Project Runway: The Olympic Episode

On this weeks episode the designers were challenged to create a look for athletes for the opening ceremony of the olympic games - women only though. Oddly enough the guest judge was olympic gold medalist Apollo Ohno - not a woman. It would have made more sense for the guest judge to be a female athlete but I guess they were all busy. He did a decent job, I just wish I didnt have to look at the flavor savor.

Anyway the designers looked a little lost when given the challenge. I don't think very many of them have ever seen the opening ceremony and designing sportswear isn't their strong suits, except for Joe who is the self appointed expert in this area. Joe ended up making a skort too, ick.

They were able to go to a museum or something to that effect that had pictures and olympic memorobilia for them to draw inspiration from as well as to attempt to clue them in on what athletes generally wear to this event. It was around this time that Stella made the earth shattering connection that if you win and get immunity then you can fuck up and they cant fire you. I think this may be the first time she realized this is how it worked. Good for her, there is less heroin use now that she is on the show.

Speaking of addictions, Blayne continues to waste away from being unable to tan. I am waiting for him to have his breakdown from severe tanning withdrawl symptoms but it hasnt happened yet.

Once they started the actual work on their garmets, Bravo attempted to present some bitchiness and drama that this season has thus far sorely lacked, but it came off as forced. Two designers laughed too much (how dare they, so rude!) and one designer was upset when someone used his sewing machine. Yawn. These designers are entirely too passive. I think Stella may have it in her to freak out and go off but it hasn't happened yet, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Fast forward to the runway and just as I thought, there was some definite struggles with the designs. My complaint was that these designers are used to creating clothes for stick thin models and they have a hard time conceptualizing looks on athletic women with muscle. And in all fairness, it would be really difficult to design something that would fit both the backs of women swimmers and small gymnasts or female weight lifters -- they are all very diverse in their shapes and there cant be a universal fit.

Some did better than others though. Basing my opinion on asthetic appeal and whether or not it was appropriate for the event, my two favorites were Leanne and Terri's:

A bit flight attendant but I thought it looked crisp and patriotic and I could see athletes wearing this.

Again, crisp and patriotic and I think that most women could wear this and look good.
The winner was Korto with this ensemble:

I thought it was a mediocre outfit myself. I didnt like the boxiness of the jacket and anyone with an ass or thighs is going to look huge in those high waisted pants. I also dont like how white it is, I wish there were more color. My opinion matters not though and Korto has immunity next week so she can fuck up and not be fired!

The weaker designs included a Little Bo Peep ensemble:

I was suprised by the reaction to this one from the judges. Although they recognized it was inappropriate for the occasion, they apparantly liked the whimsy. I find it a bit ridiculous and the tights underneath? C'mon Lindsey Lohan doesnt even wear those anymore.
But the judges really seemed to hate Daniels:

I didn't think it was so horrible myself but they berated him for making a purple dress. I can see a bit of a purple shade in the color but honestly next to the purple shirt he was wearing, there was clearly a difference between the two colors. Perhaps the lighting in the studio made it look that way to the judges but Michael Kors had it right when he said the color was the least of his problems. That dress just didnt make any sense for the opening ceremony of the olympics. He had that wounded puppy look down pretty well by the end of this episode.

And this weeks loser was boring girl #1, Jennifer:

I agree with this decision, she was clearly clueless about what this challenge was about. I dont think the United States wants a bunch of athletes in cute sweaters and little feminie skirts to represent them, it speaks nothing of athleticism and does not come off as strong. Ultimately she lost because she couldnt get past designing outside of what she likes herself (look out Stella, you might be next!).

Next week, Brooke Shields is the guest host. Will Blayne's body go into shock from lack of Vitamin D? Will Stella flip out and stangle someone with a piece of leatha? We will just have to wait and see.

A Couple of Things...

First, J.Crew is having a big sale right now that you should check out online. If you are in need of any cute work clothes I would reccomend you check it out (women specifically, I didnt look at the men's section) because some of their normally rather steep prices are discounted quite a bit.

Second, I am reinstating my running blog, which is my Health link on my sidebar. There is only about 3 months left before my full marathon so it is time to buckle down and get serious. By the way this also means you have 3 months to make me some kick ass signs, dont let me down

Third, I know how anxious you all are for me to blog my recap of last nights Project Runway: The Olympic episode, but we have a bid at 10 AM so I am slammed and dont have the time. Once the bid is over though I will get to it.

Everyone remembers their first time

This was on Failblog but I didn't have the patience to figure out how to post it so here is the link.

It is also something you may not want to watch at work. I just hope he had really thick shorts on.

Running Skirts

A while back I had a conversation about some of you about running skirts and how I was somewhat apprehensive to wear them because of the reaction that other people might have. Specifically, I didn't want people to not take me seriously as an athlete, which was the impression I felt some people would have. I find them very comfortable however, without the issue of riding up as shorts have a tendancy to do. I also like the thicker elastic band the skirt has, as opposed to the more narrow band that bunches that you find in most running shorts.

Apparantly I am not the only one that has experienced this dilemma. I was happy to see a picture of a woman running in a skirt on July's cover of Runner's World and an entire article written on the rise of the skirt culture amongst female runners. The article accurately reflected my thoughts on wearing skirts as well as the overall experience of being a female athlete. Being an athlete is great but you don't always feel pretty or feminine when you are drenched in sweat, red-faced with a hat pulled over your head. You feel good about what you have done but not so much cute.

The inventor of the running skirt, a triathelte named Nicole DeBoom felt the same way. On a training run in December 2003, Nicole jogged along, desperately wishing for a little inspiration to help her through what felt like her millionth workout of her triathlon career. As she glanced at her reflection in a store window, she realized something was missing. It wasn't the performance in her apparel. It was the attitude. So she began designing and selling running skirts. Just like the right song coming on your ipod when you are half way up a grueling and unrelenting hill can give you a much needed boost, so too can having the right clothes on. Function is always whats most important when it comes to workout attire but once you got that covered you want to look good too!

The Runner's World article also discussed the negative stereotype that some people have about women who run in skirts:

"They seem to think that women who run in skirts aren't serious athletes. Or that they'll turn our beloved sport into a beauty pageant. The same people probably insist that women need to be in pantsuits to be taken seriously in the workplace. But I believe that a woman is even more powerful when she feels pretty. Besides, from a practical standpoint, it's nice to have clothing that reflects our multitasking lives; it performs on the track and looks presentable when you roll directly into the supermarket or elementary school."

I recently had an experience where I was wearing my skirt and walking to warm up. I had my ipod on but it was a quiet part of the song so I could hear what was being said around me. Two girls ran by me I could hear one of them scoff at my skirt and say something to the effect of it being a ridiculous thing to wear. Oh no she didnt! I finished my warm up and started my run very much looking forward to seeing them again. And seeing them again I did a little ways up the trail, blowing past them with my skirt swishing behind me. Ok I admit I was running a little faster than normal but I had a point to make. I am wearing a skirt and I am stronger than you and dont you forget it! In case you are blind and havent noticed this before, I have a lot of pride when it comes to my athletic abilities and I get annoyed when people disregard that or don't acknowledge how hard I work for it.

