Open Letter

Open letter to the producers of Evening Magazine, a local news feature show here in Seattle:

To Whom It May Concern,

I was flipping aimlessly through the channels last night when your program caught my attention and made me spit out my gourmet/nutritionally sound and balanced dinner (i.e., cold cereal). It was about the new baby otter at the Seattle Aquarium that is looking for a name.

May I just say, kind sirs, that you cannot in good conscience show a BABY FRICKIN' OTTER and not expect people to squeal and spit out their dinner with the immense CUTENESS that you submit them to. I mean, as if full grown adult otters are not ridiculously cute ENOUGH, what with the eating shellfish off their tummies and their swimming around all cute-like, but to show a BABY OTTER was just too much for me. It bordered on the cruel. Cruel and snuggly and wuggly and precious and who's a baby otter? Who is? Are you? You are??

See?? You've distracted me just THINKING about that damned adorable baby otter.

Therefore, I suggest a short warning be issued whenever you feature the baby otter again on your program, so that I won't have to squeal like a giddy schoolgirl again and dribble my cereal (oops, I meant gourmet dinner) all over my shirt again.

Cheers!

Already smackin' the roof of my mouth

Today on the Food Network I heard about a restaurant in the Mall of America that sells nothing but peanut butter sandwiches. At first I thought, "Hmm, that seems kind of lame," and then I realized that they sell things like raspberry white chocolate-infused peanut butter and then I thought "SWEET JESUS AS IF THERE ARE NOT REASONS ENOUGH TO LOVE THE ALMIGHTY MALL OF AMERICA!!"

I mean, who couldn't use a peanut butter and potato chip sandwich after trekkin' all over that place loaded down with bags from the Gap and Macys? I'm just pissed that I didn't see this store while I was there. I sense a compelling reason to return...

One week later

Yes, it's been a week since last I posted on this thing and I was about to start the entry off by apologizing and groveling for forgiveness, but figured HEY. IT'S BEEN A BIG WEEK, OKAY?

I have started the new job and haven't stopped smiling in two days. I'm exhausted. I'm overwelmed. But so far, everything is gooooooood. The honeymoon phase is in full force and I've decided not to focus on when the glass is going to start seeming half empty and instead just enjoy that I have a darned good glass with something tasty in it and that's ENOUGH for now.

A few non job-related items before I forget to enter them into the blogosphere:

1.) JESUS, someone stop me for just using the term "blogosphere." I just felt some bile rise up into my mouth when I typed that. Sorry sorry sorry.

2.) Does it bother/disturb anyone else out there that Old Navy is using Young MC's classic "Bust A Move" for their summer tunic campaign ("Just Bust a Tunic!")? Surely Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina" is just one step away from being "Funky Cold Capris-a"? Siiiiiiigh. It's not like I'm some old school hip hop expert, but that just seems kind of sad.

Simple joys and change in the air

Today I sat down and ate lunch in a restaurant. Okay, not an actual restaurant. I went to the little food court near my office, ordered my chicken Phad See Eew like I always do and I sat down and ate it in the tiny Thai restaurant. Then I got up and returned to work.

This might seem like a normal, even daily activity. But it was the first time in more than three years that I did not immediately race back to my desk with my food, hurry and snarf it down in three bites in front of my computer, and then immediately return to working.

It was so out of my normal routine that it felt rebellious, like shoplifting. But it was a tiny change that signaled the end of one part of my working day and heralded the beginning of another new one that starts next week.

Sitting down! Eating lunch without feeling sick afterwards! A girl could get used to this.

Random Celebrity Shout Out

I was having a pretty crappy day until I found out that today is Emma Thompson's birthday, and then the day started to seem a little better. I mean, who doesn't LOVE Emma Thompson?

Cheers, Em!

Artfibers

Yes, I have officially become a knitting geek. (Sorry, Jen, I know you're clucking your tongue in disapproval, I'm still sticking with it...)

Wanted to mention an adorable yarn store I found while in San Francisco last week, Artfibers, which was an absolute delight to find. I left feeling grumpy and disappointed only because I was on a budget and didn't get to spend more money at this store -- and man, I wanted to. If you're in the area and feel the need for a yarn fix (I just used the term "yarn fix," I just made myself gag a little...), head up a narrow staircase and you'll be more than pleasantly surprised.

Today's Emotion Is....

Ashamed. Based largely on the fact that I am watching NBC's "Revelations" right now and enjoying it just a wee bit toooo much. Okay, so more like ashamed mixed with giddiness because Television Without Pity will be doing recap of "Revelations."

Also furthering my feelings of shameful giddiness is this book, "Not Proud: A Smorgasboard of Shame" that I found at Urban Outfitters tonight that made me guffaw like a major dork right in the middle of the store.

My favorite "Not Proud" passage? "They say the world would be a boring place if everyone were the exact same. Yet when I think of how interesting I am, and what a pleasure I am to be around, I can't help but realize that a world full of me's would be absolutely brilliant."

So to recap, I am feeling ashamed, giddy and cocky as hell. Watch out world.

I'll be the one wandering in pajama bottoms with the chocolate milk if anyone asks...

It's interesting that in today's modern world, people still seem shocked when I tell them that I enjoy travelling by myself. The reaction I get when I mention that I've taken vacations on my own -- that's right, folks, I mean solo, alone, companionless -- is always one of total disbelief. You did WHAT? By YOURSELF? What did you DO? I mean, what could you POSSIBLY DO ALL BY YOURSELF IN A CITY?

The short answer to that last question is ANYTHING AT ALL. That's the joy of solo travel -- your schedule is ENTIRELY in your hands. If you want to sleep in until 3 p.m. and then go out in your pajama bottoms to a grocery store to buy a gallon of chocolate milk and then go back to your hotel for more sleep, you CAN. If you want to go to the most culturally enriching museums in the world and then hit ONLY the gift shops, you CAN. Feel like going to a zoo and looking only at panda bears? You CAN. Because there's no one to nag you or keep you on schedule or tell you that there are lots of other animals to see at the zoo besides pandas bears.

Is it self-centered? OF COURSE IT IS! That's the joy of travelling by oneself -- the trip is entirely centered around YOUR needs and wants and desires. Does it get lonely? Sure. I can't handle more than two days in a city on my own, it's just too much. Does it compare with travelling in a group or with your special snugglywuggle doodlebear? Not at all, but then again sometimes that's the whole point.

World of Beth Update!

Once again Beth kicks off a blog entry by apologizing for not writing more often, but behold, Gentle Readers! I bring tidings of great joy! Beth is pleased as punch/tickled pink/giddy as a schoolgirl to announce that she has....drumroll please...a NEW JOB!

The glass-half-empty gal inside of me is scared that by typing those very words into the Internet that I have now jinxed myself into oblivion, so that's all I'm going to say about that for now. Let's just say it's a great move and one that's so overdue it's downright ridiculous and leave it at that. Call or write if you want the skinny and I'll share over drinks while trying not to dribble all over myself while giggling with joy.

Other than all of THAT, I have been slammed at work preparing for last week's trade show (went well) and vacation/family reunion in San Fran and Anaheim (both of which also went well). I feel like I'm finally starting to decompress and exhale a bit, but still holding in my breath a little until the nervous tummy feeling goes away. It just doesn't seem quite real yet.

Gotta run, but thanks for all the well wishes so far and I'll keep everyone posted. Now I can finally try and be better about writing more often and posting fun things...like the fact that at my family reunion I actually had to compare what I do for a living to what the girls on PoweR Girls do for a living....