Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Cancelled

Apparently, me liking a new show is the kiss of death. Bye, bye The Ex-List...

Friday, October 24, 2008

The Ex-List

Okay, here I go again. I'm hooked on a new television show. Swingtown is gone, probably forever. I tried renting season one of Dexter, but was so grossed out by the first episode that I didn't want to continue watching. Lost and American Idol are both months away, and the current season of Weeds won't be out on DVD until next summer. So, I read about this show The Ex-List in the local paper because it is filmed in Ocean Beach. I thought I'd give it a look if for no other reason than to check out the scenery.

From the first 15 minutes of The Ex-List, I was completely sucked in. Here is what I love about this show...
  • The main character Bella, is a sweet, independent 33 year-old woman searching for the love of her life. I can relate :)
  • The premise is cute - Bella is re-dating ex-boyfriends because an eerily gifted fortune teller predicted that Bella will marry an ex within the year... or she will never marry at all. It sounds dumb, but it really works in the context of a weekly show.
  • The supporting characters are hilarious, especially Bella's engaged younger sister, Daphne, and the fortune teller, Marina.
  • The writing is smart and the plot twists are really funny: a hideous mole, pretending to be a "clingy girlfriend," "Google Your Ex Smackdown," and the funniest so far: waxing mishaps, complete with the use of a merkin (look it up).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

More on Proposition 8

Oh for heaven's sakes. I was watching 60 Minutes the other night when I saw this ridiculous commercial. Is there any truth in campaigns anymore??


If we are worried about revisionist fairy tales, how about when the little girl brings home Snow White, Part 2, where Snow White and the prince are going through a nasty divorce and she is demanding half of his vast kingdom and he is fighting for equal custody of the seven dwarfs?!

It makes me sad that the organizations sponsoring ads like this think so little of American voters. Do these kinds of stupid scare tactics really work??

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ask Not What You Can Do For Technology....

I've been saying it for months now, and a new study published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project just confirmed it: modern technology is not driving a wedge between people as many doomsdayers have been predicting. It's bringing people together by opening channels of communication that did not exist a decade ago. Read the Washington Post article or just peruse the "Cliff's Notes" version of anecdotes from my life:

• In a word, Facebook. It's gotten me in touch with high school friends I haven't seen or talked to in 15 years or more. I've had virtual reunions with people I cared deeply about at some point in my past. And it's the only way I ever get to see my 23 year-old brother.

• Meetup.com. Last year, I was really looking for some new ways to branch out in my life. Enter Meetup. I was able to find a knitting group and a book club in the same week without even leaving my house. I've since dropped the book club, but I still attend my knitting group regularly and have met some really great friends there. And several of them are also my Facebook friends!!


• Emailing/IM-ing/Texting. In this busy life, I'm not always able to call a friend or family member. But by emailing, IM-ing, or texting, I am able to keep in touch with many more people than I otherwise would. When I'm sitting at my computer at 5 in the morning, I can fire off an email to a buddy who would have a few choice words to say if I had rung them on the phone!


• Speaking of texting, the Washington Post had this to say:
The ease of being in touch has created a phenomenon that Rainie calls "love taps," in which couples exchange hellos and touch base with a regularity that did not exist 10 years ago.
I love that term "love taps!" I certainly do my share of love-tapping all day long. Receiving a sympathetic text from Jared sometimes seems to be the only thing that gets me through a hard day.

• And of course, no list of kudos for technology would be complete without my giving props to Match.com. I have several friends who've met the loves of their lives through this popular online dating service. I certainly have met a few nice gentlemen myself who I may never have encountered otherwise. And for a shy, reluctant dater like me, Match was the perfect venue for me to showcase myself and meet interesting men. I was able to expand my dating range all the way to Riverside County without, once again, ever leaving my home! If not for modern technology, how could I have ever known there was at least one gorgeous, sweet, intelligent, good-smelling, single guy left in this world!?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Madonna Divorcing


I love ya, Madge. But if it turns out that you are f***ing that arrogant Yankee, I may have to turn in my fan card. After the November 4 concert, of course. Please . . . say it ain't so!!

