Skick's Subversive Strange Serenades

Trip to Hawaii

2010-04-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

A quick photo montage of our trip to Hawaii!

We saw a ton of great wildlife.

Some dead...

Most alive.

We also hung out with some natives...

But mostly we explored all over The Big Island.

The beach outside our hotel.

The view from our hotel.

The bay where Captain Cook came ashore (and later pissed off the natives and was killed, oops).

A black sand beach.

Waioi'o Valley (aka Eden)

Black sand beach at the mouth of Waioi'o Valley.

Inside the valley.

A sulfur plume emitting from one of the volcanoes.

Close up to the crater. This was as close as we could get, half of the park was closed due to the action.

:-o

Entrance to a lava tube.

A sea arch at the base of the big volcano.

The road that used to go along the coast.

No shit.

We hiked out to the most southern point of Hawaii where we saw a whale just 30 yards out.

We also hiked out to a green sand beach. Yep, green. It is made of a semi-precious stone.

And that is where Derrick proposed!

Skick said YES. :-D

Pictures!

2009-09-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know. I have been back for weeks now and only now am I posting pictures? Well it took awhile to go through all 700 pictures in order to weed them down, okay.

Anyways, here is the link to the truncated version of pictures: Pictures

Also for another view of the trip, visit Derrick's blog: http://surtursupreme.blogspot.com/

Lastly I would recommend to try and visit Ireland and/or Scotland. There are ancient ruins everywhere, almost as numerous as there are pubs. The food comes bigger than a common man could hope to eat, but it is tasty enough for a queen. Lastly the people - oh the people - happier than any you will meet and witty morning til night, which is a good thing because that might be how long you find yourself chatting with folks there. :D

Eating through Scotland.

2009-09-08T08:29:00.001-07:00

After a very short flight from Dublin, we arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Just to kick things off we had Hagis, neeps, and tatties for lunch. It was actually really good!

Just in case, Hagis is chopped sheep heart, lung, and liver, mixed with onion and oatmeal, and cooked in a bag made from sheep stomach. Neeps are just turnips and tatties are potatoes.

To stay on the topic of food we also tried black pudding, a ground up blood sausage pancake that they eat with breakfast. Of course that is not all they eat for breakfast. I think Ireland and Scotland are vying for 'most food consumed in a normal day' award. To put it into perspective for those who know Derrick, we both have the smallest breakfast available (bowl of cereal, yogurt, fruit, and toast), we have to share a lunch, and after dinner we don't have room for dessert, not even Derrick. The Scottish have a full breakfast (see Irish breakfast but replace bread pudding with black pudding), elevensies (yes LOTR fans), lunch, afternoon tea with a cake or scone), dinner, and then desserts are... puddings.

Speaking of the desserts though, I was not expecting this but I have had some of the best desserts (afternoon tea cakes) of my life here. Even in a buffet style place there dessert was a caramel and malt-ball brownie with a gingersnap crust. Oh yes, when I get a chance I am going to find myself a Scottish dessert cookbook.

Of course if you visit Scotland do not live off of dessert (not a bad idea though), but have some of the seafood too. The smoked salmon is to drool over, and not because it is too salty. The mussels are also wonderful.

The fish and chips are great too and huge. They do not give you two or three strips of fish, no they give you the whole side of a fish, so much so that it covers the chips. I am serious, the fish of the Fish-n-Chips covers the chips. I have picture proof.

Belfast will have to wait.

2009-09-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

No, we did not miss Belfast! No way, Jose. Belfast was one of the main reasons for this trip, but there is no way to describe walking through Belfast without pictures. I am not that emotive of a writer. As soon as I gt through the 600 plus pictures and videos I took I will get back to this post.

Misc. Thoughts on Ireland

2009-09-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Irish eat a lot! I know you are probably saying to yourself, "Duh" right now, but really, they do. I don't think you understand how much they eat. Breakfast is two sausage, two bacon, and ham (not a choice of, but all three included), along with tomatoes, bread pudding, potatoes, and toast. Their lunches are the size of an American full sized dinner, and their dinners are American buffet size. A lunch "snack" is a sandwich with salad and chips (fries). A dinner "starter" is a normal size that we would share amongst two or three people but they all order one for themselves, individually. This is of course before the buffet-sized dinner. Oh, and then their is dessert.

I am not complaining though. Since we left Dublin the food has been awesome, especially the seafood. The salmon and clams up here are a lot more buttery tasting than in the Northwest. Oddly enough though, the pepper smells like manure. I am not joking, it really does, and it is kind of gross.

Speaking of odd things, all over Ireland, almost everywhere you go, there are cameras. Every place you go in, every hallway, stairway, front door, even on the sidewalk, there is a CCTV camera. They are all there to "prevent antisocial behavior" according to the signs, and eerily enough when you ask people if they are comfortable with all the cameras they will repeat to you that they are there to "prevent antisocial behavior." What is antisocial behavior is not clear and it was kind of freaking me out how complacent everyone was having their entire day recorded and watched so I stopped asking questions about the cameras. I tell you though, even walking along a path along old (300 years old) city walls in a small town, there above you was a CCTV camera. (Shiver.)

On a totally different note, we almost ran out of gas out in the middle of no where. A few things to remember in Ireland, road signs may or may not be posted. If they are, they may or may not list your destination. If it does, it may or may not be pointing in the right direction, it very well may be turned to point straight into the adjacent field leaving you worse off then if there was no sign at all. Also, the Irish use landmarks for giving directions (go figure?), so when they say turn left at the pub, pay attention to the name of the pub, don't remember to just turn left at *a* pub. And lastly, just because a town is listed on a map and the last two towns were not, does not mean that town is any bigger than five buildings total, of which none will be a gas station.

All in all I was having a little bit too much fun during this episode, which normally would not be a bad thing except it was at the expense of laughing at Derrick sitting next to me. I am still not sure if he was sweating bullets more over the fact that we might run out of gas in the middle of no where in Ireland or it was my driving. Either way, we made it, as you have probably already guessed.

Driving through Ireland

2009-09-03T06:02:00.001-07:00

Derrick and I explored #Ireland by car for the next couple of days. It was absolutely beautiful! I don't think I can begin to explain, it is rugid and romantic at the same time, soft rolling green hills with a constant wind biting your face, all the while you happen upon old ruins everywhere.

We drove south for a day, then headed all the way to the west coast. We then followed the coast north before cutting accross again to BElfast. I will post pictures and a map when I get back but here is a running list of sights so far:

(Note: Old = 1000BC and later, Really old = 500AD and later, Ancient = 500AD or earlier)

Old Castles: 3
Old Churches: 4
Really old monestaries or churches: 2
Really old fort
Ancient fort
Ancient tombs: 3
Cliffs of Moher
Oscar Wildes' house
Man walking his goat
Traditional Irish music (Trad Sessions): 2

Driving and Surviving

2009-09-03T05:55:00.001-07:00

We rented a car today!

Driving on the left and remembering to do so when turning is not the hard part actually. The hard part is not taking out the left passenger side mirror and learning where your corners are on your left side. This is especially hard when the majority of the roads in Ireland are just wide enough to fit two compact cars side-by-side with no shoulders. The sides of the roads are either a rock wall to prevent you from going over the cliffs into the ocean, a thick wall of trees and brush, or a cliff face. Did I mention no shoulders?

The speed limit on these "main through ways" is 80 km/h (50 mph). Just like back home though, speed limit means the lowest speed expected. Fina and dandy if it was not so narrow, hilly, curvy and bumpy. Did I mention it was raining too?

I took video so when I get back I will post those so you all can enjoy our truly exhilarating experience.

PS When I get home I will also edit these posts for spelling and grammar, Dad.

Dublin

2009-09-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

If you would like to get a good taste of quintessential Ireland, don't go to Dublin. But if you would like to have a good time in a buzzing international city, definitely go to Dublin.

Here are a few things I was not expecting in Dublin:

1) So far the pub food is horrible. Well maybe not that bad. You see it does not taste bad, it just does not taste like anything. I have had Top Ramen with more flavor.

2) Almost all the recommended restaurants are foreign. Italian, Korean, French, we were even recommended a Californian restaurant, but not Irish.

3) The women are really foul-mouthed, the men are not, at least not around women. Go figure?

A few things to watch out for:

1) The one and two Euro coins look a lot alike. This is good to know so you do not accidentally casually toss a five Euro tip into the tip jar at the register. It is also good to know (as Derrick now does) it is very rude to try and retrieve part of that tip back from the jar.

2) If eating at the bar, do not excitedly point towards things. If you knock your beer, the only way for it to go is over the bar and all over the clean glasses.

3) The Irish only have two speeds, slow and stop. This is according to an older man we got into a long chat with. He is right.

More to come. :-)

Day One... and Two

2009-08-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

So the trip did not get off on the best foot. We were scheduled to take off from Portland at 8:45 am on Friday, stop in Dallas and then Chicago with an hour and a half layovers in each, before flying to Dublin and arriving Saturday morning. Mother Nature and American Airlines had other plans though.

There was serious lightning storms in Texas so all flights in and out of Dallas were delayed. We were assured by American Airlines that this meant that our flight leaving Dallas was delayed too so we would not miss that flight, and all flights out of Chicago were being delayed for those coming from Dallas so we wouold not miss that flight either. All in all the only change would be that we would get into Dublin a half hour late...

Um, yeah. They lied.

Friday August 21st
8:45 am: Scheduled to leave Portland.
10:00 am: Actually leave Portland

3:25 pm: Regularly scheduled departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:45 pm: Our flight's actual departure time from Dallas to Chicago.
3:50 pm: We arrive in Dallas. Doh!

4:00 pm: The departure time for the next flight from Dallas to Chicago. Unfortunately it was then cancelled. Doh, again.
4:50 pm: Take off on the next flight from Dallas to Chicago.

7:15 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from Dallas to Dublin.
7:20 pm: Our flight from Dallas arrives in Chicago. (Are you starting to see a trend here?)

The next flight from Chicago to Dublin does not take off until 7:15pm the next day so they rerouted us to London and then to Dublin.

9:45 pm: Scheduled departure time from Chicago to London.
12:00 am: Actually take off from Chicago. (The worst part is we were sitting on the plane for the entire 2+ hour delay. That is 2+ hours sitting on a plane before a 7 hour flight.)

Saturday August 22nd
1:25 pm: Scheduled departure time for our flight from London to Dublin.
1:05 pm: We arrive in London.

Now you are probably thinking that we have a chance of making our flight. Well you obviously have not caught on to the theme of this trip.

1:25 pm: Due to technical difficulties with trying to line up the gate with the door, this is the actual time we leave the plane. Yes, we just missed our third plane by 5 minutes or less.

3:50 pm: Scheduled to leave London for Dublin.
5:10 pm: Actually take off from London. (YES. I do not joke. Our plane was delayed.)

6:20 pm: Arrive in Dublin.

It is now 10:20 am in Portland. We have been flying, running through airports, and standing in customer service lines for over 24 hours. We have been awake and in the same clothes for 29 hours. We have been booked on 8 flights, 4 of which were delayed, 1 was cancelled, and 3 we missed.

We are 10 hours late (NOT a half hour) but by God, we are here!

I'm back (part two).

2009-08-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

I lied. Sort of. This next post will have a different tone as promised; it just will not have anything to do with Ireland and Scotland. I have actually been keeping notes for this post for over a year now and even though I have not been caught in this situation for a while, just reading my notes I am immediately incensed.

This post is about public transit etiquette.

1) If you are sitting in the first row of seats and an elderly person or someone with small children gets on the bus, move.

If the bus is not full then get up, offer your seat, and you be the one to walk a little ways down the bus to the next seat. You will be seen as a compassionate awesome person whom people hope their children grow into.

If the bus is full then stand, offer your seat, and grab hold of a railing. In this situation you will be revered, near sainthood, depending on the denomination of the observer. If you don’t, then you are THAT ASSHOLE. Emphasis fully intended.

Anyone who makes an elderly person, pregnant woman, or person with a small child, stand in the middle of a crowded bus/trolley/tram and try and stay upright through all the swaying, stopping, and staring, all while comfortable sitting on their butt and resting their able legs and arms, is an asshole.

My biggest pet-peeve are those who walk onto the bus or trolley when it is almost empty and sit down in those front seat (which are clearly designated) and then do not get up. I mean come on. That is just lazy and rude, and your excuse for being rude is being lazy.

2) If you are standing on public transit, please be cognizant of your body parts and accessories attached to yourself while swaying, walking, or shifting. Especially your butt, please.

If I am one of the lucky ones sitting, I don’t want to have to be leaning into my neighbor as if we are long lost lovers just because every time there is a tilt your purse, elbow, backpack, or worse, rear-end, invades my personal space that only family, friends, or doctors should be in.

Worse is when your body or accessory connects with some portion of my body and you do nothing to prevent this from happening again. You expect me to move to allow you the extra room you require for unhindered swaying or tilting. Not cool.

3) Number three is my most controversial complaint and I’d say only half of the people I mention this to agree. The other half really don’t want to talk to me for a while afterwards, so here goes.

If you have not showered or changed clothing for more than three days, don’t get on public transit during rush hour. This goes for people suffering homelessness or those going through an au natural period in their life.

I know that sounds rude but here is my honest opinion. If either by choice or not, you smell like a port-a-potty that has been sitting in the sun, you probably don’t have a job that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. If you do, you are about to get fired. If you smell that bad you are most likely not heading to a job interview or job training that requires you to ride public transit during rush hour. In fact I am hard pressed to find a reason that you are on public transit during rush hour, but I do know that you make about 25 people already squished against each other extremely uncomfortable and in some cases nauseated. It is especially angering when you are lounging across two seats because no one can sit next to you without fainting.

This may seem rude, but dude, you have no job, you can ride public transit to wherever you are going at whatever time you want, but you choose rush hour.

So there are my three biggest pet-peeves with public transit. Loud cell-phone conversations and screaming kids are not included because I listen to podcasts and do suduko puzzles while on public transit. Which might make a few of the above that more infuriating…

4) Don’t mess with a girls’ daily suduko puzzle!

I am back!

2009-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, um, I have not posted in a long long time. I got a little busy, okay?

No really, I have been busy this last year. As can be predicted, school started up again in September so there is my first excuse.

I also joined a fraternity. Let me clarify, it is a business fraternity – co-ed of course. Actually let me clarify again, I did not actually join a chapter of the fraternity, I signed up to create a chapter at PSU. Oh, and did I mention I have the position of VP of Membership. Yeah, second really big excuse for being busy.

Oh, and I joined the honors program at the business school at PSU. It was not that difficult to join, just a 3.75 GPA, and all I need to do is maintain that GPA and take 6 extra workshops/classes. What is that? Why yes! Yes, I am a masochist. Why do you ask?

So you probably think that I am a nerd with no life outside of school. Well you might be right if it weren’t for that whole masochist thing we just discussed. (Cue maniacal laughter.)

