We really need to get to the circus more." I used to go to Ringling Bros as a kid. But nowadays I have concerns about the treatment of the animals, my husband is afraid of clowns, and there are like a lot of kids and it's probably looked down upon to go to the circus just to drink.

Luckily for me there is a new circus in town. Cirque Berzerk! So we grabbed a coupla good friends, hydrated and made our way downtown. The CB peeps describe their show as:

"From stilt walkers to aerialists to punk rock clowns to pro riggers, we work together as a cohesive unit to produce visions of sexy fiery burlesque, dramatic flight and vaudevillian tomfoolery. Cirque Berzerk works with both contemporary music as well as it’s own originally produced score. "

My 10 word review: I liked it. Recommend for sure. Could use more edge.

One of the men in our group provided this 2 word review: needs boobs.
(the other man in our group agreed)

It was lots of fun! I highly encourage making a trip downtown, having a tasty dinner and 7 or 8 beers before the show, getting there a little early to enjoy the "pre-party" and more drinks (I can't encourage beer, they only had Red Stripe and Miller Lite). And planning to stay a little late for the after-party where the performers come out to party.

If you are going to the show here are three important reminders:

- your feet will get dirty. Wear super fancy or open toe shows with caution.

- if you try to clap your hands while holding a vodka tonic it WILL spill down the front of your shirt, even if you pay $2 more for Belvedere.

- bring cash so that you can get your "Safety Third" shirt.

Life lesson learned from the show:
You do not have to be insanely or grotesquely thin to be a performer - but you do probably need to do a lot of yoga and stretching.

Pics and reviews:

Oh, AND they have partnered with the Chrysalis group to provide jobs for the homeless. Come on now. That's awesome.

UPDATE: The husband would like you to know that he is not "afraid" of clowns. He just hates them because they are "evil" - noted.

pretend you're not worried about your job

2009-07-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we went to some craft fair at the California Market Center and I suck because I TOTALLY CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT!!! dernnit. I can tell you that Intelligentsia was there making tasty coffee, next to them was a stand selling cupcakes, and it was pretty big, with several hundred vendors. Oh and it wasn't your gramma's kind of craft fair. It was all hip and shit. I mean, not to say that your gramma wasn't hip. She could have been. Mine kind of was. She ran a burlesque club. And also worked loading trucks for Pabst. She also had no crafting talents AT ALL and even fewer ways of expressing love.*

ANYWAY.

If you have some disposable income and your walls need a little newness or you need a card to send, I highly recommend checking out these two businesses that were selling at [?] Show. I really liked their stuff a lot. Made me wish I had more money. And more walls.

http://www.creativethursday.com/

http://www.mincingmockingbird.com/

* for you new moms out there, the inability to express love is not hip. But your kid will probably look to arts, music and similarly fucked friends for approval and therefore could end up sort of hip. So either love your kid a lot and get a cheerleader** or never hug them and get a Picasso***** or a Kurt Cobain. It's up to you. ***

** not that there is anything necessarily wrong with cheerleaders. I'm speaking in stereotypes here, people.

***don't listen to me. I have cats.

*****I actually know absolutely nothing about Picasso. I am just assuming based on the beauty he created that he was sort of tortured and not hugged much, plus it was, what, like the 1800s when he was a kid, probably no one hugged back then. Wow. What has happened to this post? Go to those links. Buy their shit.

I'm Dumb. Bastille Day

2009-07-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, if it wasn't for a few restaurants around town celebrating with wine I totally would not have known it was Bastille Day on July 14. I said to someone, who doesn't even drink, "Oh, it's Bastille Day" and they must have an "I'm Dumb" section on their blog too because they said "What's Bastille Day?." And I had absolutely. no. idea. But I do know where you could have got wine specials had I posted this two days ago.

ANYWAY.

According to the know-it-alls that contribute to Wikipedia, Bastille Day is:

A French Holiday (knew that)

There is a parade. (could have guessed that - there are probably fireworks too)

Allie's get invited to the parade. hm. Was King Obama there? hm. Are they still mad over that whole "Iraq" thing? Was he unable to get on to the evite on his BlackBerry? And now France is all "HE DIDN'T EVEN VIEW IT!"

This shit has been celebrated for like hundreds of years.

A bunch of dudes (presumably) rushed a prison that only had 7 insignificant inmates (I'm sure they were significant to SOMEONE)

it's like their 4th of July. Minus the rednecks. eh, too many words. read it here.

I wonder if people wonder about July 4th? Do you think there is a French blog that wrote:
"They celebrate signing a piece of paper with hot dogs, cheap beer, and fireworks?" I think so too.

Even I can't believe this irritates me

2009-07-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

I am distraught. I don't know what to do. See, at first when I moved to this neighborhood there was one other girl who had the same name as me. But she lives down the street in another neighborhood and when people talked about her they say her WHOLE name. So there was no mistaking who they were talking about. Then about a year ago we got ANOTHER one -- THREE! And she lives on my block. And she wears cute shoes. And then people started to assume that when they were saying my name they meant HER! BUT NO - it was me!! It took awhile for the neighborhood kids but eventually we all got it straight.

But now. I knew it was coming. The mailman came last week and asked if my name changed. *sadness* "no…" I sighed. And then today I met her. And she seems really nice. Would it be wrong of me to ask her to go by a different name? Like Ted? Oh but we already have a Ted in our neighborhood. Hmmm. Dirk… yeh, her name should be Dirk. I have to figure out a way to get her to volunteer to be called Dirk. Diary, help.

Signed,
Should I change my name to Fred?

not news

2009-07-15T07:15:00.001-07:00

So I have a rare couple of minutes before I have to leave for work - let's check the news and see what is going on in the world!

Pop stars are still dead

A woman was frightened by cricket like 50 years ago

A dermatologist has probably seen an increase in business

Drug use is on the rise - oh wait, that's just in our house - husband has a pinched nerve and was given a pharmacy to heal it.

People are still stupid enough to think Red Bulls are good for them

I don't read the news for many reasons - it's sensationalized, it's gossipy. it's not "news" - I mean the fact that CNN's top headline story is also the top story in their entertainment section should tell you something.

ok, so CNN sucks for news... let's try Reuters

Christie's has an iPhone app.

BBC?

Sometimes older people die.

NPR??
wow - NPR actually has a lot of news news... holy shit, it's depressing.

I'm sticking with blogs and Twitter. If something is important it will find me.

smart - fail.

2009-07-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

One thing I am good at is beating myself up. Seriously. A pro. I am going to be having NIGHTMARES over the misuse of their/they're on the cult posting. I've been thinking about that allll day. For real.

I would like to thank my dear friend Tina for pointing out the error - it helps me to remind myself HEY DUMBSHIT WHY DON'T TRY PROOF READING FOR A CHANGE. It's like my own personal hell. It's totally karmic retribution for something I have done. I can spot an error on a billboard a mile away going 55 mph but, fucking hell, I cannot be bothered to recheck a post or an email (I am REALLY bad about checking emails before I hit ctrl+enter.)

I was hoping that writing this would just help to get it out of my system - and I totally think it worked! sweet...

Oh fuck - I literally just almost hit PUBLISH without reading... ok. hang on. Alright, good thing I did - I found something... publishing in 3.2.1...

PS - If you spot an error feel free to email me - not comment. :) And I don't mean like "hey bitch you missed a comma" or "that should be a semi colon not colon colon" or "what's with the love of the ellipses, it's kind of annoying and actually you're not even using it correctly" "- those things I just don't have time for. I mean important things like "A lot is TWO words dumbshit" or "Hey, brainiac you spelled Guy's name wrong" - we all have our cute little quirks right??

My husband rules

2009-07-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

We just had this exact exchange:

Him: You writin' a blog?
Me: Uh huh
H:What's it about?
M: cults
H: cults?
M: uhhuh
H: okee doke, I'm gunna call my mom.

to cult or not to cult

2009-07-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, I read a lot of blogs. Like, a lot. I read a lot of random blogs about a lot of random subjects. My RSS feed (which does not actually contain any "news" sources) and Twitter are how I get my news. It works for me. So. One of the blogs I read is called Progressive Buddhism (shut up) and I was just reading an article called "The Danger of Cults to Buddhism" and by "reading" I mean skimming, reading the first sentence of each paragraph and maybe a little more along the way. (I don't have a lot of time, y'know, I got blogs to read). And I was SORT of excited to read this one, since I have thought about cults a lot lately (don't ask), but like 1/3 through the article I got all annoyed, posted a Facebook message about it and started to go to the next story in the Reader. But. Then I went back to it..

Briefly, I re-read this...
You might be a cult if:

If bizarre rituals are required by members, including any type of sexual act in order to fulfill some teaching or favor, then it is a cult. If large amounts of money or material items are required to gain favor, or to learn some teaching, then it is a cult. If the 'leader' claims to be a messenger from God or be some infallible prophet or some other mystical cosmic force, then it’s a safe bet it’s a cult. If they have 'secret' teachings or different levels of rank only obtainable through money or other types of personal consideration, and these secrets aren't open to scrutiny, then its probably a cult. If their main concern is to maintain allegiance to one or a few 'leaders' despite the needs of its followers, then it’s probably a cult. If wisdom, understanding and compassion are not given freely, with no strings attached, (with the possible exception of the request for nominal voluntary donations), then it probably is a cult.

Then I wondered what the actually definition of a cult is:
According to Merriam-Webster
1: formal religious veneration : worship
2: a system of religious beliefs and ritual ; also : its body of adherents
3: a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious ; also : its body of adherents
4: a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5 a: great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book) ; especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b: the object of such devotion c: a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

I dunno. Maybe I'm spending too much time inside but the actual definition doesn't seem THAT bad to me - I mean, relative to other things about religion. Aren't even some "normal" religions kind of "unorthodox"??

I mean, it's kind of subjective right? As long as no one gets hurt, who the fuck cares if someone, even a "progressive buddhist" thinks you're in a "cult" - obviously there has been a lot of publicized tragedy surrounding "cults" and I would never encourage anyone to do harm but can't a lot of those things above from the Progressive Buddhist article be applied to other, "normal" religions? I mean, everything at one point was something new, different and scary right?

So, like, hear me out for a second (or just stop reading, really I couldn't care less*)--

Take this one: "If wisdom, understanding and compassion are not given freely, with no strings attached, ... then it probably is a cult." - what about the understanding for gays and lesbians? What about the compassion for the poor, homeless, out of work or just poverty level workers, in our country. I don't see many blogs from the religious right showing pictures of them wearing their rainbow flag togas marching in gay pride parades. Or even allowing basic rights, like, oh, marriage. I see a lot of God-fearing powerful men wanting to remove welfare programs. How is that compassionate? Would people consider their religions "cults"?

and, "if the 'leader' claims to be a messenger from God or be some infallible prophet or some other mystical cosmic force, then it’s a safe bet it’s a cult." - um hello, Jesus?

Now, I will be the first to admit that I know almost nothing about religions. or cults. But me thinks that as long as someone isn't telling you chop off bunny heads, give your entire salary to dump rocky road ice cream in the rivers, or rape bottle-nose dolphins for salvation, adults should be able to make decisions on their own about how they choose to worship, or not worship. Don't hurt anybody. Don't be a douchebag. Don't force your beliefs on me. But beyond that. Whatev.

*-note that I could NOT care less.. as opposed to COULD care less. That is totally one of my pet peeves.

UPDATE!! ok, man, I totally did not edit (OBviously - there are too many words here) and I totally did not proof read so thanks to TB for pointing out my using they're instead of their - yikes. sorry. hate that.

yeh, I'm kinda tired

2009-07-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

So... for like TEN WHOLE DAYS, I was all working out a lot - like everyday... like at all of the gyms I belong to (except one), like at yoga studios, like EVEN doing online yoga AT HOME... I was alll motivated and shit.

And there are a few reasons for my sudden motivation but honestly one of the biggest ones is because I thought it would help increase my energy level so that I could get all kinds of stuff done and not be so darn tired at the end of the day. I ALSO thought that because my energy level would be up that, for some reason, I would need less sleep.

This is how it went in my head:
1) raise energy.
2) combat laziness and fatigue.
3) need less sleep
4) get shit done.

but then.

I saw something online (that I can't link to because I immediately closed the browser hoping it wasn't true but it's been haunting me ever since) that said athletes need 7 to 8 hours of sleep A NIGHT! wait. what? How can that be? How can my body be all exercised and lean and efficient and need MORE time to rest.

fuck, man.

that blows.

