Back in January, my friend Mindy posted on Facebook a list of things she wanted to do before turning 30 this year. This inspired me to create my own list, which I'm calling my "30 Before 30." Some are big; some are minor. A handful I've already completed by the time I've gotten around to composing this blog post. Here they are (with commentary).
1. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
DONE! A major thank you goes to my friend Kendra for being the impetus to get this to happen.
2. Fill up my passport pages
I have three squares left in my passport, which expires next fall. I'll need to purchase a new one by February (6 months before it expires), so that means I have about 8 months to get this done. I'm hoping to check this off the list when I go to eastern Europe this summer. If not, I might need to make an impromptu trip south of the boarder. :)
3. Learn how to make a good mojito
DONE-ISH. My friend Gino taught me his secret recipe for making mojitos when he and his family were visiting at Easter. Now I just need to practice a few times to make sure I have it right. I'm looking for volunteers. ;)
4. Run a race
DONE! I competed in the Warrior Dash (a 5K with crazy obstacles) a couple weekends ago. Sure, I ended up having to walk half the race because I tore some ligaments in my ankle scrambling down the pyramid of hay bales, but hey, I completed the race!
5. Ride a Segway
Provided plans don't fall through, I'll cross this one off my list tonight! My friend Amy and Dylan and I will be rolling around Tempe Town Lake on a Segway tour. Can't wait!
6. Buy a house.
Eeks! This is a big one. I'm slowly getting the ball rolling...we'll see what happens.
7. Plant an herb garden
The next few items on my list rely on me accomplishing #6, so hopefully that one works out well!
8. Make a compost bin
Because that's just a good thing to do!
9. Stockpile the necessary ingredients for a well-stocked bar
It seems like a grown-up thing to do.
10. Go scuba diving again
It's been a year and a half since I went diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I need to find another excuse to go diving again!
11. Bake bread from scratch
No bread machine allowed.
12. Put together a book of photos and blog posts from my 3 months of travel around Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia in 2007
There's no excuse for why I haven't done this already. My favorite pictures from that trip need to live somewhere other than online albums.
13. Finish putting together my video of photos from said 2007 travels
On a related note, I need to finish the project I started a long while back of compiling ALL the photos I took into a stop-action video.
14. Visit a winery with friends
I've been to one in Washington with my parents before, but I think it'd be a different experience with friends.
15. Read my grandfather's book, Pappy's Boys
My grandfather played quarterback for the Cal Bears when they went to the Rose Bowl in 1948. He helped put together this book about the coach, Pappy Waldorf.
16. Interview my grandparents
This is really just a fancy way of saying I want to learn more about their story.
17. Spend some time shooting alongside a professional photographer
I love taking photos, but there's so much that I still need to learn about controlling my camera settings, getting good lighting, and setting my focus. I'm hoping one of my photographers friends will be amenable to spending an afternoon or something, to impart some wisdom my way.
18. Go to a drive-in movie double feature
I've been once before to see a single movie. I want to kick it old school and see a double feature sometime.
19. Learn to surf
I hear there's a water park in the Phoenix area that has a wave simulator where you can learn how to surf. If that's not true, I'm going to have to find an ocean somewhere where I can learn!
20. Watch all of the West Wing
I just finished season 3, so I have a little more than half-way to go to finish Aaron Sorkin's masterful tv show.
21. Write a will
Because all grownups should have one.
22. Get my fortune told
I wonder if a psychic would be able to tell me if I'll complete everything on my 30 Before 30 list...
23. Go roller skating at a roller rink
I haven't done this since elementary school and I so badly want to go again!
24. Take a cooking class
I don't really care what the topic is. I'd just love to learn how to make something tasty.
25. Eat snails
DONE! I told a client of mine about my 30 Before 30 list, and when she heard I wanted to try escargot, she said we had to order them off the menu at the French restaurant where we were meeting. Butter and garlic make anything taste good!
26. Go see the original London Bridge at Lake Havasu
This has been on my must-do list since I moved to Arizona. I still can't believe they moved the original bridge all the way from London to crazy Arizona.
27. Visit the Phoenix Farmers Market
This is another Phoenix Must-Do item that I've never gotten around to doing.
28. See an opera
Opera seems like a grown-up thing to do, too. I either want to attend a performance put on by the Phoenix Opera, or see one of those performances from New York's Metropolitan Opera, projected live at a local movie theater.
29. See a drag show
I'm all about exposing myself to culture, as you can tell. :)
30. Go camping with friends
I've definitely been camping before, but I've never gone with a group of friends.
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
5.14.2011
1.07.2009
Entering Detox Mode
Oh the irony of that previous post. After I gushed about the joy of travel, I managed to sustain one of the most disappointing travel experiences of my life: I missed the opportunity to see Machu Picchu. There are details I'm still trying to figure out, but right now it looks like the LAN flight I purchased to Cusco (the small town where people start their journey to the breathtaking Inca ruins) never actually existed. It was some kind of glitch in the computer system at the moment I purchased my online ticket. LAN, the airline company, hasn't said as much, but they put up no fight when I requested a full refund for my round-trip tickets, claiming that the time had been changed for my flight and I was never notified. The interesting thing is, the LAN timetable is quite consistent. Every day in January, the latest flight to Cusco is 15:00. My flight was supposedly scheduled for 16:45. Other details just don't jive, and I'm hoping it will support my case for a full reimbursement for the costs of the tour and hotel I had booked. I'm not holding my breath, and it'll probably take a bit of a fight (they're not answering my emails so far), but I'm not going to give up without trying. After all, no reimbursement can replace the wondrous experience I missed out on because of their error.
Overall, though, this was a fabulous trip. Much needed. It had been 15 months since my passport had been inked by an immigration officer, and I think it (read: me) was feeling a little restless. Oh, it was a great trip. People think I'm an odd one for taking trips like these on my own when I don't really know the people I'll be meeting up with. But I love getting to know new people. And besides, when it's a well-oiled meeting (read: plenty of alcohol), the ability to make new friends is infinitely easier. A couple of pisco sours (the local Peruvian drink of choice) and everyone's out salsaing on the dance floor with their 20 best friends.
To give you a sense of how much alcohol was consumed, I kept a loose tally of what I drank during the week...and I was the lightweight of the group. I'll preface this by saying that everyone was safe, no one drove and no one (that I heard of) ended the nights hugging the toilet.
Here's my week in drinks:
Champagne
Champagne
Rum & Coke
Rum & Coke
Champagne
Pisco shot
Rum & Coke
Pisco shot (I think this was a half a shot...Gino knew I was nearing the end of my night)
1/2 bottle of Pilsen beer
Cusqueña beer
Champagne
Champagne
Hazelnut/coffee drink thing
Strawberry pisco sour
Maracuya sour (passion fruit-flavored pisco sour)
Maracuya sour
Maracuya sour
Cusqueña
Pisco shot (small)
Maracuya sour
Maracuya sour
Rosé wine
Rosé wine
White wine
Maracuya sour
Cusqueña
Maracuya sour
Malbec
in-flight red wine (Lima - San Salvadore)
in-flight red wine (San Salvadore - LAX)
I will repeat again: I was the light drinker of the week. All those pisco sours (well, the passion fruit-flavored pisco sours) with the white of a raw egg in each one might have been the contributor to my digestive issues at the end of the week. Oh well. The sacrifices one makes for a good time...
I have to sort through my 1,200+ pictures. Hopefully I'll post those by the weekend. To hold you over for the rest, I've provided a few previews from the New Year's Eve Party.
Overall, though, this was a fabulous trip. Much needed. It had been 15 months since my passport had been inked by an immigration officer, and I think it (read: me) was feeling a little restless. Oh, it was a great trip. People think I'm an odd one for taking trips like these on my own when I don't really know the people I'll be meeting up with. But I love getting to know new people. And besides, when it's a well-oiled meeting (read: plenty of alcohol), the ability to make new friends is infinitely easier. A couple of pisco sours (the local Peruvian drink of choice) and everyone's out salsaing on the dance floor with their 20 best friends.
 |
| The Dance floor. From New Year's Eve Peru |
To give you a sense of how much alcohol was consumed, I kept a loose tally of what I drank during the week...and I was the lightweight of the group. I'll preface this by saying that everyone was safe, no one drove and no one (that I heard of) ended the nights hugging the toilet.
 |
| Empty glasses. From New Year's Eve Peru |
Here's my week in drinks:
Champagne
Champagne
Rum & Coke
Rum & Coke
Champagne
Pisco shot
Rum & Coke
Pisco shot (I think this was a half a shot...Gino knew I was nearing the end of my night)
1/2 bottle of Pilsen beer
Cusqueña beer
Champagne
Champagne
Hazelnut/coffee drink thing
Strawberry pisco sour
Maracuya sour (passion fruit-flavored pisco sour)
Maracuya sour
Maracuya sour
Cusqueña
Pisco shot (small)
Maracuya sour
Maracuya sour
Rosé wine
Rosé wine
White wine
Maracuya sour
Cusqueña
Maracuya sour
Malbec
in-flight red wine (Lima - San Salvadore)
in-flight red wine (San Salvadore - LAX)
I will repeat again: I was the light drinker of the week. All those pisco sours (well, the passion fruit-flavored pisco sours) with the white of a raw egg in each one might have been the contributor to my digestive issues at the end of the week. Oh well. The sacrifices one makes for a good time...
 |
| Pilsen Beer (one of the local faves) and some salsa. From New Year's Eve Peru |
I have to sort through my 1,200+ pictures. Hopefully I'll post those by the weekend. To hold you over for the rest, I've provided a few previews from the New Year's Eve Party.
 |
| The Bride (Laura), her mom (Cheryl) and her sister (Shannon) ring in the New Year. From New Year's Eve Peru |
6.18.2008
Self-Improvement
I am working hard to:
+ Sit up straighter
+ Not care that I can't be everyone's friend
+ Make my gym membership worth the nominal fee I pay
+ Go for a hike every month
+ Answer emails more promptly
+ Make plans to cross the border for a long weekend this summer/fall
+ Drink more water
+ Not get too emotional when emotion is unnecessary
+ Make time to see Sex and the City
+ Infuse my work with more feminine flair
+ Stick to my budget
+ Make excuses to take more pictures
+ Get more comfortable presenting in front of a group
On a related note...
