vroom vroom

I don't have a normal taste in cars. For some strange reason, my "dream car" is a super teeny tiny car. I don't need anything fancy, no gps or bluetooth or reading my mind. Just give me an adorable car.

My registration is expiring in November, and there's a very very large chance I will get a new car in the next year. So, why bother paying a registration fee twice in one year?

My absolute favorite car is the smart fourtwo. However, it only seats two, so having it as my primary car is a ridiculous idea. Practically, I drive alone 70% of the time, and then another 20% is just me and another person. But I can't just completely give up on the option of seating more people that 10% of the time.

Because I am a dork, I made an online spreadsheet with possible models and features I want. The features list is woefully weak. In the end, it came down to length, because everything else was all pretty much the same.

My lovely smartcar was, of course, the shortest:

And second came the Toyota Yaris:
151" is over two feet shorter than my passat. And the yaris is pretty adorable. AND it's the car Gus drives on Psych:
I have that listed under "Pro" for the Yaris. The Yaris, however, was the only car on the spreadsheet with a con, with center-mounted dials. And the only other car with a pro or con was the kia rio's purse hook (pro). I have weird ways of making decisions.

So I have a blue Yaris picked out to copy Gus, because I love the show and would giggle every time I saw the car, at least until Gus gets a new car on the show. I still have to decide whether I want stick or automatic. I like driving stick. I like the slight feeling of superiority, the small moments of impressiveness when people notice I'm driving a stick. I like how I can be fake-nice and offer to let other people borrow my car and bank on the fact that they don't know how to drive stick.

But. And there's always a but. Stephen won't learn how to drive on a stick. And right now in my mind the source of all our problems is the fact that he doesn't drive. Now, I'm fully aware that it does not cause any problems, and that the problems will still be there even if he learns how to drive. But, every time I get upset with him I always yell at him "learn how to drive!" even though it might not have anything to do with anything, and then he gets upset that I'm bringing that up every single time. And, of course, my retort is, "If you learned then I wouldn't bring it up anymore would I?" It's not healthy.

Decisions.

89. Always use reusable shopping bags and 91. Join a CSA

Obviously, there's no way I can finish all my 101 things. Waaay too optimistic last summer. But, socking away $50 for all the unfinished items will certainly do me good, as my current "emergency fund" contains enough funds for my half of the rent for one month. I'm working on it.

Reusable shopping bags have become all the rage, so much so that I have quite the collection without spending a cent. I have three from the Stanford Credit Union, and Etsy one (my favorite) I won in a raffle at the Maker Faire, Facebook and Target ones from career fairs, and a Lion Brand Yarn one, again from the Maker Faire. I keep them in my trunk and usually remember to bring them with me shopping. Sometimes I'm even good enough to remember to use them at other stores, too! And in the end, I don't have a million plastic bags scattered throughoug my apartment. Win-win.

What I do still have scattered all around the apartment, though, are the smaller produce bags. I haven't quite trained myself to go without the bags and just throw the produce willy-nilly into my cart/basket, though that also makes sense. Instead, this won't be a problem for much longer, as I've joined a CSA!

CSA stanfords for community-supported agriculture. Basically, I support a local "community" of farms (my current CSA) by buying "shares". In return for these shares, I get a certain amount of fresh produce every week. I've also heard that other CSAs offer labor shares (work on the farm and get produce in return). I am technically paying more per unit of produce than I would at Safeway or probably even the farmer's market, but the food I get is about as fresh as it gets and I am also supporting local small farmers. And I picked a CSA that allows me to pick what produce I want from a list of stuff in season. That way I know what I'm getting each week, instead of being surprised by cantaloupe/zuccini/eggplant/any number of things I don't like.

In other news, on the "read classic novels" front, I have given up. Several weeks ago I went to the Burlingame Library (GORGEOUS) for the first time. I checked out The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Watership Down, and The Count of Monte Cristo. I never finished the thickest one. Well, I started The Count, but I didn't like the language/translation. Everything moved too slowly, too. So after the guy gets arrested I just ended up reading the sparknotes. And it looked very very interesting. I think I'll try to get my paws on a different translation and see if I like it better.

Sooo....yesterday I went to the library again. Well, two libraries. And got the first five Harry Potter books. And Tales of Beetle the Bard, because, you know, it was right there and I hadn't read it yet. I'm so excited about re-reading the series. I (like so many people) was planning on reading the first six before the seventh came out, but never got around to it. So, here I go! I finished the first one last night, and am starting the second one tonight. And CoS and PoA are in BRITISH! The only thing I really noticed was that the Brits use apostrophes instead of quotation marks. I'm on the lookout for colours and favourites and theatres and centres, but I don't think I'll actually catch them. Especially since I'm pretty familiar with British slang already.

I'm not inclined to resign to maturity...

Sometimes, things really do just fall into place.

Thursday, June 4: spent the afternoon interviewing at Acumen. Getting a bit disheartened about the job search. I had literally gone to dozens of interviews, in addition to possibly hundreds of job applications. I'm not even kidding.
I get kicked out of housing Monday the 15th. Have no solid job prospects. Beginning to consider subletting for the summer to continue the job search.

