Secret online diary

Thanks, Seattle!

2006-06-20T23:47:00.000-07:00

First of all,

THANK YOU to all the folk who made it to my farewell / birthday drinks at Chapel. I had a wonderful time and drank myself into a stupor. ROCK!

For those who didn't make it, the only way you can make it up to me is via American Express Travelers Cheques. Look into it. har.

I am abandoning my secret online diary for a little while to author my travel blog- www.yankinaus.blogspot.com Please go there for all your sarcastic needs.

Prior to hopping on my 14 hour flight down unda, I went to Vegas with some good friends (that's us playing UNO in our Cabana. Posh, eh?). I won a nice amount of change at the tables (don't tell my Mom) and got a good tan. On our last night there we ate at Bouchon for my birthday. Nice way to break into my life in Aus.

Special shout out to Brendan, Ben and Ann who saw me off on my last day with a wonderful Italian dinner and birthday cake. (middle picture, note the wildebeest hair) Thanks Kids!

Latina POWER!

2006-05-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

I have been a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy from the very beginning, and I have always thought that the cast was so diverse. HOLLA! But, I was so pleased to see Sara Ramierz get a regular part on the show. A lot of people don't know that she won a Tony last year for her role in Spamalot as the Lady of the Lake. She's the bomb. And its good to see a latina play a real role instead of always being the "femme fatale". Now, I am just waiting for her to start showing up in my US Weekly. The seasons are reversed in Aus, so I will be watching season 2 all over again when I get there. Hurrah!

This is my last week at work. Kind of weird, but just as I was going to settle into the nothingness of it- BAM!- tons of stuff to do. *sigh* When I quit I will have worked there for exactly 1 year! I am trying to pass the torch onto the newbies...bad habits, shortcuts, who to ignore, who to befriend... and in the end, I will choose one lucky person to be new keeper of Ralph, the plant. Big responsibility!!

now staring...uh, Clay Aiken?

2006-05-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

In between watching Lost last night, I glimpsed at American Idol. They had a lot of "stars" on! It was jam packed with odd goodness. Prince? Mary J Blige? Anyways, does anyone remember when Garth Brooks went a little loco, and decided to do an experimental character called Chris Gaines? Now, flash forward to AI last night, and Clay Aiken's new look. Ring a bell, anyone?

DubTF?!?!

2006-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

So in between helping B paint last night, I managed to glipse at American Idol. Dude. How did these two get to the end? Lets hope the winner breaks out of the cheesy mold as quickly as they can, because there was a lot of two rate Vegas Style karaoke happening. *sigh*

The downside of not having cable is the fact that I miss one of my favorite shows, Best Week Ever, on VH1. Luckily, they sometimes have clips online. They really out did themselves last night.

The Gods must be LOVIN' me....

2006-05-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

....right now. I have somehow managed to have my magazines shipped to Aus! Hurray! I thought it would cost a few million dollars in shipping, as some of the mags are weekly, but nope, its FREE! Glorious FREE! Well, unless I renew, and then it's like gazillion dollars. Fine with me! As long as I get the rest of my current subscriptions for no extra cost, I will super happy!

yay!... (cut to me dancing in the street with glee!)

Getting it together

2006-05-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yay! We have found a place to live. Its in the northern beaches area of Sydney. I found a link to the area making it sound all glamorous. R keeps on paying it out saying it's not that great, but these people seem to think so.

Also, on the good news tip, there is a car in sight now! I will make sure to send piccies of me ackwardly driving a car on the wrong side of the road. Ha, ha!

slooooowly going mad

2006-05-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

I have been slowly going mad for years now. No doubt! But this past week has been like that scene in "the shining" where Wendy goes up to the typrewriter that Jack has been using and sees that he has been typing 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' over and over. I fear that if anyone looks at my work, they'll be like "she's lost it". Basically, I am saying I haven't done shiz for weeks now. *sigh* Save me a place in room 237.

I have not even started to pack for my trip to Aus. Oh shit, I had better get on it!

Baw-ston! (The tale of a Boston walking tour)

2006-05-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wonders of a modern device called an iPod, my hommie Ben, has created a pod cast. Not just any 'ol podcast, but a self guided walking tour of the historic 'freedom trail' in Boston.

If you are ever in the great land of tea parties and Aerosmith, download it and do the tour!

Get it here! http://web.mac.com/bostonteapirate

Plagiarists beware!!

2006-05-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Poor Kaavya Vishvanathan. She is really getting the boot for being inspired by others.

It kind pisses me off though, because I had her book on hold at the library before all this mayhem, and now, I will NEVER see it. I will have to check out the black market to even look at it. Crazy, huh?

On a recent trip home...

2006-04-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

I got to go home (Chicago) for Easter weekend and had such a good time. I never really have too many expectations when I go home because I have family obligations, and when we get together, it's great to see everyone, but it's still work to do all that 'visiting'. If you come from a large family, you know what I am talking about... Anyways, I managed to spend some time with my 15 year old niece (!!!!) in the loop. Because I have been away from Chicago for 5 years now, I have missed out on all the larger improvements that Mayor Daley has done. The image at right is one of them- a huge waterfront park- Millennium Park. It has several areas, and this is the Crown Fountain. It has a range of faces that appear on the screen and then it proceeds to spit out water at different areas. Delightful!

Seattle definitely needs more centralized open areas like this.

My dream job!