I gave my first Toastmasters speech this Monday, wherein I had to basically just introduce myself to the assembled group. I got several laughs (yes!), and the biggest round of gasps and laughs came from this segment of my speech:
+ Sit up straighter
+ Not care that I can't be everyone's friend
+ Make my gym membership worth the nominal fee I pay
+ Go for a hike every month
+ Answer emails more promptly
+ Make plans to cross the border for a long weekend this summer/fall
+ Drink more water
+ Not get too emotional when emotion is unnecessary
+ Make time to see Sex and the City
+ Infuse my work with more feminine flair
+ Stick to my budget
+ Make excuses to take more pictures
+ Get more comfortable presenting in front of a group
On a related note...
I gave my first Toastmasters speech this Monday, wherein I had to basically just introduce myself to the assembled group. I got several laughs (yes!), and the biggest round of gasps and laughs came from this segment of my speech:
My mom was a teacher at a local middle school. Her subject? Sex ed. If I ever seem a bit odd to you, just attribute it to the scars of surviving my teen years despite memories of adolescent boys coming up to me in the hallway with the announcement, “Erica! Your mom talked about masturbation in class today!” True story.
6.08.2008
The results are in: I have a personality
During my interview process for my new job, I had to go through a battery of personality tests, and I recently got the results. Apparently I am high in the "conscientiousness" factor. Also, I:
+ am a perfectionist
+ play by the rules
+ benefit from structure
+ can easily get consumed by details, tend to over-analyze issues
+ am easily rattled by rejection, but will respond well to critiques
+ often ask "how?"
+ am afraid of confrontation, and thus can give in too easily or can not make my own needs known
+ am very loyal
I was amazed at how spot on these results were, and I would be interested to see if anything would change, were I to take the test again in 3 years. A lot of these characteristics I could have probably told you about myself, but somehow this makes them feel "official". Kinda like a diagnosis. All I need now is a prescription to go along. "To treat your fear of confrontation, I'll have you take two deep breaths per conflict. And be sure to stock up on assertive supplements."
I guess that's what therapy's for, right?
+ am a perfectionist
+ play by the rules
+ benefit from structure
+ can easily get consumed by details, tend to over-analyze issues
+ am easily rattled by rejection, but will respond well to critiques
+ often ask "how?"
+ am afraid of confrontation, and thus can give in too easily or can not make my own needs known
+ am very loyal
I was amazed at how spot on these results were, and I would be interested to see if anything would change, were I to take the test again in 3 years. A lot of these characteristics I could have probably told you about myself, but somehow this makes them feel "official". Kinda like a diagnosis. All I need now is a prescription to go along. "To treat your fear of confrontation, I'll have you take two deep breaths per conflict. And be sure to stock up on assertive supplements."
I guess that's what therapy's for, right?
1.06.2008
What I've Learned, 2007
I've decided to do this year's installment of "What I've Learned" (an idea ripped from the pages of Esquire) by quoting past posts on Terra Incognita. You can read previous editions of What I've Learned here and here.
Man I miss Show and Tell. 01.02.07
It's hard to read subtitles when you're giggling. 02.19.07
To these children [in the movie Jesus Camp] faith and fear are interchangeable. Their faith in God is one that is born out of fear. And that saddens me, because the God I know and the God I trust does not rely on fear. While fear is great motivation, it tends to breed further fear. 04.16.07
If you bring the tuna down [into the Grand Canyon], eat it all, otherwise you'll smell it all the way up and the scent infuses into your backpack so much that even 5 days later you find the dog deliriously licking the inside of your pack. 06.26.07
From now on, I know to carry everything that documents my travel plans when passing through Customs. I'm just thankful that I learned this when entering a country I'm familiar with, and not, say, Vietnam. 07.07.07
It's utterly fantastic to enter a city knowing not a single soul, only to be pubbing a day later with what feels like a contingent from the U.N. 07.20.07
Americans are not the only "ugly" tourists. We get a bad rap, and some tourists give good reason for that reputation, but I've seen just as many "ugly" tourists from all sorts of countries. 08.06.07
I travel quite differently while in a group. It's nice to not have to worry about the details like where I'm staying for the night or how to navigate my way to the train station, but I've found I've become less aware of my surroundings. 08.16.07
It's strange, this feeling of great wealth -- empowering and yet burdensome. I know that my patronage of someone's shop or cafe really makes a difference, which makes me feel good -- I like knowing that what I spend helps feed a family. But it becomes a weighty decision to choose a restaurant for dinner or a stall to buy a souvenir from. 09.13.07
While standing next to an American bunker on top of a hill over looking the Perfume River on the outskirts of Hue, I realized why the Americans lost the Vietnam War: There is no way Americans are suited for the heat and humidity of Vietnam without the luxury of being able to duck into some air con. 09.13.07
I believe it's my inherited responsibility to foster good relations with our former enemies. 09.13.07
I love Vietnam for its unapologetic differences. 09.13.07
I have nearly mastered another art: that of using the squat toilet. Mostly I have learned to carry TP and hand sanitizer in my bag at all times. 09.18.07
Call me weird, but I started missing the chore of lugging my backpack through subways and side streets. It made the arrival at the hotel seem a little less like a major success when I didn't have to exert much effort. 11.16.07
One of the big lessons for me was to see how important culture was to religious experiences. How can I chastise or challenge someone on their belief structure if that's the cultural structure they know and trust? 11.26.07
I've found that I pack way more for a week of domestic travel – or even a week of house-sitting in my own town – than I packed for 3 months of trekking around the globe. 12.19.07
Man I miss Show and Tell. 01.02.07
It's hard to read subtitles when you're giggling. 02.19.07
To these children [in the movie Jesus Camp] faith and fear are interchangeable. Their faith in God is one that is born out of fear. And that saddens me, because the God I know and the God I trust does not rely on fear. While fear is great motivation, it tends to breed further fear. 04.16.07
If you bring the tuna down [into the Grand Canyon], eat it all, otherwise you'll smell it all the way up and the scent infuses into your backpack so much that even 5 days later you find the dog deliriously licking the inside of your pack. 06.26.07
From now on, I know to carry everything that documents my travel plans when passing through Customs. I'm just thankful that I learned this when entering a country I'm familiar with, and not, say, Vietnam. 07.07.07
It's utterly fantastic to enter a city knowing not a single soul, only to be pubbing a day later with what feels like a contingent from the U.N. 07.20.07
Americans are not the only "ugly" tourists. We get a bad rap, and some tourists give good reason for that reputation, but I've seen just as many "ugly" tourists from all sorts of countries. 08.06.07
I travel quite differently while in a group. It's nice to not have to worry about the details like where I'm staying for the night or how to navigate my way to the train station, but I've found I've become less aware of my surroundings. 08.16.07
It's strange, this feeling of great wealth -- empowering and yet burdensome. I know that my patronage of someone's shop or cafe really makes a difference, which makes me feel good -- I like knowing that what I spend helps feed a family. But it becomes a weighty decision to choose a restaurant for dinner or a stall to buy a souvenir from. 09.13.07
While standing next to an American bunker on top of a hill over looking the Perfume River on the outskirts of Hue, I realized why the Americans lost the Vietnam War: There is no way Americans are suited for the heat and humidity of Vietnam without the luxury of being able to duck into some air con. 09.13.07
I believe it's my inherited responsibility to foster good relations with our former enemies. 09.13.07
I love Vietnam for its unapologetic differences. 09.13.07
I have nearly mastered another art: that of using the squat toilet. Mostly I have learned to carry TP and hand sanitizer in my bag at all times. 09.18.07
Call me weird, but I started missing the chore of lugging my backpack through subways and side streets. It made the arrival at the hotel seem a little less like a major success when I didn't have to exert much effort. 11.16.07
One of the big lessons for me was to see how important culture was to religious experiences. How can I chastise or challenge someone on their belief structure if that's the cultural structure they know and trust? 11.26.07
I've found that I pack way more for a week of domestic travel – or even a week of house-sitting in my own town – than I packed for 3 months of trekking around the globe. 12.19.07
10.15.2007
Tips on How to Ask Me About My Travels (Slightly Updated)
As tends to happen, I'm starting to get a bit tired of answering the same five questions:
"So, did you have fun?" Nah, seeing amazing sites, meeting fantastic people and having grand adventures isn't really my thing. The $5 massages in Thailand were pretty decent, though.
"I want to hear all about your trip!" Great! Do you have an extra 3 months and the funds to pay me the living wage I won't be making while I retell every detail of my 90 days abroad?
"Are you glad to be back home?" Yes. And no. And it's way more complicated than either you want to hear or I want to share.
"What was your favorite place?" Vietnam. And Munich. And Krakow. And Singapore. And Sydney. And Amsterdam. And Cesky Krumlov. And Khao Sok. And the Cameron Highlands. And...well, it'd be easier if I just gave you my itinerary and you looked at that list there.
"So now what are you going to do?" Unpack. (Seriously. I've lent my backpack to a friend who's traveling Europe for the next two weeks and all I've done is lift the stack of clothing out of my pack and place it on my bedroom floor.) And maybe once I have things sorted here, I'll consider looking for work somewhere, anywhere. That is, unless I can convince each of you to pledge a dollar a day to support my next round of travels.
