here are my pics from joaquin miller and land's end hikes!
i've always wanted a camera phone, and i've been grateful from the beginning that i have it, blurry as those pics may sometimes be. as of a few weeks ago, my gratitude has doubled because my beloved digital camera was lost.
to be honest i wish it hadn't upset me so much, but it did. i guess partly because of how it was lost. one of min's sisters was holding it for a few minutes - in a store - when it "disappeared". let's just say, this sister's been less than honorable in the past and i wouldn't be surprised if reports of the loss were greatly exaggerated. naturally there's no way i can prove that and in any event, it's just a thing, and so i've been trying to let it go.
however, it was a birthday present. a present i picked out, because i researched cameras to death. a present that'd been delayed almost a whole year because of various financial issues during the preceding year. and finally, it was probably the best present i'd ever recieved, as far as things are concerned (i am not a collector; i like trips/going out rather than Things), because i ended up enjoying the hell out of it in so many ways.
anyway. i'm grateful for what i have, and hopefully i can get a replacement by my next birthday. meantime apologies for any blurriness or abundant glare, now and in the future. use your mind to imagine how awesome things *really* looked!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
there is something ironic
about getting repeatedly interrupted while listening to dm's enjoy the silence.
and yes i know my last post was about xmas music, but i like diversity. ;-)
and yes i know my last post was about xmas music, but i like diversity. ;-)
Monday, November 27, 2006
rockin around the christmas cube
in a world where:
- people accidentally delete their impressive christmas mp3 library
- stringent network settings make internet radio almost impossible to listen to
i've found a few xmas radio stations that don't time out or stutter while buffering. even if i'm not crazy about the work i'm doing, the toes are rockin & the ears are happy. if someone will just play the carpenters, i'll be *reallyreally* happy.
- people accidentally delete their impressive christmas mp3 library
- stringent network settings make internet radio almost impossible to listen to
i've found a few xmas radio stations that don't time out or stutter while buffering. even if i'm not crazy about the work i'm doing, the toes are rockin & the ears are happy. if someone will just play the carpenters, i'll be *reallyreally* happy.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
bubbles' holiday weekend roundup
i kept meaning to get on here and post about the holiday weekend - and i'm just squeaking in!
TANKSgiving
as i said before, i wrote a smidge of fiction. color me surprised and happy. the reviews i've gotten to date have all been positive with minor suggestions i agree with. after that i believe i watched the next-to-last episode of taken. a fun little series, only two episodes were dumb.
then i skedaddled up to joaquin miller park in oakland. i barely did it justice but i got some beautiful shots with my phone, which i'll upload tomorrow (at work, with the superb wifi). i was so inspired by the surroundings that i also wrote quite a bit. sections of that park are a little creepy, but in a good way -- mysterious, dark, etc. loved it.
i chose to hike there because i had informal dinner plans nearby with a dyke (+other people) who'd set up a little gathering. ahead of time i asked how many people were attending. she told me 10, so i thought ok, that sounds like a decent conversation base, a legit event. turns out there were 3. including the host.
however the conversation went alright, if a bit oddly at times. very eclectic bunch. the food was fair, and afterwards we played scrabble. i got to play the word "roil". the host said, can you use roil in a sentence? and i said, not right now. :-D all that turkey, i wasn't feeling 100% on the definition at the time.
FRYday
chilled at home. ran an errand or two, watched the last episode of taken, did laundry, but really i just chilled.
saTURDay
got up bright and early for my expodition to the city. first up was the celebration of crafts women fair. i'd been to one maybe 3 years ago? and it was awesome. we found tons of cool stuff, most of it affordable. parking at ft mason was impossible but there was a shuttle with cheap parking.
similarities between that time and this one: same location, same lack of parking, and a lot of cool stuff.
differences: EVERYTHING cost more. a LOT.
most notable example: a long sleeved tshirt - no doubt handmade, at least the design - for $160, i shit you not. i was admiring the shirts and sweaters (altho not admiring their lack of a tag, or prices listed anywhere), waiting for the vendor to get done talking to someone else so i could ask about the prices, when i finally found one with the $160 tag. i do believe my jaw dropped open. i mean, i wasn't in a boutique. i was at a craft fair, ffs.
there also was a greater emphasis on art - wall art, sculptures, etc. which were pricy, naturally. sigh. i did find a few little things - earrings for min, a hair band for my sister, and a body spray for me. the one i used to use (country apple, bath&body works) has been discontinued for a good year or two now. i stocked up at the time, but well, i'm running out, finally, and looking for alternatives.
anyway. after i was done there, i shuttled back to my way-too-expensive parking space, dropped off my stuff, and walked over to a deli on chestnut i'd heard good things about. got my sammich, drink, walked back to the car -- but not before stumbling into the incredibly adorable paper source. i challenge any craft/paper lover to walk out with the same amount of scrilla as when they went in.
finally back at the car, i took off for land's end, which i'd always wanted to visit. i started at the western end, sutro baths. those are nifty. then i walked/climbed up a cliff, plopped down at the top and ate my lunch overlooking a most gorgeous string of rocks, trees and ocean. the wind was incredibly strong and by halfway through my sandwich i had icicles for fingers, but i didn't care.
from there i planned to keep going on the trail, but they had that section closed for erosion repair. so i trudged down the cliff, then back up those monstrous stairs, and went along the main trail heading towards the golden gate. it was all just so beautiful. the trees, the bay, the bridge and the sun peeking out at me periodically. at one point i sat and tried to write, but unlike thursday, i had writer's block. my vote is that bitch of a wind froze part of my brain.
at any rate, i had a great time, going about halfway through the trail i guess, then turned around because it was getting dark. i headed along the ocean til 35, then hooked up with 1/280 and headed home.
sunDAE
another mellow day. talked to min for a while this morning. she spent the night in the dalles, oregon. kind of a random stop. she'd hoped to stay with her brother in portland but he was unexpectedly out of town. the good news is, that means she'll be home sooner -- should be here by tuesday night. and yes i'm looking forward to her being back. :-p
i'd planned to go to a free writing class i heard about tonight, in alameda. i heard very little about it, but being free, i thought i'd give it a whirl. however when it was time to leave, it was raining cats and dogs so i decided to pass for now (the class is once a month). i deplore driving at night, and in heavy rain? to the east bay? no thanks. i've done that before (night, rain, 880-eb) and it seriously sucks.
it's still raining now, a few hours later, although lighter. and besides, i'm getting my writing in right now! and this way i'm cozy under a down lap blanket, get to finish the laundry and cuddle my kitties in a bit. works for me.
