Friday, December 30, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
An HR Christmas
Merry Christmas Guys. You'll be missed.
Twas the week before Christmas, and all through suite,
All the HR folks were wondering, what we would have to eat.
Open enrollment was done, with no help from NG,
And we were ready to celebrate our last holiday as a team.
The recruiters were all nestled snug in their chairs,
While Edith and Amy worked on Benelogic nightmares.
And Teri in her office and I back from a meeting,
We all silently prepared for more employees to be leaving.
When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
Danny jumped from his cube to see what was the matter.
Away to my window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds, knocking over my trash.
The shine on the marble from the newly waxed floor,
Shone in the lobby all the way to the door.
When what to my wandering eyes should we all see,
But our very own HRL, beckoning his eight loyal employees.
“Now Bruce! Now Bobbe!
Now Edith and Amy!
On Teri and Michelle!
On Debbi and Danny!
Out of the office!
Out of these halls!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”
With jackets in hand, and purses too,
We grabbed our gifts and away we flew,
We raced down route 50, we left with a bang,
Eager to start our last Christmas as the Gang.
We arrived at Michelle’s, our drive came to an end,
As we relished our time that we had left to spend.
But before we could start our joyous festivities,
In walked our leader, the jolly HRL, Charlie!
He was dressed for the winter, from his head to his feet,
And he was cursing under his breath something about NG.
A bundle of advice he was about to give with fervor,
To give to us all before we parted forever.
“Always be sure to do what is right,
Because if you do, you will never lose a fight.
Make sure you also learn to accept NG,
Because they’re who we are now, and not what we used to be.
I’m thankful to be blessed with such a great crew,
And I know that I am only as good as each of you.
I want you to know that this team will be missed,
But we all have new opportunities since being purchased!”
So for one final time, we shared and we laughed,
Remembering past memories spent as Charlie’s staff.
And we knew in our hearts our friendships would last,
Which made it easier to look forward and not in the past.
Then when we were finished, Charlie sprang to his car,
And prepared for the long drive, because Frederick was far.
We said our goodbyes, our last Christmas was through,
We were all quite surprised how fast the years had flew.
And Charlie waved from the window as he drove into the night,
But before he could get completely out of sight,
I heard him exclaim as he was never nonplussed,
“Remember gang – let’s do it to them, before they do it to us!”
Twas the week before Christmas, and all through suite,
All the HR folks were wondering, what we would have to eat.
Open enrollment was done, with no help from NG,
And we were ready to celebrate our last holiday as a team.
The recruiters were all nestled snug in their chairs,
While Edith and Amy worked on Benelogic nightmares.
And Teri in her office and I back from a meeting,
We all silently prepared for more employees to be leaving.
When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
Danny jumped from his cube to see what was the matter.
Away to my window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds, knocking over my trash.
The shine on the marble from the newly waxed floor,
Shone in the lobby all the way to the door.
When what to my wandering eyes should we all see,
But our very own HRL, beckoning his eight loyal employees.
“Now Bruce! Now Bobbe!
Now Edith and Amy!
On Teri and Michelle!
On Debbi and Danny!
Out of the office!
Out of these halls!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”
With jackets in hand, and purses too,
We grabbed our gifts and away we flew,
We raced down route 50, we left with a bang,
Eager to start our last Christmas as the Gang.
We arrived at Michelle’s, our drive came to an end,
As we relished our time that we had left to spend.
But before we could start our joyous festivities,
In walked our leader, the jolly HRL, Charlie!
He was dressed for the winter, from his head to his feet,
And he was cursing under his breath something about NG.
A bundle of advice he was about to give with fervor,
To give to us all before we parted forever.
“Always be sure to do what is right,
Because if you do, you will never lose a fight.
Make sure you also learn to accept NG,
Because they’re who we are now, and not what we used to be.
I’m thankful to be blessed with such a great crew,
And I know that I am only as good as each of you.
I want you to know that this team will be missed,
But we all have new opportunities since being purchased!”
So for one final time, we shared and we laughed,
Remembering past memories spent as Charlie’s staff.
And we knew in our hearts our friendships would last,
Which made it easier to look forward and not in the past.
Then when we were finished, Charlie sprang to his car,
And prepared for the long drive, because Frederick was far.
We said our goodbyes, our last Christmas was through,
We were all quite surprised how fast the years had flew.
And Charlie waved from the window as he drove into the night,
But before he could get completely out of sight,
I heard him exclaim as he was never nonplussed,
“Remember gang – let’s do it to them, before they do it to us!”
Monday, December 19, 2005
Greenhouse Effect Debunked!
So I was thinking about the earth this morning and about how locations on the equator are the hottest locations on earth. The reason for this is because those locations are nearest to the sun, right? Ok, well then I started to think about archeologists and how they are uncovering civilizations beneath our feet everyday. Then when I started to think about how easily artifacts get buried and forgotten, it occured to me that we are getting closer and closer to the sun each day!
Just our everyday living causes the earth to build up. Even Jamestown (built only 400 years ago) is being excavated right now. So what if our gradual temperature changes are merely a result of our elevation rising?
I'm sure just about every scientist on earth is laughing at me right now, but it's something to think about!
Just our everyday living causes the earth to build up. Even Jamestown (built only 400 years ago) is being excavated right now. So what if our gradual temperature changes are merely a result of our elevation rising?
I'm sure just about every scientist on earth is laughing at me right now, but it's something to think about!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Writing off the Subject
That blue speckled cat
walking the steamy concrete ledge
is following his whiskers
to the ocean
where sailboats trickle
across the fragile water,
masts stretching to the sky
full of marshmallows, angels' wings,
and cotton
that grows in dusty fields
so hot that the sun
cracks open the
dirt and ants peek in to see crumbs
left from a picnic
with soda crackers
and orange cheese
and lemonade
squeezed by a fat, sweaty woman
in the early morning
as the rooster crows to start the day.
walking the steamy concrete ledge
is following his whiskers
to the ocean
where sailboats trickle
across the fragile water,
masts stretching to the sky
full of marshmallows, angels' wings,
and cotton
that grows in dusty fields
so hot that the sun
cracks open the
dirt and ants peek in to see crumbs
left from a picnic
with soda crackers
and orange cheese
and lemonade
squeezed by a fat, sweaty woman
in the early morning
as the rooster crows to start the day.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
L'Hiver (second edit)
Tip tap on the window,
the frost raps
as the breeze proclaims
the inauguration of winter.
Drops of fluffy white
ooze down the sky like wisps
of manna--
nourishing our souls,
reminding us that
life, like flakes, is transient.
Instead, we persevere
struggling to preserve
our distinctive identity
until inevitably
the warm breath of spring exhales,
melting us into the
pool of Eternity.
the frost raps
as the breeze proclaims
the inauguration of winter.
Drops of fluffy white
ooze down the sky like wisps
of manna--
nourishing our souls,
reminding us that
life, like flakes, is transient.
Instead, we persevere
struggling to preserve
our distinctive identity
until inevitably
the warm breath of spring exhales,
melting us into the
pool of Eternity.
Blah.
It's cold out. I've spent the past two days at a Security Conference in Dulles learning about all the wonderful things our government is going to do to help make this world a better place. I've been spending a majority of my time with two ladies-- one from New Mexico and the other from Boston. The New Mexico lady is freezing--she even ordered her water today at lunch without ice because she "didn't want to get colder". The Boston lady is not wearing a coat and says it's "nice out". I've been drinking ice water, wearing a coat, and keeping the heater on my seat in my car on.
John and I got our Christmas lights up, and they look pretty good. Of course, they are nothing compared to our Halloween decorations (mainly because Delvaux wasn't here to help), but they will do. Last weekend, I went to a Christmas party for all the gals on my street and when they met me, they kept referring to me as, "The lady with the Halloween house." I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Well, that's it. I don't really have that much more to say. It's a "Blah" type of day.
John and I got our Christmas lights up, and they look pretty good. Of course, they are nothing compared to our Halloween decorations (mainly because Delvaux wasn't here to help), but they will do. Last weekend, I went to a Christmas party for all the gals on my street and when they met me, they kept referring to me as, "The lady with the Halloween house." I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Well, that's it. I don't really have that much more to say. It's a "Blah" type of day.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
My Trip to Court.
Ok, if anyone has met me for more than 5 seconds, they will quickly find out that I have zero sense of direction. I am probably the only person known to have ever gotten lost in her own neighborhood (Karsten will never let me live that one down) and I would give my right eye to have a GPS in my car. That being said, I had to go to the Fairfax Courthouse today to get my notary commission renewed.
"How hard can it be?" I thought confidently to myself as I printed the mapblast directions. (My first clue should have been when Google Maps told me that it could not locate 4110 Chain Bridge Road. If Google couldn't find it, I should have known I was in trouble).
So I went home last night, directions in hand, and told John I where I was going this morning. He said, "Do you know where it is? That courthouse is hard to find." Again, stupidly but confidently I replied, "How hard can it be? You go down 50 and get on 123!"
"Okaaaaay," my all knowing husband replied.
So I left my office in Chantilly at 10:00 and proudly told my boss I would be back "shortly" as all I had to do was go to Fairfax "real quick." Piece of cake.
So, following the directions, I arrive in Fairfax. I immediately see a sign that says "123 ---->" Ok, great! So I follow the ----> and end up on Lee Highway. Hmmmm.... no signs to 123. I'll just go back the way I came, maybe I turned too early. So back I go, and I arrive on 50 once again. This time, I decide to follow the mapblast directions that tell me to turn right on Main Street. No problemo, right?
Ok, so I'm headed down 50 again, and I see a sign! Main Street! Yes! Ok, if any of you know Fairfax, they'll know that there is this funky star shaped intersection where 29, 50 and Main Street all collide. It's kinda confusing. So apparently, there are like 2 rights on Main and of course, I take the wrong one. So off I go onto the wrong one, and I end up pretty far down 29. Ugh. By this time, I am cussing and calling John on his cellphone telling him I can't find freakin Chain Bridge Road and why can't I have a GPS device?!?! Fortunately, my husband is a patient man. So I turn around and go back whence I came and find the REAL Main Street turn. Ok. Whew. I find Chain Bridge. So I'm driving up and down Chain Bridge (by this time it's about 11:00) looking for 4110. Ok, I see 4000 and 4103 but no 4110. I also see lots of construction and cranes and signs saying "New Courthouse!! $115,000,000!" Ok, so I keep on Chain Bridge until I end up at George Mason. By this time I'm pretty peeved again and decide to call the courthouse for directions(duh!).
The courthouse recording tells me the obvious-- "To get to 4110 Chain Bridge Road, you must turn onto Judicial and then make a right onto Page Road to park in the parking garage. Then you have to walk on foot to 4110." Well gee, I'm an idiot.
Ok, so I park in the parking garage. The parking garage tells me to go up to the 3rd floor to walk across the skyway to the Judicial Center. After crossing the skyway, I come to another parking garage where I have to go down 3 flights of stairs to the outdoors. Then I follow this sidewalk covered in scaffolding where I enter the courthouse from a side emergency exit. Are you getting all this???
So once in the building, there are metal detectors and guards. So I turn to this mexican dude beside me who looks like he's spent his share of time going to court and I say, "how do I get to the third floor?" "Oh, follow me!" he says with a grin. So after we are searched, he leads me up the stairs to a set of elevators. We get in and as we are getting in, a lawyer steps in. The lawyer smiles at my escort and says, "Hey! How's your probation coming?" So my escort starts talking about some speeding ticket he's here for, blah blah blah. Ok, so I get off at floor 3 and I go to the Notary desk. The first thing I see is CASH ONLY. Of course, right? So I have $8.75 on me and I need $10. After standing in line for a while, it's my turn. The lady says she'll hold my notary commission while I go to an ATM. How nice. I was hoping she'd give me $1.25.
So I get back in the elevator to discover my escort going down too! "You leaving?" he says. "No, I need an ATM." "Follow me!" he says. So he takes me to the ATM and I get my money. What a nice guy. Back up to the 3rd floor, I'm sworn in, commission in hand, and off to my car.
Of course, once I get to my car, I realize you have to pay for your parking BEFORE you leave the garage. So I walk BACK to the garage entrance to pay. The guy in front of me is told, "Sorry cash only!" so I give him $2 to cover his costs. He thanks me profusely. I pay for my ticket and leave. Whew! 12:00 PM.
Once I leave, of course I am daydreaming and take a wrong turn. I somehow end up at the Fairfax Government Center. I finally make it back to my office at 12:30 just in time to scarf down a Wendy's Combo #1 with Diet Coke and whine to my coworkers about how I hate Fairfax.
I told them crime in Fairfax must be low because I know I'm never committing any crimes EVER now that I know what a pain it is to go there.
"How hard can it be?" I thought confidently to myself as I printed the mapblast directions. (My first clue should have been when Google Maps told me that it could not locate 4110 Chain Bridge Road. If Google couldn't find it, I should have known I was in trouble).
So I went home last night, directions in hand, and told John I where I was going this morning. He said, "Do you know where it is? That courthouse is hard to find." Again, stupidly but confidently I replied, "How hard can it be? You go down 50 and get on 123!"
"Okaaaaay," my all knowing husband replied.
So I left my office in Chantilly at 10:00 and proudly told my boss I would be back "shortly" as all I had to do was go to Fairfax "real quick." Piece of cake.
So, following the directions, I arrive in Fairfax. I immediately see a sign that says "123 ---->" Ok, great! So I follow the ----> and end up on Lee Highway. Hmmmm.... no signs to 123. I'll just go back the way I came, maybe I turned too early. So back I go, and I arrive on 50 once again. This time, I decide to follow the mapblast directions that tell me to turn right on Main Street. No problemo, right?