No I did not take on world hunger or something like that, just poor feral cats. There is a non-profit in Portland that helps people to trap, neuter, and return feral cats that they are feeding. I was feeding close to 15 feral cats and growing so it was a perfect fit. The trapping only took a night and the clinic was the next day, buuuuuuuuuut, there were the two small kittens that were part of the colony. Yeah, if you know me, then you know those little ones were not being released, but were going to be socialized and found a good home.

At this point please do not think I am some wacko who thinks having a social life is being a cat-lady. Oh no, after a year of being on my own in a new town, Derrick moved down. I am still unsure how we did not kill each other living together in my small one-bedroom apartment with three cats for a couple of months.

Well anyways, I leapt into relationshiphood. (Word does not seem to want to acknowledge that as a word, but I have never really had high regard for Microsoft so I don’t feel that bad about ignoring the red squiggle lines… well except that I can almost hear my Dad’s voice and the words dictionary and grammar floating around in my head. And now I realize that I have written way too much to be acceptably contained in parentheses. Eek! And I just started a sentence with ‘and’! Oh no, I just did it again! For the love of God, close the parentheses!)

Phew.

So Derrick moved down to Portland and we moved in with each other. This of course was not a major ‘thing’ and is barely worth mentioning because I was so calm throughout the whole thing. Hell, I barely noticed that change! Can’t you tell?

So that has been my year - scuse the phrase but - a shit load of school, cats and kittens, and the mixing, melding, and compromise of sharing a kitchen with someone who fundamentally cooks differently than you.
This Friday I am off to Ireland and Scotland so the next update will be a completely different tone. I promise.

Camping in Cana-er-Washington

2008-09-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last labor day weekend the plan was to go camping and rock climbing in Canada. What actually happened was a comedy of errors.

It actually all started out looking like everything was going our way. We were first daunted with the task of trying to fit five people, all of the camping gear AND climbing gear all into a Honda Civic. But we succeeded! Of course we all (except for Derrick, the driver) had something stowed behind our feet, in between our legs, and on our lap, and were basically squished in like sardines. But it was only going to be a three hour drive, right?

Well lets get straight to where things went wrong. To start, we were not allowed into Canada.

We were (supposedly) randomly picked to be one of those unlucky cars made to pull over for further inspection. Strike one. Standing in line, the next available agent was Mr. Asshole-the-size-of-Texas. Strike two. I have a lack of respect for assholes, this guy lives and breaths for his power-trips, and there is a bullshit rule on the books written only in an attempt to gain more money. Strike three.

Strike three will be detailed in another blog, but regardless, we did not make it into Canada. Oddly enough, upon explaining to the US border control agent on our way back why we had only been in Canada for an hour, he just shrugged, but then excitedly gave us directions to a place where we could find rock climbing on this side of the border. We decided to give it a go, and thus continue our comedy of errors, the rest of which I think I will tell in pictures. But first...

We ate some lunch before heading back towards Seattle and three prospective campgrounds.
Unfortunately we got to the first campsite five minutes too late and we could not find the second one, so we settled on the third. After setting up the tent we headed out to find a grocery store. But...
We got a little lost. Partially due to bad directions and partially due to some pretty bad ass fog.

At one point while rolling through one of the 100 people or less towns along the freeway, we happened upon some locals. Note to self, never, never, ever again, talk to the locals. The mother and child duo we happened upon had the same monotone voice and hollow stares as the children of the corn, and despite all of our attempts to find out where they themselves got groceries, they kept eerily beckoning us to go to the restaurant. We decided that we did not want to find out what they did with out-of-towners at the "restaurant."

We eventually found a grocery store and now after not three, but nine hours in the car...
We did what anyone would have done.
We started drinking.
Really drinking. :)

Oh. But first we had to start a fire. Uh, but we forgot to bring any kindling or paper to start the fire. No problem. We have the paperwork and forms given to us by the 40 year old virgin, Canadian border patrol agent from hell. :)
The next morning we thought we had started anew and could handle anything fate threw at us. This feeling prevailed through our realizing that we had forgotten to buy cups at the grocery store for our coffee.
So we used used last night's beer bottles (rinsed out of course).

Sufficiently caffeinated we headed out to do some rock climbing.
Except there was one small problem. (Are you starting to see a trend here?)
The rocks were too wet from rain to climb. Doh!

We explored the area looking for any dry spot to climb but only found moss, mushrooms, a frog, and...
A door?

I shit you not. We found a huge door set in the middle of the cliff face, and yes, with a picnic bench parked outside. There was a humming sound coming from the other side of the door but all electric cables leading out of the rock were severed and not live. The entire thing was covered in layers of rust and tagging, yet, the door had a brand-new padlock on it. Cue eerie music.

(We later found found out that this had been a testing site for a giant drill that may have been used to dig the chunnel. Did they use it? How far in did they get? And what is the noise coming from inside? Nope, the above explanation is all the man could tell anyone.)

Well after coming to the realization that the main reason for our camping trip was now a no-go, we headed back to the campsite. But not before stopping to pick up some vodka. Oh, and a tarp, because it had started to rain.
Yep. That is a picture of Matt, Melissa and Hillary trying to light a campfire under and umbrella.

What you can not see is the rest of us trying to put up tarps over the BBQ and table, in the middle of the rain, at a campsite with trees only on one side. The resulting lean-to style seemed to work just fine though.
That all being done, we decided to start drinking again.
We did luck out in the fact that our immediate neighbors on either side did not show up the first night because of the rain (silly them), and the next night did not really care about us being loud and obnoxious.

I lucked out in the fact that Hillary is a very understanding person and did not mind when I accidentally tried to climb into bed with her husband, Chris. Word to the wise, before it is dark and you are drunk, pop your head into the tent and take notice of where your sleeping bag is located. With six other people in the tent, you have poor odds at picking the right one.

The next day we decided to go on a hike to see some waterfalls, and everything was going great.
Until Derrick mentioned something about it not raining anymore.
It was a beautiful hike though and we saw some beautiful waterfalls and a mouse half the size of your thumb.

We decided to cut our camping trip short a day and head back to Seattle to have a night on the town, a nice dinner, and do some sight-seeing the next day.

Dinner and a night on the town went great. Sight-seeing? Well besides the unseasonably cold weather and most tourist spots being closed on Labor Day (go figure) we had a blast walking around, uh, looking at things... that were closed...
We spent the rest of our time doing what any Seattler would do. Drinking coffee and sitting out in the misty weather.
The end. :)

A day in the Life of Being Cute

2008-08-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, lets get two things out of the way...

One, people who are considered good-looking by society have their gripes, which can be countered by those who are not considered good-looking, and vise-versa. It is this with many different cases. One does not trump or cancel the other. In fact, one of the things I hate most is when someone says, "Well you think you have it bad, well..." or something along those lines. If your response to someone after they have complained about something is to tell them how they have it better, then (to give a list within a list) you one, did not actual listen to them, and two, just marginalized their feelings. Both of which, no one would ever want done to them.

But getting onto my first list...

Second, I realize that I bitch a lot on this blog, actually I mainly only complain. But it is my blog. It is my sound board. The good things in my life I prefer to share with people personally. Dear God, if you know me, you know how much I love to talk.

So anyways...

The bitch about being cute or good-looking is that if you want to be seen as anything different than that, you REALLY need to be different. If you want to be taken as smart, you have to come off as fucking genius. If you want to be taken seriously with sports, you need to know every name, stat and year. If you want to be known as having a spine, well you better start a fight with anything that fucking breathes. You get my point?

The thing is, this is not who you are. I am not that smart. I do not keep up to date with sports every day. I do not have the spine and attitude that so many think I have.

But say I fail in being able to understand and learn something. Say I mix up a player and their team or forget a stat. Say I just feel sad one day and do not feel like showing any spunk. Well to those who don't know me, then they just see me as that cute girl. And those who do know me, they are confused by my behavior. Because all they know is the person who is trying her damnedest to not be seen as that cute girl.

NFL's new Fan Code of Conduct

2008-08-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am so screwed!

The following will get you kicked out of the stadium and basically banned from coming back!!!

» Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal in nature.

» Intoxication or other signs of alcohol impairment that results in irresponsible behavior.

» Foul or abusive language or obscene gestures.

» Interference with the progress of the game (including throwing objects onto the field).

» Failing to follow instructions of stadium personnel.

» Verbal or physical harassment of opposing team fans.

"Any fan in violation of these provisions will be subject to ejection without refund and loss of ticket privileges for future games."

First off, unruly and disruptive. That is so vague! Who defines if it is unruly or disruptive? Heaven forbid that some tea-toting soccer Mom goes to a game; whole sections would be considered unruly and disruptive. Hell, some stadium's security can't even get all their employees on the same page on who can, and who can not, kiss who at a game. This is just asking for trouble right off the bat.

The second one I don't have any problem with; it is basically already the norm. If you get drunk and try to jump off of the edge to the lower seats, you will get yourself ejected. Oh, well, or sent to the hospital if you actually make it over the ledge.

Onto the next rule... Wait, what! No foul language or flipping the bird! What the *bleep* are those *bleeping* *bleeps* smoking? (Yeah, doesn't have the same feeling to it, does it?) So if my team throws an interception, what am I going to say? Darn it? When asked about the Cowboys am I suppose to say, "I really dislike that team." Or when asked about Brett Favre I should say, "I really don't care for him as a person." Fuck no! I hate them with a passion, why the fuck would I dilute that you dumb-ass nfl morons. (See, how that last sentence got my point across so much better.)

The fourth and fifth rules are also already the norm and pretty much make sense. I only say pretty much, because to the people who have been thrown out games before for breaking these rules, they did not make sense to them. Well at least they didn't at the time. Either that or they were only trying to save face by yelling and screaming that the rules are stupid and unfair while they were being carried out. I have a positive outlook on humanity so I like to think this is the case, either that or the next morning when one of their friends tells them what they did and shows them the videos posted on Youtube, they realize that no, the rules aren't stupid, they are.

And finally, why I am screwed!

"Verbal or physical harassment of opposing team fans."

Ah shit.

This next season I am going to the Patriots/Niners game at Candlestick so I think I am safe - for now. I am going to bet that I get banned from Qwest field first. At first I thought it was a fair chance at it being either Candlestick or Qwest, but I just can not bring myself to believe that Candlestick staff would chuck little old me out. In past games a Niner fan practically had to beg to be thrown out, and those were not even the Raiders or Cowboys games.

But come on, seriously, no harassing the other teams fans, no cussing or flipping the bird, and don't be unruly or disruptive. I think those nfl guys have been watching the game from their comfy enclosed box seats for way too long. Way to take the fun out of football, losers! So if you are ever watching a game and there is a touchdown and everyone stays in their seats and either politely claps or exclaims, "Oh golly shucks." At that moment I will be in the bathroom puking after having given myself a concussion from slamming my head repeatedly against the nearest wall.

Better late than never I guess.

2008-07-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

I know this a rather late post on the outcome of the primaries but it is something that has been stewing and stewing in me, and I think I need to get out because it is something I should be over, but am not.

I voted for Hillary in the Washington state primaries. I actually had an opportunity to vote a second time for Hillary in the Oregon state primaries but decided against it out of fairness, but that is a different interesting topic. Either way, Obama won the most votes in the Democrat’s primaries and is now the pre-emptive Democrat candidate. And I am bitter.

Not only was I upset when it became evident that Obama had won, not only did I become bitter days afterwards, but more than a month later I am actually more upset and bitter with each week. In the beginning I blamed the media. Soon afterwards I blamed not only the media but also this countries hidden sexism. That soon expanded to Obama’s supporters. Through all of this though, I staunchly proclaimed that, “I am first a Democrat and second a Hillary supporter. I will vote for the Democrat’s candidate.” But lately I have found myself starting to extend my anger even to Obama, to think of him as the lesser of two evils, and even have the thought (even for a moment) enter my head of abstaining from voting.

A few notes: First, this is an emotional post, so the use of the word ‘blame’ does not always mean quilt, although if you read further there are some that I truly do blame with the accusation of quilt. Second, I do not clump all of Obama supporters into one group, but I do worry about his ability to control the extremist mob that has formed around him. And third, I am in no way leaning towards McCain.

After those disclaimers, onto my bitterness and their roots and manifestations…

It first began during the primary running. I did equally notice the racist rhetoric and deviousness of the media and some republican groups, but being female and not African-American, I of course felt and particularly noticed the times of underhanded sexism during the primaries more. There were lengthy debates on Hillary when she teared up when a woman asked her how she handled it all and kept on going. Debates on if she could handle the job of presidency because she shed a tear? Meanwhile many throw comments about how impersonal and out of touch politicians are? Oh, and please do not get me started on the debate of whether she was faking her tears! Obama gave a wonderful speech on racism and the need to overcome it, yet even all those so backwards to have been commenting how he was not black enough or how he was too white did not question his speech and how real it was. Sorry, I did get going on that topic, didn’t I?

There were many, many times where I was struck by with minimally blanketed sexism of the media coverage. Each time was a cold bucket of water to the face followed by a slap. Each was a steady squish to my (innocent and naïve maybe) ideology of this countries culture, like that of the twist of the ankle when squashing a bug on the ground. The moment I no longer became aghast or shocked but down right angry was when Olbermann (a journalist I admired) did not give a ‘special comment’ on the incident with Obama’s preacher and his angry rhetoric. For you see, just a month ago a woman from Hillary’s camp had made hateful and angry comments. Hillary did not denounce these comments, but stated that those comments were those of the person who had spoken them and not her own and every person has the right to their opinion even if she herself does not share them. That earned Hillary a grilling special comment from Olbermann. A few days after this statement from Hillary, she accepted the resignation of this women. Yet, just a month later, Obama’s pastor (a man) was found to also have made hateful and angry comments. Obama also did not immediately denounce this person; in fact he did not do so for a month. And yet, no special comment from Olbermann, only in depth discussion on the impact that this would have on his candidacy.

So it is safe to say that when it was evident that Obama had won the primary I was a little disgruntled. Hillary’s speeches of what had been accomplished for women made me think instead of what had actually been uncovered. My life I have advocated for those who are not seen equally because I thought I lived the life I wanted because of others who fought for my equality. My life I have never thought myself a suppressed or discriminated against person. Yes, there are a few barriers left to be broken, but the war had been won, there were just a few battles left to seal the deal. Not after this. My world had been turned upside down. And it continued.

When I watched the new candidate that I was now backing being introduced by a former Hillary supporter and the people in the audience booed when hearing Hillary’s name, I was stunned. Shocked. Silenced. But when Obama himself got up on the stage and they booed when he mentioned Hillary, that quickly changed. I was angry. Furious. Felt stabbed in the back. Turned upon.

My thoughts: Nice way to support your candidate guys, boo the other Democrats. That will really get him elected. I see now that it is not about the issues. It is not about the party. It is about your candidate.