2006-04-06T12:23:00.001-07:00

If you know me, you know that my dream job is to be a professional critic/reviewer. A BITCHY professional critic/reviewer. So, imagine the sheer heaven of finding this website- http://www.pajiba.com/. So tasty! Really satisfies the palate.

I have been listening to the funniest book on tape- How I paid for College- A Novel of Theft, Sex, Friendship & Musical Theater. I am in stitches at work. I would insert a personal review of it, but I can’t even begin to, its so funny. I think the title speaks for itself and if you enjoy any of above, you will like it. A lot.

Congrats Kristen and Rebecca!

2006-04-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristen & her partner Rebecca had a commitment ceremony a few weeks ago. The theme was Carnival! and took place on the Sundial at Gasworks Park. It was a beautiful day and such a fun spectacle to be a part of! Congratulations!!

Thinking en francaise

2006-03-17T23:23:00.000-08:00

I was watching an episode of a well known television show where a main character goes to France. There was, of course, all this build up where said character had to learn the language, etc. What I noticed most wasn't the fish out of water moments this character had,but the emotional barriers. I know that all (okay MOST) humans are capable of feeling emotion- anger, sadness, joy, peace, but do we all experience these things differently due to our cultures? Of course, I have thought of this before, and the easy and obvious answer is yes. When taking French or Spanish classes (or any other I am sure) we are told to snap out of thinking phrases in literal translation. However, there are so many subtle nuances to emotions. I just find it terribly fascinating that every bit of our culture seeps into who we are as people. How we love, how we speak, how we truly express ourselves. I sometimes find myself admiring people for how calm and cool they are, and hating others for being horribly boring, but I have to remind myself that I would have a much more droll existence were it not for them. Its these reactions that help me weed out whom I want to spend more time with- or avoid completely.

I have never been comfortable being the wide eyed American(or any other American myth- that we talk loud, use our hands a lot, speak with full mouths and we don't know how to behave in foreign countries). Truth is, I find folks from other countries unbelievable fascinating, but I am unwilling to fawn over them or ask them the 5 W questions. (BTW, I hate the 5Ws. I think they are unimaginative and eyeroll worthy. I always try for another way to broach a convo. I save the dubyas as a last ditch effort at conversation.) I like to connect with these people via our likenesses or major differences. Its my own personal sociology/anthropological study. I should have written a thesis on "emotion in another language". I bet I would have gotten a B.

The county of KING

2006-03-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

I was reading the other day, how King County will be changing it's logo from a crown to the image of Martin Luther King. It's taken the county ten years to do this. The county had decided changed the origin of "King" from a stuffy old vice president to one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. Seattle Times did an article on it....

I have mixed feelings about the logo change. It would be powerful to see his image everywhere- but at the same time, I think that the current logo will do. We could use the money saved to make this big change and do something worthwhile with it. The money that will be used to reprint business cards, letterhead, and the sides of buses could be used in better ways, like say, to fund programs Dr. King might have supported. Affordable housing, more funding for public schools. Just a thought....

the ev-ail of Netflix

2006-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

I canceled my Netflix account because, I thought I was getting screwed over. Turns out, I WAS!! :(

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/10/netflix.penalty.ap/index.html

You're money baby.

2005-12-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, part deux.

I took my scared ass(I hate flying) to Vegas this week to visit with two very good friends. It's amazing how easily I fall back into hanging with these guys. Its like going home... we have decided to make an annual go of it. Maybe not Vegas, but a specific trip with the plan of meeting up with each other to catch up without the strings of being in Chicago. (where we are from and have to contend with when we are all in town- parents, siblings, etc..)

Sam chose the hotel, and it was just beautiful. I highly recommed THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. The best boutique hotel I have ever stayed in. Unlike the W, it's actually got plenty of room and boasts a living room, a flat panel television in every room, 2 bathrooms (love the soaking tub) and a nice view of the strip. We also partook THEhotel's inhouse spa- Bathhouse. Ask for Randy, he does swedish massage. It rocked. The spa had private baths, a "hot" pool (large jacuquzi), a cold pool, sauna, beverage service, the list goes on and on. It was so nice. The hotel's services were good, but not great. They took almost an hour to deliver a cheese and cracker spread.

Goud convinced us head over to downtown LV where the minimums are much lower and you can play for ages. It was true, Goud played for ages on little money down.

We went to a few places to drink, etc, but I am defintely over Tangerine at TI. So effing crowded, with no crowd control. It's very hard to really dance on the dance floor because there is a constant flow of people coming and going, surging you to and fro. It got to be a little much, so we moved on for the night...

It was amazing how well I did on little sleep over the past 3 days. The only downside to staying at such a nice hotel, is all you want to do is stay in and order room service. Maybe next time, that's all I will do!

In one word- Brilliant.

2005-12-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

Who thought of this? Tight.

www.pimpmynutcracker.com

200 CDs, 6 tanks of gas, 3 trips to Taco Bell, 2 trips to McDonalds, 2 Starbucks stops and one new experience later…..

2005-11-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have just accomplished a serious rite of passage, the long haul road trip. My friend Hyon has been living in the San Fran/Sacto area of California for two years now, and I still had not visited him. Desperately wanting a change of pace from Seattle, I decided to make the journey, in my car, to San Francisco. I knew that 13 hours of driving was going to be rough, but WOW, what a drive. I have been on other long road trips to Florida, Texas, Mexico, etc… but never alone. This time it was just me, The Beast (my huge SUV) and 200 cds.