Anyway, now I'm having back issues and can't go to yoga and was told to do low impact boring shit for EIGHT WEEKS AND I still probably need 8 freaking hours a night to "heal." It's a lose lose not get shit done kind of scenario.

bah.

I don't have THE link, but there is plenty online. read it. not lying. it says I need MORE sleep. I just don't know how that can be.

It's easy!

2009-07-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Without trying too hard you could easily come up with twenty or thirty thousand things people can do to ruin your day. I have two basic things that everyone can do to improve the lives of their fellow humans. There are the really obvious ones like don't kill - which I'm just going to assume are a given and will ignore. The two things that every person should do if they care AT ALL about not being an asshole:

1) Don't smell. Leave the smelling to the homeless. They don't have a shower, or a home, or a job and are probably wishing for all of these things or are too crazy to know they should be. You? Take a shower. Like, not EVERYday, (I shower 6 days a week - the 7th day I get to be LAZY! It's how I treat myself -shut up- unless of course I did something to make me really sweaty, then I shower on the 7th day, but I am not happy about it.) - So - don't be smelly, this, by the way, includes wearing too much perfume, wearing clothes that smell like they were washed in a tobacco factory, etc…

2) If you are the first person person at a red light, or a turn signal, or in line at a store or restaurant and ESPECIALLY if you are in line at a coffee shop - PAY ATTENTION. I cannot emphasize this enough. As the first person in line you have a responsibility to everyone behind you to know when the light turns green, or the barista is ready for you. Do not make me miss the light because you were sending a text or putting on your makeup. Do NOT keep me from my coffee because you are daydreaming. Be conscious. Be aware of how you are affecting other people.

That's all. See how easy it is? Maybe some people just don't care - those people deserve to drive behind people going 10 miles under the speed limit, while that slow driver is texting their friends at every red light about the asshole tailgater (that's you, er, the person who doesn't care) behind them AND stand behind every smelly daydreamer at Starbucks. For eternity. That, by the way, would be my Hell. If there is a Hell I will surely be going there - I will spend eternity in a car without shocks driving behind someone applying perfume with their right hand, makeup with their left hand, texting with their toes and who just happens to be running the exact errands I am running while blasting scat. Because in Hell the only music that plays is Jazz.
And Michael Jackson.

(full disclosure: I TOTALLY text at red lights. BUT NOT WHEN I AM FIRST.)

Actually, I hardly have any time at all.

2009-07-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

When people say "Someone has too much time on their hands." in that cutesy, snippy, voice all they are really saying is "Wow, I am totally judging that person for doing something that I cannot relate to and do not think is important." Like, right now. I actually have a ton of other things I could be, and you could say should be doing. But you know what. I want to write this. I choose to write this. I choose the way I prioritize my time. Me adult. We're all adults (I mean unless you're not - in which case you are totally not reading my blog, you're like at the mall or buying Sudafed or Oxycontin, or playing video games or having sex parties and you just happened to stumble onto my blog because you Googled Oxycontin Sex Party.) ANYWAY. My point is don't go making assumptions and judgments about how other people decide to allocate their time. My priorities are not your priorities. They are mine. And I do not have too much time. I have just enough time to jot this down as a matter of fact so suck it.

Man, lemme tell you

2009-07-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am NOT going online today (except to post this), I am not going near a TV (except to watch TiVo - is Rescue Me on tonight?), I am not going near a radio (except KXLU - because they have not lost their minds, I mean, they totally have, but in a normal college kid, rock kind of way). Because I am SOOO over this whole dead MJ thing. ALLL over TV. ALL over radio (hello, my local NPR station broadcasting his memorial - et tu NPR?). The emails, the tweets, the Facebooks, the watercooler. Enough. I haven't cared about his music since I was like 10. I watched as he went from weird where-is-his-skin-color-going pale guy to creepy sleeps-in-beds-with-little-boys-and-settles-out-of-court pedoweirdo. And now all of a sudden he's a freaking saint who might get a holiday and a postage stamp? No thanks! He's dead - I'm sorry if you are in pain over it. I'm also sorry if you are one of the boys he (allegedly) molested or acted inappropriately with and now have to watch as millions celebrate his greatness while ignoring arguably more important Global issues. I'm totally not surprised by it all - but I am totally over it. Peace out. RIP motherfucker.

BookClub!

2009-06-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

I am in a bookclub. This should be obvious because A) I am a woman in my mid-30s, B) I like to drink* and C) I have friends who are also A & B. and d) we all at one point either read a lot or thought it would be good for us to read (that got a little "d" because it was very minor in the decision to form a bookclub, oh the irony.).

ANYWAY - With very few exceptions we have met every month for 6 years (seriously, 6 years is impressive!!) We don't ALL always go every month and the cast members have changed a bit and we have probably all thought about dropping out at one time but it is a really great time to see our friends, eat some foods, drink some wines and relax. The thing is. We really don't read. This makes us probably A LOT like most other bookclubs who are A, B and Cs. We don't read so much that we actually started alternating bookclub and gamenight every other month. Except that we don't play games either.

So, this month we read a book. And. I actually read it. GET THE FUCK OUT! I swear. I finished it even. And I didn't even like it. Since we probably won't talk about the book tonight at our monthly meeting I thought I would give you my 20 words or less review:

Repetitive
Melodramatic
Cliché
Obvious
Buy it used if you must read it

meh.

*- I shit you not, while I was writing this someone said to me: "You OBviously like beer and wine…"

The one where I get a little sappy and kind of judgy.

2009-06-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I heard a father's day story on NPR you... it's short - go listen to it. It's very nice actually... I just had a teensy problem with the way that it ended:

"When we spend a weekend together, she often says, "I love you." But it's the look she gives me that eternally confesses her feelings. I look at my father the same way now that I know he was thinking about me all those years we were apart. I no longer see a man who did nothing for me my whole life, but a man who has always loved me.

After all, he's my father; just as I am hers."

So, what I am hearing is it's ok to be shitty because you're her father and she should love you regardless of what you do just because of it? Yeh - I don't think so.

A good father, just as a good wife, brother, friend, etc is determined, or SHOULD be determined, by more than their title and place in the household. A good father protects and provides for their son or daughter. A good father listens, supports, encourages, and teaches. A good father is patient, knows when to shut up and when to speak up. A good father is a good husband, even if that means knowing when to let his wife go. A good father is a good son. A good father is a good man.

I hate to be all conditional but let's be realistic. I hope daughters and sons all over the world love their fathers - but I hope those fathers feel like they have to earn that love. Nothing is free. Nothing should be taken for granted. Give love. Accept love. Earn love. Don't expect love.

loveyoubye.

Happy Solstice!!

2009-06-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today is allll kinds of things:

1) Solstice!
2) Father's Day
3) My first sunburn of the year.

Yep. I am 36 years old and have lived within 15 miles of the beach for all 36 of these years and I STILL cannot manage to go to the beach without getting a gnarly sunburn. And it's not even like I completely forget to apply it - I just do such a poor job of it - I am just blotchy. Blotchy legs, blotchy arms, blotchy chest.

Some day I will learn.

YO! What's up? What's going on in the world?

2009-06-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts while perusing the news..

Lakers - I'm from LA, and I really could not care less about basketball, but it's always good to see the hometown team win. At first I was a good liberal and was all up in arms over the parade that was scheduled - I agreed that people who were out breakin shit and looting do not deserve a parade. But you know who does deserve a parade? The other several million fans who did not break any laws. Why should the good fans be punished? I agree that the cost of the parade is high and comes at an unfortunate time but I also think people need to celebrate and it's great that our DamnMayor was able to raise some private funds for it. Party on and don't act like assholes is what I say to the parade and rally goers.

Dodgers - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for beating the A's last night. I am SO over interleague play. And I am SO over the AL dominating the NL with their cheating not real baseball no pitcher hitting ways!

WTF is up with Diet Cola "for men" ??? Stupid.

Congrats to Silversun Pickups on getting to number one on Billboard... I still think you're kind of boring.

Huh, David Sedaris at the B&N at the Grove tomorrow night.. That's kinda cool. I never actually read him (the bookclub girls will frequently remind me that the Christmas book they picked is only like 4 pages long or something...) but I do think he's funny, I just don't really like essays or short stories (that's what he writes right?)

If you haven't been to Wurstküche you are totally missing out. Unless of course you don't like sausage, fries or beer. If that is the case you can close the browser, your kind is not welcome here - unless you're a vegan and then you can stay - but at least they have vegetarian options.

Food Inc. Let's go see it!

Obviously there are things arguably more important than these happening in the world... those things bring me down. I don't read regular news, I read blogs. I get my news from The Daily Show and Twitter and I figure if something is important enough I will hear about it. Unlike a lot of people though (brace yourself, I am about to judge) I don't argue over world events, I don't retweet unconfirmed Tweets, I don't make my decisions on who I will side with or what I will believe based on 30 minute TV shows, Whole Foods solicitors in American Apparel Tshirts with clipboards and a smile, or social media without doing a whole lot of research first. Now I just need to figure out why everyone's Twitter avatar is green... Green isn't really my color.

The way my brain works - sorry world.

2009-06-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

So I am walking around San Diego and pass a guy in a wheelchair - and he's no slouch - he's like a Murderball kind of guy - all in shape and shit and I notice he's wearing New Balance and the first thing I think of is "Man, if I lived in a wheelchair I would totally not wear sensible shoes."

Do you ever eat too much butter?

2009-06-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Do you ever think to yourself: "HEY! I'm on vacation and I've already walked all over town and sat by the pool and done yoga in my hotel room via a really awesome online yoga site and decide that it would just be too much effort to put on real clothes, brush your hair and go outside in search of dinner? So you decide to order room service. Only everything looks kind of expensive and kind of unhealthy except for the "Fit" options which just look boring. Then you find Salmon! (which is good if you like salmon.) And you look at the options for sides and see carrots! So you order Salmon, a baked potato and carrots! And you're all proud because you ordered healthy AND yummy! And it comes in 30 minutes or less, as promised, and it looks amazing. And it actually tastes amazing. And then about 17 bites in (because it was the hugest portion ever) you realize it tastes amazing because it was cooked in AT LEAST a stick and a half of butter. But you keep eating it. But you don't finish it because not even you are that hungry. But you do have to go wash your face because you feel like you just bathed in butter.

me too.

So - vacation update day 2 - I slept in late, went for a tasty breakfast of eggs, hash browns and a biscuit and then walked around the marina, for like EVER. I was hoping to take the ferry to Coronado, but I literally walked up as it was pulling away and didn't feel like waiting an hour for the next one. So I just kept walking. And walking. It was good. So good that I took a nap. After being awake for like 3 hours. I got up, searched for food and ended up with some pretty yummy fish tacos. Came back to the hotel and read by the pool before coming back to the hotel room, Facebook, Twitter, Photoshop research for new-ish Mac, decided I didn't need a new iPhone for $500 and did Yoga online. Before the great-butter-dish of 2009 occured.

The best thing happened by the pool though... there was a family there on vacation, a mom was sitting poolside with her baby in the stroller while her husband (I assume) was in the pool with his 3 daughters (I assume). He was towing the 3 girls and hollering out: "I AM ON VACATION! ON VACATION! WE ARE ON VACATION! No lawns to mow! On Vacation! No work! Vacation! SEVEN MORE DAYS OF THIS POOL!" - Man, his excitement was awesome. I hope they had a nice buttery dinner!

Now I am finishing up a decent glass of Pinot, watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix (man, that pilot was REALLY GOOD! Watch it.) and waiting for Guy to get back from dinner.

San Diego on a Sunday

2009-06-07T19:40:00.001-07:00

Spending a couple of days down in San Diego for absolutely no reason at all. There is no occasion. There is no agenda, really. I hope to get to a yoga class, to an elliptical, to the pool. I hope to read a book. I might take the ferry to Coronado... I am going to eat some crappy food and probably some salads if I can find a Whole Foods or health food store. I am going to drink some cold beer. (oh! I already did that!) Isn't it funny how we have to schedule time to do nothing? The view from the hotel room could be enough to just keep me in bed though...

sunset.

Do you ever

2009-06-06T08:41:00.001-07:00

Do you ever fall asleep in yoga pants and wear them to yoga in the morning?

