My faith in humankind was restored today on the bus - an unlikely location, I know. I had just got on the bus, sat down, and started reading my book. A guy got on at the next stop and sat near me. He looked pretty down on his luck, maybe homeless. He took out an expensive-looking cell phone and made a call. He told the person who answered the phone that he had just found this cell phone, and asked if that person could tell him how to get in touch with whoever the phone belonged to. "How nice," I thought to myself, a bit surprised. I was surprised because a couple years ago someone tried to steal my cellphone right out of my hand at this same bus stop (my bus stop is in a not-so-nice area of downtown - basically an open-air drug market). Plus people are generally just POSs these days, so I was quite surprised that someone was actually trying to return a cellphone they found on the bus, especially in this area. It left me feeling optimistic - like maybe people aren't as bad as I think they are, and I actually felt kind of bad for the assumptions I make about people sometimes.
My new-found optimism was immediately dashed. As soon as the guy hung up the phone, two other guys sitting near me told him that he should keep the phone because it looked expensive. The guy who found the phone said he would keep it, but he didn't know how to use it. Then as he got up to get off the bus, he said to the two guys: don't worry, he [the owner] will have to pay to get it back. What a jerk. There goes my renewed faith in humankind.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I love the Voodoos!
Can't wait until they are back in the US, playing in Seattle! Here is a link to one of my favorite songs by them: Restless. Go check it out!
Friday, February 17, 2012
One reason I love the month of March
Shamrock milkshakes are finally out at McDonald's!
Oh how I love them, with their green, minty goodness! I'm so excited they are finally here. But, this means that it is now going to be a daily struggle for me to not get one every day. You would think I learned my lesson after my seasonal binge on gingerbread lattes at Starbuck's this year. I swear I gained at least five pounds in gingerbread latte weight. I was drinking one every day, and sometimes two. I can't help it - I wait ALL YEAR for them to come out! Then, because I don't know how long they will be around, I just go crazy and get them every day. I really think that calories, sugars, and fats shouldn't count when it comes to seasonal items.
PS - I just heard there are also SHAMROCK SUNDAES!!!
Oh how I love them, with their green, minty goodness! I'm so excited they are finally here. But, this means that it is now going to be a daily struggle for me to not get one every day. You would think I learned my lesson after my seasonal binge on gingerbread lattes at Starbuck's this year. I swear I gained at least five pounds in gingerbread latte weight. I was drinking one every day, and sometimes two. I can't help it - I wait ALL YEAR for them to come out! Then, because I don't know how long they will be around, I just go crazy and get them every day. I really think that calories, sugars, and fats shouldn't count when it comes to seasonal items.
PS - I just heard there are also SHAMROCK SUNDAES!!!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
The Adventurous Spirit
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future."
--- Chris McCandless, letter to a friend, taken from Into the Wild
This quote always makes me think about where I am in my life. My future is about as secure as one's future can be, which is a good in a responsible way. But sometimes I think that secure future is stopping me from being really happy now, and squashing my adventurous spirit. My job is OK - not my dream job, but OK. Some days really suck, and other days are OK, but none are every great. So why do I keep this job? Mostly because of the secure future - because of good retirement benefits, good health benefits, a decent salary, and a fairly large number of vacation days (compared to most private-sector jobs). Plus, I kind of sealed my fate by going to law school - I'm pretty much stuck in the legal world now. I take some awesome vacations, but in between those times, I am not very satisfied with my daily routine. I'm only 35 and I'm counting the days until retirement, when I can really have some fun. I don't want to wait until 30 years to enjoy life - I want to enjoy it now!
Ideally I would either have a job where I worked outside (like being a park ranger or a nature photographer or something), or I would own my own bookstore. I have really been thinking about the bookstore thing, but people don't love books like I do anymore. Everyone has e-readers, and even big bookstores can't stay in business. It would be cool to be a law school librarian, but that would require another degree, and there isn't a program for that around here. Maybe I can just sell all my stuff and live in my tent.
--- Chris McCandless, letter to a friend, taken from Into the Wild
This quote always makes me think about where I am in my life. My future is about as secure as one's future can be, which is a good in a responsible way. But sometimes I think that secure future is stopping me from being really happy now, and squashing my adventurous spirit. My job is OK - not my dream job, but OK. Some days really suck, and other days are OK, but none are every great. So why do I keep this job? Mostly because of the secure future - because of good retirement benefits, good health benefits, a decent salary, and a fairly large number of vacation days (compared to most private-sector jobs). Plus, I kind of sealed my fate by going to law school - I'm pretty much stuck in the legal world now. I take some awesome vacations, but in between those times, I am not very satisfied with my daily routine. I'm only 35 and I'm counting the days until retirement, when I can really have some fun. I don't want to wait until 30 years to enjoy life - I want to enjoy it now!
