Thursday, December 31, 2009

media update: december

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Wall Street (repeat)
Bruno
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Nothing Like the Holidays
I Love You, Man
Food, Inc.
School of Surf
The Big Lebowski (repeat)
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Doubt
Save Me
Step Brothers
Role Models
Last Chance Harvey
Google Me



MUSIC:
The Living End, "Roll On"
The White Stripes (various tracks)
The Toadies, "Rubberneck"
Various Artists, "For the MASSES"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever to Tell"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!"
3 Colours Red, "Revolt"
ABBA, "gold"
Above & Beyond, "Tri-State"
AFI, "AFI"
Air, "Moon Safari"
Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
Bush, "Sixteen Stone"
Deftones, "Saturday Night Wrist"
Deftones, "White Pony"
Deftones, "Around the Fur"
Deftones, "B-sides & Rarities"
Deftones, "Deftones"
Deftones, "Adrenaline"
Deftones, "Team Sleep"
Depeche Mode, "Singles 1986-1998"
Failure, "Fantastic Planet"
Foo Fighters, "In Your Honor"
Jimmy Eat World, "Blessed American"
Our Lady Peace, "Our Lady Peace"
The Frames, "Once" (soundtrack)
Billboard 1989 Greatest Hits
Pearl Jam, "Backspacer"
Eddie Vedder, "Into the Wild" (soundtrack)
Various Artists, "Music Mondays"
Band of Horses, "Cease toe Begin"
Enya, "A Day Without Rain"
A Tribe Called Quest, "The Low End Theory"
A Tribe Called Quest, "Midnight Marauders"
Ken Andrews, "Secrets of the Lost Satellite"
Ladytron, "604"
Ladytron, "Velocifero"
Lush, "Lovelife"
Lush, "Split"
Lush, "Spooky"
Muse, "Absolution"
Secret Machines, "Now Here is Nowhere"
Snow Patrol, "Eyes Open"
Tenacious D, "The Pick of Destiny"
The Notorious B.I.G., "Greatest Hits"
Beyonce, "Dangerously in Love"
Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G., "The Commission"

Friday, December 25, 2009

mele kalikimaka

mele kalikimaka to all!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

merry christmas eve

may your holidays be filled with JOY
joy

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

i adore this movie so much, i watched again this week.

 
 

Sent to you by ThatBeeGirl via Google Reader:

 
 

via http://ilovehotdogs.net/ on 12/23/09

Every time I watch this film I have to resist the urge to sit on the floor Indian style with my face in my hands. It totally turns me into a little kid again; And somehow after forty years, and a million replays, the simple story and perfectly jazzy soundtrack by the the Vince Guaraldi Trio make it a holiday classic that never feels dated.

Our favorite Debbie Downer Charlie Brown is suffering from a lil' case of what doctors call Seasonal Affective Disorder. He's annoyed by the commercialization of Christmas that has turned even his baby sister Sally into a gold digger. His friend and part-time psychologist Dr. Lucy Van Pelt suggests he take a seat in the director's chair of their school Nativity Play. Unfortunately, Brown is no Scorsese. He can barely get everyone to stop dancing let alone turn them into thespians of Biblical proportions. This is my favorite scene: Schroeder pounding on the keys, Snoopy jamming on the bass, and all of the kids delivering some of the best dance moves you've ever seen! Once the dancing stops, Linus and the most charming little Christmas tree branch teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Best Holiday movie, ever.

Happy Holidays from I Love Hot Dogs!


 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Saturday, December 19, 2009

blast from the past

i once heard nostalgia is memory without emotion. i often ponder this, especially when i wonder about what it must have been like to live in the 50s and 60s, with the innocence of that time.

there's something about this video that captures the excitement of children on Christmas morning, certainly a timeless experience.

Kodachrome Christmas from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.



(via retro renovation)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Six word sunday: custom made wreaths are the best!

Thanks, Jewels!
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

gallery show, part deux



the first show was so successful, ISM Community is hosting another Polaroid show, this time in Los Angeles.

i am hoping to drive down to see two of my submitted 'roids in their second show.

if anyone is in the area, visit the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica on january 9, 2010 and support what is sure to be a great show!

