The file from the Franz Ferdinand show finally uploaded. Check it.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
HOME SWEET HOME
So this past week, I purchased a new toy for myself...
A few years back, I bought an Olympus digital camera. Now, I not the unklutziest of people and have dropped the thing a couple of times. As a result, if I even do so much as breathe while taking a picture with it, the picture is blurry. Image stability FAIL. I did find that if braced the camera against something solid, I had better luck with my shots, but who wants to constantly do that? "Not I," said the Little Red Hen.
Fast forward to last week. Given that we had just hit the four-months-'til-Christmas mark, I knew that it was only a matter of time before my parents start asking me for a Christmas List. One thing that I thought of was a new digital camera. I did some online research and found one that intrigued me. On Monday night, I stopped into Best Buy to do some research for a project and to check the camera out. Um, well, um... It was on sale and I went ahead and bought it for myself. A Canon PowerShot SD960 IS. 12.0 megapixels. HD video. I'm in love. I think I shall name it. It has to be an 'M' name, given that my car is "Marcie" and my iPhone is "Mildred." Any suggestions?
ANYWAYS.
This post will mark the transition from Olympus to the new Canon. I recently finished up a collection of photos taken around my neighborhood -- Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz. All of the photos were taken by my old Olympus. So in her honor, I give you "THE NEIGHBORHOOD."
For what it's worth, I will not be getting rid of my Olympus, not because I anticipate choosing to use it over my new one, but because I would feel horrible if I did banish it from my home. Much like my car and my childhood stuffed animals, the camera has feelings and I'd hate to do anything that would cause it emotional turmoil -- especially after I unintentionally dropped it on its head so many times.
Last night, while at the Franz Ferdinand concert at The Palladium, I took video with the new toy. Because it's literally going to take another four hours to finish uploading to YouTube, that'll have to be the next post. I know you're just dying of excitement. (And this is where I hold up my "SARCASM" sign, Leonard-style.)
Everyone have a fantastic weekend!
A few years back, I bought an Olympus digital camera. Now, I not the unklutziest of people and have dropped the thing a couple of times. As a result, if I even do so much as breathe while taking a picture with it, the picture is blurry. Image stability FAIL. I did find that if braced the camera against something solid, I had better luck with my shots, but who wants to constantly do that? "Not I," said the Little Red Hen.
Fast forward to last week. Given that we had just hit the four-months-'til-Christmas mark, I knew that it was only a matter of time before my parents start asking me for a Christmas List. One thing that I thought of was a new digital camera. I did some online research and found one that intrigued me. On Monday night, I stopped into Best Buy to do some research for a project and to check the camera out. Um, well, um... It was on sale and I went ahead and bought it for myself. A Canon PowerShot SD960 IS. 12.0 megapixels. HD video. I'm in love. I think I shall name it. It has to be an 'M' name, given that my car is "Marcie" and my iPhone is "Mildred." Any suggestions?
ANYWAYS.
This post will mark the transition from Olympus to the new Canon. I recently finished up a collection of photos taken around my neighborhood -- Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz. All of the photos were taken by my old Olympus. So in her honor, I give you "THE NEIGHBORHOOD."
For what it's worth, I will not be getting rid of my Olympus, not because I anticipate choosing to use it over my new one, but because I would feel horrible if I did banish it from my home. Much like my car and my childhood stuffed animals, the camera has feelings and I'd hate to do anything that would cause it emotional turmoil -- especially after I unintentionally dropped it on its head so many times.
Last night, while at the Franz Ferdinand concert at The Palladium, I took video with the new toy. Because it's literally going to take another four hours to finish uploading to YouTube, that'll have to be the next post. I know you're just dying of excitement. (And this is where I hold up my "SARCASM" sign, Leonard-style.)
Everyone have a fantastic weekend!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
13 of 12 for August 2009.
It's August 12, 2009. How in the hey-hey did it get to be August already? Before we know it, it'll be time for me to start Christmas shopping. It is just around the corner, after all. (Bite my tongue, I know, I know...)
But yes, it's August 12. That means it's time for 12 of 12. Check out creator Chad Darnell's site for more information and to see entries from all over the world. This thing has taken off like crazy the last couple of years!
So without further adieu (because I'm exhausted and ready for sleep), here are my 12-ish pics:
7:46 a.m. - Lead me not into temptation...
Why does my bed have to look so inviting when I've just managed to pull myself out of it? Today was especially torturous.
8:07 a.m. - Putting on my face.
My make-up/medicine cabinet. If you can't tell, I like Clinique. I'm fairly certain I am still suffering the effects of Fetal Clinique Syndrome, as that's all my mother has worn as long as I've known her.
9:05 a.m. - Sneaky, sneaky.
