Monday, December 17, 2007

Faaan-tastic!

We all know I love me some a cappella... keep watching til the end; it's well-worth it (thanks, Dad for sharing some Christmas Cheer!).

Friday, November 30, 2007

Wanting to Get Back to the Wayfaring





















I realized that I've recently lost sight of the wayfaring part of my blog-- likely because I've been getting to do a little wayfarin' myself! Rest assured, dreaming of travel has not waned as a favorite passtime, and I'm still a faithful subscriber/reader of Conde Nast Traveler and the Sunday NYT travel section. Last month's "Top 50 Destinations" issue of CNT was especially enlightening, showcasing (among other things like resorts, skiing, etc.) the top 50 cities in the world, and then ranked based on each continent (well, if you count U.S. as a separate continent-- which I don't, but apparently the U.S.-based pub decided to be, well, U.S.-centric). Topping the 50 for the 6th consecutive year is Sydney, followed by San Francisco, Florence, Cape Town and Bangkok. In any case, more destinations to add to my wishlist. Out of the 50, I've been to 14 (and only 7 in the U.S.)... so a long way to go (although 3 out of the top 5). How about you?


Asia
1. Bangkok, 2. Hong Kong, 3. Chian Mai (Thailand), 4. Singapore, 5. Kyoto, 6. Shanghai, 7. Jaipur, 8. Tokyo, 9. Hanoi, 10. Kathmandu


Europe

1. Florence, 2. Rome, 3. Venice, 4. Paris, 5. Salzburg, 6. Vienna, 7. Barcelona, 8. Bruges, 9. Siena, 10. Edinburgh


The Americas

1. Buenos Aires, 2. Vancouver, 3. Victoria, 4. Quebec City, 5. San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), 6. Cuzco (Peru), 7. Montreal, 8. Oaxaca (Mexico), 9. Toronto, 10. Rio de Janeiro

Africa/Middle East
1. Cape Town, 2. Damascus, 3. Jerusalem, 4. Beirut, 5. Dubai

United States

1. San Francisco, 2. NYC BABY!, 3. Charleston, 4. Santa Fe, 5. Chicago, 6. Carmel, 7. Honolulu, 8. Savannah, 9. San Diego, 10. Boston


Australia/Pacific

1. Sydney, 2. Melbourne, 3. Queenstown, 4. Christschurch, 5. Aukland

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Happy Anniversary!

Today marks the 2 year anniversary of my tip-toe into the blogging world. Who knew? Sporadic at best (and hopefully pseudo-interesting at times), I hope that someone out there has at least gotten an occasional chuckle out of random musings of this wannabe wayfarer. Happy anniversary!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Give a Little Bit

It's officially the holiday season, and with that comes the bombardment of holiday giving-- not only to family, friends and loved ones, but to the all important charity. Red, St. Judes, Breast Cancer Awareness, March of Dimes. The list is endless. We all have our causes, but how do we make sure our dollars are actually supporting the causes to which we're donating?

Well, I do like to think that I learn something everyday, and as a dedicated Today Show watcher, I learned this: Give.org. This website, along with CharityNavigator.org and Guidestar.org, will provide you with a charity report that indicates, along with their annual financial report, a breakdown of the percentage of your dollars actually being allocated to the cause to which you think you're supporting. While some of your dollars will go to administrative and fundraising expenses, Jean Chatsky, Today Show financial guru, says that if at least 80% of your donation isn't going to support programs, you may want to rethink your charity choice. If you're anything like me, I want to make sure the money that I'm donating is actually going to the cause that I'm passionate about. So when you're opening your hearts this season, check out these sites and make sure that your hard-earned money is going where you want it to go.

Friday, November 23, 2007

The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass is scheduled to be released this holiday season, and it's getting lots of hype for its A-List stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellan (the reigning king of fantasy movies, it seems), Sam Elliott... the list goes on. Based on a book of the same name, if you liked Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter, you'll like this one too (adults, I mean). My friend, e, lent me the book, and I loved it-- can't wait for the movie to come out.

So, the movie website's really cool-- if you haven't heard of the movie, you can view a trailer on the site. If you haven't read the book, you won't get this, but regardless, click below and vote to see if you think that this is my 'daemon' (the site will give more info on what this is). i don't know if i agree with what it's landed on (i'm certainly not known for being spontaneous...). But the fun thing about this site is you can take a survey and transform my daemon! Oh, interactive blogging. Such fun.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Thanks... And All That Other Stuff(ing)

Turkey. A parade. Football, football and more football. Families-- nuclear and extended. And an obscene amount of food... that someone is always stressed out about making... that leads to more, more, and more... left-overs. A peek into American excess, all at one, happy (or millions, I suppose)... table.