So, to help you get better responses from me (and to aid in my enjoyment and creativity in answering your questions) I give you a few suggestions that can get the conversation going:
"What was the best meal you had?" The cooking class in Hoi An was outstanding food in fabulous company.
"What local delicacies will you miss the most? REAL Belgian waffles and mango shakes from SE Asia. Yummmm...
"What was the biggest scare you had?" Looking up at the carabiners fastening my harness to the paragliding chute only to notice that they really weren't secure at all.
"How much beer did you drink?" More than I ever thought I'd try in my entire life. Believe it or not, I might actually enjoy a brewski every once in a while now.
"Why don't you look very tan if you spent an entire month in SE Asia?" Dude, the prospect of lugging a 20-pound backpack around the world on lobster shoulders really didn't appeal to me. I layered on the sunscreen.
"What was the biggest mistake you made?" Trying to break up with my boyfriend before leaving the country. That, and going a little crazy in the tailor shops in Hoi An.
"What handy travel tip did you learn along the way?" Carry an extra plastic bag. It comes in handy when shopping in European shops that charge you for bags, when you need to cover your drenched bicycle seat to keep from soaking your shorts, and when you want to keep your wet swim suit from contaminating the dry contents of your bag.
"When do you plan to go on another trip like this?" As soon as I save up the funds. And this time, I'm thinking 6 months. Wanna join me?
"How has this adventure inspired you? Ahhh...you'll just have to wait for another post for that answer...
8.06.2007
Thoughts and Highlights from the Past Week+
(In bulleted format! Woo!)
+ I´m quite glad I got to see the Tour de France. It hit me that it´s just about the only completely free-to-watch competition that is the crowning challenge of a sport. Just about every other major sporting event is held in an arena or stadium and requires a ticket to enter. the only exceptions are maybe the Cambridge-Oxford boat races (and that´s not a big international competition), and the major marathons (Boston, New York, London, etc.), but there are several of those. The Tour de France is BIG. And our spot on the Champs Elysees to watch was prime.
+ Three days was definitely enough time for me in Paris. The weather was gray and drab, and as I stood at the top of Montmartre in front of Sacre Coeur that grayness and drabness seemed to be reflected in the very monochromatic city view.
+ This probablz also contributed greatly to my enjoyment of Amsterdam. I entered the city and it was lively and colorful and each building looked different from its neighbors. (That could have been partly because each building was leaning haphazardly into its neighbors.)
+ I did not actually partake in the local "delicacy" while in Amsterdam. Getting high by myself sounded to me more like a cry for help than a cultural experience, and most of the fellow travelers I met along the way were stoners there just to indulge. I´d rather be surrounded by like-minded friends than potheads if I´m going to test those waters.
+ Amsterdam was a very, very friendly city, but it´s the only city I´ve visited so far where I didn´t really make friends. I analyze this to be because most people head to Amsterdam with their little group of friends so they can all get high together rather than venture out on their own.
+ I was sitting in a cafe on the street in Amsterdam and a local guy came up trying to get me to come to some club party thing he was advertsing. He asked where I was from and I said Kansas, at which point he said, "Oh! You guys have a great football team, don´t you!" My first thought was, "Well, the Chiefs aren´t really that good, actually." But before I could say anything, he followed that with, "The Kansas State Wildcats, right?" I almost fell off my chair. I never knew anyone in Europe would have known anything about college football, but apparently this guy wanted to get away from Holland for a while and headed to California to play baseball for a small college, during which time he became a big college sports fan. I didn´t get the name of the school he attended because he was on to the next person he was trying to attract to his party.
+ After I met the Wildcat fan, I turned the street corner only to run into a Nike ad with a picture of Steve Nash! I nearly did a little dance right there in the street.
+ Bikes are awesome, although my butt the day after my bike tour was quite sore.
+ I´m now in Munich. This morning I went on a free walking tour of the city, and I´m headed in a few minutes to do another walking tour detailing the rise of the Third Reich in the city, then this evening I`m going to learn about "liquid bread" on a beer/brewery tour. Tomorrow I think I´m going to head out to the Neuschwanstein Castle (the castle Disneyland based the Cinderella castle on).
Not to Stereotype, But...Well, Yes, to Stereotype
I have found the following generalisations regarding cultural groups:
+ Americans can be easily spotted by our shoes, our baseball caps, and something about our faces. I can´t place it, but I have gotten pretty good at figuring out an American face. Maybe it´s the mish-mash of cultures that make our faces not have a distinct look and in that they become distinct. Woah, that´s getting a bit deep.
+ Germans speak very good English and when I´ve asked why, the common response is that they read books published in their original langage rather than translations. This has been the common answer I´ve received from several different Germans.
+ In playing a fun game I call "Name That Nationality" (whereby I have to try to pick the nationality of a passing tourist before I hear them speak) I have found an easy way to pick out North Africans, specifically Moroccans and Algerians: They´re the men who try to pick me up. My first week after leaving the UK I was approached by no less than 6 Algerians or Moroccans. No Frenchmen, no Dutch, and only one Belgian if you count Simon. :)
+ "Thank you" in the language of the country you´re visiting is the most important phrase to learn. "Dank ja wel" (sp?) was the only Dutch I learned and everytime I said it to a shopkeeper or restauranter, their face brightened and they looked at me with unbelief; like they were thinking, "Wow! She knows Dutch!"
+ Americans are not the only "ugly" tourists. We get a bad rap, and some tourists give good reason for that reputation, but I´ve seen just as many "ugly" tourists from all sorts of countries.
Pictures to come when I can find a place that actually lets me attache a USB cord and has software to let me view thumbnails. The console I´m currently on only lets me view the pictures full-size, and as I have nearly 2,000 pictures already, it would take my whole hour of Internet time to sort through and find a handful of good ones to share.
(In bulleted format! Woo!)
+ I´m quite glad I got to see the Tour de France. It hit me that it´s just about the only completely free-to-watch competition that is the crowning challenge of a sport. Just about every other major sporting event is held in an arena or stadium and requires a ticket to enter. the only exceptions are maybe the Cambridge-Oxford boat races (and that´s not a big international competition), and the major marathons (Boston, New York, London, etc.), but there are several of those. The Tour de France is BIG. And our spot on the Champs Elysees to watch was prime.
+ Three days was definitely enough time for me in Paris. The weather was gray and drab, and as I stood at the top of Montmartre in front of Sacre Coeur that grayness and drabness seemed to be reflected in the very monochromatic city view.
+ This probablz also contributed greatly to my enjoyment of Amsterdam. I entered the city and it was lively and colorful and each building looked different from its neighbors. (That could have been partly because each building was leaning haphazardly into its neighbors.)
+ I did not actually partake in the local "delicacy" while in Amsterdam. Getting high by myself sounded to me more like a cry for help than a cultural experience, and most of the fellow travelers I met along the way were stoners there just to indulge. I´d rather be surrounded by like-minded friends than potheads if I´m going to test those waters.
+ Amsterdam was a very, very friendly city, but it´s the only city I´ve visited so far where I didn´t really make friends. I analyze this to be because most people head to Amsterdam with their little group of friends so they can all get high together rather than venture out on their own.
+ I was sitting in a cafe on the street in Amsterdam and a local guy came up trying to get me to come to some club party thing he was advertsing. He asked where I was from and I said Kansas, at which point he said, "Oh! You guys have a great football team, don´t you!" My first thought was, "Well, the Chiefs aren´t really that good, actually." But before I could say anything, he followed that with, "The Kansas State Wildcats, right?" I almost fell off my chair. I never knew anyone in Europe would have known anything about college football, but apparently this guy wanted to get away from Holland for a while and headed to California to play baseball for a small college, during which time he became a big college sports fan. I didn´t get the name of the school he attended because he was on to the next person he was trying to attract to his party.
+ After I met the Wildcat fan, I turned the street corner only to run into a Nike ad with a picture of Steve Nash! I nearly did a little dance right there in the street.
+ Bikes are awesome, although my butt the day after my bike tour was quite sore.
+ I´m now in Munich. This morning I went on a free walking tour of the city, and I´m headed in a few minutes to do another walking tour detailing the rise of the Third Reich in the city, then this evening I`m going to learn about "liquid bread" on a beer/brewery tour. Tomorrow I think I´m going to head out to the Neuschwanstein Castle (the castle Disneyland based the Cinderella castle on).
Not to Stereotype, But...Well, Yes, to Stereotype
I have found the following generalisations regarding cultural groups:
+ Americans can be easily spotted by our shoes, our baseball caps, and something about our faces. I can´t place it, but I have gotten pretty good at figuring out an American face. Maybe it´s the mish-mash of cultures that make our faces not have a distinct look and in that they become distinct. Woah, that´s getting a bit deep.
+ Germans speak very good English and when I´ve asked why, the common response is that they read books published in their original langage rather than translations. This has been the common answer I´ve received from several different Germans.
+ In playing a fun game I call "Name That Nationality" (whereby I have to try to pick the nationality of a passing tourist before I hear them speak) I have found an easy way to pick out North Africans, specifically Moroccans and Algerians: They´re the men who try to pick me up. My first week after leaving the UK I was approached by no less than 6 Algerians or Moroccans. No Frenchmen, no Dutch, and only one Belgian if you count Simon. :)
+ "Thank you" in the language of the country you´re visiting is the most important phrase to learn. "Dank ja wel" (sp?) was the only Dutch I learned and everytime I said it to a shopkeeper or restauranter, their face brightened and they looked at me with unbelief; like they were thinking, "Wow! She knows Dutch!"
