It's official: I'm moving! I know it, you know it, the American people know it. Even my employer finally knows it!
Moving to a little town called Washington DC, have you heard of it? I went there a few weeks ago to visit this guy I know. I kind of like him, so we found a really great place to live and I'm heading out on the open road with my dog in about two weeks.
My true plan is to have him support me so I can pursue my true passion: making babies and scrapbooking. But alas, I think I should probably have a job- you know, something to fall back on...
Nope, don't have one lined up yet, which is strange for me. This is the first time I'm moving anywhere that isn't just because of a job. Feels kind of weird, kind of nice- but pretty freaky too. Come to think of it, since I graduated from college, I've never taken any actual time off... Just went straight to work and never really stopped. So maybe this will be a good thing.
The job I really wanted, and thought was a perfect fit is now having "funding issues" where the higher ups are apparently trying to rearrange things to avoid hiring on an additional person. Its in negotiation now, but things don't look good. These are the aspects of the public health world that I'd forgotten all about.... "funding issues."
So, rather than fret about it, I'm just going to enjoy my morning Bloody Mary at my desk at work this morning (yes, there actually are a few things that I will really miss about my current industry!), which will hopefully segue into some libations throughout the weekend that involve the words, "Nog," "toddy," and "rum."
Happy Holidays to all, or "Merry Christmas" if that suits you better. It's all the same to me.
And if you know of anyone who wants to hire a fabulous Registered Dietitian/Stock Broker in the DC Metro area, please be sure to drop my name!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Always Be Cobbling
Ahhhh... big sigh of relief. I have been frantically searching for an online clip of this SNL sketch for the past two weeks since it aired. If you've never seen Glengarry Glen Ross, then you probably won't find it to be comic genius. If you have, you'll likely agree that it is one of the best sketches of all time. ONE of the best- I'd be hard pressed to name a single best sketch. I can think of several that could compete for the spot of worst though...
Okay- on with the show: Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch.php?v=b1V3pb3hnRY&search=snl%20alec%20baldwin
(and if you want to watch a few clips of the original, you can see them piece by piece here.
Okay- on with the show: Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch.php?v=b1V3pb3hnRY&search=snl%20alec%20baldwin
(and if you want to watch a few clips of the original, you can see them piece by piece here.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The Dickens Caroler: Friend or Foe?
I’ve noticed lately that there are fewer and fewer things in this world on which I do not have an opinion. The Dickens Caroler concept is one of them. On one hand I love Christmas, Christmas music and all things Christmasy. Their musical quality is generally quite good, and a general admiration for performance art is called for in most social circles. But on the other hand, there’s just something about them that’s a little weird. I often feel as if they should turn the volume down on their stage-friendly facial expressions. And they generally remind me of the girls that used to walk down the halls of Evergreen Junior High singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” in an over-processed three part harmony.
And so my clever reader, I put the ball in your court. Discuss.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Don't worry darlings, mummy is here.
Oh dear, what a dreadful spot of strep throat I've had! Okay- I'm sorry- there was just some part of me that really needed to write in a bad, fake English accent. But yes, I've been sick. Sick to the degree where sitting in front of a computer and typing is just too much. But thanks to the power of antibiotics, and more Advil extra-strength than I've ever taken in my life, I made it through the trenches, and I'm back. I have very little time tonight, but just enough to make three quick comments: 1) Micro-Chenille: Who knew that socks of this persuasion could be so fabulous? 2) "Night sweats" blow. Having a fever in general is pretty hellish. 3) Clean, tired dogs bring me closer to my my own personal heaven. Okay then, off to bed for me. Lots of changes going on in my world. I look forward to the day where I might be able to tell you about them.
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Coffee Dialogs: Part Two
Picking up from where I left off… many moons ago, I’d like to get back to discussing coffee. Specifically I’d like to discuss three items:
Holiday themed paper cups and increased coffee beverage enjoyment: causal relationship, somatic response, or self-fulfilling prophecy? (thanks to Beth for the verbage)
Why I spend so damned much money at Starbucks, and my lame attempts to justify/validate this obscene behavior.
The latest (and possibly most oddly uncomfortable) addition to espresso beverage ordering lingo.
1) I enjoy the red holiday cups at Starbucks. In what some could consider a Pavlovian reaction, I can almost taste Peppermint Mochas with whip and red sprinkles (that while covered by the white plastic lid, do have immeasurable added-holiday-joy value) as soon as I catch a glimpse of a red paper cup. My body most certainly puts out lots of natural “downer” chemicals in attempts to combat the pending arrival of a caffeine stimulus. I remember learning about this in Psych 101 class. The human body (much like the human mind) hates change and likes to maintain homeostasis at all costs. Though a scientific explanation of this process is stored in the back of my brain under “F” for “fuzzy memories,” the general concept does make sense to me. What I can’t understand is why a red cup makes even a plain drip-coffee so much better than the coffee served during the rest of the year in their white cups with green logo. Certainly the red cup can’t cause a better tasting coffee beverage on its own- so what gives? Is it just that I happen to like the “Christmas Blend” coffee beans above all others? Am I just full of Holiday Spirit? I do love Christmas, but really- to the extent that it makes food and drink taste better? Perhaps this is some prehistoric/plane-wandering/get ready for a long, hard winter gene that is making things tastier and telling me to fatten up for the barren season? Or perhaps I’d found the real reason that in my opinion, Seattle’s Best Coffee produces a tastier drip-coffee year ‘round (they have a red logo and accordingly, serve in red cups all year long…)
2) Okay, I get it. Having an intricate coffee order makes people feel important. Clearly a “Grande Double Shot Soy No-Foam Macchiato” is ordered by someone with coffee prowess, while my occasional “Tall Latte” is just for amateurs. I feel pretty fluent in most of the lingo, but I generally stick with a “Tall Drip With Room,” or the above mentioned latte. On special occasions during red cup season, I’ll order a Tall Peppermint Mocha. With Whip. (ummm… candy for breakfast…) But since when did people start throwing in a defined quantity of “pumps” into their drink orders? More often than not, I’m hearing “Grande Two-Pump Sugar-Free Vanilla Non-Fat Latte” or “Tall Triple-Shot Two-Pump Almond Mocha.” Oddly enough, I have yet to hear anyone order anything with one pump. Or three pumps.
Call me old-fashioned, call me a prude (which would be a total misnomer) but can’t we, as a coffee drinking community, come up with a better phrase? One that doesn’t make me feel oddly uncomfortable? Can’t we say “light on the vanilla?” or “Extra almond”? In the universe of coffee vocabulary, I’ve accepted the term “Drip” (and that wasn’t easy), but I don’t think I’m the only human being on earth who wants nothing to do with anything labeled “two pump.” I want no part of it. I’m just glad that I can’t think of a context where anyone could used the term “Two Pump Drip.” That would just be too much.
3) The last think that is vexing me about coffee today is how much money I spend on it. Way too much. The bad part isn’t the actual amount of money I spend, but the lengths to which I have gone to justify this expense as perfectly reasonable, or even a positive aspect of my life. For example: I don’t smoke, so I don’t have to buy cigarettes, which cost much more than daily Starbucks. But sadly, I don’t even know if this is true. I’d have to smoke about a pack a day in order to outspend myself. Because I’ll be damned if I don’t find myself also purchasing sandwiches, scones etc at least once a week there, which sometimes puts me at $10 in a single day at Starbucks. Cripes.
What else… I don’t… play GOLF! So- think of all that money I would spend on green fees/clubs/sporty visors, that instead I can spend on Starbucks. Do you see my trail of ridiculousness? I’m like the dieter who gives him/her self credit for going a whole week with no ice cream: but they never liked ice cream to begin with.
In my head, I came up with a win-win situation: Invest in Starbucks. Kind of a “if you can’t beat them, join them” concept. So I bought some shares. And I’m glad to report that after 8 months, a stock split and the hypothetical capital gains tax that I’d be liable for if/when I sell the stock, I’m just about at break even with how much I’ve spent at the store over the past 8 months. And all along, I’ve been telling myself that its really okay to spend so much at Starbucks, because I’m actually just reinvesting in my company and compunding my investement. Yeah… like reinvesting my dividends… yeah!
Just think where I’d be if I invested the money I would have spent at Starbucks, in Starbucks instead…
And even now, I’m justifying all of this (while taking the last sips my morning Tall Drip With Room) and thinking to myself, “Gina, at least you’re now totally aware of the problem. That’s the first step. One step at a time. Good work on that first step. You deserve a reward. Like a refill….”
Please tell me that I am not the only chronic over-justifier!
And finally, a bonus coffee item that was not part of my original 3: I love that the characters on Gray’s Anatomy are constantly drinking coffee from a paper cup with a cardboard insulator ring (and while I’m at it, I love just about everything about that show). They must have been filming an outdoor scene in the show and keenly noticed that everyone in Seattle drinks coffee from a paper cup. Constantly. It has become an institution. I know some have issues with this. I know it’s not as charming/Euro-coffee-house/environmentally-friendly as a ceramic mug, but it is very Seattle.
Holiday themed paper cups and increased coffee beverage enjoyment: causal relationship, somatic response, or self-fulfilling prophecy? (thanks to Beth for the verbage)
Why I spend so damned much money at Starbucks, and my lame attempts to justify/validate this obscene behavior.
The latest (and possibly most oddly uncomfortable) addition to espresso beverage ordering lingo.
1) I enjoy the red holiday cups at Starbucks. In what some could consider a Pavlovian reaction, I can almost taste Peppermint Mochas with whip and red sprinkles (that while covered by the white plastic lid, do have immeasurable added-holiday-joy value) as soon as I catch a glimpse of a red paper cup. My body most certainly puts out lots of natural “downer” chemicals in attempts to combat the pending arrival of a caffeine stimulus. I remember learning about this in Psych 101 class. The human body (much like the human mind) hates change and likes to maintain homeostasis at all costs. Though a scientific explanation of this process is stored in the back of my brain under “F” for “fuzzy memories,” the general concept does make sense to me. What I can’t understand is why a red cup makes even a plain drip-coffee so much better than the coffee served during the rest of the year in their white cups with green logo. Certainly the red cup can’t cause a better tasting coffee beverage on its own- so what gives? Is it just that I happen to like the “Christmas Blend” coffee beans above all others? Am I just full of Holiday Spirit? I do love Christmas, but really- to the extent that it makes food and drink taste better? Perhaps this is some prehistoric/plane-wandering/get ready for a long, hard winter gene that is making things tastier and telling me to fatten up for the barren season? Or perhaps I’d found the real reason that in my opinion, Seattle’s Best Coffee produces a tastier drip-coffee year ‘round (they have a red logo and accordingly, serve in red cups all year long…)
2) Okay, I get it. Having an intricate coffee order makes people feel important. Clearly a “Grande Double Shot Soy No-Foam Macchiato” is ordered by someone with coffee prowess, while my occasional “Tall Latte” is just for amateurs. I feel pretty fluent in most of the lingo, but I generally stick with a “Tall Drip With Room,” or the above mentioned latte. On special occasions during red cup season, I’ll order a Tall Peppermint Mocha. With Whip. (ummm… candy for breakfast…) But since when did people start throwing in a defined quantity of “pumps” into their drink orders? More often than not, I’m hearing “Grande Two-Pump Sugar-Free Vanilla Non-Fat Latte” or “Tall Triple-Shot Two-Pump Almond Mocha.” Oddly enough, I have yet to hear anyone order anything with one pump. Or three pumps.
