Rudeness

So I went to Cracker Barrel today with Rod and family for a farewell luncheon before they head back to Florida. The friendly young, presumably new waitress (she had only one star on her apron) asked Rod, "Where are you from?" He replied Trinidad, to which she responded, "Where's that?" So he explained. Then others ordered and I ordered and she asked me, "Are you from Trinidad too?" Now I'm not sure what about me seemed foreign exactly, and maybe she was being sweet and new and friendly, and I really should start with the nice reply rather than the funny one, but whatever the reason I responded, "No, I'm from another world entirely." I was going to follow up with, "I'm from California" but Rod had busted up laughing and the waitress had already moved on in her job and I was left having just replied to her perfectly nice question, well, rudely. I mean, it was funny in the moment, but on later thought I realized, man that was uncalled for. Luckily the waitress appeared to take no offense and delivered our food as perkily as she took our order. Of course, a bit of spittle would be undetectable in my bowl of chicken and dumplings. Hmmm.

Anniversary

In honor of the approaching 1-year anniversary of this blog I provide a partner to one of my earliest posts. Oh, and I love balloons. And my birthday is sort of soon too; balloons are associated with birthdays in my world. And I'm some kind of genius I'm sure. And I never suck the helium. For these reasons I present this Fresh Ink card:



Somewhere within one of my dozens of travel bags I tote back and forth to Houston I've got another card that makes me giggle. It's about worrying that as an astronaut calling Houston I'd sound all needy. You'd think it's funny too, if I could just find it....

Kismet

Barry Bonds hit home run number 715, passing Babe Ruth on the all-time home runs hit list.

The ball glanced off a fan's hands about 15 rows up and then dropped onto an elevated platform beyond the fence. The souvenir sat there for a few minutes before rolling off the roof to an unidentified man waiting for a hot dog, and he was quickly ushered away by security.

The idea that some guy ended up with a coveted home run ball while he waited in line for food, well, it amuses me. Firstly, that it ended up in the hands of someone who obviously was either oblivious or didn't care that Bonds was coming up to bat soon, and secondly because I imagine this poor oblivious guy being rushed away and going, "Hey, can I just get my food first?"

Conviction

Is it wrong to be happy about the news out of Houston today?

Computers

Today's book quote comes from David Sedaris' essay "Nutcracker.com" in Me Talk Pretty One Day. A perfect example of what makes Sedaris such a fun read: flies that are casualties of art, the smell of computers (or lack thereof), inexplicable adhesive needs, and designers as dealers. Enjoy.

I wasn't really aware of computers until the mid-1980s. For some reason, I seemed to know quite a few graphic designers whose homes and offices pleasantly stank of Spray Mount. Their floors were always collaged with stray bits of paper, and trapped flies waved for help from the gummy killing fields of their tabletops. I had always counted on these friends to loan me the adhesive of my choice, but then, seemingly overnight, their Scotch tape and rubber cement were gone, replaced with odorless computers and spongy mouse pads. They had nothing left that I wanted to borrow, and so I dropped them and fell in with a group of typesetters who ultimately betrayed me as well.

Next

Yet another pointless post: I love, no, I adore--which is different--the Next Blog button. Try it. Discover some of the many devoted Christians and graphic artists/photographers and random Spanish/Portuguese/Italian bloggers out there. I'm guessing that within five clicks you'll find two out of three. Or you might come across some beautiful flower photography. It's a crap shoot.

Follow up: I do not appreciate it when bloggers remove the Next Blog button from their page. How am I to keep on keepin on?

Blogosphere

Not that you asked, but...
Confession: I am a perpetrator of blogthings.

My brain is 60% female, 40% male

My brain is a healthy mix of male and female. I am both sensitive and savvy. Rational and reasonable, I tend to keep level headed, but I also tend to wear my heart on my sleeve

What gender is your brain?

And these two things I always knew; in fact, they are part of my life plan....

I belong in Paris

I enjoy all that life has to offer, and I can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris. I'm the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European city do you belong in?

I should learn Chinese

What language should you learn?