After the horrible-no-good-very-bad-uncomfortable incident on Saturday afternoon in which a man from the halfway house across the street proceeded to run across the street when my car pulled up and stand in front of the stairs waiting on me to get out of my car, I now check outside to mentally prepare myself in case I see him. He's usually sitting on the curb of the median smoking a cigarette in the mornings. He wasn't there today.
9:25 a.m. - The Wilford Brimley School of Translation.
I'm sorry, but that's what the guy on that sign looks like. It's Wilford Brimley in a mortarboard. I wonder if he teaches students how to say "diabetes." This is one of my favorite things to see on my commute to work down Olympic in the morning.
9:59 a.m. - New Workspace.
My office recently did musical chairs with cubicles and offices and I ended up in this one. I love it for many reasons, not the least of which because I have a wall that I can hang my Old Hollywood picture on. I just love how cozy and classy that looks. Special cameo appearance by the Casa Descanso orchid. It was doing camera check for the orchid I'll be purchasing this weekend.
1:27 p.m. - Off to the gym.
Because I had an event to go to this evening, I went to the gym over my lunch break. On the left side of the picture, you can see some people beside a tree. It was protestors in a labor dispute. Those "Shame On _____!" banners always make me laugh, which I'm sure is not the intended response.
2:53 p.m. - When your mind's made up...
I was delighted to see a link from NPR on my Facebook page for a Swell Season "Tiny Desk" concert. I had no idea they have a new album coming out in October. Now I'm really excited.
5:37 p.m. - CHEEZ-ITS!
Okay, I know this probably negates all the "brownie points" I earned by going to the gym, but I wanted -- nay, I needed -- some Cheez-Its. Okay, I needed something un-sweet and I decided on Cheez-Its. Whatever. They're good and they're my writing snack. Not that I had time today to even think about writing...
6:54 p.m. - Did I really just see that?!?! WTF, CW?!
Unfortunately, you can't really tell in this picture due to size, but that poster totally says "TUESDAY'S THE NEW HUMPDAY." I managed to find the poster online here. Wow, CW. That's...that's wow.
7:11 p.m. - Screw you guys, I'm going home!
My boss graciously gave me his ATAS invitation for the Evening With the Family Guy thing in Hollywood tonight. I thought it was going to be a smaller, more-intimate event like the other Academy events I've gone to. The location of this event was practically at the corner of Vine and Selma. I'm not kidding you when I say the line stretched from the theatre all the way down Vine and around the corner half a block down Hollywood Blvd. I stood in line for fifteen minutes or so and then decided to give up and walked all the way back to the Palladium to get my car.
8:17 p.m. - When life throws you lemons, eat Lebanese food!
And by "lemons," I mean that my poor roomie is sick with the flu from Hell. I dropped her off at Kaiser's Urgent Care and then dropped into Zankou Chicken for a Chicken Tarna Wrap and some hummus. (But no beets. BLECH.)
9:59 p.m. - Wine and Hardison, er, I mean Leverage.
Look! I even caught Hardison in the picture! This is my favorite show of the summer and has very quickly made it up on my list of dream shows to work on.
10:45 p.m. - WINE. (Special Bonus Pic)
I'm only including this one because I took an extra one and I like it. So there. I'm going to bed.
But yes, it's August 12. That means it's time for 12 of 12. Check out creator Chad Darnell's site for more information and to see entries from all over the world. This thing has taken off like crazy the last couple of years!
So without further adieu (because I'm exhausted and ready for sleep), here are my 12-ish pics:
7:46 a.m. - Lead me not into temptation...
Why does my bed have to look so inviting when I've just managed to pull myself out of it? Today was especially torturous.
8:07 a.m. - Putting on my face.
My make-up/medicine cabinet. If you can't tell, I like Clinique. I'm fairly certain I am still suffering the effects of Fetal Clinique Syndrome, as that's all my mother has worn as long as I've known her.
9:05 a.m. - Sneaky, sneaky.
After the horrible-no-good-very-bad-uncomfortable incident on Saturday afternoon in which a man from the halfway house across the street proceeded to run across the street when my car pulled up and stand in front of the stairs waiting on me to get out of my car, I now check outside to mentally prepare myself in case I see him. He's usually sitting on the curb of the median smoking a cigarette in the mornings. He wasn't there today.
9:25 a.m. - The Wilford Brimley School of Translation.
I'm sorry, but that's what the guy on that sign looks like. It's Wilford Brimley in a mortarboard. I wonder if he teaches students how to say "diabetes." This is one of my favorite things to see on my commute to work down Olympic in the morning.
9:59 a.m. - New Workspace.
My office recently did musical chairs with cubicles and offices and I ended up in this one. I love it for many reasons, not the least of which because I have a wall that I can hang my Old Hollywood picture on. I just love how cozy and classy that looks. Special cameo appearance by the Casa Descanso orchid. It was doing camera check for the orchid I'll be purchasing this weekend.