At my highest point I was reveling in the majesty of the Northern California mountain range, the Cascades, thinking how beautiful it is. At my lowest point, I felt like I was in a moving solitary confinement cell. Being alone with your thoughts for 13 hours can be daunting. Props to the Adopt a highway people between central Oregon and most of Northern Cali. Those highways were pristine!

Once I finally got to Vacaville (pop. 97,000 and growing by the minute) I immediately wanted to take a loooooong nap. Hyon set me up with a blankie, the remote control to his home theatre system (it was immense) and I relaxed that night. I didn't get my turkey dinner, but I was too tired to eat anyways.

The next day it was off to San Francisco to finally see what it’s all about. Because Hyon drove, we saw most of the bay facing area of the city from the car- Fisherman's Wharf, the piers. We went straight to the Golden Gate Bridge, walking it, taking photos. I felt bad thinking about that Hyon has probably done this a thousand times, but it was definitely interesting to check it out and feel the sway of the bridge. I am finally beginning to understand how the Bay Area is laid out- we drove through Sausalito on the way back into the city and paid the crazy toll to get back in. Our toll booth collector was a cop with a bullet proof vest on. Makes me think Bay Area dwellers don't like tolls much. Heh.

We inadvertently spent most of our time in the Haight Ashbury area. We meant to walk it and check other things out, but ended up shopping like mad! First stop was So Good jewelry- loads of cheap to mid-priced rings, necklaces, earrings. I had to exercise some extreme discipline here. Then off to Bia’s Organic Café for lunch. They had these cool window seats made into booths, so it was fun to people watch. After that we really just roamed and shopped. The coolest place was kidRobot. They have loads of kitschy Japanese figurines with huge followings. The place was PACKED! It was fun to check out all the art. Hyon became facinated with these figurines that come in mystery boxes. He didn’t get the ones he wanted; he accendentally ended up with rare ones! But determined, he went back and bought more until he got the ones he wanted!

Hyon managed to score us a hotel in Union Square. I had no idea that Union Square was the SF equivalent of the Magnificent Mile back home. It features tons of department stores and chain stores (H&M anyone?). Our hotel was right across the street from the Macy’s Christmas tree in the center of the Square. There were thousands of people wandering around adding to the ambiance of the city. After dinner at Jimmy’s Irish pub we met up with Hyon’s friends Angela and Jenn.

I guess that the three of them have done club/bar crawls together before, so they decided to take me to a few random places throughout the city. After consulting a map, off we went in a manic taxi. It would take ages to explain the next 3 hours of drinking and dancing but basically I saw tons of transvestites, some fights and the TransAmerica building. We started out at Element Lounge, which was obviously an Asian hangout (people, not ambiance), but had a very cool atmosphere and awesome space. I hope to go back some day. We ended up at a very cheesy bar/club called “V” (or something like that) in the ‘red light district’. It was amusing to watch all the trashed frat boys/sorority girls getting down and hooking up. I would, of course, manage to find the brit posse in the crowd and end up talking to them (insert eye roll here). They were fun, but PISSED. So, most of the stuff coming out of their mouths was unintelligible. It was while standing on the corner at 2 am waiting for a taxi to take us back to our hotel that I realised that I was facing the famous TransAmerica building. Fly.

I rounded out my trip to San Fran with brekkie at a place called Daily’s Grill. Fab food, nice atmosphere. More waiters with accents. I had no idea that SF was such a foreigner hot spot to work at (nearly everyone in working in the Irish pub really was Irish).I can see why people dig San Francisco. It and Seattle have a similar feel (loads of hills, street kids and interesting shops/cafes), but SF feels more refined.

I was amazed at the grace of the buildings and the beauty of the bay. It was beautiful weather and good company. Shout out to my host Hyon (he’s single, ladies!!) and his friends Angela and Jenn. Thanks for taking me around town, ya’ll!

The great pumpkin!

2005-11-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ah, turkey time. That day of the year where eating as much as you can, and as often as you can is totally socially acceptable. I have spent every Thanksgiving since I moved here, in Seattle. Some of them were nice, others, not so nice. But I really miss my family this time of year because we do ‘eat fests’ like no other family I know. Plus, there are so many of us, that we have to eat at 4 different tables. Someone always breaks out the really silly games (Catchphrase, anyone?) and we always nap at midday. My Aunts and Mom talk (really they yell, because no one in our family knows what an indoor voice is) about who made what and how, and the guys sit around and watch the most recent action flick on DVD. I really miss it!

This year, instead of flying home (dang expensive, plus I hate to fly), I have decided to drive to California to visit a friend. I have done drives of over 6 hours by myself, but 13 hours of driving is very intimidating. But in my mind, I know it will be worth it to spend Thanksgiving with one of my oldest friends. I have known him since High School and he and I have been through some pretty interesting times together. I love that kid so much! He drove me home after school( he had a car in HS, I did not), held my hand when we were both scared on a flight from Chicago to Seattle, patronized my old Austin Powers obsession , so being with him is a bit like being with family. Except I’m not Korean and he sure ain’t blaxican!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in my thoughts this year- mi familia, the Turkish possie, Tania, BU possie (go, Candor, go!), Sam, Goud, Mr & Mrs. Smith, Lady Havisham, the Aussie possie (who enjoyed Thanksgiving immensely even thought they were not even from a country that celebrated this day), my old 6556 roommies and of course, my Papitas (who is gonna eat my leftovers on major holidays now?).

