Look at the picture to the upper right.
Do you see the crazy blue water? The palms in mid-sway from the on shore breeze? The boats, suggestive of an easier, less regimented lifestyle?
Can you feel the warm coral sand between your toes? The bright, nourishing sun?
Sigh.
Right now a friend of mine is enjoying Mexico's Mayan Riviera, and in a week two more friends are heading down there as well.
Bastards.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Rocks in my ears
Benign Paroxysmal Position Vertigo (BPPV) essentially means that small particles get loose in one's inner ear and press on the parts that control balance. Rocks in your ears!
Result is mild to severe dizziness, and possible nausea. Think of it as getting instantly motion sick.
One of the signature symptoms of this particular type of dizziness - and which sets it apart from other possible causes such as stroke, brain tumor, etc. - is nystagmus, which is an uncontrollable eye spasm.
Treatment is fortunately very easy, and typically involves rolling one's head in a series of movements that help the particles move out of the sensitive area of the inner ear. How great: no drugs, no surgery, no shots!
Unfortunately, the dizziness seems to fade gradually rather than stop abruptly - and every recommendation is to cease certain activities for at least a week.
Why do I mention this?
To explain: to my soccer teammates why I had to miss our last game of the season, to my friend Rob why I didn't call him Saturday afternoon like I said I would, to the very kind manager at Tutta Bella that the pizza we had there really really had nothing to do with why I was feeling ill, and to all the people waiting at the bustop at NE80th and 15th NE on saturday afternoon who saw me toss my cookies on the curb that I'm sorry I had to share that particular technicolor yawn with them. It was unavoidable.
May your universe be more upright and static than mine.
Result is mild to severe dizziness, and possible nausea. Think of it as getting instantly motion sick.
One of the signature symptoms of this particular type of dizziness - and which sets it apart from other possible causes such as stroke, brain tumor, etc. - is nystagmus, which is an uncontrollable eye spasm.
Treatment is fortunately very easy, and typically involves rolling one's head in a series of movements that help the particles move out of the sensitive area of the inner ear. How great: no drugs, no surgery, no shots!
Unfortunately, the dizziness seems to fade gradually rather than stop abruptly - and every recommendation is to cease certain activities for at least a week.
Why do I mention this?
To explain: to my soccer teammates why I had to miss our last game of the season, to my friend Rob why I didn't call him Saturday afternoon like I said I would, to the very kind manager at Tutta Bella that the pizza we had there really really had nothing to do with why I was feeling ill, and to all the people waiting at the bustop at NE80th and 15th NE on saturday afternoon who saw me toss my cookies on the curb that I'm sorry I had to share that particular technicolor yawn with them. It was unavoidable.
May your universe be more upright and static than mine.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Big Message
I'm not normally (awake) looking at news this early in the morning.
I suppose this will teach me a lesson.
"Hygiene enthusiast's new home shaped like a john"
I suppose this will teach me a lesson.
"Hygiene enthusiast's new home shaped like a john"
Friday, November 9, 2007
Sometimes lists are just easier - List for this week
Things that rock this week:
Bacon Salt - really, it's zero calorie bacon flavored salt. It's also Kosher, for some reason.
William Shatner's recent album "Has Been" - to my total surprise, it's a shockingly good album. Maybe because it's produced with Ben Folds, and includes Henry Rollins, Aimee Mann, Joe Jackson, and other really talented people.
Marylin Manson's Best Of disk - his version of Tainted Love is something to behold.
Paul's new job.
"The Office" - I have just started watching it this week, damn that's funny.
My friend Christy just gave me this really cool marble-solitaire game on a board (handmade by her brother) with all these beautiful marbles that she picked out. I'm hooked on the game and love looking at it.
Finding lost cds.
Voting. Voting. Voting.
New queen size 400 thread-count deep purple sheet set on crazy sale.
The Argentine Soccer Highlight show is back!
Stuff that sort of sucks this week:
Working on a massive cake (will feed 200-250) for an outdoor party when we know that it's likely to be raining... and rain is really not very kind to cakes.
Being constantly cold in the bakery - the floor is so cold that my feet begin cramping from just standing on the freezing tile.
Resultant leg aches at night.
Paul cutting off his left index fingertip with an exacto knife. It looks gnarly.
Being too damn lazy, busy, or distractable to have gotten a haircut yet.
Still don't have a job.
Bacon Salt - really, it's zero calorie bacon flavored salt. It's also Kosher, for some reason.
William Shatner's recent album "Has Been" - to my total surprise, it's a shockingly good album. Maybe because it's produced with Ben Folds, and includes Henry Rollins, Aimee Mann, Joe Jackson, and other really talented people.
Marylin Manson's Best Of disk - his version of Tainted Love is something to behold.
Paul's new job.
"The Office" - I have just started watching it this week, damn that's funny.
My friend Christy just gave me this really cool marble-solitaire game on a board (handmade by her brother) with all these beautiful marbles that she picked out. I'm hooked on the game and love looking at it.
Finding lost cds.
Voting. Voting. Voting.
New queen size 400 thread-count deep purple sheet set on crazy sale.
The Argentine Soccer Highlight show is back!
