dissonance

Futile attempt

The Do's

1. Regularly update this blog AND the knitting blog.
2. Go to driving range.
3. Read 4 books.
4. Go to 4 concerts.
5. Update the PearBudget on a regular basis.
6. Learn to cook 5 simple dinner recipes.  Actual recipes. Not just mixing and frying stuff in the fridge with rice.
7. Learn to bake 1 simple dessert recipe.
8. Be more thoughtful of other people's needs.
9. Indulge my growing interest in knitting.
10. Induldge my growing interest in Don.

The Don't's

1. Don't exceed 150 bloglines feeds.
2. Don't buy more undies when faced with laundry crisis.
3. Don't watch tv for more than 2 hours at a time even with knitting in hand. (Knit nights with girls excluded.)
4. Don't be afraid.

Way more do's than don't's just because I like to stay positive.  Admittedly, it's a lot more resolutions than last year, but I think they're pretty manageable.  Note the lack of any excercise/eating resolutions.  I would much rather learn to make cheesecake than tell myself not to eat it.

Have a safe one e'rebody!

A week of updates

Lots of updating, lots of pics.

Before I went home, Vix threw a Christmas party (where I learned that it's nice not to be a host and just get drunkenly at someone else's establishment)

There was a gift exchange, this being one of the more popular gifts.

I don't remember much after this, but I did wake up to a variety of tatoos all over my legs (and toes) courtesy of Sharpies and drunk fools.  Vengeance is mine, bitches!

I drove up to SF last Thursday and had a bit of a high school reunion Friday night.  I met up with a lot of high school friends.

And then Christmas as my cousin's house.  The family hasn't gotten all together in years so it was really cool.  Most of my cousins remembered who I was.  Some of us had to get re-acquainted (turns out your memory for faces is not so good at age 3).  I was also introduced to a new tradition of a unique way to proclaim especially prized presents:

And it works for clothes too!

Given that standard, I think everyone liked my gifts.  Okay okay so you're supposed to wear them on your head but everyone told me they liked them.  At least to my face.

On monday, right before I drove back down to San Diego, Tedmond, Angela and I got together for our yearly meet up where we exchange gifts we are fully aware of receiving.  We send each other requests before-hand and in some instances accompany the gift giver during purchase (to make sure they get it right).  Hey it works for me.  We had a great lunch at the yum-tastic Crepevine and afterwards I taught my mom how to use a digital camera.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

More pics in this years holiday album.

Women of the Bible

I picked up a special issue of U.S. News: Women of the Bible and just finished it last night (magazines make for great knit-reading cause they lie flat).  It was a great read!  I bought it because I had just seen a preview for The Da Vinci Code and... well I don't want to give away the plot but it caught by eye.

I've always been very dissatisfied with how poorly women have been represented in the Bible.  I'm sure most people will agree that the Bible is very mysoginistic.  How is half the Bible reading population supposed to be inspired if we're represented as sinners, harlots, temptresses, manipulators, and weak willed subordinates?  I remember someone (my mom?) once gave me a book of saints and I used to pore over it selectively reading about all the women martyrs and I thought they were so cool because they were so pretty (in the illustrations), and pure, and good.  Nevermind that they were all basically murdered via stoning or some other gruesome end.  I kid you not, I was probably about 8.  Trippy.

Anyway, this special edition was a pretty good read.  I think the analysis of these figures was pretty thorough and objective, getting input from a variety of sources including Rabbis and feminists. I thought the articles on Eve, Delilah, and Mary Magdalene to be the best of the bunch.  It even had a blurb about The Da Vinci Code.  I'd recommend it, even if you're not religious just because it was good historical reading and helped put a spin on conventional thought.

Edit:
GMail just gave me a wonderfully apropos quote - "There are no facts, only interpretations" (Nietzsche) 

The monkey, he was good

Re: King Kong

It does not bode well when I feel that the CG ape deserves a Golden Globe more than the human actors. (I know, King Kong has a human driving him behind the scenes. But you know what I mean.)

Jack Black - Anchorman has ruined him for me.  I kept waiting for him to say "That's how I roll".
Adrien Brody - meh.  I like him (thought he was awesome in The Jacket) but in this movie, meh.
Naomi Watts - Beautiful.  Her eyes well up right on cue.  And that's all I have to say about her, 'cause that's all they gave me.

Don't get me wrong.  The movie is a visual triumph for Peter Jackson. Jaw-dropping, inventive, imaginative, epic, blargity blargh blargh, etc.  This is a movie theater must see cause it ain't gonna cut it on your 36" tube (woah, whaa?).  But I felt a little hollow about all the characters except for Kong... but maybe that's the point.

Up and comings:
Memoirs of a Geisha - I'm both excited and wary as is always true for movie renditions of much loved books (and it's not looking good).
Pride and Prejudice - Ditto (but it's already gotten good reviews)
Fun with Dick and Jane - Been interested in Carey ever since Truman Show and a fan since Eternal Sunshine, and it's nice to see him back in comedy.
Brokeback Mountain - I admit, I don't really want to see it, but I feel like I should.  Maybe I'll just read the book it's from.