Ok, so I'm headed down 50 again, and I see a sign! Main Street! Yes! Ok, if any of you know Fairfax, they'll know that there is this funky star shaped intersection where 29, 50 and Main Street all collide. It's kinda confusing. So apparently, there are like 2 rights on Main and of course, I take the wrong one. So off I go onto the wrong one, and I end up pretty far down 29. Ugh. By this time, I am cussing and calling John on his cellphone telling him I can't find freakin Chain Bridge Road and why can't I have a GPS device?!?! Fortunately, my husband is a patient man. So I turn around and go back whence I came and find the REAL Main Street turn. Ok. Whew. I find Chain Bridge. So I'm driving up and down Chain Bridge (by this time it's about 11:00) looking for 4110. Ok, I see 4000 and 4103 but no 4110. I also see lots of construction and cranes and signs saying "New Courthouse!! $115,000,000!" Ok, so I keep on Chain Bridge until I end up at George Mason. By this time I'm pretty peeved again and decide to call the courthouse for directions(duh!).
The courthouse recording tells me the obvious-- "To get to 4110 Chain Bridge Road, you must turn onto Judicial and then make a right onto Page Road to park in the parking garage. Then you have to walk on foot to 4110." Well gee, I'm an idiot.
Ok, so I park in the parking garage. The parking garage tells me to go up to the 3rd floor to walk across the skyway to the Judicial Center. After crossing the skyway, I come to another parking garage where I have to go down 3 flights of stairs to the outdoors. Then I follow this sidewalk covered in scaffolding where I enter the courthouse from a side emergency exit. Are you getting all this???
So once in the building, there are metal detectors and guards. So I turn to this mexican dude beside me who looks like he's spent his share of time going to court and I say, "how do I get to the third floor?" "Oh, follow me!" he says with a grin. So after we are searched, he leads me up the stairs to a set of elevators. We get in and as we are getting in, a lawyer steps in. The lawyer smiles at my escort and says, "Hey! How's your probation coming?" So my escort starts talking about some speeding ticket he's here for, blah blah blah. Ok, so I get off at floor 3 and I go to the Notary desk. The first thing I see is CASH ONLY. Of course, right? So I have $8.75 on me and I need $10. After standing in line for a while, it's my turn. The lady says she'll hold my notary commission while I go to an ATM. How nice. I was hoping she'd give me $1.25.
So I get back in the elevator to discover my escort going down too! "You leaving?" he says. "No, I need an ATM." "Follow me!" he says. So he takes me to the ATM and I get my money. What a nice guy. Back up to the 3rd floor, I'm sworn in, commission in hand, and off to my car.
Of course, once I get to my car, I realize you have to pay for your parking BEFORE you leave the garage. So I walk BACK to the garage entrance to pay. The guy in front of me is told, "Sorry cash only!" so I give him $2 to cover his costs. He thanks me profusely. I pay for my ticket and leave. Whew! 12:00 PM.
Once I leave, of course I am daydreaming and take a wrong turn. I somehow end up at the Fairfax Government Center. I finally make it back to my office at 12:30 just in time to scarf down a Wendy's Combo #1 with Diet Coke and whine to my coworkers about how I hate Fairfax.
I told them crime in Fairfax must be low because I know I'm never committing any crimes EVER now that I know what a pain it is to go there.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Soapbox -- Illegals in VA
"Over 100,000 illegal aliens are living in Virginia, estimates the Migration Policy Institute.24 This is an increase of 45,000, or 82 percent, since 1996 and an increase of 58,000, or 138 percent, since 1992.
Experts say that northern Virginia, with its thriving service economy and surging communities of legal immigrants, has become a magnet for illegal aliens.25 Eighty percent of the state’s illegal residents live in northern Virginia.26
Before September 11, Virginia’s lax driver’s licensing procedures caused a stream of illegal aliens into the state. After the terrorist attacks, the state tightened its identity and residency requirements and will no longer accept passports with expired visas.27
Virginia estimates it spends $56 million per year on illegal aliens in schools.28 Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $3.4 million on illegal aliens in 1997, the latest year for which figures are available.29
Virginia authorities requested $8.9 million in compensation from the federal government in FY’99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $3.4 million in compensation, leaving $5.5 million in uncompensated costs to be borne by Virginia taxpayers. "
Source: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchba6f
Experts say that northern Virginia, with its thriving service economy and surging communities of legal immigrants, has become a magnet for illegal aliens.25 Eighty percent of the state’s illegal residents live in northern Virginia.26
Before September 11, Virginia’s lax driver’s licensing procedures caused a stream of illegal aliens into the state. After the terrorist attacks, the state tightened its identity and residency requirements and will no longer accept passports with expired visas.27
Virginia estimates it spends $56 million per year on illegal aliens in schools.28 Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $3.4 million on illegal aliens in 1997, the latest year for which figures are available.29
Virginia authorities requested $8.9 million in compensation from the federal government in FY’99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $3.4 million in compensation, leaving $5.5 million in uncompensated costs to be borne by Virginia taxpayers. "
Source: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchba6f
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Talk of the Town.
Even though we were not blessed with the presense of Zombie Mikey this year, we still had a great time on Halloween. We got a ton of compliments on our decorations (kudos to Delvaux) and we had over 200 trick or treaters. Pictures don't do the house justice, but this will give you an idea of what it looked like (click to enlarge)...
Sunday, October 30, 2005
It's Pumpkin Time!
In honor of Japan, I did a Hello Kitty pumpkin this year. It turned out way better than I thought it would!
Japan, Day 9
Friday, October 28, 2005
Nothing really happened on Friday. We left for the airport at 6:00 am and boarded the plane at 11:30. The only thing that really happened, was a camera crew was at the gate while we were waiting for our airplane. I'm not really sure why they were there, but I took a picture of it anyways.
I'm really glad we went to Japan. It was definitely a chance of a lifetime opportunity and I know we'll end up going back.
Nothing really happened on Friday. We left for the airport at 6:00 am and boarded the plane at 11:30. The only thing that really happened, was a camera crew was at the gate while we were waiting for our airplane. I'm not really sure why they were there, but I took a picture of it anyways.
I'm really glad we went to Japan. It was definitely a chance of a lifetime opportunity and I know we'll end up going back.
Japan, Day 8
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Thursday was our last full day in Tokyo. Because we were somewhat exhausted, we decided to split up for the morning. Mike and Haywood explored Shibuya while John and I decided to go shopping for Christmas presents. We went across the street to Keio, an elegant shopping center located above the train station. I made an observation while we were there -- Japan doesn't have malls (due to space limitations), so instead, they cram all the shopping into train stations. This particular place was basically a 7 story Lord & Taylor with restaurants on the 6th floor and an open garden complete with pet shop on the 7th. While looking at the restaurants, I happened to take this picture of a "kids meal" on display. Look closely and you'll see a hello kitty crouton floating in a bowl of soup!
After buying gifts for John's family (my family is already saturated with Japanese memorabilia), I went back to the room to rest and John headed out to get some more things.
We all met up again around 6:00 in order to meet my brother and his friend for dinner. This next adventure was by far, the highlight of the trip. Jim took us to meet a fellow architect, Isao Hosoya, who designed the restaurant we were going to. This place was absolutely incredible. When you first walk in, you have to duck way down to enter the chest-height doorway. Once inside, the entire place looks like a miniature village. There are little huts that seat 2 people, and then there are "buildings" with rooms on top. To get to the rooms, you climb a very narrow staircase (after taking off your shoes, of course) and then you enter this tiny room where you sit Indian style at a low table.
Isao ordered for us and to our surprise, we had dish after dish of the most amazing Japanese food. We probably sampled at least 30 different dishes, the first of which, was "service" (this means "complementary") because Isao designed the restaurant. This dish was sashimi inside of an ice igloo. The igloo is the symbol of the restaurant, and is another reason why the huts were designed to look like ice.
In the middle of the meal, all of us were remarking on how much we loved the clay beer glasses we were drinking from. Isao promptly called the manager over and explained to him we were visiting from DC and loved the glasses. The manager gladly gave us each a glass on the house! After the waiter took our pictures, and we ate some dessert (green tea cake, tofu and sweet bean sauce, ice cream and some other things I can't remember) and headed home.
Thursday was our last full day in Tokyo. Because we were somewhat exhausted, we decided to split up for the morning. Mike and Haywood explored Shibuya while John and I decided to go shopping for Christmas presents. We went across the street to Keio, an elegant shopping center located above the train station. I made an observation while we were there -- Japan doesn't have malls (due to space limitations), so instead, they cram all the shopping into train stations. This particular place was basically a 7 story Lord & Taylor with restaurants on the 6th floor and an open garden complete with pet shop on the 7th. While looking at the restaurants, I happened to take this picture of a "kids meal" on display. Look closely and you'll see a hello kitty crouton floating in a bowl of soup!
After buying gifts for John's family (my family is already saturated with Japanese memorabilia), I went back to the room to rest and John headed out to get some more things.
We all met up again around 6:00 in order to meet my brother and his friend for dinner. This next adventure was by far, the highlight of the trip. Jim took us to meet a fellow architect, Isao Hosoya, who designed the restaurant we were going to. This place was absolutely incredible. When you first walk in, you have to duck way down to enter the chest-height doorway. Once inside, the entire place looks like a miniature village. There are little huts that seat 2 people, and then there are "buildings" with rooms on top. To get to the rooms, you climb a very narrow staircase (after taking off your shoes, of course) and then you enter this tiny room where you sit Indian style at a low table.
Isao ordered for us and to our surprise, we had dish after dish of the most amazing Japanese food. We probably sampled at least 30 different dishes, the first of which, was "service" (this means "complementary") because Isao designed the restaurant. This dish was sashimi inside of an ice igloo. The igloo is the symbol of the restaurant, and is another reason why the huts were designed to look like ice.
In the middle of the meal, all of us were remarking on how much we loved the clay beer glasses we were drinking from. Isao promptly called the manager over and explained to him we were visiting from DC and loved the glasses. The manager gladly gave us each a glass on the house! After the waiter took our pictures, and we ate some dessert (green tea cake, tofu and sweet bean sauce, ice cream and some other things I can't remember) and headed home.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Japan, Day 7
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Wednesday was spent split up. John and Haywood wanted to go see the Tokyo Auto Show, so Mike and I decided to explore Akihabara. Akihabara is sort of the Nerd district of Japan – it is full of electronics, anime, gundum, arcades and porn. I made sure to steer clear of the porn aspect, letting Mike wander in and out as he saw fit.
In order to get to Akihabara, we had to take the train which was pretty intimidating to navigate without the help of Jim. We spent a good 10 minutes standing on the platform with a map and pointing to all different lines. Finally, a Japanese man came up to us and asked us if we needed help. He told us to get on platform 11, which was a good thing, because we were about to go in an entirely different direction. Once on the train, we had an uneventful ride and we exited into Akihabara with excitement and awe.
Once there, we basically spent a good 5 hours wandering from store to store buying random silly things. One of the things that the Japanese love are collectable figures. They sell these things in sealed boxes, so you can’t tell what you’re going to buy. So once you open the box, if it’s not the figure you want, you buy another box in the hopes that you’ll get your figure. It’s sort of like Baseball cards in the form of useless plastic toys. Well, Mike and I managed to find a store (7 floors) that sold these things already opened in clear plastic bags – so you could just automatically buy what you wanted. I managed to pick up a few humorous things for friends with this newfound method.
We also found a store that was sort of like a ghetto version of Tokyu Hands. It was 7 floors of dollar-storeish items. I managed to pick up some dried fish and crabs along with some other “tasty” treats to bring back to my coworkers. At the top of this store, was a pretty cool arcade. You paid by the minute, and all the games inside were free. So for ¥100 (about 85 cents), you could play any game you wanted, as long as you wanted, for 15 minutes. We spent about 20 minutes in there running around testing all the games. One of the coolest games that I played was a typing/fighting game. Basically, all of these monsters are coming towards you and each one of them has a word on their chest. In order to kill the monster, you have to type the word as quick as you can. If you make a mistake, the monster will take a hit at you. I was pretty good at it, but all the words were Japanese which meant there were like a million hyphens. Since typing a hyphen is not a frequent activity for me, I managed to die on level 3 due to this anomaly.
The trip overall was pretty cool. Mike managed to get a hotdog from Mr. Donut and a cheeseburger from Mos Burger (the Japanese Wendys) which he said was awesome. After a while, we decided to head home as basically every store sold the exact same things and it was getting dark and cold and rainy.
Once back at the hotel, Jim called and we agreed to meet at Meguro Station. After a short train ride and a medium walk, we arrived at his office. It was neat to meet his coworkers and see his desk. There were models of buildings everywhere as well as pictures of projects past, present and future. After his office tour, we walked to an Indian restaurant where we had soup, curry, rice and non. The food was awesome. The owner was an older Indian man that spoke Japanese with an Indian accent. Pretty cool. At the restaurant, we happened to catch the end of the equivalent of the Japan World Series. The Chiba Lotte Marines won with the coaching of American Buddy Valentine. Apparently this was a good thing because there were a rowdy group of Japanese in the restaurant screaming and jumping up and down when this happened. One of the guys (who was pretty drunk) was even crying. He eventually stood up and kissed the TV and kept saying “Bobby! Bobby!” I’m glad we were there to witness that.
After dinner, Jim thought we may want to see Shibuya. This area of Tokyo is for the under 30 crowd and is full of bars, clubs and bright lights.
It is also home to Hachiko, the faithful little Akita dog. Hachiko lived in 1923 and his master was a professor in Japan. Each day, the professor would go to the Shibuya train station with his dog, and each day when he would return, the dog would be waiting for him. One day, the professor got very ill after getting on the train and died. The little dog sat dutifully waiting for him in the same place, only to find his master was not returning. For the next 10 years, Hachiko could be found waiting at the Shibuya train station, sometimes days at a time. He ended up dying in the very spot where he had last seen his master. In honor of Hachiko, there is a bronze statue erected here in Shibuya.
After walking around Shibuya for a while, and after Haywood got a cup of coffee from the busiest Starbucks in the world, we headed back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep.
Wednesday was spent split up. John and Haywood wanted to go see the Tokyo Auto Show, so Mike and I decided to explore Akihabara. Akihabara is sort of the Nerd district of Japan – it is full of electronics, anime, gundum, arcades and porn. I made sure to steer clear of the porn aspect, letting Mike wander in and out as he saw fit.