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

shopping tip:

you know how much i love my photobooths, and how much fun would it be to send postcards with photobooths on them?



even better, chronicle books is offering a deal through december 4: just use code FRIENDS to get 30% off your order and free shipping. (via piewacket)

time for holiday shopping, anyone?

Monday, November 30, 2009

media update: november

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

six word sunday: the result was sweet and delicious






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Friday, November 27, 2009

cultural tradition

i am likely participating in buy nothing day today. i briefly thought about taking the picture black friday challenge, but that would mean dealing with way too many crazies at the mall or other stores.

and besides, i have all the crap i need right now.

toys "r" them

Thursday, November 26, 2009

gobbler

happy thanksgiving!

so much to be thankful for, perhaps this year i am realizing this more than ever.

i am thankful for my loving family, even if i do complain about them. i'm thankful for a great job, for a comfortable home, food to eat, healthy friends and family, and for the ability to travel the way i do.

i'm thankful that i discovered a passion for making myself healthy this year, and have had the determination to continue with it.



at your own risk

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

back catalogue

trivia last night was good, up until the point we got disqualified for cheating.

yeah, that's right, we cheated at trivia at a pub. my classiness knows no bounds. it was funny to see a friend get into it with the accusing bartender, fully defending our honor despite the fact that, yeah, we did look up an answer or two on google. then i had to throw my two cents in and say, "hey, we're in the silicon valley where everyone and their mother has some kind of smartphone. who's to say i wasn't on twitter, WHICH I WAS?"

s'okay, we just had fun goofing off and didn't really need the $50 in bar credit anyway. but! we will be back.

oh, yes we will.

Monday, November 16, 2009

peep show

i felt like toothpicks were keeping my eyes open most of the day. i got a weird burst of energy toward the end of my training session in the late afternoon, but that is now long gone. it's a quarter to eight, and i'm gonna hit the hay very shortly after i'm through writing this.

this week is going to be busy, i have something every night after work. this, of course, in addition to my workouts. when does it ever end? i feel like i'm getting busier every week, long gone are the days i'd come home from work and lounge around for hours, sometimes watching two movies a night.

got my harmony one in the mail today to replace my old harmony remote. logitech was kind enough to offer a minor discount to replace my current one since the warranty period has expired and it wasn't holding a charge. got it setup, and the touchscreen feature is pretty rad.

alaska air announced direct service between san jose and maui starting in march. this is exciting for several reasons, but perhaps currently so because of the $169 each way introductory fares. gonna book a ticket for early april, mmhmm.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

six word sunday: boothing is fun at any age

Three older ladies in the (digital) photobooth at Ka'ahumanu Center





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Sunday, November 08, 2009

six word sunday: seasons changed, but they did not







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Friday, November 06, 2009

Sunday, November 01, 2009

six word sunday: the waiting game was her favorite.

i'm deathly allergic to cats





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Saturday, October 31, 2009

malibu dream house

i'm not ashamed to say that i LOOOVED playing with barbies when i was a kid. my sister and i played for hours, and i entered her into a contest that won her the barbie dream house when she was about 5. once that house came into the mix, it was all about which one of us would use that, and which one of us would use the fold-n-fun house, the "loser" settling for the latter. i often "won" the dream house simply by virtue of being the oldest.

now this is a bit over-the-top, but a giant handwoven rug with an inital "B" stamped in the center? the mid-mod sunurst mirror? jonathan adler? i'm all over it.

my video pick of the week: barbie's maliu dream house.



