Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Whoever writes the incidental music for this show is a genius. Seriously. I mean, I'm a sap to begin with, and I would probably cry watching it on mute, but honestly, I probably cry every 90 seconds when I watch an episode of this show. Incidental music is supposed to manipulate your emotions, and man, this composer takes the cake.

My favorite memory of this show is watching it at the Oakland Airport while waiting for an 8:00 flight on a Sunday night. There were a bunch of other people watching it in the waiting area, and we were all looking up at the plasma screens with glassy, teary eyes and that "I'm about to cry" lip quivery look on our faces. I knew not ALL of these people could be as intrinsically sappy by nature as I, so I lay all credit/blame upon the incidental music composers: Randy Guess, Eric Allaman, Rob Cairns, Brad Chiet, and Anthony Echegoyen (via imdb).

Funny story about this show...to the best of my knowledge, it originally started off as a spin-off from Extreme Makeover, a makeover show like any other, except the makeover included plastic surgery, lasik eye surgery, etc. Kind of sick. I previously had my facts mixed up and combined Extreme Makeover with The Swan, which was even sicker. The Swan (a FOX production, naturally) is just like Extreme Makeover, except once the women get a plastic surgery makeover, they THEN compete in a beauty pageant. I cannot even go into how twisted and awful that is. "Sorry, lady. Even after complete re-constructive plastic surgery, you're STILL not pretty enough!" Gross. Thank god neither of these shows is on the air anymore.

Anyway, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (commonly referred to as Extreme Home Makeover, which is really what it should be called) is a welcome departure from the original show. I think. It's a good concept, though I've heard that the homes' quality aren't that great (when you build a mansion in a week, what do you expect though, I guess). I don't know. Superficially, anyway, it seems like a good thing. And the music and these families' stories make me cry. And that is all.

Gotta Watch This

This video is awesome. The Internet Party: What Happens When Google's Parents Leave Town For the Weekend.

Check it out. Please.

I was very productive this weekend with the hanging things up on the walls. Pictures to follow sometime soon.

I am really liking this three-day-weekend of reorganizing, hanging apartment decorations, and just sort of generally cleaning up around here. Sometimes it's just really nice to get settled. Plus, I get to see some family and friends, which is always a plus.

Relaxation. It's good.

I just bought TiVo.

I have been wanting to buy it for a LONG time (months, at least since, like, summer). I can think of 3 instances in the last week (just off the top of my head, without even thinking about it) when I've wanted to use the TiVo I don't have. And tonight, around midnight, I realized I have enough money to pay for it. So I bought it. Also, because I bought it during the holiday rebate season, I'm getting $150 back. The whole thing (1-year pre-paid subscription included) will have cost me under $100 once I get the rebate. I have a feeling it will be SO worth it.

Macworld Wrapup of Sorts

Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to spend the day working at the Google booth at Macworld, and boy howdy, was it an event. At one point, I took my lunch/snack break, and thought it might be fun to wander around the hall to look at the other companies' booths. My god. I haven't felt that overwhelmed and unenthusiastic in a long time. Mostly, I think it was because of the teeming mobs of people, shuffling around somewhat aimlessly (as was I), because man, there were a lot of people and I don't like crowds. Also, I think it had something to do with the fact that I didn't know anything about most of the products. I don't need a designer laptop case, or a rubbery holster for my blackberry. I don't want to buy software I don't understand, though much of it was shiny and pretty. I did eat a fortune cookie that told me something along the lines of "your personality shines the brightest on the showroom floor," though I have no idea what company was handing them out or what they had to do with fortune cookies. Probably nothing.

Anyway, I did have a great time working the schwag counter at the booth. It brought back fond memories of working box office windows, concession stands, bars and merch tables for so many years. I do enjoy the customer service aspect of these jobs -- interacting with people like this is something I think I'm good at and don't get to do all that much. I think it would be really tiring to do it all day, every day, but every once in a while, I do enjoy it. And hey, I got my backside photographed and published online in an article on CNET (Thanks Josh!). I do love his comment about how we were the most popular booth (aside from Apple's, I assume) even though we weren't showcasing any new products (though we did just announce our 2008 Google.org philanthropic efforts). Also, The MacBook Air. Too cool. I mean, come on. It fits in an interoffice envelope. Awesome. I'm not sure how I feel about the iTunes movie rental thing. I don't like watching movies on my laptop if I can help it, and I'm sure not buying an Apple TV thingy. Josh wrote another article about how Apple is possibly trying to get rid of traditional media, and how there is the potential that someday we will rent movies and TV shows (and purchase software?) on our iTunes, watch them on our iTV or iPod and never hold a CD or DVD in our hands again. I don't like that; mostly because, as many of you know, I am not so good with the technologies. Yes, I know I work at Google. But I think there's something to be said for holding a physical THING in your hands. Not that I buy too many CDs these days--truth be told, I tend to buy one or two songs from iTunes and put 'em on my iPod. But I DO burn CDs for road trips and such...which I couldn't do with the MacBook Air, I don't think. I don't think that thing has a CD drive. Maybe it just doesn't have a DVD drive. I don't remember, and I don't care enough to look it up. I think that says something about my feelings towards the technologies, no?

And just one final tidbit...I have less than zero intentions of seeing this movie, but I love this review of Cloverfield. It's the kind of review I love to write. Snarky and sort of mean, but with lots of references that show that I kind of know what I'm talking about. It's my guilty pleasure.

Sara's On Leno! And More!

So, I often get all giddy and excited when I hear good things about Sara and her successes. You would think that I'd be used to it by now, but no. I get super excited and gushy and feel like I want to tell the world how proud I am of this rockin' babe. Cause I am. So, here I am, blogging to the world. I feel like her mom or something -- sorry, Bonnie (hi, Bonnie!) (Bonnie definitely does not read my blog).

Anyway, Sara is going to be on Leno tonight. I don't know if I'll be able to stay up to watch it, but I just found out you can watch full episodes online, so maybe I'll just watch it tomorrow on the way to work.

And also, I just opened iTunes and noticed the following great things. Just had to share screenshots...too cool.

And one final note: I was at Best Buy in December, and there was Sara's CD, with a big ole "Best Buy Recommends: Sara Bareilles Little Voice" sign on it. I took pictures. See below:

Barenaked Ladies, Sara Bareilles...you know

VH1 You Oughta Know Artist!

And yes, I am aware that I am a huge nerd. Love ya, Sara.

JUNO: Michael and Ellen Sing About Jason Reitman

This made me really, really, REALLY happy. It makes me miss the days when I used to improv songs with my friends. I want to do that more. Even though those friends live 400 miles away. Improvising songs is one of the funnest things you can do with your time, I think.

A List...What Else?

So, today I happened upon, or was linked to, several interesting things. I'd like to share them. And y'all know me, a list is my favorite way to do this (yes, I know sometimes I do it in paragraphs, but um, it's still a list of paragraphs. I'm so adventurous).

