I was so happy to celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend. We went to a local Chinese food restaurant that coincidentally has a pretty hopping dance party every Saturday night. I love the food there, and I ordered something I had wanted to try and unfortunately it didn't really do the job. It was a noodle dish, but the sauce had very little flavor. The big combo platter, however, filled me up and made me happy go lucky. I also ordered scallion pancakes and holy cow, those are delicious!
After dinner we moved to the 'E' room which has a bar and a dance floor. This place is kind of an island of misfit toys. I never know what to expect in the crowd. For instance, there were some super trippy girls dancing like elvish disco stars. They were putting on a bizarre show for the awkward lovely dovey couple seated adjacent to the dance floor. They were trying to have a romantic dinner, apparently. I kind of felt bad for them, but they could have asked to been seating elsewhere so whatever, their fault, right? Our group, of course, was the coolest and most skilled on the dance floor. The birthday girl rocked out to a Lady Gaga song, and at times danced around with a little glowing kitty lamp she had received as a gift that night. The kitty even changed colors!
Monday, February 6, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Jeff Goldblum for the win!
Disclaimer: before anyone reads further I want to fully acknowledge that this post is about social media use, and I realize that I am using social media as a platform to criticize it in the first place. The irony has not escaped me.
Now for the good stuff. All irony aside, I wanted to relate a interesting video is stumbled along this morning while downing my coffee. It featured a father ranting about how his son embarrasses him at school. The father was going to teach his son a lesson by shaving his head and sending him to school that way, as a shaming technique for discipline. As quickly as he snaps on the shears and the low steady buzzing starts it is over a done with! He promptly stops and excuses his son from the video, lovingly telling him to go play. He explains that he was never use social media to shame his son and goes on to articulate why and how he has seen the platform for its use of shaming so often.
What resonated with me was the shaming aspect. I was at Arisia this weekend and while there I was very keen on attending the slut shaming panel. However, I was hanging with some really rad folks I had met at the lobby bar and thought I was having so much fun with them that I stayed. I am remiss that I didn't get to enjoy the panel. However, I always feel it is better to interact with people actively than passively sitting in on panels at a convention. Indeed, it is always they people I meet at these events that make them memorable.
Anyway, getting back to my point. We have social media today and it is powerful. I worry that the power it offers people is not taken seriously and without thought. I hope you all out there reading this consider that in the future. I'm don't want to tell folks how to live their online life, but I can only say that I want to be more conscious of my choices in this realm. To quote the great Dr. Ian Malcolm; "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." What up, Jeff Goldblum. You called it, way back in the 90's.
Now for the good stuff. All irony aside, I wanted to relate a interesting video is stumbled along this morning while downing my coffee. It featured a father ranting about how his son embarrasses him at school. The father was going to teach his son a lesson by shaving his head and sending him to school that way, as a shaming technique for discipline. As quickly as he snaps on the shears and the low steady buzzing starts it is over a done with! He promptly stops and excuses his son from the video, lovingly telling him to go play. He explains that he was never use social media to shame his son and goes on to articulate why and how he has seen the platform for its use of shaming so often.
What resonated with me was the shaming aspect. I was at Arisia this weekend and while there I was very keen on attending the slut shaming panel. However, I was hanging with some really rad folks I had met at the lobby bar and thought I was having so much fun with them that I stayed. I am remiss that I didn't get to enjoy the panel. However, I always feel it is better to interact with people actively than passively sitting in on panels at a convention. Indeed, it is always they people I meet at these events that make them memorable.
Anyway, getting back to my point. We have social media today and it is powerful. I worry that the power it offers people is not taken seriously and without thought. I hope you all out there reading this consider that in the future. I'm don't want to tell folks how to live their online life, but I can only say that I want to be more conscious of my choices in this realm. To quote the great Dr. Ian Malcolm; "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." What up, Jeff Goldblum. You called it, way back in the 90's.
Monday, January 9, 2017
The Revenge of the Recipe!
Since it dropped to a new low today (11 degrees F) I thought I would write about all the new recipes I'm trying. Since the summer has long left me, my house is no longer the fire pit of despair, and as such baking and cooking has returned! I'm super excited, but it'll damage my waist line. I can try healthy stuff, true true, but what fun is there in that?