Now, don't get me wrong-- I like Thanksgiving as much as the next person. Except I don't really like turkey, I'm not a fan of football and, I pretty much despise left-overs. I do love the season, though... from October through Christmas, it's my favorite time of year. I love the leaves and the way the air smells... the colors and the decorations; and everything the season seems to represent... family and traditions... even if it's centered around an obscene amount of food.

When my British boyfriend asked me about my American Thanksgiving, I actually had to pause to try to remember the lessons of my elementary school education (which I'm now questioning the quality of due to the next bit that will be revealed). Hmmmm... something about early colonists giving thanks for a good harvest after an unexpected blizzard? Thanks after an averted massacre by the local population? Thanks after some sort of bug killed all the crops and the Native Americans brought food for the neighbors who would later kill them all off, but for one happy meal, they sat around the table in harmony, giving thanks? Sad, yes, I realize. But it made me think-- am I the only one who doesn't actually remember why we're giving thanks? I know it has more to do with the food... seriously. I know there's more than food.

Thanks (haha) to handy-dandy Wikipedia, I was able to quickly study-up on the "true" account of this annual American ritual (I could digress into the whole history being in the hands of the teller, but I'll save that for another post; in any case, it sort of does have to do with food). And reaching back to my pricey college education, and more specifically, Anthro 101 (whoohoo-- I knew I'd get something out of that class), I was able to recall a lesson about rituals and traditions-- and how they become integral to the fabric of culture. But it also made me think of how little meaning this ritual has when you're removed from your traditions-- the ones that are engrained as part of your fabric.

This is the 15th Thanksgiving that I've spent away from my family. I can hardly believe it. I went to college when I was 17, and while I've certainly had wonderful Thanksgivings since, there's still nothing quite like the Thanksgiving you've grown up with. My sister underscored this fact just today-- that she's hosting Thanksgiving for her in-laws in Hawaii again this year, despite the enormous amount of work it takes to execute this fantastic meal, because she wants to have "Mom's Thanksgiving." Sure, the food's the same: turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Of course, there's also the pies... all pumpkin, all the time at my house. And despite the nearly-identical menus, there's something uniquely-- well, unique, about each family's traditions. At my house, it was the homemade pies the night before-- there's nothing like my mom's pie crust; the ritual of waking up to the smell of turkey; my mom spending the day in the kitchen to make an amazing meal (and all the yummy appetizers that she made sure to ply us with to keep us silent)... the girls helping (somewhat), but our main job to set the table with Puna's (my mom's mom-- Hawaiian for grandmother) china and silver-- lovingly laid out for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the very special occasions in between.

Even though my parents have come to Chicago in recent years to spend Thanksgiving with me... my mom slaving away in the kitchen as per usual (while I've gotten pretty good with the sides, I still haven't been brave enough to tackle the main dish), and we've had Thanksgiving for three, it's never been quite the same as the Thanksgiving of my childhood, made lovingly and expressly for five. All this to say, that while the inevitable is here-- we're firmly established as adults, my friends, and we begin to create new traditions, there's always a time to pause and give a nod to the foundation of these traditions. And most importantly, give thanks to Mom.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

England

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Success!

I've finally remembered my Flickr account name and password (emm.... it only took 8 months...), and thanks to my Scottish friend (a few times removed... the Scot-part, not the friend, part), I was able to post the photos here. Whoohoo! Now the challenge will be remembering to take photos on future trips... check out photos from Barcelona in the side bar.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

UK-Bound

No, not permanently-- but for a business trip next week. London and Manchester. Strangely enough, have never been to London, despite many hours (and I mean MANY hours) spent in Heathrow. Good news that despite the fact that it hasn't been touched since the 1970s, there's a satellite Harrods in the airport, so it's at least an entertaining way to pass the time... but I digress. So I'm looking forward to London... I'm hoping to have some time to explore and see Buckingham Palace (I am a royal-watcher; can't help it; I was a girlie-girl and loved Princesses, of which Di was the epitome, of course), and the Tate (sooo looking forward to that), the REAL Harrods (the food hall-- can't wait), the National Gallery, and as much as I can fit into a few days (in between meetings and those silly distractions). God save the Queen!