Yes. That is where me thoughts took me. It was not our candidate, but their candidate. I know that the preceding feelings and emotions described in my previous paragraphs played a large part in the train of my thoughts but I would not like to offer that as an excuse to them. When they booed, they were not booing Hillary; they were booing her followers too. If they did not realize that then that is even more their fault. Those who booed (in not just that, but a few rallies) were no longer rooting for the party, the issues, and the causes; they were booing a person and rooting for another person. Together we were Democrats but in those moments they put it to a level of you guys and us. Maybe that is a fallacy of the Democrat party that has even been joked upon, but I don’t think it has ever been taken to this level.

There was a lot of discussion and debate regarding what Obama was going to do to win over the Hillary supporters, and I think he really has tried extensively. But his tactic has been of praising what Hillary did and how much she accomplished; it did not address or even speak of the hurt that many of her followers feel or why. The root causes of the anger and bitterness have not been addressed, hell even spoken of. A wound that is left untended festers, and that is exactly what has happened to me.

The sexism I viewed during the primaries made it difficult to separate Hillary’s campaign for the presidency based on her political views from a separate campaign against underlying sexism in this country. Her campaign became so much more than just a want for a Democrat in the Oval Office. It became so much more than a hope for a woman candidate. It became a battle for all of that, but also against the ignored and accepted sexism in this country. Her campaign becoming that maked it equally as hard to not see Obama not as the winner of a primary election, but as the victor against the battle I just described. Then to not have the wounds and the hurt that I experience addressed only let the animosity to remain, just under the skin, so that every move and word was analyzed to try and find any fault and any further insult. Unfortunately Obama’s supporters provided those moments without much analysis needed.

I think it is safe to assume that most would think that my perceptions and logic have been degrading at an exponential rate through this, but again I state that this is an emotional piece. While I usually put more stock in facts (and of course, numbers) my point at the end of this is that this is no longer just a logical issue. Beyond just the emotion of just fear based advertising or mud slinging, this campaign has conceived more deep seeded emotion than (sadly) most ever have, and that needs to be addressed.

I am angry. I am not bitter, but angry. I feel betrayed by the public of my country and then I feel betrayed by my party. I have over and over again told myself that all of this is separate from Obama, but each time it is harder and harder. Illogical? Yes, but it is there, and I think that had Hillary won, many African-Americans might be having a similar debate with themselves like I am.

Roses

2008-07-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

On a much cheerier note. A few weeks ago I went to the Portland Rose Garden. It is one of the largest in the US and yadda yadda yadda.

Anyways, here are pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/skik42/RoseGarden

Retreat!

2008-07-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am being terrorized by my neighbor's kids! Please, allow me to vent for a moment.

My neighbor has 7 year old twins and until lately they have been great. Fourth of July weekend we had a great time learning how to make firecrackers really explode, how to scorch our names into the cement with sparklers, and how to light (and extinguish) mini bonfires. They are super inquisitive and we have had fun learning what condensation is, how to do black flips into pools, what gives firecrackers their color, and that the ice cream man truly is deaf.

Well while I was up in Seattle for my birthday weekend, Tyrell opened a letter that was in my mail box. It was a birthday card from my Grandma with $100 in it. The moment I walked up to my door returning from Seattle, Tyrell and his Dad came out and asked if they could talk to me. Tyrell confessed to opening the card and taking the $100. This is not my gripe.

The problem is his Dad then grounded the two of them as punishment. What he did not realize is in doing so he also punished every one of us at the apartment building. For the past four days we have all been dealing with two 7 year olds who are stuck at home during the summer, and are bored.

I have been waken up from a nap to them knocking on my bedroom window. Another neighbor spent half a day searching for his dog that refused to come home because they had chased it off. Another neighbor has taken to parking his car on the street because they have run into it too many times with their scooter.

If I am home they are knocking on my door every half hour wondering what I am doing, who am I talking to, what and I watching, why, why, why. Ahhhhhh!

I am reduced to sneaking around my apartment with the shades drawn and the lights out pretending not to be home. If they discover I am home I have to flee to a pub or coffee shop. For you see it does not matter what I am doing, they are bored seven year olds. I can be on the phone and they will ask who I am talking to, what I am talking about, ask me questons about what I just said, ask where the person lives. Did I mention that all of this is while I am still on the phone?

Today I wanted to get some cleaning done, pay some bills and then settle down with a movie. Instead my day went like this:

Half hour of cleaning.
Knock on the door.
15 minutes explaining over and over again that, no I can not come out, explain what I am doing, and of course why, why, why.
After 15 minutes nudge them out the door.
Repeat.

At about 2pm, after this having gone on all morning and afternoon I decided to try different tactics to make them go away. first I ignored their knocking. They just walked in. Next I made sure the door was locked. After a minute of ignoring their knocking they then began beating on my door. Next with my door locked and iPod on, they proceeded to run to each of my windows yelling into them for me to come out.

I almost lost it at that point. When I opened the door and they started to walk in, I literally put my hands on their sholders and pushed them back out, closed the door to just a crack, told them I was busy and then shut the door on their question of what I was doing.

Rude? Yes. To the point? I thought so. Got my point across? Obviously not because they were back with in 15 minutes. Hevean help me!

So I am at a bar. Once again run out of my own place. I am seriously thinking about signing myself up at the nearest clinic to have my tubes tied, for I have seen the future, and it is hell. People actually willingly have these things?!?!

The Important Stuff

2008-06-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Did that last post seem to end on a depressing note? It really was not intended, but honestly how riveting of a post can you write about business and accounting classes? Of course I did have a teacher who really pissed me off by making errors in accounting and not admitting to them when I pointed them out...

But you know what really really pisses me off? Watching my team (The Giants) pay a player 14 million dollars a year (yes, I said a year) to throw curve balls that would not fake out a toddler and fast balls with the accuracy of a blind person. Pay a player 14 million big ones to pitch only 2 to 4 innings per game (basically only a little more than a reliever) and consequentially over exert our bullpen (the guys making a quarter or less money). Pay a player 14 million dollars for 6 years to give up as many runs in 2 innings as most do in 6, embarrass my team and the fans every five days, and practically guarantee a loss every time.

Yep. That really burns me.

Luckily for Zito I have had Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez to watch three out of the five other days. It is hard to stay angry for too long with these guys to look forward to watching, but that has changed now. In this last outing by Zito, he burned me personally.

I listen to a daily podcast on basball (ESPN Baseball Today). I like the two guys who put it on. They know their stuff, they are sarcastic, they can be rude but it usually just truthful. I like their analysis, most of the time agree with their opinions, and enjoy their interviews.

Everyday they answer a few e-mails that they have received, and there have been many times that I have thought of questions that I would like to send in but I usually listed to them on the bus on the way to school so by the time I get home I forget to write in. Well the other day I was looking over the day's game, saw that Zito was pitching, got angry, and decided to e-mail them. Please see below.

Hi guys,
I love your show, it is the highlight of my commute.

I am a life long SF Giants fan and have to say (regardless of this losing season) this team is shaping up to be one of my favorites. Except for Zito. What options are there for the Giants with his contract? Are we stuck watching this guy for another 4 1/2 years? Obviously with the amount of money he is making, he is not going to be sent down to minor league, but wouldn't a move to the bullpen do him and the whole team some good?
Sarah

Well they read my e-mail the next day. Cool, huh?

Wrong!

Zito pitched his best game in years that same night I e-mailed. For the first time since becoming a Giant he showed the stuff that got him the 126 million dollar, six year contract.

So instead of hearing about some obscure contractual loophole that the Giants could use to get rid of this guy (a delusional wish of mine) or at best an affirmation of how much he sucks ass, I got a discussion of how he has been working on his mechanics and that this game might be a sign that all that work is paying off. Ugh. Major disappointment.

So you see, even when Zito pitches well he gives me disappointment and embarrasment. I am now suspicious that he has it out for me. If that is not the case then he better prove it by continuing to pitch well.

So Zito pitches tonight against the Cubs. If he fucks up tonight, then tomorrow I buy tickets to San Francisco, he and I will need to have a "chat."

1 Quarter Down

2008-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I finished up my first quarter of school a couple of weeks ago. I meant to write some sort of recap but immediately after my last final I jumped on a plane for a whirlwind 9 days that landed me in 8 different airports and visiting a portion of all 5 sides of my family, ending with a reprieve in LA at Derrick's house and drinks with Brandon and Melissa.

I have already started summer session and feel like some sort of blurb about the last three months is fast becoming past due, but honestly I don't have anything to write.

I went to class. I read textbooks. I took notes. I took tests. All of these are either sold back to the bookstore or in the recycling bin. I had a hellish experience with a group project, but that has been forgotten over one beer and a little bit of venting. That group brought my grade down to an A- for the class, giving me a 3.91 instead of a 4.0, but honestly, does anyone care about the difference between a 3.9 and 4.0? The difference between a 2.5 and a 4.0 for that matter? (2.5 being the minimum GPA for my major.)

So that is it. That is my update for the quarter. I passed.

So true.

2008-06-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

I thought this was funny... and true.

more graph humor and song chart memes

EDIT: Um, I don't know how to get the whole picture to show up. So click on it to see the whole thing.

Sketch

2008-05-28T02:52:00.000-07:00

Sketch went missing January 27th, 2004.

I realized tonight that ever since I moved away from where I lost him, I have always put a bowl of food outside.

This many years later, I still cry when I think of him...

I know this is not a very descriptive blog, but those who knew Sketch or those who have had a pet that close to you, know what I am saying.

Random Skickisms #3

2008-04-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

I was at Tom's, the sports bar a few blocks from my house, to study and watch the Giant's game. My game wasn't going to be on for an hour or so, so the manager asked me what games I wanted on in the mean time. He was flipping through and I saw Detroit. I asked him to put that game on, and when he raised an eyebrow at me I exclaimed, "Hey. I have not watched them yet, and I want to see how bad a 1-7 team looks."

Note: This took place back when Detroit had only won one game after losing their first seven.

The guy sitting at the table directly across from the direction I was sitting looked over at me. I smiled, and said, "You just gotta just feel sorry for them, don't you?"

He gave me the weirdest look and then asked, "Are you a Detroit fan?"

I said, "Oh no. I am a Giants fan, which is why I love Detroit this year. They make my team actually look good."

He gave me the same weird look and then turned back to the TVs.

Well a while later a few of his friends arrived and they asked for a hockey game to be put on. I had my nose in a book so I did not look up when they arrived, but it was only after a few minutes that I overheard them talking about the baseball game...

And that is when I realized that they were all Detroit fans.

I could have kissed the manager when he came over and asked if it was alright if I moved because the only available TV for him to put my game on was on the other end of the bar.

Random Skickisms #2

2008-04-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

I was at the bus stop when this guy sat down next to me and immediately asked me who I was voting for in the school elections. I told him I did not know and probably would not be voting since I had just started at this school and had no idea who the candidates are or what the issues were. Turns out, he was not someone campaigning for anyone, he was just a guy who likes to hear himself talk. He only asked me so that he could then dive into a lengthy monologue of who he was voting for and why. I turned forward and tuned him out until he all of a sudden asked, "Well your Christian, right?"

I won't get into how many ways that question was so wrong, but anyways I said, "Uh, yeah. I'm Catholic."

"Oh! I use to be Catholic too, but then I found Jesus Christ and was saved and became a Christian."

I couldn't help myself. "I think you missed the point."

"Oh, no. I use to listen to hip hop on MTV, but now all I listen to is Christian rock."

"Yeah. You missed the point."

He stopped talking to me. :)

Random Skickisms #1

2008-04-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Throw me into a new city, new school, new places and around new people and I am bound to have more "skick moments" than normal...

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have econ class, a break, and then statistics. During my break I head to the computer lab to work on and print out class work. So Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually the day I have multiple cups of coffee and a constant tired and brain-fried look on my face. Just the other day after leaving the computer lab, and while chanting over and over in my head a statistics formula, I headed over to the area outside where I usually eat my lunch. Today though, some group had decided to put up huge posters of aborted fetuses and anti-abortion propaganda. I had my head down so I did not notice these until I almost ran into a person standing in front of them handing out fliers. I snapped my head up, looked around, and in a total dazed and confused voice said, "But that is where I eat my lunch."

I think I actually grossed out the person handing out fliers with pictures of mushy dead fetuses on them.

Portland: Update

2008-04-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

So when I last left off I was coping with loneliness superficially with a shopping spree at IKEA...

Well, I have a good looking apartment if I do say so myself. :)

I have not explored too much of Portland. Mostly because the weather has been unusually bad this spring and Portland is a very outdoors type of city (can't quite figure out how that came about in a northwest town). I also have a tendency to start chatting with people and then staying in one place for hours so I end up only exploring a small chunk at a time.

Portland is definitely more of a town than a city and I get the feeling the people here want it that way. So much so that anything seeming metropolitan or urban is shunned. The vibe of this town will take some getting use to. The people here are a lot more personable than in Seattle, and that I definitely like; that really was my main gripe about Seattle.

I live two doors down from a great dive bar where I know most of the regulars already, but also meet someone new every time I go. Really chill place where everyone goes to sit around and talk with everyone, and I mean everyone, and play some pool.

Just a few blocks away is a sports bar with amazing pizza, a great happy hour, and every sports package. This is the first season in years where I have been able to catch most of my Giant's games. Murphy's Law that it also one of their worst years, but actually now that I think of it, maybe that is a blessing in disguise because I am just so overjoyed to be able to watch my team that the pain of their suckyness is dulled. We'll see later on in the season...

As for the area as a whole, I am told by people that I either "live in the ghetto," or that I live in the only diverse area of Portland. The truth is Portland is super white, to the point that "diverse area" means that only 50% of the people are white, and Portland is soft. Here in "the ghetto" people leave their BBQs outside and they are not stolen, people at bars insist on walking you home because "it is dark outside," there is not a single place with bars on the windows, and a man across the street who belches is considered "a thug up to no good." I shit you not.

All in all it has been an experience. I am not falling in love with Portland, but I can live here for a few years.

Portland: Day 2

2008-03-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

There is nothing a good shopping spree at IKEA can not solve. A new sofa bed, table, a few chairs and drapes, and viola.

I am sure I will be struck hard with doubt and loneliness again, but hey, I am due for a haircut anyways. :)

Now if all these boxes would just unpack themselves...

Portland: Day 1

2008-03-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so petrified with fear that you have stood staring out at nothing, in one hand holding a beer that is now warm and in the other holding a cigarette like Sigourney Weaver in Aliens?

I just did.

There are a few differences between Sigourney Weaver and I - well besides the fact that I am not hiding from some alien super species with a bad ass level of infinite (yeah fuck you Preditor) - I chose to be here knowing that it was going to be hell.

I just keep thinking over and over, "What have you done? WHAT have you done?" Even now, while typing this, I get wide eyed and nauseous just punching the letters to spell 'alone'. I keep looking around my new apartment. It seems huge - almost like I can barely see the other side - even though it is only 550 square feet. It looks empty - almost desolate - although there is furniture and boxes filling up almost every inch of floor space. I swear the air is stifling and so thick in here you can see it.