Call me old-fashioned, call me a prude (which would be a total misnomer) but can’t we, as a coffee drinking community, come up with a better phrase? One that doesn’t make me feel oddly uncomfortable? Can’t we say “light on the vanilla?” or “Extra almond”? In the universe of coffee vocabulary, I’ve accepted the term “Drip” (and that wasn’t easy), but I don’t think I’m the only human being on earth who wants nothing to do with anything labeled “two pump.” I want no part of it. I’m just glad that I can’t think of a context where anyone could used the term “Two Pump Drip.” That would just be too much.
3) The last think that is vexing me about coffee today is how much money I spend on it. Way too much. The bad part isn’t the actual amount of money I spend, but the lengths to which I have gone to justify this expense as perfectly reasonable, or even a positive aspect of my life. For example: I don’t smoke, so I don’t have to buy cigarettes, which cost much more than daily Starbucks. But sadly, I don’t even know if this is true. I’d have to smoke about a pack a day in order to outspend myself. Because I’ll be damned if I don’t find myself also purchasing sandwiches, scones etc at least once a week there, which sometimes puts me at $10 in a single day at Starbucks. Cripes.
What else… I don’t… play GOLF! So- think of all that money I would spend on green fees/clubs/sporty visors, that instead I can spend on Starbucks. Do you see my trail of ridiculousness? I’m like the dieter who gives him/her self credit for going a whole week with no ice cream: but they never liked ice cream to begin with.
In my head, I came up with a win-win situation: Invest in Starbucks. Kind of a “if you can’t beat them, join them” concept. So I bought some shares. And I’m glad to report that after 8 months, a stock split and the hypothetical capital gains tax that I’d be liable for if/when I sell the stock, I’m just about at break even with how much I’ve spent at the store over the past 8 months. And all along, I’ve been telling myself that its really okay to spend so much at Starbucks, because I’m actually just reinvesting in my company and compunding my investement. Yeah… like reinvesting my dividends… yeah!
Just think where I’d be if I invested the money I would have spent at Starbucks, in Starbucks instead…
And even now, I’m justifying all of this (while taking the last sips my morning Tall Drip With Room) and thinking to myself, “Gina, at least you’re now totally aware of the problem. That’s the first step. One step at a time. Good work on that first step. You deserve a reward. Like a refill….”
Please tell me that I am not the only chronic over-justifier!
And finally, a bonus coffee item that was not part of my original 3: I love that the characters on Gray’s Anatomy are constantly drinking coffee from a paper cup with a cardboard insulator ring (and while I’m at it, I love just about everything about that show). They must have been filming an outdoor scene in the show and keenly noticed that everyone in Seattle drinks coffee from a paper cup. Constantly. It has become an institution. I know some have issues with this. I know it’s not as charming/Euro-coffee-house/environmentally-friendly as a ceramic mug, but it is very Seattle.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Yes, we ARE number 9! But moving on now...
‘Tis the day before Thanksgiving and all through the office, not a creature was working, well, not really working at least. There are shells of people in the office today, but I don’t think I’m alone in the fact that I’ve already mentally checked out for the holiday weekend. I simply cannot accommodate a full workload AND mentally debate about what non-jello/marshmallow/raisin/date containing side salad I will make to replace our traditional Waldorf Salad for tomorrow’s dinner. After much ado, it has been decided: we’ve vote Waldorf Salad off the island (or table as it were). We usually have it at Thanksgiving dinner, because every red-blooded American family needs to have some sort of fruit/raisin/nut-containing cold side dish at Thanksgiving. I’m speculating that this dish for most families contains either jello of some sort, marshmallows, cool-whip and or shredded coconut. There is also a high likelihood of canned fruit cocktail lurking within this beast. It might go by names such as “Heavenly Salad” or “Seafoam,” “Sunshine Salad” or “Raspberry Fluff.”
But does anyone actually enjoy these items for anything other than sentimental value?
I don’t. And I speak for my family in saying, “We don’t.” So we’ve always done Waldorf Salad instead. Similarly, we always do rutabagas in lieu of or in addition to sweet potatoes/yams. However, rutabagas will never be in danger of being expelled from the table. I’m sure Lisaopolis will expand on this at some point, so I’ll let her take the reins on explaining the virtues of this humble root vegetable.
But then the issue was brought up on Monday night at dinner: Do we even really like Waldorf Salad, or do we just make it because Nanny used to make it?
Crack of Whip! Roar of Thunder!! What is this?!? A family revelation!
No one really likes Waldorf Salad either. But we all agree that there needs to be something to replace its cold, crunchy slightly sweet sensations.
I’m thinking of a simple fresh fruit salad. And I’m thinking that a fresh fruit salad would be a good excuse to go down to Pike Place Market this afternoon for some pre-holiday shopping and pre-home-sickness release. I’m envisioning myself going down to the market and chatting with the produce vendors and pretending that I do this every week to buy my fresh produce. Which ideally I would. So what if all I ever do is go to Safeway to buy bags of pre-washed lettuce and the occasional bag of granny smith apples (purchased only for their delicious-to-dip-in-caramel qualities)??
Today I will be the kind of girl who strolls through the market and buys whatever is fresh and catches my eye. Maybe some delicious red seedless grapes are in order? Heck- I don’t even KNOW what kind of fruit-tastic delights are waiting for me….
Here’s what I’m envisioning…
But I’ll probably shop with a wicker basket, and maybe have some birds chirping on my shoulder in manner of Sleeping Beauty!
So in other news: Want to hear something kind of ironic? I need to come up with a writing sample. Details to follow. Something ideally related to child nutrition. Shucks. I’ve probably written more in the last year than I ever have in my life, and I love it. But I have no professional writing samples from the last two years, as the regulations on my current industry esentially prohibit any sort of original thought- especially in writing. We’re… strongly encouraged… to use existing written materials that have been approved my the corporate big brothers and associated legal big wigs. God forbid we put anything in writing that doesn’t have at least 400% of the original word count in associated disclaimers. I’ve essentially learned that whenever I make a statement or a point in writing, I have to spend twice the amount of time, effort and energy then disclaiming what I have just communicated. It’s super neat. No it’s not. Unless you want it to be. But I make no guarantees of its neatness or lack thereof said neatness.
See? I’m gooooood. But what translates well as a CYA method in one industry probably just translates into “Huh!?!” in any other.
So I have no writing to show. I know I’ve HAD writing samples of yesteryear. But when you change jobs, move across states and countries, spill glasses of water on your laptop and THEN have that same laptop stolen, these things have a tendency to vanish, as if they’ve never existed.
I’m in a pickle.
It is very cold and salty in this pickle.
.
But does anyone actually enjoy these items for anything other than sentimental value?
I don’t. And I speak for my family in saying, “We don’t.” So we’ve always done Waldorf Salad instead. Similarly, we always do rutabagas in lieu of or in addition to sweet potatoes/yams. However, rutabagas will never be in danger of being expelled from the table. I’m sure Lisaopolis will expand on this at some point, so I’ll let her take the reins on explaining the virtues of this humble root vegetable.
But then the issue was brought up on Monday night at dinner: Do we even really like Waldorf Salad, or do we just make it because Nanny used to make it?
Crack of Whip! Roar of Thunder!! What is this?!? A family revelation!
No one really likes Waldorf Salad either. But we all agree that there needs to be something to replace its cold, crunchy slightly sweet sensations.
I’m thinking of a simple fresh fruit salad. And I’m thinking that a fresh fruit salad would be a good excuse to go down to Pike Place Market this afternoon for some pre-holiday shopping and pre-home-sickness release. I’m envisioning myself going down to the market and chatting with the produce vendors and pretending that I do this every week to buy my fresh produce. Which ideally I would. So what if all I ever do is go to Safeway to buy bags of pre-washed lettuce and the occasional bag of granny smith apples (purchased only for their delicious-to-dip-in-caramel qualities)??
Today I will be the kind of girl who strolls through the market and buys whatever is fresh and catches my eye. Maybe some delicious red seedless grapes are in order? Heck- I don’t even KNOW what kind of fruit-tastic delights are waiting for me….
Here’s what I’m envisioning…
But I’ll probably shop with a wicker basket, and maybe have some birds chirping on my shoulder in manner of Sleeping Beauty!
So in other news: Want to hear something kind of ironic? I need to come up with a writing sample. Details to follow. Something ideally related to child nutrition. Shucks. I’ve probably written more in the last year than I ever have in my life, and I love it. But I have no professional writing samples from the last two years, as the regulations on my current industry esentially prohibit any sort of original thought- especially in writing. We’re… strongly encouraged… to use existing written materials that have been approved my the corporate big brothers and associated legal big wigs. God forbid we put anything in writing that doesn’t have at least 400% of the original word count in associated disclaimers. I’ve essentially learned that whenever I make a statement or a point in writing, I have to spend twice the amount of time, effort and energy then disclaiming what I have just communicated. It’s super neat. No it’s not. Unless you want it to be. But I make no guarantees of its neatness or lack thereof said neatness.
See? I’m gooooood. But what translates well as a CYA method in one industry probably just translates into “Huh!?!” in any other.
So I have no writing to show. I know I’ve HAD writing samples of yesteryear. But when you change jobs, move across states and countries, spill glasses of water on your laptop and THEN have that same laptop stolen, these things have a tendency to vanish, as if they’ve never existed.
I’m in a pickle.
It is very cold and salty in this pickle.
.
Friday, November 18, 2005
The smell of Apples in the air...
This might be the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long, long time.
Other than you of course. Smile you gorgeous beast. Yeah, there it is. Perfection.
Okay, back to the other beautiful thing….
Um um ummmm…. Check THAT out. I love it. Yeah, we raised more money for Habitat for Humanity, which not only resulted in the Cougar Flag being flown over the space needle every day (except twice, when some rich husky dropped a few grand for the daily win) last week, but it got our logo and a "Go Gougs!" on the Space Needle. This is doubly rad becuase the Space Needle, being in downtown Seattle, is in in the heart of Husky-ville. So, this is a nice coming-together of two of my faviorite things about the great State of Washington: Seattle, and Washington State University. If I had a little smilie emoticon, I'd insert it here.
So its pre-game Friday and not a lot of work is being accomplished today because its Apple Cup Friday, a day that is historically reserved for jokes, pranks, tricks, team color-wearing and playing your fight song over PA system of office across the greater northwest.