TANKSgiving
as i said before, i wrote a smidge of fiction. color me surprised and happy. the reviews i've gotten to date have all been positive with minor suggestions i agree with. after that i believe i watched the next-to-last episode of taken. a fun little series, only two episodes were dumb.
then i skedaddled up to joaquin miller park in oakland. i barely did it justice but i got some beautiful shots with my phone, which i'll upload tomorrow (at work, with the superb wifi). i was so inspired by the surroundings that i also wrote quite a bit. sections of that park are a little creepy, but in a good way -- mysterious, dark, etc. loved it.
i chose to hike there because i had informal dinner plans nearby with a dyke (+other people) who'd set up a little gathering. ahead of time i asked how many people were attending. she told me 10, so i thought ok, that sounds like a decent conversation base, a legit event. turns out there were 3. including the host.
however the conversation went alright, if a bit oddly at times. very eclectic bunch. the food was fair, and afterwards we played scrabble. i got to play the word "roil". the host said, can you use roil in a sentence? and i said, not right now. :-D all that turkey, i wasn't feeling 100% on the definition at the time.
FRYday
chilled at home. ran an errand or two, watched the last episode of taken, did laundry, but really i just chilled.
saTURDay
got up bright and early for my expodition to the city. first up was the celebration of crafts women fair. i'd been to one maybe 3 years ago? and it was awesome. we found tons of cool stuff, most of it affordable. parking at ft mason was impossible but there was a shuttle with cheap parking.
similarities between that time and this one: same location, same lack of parking, and a lot of cool stuff.
differences: EVERYTHING cost more. a LOT.
most notable example: a long sleeved tshirt - no doubt handmade, at least the design - for $160, i shit you not. i was admiring the shirts and sweaters (altho not admiring their lack of a tag, or prices listed anywhere), waiting for the vendor to get done talking to someone else so i could ask about the prices, when i finally found one with the $160 tag. i do believe my jaw dropped open. i mean, i wasn't in a boutique. i was at a craft fair, ffs.
there also was a greater emphasis on art - wall art, sculptures, etc. which were pricy, naturally. sigh. i did find a few little things - earrings for min, a hair band for my sister, and a body spray for me. the one i used to use (country apple, bath&body works) has been discontinued for a good year or two now. i stocked up at the time, but well, i'm running out, finally, and looking for alternatives.
anyway. after i was done there, i shuttled back to my way-too-expensive parking space, dropped off my stuff, and walked over to a deli on chestnut i'd heard good things about. got my sammich, drink, walked back to the car -- but not before stumbling into the incredibly adorable paper source. i challenge any craft/paper lover to walk out with the same amount of scrilla as when they went in.
finally back at the car, i took off for land's end, which i'd always wanted to visit. i started at the western end, sutro baths. those are nifty. then i walked/climbed up a cliff, plopped down at the top and ate my lunch overlooking a most gorgeous string of rocks, trees and ocean. the wind was incredibly strong and by halfway through my sandwich i had icicles for fingers, but i didn't care.
from there i planned to keep going on the trail, but they had that section closed for erosion repair. so i trudged down the cliff, then back up those monstrous stairs, and went along the main trail heading towards the golden gate. it was all just so beautiful. the trees, the bay, the bridge and the sun peeking out at me periodically. at one point i sat and tried to write, but unlike thursday, i had writer's block. my vote is that bitch of a wind froze part of my brain.
at any rate, i had a great time, going about halfway through the trail i guess, then turned around because it was getting dark. i headed along the ocean til 35, then hooked up with 1/280 and headed home.
sunDAE
another mellow day. talked to min for a while this morning. she spent the night in the dalles, oregon. kind of a random stop. she'd hoped to stay with her brother in portland but he was unexpectedly out of town. the good news is, that means she'll be home sooner -- should be here by tuesday night. and yes i'm looking forward to her being back. :-p
i'd planned to go to a free writing class i heard about tonight, in alameda. i heard very little about it, but being free, i thought i'd give it a whirl. however when it was time to leave, it was raining cats and dogs so i decided to pass for now (the class is once a month). i deplore driving at night, and in heavy rain? to the east bay? no thanks. i've done that before (night, rain, 880-eb) and it seriously sucks.
it's still raining now, a few hours later, although lighter. and besides, i'm getting my writing in right now! and this way i'm cozy under a down lap blanket, get to finish the laundry and cuddle my kitties in a bit. works for me.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
write on!
i just wrote a piece of fiction. honest to god fiction.
it was tough, it was easy, it was fascinating. i had ideas about which way the story was going to go but then it'd surprise me.
this was my first time to write fiction as an adult. when i was little i used to make up stories about neighborhood cats and put them in a paper i "published" called Good Mews. i also did all the fabulous artwork. when i was a teenager, in my star trek obsessed days, i started a trek story once but didn't get very far. as an adult i've done all kinds of writing...except fiction. even though ideas for it would tickle my mind, i'd never sit down and just do it. i know some of you relate to this.
anyway, as i said, i've been writing more since last week. none of it was fiction, unless you count my dreams. even though my mind made those up, it feels like cheating to call that fiction, i guess because they're not intentional. but today, one of my new writing groups sent out a prompt/exercise that really got me. it was to write a brief piece that included or began with "The sight of smoke...".
to be honest the first thing i thought of was my paternal grandmother, whose love affair with nicotine eventually led to her death (lung cancer). but i didn't write about her at all. instead i found myself in a street cafe, at night, watching a stranger smoke cigarettes.
the mind, sometimes it annoys the shit out of me. but sometimes, i love it to death. today we're in the love category, because i love not knowing where it will take me.