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Vassar Class of 2027



Thursday, October 04, 2007

How Can I Tell You

Evil diamond companies aside, can anyone tell me where I can get a legit (and complete) version of this Cat Powers' cover of Cat Stevens' "How Can I Tell You?"

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Painting Update

It's DONE! (well, almost... just a few touch ups...), but I'm very proud of myself for completing it on my own (even the detail work). And my one chocolate brown wall? LOVE IT. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do... to a room, and to life...

(And for anyone interested, the primary paint color is a tan-ish color... it looks white, but it's really tan... Ralph Lauren "Greenwich" to be exact).



























Wednesday, September 19, 2007

This Guy is the Funniest

It's long, but oh so worth it.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Emmy's Part Deux

So, the Emmy's were pretty disappointing (even though I watched the whole thing), with a few choice exceptions, like these guys (it's long, but hold out for the end...).


Nea

Since Sister Dear hasn't updated her site in nearly 6 weeks (ha! am I allowed to complain given that my own blogging is so sporadic? Give an inch, take a mile...), I thought I'd share my favorite Nea news bites:

1) She says "HI MAH-KEY!!" (when prompted to say "Hi [to] Aunty Mikie")


2) She now enthuses "I love you
TOO!"

3) She's mama's little helper: at the ripe old age of 18 months, she helps her mom at work by arranging flowers (putting rose buds in individual vases) and bringing candles from across the room (genius, I tell you!)


4) When she sees a plane, she points and shouts, "DADDY!!" And when asked "Who drives a plane?" she answers, "A DADDY!!" (Nea's Daddy is a pilot)


Can it get any sweeter than that?

Monday, September 17, 2007

Shoot Me Now

Okay, so I know I haven't blogged in the longest time... and this isn't the most opportune time to blog about this... but if I must, I must. Everyone who knows me knows that I love everything Hollywood... love the gossip rags, love t.v., love movies. I chalk it up to growing up in the heart of La-La-Land and having experiences like Camp Hollywoodland and Mani's Bakery (where all the stars hang out, of course. Come on-- where but LA would a gourmet sugar free bakery and organic espresso bar not only exist, but thrive?-- and no, haters; I didn't just eat there, I worked there). In any case, we're only 90 minutes into the annual Emmy Awards, and I started looking at my watch 45 minutes ago... and this sucker isn't over until 10 cst. WTF?! It's sooooo boring. Is it Seacrest? Whatever it is, I'm almost tempted to change the channel. Almost...

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Travel. Work. Sleep? Oh My.

  • Travel: 4 cities in as many weeks.
  • Work: 80 hour, 7 day weeks.
  • Sleep: 12 hours total in last three days.

Exhaustion and utter lack of recognition? Priceless.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Painting

So, I've decided to paint my living room. Yes, I rent... but I've never loved the color (inherited from my landlord, and oddly enough, the same color as my old sofa...), but, hey-- it is what it is... and as a renter, you are just happy with not living in an all-white space. But, given that I put a nice little hole in one of the walls (failed attempt at picture-hanging... just 1-inch in diameter, but a hole is a hole), and the fact that my landlord is awesome, I felt compelled to fix the whole, which means painting the room (since I don't have the original paint color).

Long story short, I'm actually enjoying the activity. I realize I should have documented befores and afters (in effort to relish in my success), but with one wall with one coat of paint complete (the hardest one, might I add, because it's the biggest and the one with the bookshelves, meaning walls of dusty books), I figure I must press on. I'll be sure to photograph future walls... I figure at this pace, I MIGHT be done by labor day... (might I remind you, it's only one room...). So, painting is not my forte...


Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Long Time No Speak...

But good excuses abound... travel (family reunion in Cookeville, TN) and visitors (Aloha and Nanea from Hawaii) and most importantly, computer being repaired (LCD screen malfunction; complete replacement ensued, only to get my computer back today with a giant scratch on the cover... argh...). But to appease the angry readers (Are you angry, readers??), I thought I'd post photos of the beautiful Nanea. Here she is with Aunty's (that's me!) hairbrush and also after snagging my glasses (which hopefully she'll never have to wear in real life...). Wish I had gotten photos of her in my shoes... yes, dear friends-- the little one has a shoe fettish, just like her dear aunty. Heehee... and I had to indulge her with a pair of "twins" from Camper... shoes and bags... she's definitely a girl's girl.