I have already heard the Huskies, “Tequilla!” and "Bow Down to Washington" (AKA "Bend Over Washington!") played about 7 times over our loud speaker. I have only heard the Cougar Fight Song once, but I am okay with this, as everyone knows that Cougars are much more refined than Huskies, and we don't like to over-do things! So there's that... and I just found the cougar roar file online and plan to play it multiple times throughout the day. Specifically, I want to play it right after I do anything cool today (this could be soooo many different things). Now if only I could find the “And that’s another… COUGAR, FIRST, DOWN!!” file...
Most of you know what a dismal season this has been for our team. But through thick and thin, winning and losing seasons, I firmly believe that it is always great to be a Coug. And the fact that the Huskies have had (what some could consider) an even worse season, doesn’t hurt.
I found this quote on http://www.coug.com/ that summed up my hopes, which are firmly rooted in reality for this Saturday’s game:
“I want to be able to rush the field Saturday with all but one finger in the air shouting "We're number 9, we're number 9!" When you finish first in the Pac-10 they give you roses - what do you get when you finish 9th? I want to find out.”
And you know, I’m almost glad that the Huskies beat Arizona last weekend, because to be honest, it just wasn’t as fun to beat them in the Apple Cup last year when they were winless. I almost felt like we were beating up on the fat kid. It almost made me feel bad. But then I felt like they were intentially robbing me of my post-win gratification. Which would just be so typical.
Go ahead, click it. You know you want to.
Other than you of course. Smile you gorgeous beast. Yeah, there it is. Perfection.
Okay, back to the other beautiful thing….
Um um ummmm…. Check THAT out. I love it. Yeah, we raised more money for Habitat for Humanity, which not only resulted in the Cougar Flag being flown over the space needle every day (except twice, when some rich husky dropped a few grand for the daily win) last week, but it got our logo and a "Go Gougs!" on the Space Needle. This is doubly rad becuase the Space Needle, being in downtown Seattle, is in in the heart of Husky-ville. So, this is a nice coming-together of two of my faviorite things about the great State of Washington: Seattle, and Washington State University. If I had a little smilie emoticon, I'd insert it here.
So its pre-game Friday and not a lot of work is being accomplished today because its Apple Cup Friday, a day that is historically reserved for jokes, pranks, tricks, team color-wearing and playing your fight song over PA system of office across the greater northwest.
I have already heard the Huskies, “Tequilla!” and "Bow Down to Washington" (AKA "Bend Over Washington!") played about 7 times over our loud speaker. I have only heard the Cougar Fight Song once, but I am okay with this, as everyone knows that Cougars are much more refined than Huskies, and we don't like to over-do things! So there's that... and I just found the cougar roar file online and plan to play it multiple times throughout the day. Specifically, I want to play it right after I do anything cool today (this could be soooo many different things). Now if only I could find the “And that’s another… COUGAR, FIRST, DOWN!!” file...
Most of you know what a dismal season this has been for our team. But through thick and thin, winning and losing seasons, I firmly believe that it is always great to be a Coug. And the fact that the Huskies have had (what some could consider) an even worse season, doesn’t hurt.
I found this quote on http://www.coug.com/ that summed up my hopes, which are firmly rooted in reality for this Saturday’s game:
“I want to be able to rush the field Saturday with all but one finger in the air shouting "We're number 9, we're number 9!" When you finish first in the Pac-10 they give you roses - what do you get when you finish 9th? I want to find out.”
And you know, I’m almost glad that the Huskies beat Arizona last weekend, because to be honest, it just wasn’t as fun to beat them in the Apple Cup last year when they were winless. I almost felt like we were beating up on the fat kid. It almost made me feel bad. But then I felt like they were intentially robbing me of my post-win gratification. Which would just be so typical.
Go ahead, click it. You know you want to.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Its Monday, and I have nothing to offer for a snappy title. Please accept an IOU.
So I have been MIA for a while. Seems like blogging and jogging are things that are easy to continue not doing once you skip a day or two… Are there any other “ogging” verbs that are easy to skip? Flogging? Nah, who can skip out on a good flogging? Logging? I don’t know, I’ve never logged. But I did know a logger once. Hey, don’t judge, I lived in Longview. Anyway, I apologize to all who have had to wade through these last several days with only useful and pragmatic reading available to them (or “Him/Her” as the case may be. I don’t want to assume that I have plural readership, but a girl can dream…).
I suppose that one dilemma of blogging is the temptation to write all the details of life, while being mindful of the constraints of professional discretion. AKA: I try not to write about work and/or things that affect work. And those things have been renting rooms in my cerebral hotel for the last couple of weeks. I think they might be staying for a few more days, or even weeks, but soon I’ll have to send them eviction notices, as I’d like to get back to focusing on fluff as soon as feasibly possible.
For instance, Starbucks is now serving delicious coffee beverages in their holiday red paper cups. And we all know that the red cup makes all the difference. Starbucks tastes approximately 110% better in a holiday cup than a regular cup. I can’t prove this, but I’m fairly certain of it. AND they’ve come out with a new delicious mint chocolate brownie-like concoction, which expertly balances out the Cranberry Bliss bar, a favorite holiday baked good made famous circa 1999.
I actually have no idea when the Cranberry Bliss bar came out. But wouldn’t it be fascinating of I were able to research this in depth? No? Ah, I see. No really, that’s fine.
Sadly, I have only had metal capacity/vacancy for Big Girl (like “grown-up”, not “plus size”) issues lately. Nothing too heavy, and its all good stuff, not bad, just stuff that zaps a lot of my surplus energy and creativity. And since I’m fairly confident that my laugh lines aren’t going to kill me (contrary to my initial thoughts of doom toward the pending Wrinklegate 2005 Scandal), I think I’ll just allow myself to run with it.
But have faith, I have a feeling that things will settle into some sort of operating mode quite soon, and that the upcoming season of eating, drinking, shopping and Christmas-music-listening will supply me with writing ideas a’plenty.
But one quick little item that I forgot to mention: Anyone know of a cure for a dipping addiction? I seems lately that I’ve found myself in a bit of a food jag, and a new one. As a background item, sometimes I get stuck in food jags- eating the same thing for weeks on end. Potstickers, Subway Cold-Cut Combo Sandwiches, Pickles, Oreo cookies, BBQ Ribs (that one was weird, it only happened twice, but each time I pretty much ordered take-out BBQ ribs every night for a week) and English Cucumbers have been repeat offenders in the past. But this time: Anything that I can dip into something else. I’ve gone through about 3 acres worth of raw carrots/celery with ranch dressing in the last couple of weeks, and now I’m hitting green apples and caramel dip pretty hard. Lord help me if I get close to a chicken nugget before this thing passes. I worry that with Satsuma Mandarin season nipping at my nose that I might have to juggle TWO food jags at a time, and I just don’t know if I’ll be able to manage. Pray for me.
I suppose that one dilemma of blogging is the temptation to write all the details of life, while being mindful of the constraints of professional discretion. AKA: I try not to write about work and/or things that affect work. And those things have been renting rooms in my cerebral hotel for the last couple of weeks. I think they might be staying for a few more days, or even weeks, but soon I’ll have to send them eviction notices, as I’d like to get back to focusing on fluff as soon as feasibly possible.
For instance, Starbucks is now serving delicious coffee beverages in their holiday red paper cups. And we all know that the red cup makes all the difference. Starbucks tastes approximately 110% better in a holiday cup than a regular cup. I can’t prove this, but I’m fairly certain of it. AND they’ve come out with a new delicious mint chocolate brownie-like concoction, which expertly balances out the Cranberry Bliss bar, a favorite holiday baked good made famous circa 1999.
I actually have no idea when the Cranberry Bliss bar came out. But wouldn’t it be fascinating of I were able to research this in depth? No? Ah, I see. No really, that’s fine.
Sadly, I have only had metal capacity/vacancy for Big Girl (like “grown-up”, not “plus size”) issues lately. Nothing too heavy, and its all good stuff, not bad, just stuff that zaps a lot of my surplus energy and creativity. And since I’m fairly confident that my laugh lines aren’t going to kill me (contrary to my initial thoughts of doom toward the pending Wrinklegate 2005 Scandal), I think I’ll just allow myself to run with it.
But have faith, I have a feeling that things will settle into some sort of operating mode quite soon, and that the upcoming season of eating, drinking, shopping and Christmas-music-listening will supply me with writing ideas a’plenty.
But one quick little item that I forgot to mention: Anyone know of a cure for a dipping addiction? I seems lately that I’ve found myself in a bit of a food jag, and a new one. As a background item, sometimes I get stuck in food jags- eating the same thing for weeks on end. Potstickers, Subway Cold-Cut Combo Sandwiches, Pickles, Oreo cookies, BBQ Ribs (that one was weird, it only happened twice, but each time I pretty much ordered take-out BBQ ribs every night for a week) and English Cucumbers have been repeat offenders in the past. But this time: Anything that I can dip into something else. I’ve gone through about 3 acres worth of raw carrots/celery with ranch dressing in the last couple of weeks, and now I’m hitting green apples and caramel dip pretty hard. Lord help me if I get close to a chicken nugget before this thing passes. I worry that with Satsuma Mandarin season nipping at my nose that I might have to juggle TWO food jags at a time, and I just don’t know if I’ll be able to manage. Pray for me.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Dangit! I forgot the Blog!
Well, I didn't forget about it so much as...got out of the loop. But really, there isn't to much to tell about about my life in times. I would like to comment that I am loving the "sometimes all you need after a vacation, is another vacation" commercials for travelocity. Or maybe its expedia? Hum. So while they are entertaining commercials, perhaps not so good at branding. But my brain is all tapped out of anything else to say this week. Hum...
Monday, October 31, 2005
Boo!
Happy Halloween to all! It just dawned on me the other day how much I love Halloween. I think I used to like it for the candy, and the being able to stay up a little later than normal on a school night aspects. But recently I’ve discovered just how much I enjoy dressing up. It’s the only time of year where an fully-functioning and responsible adult can dress up like a complete freak and go to work like usual. Come to think of it, I think we need more excuses to dress up throughout the year- maybe just make President’s Day a costume-optional holiday? Or perhaps something in summer? The elite group of Cabin Creekers in Easton Washington take dressing up for the 4th of July “parade” quite seriously, yet how many hundreds of thousands of Americans don’t have this luxury?
Please, write your senators today.
So…. Comments heard today so far:
“I see. Yes. Well what we’d need to address first is your overall asset allocation, specifically how you are positioning your fixed-income in this rising interest rate environment…” Spoken by a woman in a full-on witch costume complete with very scary make-up.
-and-
"Right, while that may be true, I’m concerned that you’re not taking a global perspective on the current energy crisis. There’s a lot more to consider than just the price you’re paying at the pump…” from the fake-beard covered mouth of a man dressed as one of the 7 dwarves.
Excellent. I love this day. I love that while many in the office don’t dress up at all, the ones who do go all the way.
