Things That Suck

Number 1: Being sick on Christmas eve.

Number 2: Does not matter because you are sick on Christmas eve.

Number 3: Dying of exposure to radiation.

The Nutcracker-teased Christmas Story

I was really looking forward to watching The Nutcracker this year. Mountain View has a cute little Performing Arts Theatre and last month I read in the local newspaper that they were going to perform this beloved Christmas classic. I haven’t seen this play since I was a little girl and I was enamored with the thought of seeing it again, while supporting the local arts of the town where I live. However, when I went to the theatre’s website to buy tickets I was disappointed to find out that the Nutcracker was only going to be preformed for ONE weekend this December. I couldn’t believe it; just one weekend out of the whole year? What were they thinking? Why go to the trouble of making the performance at all? Unfortunately the only weekend showing was a weekend occupied by my school activities. Consequently, for me, this year will remain Nutcracker-less and I feel Nutcracker-teased by Mountain View, Ca.

Holiday Desecration

Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear
 (to be sung to "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland")

Lacy things -- the wife is missin',
Didn't ask -- her permission,
I'm wearin' her clothes,
Her silk pantyhose,
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear.

In the store -- there's a teddy,
Little straps -- like spaghetti,
It holds me so tight,
Like handcuffs at night,
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear.

In the office there's a guy named Melvin,
He pretends that I am Murphy Brown.
He'll say, "Are you ready?"  I'll say,"Whoa, Man!"
"Let's wait until our wives are out of town!"

Later on, if you wanna,
We can dress -- like Madonna,
Put on some eyeshade,
And join the parade,
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear!

Lacy things... missin',
Didn't ask... permission,
Wearin' her clothes,
Her silk pantyhose,
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear,

Walkin' 'round in women's underwear,

Walkin' 'round in women's underwear!

Ok, now that you have practiced in your head... lets try in chorus.

Wedding Dress: The Bustle.

I actually did not know what a bustle was until I bought a wedding dress. A bustle constitutes the way in which the train of your wedding dress is gathered, elevated off of the floor, and distributed across the back of your dress. Many women opt to have their wedding dress bustled in order to facilitate movement after the wedding ceremony is over. After all, it can be uncomfortable and tiresome to deal with a long train while casually walking around, greeting wedding guests or dancing. There are many different ways to bustle a wedding dress according to types of fabric, types of dress patterns and dress colors.  

There are four main types of bustle used in the USA:

 French bustle: Think big, pouffy derriere. The train of the dress is essentially folded and gathered to shorten its length.

Ballroom bustle: This type is very similar to the French bustle, only less pouffy. 

Australian bustle: I think it is very pretty and it works especially well with chiffon trains. Ribbons are sewn into the dress and when they are pulled the dress train is picked up and gathered.

 American bustle: this type is usually used with shorter trains and it consists of a single, or several, hooks that hook up the train to the back of your dress. Usually the hooks are disguised using jewels or ornaments.

Sleep Deprived

Things that happen when I am sleep deprived for a week:

- I get sleepy.

- My stomach becomes upset.

- I may become disagreeable toward other people and slightly irrational.

- I am constantly hungry.

- I laugh a lot at stupid things and my sense of humor becomes stranger, sort of in a dark, twisted yet bubbly way. 

- I am not able to pronounce words correctly and more of my sentences start lacking proper grammar, so it becomes hard to understand me. Sometimes this can be comical, which leads me to laugh awkwardly for a longer period of time than appropriate. 

 

"The American-White Lady"

This is how some people refer to me at work. "The American-White Lady" is me. Go figure. I wonder what that says about my work place. 

The "S" Word

Meanest Craving for Salami Recorded in the History of my Cravings.

OK, so by now I've been a vegetarian for over two months and the newness of it all is starting to wear off. However, I am still discovering things about myself that I did not know before becoming a vegetarian. For example, being a vegetarian has helped me discover what I consider to be my comfort foods. The other day I was feeling particularly moody and I craved something comforting. Alan made me some really good hot chocolate, but it wasn't enough. I wanted salami. I really, truly wanted some good, tasty, salty, fatty SALAMI. Some people crave bacon; I am more of a salami sort of person. I never knew I could crave salami so much.  I guess I have never thought about my need for salami before, since before I never would have thought twice about making a salami sandwich when in the mood. Besides, there is always a ready supply of salami in my household for snacks and such. 

I was more tempted to eat salami than I was tempted to eat turkey during Thanksgiving, even though my uncle made TWO delicious turkeys -with accompanying, amazing stuffing- for the event.

I looked at Alan and told him about my desire for salami. He looked back at me in disbelief for a couple of seconds, said "No", and promptly ran to the kitchen to get rid of all of the salami available before I could do anything I would later regret. Alan saw the crazy look in my eyes so he ate all the salami. ALL of it. Quickly. Even though he was not hungry. Then he grossed me out by opening his mouth while chewing, so I could see how truly disgusting salami is. He did all of these things out of love and I appreciate his willingness to wolf-down deli meats at a moment's notice to protect my long-term goals.

... But I still want some. 

Thanksgiving, 2008

Things that I love about Thanksgiving

- Eating great food made by my family.

- Being with my family.

- Setting the table with nice china and silverware. 

- Cranberry sauces and stuffed dates.

- Getting dressed up to eat dinner at home. 

- Mashed rutabaga.

- Eating leftovers from Thanksgiving.

- Wine tasting the day after Thanksgiving with my family. (Info here.)

- Enjoying the beautiful scenery of Sonoma County.

- Silly jokes about termites at a bar, lions in a rush, and roughed-up pieces of string who want a drink. 

- Taking pictures.

- Not having to buy gifts or live up to  any sort of contrived holiday expectation (aside from eating yourself silly).