it was tough, it was easy, it was fascinating. i had ideas about which way the story was going to go but then it'd surprise me.
this was my first time to write fiction as an adult. when i was little i used to make up stories about neighborhood cats and put them in a paper i "published" called Good Mews. i also did all the fabulous artwork. when i was a teenager, in my star trek obsessed days, i started a trek story once but didn't get very far. as an adult i've done all kinds of writing...except fiction. even though ideas for it would tickle my mind, i'd never sit down and just do it. i know some of you relate to this.
anyway, as i said, i've been writing more since last week. none of it was fiction, unless you count my dreams. even though my mind made those up, it feels like cheating to call that fiction, i guess because they're not intentional. but today, one of my new writing groups sent out a prompt/exercise that really got me. it was to write a brief piece that included or began with "The sight of smoke...".
to be honest the first thing i thought of was my paternal grandmother, whose love affair with nicotine eventually led to her death (lung cancer). but i didn't write about her at all. instead i found myself in a street cafe, at night, watching a stranger smoke cigarettes.
the mind, sometimes it annoys the shit out of me. but sometimes, i love it to death. today we're in the love category, because i love not knowing where it will take me.
attitude of gratitude
i definitely have some things in my life for which i am not thankful, things i wish were different. however, today is about being thankful, and i am thankful for:
- this space to write
- the visitors who add to my life by commenting
- blogs of said visitors, who add to my life by their presence
- the ability to write, move, breathe, think freely
- a steady job
- 3 purring, licking furballs
- people who love me
i am blessed to have these things. i hope all of you have a moment today to reflect on the gifts in your life. happy thanksgiving :)
- this space to write
- the visitors who add to my life by commenting
- blogs of said visitors, who add to my life by their presence
- the ability to write, move, breathe, think freely
- a steady job
- 3 purring, licking furballs
- people who love me
i am blessed to have these things. i hope all of you have a moment today to reflect on the gifts in your life. happy thanksgiving :)
Monday, November 20, 2006
her pen, unfurled
since i posted in the wee hours of saturday about my writing epiphany, i have written (for me) an insane amount. apparently, a door has been opened. and even though i feel i still need help writing *stories* (and i am working on that already), the fact that i'm writing like a bandit is serious improvement.
that makes me very happy, i guess because i'm letting all this creativity out of me. i've never been afraid of writing, nor even felt per se like i had writer's block, but maybe…i never gave myself permission to be such a word whore. to write anytime, about any little random thing that popped into my head.
so that's exactly what i did when i started carrying a tiny notebook with me everywhere this weekend. on my way to the store and random interesting thoughts pop into my head? write it down. at a stoplight? write it down. and the best one -- writing down my dreams in the morning, especially if they were vivid or odd.
and by and large, i have VERY odd dreams. have since i was very young. maybe they make sense, maybe they don't, but they're almost always full of vivid imagery. sometimes i'm in the show, sometimes i'm just watching. sometimes i'm a girl, sometimes not. sometimes they're about places i've been, with people i know, and sometimes it's places that don't even exist, and people i've never even seen.
in fact, i've often thought some of my dreams would make amazing short stories, or be good worked into a larger story. so by writing them down now, i hope to make these fiddly bits into a larger story someday.
meantime i started another blog for these random entries. yes i said i'm writing them in a notebook but if you'd ever seen my handwriting you'd know that digitizing them immediately is wise, lest i be unable to tell what i wrote. and yes i've been puzzled by my own handwriting a mere hour later. :-D
i'm sure i'll get lots of writing done on thanksgiving, too, since min will not be home yet. i've never had a tday by myself -- christmas, yes, and that sucked. i think tday will be better but it's still a bit odd, thinking about it. then again the single life is agreeing with me more than i expected.
that makes me very happy, i guess because i'm letting all this creativity out of me. i've never been afraid of writing, nor even felt per se like i had writer's block, but maybe…i never gave myself permission to be such a word whore. to write anytime, about any little random thing that popped into my head.
so that's exactly what i did when i started carrying a tiny notebook with me everywhere this weekend. on my way to the store and random interesting thoughts pop into my head? write it down. at a stoplight? write it down. and the best one -- writing down my dreams in the morning, especially if they were vivid or odd.
and by and large, i have VERY odd dreams. have since i was very young. maybe they make sense, maybe they don't, but they're almost always full of vivid imagery. sometimes i'm in the show, sometimes i'm just watching. sometimes i'm a girl, sometimes not. sometimes they're about places i've been, with people i know, and sometimes it's places that don't even exist, and people i've never even seen.
in fact, i've often thought some of my dreams would make amazing short stories, or be good worked into a larger story. so by writing them down now, i hope to make these fiddly bits into a larger story someday.
meantime i started another blog for these random entries. yes i said i'm writing them in a notebook but if you'd ever seen my handwriting you'd know that digitizing them immediately is wise, lest i be unable to tell what i wrote. and yes i've been puzzled by my own handwriting a mere hour later. :-D
i'm sure i'll get lots of writing done on thanksgiving, too, since min will not be home yet. i've never had a tday by myself -- christmas, yes, and that sucked. i think tday will be better but it's still a bit odd, thinking about it. then again the single life is agreeing with me more than i expected.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
oops
sorry for all the re-publishing, rss-readers. i switched to blogger beta a few days ago, decided to make a few changes tonight (and lost my custom nav, thanks for warning me, beta!) and it republishes the last 30 posts everytime i make a change. the old version had the option to only republish index. o that they'd have kept that one.
i suppose some rebirth is appropriate since i just noticed tomorrow will be the 2 year anniversary of this blog. kinda trippy. even though i tried to kill this blog a couple times, it stuck with me. and some of you stuck with me, too. thanks.
i suppose some rebirth is appropriate since i just noticed tomorrow will be the 2 year anniversary of this blog. kinda trippy. even though i tried to kill this blog a couple times, it stuck with me. and some of you stuck with me, too. thanks.
