29 October 2007

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Or, more aptly, who gave him the run of the house!

Yesterday, Luca and I headed down to enjoy a lovely day at Golden Gate Park. It was somewhere in the 70s here, which is remarkable for this time of year. We were so excited! Because we were going to be there for a while, I brought him a little baggie of treats (really, kibble).

It was a fun day of beer and sloshball (for me), and scavenging picnic food (for him). Upon arriving home, I left the backpack on the floor, but was careful to zip it all up, as I know he is nosy and likes to go through the bag.

I thought I was safe! But, upon arriving home today, I found my backpack (which is not light) dragged to the middle of the floor, and the little treat bag, open and empty. The dog had gotten the bag, dragged it out, figured out how to unzip it, and dug out the snacks!

I guess he is a little smarter than I thought!

28 October 2007

Meet Me at the Crossroads


When life is at a crossroads, how do you know which is the right one to take?

I have been thinking about this quite a bit lately. Things seem to be traveling down one path, but then I hit a spot like this, where there are arrows and options leading me in different directions. And sometimes, I think this is a fantastic thing, very much a "world is my oyster."

But, more often than not, I feel conflicted about hitting these crossroads. I am not sure how to approach it. While options and opportunities are great, sometimes it is hard to figure out which are good and which are bad. Is one of the roads the one that will lead me on the right path? How far will I go down the wrong one before I realize it?

And, since I have left, I also wonder...which one leads to Florence (or back to Italy)?

Life in the Fab Lane

I have caught this Kimora Lee Simmons show a few times, and I must say, I am totally sick. I think some of it is put on for the camera, but, seriously, how this woman thinks it is ok to treat people the way she does, I don’t know. She thinks talking down to people and then smiling makes it ok, and her “cute” act doesn’t cut it. And, I think she is more famous than she really is. And it is unfortunate, really.

I admire what she’s been able to do with Baby Phat, and always have much respect for women who can head up a company and do it well. But, if this is how people get to act when they are successful, may I never achieve success.

She is currently being shown a house in the 4.5M$ range…her response? The price is a little low. ARGH!

I think she’s trying to be cute and I am so down to earth, look at my silly demands, but it really makes her look like a rather frivolous woman and undermines her success in the business world. I sincerely hope she acts differently when the cameras are off.

24 October 2007

Oops I Did it Again!

It's October, which for me means another birthday, busy at work, and, the Nike Marathon. I am proud (and in a little pain) to say that I finished the race again this year, despite not training, again - which is not smart, I know!

It was a little chillier at the start than it was last year, which kind of surprised me because it was such a warm weekend. I lined up with my friend Stacey and her friend Katie, and we somehow stuck together despite being shoved along with the hoards of women trying to get to the start (apparently, not understanding the meaning of "chip time"). With 23K people running, the start was a little chaotic, and Katie and I quickly got separated from Stacey. At the mile mark, she decided to wait for her, while I knew I needed to push on in order to finish.

This has to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world. As I ran down the Embarcadero, the Ferry Building quickly becoming a distant backdrop as we headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun began to rise, and usually I would say the fog started to burn off, but there was no fog to be seen. The sun was at its full peak as we hit Chrissy Field, right before the Presidio Hill.

Although it was starting to warm up, the hill was very shaded, and you could feel the cool ocean breezes cutting through the trees. This hill is a mile long, and the first one we hit...it's a little painful. I had to walk this one. I hit the top and then started to head down again.

As we ran past Robin William's house, Kaiser Permanente was there, handing out oranges. This, to me, was the most welcome part of the race. Then it was back up the hill and out of Seacliff, finally hitting the Luna station and getting some much-needed calories. Finally it was down the hill again, running past the Cliff House and Ocean Beach, and into Golden Gate Park.

By this time the heat was really rising, and the shady cool breezes of the Park were really welcome. As was the Ghiradelli chocolate station by the Polo Fields. I almost started crying as I saw the 12-mile marker, as I knew I had once again made it. Mile 13 came quickly, and before I knew it, I was rounding the corner back onto the Great Highway and over the finish line.

This race brings out a weird mix of emotions in me. From the start, I am holding back tears looking at the pictures and dedications on all the shirts. It makes me think of my grandparents, who were the reasons I started these races in the first place. Then I have to remember to not cry, because I can't breath very well when I do! Throughout the race, these waves come to me... then the waves of pain hit, and I am trying not to cry from them. Then, as I round to the finish, I am again hit with emotions that, holy smokes, I am going to finish again. (and am kind of sad no one's there to see it)

All in all, it is such a fantastic day. It is worth the pain, the three days of not being able to walk, to have such a fulfilling experience.

20 October 2007

Finally It's Happened to Me...

After being in my place for almost a year, it has happened...I am now fully unpacked!

I have had three huge boxes of mainly books stacked in my front closet since I moved in. It hasn't been easy for me to find a bookcase I felt would work in this place. Even those that were really pricey didn't seem quite right (not that I wanted to spend a lot of dough on it). I ordered one from IKEA about a month ago, but the shipping price was only five dollars less than the entire bookcase, so I said thanks but no thanks.

Today my dad kindly took me to IKEA with his truck, and we got the bookcase! Giddy up! We then set it up, and I unpacked all my books. It is pretty full already! Luckily I got a smaller one to put up in my bedroom, so that will hold a few of the overflow books.

I feel a weird sense of contentment right now, knowing all the boxes are finally gone. And it only took a year!

