Goodbye to 2007

Alvin and I went out to a wonderful Italian dinner to celebrate New Years Eve once I finally finished working. It was really nice but getting home was a bit of an ordeal. Last year we had seen the swarms of people going up 8th Avenue, but this year there seemed to be massive crowds walking up 9th Avenue. And just stopping in the intersections and standing around. It took a lot of winding through cars in the street just to get home! And then the cops blocked off our street already.

But now that we're here, my annual new years recap/resolutions. I always intend to do this earlier, but it never happens.

Despite my posts where I'm annoyed with all the commotion and chaos with the Times Square NYE, the new year is actually one of my favorite holidays. Although it's probably new years day. New beginnings, the chance to start over, an easy way to hit restart and do all those things that you want to do. And if my resolutions don't really work out, I get to refine them and try again on Chinese new year. :)

So here's the recap (as I was getting ready to write this, I realized I left San Juan off of last year's trip list; how could I forget that?):

Movies/shows I saw in the theatre in 2007:

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Vacations/trips in 2007:

• Frankfurt, Germany
• Singapore
• Shanghai, China
• Chicago
• Washington, DC
• Seattle
• Juneau, Alaska
• Sitka, Alaska
• Ketchikan, Alaska
• Victoria, BC

Big events of 2007:

• Engagement :)
• Family Alaska trip
  

Resolutions:

The usual ones:

1. Exercise more.
2. Eat healthier.
3. Sleep more.
4. Clean the apartment.
5. Get rid of stuff I don't need.
6. Keep in touch better.
7. Keep files organized.
8. More free time and time off.
9. Keep inboxes clear.
10. Post/write more.

And some more specific resolutions... for January, at least:

1. Buy a sunrise alarm clock and work on shifting to a morning routine and getting to work earlier.
2. Try to do at least 10 minutes of exercise per day.
3. Try to eat healthier and smaller portions.
4. Try to sleep by 1 am.
5. Get gmail inbox below 3,000 messages (and keep it that way).
6. Get work inbox below 300 messages (and keep it that way).
7. Clean 5 things per day.
8. Keep budget book current.
9. Try to keep work files organized.
10. Take vitamins daily.

Good luck to me. Happy (almost) new year! 20 more minutes until a fresh start!

Confetti

Happy New Years Eve.  I can't believe there was already confetti in the street at 10 am.  What did they do, have a practice ball drop celebration or something?

 

Video trailers and speakers everywhere.  Barricades on the sidewalk curbs.  Crazy people in the streets.  Those annoying honking noisemakers.  At least the crowds are less than they were Friday night when I came home with the gigantic redweld.  For now.

 

It's no surprise I want to leave to work from home by lunchtime.  I can't believe there was a time when I was younger that I actually wanted to go to Times Square for NYE.  What was I thinking?

Chardonnay

I think the smoke has finally lessened enough that I can go to sleep (at 6 am!). This [insert word - I can't think of it - not quite "zig zag"] sleep pattern is crazy. 5:15 am, 1 am, now 6 am (or so). Although unlike Friday morning, I'm not getting up early for work tomorrow, so we'll see how much this throws off my plan to get in to work early Monday morning. Blahhhh.

I think I blog more when it's late at night because I am not chatting with people online and this is the closest thing to it. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

In quiz news (ha), this one is not that far off except for the meat part:

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

What Kind of Wine Are You?

Missed That

When I said that I believed the results in the last post, I was referring to both the description and the activity. Nothing against running... I like it, I'm just horrible at it right now. And I don't like to run on treadmills, only outside...

Then I looked at the results again and saw that it said I should "get in shape" with yoga unlike the other one which said I should "stay in shape" with running. The second result was definitely more accurate.

Re-do

Now this one I believe.

You Should Get in Shape With Yoga

You're serious enough to be dedicated to yoga... But playful enough to keep it fun Yoga will give you the lean yet curvy look you desire

How Should You Get Your Curves In Shape?

Amusing

You Should Stay in Shape With Running

Chances are that you're already in fairly good shape Why not challenge yourself with a run from time to time? Running will give you that lean, toned body you desire

How Should You Get Your Curves In Shape?

HAHAHAHAHA. "Chances are that you're already in fairly good shape." That's ... funny. I think I should take this quiz again. Maybe I accidentally answered a question wrong?

Another Post

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor. You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader. Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways. But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical. With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you In love: You are picky but passionate To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

Completely unrelated to the quiz, I have moved on to a dust mask in order to breathe in the apartment.

I have posted a lot in the past few days. Not really very much of substance though. Even if it's just a couple of lines of substance, I still want to post more than I have been over the past few months. It's just been such a busy year. Need to post more before I forget it all. On Christmas, we were talking about who had driven to/from my aunt's house the previous year and I had completely forgotten that I did. Hmm. Everyone else remembered.

4 am posting seems to be conducive to ramblings. I remember one post from one morning where I was up at 4 because I couldn't sleep because I was really sick and couldn't stop coughing (or was it sneezing?) and I watched the sun come up and wrote a really long post.

I wish I weren't wearing a dust mask at home in order to breathe. This kind of sucks.

I can't believe another year has already gone by. So, so quick.

Misery

This is miserable. The entire apartment reeks of cigarette smoke which is freely flowing in through the air that comes up through the fuse box. My air filter broke and I need a new one, but I don't think even that would help with this. It's worse than usual. Argh. It makes me feel sick and unable to sleep, so I guess on the plus side, the toxic fumes are helping me get work done. Sigh.

Pass

Woohoo! I passed the its it's their there they're quiz!

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

Summer

Maybe this is an old quiz, since it's winter, but:

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

I would love to go to the beach right now.

Scents

When we came home, the apartment smelled of Italian sausage and peppers. We commented on how that was preferable to the smell of cigarette smoke wafting in.

Then I thought about how horrible it would be if there were post-meal smoke drifting in to our apartment.

And then I smelled smoke. Wheeee. I don't care if people smoke; I just don't want it in my apartment!

Right

You Passed High School with an A

You have the brains of a high school graduate... at least!

Could You Pass High School?

Good to know.

Sometimes Late

You Are A Gold Girl

You're dependable and hard working. You never miss a deadline - and you're never late. You have a clear sense of right and wrong. You're very detail oriented. You get frustrated when your friends are sloppy - or when they don't follow through. You're on top of things, and you wish that everyone else was!

What Color Girl Are You?

Hmm, fairly accurate. Except for the "never late" thing. I can't seem to synchronize all my clocks. My blackberry, work computer, work phone all have different times and I can't fix any of them (not an admin) to all read the same. So I'm often late because I am not paying attention and use the wrong clock. And I'm tired all the time, so I run late. I need more sleep and a sunrise alarm clock.

Mint

You Are Mint Green

Balanced and calm, you have mastered the philosophy of living well. Your friends seek you out for support, and you are able to bring stability to chaotic situations. You're very open and cheerful - and you feel like you have a lot of freedom in life. Your future may hold any number of exciting things, and you're ready for all of them!

What Color Green Are You?

I wonder if I am "balanced and calm" because I answered that I would enjoy a yoga class.

Because right now I would love to go to a yoga class. Mmm.

Sunrise

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Well, I've definitely seen many sunrises.

As long as you're not awake from work or something, there's just something really special about watching colors break out across the previously dark sky. I almost thought I was going to see one this morning but that would have just made me sad. At least there was actually some sun during the morning today.

Chihuahua

You Are a Chihuahua Puppy

Small, high strung, and loyal. You do best in the city with adults - young kids could crush you!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

Note that I fixed the typos in that box. It said "a adults."

I'm reading a (very) similar document to the one from last night. Wheee.

California

You Belong in San Diego

Laid back and friendly, you were meant to live most of your life on the beach. You usually think everything is "all good"... except when the weather dips under 60F. You stay classy - especially when you're in Tijuana!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Going to sleep (I realize this is the time many people wake up...).

I would like to be in San Diego. Sigh.

Donuts

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft. You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily. You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

I don't like Boston creme donuts. Oh well. Plain glazed. Or with icing and sprinkles. Yum.

Late night. Blog. Clickety-clack of the keyboard. TV on (although it's music and not QVC or the Weather Channel). It's like law school again. Wheee.

