Sincerely Yours, Jo

THOUGHTS FROM AN ASPIRING DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER #1

2012-02-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

How do you know you are being immersed in development theory? When your first thought upon seeing students trying to raise money outside of a metro station so they can go to New Orleans and help build houses is "That money would be much better used to hire local people to build those houses. More effective than wasting it on flights and transaction costs for a short-term volunteer project. Would definitely be more helpful to the local community."

This is my world.

WATER BOTTLE LOVE

2012-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share my two favorite water bottles in the world:

and

I first bought the Sigg bottle (with a different design) years back when they were first becoming popular. Although mine is dented and scratched, it still does me well!

A while ago, my mom bought me one of the glass bottles below and I fell in love! It has a wide top so it feels like you are just drinking from a cup. Ah-mazing! And I love that it doesn't feel like you are drinking from a metal bottle. PLUS, you can just throw it in the dishwasher (which I love because I am all about low-maintenance).

Now that I'm not sitting a desk anymore, I'm back to my Sigg bottle because it's lighter to carry into the District with me, but when I have a desk again, that glass baby is going to be my go-to!

Bottles can be found here and here.

FRED FLARE

2012-01-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, I was recently reminded about one of my favorite random shopping sites so I wanted to share it.

www.fredflare.com

This website is a mecca of random 80s items, vintage items, clothing, gifts, trinkets...you name it! You can seriously spend hours looking through some of their items. Here are a few of the things that I am loving right now:

Kate Spade 2012 Desk Calendar $24.99

Dollhouse Brush & Dustpan Set $15

Tulle Lace Laura Dress With Exposed Zipper $68

Art Deco Trudy Earrings $10

Kiel Mead Forget Me Knot Ring $58

Holly GoNightly Sleep Mask $15

Talking Mustache Keychain - literally says "Well, hello there." $6.50

There are soooooo many other cool things on this website but I didn't want to lose your interest by posting too many. I love when I rediscover things like this.

CHIRO HUMOR

2012-01-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

So, at my chiropractor visit this morning I semi-jokingly told him that the neck cracking always makes me a bit nervous, but at least I figured it hasn't killed me yet so I was ok. This then led to a conversation about how movies show people breaking other peoples' necks as a pretty quick and easy way to kill someone, but how that's really not accurate because if you did that to someone you would basically cut their arteries and they would bleed out and it would be really gross and painful. I think he actually mentioned something specific about blood coming out of the person's mouth.

Interesting conversation to have right after he was holding my helpless neck in his hands and cracking it.

Good thing I trust the guy. :)

IKEA FREAK

2012-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, since my back is having issues and I have been spending the week on my bed, I've had some extra time on my hands. I'm at the point where I'm caught up on my email, Google reader, facebook, and if I post one more thing on Pinterest, my friends might kill me. So...I decided to check out the Ikea website and see if they had any new and interesting items. Look at these great things I would buy if I had money (and was mobile)! Come to think of it, it might be a good thing that I'm not mobile right now.

The famous (and cheap) Lack table now in glossy grey - loving it! And only $12!

This cozy looking throw blanket.

This Benzy Land pillow. Loving the new fabric as well. I'm on an old-style nautical kick right now (read: NOT beachy with shells, definitely not my style).

This Storsele chair. Seriously! I've been obsessed with chairs lately since we, well, don't have any in our apartment. And since they aren't the cheapest things in the world, it's pretty much going to stay that way.

Anyway, my love for all things Ikea is once again affirmed.

FALLING WHISTLES

2012-01-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about the Falling Whistles campaign? The situation in the DRC is just so horrible with no real solution in sight. I know that this is one of my specific areas of interest, but thought that you might be interested as well. Most of the electronics that we have use materials from the DRC that are mined illegally and under horrible conditions, and it also contributes to the ongoing violence. I'm not saying that we need to eschew all of our electronic devices, but people need to know where they are coming from, and it could help to support organizations that call for transparency about the source of materials being used.

I'm not saying that you need to buy a whistle, but it's definitely something people should be aware of.

Visit www.fallingwhistles.com for more information about this campaign.

TOP 10 FOR 2011

2012-01-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

So, I haven't made any resolutions yet. They usually come in the next couple of weeks. I have given up trying to make them during the holidays because things are too crazy and I find that they are really not that thoughtful. Usually my resolutions turn out to be those that start mid-January. :)

That said, I wanted to create a Top 10 list for myself for 2011. I thought it would be fun to think back on some of the great things for the year. Here they are, NOT in any order.

1. Starting my MA at GWU - so exciting and fulfilling!
2. Meeting my two new nieces for the first time - Jeri and London
3. Visiting Boston for the first time (thanks, Jen and Nigel!)
4. Road trip across the country with Erik (and the fact that we both survived without killing each other)
5. Moving to Virginia - Alexandria is a wonderful place to live! So beautiful and historical!
6. All things DC (museums, restaurants, coffee shops, diversity, beautiful parts of town, the bustle - this includes all of the amazing new friends I have made both in my program and at church)
7. Finally getting to buy my fist Mac!
8. Getting the Kindle Fire for Christmas!
9. Following Whitney's pregnancy and the birth of her first baby. :)
10. Spending the holidays with the whole huge family - such wonderful chaos.

A NEW FAVORITE - BERTRAND SALLE

2011-12-24T20:27:00.000-08:00

JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING

2011-12-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 from toprojekt on Vimeo.

STUDY BREAK

2011-12-06T07:54:00.001-08:00

Had to share this great commercial that was banned in South Africa. These are the kinds of things that I watch when I need a study break. :) Back to work!

On a side note, a great Camerounian proverb I just read in an article:

"Until lions have historians, tales of the hunt will always be told by the hunter."

FAST TRACK TO FASTING

2011-12-04T16:23:00.001-08:00

Nothing makes fasting easier than finding a dead mouse on your kitchen floor.

After consultation with J, we decided that this is what home teachers are for, right? I've never asked them for anything, couldn't they just come over after church and take care of one measly little mouse? I just couldn't imagine picking up that soft, squishy little body even if I had the tools to do so. J at this point was still convinced it was fake - possibly planted. I think I may have been a suspect until she realized that I was truly averse to going near it.

I asked the HT at church if he would come take care of it and he was a little awkward about it "Do you have a box or something to put it in?" was the exact question. My response: "um...I have a trash can." It wasn't getting it out of the apartment that freaked me out, it was the actual touching of the actual dead mouse (and before you judge, I actually am an animal person and don't mind live mice as pets).

Anyway - got a text from J while at church that it was taken care of. Thanks, B! Even though I may have suspected you of planting it for a while, I blame that evil thought on J and now regret that I had those distrustful thoughts.

But all of this begs a different question that we have been contemplating: how does a mouse just drop dead on its side in the middle of the kitchen floor? I mean, doesn't it have to die for a reason? It wasn't even hidden in a cupboard or something. Could that reason, perhaps, have been the fact that we were both tempted to not fast? Did we call death upon this little rodent so we could stay righteous and realize our fast for the day? Was he sacrificed for our good?

All I know is that this must not happen again. Any suggestions on how to stay rodent-free? Preferably without traps and mouse-murder involved?

I'LL JOIN YOU TOMORROW...

2011-11-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

I recently received an invitation (finally, something different on the ward listserve!) to join an Occupy DC march to the Convention Center last night to protest the Republican gathering there. I was tempted...I'll admit that it's mostly because I just have this really strong desire to join some kind of movement (and I kind of like this one to some degree). Maybe it's so that in the future I can say "Yeah, I was there." Instead, I will probably be saying, "Yeah, I knew people who were there but I had to study, was lazy, didn't want to pay the metro fare to get there...etc." So lame, but that's the way it is. Plus, it's getting cold here.

Anyway, I feel like this article is a sign that I was right not to go yesterday. Maybe I'll make it to the next event. Maybe. If it fits into my class schedule.

WAY TO GO MALAYSIA!

2011-11-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was wasting time before getting back to finishing my class assignment today and came across this BBC headline:

"Malaysia bans Obedient Wives' Islamic Sex Guide"

All I could think was - thank goodness! Then, while reading the article I came across the, apparently, universal solution to domestic violence (heavy sarcasm here):

"The club (who published the book) has previously said women should act like "first-class prostitutes" to prevent their husbands from having affairs or resorting to violence."

Oh. Well, then. If that's all it takes to eradicate infidelity and domestic violence...(again, heavy sarcasm).

