"Her" Chair

Not really sure how I feel about a chair that has a nicer @ss then me....

Go Forth and Be Green

Happy Earth Day!
I am not participating in any rallies or events. But I did stock up on some "green" cleaning supplies at 30% off. MMMmmmm geranium. Anybody else want in on the discount code, leave a comment!

Lost and Found

Through my Mucinex Fog last week, I was still able to call up visualization exercises to track down lost items.
I hate losing things, especially items that I use often and cost me a penny or 2 to buy. I wasn't ready or willing to chalk these things up as a loss; but didn't want to send myself into a panic either. I just kept telling myself, "You WILL find those lost items. They will be made available to you again." out loud.

So in slow succession, I found my sunglasses.. (I left them at the office.) I would've been really bummed if I lost these. They have been my go-to pair the last year.

After some incidental cleaning, my office entry badge was found in the pocket of my navy trench. (How did it get THERE??)

And then TODAY, TODAY... I called the Bellagio's lost and found and they have my watch!! How excited am I?? I never get stuff back left in a hotel room! Oh its a great Monday! Granted, my ESQ is not a priceless timepiece, but it is mine and I have developed a fondness for its understatedness.

Now if only my cashmere Burberry muffler would show up........

Room Service

Right now I really wish my condo came with room service....

Seafood Chow Fun - Yes indeedy
Smiling Noodles with coconut curry - Heck yeah
Confit Duck Leg - Come to mama
Macaroni and cheese with broccoli and smoked ham - YEP!
Pot Roast - Me likey!

dangit....

Comfort

I am proud to say I am not the Outbreak Monkey during my recent bout of the 08 Cold; but as my weeklong hacking cough has morphed into a fever and runny nose in its second week; non-outbreak monkey status is essentially small comfort.

I am no stranger to this wicked viral infection, but I had hoped I would somehow escape its grips this year. Stuck at home, unable to take advantage of the situation by catching up on DVD's(can't focus), I am somehow just flat out pissed off. Pissed off at my body's inability to kick this. Pissed off that no one is here to take care of me; but happy that no one is around to witness the feverish, cranky, speechless, gimpy, snotty, hacking entity that is me. ...

The Hello Kitty humidifier is now cranked up, and I can feel the slow lull of Nyquil dreams. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzz... *cough* *cough* snot* zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Olympic Torch Melee

At home sick today but it has allowed me to stay tuned to the Olympic Torch brouhaha unfolding on tv. Actually if I go out on my deck, I can see the media helicopters in the sky. Its so crazy seeing those familiar San Francisco streets being aired on CNN! I mean, sheesh! Who knew the torch would be running through the Marina??

What a brilliant move to completely reroute! I am all for the protesters and believe in a Free Tibet. But I have also always been a big supporter of the Olympics and have been so excited to have the torch relay come through my Fair City. So glad that the torchbearers have been given their moment to shine.. All these runners with such amazing stories, it always brings a tear to my eye.



Mayor Newsom looking oh so official and concerned with his hair.


Nothing like a bunch of Chinese folks gettin' all kinds of crazy.


All in all, great to know everyeone had their say with no serious acts of violeance and no arrests. If I weren't sick, I'd be down there amongst all this chaos fun!

Hawaii Highlights

It was a mere 3-hour difference, but coming back from Hawaii screwed me up something fierce. I came back the first night only to stay up till 5am before having to head to work on 3 hours sleep. Ggggaaa. I'm still trying to catch up with my life. Boy, am I a business travel newbie or what??

Well, before moving on to some other topics, here some highlights from my week-long stay in the Aloha State. The week-long stay part is deceiving as I really only had one full day off to enjoy the island so really there's not a whole lot to say.

First Up: Makapu'u Point. Following a paved 2 mile trail up the hill, you can find the Makapu'u Lighthouse, one of Hawaii's most familiar landmarks with a spectacular view of the Windward side of O'ahu. It was a hazy Saturday but allegedly on a clear day you can see the entire coastline and the island of Molokai in the distance. I took the road less travelled(off to the right) and found myself in a scarsely populated cove where it seemed a bunch of local kids hung out. Coolio! Always nice to have a brief respite from pesky tourists, yours truly notwithstanding of course...