Part of the stigma that I find around Fresno comes from the fact that Fresno is not a big running city like Austin or SF where they have a multiude of really great trails to run and plenty of people out there running them. People here dont see skirts very much so they dont get it when they see it. Is she running home from a tennis match?? At the race this weekend there were a good number of women wearing them though and people didnt look twice. I just found it very interesting how people either love them or hate them and the reasoning for why. Your physical appearance is somewhat irrelevant when you are running but if I feel good about how I look I am going to run a little longer, maybe a little faster, and enjoy myself more. I am comfortable and feel a little sassy when I run in my skirt and for anyone who thinks I am not an athlete, well they can just be wrong. I am ok with that.

My Odd Mother

This is what I got from my mom for my birthday today:

- A singing helium ballon that sings "Happy Birthday" when you tap it
- A B-day card that has a seagull pooping on a cow on the front and inside the cow flying away pooping on the seagull

Sort of bizzare but thats my mom:)

Drag Queens!

I know its grainy and not clear but here is one of the dancers from Asia SF. She was really cute and one of my favorites. Her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...
This one went with the Selena look.

They were fantastic!

San Francisco

This past weekend I went to San Franciso to run a half marathon and to celebrate my birthday with my two friends Melissa and Brenda.

The weekend started off rocky, a pattern that continued throughout the weekend. Melissa and Brenda were flying in from LA and missed their flight on Saturday so instead of getting there at noon, they didnt get to SF until 9:30 pm. I got there at 3 and checked into the very nice but snooty and overly ornate hotel. I needed to get my race packet as well as Melissa and Brendas and since I have a phobia of public transportation decided to walk. Did I mention that our hotel was at the top of Nob Hill and the race expo was at the Pier and that I was wearing 3 inch suede boots? That was a fun trek, good warm up for the race the next day for sure.

We didnt get to do anything Saturday or Saturday night because we had to get up at 4:30 on Sunday to make the 5:30 start time of the race. We got there a little late but races never start on time anyway and our wave hadnt even started yet. Then we were off and there were A LOT of people running.

I knew there would be hills, that I didn't train at all for, so I was nervous as to how I would handle it. The first big hill was up to the Golden Gate Bridge and it was very steep. I dug in and got to the top and it was really cool to be able to run across the bridge. It was a bit foggy and cold and I never realized how long that bridge was. It was really beautiful though and when I was able to get my mind out of run mode and enjoy my surroundings, I was able to appreciate it.

It was also windy as hell and I got blown around a lot up there. One complaint that I have is they blocked off two driving lanes on the bridge, one coming and one going, and the lanes were narrow so it was easy to get bunched up around people and get stuck behind slower runners, which is always frustrating. About the time I was halfway over the bridge I started getting pretty severe stomach cramps. Knowing I was stuck out there on the course, with about 8 more miles left to go stopping and walking would have just prolonged the discomfort so I kept running. The cramps would come in waves too so I would get relief for a little while at least.

6 more huge hills and I was very happy that I do squats because my legs were my workhorses as I muscled my way up them. There were more hills and steeper hills than I expected though. I would think I was finally done with them but at mile 12 there was still one final hill. The good thing about hills though is that they make the time go by faster. I was so focused on running up them and keeping my pace that I didn't pay attention to what mile I was on as much as I would on a flat course where there are no hills to distract me.

I finished at a decent time, at least one that I was happy with. I had slacked off my training the last 2 weeks and didnt train any hills because I got lazy so I am kind of annoyed with myself because I probably could have had a PR if I trained harder. This was my 4th half marathon and the best time I had so far was 1:45, and that was on a completely flat course. This time I ran it in 1:54, so I averaged an 8:42 mile. Overall I placed 977 out of 6,678 and out of females in my age group I placed 96 out of 1,342.

The bad news however was I finished an hour ahead of Brenda and Melissa so I had to wait for them with bad stomach cramps and in freezing temperatures. I wasnt cold when I was running but when I stop and was all sweaty, I cooled off pretty quickly. By the time they finished and we got on the bus to take us back to the start line so we could take a cab back to the hotel, all 3 of us were experiencing bad stomach cramps. And once we got back to the hotel, the fun really began. We basically took turns without giving the toilet any breaks in between uses for 4 hours. Brenda had it the worst because she was also throwing up but we were all suffering. We all managed to pull it together and make our reservation at Asia SF for a drag show and dinner later that night and both were fabulous. They are also opening an Asia SF in Hollywood so at some point I think everyone should check it out, it is amazing and a lot of fun (I am going to try and post a video later).

So thats about it, race, colon blow and drag queens made for a very interesting weekend! I really love SF too, that city just makes me happy.

Oh and I am sorry I didnt make it to the game last night, I know I missed out but I was so tired from the weekend. I was still tired this morning proof of which is that I wore my shirt inside out to starbucks, true story, it was awesome.

What a difference a day makes!

After my day of being a complete mess, today is already shaping up to be a whole hell of a lot better.

I got 8 glorious hours of sleep last night and woke up and showered this morning so I feel pulled together and clean. I even blow dried my hair this morning which I never do. Of course this would have been more useful yesterday when it mattered but there is nothing I can do about it now. We will have job site meetings every two weeks so I will make a better impressioon then.

When I got to work this morning my dad pulls me into his office and closes the door, which usually means you are in trouble. This time however it was to tell me that he was giving me a 15% raise! This is my first raise I have ever recieved anywhere because I am usually not with a company long enough. I have been here for almost 2 years now so I have put in my time and especially recently I have had increased responsibility. I am not really doing anything special with the extra money but using it to pay off my debt which I am more than happy to do.

This weekend I am going to San Fran to run a half marathon and to celebrate my birthday with my friends Melissa and Brenda and I am very much looking forward to it. Well none of us are that excited about the run itself as our training for it hasnt been all that great but we get to spend a weekend in SF, so what if we have to torture ourselves for a few hours Sunday morning. Brenda has a friend who works for the Fairmont so we are going to be staying there. We get a really good discount and since the rooms are regularly like $350 a night it isnt very affordable without the discount. Sometimes it can be fun to be fancy schmancy for a weekend.

I return Monday and my birthday is Tuesday but I was hoping to go out for dinner and drinks on Saturday the 9th. I am thinking we can just go to Mr. Sushi and then Landmark. Anyway anyone who reads this is invited and I will be more specific next week.

Have a great weekend!

I am a mess

I have been a complete disatser all day and naturally that would happen on the day I have a pre construction meeting to go to.