There. Happy?

I have removed Ringback Tones.

Cheers,
"Bob"
______________________________

_______________
From: Mimsie
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 1:04 PM
To:   "Bob the phone guy at work"

Subject:      Ringback tone

Hello,
For the past couple of weeks now, when people call my phone it plays some sort of recording ("Please enjoy this music while your party is being reached") and then plays music (really annoying elevator crap, why can't it play some Kelly Clarkson, I got a reputation to maintain instead of a normal ringing tone).
I never set this.  I tried calling Verizon customer support and they were useless said that since it is a business account, I would not be able to change this setting/service.  Could you please turn it off for
me because everyone who calls me asks me what the fuck is up with my ringtone and it's getting monotonous? Thanks.

-mi

Better than a lanyard

Had another knit night last night.  Apart from it being fun and productive, Robin brought this nifty little item a neighbor dropped off the other day:

It's counting down by the millisecond, days until the next election.  I generally don't have a lot of political thoughts but here's some that run through my head:

• Has there ever been a president that people were so adamant about seeing leave?
• I love that this is a country that this sort of thing can be freely distributed.
• I think it's really really amusing they cut off his head to display the time.  Not so much for the Bush-bashing aspect, but that's just piss poor design.  (or maybe really clever)
• This thing is $8.95.  $8.95!!!  I could be a ri0ch bi0tch right about now, why didn't I think of it first?

You like to shop, we get it

Sometimes I feel that I'm battling conflicting future selves.

Self 1: Jet Setting Career Superwoman
This is when I dream about living in a highly metropolitan area in a chic condo.  I'd travel a lot, shop for cool clothes, and eat fancy food.  Although this sounds *fun*, it also seems like it'd be a pretty hollow and superficial life.

Self 2: Career mom
I'd be juggling the kids, the husband, the house, and still manage to keep a sense of self through a satisfying career.  I see a lot of people do this right now, but I just don't know if I have it in me to be able to do it all.  Something has to suffer doesn't it?  And I bet it would be the shopping.

Self 3: Stay at home mom
This is where I think there would be nothing better than to hang out with my kids all day, have a nice house in the 'burbs, and throw awesome dinner parties.  But this sounds like it involves some cleaning and cooking. And I bet most of the shopping is at grocery stores.

Can anyone really *decide* what kind of life they're going to have? Or maybe we choose our paths subconsiously because we are drawn toward it.

Lounge acts

Saturday was my work's holiday party.  Don't tell certain people, but I enjoyed myself more at this one than the Marine Corps Ball (actually, I heard Don mention he had more fun at this party also).  First of all, I knew about 1000% more people (yup, that's 3 zeroes).  The food was better.  And the bars hardly had a line (woohoo!).

The evening started out calm enough, even cute you might say:

But Vicki followed through and livened things up.

Others took the cue, and after a bit of flirting some people even scored.

I eventually re-claimed what was rightfully mine, but it took some effort.

More pics in the album.

Small Percentage of Actual Meat

I love SPAM.  It reminds me of my childhood.  If we had nothing else to eat, there was always fried Spam with rice and kimchee.  Oooh, I drool just thinking about it.

GMail now has this nifty RSS feed going across the top of my message list that displays randomness throughout the day.  I subscribed to some recipe sites and just this afternoon, there's some sort of Spam-fest going on.  Anyway, these sound lovely to me and I thought I'd share for any others who harbor a secret liking to that wonderfully sodium and fat clogged concoction.

French Fry Spam Casserole:  Sounds like a great Carne Asada Fries alternative, and just as healthy!  The crushed cornflakes just add a touch of class, don't you think?
Spam Fajitas: Because chicken breast is not cheap.
Savory Spam Crescents: No really, this sounds good.  Use cubed ham if you're going to be a snob about it.
Spam Skillet Casserole: This recipe uses Thyme.  THYME!  You know it's legit.

Amazon, that cunning fox

I love Amazon. Ithink I did about 85% of my Christmas shopping last night.  Yup, the internet is back at home and nevermind what I said about maybe not needing it.  I was indeed drunk when I wrote that rubbish. Internet is joyous. Internet is loverly.  Internet is right.

Cable is good too, makes the knitting less quiet.

The only problem with my Amazon order is that I am a cheap bastard and by selecting free shipping all my items are now coming in 5 separate packages.  It is now 12 Shipping Days Before I Go Home (an old holiday classic) and really, this is not the moment to be playing roulette with time.

To further the suspense, the estimated shipping date for my last package is December 21.  I am driving to SF December 22.  This package is a present for my mom and dad.  There is this very real possibility that I may have to ship it to them, after it is shipped to me, when I could very well have picked up the stupid $20 pedometer at a nearby sports store.  But they don't tell you these things when you order. They just blind you with flirty comments like "FREE Super Saver Shipping".