APPARENTLY PROVIDENT LIVING MEANS HAVING A GUN

2011-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

So, during church yesterday I noticed a link in the program to a specific website that shall not be documented here that is supposed to be about provident living. As that is my new calling, I determined to check it out for helpful resources. What did I find?

Not a list for easy-to-pack 72-hour kits, that's for sure. Instead, I found personal posts about gun-control being bad mixed with emergency preparedness quotes from prophets. What the...? I won't go into detail, but was definitely happy when my RS President gave me the links that I needed to look at for my calling and this was not one of them. Sheesh.

ALL ABOUT THE FOOD

2011-10-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Erin just left this morning after a week-long visit (she was here for business and extended a bit to do some site-seeing) and now I have a little bit of time before I have to go to my ALL-DAY-LONG Saturday class (seriously, it's from 11-5:30 - who does that?), so I decided to give a quick update. I'll post about some of the other things, but just wanted to let you know about one of the greatest places to eat lunch if you are on the Mall. The National Museum of the American Indian. Yup, you heard me. They have a great cafeteria where you can get Native American food from various regions of the Americas. Even gluten-free! It was delicious. I got this great masa cake with black beans, peppers, and some kind of cheese sauce all over it. SOOOOOOOOO good. Erin got some kind of lobster cakes (bleh) that she said was good and some fry bread with a blueberry syrup. If you are in town, you should definitely make your way there!

NAIL POLISH MYSTERY

2011-09-28T18:58:00.001-07:00

Does anyone else think it's weird that people here don't wear nail polish? I feel like my hands are screaming out loud when I wear it. Not only that, I put on that shatter nail polish last weekend while watching the game for fun...and when I went to church that Sunday I felt like a hooker or something. Weird. It was only in black and white - very classy and subtle. ;)

THE ECONOMIST

2011-09-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

So I was talking to one of my new roomies and we got on the subject of magazine subscriptions. She asked what magazines I get so we could compare and see if any of our subscriptions overlap...

Me: "Oh, well I get Martha, House Beautiful, and I just got enough Coke rewards points to get Elle Decor. Sometimes I buy Dwell since I just really want to look at it."

Roomie: "What's Dwell?"

Me: "You know, like another design magazine."

Roomie: "What does that mean? What's a design magazine?"

Me: "You know, like how to decorate your house, interior design...stuff like that... (I trail off starting to realize how crafty and scrapbooky I sound - not that that's a bad thing, but I feel there's a difference between old crafts and new DIY scene - subtle differences, so I try to save the conversation)...What magazines do you get?"

Roomie: "Right now just the Economist."

Me: "Oh. (pause) You can't get that with Coke rewards."

Is it weird that sometimes I just want my magazines to be relaxing and visually satisfying? That after a day of talking about how-we-need-to-save-the-world-but-really-can't-save-the-world-but-everyone-has-ideas-of-how-to-save-the-world-and-they-all-mess-it-up-more-and-what-does-"the world"-mean-anyways... that I just want to read an article about how to find a great rug for my future house?

Don't judge.

And yes, if I could get People magazine with my Coke rewards I would be subscribing to that as well. My dirty secret is out. I like to think of it as a natural curiosity about the world around me.

CINNATRAGEDY

2011-09-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today I was going to make the best gluten-free cinnamon rolls you have ever tasted in your life. Or at least that's what the blog said. I want to preface this with the fact that I haven't had a cinnamon roll in like 2 years. The thing is, it's so different when you know you can't have one as opposed to just not having one.

Thanks to a friend, I saw this great recipe online. I figured Sunday would be the perfect day as I have church at 8am (I know...should be illegal) and then after nap time I could get to some cinnamon roll making, particularly since it's cool enough to be baking.

I visited three different stores, that's right - 3, to get all of the supplies. This gluten-free baking thing is intense! I came home from church and as I looked at my ingredients scattered over the counter and in the pantry I came to this horrifying realization: I have no mixer.

So, cinnamon rolls, maybe we shall meet another day (hopefully before my buttermilk expires because, really, who needs buttermilk for anything else? gross!).

14,000 rounds of ammunition missing from Fort Bragg

2011-09-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

Again....all I can say is, really?

Who has Libya's missiles?

2011-09-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is the headline I saw tonight as I logged onto cnn.com. Really? Does this make anyone else nervous?

Mean or Lazy?

2011-08-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

I can't decide which I am...both of the roomies are moving out tonight and all I can think about is finding some really legitimate excuse for not being here when the hauling begins. I mean, really...there's a ton of stuff and we live on the 3rd floor. One even rented a truck! I think it's more laziness than anything (or legs that want to fall off because all I ever do around here is walk - what's up with that?). I'm a horrible person inside.

Since I'm Still Anonymous

2011-08-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

So I feel like I can still write this since no one in my new ward knows me yet and won't see it and get offended...but I felt like I was in the Singles Ward movie last week when I went to my ward for the first time. The speaker told us he was EQ Pres in about 9 creative different ways during his talk while also focusing on his view that dating and marriage has become "sensationalized."

Now, I am sure he is a really nice guy (really...he does seem like a nice guy and I'll probably want to delete this post when I get to know him)....but I just have to think that as you prepare a talk you need to know how you come off? You are trying to be the anti-stereotype by talking about marriage while not being so obsessed with it, while at the same time reinforcing about a kajillion stereotypes of singles ward quirks.

Maybe I was just feeling this way because church meets at 8am. I mean, really? My job didn't even start by 8am!

I have a couple of other snarky things to say but am holding them in so I don't alienate any possible new friends. Thinking of starting a tumblr account (Tricia as my inspiration) and only letting certain people know? This social media thing is getting too complicated.

Sister Love

2011-06-20T19:09:00.001-07:00

Is it normal to be jealous of your sisters when they are losing weight and you aren't? S3 has definitely been losing some weight and is looking great! Which is great for her...but sucky for me. Good thing S2 is still pregnant. haha.

Car-lemma

2011-06-20T19:04:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm...no good when you are getting into your car after work and you hear some cars bash into each other on the other side of the hedge. I definitely took the other way around...crazy UCI college kids. I swear we see an accident at least once a month. Add a college campus with a high school campus with a bunch of BMWs bought by parents = recipe for car damage.

Speaking of cars...I am dealing with a car-lemma. Although I have decided that I am at least taking my car with me to Virginia initially, I will then have to decide whether to keep or sell. I guess a big factor in that decision will be the job status. Nanny = not enough money to keep my car. Other jobs = a definite possiblity.

Well, Hello George!

2011-06-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never updated the post with where I am going. Yup, folks, in August I will be headed out to DC to begin a MA in International Development Studies at George Washington University. So excited! I have so many more things I need to update on here...maybe this weekend? :)

"I'm Getting Older, Too..."

2011-03-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

(this is me in thinking pose - yes, it's an old picture)

Good news - I heard from one of my schools yesterday that I was accepted. This is a huge relief since I didn't make it into what I was thinking of as my safety school the week before and was getting pretty depressed about it. At least now I have the option of going to grad school, right? Just waiting to hear from a couple more schools, then I actually have to figure out what I am going to do. I hate making decisions like this. Sigh. But I love having options! :)

Reflecting

2011-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have a confession to make. I really don't get the whole New Year's thing. I mean, unless you are a big drinker or are really excited to set off your illegal fireworks right outside my window, I just don't really think it's a big deal. Maybe that's because I've never had a magical Happy New Year moment, but most of the parties and celebrations I have ever been to on NYE I could describe with one word: lame. (sorry if you are one of the people that was with me at those moments).

Anyway, upon further reflection I decided to write down a couple of points of interest from the past year. I don't really like making New Year's Resolutions because I think they are, well, lame - I mean, why does it have to be a special day to make a goal? Why is January 1 different than any other day? So, here are some thoughts (don't feel you have to read these if you have absolutely no interest...though if that is the case, I doubt you are still reading this post now...):

1. Getting old sucks. It just does. Whether it's turning 29 or 90, it just really stinks. Eventually you lose your drivers license, can't walk on your own, and all of your friends are gone. Sucky.

2. I still am a really crappy correspondant. Hopefully, at this point all of my good friends are aware of that failing and don't condemn me when I don't return calls or emails quickly. Though I do have to say that texting might be my strong point...

3. I love seeing my best friends start their families. There is a twinge of sadness that I'm not there with them, but overall I am so completely happy that they are getting what they want in life and they have beautiful and loving families and are having great adventures.

