This year has been very difficult for some but has also brought much joy to many. Hoping all who read this have a lovely New Year's Eve, whatever you may have planned or end up doing, and that next year has some wonderful surprises in store for you.
Stay safe tonight.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
this teddy bear would make you forget your troubles - and give you the munchies
This would have been an interesting find in a toy store.
I have to say, that's a pretty smart idea to use someone else's address as the return address, but if you're sending that kind of thing clandestinely in the mail, you think you'd check to make sure there's enough postage, wouldn't you? Insufficient postage is the only reason I can think of why the package was returned to the "sender" rather than delivered to the addressee, even though the story doesn't mention that's what happened.
I do expect, however, that the intended recipient of the package is going to get a visit about the package.
I have to say, that's a pretty smart idea to use someone else's address as the return address, but if you're sending that kind of thing clandestinely in the mail, you think you'd check to make sure there's enough postage, wouldn't you? Insufficient postage is the only reason I can think of why the package was returned to the "sender" rather than delivered to the addressee, even though the story doesn't mention that's what happened.
I do expect, however, that the intended recipient of the package is going to get a visit about the package.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
2 celebrities - 1 sighting, 1 encounter
celebrity sighting
A little more than a month ago, the husband and I and a friend were wandering around Disneyland doing rides, and we got in line for Big Thunder Railroad. We had gotten to the front and were assigned 2 rows, so we waited for the next train to come in so we could board. I noticed across the track that a ride cast member (CM) was taking a girl to be measured to see if she was tall enough to go on the attraction. It occurred to me that the man with them looked a lot like Noah Wyle. And then I realized that it was in fact Noah Wyle. I was actually a little surprised that I still recognized him because I haven't seen anything he's been in for quite some time, but then, he didn't look any different from the last time that I *had* seen him. The girl (presumably his daughter) was tall enough to ride, so Noah and his daughter (and the plaid-dressed CM who was presumably their assigned escort) all ended up getting into the same train that we were riding. So, I pretty much spent the entire ride watching the backs of their heads. I saw Noah turn to his daughter a couple of times, and Noah was smiling, so I'm assuming his daughter was enjoying herself as well. After we got back into the station, we exited behind them, and I saw them join up with several other people. And yes, I managed not to follow him around the park for the rest of the evening.
celebrity encounter
My niece was on a JetBlu flight from New York to Burbank, and the row she was in was empty except for her, so she was enjoying that she could lay across the seats and be comfortable taking a nap. Shortly into the flight, she heard a woman ask if she could have the aisle seat in that row because her row was very crowded. My niece was not happy about having been awakened from her sleep and now having to share her empty space, but she begrudgingly agreed. She still took up the remaining two spaces but said she pretty much had her "feet and butt all up in her [woman's] face". She said she also had to get up to use the restroom a couple of times during the flight, so the woman would have had to let her in and out of her seat. She was half-asleep, and she'd taken her contacts off and didn't have her glasses on so really hadn't paid that much attention to the woman now sitting in her row. She said she was also a bit distracted because she'd noticed that Peter Facinelli (No, I had no idea who he was when she told me his name. She said he was married to Jennie Garth, so I looked him up on imdb.) was sitting in the row or two in front of her. She said she did notice at some point that the woman had a script with her, but it wasn't the couple pages of sides that you'd get if you were auditioning - they were full-size scripts, so my niece had a fleeting wonder about who this woman was. Hours later, as the plane was about to make its final descent into Burbank airport and the flight attendants were collecting all of the remaining drink cups and trash, my niece overhead one of the flight attendants approach the woman and say how much he liked her in "Leverage" and other projects. That's when my niece realized the woman she'd allowed to sit in her row was Jeri Ryan. She put her glasses on and looked, and yep, that's who it was. She was mortified at that point that she hadn't been nicer to her. I asked her if Jeri had seemed annoyed at all, and she said no, she was nice, and she even passed her beverage to her from the the flight attendant when they went around with drink service. My niece said she also thought about her hair being a mess and such, but since she'd had her feet and butt all up in her face already, it was pretty much too late by then. She said she did kind of stare at her once they landed and Jeri got her things to leave. My niece said Jeri was dressed simply in jeans and didn't have any makeup on and was very unassuming. I told her that she hadn't actually done anything wrong. She did give up the seat, and being on the aisle, you pretty much expect that you're going to have to get up if someone wants to use the restroom. I also figured that since she was flying fairly incognito (neither my niece nor I had expected that Jeri Ryan would be flying in a regular seat in JetBlu), she might have actually liked just being treated like a normal person, and it really wasn't like my niece was rude to her or anything. My niece said that she knew she had to tell me this story because she knew I was a Star Trek fan. So after she told me her story, I told her my Noah Wyle story, which she enjoyed.
A little more than a month ago, the husband and I and a friend were wandering around Disneyland doing rides, and we got in line for Big Thunder Railroad. We had gotten to the front and were assigned 2 rows, so we waited for the next train to come in so we could board. I noticed across the track that a ride cast member (CM) was taking a girl to be measured to see if she was tall enough to go on the attraction. It occurred to me that the man with them looked a lot like Noah Wyle. And then I realized that it was in fact Noah Wyle. I was actually a little surprised that I still recognized him because I haven't seen anything he's been in for quite some time, but then, he didn't look any different from the last time that I *had* seen him. The girl (presumably his daughter) was tall enough to ride, so Noah and his daughter (and the plaid-dressed CM who was presumably their assigned escort) all ended up getting into the same train that we were riding. So, I pretty much spent the entire ride watching the backs of their heads. I saw Noah turn to his daughter a couple of times, and Noah was smiling, so I'm assuming his daughter was enjoying herself as well. After we got back into the station, we exited behind them, and I saw them join up with several other people. And yes, I managed not to follow him around the park for the rest of the evening.