I woke up really sick to my stomach and dizzy. I know I had a few drinks last night but there were no shots or anything, I should have been good. When I had to lay down twice during the process of getting ready though it wasn't a good sign, particularly because I needed to be at work a few minutes early to get something together for my dad. So I pulled my hair up in some semblance of a pony tail, threw on my blue dress and flats which I thought would be comfortable but really just doesnt look professional and went to work.

I put together what I needed to in a bit of a haze and promptly went to the bathroom and made myself throw up. I felt good after that but I cant even remember the last time I threw up so I dont know why I was so hungover.

I felt progressively better as the morning went on and went to an Architects office in the work truck which has no AC. This is a small price to pay because that is gas I am not paying for. I had to naturally drive with my windows down and that was murder on my already pathetic hair. And when I was walking back to the office I stepped in mud in open toed flat shoes and now am sporting some muddy shoes and toes.

When I got back to the office my dad tells me he wants me to go to the pre-construction meeting this afternoon. My hair looks like Nick Noltes mug shot hair, I have muddy shoes, I am dishelved, I look tired and I havent showered. What a great time for me to make a first impression!

Off I go, weee!

Project Runway Episode 3

In this episode the contestants took a bus ride through rainy New York and were given cameras to take pictures of things that inspire them. Later they would chose a picture that they took and use it to create an outfit around.

Meanwhile Suede continues to refer to himself in the 3rd person, augh.

Rocker chick (stella) continues her bitching and complaining about nearly everything in her irritating accent. She is also putting a lot of time into her I am rock n roll campaign 08, announcing how rock n roll she is at every opportunity. I can't help but think that she looks like she smells. I also think someone should tell her that jet black hair in your 40's ages you no matter how rock n roll you are.

The two plain girls I can't seem to keep straight. They both incite me to long bouts of yawning and look like they were supposed to be getting a makeover on What Not To Wear but somehow wandered into the wrong studio. One of them gets inspired by a clock becayse NY is the city that never sleeps. Well thats creative. Is she Mormon? Maybe Amish.

Well it turns out Keith is the Mormon of the group and they surely wouldnt have two Mormons so that answered that question. Keith talks about how he is from Utah and how it was hard being gay in that enviornment. I think it is the bandana tied around his forehead that is the real problem though.

Once they began to work, Stella once again decided to announce she is rock n roll as she hammers away at some metal stud leather mess she was creating, irritating everyone. We get it Stella, you are so rock n roll. When she inevitably gets kicked off the show for being one dimensional though, at least she can get a job as the Ramones stylist.
She came up with this little number:

It is a distinct look, but a vest and tight pants that lace up, really? I think rockers have been wearing that very same outfit since the 60's, not exactly creative or risky but it is what she does best and she wanted to showcase that for the judges so ok but I really hope she has a little more diversity in her looks.

After hours of stressed out working they were finally able to take it to the runway and to guest judge Sandra Bernhard -- wtf? I never considered her a fashion icon myself, maybe she is just there as a gay icon or maybe it is a NY thing but I found it odd she was a guest judge. Kind of like Jaclyn Smith hosting Shear Genius.

Anyway after they all sashayed down the runway, the field was cut in half as the middle of the roaders left the runway and the judges got down to what they do best, criticising. I was a little suprised with some of the praise they gave out though. This looks the judges raved about but I couldnt understand why:

My favorite this week was the work of one of the boring (although less so than the other) Leanne:

The picture again doesnt really give it justice but it was very well executed and I liked to contrast and lines.
The judges decided Kiley was the winner this week:

I like this look as well. I am not a fan of tulle but she uses it well, the colors are great and it's cute. I could see a Gwen Steffani type wearing this and pulling it off. I however would look like a Golden Girl.

And finally Emily was given the boot because of this little number:


Tim tried to warn her but to no avail. Not only does this look like an outfit that a prostitute trying to emulate Carrie Bradshaw would wear but it is also not very creative or interesting.

Stay tuned for next weeks recap.

Nike Soccer Commercial

Since I have been all about posting the videos lately, why not post another. This is a Nike commercial I saw recently that I really liked. It isn't your typical commercial because you take the pont of view of a player which I thought gave it a fresh and interesting perspective. You almost feel like you are there and playing. There is also some nice eye candy as well, which can never hurt.

Dramatic Lemur

Talked about this, thought I would post it.

The cabin weekend round up

The gang and I went up to my cabin at Shaver Lake this weekend and fun was had by all. There was A LOT of intoxication which resulted in me deciding to write down a list of all the funny (at least at the time) things that we said throughout the weekend. Here is the list:

Day 1:
"That feels weird on my tummy" (re: hermaphrodite sex)

"But it's POOPuri!"

Brians Indian Name: Shit streak Clumbsy Bear

(Ed is falling over)"Slurry McStumble"

"I bet Mike can do Yogi Bear"

"Cause its HIS vagina!"

"No Grandpa, thats glaucoma"

Kasey:You smoked my pussy weed too
Adam: Mmmmm?

Day 2:
Me: Whats cushy?
Brian: My hoodie

"I'm stoo toned to talk"(I seriously was)

Ed is poking Adam with his marshmellow stick

"Only if I am gonna maul a gay"

"Obi Wan is in the kitchen"

Me: Mushmarlow

Brain: More pushin for the cushion

"The whites of your eyes are as pink as your cheeks"

"I'm gargasmell and I'm gonna fart on you!"


Ahh, good times. Next are a few photos I took on my phone:


This is a random cat with its paw stuck in some sort of lid that was near a cabin we found while geogaching.


Adam standing in a sea of ferns. If you look at this pic larger, Adam looks like a crazy mountain man holding a gun that I snuck up on.


This is the fire pit we sat around. If you look at this pic big and look in the upper left hand corner you can see Adam again looking rather creepy.


This is is Shaver Lake, we stopped to give our respects on before we left. Isn't all the smoke beautiful?

So there you have it. If you couldnt be there, this is the next best thing.

My mom mentioned this to me today and I thought I would share. Clovis Town Center is showing all of their movies, day, night, student or otherwise for 3 bucks. My first thought was they are probably playing really crappy or old movies but today they have Sex in the City, Iron Man, Indiana Jones etc. so they arent that old or that crappy really. So if you like to go to watch movies it might save you a few bucks.

Do not watch this unless you have sound, it wont be nearly as funny.