Oh, yeah now I remember why I don't go to church anymore.

2005-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Pat Robertson is a bleeding IDIOT. His statements towards the city of Dover, Penn are completely ignorant.

Not to spout out Christian propaganda, but as a former PK, I can tell you that we were taught that God is a forgiving God and that he helps anyone who calls upon his name. As a supposed minister of the Gospel, Robertson should know better. He just being a silly asshole with all his fire and brimstone statements.

The 700 network really needs to reel this dumbass in.

In defense of my SUV (an eighth grade report)

2005-11-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am now one of those assholes on the road in a big car. I spent years whining about people who owned SUVs in Seattle. My biggest problem with those drivers was that they acted like they were driving in smaller, more compact cars. Taking parking spots they don’t fit in, parking on corners, rendering a turn into a blind panic (you know what I am talking about, narrow road, making a left, but you cannot see past the huge ass car on the right-hand corner!). I believe that with great power, comes great responsibility (insert snicker here). I know it sounds silly, but it’s true. We all live in our own bubbles here with little regard as to how our vehicular actions have an effect on others.

In defense of my car, I just want to say- look at the facts. I do admit that my vehicle is a gas guzzler, and it does emit certain gases that affect the ozone. However, I think that SUVs have come to physically represent all that is “bad” in the minds of those that are environmentally conscious. I think it is entirely unfair to put the blame on SUVs.
There are plenty of ‘smaller’ cars that are just as bad when it comes to gas guzzling and pollution.

Check out autoinfo.org, you can read about the averages for some of the worst perpetrators on the road. Surprisingly, the top ten spots are not all held by SUVs.

In fact, consumer reports did a study on MPG and fuel efficiency and they found that
Hybrids, whose selling point is fuel thriftiness, had some of the biggest disparities, with fuel economy averaging 19 mpg below the EPA city rating. HA! Take that!

So before you judge my car, just remember that there are PLENTY of wolves that drive around in sheep’s clothing.

Satire at it's best- THE DAILY SHOW!!

2005-11-08T09:42:00.001-08:00

Barack Obama was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night! Very cool, but I have to say that just because you are on the show as a guest, it isn’t an automatic pass into ‘cooldom’. I mean, wasn’t Bill O’ Reilly on last week?

Anyways, it was a funny interview and Barak proved that despite the current grim situation in the Senate/White House/ House of Reps, there is hope for the future of politics among the young people of the US.

Alluding to Bush, "Iraq is sort of a situation where you've got a guy who drove the bus into the ditch. You obviously have to get the bus out of the ditch and that's not easy to do," Obama said. "Although, you should probably fire the driver."

Heh.

1-Nill, we win! Pass the colt 45 and the pork roins!

2005-10-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?!?!

2005-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

They made it to the World Series. They actually made it!!

Now onto winning it, because you know if the White Sox don't bring it home, the whole city will burn! At least according to all the people out there who think that the South Side of Chicago is chock full of nothing but hoodlums, gangsters, project housing and whole bunch of ignorant folk. All of which is a sterotype.

They even mention said sterotype on an msn.com article on the White Sox. Damn! I just tried to link to it, but it looks like they have moved the article in lieu of more positive news of the Sox.

Humm. Either way, it should be good. The only bummer is that I don't have any fellow Chicagoans here to watch the game with.

Not a fan of the public transportation!

2005-10-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Metro bus drivers really need to pick and choose their battles. This morning, I had to run to the bus. When I got up the stairs, I flashed my bus pass. As I made my way to the back of the bus, the driver starts calling out “um, EXCUSE me!” in a tone that told me he thought I was trying to SCAM my way onto the bus. So I went back up front and ran my pass through and he snidely remarked “I need to actually SEE IT”. There was no need for all that! This is the whitest whitey upper-middle class bus in Seattle, who is going to try to get the bus for free? Honestly? What an ass!

Soxtober, BAYBE!

2005-10-11T12:39:00.003-07:00

Underdogs, get ta going! The CHICAGO WHITE SOX are rocking in post-season this year. Is it gonna be a Midwest/West Coast showdown at the World Series? I sure hope so, because we haven't had anything cool come out of Chicago since Oprah went to the Emmy's a few weeks ago. (Okay, just kidding there are still plenty of cool things about Chicago, but I just want a winning sports team *WAH*)

I was a seventh grader when the Bulls took home their first Championship title (and then 3peated), and I can remember the grand loving shared by all. (queue the Queen song "We are the Champions") We need it again! We need a winning sports team, like a crackhead needs another hit! SOUTH SIDE needs another hit (and not the kind done by gansters)!!

I hope we make it so I can freeze my ass off at Comisky, have a beer & hotdogs and root my team on!! Oh, and you should pray too, because BOSTON ain't got nuttin' on pissed off South Siders from Chi-ca-GAH!

I love the library, part deux

2005-10-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

My love affair with the Seattle Public Library continues!

I was doin' my thang online at the spl. org website, when I saw that James Yee, the US Muslim chaplain accused of spying ( was subsequently cleared and freed) will be speaking at the downtown branch about his new book.

Further research into this uncovered that there will be a whole MESS of cool authors giving lectures for FREE (my second favorite word) at the Library this fall.

AWW YEAH! http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=about_news_detail&cid=1126052803343

Go see Amy Tan and Gloria Estefan, too!

Congrats!

2005-09-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Man, I am getting old. Almost all my friends are married and having kids. *sigh*

Congratulations are in order to Breck & Veronica and Omur & Kristan for William and Deniz, respectively.