stranger than fiction
that is the name of the movie i just saw. with the oh so divine emma thompson. i have loved her for a long time, but my god. i forget how much until i see her again. they can try to make her look rough - no makeup, baggy clothes, unkempt hair - but she's still beautiful beautiful. with the most delectable accent.
i chose this movie over babel because i felt i needed a comedy. and indeed, stranger than fiction is a comedy. starring buster! but it is also decidedly dramatic and thought-provoking.
without giving away the story, i'll say the movie is about emma thompson and will ferrell's characters' struggle with life. how we humans affect each other, our decision making. fate is a nice idea, but we're really rather interconnected when it comes to our choices.
i was walking to my car afterwards and thinking, this movie makes me want to be a writer. a real (fiction) writer. makes me want to embrace passion, whatever my passion is. admittedly i can be fuzzy on that, but anyway i'm feeling energized, and then i hear this guy behind me, talking about how the movie was ok but not really great, too predictable, etc.
i thought, dude, you've missed the point. if you just look at the surface, then yes, it may seem flat. but really it was about the decisions we make, why we make them and what kind of person do we want to be.
and so as i was driving home i thought, what kind of person DO i want to be? am i being that person now? and i thought about the ways that i have been different since min left. she's been gone a little over a month now and some differences that come to mind are:
- i weigh a little less (hey, start with the easy)
- i'm wearing/have bought slightly nicer - and edgier - clothes
- i hate work more now
- i've been more depressed, especially the last 2 weeks
- i'm listening to more jazz and classical. i tend to listen to bluesy jazz when i'm depressed or pensive, and classical when i'm feeling brainy...or pensive. for instance on the way home tonight. :-p
- i've been far more interested in gallavanting, and have gallavanted, in new ways
i would imagine those are the main things but that's actually quite a list for only a few weeks. in any case, especially in light of the movie, it makes me think perhaps i really do have a serious change brewing. granted i've been job hunting, and toying with the idea of moving (out of state) but those are all huge puffy clouds of possibility. i have no idea how things will actually go, what kind of job i will transition to, whether a move will be required, and so on.
but i confess, i love the idea of a huge change. i think i need it, in more ways than one. i'm sure to some degree i love it because i have so many things i want to escape, to start fresh with, to retry. things that are difficult to do when you're in your Usual.
i'm flashing now to how i was with my ex, in tennessee, reserved in public. and then later, when i was with min, in montana, and how incredibly open i was. naturally i could've been that open in tennessee. nothing stopped me...except myself. i felt like i was one person there, and got to be a new person in the new place. and i was. people say you can't run away from yourself and i buy that to some degree. but you can take a moment to redefine yourself, because you realize you NEED to change, and then be that person from then on.
and that's what i did. so i can do it again. i guess the question is, what do i want, feel i need, to change?
i have several ideas on that but burning tonight is the movie's reminder of why i love writing: the power of words, the power of creativity. i need to let more of that out, and more often. i've always felt like i have these stories inside of me but can't get them out. i sense them there, under the surface, taunting me. although i don't know how i'll let them out yet, i look forward to their arrival. someday.
i chose this movie over babel because i felt i needed a comedy. and indeed, stranger than fiction is a comedy. starring buster! but it is also decidedly dramatic and thought-provoking.
without giving away the story, i'll say the movie is about emma thompson and will ferrell's characters' struggle with life. how we humans affect each other, our decision making. fate is a nice idea, but we're really rather interconnected when it comes to our choices.
i was walking to my car afterwards and thinking, this movie makes me want to be a writer. a real (fiction) writer. makes me want to embrace passion, whatever my passion is. admittedly i can be fuzzy on that, but anyway i'm feeling energized, and then i hear this guy behind me, talking about how the movie was ok but not really great, too predictable, etc.
i thought, dude, you've missed the point. if you just look at the surface, then yes, it may seem flat. but really it was about the decisions we make, why we make them and what kind of person do we want to be.
and so as i was driving home i thought, what kind of person DO i want to be? am i being that person now? and i thought about the ways that i have been different since min left. she's been gone a little over a month now and some differences that come to mind are:
- i weigh a little less (hey, start with the easy)
- i'm wearing/have bought slightly nicer - and edgier - clothes
- i hate work more now
- i've been more depressed, especially the last 2 weeks
- i'm listening to more jazz and classical. i tend to listen to bluesy jazz when i'm depressed or pensive, and classical when i'm feeling brainy...or pensive. for instance on the way home tonight. :-p
- i've been far more interested in gallavanting, and have gallavanted, in new ways
i would imagine those are the main things but that's actually quite a list for only a few weeks. in any case, especially in light of the movie, it makes me think perhaps i really do have a serious change brewing. granted i've been job hunting, and toying with the idea of moving (out of state) but those are all huge puffy clouds of possibility. i have no idea how things will actually go, what kind of job i will transition to, whether a move will be required, and so on.
but i confess, i love the idea of a huge change. i think i need it, in more ways than one. i'm sure to some degree i love it because i have so many things i want to escape, to start fresh with, to retry. things that are difficult to do when you're in your Usual.
i'm flashing now to how i was with my ex, in tennessee, reserved in public. and then later, when i was with min, in montana, and how incredibly open i was. naturally i could've been that open in tennessee. nothing stopped me...except myself. i felt like i was one person there, and got to be a new person in the new place. and i was. people say you can't run away from yourself and i buy that to some degree. but you can take a moment to redefine yourself, because you realize you NEED to change, and then be that person from then on.
and that's what i did. so i can do it again. i guess the question is, what do i want, feel i need, to change?
i have several ideas on that but burning tonight is the movie's reminder of why i love writing: the power of words, the power of creativity. i need to let more of that out, and more often. i've always felt like i have these stories inside of me but can't get them out. i sense them there, under the surface, taunting me. although i don't know how i'll let them out yet, i look forward to their arrival. someday.