1. This video, a selection from a new documentary called Before The Music Dies. I definitely want to pay the $2.99 to see the whole thing!
2. This article from the NY Times today...it would be funny if it weren't real. Most of the time while reading this, I found myself sighing and shaking my head. It's so frustrating. What am I talking about? Bling in the Middle East, and Bush's experience with it.
3. This stuff might be the solution to my sort of grimy looking kitchen floor. See post on AT for details.
   
4. This is cool, even though I don't totally understand it. Now you can make your own iGoogle theme. It says that if you can build a website, you can do this. Well, I can't really build a website...but a lot of people out there can! And where did the term "Easter Egg" come from, anyway?
   
5. This poem is really nice. My friend Nick posted it on his blog, at the website for his company, which you should totally check out if you have any interest in digitizing your non-digital photos/home videos (of any format!). It's really great. Yes, a friend of mine started a company.
   

So...check 'em out!

Reasons I Don't Want To Watch "10 Items or Less"

1. "The show given an A- by Entertainment Weekly" - Why would I want to watch a show that was given an A- by Entertainment Weekly?
   
2. "A more spazzy, fast-paced version of The Office" - More spazzy? Really? And, um, I like the fact that The Office is not "fast-paced." That's kind of what makes it brilliant.
   
3. "The show that is so big it will leave you breathless" - This doesn't even make sense.

These quotes are from the actual commercial advertisements for the show 10 Items or Less which follows the reruns of The Office on TBS. I do not plan on watching it. No thank you.

I can't stop laughing.

Maybe I'm a little giddy because I've been staring at a computer doing expense reports for the last 6 hours (numbers make my brain hurt), but I cannot stop laughing at this.

Please do yourself a favor, especially if you're having a bad-brain day, and go to this website. Thank you, Sara. Thank you so, so, so, so much.

Meet Me At Macworld...and more!

I was recruited (oh, ok, I volunteered) to work at the Google Schwag booth at Macworld next week. I've always thought Macworld sounded kind of ridiculous and fun, and I'm really excited to get to go. I won't get to hear the keynote or anything (you actually have to PAY to hear that), but whatever. It'll be up on YouTube soon after the event anyway. And let's be honest, I probably won't understand what half of the jargon is anyway...I'm not THAT big of a MacNerd. More like a MacLover. I digress.

Google has posted its Official Announcement about our being there, and you should really come by and check it out if you can. You can still get free admission (reminder: free doesn't get you into the keynote) and other kinds of admission (which come with cool perks) by going to this website. I will be working ALL DAY on Tuesday the 15th, so come on by and say hi! We'll have lots of cool schwag I'm sure, but we might make you earn it!

In other news, I think wall stickers are the stupidest invention ever. I mean, they're just dumb. [note: I have always had a weird OCD dislike of stickers, which may or may not affect my viewpoint of this particular style of home decor. I'm just saying is all.] I mean, come on. A giant sticker? For your WALL? It sounds to me like it would look really cheesy, and every time I see one I want to vomit (Really??? A fingerprint?? On your wall?? REALLY???! Who honestly thinks that is a good idea?). They make me sick. They're so dumb and hipster-looking, and I really just don't understand how this became trendy. Though I guess the fact that it's trendy means it's bound to be idiotic, right? And that's my honest-to-goodness opinion. Truly.

Want to see something that WON'T make you hurl? Check out these old-school ads, sent to me by the incomparable Erin (sent to her by a boy named Jon). They won't fill you with disgust, unless really funny (funny uh-oh AND funny ha-ha) things make you sick. Ok, so they're a little disturbing...but in that "oh, those people in the 1950's. what were they thinking?" sort of way. Which I happen to love.

And a Happy Thursday to you!

Lists and Links

Call me a nut for all things homemakery, but here are a couple things I'd like to share:

Lifehacker's Top 10 Food and Drink Hacks. Things like how to close a bag of chips without a chip clip. Now what am I going to do with my collection??

Tile Tattoos. I think they might make my kitchen look too cluttered (very small, not a lot of counter/backsplash space), but they are so rad! On some cheap tile, they would even make pretty coasters.


And on a non-housey note:

Jon Carroll wrote a funny article about liberal vs. conservative media support. Made me laugh. A lot.

Mark Morford's Top 12 Top 10 lists of 2007. I really like it a lot, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it. Duh. But it's actually a really interesting list.

And Giselle Bundchen (a really hot model, apparently) posing in a water-dress. Yes, a dress made of water. I don't know how they took this photo, my guess is a lot of photoshop, but it's really cool no matter how it's done. Another picture, different pose, different "dress," same level of hotness here. And because I know you're as fascinated as I am, here's the page of Google Image Search results.

Enjoy, and Happy Wednesday!

Impossible is the Opposite of Possible

Too many brilliant quotes to quote. Thanks to Sara for sharing this with her blog, and thus with me.

Lasagna For A Week, part 2

Ok, so the lasagna is delicious. Absolutely delicious. I served it on a bed of spinach, just for a little extra-healthiness. I was a little nervous about the bread, because it looked like the cheesy garlicky part was just in the center, but it turns out to be delightfully garlicky all the way through. Yum! Photos below:

the lasagna in all its glory

the bread

the place setting

the lasagna with my piece cut out of it, for proportion

I think I'm going to go have another piece, with another little piece of bread. Mmmm.

Lasagna For A Week

I purchased a crock pot over the weekend, I hope to start making large batches of soup/chili on Sunday nights to turn on Monday mornings, so when I get home from work I'll have a nice, warm dinner waiting for me. I want to make large batches so I can freeze the leftovers (unless I want to eat it that same week).

This post doesn't have anything to do with the crock pot though.

I am writing this while I wait for my giant batch of "lasagna" to bake, and I thought I'd share my recipe. I sort of made it up as I went along, using recipes for various lasagnas to estimate baking time/temp. So...here ya go:

Kim's Healthy Lasagna

• 1 pkg (mine was 1.25 lbs) ground turkey (I chose 99% fat free ground turkey from Trader Joe's, but you can really use whatever ground meat you like best. Ground sirloin is mighty tasty)
  
• 1 jar marinara sauce (whatever you have on hand; I used two 1/2 empty jars of Classico, different "flavors" but it doesn't matter at all)
• 4 zucchini, sliced thin
  
• various spices, I'll list as I go
• lots of cheese; I used shredded mozzarella, jack and cheddar, with some grated parmesan just for good measure.
• 1/2 spaghetti squash (I had 1/2 leftover from some I made the other night)
• spinach, if desired
  

Cook spaghetti squash: if you have 1/2, you've already sliced it lengthwise. If you only have a whole squash, you can certainly use all of it -- I kinda wished I had more to go around, actually. Anyway, take your 1/2 squash, and put it in a microwave-safe dish with a bit (1/4 cup-ish) of water. Cover it with saran wrap and microwave for approx. 10 minutes. Let it stand and cool for about 5 minutes or so before you scrape a fork along the inside to separate it into spaghetti-like strands. The scraping is my favorite part; I still think it's pretty rad.