celebrity encounter
My niece was on a JetBlu flight from New York to Burbank, and the row she was in was empty except for her, so she was enjoying that she could lay across the seats and be comfortable taking a nap. Shortly into the flight, she heard a woman ask if she could have the aisle seat in that row because her row was very crowded. My niece was not happy about having been awakened from her sleep and now having to share her empty space, but she begrudgingly agreed. She still took up the remaining two spaces but said she pretty much had her "feet and butt all up in her [woman's] face". She said she also had to get up to use the restroom a couple of times during the flight, so the woman would have had to let her in and out of her seat. She was half-asleep, and she'd taken her contacts off and didn't have her glasses on so really hadn't paid that much attention to the woman now sitting in her row. She said she was also a bit distracted because she'd noticed that Peter Facinelli (No, I had no idea who he was when she told me his name. She said he was married to Jennie Garth, so I looked him up on imdb.) was sitting in the row or two in front of her. She said she did notice at some point that the woman had a script with her, but it wasn't the couple pages of sides that you'd get if you were auditioning - they were full-size scripts, so my niece had a fleeting wonder about who this woman was. Hours later, as the plane was about to make its final descent into Burbank airport and the flight attendants were collecting all of the remaining drink cups and trash, my niece overhead one of the flight attendants approach the woman and say how much he liked her in "Leverage" and other projects. That's when my niece realized the woman she'd allowed to sit in her row was Jeri Ryan. She put her glasses on and looked, and yep, that's who it was. She was mortified at that point that she hadn't been nicer to her. I asked her if Jeri had seemed annoyed at all, and she said no, she was nice, and she even passed her beverage to her from the the flight attendant when they went around with drink service. My niece said she also thought about her hair being a mess and such, but since she'd had her feet and butt all up in her face already, it was pretty much too late by then. She said she did kind of stare at her once they landed and Jeri got her things to leave. My niece said Jeri was dressed simply in jeans and didn't have any makeup on and was very unassuming. I told her that she hadn't actually done anything wrong. She did give up the seat, and being on the aisle, you pretty much expect that you're going to have to get up if someone wants to use the restroom. I also figured that since she was flying fairly incognito (neither my niece nor I had expected that Jeri Ryan would be flying in a regular seat in JetBlu), she might have actually liked just being treated like a normal person, and it really wasn't like my niece was rude to her or anything. My niece said that she knew she had to tell me this story because she knew I was a Star Trek fan. So after she told me her story, I told her my Noah Wyle story, which she enjoyed.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monkey House Cafe - the name alone makes me want to try it
We were in the Huntington Beach area yesterday and drove by a restaurant called Monkey House Cafe. It was late, and it was dark, so I couldn't see the place very well, but the name of the place sure caught my attention. So, I looked them up online.
The place looks to be a very small simple shop that serves sandwiches, soups and desserts, and they're only open until the late afternoon on weekdays and close even earlier on weekends.
I do love how the website looks though - they have lots of cute pictures of cartoon monkeys!
This picture is on their page listing their selection of beverages.
This picture is on their page listing their schedule of their soup of the day selection.
This picture is on their page listing their sandwich selections.
This picture is on their page listing their desserts.
Given the location of the cafe, which isn't really near anywhere I go on a regular basis, it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it there anytime soon, but it's definitely a place I'd like to try. The menu selections do sound good, and hey, they have a cute website!
This picture from their website shows two of the owners of the cafe as well as two views of the interior of the cafe.
The place looks to be a very small simple shop that serves sandwiches, soups and desserts, and they're only open until the late afternoon on weekdays and close even earlier on weekends.
I do love how the website looks though - they have lots of cute pictures of cartoon monkeys!
This picture is on their page listing their selection of beverages.
This picture is on their page listing their schedule of their soup of the day selection.
This picture is on their page listing their sandwich selections.
This picture is on their page listing their desserts.Given the location of the cafe, which isn't really near anywhere I go on a regular basis, it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it there anytime soon, but it's definitely a place I'd like to try. The menu selections do sound good, and hey, they have a cute website!
This picture from their website shows two of the owners of the cafe as well as two views of the interior of the cafe.Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Using Google's image to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the best of the holiday season.
This year, Google's final image was five days in the making.
May you have a good day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
giving a helping hand
I heard about Robin Hood 702 on a radio show last week. He's an anonymous high-stakes gambler living in Las Vegas who last year decided to find a family that he could help with money that would get them out of debt. He's doing the same thing this year, and he's being joined with contributions from a second person.
I think this is a terrific idea, though I can understand the difficulty in trying to decide who to pick. There are so many stories out there, and you can't possibly help them all. And you also have to learn to weed out the "deserving" (in the eyes of whomever is making the decision, of course) and those who are not so much. Some stories sound pretty bad on the surface, but sometimes, knowing the story behind the situation can change how you feel about the situation itself. At least that has happened to me a number of times.
I like that he's not interested in making someone a ton of money, but rather, a more modest amount that can be insurmountable if you're in that situation but isn't a back-breaker for someone who has some amount of money.
This is the kind of thing that I would so love to be in a position to do. No, money can't fix everything, but I hear about so many situations where some significant amount of money would make a huge difference, would help alleviate some particular concerns so that the people can get on their feet and balanced and deal with other parts of their situation that don't involve money.
There are many people who might be having a more modest holiday season and maybe don't have a lot of presents, but there are others who are dealing with even bigger issues. Here's hoping that local Robin Hoods can come to their aid as well.
Here's a news story with more information about Robin Hood 702 and the first recipients of his generosity as well as the current situation.
