Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tonight
I am so excited for my Birthday this year, but not because it is my birthday. I can't wait for Goddess Divine to have a spectacular wedding on the 7th anniversary of our friendship. So I am sitting here at work, counting down the minutes until I get to jump in my car and head up to the mountains to get that party started!!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Huntington Gardens
When Mom came down for the weekend, Malea and I took her to Huntington Gardens on Saturday morning. Actually to be honest, Malea took Mom and me. I had never been there. It is quite spectacular. I am sure if I read the brochure I would know all the history and tell you why the gardens were created and who donated all the money, etc, but I have to be honest. I was not paying attention and I do not have those kind of answers. However, if I did tell you all that stuff, what motivation would there be for you to come visit me and find the answers? Anyway, There are many cool attractions in the gardens including a tea room, rose garden, cacti garden, Australian flora, Japanese gardens, bonsai collection, Chinese gardens, Rainforest greenhouse and of course one of my favorites...lots of bamboo! Here are some of my favorite little pieces, sadly enough one cannot capture in a photograph the feeling of standing in the middle of a mini bamboo forest....
Orchids in the rainforest
Strange fruit that I have forgotten the name of in the rainforest, nevermind the windows in the background that expose the fact that I wasn't in a real rainforest...
And the pagoda of the Three Friends in the Chinese garden
Inauguration Day
Yesterday I could not stop smiling. I am all for the Change, and not just change in government. Clearly I am happy about the change in my housing. I am looking for a change in other areas and I have good feelings about 2009. (At this point you should be playing the "Good Things" song by The Bodeans that I added on the right side of my blog.) I see good things.
But back to yesterday....I was a bit sad that I was working and not able to watch or at least listen to the inauguration live. I was actually in the office of one of my favorite customers during the inauguration, and I typically avoid the topic of politics while I am working for obvious reasons, but I couldn't help but asking the client if he had listened to the inauguration. Keep in mind that this customer is probably about 75 or 80. He expressed disappointment in the new president and regret that "Uncle George" was leaving Washington. I had to hold back a laugh. I am pretty sure that W is young enough to be his son. He is a very cute old man. W had his time, and now it is time for change.
Baruch Atah Barak
But back to yesterday....I was a bit sad that I was working and not able to watch or at least listen to the inauguration live. I was actually in the office of one of my favorite customers during the inauguration, and I typically avoid the topic of politics while I am working for obvious reasons, but I couldn't help but asking the client if he had listened to the inauguration. Keep in mind that this customer is probably about 75 or 80. He expressed disappointment in the new president and regret that "Uncle George" was leaving Washington. I had to hold back a laugh. I am pretty sure that W is young enough to be his son. He is a very cute old man. W had his time, and now it is time for change.
Baruch Atah Barak
Monday, January 19, 2009
Third Night
Goddess Divine, I am taking your advice and this post is for you and all those that do not live in LA but are interested in my new fabulous living arrangement. Unfortunately I was not moved in enough or alert enough on my first night here to do this...but the third night is soon enough, right?!
So here is my big empty living room that is finally going to force me into buying a couch. My friends somehow think that now that I have a living room I will get a tv. Do they know how big of a leap it is for me to get a couch? Why are they trying to make me take giant leaps for mankind when all I am barely able to do is babysteps for man? Dad, do not look close at the fireplace, but if you do, you need to notice that they did not use any corners on the cultured stone...it will annoy me the entire time I live here!
So that would be the dining area in the background on the left with the kitchen on the right. In the middleground my little bedroom alcove and in the foreground you can see the wonderful cultured stone again.
My kitchen with Rafe surveying the scene, my Grandma Blocher rug and of course, Abu Shanab.
A beautiful blooming orchid, a housewarming present from my next door neighbor and cousin Malea. A few blocks from here there is a place that sells orchids, it took us forever to pick this one out. Let's just hope I don't kill it!
And Rafe...
