3.31.2008

Star Trek: Vegas

Per MWT's request and because it was chronologically first...

I went on my first trip to Las Vegas with my sister, my good friend Stacey, and her good friends, Susan and Angela. These latter two came from Houston and we met them at the airport so we could all travel to the hotel together, which we did (in a limo!). We dropped off our bags (didn't even check in since we had already paid a bunch for the limo) and were whisked off to the Las Vegas Hilton, where they have Star Trek: The Experience. We got there so early (10 am, I believe) that the shows were not started yet and the shops were not open. So, I lost my first $10, gambling on slot machines.
There were lovely models of some of the ships at the entry.

The "experiences" were two participatory rides/shows that were quite well done -- not extravagant, but well done.
The "museum" portion of the exhibit had the expected movie and TV memorabilia -- lady Klingons, captains' uniforms, phaser pistols, and all manner of Star Trek minutiae. There was also a timeline, tying together all the movies and TV events.The associated shops were fun. There were the usual key chains and mugs and I loved the t-shirts. Unfortunately the best t-shirt designs were all child sized. There were stuffed Tribbles that chirped and wiggled when you touched them. There were mock communicators (predacessor to the modern cell phone) and Romulan Ale and teddy bears of many varieties, from Star Fleet officers to Borg bears.

Added later: Oops, forgot to say that we ate at Quark's. I had a Saurian Brandy, which was a chocolate and banana flavored cocktail and a Clementine Shade (whatever that is) French Dip. Angela did get the Romulan Ale, and described it as "blue Miller." It was fun, with a great environment (a Klingon came by and commented on my sister and I being clones.), but the food was way less adventurous than the photos make them look. Oh well, probably not a bad thing.

For Nathan: Resistance to our cuteness is futile!

It was lots of fun, especially talking to a particularly chatty tour lady, but I am not enough of a Star Trek expert to fully appreciate the level of detail involved. In this, as in most things, I am a dilettante.

Tomorrow: the drag show.

3.30.2008

Home Again Home Again, Jiggety Jog

Apparently, I didn't have a spare moment to get on the hotel's computer to upload a report. We were on the go a lot (not in a bad way, really) and the one time that I did something separately from the other gals was when we got back to the room on the first night and I elected to go to the hot tub. So you guys were stood up for a good soak. I'm sure you're all crushed.
I took photos and notes ('cause I've got the Swiss cheese memory), so I'll report when I get back. Right now we're waiting for the hotel shuttle to the airport.

A quick overview: drag show, Star Trek, magicians, strip show, club, Venice, Rome, Egypt, Paris, and a hell of a lot of fun. :)

Later: I'm home safely. I'll be reporting later. For the moment, I need to rest from my vacation!

3.26.2008

Go West, Young Woman!

I'm off to Vegas tomorrow morning. I'll try and report from the road. We'll see how it goes.
In the meantime, behave yourselves. [ba da bump] Yeah, right, like that's going to happen. Let's be realistic. Have a great weekend, guys. Misbehave yourselves!

That's more like it. :)

Randomly Sweet

More birthday presents for me! Today (just in time to be taken on my Vegas trip) I got a prezzie in the mail from Random Michelle. It's in keeping with her "Random (but not really)" persona: it is kind of random (I certainly was surprised!) but is for my birthday, so -- not really.

She went on my Amazon wishlist and got me The Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson, which I had put on there based on the recommendation from another online friend, belsum. I've been wanting to read it for a while, and because it's a gift, I'm putting it on the top of the "to read" pile.

Thanks so much, Michelle! You are very sweet and I am glad I know you (and not just because you gave me a gift). You are truely Teh Awesome. You will have to send me your address, in case I want to randomly return the thought -- if I have, oh, cookies or something that need a good home. ;)

Later: Oooh, today's my lucky day. I also got my passport back, complete with an Indian tourist visa. Yay!!!!

3.25.2008

Someone To DO Stuff With

I think one of the main attractions to having a significant other must be to have someone to DO stuff with. I know it is for me. The ironic thing is that as a relatively active person, I have spent a majority of my life without such a convenient resource. I have been active in spite of it, I suppose.
Seeing others (especially a former S.O.) doing fun stuff with their S.O. can be frustrating, and I have felt my share of jealousy, but I have to admit, I have been *very* fortunate to find a variety of people to fill my need for a companion. This coming weekend, for example, I'm going to Las Vegas (for the first time) with my sister, my friend Stacey, and a couple other gals. It's going to be a heck of a lot of fun. My trip to India will be with yet another pair of friends.
I'll probably never rid myself of the impression that a S.O. should also be a co-conspiritor, but I'll give myself the credit of not falling prey to the inverse, that a co-conspiritor must be a S.O.