This morning while I was getting ready for yoga, in the yoga pants that I slept in, I talked myself out of going to the class because I thought my hair looked cute and didn't want to ruin it with exercise and sweat and showering. And then I looked at my arm flab and thought: "yeh, I should go."

Our San Francisco/Sonoma Trip!

2009-05-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

So - if you've ever been in my car you know that I love me the TV on the Radio. When they announced their spring tour I was bummed to see that their only LA date was Coachella, so that meant no other play-y in LA-y (and Pomona is just too far.) So when I saw that they were playing in Oakland over Memorial Day weekend I had one of those lightbulb moments and decided we needed a good road trip!

We arrived in San Francisco around lunchtime and took the bus up to Amoeba - I LOVE taking public transportation. I'm not sure if I would love it so much if I had to do it everyday, I'm sure the novelty of it would wear off, but when we are traveling I really enjoy it. We have sort of made a tradition out of buying CDs at local indie record stores while on vacation and I was happy we fit it into this trip. (purchases included Jason Lytle, Au Revoir Simone, Reatards, and two Nick Cave Re-issues)

I found a good deal at the Hotel Palomar, it is a Kimpton hotel, and they are quickly becoming my hotel chain of choice. Comfy beds, and really loud flushing toilet and a shower that didn't drain very well, BUT I would totally stay there again, centrally located and did I mention the comfy bed?

We had some TASTY crab-deviled eggs and a couple of beers before dinner by the water at MarketBar in the Ferry Building, (side note: I don't think I have ever, in my almost 15 years knowing my husband seen him SO excited over a group of shops). Beers and deviled eggs. yum.

Then..

Guy booked us a really yummy dinner at Ozumo Sushi. The Hanabi and Futago were amazing. Everything was great. Including the Sapporos.

After dinner we headed on the BART to Oakland to the recently renovated Fox Theater - it's one of those historic, crazy buildings with really amazing architecture. We had 5 or 10 more beers and were treated to an amazing show by one of my favorite bands.

Saturday morning was a little rough (see mention of beers above) so we got a slow start out of town and eventually made it to Santa Rosa where we checked into our hotel and had a really great lunch at Omelette Express-- soo yummy

Our home base for the wine tasting trip was Hotel La Rose - small, quaint, in the heart of their little historical area and the bed was really comfy... (comfy beds are crucial to my traveling happiness in case you couldn't tell - it has to be firm, not too firm and big enough so that 6'4" husband does not cut into my side of the bed by sleeping diagonally on small beds)

After fueling up on sandwiches and iced tea and when I finally began to feel human again it was time for some wine tasting! We hit a good amount of wineries in the Forestville, Sebastopol and Windsor areas (favorites are marked with a handy asterisk - man I love those things)

Hartford Family Winery
*Harvest Moon
Hook & Ladder
*Woodenhead
DeLoach
Dutton-Goldfield/Balletto Vineyards

Harvest Moon was probably my favorite of the day, and not just because they had a really awesome chocolate lab named Charlotte. Woodenhead had an amazing deck with views of the valley and a woman who worked there was from LA and her parents lived in the same house in the heart of Hollywood for the last FIFTY YEARS. I loved that.

That night we had dinner at El Dorado Kitchen in the Sonoma Square. Note: when traveling check to see if the town where you booked dinner is having any events, like a jazz fest, that could make finding parking near-impossible

ANYWAY - it was really good - I had the truffle risotto, Guy had short ribs. And for desert we had a S'Mores tart. mmmm...

Sunday morning we woke bright and early and without a hangover (yay) and went to breakfast at Parkside Cafe - oh. shit. yum. Chicken Fried Steak and the Country Benedict were both great and not too heavy. Really tiny place with really amazing food.

We walked around the Windsor Farmer's Market and some antique fair thing in Healdsburg before starting day two wine tasting at:

*Stryker
Seghesio
Papapietro
*Dutcher Crossing
**Preston
Mazzocco

Stryker had a remarkable tasting room, beautiful grounds, some horny snakes, and two guys working - one was lively, engaging and outgoing and the other was his total opposite. Guess which one we got?

Preston is an organic winery, with pigs and chickens and cats and bread and olives and really yummy wines. It was totally my favorite of the trip.

OK. Dinner. I booked us a nice dinner based on online reviews and a Michelin rating. So we walk into this old Victorian House/Restaurant and there is classical music playing, unchipped China on all of the tables, salmon colored walls, DRAPES, and a snooty hostess and I have a mini-panic attack. Where did I book us?? Guy calms me and the Goose and tonic calms me and we sit to eat. OH.MY.GOD. It was BY FAR one of the most amazing meals of my life. Go there. As soon as possible. Life is short people.
Madrona Manor
We had five courses of amazing food paired with fantastic Sonoma wines and Champagne, along with things like parm-reggiano churros, pea Vichyssoise amuse-bouche (actually I don't really know if vichyssoise is usually a SPECIFIC kind of soup - this is how much I didn't deserve to be eating there, anyway - it was cold and I only know what amuse-bouche is because I watch Top Chef - see you CAN learn things from Reality TV). We also were given raspberry/hibiscus crushed ice to cleanse the palettes (the texture of the ICE was amazing) - a mini creme brulee AFTER we finished the desert that we ordered, and a handful of chocolates and carmels AND 2 bags of caramel corn to take on the road. soooooo yum.

The whole weekend was awesome. Yay for vacations. I am working on the next weekend getaway now: Ojai. Have never been there and have always wanted to go. I plan on lots of relaxing.

I defintely almost died today

2009-05-21T19:09:00.001-07:00

So, this post REALLY needs pictures - but I was not fast (or dumb) enough to bust out my camera so I went online to try and find funny pics and realized that nothing is funnier than the real thing. So imagine if you will...

You are walking North on Abbot Kinney after a successful chiropractor visit

You see a guy walking in a crosswalk - he's about 6'3" and a total douchebag. Weird curly, Jew-ish, dreadlockey things, giNORmous oversized Afflicttion style sweatshirt, baggy black pants - giving a guy in a car that is speeding towards him the "Hey - bitch are you gunna stop for me hand wave"

You look at the guy who TOTALLY should have stopped or at least slowed down a long time ago and he's in a late 80s/early 90s style Supra that has never seen a carwash and is now just the color of dust, lowered, Fast and Furious style wheels - back when it was The Fast and The Furious - a pit bull with a crazy ass scary spiked collar, I mean this poor dog, he's probably seen a fight or 20. REALLY loud music, like loud, like OW my ears and I am standing 20 feet away loud. And the driver..well, let's just say he looked mean.

And mean-driver-guy starts YELLing at douchey-crosswalk-guy. And they are screaming at each other. And by the time douchey-crosswalk-guy gets across the street you are at the corner and mean-driver-with-mean-dog-guy is STILL yelling and pointing his hand in the shape of gun at douchey-fashion-thug-guy - only you are PRAYING to the I'm-about-to-go-on-vacation Gods that you are not about to get shot because at this point you are like 2 feet from Mr-why-don't-you-just-cross-the-street-and-shut-the-fuck-up-guy and you think 2 things: 1) I hope doesn't-know-where-a-carwash-is-guy has perfect aim and 2) I hope he doesn't mind leaving a witness.

And then the both go on their merry ways.

And 2 hours later you still thinking about it.

And then you decide to bliggity-blog because Denis Leary would be so proud.

2009-05-19T17:35:00.001-07:00

Just overheard at work: "From a branding perspective you have to keep it on four wheels"

Things I did complain about today

2009-05-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Assholes.

So.

I'm just sitting here minding my own business catching up on the Facebook, the Twitter, and the Google Reader, and I read a comment that someone makes about a rapper who was shot and killed at the Beverly Center today and they said: "just another rapper that got capped" --- now --- you may or may not like rap and you may or may not, but probably don't, know the person who was shot and you may or may not know why they were shot - and unless you were the person doing the shooting, I'm pretty sure that you don't.

I do plenty of judging in my day-to-day life (working on that, really) but this was someone's life. And whether or not you know who are they are or agree with how they spend their Sunday mornings, he was still a human. He was a life. And some other human took that life. I don't know why they did it and I am not going to waste my Monday evening or battery life speculating on it. Someone loved this person. Someone is hurting because they are gone. He was more than "just a rapper" to someone. Why is it so hard to remember that and so easy to judge lifestyles we don't know or agree with?

Who the fuck are we to judge why that happened. Maybe they did some bad things in their life, I don't know. And you know what? I'm pretty sure you don't either. So save the judgments for important things like music you have never heard, white shoes after Labor Day and sushi you have never tried.

No one is a "just"

Things I did not complain about today

2009-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

My slow computer
My sore foot*
My sore back*
My extremely full inbox
The printer
The smell in the bathroom
The good ol boys laughing and ass slapping going on
Never being able to find information that I need in all of our systems
Asking for one thing (that I should have been able to find) and getting something else

*Shoot - I totally forgot and complained about these - but it was really more of an explanation. It was suggested that I frolic and I had to explain why I couldn't.

I am not your maid.

2009-05-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

So, today we went to the Farmer's Market... after all - we are "those people" (more on that some other time) - and after buying grapefruit (3 for $2), cherries ($5 for a bucket - no sprays) and organic berries (asst of blue, black and rasp for $14 - cheaper than WF) I decided that I needed a third cup of coffee in an hour. Actually, I didn't even really "need" the coffee I just really love Common Grounds (mostly because it's not Starbucks, Peets or CoffeeBean) so I got my coffee and while I was giving it a splash of half & half I noticed a guy empty three packets of Sugar-in-the-Raw into his cup and then toss the empty paper packets on the table ONE INCH FROM THE TRASH BUCKET. I looked at him and looked at his trash and it's proximity to the trash bucket and said, to no one in particular, "really?" and put the trash in the bucket for him. A grown man should be able to put some trash in a trash receptacle and I should NOT have to clean up after him but I envisioned the paper packets blowing off the table and onto the ground and creating litter and someone else having to pick it up and why the fuck should someone else have to pick it up when I am standing right there next to the trash, and I didn't even have to bend over to pick it up, and put it in the trash bucket.

When I told Guy what happened he just said "Are you surprised?" and yeh, actually I was. I just don't know what the hell is wrong with people - so you don't know where the trash can is and it's that hard to, I don't know, glance around and try and find it? People - come on - take responsibilty for your actions - don't litter, don't be a douchebag, don't expect other people to do things for you. In case you forgot, you are human and you are not ANY better than anyone else... I am not better than douchey litterer fuckface just because I picked up his trash. We are all the same, let's leave the coffee condiment area nice and clean for the next coffee lover ok?

I really need a hobby.

2009-05-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today someone told me that "some people" might (may?) think that I update my Facebook status too frequently lately. My initial reaction was, predictably, fuck 'em... But after obsessing over it for a few hours (like 7) I thought - "if only they knew." Most people on FB don't even follow me on Twitter - so if they think I update FB a lot, their heads would explode with all of the combined updates. But even those two combined is MAYBE 1/8 of the amount of updates that I could do or would like to do. Believe it or not I AM actually exercising some self-control. I don't necessarily have a lot of time on my hands, I just have a lot of random 140-ish character thoughts that are CONSTANTLY going through my head. A lot. In fact I started this blog because I thought I would ease the amount of random texts, updates, emails that I send to people... But a blog isn't really the place for 140 character or less thoughts. So this leaves me with a decision to make. Stop making random FB updates (maybe)... increase number of Tweets (no)... just keep them in my head (as if). Hmmm... What is a girl to do. Should I start a different totally anonymous Twitter account or blog that takes all of the pressure off of me - I can post anonymously all of my random crazy thoughts - or maybe having SOME restraint is better so that I can get work done during the day. Husband might have me committed, or divorce me and take custody of the cats: "Judge, I would like to present in evidence defense Tweets #27 - 1,987 as proof of plantiff's inability to contribute emotionally to marriage." Yeh - I need a hobby.

In another news, here is my 10 word or less movie review of Star Trek.
loved it. see it. spock is not sylar, remember that.

PB&B

2009-05-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Things that make me go: meh - Pat Benatar, Blondie and The Donnas are playing

At first I was like: "wow, who the fuck cares..." And then I remembered that I am (still) trying to be more positive and less judgmental and thought "I am sure LOTS of people care, and I probably even know some of them. However, I personally do not care and would not spend a nickel on that show.(except I probably actually thought SHIT and not SHOW)" Ok, I MIGHT spend a nickel - but only if the beers were free. And then I thought - "oh, it's probably part of the Fair tour" except I was thinking it in a really judgy way because fair concerts suck ass (and then I replayed the whole positive, know people who like that shit, conversation with myself)... and I was right. Fair tour. OC Fair - I've been thinking that I need to go to the OC Fair instead of the LA County Fair for a change of pace (even though they are all, literally, the same)... maybe we'll go. and you know what, we would probably have a ~~really~~ good time... we will never know.