So here is my big empty living room that is finally going to force me into buying a couch. My friends somehow think that now that I have a living room I will get a tv. Do they know how big of a leap it is for me to get a couch? Why are they trying to make me take giant leaps for mankind when all I am barely able to do is babysteps for man? Dad, do not look close at the fireplace, but if you do, you need to notice that they did not use any corners on the cultured stone...it will annoy me the entire time I live here!
So that would be the dining area in the background on the left with the kitchen on the right. In the middleground my little bedroom alcove and in the foreground you can see the wonderful cultured stone again.
My kitchen with Rafe surveying the scene, my Grandma Blocher rug and of course, Abu Shanab.
A beautiful blooming orchid, a housewarming present from my next door neighbor and cousin Malea. A few blocks from here there is a place that sells orchids, it took us forever to pick this one out. Let's just hope I don't kill it!
And Rafe...
Friday, January 16, 2009
One Last Night
This is my last night at Rose Ave. Changes like this always give one a chance to reflect. All the changes that have happened to me in this apartment will stay with me and obviously this place will always be part of me, but it is clearly time to move on.
Goodbye crazy bonnet lady that shushes the birds. Goodbye old man that sees me everyday but only whistles when I walk by his window and he knows I can't see him. Does he think I don't know where it is coming from? Goodbye weird neighbor named after a C.S. Lewis character. Goodbye managers who yell at people to shut up and are more noisy than anyone else in the building. Goodbye falling down stairs and improperly fixed falling down stairs. Goodbye only being able to speak in a whisper in my own apartment. Goodbye insanely steep driveway. Goodbye homeless cat with weird tumor that lives in the parking lot. Goodbye owl that sits beside the pool that sometimes gets pushed in but does not know how to swim. Goodbye laundry room with inconvenient operating hours. Goodbye Rose Ave.
Goodbye crazy bonnet lady that shushes the birds. Goodbye old man that sees me everyday but only whistles when I walk by his window and he knows I can't see him. Does he think I don't know where it is coming from? Goodbye weird neighbor named after a C.S. Lewis character. Goodbye managers who yell at people to shut up and are more noisy than anyone else in the building. Goodbye falling down stairs and improperly fixed falling down stairs. Goodbye only being able to speak in a whisper in my own apartment. Goodbye insanely steep driveway. Goodbye homeless cat with weird tumor that lives in the parking lot. Goodbye owl that sits beside the pool that sometimes gets pushed in but does not know how to swim. Goodbye laundry room with inconvenient operating hours. Goodbye Rose Ave.
Chicory
Over a year ago, someone I worked with special ordered some coffe from a cafe in New Orleans that he claimed was the best coffee in the world. What made it so special was that it had chicory in it. On New Year's Day, I was at a grocery store that had quite a few imorted and specialty items and I saw the coffee that my coworker had special ordered. I was curious to see what was so fabulous about the coffee so I bought it.
Before I tried it I remembered something from all the reading I have done in my past. I remembered the stories from wartimes when items that are relatively commonplace become scarce and therefore items to covet, such as chocolate or coffee. I remember a narrator wishing for real coffee and nothing mixed with chicory. It made me wonder, if the cafe in New Orleans had started serving the coffee in such a time and if it had just become a trademark. I wondered if those soldiers who had wished for real coffee would be confused at us drinking anything less than straight coffee.
I tried the coffee. If you are wondering what coffee mixed with chicory tastes like... How shall I say this...well...it tastes like coffee diluted with topsoil.
Before I tried it I remembered something from all the reading I have done in my past. I remembered the stories from wartimes when items that are relatively commonplace become scarce and therefore items to covet, such as chocolate or coffee. I remember a narrator wishing for real coffee and nothing mixed with chicory. It made me wonder, if the cafe in New Orleans had started serving the coffee in such a time and if it had just become a trademark. I wondered if those soldiers who had wished for real coffee would be confused at us drinking anything less than straight coffee.