(via retro renovation)

media update: october

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Away We Go
White Material
Opie Gets Laid
Shrink
Vantage Point
Please Vote For Me
Management
The TV Set


BOOKS:
Jennette Fulda, "Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir"


MUSIC:
Karen O and the Kids, "Where the Wild Things Are" soundtrack *
Various Artists, "Landmark Theaters Digital Sampler"
DJ Kool, "Let Me Clear My Throat"
Diggy, "She Don't Want a Man"
Jay-Z, "Reasonable Doubt"
Drake, "So Far Gone"
Various Artists, "LSTN #7" *
Melaine Fiona, "It Kills Me" +
Benton Paul, "Run" +
Mary J. Blige, "The One" *
Various Artists, "Promo Mix" and "Hip Hop Takeover"
Owl City, "Ocean Eyes" *

+ denotes iTunes free download

Monday, October 26, 2009

regretsy

i stumbled upon regretsy over the weekend and have been horrified at its contents since.

i mean, people really sell this crap? or, more accurately, are hoping people buy this crap?

take, for example, the reaper, made with real human rib bones.



not your style? maybe the masturbating dinosaur is more your speed. (i'm looking at you, t-rex.)



a great way to spend a solid 15 minutes going, "wtf?!"

Friday, October 23, 2009

grocery store musical

the fine, funny folks (alliteration, heyyyy!) at improv everywhere have done it again with grocery store musical.




it's my video pick of the week.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

six word sunday: even cloudy days couldn't stop her


way to go, nicole!




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Saturday, October 17, 2009

the bay that day

the 20th (!) anniversary of The Earthquake (yes, it deserves capitalization) is upon us. the chron is full of reflections on "where were you when..." and my own circle of friends have had many a discussion of that fateful day.

i was in the 5th grade, and my sister, mother and i had just returned from shopping for halloween costumes. strangely, i don't recall what i was that year, only that i begged my mother to be a punk rocker, complete with a multicolor spiky wig. i wanted that wig SO BADLY. i don't know if it was my mother's conservative nature that balked at her daughter! wanting! to be! a punk! or something else, but i am now 30 years old and have not dressed up as a punk. (foot stomp.)

it was pretty hot for october, although the bay area always seems to have a hot spell in october, and we were still in summer clothes. we returned home and i set about doing my math homework (a thin, purple volume of problems, both literally and figuratively) downstairs on the coffee table. my sister was upstairs, likely playing with her barbies, and my mother was in the kitchen when the shaking began.

i (gladly) ditched the math homework for the a doorway leading to the backyard, while my mother ran for the doorway separating the kitchen and family room. as the shaking was still going on, my mother and i could hear my sister thundering down the stairs, yelling. poor thing was so frightened by the shaking, she didn't know what to do. earthquake drills are standard practice in california schools, but my sister, only in kindergarten for a matter of weeks, hadn't participated in one yet.

after the shaking subsided, my mother checked to make sure we were okay. we weren't able to reach my father, which was scary, but of course this was pre-cell phone days. the three of us went outside to talk to some neighbors and compare damage, of which there was some: my mother's china cabinet fell over, breaking some depression-era and world war II-era glass heirlooms. of course, we were without power and would be for about 24 hours. given that it was dinnertime and nothing could really be prepared, once my father arrived home he was immediately sent off to carl's jr. to wait in line for over an hour with seemingly all of our neighborhood. (why carl's jr. had power and no one else did i still don't know.)

we all feared aftershocks, and slept with our bedroom doors open. school was canceled the next day, and 20 years later i am still surprised my mother let me ride my bike alone to my friend jennie's house so that we could go to the park.

my father had tickets to the world series for us, although not for october 17. we opted not to go once the series was rescheduled, and i still regret it!

i've been in several earthquakes since then. one that occurred the eve of a 49er game. that idiot jimmy johnson claimed it wasn't an earthquake, it was just the cowboys coming to town.

my sister is still terrified of earthquakes. at the mere mention of the word, she pretty much freaks. although i don't think about them on a daily basis, unfortunately the threat of the next "big one" is always around. watching and reading coverage over the last few days has brought tears to my eyes a few times.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

breathtaking view

i've been reading patrick smith's ask the pilot column for some time now. as a pilot, he provides a interesting take on the world of commercial aviation.

in today's column, he linked to a video he took on the approach and arrival at JFK. it is truly amazing.



so.rad., and it's my video pick of the week.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

To SJC!

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JFK to...

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Tuesday, October 06, 2009

SJC to...