Next it was onward to the lighthouse point. Despite the wind whipping the crapola out of my face, I had an amazing view of some of the bluest waters I've ever laid eyes on. And the Makapu'u Lighthouse with its red roof made for the perfect contrast. I was on a bit of a time crunch that day, so didn't actually make it down to the structure itself. This way I've saved something for my next trip!

I was getting hungry and the North Shore beckoned. So I hopped back into the Rental and proceeded to continue my drive north along the coast. I had been told by some folks in the office that no trip to the North Shore would be complete without a stop at Matsumoto's Grocery Store for shaved ice. I'm not a big shaved ice freak but who was I to argue? Not knowing when I'd ever be back, I opted for all the fixin's. So here's my shaved ice: The Hawaiian (coconut, pineapple, and I forget what) with red beans AND condensed milk. Despite D's proclamation that my concoction was "gross", I found it strangely tasty. Nonetheless, once left with a heap of melted ice, syrup, and red beans.. I was ready to toss the last 1/3 of it out. I got the gist of it.

After that it was a 40min drive back to Honolulu and a dinner of Linguini & Clams in a restaurant called Ciao Mein (surprisingly good!).

Day of Fools

Has anyone noticed Google's new feature prank today? They've launched Google Custom Time!
Any email you send to the past appears in the proper chronological order in your recipient's inbox. You can opt for it to show up read or unread by selecting the appropriate option.

By God, Gmail has harnessed the power of an e-flux capacitor to resolve issues of causality!

But be warned: you only get ten emails to use per year. Researchers have concluded that allowing each person more than ten pre-dated emails per year would cause people to lose faith in the accuracy of time, thus rendering the feature useless.

Their findings:

N = Total emails sent
P = Probability that user believes the time stamp
φ = The Golden Ratio
L = Average life expectancy

Anybody else see something good today???

Corned Beef and Spam?

Aloha and Happy St. Patrick's Day from Waikiki!
Seems a bit odd as Corned Beef and Cabbage doesn't seem particularly Hawaiian, but they're giving the spirit of things a great go!

I am curious to see if anyone comes up with a green Maitai. But I'm actually working pretty much all day (well into the evening), don't know if I'll make it to a bar. We shall see...

Island Style

After 3 days of work here in Waikiki, I was truly looking forward to a weekend of rest and relaxation Island Style. I have a great team I work with; but 3 days and nights with my VP, new boss, old boss, and 2 others over the age of 50 is enough to make me start longing for frathouse keggers and tequila shots.

So I reserved a rental car and planned to hit Makapu'u Point and the North Shore. But gadzooks! Not 10 minutes after I put on my bathing suit this morning, the phone in my room rings. Its my VP. "Yada yada.. did you have plans for today?" I tell her I do. "Yada yada how about tomorrow? I'm sorry I have to ruin your day tomorrow. Blah blah. Yada urgent, yada yada Bernard Arnault."

So no weekend for me. By no means did I give up my North Shore drive today, but ugh, I'll have the project looming over my head. But like the R&R, I'm hoping to work on Sunday Island Style: poolside with a Mai Tai in hand. Dang... I'm so howlie, I don't even know I'm howlie......

Cat's Meow

Did I ever tell you about the time my knee started to fill "twingy" each time I went to Step Class?
Yeah, you're right. I didn't.
THATS BECAUSE IT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!

Granted, my knee has been acting up during my weekly runs but lately I get that "twinge" a lot more often. You know the one. The twinge that makes you suck in your breath like the time you got your ear pierced. Or like the time you got your flu shot. Yeah, like that.

I got that feeling about 45 minutes into my class today. Crapola. Is this how it starts? I've been denying it the last half a year, but I just may have to make one of those "Doctor it hurts when I do this"-visits soon. Will I start sliding into the "my body is falling apart"-phase the morning after?

Will I start complaining about my sciatica next? Prefer my peas mashed? Crave Hometown Buffett? Will I want to start watching movies like The Bucket List? .. Oh goodness, will I start to believe Jack Nicholson is the Cat's Meow????? Say it isn't so....