In thoroughly unrelated news, my fortune cookie fortune yesterday did not amuse me.

Drivel

It's been ages since I produced a News from Another World message to friends. House-bound musings have apparently disappeared from my life and I am left with drivel. Yet I don't feel devoid of amusement. In fact, smaller and smaller things amuse me these days, like the way the ceiling fan blows dust bunnies around the wood floor. Somehow not such compelling news. I used to fill my spare time writing movie reviews and updating my now defunct website. Okay, herein an attempt to recapture the fun that comes from being a critic...

Thank You for Smoking stars Aaron Eckhart as a successful tobacco lobbyist who happens to be a pretty good dad too. His character, Nick Naylor, deals with the constant challenges of promoting obviously harmful products by focusing on winning the argument. He meets weekly with lobbyists for alcohol and firearms; they discuss the difficulties of their work like any other group of friends, but of course the subject matter makes it absurdly funny. Nick's presentation at a school career day is pretty good too. I enjoyed the satire, the main characters were well played, and I thoroughly appreciated that in a movie about smoking you never once see anyone actually smoking. But alas the cleverness of the story and characters could not last forever and the movie loses a bit of steam towards the end. Still, this is a smartly told cautionary tale that never feels preachy and is visually amusing.
* Take note of the cigarette-wrapper themed title credits (there should be an award for such things; this and Napoleon Dynamite could compete).
* Visit the official website, watch the trailer or find where it's playing.

Malaise

There's a big deadline looming over my head, but now it's break time. I shall remain safely indoors lest I escape to the wilds of east Texas or my backyard. Maybe I've had too much Gilmore Girls season 1 viewing and nostalgic summer longing or maybe the atypically beautiful spring and then summer weather we've had here has melted my brain. It could also be too many consecutive days of working on school and work and home, or the utter lack of a routine...whatever it is, I'm in a funk. Unfortunately, when in that mood it pervades everything I see and feel like doing. Looking at my webpages I see that I've not posted pics in ages, and yet I do have pictures...somewhere. Now I find them but my access to webpages is not cooperating. Sadly for you, our entire trip to Greece last summer is missing from the web. Getting away sounds so good. I've been thinking about planned trips to New York and midwest later this summer and in my head I am on the road, picking the soundtrack and rest stop amusements and matching travel dates to baseball schedules. I read about this new history-minded walking path (de Anza expedition trail) in Cupertino hills and I long to be there or be anywhere with trees and fresh smells and my hiking boots on. But I'm supposed to be working. Deadlines really cramp my style.

Breathe

Smoking is being banned in public places in Beaumont. Wouldn't you just know that such a policy would take effect after I am leaving the city?

I think Jason's Deli is the best invention to come out of Beaumont ever. There's not much competition, I suppose. Frankie's Italian Grill is heavenly but I could find nice homestyle Italian food lots of places. I won't really miss anything about Beaumont except our adorable house and associated cardinals and lizards and tropical plants. Isn't that sad?

May 20 follow up: After four years, our issue of The New Yorker actually arrived in the mail before the date listed on the issue. David was speechless. I had tears in my eyes. Again, we are leaving soon.

Rhymetime

It's May Day everybody! (Not to be confused with mayday.) Dance around a maypole or celebrate International Workers' Day or just flip your calendar page, but do acknowledge the date somehow. Again, like my other post--what's it hurt to have a little fun? And on May 5th, you can celebrate No Pants Day as well as Cinco de Mayo. That should make for an interesting dress-down Friday. By the way, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican independence day.

Numerology

My dad sent me the link to this birthday calculator thing which amused me and might amuse you. It tells you your spiritual numbers, and says how old you are in days, months, etc. It also gives moon phase for your birth date, holiday dates the year you were born, and some personal characteristics. From there you can have your full name numerically analyzed. Apparently my numbers are odd ones, as in 3, 6, 9, and 1, 5, 7. I know we can all find some aspect of ourselves in any Zodiacal descrption (we focus on those things that we believe are true of ourselves and ignore all the false predictions), but I still find it fun. Sue me.