3.24.2008

Review: 10,000 BC

A fun adventure movie, just turn off your realism filter. The many anachronisms of this movie are documented on IMDb, here. That being said, it's worth seeing. Maybe not $9.50 (only if you like to watch good special effects on the big screen), but definitely whatever DVDs are renting for nowadays.

Do not expect a tightly plotted and realistic world.

3.23.2008

Tapas, Anyone?

I know you're all entertained by my thrilling restaurant reviews.
Heh.
Actually, what I really know is that you are all the type to just move along to the next entertainment if you 're not interested. So, with that out of the way, here's the next one:

On Saturday, I went to a new tapas restaurant in Fort Collins called Cafe Vino with my brother and his girlfriend. Tapas, for the record, is a Spanish style of eating that amounts to "appetizers for dinner." Cafe Vino's tapas menu is quite extensive (in my opinion) and allows for a good variety of tastes. The olive plate had a very good variety, including some very strong flavored olives and some very mild ones (I want more of those!). The bread plate was good too, with a really yummy date bread. The pumpkin tortellini were OK. I think the concept of them is better than the actual item. The grilled artichokes were also OK. Again, the concept was good, but in this case, there was too little presented (ONE artichoke heart, cut in half). Their wine list is pretty varied. I had Pircas Negras Torrontes (Argentina 2006), and it was very good.
The restaurant itself has an interesting feel. It's set up for casual conversation. Each table is like a living room, with sofa-like chairs around a little coffee table. This makes for interesting juggling of plates (like when you're at a friend's house for a buffet style dinner), but since you don't have to eat like that every day, it's unusual and charming.
Fortunately, we saved room for dessert. Jenn and I knew what we wanted to try when we saw the table next to ours served with two large slices of chocolate ganache cake (we shared one, which was more than plenty). It was very dense, the "filling" almost like a flourless cake, and not too sweet. My brother had the creme brulee. The flavor was delicious (I think they used a very good quality vanilla), but the texture was a bit grainy in my opinion. Both were good, however, and a suitable end to a very tasty and affordable meal

Disappointed

It appears that we do not live in a godless country after all.

Turns out Easter Sunday is not a big shopping day.

Who knew?

(Actually, it's probably not the same in more diverse areas of the country. Jewish, Muslim, Buddist, Zoastrian, and Atheists need to shop too.)

3.22.2008

Review: Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain is now something of a food celebrity, after writing several books on the subject and being the star of multiple TV shows (including No Reservations and A Cook's Tour), he has a reputation for being a no-holds-barred kind of guy. This book was the beginning of the public version of that reputation.
When he was writing his first non-fiction book, Kitchen Confidential, he had been a down in the trenches chef and cook for 25 years. It is a vividly written book about a life, vividly lived. He likens a restaurant's kitchen and its chef to a pirate ship and its captain. (The colorful backgrounds of the cooks in the kitchen of Ratatouille are said to be based on the descriptions in Bourdain's book.) He projects simultaneous pride and humility for the wildness of his life. My favorite chapter, however, is the one in which he contrasts his experience and leadership style with those of another chef.
The book is a deeply personal description of his experiences and as someone who values openness, I really enjoyed his style of writing. With his unabashed honesty, one thing is abundantly clear, Bourdain does not lack cojones.

Highly recommended.

3.21.2008

Piece of Cake

No, really.

My dearest parents sent me a congratulatory flower arrangement. To the office, of course.





Yes, it is shaped like a piece of cake. Yes, my dad could not resist the obvious puns. The great thing is that it's low fat! (That was me, not my dad.) The funny thing is, I knew it was my Mum who picked it out.



Thank you so much, guys. You are the best. :)

3.20.2008

Cue (or is that Queue?) Up the Band, Folks

I just got my ninth and final pass letter. (Squeeeeeeee!) I filled out the enclosed forms, which will go in the mail tomorrow and according to the letter, I'll get my license in a couple weeks. It's just that easy. (The jurisprudence "exam" isn't required anymore, so that cleared up that confusion.)

