under the stars

interesting sights (& sites) while on sick day travel

2010-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Being sick is not fun - especially when it means you miss Spring Barrel Tasting weekend in the Yakima Valley. :( I've been at home sick in bed since Thursday night...finally got out of bed today - but only to see my doctor to make sure the antibiotic looks to be doing what it should be. (Exciting life I lead, huh??!)

That said, the trip to see my doctor was made a bit more interesting when we passed an arm of a giant windmachine heading to the Puget Sound Energy Project in Vantage...it was so large it nearly spanned the length of two trailer beds!

The driver smiled as we passed - the follow caution car had radio'd up to him that we were taking pictures. Looked like they were getting a kick out of our interest. LOL :)

Apparently the Wild Horse Renewable Wind & Solar Energy Center in Vantage, WA, is really pretty cool to tour. I looked it up tonight, thinking another time when I feel better it would be worth a trip back. Here's a brochure on the place and here's a video that shows the view from on top of one of the turbines:

yea!! Carrie Underwood in Yakima, WA @ the SunDome!

2010-04-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

totally excited - just found out we have Carrie Underwood tickets to her concert at the Yakima Valley SunDome this December! they are on sale today; check out the SunDome site for more info!

"objection from a former sailor"

2010-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Woke up hacking my lungs out (I'm at home sick instead of at Spring Barrel - where I'd much rather be! sadness), so I decided to catch up on my Twitter/Blog feeds this morning (much luv to our local TW community!)...ended up running across this funny from @BlogSunnyside that I couldn't resist sharing:

new favorite: Greg Pattillo's piano & flute beatbox

2010-04-23T23:50:00.001-07:00

congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez!!

2010-04-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shout out to two of my dear friends who tied the wedded knot today:
congratulations on your new lives together, Jay and Erin Sanchez!
You are a sweet pair and I pray for many many blessings in your lives together!

fun w/ friends @ Martini Madness!

2010-04-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

I've been so remiss in keeping up my blog this past month - sorry y'all!! I've promised recipes, posts on life happenings, etc., and it just hasn't happened. No excuses. So I'm just gonna jump back in...

In March I had the opportunity to attend a super "fun-raiser" event with several current (and new!) friends in support of our local Yakima Valley Museum. (Amazing how one can go from strangers to awesome buds after a couple dirty martinis...LOL!) The event, called Martini Madness, was themed all things "Mad Men" and early 60s, from the attire to the hair, to the cigar girls and live music! Being a country gal from a couple decades later, it was a bit of a challenge to figure out what to wear, but half the fun (for me anyway) ended up being the research of the decade in prep for the night...

After I realized the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was from 1961, I latched onto Audrey Hepburn's iconic uptown sophisticate look (it helped that I had a black dress and realized I wouldn't need to go shopping for something to wear just for the night!):

Then I brushed up on my makeup techniques by watching my favorite You Tube artists - Pixiwoo - do their take on Audrey's look:

And I also went through so many You Tube tutorials on Breakfast at Tiffany's hair I can't even begin to tell you which ones! I can say there are enough out there that you can easily get a good sense of how to do the look. Instead of a tiara like many of them show, though, I actually just pinned an old gaudy, bobbly, pearly necklace around the top bun. And for the pearls around my neck? That was my one splurge for the event: a $10 strand from my favorite store for random costume jewelry - The Avenue, of all places!

I must say, for the effort it took to pull myself together, it was worth it - we had such a great night. Ended up at Carmen's Comedy Club in Selah afterwards and laughed so hard the remainder of the evening. So our final look? Here ya go (courtesy of my friend's camera/FB page)! (I'm the gal on the right...)

(Those are peppermint stick "cigarettes" from the cigar girl - hehe!)

Hope to see you at the next local event!

And I promise - more new posts and the recipes I'm experimenting with in the kitchen very soon!

new favorite: I wanna be this couple someday!

2010-03-02T00:14:00.000-08:00

Be sure to watch all three videos of this sweet and talented couple of 63 years: Marlo and Fran Cowan - they are something else!

would you still have a job, if this was you?

2010-02-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Image (c) The Associated Press (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

"House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, far right, speaks while colleagues play solitaire on their computers as the House convenes to vote on a new budget for the fiscal year in the Capitol, in Hartford, Conn."

Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford, and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire. The guy sitting in the row in front of them is on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking baseball scores.

Confirmed true by www.snopes.com, November 2009.

new favorite: RhettandLink do yoga

2010-02-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

this is great...

RhettandLink's Difficult Original Yoga for YouTube Physical Challenge

what is RED all over and $57,362 per house?

2010-02-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

Why, it's Obama's $5 billion for greening-of-America-to-create-jobs stimulus money, of course!

According to this article, the Green Energy program is 98.5% behind on its goal to weatherize 593,000 homes and create 87,000 energy jobs. At it's current pace, the program costs $57,362 and 10 employees PER HOUSE...to re-caulk windows and replace weatherstripping.

(Reminds me of the joke "how many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?"...except, I'm not laughing.)

If I was 98.5% behind at my job, my sorry rear-end would be on the street!

If I wasn't able to make 98.5% of my personal budget projections, anybody reviewing my notes would think I needed a refresher course in remedial math!

If I can't get away with it, what's their excuse?

RED TAPE. Apparently the government is full of it... really?! who knew?! I guess not Pelosi-Reid's budgeting committee, nor the two Nobel Prize winners: head of the country, Obama, and head of Dept of Energy, Steven Chu.

Yeah, right.

And as I lay in my bed sick at home, I think to myself: "and you want to manage our healthcare????"

Quick, help me think about something else - that last thought just made me feel sicker...

cvo

winged hero slays angry apples...

2010-02-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Being sick is the pits.

So while my body tries to get well and turn from its current pale shade of yellow back to its normal rosy glow (come on red blood cells! let's rally!)...I'm trying to make the most of my time cuddled under blankets with Dallas (she hasn't left my side) by tinkering with a free trial version of a program I wish to own and to actually be skilled at someday: Photoshop!

It's been a great distraction between nasal irrigations, gargling salt water, downing fluids and pills, and basically not having much of a life at all this week. ;)

So welcome to my nerdom, where brave, winged rescuers on horseback are always victorious...

(click picture to see enlarged)

...and are always on guard to protect us from the fierce, saber-toothed, angry apples...

(click picture to see enlarged)

Ha-ha! ;)

If you'd like to practice along with me, just download Adobe Photoshop CS4 30-day trial here and check out these tutorials at Tutorial9.net and o0FullAperture0o to create your own epic storybook graphics!

I'd love to see your creations...please include a link to them in your comments below!

Here's to hoping tomorrow's a stronger day...I'm off to see the wizard...

cvo

what chefs do when they're bored...

2010-02-16T20:56:00.001-08:00

My dad forwarded this email to me today - thought you might enjoy it as well. Isn't this amazing food art? Definitely some creative chefs behind these masterpieces...

(and let's try this again...)

pick-me-up lines

2010-02-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

So the latest on me is that I had a fabulous Valentine's weekend, busy with going to an awesome baby shower at our neighbor's and a trip through wine country with my folks (an early birthday present for my dad so I could be their DD on the the Red Wine & Chocolate weekend), but it ended with a crash when I went to bed sick on Sunday night.

I've been home-bound with this horrible, good-for-nothing, cold ever since. :( Blech!!! And I'm about to start some antibiotics...joy.