I think this is a terrific idea, though I can understand the difficulty in trying to decide who to pick. There are so many stories out there, and you can't possibly help them all. And you also have to learn to weed out the "deserving" (in the eyes of whomever is making the decision, of course) and those who are not so much. Some stories sound pretty bad on the surface, but sometimes, knowing the story behind the situation can change how you feel about the situation itself. At least that has happened to me a number of times.
I like that he's not interested in making someone a ton of money, but rather, a more modest amount that can be insurmountable if you're in that situation but isn't a back-breaker for someone who has some amount of money.
This is the kind of thing that I would so love to be in a position to do. No, money can't fix everything, but I hear about so many situations where some significant amount of money would make a huge difference, would help alleviate some particular concerns so that the people can get on their feet and balanced and deal with other parts of their situation that don't involve money.
There are many people who might be having a more modest holiday season and maybe don't have a lot of presents, but there are others who are dealing with even bigger issues. Here's hoping that local Robin Hoods can come to their aid as well.
Here's a news story with more information about Robin Hood 702 and the first recipients of his generosity as well as the current situation.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
"Family Guy" does "Star Wars" again
The second episode of the animated television show "Family Guy" to spoof the original "Star Wars" trilogy of films was released this week. The title of the episode/DVD is "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side". Yeah, really. However, unlike the first episode, which was shown on TV and then released on DVD, this episode is only available on DVD, at least for now. Not sure if they plan to show the episode on TV in the future.
Even though I'm a big Star Wars fan, and even though the husband watches "Family Guy", I've not seen the first episode. The husband was watching the new episode, and I was listening to it from the other room and watched bits of it. It really is pretty funny. I guess I should go back and watch the first one.
The disc has some nifty specials too, including a table read of the episode and a "pop-up facts" version which has some really cool things in it, including one bit that's particularly amusing to me. There's also a preview of the third episode. And no, I'm not going to spoil it by telling you what the title is. You'll have to buy the DVD. Or at least look at it. :)
The link I provided above also has a trailer for the episode.
Even though I'm a big Star Wars fan, and even though the husband watches "Family Guy", I've not seen the first episode. The husband was watching the new episode, and I was listening to it from the other room and watched bits of it. It really is pretty funny. I guess I should go back and watch the first one.
The disc has some nifty specials too, including a table read of the episode and a "pop-up facts" version which has some really cool things in it, including one bit that's particularly amusing to me. There's also a preview of the third episode. And no, I'm not going to spoil it by telling you what the title is. You'll have to buy the DVD. Or at least look at it. :)
The link I provided above also has a trailer for the episode.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
part cat, part seal?
Most cats aren't particularly fond of water, except to drink. Bathtime can often be a huge fight when it comes to cats. Orkid likes to jump in the tub, but only when it's empty. If you turn the water on, she'll venture far enough to get a drink, but if you turn it on higher or if you turn the shower head on, she will get out of the tub.
Not so much this kitty. Too frickin' cute.
Not so much this kitty. Too frickin' cute.
Monday, December 21, 2009
in space, no one can hear you make sushi
I was amused when I read this article that sushi was going to be included on the menu when a Japanese astronaut heads to the International Space Station. I'm not sure how they keep their food fresh, but I hope they do a good job with the fish. Food poisoning in space would suck. I wish they'd elaborated on what fish they're exactly bringing. Cause, you know, I like those kinds of details.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
sometimes, pre-conceived notions are funny
For various occasions, my side of the family has family dinners out, and who is in attendance depends on who's available. For a particular dinner a number of years ago, the husband and I were there, along with my sister and her then-boyfriend/now-husband, as well as my sister's then-teenage daughter and son, at a Chinese restaurant.
We order family style, so we'd put our order in, and my sister asked the waiter for two forks.
When the waiter brought the forks, he didn't give the forks to my sister (normally, they bring the forks to whomever actually asks for them), but rather, put one fork in front of each of the husband and my sister's boyfriend - the two white people at the table. Both the husband and my sister's boyfriend knew very well how to use chopsticks - the forks my sister had requested were for her two kids, who preferred to use forks to chopsticks.
It was obvious that the waiter assumed the kids were old enough to know how to use chopsticks, so the forks *must* be for the white people, who, you know, can't possibly know how to use chopsticks.
The rest of us all laughed when the forks were put down, though I think the husband and my sister's boyfriend were offended at the assumption that the forks were for them, simply because they were white.
This counts as a magical memory for me partly because of the waiter's erroneous assumption, but mostly because of the looks on the faces of the husband and my sister's boyfriend when the forks were put down in front of them. :)
We order family style, so we'd put our order in, and my sister asked the waiter for two forks.
When the waiter brought the forks, he didn't give the forks to my sister (normally, they bring the forks to whomever actually asks for them), but rather, put one fork in front of each of the husband and my sister's boyfriend - the two white people at the table. Both the husband and my sister's boyfriend knew very well how to use chopsticks - the forks my sister had requested were for her two kids, who preferred to use forks to chopsticks.
It was obvious that the waiter assumed the kids were old enough to know how to use chopsticks, so the forks *must* be for the white people, who, you know, can't possibly know how to use chopsticks.
The rest of us all laughed when the forks were put down, though I think the husband and my sister's boyfriend were offended at the assumption that the forks were for them, simply because they were white.
This counts as a magical memory for me partly because of the waiter's erroneous assumption, but mostly because of the looks on the faces of the husband and my sister's boyfriend when the forks were put down in front of them. :)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Sir Picard
Wil Wheaton tweeted this link to a story that Patrick Stewart is to be knighted. Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart have a nice ring to them, don't you think? :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Adidas does Star Wars
I don't know how long the affiliation between Adidas and Star Wars has been going on (other than with t-shirts, which I'm assuming Adidas has done before), but someone alerted me to this page that shows the Star Wars products that Adidas offers.