Thursday, July 19, 2007

Mighty Will

My friend, K, hasn't posted photos of her beautiful son lately (ahem!) so I thought I'd post a couple of faves from our Vassar reunion. My family has been asking for photos of him, so I thought I would help to appease the masses... haha.













"Your order is now packed and ready to leave our warehouse,"

said the e-mail that I received from Barnes&Noble.com this afternoon.

And what do I have to say to that?

HURRAY!!!!

That means my copy of the latest (and last) Harry Potter installment is on its way, scheduled to be delivered the day it's dropped-- Saturday, July 21.

Anticipation is just seeping out of me. Yes, I'm a HP fanatic (sad at 31 years of age? But seriously, I stand by my statement that these books are not just for kids-- they're scary and gut-wrenching and, well, distinctly adult). I'm in full-blown mania: saw "Order of the Phoenix" (book 5, for all you non-HP-fanatics) on opening night with my friend "e" who also has never missed a HP premiere (thanks, e, for coordinating!!) and re-read "Half-Blood Prince" (book 6) this week so I could recall all the important details going into
"Deathly Hallows."

I must admit however, I'm having mixed emotions about this whole thing. While I can't wait to see how it ends, it's ending... this amazing fantasy world that J.K. Rowling has created for us is coming to a close... I know I'll be so sad when it ends... like saying goodbye to a friend. But at the same time, so I'm so excited to see how it ends! I know, nuts, right? I love books... and often feel a little lost after I've finished a great read. But the HP series is different... it's been a constant companion for nearly 10 years now (can you believe it??). How do you say goodbye to that?

And my other dilemma? Do I control myself and wait until my mailman drops off the long-awaited delivery (which on Saturdays tends to be in the late afternoon...), or chuck it all and be waiting in front of the bookstore when it opens at 10? Hmmm... what to do...

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Nickelback

Has anyone ever noticed that all of Nickelback's songs sound the same? I just saw an ad for their new album, and I couldn't help but think, "huh? wasn't that their last album?" Now, I must admit, I'm not an expert on Nickelback-- I do have one album (purchased for the song, "Someday" which had a really sad video... and I was going through a deep dive into surrounding myself with everything depressing at the time... and my friend Theo said that any song worth downloading meant the whole album should be worth downloading... damn, Theo. Hundreds of dollars of purchases of pseudo-satisfying music from iTunes later... but I digress).

But, don't take my word for it... check it out:



Thursday, July 12, 2007

Out and About in July

I ask the question because it doesn't SEEM like July... it's 75 degrees today. Beautiful, yes, but summer? Not so much. I actually needed a sweater this morning. But I'm not about to complain seeing as I hate hot (and humid) weather... although I do love sunshine, something I have found to be few and far between on my recent trips to our neighbor 'across the pond' as it were.

On another note, check out the new link in my "Watching" column for "Little Miss C." That's my adorable niece, "C" who's just the cutest thing in the world. If we drum up enough traffic, maybe we can encourage "C's Mommy" to post more pictures. Who's with me?


I seriously used to be so much more interesting... at least in my head. It seems that as of late I've been much more "in" the world than an observer of it, hence my lack of inspired blogging. Guess that's what happens when you fall in love (did I say love?! Hmmmm... I imagine I may be getting some comments and phone calls from that one... heehee). Yes, so I'm officially out. This perpetually single gal actually has a boyfriend. But since I tend to avoid overtly personal anecdotes here, that's about all this topic will bear... wonder how that's going to fly...


Happy summer! (If it's summer where you are...)

Monday, July 02, 2007

Blackbird

Fast forward to 55 sec for the song... love stephen kellogg and the sixers... (emmmm... and is it cheating to just post YouTube videos and count it as blog posts? heehee...).

Keep Me In Your Thoughts

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Slammed

I'm completely getting slammed-- on other people's websites (okay, okay, my twin's...), for not posting. I'm going to lose my (whole) one faithful reader with my laziness... I'm sorry, faithful reader!! I have no excuses... life has gotten in the way of good posting, but for once, it is for a very good reason and not just things like work and, well, life. Let's just say that I plan to spend a lot of time in England in the near future. And that, my friends, are for only good reasons. I was in Wales last weekend for a little holiday... Llandudno, actually, for a wedding; and then toured Conway, and more specifically, the Castle Conway (photos below). Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Very green, which is expected, given it rained the whole time. Ummm... and it was 56 degrees. Yes. In June. And that's normal. Oh boy. In any case... :) Good times.





















Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Dig That! and 10 Years Later

So, in the season opener last week, we killed it-- winning in three games, the last a monumental 25-1. Newcomer David served a blinding 22 points in a row. He says he blacked out. It was fantastic. Game two is tomorrow... let's see if we can start a streak.

On another note, I traveled to my dear alma mater, Vassar, last weekend for our 10 year reunion. We walked around all weekend saying, "I can't believe we got to live here." The campus is still gorgeous (besides being overrun with weeds because the campus decided to go the route of popular-- and, okay, environmental-responsibility, culture and be "green" by discontinuing the use of pesticides). We lived in the dorms (Lathrop) for four days (ummm... I've never stepped foot in Lathrop... it was smelly), ate at ACDC (All Campus Dining Center), shopped in the revamped bookstore and hung out in the College Center. And despite a little side trip to St. Francis Emergency Room (don't worry, everyone's fine), it was a weekend to remember.

Jewett however, was apalling. They retained the outside but gutted the inside so that it now looks li
ke an office complex. Sure, the best view in the house is now available to the public, but some of my favorite memories occured in that now extinct room from which these photos were taken. As a whole? Thoughtful design it was not-- they could have considered subtle things like carrying the exterior window design/shape through the inside windows, so that it better blended the old with the new; the entry door arches could have been mimicked by incorporating a valuted or groin-vaulted ceiling in the lobby. Don't get me wrong-- my favorite style of architecture is the blending of old and new-- when it's thoughtfully planned and expertly executed; when it's done with integrity and as a creative solution to a problem (e.g. space) without sacrificing historical integrity-- think Soldier Field or Grand Central Station. Sure, we should be grateful for their not completely bulldozing Jewett and building a new and improved version-- the days of tearing down historical buildings for new and improved are for the most part gone (less we forget, a moment of silence for the original Penn Station). So, on the outside Jewett's pretty much the same; but on the inside? Well, let's just say as a whole, it's an empty shell of its former self.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

I Promise I Haven't Given Up

I have been vigorously attempting to remember by G*D-darned password to Flickr so I can upload photos from my Spain trip (which I'm embarrassed to acknowledge was officially two months ago)to my blog so you peeps (the whole negative 2 who even check out this blog at this point b/c I haven't written in so long) can see them ... as well as wait for something inspirational (and not cross-the-line personal) to blog about. But, between exhausting work commitments, travel and, well, some other interesting personal pursuits, I haven't had a lot of time to, well, blog. But I promise I'm getting my act together, especially since summer is FINALLY upon Chicago and Dig This! will be reconvening for another (hopefully) successful beach volleyball season-- now that we're a team to beat.

So, more to come... hope you haven't given up on me just yet...

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Love

Doubt thou that the stars are fire;
Doubt thou that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt that I love.


WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,
Hamlet

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Haven't Laughed So Much Since...

Well, I don't even know... not only is Conan freaking hilarious ("... actual Conan O'Brien skin tone..." I'm dying), but my goodness... it was so gross and so funny, and just the fact that Tom Selleck was there cracking up at the whole thing. I'm just so glad I watched the whole segment last night in full. Hahaha.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Dreams

"We tell ourselves that reality is better. We convince ourselves that it's better to never dream at all. But the strongest of us-- the most determined of us-- we hold onto that dream.

...Or we find ourselves with a fresh dream we never considered. We awake to find ourselves against all odds- feeling hopeful. And if we're lucky, in the face of everything, in the face of life, the true dream is being able to dream at all."

- Grey's Anatomy

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Little Miss C

Not that I'm biased in any way... but is there a cuter kid in the entire world (well, my other niece actually would share this title...)? This is my niece sporting her new glasses (and in her Easter finery). Now she's REALLY the coolest kid (says her glasses-wearing auntie...).

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Hola, BCN!

My (and Tiff's!) favorite Spanish purchase. Yes, yes-- it's shoes. And, yes-- Camper's at that (for those of you are unaware, Camper is based in Barcelona). But look at these fun features:



1) Hola. How cool is it to have a shoe that says, "HOLA" on it?







2) BCN. I'll never forget where they're from because it has the ai
rport code stamped into it.

3) The soles have cool things too: Castillian Spanish on one and a map of Spain on the other (and if I could get a shot of the bright white sole, I would post it; but you'll just have to take my word for it...)


