My Life, As Told Between (Baby Cakes') Naps

Yes, it may be the end of the world as we know it. It was inevitable, but it still hurts. Between this, Canada’s conservative shift and Hamas’ surprising victory, I feel a little queasy. I’m going to bed. Wake me up when it’s 2046. If there is a 2046.

I took one of those Real Age tests recently, where they factor in your lifestyle, family history, etc. to determine your “real age” versus your actual age.  The good news is that my “real age” is a spry 22!  The bad news is that in no way changes the fact that I’m actually (*shudder*) 27.

Oh, and is anyone else following the British/Russian spying scandal developing?  Cause, seriously, a fake rock?  I can’t decide if that’s really cool or incredibly lame.  Someone please tell me what to think.

I’ve had a spectacularly unproductive weekend.  Lots of lounging broken only by vigorous bouts of napping.  I’ve also been actively avoiding my growing list of must-be-done-right-now-ASAP-seriously-get-off-your-lazy-ass errands (so if you haven’t gotten your Christmas gifts yet, know at least that you’re on the list).  This level of unproductiveness has required a great deal of denial and laziness, but I have persevered.

Because I’m a fan of all things Whedon, here’s a short funny article by him on the future of television.

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing a book recently. Or at least the thought has cross my mind on two or three occasions, which is a lot of thinking for me since I’m not generally a reflective person. I have some vague ideas floating about which I’m trying to flesh out. Certainly not the next Great American Novel, but I can’t really think of myself as a frustrated writer turned attorney without having tried the writing thing at least once, right? Besides, writing a book can’t be that hard, can it? =)

Quick books-related plug:  I love barnesandnobles.com.  It’s a little more expensive (making their discount members club worthwhile), but there’s free three day shipping and they ship items quickly.  Amazon.com has been irritatingly slow recently so I’m off to greener pastures until they improve.  Because, of course, there’s no such thing as customer loyalty nowadays.   

Got back from London a few days ago.  (Spied tons of drool-worthy purses while there.  Fendi Spy bags and Chloe Paddingtons everywhere.  Not that I’m into that kind of thing or anything!)  Caught up with old friends, took a trip to Bath, saw Chicago, went clubbing, celebrated New Year’s Eve in Trafalgar Square, and ate at my favorite restaurant ever (Food for Thought).  Also did some shopping, although the only thing I ended up with was a cool silver pendant by Scottish jeweller Ola Gorie, similar to the one pictured: 

Almost died of frostbite. It was really, really cold. (Despite what my travelmates say!) I love London, except for the cold, and would love to move back to the UK, except for the cold. Did I mention it was really cold? And that I almost died? Well, it was and I did. I’m not getting redundant, am I? (My poor, poor travelmates. You can imagine what the week was like for them.)  I think the problem is that I have a bad short term memory.  As a result, every minute that I’m cold is the coldest I’ve ever been.

Visited the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum. The V&A has a fantastic fashion display consisting of Queen Maud of Norway’s wardrobe from the early 1900’s. There’s a gorgeous Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in the lobby (see below) and a slightly surreal corridor of casts of famous historical artifacts and artwork. 

Western museums are always slightly problematic for me because of the whole colonial imperialism and controversy over “stolen” artifacts thing. The British Museum is especially problematic since it’s infamous for the problem, what with the Greeks wanting the Elgin marbles back and the Egyptians wanting the Rosetta Stone back. That aside, it was lots of fun;  the lobby was beautiful (see below).

Saw tons of movies on the excruciatingly long plane ride. You know all those movies you’d never go see in a theater and probably don’t want to see enough to even rent, but would see if stuck in a tin can for over twenty hours?  Quick rundown of the onboard shows I saw:

• Fantastic Four – Eh.
• The Island – Surprisingly watchable.
• The 40 Year Old Virgin – Cringe-inducingly embarrassing at times, but rather enjoyable overall. Loved the male camaraderie.
• Sky High – My favorite movie of the flight. Because I am secretly a ten year old boy.
• Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – WTF?

Between movies I managed make it through part of Jared Diamond’s Collapse, a sequel of sorts to Guns, Germs and Steel.  Although fascinating, it’s a little too depressing for light plane reading as the collapse of societies is a central theme and the descent into cannibalism is a common reoccurrence.