Ideally I would either have a job where I worked outside (like being a park ranger or a nature photographer or something), or I would own my own bookstore. I have really been thinking about the bookstore thing, but people don't love books like I do anymore. Everyone has e-readers, and even big bookstores can't stay in business. It would be cool to be a law school librarian, but that would require another degree, and there isn't a program for that around here. Maybe I can just sell all my stuff and live in my tent.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Feeling a little rough this first morning of 2012?
If your New Year's Eve was anywhere near as fun as mine, you probably greeted the first morning of 2012 with a groan and a headache. Luckily for us, I found this article, and thought today is the perfect time to share it: 12 Hangover Cures from Famous Heavy Drinkers. Who knows how to cure a hangover better than some of my favorite writers, like Ernest Hemingway or William Faulkner?? But my favorite cure comes from Dean Martin: "Stay drunk."
I'm not famous, but I'm going to share my own hangover cure. I think it is pretty effective, and really easy. When you wake up all dizzy at 5:00 am, with a raging headache and sick stomach, feeling like you might die, get out of bed, take a handful of advil, drink a 32-ounce bottle of G2, and go back to sleep. When you wake up again, you should feel like a new person. If you don't, move on to step 2. Get out of bed and, still wearing your pajama pants, go to the nearest Irish pub (if you are in Seattle, I recommend the Celtic Swell on Alki). Have an Irish coffee, with extra Jameson, and some waffle dogs (Irish sausage wrapped in waffle). Follow that with another Irish coffee and a traditional Irish breakfast. (As you can see, today was a step 2 day for me.)
You'll feel like a million bucks - or at least like you might not die.
Happy 2012!
I'm not famous, but I'm going to share my own hangover cure. I think it is pretty effective, and really easy. When you wake up all dizzy at 5:00 am, with a raging headache and sick stomach, feeling like you might die, get out of bed, take a handful of advil, drink a 32-ounce bottle of G2, and go back to sleep. When you wake up again, you should feel like a new person. If you don't, move on to step 2. Get out of bed and, still wearing your pajama pants, go to the nearest Irish pub (if you are in Seattle, I recommend the Celtic Swell on Alki). Have an Irish coffee, with extra Jameson, and some waffle dogs (Irish sausage wrapped in waffle). Follow that with another Irish coffee and a traditional Irish breakfast. (As you can see, today was a step 2 day for me.)
You'll feel like a million bucks - or at least like you might not die.
Happy 2012!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2012 is going to be my year!
I think this is going to be my year. 2005 was pretty awesome - I graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, got engaged, and got married to the coolest guy around. 2012 has some pretty big shoes to fill. But I think 2012 is going to be pretty amazing too. 12 is my favorite number. This is the only "12" year that I am going to be alive for (god willing), so I'm going to have to make it an awesome one.
I don't make resolutions, but I have adopted a motto for this year:
Yes, this is from a quotable magnet, and yes, it is kind of corny, but I really liked it and I feel like it really applies to me. It made me realize that I tend to let my problems shape my life sometimes, and I don't want to do that anymore. I'm going to change it up this year.
Happy New Year, and Happy 2012!
I don't make resolutions, but I have adopted a motto for this year:
Yes, this is from a quotable magnet, and yes, it is kind of corny, but I really liked it and I feel like it really applies to me. It made me realize that I tend to let my problems shape my life sometimes, and I don't want to do that anymore. I'm going to change it up this year.
Happy New Year, and Happy 2012!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Having trouble deciding who to vote for?
Check out this quiz on ABC's website - the Match-o-Matic - find out which candidate is your perfect choice for the next POTUS. Let me know who you get!
Monday, December 12, 2011
A Copy of My Living Will
I've had a very rough last couple weeks at work, and it isn't getting any better. I think I should post this, just in case work kills me before the week is over.
A Copy of My Living Will
I, Dandelion, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means.
Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it, nor in the hands of lawyers/doctors who are interested simply in running up the bills.
If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:
Bloody Mary,
Pint of Guinness,
Irish Whiskey,
Grey Goose Martini,
Glass of good Wine,
steak,
pizza,
double cheese,
the remote control,
cookies,
the sports page,
twinkies,
or sex
...it should be presumed that I won't ever get better.
When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.
At this point, it is time to call a traditional Irish band to come do their thing at my funeral, and ask all of my friends to raise their glasses to toast the good times we have had.
A Copy of My Living Will
I, Dandelion, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means.
Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it, nor in the hands of lawyers/doctors who are interested simply in running up the bills.
If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:
Bloody Mary,
Pint of Guinness,
Irish Whiskey,
Grey Goose Martini,
Glass of good Wine,
steak,
pizza,
double cheese,
the remote control,
cookies,
the sports page,
twinkies,
or sex
...it should be presumed that I won't ever get better.