In order to get to Akihabara, we had to take the train which was pretty intimidating to navigate without the help of Jim. We spent a good 10 minutes standing on the platform with a map and pointing to all different lines. Finally, a Japanese man came up to us and asked us if we needed help. He told us to get on platform 11, which was a good thing, because we were about to go in an entirely different direction. Once on the train, we had an uneventful ride and we exited into Akihabara with excitement and awe.
Once there, we basically spent a good 5 hours wandering from store to store buying random silly things. One of the things that the Japanese love are collectable figures. They sell these things in sealed boxes, so you can’t tell what you’re going to buy. So once you open the box, if it’s not the figure you want, you buy another box in the hopes that you’ll get your figure. It’s sort of like Baseball cards in the form of useless plastic toys. Well, Mike and I managed to find a store (7 floors) that sold these things already opened in clear plastic bags – so you could just automatically buy what you wanted. I managed to pick up a few humorous things for friends with this newfound method.
We also found a store that was sort of like a ghetto version of Tokyu Hands. It was 7 floors of dollar-storeish items. I managed to pick up some dried fish and crabs along with some other “tasty” treats to bring back to my coworkers. At the top of this store, was a pretty cool arcade. You paid by the minute, and all the games inside were free. So for ¥100 (about 85 cents), you could play any game you wanted, as long as you wanted, for 15 minutes. We spent about 20 minutes in there running around testing all the games. One of the coolest games that I played was a typing/fighting game. Basically, all of these monsters are coming towards you and each one of them has a word on their chest. In order to kill the monster, you have to type the word as quick as you can. If you make a mistake, the monster will take a hit at you. I was pretty good at it, but all the words were Japanese which meant there were like a million hyphens. Since typing a hyphen is not a frequent activity for me, I managed to die on level 3 due to this anomaly.
The trip overall was pretty cool. Mike managed to get a hotdog from Mr. Donut and a cheeseburger from Mos Burger (the Japanese Wendys) which he said was awesome. After a while, we decided to head home as basically every store sold the exact same things and it was getting dark and cold and rainy.
Once back at the hotel, Jim called and we agreed to meet at Meguro Station. After a short train ride and a medium walk, we arrived at his office. It was neat to meet his coworkers and see his desk. There were models of buildings everywhere as well as pictures of projects past, present and future. After his office tour, we walked to an Indian restaurant where we had soup, curry, rice and non. The food was awesome. The owner was an older Indian man that spoke Japanese with an Indian accent. Pretty cool. At the restaurant, we happened to catch the end of the equivalent of the Japan World Series. The Chiba Lotte Marines won with the coaching of American Buddy Valentine. Apparently this was a good thing because there were a rowdy group of Japanese in the restaurant screaming and jumping up and down when this happened. One of the guys (who was pretty drunk) was even crying. He eventually stood up and kissed the TV and kept saying “Bobby! Bobby!” I’m glad we were there to witness that.
After dinner, Jim thought we may want to see Shibuya. This area of Tokyo is for the under 30 crowd and is full of bars, clubs and bright lights.
It is also home to Hachiko, the faithful little Akita dog. Hachiko lived in 1923 and his master was a professor in Japan. Each day, the professor would go to the Shibuya train station with his dog, and each day when he would return, the dog would be waiting for him. One day, the professor got very ill after getting on the train and died. The little dog sat dutifully waiting for him in the same place, only to find his master was not returning. For the next 10 years, Hachiko could be found waiting at the Shibuya train station, sometimes days at a time. He ended up dying in the very spot where he had last seen his master. In honor of Hachiko, there is a bronze statue erected here in Shibuya.
After walking around Shibuya for a while, and after Haywood got a cup of coffee from the busiest Starbucks in the world, we headed back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Japan, Day 6
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
On Tuesday, Jim actually had to go back to work so we were on our own. We decided to explore some of the more memorable stores to see how the average Tokyo shopper acquired their goods. After getting fuel for Mike and Haywood in the form of McDonald’s, we headed past the train station (below)
to Tokyu Hands which is self defined as a “Creative Life Store”. This place was pretty neat. It was 7 stories high, and each story had a different theme and resembled an American store.
The floors were:
• Floor 1, Party Supplies and Toys: very much like “The Party Store”
• Floor 2, Camping Goods: “LL Bean”
• Floor 3, Kitchen Goods: “Bed, Bath and Beyond”
• Floor 4, Furniture Goods and Bedding: the “Bed” part of “Bed, Bath and Beyond”
• Floor 5, Electronic Goods and Crafts: “Radio Shack” and “Michaels”
• Floor 6, Wood Supplies: “Home Depot”
• Floor 7, Stationary and Office Supplies: “Office Depot”
The concept of this store is really great. John remarked that if we had a store like this in America, we would only have to shop at one place for most of our needs instead of driving from store to store. Some of the more unique items to note that we found were: collapsible chopsticks for camping, 6 lighters with 1 month on each side so you can have a lighter for every month of the year, a stapler that staples using paper instead of staples, and a quilt for kids that teaches body functions. This quilt has detachable “poops” “pees” and “bacteria” that you can affix to a body and a toilet using Velcro. You can open up the body and see the bacteria in the digestive tract, too. As Mike was taking a picture of it, a store clerk told him to stop. We’re still really not sure why, but I hope his one picture turned out.
After Tokyu Hands, we headed off to a 6 story arcade. It seems like here in Japan, they are big into themed floors. This building was no different. We went from a floor full of crane machines, to a floor full of photo booths, then 2 floors of pinko slots, then 2 floors of arcade machines.
From there, we went to the Best Buy of Tokyo, called Yodobashi. This place is like six buildings of electronic and toy themed floors. It was difficult not to get lost in here. One of the most intriguing floors was the appliances floor where they had thin refrigerators and countertop dishwashers.
After Yodobashi, John and I went back to the hotel to rest up before going out to dinner prescribed by Jim. Jim sent us by taxi to a quaint little Italian restaurant called Armonia. Seating no more than 25 or so, we were served a Japanese version of Italian food in the form of a six course meal. We had: lightly smoked tuna with vegetables, lotus root and chicken wrapped in cabbage, tomato and basil pasta, snapper with Italian ham, ice cream with a chocolate dusted miniature éclair, cappuccino, and then Japanese tea to finish the meal. The meal was fantastic and was a great way to enjoy Tokyo without the antics of Mike and Haywood.
We walked back from the restaurant on a beautiful 66 degree clear night and back at the hotel, John went out with Mike and Haywood to an English pub while I stayed back and caught up on work email and then went to bed.
On Tuesday, Jim actually had to go back to work so we were on our own. We decided to explore some of the more memorable stores to see how the average Tokyo shopper acquired their goods. After getting fuel for Mike and Haywood in the form of McDonald’s, we headed past the train station (below)
to Tokyu Hands which is self defined as a “Creative Life Store”. This place was pretty neat. It was 7 stories high, and each story had a different theme and resembled an American store.
The floors were:
• Floor 1, Party Supplies and Toys: very much like “The Party Store”
• Floor 2, Camping Goods: “LL Bean”
• Floor 3, Kitchen Goods: “Bed, Bath and Beyond”
• Floor 4, Furniture Goods and Bedding: the “Bed” part of “Bed, Bath and Beyond”
• Floor 5, Electronic Goods and Crafts: “Radio Shack” and “Michaels”
• Floor 6, Wood Supplies: “Home Depot”
• Floor 7, Stationary and Office Supplies: “Office Depot”
The concept of this store is really great. John remarked that if we had a store like this in America, we would only have to shop at one place for most of our needs instead of driving from store to store. Some of the more unique items to note that we found were: collapsible chopsticks for camping, 6 lighters with 1 month on each side so you can have a lighter for every month of the year, a stapler that staples using paper instead of staples, and a quilt for kids that teaches body functions. This quilt has detachable “poops” “pees” and “bacteria” that you can affix to a body and a toilet using Velcro. You can open up the body and see the bacteria in the digestive tract, too. As Mike was taking a picture of it, a store clerk told him to stop. We’re still really not sure why, but I hope his one picture turned out.
After Tokyu Hands, we headed off to a 6 story arcade. It seems like here in Japan, they are big into themed floors. This building was no different. We went from a floor full of crane machines, to a floor full of photo booths, then 2 floors of pinko slots, then 2 floors of arcade machines.
From there, we went to the Best Buy of Tokyo, called Yodobashi. This place is like six buildings of electronic and toy themed floors. It was difficult not to get lost in here. One of the most intriguing floors was the appliances floor where they had thin refrigerators and countertop dishwashers.
After Yodobashi, John and I went back to the hotel to rest up before going out to dinner prescribed by Jim. Jim sent us by taxi to a quaint little Italian restaurant called Armonia. Seating no more than 25 or so, we were served a Japanese version of Italian food in the form of a six course meal. We had: lightly smoked tuna with vegetables, lotus root and chicken wrapped in cabbage, tomato and basil pasta, snapper with Italian ham, ice cream with a chocolate dusted miniature éclair, cappuccino, and then Japanese tea to finish the meal. The meal was fantastic and was a great way to enjoy Tokyo without the antics of Mike and Haywood.
We walked back from the restaurant on a beautiful 66 degree clear night and back at the hotel, John went out with Mike and Haywood to an English pub while I stayed back and caught up on work email and then went to bed.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Japan, Day 5
Monday, October 24, 2005
Monday was spent with a trip through the Japanese countryside via train, cable car, ropeway, boat, bus, then train. Around 10:00 AM we met up with Jim and his friend at the Sinjuku train station. We agreed to go to Hakone which is a historic vacation spot for the Japanese. This area is full of hot springs, water, mountains and on a clear day, you can even see Mt. Fuji. After getting our tickets and stopping for coffee (I got a Green Tea Latte which I was not fond of), we boarded the “Limited Express Romancecar” which is just a really cool name for a train. The train took us in style about an hour and a half from Shinjuku to Odawara. Here we got on a smaller train another few miles to Gora. Once in Gora, we boarded a cable car that was propped at about a 45 degree angle which took us up a pretty steep incline (apparently, this is the second steepest cable car in the world) to Sounzan. At Sounzan, we got into a Busch Gardens like ropeway car which took us up another steep mountain where we could see a huge strip mine complete with the sulfuric smell of the hot springs.
We shared the ropeway car with a group of people from the UK who kept telling their little children that the smell was merely “stinky burps”. At the top of the ropeway, we got out and took another ropeway car, this one much smaller, down the mountain to Lake Ashi where we boarded a cheesy, Disney-ish boat called the Hakone Sightseeing Ship.
On the lake, we got to see the top of Mt. Fuji along with other beautiful scenery. John compared it to upstate New York, and for good reason. We also got some time to take some "action shots".
Off the boat, we took a detour to visit another shrine where I got some great pictures as the sun was setting.
After the shrine, we stopped to eat at a great little restaurant where we had all different forms of noodles, rice, tempura, and soup. After eating, we got on the Hakone Tozan Bus which took us down windy mountains back to the Romancecar.
After getting back, John, Haywood, Mike and I decided to get some good ol’ American cuisine and scoped out a Wendy’s. The food was good, but John and Mike said their chicken sandwich was freezer burnt and dry. A short walk from Wendy’s was an arcade where we spent some time playing a fighting game by typing on a keyboard and a game where you hit a Samurai drum. Exhausted, John, Haywood and I went back to the hotel to crash, leaving Mikey in the arcade. It’s about 10 hours later, and I would not be surprised if Mike was still there.
Monday was spent with a trip through the Japanese countryside via train, cable car, ropeway, boat, bus, then train. Around 10:00 AM we met up with Jim and his friend at the Sinjuku train station. We agreed to go to Hakone which is a historic vacation spot for the Japanese. This area is full of hot springs, water, mountains and on a clear day, you can even see Mt. Fuji. After getting our tickets and stopping for coffee (I got a Green Tea Latte which I was not fond of), we boarded the “Limited Express Romancecar” which is just a really cool name for a train. The train took us in style about an hour and a half from Shinjuku to Odawara. Here we got on a smaller train another few miles to Gora. Once in Gora, we boarded a cable car that was propped at about a 45 degree angle which took us up a pretty steep incline (apparently, this is the second steepest cable car in the world) to Sounzan. At Sounzan, we got into a Busch Gardens like ropeway car which took us up another steep mountain where we could see a huge strip mine complete with the sulfuric smell of the hot springs.
We shared the ropeway car with a group of people from the UK who kept telling their little children that the smell was merely “stinky burps”. At the top of the ropeway, we got out and took another ropeway car, this one much smaller, down the mountain to Lake Ashi where we boarded a cheesy, Disney-ish boat called the Hakone Sightseeing Ship.
On the lake, we got to see the top of Mt. Fuji along with other beautiful scenery. John compared it to upstate New York, and for good reason. We also got some time to take some "action shots".
Off the boat, we took a detour to visit another shrine where I got some great pictures as the sun was setting.
After the shrine, we stopped to eat at a great little restaurant where we had all different forms of noodles, rice, tempura, and soup. After eating, we got on the Hakone Tozan Bus which took us down windy mountains back to the Romancecar.
After getting back, John, Haywood, Mike and I decided to get some good ol’ American cuisine and scoped out a Wendy’s. The food was good, but John and Mike said their chicken sandwich was freezer burnt and dry. A short walk from Wendy’s was an arcade where we spent some time playing a fighting game by typing on a keyboard and a game where you hit a Samurai drum. Exhausted, John, Haywood and I went back to the hotel to crash, leaving Mikey in the arcade. It’s about 10 hours later, and I would not be surprised if Mike was still there.
Japan, Day 4
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Sunday was really a cool day. We decided to head to Roppongi. This is known as the “tourist” area of Japan as it is filled with obnoxious Americans looking to go clubbing and have a good time. Instead of going clubbing, we went to Roppongi Hills, which is a new mega-plex of towers and buildings built by Mori Building Company (the Japanese equivalent of Trump Enterprises). On the top of the building, was the “Tokyo City View” where we would see Tokyo from an amazing vantage point. From this location, Jim was able to point out various landmarks, including some of his firms’ buildings that they had constructed.
