blow hard

I don't like saying "I told you so," but really.

I told you so.

Randy: But Catalina, winning this car for Joy is my Christmas present to Earl. This is for family - at Christmas. You know - Feliz Naviblah.
Catalina: [shaking her head side-to-side] That means nothing.
Randy: To you, maybe. But to an American it means Christmas in Mexican.


It was a little "blah," truth be told.

But Santa was good to me, as he always is, and for the first time in several years, I got to spend Christmas Day with my immediate family as a whole. No one mentioned why we were all together this year, but I said an extra prayer for Grandma at church yesterday morning and thought about how we won't have a chance to spend another Christmas with her.

Maudlin, yes?

Things picked up a bit when we headed to my uncle's house for our usual Christmas activities, where I joined the boys' table and played cards for a couple of hours instead of gossiping with the wimminfolk in front of the TV (Tim--you should see my uncle's TV! I think my dad is paying him too much! :) )

mele kalikimaka

I'm anti the posting of lyrics. It seems so "angsty teenage diary," but damnit! Sometimes they just click.

---

"The Christmas Song," DMB

She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She be his wife; take him as her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling
dribbling baby boy
The wise men came three made their way

To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around

Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary for a reasonable fee, less than
Reputable as known to be

His heart was full of love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree
Said "oh, Daddy-o I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I spill the blood of my children all around"

The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
So the story goes, so I'm told
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and robbers
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me

Rumors insisited he soon would be
For his deviations
Taken into custody by the authorities
Less informed than he.
Drinkers and jokers. all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around

Preparations were made
For his celebration day
He said "eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around"
The blood of our children all around

Father up above, why in all this anger have you fill
Me up with love
Fill me love love love
Love love love
Love love
And the blood of our children all around

---

Merry/Happy Christmukah Kwanza to all.

festivus for the rest of us

It's supposed to start raining tonight, and last until Wednesday. This is a bit hard for me to believe, as it was mid-70s today, warm enough to spend time outside.

But I didn't.

Instead, I stayed inside, eating chicken chili and reading "An Idiot Girl's Christmas" and watching a great deal of season two of "Arrested Development."

I had every intention of going outside, I really did, and even went so far as to open my patio doors to let the warm air in. But as with an increasing number of things, I just couldn't do it.

This isn't one of those entries, there will be plenty of time for that next week, when hopefully I can record all of the jumbled thoughts that are bouncing around my brain.

Imagine that. Mid-70s on Christmas Eve.

And Michael Crichton says global warming is a farce.

photo-tastic

Who doesn't love a random photo entry?!


Christmas caroling

---

And they meant it! Their Doberman, oddly enough, has the same name as a friend's husband...

---

Huge, gorgeous, tree

---

Choir at the Nutcracker last weekend

---

On the back of a delivery truck this week

---

Why, yes, we DO have winter in California!

---

New camera goodies: digital macro!

---

Early Christmas celebration










I love my new tripod. :)

winter showers

You'd think, that with the holiday season here, I'd stop thinking of myself and only buy for others as my mother taught me.

You'd think, right?

I guess not. Today I splurged on a Hansgrohe showerhead for my master bathroom. Yes, the one I had was perfectly fine, but I believe that baths and showers should be an experience. Cheesy, yes. But I'm beyond stoked to have a shower under this.

Perhaps it's all the rain we've been having that inspired this purchase...

the most wonderful time of the year

I muttered to someone earlier in the week that if I wasn't in the Christmas holiday spirit by the end of this weekend, then someone better shoot me.

Why?

The weekend's activities:
Friday night--Christmas caroling
Saturday--volunteer at a sorting center for toys for needy children, two Christmas holiday parties to attend
Sunday: A performance of The Nutcracker

Those're enough Christmas holiday activities to put Scrooge in the spirit.

The performance of the Nutcracker was fabulous! I hadn't seen it in some time, since my father and I had a day of bonding in the city when I was...nine or so. It was also nice to see the children, of which the theater was full, enjoying the performance. With the exception of Talky McTalksaot behind us, who also hacked up a lung or two during the performance, it seemed as though most of the folks were well-behaved.

Walking to the performance, after having imbibed a warm cup of coffee and a yummy sandwich, I felt so cosmopolitan--hanging out with good friends during the most wonderful time of the year--what else could be better?

ya gotta see the baby

News of the week: I bought a new digital camera.

I love all things techie, especially cameras. My old one served me well for the nearly two years I had it, and was a great introduction to digital photography. I hope it gets a good home to the woman I just sold it to on eBay. I listed it with the "Buy It Now" option, and a mere twelve minutes after listing it, it sold and was paid for. Now that's what I call instant gratification! So I'm mailing it out tomorrow (not looking forward to facing post office lines during the holidays) but it'll be nice to have some dough since I'm pretty much the big B(roke) from the camera purchase.