Today, I am Bird Flu. I’m wearing pajamas, a robe with Kleenex in the pockets and I’m sporting a Parrot Hat. The parrot is wearing a face mask (made popular across Asia by 2004’s SARS virus). I’ve had to put a few “Quarantine” stickers on my robe to help people “get it.”
And the best part about Halloween is that it usually entails a party, which means yet another occasion to dress up in another costume (especially if you subscribe to the "just add 'slutty' to any character and make it a costume" theory, like "Slutty Girl Scout, Slutty Cop, Slutty Nurse, etc. Can't very well wear those ones to work). Saturday at Eric’s 2nd annual Halloween Bash, I followed last years theme of dressing as a famous red head. Last year I was Lindsey Lohan. This year I took it back a few years, threw in one Cuban-American love interest and was Lucy.
Lucy and Ricky. It worked. Though I admit, I did use a temporary hair dye to turn the red up a few notches. It was almost glowing. I was concerned while I was teasing my hair and gluing on my fake eyelashes that I was starting to look more like a drag queen than a screw-ball redhead, but I think I kept it under control.
So here are the pictures:
Why is it that “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splaining to dooooo” never stops being funny?
So, where is Little Ricky after all?
A full body shot so you can see Ricky’s suit and my shoes that I got at Payless for $7.00, that I fully intend to wear in “real life”
A close up of the hair, that was more of an abyss. Someone asked me if it was a wig. Nope, just really teased. Lindsey was Little Red Riding Hood.
The Real Thing
Several years ago I was Daphne at a costume party, so now I’m starting to wonder if I might run out of red heads to dress as in the future. Perhaps I’ll have to recycle a few ideas… God willing, I’ll never have to resort to Annie. And God willing, I’ll be able to control myself around copious amounts of candy in the office today to prevent all of my teeth from rotting out spurring an premature need for dentures.
Photo’s of Bird Flu to follow.
Please, write your senators today.
So…. Comments heard today so far:
“I see. Yes. Well what we’d need to address first is your overall asset allocation, specifically how you are positioning your fixed-income in this rising interest rate environment…” Spoken by a woman in a full-on witch costume complete with very scary make-up.
-and-
"Right, while that may be true, I’m concerned that you’re not taking a global perspective on the current energy crisis. There’s a lot more to consider than just the price you’re paying at the pump…” from the fake-beard covered mouth of a man dressed as one of the 7 dwarves.
Excellent. I love this day. I love that while many in the office don’t dress up at all, the ones who do go all the way.
Today, I am Bird Flu. I’m wearing pajamas, a robe with Kleenex in the pockets and I’m sporting a Parrot Hat. The parrot is wearing a face mask (made popular across Asia by 2004’s SARS virus). I’ve had to put a few “Quarantine” stickers on my robe to help people “get it.”
And the best part about Halloween is that it usually entails a party, which means yet another occasion to dress up in another costume (especially if you subscribe to the "just add 'slutty' to any character and make it a costume" theory, like "Slutty Girl Scout, Slutty Cop, Slutty Nurse, etc. Can't very well wear those ones to work). Saturday at Eric’s 2nd annual Halloween Bash, I followed last years theme of dressing as a famous red head. Last year I was Lindsey Lohan. This year I took it back a few years, threw in one Cuban-American love interest and was Lucy.
Lucy and Ricky. It worked. Though I admit, I did use a temporary hair dye to turn the red up a few notches. It was almost glowing. I was concerned while I was teasing my hair and gluing on my fake eyelashes that I was starting to look more like a drag queen than a screw-ball redhead, but I think I kept it under control.
So here are the pictures:
Why is it that “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splaining to dooooo” never stops being funny?
So, where is Little Ricky after all?A full body shot so you can see Ricky’s suit and my shoes that I got at Payless for $7.00, that I fully intend to wear in “real life”
A close up of the hair, that was more of an abyss. Someone asked me if it was a wig. Nope, just really teased. Lindsey was Little Red Riding Hood.
The Real Thing
Several years ago I was Daphne at a costume party, so now I’m starting to wonder if I might run out of red heads to dress as in the future. Perhaps I’ll have to recycle a few ideas… God willing, I’ll never have to resort to Annie. And God willing, I’ll be able to control myself around copious amounts of candy in the office today to prevent all of my teeth from rotting out spurring an premature need for dentures.
Photo’s of Bird Flu to follow.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Gaysploitation
LOS ANGELES -
George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu steered the Starship Enterprise through three television seasons and six movies, has come out as a homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly Los Angeles magazine covering the gay and lesbian community.
How do you know that your career is beyond past-tense? Hum… I’m guessing its when you decide to out yourself and reap the benefits of once again being embraced by a community of followers and getting fan mail. I mean really, if I were this guys partner of 18 years, I might find myself asking:
“Darling, so where was I when you were in your Starship Enterprise hay-day? I guess you didn’t need us then…”
which might even lead into accusatory:
“Okay, great. I see how it is. I only exist in your life when it’s convenient for your career!?! Is that the way its going to be??”
Which would naturally be followed with:
“What about MY career George? Did you ever think about how difficult it was for ME to always have to go solo to my engineering firm’s holiday parties??”
And end with a passive-aggressive:
“Were you even going to discuss this with me first? I thought we were a team! By the way, your weird voice has creeped me out for 18 years!!”
-end scene-
Anyway…. I’m going to call it gaysploitation. I’m so flippin’ proud of myself for making up a new word. I hope it becomes trendy and “it” and “now” –and I hope I can somehow capitalize on it…
Defined: The exploitation of ones homosexuality to renew interest in a celebrity career that has by all accounts, jumped the shark many, many moons ago. Examples include: Anne Heche and the more recent George Takei, AKA Sulu of TV’s Star Trek.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Do you want a ticket...
To the GUN SHOW?!???
Ah, that joke just never stops being funny… to me at least.
I’m glad my teaser photo yesterday had the desired effect to illicit comments like “What?!? I thought you were a tree hugger??” I always like to keep you all guessing!
So it all started with a hypothetical discussion about gun ownership:
J: I want to have a gun in my house.
G: Are you insane? Why ever would you do such a thing? I don’t like guns. In fact, that might even be a deal-breaker for me.
J: What is this crazy-talk woman? Have you ever even seen a real gun before?
G: Do I LOOK like a shooter?
J: Gosh!
G: Fine!
Both: Okay, want to go for a bike ride? Yay!
Enter the neighbor; a retired Marine helicopter gunner/retired sheriff’s department guy (are they called deputies? Officers? Cops??). This is the guy who has every power tool known to man, (including a totally sweet miter saw, which I have to admit, made installing laminate flooring both a pleasure and an honor.) He’s just the nicest most helpful person in the world. Always offering to lend a helping hand (or miter saw, as it were) AND his wife makes really good cookies that are offered in abundance.
This guy teaches gun safety classes now (when he’s not organizing his garage or going on walks around the neighborhood with said cookie-making wife) and he offered to share some of his know-how with me. (True to form with his super helpful nature).
I just ran a google images search for “grandfather and gun” to see if I could find a graphic depiction of someone who was both grandfatherly and a sporting a weapon, to give you a visual idea of who I was talking about, but this was all I could find. Not really on the right track at all, but who doesn’t love a top hat?
Okay- So we went over to his garage for a tutorial on guns and amo. And safety. Lots to learn. I did a lot of smiling and nodding. Lots of caliber, millimeter, trigger, hammer, dual action, automatic v. semiautomatic talk. Lots of “Uh huh’s” from me.
Onward to the North Whidbey Sportsmen's Association shooting range (which today at least, would have to be a “sportsperson’s” shooting range).
There were two other groups there, they were shooting clay pigeons with riffles. Not us, we brought the hand guns only. I mean really, how am I going to learn how to “bust a 9” unless I well, bust a 9.?
As we were getting started, after the first few shots, I looked out beyond our targets (which were not very far away- actually, they were pretty damned close: I’d like to consider myself a natural sharp-shooter, but really, even I needed some “Ladies tees”). About 50 yards out from where we were standing, at ground level (the range is dug down about 5+ feet so your bullets doing just going flying willy-nilly into the open woods…) was a young deer. Just eating some grass, looking at us, and enjoying the sound of bullets cracking through the air. He was a boy-deer. Of course. If he were a human boy, I bet he’d be the kind of boy who lit of fire crackers in his hand and threw them at people. Dumb-ass.
You can kind of see him, but his coat is on the cutting edge of camouflage technology.
So we shot guns. And I learned about how they work and how to use them. I remember the basics, but still wouldn’t chose the have one on my own. But I feel somewhat okay with the idea of having one in my domicile. Because truth be told, when it comes to protection, Daphne isn’t nearly as vicious as she looks.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Y'all are just too nice
Thanks for the supportive comments about Lefty, my left eye which is taunting me with fine lines and signs of aging. I'm trying to drink more water (mint tea actually, as its the only thing that keeps me from coughing all day lately- have a bit of a cold) and I got a tiny bottle of somethingorother from Clinique this weekend that had the word "eye" in the product name, and it has SPF, so I figure it can't hurt. Unless I get it IN my eye. In that case actually, it would hurt quite a bit...
Anyway- I need to post about my weekend fun, frolic and political platforms (specifically, my new, "I'll try it before I judge it" policy) but can't seem to find a quiet moment in which to compartmentalize my thoughts for you all. So for now, I'll just leave you with a teaser photo:
Story coming soon...
Anyway- I need to post about my weekend fun, frolic and political platforms (specifically, my new, "I'll try it before I judge it" policy) but can't seem to find a quiet moment in which to compartmentalize my thoughts for you all. So for now, I'll just leave you with a teaser photo:
Story coming soon...
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Look into my eyes... deeper...you are getting sleepy...
Okay, I have to start by saying: I’m not objected to getting older. As I’ve mentioned before, I think I’m getting better and better with each passing year. BUT- I couldn’t help but notice, that when I look through recent pictures, I seem to be on the advanced track for signs of aging. Specifically, wrinkles around my eyes. On their own merits, I don’t really mind the fine lines. But when I realize how quickly they are becoming less and less “fine,” I get a bit concerned and start thinking that maybe spending $50 on a half-ounce jar of wonder serum sold by someone the a lap coat and a GED at the mall might not be such a bad idea after all.
I’ve always had dry skin, which seemed to be a good thing as a teen and early adolescent, because I never had to deal with a big acne problem. However: dry skin comes back to bite you in the butt because apparently you really need to take care of it as soon as you hit, oh, 25 or so. But I haven’t been doing such a good job of this I guess.
Behold! Yet another photographic essay; this time of "Lefty," my left eye!
Here’s Lefty in college:
This is just a cropped, close-up of the picture of the one I took of the composite photo (featured in my WSU Homecoming post). It’s not the clearest photo, so perhaps this isn’t a good baseline for comparing apples to apples, but it’s the best I can do under the “I didn’t have a digital camera back then” circumstances.