What have I done?

It is going to be a long baseball season.

2008-03-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Don't tell Bruce Bochy that the Giants' 23-5 exhibition loss Saturday to the Oakland A's was meaningless. It was too embarrassing not to have some significance.

Uh, Duh.

San Francisco (1-3) allowed 29 hits, beginning with seven by Barry Zito in the first inning as Oakland scored eight runs. The A's proceeded to score multiple runs in six separate innings, including each of the first four.
"It's been a long time since I've seen one played quite this bad -- pitching and our defense," Bochy said. "That's as ugly as it gets right there. It's hard to do, really, what we did."

HARD! It is HARD to lose that bad??? Are you fucking kidding me?

No. It is HARD to watch your team play worse than you kid brother's little league team. It is HARD to listen to your same soulless and monotone "pep" talks every game. It is HARD to listen to your rival's snickers and jabs and have nothing to counter with but sticking out your tongue. The only thing that was hard for you and the team this game was the benches you parked your asses on while watching it.

Bochy hopes that sheer repetition will help cure the Giants' ills.

Oh absolutely fucking great. That was his theory last year and we all know how that went. :-/

"That's why you have Spring Training," he said. "I know we're going to have days like this, especially with younger players."

I thought he just said that he has not seen a game like this in a long time, but now he says that he knows we are going to have days like this... again. Absolutely fucking great.

Additionally, the pitchers who yielded Oakland's 15 runs after Zito departed -- Osiris Matos, Kevin Gryboski, Victor Santos, Brian Anderson and Billy Sadler -- are unlikely to make the season-opening staff.

You better fucking believe it they are not going to make it to the roster. Dear lord, demote them to the crew who will have to clean up all the trash thrown onto the field by all the disgruntled Giants fans at the end of each game. Better yet, make them do it with their teeth. We would not want them to over work their fragile "throwing" arms.

Still, Bochy said, "that's not acceptable to have a game like that. I don't care if it is Spring Training. ... We want to get some consistency here, and our game's going to have to be pitching and defense. That's the only way it's going to work, and certainly none of it was there today."

This is of course because we have NO offense!

Zito remained upbeat despite beginning his Cactus League season with a 108.00 ERA. Then again, his Opening Day start at Dodger Stadium was still 30 days away.

How on God's green Earth do you remain upbeat when you ERA is higher than your fucking batting average?!?!

Zito focused on his physical condition, not his statistics, as pitchers tend to do at this time.

If your stats are shit then how the fuck is your physical condition doing well? He is not sore? Who gives a fuck, he only pitched 2/3 an inning. Was he not ill? It would have been nice because then he would have at least had an excuse. So explain to me how he physically was doing well? What, were his balls hanging in his cup just right that day?

"If I felt terrible and the results were better, it wouldn't have been a win in my book," said Zito, who lasted two-thirds of an inning. "Right now, it's about having the body feel good and getting the pitch count up. Obviously you don't want to give up runs, but this is Spring Training."

I don't care if you are on ecstasy and having your cock sucked or so fucking depressed that you are on round the clock suicide watch, fucking pitch, and pitch to win! I don't give a fucking rat's ass how you FEEL. You are not paid (way too much) to FEEL! You are paid to fucking throw the ball past the batters and into the catchers glove, not FEEL. You can tell me how you feel after you win the World Series and then, and only then, will I give a fucking damn about how you FEEL. Asshat.

Zito took solace in his fastball, which he said he threw "downhill," and from his perception that most of Oakland's hits off him came on low pitches.
"I want to start missing below the glove this year," Zito said. "If I'm throwing balls, I want to be down."

Correct me if I am missing something here, but if you have the perception that most of the hits came off your low pitches, then why in God's name would you want to throw low? And why are you taking solace in the pitch that everyone and their frail 90 year grandmas hit? Again, asshat.

Luck also conspired against Zito. With one out, a run in and the bases loaded, Zito fooled Donnie Murphy, who hit a swinging bunt between the pitcher's mound and first base. Neither Zito nor first baseman Dan Ortmeier had a play on the ball, which went for a single. Four more singles in a row followed.

One out. One run in. Bases loaded. A dinky infield hit that should have, but wasn't fielded by the pitcher or the first basemen. Four singles in a row.

Luck? The only luck I see in that is the one out.

"You can't really assign blame on those. Those are just 'tweeners," Zito said.

Tweeners? Really? Tweeners? I am going to go along with Bochy's philosophy of repetition here.

Asshat.

Thy name is Legion.

2008-01-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

You would not think it something to brag about, but I am very adept at being able to shop at and leave Safeway stores with none or few plastic bags. Today I give up my bragging rites and join the ranks of those who can only shake a fist at the sky and curse the brainless masses of this world.

Let me reminisce to you my past conquests against the environment-hating landfill hog that is Safeway...

There was the time that I went against the checker who after soullessly asking, "Paper or plastic?" to me (a rare question which socked and heartened me at first) it became immediately apparent that even she was a mindless drone simply going through the motions. After my, "Paper please." response she begin reaching for the plastic bags in a robotic manor. My first attempt at saying, "Paper!" louder did not deter her, so in the nick of time I leaned over the counter and in an even louder voice yelled, "PAPER!" into her face. This was enough to reset her autopilot and with a nod she began bagging my groceries in the correct receptacle.

There was the time that upon announcing to both the checker and bagger that I wished to have paper, I masterfully caught out of the corner of my eye that my request had not penetrated the two foot bubble of 'all the exists in the world' encompassing the checker drone. With lightning speed I threw out my hand to stop their advancement toward the plastic bags. This made my existence known to them so that I was able to explain my preference to him, again.

There have been the numerous times that even after authoritatively and with eye contact I have given my 'paper' command to each drone present, that I must then go a step further and give them directions as to not put my paper bag in a plastic bag. Sometimes this needs to be explained a second time, but like I said before, I pride myself on being able win against a foe that outnumbers me and is incessantly stubborn in its brainlessness.

Today I failed. Not only did I fall to the enemy, but they rained down revenge from years of leaving the battleground successfully with only paper bags. Let me now tell you about this sad defeat and merciless vengeance.

This morning upon looking at my grocery list I estimated that 2 bags would be needed to hold them all. I went to the cupboard below the sink and removed two paper bags; making sure of course that they were from the same store I was intending to shop at. I entered the battlefield two paper bags and one grocery list in hand. Fifteen minutes later I fearlessly approached my adversary with my now full basket. At the moment the first item was about to be scanned I proclaimed my desire to reuse the two bags I had with me and handed them over to the bagger drone. I then turned my attention to the checker drone and explained my need to buy stamps, all the while keeping his cohort with in sight. That is when they struck!

My opponent at the check register, which held my needed stamps, looked at me and mumbled something with which I could only decipher the words eight and twenty four from within the sentence. I asked for clarification but that only yielded the same nonsense. Instead of trying to give an education on the need to part one's lips in order to speak, I decided to try and communicate with this life-form by saying, "Uh, twenty four?" My guess at his initial communication had been wrong obviously because the mumbling human look-a-like in front of me, seeming shocked by my response, then explained to me that they only had books of twenty four stamps. His sudden ability to speak coherently shocked me and it would only be too late that I would realize that this had all been a ruse to distract me.

Upon being handed my stamps I turned to collect my...bags?

But I was not looking at my two paper bags! What I was looking at was one 6-pack of beer and nothing else, placed in a paper bag with in a plastic bag. The other paper bag was filled with two items and my chicken wrapped in a plastic bag, and all of this then in a plastic bag. The last of my items were all placed in a brimming double plastic bag.

But then came the final death blow! This callous and unforgiving spawn from a corporate demon had wrapped a plastic bag around the handle for my cat litter. The sadistically jovial exclamation behind me from the deceptive checker of, "Oh Joe! That is such a good idea. How nice of you." was a final plunge into my heart heathen hordes from yore used to do after a battle to ensure no survivors.

I was forced to walk with my head held low out of those sliding doors with six plastic bags. Some may ask why I did not take a final stand and demand the removal of all the unwanted bags. Some may say that I gave in and surrendered. They do not understand the depth of vile filth from which this demon Safeway sprouted from. For if you decide to take that final desperate swing you are given an even more excruciating end. The baggers, while looking uncaring into your eyes, will throw each of those bags into the trash below them, even though there is a recycling bin for just such bags only steps outside the front door. Even defeated they force you to silence your own voice in order to remain on the moral high ground.

I curse you Safeway. I curse you.

2008?

2008-01-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Invariably, at every New Years party, someone asks, "What do you have planned for (enter year)?" This usually happens toward the beginning of the party before the champagne has started to take effect. Later on, it is due to the champagne that ridiculous resolutions are made.

Well this time when the question was asked it struck me that 2008 is going to be so wildly different than 2007 that I don't know if I will even recognize myself in 6 months. That is, if everything goes according to plan, and by plan I mean that there is not much of one.

In the last couple of years I have moved to a cheaper place to live, gotten rid of my car, and dropped the idea of buying my own place and therefore stopped saving for it. In short, no financial responsibilities. If I felt like going out to eat all week, so be it. Night out on the town? No worries. Night out on the town two or three nights in a row? So what. That awesome jacket/shirt/pants/whatever in the store window? So mine.

Starting yesterday that all changed. I am now back on a student's budget. No more calling for a delivery of chicken parmigiana with garlic bread and opening a bottle of wine for dinner. It is back to 101 creative ways to cook top ramen. The expensive and in a perfect location apartment I have will have to be traded for a cheaper pad and hoofing or busing it. Going out with friends every other night will be limited to happy hour once or twice a week...

You get the picture.
Doing all of this before is not that distant of a memory but after the last couple of years will take some getting use to.

Then there is going back to school.
This in itself is not so much a problem, but after numerous visits to different colleges, if being given a tour or talking to "advisers" who I swear do not look old enough to drink (legally) and keep calling me ma'am is any indication of what I will be experiencing in class, then I am in for a shock. Back at UCSB and SBCC I remember there always being that one older person in class. They did not hang out with the rest of us after class or join any study groups, when they talked in class their input seemed foreign or "old" and they were always chummy with the teacher because they seemed to "understand" each other. Well I am going to BE that person for some now.

I keep promising myself that I will try and not give any knowing smirks when someone brags about how "smashed" they got last weekend or complains about their roommate not doing the dishes. I keep saying to myself that I will not befriend the teacher and chat with them about topics unrelated to the class, well at least not in front of everyone. I will try and not start any sentences with, "Well I remember..." or, "Well, it use to be..."

Yeah, we will see how that goes.

But of course the biggest change in 2008 is moving to Portland. It is not that Portland is that strange, it is actually a lot like Seattle and only a three hour drive away, it is that I am moving by myself.

For half my life living at home I shared a room with my brother. When I moved to Santa Barbara it was with my friend Dre. All seven years in SB I lived with at least one other person. When I moved to Seattle it was with Greg. Of course this was with the intention of him getting his own place as soon as we got up here, but with in two hours of being in Seattle I begged him to stay awhile. It was six months later he moved out.

I have been living in my own place for two years now, but that was after I had enough time to get myself acquainted with Seattle, make some friends, got a job - basically get settled in. I still can not bear to be alone for more than half a day.

But I guess I will be getting use to that soon too...

I think I am going to go have a local micro brewed beer right now, while I can still afford it, am able to share it with others, and they will not look at me as "old" for doing so.

2007

2007-12-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

A recap of 2007 through pictures. :D

A trip down to Portland for a Super Bowl party. The first quarter was amazing. the next three... well hence the picture above.

St. Patty's Day!

Easter!
Oh, wait...

Yes. We made an Easter Bunny cake. You can not see it in this shot but we added raisinettes to make it look like it was shitting. :)

Sebastian had a little bit of a scare and had to spend a weekend at the animal hospital.

A weekend in SF for some baseball, beer and hot dogs in the sun, nights out with friends, and this...

What do you expect from Dodger fans...

Ren Faire.
Note to self: After polishing off 3 bottles of mead DO NOT volunteer yourself to the knife juggler. :-o

Camping in Mammoth.
These guys were so cute. :-)

Moving.
Not really that special except I found out I needed to be out of my place the day I was suppose to be flying to Germany in one month. Errrrrr.

Germany! Where everything is gorgeous...

...the beer comes in jumbo sizes (did you know it is possible to consume a gallon and half of beer in one day, and survive?)...

...and it is served with breakfast!
I am not joking. I ordered breakfast and they just brought it out with beer. :D

Halloween!
Uh, that isn't my costume. Obviously. But I sure did appreciate the view. :)

I went to my high school 10 year reunion. Oddly enough I had a blast.

Raf's house warming party in Portland.
I think he actually finished that whole bottle of champagne...

Christmas back home in San Francisco.

Goodbye 2007! :D

What D&D character am I?

2007-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Bard/Sorcerer (2nd/2nd Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-11

Constitution-13

Intelligence-14

Wisdom-15

Charisma-13

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Primary Class:
Bards often serve as negotiators, messengers, scouts, and spies. They love to accompany heroes (and villains) to witness heroic (or villainous) deeds firsthand, since a bard who can tell a story from personal experience earns renown among his fellows. A bard casts arcane spells without any advance preparation, much like a sorcerer. Bards also share some specialized skills with rogues, and their knowledge of item lore is nearly unmatched. A high Charisma score allows a bard to cast high-level spells.

Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Formal Announcement

2007-12-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

I quit my job, I am going back to school, and I am moving to Portland.

Um, no joke.

I got bored. I felt like I was doing the same thing every day and living for the weekends. For you who know me, you know I can not really do change in a small way. For everyone else, well... they think I flipped my lid. It may be a bit of both.

So lately I have been on the emotional roller coaster. One minute I am dragging myself to work counting the days till I am out. The next I am overwhelmed with "this" and "that" that needs to be done. The very next minute I am hit with a wave of fear and shock to the point that I either just stare at a wall or just begin to shake. Next I am so excited I start grinning and giggling like I am off to my first prom.

I hate what I fear, and I fear the unknown and being alone. So why not venture off and try both at the same time?
He he, ah crap, here goes that roller coaster again...

3 years ago today...

2007-11-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't know this would be the last time I saw you guys...

God I wish it was three years and a day ago.

And in contrast...

2007-10-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

This last week sucked balls.

I watched Barry's last game as a Giant (I'll admit it, I cried), watched my Smith get his body smashed at the beginning of a much anticipated game (I won't include that he may be out for 4-6 weeks because that news came this week), and watched a pathetic game by my team all the while surrounded by a bunch frat boys and their sorority has been girlfriends.

My reprieve in between these has been going to my boresville job or looking through pictures of and reminiscing about the glorious two weeks before. Oh, and did I mention that the weather has become rainy and cold?

Ugh. Okay, bitchfest is over. I'll write more after I snap and quit my job. :)

Pictures!