- Knowing that Christmas is coming soon.  

Flying Spaghetti Monster

 I have been a believer of the FSM Philosophy since I first read about its existence, back in my undergrad years. I believe in the FSM because every time I eat a plate of pasta I can feel FSM's presence, especially when the pasta is particularly delicious. I have also always felt joyous, and that I belong, when I am surrounded by people who dress as pirates. Today, when I was catching up on the news from my various online sources, I found yet further evidence that FSM is real and that others believe in him just as I do. 

Flying Spaghetti Monster spotted at Apple!

OBAMA WINS!

And he is still winning as the final electoral votes have not all been tallied. Right now the tally is Obama 338 to McCain 156, with only 270 needed to win. SUCK THAT YOU EVIL, WAR MONGERING REPUBLICANS WHO HAVE RUINED MY COUNTRY'S ECONOMY AND WORLD STANDING!!!!!!!!! Finally, the heart-gripping political saga is over. No longer will I worry about the miss-use of the work "maverick". Tonight the American public spoke and then dramatically spat Republicans out to the sewer. We now have a brave new president in addition to a democratic majority in the Senate and the House. America will rebuild, reshape and reform. I am so happy. I want to dance on the roof. I want to sing HALLELUJAH. 

However, not all is celebrations and jubilee. California's proposition #8 is not doing very well. I have many dear friends who have fought so hard and waited so long to have equality in marriage rights. I expected better from my fellow Californians. What ever happened to the American values of Equality and Justice for all? How dare you vote to take away another person's rights, just because you perceive the other person as different from you? How dare you try to impose your personal beleifs about marriage on other people? 

Side Effects of Vegetarianism

I have been a vegetarian for almost two weeks and I have several observations to make about the experience:

1) You fart. A lot. This is a side effect of being a (new) healthy vegetarian and it is pretty much unavoidable until your stomch adjusts to your new diet.

2) I have gained weight. I have gained at least two pounds since turning vegetarian. I think my mind is secretly trying to compensate for my lack of eating meat by tricking me into believing that I can and should eat more of everything else. (Remember, I used to eat A LOT of meat every day of my life before deciding to reform.) Once I realized what was going on I started to manage this problem. No permanent damage has been done and I should return to normal by next week. However, also adding to my weight-gain is #3.

3) I am so excited about eating tasty vegetarian food!! There are so many great recipes out there. I’m only now starting to discover tofu… and I just want to eat everything. I have been cooking up a storm. I even subscribed to the magazine Vegetarian Times.

4) I do not miss meat as much as I thought I would. If fact, I do not think it would be a stretch to say that I do not miss meat at all! Can you believe it? I went from thinking that life without meat would be unbearable to not missing it at all between three and five times a day. Now when I think about eating meat I get a little grossed out. Like, I really, really do not want to put animal flesh inside of me. I do not know what to attribute this to, as I am a far cry from being an animal’s rights activist.

5) I am very happy with my decision to become a vegetarian. I feel healthier and lighter and I also feel great about my contribution to the environment.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I made Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins to celebrate. Recipe HERE.

Www.NatalieDee.Com


nataliedee.com

I love this website.

Portland
(Part II)

Did I mention that Portland is very vegetarian friendly?

Vegetarian? Me?
SURPRISE!

Last week I came to a conclusion and I decided to act upon it. The conclusion was: I need to take better care of my body. So I started doing a little research on things that I could incorporate to my life that would be beneficial to my health. My research led to the following: Being a vegetarian can be very, very healthy. I was shocked at this revelation. I have plenty of friends who are vegetarians but their main reasons for being vegetarians are environmental, religious and ethical. I heard rumors that not eating red meat might benefit a person with high cholesterol or high blood pressure. But, I hadn't really considered that not eating meat could also be extremely beneficial to people without those types of medical problems or moral beliefs.

Let me be clear on something: I love meat. I love the taste of it. I love the many different varieties and ways you can prepare it, and most of my favorite foods are meat based. I grew up believing that your body needs meat and a lot of protein (which you obtain from the meat). That somehow eating meat made you stronger. That meat was good and necessary and yummy. These beliefs were so ingrained in me that I never questioned their validity until last week, when I really started looking at the statistics. I was impressed. In fact, I was so impressed at all of the evidence against meat and the evils it does to the human body that I have decided to try being a vegetarian.

Who would have thought that I would ever become a vegetarian? Certainly not I, the meat lover who constantly craves steak and sausage. But here I am, quitting meat, cold turkey (pun intended!). I'm on my third day. Its hard. But I have faith that my decision is what is best for my body (and the environment too). By quitting meat I am reducing by at least half my probabilities of getting cancer, especially breast cancer, not to mention reducing the likelihood of diabetes, kidney diseases, osteoporosis and God knows what other weird diseases associated with all the unnatural ways livestock is handled... and I may be increasing my life span as well.

To tell you the truth, being a vegetarian kind of scares me. This way of eating, of living, goes against what I was raised to believe was normal and healthy. I come from a meat-loving family; they might seriously think that I've lost my mind. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The love of my life is always on Atkins! I honestly don't know if I am strong enough to pull it off. But I will try. I think I owe it to myself for my own peace of mind and out of respect for my body. If it doesn't work out, then at least I can say that I gave it my best shot.

Information about why vegetarianism is awesome: HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

Portland

Portland is a combination of Berkeley, forest and rain. Portland is Awesome. Portland is very close to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, which makes delicious cheese and ice cream. Portland has no sales tax. Portland is where our friends Ian and Rachelle live. Portland has pumpkin patches, interesting museums, excellent universities and a zoo. I bought a Monkey-Sock hat in Portland. Portland is so freaking cool my love and I would consider living there.

