A life less ordinary

It would have been fun to spill the beans on my fancy new haircut on the blog before most people saw me, but I got too busy, yada yada yada. I gotta say, it has been more fun with the new 'do. People seem to be friendlier and I certainly get more attention from random folks on the street than normal (translate: from zero attention to slightly more than zero).

The two top questions I get are how and why (or in some cases, why????). The how is easy. Two mirrors, one on the wall and one in my hand, and the electric clipper in the other hand. Throw in some mirror dexterity and hand-eye coordination and I'm done. The why is more complicated. For fun is the easy answer. But I think it goes deeper than that (as most things do). I've been definitely wanting more something lately. What it is, I do not know. But I do know that I am not satisfied with myself and long for personal growth of some sort. Maybe I'll join a Kool-Aid lovin' commune or something. Who knows. I usually get out of these doldrums of sorts by days of heavy introspection. A sort of settling accounts with myself. What have I done? What have I been doing? What should I be doing? How can I improve? What should I keep the same? Many questions. Then answers that usually lead to more questions. I wish I could get paid to be a philospher. I could hold up a sign that says, "Will philosophise for food".

Then there's the picture of me with a bird on my shoulder. I'll keep the story behind that a mystery and instead tell you about the shot. I wanted to juxtapose a sullen expression with dramatic lighting against the little white bird. I could have had a goofy smile on my face as one might expect, but I think the image is far more interesting this way.

Big turkey yum!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your food be bountiful, your company remind you of why you should be thankful, and your life all the sweeter for reaffirming it.

I'm feeling fecund today

Unless you're really intersted in architecture, I'm sure these photos are probably pretty boring to you (and I wish they were better photos, but all I had on me was my phone… sorry!). I've actually been meaning to post them forever. They're photos of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles that I took while visiting my cousin. It totally looks like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, so I feel less bummed that I wont make it there any time soon (although I'd still love to make there some day). Almost everything about this structure is amazing in form and function. It makes me really wish that more thought was put into every building. And while I don't expect super fancy like this example, it would be nice if most structures simply worked and looked a little better than they do now (hence my constant fussing over the house).

As I sit and write this post during the wee hours of the night (well… it's 5am right now), I'm reflecting on a very busy, mostly crappy work week. I can't wait to have fun this weekend. I just want to relax and put work out of my mind! Lately I've been pondering if I should be doing something else with my “career.” Should I move to try to be a better designer? Should I try a new vocation entirely? I dunno. Oddly enough, as much as I have disdain for children in general, I take a great deal of satisfaction and pride in teaching them new things. I seem to connect to them easily (I think it's mostly because we're at the same maturity level) and I enjoy seeing the feelings that come with discovery and understanding. But as much as I'd want to be a teacher, I just know that I'm too moody to take kids day in and day out (little buggers!). Hmm… maybe I'm having a middle age thing going on. I wonder if I should just buy a Porcsche instead.

Dishes my blog

So there you have it. Some of my new plates set on top of the aforementioned bamboo charger. Pretty nice lookin', isn't it? It looks even better because the new plate is poplulated by some delicious pitas lovingly made by Cathryn. The photoshoot was set up by me. Yes, it took me a whole 5 minutes to arrange the plates and put in the empty dipping bowl for show (I hope you guys appreciate all my hard work!)

Speaking of hard work, I actually made it all the way to the gym today! Huzzah!! Huzzah!! Huzzah!!!! I was tired, but I really am happy I went. I can feel blood pumping through my veins again and I'll probably rest better tonight as well. Ah elusive motivation, I have found you at last today. I'm sure tomorrow and the next day will be a different story, but I'm working on it!

Here's a funny story for you… at work we have this ridiculous elevator where the buttons don't always register. I swear I pressed the button for floor 3, but when the doors opened, I was on floor 5. I took one step out, and went "What the hell???" and then wandered back in. Of course doing so right in front of the FedEx dude who was waiting to get in the elevator (the whole time blocking him from getting in). Aside from looking like a complete doofus who doesn't understand how elevators work, I felt all discombobulated from the feeling of being magically transported to a different building. Too bad I wasn't high with a bunch of other people who were also high. It would have been a much funnier experience!

Told ya. This blog was complete fluff. More fluff than in San Fernando Valley.

ps. I ate the pita. Yes I did. And it was fucking GOOD. Especially after I put some poppy seed dressing on it (it's better than crack!).

I should be sleeping now

But instead I'm still blogging! (I have a secret mission to push the video that keeps loading off of the bottom so that it's archived and can stop loading everytime I visit my fucking blog). There's something about old pictures that I've always loved. Is it the sepia tone? The non Kodak moment expressions? I dunno. But there's a warmth in the imagery that's not so common these days (I love, LOVE, daguerreotypes).