2007-09-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yep. All 432 of them. And that is after dropping about a hundred or so. :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/skik42

Reminders of war

2007-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

People's ability to pick themselves up after devastation and rebuild is a wonderful trait that has allowed us to continue and prosper, but I think it also allows us to forget and repeat the same mistakes not once, but over and over.

To go to a memorial or view the rumble left after a war only serves as a picture into what occurred. It does not give all the emotions, the death, the loss, the sadness... the lasting imprint. A crumbling building does not give the stories of the people who lived and died there. Pictures do not show the faces or carcases of our loved ones. A memorial only seems to teach us of a specific atrocity so that it specifically is not repeated.

From these we take away who was the victim and who was the wrongdoer, we do not place both of these as part of ourselves. We take away a lesson as specific as memorizing 2 + 2 = 4, but not the concept as a whole so that later we make the same mistake and only them learn that 3 + 1 also equals 4.

Berlin (part 2)

2007-09-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Our first time in Berlin we stayed in the old West Berlin. This time we stayed at a hostel in the old East Berlin. There is a striking difference and maybe oddly I prefer the eastern side. It is a bit more gritty and younger. It is like a jigsaw puzzle of new and old weaved together by graffiti. A street lined with cafes and bars with outdoor tables packed so closely it is hard to determine which cafe you are sitting down to will have a building that looks like it was just put up, next to a building were only the cracks along the base give away its age, and next to that a building that looks almost the same as it did since the war, dark and gray with half of its facade gone and old brick underneath showing and signs of smoke still surrounding the windows. On all the buildings beautiful graffiti art mingles with simple tagging, broken up by posters new to years old.

Sobering moments broke up our stroll when coming upon synagogues with guards and men who look like the secret service outside who quickly stop anyone who comes with in two feet of the building or a high and thick walled Jewish cemetery with a security system of cameras, gates and guard houses. Around these it seemed even the locals stopped chatting and everything was silent.

To end the day, on our way back to the hostel we noticed streets being blocked off by police and a helicopter hovering in the distance. Enough experience has taught me that this means a happy and festive occasion or a protest. Curiosity has not bitten me enough in life so we trucked it towards the helicopter.

We came up to a protest and not seeing Bush or America on any of the signs and the punk style dress of the crowd, we felt safe enough to walk along side of it till we got to the middle. There were a few times of having to dodge fighting or riot police but it was really interesting to see the differences and similarities between this and protests at home.

I think it was a fitting end to the day and oddly an uplifting one too. While protesting sadly I don't think will ever put an end to war, oppression or discrimination, it does mean that there are always those who are willing to speak out for others and help others when it is needed.

Munich (part 2)

2007-09-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Not much new to talk about this time. We hung out chatting at the hostel, walked around town, ate a one inch thick slab of meat sandwiched in a tiny bun and drank beer.

We met a girl from New Zealand, a guy from Connecticut, played foosball with some guys from New York and Sweden (respectively), played pool with a guy from Switzerland, chatted with a Russian guy in town for just a couple of hours, shared a beer with two guys from Australia and kicked back a few rounds with a German couple and two brothers from Italy. And that was only one day. :)

Why am I leaving???

Ars Electronica

2007-09-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so maybe it was cooler than I thought it was going to be...

Actually it was a lot of fun! I didn't understand how any of it worked but you could play and have fun with everything.

There was a picture taking booth that then puts someone else's face on top of yours. Lets just say that if Derrick and I had a child it would be one ugly kid.

There was a cool computer you could draw right on the screen but the "paper" you were drawing on was constantly rotating.

There was this table that if you put stuff on it, depending on how solid or soft the object was, it made a different click or thud sound so you could experiment and make beats.

The best was a massive virtual world you could make with little boxes. You put the boxes into cubby holes and either took video or made pictures and then put the boxes on this table and whatever you recorded in the box entered your virtual world that you traveled around through a camera or a scooter.

Reading back, none of this makes sense but it really is how it was. I think Derrick can better explain...

Link

Also if you would like to read his side of the story for other adventures, um, like the castle...

Link

The Danube (part 2)

2007-09-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

The other part of the day needed to be separated from the Danube cruise because it has a completely different theme. This post should more aptly be titled "Um, Derrick?"

To explain a little, the only part of our trip that I did not read or research about was of outside of Vienna and alongside the Danube. Derrick did, and his interest revolved around old castles and an "electronica museum" in Linz.

The day started in the early morning taking a train out to Leobendorf where we had a 3/4 mile hike to an old castle. Actually, scratch that, when we arrived Derrick realized it was not 3/4 a mile but 3/4 an hour hike.

So we began our hike through the fog shrouded woods in the direction Derrick claimed the castle was. The fog of course shrouded anything natural or man made farther than 20 feet away so whether or not there was a castle at the top of the hill we were climbing was anyone's guess. All the signs were in German, which Derrick claimed to understand, and he continuously kept replying, "it is just up here," to my question of, "Um, Derrick?"

To end any suspense, yes there was a castle and seeing it while half shrouded in mist was definitely eerie and cool at the same time. Derrick only told me on the way back that he too was unsure the entire hike up though.

After this we headed to the pick up point for the cruise and experienced three hours of eye popping beauty.

Later we left the boat and walked over to a cafe and had some amazing food. Once again small towns are where its at for awesome food.

We were suppose to explore a large abbey after that but were in such a euphoric state it was too much effort so we opted to catch the train to Linz.

In Linz, Derrick had been raving about the "electronica museum," so that night I grabbed a brochure to begin excitedly reading about it for the next morning. Three sentences into the brochure I looked up at Derrick and said, "Um, Derrick? This museum.. it isn't about music, is it?"

The "electronica museum" is not in fact about electronica music, but instead about electronic arts. In fact it revolves around one of the biggest electronic arts conventions in the world.

The moment of silence after Derrick told me this, us starring at each other both stunned from across a table, and the fit of laughter after realization set in for both of us is an indescribable moment, but so hilarious it is necessary to write about.

So tomorrow instead of writing about the museum I have been anticipating for weeks I will let you know how the Ars Electronica was. :-)

The Danube

2007-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Describing yourself as speechless usually means you are so awestruck that you try and try to think of an accurate word but are so struck, you are dumb to think of anything more descriptive than basic words. There are times though that you truly are speechless. You are not so awed that you can not find the words or the ability to form a sentence, you are so taken that you don't even think to speak. You simply look. What is in front of you is such ecstasy to your senses that all else (speech included) ceases to function or matter. You can not and need not speak, eat, drink, breath too if it were not an automatic recurrence of your body.

Hiroshima was horribly and the Cinque Terra fabulously like this, but to compare them to each other or the Danube would lessen each, even if only slightly, that is just enough.

I will not try and describe my cruise up the Danube; I would only ruin it. I can only post pictures later even though they only half at best portrait the experience and proclaim (demand even) that everyone make it a necessity in life to experience this.

Vienna

2007-09-21T12:38:00.001-07:00

I would say that I ate and drank my way through Bavaria. In Vienna though I more sipped and slurped. The wine was awesome (especially the white) and the goulash soup to die for. I am definitely picking up a cook book once I get back. We also tried some of the famous Sachertorte and wine mixed with tonic (interestingly good).

In Vienna obviously music is a big thing all over and we were lucky enough to catch a band in a local bar. We bought there CD and took some video of their show.

Vienna itself is just amazing. Every building looks like a palace with massive columns, graceful statues or ornate stucco decorating them from top to bottom. Every couple of blocks opens up to a small to large plaza with a beautiful fountain or statue in it. There are churches dotted all over breaking up the landscape with tall intricate towers.

While strolling around (you can't help but stroll instead of walk) there are street performers playing everything from violins to clarinets to pianos so that there is like a fog of music throughout the city.

So now we are off to cruise the Danube and explore some small towns along it. Life is so rough. ;-)

Life's ridiculously great moments

2007-09-21T12:31:00.001-07:00

After a night out drinking till 4am, waking up at 12:10, hastily dressing and packing in order to sneak out the back door of the hostel because check out was at 11. After draining a double espresso, sauntering in to the oldest beer garden in town at 1:30 and by 3:30 having guzzled half a gallon of beer.

After having lived (survived) through the Abrego House years, the only odd part for me is the fact that it takes place in Germany and it is heartening to know that seven years later that is all that is odd.

:-p

Life's odd great moments

2007-09-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a dimly lit tavern nestled in a cobblestone alley deep with in Vienna, surrounded by a giggling and boisterous crowd, hunched over a smart phone watching your football team's come from behind win. Your squeal in delight not even warranting a glance from the crowd around you, and in celebration having a quiet toast with glasses of fabled Viennese wine. :-D

Life's little great moments

2007-09-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

One of life's little great moments is sitting in a smoky tavern down an alley in between looming old palace homes in Vienna, surrounded by the soft drone of many intense conversations, casually weighing your options for the days to come. Vienna, the Danube, Prague or Munich?

:-)

So few times in life are decisions so difficult and so easy at the same time. Perhaps that is what creates the casual manner in which they are met; the likelihood of regret is slim.

Hohenschwangau

2007-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

I finally got to see a castle!

It was while bumping elbows with droves of other tourists from all over the world but hey, how often do you get the chance to see a castle? (Disneyland does not count.)

Getting there was a bit of a leap of faith. The hostels in Munich were all booked for the weekend so we found a fairly cheap hotel online and with out a map and just an address we took off from Munich.

We took the train to the closest major town and hoped there was a bus once we got there. (If not the town we needed to get to was only 5km away.) Luckily there was a bus but once we got to the town we were having trouble finding our hotel. We asked a couple walking by if they could point us in the right direction but they were unsure of where it was. This is about when we started to worry because the town was only 4 hotels and less than 200 residence.

They asked around and offered to give us a ride to the hotel. This was a God send because it turns out we had booked a room above the restaurant just outside the castle gates up a dark and windy road outside the town. Going to bed in the shadow of a castle I think will be listed as one of the highlights of this trip.

The castle (Neuschwanstein was amazing and the view jaw dropping. I have a ton of pictures but again, you are just going to have to take my word for now until I can post them.

Next stop: Vienna.

Munich (Part 1)

2007-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have a bruise on my back from where my shoes in my backpack have been knocking against me while walking, half my face and one arm have broken out in bumps from the starch and chemicals in the hostels bed sheets, and because I have been mostly speaking in single words of German my English has become that of a kindergartner. I am having the time of my life!

First, we did not make it to Prague. We decided to double back and take another day in Munich and Berlin in stead. But that is getting ahead...

While on the train to Munich (the first time) I wrote that I might not return to America. Things have seriously changed since visiting Munich. I am currently drafting an e-mail to quit my job and researching how difficult it would be to move the cats out here.

No, to be serious now. The German school system has made private tutoring of English a profession as useful as palm reading. I am actually currently trying to learn the basic German needed to be able to mop floors at a tavern. :-)

Munich is like a much older Seattle; life revolves around hanging out with friends and drinking good espresso or beer and eating.

I did go sightseeing but the majority of the time was spent chatting and then heading off to a spot recommended to us. This routine began on the train ride to Munich with the guys in the food car and went from there.

One of our waitresses for lunch listed out four places we needed to go and then described them to us as, "beer garden, beer garden, beer garden, place you make picture." We didn't make it to the photo spot because at the second beer garden we got to chatting with a group of people and before we knew it it was 10pm.

Everyone seems to have their favorite local beer and beer garden. One waiter gave us back our tip and told us to use it to try his favorite beer at the place he recommended.

The hostel we are staying in was a lot more like we are use to. The one in Berlin and Wurzburg did not have a common area or bar so there was not much interaction with others. This one though has one of the better common areas\bars I have seen. Both nights we were up till 3 or 4am talking with other travelers and the people who work there.

So I basically spent two and a half days chatting, drinking great beer and eating amazing food.

I have pictures of some of the meals we had (meat, meat and more meat) and I will post them with descriptions if I get back. ;-)

Oh, I also took pictures of famous landmarks.

Wurzburg

2007-09-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay and for there not being any pictures. I have taken almost 200 so far and the upload time would take over an hour. I will post them with descriptions once I get back.

I must also apologize for the extensive usage of "damn" "awesome" and "amazing from here on out. I left my thesaurus at home. ;-)

Wurzburg is an amazing town a little more than half way to Munich from Berlin. I swear, it does not matter what country you are in, small towns are where its at for good grub.

Our first stop was a pub where I had the local schnitzel and Derrick had a local specialty of cooked meat in gelatin. Damn good!

Later that night we had a platter of Bavarian cheeses and Franconian wine. The cheese was... can you guess...amazing. The wine was.. bet you can't guess... kind of odd. Ha ha got you there. :-)

No seriously, the wine was very different and not really my type. The odd part was that it was very sweet and tasted like it needed to be decanted but if you swirled it in your glass it then tasted great, but only a minute later it would be sweet again.

The next morning I was introduced to Bavarian breakfasts. This is by far the most awesome breakfast I have ever had. First, no eggs! (I don#t like eggs) It is sweet schnitzels with sweet mustard and a pretzel. Oh and it comes with a hefeweisan.

We didn't just eat while there, we spent half our time walking around too. We went to their fortress and the palace. Quite a contrast but both were really grandiose.

We meant to go for one day and then head off to Munich the next morning but ended up staying until the afternoon. Oops. ;-)

So now we are in Munich walking and eating our way through...

I may not come back home.

Berlin

2007-09-11T12:31:00.001-07:00

It seems to have become a tradition for Derrick and I to spend the first hour or more in a new country walking in circles looking for the tourist information office. Trust me this is not an intended tradition.

After (finally) finding the tourist information office and buying a map we began our quest for coffee. Doing this after two weeks of five hours or less of sleep and no sleep on the plane ride here, not an ounce of coffee in our systems, and it being early on a Sunday morning...

The rest of the day was a lot easier. We met Connie at the subway station and she gave us a tour of the city while telling us some of the history, interesting facts and personal experiences of the Berlin.

(BTW, Dad, if you find some erroneous spelling errors, there is a fifty percent chance it is not me but the small differences in the key boards. Some slack is appreciated.)

The architecture here is unbelievable, both old and new. Even the apartment buildings are interesting. They form a ring around the block and a courtyard in the center, but then there is another ring with in the courtyard and maybe another
after that.

I unfortunately am not able to upload photos right now, but will later. Trying to describe all the different buildings, churches and monuments would take half a day there are so many styles spanning over different centuries and eras.

We went to the monument to the Jewish killed in the Holocaust. While it was very different than the A Bomb Memorial in Hiroshima it was just as dramatic. Over the area of about one block there are perfectly smooth concrete blocks placed so that they create a grid of narrow paths. Around the outside the blocks are ankle to knee high but quickly go to six feet and higher asyou move inwards. The effect is so that once inside you feel completely isolated, only being able to see down the narrow aisles in front and in back of you and from side to side. Every now and then someone passes through the aisle you are looking down and then quickly disappears, almost like a ghost. If you look up, the walls of the blocks almost look to be looming over you,about to to close together and cut off your view of the sky. Definitely an experience!