CTA and Politics

I am going to have to tread delicately on this one. I would like to begin with a couple disclaimers:
  • I am a member of the California Teachers' Association. Have been for almost 13 years. In fact, I've been an officer in my local union and am currently part of my school district's salary negotiation team.
  • My political inclinations definitely lean to the left and I have been accused of having a bleeding heart once or twice.
  • I am 100% opposed to Proposition 8, which would amend the California constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. I believe that if two people want to marry they should be allowed to, no matter what their genders. Gays and lesbians have been treated as second-class citizens for long enough.
That said, I was more than a little annoyed to read that the CTA donated $1 million this week to the campaign to defeat Proposition 8. It has always bothered me that the CTA is a financial supporter of so many candidates and causes that are only marginally related to education, but Prop 8 is not directly tied to teaching at all. I can sort of, kind of understand when CTA publicly endorses and donates to campaigns for various positions from city council all the way up to president of the free world. These nominees (almost always Democrats) usually pledge to allocate more funding toward schools when they take office. But it seems to me that individuals should be able to decide when to donate to political campaigns and causes as they see fit, and I'm guessing there are a couple of CTA members out there who are ideologically in favor of Prop 8. Paying your teachers' union dues should not, in my humble opinion, equal supporting a liberal slate of candidates and causes. I may be a lib, but the one thing I love most about our country is that everyone is entitled to his or her own beliefs.

What's most distressing to me is that, in these financially trying times, $1 million dollars could go a long way toward helping students by refurbishing classrooms, purchasing books, funding preschool programs . . . the list goes on and on.

Please comment - play devil's advocate. Is there something I haven't thought of? Some facet of this I'm not seeing? I'd be curious to know what others are feeling about this piece of news . . .

Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Worthy Cause

I will be participating in a walk later this month to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My sister-in-law battled lymphoma several years ago. Scientists have made great gains toward curing blood cancers in the past decade, thanks in part to fund-raising efforts of organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Please think about joining me for the "Light the Night" walk and if you'd like to donate, here's my fundraising link:

http://www.active.com/donate/SanDiego/2502_sdjennyhow

If you do decide to participate, you can register under "Team Pitta," which is the team I am on. Thank you!!

Hee hee hee

Saturday, October 11, 2008

V

This may be the best news I've heard all day. Maybe all week!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Slow Learner

So.
I generally think of myself as a pretty intelligent gal. I have a pretty decent IQ, got good scores on the SAT, graduated with a relatively high GPA... But like so many nerds, I am apparently lacking in common sense.
My current problem is directly related to knitting, a hobby which I enjoy very much.
You see, when I start a new project, big or small, I tend to buy just one skein of the yarn that I will need for the project. Then, when that skein runs out, I go back to Michael's or JoAnne's for another skein, and so forth.
Well, I'm about four rows away from finishing a baby blanket I've been intermittently working on for over a year, and I have run out of yarn. And I can't find it anywhere. Apparently it's discontinued.
What's really bad is that this is not the first time this has happened to me! I've had to abandon 2 or 3 works in progress or rip them out and start over because of a yarn shortage. I should have learned by now to purchase all the yarn I need up front!
Now, I will have to try to find one more skein of the fiber I need online, where shipping will probably cost more than the yarn itself. And since I haven't saved any of the wrappers from the previous skeins, I'm not sure what color I need. The online pictures are not very true, so it could be either "seaglass" or "light thyme." I'm pretty sure it's "light thyme," but I'll probably order one of each just to be safe.
Arghh - one of these days I will learn!!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