Friday, November 17, 2006
east bay experiment
last saturday was a wonderful experiment in going out on my own and having a great time. during the week i'd heard about several things i wanted to check out in berkeley, so i decided to make a day of it. plus an evening activity in the city! so:
first up was maven fair, an extremely delightful but far too tiny craft fair. it's happening again in 2 weeks and if you want excellent women-made gifts for the holidays (or whatever), i highly recommend going. even though they only filled one room, there was an abundance of adorable stuff and i had a difficult time narrowing down to some handmade cards and a delightfully wicked necklace with a retro pinup girl (with a rifle!) on it. so awesome.
yet another craft fair was on my agenda, this one a little bigger but actually not quite as interesting, ultimately. however i did get a cool ceramic piece with a rabbit on it.
next on the horizon: rock climbing! since i didn't know how big indian rock really was, i thought i should get some nourishment for afterwards. on my way to the Most Perfect Cupcake Ever, i checked out a cute dog store, adorable stationery shop, and a few other places. really adorable section of town, must return.
with my cupcake at the ready, i headed up to indian rock. there are some seriously narrow streets up that way! and so convoluted, i almost got lost but thankfully the street i ended up on went right to the park. i knew ahead of time that there were steps in the rock so i went up the first set i saw.
note, that picture is not of the first set. no, the set i went up stopped after about 5 steps, then you had to freestyle it. um. ok. i tried a couple of different routes -- i could see people at the top! -- but since i had plans for later, and it was getting *really* treacherous, i stopped after about 5 minutes and climbed back down. i went around to my left...a few more steps, but then similarly difficult route. i kept hearing a mom talk to her small son: honey, it's ok that you can't climb to the top, don't worry.
yeah no kidding! i climbed back down to get out of their way and decided to go around to the other side. snapped a shot of the impending sunset, turned around and lo and behold, there were the steps that led to the top! immediately i scampered up and after i'd enjoyed the *seriously* incredible vistas, snapped a few more shots with my phone.
incidentally, indian rock, not really that tall. but since i had That Cupcake anyway and was starting to feel a bit hungry, went ahead and ate it. oh my.
next up was killing a bit of time til my nighttime event. i'd thought about seeing a movie at bay street emeryville, but since i was running a little late (for that), i opted to shop there a bit (always been curious about that place) and grab dinner at asqew grill. we'd been to the one in the marina district before - yum yum. once again i was scouring for pants. and the old navy there was having an awesome half off their clearance sale. however, no go.
fit of mass consumerism complete, i headed to the city. it'd been a long time since i took the bay bridge at night. i forgot how pretty the bay/city night lights are. anyway, made my way over to the make out room (awesome name, eh?) for writers with drinks. had a smatter of queer and other writers reading from their works.
sound a bit boring? well it wasn't. the host, which thanks to the internet i now know is charlie anders, was HILARIOUS. and one of the writer/readers, madeleine robins, was so amazing i bought one of her books immediately afterwards. i never do that. especially considering the genre, kind of historical mystery, but the excerpt from petty treason was absolutely hysterical. and brilliant! oh, oh so smart. so i knew i must make it mine.
after this, it was late, i was tired and headed home. it was a good day. :-)
first up was maven fair, an extremely delightful but far too tiny craft fair. it's happening again in 2 weeks and if you want excellent women-made gifts for the holidays (or whatever), i highly recommend going. even though they only filled one room, there was an abundance of adorable stuff and i had a difficult time narrowing down to some handmade cards and a delightfully wicked necklace with a retro pinup girl (with a rifle!) on it. so awesome.
yet another craft fair was on my agenda, this one a little bigger but actually not quite as interesting, ultimately. however i did get a cool ceramic piece with a rabbit on it.
next on the horizon: rock climbing! since i didn't know how big indian rock really was, i thought i should get some nourishment for afterwards. on my way to the Most Perfect Cupcake Ever, i checked out a cute dog store, adorable stationery shop, and a few other places. really adorable section of town, must return.
with my cupcake at the ready, i headed up to indian rock. there are some seriously narrow streets up that way! and so convoluted, i almost got lost but thankfully the street i ended up on went right to the park. i knew ahead of time that there were steps in the rock so i went up the first set i saw.
note, that picture is not of the first set. no, the set i went up stopped after about 5 steps, then you had to freestyle it. um. ok. i tried a couple of different routes -- i could see people at the top! -- but since i had plans for later, and it was getting *really* treacherous, i stopped after about 5 minutes and climbed back down. i went around to my left...a few more steps, but then similarly difficult route. i kept hearing a mom talk to her small son: honey, it's ok that you can't climb to the top, don't worry.
yeah no kidding! i climbed back down to get out of their way and decided to go around to the other side. snapped a shot of the impending sunset, turned around and lo and behold, there were the steps that led to the top! immediately i scampered up and after i'd enjoyed the *seriously* incredible vistas, snapped a few more shots with my phone.
incidentally, indian rock, not really that tall. but since i had That Cupcake anyway and was starting to feel a bit hungry, went ahead and ate it. oh my.
next up was killing a bit of time til my nighttime event. i'd thought about seeing a movie at bay street emeryville, but since i was running a little late (for that), i opted to shop there a bit (always been curious about that place) and grab dinner at asqew grill. we'd been to the one in the marina district before - yum yum. once again i was scouring for pants. and the old navy there was having an awesome half off their clearance sale. however, no go.
fit of mass consumerism complete, i headed to the city. it'd been a long time since i took the bay bridge at night. i forgot how pretty the bay/city night lights are. anyway, made my way over to the make out room (awesome name, eh?) for writers with drinks. had a smatter of queer and other writers reading from their works.
sound a bit boring? well it wasn't. the host, which thanks to the internet i now know is charlie anders, was HILARIOUS. and one of the writer/readers, madeleine robins, was so amazing i bought one of her books immediately afterwards. i never do that. especially considering the genre, kind of historical mystery, but the excerpt from petty treason was absolutely hysterical. and brilliant! oh, oh so smart. so i knew i must make it mine.
after this, it was late, i was tired and headed home. it was a good day. :-)
Thursday, November 16, 2006
a pregnant pause
i really did intend my next post to be about last saturday, but this was too special not to share first.
today i went up to the 3rd floor (party floor) to get me some dr. pepper. while i'm putting dr. p into my lunch bag, a cleaning woman (cw) says to me:
you lose weight?