Stacey, you may start rabble-rousing for a celebratory party now.

Advice from Carolyn

One of my guilty pleasures is reading Carolyn Hax's advice column. It's not something I talk about much, but her advice is so practical, so common-sense. That makes it sound boring when it's not. It's actually really hard to use common-sense sometimes when the emotions are involved, and reading her advice column is a regular reminder to use it.

Today's article had a really good reminder for me to trust my own judgement in future relationships. To take responsibility for what I've experienced, but not blame. I was going to save the link for myself in a private archive, but for some reason, I feel like putting it out here. Maybe one of you needs to hear it too...

Later: I had a quote in here, but every time I read it, it sounded weird and I think it's because it's out of context. So, you'll have to go to the actual article (see link above) to read it. Instead, I'll give a summary. She said that nothing happens out of the blue, that there are always signs. So instead of dwelling on the thing that happened "out of the blue," think about why you ignored or didn't see the signs. Once you trust yourself to see and interpret the signs, you can trust that you'll see something the next time. Essentially, trust your ability to judge a person and a situation. (In my case, I sometimes doubt my ability to judge.)

3.18.2008

French Surprise

My friend, Ginger, and I wanted to meet for dinner and catch up on things. We live near each other, and so tried to find a restaurant near the both of us, for convenience's sake and to support the local economy. We settled on a new place that had replaced a homely, but affordable Italian restaurant on 38th. Turns out, it's a lovely little pearl of a restaurant, hidden in a gnarled oyster!

The restaurant is called Indulge French Bistro and the chef knows two things: how to cook and how to present food. Everything was beautiful (see photos on their site) and delicious! I had the Pan Roasted Striped Bass on a bed of Beluga Lentils in a pool of Tomato-Lemon Grass Broth. The fish was excellent and the lentil could have been a tiny bit softer, but that's the only criticism I can manage. Ginger had the Crispy Atlantic Salmon on Leeks Fondue "Aux Lardons" (that means "with bacon") with White Potatoes. She really enjoyed hers too. For dessert, we had a molten chocolate cake with a mango sorbet melting on top. Heavenly. The best thing about the cake was that we had to wait for it -- because they were making it to order. No reheated dessert here! It was well worth the wait.

This is in contrast with Le Central, another affordable French Bistro, where I have dined happily for dinner and periodically for lunch. In fact, I ate there on Monday. I used to love having lunch there. However, little things have been affecting my experience there. The bread is not as good as it used to be -- as it could be. They've changed my favorite dish. It used to be Salade de Bavette (steak on Caesar salad with a piece of a flash-fried Swiss), and now it's... hmm, that's funny, I went on their site to see what the new name is (different cut of beef) and the one on the site is not changed. That's either because they never corrected the original or (maybe?!) they changed it back. (Probably the former.) Anyway, the last time I had it, it was called something else and it wasn't as good. The beef was thinner and not as evenly cooked (tending towards well-done). In addition to these changes to my favorite, attempts to find something else on the menu have met with limited success. The Paillard de Poulet tends to dryness, and on Monday I tried the Menu de Chef. The Alaskan halibut bisque starter was tasty, but the Steak Béarnaise was clearly reheated. I ate it, but I expect better from Le Central. The dessert offering was tasty as well, but was overly sweet and really could have used more fresh fruit and less creme Anglais. I'll probably go back and give them another try on the Salade de Bavette, but I'm thinking of ditching Le Central's lunch time offerings.
So, I've discovered one great new French Bistro nearby to replace one previously great (still great at dinner!) one near work.

3.17.2008

First Birthday Present of the Year

An early birthday present arrived today. It's very appropriate for me, in fact, and will tell you a lot about me. It's folding tableware, or Orikaso -- Ori-(to fold) kaso-(plastic): the art of folding plastic. It combines my interest in clever design and food, and it's ideal for camping!

Of course, the first thing I did was put them together. It was remarkably easy, once I understood the first principle about where the tab would almost always go.