17 October 2007

Voices Carry

I am sitting here watching one of the many shows I now watch on Wednesday nights (are you sensing a television theme here? I just realized this), and a commercial for some wildlife preservation or something came on. And the voice? The voice is that of Campbell Scott, also known as Steve "I was no where near your neighborhood" from Singles, one of the greatest grunge movies ever.

I am not sure whether to jump for joy or feel a little embarrassed that I knew, almost from the first word, that it was Campbell. How can I remember his voice when I can barely remember what I did yesterday? Why does his voice resonate while I can barely remember what my grandmothers sounded like, even though I heard them much more than I ever heard him? It is really weird, and kind of ooking me out.

Mr. Telephone Man

After my posting the other day about Comcast, I went on a little search for a cable-over-IP solution (or whatever it may be called). And I found something. AT&T U-verse seems to offer this type of thing. I think it is brilliant.

Looking at the line up, I would get a lot more stations for the same price I am paying now. The drawback is for some reason HBO is not included in all those stations...in fact, for every package, you have to pay more for HBO. Weird, right?

I am now on pins and needles waiting for this service to come to my 'hood. I found out today Comcast is upping my rates again, for no real reason that I can tell (they say they need to upgrade...I think they just own the corner on the market right now and want to make as much money as they can before more competition moves in). It is pissing me off...

15 October 2007

Not so Comcastic

I hate Comcast.

I pay a ton of money each month, mainly because I am a total TV addict. And I would do this happily, if my cable box worked right, if it didn't stop intermitently, usually at the most crucial point in the dialog. I call it blinking, and my cable box seems to be doing it more and more often.

I know I need a new box, but the office is all the way across town, and isn't that easy to get to. Plus, I work all day, and don't have a ton of time to get over to them. If I were to set an appointment to get them over here, there is a huge window of time, and...again, I work all day!

Comcast has such a corner on the cable market out here, they can pretty much do whatever they want, and charge whatever they want. There is no real competition...yes, there is the Dish, but that requires putting ugly equipment on the outside of my residence (which is currently not allowed anyway, but I wouldn't want it). Will there be a time when I can get "cable" TV through my internet line? I have a T1, it should be adequate. And cheaper. Fingers crossed this will happen soon!

14 October 2007

I Think We're Alone Now



This weekend, I was alone.

This past week was a little hectic. After a weekend that included a super fun wedding and a baptism, I woke up Monday and was not feeling so hot, but hoped it would burn off during the day. No such luck. After work I headed over to the East Bay to have a birthday dinner with my family. It was nice, but I was definitely coming down with something! Tuesday, at 5-bright-and-early-a.m., I headed to the airport to get on a plane to Chicago. I had been so excited about spending my birthday there, planning on going out to a nice dinner to celebrate. Instead, thanks to the cold, I was knocked out on my bed, curled up with a bag of Doritos. I spent the rest of the week trying to sneak in a nap here or there while in Chicago at a conference...a tough spot. Being "on" is always a little tough for me...being "on" while sick is quite a hurdle!

Friday rolled around, and I was still not feeling even close to par, but I needed to get home so I could fly out on Saturday to another wedding. I arrived at the airport, and as we were getting ready to board, we were told there was a mechanical issue on the plane, and we would be delayed. Time ticked on, it got later, and I felt worse. It didn't help that I was worried about the wedding; I was really looking forward to going! I finally had to make the decision that it wasn't going to happen - not only did I have no idea when I was going to get home, but I was still really sick and needed to take care of myself. I still feel bad, but it was the right choice.

Because I had planned to be away, Luca was at my parent's house, and they had planned to take care of him for the weekend. So I let them. Again, I felt a little guilty, but it was the right choice.

I was able to get so much done without my little bug following me around. I scrubbed the floors, I ran errands, I cleaned the little corners I can never get to, I did wash...it was great! I was able to relax and nap, to sleep in, to go straight to bed without taking him for a walk. I really missed him, but it was a nice reprieve! Every once in a while I would look over to his corner and realize he's not there!

I was super excited to get him back today, and he was very happy to get back into the house and run around, making a mess of everything I worked to clean up! I love it.

Sunday Answers

From Patrick's Place - Sunday Seven

Name seven items in your “junk drawer.”

1. Scissors
2. Change for the laundry (although now it is just nickels and dimes, it seems)
3. Lots of pens
4. Post-it Pads in bright colors
5. Wine corkscrew/opener
6. Champagne lid thingy to keep out air when I can't finish a bottle
7. Nail file

Carrell Overkill?

Several times this weekend, I have seen commercials for Steve Carrell's new movie. They replay over and over a scene where his character gets pulled over by a cop, and he replies with a clever retort under his breath.

It is a very Michael Scott response.

It got me thinking...are we experiencing a little Steve Carrell overkill?

I think he is fantastic. The Office is one of my favorite television shows, I loved The Forty Year Old Virgin, and I thought his performance in Little Miss Sunshine was great. But...maybe he should take a break. His is a comedy best appreciated in smaller doses, to me at least; he gets a television show once a week and perhaps should do one movie during the summer. These things should probably not run simultaneously.

I get that he's the current "It" boy, but I would rather his career last a while, instead of being oversaturated to the point of disinterest.

03 October 2007

Chicago Here I Come!

I leave for Chicago in just a few days. Yay!

I always like visiting that city. Something about it feels really comfortable for me; I think if the weather wasn't so drastic, I could definitely live there.

My trip will follow a kind of crazy weekend...including a wedding that should be very, very fun, and a baptism, which means, Church.

I hope I survive the weekend in one piece! I have a feeling the wedding will be awesome.