But it's worth it.

Lookit da baby!







When I bought my first digital camera this site was an invaluable resource for comparing makes and models. It's worth a look if you're in the market for a camera.

geekdom.

There are so many reasons why I love living in the Bay Area. I've been inspired lately to take advantage of all the great stuff this area has to offer. So when I heard that Hewlett Packard was opening up the famous "HP Garage" this weekend for limited public viewing, I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity.

Because I am a dork.

Some of the most comfortable seating ever. The picture on the far right bookcase is of the Packards standing in the living room in the 1930s. It's amazing the attention to detail the restorers have taken, right down to the clock on the bookcase that was present in the picture.


The famous "oscillator on the mantle" from the first marketing campaign.


Bill Hewlett's shack behind the house. This thing was bare bones! There was a cot, a sink, a toilet, and a desk. That's all. Clothes were hung on nails hammered into the wall. Originally it had a dirt floor and very little, if any, insulation. Once the company started to take off, it became the company's office, where the wives of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard worked in the early years.

See?

The Garage, aka Where It All Started. Yes, it merits capital letters.


Oscillators, models 200A and B. The 200B oscillator was used in the creation of Disney's "Fantasia."


Early marketing pamphlets.


A swatch of the original 1930s wallpaper sits above the oven. Since only a swatch existed, the geniuses at HP scanned the original swatch and duplicated the pattern to create wallpaper. That's hott.


The birthplace of Silicon Valley.



If you're dorky like me and actually find this kind of stuff interesting, SF Gate has a nice write up of the restoration process and history. HP, of course, also has information on the property purchased under Carly Fiorina's tenure.

he's an ass-man

I love the internet.


How else would such a fantastic clip of Our Dear State's governator surfance?

Ahhnold in Rio (NSFW)

Any bets he slept with at least three of the women?!

(thanks to CaliValleyGirl for the link)

"it only happens once a year"

I'm not one of those "Death to Starbucks!" folks, but I believe that smaller coffee houses generally offer a better product. But what do I know, really -- I'm not a coffee connoisseur.

I do find Starbucks' latest marketing campaign in SF a bit curious, however.

Apparently, there are vehicles (not sure how many) driving around the city with the red Starbucks cups affixed to the roof. The idea is that a passerby notices the cup balanced precariously on the roof of the car, and notifies the driver of said cup. The driver then informs the would-be do-gooder that Starbucks wishes them a happy holiday.

Unique marketing platform? Yes. Creating more traffic and pollution and wasting of oil resources to market for a company that needs virtually no marketing? Not so much.

Thanks to T.H. from flickr for this photo

champagne wishes and caviar dreams

Happy 22nd Birthday, sister!


Olives
Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
12.04

keep until...

I wanted to write about being spoiled by TiVo, and how I find everyday situations that I would love to pause. Then she beat me to it. If she wasn't a favorite, I'd be ticked.

wait and see

I'm a big fan of Freecycle but it bugs me to no end when folks agree to pick up an item then never show up. I've posted four items in the last week, secured takers, then have no one show up. I went through this deal twice before getting quite frustrated. Now the stuff that hasn't been picked up is going to the Goodwill, but not before I sent off a couple of (slightly snarky) emails to the folks that agreed to meet and take the stuff. And it's good stuff, too!

Just when I'd been singing the praises of Freecycle over craigslist, touting the fact that with Freecycle, people actually follow through. So much for that!

i got da scoops

I haven't been an avid follower of celebrities for quite some time.

There have been, however, some photos that I just couldn't help but throw my two cents in.

WTF is up with her left arm?!




Maybe he needs to lay off the snacks and share some with Jen. Or cut back on the salt. You're starting to look bloated, buddy!




THIS JUST IN: Kate Moss is back on the Coke!

premature joculator*

I couldn't resist posting this from Sunday's Giants/Seahawks game.

You can actually see his, "What the hell?!" face. So close, yet so far away, guy.

*title blatantly stolen from Deadspin (click for complete story)

turkey time

Things are never easy with my family.

But I think by definition, families, and family gatherings, aren't supposed to be easy.

But this isn't an entry for griping.

This is the second year in a row that I've hosted Thanksgiving at my house, and I'm secretly hoping it becomes a tradition. Why? My cooking leaves something to be desired, but my dad is an awesome cook. Really. And when I say "Thanksgiving is at my house," I mean I provide dessert and appetizers, and he brings everything else. He brings the turkey, we throw it in the oven, and proceed to prepare the sides. He does most of the work while the rest of us munch on appetizers that I've prepared or that the family brought over. Then we all plop on the couch and watch football (didja know that the Cowboys and the Lions play every year on Turkey Day?). Typical, as far as how most families celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm sure.