Some of the stuff is pretty cool.
I like these Stormtrooper shoes, and I really like these Darth Vader shoes, but why are they only available for men? Women can't like and wear them? That sucks! Women only get the Princess Leia shoe that's a bit oddly colored to me? And, the tongue has a picture of Slave Leia. Yeah, ok, that's for the women. Really?
Some of the stuff is pretty cool.
I like these Stormtrooper shoes, and I really like these Darth Vader shoes, but why are they only available for men? Women can't like and wear them? That sucks! Women only get the Princess Leia shoe that's a bit oddly colored to me? And, the tongue has a picture of Slave Leia. Yeah, ok, that's for the women. Really?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tasty Morsels Bakery
I happened upon the Tasty Morsels Bakery blog, and I'm just loving all the different styles of special-order cookies they make.
I love these baby girl cookies from the August 30, 2009 entry. And these wedding favors from the August 23, 2009 entry are just awesome. The re-created likeness is just incredible.
The bakery is in New York, so unfortunately, not easy for me to get to, but I just thought the blog was pretty cool, especially with all the nifty pictures.
I love these baby girl cookies from the August 30, 2009 entry. And these wedding favors from the August 23, 2009 entry are just awesome. The re-created likeness is just incredible.
The bakery is in New York, so unfortunately, not easy for me to get to, but I just thought the blog was pretty cool, especially with all the nifty pictures.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
closing the Dollhouse
I follow Eliza Dushku on Twitter and this morning, she tweeted that it was the last day of shooting on "Dollhouse". That made me sad.
Later in the day, she posted this picture of the wrap lunch. That was so cool that they had the wrap party actually inside the house. It's an absolutely gorgeous set. I'm so sad thinking about it being struck. That beautiful house, all turned to rubble.
I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the shows and seeing where Joss takes it.
Later in the day, she posted this picture of the wrap lunch. That was so cool that they had the wrap party actually inside the house. It's an absolutely gorgeous set. I'm so sad thinking about it being struck. That beautiful house, all turned to rubble.
I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the shows and seeing where Joss takes it.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2010 inductees
I'd previously mentioned that Genesis was on the list of nominees to be included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well, today, the list of inductees was released, and Genesis is one of the 5 artists being inducted in 2010. How cool is that? I'm also happy that ABBA is included as well because I like them a lot too.
The ceremony is on March 15, 2010 in New York. So, if anyone has a spare ticket to the induction ceremony and wants to invite me along, I'd be more than happy to go. I can even arrange my own transportation to New York. I'll pencil in the date on my calendar so that I can be sure to be available at that time. I'm sure I'd be able to take a couple days off work to make the trip. Just give me a little notice so that I can arrange a decent-priced plane ticket and somewhere to stay.
Seriously, I want to go.
The ceremony is on March 15, 2010 in New York. So, if anyone has a spare ticket to the induction ceremony and wants to invite me along, I'd be more than happy to go. I can even arrange my own transportation to New York. I'll pencil in the date on my calendar so that I can be sure to be available at that time. I'm sure I'd be able to take a couple days off work to make the trip. Just give me a little notice so that I can arrange a decent-priced plane ticket and somewhere to stay.
Seriously, I want to go.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The South Butt
I just thought this story was really funny. I suppose I can see why The North Face is mad, but I guess I wouldn't think that big a company would care about a little parody. I mean, people who are buying from The South Butt wouldn't be doing so in lieu of buying from The North Face, right?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
where everybody knows your name
A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I had dinner at Catal Restaurant, which is not an uncommon occurrence, but we were celebrating a special occasion, so we were having a rare dinner there without any of our friends.
Our favorite server was there, and a couple of the managers and other servers we know were also there, so each of them came by at various times to say hello and chat, which was nice.
As usual, we had a lovely and yummy dinner. (The light levels were low, so my pictures kinda suck, but be assured that everything tasted much better than the pictures would lead you to believe.)
I started with a sashimi appetizer. Mmmm, cold dead fish.
For my entree, I had been craving short ribs, which I knew were on the current menu. But I'd also been craving their mac and cheese, which is on their kids menu. And it had been a long time since I'd had short ribs on the mac and cheese. Our server luckily obliged by putting in the special order request for me. Yep, more yumminess.
One odd thing had occurred during the course of dinner. One of the managers had come by to say hi, and she greeted us with "Happy Anniversary". How did she know that, we asked her? She said one of the servers had told her. We didn't know how the servers would know since we hadn't told them, and while our dining alone was rare, it certainly wasn't unheard of and was not necessarily an indication of a special occasion. We questioned both our server (who wouldn't tell us how he knew) and another server we knew who also came by to give us her good wishes, but we got nowhere with answers on how they knew, and we were baffled.
Finally, the husband figured it out. I had posted something on my Facebook page that morning, but no one at Catal is on my friends list, but the husband also remembered that I'd posted something on this blog that morning. We figured out that one of the servers we knew (who'd come by to give us her good wishes) must have seen my blog entry and saw that we had a reservation that night and put two and two together. I know that a couple of them know about the blog and website, but I'd only told this particular server about the blog because of a TV show I'd recommended to her. I was surprised that she'd come back after that to look at it at all.
We were then very happily surprised when a complimentary dessert was brought out to us.
I'd had two of the three items previously. The item on the left is the peanut butter and chocolate bar, which is really yummy. The item in the middle is the pear tart, which I didn't care for that much as it was too sweet for my taste. But the item on the right was the pumpkin cheesecake, which was incredible. It was a good blend of cheesecake and pumpkin, but more pumpkin than a lot of other places, and it was very moist. Most of the time, pumpkin cheesecake tends to be more cheesecake with a hint of pumpkin and tends to be very dense. That was definitely not the case here. It was more like pumpkin cheesecake mousse. Heavenly.