Mathematician

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Congrats to me! My subconscious can still do 8th grade math.

Tired

Your Emoticon is Sad

You're feeling a tad depressed right now. It will likely pass soon, but for now, you need some major cheering up!

What Emoticon Best Represents You Right Now?

No kidding... 3:30 am and not peacefully asleep? Of course I'm sad.

Working Away

Still working. I hate documents that repeat themselves 6,000 times. If I can read a paragraph enough times in one document that I can practically recite it, how is that good? (We didn't write it and I'm not saying who did, or even what it is.)

Looking forward to January 1st. A lot.

Carnations

You Are a Carnation

You are down to earth and grounded. You tend to be more traditional than trendy. Your confidence gets you through anything. People trust you and are very loyal to you.

What Flower Are You?

People are loyal to carnations?

Green

You Need Some Green in Your Life

Green will make you feel alive, renewed, and balanced. And with a little green, you will project an aura of peacefulness and harmony. If you want stability, you've got to get a little green in your life! For extra punch: Combine green with blue or purple The downside of green: It can promote jealousy in yourself or others The consequences of more green in your life: You will be drawn to a new life path You will feel free to pursue new ideas and interests, no matter how strange You will be released from the demands and concerns of others

What Color Do You Need?

BBC-A

So... BBC-America is playing 2 shows tonight (we were flipping through the guide) and I'm not sure why they're grammatically different.

"My Small Breasts and I"

"My Big Breasts and Me"

Leftovers

I didn't realize you should throw out cheese trays immediately after a party and not save anything. Thanks, Today Show.

Also stuffing is only good for 3 days? Sad. I love leftover stuffing. I just love stuffing.

Mashed potatoes don't last long either? What if you don't put butter or milk in them, since their assumption is that it uses dairy?

The primary parts of my Christmas dinner were stuffing and carrots. Yum.

Donuts

Yum. Alvin brought home some apple cider donuts from a farmer's market. They were the perfect accompaniment for the end of the Top Chef holiday special.

Speaking of the Top Chef holiday special.. I have been trying to DVR this since Thursday night. I ended up watching it live, because even deleting shows didn't work. Luckily, this is Bravo and this show is going to be repeated endlessly, so I wasn't really very concerned.

Mmm. Those donuts were good. I like donuts.

Squash

It turns out that I really, really like butternut squash.  Who knew?

 

I wish they would open another Just Salad branch really close to the office.  Yum.

Heineken

There is a Heineken ad in the middle of Times Square.  It goes something like this:

 

CHILL

CLICK

DRAUGHT

DRINK

 

Considering they are on top of the Charmin restrooms, I thought it would amusing if they added "PEE" to the bottom of that list. 

Black Friday 2007

Another Thanksgiving, another Black Friday gone. We didn't go shopping on Thanksgiving itself (it's for food & family!) but our annual Friday (early) morning shopping tradition continued.

(Speaking of shopping on Thanksgiving, they had interviewed 2 people on the news last night. One guy got to CompUSA in the city at noon because they were opening at 9 pm and he wanted to be first on line for a laptop because he didn't get anything the year before. He was first on line, but the laptop didn't go on sale until 5 am, so he had to wait overnight! Then there was the woman who went to CompUSA and then was off to Woodbury because they were open at midnight with the outlets. I was so tired from the huge Thanksgiving dinner that all I wanted to do (after watching Pushing Daisies) was sleep.)

We left the house at 5 (we weren't going to stand on line at Best Buy before 3 am for the doorbusters because we weren't that into anything listed as a doorbuster) and got to Best Buy around 5:10. We got home around 12:40. Long, long morning of shopping.

Where did we go? A bunch of places, but we bought stuff from BB, Macys, Sears, Bath & Body Works (great deals but their credit card machines weren't really working!), Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Taco Bell, Costco, Target.

Notably missing from the list? Circuit City, of course.

Why didn't we go to Circuit City? See here and here and here, especially the second link. To summarize, our past Black Friday experiences have shown Circuit City here to be: disorganized, inefficient, frustrating, aggravating and a horrible experience. We were willing to not save the couple of extra dollars to buy something at Best Buy instead. Or to go to Circuit City later in the day since we were really just going to get DVDs.

So after we finished at the mall around 10:30 we tried to go to CC. There was still a line.

Went to other places and then after we finished lunch at Costco, we tried to go to CC. There was still a line. It was 12:30. There should not still be a line to get into the store at 12:30!! (Especially when the sales weren't that good...) I think we were quite happy with our decision to skip that frustrating, frustrating madness this year. Best Buy, in contrast to this CC, is amazingly organized and efficient (even considering the mob) and they manage to improve their methods every year. That's how a store should be run!

Anyway, came back home, went on a brief photo walk to take pictures of autumn leaves (there are some really gorgeous firey colors out here), and then settled in for a nice afternoon recovery nap. Maybe when we go to CC before dinner, there won't be a line to get into the store. We'll see.

Bathroom

On my way to the bathroom, I was thinking about how I should post about these new signs in our bathroom asking people to remember to flush the toilet, and how I thought it was amusing/sad that we needed signs with large letters in bold and caps to make sure people flush. 

 

When I got there, I realized that, of the 4 stalls, 1 was occupied, and 3 were not flushed.

 

Even with the big bold caps signs all over the bathroom!!!!

 

I realize that the flush power on this floor is not as much as it was on my old floor but seriously.  All that means is that you hold the lever down a little longer.  Sigh.  It's not that hard to flush!

Marseille

Tonight, Alvin and I went for my birthday dinner at Marseille. It's close to our apartment, but somehow, we have only been there once (for one of Alvin's birthdays!). Dinner was excellent and I will do my best to describe it here.

We shared a half bottle of white wine that the sommelier recommended but I don't know the name of it. Perhaps something starting with a P? It was wonderfully smooth and I liked it a lot. And a plus was that, unlike some white wines, it didn't make me sneeze.

For appetizer, Alvin got salmon tartare. It came between two wafer-thin crackers (I don't know what they were made of) and a side of caper berry relish. I thought it tasted fairly light, something that would actually be pretty refreshing in the summer. I got a baked goat cheese salad, which had two pieces of baked goat cheese over watercress and arugula with some beets and a vinaigrette. It was delicious. The combination of goat cheese and beets with salad somehow always just works. I really liked this salad.

For entree the last time we were there, Alvin got the seafood couscous and I liked it so much that I got it this time. It comes with a side of couscous and the "stew pot" type thing comes with fish, shrimp and mussels along with potatoes and leeks in this saffron tomato broth. It's yummy. This time Alvin got bouillabaisse, which had similar seafood ingredients but a different flavor. It was also good.

Filled with good food, we moved to dessert. We got the date and toffee pudding which came with an orange-caramel ice cream. It was pretty good, but I was getting pretty full so didn't have room for too much heavy dessert. I was glad that they had an interesting assortment of ice creams and sorbets so we got one dish of that too. We went with the sweet basil ice cream (which was pretty good!) and two sorbets - the blood orange and passion-mango. The blood orange was very well done but the passion-mango was excellent. I always forget how good a choice passion fruit is for things like sorbet and bubble tea.

To conclude, it was a great meal and I always say we should go to Marseille more often. But the list of restaurants we want to go to is so long compared with the number of opportunities, since we live in a neighborhood with so many good restaurants (for which I feel extremely lucky). I should write about the good food more often. Maybe later. :)

Season of Santa

Alvin sent me this article from Yahoo news that I think is hilarious (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat ).

 

"Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

 

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported."

 

Not only is this crazy, but now kids are supposed to think Santa's laughing at them?

Yuck

Our attempts to combat the smoke-filled air flow in our apartment are failing again. Time to break out the dust mask again. That was an unpleasant way to come out of a nap. And it sucks to have to wear a face mask at home in order to not feel sick like last night.

Week in Review

This week, I:

- walked to Rockefeller Center to see the picket line on the first day of the writers' strike. Didn't stay long enough to see if I recognized anyone because I was hungry and cold, so I went to Wendys.