While it’s a bit fuzzy, there are no visible signs of fine lines/wrinkles.
Jump forward about 9 years to May 2005: This was taken at Lindsey’s birthday Party. Not bad, but I think I had more fine lines than the average 26 year old:
Hop ahead again 4 months to this past September. This is Lefty after enjoying some cake at a wedding in Oak Harbor: It now officially looks like I have a bear claw in the corner of my eye:
Here’s one shot from last weekend on Friday evening in Pullman, the night we got into town: The bear claw has grown and blended into a nice flowing wave. I AM a water sign, and I have been swimming more lately, but I’m not a fan of these waves:
Now, here’s the one that made me freak out in the first place. This is Lefty the morning of the football game in Pullman last weekend:
Yes, that really is MY eye, not my grandmother’s.
I couldn’t help but think, ‘Do my eyes really look like that?!?” and “Hum, maybe I shouldn’t smile so much,” and “I wonder if I would have nicer looking eyes if I weren’t laughing 98% of the time?” So I figured I could cut back on laughing AT other people, but laughing WITH other people was not something I wanted to eliminate, or even cut back. So to be fair to myself, I looked closer at the last picture, and blew it up to the size that you’re now seeing. And then I remembered how I went out and had (more than) a couple of beers the night before. And how I left my eye make-up remover at home and had the previous day’s remnants of mascara still lingering around my eyes… And that made me feel a little better. I love excuses…
And after all, when I’m not smiling, I’m more or less okay. Here’s a picture of me at Beth’s wedding last month. It was a rare shot where I had a neutral expression on my face, so I wasn’t in my normal squinty smile:
I can still see the fine lines, but they’re not bad. I can live with them. I might even learn to love them.
But am I still going to spend WAY too much money this weekend at the Clinique counter on some little bottle(s) of wonder serum? Unfortunately, all signs point to yes.
I’ve always had dry skin, which seemed to be a good thing as a teen and early adolescent, because I never had to deal with a big acne problem. However: dry skin comes back to bite you in the butt because apparently you really need to take care of it as soon as you hit, oh, 25 or so. But I haven’t been doing such a good job of this I guess.
Behold! Yet another photographic essay; this time of "Lefty," my left eye!
Here’s Lefty in college:
This is just a cropped, close-up of the picture of the one I took of the composite photo (featured in my WSU Homecoming post). It’s not the clearest photo, so perhaps this isn’t a good baseline for comparing apples to apples, but it’s the best I can do under the “I didn’t have a digital camera back then” circumstances.
While it’s a bit fuzzy, there are no visible signs of fine lines/wrinkles.
Jump forward about 9 years to May 2005: This was taken at Lindsey’s birthday Party. Not bad, but I think I had more fine lines than the average 26 year old:
Hop ahead again 4 months to this past September. This is Lefty after enjoying some cake at a wedding in Oak Harbor: It now officially looks like I have a bear claw in the corner of my eye:
Here’s one shot from last weekend on Friday evening in Pullman, the night we got into town: The bear claw has grown and blended into a nice flowing wave. I AM a water sign, and I have been swimming more lately, but I’m not a fan of these waves:
Now, here’s the one that made me freak out in the first place. This is Lefty the morning of the football game in Pullman last weekend:
Yes, that really is MY eye, not my grandmother’s.
I couldn’t help but think, ‘Do my eyes really look like that?!?” and “Hum, maybe I shouldn’t smile so much,” and “I wonder if I would have nicer looking eyes if I weren’t laughing 98% of the time?” So I figured I could cut back on laughing AT other people, but laughing WITH other people was not something I wanted to eliminate, or even cut back. So to be fair to myself, I looked closer at the last picture, and blew it up to the size that you’re now seeing. And then I remembered how I went out and had (more than) a couple of beers the night before. And how I left my eye make-up remover at home and had the previous day’s remnants of mascara still lingering around my eyes… And that made me feel a little better. I love excuses…
And after all, when I’m not smiling, I’m more or less okay. Here’s a picture of me at Beth’s wedding last month. It was a rare shot where I had a neutral expression on my face, so I wasn’t in my normal squinty smile:
I can still see the fine lines, but they’re not bad. I can live with them. I might even learn to love them.
But am I still going to spend WAY too much money this weekend at the Clinique counter on some little bottle(s) of wonder serum? Unfortunately, all signs point to yes.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Welcome to the world inside my head. It's quite fluffy these days.
My premeditated fun activity of the day today was going to be looking for a "Stay Golden" T-shirt online to see if I could find the same one the girl at The Coug was wearing in Pullman. I did find one, but it was at a site called bust.com, in their "Boobtique", which is essentially a collection of trendy silly t-shirts in women’s cuts (what, are they all tight? Best be sure to get one size bigger than normal...). Made me wonder why companies don’t court more business from people who are online shopping while at work. I mean really, who’s going to feel comfortable with their network administrator looking over a purchase at bust.com’s boobtique??? I think a better idea would be to have say, an e-bay or amazon.com type or retailer, but call its website "2005/2006 biannual cash-flow statement of Omnec Inc." They might get a fair amount of business from cubicle dwellers. Just an idea.
But anyway- I bought the t-shirt (in a size L instead of an M), and it should be arriving in a few days. Very excited, but I am dealing with feeling slightly ashamed for making a purchase at a "Boobtique."
I’m not sure why I have a fascination with the Golden Girls, other than the fact that it has one of the best theme songs of all time, and it was on Saturday Nights when I was growing up, which was one of the few nights that I was allowed to watch TV. I also really liked Empty Nest which followed the show, but mostly because of the dog. I think his name was Bacchus. No, that was my 3rd grade teacher’s dog’s name. The dog on the show was named Dreyfuss. (God I love the internet!) The show also starred Christy McNichol, though at the time, I really didn’t realize how cool she had been in her teen/child-star years. I liked her character, and I always thought she would be a cool older sister. Even though I have two real-life older sisters who are, by all accounts, cool enough on their own merits.
Wait… now I remember, Empty Nest was a spin-off of Golden Girls. That’s right… I think Blanche, in all of her lasciviousness, wanted to date the main character- what was his name anyway? Richard? Harry? He was a pediatrician though, I am certain of that.
Flash bulb moment: Here’s a great use of "Jump the shark:"
The TV show Empty Nest jumped the shark when the original Dr’s office closed and they started working out of a neighborhood clinic. Just took the show in too much of a public health direction. Sheesh. No one wants to see doctors treating kids on Medicaid, we just want to sit at home on Saturday nights and watch lovable doctors treat upper-middle class kids who are covered by their financially secure parents’ insurance plans. Duh…
Dangit. My mind is now racing with late-80’s, early 90’s nonsense. I was going to write today’s post about the new trend off silly logo t-shirts. I was going to pose the question of:
Are printed T’s of ’05 what flannel button-downs were to ’95?
Well, okay, I was originally going to write about libraries and how great they are. How much I love them, and how much I’m reminded of this every time I step into one- which always makes me think, "I should come here more often!" but then I never seem to…
I promise, it was going to be very thoughtful and well-worded. Honest, I swear! It was going to counter last nights post about going back to Pullman for homecoming where I essentially did nothing to rekindle, or even maintain normal brain-cell activity. Dangit! And now here I am itching to talk more about Golden Girls. And its spin-off, Empty Nest. And you know what’s worse? Are you sure you want to know? After that, I want to talk about the spin-off of the spin-off. Yeah, I want to talk about "Nurses." I might even want to do a whole post on Park Overall. Where is she now anyway?
Have there been any successful spin-offs since Frasier? Though "Joey" is in its second season, should we really count it/consider it "successful"?
Can you imagine how successful I would be if I didn’t have these questions running through my head all day? But I guess this brings me back full-circle, because at this point I need to say: Thank God for libraries, where I can come on my lunch break and use the internet to release these thoughts from my mind. Is that actually healthy? Or does releasing the thoughts just make room for new ones?
Is blogging like milking your mental cow? If you keep milking/blogging does your cow/mind keep producing milk/(what most reasonable people would consider) random and inconsequential thoughts? Is there a way to wean myself off of blogging so that these thoughts will gradually dwindle as my mind reduces supply in reaction to a reduced demand?
If I quit blogging cold-turkey will I experience mental engorgement and possible mental infections?
Should I make a t-shirt that reads: "Milk Your Mental Cow: Blog" ??
Cripes. I think I need to go to grad school or something, as this is what happens when you are not mentally exhausted on a routine basis. Such unguided thought pollution can’t be good for the environment.
But anyway- I bought the t-shirt (in a size L instead of an M), and it should be arriving in a few days. Very excited, but I am dealing with feeling slightly ashamed for making a purchase at a "Boobtique."
I’m not sure why I have a fascination with the Golden Girls, other than the fact that it has one of the best theme songs of all time, and it was on Saturday Nights when I was growing up, which was one of the few nights that I was allowed to watch TV. I also really liked Empty Nest which followed the show, but mostly because of the dog. I think his name was Bacchus. No, that was my 3rd grade teacher’s dog’s name. The dog on the show was named Dreyfuss. (God I love the internet!) The show also starred Christy McNichol, though at the time, I really didn’t realize how cool she had been in her teen/child-star years. I liked her character, and I always thought she would be a cool older sister. Even though I have two real-life older sisters who are, by all accounts, cool enough on their own merits.
Wait… now I remember, Empty Nest was a spin-off of Golden Girls. That’s right… I think Blanche, in all of her lasciviousness, wanted to date the main character- what was his name anyway? Richard? Harry? He was a pediatrician though, I am certain of that.
Flash bulb moment: Here’s a great use of "Jump the shark:"
The TV show Empty Nest jumped the shark when the original Dr’s office closed and they started working out of a neighborhood clinic. Just took the show in too much of a public health direction. Sheesh. No one wants to see doctors treating kids on Medicaid, we just want to sit at home on Saturday nights and watch lovable doctors treat upper-middle class kids who are covered by their financially secure parents’ insurance plans. Duh…
Dangit. My mind is now racing with late-80’s, early 90’s nonsense. I was going to write today’s post about the new trend off silly logo t-shirts. I was going to pose the question of:
Are printed T’s of ’05 what flannel button-downs were to ’95?
Well, okay, I was originally going to write about libraries and how great they are. How much I love them, and how much I’m reminded of this every time I step into one- which always makes me think, "I should come here more often!" but then I never seem to…
I promise, it was going to be very thoughtful and well-worded. Honest, I swear! It was going to counter last nights post about going back to Pullman for homecoming where I essentially did nothing to rekindle, or even maintain normal brain-cell activity. Dangit! And now here I am itching to talk more about Golden Girls. And its spin-off, Empty Nest. And you know what’s worse? Are you sure you want to know? After that, I want to talk about the spin-off of the spin-off. Yeah, I want to talk about "Nurses." I might even want to do a whole post on Park Overall. Where is she now anyway?
