pom poms ...

It is scary what can happen when you pick up a pair of pom poms ...


Fortunately my team thought I was being supportive and not that I was having a mid-life crisis ...

I am not so sure ... but, I think I should invest in pair of pom poms just for fun : )

Q is for quantum ...

My four year old niece is learning about the alphabet in school. Yesterday the teacher introduced the letter Q to the class and asked each student to come up with a word that started with that letter. Rawnie's word was quantum. I am sure the teacher is still scratching her head.

dice hola ...

Over the past year I have developed a pretty good relationship with the Starbucks up the street from my house. Often now they will have my drink ready for me before I reach the counter to order. Sure I drink a lot of coffee but, that is still impressive. Today I had another coffee experience that may have topped my neighborhood Starbucks and given me a new "coffee home." Upon walking into this coffee show I was greeted by not one, not two, but three smiling baristas with "Hola Melissa." Ok, I have been to this particular Starbucks in Mexico City no less than 10 times in the last 2 days. And, I am usually ordering coffee for 7 of my co-workers in a Spanish accent that sounds a lot like Apu from the Simpsons. I guess it is not that unusual that I might stand out from the crowd in this environment. But still, they know my name and my drink preference in less than a week. Sorry Seattle Starbucks, it looks like I will have to make the Mexico City Starbucks my new home. Too bad the commute is so bad...

me and alice ...

In case you had started to wonder ... Alice Cooper isn't dead. He is alive and well and for the weekend at least, was enjoying a good time listening to a cover band in Cabo at the infamous CaboWabo during Sammy Haggar's annual birthday bash. This I know because, even though I haven't posted in a while, I too am alive and this weekend at least was enjoying a good time listening to a cover band in Cabo at the infamous CaboWabo duing Sammy Haggar's annual birthday bash. Life continues to be a strange ride ...

what is in a name?

this is my new business card ...
I also just received a fresh box of new business cards for my "real" job but they aren't nearly cool enough to post.

day one ... skating through memories

When I was a kid my family and I would often drive up north to Medford and spend a Sunday afternoon at Skate World! This magical place, complete with disco balls and strobe lights, would offer us hours of fun as we skated around in circles to the music of Men at Work or Men Without Hats – I can never remember the name of that band …

On occasion we would visit the armory in Yreka (a town much closer to mine) to skate in what I imagine was once a hanger. Unfortunately, the seams in the concrete floor made the skating process difficult and about as rewarding as skating on the sidewalks back home.

I tell you this because, while I have not skated since skate wheels were aligned horizontally instead of vertically, I am now the proud owner of rollerblades!!! As I tried the skates on in my office, nearly falling on the floor as my feet moved one way and my chair the other, I realized that much has changed in the skating world. Not only do my new skates feel more like ski boots then tennis shoes (I used to have a great pair of skates that actually looked like tennis shoes – too cool), but along with the skates I am now expected to wear all of this other protective gear – helmets, wrist pads, elbow pads, knee pads etc… Given that I am much older now, I suppose that all of this extra protection is a good thing. It just seems that it takes some of the fun out of the experience if I am constantly reminded that this activity might be hazardous to my health.

Unfortunately, my new skates come just as the weather has started to turn cold and wet. Perhaps, I will be able to encourage my friends to join me for an afternoon at an old fashion rink…. Anyone up for Skate King?

BTW – it should be said that I purchased the skates, practically new, from another person who had fantastic memories of skating. Hopefully, I will not be passing them off to yet another dreamer anytime soon.

365 days ...

365 days have passed since I began my “living life as an adventure” experiment. This morning as I awoke I had an true sense of accomplishment and confidence in reflecting back on a year where I did not let the fear of the unknown dictate the decisions I made in my life.

Much has been written in self-help books, and the like, on managing life changes. I’ve read more of these books then I like to admit and for me they all added up to a bunch of hooey. I spent most of my life trying to live five years ahead – plan – plan – plan. Unfortunately, I forgot to inform the rest of the world on my plan and life in its infinite wisdom took me on a different ride. I’d love to say that I decided one day to live life in the moment but the truth is that I was thrown into the moment and, unable to figure out how to recover a five year plan which had come apart at the seams, I reluctantly decided to follow life’s path instead.

Life as it turns out is a much better planner than I. In the last year, I have had experiences and taken on challenges which in the past would have died in the conversation phase. I have embraced old friendships and opened myself up for new relationships all of which have created a richness in my life I could never hope to repay. I am lucky! Life has given me the opportunity to take each day as it comes and appreciate the moments, be they good or bad, as a chance to be a part of the experience.