I had brought some recent-acquired special things for taste-testing, so that was fun too, as we got the servers, the managers, the General Manager and even our busboy involved. Yes, I know, it's like listening to a broken record, but it was another fantastic dinner at Catal.
Thanks, Suki, for telling them about our anniversary. And I see you out there reading this! ;) See you soon!
Our favorite server was there, and a couple of the managers and other servers we know were also there, so each of them came by at various times to say hello and chat, which was nice.
As usual, we had a lovely and yummy dinner. (The light levels were low, so my pictures kinda suck, but be assured that everything tasted much better than the pictures would lead you to believe.)
I started with a sashimi appetizer. Mmmm, cold dead fish.
For my entree, I had been craving short ribs, which I knew were on the current menu. But I'd also been craving their mac and cheese, which is on their kids menu. And it had been a long time since I'd had short ribs on the mac and cheese. Our server luckily obliged by putting in the special order request for me. Yep, more yumminess.
One odd thing had occurred during the course of dinner. One of the managers had come by to say hi, and she greeted us with "Happy Anniversary". How did she know that, we asked her? She said one of the servers had told her. We didn't know how the servers would know since we hadn't told them, and while our dining alone was rare, it certainly wasn't unheard of and was not necessarily an indication of a special occasion. We questioned both our server (who wouldn't tell us how he knew) and another server we knew who also came by to give us her good wishes, but we got nowhere with answers on how they knew, and we were baffled.
Finally, the husband figured it out. I had posted something on my Facebook page that morning, but no one at Catal is on my friends list, but the husband also remembered that I'd posted something on this blog that morning. We figured out that one of the servers we knew (who'd come by to give us her good wishes) must have seen my blog entry and saw that we had a reservation that night and put two and two together. I know that a couple of them know about the blog and website, but I'd only told this particular server about the blog because of a TV show I'd recommended to her. I was surprised that she'd come back after that to look at it at all.
We were then very happily surprised when a complimentary dessert was brought out to us.
I'd had two of the three items previously. The item on the left is the peanut butter and chocolate bar, which is really yummy. The item in the middle is the pear tart, which I didn't care for that much as it was too sweet for my taste. But the item on the right was the pumpkin cheesecake, which was incredible. It was a good blend of cheesecake and pumpkin, but more pumpkin than a lot of other places, and it was very moist. Most of the time, pumpkin cheesecake tends to be more cheesecake with a hint of pumpkin and tends to be very dense. That was definitely not the case here. It was more like pumpkin cheesecake mousse. Heavenly.
I had brought some recent-acquired special things for taste-testing, so that was fun too, as we got the servers, the managers, the General Manager and even our busboy involved. Yes, I know, it's like listening to a broken record, but it was another fantastic dinner at Catal.
Thanks, Suki, for telling them about our anniversary. And I see you out there reading this! ;) See you soon!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
white elephant gift exchange
My department at work had our holiday lunch this past week, and for a number of years now, part of the tradition is to have the white elephant gift exchange. Participation is voluntary, but most people usually join in the fun, and each person who brings a gift would then end up with a gift. This isn't one of those gag gifts things so no weird or bad gifts.
The rules:
1. A maximum dollar amount for the purchased gift is set, usually $20 or $25. All gifts should be no more than that amount, but most people also know not to bring something like a $5 gift because that just wouldn't be cool.
2. In the past, lots of people brought gift cards, and that was deemed to be not enough fun, so a few years ago, the rule was implemented that gift cards weren't allowed.
3. The gift should be non-gender-specific since both men and women will be participating in the game.
4. All gifts are placed on a table together, and some people take great measures to hide which bag/box they brought so that someone won't pick a gift just because that particular person brought it.
5. There are slips of paper with a number on it, each in ascending order, up to the number of people playing the game. The slips of paper are then put in a bag or box or something equivalent, and each person playing the game takes a turn at drawing out one of the slips of paper. The number on each slip of paper will determine the order in which the players get their turn.
6. The person with number 1 goes first. That person goes to the table and picks a gift and opens it.
7. The person with number 2 goes next. That person can either take the gift from person 1 or that person can pick a gift from the table. If person 2 takes person 1's gift, then person 1 picks another gift from the table.
8. Person number 3 can either take the gift from person 1 or person 2 or pick a gift from the table. If person 1 or person 2 has their gift taken, they cannot take back the gift just taken from them, but they can take the gift from the other person or pick a gift from the table.
9. Each gift can be "stolen" a set number of times before it is "frozen", meaning that it cannot be stolen anymore, and the person currently in possession of the gift gets to actually keep it. We used to allow 3 steals (meaning the fourth owner gets to keep it), but that was deemed to be too many times, so we now only allow 2 steals (which means the third owner gets to keep it). You can't steal back a gift that was just stolen from you, but if you have another turn in another round because your gift is stolen, you can steal back a gift that was stolen from you previously during another round.
10. Each subsequent person has the option of either stealing a gift that's not already frozen or picking a gift from the table. If anyone has a gift stolen from them, they can either steal another gift that's not already frozen or pick a gift from the table.
11. Once the last person has gone, the first person gets a final turn. If they so choose, they can decide to switch gifts with any other person who has a gift that's not frozen. Since the first person didn't have any option other than to pick a gift from the table, that gives them the chance to steal something if they want to. But if they're happy with their gift, they don't have to do anything, and the game is over.
The game can be a lot of fun when people are stealing things a lot, especially when several people want the same gift. It's even more fun in a work environment since supervisors and subordinates are playing together, and lots of jokes are made about stealing a gift from a supervisor.