+ Americans are not the only "ugly" tourists. We get a bad rap, and some tourists give good reason for that reputation, but I´ve seen just as many "ugly" tourists from all sorts of countries.
Pictures to come when I can find a place that actually lets me attache a USB cord and has software to let me view thumbnails. The console I´m currently on only lets me view the pictures full-size, and as I have nearly 2,000 pictures already, it would take my whole hour of Internet time to sort through and find a handful of good ones to share.
6.26.2007
Terra Incognita Endorsements
The Grand Canyon Trek Version
+ A Camelbak filled first with ice, then with water will actually stay cold the whole hike down.
+ Flip flops for wearing around the camp when you can't stand to be in your hiking shoes any longer.
+ A disposition unspoiled by wearing the same pair of underwear two sweaty days in a row.
+ A bandana to wet and wear around your neck to cool down.
+ Talking to fellow hikers along the trail.
+ Learning German so as to communicate with half the hikers along the trail. I don't think I've ever been so self-concious of my status as an American in my own country before.
+ Rim-side indulgences such as ice cream, a full-sized pillow and hot, 5-minute showers.
+ A hiking companion willing to massage the sorest calves you've ever had.
Terr Incognita Un-endorsements
The Grand Canyon Trek Version
+ The unnecessary rain fly and poles when camping in June. It's true that an ounce at the start of the hike is a pound at the end.
+ Half-eaten packs of tuna. If you bring the tuna down, eat it all, otherwise you'll smell it all the way up and the scent infuses into your backpack so much that even 5 days later you find the dog delieriously licking the inside of your pack.
+ Bug spray that spills all over same said backpack. (There's no returning it now!)
+ Extra clothes you think you might need. You won't actually need them.
+ Trail mix – damn stuff is heavier than you think, and the chocolate melts. If you're set on bringing it (because it does taste pretty good and offers an alternative to peanut butter crackers and jerky) eat as much as you can on the way down so you don't have to lug it up the canyon walls.
The Grand Canyon Trek Version
+ A Camelbak filled first with ice, then with water will actually stay cold the whole hike down.
+ Flip flops for wearing around the camp when you can't stand to be in your hiking shoes any longer.
+ A disposition unspoiled by wearing the same pair of underwear two sweaty days in a row.
+ A bandana to wet and wear around your neck to cool down.
+ Talking to fellow hikers along the trail.
+ Learning German so as to communicate with half the hikers along the trail. I don't think I've ever been so self-concious of my status as an American in my own country before.
+ Rim-side indulgences such as ice cream, a full-sized pillow and hot, 5-minute showers.
+ A hiking companion willing to massage the sorest calves you've ever had.
Terr Incognita Un-endorsements
The Grand Canyon Trek Version
+ The unnecessary rain fly and poles when camping in June. It's true that an ounce at the start of the hike is a pound at the end.
+ Half-eaten packs of tuna. If you bring the tuna down, eat it all, otherwise you'll smell it all the way up and the scent infuses into your backpack so much that even 5 days later you find the dog delieriously licking the inside of your pack.
+ Bug spray that spills all over same said backpack. (There's no returning it now!)
+ Extra clothes you think you might need. You won't actually need them.
+ Trail mix – damn stuff is heavier than you think, and the chocolate melts. If you're set on bringing it (because it does taste pretty good and offers an alternative to peanut butter crackers and jerky) eat as much as you can on the way down so you don't have to lug it up the canyon walls.
6.15.2007
Necessary supplies
In anticipation of my travels, I have been stocking up on the following throughout the past year:
+ Extra pairs of contacts and glasses. All those pretty sites (and sights) will mean nothing if I flush my last lens down the hostel sink.
+ Comfy, comfy footwear. I was apprehensive about buying any new shoes when my current kicks seemed to be treating me just fine. Then I realized that they treat me fine while I sit at a desk all day, not while I walk around a city paved in cobblestones or dirt all day. My grandmother was good enough to remind me that happy feet don’t mean just a box office hit; they mean a happy traveler.
+ Tank tops with shelf bras. Because regular bras are a pain to pack (and quite frankly, to wear). Furthermore, this trip is all about letting myself be free, right?
+ Jeans. In the past year I’ve dropped 20 pounds*, which, besides being awesome, means I don’t fit into hardly any of my old pants. Wanting to be prepared to cover up in malaria-ridden S.E. Asia, I figure long jeans are akin to body armor to fend off armies of nasty mosquitoes.
*The 20 pounds I gained in the first six months of sitting at that desk all day. Recent graduates, beware the desk job dozen.
In anticipation of my travels, I have been stocking up on the following throughout the past year:
+ Extra pairs of contacts and glasses. All those pretty sites (and sights) will mean nothing if I flush my last lens down the hostel sink.
+ Comfy, comfy footwear. I was apprehensive about buying any new shoes when my current kicks seemed to be treating me just fine. Then I realized that they treat me fine while I sit at a desk all day, not while I walk around a city paved in cobblestones or dirt all day. My grandmother was good enough to remind me that happy feet don’t mean just a box office hit; they mean a happy traveler.
+ Tank tops with shelf bras. Because regular bras are a pain to pack (and quite frankly, to wear). Furthermore, this trip is all about letting myself be free, right?
+ Jeans. In the past year I’ve dropped 20 pounds*, which, besides being awesome, means I don’t fit into hardly any of my old pants. Wanting to be prepared to cover up in malaria-ridden S.E. Asia, I figure long jeans are akin to body armor to fend off armies of nasty mosquitoes.
*The 20 pounds I gained in the first six months of sitting at that desk all day. Recent graduates, beware the desk job dozen.
4.09.2007
About a week ago I had a dream that really gave me insight to the way I'm afraid I've been acting lately. I dreamt that I arrived in London, and it was wonderful all over again, and I met some real fun people, and we sat outside at a lovely cafe discussing profound things. And then after being there for two whole days, I decided to give Megan a call to let her know I was in town. Her response was something along the lines of, "Oh, I was wondering when you'd let me know you were coming." I don't think I've ever woken up from a dream feeling so guilty. Two whole days of being in her city and I didn't even have the decency to let one of my best friends know I was on my way to visit her. What's worse is that I'm afriad that's indicative of how I've been in relation to my friends lately. Appologies to dreamland Megan, to all of the friends whose emails I've left unanswered and to the inhabitants of blogland who have seen a drop-off in my posting.
What I've Been Doing
Putting in 25+ hours of overtime during deadline.
What I've Been Listening To
Wincing the Night Away by the Shins, Inside In / Inside Out by The Kooks, and whatever Lilly Allen comes on Virgin Radio, NPR or her website.
What I've Been Eating
Gelato. Lot's of gelato. And brie on crackers. Plenty of brie.
What I've Been Thinking
How am I going to fit the world into three months?!?!?
What I've Been Reading
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek, the stack of magazines i just can't seem to keep up with.
What [Else] I've Been Dreaming
Something about Lance Armstrong's connection to steroids.
What I've Been Watching
Suns games, both live and on tv.
What I've Been Predicting
If Barack gets the Democratic nomination in '08, there will be talk of Arizona governor Janet Napolitano as his running mate. Think about it: a female Democrat who handily won reelection in a mostly red state because the Republicans basically declined to give her much competition. Add to the mix the fact that she governs a border state, has recently visited Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently chairing the National Governors Association. Total Veep material, yeah?
What I've Been Plugging
Personalized Google homepage. If I thought Gmail and Google's calendar service was fantastic, I'm blown away by the simplicity and style of the personal Google page. Yay for fun technolgy!
What I've Been Doing
Putting in 25+ hours of overtime during deadline.
What I've Been Listening To
Wincing the Night Away by the Shins, Inside In / Inside Out by The Kooks, and whatever Lilly Allen comes on Virgin Radio, NPR or her website.
What I've Been Eating
Gelato. Lot's of gelato. And brie on crackers. Plenty of brie.
What I've Been Thinking
How am I going to fit the world into three months?!?!?
What I've Been Reading
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek, the stack of magazines i just can't seem to keep up with.
What [Else] I've Been Dreaming
Something about Lance Armstrong's connection to steroids.
What I've Been Watching
Suns games, both live and on tv.
What I've Been Predicting
If Barack gets the Democratic nomination in '08, there will be talk of Arizona governor Janet Napolitano as his running mate. Think about it: a female Democrat who handily won reelection in a mostly red state because the Republicans basically declined to give her much competition. Add to the mix the fact that she governs a border state, has recently visited Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently chairing the National Governors Association. Total Veep material, yeah?
What I've Been Plugging
Personalized Google homepage. If I thought Gmail and Google's calendar service was fantastic, I'm blown away by the simplicity and style of the personal Google page. Yay for fun technolgy!
1.01.2007
What I've Learned, 2006 edition
See previous installment of "What I've Learned"
+ Drugs are amazing. Steroids in particular. Result: bye-bye sore throat.
+ I have more magazine subscriptions than I can keep track of. This doesn't bother me except when I realize I've missed an issue of Texas Monthly.
+ Rosemary makes just about any main course taste even better.
+ Having a social life cuts into my book-completion rate, but that's ok.
+ I'm still way too easily distracted.
+ Actually doing what my trainer tells me to do gets results.
+ A budget is a freeing thing.
+ Cats are easier to take care of than dogs.
+ Single women in their 30s (or at least the single women in their 30s who hire me to house-sit) do not eat healthy. It seems that fruits and veggies are foreign objects in their kitchens.
+ Acting like you know what you're doing really does buy you time to figure out what you're supposed to be doing.
+ A handful of fine chocolates and a couple glasses of wine can make a meal.
+ A Bandit makes everything better.