Alright let's get this ball rolling and discuss the specifics about the weekend. Several us chatted last night so here is the summary:

-Attending: Ed, Heather, Brian, Adam, Abigail, me, maybe Mike
-We leave no later than noon on Saturday, I am shooting for meeting up at 11:30 say at Ed & Heathers
-Come back whenever on Sunday but I would like to be home no later than 6 personally
-Ed and Brian will drive since they do not have gas guzzlers
-If you have an ipod, bring it
-Brian is going to bring his meat and also something to grill
-I am going to bring the mixers, 7-Up and Diet Pepsi (also bottled water) any other requests?
-We will need some sandwich fixings, chips, snacks, side dishes for Brians meat, and some saugage for breakfast? (I have eggs)
-Bring your own alcohol
-We will need charcoal for the grill
-Bring your swimsuit and a beach towel
-Bring some dice, we have a full poker set and some cups
-Plastic cups, I have plastic silverware
-A couple of you should bring pillows because there probably isnt enough for everyone

Umm I cant think of anything else right now. So what is everyone bringing and what did I miss discussing?

Project Runway Episode 2 Recap

In this episode, the designers had to make an eco friendly cocktail look with a twist-the models had to shop for the fabrics and materials with no input from the designers. Models may wear pretty clothes all day but they dont know much when it comes to design so this was definitely a challenge for the designers (and they bitched and moaned about it the entire time).

The winner was Suede, who likes to talk about himself in the third person to the annoyance of everyone.

I was personally not a big fan of this look, but thats because I just dont like the taffeta crap thats going on on the bottom. He did a good job of blending the fabrics together on top but I would never in a million years wear that. Instead of getting immunity this episode, the winner has their design up for sale on Bluefly which is pretty sweet.

My personal favorite was Terri's dress, which is much more my style.

The picture really doesnt do it justice but I liked the color and the neckline a lot. It was well done but I can see how it wouldnt stand out to the judges.

The loser of the episode was Wesley who created this little number:

Yeah, not so great. Of course the fabric he had to work with was not great and he probably didnt have enough of it but another designer had the same fabric and she got by alright.

At this point it is too early to tell who stands out or who is consistently strong. This was a difficult challenge since they had no control of their fabrics selection and since for the first challenge they had to shop for their fabrics at a grocery store, I look forward to when they have a more reasonable challenge to see what they can really do.

R.I.P. Estelle Getty

Madison beat me to posting this, but sadly yesterday Estelle Getty passed away. Estelle is best known for her role of Sophia Petrillo, the wise cracking, fiesty mother on the Golden Girls. If you have been to my apartment you may have noticed my obsession with that show as I have the entire series on dvd and have watched each episode many many times. Sophia was my favorite character and I plan to be as onry as her when I am an old lady.

No one could have played Sophia as well as she did and the show would have never been so successful without her. Sophia is one of the most memorable tv characters of all time but aside from her acting abilities, she was a vocal supporter of gay rights and active in fundraising for AIDS research. She retired in 2000 after revealing she was suffering from Parkinson's disease. Two years later, she announced she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Here are some of her more memorable quotes from that show:
(Sophia walks into the kitchen)
Dorothy : You couldn't sleep either, huh?
Sophia : No, I'm sleeping so good I thought I'd come try it in the sink.

Dorothy : Well Blanche is certainly taking her sister's novel better than I would. I would kill my sister Gloria if she ever wrote about my sex life.
Sophia : You would kill your sister over a pamphlet?

Sophia : Blanche, a terrible thing has happened to you. But when life does something like this, there are a couple of things you got to remember. You got your health, right?
Blanche : Yeah.
Sophia : You can still walk, can't you?
Blanche : That's true.
Sophia : Great, go get me a glass of water


(see pic above)
Rose : Sophia, is that a Captain Jack's Seafood Shanty uniform?
Sophia : No, Rose. I'm off to discover the Straits of Magellan. Yo ho!

Since Adam Cannot Be Bothered...

Here is my Wednesday Smile.

My favorite part of going to Monterey Bay Aquarium is always the sea otters.

Feel free to offer your own captions.

Previously Ed has mentioned there was a rumor that a British grocery chain was coming to Fresno and this appears to be true. "Fresh and Easy" (we can talk more about that name later) will be breaking ground at Tulare and R Street in Downtown Fresno, the former site of the Old Fresno Hofbrau and isn't expected to open for at least a year.

Although the story mentions that they are looking to open other locations in the central valley, they do not mention they will be opening a store in Tower and since the remodeling of the store taking the place of the Drug Fair is well under way, it is probably safe to assume that it wont be "Fresh and Easy".

I am still keeping my fingers crossed that it is going to be a Trader Joes but there is no proof of that either on their website or otherwise. It looks like they have taken the old sign down so I keep hoping the new one will go up soon but that hasn't happened yet.

And so the mystery continues...

Perhaps I am a little paranoid but I have had a couple of instances of people coming to my door recently that is beginning to make me uncomfortable.

First, there was a guy two weeks ago who stopped me when I was parking and asked if he could wash the windows of my truck to make a few bucks. Well my windshield was a disaster and he seemed harmless so I said ok, paid him a few bucks and he was on his way.

Now I dont open the door to anyone unless I am expecting them or they they say something so I know who they are, so when there was a knock on my door last week I didnt get it but I looked out my blinds and could see it was the same man. Ok so he obviously watched me go into my apartment but I still didnt feel terribly uncomfortable, he probably just wanted a few more bucks and thought I could help him out. He has knocked on my door another time since then as well.

Today I had a fever and stayed home but went out to get some medicine and as I was walking up to my apartment noticed a group of about 4-5 punk looking kids walking up the sidewalk. I remember one of them in particular because he was wearing these awful big red pants with zippers everywhere and a hat that had ears on it.

Anyway a few hours later someone knocks on my door. Again I dont answer but when I look out I can see its the kid with the red pants. His friends were also standing in the yard below. I cant think of a single reason he would knock on my door because he didnt knock on anyone else's and he knocked 3 times and stayed out there for a longer period of time than I would if no one answered the door.

At about 7 there was another knock, same kid without his friends this time. Again he knocked loudly three ties and stood out there for awhile and then walked down the stairs, looking back up the entire time. 45 minutes later he is back again, same thing.

This is beginning to make me very uncomfortable and part of me wants to ask what he wants but I would rather just ignore him and have him go away. I have never felt uncomfortable in my apartment until now and it just makes me uneasy because I dont have the best security system here.

Ahh the joys of living alone.

Not So Girly Post

When we start our Dice Riff Raff motorcycle gang I think we should choreograph a routine like this.

Girly Post

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT BELOW. LOOK AT YOUR OWN RISK.


Any of you make up guru's out there want to try this new mascara for me?

I am intrigued but also confused by the shape of this brush, but it says its "revoluntionary" so thats got to be good, right? Cosmetic companies would never lie.
Anyway I am always looking for a good mascara and can never find anything that I really love. I am also cheap when it comes to cosmetics though so spending $27 on a product where there is no guarantee it will be worth it is just a bit too risky for me. This is probably also why I cant find a good mascara since I buy all my make up at Target.
So I think one of you girls should try it and get back to me. Go now.

