with a cherry on top

Had mediocre chinese food tonight for dinner at a place around the corner from my hotel. Its raining pretty hard, and I have work to do tonight so I didn't want to travel too far. I hopped on yelp, yelped (is that a verb?) the neighborhood and decided on the Chinese place.

boots on, raincoat buttoned, umbrella out. Got to the restaurant. People are very friendly and the place is busy. I order vegetarian spring rolls and orange tofu. Around the restaurant are pictures of various politicians posing with employees and owner.

I'm not the biggest Chinese food fan. I enjoy it from time to time, but definitely don't get pee pants over it. I wouldn't say I was a Chinese food snob, until tonight. We are spoiled living in the Bay Area, and take the Chinese food for granted.

I had, easily, the worst spring rolls of my life. it had this flavored tofu in it that was awful.

The orange tofu was much better. In fact it was on the good side of okay. Not pee pants good, but good. it was served with a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce and a maraschino cherry on the top of the lettuce pile.

Leaving the restaurant, I look over to the wall of photos, and notice one of Hilary Clinton. My immediate thought was not "oh hey, its hilary and she ate here!". My immediate thought was "she apparently didn't have the spring rolls".

I'm a Chinese food snob.

Go Elf Yourself

Thanks Sue!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/HWeVQppKYV0N0nDz84AV

Dan Savage, I <3 you...

On a mission

I love Saturday Night Live. An avid fan since I was a kid, I have a vast knowledge of random quotes from the show dating back to the 80's. I'm trying to locate a video of a sketch called "Jackie Rogers Jr.'s $100,000 Jackpot Wad"

Here is the transcript:
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/84/84pjackpotwad.phtml

I've gotten teases from YouTube but each video has been pulled.... HELP!!!! Some of my favorite (most random) SNL quotes are from this sketch!

By the way, this website is pretty awesome: http://snlarc.jt.org/

Awesome

So excited... I forgot what it was like to be hopeful going into a new administration.

No on 8

I'm not an outwardly political person. I have my beliefs and my issues I advocate for, and after 3 years of law school, I certainly hope that I can argue/advocate my position on an issue effectively if called upon. I respect people's opinions and evaluate their viewpoint and knowledge in determining my own. However, one point of view I cannot get my arms around is those of people who will vote yes on Prop 8. After all our history, and progression, it amazes me that there are people out there who will deny others the choice to marry based solely on their sexual orientation. Our country and laws prevent discrimination on gender, disability and race, but yet will allow discrimination on sexual orientation? It makes no sense to me. Vote No on Prop 8.

Been flailing lately

Please stand by...

donkey truffles

Leaving on a jet plane

Well, not really. Not for a few more weeks at least, but I wish I was sooner. I'll be on a flight to Meridian via Atlanta in three and a half weeks for my standing trick or treating date with H.

Stillness and a routine, anxiety and stress (both personally and professionally), and just being me is wishing of flying to far off places, to see somewhere new, sleep somewhere new and be somewhere new. Feeling a little confined (and a little less like myself) is an understatement today. Nostalgic for Florida again.

I'm also missing my camera. No, it hasn't gone anywhere, but my camera phone has gotten much more action in the past month. Time to get the Canon back out and give it some love. Next weekend maybe.

And I'm missing my sacto girls. Feeling a little disconnected to Sacramento as a whole, but especially feeling disconnected to them.

I hella love Oakland

Pumpkin Pyramid

Today

I woke up 30 minutes earlier than usual

I got a ride into the city from a friend

I sat in meetings all day

I procrastinated when not in meetings

I didn't get as much done on my to-do list as I would have liked

I sent back 2 netflix DVD's

I didn't answer any phone calls

I talked so much my throat is still sore

I also talked myself in circles

I rode the ferry to Tiburon for dinner

I drank white wine with dinner on a patio on a clear, sunny fall afternoon

I ate too much for dinner

I saw geese fly in a V

I rode the ferry back to SF

I rode bart back to Oakland

I got a ride home from another friend

I am now home

Protect your Fries

Could you not look like you tomorrow morning?