Oh and that date on the link is wrong but I don't care.

It's a rainbow in my box

2009-05-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, like, I color code my emails at work, different colors obviously for different items that need to be addressed… it's a pretty good system, especially since I like to do things in batches - I just batch and color code similar tasks together… I used to move things out of the inbox and into folders but I like having them in my inbox, constantly reminding ~~me how far behind I am,~~ to stay motivated (I THINK the GTD peeps like folders AND color coding but there is only so much time in a day to organize y'know).

ANYWAY… lately I've been feeling a little Groundhog Day --- like every day is just sort of the same or really similar --- same kinds of emails, same kinds of problems, same same. And in dealing with the same emails and problems I've gotten a little behind on filing and clearing out my Inbox, so today is the today I totally get caught up, stay motivated, file and get down to <5 emails. Because I am trying to figure out a way to stay engaged I decided to do things in small batches and in doing so I realized that I made my HOURS very Groundhog Day… here's the way it went today:
1) check inbox & clear out one of my colors (this creates more paper that needs to be filed - it's a legal thing)
2) file stack of papers (which are also batched for quick and efficient filing, except when I totally ignore them, like last 2 weeks)
3) check Yahoo, check Facebook, check Twitter
Repeat
Over
And
Over
All
Day
Long .....
Wow. I am REALLY looking forward to that weekend in Sonoma.
File, Rinse, Repeat. Gotta go - Blue is waiting for me

Mother's Day Schmuther's Day.

2009-05-10T16:57:00.001-07:00

Don't bother reading this one, really - just scroll right past it. oh and Guy, it's cool (just venting - look I gave you your own label).

************************************

Facebook Ad: "Stay Close to Mom"

Number of Facebook status updates about Mother's Day in the last 15 hours: 15, including one honoring MILFs

Top two trends on Twitter: "Happy Mothers Day" & "Mother's Day" (#MothersDay is listed sixth)

Percentage of MLB players wearing pink arm sweatbands honoring Mother's Day: most.

Number of Tuff Shed commercials proclaiming you should buy your mom a SHED for Mother's Day that came on while I was writing this: one

Amount I am feeling sorry for myself today: a lot.

If YOU are a mother, I am sure you are great, if you have a mother, I am sure she is great. But not every mother deserves a day. Just sayin. Oh and if you think you "deserve" Mother's Day or "deserve" something on Mother's Day, well, you probably don't. Accepting things graciously and being humble are very sexy traits, Mother or not, btw.

************************************

Dear Diary:
Today I made a really pathetic blog post. I shouldn't put those words into the universe, they are better kept in the pit of my stomach eating away at my undiagnosed ulcer.
TTFN

random thoughts on a Thursday night

2009-05-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

I added the Blogger Dashboard to my Home page tabs to open because I thought maybe it would remind me/inspire me/guilt me into writing more... see, it's working...

I've had a lot to eat today

I am starving

I can.not.stand. hearing listener comments on the radio. If I wanted to hear random douchebag shithead commentary I would just go outside, like to the mall, or church.

No I am not "surprised" by Manny getting 50 game suspension for drug violation - I am SHOCKED that he was stupid enough to get caught.

I probably would not have even thought twice about it except it is MY TEAM he's fucking with and MY TEAM has the best record in baseball - so if this fucks MY shit up I will not be fucking happy.

Everyone says they will probably still be in 1st place when he gets back, so he better be a .350 hitter AT LEAST when he gets back.

I think it's HILARIOUS that Steve Phillips just pointed out on ESPNews that the Dodgers didn't want to pay him that salary anyway and now they're saving 7milliondollars. True.

Hungry.

Nick!!! mmmmm Nick.

2009-05-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a mood lately. A bad mood. A sad mood. A frustrated mood. Angry. Irritated. Overwhelmed. Sick. Back hurts. No sleeping. You name it and I have lived it in the last 2.5 days.

When I get into these moods I listen to a lot of Nick Cave. Like, a lot. Like, nothing else. His music, over the span of his career, has pretty much touched on all of my moods - so when you're mid-mood swing and a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Shuffle All takes you from a ballad to a murder ballad to a death row walk you are pretty much RIGHTTHERE with it...

"Stagger Lee" is a really fucking great song. And I was listening to it just now (live, hopefully the studio version comes up in a minute) and I am really struggling which of these two lines is my favorite (close browser now if you are easily offended).

A) She saw the barkeep, said "O God, he can't be dead!"
Stag said, "Well just count the holes in the motherfucker's head"

or

B)"I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know
But I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole"

man, that's a good song. and really good and bitchy and sexy live.

oops gotta run, mood swinging back the other way in 3.2.1....

*****************************************
update at 7:43 pm - I am feeling much better and tomorrow WILL be a better day, Fuck yeh.

it's kind of a rainbow

2009-05-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

What I have eaten so far today (3:45pm)

Raisin Bran w Soy milk
Green tea
Avocado
Apple Sauce
Dark Chocolate
Berries
Plain Tuna on Stale crackers.

I feel like maybe I need a "meal"

I'm Dumb - May Day

2009-05-01T13:38:00.001-07:00

Every so often I think to myself: "I'm dumb." Guy really doesn't appreciate me saying this, probably since it is rather insulting to him, he is smart enough to not marry a dumb person and, in general, I think I do alright. I can dress myself, feed myself (well I can FEED myself, I cannot cook for myself), get to work, make a decent living...etc...

But I am not, in no way, not even a little, "book smart." Book smart is what people who are common sense smart call those people that intimidate them because they know things - like about the super conductor, still have no clue about that.

ANYWAY - Just about every day I run into something that I feel like I should be at least a little familiar with if not totally knowledgeable. A few weeks back, it was Easter. No clue. Now. I grew up in an atheist/agnostic "family" and never learned about Jesus and all that. But I literally had no clue what Easter was celebrating, except for yummy chocolate eggs and pictures of kids with scary easter bunnies. Guy explained it to me but I was debating hollow vs solid chocolate bunnies in my head so I still don't know.

Today, it's May Day. May Day? I'm going to look it up. BRB.

Google brought up: "May Day Activities" - ok, so it's an excuse to party. sweet.

Something about Labour parties - isn't that what Labor Day is for?

From Wiki: "May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent political or religious establishment."

oh - so it's kind of like Summer Solstice meets like St Patrick's Day? WTF does that have to do with Labour parties? Also from Wiki: "People often use May Day as a day for political protest, ... or as a day for protest against government actions, such as pro-immigrant rallies across the United States"

Still have no clue. So it's a celebration of the end of winter and as a day of political protest. I absolutely cannot figure out what those two things have to do with each other. Except that, I guess, it would be too cold to protest in the winter?

Doing a quick search you can also find crafts and poems and all kinds of ways to celebrate. I wonder if I was taught about this in school? I went to Los Angeles Unified so probably not. Well, that's not fair --- I learned a lot. I forgot a lot. I was a bad student, but I had a lot of "potential" they all said so. If only they could see me now. Not knowing about May Day or Easter or Superconductors, getting migraines and calling in sick to work and staying on the couch in my pajamas for dozens of hours at a time, they would be so proud.

I'm not gonna feel bad about it

2009-04-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I signed up for a jewelry-making class. A really long jewelry class. Like 16 weeks long. Like 5 hours a week long. Like 5 hours every Saturday for 16 weeks long. I, admittedly, went into it HOPING that I would be able to make it through the whole session but secretly a little afraid I would not be able to finish it. Because if you know me, you know I sign up for classes and don't finish them. I get busy. I get lazy. I tend to sign up when I have had a few days or weeks of downtime and am feeling like I need to get active, motivated and train my brain something new. So imagine how completely and totally stoked I was when after the first couple of classes I was totally in love with it. Really liked the teacher, actually spoke to a couple of people in the class and they seemed decent enough, even had things in common *gasp* with them. I enthusiastically bought my tool box and filled it with supplies and eagerly started on the first assignment.

Then I started to find things wrong with the class. Not enough direction. Not enough structure. I didn't get to use the sandblaster. EVERY Saturday is a lot of Saturdays. Then I went out of town and missed a class. Then I couldn't come up with a design for the second project. Then I went out of town again. Then it was Easter weekend and there was no class. Then I got a cold (not THAT cold, just A cold) and missed a class. Now I am behind but honestly it doesn't matter a whole lot because I know the instructor would work with me to catch up on everything I missed. He would sit down and show me exactly what to do, no matter how many hours it took. And you know what? I really hate that about the class. I hate that there is a line of 5 people needing to buy silver, or ask a question that is really important to their project, or be shown how to use the sandblaster (it's soooo cool) and they would have to wait for me because I missed the classes that they were able to make it to.

So.

I'm not going back. The class, while I enjoyed it at first, wasn't teaching me exactly, or even kind of, what I wanted to learn. It was interesting - just not right for me. I need to find a more basic class. One that shows me what I want, and a little more, without needing a garage full of expensive tools to use what I have learned. I don't even have even a little desire to make jewelry, I was just hoping to learn some skills - like soldering. Guy can probably teach me that, right? So, I'm not gonna feel bad about flaking on the class - it wasn't right for me. And now I have my Saturdays back to do none of the other things I want to be doing.

5/1 - update. I just went into my calendar and saw the weekly appointment and decided to leave it there so that I am forced to look at it and punish myself for the next 8 weeks.

remodel?

2009-04-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

you know how when you go to Target and you're walking down the aisles past the clothes even though you only need soap and contact solution and it would be easier to just go directly to that part of the store since it's closer to the door and you think to yourself "maybe if I get new yoga pants I'll go to yoga" and so you duck into into the exercise clothes department - but Target is really close to work, and you did run into a coworker once and they saw you coming out of a section that you didn't want anyone to see you going into, so you hope no one sees you going through the exercise clothes section at Target because then you're admitting that you're the flawed person with ratty yoga pants instead of the badass that you want most people to think you are so that they are too scared to ask you how to fix the printer and you don't know if you're an M or an L and no way in Hell are you going to actually try yoga pants on at Target (ew) and you can't find anything so you think to yourself "I already have X number of yoga pants, I don't need to waste money on new ones, I just need to go to yoga with the pants I already have."

well

I feel like I just had that thought about the blahg. Like. If I redo the page, change the colors, change the header, get a better font, maybe it will inspire me to write here more often.

But that's stupid. It's good enough the way it is for the purpose it serves. Actually I should just remove all images and formatting because, hello, you should be using an RSS feed dealy anyway. I like Google Reader.

***********************
4/29 - update: for the record my yoga pants are not "ratty" they're just not sparkling and new and motivating.

Just a normal Sunday...

2009-04-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those days when you wake up all in a good mood - happy that the sudden head cold that kept you in bed the day before was mostly gone. And you go out and you have a nice breakfast and then have a nice walk around the farmers market and pick up some delicious tomatoes, persian cucumbers, berries that actually have flavor as opposed to the ones you buy at like Ralphs, and avocados. And somewhere between berries and getting to the car your mood takes a total nose dive. You want to throw the berries at that bratty screaming kid's mother (but you can't because they're $$organic$$) and then you want to take the car keys from your husband because he's driving the speed limit and then you get home and want to set the condo on fire because it smells like yesterday's food (the food that husband went out to get TWICE because you were couch-ridden and high on Nyquil). And then you remember your return to Macy's and get kind of happy because you don't have to stay in the stinky apartment and watch hockey playoffs (even though usually you really like hockey).

So... you go make the return without any problems, then you go to the MAC store to buy some software and they really make it very easy - but you do feel sorry for the really ginormous Apple guy who is wearing a shirt that says "No Pain, All Gain" - and then the software makes the Macy's security alarm go off on the way back to the car - and the perfume counter woman wants to strip search you for making the alarm go off as you are walking INTO the store and you're like thisclose to punching her but the stench of her perfume knocks you back 5 feet so you just keep walking as she stands all appalled and entitled. And then you go to Robeks and it smells like vomit.