So far I made a buffalo chicken pull apart bread, cinnamon bun french toast muffins, a new cranberry harvest stuffing and some pretty tasty greek yogurt dips. I've also cranked out a few batches of vegetarian chili (ask me for the recipe - so dang good!) and even my Mass Corn chowder. I love this chowder because it isn't a super thick stewy one. It is still hearty, and super savory!
Maybe now that I am making some yummy food I will be able to sit down and crank through a lot of my netflix backlog. I just posted on social media the request for 'must watch' shows, and it has definitely expanded my already extensive watch list. There just isn't enough time and I want to enjoy so many fun shows. I feel like a jerk even complaining - what a putz.
What is the last thing you made?
So far I made a buffalo chicken pull apart bread, cinnamon bun french toast muffins, a new cranberry harvest stuffing and some pretty tasty greek yogurt dips. I've also cranked out a few batches of vegetarian chili (ask me for the recipe - so dang good!) and even my Mass Corn chowder. I love this chowder because it isn't a super thick stewy one. It is still hearty, and super savory!
Maybe now that I am making some yummy food I will be able to sit down and crank through a lot of my netflix backlog. I just posted on social media the request for 'must watch' shows, and it has definitely expanded my already extensive watch list. There just isn't enough time and I want to enjoy so many fun shows. I feel like a jerk even complaining - what a putz.
What is the last thing you made?
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
I Can't Repel Firepower of that Magnitude!
Okay...another dorky title to this blog. Please, let me explain. I just signed up to GoodReads and I cannot resist all the time suckage. I just can't repel its power! I feel like Ackbar did in ROTJ because I simply can't fight against the power of GoodReads. My friend Ginny said she used it to track her book reading. I decided, since I am trying to read 26 books this year, that I should track them, too. I already had a record from OverDrive reader, but it doesn't give way in the much of organizing or helping me find more books.
GoodReads - its nuts! I just spent only ten minutes -only ten, mind you- and I added 88 books alone that I want to read this year. I also used some of those ten minutes to add the 27 I read last year. Well, okay...20, really. Seven were graphic novels and I am not really counting them, or maybe I'll count them for a quarter of a book. That feels like cheating. Let's just call it 21 books. It's a good number.
Well....bring it on. 26 this year - that is a book every fortnight. According to the Pew Research Center's 2013 reports, the average number of books the average American reads is 12 a year. The median number is 5 per year.
Where do you stand in those numbers? What is your goal this year?
GoodReads - its nuts! I just spent only ten minutes -only ten, mind you- and I added 88 books alone that I want to read this year. I also used some of those ten minutes to add the 27 I read last year. Well, okay...20, really. Seven were graphic novels and I am not really counting them, or maybe I'll count them for a quarter of a book. That feels like cheating. Let's just call it 21 books. It's a good number.
Well....bring it on. 26 this year - that is a book every fortnight. According to the Pew Research Center's 2013 reports, the average number of books the average American reads is 12 a year. The median number is 5 per year.
Where do you stand in those numbers? What is your goal this year?
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Planks and Thanks FAIL and Birthday Hijinx
Last month I joined a 30 day plank challenge. Each day we increased the amount of time for the planking. My friend on facebook hosted it and would post cute little motivational photos to help us along. I did alright for about a week or so, but then fell off the wagon. I tried to get back into things towards the end and at least didn't give up totally.
This month, we're doing the 12 days of fitmas. The first day starts with one exercise, then the second day a second exercise with two reps is added and so forth. That means the last day there will be 12 exercises, the last one having 12 reps - I haven't an idea what the last one could be, maybe something simple like 12 jumping jacks.
I guess the reason I am posting about this is because I am a bit upset about my figure. I eat well during the week but come weekend I shatter. I am somewhat hesitant to work out rigorously because my hip starts hurting. I'm surrounded by eating and food and parties. I love all that stuff, but I can't seem to strike any balance.
For instance, I pigged out at a birthday dinner last month then with drinks, all those calories add up. At least there was some dancing and that was good activity. The whole night was hilarious, in a weird way. Taking an uber 300 feet is comedy, for instance.
Who has suggestions for getting into shape? Links? Videos? Programs? Suggestions? Please post some help. You're my only hope, obi-wan fit-nobi.
This month, we're doing the 12 days of fitmas. The first day starts with one exercise, then the second day a second exercise with two reps is added and so forth. That means the last day there will be 12 exercises, the last one having 12 reps - I haven't an idea what the last one could be, maybe something simple like 12 jumping jacks.