Thank you, Mum! You know me very well! :)

3.16.2008

Weekend At Susan's

I went to visit my friend and cousin, Susan, this weekend. We had a wonderful time cooking and eating and talking. Our first goal of the visit was to make Escargot like we had at Le Central, the last time we were together.
Here's a photo essay on the assembly of Escargots Bourguignon:
Make a herbed butter from softened butter and chopped parsley, shallots, and garlic. Put some of the butter into a clean snail shell.
Follow this with a cooked snail (we got some lovely canned snails on the internet). You may have to poke it in with your finger.
Then top off with more herbed butter.
Cook for about 6 minutes in the oven, then eat with a baugette or other tasty french bread. We just coaxed the snail out with a fork and all the melted butter and cooked garlic and shallots came out onto the bread. From there, it was easy to enjoy every delicious bite! The snails were not rubbery in the least. In fact, they were delicious. Encore! Encore!

We also made Jamie Oliver's Cheat's Pappardelle, a delicious leek and ham and pasta dish. He calls it a "cheat" because you cut the pasta noodles from fresh lasagna noodles, making them look homemade.
It was as delicious as it looks.

The next morning, after a really lovely and long conversation with Susan and her husband, Dave, we made "puffy" pancakes (cooked in a funny little rounded mold, and flipped half-way through to make little lens shaped pancakes) with a lemon curd and marscapone filling. It took us several tries to figure out the mold and the amount of batter and whether or not we wanted filling inside the pancakes, or outside, or both. In the end, we learned a lot about the dish and even had some great ideas for future tries (white chocolate and raspberry filling anyone?). It's so much fun to try new things with adventurous people. I forgot to photograph the event, however, and only remembered after the last pancake was gone and the lemon curd marscapone had been licked from the bowl. Next time, I promise.

[Since Jeri showed an interest, I researched the "puffy pancakes". Susan had seen it in a Williams-Sonoma catalog and found a set in the returned items section at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. We used the Williams-Sonoma recipe. In researching it, I found that W-S is calling it an "Ebelskiver Filled-Pancake Pan" (that's a reference to its origins in Denmark). Watching the video showed me how it's supposed to go. Susan and I will now know how to do it much better next time.]

I'm really glad I went despite a lingering cough. I love hanging out with Susan, and we made some fabulous food. Also, I got to know her husband better and that was long overdue. We had a great conversation that reminded me of some really important things I'm working on right now and had kind of lost track of in the stress of work and exams and feeling lonely. It was the perfect antidote for feeling sorry for myself, because really, I have so much and have so much to offer.

And Life is Good. (Hard, sometimes, but Good.)

3.14.2008

Craptactular Day

I think today was supposed to be fun, 'cause we had a 10 Year Anniversary thing for my firm. It involved fun and games and food and in some ways, it was fun-esque. However, I am not only literally sick and tired, I am/was figuratively sick and tired of some of the shenanigans on my project. A subcontractor began work on the roof this week and decided to ask all their questions about their work this week and of course, these questions made their way to me today, needing answers ASAP. Bunch of */#$%!

However, during the party, I got to hear some great &^@*$ situations that the interiors superintendents (from my company, not the general contractor) are having to deal with and frankly, makes my job sound like a piece of cake.

So, I would have rather had a fun day, but in retrospect, it could have been worse.

3.13.2008

Thanks for All the Fish... er... Advice

You know that scene in Sense and Sensibility where Elinor sits by Marianne's sickbed and during the night there is a particular moment when the fever breaks and you know that Marianne will not die? (Just smile and nod, that's sufficient for me...) Well, not to be overdramatic, but I had that moment driving home from work. I suddenly realized I was hungry -- and not hungry in that "ow, my stomach wants something" kinda way -- really hungry and looking forward to eating something! I thought about going to a restaurant, 'cause though I was hungry, I really didn't think I had the energy to cook, and then I realized I had the fixin's for a perfectly good spaghetti Bolognese. I had some "fresh" pasta (you know, the kind that's in the refrigerated section. Hey, it was on sale!) and a jar of spaghetti sauce (don't usually have it, but bought it for something else and it didn't get used) and I was positive there was some ground meat of some sort in the freezer. Yup, a pound of beef that had been there for an age and a half. Yipee! It was quick (had to do the "put it in a pan and keep turning it over and scraping off the defrosted parts" thing) and easy and DE-licious! The first real food I've had, other than soup and orange juice and tea, since Sunday afternoon. No picture though, 'cause I'd like to finish this up and go to bed pronto.

So, things are looking up. I was going to wait until tomorrow to write this, but then I wasn't sure I'd feel this good tomorrow morning, so I though I'd write it tonight. :) Crossing my fingers for a good tomorrow...