I would like to give a special thanks to Ian and Rachelle for hosting us during the long, action-packed weekend we spent in Portland. I had so much fun and they were such great hosts. It was very hard to leave.

My Eyes Are Burning

Between Facebook, Blogs, CNN online, Flickr, Video Games, TV, Reading and Work, my eyes are done. Just plain done. I need an Eye-Vacation. In fact, I need an All-Body-Mind and Soul Vacation. It has been well over a year since Alan and I took even a week off from work.

Somewhere between the evolution from Cave Men to Britney Spears life got way too complicated.

MM's Philosophical Thought of the Day

If you need help, ask for it. Seriously. Who do you think you are fooling?

Flowers

Alan spent almost two years tending to a little, kind of pathetic looking orchid plant. It finally bloomed!

Wui Yeen's Birthday Party

The Decadence:

I love cake

Presidential Election 2008
Summary

Barack Obama (A Black Man! For the first time in history...) is the Democratic presidential nominee. He has chosen Joe Biden as his VP running mate. John McCain is the Republican presidential nominee. He has chosen Sarah Palin (A Woman! Note that there has never been a woman nominee for the VP position on a Republican ticket before...) to be his running mate. Current president, George W. Bush, is Republican and widely unpopular due to the war in Iraq and the country's economic problems.

McCains choice of Palin has caused a media sensation, since she was widely unknown in Washington or the rest of the country until her nomination. She is currently serving, for the first time, as the Alaskan governor and she also has the experience of being mayor of a small (pop. 8000) Alaskan town. Palin also happens to be very young and good looking. Many speculate that she was chosen despite of her lack of experience as a gimmick, as Hillary Clinton left a lot of disappointed voters when she did not win the democratic presidential nomination. On the other hand, Biden is a lawyer. He has been working in the US Senate since 1973 as a representative for Delaware. He has extensive foreign relations experience and is very well versed in Washington politics. Joe Biden had been working in the senate for 11 years before Sarah Palin won her first beauty contest in 1984. In terms of knowledge and experience, who would you chose as a VP?

I would like to point out the following article about McCains VP pick: Click HERE. Palin is curently under investigation in Alaska for allegations of innapropriatly terminating the employment of a government employee. In addition, I can't help but mention that Palin has a very conservative stance and is a very strong advocate of abstinence until marriage, yet at this time her 17 year old daughter is unmarried and 5 months pregnant. Think about it. Just like I would not vote for a politician who preaches against domestic violence and then goes home to abuse his wife, I would not vote for a politician who would like to influence education in our schools with indoctrinations that did not even work in her own home. I know that the personal lives of nominees should remain private and normally I would not take the actions of an independent minded teenager as a reflection of the inefficacy of the teenager's parents, but in this case I will make an exception. The future of our country is too valuable and too vulnerable to overlook such obvious inconsistencies in the lives of the people who might be running it.

The Race is ON! The elections are in November and there are only 9 more weeks for the nominees to campaign. Make sure to VOTE!

As if Cats Were Not Horrible Enough!

I just tread an article about how cats can grow wings. Yes, wings people! Pretty soon they will be flying all over the place spreading their disdain, their parasites, and shedding their hair from the sky above. Full article here.

Because Your Toilet is not Functional Enough...

Make you toilet into a fishtank!

Should I Move to Ireland?

It has what I want: Miniature Cows ...and for this week at least, Ireland also has Alan.

The Stress of the Dress

Wedding Madness

When Alan and I decided to get married we wanted to keep it simple and sweet. I wanted to have a small wedding and I did not want to spend a lot of money. I recently found out that the price of our wedding package at the mexican resort we chose went up... and today I paid substancially more for my wedding dress then what I had hoped for. (Bye Bye Budget!) I kept receiving so much pressure to buy a dress bigger and better and fancier than what I had in mind. Picking out a SIMPLE wedding dress is hard enough. You have to keep in mind things like the venue (which I have never seen before) the formality of the event, color schemes, and -of course- you want to find something that is comfortable, looks good on you, expresses your individuality AND fits into your budget.

These are the Mistakes that I made that ended up freaking me out:

- I did not have a clear vision of what I wanted before I started asking for everybody's opinion. 

- I did not have a clear budget.

- I started overanalyzing everything once I realized that finding a dress was actually an important task, which only ended up making me upset.

These are Circumstances that did not help my stress level:

- Most wedding dress boutiques only carry sample dresses in large sizes. I could swim in the mounds of extra tulle of some of the dresses I tried on. In order to give you an idea of what the dress would look like on you, attendants will use clips to pin/tuck the excess dress parts away. The result is that you have a dress molded to your body by pins and clips, which ususally makes the dress look extra good on you. If you were to buy said dress in your actual size it probably would not mold itself to your body in the same way. This scared me into buying a dress at the only location where I could find interesting dresses my size: David's Bridal. David's Bridal is AWESOME. They were super nice and patient with me as I tried on a grand portion of their dresses over the course of many hours. However, this severely limited my options of dresses to choose from. 

- Wedding dresses, as with all other things wedding related, are extremely expensive. For those of you who know what a cheap-skate I am and how little I truly care about dresses, you can imagine how much of a physiological barrier I have about spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars on something I would wear only once for a few hours. I simply could not understand how people can accept wedding dress prices so nonchalantly. Thanksfully, David's Bridal is somewhat reasonably priced. But still, this new acceptance was hard for me. I work hard for my money. 

These are the Key Phrases that made me enter panic mode:

- Your wedding dress is the most important part of the wedding because everything is centered around it, from bridesmaid's attire to wedding cake.

- If you do not find a dress you love then you will end up hating it! Can you imagine looking the pictures 10 years from now and still regretting that you did not buy the dress that you really wanted?... pictures are all you will have left. 