I tried the coffee. If you are wondering what coffee mixed with chicory tastes like... How shall I say this...well...it tastes like coffee diluted with topsoil.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Rotate the Wheel Vigorously
I was looking through some notes at work the other day and I found something that made me giggle so much. A customer had trouble with the trackwheel on his phone and the customer service rep's solution was for him to "rotate the wheel vigorously."
Um, yeah. That would have been the first thing I did. When that didn't work I would have called customer care. I can not imagine how frustrated I would have been if that was the only solution I was given. But, since it happened to someone else.....I can't stop giggling.
Um, yeah. That would have been the first thing I did. When that didn't work I would have called customer care. I can not imagine how frustrated I would have been if that was the only solution I was given. But, since it happened to someone else.....I can't stop giggling.
Goodyear
So, the home of the Goodyear Blimp is right beside my office. When I used to have my own office, I could see it when it was home from my window. And of course we see it flying around all the time. About two years ago when the CEO of my company came to town we were all at the bar and met the driver of the blimp. Every time I have seen the CEO since, we reminisce about the funny encounter we had with the driver of the Goodyear Blimp. I am not going to recount the story here because I kinda feel bad for what a fool he made of himself. Anyway, the CEO was in town again, we were laughing about it again, and I realized that I have seen the Goodyear boys a time or two since then. And I have never asked them for a ride on the blimp. How ridiculous is that?! I vowed that I would ask them the next time I saw them. I saw them on Monday.
So I now have the number of one of Goodyear Blimp's crew and he claims that he can get me a ride if I can find five other people. Done and done!
Goal for 2009....hold Goodyear Blimp crew member to his word and organize a little ride over LA!
So I now have the number of one of Goodyear Blimp's crew and he claims that he can get me a ride if I can find five other people. Done and done!
Goal for 2009....hold Goodyear Blimp crew member to his word and organize a little ride over LA!
Monday, January 12, 2009
101 Things to Do Before I Die
So months ago my computer thought it would be fun to delete all my documents, pictures and music. Before you start feeling sorry for me, you should know that I had prepared for such an occasion and I had everything backed up and was able to retrieve it all. (If any of you want to know how exactly I was able to retrieve all my documents, I will share the secret willingly. I just did not want to seem like a salesman working overtime by telling you without requests.) Anyway, many of the documents I actually did not retrieve until last night. One of the most important documents was my 101 list.
Way back when (if you must know exact dates, it was 10 years ago), my friend Melissa and I were both seniors in high school and I had this great idea. First of all I heard a story about someone who had made a list of things to do before he died and had accomplished most of them. He had some pretty spectacular things on the list. This taught me the importance of having lists. I have loved lists ever since. Second of all I was worried about losing touch with Melissa. The idea was this: we would both make a list of "101 things to do before I die" and make a copy. The original we would keep our selves, the copy we would exchange. Everytime we would cross an item off the list we would not only mark it off on our own list, but we would have to send a note to the other person to mark it off on their copy of our list. This way we would stay in touch, and it would motivate us to work on our lists.
Melissa never made her list. That part of the excellent plan did not work. Which taught me a lesson in life that did not really start to sink in until about a year ago. It is impossible to talk someone into something that they really just do not care about, and that apathy sinks in very quickly.
However, I have made some great progress on my list. I made sure to put all sorts of things on my list. Items that could be accomplished tomorrow if I made the effort, items that would require some planning and money, items that had expiration dates on them, and items that would take many years to complete. For example, item #95 was to watch the sunset on December 31st 1999, and item #12 was to watch the sunrise on January 1st 2000. I completed #95 with my Dad and my brother and I completed #12 with Victoria. Item #1 is Ring the closing bell on Wall St, this one will take some connections. Item #55 is to read 1000 books. I counted last night and I am only up to 321 (I started the book list when I was a freshman in high school). I made lots of rules, some of which I have changed. When I first made the list I thought some things were important, now I do not care about those things, so I made amendments. One of the newest and favorite amendments is to #11. It now reads, Experience a baseball games at the top ten baseball stadiums. I have three marked off so far, Dodger Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and my favorite so far....Fenway.