One of the only reprieves to keep my mind off being sick has been watching some of my favorite YouTubers and their funny videos. Here's another terrific one from EdBassMaster that I've called "pick-me-up lines"...because it's done just that for me to today! Hope his characters put a smile on your face too (and when you get a chance, you should check out some of his other vids on his channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/edbassmaster)...

get your flair on...

2010-02-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

man toes!

2010-02-15T00:46:00.001-08:00

new favorite: hot spot computer art program

2010-02-11T00:28:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:27 PM
Author: Cliff Kuang
Subject: Infographic of the Day: Your Computer Use, Visualized Like a Jackson Pollock

Very cool heat map art of mouse-trails on your desktop after a hard day's work (or play?); tool (toy?) by Anatoly Zenkov and available on a Mac or PC.

Kind of reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, huh? I love it!

View article...

ewwww... Purell, anyone?

2010-02-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

South Australian Department of Health's new advertising campaign urging flu shots.

new favorite: engineer plays/sings the blues

2010-01-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

mmmm...brazilian root beer.... ;)

2010-01-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

2010-01-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

testing out ping.fm - anyone else use this?

modernized retro

2010-01-14T21:31:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Friday, December 11, 2009 7:45 AM
Author: Cliff Kuang
Subject: Friday Fun: It's 1978. Here's Your YouTube User Manual.

A thought experiment in retro aesthetics.

Okay so remember those user manuals that used to come with European electronics in the 1970s? (Stay with me here.) What if those were still around? And what if Web services like YouTube and Facebook all had them? Here's what they'd look like.

Created by Stéphane Massa-Bidal, they're actually available as posters from RetroFuturs.

[Via NowhereElse]

View article...

Enclosures:

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http://www.fastcompany.com/files/imagecache/listing_image/files/4174195658_49742b6147_o.jpg

new meaning to "crayon art"

2010-01-14T21:30:00.001-08:00

Feed: design: The Design Inspiration
Posted on: Monday, January 04, 2010 5:06 AM
Author: The Design Inspiration
Subject: Crayon Sculpture Artist – Herb Williams

Herb Williams was born in Montgomery in 1973, and then received a BFA in sculpture from Birmingham-Southern College. In 1998, he started his unique creation, that is, creating original sculptures out of individual crayons that may require as many as hundreds of thousands. He received The Joan Mitchell Foundation Museum Purchase Grant in 2004 and the Next Star Artist Award in 2008.

Herb Williams is one of the only individuals in the world with an account with Crayola. His works have got highly laudation by numerous news papers and museums, and have reached many countries as America, China, England, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Australia, Croatia, and Japan. Are you curious about how great his works are? Let's have a look at them together.

View article...

the jitters

2010-01-14T21:28:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 5:05 AM
Author: Ben Paynter
Subject: This Caffeine Poster Charts Your Morning Buzz

Ever wonder why the guy who brings in Starbucks each morning seems to be about twice as perky as those schmucks toting plastic tumblers from Dunkin' Donuts or McDonald's? The answer: not all java is brewed equal. According to the chart above, one 16-ounce cup of Starbucks has more than 250 milligrams of caffeine--almost double the amount of its contemporaries.

Though the chart itself has some flaws-- the numbers aren't adjusted to account for equal serving sizes, for instance-- it allows you to make some simple guestimates about the effectiveness of your brand of go-juice. Most importantly, it tells you how many espressos (or Jolts or NOS's if want to be laughed out of the boardroom) it takes to turn counter productive; Jitters occur around 300 mgs. [Those interested in how tea stacks up, click here.]

Just remember that caffeine has about a five-hour half life, so sneaking out for that second coffee break the next time you have a case of the Mondays might actually make you feel more on edge.

[Via CoolInfographics]

View article...

Enclosures:

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ohhh, the data people have on us...

2010-01-14T21:26:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Monday, January 11, 2010 3:14 PM
Author: Cliff Kuang
Subject: Infographic of the Day: Who's Renting What (and Where) on Netflix?

The suburbs love Jim Carrey and couldn't care less about movie critics. The cities love movie critics, Mad Men, and Woody Allen.

Sometimes, infographics and data confound our stereotypes. And other times, they just reinforce them. Case in point: The movies that people rent.

The New York Times has just published an amazingly detailed infographic, showing the most popular Netflix rentals by zipcode.

You can view movies by straight up most popular--and also see exactly where critically lauded/loathed movies are rented most. The overarching lesson: Cities love thinky dramas praised by critics; the suburbs and exurbs like slapstick and Will Smith. For example, let's look at a city such as Atlanta, which has a fairly precise city/suburb division. Here's the popularity of Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona:

And here's the popularity of Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey:

That same trend bears itself out in other cities. Dallas, for example. Here's Bedtime Stories, starring Adam Sandler:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona:

And the Seth Rogan stoner comedy Pineapple Express:

Now, there's probably a few things going on here--for one, you've got the pretensions/tastes of cityslicker versus suburban audiences. And that might be the biggest factor. What you see, time and time again, is that the audience for small, independent movies is most intense in the cities; the only critical successes that hit everybody are blockbusters such as Dark Knight. Meanwhile, the audience for low-budget groaners is overwhelmingly suburban. Both snobs and Rush Limbaugh fans can make of that what they will.

But it's worth bearing in mind an underlying factor in all this: Who's got the kids. City folk have less of them, and they also rent more challenging fare. Suburbanites have more of them, and the kids really do seem to love Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey.

Which might mean: You really better think twice before having kids (or double your Netflix subscription and number of TVs and bedrooms and income...).

For more another infographics take on the strange tastes of cities, click here.

For more Infographics of the Day, click here.

View article...

Enclosures:

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http://www.fastcompany.com/files/imagecache/listing_image/files/JimCarreyJPEG.jpg

new favorite: copy cat, I mean bird...

2010-01-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

cameras, car alarms, chainsaws = a romantic prelude?? only in the wild, those crazy animals!!!

FW: Your Personality, Summarized in a Typeface

2010-01-07T22:33:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Thursday, January 07, 2010 9:41 AM
Author: Cliff Kuang
Subject: Your Personality, Summarized in a Typeface

Design firm Pentagram provides a quick, fun bit of psychoanalysis for type geeks.

If you've ever sat down with a type designer, what you quickly realize is that they rarely talk about fonts in purely aesthetic or even functional terms: They talk about assertiveness or calm or friendliness. In short, they talk about personality traits. It makes sense, then, that your personality could be translated into a typeface. And Pentragram has done just that, in this lovely microsite, What Type are You? (Password: Character)

It takes you through four simple personality questions, guided by a faceless psychoanalyst. (The analyst's 1920s Bauhaus office setting is a witty touch.) After answering the questions, the analyst spits out one of 16 typefaces, and an explanation about the design and how it exemplifies the characteristics you laid out. There's even a bit of history about each, and a list you can see of who else had the same results. (For example, "Virginia Heffernan," which just might be The New York Times's TV critic, is Bifur.)

On a vaguely related note, since we're Lady GaGa obsessed:

View article...

Fwd: America Hungry, Need Data

2010-01-07T22:13:00.001-08:00

Feed: marketing: Fast Company
Posted on: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 5:43 PM
Author: Maccabee Montandon
Subject: America Hungry, Need Data

One upside to the downturn is that the average American has a smaller food budget these days, so perhaps we can finally get our arms around the enormous domestic weight problem. Even our Super Models are getting skinnier! But while our hunger for hamburgers may be facing a forced downsizing, our insatiable appetite for information continues to balloon. Just how big is this lust for bytes? According to a new study by the University of California, San Diego, from 1980 through 2008 the total number of bytes bitten by Americans has upped by 6% per year and now stands at an incredibly huge sounding 3.6 zettabytes. (Or one billion trillion bytes, if that's easier to imagine.) The Upswing is, of course, interested in unlikely economic indicators of good news and this is surely one. How lean, after all, can the times be when we continue to gorge on data? And someone has to produce all this content, which means the future of electronic innovation appears to be rather secure. Here we break down what 3.6 zettabytes--or 34 gigabytes a day--means in terms of daily consumption.