3.12.2008

Still Not Dead...

I made it to work today. I'm not coughing as much as I was, though when I do, it's a doozy. The congestion in my head has arrived. (Whoop. ee.)
Looks like half the people in the office are sick and the other half are going on vacations soon and are avoiding the first half like... well... the plague.
I did come home early and found it a bit hard to get to sleep, though a half-hour before, I felt like I could have slept under the workbench of Hephestus himself. My friend, Stacey, called to make sure I'm still alive, and while she was talking to me, my sister was leaving a similar message on my voicemail. Interestingly, Stacey departed the conversation to answer a call from her best-friend, Mary. Guess it was the opposite of that silent moment at every dinner party when all conversation comes to a coincidental pause.
I am, in fact, alive, though feeling congested and cruddy. Hope you all are doing much better than I am!

3.11.2008

I am the Comma

The latest "What ______ are you?" Quiz:


You Are a Comma



You are open minded and extremely optimistic.

You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything.

You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.

You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.

Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.

(But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)

You excel in: Inspiring people

You get along best with: The Question Mark



I'm not sure what a comma has to do with open-mindedness and optimism. The only thing I can think of is a comma's never at the end of things.

"I'm not dead!"

I'm feeling a lot more clear-headed this morning, so I think things are getting better. However, I haven't quite figured out [coughing fit] how to control this pesky cough. I've been taking Sudafed Cold & Cough since yesterday afternoon and it does diddly squat. The doctor gave me a prescription for Codine, which I gather is a cough syrup kinda thing. The thing is, I don't like cough syrup. Ever since my first year of college, when I got a cold and was driving my roommate nuts with my cough. I went to the grocery store, bought some cough syrup and it didn't work. [coughing fit] I took it back to the store and complained and they said, I needed to take it for a while for it to work. WTF? I need something that works now, not in a couple days! So, I started taking pill type cough suppressants and it's worked OK. Until now. So, I'm thinking a quick trip to the pharmacy is in order.
Because I am clear-headed, if coughy, today AND I thought to bring some work home, I'm going to work from home today. As usual, I am looking forward to getting something accomplished.
And hopefully I'll figure out a way to minimize the cough. [coughing fit]

3.10.2008

Real Irony

Remember I said yesterday that I was actually looking forward to going to work today, because I had tidied and organized and felt like I would be able to focus and accomplish stuff?
Well, today, I am sitting at home unable to accomplish stuff because I am f-ing sick.
Not only do I hate feeling sick, I hate missing work because I am sick. Even on my least efficient days, I get something done, but not today. Plus, there's no one at work who is doing my job while I'm away, so the work piles up and the deadlines creep a little closer. If I'm going to have more work to do when I get back to the office, I'd rather it be for fun reasons, like a vacation!
So here I am, crabby and unable to get some much needed sleep.

I'm going to the doctor this afternoon for a diagnosis. I think it's bronchitis, which according to WebMD may be treated at home. However, I have a friend who browbeat me into going to the doctor for a real diagnosis. Seriously, though, I suppose a $15 copay is cheap to confirm the diagnosis and treatment. I learned to self-diagnose and avoid the doctor from my dear Mum, who, in the well honored tradition of "do as I say, not as I do" would probably prefer I go to the doctor too.

Damn, I hate being sick.

3.09.2008

Spring Forward

My sister just called to remind me and now I'm reminding you: Turn Your Clocks Forward an Hour

I'm halfway through my super busy weekend (the last couple days had a surprise party and and surprise guest for a friend of mine) and I'm a little... no, make that a lot... peopled out. However, I did go into the office and do a little organizing and filing of the mountain of papers on my desk, so I'm actually [gasp] looking forward to going to work tomorrow. It's amazing what just a couple hours with no one asking you questions, emailing, or phoning you will do for your organizational skills.

It's times like these that I get confirmation that I am, indeed, an introvert. A relatively well socialized introvert, but an introvert nonetheless.