- almost threw up on 42nd Street as I ran to the subway station. I was walking really quickly and trying to get to the station as quickly as possible because I was late. I was looking around for a clock instead of at my feet. Luckily at the last second I saw that I was about to step on a dead pigeon and was able to catch myself, lift my leg back up and swerve. It was pretty recent since the blood was very red and fresh as it leaked across the sidewalk. Ugh.

- had a good dinner with Alvin at Spice Fusion on 8th Ave. It wasn't very crowded but the food was so, so much better than this place we went to on 9th Ave for a buffet, so I would really like it to stick around longer. The chickpea dish was excellent.

- didn't get much sleep and felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion. Today I drank Fruit2o energy water but it made no difference and I kept getting more tired throughout the day. Clearly caffeinated drinks don't have the desired effect on me.

- had to start my "winter" routine of wearing comfy warm clothes to the office and changing when I get there.

- was really happy about the Country Music Awards being on ABC because it meant that I didn't have to tape the entire ABC lineup (and it's my favorite TV night of the week). However, despite having 3 hours less to tape this week, I still was not able to tape or watch: Big Shots, Without a Trace, Moonlight or Women's Murder Club. And I'm missing Brothers & Sisters from a few weeks ago as well as some other serials here and there. Serious DVR overload issues and too little time.

- had a lot of meetings.

- played a lot of Scrabulous.

- had to say goodbye to Mei Sheng, one of my favorite pandas, as he left from the San Diego Zoo for China. So sad that we can't just tune in to the webcam to catch up with Buddy.

- contemplated why Britney even wants custody if she's just going to shop for chandeliers and leave them in the car.

- watched the tree outside the window develop vibrant golden leaves and then watched them get dull. It's that time of year again.

- cheered for the donkeys on Amazing Race and thought about how I want to go to Ireland.

- found myself addicted to both the US and UK version of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. (It's in a hard time slot for the US version since I watch Gossip Girl and Private Practice).

- was sad that the numbers are still bad for Journeyman when it's really getting good.

- tried to clean my office but all the papers I sorted and got rid of were replaced by more new papers. Oh well.

- intended to post many, many times but didn't get around to it until now (when I should be sleeping). Good night!

Strike

On my lunch break today, I went over to Rockefeller Center because I heard that was where the writers' picket line was scheduled to be.  I was curious to see what was going on.  After all, this had been talked about for weeks and it's the first time it's happened in years, so it's kind of a big thing (for a TV fan).

 

On the way there, I saw the gridlock on 6th Avenue and thought maybe the strike was interfering with the traffic.  (It's not moving at all).  But once I got there, I realized it wasn't.

 

I was expecting marching or something active, but everyone is kind of holding signs in this pen closed off by police barricades with cops standing around and watching.  I took a flyer from the people handing out flyers about the strike (even though I already knew everything written on it).  But otherwise, it was all kind of just people standing with signs.

 

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and the effect on the shows, especially the new ones.  Will they come back (and what about next season's Lost and 24)?  Will the networks finally have to see (in a year of smaller audiences generally) that if you are patient with a show, it can succeed and not everything is a first week hit?  Maybe some won't survive ( e.g. why aren't more people watching Journeyman?) but I think it's safe to say that shows like Journeyman, with the numbers it's pulling in right now, might not have even been around this long last year.  I was saying recently that it would be nice, if the strike were prolonged, if we could see all those shows that had been pulled off the air prematurely.  All the big suspense shows from last year, some of which were shipped off to the internet and some of which weren't.  I'd like to see the remaining episodes of Kidnapped, The Nine, Drive, Daybreak, etc.  Even better, replay the entire "series."  It'll be like a special miniseries!  Maybe we can even go back a litte bit and add in shows like Threshold (sigh).

 

Last night, I was thinking about writing a post about what I think about the new shows this season (finally).  Maybe later.

 

On a closing note, how about that donkey karma from last night's Amazing Race?  Those donkeys were so cute and so awesome!

Blue Water

I have the song from the Visa check card commercial in my head.

I am happy that MTV is playing a marathon of Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance this weekend.  I loved that season.  I wish they made DVDs...

I am uploading pictures of the Caribbean cruise from 2 years ago and it is driving me crazy because I am staring at clear blue water and white sand beaches.  No vacation planned for anytime soon.  Sigh.  I want to just lay on a beach in the sun and not have to worry about anything.  Sigh.

Random Monday Notes

[Warning: Discusses tonight's TV]

1. I realize the date above this post will say Tuesday but for me, it's still Monday.

2. The Journeyman earthquake episode was really good tonight. I think the show is really hitting its stride and I hope it doesn't get cancelled. I wish networks would just give shows time to grow.

3. I don't understand why the Empire State Building was lit up red white and green for days in preparation for Columbus Day but tonight it was blue.

4. There was an ice cream truck on the corner by work today. And it was warm enough to get some, if I wanted some.

5. The big Kodak ad in Times Square said "pricey ink stinks." I don't know why I was amused by that. I think it was the "stinks" part.

6. Our DVR just does not like Heroes. I have come to that conclusion. Because whenever I get the "out of space" message, it is about Heroes. For example, today I cleared 5 hours to tape 4 hours, 40 minutes. It gets to Heroes (at that point only 2.7 hours on the DVR of those 5 had taped or were committed to currently taping shows) and it tells me there's no space. So I clear another hour, and at least this time (not always!), it's fine. But it doesn't ask me to clear another hour for Journeyman. I don't get it. It's like a weekly thing when Heroes goes on. And it doesn't make any sense to me. It was like that during finale time too last spring. We are finally up to the final arc from last year - April!

7. People seem to be disappointed with scripted TV this year. Maybe I just have low standards?

8. I went on a walk today to try to figure out what to get for lunch (and ended up at the deli downstairs from the office to get a salad) and passed by the Columbus Day parade and also the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. 82 degrees, sunny, and a little puddly.

9. My favorites on Dancing with the Stars are Helio and Julianne. I don't care if they didn't get the highest scores from the judges tonight; their routine was just the most fun! They make me smile.

10. I would like Just Salad to open up closer to my office. It's a little bit of a walk (which is good for health but less so for time) but the salads are so good!

Journeyman

I hope people give the new show "Journeyman" on NBC a shot.

The first episode was a little slow in the first half but by the second half, I was intrigued. And now that I've seen the ending to the episode about 4 times (thank you USA and Bravo for your "NBC marathons" this weekend), I really hope we get to see more. The part where he comes back to San Francisco and "saves" his marriage with The Fray's "Look After You" playing in the background was perfect. When I saw the pilot, that sequence is really what clinched it for me that I was going to keep watching the show.

I only mention this because I just saw it again on Bravo.

I'm really curious about those DVR +7 numbers when they come out (for all the shows).

Frustration

ARGHHHHHHHHH.

I want to take those "It's Tribe Time Now" towels and rip them to shreds. One by one...

ARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH.

So frustrating!

Random Friday Thoughts

1. I left work and saw the Empire State Building was red, white and green. I said to myself, "What Italian holiday is coming up?" 30 seconds later, "I am so dumb." I can't help it if I don't know the date because all the days are starting to blur.

2. [Bottom of the 10th inning: I can't believe the call that Mariano hit that guy! Because he stayed in the way?! Argh.]

3. I spent a good part of today discussing Midtown food carts with my mom.

4. The flies in this Yankees-Indians game are getting to me and making me all squeamish. They are everywhere. So gross.

5. It's October. I can't believe it feels like summer outside, 85 degrees during the day and humid. Where is the nice fall weather? I was going to go to Central Park tomorrow to look at the leaves.

6. I went to Just Salad today for the first time. Alvin goes there a lot because it's near his office but it's a little longer of a walk for me. I got the "Texas 2 step" -- romaine with bbq chicken, white cheddar, black beans and corn, roasted red peppers and green peppers. The salad was yummy. My only concern is that the cutting boards are used for multiple salads in a row and I worry about my broccoli allergy. Since chopped broccoli isn't as neat as, say, chopped green peppers. Those little bulby things could go everywhere. But the salad was so good! I was de-carbing for the last couple of meals (had a nice chicken and chickpea salad last night too) because I had so much pasta and rice in the past few days that I just feel so... carb-full. Needed a cleansing salad.

7. Our office is closed tomorrow because of a building electrical shutdown. I think the last one was in July. Fun. At least you know you can't possibly have to go in to the office!

