Sunday, June 29, 2008

No, It's Not a Beauuuuutiful Day

It's 92 degrees. Ugh.

While I'm irritable from the heat, I'd also like to complain about people who demand that I "Make it a great day!" If you'd like to wish me well with the well-worn 'Have a nice day' (which I've always thought should be condensed to the acronym HAND) that's fine. But do not Tony Robbins me and mandate my attitude.

Some people's demands are downright unrealistic. A woman once told me to "Have a rainbow day!" How does one do that? March in a gay pride parade? I mumbled "Thanks, you too" to which she self-righteously replied "I WILL". Ok then. May she and Roy G. Biv live happily ever after.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Not That You Asked...

I've been a lazy blogger lately, so I feel compelled to offer up something.
How about something you don't care about? Ok, fine then.

Five All-Time Favorite Songs (in no particular order):

1. The Crystal Ship (The Doors)

2. Love Reign O'er Me (The Who)

3. Conquistador (Procol Harum)

4. Paint it Black (Rolling Stones)

5. Layla (Eric Clapton- Ok, technically Derek and the Dominoes)

Sunday, June 22, 2008

But it's a Night View

When will I stop with the photos of my view? Not anytime soon. The windows in my apartment have been a portal into a new world for me. The highlight of my day is what I have come to think of as 'The Show'. The sky goes from powder blue to cobalt to indigo and a thousand amber lights come on. It's gorgeous.


In my last post I wondered if 26 year old Tony could name all of The Beatles. Not only could he do so, he knew that it was Eric Clapton on guitar on 'While my Guitar Gently Weeps'. Going for the genius round question, I asked him who the song 'Layla' was about. Without hesitation he correctly answered Patti Boyd, George Harrison's girlfriend. Amazing.

I did my little Vashon Island ferry ride again today. It's less than 20 minutes each way, but it feels great to be out on the water.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

John, Paul, Ringo, and...Tom

My friendships at work are based not on age, but on synastry. The two people I happen to mesh with best are 25 and 35. Sometimes I forget just how young the 25 year old really is; at other times it is profoundly apparent.

Today I asked him how many of the Beatles he could name. "Um...John?" Veerrry good I sarcastically replied. Ok, now what was his last name? "Um...Lennon?" Wow, amazing. Ok, name another. "Uh, I think there was one named Paul, and another named...Tom?"

My response to that was something to the effect of Ohmygodforgetit! accompanied by a dismissive hand wave.

It's fun to share music from the 60s and 70s with people in their 20s. One day at work Tony, who is 26 and has a recording studio in his home,and I went into the computer lab and pulled up Youtube. I introduced him to the glam rock bands of the early 70s: The New York Dolls, Sweet, Sparks, and T Rex among others. I loved his observations. Why had I never realized how much Russell Mael of Sparks looked like "That guy in The Doors"? Tony genuinely liked a few of the bands and made notes in his Blackberry. Tomorrow I'll have to ask him if he can name all four of the Beatles.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Tacoma Museum of Glass

After 14 months in Tacoma, I've finally been to the Glass Museum. And after 14 months of mostly-horrible dates, I had a 2nd date today with someone I think I like. More on that later. For now, some quick snaps of the Bridge of Glass:


It was a gorgous day today- sunny, but not obnoxiously so. About 70 degrees. We've been having mostly 50s and rainy, so it was a nice change. My date and I (ok, he has a name- it's Dave) spent a lot of time walking and sitting by the waterfront behind the musuem. We also sat in the 'Hot Shop' theater and watched glass workers take molten orbs out of hell-like furnaces, trim them with scissors (who knew?) and do more firey things to them until they became graceful works of art. All of this took place to loud music ranging from Wagnerian-type opera to Stevie Nicks. More than a little surreal.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Too Tired to Think of a Title

Who wants to see random photos? You do, you do! The first one was taken in Bellingham (Bellingham Bay with the San Juan Islands in the background).

My apartment needs a few finishing touches. Here's a partial view of the living room:

I know you're probably getting sick of views from my apartment, but I'm not. Isn't it amazing that the building in the foreground is a high school in Tacoma, Washington? I think this picture looks like it could have been taken in a European capital.

As far as what's going on in my life, work has been...odd. Our corporate culture is becoming frightningly aggressive. We WILL have fun! We WILL have fun in the way we are told to have fun! We WILL be happy! We WILL be the most powerful enrollment entity the universe has ever known! No wonder I'm tired. What I'm not sure how to explain is why I'm having food cravings that border on the surreal. I mean, what non-pregnant woman (or any human on the planet for that matter) craves things like grapefruit sections with hot fudge? Two or three times a day at work, I'll walk into the aisle and announce my latest craving: I want...watermelon with Bacos. In a parfait glass, I want sauerkraut, no, I want a Whopper. Wait, I've got it, a Whopper with sauerkraut. I want the grapefruit and hot fudge I mentioned earlier to be on a base of pound cake. No, wait, pound cake that's been soaked in Frangelica! I hardly know what Frangelica is. I think I had it once, in 1993 or something. Where am I coming up with these things?