3.07.2008

Review: Table 6

My buddy, Stacey, and I went to Table 6 last night as an informal "glad you don't have to study anymore" dinner. I can definitely recommend it to fellow Denverites as a very good restaurant for a special evening. It was a tad on the pricey side, about $55 a piece including a shared bottle of wine, entrees, a dessert each, and tax (excluding tip), but well worth it. For example, we probably could have cut the cost by not getting a bottle of wine, but it was delicious! (I neglected to write down what it was, but Stacey did, so I could get it from her if you're interested. In a nutshell, it was a light and refreshing Italian white.)
I got the Chicken Pot Pie, which was essentially a chicken and mushroom stew with a puff pastry lid. The lid was OK -- I would have preferred a flaky pastry -- but the chicken and mushrooms was very good. It also wasn't too starchy, as these pies often are. It also meant the liquid was on the thin side, but I prefer that. So, all in all, very tasty. Stacey had duck on a bed of julienned pears. I'm not sure of the preparation of the duck -- roasted, perhaps? (Stacey, any thoughts?) At any rate, it was perfectly done and not at all oily, which is what I've run across with duck. The pears were cooked slightly (al dente) and were very tasty. Unfortunately, Stacey's allergy did not allow her to eat more than a few bites of that and the hazelnuts in the dish had to be left off entirely. Regardless, Stacey thought it was very good.
This particular restaurant's specialty is powdered beignets that squirt molten chocolate. Delicious! The chocolate was perfect, as was the warning from the waiter about how to eat it (cut it first, piercing, not crushing it) though I suppose if you popped a whole one in your mouth you'd be OK too. We also got white chocolate crumpets with red current sauce. Very tasty, but the beignets were the best.
The other highlights were non food related. The waiter was attentive, but not overly so. He helped us with the wine selection and was generally charming. Interestingly, the other staff performed a lot of functions for us, filling glasses, bringing and taking plates. I interpreted this as that the whole staff took responsibility for the whole restaurant. If they saw something that needed doing, then they took it upon themselves to do it. I liked that a lot.
Also, the layout and ergonomics of the place were generally good, with one understandable exception. (To be honest, I didn't think of this until I saw on the linked review site something about table size, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.) The table size was perfect, small enough to maintain intimacy (perfect for a romantic restaurant, as this one clearly is), but big enough to hold all the plates. When we had dessert, Stacey had coffee (which came with the remainder in a small french press) and I had hot tea (with the accompanying tea pot), and everything fit fine. The tables were far enough apart to allow easy movement, but also near enough to allow spying on your neighbors' meal choices. The density of tables and the noise level were ideal, in my opinion. The only weird thing was a vestibule created from heavy drapes at the entry. It was understandably done to prevent drafts from disturbing the whole restaurant, but it made for an odd entry sequence. Actually, they probably take it down in warm weather, so it would only be weird during the cold months.
The friend of mine who recommended this place said that she came here for a cheese plate appetizer and the beignets for dessert, and I'd have to say, that would be the perfect price-sensible way to go about it.

3.06.2008

Last Exam Taken

It went OK. Pretty much like all the others. I coulda passed, I coulda failed (probably passed, but I really don't want to count on it).
Two weeks before I know for sure!

3.05.2008

My Friendship Cup Runneth Over

I've been feeling sorry for myself and my self-imposed semi-seclusion to study for exams for the last 6 months. I didn't exclude all socialization, but that was always a consideration and a limiter. Well, after feeling sorry for myself, I pointed out to myself that my social life probably hadn't changed that much. Get a grip, chica.
I take it back -- it has. Perhaps by coincidence, perhaps because it's my first weekend back in the big kids pool, I am booked up almost every night from now 'til Tuesday. Tonight, there's a book club meeting after work (I haven't read the book, obviously, but it's other women in the industry, so I should network). Tomorrow, it's dinner with a friend. Friday, drinks with other friends. Saturday, movie party with friends. Sunday, birthday lunch with family. Monday, more drinks (possibly dinner) with friends. (The one marginally "negative" side affect of having a variety of friendship circles is that socialization requires multiple excursions. As you can see.)
I'm actually looking forward to the furor to die down so I can get to knitting a couple hats for friends and catching up on the umpteen DVDs and TiFauxed shows that I have gathering dust.

3.03.2008

The Last Studying

I just got my pass letter for the eighth exam. [audience in unison: "of course!"]
I'm taking the ninth and final Architectural Registration Exam on Thursday morning. I finished reading the study book for it over the weekend. (Yay!) I'll keep the concepts fresh in my mind by taking the practice exam and looking at the flashcards, but I'll keep the studying pretty light. I deserve it for working hard on the reading!