8. I changed the themes and then fonts on my blackberry, and then wanted to compare with my old font, but for some reason, I can't get it as small as it used to be, and I don't know why.

9. I wish Hershey's would make bags full of just Krackel. They do it for everything else. Dark chocolate Krackel would be perfect for a Halloween present, Hershey.

10. I think it is not meant for me to watch Bionic Woman. I have 2 other things to tape in that time slot (Private Practice and Gossip Girl) and therefore haven't watched it yet. (I guess I could watch it online). I had set it to tape for Saturday night's replay but they replaced it again this week with Chuck. (Yay, Chuck! I hope everyone's watching Chuck). Maybe it's not meant to be?

Back to this stressful, stressful game.

The Bank

Today I went to the bank to get cash from the ATM for lunch.  (I only had $5 since I prefer plastic to cash).  The first machine I walked up to, the person who had taken out cash just before I got there had never logged out.  I immediately went to the next machine because all I could think of was "security risk."  I didn't want to touch the machine if it was still open to someone else's account.

 

As I was finishing off my transaction, it occurred to me that I should have mentioned it to a bank employee.  But just as I was about to leave my machine and go tell someone, someone walked over to that machine and started their own transaction.  So I didn't go tell an employee.  What if the guy had logged the person out and just put in his own card?  Wouldn't it be like accusing him since he was now using the machine?  The employees would be sure to ask him if he was there when they got there.  It just seemed weird -- I totally would have said something if the machine was empty but with someone in there, it just seemed awkward.

 

Was that the right call?  What would you have done?

Ouch

We have a durian in the fridge wrapped in a few plastic bags. While looking around the fridge, I pricked my finger. It bled. Great. Who knew durian was such a dangerous fruit?

In other news, I could complain for hours about the new time entry program that our firm switched to. The old one was so user-friendly and this one is inconvenient, time-wasting and everything takes 10 steps more than it did before. (How is this efficient and an improvement? Don't ask me). But anyway, I will limit myself to saying that I can't believe we switched to a program that will be "offline" for month-end processing on a regular basis. I can't believe that our time entry program "improvement" means that I am now forced to keep time by hand. That just seems so wrong.

Young Folks

Apparently that's the song (the "whistley" one that doesn't sound all that whistley on iTunes). "Young Folks." And apparently it was on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack from last year.

Hmm. Wasn't "Suddenly I See" in Grey's Anatomy the season before it showed up in all the pilots?

Just wondering.

Songs

There seems to be a limited number of songs that get used in new TV shows.  Last year, I think I heard "Suddenly I See" in like 4 new shows, from Ugly Betty to Men in Trees, and I can't remember what else.  This year -- I just heard the same background music in Cane that was in Chuck last week, and I swear that Gossip Girl and Dirty Sexy Money had that same cute "whistley" theme song that I can't figure out the name of and really like.  Why does everyone use the same music?  And does anyone know what the names of these songs are that I'm talking about?

Weekend

Seen, this weekend, out in SI:

1. Desperate Housewives Relaxation Station in the supermarket parking lot, 2 days in a row, offering manicures, chair massages and tarot card readings.

2. Christmas decorations in the store. It's a bit odd in the Northeast when it's 75 degrees outside and Winter Wonderland is playing.

3. Bus making a left turn in front of our car proudly displaying an advertisement for McDonalds Angus burgers: "BIG APPLE, MEET BIG ANUS."

Right. Unfortunately, I have no picture and I know that no one is going to believe me without photographic proof. Sigh.

Happy weekend!

Patience's

Should I alert our tech department that one of their "under construction" notices says, "Thank you for your patience's"? 

Nah, it'll probably be gone tomorrow anyway.

The Search for Pumpkins

This afternoon I was feeling a little chilled, and all I could think about was pumpkin pie. Wrapped up in my blanket, I looked up recipes and came across one that was in my Kraft magazine at home for pumpkin loaf. It looked yummy.

After work, Alvin and I went to the Food Emporium to pick up the ingredients for the pumpkin loaf. We found everything, but after multiple trips up and down the baking aisle, there was no canned pumpkin!

How could the grocery store not carry canned pumpkin? It's not like it's Thanksgiving and the cans are flying off the shelves...

Eventually ended up getting a can of pumpkin at the Amish Market. That store always smells so good from the buffet. If only work were closer... I'd go there all the time to get lunch (the same with Whole Foods). A little more resting and then off to make pumpkin loaf!

Healthy Meals

Since I'm still getting over a stomach bug, I've been eating really carefully and trying to change my diet to be more healthy. (Lots of delivery over the past 2 years has not been great health-wise). Today, since it was a firm holiday (think of it like a Saturday as far as whether you have to go into the office), I had the first opportunity in a long time to cook dinner from scratch. It was nice having time. Especially since I am super slow when it comes to cooking. I could never succeed at a quickfire challenge.

But today I had enough time to marinate the salmon. Make a trip to Whole Foods to pick up some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Chop vegetables. Bake everything. Listing it out like this, it sounds like I did nothing, yet somehow it still took like an hour to do everything. I am so slow.

It was nice to eat something healthy. Just feels so clean afterwards instead of totally polluted (like after eating at Burger King, even though I do like their veggie burger... I think I'm really referring to the onion rings). Quite a satisfying feeling. And the best part was the cherry tomatoes. I'm not a huge tomato person at all but I just felt like getting a little box of them. They were locally grown in New Jersey and the color was so vivid when I chopped them up and they held the seasonings so well. Yum. Now I just want a dish of baked cherry tomatoes. Mmm. (It just hit me - I think I'm not a huge fan of COLD tomatoes (other than slices). I think I generally like warm/hot tomatoes).

Anyway, I would like to cook more, if only I had more time to do it. Anyone have any reliable quick and healthy recipes that they want to share? I love the clean feeling you get from cooking and eating a nice healthy meal. Mmm.

Owww

I hate when I get papercuts from cardboard boxes.

 

And I hate when said papercut is underneath my nail so the inside of my nail is turning red and there's nothing I can do.

 

Sigh.

 

On a more amusing note, my floor is covered with little paper circles because I packed my hole puncher without remembering to empty it first.  Oops.

Overheard at the Chinese Buffet

Tonight we went for dinner at a Chinese buffet restaurant. Since I'm still sick (which would be common knowledge had I actually posted that "week in review" post I drafted over the weekend), it was one of the safer options since they had (a) white rice and (b) options for everyone.

A few of tonight's best lines:

A little girl asked her dad for rice to go with the broccoli they just picked up. Dad's response: "Rice? Chinese people don't eat rice."

The people at the table next to us were discussing black holes and explosions. I wasn't really listening but then heard an interesting illustration: "What happens when you pop a pimple?"

Alvin's fortune cookie stated: "Q: How to make a scrambled brain? A: Add Television to a child."

If you're wondering what the other fortunes said:

Mine said, "Stay true to yourself. Your sure about this?"

My parents got one that said, "All thing has a cause. Look into your pass for answer."

I never realized how difficult it is for me to type sentences that have so many errors.

Razzberry

We went to dinner with my parents tonight and then walked through Times Square. While there, we visited M&M's World (always fun) and got some m&ms for a snack. I saw some new one called "Razzberry" and it had said milk chocolate but it looked more like the size of the peanut m&ms.

It was so good. They taste just like these raspberry chocolate jelly rings I always get from the grocery store around Passover. Yum. I need to go back and get more. Although I have now learned from various sites on google that they'll only be around for about six weeks and they're going to sell them all over. I really really want to get more soon. Back before I knew they would have them other places too, I even looked at the hours for M&Ms World and made a plan to go there to get it before work.

So needless to say... if you like raspberry and you like chocolate (or if you like jelly rings), I highly, highly recommend. Yum.

Here's the official link:
http://www.mms.com/us/razzberry/

Slow

Fall TV season is coming soon! (This week has been a really slow tv week, which is probably good because it has not been a slow work week. But even cable is on a break because of the US Open and Top Chef's week off for some reason I can't figure out).

Perhaps we should finish watching last season's Heroes? We're still in late February episodes.

Lids

I broke my mask!

Ok, that's a little melodramatic, but it's kind of true.