1:27 p.m. - Off to the gym.
Because I had an event to go to this evening, I went to the gym over my lunch break. On the left side of the picture, you can see some people beside a tree. It was protestors in a labor dispute. Those "Shame On _____!" banners always make me laugh, which I'm sure is not the intended response.
2:53 p.m. - When your mind's made up...
I was delighted to see a link from NPR on my Facebook page for a Swell Season "Tiny Desk" concert. I had no idea they have a new album coming out in October. Now I'm really excited.
5:37 p.m. - CHEEZ-ITS!
Okay, I know this probably negates all the "brownie points" I earned by going to the gym, but I wanted -- nay, I needed -- some Cheez-Its. Okay, I needed something un-sweet and I decided on Cheez-Its. Whatever. They're good and they're my writing snack. Not that I had time today to even think about writing...
6:54 p.m. - Did I really just see that?!?! WTF, CW?!
Unfortunately, you can't really tell in this picture due to size, but that poster totally says "TUESDAY'S THE NEW HUMPDAY." I managed to find the poster online here. Wow, CW. That's...that's wow.
7:11 p.m. - Screw you guys, I'm going home!
My boss graciously gave me his ATAS invitation for the Evening With the Family Guy thing in Hollywood tonight. I thought it was going to be a smaller, more-intimate event like the other Academy events I've gone to. The location of this event was practically at the corner of Vine and Selma. I'm not kidding you when I say the line stretched from the theatre all the way down Vine and around the corner half a block down Hollywood Blvd. I stood in line for fifteen minutes or so and then decided to give up and walked all the way back to the Palladium to get my car.
8:17 p.m. - When life throws you lemons, eat Lebanese food!
And by "lemons," I mean that my poor roomie is sick with the flu from Hell. I dropped her off at Kaiser's Urgent Care and then dropped into Zankou Chicken for a Chicken Tarna Wrap and some hummus. (But no beets. BLECH.)
9:59 p.m. - Wine and Hardison, er, I mean Leverage.
Look! I even caught Hardison in the picture! This is my favorite show of the summer and has very quickly made it up on my list of dream shows to work on.
10:45 p.m. - WINE. (Special Bonus Pic)
I'm only including this one because I took an extra one and I like it. So there. I'm going to bed.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Missing My Sissy...
And I reckon that as soon as she can see this blog -- in approximately five and a half weeks -- she will want to murder me in my sleep for calling her "sissy." She used to hate it when I did that in high school, though I honestly never did it to "get her goat." It was a genuine term of affection.
So my darling sister Katy is now in basic training for the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Now, I haven't lived within 1,000 miles of my sister since I left for Los Angeles six years ago, but somehow I really, really miss her. We had gotten into a habit of talking on the phone during my work commute most mornings, so that first Tuesday after she left was very difficult.
When she first told me that she was planning on joining a year or so back (the entire process took a long time), my immediate reaction was to tear up and tell her "NO." In my mind, I saw my sister getting shipped overseas to assist in the wars, thus putting her life at risk. Selfishly, I found myself hoping that they would deny her entry based on her history of migraine headaches or Osgood-Schlatter's Disease. It's something I'm not necessarily proud of and I eventually got over it. Katy had been down for a little bit, feeling like she was a failure and a financial burden, so I worried that this was a knee-jerk reaction and something she was doing because she felt it was her only way out. She proved me wrong, though. Over time, I realized that this was something she honestly wanted to do, something she was actually excited about. At that point, I couldn't help but be excited for her.
I was lucky to be home in Texas the week before she left for basic training. She made me administrator on the Facebook group that would provide people updates on what she was doing and how to get in touch with her. I was going to be the one call she got to make upon arrival in San Antonio. I kept my phone near me all day long. The one exception was a yoga class that started at 8:30 p.m. my time (which would have been 10:30 p.m. there). I figured that by that point, she had decided to call my mom instead. I always assumed military folk were "early to bed, early to rise." I was in the midst of downward-facing dog when I heard the xylophoney iPhone ringtone coming from the cubby area at the back of the studio. Even though at least half of the people in there probably had iPhones, I knew in my heart it was her. I spent the rest of yoga silently crying and feeling like Sister Failure. Once class was over, I ran to my phone and confirmed that it was indeed a 210 number that called. I was her one call and I missed it. Her voicemail was surprisingly terse. She called me "Amanda," which she hadn't really done in years (she uses my nickname "Mush"). Her voice sounded upbeat, but she gave me her address and then she was gone.