4. Being sick sucks. Being sick for over a year sucks. Being sick for over a year and not really have a complete solution sucks. Being sick for over a year with no solution and having tons of tests REALLY sucks. Blood tests, cat scans, x-rays, EKGs, ultrasounds, endoscopies, and wearing a tube down your throat all really suck. Having to pretend that you feel fine at work so your supervisor doesn't start to assume that you can't do your job and keep hinting that maybe you should take some time off so you can sit at home and do nothing also sucks. Moving on...

5. I have developed adult ADD. You think I'm joking, but I'm not. Case in point - grad school applications are still not done. ADD + sick = big time sucks.

6. Although MacGregor (our dog) is old, runs into things, can't really see or smell very well, and sleeps 23.5 hours a day, I still love that old man. There's nothing better on a rainy morning than cuddling in a nice, soft, warm bed with a really soft, warm dog sleeping deeply next to you. (of course, later when that dog tracks in poop from the backyard because he can't see that he's stepping in it, those feelings begin to fade).

7. I'm nervous and scared that for some reason this grad school thing won't work out. Maybe it's not what I'm supposed to be doing (which would be the worst since there's nothing else to do!), and maybe I won't get into any of the schools I apply to. Or maybe I will get in and won't be feeling better and won't have any health insurance...sigh. I need to stop worrying about this.

8. I really love my family. As we have gotten older, it had really opened up a whole new dimension to the relationships between me and my siblings. Although they still have the ability to bug me like no one else and won't ever let me forget my faults, they really are the only people in the whole world that I am utterly and completely comfortable with. I especially love hanging out with my sisters (sorry, boys). We know each other so well and can just laugh and have fun and be stupid and silly and mean and we will still love each other.

9. I am really excited that there will be a new niece and another new niece/nephew to join the family this year! It's hard that people don't live close by anymore, but I love those nieces and nephews more than I ever thought possible.

10. My sister-in-law stole my birthday. Okay, she didn't really steal it, but it's weird to not be the only one in the family with my birthday now. Although I do love you, R, and am happy you are a part of the family!

11. Sealings of super close friends and siblings are really great. When K and R got married this summer, I was just so happy for them. It will be fun to see how R starts to fit into the family dynamic as we get to know her better and she becomes one of the group.

12. I miss bread. I miss wheat. I even miss rye and barley even though I didn't eat them much before.

13. Confession - I haven't cut my hair for probably over a year now, not even a trim. I know, I know! It's horrible but when I think of the complications of trying to find someone who will use gluten-free products and sitting in a salon with gluten-filled air floating around me, I get really chicken. I keep putting it off. I'm really good at that. So when people tell me they like how long my hair is now, I always feel a twinge of guilt that it is a direct result of avoidance.

14. Apparently, I am "closed." Or that's the response that I got when a guy was telling me about a couple of guys in the ward who think I'm great. I then said, well, nobody ever asks me out. Then he said that they said that I seem "closed." What is that supposed to mean? Maybe because I don't have the flirting gene? I try to be friendly with everyone. I'm not actually sure why I am so bothered since most of the people in my ward are the age of my youngest brother, but I am. Oh well, this way I don't have to be awkward about dating someone under the age of 25 anyway.

I could probably think of some other things, but I kind of like the idea of my list ending at a random number like 14. Keeps people off-balance. Anyway, here's hoping that this year is a great one - although I am sure it will be full of ups and downs like the other ones. :)

Drama Queen

2010-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

We saw this commercial on one of those random TV shows that my Dad loves to watch. Something about the funniest commercials of 2010 or along those lines. I wanted to share since I thought this one was absolutely hilarious. Enjoy!

Bad Idea

2010-12-28T09:38:00.001-08:00

Bad Idea: Having a coworker convince you to finally try KenKen when you really need to be finishing up grad school applications. Or working...haha.

Overly Ambitious

2010-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

Really, Mr. Mailman? Some days we can't even get you to come to our office and today you come twice? Don't complain that my packages are posted for tomorrow's date. It's your own fault for being overly-ambitious during the holiday season.

Stormy Weather...

2010-12-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

My drive to work this morning:

Okay, it wasn't quite that bad. But I do have to say that after avoiding flooded streets, spending 12 minutes trying to go 1 block, 3 major intersections with the lights out, Jeronimo Rd closed due to mud, multiple fire trucks and sirens, passing two accidents, and driving under one hanging wire - I finally made it. I do still love the rain, though...

PS - One perk of the weather is that the canyon people are coming out again into the real world. We usually only get to see them during the fires, so this is epic!

Super Shoes

2010-10-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

I saw these amazing shoe add-ons on Design Mom and had to share. I could definitely use all of my Superhero capabilities with a pair of these babies:

What could you do with a pair of shoe wings? If I ran races, I would definitely buy a pair to add to my shoes and thus intimidate all those around me.

The Case of the Hiding Dog

2010-10-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

So, as MacGregor gets older, he has started having some health issues. He can't see very well and his back legs are really weak, so he is constantly bumping into things like door jamps, walls, you name it. Luckily, he spends 23.5 out of 24 hours of the day sleeping, so he doesn't run into too many things.

One of the funny things that has changed, recently, though was that last weekend he went through a phase where he decided that he wanted to sleep in hiding.

After a Saturday morning where it took 25 minutes just to get him into the bathtub to wash him off (and not because he is mean, but because he is a heavy golden retriever and when he doesn't want to do something he becomes completely limp and is really heavy to carry), he decided to hide from us. The only way we found out where he was sleeping was because my Mom went over by the computer and heard a little snore. She looked over, and there he was, fast asleep, between the step maching and the window - completely hidden.

Then, the next morning, while getting ready for church, I heard this amazing snore coming from the bathroom. I turned around and couldn't see anything through the partially-opened bathroom door. I poked my head around the door and this is what I saw:

He slept in the hidden bathroom spot for over 4 hours. Wow. Apparently, he really wanted to remain hidden and was still traumatized after the bath from the day before and needed to recover his strength.

Oh, Gregor, how we love you. I know Grandpa always says we should put you down, but we like you around, even if you just sleep all the time!

What the...seriously?

2010-10-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

One of the weird things I have noticed working at a nonprofit is that everyone feels like you owe them something.

We seriously had a woman contact one of our staff members wondering if she could get a cookbook at a discount or for free because she had fundraised $50. Seriously? I don't even get a discount and you think you should? Why don't you just not give that donation and buy the book yourself? Sigh.

And, no, I don't want to feel pressured to buy Tupperware from you because you are on my volunteer planning committee - I work for a nonprofit, not a moneypot!

They also think that your logo is free property and have no issues with stealing it off the website and using it in company emails, shirts...whatever. Really? Would you do that with the logo of, say, McDonalds? Toyota? GAP? No! Why would this be any different??? If anything, nonprofits need to be even more careful about how their logo is used!

Anyway - just wanted to get some of that off of my chest.

Just Not Strong Enough

2010-10-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed by all of the websites and networks I am a part of and think I need to cut down. But then I can't. I just stay connected and constantly feel guilty that they aren't updated. Is that weird?

Spider Love

2010-10-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know what's been going on recently, but I have been surrounded by spiders. Not just any old spiders, but big, ugly spiders. I mean really big. Bigger than I have ever seen in the area (though I do have to admit that they are not bigger than the spiders I saw in Mozambique and Brazil). The thing is - I really think they are following me.

For example, in the last couple of days, I have had some serious sightings. First, we spotted one of these really large, fat spiders on a web while going on our lunch walk at work. Not only did we just spot it on it's really large web, we saw it attack and eat a fly as we walked by. That sucker was fast for his girth, that's for sure.

Then, on my walk around the block, I had to duck under another really big spider web with a big fat spider on it multiple times.

What really convined me that they are following me, though, is that between my 2nd and 3rd times around the block (probably about 7 minutes apart), one of the big fat spiders literally built his web across the sidewalk and saw there waiting for me to walk through it. Really, just between those 2 rounds around the block, the stinking thing set a trap for me.

All I'm saying is that the spiders have it out for me. Maybe it's a part of our weird El Nino-ish weather this year. Maybe I just never knew it, but spiders are a part of the Halloween festivities because they normally come out more this time of the year and I never really noticed?

Not sure, but I just have one request - if they can't leave me alone, can they at least make their webs very visible? I definitely wouldn't want to accidentally run into one of these bad boys.

Something Beautiful

2010-07-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Your secret from Jean-Sebastien Monzani on Vimeo.

Saw this video on another blog and wanted to share. Calm and beautiful. I like the concept.