From the beginning...

A few years ago in Hong Kong, we were shopping when I came across a store in the mall called The Face Shop. I don't know much about the store, but I think it's originally from Korea based on the product labels. All I know is that I had a lot of fun in there trying to find products to buy, because I wanted everything. It was like going to Sasa (which we did a lot) but more natural (?) products.

So I ended up getting some single masks that I have to find in my apartment and also this large tube called "Adlay Maskpack." I love the tube, but a few months ago (yes, I'm still using it), I realized that somehow the part where it squirts out had cracked so when I'm squeezing out some of the mask to put on, it also comes out the side. Oh well, so I lose some each time.

Then tonight, I was closing the tube up and turned the lid tight to make sure it wouldn't open and I heard this cracking noise. What could it be?

I turn the cap toward me and am in shock. The little squirty part of the tube has cracked through the top of the lid!

(I am not that strong. Seriously.)

So strange and not what I was expecting. My poor mask tube.

Now I'm on their website and trying to see if they have stores in the US. It appears that they do and that they have one in Flushing! And Palisades Park! If this is the same chain as the one I went to in HK... I totally want to go!

I wonder if you can order online...

Random

Did you have a project in junior high that involved egg babies? Like, you had to create an egg "baby" and take care of it for a week or so?

Thoughts

I should sleep (since I'm still a bit jet lagged - not sure why or how), but instead a few thoughts:

1. We went out for sushi on Friday night, and when I added up the bill, the subtotal included 55 cents, the tip had 0 cents, and my total had 0 cents. Right.

2. Still no second postcard from Seattle. But we got the postcard from Victoria. There was this pretty orca made with mosaic-type tiles on the waterfront in Victoria. Maybe I'll post a picture soon.

3. I try to read a little bit each night before sleeping. Sometimes it's a book, although, since I only read a page or two a night (except for Harry Potter), the book can seem too slow and I get bored (which may not be the book's fault and may be more of a reflection on how exhausted I am each night and how little I read as a result). Right now, I'm reading a Zoogoer magazine, and for 4 nights last week, I read about acorns. I never thought I would read an entire piece about acorns, but it was pretty interesting. Except for the large photo of the tick. I didn't want to see that close up. Now I'm reading about savanna elephants.

4. From the article about acorns: Acorns come from oak trees. The white-footed deermouse is where a large portion of tick larvae become infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Poor deer. Blamed for it all, and all they do is transport the ticks around.

5. The Travel Channel has been showing a lot of Alaska programming this summer. I think a lot of the episodes are just repeated over and over, but it's interesting watching it now that I've actually seen otters up close and been to Mendenhall Glacier and can really appreciate how great it is.

6. I would like to order a Starburst case of the limited edition retro flavors, but cannot seem to find one. The stores aren't carrying them as much anymore, and they were so good. The flavors were mango, lime, disco berry (my favorite) and (water)melon. Discovered disco berry on the way to DC in the middle of a bag of original flavor Starbursts.

7. Work bans access to any form of internet music/radio. I'm not sure how much harm it could really cause, and I think my productivity actually increases with music as background as opposed to the saga of some people's lives, which is what I get if my door is open. I guess I should bring my old iPod or something.

8. I am making really slow progress on my ballpark visiting. I have only added one ballpark (and been to one game) this summer. Safeco is really nice. And so many food choices spread around, unlike some of the other ballparks around here where it's the same food in many locations. And they have garlic fries. (I had been wondering why, when we sat down, all I could smell was garlic...)

9. I need to put up a big reminder sign so that I don't forget to have my car inspected this month.

10. I can't wait for new episodes of Brothers and Sisters. I was watching a rerun tonight and I love this show. (Thank goodness the summer brings new episodes of Psych, which I watch like 3 times each). Then again, I should probably catch up on the rest of last season's episodes of Heroes before the new season starts...

Almost 2 am, must sleep and try to lessen this jet lag.

Postcards

On Friday, we sent 2 postcards to ourselves from Seattle. We put them in the same mailbox in the hotel. Two days ago, we got one of those postcards (along with one from Ketchikan, Alaska, which, I am happy to say, still uses the postmark stamp instead of running it through one of those computerized machine things), but not the other. We still have not gotten the other. How is that possible? We mailed them at the exact same time!

Smart Shade

How does Almay Smart Shade makeup work? How does it "sense" your shade?

Photos

I have 3,376 photos on my computer from vacation.  And I deleted some.  Hmm.  That's a lot.

Hello from Seattle

Hello from Seattle!

We got to Seattle yesterday and the weather was absolutely gorgeous all day. The skies were blue, not a cloud in the sky - where was this gray Seattle I'd always heard so much about? (Not that I wanted to see clouds, we have enough of those at home during the summer!) It was back today - completely overcast in the morning - and all the news stations were saying AM fog but that it would burn off by noon, and then when it didn't, someone in the hotel said it would burn off by 4 pm. It did, while we were at the gym. Decided not to go to visit the Space Needle in the cloudiness since the hotel is a good 40 minute bus ride away from downtown and we had a dinner to go to tonight.

It's been a nice couple of days break so far. Did some sightseeing and took a lot of photos at the Pike Place Market. Since the weather was so great yesterday, we also took a nice boat cruise around Elliott Bay. It was a great day to be on a boat, just relaxing, taking in the sights and listening to some stories and history. Relaxed a lot today and finished reading Harry Potter 7. (Quite content and I think it's the best one of the series). Good family time. Excellent shrimp rolls and good salmon and nice clean air.

Need to be up early in the morning. Good night!

Sigh

Packing for trips is such an ordeal.

And I should be working right now! Argh. Too much to do, too little time.

Pouring Rain

It is pouring outside.

 

As I walked to work, the rain just got harder and harder each block.  It splashed off of every surface, caused huge puddles and floods at every corner and drain and came from every direction, making my last minute decision to not wear my raincoat seem awfully stupid.

 

I was at the door and decided that I probably didn't need the raincoat.  After all, it was just going to make me really hot on my walk and it wasn't raining that hard...

 

Well, during the time between my leaving the apartment and my stepping outside, it had picked up significantly.  Sigh.

 

I learned a couple of lessons though:

 

1.  Leave earlier.  I was awake earlier but I was reading Harry Potter (I'm not done yet, please no spoilers or I will have to have someone hex you...) because the book is seriously magnetic, but I really should have left when it was not raining as hard.

 

2.  Look around before you shake out your umbrella.  This is just common sense and I always try to follow it, but some other people just shake their umbrellas out onto other parts of the sidewalk without paying attention (one person in particular was still in his own iPod world) and people (me..) get splashed.

 

3.  Wear a raincoat even if you think you'll be too hot.  At least your skirt will be dry and you won't have looked like you just got out of the shower.

 

4.  Don't congregate on narrow sidewalks if the space between you and the next congregation is less than an umbrella width.  Again, common sense, but it seems a bit difficult sometimes...

 

5.  Carry a bigger umbrella.  I'm in the market for a larger sturdy umbrella with a push-button open and close.  Anyone have any suggestions?

 

I wish it would get brighter outside.  This is just so... gloomy.

Not Happy

If I didn't enjoy watching dance shows so much, I would stop watching So You Think You Can Dance right now. Really not happy with the outcome. I almost don't want to watch tonight's episode.

Pad Woon Sen

I like the pad woon sen from Aceluck (9th Ave in the high 30s - do they really call this area SoHell or was that just New York magazine?). It's flavorful, a good mix of vegetables, good texture. I'm a big fan of pad woon sen, but some places can make it a little bland. This one was excellent. The delivery isn't the quickest, but they weren't too far behind the estimate, and they made up for it with the great pad woon sen :)

Falling asleep, going to bed. Good night!

Creepy

I'm putting together a packing list based on this checklist I got from the travel agent, and it lists "mosquito repellent (the farther north, the larger the mosquitoes)." Mosquitoes get bigger the further north you are? Ewwww.

Dishes

I love getting lunch from Dishes.  Unfortunately, it is pretty expensive for a daily habit.  But today's Thai style tofu and Japanese eggplant salad and 5 cheese mac & cheese and Moroccan style salad were sooooooooooooo good.