- You only get married ONCE in your life, hopefully anyway, so you need to acknowledge it and make the best of it. If you don't buy a big, beautiful dress now then you will sqander this once in a lifetime opportunity. 

I do not think people realize how damaging those types of phrases can be. I know people only say them with good intentions, but geez, can you give a bride a break? 

I was reduced to tears I was so conflicted and confused about everything. This made me even more upset because I realized how ridiculous my problem was. My problem was about choosing a dress! How had I, the independent minded, educated, liberal woman who wanted a simple and sweet wedding, get so caught up in this dress madness? MADNESS!!!??!?!?!

Well, I have a dress now. It is a lovely dress and I will enjoy wearing it, but I feel defeated by the wedding madness. 

Wedding Dresses

There are so many styles, shapes and forms. In most stores and boutiques they are horribly overpriced. I have seen and tried on so many now that the newness of trying them on has worn off and they all pretty much look the same to me. I have distinguished two main categories of wedding dresses: Long and Poofy. the Long ones are not necessarily Poofy, but they can be.

Here are examples of the Long and Poofy dresses:

Allow me to Toot

I am the economic QUEEN! That's right. I got As in both my Macroeconomic and my Microeconomic summer classes, while working full time and hosting my mother as a guest in my tiny apartment. 

I've been very stressed lately, but at least I'm still getting As!

The key is organization. I'm so organized I scare myself. 

TOOOOT

TOOOOOOOOT.

The Mother has Landed

My mom is visiting for the month. She arrived almost two weeks ago. Since she has arrived we have been shopping, shopping and shopping... and eating, eating and eating. I swear I have gained at least 2 pounds thus far. There is simply nothing like mom's guisados.

Strange Garlic Occurrences

Gilroy Garlic Festival of 2008.

Ebay for Wedding Dresses

Out of all the online reasearch I did, several sources claimed that Ebay was a great place to find deals on wedding dresses. And they were right, there are all kinds of wedding dresses for sale at discounted prices, but the demand for those discounted wedding dresses is fierce. I have been outbid countless times by bride-to-be-vultures who wait until the last 10 minutes of an auction end and then place a high bid. So far I have "won" one dress. It is very cute, but I think I'll keep looking.

I have to hand it to the Ebay creators, their biding system is addictive. I have found myself looking at wedding discriptions for HOURS without even realizing how much time has passed by, trying to find the perfect wedding dress -something simple and elegant, easy to pack and appropriate for Mexico- then, I place bids and cross my fingers. Ebay is like gambling for dresses and the thrill of winning, or even being close to winning, is very exciting. 

I think I'll go to ebay now, and gamble for some more dresses. 

The Wedding is May 27, 2009

Dear family and friends, please come to our destination wedding. Travel plans have been posted on www.MargaretandAlan.com, on the "Travel" tab. We strongly encourage those who wish to attend to make their travel reservations by the end of August 2008, as the resort we have chosen is extremely popular and is frequently booked solid months in advance. You can make a room reservation with as little as $50 dollars.

I can't wait to see you all there! Its going to be fabulous!!!!

Brides Beware: The Horror of Wedding Dresses

Dear brides to be, I have spent over two weeks searching the internet obsessively (and when I say obsessively I mean I have been occupying every free minute I have doing research and spending every non-working moment up until the wee hours of the morning looking at dresses online) trying to find a wedding dress that I like, that doesn't cost more than my entire wedding budget and that won't make me look like a puffy polar bear. My research has concluded that the internet has been over-run by tacky bridal pictures. There are some UGLY and RIDICULOUS dresses out there.

I have however, after much time and consideration, decided on what would be my ideal dress: I want a dress with a detachable skirt. I want to be able to complete the wedding ceremony in an elegant floor length gown and then spend the reception partying away in something decidedly shorter, as it will be hot in Mexico and I want to be comfortable. I also do not care for bead-work or ruffles of any kind.

At first, when I realized what kind of dress I wanted, I thought it would be easy to find one. The idea of a "detachable skirt" dress did not seem to be that original. I searched the internet long and hard and I have found a grand total of 4. ONLY FOUR DRESSES in the entire internet with detachable skirts, out of millions of wedding gowns. All four impossibly expensive. After this disappointment I did some legwork and visited some popular boutiques/bridal salons in the bay area. None of them had ever even made a dress like the one I described; they all suggested I would have to order one custom made, which is bridal lingo for it will be expensive as hell.

So, if you are a seamstress and would like to be a millionaire here is a business plan for you: Make affordable detachable-skirt wedding gowns and advertise on the internet. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Professors of the World: Speak Up, and send the Highschoolers Camping!

I decided to satisfy my MBA program's prerequisites by taking two summer classes after work at a community college in San Mateo. My classes are Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Both are taught by a soft spoken professor. I do not think he realizes that by speaking so softly he is basically singing me a lullaby of numbers and graphs, which has already led me to doze off right in front of him several times since we started class on Monday.

The soft speaking, however, is nothing compared to being in high school again. I cannot believe the amount of high school students that are in my class. So eager, so young, so full of acne. I thought being a high school student meant you could take high school classes so that you could later be accepted into a college. I am taking classes with a high school JUNIOR! That is right folks, a junior. I feel sorry for these young students; they should be enjoying their summer, not stressing over college level economic classes so that they can boost their already spectacular high school grades. There will be plenty of time for them later on in life to take college level classes. What is the rush? Enjoy your summers while you still can.

Experimentation with Pudding

Today I have been in a happy mood and when I am in a happy mood I get, well, experimentatious. I got to thinking: I like certain types of chocolate pudding. The easiest type to make comes in a Jello box [pic below] and is easily prepared in 5 minutes. I also like brandy. Why not combine the two? Maybe there is a way to improve the already awesome instant chocolate dessert? Maybe I could make the best instant chocolate pudding in the WORLD?!?