So, while this may sound a little schmaltzy, for the next 365 days I pledge to continue to approach life with an open mind and seek out opportunities which will challenge my fears. I will repay the love and support I have been given, to people I already know and those who will cross my path in the days to come. And, I will not let a moment pass without being thankful for the experience.

1000 places to see before you die - #5

Last night I received a photo from a trip I had taken last spring to Maui, Hawaii. I wasn't prepared to love Hawaii, and I still wonder if my affinity is based on the beauty of the area or the marvelous vacation I had. Either way Maui, Hawaii deserves a spot in the 1000 places to see before you die.

meatloaf tacos and other fine cuisine ...

Last night was my first cooking class. While I came out of it with all ten fingers I was more than a little disappointed with the lesson and as far as the recipes - there is no way I will ever puree a perfectly good avocado into guacamole you can suck through a straw.

I love my grandmother, but…. (you always have to start with “I love” when you are about to dish on a relative) my grandmother had a certain knack for ruining perfectly good food, not unlike my cooking teacher. So, while the skills I learned last night were taught with more finesse then what my grandmother might offer, the basic lesson was the same – take excellent ingredients, pulverize them so they no longer can be identified and then add mayonnaise.

Setting the avocado aside, I do not understand the desire to turn meat or fish into anything other than a beautifully cooked, or raw, presentation of their pure state. The whole idea of a “loaf” or “mousse” escapes me. Last night as we pureed the chicken livers into a suckable mousse and added mayonnaise to replace the crab juice we had squeezed out of the fresh crab I couldn’t help but smile as I recalled my grandmothers own recipes. My favorite by far being “meatloaf tacos.”

For those of you wanting to recreate this classic it is quite simple… First you take a perfectly good piece of meat, season it well and serve it on Sunday. Next you take whatever is left over and put it through a meat grinder. A couple of days later you reform the newly ground meet into a presentable loaf and reheat. Finally you break apart the loaf into ground beef sized chunks, serve with tortillas and ketchup and presto – you have meatloaf tacos! The same loaf treatment can be done on anything that was once good – fresh salmon, prime rib, steak … you name it, anything can be turned into a loaf.

I have 24 hours more of cooking class before I receive my certificate as a qualified loafer. Hopefully somewhere between the salads and desert I will find something I can share with my family and friends. Otherwise, it looks like I will need to pay a visit to my grandmother – she will be so proud that I finally learned how to cook.

birthday season ...

Ahh yes it is birthday season! It is better than Christmas and lasts longer than Thanksgiving leftovers!

So, happy birthday to mom, and dad, and my sister Syd, and Lynette, and her mom, and Beth, and Dave's mom Nancy, and my cousin Marcie, and my uncle Doogie, and Mike, Sid, Julie, Tammie, Brad, and Denise and Denise's new baby who hasn't arrived but is scheduled to arrive during Brithday Season, and the guy at the grocery store, and Rosie, and Lynn, and everyone else who is celebrating this time of year!

The holiday season has officially begun!

me and the mechanical bull ...

At some point in your life you may find yourself in the proximity of a mechanical bull. This bull may be in your client's back yard. You may need to ride this bull. If this should happen to you I have one bit of advice - seek another type of work.

please go away rita ...

I am currently trying to get home and Rita is in my way. As I watch the storm and try to figure a route around her, I can feel my anxiety raise. I cannot even imagine the fear of those who are in her direct path. Hopefully her fury will disolve before she reaches land ...

4 weeks to a comfortable sofa ...

When I moved into my place I decided to see if it is possible to furnish an entire home with items found on the internet. The early results were very positive. Not only was I able to purchase everything (from pots and pans all the way to living room furniture) off of the internet, but everything was delivered set up and looked great within 4 weeks of my pressing the enter button. And, the entire shopping experience took no more then 90 minutes to complete. (For anyone who has ever been furniture, bedding, kitchen, etc... shopping 90 minutes is a world record.)

Unfortunately, over the past year there has been one purchase regret or as some would say "sore spot". The sofa, while looking fabulous, is not actually conducive to sitting. The problem is that while most sofas have a seat that tilts toward the back, mine tilts toward the front which results in my guests being slowly propelled off of the sofa and onto the living room floor. As for lying on the couch – don’t even think about it.

I’ve known this was an area that needed to be rectified. I’ve gone to furniture stores and sat on countless sofas. I’ve even considered purchasing big bean bags. Nothing seemed like a good replacement for the sofa which aesthetically looks so good but, which is such a pain in the butt.