My only selfish worry now is that the Air Force is going to change my sister. I know it's going to change her. The thing is... I love my sister the way she is. My goofy, happy, make-her-sister-blush Katy. She's "the mean aunt" to my nephew (which actually means she's the loud, slightly-bossy one). She's the person who went around to select boys at the Lake View High School Homecoming Dance my senior year and told them to ask me to dance. She's the one who can seemingly say anything to my grandpa and, rather than offend him, make him laugh. She's the one who seems to make it her life's purpose when I'm home to make me laugh very loudly -- even if whatever she does gets her in "trouble" with our mom.
I can only hope that the Air Force simply "improves" or "upgrades" my sister. She'll still be the same goofy girl on the inside, but with a more grown-up outlook. From what I've heard, she's excelling in San Antonio. She's been given extra responsibilities and actually won half an hour of patio time by answering 13-of-13 questions correctly in front of her commanders. She's playing trumpet in the band. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to attend her graduation ceremony next month. It's at 7:15 a.m. on a Friday morning, which makes it difficult for me to take time off of work. I promise to make it up to her when she's out here...
Because she will be! She's going to language school in Monterey, which means we'll share a time zone and, once she has off-base privileges, will actually get to hang out. Her official title is going to be cryptolinguist -- and how badass is that? I can't wait to get to see her and hug her neck and take her out for her birthday. Even though I was trepidatious about her joining, I could not be prouder of her and I can not wait to show her off... My badass cryptolinguist sister.
So my darling sister Katy is now in basic training for the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Now, I haven't lived within 1,000 miles of my sister since I left for Los Angeles six years ago, but somehow I really, really miss her. We had gotten into a habit of talking on the phone during my work commute most mornings, so that first Tuesday after she left was very difficult.
When she first told me that she was planning on joining a year or so back (the entire process took a long time), my immediate reaction was to tear up and tell her "NO." In my mind, I saw my sister getting shipped overseas to assist in the wars, thus putting her life at risk. Selfishly, I found myself hoping that they would deny her entry based on her history of migraine headaches or Osgood-Schlatter's Disease. It's something I'm not necessarily proud of and I eventually got over it. Katy had been down for a little bit, feeling like she was a failure and a financial burden, so I worried that this was a knee-jerk reaction and something she was doing because she felt it was her only way out. She proved me wrong, though. Over time, I realized that this was something she honestly wanted to do, something she was actually excited about. At that point, I couldn't help but be excited for her.
I was lucky to be home in Texas the week before she left for basic training. She made me administrator on the Facebook group that would provide people updates on what she was doing and how to get in touch with her. I was going to be the one call she got to make upon arrival in San Antonio. I kept my phone near me all day long. The one exception was a yoga class that started at 8:30 p.m. my time (which would have been 10:30 p.m. there). I figured that by that point, she had decided to call my mom instead. I always assumed military folk were "early to bed, early to rise." I was in the midst of downward-facing dog when I heard the xylophoney iPhone ringtone coming from the cubby area at the back of the studio. Even though at least half of the people in there probably had iPhones, I knew in my heart it was her. I spent the rest of yoga silently crying and feeling like Sister Failure. Once class was over, I ran to my phone and confirmed that it was indeed a 210 number that called. I was her one call and I missed it. Her voicemail was surprisingly terse. She called me "Amanda," which she hadn't really done in years (she uses my nickname "Mush"). Her voice sounded upbeat, but she gave me her address and then she was gone.
My only selfish worry now is that the Air Force is going to change my sister. I know it's going to change her. The thing is... I love my sister the way she is. My goofy, happy, make-her-sister-blush Katy. She's "the mean aunt" to my nephew (which actually means she's the loud, slightly-bossy one). She's the person who went around to select boys at the Lake View High School Homecoming Dance my senior year and told them to ask me to dance. She's the one who can seemingly say anything to my grandpa and, rather than offend him, make him laugh. She's the one who seems to make it her life's purpose when I'm home to make me laugh very loudly -- even if whatever she does gets her in "trouble" with our mom.
I can only hope that the Air Force simply "improves" or "upgrades" my sister. She'll still be the same goofy girl on the inside, but with a more grown-up outlook. From what I've heard, she's excelling in San Antonio. She's been given extra responsibilities and actually won half an hour of patio time by answering 13-of-13 questions correctly in front of her commanders. She's playing trumpet in the band. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to attend her graduation ceremony next month. It's at 7:15 a.m. on a Friday morning, which makes it difficult for me to take time off of work. I promise to make it up to her when she's out here...
Because she will be! She's going to language school in Monterey, which means we'll share a time zone and, once she has off-base privileges, will actually get to hang out. Her official title is going to be cryptolinguist -- and how badass is that? I can't wait to get to see her and hug her neck and take her out for her birthday. Even though I was trepidatious about her joining, I could not be prouder of her and I can not wait to show her off... My badass cryptolinguist sister.
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