Summer Reads

Summer is upon us. Walked out the door yesterday and was embraced by a strong warm wind whirling by. I LOVE wind. Feels like a caress and a big breath of fresh air in one.

Need to stock up on some books to take with me on trips and to read out in the sunshine on some soft green grass.

Here are a couple I put on hold at the library.



Seems like a good assortment. I also tossed in some David Sedaris, Robert Fulghum, and the odd memoir of first-year residency in med school. Not as odd as some of the books I was reading a year ago (you'll never look at rice crispies the same way again after reading Stiff):



Or as long as others:



East of Eden was great. I was not a fan of some of the "classics" foisted upon us in english classes (Invisible Man? what was the point? really?). But this is good stuff. Wally Lamb's book was rather dark, but I was determined to finish all 901 pages. It definitely wasn't as enjoyable as the 759 pages of book 7 in the Harry Potter series!

In general, the human body fascinates me. One of my very favorite books is Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand and Philip Yancey.

I started The Gift of Pain, and set it aside only because of the more pressing need to finish library books reaching their due date. I look forward to getting back to it.

Any others I should add to my holds list at the library?

Hedonists take heed!

This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
- George Bernard Shaw

Happiness depends upon ourselves.
-Aristotle

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln

FEEDBACK!

Okay, yes, this blog is for me - for me to blather on about whatever my heart desires. But it's also for those of you out there reading it! Let me know what you think of the various random things I write about. You don't even have to go through the hassle of leaving an official comment! Just check one of the boxes at the bottom of the post:

Yesterday marked the one month anniversary of the creation of this site. I would love to get your feedback from here on out, but don't forget there are also 30-odd posts back in the archives for you to critique as well.

As they say on customer satisfaction surveys - Your feedback is important! :)

TGIF

Wow, it's been a long week. I feel a bit like the tattered flower above.

As a 9-5 working adult, I may not have the luxury of winter break, spring break, and summer break, but Friday's are still a joy. I'd even go so far as to say they're more of a joy now that they're free from the entanglements of homework and papers and projects and studying.

Got any plans for this mid-summer weekend?

And you are...?

In keeping with the "What is this?" theme, here are a couple things I've come across I haven't really been able to understand.


This is a strange plant that's growing under an Aurora overpass. It looks like a skeleton plant. It's black and wirey, but still seems to be alive and happy. It makes me think of The Nightmare Before Christmas - how it's all dark and scary-looking, but tenderhearted.

Hey look - a large lego! Okay, not really. But that's what I think of every time I see these around the city. They're replacing the ramps on the corners of sidewalks and I'm sure there's something to do with traction/non-slip something or other, but I think it just makes it look like Legoland.

Did they bolt the cement to the ground or something? The ironic thing is the cement is cracked wherever these are.

This is just above the bolted cement wall. Behind the fence is a paved playground, so I'm not really sure what this is meant to drain.

Does the fact that I notice these things mean I haven't lost my child-like curiousity? Or that I'm hopelessly naive and out of touch? Hmmm...

What is this?

Anybody recognize this common sight?

By the way, did you see the faces in the fire in my last post? If you click on a picture it opens up a larger version. The last two pictures in the post are a little eerie when you look closely. And don't leave me hanging on which one is your favorite!

Fire

Friday night my roommate got some friends together for a BBQ at Golden Gardens. The sun was out, the sand was warm, and the beach was buzzing. I noticed a slackline set up in the woods and had a chance to practice a bit. Enjoyed a fabulous hotdog with ketchup reluctantly provided by the group next to us (so we forgot the condiments, it still seemed a bit stingey for them to begrudge us a dollop of ketchup).

As the sun set, we moved on to dessert. My multi-talented roommate had made homemade marshmallows and brought high end chocolate from her part-time job at Chocolopolis. I've never tasted such decadent s'mores!

We noticed a crowd gathering just down the beach. It turns out Friday nights are the time to gather to watch fire poi. It was amazing to see how the pictures turned out on my camera.

They use flaming swords, and balls of fire on chains.

There is a steady drum beat going in the background, to provide a constant rhythm.

The chains can be either long or short (or you can wrap them around your hands to shorten them temporarily).

A few guys were even juggling flaming batons.

The girl in the middle is using metal fans here, kind of like candellabra.

This looked like a firebird to me.

Which of these is your favorite?

Yep, I'm going to make you pick just one.

Which one is it going to be?

You can choose from all of the pictures, or just one of the last three, but I'm interested to know which one you like best.

To learn more about poi, visit this site: http://www.homeofpoi.com/.