See previous installment of "What I've Learned"
+ Drugs are amazing. Steroids in particular. Result: bye-bye sore throat.
+ I have more magazine subscriptions than I can keep track of. This doesn't bother me except when I realize I've missed an issue of Texas Monthly.
+ Rosemary makes just about any main course taste even better.
+ Having a social life cuts into my book-completion rate, but that's ok.
+ I'm still way too easily distracted.
+ Actually doing what my trainer tells me to do gets results.
+ A budget is a freeing thing.
+ Cats are easier to take care of than dogs.
+ Single women in their 30s (or at least the single women in their 30s who hire me to house-sit) do not eat healthy. It seems that fruits and veggies are foreign objects in their kitchens.
+ Acting like you know what you're doing really does buy you time to figure out what you're supposed to be doing.
+ A handful of fine chocolates and a couple glasses of wine can make a meal.
+ A Bandit makes everything better.
12.19.2006
Pick Your Excuse
I've been too ___________ to update lately.
A) busy
B) sick
C) lazy
D) lacking in content
E) All of the Above
But Don't Worry
I'm feeling better, feeling motivated, and getting a better handle on the coming deadline, so a new post will be coming soon. In the meantime, amuse yourself with the following super-long installment of:
Funny Sentences in My Inbox
Few things are scarier. I'm certain they'll never have sex. Certain.
He's a hoot! I love parents. They say the darndest things.
I also witnessed my first incident of spousal abuse when Jon 'accidentally' whacked Megan in the nose with his elbow - inflicting slightly black eyes!
Erica said pussy! It must be Friday.
You look great, but the red light makes it look funny, as if you were at a Brothel?
Hi there Miss Toots A Roni!
I downloaded "Century" for use in all my legal documents. TNR just doesn't cut it, IMO. Century looks like we mean business.
Is she the K-State sister??? Don't let her touch any of my Mizzou stuff...it might burn her hands!
So this is an update to my current status as being an unemployed graduate since this past May, though I will admit I enjoyed having this distinction, it is a badge of honor.
Apparently, he and I were involved in some "level one" flirting last night, but I was not aware of it.
Only in the gay community can you see forty-year-old men giggling about each other. It looks like junior high meets a monastery. But better clothing.
You're the most wonderfulest person ever for finding our chocolate.
It's official - I didn't drink today, so yes, you had more beers than I did this week. Now when does fire rain from the sky?
I've always wanted to be a journalist ever since I played a little arcade game known as Paperboy. Or to be Spider-Man or an NHL player.
I'm not using "lay" and "lie" because I don't remember the correct usage.
I'm all for consistency, except when it is consistent S-H-I-T.
Is Meredith really good in bed? Like, does she shoot out flames and bray like a donkey? Because I can see no other reason that Derek AND Finn would want to fight over her.
If I were a lesbian, we would definitely be a couple for as much as we hang out. She's like my other, tofu-eating, environmentally responsible half.
MU beat Texas Tech on the road. Arkansas beat Auburn. OU lost. The Yankees lost. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is pretty much the best sports day, ever. E-V-E-R.
damn that's a long word which i'm sure i miissspellld.
it would be a sad day if your bird flu was what gave you your 15 minutes of fame. i can think of more noble causes.
OK, we're not using that e-mail subject line about lesbians anymore, because one of our columnists just walked by and shouted out, 'Lesbian porn training video? What? Explain!"
And I want to be nice, and I don't want to make any judgments before actually meeting her, and, you know, maybe it'd be different if I met a girl first and then received a note from her after already having a first impression. But... Really bad spelling might be an insurmountable obstacle. Does that make me shallow?
I say: You're either with us, or you are with Comic Sans.
P.S. The reporter sitting behind me just used the phrase 'naming rights,' which makes me think of Dan's blog, always.
Gaaaah! I was so glad to hear from you I got butterflies in my tummy. How cool is that? Um, so cool?
Of course I should try to get rid of the rat. I'm not inviting him to tea. We're not staying up late talking about boys.
So last night I dreamt that Protz and I were in New York, and she was seduced by Snoop Dogg. I promptly sent you and Pat a text message that read, "OMG OMG OMG."
i totally sent that email to you b/c i designed it and was all "e would appreciate this." and i like to send my friends all of my clippings, a la eli cash in tenenbaums.
Why can't good Mizzou news happen on a day I'm at work? 'Cause dangit, you guys already took both angles I was about to pounce on: "I wonder if they'll take their ATVs along, or if they'll leave them for future troubled juco recruits?" and "If he next goes to Manhattan, we'll know he's stalking Erica, just out of order."
The title track will have you dancing in your underwear...at least, that's what I do...wait, that was probably too much info. Uhhh...yeah.
I've been too ___________ to update lately.
A) busy
B) sick
C) lazy
D) lacking in content
E) All of the Above
But Don't Worry
I'm feeling better, feeling motivated, and getting a better handle on the coming deadline, so a new post will be coming soon. In the meantime, amuse yourself with the following super-long installment of:
Funny Sentences in My Inbox
Few things are scarier. I'm certain they'll never have sex. Certain.
He's a hoot! I love parents. They say the darndest things.
I also witnessed my first incident of spousal abuse when Jon 'accidentally' whacked Megan in the nose with his elbow - inflicting slightly black eyes!
Erica said pussy! It must be Friday.
You look great, but the red light makes it look funny, as if you were at a Brothel?
Hi there Miss Toots A Roni!
I downloaded "Century" for use in all my legal documents. TNR just doesn't cut it, IMO. Century looks like we mean business.
Is she the K-State sister??? Don't let her touch any of my Mizzou stuff...it might burn her hands!
So this is an update to my current status as being an unemployed graduate since this past May, though I will admit I enjoyed having this distinction, it is a badge of honor.
Apparently, he and I were involved in some "level one" flirting last night, but I was not aware of it.
Only in the gay community can you see forty-year-old men giggling about each other. It looks like junior high meets a monastery. But better clothing.
You're the most wonderfulest person ever for finding our chocolate.
It's official - I didn't drink today, so yes, you had more beers than I did this week. Now when does fire rain from the sky?
I've always wanted to be a journalist ever since I played a little arcade game known as Paperboy. Or to be Spider-Man or an NHL player.
I'm not using "lay" and "lie" because I don't remember the correct usage.
I'm all for consistency, except when it is consistent S-H-I-T.
Is Meredith really good in bed? Like, does she shoot out flames and bray like a donkey? Because I can see no other reason that Derek AND Finn would want to fight over her.
If I were a lesbian, we would definitely be a couple for as much as we hang out. She's like my other, tofu-eating, environmentally responsible half.
MU beat Texas Tech on the road. Arkansas beat Auburn. OU lost. The Yankees lost. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is pretty much the best sports day, ever. E-V-E-R.
damn that's a long word which i'm sure i miissspellld.
it would be a sad day if your bird flu was what gave you your 15 minutes of fame. i can think of more noble causes.
OK, we're not using that e-mail subject line about lesbians anymore, because one of our columnists just walked by and shouted out, 'Lesbian porn training video? What? Explain!"
And I want to be nice, and I don't want to make any judgments before actually meeting her, and, you know, maybe it'd be different if I met a girl first and then received a note from her after already having a first impression. But... Really bad spelling might be an insurmountable obstacle. Does that make me shallow?
I say: You're either with us, or you are with Comic Sans.
P.S. The reporter sitting behind me just used the phrase 'naming rights,' which makes me think of Dan's blog, always.
Gaaaah! I was so glad to hear from you I got butterflies in my tummy. How cool is that? Um, so cool?
Of course I should try to get rid of the rat. I'm not inviting him to tea. We're not staying up late talking about boys.
So last night I dreamt that Protz and I were in New York, and she was seduced by Snoop Dogg. I promptly sent you and Pat a text message that read, "OMG OMG OMG."
i totally sent that email to you b/c i designed it and was all "e would appreciate this." and i like to send my friends all of my clippings, a la eli cash in tenenbaums.
Why can't good Mizzou news happen on a day I'm at work? 'Cause dangit, you guys already took both angles I was about to pounce on: "I wonder if they'll take their ATVs along, or if they'll leave them for future troubled juco recruits?" and "If he next goes to Manhattan, we'll know he's stalking Erica, just out of order."
The title track will have you dancing in your underwear...at least, that's what I do...wait, that was probably too much info. Uhhh...yeah.
11.08.2006
Cue David Bowie ("Ch-ch-ch-changes...")
Whewy, folks! It's been a crazy post-election day, huh? I've been almost giddy today when tracking the news:
+ A mandate on the need to change our tactics in Iraq
+ Rumsfeld's resignation
+ A woman just two heartbeats away from the presidency for the first time in history
+ Arizona the first state to reject a marriage amendment
+ A state-wide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in Arizona
+ Looking forward to watching JD Hayworth pack up his office, which is just 4 doors down from our suite at work
But one of the best moments of last night's coverage on CSPAN was watching Santorum's son try not to break down on national tv. I know that's mean, and I probably wouldn't have made it without bawling, but seriously, you should have seen the poor kid.
Whewy, folks! It's been a crazy post-election day, huh? I've been almost giddy today when tracking the news:
+ A mandate on the need to change our tactics in Iraq
+ Rumsfeld's resignation
+ A woman just two heartbeats away from the presidency for the first time in history
+ Arizona the first state to reject a marriage amendment
+ A state-wide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in Arizona
+ Looking forward to watching JD Hayworth pack up his office, which is just 4 doors down from our suite at work
But one of the best moments of last night's coverage on CSPAN was watching Santorum's son try not to break down on national tv. I know that's mean, and I probably wouldn't have made it without bawling, but seriously, you should have seen the poor kid.