I am sort of in love with the color purple right now, which is as girly a color I will go since I hate the color pink and I am lusting after these two dresses:



Um, these ads make me uncomfortable:

I am sure some people may think they are edgy but to me they are just tacky and uneccesarily provacative. A little class can go a long way, a concept obviously lost on Tom Ford and American Appareal.

When I Grow Up...

Several people around me are growing up and taking big steps into the adult world this weekend, and I will be enjoying watching from the sidelines with a cocktail.

Saturday my friend Brooke is getting married. She is my 4th friend to get married so far this year, congrats to her. Here is to hoping the food is good and no one tries to force me to dance. And since people are in town for the wedding this weekend I may be meeting up with some old high school friends tonight so I may not be seeing any of you this weekend. Try to hold it together.

I also just recieved a text from Annie (you remember her, she kicked our assess in the March Madness pool) and she gave birth to a 7 pound 15 ounce girl mere minutes ago. Her name is Reagan Emily Ramirez and both mother and daughter are doing well. Big congrats to her and her husband.

Even though a lot of my friends are at the point where they are moving on to new steps, I am feeling quite content where I am. I have always been a late bloomer anyway so it doesn't suprise me that I will probably be the last of my friends to do everything, dragging and kicking my feet as I go. I enjoy being able to do exactly what I want to do at all times without worrying about obligations. Don't get me wrong, getting married, having children and buying houses are all really exciting and great things, but I am not ready to give up my unobligated life quite yet.

When Funny Things Happen

Sometimes funny things happen when you are the only one around to witness it. Although I know that re-telling this will not be nearly as funny as actually being there I feel the need to share.

Yesterday I was running on the treadmill at the gym when a guy about my age walks up to use the roman chair (see picture below). Normally people use this for their back but you can also use it to work your abs as shown.

Now the way the weight room is set up the cardio equipment is in the back facing the room and right in front of the treadmills is where you do ab work, which is where the roman chair was set up. It is basically a stage for anyone doing cardio to be entertained by.

So when this guy walks up there is no one but myself on the cardio equipment and there was no one in the ab area either so I was really the only one who had a good look. The guy gets on the roman chair and does his back extensions and then he flips over to do some ab work just like the guy in the picture only there is one big difference, this guy has a massive erection. I took a second look to make sure it wasn't a shadow but no, he definitely had wood.

I looked around to see if anyone was remotely near and if they had seen this but there was no one close. I didnt want someone to catch me staring at it but it was too funny to not look. It was like a groundhog poking its head up out of a hole each time he sat up. I wondered though how he didnt feel that his junk was hard, I mean I know they have a mind of their own but it is still attached to your body so how can you not know? This led me to the even more disturbing thought that in fact he did know about his hard on. Eww.

Technically chanlleged work annoyance number 6,238

My dad cannot be bothered with checking his own email. My mom is usually who checks his account, prints out the emails (yes ALL of his emails are to be printed out) and sends out his responses. When my mom isn't here I am responsible for doing this.

My dad is a Rotary member and is on a board of some sort there and one of his Rotary buddies sends out at 5-10 emails a day, mostly those fyi emails or here-is-what-I-am-working-on-so-I-am-going-to-fill-your-inbox-with-crap-you-don't-care-about emails. Occasionally it will be an email to solicit a response. For example, today he asked that the members vote yay or nay on something and he would send out an email with the results. Every single member, except my dad (or me actually), hit reply all so I have been getting emails all day from people saying "yay".

Frick. Frick. Frick.

It's Back!

Although Heather may be the only one who cares, the new season of Project Runway starts tonight at 9 (not 10) on Bravo.

I Want Some Shaved Ice

Does anyone know where I can get some Shaved Ice? I watched "How It's Made" or some show like that and they did a segment on it and it looked so freakin good. Just don't confuse shaved ice with snow cones though because they aren't the same thing and I don't like snow cones. Just thinking about crunching on ice from a snow cone makes me cringe.

Bumper Sticker of The Day

"God protect me from your followers"

Seen on the 41, the car was driving too fast for me to take a picture but it made me chuckle.

I know how he feels, I hate Mondays too

http://view.break.com/528932 - Watch more free videos

Things That I love Right Now

1. Gingerale. Sometimes I think I have an old lady soul trapped inside of me. Maybe I just watch Golden Girls too much but I love this drink and I am becoming obsessed with it. With whiskey, without, on a plane, on ice, with a squeeze of fresh lime...love it.

2. Getting up early on Sundays. Although I do miss out on Saturday night I love getting up early and getting a long run in before I would normally even wake up. Yesterday I saw hot air balloons in the distance which are always very beautiful in the early morning haze err light. I also had a super productive day after my run and cleaned my entire apartment (it took like 4 hours, it had been awhile), did laundry and got coffee and read for a few hours. I went to bed exhausted but the good exhausted where you feel accomplished.

3. Audiobooks. I used to feel like I was cheating because I am not actually doing the reading myself, but I find that I get to experience a lot more books when I listen to them. Walking around the neighborhood, at the store, while driving, on the treadmill-all places where real reading isn't possible. I still enjoy reading the old fashioned way too, but audiobooks are fantastic.

4. Self Tanning lotions. I screw up every now and then around the feet but for the most part I look tan without having to lay in the sun for hours.

5. Grapes. The red ones (the green ones have always seemed like the red headed step child of the grape family to me).

For Mike

"Hey remember when Kobe Bryant jacked that kids nachos?"

What I Hate About My Job Most

I am extremely frustrated right now and it all comes down to my dads approach to me at work. My dad has always believed in the sink or swim aproach to life. Even when I was a kid, I learned to never ask my dad for help in school work because he would never help me and it always resulted in us getting into an argument. From his perspective I should I am smart enough to figure things out on my own and therefore asking for help is an easy way out and I am using him as a crutch. I did well in school without his help but there were times when I just wanted him to sit down with him and help me figure out a problem, going to him for help was never really an option. I really feel that we would be closer if he had.

This philosophy has carried over at work. It is never, here let me show you how to do this. Usually he plops something out on my desk, I will ask what it is and he gives me some vague direction to do something I have never done before and when I ask for more information he usually smirks and says "you can figure it out".

Case in point, I am in charge of close out documents for all of the projects. This includes collecting warranties and other various documents to give to the owner at the end of the job. This is a very simplified explanation because I don't know what kind of work is involved in built up membrane roofing and the specifics of the electrical work and I am also not familiar with the language. I don't know anything about construction so often times I feel like I am working blind. So my dad comes in and plops a huge plastic bag on my desk that is filled with brochures and manuals and warranties and spare material.

The warranties are all general and have no specifics as to what work or materials it is for and there is no organization whatsover. I have no idea what to even do with it all and when I ask my dad for help he says "make copies". I ask what I am supposed to make copies of if I dont know what it all is in the first place and exactly how I am supposed to make copies of this stuff. His response "make copies with a copier" and walks away. I tell him as he walks away that that doesnt help me but he doesnt respond. So I ask Susan, who did all the close outs before me and is much more knowledgeable and she says she has no idea what all of it is either and is just a baffled and my dad comes over, basically throw a couple of clear plastic binder pages at me as if this was the solution and walks away.