Hunger for The Hunger Games

2010-05-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, those of you who know me, know that I love to read. I can especially get caught up in young adult literature. Recently, some family members introduced me to The Hunger Games. Unfortunately they introduced me when only 2 out of 3 of the books have been published. And now I am hooked. And now I am really mad that it is not August when the 3rd book comes out. Argh!

Poema para um dia de chuva

2010-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

When I was in Mozambique, we studied Mozambican literature from a textbook that our professor had written. This is one of my favorite poems that we read (in it's English translation). Someday I think I would like to have this posted near my front door:

Poem for a Rainy Day

My home is a lighthouse in the middle of the night.

Come, whoever you may be

at first you'll be like the stem of a flower

dripping over the carpet

and we will watch you

as the color of the rain

but immediately, almost immediately

you will feel in yours the warm palms

of our hands

and you will find in the design of our smiles

the translation of the hour.

- Gloria de Sant'Anna

as translated by Frederick G. Williams

Madness of March

2010-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

So, things are really busy at work right now. I mean really busy. I won't go into detail, but it is enough that I am wondering if it is related to some of my health problems lately. So, what was I doing all day today? Checking my bracket for our Yahoo! group. Am I even a big college basketball fan? No, not really. Are we talking about avoidance? Yes, definitely. Recognition is the first step, right?

Dear Kaiser

2010-02-27T15:51:00.000-08:00

Dear Kaiser,

Thank you for thinking of me as one of the recipients of your post-appointment surveys. I must ask, though, if you really want me to fill out a survey when I have been feeling horrible for 3 months and nothing you are doing seems to help? Think about it.

Sincerely,
Joanna

Peeking

2010-02-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

I had a moment lately when I was in my room and pleased that I could see my neighbors outside their houses in the cul-de-sac through my bedroom window. Then I realized that that means they can also see me and so I must completely close my blinds at night. Darn neighbors for cutting down the big beautiful eucalyptus trees that used to block our backyard. Tree haters!

Making Kisses

2010-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

I remember having these giant Rice Krispie Treat kisses as a kid - so fun! I decided to make them for our office Valentine's Party on Friday. What better way to spread the love?

When you just know

2010-02-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

I just know that I am going to love this movie. Will you see it with me?

New York...

2010-02-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Absolutely love this...

Today is the Day

2010-02-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

So, working where I do, we are constantly trying to find ways to get people concerned and aggressive about taking care of their physical health. Did you know that this generation of children is the first generation that is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents (due to obesity and bad cardiovascular health)?

Also, did you know that heart disease is the number one killer in the US - killing more people each year than all forms of cancer combined?

On that note, we are always looking for ways to inspire people to take control of their health and to get started. We have this great website that I wanted to share with you that I just found to be pretty inspiring:

www.todaysthedayistart.org

Love Hurts

2010-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

During the holidays, we had the opportunity to watch my sister's kids for a couple of weeks while she and her husband went on a special vacation.
One of the best parts of that visit was this question from my 8-year-old nephew, Schuyler:
"Jo, what do people mean when they say 'love hurts'?"
Dare I say that I suspect my nephew has been exposed to some 80s rock? I certainly hope so...

I love bavarian cream eclairs

2010-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

So, there is a definite possibility I have said this before, but I absolutely love, love, LOVE the bavarian cream eclairs that are sold at a little bakery near my house. The thing is that lately I have been having some stomach problems and most of my eating is confined to pretty plain rice and potatoes. I don't know if it is because of that, but I have definitely started a serious craving. What I really want to know, though, is if any of you have made bavarian cream? If so, do you have a good recipe? I just love that it isn't like I'm eating an eclair full of pudding.

Oh eclair, why do you tease me so?

Create

2009-11-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

I absolutely loved this talk when I heard it the first time, so I was thrilled to see this video made from some of Elder Uchtdorf's comments.

Really? Are we really talking about this now?

2009-09-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't blogged for a while, and for a good reason. The 29th Annual Start! Orange County Heart Walk, the $1.5 million-fund-raising-6,500-people-party-giving-event in the most anal city in the world (Irvine) that I plan for all year long will come to fruition in T-7 days. Needless to say, I have been eating (too much due to stress), sleeping (too little due to anxiety and work) and breathing (when I get a chance) Heart Walk.

Not only that, but I am forced not to work yesterday (furlough day) or Monday (horribly timed Labor Day) and then come back to the office with T-4 days to go. As I left the office early on Thursday (forced so as to avoid overtime from earlier in the week), all I could think about was that I still didn't have a permit from the County Health Department, or the Building and Planning Department of the City of Irvine, I have nowhere to store 2400 bottles of juice that is being delivered on Friday and needs to be stored until Sunday, I don't have trucks set to rent to move everything on Friday and Saturday, I still have no one to sing the national anthem, no marching band on the route, haven't heard back about cheerleaders, don't have pamplets back form the printers, no banners yet, no t-shirt for volunteers and staff, etc. etc. etc.

Needless to say, I wake up in the middle of the night not being able to breathe and think, "Just make it through. You will survive this."

So, as I was talking to my Mom about all of these things that keep me awake at night she says, "Have you thought about taking that international test thing to work in embassies? I really think you should." I stop and stare, shocked that we are having that discussion right now. She goes on, "I just think you would have a lot of fun issuing passports and visas and things in other countries. You should at least take the test, I mean, if you don't pass, you don't pass, right?" (The test she is referring to is the Foreign Service Exam).

I replied, "Well, I don't really think I want to go into Foreign Service and am more interested in International Development." What I really meant was "Are we really talking about this one week before my event? Stop right now or I will have an anxiety attack as we speak since I now know that you think my job is crap."

Then she says, "Well, then maybe you should be applying to graduate programs. I really think that you should just be working toward doing what you really want to do." I gave a short response about the costs of graduate school that would not easily be paid off by a job in the international development world, as well as the costs and preparation right now to apply to graduate school and take the GRE again.

At that point, she must have picked up on my tone of voice and the tenseness in my shoulders as she says, "Oh, well I guess right now that's not the first thing on your mind anyway."

Ya think??? So here I am, now also stressed about my future and whether or not I should be applying to grad school while trying to get my permits processed for an event that happens in 1 week. Sigh. I think I need to learn to better manage my stress. Sorry for the rant, but if you can't do it on your blog, where can you do it, right?

Oh, and if you are curious about the event, feel free to visit www.ocheartwalk.org

Crap, I need to update the webpage for next week and get an email campaign together, send details to the volunteers, get instructional signs together, make contact sheets, get clipboards and laminating sheets, make volunteer passes and route parking passes........

Ladies Visit

2009-07-29T21:30:00.001-07:00

So these are definitely delayed, but here are a few highlights from when Jen and Sarah came to visit me in June. Hope you enjoy...

Brunch on Saturday...

Gardens at Balboa Park in San Diego...

Kyaking in Newport...

Joanna Likes To

2009-05-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Sarah's blog and was curious so I did it myself. It's kind of fun...

All you have to do is google "[your name] likes to" and then post the top ten results.

Here are my results:

1. Joanna likes to look at herself in the mirror and claps her hands to show joy.

2. Joanna likes to likes going to the beach and to the movies with friends and family, as well as traveling to various Caribbean destinations.

3. Joanna likes to mix allergy medicine, no sleep and booze.

4. Joanna likes to visit the ballet and the theatre.

5. Joanna likes to work closely with her clients so that together they can develop a clear strategy and a well-defined path of action.

6. Joanna likes to visit Viennese coffee houses, good food in good company and goinig to the gym to cancel the effects of too much food. She also likes to ski and hike in the mountains and reading good books.

7. Joanna likes to spend her time reading and being outside.

8. Joanna likes to read (essays and novels), music and singing, fashion and shopping.

9. Joanna likes to call her car the "Gangster Galant."

10. Joanna likes to experiment.

I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out the stories behind any of those - they are pretty entertaining!

Orange County AHA Goes Active!

2009-05-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

So, at the office we are kicking off another wellness challenge. Our wellness team (of which I am a part) has gotten into the habit of making silly videos to show at our staff meeting to kickoff each challenge. This is the latest creative effort (I am the camerawoman). Enjoy - it was a fun Monday evening putting it together!

Sneak Preview

2009-04-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak preview of a post to come. I started it a long time ago then my computer freaked out and I lost the whole thing and I haven't wanted to try it again. I wanted to share one of the pictures anyway...enjoy.