Have there been any successful spin-offs since Frasier? Though "Joey" is in its second season, should we really count it/consider it "successful"?
Can you imagine how successful I would be if I didn’t have these questions running through my head all day? But I guess this brings me back full-circle, because at this point I need to say: Thank God for libraries, where I can come on my lunch break and use the internet to release these thoughts from my mind. Is that actually healthy? Or does releasing the thoughts just make room for new ones?
Is blogging like milking your mental cow? If you keep milking/blogging does your cow/mind keep producing milk/(what most reasonable people would consider) random and inconsequential thoughts? Is there a way to wean myself off of blogging so that these thoughts will gradually dwindle as my mind reduces supply in reaction to a reduced demand?
If I quit blogging cold-turkey will I experience mental engorgement and possible mental infections?
Should I make a t-shirt that reads: "Milk Your Mental Cow: Blog" ??
Cripes. I think I need to go to grad school or something, as this is what happens when you are not mentally exhausted on a routine basis. Such unguided thought pollution can’t be good for the environment.
Monday, October 17, 2005
For Better Or Worse, We Coug'd It
For a definition of what it is to, “Coug it” please see Erik’s blog at http://gus008.blogspot.com/2005/08/cougn-it.html . So, when all was glorious and right with the world, and we were up by 3+ touchdowns against UCLA, I took a photo of the score board as proof that we really were winning.
I’m glad I took the photo, because of course we blew this lead entirely and went into overtime, where we promptly lost the damned game. Damnit!
But we still had a “moderate to high” amount of fun, so all was certainly not lost.
But before I recap MY weekend, I want to spend some time talking about my friend Jennifer, who is by all accounts, the paradigm example of an “All-American Girl.” Some might even venture to call her, “America’s Sweetheart.” Imagine a little blue-eyed, blonde girl who looks sporty and chic in a baseball cap, and who can verbally throw-down when it comes to just about any recognized sport in the whole wide world. Well, maybe not the whole wide world, but if it’s a sport sanctioned by the NCAA, chances are quite good that she can hold her own. It should be noted that she is also an astute horsewoman.
I believe Miss Jennifer grew up in Issaquah, WA. I’m positive that she went to high school with me in Sammamish WA, college at Washington State, and her parents now live in Daphne Alabama. (No, no relation to my coonhound, but I’m pretty sure they moved there because of the pretty name). After a brief stint in Bellevue, WA she now lives in Chicago. With parents near the gulf coast, roots in the ‘burbs of Seattle, and a primary residence in the Heartland, Miss Jennifer mentioned to me the other day that she didn’t really know where her “home” was. And to that I say: Jennifer, where ever a ball is thrown, hit, caught or dunked, wherever there are bases stolen or yards rushed; THAT is your home. You are at home in another dimension – the dimension of sports. Own it. Love it. Share your gift with the world! Or at least develop a Euro-pop line of clothing for pre-teens called “SportLife Jenni Vohn” (and say that with a thick German accent). And dot the “i” with a star!!
So: Why the long intro about Jennifer? Why not just jump to the good times and shenanigans about this weekend?!? Well if you must know, Jennifer was a member of an elite secret-squirrel team who flew the WSU flag over the air-waves in the background of ESPN’s College Game Day programming this weekend, during coverage of the USC/Notre Dame game. That’s right friends, you are that much closer to fame JUST by association.
For those not in the know, the Cougar flag (Ole’ Crimson) has been making appearances at College Game Day broadcasts since the beginning of last year. It seriously travels to every single broadcast, no matter the game, conference location etc. While it is not flown by the same person, it IS the same flag. Talk about your grassroots marketing efforts! From what I can tell, this all started because some fans wanted ESPN to cover Cougar games, and is in no way officially sanctioned by the university.
So this weekend ESPN College Game Day was in South Bend Indiana at Notre Dame, and Jennifer et al received the flag and made the trek out to wave the flag with pride. What an honor! What a Coug! What a gal!
Okay, so onward we go:
I woke up Friday morning with an little extra lilt in my step, not only because my super-fly boyfriend was coming to town, but also because we were going to leave for Pullman that afternoon, where everything is magical and covered in gold. Okay, where everything is fun and covered in sticky beer.
The ride over was characterized by about 6 hours of intensive singing and karaoke-style dramatic presentation. Added to the mix were some nice air instrument moves. Highlight: learning that J is quite possibly the best air drummer in the world. Even a little better that ME (which few can say). And he can twirl his sticks. Throw a couple of red checkers on the soul-mate scale.
But add a black checker on the soul-mate scale for a scary devil eyebrow…
Spooky!
Friday night highlights were checking into the Palouse Inn in Moscow, ID which is one of the few remaining hotels that has actual keys. The hotel kind of reminded me of the hotels where the drug busts would go down in the TV show Hunter. I think the doors were made of balsa wood. It’s a good think I didn’t lose the keys, but if I did, I surely would have been able to kick down the door with ease. But the rooms were clean, and, well, they had vacancies.
Went to the Coug on Friday evening and it was packed as ever. Our friend Bob now OWNS the place, which is fabulous, and it was great to see that some key names are still on the walls:
Here’s Erik AKA “Gus” 
And here’s a little shout out to your favorite sisters (can one make a shout out to one’s self?)
Sharpie Marker on varnished bathroom stall wall. This work was compiled between the years 1993 and 2000. Artist of origin are believed to be not one, but two Hund-o-matic sisters. Original base work of “HundlXX” is believed to have been created upon the eve of graduation of a Miss Lisaopolis circa 1993, while the later addition of “Gina and Lisa -à ‘93 and ‘00” is believed to have been added to the work in the summer of Y2K when the younger matriculate experienced a Greek-letter sorority function referred to as, “Open to Close.”
My mission of the night: find a young, unsuspecting KD and acquire the house door code. Mission accomplished. Door codes for your old sorority houses are KEY if you really want to be known as the obnoxious alumnae who break into the house, make a lot of noise, let their boyfriends/husbands eat bagels, and run around the house looking at old composite pictures while sighing, “oh my gawd…. I can’t believe we’re in the basement now!!”
So we did that for a while, which was fun. And here’s a little composite picture joy for you all. This was from my sophomore year, when I was still fairly uptight and thought many things like grades, rules, and policies were very, very important. 
(FYI, this picture was in the TV room; we’re not the basement… yet)
And no, we didn’t really “break in,” as there were some girls up hanging out in the foyer and living room. I was delighted to find them both lovely and hospitable. Very nice, upstanding young ladies. But really- who would expect anything less?
The next morning we set out for Pullman, sporting our crimson for all to see. I am very pleased with my purchase of a “WSU Girls Rock” t-shirt from the University Book Store here in Bellevue. Very pleased indeed.
I was also quite pleased to see Jose in a Cougar Tee. Nearly brought tears to these eyes.
The game was fabulous at first, it felt like the stock market in 2000. We could do no wrong. It was so easy to be winning big! And I ran into this guy in the end zone and had to snap a shot of his fabulous couture hat! Bravo to the craftsmanship!
We decided to make a smart move by leaving in the third quarter with the hopes of still being able to get a table at a restaurant that wasn’t Beta Dogs. We got into the Sella’s with out much of a line, but I’ll be damned if we didn’t loose the game after all. Ah well. They sold Erik and J 64-ounce beers, so I had bigger things to worry about. Like my potential life-partner who was rapidly becoming an adult-sized toddler who badly needed Ritalin. And who felt it necessary to bite my arm. And draw on his own face with crayon…
And no, we didn’t really “break in,” as there were some girls up hanging out in the foyer and living room. I was delighted to find them both lovely and hospitable. Very nice, upstanding young ladies. But really- who would expect anything less?
The next morning we set out for Pullman, sporting our crimson for all to see. I am very pleased with my purchase of a “WSU Girls Rock” t-shirt from the University Book Store here in Bellevue. Very pleased indeed.
I was also quite pleased to see Jose in a Cougar Tee. Nearly brought tears to these eyes.The game was fabulous at first, it felt like the stock market in 2000. We could do no wrong. It was so easy to be winning big! And I ran into this guy in the end zone and had to snap a shot of his fabulous couture hat! Bravo to the craftsmanship!
We decided to make a smart move by leaving in the third quarter with the hopes of still being able to get a table at a restaurant that wasn’t Beta Dogs. We got into the Sella’s with out much of a line, but I’ll be damned if we didn’t loose the game after all. Ah well. They sold Erik and J 64-ounce beers, so I had bigger things to worry about. Like my potential life-partner who was rapidly becoming an adult-sized toddler who badly needed Ritalin. And who felt it necessary to bite my arm. And draw on his own face with crayon…
But my calzone was good, so made things a little better.
Then for the sake of creativity, we went back to the Coug for a while (I know- weird!), before heading out and about on the greater campus/Greek row neighborhood. There was a girl wearing quite possibly the best T-shirt I’d ever seen: I don’t know if you’ll be able to see it very well on here, but it says, “Stay Golden.” I hope you can make out the graphic.
Then for the sake of creativity, we went back to the Coug for a while (I know- weird!), before heading out and about on the greater campus/Greek row neighborhood. There was a girl wearing quite possibly the best T-shirt I’d ever seen: I don’t know if you’ll be able to see it very well on here, but it says, “Stay Golden.” I hope you can make out the graphic.
Finished up the night by taking another stroll around the Kappa Delta house, and heading to a “live-out” party down the street. It was somewhat fun, but reminded me that maybe I wouldn’t pay any amount of money to go back to college after all. Seeing all of the kids who so obviously haven’t figured out much of life yet made me feel…kind of happy. I’d forgotten what it feels like to not be comfortable in your own skin. I miss college, I miss those crazy, seemingly consequence-free days where the BIG issues where keeping your house off of social probation, getting a “good house” to do homecoming with, figuring out which coupons to use for pizza that night, avoiding MIP’s etc… The kicker is, at the time, one can never realize how superficial those “big deals” really are. I still don’t know very much about the big issues, but I’m figuring out more and more each day. If I could only get the years to slow down a bit…
But speaking of Big Deals, Laguna Beach is on, and I just heard a preview that LC and Jason are going to hook up??!!? I’ve gotta go, I can’t miss THIS!!
I promise I'll edit this for typos etc tomorrow when I can focus.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
My day with Wy....
That's what I call her now. A lot of people know her as "Wynonna Judd" but to me, she's just Wy. Because now we're best friends forever. That's what getting an autograph and making small talk with someone makes you right?!?
But first- some housekeeping issues in response to some recent comments:
1) I think this was answered already, but "Jumping the Shark" mean- going past your peak, specifically in the entertainment industry. It's all down hill from that point on. In my last entry, I had a link on the phrase, click on it. It will take you to its definition in the urban dictionary. Now I will use Jump the Shark in a sentence: Growing Pains was a great show, but it really jumped the shark when Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast.
2) Dude, I totally remember the Peanuts character glasses that you could collect from McDonalds (or was it Dairy Queen??) They ruled.