Yay me! ;)

3.02.2008

Meme, Part II

My answers today were inspired by MWT. They represent the manner in which I think MWT might have (though did not) answered the meme. And though the manner is MWTesque, the truth, such as it is, is all me.

1. Ever been in a relationship lasting over 5 years?
The longest has been 33, almost 34 years.
2. What was one of your dreams growing up?
To be myself.
3. What talent do you wish you had?
To have more wishes.
4. If I bought you a drink what would it be?
How much are you willing to spend?
5. Favorite, books?
Yes.
6. What was the last book you read?
Right now, my answer to that would be very boring.
7. Astrology: Menace to science education or entertainment?
Agnostic
8. Any tattoos and/or piercings? Explain where.
Yes and no.
9. Worst habit?
Being too honest
10. Best attribute?
Being too honest
11. What are your favorite hobbies?
Acquiring new hobbies.
12. Do you have a negative or optimistic attitude?
Both
13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
Talk or listen. (Or neither, if you prefer.)
14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
Being born.
15. Best thing to ever happen to you?
Being born.
16. Tell me one weird fact about you.
I like being weird.
17. What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
If you could give me a date and time, I'd be able to let you know.
18. What was your first impression of me?
That you are funny and very individualistic.
19. What scares you?
Being loved and not being loved.
20. If you could change one thing about how you are, what would it be?
I wouldn't.
21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
Neither
22. What color eyes do you have?
You tell me... [opens eyes wide and stares into screen]
23. Ever been arrested? If so, what for?
I've been stopped many times.
24. Favorite dessert?
Chocolate cake for breakfast.
25. If you won $1000 today, what would you do with it?
Use it.
26. Tell me something you want me to know about you.
I'm not explaining any of these answers.
27. What’s your favorite place to hang out?
Sometimes here, sometimes elsewhere.
28. Do you believe in ghosts? Aliens?
Agnostic
29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Not memes
30. Do you swear a lot?
Fuck no
31. Biggest pet peeve?
Cat/dog hair
32. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
Contrary
33. Do you believe in/appreciate romance?
Depends
34. Most unusual place you’ve had sex?
Nowhere as unusual as I'd like to
35. Do you believe in an afterlife?
Agnostic

3.01.2008

Internet Meme

For the uninitiated: a meme is an internet game (both blogging and email) where an activity, usually a list of questions, is passed around and answered. Urban dictionary has some interesting definitions, but I found the most helpful line to be: meme : derived from the Greek mimëma, 'something imitated'

Over the past few days, a meme has been going around with 35 personal questions to answer and let people know more about you (from as mild as "what color are your eyes?" to as intimate as "where's the most unusual place you've had sex?")

I wasn't planning to participate, possibly because I am so darned busy right now, but Michelle's post title "Push the Lever! All the Other Rats Are Doing It!" made me laugh my butt off. She (in addition to unknowingly stealing a bunch of my answers) stole my thought to bring together a list of everyone who participated. So, I thought maybe I'd participate. The first thing I did was see who in the group participated, read the answers and the comments, and note the URL so I could include it in an updated list. In doing so, I encountered much hilarity (suprised anyone?) and some independence (which resonates with me, of course) and I've used up all my free time for the day, so I think I'll skip answering the questions and just post my findings instead.

Jim Wright - started it all by picking it up from a blog and making it look "cool" to do
Many things happened in Jim's comments:
- Vince and John the Scientist posted answers
- Nathan stated his intention not to do it, though that didn't stop him from commenting on the cussing question.
- Eric started a hilarious pathalogical liar version that he ended up finishing on his own site.
Janiece - where a discussion on green eyes and not liking crowds (though no discussion of a link between the two) began
Also in Janiece's comments, MWT stated a dislike for memes and kept to it by instead blogging about cooking, stuffed animals, time, and oysters.
Michelle - as I noted, made me laugh with her title and she's the one who started the original accounting
Through Michelle's links, I also found
Shawn - who ended up doing some cinnamon related absurdity because of it
Kate - who also did the above, bravo to the both of you
Tania - who's answer about trying to escape from the stuck elevator made me wish I were stuck in an elevator with her
Tom - who made me glad he got out of a crappy place in his life and is here with us now

I had an idea for how to answer the questions in a funny, non-traditional way, but it would take even more time than this has and I really have to study now. If I get lots done, maybe I'll have time to do it tomorrow. Or, I may not. But thanks for the laughs, guys!