And then you go home and install new software and you don't read the instructions and you fuck it all up. And you look around at all the shit you need to do. And you get mad at yourself for not doing any of it. And then you feel bad for getting mad at yourself. And then you update your Facebook status. And then you Tweet. And then you see if anyone commented on you FB page. And then you read a really sweet email from your husband. And then you feel like an asshole for being such an asshole. So then you get mad at yourself for being a procrastinating asshole. Then basically your Sunday is over and you write a blog about it. And you wonder why the backlight feature on the keyboard isn't coming on. And you figure it must be karma because instead of enjoying the day you wasted it thinking about you should be enjoying it.

Neither do I.

Deuces are wild.

2009-04-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Deuce’s are wild and I am fairly certain I have come down with Guy’s cold. And it feels like it skipped “cold” status and went directly to sinus infection. But - we hope not.

So, since I am just sitting here (starving and unable to breathe) I might as well talk about some baseball. Here are some random thoughts and Vin-isms that start at the top of the 2nd inning and will last until I pass out or Guy gets home with requested thai food, whichever comes first.

Man. I can’t breathe. Did I mention that? Like in my lungs I can’t breathe. Not in my nose. Although that area is blocked. I can’t even imagine how annoying and scary having asthma would be

Dodgers are up 2-1 and it feels like this could be a long night

Vin: “another name that’s been bandied about, to use that word”

Just noticed cat vomit in the hall - wonder how long it’s been there. Left it there.

Feeling so lazy and ill almost tempted to do one of those annoying Facebook quizzes that keep populating my page. Almost.

Oh - Manny caught an almost home run.

Made a joke on twitter about a Vin Scully drinking game - I bet one exists - gonna go look

oh - let’s also be 12: He said “Deep”

Damn, Manny just (accidentally) knocked the catcher’s mask off with his bat (but, like Vin said, he turned and said “I’m sorry”)

Just tried to put the sparkling water bottle away in the dishes cabinet, only realized it because it was too tall - was distracted with the realization that I only ate half my grapefruit and left the rest to spoil - but at one point I did take the eaten part of the grapefruit and set it down right next to the untouched half.

Just misspelled grapefruit as rapefruit and it has inspired an idea for a piece of art - unfortunately I got no skills. You can have it.

Can’t find a Vin Scully drinking game. Shocked.

Vin: “...nineteen hundred and five; where’d all those years go” --- baseball, Vin, baseball . (I’m almost positive he said “oh-five” but he was talking about Pepsi Park or whateverthefuck it’s called, so I think he means NINETY-five... could have just heard him wrong)

Bummer - Loney is out at 2nd.

MIke Rowe has a nice voice - Ford thinks so too.

I find this “cows the size of schnauzers” commercial for Jack n the Box mini burgers EXTREMELY disturbing - but the song is kind of catchy. Conflicted.

Almost just accused Vin of mis-pronouncing a players’ name - thankfully did not. would have been wrong.

Hey - great a 4-ball walk to the Rockies lead-off hitter with Helton up next. (and by great, I mean NOT GREAT!)

Runners at first and second. No outs. Gunna be a long game.

Not sure if I spelled Helton correctly. Not gunna look it up. I’m living on the edge.

Game is tied.

I’m a little bummed that I don’t know keyboard shortcuts yet on my new computer. But I absolutely love the keyboard. So nice to type on.

Jack in the Box song still stuck in my head

I don’t know - it seems like this homeplate umpire might be watching a different game.

111 pitches in 2-2/3 innings. Thanks for the update, Vin!

thank God for local commercials - first KIA Carson, now AC/DC at the Honda Center. I really feel like I am connecting with the community.

I think Vin might have a crush on Casey Blake.

Vin is talking about Nietzsche.

Vin: “It’s hand-blowing time... the pitchers were told they could go to the mouth... it doesn’t feel that cold unless you have to hold on to something and throw it accurately”

Me thinks husband should not post things on Twitter like: “sure I'll take a glass of wine while I wait for my Thai food.” unless he follows it with something like “before I hurry home to get to my wife who I made sick”

I wonder why Seattle tolerates “Seattle’s Best Coffee”? did they get to vote. Somehow I doubt it is the best.

ETHIER - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Damnit. Vin said it all: “He came up with a glove full of empty” --- outs are not easy to come by in this game

Vin is predicting a bunt

Vin was right.

“knob”

“get it up to the meat”

Vin: “safety first”

“wood”

Rockies are in the lead - see comment above and thank Ethier

Guy’s home - food is here!

It's tied.

damnit

2009-04-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

April 16 last blog post! shoot man. That's a lot of days in between words. Have I talked about how life is passing me by? I mean, shit, it's almost the end of April. Where are the minutes going.

Didn't I make a 2009 to-do list at the beginning of the year? Maybe if I go and find that posting it will motivate me to get off my lazy ass and do something...

things I am working on right now:
Trying to stay motivated and focused at work
Breaking in my new computer. I love it. yay.
Watching the beginning of the baseball season
Trying not to eat meat
Getting my new tattoo (3 hours every 3 weeks for the last 9 weeks! 1 more hour and it will be done!)
Hockey playoffs
Cleaning out closets and bookcases
Staring at the stack of books I need (and want) to read
Jewelry making class
Going to Arizona
Thinking about Grand Cayman (maybe over Thanksgiving??)
Not wearing shoes in the house
Studying food

What I need to be working on
Reading
Photography
Writing
Yoga

Maybe if my next tattoo is a Nike Swoosh I will remember to just do it.

dirt

2009-04-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

You know how there are people out there who just LOVE to clean? Well if you happen to be one of those people and have nothing to do this weekend will you PLEASE come over here and clean our condo? It's less than 1200 sq ft and is really pretty easy. I will organize your closet or kitchen cupboards in return. Please?

I have love in my heart - oh nevermind, let's talk Bumpits!

2009-04-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

I was all set to write something and I got SERIOUSLY distracted by a commercial on the MTV - so more on the original thought in a second.

So - here I sit on a Wednesday night, not watching the hockey playoffs, not watching Dodgers vs Giants, but watching Real World / Road Rules Challenge The Duel 2 (don't hate) and it's awesome. Awesome in that really fucking terrible and deserves an entire post on it's own kind of way - but what really distracted me was a commercial for Bumpits. Now, myabe you already knew about this amazing new invention but I JUST found out that Flat Hair was so last year! Well - now that I know I can do something about it - We can go from flat to fabulous with Bumpits! I just can't put into words the emotions that are being stirred by realizing that FINALLY I don't have to have flat hair! I can buy this $7 piece of plastic to give my hair that "Hollywood" look - fuck man, I knew that I didn't really have a "traditional" look or style but I have lived within 30 miles of Hollywood for my entire life and just had no idea that getting that "trendy Hollywood look" could be so EASY!

I'm just bummed that my birthday has passed and I can't ask for these! What is really funny is that I am pretty sure one of the girls on the show was wearing one during her interview!

You will have to wait to hear what I was gunna write about. I can't get my mind off of Bumpits!

random thoughts on a Monday evening

2009-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just some random thoughts -- these are the things that go through my head while I am doing laundry, cleaning out some drawers and watching baseball...

REALLY? You're gunna leave the starter in the first game of the season into the 6th inning? Deuces are wild. two on, two out, Padres down by two. AND that was thisclose to being a homerun. Foul. Damnit Joe.

Do you still need to turn jeans inside out if they are already faded?

I have a lot of tights. You know what I never wear? Tights.

Awesome. Ball 4. Bases loaded.

ok. still 3-1.

Gotta look for tickets to this week's Diamondbacks game

Is Supercuts serious with these commercials?

yay - 4-1

ok - tickets to Dodgers vs Diamondbacks in Arizona purchased. yay. I've never been to their stadium and am looking forward to it, have always wanted to go there. I wonder if they have Rubber Ducks?

ok, so I had to look up with the field was called, I would TOTALLY judge someone for not knowing what the place they just said they always wanted to go was named - but I think it's changed names a few times... like didn't it used to Bank One? They called it The BOB right?

wow - largest crown in Petco Park history. That's pretty sweet. I hope Peavy loses. And cries.

Getting anxious in the bottom of the 8th.

I wash EVERYTHING in cold.

Are all of the Dodgers spray tanning or is the color on this TV going?

Thank God Vin is back - Vinisms make me happy. "once in a while with contacts, they'll pop out of the eye...hmmm... tough enough game" --- seriously he's been talking about contacts for this entire at-bat. Kemp apparently got a new pair. He drew a walk with those new contacts. I guess he can actually SEE the ball better.

ok - I'm sure this is total karmic retribution - I have a new favorite shirt - it's nothing fancy, just a cotton shirt from H&M, but I like it. A lot. I just washed and dried it with a big oily stain on the front. hmmph.

turned on Baseball tonight - it's not short STOP. It's Short Stop. thanks.

Of course, I would like the Dodgers to win AT LEAST 99 more games - but I will be happy knowing that the Dodgers beat Peavy at home on opening day in front of the largest crowd ever at Where The Pets Go park.

I just read this in a prediction about the Dodgers upcoming season: "All of the youngsters are one year older" ----- uh. right. I would hope so.

Pres- ti - gious or Press-tee-gious? I say Press - tee - gious. This CBS guy does not.

Doing Laundry SUCKS. Ruining new favorite shirts totally sucks. Dinner is gonna rule. Guy makes THE BEST salmon.

Rested

2009-03-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

I had no idea that committing to making a daily birthday post would be so exhausting so I had to take a week off to recover!

Birthday ended with an amazing weekend in Palm Springs. We go there pretty regularly and this was one of the best trips!

We did some furniture shopping at antique and consignment shops (did not find anything), went to an estate sale at the home of the very late Kate Smith (thought it was kinda creepy but sorta cool too.) We spent some good time by the pool, went on a hike, and had many cocktails and some really tasty food. The weekend plus the weeks leading up to it were very special and I could not have asked for a better 36th. You people have set the bar high so I am reaaally looking forward to what you are going to come up with for 37!!

Really tasty nachos, have seriously thought about them every day since we had them!

Pool that we did not spend much time at because my OCD self couldn't get my head around the fact that there was so much glassware at the restaurant that could break.

Broken glass at said pool.

On our hike.

Cocktails.

Guy playing.

A new friend that we made.

Birthday countdown, 1 day

2009-03-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

Started 3-day weekend with shopping, nachos with margaritas, pooltime and...

Birthday. I win!

2009-03-20T03:21:00.000-07:00

Many days ago I posted a list of chocolate things that I like and would like to receive!

So far I've gotten four! That is so awesome!!

Chocolate cupcake paired with Tina's box cake with homemade buttercream frosting made without egg. - Thanks Tina! two-for-one!! (although in all honesty I knew I was getting them when I made that post)

See's Bordeaux bars (mmmmmm) - a whole freaking box of them! Thanks Liz!! that was very special!

Reese's Peanut Butter cups - an entire tree of Reese's Peanut Butter cups!! Thanks Bryan - that was a huge and appreciated surprise!!

Here is the rest of the list and I will probably have one or two of the top two this weekend in Palm Springs -- all is right in the world
Flourless chocolate
Chocolate lava cake
Brownie
Chocolate silk pie
Chocolate mousse
Chocolate souffle
New York Super Fudge Chunk Ice Cream
Junior's chocolate fantasy
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Caramels
Chocolate Ice Cream with hot fudge
Costco carrot cake.

Birthday countdown, 2 days!

2009-03-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Am feeling very loved today! Thanks friends!

First flowers and a REALLY nice note from Liliana

Then Tina brought in cupcakes for a little birthday celebration!

Bryan made an awesome peanut butter cup tree for me!

Kate gave me a glittery sword!

And we got high on sugar and celebrated!

Then we crashed.

Thanks friends! Best 36th birthday cupcakes EVER!

Birthday countdown - 3 days!

2009-03-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Man - you know what happens when you get old? You lose your memory. And your motivation. I TOTALLY forgot to post a birthday countdown blog yesterday and then when I remembered I was sooo tired from having a real, adult job that I just couldn't do it.

Today I remembered. But my real, adult job is KICKING.MY.ASS. and prohibiting me from really appreciating that my birthday is in 3 days! And even worse, it's prohibiting me from telling you about the kickassness of it - sucks! THREE!!! sweet.

In two days I'll be in Palm Springs. Yay. Happy Birthday to me. I'm totally gonna eat like shit. Drink a ton. Go shopping. Hopefully. yay for birthdays and birthday trips!