Lurking on a blog of a photographer whose work I've recently been introduced to, I stumbled upon a band fronted by Steve Burns (Steve from Blue's Clues). There have been a few kids in my life obsessed with BC, so my curiosity was peaked as to what the nerdy host from an irritating yet can't look away kids show was doing...

Conclusion: Double take! holy hell, he looks a little like Moby, and his music isn't too bad. Long sleeve polo shirt replaced by shaved head and slacker-hipster clothes. In fact, after reading a couple of interviews, he seems like a pretty cool guy!

go Steve!

http://www.myspace.com/steveburnsofficialmyspace

good morning oakland airport. so nice to see you again...

books books books

Still reading:
Kitchen Confidential














Halfway Through:
The Year of Living Biblically















Almost Done With:
The Kite Runner















Despite reading three other books currently, just started:
Long Way Round

amazing sunset tonight and clear view of the city

the 2 megapixel camera phone does not do it justice. I love the view from my front steps

All sorts of F'd up

I must be getting sick...

• Although it really is beginning to feel like that part of fall where it is beginning to get chilly right before we get the perfect October in SF weather, I keep thinking that we are still in August
• Saturday, my internal clock was about 2 hours behind
• Sunday, my internal clock had no idea what time it was.
• Today, I feel like it should be later than 8:45 (current time)
• This morning, the fog made me feel like it was winter although it wasn't too cold (That's growing up in Sacramento for ya, my initial response to fog is still "freezing cold January morning"). The cinnamon latte I had this morning from Starbucks that I enjoyed while waiting for my flight did not help.
• Typically, my trips to LA start out well before sunrise (usually after a horrible night of sleep), and I get home well into the dinner hour absolutely exhausted. Today was different and I was able to wake up at normal time, have a mellow morning and leave for LA on the 10:00 out of OAK. My return flight was at 4 and landed at 5. Not a long day, and definitely not as long as the typical LA day trip. I am tired, but feel mentally exhausted as if I had flown out on the 7:00 a.m. flight.

So.. either I am getting sick, or I am beginning to lose it...

Man, is it only 8:50?

New home...

I previously posted to Livejournal (http://sad-tomato19.livejournal.com/), but after too many battles with the format, posting, limitations, etc., I succumbed to Google and moved over here to Blogger. So... for me, it will be easier to deal with. For you, more postings, hopefully. :)

So, I've been lazy, injured and/or too busy these past couple of months. Now that is is almost technically fall, but the weather is beginnign to feel like fall already, I am thinking of what I would like to achieve in this remaining few months left in 2008. The short list is:

• Find an Argyle sweater. Sounds easier than it really is.
  
• Continue to stick to my budget (again, easier said than done as impulse won over, and as a result, Amazon is sending me an new ipod). However, outside of the "ipod incident" I've been doing pretty good.
  
• Begin the quest to make a mean veggie samosa
• finish unpacking/organizing my apartment. I'm getting a jump on this, but I did also open a box today that had been packed when I lived in Sacramento and realized that is really lame.
  
• take a mini-trip somewhere. I'm 95% sure I will be attending a conference in Washington, DC in December, so I will likely take an extra day. The good part: company will be paying for the bulk of the trip. The down side: I have to wait until December.

So... 5 things, with one being just to start (samosas). Not too bad.

Today was a nice, mellow day that was about 2 hours ahead of my internal clock. I realized this around 3 when I finished lunch thinking it was around 1. Following lunch, I ended up at the huge cemetery in Oakland with S. It was actually really cool, and I don't mean that in a morbid, gothy way. Lots of history in that cemetery, including some names on the mausoleums such as Merritt and Ghiradelli. I love exploring new places around here that I've never been too before.

Tomorrow: more unpacking and some cleaning in anticipation for my sister's visit next week, and lunch with M.

Tonight: more vegging - went out last night and am still tired! Go go Saturday night! :)