3) No, Al Gore didn't REALLY invent the internet. I was being a smart-ass. Look into "Al Gore" and "Information Super Highway". I'm all about mid '90's pop culture. Why aren't you?
But first- some housekeeping issues in response to some recent comments:
1) I think this was answered already, but "Jumping the Shark" mean- going past your peak, specifically in the entertainment industry. It's all down hill from that point on. In my last entry, I had a link on the phrase, click on it. It will take you to its definition in the urban dictionary. Now I will use Jump the Shark in a sentence: Growing Pains was a great show, but it really jumped the shark when Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast.
2) Dude, I totally remember the Peanuts character glasses that you could collect from McDonalds (or was it Dairy Queen??) They ruled.
3) No, Al Gore didn't REALLY invent the internet. I was being a smart-ass. Look into "Al Gore" and "Information Super Highway". I'm all about mid '90's pop culture. Why aren't you?
Oh that's right, because you're too busy pooping.
Okay- and now... ON WITH THE GOOD STUFF...
I went to see Wynonna sing with the Seattle Symphony last night and it was actually my first time to Benaroya, or to a performance by the Seattle Symphony at all for that matter. SO- if they agreed to play with her as an outreach to the no-orchestra crowd, it certainly worked on me. I tried to take some pictures, but pictures weren't allowed (I learned this after taking a picture of Erin in our 3rd deck seats before the show started and getting scolded by an usher...oops).
The show started promptly at 7:30, when the conductor came out and struck up the band. He was whiley and conducted music not so much with a wand, but with his whole body. He reminded me of the guy in The Phantom Toll-Booth who conducts the sunrise. He made me want to be a conductor in my next life.
It was Wynonna's first time playing with an orchestra, and it was enough to make even a 20 year veteran stage performer nervous. But it was kind of nice to see her a little nervous, and a little unchoreographed. It was more spontaneous that way. There were a few instances when she turned to the conductor and said something to the effect of, "Okay, you can start now." Which reminded me that she is normal. She sang I'd say...oh, about 50% of her own songs, or The Judds songs, and the other half were old standards, jazz or rock classics. There was one gospel song at the end which really showcased her two back-up singers and gave them a chance to stretch their legs- or vocal chords as it were.
I'd have to say my favorite moments of the show were when she sang "Is It Over Yet" (which is really a very emotionally draining song when you see it performed live), and when she sang, "At Last." She did a great job with this song, but when it was almost over, she just stopped, turned around and said to the conductor, "Wait- wait... I'm sorry, can we start over? Its just not quite right. This is Seattle, this is big time. I can do better." And they started all over again. And MAN, I thought it was fine the first time, but she put every thing into round two and it made me all melty inside.
My least favorite part of the evening was when she really showed that she'd never sang with a symphony before by leaving the stage at the end of the night without acknowledging the musicians OR the conductor. Faux Pas, Wy. Give them a nod next time. They kicked ass and deserved some serious credit. But even pro's make rookie mistakes when trying new things I suppose.
She was a gracious hostess for the evening, but not to be confused with humble. She was very proud, and very aware of her presence, which is good. Modesty isn't always the best policy, and if you're a Judd, why bother with it? When shouts of "We love you Wynonna!!!" were heard from the crowd, her response was, "I know you do. That's why I'm here."
So needless to say, I was hooked on the flava' and by about 10AM today, I knew that there was no way I wasn't going to go see her sign books at the Costco downtown. So I excused myself from work for a couple of hours. I really should have asked her if she needed to open an IRA, then I would have felt a little less guilty about leaving work in the middle of the day. After waiting in line for about an hour and a half, (all the while making nice new friends with my line mates) I finally got to see her up close and personal. The book signing was very efficient and organized to the extent that we were all probably being herded like cattle, but I don't think anyone felt processed or rushed at all. In fact, I not only got to have a picture taken with her, but also had plenty of time for small talk while she signed my items. Here's the transcript:
Line organizer guy, after asking my name: This is Gina
Wy: Ginaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!! (in her low, velvety voice)
Me: Hi! (as she starts signing) Wow- your ring is beautiful!! (it was eye-catchingly fabulous- hadn't seen a celebrity wedding ring up close and personal before and WOW)
Wy: Well thanks! I figured I plan to wear it for the rest of my life, so I might as well have something that I really like.
Me: Yeah, That's a pretty good theory.
Wy: (Laughs politely) yeah, well, I didn't used to have all of this.
Me: Right. Well, I always say, Go Big or Go Home. (not being able to think of anything else witty)
Wy: (Pausing from her signing to look up at me) Go Big or Go Home? I've never heard that. I like it. I might have to use that.
Me: Well, I sure hope you do. I'd have to tell all my friends that you got it from me (now I'm blushing... she's continuing to sign, moves on to the DVD). Oh, that ones for my sister, she's going to love it.
Wy: Well, you tell your sister that we really missed having her here today.
Me: I will. And I've got to ask you... How much did it ROCK to play with Anne and Nancy Wilson?
Wy: (eyes widen) Oh, totally! Anne was supposed to be at the show last night, but she couldn't make it at the last minute.
Me: Whoa! That would have been awesome!
Wy: I probably would have pee'd my pants!
Me: Well thanks so much, and great show last night!
And that my friends, is how it all went down. How someone could be so calm cool and collected after signing and small-talking with 200+ fans, who all want deep down to tell you their life story and become your best friend (like me!!) is beyond me. If it were me, I'd probably have been crank-pot central by fan number 25. But she is a real pro. And not that I ever thought otherwise, but I'm a fan for life.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
When DID Tom Cruise Jump the Shark?
I sure don't know, but I have a sneaking suspicion that is was not too long after this scene was shot.
Gosh, remember him back in the day? Back when the world didn't know how short he really was, or that he was a couch-jumping lunatic?
So I guess I'll answer my own question in saying, I don't know or care when Tom Cruise jumped the shark, but Maverick (Lt. Pete Mitchell) will have a special place in my heart forever.
And just to make you feel old, kids in college today were born after Top Gun was released. Yeah.
Gosh, remember him back in the day? Back when the world didn't know how short he really was, or that he was a couch-jumping lunatic?
So I guess I'll answer my own question in saying, I don't know or care when Tom Cruise jumped the shark, but Maverick (Lt. Pete Mitchell) will have a special place in my heart forever.
And just to make you feel old, kids in college today were born after Top Gun was released. Yeah.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Hyperactive hunter/getherer instincts, or a true love of crap (bric-a-brac, knickknacks, knickknackery, and whatnot)??
Three words: Hard Rock Café.
What do those words remind you of? If you’re like me, (and for your sake, I hope you’re not) they remind you of super cool T-shirts that could be worn with pride while telling the world, “Yeah, I went to London, and I spent my time in an overpriced burger franchise that defines commercialism and all that is wrong with American culture. Sweet!”
So thought it would be fun to make a “Top 10 List Of Things I Am Ashamed To Admit I Collected Back In The Day”
But all I could thing of were Hard Rock café shot glasses, and Beanie Babies.
I also collected rocks, My Little Ponies, and pictures of baby animals, but I’m not ashamed nor am I embarrassed by that. Because rocks, and little animals (ponies or otherwise) are still cool. In my opinion at least.
Thought bubble: Come to think of it- is Hard Rock Café even in business anymore? If so, I wonder how they’re denim jacket sales are doing now that Planet Hollywood is gonzo??
In Summary…
Good: Ummmm...pretty....
Oooooo... I want to brush they're sheeny manes…
So nice!!! I want to hug the baby tiger! (before it turns in to a potentially man-eating carnivore)
Bad…
Boooooo.... hissssssss.
A hex on you little bear! You and and all of your bean-bag friends who ate up all of my time and money!!!
I can’t be the only one who collected stupid things can I? Friends, please tell me that I’m not alone. And if you know anyone who wants to buy about 50 Ty Beanie Babies (all in mint condition of course…) let me know. AND if you can use the words "knicknackery" and "bric-a-brac" and "whatnot" in the same sentence, then you get extra double letter, tripple words score points!!
What do those words remind you of? If you’re like me, (and for your sake, I hope you’re not) they remind you of super cool T-shirts that could be worn with pride while telling the world, “Yeah, I went to London, and I spent my time in an overpriced burger franchise that defines commercialism and all that is wrong with American culture. Sweet!”
So thought it would be fun to make a “Top 10 List Of Things I Am Ashamed To Admit I Collected Back In The Day”
But all I could thing of were Hard Rock café shot glasses, and Beanie Babies.
I also collected rocks, My Little Ponies, and pictures of baby animals, but I’m not ashamed nor am I embarrassed by that. Because rocks, and little animals (ponies or otherwise) are still cool. In my opinion at least.
Thought bubble: Come to think of it- is Hard Rock Café even in business anymore? If so, I wonder how they’re denim jacket sales are doing now that Planet Hollywood is gonzo??
In Summary…
Good: Ummmm...pretty....
Oooooo... I want to brush they're sheeny manes…
So nice!!! I want to hug the baby tiger! (before it turns in to a potentially man-eating carnivore)
Bad…
Boooooo.... hissssssss.
A hex on you little bear! You and and all of your bean-bag friends who ate up all of my time and money!!!
I can’t be the only one who collected stupid things can I? Friends, please tell me that I’m not alone. And if you know anyone who wants to buy about 50 Ty Beanie Babies (all in mint condition of course…) let me know. AND if you can use the words "knicknackery" and "bric-a-brac" and "whatnot" in the same sentence, then you get extra double letter, tripple words score points!!
Friday, October 07, 2005
THANK YOU AL GORE, FOR INVENTING THE INTERNET!
If I just came out and said, “You need to check out this terribly cheesy web site ASAP!” You might start to wonder how I ever came across it.
Someone at work today was saying that he had Barry Manilo’s “Mandy” stuck in his head. Which of course got it stuck in MY head. But I only knew the first few lines of the chorus, and when all you have is “Oh Mandy, you came and you… did…somethingorother…” it is MOST unsatisfying.
So I ran a Google search for “Mandy” and “Barry” and got this site. I was delighted to see that I’d found a site that didn’t just have the lyrics, but actually played the song as the site’s background music!
Vow! I love the pansies in the background! Lyrics, floral background, angelic photos of some sort of woodland-dwelling fairy? Bravo! So of course I had to check on the “Back” button… Where I found a whole GARDEN of tender love songs. All played in AM-radio-quality on via my internet browser!
So I hope you enjoy this site as much as I have. Some of the must-see/hear songs, in my opinion, are Lay Lady Lay, Hero, Leather and Lace, Do ‘Ya, In My Room, and The Rose. Please note that I chose these primarily based on the photo/color scheme that was used to visually support each song.
I have a feeling that I might be exploring more of what Lady Jaye has to offer throughout the weekend. Hummm…. But suddenly I just feel like breaking out the lavender essential oils, bathing in bees wax soaps, maybe burning some herbal candles, and curling up with a green tea, a wool blanket, and a self-help book…
(If anyone out there knows how I can pipe these songs over the web on MY site, please, please, PLEASE let me know! I'd love to share some love songs with all of you. It would be my own little way of saying, "Thanks for stopping by my site!")