3 days!

Birthday Countdown, 5 days

2009-03-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

wow - 5 days. In five days I will be 36. yikes.

You know what's not fair. You can never win with this age thing. I have friends, including one that happens to be my husband, that are a few years older than me and never let me complain about getting old. THEY can complain about it, but not me. But the funny thing is when THEY were turning 36 and I was still in grade school* they were totally feeling the age thing too. And they like to tell me and remind me that I am not old. But you know what. I also happen to surround myself with people who actually DO think I am old. Like in my jewelry class. Like if I happen to go to a show that's not at a sit-down, $80 a ticket venue. Like when I get on the swings at a playground. Like when I listen to my radio station. They were talking about how they're hosting a weekly (?) movie showing of old punk movies and how one of the kids was complaining about all the "old people" - fucking hell. Kids these days.

I don't really know what it means to "feel" an age. I always thought that was kind of a silly thing to say. I don't FEEL 36. I feel 17. But with some bad knees, a really fucked up neck and a lot more life experience. But I am still really fucking immature. Kind of impulsive. Pretty moody and probably do some stupid shit and act in some some stupid ways that most adults do not. I'm not a risk taker though. Kids take risks. Not me so much. Never really did though. One of my biggest regrets was not really mastering the skateboard and I thought about getting a skateboard and trying to ride it but my first thought was "oh hell no, I might break something" - kids don't think like that. Kids also don't call people under 25 "kids" - so yeh, I am old. So are you. Let me be old. It doesn't mean I don't LOVE my life and my experiences and hope that I can still have a long life full of new adventures. I just want some nice wine and massages to go along with them!

If I hadn't pretty much totally given up meds I would absolutely close this little blog with a note about how I need some Advil for my neck because I spent too many hours today on my computer, on Excel. But because I am old I know how fucked up pharmaceuticals are and have no interest in them SO I am going to get my heating pad instead. You know who does not use heating pads? kids.

*slight exaggeration.

Comments have been enabled so you can either A) wish my a happy birthday or B) complain about what a freakin narcissist I am in which case I will wonder why the fuck you don't go somewhere else. Like to follow me on twitter.

Birthday countdown, 7 days

2009-03-14T21:01:00.001-07:00

I wasn't prepared to celebrate tonight but we were out celebrating some friends' birthdays and the girls were so thoughtful and remembered mine also. A bottle of wine and a box full of See's Bordeaux bars. I feel loved. Thanks friends!

Birthday countdown, 8(?) days

2009-03-14T08:57:00.001-07:00

I spent my Friday watching my coworkers set stuff on fire.

And eating tasty sausages and drinking TASTY German beers downtown.

I love Fridays. And beer. And I have a new appreciation for fire. Perfect way to start my birthday week I think!

Birthday countdown - 9 days!

2009-03-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

NINE! Single digits! Sweet.

Probably my most awesomest birthday was when I was in like 4th or 5th grade (??) - whatever grade you are in when you're around 11ish - and I made a list of records that I wanted. When I got home from school they were ALL there! It was so genius. They weren't wrapped or anything, they were just spread out all across the living room.

I could be easily embarrassed by the albums on the list but I think it was pretty badass that I made a list with both Quiet Riot AND Michael Jackson and it's even more badass that they went shopping and got them all for me to play on my little portable record player!

Here are the ones I remember
Quiet Riot - Metal Health
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger
Men at Work - Business as Usual
Culture Club - Colour By Numbers
Hall & Oates - Rock N Soul Pt 1. (ok, that's a LITTLE embarrassing)
Flashdance OST
Billy Joel - Innocent Man
Olivia Newton-John Greatest Hits Vol 2!

I was looking at some old Billboard lists to refresh my memory and I feel like there was a Def Leppard album in the mix but I don't know any Def Leppard songs so I must be making that up.

Oh and by the way - I was looking at what came out in 82 and 83 and fucking hell… if only I knew then what I know now - here's what WOULD have been on my list:

Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion
Out of Step - Minor Threat
Rock for Light - Bad Brains
Christ – The Album – Crass
Junkyard – The Birthday Party
Miami – The Gun Club
The Record – Fear
Walk Among Us - The Misfits

In addition to Quiet Riot and Hall & Oates of course.

Birthday countdown, X days!

2009-03-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

So I just read that the new Prius will have their trim levels noted with Roman Numerals? That's silly. I really don't like Roman Numerals. They make my head hurt. Reading is hard enough. Roman Numerals is like reading AND calculating. Like seriously. What's the point. We have evolved a bit over the past few years and I feel like we could use actual numbers, not this weird letter/number shit. BUT then. I thought. I wonder what my birthday looks like in RN. I wonder what my birthyear would look like.
III XXI MCMLXXIII
See. I mean seriously.
So much easier to say
3.21.73
It's so cute. 3.21.73. Like a kitten.

Birthday countdown - 11 days!

2009-03-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I love my birthday is because I generally surround myself with super fun and awesome people. They make celebrating really exciting and special. Even if it's just with some homemade cupcakes or a lunch during work, I genuinely feel the love. I say "just" but fucking hell those are some good cupcakes. We're having them next Thursday at 3 if you would like to come over down to El Segundo and watch us eat them.

AND - throughout the year they constantly make me laugh. So, I have a few friends at work* that read the blog regularly (hey-thanks!) and since I am realizing how hard it is to stick to my commitment of a birthday blog post everyday I asked them if they had any birthday blog suggestions. Here is what they came back with:

Reply #1
chocolate
sex
booze

Response #1 to Reply #1
Ooh, chocolate

Reply #2
Write about how cool it is that you have neat friends that care soooo much that they have put reminders in their own calendars starting next Monday counting down your birthday. So they don’t forget to acknowledge it each day.. Not that I would forget of course..its a just in case kinda thing.. Go ahead. Look in my calendar.

Response #2 to Reply #1
I was thinkin "ooh sex and booze" LOL
Somethin for everyone there ya go!

Reply #1 to Response #2 to Reply #1
and you could always write about the upcoming homemade custom cupcake order you’ll be getting on Thur

See. They're funny. And Fun. And sex-crazed boozehounds. Except KC who wants chocolate. I wouldn't want to celebrate a birthday without any of them (the people. Oh and the suggestions.)

Thanks Friends. I would dedicate this post to you but it's not your birthday, it's mine. See you next Thursday at 3!

*they are friends that I work with, not work friends. Figure it out.

Birthday countdown - 12 days!

2009-03-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

I said in an earlier post that I don't need gifts for my birthday - cuz I'm trying to get rid of "stuff" - BUT in all honestly there are a few things that I would really like. Here they are in order of most wanted.

- Leonard Cohen tickets.
- for people to stop saying 'oh-10' when they're talking about 2010. Yeh - we are working on 2010 items at my office and I have to constantly hear '010' -- it's just '10 people. TEN. not OH TEN. bah.
- a well-healed tattoo
- Kindle.

I'm a simple girl with simple wants.

Birthday countdown, how many days?

2009-03-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

So. I know I committed to making a birthday countdown posting every day BUT I've had a really nice Sunday that has included Watchmen, beers, wine, more beer and friends. So yeh. You'll just have to accept that I can't fulfill my commitments today. Happy early birthday to me. Have a beer. Pretend I bought it for you.

-- Post From My iPhone

Birthday countdown. 14 days.

2009-03-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

So why are birthdays important? Why do I LOVE birthdays instead of dreading them and the aging that comes along with them like most sane people? Well first, I'm not a whole lotta sane, I'm having an email exchange with a friend right now that totally proves THAT(hah)!!!

But mostly, it's that I feel like we should really appreciate and celebrate our time here. I mean how many people do we know that have gotten sick, passed away, lost someone. Sure, some days suck more than others. Some days suck a LOT more than others. But fucking hell I have made it almost 36 years through wars, earthquakes, Republicans, and West Nile virus. You better believe I am going to celebrate that! Sure, aging sucks. The fact that at 35 I have started using a heating pad on my neck and shoulders every night before bed is bumming me out but all things considered I have lots of reasons to justify eating that birthday chocolate flourless cake.

Birthday countdown, 15 days

2009-03-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

There are some birthday traditions I love and some I am not so fond of.

Cake - I love it. Especially if it's chocolate. Especially if it's chocolate with chocolate frosting. oh hell yeh.

Singing - I don't like that. I don't like to sing happy birthday. I don't like it to be sung to me. Not necessary. It just keeps me from the cake.

Gifts - gifts are always nice. But the obligation of gift giving is not nice. I hope that people don't get me a gift actually. I am really trying to cut down on stuff. I love to shop and think of good gifts for people though. It truly is better to give than receive. Hopefully the person I GIVE to isn't also trying to cut down on stuff.

Sweet sixteen parties - no. Maybe it's because I grew up poor but I never had a really great birthday party and the kids on the MTV show need to be slapped.

Cotillion, quinceañera, bar mitzvahs/bat mitzvahs - all described in Wikipedia as "Coming of age parties" --- maybe. I mean if it's for religious reasons and your parents are making you do it and you'll get some money for it and you appreciate that money and don't expect it, ok.

Drinking - drinking is totally a birthday tradition that I fully endorse. Drink responsibly people.

Celebrating the birthdays of famous people - love this one IF I get a day off of work or/and if it means mail doesn't get delivered... I am petitioning the end of all mail. Getting the mail is a pain and it causes so much waste. bah.

Here are 15 types of desserts you can make me instead of buying me a gift and we will eat them before you sing:

Flourless chocolate
Chocolate cupcake
Chocolate lava cake
Brownie
Chocolate silk pie
Chocolate mousse
Chocolate souffle
New York Super Fudge Chunk Ice Cream
Junior's chocolate fantasy
Reese's Peanut Butter cups
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Caramels
See's Bordeaux bars (mmmmmm)
Chocolate Ice Cream with hot fudge
Tina's box cake with homemade buttercream frosting made without egg.
Costco carrot cake.

Birthday Countdown - 16 days!

2009-03-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

I totally believe in Astrology. Like not enough to really know a whole lot about it* - but everything that I have ever read about Aries is ALWAYS true. So how can I deny that astrology is awesome! Also, I tend to love people born around my same birthday, especially after - those last few days of March have really produced some kick ass friends!

In general I am skeptical of most people (NO! get out! You don't say!) but when I find out you are a March Aries I totally immediately love you. AND - if I then find out your birthday is 3-2-1 you better be prepared to spend the rest of your life putting up with me. In honor of 16 days until my birthday here are 16 total kick-ass people who share it.

Al Iafrate (NHL)
Ananda Lewis (she was actually born same year)
Benito Juárez
Eddie Money
Forrest Mars Sr., (MARS - like candy, M&Ms, mmm)

Gary Oldman
Johann Sebastian Bach!
John D. Rockefeller
Kevin Federline
Matthew Broderick

Robert Sweet (Stryper)
Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)
Rose Stone (Sly and the Family Stone)
Rosie O'Donnell (yeh yeh)
Solomon Burke
Timothy Dalton

What makes these people "kick-ass" you ask? Well the fact that they were all born on March 21! Duh.

*like most everything I tend to base my opinions on superficial evidence since I don't have time (read: am too lazy) to fully educate myself on any one thing.

Birthday countdown - 17 days!

2009-03-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

To celebrate 17 days until my birthday here are 17 syllables expressing some birthday thoughts.

Years fly by too fast
Times can be tough and days long
Birthday! Time for drinks!

Birthday countdown - 18 days!

2009-03-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

When I was 18 I had a friend who had a TOTALLY fucked up way of determining if he would consider you a friend. He said that you were only his friend if you would do "ANYTHING" for him. And by anything he meant anything - step in front of a bus if he requested it, eat live cockroaches, shave your head. He said he didn't have many friends because he wouldn't do many things for many people and knew that most people wouldn't do what we demanded of them. I still chose to call him "friend" even though I clearly would not have shaved my head for him. Or most anything else. I do feel like I would do a lot for a friend. But I don't do things because they are expected or demanded, I do things because I care and want to help.

ANYWAY.

One way that I gauge a level of friendship is how people treat the days, occasions, events that they know, or should know, are important to you. Like if Christmas is my husband's favorite holiday, damn straight I'm gunna do it up for him. And well, I tend to sort of assume how much someone cares about me by whether or not they remember or/and acknowledge my birthday. My Birthday is ab-so-lute-ly-withoutadoubt my most favorite day of the year and anyone within earshot of me during the month of March will know it! So if you are a good friend and I don't hear from you well I take that personally, assume you don't care about me, move you down the list and move on (with two or three hundred other judgments thrown in between those last two steps). Now, casual friends are forgiven. Good friends are not.