Hop and a Skip

So, I am now 39-years-old. I'm at peace enough with it to say it out loud to the world.
I'm no longer a hop, skip, and step to the Big 4.0; I'm now a mere step away.

And yet although I suppose I'm at peace with it, I'm really not sure. I'm certainly not holding a ticker-tape parade; but I suppose overall, I'm pretty happy with things.

Pisces in the Hizzouse!!

It's Lano's birthday today.
And for his birthday, I googled him. And BAM! Look! The first result!

Whoa.. Our Lan-o is a celebrity! He's got 2 google images on the first page alone!


This is the second result. .. Which may be what he'll look like in 30 years.....
Nice 'stache Dude!!!!

Happy Birthday my dear fellow Pisces. Can't wait to celebrate!

Canine Competition

I find it difficult to sit through all 4 quarters of the Super Bowl, but parade a bunch of fancy schmancy dogs on the green and I am captivated for hours.

And every year I look forward to all 6 hours of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, length be damned. Sure, the other channels broadcast the Eukanuba dog show, etc, but they're always abbreviated, only winning dogs get airtime. Boo. I want to see them all!

I also enjoy watching the special segments showing therapy dogs, this year the first time ever welcomed to the Sloan-Kettering Center. Hey, you don't have to convince me that dogs really do help you to feel better. And lets not forget that Westminster is a benched dog show. The dogs stay at Madison Square Garden all day and you can educate yourself on the different breeds. After all, retardos like P@ris Hilton are not doing anyone any favors treating dogs like an accessory. Each day the San Francisco Humane Society is now getting little Chihuahuas dropped off by owners who had no idea what it took to raise a dog; their daughters just wanted a little furry thing to carry around in their Hannah Montana tote bags. *sigh* *Happy thoughts* *Happy thoughts*

First up? The Hound Group!
The Whippet! Whip it good!
For 2008, Uno, the 15" Beagle, takes the Hound Group.
"Heeeyyy.... you work out??"

(OK, is it me or is that David Duchovy's voice in the Pedigree dog commercials? Can anyone confirm?)

Up next, my favorite group! May we have the Terrier Group in the ring please...
The Dandie Dinmont is quite Dandy!!
Meet Smudgie, a Miniature Bull Terrier. Looks like he's searching for a Valentine's!

"This breed possesses no small amount of self-esteem"...You think?? And here's Champion Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice, also known as Charmin. No surprise, the #1 terrier in the country(ssshhhh.. don't tell Sasa...) takes the Terrier Group. He is a beauty!
Alrighty, I keep finding spoilers on the internet so time for me to just relax and watch these cuties. ADOPT A DOG!

NOLA Shoutout

Sweetl! A NOLA picture I shared at CasaSugar got highlighted today! I just couldn't let a weeklong discussion about New Orleans architecture go without mention of the amazing Doullut Steamboat Houses! Go check it out!

You Dirty Rats

Sake thinks every year should be the Year of the Dog, but she still wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!

And with her New Year's finery on, she'll even bow down and wish you Gung Hei Fat Choy!

You're Super, Tuesday!

Have you had enough of election coverage yet? I'm so ready for Bush to be gone, I actually don't mind it all. This past weekend I subjected myself to more. I weaseled myself into a Hillary event. I have found myself to be conflicted as of late; unsure which Democrat to go with. So I hoped seeing Clinton would help with my indecision.

She spoke to a sold out crowd at the Orpheum Theater. Hmmm, perhaps people were confused and thought Zac Efron would show up?

I was a guest of an official Patron of the event. So I went straight to the VIP line and got my red bracelet. Btw? Red = $2500 donation.
Evidently, $2500 wouldn't get me out of passing through the metal defector, I mean detector.

But Hillary runs a classy campaign, all the bottled water I could drink (or carry out in my Gucci totebag).
And once seated, I saw our Fair Mayor making the PR rounds.