While squash is cooking: start on your meat. Empty the package into a pan that is big enough to hold the meat. It cooks faster/better if you sort of mash/crumble it as you go. Otherwise, you have to spend some time crumbling it up with a spatula while it's cooking. Which is totally fine, and I always end up doing that anyway. Season the meat with whatever spices you have on hand. I used oregano, lemon pepper, chili powder, paprika, and some steak/chop grill seasoning. I like to add the grill seasoning to my meat sauces because it gives things a little bit of a smoky meaty flavor. Let the meat do its thing in the pan until it's cooked -- it won't be pink/red anymore; you'll be able to tell. Every once in a while, stir it around and use up a spatula to break up the bits that have clumped together.

While meat is cooking: make the sauce. Pour whatever sauce you have into a pot that is big enough to hold sauce and meat (the sauce alone should fill the pot about halfway, I've found). I added some frozen basil cubes (I love Trader Joe's) and a little dash of the grill seasoning, just for fun. Once the meat is done and the sauce is warm, add the meat to the sauce.

You can slice the zucchini while the sauce/meat is heating/cooking up; I forgot to mention that.

By this time, the squash should be done. The meaty sauce should be done. The zucchini should be sliced. Tonight, that all happened wonderfully at the same time, but I think it always happens like that. And I think that's because the meat/sauce/slicing stuff takes about 15 minutes. Magic.

Get out your big ole lasagna pan (any baking dish will do; I have a deep-ish 13x9" pan, but I've also made smaller batches in square pans). Layer like so: light layer of sauce; squash; zucchini; cheese; sauce; squash; zucchini; cheese; more cheese. I love a thick-crispy-gooey layer of cheese on top of my lasagna. Mmmmm.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at approx 350 degrees. I think. I'm waiting for it to come out of the oven now. I will post a follow-up with details on how it came out. Perhaps I will take pictures.

Enjoy!

update: my apartment smells amazing, and I just stuck a loaf of TJ's Organic White Cheddar Roasted Garlic Filone (fancy word for bread?) in with it for the next few minutes. Heating up bread (baguette, batard, ciabatta, filone, whatever) for about 5 minutes in the oven really makes a difference. The crust gets crusty and the inside is warm and squishy. It really makes it all bread-wonderful.

I Want A Pet: Pros and Cons

I have been thinking lately that I want a pet. Why? Probably because it's winter, which is basically cuddle-time, and also because my neighbors have a new puppy and I saw my friend's new puppy, and my old roommate's new kitty...and they're just so darn cute I want one of my own! However, I do not think I will be getting one soon.

Cons:

• cleaning a litter box/picking up poop
• cost of pet food
• cost and time commitment of going to the vet
• a cat would probably get bored in my small apartment, and I wouldn't want it to go outside (too many busy streets)
• a dog would have to be walked a few times a day, and also would get bored all day in my apt (I can't bring it to work every day)
  
• finding pet-sitters
• cat/dog hair all over everything

Pros:

• really cute and cuddly

So...yeah. I won't be getting a pet any time soon. But it's nice to think about, and someday, when I have reached a point in my life when I'm not annoyed that I have to deal with making sure my plants get sunlight and water, I'll look more seriously into getting a pet. For now, I'll just visit my friends and neighbors to get my fill of cute and cuddly creatures.

Resolution-y

I went to the gym this afternoon. It felt good, though I could definitely tell that it's been too long. I took a shower afterwards, and I am feeling more awake and more ready to have a good evening than I have in a while.

Here's what I think:

• exercise releases endorphins which make you happy. this is a known fact. i think.
• showering makes you feel good. makes me feel good, at least.
• going to the gym/showering from 3:30-5pm is the perfect way to break up my afternoon.
• showering at work means I don't "have" to shower at home, which is good when I have a list of things I want to accomplish in the 4 hours between getting home and going to sleep!
  

Now I will go home, and I WILL organize/clean out my hutch (on my to-do-list for yesterday, but I was taking care of The Boy, who was feeling sick...excuses, excuses)!!!

"Without the MacGuffin, I will not go near this thing."

It is articles like this that make me want to subscribe to Vanity Fair. But then I remember all the advertisements, and the wasted paper, and that I receive too much paper in the mail anyway...and I realize I can just read it online. Does my not paying for a subscription hurt the magazine? I don't think so, or they wouldn't have it available for free online. And I can just ignore the ads online...shhhh.

New Year's Resolutions, Short and Sweet.

I am going to try to make this short and sweet for a few reasons, mainly because I am a list-fanatic and will end up with a list of 150 resolutions if I don't. So, here we go...

1. Eat less, exercise more. I think that's pretty self-explanatory, but I'd like to exercise more frequently than my usual maybe-once-a-week-if-I'm-lucky. Like everyone this time of year, I'm wishing I was more toned and less flabby in certain areas, but I'd also like to just feel healthier in general. I eat pretty well, but I sometimes forget that just because food is healthy doesn't mean you should eat 10 servings. I hear exercising also gives you more energy, and that's always a good thing too. Overall, I think I will be a healthier, happier person (not that I'm not happy) if I can just suck it up and go to the gym. Goal: 30-45 minutes, 3 times a week.
2. Spend more time with my girlfriends. I have a pretty great group of girlfriends up here, and I don't see them nearly as much as I'd like to. And as much as I love lounging around with The Boy, I think it's important for me to remember my friendships outside our relationship, and not to let a month go by without seeing my friend's beautiful baby girl, or without indulging in a little silly movies/pedicures/gossip session. I love these girls, and I don't want to grow apart because we don't see each other enough. Goal: at least one girl-time day/night a month.
   
3. Organize a bi-weekly craft night. This kind of goes along with number 2. I have been talking to a few friends at work about organizing a craft night, where we meet at someone's house for snacks and chatting while we work on whatever craft we like, be it knitting or beading or scrapbooking, etc. I used to go to a monthly-ish knitting night when I worked at the theatre, but it kind of fizzled out, and I don't work there anymore anyway. I'd like to get the girls from the knitting night together with the girls from work, and anyone else who'd like to join in and make it a solid thing, every other week. I'm thinking a Friday night. I'm picturing cheesy movies, celebrity gossip, yummy snacks, and finally finishing my scrapbook from two years ago. And start some new knitting projects. Goal: every other Friday night, craft night with the girls.
4. Keep my apartment clean. I think that if I'm having people over every other week, I'll have a built-in motivator, but in general, I'd like to implement a regular cleaning schedule so that the bathroom sink doesn't get to that "oh my god I have to clean this" place, or so that I don't notice small clusters of dust bunnies in corners. Hopefully my new Kone will help with the little day-to-day maintenance. :-) Goal: have an apartment that is always clean enough for a surprise guest.

So, those are my New Year's Resolutions for 2008. They're not as abstract as resolutions in the past have been ("do my best to live day-to-day rather than obsessively planning for the future" and all that), which I think I like. I think having more concrete goals will help me to achieve them, and these are all things that I really do want to do in the next year.