I dunno, maybe friendship shouldn't be measured at all. Maybe we should just accept what people can give and not put any additional pressures or judgments on them. We obviously have no idea what is going on in other people's lives or bedrooms. There is a line in a TV on the Radio song that goes something like "Life is a measly portion, light on good friends and fortune." It's true. You can have 1,256 friends combined in your Twitter, Facebook and Myspace accounts but the really truly good friends are rare, and, well, this is why I need to measure them. Since I am still human and fiercely flawed I will continue to hope that my good friends remember my birthday because I want to love you, I really do, but I also tend to look for reason's not to trust or care about people, so just don't give me one, ok?

So I was thinking about all this last night while I was brushing my teeth (it takes much longer to read it or type it than it does to think about it btw) and I was wondering if Neil and Sharon remember by birthday. Neil and Sharon are not my cats or my friends from 7th grade. They're my parents. And I was thinking how totally bizarre it is to wonder if your parents remember your birthday. Even though I haven't see one for 33 years and the other for 17 years I still sort of assume they remember. And wonder what I'm doing. And then wonder where I am living so they can call and ask me for money. They probably assume I answer the phone and would never guess that I have a borderline phobia about using the phone. The parents in Sixteen Candles forgot Molly Ringwald's birthday. But they had a lot going on that day. Birthdays probably get forgotten ALL THE TIME. But seriously people how totally fucking lame is that. Don't forget a birthday. It's an important day. Tomorrow I'll write about why.

3...2....1.... the countdown is on!

2009-03-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

So in 19 days I will be 36. I'm having mixed feelings about this but if you have spent any length of time with me, especially, say around March you know that I love my birthday. I love birthdays in general. Yours, mine, the cat's, all of 'em. I used to officially start my birthday countdown kickoff on September 21 - "6 Months till my birthday!!" So in celebration of my 36 years on the planet (shit, that's a long time to be on one planet!) I will post a birthday thought every day until the 21st. Come back soon y'hear.

Places I don't want to be during a major earthquake

2009-02-18T13:58:00.001-08:00

Acupuncturist
Hair salon w foils in my hair
Swimming pool (stuck for days in just my bathing suit?! eeek.)

Balance.

2009-02-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

To offset the overly snarky posting from last night, I give you kitten and doggy. Courtesy of LOLcats.

Missing Facebook groups and status updates

2009-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

I think we need these groups on Facebook (they could actually be there, I really haven't searched):

- Just click Yes or No on Evite. No one thinks your replies are funny and "maybe" just about always means no.
- I judge you by what you feed your children
- I judge you by your font
- I judge you by whether or not you judge others
- Liberals of the world unite against those close-minded and judgmental conservatives!
- No, you can't ask the meaning of my tattoo
- Fuck, like, meh and seriously are tops in my vocabularly.

And here are some status updates that I want to write but can't (yet, somehow I feel it's ok to blog? interesting.)

- Cindy does not want to look back and laugh, she wants to laugh now.
- Cindy would like you to go fuck yourself. (usually only on Mondays and I don't mean you, silly!)
- Cindy has pooped 6 days in a row (If you know me you know this is status update worthy)
- Cindy doesn't care what club you are going to, but she would like to hear about if you had a good time or not. (it's not where you are it's who you're with that's important!)

Seriously. Fuck man, the snark is, like, in full effect tonight...meh - time to bust open the wine!

- Cindy hopes no one takes any of this personally otherwise Cindy will suggest you join the group "fuck you if you can't take a joke" j/k love you. bye.

Today we fed some ducks

2009-02-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is how I listen to music. What?

2009-02-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Many years ago my then-roommate and still-good friend, Jodi, got into my car for the first time in a few months and said "You're listening to this cd again?" My answer was - "No, I am listening to this cd still." It was Tindersticks - Curtains and it was sooooo nice.

In 1984 and 85 when I was listening to Purple Rain I refused to listen to side B until I knew every single word on side A. what? (man, I can't EVEN tell you how excited I was to finally to get to "I Would Die 4 U" (U. Iwould. Die4. U. sing it with me. U. Iwould. Die4. U. complete with hand signs. U. Iwould. Die4. U.).

Now, with no side A's or side B's to create goals and no turntables in my car (where the serious, loud, private music appreciation happens) I have had to perfect a new system for my OCD music listening madness.

I listen to it all the way through a couple of times. Wait, first I BUY the CD - crazy concept doncha think?

Ok - Again.

I listen to it all the way through a couple of times. Usually by the third listen I will have identified one or two songs that are really catchy, have a line or two that is really beautiful and/or is a song that I feel would be a challenge to learn all of the words - White Stripes "Hotel Yorba" comes to mind (Well its 1 2 3 4. take the elevator. at the hotel yorba. I'll be glad to see you later. all they got inside is vacancy). I TOTALLY mastered this song. Only it took about 30 consecutive listens. AND I probably had to pull the car over at one point and read along with the lyrics. When I get stuck in one place in the song I will start the song over. Sometimes I get to the end of a song and remember how much I liked the chorus, or a certain line and will go back to the beginning of the song. Eventually I master the song or come close to it and move on to the next song that interests me until I've made my way through the entire CD. The problem is - and it's only a problem if you ride in my car a lot - is that this can literally take months. I am lucky enough to have a really short commute and I can MAYBE get through 3 listens of one song during a one-way trip to work.

So right now I am obsessing over learning TV on the Radio's first full-length CD - Desperate Youths, Blood Thirsty Babes and if you have even KIND OF listened to TVOTR's lyrics you know that their shit is fucked up. Fucked up in that FUCK these guys are amazing, genius, insane and inspiring all at the same time. So yeh this will take awhile. Apologies in advance to those riding in my car who don't like track 2, 3, 5 and 7 which I am working on right now. (Leave your treadmill power trip behind. I will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance. - fucking beautiful.)

I have never been able to really get the whole Black Lips "Navajo" from Good Bad Not Evil. That one is hard. Maybe some day I'll go back to it. I have the first and third TVOTR cd's to get through first though. Oh and the EP. shit.

Happy Friday 13th

2009-02-13T19:09:00.001-08:00

The Vaughn black cats say have a happy Friday 13th.

Blue screen sadness

2009-02-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

My work laptop has had it twice. This was waiting for me when I got back from lunch.

Sage advice from Master Guy Vaughn

2009-02-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

So. You know on Sunday I did that whole temple/om/God thing. Well I thought a lot about the sermon and how I need to be more positive, not influenced by people's negativity (blah blah blah). And for ONE WHOLE DAY I was totally feeling it. YEH! You - grumpy narcissist - you're not gonna get me down. YOU - negative Nathan, you keep your bah hum bug to yourself. You - irritating person who follows up an email with a visit asking if I read your email - I will not waste my brain power thinking about how that is absolutely one of THE most annoying traits a co-worker can have (unless you're my friend and it is really important and/or you know I would appreciate the break). No. For ONE WHOLE DAY I was all mellow and zen and shit.

Then Tuesday came. And sometimes I just REALLY wake up on the wrong side of the bed. I'm moody, I know. I own it. I don't love that about myself, but you walk a half-mile to Starbucks in my red boots before you think you can judge me.

ANYWAY. I was struggling with how to be positive when I just felt so shitty for no reason. And since the guru wasn't available (I assume) I went to the next best thing - Guy. I asked him for advice on how to turn a random bout of bad mood around into something positive. I don't really know what I was expecting, but what I got was amazing. It didn't make me feel any better necessarily but it made me feel normal (don't laugh) and human and loved. I am TOTALLY reprinting this without his permission - he just rushed home to make us dinner while I sit on the couch wishing a glass of wine would magically appear in front of me. And hopefully he knows how amazing I think he is. Thanks Husband!

From: Guy.BestHusband@thisisnotarealurl.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 11:47 AM
To: Vaughn, Cindy
Subject: RE: puppet

well that's part of a bigger discussion. it's one of the many issues that I have with religion and enlightenment. it's one of the reasons religion has been called the opiate of the masses. it's one of the things I found sad about [person you don't know] working the day his sister died in a car crash.

I want to feel sad, angry, bitter, etc, from time to time (but not for too long). It reminds me that I am (what's a fancy word for it) er, let's just say, "human".

I like all that eastern philosophy stuff, and try to apply some of it to my life, but I can only take it so far. What fun would life be without some negative emotions? Well I can tell you we wouldn't have Grandaddy, Nick Cave, or The Rolling Stones. I can also imagine our book cases would be pretty empty. And movies? No "The Wrestler"? I try to imagine a life where I don't occasionally retreat to Prince 'O Wales to drown my bad day in Bud & hot wings and it makes me shudder. That would suck.

So if you are looking for the advice from a guy that doesn't wear an orange robe, I say just "do your thing" (great song btw).

You should add the remake of Razor's Edge (with Bill Murray) to Netflix. My favorite quote from that movie, "It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain".

I highly recommend getting a Guy of your own, but in this tough economy I would be willing to loan you mine in exchange for food and beverage.

I challenged myself and started a journey.

2009-02-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

To say I am not a religious person is a serious understatement. I was “raised” by a man who on any given day was an Atheist, a Buddhist or a follower of the religion of Rock n Roll (his words). Religion scares the hell out of me. I get terrible anxiety when I am in a church. I get angry and/or totally shut down when people try and talk to me about religion. Sometimes I look at religious people and think “Wow, they are really lucky; they have found a way to deal with/understand/cope with (insert whatever thing I happen to be struggling with at the time). They have a place to gather with like-minded seekers and connect on a level totally foreign to me. Other times I look at them and think – what a bunch of fucking lemmings.

That being said.

Sometimes I get curious. Sometimes I want to know if there is a place out there where I can go and find answers to my questions and I can stay for longer than 45 minutes and don’t have a $40 co-pay.

So.

I’ve been researching where such a place might be. My semi-weekly, and highly respected, recipient of aforementioned co-pay has for many years recommended a place in the Palisades. I’ve looked at their site at least 50 times and have never summoned the courage to actually go. But – she has also been asking me to challenge myself. So, in the interest of getting my money’s worth I actually made a plan to go, and not only that, I went. Guy and I have been talking about getting active, getting outside and going hiking. So I thought – we can go get our preach on and then go talk about what we thought of it while hiking. We got up at 7AM, packed a picnic and went to get spiritual. (on Super Bowl Sunday even!)

If you want to stop reading now, the end result was kind of – meh.

We got there early (of course) and as we sat waiting for the sermon to begin I started to get anxious. Guy laughed at me. I pretended to be mad but was glad that he helped me realize I should just laugh at myself. That being in the presence of something spiritual was ok and not anything to be anxious about.

When we went into the temple I quickly had one answer to my search. I immediately understood that I have no interest AT ALL in worshipping one man as a God. I also am fine with chanting but I don’t want to speak to my Lord or say amen or ask someone’s heavenly father for anything. People were worshipping/idolizing/praying to the guru. No thanks. I’m sure he’s a lovely and gifted man who can bring guidance. But I will not treat him as anything more than a respected human. If I am going to bow to one man, I will bow to all men.

The service opened with a chant, which was very nice, thankfully we were sitting near people with excellent singing voices. Then there was a prayer. Oy. Then announcements (mmmm… no, I will not be going to the tea social), then some very nice lady talking about volunteering (I think). Then a brief meditation (that was nice, except Guy kept fidgeting and distracting me away from my 3rd eye). Then the sermon (more on that later). Then, umm, another chant? (Not quite as nice, but still ok). Then a weird pause where I wasn’t sure if people were going to leave because there was a lot of bustling. The bustling was everyone getting their donations ready for the prayer. Then the basket got passed. Then another prayer. And that was it.

The chants and the prayers just had too much God. God this, God that. God God God. (Marcia Marcia Marcia) I am just not sure who they mean when they said God. They seem pretty open minded and also tossed in a lot of “OMs” during the prayer and the chant – so is God whoever/ whatever I want God to be? Is God the man in the framed picture at the front of the temple who people have been bowing too? Is God the guy that helped us park?