Without thinking twice, I divided one package of pudding into two separate bowls. In one bowl I added 1.5 cups of cold milk. In the other bowl I added 1 cup of milk and half a cup of brandy.



The results were not worth writing about. Suffice it to say you should not waist half a package of pudding on this recipe. However, I do not give up easily and I will not loose all hope concerning the idea of one day combining pudding with alcohol, in less than five minutes, with edible results.

... Maybe if I made a pudding flambé...

Obama or Alabama?

I find it interesting that my word spell-check tries to correct Barack Obama's name as "Barrack Alabama".

O’Mama, Its Obama!
OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

Finally! The democratic nomination for the presidential election has been determined after 16 months of hard campaigning between Obama and Clinton. I am ecstatic. I am so proud to be an American right now. -Lets see how long this feeling will last once I hear what else is on the news.-

I am excited because during my lifetime I may see racial barriers break down in a way unfathomable by my ancestors. I may see an end to the Iraq war. It is also very possible that this presidential nominee may become the best president this country has had in a long, long time. It is time to get back to our democratic roots to repair the international and domestic MESS that Bush's government has made.

The only thing raining on Obama's parade is Hillary Clinton's stubbornness. I can appreciate a good fight, enthusiasm and her long history of public service but enough is enough. One of the signs of a strong leader is knowing when to accept defeat and move on to the next important battle. She lost. She needs to accept, recoup and get over it in as gracious a manner as possible. There are other more important things at stake now, like actually winning the presidency.

What is the Meaning of Life?

To what lengths would I travel to protect the ones I love? What does love mean? Why do we strive to survive and reproduce? What is the point of living? When is it a good time to loose all hope and surrender? Is there a moral line I would not cross in a life v. death situation? Would I resort to cannibalism if it were the only way for me to continue to live? Is life a stumbling, random walk through the world? Does Karma exist? Is there a God? or Two? Does it matter?

Reading books like The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, makes me ponder such questions. I never get any answers, just questions. Such irritating and depressing questions.

Sex and the City
Movie Review

I was an avid fan of the TV series. What I most enjoyed about the show was that I felt it presented conundrums of the female heart in a different light; a light a little less cliché, less stereotypical, more witty and decidedly more glamorous. The conundrums did not have plainly obvious solutions and they were always surrounded by thought-provoking introspection. I felt a connection to the show, such that if I were in the situations that the protagonists found themselves maybe I would think and react in the same ways they did (at least I hoped that to be the case). I wanted to have friends like Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, full of unconditional support. In other words, I have been waiting for months for the movie to premiere.
Unfortunately the movie lacked almost all the characteristics that I loved from the show. The length of the movie (2 hours and 20 minutes) was not justified by the intricate yet stupid plot. There were many tangent scenes of the movie that were merely time fillers that had nothing to do with the plot and only served the purpose of reinforcing stereotypes of womanly vanity (For example: when Louise and Carrie exchanged Xmas gifts!!??!) Samantha ultimately proved that she was too selfish to love anybody but herself, Miranda never fully emerged from her rigid self-righteous blindness or addressed the issues that led to the almost death of her marriage and Charlotte was so freaking perfect half of me wanted to have her life and half of me wanted to vomit. I could not identify with any of the protagonists and I did not want to have friends like them.
The blow that finally spearheaded Sex and the City’s fall from grace in my mind was the horrible plot. The plot slowly moved/dragged around problems with plainly obvious solutions, copious heaps of vanity and people with egos too big to fit in New York City. There were a couple of funny moments, but the movie actually ends where it begins due to a lack of character evolution. Towards the finale, I was left with a sense of intense dissatisfaction. I felt cheated by this movie because it lured me in under false pretenses. I saw this movie with a group of friends and as we were leaving the movie theater the quote that best summed up our feelings about Sex and The City was “I think I’m depressed”.

The Annual Celebration of Me

Now that I am well over 21, I find myself at a loss trying to think of interesting things to do for my birthday. My birthday is tomorrow ... and I had to remind both of my parents of the date! I've already skydived, I recently went to Las Vegas and all of my close friends live relatively far away.

It is official: I must be getting old. My birthday is no longer a mearly extraordinary annual celebration of me; it is, in addition, an annual fleeting of youth.

In a couple more years it will be illegal for me to wear mini skirts. So, it is my birthday resolution that I will make sure to enjoy them as much as possible this summmer.

Picnic a la Margaret

Fact 1: For my birthday Alan gave me quite possibly the most awesome-est gift ever, a Canon EOS Rebel XSi.

Fact 2: I was hungry after work today and I was not in the mood to cook.

Fact 3: I live really close to Shoreline Park in Mountain View, CA.

Viva Las Vegas

I lost hundreds of pennies at the penny slots
I walked so much that my feet were swollen, bruised and had sandal burn on them
and yet I still gained almost two pounds in a weekend
I ate at the Toby Keith Bar (I Love This Bar and Grill*!)
I watched overpriced Vegas Shows**
I drank, a lot, staring early and frequently, and yet never got buzzed
freaking watered down pina coladas!
Despite all this, I must go back.

*Ribs were good but all other food was gross and almost inedible -How can you screw up nachos? Seriously.- Drinks were served in big jam jars, which was neither here nor there... and reminded me of moonshine. I enjoyed the country music.
**I totally recommend the Mac King Show at Harrah's. It was funny and cute and free. We laughed a lot.

I need a weekend to recuperate from my weekend

I have done more activities in the past weekend than what I usually do in a month! I stayed up until 2am two times in a row, watching movies (at home and in theatre), catching up with friends and family, traveling to Monterey, attending a sushi party, doing (tons of) laundry, writing a final paper for a business class due Monday… and let’s not forget the Kentucky Derby.