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shorter repeats

i leave for new york in just a few short hours, the same red-eye flight i always take. i'm excited to see my friend Vanessa! just finishing up some laundry, and i'm just about set to go.

i got the best news today: i won a contest at the club that gets me $1100 worth of personal training sessions! i don't know who was more excited, my trainer or me! my club does this body age thing and they set up a contest where you had to guess the body age of several trainers, mine included. she's 29, but her body age is 17. yikes! i'm sure mine is that of a retiree. anyway, i got the most correct answers (truthfully, my trainer helped me out a bit) and am stoked!

speaking of training, my trainer has me doing cardio speedwork and i HATE it. but that's just because it's hard. :) i worked out hard with her yesterday, and tried to replicate most of the workout alone today. this is where i know i still need a trainer -- sometimes i can't get myself as motivated when i work out alone. i did 45 minutes of cardio speedwork today, and felt pretty good about my effort. the bummer is, because i have a bum knee the elliptical is out and i'm stuck with the bike (trainer urges the spinning ones) and the erg. 25 minutes of speedwork on the erg and i'm ready to die.

the incident quotient on this week's "trauma" is significantly higher than last week's episode. who knew a street fair could be so dangerous?

i was short on patience earlier today, which was likely why i was so irritated by everyone's idiocy, but now things are all good.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

six word sunday: his endless refrain quickly became grating






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Thursday, October 01, 2009

sycophants

i adore "mad men," and "seasame street" is a perennial classic. the combination of the two makes this my video of the week.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

media update: september

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Starter for Ten
Good Dick
Can't Hardly Wait
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Expired
Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox


BOOKS:
Therese Fowler, "Souvenir"


MUSIC:
Jay-Z, "The Blueprint 3" *
Morrissey, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"
Shop Boys, "Party Like a Rock Star" *
The Lovemakers, "Love is Dead" +
Animal Kingdom, "Tin Man" +
Slaughterhouse, "The One"
Miguel Zenon, "Residencial Llorens Torres" +
Mayer Hawthorne, "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" +
Junior Boys, "Dull to Pause" +


+ denotes iTunes free download

Sunday, September 27, 2009

stacked in your favor

i woke up at 6:30 yesterday morning, and couldn't fall back asleep for about an hour. normally i wouldn't have an issue with waking up then, especially as i prefer to get up early, but since i went to bed less than 6 hours before, i wasn't having it.

i fell back asleep after tossing an turning for about an hour and a half, then woke up and glanced at the clock. it said 10:10, and my brain said, "the gym! THE GYM!" as in, you were supposed to be there over an hour ago! which really isn't that big of a deal, except for that i like to get out of the gym by 11 on weekends so that i have the rest of day free. instead, yesterday morning i booked a last-minute massage appointment for 11:30 and decided to head to the gym afterward.

i had a shiatsu massage, which was lovely, then did an hour of cardio and some strength training and some work on the stability ball. also, i'm all over the assisted pull-up machine these days. before i went to maui i told my trainer that someday i'd like to be able to do a pull-up. i should have known better, because before my session was over, i was on the assisted pull-up contraption pulling 100#. my arm (pits) hurt so much the next two days! but i was hooked, and have been adding them to my workout routine, with and without my trainer.

now here's the part where you know i'm cuckoo:

i joined a gym for the time i was on maui.

my trainer put together a nice travel workout and a water workout routine for me, but i missed having the gym routine, so for less than $50, i joined the gym for 10 days. and while the gym was kind-of a dump, it's super close to our home there, and provided everything i needed for my workouts, all 7 or so times i went. and each time i went to the gym on maui, i ended my workouts with a session on the pull-up machine, even adding in some tricep dips.

i got on the scale yesterday morning after my workout and shower and lost roughly another 2#. i've been at a plateau the last 6-8 weeks, and i was thrilled to see a drop again. when i tell my trainer about my additional loss, she'll likely shrug her shoulders and say, "i told you so!" because her advice is to eat more. she's a hardcore athlete, done the ironman several times, and regularly participates in triathlons. (can i just say i love her? she's the perfect trainer, so motivating and encouraging, but kicks my ass when i need it, too.)