[Data via Bits]Infographic: Rob Vargas

View article...

Enclosures:

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say what?!: "I'll have a double benzodiazepine, on the rocks please..."

2010-01-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Article location:http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/synthetic-alcohol-sans-consequences-could-eliminate-those-regret-

January 4, 2010

Tags: Innovation, Technology, Ethonomics, alcohol

Synthetic Alcohol Could Eliminate Regret-Filled Nights

By Ariel Schwartz

What if you could drink endlessly and stay buzzed but never get sloppy? And what if you could then pop a pill to let you drive home sober? It sounds fantastical, but scientists are actually working on a synthetic alcohol substitute that brings all the happy feelings of being drunk without all the nasty mood swings, headaches, and addiction issues.

The alcohol substitute, which is being researched by a team at Imperial College London, will be made from Valium-like benzodiazepines. While benzos furnishes drinkers with a feeling of wellbeing, they don't affect parts of the brain that control addiction and mood swings, and they're easy to flush out of the body (no more nasty hangover cures!). Perhaps most intriguingly, the chemicals can be "switched off" with an antidote. Eventually, researchers involved in the project envision a world where alcohol content in beer and wine is replaced with their synthetic substance.

Of course, it will take more than a research experiment to persuade people to give up traditional alcohol. And who's to say that synthetic alcohol will have exactly the same positive effects as a bottle of Jack Daniels? If it doesn't, it will be a hard sell. Thus far, drink companies haven't shown interest in the product--a bad sign for synthetic alcohol's prospects. Still, we're in support of anything that could cut down on the number of drunk drivers and alcohol-related accidents that happen every day.

[Via Popular Science [1]]

Links:
[1] http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/synthetic-alcohol-gives-drinkers-pleasant-buzz-without-hangover-addiction

Ellensburg, on the way back from Suncadia

2010-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

new favorite: glowing walls

2010-01-02T10:33:00.001-08:00

FOXNews.com - Will Glowing Walls Kill off the Light Bulb?

Updated December 30, 2009

Will Glowing Walls Kill off the Light Bulb?

London Times

Light-emitting wallpaper may begin to replace light bulbs from 2012, according to a government body that supports low-carbon technology.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/r00s/1438557021/

Light-emitting wallpaper may begin to replace light bulbs from 2012, according to a government body that supports low-carbon technology.

A chemical coating on the walls will illuminate all parts of the room with an even glow, which mimics sunlight and avoids the shadows and glare of conventional bulbs.

Although an electrical current will be used to stimulate the chemicals to produce light, the voltage will be very low and the walls will be safe to touch. Dimmer switches will control brightness, as with traditional lighting.

The Carbon Trust (a British group tasked with accelerating the switch to lower-carbon technologies) has awarded a $720,000 grant to Lomox, a Welsh company that is developing the organic light-emitting diode technology. The trust said it would be two and a half times more efficient than energy saving bulbs and could make a big contribution to meeting Britain's target of cutting carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. Indoor lighting accounts for a sixth of total electricity use.

The chemical coating, which can be applied in the form of specially treated wallpaper or simply painted straight on to walls, can also be used for flat-screen televisions, computers and mobile phone displays.

As the system uses only between three and five volts, it can be powered by solar panels or batteries. Lomox, which will use the grant to prove the durability of the technology, believes it could be used in the first instance to illuminate road signs or barriers where there is no mains electricity.

For more information, read the full story at The London Times.

happy new year! (and a late merry christmas!)

2010-01-01T01:08:00.000-08:00

(mom caught bear peeking at my christmas present - hehe) :)

new favorite: ridiculously awesome biking

2009-12-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

youtube's 2009 most memorable #23

new favorite: surprised kitty

2009-12-23T01:29:00.000-08:00

youtube's 2009 most memorable #20

new favorite: mysteryguitarman

2009-12-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

voted YouTube's 2009 most memorable vid

(I can name a few reasons why... hehe ;))

Office Christmas Party

2009-12-14T00:48:00.000-08:00

Just returned from our Office Christmas Party up in Suncadia. It was a terrific time! I'll post more on it soon...

post-thanksgiving smokey stew

2009-11-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

We made this up with some homemade cornbread & honey butter tonight for Ryan and his friend...turned out to be a success so I thought I would share it!

post-thanksgiving smokey stew

4 chicken breasts, cubed
4 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots sticks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pearl barley
6 cups water
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 T liquid hickory smoke
3 bouillon cubes, chicken
1 bouillon cube, beef
2 tsp sage
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp bay leaves
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp celery seed
1 tsp pepper

1. In a large soup pot, sauté onion, carrots, celery, garlic in 1 T vegetable oil until onion starts to get some color starts to get transparent.

2. In a skillet, brown chicken cubes in 1 T vegetable oil until golden. Pepper just a little.

3. To pot: add water, soups, barley, hickory smoke, bouillon, herbs & spices. Add browned chicken when ready.

4. Cook on low for 30 min. to let flavours merge & chicken to cook through. Check taste & adjust as necessary.

Serves 6-8.

Customize it...!!

- Turkey, quail, or pheasant instead of chicken.
- Rice instead of barley.
- Shallots instead of garlic & onion.
- Cream of Whatever (Mushroom, Celery, etc.) soup instead of Cream of Chicken - or no soup at all!
- For a TexMex twist: add 1 tsp (or more!) of smokey chipotle seasoning or 2 tsp canned smoked chipotle peppers for some heat; 3/4 cup tomato paste; 2 tsp oregano; maybe even some chopped up green & red peppers and/or some corn.

sleek graphite: giveaways!

2009-11-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Wish I could tell y'alls that I have my hands on the beautiful UK sleek graphite palette for my own giveaway, but nooooo...apparently they can't even keep it on the shelves over there! That said, a simple ebay search shows I could win a bid on it for about $40 (ha!! I don't think so). So instead I've found a couple folks out in the blogosphere who are giving it away as part of a promo for their site. Take Princess Livia and Cosmetic Candy for example...

Send me pics of your lovely looks if you win it, you lucky dog you!!

new favorites: youtube - makeup trends, tutorials, & reviews

2009-11-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know WHY it took me so long to stumble upon YouTube for its vast wealth of homemade how-tos, but now that I've experienced it, I'm hooked. LOL :)

It started with my October search for the perfect 1940's look for a themed Gala I attended for our local Pacific Northwest University...(some of my favorite inspirations included Old Hollywood hair by Ford Model's Johnny Lavoy and this retro-style make up tutorial).

In my search for this look, though, I came across many, many, MANY, great make up artists (MUA's) with some fantastic tutorials and product review on their channels and vlogs. It's fair to say I'm now hooked on YouTube makeup. :)

Here are some of my new favorite YouTubers:

- pixiwoo

http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo

(aka: http://www.fashionfacetv.com / http://pixiwoo.blogspot.com/)

These two, AMAZINGLY, talented (and gorgeous!) sisters - Sam & Nicola - consistently put out beautiful, artistic, make up tutorials, chock full of knowledge, British wit, and helpful product reviews! I only wish I had a smidge of their artistic talents! They have opened my eyes to the world of timeless & trendy make up beauty, as well as to fantastic products (top of the line and drugstore variety - and some only available in the UK: such as Illamasqua's Liquid Metal or Sleek Makeup's I-Divine palette in Graphite...