Monday, June 8: Receive a job offer...what?! An almost magical moment, after my dad had gone from "Get a good job" to "You only need one offer." It's really hard out there. And, added bonus: the people I interviewed with were all super nice. It looks like I found the one place unaffected by the recession. And, I only had one interview. Granted, it was four hours long and included a logic test, but I was expecting way more steps!

And then starts possibly the craziest week ever:
1. Find a place to live! I trolled craigslist for apartments day and night. I scheduled viewings, researched checklists and warnings. I went to each viewing with a clipboard and camera, diligently snapping pictures and taking notes. I turned the kitchen faucet on and noted the water pressure while I made the landlord flush the toilet. Necessary, I know.

2. Graduate! I never really had time to get sad about graduating and leaving Stanford. Well, I guess I spent most of spring quarter sad and depressed about not having a job. I was way too busy near the end to even realize that all my life had basically been built up to this one weekend. It was always the goal, the end of a long series of logical next steps, for as long as I could remember. Now for the first time, my life can take any direction.

3. Move! Thursday, June 11: View a cute apartment in Burlingame, right off of Broadway. Like it. Friday, June 12: Apply. Saturday, June 13: Approved. Monday, June 15: Move in. YEAH IT WAS CRAZY. And U-Hauls are kind of expensive: $20 initial fee + $60 mileage +$20 gas. Much less of a deal over movers than I thought it would be.

And now, I'm in my fourth week of work (of course I would have loved to travel/take a vacation. But, dear reader, one needs money to travel...sigh). I like it there. I like what I do. I like the people. I like my boss! I like the office. I just don't like working. I don't like the endless time horizon. I don't like sitting in the same place ten hours a day. I don't like running errands on weekends when everybody else is. I don't like having a set routine every night: cook, eat, go online, maybe watch some tv, go to bed. Being an adult really sucks.

But, at least I have a sweet closet:
I obviously need more shoes to fill in those sparse rows. Or, I guess I can just pick up the shoes all over the floor...

And here is my garden!

And some art!
I am kind of terrible at taking pictures of this apartment.

In other news, I'm super excited for season 4 of Psych! WATCH IT!

#2: Make a full-size quilt

This was a long time coming. I got the idea to make one probably last May. After considering buying a rotary cutter and a cutting mat, I ended up just buying all the fabric squares (on eBay, of course) at the beginning of summer. I pieced the top when I had free time (you know, between work and all those dinner parties:-D) over the summer, and ended the summer looking like this:
I was totally going to finish it and give it to Stephen for our anniversary (October), but that didn't happen. I brought it home over Thanksgiving break to add the grey border, when I discovered that the grey squares were a different size than all the other squares, so they didn't all line up perfectly. Travesty!

So then it was going to be a Christmas present. I bought a couple yards of cushy blue fleece and some batting to puff it up.

It sat in my room...okay...Valentine's present!

Nope.

Finally, I got my ass in gear for Stephen's birthday (May 3)...and finished it!

YAY

That is Stephen holding it up way over his head. It's quite a bit larger than I thought it would be, which of course is a good thing. To quilt it, I hand-tacked the sandwich together every other corner. I didn't want to quilt the thing and go crazy over the tetris design, and the tacking is practically invisible. On the fleece side, it looks almost tufted.

Nobody reading this knows what tufted means.

Coming soon: #65: Bounce around on a trampoline

18. Only eat out at restaurants I've never been to for two months

This one was hard. Not because the task itself was hard, but it was hard remembering. I cheated once. I went to PF Chang's fully aware I was cheating, but Stephen didn't seem to care. He was the one who actually cared about going to new restaurants. The other time I cheated was at IKEA, because I had forgotten about it. But Stephen deemed IKEA not a real restaurant (nor In-n-Out/fast food), so it was all good.

I totally could have started over winter break, from the cruise (everywhere in Vegas was new), but my first night back I had Pho...meaning I started Jan 5. I even started a Yelp account, to review all these new restaurants I went to. Of course, I started Yelping Jan 26 and don't remember any restaurant I went to before that.

Here are the new (to me) restaurants I've been to in the past two months:
Ming's for dim sum: don't do it.
Palo Alto Sol: do it, but the cilantro in the camarones con cilantro is drenched in alcohol
Cafe Pro Bono: do it, it's amazing. but don't get their gelato, go to gelato classico
Hyderabad House: do it, and get the free chai!
Kingfish: do it if you want, but they're a little full of themselves
Ryowa Ramen: omg I love ramen
Darbar: do it, but remember to get the yogurt
Dancy Sushi: it looks super sketchy, but it is seriously amazing.
Ruth's Chris: don't. just don't...
Pho Truong Long in Redwood city: I had to go to Redwood City to find a pho place I hadn't been to...love pho.
New Saffron: who knew I loved Indian food so much?
Il Fornaio: go to cafe pro bono instead

Huh, I eat out a lot don't I.