There are a couple aspects of the game that can crop up which I don't particularly enjoy. Some people take the game very seriously, too seriously. For me, it's $25, so I'm not putting out a lot of money, and I don't really expect to come out of it with a treasure. Sometimes, I have come home with something really neat, but if not, oh well, it's just a game. I also do try to put some thought in what I get, that it might be something people would want. It annoys me when someone just brings something that isn't appealing at all. That's no fun that way. If you don't want to think of something, or if you can't afford the $25 gift, that's ok, just don't play and watch and enjoy the fun. And some people get REALLY bent out of shape if they don't get something they really want. Yeah, some of the stuff is really neat, but, again, it's only $25. If I ever saw something that I really wanted and didn't end up with it, I'd try to find out who brought it and where they got it and just buy it myself!
Some people also take a really long time to decide what they want to do, and everyone just sits around waiting. The gifts are usually pretty simple, so it's really a matter of deciding what you want and don't want or if you just want to pick from the table. I tend to keep a running count in my head as much as possible of the things I might like that are still available, and I also cross them off when they're frozen, so I pretty much know if there's something I want or if I need to pick from the table. But I think a lot of people aren't really paying attention until it's their turn.
There's also one other thing that people do that I don't particularly think is fair, and that's when they pick up several different gifts from the table and shake them or try to see how heavy they are to see if they might want it. For me, you see how the gift is presented, whether it's in a box and wrapped or in a gift bag or whatever. You make your decision that way. Again, it's just a game.
The game can be a bit more complicated when there are a lot of people playing because there are more gifts to keep track of as far as what's still available and what's frozen. We had a smaller number this year, about 20, which was pretty good to keep the action going without people getting bored and without too many gifts to track. Some years, we've had a lot, and I think something like 30 or 40 people playing could get more complicated. You really need to make sure that whomever is keeping track of the gifts (it's usually better if it's someone who's not actually playing in the game, if possible) does a good job so when the questions come up about what's available, they can run down the list of items.
This year, I had a number of really cool things, but most of them were stolen from me. So, here's what I ended up with.
I wouldn't normally buy this for myself since I'm not really into the whole Snuggie thing, but since I have it anyway, I'm going to keep it. However, if I'm going to have one, I don't want just a generic blue one, so I'm going to try to see if I can exchange it in a store for the leopard print one. :)
The rules:
1. A maximum dollar amount for the purchased gift is set, usually $20 or $25. All gifts should be no more than that amount, but most people also know not to bring something like a $5 gift because that just wouldn't be cool.
2. In the past, lots of people brought gift cards, and that was deemed to be not enough fun, so a few years ago, the rule was implemented that gift cards weren't allowed.
3. The gift should be non-gender-specific since both men and women will be participating in the game.
4. All gifts are placed on a table together, and some people take great measures to hide which bag/box they brought so that someone won't pick a gift just because that particular person brought it.
5. There are slips of paper with a number on it, each in ascending order, up to the number of people playing the game. The slips of paper are then put in a bag or box or something equivalent, and each person playing the game takes a turn at drawing out one of the slips of paper. The number on each slip of paper will determine the order in which the players get their turn.
6. The person with number 1 goes first. That person goes to the table and picks a gift and opens it.
7. The person with number 2 goes next. That person can either take the gift from person 1 or that person can pick a gift from the table. If person 2 takes person 1's gift, then person 1 picks another gift from the table.
8. Person number 3 can either take the gift from person 1 or person 2 or pick a gift from the table. If person 1 or person 2 has their gift taken, they cannot take back the gift just taken from them, but they can take the gift from the other person or pick a gift from the table.
9. Each gift can be "stolen" a set number of times before it is "frozen", meaning that it cannot be stolen anymore, and the person currently in possession of the gift gets to actually keep it. We used to allow 3 steals (meaning the fourth owner gets to keep it), but that was deemed to be too many times, so we now only allow 2 steals (which means the third owner gets to keep it). You can't steal back a gift that was just stolen from you, but if you have another turn in another round because your gift is stolen, you can steal back a gift that was stolen from you previously during another round.
10. Each subsequent person has the option of either stealing a gift that's not already frozen or picking a gift from the table. If anyone has a gift stolen from them, they can either steal another gift that's not already frozen or pick a gift from the table.
11. Once the last person has gone, the first person gets a final turn. If they so choose, they can decide to switch gifts with any other person who has a gift that's not frozen. Since the first person didn't have any option other than to pick a gift from the table, that gives them the chance to steal something if they want to. But if they're happy with their gift, they don't have to do anything, and the game is over.
The game can be a lot of fun when people are stealing things a lot, especially when several people want the same gift. It's even more fun in a work environment since supervisors and subordinates are playing together, and lots of jokes are made about stealing a gift from a supervisor.
There are a couple aspects of the game that can crop up which I don't particularly enjoy. Some people take the game very seriously, too seriously. For me, it's $25, so I'm not putting out a lot of money, and I don't really expect to come out of it with a treasure. Sometimes, I have come home with something really neat, but if not, oh well, it's just a game. I also do try to put some thought in what I get, that it might be something people would want. It annoys me when someone just brings something that isn't appealing at all. That's no fun that way. If you don't want to think of something, or if you can't afford the $25 gift, that's ok, just don't play and watch and enjoy the fun. And some people get REALLY bent out of shape if they don't get something they really want. Yeah, some of the stuff is really neat, but, again, it's only $25. If I ever saw something that I really wanted and didn't end up with it, I'd try to find out who brought it and where they got it and just buy it myself!