...which btw, if I happen to find either of these from you as a birthday present, I will love you forever and ever and ever [and may even kiss you!!] - I've been hot on the hunt for it ever since pixiwoo's Greyscale review!). I highly recommend starting here if you are interested in being inspired by the latest runway looks, creative design, or maybe just to listen to their awesome British accents. :)

- makeupbytiffanyd

http://www.youtube.com/user/MakeupByTiffanyD

(http://makeupbytiffanyd.blogspot.com/)

I find that Tiffany also provides consistently beautiful how-tos and products reviews. She has a great sense of humour, the longest eyelashes to envy, and very wearable looks (I just wish she'd do more dark lip colours for us brunettes!). Check out her "Basics" playlist - I learned a TON from those! I also credit her for introducing me to the NYX brand of cosmetics (which apparently is a step above the common drugstore lines, but yet has super reasonable prices). I have a yet to try any, but the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk is one that Tiffany often uses as a base for her eyeshadows (gives 'em something to stick to on the lid), and is definitely on my "list" to try - looks like it retails for about $3.50. Not bad, eh?

- enkoremakeup

http://www.youtube.com/user/EnKoreMakeup

(http://enkoremakeuponline.com/Beauty/Home.html)

Koren (and sometimes his alter ego Korinne!) provide THE GO-TO channel for any product review, demo, and DIY info on make up that you could possibly need. I have learned so much from his brush reviews, how to depot your eyeshadows, brand comparisons, etc. He is a wealth of knowledge and talent! (And I envy his make up collection!!) If ever I'm not sure about something (shading, contouring, even colour 101), he's my first stop on the internet for getting up to speed. Thanks to Koren's review of artist brush dups of MAC models, for example, I was able to hit up Michael's for their Loew Cornell Maxine Mop brushes to fill a void in my eye makeup collection...at 40% off, they were about $3 a pop. Pretty nice vs. $30 a pop! :)

- emilynoel83

http://www.youtube.com/user/emilynoel83

(http://beautybroadcast.blogspot.com/)

By morning Emily is a news show anchor for her local network, but during the rest of her day she (and occasionally her husband Tyler, who makes guest appearances!) runs her Beauty Channel on YouTube. She was the one who first introduced me to the ever-popular Coastal Scents line of cosmetics, most specifically the 88-palettes, which many YouTubers claims is quite comparable to MAC. (I've yet to try it myself, but the warm/neutral 88-palette is definitely on my list of makeup I'd like to try someday! The same palettes are also available here: BHCosmetics.)

Her vlogs focus on reviewing affordable makeup (often drugstore brands) that deliver high reward for the price. For instance, before spending a small fortune on primers, be sure to take a look at her massive eye shadow primer review! So I like to watch her and then read the Sunday papers for the next buy one get one sales at Walgreens. :)

So as you can probably guess, you will probably be seeing a bit of a theme from me in my upcoming posts: fashion & beauty! I plan to do at least a nail polish and a lipstick post, as soon as I find my camera that is.

I'm curious for your guys' feedback! Have you discovered a website or YouTube channel that inspires your fashion and beauty?? Comment about it! I'd love to hear from you. :)

new favorites: yet to come...!

2009-11-15T10:12:00.001-08:00

So I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been on a girlie-kick lately. It's still true. :) Check back soon; I will have some more posts to come!

new favorite: kappa danielson (youtube artist)

2009-11-15T10:11:00.001-08:00

alright ladies...

2009-11-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

...time to get your fashion bug on!

I just discovered a website (yeah, yeah...you've probably been playing with it for ages...I'm slow to catch on, I know) that allows you to shop the web all in one place and put together your own virtual dressing room.

(this would have been fun with my rocker chic eyes from last night! and can you believe the 80s are coming back, anyway??)

check it out here: http://www.polyvore.com/ it allows you to search by color, designer website, price range, etc. pretty fun time waster, or perfect for your next "I need a new outfit, let's go shopping!" moment...!

and I probably should take this moment to apologize to my male readers in advance: I'm on a bit of a girlie-kick at the moment - consider yourself warned. ;)

happy halloween!

2009-10-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

my best attempt at a costume was as a "rocker chic": black, blue, & silver eyeshadow and teased out hair. my big outing for the night was to Target for candy for all the trick-or-treaters we DIDN'T have this evening. haha :) oh well - at least it was fun to play with my makeup a little. stay safe all you party animals.

on the corner of 8th street... (j/k)

2009-10-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

so here's what I came up with! I was going for vintage 40s Hollywood glam vixen starlet pin-up girl: wavy hair ala Veronica Lake (which promptly collapsed about an hour into my five hour event, thank you rain), bright red lips (thank you Connie for making sure I didn't get it all over my teeth!), the back in vogue moon manicure (and here2), as well as sparkly jewels & pearls. Tried to win a gorgeous fur caplet off ebay, but failed miserably (the bidding soared way out of my price range). No worries though; I at least had a luxe velvet stole, which actually worked out just fine.

Big thanks to our local fashionista, Mrs. Gay Dorsey, for forcing me out from behind the camera man for a brief kodak moment myself, and for considering me worthy of her fashion blog! (I stole her picture of me for the bottom left of the above collage.) I wish she would have taken a picture of herself: she looked absolutely perfectly 40s herself. (If you are curious to see more photos from the night, be sure to check out her blog - she has a ton of great ones on there!) And thanks to Dad, as well, for again suggesting I should at least smile one last time for his camera before collapsing into my sweats, t-shirt, and bare feet. LOL

It was all terrific fun!

having a ball...

2009-10-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a black tie, 40s-inspired Gala in support of our newest local school: the Pacific Northwest University. It was actually a really fun work assignment (the company I work for was the Tribute Sponsor for the night), so my role was as the photographer's assistant for the night. Chad (Portraits For A Lifetime) would take pictures of the guests and I made sure we had their addresses to send their complimentary photo to them. This is the second event I've attended for work where I've assisted Chad and it's a really fun time.

(Ok, I just have to put a plug in for Chad, just 'cuz - he's truly a terrific photographer, great to work with, and his work is gorgeous - call him if you need a photographer. You won't be disappointed. And I don't get anything for saying that either.)

Back to the event: it was pretty neat to see everyone's take on the 1940s! I sure didn't know what the heck I was doing being a child from the 80s, but I grabbed some Veronica Lake and Dita Von Teese photos and did my best to channel the decade.

I hope to be able to post more pictures of my whole look and the event soon. Check back within the week!

"sorry, due to site maintenance your account is unavailable at this time"

2009-10-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

withdrawals...... ok, so not really, but I haven't been able to access my facebook account for over a week now! and if you try to find me on there it will probably look like my account has been deleted (which I didn't!)

fb is being pretty cryptic about what the issue is...and what's taking so long to fix it:

I guess it's a small percentage of the fb population that's been affected, but yet enough to create a stir out on cnet, yahoo, and elsewhere. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10372417-36.html)

kinda frustrating, but what can I truly expect from a free service anyway? oh well.

sooooooo...just know that I'm still around (even if I haven't posted on fb or here for eons and a day)... :) I'll try to do better about at least some part of that!

nothin'.... (thank goodness??)

2009-10-11T04:42:00.001-07:00

rain choir

2009-08-03T22:47:00.001-07:00

yearbook time travel

2009-08-02T02:21:00.000-07:00

what a fun wedding idea...