anyway, i met with a nutritionist the week before my sister's wedding, just to make sure my eating was on track and to get some ideas for good-for-me meals. i'd been eating about 1500 calories a day, and my trainer was like, um, that's not enough with the working out you're doing, you should see how many calories your body uses at a resting rate, maybe try metacheck? the nutritionist i saw didn't do metacheck, but the club where i workout offers it, so i had it done. there was roughly a 1500 calorie difference between the formula the nutritionist did and what the metacheck read -- that is, the metacheck claimed i needed 1500 more calories than the generic formula.

anyway, i have no idea what got me started on this tangent. all i know is that i'm living better, feeling better and eating better.

and i swore this wouldn't be a workout blog.

six word sunday: it was out of this world






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Thursday, September 24, 2009

radiance

i turned on my tv tonight for the first time in ages. who knew i had two episodes of "better off ted" from august about to be deleted on my tivo? i just wanted to make sure i created a season pass for "trauma." i'm not normally a fan of medical dramas, but since its filmed in SF i thought i'd give it a go.

the old navy "cardi coats" commercial is ridiculous.

today is the second time this week that i've had a headache that is so bad, it makes me dizzy. i took advil when it struck on tuesday, but it didn't touch it. at my board meeting in the evening, my neighbor offered to do reiki on me to relieve my headache, and it worked! i wish he was around today to fix it again.

i skipped out on the gym yesterday because i had to get new tires (i typed "tired") for my car after a flat tire in the morning held me up. i'd been putting off getting new tires, and see what happens?

i also skipped out on the gym today because of this headache. i'm hoping to go tomorrow morning, or in the afternoon before i meet my friend angie for drinks and apps.

working out has become such a priority i kinda freak out when i can't make my 5 workouts a week. i didn't have any sessions with my trainer this week, but my monday and tuesday workouts were pretty intense.

it's almost the weekend and i'm thrilled. but i'm more thrilled that it's finally fall, my favorite season. here's hoping we start to get some crisp, fall-like weather soon. i have a couple of new jackets i'm dying to break out!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

chutes and ladders

my trip to maui was one of the better ones i've made in the last few years. i was so glad to be able to go to my friend's wedding! i also spent a lot of time with many of my parent's friends, the kind of people that get upset if you don't make an effort to see them daily. good people, but it gets old!

having lived on maui, i never do touristy things, but this time i decided to take the ferry to molokai. it was a long, but fun day. it's about an hour and a half each way, departing from lahaina. on the way back, i met a nice guy from san diego and we proceeded to chat it up the whole ride back and hit it off, laughing and joking the entire ride. we were alone on the upper deck of the ferry for the first half hour, until we were both so soaked from the water splashing, so we went to the slightly covered lower deck. i made a joke about needing a rain jacket, and he goes, wait a sec, and pulls out a clean shirt from his bag. i nearly died, it was so cute and thoughtful! because i thought we hit it off, i was ballsy and asked him to dinner as we were exiting the ferry. he mumbled something and started walking away, leaving me like, huh? i debated following him to ask him what he mumbled, but decided against being a stalker and instead enjoyed a nice dinner at kimo's alone.


cracking macadamia nuts


mac nut tree


tasting mac nut honey, yum!


kalaupapa (aka the leper colony)


view from the hotel molokai, my lunch spot

Fresh to death
on the way to the rehearsal dinner


beautiful hawaiian church where the ceremony was held


the church was tiny and stifling -- standing room only!


the groomsmen




view from the reception, the king kamehameha golf club, looking toward the south part of the island


my friend and his beautiful bride

my sister got married september 12. it was lots of fun! i kept saying to everyone, it's so much fun when it's your sister's wedding, you know just about everyone! i gave a speech that people are still talking about (funny, but sweet) and did 3 tequila shots before doing so, with all three shots plied by a cousin.



123
from the photographer's site: we ran up and surprised them


getting ready






first dance


goofys



they're on their honeymoon (maui) til tonight. they went to oahu for a few days, my wedding gift to them was inter-island tickets. while my sister was away, she was laid off. the business office is moving their operations to sacramento, and while we know she'll find something suitable, it sucks that she was notified on her honeymoon.