Random Thoughts

Very random thoughts:

1. The song "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's sounds like it came out of The O.C. Was it ever used there?

2. World Series of Pop Culture is great. I am quite upset with myself for not getting all of the American Idol questions correct. Where was my brain during that? The lyrics questions are usually hardest. Do the contestants get to read the questions? (Doesn't look like it). It must be so difficult if you can't read it.

3. NBC and Fox are both coming out with reality shows this week that have contestants trying to fill in missing lyrics in songs. I think in the past it always seemed like Fox would copy a show and then put it out first, but it looks like NBC beats them by a day this time. The Singing Bee was entertaining. Especially singing at home...

4. Today's weather could only be described as sticky, gross and disgusting. Ick to 90s and high humidity. It was unpleasant to be outside for too long.

5. The apartment needs cookies.

6. Tai Shan's birthday was yesterday. Happy 2nd birthday Tai!

7. The Traveler IQ game on Facebook is unbelievably addictive...

8. If you leave a voicemail for someone, should you tell them the reason why you are calling if you want them to call you back (that is, if you don't already have some sort of ongoing business or if it's not obvious to the person being called who is calling)? Or should the voicemail recipient be obligated to call back every person who "has an interest in speaking" with them?

9. If the pharmacy says on its website that it closes at 8, it should close at 8. A customer should not arrive at 7:52 to find the gates up and the people walking out the door not wanting to let the customer get her prescriptions. This is especially true if you tell said customer that your register says it is 8 and you are closed, yet by the time the entire transaction has been rung up, the register receipt still only says 7:58. If you are going to fib about something, maybe it should be something that won't be contradicted in writing afterwards.

10. July = Harry Potter month!! (for me)

Uh Oh

I am addicted to Seekadoo and getting tickets. Uh oh.

Hot Dog Update

To Chestnut after winning, "To win this in your home nation..." Because, they do the Nathan's hot dog contest elsewhere??

I'm still rolling my eyes at the commentating of this thing.

Hot Dogs

I realize it's July 4th and a patriotic day and all, but the commentators at the Nathan's event were really driving me crazy. Between the whole "free world" watching this competition and the idea that Joey Chestnut would "change the course of American history" by eating hot dogs... I realize that they want the honor of winning to come back to the US, but seriously. They were making me crazy.

Italian Restaurants

We went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant tonight, and I am left with a few questions:

1.  Is it customary for the server to offer you fresh pepper and/or parmesan cheese once the dish is brought to the table?

2.  If the chef/owner comes out to see you at the table, are they usually there to say hello and see how the meal is going, or are they usually there to ask you if there is anything else you want because the kitchen is closing?

3.  If the meal is overall good (but not "wow"), do you go back and try more things, or do you go someplace you like better?  Does it make a difference if you have read good posts about the place?

4.  With respect to #1 and #2, if you only noticed these differences in service because the table next to you had different service, does that make the service you got bad?

Just wondering.

Fruit and Toothpaste

I was thinking earlier that I should write more posts about things I like. For example, we go to a lot of restaurants and get a lot of delivery/take-out (mostly due to the nature of the job and grocery shopping), so I should write more about things I like. Also, I used to go to the grocery store and Walgreens so often, and would go aisle by aisle, noticing every new product (yes, I went to the grocery store that often and paid that much attention). I had posted about this sporadically (usually things I didn't like!) and was thinking that maybe I should do it more, even if just for my own records.

So today I'm going to start.

(And for the things I don't like... I may or may not name them. Meaning that I might describe it instead of name it, because maybe I just had one bad experience that's not representative of the restaurant or product or whatever that I'm describing. I think the line I'm drawing at the moment is between national corporations and family owned businesses. For example, the "don't like" below, I'm willing to name Colgate, because really, this isn't going to hurt them. However, talking about delivery from one of the Thai shops in the neighborhood, which I think I posted about a long time ago, I'm not going to name names. You could always ask me elsewhere, but I may not name them here).

I like...McDonalds Fruit and Walnut Salad - Snack Size

This afternoon I went for a walk/run in Central Park (the "run" part didn't happen so much since I am still getting over being sick and just could not take it) and then walked home. I was in need of a snack, since the only thing I had all day was a tuna sandwich and a Fruitabu, so I intended to stop at McDonalds (mostly because I only had a credit card and they reliably take credit cards). I figured I would end up getting a snack wrap or a hamburger, something small, so I could still eat dinner when Alvin was done with ultimate.

My plans changed when I walked in and saw a sign for the fruit and walnut snack size salad. I remembered hearing about a fruit and walnut salad before, but I had thought it was like a green salad with fruits and walnuts as some of the toppings and I had never really paid attention, because I'm not a big fan of walnuts. The snack size package looked good though, good enough for me to drop the hamburger/snack wrap idea and try it.

It's perfect for a snack. (I googled it and it sounds like people had some issues with the original size, but I really liked it). It appears they have replaced the original size with the snack size. It had 3 compartments - one with apple slices and grapes (I don't mind that it's only apples and grapes, I used to buy the packages of apple dippers, so it's pretty much the same), a smaller compartment with candied walnuts in little pieces (I had thought the salad had big walnuts, so this was a plus), and a compartment with lowfat yogurt. All combined I thought it was great. The fruit and yogurt were refreshing after having walked about 9 miles and it was a good size for a snack. Does anyone know if they serve this or the fruit & yogurt parfait for breakfast? It would be a lot healthier than that sausage biscuit I get in the morning...

I don't like...Colgate Sparkling White Mint Zing toothpaste

Sigh. I wanted to like this. I think I got this on a Walgreens rebate (like so many other products, this is how I try them out), and since I like mint toothpastes and whitening toothpastes, I did want to like this.

But it burned my mouth. Literally!

Granted, I had been trying this when I had been undergoing a bit of dental work, but still. It burned the insides of my cheeks! How can you want to brush your teeth knowing it's going to sting and burn so much that it would make you cry?

Now, Alvin has no problem with this toothpaste, so it's clearly not burning everyone. But after using it for like a week, I can't bring myself to use it again. That's why I'm naming it as a "don't like."

Off to go read more Goblet of Fire!

60 Minutes

I don't understand my DVR.

There were 60 minutes clearly marked as open yesterday. I was taping a 60 minute show. When we got home from dinner, the show was taping so I didn't think anything of it. However, when I turned on the TV today, it said there wasn't enough free space. I looked at the list of taped shows and it had started the show late, at 4 minutes in.

Apparently, there wasn't enough room to tape 60 minutes (to replace the 60 minute show) but only 56.

I'm confused.

(If anyone's curious, the show was Standoff. I kind of wish that were sticking around).

Red and Blue

I saw on the news this morning a few highlights from the Democratic presidential candidates discussion yesterday.  I wonder if there was any reason why they were standing in front of a graphic of the United States that was red and not blue?

Posting

I really need to post more.

Anyway, if you didn't catch the DirecTV commercial free premiere of Burn Notice today (I figure since I'm glad they did it, I might as well help promote it), you should try to catch one of the reruns on USA before next Thursday.  It was quite enjoyable and a lot of fun.  The lead actor is fabulous and the storyline is entertaining, and I couldn't wait to set it to series record when it was over.

Now I think I'll go do some work and sigh over yet another wrong SYTYCD elimination.  *sigh*

Sinuses on Fire

My sinuses have been killing me all day. I don't know if this is allergies or summer sickness or what, but ugh. Makes working very difficult.

But you know what really doesn't make your sinuses feel happy?

When you walk down the street and someone has started a blazing fire with all the boxes on the street (apparently something involving lighting a cigarette... not sure since I missed the ignition but did notice the entire cloud of burning smoke speeding down the block). There was a crowd of people watching the pile burn and I think cigarette man started trying to put it out with his foot and someone called him (or the action) dumb. All I know is that I went around the whole section of fire yet after a few steps, my sinuses were literally burning. They still are. The pain is radiating through my head. This sucks.

Tuna Salad

I really like tuna salad sandwiches. The only problem with making these at home is that the entire kitchen ends up smelling like tuna because of the tuna cans and the mixing bowls and all the utensils. Any tips for good ways to purge the scent of canned tuna from your kitchen after making sandwiches for lunch?