Confessions of a Cheesaholic

2009-04-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, I've known for a long time, but am finally making a public confession: I am a cheesaholic. My first clue might have been from this evening. Arriving home late tonight, the family was finishing up dinner (we actually try to do that eating together thing now that G-pa is here). Instead of joining them for a meal of roasted chicken, berries, and bread, I snuck some items from the fridge and headed upstairs. So what did I eat for dinner? Well I am currently sitting next to some crumbs of wheat crackers as well as the remains of some Boursin, smoked gouda, and brie. It's true. My meal for the evening was cheese and crackers.

Kind of makes me think that I would have done well as a peasant in medieval times. Except for the weevils in the bread. And the whole manual labor thing. Oh, and the servitude. Oh, and....

More Ikea Love

2009-02-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

After my last post, Michelle commented and said that she had posted this great Ikea commercial on her blog. I stole it and you must now watch it - it is not to be missed.

Observations on a Theme

2009-02-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am going to come right out and say it at the beginning so no one wastes their time: this blog entry is about Ikea. I know, I know. This topic has definitely been blogged to death by now, right? Maybe. I do feel, though, that I had some Ikea insights/questions over the weekend and I feel the need to unburden myself of them into the blogosphere. If they entertain or amuse you for a minute, that makes me feel even better. If not - well, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I feel that I must start by explaining that I have a relationship with Ikea that most people have with a shopping mall. You know how most people plan a Saturday trip to the mall and spend 3-4 hours there going from store to store and checking things out? I do this. I do this, though, at Ikea (which I privately refer to as heaven on a budget). This is why I can never invite anyone along with me on my Ikea trips. They must be solitary so that I can scour the store with my eyes without an impatient companion sighing next to me every time I stop, or run across the aisle to look at what's on the other side.

Ikea was never that big of a deal to me growing up - it's not really rare here at home - but as I seek for wonderful treasures on a budget, I am drawn there on a semi-regular basis (usually the Saturday after a wonderful little present from a place of employment has been deposited in my banking account). Anyway, here are a few things that I have noticed/wondered about on my visits.

1. How can a store that is so large and that has so much extra space still make me so frustrated because there is never enough room to get around people? Do you know what I mean? I have a theory that part of the problem are those great shopping carts that they have that can turn easily in almost any direction. This allows people to make erratic turns on a whim when they spot something attractive, almost always causing a pile-up behind them as others try to avoid the situation by turning their carts in one of oh-so-many possible directions to avoid them.

2. Shortcuts? Due to the size of the store, there are various shortcuts from one area to the next for those who do not want to browse through all of the collections and are on a mission for a certain item. Why is it, that when I am on a mission for a certain item, I can never cross the threshold of those shortcuts to skip the areas I really don't need to see? I became very determined one time to cut past the living room and office set-ups to move directly on to the bedroom displays, when I found myself fighting the tide of traffic and going backwards as I just knew there was something that I had to see in those two previous sections that would change my life. Seriously. The shortcuts are so final. I have never made the commitment of walking through one of those doorways since (which probably explains a little bit about the 3 hours visits).

3. I have never, ever been to a store where I have seen more groups of young men shopping together. I have theories about this, but I really have no idea who they all are and why any of the male species would be shopping there together as they tend to be a solitary bunch, particularly where shopping is concerned. My best theory? This comes mostly from my amazing sleuthing skills (ahem, eavesdropping) - roomates. Most of them seem to be roomates either in college or recently out of college trying to decorate their new places on a budget. Next time you go, you should try to listen to these conversations as 3 or 4 20-somethings debate the merits of this dining room table and chairs over that one. Fascinating!

Anyway - just some observations. I won't apologize for boring you if you hated this post, as I will have to point out that I warned you at the beginning!

Flare Dedications

2009-02-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

So, you know when you totally forget about a website that you absolutely love and then something brings it to your memory and you go back to visit it and it is so exciting because everything has been changed because so much time has passed? (whew!). That's how I feel about fredflare.com right now. I was even more excited to see that they have finally opened up their first store in Brooklyn! Just one more incentive for me to go visit Tricia sometime this year!

Anyway, I was so excited about rekindling my love for this website, that not only did I make a few purchases, but I thought that I would send a few Flare Dedications out into the internet universe (mostly for those friends I think may visit this site every once in a while).

Here goes:

FOR JEN:

Could there be anything better than an Edgar Allan Poe action figure? I really don't think so...unless it was an Edgar Allan Poe talking doll! Sigh. Maybe someday...

FOR ELYSE:

So, I thought you would appreciate the Holly Golightly sleep mask. Mostly because I could totally see you wearing it and loving it, but also because a part of me feels like you would be an Audrey lover like I am!

FOR SARAH:

Sarah! Maybe because when I think of you I always think of music, but these massive ear buds totally reminded me of you. I think you need to buy these!

FOR ERIN:

I immediately thought of you when I saw this "cat"apult. I don't know one other person who would have more fun shooting cats at people. I only wish I could see you use it. Miss you!

FOR NICOLE:

Finally! The ultimate food fight - Bacon vs. Tofu! Just made me think of you - especially after our LA experience and laughing a lot at bacon!

FOR TRICIA:

Can you believe this? We better get those llamas soon! Haha. I thought you would think this was hilarious.

FOR MACGREGOR:

Oh MacGregor, how I would love to have $50 to buy this for you so that I could record your daily activities through a series of timed pictures. Maybe I would catch you during your daily dip in the spa, sneaking food out of impossible drawers, or just sleeping all day (as I really suspect). But wouldn't it be so great to know?

FOR KATE AND PAUL:

A game for foodies? Was this made for you? All I know is that I could never try to play this game with you as I would be disgustingly defeated after about 2 seconds!

FOR WHITNEY:

I don't really know why I picked this for you, Whitney, except that I thought you would think that a $500 gold retainer necklace is as funny as I did!

Joy to the ...What?

2009-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

So, all of the family visited for Christmas this year. It was totally chaotic and great at the same time. I caught some funny moments on my camera and wanted to post two of them. The first video is of Kirkland, Jessica's middle child, singing Jingle Bells in this creepy voice that he sometimes just decides to use. If you listen closely, he sings Jingle Bells (totally mushing up the end part), then says "Merry Christmas" "Ho Ho Ho" and then sings Jingle Bells again (that's me egging him on).

After I filmed Kirkland, Carter (Alexis' youngest), then wanted his turn to sing on camera. This one is hilarious. He is so serious. If you listen, you can hear that he actually changes songs in the middle. To what, you say? Just listen closely...

Aren't they great? Can you tell that Carter has been to Disneyland at Christmastime? Nothing like out of the mouth of babes...or 3-year-olds. You have to give props to Disney for great marketing!

Ring Out Wild Bells

2008-12-24T01:28:00.000-08:00

You know those days where all you can think about when you wake up to go to work is that you will be able to sleep all the next night and sleep in the next morning? Well today was one of those days, except now I can't fall asleep. I decided to spread some Christmas Cheer. I just a little obsessed with holiday music, and I have been coming across some great music this year. I have a couple of playlists that I have been listening to regularly, and I wanted to share at least one of them. This one has some great old songs done by some new people. I love that it gives a different sound to Christmas.

Click here to visit the playlist on iTunes.

Santa or China?

2008-11-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

If I have already posted this, please forgive me, but I wanted to document a great question from my 7-year-old nephew to my sister on the way home from school one day:

"Mom, who makes better toys - Santa or China?"

Some Laughs...

2008-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

For my birthday on Saturday, Nicole took me to go see Jim Gaffigan at The Wiltern. So hilarious! We laughed so hard - my stomach started hurting and I started to get a pressure headache. Needless to say, the drive back home was also hilarious because everything just seemed so funny! He didn't do this bit at our show, but I wanted to include a little clip for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Just Watch

2008-11-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

Alarm Saga

2008-10-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, the long awaited Alarm Story. I worry that I will have built this story up so much that now anyone who reads it will be seriously disappointed. Well, here goes.

So, Heart Walk. Yeah. Once upon a time, there was a girl with a job. Not just any job, but a job in which she had to plan an event for approximately 6000 people, including permits (of which there were many), production companies, audio/visual, coordinating with media sponsors, web site updating, money entry, email campaigns, matching gifts forms, banners, volunteers, donation, radios, parking, balloons, food ...and the list goes on ...in 4.5 months instead of 12 months (the normal amount of time).

Anyway, I just wanted to give you the picture. Also, imagine more than a couple of weeks of 8 hours at work and then coming home to more hours of work, averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Then, on Friday, we were at the office working on stuff until about 10pm. I went home, worked some more, and then got to bed in time to wake up at 5am to get some more work done before heading to the parking lot at 8am where set-up would begin for the event on Sunday.

