Category Archives: nablopomo

The W Bossy Gene

This stuff really can’t be made up

Let me be the first to admit it- I have failed nablopomo. I was doing okay the first half of November but I have slipped way too many times during the second half for me to be a true participant any longer. Oh well, I’ll still do what I can these next few days and hope that I continue to post at least once a week, which is really what I was aiming for in the first place.

One way I figure I can keep up the blogging is by having certain topics I post about regularly. So far I’ve got my stupidest website posts and hope to continue with the photos of tourist taking photos– but I’ll need to take a few more photos for that to truly work out! I would like to turn Procrastinatory Fridays into something regular, but I’ve kept putting it off for some reason (ouch).

So, here’s something that could potentially turn into a regular blog topic: Silly E-mails from My Mom (I’ve had an inbox folder titled this way before that Shit My Dad Says Twitter account ever showed up). I know she reads my blog from time to time so she will either find this amusing, horrible, or a combination of the two. We’ll just have to wait and see- hopefully she won’t stop sending the e-mails in order to avoid winding up on here. I may also throw in some horrible comments from my dad from time to time (example: he calls the place where they leave my cat over long vacations “Catanamo Bay”-punitentiary worthy, I know).

Today’s feature comes from an e-mail thread my mom’s side of the family (let’s call them the W Family) started a couple months ago that had the subject line, “can’t make this stuff up.” One of my aunts found it amusing that my Grandma and cousin (he’s been living with her during law school) are equally stubborn and do not like being told what to do. This prompted multiple responses from aunts, uncles, and cousins who not only mentioned the “W Family Bossy Gene,” but also provided several examples. There were mentions of power tools, food, “multi-tasking,” and a virtual head nod from my uncle who recently married into the W Family.

But the greatest example of them all was what my mom wrote. Please note that this was the ninth e-mail in the thread and the only thing she had written up until that point.

I may have actually had tears in my eyes when I read this because it was so ridiculous. I responded to the thread and made a bit of fun of her, because that’s what offspring are supposed to do. I’ll just leave it at that, partly because I don’t think I could really add anything else to it and partly because I’m heading into NYC in a couple of minutes!

Parents are probably the silliest types of people.

A 5 Year Friendiversary!

It’s hard to believe it’s only been 5 years since it oftentimes feels like I’ve been stuck with her forever, hehe.

Earlier today I realized it has been just about 5 years since my friend Lisa and I got our tattoos. That means we’ve pretty much been LPs (or Life Partners for those of you not in the know) for five years now. We’ve done some pretty stupid things together since 2005.

Activities have included:

-Riding on the back of strangers’ mopeds in Uruguay
-Flying over Iguazu waterfalls in a helicopter
-Parading through New Orleans on Halloween weekend next to drag queens and odd musical instruments
-Taking several different buses through Uruguay and Brazil without knowing any Portuguese.
-Driving around the East Coast
-Becoming certified whiskey tasters in Northern Ireland
-Putting up with my ridiculous parents in London
-Sneaking into an armed convoy in India
-Deciding to go to Reno at a moment’s notice
The list goes on and on.

Check out the photos above for proof.

Woohoo for friendiversaries!

I Can Haz Cheezburger Social with Cake

So much excitement at one time in one place.

This morning I woke up and felt compelled to do laundry for one reason (okay, a few…I was running out of pants): I wanted to wear my new favorite shirt. It’s called “Cattè Mocha” and it looks like this (click on image to enlarge). So far it’s my only Woot item, but it is pretty much the best one ever. If you are too lazy to click on the link, it is fat cats made out of coffee stains. Cute!

Anyways, this is significant because in the afternoon I was made aware of a “Cheezburger Social,” hosted by the Icanhazcheezburger (lolcats) people at the WordPress office, Automattic. I don’t believe in fate, but! it was fate!

Not only did I get to experience the WordPress office for the first time (which is the blogging site this very website uses!!), but I also got to eat tiny cheezburgers, cake, and meet Ben (aka Professor Happycat), the founder of lolcats. ZOMG! It was way awesome. Multiple people, including Professor Happycat, complimented me on previously mentioned Woot t-shirt and proclaimed that I am truly a cat lover. Some people may find this dumb. I find it awesome. My cat, Zoot, was discussed quite a bit- she will even receive an autographed copy of the new kitteh’s book! Shh, don’t tell her, it’s for Christmas.

Too. Much. Cheez. And. Cake. And. Kittehs.

Learning the Ways of the Geek [HTML 101]

I realize I’m over a decade late on this, shut up.

There’s nothing like returning from your average Sunday night drag show (this week’s theme: Tranny Lennox) to attempt to learn some geeky computer stuff.

Back in high school I had to take a web design class as part of a computer education requirement in order to graduate (helllooooo prepositional phrases!). I learned some html using Microsoft Front Page, which I’m not sure still exists. A Google search results in the Wikipedia entry and something about the 2003 version, so I’m guessing probably not. Using my extremely advanced skills, I created an html page dedicated to selling cows (yes, I had quite matured by the tender age of 17). Well, a few years have passed and I figure it’s about time I properly learn how to do some of this stuff.

