Sunday, November 27, 2005

Movie Review: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

A must see movie...holy crap - Robert Downey Jr is super fabu in everything...but this?!?! this movie was GREAT - more to come...

Book Review: Pledged

Finished this book a couple of weeks ago...I can't remember when, but it was fairly recent. DUDE this book kicks ass, it's VERY interesting - and I gotta say, my sorority was NOT like some of these crazy bitch houses... The rampant eating disorders, borderline prostitution and blatant racism (there is a story about being in blackface) are like urban legend to me...like the circling of fat spots as part of pledge period. We definately didn't have that at our house. But then there are things that ring true like the group reference behavior, how all girl groups tend to not foster sisterhood so much as blatant manipulation and the, uh, binge drinking..heehee

I was not outraged when I read this book like some of the greeks across America were. This book doesn't neccesarily go out to say sororities are bad, it just shows all of it. It is true that we all love/hate rush...because it's the worst week of our lives but the week we get a new class of girls. It does give the opportunity to meet people you otherwise would not have (i.e. all of my current best girlfriends I met via rush or DG). BUT as with any large social group with obligations, you can't love everyone and some girls are just plain mean. Definately worth the read

Monday, November 21, 2005

Tasting Notes?

Mike? Molly?

new kicks for work

Maybe it's me, but things like what I wear for my first (insert event here) are VERY important. And for my first day of work I needed a new outfit...well, I was able to find new pants and new shoes (pictured above) but the sweater was already part of my arsenal. The shoes - love them...great little deal at the Rack, however the flower on my right shoe fell off and I have yet to re-attach. They do look a little cute in an asymmetrical sort of way.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Under Lock and Key

Muy Interesante working for a big company...I've never worked at a place where they have a lock to bolt your computer to your desk. It totally makes sense, but still an interesting introduction for me.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Time Out

Overloaded this week...will post soon - as soon as I stop drowning from my first week of work.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Launch Successful

Just wrapped up my first day at my new gig...and I loved it. Had the full corporate orientation and everything! They gave me a super hot little Dell laptop complete with docking station because the work laptop is actually smaller than my current personal laptop, if you can imagine. I get my badge this week - how super exciting is THAT?!?! I've NEVER had a company badge before!

So spent the second half of the day getting booted up and all settled with my computer system. Had a short preliminary meeting with my manager about what I'd be doing and it sounds good...and by the end of the day, I had already scheduled 5 meetings for this week - way to hit the ground running.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

No Mas Mr. Bluth

Forrest sadly informed me yesterday that Fox will be cancelling Arrested Development...WAH! I am so sad...I LOVE this show and I happen to think that Michael Bluth is super cute as well. ARG - with so much random crap on TV these days, a funny and well written TV shoe like Arrested Development doesn't stand a chance - this is surely a sign that our species is slowly dying from stupidity.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Email Exchange with Molly...


Me: i've figured it out.
i've decided i only want books as gifts for the rest of my life. since books are like my crack - i'm essentially asking other people to support my habit...haha

Molly: Good, keep your Amazon list updated.

Me: jeezus christ - my amazon wishlist is downright insane.
i have WAY too many things on there right now, it's literally 10 pages long. what happens is i read stupid magazines like time, newsweek, US Weekly and their articles always seem to reference books...so i put them in my list...

Molly: Your brain is going to explode.

She's right you know...my head just might explode. Caroline suggested books on tape today for my workouts...and you know what? I can absorb the super educational books via my ears and the entertaining ones via my eyes. I will be so full of information I may burst when asked a question.

Lady of Leisure

Howdy you'all...I think I could get used to all this time off..haha... Actually I think I have a problem with relaxing, where performing non-work related tasks are associated with "relax" time. Basically my entire day was based around what I could make Forrest for dinner, browsing sporting goods, books and stocking toiletries that have run low. I REALLY like helping - and I can't ever stop helping. I think a personal lifestyle organizer would be a perfect job for me...forget this marketing stuff! jk

Monday, November 07, 2005

Free Time

Have the week off...don't really know what I'm going to do with myself this entire week. Actually that's a lie - because I have quite the "to-do" list...but looks like I'll have most of it done and overwith by tomorrow afternoon.

Happy Birthday Baby


There's Zoe the birthday girl, about to slide out of her "jumpy house" at her 2nd birthday party ever. I remember going to the ultrasound appointment with Sarah and Scott when they first found out that the baby was going to be a "she" and now she's 2 with an attitude like she's going on 18.