I am very excited about this week though, because this week can only end in one way: with me in Las Vegas, NV. That is right ladies and gentlemen. The time has come and I am prepared. I promise to take plenty of pictures. Below are a few from my weekend.

Miniature Cattle

I think I have found my true life calling: I would LOVE to have a couple of acres of land, on the outskirts of a major city, and breed miniature cows for fun. They are the cutest animals EVER. But aside from their cuteness, they are twice as practical as regular sized cows. One mini cow can sustainably produce enough milk to provide for an entire family, about 2-4 gallons per day. I read that they make for tasty, tender meats. And, many have argued that they are a more effective use of space, produce less waist, and are less harsh on the grounds they live on. 

Mini cows are, at most, 42 inches tall and they require about 1/3 of the food that a normal cow would require. Mini cows are more docile to take care of than their bigger cousins, and they can make great pets too. You can raise a mini cow on as little as a 1/4 acre of land (although that might be a little tight, and the cow might get lonely if you only have one). These cows would be great for "weekend farmers" who want to participate in a growing niche market. Mini cows sell on average for at least three grand a piece!

Did I mention that there are tax breaks involved?

I have been looking at websites and articles all weekend. Here are a few that I like:
Article on Mini Cows by SacBee

TangleWood Farms

Mini Cattle Country

Hatch Farms

Pillards Miniature Cattle

M & B Fairview Farm

The pictures alone are to die for... I could just see myself on a mini farm, raising mini cattle. Maybe I'll add a mini pig as well, to keep the cows company.

I won't Comment

This would be funny, except its really not.

"KINSHASA (Reuters) - Police in Congo have arrested 13 suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men's penises after a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft."

Read Full Article Here, on Yahoo News.

Well, I think I've had enough religious-related news for one day.

Gone with the Wind

I found this article on CNN today. I was blown away (he he, sorry, couldn't help myself)... and quickly realized that I live in a very strange world.

"SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest who floated off under hundreds of helium party balloons was missing Monday off the southern coast of Brazil."

Read full article Here

[BITING TONGUE REALLY HARD]

I actually don't really understand why there is such a fuss about this situation. The man probably floated directly to heaven (except if he was a child molester, in that case he is probably going straight to Hell no matter how many helium filled balloons he was holding on to). Either way, he is probably fine where he is. I'm more worried about those of us still on earth.

I Have a Right to Wear Pants

While doing research for my Employment Law class, I came across this piece of CA Law on the FEHA website:

"Right to Wear Pants

Employers may not refuse to allow employees to wear pants on the basis of sex unless the employer has a good cause exemption (formally granted by the Fair Employment and Housing Commission) or the employer requires that uniforms or a costume (e.g., for dramatic roles or specific character portrayal) be worn as part of the employment."

This is why I love California.

We Win

I just found out that we won the Chili Contest! First Place! I'm not joking!*

Now I can finally fulfill my life-long dream of writing a cookbook, with award winning recipes. Its only a matter of time...


*Note: there were only 2 other people in the contest.**

** Note to Note: This affects nothing.

At least 7 pounds of Chili

I have never made as much chili in my life as I did last night. Alan entered a chili-tasting contest, and together we made A LOT of chili. We made so much chili it was actually kind of disgusting (especially considering that Chili has never been that cute to being with). The main ingredients, of course, were meat, beans, and hot peppers. The ultimate taste result: fabulous, meaty, hearty, made with love, amorphous mass that will be sure to clean out your intestines while making your taste buds crave for more.

Have you ever cooked 3.5 pounds of ground beef, ground pork and steak together? It was quite the event in our household. *


*Note: Do not recommend for vegetarians, vegans, or people repulsed by large quantities of edible dead animals.

News Flash

The following is a series of News Flashes from Margaret for the months of March and April:

- The Wedding is Canceled.
- The Wedding is on again.
- Wow. I miss Alan when he is gone on business trips. Even more than what I thought I would miss him.
- How did I end up spending almost $200 in pizza this week for my business class? I know, I'm a sucker.
- OMG! I'm going to Vegas for the first time in my life, next month.
- Note to self: Must stop looking at wedding packages in Vegas. Its getting creepy.
- Cloverfield; a guide for the main elements of a cheesy movie.
- I'm almost 24 years of age. I am impressed with my ability to not die over the course of 24 years. Can you imagine all the people who never made it to 24?
Think about it.

Easter 2008

Alan and I went to Salinas to celebrate this holiday with the family. It was lots of fun: there was tons of great food (Alan's mom cooked what seemed to be the equivalent of a baby lamb) and we did an Easter egg hunt. I think I overexerted myself during the hunt though... I was sore all the next week from all the running around and diving for eggs in the bushes. I did win the hunt though. I found over thirty eggs!

What to do, What to do

When you are in San Francisco for a weekend? Well, there are about a million things... But, before you get lost in a sea of daydreaming about possibilities, I would have to highly recommend  Beach Blanket Babylon. This show has been running continuously for 34 years in the heart of San Francisco! The show changes periodically according to the times, popular culture, and politics. It is so well known that part of Green street was actually renamed after this show. Where should I start to describe the many layers of laughter that it induced? Ahh yes,  the wigs. OMG. They were hilarious. Beach Blanket Babylon provides hearty, healthy fun for adults and politically savvy children.

Alan and I went to a matinee on Sunday. It was sold out.