My love to all of you!!

yes, yes Y-E-S!

2005-09-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

...to quote Dane Cook.

Um, someone I know found this on ebay. IT IS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE SEEN IN AGES!

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Ultimate-HippieVacation_W0QQitemZ5614695213

Check it out before it's too late! Good for a laugh.

Satire- my kind of humor.

2005-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, I like to make fun of people. Usually behind the persons back, because, hey, I don't want to hurt their feelings. I am a conciderate person like that. I enjoy the occasional ribbing too. Growing up half-black and in Chicago, you learn how to take a joke and make a comeback. Anyway, because of that I enjoy satire. It's the best!

sat·ire ( P ) Pronunciation Key (str)n.
1. A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.
The branch of literature constituting such works. See Synonyms at caricature.
2. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.

So, there is this new film coming out called My big fat independent movie. It is what it is- a film making fun of all the other "important" small films that have come out in recent years. Although the acting seems a bit corny, I think this bad boy might be the follow up to "Sorority Boys" I have been looking for!
www.mybigfatindependentmovie.com

Kanye West lost his mind?!?

2005-09-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Heh. I have been talking to people about the parallels between Kanye West's comments on the Hurricane Katrina telethon and this Saturday Night Live skit from several years ago.... both with Mike Meyers in tow.

This guy said it best: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/115794.php

hahaha! Too funny! Great minds think alike. Poor Mike Meyers, looks like life really does imitate art sometimes!

Ashlee is GROSSING me OUT!

2005-08-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to say it! I have to get it off ma chest! Can I just say that Ashlee Simpson is so fucking gross?!?! Yes, yes I can. And she is.

While watching her MTV show, you could see what a little piggy she was, she always seemed like a dirty girl to me. Not the good kind of dirty, but REAL dirt dirty. Eewww... Like the girl that always picked her nose and farted in class, but that boys like because she was hot. (sorta like Jenny McCarthy, but she always manages to look purdy, so she is safe from my dirty rath) Ashlee is always trying to look punk rock, but now that I read this article on MSN about how she "like, didn't bathe for a week... to get into the character". Fucking dirty bitch! I can smell her armpits through the computer....Okay, thats my rant for now.

Let's all write a letter....

2005-07-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

I meant to write an entry about my trip to Las Vegas in May, but I have been unable to get over the hump for some reason. I had a good time, but when it’s that damn hot out, all I want to do is lie by the pool and read. Anyways, on the last night we were there, the group went club hopping. I opted out and went to the tables at the Venetian, and the others went to Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel. I didn’t know it at the time, but the group had to wait in ‘line’ for about an hour and half before they found out they weren’t really in line and there was no way they were getting in due to the club’s exclusive status. So they all came back to our hotel and rocked out at Tangerine for the rest of night.

Fast forward to recently- Brendan wrote a letter to the COO of the Hard Rock Hotels about what went down that night. Basically, they (being the door staff) really should have let those poor people who were in line know that they were waiting for nothing. And that there was a pick and choose system in place for that night. The COO wrote back and explained to Brendan that Hard Rock doesn’t manage the club, but because he was inconvienced, he would be receiving VIP service next time he heads to the club. Wow- that’s pretty cool. It still amazes me that people actually get responses from letters/emails from the higher ups. I could go on and on about the state of service these days, but instead I’ll give bigups to the folk at the Hard Rock for going the extra mile in the end.

Now, if a letter could only solve my continuing issue with automated parking systems. I think its really fucking unfair that if you enter a parking garage at 9:02 am (when the early bird special is “in before 9am”) you have to pay the full $25. According to everyone I have spoken to on the matter, the system is fully automated and NO ONE can override it. I can understand that they have a job to do, and that job is to make money. However, it turns me off from parking there permanently. (AMPCO effing sucks, yo!) If I entered at 9:10, yeah, I could see why I was charged full fare. But in my case, I am usually behind some stupid person who takes waaay too long to press the ticket button. Geez! Well, I press on, hoping someday I’ll get to chew somebody important out.

I LOVE the library.

2005-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed the library. I find the stacks quite soothing. My job can be mindless sometimes and I have recently discovered the brillance of books on CD. I listen to about 3 books a week... so when I saw this dealy at the Seattle Public Library, I got so excited! Check it- http://www.spl.org/diveintosummerreading.html.
A free latte card if you read 3 books and turn in a mini-book report. AWESOME!

I love the library!

Monstrous search

2005-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am on a job search again. This process started a couple months ago, but I am getting nowhere, as usual. I think almost everyone goes through the same process- months of hunting, desperation sets in, which leads to utter despair that you are gonna be stuck in the same fucking job for-ev-ER, then you get an offer. You accept (even though you really aren't blown away by the position you took), just pleased that you get to move on.... and a few months later, the process starts over again. I am amazed by the people who stick with a single organization for 10 plus years. But then, most of those people don't have the ADD that our generation does. Plus, they don't give into their needs for "creativity and a challenge". That's the reason most people quit their jobs, right? "I wasn't being challenged enough..blahblahblah".

I want to leave my job because people are treated like cattle there. The best reward we get is a 'good job' email from our supervisor. People mysteriously get fired, clerks just leave, no vacation time... its getting to me. I am well aware of that fact that things could be worse, remember the non-profit I used to work for? ah, yes. things could be much, much worse....