Best wishes with whatever resolutions and goals you are setting for yourself, if you are setting any at all. Happy 2008!

I love someecards!

I KNEW this was the dress!

Sorry, sorry, I know I haven't posted pictures of me in the dress yet...but here is further proof that this was a good purchase. If Mindy Kaling and Oprah (and my gut instinct) were right, I should have known Real Simple Magazine would be right too. Nothing like a little affirmation to close out the year!

Happy New Year! Entry about skiing and New Year's resolutions forthcoming...

Lightbulbs of Fire

Call it what you will, this morning (it woke me up at 6am) I had the following dream:

I was in the passenger seat of a small car, driving up the freeway, presumably home from work. The driver was driving a little faster and a little closer to other cars as I'd have liked. Up in the sky off to our left, I saw this bright orange flashing, smoky light, kind of like a fire. Suddenly there was a loud noise and a giant (like, the size of an 18-wheeler) lightbulb came careening down through the sky, burning bright orange. There were those big billowy fire clouds all around it, like what you see when a car explodes in a movie or something, and the lightbulb crashed not far behind our car. We kept driving, and the car spun out, as bits of glass and fire crashed all around us -- I think at some point we drove through those fire-clouds. I woke up and was really hot. Like, really hot, and my heart was beating super fast.

I went back to sleep, cuddled up to The Boy, cause, well, you know...dreams are scary. But when I woke up about an hour later, I suddenly had the perfect gift idea! Was the glowing, burning lightbulb a premonition? Coincidence? YOU Decide!

Seemingly (and mostly) Unrelated Paragraphs

I had lunch today with the fabulous Andrea, a friend I've known since our Once Upon A Mattress days in high school, who just happens to work about 15 minutes away from Google. I just love lunch with her; it's like the best combination of blast-from-the-past and gabbing-with-a-girlfriend and I was looking forward to it all morning. And then at lunch she confessed that she reads this here blog (total readership: 9?), and I figured I'd throw in a little shout out. So, HI ANDREA! I WANT TO EAT LUNCH WITH YOU EVERY DAY!

It was raining this morning, and I wore my rainboots (or Wellies, as some fabulous people [cough cough Andrea cough cough] call them. I am not cool enough to call them Wellies.) for the first time all year. My rainboots are awesome. I got them a few years ago from Land's End, and they look like this, except they're light blue with a grayish darker blue trim. Also, they're not for kids. Or ARE THEY??? I also kind of love these kids ones, because who doesn't want their feet to look like strawberries?? Oh come on, you know I do. Let it be known that I love these (b&w AND "multi"), these (love me some watermelon!), and these (I could SO rock the pink argyle!). I think these are the ugliest things ever (from the "old lady loves to garden" collection, I suppose. color = vegetable???), and I detest these for some reason (though I'm sure they're both very popular). And I can't decide if this pair is cute or atrocious. Kind of like a child's scribbling gone bad.

My friend Dina posted about this in her blog, and I had to re-post here because it is so fabulously awesome. It belongs to the category of things I think are SNL sketches until I find out they're real. Ladies and Gents, please check out Business Bib at your earliest convenience. Warning: the pictures in their flickr photoset are kind of freaky. Either way, I kind of want to forward it to all of my managers. And, um, scratch that, I just did. And, um, also? I just clicked on a random piece in the "showroom" to look at (I thought the name was funny), and it was this one. Spooky...

I love the way the "mom" character on that vacuum commercial (how vague can I be?) says "spooky." It makes me giggle every time.

The videos on this Gmail Blog post made me a little smiley inside. I'm not having kids for a long time, but when I do, I kind of want to steal this guy's email journal idea.

I don't read Jon Carroll in the SF Gate all that much, but I frequently like what I do read. For example, this post about money and how we use it and how weird and silly it all is. I tend to have thoughts like this a lot, about how we're all movin' along in our little world, taking care of our day to day schleppings (just made up that word, oh YEAH i did!) and not thinking about things like how silly it is, for example, that we hear a strangely distorted version of a popular song, press a button on a plastic device, and have a conversation with our friends in the Netherlands from our sofas in Berkeley. Or how we open our laptops and click "print," and our managers receive boarding passes printed to their desks in another state. Technology sometimes freaks me out.

Our holiday bonuses have been announced, and that means I will soon be the proud owner of TiVo. I can't freaking wait. If I had TiVo yesterday, I could have logged on to my TiVo account and set it to record the channel 5 news yesterday evening, and I wouldn't have missed seeing a .1412412135 second clip of me wrapping presents for underprivileged children. Glory! It shall be mine! (more on those kids later)

Also, with my bonus, I might just have to purchase THIS GLORIOUS PIECE OF WORK. I fell in love with it here when I saw it on dooce, and I fell in love with it again when it was a decoration at the Google Holiday Party, and I am just so in love with it that I feel like it already belongs in my home, and I am just going to be disappointed each time I look at the empty space on my wall where it will someday hang. My god, I love it so much, and it would be so perfect on the wall above my TV. Also, this piece (which I also saw on dooce) is on sale, and thus, I might have to get both. But we'll see. Let's not go crazy, here.

I bought a tent from a guy at work today for $15. I figure it's a good investment, since I wished I had one this past summer, and I definitely plan on taking multiple weekend camping trips once it gets warm outside again (ha! It's mid-December and I'm already thinking about summer!)

So, yesterday I spent 2 hours at a warehouse in Milpitas, CA checking and wrapping gifts as a volunteer project with Family Giving Tree. Google sent a bunch of us over there, and I'm really glad they did. This is really a worthy project, and if you have a second, you should take a look at their website. It started as a school project at San Jose State, and has blossomed into a truly fabulous organization that provides gifts to over 75,000 kids each year. I'm proud to have been a volunteer elf here this year, and I hope to be able to do it again (and maybe for more than 2 hours, which just wasn't enough time!!!) next year.

This weekend, I will attempt to ski for the first time with The Boy's family (for the first time, ever, not just with his family. just to clarify.). It should be interesting, and fun, and all that, and I'm excited to finally become a big girl and strap on a pair, but mostly, I'm excited for SNOW. We don't have snow back where I come from (oh, Los Angeles, with your 1 inch of snow every 25 years, maybe), and I'm SO STOKED to experience winter. And we're doing it at Timberline Lodge which just looks like the perfect place to do it. As The Boy said, it will be a "good introduction to winter." I never knew people actually needed to be introduced to winter, but hey, you learn something new every day I guess. So, I'm very excited, especially since, as this is a 4-day work week for me, the week is almost over! The downside? I still haven't unpacked from my 5-day excursion home last week, so between tonight and Thursday night, I have to unpack, put away laundry, wrap presents, re-pack for snow, and clean my apartment (it was a disaster zone when I came home late Sunday night, and I do NOT want to experience that again).

Only a few hours left of work, and then I'm off to Project Get Ready For Vacation, Part II! YEAH!