I was determined to approach him with the ultimate thought-provoking question. But I was so overwhelmed by the sheer force of Gavin's hair, I was rendered speechless. -Doh!
And then there was the main event, 3 mayors and a Mary Steenburgen showed up on stage to introduce Hillary Clinton.
She gave a warm and convincing stump speech. I found myself nodding and cheering and applauding, caught up in the energy. I was also really glad she chose the navy pantsuit and not the poo brown one.
I am still marveling at what an exciting time this is. Normally, we are lamenting the lack of worthy candidates but there is debate and real decisions to be made. And as Super Tuesday looms, I find myself still waffling. But then something hit me on the way home, my heart was battling my head. Well, could I forgive myself if I didn't follow my heart? Did it have any place in the world of politics? I've listened to pundits. I've diligently subscribed to my CNN podcasts. I've read the bloomberg reports. But screw politics. How many times in my life do I get to make a decision like this based on the emotions rendered by my heart?

And lo... I have decided to cast my vote for the man who so eloquently brought me to tears 4 years ago with his words. Because it had never happened before and no one else has done it since. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy if Hillary gets the nomination. I have to remind myself, that in my case, the vote for Obama is not necessarily a vote against her. There are reasons why I have been undecided. Nonetheless, tomorrow, I get to participate in the democratic process in the bare concrete walls of a neighbors garage. Looking back, I guess I've been waiting for years now to finally say: BaRACK Me Amadeus!

By the by, this post inspired me to look back at the original Miss Print newsletter I wrote back in the Fall of '04. Its interesting for me to see my Orange County frame of mind now and again. I have included here just because I'm feeling, well, super! (If anyone wants to see more, speak up!)

"An election year and it has given me much food for thought. The War in Iraq has not turned out to be the rock ‘em sock ‘em all American flag waving Hoedown Showdown that many of our citizens were led to believe it would be. Could the American People be blamed for wanting to believe? Here we were, over 3000 dead: we’ve been attacked, we’re vulnerable. Surely our Fearless “Nucular” Leader would not guide us down the wrong path?
So what happens now? Will it be enough for us to get more more involved? What exactly will it take this election year? To that end, I actually paid a good deal of attention to the Democratic Convention this year. Normally all the self-congratulatory and bombastic speeches leave me a little cold… But from my little idiot box I heard a voice one night that spoke to me and inspired me like no other voice I have heard in my lifetime. Barack Obama’s keynote speech made me dab at the corner of my tear-brimming eyes with his energy, his grace, and his call for unity and message of hope. “If a skinny kid with a funny name can make it, then there is hope.” And who are the Republicans fooling with Alan Keyes? They’ve propped him up to run against Obama in Illinois and the man lives in Maryland! … Try as I might to be Fair and Balanced, can anyone explain the nausea that creeps over me each time I tuned into the Republic National Convention? .. Oh and by the way? Ron Silver is a Fucktard(see Miss Print July29 2003). Fine. Tirade over. My apologies to any Republicans out there I may have offended. To show that there are no hard feelings, check this out… http://www.votecarrie.org/index2.htm

Something for the Ladies
As the Olympics wound down in it’s Hellenic glory, I must confess I lost interest about one week into the Games. Ok, fine. The dip in interest was mostly due to the end of the swimming events. If Mike Phelps and his fellow mates were to continue on swimming for the next 4 months I would still be absolutely enthralled. The sight of the sleek low-rise speedo’s seemingly painted onto these amazing bodies is enough to have me glued to the television night after night. I thought it would be completely plausible that we would get a glimpse of something forbidden. Oh glory be! How proud I am of his sweetness, sportsmanship, and talent. Sidenote: Mike, think about wearing beanies, tooks, or whatever else simulates the swimcap look. Hot hot hot.

UPS Ground
Well, it’s been 16 months to the day(but who’s counting?) here in the Southland and there’s still one tiny thing that I have not reconciled myself to. Bars that exist in strip malls. DECENT bars that exist in strip malls. In fact, my favorite hangout thus far resides in a nondescript little strip mall. No awning, no sign.. nothing that screams “Come In to Kitch! Stay a while!” But stay I do and partake in the comfy chairs. Some nights are more eventful than others. Once, in the ladies room, I posed for SuperModel Pictures with 2 very nice, vivacious young ladies. Super. Other nights I sit and share philosophies with The Canadians over Stoli Greyhounds. But in the end, it’s always a bit jarring to step out the doors, see the parking lot, and realize you’ve just spend the evening in a strip mall where just 8 hours earlier I could’ve shipped my packages UPS Ground and bought some Laffy Taffy.