In the same area of the building, was the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit (on loan from Bill and Melinda Gates). This exhibit is put on display once per year and showcases the actual pages from da Vinci’s Codex Leicester —all written in mirror image. Amazing to see that in person.
After the da Vinci exhibit, we headed to what was probably the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. Mr. Mori commissioned a gigantic scale model of New York, Tokyo and Shanghai which fit into about 2,000 square feet of space at 1/1000 the scale. These models were breathtaking to see and what was even more eye opening was seeing New York compared to Tokyo – Tokyo filled up about 4 times the amount of space as New York. Along with these models, were interesting statistics on each of the 3 cities, showing population, density, divorce rate, birth rate, class size, etc. The only thing I regretted about this, was we were not allowed to take pictures.
From Roppongi, we headed to Asakusa per Dawn’s suggestion. In Asakusa, we went to Kappa-bashi which is the restaurant supply district. Just about any type of restaurant good can be found here, from aprons to dishes to the piece de resistance – plastic food. Here in Japan, just about every restaurant has a perfect plastic replica of every item on their menu. So if you are hungry, you just point to something and they’ll serve it to you. It’s great for us foreigners who cant speak a lick of Japanese. Well, in Kappa-bashi, they sell these replicas which just totally fascinated Mike and I. Needless to say, I couldn’t leave without purchasing some fake steak and pasta.
From there, we headed to Nakamise-dori which is a street lined with all sorts of vendors selling their wares. I managed to get some good video footage of this, which I will post when I get home. At the end of the street, was a great Shrine where we stopped to take pictures and Mike got his fortune by shaking a metal box, and having a piece of wood fall out. On the wood was a symbol which corresponded to a drawer. When you pull the drawer out, you pick up a piece of paper that tells you your fortune. Mike's basically said, "you'll find the girl, pass the exam, buy the house, live the life, make the money, get the job...etc..." They seem to cover all bases on those things.
At the end of the day, we were completely beat and all of us crashed at the hotel around 7:00 and fell asleep without dinner.
Sunday was really a cool day. We decided to head to Roppongi. This is known as the “tourist” area of Japan as it is filled with obnoxious Americans looking to go clubbing and have a good time. Instead of going clubbing, we went to Roppongi Hills, which is a new mega-plex of towers and buildings built by Mori Building Company (the Japanese equivalent of Trump Enterprises). On the top of the building, was the “Tokyo City View” where we would see Tokyo from an amazing vantage point. From this location, Jim was able to point out various landmarks, including some of his firms’ buildings that they had constructed.
In the same area of the building, was the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit (on loan from Bill and Melinda Gates). This exhibit is put on display once per year and showcases the actual pages from da Vinci’s Codex Leicester —all written in mirror image. Amazing to see that in person.
After the da Vinci exhibit, we headed to what was probably the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. Mr. Mori commissioned a gigantic scale model of New York, Tokyo and Shanghai which fit into about 2,000 square feet of space at 1/1000 the scale. These models were breathtaking to see and what was even more eye opening was seeing New York compared to Tokyo – Tokyo filled up about 4 times the amount of space as New York. Along with these models, were interesting statistics on each of the 3 cities, showing population, density, divorce rate, birth rate, class size, etc. The only thing I regretted about this, was we were not allowed to take pictures.
From Roppongi, we headed to Asakusa per Dawn’s suggestion. In Asakusa, we went to Kappa-bashi which is the restaurant supply district. Just about any type of restaurant good can be found here, from aprons to dishes to the piece de resistance – plastic food. Here in Japan, just about every restaurant has a perfect plastic replica of every item on their menu. So if you are hungry, you just point to something and they’ll serve it to you. It’s great for us foreigners who cant speak a lick of Japanese. Well, in Kappa-bashi, they sell these replicas which just totally fascinated Mike and I. Needless to say, I couldn’t leave without purchasing some fake steak and pasta.
From there, we headed to Nakamise-dori which is a street lined with all sorts of vendors selling their wares. I managed to get some good video footage of this, which I will post when I get home. At the end of the street, was a great Shrine where we stopped to take pictures and Mike got his fortune by shaking a metal box, and having a piece of wood fall out. On the wood was a symbol which corresponded to a drawer. When you pull the drawer out, you pick up a piece of paper that tells you your fortune. Mike's basically said, "you'll find the girl, pass the exam, buy the house, live the life, make the money, get the job...etc..." They seem to cover all bases on those things.
At the end of the day, we were completely beat and all of us crashed at the hotel around 7:00 and fell asleep without dinner.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Japan, Day 3
Saturday, October 22, 2005
On Saturday, per my request, we “eased” ourselves into Tokyo.
John and I started our day at the hotel’s “American Buffet” where they served “typical” American breakfast food. We had hotdogs, steamed vegetables, lasagna and French fries along with cereal, fruit, bread, and boiled eggs. We also noticed that they had tomato juice there too. Weird.
Jim came to our hotel room around 11:00 and the 5 of us prepared to venture out and explore Shinjuku. We started out by learning the ropes of the train station and going 2 stops to Takeshita Dori where we walked through a beautiful park to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Once there, we got to see a wedding party walking through as well as some little children dressed in ceremonial dress. Apparently, on significant birthdays, they get dressed up and get their picture taken at the Shrine.
On the way back from the Shrine, we stopped at a cafeteria in the park and had some Japanese fare.
After the Shrine, we went to Takeshita Street, which is known for it’s hip fashions and is the epicenter of Japanese teenagers.
On this route is my brother’s latest building, still under construction, so we stopped to take pictures of the structure. The leopard part is an all glass building that will house Cartier's store. Cartier put the leopard over the glass as an ad to say, "We're coming!". The structure in the back that looks like wood, is actually limestone. The entire building is very impressive.
After that, we went to an antique store that sold all sorts of tourist friendly goods like sake boxes and green tea sets. I noted that Jim probably gets our Christmas presents from this store, as many items looked oddly familiar. After antiqing, we pressed on to Kiddy Land, which is a 5 story building full of Japanese toys. This place was a blast and I'm sure you could see Mike drooling all the way in America. I picked up some miniature Japanese food in this store and John managed to find something close to his heart too.
That night, we met up with several of Jim’s friends for some “Italian” cuisine. The restaurant was located in the Japanese Opera House (which is really an enormous skyscraper). Jim thought we were going to a laid-back place, but we ended up in a very nice place complete with 3 course meal and a half of bottle of wine per person. The appetizer was a jelly with sausage and eggplant… sort of like an Italian Jello. The main course was pasta with black and green olives and red pepper. For dessert, we had cooked pomegranates with cinnamon and ginger with ice cream. Quite a good meal. After the restaurant, we met up with another friend, Sunoco, who informed me she was “so happy for the existence of Jim-san.” We then headed off to a traditional Japanese smokey bar for beer and sake. At the bar, we were served tofu with shredded fish, boiled soybeans in salt water (these were cool – they looked like pea pods and you just popped the soybeans out of the pods to eat them), dried manta ray, nato (this was gross – it was fermented soybeans with raw tuna), baked chicken, potatoes with cheese, and water lily roots. We were seated next to a group of drunk college guys that kept chanting in Japanese (one gulp! One gulp!) and then proceeding to down their sake. By the end of the night, one guy had taken off his shirt and another was drunkenly groping his friend. I think Mike and Haywood were quite intrigued by this.
On Saturday, per my request, we “eased” ourselves into Tokyo.
John and I started our day at the hotel’s “American Buffet” where they served “typical” American breakfast food. We had hotdogs, steamed vegetables, lasagna and French fries along with cereal, fruit, bread, and boiled eggs. We also noticed that they had tomato juice there too. Weird.
Jim came to our hotel room around 11:00 and the 5 of us prepared to venture out and explore Shinjuku. We started out by learning the ropes of the train station and going 2 stops to Takeshita Dori where we walked through a beautiful park to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Once there, we got to see a wedding party walking through as well as some little children dressed in ceremonial dress. Apparently, on significant birthdays, they get dressed up and get their picture taken at the Shrine.
On the way back from the Shrine, we stopped at a cafeteria in the park and had some Japanese fare.
After the Shrine, we went to Takeshita Street, which is known for it’s hip fashions and is the epicenter of Japanese teenagers.
On this route is my brother’s latest building, still under construction, so we stopped to take pictures of the structure. The leopard part is an all glass building that will house Cartier's store. Cartier put the leopard over the glass as an ad to say, "We're coming!". The structure in the back that looks like wood, is actually limestone. The entire building is very impressive.
After that, we went to an antique store that sold all sorts of tourist friendly goods like sake boxes and green tea sets. I noted that Jim probably gets our Christmas presents from this store, as many items looked oddly familiar. After antiqing, we pressed on to Kiddy Land, which is a 5 story building full of Japanese toys. This place was a blast and I'm sure you could see Mike drooling all the way in America. I picked up some miniature Japanese food in this store and John managed to find something close to his heart too.
That night, we met up with several of Jim’s friends for some “Italian” cuisine. The restaurant was located in the Japanese Opera House (which is really an enormous skyscraper). Jim thought we were going to a laid-back place, but we ended up in a very nice place complete with 3 course meal and a half of bottle of wine per person. The appetizer was a jelly with sausage and eggplant… sort of like an Italian Jello. The main course was pasta with black and green olives and red pepper. For dessert, we had cooked pomegranates with cinnamon and ginger with ice cream. Quite a good meal. After the restaurant, we met up with another friend, Sunoco, who informed me she was “so happy for the existence of Jim-san.” We then headed off to a traditional Japanese smokey bar for beer and sake. At the bar, we were served tofu with shredded fish, boiled soybeans in salt water (these were cool – they looked like pea pods and you just popped the soybeans out of the pods to eat them), dried manta ray, nato (this was gross – it was fermented soybeans with raw tuna), baked chicken, potatoes with cheese, and water lily roots. We were seated next to a group of drunk college guys that kept chanting in Japanese (one gulp! One gulp!) and then proceeding to down their sake. By the end of the night, one guy had taken off his shirt and another was drunkenly groping his friend. I think Mike and Haywood were quite intrigued by this.
Japan, Day 2
Friday, October 21, 2005
We arrived in Japan a little after 3:30 PM in Narita airport. The airplane taxied for about 20 minutes before finally coming to a halt. We got out, went through customs (customs consisted of a guy asking us: “Are you bringing in anything illegal?” Once we said “no” we were free to go through) and went in search of the “Friendly Limousine” that would drive us to the hotel. For ¥6,000 (about $50.00) we purchased 2 tickets and were VERY ready to get settled into the hotel.
We hopped onto the limousine at 4:35 and figured we’d be at the hotel around 5:30. After driving through the equivalent of 4 New York cities, and sitting in rush hour that makes the beltway look like a country road, we arrived at the hotel a little after 7:00 PM (which was 6:00 AM EST) cranky, tired, and as I described it, “feeling like I wanted to scratch my face off” from frustration and exhaustion.
When we got to the hotel, Mikey and Haywood had not arrived, so we called Jim who came over with Shrimp and Mayonaise potato chips, Chinese food, flavored water and Pocky. Mike and Haywood arrived around 8:00 PM and we all decided to walk to downtown Shinjuku to get some Japanese food. We arrived at a place that Jim said was equivalent to “Japanese Dennys” and settled in. To my dismay, I had to take off my shoes (I didn’t have socks on) so walking around in a foreign country barefooted and jet lagged was not a great feeling. We sat for about an hour and had beer, fried octopus balls, pizza with corn, sashimi, a beef and noodle dish, and cheese and garlic bread. After stumbling back to the hotel more tired than I had ever been in my life and being awake for over 24 hours, we crashed.
We arrived in Japan a little after 3:30 PM in Narita airport. The airplane taxied for about 20 minutes before finally coming to a halt. We got out, went through customs (customs consisted of a guy asking us: “Are you bringing in anything illegal?” Once we said “no” we were free to go through) and went in search of the “Friendly Limousine” that would drive us to the hotel. For ¥6,000 (about $50.00) we purchased 2 tickets and were VERY ready to get settled into the hotel.
We hopped onto the limousine at 4:35 and figured we’d be at the hotel around 5:30. After driving through the equivalent of 4 New York cities, and sitting in rush hour that makes the beltway look like a country road, we arrived at the hotel a little after 7:00 PM (which was 6:00 AM EST) cranky, tired, and as I described it, “feeling like I wanted to scratch my face off” from frustration and exhaustion.
When we got to the hotel, Mikey and Haywood had not arrived, so we called Jim who came over with Shrimp and Mayonaise potato chips, Chinese food, flavored water and Pocky. Mike and Haywood arrived around 8:00 PM and we all decided to walk to downtown Shinjuku to get some Japanese food. We arrived at a place that Jim said was equivalent to “Japanese Dennys” and settled in. To my dismay, I had to take off my shoes (I didn’t have socks on) so walking around in a foreign country barefooted and jet lagged was not a great feeling. We sat for about an hour and had beer, fried octopus balls, pizza with corn, sashimi, a beef and noodle dish, and cheese and garlic bread. After stumbling back to the hotel more tired than I had ever been in my life and being awake for over 24 hours, we crashed.
Japan, Day 1
Thursday, October 20, 2005
The ride to the airport was given to us by John’s Mom and after hugs and goodbyes, we made it uneventfully through security. Our flight took off at 12:20 PM and we prepared for the 14 hours ahead. Once on the plane, John and I immediately settled in and started playing with all of the gadgets. There were little TV screens in the back of the headrest of each seat, and we could watch TV, movies, play games and even track our progress to Japan via a GPS image of an airplane flying over a digital map. We constantly got updates of how long to our destination in miles, kilometers, and minutes, but also the current temperature (I was amazed that it was consistently 20-50 below zero) our altitude and our estimated arrival time.