Rockin' the ALL CAPS,
Kim

A Champion List-Maker

So, as you probably know if you've read a few of these blog entries, I like to make lists. I don't just like it, I love it. I excel at it. I could probably win a list-making competition. I rule at lists. Something to be proud of? Probably not. But here's another list, because that is the way I like to organize my thoughts.

1. I have to go to Target and possibly IKEA for work today (to buy Legos and pillows and other such decorative items for the new lounge I set up). I am way too excited about this.
2. I have been feeling a little guilty lately because my most recent blogs have basically been me posting videos and saying "go watch this" without any explanation. I always get annoyed when bloggers do this, because sometimes I am at work while I am reading and can't watch a video. Sometimes I can only read quietly. But here I am, having posted far too many "check out this video" posts...mostly out of laziness. I am too lazy. New Year's Resolution: Don't Be Lazy!
3. I have made approximately 3 different holiday gift lists. These are not wish lists, these are lists of each person I am getting a holiday gift for and what I am getting them, including different colors for whether or not the gift has been purchased. I am so damn organized I annoy myself. Why the multiple lists, you ask? Well, since you're so interested, I'll tell you. The first was online, using Google Docs, because I was thinking about it while at work, and wanted to be able to access the list even if I couldn't find the piece of paper it was written on. The second was on a piece of paper, because I realized I couldn't take the online list shopping with me unless I printed it out, which I was too lazy to do because I was curled up on the couch (there happened to be paper and pen nearby) and my printer is in the bedroom. The third was on paper at work, because I had left my original paper one at home and wanted to see if I could remember everything to know how much Google Schwag to order online. The fourth I am thinking about making right now, because nothing says Holiday Season like a list. Also, I am anal and want to make sure I haven't forgotten anyone/thing before I make my work-related Target run...you know...since I'll be there anyway.
4. I don't know what I would do if I found out that Target had bad employee practices or something.
5. Same goes for Bed, Bath and Beyond.
6. And IKEA.
7. I am going home for post-Chanukkah tomorrow. The next few weeks look like this: Los Angeles (5 days), work (4 days), Oregon/Washington (8 days), Berkeley/New Year's/no work (4 days). Basically, in the next 3 weeks, I am working for 4 days. And only using 6 of my vacation days. I love the holidays.
8. One of my co-workers brought in a huge tin of holiday cookies from her dad. I will be eating them soon. I have also been eating a ton of holiday cookies that I made in a cooking class at work. I love cookies.
9. My BFF Reed makes really nice hats, and I have been wearing the ones she has made me almost every day, and getting tons of compliments. She should feel free to make me as many hats as she wants to.
10. My cube at work looks like the holidays vomited all over it. I need to take pictures, but I left my camera at home. It's a crappy camera anyway. When I get back next week, I'll be sure to post pictures. I think.

Well, the list has 10 items, and I'm anxious to go to Laura's cube and fill my mouth with cookies, so that will have to suffice for now. Oh, and the holiday party dress? Totally a success. Thank you, Oprah and Mindy Kaling (aka Kelly Kapoor).

A Funny Video

Wednesday. That is all.

I have been having a crazy week, and today is no exception. I have a brief moment to pause and reflect while I anxiously (seriously, though) await my delivery from IKEA. This has been one of the greater hassles of my life, and all I can say is my co-workers better appreciate the deluxe new lounge I am setting up! The delivery is supposed to arrive "between noon and 4pm," and it is currently 3:20pm. There's not much in this world that is more frustrating than waiting for a delivery. Why do they always come at the end? And why do I have a meeting that starts at 4pm? And why do I have a sick feeling that this isn't going to be easy?

In other news, here are two videos for you to watch. They are funny. You should watch them.

1. Give the Jew Girl Toys. I do love Sarah Silverman, and this video is just more reason to.
2. Here Comes Another Bubble. A Cappella meets Dot Com. I thought it was pretty funny.

Also, my new party dress (in "mauve," which is the burgundy one) just arrived today. I tried it on in the bathroom at work (couldn't wait to get home!!!), and was a little underwhelmed. Sad. Sad. Sad. But that's what happens when you get your expectations up too high. It's really quite pretty, and I think once I practice and learn to tie it right, and wear heels (instead of my jeans pushed down around my ankles because I was too hurried to take them off), it will actually look nice. Of course, now that I ordered it, it's on sale for $30 less than I bought it for (which, admittedly was $70 less than the original price), so that's a little annoying, but oh well. I needed it ASAP, for the holiday party at work this weekend.

I want to go home and try it on and look fabulous and indulge my girlieness! I do! Also, I kind of want to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and knit while I watch HGTV. Ah, it's looking to be quite an evening.

Happy Chanukkah, All!

Holiday Bonus?

If/when I get a holiday bonus this year (apparently all full-time employees do), I want to buy:

• a new digital camera (not sure what kind yet)
• TiVo

Whatever I don't spend, I will save in my "fun stuff" cash box, which I have not put anything into in a while. This box is basically my keep-some-spare-cash-around box, so when I want to splurge on a little something (or an unexpected need for a gift arises), I don't have to tap into my checking account.

Holiday bonus, come now! I am impatient! :-)

The holidays put me in a mood that is simultaneously nostalgic and consumerist. I think they're supposed to do that, according to "the man" anyway. You feel all warm and fuzzy and festive, and you want to buy things to make you feel that way all the time. Like pumpkin-spice candles, and soon apple-cinnamon candles, and warm sweaters, and new shoes, and and and and and....I'm not usually this stuff-driven, I swear. But sometimes it's fun to indulge.

I feel so spoiled and, well, American. But at least I'm aware of it, right?

A Night at the Opera

I love pleasant surprises, I really do. So when my friend Stephanie called me yesterday afternoon asking if I wanted a free ticket to the San Francisco Opera that night, I was very excited. There was a bit of confusion -- I thought she said La Racine, then I thought it was La Rondine (Puccini), and it turned out to be The Rake's Progress (Stravinsky). Needless to say, I was totally surprised when I showed up. But very pleasantly so.

The opera itself wasn't really my thing. Too Faustian, not enough making sense...and I feel like there was a lot that I just flat-out didn't get. But oh well. The performers were great, and I liked the music (good thing I'm into atonal Stravinsky). The real star of the show, though, was the set. So, So, So, So, SO COOL. It had all these hydraulic parts, with parts of the floor opening up, things coming up from underneath, and just really remarkable transformation capability in general. I can't talk about it very well for some reason, maybe I'm tired, but the design was really very good.

Here is an example: the swimming pool. The lights made it look like the water was rippling, and they had it set up so there was an open space (unseen by the audience) so that people could dive into it - they even had a small water splash happen whenever someone did. It was really, really fun.

And best of all? The whole night was free (shuttle from work to SF, free ticket, ride home from Steph)! Heck yes.

If you're having a bad day...

...like I am, check out these two things.

One: A really, really gross photo explanation of how to make a "turducken"

Two: A really, really cool website that tells you what recipes you can make from what you have in your house

I can't guarantee it will make your day any better, but it will distract you for a few minutes.