It is beyond frustrating that I dont get any guidance or help. I don't know what to do or where to even begin but he just leaves me to figure it out on my own. I am new to this industry, I am inexperienced and I am unfamilar with a lot in construction and when this shit happens it completely deflates my self esteem and leaves me unmotivated. I have talked to him before about this and he tells me he will start training me and have everyone else train me more but it never happens. Everyone is either too busy or just doesnt take the time. He is also somehow under the impression that I am a computer whiz and expected me to make a website for him, like it was easy and I could do it. Right now I just want to walk out and leave and tell him to go fuck himself. Obviously I am not going to do this so instead I vent in my blog.
We are drinking tonight right?

On occasion, particularly when I travel, I carry a small notebook with me. I use it to write things down about people I see, things I experience, and things that I want to remember. Since I normally travel alone it can entertain me because usually what I write down are things that I find amusing. Other times I write because I have no one to talk to so I get out my thoughts on paper somewhat therapeutically. Here are a few things that I wrote down regarding my trip from Austin to Fresno:

When the pilot announced that there was another place at our gate and we would be sitting for at least 10 minutes I immediately began to squirm. Somehow I could easily sit for the 2 hour flight rather pleasantly, however sitting in the plane while it was on the ground for a miniscule 10 minutes was almost more than I can handle. The panic radiated from my chest, down my arms and legs like pumping blood and I started getting hot.

I suddenly noticed all of the people around me. Not that I hadn't realized they were there, but they were peripheral before and now it was as if they were closing in on me, snatching my personal space from me. I imagined myself flailing and pushing my way out of the cabin of the plane for some open, fresh air but didn't feel like following that up with getting arrested and having my body cavities probed. Don't get me wrong, sometimes all a girl needs is a good probing but in this situation it wasn't at all appealing.

Nine minutes have gone by. Fuck, they better get this plane moving, I really don't want to freak out in front of all of these people. The voice of the captain breaks through my convoluted and somewhat psychotic thoughts and says "Folks, looks like we have about 5 more minutes, there is still a plane at our gate". I exhaled deeply. Why is there a plane at our gate and why do captains always call passengers folks anyway? Why not "ladies and gentlemen" or "party people" or "you's guys"? Obviously the stress of sitting here is making me super bitch, but the only thing that is making me feel better is to get annoyed at everything so I continued to be annoyed.

Seven minutes later and I am almost going into Lamaze breathing, or tattoo breathing really since I have experience with the later and not the former, and the plane lurches forward. Oh thank god, I think am going to make it.

What I had been able to ignore since I had my Ipod on most of the flight was the group of older women behind me. They were apparently traveling to Hawaii since they all had lays on (either that or they just had really poor taste in jewelry) and one of them had a really thick southern Texas accent. Naturally, she was the one who talked incessantly. To be fair, at this point a puppy would have probably irritated me, but since there were no puppies on this flight my irritation was focused on this woman.

During take off and landing she verbally identified everything that she saw through her small plane window. "I think those are farms down there, those squares must be farmland" or "Oh look, there is another plane over there, I wonder where they are going" or "mountains aren't as tall from up here". These are things that people might think but don’t feel the need to say aloud, at least not me and I have a tendency to be annoyed in certain situations when people don’t think and act like I do.

As we were taxiing to the gate her voice drowned out all others,

"The other night I was watchin this hidden camera show and what a hoot that was!" I imagined she slapped her leg when she said this but I couldn’t see to know for sure. "The things people do when they don’t think anyone is watching, I'll tell you. I mean god is always watching so you should always be on your best behavior, serves them right that they got caught".

This made me visibly cringe. I thought about making eye contact with the girl next to me, she was about 17 and had her yearbook out most of the flight, but it would have been risky. If she didn't look like she to may agree that god was indeed always watching, I might have looked at her, and rolled my eyes. If she sided with the god woman though, I would have been stuck sitting next to someone who thought me to be a judgmental bitch and as true as that may be, I wasn't comfortable with this stranger thinking that. So I kept my eyes looking out the window at the airport terminal I so desperately wanted to be in.

"We need to stop by Big Lots when we get there" the woman continued running her mouth, "I need to get some underwear and some more pillas". She laughed loudly when she said this as if it were an inside joke and I wanted to turn to tell her the correct pronunciation was "pillow" not "pilla" but it would have sounded snotty. Again I kept my eyes out the winda err window and dreamed of the pilot coming back on the radio and saying "Hey you's guys, it is against FAA policy for people to talk loudly about their underwear especially if they are old and unattractive. Please report this behavior to the flight attendant and please refrain from smoking until you get to the designated smoking areas". This of course didn’t happen but as I was thinking about it I am sure it distracted me from hearing more from her.

When we finally arrived at our gate and debarked I felt relieved to have made it without making a disturbance that would land me on Foxnews. Disaster averted, next time I am taking xanax with me.

The Dangers of Auto-Replace

The American Family Association’s OneNewsNow site has a standard practice of using the word “homosexual”* instead of “gay” when referring to the gay population. They set up a filter to automatically make the change but this little faux paus got past them.

The article is about the sprinter Tyson Gay but as you can see his last name was automatically replaced with homosexual. This resulted in the rather comical headline:

Homosexual eases into 100 Final at Olympic Trials

as well as:

Asked how he felt, Homosexual said: ‘A little fatigued.’

The website corrected its error (without apology) but not quickly enough that no one noticed.

Source.

It's Baaack!

When I was in sixth grade I had a hypercolor shirt that I absolutely loved. It was purple and turned pink when you got hot or someone touched it (just like in the picture). I no longer have the shirt but it looks like it can now be replaced. Hyperdcolor is back baby!
I love the novelty but wearing that in Fresno may be problematic. It would either be pink all the time (I hate that color) or you could have pink pits all the time or in other places that get hot and I am not sure if that would be such a good look.

I Smell Rocky VII...

The Germans have found a way to combine both intelligence and athletic ability in one competition, Chess Boxing.



This shows it a little better and is subtitled:

I do believe in UFOs, I do, I do!

Last night I was sitting on my couch, sweating and feeling generally apathetic, when I looked up and saw something strange. I had my blinds closed and the curtains drawn to prevent as much as heat as possible from coming into my apartment. One of the blinds is broken so that there was a stream of light that came in through the broken blind. The light reflected off my wall, on my "I want to believe" UFO poster:



Weird, no? The light starts at the exact spot there is a reflection on the UFO in the poster. The X-Files theme should be playing in your head right now. And speaking of the X-Files, the new movie comes out July 25th and it is called X-Files:I want to Believe. Some really creative marketing perhaps?

And I am back...