When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day.
At this point, it is time to call a traditional Irish band to come do their thing at my funeral, and ask all of my friends to raise their glasses to toast the good times we have had.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Practical advice for the day
Be careful what you eat before swimming laps. Think about what it is going to taste like when you burp it up while swimming. I can tell you right now that baked halibut is not a good choice.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Ireland Day 8: Dublin
Today was one of my favorite days of the trip. We woke up and went straight to the Old Jameson Distillery for a tour and whiskey tasting. As you may have guessed, I had been look forward to this day since the trip was planned!
Despite my high expectations, I was not disappointed. I opened the front door and walked into heaven - a bar stocked with nothing but Jameson. I'm never going back to America.
I loved the tour here, even though we couldn't see where they made the whiskey. It was very educational, and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about whiskey, and the whiskey-making process, and he had a great personality. After the tour, we got to do a whiskey tasting, comparing Scotch, American whiskey, and Irish whiskey (Jameson, of course). The Irish whiskey was the best! We even got diplomas, to prove we are now certified whiskey tasters. We also got a free drink with Jameson in it - I tried cranberry and Jameson for the first time and, surprisingly, loved it!
After we were done, we got some free time to explore Dublin. We decided to walk from the Old Jameson Distillery instead of take the van, so we could get out and see the city. It was a bank holiday, so a lot of things weren't open. We walked to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, but the exhibit wasn't open. The campus was beautiful though.
The Dublin Marathon was also being run that day. It was pretty cool seeing everyone run through the streets of Dublin, and cheering them on.
It was a pretty rainy afternoon, but we put on our raincoats and continued walking the city. We are from Seattle after all - a little rain doesn't ruin our day. We went in search of Christ Church Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in Dublin. It is believed that the cathedral was founded sometime shortly after 1028. It's stunning, and too large to fit in one good shot, especially while trying to protect a camera from rain, but here is my rainy attempt:
During our search for Christ Church Cathedral, we came across St. Audoen's Church, which was also pretty amazing. It is another quite old church in Dublin; it was built between 1181 and 1212.
We got hungry for lunch, and decided to check out the chipper that our driver, Paddy, had recommended. Leo Burdock has been serving fish and chips to Dubliners since 1916. It's a tiny little chipper, with barely room inside for two people to place their order. They throw handfuls of french fries onto a sheet of paper, plop fish down on top, cover everything with salt, pepper, and vinegar, wrap it all up in paper, and put it into a paperbag. There isn't anywhere to sit inside, so you have to stand outside and eat. The only problem was that it started absolutely pouring on us. We hunched down in the doorway of the pub next door and ate one of the best lunches I ever had. (It is the little doorway to the right in the picture below - just enough space to stand and keep our fish and chips dry!) If you look closely, you can see Joe in there ordering our fish and chips.
After we got done eating, we ducked into the pub next door, named the Lord Edward, to have a pint and wait out the rain. It was such a cozy little place. Here's a picture of where we sat to relax and wait out the rain.
The rain let up a little, so we decided to head back to the hotel to get ready for the night's festivities. We came across Occupy Dublin on our way:
Today also happened to be Halloween, which the Irish take very seriously. I think it is even more popular there than it is here. We honored the occasion by going on a haunted tour of Dublin. We snuck around outside Christ Church Cathedral, and ended up inside the gates of St. Audeon's, where we heard many ghost stories. I think I even caught an orb on film, where the ghost of the Green Lady lives! She is believed to be the ghost of Darkey Kelly, who was executed for the murder of her unborn child.
We finished the night with a pint in, fittingly, a bar named Darkey Kelly's.
Good night Dublin! Have to get some sleep tonight - tomorrow is our last full day in the city. Sad!
Despite my high expectations, I was not disappointed. I opened the front door and walked into heaven - a bar stocked with nothing but Jameson. I'm never going back to America.
I loved the tour here, even though we couldn't see where they made the whiskey. It was very educational, and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about whiskey, and the whiskey-making process, and he had a great personality. After the tour, we got to do a whiskey tasting, comparing Scotch, American whiskey, and Irish whiskey (Jameson, of course). The Irish whiskey was the best! We even got diplomas, to prove we are now certified whiskey tasters. We also got a free drink with Jameson in it - I tried cranberry and Jameson for the first time and, surprisingly, loved it!
The Dublin Marathon was also being run that day. It was pretty cool seeing everyone run through the streets of Dublin, and cheering them on.