The meals on the plane were a great foreshadowing to the meals we would be eating in Japan. We started out with hot towels, drinks and rice crackers. Then we had a chicken and rice dish with smoked salmon and potato salad with cold noodles and sesame oil, bread and crackers. John observed that most of the people on the plane were drinking tomato juice? We still haven’t figured that one out yet. We had a snack of Cup of Noodles and more rice crackers and then were served dinner that consisted of pasta, tomato sauce and a slice of cheese melted over top with yogurt (not sure why?) and bread.
The ride to the airport was given to us by John’s Mom and after hugs and goodbyes, we made it uneventfully through security. Our flight took off at 12:20 PM and we prepared for the 14 hours ahead. Once on the plane, John and I immediately settled in and started playing with all of the gadgets. There were little TV screens in the back of the headrest of each seat, and we could watch TV, movies, play games and even track our progress to Japan via a GPS image of an airplane flying over a digital map. We constantly got updates of how long to our destination in miles, kilometers, and minutes, but also the current temperature (I was amazed that it was consistently 20-50 below zero) our altitude and our estimated arrival time.
The meals on the plane were a great foreshadowing to the meals we would be eating in Japan. We started out with hot towels, drinks and rice crackers. Then we had a chicken and rice dish with smoked salmon and potato salad with cold noodles and sesame oil, bread and crackers. John observed that most of the people on the plane were drinking tomato juice? We still haven’t figured that one out yet. We had a snack of Cup of Noodles and more rice crackers and then were served dinner that consisted of pasta, tomato sauce and a slice of cheese melted over top with yogurt (not sure why?) and bread.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Re: The Fat Man and the Rodent
I think people should move at least every 10 years if they want to or not. When you move, you purge. Purging is a fantastic way to not only get rid of old, junky, crap, but it's also a great way to get a fresh start. Throwing out things is an amazing way of purging bad memories, and things that weigh you down. After the "cleanse" you'll find that the nagging voice in the back of your head that keeps screaming "clean me, sort me, organize me, toss me" will be silenced and you'll actually have the time to do things that you enjoy. Creative juices will start to flow, writing will commence, perhaps some tilling of soil... whatever it is that makes you who you are... you will start to become more like yourself because you will not be grounded and tied to those things.
I will admit, I am a victim of materialism. The house, the furnishings, the theatre... they all scream of materialism. But what I truly desire, is for my things to exist at a minimum. I get great pleasure in purging. Nothing is better than a large trash can and boxes marked "good will". I can toss away the regrets, give to charity the mistakes and most importantly, set on fire the old love letters stashed in shoeboxes.
And then 5, 10 years from that point, I will have accumulated an entirely different lifestyle that I will discard so I can start over again. Sometimes if a memory is especially cherished, I will keep one tiny part of it and throw away the majority. For instance, I have this rock. My mom got it from my grandmother's yard after she died. When I moved into my first house, my mom put it on top of the door in my garage and told me where she got it from. One of the last things I took when I moved to my new house was that rock. It's sitting on my windowsill in my kitchen and everytime I look at it, I think of my grandmother. I know that 50 years from now, I will have since tossed my grandmother's dishes and other items... but I will always have that rock.
So by the time I die, I will have purged my life and started anew about 10 -20 times. But I know that in the end, even if I just have a shoebox with a rock and a feather and a rose petal in it, that those will be my most cherished possessions and they will have defined who I am. I will give that box to my children or grandchildren and tell them that if they want to know how to find happiness, all they have to do is look in that box.
It's not the things that matter, its the few small symbols we glean from life that remind us of who we really are and how we got there.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Catherine Estelle Underwood
My grandmother passed away this morning. I'm still numb, really. She was the grand matriarch of the family, mother to 8 children, grandmother to 25, and great-grandmother to 13. Her family was the single most important thing to her and I am glad that she was surrounded by her loved ones today. She's not really gone, yet. I know that's odd to say, but it's true. They're keeping her alive long enough so they can take her liver for organ donation. She would have wanted that. One of her very closest friends was the liver reciepient from my uncle who passed away 15 years ago in a car accident. Since meeting Evelyn, my grandmother has been a champion for organ donation and I think it's only appropriate that her liver be the only organ that she is able to give. For one reason, because she took good care of it. She never had a drop of alcohol in her life. For a second reason, because she had such a bond with my uncle's recipient, it is only fitting. She would have wanted it that way.
It's so strange what the human mind thinks when they hear of a death for the first time. When we got the call from my Mom this morning, my first thought was, "I'm glad it's not my Dad." My second thought was, "I have to call work," because I had a meeting that morning. My last thought was "We don't have any Kleenexes." So I had John go to Food Lion to get me some. Odd.
*Sigh*.
It's so strange what the human mind thinks when they hear of a death for the first time. When we got the call from my Mom this morning, my first thought was, "I'm glad it's not my Dad." My second thought was, "I have to call work," because I had a meeting that morning. My last thought was "We don't have any Kleenexes." So I had John go to Food Lion to get me some. Odd.
*Sigh*.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Semantics.
Why is it that the English language does not have a word to describe someone that is more than a friend but not quite your boy/girlfriend? I find it interesting that there is nothing to describe this in-between state. Perhaps it is because society formed roles back in the stone age that said you either had to have a platonic relationship with someone or you had to be 100% committed to them. I wonder if other cultures have a word for this? In French, you are either an aime (friend) or a petite amie (girlfriend)--literally translated, small friend. When we get into the roles of marriage, the words are very clear: fiancé and husband. The world is very black and white. If you are separated from your husband, he’s still your husband until the papers are signed and then he becomes an “ex”. But there is still no word for the pre-boy/girlfriend stage of life that most of us either has or will experience.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Lyrics
Tonight my Mom came over to help me unpack. I must say, she was a huge help. The house is starting to come together. After working most of the day, we decided to watch The Phantom of the Opera. Awesome film. As we were watching, there was one song that I thought was particularly interesting-- "Masquerade". It reminded me of Billy Joel's, "The Stranger." I dug up the lyrics of both for comparison:
Masquerade
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade . . .
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will
never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!
Flash of mauve . . .
Splash of puce . . .
Fool and king . . .
Ghoul and goose . . .
Green and black . . .
Queen and priest . . .
Trace of rouge . . .
Face of beast . . .
Faces . . .
Take your turn, take a ride
on the merry-go-round . . .
in an inhuman race . . .
Eye of gold . . .
Thigh of blue . . .
True is false . . .
Who is who . . .?
Curl of lip . . .
Swirl of gown . . .
Ace of hearts . . .
Face of clown . . .
Faces . . .
Drink it in, drink it up,
till you've drowned
in the light . . .
in the sound . . .
The Stranger
Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and
Show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on
Well we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?
Masquerade
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade . . .
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
so the world will
never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!
Flash of mauve . . .
Splash of puce . . .
Fool and king . . .
Ghoul and goose . . .
Green and black . . .
Queen and priest . . .
Trace of rouge . . .
Face of beast . . .
Faces . . .
Take your turn, take a ride
on the merry-go-round . . .
in an inhuman race . . .
Eye of gold . . .
Thigh of blue . . .
True is false . . .
Who is who . . .?
Curl of lip . . .
Swirl of gown . . .
Ace of hearts . . .
Face of clown . . .
Faces . . .
Drink it in, drink it up,
till you've drowned
in the light . . .
in the sound . . .
The Stranger
Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and
Show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on
Well we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Random Quotes
As I was walking up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.
Hughes Mearns
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy
Do not condemn the man that cannot think or act as fast as you can, because there was a time when you could not do things as well as you can today.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.
Barbra Streisand
Anyone who works is a fool. I don't work - I merely inflict myself upon the public.
Robert Morley
Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.
Eddie Rickenbacker
You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.
Ray Bradbury
I've been trying for some time to develop a lifestyle that doesn't require my presence.
Gary Trudeau
Death ends a life, not a relationship.
Morrie Schwartz
A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.
Hans Margolius
I don't believe that life is supposed to make you feel good, or make you feel miserable either. Life is just supposed to make you feel.
Gloria Naylor
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Marcel Proust
The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.
Paul Valery
Costly thy habit [dress] as thy purse can buy; But not expressed in fancy - rich, not gaudy. For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
William Shakespeare
Click here for random quotes.
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.
Hughes Mearns
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy
Do not condemn the man that cannot think or act as fast as you can, because there was a time when you could not do things as well as you can today.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.
Barbra Streisand
Anyone who works is a fool. I don't work - I merely inflict myself upon the public.
Robert Morley
Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.
Eddie Rickenbacker
You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.
Ray Bradbury
I've been trying for some time to develop a lifestyle that doesn't require my presence.
Gary Trudeau
Death ends a life, not a relationship.
Morrie Schwartz
A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.
Hans Margolius
I don't believe that life is supposed to make you feel good, or make you feel miserable either. Life is just supposed to make you feel.
Gloria Naylor
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy: They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Marcel Proust
The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be.
Paul Valery
Costly thy habit [dress] as thy purse can buy; But not expressed in fancy - rich, not gaudy. For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
William Shakespeare
Click here for random quotes.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Kissing Cousins.
I absolutely love having a big extended family. With my mom being the oldest of 8 children, I was lucky enough to grow up with 25 first cousins. Our summers and holidays were always spent with a million of us running around, playing and doing things that cousins do. I was born in the middle, so I have about the same amount of olders cousins as younger cousins. This was always an interesting position to be in because I always had cousins to look up to and cousins to be role models to.
One of my absolute favorite pictures taken was the one below. This was taken in the summer of 1983, when I was 4 years old. I'm the one in the green in the lower left.
One of my absolute favorite pictures taken was the one below. This was taken in the summer of 1983, when I was 4 years old. I'm the one in the green in the lower left.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Friends.
I can remember a while ago when I was in highschool, I was talking to my brother about friendships. I was telling him that I had a lot of good friends and I guess I was somewhat proud of that. During the course of that conversation he said, "You don't have any good friends unless you can call one of them at 3:00 AM and ask them to get out of bed and drive to help you change a tire." I remember thinking about that long and hard and I remember thinking at the time that not one single one of my "good friends" would have been willing to do that.
Since then, I have thought about that statement a lot and as silly as it seems, I think he really does have a point. His point was, a true friend is willing to completely inconvienance themselves for you because you are in need. I have often wondered not only who would do that for me, but who I would be willing to do that FOR. I've even thought of things such as, "Well, if I had a big meeting the next morning, I probably would only do it for XYZ, but if it was a weekend, then I'd definatly do it for ABC."
My brother probably never remembers saying this to me, but for me, this has been something that has stuck with me for the past 10 years or so. I think perhaps my greatest fear is that one day, I won't have anyone to help me at 3:00 AM-- and I will be devastated not for the lack of help, but for the lack of friends.
Since then, I have thought about that statement a lot and as silly as it seems, I think he really does have a point. His point was, a true friend is willing to completely inconvienance themselves for you because you are in need. I have often wondered not only who would do that for me, but who I would be willing to do that FOR. I've even thought of things such as, "Well, if I had a big meeting the next morning, I probably would only do it for XYZ, but if it was a weekend, then I'd definatly do it for ABC."
My brother probably never remembers saying this to me, but for me, this has been something that has stuck with me for the past 10 years or so. I think perhaps my greatest fear is that one day, I won't have anyone to help me at 3:00 AM-- and I will be devastated not for the lack of help, but for the lack of friends.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Yes, I'm Crazy.
Ok, so I have exactly 14 days until the big move to the new house. Have we started packing at all? Nooooo! I'm really not sure how I'm going to pack up an entire house in less than two weeks, but I know we will get it done. We always do.
So in order to fill up all my "free time", being the crazy person I am, I agreed to make a birthday cake for a 1 year old's birthday party tomorrow. I've just finished, the kitchen is covered in cake crumbs, frosting, fondant, white chocolate and powdered sugar and here I am writing in my blog instead of cleaning the mess up and/or packing.
Here is the fruit of my labor:
So in order to fill up all my "free time", being the crazy person I am, I agreed to make a birthday cake for a 1 year old's birthday party tomorrow. I've just finished, the kitchen is covered in cake crumbs, frosting, fondant, white chocolate and powdered sugar and here I am writing in my blog instead of cleaning the mess up and/or packing.
Here is the fruit of my labor:
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Everything Must Go!
To those of you who don't hang out with me and John often, you should know that we supposedly live in (Mikey voice) the gheeeeetttooooo. There is this running joke with some of our South Riding friends that we live in the ghetto due to the fact we have a 1 car garage townhome, as opposed to a 2 car garage townhome. I never really believed this myth, until this morning. You think people are going to start wondering what's happening on Upper Clubhouse Drive?
Catholicism.
When I talk to non-Catholics, I get so many questions from them that actually get me to think. I really enjoy when people question my faith, because it allows ME to question it as well. Questioning faith is a fantastic way to grow in faith. Someone just asked me the other day, "What happens if you ask the wrong Saint for the wrong thing?" Like, if you ask the Patron Saint of Tulips for help with your Rose Garden, does that petition get answered? I thought that was a really good question -- I still don't have an answer for that. I'm assuming the Saints have this cool little workflow system where they just pass the wrong requests on to the right person. I dunno.
Anyway, my church priest has a question box in the back of the church and every week, he posts the answers to the questions asked the week before in the bulletin. It's really an awesome thing, especially because he addresses each and every comment in the box -- no matter what.
Here's one that I thought was interesting:
Anyway, my church priest has a question box in the back of the church and every week, he posts the answers to the questions asked the week before in the bulletin. It's really an awesome thing, especially because he addresses each and every comment in the box -- no matter what.
Here's one that I thought was interesting:
Question 6 - Since the man who invented ... (Another pathetic (and sinful) attempt at humor) ...
Answer - The handwriting suggests that it was a young person. I am caught among a number of options available to me. Do I ridicule you with sarcasm? Do I criticize you for your vulgarity? Do I call into question the quality of your home life? Do I suggest that the parish has failed you by not engaging you and your relationship with God? Do I pray and do penance for you? Do I assume that you are one of bored and indifferent young people that our culture produces and who seem to take far too long to grow up? Do you need therapy? Do you need a hug? Do your parents know how sad you really are? Can I help? What do I say?