4) and the best feature? This Barcelona tile pattern stamped over the entirety of the suede. Amo los zapatos!




Camera Love

Monday, April 02, 2007

Hawai'i in Florida?

While I hate to interupt the Spain-love, I depart on yet another trip bright and early tomorrow to Florida. It's a work trip-- because really, why else would anyone want to go to Florida? Okay, okay; I do realize that I'm in the minority here. But, until a few years ago, I could proudly say that I had never set foot in the state (blasted work). But unlike me, people actually like the humidity and spring break crowds and orange people. And besides, why go to Florida when you have family (translation: free room) in Hawai'i?

In any case, my conference is at this place (I know-- why the heck am I complaining? But remember, I work for the man and this conference happens to be for the soul-less of the soul-less of my industry: salespeople. Joy.)-- the
Don Cesar Resort in St. Pete's Beach. That's in Tampa, for those not familiar with it. Apparently it's modeled after the Royal Hawaiian hotel on Oahu... well, they're both pink.

My cousin is so beating me up for this post (hi, Gordon!). He lives in Florida.


So I'm MIA for a couple more days and then I should actually get to sleep in my own bed for more than three days in a row for a couple of weeks, at least. Whoohooo!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Gargoyles





























Muchas Gracias, Coffee Break Spanish

...And while I'm thinking of it, wanted to thank Mark and the team from Coffee Break Spanish for the refresher before my trip (you can download free podcasts from iTunes). While I still have a lot of dust to shake off of it, my Spanish was a success as evidenced by one of my favorite anecdotes from the trip: the front desk person at my hotel mistaking me for a native Spanish speaker and being surprised that I wasn't fluent because my accent "was perfect."

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Viva la Espana!

Back from Spain-- and what a trip. I have many a photo (nearly 200) which I'm diligently organizing so I can post a slideshow (because I'm certain that you all want to see 200 photos from my trip to Spain). I even have some video. For a girl who's never had a digital camera, I did pretty well... and this camera rocks. I was able to take detailed photos from over 100 feet away (gargoyles were a favorite), and the color was magnificent. What was I thinking sticking with film? This was one of my favorites: the Columbus Column at the foot of La Rambla. I was a little obsessed with it because allegedly it's pointing to Columbus Circle in New York. Barcelona's Columbus was also in a circle. Oh, the wonders never cease.

On another note, you'll be happy to know that I'm still a magnet for thieves (and I failed to mention my penchant for getting robbed on international trips to my friend, Tiff, who joined me in Barcelona. Sorry, Tiff). Fortunately he didn't get away with anything except our sense of security (thanks to Tiff who threw down). But let this serve as a forewarning for anyone who decides that it might be a good idea to go on an international trip with me...

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Gone Fishing

Errr... for Miro, Gaudi and Picasso...

Okay, poor parallel, but the title was appealing.

In any case, due to impending adventures abroad with my friend, Tiff, blogging will be limited (if at all), as I learned my lesson about traveling with my computer on my last international trip (yeah, yeah, still not over it). But I promise to take lots of pictures (okay, I promise to take pictures... okay, I'll take at least one) with my new, handy-dandy digital camera that I finally succumbed to buying (and effectively moving into the 21st century. I know; it's about time. But my 10 year old Daewoo t.v. is still kicking...).

Hasta luego!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Bar-the-lona

I've been attempting to refresh my very far removed high school Spanish in anticipation of my trip to Barcelona next week. Yes, I realize that growing up in Southern California, I learned Latin American Spanish, which is very different from Spain-Spanish. And Barcelona is its own beast with "Catalan" or Castillian Spanish thrown in... which, by my amateur observation, is a unique combination of French-like Spanish... "buenos dias" is "bon dia," and the like. Not to mention all "c" sounds being pronounced as a "th"-- so phrases like "como se dice" sounds like "thomo se dee-th-ay." Huh?! I may be fighting a losing battle... but my guidebooks assure that most Barcelonians are bilingual and speak both versions of Spanish... as though that is going to help me.

But in effort to try to trigger something resembling Spanish from the depths of my tired brain, I downloaded a podcast from iTunes entitled "Coffee Break Spanish" that has about 20 lessons that teaches you basic conversation such as ordering in a restaurant and asking directions-- plus it goes over "Spain" pronunciation vs. "Latin American" pronunciation.