It was a pretty rainy afternoon, but we put on our raincoats and continued walking the city. We are from Seattle after all - a little rain doesn't ruin our day. We went in search of Christ Church Cathedral, one of the oldest cathedrals in Dublin. It is believed that the cathedral was founded sometime shortly after 1028. It's stunning, and too large to fit in one good shot, especially while trying to protect a camera from rain, but here is my rainy attempt:
During our search for Christ Church Cathedral, we came across St. Audoen's Church, which was also pretty amazing. It is another quite old church in Dublin; it was built between 1181 and 1212.
We got hungry for lunch, and decided to check out the chipper that our driver, Paddy, had recommended. Leo Burdock has been serving fish and chips to Dubliners since 1916. It's a tiny little chipper, with barely room inside for two people to place their order. They throw handfuls of french fries onto a sheet of paper, plop fish down on top, cover everything with salt, pepper, and vinegar, wrap it all up in paper, and put it into a paperbag. There isn't anywhere to sit inside, so you have to stand outside and eat. The only problem was that it started absolutely pouring on us. We hunched down in the doorway of the pub next door and ate one of the best lunches I ever had. (It is the little doorway to the right in the picture below - just enough space to stand and keep our fish and chips dry!) If you look closely, you can see Joe in there ordering our fish and chips.
After we got done eating, we ducked into the pub next door, named the Lord Edward, to have a pint and wait out the rain. It was such a cozy little place. Here's a picture of where we sat to relax and wait out the rain.
The rain let up a little, so we decided to head back to the hotel to get ready for the night's festivities. We came across Occupy Dublin on our way:
Today also happened to be Halloween, which the Irish take very seriously. I think it is even more popular there than it is here. We honored the occasion by going on a haunted tour of Dublin. We snuck around outside Christ Church Cathedral, and ended up inside the gates of St. Audeon's, where we heard many ghost stories. I think I even caught an orb on film, where the ghost of the Green Lady lives! She is believed to be the ghost of Darkey Kelly, who was executed for the murder of her unborn child.
We finished the night with a pint in, fittingly, a bar named Darkey Kelly's.
Good night Dublin! Have to get some sleep tonight - tomorrow is our last full day in the city. Sad!
Dear Santa . . .
I'll make you a deal - if you leave these things under my tree, I'll leave you cookies, and promise to be good next year!
1. Clarisonic Mia in turquoise or blue
2. gift card to Home Depot so I can buy paint and stuff to make my reading room
3. Aveda hand relief cream and foot relief cream gift set
4. Earrings and/or necklace from Dotted Line Jewelry **
5. books - pretty much any book, but one i want for sure is "the wolverine way"
6. waterproof stuff sacks
7. gradient lens for my camera
8. espresso roast coffee from starbucks (whole beans)
9. cute headbands and bobby pins
10. Sweet Vanilla perfume from Melvita
**I bought #4 for myself today at the Urban Craft Uprising - saw the perfect necklace and perfect earrings and had to buy them. That's the only bad thing about buying stuff from local artists - it's pretty much all one-of-a-kind, and if you don't get it when you see it, you probably aren't going to get it. At least that is my excuse for buying this for myself today!
1. Clarisonic Mia in turquoise or blue
2. gift card to Home Depot so I can buy paint and stuff to make my reading room
3. Aveda hand relief cream and foot relief cream gift set
4.
5. books - pretty much any book, but one i want for sure is "the wolverine way"
6. waterproof stuff sacks
7. gradient lens for my camera
8. espresso roast coffee from starbucks (whole beans)
9. cute headbands and bobby pins
10. Sweet Vanilla perfume from Melvita
**I bought #4 for myself today at the Urban Craft Uprising - saw the perfect necklace and perfect earrings and had to buy them. That's the only bad thing about buying stuff from local artists - it's pretty much all one-of-a-kind, and if you don't get it when you see it, you probably aren't going to get it. At least that is my excuse for buying this for myself today!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
I finally own artwork!
There is this wonderful painting hanging in the place where I go to get my facials (shameless plug: Skin Care by Casey - Casey is the best!). Every time I see it I just feel so happy and peaceful and serene. I know that sounds corny, and I'm not normally the artsy, feely type (or the happy, peaceful, serene type either), but it really just has this effect on me. The painting is of a big tree, with pink and reddish leaves, surround by grass and flowers and blue sky and clouds, and there is a girl with dark hair sitting under the tree, leaning against the trunk, reading a book. If you know me at all, you know that if there is anything I love more than reading, it is reading while sitting in the grass under a tree. Over a year has gone by, and every time I see it I have the same feeling, so I decided to finally buy it. My plan is to take over one of the rooms in our house (the guest room?) and turn it into a reading room/my own personal sanctuary from the world. Just me and my books and my dog and a big comfy chair to curl up in. This painting was the inspiration for that idea and will hang on the wall in that room. Sorry guests - you're out of luck - air mattresses in the living room for you from now on!
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