Your question does bring to mind this passage from the New Testament: "2: And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3: But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4: Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving ... 6: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience ... 11: Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12: For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret." (Eph. 5:2-4,6,11-12)
In any event, I used to be able to say, that of the questions and comments I find in the box, I print all of them (or at least most of their substance). No longer. I am sad. :(
Here's one that is just random (written by a child, I assume):
Q: How many brothers do you have and what does sacrilegious mean?
A: I have three brothers. I am the second oldest. Sacrilegious means treating holy things in an unholy way.
If you're interested in reading more questions and answers, you can look at the archives here.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Semantics.
I was thinking about word usage today and how we tend to latch onto certain words and phrases for a short period of time and then suddenly let go of them. For instance, in the past 2 days, I've used the word "sellout" 3 times. I'm not really sure why that word entered into my vocabulary all of a sudden, but it did. It makes me think of little idioms that my friends and I would have with each other and then one day, they would mysterously die away. It's funny, because you can never quite pinpoint the day you started and the day you stopped using them-- but you definately (in horror) remember doing it. So in tribute to the dead idioms, I will attempt to list some of them:
- Wazzzzzup.
- Word.
- How YOU doin?
- Da Bomb.
- Talk to the hand!
- It's all good.
- My Bad!
- NOT!
- Barf me out to the max.
- Gag me with a spoon.
I'm ashamed to say I actually used these at one point in my life. I wonder how many more will come and go into my vocabulary?
- Wazzzzzup.
- Word.
- How YOU doin?
- Da Bomb.
- Talk to the hand!
- It's all good.
- My Bad!
- NOT!
- Barf me out to the max.
- Gag me with a spoon.
I'm ashamed to say I actually used these at one point in my life. I wonder how many more will come and go into my vocabulary?
On Dorkiness...
"It is a lot like being cool, being a dork. You don't talk about it much, you just learn how to handle yourself in a given situation."
~Gill
~Gill
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz...
OH WHAT A RELIEF IT IS! So we sold our house last night! Woo hoo! We got two great contracts -- both from single women. We settled on a contract from a lady who's moving out of Action-dale to settle down in South Riding. She said she loved our house and the paint colors and it was just so "her". So it's good to know that our home is going to a good home (so to speak). She's also letting us rent back for 5 days for free, and isn't requiring a home inspection-- both great things.
Our next adventure will be packing and moving to our new abode. Sooooo... if anyone is willing to help us, we would love you forever and ever! The good news is, we're only moving down the street. The bad news is, we still have to move.
More to come...
Our next adventure will be packing and moving to our new abode. Sooooo... if anyone is willing to help us, we would love you forever and ever! The good news is, we're only moving down the street. The bad news is, we still have to move.
More to come...
Monday, July 18, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Inspector Gadget
So we had our home inspection yesterday. Everything seemed to be running quite smoothly-- foundation, check. Windows, check. Appliances, check. Roofing, check. No water damage, check. HVAC, check. Basement, not so good. Apparently, the basement was built without a building permit. So now we have to get the owners to contact Loudoun County and get an inspector out there to make sure the place is up to code. In order to do that though, he's going to have to cut a bunch of holes in the drywall to inspect the electrical and duct work. So you ever come over and the basement looks like swiss cheese, don't be surprised.
We'll see what happens. Oh the joys of home ownership.
We'll see what happens. Oh the joys of home ownership.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Top 5 Most Stressful Events
I've heard from several sources that moving is the third most stressful life event, behind death of a loved one and going through a nasty divorce. This is wrong. Here's the list:
1. Being tortured
2. Having to kill a man with your bare hands
3. Falling from a great height
4. Being trapped under water
5. Moving
Blogging will be light this week.
Post stolen from Bob.
1. Being tortured
2. Having to kill a man with your bare hands
3. Falling from a great height
4. Being trapped under water
5. Moving
Blogging will be light this week.
Post stolen from Bob.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Thursday, July 07, 2005
There's No Place Like Home.
Well, we're pretty sure we've just bought a house. The contract isn't ratified yet, but we've gotten down to the nitty-gritty details and it looks like it's gonna happen. We're not really sure if we've gotten a good deal or not, but we both really love the place and I know we'll be happy there for a long, long time.
We managed to get it for way below asking price-- partially because they were asking way too much, and partially because the wife is 2 weeks from having a baby and really really wants to sell. Our only problem is that we're at Virginia Beach on vacation with our real estate agent (John's Mom) and we have yet to put our house on the market.
It was pretty scary-- writing a contract for over half a million dollars on a house that we've only seen one time a month ago. That's scary enough, but when you factor in that we're writing the contract from the kitchen table of a beach house at Virginia Beach with no way of knowing when and how we're going to get our house on the market, we're pretty darn scared.
Let's hope it all works out, and if you know anyone that wants to buy a townhouse in South Riding, send them my way!
We managed to get it for way below asking price-- partially because they were asking way too much, and partially because the wife is 2 weeks from having a baby and really really wants to sell. Our only problem is that we're at Virginia Beach on vacation with our real estate agent (John's Mom) and we have yet to put our house on the market.
It was pretty scary-- writing a contract for over half a million dollars on a house that we've only seen one time a month ago. That's scary enough, but when you factor in that we're writing the contract from the kitchen table of a beach house at Virginia Beach with no way of knowing when and how we're going to get our house on the market, we're pretty darn scared.
Let's hope it all works out, and if you know anyone that wants to buy a townhouse in South Riding, send them my way!
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Happy Anniversary, John
6 years ago today, John and I went on our first date. Man, how time flies! This is a poem I wrote a few months later about the experience and my interning days at USI, now Integic, a Northrop Grumman Company.
Universal Systems Inc., Administrative Assistant, Human Resources
8:45-My green civic screeches to a halt and I run into
the building. Jane, the receptionist greets me with
a smile and I run through the second set of glass doors, into the first
cubicle on the left. 8:51-As my computer boots, I check my
phone messages and say hello to Debbi, whose office is right across
from my cube. She asks me about my date last night. I tell her
it was great. 8:59-I make my way through the glass doors again,
smile at Jane, and turn left down a long carpeted hallway in search
of that greatly needed cup of coffee. Third door on the left. Mike
is standing at the sink, sipping something. "How was your
date?" I smile at those serene blue eyes. "Wouldn't you like to
know?" 9:05-Thump, thump, thump...my high heels move quickly
on the red carpet, the coffee already starting to scorch my hand through
the thin paper cup. 9:06-Sitting at my computer, I check my
email. "Just wanted to let you know I had a great time last
night. Love, John." There's always something magical
about a good first date. 9:10-Ring! "Hello, USI
this is Michelle speaking...yes, I have that report right here."
9:15-Clack, clack, clack...I have to enter the interview dates
for all employees since 1996. 10:40-Clack, clack,
clack. 11:30-Clack, clack, clack. 12:00-Ring! "You ready for
lunch?" "Yes." Through the glass doors, into the hallway thump,
thump, thump...and into the parking lot. Mike and I wait
for John. 12:10-Mike and I wait for John. 12:15-The '64 Mercedes tears
into the parking lot and stops just long enough for us
to get in. My long hair flies out the window as we take off
and I curse myself again for forgetting to bring a ponytail holder.
Maggie May bring us another beer, we need another--The Pietasters are blaring
but John pauses the song just long enough to look
into the rearview mirror at Mike and say, "Where to?"
We all shrug. "Gyro place it is!"
beer, take away our troubles here... 12:25-Whump! Whump! Whump!
We get out of the car and follow the beckoning smell of soft pita bread
and spiced lamb's meat. We find a table by the window and look over
the whole menu, even though we all know we're going to order
a number six. My eyes shift from Mike to John and back
again. 12:30-"So guys, tell me about your date last night,
what did you do?" I look at John and smile. 12:45-The waitress brings
out three gyro platters and our drinks. Mike with Coke, John with
Dr. Pepper, and me with Ginger Ale. 1:30-Mike and I scurry
back into the building, already a half hour late and dissolve
into our separate wings of the building. 1:35-Clack, clack,
clack. 2:27-Clack, clack, clack. 3:03-Ring! "Hello, USI
this is Michelle speaking...Hi John! I'd love to get dinner tonight...
ok...I'll see you then." 3:05-Clack, clack, clack. 4:20-My boss enters
my cubicle. "How are those interview dates coming?" "I'm on
1998," I reply. 4:21-Clack, clack, clack. 5:00-Mike walks in and sits
in an empty chair. "You wanna go rollerblading?" I smile,
"No, I'm going out with John tonight." "So the date was that good
huh?" "Yes, it was really good." 5:02-I turn off
my computer and fill in my timesheet with a "6.5". "We've got
to take shorter lunches, Mike." "That we do." 5:05-I wait for John.
5:07-I wait
for John. 5:10-The now familiar Mercedes pulls up and I hop
in letting the wind carry my hair away.
Universal Systems Inc., Administrative Assistant, Human Resources
8:45-My green civic screeches to a halt and I run into
the building. Jane, the receptionist greets me with
a smile and I run through the second set of glass doors, into the first
cubicle on the left. 8:51-As my computer boots, I check my
phone messages and say hello to Debbi, whose office is right across
from my cube. She asks me about my date last night. I tell her
it was great. 8:59-I make my way through the glass doors again,
smile at Jane, and turn left down a long carpeted hallway in search
of that greatly needed cup of coffee. Third door on the left. Mike
is standing at the sink, sipping something. "How was your
date?" I smile at those serene blue eyes. "Wouldn't you like to
know?" 9:05-Thump, thump, thump...my high heels move quickly
on the red carpet, the coffee already starting to scorch my hand through
the thin paper cup. 9:06-Sitting at my computer, I check my
email. "Just wanted to let you know I had a great time last
night. Love, John." There's always something magical
about a good first date. 9:10-Ring! "Hello, USI
this is Michelle speaking...yes, I have that report right here."
9:15-Clack, clack, clack...I have to enter the interview dates
for all employees since 1996. 10:40-Clack, clack,
clack. 11:30-Clack, clack, clack. 12:00-Ring! "You ready for
lunch?" "Yes." Through the glass doors, into the hallway thump,
thump, thump...and into the parking lot. Mike and I wait
for John. 12:10-Mike and I wait for John. 12:15-The '64 Mercedes tears
into the parking lot and stops just long enough for us
to get in. My long hair flies out the window as we take off
and I curse myself again for forgetting to bring a ponytail holder.
Maggie May bring us another beer, we need another--The Pietasters are blaring
but John pauses the song just long enough to look
into the rearview mirror at Mike and say, "Where to?"
We all shrug. "Gyro place it is!"
beer, take away our troubles here... 12:25-Whump! Whump! Whump!
We get out of the car and follow the beckoning smell of soft pita bread
and spiced lamb's meat. We find a table by the window and look over
the whole menu, even though we all know we're going to order
a number six. My eyes shift from Mike to John and back
again. 12:30-"So guys, tell me about your date last night,
what did you do?" I look at John and smile. 12:45-The waitress brings
out three gyro platters and our drinks. Mike with Coke, John with
Dr. Pepper, and me with Ginger Ale. 1:30-Mike and I scurry
back into the building, already a half hour late and dissolve
into our separate wings of the building. 1:35-Clack, clack,
clack. 2:27-Clack, clack, clack. 3:03-Ring! "Hello, USI
this is Michelle speaking...Hi John! I'd love to get dinner tonight...
ok...I'll see you then." 3:05-Clack, clack, clack. 4:20-My boss enters
my cubicle. "How are those interview dates coming?" "I'm on
1998," I reply. 4:21-Clack, clack, clack. 5:00-Mike walks in and sits
in an empty chair. "You wanna go rollerblading?" I smile,
"No, I'm going out with John tonight." "So the date was that good
huh?" "Yes, it was really good." 5:02-I turn off
my computer and fill in my timesheet with a "6.5". "We've got
to take shorter lunches, Mike." "That we do." 5:05-I wait for John.
5:07-I wait
for John. 5:10-The now familiar Mercedes pulls up and I hop
in letting the wind carry my hair away.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Exercise Your Brain!
I've recently found this really cool site. The idea behind it is to exercise your brain. Supposedly, the more you do the exercises, the higher your IQ will get. Also, by exercising your brain, you'll be less likely to get alzheimers and other such brain diseases.
I've given them my ten bucks in the hopes that it will actually work. So far, I've managed to improve on each exercise the more I do them. My goal is to get in the top 10 for at least one exercise.
It's a pretty neat site filled with stats and they do different polls everyday. For instance, people who said autumn was their favorite season tend to score better overall on the brain exercises. Same with people who prefer cats as their favorite pets. Interesting stuff.
At any rate, check it out. And if you subscribe, let me know so we can compare scores!
I've given them my ten bucks in the hopes that it will actually work. So far, I've managed to improve on each exercise the more I do them. My goal is to get in the top 10 for at least one exercise.
It's a pretty neat site filled with stats and they do different polls everyday. For instance, people who said autumn was their favorite season tend to score better overall on the brain exercises. Same with people who prefer cats as their favorite pets. Interesting stuff.
At any rate, check it out. And if you subscribe, let me know so we can compare scores!
DigiScents
A couple of weeks ago Mike and I were talking about how much smell triggered memory. My sense of smell is so in tune with my past, that it amazes me how much one smell can bring back something long forgotten. For instance, today I was washing some dishes in the sink at work. For some reason, the smell of the water reminded me of my late Grandmother's house in Baltimore. I was immediately catapulted back into her 1950's kitchen with the green countertops and the dishes that my grandfather bought at a local gas station.
I then remembered an article I read many years ago in Popular Science about how this group of scientists developed a digital way to reproduce scent. I tried to find this wonderful machine, but all I could find was a bunch of articles about a company called DigiScents that was making a product called iSmell. The articles were all from 1999 and 2000 -- but I have yet to find the product. It makes me wonder if the company sizzled out due to lack of market?
I did manage to find another company called TriSenx that is actually selling its product. They already have a couple music videos and educational sites that allow you to "smell" the items you see. Pretty cool.