2009-07-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0&feature=player_profilepage

What's his story?

2009-07-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last week on my way to work I was behind this guy ... and couldn't figure out for the life of me what he was doing.

It's an old dude wearing what looks like his war vet helmet while riding in a bucket seat in the back of a beater pickup. He had his mouth hanging open and was just staring blankly at the world going by.

Is he a war survivor, who never took off his helmet?

I think he needs a story.

Post your best storyline as a comment!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

creative website

2009-07-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a cute email I recently received:

Subject: HEMA

HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores in the Netherlands .

Take a look at HEMA's product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens.

Don't click on any of the items in the picture, just wait and see what happens.

This company has a sense of humor and a great computer programmer, ya?

http://producten.hema.nl/

new favorite: Barbara Padilla

2009-07-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

America's Got Talent: Barbara Padilla's Performance

"bear: where's goofy??"

2009-07-04T00:17:00.000-07:00

Bear LOVES his little Goofy pal. He carts it all over the house and often wants to play fetch with it. I find it hidden in the strangest places, though (slid under the doorway to the storage room under the stairs, etc.). If we ask Bear, "where's goofy??", he'll start meandering around, looking under chairs and into crevices, like he's trying to find it. Pretty cute. :)

The latest place brought a huge smile to my face, though: face up, in his food bowl. LOL :) Not sure what Bear was thinking when he put little Goofy here...

He's had more fun with this "free" Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal box plush toy than he's ever gotten out of the pet store toys I've purchased for him. (I should have invested in more Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereals for the "free" Disney mini-pals!! Surely would have had some cost benefit sense there!!)

my little girlie

2009-06-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

Dallas loves to be carried around, draped over my shoulder. Shortly after this picture was taken she conked out, totally asleep, just hanging there. She feels like a warm, soft, limp ragdoll. LOL :)

home, again

2009-06-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

(click to make bigger)

ahhh, home...

2009-06-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

new favorite: Kings

2009-06-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone else into this new show, too?? With the House season over, I really wasn't finding anything else to watch on hulu...until I stumbled onto this series. The first couple episodes the acting was tough to get through (not to mention the loosely written story-line in terms of the corresponding Biblical story), but six shows in now, I'm hooked. (I think I'm a sucker for the romance & political wars!!)

US to Trade Gold Reserves for Cash through Cash4Gold.com

2009-06-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

US To Trade Gold Reserves For Cash Through Cash4Gold.com

Obama to Hold Job Performance Review with Every American Worker

2009-06-26T18:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_to_hold_job_performance?utm_source=a-section
Obama To Hold Job Performance Review With Every American Worker

laugh

2009-06-21T16:28:00.001-07:00

woohoo for country music in Yakima!!

2009-05-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

Just checked the fall-time fair concert schedule and we have two - count 'em: TWO! - great country artists, actually coming to Yakima!! Phil Vassar & Billy Ray Cyrus! Sure beats out the last time I went to the Central WA State Fair and heard John Michael Montgomery slur through his songs and forget words to music he's been singing for years...and "sip" from his water bottle on stage rather than "drink" from it. Great. Can't get much worse than that, right??

Oh yeah, and Boyz II Men are coming as well - only about 18 years too late (they were "the" boy band of, let's see...my 4th grade year....). hahahahaha. geeez....

Mark me down for Vassar!

clever

2009-05-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

sun & guns: fire arm clinic day at a high-country desert orchard

2009-05-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

This weekend has been gorgeous; we've finally had some nice warm weather after an extraordinarly long winter and slow spring. I got out on my bike twice, felt good (minus my psoas cramping both times - I'm working on it at least). Pruned on some yard plants. BBQ'd tonight. Putzed around the house with the kitties. AND, made it out to a fire arms clinic at an orchard way out in the Naches/Wenas area...

Sure was a fun event! Got to see several guns I'd never seen before (including some muzzle-loaders), as well as test out some various pistols first-hand. I decided I have a new favorite: the .500 Smith & Weston revolver. Oh that baby is powerful and has sweet aim - and it is HUGE! Apparently it's the most powerful production revolver out there. I guess you can even hunt game with it at over 200 yards!! The kick felt (to me) like I was firing a low-power rifle. Very fun! I was pretty proud of myself too...the instructor and his hunting buddies played with it before I got off my test shot. They were trying to hit a hunter-orange "bomb" about 200 yds out on the ground that they had made with some explosive powder (I was told it's all legal - LOL) and were all off by a ways from it. The instructor then handed the gun to me and told me it was my turn to show them all up. I hit the dirt just 8 inches or so to the left of the target; very close, compared to all them. He looked quite impressed and said had I aimed the gun just a hair to the right I would have hit it. Woohoo!! ;)

Just to give you an idea of how hurking big the 500 is, here are some pictures of the gun and ammo. (I have no idea who the people in the pictures are - just pulled them off a google search.)

(that's pretty much what I looked like - LOL)

(yes, it's about as long as my forearm too)

(the thing takes HUGE bullets)

So all very fun. Keeps me dreaming/drooling about that over/under shotgun I hope to buy this year!! S.M.M.: you are definitely going to be there when I buy it, too, k?? I'm gonna need your help!!

"where'd I put my phone this time??"

2009-05-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was pretty sure I'd finally lost my mind. For almost the whole past week I've had the worst time finding where I've left my phone! And of course I'd leave it on vibrate-mode, so that didn't help any. And when I would finally find it, I couldn't figure out what I'd been thinking (or not thinking) when I left it in the places I'd find it!

Until today. It all became clear...

I was eating dinner in the kitchen with mom when I heard "clink, knock...clink clink, knock...clink" coming from the stairs. I got up to see what the kitties had found to play with this time, and to my surprise, Dallas had my BlackBerry in her TEETH and was dragging it up the stairs, dropping it, picking it back up, and dragging it again!!! She was brining it up two flights of stairs, all the way from my headboard in my room across the basement!! Crazy girl.

I quickly took it from her, and she protested by squeaking at me.

So mystery solved. I'm not loosing my mind (as badly) as I thought I was. One of my kitties just has a thing for my phone...

"thumpa...thumpa...thumpa..."

2009-05-12T19:52:00.001-07:00

...that was my email code to Dad back in college, when I'd get too busy to write much, to at least let him know that my heart was still beating and I wasn't slumped over my books in some remote corner of the library where nobody had missed me enough to come looking yet...

So thump, thump - I'm still here and not laying prone somewhere past East 'G' Street on North Naches Ave (thank goodness).

I've been busy lately, but honestly, not sure it will sound like much once it hits the keyboard here...

- work

- back dr. appts. 3x/wk

- stretching

- making dinner for the fam

Yeah, that's been about it.

The exciting news is that my back finally started to turn a corner about Wednesday of last week - after over a YEAR of constant pain and ever-decreasing mobility and range of motion. My 'therapy' has been kicking up a lot of toxins as my muscles finally relax and stretch out and my body starts moving like it should again. It took a good 2-3/wks of therapy where I felt horribly miserably achey all over, dizzy as my body re-balanced to the appropriate height on the right side with my heel lift, and thinking through a dense fog of toxin-release before it seemed like the sun started shining again. The best part: I felt up to riding my bike this weekend - TWICE!...and my muscles didn't scream at me afterwards! Granted it was only 15 minutes (about 3 miles) each time, but that is a HUGE accomplishment for me to do without experiencing any adverse pain!!

I still have a long ways to go and it takes about 1-2 hours out of each day by the time I'm done with appointments, stretching, exercising, and stretching again...but it's so nice to finally feel like I'm making progress. Finally.