The images you see above are of my great grandparents on my father's side. If you ever wondered why folks don't smile in old photos, it's because in all likelyhood they were suffering a great deal. Seriously, times were tough back then. My dad was telling me of how they had to hide in a backyard for months while the communists were "pacifying" the countryside. They survived only because a neighbor noticed them there and nonchalantly tossed food over the fence when no one was looking. On my mom's side, they have similar stories because of WWII.

I'll have to remember not to complain so much when I decide to notice that no one is trying to kill me while I'm slowly starving to death.

Hmm… that's weird. I went from normal to serious again. Sorry about that. I promise the next post will be all fluff. You'll feel good about it and forget all about these not so fluffy ones.

Stompin' in my Air Force Ones

Ah, it's that time again. When bright lights are hung from the rafters, mistle toe hung over doors, green and red themed everything, and the holiday push to consume. I'm not talking about Decmeber though. All the xmas crap was in the stores before the Halloween candy sold out. I remember when consumerism was the big rallying point against all that's evil with our society. Interesting how times change, isn't it? Now we have honest to goodness evil incarnate as elected leader of our nation. Oh how I long for the days of SDI, Iran Contra, and weapons for hostages! Them were the good ol' days indeed.

Ha ha, sorry. I don't know where that came from. I guess I'm feeling all political again (although I promise to remain apathetic – sorry). In the meantime, enjoy this phallic image of a really cool building in SF. I took this image while drunk out of my mind from drinking an entire crystal geyser bottle of Vodka flavored with something sweet tasting (I think). Ah, good times!

I'll buy that for a dollar!

Well techinically, we were at the 99 cent store. And if wasn't surprised enough to see Necco Wafers on my right, there was this whole thing of condoms on my left! (oooo... dual pleasure) Not to be snobbish about something as important as prophylactic protection, but condoms for 99 cents is either a great deal, or the surest way to a paternity hearing. Getting back to Necco Waffers, I've never even tried them, but for some reason I know about them. Like they're somehow part of the American historical fabric. Are they a midwest thing? Do they taste good? Do they taste like ass? Please let me know! Because not only are they only 99 cents, apparently they're fat free as well. And is it just me, or do they look like road flares?

Sorry to be all Andy Rooney, but does anyone know about the history behind the saying, "beating a dead horse"? For whatever random reason, I thought, where the heck does that come from, and why would anything be equated to beating a dead animal? Why not beating a dead dog, cat, squirrel, or donkey? "Stop beating a dead donkey, I've heard enough!!"

Ah well, it would seem that I have more questions than answers. Such is life.

p.s. I went a little crazy this weekend and replaced all my hand-me-down dinnerware with stuff that I liked from you guessed it, TARGET!!

p.p.s Now that I know waht the fuck a "charger" is, Martha Stewart had better watch her back!

RECENTLY BOUGHT AT TARGET®
2 Global Home Zazen Crackle Tuquoise 4-pk. dinner plates ~ 19.99 on sale!
1 Global Home Zazen Crackle Tuquoise 4-pk. salad plates ~ 17.99 on sale!
4 Global Home Zazen Crackle Tuquoise soup bowls ~ 4.49 on sale!
2 Global Home Zazen Crackle Tuquoise dipping bowls ~ 3.58 on sale!
2 chargers ~ 6.99 each
4 Onyx bowls ~ 2.99 each
1 Onyx sushi set ~ 7.99

Spank you very much

Yes, as many of you have long suspected, I am a big dork. And since I finally have the photo evidence to prove it, I've decided to post it. But lo, what's this? I'm a nicely dressed dork! That's right, I'm sporting mother of pearl necklace(1) cuff links. Oh yes. That's right. Fancy. So whether or not you may have guessed by now from reading the blogs of my esteemed contemporaries, I'm dressed up for Rajan's big day. Right now he and Paula are most assuredly sunning themselves on a beautiful beach somewhere in the lower Americas. This was a good day of celebrating life, love, and friendship.

So guess where I'm blogging from today? I'm in Concord as a guest housesitter! Ah Blogger, you have served me well once again. I had a most productive day today. After getting up at 11ish, I played with the cats, then had a banana. Feeling internet withdraws, I then put together the home owner's computer in the kitchen (they recently got DSL hooked up and things aren't set up yet) and have been happily surfing since. Oh yeah, I also took a break to vacuum the house (yes, I was THAT bored) and clean out the litter box (it was as stinky as you'd ever want to smell). Vacuumming made me a bit peckish, so I broke out the port wine cheese and crackers and had my fill of a yummy snack. While eating said snack, I took a call and wrote this blog. Yep. I know, you want to be me, but like a government worker, I'm slacking off and don't plan to get fired any time soon.

RECENTLY BOUGHT AT TARGET®
Volcano High DVD as shown on MTV, voiced by today's hip-hop stars ~ 9.44
4 bags of Halloween candy for children begging at the door ~ 2.11 each

1 I wrote it, you thought it. It is indeed a reference for those of you with minds like mine :)