Can you imagine what this technology could do to advertising? Waft a smell of a Big Mac into my living room or actually be able to SMELL the aromas of a cooking show? It would bring a whole new meaning to sporting events when you could smell the sweat and B.O. from the court...
I then remembered an article I read many years ago in Popular Science about how this group of scientists developed a digital way to reproduce scent. I tried to find this wonderful machine, but all I could find was a bunch of articles about a company called DigiScents that was making a product called iSmell. The articles were all from 1999 and 2000 -- but I have yet to find the product. It makes me wonder if the company sizzled out due to lack of market?
I did manage to find another company called TriSenx that is actually selling its product. They already have a couple music videos and educational sites that allow you to "smell" the items you see. Pretty cool.
Can you imagine what this technology could do to advertising? Waft a smell of a Big Mac into my living room or actually be able to SMELL the aromas of a cooking show? It would bring a whole new meaning to sporting events when you could smell the sweat and B.O. from the court...
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Trees do Whaaaaaaat?
I must admit that I love (I mean looooooove) Popular Science. It's like the coolest magazine on earth. What better way to be on the "up and up" with all the latest gadgets? At any rate, I was reading this article a while back and thought it was really interesting. I was talking to Mikey about it recently, so I thought I'd put a link to it on my blog so that everyone can learn about smog-causing trees!
Read all about it.
Read all about it.
Old Photos
I'm not sure why I like old photos, but these are some of my favorites. They remind me of an old episode of Leave it to Beaver or The Wonder Years.
The first one is a picture of my mom and her siblings on their first day of school in the 50's. The second is a picture of my Mom in my Aunt's wedding. My sister was the flower girl and my brother was the ring bearer. Get a load of those outfits!! The last one is a picture of my Mom, Dad and sister in front of their first apartment. This was probably around 1966.
The first one is a picture of my mom and her siblings on their first day of school in the 50's. The second is a picture of my Mom in my Aunt's wedding. My sister was the flower girl and my brother was the ring bearer. Get a load of those outfits!! The last one is a picture of my Mom, Dad and sister in front of their first apartment. This was probably around 1966.
I found my twin today.
So I was at this Northrop Grumman "learn to be a leader" type conference today. The idea was to put a bunch of HR people in one room and teach them to communicate. Big mistake. None of us shut up! As "people people" we talked the whole time, had a blast and compared personality types.
At dinner, I met this very nice woman. I asked her what she did for the company. She said she started out as an HR Assistant, but now she's an Analyst and runs all the reports for her division and makes her own Access databases. I immediately began to tell her that I too, started as an HR Coordinator but now am the IT person for HR as well as the FSO and I make my own databases and do data mining for HR. I asked her how she learned Access. She said she was "self-taught". I told her that I, too was self taught. She then told me she lives in Haymarket, and I told her I grew up there. Coincidence after coincidence ensued and finally I said, "Are you an ENTJ too?" She started laughing and said she was. She said she loves Meyers Briggs and researches it all the time. At that point, I told her that I had found my twin!
The funniest thing she said to me all night was, "I hate other ENTJs". I said I did too, but I'd be willing to give her a chance. :)
I think the greatest thing about tonight was I finally met someone that knows ACCESS!! WOO HOO! At long last, I'll have someone to ask for help when I get stuck!
At dinner, I met this very nice woman. I asked her what she did for the company. She said she started out as an HR Assistant, but now she's an Analyst and runs all the reports for her division and makes her own Access databases. I immediately began to tell her that I too, started as an HR Coordinator but now am the IT person for HR as well as the FSO and I make my own databases and do data mining for HR. I asked her how she learned Access. She said she was "self-taught". I told her that I, too was self taught. She then told me she lives in Haymarket, and I told her I grew up there. Coincidence after coincidence ensued and finally I said, "Are you an ENTJ too?" She started laughing and said she was. She said she loves Meyers Briggs and researches it all the time. At that point, I told her that I had found my twin!
The funniest thing she said to me all night was, "I hate other ENTJs". I said I did too, but I'd be willing to give her a chance. :)
I think the greatest thing about tonight was I finally met someone that knows ACCESS!! WOO HOO! At long last, I'll have someone to ask for help when I get stuck!
Save the world, one tree at a time
Although I've labeled myself as a self-proclaimed Republican, I do concern myself with the environment a lot more than most Right-Wingers. I am very intrigued by recycling, hybrid technology and "living off the land." One of the things that I came across in my quest to research tropical rainforests is a rainforest plantation. This place is really cool-- it combines two things I love -- nature and capitalism!
In an effort to save the rainforests, this company is buying a bunch of land in Costa Rica and planting rare Tropical Trees for farming. The idea behind it is that you buy trees (a hundred or so at a time) and they will take care of them for you. Every couple of years, they will cut them down (tree doctors carefully select which ones will go) and sell them for you. Then they'll mail you a check.
It's a pretty cool concept. The plantation has managed to re-grow a lot of previously stripped land and they are buying more and more land everyday. In addition, it has restored a lot of wildlife to the area. Because the trees are harvested in controlled amounts, the survival of the forests will continue to grow. In addition, as the demand for hardwoods grows, using plantation trees will continue to save the wild rainforests.
Pretty cool concept. I really want to invest in some, but just have to convince John. :)
In an effort to save the rainforests, this company is buying a bunch of land in Costa Rica and planting rare Tropical Trees for farming. The idea behind it is that you buy trees (a hundred or so at a time) and they will take care of them for you. Every couple of years, they will cut them down (tree doctors carefully select which ones will go) and sell them for you. Then they'll mail you a check.
It's a pretty cool concept. The plantation has managed to re-grow a lot of previously stripped land and they are buying more and more land everyday. In addition, it has restored a lot of wildlife to the area. Because the trees are harvested in controlled amounts, the survival of the forests will continue to grow. In addition, as the demand for hardwoods grows, using plantation trees will continue to save the wild rainforests.
Pretty cool concept. I really want to invest in some, but just have to convince John. :)
Monday, June 27, 2005
Kirby (not the pink kind)
OMG. I have just sat through the most painful experience of my life. Around 8:00, a guy in a shirt and tie and tennis shoes rings our doorbell with a roll of Bounty paper towels. He hands them to John and says, "Can I show you something real quick?" John says, "Sure." 15 minutes later this dude shows up with armfuls and boxes of Kirby vacuum cleaner parts. At first he said, "I'll just be a few minutes." We made small talk while he pulled cat hair out of my sofa, dust mite poop out of my mattress and poured an entire bottle of morton's salt into my carpet just to show me how well it could be vacuumed back out. He told me that he "didn't need to sell me anything because he gets paid no matter what."
Around 9:00, he went into our basement and proceeded to carpet shampoo this nasty stain that had been there for about 6 months. When he saw how pleased we were with the stain being gone, he started to turn on the Kirby charm. First, he said he needed to sell 2 more this month because he wanted to win a contest to a football game. I told him that I'd rather buy him a ticket to see the Redskins play than pay $1800 for a vacuum. Then he told us that he'd give us the vacuum for $1400 if we gave him our Dyson. When he saw I wouldn't budge on that, he offered me a "previously loved" version for $1000. I told him he'd have to ask John. John stood firm and said no, $1000 was too much. Then he said that he was going to "call his boss." Of course, the "boss" was not there... so he spoke with a sales associate that said the "boss was right next to him" and the "boss" gave him permission to give us a BRAND NEW Kirby for $1000. Gee, thanks. We said no, so the guy told us he was going to try and find the boss. I said, "I though the boss was right next to the guy on the phone?" He goes, "Oh. Uh--the guy on the phone lied." Brilliant.
Well, to make a long story short, the guy ended up leaving around 10:30 without selling us a vacuum. I immediately set the alarm system in case the guy wanted to come back uninvited. I also am the highest bidder on eBay right now at $105 for a brand new Kirby. :)
On a side note, here is a picture of my Uncle "Charlie Buck" trying to sell this wonderful product 50 years ago. My Mom is in the green and white shirt.
Around 9:00, he went into our basement and proceeded to carpet shampoo this nasty stain that had been there for about 6 months. When he saw how pleased we were with the stain being gone, he started to turn on the Kirby charm. First, he said he needed to sell 2 more this month because he wanted to win a contest to a football game. I told him that I'd rather buy him a ticket to see the Redskins play than pay $1800 for a vacuum. Then he told us that he'd give us the vacuum for $1400 if we gave him our Dyson. When he saw I wouldn't budge on that, he offered me a "previously loved" version for $1000. I told him he'd have to ask John. John stood firm and said no, $1000 was too much. Then he said that he was going to "call his boss." Of course, the "boss" was not there... so he spoke with a sales associate that said the "boss was right next to him" and the "boss" gave him permission to give us a BRAND NEW Kirby for $1000. Gee, thanks. We said no, so the guy told us he was going to try and find the boss. I said, "I though the boss was right next to the guy on the phone?" He goes, "Oh. Uh--the guy on the phone lied." Brilliant.
Well, to make a long story short, the guy ended up leaving around 10:30 without selling us a vacuum. I immediately set the alarm system in case the guy wanted to come back uninvited. I also am the highest bidder on eBay right now at $105 for a brand new Kirby. :)
On a side note, here is a picture of my Uncle "Charlie Buck" trying to sell this wonderful product 50 years ago. My Mom is in the green and white shirt.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
mememememememe
I've been reading my blog, and I've realized most of these posts have to do with me. Man, am I self-centered. I'm going to have to find a way to write about something external to myself. But what?
Both - Brained?
I just took this right brain, left brain test and I found out that I am "balanced-brained." This is what it said about me:
MIJOY, you are Balanced-brained
When you need to explain a complicated process to someone, or plan a detailed vacation, the left hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for your ability to solve problems logically, might kick in. But if you were critiquing an art opening or coming up with an original way to file papers, the right side of your brain, which is responsible for noticing subtle details in things, might take over.
While many people have clearly dominant left- or right-brained tendencies, you are able to draw on skills from both hemispheres of your brain. This rare combination makes you a very creative and flexible thinker.
The down side to being balanced-brained is that you may sometimes feel paralyzed by indecision when the two hemispheres of your brain are competing to solve a problem in their own unique ways.
I guess that explains why I love to be artistic and creative, but am overly critical of my work so much so that I get frustrated and give up. My left brain is telling me that what I'm doing isn't 'perfect' where my right brain keeps telling me that I need to continue to do it. Hence, this internal battle with myself on a daily basis.
Stealing Blog Ideas...
100 Things About ME!
1. My middle name is Joy.
2. I am not always joyful.
3. I am married.
4. I have a cat named Dawn, her sister, Dusk, is dead.
5. Anytime I name pets with cute names, one always dies or disappears (Bonnie & Clyde, Pear & Boom, Benjamin & Franklin)
6. I am a cradle Catholic.
7. I am the youngest child.
8. I have 5 parents (see #6).
9. I played the Clarinet for 7 years.
10. I took French for 5 years.
11. I can recite the entire McDonald's Menu Song.
12. I hate the beach, it's too happy and hot.
13. I love fall and winter.
14. I like skiing, but haven't gone in a long time.
15. I have attended 9 funerals.
16. I have 25 first cousins.
17. My childhood nicknames were Pete, Mitch, Mitcherelle, Mitchy, AM, PM, and Shell.
18. As a kid, I loved to make my neighbor pretend she was a dog. I would put a rope around her neck, make her walk on all fours and drink from a water bowl.
19. I never had a dog (which is probably why I loved to do #18).
20. I am 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Polish, 1/4 German and 1/4 British.
21. My Dad plays the accordion.
22. I love Italian food.
23. My birthday is 11/17/1978... the day before the Kool Aid Massacre.
24. I think Kool Aid is way too sweet.
25. My favorite cereals are: Cheerios, Chex, Life, Frosted Mini-Wheats and Lucky Charms.
26. I've never broken a bone.
27. I've had 3 stitches when I was 3.
28. I keep my stitches in the same box as my baby teeth.
29. I love computers.
30. I am a former MacAddict.
31. I love my TiVo.
32. I love to read.
33. I used to write a lot of poetry, and am still trying to figure out if I should start again.
34. I suffer from panic attacks, hypoglycemia, endometriosis, herniated discs and fibromyalgia.
35. I am a hypochondriac, therefore #34 may be a figment of my imagination.
36. In sixth grade, I missed 54 days of school due to "stomach problems." Turns out, I was suffering from panic attacks due to a mean nun.
37. After sixth grade, I suffered from agorophobia until I entered college and would vomit before going out in public.
38. I used my "Sit N Spin" until the age of 21.
39. I was 99 pounds the day I got married.
40. I am now 140 pounds.
41. I love cheese.
42. I love cats.
43. My favorite Shakespeare play is "The Taming of the Shrew."
44. My favorite Saints are Therese and Catherine.
45. I believe in Jesus.
46. I like to paint.
47. I love my parents, despite what I may tell them.
48. I have a strong adversion to hugging, but am learning to get over it.
49. My brother has lived in Japan for 12 years.
50. I love gambling.
51. I love to garden.
52. I've never smoked a cigarette.
53. I've worked for the same company for 7 years.
54. I love to talk, and I love to listen.
55. I try and remember everything someone tells me.
56. It aggravates me when people forget what I've told them, but even more so, it makes me mad when someone tells me the same thing multiple times. That shows that they didn't feel like our conversation was important enough to remember.
57. I love watching football and baseball.
58. Basketball is dumb.
59. I love playing games.
60. Even more than playing games, I love winning games.
61. I've never lost a game of Monopoly to friends.
62. I've never won a game of Monopoly against my brother.
63. I used to be a huge Billy Joel fan.
64. I love my in-laws.
65. My husband is my best friend.
66. I've never owned a passport.
67. I am a perfectionist.
68. I love performing.
69. I want to own a franchise one day.
70. In highschool, I drove a 1987 Lincoln Town Car.
71. I'm from Haymarket.
72. I can still remember the names of every teacher I've ever had and if I saw their faces, I can tell you the names of every classmate I've ever had.
73. The closest friends that I have today, I met when I was 4, 6 and 11.
74. I cherish a good conversation.
75. I value a good debate.
76. I respect anyone that has views different than mine, as long as they know why they believe them.
77. There is nothing that I love more than a fried egg sandwich with bacon.
78. Mmmm... bacon.
79. The first thing John ever said to me was, "So I hear you like bacon."
80. I love museums.
81. I can't spell (I had to look up "museum").
82. I won the archery championship my freshman year of high school.
83. I had to read 67 books my senior year of college.
84. I had to write over 200 papers to get my Masters degree.
85. I want a pet racoon.
86. I hate cleaning litter boxes.
87. I've never seen The Godfather.
88. Napolean Dynamite is one of my favorite movies.
89. I am considering investing in a tropical rainforest plantation in Costa Rica.
90. I really want a hybrid car.
91. I am a moderate Republican.
92. I hate Maryland.
93. I hate Manassas.
94. I've never been to the top of the Washington Monument.
95. I've never been to the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial or any other Memorial.
96. The Smithsonian is the best place on Earth.
97. I don't believe in aliens, but I believe in ghosts.
98. I've never seen a ghost.
99. I've eaten Cicadas (thanks to Mikey).
100. You didn't think I'd go through 100 things without saying I'm an ENTJ did you? :)
1. My middle name is Joy.
2. I am not always joyful.
3. I am married.
4. I have a cat named Dawn, her sister, Dusk, is dead.
5. Anytime I name pets with cute names, one always dies or disappears (Bonnie & Clyde, Pear & Boom, Benjamin & Franklin)
6. I am a cradle Catholic.
7. I am the youngest child.
8. I have 5 parents (see #6).
9. I played the Clarinet for 7 years.
10. I took French for 5 years.
11. I can recite the entire McDonald's Menu Song.
12. I hate the beach, it's too happy and hot.
13. I love fall and winter.
14. I like skiing, but haven't gone in a long time.
15. I have attended 9 funerals.
16. I have 25 first cousins.
17. My childhood nicknames were Pete, Mitch, Mitcherelle, Mitchy, AM, PM, and Shell.
18. As a kid, I loved to make my neighbor pretend she was a dog. I would put a rope around her neck, make her walk on all fours and drink from a water bowl.
19. I never had a dog (which is probably why I loved to do #18).
20. I am 1/4 Italian, 1/4 Polish, 1/4 German and 1/4 British.
21. My Dad plays the accordion.
22. I love Italian food.
23. My birthday is 11/17/1978... the day before the Kool Aid Massacre.
24. I think Kool Aid is way too sweet.
25. My favorite cereals are: Cheerios, Chex, Life, Frosted Mini-Wheats and Lucky Charms.
26. I've never broken a bone.
27. I've had 3 stitches when I was 3.
28. I keep my stitches in the same box as my baby teeth.
29. I love computers.
30. I am a former MacAddict.
31. I love my TiVo.
32. I love to read.
33. I used to write a lot of poetry, and am still trying to figure out if I should start again.
34. I suffer from panic attacks, hypoglycemia, endometriosis, herniated discs and fibromyalgia.
35. I am a hypochondriac, therefore #34 may be a figment of my imagination.
36. In sixth grade, I missed 54 days of school due to "stomach problems." Turns out, I was suffering from panic attacks due to a mean nun.
37. After sixth grade, I suffered from agorophobia until I entered college and would vomit before going out in public.
38. I used my "Sit N Spin" until the age of 21.
39. I was 99 pounds the day I got married.
40. I am now 140 pounds.
41. I love cheese.
42. I love cats.
43. My favorite Shakespeare play is "The Taming of the Shrew."
44. My favorite Saints are Therese and Catherine.
45. I believe in Jesus.
46. I like to paint.
47. I love my parents, despite what I may tell them.
48. I have a strong adversion to hugging, but am learning to get over it.
49. My brother has lived in Japan for 12 years.
50. I love gambling.
51. I love to garden.
52. I've never smoked a cigarette.
53. I've worked for the same company for 7 years.
54. I love to talk, and I love to listen.
55. I try and remember everything someone tells me.
56. It aggravates me when people forget what I've told them, but even more so, it makes me mad when someone tells me the same thing multiple times. That shows that they didn't feel like our conversation was important enough to remember.
57. I love watching football and baseball.
58. Basketball is dumb.
59. I love playing games.
60. Even more than playing games, I love winning games.
61. I've never lost a game of Monopoly to friends.
62. I've never won a game of Monopoly against my brother.
63. I used to be a huge Billy Joel fan.
64. I love my in-laws.
65. My husband is my best friend.
66. I've never owned a passport.
67. I am a perfectionist.
68. I love performing.
69. I want to own a franchise one day.
70. In highschool, I drove a 1987 Lincoln Town Car.
71. I'm from Haymarket.
72. I can still remember the names of every teacher I've ever had and if I saw their faces, I can tell you the names of every classmate I've ever had.
73. The closest friends that I have today, I met when I was 4, 6 and 11.
74. I cherish a good conversation.
75. I value a good debate.
76. I respect anyone that has views different than mine, as long as they know why they believe them.
77. There is nothing that I love more than a fried egg sandwich with bacon.
78. Mmmm... bacon.
79. The first thing John ever said to me was, "So I hear you like bacon."
80. I love museums.
81. I can't spell (I had to look up "museum").
82. I won the archery championship my freshman year of high school.
83. I had to read 67 books my senior year of college.
84. I had to write over 200 papers to get my Masters degree.
85. I want a pet racoon.
86. I hate cleaning litter boxes.
87. I've never seen The Godfather.
88. Napolean Dynamite is one of my favorite movies.
89. I am considering investing in a tropical rainforest plantation in Costa Rica.
90. I really want a hybrid car.
91. I am a moderate Republican.
92. I hate Maryland.
93. I hate Manassas.
94. I've never been to the top of the Washington Monument.
95. I've never been to the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial or any other Memorial.
96. The Smithsonian is the best place on Earth.
97. I don't believe in aliens, but I believe in ghosts.
98. I've never seen a ghost.
99. I've eaten Cicadas (thanks to Mikey).
100. You didn't think I'd go through 100 things without saying I'm an ENTJ did you? :)
Sunday, June 19, 2005
So What's All This Meyer's Briggs Stuff?
Just as Mormons have made it their mission to convert the world, I have made it my mission to proclaim to the world what Meyer's Briggs is and why I love it so much.
Studying people interests me to no end. I love to understand what makes people tick and I love to help people. Studying personality types is a great way to understand someone pretty quickly. Some people ask "What's your sign?" -- I ask "What's your MBTI?"
According to www.personalitypage.com, there are 16 different personality types formed from combinations of 8 different "letters." Out of those 8 letters, each person is 4 of the 8. They are:
Extrovert vs. Introvert (E or I)
Intuitive vs. Sensing (N or S)
Feeling vs. Thinking (F or T)
Judging vs. Perceiving (J or P)
Extroversion and Introversion
When we talk about "extroversion" and "introversion", we are distinguishing between the two worlds in which all of us live. There is a world inside ourselves, and a world outside ourselves. When we are dealing with the world outside of ourself, we are "extraverting". When we are inside our own minds, we are "introverting".
Sensing and Intuition
The "SN" preference refers to how we gather information. We all need data on which to base our decisions. We gather data through our five senses. Jung contended that there are two distinct ways of perceiving the data that we gather. The "Sensing" preference absorbs data in a literal, concrete fashion. The "Intuitive" preference generates abstract possibilities from information that is gathered. We all use both Sensing and Intuition in our lives, but to different degrees of effectiveness and with different levels of comfort.
Thinking and Feeling
When Jung studied human behavior, he noticed that people have the capability to make decisions based on two very different sets of criteria: Thinking and Feeling. When someone makes a decision that is based on logic and reason, they are operating in Thinking mode. When someone makes a decision that is based on their value system, or what they believe to be right, they are operating in Feeling mode. We all use both modes for making decisions, but we put more trust into one mode or the other. A "Thinker" makes decisions in a rational, logical, impartial manner, based on what they believe to be fair and correct by pre-defined rules of behavior. A "Feeler" makes decisions on the individual case, in a subjective manner based on what they believe to be right within their own value systems.
Judging and Perceiving
Judging and Perceiving preferences, within the context of personality types, refers to our attitude towards the external world, and how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis. People with the Judging preference want things to be neat, orderly and established. The Perceiving preference wants things to be flexible and spontaneous. Judgers want things settled, Perceivers want thing open-ended.
Want to know what you are? Go here to take the test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm
Then go here to learn more about it: www.personalitypage.com
Studying people interests me to no end. I love to understand what makes people tick and I love to help people. Studying personality types is a great way to understand someone pretty quickly. Some people ask "What's your sign?" -- I ask "What's your MBTI?"
According to www.personalitypage.com, there are 16 different personality types formed from combinations of 8 different "letters." Out of those 8 letters, each person is 4 of the 8. They are:
Extrovert vs. Introvert (E or I)
Intuitive vs. Sensing (N or S)
Feeling vs. Thinking (F or T)
Judging vs. Perceiving (J or P)
Extroversion and Introversion
When we talk about "extroversion" and "introversion", we are distinguishing between the two worlds in which all of us live. There is a world inside ourselves, and a world outside ourselves. When we are dealing with the world outside of ourself, we are "extraverting". When we are inside our own minds, we are "introverting".
Sensing and Intuition
The "SN" preference refers to how we gather information. We all need data on which to base our decisions. We gather data through our five senses. Jung contended that there are two distinct ways of perceiving the data that we gather. The "Sensing" preference absorbs data in a literal, concrete fashion. The "Intuitive" preference generates abstract possibilities from information that is gathered. We all use both Sensing and Intuition in our lives, but to different degrees of effectiveness and with different levels of comfort.
Thinking and Feeling
When Jung studied human behavior, he noticed that people have the capability to make decisions based on two very different sets of criteria: Thinking and Feeling. When someone makes a decision that is based on logic and reason, they are operating in Thinking mode. When someone makes a decision that is based on their value system, or what they believe to be right, they are operating in Feeling mode. We all use both modes for making decisions, but we put more trust into one mode or the other. A "Thinker" makes decisions in a rational, logical, impartial manner, based on what they believe to be fair and correct by pre-defined rules of behavior. A "Feeler" makes decisions on the individual case, in a subjective manner based on what they believe to be right within their own value systems.
Judging and Perceiving
Judging and Perceiving preferences, within the context of personality types, refers to our attitude towards the external world, and how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis. People with the Judging preference want things to be neat, orderly and established. The Perceiving preference wants things to be flexible and spontaneous. Judgers want things settled, Perceivers want thing open-ended.
Want to know what you are? Go here to take the test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm
Then go here to learn more about it: www.personalitypage.com
People Actually Read This?!
Last night at Jamie's party, Gill and I had an interesting discussion about the fact that we are both ENTJ's and the fact that we are somewhat quiet when it comes to large groups. As extroverts, we were pondering why this was so. We came to the conclusion that we are both great at talking to people one-on-one and we are great at getting up on a stage and performing to "one" mass of anonymous people. But put us in the middle of a party, and we tend to freeze. So I got to thinking about this performing thing and how I don't mind spilling my guts to a mass of unidentified people, which brings me to a second conversation I had last night. I was talking to Rob and he was mentioning how he remembered reading my website that I made when John and I were first engaged. I was immediately horrified that not only Rob saw such an embarrassment of a site, but that he actually REMEMBERED it. Then it occurred to me that I often feel very uncomfortable when people are talking to me in person about my blog. My blog is merely a performance to a mass of unidentified people. Once those people identify themselves to me, I feel very self-conscious. You're not supposed to READ my blog! And if you do, you're supposed to pretend you haven't!
Don't ask me why I feel that way. Perhaps it's just another ENTJ mystery.
Don't ask me why I feel that way. Perhaps it's just another ENTJ mystery.
Mi Friends, Su Friends
John and I had an interesting conversation last night with Rob and Julie and Dawn. We were talking about the fact that I've always called John's friends just that -- John's friends. It wasn't until very recently that I actually started to understand that John's friends have become my friends too.
Last night at Jamie's party, Delvaux kept remarking that I was "still here" and that I "hadn't left yet" and why was I "staying so long?" What he meant was, "Gee Michelle, you're either never here, or when you are, you leave way too freakin early. Why is tonight different?"
The way I always looked at it is, in marraige you need your space. I had always made it a point to not be the annoying wife and always have to be hanging around John all the time. Therefore, when we got married, I wanted him to have his time with HIS friends and be able to let loose every now and then. That soon got interpreted to John's friends as, "WTF, why doesn't Michelle want to hang out with us?" That was never the case-- I was just trying to give John his space.
So, at Rob's wedding I actually decided to go out of my element and talk to people (people meaning a drunken Gill that has no recollection of our conversation). After that, I have been trying to come out of my proverbial shell and actually be social. I have since realized that John has a really really great thing going with his friends and that for once in my life, I can actually call them my friends too.
So, like it or not Foundation, I think you'll be seeing more of me.
Last night at Jamie's party, Delvaux kept remarking that I was "still here" and that I "hadn't left yet" and why was I "staying so long?" What he meant was, "Gee Michelle, you're either never here, or when you are, you leave way too freakin early. Why is tonight different?"
The way I always looked at it is, in marraige you need your space. I had always made it a point to not be the annoying wife and always have to be hanging around John all the time. Therefore, when we got married, I wanted him to have his time with HIS friends and be able to let loose every now and then. That soon got interpreted to John's friends as, "WTF, why doesn't Michelle want to hang out with us?" That was never the case-- I was just trying to give John his space.
So, at Rob's wedding I actually decided to go out of my element and talk to people (people meaning a drunken Gill that has no recollection of our conversation). After that, I have been trying to come out of my proverbial shell and actually be social. I have since realized that John has a really really great thing going with his friends and that for once in my life, I can actually call them my friends too.
So, like it or not Foundation, I think you'll be seeing more of me.
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