The best thing about the podcast? It's from Scotland, so the teachers have a very thick brogue. I can't understand their English half the time, which sends me into fits of giggles, so I'm not really retaining much... but I'm enjoying myself immensely. I do however, understand their Spanish better than the English (even funnier), so maybe it is helping...

Friday, March 16, 2007

Getting Hitched

No, of course not me, you silly people... but apparently, many a NYC-er (or, at least, an intrepid entrepreneur) believes that it's possible for even the most prolific commitment-phobes to make the big leap towards monogamy.

This new-fangled take on match.com (in my estimation, at least) is hitching people through good old fashioned NYC yellow cabs. You reserve the time, pick the gender and wah-lah! Instant (and limited) dating for the ultimate dating-impaired... errr... weary soul.

The dating world is certainly evolving... I think for me it would depend on JFK or La Guardia. JFK is kind of a big commitment...

What are your thoughts? Yay or nay?


Font Size

Why is the font so small? It looks completely normal on my mac but when I was viewing this from my sister's PC in January, it looked teeny tiny... which might explain why people don't spend a lot of time on this blog-- it must be super annoying to read this tiny type...

Is this better?


How about this?

Monday, March 12, 2007

Telluride

It has not gone unnoticed that I've failed to blog about my most recent excursion-- Telluride, Colorado. Sure, it was beautiful, and snowy, but in terms of trip-trips (and this being a business trip) it was all just a little blah... mainly because I worked the entire time and had to put out fires right and left and deal with the craziness that generally these trips allow for me to escape from... plus it was a little too hoity-toity for my taste. That, combined with executive-level tantrums (of the two-year old, fall on the floor and beat your fists and legs variety) and entitlement attitude of co-workers who shouldn't have even the fleeting-most thought of being entitled, made for a headache of a trip. Oh-- and did I mention my luggage was lost for THREE DAYS (#$&#^RGIUY#^!!! UNITED AIRLINES!!!)? It wasn't Jackson Hole, that's for sure.

But that being said, the schmancy cabin that I got to share with K and the D's was awesome (despite not being able to spend much time in it), and as always, it was fantastic to spend time with my friends from
NL Wilson (aka my saving grace) who, no matter what chaotic craziness we were dealing with at a given time, were cool, calm and collected-- and always made me laugh.

Ummm... and I did get to meet Jonny Moseley... who is very cute.

Next up: Connecticut, Barcelona, Flor-ee-dah. All in three weeks. Blechk.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Marriage

"Why do people get married?" he asked.

"It's not passion," she answered. "It's because we need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people in the planet and, I mean, what does one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything-- the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all the time, everyday. You're saying your life will not go unnoticed, because I will notice it; your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness."


~Susan Sarandon in
"Shall We Dance"

Friday, March 09, 2007

Reason 501 Why I Love Apple

Apple computer, that is.

By now, you all know the sordid details around my last trip to
Canada. And thanks to the trusty Vancouver Police Department, Apple Canada and my dear Daves, I finally this week, got my stolen computer BACK! Take THAT you Canadian identity fraud thiefs.

Because the computer was password protected, I took it into the Apple Store's genius bar to see what could be done. Not only were they easily able to break into it and download tons of data on the culprit, they were also able to salvage mostly everything from the hard drive (that the police had said was wiped). So I got photos, documents (like my journal!) and other essentials back. HURRAY!


So now they have it to repair the hard drive damage (darn Canadians dropped it; it has a healthy dent in the right side as well, which they'll repair) and really wipe the hard drive to restore it to original manufacturer condition. And since it's still within the 3-year AppleCare warranty, I don't have to pay for it. Yeehaw.


Now if I could only figure out how to get the stupid sticker that the creeps stuck on the cover off...

Friday, March 02, 2007

Telluride, Here I Come

Off on another adventure, this time of the annual work ski trip variety (because honestly? when is my travel ever not work-related?). Sounds like it would be fun, huh? It would be if it didn't mean me working my butt off for the next six days in a row from 6 a.m. until after midnight (yes, kids-- that includes Saturday and Sunday). Most years I get at least half a day to relax and do something somewhat fun (last year I learned how to snowboard, for instance). But this year I have "added responsibility" so I will actually be in meetings all day Sunday (which was usually my day to have fun before chaos ensued). UGH. Who signed up for this?