Sometimes, I Am Totally a Girl

Ok, so sometimes I go into what I call Girl Mode, which is less of a Mode and more of a Mood (maybe?). When I go into Girl Mode, I want to Go Shopping. Let's get one thing straight before I go into this: I am not a shopper. I do not like the mall, I don't like spending money, and I hate crowds. But sometimes, on occasion, I want...I need...to wander around with a girlfriend and just look at pretty things. Sometimes, if the mood strikes, I buy a pretty thing. And then I feel all girlish and giggly and embarrassed but really sort of giddy all over. It's terrible, really. But a part of life, I believe.

So. This Sunday, I got together with the lovely Emika, and after a delightful lunch at Venus (always a long wait, so worth it -- though I'm sticking to me tried and true eggs benedict next time; my veggie nest was too much like a salad), I decided to take her to Bay Street. Now, Bay Street is nothing special, but it is the perfect solution to my "mall bad, shopping good" Girl Mode. It basically has all the stores I love (with the exception of Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond, but that would just be dangerous), in a simple, easy to access strip, but it's not a strip mall. I'm not good at describing things, apparently, so just check out the website if you're interested.

We wandered through H&M, thinking nothing was too special (but then, that's H&M for ya, isn't it? Really good if you know what you want and they happen to have it, not so good for inspirational). But then, oh then, we decided to go to Banana Republic. This store has always been the "when I have a real job, I can go in here and look around" store for me. Not that I can justify, or afford, a $98 cap sleeve shirt, but now I can totally look around and see if there is anything beautiful on sale. Like these shoes:

which I totally purchased. They were originally $68, but I got them at 30% off, so they were under $50. For a beautiful pair of yellow/gold pleated satin ballet flats, I'd say that's pretty darn good. I've been trying to spend more than $20 on a pair of shoes lately--I've come to a point in my life where comfort reigns over cost where shoes are concerned, thanks to one Payless Shoes blister too many. Honestly, on shoes, it's worth it to spend a little more. And it's not like I'm spending $200; $50 on shoes is actually considered average-to-cheap. Who knew? Now I'm just trying to resist buying them in plum (or Brinjal Purple), which apparently is my new favorite color.

Speaking of plum-colored satin, Emika bought this amazing purse. It was only $35 on sale, and it is SO not a $35 purse. It's beautiful and glorious and I can't believe I'm talking about a purse like this but if you could only see it in person you would understand oh my god. It is lovely. Here is a picture that does not do it any justice whatsoever:

My god, it is so perfect, I am more than considering buying it in teal. Or "artisan blue." Whatever, it's teal. And for $35, I might have to treat myself. Again. Damn you, 3-paycheck November!

I think I can justify it because it looks like I'm getting a free flight to Washington for Christmas with The Boy's family. Thank you, Southwest Rapid Rewards! So, that saves me about $350...most of which I will put in savings, spend on other people's gifts, etc....but what's $35 for a truly exceptional handbag? It also comes in the beautiful yellow (which they call "kayak yellow" -- gross) of my ballet flats, but I'm not so crazy as to go all matchy-matchy here.

I am currently on a mission to find the perfect party dress...which I wanted to find in a luscious plum, teal, navy or hunter green satin, but I don't know if that is going to happen, really. But now that I have yellow satin flats, and the potential teal satin handbag (maybe I'll visit Banana Republic on the day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday, aka Am I Crazy??? Maybe just a little), I should really find a dress so I can feel all pretty this holiday season.

Oh god, I am being silly. I'm stopping. Now.

Checking your address on Google Maps

I'm in another video -- and this feature is really cool! Check it out! For more info, go to: http://maps.google.com/help/maps/edit/promo.html

PS - it's about 30 seconds long.

PPS - I am the token girl.

A Two Hour Nap, A Two Hour Nap

I just woke up from a two hour nap. What? I haven't taken a nap on a Saturday afternoon in I can't remember how long! Now I'm feeling sleepy and lethargic, and am just waiting around for my second wind.

Funny note: I just started watching Bridget Jones's Diary, and have noticed something funny. Shirley Henderson's character Jude is described as spending most of her days at work locked in the women's bathroom, crying about her boyfriend/husband. Shirley Henderson also plays Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies (which came out one year after Bridget Jones). In case you don't know, Moaning Myrtle is a ghost who spends all of her time crying in the girls' bathroom. Coincidence? I think not! :-) Also interesting...I had no idea she was not a young adult (around the age of the rest of the kids in HP) -- she was born in 1965!

I went to IKEA today and used about half of the $80 gift card I received when I purchased my couch to buy the kind of almost-frivolous home decor I would probably not use my own money for...things like candle dishes, baskets to organize my linen closet, and a spring-form cake pan. And a garlic press, and an egg slicer, and a bread basket, and some super cute candle holders. I love having "free money" at IKEA. I am such a nerd.

Now I am on a hunt for some pretty looking and pretty smelling block candles. It's easy to find the Christmas or "holiday" smelling ones (and actually, I already have an apple cinnamon candle ready in the linen closet...I bring it out every year for a month or so), but I'm having a hard time finding something pumpkin-y. We were at The Boy's cousin's house the other night, and they had these gorgeous orange candles that were almost mosaic-like, and they smelled deliciously like fall. Not like pumpkin pie, but definitely pumpkin. I would love to find some of these! Any ideas in/near Berkeley? The scented candles at Walgreens and IKEA are just not doing it for me.

Ok, now for a list of links I've been saving up for far too long:

• Barack Obama came to work last week. The line to get in was intense. It was standing room only. And I thought he was a very very good speaker. The link will take you to information about the visit, as well as to a video of his speech/Q&A.
• This puzzle floor is way cool. Way cool.
• Not that I need another tote-type bag, but check this out. I really, really like it. And now that it was just payday (in 3-paycheck November!), I'm having a very hard time resisting...
• GradGirl wrote about her recent transition into being the boss at her work. One thing she doesn't like is the loss of that feeling of employee camaraderie. Now, I'm not going to say that there's no manager-employee boundary at Google, or that there isn't a definite difference between employees and their superiors, but it's definitely different from most places. It's a very odd sort of non-hierarchy here, especially in the engineering departments. I mean, there are different levels of employees and managers, but it's just a very open communication line. There is a lot of freedom, and a lot of this sort of trust, I guess. Also, the managers of my team came with us on our recent off-site trip to Sky High Sports, where even the "higher up" engineering directors played Extreme Dodgeball, getting really into it when we ended up playing "grown ups vs. kids" against a very talented group of 10 year old boys who had the day off school.
  
• If you want to know about some really cool new Gmail features, click here. It's actually a very nice and friendly explanation of the features.
• An article about my friend Peter.

My downstairs neighbors have been playing very loud music for the last hour and a half (maybe more, since I was asleep). Le sigh. Time to be productive.