So, back to the matter at hand, I have applied to a million various jobs, hoping someone will give me a bloody CHANCE. Just one interview. Let me show you who I am, because what you see on paper is a one dimesional byproduct of resume writing 101. You cannot trust a resume. In my current position, I have met a million wankers who have graduated from Yale, Harvard, Stanford and when you meet them, they are complete social misfits. It's like their five degrees have displaced their common sense. The worst is when your friends who have waaaaay better jobs than you try to give advice. Let the eye rolling ensue! But I know they must be doing something right, because they have that high paying, high stress job that I want.

Shit! I hope Monster.com finds me something cool.

Another year...

2005-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yay! I just celebrated my birthday last week. I got some gift cards (my favorite gift, ev-ah!), and a really nice cupcake. Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate at the Islander. (and who got me stinkin' drunk on fruity drinks)

now all I need is a new job to make the next year of my life go smoother. :)

This show RULES!

2005-05-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

I love television. There are quite a few shows that I enjoy watching and that I run home to view- The Amazing Race, the original CSI, the INFERNO on MTV. But the one show I hold dearest to my heart isn't even shown here in the states. Its an Australian show called "My Restaurant Rules". When I was in Sydney last year visiting Ryan I became completely addicted to it. Its soooo good. The premise is this: A panel of judges, each a 'pro' in their own rite, chooses five teams of two people to open restaurants in five of the major Australian cities. The show provides the money to set up shop, but each of the teams has to choose a concept, staff and set-up the restaurant. It follows each team throughout the process. Yes, it's a reality show, and the best I have seen in ages.

I loved Real World before it turned stupid with stereotypes (that all young people are confused about their lives and want to drink and screw everyone in sight), and I never really got into Survivor. I am in LOVE with the Amazing Race, but My Restaurant Rules is awesome because its real reality. And it isn't even made here in the States, where all the (supposed) "good shows" come from! These teams are straight up opening these restaurants, no mirrors, no smoke. You can see how hard they work to make it happen. The bonus of being on the show is that the restaurants get some good publicity, so getting people in to eat isn't as difficult for these people that if it were a normal place to eat. But everything else is hard, hard work on their part. The judges come back a few more times to critique each of the restaurants, and they choose the restaurants that will go through the first round of the public vote. From then on the public gets to vote on which restaurant they want to see stay in business. This will happen time and time again until it's down to the final two restaurants.

Its fun to watch because Aussies are so damn loyal to where they come from. Brisbane vs. Sydney! Adelaide vs. Perth! MEOW! The restaurants really do a lot to rally and recieve the local vote. Its great when the competition really heats up and the restaurants start to send staff to the other states/locations to wreak havoc. Lots of goofty shit happens. There is real emotion there too. For these people, its not a easy win to a million bucks (or in their case $100,000 & the restaurant they created), its hard work and there are NO alliances*. Good stuff to watch.

Curious? If you ever in Australia it's on channel Seven. Check it at www.seven.com.au/mrr

*okay, looks like there ended up being an alliance during the girl's review tour. GRRR!

The tragedy that is Seattle drivers

2005-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Can someone please tell me what the hell is wrong with Seattle drivers? If you live in Seattle- you KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT! For a city that prides itself on it’s generosity and ‘self-awareness’, we sure do have a lot of dumb-ass drivers. I could come up with a grocery list of things that seem to have been left out of the Washington State Rules of the Road. For example: When you are getting ready to turn, or switch lanes- TURN ON YOUR INDICATOR. How fucking hard is it? It’s right there, next to the steering wheel! Once you think you are going to move over a lane, have you even looked to see if there is a car there? Oh, those white dashed lines on the road- yup, they actually MEAN SOMETHING!

Slow drivers, what the hell are you thinking about? How you’re going to spend your REI dividend on a new Nalgene bottle? WTF?!?! DRIVE FOR GOD’S SAKE! There is a speed limit posted for a reason! Oh, and if you want to turn and you are in a single lane, drive a couple of blocks up to catch a proper turning lane and a light, because YES, you are blocking a million cars from getting where they are going. (Bastards on 50th and 65th Ave NE, you know who you are).

I think Seattle drivers are the most selfish motherfuckers on the face of the earth. Have you see the nightly news recently? I cannot believe how many “road rage” accidents there have been lately. Seriously, if you are in car, YOU MUST BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU. It’s not just about YOU in YOUR CAR. What you do effects others, especially in this city of sucky public transportation and tons of single car drivers. Use your peripheral vision to see if there are any cars that are trying to turn/get out of driveways. Actually use your horn (GASP! My HORN?) to let people know you are coming out of any alleyway, or honk if someone is veering into your lane. If you are on a two lane highway- the right lane is for drivers going the speed limit, and the left lane is FOR PASSING! Not for driving slow, and blocking others in, but for passing cars. Once you have passed the car, you get back into the right hand lane and go. DON’T STAY IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. Damn! Basic rule.

Might I suggest we all brush up on the rules of the road? The state licensing committee needs to reformat their tests too, to ask relevant questions. I had to take the test in Washington State, and it has the most stupid questions that seem so far removed from what’s really important. Good job on giving licenses to people who can remember that you are supposed to turn on your headlights 30 minutes following the sunset! Hurrah! Good to know, but not what I want to see on a test that gives permission to basically be a menace on the road!

Those of us not born and bred in this great state have an obligation to lecture and educate our local friends (but only if they are awful drivers. I find that most of the offending drivers are primarily from Seattle proper, and not its outlying provinces) about all the dumb ass shit they are doing while on the road. Help make this a safer state for anyone who drives (and those who bike, too).