I couldn't find it on the internet, so that meant it didn't exist yet

Transcript from the Oscars Opening:

Due to cutbacks, the Academy said they didn't have enough money for an opening number. Now, you know what? I'm gonna do one anyway. Yeah, because, you know, that's just the way I roll. Because, I stayed up all night in my garage, I put together my own tribute to all these films. Because in Hollywood, you don't need money. You can build a dream out of nothing.

Just a humble slumdog sitting in the chair of a millionaire.
What will I be holding in the end?
What's my final answer, is it written there, do I really care?
I'm only here so I can phone a friend!
(Hi Sarah Jessica)
and if I thought that I could find equivalence(?)
(Hi Kate)
I would swim a sea of human excrement!
And I begin my story with this sentiment
This slumdog millionaire just needs some Milk!

I'm talkin' about M, I, L, and K, I'm talking about milk! (Harvey Milk!)
I'm sayin' it's alright to be gay I'm Harvey Milk! (Milk, Milk!)
I'm recruitin' all the people 'cross the USA!
I"m talkin' bout Harvey on the griddle, Milk in the middle, give me just a little, just a little, give me just a little,

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Craigslist Dancers!

How come comic book movies never get nominated?
How can a billion dollars be unsophisticated?
Everyone went to see The Dark Knight
What am I doing, you think, is not right?
Is it my cape or my bullet-proof tights?
Maybe if I aged backwards?!

When I was four my back was sore and I had pubic hair.
I'm aging in reverse but no one seems to be aware.
You'd think the government would replicate my DNA?
Somebody notify the press before I fade away!
Did anyone think this case was curious?

Alright, I need some help for this one. Annie

Anne Hathaway: What?

Hugh: Annie, come and give me a hand

Anne: What? no!

Hugh: [unintelligible] Just trust me, relax

Anne: Hugh!

Hugh: Relax, relax, okay, just sit there, trust me. By the way, you look gorgeous.
Why didn't you burn the tapes?

A: I don't know what I'm supposed to say here

H: 18 minutes, all erased!

A: I mean, it's an honor, I just, would've loved a heads up

H: America deserves an apology

A: Frank Langella was sitting right next to me!

H: Stop your lies right now and tell the truth!

A: Do you really want to do this, Jackman?

H: It's Frost. Confess to me.

A: Why can't you let this be, give me my dignity

Both: Look what you've done to me!

A: You're a worthy adversary.

H: Why is your upper lip so sweaty?

A: Is it? I didn't--

H: Yes, but i like it

A: Mr. frost, I think I love you

H: Oh Nixon, you know I love you too! Anne Hathaway, thank you!

The Reader
I haven't seen The Reader.
I was gonna see it later but I fell behind.
My Batmobile took longer than I thought to design.
The Reader
I know I have to see The Reader
I even went down to the theater but there was a line,
A bunch of people watching Iron Man for the second time.

I am a wrestler.
I am alone.
My role is outcast.
My heart is bypassed.
And yet, i have grown.
From a slumdog with nothing,
I've milked my button.
I ironed all my men,
And frosted my Nixon!

'Cause I am Hugh Jackman!
And I've waited so long.
And no recession can stop my confession or silence my song!
These are the Oscars!
And this is my dream.
I am a slumdog!
I am a wrestler!
I'll rent the reader!
I'm WOLVERINE!

#21: Eat a fruit I've never eaten before

not particularly recent, but i decided to update my 101 things.

i'm not keeping up with it very well. i came up with the list during the summer, when i was working and living at home and having dinner parties every weekend. it's amazing how much free time i had. maybe because work was boring and they never gave me anything to do. and when i asked for something to do my boss said 'you've got drive. i like it.' ....and then never gave me anything to do except follow people around.

so, yeah, definitely won't finish everything, especially the do something every time period things. i'm pretty sure i hug someone every day, but who can keep track?

but hey, look, i ate a pomegranate for the first time!
yay! it was juicy and squishy and yummy and staining. we only had a dull butter knife to open it with, so you can imagine the hilarity. and the juice everywhere.

we looked online to find out the best way to crack one of these things open. apparently, you should cut off the top and bottom, and cut along the white rind thingies (only they're not called rind...but the white/yellowish stuff) that make a star shape. only sometimes they're really hard to find and sometimes you have a really dull knife.

so, you cut into the pomegranate, just breaking the skin, and you have five cuts. you break off the fifths of the fruit along the cuts. only sometimes only a little piece breaks off. and it's not the whole peel. and your cream sweater had a soy sauce stain on it anyway and more colors won't really matter. needless to say, we had difficulty.

so, after you have your perfect fifths of fruit, peel off the rind and start separating the capsule things from the white stuff. you can do this in water, and the capsules will sink and the white stuff will float. only don't squeeze too many of the capsules so that the juice squirts out. it's really really fun...but then you don't get to eat them.

and, in the end, you have yummy pomegranate. yay!



in other news....emmanuelle gets a makeover! yay!

yes i know super cool! when it's not on it looks like a mirror...but then when the screen lights up you can see through it! but not very well in the sun....


rawr!