This year I made a pumpkin spice pie. And no, it wasn't Sara Lee. It was chock full of ginger and allspice, cinnamon and egg whites, and 100% delicious. (I'd be lying if I said I made the crust.)

Doesn't it look yummy?

I also made some appetizers, and I'll make a note that one of them was...interesting. Some Southern cookbook recommended it, and it was awful. Just pure crap. But the garlic shrimp (courtesy of good ol' work) came out to.die.for, and sister's bf's contributions of fruit and veggie plates satisfied me.

Thanks to the tryptophan, I crashed on the couch embarassing early and woke up all fat and happy.

It was a pretty damn good holiday.

scrub a dub dub

It often bugs me when people ask, "So, what did you do this weekend?" in that smarmy tone indicating they knew I did nothing other than park it on the couch.

Well, my FOUR DAY weekend (I can hardly believe it myself, especially now that it's nearly over) was spent with enough time on the couch, yes, but also some time with family and friends.

And enough time to have a couple of reeelaaaaxing baths.

I created the following "recipe" based on one I read about in a magazine a while back. It's easy, and the best part about it is that I can pretty much guarantee you have the ingredients in your kitchen (heah, if I have 'em, everyone has 'em).

Scrub a Dub Dub
1 cup sea salt (table salt is fine, but sea salt's coarse texture exfoliates better)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup oats
1 tbs. vanilla extract (feel free to experiment--I used coconut)
2 tbs. pure maple syrup

Stir all ingredients together and slather on in the bath. For added benefit, use a loofah or washcloth to rub the mixture. Rinse thoroughly. The tub'll get a bit slippery, so be careful when climbing out.

Maybe I'll whip up a batch and share with friends; it'll harken back to when I used to make soaps as gifts... ;)

watching: monkeys go home

Just some linkage that I thought was particularly worth a view or two.

I'm not an In-n-Out Burger fan, but if you are, you can start ordering like a pro.

Short on space at the ol homestead? Try one of these.

Thinga that make you go hmmmmm.

And in case you haven't seen these, do yourself a favor and learn a little bit. Because learning is half the battle.

fiddy

Just when I thought I'd heard of everything...

(from sf gate)

50 Cent Plans Sex Toy Line

Rapper 50 Cent is planning to release his own new line of condoms and sex toys.

The star, who already has a clothing line and a range of energy drinks, is planning to branch out into the lucrative sex market -- even creating a vibrator that looks just like him.

50 tells GQ magazine, "I need to make a 50 Cent condom, and a motorized version of me.

"A motorized version of me will definitely have to be waterproof, so you could utilize it in the tub. A lot of them (vibrators) aren't waterproof.

"Blue is my favorite color, so it would probably be blue. But I don't know how big. I don't know if big is better because I'm not sure a man wants his woman playing with a really big dildo.

"But I want to do something like that, to create something that's popular and exciting sexually for women."

meanwhile, back at the bluth's model home...

As promised, pix of the bedroom home improvements.

(Nightstands, lamps, and wall color are new, for the folks not on board.)




A better pic of the nightstands:


Next up, improvement wise: new hallway light fixtures that a) aren't dated, and b) brighten up the place!

winter wonderland?

My friend Sarah starts listening to Christmas music seemingly halfway through the year. We always give her a hard time about it, saying her husband has no idea what he's in for. I think I need to tone down my laughter at her overzealous holiday spirit, as I downloaded Diana Krall's "Christmas Songs" from iTunes and, despite the weather being in the high 70s, am currently trying to picture a winter wonderland as I cozy up on the couch in my robe. It's really not even robe weather, and quite frankly, I'm roasting, but I figure Thanksgiving is this week and damn it, it should be cold outside. Yeah, I'll be crying the blues when I can't rock the Reefs outside, but it makes it hard to believe it's November when the weather is perfect for beach-going.

Tahoe, February 2004
In more holiday-spirit related news, I did some shopping yesterday, crossing mom and sister off the list, and sister was a double-whammy--I got her bday stuff taken care of, too. I made the executive decision not to exchange gifts with Matt this year, or at least until we see how kind Uncle Sam is to this homeowner. We tend to go all out on each other, spending wise, and the funds are currently tied up with home improvement-type plans.

Dad made the decision to have our company holiday party on a) a weekday, and b) sister's birthday. Yikes! It'll be my first attending as an official company employee, as we've not had one for several years now. I'm guessing by having it on a Thursday night he's trying to cut the cost, but he says it's the only December night available for our large group at his desired restaurant. At any rate, it'll be...interesting.

punk'd

Now back to your regularly scheduled (canceled?) program.

I've left many a comment and email for friends, peppering my words with links that, in effect, cry out, "Save Our Show!" Maybe I should be saying something along the lines of "Save Us, Showtime!" as the pay-TV network has been the subject of rumors of a deal to air The Show (like there's any other?!). I, for one, would be willing to pony up the funds to continue to watch, and I'm certain I'm not the only die-hard out there. If I become too cheap, there's always bit torrrent, right?