I did really enjoy the meditation and the sermon though. The theme was “Happy at Will” (or Happy On Demand if you’re a tv addict). I really enjoyed hearing about how to not let other people’s negativity and bad moods affect me. I always seem to absorb the energy of the people around me. That’s always been a challenge for me. I will definitely take some of the teachings from today’s sermon and try to apply it in my life. It was all very obvious and nothing I had not heard before. It’s like a spiritual GPS. I know where I need to go, I just forget how to get there sometimes and I like having that voice remind of the path (and let me know if there will be traffic on the way).

In case you are curious, the 3 ways to Happy on Demand are 1) the mood thing, don't be a puppet to other people and let them influence you 2) give 3) meditate deeper today than you did yesterday - 3 will be easier if Guy is not sitting next to you. There was a lot more to it, obviously. But I am not your guru so I cannot tell you how to find Happiness At Will. You gotta get up at 7 and drive to the Palisades yourself.

If I ever go back again, and I probably will, I will definitely try to figure out who they mean by God before I go. And I will take singles because I think $5 is too much. And I will go to the 11am service, because apparently that’s when the famous people go.

I totally think it was worth it to go though. I challenged myself. Was able to cross one place off my list to look for answers and it got me to use the right side of my brain. Most Sundays I would be on the couch watching tv and thinking about how I should update my blog or do some “actual” writing. I was inspired enough to sit down IMMEDIATELY when I got home and write about my experience. So, for that I guess the $5 was worth it.

omg omg omg Coachelle lineup announced!

2009-01-30T09:03:00.001-08:00

meh.

25!

2009-01-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

This is from my Facebook page but since I have not posted in a while (and someone who refuses to get a Facebook account has been asking me to update) I thought I would throw it up here too...

**
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click post)
**

1 - I LOVE reading these but I had absolutely no intention of doing this thing until I actually read the instructions and saw this: "If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you." Awww, ok. I'm a sucker for people being nice to me. The people I tagged are mostly women that I would like to know 25 random things about. Some of them are my closest friends, but I have also left off some other close friends, I don't love you less.

2 - I look at the clock almost every day at 3:21 - 3/21 is also my birthday. I dunno, I think that's cool.

3 - I am probably THE laziest person you know.

4 - You should absolutely posifuckingtively never try to have a conversation with me or, especially, ask me a question within the first 2 hours of me being awake. So you're usually safe after 9. Unless it's Monday, then I would just wait until Tuesday

5 - I have lived in the same 30 mile radius for my entire life but I think New York is absolutely the best city on the planet but I could never live there (permanently - but I would love to do a year or two). Oh and I think LA is second best and get irritated when people complain about it.

6 - I have not seen or spoken to a single person in my family for 17 years. (BUT I did just discover through Ancestry.com that my grandfather was a criminal, and I thought that was kind of badass)

7 - When I was in 6th grade, I had a sleep over and we were playing Red Rover in the street and the girls just unclasped their hands and let me through, but it ended with me totally face planting in the middle of the street, breaking a tooth and scratching the hell out of my face. I was pissed but also secretly happy that the girls thought I could actually break through their arms (not a chance).

8 - I think common sense is waaaaay more impressive and important than booksmarts.

9 - I've recently figured out that coffee makes me crazy

10 - There is almost nothing I like better than coffee

11 - I can remember your birthday and your phone number but not the ending of my favorite book or movie. Or the beginning. I can tell you IF I liked or disliked something but can't tell you why.

12 - I get crazy anxious - almost to the point of anxiety attacks - when I am in a church.

13 - I am trying trying trying to be more positive and rid my life of negative things and negative people but I will always be snarky. I do think people can change, but I happen to love sarcasm and don't fully understand why people think it's bad. I was recently called an "opportunistic slammer" and it took me a second to figure out if it was meant as an insult or compliment.

14 - I absolutely love musicals but I can't stand plays.

15 - I don't expect anyone to reply to this, so my feelings won't be hurt if you don't

16 - I have never learned a foreign language. I'm trying to master English first

17 - I have erased at least 5 things that would offend people that might read this

18 - I get soo happy when I hear sad music. Especially on sunny days. Sad music on rainy days just puts me to sleep.

19 - I think it's not too late to learn how to play the violin, but it is too late to master it, so that's that. No violin for me.

20 - The fact that the instructions said to write "goals" is stressing me out - I never really had goals - I just sort of do things. Goals. Goals. uhhh... yeh. I hope to hang up my clothes every day this week so I don't have to do it all on Sunday. (see #3)

21 - Neil Young was the first concert I went to. I was probably around 7. And was mad to be dragged to it. My dad's girlfriend was hiding drugs in her crotch (see #6). I think it was at Irvine Meadows or Pacific Amphitheatre? Some place that was outside and we were in the lawn section and I couldn't see the stage because I already needed glasses, and was apparently high on second hand smoke.

22 - I thought about making all 25 of these sex-related. But only for shock value and to be funny, not because I want you to actually know 25 things about my sexual history.

23 - There is almost nothing more important to me than music.

24 - I was in 3rd grade the first time my back went out - I was playing hopscotch and collapsed to the ground. It's been nothin but back problems since then.

25 - I have an amazing husband and we have an amazing life. duh.

A name is just a name is just a name

2009-01-16T17:35:00.000-08:00

I love music. love love love it. When I find out that a favorite artist is coming out with a new cd I get school-girl with an ice cream cone and a new kitten giddy. I research street dates, tour dates, singles, all of it. What I don't do or understand is getting excited over the announcement of an album title and what I really can't comprehend is why I should care about a track-listing. Until you hear the music they are just words. I don't think it's giving you any sort of insight into the music at all. words. I mean, go to NME - and right now the number 3 story is "Pete Doherty names solo album - exclusive" - really? I care about what he's calling his album? Not at all... I mean I am not a Pete Doherty fan but I'm sure there was a similar story when Nick Cave named his last cd and you know what - I probably didn't click on it. I would have read the words Dig Lazarus Dig and thought "huh." MAYBE I would have thought "huh?!" if they correctly inserted the exclamation marks (DIG!!!). But I wouldn't have tried to figure it out and for sure it has not changed my feelings about the cd itself.

The fifth story right now on NME is "Bob Mould reveals new album details" - again - a title and a tracklisting. WHO CARES? Do you think you are going to enjoy it any more (or less) because 4 months before it's released you know that track 4 is called "MM 17" (unless of course there was an MM 1 - 16 and this was just a continuation of those songs)? AT LEAST they gave us the street date and tour dates. Finally - something I could get excited about - if I liked Bob Mould that is. I really don't have feelings about him. I'm sure he's worthy of 30 years of praise I just never got into him.

You see it in all music news outlets - indie and mainstream - and I have never understood it. Please explain it to me.

I have no focus

2009-01-08T18:55:00.001-08:00

Late today I was wandering around the office making the rounds to some friends complaining about how I don't have any focus and trying to distract them from theirs. Most of em were surprisingly engaged in their work considering it was after 4, or in a meeting or not at their desk. One of them suggested I write about how I have no focus on my blog INSUFFICIENT FOCUS. oh right. That IS sort of the point of this thing right.?.

I have actually had HUGE focus so far this year - yeh yeh I know we're only like 4 work days into the year but I still feel accomplished. At home too. I'm feeling pretty good about this year so far. There are a couple of things that can still be improved - but fuck yeh - things are pretty good so far.

It's funny how when you start to really prioritize things in your life and become aware you find a lot of similarities around you and people saying the same things. I've been talking about how I want to multi-task less and have been thinking about how I need to be more present and concentrate on the now and blah blah blah and I swear 3 people have said the same thing to me this week. Maybe it's just the new year and people wanting a fresh start and are looking for a more positive experience in a shitty world and feeling optimistic about Mr Change swooping in to save the day in a couple of weeks. Whatever. I don't know. Hopefully I can remember to stay focused and present into at least February. It's also funny how when you start to be more aware you become more aware of all the stuff you can improve. I guess I need to make another list.

With a little help from my friends

2009-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

I am good at a few things - eating, sarcasm, shopping - and for the things I am not good at I have Guy. When all else fails we pay people. We were expecting to have to pay a boatload recently for some repairs on the Honda. Thankfully, one of my good friends from work came to the rescue and kindly volunteered to take a look at it. Because this is something HE is good at I eagerly accepted his offer. It's stilling running great 3 weeks later! Oh shit, I just realized I still haven't paid him back for the part. damn!

Click here for full photo documentation of the event.

Honda repair

We like wine

2009-01-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

We went wine tasting over New Year's Eve. It was big fun. We hit a few new wineries and found a couple new favs - Four Vines and Le Cuvier and of course visited old favorites - Halter Ranch, Turley.

Here are 200 pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Wine Tasting 08

Paso Robles sunset

2008-12-30T17:36:00.001-08:00

Music - 2008 favorites

2008-12-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

So, as I mentioned, I really don't make best of/top 10 lists. But this year, why the hell not right? I listened to a lot of new music this year and these were the ones I found myself constantly returning to. Here it is.

The Black Keys, Attack & Release
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple
Gossip, Live in Liverpool
The Kills, Midnight Boom
King Khan and The Shrines, The Supreme Genius…
Mudhoney, The Lucky Ones
Jay Reatard, Matador Singles '08
Times New Viking, Rip It Off
TV on the Radio, Dear Science

These came out in 07 but I am lovin em in 08. It's my list, I make the rules.
The Black Lips, Good Bad Not Evil
Kanye West, Graduation

There were a few songs that I absolutely COULD NOT get enough of this year:
Gnarls Barkley - "Little Better" from The Odd Couple (some day I will write about how this song totally and completely describes me)
Magnetic Fields - "California Girls" from Distortion
Jay Reatard - "An Ugly Death" from Matador Singles '08
Tilly and the Wall - "Too Excited" from O

live favorites:
Black Lips @ Detour fest
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ The Hollywood Bowl.
Ray Lamontagne @ The Wiltern (have never been to a show in LA at a venue so big that stayed so quiet)
Jay Reatard @ Echo
Spiritualized @ The Hollywood Bowl (technically this was the same show as Nick but they were so.fucking.amazing that they get a separate listing)
TV on the Radio @ the Wiltern
Kanye West @ Nokia

2009 To Do List

2008-12-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

ok, so I didn't exactly complete everything on my '08 to do list. But I did not do too bad either. So, I have a lot that needs to be done, might as well make a list for '09 right?

Finish the living room. (buy a chair, rug and do up the south wall)
Complete 4 classes (I've already signed up for 3, now I just need to take and finish them plus one more)
Photo Albums (need to do one per month)
Finish the dining room (get a new hutch dealy and west wall)
Start the bedroom (everything - if you want to donate anything let me know)
12 new restaurants
12 books (that sounds easy but it's been really difficult to get much read the last couple of years) (or I guess you could think that sounds really hard in which case I love you)
Find myself Los Angeles print or t-shirt (this is left over from my old list and I don't have any room for anymore t-shirts so I think it needs to be a print)
new tattoo.
not gain back any of the weight I lost, if you don't count the last two weeks of '08.
hydrate

~~It's kind of a daunting list actually. Will have to baby step it~~ . No problem!

Before I die:
Have some will power and say no to things that I know are bad for me - it's a long slow process

Stop multitasking and just do things one at a time - I actually think I am making some improvements here

Heading home

2008-12-27T13:59:00.001-08:00

Waiting to board at DFW.

Wild life at the mall in Dallas

2008-12-26T10:21:00.001-08:00

Ducks

Turtles

Unsupervised children

Road trip

2008-12-26T09:11:00.001-08:00

We're in the car and heading to Dallas

Home made beer

2008-12-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas breakfast of champions

2008-12-25T08:11:00.001-08:00

Guy makes the family pancakes. His mother documents it. I document both

Merry Christmas, please print this.

2008-12-25T06:49:00.000-08:00

Dear dear friends / acquaintances* / work friends* / parents of kids we really like a lot / family / significant others of the aforementioned* / randoms,

In our ongoing effort to ~~not do shit this year~~ save global resources we will not be mailing Holiday cards but would like to wish you a very:

Merry Christmas / Joyous Thursday / Happy Hanukkah / Merry Oatmeal Muffin Day / Happy New Year / Happy Birthday to Tiger Woods / Merry Kwanzaa / insert your reason to drink here / Jubilant Write to a friend month.

Seriously though - Hope you and your family have a great holiday, no matter which you choose to celebrate, and a safe New Year and a fantastic 2009!

with love and sass,

Cindy, Guy, Boris, Caesar, Eva.

*but we still really like you