My best friends in this process: a roller massage table at my back dr's office and a foursquare-like rubber therapy ball that I roll around on at home. Oh, and my dr is a good guy too. :) And then there's also calcium, magnesium, potassium, vit D, grape seed extract, fiber and water, which have all been fantastic as well. And my job. Thank you Jesus for a paycheck again to support the process.

Speaking of my job: it's been a very very mellow one - so much so that when I get home, I don't even think about it any more (I can't remember the last time I haven't taken the day home with me). It's left me open to doing a lot of daydreaming/scheming during my night-time hours. The latest on that to come in another post, another time...

scoliosis

2009-04-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, the new word on what's wrong with my back is.... scoliosis.

Not sure if it's congenital or functional (muscular) or what, but found out I definitely have a short right leg that's causing about a 3/4 inch drop in height on my right compared to my left leg, which is causing my low back (lumbar) to sway to the right and throw off my mid-/upper-/neck regions.

I'm on my fourth back doctor...and finally the first thing he did was take x-rays. These aren't mine, but mine looked pretty darn similar:

The good news is all my discs look pretty healthy (with the exception of the one being pinched in my iliosacral joint, between my S1 & L5).

Apparently this is what is happening, biomechanically:

My new doctor gave me a heel lift to wear under my right foot (instead of the heel lift my last doctor gave me to wear under my left foot - what a mess). And he said that surgery is far from even necessary for me at this point, so at least that's good news.

I'm hoping that over a year of chronic pain, lop-sided clumsiness, and downing ibuprofen like candy that THIS doctor will finally get to the bottom of what's wrong with me. He says he can. (And if he can't I want a referral to an awesome specialist - this is getting ridiculous & expensive!)

I'll keep you posted.

under the stars: "oh, my aching back!": an update

rickity old ladder

2009-04-19T02:07:00.000-07:00

I'm home alone, watching a really scary movie, at 2:00 am (never sleeping now). Decided during the commercial break I should get some bread for tomorrow out of the freezer in the garage, shutting the door behind me so my kitties wouldn't follow me.

At this point I realized the handle didn't feel right. I tried it again...yep, it's locked.

!@#$.

The folks aren't due back until late Sunday night; all my neighbors are asleep; I'm barefoot & coatless in my pjs; I don't have a key to the house or to my car; and I don't even have my cell phone with me. And all I hear is the super creepy music from the scary movie and the screams of people being attacked by zombies.

I figure I have three options:

(1) wake the neighbors (and then what??),

(2) crawl into mom's car and try to get comfortable in the backseat until morning (like I could sleep in there, esp. with all the scary background noise), or

(3) try to get through the only unlocked window in the house...the open kitchen window, two stories up.

I decided to try option 3, figuring it would either lead to option 1 or would have to try option 2 if I failed.

I paused as I looked at the rickity old wood ladder in the garage: it's been around longer than the house - would it hold me? I prayed the adventure wouldn't result in an option 4: a night in the ER.

I started around the house to check out the window...and realized the night was pitch black and I had turned off all the house lights. I couldn't see a thing. But I could hear gun fire blasting from the living room.

Totally creeped out I hurried back to the garage to look for a flashlight. Nothing. How could we not have a flashlight in the garage?? Probably the same reason we don't have a spare key hidden outside the house.

So I found a portable construction light...but it would need to be plugged in to work. Which means I would still need to walk around to the back of the house in complete darkness and fumble for the plug-in on the back deck. Which I did - praying for protection from whatever the whole time.

Ahhh, light. So much better.

Back to the garage for the ladder...to find it blocked in by snow tires.

!@#$.

The back seat was seeming more and more like the option I was going to have to pick.

Eventually wiggled the thing out of it's location (probably hadn't been moved for years) and hauled it off in the near-darkness to the side of the house. I started having flash-backs to the night I helped my Irvine roommate crawl through her kitchen window to unlock her place. ha!

Managed to get it set in place, now praying the whole time that it wouldn't slip and I wouldn't fall...and crawled through the window onto the sink counter...while Bear stared at me wide-eyed from the kitchen floor. LOL

I made it! Whew.

Back to the garage to close things up, I opened the freezer to get my bread...

Turns out we're all out.

Damn it. Go figure. Such is my life...

beautiful

2009-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

dance today

2009-04-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

i-wannabe-irish beef stew

2009-04-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Alright guys...y'all left me in a lurch on what to do with my huge side of beef and multiple bottles of Guinness (the latter not being so much of the issue - hehe). NO ideas AT ALL?? I'm very disappointed.

You left me no choice but to wing it on another recipe...

I-Wannabe-Irish Beef Stew

by: yours truly, cvo

huge chunk of stew beef, browned

cubed up fresh veggies:

- 5-6 cloves garlic

- 1 lg onion

- 3 potatos

- 3 rutabaga

- several celery stalks

- dump in some baby carrots

2 C beef stock

good-sized handful of various herbs & seasonings

and...

3 bottles of GUINNESS! --> two for the recipe, one for me... ;)

It's cooking in the oven at 350F right now and will continue to do so for probably a total of 2-3 hours I'm guessing. Already an hour into it though and it's smelling the house up something fierce....yummmmmmm....can hardly wait!

What's up with this serious lack of comments, though? Don't think for a minute I don't see you parading by on my Feedjit widget...come on now... ;)

need...coffee...now...

2009-04-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

The night before my first day of work, I was way too excited about the idea of finally starting up my job (after nearly a half year [if you can believe it - time has flown] of not working...!!!!!! talk about penny-pinching and getting sick of job hunting)...so excited, in fact, that I couldn't sleep................................at all...

I had to double my daily dose of B-vitamins...and reach for coffee (LOTS of coffee). haha ;)

Sadly, by the time 5 o'clock rolled around, I was certain I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open long enough to sit through a professional networking lecture series on Music in the Valley at the local New Leaders meeting at the Seasons Performance Hall (which I was very bummed about - I had been looking forward to that for a month!!). Bummer. Rather than nodding off in front of my local peers, I went home, fixed dinner, and crashed at 7pm instead. ;(

I feel so much better today.

Work is going well so far! Second day under my belt. Right now they are training me on their software systems and data management protocols (yawn). The technology itself seems pretty intuitive for the most part - it's getting used to the new lingo that's been the biggest challenge yet (...picture filling out an application form you've never seen before, one that you have a basic idea of how it should flow - but about half the language on the page looks foreign to you, as though it's written in some latin or germanic-based words that you kinda get the jist of and/or has a bunch of "abbrv txt spk 4 P/C MODs, liab ins, pip, & other ins sys" that you have to guess what it stands for based on its relationship to the rest of the page, but some context is missing & recorded demo training voice guy has some weird accent that distracts you from the program every time he explains the "dee-fot" [default] buttons and "dec" page [all I can think of when I hear him say that is the liam show!...sad!! focus, focus.....]................huh?!....that's about how it feels).

Apparently this "training" period takes about 6 months before I start to feel up-to-snuff on how things run. (I told mom I already feel my competitive edge kicking in: "well if it takes 6 months, I'm going to show them - I'll have it down pat in 2-3!! I'll be their fastest learner yet! Promotion here I come!!") ha! right.

How did I get this way??

Anyway, the company is built to function entirely internet-based & completely paperless, which is very cool. In fact, they have it so streamlined that I rarely need to move away from my desk to do anything (except reach for more coffee of course). Faxing? Receiving scans? Sending insurance docs? Email. Email. Internet. All at my computer. I'm excited about how progressive they are. Everyone has three monitors on their desk as well! Which does beg the question: why would anyone REALLY need to be IN the office, so long as they have a good computer and a fast cable connection? The work can be done VIRTUALLY anywhere.