me: yep
cw: ahh.
cw: you have the baby, yes? (motions with her hands to create a large belly)
me: (staring oddly) no…
cw: oh?
me: no, i didn't have a baby.
cw: oh… (looks sad)
me: (does she think i LOST a baby?) no, it's ok, i wasn't pregnant.
cw: oh...ok.
naturally i have heard of overweight women being inappropriately asked if they were pregnant (when's your baby due?? oops!). however i have never heard of the reverse -- someone who's lost weight, and people assumed they WERE pregnant, and then ask about the baby.
and i gotta tell ya, the whole thing - a little surreal.
today i went up to the 3rd floor (party floor) to get me some dr. pepper. while i'm putting dr. p into my lunch bag, a cleaning woman (cw) says to me:
you lose weight?
me: yep
cw: ahh.
cw: you have the baby, yes? (motions with her hands to create a large belly)
me: (staring oddly) no…
cw: oh?
me: no, i didn't have a baby.
cw: oh… (looks sad)
me: (does she think i LOST a baby?) no, it's ok, i wasn't pregnant.
cw: oh...ok.
naturally i have heard of overweight women being inappropriately asked if they were pregnant (when's your baby due?? oops!). however i have never heard of the reverse -- someone who's lost weight, and people assumed they WERE pregnant, and then ask about the baby.
and i gotta tell ya, the whole thing - a little surreal.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
toe-tingling action
i just spent almost 2 hours roller skating. again. woo!
i also have "boogie nights" looping in my head. as i start feeling sleepy it starts over again, almost like it's trying to scare me. BOOgie nights!
i'm exhausted but happily so because i had fun. but part of me also feels a little sad because i'm remembering the conversations i've had lately regarding hockey. and for the record those are connected because there's something called roller hockey, in case you ice fiends didn't know. ;-)
why would thinking about hockey make me feel sad? because i can't do it. and how do i know that? because a year and a half ago, i tried at one of the infamous GHATD sessions.
i never blogged about it because i was so goddamn upset over how it went down. you have no idea how much i wanted to play. even though i couldn't (can't) really ice skate, i was supremely motivated because i realized it would be a fabulous way for me to a) make friends and b) lose weight.
granted i've worked out the weight part another way. but the friends thing, that's tough. i'm not really that good at it (in general) and even worse, i'm picky. i need friends who are interesting, funny, smart, or some combination thereof. try as i might, i just can't be tight with people who are all about getting drunk and hollering. not that i don't enjoy drinking or hollering on occasion, but as a career it's not my deal.
back to hockey. so the short version of What Went Wrong is that i have a hidden disability (ick), if you will, that among other things, makes it extremely difficult for me to regulate my temperature, especially the heat. this is partially due to several surgeries for this condition, resulting in partial lymph node removals. anyway. a good 10 minutes after i finally made it onto the ice, i knew i was in trouble. because the gear was snugly covering up a good 75% of me, my heat index was going off the charts.
i can be very stubborn when i want. so i kept at it, hoping it would pass, that i was just sweating profusely because i was getting my bearings. after another 10 minutes, i had to call it and skate away, because i couldn't see. an unstoppable river was pouring off my head and into my eyes, and after 20 minutes of that, i blurrily - and angrily - made my way back to the bench and started taking off the gear. of course i immediately started feeling better, once my skin could breathe, but i was crabby beyond belief. i was glad i didn't really know anyone at that point (liz and andrea had left) because i wouldn't have been good company.
later i talked with liz about gear alternatives, but i could tell that basically, nothing was going to work for me. that kind of (skin) confined sportsmanship is just not for me. far as i can tell, that also relates to roller hockey, which my sister suggested the other day. i looked into the gear some...it would probably be a *little* better, but not much.
and i hate that. i hate that there is something about my body that's preventing me from doing what i want. what i know that i could otherwise do. i think that with experience i'd have become an awesome hockey player. but i'll never get to find out what that's like, and that sucks.
</rant >
as much as i hate this, there are such worse things i could have in my life, and i know it. for starters, at least i have use of all my limbs, so i can get out there like i did tonight. oh and, my skin condition is SO much better than it used to be. 90% of the time my only awareness of it is a daily medication, and believe me i'm incessantly grateful for that. but i guess, i finally felt ready to write about all this, so i went for it.
and really, i'll try to make my next post about last weekend and the fun i had. been too busy at work!
i also have "boogie nights" looping in my head. as i start feeling sleepy it starts over again, almost like it's trying to scare me. BOOgie nights!
i'm exhausted but happily so because i had fun. but part of me also feels a little sad because i'm remembering the conversations i've had lately regarding hockey. and for the record those are connected because there's something called roller hockey, in case you ice fiends didn't know. ;-)
why would thinking about hockey make me feel sad? because i can't do it. and how do i know that? because a year and a half ago, i tried at one of the infamous GHATD sessions.
i never blogged about it because i was so goddamn upset over how it went down. you have no idea how much i wanted to play. even though i couldn't (can't) really ice skate, i was supremely motivated because i realized it would be a fabulous way for me to a) make friends and b) lose weight.
granted i've worked out the weight part another way. but the friends thing, that's tough. i'm not really that good at it (in general) and even worse, i'm picky. i need friends who are interesting, funny, smart, or some combination thereof. try as i might, i just can't be tight with people who are all about getting drunk and hollering. not that i don't enjoy drinking or hollering on occasion, but as a career it's not my deal.
back to hockey. so the short version of What Went Wrong is that i have a hidden disability (ick), if you will, that among other things, makes it extremely difficult for me to regulate my temperature, especially the heat. this is partially due to several surgeries for this condition, resulting in partial lymph node removals. anyway. a good 10 minutes after i finally made it onto the ice, i knew i was in trouble. because the gear was snugly covering up a good 75% of me, my heat index was going off the charts.
i can be very stubborn when i want. so i kept at it, hoping it would pass, that i was just sweating profusely because i was getting my bearings. after another 10 minutes, i had to call it and skate away, because i couldn't see. an unstoppable river was pouring off my head and into my eyes, and after 20 minutes of that, i blurrily - and angrily - made my way back to the bench and started taking off the gear. of course i immediately started feeling better, once my skin could breathe, but i was crabby beyond belief. i was glad i didn't really know anyone at that point (liz and andrea had left) because i wouldn't have been good company.
later i talked with liz about gear alternatives, but i could tell that basically, nothing was going to work for me. that kind of (skin) confined sportsmanship is just not for me. far as i can tell, that also relates to roller hockey, which my sister suggested the other day. i looked into the gear some...it would probably be a *little* better, but not much.
and i hate that. i hate that there is something about my body that's preventing me from doing what i want. what i know that i could otherwise do. i think that with experience i'd have become an awesome hockey player. but i'll never get to find out what that's like, and that sucks.