10.29.2006
How I Almost Became a Wannabe Rockstar's Kinda Girlfriend. Maybe.
I don't blog about my love life. There are many reasons for that; chief may be that it's somewhat disturbing to discover that someone has been publicly chronicling his every step to get in your pants.
That being said, The Airport Guy was a walking blog post from the very beginning. And since it's been about six months since I last heard from him, I believe the statute of blogging limitations is over. I was awaiting my flight to St. Lucia (via Miami and Chicago) when I started overhearing this guy's cell phone conversations. From what he was saying, it became obvious he was in some kind of band and his bandmates had somehow left him the night before and he had to find his way to Ireland to meet up with them. His name-dropping became quite impressive (excessive?), so I started jotting down the names in my little travel Sudoku book: Interpol, The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (apparently a guy who used to play with Airport Guy's band is now playing for them), Death Cab for Cutie (Airport Guy's band was supposedly going to be playing with them in Ireland), Drew Barrymore's father (A.G.'s mother, an entertainment lawyer in LA, had him over for dinner the other night, nevermind the fact that John Barrymore died two years ago), Marilyn Manson (who apparently broke A.G.'s keyboard with a beer bottle the night before). Because I like talking with interesting people, regardless of whether they're being completely truthful, I struck up a conversation with him. During our conversation, or rather, during his monologue, I learned the following:
+ He was originally from Mississippi and moved out to Flagstaff after Katrina.
+ He grew up a few houses down the street from some Nobel prize-winning author (whose name I can't remember).
+ He was a big Faulkner fan.
+ He had written a book that told the "fictional" tale about how he had killed his best friend in a drunk driving accident and then spent 6 months hitchiking around the country doing a lot of drugs and sleeping with a lot of women. A few weeks later, Penguin Books was apparently flying him out to NYC to talk about publishing his novel.
+ He went to boarding school with Julian Casablancas.
+ He had packed weed in his checked luggage.
+ He had recently given up drinking. (He said this about 10 minutes before he offered to buy me a drink from the airport bar at 10-freaking-30 in the morning).
Somehow he talked me out of my phone number before boarding his plane to Dublin; I really never expected him to call, but sure enough, upon his return to the States, he rang. One of the first things he mentioned was that he had run into Phillip Seymour Hoffman while walking around some town in Ireland and offered to buy him a drink. He also ran into Dolly Parton in Temple Bar in Dublin. By this time I had enlisted Sarah's help in checking some of his previous story, and we learned that Death Cab for Cutie was definitely NOT playing anywhere in Ireland for the next three or four months. But Jason (I finally learned his name during the phone call) the Airport Guy amused me so I didn't really care how real his stories were. The next day he called to invite me to Sedona because his buddy Maynard Keenan from Tool was having a party celebrating the opening of his new vineyard. I had to decline because the party was that Tuesday and I had to work. He called me the next day to invite me up to Flagstaff so the two of us could go bike riding. When I told him I didn't have a bike, he said he'd buy me one. The next day he called to invite me to Sedona for a full moon party and even offered to charter a plane to fly me there. The next day he called me three times in one day.
And that was when I stopped returning his phone calls. I never did figure out what band he was supposedly in, not to mention which stories were real and which were completely fabricated, though I think the one about Marilyn Manson destroying his keyboard with a beer bottle might be my favorite. "Jason the Airport Guy" is still programed in my phone and I get a good chuckle when I scroll past it.
Rockstar?
Con Artist?
Confused Crazy Guy?
Who knows. But it makes for a good story.
Splish Splash
I have the flu, and my sister has kindly told me that my hair is greasy and that I stink. I think this means it's time for a bubble bath.
I don't blog about my love life. There are many reasons for that; chief may be that it's somewhat disturbing to discover that someone has been publicly chronicling his every step to get in your pants.
That being said, The Airport Guy was a walking blog post from the very beginning. And since it's been about six months since I last heard from him, I believe the statute of blogging limitations is over. I was awaiting my flight to St. Lucia (via Miami and Chicago) when I started overhearing this guy's cell phone conversations. From what he was saying, it became obvious he was in some kind of band and his bandmates had somehow left him the night before and he had to find his way to Ireland to meet up with them. His name-dropping became quite impressive (excessive?), so I started jotting down the names in my little travel Sudoku book: Interpol, The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (apparently a guy who used to play with Airport Guy's band is now playing for them), Death Cab for Cutie (Airport Guy's band was supposedly going to be playing with them in Ireland), Drew Barrymore's father (A.G.'s mother, an entertainment lawyer in LA, had him over for dinner the other night, nevermind the fact that John Barrymore died two years ago), Marilyn Manson (who apparently broke A.G.'s keyboard with a beer bottle the night before). Because I like talking with interesting people, regardless of whether they're being completely truthful, I struck up a conversation with him. During our conversation, or rather, during his monologue, I learned the following:
+ He was originally from Mississippi and moved out to Flagstaff after Katrina.
+ He grew up a few houses down the street from some Nobel prize-winning author (whose name I can't remember).
+ He was a big Faulkner fan.
+ He had written a book that told the "fictional" tale about how he had killed his best friend in a drunk driving accident and then spent 6 months hitchiking around the country doing a lot of drugs and sleeping with a lot of women. A few weeks later, Penguin Books was apparently flying him out to NYC to talk about publishing his novel.
+ He went to boarding school with Julian Casablancas.
+ He had packed weed in his checked luggage.
+ He had recently given up drinking. (He said this about 10 minutes before he offered to buy me a drink from the airport bar at 10-freaking-30 in the morning).
Somehow he talked me out of my phone number before boarding his plane to Dublin; I really never expected him to call, but sure enough, upon his return to the States, he rang. One of the first things he mentioned was that he had run into Phillip Seymour Hoffman while walking around some town in Ireland and offered to buy him a drink. He also ran into Dolly Parton in Temple Bar in Dublin. By this time I had enlisted Sarah's help in checking some of his previous story, and we learned that Death Cab for Cutie was definitely NOT playing anywhere in Ireland for the next three or four months. But Jason (I finally learned his name during the phone call) the Airport Guy amused me so I didn't really care how real his stories were. The next day he called to invite me to Sedona because his buddy Maynard Keenan from Tool was having a party celebrating the opening of his new vineyard. I had to decline because the party was that Tuesday and I had to work. He called me the next day to invite me up to Flagstaff so the two of us could go bike riding. When I told him I didn't have a bike, he said he'd buy me one. The next day he called to invite me to Sedona for a full moon party and even offered to charter a plane to fly me there. The next day he called me three times in one day.
And that was when I stopped returning his phone calls. I never did figure out what band he was supposedly in, not to mention which stories were real and which were completely fabricated, though I think the one about Marilyn Manson destroying his keyboard with a beer bottle might be my favorite. "Jason the Airport Guy" is still programed in my phone and I get a good chuckle when I scroll past it.
Rockstar?
Con Artist?
Confused Crazy Guy?
Who knows. But it makes for a good story.
Splish Splash
I have the flu, and my sister has kindly told me that my hair is greasy and that I stink. I think this means it's time for a bubble bath.
10.16.2006
Miss Manners wouldn't know where to start
Or, why you might not want to be seen in public with me:
1. I tend to burp. Loudly. And often.
2. I scoff at people who are starstruck, but be forewarned that I will freak out if any of the following are mentioned or sighted: Jason Bateman, Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Isaiah Washington, T.R. Knight.
3. Not only do I prefer to drive barefoot, but I like to drive with my left foot propped up on the dashboard between the window and the steering column. Yes, I know this is dangerous, but it's strangely comfortable.
4. I have a hard time stifling a glaring look at Hummer drivers, especially when they hog the lane in the parking lot.
5. Most weekends I shower only once. Why waste the effort as long as I don't stink?
6. I'll forego fixing my hair to catch 20 minutes more of sleep in the morning, so most days my 'do is a messy knot of wet hair.
7. I really don't see the problem of putting your elbows on the table.
8. I feel compelled to rage against the use of Comic Sans anywhere I see it.
9. I will cry when watching a sappy (or even a not-so-sappy) movie/tv show. There's no way around it.
10. I cannot restrain myself when "Ice, Ice Baby" comes on. Must. Sing. Along.
Does this make me a bad friend?
How is it that it has taken me six months to realize that I still have Megan listed under her maiden name on the blogroll?
Or, why you might not want to be seen in public with me:
1. I tend to burp. Loudly. And often.
2. I scoff at people who are starstruck, but be forewarned that I will freak out if any of the following are mentioned or sighted: Jason Bateman, Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Isaiah Washington, T.R. Knight.
3. Not only do I prefer to drive barefoot, but I like to drive with my left foot propped up on the dashboard between the window and the steering column. Yes, I know this is dangerous, but it's strangely comfortable.
4. I have a hard time stifling a glaring look at Hummer drivers, especially when they hog the lane in the parking lot.
5. Most weekends I shower only once. Why waste the effort as long as I don't stink?
6. I'll forego fixing my hair to catch 20 minutes more of sleep in the morning, so most days my 'do is a messy knot of wet hair.
7. I really don't see the problem of putting your elbows on the table.
8. I feel compelled to rage against the use of Comic Sans anywhere I see it.
9. I will cry when watching a sappy (or even a not-so-sappy) movie/tv show. There's no way around it.
10. I cannot restrain myself when "Ice, Ice Baby" comes on. Must. Sing. Along.
Does this make me a bad friend?
How is it that it has taken me six months to realize that I still have Megan listed under her maiden name on the blogroll?
9.27.2006
*Edit: I thought of a few more. Can you spot the new additions?
Every Year I…
…try to check yet another goal off my list of things to do before I retire from this earth.