By the end of the day I had been awake for a total of 33 hours. Combine that with with two weeks of five hours of less of sleep and I was almost in tears with joy to be going to bed without setting an alarm...

Well sleep in I did! I slept in a whole half hour! Yep, after five and a half hours of sleep I was wide awake. :-/

I guess the bright side of this is that I was ready and out the door to explore Berlin again by 7am.

We went to Potsdam to look at four old Prussian palaces. The first one we came upon was with amazement. The second one had us shaking our heads. By the third one we could not help but say out loud, "you have got to be kidding me." and maybe a few expletives in there too. The best part
is we only viewed the outside of these palaces and their gardens. By garden I mean the area of a football field. I remind you that there were four. We ran out of day to view the insides of these "homes."

We are going to try and circle back to Berlin in order to go to museum or two or perhaps the interior of a palace or two. As for now we are off to Würzburg :-D

Oh. And yes, the food and beer is awesome!

Day 1

2007-09-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Day 1:

Slept 5 hours, woke up, showered, dressed, hopped in a car, hopped on a plane, sat on a plane.

Thus ends day 1. :)

Break on through to the other side

2007-09-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

The oddest thing has happened. The last couple of weeks I was so stressed that I became completely overwhelmed, but just yesterday I got so overwhelmed that I think I broke. Somewhere in between moving, preparing for a trip overseas, applying for school, work and my Mother, I simply cracked. I mean to the point of laughing, well actually giggling (but in that mentally deranged sort of way) when I found out that the keys I had just handed off to the cat sitter an hour ago don't actually work.

Anyways, yeah. So I moved last weekend. Really that should have been a post in itself but, uh, I've been a bit busy. It was fun driving a 16 foot truck through half of Seattle though. (No, I did not kill or maim anything or anyone.) I have only unpacked what I need for hygiene purposes and not getting arrested for indecent exposure. The rest went into the closet or is in boxes in the kitchen. Hmmm, actually maybe I should try and find the boxes with all the food in it...

Ah, whatever.

I am taking off to Germany, Prague and Vienna this Saturday. I am taking only a backpack like normal but have not even started packing. (Note: when you are only bringing a school-sized backpack pre-packing and planning are highly recommended, all other situations I normally pack an hour before leaving.) In fact I am hoping to God that something I need is not in one of those boxes in the kitchen or closet. He he, cross your fingers for me.

In order to prepare for being gone for two weeks I was going to train my co-worker, but she quit a month or so ago. She is going to come in for a couple hours each day while I am gone but instead of having tons of time to train her I have had an hour each day for 8 days. I have also been working 9 to 10 hours each day the past couple of weeks, which normally is not a problem... except when you are trying to move and prepare for a trip, but whatever, it's a job.

Speaking of jobs and moving on, I am applying for college... again, yeah, I know. I really should finish this time because it is becoming more and more of a bitch to get all those transcripts together (the more there are) and test scores out of the archives (the older they get). So I guess again, cross your fingers for me.

Oh, and then there is my mother...

She does this every time I am about to go traveling - she gets worried but won't say she is worried. She calls me two to three times a day with a question about something, or can I help her with this, what do I know about such-and-such... You get the point. This in itself can be a problem (read previous blog post) but when I am super busy, it really is NOT okay.

Ugh, lets change the subject.

Oh! And just on Tuesday I found a message sent to me back in May telling me my high school reunion is in November! Woohoo, right? Actually perhaps this is good timing? This way I am either too busy to actually care or perhaps will be so busy I will forget. ;-D

Oh, and the quitting smoking is... going.

Fucking whatever. I am going to go get my sixth cup of coffee now (only 4 to 5 hours of sleep each night for almost two weeks does catch up to you), finish up work (working late again), go home and pack for Germany (finally), WITH A BEER AND A FAT SMILE ON MY FACE. :-p

Because after all, I am heading off to the land of beer, can't start letting myself get rusty all of a sudden. Actually, fuck work, I am heading to a bar and starting things right. :D

Coming up next: Did Skick make it to Germany alive?

Quiznos Bitch

2007-08-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Every year my family meets up in Mammoth Lakes in CA. We have been doing this since I was a ball of mush floating around in embryonic fluid. It used to be we all jumped in the car and drove for eight hours together (and oddly no one was ever killed), then once I moved to Santa Barbara I took a Greyhound for 10 hours to get out there and after I got my car I drove for 6 hours in the middle of the night (my car would overheat trying to tackle the incline). Now living in Seattle I have to fly out to Reno and then drive down from there for three hours. No big deal, right?

Wrong! I can't stand flying to Reno.

There is always a group that is already drunk before getting on the plane and they only get worse. The majority of the rest of the plane proceeds to get piss drunk on the way there so that by the last half hour no iPod earphones in the world can tune out their screeching and wailing.

Landing in Reno is always bumpy and windy and very very nerve racking and nauseating. I know this is not actually Reno's fault, but the only planes that fly there from Seattle are those little 30 seat propeller planes, so you can imagine how the wind tosses and turns them every which way. Add this to the drunk crowd within the plane of which half are hooting and hollering because they think the idea that we might crash sounds fun and the other half is trying to not puke.

As soon as you exit the plane half the passengers run squealing to the first slot machine they see, which oddly enough abound just along the corridors of the airport. Hmmmm. This trip I even saw a chauffeur holding up his sign with a last name on it in one hand while hitting the button on a slot machine with the other.

On the way out is no better. Now the plane is filled with people still hung over, grumpy they did not win "their" jackpot and just starting to fully realize how much money they just "spent" (lost). A fight between a couple or two is mandatory, at least one group of "friends" needs to be "discussing" (fighting) about something one of them did while drunk, and one or two people need to switch their seats because they do not want to sit next to the person they came with. Oh yeah, loads of fun. One piece of advice: do not agree to switch seats with anyone. You will be subjected to a complete "unbiased" version of what so and so did and why it was so wrong and how they have never been like that before but what they did was so wrong that it is unforgivable.

Anyways, that is that. But this trip I was lucky enough to also meet the most stupid and bitchiest Quiznos employee this side of the Mississippi. Words can not best describe her complete lack of brain cells and complete disdain for life so I will simply give you the dialogue that took place.

Me: Looking up at the list of "specialty subs" they have listed.

Quiznos girl: "Are you ready to order?"

Me: "Hi. Is it possible to just get a roast beef sandwich?"

Quiznos girl: "The sirloin steak sub."

Me: Look up at the "sirloin steak sub" and read that it has marinated roast beef, grilled onions and mushrooms and melted cheddar cheese. "No. I really just want a plain roast beef sandwich."

Quiznos girl: Cocking her head a giving out a loud sigh. "That IS our roast beef sandwich."

Me: "Oh. Well I just want roast beef with lettuce, tomato, mustard…"

Quiznos girl: Cuts me off by saying, "Do you want regular mustard or spicy?"

Me: "Regular."

Quiznos girl: "We don't have regular mustard. We only have it in the little packages over there." Points to the stand with the napkins, cup lids, etc.

Me: "Oooookaaaaay. Then I will just put the mustard on myself later."

Quiznos girl: Pulls out the bread and a little bag with roast beef in it and barks, "Do you want sauce on that?"

Me: "No. I am going to put mustard on it."

Quiznos girl: "Do you want your onions and mushrooms grilled?"

Me: "Noooooooo. I don't want onions or mushrooms. I just want a plain roast beef sandwich."

Quiznos girl: Getting really annoyed at this point. "I heard that, but you have to tell me what you DO want on your sandwich."

Me: "Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles…"

Quiznos girl: Completely exasperated now. "We DON'T HAVE pickles"

Me: "Look, all I want is a plain roast beef sandwich. Is that possible?"

Quiznos girl: Rolls her eyes, because how on God's green earth could I be so stupid to have asked not only for plain mustard and then pickles, but then to ask if she could make a plain roast beef sandwich when it is sooooo obvious that, "We are not like the other Quiznos. We only make the specialty subs." Gives me look that says 'duh'.

Me: Lean over the counter, look her right in the eye and very condescendingly say, "You know what, how about I make this easy for you? I'll have the chicken." And walk away down to the register.

The glare she gave me was priceless and a few minutes later when she walked over and tossed my sandwich down on the counter and growled, "Here you go ma'am" as if it tortured her soul to have to act politely to me, I was for a brief moment no longer in the cesspool of rotting lives and dreams, but lifted to heaven. If only briefly but oh so sweet of a moment.

Let me help you with that asterisk

2007-08-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

This post is meant for those who have an opinion of Barry Bonds and his HR record who know little about baseball and/or Barry yet have decided to vocalize their opinion of him.

Barry Bonds:
757 HRs (1st)
1983 RBIs
514 SBs
2916 Hits
.608 SLG
7 MVPs (1st)
14 All-Star Games
8 Gold Gloves
12 Silver Sluggers
73 HR in a single season (1st)
.863 SLG in a single season (1st)
.609 OBP in a single season (1st)
13 consecutive seasons w/ 30+ HRs (tied for 1st)
400/400 only player
500/500 only player
40/40 one of four

3 Grand Juries
0 Indictments

If you do not even know half of what that all means - don't take this personally - but shut the hell up about what you think of Barry Bonds.

Barry Bonds has been playing in MLB since 1986; that is 22 seasons (including this one). He is 43 years old, has been playing on the Giants for 15 seasons, 7 seasons with Pittsburgh before that. If you only just heard about him in 2003 when BALCO got raided, again - shut the hell up.

If all you know about Barry Bonds is what you read in 'Game of Shadows,' chew on this. The grand jury testimonies included in that book were illegally leaked by Ellerman, who is serving jail time for that. So you read parts of a grand jury testimony that were first picked out by a disbarred lawyer serving time and then by two journalists on a hunt for a story. There are countless other pages of testimony and evidence that remain sealed and unpublicized. Aka: the evidence that makes multiple grand juries not indict him or the boring stuff that does not make a good story.

If you think 'Game of Shadows' is all about Barry Bonds then you obviously only read the excerpts in Sports Illustrated. That was some great marketing by the way, put Barry on the cover of the book because people recognize him and then as a pre-release teaser publish a section of the book that is about him.

If you think they are trying to indict Barry Bonds for steroid use - you get your news from Fox Noise and it is in your best interest that you never mention this to me in person. They want to indict him for perjury, not steroid use. He has already admitted to using topical steroids, what is under investigation is whether he was telling the truth when he said he did not know they were steroids.

If you think the only thing keeping Barry from being indicted is that Anderson won't testify you are so dumb you are now dead to me. First, Anderson can not testify against any of the players he worked with, it was part of his plea deal. That means he talks and his plea deal is off and he can be tried for dealing illegal drugs, so you can bet your little asterisks he has no problem sitting in jail for the length of a grand jury. It is not because of some sort of loyalty or pay off, it is a simple comparison of maybe 1 year in jail to 10 or so. Second, if the case against Barry, with all the 200 sources and 1000 documents used just to write 'Game of Shadows', hinges on the testimony of one drug dealer, well then this whole thing has been one big expensive show.

That's right, while the sports networks and writers have been happily racking in the profits of high ratings and the money spent on magazines and book sales, we have also been paying for this investigation. Woo hoo right? Have you enjoyed the show?

Moving on...

Most of those awards you see listed above, he received prior to 2000 (that would be the year Anderson became his trainer). And do you think he racked up all those HRs, Hits, RBIs and stolen bases just in this decade? No. He was and has been an awesome player long before the media frenzy. In 1993, his first season with the Giants (or the skinny pictures for the rest of you), he had 46 HRs, 123 RBIs, 29 SBs, a .336 AVG, .458 OBP and .677 SLG!

It is mostly because of Barry Bonds that the Giants still remain in SF, made it through the mid-90s and reemerged as a contending team with a brand new baseball park.

It is mostly because Barry Bonds was on the Giants that most people did not know of him even though he was considered one of, if not the best, active player at the time (I am still talking about the 90's by the way).

I grew up watching Barry Bonds. I remember when he was really the only thing to watch at a game. I remember a home run he hit in the bottom of the 9th to win the game just before the July 4th fireworks show at Candlestick. I remember the first time I saw him up close. I remember trying to decide whether to get left field bleacher seats so we could heckle Henderson or right field so we might catch a ball during batting practice. All of these memories were before he even hit his 500th home run.

So as I am sure you meant no offense by your loudly proclaimed proclamation based on little knowledge and blind faith following of mainstream media, you will then understand that I too mean no offense when I tell you to shove your asterisk where the sun don't shine and shut the hell up.

Summer Halftime Report

2007-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this edition of....

The Summer Halftime Report!

Let's check in with Surtur Supreme for the latest updates on Entertainment, Sports, Fashion and who the hell knows.

Thank you Surtur for that exciting update.

Well thats all the time we have for today folks. Be sure to tune in next time for all the latest and greatest happenings this summer and beyond. Thank you and good night.

(cue closing music and credits) :)

Okay, so I kind of cheated, but I am just too tired to come up with anything on my own right now. In between family, friends, a birthday, traveling, looking for an apartment, quiting smoking and some how losing one of my toe nails (not kidding there) I am a bit tired.

I love summer. :D

Crossing the border

2007-07-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

I never really had a problem crossing the Mexico/USA border back in California. Hey, I look like a gringa, act like a gringa, and when I speak Spanish, boy do I sound like a gringa too. So yeah, no problems crossing the border even when piss drunk. There have even been a couple of times while on a greyhound, at the checkpoint just north of San Diego, they did not even wake me up to ask to see my ID.

The Canadian border? Not so much luck. Here are a few things I have learned NOT to do while going across the Canadian/USA border:

1) If you did not understand what the officer just said, do not repeat what you think they just said.
2) Do not try and crack jokes.
3) Do not ask if it is appropriate for them to ask you the question they just asked.
4) Do not laugh in the officer's face when they ask a question you think is funny or absurd.
5) Do not go into detail about the type of hand cuffs used that one time you were arrested.
And finally,
6) While in the border crossing lobby, do not grab your friend's passport and waive it about and exclaim that the reason you were stopped is because they look like a thug in their picture.

Well actually number 6 isn't really a no-no for crossing the border, just a polite thing not to do.

A little bit more on the different occasions where I picked up these gems of knowledge:

1) If the Canadian officer asks if you have any turpentine on you, it is quite possible that they are actually saying tobacco.
2) If the officer asks which one of you in the car is (insert female name) and you are the only female in the car, he/she is not stupid, this is the normal protocol and they do not like it when you point to a male in the car.
3) If the officer asks if you went to Canada to get married, they are simply trying to take you off guard and you asking them if that is an appropriate question makes them suspicious. I am still unsure if they are okay or not with comments such as, "Oh, is that illegal now too?"
4) If the officer asks if you have $10,000 in US or Canadian cash on you, this again is standard protocol. They don't appreciate people leaning out the car and bursting into laughter in their face.
5) If you are pulled out of line and have to go into the big ominous building for more questioning, small talk is not advised. This is mainly due to the fact that the only topics being raised, and hence small talk can stem from are: your previous illegal actions, if you have anything illegal in your car, and any illegal activity that you could do while in the country.
6) Well like I said, it is not really a no-no and was actually quite funny, but you might want to check your friends' passport pictures prior to trying to cross the border. Either way it could bring you a few laughs.