Obama and Clinton do a musical show down. (Picture from official website)

Weekend in SF

Life is stressful. I work, I study, I try to be a responsible adult. I am on the verge of being burnt out. Alan and I have been talking for months about taking a much needed vacation. We have danced around the issue, and talked about it, and finally we just decided to take action. Every now and then I think it is important to have some "down time" and relax. We have thought about Vegas and Texas and Florida, but ultimately these location were out of our reach.  So, do to lack of being millionaires and time, Alan and I decided to have a weekend in SF. San Francisco is fabulous! It has everything you could possibly ask for from a cosmopolitan, world class city. It is amazing how different SF  is to the rest of the bay area.
More to follow soon.

Boot Shoot

Ms. Gwen C, the most awesomest photographer, was able to 

capture the beauty of my boots in an improvised Boot Shoot las weekend, in the surroundings of the Legion of Honor in SF.

Yes.

Power to my Apple
Thank you Niloo.

Today

Today I went to Shoreline Park, in Mountain view, and got obsessed with photographing this little weed flower as it swayed in the wind.

"Its a Boy Thing"

I'm sorry, but I just watched 3:10 to Yuma and while I thought the movie overall was well done, full of suspense and even thrilling, I found the ending to be, well, dumb. How is the ending supposed to exemplify the central character's sense of morality? How? It was ultimately insulting, and I have no respect for the bad guy no matter how many times he pretends to do the "right thing". Pretending to do the right thing does not amount to accomplishing the "right thing", no matter how many times you pretend. And, ultimately, killing people for no good reason is wrong.

Alan was kind enough to explain to me that the reason why I didn't understand the movie's ending was because "it was a boy thing" Well, I'm glad I don't have "a boy thing", because apparently "a boy thing" makes you prone to irrationality and purposeless, void, emotions of mortality. And, it makes you want to kill people.

The Epic Battle of Man Vs. Octopus

My latest creation is ready for the world to see... Which earthly creature will win?

Flowers for Valentines Day

Did you know?

Potatoes are originally from Peru! Potatoes are a wonderful and versatile tuber. However, they can contain toxic compounds (mostly solanine and chaconine) that can cause food poisoning, coma and even death. When a potato is green underneath the skin, this is usually an indication that the toxic compounds are highly concentrated. Thus you should never eat green potatoes!

Valentines Day

Of all the holidays I have seen the US celebrate, this holiday ranks in the top 5 of the weirdest holiday celebrations ever. 

Reasons why Valentine's Day is strange:

1) It isn't a real holiday.

2) This entire day is dedicated to alienating single people.

3) People who are in relationships, especially men, feel guilted into buying crap.

4) Women feel the overwhelming desire to receive crap that they don't really need, from men.

5) Too much emphasis is placed on material objects as expressions of care and love. (Even more so than Christmas. Disgusting.)

6) There is no unifying "faith-based ritual" or "historical tradition" to justify its existence.

7) There is no clear concept about what is celebrated on Valentines Day. I mean, some say this day celebrates love, some say it celebrates friendship, others say its a day of passion and lust, others use it as an excuse to gorge on chocolate and wear pink. Which one is it? Is it all of these things? Is it nothing? What the hell is love anyway? Its all up for grabs. 

8) On this day, ordinary feelings for people who you care about are exaggerated and idealized. And this exaggeration, this fantasy of emotions, this world of perfect love and expressions of affection (based on consumerism), is inevitably compared and contrasted against every day life. This has the effect of making every-day life seem less than adequate.  And, it encourages people to have unrealistic expectations of what being in a real relationship truly implies. 

9) Not to say that I don't appreciate spontaneous demonstrations of affection and lots of chocolate. But, I don't like having  a day when I know I should expect spontaneous demonstrations of affection and chocolates. Because, guess what, its not spontaneous if I'm expecting it! Duh.

So in conclusion, Valentine's Day is a day when people who care for other people feel the need to buy presents for said people who they care about, and wear red/pink, for no clear reason, because on this one day they can delude themselves into believing they are involved a relationship based on the purest feelings of mutual love. Except, the concept of what love consists of is not quite clear. And, the people who they care about expect them to buy stuff and act spontaneous about it. 

At the risk of sounding like a bitter old woman who doesn't understand "love" to al the brain-washed Valentine-believers out there, I stand firmly in my belief that Valentine's Days is weird. 

TAXES 2007

Sundays are good days for eating pancakes, wearing pajamas, and filing your taxes. Today I have done all three of these things, and I am feeling mighty productive. 

I was especially excited about filing my taxes (yes, excited is the appropriate term) because I was hoping to receive a major federal and/or state refund. This did not happen, as the evil government insists on relentlessly taking all of my money. I should have known this, but I guess I am still a little tax-naive. Al least my taxes were not as bad as they could have been, due to my hefty 401K contributions. 

This is a list of things I have learned this year (from filing my taxes with TurboTax)

- Donating to charity, even if the charity claims that the donations are tax-refundable, does not mean you may deduct said donations from the amount you owe the government. Your itemized deductions (everything you give to charity) must be larger than your "standardized deductions" in order for your donations to positively impact your taxes.

- Turbo Tax asked me if I have received income from the Ottoman Empire, to determine -somehow- if I would be eligible for a tax credit. This seemingly ridiculous question made me realize that Turbo Tax is definitely worth the money.

- Make 401K contributions to the max!!!!!!!!!!! Everything you contribute will lower your taxable income for the present year, and help raise funds for when you retire. It is a win-win situation for you.

- Being a student is very, very good for your taxes. In the past, I had always taken my student status for granted. I could not claim that I was a student in 2007. [sad face]

RFB&D

I had a moment of clarity last week. It was a fleeting 5 seconds, but very poignant. My moment involved realizing that I was a very selfish person. Almost everything I do somehow involves getting something for me. I was not proud of myself. I always talk about how screwed up the world is, how politics have wronged the commoners, how if I were the president I would change the world for the better. My moment involved discovering just how hypocritical I am; if I really wanted to change the world, I probably would have done something, anything, towards that goal by now. At this time, it is pretty safe to say that my life has been consumed by the corporate rat race. I take and take and want and want, and combinations there of.