Anyway, I love my list and I am very happy that I was reconnected with my list. I would encourage anyone and everyone I know to make a list. They make you do things you would never do otherwise, like go out of your way to eat a mango in Paris, or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, or walk around Walden Pond, or learn to fence, or climb a palm tree.
Way back when (if you must know exact dates, it was 10 years ago), my friend Melissa and I were both seniors in high school and I had this great idea. First of all I heard a story about someone who had made a list of things to do before he died and had accomplished most of them. He had some pretty spectacular things on the list. This taught me the importance of having lists. I have loved lists ever since. Second of all I was worried about losing touch with Melissa. The idea was this: we would both make a list of "101 things to do before I die" and make a copy. The original we would keep our selves, the copy we would exchange. Everytime we would cross an item off the list we would not only mark it off on our own list, but we would have to send a note to the other person to mark it off on their copy of our list. This way we would stay in touch, and it would motivate us to work on our lists.
Melissa never made her list. That part of the excellent plan did not work. Which taught me a lesson in life that did not really start to sink in until about a year ago. It is impossible to talk someone into something that they really just do not care about, and that apathy sinks in very quickly.
However, I have made some great progress on my list. I made sure to put all sorts of things on my list. Items that could be accomplished tomorrow if I made the effort, items that would require some planning and money, items that had expiration dates on them, and items that would take many years to complete. For example, item #95 was to watch the sunset on December 31st 1999, and item #12 was to watch the sunrise on January 1st 2000. I completed #95 with my Dad and my brother and I completed #12 with Victoria. Item #1 is Ring the closing bell on Wall St, this one will take some connections. Item #55 is to read 1000 books. I counted last night and I am only up to 321 (I started the book list when I was a freshman in high school). I made lots of rules, some of which I have changed. When I first made the list I thought some things were important, now I do not care about those things, so I made amendments. One of the newest and favorite amendments is to #11. It now reads, Experience a baseball games at the top ten baseball stadiums. I have three marked off so far, Dodger Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and my favorite so far....Fenway.
Anyway, I love my list and I am very happy that I was reconnected with my list. I would encourage anyone and everyone I know to make a list. They make you do things you would never do otherwise, like go out of your way to eat a mango in Paris, or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, or walk around Walden Pond, or learn to fence, or climb a palm tree.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Good Things
See I can see good things for you and I
Yeah, good things for you
- The Bodeans
Yeah, good things for you
- The Bodeans
I am ready for some good things to happen. This week my patience has paid off in the apartment arena. I discovered that the building my cousin moved into in November (less than half a mile from me now) has an open studio. I scrambled, called the manager, filled out an application and actually got approved. I will be moving in less than a month! I can not describe how excited I am to move, and not only have a new apartment, but to have one that is only half a staircase from my cousin's apartment. The only downside is that I will be giving up access to a pool. But it is worth it. So say goodbye to this one...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
James Dean
I love James Dean. I do realize that I never met him and even if I had, he is almost exactly fifty years older than me and had he lived I would probably not even know or care who he was. However, as it stands, he was good looking, died young and tragically and I love him.
Last year, one of my coworkers bought me a calendar, but I already had one of James Dean, so I had to take the one he bought me home. The reasoning being that I am at work more often than I am at home, and I wanted to see Mr. Dean as often as possible. This morning the same coworker came in with a new calendar for himself and a new James Dean calendar for me. It was so thoughtful and nice.
But as I was looking at the calendar I noticed a James Dean quote that I have had a long love/hate relationship with.