…plan at least one trip out of the country (the operative word there is “plan;” I missed 2004, not to mention years 1997-2001 and every year before eighth grade).
…get at least one bad haircut. (Not on purpose, of course.)
...watch boxes of really crappy movies just for the chance to get free passes to the Phoenix Film Festival.
…aim to see all the Best Picture-nominated movies before the Oscars.
…contribute to the local NPR station, KJZZ.
...miss the Artisan so much I actually contemplate buying a ticket to KC/STL just so I could visit.
…say this’ll be the year I go skiing for the first time since high school and never get there.
...make at least one mix CD that I'm really proud of.
Every Month I…
…attempt to stick to my budget. (I do well most of the time!)
…tend to go a week where all the emails stack up in my inbox before I get the chance to respond to any of them.
…have dinner with Brooke, Chris and Viviane, during which I try to persuade Viviane to say “Erica.” So far our response to, “Viviane, who’s this? [pointing at myself]” is: “This!” Although, sometimes, after much prompting she’ll exclaim, “Ca!”
…pay my credit card balance in full.
...put away money for The Big Trip.
…vow to spend a weekend starting my portfolio website. I’m not very good at keeping said vow.
…mix up some homemade margaritas.
Every Week I…
…update the podcasts on my iPod.
…talk with Sarah and with Pat.
...hope this is the week they start covering the Suns again. (It's nearly NBA season again!)
...take at least one really good nap.
…catch at least one episode of BBC World News on NPR.
...go for a walk in the park during my lunch break.
…hike a short distance on Camelback (or at least plan to until my sleep schedule gets the better of me).
…back up everything important on my work computer.
...exchange witty email banter with any combination of the following: Dan, J-Dub, Pat, Sarah, Megan, Jason.
…drool over George and Burke while watching Grey’s Anatomy.
…swear I’ll get more sleep than the previous week.
Every Day I…
…marvel at the sunsets here in Arizona.
…check your blog.
...check her blog.
…press snooze.
…drink at least two glasses of milk.
...create a to-do list.
...obsessively watch the instant mileage calculator in Yolanda the Honda.
...laugh at Satchel and Bucky's adventures in Get Fuzzy.
…tell Bandit “bye-bye,” his cue to race to the couch by the window to watch me get in my car and leave.
Every Year I…
…try to check yet another goal off my list of things to do before I retire from this earth.
…plan at least one trip out of the country (the operative word there is “plan;” I missed 2004, not to mention years 1997-2001 and every year before eighth grade).
…get at least one bad haircut. (Not on purpose, of course.)
...watch boxes of really crappy movies just for the chance to get free passes to the Phoenix Film Festival.
…aim to see all the Best Picture-nominated movies before the Oscars.
…contribute to the local NPR station, KJZZ.
...miss the Artisan so much I actually contemplate buying a ticket to KC/STL just so I could visit.
…say this’ll be the year I go skiing for the first time since high school and never get there.
...make at least one mix CD that I'm really proud of.
Every Month I…
…attempt to stick to my budget. (I do well most of the time!)
…tend to go a week where all the emails stack up in my inbox before I get the chance to respond to any of them.
…have dinner with Brooke, Chris and Viviane, during which I try to persuade Viviane to say “Erica.” So far our response to, “Viviane, who’s this? [pointing at myself]” is: “This!” Although, sometimes, after much prompting she’ll exclaim, “Ca!”
…pay my credit card balance in full.
...put away money for The Big Trip.
…vow to spend a weekend starting my portfolio website. I’m not very good at keeping said vow.
…mix up some homemade margaritas.
Every Week I…
…update the podcasts on my iPod.
…talk with Sarah and with Pat.
...hope this is the week they start covering the Suns again. (It's nearly NBA season again!)
...take at least one really good nap.
…catch at least one episode of BBC World News on NPR.
...go for a walk in the park during my lunch break.
…hike a short distance on Camelback (or at least plan to until my sleep schedule gets the better of me).
…back up everything important on my work computer.
...exchange witty email banter with any combination of the following: Dan, J-Dub, Pat, Sarah, Megan, Jason.
…drool over George and Burke while watching Grey’s Anatomy.
…swear I’ll get more sleep than the previous week.
Every Day I…
…marvel at the sunsets here in Arizona.
…check your blog.
...check her blog.
…press snooze.
…drink at least two glasses of milk.
...create a to-do list.
...obsessively watch the instant mileage calculator in Yolanda the Honda.
...laugh at Satchel and Bucky's adventures in Get Fuzzy.
…tell Bandit “bye-bye,” his cue to race to the couch by the window to watch me get in my car and leave.
9.10.2006
PhDog
Bandit has many nicknames:
Bandito
Bandito Burrito
Mr. B
Buck
Buck-O
Buckeye
Bucket
Buckster
Buck Boy
Buckinator
Puppinator
Pupper
Frog Dog
Chicken Legs
Cute (as in, "Hey, Cute. Why are you chewing up my flip flops yet again?")
Well, now we can add "Graduate" to the litany of nicknames, as a couple of weeks ago, Bandito Burrito graduated from puppy training class. We're proud parents, as you can guess.
More Pictures: Yesterday's Tailgating Extravaganza
What can I say? It was hot.
The Manhattanites: Me, Tim & Eric
Katie, beers
Jana & Nathan
Slowest Grill in the World™
The album is here.
7.29.2006
Home, Sweet Someone Else's Home
I've had several people ask me how I can stand living with my parents for so long. There are several reasons, chief among them being the low cost of rent (yes, I do actually pay rent). But the secret I don't tell them is that I actually don't live with my parents. I just use their house for storage.
In the past 2 and a half months, I've lived in 6 different houses; I've slept in someone else's bed for 33 nights of the past 72 days. Such is the life of a perpetual housesitter. In the calendar below, the blue lines are the housesitting jobs I've had this month. I have two jobs lined up for August, and two more in October.
I'm thinking of making business cards advertising my ability to pick up mail, put out trash and walk the dogs. I have even been specially trained to administer insulin shots to cats! In the meantime though, let me offer some tips to those of you who might be seeking such services.
1. It is helpful, but not necessary to give me info for how to either A) tap into your wireless Internet access, or B) sign into your desktop.
2. Thank you for showing me how to use basic appliances like the coffee pot, grill, convection oven, etc.
3. Speaking of food, please keep some good grub in your fridge or pantry. If you plan on cleaning out the fridge before you leave, please include a small stipend in the check to allow for grocery shopping. A girl has to eat and if I have to stock up on coffee, frozen dinners and salad dressing because you have no edible food in your kitchen, it's going to make me think twice about whether or not it's worth it to add 20 minutes to my commute to watch your house and pets. On the other hand, if you're kind enough to stock my favorite cereal and a fresh gallon of milk, I'll stand post as your personal sentinel anytime.
4. Please, please, please explain in detail how the alarm system works. It's not fun having to explain myself to the Brinks Home Security people.
5. Thanks for warning me about the stuffed animal you have quite correctly named "Hump Bear" that the dogs love. And I mean love.
6. If you have a Sleep Number bed, an in-ground trampoline and live 5 minutes from my work, I will try to convince you to go on more vacations. An in-ground trampoline, people! That's freaking awesome. Not to mention that the 5-minute commute lets me run "home" for lunch to float on a raft in the pool.
I've had several people ask me how I can stand living with my parents for so long. There are several reasons, chief among them being the low cost of rent (yes, I do actually pay rent). But the secret I don't tell them is that I actually don't live with my parents. I just use their house for storage.
In the past 2 and a half months, I've lived in 6 different houses; I've slept in someone else's bed for 33 nights of the past 72 days. Such is the life of a perpetual housesitter. In the calendar below, the blue lines are the housesitting jobs I've had this month. I have two jobs lined up for August, and two more in October.
I'm thinking of making business cards advertising my ability to pick up mail, put out trash and walk the dogs. I have even been specially trained to administer insulin shots to cats! In the meantime though, let me offer some tips to those of you who might be seeking such services.
1. It is helpful, but not necessary to give me info for how to either A) tap into your wireless Internet access, or B) sign into your desktop.
2. Thank you for showing me how to use basic appliances like the coffee pot, grill, convection oven, etc.
3. Speaking of food, please keep some good grub in your fridge or pantry. If you plan on cleaning out the fridge before you leave, please include a small stipend in the check to allow for grocery shopping. A girl has to eat and if I have to stock up on coffee, frozen dinners and salad dressing because you have no edible food in your kitchen, it's going to make me think twice about whether or not it's worth it to add 20 minutes to my commute to watch your house and pets. On the other hand, if you're kind enough to stock my favorite cereal and a fresh gallon of milk, I'll stand post as your personal sentinel anytime.
4. Please, please, please explain in detail how the alarm system works. It's not fun having to explain myself to the Brinks Home Security people.
5. Thanks for warning me about the stuffed animal you have quite correctly named "Hump Bear" that the dogs love. And I mean love.
6. If you have a Sleep Number bed, an in-ground trampoline and live 5 minutes from my work, I will try to convince you to go on more vacations. An in-ground trampoline, people! That's freaking awesome. Not to mention that the 5-minute commute lets me run "home" for lunch to float on a raft in the pool.
7.09.2006
100 Days of Solitude
Or, Journey to the Center of My Soul
About this time next year I will be heading back to London for the third time, but the adventures won't end there. Back in April I gave my two weeks' notice at work...about 14 months early. Probably not the wisest career move, and not one that I'd necessarily recommend, but I don't do well with hiding big secrets. And there's no way I could keep from talking about my plans.
Oooh....my plans. I'm very excited about my plans. Of course they're subject to change based on funds, world events, whims, etc. But here's what we're looking at for now:
July 6-ish: Fly to Jacksonville to visit the inimitable Pat.