(sample picture - not my real desk)

In case you are curious, my actual job - or hired position at least - these days is as a Commerical Lines Assistant for a local insurance company that handles some large-size regional clients (hospitals, farms, etc.). I'm not totally sure what that means yet, but I'm getting the sense that it involves mostly data management and some project management as support to a small division in charge of Commercial Property insurance: some folks in the division handle sales (or as they call it, "production" - why not just call them sales people? I don't get it), some are client relationship managers (portfolio mgrs), some are team managers (supervisors), and others - like me - process the data as support staff (administrative support assistants). The position I interviewed for was a portfolio manager position...but obviously I have to walk before I can run in this new industry, since I don't have direct insurance background. So, they are showing me the ropes to see how high/fast I can climb before assigning me to management (if I get there). Which makes sense. There's a lot for me to learn. It's exciting to be flexing my brain again (but I have to admit - I am still pining to be crunching market population statistics instead, analyzing financial data trends, and driving around a new cities scouting out, assessing, and cataloging old-peoples' homes....I'm just telling myself that this background in Commercial Insurance will only better my understanding of property management, should I go back to the Senior Housing industry in the future someday).

God's got it in His hands.

Little blessings, so far, that I'm happy about (far over and above my last job) - all things said: awesome, fast, up-to-date, company-provided technology (with NO expectation that I am to personally fund and/or maintain my own technology for company-use). A window in my cubicle...it lets in lots of natural light (even if the view is of a brick wall...oh well). My desk faces windows on the opposite wall that let in more natural light and I can see some greenery (even though it's mostly a view of the parking lot and the ghetto-ville neighborhood that our building is located in...at least I can keep an eye on my car). Friday we can wear jeans if we want to...and everyone actually does (versus my last job where we could wear jeans but everyone was competing so fiercly we all still wore our suit get-ups, and maybe just ditched the jackets for the day). I'm expected to be there at 8:30am, to clock my two 15 minute paid breaks, to take my full hour lunch, and to leave no later than 5:00 sharp (lest I be the one to lock the door & turn the lights out at 5:10!! - which you should be very happy about, SMM - it means I have no excuses and may actually be saving YOU a chair at Bob's one of these days now, instead!). The people seem way nicer to work with than in California, easily by 10 fold if not more.

I should probably get going. I have a lunch to make and shirt & slacks to press for tomorrow!

Hope you have a great Friday.

cvo

job

2009-04-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

The rumors are true (despite this being April Fools) - it's official: I am finally employed!

Today is my first day back in the world of cubes.

Yes, cubes.

Sadly my new job isn't my "dream job" in the sense of it being another step on my Senior Housing management career path. Or is it? Maybe it's just a side step, and I just don't know it yet. Either way, I still feel like I'm making some personal sacrifices and taking some professional steps backwards just to HAVE job in this current economy... my accustomed income level, an office with a door, a position with the word 'manager' in it, business travel points and key chains from states I haven't visited yet, etc. You know, that material ego-stroke stuff that somehow, some sneaky way, becomes important in a professional life.

...(sigh)...

What I am GAINING from this job, though, is priceless to me right now: a steady paycheck, great hours (8:30-5, with no frowns or strange looks if I'm not in the door before 8am and leave before 6:30pm), in a city I want to live, near family & friends & 5 minutes from Bob's (crucial - ha!), a chance to start in a new industry broadening my resume (yeah, yeah), working for people from a culture that is people-focused & friendly, time for exercise & fun stuff after work, short commute, low-stress job, ...basically, a better, healthier, more fun lifestyle than the one I had in OC.

So, I guess 'so what' if I'm back down at the bottom of another ladder. At least I already know how to climb...and have been given a new ladder!

calling all guinness fans...

2009-03-31T02:11:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for a new favorite slow cooker recipe involving Guinness...any suggestions? Leave a comment! I would love to hear from you!

fatal attraction

2009-03-30T00:11:00.000-07:00

Alex Forrest: [to Dan] This is not gonna stop. It keeps going on and on.

Oh man...watched Fatal Attraction for the first time ever the other night. Could barely get to sleep afterwards. What a creepy movie!!!

In order to not get completely weirded out, I paused for a good laugh at the 80s-ness of it all. Take, for instance, the standard-issue fried out perm and shoulder pads larger than a linemans' uniform...

Glen Close as Alex Forrest - Fatal Attraction, 1987

Can you believe that was even SOLD in stores??? Thank goodness we're past that...right????

ahhh, springtime at home

2009-03-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

The grass is finally starting to green after what felt like a really long, cold winter. And just the other day I saw the hyacinth trying to come up! Yea for spring!! I'm hoping things will continue to warm enough for bike rides to become comfortable. I desperately want 2009 to be the year I get my old figure back (or somewhere closer to it at least). The past three years of incredibly stressful & busy work, combined with much enjoyment of local culinary delights & becoming an oenophile-wannabe, have definitely taken their tolls. Time to get serious. :)

from the kitchen

2009-03-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

I've adored the time I've had to spend in the kitchen over the past several months. Plus, having my folks' totally new kitchen to work out of hasn't been all that shabby either!

I'm trying to brush up on my baking skills (which are quite rusty). Unlike cooking (which I find is easier to 'shoot from the hip' with), baking involves much more chemistry and exactness. Beat something too long, get the flour off by just a touch, open the oven door too soon...and poof...a masterpiece is tainted. There have been a number of near disasters, but I guess that's part of the fun of it all. My favorites have definitely been anything sweet. ;)

I can't wait for summer to bring more local fruits for pies! Especially huckleberries...mmmmmmm....

meow update

2009-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting challenge, juggling three cats in the house (oh dear me, my poor folks).

Meow is the family tabby tom cat, who has first dibs on the domain. He appeared at the house several years ago (and my mom said "don't feed him, he'll stay!" and I replied "yes, I know!" as I handed him tuna). He takes care of the 'neighborhood' for us, though, with 'population control' being his speciality: squirrels, birds, rabbits, etc. But when he's not terrorizing the local wildlife, he's sleeping - and prefers to do this in the house. It's difficult for Bear to understand why he has to be locked in the basement when Meow is sleeping, an extra set of VERY long and VERY sharp claws, as well as considerable size difference, would quickly seperate the boy from the man in a fistacuffs. Something I'm very keen on avoiding.

So, Meow still reigns supreme.

But Bear has prime real estate: he sleeps on my shoulder every night. :)

kittie update

2009-03-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

finally found data cable for the camera (woohoo!), so I have some photo blogging to do!

the kitties are doing well these days; Bear has no qualms about telling me (loudly) who's Boss (should have named him Squealer). his new favorite adventure is trying to climb into places he shouldn't be and requires PLENTY of supervision. (sigh) Dallas is a sweetheart, though, as always. she loves to wake me up in the morning by kneading my neck while purring.

thank goodness for Zyrtec is all I have to say. I adore these furballs.

prague

2009-03-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

For the readers who don't know, my dearest gal pal just moved to Praha (Prague) with another one of our sweet friends! They are enrolled in a teaching English abroad program. Below are some of the first photos of their experience posted to Coco's Facebook (which I've snatched for those of you without Facebook)...

If you're interested in following their adventures, you can track them here at their newly started Prague Blague:

http://pragueress.blogspot.com/

(I've also added their local time and weather to this blog!)

Happy Birthday, Shawn!

