My flight was good, the lady next to me only chatted occasionally and slept for most of the flight. She did snore a bit though but I was able to drown most of it out with my iPod :) Got my luggage and train no problem and my brother-in-law came to pick me up and drop me off at the house - he then had to go back to work. So I had a shower and brushed my teeth and felt almost human again. My sis called to check that I got in alright. I took a 3hr nap then stayed awake till about midnight(english time). I went to bed then and woke up today at 9am.
After a full night's sleep, I feel just about ready to begin my holiday.
I woke up this morning in a bad position, it felt like my right arm was broken (at least how I imagine that would feel since I haven't broken any bones). Once I got out of bed and stretched out a bit, it felt somewhat better. I've had a leisurely breakfast and have been surfing the net for the last hr or so. I installed firefox on my sister's laptop - will delete it later if she doesn't like it. IE keeps shutting down. I was trying to email TW(the guy I'm dating-I keep typing this I know but only b/c I've not had more than a 2nd date or wanted more than a 2nd date with a guy in forever so this is pretty exciting for me :) and it kept shutting down before I could send it. After 3 attempts, I just gave up and wrote him 2 lines of text and hit 'send'. Tried again later on after I'd had a few hrs sleep, but couldn't remember half what I'd wanted to tell him. Oh well.
Friday, December 21
Saturday, December 15
The Golden Compass
I saw the Golden Compass this past week. I really enjoyed it. I think it's worth seeing. I haven't read the book but plan to over the holiday break. I was out last night at a local bar with my friend Z and we were chatting with these 2 guys. They were very cool and we even exchanged numbers and plan to hang out again. One of the guys and I totally clicked but in a completely platonic way. He has a potential girl and I have a potential guy. I think he and I can be friends though. I have so missed have close guys friends I can hang out with. I've lost touch with most of the ones from college so I'd really like it if this works out.
While we were there, I was telling one of them that I'd really like to get an armoured bear like Iorek from the movie :) He was very cool(the bear). A guy at another table leaned over and jumped in and said to me "a lot of atheists say that they left God completely out of that movie". I have so many issues with that statement. For one, if what he says is true, for at least some atheists, then why do they care? IF they really don't believe in God what does it matter. Another thing that kills me - when the first Narnia movie came out, people said, there were too many Christian connotations(that it was very propaganda-like) and that's why they didn't like it. Now with The Golden Compass(TGC) movie, they are complaining because they think it's lacking God. WTF? I did not have a problem with either movie. If I had to choose a fav between the 2 movies it'd be tough. For visual effects alone, I would choose TGC over Narnia b/c none of the scenes made me think of CGI special effects. It all looked real. The polar bears in particular as well as the other animals looked so real and I know logically that they couldn't have been real and speaking :) but in all the scenes - you believe it. In Narnia, there were several scenes which I could tell were done by models/computer graphics/etc. yet that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. Also with Narnia, I knew the basic story from having seen a cartoon version of the story as a child, so I had a fondness for the story ahead of time. All I knew about TGC was what I got from the previews I saw. Also b/c I haven't read the book yet, it didn't seem to be missing stuff and it set up the next sequel at the end.
That's my 2 cents.
While we were there, I was telling one of them that I'd really like to get an armoured bear like Iorek from the movie :) He was very cool(the bear). A guy at another table leaned over and jumped in and said to me "a lot of atheists say that they left God completely out of that movie". I have so many issues with that statement. For one, if what he says is true, for at least some atheists, then why do they care? IF they really don't believe in God what does it matter. Another thing that kills me - when the first Narnia movie came out, people said, there were too many Christian connotations(that it was very propaganda-like) and that's why they didn't like it. Now with The Golden Compass(TGC) movie, they are complaining because they think it's lacking God. WTF? I did not have a problem with either movie. If I had to choose a fav between the 2 movies it'd be tough. For visual effects alone, I would choose TGC over Narnia b/c none of the scenes made me think of CGI special effects. It all looked real. The polar bears in particular as well as the other animals looked so real and I know logically that they couldn't have been real and speaking :) but in all the scenes - you believe it. In Narnia, there were several scenes which I could tell were done by models/computer graphics/etc. yet that didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. Also with Narnia, I knew the basic story from having seen a cartoon version of the story as a child, so I had a fondness for the story ahead of time. All I knew about TGC was what I got from the previews I saw. Also b/c I haven't read the book yet, it didn't seem to be missing stuff and it set up the next sequel at the end.
That's my 2 cents.
Friday, December 14
Busy Little Bee
I had a semi-hectic day today even though I had the day off from work, I had many errands to run. I wanted to get my shopping done. I know I left it till the last minute but it's finally done. I just have to mail stuff tomorrow and I'll be pretty much done. I leave for my sister and London in 4 days. Going for 2 wk vacay. I can't wait.
I had books to return to the library, more to pick up for my trip. I plan to spend my vacation doing 3 three things, namely, eating, reading and sleeping.
I had to go to the ATM, then quick stop at the grocery. From there I stopped at Circuit City then Walmart (both in same lot) then went to the mall and hit several clothing stores looking for something for my sis. I looked in 5 stores and finally found something I think she'll like in Macys. From there, had to get gas then finally back home. I did all this between 10:30-1:30pm. I was supposed to meet TW(the guy I've been dating for almost a month) for lunch. I got back just in time. We hung for a while, lunch was good. Then finally I could relax.
I dug up this video on YouTube of a soca parang as we call it - mr santa claus, the song is really funny. They played this a lot last year when I was in Trinidad for Christmas.
Another very catchy song by the same guy, Remy, that I like - roti and kuchela
Words from the song:
Bus-up-shut(Paratha) is an Indian flat bread that's broken up(like busted up or bus-up - get it :)
Roti(Dhalpuri) is another type of Indian flat bread that has ground split peas inside
Kuchela - usually a mango chutney (other local fruits can be used as well) often homemade but can also be bought in any grocery
I had books to return to the library, more to pick up for my trip. I plan to spend my vacation doing 3 three things, namely, eating, reading and sleeping.
I had to go to the ATM, then quick stop at the grocery. From there I stopped at Circuit City then Walmart (both in same lot) then went to the mall and hit several clothing stores looking for something for my sis. I looked in 5 stores and finally found something I think she'll like in Macys. From there, had to get gas then finally back home. I did all this between 10:30-1:30pm. I was supposed to meet TW(the guy I've been dating for almost a month) for lunch. I got back just in time. We hung for a while, lunch was good. Then finally I could relax.
I dug up this video on YouTube of a soca parang as we call it - mr santa claus, the song is really funny. They played this a lot last year when I was in Trinidad for Christmas.
Another very catchy song by the same guy, Remy, that I like - roti and kuchela
Words from the song:
Bus-up-shut(Paratha) is an Indian flat bread that's broken up(like busted up or bus-up - get it :)
Roti(Dhalpuri) is another type of Indian flat bread that has ground split peas inside
Kuchela - usually a mango chutney (other local fruits can be used as well) often homemade but can also be bought in any grocery
Sunday, December 9
sick still
Still sick. Had to cancel my date yesterday, I was kinda disappointed to say the least but I really felt like crap and I was coughing a lot as well as blowing my nose :( My date TW was very understanding and he even offered to bring me soup or cold medicine or anything I needed. I thanked him for the offer but said I was ok.
My sis said I should have pretended otherwise and let him come over and bring me juice or something - even if it meant I had to hide the juice I had :) Yeah, I don't think so. For one, I hate having people see me when I'm sick. For another, that's just not me, if I really needed something, I'd ask, but I can't pretend otherwise. Maybe I'm too independent but that's just me.
My cough is really bad and I've had to take my inhaler several times. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow - some of the stuff I'm coughing up is green - not a good sign.
My sis said I should have pretended otherwise and let him come over and bring me juice or something - even if it meant I had to hide the juice I had :) Yeah, I don't think so. For one, I hate having people see me when I'm sick. For another, that's just not me, if I really needed something, I'd ask, but I can't pretend otherwise. Maybe I'm too independent but that's just me.
My cough is really bad and I've had to take my inhaler several times. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow - some of the stuff I'm coughing up is green - not a good sign.
Saturday, December 8
sick...and tired of being so
I am so sick. I left work at 4:30 Fri. This may not sound early to most but I usu leave at 5:30 most Fri. I'd had enough. I made a mistake with a couple compounds I wanted to ship so they won't be going out and I now have to do more stuff with them before they can be shipped. It turns out they are not what I thought i had made, something weird happened and they are missing a group. Coincidentally, the group that's replaced the one I was trying to make has some of the same characteristics as what I was trying to make. So that's partly why I didn't realize it. Such a Bummer! Nothing I can do. I was trying to get these other 2 reactions cleaned up and submitted for analytical to screen them but I was just so tired and hoarse and feeling generally crabby after I found out about the compounds that won't ship - I had to get out of there. Kinda felt like it was all for nothing. I should have stayed home Thurs. I'd have gotten as much done if I had. Thurs was a totally crappy day and lots of random shit happened that prevented to from making any real progress with my reactions.
My Cold's Progression:
Tues: woke up with horrible sore throat that not even gargling with salt water helped, also had general body aches and low grade fever. Took some zicam and drank lots of fluids, felt ok apart from sore throat.
Wed: woke up sneezing, sore throat changed and now only hurt when I tried to swallow. Also started coughing occasionally, no fever.
Thurs: Woke up, felt ok. Got out of bed and had a minor headache, slight runny nose, no fever. Felt worse as the day wore on. Took zicam, cetacol and drank so much water I had to use the bathroom every hour.
Fri: woke up with headache, no fever, coughing sporadically, can't blow my nose too much b/c it's bleeding whenever I blow more than once. Can't take my allergy nasal spray --> my stomach is also upset (b/c of nasal drip falling into my stomach) in addition to the chills, general malaise.
Sat: horrible coughing fit, general feeling of unwellness. Runny nose which I can only blow gently occasionally b/c bleeding. Lots of phlegm. Gross. Took some tussin to try to get some this grossness out of my body.
My kitchen looks like a bomb hit it. I'm so not in the mood to have my hands in water right now so it's probably going to stay that way for a while.
I have a date later today - we're supposed to go to a museum, then get something to eat and maybe play pool or bowling. At least that was the plan. I will probably have to cancel even if I feel better later. The worse parts of my day(when I feel like death) are early morning and late evening. Plus I really don't want to give him this sickness.
My Cold's Progression:
Tues: woke up with horrible sore throat that not even gargling with salt water helped, also had general body aches and low grade fever. Took some zicam and drank lots of fluids, felt ok apart from sore throat.
Wed: woke up sneezing, sore throat changed and now only hurt when I tried to swallow. Also started coughing occasionally, no fever.
Thurs: Woke up, felt ok. Got out of bed and had a minor headache, slight runny nose, no fever. Felt worse as the day wore on. Took zicam, cetacol and drank so much water I had to use the bathroom every hour.
Fri: woke up with headache, no fever, coughing sporadically, can't blow my nose too much b/c it's bleeding whenever I blow more than once. Can't take my allergy nasal spray --> my stomach is also upset (b/c of nasal drip falling into my stomach) in addition to the chills, general malaise.
Sat: horrible coughing fit, general feeling of unwellness. Runny nose which I can only blow gently occasionally b/c bleeding. Lots of phlegm. Gross. Took some tussin to try to get some this grossness out of my body.
My kitchen looks like a bomb hit it. I'm so not in the mood to have my hands in water right now so it's probably going to stay that way for a while.
I have a date later today - we're supposed to go to a museum, then get something to eat and maybe play pool or bowling. At least that was the plan. I will probably have to cancel even if I feel better later. The worse parts of my day(when I feel like death) are early morning and late evening. Plus I really don't want to give him this sickness.
Saturday, December 1
relax and enjoy
It's 24F but wind chill is only 4F. Small wonder that I was freakin' freezing when I walked the 2 min out to put my netflix DVD in the mailbox.
I went out to the bar last night with my friend Z and it was a lot of fun. It started snowing big fluffy snow flakes and we went out in it and stuck out our tongues. This was fun for less than a minute, then it was just too cold for that kinda nonsense :)
I met a guy online and we met for coffee a couple times. He seemed like a really sweet, normal guy. So we've been out a few more times. He's funny and smart has a great way with words. He's 29 (good age) and not married (also key). I like him. I was a little ambivalent at first b/c he's 6'5" and I'm almost 5ft. He wasn't kidding at all on his profile when he listed that as his height. He's also much leaner than any other guy I've dated before. I was a little worried about being a much shallower person than even I had realized before because both these superficial things really bothered me at first. My friends told me, "you're just looking for excuses, give the guy a chance...how would you like it if he said, she's funny, cute and really nice but just too short".
After all, I was really attracted to him from his emails. In person, when we're sitting, the height thing doesn't occur to me at all. He has really pretty blue eyes which says something that I even noticed at all. It usu takes me forever to figure out what color a guy's eyes are, I guess I don't often pay enough attention. But I noticed his so I think that's a good sign.
So I'm glad I didn't freak out in front of him about it. My Mum says I should just wear heels all the time now. :)
I'm taking things slowly, who knows if it'll become serious or not. For now, I'm having fun with him every time we go out together. So I'm just going to relax and enjoy it.
I went out to the bar last night with my friend Z and it was a lot of fun. It started snowing big fluffy snow flakes and we went out in it and stuck out our tongues. This was fun for less than a minute, then it was just too cold for that kinda nonsense :)
I met a guy online and we met for coffee a couple times. He seemed like a really sweet, normal guy. So we've been out a few more times. He's funny and smart has a great way with words. He's 29 (good age) and not married (also key). I like him. I was a little ambivalent at first b/c he's 6'5" and I'm almost 5ft. He wasn't kidding at all on his profile when he listed that as his height. He's also much leaner than any other guy I've dated before. I was a little worried about being a much shallower person than even I had realized before because both these superficial things really bothered me at first. My friends told me, "you're just looking for excuses, give the guy a chance...how would you like it if he said, she's funny, cute and really nice but just too short".
After all, I was really attracted to him from his emails. In person, when we're sitting, the height thing doesn't occur to me at all. He has really pretty blue eyes which says something that I even noticed at all. It usu takes me forever to figure out what color a guy's eyes are, I guess I don't often pay enough attention. But I noticed his so I think that's a good sign.
So I'm glad I didn't freak out in front of him about it. My Mum says I should just wear heels all the time now. :)
I'm taking things slowly, who knows if it'll become serious or not. For now, I'm having fun with him every time we go out together. So I'm just going to relax and enjoy it.
Thursday, November 22
it's 2am and...
...I'm still up. Went to a late movie and haven't been really sleepy. No work tomorrow so I'm not really bothered. Did plan to go to the 9am service though. Guess that'll depend now on whether I'm able to get up tomorrow/today. I've set my alarm for it since I can then sleep for the rest of the day. Going to C&T's for dinner and am looking forward to that.
Thanksgiving is not such a big deal to me. Christmas is the time of year when I feel off if I'm not with my family so that's the holiday I plan for. Thanksgiving is good though b/c we always get both Thur and Fri off. I'm all about time off :)
We saw "Dan In Real Life" tonight. Didn't have very high expectations for it but I thought it'd be cute, maybe even funny. It was better than we expected. I kinda lost it during a certain scene where "Dan" takes center stage - he looks like he's having a seizure but he's not. When/if you see it, you"ll understand what I mean. I couldn't contain myself and laughed out loud for the whole scene and it was all I could do to keep myself to intermittent giggles once the scene was over. By then my eyes were wet and my sides hurt a little :)
I think the last time, I laughed this much was partly through "Little Miss Sunshine" and during most of "Stranger Than Fiction". Boy, did I enjoy both of those movies. So if you're in 2 minds about seeing "Dan" I say, definitely see it. Not that my opinion means anything as far critically acclaimed films go but I know what I like and I see what I like.
I tend to be more in the mood for a drama/comedy movie than for a dark/mostly violent movie no matter how well acted/directed it is. I like to re-think the parts that made me laugh and sometimes I manage to chuckle at the memory of it as well. With a darker film, I try not to think about the disturbing images even though I do enjoy such movies from time to time.
I should try to get some sleep now.
Thanksgiving is not such a big deal to me. Christmas is the time of year when I feel off if I'm not with my family so that's the holiday I plan for. Thanksgiving is good though b/c we always get both Thur and Fri off. I'm all about time off :)
We saw "Dan In Real Life" tonight. Didn't have very high expectations for it but I thought it'd be cute, maybe even funny. It was better than we expected. I kinda lost it during a certain scene where "Dan" takes center stage - he looks like he's having a seizure but he's not. When/if you see it, you"ll understand what I mean. I couldn't contain myself and laughed out loud for the whole scene and it was all I could do to keep myself to intermittent giggles once the scene was over. By then my eyes were wet and my sides hurt a little :)
I think the last time, I laughed this much was partly through "Little Miss Sunshine" and during most of "Stranger Than Fiction". Boy, did I enjoy both of those movies. So if you're in 2 minds about seeing "Dan" I say, definitely see it. Not that my opinion means anything as far critically acclaimed films go but I know what I like and I see what I like.
I tend to be more in the mood for a drama/comedy movie than for a dark/mostly violent movie no matter how well acted/directed it is. I like to re-think the parts that made me laugh and sometimes I manage to chuckle at the memory of it as well. With a darker film, I try not to think about the disturbing images even though I do enjoy such movies from time to time.
I should try to get some sleep now.
Wednesday, November 21
Seven Songs
Anna tagged me for this :)
1. Half Acre...Hem - I found this song b/c I was looking for the song to the liberty mutual ad(can be found on YouTube) and found this in my search.
2. Teardrop...Massive Attack - I'm really into House these days and it's the theme song for it, it was just in my head so I went out and got their CD Mezzanine.
3. Slowly...Macy Gray - I really love the lyrics to this song, "slow-ow-ly, why can't we just take our time" in Macy G's lovely raspy voice.
4. Lips Of An Angel...Hinder - I don't quite agree with the lyrics b/c it's basically a song about cheating but I love the arrangement, and his voice, and the guitars are perfect, not too much or too little.
5. Like A California King...Everclear - I discovered this when I was listening to this everclear album I've had for a few years now but never noticed this song, it even has a bonus bit at the end. With lyrics like "I will burn you just like teenage love, I will eat you just like meat" I can't resist, not exactly a happy song.
6. It's Beginning To Get To Me...Snow Patrol - I've been listening to this song every morning on the way to work, it wakes me up. Love the lyrics, "you are the only thing that makes sense, just ignore all this present tense".
7. Bright Lights...Matchbox Twenty - one of their best songs.
It was tough to only choose seven :)
I suppose I have to tag...Eddie, SFC and ESC
1. Half Acre...Hem - I found this song b/c I was looking for the song to the liberty mutual ad(can be found on YouTube) and found this in my search.
2. Teardrop...Massive Attack - I'm really into House these days and it's the theme song for it, it was just in my head so I went out and got their CD Mezzanine.
3. Slowly...Macy Gray - I really love the lyrics to this song, "slow-ow-ly, why can't we just take our time" in Macy G's lovely raspy voice.
4. Lips Of An Angel...Hinder - I don't quite agree with the lyrics b/c it's basically a song about cheating but I love the arrangement, and his voice, and the guitars are perfect, not too much or too little.
5. Like A California King...Everclear - I discovered this when I was listening to this everclear album I've had for a few years now but never noticed this song, it even has a bonus bit at the end. With lyrics like "I will burn you just like teenage love, I will eat you just like meat" I can't resist, not exactly a happy song.
6. It's Beginning To Get To Me...Snow Patrol - I've been listening to this song every morning on the way to work, it wakes me up. Love the lyrics, "you are the only thing that makes sense, just ignore all this present tense".
7. Bright Lights...Matchbox Twenty - one of their best songs.
It was tough to only choose seven :)
I suppose I have to tag...Eddie, SFC and ESC
open letter to...
Those germ-infected people at my job...the ones who cough, sneeze, hawk (we use this word in Trini dialect but I've never heard an American use it in this context) and spit(in the lab sink), who constantly blow your nose and never wash your hands after all these activities or put your hand to your mouth.
You have tried to infect me for the last 2 weeks...it seems like everywhere I turned there was another one of you infected people...coughing or hawking in my direction. I don't know if you all have consumption or some awful virus or chest infection. I do wish that you would cover your mouths, wash your hands more frequently and see a damn doctor to get some antibiotics or something before you succeed in infecting me with whatever-the-hell-it-is you have. Once the infection has left you, you'll be ok, I, on the other hand will probably end up with pneumonia once that crap gets settled into my asthmatic lungs.
Sincerely,
Petra(I live in fear)
Well, not really but I could really do without the inconvenience of having to adjust my asthma meds again, I'm finally down to the minimum dosages again.
You have tried to infect me for the last 2 weeks...it seems like everywhere I turned there was another one of you infected people...coughing or hawking in my direction. I don't know if you all have consumption or some awful virus or chest infection. I do wish that you would cover your mouths, wash your hands more frequently and see a damn doctor to get some antibiotics or something before you succeed in infecting me with whatever-the-hell-it-is you have. Once the infection has left you, you'll be ok, I, on the other hand will probably end up with pneumonia once that crap gets settled into my asthmatic lungs.
Sincerely,
Petra(I live in fear)
Well, not really but I could really do without the inconvenience of having to adjust my asthma meds again, I'm finally down to the minimum dosages again.
Thursday, November 15
un-posted
I wrote a fairly lengthy post and saved it as a draft. It was not very flattering to me or the guy I was talking about. It felt good to get it off my chest if only on the screen. I think it's for the best that I left it un-posted.
Friday, November 9
Finally made it to the gym Wed night after a 2-month-long vacay...from the gym :)
I did free weights for 30min then treadmill for 20min. I felt great when I was done. All energized and healthy - I know I've only gone one day this week but it's a start. I'd have gone tonight as well but it that time of the month and my cramps though manageable with Midol are still present. Also have some muscle aches from my workout Wed but no more than I expected after my long absence. I had my yearly physical/gyno appt this week as well. That was as much fun as you can imagine (grimace). I haven't gained any net-weight since last year (since I lost the extra lbs I gained over Christmas by March). I'm lucky in a way that my job entails me being on my feet and walking around, up and down stairs several times a day.
I've also decided to make an effort to get at least 5 fruit and/or veggies a day. My current diet was sorely lacking in these areas. I might have been getting 2 serving of them at most a day if that.
I cooked a huge pot of lamb stew Mon night into which I put potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, coriander, bay leaves. I also cooked acorn squash separately and chucked it in at the end. it came out really great. I even skimmed off the top layer of fat the next day and then froze it in portions. Normally when I make lamb stew I don't skim it off, I just portion it out incl. all the yummy congealed fat which turns into deliciousness when reheated :)
I also bought several packs of frozen veggies for stir-frying and also bought this nifty spicy stir-fry sauce. Well they weren't kidding about it being hot. I don't like to use the stir-fry sauce that comes with the frozen stir-fry veg b/c it's usu just high fructose corn syrup, coloring and other artificial nonsense which always seems to have very little flavor and too much salt. I have to add additional noodles (Ramen ones) to it to make it edible. I like Ramen noodles but don't use the packets of "salt" that come with them. After the whole too-spicy dish, I also got some of this regular stir-fry sauce. Maybe a mix of the two will give me just the right mix of spiciness and flavor that I seek :)
Went out Thurs night for drinks with a friend from work. It was fun, we hung out with her roomies' bf and his friends. It was a local bar known for it variety of beers on tap. It was standing room only, literally wall-to-wall people. We stayed out till 11:30 or so. I was so exhausted when I woke up this morning, I felt like crap and I thought I'm too old for this shit. I only had one beer. Maybe I should have left at 10. I didn't get there till 8:30 but still 1 1/2 hrs is more than enough time to socialize. Plus most people there have probably not already worked 40hrs by Thurs night like I(and my friend) have so being out late is not a problem. It was fun though.
This morning, it was a little rough going. I didn't accomplish much today at all. Our group went out to lunch at PF Chang's. It was delicious. Plus we left at 11:50 and didn't get back until 2:30m. Takes a while for 11 people to have appetizers and entrees :) Took care of a big chunk of the day and the rest of it went by in a blur.
I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed now.
I did free weights for 30min then treadmill for 20min. I felt great when I was done. All energized and healthy - I know I've only gone one day this week but it's a start. I'd have gone tonight as well but it that time of the month and my cramps though manageable with Midol are still present. Also have some muscle aches from my workout Wed but no more than I expected after my long absence. I had my yearly physical/gyno appt this week as well. That was as much fun as you can imagine (grimace). I haven't gained any net-weight since last year (since I lost the extra lbs I gained over Christmas by March). I'm lucky in a way that my job entails me being on my feet and walking around, up and down stairs several times a day.
I've also decided to make an effort to get at least 5 fruit and/or veggies a day. My current diet was sorely lacking in these areas. I might have been getting 2 serving of them at most a day if that.
I cooked a huge pot of lamb stew Mon night into which I put potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, coriander, bay leaves. I also cooked acorn squash separately and chucked it in at the end. it came out really great. I even skimmed off the top layer of fat the next day and then froze it in portions. Normally when I make lamb stew I don't skim it off, I just portion it out incl. all the yummy congealed fat which turns into deliciousness when reheated :)
I also bought several packs of frozen veggies for stir-frying and also bought this nifty spicy stir-fry sauce. Well they weren't kidding about it being hot. I don't like to use the stir-fry sauce that comes with the frozen stir-fry veg b/c it's usu just high fructose corn syrup, coloring and other artificial nonsense which always seems to have very little flavor and too much salt. I have to add additional noodles (Ramen ones) to it to make it edible. I like Ramen noodles but don't use the packets of "salt" that come with them. After the whole too-spicy dish, I also got some of this regular stir-fry sauce. Maybe a mix of the two will give me just the right mix of spiciness and flavor that I seek :)
Went out Thurs night for drinks with a friend from work. It was fun, we hung out with her roomies' bf and his friends. It was a local bar known for it variety of beers on tap. It was standing room only, literally wall-to-wall people. We stayed out till 11:30 or so. I was so exhausted when I woke up this morning, I felt like crap and I thought I'm too old for this shit. I only had one beer. Maybe I should have left at 10. I didn't get there till 8:30 but still 1 1/2 hrs is more than enough time to socialize. Plus most people there have probably not already worked 40hrs by Thurs night like I(and my friend) have so being out late is not a problem. It was fun though.
This morning, it was a little rough going. I didn't accomplish much today at all. Our group went out to lunch at PF Chang's. It was delicious. Plus we left at 11:50 and didn't get back until 2:30m. Takes a while for 11 people to have appetizers and entrees :) Took care of a big chunk of the day and the rest of it went by in a blur.
I'm tired. I think I'm going to bed now.
Saturday, November 3
dating tips continued...
9a. If you prefer Caucasian/Asian women and you state this in your profile - do not email me/send me ice-breakers. (I have pictures and also clearly state that I'm Black).
9b. If you are a Caucasian male who prefers all races except Black and you state this in your profile - do not email me/send me ice-breakers.
10. If you are 20yrs older than my upper age limit, forget about it.
I wish they would leave this field set to "any" even if they do have a preference. I supposed it's good that they don't b/c at least I can weed them out from the get-go. The ones with the most exclusive racial preferences are always the guys who say in their profile...I'm an open, well-rounded guy, blah, blah, blah...if you were really open and well-rounded, race would not be an issue imho. This is the first thing I look at. I don't want to get excited over a guy's profile only to find out that he prefers to date every other race but my own and is willing to state that fact. I have no problem with people who prefer to date within their race. That's fine and I'm all about personal choice. What I don't like is guys who still write me anyway when they clearly don't want a Black woman.
9b. If you are a Caucasian male who prefers all races except Black and you state this in your profile - do not email me/send me ice-breakers.
10. If you are 20yrs older than my upper age limit, forget about it.
I wish they would leave this field set to "any" even if they do have a preference. I supposed it's good that they don't b/c at least I can weed them out from the get-go. The ones with the most exclusive racial preferences are always the guys who say in their profile...I'm an open, well-rounded guy, blah, blah, blah...if you were really open and well-rounded, race would not be an issue imho. This is the first thing I look at. I don't want to get excited over a guy's profile only to find out that he prefers to date every other race but my own and is willing to state that fact. I have no problem with people who prefer to date within their race. That's fine and I'm all about personal choice. What I don't like is guys who still write me anyway when they clearly don't want a Black woman.
Thursday, November 1
dating tips
I posted this entry the other day about tips the yahoo personals sent about what to write in an email.
They should give tips like these instead...
1. Do not type in all CAPS or all lower case, use punctuation. What are you? animals? No, it is not a cute writing style.
2. Do not post unflattering pictures of yourself - if that's the only one you have, get out and have someone take a better picture of you. Speaking of pictures, do not post pictures of yourself taken from below the chin - unflattering on everyone.
3. Do not continue to stalk someone/send emails/continually check the profile of people who kindly sent you an email indicating they were not interested.
4. Please use the spell check option if you can't spell, it's nothing to be ashamed of - unless you spell words like intelligent incorrectly. Conveys doubt.
That's all I can come up with on the fly. Any other suggestions?
Oh and as a side note: why do old men who smoke keep writing me when I have a specific age range 10 or more yrs younger than they are? I'm asthmatic, smokers are a deal-breaker. They don't know that but they should know that I also specified non-smoker.
They should give tips like these instead...
1. Do not type in all CAPS or all lower case, use punctuation. What are you? animals? No, it is not a cute writing style.
2. Do not post unflattering pictures of yourself - if that's the only one you have, get out and have someone take a better picture of you. Speaking of pictures, do not post pictures of yourself taken from below the chin - unflattering on everyone.
3. Do not continue to stalk someone/send emails/continually check the profile of people who kindly sent you an email indicating they were not interested.
4. Please use the spell check option if you can't spell, it's nothing to be ashamed of - unless you spell words like intelligent incorrectly. Conveys doubt.
That's all I can come up with on the fly. Any other suggestions?
Oh and as a side note: why do old men who smoke keep writing me when I have a specific age range 10 or more yrs younger than they are? I'm asthmatic, smokers are a deal-breaker. They don't know that but they should know that I also specified non-smoker.
lars and the real girl
I checked and it was going out of the theaters soon so I ate my dinner in a hurry and went out to see it tonight. I missed the first couple minutes I think but not enough to spoil it. I enjoyed it. I laughed a lot. It was sad and cute and funny.
I've seen a ton of movies lately. I've given up on rationing myself. I'm trying to see only movies I really want to see, not just ones I'm lukewarm about.
Next, I want see Martian Child with John Cusack. Kinda wanted to see American Gangster when I first saw the previews for it 3 months ago but now, not so much. Also want to see Dan in Real Life but I'm going to catch that one on DVD.
Gone Baby Gone is probably a great movie but I'm going to give it a miss - how many times have they done the kidnapped young child and tortured detectives. Feels like I've seen it already.
I've been waiting for almost half the year for The Golden Compass. I hate when they show you a great preview and you have to wait forever before hte movie comes out.
I've seen a ton of movies lately. I've given up on rationing myself. I'm trying to see only movies I really want to see, not just ones I'm lukewarm about.
Next, I want see Martian Child with John Cusack. Kinda wanted to see American Gangster when I first saw the previews for it 3 months ago but now, not so much. Also want to see Dan in Real Life but I'm going to catch that one on DVD.
Gone Baby Gone is probably a great movie but I'm going to give it a miss - how many times have they done the kidnapped young child and tortured detectives. Feels like I've seen it already.
I've been waiting for almost half the year for The Golden Compass. I hate when they show you a great preview and you have to wait forever before hte movie comes out.
what i love about online personals...
...that they tell you their age/height/race in their profile bio even though it is there in the basic stats of your profile - meaning you should write something other than what's there
...that they are looking for someone stable(mentally) - I've seen this on more than one profile...as opposed to what? Are there people out there who prefer someone unstable?
...people who type their entire profile in CAPS - Morons
...people who send you a long drawn-out (4-paragraph) email the first time they write you - why invest all that when you don't even know if the person's interested. Try an ice-breaker instead like hi, like your profile, etc.
...stalkers, I mean, people who check out your profile every day but never send you emails
...that they are looking for someone stable(mentally) - I've seen this on more than one profile...as opposed to what? Are there people out there who prefer someone unstable?
...people who type their entire profile in CAPS - Morons
...people who send you a long drawn-out (4-paragraph) email the first time they write you - why invest all that when you don't even know if the person's interested. Try an ice-breaker instead like hi, like your profile, etc.
...stalkers, I mean, people who check out your profile every day but never send you emails
Wednesday, October 31
Tuesday, October 30
the fog
I like fog. Don't care much for driving through it, especially at night. I kinda like driving through it in the early morning but I can't fully enjoy the experience b/c I'm afraid that some idiot will be driving too fast and crash into me...which puts a damper on my joy. I do like the fog though. It's crazy and weird. I wish I had the time to just stand outside and enjoy it...walk through it :)
I'm usu on my way to work when it appears so I do have time to mess about. There is no fog where I'm from. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated by it.
I'm usu on my way to work when it appears so I do have time to mess about. There is no fog where I'm from. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated by it.
Wednesday, October 24
earlyish day
The power went out today just after our 2hr group meeting. It was around 4pm. I was planning to leave early to get my allergy shots - by early I mean before 5-how sad is that? Anyhoo, we trouped into lab quickly to turn off the instruments/machines and such to prevent them from being ruined by power surges - and then were kind of loitering around as people in other groups were as well. Only the emergency lights were on in the hallways.
Power outages mean that not only do our computers go down but also our hoods go down. This means we have to get out of the labs if we are in them b/c the air quality gets really bad. I went to lab one last time to check my lab notebook and saw our group leader doing a walk-through, she told me that we should probably go home as it was after 4pm. I immediately told my colleagues, grabbed my bag and got the hell out of there. I got to my car and drove as if the hounds of hell were after me. Well, almost :) She didn't have to tell me twice.
The power was also out in our building across the street(where my park was parked) b/c a lot of them were outside in the parking lot just standing there. We(my co-workers and I) are so conditioned that whenever the power goes out, we don't leave unless we get an official word regardless of time of day. We usually don't get one. Eventually, individual managers can tell their reportees whether or not to leave. It's a little sad but that's the way it is. Some people feel very proud of the fact that they waited 2-3hrs in the parking lot until the power came back. Losers! I usually try to find my manager to see what the word is.
Even though I had to go get my allergy shots, I didn't care, I was just glad to be leaving work while it was still light out :)
Power outages mean that not only do our computers go down but also our hoods go down. This means we have to get out of the labs if we are in them b/c the air quality gets really bad. I went to lab one last time to check my lab notebook and saw our group leader doing a walk-through, she told me that we should probably go home as it was after 4pm. I immediately told my colleagues, grabbed my bag and got the hell out of there. I got to my car and drove as if the hounds of hell were after me. Well, almost :) She didn't have to tell me twice.
The power was also out in our building across the street(where my park was parked) b/c a lot of them were outside in the parking lot just standing there. We(my co-workers and I) are so conditioned that whenever the power goes out, we don't leave unless we get an official word regardless of time of day. We usually don't get one. Eventually, individual managers can tell their reportees whether or not to leave. It's a little sad but that's the way it is. Some people feel very proud of the fact that they waited 2-3hrs in the parking lot until the power came back. Losers! I usually try to find my manager to see what the word is.
Even though I had to go get my allergy shots, I didn't care, I was just glad to be leaving work while it was still light out :)
Friday, October 12
Online dating
My snarky-short profile online has gotten more views in the 2 weeks it's been up than the well-thought-out, much-edited one I made the last time I tried online personals for 6 mths. I keep getting ice-breakers from guys wihtout pics. C'mon, they wouldn't really respond to a woman without knowing what she looked like. What do they take me for.
Also I'm intrigued(not) by the guy who's 41 (my upper age limit is 38), with no photo, who wrote me "we seem to have a lot in common". What? Like...we're both humans who live in NY...cause I fail to see how my profile which clearly says that I'm looking for man aged 27-38, non-smoker, no kids preferred, wants kids eventually - I don't see what we have in common at all.
His profile has inexplicable numbers in place of words...it's like some sort of puzzle...oh wait, it's code for his email...clever. He not only has kids but is looking for someone who 'loves his kids' (sight unseen I imagine), doesn't want any more kids, smokes, and thinks we have a lot in common. Am I missing something? I don't think so.
One cute guy did send me an ice breaker saying "he liked my smile". So I sent him one back saying "i bet you say that to all the girls". Cute, right? Apparently not, b/c he then sent me one saying, "sorry to hear we're not a match, thanks for letting me know". Again, I'm confused. He sounded like a guy I would like to get to know, at least on paper. I thought about writing him to explain - of course to do that I would have to fork over money). I did not pursue it further mainly b/c he's 24. I'm so over trying anything at all with a guy more than 5 yrs younger than me - that's my new cut-off. Also b/c his profile says he's looking for someone aged 18-28. No more pursuing guys who clearly are looking to date an infant.
I can't take any guy seriously who says he wants a woman aged 18- or 21- when they are in their 30s,40s or 50s. What are they really going to talk about with an 18yr old. Seriously?
I lot of these guys think 38 means anything from 41 to 60. And those extra 20yrs were rough, hard years. These men look way too old. I can give or take a couple years but not if they look 60 at whatever age they claim to be (41-50-something).
Still, this is fun and I'll keep at it for a while until it ceases to be amusing :)
Also I'm intrigued(not) by the guy who's 41 (my upper age limit is 38), with no photo, who wrote me "we seem to have a lot in common". What? Like...we're both humans who live in NY...cause I fail to see how my profile which clearly says that I'm looking for man aged 27-38, non-smoker, no kids preferred, wants kids eventually - I don't see what we have in common at all.
His profile has inexplicable numbers in place of words...it's like some sort of puzzle...oh wait, it's code for his email...clever. He not only has kids but is looking for someone who 'loves his kids' (sight unseen I imagine), doesn't want any more kids, smokes, and thinks we have a lot in common. Am I missing something? I don't think so.
One cute guy did send me an ice breaker saying "he liked my smile". So I sent him one back saying "i bet you say that to all the girls". Cute, right? Apparently not, b/c he then sent me one saying, "sorry to hear we're not a match, thanks for letting me know". Again, I'm confused. He sounded like a guy I would like to get to know, at least on paper. I thought about writing him to explain - of course to do that I would have to fork over money). I did not pursue it further mainly b/c he's 24. I'm so over trying anything at all with a guy more than 5 yrs younger than me - that's my new cut-off. Also b/c his profile says he's looking for someone aged 18-28. No more pursuing guys who clearly are looking to date an infant.
I can't take any guy seriously who says he wants a woman aged 18- or 21- when they are in their 30s,40s or 50s. What are they really going to talk about with an 18yr old. Seriously?
I lot of these guys think 38 means anything from 41 to 60. And those extra 20yrs were rough, hard years. These men look way too old. I can give or take a couple years but not if they look 60 at whatever age they claim to be (41-50-something).
Still, this is fun and I'll keep at it for a while until it ceases to be amusing :)
Sunday, October 7
online dating, sort of
So I've been checking out the online dating profiles again, just for fun and b/c I'm bored. I had to make a profile b/c yahoo doesn't let you scan profiles anymore unless you have one of your own. So I made a quick one. Yahoo sends me all these silly "dating tips" things. The list below is a list of 10 questions they suggest you can ask to keep things "flirty and fun"
1. Where did you get that fantastic smile?
2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor and why?
3. What is the most romantic place that you've been on a date?
4. What would you do if we got stuck in a snow storm in the mountains?
5. If you were going to take me out for a romantic evening, what would we do?
6. What is your favorite thing to do with a partner for fun?
7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
8. How long have you played guitar? (Ask about something in their profile.)
9. Wow, is that your cute golden retriever? (Compliment something in their photograph.)
10. When are we going to meet to find out whether we would ever want to kiss each other? (Depending on the person, you can sound cute using this one)
If someone asks me #1, 2, 3, or 4, I wouldn't really be keen on them. IN fact, it'd probably turn me right off them. Where did you get that smile? What kind of question is that? Surely guys can come up with something better than that. As for #10, how can I know whether I'd want to kiss someone or even entertain that idea without meeting them. If guys who get this same email from yahoo ask me any of the 5 questions...instant deal-breakers for me. Maybe this is why I'm alone.
1. Where did you get that fantastic smile?
2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor and why?
3. What is the most romantic place that you've been on a date?
4. What would you do if we got stuck in a snow storm in the mountains?
5. If you were going to take me out for a romantic evening, what would we do?
6. What is your favorite thing to do with a partner for fun?
7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
8. How long have you played guitar? (Ask about something in their profile.)
9. Wow, is that your cute golden retriever? (Compliment something in their photograph.)
10. When are we going to meet to find out whether we would ever want to kiss each other? (Depending on the person, you can sound cute using this one)
If someone asks me #1, 2, 3, or 4, I wouldn't really be keen on them. IN fact, it'd probably turn me right off them. Where did you get that smile? What kind of question is that? Surely guys can come up with something better than that. As for #10, how can I know whether I'd want to kiss someone or even entertain that idea without meeting them. If guys who get this same email from yahoo ask me any of the 5 questions...instant deal-breakers for me. Maybe this is why I'm alone.
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