Earlier today, the other C showed me a few things, including Photoshop (which is a lot like my fave childhood game: Kid Pix!). I’m still trying to figure out how to do all these things (and don’t even have a decent text edit program or Photoshop on my computer) but perhaps I can take a stab at something simple. Here goes nothin’. I make no apologies if your computer and/or your eyes crashes and burns upon viewing this.

Conner is a n00b

Conner is a n00b

Conner is a n00b

Conneris an00b

Just check out all that scrolling text! In so many directions! Excuse me while I go pop Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” into my MiniDisc player. That is what the kids are listening to these days, right?

This may be the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. Even more so than that stunning cow website.

Reason #8 Bajillion to Love Living in San Francisco

Yup, it’s Saturday again, which means time for a short little post!

Normally by November 13 I would be freezing through my very bones, wondering when I would finally cave and break out the winter coat.

But not this year! Today it was 67 degrees and sunny. What a perfect day to discover Glen Canyon Park, an area filled with eucalyptus trees and beautiful trails a mere 2 minute BART ride from where I live. Pretty flippin’ sweet.

Done!

Photos of Tourists Taking Photos

Tourists are the worst.

Over the last few years I’ve gotten into the terrible habit of finding a silly idea, creating a blog around it, updating it furiously for a couple of weeks, and then abandoning it. One purpose of this blog/website is to consolidate everything- from book reviews, to procrastination, to life updates- into one source.


One of those silly ideas, which I actually quite liked, was dedicated to photos of tourists taking photos. Having lived in Notting Hill for over a year, one of London’s most touristy locations, I had to deal with these horrible pests on a daily basis. The worst would be on Saturday mornings, when I’d be running late (of course) to my Japanese class. I’d constantly have to fight my way to the Tube stop against throngs of semi-confused Belgians, Dutch, Americans, and- worst of all- Spanish, French, and Italians due to the weekly Portobello Road Market.

There’s nothing quite like exiting your home to immediately be asked the question, “Excuse. Julia Roberts library. Where?” In case you’re confused, remember that movie called Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant that happened to feature a travel book shop? The one that came out over 10 years ago? Well, it turns out that people are still determined to find not only the book shop, but also the blue door Hugh Grant’s character lived behind. Thrilling.

So, determined not to become overwhelmed by feelings of rage (I used to have a blog called Rageoline & Co. too), I decided to deal with tourists in another manner- by creating a little game. Perhaps if I found tourists funny enough, I could accept the fact that I couldn’t escape them. Ever.

I quickly noticed that tourists, more than anyone else, pose for photos in the most ridiculous ways possible. Also, the person taking the photo usually stretches him or herself into the strangest shapes in order to either appear more professional or to maximize awesome photo potential. My brain decided that taking photos of tourists taking photos would not only be meta in the most hipster of fashions, but would also be quite hilarious.

I’ve taken some pictures of Swedes at a World Cup game, a couple doing crazy maneuvers at Versailles, Indian families at the Taj Mahal, and even managed to get into someone’s photo, while taking a photo, at Northern Ireland’s Giant Causeway. A few of my faves are featured in the photo gallery above. It may be a while, but I plan to either feature more photos regularly or upload a new gallery in a couple months. I’ll do my best to provide better quality photos the next time around.

Tourists are funny.

Roller Coasters and the Days of High School Drama

This blog post is dedicated to anecdotes, silly musings, and nostalgia. If you are hoping to find a purpose or point to the story, this is not the post for you.

Freshman year of high school I had this awesome (and really cute) friend- let’s call him K- who I hung out with quite a bit. The two of us would trade music, skip assemblies to hang out by the swings, and would frequently try to outdo each other in battles of cynicism. At my previous school I’d been a bit of an outsider, which meant that I refused to let myself believe that this good looking and somewhat popular guy might actually like me.

During the spring, he invited me to go to Six Flags with him. I was under the impression that he’d invited a bunch of people but no one else, for whatever reason, was able to make it that day except for the two of us. I was cool with that. I mean, we hung out alone all the time as it was- why should going to Six Flags be any different? Turns out it wasn’t really. Sure there was a bit more flirting and smiling than usual. I, of course, acted super brave and agreed to go on every ride he wanted to take me on no matter how terrified I was. But overall I left the park thinking that I’d shared a ridiculously fun evening with my buddy K. That was until I went back to school a couple days later to hear several of my friends ask, “Soooo, how was Six Flags with K?” (insert annoying voices and inflections here). “It was really fun,” I’d reply. Then, “Was it a date?” “Um, no!” “I’m pretty sure it was a date. I mean, it was just the two of you right? I thinnnnk he liikkkkeees youuu!”

All of a sudden my fun night had to be reassessed in my awkward teenage mind. Were they right? Looking back, it had seemed an awful lot like a date. I frantically dismissed the possibility and continued to refuse the thought that K might have feelings for me, although I was never quite able to view him in the same light again. Sadly for me, I didn’t receive proper confirmation that he had had a HUGE crush on me until senior year, at which point it was all too late. Sigh.