July 8-ish: Take an over-night Amtrak train to D.C. with Pat. (The two of us will put on our best Bonny and Clyde impressions without the whole bank-robbing thing. Or maybe we'll take on the roles of Thelma and Louise without the whole driving over a cliff part.)
July 9-ish: Arrive early morning. Hang out with Jason and Kate.
July 11-ish: Non-stop flight to London. My dad's choir arrives the next day for their UK tour. I'll do the groupie thing a bit and the hang out with Megan thing a bit.
July 18-ish: Ally arrives in London-Town and we do the sister thing a bit.
July 20-ish: Ally and I head to Ireland where we'll tour the countryside and eventually meet up with the choir to see them perform in Dublin and Shannon.
July 26-ish: The Brooks Bunch heads to Austria (via Munich?) for a week-ish. Much Sound of Music soundtrack singing will ensue.
Aug. 4-ish: I send the rest of the fam on their merry way back to the States and head out to explore Europe. Destinations have yet to be decided but will definitely include Prague, Berlin, Munich and Brussels. May include Copenhagen, Budapest, somewhere/anywhere in Switzerland, a small French village, Sweeden, Finland and Norway.
Sept. 1-ish: Take an Easy Cruise from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Sept. 5-ish: Fly to Hanoi. Tour through Vietnam and Cambodia.
Sept. 23-ish: Stop in Bangkok for a few days. Take a "beach break" on a nearby island.
Sept. 29-ish: Tour through Thailand and Malaysia.
Oct. 14-ish: End in Singapore.
Oct. 15-ish: Fly to San Fransisco. Check out Mamu and Granddaddy's new digs. Try to recover from jet lag.
Oct. 20-ish: Head home. Continue to recover from jet lag. Maybe start the job hunt. If I feel like it. :)
The bulk of this trip will be solo, but I am taking reservations for travel partners for various legs of the trip. Obviously Pat will help me kick off the adventure (appropriately so), and the family will be along for part of the ride in the UK and Austria. But so far I might get the pleasure of company from Betsy somewhere in Europe, and from Emily somewhere/anywhere that fits with her schedule. Wanna join me?
Or, Journey to the Center of My Soul
About this time next year I will be heading back to London for the third time, but the adventures won't end there. Back in April I gave my two weeks' notice at work...about 14 months early. Probably not the wisest career move, and not one that I'd necessarily recommend, but I don't do well with hiding big secrets. And there's no way I could keep from talking about my plans.
Oooh....my plans. I'm very excited about my plans. Of course they're subject to change based on funds, world events, whims, etc. But here's what we're looking at for now:
July 6-ish: Fly to Jacksonville to visit the inimitable Pat.
July 8-ish: Take an over-night Amtrak train to D.C. with Pat. (The two of us will put on our best Bonny and Clyde impressions without the whole bank-robbing thing. Or maybe we'll take on the roles of Thelma and Louise without the whole driving over a cliff part.)
July 9-ish: Arrive early morning. Hang out with Jason and Kate.
July 11-ish: Non-stop flight to London. My dad's choir arrives the next day for their UK tour. I'll do the groupie thing a bit and the hang out with Megan thing a bit.
July 18-ish: Ally arrives in London-Town and we do the sister thing a bit.
July 20-ish: Ally and I head to Ireland where we'll tour the countryside and eventually meet up with the choir to see them perform in Dublin and Shannon.
July 26-ish: The Brooks Bunch heads to Austria (via Munich?) for a week-ish. Much Sound of Music soundtrack singing will ensue.
Aug. 4-ish: I send the rest of the fam on their merry way back to the States and head out to explore Europe. Destinations have yet to be decided but will definitely include Prague, Berlin, Munich and Brussels. May include Copenhagen, Budapest, somewhere/anywhere in Switzerland, a small French village, Sweeden, Finland and Norway.
Sept. 1-ish: Take an Easy Cruise from Brussels to Amsterdam.
Sept. 5-ish: Fly to Hanoi. Tour through Vietnam and Cambodia.
Sept. 23-ish: Stop in Bangkok for a few days. Take a "beach break" on a nearby island.
Sept. 29-ish: Tour through Thailand and Malaysia.
Oct. 14-ish: End in Singapore.
Oct. 15-ish: Fly to San Fransisco. Check out Mamu and Granddaddy's new digs. Try to recover from jet lag.
Oct. 20-ish: Head home. Continue to recover from jet lag. Maybe start the job hunt. If I feel like it. :)
The bulk of this trip will be solo, but I am taking reservations for travel partners for various legs of the trip. Obviously Pat will help me kick off the adventure (appropriately so), and the family will be along for part of the ride in the UK and Austria. But so far I might get the pleasure of company from Betsy somewhere in Europe, and from Emily somewhere/anywhere that fits with her schedule. Wanna join me?
7.05.2006
5 Things in My Car
1. Two pairs of sunglasses (in case I lose one or leave a pair at work/home/poolside)
2. A giganto map of Phoenix Metro
3. The July issue of Los Angeles Magazine
4. My gas book in which I record the mileage and price of gas each visit to the pump (don't ask, my father made me start one from the moment I started driving at age 14)
5. Spare hair bands.
5 Things in My Fridge
1. Milk. (Yum.)
2. Monterey Jack cheese
3. A few cans of Negra Modelo (Look at me, Mom! I've learned to like beer!)
4. CoffeeMate's Vanilla Cinnamon creamer
5. Raspberry jam
5 Things in My Purse
1. My cell phone ear piece doohicky
2. A Fry's receipt
3. A scrap of paper with Yvette's email address
4. My iPod with the iTrip radio transmitter attached
5. Dental floss
5 Things in My Bathroom Medicine Cabinet
1. Three cases of dental floss (I don't know how I keep collecting these things)
2. Ralph Lauren's Romance perfume
3. Coupons for face wash, moisturizer, contact solution, tampons and body lotion that I keep forgetting to use
4. Lysine supplements (to help fight canker sores - it really works!) and Yin Chiao supplements (to save for the first onset of a cold - it really, really works!)
5. My old upper and lower retainers that I pull out whenever I feel like inflicting pain on myself
5 Things on My Desk at Work
1. A fun coaster for my cup of water
2. A stack of magazines (Esquire, Travel + Leisure, Golf for Women, Boston, New York, Condé Nast Traveler, Pool & Spa Lifestyles, Complex, Cigar Afficianado, Blueprint)
3. Craisins
4. An engraved pica pole from my high school yearbook advisor, Mrs. Wika
5. An exacto knife
5 Things in My Room
1. A picture holder/bulletin board thing that May-gun gave me for my 22 birthday, filled with pictures and postcards (Big Ben on a cloudless day; me and Ellen at the Acropolis; the Flat One girls; me, Meh-gen and Sarah at the lake; J-Dub and Dan outside Shake(y)'s; little Sterling at Yellowstone)
2. A box with a gift that I still have yet to send across the ocean
3. A dog dish containing Jack the Mac's broken display
4. My Tube ID card from 2003
5. A frame displaying the Alpha Chi symphony from my pledge mom.
5 Things in My Gym Bag
1. An old, ratty towel
2. A blue padlock
3. Fun earings from Meh-gen
4. Fly-away-hair-keeper-outer rubber-band thing
5. Socks
1. Two pairs of sunglasses (in case I lose one or leave a pair at work/home/poolside)
2. A giganto map of Phoenix Metro
3. The July issue of Los Angeles Magazine
4. My gas book in which I record the mileage and price of gas each visit to the pump (don't ask, my father made me start one from the moment I started driving at age 14)
5. Spare hair bands.
5 Things in My Fridge
1. Milk. (Yum.)
2. Monterey Jack cheese
3. A few cans of Negra Modelo (Look at me, Mom! I've learned to like beer!)
4. CoffeeMate's Vanilla Cinnamon creamer
5. Raspberry jam
5 Things in My Purse
1. My cell phone ear piece doohicky
2. A Fry's receipt
3. A scrap of paper with Yvette's email address
4. My iPod with the iTrip radio transmitter attached
5. Dental floss
5 Things in My Bathroom Medicine Cabinet
1. Three cases of dental floss (I don't know how I keep collecting these things)
2. Ralph Lauren's Romance perfume
3. Coupons for face wash, moisturizer, contact solution, tampons and body lotion that I keep forgetting to use
4. Lysine supplements (to help fight canker sores - it really works!) and Yin Chiao supplements (to save for the first onset of a cold - it really, really works!)
5. My old upper and lower retainers that I pull out whenever I feel like inflicting pain on myself
5 Things on My Desk at Work
1. A fun coaster for my cup of water
2. A stack of magazines (Esquire, Travel + Leisure, Golf for Women, Boston, New York, Condé Nast Traveler, Pool & Spa Lifestyles, Complex, Cigar Afficianado, Blueprint)
3. Craisins
4. An engraved pica pole from my high school yearbook advisor, Mrs. Wika
5. An exacto knife
5 Things in My Room
1. A picture holder/bulletin board thing that May-gun gave me for my 22 birthday, filled with pictures and postcards (Big Ben on a cloudless day; me and Ellen at the Acropolis; the Flat One girls; me, Meh-gen and Sarah at the lake; J-Dub and Dan outside Shake(y)'s; little Sterling at Yellowstone)
2. A box with a gift that I still have yet to send across the ocean
3. A dog dish containing Jack the Mac's broken display
4. My Tube ID card from 2003
5. A frame displaying the Alpha Chi symphony from my pledge mom.
5 Things in My Gym Bag
1. An old, ratty towel
2. A blue padlock
3. Fun earings from Meh-gen
4. Fly-away-hair-keeper-outer rubber-band thing
5. Socks
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