The picture is of one of the road blocks I saw while waiting in line to cross back into the USA. Nuff said.

Mystery Solved

2007-07-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went down to SF for a Giants/Dodgers series. Three whole days of baseball, greasy food, beer, screaming and yelling, and more baseball. :-D

Well we lost all three games. :-(

But I got to meet up with Sirena, Martin, Derrick, Staci, and Daniel. :-D

All in all it was a GREAT weekend, and to top it all off a mystery in my life that has had me perplexed for years was solved!

So to back up a little bit, for as long as I can remember my Mom has had a jade bracelet on her left wrist. This of course could be because she got it just prior to me being conceived but that is besides the point. The point is that I remember that bracelet even when I was really young, you know, when the most important thing in life was convincing your parents to let you have five instead of four Oreo cookies for dessert.

Either way, when I turned 21 my Mom got me a jade bracelet. Some olive oil, a quick 1-2-3, and bam, that bad boy was on there. The sides of my hand was bruised for a while but thankfully you only have to go through that process once.

Well here is my mystery. A while ago I noticed what looked like pencil marks on my bracelet. That is really the best way to describe them, but they would not rub or scratch off and when you felt the area where they were the bracelet was completely smooth.

Now I was positive they were not there when I originally got the bracelet. I could not say exactly when they appeared, but there they were, pencil marks on my jade bracelet that were not scratched into the stone but would not come off either. I was pretty pissed and really confused.

So back to this last weekend. I was at dinner with all of the above mentioned friends when Sirena asked about my bracelet. In talking about it I mention these strange markings and showed them to her. Well lo and behold Sirena knew exactly what they were!

"That is metal. That is what metal looks like when it strikes stone, and yeah it will feel smooth and not scratch off."

At first I was totally shocked and happy that I finally knew what these marks were but then it dawned on me HOW they had gotten there. I was so excited that without really thinking or taking into consideration that we were in a small restaurant of about 10 tables, ours being the one in the middle, I yelled out:

"Oh! Oh! I know where they came from! They are from my nipple piercing! They are always clinking together when I am in the shower!"

So the mystery is now solved and there are now a handful of people out there who know of a girl who has a problem with her nipple piercing clinking against something while she is in the shower.

I think it was an educational experience for all. :)

Mallrats. :-p

2007-05-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Dread going to the mall? Can't stand the cramped and confined aisles, dodging strollers and runaway small children, the constant and deafening drone of the masses, or the glaring florescent lights that give everyone that waxy look?

Solution: Bring a friend who hates it more than you and has vocal cords that they are not afraid to use.

Need an example?

Derrick

If you do not have a Derrick handy, below is an example of what type of behavior to look for in picking your Derrick alternative...

As we entered the parking lot, Derrick took a deep breath and exhaled, "Okay, I am steeling myself." Of course then after having to squeeze through two SUVs creeping through the parking lot in order to get into a spot before a truck that was trying to swoop in, he grumbles, "God, I am not even in the mall yet and I am already surrounded by assholes."

As we enter through the mall doors, walking out of them is a tired looking woman with three kids, each with bright party hats on, a balloon in one hand and a happy meal in the other. Derrick barks, "Sheesh, they don't give you any transition time do they? It is just like BAM, you are in the fucking mall."

Once you have a friend who fits this description, ready your shopping list, comfortable shoes, credit cards, and bring your friend along. You are sure to have intermittent moments of gut wrenching laughter that will undoubtedly break up the day and prevent your brain from turning to mush.

Want proof?

Below are examples of some of the entertainment you might experience. Of course results vary depending on mall and friend.

In the lingerie section, Derrick picks up some underwear, holds it in front of his face, squints and asks, "Is this two pairs stuck together?"
"No, that is one pair."
Derrick then shouts, "Wow! These are like overalls?"

A little bit later, over near the bras, Derrick is again squinting, but this time at the signs.
"Full coverage?"
Derrick pauses and the woman just behind him who is also looking at the same section raises her head.
Derrick then yells, "Oh, full coverage! Like body armor. Full protection from the elements... liiiike MEN!"
He looks up at me and smiles. The lady to his right and just behind him, glares.

And that was just one department. After a couple of hours, while weaving through the racks of clothes, you could be entertained by an improv dialog between Derrick's balls and his brain. And after four hours you will get to experience growled comments like, "I am bleeding capitalism."

All in all it makes the time fly by faster, prevents you from concocting ideas of mass murder, and most importantly... keeps the sales people away. :-D

Am I morbidly sick?

2007-04-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

So I just wrote up what they call a holographic will tonight while making dinner.

My Mom has been freaking out due to recent deaths of younger people in my family and friend's lives, and one of the things she has centered on is not knowing my wishes or anyone being able to make decisions for me if I am lying drooling in a hospital bed. So she has been wanting me to write out a will of sorts.

So I wrote the draft while cooking (chicken with garlic, parsley and celery, cooked in white wine with pasta on the side) and wrote the final draft while eating. Except now I am noticing a grease spot on it so maybe another final draft is needed. Oops.

Most of it was pretty simple: What I want done with my body, my stuff, the cats, etc. The difficult part was what to do if no one knows if I am dead.

Sure, if the doctors say I am a goner and just taking up bed space that is easy, but what if they are not sure. Well then, really the only person who knows if they should pull the plugs or not is me, but I can't really say what to do, can I?

So what do you put down?
Well, if more than half the doctors say I am gone...
If you ask me and I don't squeeze your hand...
Give me a week... no actually I am a heavy sleeper, give me two weeks...

What a crappy thing to have to write down someone's name and say, 'Well, it is up to you. You make the call. I hope you make the right one.'

A few random thoughts:

Does including a joke or two in your will make it less legit in the eyes of the law? And why do they say, "in the eyes of the law"? Isn't that lady blindfolded?

Dinner came out really well. The chicken came out near perfect and I have now found that you can make boxed white cheddar macaroni and cheese taste awesome by adding the celery and spices cooked in white wine instead of the milk. Oh, but it does stain wills.

And lastly, I put in there that there has to be a party. You all are invited of course.

I could never have kids.

2007-04-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

I already have a laundry list of reasons as to why I do not want to have kids: first of all... ouch, but also I saw what I did to my Mom and I know karma would give me a girl. But now I have another reason, I could not handle it if anything went wrong.

My cat, Sebastian, is my baby of the bunch. Not favorite, but the baby. Saturday night I got out of the shower and walked into my bedroom and there on the floor were a couple wet spots. I went and got a paper towel to clean them up thinking that they were just bile from one of them trying to cough up a hairball (two long-haired cats in the house means this is not unusual) when I notice a wet spot on the bed too. When I went over to this one it distinctly smelled like pee.

I jumped up and walked into the hallway where Sebastian was sitting. I asked him if he had peed on the bed. (Yes I talk to them.) That is when he got up and walked over to the cat liter, and right where he had been sitting was a wet spot. But the wet spot looked weird. I crouched down and realized that not only was it a very very dark color, it was also gel-like!

All the while I am doing this; Sebastian is sitting in the litter box looking like he is trying to pee and like he is in pain. What do I do at this moment? Panic.

With just a towel on my head I ran out to the kitchen where Sebastian is. That is when I notice more spots on the kitchen floor near the liter box. Then another a little further away, then another… There were some on his cat tree, some on the living room floor, kitchen floor, under the table, etc. I am now running all over the apartment with nothing on but a towel on my head, looking at the floor and every time I find another spot making some sort of unintelligible gasping squeal. I so hope my neighbors were not home.

I then run to my cell phone and call Derrick.

Derrick: “Hi”
Me: “Derrick, I need you here NOW!”
Derrick: “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
Me: Repeated stuttering for about 30 seconds “I – I – I”
Derrick: “I will be right over.”
Click.

This is when I realize I am standing naked in my kitchen so I run to the bedroom and throw on a pair of pants and shirt that is lying on my floor (meaning what I slept in last night).

Derrick came over and I frantically told him everything I had found. He called the emergency vet because I still had a bit of a stuttering problem, and they told him to bring Sebastian in IMMEDIATELY.

And that is when I started to really panic…

Sebastian is fine. He had to spend the weekend at the emergency vet, and we transferred him to his normal vet this morning. He will have to be on a prescription diet from now on to prevent this from happening again, but beyond that it looks like there was no permanent damage.

Perhaps once this is really all over I will write about how it went at the emergency vet and the procedure, but for now this is getting long and I still have a few more chances to have a breakdown of all my sensibility.

This was fun to do.

2007-04-24T08:12:00.001-07:00

It seems pretty right on. Well except it says I am a bit high-brow...

Fuck That.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

2007-03-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

It is so odd how at the same time a picture can seem such an empty and 2 dimensional thing that can not be held or hugged, but can also be that dim light that reminds us of happy times when everything else seems so dark...

St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

A few shots from St. Patrick's Day. :-D
And this was only halfway through the night...
I have no idea what Derrick is doing.
Look at the loving cousins.
We look so happy and sober... he he.
An artistic shot. ;-)
Again, I have no idea what Derrick is doing.
Five drunk girls trying to not fall over while walking on slippery pavement.

Perspective

2007-03-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Every now and then life throws a cold pail of water on you that puts things into painful perspective.

When my apartment was broken into, the fact that Sebastian was missing completely outweighed my missing computer. The absolute relief and tearful joy when he was found could not be diminished by what 'stuff' had been stolen.

Life every now and then is put into perfectly clear perspective.

And then it starts to get fuzzy again. Grey areas or special circumstances come up. All things become debatable. Value, worth, hierarchies are assessed and formed. The clarity fades and that ice cold water that drenched us dries.

Would it be better to remain in a fuzzy world, not ever having a clear view of yourself, life and the world around you, but also not experience the painful events that create that ice cold pail of water?

I use to think that a person who knew what they wanted in life was very lucky, but it is actually a person who knows what they want and gets it that is lucky.

So is it worse to know what you want and not be able to get it than it is to never know what you want?

In the end, does that really matter either? When it is all said and done, for each of us, we will all have regrets. What we did do, what we didn't do, etc, but that means we lived a life with choices to make, experiences to navigate, paths to pick and follow, and with that is of course going to come some regret. So would it be better to have had less choices to make and less or no regret?

I think I have pretty solid answers to all of these questions, but ask me again in a week or two when the gray and haze start to set in again.

Tech Support

2007-03-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

My Mom calls about every other week with one question or another about her computer, which thankfully is a Mac so most things are super easy to walk her through over the phone. But I am now beginning to realize that I may have been going about things totally wrong.

You see, instead of just answering her questions, I have been explaining things to her, showing her shortcuts, showing her cool things she can do, and putting applications on her computer for her to play with... That was a bad idea! I now have a Mom who knows what she can do with her computer but does not know how to do it.

The most recent scenario was this last week: My Mom decided she wanted to put together a slide show for my Grandma’s 85th birthday.

Tuesday:
First phone call: My Mom calls and tells me the scanner is not working.
(It was working, it just did not “look” like it was because the pictures were not going into iPhoto or her desktop, they were going into her Pictures file.)
Second phone call: The scanner is going too slow, can’t she put a bunch of pictures on at the same time.
(I had to explain that with out actually being there for this one I could not help her, and no, this was not something I could fix by remote access.)

Wednesday:
My Mom calls and tells me that she is having problems getting the pictures to work in iPhoto.
(I ask if she has imported them into iPhoto.)
Yes, she has but when she opens them none of the iPhoto controls are there.
(Hmmm. I ask if she is viewing them in Preview.)
She says no, but when I ask what it says in the top left corner of her screen she yells, "oh no I am only previewing the picture." :-/
(So we run through the process of importing the pictures into iPhoto. Nope, error, it says that the files are already in the Library. Turns out that she had gone into her Pictures folder and dragged the files into her iPhoto library folder, so after going through and deleting those, we then go through the process of importing the pictures again.)

Thursday:
First phone call: My Mom calls; she has forgotten how to create a slide show.
(Won’t bore you with the details, but we went through the process of creating a slide show.)
Second phone call: My Mom calls; does she need to make a play list for the slide show or can she just pick out the songs?
(Make a play list)

Friday:
My Mom calls and tells me that she cannot get pictures that people have e-mailed her into iPhoto.
(The pictures had been e-mailed to her old hotmail account so I just had her forward - no, forward Mom, not reply - forward them to her gmail account. I wish everyone in the family would stop using her hotmail address but they tell me that, “once you put an address in there, you cannot change it.” :-/ It is a lot easier to just have her forward her e-mails to gmail then to try to explain editing contact information to 10 plus family members.)

Saturday:
Unsettling quiet for the day before the 85th birthday party.

In between here was a normal Saturday night out, getting drunk, getting home late, and completely forgetting about daylight savings.

Sunday morning:
A frantic voice mail from my Mom telling me that everything is wrong and that “there is a major crisis over here!”
(Turns out that she only wanted fragments of the songs she had picked and had gone into iTunes and had put in the start and end times but this does not carry over to iPhoto. Figuring that out was the first hour. When my Mom is frantic she starts pressing buttons, not listening to me, and does not describe what she is looking at very well. I think 15 minutes alone was spent on her telling me over and over again that the “music icon was not there, nothing was,” but once I got her to describe what was there she tells me there is a drop down menu with Adjust, Settings and Music listed. :-/ I had her e-mail the songs to me, Derrick then got to work clipping them down to just the portion she wanted, then e-mailed them back to her, walked her through importing them, and putting them in the play list.)
My Mom calls; it is not working. They are still the whole song, and she needs to leave in 15 minutes!
(Turns out they did work, just with the first song she wanted a minute and a half of it and after 30 seconds she stopped the music and called.)
My Mom then sighs in relief, tells me that this has been “fun” and that she will call me when she gets back home to tell me how it goes.
(Did I mention that I am not going to this party? I don’t get to see this creation or eat any of the homemade food. :-/ )

I now realize that it was not a good idea to put iLife on my Mom's computer when she still says FoxFire instead of FireFox and every time she wants to IM me she says she is going to Fire me. Oh man, the instant messaging! Now that was a bad idea also!

Unanswered questions

2007-02-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

I read a really good piece about Anna Nicole Smith's death today.

Link

It made me start thinking about what questions would I leave behind.

Now most people at the time of their death will not have even one-third the chaotic mess as Anna Nicole. Maybe a needed paternity test, but not three to four prospective want-to-be fathers (note the want and not could-be fathers). Perhaps a lingering legal case, but not a billion dollar one with a class action suit on the side. But really, what questions will be raised and left for speculation when you die?

At the time of your death your family, all of your different friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, and those acquaintances you have that feel obligated, will all converge together to mourn your death.