Austin was great and I had a really good time while I was there. Traveling was interesting as it always is. Part of the reason I like traveling so much,and more specifically airports, is because of all of the people you encounter. More on that later though.

I have a dentist appointment and a lot of work to catch up on today so that is all for now.

Happy hot Tuesday.

Bon Voyage

Tomorrow at 6:10 AM (ugh) I am flying to Austin to spend the 4th with my sister. The past few times I have seen her have been somehwat chaotic with wedding receptions and what not so I am looking forward to a more mellow trip with some quality time with my sissy poo.

I am sure you want to know exactly what I will be doing there so here is the rundown:

-Grilling out on Friday, there will be lots of food and jack and coke as my brother in law favors that drink as well.
-Saturday we are taking the boat to Lake Travis to do a little wakeboarding.
-Sunday we are shopping, getting pedicures and maybe going to the Alamo Draft House
-And in between all of that I will be going to Town Lake for a run or two.

I fly home Monday.

I will see ya'll (I am practicing) for a bit tonight but if I dont see you, have a great 4th!

To The Ladies

Confessional: I do not like VPL's and will avoid them at all costs (I think everyone should really but I am not a miracle worker). What this means is I wear thongs the majority of the time. Usually this isnt a problem but there are some days when I cannot be bothered by a strip of material up my ass. Somedays it is just really hot and I am sweaty or I haven't done laundry in awhile so I only have the uncomfortable ones that irritate and literally rub me the wrong way left, whatever the reason I wanted to know whats a girl to do?
Well I have found the solution in the golden child of panties, Jockey® "No Panty Line Promise" Tactel Modern Brief. Not only does it promise no VPL's in its name (and delivers) but the are super comfy. And if you dress gets blown up in a breeze, you have these cute little numbers on instead of full ass cheek exposure. Simply fantastic.

The Man in My Life

Recently Mike asked me if I had any men in my life. My answer was "no, but there is this dog named Maynard that I love". Here he is looking awfully adorable:


He comes in the office to visit me every morning, well actually he probably comes to see me because I give him treats but whatever, I still love him even if he is using me for chicken drumstick treats. The super (also Mike) who owns Maynard keeps saying he needs to breed him so he can give me a puppy but we'll see if he follows through with it.

Mike was really depressed and angry before he got Maynard and since then, he is much happier and jovial when he comes in the office. His change in mood has drastically improved. And When he first brought Maynard in, Maynard was really nervous and unenergetic and didn't want to interact with anyone. Now he is this happy little wiggly puppy dog that lights everyone up when they see him.

Dogs are the best and I really really want one.

Although her body is smokin hot, I have a really hard time feeling comfortable looking at Selma Blair in this outfit. I am convinced that one cannot wear something this form fitting without a camel toe making an appearance and that is something I just dont want to see, much like I dont want to see the 60 old lady in the gym stretching with her legs over her head in spandex. It is disgusting.

I have seen a couple of celebrities lately wearing these cat suits lately and I am not a fan. You would have to take the whole thing off to use the bathroom and if it isnt a camel toe you need to worry about, its a wedgie. And I dont think anyone with even the slightest ass could not wear this without being mistaken for a prostitute.

Thumbs down for me, save the cat suit for Halloween.

Save the Date

After repeated requests I have finally gotten on the ball and reserved the cabin for the last weekend in July, which will be the 26th and 27th. I figure that we can go up Saturday and come home Sunday. More details to follow but I wanted to make sure that date worked for most people and that no one made any other plans. So, how does that sound?

I really don't have anything interesting or amusing to say so this will be a random musings post:

-I tried the new ice cream shop in Tower on Wednesday, I believe it is called Scoops. It is very kitschy and also somewhat queer so I liked it immediately. Unfortunately the Superior Dairy ice cream was not available because that side of the freezer had gone out so I had to settle for Foster Farms. I had cookies n' cream, which is a favorite of mine because in order for ice cream to be good, you have to be able to mine for something. Just plain ice cream without a chunk of something to dig for is not acceptable to me. The ice cream was good but I have heard so much about Superior Dairy that I was dissapointed I wasn't able to try it. I will go back to try that later.
-I also was handed a flier on my way there about going vegetarian. Now I respect vegeterians for the moral stance they take. I am sure if I thought about where every piece of meat I eat has come from and the animals that die in unpleasant ways for me, I would have a hard time swallowing. As it is though I don't think about it and thus enjoy how tasty it is. Back to the flier, it was informative and wasn't one of those in your face animal murderer campaigns but it did make me chuckle. They put pictures of animal cartoons on it and the pig is saying "We love you" and the chicken is saying "we pray for you" which struck me funny for some reason. I didn't know chickens prayed for me or that pigs loved me but it was the chickens praying that tickled me. I just kept picturing a chicken walking around, doing the head bob thing and saying "brock,are you there god, brock brock, its me chicken, brock,please help people, brock brock, not to eat me, brock brock!" I know, I am twisted.
-In case you haven't noticed, I am now posting a daily quote on the upper right side of my blog. No reason really just thought I would.

That is all.

I got a new keyboard with a "g" that actually works, hot damn. It is also very quiet and also ergonomic, holla.

Go! USA! Go!

Excited about the Olympics? Learn the official cheer here (panda suit optional):



Step one: Clap twice while shouting, "Olympics!"

Step two: Extend your arms forward, make fists with your thumbs up, and shout, "go!"

Step three: Clap twice while shouting the name of your favored country.

Step four: Extend your arms upwards, fists clenched, while shouting, "go!"


I love asians.

Word of the Day: Discontent

“What makes us discontented with our condition is the absurdly exaggerated idea we have of the happiness of others.”

"Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure." --Thomas Edison

"We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves.” -- Henri Frederic Amiel

“To be completely woman you need a master, and in him a compass for your life. You need a man you can look up to and respect. If you dethrone him it's no wonder that you are discontented, and discontented women are not loved for long.” -- Marlene Dietrich

“Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better.” -- Florence Nightingale

Just whats on my mind lately.

R.I.P.

Last night we had to put one of the family dogs to sleep. Ginger had suffered from infrequent seizures that we thought were under control after putting her on medication but this weekend they overcame her. She had 18 in one day and was suffering when my parents took her to the emergency vet. They induced a coma to calm her down overnight and when they woke her from the coma she went right into seizing again which means that it is most likely she had a brain tumor of some kind. Not wanting her to suffer anymore the decision was made to put her to sleep.

Ginger was our goofy dog that always greeted you with more enthusiasm than anyone ever deserved. Even when it had been a few months since I saw her, she would always bark frantically and excitidly when I came home. Her high pitched bark was literally painful to your ears but you couldnt be mad at anything that could get so excited to see you. Thats what I will miss most, her always trying to "talk" to you

Ironically I am reading the book The Art of Racing in the Rain right now, which is a book written in the perspective of a dog who is about to be put to sleep. I will need a box of kleenex to get through it I am sure.