Some people also take a really long time to decide what they want to do, and everyone just sits around waiting. The gifts are usually pretty simple, so it's really a matter of deciding what you want and don't want or if you just want to pick from the table. I tend to keep a running count in my head as much as possible of the things I might like that are still available, and I also cross them off when they're frozen, so I pretty much know if there's something I want or if I need to pick from the table. But I think a lot of people aren't really paying attention until it's their turn.
There's also one other thing that people do that I don't particularly think is fair, and that's when they pick up several different gifts from the table and shake them or try to see how heavy they are to see if they might want it. For me, you see how the gift is presented, whether it's in a box and wrapped or in a gift bag or whatever. You make your decision that way. Again, it's just a game.
The game can be a bit more complicated when there are a lot of people playing because there are more gifts to keep track of as far as what's still available and what's frozen. We had a smaller number this year, about 20, which was pretty good to keep the action going without people getting bored and without too many gifts to track. Some years, we've had a lot, and I think something like 30 or 40 people playing could get more complicated. You really need to make sure that whomever is keeping track of the gifts (it's usually better if it's someone who's not actually playing in the game, if possible) does a good job so when the questions come up about what's available, they can run down the list of items.
This year, I had a number of really cool things, but most of them were stolen from me. So, here's what I ended up with.
I wouldn't normally buy this for myself since I'm not really into the whole Snuggie thing, but since I have it anyway, I'm going to keep it. However, if I'm going to have one, I don't want just a generic blue one, so I'm going to try to see if I can exchange it in a store for the leopard print one. :)
Friday, December 11, 2009
How much is that kitty in the wheel well?
Cats get into the weirdest places. I've heard of them hitching rides in sofas and other little nooks, but never a wheel well.
I'm really surprised the kitty didn't fall out (but I'm glad it didn't). Poor thing must have been so cold!
I'm really surprised the kitty didn't fall out (but I'm glad it didn't). Poor thing must have been so cold!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
red meat can hurt you
In this case, the red meat - steak - can hurt you if someone is hitting you with it.
I don't know how one goes about thinking to use a steak to hit someone on the head. But then, weird stories seem to come out of Florida a lot.
I wonder if being hit with good steak hurts less than being hit with inexpensive steak. And would raw steak hurt less than cooked steak since it would presumably be softer?
Just don't get hit with a bone-in steak. Owwwww.
I don't know how one goes about thinking to use a steak to hit someone on the head. But then, weird stories seem to come out of Florida a lot.
I wonder if being hit with good steak hurts less than being hit with inexpensive steak. And would raw steak hurt less than cooked steak since it would presumably be softer?
Just don't get hit with a bone-in steak. Owwwww.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
stuff on my cat
So Orkid was laying on a counter in the kitchen the other day. And there was mail nearby. And she was just laying there. So I put a postcard-sized piece of mail on her. And she didn't object or even more. So I put another small piece of mail on her. And she kept not moving. So I put bigger mail on her. And she sat there and lazily blinked her eyes, almost like she was going to sleep. So I piled all of the day's mail on her, most of which was junk mail and catalogs and stuff. And she just lay there.
Yeah, she's weird.
Yeah, she's weird.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
32
I live in Southern California for a number of reasons, one of which is the nice weather. I am not a cold-weather person. I don't like the cold weather. I am not happy in cold weather. I am cranky in cold weather. I am *COLD* in cold weather. So instead of living in Boston or New York or Wisconsin or Maine, I live in the Los Angeles area.
So why was it so foxtrotting cold today? Yeah, yeah, I know, it's December. In December, it's freezing cold in OTHER places, like, you know, Boston, New York, etc.
Did we move closer to the Arctic? Some weird turn of the Earth? Some weird re-alignment in preparation for 2012?
Where's a little global warming when you really need it?
Brrrrr........
So why was it so foxtrotting cold today? Yeah, yeah, I know, it's December. In December, it's freezing cold in OTHER places, like, you know, Boston, New York, etc.
Did we move closer to the Arctic? Some weird turn of the Earth? Some weird re-alignment in preparation for 2012?
Where's a little global warming when you really need it?
Brrrrr........
Monday, December 7, 2009
MILK - fall specials and holiday goodies
MILK always has good food and yummy ice creams and sorbets and baked goods, but they're always coming up with new tasty seasonal treats as well.
They've recently changed their daily specials (though they haven't updated their website yet), which are as follows:
It all sounds so good! I've actually already had the chili con carne, and yeah, it was really yummy.
The chili had a nice mixture of different beans and had a lot of meat in it as well. And I'm not usually a fan of corn bread, but wow, theirs was really moist and tasty, with a bit of a kick because of the jalapeno. And the salad on the side was a nice touch too.
The chicken pot pie sounds good, but the braised beef brisket sounds amazing. Hmmm, I'm really going to need to try all the specials. For research purposes, you know? Yeah, that's it.
Of course, it's not just the food that's great at MILK.
Who's hungry? :)
They've recently changed their daily specials (though they haven't updated their website yet), which are as follows:
Weekly Daily Specials
Monday
Chicken pot pie with root vegetables, carrots and peas, $13.00
Tuesday
Slow stewed chili con carne with a cheddar cheese and jalapeno muffin, $12.00
Wednesday
Braised beef brisket, a twice baked potato with “The works,” green beans and red wine sauce, $13.50
Thursday
BBQ Meatloaf with horseradish mashed potatoes, steamed spinach and crispy onions, $12.50
Friday
Chicken Chilaquiles Verdes: tossed crispy chicken nachos with chile verde, queso fresco, "frijoles de olla" and two sunny side eggs, $13.50
It all sounds so good! I've actually already had the chili con carne, and yeah, it was really yummy.