Odd

We were at ESPN Zone for dinner and these two women came in, and I swear when one of them passed us en route to a table, she said something like, "All these f**ing games!"  Umm... what kind of restaurant did you think you were going to for dinner?   They lasted about 30 seconds in the middle of all the TV screens before they got up and left.  Umm....

Lists

Wow, it's been awhile since I last posted. I didn't realize quite how long it had been...

But since it's late and I'm off to sleep soon, here's a mini-list:

1. It's getting near mid-June so I think it's time to start over again with Book 1 in preparation for July 21. I'm aiming to read through the whole thing in time to pick up the last book as the last part of the entire experience. I'm hoping I'm timing this right...

2. So You Think You Can Dance is seriously the most fun show on TV right now. I look forward to it every week!

3. I want to go on vacation...

4. Sometimes I just like having sandwiches for dinner. Or omelettes. Tonight was a turkey and provolone sandwich on a parmesan cheese bagel with a side of potato salad. Mmm.

5. All of a sudden, summer got incredibly busy. I don't recall my schedule getting this booked up this quickly in the winter...

6. I want to go to the San Diego Zoo again to hang out with all my animal friends.

7. This weekend at Costco the samples were stuffed shells, dino nuggets, cranberry juice cocktail, and then a bunch of things I didn't try like cheesecake, roast beef with vegetables and pastrami.

8. While I was at the deli today, I requested regular turkey. Soon after, someone asked the person helping me how the store brand turkey was and she gave it a thumbs down. I thought about taking back my order, but I think she gave me Boars Head anyway based on the label. Whatever it was, it was good.

9. It's supposed to just keep on raining... wheeee. That makes it a little harder to get up in the morning.

10. I watched the Yankees game tonight and they actually won! This has been the first game this season that I've watched where they didn't lose!

11. I wish the post office would make a prettier Forever stamp. Or maybe variations, like the regular stamps, but just call them Forever stamps. I know that kind of defeats the whole purpose, but I don't like having a hundred of the same stamp. I'm the person who buys the stamp books with quilts and flowers and squash because I like variety.

12. I was watching Miss Congeniality earlier today (it's on again right now) and I had totally forgotten that William Shatner and Candice Bergen had worked together on that before they were Denny and Shirley.

13. The chef reality shows are all back this week - The Next Food Network Star, Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef. Guilty pleasures. I think the one I have watched the most is Top Chef (including during a flight back on JetBlue when I should have been sleeping!), but the end of last season was a bit messy. (I still think Sam should have won...)

14. We went to the National Zoo over Memorial Day weekend and it was fabulous. Maybe I'll post some pictures of the adorable Tai Shan soon.

15. Enough for now. Good night!

More Upfronts Stuff

I wasn't overly excited by CBS, Fox or CW (and our department is crazy busy at work) so no lengthy upfronts analysis on those.  I think the only thing that I was really excited about was Gossip Girl and the only thing I am really upset about is Veronica Mars (and the lack thereof).

 

But the plan is to check out the show promos and then come up with a list of shows I'm excited for and shows that have to come out with a good promo if I'm even going to check them out.  And then make my potential viewing schedule.  I tend not to think about the scheduling slots until then, which is what everyone is usually talking about.  The only thing I will ask is why Fox is always listing Bones to move to Friday at midseason.  It doesn't make any sense... and it's not like it's stayed there in previous years.  It's not horrible for me since I both have DVR and watch TV all seven days of the week, but Fox is known for those Friday night timeslots of death.  Oh, and the other scheduling thing would be that it looks like most of the conflicts come up at midseason with the whole Idol every night + all the shows that run straight through without repeats.  Should be an interesting season.

Jamba Juice

If only Jamba Juice delivered.  I could totally go for one of those peach drinks right about now.  Been craving it all afternoon but don't even have the short amount of time it would take to walk 3 blocks to get one.  Sigh.

ABC Upfronts

I hate to write such a quick entry for ABC since it's one of my favorite networks (despite being cancellation trigger happy), but I have stuff to do at work and don't want to stay all night...

 

Shows that aren't coming back:  Nothing to say here except for Daybreak (never had a chance and why does America hate good conspiracy shows?), Extreme Makeover (is it FINALLY gone?), The Nine (we were in San Diego for the last aired episode and I have yet to see it; it was slow but good, but apparently too slow for America), Show Me The Money (horrible show but William Shatner is hilarious), Six Degrees (had much more potential than came through) and What About Brian (not a very good show yet somehow I was addicted to the characters).  I guess I had a lot to say about anything but comedies.

 

Shows that are coming back:  I think I wrote a post awhile ago (or maybe I didn't) about how happy I was with ABC's early renewals.  I still am considering how many of them I watch - Boston Legal, Brothers and Sisters, Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Men in Trees, October Road (although I don't know why because the writing is horrible) and Ugly Betty.  Hmm, I seem to watch a lot more ABC than NBC...

 

New shows:  I remember being really excited about a lot of the potential ABC shows... I still am :)

 

Based on what we know so far, I like:

 

*  Big Shots: I think I heard this described as a male Desperate Housewives.  And it has Michael Vaughn, so what's not to love about that...

 

*  Cashmere Mafia:  SATC 2.0 but I'm not sure I'm going to like it as much as SATC.  Will give it a shot though.

 

*  Dirty Sexy Money:  Been hearing great things about it... and good cast + crazy family dynamic (Brothers and Sisters?)

 

*  Eli Stone:  Berlanti + a good guy lawyer ... it could work :)

 

*  Private Practice:  I am part of the minority that LIKED the Grey's spinoff, just not how it meshed with the old Grey's in its introduction.

 

*  Pushing Daisies:  Everything I've heard about this show sounds amazing.

 

*  Women's Murder Club:  Don't know if it's going to be good, but the description is enough to make me catch an episode at the start.

 

... and I don't care about:  Carpoolers (eh), Cavemen (I still can't believe someone thought this was a good concept beyond an ad), Miss/Guided (eh), Oprah's Big Give (I haven't watched Oprah in ages), Sam I Am (sounds ok, but I can't tell enough from the description to know whether I should care).

 

Uh oh.  This is a pretty long list.  Maybe I need 2 DVRs...

NBC

While I am on my "dinner break," I can talk about the NBC upfronts.   (Dinner is really yummy, so I want to take a break from drafting for it).

 

Let's start with what they cancelled this season and/or are not bringing back next year.  I'm not really torn up about any of them except for Kidnapped (which, considering how long it has been since it was hastily cancelled, I have come to accept, although I don't get why America didn't like it) and Raines (which was entertaining in its quirkiness, but sadly quirky shows have a hard time succeeding).  I did watch Studio 60, but don't particularly care about a second season (just seeing the rest of the first season episodes burn off) and The Black Donnellys (until it bored me, which was quick).  And well, Grease, but we knew that was never coming back and even then, I skipped the entire middle.

 

On to the renewals and the non-cancellation of any of the L&O franchises.  That is shocking!  I mean, I kind of want the franchise to set a record for consecutive seasons on the air because I think it's definitely a franchise that deserves its place in history, and I did watch endless amounts of it during the bar exam... but it's really aging (other than SVU, which I used to DVR, but now just watch repeats of).   Happy to see the renewals of Friday Night Lights (heard about this days ago, but at least now I'll have a chance to watch the entire S1 DVD and then watch S2 - I didn't end up seeing much this season because it got built up on the DVR and we ran out of space), Heroes (not really a question) and Medium (was worried that would get cancelled until a few days ago).

 

Then there's always the not really cancelled yet but not really renewed yet Apprentice.  It's kind of aged to the point of irrelevance, but Trump still thinks he's #1.  I can't imagine how this could be revitalized.

 

Now, the fun part - the new shows!  I've been reading snippets about them for weeks, but I usually don't post until it's official.  It's always hard to tell until the fall promos and articles whether the shows will actually live up to their potential (and then again, should still give them a shot like Brothers and Sisters!).  I tend to pick any that look interesting, give them a couple of tries and then if I don't like it or get bored (it's usually the latter, I have a low "like" threshold but a high "really like/love" threshold), then I stop watching.

 

So first, the ones that I'm most interested by:

 

*  Chuck - Josh Schwartz and the brains behind the OC + "comedic spy thriller" + geek becoming secret agent - what's not to love about that?