I guess the reason I am posting about this is because I am a bit upset about my figure. I eat well during the week but come weekend I shatter. I am somewhat hesitant to work out rigorously because my hip starts hurting. I'm surrounded by eating and food and parties. I love all that stuff, but I can't seem to strike any balance.
For instance, I pigged out at a birthday dinner last month then with drinks, all those calories add up. At least there was some dancing and that was good activity. The whole night was hilarious, in a weird way. Taking an uber 300 feet is comedy, for instance.
Who has suggestions for getting into shape? Links? Videos? Programs? Suggestions? Please post some help. You're my only hope, obi-wan fit-nobi.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Hyperspace Week! A BLUR!
Holy cow, this week has gone by faster than Han Solo in the Falcon! I don't know how it is already Friday. I don't think it felt like that as it was going by, but here I am, Friday morning, wondering where the time went. I got a lot done this week, work wise, and took care of some important errands. I didn't really go out a ton, though, because I've got a very busy schedule coming up. If I'm being honest, I was really just so done by 7pm that I couldn't muster the energy to do more than make dinner, take care of stuff around the house and pass out in bed.
Part of that busy schedule was a graduate course I'm taking on creating trauma sensitive schools. The topic is more relevant than I ever realized. I had a group presentation Thursday, which I absolutely knocked outta the park! The large project t took up most of my time on Wednesday after work. Tuesday was my only down day. Monday, however, was a curve ball. I came home, exhausted, took a bit of a power nap then woke to start dinner. When dinner was almost ready, I noticed the sink wasn't draining. Four hours later, one visit from my 'landlord', a trip to home depot, struggling with unhelpful service staff and then very brisk plunging and my sink is back to normal! I didn't get to be until after 11PM, so that kicked off my week.
I'm looking forward to the next two weeks - I've got no less than seven Christmas party events. Yikes!
Part of that busy schedule was a graduate course I'm taking on creating trauma sensitive schools. The topic is more relevant than I ever realized. I had a group presentation Thursday, which I absolutely knocked outta the park! The large project t took up most of my time on Wednesday after work. Tuesday was my only down day. Monday, however, was a curve ball. I came home, exhausted, took a bit of a power nap then woke to start dinner. When dinner was almost ready, I noticed the sink wasn't draining. Four hours later, one visit from my 'landlord', a trip to home depot, struggling with unhelpful service staff and then very brisk plunging and my sink is back to normal! I didn't get to be until after 11PM, so that kicked off my week.
I'm looking forward to the next two weeks - I've got no less than seven Christmas party events. Yikes!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
I haven't skated since college!
My news feed supplied me with a very fun event: Holiday Skating Path! Apparently, a huge area downtown is opening up as a little holiday village. Seeing as I haven't skated since I was in college, this will be a treat of terrible horror. I don't want to fall on my old lady hip. Maybe I should bring a chair to push in front of me like a little toddler. LIKE A TODDLER.
That isn't very dignified, is it? I'm so afraid of hurting my hip with anything I do! Despite being a vibrant 30-something, I sometimes feel like a Wookiee taking cover behind an Ewok against Storm Trooper fire; its a totally useless effort. When will I realize that A) troopers can't hit the broad side of a Star Destroyer anyways and B) the best thing I can do is get over my hip and go back to regular life?
Ok all star wars analogies aside, I'll see you there, right? At least there's multiple ski chalet huts in which I can nurse my wounds with a delightful beverage. I hope they have egg nog! (...which...by the way, I only first tried last year). Maybe I'll have to just have some Hoth chocolate! (Ha, see that, I got one more lame Star Wars reference in there. Boooyah!
That isn't very dignified, is it? I'm so afraid of hurting my hip with anything I do! Despite being a vibrant 30-something, I sometimes feel like a Wookiee taking cover behind an Ewok against Storm Trooper fire; its a totally useless effort. When will I realize that A) troopers can't hit the broad side of a Star Destroyer anyways and B) the best thing I can do is get over my hip and go back to regular life?
Ok all star wars analogies aside, I'll see you there, right? At least there's multiple ski chalet huts in which I can nurse my wounds with a delightful beverage. I hope they have egg nog! (...which...by the way, I only first tried last year). Maybe I'll have to just have some Hoth chocolate! (Ha, see that, I got one more lame Star Wars reference in there. Boooyah!
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