It was during this moment that I decided I really needed to volunteer somewhere, doing something fun, that would somehow make the world a better place. I searched online for hours, and I found RFB&D. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.

I know I'm still a horribly self-centered, selfish person, and you could make a convincing argument that I signed up to volunteer at the RFB&D Palo Alto branch because of selfish reasons. But at least I'm making a small step forward. At least its something. I'll work on becoming president of the world tomorrow.

The Very Berry MM Pie

Today I made something that I have never made before: a blueberry-blackberry pie. It was surprisingly easy to make from scratch and it tastes amazing. I got the idea of making a pie from the movie that Alan and I watched last night, called Waitress. the movie is all about this waitress (played by Keri Russell) who is obsessed with making pies, and pies are the way she expresses herself and her life. the movie was pretty good, and the pies looked delicious.

Here is my pie

MM's Dictionary of MMisms

Preemptive Pimple Popper; person or animal who is obsessed with popping pimples before they are ready to be popped and/or extracted from the host body.

Oh No! This just in

From Gawker.com:

"Facebook told to pull Scrabulous

Hasbro and Mattel, co-owners of Scrabble, asked Facebook to remove its one good app, "Scrabulous." So far the online game's method of distinguishing itself from the board game with the exact same rules (which has its own free web version) has been a disclaimer on the app saying that it's not Scrabble. (Which reminds me it's time to plug the RSS from Gawker into my new site, "Gawkifier.com.") Unless Scrabulous drastically changes its rules or sells to Scrabble, Hasbro and Mattel will most certainly win the battle and Facebook will be that much less fun for the 600 thousand people who played Scrabulous each day."


This is a horrible, horrible piece of news. However, Hasbro and Mattell are right.

Sleeping is Over Rated

Why sleep when you can stress about money, and your lack of it? It is much more productive to obsess about paying credit cards, and your new orthodontic treatment that your lame dental insurance does not cover, and how expensive accounting books are, and paying for school, rent, food and gas, than sleeeeping.

How is sleeping productive? Really? You get nothing done. All you do is rest, and lay there, silently, in peace. Who needs peace? All I need is money.

"I Want One Too"

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to eat yourself?
CNN reports, with plenty of pictures, on wedding where bride fulfilled her childhood dream of having a wedding cake made to her likeness. Link Here.

Big Go Go-Day

Today has been a big day. I went to work. I finally made it to the dentist for a long overdue cleaning. (My teeth feel awesome, btw). And, I started my MBA program. My first class is Accounting Principles, Mondays 6pm-10pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm. 4 hours of condensed accounting teachings, after a long day of work and running around, is pretty intense. It is now way past my bedtime and I am tired, but I can't seem to unwind. I'm still in the "go, go, go" mode.

Chavez Interviewed by Supermodel

Gosh darn. I really love it when world leaders have serious interviews about important international concerns. It just makes me feel more confident in the future of the world, when I know that the important questions are being asked, and reported, without prejudice or media sensationalism.

The following is an excerpt of MSN online. Link here:

Naomi Campbell Interviews Hugo Chavez

Jan. 7, 2008, 11:32 AM EST

The Associated Press

LONDON -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he likes Prince Charles and thinks President Bush is crazy, in an interview with Naomi Campbell in the British edition of GQ magazine.

The 37-year-old supermodel spoke to Chavez in her role as contributing editor to British GQ, the magazine said. Excerpts were released Monday.

Asked to name the world's most stylish leader, Chavez chose Cuba's Fidel Castro.

"Fidel, of course! His uniform is impeccable. His boots are polished, his beard is elegant," Chavez said.

Campbell asked if Chavez would appear topless in photos as Russian President Vladimir Putin has done.

"Why not?" he said. "Touch my muscles!"

The Venezuelan leader asked Campbell if she knew Prince Charles.

"I like the Prince," he said. "Now he has Camilla, his new girl. She's not as attractive, is she?"

GQ said Campbell would interview other high-profile figures in politics, sports and entertainment.

The full interview with Chavez is in GQ's February issue, to be released Thursday.

Campbell wrote that she had hoped to get a sense of "Hugo Chavez the man."

"I found him to be fearless, but not threatening or unreasonable," she wrote. "I hope Venezuela's relations with America will improve in the immediate future."

Too Much Chocolate

Is there such a thing as eating too much chocolate? Personally, I spent my entire life thinking that the answer to this silly question was a resounding NO. Today I discovered otherwise. Today I reached the point of chocolate saturation.

It rained all day, and I had nothing else better to do than stay warm and eat chocolate. So I ate chocolate. A lot of it. In many different forms. I started the day with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I even had a chocolate-mint, non-dairy, ice cream sandwich. In the afternoon, Alan and I went to the movies with some friends. As is customary, I smuggled snacks into the theater. This time I smuggled in an entire 1 pound box of See's Candies, my favorites. By the time No Country for Old Men was over, I had reached the saturation point. I over-did it, and I knew that life would never be the same again. Even though I consciously wanted to eat more, my body just couldn't.

I don't know if I want to live in a world where I can obtain more chocolate than what I can eat. I mean, I can eat an obscene amount of chocolate. I'm not sure if having more than what I can eat is just plain torture (because I want to eat it all), or a small scale gruesome display of gluttony. Either way, this is not good, and I have some thinking to do.

Scrabulous, You Are Fabulous

I win! I win! I beat the robot by 43 points, without cheating, while drinking eggnog and brandy. Not bad for a girl who can't spell.

Not bad at all.