 

*  Heroes: Origins - intrigued by anything Heroes + we get to choose a character?

 

*  The IT Crowd - more tech humor :)

 

*  Journeyman - time travel + relationships (I thought that was ABC's domain...) - could be interesting but time travel is a very tricky thing in shows and I usually end up overanalyzing it to the point where I have so many holes in it that I don't know what to do with it anymore.

 

*  Lipstick Jungle - well, I do own all the seasons of SATC on DVD, this should be no surprise.

 

*  The reality ones - Singing Bee (karaoke and singing) and World Moves (I watch all the dance reality shows) - seem fun :)

 

Which leaves only two:

 

*  Bionic Woman - I kind of just don't care about it... I'd probably check it out, but I care more about the geek shows :)

 

*  Life - sounds depressing.

 

We'll see what happens... ABC is up tomorrow and is threatening to steal all my remaining TV hours. ;-)  (Oh, and I finished my Moroccan harira soup before I even got to the new shows... oops).

Idiocy

Did you ever have one of those days when you're just an IDIOT?

 

crayon17, meet Monday, May 14th.

 

I don't think it's because I went to sleep at 3 am.  I think I'm just having a stupid day. 

 

For example, I left for work this morning a little later than I had hoped, but nothing too extreme.  I get to my desk and only then do I realize that the voluminous file I brought home to work on over the weekend is still at home on top of the stereo... where I put it so that I would not forget it.  I even stacked all the papers together so that none would be forgotten.  But alas, I am at the office and the papers are at home.  That would not be such a big deal if I could just reprint the pages (waste of paper, but doable), but no, these were handwritten notes from a call that... I can't replicate so easily.  I brought home just about everything I could work on... and then left it at home.  Sigh.

 

Another example, I went home for said file during lunch.  I stopped at a place to get a burrito bowl and then put it in my bag.  I made sure to rearrange my bag so that the food would be flat and level; I just didn't want to come into work carrying that many bags.  Well, perhaps more bags is preferable to spilling out.  Luckily they wrapped it in both paper and plastic and the durable plastic bag stopped any of the sauce from coming out and drenching my umbrella, cooler, file and other assorted items or else I would actually be upset.  I'm not really that upset by this, more just thinking it's further proof that I'm an idiot.  And it could be worse - the entire bowl could have broken and all the food could be in the plastic bag.  At least it was only lots of sauce leaking and not an entire food disaster.

 

And I mean, stupid day... 3 am going to sleep before going to work?  Without an especially good reason for it either...

 

Other assorted notes:

 

1.  I live on the same block as a school and a playground.  The kids were at recess when I left for the office and they were at recess when I went back for my file.  There was a decent block of time between those two visits.  Are the kids at recess for long periods of time?  Can I go to their elementary school?

 

2.  The Naked Cowboy makes crossing streets difficult when people stop and block the little traffic island to take pictures of him and you can't pass.

 

3.  My mom went to Panera for lunch today and it made me think about the fact that I could go for Panera for lunch right now.  Frontega chicken half plus a half salad.  (Mmm, feta cheese).  But there is no Panera near me.  Then again, a midtown lunchtime Panera could be bad, because it would suffer from the Quiznos/Kati Roll/Chipotle problem of huge long lines while they put your food together fresh.

 

4.  I normally let something like Brothers and Sisters play in the background during work, but how I can play last night's episode without sobbing?  It was absolutely heartbreaking.

 

(Survivor Finale spoiler info below if you haven't watched it yet)

 

5.  The Survivor finale turned out well.  There was only one of the 3 that I wanted to get the money and he won!  Yay!  Go Earl!  This wasn't like last year where I could have been ok with any of them but was rooting for Yul.  This year, I thought Cassandra didn't even try in the challenges and Dreamz... well, he could explain himself 5 different ways on any decision and swear it was his plan from the start.  I wish there were a backup million that we could give to Yau-Man... he deserves it much more than Rupert did that season!

 

Hopefully more on the NBC upfronts later.

Upfronts

One more week until we find out the fall TV slate... I can hardly wait!  I'm so excited...

 

And in other good news, Lost is supposedly confirmed to run through 2010.  Yay!  I'm glad when shows actually can map out a full arc and aren't prematurely cancelled or cancelled without time to put together adequate closure.

 

I hope everyone is watching Brothers and Sisters.  It's my favorite Sunday night TV show.  It just gets better and better every week.  Yay for good tv!

Windows

The window washers are outside my window.  I need to be on my best behavior. :)

American Idol 6.34

I love Bon Jovi, so this was an awesome night for me. I was so excited and he just seemed like a genuinely great person who really wanted to coach and mentor the contestants. So awesome.

I wasn't awed by anyone's performance though - except for Blake. Simon thought that it would be pretty polarizing and it probably was, but I loved it. I expected to hate it when JBJ said it was a big risk, but it was captivating. It was the only one I rewatched. And I voted. I always liked Blake, but tonight, he really got me to vote. And I threw in a few votes for Jordin because I liked her in past weeks (even though this week was really disappointing). Melinda was good but she's done better, I was done with Phil and Chris (especially Chris) a few weeks ago and Lakisha... she can sing but (a) she doesn't seem to listen to any advice from the guest coaches and (b) I'm not sure "singing in church" as training is the same as being "trained" in classical and opera (according to her AI web bio).

I'm excited that JBJ is singing tomorrow. YAY!

But seriously - Bush?! on my TV? Not welcome. We fast forwarded it. I realize we just went through Idol Gives Back, but the show is still entertaining fluff for me and I didn't want it ruined by... that. I watch stuff like Idol to get away from all that.

And this isn't about Idol - but Kenny Mayne and DanceCenter should be on Dancing with the Stars every week! It was hilarious.

Anyway, I should sleep. Have you ever had that feeling where you're very tired and very exhausted but not sleepy? Hard to explain. I think I am sleepy, but just can't get myself to take that extra step to go to sleep.

Drive

Dear Fox,

Of course you cancelled Drive. Why should I have ever believed you would do otherwise?

But answer me this, if you cancel every single show that doesn't perform as well as you would have liked right out of the gate, why would anyone keep watching your shows? Wouldn't it be better for me to NOT check out that show that sounds interesting just in case it doesn't get as many viewers as you want and you prematurely cancel it? Why waste my time on something if you don't really care about it?

I get it. I get that television is a business. But not every show that is a hit now was a hit in its second week. Shows need a chance to grow. To spread by word of mouth. To let people catch up on episodes they miss when you broadcast three hours in the first week and people fall behind because they don't realize the scheduling or they came into the show late and need to figure out what's going on. Just because the audience isn't there in week 2 doesn't mean they're never going to show up.

Sure, people say you gave it a chance because you broadcast a lot of ads. But that doesn't change the fact that there were a lot of things you could have done if you really cared. You could have re-launched in the summer. You could have put on multiple encores each week to get people to watch instead of reruns of other shows that have already "made it." You could have put the first episode on after Idol instead of 2 hours all by itself with no lead-in and no lead-out, since we all know how much of a bump Idol can give a show - you would have at least had those people watching to see if they liked it. You could have started the show when other shows were starting and NOT when other shows were in the middle of their seasons and people were already committed (this is why I'm worried about Traveler, not that you would care). But generally a lead-in is key. Why start any new show on Fox without giving it a post-Idol berth for a premiere or even an encore? It just seems like an easy choice to me.

I made a list today of the shows that I am upset that the networks cancelled and you, Fox, had the longest list by far. I don't know what it is, whether you're trigger-happy or what. I'm surprised you stuck with Bones for so long - I was worried about that show constantly. And its numbers improved as more people started watching it based on word of mouth and its placement near Idol. (At least that's what I hear). Things don't take immediately - I told my parents about Bones for weeks but it still took them a few episodes before they had a chance to catch it and now they watch it every week. Real hit shows take TIME. And the impatience and cancelling of serials this season has really made people re-consider whether they want to invest the time in a new show when the likelihood of cancellation seems higher than ever. I know I'm going to think twice about whether I want to care next season.

I could fill in plenty of other names from this season (like Justice), but I'm going to concentrate on Drive for now. Sigh.

Signed,

Disappointed