There I am, Saturday morning, working on the computer at about 7am figuring I have about 15 more minutes before I need to get ready and head out to meet the company delivering the porta potties at 8am to the parking lot. I get a call on my cell with the delivery person telling me he will be arriving at the location in 15 minutes. Talk crazy rush! I ran, changed, pulled my stuff together, and arrived at the parking lot just 5 minutes after the delivery man. That pretty much set the tone for the day. I was in that parking lot, standing, from 7:30am until about 8:30pm when I went home and worked until 1:30am before getting up at 3am and heading back to the event site.

All of that is just to give you an idea of my exhaustion and state of mind. At about 4pm on Saturday, one of the 4 staff people assigned to the Heart Walk hurt her knee and had to be taken by one of the other staff members to the hospital. Down to 2. At this point we were very frantic thinking of all of the things the two of us had to get done before the next day. One of the things to get done was to put together signs for about 175 teams. As we went to the box of supplies to grab the staple gun, we realized that...there were no staple guns. They were left in the office about 20 minutes away.

I talked to my supervisor who informed me that the office would be locked but that the alarm would not be armed, and I jumped in my car to go get the staple guns. You can probably already see where this is heading.

I arrived at the office, ran from the car with just my phone and my keys, opened the office door, and stepped inside. At that moment, I looked at the alarm and realized that it was on and I had exactly 12 seconds to enter a code to disarm it before it went off. Mind you, I don't know my alarm code. It was sitting safely in my wallet in the car outside. I grabbed my cell and immediately called my supervisor, D, so that she could tell me her code. Almost immediately, I hear the phones in the office start to ring and I know that it is the alarm company checking (they always do a check-up call to see if it really is an emergency). Holding my cell in one hand, I sprint to D's office as it is closer than mine and grab the phone, still holding my cell up to my other ear waiting for D to answer. The thing was, there was nobody on the line when I picked up the office phone! This really freaked me out as I had visions of the alarm company calling and not being able to connect on the phone so they send out the fire trucks and police (believe me, it has happened before, though not to me).

I then run back to the alarm pad by the door and reach to grab the door to run out to the car. As I did that, the alarm pad started freaking out. I closed the door again and again tried to call D. on my cell. Again, the office phones started ringing. At this point, I am definitely freaking out. I run to grab the phone and, once again, I can't hear anything! I run back to the alarm pad with my cell at my ear and there is no sound - no ringing and no D's voicemail. WHAT is going on? I try to call again, standing there looking at the alarm pad. Once again, the general office phone starts to ring. I run to grab it. At this moment, I realize that as I am trying to speak into the office phone with no one answering me, my cell has picked up. I pick it up and say, "D?"

At this point I, so humorlessly, realize that I have actually been calling D's office number. Wow.

I know, I know, but I was flustered! I don't dwell on the fact that I had been running back and forth to answer my own phone calls, and immediately call D's work cell. Just as she answers, the office phones ring again. I pick it up and hold it on my left ear with my cell on my right so D can hear me as I tell them that I am her and then they ask me for my code. Unfortunately, it is really hard to hear the difference between a 9 and a 1 on the phone. As I gave the wrong code, there was only silence on the line. D, meanwhile is screaming in my other ear ,"ONE, not 9! ONE! O-N-E!" I quickly correct myself and give a flustered little laugh and excuse myself saying that I am just so flustered that I forgot my code.

Whew!

Fortunately, with a couple of other little snafoos, everything else went pretty well. I had visions in my head of the firemen coming from across the street and the police taking me to the station because I can't explain who I am and why I don't know my code. Then I would have to stay all night at the police department and the Heart Walk would be a failure. Needless to say, I immediately wrote the code on the back of my hand in a black sharpie.

Even funnier is the fact that I had various people come up to me on Monday to hand me my office keys and bluetooth that had both gotten lost in the craziness as I dropped them in my craziness running from the phone to the door and back again.

Ah, one of those moments where I almost wish the office had security cameras so I could watch me call myself three times. Good times with the Heart Walk...

Shop Therapy

2008-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know how this happened, particularly with former roomates that are so thrifty, but I am definitely all about the shop therapy lately. A couple of weeks before Heart Walk, after a particularly stressful week, I bought myself a pair of shoes. Not so bad, you think? Well, I won't even post how much these shoes cost as I don't want those thrifty friends to find out (j/k!), but they were more than I have EVER spend on a pair of shoes. My favorite moment was as I was trying to justify them to my brother in the car. As you have probably guessed, most of his responses were basically, "Cool." "Oh." "Grunt." Not a very productive conversation.

Well, this week (beginning on Saturday with Shop for a Cause at Macy's - shout out to the AHA's Go Red for Women program!), I have been on a rampage. I have a new bag for work coming in the mail today. I definitely have some new make-up and jewelry items as well. The problem? I have a new philosophy to save up and then buy quality to start to replace all of the I'm-in-college-so-who-cares-how-long-this-lasts-because-it's-cheap that clutter up my life.

As a disclaimer, I would also like to insert here that all of these items were on sale when I purchased them - which is why I can't find any more good pics of them - darn it! Lol.

It's Genius!

2008-09-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Just a little shout-out to Sarah and Tricia who have both commented to me or on their blog about the new Genius feature on itunes! It's like Pandora but with your own music - and suggestions for new music! Loving it - although still addicted to Pandora. Tricia recommended The Weepies station and I am definitely digging that. Thanks, ladies!

Oh, Pandora, How Do I Love Thee...

2008-09-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know that I still need to write about the alarm story - which you should all be waiting for, let me tell you! The thing is, I am working on pulling an Awards Reception for 250 with a sit-down dinner on a little-to-no-budget in the next couple of weeks, so by the time I get home I have serious adult ADD and don't want to devote the time to write out the whole story. I will work on it, though, I promise! In the meantime, I just wanted to mention something that I am recently loving.

I know Pandora is not new news for anyone, but I am only recently playing with it and loving it. Unfortunately, I can't listen at work due to no speakers on my computer as well as the fact that we have the world's worst server and if anyone streams anything, the internet slows down to negative 25 miles an hour for everyone else trying to work.

Anyway, I have been listening at home while I'm working on the computer. My favorite station right now? Mirah. Pretty much loving it...it might take me a while to experiment with any new ones for a while since I enjoy this so much!

Oh, wow.

2008-09-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Wow. The Heart Walk is over. Well, not really. People always ask me if I can now take time off, but there is still an awards ceremony to plan, money to enter, purchase orders to fill, thank-yous to send out, follow-up meetings to set, reports to run, files to organize, items to return...you get the idea.

My whole body aches and I feel like I haven't slept in weeks, which, really, I haven't. The event went really well. I wanted to include some links to some of the pre-event stories that have run in the newspapers and on news stations for you to look at if you would like:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/heart-stroke-catalano-2156901-years-underwent

http://cbs2.com/video/?id=76984@kcbs.dayport.com

I haven't seen the post-event stories yet, but there were a lot of photographers and video cameras from the various news stations, so we will see...

We have between 5000 and 6000 people attend, and (from what they could tell), it went really well! I was stuck to my head mike the whole time putting out fires, but I have heard a lot of really good feedback. We are continuing to raise money toward our $1.3 million goal, and so far have raised more money than any previous year (this is the 28th year). Money is still coming in and if you are curious, you can check out our rolling total at www.ocheartwalk.org.

So, there was a definite lack of sleep last week. Usually about 4 hours a night, and then on Saturday I got to bed at 1:30am and had to get up at 3am to go finish setting up for everything to start at 7am.

Involved in all this lack of sleep are some pretty funny stories. I think my mental capacity was severely threatened because of the extended lack of sleep and the many details that I had to keep in my head for the event.

One morning, I was freaking out and getting ready for work at about 5am (some early mornings!) and I couldn't find my bra. I looked for it for about 10 minutes before I realized that I was actually wearing it.

That's not all...

We had an employee in the office who had her birthday coming up. I pretty much talked to her about it every day. When the office card came to me to sign, I filled up almost half of one side of the card with a really funny and personal message. The problem? I wrote my Happy Birthday message to the person in charge of getting the card, NOT the person who would be receiving it. Yes, we did need to buy a new card.

There is another great story about me on Saturday and the office alarm system, but I will save that for another day when I have caught up on more sleep. Definitely some seriously good times!

It is good to be coming back into the land of the living. I will definitely post pictures of the walk as soon as I get some.

Shake Shake Shake!