"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today." -James Dean
This quote has screwed me up many times, because while I feel that it should be true, it doesn't really work for me. I know the point is that you should dream big and live in the moment. But it still doesn't quite work. Because if I dreamed like I would live forever, I would slow down and really put everything I have into everything I do. But if I was going to die today, I would call in sick and go to the beach, or fly to STT. I think the quote only works because he died young....
Last year, one of my coworkers bought me a calendar, but I already had one of James Dean, so I had to take the one he bought me home. The reasoning being that I am at work more often than I am at home, and I wanted to see Mr. Dean as often as possible. This morning the same coworker came in with a new calendar for himself and a new James Dean calendar for me. It was so thoughtful and nice.
But as I was looking at the calendar I noticed a James Dean quote that I have had a long love/hate relationship with.
"Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today." -James Dean
This quote has screwed me up many times, because while I feel that it should be true, it doesn't really work for me. I know the point is that you should dream big and live in the moment. But it still doesn't quite work. Because if I dreamed like I would live forever, I would slow down and really put everything I have into everything I do. But if I was going to die today, I would call in sick and go to the beach, or fly to STT. I think the quote only works because he died young....
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Compulsions
I have been noticing little compulsions of mine. I hope this does not mean I am obsessive compulsive...
In an earlier post I mentioned elevators. At the moment that would have to be the number one on this list.
2. Subtitles
Subtitles drive me absolutely crazy! Even when the film is in English and the volume is at a reasonable level, I still read them. I can not help it. I do not want to read them. But I do read them. It is like someone constantly telling me what is going to happen next, but I can not tell them to stop, because it is me!
3. Menus
When I see something on the menu that has the any of the following words : tropical, island, mango, etc, I have to order it. Just the way it is. Even if I know there is something better on the menu.
4. Dead Leaves
When I see dead leaves on the ground, I have to step on them. I like the way they crunch.
5. Radio
In my Nova, the radio volume had numbers. I could only stop on even numbers or numbers divisible by five. But there were rules for that too. The numbers divisible by five were more important than the even numbers. For instance, 5 always beat out 4. 10 was an obvious stopping place, 12 is ok, but of course not 14, 15 is too close, might as well just bump it up a notch. Thank God, my Jetta does not have numbers.
Those are all I can think of for now....
In an earlier post I mentioned elevators. At the moment that would have to be the number one on this list.
2. Subtitles
Subtitles drive me absolutely crazy! Even when the film is in English and the volume is at a reasonable level, I still read them. I can not help it. I do not want to read them. But I do read them. It is like someone constantly telling me what is going to happen next, but I can not tell them to stop, because it is me!
3. Menus
When I see something on the menu that has the any of the following words : tropical, island, mango, etc, I have to order it. Just the way it is. Even if I know there is something better on the menu.
4. Dead Leaves
When I see dead leaves on the ground, I have to step on them. I like the way they crunch.
5. Radio
In my Nova, the radio volume had numbers. I could only stop on even numbers or numbers divisible by five. But there were rules for that too. The numbers divisible by five were more important than the even numbers. For instance, 5 always beat out 4. 10 was an obvious stopping place, 12 is ok, but of course not 14, 15 is too close, might as well just bump it up a notch. Thank God, my Jetta does not have numbers.
Those are all I can think of for now....
Resolutions
I can never decide if I like the idea of New Year's Resolutions or not. At this moment I do not like them. I think they are a lazy way to live life. It gives us an excuse not to make a resolution until the New Year. And I think the statistics show that New Year's Resolutions are usually given up by March. Anyway, I strongly believe that any change worth making is worth making NOW. No matter what the day. I made several big changes in my life in September which means that now when everyone is asking me if I am making any resolutions my answer is no. I am four months in on my resolutions (which means I made it past March).
Conclusion: Resolutions are good. New Year's Resolutions are overhyped and usually discarded.
Conclusion: Resolutions are good. New Year's Resolutions are overhyped and usually discarded.
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