TJ's

Trader Joes is great. I'm currently only a block from one and have been taking advantage of that fact. They may not have all of your staples (turns out they don't sell powdered sugar, who knew?), but they make up for it by having lots of unique items. The frozen edemame and the sweet potato fries are addictive! I braved a few strange looks to snap a couple pics the last time I was there.

"You put the lime in the coconut, you drink 'em both up..." I love the part in Practical Magic when they dance through the kitchen singing this song. There isn't a clip of that online, but you can see the Muppets reprise the song here. This is just one more example of me reading everything in sight and being rewarded for it with a smile.

I think I'm in love... You think I'm kidding. A few Christmases ago I was given one of the 5lb Hershey's bars. It's the size of a small child. I bought a bag of TJ's chocolate covered pretzels a year or so ago, for the first time, and have to say they do 'em right! None of that drizzle of chocolate nonsense - those pretzels are coated. mmmm....

Speaking of chocolate, looky here: an emergency stash of chocolate to carry around in my purse. Have you seen those at Firework's by the way? Some people carry Advil, others carry chocolate. I've never really understood the purpose of having chocolate mints. Whatever positive effect the mint might have on your breath is only going to be offset by the chocolate. And while I do enjoy the flavor combination of chocolate and mint, breath mints tend to be a bit sharp and overpowering. Why ruin good chocolate that way?

It's 10:30 in the morning and I'm ready for a chocolate fix. I think that means it's time to focus on something else!

Thailand II

A few days adjusting to the climate and experiencing their daily life was just what I needed. The dreary chill of Washington and weary routine of work quickly faded from my mind.

Our first spring break destination was Koh Chang, an island off the coast of Thailand a few hours south of Bangkok. To get there we started with a 15 hour train ride from Chaing Mai to Bangkok. When I was 7 we travelled through Europe and took an overnight train through Germany. I remember the steady swaying of the train gently lulling me to sleep. This trip was like a ship on the high seas at times, pitching and bucking in a way that tested your sea legs. Either the journey was actually rockier or I've just gotten old...

Disembarking in Bangkok, we made a beeline for the cafe. (can you disembark a train? Or is that term specific to boats? ...moving on) A 4 hour bus ride lay before us. Even in the comparative cool of the morning my face was already damp with a film of sweat. The combination of suncreen, bug repellent, and sweat makes for an unpleasant sticking coating.

We loaded up in a double-decker bus and wound our way through downtown Bangkok. A little way out of the city the bus started to vibrate in a way that felt like a flat tire. We slowed down and pulled to the side of the road, but kept going in the slow lane. We passed one exit, then another. Either the problem isn't as bad as it sounded or they had a favorite tire place. We finally stopped for our lunch break and they openned up the engine. Out came a chewed up plastic fan and an hour later its replacement arrived to be attached by force, including a good dose of hammering (very reassuring). Then we were back on the road for the remaining 3+ hours to the coast.

<- this is NOT the boat we took.

The ferry ride to Koh Chang is quite similar to Washington ferries. The cars load up on the main deck and there's seating on the upper two levels. It's a smaller ferry, though, and all open air. The view was a little different, too. Deep blue water surrounded us and the islands were covered with lush vegetation.

Once on the island we found a song taew (taew is pronounced like the first part of "towel") to take us to the resort. A song taew is a pick-up truck converted into an open air taxi by adding benches down the sides of the truck bed and putting a roof with a low railing over the top. Luggage is tossed up and strapped to the roof, while passengers settle onto the benches or in the coveted airconditioned seats in the cab of the truck.

I don't believe the island is a volcanic formation. It's more like a mountain of sand covered in vegetation. The road wound up and down along the edge of the island, reducing the passenger-laden song taew to a crawl at times.


We stayed at the Chang Park Resort and Spa (Chang means elephant). The place is beautiful! Not bad for something picked at random on the Internet. An expanse of lawn sprinkled with palm trees stretches between the main building and the pool. A small hedge on the edge of the pool is gradually blocking the otherwise unobstructed view of the beach and ocean. Our bungalow was part of a cluster of huts off to the right.

...to be continued.

"Got Humor?"

I'm one of those people who almost unconsciously reads everything that crosses my path during the day. Sometimes this is informative "oh, I saw the sign for the exit back there." Sometimes it's entertaining "hm, lets see if I can read the poster taped to the window (i.e. backwards)." And sometimes it brightens my day with a private joke. If there are other people around I might share my find, otherwise I just smile and chuckle to myself.

...oh, did you want me to share some examples?

Facial products tend to do all they can to portray their beautiful/gentle/glowing qualities. Which made it funny to see a facial scrub is a "desincrustant" in what I believe was Swiss. Yes, let's get rid of that awful crustiness on our skin, ladies. Speaking of exfoliating, doesn't this tree look in need of a good scrub? (and yes, believe it or not that was exactly what I thought when I passed it, before ever seeing the facial scrub...)