Grandma Monique (Scott's mom) & Zoe in the jumpy house. Once all the other kids started crawling into the jumpy house, Monique made a fast exit to rejoin the adults.

Last of the...Mohegan


That's the view from my CT hotel room on the tenth floor of the Mohegan Sun. Other views show better foliage color patterns..but sitting on the edge of a lake...with colorul treetops in the rural areas on CT.

Spring..I mean, Fall Cleaning

First day of my week off.
Yesterday I started knocking off stuff from my "to-do" list. The list includes simple things like "do laundry" to fun things like "massage and facial." However, I decided to tackle the task of "organize crap" which could be the mission of a lifetime if you're me and have a organizational obsession.

It got to the point of rumaging through a closet and finding super old pictures....I mean there were some pics of me in junior high. AND beat this - notes I used to pass in class..yikes.

So here are some things I learned in the process:
  • I really have been this tall for a REALLY long time
  • My love of starched button down shirts is deep rooted
  • It is not that easy to find people on Friendster(1)
  • Reading old letters is wierd (2)
  • At one point in my life, I was surrounded by asians, super FOBy asians (3)
  • My taste in clothing hasn't really changed since 1989 (4)
  • I've got a large stack of membership cards to different travel programs
I wonder what other stray boxes of old Betty material is lying around the house. It's always such a time warp to see the stuff people used to wear, see the old hairstyles...hahahaha.

(1) I found some stuff that belonged to an old BF and figured it was important enough to return and couldn't just throw it away so I spent about 2 hours connecting the dots via Friendster to send an email asking for a mailing address.

(2) Funny to know that I essentially sound the same on paper as I did when I was 14. Although my penmanship has definately improved

(3) In high school I was very into hangin out at church (namely because that's where my mother spent all her time and I wasn't allowed out of her sight) and so I spent all my time with super FOB koreans.

(4) Thankfully preppy attire never really goes out of style - although it's also never really in style either.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Book Review: Citizen Girl


On my way to CT, I had a stopover in Chicago and I picked up this interesting looking book at the airport. While I was reading it, I thought it seemed strangely familiar...I figured I must have read a review on it or it was something I semi-skimmed at Barnes & Noble. Alas, I was wrong on both accounts - I double checked with Molly and realized that I had already read this book...like a few years ago. OMG - I am retarded.

But I did read the book again and realized how much I really liked it. The main character's name is Girl and her boss' name is Guy...the company's name? My Company. I really like the use of pronouns instead of actual names in the book, it gives it a little something extra that makes it more than just a fictional story but something you can relate a lot of different things to. And for anyone who's ever been young and starting out in the professional world (like me and all my friends) we've all experienced a job where we've been under-appreciated and over looked and just plain not treated well - this book is about that experience..

Friday, November 04, 2005

Happy Trails...

Last day of work today. It feels wierd, but will make it through. My coworkers didbring bottles of champagne, wine and Absolut Citron to the office though, to help me celebrate.

Corley's daughter Meghan drew me a carrot too.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Bar Shot


Trisha, Me and Chancey, the past and present cMango ladies. Trisha is still there and will be taking the reins from yours truly...I am on my way out to a company in a different space...and Chance left awhile back to go to a competitor. Thankfully we get to meet up occasionally at things like conferences and hang out, catch up.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Bivalves??

Well if you're me, you sure as hell do! Yesterday I went to Jasper White's Summer Shack...uh...twice in a matter of 4 hours. I ordered oysters, clam chowder and a beet, endive salad the first time. The second time I ordered oysters and a side of mac 'n cheese. Heh, what's a girl to do? I physically restrained myself from ordering the Cherrystone and Littleneck clams because I knew it would quickly get ugly.

Dinner was at the Longhouse (steak and seafood) where I poahed an oyster off a coworker's plate. Really, I have a problem. Because I may have some oysters for lunch today.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Auto Toilet


Apparently in the state of Connecticut, all the public toilets not only are auto flushing, but have a self changing plastic liner which you change by either pushing the green button on the toilet or by waving your hand in front of a green hole in the wall....next thing you know, it will wipe your ass for you if you wave your foot above tile #3 on the floor.

The Zones


That's a picture of "the zones"...as Chancey preaches to the men at the bar. The numbers mean that you are supposed to go in a certain order. The funniest part of the night was when Ed (who has 2 kids) says "whaddya mean I gotta go in order and visit each zone?" to which Joe replies "well, he's got 2 kids, he got something right." Regardless, the zones conversation comes up every time I'm hangin out with Chance...she's such a pisser. Apparently the key is "6 comes before 7" and that is literally and figuratively.