2009-03-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

and here's to many, MANY more. :)
love ya man,
cvo

(if you received this by email, click here to view entire post)

Morgen...

2009-03-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

...there better be a blue czech dot on my visitor list soon; and a link I can add to my new favorite "Prauge Blog"!

(I'll also need some pictures other than these I stole off the internet.)

Current Prague Time:

there is one good thing to be said about sleeping alone... ha!

2009-03-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

mmmm...cookies

2009-03-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

ghosts

2009-03-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

wedding toast

2009-03-19T01:47:00.001-07:00

email jokes

2009-03-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Neither Blonde Nor Female

These contractors are installing steel pillars in concrete to stop vehicles from parking on the pavement outside a Sports Bar downtown. They are now in the process of cleaning up at the end of the day and anxious to go home.

How long do you think it will be before they realize where they parked?

taking it to the maxi

2009-03-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

I'm on a mission to find a very easy-to-sew pattern (read: beginner level, not requiring a serger) for making a maxi dress (or grecian dress or sundress)...

The design I'm after: fitted upper bodice with a sexy v-neck, strappy straps that cross in the back (love that - no slippage!), an empire-like waistline, and fabric that drapes loosely and flows out from my body and down to my toes.

The fabric I'm considering: cotton jersey knit, or some other very comfortable, breathable, lightweight cotton.

(click to enlarge)

Do you have any tips, hints, links, or pictures of similar dresses you've made for yourself? Please leave a comment!

(And who knows - if I get good enough, maybe I'll make one for you as a thank you for your help!)

june bugs & pig tails: what summer should always be made of...

2009-03-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

My 2nd cousin Mark continues to uncover (and post on Facebook AND tag me in, for all the world to see!) documented relics of my '80s childhood. Thank goodness most of the pictures are my favorites any way, including this quintessential 'summers at Grandma & Grandpa's house' photo...

(my cousins and I; c.1986, Gma&Gpa's Farm in the Lower Valley)

What you can't see (or hear) are our 'prize captures' (and doomed pets) - June Bugs - hissing their dissatisfaction at us regarding their captivity in our specially crafted peanut butter 'bug jars.' (Don't worry all you PETA-lites: Grandma poked holes in the lids for ventilation...)

And then I'm sure we left our exotic farm finds to bake in the sun while we ran through the sprinklers, played hide and seek in the corn stalks, rode the horses bareback through the grapevines, chased wild kittens, explored the old chicken coop, outhouse, & musty cellar, had snacktime of cottage cheese with home-canned peaches, napped next to Grandma's library and Grandpa's guncase, woke up to play "None of Your Beeswax" (our name for our very wildly aerobic, loud, and injury-prone pillow-fights, always requiring "The Alligator" to heal somebody's game-related wounds [you'll have to ask if you want an explanation ha!]) and "Spaceship" (our version of Star Trek, complete with a 'medical sick-bay doctor' and 'planetary landing preparedness pills,' consisting of Grandma's colorful pill-book we found during nap-time and whatever 'medicine' [M&Ms, peanuts, etc.] we could surreptitiously abscond with & over-indulge on)...basically, getting ourselves into any sort of highly-imaginative and adventurous trouble we could possibly get our hands on (R&C - remember our 'experiments' with vitE capsules in the bathroom?? ha!!)...

...soon enough we'd have forgotten entirely about the curiously nasty, striped & noisy critters that roamed all over Grandma's garden, making squishy messes under our sandals on the path to her door...

I swear: those quarter-sized beetles somehow looked a whole-heck-of-a-lot cuter when I was 5.

(While there's definitely no jury out on my continued tom-boyishness, you certainly won't find me picking up one of these creatures again anytime soon!)

seriously, DVDs & toy heli's?? beyond embarrassing...

2009-03-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

Our fantastic new 'Administration of Change' is definitely stirring up some change for us...

Take a gander at how royally - and unabashedly - peeved off our (former?) closest ally appears to be (should be? has every right to be?) at Pres. Obama & the Mrs. right now, according to some folks over at the Telegraph...

And don't you just love thinking about how the moron behind 'royal gifts' being toy heli replicas & a box of DVDs (that may not even work in British DVD players) is actually EMPLOYED... Don't tell me that in all the recently unemployed population that there isn't ONE SINGLE QUALIFIED PERSON AMONG US who couldn't have researched, prepared, and presented better 'royal gifts' alternatives than toy helis & DVDs?!?!?!?!

Makes my blood boil.

Let me go on record again to say: I didn't vote for this Administration.

oh dear me...

2009-03-06T13:45:00.001-08:00

Don't get me wrong - I think the idea of a woman President is awesome...but I'm so glad it wasn't this woman...

Has this Administration not heard of Google Translator?
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en&sl=es&tl=en#en|ru|reset

Where's America's Election reset button? I'd like to push it, please...

egg trick

2009-03-05T03:21:00.001-08:00

think this actually works, without fail?? I'm going to try it and see. I'll let you know what happens!

can you say "YUMMMM!!!" ???

2009-03-03T01:03:00.001-08:00

I'm definitely trying this recipe sometime soon...

Chile Lime Tequila Popcorn Recipe

album covers

2009-02-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Found this clever little "do-it-yourself" album cover instructional on one of my Facebook friends' profiles...here's how mine turned out:

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to participate.

green: toilet paper?

2009-02-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I never really consider the excessive amount of trees we consume in the bathroom - until I read this article...

new (old) favorite: stickers!

2009-02-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Did you collect stickers when you were a kid? I did. I still have BINDERS full of them somewhere. I don't think I've ever really gotten over my thing for 'em, either...'cuz something in me always goes "ooooooh! stickers!!!" any time I see some (as if me STILL HAVING my sticker collection around somewhere isn't sad enough.) So of course I must tell you about this website I stumbled on, where you can design your own sticker booklet...so very cool!

oooooohhh!!! stickers!!!!

Beppe's Birthday Party

2009-02-22T23:59:00.000-08:00

Attended Beppe's birthday party in the lower valley today with Dad - had a very nice time with the fam! It was fun to hear all y'alls comments about Gladys and David, too. :) If anyone has pictures from the party they've uploaded already, mind shooting a couple over my direction? (I'd love to show Mom!)

Thanks again, Aunt Anny, for all the terrific foods! Aunt Jan, it was great seeing you and Uncle Rob in town - glad you could make it out! Hopefully next time the cousins can make it too. Uncle Don - we are definitely going to have to plan a fishing trip. I'll talk with Ryan and find out when he's available. :)

Little status update on the employment front (as most know by now anyway): I have a job interview on Tuesday with a regional insurance company. We'll see how it goes. Should be good practice getting myself back into the swing of employment interviews, if nothing else. ha! I'm looking forward to it (and to the prospects of being employed again. Time off has been very nice and much needed, but I'm ready to start making some money again. lol) I'll keep y'all posted on the outcome!

Otherwise not much news in my world to report lately. Spent this past week recovering from my bug and the enormous task of packing/moving while sick. The two main goals for this week include: unpacking the rig and finishing my craft projects. Oh, and nailing my interview. ;)

Happy Monday to y'all.

new favorite youtube vid: david after dentist

2009-02-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

we're home

2009-02-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

We made it home last night around 1am. We're exaughsted.

Thank you so much, M.L., for keeping me company and helping out with the drive!! You are such a dear friend. I enjoyed your company. :)

raindrops & mtns

2009-02-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

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finally

2009-02-15T16:21:00.000-08:00

Off the pass in N.CA and moving...spent about 3 hrs going barely anywhere.
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