You've probably heard of the fiasco the dairy board encountered when they tried to use their "Got Milk?" slogan outside of the U.S. It's just not as appealing when translated as "Are You Lactating?", wouldn't you agree? But while I got a laugh out of it, it sounds like some people took it too literally and were offended.

Then there are the hidden gems. The things that make all that random reading worthwhile.

This may look like a normal garage, but look closer.

I am only a block away from a Fallout Shelter! Just think how valuable that information will be if I pull a Chicken Little and start thinking the sky is falling!

Boats

Working in South Lake Union, I often wander down by the water on my breaks. I can't say I've lived very many places in my life, but I am getting pretty attached to the combination of water, mountains, and greenery that the Puget Sound has to offer. It's so refreshing to have the view broken up by rises and valleys and expanses of rippling water. All of this really has a chance to shine when the sun deigns to grace us with its presence.

Makes me want to own a boat of my own. Although I'm not sure if I would go for the luxury liner or the "skill-required" sailboat. Sailing is so much more interactive, but you generally don't have the generous berths of a motorboat. (I am I confusing terms here? Does the term liner refer to the huge cruise ships? Motorboat doesn't sound impressive enough - is there a term in between?)


If I had a boat I'd have to come up with a name for her. Something so permanent falls in the category of tattoos in my mind. I've toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo, but haven't the faintest idea what I'd want it to be of, or where I'd want it. At least with naming kids you have other people weighing in on the decision. ...I suppose that could be seen as a downside rather than a perk. Did you catch the Seinfeld reference in the name of the boat shown above? Did it make you laugh? Crack a smile? Anything?

I've noticed many people keep their emotions tightly in check; which I suppose helps the world run smoothly, but is a bit sad when it prevents a spontaneous burst of laughter. Laughter's good for you! Releases endorphins and exercises your ab muscles! They actually have laughter therapy classes - you've heard about those, right? Even the Pentagon is taking note: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5165226. Okay, I'm getting down off my soap box now.

Oooo...wood paneling. Forgive me if it makes me think of cheesy old cars, rather than something fancy or expensive. Have you seen the PT Cruisers with the wooden paneling on the outside? I guess they're finally embracing the fact that PT Cruisers appeal to an older generation than they were hoping for.

I really shouldn't scoff. They obviously take pride in this boat. Look how shiny it is! You can see the reflection of the dingy next to it. I bought a lovely new laptop and luckily don't have the time or compulsion to fixate on keeping the mirror finish fingerprint free (yes, I notice it. no I don't pull out a polishing rag).

If you're going to go for the wood look, I'd much prefer this one. Nice and rustic looking. But I suppose I'm jumping between a liner and a sailboat here. (did we ever figure out if liner is the correct term? ...anyone?)

Things you never knew you needed, Part 2

I got another Current Catalog and I was going to share with you the Cell Phone Arm Band (forget your iPod, this is next big thing!) but I couldn't find it on their site. Did they sell out? Was it a flop? Did they have too many other curiosities battling to be promoted?

Then there was a Hercules Hook Set ("Hercules! Hercules!" I haven't even seen the movie, but that's what popped in to my head when I spotted the name). But that one's nowhere to be seen either. Maybe "As Seen on TV" stole it.

But don't despair! There are still kooky, but oddly useful items for me to review for you!

Twist & Spout Garden Pourer. Don't you love it when they make a play on words to create a catchy title? Personally I just use a regular water glass to water my plants, but if you happen to have extra liter-sized water bottles lying around, this would be quite handy.

Pot Protectors. The first time I looked at these I thought they were just for packing things up when you're moving. Turns out they're designed for those who don't want to scratch the non-stick surfaces of the pans by stacking them. Hmm, I guess the space considerations of sharing an apartment with a tiny kitchen make such worries seem superfluous. But hey! It says they can be used as trivets! Apartment living is all about multipurpose goods.

Dryer Lint Brush. So that's how you get to the lint that makes it through the lint trap.

Door Stoppers. According to the makers they "Prevent doors from unexpectedly swinging shut and possibly locking you out of the house!" Unless you live in a temperate climate, I can't see having a perpetually open door being a good thing... However, they go on to say they are "Ideal to use when small children are present - eliminates pinched fingers on little ones." The last time I pinched a little one's fingers they were in the hinge-side of the door. I get the feeling that would still be possible with these. (don't worry! That was years ago - no permanent damage, I promise!)

All photos from http://www.currentcatalog.com/.