Rainy Saturday

Today is Saturday, and it is raining. The Boy and I slept in until a glorious 10:00am, and then went to buy me a little $25 bookshelf that I found on Craigslist. We went to a drizzly Berkeley Farmer's Market, stocked up on approximately $45 worth of fresh produce, cheese and bread (between the two of us), and I drove him to his tailgate. Now I am curled up on my comfy couch, after having eaten some yummy deviled eggs (from already hard boiled eggs I took from work on my way home on Friday -- they're just going to go bad anyway, right?), watching the U$C/Cal game and being generally pleased.

My only complaint is that my apartment is a bit chilly. The windows are really old, and I don't think they keep the cold out very well. Additionally, I haven't quite solved the rug situation, so my hardwood floors are bare and not absorbing any of the heat, or cold, or whatever carpet/rugs are supposed to do to make your house warmer. Do any of you readers out there (hellooo? I know you're out there somewhere!) have any low-cost, renter-friendly suggestions for keeping the cold out and the warm in? I have a rather old space/wall heater, and I'm going to have to give in eventually and make my landlord get it to operate, but it's probably expensive to run, and I'm sure it doesn't work all that well anyway.

Help!

Other than that, things are business as usual at Chez Kim. I haven't gotten as much cleaning done today as I would have liked, but I did pay my bills (and there are still two more paychecks coming this month! Granted, the second will go almost entirely to December's rent, but still...Wahoo!) Time to start thinking about holiday shopping...? It is November, after all.

Hopefully this rain will ease up a bit. For now, I'm going to turn on my mini-dorm-sized-space-heater (seriously, it's like 6"x6"), put on some slippers and curl up on the couch with some hot chocolate and my knitting. Go Bears.

The Writers' Guild Strike

A writer friend sent me this video, and I thought I would share. Simple and informative. Check it out.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Man, vacation was a good idea. We started down the coast to Santa Cruz, to visit my little sister and take her out to a nice lunch. She was very appreciative--and we certainly remembered what it's like to have just started college...and how nice it was to be taken out to a good meal every once in a while! We ate on the pier, and saw tons of seals. A great way to start out the trip!

We stayed at the Lighthouse Lodge (my yelp review), which turned out to be great. The photo below is of the lovely vaulted ceilings.

The main attraction of this vacation was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. So much fun. Photos below:

adorable otter

I loved these jellies!

These too...

Oh, and these...

I'm wild about otters!!!

We also ate at the amazing Passionfish restaurant (my review here). This was our big splurge meal ($100 total for the two of us), though really, considering the fact that we had a 1/2 bottle of wine, 2 salads, 2 entrees and dessert, that's really not too bad. I wish we had eaten here a second time instead of spending almost as much at Blue Moon (my review here), which I'm not even going to link to because it was so unpleasant. BUT, Blue Moon was the only unpleasant thing about the vacation. And I wish we could go back right. now. It was really fun to do a "grown-up" thing like taking a vacation. Ah, having a job :-)

Project Clean My Apartment is going pretty well. I need to do a good Swiffering and there are still things here and there that need to be put away, and there's a big load of cardboard (boxes from the couch) that need to be flattened and folded for recycling...but overall, it's ok. Hopefully it will be clean enough to take pictures of tomorrow. I'm sitting on my new couch right now, and it's just so nice!!!

Real World: IKEA

Ok, so I know I REALLY haven't posted in a long time, but I was on vacation. And I will post pictures of adorable otters soon. And of my new couch. Maybe even tomorrow. But for now, check out this video:



I think it's a funny concept; kind of reminds me of a combination of flash mobs and improv. I'm bummed that the one girl basically has no character, but if someone like Jessie* had been involved, it would have been way funnier. In the world of comedy, if you are a female, you have to work a little bit harder to be taken seriously. Or funnily, I guess.

Blogger says that funnily is a word. Ha. Ha. Ha.

*if you type in www.seriouslyjazzed.blogpsot.com instead of www.seriouslyjazzed.blogspot.com, you get a scary bible website. Try it. It's very fun. (not really)

Post Number 100 - Sara's New Video

Sara's new video was just released (if that's what you call it) online, and I thought I would share it with you in honor of my 100th post. Or something. Here it is. It's really fun, super cute, and pretty fun to watch. Plus, there are some pretty sweet dance moves from a man with glasses.

Enjoy!

More Videos

Having Just Returned from LA

The sun was setting so nicely over the green-brown hills, touching them with a simultaneously spectacular and soothing golden haze. But then I realized that the reason I could take advantage of this stunning view was that I was on the 405 South, stuck in traffic. And perched on top of those otherwise rolling hills are the McMansions of the stupidly rich.

Such is Los Angeles: at once breathtakingly lovely and terrifyingly unnatural.


Being in LA stresses me out; there are just too many people trying to get to too many places too fast. And they all seem to be angry. There's a sort of understood violent subtext in the air, where if you let your guard down for even one second, you will be cut off, nearly killed, or at the very least scowled at. And that's just merging from the 405 to the 101. Oy.

The weather was (and generally is) lovely...until the Santa Ana winds picked up (at one point, they were blowing at 83 mph!) started a few really bad fires through Malibu, Castaic and other areas of the coast. Last night I heard there were upwards of 700 firefighters working on the coast, and Pepperdine was being evacuated. They lost the big Presbyterian church and Castle Kashan which had always been driving-to-the-beach landmarks (for me anyway), schools are closed, you can smell the smoke from miles away. Driving back up the 101 N yesterday afternoon, we drove through thick clouds of yellow-brown smoke for at least an hour.

Nothing too out of the ordinary for October in LA, but every year fire season surprises me anyway.

In happier news, my friend Sterling just booked a 4-year contract with All My Children. His character's name is Dre, and apparently he is in a garage band. I want to get TiVo just so I can watch it. You may also recognize Sterling from Disney 365, when he was with High School Musical the stage show (on tour). So funny.

Things I Think

1. I think it is interesting that when I am upset, anxious, or out of balance in general, I engage in Retail Therapy. Now, Retail Therapy is common among women (so it's not too interesting I guess), I'm told, but my particular form of this activity involves a one Bed, Bath and Beyond. It has also been known to involve the kitchen/tupperware aisle of Walgreens. Or baking supplies. Or other home-related things. I know a lot of women buy shoes or purses or clothes or makeup or jewelry etc etc etc...but buying an oven thermometer and a silicon baking mat are my comfort foods of shopping. There's just something about walking into that haven that is the floor-to-ceiling racks of kitchenware that brings me to a more peaceful place. Maybe I'll bake some cupcakes tonight.
2. I think that eventually, someday, when I get married, I will have a simple wedding. Very, very simple. Of course, I say that now, right? Yesterday I helped with my friends' wedding, and it was just so crazy that I can't imagine going through that again. And it wasn't even a terribly elaborate event! It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, and the party was totally fun, but it sort of reminded me of being backstage at opening night...even once the curtain goes up, there are a million things to do! I was sort of acting as the P.A. of the day, carrying purses, glasses, makeup, shoes, shawls, programs, cameras, bobby pins, wine glasses...ushering people to the dining room, finding people for pictures, directing an RV to the freeway, decorating tables, not to mention the eating/drinking/dancing...whew! Oh, and did I mention that the bride's grandfather almost died during the brunch reception? All in all, it was a 19.5 hour, beautifully exhausting day. I'm glad I made the decision to go home and sleep in my own bed. It felt good to finally slide into bed by myself, close my eyes, and just relax. It was the first time since 6:45am that I had really sat still, and I could feel my pulse throughout my entire body! I mean, my head, feet, arms, everything was just in that part-throbbing part-relaxing state. It was nice to be finally laying down. So yeah. Weddings are a lot of work. No wedding for me for a long time. :-)
3. I think that a good friend comes over to hang out with you when you need to clean your apartment, and helps you to stay motivated while you do it. While my TV does "hang out with me" when I need to clean my apartment, it does the opposite of helping me stay motived. My apartment is a mess. But I suppose I deserve a day of lounging around like a lazy bum, right? I've been eating well all day...that's a plus.
4. I think I will be able to buy my new couch sooner than I thought. AND IKEA is having a special couch deal right now where you get an IKEA gift card worth 20% of the price of the sofa if you buy before December 22nd! (for me, that's about $80!!!)