So Home Ec!

2005-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I was online looking for a place in Seattle to take a sewing class at. I tried all the usual suspects- the two community colleges, a few fabric stores, the art institute and I got nothin’! The few places that offered classes are booked out solid though AUGUST!! Since when has everyone been into being, umm, home ec? I know that knitting had its trendy phase, and using puffy paint and your bedazzler was the bomb in the 80’s, but what is it about here and now that makes people want to be more creative?

I have noticed that right now is a great time to be “unique”. All kinds of trends from dowdy-street chic to brand name luxury are commonplace. It's no longer head turning if you wear your leg warmers with your white stilettos from the thrift- it’s the norm. (I have to say out of the trends that I find most disturbing right now, is the resurgence of 80’s clothing. Eek! They were horrible then and most of them are horrible now.) We are currently living in a world where the same people who LOVE Coach and Gucci bags are making their own skirts in sewing class. Good, but weird.

So back to my original problem, why isn’t someone taking advantage of this niche and starting a shop where they can sell obnoxious luxury goods and homemade items? If you live in Seattle and have any idea where I could find a nice sewing class, drop me a comment, PUHLEEESE! I am desperate to be creative too!

Was that the Shangri-las or The Angels that sang that song?

2005-03-16T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hey la, hey la- my boyfriend’s back….

Well, Der Nuggle is finally here. YAY! After a year and half of phone calls, emails, and brief visits, we are finally sharing the same continent. Very happy about that. Now, if I could only get him to understand about the whole toilet sharing thing… (right, Ladies?)

It is too soon to say if he is the giant band aid everyone thought he would be. I found that in the weeks leading up to his arrival, any time I complained about something, I would get the sympathetic head nod and this phrase “well, Ryan will be here soon. And that will make things better, right?” Umm, not exactly the kind of reaction I was looking for. I love my boy with all my heart, but there are some things a relationship will not fix. For instance, when I moved into my new place, an apartment, I was having issues with the noise factor * see entry below*. When I would moan about it to friends or coworkers I would hear- “well, Ryan will be here soon. And that will make things better”. Really? Is he going to cover my ears every time I get annoyed by the giant bus that passes by our building? Another fine example- work has been hectic lately. SUPER busy. I moan about my work load and obscene hours and I hear “well, Ryan will be here soon. And that will make things better”. Huh, I had no idea Ryan was going to be my new assistant at work! Brilliant!

I think the people who said that to me were just victims of the knee-jerk reactions we have all day long. Someone says "good morning, how are you?" and you say “good, but tired”. I have been known to say that even if I am NOT tired. It just spills out of my mouth. Habit. *sigh* At least they mean well….even if it is stupid.

The "MC" stands for miserable choice

2005-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

So, I actually went OUT this weekend. I crawled out my cave, got dressed and actually attempted to socialize with Seattle’s “beautiful people” this weekend. What I found makes me think I’m not missing out on much.

In honor of a friend’s birthday I went to the Mirabeau Room in Queen Anne. It was a Bollywood night, so I was really down for going. All those who know me really well are aware that I am a huge fan of Bhangra music- BEFORE it became mass marketed thanks to Jay-Z and Missy Elliott. I was happily introduced to this euphoric brand of music and dancing by a college friend of my- Komal. Komal was bumpin’ a Kick-back mix of Chi-town style cheesy bhangra and I dug it! I had her give me all of her CDs to listen to. I became a huge fan of Dhaler Mhendhi ( my deepest apologies if I butchered the spelling of his name)- style Punjabi beats. It was tight and I loved it! So when these beats started being sampled in popular music, I was so thrilled. I mean, I loved this stuff, and to see it finally get its due in the whorish American mainstream made me happy.

However, I have crazy beef with the Panjabi MC’s song (Beware’s- really Jogi- backbeat) that EVERY DAMN DJ in Seattle seems to rock all the time. Yes, it has a good beat, but if you are familiar with the genre of music, hearing it over and over again and as a segway to other bhangra/techno songs is equivalent to hearing ‘Oops! I did it again’ between every Britney Spears song! It’s annoying and SO unoriginal. Come on, Seattle! You deserve better than this played out old tune. Try a little ‘ta-ra-ra” or maybe ‘aap jai se koi’. Desis I implore you- teach your whitey white friends a little sumpin’ sumpin’ about bhangra, please!

Movin' on up (queue Jefferson's music) to the east side.. to a de-lux apartment in sky-ee-ee

2005-02-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

Another day, another way to bitch.
I finally moved this weekend to my new place in Ravenna. Very near to the house I first lived in when I made my big move to Seattle. Ya know how they always say that the grass is greener on the other side?- It's true! I want my house in Beacon Hill back. I could do without the nutty landlord, and my crackhead neighbor, but other than that, I loved my cozy house. Now I'm in this apartment which is 80% smaller than my house (der) and the walls are paper thin. I spent all this time complaining about how noisy my neighbor was (in Beacon Hill) and now I am living next to and beneath constant noise. GRRR! I guess you live and learn. I will probably be out of this new place as soon as my lease ends (or until my sanity runs out). I had no idea Ravenna was such a hotbed of action for freakin' skateboarders. WHAT THE HELL? Senor Nuggle will not be pleased with this!

Much props to Grace, Jenn and Brendan who physically helped me out with the move and actually made it fun and easy. ( and they bought me Mickey D's when I had low blood sugar) THANK YOU!