The real kicker was that today, in the midst of the usual stupidity that I have to suffer through as part of my deal with the devil (aka working for the man), I had a last-minute meeting with our head of sales, the HOST of this event mind you, who has still not finished his presentation that he's literally had about four months to prepare (ummm... and did I mention that I have actually yet to see ANY of the speakers presentations? But that's a whole other story...). At 4:30 p.m., the day before I leave to go out to finalize everything before our guests arrive, I'm on the phone with him telling him what he needs to say for all of his 26 slides, and he finally says, "you know, can you just write the talking points for me?" So, when I agree in absolute astonishment-- quite frankly, I was so taken aback that he had the gall to ask me to do it, I was agreeing before I knew what I was saying (and really, it's a double-edged sword-- I could let him take a nose dive off a cliff, but ultimately that makes my job a hell of a lot harder), he says, "... oh, and can you get it to me tonight, because I really want to review this presentation on the plane so I'm PREPARED. Please join me in a big old:


W
-T-F?!?!?

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Too Bad, So Sad...

Seems that yours truly is no longer a California-girl...

You Are 8% California

You are a bogus Californian. Go back to the East Coast.
How California Are You?

(Thanks for the link, Beth!)


Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Superbowl Sunday

Last night was my version of the Superbowl: The Academy Awards. Oh yes-- Superbowl Sunday... of the hollywood - pop - culture - entertainment - sporting - event kind... the event of all events. The golden child of the awards season... the most anticipated event of the year. I, having grown up in Hollywood, do love a good celebrity love fest (even though I'd deny it if ever confronted with a real celebrity). Case and point: when faced with potentially missing the Oscars because Oscar Sunday fell on the opening night of an annual business event that I plan, I turned our opening reception into a full-fledged Oscar party, complete with cocktail attire, champagne, red carpet and yes, six foot Oscars flanking the entrance doors. And, being that we're the international division and I felt that I had to somehow incorporate cultural references into the theme, I blew up posters of foreign film winners for the last 25 years, which decorated the room. Most importantly, I live-streamed the broadcast of the awards on a 20' projection screen so I wouldn't miss a second... ummmm... perhaps a little obsessive, I must admit, but fantastic.

I have to say though, last night proved to be, well, a little predictable. Sure, I watched the all-day E! Entertainment pre-show of Oscar fashion past; oogled the stars during the arrival and watched as they dodged relationship, baby and other crazy questions. Sat with bated breath through Ellen's opening and the 72 minutes until they got to the "real" awards (nothing as funny as best screenplay acceptance speech last year). I was hoping for some unpredictability-- like Leo finally winning the big guy (he
should have won for "The Aviator"), and maybe Kate Winslet-- the youngest actress (at 31-- my not-as-impressive age) to receive 5 nominations, finally getting the nod (she, like Judi Dench, always seem to be nominated, although Dame Judi usually wins... it's as though there's an empty spot every year and the Academy says, "let's throw in Dame Judi or that Titanic girl-- sure, no one's seen their movies, but they're British-- and talented; so they must deserve an Oscar"). "Sense and Sensibility" is still one of my favorite movies-- and Kate's first Oscar nod at the tender age of 19. Damn. Did I mention that I'm feeling a tad bit unaccomplished?

But, it was faves Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland) and Helen Mirren (The Queen) who took home the top prize. (Forest, well-deserved; and perhaps Helen too... although, I still can't get over the fact that "The Queen" was a t.v. movie that some studio exec said, "Let's just try it as a feature and see if it works.")


And though I loved "Little Miss Sunshine" I have to admit I was rooting for Mark Wahlberg to take home Best Supporting Actor... come on, peeps. Didn't a little part of you want to see Marky-Mark snub the Hollywood establishment by taking home a little gold, bald, naked guy? And while we all knew that Jennifer Hudson was going to take it, I would have loved to see little Abigail Breslin with the upset... and maybe even get a little "Superfreaky" on stage.


There were some definite high points of the evening-- Ellen Degeneres outdid herself and had me laughing outloud. But none so high as these beloved fellows. As you know, I do have a little love-fest of my own with my man
John C. Reilly. And Marky-Mark is badass, indeed. Until next year... goodnight.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Shut Up and Make Out!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

A Very Dixie Update

Following the Grammy Awards, "Not Ready to Make Nice" and "Taking the Long Way" both rose to the #1 downloaded song and album, respectively, on iTunes. Sales of TTLW also increased 830%.

Hurray for the Chicks!

(6-month Nea showing her Dixie pride!)

... and back by popular demand, the b-side: