Before the gleam of your taillights fading east
To find yourself a better life.
To find yourself a better life.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Lists
I have to-do list hierarchies:
List #3 is getting kinda long...
- To do today
- To do sometime soon
- To do when I have unlimited time and have already done every other boring thing I can think of
List #3 is getting kinda long...
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I think I need to clarify something [a rant]
This has been weighing on my mind for a while and I think I need to break it down, since some people seem to be confused. It’s a subtle difference – I get that, so follow closely. When I hold the door for you (the metaphorical you, of course) I am holding it for you to grab, NOT for you to walk through. The only exception to this is elderly people and those carrying lots of bags. I am not your personal doorman. This seems to be a rampant issue, specifically with the people who work in my building. I view holding the door for the person behind you as a common courtesy; no one likes it when a door shuts in their face. But when woman, and honestly it’s always woman, view that as an opportunity to just walk through the door I’m holding, I start to reconsider. I get that guys often hold the door open for woman to walk through but I’m not hitting on anyone here.
Not to rag on LA but this is really the only place I’ve encountered this door holding dichotomy. Where men are the ones that hold the door and woman are the ones that always get the door held for them. I was actually having a conversation with someone once and when I told them that I hold the door for people, men and woman, they were perturbed and thought it was weird. Which I guess is what leads the ladies in my office building to think that I must be holding the door for them to walk through, rather than just grab, because they are so used to men doing this for them. I can’t explain it but the next time some girl tries to walk through a door I’m holding, I just might shut it in her face.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Vegan (ish) - an update
Today is the last day of my (half-assed) veganism. I have survived. And I’m happy to say, except for one dinner out that involved a pasta sauce which might have contained some cream, I did not cheat. And that aforementioned pasta dish was the closest to vegan I could get. Though it was not as hard as I thought it might have been it was also not that rewarding. Maybe I was being unrealistic, expecting to feel totally different after 14 days of no seafood and dairy, maybe I should have given it more time.
Though I did not cheat I don’t think a vegan diet is something I could maintain full-time. I like food too much. A pescetarian diet works well for me and I think allows me to eat a pretty healthy balance of vegetarian meals, with seafood on occasion. And also never feel like I’m missing out on anything I want to eat or limiting where I am able to eat.
In addition, despite trying other types of veggie cheese I can say that stuff is not for me. I have found some improvements but when I crave a grilled cheese sandwich, soy cheese just doesn’t do it for me.
Though I did not cheat I don’t think a vegan diet is something I could maintain full-time. I like food too much. A pescetarian diet works well for me and I think allows me to eat a pretty healthy balance of vegetarian meals, with seafood on occasion. And also never feel like I’m missing out on anything I want to eat or limiting where I am able to eat.
In addition, despite trying other types of veggie cheese I can say that stuff is not for me. I have found some improvements but when I crave a grilled cheese sandwich, soy cheese just doesn’t do it for me.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Vegan (ish)
Starting today I’m vegan (the whole lent thing is a coincidence BTW). Ok, so not exactly. I’m becoming a half-assed vegan for 14 days. I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile now, more of an experiment than a lifestyle change. I already don’t eat meat so in effect I’m giving up seafood and dairy. I anticipate the hardest part of this will be cheese (and sushi). I love cheese, cheese is the one thing that has prevented me from becoming vegan in the past. So I embark on this cheese free lifestyle for 14 days to see if I can do it.
To prepare I made a trip to Wholefoods to stock up on vegan friendly items. I purchased coconut milk yogurt (fingers crossed it's better than soy yogurt – bah), almond milk creamer (which I have had before and know it is quite good) and soy ice-cream (also good), and last but not least soy cheese. I have gone down the soy cheese road before with less than desirable results so I’m hoping this brand has something better to offer.
It should be noted that when I say it’s half-assed it's because I’m not really excluding things that have dairy or eggs as an ingredient. Bread is a good example of this. If I can’t see the dairy or if it is not mentioned in the name of the food (cheese nips you are a no go), then I will probably not eliminate it. Clearly cheating if I were actually becoming vegan but for the purposes of my 14 day experiment that is just fine (so I don't want to hear any backtalk - I make the rules!).
I’ll be providing updates along the way!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Beauty products, the environment and corporate buy-outs
It's been about a year since I began the process of switching over to organic, natural and environmentally sound beauty products so I figured an update was in order. While I am not 100% natural at this point I have managed to find a more natural alternative to most products. I've listed some links below to companies and products that I've come across in this process and have enjoyed.
Jason - I use their Body Wash.
100% Pure - All of their stuff is awesome and smells amazing.
Tom's of Maine - I can no longer use regular toothpaste - tastes sweet compared to the more natural stuff.
Whole Foods - I use their store brand shampoo and conditioners. They work well and are very inexpensive in comparison to some other natural hair care products.
Kiss My Face and Trader Joe's make great body lotion.
I use Seventh Generation and NatraCare feminine products.
Makeup has been the biggest struggle for me in this process. Not only is it harder to find products they sometimes just don't work as well. The Body Shop is one of the places I've found that is pretty good. They have a ton of not only natural beauty products they also have great awareness initiatives going for numerous causes and work for fair pay for the workers in the regions that produce the ingredients used in their products. I'm still on the hunt for a great foundation so I need to do more research on that topic. My favorite website in this has been GoodGuide - they rank products and companies on their healthfulness, environmental impact, work environment and other important factors. It's a great place to look up products you are considering to get a little additional info. Though sites like GoodGuide have been amazingly helpful and I definitely recommend it, nothing can replace educating yourself about what you are putting on (not only in) your body. Being responsible and educated about what you buy can't always be achieved by a website or an app.
This brings me to another element of what I have discovered since I started focusing on natural products. Things are not what they seem. This article from AlterNet is a good introduction. Part of what draws a lot of people to natural products is the thought that they are manufactured by smaller companies (this was something that appealed to me as well), companies that focus more on quality than quantity (aka profits). As the AlterNet article (and research) shows this is not the case. If you can find it at CVS or Target that natural product is probably owned by a major conglomerate. Though most brands started out small their success has lead to them being purchased by large companies. The desire to support a smaller company with a conscience is something that I really connect to. So like the author of that article I was also upset to hear about many of the buy-outs that have taken place. I love Tom's toothpaste but hearing that they are now owned by Colgate is disheartening. It's a true dilemma. A company starts small with the best of ethical intention and it does well. People like their product and support it. It starts with the hippies (let's be honest) but once it catches on and large companies start to take notice there is a good chance of that company being bought out or merging with a large, less ethical company. So as the consumer we are in a somewhat damned if you do / damned if you don't situation. Support a company you like and that support might just turn it into a company you like a little less or don't support it at all.
Another important issue the article brings up is summed up well by this quote from Roger Cowe, a financial commentator "If you want to change what people consume on a grand scale, you have to penetrate mass markets. And you can't do that if you're a small, specialist brand stuck in the organic or whole-food niche, even if that means you are on supermarket shelves. It is a familiar dilemma: stay pure and have a big impact on a small scale, or compromise and have a small impact on a grand scale." I think the benefits of natural products are something everyone should embrace and making that market selective to just a few is limiting the good it can do. We should be striving for a balance.
I clearly have no answers. It's tangled, complicated issue if this is something you care about. I still use Tom's and shop at The Body Shop (even though it's owned by L'Oreal). Though for me it is important to read the labels, don't just buy something that has 'natural' or 'organic' plastered across the front. Even if I don't get it right all the time or go as far as I could in regards to seeking out and finding the small company with the 100% organic ingredients I think taking that step is important. While I keep looking for the best alternatives it's a process, and I think it's better to start than to let all the negative news about mergers keep you from finding products that might be an improvement - even if just a little bit.
Jason - I use their Body Wash.
100% Pure - All of their stuff is awesome and smells amazing.
Tom's of Maine - I can no longer use regular toothpaste - tastes sweet compared to the more natural stuff.
Whole Foods - I use their store brand shampoo and conditioners. They work well and are very inexpensive in comparison to some other natural hair care products.
Kiss My Face and Trader Joe's make great body lotion.
I use Seventh Generation and NatraCare feminine products.
Makeup has been the biggest struggle for me in this process. Not only is it harder to find products they sometimes just don't work as well. The Body Shop is one of the places I've found that is pretty good. They have a ton of not only natural beauty products they also have great awareness initiatives going for numerous causes and work for fair pay for the workers in the regions that produce the ingredients used in their products. I'm still on the hunt for a great foundation so I need to do more research on that topic. My favorite website in this has been GoodGuide - they rank products and companies on their healthfulness, environmental impact, work environment and other important factors. It's a great place to look up products you are considering to get a little additional info. Though sites like GoodGuide have been amazingly helpful and I definitely recommend it, nothing can replace educating yourself about what you are putting on (not only in) your body. Being responsible and educated about what you buy can't always be achieved by a website or an app.
This brings me to another element of what I have discovered since I started focusing on natural products. Things are not what they seem. This article from AlterNet is a good introduction. Part of what draws a lot of people to natural products is the thought that they are manufactured by smaller companies (this was something that appealed to me as well), companies that focus more on quality than quantity (aka profits). As the AlterNet article (and research) shows this is not the case. If you can find it at CVS or Target that natural product is probably owned by a major conglomerate. Though most brands started out small their success has lead to them being purchased by large companies. The desire to support a smaller company with a conscience is something that I really connect to. So like the author of that article I was also upset to hear about many of the buy-outs that have taken place. I love Tom's toothpaste but hearing that they are now owned by Colgate is disheartening. It's a true dilemma. A company starts small with the best of ethical intention and it does well. People like their product and support it. It starts with the hippies (let's be honest) but once it catches on and large companies start to take notice there is a good chance of that company being bought out or merging with a large, less ethical company. So as the consumer we are in a somewhat damned if you do / damned if you don't situation. Support a company you like and that support might just turn it into a company you like a little less or don't support it at all.
Another important issue the article brings up is summed up well by this quote from Roger Cowe, a financial commentator "If you want to change what people consume on a grand scale, you have to penetrate mass markets. And you can't do that if you're a small, specialist brand stuck in the organic or whole-food niche, even if that means you are on supermarket shelves. It is a familiar dilemma: stay pure and have a big impact on a small scale, or compromise and have a small impact on a grand scale." I think the benefits of natural products are something everyone should embrace and making that market selective to just a few is limiting the good it can do. We should be striving for a balance.
I clearly have no answers. It's tangled, complicated issue if this is something you care about. I still use Tom's and shop at The Body Shop (even though it's owned by L'Oreal). Though for me it is important to read the labels, don't just buy something that has 'natural' or 'organic' plastered across the front. Even if I don't get it right all the time or go as far as I could in regards to seeking out and finding the small company with the 100% organic ingredients I think taking that step is important. While I keep looking for the best alternatives it's a process, and I think it's better to start than to let all the negative news about mergers keep you from finding products that might be an improvement - even if just a little bit.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Accepting my limitations
I don't make New Years resolutions. I don't see the point in setting an unattainable deadline only to fail and then hate myself for it (I won't lose 35 lbs before bikini season and I refuse to pretend to try). The few times I have attempted to take part in this cultural ritual have ended in feelings of discouragement, and unless my New Years resolution was to develop my self hate I don't think that's the point. I have for a few years now been selecting things I would like to focus on about myself or my current life situation and making them the focus, not necessarily of the year as sometimes they are resolved in a few months while others may take years. These ideas are more fluid than pounds lost or things to check off a list. This year however I did not really pick an area of focus it has just sort of presented itself through the experiences I have had. The issue of accepting my limitations (be they emotional, physical, artistic or just human) has come up again and again. I have taken this as a sign that I should make this a conscious focus and strive to accept where I am while working to expand in the areas that are important to me.
This leads me into yoga (see what happens when I go so long without posting? I have too many pent up ideas and my head goes in 12 directions at once). I have taken up yoga again this month and it has served to synthesize this idea of accepting limitations. Yoga bring to the surface a lot of my limitations and thusly my issues with them - which is also why I need to do it, and often. Everything hard about it is exactly what I need. The simple act of accepting that I am not in the a place physically (dare I say emotionally) to do every pose in the class is hard for me. As with most people I am my own harshest critic and to be ok with being the only person in the class not doing a head stand is unbelievably difficult for me. I have to make a conscious effort to tell myself it's ok to be where I am. At some points in my past I would have given up. Rather than be the least skilled student in the class I would just not taken the class - not put myself out there. But I have chosen to make this my focus, to take stock of where I am now, accept it and work to improve.
This goes beyond just accepting what I am not able to do, it also manifests itself in other ways. I need to be honest about what I am able to commit myself to, what I am able to do with my time. I hope to work on my ability to say no to things that are not really how I want to spend my time. Prioritize what is important to me so that I can give it as much focus as possible. Saying no to people is almost as hard for me as accepting I can't do a headstand (yet). So I'm a work in progress.
Come this summer you won't see me 35 lbs lighter but I might just be a little more accepting of where I am.
This leads me into yoga (see what happens when I go so long without posting? I have too many pent up ideas and my head goes in 12 directions at once). I have taken up yoga again this month and it has served to synthesize this idea of accepting limitations. Yoga bring to the surface a lot of my limitations and thusly my issues with them - which is also why I need to do it, and often. Everything hard about it is exactly what I need. The simple act of accepting that I am not in the a place physically (dare I say emotionally) to do every pose in the class is hard for me. As with most people I am my own harshest critic and to be ok with being the only person in the class not doing a head stand is unbelievably difficult for me. I have to make a conscious effort to tell myself it's ok to be where I am. At some points in my past I would have given up. Rather than be the least skilled student in the class I would just not taken the class - not put myself out there. But I have chosen to make this my focus, to take stock of where I am now, accept it and work to improve.
This goes beyond just accepting what I am not able to do, it also manifests itself in other ways. I need to be honest about what I am able to commit myself to, what I am able to do with my time. I hope to work on my ability to say no to things that are not really how I want to spend my time. Prioritize what is important to me so that I can give it as much focus as possible. Saying no to people is almost as hard for me as accepting I can't do a headstand (yet). So I'm a work in progress.
Come this summer you won't see me 35 lbs lighter but I might just be a little more accepting of where I am.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Header
So somewhere in my absence from blogger by header has decided to jack itself up. I will work on this. At some point...
Perhaps I just need to switch back to a custom theme and stop trying to be fancy.
Perhaps I just need to switch back to a custom theme and stop trying to be fancy.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Oh Amazon you know me so well
Amazon sends me emails where they suggest things I might be interested in. The email below speaks perfectly to where I am right now.
Good job Amazon.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
I can see you are not impressed
I think I might be psychic, ok, maybe they are more like premonitions. I had been having a feeling for awhile that something was going to go wrong with my car this past week. Though I suppose you can't consider it supernatural when I've ignored 3 (maybe 4) issues that I knew needed attention for awhile, some might say it was just a matter of time and not due to any special skills I may possess, I'm still gonna tell people I'm a little bit psych though.
Anyway, so Thursday morning I make my way to my car, unbeknownst to me however my car had spent the night thinking of ways to sabotage me, and it came up with a perfect plan. I put the key in the ignition and turn - that's when I hear the telltale click-click-click, which is basically your car saying fuck you in rapid repetition. "Fine", I say to myself/car, "I'll get to work on my own", which I do (that part is not really entertaining so I'm gonna skip it). I spend most the of the day thinking about how I need to make arrangements with AAA and discussing the possible benefits of offering to get a little naked while the dude is fixing my car (just kidding! just kidding! I would never do that...).
Fast forward to 6:30pm - I am sitting on my steps awaiting my saviour/Armenian mechanic from AAA. He arrives and I lead him into my parking garage where my wayward car has been sitting in timeout all day. I fill out some paper work and pop the hood. He (I'm bad with names so let's just call him Armin, I remember it started with an 'a'), so Armin takes one look at my battery and says 'Jesus, well there is no doubt the battery is dead', it is totally corroded, which I have known about, me "yeah, I've known it needed to be replaced for awhile, oops", Armin just glares, he clearly does not take battery maintenance lightly. "How old is this battery?" he asks, "Well, I've had the car for 3 years, but before that I'm not sure", Armin responds with a disapproving "I see". He pulls the battery out, scrapes off some corrosion so he can check the date, "this battery is 7 years old", me "wow really!". Now I'm kinda impressed with my battery's ability to really stick it out, I feel I really got my monies worth. Armin, "You know batteries are only supposed to last 3-4 years", "yeah, I've heard that. I'm pretty impressed", Armin does not respond but gives me a look that lets me know he does not share my sentiment. Some people just don't appreciated things that are built to last.
I pay (let's not even go there), fill out more forms, get a number of additional disapproving looks from Armin and then he is off and my car is back to running again. I realize I am not a good car owner, though I do think I have a bit more knowledge then some about the workings of a car (thanks to a father who was always fixing the family cars), I just don't like cars (don't worry my car won't be reading this, he does not know how to use the internet). I hate pouring money into them, I hate that they break and leave me stranded, I hate that in LA I'm suppose to care that my car is dirty and over a decade old. I am not one who understands the joy of car ownership and for that reason I often, knowingly, neglect my car. Sure, if I had a lot of money I bet he would be in tip top shape but when I have to choose between car upkeep and, hell anything else, I'm probably not going to choose my car, that is until it won't start, then I'm all over it.
Anyway, so Thursday morning I make my way to my car, unbeknownst to me however my car had spent the night thinking of ways to sabotage me, and it came up with a perfect plan. I put the key in the ignition and turn - that's when I hear the telltale click-click-click, which is basically your car saying fuck you in rapid repetition. "Fine", I say to myself/car, "I'll get to work on my own", which I do (that part is not really entertaining so I'm gonna skip it). I spend most the of the day thinking about how I need to make arrangements with AAA and discussing the possible benefits of offering to get a little naked while the dude is fixing my car (just kidding! just kidding! I would never do that...).
Fast forward to 6:30pm - I am sitting on my steps awaiting my saviour/Armenian mechanic from AAA. He arrives and I lead him into my parking garage where my wayward car has been sitting in timeout all day. I fill out some paper work and pop the hood. He (I'm bad with names so let's just call him Armin, I remember it started with an 'a'), so Armin takes one look at my battery and says 'Jesus, well there is no doubt the battery is dead', it is totally corroded, which I have known about, me "yeah, I've known it needed to be replaced for awhile, oops", Armin just glares, he clearly does not take battery maintenance lightly. "How old is this battery?" he asks, "Well, I've had the car for 3 years, but before that I'm not sure", Armin responds with a disapproving "I see". He pulls the battery out, scrapes off some corrosion so he can check the date, "this battery is 7 years old", me "wow really!". Now I'm kinda impressed with my battery's ability to really stick it out, I feel I really got my monies worth. Armin, "You know batteries are only supposed to last 3-4 years", "yeah, I've heard that. I'm pretty impressed", Armin does not respond but gives me a look that lets me know he does not share my sentiment. Some people just don't appreciated things that are built to last.
I pay (let's not even go there), fill out more forms, get a number of additional disapproving looks from Armin and then he is off and my car is back to running again. I realize I am not a good car owner, though I do think I have a bit more knowledge then some about the workings of a car (thanks to a father who was always fixing the family cars), I just don't like cars (don't worry my car won't be reading this, he does not know how to use the internet). I hate pouring money into them, I hate that they break and leave me stranded, I hate that in LA I'm suppose to care that my car is dirty and over a decade old. I am not one who understands the joy of car ownership and for that reason I often, knowingly, neglect my car. Sure, if I had a lot of money I bet he would be in tip top shape but when I have to choose between car upkeep and, hell anything else, I'm probably not going to choose my car, that is until it won't start, then I'm all over it.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
What do you do...
...when you have a blog you don't write in as often as you would like, a blog you often feel you neglect? Well you start another one...of course!
That's right loyal fans I have started a new blog (on wordpress, shh, don't let blogger know..)! You might be asking yourself, 'Two blogs, really? Is that necessary?' To which I would say, this new blog has a different focus, so yes, really two blogs are needed. Now no one worry, I will be keeping up with both blogs (well, as least as well as I keep up with this one as is) so there is no reason to fear.
Check it out!
That's right loyal fans I have started a new blog (on wordpress, shh, don't let blogger know..)! You might be asking yourself, 'Two blogs, really? Is that necessary?' To which I would say, this new blog has a different focus, so yes, really two blogs are needed. Now no one worry, I will be keeping up with both blogs (well, as least as well as I keep up with this one as is) so there is no reason to fear.
Check it out!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Stepping into the modern age...
I have a fancy new phone. It goes on the internet. It's a touch screen. It has apps.
I've decided to view this purchase as a step towards further adulthood; though I'm not really sure how a phone that lets me pass away the hours by watching videos and playing games is going to make me more of an adult. Though so far it has made getting places easier. I've yet to judge it's lasting effects on my ability to get lost - I think that might be something that no piece of technology will ever overcome.
So far I think it's pretty cool.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
And people say we don't need affirmative action anymore
While looking into schools (more on that later) I came across the following statistics regarding this particular schools student population:
While I've always felt people who claimed that minorities were given too much 'special treatment' were delusional, I was still surprised at these stats. We have a lot further to go to bring up those numbers. While I have never been one to stop at just statistics, I think putting faces to numbers is more important, sometimes the cold hard percentages are necessary to show where we are, and remind us where we should be.
Students of Color
Undergraduates
- African-American: 3%
- Asian-American: 15%
- Latino/a: 9%
- International: 4%
Graduate students
- African-American: 8%
- Asian-American: 9%
- Latino/a: 11%
- International: 16%
While I've always felt people who claimed that minorities were given too much 'special treatment' were delusional, I was still surprised at these stats. We have a lot further to go to bring up those numbers. While I have never been one to stop at just statistics, I think putting faces to numbers is more important, sometimes the cold hard percentages are necessary to show where we are, and remind us where we should be.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Reasons why I don't belong in corporate america...
+ I'm not rich (or on the path to becoming so).
+ I'm more concerned about the trees you are killing with all the (useless) reports you are printing than the money they could make you (this is probably the reason I am not on the path to becoming wealthy).
+ I think there are more important things in the world than getting you airline miles for the flight I booked you. And I refuse indulge your concern over them.
+ I am a hippie
+ Cliche business phrases (behind the 8-ball, the ball is in your court, we really need to buckle down, lets think big picture) make me laugh...out loud.
+ Pretending to be nice to important people leads me to drink.
+ Making significantly less than people who don't know how to use a copy machines leads me to drink more.
+ I don't own stock. And I don't have a problem with that.
I don't want to entirely give the impression that all things that are inherent in corporate america are bad. They are just not for me. While I strive to have enough money to pay all my bills and have some for fun, money will never be a number one priority for me, other elements of a successful life are more what I measure myself by. So to each his own I suppose - I just need to keep working on that life plan.
+ I'm more concerned about the trees you are killing with all the (useless) reports you are printing than the money they could make you (this is probably the reason I am not on the path to becoming wealthy).
+ I think there are more important things in the world than getting you airline miles for the flight I booked you. And I refuse indulge your concern over them.
+ I am a hippie
+ Cliche business phrases (behind the 8-ball, the ball is in your court, we really need to buckle down, lets think big picture) make me laugh...out loud.
+ Pretending to be nice to important people leads me to drink.
+ Making significantly less than people who don't know how to use a copy machines leads me to drink more.
+ I don't own stock. And I don't have a problem with that.
I don't want to entirely give the impression that all things that are inherent in corporate america are bad. They are just not for me. While I strive to have enough money to pay all my bills and have some for fun, money will never be a number one priority for me, other elements of a successful life are more what I measure myself by. So to each his own I suppose - I just need to keep working on that life plan.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
NASCAR's Secret
Scene: I am at the gas station, getting gas. My car is very dirty (this is often the case).
Random guy with Nascar shirt: Hello there, I'd like to share with you Nascar's secret for cleaning your car. Please, allow me to give you a free demo of this product.
Me: ::kinda nod ok::
Guy: ::Sprays window with magical cleaning product:: See how it quickly removes the dirt. Is that tree sap?
Me: yeah, I think so.
Guy: ::cleaning window:: So I'm assuming you park your car outside.
Random guy with Nascar shirt: Hello there, I'd like to share with you Nascar's secret for cleaning your car. Please, allow me to give you a free demo of this product.
Me: ::kinda nod ok::
Guy: ::Sprays window with magical cleaning product:: See how it quickly removes the dirt. Is that tree sap?
Me: yeah, I think so.
Guy: ::cleaning window:: So I'm assuming you park your car outside.
Guy: See look how clean that looks and it's smudge proof. ::runs fingers over window:: Now we can move onto the door. You just spray a little foam here and rub. ::rubbing at door - not much dirt is coming off:: Well when you car is extra dirty like this you need a little more. ::sprays more foam - keeps rubbing::
Guy: I can see that. It's really dirty.
Guy: It also takes out scratches ::starts to spray magic foam on a few little scratches:: You know if you leave all this dirt on here for long it will start to eat away at the clear coat and then the paint.
Guy: ::getting the hint:: As I said this is a nascar secret and it normally goes for $25 a can but today we will throw in an additional can for...
Guy: ::knowing this must have been inevitable:: Well, thanks for your time.
Frankly, I think his first mistake was approaching the girl with by far the dirtiest car in the place - maybe he was trying to prove a point. He wanted a challenge. But clearly if I don't pay $10 for someone else to wash my car I'm not gonna pay $25 for some foam that I have to use myself.
Monday, June 14, 2010
"Dear John, you have pushed me too far."
This weekend I realized I have to make a change. I have let myself get out of control and it's not ok. I need to stop watching TV. Now.
The event that brought this harsh reality to light was not technically speaking tv, as it was a movie but it fell into the same general category of most things I watch on tv - being that is was something I did not actually have any desire to see. I think it was the shear stupidity and shameful time wasting that really caused me to see what I had allowed to happen. It's easy to waste an hour here and 30 minutes there watching some stupid show because you are too lazy to get up and do anything productive but on Saturday night I sent two hours watching 'Dear John'. That shit is not acceptable. Not only was it a horrible movie (shocker), I knew it was going to be a horrible movie and I watched it anyway. I somehow convinced myself that that was an ok use of two hours of my life. This needs to stop.
So, I have decided that I need to set a limit on my weekly television time - I feel like I'm eight. But it needs to happen. I have mental list on top of mental list of things I should be doing with my time and somehow I end up just watching tv / equally bad movies. No More. Starting today, Monday, I am going to limit myself to 4 hours of frivolous tv watching a week. I don't include in this movies I actually want to watch that are on my netflix - though the time I spend a month actually watching these is usually minimal. This number is just a starting point and I may lower it after time if it seems like still too much.
Hopefully this will get me started on my mental to-do lists.
The event that brought this harsh reality to light was not technically speaking tv, as it was a movie but it fell into the same general category of most things I watch on tv - being that is was something I did not actually have any desire to see. I think it was the shear stupidity and shameful time wasting that really caused me to see what I had allowed to happen. It's easy to waste an hour here and 30 minutes there watching some stupid show because you are too lazy to get up and do anything productive but on Saturday night I sent two hours watching 'Dear John'. That shit is not acceptable. Not only was it a horrible movie (shocker), I knew it was going to be a horrible movie and I watched it anyway. I somehow convinced myself that that was an ok use of two hours of my life. This needs to stop.
So, I have decided that I need to set a limit on my weekly television time - I feel like I'm eight. But it needs to happen. I have mental list on top of mental list of things I should be doing with my time and somehow I end up just watching tv / equally bad movies. No More. Starting today, Monday, I am going to limit myself to 4 hours of frivolous tv watching a week. I don't include in this movies I actually want to watch that are on my netflix - though the time I spend a month actually watching these is usually minimal. This number is just a starting point and I may lower it after time if it seems like still too much.
Hopefully this will get me started on my mental to-do lists.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Update (and original story)
I realized I never posted this story from last month. It involves crazy neighbor featured in the iphone incident. Below is the letter I gave to our building manager. Enjoy!
May 12th, 2010
To the building manager of xxxx Woodman Ave:
I wanted to make you aware of an incident that occurred the morning of May 12th. At 1am my roommate, Sherri, woke me up to let me know that the woman who lives in unit xxx was out in the hallway screaming and crying for someone to help her. My roommate informed me that this had been going on for awhile and that she had earlier pounded on our door. At this point I went out into the hallway to see what the issue might be. I found the woman very intoxicated and incoherent. She was yelling that her boyfriend had stolen her jewelry and that we needed to call the police. At this point Sherri was placing a call to 911 as the woman was hysterical and showed no signs of calming down. While I was speaking with her she feel over and continued to scream. I informed her that my roommate had called the police and that they would be coming to talk to her, she continued to talk about how we had to do something to help her. She then got back up and went into her apartment. I continued to hear the sounds of her screaming along with banging and crashing noises.
About 15 minutes later the police arrived at the building – they walked up to her unit as she was yelling something to the affect of “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you, just tell me what you did”. At this point I was not aware if her boyfriend might have still been in the apartment and as I had heard some very heated arguments between them my fear was that the situation might get violent. We spoke briefly with the officers letting them know what we knew of the situation while they attempted to gain access to her apartment. At one point she opened the door but must have had a knife in her hands as the officers had their weapons out and were yelling at her to put down the knife. At this point Sherri and I returned to our apartment. Approximately 30 minutes later an office returned to let us know that while she was very drunk there was nothing they could do as she was inside her apartment, her boyfriend was not there and they did not think she was a threat to herself. She had informed them that her boyfriend has left her and that that was the cause of her emotional state. The officers told her numerous times that she needed to be quiet or that they might have to remove her from the building. She had not however quieted down and I continued to hear her loudly yelling. After about another 30 minutes, and the arrival of an EMT unit we could see that the officers did end up removing her from the building. I’m not sure the outcome after this point as the officers left the building.
I felt it was important, if you did not already know, that the management be informed of this situation.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need more information regarding the incident.
Jane & Sherri
Unit xxx
I never heard anything from management after this. I saw the neighbor on occasion, though I tried to avoid her as I was not looking forward to that awkward, hey I called the cops on you, elevator conversation. She seemed to have quieted down - for the time being - so I kinda forgot about her.
UPDATE
Crazy neighbor has moved out. I'm not sure if this was voluntary or if my management company took some action but when I got back from the long weekend (more on this later) yesterday her apartment had a for rent sign on it.
I wish you well crazy neighbor - from what I've seen of your life you are going to need it.
May 12th, 2010
To the building manager of xxxx Woodman Ave:
I wanted to make you aware of an incident that occurred the morning of May 12th. At 1am my roommate, Sherri, woke me up to let me know that the woman who lives in unit xxx was out in the hallway screaming and crying for someone to help her. My roommate informed me that this had been going on for awhile and that she had earlier pounded on our door. At this point I went out into the hallway to see what the issue might be. I found the woman very intoxicated and incoherent. She was yelling that her boyfriend had stolen her jewelry and that we needed to call the police. At this point Sherri was placing a call to 911 as the woman was hysterical and showed no signs of calming down. While I was speaking with her she feel over and continued to scream. I informed her that my roommate had called the police and that they would be coming to talk to her, she continued to talk about how we had to do something to help her. She then got back up and went into her apartment. I continued to hear the sounds of her screaming along with banging and crashing noises.
About 15 minutes later the police arrived at the building – they walked up to her unit as she was yelling something to the affect of “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you, just tell me what you did”. At this point I was not aware if her boyfriend might have still been in the apartment and as I had heard some very heated arguments between them my fear was that the situation might get violent. We spoke briefly with the officers letting them know what we knew of the situation while they attempted to gain access to her apartment. At one point she opened the door but must have had a knife in her hands as the officers had their weapons out and were yelling at her to put down the knife. At this point Sherri and I returned to our apartment. Approximately 30 minutes later an office returned to let us know that while she was very drunk there was nothing they could do as she was inside her apartment, her boyfriend was not there and they did not think she was a threat to herself. She had informed them that her boyfriend has left her and that that was the cause of her emotional state. The officers told her numerous times that she needed to be quiet or that they might have to remove her from the building. She had not however quieted down and I continued to hear her loudly yelling. After about another 30 minutes, and the arrival of an EMT unit we could see that the officers did end up removing her from the building. I’m not sure the outcome after this point as the officers left the building.
I felt it was important, if you did not already know, that the management be informed of this situation.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need more information regarding the incident.
Jane & Sherri
Unit xxx
I never heard anything from management after this. I saw the neighbor on occasion, though I tried to avoid her as I was not looking forward to that awkward, hey I called the cops on you, elevator conversation. She seemed to have quieted down - for the time being - so I kinda forgot about her.
UPDATE
Crazy neighbor has moved out. I'm not sure if this was voluntary or if my management company took some action but when I got back from the long weekend (more on this later) yesterday her apartment had a for rent sign on it.
I wish you well crazy neighbor - from what I've seen of your life you are going to need it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)