The chili had a nice mixture of different beans and had a lot of meat in it as well. And I'm not usually a fan of corn bread, but wow, theirs was really moist and tasty, with a bit of a kick because of the jalapeno. And the salad on the side was a nice touch too.
The chicken pot pie sounds good, but the braised beef brisket sounds amazing. Hmmm, I'm really going to need to try all the specials. For research purposes, you know? Yeah, that's it.
Of course, it's not just the food that's great at MILK.
MILK's Holiday Bakeshop
Sugar, spice, and everything nice! We are celebrating the season of giving with a number of delectable treats. Grab some for a friend, coworker, or just yourself!
Holiday sugar cookies
An assortment of holiday sugar cookies, $1.25 ea
Apple Crisp
Roasted apples topped with an oatmeal walnut crisp, 9" pie $25
Lindser Tart with Raspberry Jam
Cinnamon and spice dough layered and baked with home-made raspberry jam, 10" tart $25
Chocolate and Candy Cane Cupcakes
MILK's signature chocolate cupcake baked with crushed candy canes, topped with cream cheese icing and candy cane crumbles, $3.75 ea
Seasonal Hand-Packed Ice Cream
Our award-winning ice cream now available in Gingerbread and Candy Cane!, $8.00 per pint
Who's hungry? :)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thanks, Kevin
I'm glad I got to see Rockapella one last time with Kevin. And thanks to Wendy for the awesome idea of the letter sign.
I'll be looking forward to hearing the stories from Kevin's last concert in Tampa.
from all the California sad-eyed girls (and guys)
I'll be looking forward to hearing the stories from Kevin's last concert in Tampa.
from all the California sad-eyed girls (and guys)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
life is not so much good right now
I'm sick. Really sick. Like, I really can't remember the last time I was *this* sick. I know it's been years.
So, I'm miserable.
But, that's not enough. If this had been last weekend, I would still have been miserable. But that would have pretty much been the extent of that.
This weekend, though, I'm also going to be missing a lot.
I've been looking forward to this weekend for a while, even before it was as busy as it was supposed to be. There were a few more things going on this weekend that we knew we couldn't do because we were so busy.
Today, there was a holiday thing in my department at work that I was actually kind of looking forward to.
Tomorrow, the husband and I are scheduled to have lunch with my niece and her boyfriend, who live in New York, but who are currently in town.
Tomorrow night, a friend is having a gathering, and those are always fun.
Sunday, the husband and I were going to spend a couple hours in the morning at Disneyland.
And then Sunday night, it's the Rockapella Christmas show.
But now that I'm miserably sick, I'm in no shape or mood to do anything, not to mention that I don't want to spread my sickness to other people (and trying not to infect the husband in the process).
So, I didn't go to work today.
I've cancelled lunch tomorrow with my niece and her boyfriend.
I won't be going to the gathering Saturday night. I'll have to live vicariously through the stories the husband tells me when he gets back.
The husband will be going to Disneyland on his own on Sunday to do the shopping that we were going to do.
The only thing I will be doing this weekend is going to the Rockapella concert. It's the last time I'm going to see Kevin, and I'm not missing it. Maybe I'll bring a scarf or something so I don't have to breathe on people. We'll see how I'm doing come Sunday afternoon when it's time to get ready to go.
There was a week in September and a week in October when we were doing other stuff, and it felt like I might be getting sick then, but that never materialized, so I was glad for that since I was then able to enjoy those activities. This weekend, I'm not as lucky.
So, yeah, I'm throwing myself a pity party, and no one else is invited.
So, I'm miserable.
But, that's not enough. If this had been last weekend, I would still have been miserable. But that would have pretty much been the extent of that.
This weekend, though, I'm also going to be missing a lot.
I've been looking forward to this weekend for a while, even before it was as busy as it was supposed to be. There were a few more things going on this weekend that we knew we couldn't do because we were so busy.
Today, there was a holiday thing in my department at work that I was actually kind of looking forward to.
Tomorrow, the husband and I are scheduled to have lunch with my niece and her boyfriend, who live in New York, but who are currently in town.
Tomorrow night, a friend is having a gathering, and those are always fun.
Sunday, the husband and I were going to spend a couple hours in the morning at Disneyland.
And then Sunday night, it's the Rockapella Christmas show.
But now that I'm miserably sick, I'm in no shape or mood to do anything, not to mention that I don't want to spread my sickness to other people (and trying not to infect the husband in the process).
So, I didn't go to work today.
I've cancelled lunch tomorrow with my niece and her boyfriend.
I won't be going to the gathering Saturday night. I'll have to live vicariously through the stories the husband tells me when he gets back.
The husband will be going to Disneyland on his own on Sunday to do the shopping that we were going to do.
The only thing I will be doing this weekend is going to the Rockapella concert. It's the last time I'm going to see Kevin, and I'm not missing it. Maybe I'll bring a scarf or something so I don't have to breathe on people. We'll see how I'm doing come Sunday afternoon when it's time to get ready to go.
There was a week in September and a week in October when we were doing other stuff, and it felt like I might be getting sick then, but that never materialized, so I was glad for that since I was then able to enjoy those activities. This weekend, I'm not as lucky.
So, yeah, I'm throwing myself a pity party, and no one else is invited.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
a gun safety PSA
A celebrity is often a good spokesperson for public service announcements because their fame gives them a louder voice that people will often listen to more than just random person they don't know. The celebrity can be especially powerful at giving a message if they have real-life experiences with the situation they're discussing.
And it's even funnier when someone does a parody of such a PSA. Who better to do a PSA about gun safety than Plaxico Burress. (Don't know who he is? Then Google is your friend.)
And it's even funnier when someone does a parody of such a PSA. Who better to do a PSA about gun safety than Plaxico Burress. (Don't know who he is? Then Google is your friend.)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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