A couple of weeks ago while driving to work I managed to spill a huge bottle of water all over the passenger side. As I reached into the console to pull out some napkins, to sop up the mess, out popped an article I had clipped a year ago about the Seat Company.com. Bingo! Another internet sofa is on the way!

This one tilts toward the back is covered in a beautiful plush fabric (instead of the ultra-suede I chose last time) and I sprung for the “down-filled" cushions. The fact that it has cushions instead of the padded bench of the current sofa is a plus, I figured “down-filled” should put me over the edge in terms of comfort.

So, here it goes. If this sofa arrives as promised and looks and feels great, I will have succeeded in demonstrating that the internet is the perfect shopping experience. If not, I guess we will be sitting on bean bags this winter.

Btw – here are photos of two other internet sofas which I had the sense not to purchase.

observation test

I received the following from a friend who scored 15. I scored 17 and think a few of the answers are bunk. - How well do you think you can do? (I will put the answers in the comment section - good luck)

The average person only gets 7 right. This is based on
U.S. info, so use all lobes of your brain. This can be
more difficult than it looks -it just shows how
little most of us really see!

There are 25 questions about things we see every day
or have known about all our lives. How many can you
get right? These little simple questions are harder
than you think. It just shows how little we pay
attention to the commonplace things of life.

RULES: Put your thinking caps on. No cheating! No
looking around! No getting out of your chair! No using
anything on or in your desk or computer!

Can you beat 20?? (The average is 7) Write down your
answers and check answers (in the comment section) AFTER
completing all the questions. REMEMBER-NO CHEATING!!!

LET'S JUST SEE HOW OBSERVANT YOU REALLY ARE. - If
not, just have fun!

Here we go!


1. On a standard traffic light,is the green on the
top or bottom?

2. How many states are there in the USA? (Don't
laugh, some people don't know.)

3. In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch?

4. What six colors are on the classic Campbell's soup
label?

5. What two numbers on the telephone dial don't have
letters by them?

6. When you walk does your left arm swing with your
right or left leg? (Don't you dare get up to see!)

7. How many matches are in a standard pack?

8. On the United States flag is the top stripe red or
white?

9. What is the lowest number on the FM dial(including decimal)? (Don't
look at that dial!)

10. Which way does water go down the drain, counter or
clockwise? (Get out of the bathroom!)

11. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?

12. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?

13. On which side of a women's blouse are the buttons(no looking!)?

14. Which way do fans rotate?

15 How many sides does a stop sign have?

16. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right
or left side?

17 How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?

18. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?

19. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's
missing?

20. How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?

21. On which playing card is the card maker's
trademark?

22. On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord
that adjusts the opening between the slats?

23. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What
2 symbols bear no digits?

24. How many curves are there in the standard paper
clip?

25. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?

__________________________________________________________

cuts like a knife ...

Despite summers spent in my grandmother’s kitchen, or perhaps because of them, my kitchen skills are eccentric to say the least. I can cook obscure meals such as Chinese stuffed rolls (from Sunset Magazine circa 1975) but I cannot chop vegetables without the process involving antiseptic and lots and lots of gauze.

Over the past few weeks, I have been making an effort to expand my cooking skills and for the most part I think the process has been going relatively smoothly. However, despite being able to now steam clams, I am still lacking some of those basic skills like cooking eggs, grilling meat, and yes – using knives. So, I am stepping up my efforts and enrolling in a cooking skills class for busy people who have this extra room in their house where they are currently storing takeout containers but in which they vaguely recall hearing that food can be prepared. (how’s that for a run-on-sentence?)

Wish me luck, I can’t wait for the course on the urban refrigerator – apparently you can make a meal from what is inside. Who knew?

he’s had a very rough term …

I found myself outside of a conversation regarding hurricane Katrina and the government’s response. “You see” said a co-worker “the president couldn’t do anything because the governor did not ask. She should have asked then the situation would have been different.”

Are you kidding me? Do people actually believe that the President of the United States of America does not have the authority to command troops without the consent of local government????? While I understand that there is protocol, and that there were discussions between the President and Governor – an emergency is an emergency!

The responding comment from another co-worker was “yea, the President has had a really rough term and none of it has been his fault.” PEOPLE!!!!! Did you see Brown’s resume, have you heard about Homeland Security, do you know where the reserve troops are???? Let me help you out, there ain’t nobody home!!!! Our troops are fighting a war with questionable support while we literally kill each other back here. I overheard a man in the Detroit Airport put it best when he asked “what are they going to do next, send in the boy scouts?”