Skip ahead to the present. Perhaps you’ve guessed by now, but it’s been a while since I graduated from high school. Things aren’t quite so coated in drama the way they could be when I was a teenager. Nevertheless, I sometimes think back to who I was in high school and try to remember how I viewed the world once upon a time. Was it really so different from how I see it now?

On Sunday, the other C and I ventured to Great America for a high school style date. This time around, the guy was even cuter, more awesome, and I can say for cereal that he likes me. I’m pretty sure he’s figured out by now that I like him back. Teehee. For a couple of moments it sorta felt like we could be in high school again. Maybe, if we were really sneaky, we could trick others into believing that we weren’t really grown ups.

At one point we waited in line for the front row of one of the roller coasters and watched a group of teenagers duke it out over who was going to sit where. Two girls sat in the front row, which left one girl and two guys. One guy refused to go on and joined a group of other people by the steps. Two remaining. The girl expressed her anger at her friends for sitting in the scariest part of the train by saying “Eff you guys!” and flipping them the bird. The guy, not wanting to be seen with this monstrosity, sits in the row in front of her. Yelling ensues. Eventually guy reseats himself next to girl who continues to swear as the train pulls away.

C and I smile at each other, laugh, and are happy we’re not high schoolers anymore.

The End!

Keepin' Busy

First things first, congrats to the SF Giants for winning the World Series! I’m pretty sure someone set off a fire cracker a couple feet away from me last night on Mission Street…but I’d had a few beers at that point so my perception was a bit off.

When not running through the streets celebrating a major sports victory, I tend to keep myself fairly busy considering that I don’t have a job. It can be challenging explaining to people what exactly it is that I do. Do people who ask really want to know that I spend a fair amount of time writing cover letters, personal statements, and trying to improve my LSAT score? No, that doesn’t make for good cocktail conversation. And, to be honest, it’s depressing for me to discuss. So let’s not chat about that here. Instead, let’s talk about the other little things that I do to occupy my time.

A while back I mentioned that from time to time I do a bit of social media stuff for my friend Brendan’s company, BlinkTag. Although I’m not doing too much for him at the moment, it’s neat learning about some of the projects he and his employee/our friend Trucy work on every week.

It’s also nice being around other productive people who have a fairly flexible schedule, which gives us the opportunity to sometimes go on little adventures. A couple weeks ago, for instance, we got a car and drove out to Cupertino to visit a friend who works at Apple. During our stay at One Infinite Loop, we stopped for lunch and I actually saw Steve Jobs in the cafeteria line! I did a double take and he smiled at my confusion. Pretty sweet. After that we drove over to the Yahoo! Great America campus, not to be confused with the main Sunnyvale campus, to visit Conner (aka the bf) who works there. Yahoo! was a lot more purple than Apple, but I’d say both were a lot more officy feeling than I would have expected. At some point Brendan, Trucy, and I hope to make it to some of the other big name offices around the Bay Area.

Last week B and T let me tag along with them to Oakland, where we met up with the people responsible for BART‘s social media. Almost all social media work I’ve done, whether for BlinkTag or Londonist, has been based on knowledge I’ve gained by personal use and a little bit of shared info, so it was interesting to hear what people who do it more officially had to say on the subject.

One of the coolest things I think Brendan and his crew have done is create Bikesy, a bike mapping service for the Bay Area, which incorporates safety and elevation into its routes. He altered the service a bit for one of his clients, which you can read about here (guess who wrote the blog post and did the screencast, nudge nudge wink wink). And! Just to show how ridiculous I can be and what other types of things Brendan’s had me do, check out his blog for a whole bunch of WordPress tutorial screencasts I made.

Now back to business as usual, and to vote!

Well You Know November Has Come

Due to the fact that I have, once again, failed at updating my personal blog in a timely manner, I am going to sign myself up for this NaBloPoMo, or National Blog Posting Month, business. If it sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of NaNoWriMo- or when people try to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I think that’s kind of a neat idea, but the one time I signed up I managed to write about 100 words then forgot about it. This seems much more manageable. Not sure if I’ll try writing about anything specific, it’ll probably be more of the usual, and perhaps some commentary on things that interest me day to day.

Now that the NaBloPoMo stuff has been covered, on to other ramblings!

Living in San Francisco is at once incredible and yet bizarre. I moved here several months ago but it feels like I could have left London a couple weeks ago. Yes, it now rains from time to time and it gets darker a bit earlier, but the weather really doesn’t vary all that much. I continue to search for a job, which is really not the most fun of tasks, but I refuse to settle for just anything. LSAT scores have arrived, and although they are not bad, I plan to take that damned test again in December.

In three weeks or so I’m headed to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with some family out there and I am pumped, despite the fact that I’m going to freeze. It’ll be my first time on the East Coast in over two years! That’s probably the longest I’ve ever been away from the East Coast in my entire life.

This month is probably going to get pretty busy and insane- I have a feeling about this month, can’t tell if it’s good or bad, but something’s gonna happen. Hopefully this little blog will provide a space for me to put the crazy thoughts and speculations about where it is I’m headed!