I was so ronerey!

2005-02-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ah, Seattle. The Emerald City. How I love to hate you- let me count the ways.

After living here for almost five (!) years now, I think that I am totally entitled to bitch about this town. Of course, there are loads of good things about Seattle, I obviously like it a bit, otherwise I wouldn’t have put up with its BS for so long. My friends are a big contributing factor to my longevity as a Seattleite.

I moved here to join AmeriCorps, which is a domestic Peace Corps, of sort. (At least that’s what they tell you on the website!) I liked the idea of helping out my community and it was a chance to move very far away from my family in Chicago. I was all over this opportunity like white on rice. I knew I wanted to live on the West Coast, but California was too skinny for me and Oregon was too boring. So, Seattle it was! I researched the internet for places to live, what Seattle weather was really like, what was hip in Seattle. In the end, I moved here on blind faith and with $35 in my pocket. I took an AmeriCorps VISTA position through a local non-profit named the Fremont Public Association. Luckily, they had the know how and resources to hook up AmeriCorps members from out of town with ‘natives’ or at least in my case, someone who has been in Seattle for a few months. I was hooked up with a person named Martha. Martha was an east coaster who let me crash at her pad for a week while I looked for a place to live. Unfortunately, due to an allergy I was unaware of at the time, I ended up in the ER and had to stay with Martha for a MONTH. Whoops! And so began the saga of my friendships in Seattle.

I was very blessed from the beginning. Hour two of living in Seattle I meet my first Aussie ever- Brendan. Martha knew Brendan through his insane roommate- Simon. Little did I know that these friendships would shape so many things in my life. The wonderful thing about the program that I did with AmeriCorps was that almost everyone there was new to Seattle as well. It was like getting a built in group of friends who were keen on discovering Seattle with you. Of course, there are always bumps and bruises along the way… four AC girls that I met screwed me over on house hunting and I had to start from scratch… there were some straight up hippies who didn’t like my Chicago stench… you had to call people a million times before they would actually do something with you. But I persevered, and managed to make some great friends. There were my roommates- A, Leila and Ian… two crazy guys I met at a Halloween party, Omur and Julio and the entity known as the “Aussie Posse”- seven Australians that worked with Brendan (at the big T) who became my surrogate brothers and party partners. I had my first Seattle crush on one of them. It was horrid! I could hardly speak around him, and then I learned he had a girlfriend back in Sydney, and that was the end of that. To sum up, making friends in Seattle wasn’t that hard… at first. I was surprised because I had mentally prepared myself to be lonely when I got here.

I bet you are wondering what any of this has to do with hatin' on Seattle. Well here it is...
*I hate the fact that it is so fucking hard to make friends here that are REAL friends*. It’s an epidemic here. Everyone here is NICE, but getting beyond pleasantries with people is damn near impossible. The exception to this complaint would be if you are foreign. All my friends with accents don’t seem to have a hard time meeting others- it’s like freakin' dolphin radar. Their vibes jump off the wall and onto potential friends. SERIOUSLY! (Ask Brendan, he has a million ‘friends’ in Seattle.) Why am I bitching about this now? Because I am almost friendless in Seattle, that’s why! A lot of those fabulous people I met when I moved here have moved on and grown - new jobs, new cities and marriage. Change is inevitable… but when I tried to grow and make new friends, there was a different scent in the air. People seemed more cliquish and less likely to actually call you back. I was so depressed about it. I had never had any problems making friends before. I liked to think I was good at making friends. But something about Seattle changed all that with me. For the first time in a loooong time (since freshman year in College) I was lonely. And being lonely sucks. So for a year, I gave up on making new friends. “Fuck it” I thought. I’ll just read more and be more creative with my free time. It worked- for a bit. Martha moved back to Seattle with her fiancée Doug (they were living in New Mexico), I went to Lisbon and Madrid, I met my boyfriend Ryan, and I generally worked my ass off at my two ‘part-time’ jobs. For a bit, I was delusional enough to think that I didn’t really need much more- but then I came full circle to the fact that
friends go a long way on making life better. They take you out when you’re been dumped, buy you drinks when you're broke and give you that needed boost when you need to know that you are loved. At least I know that I am not alone in my sentiment for Seattle's icy side. Recently there was an awesome article written in the Seattle times about it by Julia Sommerfield. Check it out at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2005/0213/cover.html

Now, I don’t write this so that you will feel sorry for me. Life for me lately is good. I have gotten back on the horse, and am trying my hand at making new friends again. Feel sorry for all those people out there who will never get the chance to experience my friendship and all the wonderful things I have to offer. Ask those who stuck with me all these years- Sam, Goud.... I’m worth it.

So, the next time you are at a party and someone tries to be friendly, smile back and actually listen to what they have to say… (and unless they are a total ass or a perv) actually call them sometime. Seattleites- you might make a friend for life.

The threat is REAL!

2005-02-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

mawhahahaha! After years of threating to put things (as in events, conversations and thoughts) on my "secret online journal", I have finally decided to join this geek land, and become a geek myself! All very exciting, I know! I don't have much to say right now, I was finally inspired to do this by my boyfriend's sister, Paula. We were paying him out on the phone, and trying to figure out a way to keep in touch in regards to my boy, when I thought "what the heck, I'll just do a blog". Also, special props to Mr. Nick H who lead me to this superior site. So, without further ado... LT's "secret online diary" begins...