2008-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm actually on my lunch break right now, but we had a little excitement today in the form of an earthquake! It wasn't really that big for the area (5.4) and it was about 30 miles away, but we could definitely feel it here in Irvine! I was weird to feel an earthquake since I haven't really felt one for over 5 years because I've been away from home for so long. I used to be deathly afraid of them, but I have to say that I found this one to be kind of fun! You can check out the details here, if you are curious.

Domino highlights

2008-07-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, I got my Domino magazine in the mail yesterday (always a highlight). I usually save it to read at lunch at work if I don't go out. I only got through a couple of pages today before some coworkers came in and I got distracted, but here are a few items of interest already:

I really like this mirror. You can find it here.

And for something that caught my attention in a strange kind of way:

Hmmmm... and selling for $250. I just can't help thinking that besides the fact that it is not really to my taste, you could never have this and children at the same time. You can find it here.

And hallelujah! Domino online now has a search option. Do you know how much time I have wasted on that website trying to find something in particular? I usually give up in frustration, but now I can search to my heart's content!

Keeping up

2008-07-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

So, after work today I stopped by the Spectrum to do some shopping (outdoor mall in Irvine). I was walking by the Apple store and I saw a huge line. What was that line for, you say? It was for this:

Yup, that's right, the new iphone. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not so out of it that I didn't know that the iphone just came out, but wasn't that last week? Why is there STILL a line? If I was one of those people, I think I would just give it up. Really. I mean, it is VERY nice, but I have a problem with that touch screen anyway...

Soundbyte

2008-07-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

So, just on a sidenote, I found out today that Will Ferrell grew up right here in Irvine and attended University High School. Don't you just feel like you should know these things when they happen so close to you? I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Yummy

2008-07-09T19:13:00.001-07:00

So, now that I'm home Nicole, Jody, Amber and I try to get together once a month at least to hang out and catch up. Although it has been more like every other month lately, we did get together last week at Color Me Mine and made some beautiful ceramics! Nicole is going to pick them up tomorrow and we have decided to get together in August to see each others' project, hang out, and eat! Out of the two food options, I am letting Jody bring the wine and I said that I would do dessert. I am thinking that this idea for Sour Cream Pound Cake with Lemon Curd, Whipped Cream and Berries from Stephmodo sounds amazing! Plus, since we have one vegetarian and one who is lactose-intolerant in the group, I think that it can be adjusted to fit all tastes (obviously it's vegetarian and then Amber can just forego the whipped cream). It just seems like a great summer dessert that is a little special for the girls.

Oh, the shame

2008-07-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Although there have been, and still are, moments where I have really enjoyed those slapstick stupid comedy movies, it really hasn't happened of late. I generally lose patience and get annoyed with the stupid humor. In that vein, I am a little ashamed to say that the previews for Step Brothers have been making me laugh out loud. I'm pretty sure I couldn't stand to see the whole movie, though.

Oh, Zimbabwe

2008-06-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tragic, really.

Pretentious Parents

2008-06-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

This clip has been on a couple of blogs lately and I just had to pass it along. Hilarious! I saw it first here.

Finally

2008-06-19T22:00:00.001-07:00

Finally. It's not perfect, but at least we're moving in the right direction.

Cheap Emotion

2008-06-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have to admit something - I totally become easily emotional over movies, TV shows, commercials, etc. Really. It's kind of embarrassing. I think it's because I hate to be openly emotional in front of people in real life, so I just let it all out in the movie theater. Well, I hate to admit it, but lately this commercial gets me almost tearing up every time.

I don't know what it is. I mean, for goodness' sake, it's a Visa commercial! I don't know, maybe it's Morgan Freeman's voice? Really, I can't explain it.

Vegan Yumminess

2008-06-12T21:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Nicole, Megan and I went here on our lunch break. It's an amazing vegan restaurant in Irvine right near the office. Wow! The sweetheart fries are absolutely amazingly wonderful! Sweet potato fries are my new favorite!

Favorite Things

2008-06-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is my new SIGG bottle. They aren't taking any orders currently on their website, so I bought it from REI. It definitely beats taking my old Dasani bottles to work every day and refilling them until they get gross or die!

I am in love with this body wash. I found it at Target and have fallen in love. The almond oil and cherry blossom scent is wonderful. I only wish they had a lotion as well...

Okay, so I know they are being marketed toward kids, but these are really good, especially the strawberry ones! It was like a sweet party in my mouth that woke me up (I usually eat one in the car on the way to work as I am not a big breakfast eater). Plus, they are a whole serving of fruit! I found them at Whole Foods.

True Passion

2008-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, I had a funny day at work yestereday where my ultimate passion was exposed. I was able to go on my first "exploratory meeting" with a company that might be considering a sponsorship. I was kind of the silent observer as the Senior Business Director spoke with the President of this company. My silence was broken, thought, when he mentioned that he has been interested in donating to the One Laptop per Child program. My SBD had never heard of the program, but I definitely perked up and we started talking about it. He said he had gotten one of the laptops through the program where you could buy one for a child in a lesser developed country and then get one for yourself. I was extremely jealous. Needless to say, my SBD got the discussion back on track, but I spent most of the rest of the meeting trying to figure out if there was some tactful way to get a look at that laptop...to no avail. Ah, well...

Dedication

2008-05-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

So, I have a good friend who's going through a pretty rough time right now. She sometimes checks this blog, so I wanted to send a little message for when she next logs on. This is for you:

Something to make you chuckle - at least you don't live in a place where cars like this are a common sight!
I think, as shown in this picture, MacGregor (or Jigga) knows how you feel and would love (as I would) to be there with you.
And if I did happen to be there with you, we'd find something really comfortable (like a binkie) and we'd hang out all day doing nothing but relaxing and letting it all hang out! I love you and you know that I'm here whenever you want to talk or anything!

13???

2008-05-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have an amusing story to share. About a year ago, my Dad decided that he really wanted those stick-figure stickers on the back of his car to represent his family. By family, he meant his children, children-in-laws, grandchildren, and dogs. Trust me, we spent many hours trying to convince him that only soccer moms had those on their cars - not grandparents, and certainly not grandfathers. Not only that, I personally tried to convince him that those soccer moms were just providing fodder for extreme mockery. All to no avail. My mom bought them for him for his birthday in August, and by September they were applied to the back window of the car. The problem? six children, five grandchildren, 2 sons-in-law, and 2 (now 1 - sad) dogs. There was much discussion over the logistics of getting all of those on the car and somehow trying to display the families within the families. The result?

What I like to call the "polygamy car." I mean, really? Probably my favorite moment was when I was in bed late one Saturday night (my window was at the front of the house) and heard a car pull up and stop at about 1am. Then I heard this girl's voice yell out, "Two, four, six eight...what the %*##$%? 13 %&*&# kids??? I just started cracking up as all of my arguments became fully justified. He's just so proud of it though! I wish they would just disappear. Anyone want to come by late one night and peel them off? I'll pay you...

Twilight Trailer

2008-05-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Okay you Twilight fans - what do you think of the trailer? Good? Horrible? Right now I have mixed feelings and I think that I will withhold judgment.

Yum

2008-04-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

I get to eat here tonight, which I always enjoy. My favorite: the terriyaki bowl with brown rice and chicken. Although I am tempted to try the tofu. I've wanted to try it and I heard that they prepare it really well. We'll see...

Enter the Crazy

2008-04-27T17:50:00.001-07:00

So, our weather has been totally out of control lately. Just to give you an idea, here are the expected highs for the next few days:

Today: 99
Monday: 88
Tuesday: 74
Wednesday: 67

Is anybody else confused?

Target Surprise

2008-04-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, I was at Target today with my mom and while looking the through the stationary, I came across this really cool collection of letterpressed wedding invitations and thank you cards that are sold in a box of 50. They were beautiful! I am totally in love with the letterpress style for wedding invites, but they can be extremely expensive. Not only that, though, but the thank you cards come in a box of 50 and are generic enough (though beautiful) that they don't have to be just for weddings! I was very tempted, maybe if they are still there after the first paycheck comes, I'll snatch 'em up. The problem is that I can't find pictures online. So, really, you must go to the wedding section of your local Target and get those babies! I mean, 50 thank you cards for like $13 - not bad!

And although I couldn't find those online, I came across these:

Say what? Am I the last person to know that Target has a line of wedding dresses designed by Isaac Mizrahi? For $129 each? I mean, not to say that I would buy my wedding dress at Target, but those prices are pretty stinkin' amazing!!! You can see all of the dresses here.