My Cruise - Part 3

Okay, I promise this will be the last Ensenada Cruise posting! As always, spa weekend was a joyful, relaxing time with girlfriends. However, I will not be running out to book my next cruise anytime soon. I'm about to let my cynical side show, because there were a few things that I did not love about cruising...
  • The first thing we had to do when we got on board was stand out in the blazing-hot direct sunlight for 20 minutes for a lifeboat drill. This is annoying. I know it's important for safety, but it's still annoying.
  • I felt very confined. It was weird, and it was a feeling I did not anticipate. It was like being stuck in the hotel the whole time you're on vacation.
  • The was a whole "rah-rah" summer-camp vibe to the experience. There were all kinds of activities to participate in, but they mostly seemed second-rate and cheesy. And the crew of the ship was forever trying to get everyone to scream and cheer about what a great time we were having.
  • From the drinks to the spa treatments, the on-board bonus items were expensive. I nearly doubled my cruise cost with these extras. Yes, I realize this was a choice and I could have done without, but part of the fun of being on vacation is springing for those little extras. And really, $175 for a 50-minute massage? Mon dieu! $10 per mixed drink (souvenier cup included!) was a little rich for my blood,too.
  • The tipping structure. Every drink ordered automatically included a 15% gratuity. I usually added another dollar because I am a sucker. At the end of the vacation, everyone is also expected to tip the waiter, headwaiter, assistant waiter, and cabin attendant. After 3 days, I was beginning to feel like a cruise is just one big shake-down.
  • With so little to do on board, you spend a lot of time eating. And eating. And eating....
  • The day we spent at sea would have been ideal for laying out by the pool relaxing, had it not been about 40 degrees up there! Why not get in the hot tub, you ask? Well, because the two spas were both full to the brim with the same greased-up, beer-swilling people- all. day. long. They did not seem to be getting out to use the restroom, either.
  • And I think the most challenging part of the cruise for me was the not-so-luxurious accomodations. Our rooms were cramped, so there was no way to comfortably "hang out" and chat. And the bathroom was just like the ones on airplanes, only with a closet-sized shower.
I had a great time with the girls and I'm glad I tried a cruise because I've always been curious about them. I now feel like I can check off cruising on the long list of "Things to Experience in Life." But next time, I think I'll just opt for flying straight to the resort instead!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

My Cruise - Part 2

I was thinking some more about my cruise and was considering how the group's topics of conversation have evolved over the years . . .
Our first spa weekend trip to White Sulfur Springs in St. Helena was planned as a pre-wedding celebration for Susan. During that trip we were mostly unmarried twenty-somethings. We agreed that the weekend away was so refreshing and wonderful that we would make it an annual tradition. And we stuck to it! For the first few years, we talked a lot about our engagements and weddings. I even remember dragging Joanna into a bridal shop one year to try on dresses!
As the years went by, it seemed that a different lady missed the trip each year due to an advanced pregnancy. Soon-to-arrive babies became the new hot topic along with pregnancy's many interesting effects on the body with the occasional labor or birthing story thrown in. Our new piece of indispensable luggage became the "pump!"
This year's trip had a decidedly different tone. Everyone except for me has young infants and toddlers at home. This year the conversations mostly revolved around kids - raising them, their emerging personalities, discipline, fears, triumphs, and funny stories. Our worlds have become much larger and our priorities have shifted.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

My Cruise!


Last weekend I went on my first ever cruise with my Spa Weekend crew. For the past ten years, a group of girl friends has gotten together for a weekend without husbands and kids, where we do lots of talking, shopping and eating and of course the required spa treatments. Our first spa trip was to Napa valley in 1999 for Susan's bachelorette weekend. In the years since, we've gone back to Napa a few times, but have also relaxed in Carmel, Sonoma, Vacaville, and even San Diego one year! Since this year was our tenth, we had to do it in style . . .
We traveled on Royal Caribbean's "Monarch of the Seas" to Ensenada and back. This short cruise sailed on Friday night and returned on Monday morning. As always, it was great to get together and catch up.

Highlights of the cruise:
  • The massage ... mmmmmmm
  • Dancing out on the pool deck Saturday night
  • The great service
  • Bingo and Blackjack - a huge waste of money, but fun while it lasted!
  • Cracking up over the spooky towel monkey (?) left in our cabin by the cleaning staff
  • Sleeping on the top bunk again. It's been 16 years or so since the dorms!
  • But mostly, talking, catching up, laughing, and just being with old friends.