What memories or words will be said about you that will shock people? Baffle some? Awe others? Or have people wishing they had known when you were alive?

What secrets will come out? What lies will be found out? What parts of your life will come to light?

Who will be left angered by you? Who will be left feeling like they did not know you? Who will be left now hating you? Who will be left wishing they had known you better?

Who will be left shaking and scratching their heads, trying to put the pieces together, but unable to, because there are so many unanswered questions?

But even if you could, could you answer them? Could you explain the gaps between your lives? Could you explain to your family the person your friends know and vice-a-versa?

Is that a bad thing? I am not sure, but I think that is the most important question, because if it isn't, then the uneasy feelings we have about what will come out at our death is just a waste of time, but if it is a bad thing then it should be cause to change, and now. I don't think I could change, but that is not an answer to my question, maybe just a hope as to the answer.

Sorry for my list of questions without answers.

Piercing Malfunction

2007-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

It is almost certainly assured that if you indulge in body piercing beyond the usual ear lobe then you are going to experience situations that are humorous, embarrassing, or just down right gross. I mean come on, you have a foreign object stabbed through your skin, fatty tissue, cartilage, and/or other anatomical types of things I don't know the name of, your body is not going to treat it the same as it does all the other appendages and attachments you were born with. Also you are going to have to get up close and personal with your now decorated body part, sometimes while that part of you is not too happy with what you just did to it, and depending on the type of or placement of your chosen piercing(s) that in itself can be a story worth telling (or never tell).

That said, obviously I have had these types of situations arise, and over the years with each new piercing they have grown in frequency.

There was the time the ball of my tongue ring popped out and bounced across the table while ordering from a cute waitress. There was the other time that I swallowed my tongue ring and for some reason mentally felt like I could not correctly maneuver my tongue and therefore could not talk so had to hitch a ride and get a new one ASAP (thank you Derrick). Just getting my tongue pierced was comical, have you ever had a waitress start slurring and drooling while she is trying over and over again to ask you if you want a "side salad or coleslaw" with your sandwich?

There was the time in Lake Havasu that due to a little run in with the law I had to take my nipple piercing out just two weeks after getting it. There was the time that I went in to change the ball on my nipple piercing and upon lifting up my shirt the guy yelled, "Oh my God" in disgust and I screamed back, "Well they are all I got." Turns out he was gawking at the gauge (or size) of my bar, not the size of my chest.

Well, my clit piercing decided it was time to join in yesterday. Everything started out so normal, I woke up, went to work, had my first cup of coffee, that first cup of coffee made its way through my system, I went to the bathroom. Except this time when I dropped my pants a little black ball went bouncing across the stall floor and I thought to myself, "How did Derrick's earring get into my pants?"

Now that may seem an odd or absurd thought but let me first explain that I had only had one cup of coffee, it was only 8am, and I am not of sound body and mind until my second cup of coffee around 8:30. Secondly I had just gotten back from visiting Raf in Portland with Derrick and while there he lost one of the black balls on his cartilage piercing and we were unable to find it. So can you see why that thought popped into my mind?

Anyways, I reached over and picked up the black ball and realized that it was not the right type of ball for a cartilage piercing; it was for a dumbbell piercing. Now I want you all to imagine a person standing in a bathroom stall with their pants around their ankles, holding up a small black ball and then all of a sudden bending over to stare at their crotch, and pop back up with a "oh shit" look on their face. Yeah. That was me.

Here is where I will stop in the detailed descriptions, but I want you to know that it is not the easiest thing in the word to try and screw a little black ball back onto a little silver bar, when the before mentioned bar and other ball that is still attached to the other end is resting on a very very sensitive area of the female anatomy. Oh and did I forget to mention that all the while I am still in the bathroom stall at work?

The rest of my morning in the office was very... interesting.

Hot Damn.

2007-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Vin Diesel is 39?!?

Ya know, I don't really care. :)

Bush on 60 Minutes

2007-01-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Let me just get this out of the way first: this "thing" that resembles a member of the species homo sapiens is a moron. I mean that literally; a comatose person has more brain wave patterns and more connected synapses than he does. A person clinically diagnosed with multiple personality disorder is less wishy-washy than he is. Furthermore, an elementary school student could formulate better sentences than this idiot. It is more than just painful to listen to him - it is depressing and embarrassing when I remember that he is the President. Actually listening, trying to decipher his gibberish is both infuriating and scary at the same time. He is void of emotion and logical thought and, worst of all, he has no memory of what he himself has said, claimed or vowed at any time in the past, even up to mere days before.

So, on to his interview.

Bush: "I can remember thinking that it's gonna take a monumental effort to keep the country's attention on this war because it's an interesting dilemma for the president. On the one hand, you want them to understand we're at war. On the other hand, you want people to go about their daily lives. In other words, people can't be looking over their shoulder and seeing the next terrorist attack."

Hello, what the hell is a daily-updated color-coded terror alert where the higher levels are bright orange and red? Yes, people will not forget about the "war" but did he actually think people would also be able to go about their daily lives, terror free? Excuse me, but bullshit. That is bullshit with out pulling in the fact that the "terror level" has been increased (oh I am sorry, updated) right around important times that Bush has needed public support. Oh, and what about asking people to "look out" on their fellow neighbors? Yeah, that really instills a sense of comfort. Oh oops, I also forgot the TV ads with buildings blowing up, pictures from 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, and scripts reading that "they" are out to kill us. I feel so safe, almost like a babe in her mother's arms - don't you?

Bush: "And the point I make is that what happens in the Middle East matters to the homeland."

Just wanted to point out that the guy is still using the word "homeland". Do you think they will go with the tried and true yellow stars and pink triangles, or do you think they will update them with more posh "logos"?

Bush: "Envision a world in which Saddam Hussein was rushing for a nuclear weapon to compete against Iran."

Dude, I thought we already went through this, you were either wrong or were lying when you first claimed this. I hate bad reruns, especially when I disliked the original. I could go on about this one but the main reason for my rant is the next quote.

Bush: "And the reason I brought up the mistakes is, one, that's the job of the commander-in-chief, and, two, I don't want people blaming our military. We got a bunch of good military people out there doing what we've asked them to do. And the temptation is gonna find scapegoats. Well, if the people want a scapegoat, they got one right here in me 'cause it's my decisions."

You @#$%ing @#$hole. Just two days ago you (finally) made a haphazard flippant half-apology, the first of your presidency. That apology was for mistakes that may have been made by others, but you being the gracious, empathetic, caring leader that you are, were ready and willing to take the blame. (And the next day you claimed that you, as the commander in chief, are in charge and do not need to listen to the Congress or the people for your decisions, but whatever right?) You now are portraying yourself as a scapegoat!

You think you are a scapegoat to the pain, the loss and sorrow of the families that have had to bury their family members? You think you are a scapegoat to the misery, the death, the uncertainty and the emotional strain of the people you have sent to war? You think you are a scapegoat to the destruction, the constant bombing and the unknown death toll of Iragi people?

I say it again, you @#$ing @#$hole!

Regarding the video of Sadam Husein's hanging...
PELLEY: I'm curious. How did you see the video?
BUSH: Internet.
PELLEY: You called it up on the internet and watched it?

OMG, Bush used "the internets"!!!
I know, cheap shot, but I am not in a very diplomatic mood right now.

Just had to get a bit of anger and venom out after reading the transcript of that interview. I am sure that if I had actually watched it and had to hear these quotes (and others, I actually only covered the first half but this was starting to get a bit long) in his fake down-home "aren't I just like you" tone, all the while giving that sideways glance and lip curl like a bad impersonation of a spaghetti western cowboy, I would have been too busy puking in the toilet to speak, let alone to type anything.

By the way, I am posting this on my blog because if I have not been marked on some secret (but oh so important for national security) list yet, I want and need to, because at least then when our children are reading about the horrors of this time I can have some proof that I was against it, because obviously voting does not mean #$%& now.

I am homesick

2007-01-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

I actually think I am homesick! I have never been homesick before so I am not completely sure, but it sure does feel that way.

I moved more than a couple of times when I was a kid and did not get homesick. Well the moves were within the Bay Area, but come on, to a kid moving a city over or changing schools is like your entire world going topsy turvy. I went between two parent's houses and did not get depressed or lonesome for the other house. I went to college and was fine. Okay it was only a five hour drive away, but still, I was not running home for home cooked food. I moved to Seattle, and even as I was realizing within the first hour of being here that I had moved into the White Trash Central area, I did not get homesick.

Now that is not to say I did not miss the hell out of people, but I was not pining for a place. Now is different. Getting onto two years out of CA, I am missing it like hell right now.

I think this comes from a combination of things that formed into one giant punch to the gut. First, I just recently visited the Bay Area so I think I was already set for this mood. Then just the other day I watched half of Sideways. I am holding my opinion of the movie until I finish it but it was so trippy to be watching a scene of them chatting in a car and being able to recognize every freeway exit and even the tunnel they drive through on their way up from SB towards Santa Maria. Even the characters attitudes were so easily recognizable to me, and it probably did not help watching them all lounge outside eating and drinking all the while it is snowing outside my window.

Yeah, and then there is the snow. I have no problem with snow, I was just not expecting to be living with it this much. I like the snow, I like snowboarding, sledding, snowmen, snowball fights, the whole lot. But I don't like living with it on a normal daily basis. I thought I would be dealing with darkness and rain, which I knew I was fine with, but I was told it snowed once every three years, it has been three times this year alone, and twice last year.

I think when I finally realized I was just plain homesick was when Derrick opened up his gift from Brandon. Brandon sent him the most awesome gift, a couple six-packs of Firestone (we can't get that up here). The second I took a sip of that beer and thought that it was still the best beer out there, even now living in Seattle, I knew, I was homesick.

Well I would write more, but this is a whole new experience for me so I haven't got anything else to write, give my opinion about, rant or rave about, or just plain drone on about yet. I think I sound like a whining little bitch right now, but it is honestly how I feel. There are a couple of other things going on that also have me in an out of whack mood so maybe I am not really longing for CA, but hey, if you all hear from me next in CA or WA, then you know how it went.

Orange Cones

2007-01-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

Allow me to be kinda sappy right now.

On the way home tonight Derrick and I passed by some of those orange cones that the city or construction crews use. I said, "Hey, you want a cone?" He said, "Sure." and grabbed one as we walked by.

Well that moment brought back a memory from way back. It is probably the whole female thing as to why I even remember this or even ever registered the original moment at all, but whatever the whole scene brought back a really cool memory.

It made me remember the first time Derrick and I had an unspoken conversation. It also was one of the few times we agreed, but that is besides the point. So anyways the scene went like this...

I was driving up Los Carneros towards the 101, we were heading through the intersection of Hollister and up ahead there were orange cones slowly curving into Los Carneros in order to make everyone merge to the left. There was no one behind me so I slowed down and came to a stop next to one of the first cones in the street. Derrick opened up the passenger door, grabbed the cone, shut the door, I hit the gas and we drove off. No words were shared about the orange cone and the taking of that cone until after I was turning onto the on ramp of the 101. I don't actually remember where we were going, but we did bring the cone back to the Abrego House (it lasted maybe a week).

Yeah, mushy I know, but the memory just struck me tonight while walking home.

Then tonight when we got into my place I went straight to the bathroom. The cats were all meowing and while I am in the bathroom Derrick yells out, "Middle or third?" (Just a quick note, the cats actually have three dinners, don't ask, don't tease, yes I know they are spoiled) I yell out, "Third", and by the time I get out of the bathroom the cats are eating... and there is a orange cone sitting in my kitchen.

The combination of all of that (and possibly a few drinks) is the reason you are reading a really sappy blog right now.

Cheers :-)

PS While writing this Derrick's drunk ass passed out and is snoring on my couch right now. Awww friends. :)

Ahhh Memories

2007-01-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

New Years 2003.

Good Times, good times. Well the parts I remember. :)
Everyone wore that hat at some point in the night. Reminds me of a pink wig at another party, but that is a whole other story.
Derrick was permanently attached to that bottle of Cooks.
And then there is always the picture with "that guy" in it that no one knows where he came from or who the hell he is.
And we are all so blitzed.

A lot has changed, and a lot hasn't. This year looked a lot more normal but just as drunk. Actually throwing house parties was so much easier than going to a bar; at least when you can not remember getting home you are not too worried.

Sorry I don't have many pictures from this year, and the ones I did take are grainy because they are from my phone.
Derrick traded in the bottle of Cooks for Vodka. Well actually he was really close to buying a bottle at the store.
A fat cigar, stiff drink and a "take the damn picture" look on my face. Damn, I almost look mature. ;-)

2006. In a nutshell.

2007-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

2006 is almost over. There is only one last party left, and then, onto the next year.

I thought I would do something a bit different this year. This year will be summarized in pictures, this way I figure I can type less but have said even more. Well if you really do believe a picture is worth a 1000 words, I personally think it is more around 53, but whatever, who is actually counting.

Disneyland!

No I am not on acid.

Around this time Derrick's sister and cousin came into town, believe me I am trying to get the pictures for this. So if I thought being sandwiched between a brother and sister pair (Matt and Mellisa) was weird, you have no idea how crazy it is to get into a tickling war in a bed with the sister and cousin of your best-friend. :-) He he.

My brother and Derrick's birthdays on Cinco de Mayo!

Yes that is my brother and Derrick under there.

My brother's First Communion!

And my first job as a Godmother: take lots of pictures and get Chris's gift for him. He he, he got Matthew a fuzzy bear. :-p

In between here I decided one late night to run off and get my clit pierced... I do not have pictures of that, but I do have some hilarious stories about being the biggest frigin horn dog for three weeks all the while having to take the lifestyle of a nun. OMG, let me tell ya, that sucked.

Baseball!

Normally this would not be big deal, but now that I live up in Seattle I basically have to hope I can catch some inner league play (wow that kinda sounds dirty). :-D

Pride!

Hot.

Fourth of July visit from family!

And that same weekend Italy made it to the World Cup!

Said good-bye to My Little Trooper aka Baby

:-(

Vancouver!

Yeah I know, I could not resist getting my picture taken in front of a very fucking large abacus.

San Diego!

Which means the whales vagina

My wildest fantasy comes true!

Yeah right, but thanks for giving me something to dream about Daniel.

Vegas!

No comment, and I know my fifth amendment rights.

In between this time there was a lot of football, but I do not have any pictures from football, but I did get a Niners necklace in Vegas, stuff it down my shirt, snap a shot and send it off to a couple misguided friends.

Also in this time there were mid-term elections. I unfortunately do not have a picture of Derrick and I sitting on my back porch in our PJs, drinking a bottle of wine and smoking fat cigars. I hope to repeat that moment again in about two years time so cross your fingers that I will remember then to take a picture. :-)

Ghost globes!

"OMG I just ate a ghost!"

Christmas

Don't we just look like angels? ;-p

Well that is about it. I think it was a good year.
Cheers, and happy new year all.