I Want You, I Need You

2008-04-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted something so much, but felt so guilty about wanting it because of it's price that you never tell anyone so they don't think you are so shallow? I really want one of these. Maybe after a year of paychecks? (sigh)

Best Sign Ever

2008-04-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

We went to Arizona last weekend to visit family. On the drive back to California, I was finally able to get a picture of my favorite roadsign ever. I look for it every time we drive back toward Riverside (as opposed to the San Diego route).

Mission Accomplished

2008-04-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

Yay - I finally got a job! I was just recently hired for the position of Event Coordinator for the Heart Walk with the Orange County Division of the American Heart Association. I start on Monday...wish me luck!

Free Free Free

2008-04-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

So, in reading Erin's blog, I was inspired to look around and see what was going for free on Craigslist for Orange County. Here are a few of the more humorous/interesting finds.

FREE TALL FAN PALMS!!! - apparently you can go to this person's house in Westminster and remove (somehow - maybe with your handy dandy crane?) the three 30 foot palm trees in front and take them to your location of choice. I think my favorite part is that the picture is sideways.

FREE DIRT!!! - (what's with all the exclamation marks?) these people apparently want to give you their dirt - for free! Where can you find a better deal? Except, maybe, your own backyard, or front yard, the park down the street...need I go on?

FREE place to dump your CLEAN FILL DIRT - maybe these last two guys should get together!

Or my favorite...

TOTO TOILET - and you thought people weren't giving away good stuff! We are unaccountably generous here in Orange County!

Olympic Mania

2008-04-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

Have you been reading about all of the Olympic torch mayhem? I have to tell you that I am really loving it. I get incredible satisfaction when I see people go to great lengths to display their opinion. I think it is totally outrageous (in a good way) that protestors in France actually tried to grab the torch and it had to be re-lit 3 times before finally being put on a bus for the last leg. I also think it is awesome that college students shimmied up the Golden Gate Bridge to display huge banners (as San Francisco is the only US stop on the tour). Three of them stayed up there for hours because they knew they would be arrested when they came back down. I just think that it is a good reminder that even though we appear to be accepting China more and more on a global level (not that that is a bad thing as long as we can use that as leverage for good), China has in no way stopped its horrible history of human rights abuses. Anyway, I better stop before I go on a tirade, but I just wanted to make you aware in case you aren't already following the story. I love things like this because they make people think! What's your opinion about China being accepted on the world stage? Do you have one? Do you care?

For Sale

2008-04-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

You really need to check out this link:

THINGS FOR SALE THAT I WILL MAIL YOU

Take the time to check out the whole list. What an amazing idea - I wish I had thought of it first!

{via Oh Happy Day}

Previously On...

2008-04-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

Check out this hilarious article from The Onion News about a man with high aspirations...

Labokoff

2008-04-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

I love these combination photography + painting prints from Labokoff's etsy shop. I really want the Paris one. I could put it on my wall and sit on my bed staring at it for hours (or at least a long time) remembering rainy days running through Cemetaire Pere LaChaise and climbing up to greet the gorgoyles at the top of Notre Dame. Ah...

{via Bluelines}

Increase Your Knowledge

2008-04-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, being from California, I have come across people who have many false assumptions about the state. I decided to inform all those who didn't already know about a few things. Here goes.

Things you should know about California:

1. We have mountains. And snow. BIG mountains. Ever heard of the Sierra Nevadas? Donner Pass (where it was so cold and snowy and conditions were so bad that they had to eat the dead bodies)? Mammoth? Yosemite? You know how we have earthquakes? Yeah. Those usually happen on fault lines. Know what else happens on fault lines? Yup, mountains.

2. California is a BIG state. If you want to drive from the bottom of CA to the top, it would take you probably close to 20 hours. Seriously. So when somebody says they are from San Francisco area or Southern California, realize that they are talking about a 6 hour drive or so (for perspective, it takes probably 8-9 hours to get from Southern CA to Provo).

3. San Francisco is not really in Northern California. Okay, maybe it is slightly in Northern California, but mostly it is in Central California - remember that it's a big state?

4. People from California don't usually call it Cali (granted there are a very few exceptions - usually people who haven't lived here for a while). Oh, and while I'm on it, note that people never call Orange County the OC. That's the name of a TV show. Period.

5. We have farms. Lots of farms. Lots of cows. In fact, the central part of California is pretty much all agriculture. When people say they are from Fresno, that's more of what you should be picturing rather than palm trees and beaches. If someone says they are from California and they have never seen a cow they're either lying or totally in their own world.

6. Misconception: there are no open areas in California (especially Southern California). It depends what you are talking about. It is true that there are generally a lot of people along the coast (not always, but most of the time), but we actually have a lot of open area. We have a really big empty desert (the Mojave). We also have tons of national parks (think Yosemite, Lassen, Sequoia, etc.). Not only that, but we must have open spaces because how do you think all of the wildfires start? Not in someone's kitchen, that's for sure.

7. No, we do not have earthquakes every day. You can't even feel most earthquakes because they are too small. I can distinctly remember 2 destructive earthquakes in Southern California during my lifetime and the last one was the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

8. Contrary to popular opinion, though California usually has pretty good weather, it is NOT a tropical climate. Translation - the ocean is cold. In about August and sometimes July it warms up and you can definitely go swimming, but it is not warm. Sorry to burst your bubble, but palm trees are not native to Southern California either, they just grow well here. And it really only rains in the winter months. Rarely does it rain after April and before November (by the way, that's called a Mediterranean Climate - guess where else is the only place on earth with the same climate?).

9. June Gloom - Southern California is not always sunny and pretty during the summer (actually, my favorite months in California are not the summer months, but that's just me). We get this thing called June Gloom. It has to do with a cloud cover that comes in from the ocean. I'm just saying, if you are looking for sunny skies, they are hit and miss in June (although it is still warm).

10. Californians can't really be generalized. Because it is such a large state, you must be careful in thinking that you can make generalizations about the state. I'm not talking about little differences that you find in every state, but the culture is actually pretty distinctive. Think of the differences you can imagine between Los Angeles and San Francisco. They actually are extremely different cities. Thus, Northern and Southern California are pretty distinctive culturally. You should really visit each to find out - wouldn't that be so much fun?

Anyway, if you stuck with it and read the whole list, hopefully you are a more educated person regarding California. Just something that's been on my mind. I think the key is just to remember that California is really BIG, which means that it's really hard to make assumptions about the whole state...

More Musicness - She & Him

2008-04-02T17:44:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty much in love with the new album Volume One by She & Him. It's a collaboration between M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel. Remember the movie Elf? Remember the girl who sings Baby It's Cold Outside in the shower and blew you away? Yup, that's Zooey Deschanel. You should definitely check it out.

Music Break

2008-03-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of these women? I have been listening to these British female singers for the last couple of months and I'm still not sick of them. My favorite is probaby Kate Nash. I listen to this song over and over in the car.

And then there's Adele. Amazing husky quality to her voice. Kind of jazzy but not an Amy Winehouse wanna be (she's better). Even if you don't like the song, you should watch the video just to catch the dance sequences on the sidewalk. So cool!

And then there's Duffy. This is probably her most well-known song. Enjoy it!

Hope you enjoyed your little music break.

Juicer Mania

2008-03-26T16:57:00.001-07:00

So, lately I have been juicing a whole lot of lemons for various (mostly cake) recipes. More about that later. My mom, though, does not have a good juicer. I'm just talking about a simple hand juicer. She has the top, but the bottom container has been long lost. Due to this, juicing lemons is quite the production. Because the actual juicer doesn't fit on a container, I have to improvise by holding the juicer on the edge of a container so that it doesn't slide off while trying to juice lemons at the same time. Needless to say, there was one accident where I lost almost one cup of hard-earned lemon juice all over the kitchen counter.

This one from Anthropologie (which also comes in 2 other designs). I love the design, as well as the fact that it is designed to pour straight from the container. Sorry the picture is so small, but I always have a hard time with Anthropologie's website.

I also love this vintage juicer that I found in the June22 etsy shop for only $12. I really like the handles on the sides as well as the 70s flower motif on the sides. If you can't tell, I am really liking the ceramic juicers.

I also like this vintage cobalt blue glass juicer that I found on ebay (for only $8.90).

And then I found this awesome clown juicer on ebay. Who couldn't use this bad boy in their kitchen? You can snap it up for only $45! (ah!)

The Best of the Best

2008-03-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

The YouTube 2007 Awards are out. Above is one of my favorites: Human Tetris. You can check out the rest of the categories here.