I think I'm done thinking for now.

Elevaters!

My friends' band, Elevaters, is steadily rising to success. That's not the important thing though. What matters is that they are really, really great. Check them out on myspace, or on iTunes and CD Baby. Insomniac Magazine calls them "one of the best new hip hop acts right now."

LA2DAY magazine has a really great 2-part interview/article on them. Check it out!

Part One: Disciples of Light, Purveyors Of The Groove

Part Two: coming next week...

Street View: Six New Cities

We're Live!!!

This is my first 20% project at Google--the geo-marketing team was nice enough to let me act as a "creative consultant" on this video--I hope there will be more to come!

I think I've found a way to apply my literary management/dramaturgy background to Google...

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! Now YOU can download the mp3 of the song and make your own video response!!! For more information, go here (it's in the description to the right of the video).

Change your name to Rainforest and start a hemp farm in the Netherlands

I've got some delightful links for you out there this morning. I've been saving some of them up all week, so they might be outdated, but here they are anyway. Enjoy!

1. I got the title of this post from this article in by Mark Morford. Britney vs. Blackwater. You decide.
2. Morford's other article from this week uses phrases like "mountains of pornographic produce" and "culinary orgasm." It's about Whole Foods.
3. There is a teacher in NY that is making parents do homework. It actually sounds like a brilliant idea, and I hope it proves successful. Read the NY Times article here.
4. Radiohead is so cool, they're practically GIVING AWAY their new album! If I was more cynical, I'd make a comment about how a pay-what-you-can record is like, the ultimate in trendy hipster behavior. But I'm not (I guess), so I'll just say that it's pretty rad of them.
5. There's a fabulous thing going on in Oakland called the Urban Releaf program, where this group is planting free trees all over the city in an effort to make it a better place. Nature!

Happy Friday!

Two Video Wednesday

This is video number two.

So sad I missed it live. So happy it's on YouTube.

Two Video Wednesday

This is video number one. I watched it this morning.

Best line: "anyways, you guys want to go walk somewhere?"

Google Maps: Getting Started

This video is brought to you by the Google Maps team...with whom I am working on another maps-related video (coming to YouTube soon!) -- check it out!

Go Google Maps!

Post Number 91, Ta Da!

I am sneezing. I am sneezing because of the sun. The sun is shining in my eyes, through the big glass windows of the shuttle. The shuttle that I ride for free. Ok, I'll stop complaining about sneezing. Sometimes I forget to put things in perspective.

But still, sneezing is kind of annoying.

Oh well. I haven't written a real post on here in a while--it's been a lot of lists and re-posts and such, and I feel like I haven't really been contributing any interesting life tidbits lately. Which I guess doesn't matter because there's really no format to this blog. Well, the format is "whatever I feel like posting whenever I feel like posting it." Ah, freedom.

Anyway, I just thought I'd include a few life updates today. I'm in the mood.

First on the Agenda: Finances. I haven't been doing as well as I'd like in the money department. My income has significantly increased since my internship (duh), but so have my expenses. I can afford all my bills, and even to pay my parents a bit of what I owe them every month (and I should be done paying them by late January), but I just hate the feeling of wanting more. I want to be putting money into savings, which right now I'm just not doing at all. I say it's because the money I'm paying my parents will eventually turn into money I put into savings, but right now I'm just frustrated that I can't do both. But paying my parents back is more important, so I just have to be patient. Nobody wants to be in debt--even if it is to an interest-free, late-payment-forgiving, nice and understanding source like your parents.

Anyway, I've been thinking about sticking to a budget for a while. I have definitely succumbed a little to the "ooh I have new money!" thing, buying a new shirt here...spending $100 on food for a housewarming party there...etc. Not that I'm going nuts, and I can still pay my bills, but I have certainly not been as frugal in the last few months as I'd like to be. Maybe it just took 2-3 months of being excited about my newfound steady income and now the excitement has worn off? Maybe it's finally hit me that pay increase + bill increase does not = tons of disposable income? Do you have any experience with this, readers?

Item Two: Knitting. I have joined a weekly knitting group at work. We meet for an hour at lunch on Fridays. I'm excited to have a regular (whenever I can make it, anyway) knitting time...and some of the ladies in the group are very experienced! Hopefully I'll finally finish the scarf that I'm making with the yarn Reed gave me for graduation...in 2006. It's going to be a lovely scarf, soft and warm and wide, even if I did mess up the seed stitch every once in a while. Gives it character, no?

Also, a few of the girls at work and I have been talking about starting a biweekly craft night, where everyone brings a craft she (or he, I suppose) is working on, be it knitting or crocheting or scrapbooking or beading or basket weaving or celebrity gossiping...and we will sit and eat and craft and watch cheesy-but-classic movies (Dirty Dancing, Return to Oz, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, etc). Sounds like fun to me!

Perhaps I'll post a picture from my housewarming party later--I, of course, did the cheesy thing where I take a picture of my tablescape. It was not so much a tablescape as it was a lovely display of food with one vase of flowers, but it was (I thought) deliciously impressive. So I took a picture. If I get it uploaded, I'll post it later.

Item Three: Fun. This weekend was really great. Friday night housewarming = really nice. Saturday Cal beating Oregon and moving up to be the #3 school in the country = awesome. Splurging on dinner items (fresh salmon, yukon gold potatoes, lemon, strawberries, gourmet cheese) and having a mini-wine sampling (had small amounts of a few bottles left over from Friday) and cooking a delicious meal at home with The Boy = truly wonderful. It was so nice to hang out and spend the day shopping at Market Hall (pricey, but fun to splurge), wandering around the "Out and About in Rockridge" festival, tasting fruits and cheeses. Then to come home and prepare a delicious meal together...just one of the best ideas we've ever had.

Happy Tuesday! May Tuesday be better than Monday!