Someone at work today was saying that he had Barry Manilo’s “Mandy” stuck in his head. Which of course got it stuck in MY head. But I only knew the first few lines of the chorus, and when all you have is “Oh Mandy, you came and you… did…somethingorother…” it is MOST unsatisfying.
So I ran a Google search for “Mandy” and “Barry” and got this site. I was delighted to see that I’d found a site that didn’t just have the lyrics, but actually played the song as the site’s background music!
Vow! I love the pansies in the background! Lyrics, floral background, angelic photos of some sort of woodland-dwelling fairy? Bravo! So of course I had to check on the “Back” button… Where I found a whole GARDEN of tender love songs. All played in AM-radio-quality on via my internet browser!
So I hope you enjoy this site as much as I have. Some of the must-see/hear songs, in my opinion, are Lay Lady Lay, Hero, Leather and Lace, Do ‘Ya, In My Room, and The Rose. Please note that I chose these primarily based on the photo/color scheme that was used to visually support each song.
I have a feeling that I might be exploring more of what Lady Jaye has to offer throughout the weekend. Hummm…. But suddenly I just feel like breaking out the lavender essential oils, bathing in bees wax soaps, maybe burning some herbal candles, and curling up with a green tea, a wool blanket, and a self-help book…
(If anyone out there knows how I can pipe these songs over the web on MY site, please, please, PLEASE let me know! I'd love to share some love songs with all of you. It would be my own little way of saying, "Thanks for stopping by my site!")
Friday, September 30, 2005
Message to the Women’s Cosmetics Industry: GFY!!! We actually get BETTER with age!
In case you’re not a potty-mouth by nature, that stands for: Go F*ck Yourself. I’m sick and tired of looking in the mirror and thinking : oh no… I’m starting to get older… my skin really WON”T stay firm and elasticy for all eternity!! Cripes! I hope there is an under-eye cream or something that can help!! I realized today that I’m actually getting better with age, so take THAT cosmetics industry!
The background:
After reading my post about malted wine beverages of yesteryear, my dear friend Beth was inspired to scavenge through some old pictures from college to see if she could find any photographic evidence of Cisco consumption. As I foggily recall, it was her “Family Drink” in the house. My oh my, what a dysfunctional family… Anyway- she couldn’t find any photos from freshman year, when she and her “twin” Amy imbibed the delicious malt libation that is.. Cisco, for the very first time. However, she DID find this choice shot of the two of us during our sophomore year….
Clearly a picture like this prompts one to continue looking through the box of old pictures to find more marvels. Her husband commented, “Oh man, is that Gina? She looks… prepubescent!?”
Okay, so we clearly look like ASS. But afterall, that bottle of Cisco is almost half empty- of COURSE we’re going to look a little… “off.” But here’s another whopper:
This is from Dad’s weekend, and as you can read from the Party Pic frame, the year was 1997.
Nice boyish sweaters huh? Yeah, I guess “Lesbian Chic” was the look we were going for? I mean really… It was Dad’s weekend though, so I do remember that every single sorority girl seemed to turn it down a notch (or two… or three) that weekend as far as the skanky-ho factor was concerned. But seriously, juxtapose that photo with the fact that I now drive a Subaru and have a dog? Smart money would bet that my future would include comments like, “What a beautiful baby! Which one of you is the birth mom?”
And no, that wasn’t REALY Diet Pepsi that we were drinking, but rather Busch Lite that was secretly poured into Pepsi cans in the SAE’s laundry room. You see, Beth and I both were on House Council that year, and the campus had just “gone dry.” Because we were in a position of leadership, we were really trying to enforce it and set a good example…. Yes, I see now that we were missing the point.
Hey Gina, 1997 called. It wants it mom-hair back. (yes, that was in direct reference to a term I learned recently on Mommymatic!)
But aren’t our Dad’s the cutest?
So here we are present day for a point-by-point comparison.
While it is quite tempting to leave it that- with one photo where we both look relatively nice (afterall, it was from her wedding, there was “hair and make-up” involved”)- I am going to leave you with a mini-montage to see for yourself. Some “real life” pictures- some posed, some not, some cute, some not so cute. But all in all, I think we’ve done better with time. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is universal throughout woman-kind.
My take home message (as long as we’ve been talking about malted wine beverages…): Girls are like malt liquor, fun, obnoxious, tasteless and well, pretty cheap. Women are like good red wine: fabulous, and ever improving (assuming proper corking and storage).
The background:
After reading my post about malted wine beverages of yesteryear, my dear friend Beth was inspired to scavenge through some old pictures from college to see if she could find any photographic evidence of Cisco consumption. As I foggily recall, it was her “Family Drink” in the house. My oh my, what a dysfunctional family… Anyway- she couldn’t find any photos from freshman year, when she and her “twin” Amy imbibed the delicious malt libation that is.. Cisco, for the very first time. However, she DID find this choice shot of the two of us during our sophomore year….
Clearly a picture like this prompts one to continue looking through the box of old pictures to find more marvels. Her husband commented, “Oh man, is that Gina? She looks… prepubescent!?”
Okay, so we clearly look like ASS. But afterall, that bottle of Cisco is almost half empty- of COURSE we’re going to look a little… “off.” But here’s another whopper:
This is from Dad’s weekend, and as you can read from the Party Pic frame, the year was 1997.
Nice boyish sweaters huh? Yeah, I guess “Lesbian Chic” was the look we were going for? I mean really… It was Dad’s weekend though, so I do remember that every single sorority girl seemed to turn it down a notch (or two… or three) that weekend as far as the skanky-ho factor was concerned. But seriously, juxtapose that photo with the fact that I now drive a Subaru and have a dog? Smart money would bet that my future would include comments like, “What a beautiful baby! Which one of you is the birth mom?”
And no, that wasn’t REALY Diet Pepsi that we were drinking, but rather Busch Lite that was secretly poured into Pepsi cans in the SAE’s laundry room. You see, Beth and I both were on House Council that year, and the campus had just “gone dry.” Because we were in a position of leadership, we were really trying to enforce it and set a good example…. Yes, I see now that we were missing the point.
Hey Gina, 1997 called. It wants it mom-hair back. (yes, that was in direct reference to a term I learned recently on Mommymatic!)
But aren’t our Dad’s the cutest?
So here we are present day for a point-by-point comparison.
While it is quite tempting to leave it that- with one photo where we both look relatively nice (afterall, it was from her wedding, there was “hair and make-up” involved”)- I am going to leave you with a mini-montage to see for yourself. Some “real life” pictures- some posed, some not, some cute, some not so cute. But all in all, I think we’ve done better with time. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is universal throughout woman-kind.
My take home message (as long as we’ve been talking about malted wine beverages…): Girls are like malt liquor, fun, obnoxious, tasteless and well, pretty cheap. Women are like good red wine: fabulous, and ever improving (assuming proper corking and storage).
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Wait wait old man... are you Bartle or Jaymes?
I was talking to Justin today about how some old-timey clients seem to never get our company name quite right. I mean, I know we’ve had some name changes in the last… 10 years, but come on now. You get a CRAP-TON of mail from us regularly, the commercials, the calls from us, the way the receptionists answer the phones… You’d think folks would start to get it right. So we’re wondering if people who work at Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch get this all the time too: Clients calling in with “questions on my Barney and Smith account,” or “I got a letter today from Salomon Barney…” Which lead into, what if we just started answering the phone with, “Bartles and Jaymes, this is Gina!” Or better yet- what if we spun-off on our own and started a firm and called it “Bartles and Jaymes Investments”?? How sweet would THAT be?
I wondered how much it would cost to buy the trademarked name, after-all, its not like they’re still selling Wine Coolers, right?
Wrong-o my friends. Bartles and Jaymes? Very much alive, and just celebrated their 20th Anniversary by re-releasing the “classic” bottles.
Oh how that green glass and gold-foiled label makes me think of being dizzy in the woods around a camp-fire.
So I’m making a list of my top 5 Nasty-Ass Malted “wine” products to share!! (in no particular Order)
1)Cisco :
AKA: “liquid crack,” that syrupy wine cooler-type thing that was just so nasty you had to choke it down, only to throw it up. Usually. Reminds me of “Paddle Parties” of yesteryear…
2) Boon’s Farm Strawberry Hill:
Takes me back to the days when I was a senior in highschool and had a college boyfriend. The first time I was legitimately DRUNK, it was from drinking a bottle of this stuff.
3)Bartles and Jaymes (though I never actually drank enough to really BE drunk from it. I do remember thinking, “ I wonder if I’m really drunk yet....” I know, sad.)
4) Mad Dog 20/20:
I just learned that it’s actually called “Mogan David 20/20” but the MD on the label has given it the Mad Dog pen-name…
5) Pre-made Mimosa. I wish I knew the name of the company that made this stuff, I just remember drinking it from the bottle at “Champagne Breakfasts” before College football games in Pullman. Specifically, at FIJI’s. It’s the stuff that looks like bright orange juice in a champagne bottle… and tastes like fermented, carbonated Orange-Drink from McDonalds… If anyone can find a picture of this product, I will give you bonus points!!
So there you have it. And thank you for your support.
I wondered how much it would cost to buy the trademarked name, after-all, its not like they’re still selling Wine Coolers, right?
Wrong-o my friends. Bartles and Jaymes? Very much alive, and just celebrated their 20th Anniversary by re-releasing the “classic” bottles.
Oh how that green glass and gold-foiled label makes me think of being dizzy in the woods around a camp-fire.
So I’m making a list of my top 5 Nasty-Ass Malted “wine” products to share!! (in no particular Order)
1)Cisco :
AKA: “liquid crack,” that syrupy wine cooler-type thing that was just so nasty you had to choke it down, only to throw it up. Usually. Reminds me of “Paddle Parties” of yesteryear…
2) Boon’s Farm Strawberry Hill:
Takes me back to the days when I was a senior in highschool and had a college boyfriend. The first time I was legitimately DRUNK, it was from drinking a bottle of this stuff.
3)Bartles and Jaymes (though I never actually drank enough to really BE drunk from it. I do remember thinking, “ I wonder if I’m really drunk yet....” I know, sad.)
4) Mad Dog 20/20:
I just learned that it’s actually called “Mogan David 20/20” but the MD on the label has given it the Mad Dog pen-name…
5) Pre-made Mimosa. I wish I knew the name of the company that made this stuff, I just remember drinking it from the bottle at “Champagne Breakfasts” before College football games in Pullman. Specifically, at FIJI’s. It’s the stuff that looks like bright orange juice in a champagne bottle… and tastes like fermented, carbonated Orange-Drink from McDonalds… If anyone can find a picture of this product, I will give you bonus points!!
So there you have it. And thank you for your support.
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