Anyway, it is a sad day.

Turns out, I am just highly evolved. My snide remarks help me make friends. Sweet.

Things That I love /Things That I Hate Today

Love
Hot Weather
Finding a sealed plastic bag of condoms and flavored lube on my stairs this morning
Iced green tea, yum!
This story about one of Michael Vick's dogs
My co-worker giving me a handful of Peanut M&M's
This report saying that the cost of womens clothing has gone down 5% over this past year
Sore muscles from yesterdays workout
Fresh fruit
Smoothies

Hate
Getting dirt all up in my shoes at a jobsite this morning
The head of my peacock being really, really itchy
Finding a pair of shoes I looove but not having them in my size
"I just hope gods wrath wont fall down in this city while I am here" - said by a tourist in California about gays being able to marry
Needing gas and knowing it will cost $100
Black ants moving into my office
Co-worker telling me everything she got at the grocery store last night

I Am A Nerd

I have a confession. I absolutely love PowerPoint. I could put together PowerPoint presentations for hours on end and be absolutely content and happy.
The reason I bring this up is my dad asked me if I knew PowerPoint because he was thinking about using it in some of his presentations and he wasn't even aware that we already had that program on our computers err, I mean our machines. That would make work a little more interesting for me. Maybe I can also convinvce him that he needs a blog....

While I was getting my tattoo I have a very fuzzy memory of Adam talking sarcastically about getting tats of superheroes. I have no idea who Adam was talking about or why that even came up but apparantly someone has already had that incredibly brilliant idea:

All I can say is wow.

Also I didnt realize Tigger was a superhero. I guess he can bounce pretty well though so maybe thats his power?

Shesh.

"Are You Nuts?"

Here is video of my mom reacting for the first time to a picture of my tattoo. I have been wearing dresses so I havent been able to show them the actual tattoo yet. It is a classic mom reaction, note the deer in the headlights look she gives me. Unfortunately the video on my phone cuts off after 30 seconds but you get the idea.

My dad still doesnt know but I think this may be a win for me under Operation Parents Flip Their Shit.

Transcript of convo for those who dont have sound:

Me: Go look at my computer screen, see if it is something you recognize
Mom: Thats not you?
Me: That is me!
Mom: You did that?
Me: I did that.
Mom: You have that on your body?
Me: That is on me.
Mom: Are you nuts?
Me: No
Mom: Why did you do that?
Me: Its beautiful!
Mom:Yeah but are you going to want that when you are 85 years old?

This is where the video stops but she continued to say I dont understand why you would want to have that - I just dont get it - Does your sister know? etc. etc.

I cant stop playing with this.

Stuff I Found While Working Today

Kermit Shirt:)


Catapaults. Also comes in baby toss, boss toss and love gun.


Frozen Smiles - Denture Ice Cube Trays


Pick your nose party cups.

Tattoo Pics

Meet my new addition!








I am not going to lie, it hurt like hell. The last hour was excruciating. I think Adam is going to post the pictures of my pain progression which is pretty funny so check his blog out as well.

It took almost 4 hours and Monica did an amazing job. I love the placement and the colors and the detail is beautiful. We aren't quite done yet though. I am going back July 8th for about a half an hour to add more white, darken the flower, darken the yellow, touch up my sun and add some more detail. Then it will be absolutely perfect. I love, love, love, love it though, the pain was definitely worth it (thank you Mike for reminding me of that when I was squeezing the crap out of your fingers and trying to remember to breathe).

I need to go shopping now to find clothes that will show this work of art off!

Thank you everyone for being there (in person or via phone/text message), I sincerley appreciated it and it made the experience much more enjoyable!

Reading Reccomendation

I have said this before but David Sedaris is my favorite author. His stories are brilliant, hilarious, and inappropriate, pretty much everything I am looking for in both a book and now that I think about it, a man. Of course Sedaris is gay so the man search continues but the book search need not. He has several collections of short stories including Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day all of which I highly reccomend and his newest collection When You Are Engulfed in Flames is now available as well.

He writes about his life, his southern family and is almost uncomfortably honest about his experiences, whether that be his drug addiction, his family, traveling and living overseas, getting boils on his ass - whatever the subject he makes it funny and relatable. All of those thoughts or phobias that you have that you dare not say outloud for fear of being looked at strangely he not only says out loud but puts in writing.

The clip below is of a reading called "Bend Over and say Ah" which is about his experience with the health care system in Paris while not being fluent in French. He might take some getting into but once you do, he is hard to dislike.



How do you like about that now?

The Big Day is Here!

I woke up excited this morning like it was Christmas because I am getting my lovely peacock today! I am thinking I might want it bigger now too, so we will see what it looks like when I get to see the stencil on my skin.

Just a reminder I will be there at least from 4:30 to 8:00 so feel free to stop by, entertain me, watch me cringe or bring me a snack or cold beverage, just please dont make me laugh.

At least one of the dice riff raff needs to get on Fail Blog. I nominate Adam.

You Know Whats Awesome..

...when your mom is talking about a single girl who is in her 30s and has a dog and makes the comment that the dog will probably be the only child that she will have. Whats even more awesome is when I respond, "shesh, thats rude. Give me a couple more years and you can say the same thing about me" and your dad in the background goes, "she already does".

Operation Parents Flip their Shit is back on.

Ahh Change

Adam changing his blog put the thought it my head that I haven't changed mine in awhile so I copied him and changed mine up as well. The colors are obviously inspired by my tattoo that I am very very excited to be getting on Monday:) Please to enjoy.

Fresno Politics

This is how Hilary should start campaigning. And yes that is the back of Henry Pereas head. I was driving on Divisedero and ended up behind him. He was waving at people walking by including someone who was standing outside a funeral home, it was hilarious.

The Hurt Feelings Report

I went to a jobsite meeting tody and saw this posted on the wall of our superintendents office:

I was going to complain but didn't want to fill out the form. Naturally anyone who "whines" is either gay or hormonal though and it took a "real man" to explain that to me.

Run SF

For my birthday this year I am going to go to San Francisco to run a half marathon with my friends Melissa and Brenda. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to run 13.1 miles and wanted to challenge yourself, now is your chance! I have actually never trained with anyone but this will be my 5th half marathon so I can happily offer some advice and/or help with training. People walk this too so you can even do that.

The course goes over the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Marina, past Fishermans Wharf and ends at Golden Gate Park. The views and the weather should be spectacular and it starts at 5:15AM so you will be done early and have the whole day ahead of you to hang out in SF!

Or if running isnt your thing you can always just come for the weekend to hang out, shop, visit museums and have fun. I will be staying from Saturday to Monday so Sunday night will be the celebratory finishing/birthday dinner and drinks.

C'mon, challenge yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone, you just might enjoy it:)