***

I'm embarrassed to say this, but...

I'm currently watching R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet." And I'm into it. So much so that I TiVo'd chapters 1-8. How many friggin chapters are there?! I'll be waiting for the 9-12 section. Yes, indeedy. But! Why the white girl gotta be portrayed all hick-like?

Ohmigod, a rubberrrrr.

Thanks to the narration stylings (just pure crap) of the VH1 dude, I learned that the guy in the last scene of chapter 8 is not the same guy that was cheating on his wife...it's R. Kelly as the narrator, playing a NEW character! Ruh roh.

And in more TiVo action, Jason Bateman's all Smoky McSmokerson in the episode of "Punk'd" where he, indeed, gets punked.

WTF with the smoking, guy?

***

I love living in the Bay Area. We're always thinking thinking thinking!

***

Stay tuned for pix from my latest home improvement project. *cue ominous music*

Nothing with me is coherent anymore.

It's the lack of a vacation, I tell you!

In case you needed another reason or two or eleven to watch the best show ever.

Court TV doesn't lie!

"AD"

('ad' post, be warned.)

i've never before watched anything religiously on fox.

not 'the simpsons,' not 'family guy,' not 'america idol.' nothing. i can count the number of times i've actually tuned into fox without removing my shoes to count--it's that few. why? they air dumb shows, period. the majority of programs they air are geared towards the idiots of america, which are increasingly becoming the average american, as far as i am concerned.

and it's about to get even fewer and far between.

fox is pulling the plug on the best show ever.

yes, it's only a tv show. but it's a SMART tv show.

now i remember why i looked upon fox with such disdain.

they're bloody morons.

Not a p****

One HOUR of 'AD.'

I can go to bed with a smile on my face. :) <-----see?

I heard about this on the radio this morning, and couldn't help but share. It's true--she always has the same posed look on her face, no matter where she is.

black and white

This whole not sleeping thing has really got to go. This is the second day in a row, on a weekend no less, that I've woken up at 6:30. While I've never been a late sleeper, it is kind of ridiculous given that I went to bed late and woke up several times during the night. At the risk of sounding incredibly immature, it completely blows.

I think I'm ready for some changes. This from a person who is typically adverse to change! So far "change" has only manifested itself in me mixing it up at the pedicure joint and getting a different color than I usually do. But! There are other things on the horizon. Yesterday morning I rearranged a bunch of stuff around the house. I keep saying all this is an effort to make the place "mine," but really I find it sad that after a year and a half I still don't feel like it's mine. There are lots of things I want to do here, but two-thirds of the "time, money, energy" factor are missing.

Am finished with the first season of "Six Feet Under." Rereading that, I make it sound like it's such an accomplishment, but it really just amounts to many hours sitting on my ass in front of the tv.

I went to the Bridge School Benefit last Sunday, and it was a blast! We saw Jerry Lee Lewis, Norah Jones, Los Lobos, Emmylou Harris, Good Charlotte, Bright Eyes and...Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. I purposely left Neil Young and CSNY out of that list, cause we split before they came on. They're not exactly my cuppa tea. I skipped last year but generally have been to at least one of the two shows every year since 1997, and it was good to see Dave's return. The fact that he performed with Tim left me absolutely speechless, as Angie and I have been dying to see them together (the whole 'Dave and Friends' tour didn't count cause Trey Anastasio et al were there). Why not tour the West Coast, Dave and Tim?!

On the debit card fraud front, my bank has temporarily credited me what the bastards stole. I know it's a matter of protocol, but it should be open and shut--I was at the bank in person merely hours after the thefts took place--how can I be in Eastern Europe and then California that fast? I received my new debit card Friday, and now comes the task of notifying the institutions (Netflix, 24 Hr Fitness) that keep it on file for automatic debits.


I love vanity plates that make me laugh:

I've seen this SUV around the way several times and it never fails to make me smile. I also tease my sister that someone took the plate intended for her.

(For the record, this is a second, yet lesser, version of this entry--the first one was gobbled up by Blogger demons.)

Photo Friday: warmth

vroom

I typically spend a lot of time here



(in the car, duh) but today I feel like I did so more than usual. Probably because I blazed up the peninsula to go to my company's corporate office and ended up sitting in traffic for what seemed like forever. And if you know me, you know how much I dislike driving in general, and when you factor in traffic, it's a pretty good sign that I'll be in a bad mood. But! I wasn't. There was something about the weather that made me keep smiling and not really worry that I was feeling frustrated.

I am looking forward to this weekend--I'm going to the 49er game on Sunday! Here's hoping for another win. Two in a row seems awfully optimistic, though.

And! Another something good to look forward to! It's an HOUR'S WORTH of NEW episodes! It's about time, damn baseball!