12 Step Program...Is there a book for that?

I have a problem. I have a SERIOUS problem.

I can't get enough to read. My eyeballs need to scan words like a crack whore needs a fix. It's getting out of hand. I am literally addicted to reading material.

I am reading multiple books a week. Magazines are like teasers...only agigtating me for more content. Magazines to me is like an alcoholic drinking non-alcoholic beer. It's insulting because we're not fooled that it's not the real thing.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

There could be worse addictions out there, but this can be quite a costly one too. Every business trip I go on, I mow through at least 1 book per flight and 2 magazines. I would get more books, but I run out of cargo space and well, books get heavy. I am constantly in search of smaller margins and font - the denser the better because then maybe...JUST MAYBE...I can carry only one book and slowy chug through that. I read on the train...and in 45 minutes, I can read almost half of a chick lit book and at least 3-4 chapters of a more serious book.

Oh well, back to my Amazon book list in search of my next fix....cuz it feels so goooooood...

Foie please...

Went to Todd English's Tuscany last night with Trish for a little snack after the work reception at Jasper White's Summer Shack.

I have no idea who Jasper White is, but I have heard of Todd English....and that man makes a mean foie plate. The following items appeared on my plate:
  • Seared Foie Gras
  • Fig Chutney or Preserves type of thing
  • Honey...still in the HONEYCOMB! This was super cool
  • Slab of Foie pate
  • Goat Blue Cheese...texture was like regular goat...only with blue veins
  • Some sort of sprouts
The honeycomb honey was amazing...Molly - you would have loved this. It was super sweet but not in a sickeng sort of way, a very concentrated honey flavor but you would even taste the woods - something herbal or very "outside" type of flavor in the honey. It was really cool to push down on the wax honeycomb and watch the honey ooze out.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Mohegan Sun

Just arrived at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT for my last regional software users conference... So this place is an Indian Gaming Reservation and I was thinking Chumash Casino...but, oh no - I was wrong..this place is MASSIVE. The sheer size of this one resort makes the MGM Grand look like a condo. It took us almost 20 minutes to drive from the casino valet parking to the hotel/conference center valet parking..but it's all the same building. CRAZY.

And it's sold out this week too...all 1,300 rooms of it. Tonight there are two concerts...Aerosmith (OMG!!!!) and Lenny Kravitz! Apparently it's the super cool / hot rockstar tour...

Book Review: The Other Sie of the Story


Finished this book on the planeride over to CT...actually I finished it on the first leg of the flight from SFO to Chicago. I've read a bunch of other Marian Keyes books and they are usually pretty entertaining fast reads, but this one was ALL over the place. The back cover says it's a story about a high powered literary agent named JoJo Harvey who happens to also look like a real live Jessica Rabbit....because that ALWAYS happens. I can see how JoJo is the connecting factor of the book, but there seem to be too many different plotlines here. Or maybe this book just wasn't for me - I think it's time to move over to a dense hard read before I hit up the chick lit again..

Movie Review: Wallace & Gromit


The Sunday following Chester's birthday began with:
1. An extra hour of sleep courtesy of daylight savings
2. Breakfast buffet at the De Anza, in the same room that we had the party in the night before
3. A slow moving exit from the hotel
4. MAD HANGOVERS
5. Movie at Camera 12
6. Snacks at McCormick and Schmick

So the selected movie was Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were Rabbit. For those who think claymation is for kids, well maybe - but the subject of jokes were definately adult. It's really funny because in the close ups you can see the fingerprints in the clay... This is a must see - these little characters totally remind me of the cars in the Chevron commercials.

But Gromit, cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese.

Book Review: Can You Keep a Secret


Just read this book, courtesy of Hiroko as part of our joyous little book club. Sophie Kinsella also wrote the "Shopaholic" book series which were super funny. This was was a fast entertaining read. All about this girl Emma who basically has a laundry list of "white lies" like how she pretends to like jazz because her boyfriend does and he keeps taking her to jazz concerts. She lies about her dress size and weight (what woman doesn't?). But all in all, she ends up spilling all her secrets to a stranger in a perceived life and death moment, only to realize that man is the founder of the company she works at....

who wants this book next?

East Coast Snacks


So Dunkin Donuts never really took off on the west coast for some reason...and that's a damned shame because their donuts are really good (better then Krispy Kremes good). First thing we did upon landing in CT was head outta the airport and go to Dunkin Donuts. There was a Starbucks across the street with an empty parking lot, go figure.