I’m smarter than I look; but dumber than I think.
I’m not sure how it has happened, but I can feel myself getting dumber everyday. Some recent gems of mine:
“Oh is that one of those electronic cars?” .. “I think she’s El Salvadorean.” Maybe it’s too much sun. Or maybe it’s too much time spent in the car with morning radio. But it is a source of consternation to me that I can’t name what country the city of Prague is in(no fair looking it up!). The city streets here off no consolation… The palm trees smile and wave and there isn’t an independently owned coffee shop in sight. I just don’t want to lose perspective. I fear the before mentioned neon-signed strip malls making me soft. Will I ever be able to avoid eye contact with a homeless person and step over them again? Will I be able to walk more than 2 city blocks in my 3” heels without wincing in pain? Or will being able to sleep through the night with the windows open and the accepted office dress code of flip flops continue to soften me? Can this Northern California girl keep it Real? Stay tuned…..


Devil-May-Carelessness
Who would’ve thought that my exodus from San Francisco would be one of the last acts of randomness and devil-may-carelessness I would practice in 16 months(again, who's counting)? No no no. A 10:30pm showing of The Village doesn’t count! Neither does that bag of Kettle Corn I had at 4am last night . No my friends, I am spiriting myself away back to the Big Apple this week! So take that! (Remember, I can’t let myself get too soft! )
… Does anyone have any recommendations for cheap eats and fun times?


Had enough? Well, here’s more randoms:
The only House Rules I like are mine….
“Strategery”.. Not a word!
Rock the Vote!!!!!!
Is it possible to be haplessly jaded and hopelessly romantic while actually IN a relationship?
You know you’ve been watching too many political conventions when you start giving people the Thumbs Up!
Marrying twice in one year. Isn’t Britney just being greedy now??
I don’t think One-Song Encore’s should count.
There’s just something about a man who says Whoopsie Daisies.. = )


Until we see again my friends!
All my love from behind the Orange Curtain, Rowena"

A Day Late and More Than a Dollar Short

Its been a busy 2008 so far, and I guess my brain can only hold so much information.
So it was with a slight bit of horror that I looked in my planner last night at 11pm and realized it was my nephew's birthday! How did I miss that??! Granted, he had his birthday party this past weekend so maybe I somehow mentally crossed it off my list.

But here's to you RJ! Happy Birthday My Love! Light of my Life!

Such a cliche but he's just growing up so fast. It's been a marvel watching his personality develop. And what a hoot to see how he takes after his YeeMa. He's a camera hog too!!! lol

Vegas Baby!!

Vegas is a funny place to be with children.
Nudity pops up willy nilly in all shapes, sizes, forms.
It's hard to give a 5-year-old a moral differentiation between arcade games and those other, "grown up" games. (After all, they all involve money and crappy odds.)
And how can really explain the popularity of Lance Burton??

But there I was.. in a three-generational mambo on the Vegas Strip. With both my parents, a 5-year-old, and an infant in tow; Sin City sure took on a funny spin. .. First off, my sister and I didn't know what to make of the revamped pirate show at Treasure Island. What was once an action-packed (though cheesy) pirate adventure, turned out to be a free PG-13 burlesque show by Pussycat Doll Rejects. "My name is Cinnamon, but you can call me Sin."... Good gracious! How do you explain that to a pre-schooler? And should you?? Seriously, we all felt a little seedy after that. Not just because of the subject matter, but because some of the dancers were in worse condition than Britney Spears.

Non-moving objects sure seemed a lot more appealing after that!
















All in all, we had great fun, ate some fantastic food, and ultimately have some great stories to tell. But you know what they say....girlfriend... everybody, all together: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, STAYS IN VEGASSS!!


PS. LoSt is BACK!!! yay!!!! Who wants to come over and watch tomorrow night???!