Stuff that sort of sucks this week:
Working on a massive cake (will feed 200-250) for an outdoor party when we know that it's likely to be raining... and rain is really not very kind to cakes.
Being constantly cold in the bakery - the floor is so cold that my feet begin cramping from just standing on the freezing tile.
Resultant leg aches at night.
Paul cutting off his left index fingertip with an exacto knife. It looks gnarly.
Being too damn lazy, busy, or distractable to have gotten a haircut yet.
Still don't have a job.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
What fun!
The Seattle Times is running this feature where customer service staff can anonymously write an open letter to customers: weeee! So, I submitted mine, which went as follows and was based on some of my many experiences selling clothing:
"Dear Customers,
A haircut can be a refreshing experience; you've got a new look and might like some new clothes to go with it. PLEASE just go home and shower first!
"Consider that the various length clippings of your hair coating all the clothes you tried on and then did not buy are now unsellable - some poor schmuck on staff has to take them home, wash them, and then deeply discount them for sale to store/chain personnel. Once you rinse, I heartily welcome you into my store, and I will give you the best customer service I possibly can. Which includes getting clothes for you to try on that aren't covered in somebody else's hair. Won't that be nice?
"Also, remember that your children are *yours*, not ours. The degree of sympathy I feel for little Bobby or Susie after they've bonked their head on the inside of a clothing rack - after disrupting the shopping experience for my many other customers - will be minimal. And in the cost-benefit analysis all sales staff have to make when faced with little shrieking darlings, don't be surprised that we choose everyone else in the store (including ourselves) over you.
"I'll be nice and polite, and earnestly hope you'll come back at a better time. And, if you're honest with yourself, you know that you'll just buy something without trying it on in order to get out of the store before junior explodes, and will have to come back later to exchange it anyway.
"Many thanks, and happy shopping!"
I don't know if the times will post it, but it was sure fun to write!
"Dear Customers,
A haircut can be a refreshing experience; you've got a new look and might like some new clothes to go with it. PLEASE just go home and shower first!
"Consider that the various length clippings of your hair coating all the clothes you tried on and then did not buy are now unsellable - some poor schmuck on staff has to take them home, wash them, and then deeply discount them for sale to store/chain personnel. Once you rinse, I heartily welcome you into my store, and I will give you the best customer service I possibly can. Which includes getting clothes for you to try on that aren't covered in somebody else's hair. Won't that be nice?
"Also, remember that your children are *yours*, not ours. The degree of sympathy I feel for little Bobby or Susie after they've bonked their head on the inside of a clothing rack - after disrupting the shopping experience for my many other customers - will be minimal. And in the cost-benefit analysis all sales staff have to make when faced with little shrieking darlings, don't be surprised that we choose everyone else in the store (including ourselves) over you.
"I'll be nice and polite, and earnestly hope you'll come back at a better time. And, if you're honest with yourself, you know that you'll just buy something without trying it on in order to get out of the store before junior explodes, and will have to come back later to exchange it anyway.
"Many thanks, and happy shopping!"
I don't know if the times will post it, but it was sure fun to write!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Splendid Soiree!
FINALLY had a party at our new place. Too long overdue.
My friend Christy - whom I've known since junior high - came all the way up from Portland, which made the whole thing kick even more ass.
For those of you a few tacos short of a combo platter, she's the one on the right.
The above picture and those that follow also show Paul working out his Mayan Coffee recipe (yes, you are seeing him make and pour a flaming beverage in the wood-floored dining room of a 1908 house we don't own). It was actually very successful, and subsequent photos prove he managed to avoid any major flame-related destruction.
Helen looking cool:
And, last but not least, the winners of the Most Festively Dressed awards went to Mike (aka Corky) who went all out on his get-up....
.... and Rob, who was the only one to take the "Pants Optional" part of the evite seriously....
We know some really fun people. :-)
For those of you who felt like Paul was everywhere, you were right.
The next morning Paul, Christy, and I felt much better than we could have.
So, we took turns throwing sticky wall-crawling lizard toys onto the ceiling and playing a form of reverse darts.
Gravity totally rocks.
Win - Christy
Place - Liz
Show - Paul
Did we have fun? Just ask Darth!
My friend Christy - whom I've known since junior high - came all the way up from Portland, which made the whole thing kick even more ass.
For those of you a few tacos short of a combo platter, she's the one on the right.
The above picture and those that follow also show Paul working out his Mayan Coffee recipe (yes, you are seeing him make and pour a flaming beverage in the wood-floored dining room of a 1908 house we don't own). It was actually very successful, and subsequent photos prove he managed to avoid any major flame-related destruction.
Helen looking cool:
And, last but not least, the winners of the Most Festively Dressed awards went to Mike (aka Corky) who went all out on his get-up....
.... and Rob, who was the only one to take the "Pants Optional" part of the evite seriously....
We know some really fun people. :-)
For those of you who felt like Paul was everywhere, you were right.
The next morning Paul, Christy, and I felt much better than we could have.
So, we took turns throwing sticky wall-crawling lizard toys onto the ceiling and playing a form of reverse darts.
Gravity totally rocks.
Win - Christy
Place - Liz
Show - Paul
Did we have fun? Just ask Darth!
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