So, I am sorry if the President had to cut short his five week vacation. I am sorry that he doesn’t bother himself with watching the news or reading the paper, and therefore did not understand the magnitude of the catastrophe which had struck. I am sorry that cronyism resulted in Brown being put in charge of FEMA. And, I am sorry that Katrina hit during a time in which our resources and intention toward domestic issues is at an all time low. But let’s be honest – the President has not had a very rough term – he is failing in his job and as anyone who has ever had a job knows – when you are not performing, it is a bad day at the office.

swaping the do-hickey

My computer and I had another "moment" today. She once again refused to power up despite my pleas, begging and downright groveling with promises of clean power and limited cookies.

Unfortunately, I had to call the "help desk" and they once again "helped" by tearing her inners out and replacing the do-hickey.

Hopefully our relationship will remain stable through this next trip.

do you not understand EXTREME?

I took my first Extreme Body Makeover class today. Somehow when I signed up for the class the word EXTREME in the title did not register. About the ninth flight of stairs I started to question exactly what I was doing a) getting out of my nice cozy bed this morning and b) paying someone to yell at me to climb more and more stairs. The worst part of the experience was the jump roping. Panic swept over me the minute I saw the instructor bring out the ropes. I haven’t jumped rope since I was in second grade and there is reason. For hours after school I was tutored on the fine art of being able to jump into a moving rope in order that I would be able to play with the other kids. I never mastered this skill. Usually the rope would hit me in the head or cause me to topple to the ground. The jump rope songs still sing mockingly in my nightmares. By third grade the trend had moved to Chinese Jump Rope which was more to my liking – no ropes swinging for my head.

I like to think I have matured (some) since those awful days on the playground. So, this morning I picked up the rope and did my best to imitate Rocky Balboa. Unfortunately, I think the rope hit my head more times then it actually swung around and while I did not fall, I certianly did not perform with grace.

Needless to say, this is not the class that is going to get me excited about working out in the morning. But, if it makes it so that I can hike and ski this winter without feeling like an old lady, well then, I guess I am in for an Extreme body makeover experience!

btw – I get my body fat measured on Tuesday - now that sounds like fun.

hello norma jean

The era of the blonde has apparently come to an end according to researchers in the UK. While we can still claim to have "more fun" apparently the years of battering by blonde jokes, and the likes of Paris Hilton, have taken their toll on our perceived intelligence and attractiveness.

According to a new study 51 per cent of men thought brunettes were more attractive 81 per cent described them as intelligent and 67 per cent of men described them as independent and self sufficient.

Blondes were described as needy and lacking in independence by 40 per cent of those questioned.

In homage to our lost ranking I give you my favorite blonde song/joke – good bye Marilyn and hello Norma Jean.

‘Cause I’m a Blonde’ by Julie Brown (spoken lines in italics).

Because I'm blonde, I don't have to think
I talk like a baby and I never pay for drinks
Don't have to worry about gettin' a man
If I keep this blonde and I keep these tan

'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah

I see people workin', it just makes me giggle
'Cause I don't have to work, I just have to jiggle

'Cause I'm blonde
B-L-O-N-D
'Cause I'm a blonde
Don't you wish you were me?

I never learned to read and I never learned to cook
Why should I bother when I look like I look?
I know lots of people are smarter than me
But I have this philosophy:
"So what?"

'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah

I see girls without dates and I feel so sorry for 'em
'Cause whenever I'm around, all the men ignore 'em

'Cause I'm blonde
Nyah, nyah, nyah
'Cause I'm a blonde
Nyah, nyah, nyah

They say to make it you need talent and ambition
Well, I got a TV show, and this was my audition:

Um, okay. what was it, okay, um,
don't tell me, oh yeah, okay...
"Duck, Magnum, duck!"

'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah

I took an IQ test, and I flunked it, of course
I can't spell VW, but I got a Porsche

'Cause I'm a blonde
B-L-A-N-D
'Cause I'm a blonde
Don't you wish you were me?

I just want to say that being chosen as
this month's Miss August is like a compliment
I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm
a freshman in my fourth year at UCLA, but my goal
is to become a veterinarian, 'cause I love children.

'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause we're a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Girls think I'm snotty, and maybe it's true
With my hair and body, you would be too

'Cause I'm a blonde
B-L-... I don't know!
'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause I'm a blonde
Yeah, yeah, yeah!

1000 places to see before you die #5

Siena, Italy ... having just returned all I can say is wow! Perhaps it is the jet lag, or just a lack of vocabluary, but I cannot at this moment find the words to describe this amazing town. So, albeit cliché, "a picture is worth a thousand words" here is my new online Photo Gallery

- thanks Anandi for the Smugmug recomendation.