</rant >
as much as i hate this, there are such worse things i could have in my life, and i know it. for starters, at least i have use of all my limbs, so i can get out there like i did tonight. oh and, my skin condition is SO much better than it used to be. 90% of the time my only awareness of it is a daily medication, and believe me i'm incessantly grateful for that. but i guess, i finally felt ready to write about all this, so i went for it.
and really, i'll try to make my next post about last weekend and the fun i had. been too busy at work!
Monday, November 13, 2006
from the this-isn't-really-a-surprise department
Your results:
You are Data
Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character am I?" quiz...
thanks, samantha, for encouraging my quiz sickness! ;-)
You are Data
| Even though you are a genius you are always striving to be better.  |
Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character am I?" quiz...
thanks, samantha, for encouraging my quiz sickness! ;-)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
heaven in a cupcake
i'll write more about my day of (good) adventure tomorrow, or monday when i imagine i'll upload my pics to flickr, but for now i have to say:
the most amazing food EVER graced my mouth this afternoon. what was it? it was a PB affair cupcake from love at first bite up in bezerkley.
their definition of PB affair: devil's food chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter buttercream, topped with Reese's peanut buttercup
my definition: OH. MY. GOD.
seriously. if you are ever up that way, you must go. it's cheap and, as i said in my headline, it's heaven in a cupcake.
the most amazing food EVER graced my mouth this afternoon. what was it? it was a PB affair cupcake from love at first bite up in bezerkley.
their definition of PB affair: devil's food chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter buttercream, topped with Reese's peanut buttercup
my definition: OH. MY. GOD.
seriously. if you are ever up that way, you must go. it's cheap and, as i said in my headline, it's heaven in a cupcake.
Friday, November 10, 2006
finally, some good news
i take so much comfort in the fact that i'm a word nerd.
| Your Vocabulary Score: A |
 Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. |
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
bubbles' roundup
before i forget and get lost in this entirely-too-long entry, thanks to everyone who voted on the wallpaper! i think ultimately i'll go back to laura ingalls, because she's just adorable, but for the moment i actually have this tiled because i found it when i was trying to restore laura. and that amused me even MORE.
tonight i hear only the sounds of the keyboard and the laundry machine. what's so different about that? haven't i been alone for weeks? no, because from last thursday to today, i had visitors. ok fine it was family but still, i was glad to have some company.
and who visited was my sister, brother-in-law...and their new male companion. that's right -- a triad are they. and in related family news, while my sister was here she told me that when my parents were younger (when i was less than 3 or so) THEY WERE POLY.
good grief. no wonder this shit has come up for me, even though i've never heard my parents talk about it. for obvious reasons i've talked with my sister about it quite a bit. despite her impudence, she's actually very thoughtful and smart. just like me! sometimes.
anyway, the four of us had a great time! friday i introduced them to pepper lunch and toffee crack. friday night we played one of my most favorite games, beyond balderdash. or as liz called it when i described it to her: NUTS, the board game.
i really like that. anyway some of our fake answers are too good not to share:
mehari: a japanese device used to insert frosting into shellfish
poppism: philosophy centered in the belief that mary poppins is the most righteous bitch around
yeevil: something so evil, you just have to say yes
we kept working in these words the rest of the weekend. especially yeevil and the shellfish frosting. damn. and no i can't tell you what the real definitions are! besides, i like ours better.
saturday we mostly chilled -- watched some movies, etc. sunday we went to santa cruz. had some decent seafood, spent too much money at logos, accessorized our phones, and i tried YET AGAIN (more on that later) to find some new pants. i did not succeed, however i did get a cheap winter shirt at urban outfitters.
after killing half a day downtown we needed some food. they wanted to go somewhere cheap but filling. hmm. santa cruz diner sucks. i forgot about denny's but did remember lyon's in capitola. yes, the one of Stuffed Toy Armadillo fame!
off we went, and damn if the food wasn't slower than clearcase. however, once we got it, it was surprisingly tasty and one entree included unlimited french fries. all you can eat! and because we got busy playing the adult mad libs i scored at urban o, there was so, so much french fry consumption. and giggling. we must've been there almost three hours between the slow service and mad libs.
monday they were due to leave, but got wrapped up in laundry and other stuff so decided to move their departure to today. which was great because, since i had a shitty day monday, they took me to sonoma chicken coop for dinner. that place is so yummy, both the food and the atmosphere, that it really did help.
monday was stressful for a lot of reasons but since this post is getting long enough, i'll only mention one stressor: min's car rental. let's just say, the date of her return is wrong and they're being assholes about it. hello, she tried to correct the date with you before she left, and she's in minnesota now so you're not getting your car back tomorrow. but enough on that. i should be winding down. :-p
so, the pants thing -- recently i hit the 85-lb loss mark. go me! the downside is that all but one pair of my pants are too big. naturally i've had some warning on this, so for the last, hmm, 2 weeks i've been looking for replacements. went to target, kohls, old navy, urban outfitters and somewhere else i think. NOBODY had the right size -- either too small, too big, or my favorite -- too long. yeah i am not tall, i get that. but do all the pants have to be for giants??
over the weekend i had the idea to go to macy's. a real department store. i mentioned this to min, lover of thrift stores, today and so of course she said, go to the thrift store!
well it's a good thing i did, because otherwise i'd have gotten no pants tonight! but i did find one pair that worked, thank goodness. since i was determined to have more than two pairs total, i then went to both macy's at valley fair, zooming around because it was almost 9pm already and they closed at 930.
the guy's AND women's sections were a total bust. however - get this - the juniors section was not. anyway, wow, they have a shitload of jeans in their jrs section. so i took ten billion pairs to try on...and a few of them did fit. but they also looked so friggin stupid because apparently (i don't spend time looking at kids enough) The Look is to have jeans fit great at the waist, be almost skintight from your thigh to part of your calf and then bell out like bananas at the ankle.
yeah that is not my look.
the good news (i HOPE) is that, i'm a size smaller than i realized. so i think i'm going to try target again and troll more thrift stores this weekend. if anyone out there knows of good stores (SF to east bay, or even santa cruz) please gimme holler. i reeeeeally would like to get another 2 pairs and be done. :-)
and with that, i'm done for now. go grab a cookie or something, a reward for reading this whole entry!
tonight i hear only the sounds of the keyboard and the laundry machine. what's so different about that? haven't i been alone for weeks? no, because from last thursday to today, i had visitors. ok fine it was family but still, i was glad to have some company.
and who visited was my sister, brother-in-law...and their new male companion. that's right -- a triad are they. and in related family news, while my sister was here she told me that when my parents were younger (when i was less than 3 or so) THEY WERE POLY.
good grief. no wonder this shit has come up for me, even though i've never heard my parents talk about it. for obvious reasons i've talked with my sister about it quite a bit. despite her impudence, she's actually very thoughtful and smart. just like me! sometimes.
anyway, the four of us had a great time! friday i introduced them to pepper lunch and toffee crack. friday night we played one of my most favorite games, beyond balderdash. or as liz called it when i described it to her: NUTS, the board game.
i really like that. anyway some of our fake answers are too good not to share:
mehari: a japanese device used to insert frosting into shellfish
poppism: philosophy centered in the belief that mary poppins is the most righteous bitch around
yeevil: something so evil, you just have to say yes
we kept working in these words the rest of the weekend. especially yeevil and the shellfish frosting. damn. and no i can't tell you what the real definitions are! besides, i like ours better.
saturday we mostly chilled -- watched some movies, etc. sunday we went to santa cruz. had some decent seafood, spent too much money at logos, accessorized our phones, and i tried YET AGAIN (more on that later) to find some new pants. i did not succeed, however i did get a cheap winter shirt at urban outfitters.
after killing half a day downtown we needed some food. they wanted to go somewhere cheap but filling. hmm. santa cruz diner sucks. i forgot about denny's but did remember lyon's in capitola. yes, the one of Stuffed Toy Armadillo fame!
off we went, and damn if the food wasn't slower than clearcase. however, once we got it, it was surprisingly tasty and one entree included unlimited french fries. all you can eat! and because we got busy playing the adult mad libs i scored at urban o, there was so, so much french fry consumption. and giggling. we must've been there almost three hours between the slow service and mad libs.
monday they were due to leave, but got wrapped up in laundry and other stuff so decided to move their departure to today. which was great because, since i had a shitty day monday, they took me to sonoma chicken coop for dinner. that place is so yummy, both the food and the atmosphere, that it really did help.
monday was stressful for a lot of reasons but since this post is getting long enough, i'll only mention one stressor: min's car rental. let's just say, the date of her return is wrong and they're being assholes about it. hello, she tried to correct the date with you before she left, and she's in minnesota now so you're not getting your car back tomorrow. but enough on that. i should be winding down. :-p
so, the pants thing -- recently i hit the 85-lb loss mark. go me! the downside is that all but one pair of my pants are too big. naturally i've had some warning on this, so for the last, hmm, 2 weeks i've been looking for replacements. went to target, kohls, old navy, urban outfitters and somewhere else i think. NOBODY had the right size -- either too small, too big, or my favorite -- too long. yeah i am not tall, i get that. but do all the pants have to be for giants??
over the weekend i had the idea to go to macy's. a real department store. i mentioned this to min, lover of thrift stores, today and so of course she said, go to the thrift store!
well it's a good thing i did, because otherwise i'd have gotten no pants tonight! but i did find one pair that worked, thank goodness. since i was determined to have more than two pairs total, i then went to both macy's at valley fair, zooming around because it was almost 9pm already and they closed at 930.
the guy's AND women's sections were a total bust. however - get this - the juniors section was not. anyway, wow, they have a shitload of jeans in their jrs section. so i took ten billion pairs to try on...and a few of them did fit. but they also looked so friggin stupid because apparently (i don't spend time looking at kids enough) The Look is to have jeans fit great at the waist, be almost skintight from your thigh to part of your calf and then bell out like bananas at the ankle.
yeah that is not my look.
the good news (i HOPE) is that, i'm a size smaller than i realized. so i think i'm going to try target again and troll more thrift stores this weekend. if anyone out there knows of good stores (SF to east bay, or even santa cruz) please gimme holler. i reeeeeally would like to get another 2 pairs and be done. :-)
and with that, i'm done for now. go grab a cookie or something, a reward for reading this whole entry!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
decisions, decisions
today liz and i were talking and somehow an old favorite came up. when i saw it over on her second monitor, i thought: that would make a great wallpaper!
i had that up, and it was nice. but then i remembered a newer goodie and thought, hmmmm. would that be too much as a wallpaper?
at first glance, the choice seems obvious -- hamster. but as i was thinking about it, i brought up another window and only got slivers of laura smiling at me.
such a tough decision now. adorable hamster or adorable child star? please feel free to vote via comments.
i had that up, and it was nice. but then i remembered a newer goodie and thought, hmmmm. would that be too much as a wallpaper?
at first glance, the choice seems obvious -- hamster. but as i was thinking about it, i brought up another window and only got slivers of laura smiling at me.
such a tough decision now. adorable hamster or adorable child star? please feel free to vote via comments.
damn
sometimes i forget just HOW tasty the Toffee Crack is. until i have it again, and the first thing i do is moan. just a little one, but to be sure, it happens.
i love you, TC!
i love you, TC!
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