Best wishes for the new year!  I’m off to London next week so I’ll check in with you all next year.  Thanks much for the gifts, cards, and well wishes.  To those of you I managed to track down and send cards to, hope you liked them and didn’t think (a) I was too dorky or (b) the fill in the blank cards were a lazy attempt to get out of writing real messages (although, to be honest, they were).  Those of you I wasn’t able to track down, I blame you.

Oh, and for anyone trying to get ahold of me, my phone’s been disconnected.  Long story, but I’ll be back with my new number in January.  I’ll be spamming you with my new contact information then.

Take care!

I’d posted earlier about the guy who poured beer on himself to placate his upset girlfriend. I was thinking about other chivalrous acts this morning, ones we see every day. One of my favorites is the “No Guy Can Get Off The Elevator Until All The Women Who Need To Have Gotten Off” rule. Ever since I’ve moved to this new building, back in late January, no one’s violated this rule. It’s amazing. Even guys who are in a rush and dying to run off somewhere won’t do so until all the women who need to get off the elevator do so.

This morning, it was just me and another guy going up to the main floor from the parking garage. As the elevator opened on the main floor, he took one step forward as if he was getting out. He then immediately jerked back, flushed slightly, apologized profusely and said several times, “Please, you first.” This rather drastic reaction to a simple step was one of the cutest things I’ve seen in awhile. I may have said, “Thank you,” but I’m sure my eyes were actually saying, “I could hug you, that was so adorable.”

On a completely unrelated topic brought up by ML this morning, my butt is disappearing. I think it’s the running. This is sad as I’ve never had much of a butt to begin with. (Hello, I’m Asian.) I mourn its loss every morning as I put on my increasingly saggy pants. Of course, the pants are sagging only in that particular region as weight has refused to budge from anywhere else on my body. It’s as if my body has unilaterally decided to sacrifice my behind for the good of the team.  Really, shouldn’t I be consulted on things like that?

A part of me in wincing even as I write this, but this site, Cute Overload, is absolutely too adorable not to bring to your attention.  The slightly snarky comments help a little bit, but the cuteness quota is still sky high.  (Thanks E!)

There’s really no point to this post other than that I read this great quote and wanted to share it: 

“A lot of people are afraid of heights.  Not me, I’m afraid of widths.”

This quote also lends itself to a deeper analysis of why we’re all afraid of being fat, but I’ve got a holiday party to go to and food to eat.  =)

Also, did anyone read about how needles need to be longer because American behinds have gotten so big that the needles currently being used no longer adequately puncture the skin and fat to reach muscle for injections?

We picked names for our Secret Santa gift exchange at work today. Until last year, apparently each attorney on my litigation team used to get gifts for all the other attorneys on the team, but we moved to a Secret Santa system because the team had gotten too large (it’s a given that we’re all expected to get gifts for our secretaries and other support staff).  JP2 is in charge of the Secret Santa exchange this year. We’ve picked our names but haven’t determined a price range yet (my Secret Santa giftee, btw, is JP1). Apparently, JP2 had discussed it with A1 and had tentatively suggested $100 but asked her to consult with A2 and I (the only other junior associates on the team) because, “Well, you guys are the ones the limit’s really for.” I think it’s sweet that the partners are worried about whether we can afford the $100 gift with our low six figure salaries.  =)

I always find Christmas time to be a bit awkward. Mostly because of the gifts thing. I just don’t have a talent for it.  Some people are really good at it and enjoy the whole process.  To me, gift exchanges are fraught with peril. A minefield of potential hurt emotions and disappointment. As I mentioned, I’m horrible at buying gifts for other people (since I’m too easily distracted with things I want).  I’m also horrible at knowing who I’m supposed to give gifts to.

Gift giving isn’t just about who you want to give gifts to but about who you expect will give you a gift (and therefore expect one in return). Sadly, I think gift giving requires a level of awareness of others and a sensitivity I’m just incapable of.  Or perhaps ignoring it just requires a level of insensitivity which I’m also incapable of.  Every year, I end up with gifts from people I didn’t expect to give me anything and end up giving gifts to people who didn’t get me anything. I don’t particularly care except the uneven exchange of gifts is often riddled with awkwardness and insincere declarations of, “Oh, you shouldn’t have!” and “Um, I left your gift at home by mistake.” I’m pretty good at ignoring awkwardness (or at least acknowledging it and generally alleviating it) but not everyone is and, in this instance at least, denial is a joint effort. 

I realize Christmas is not all about gift giving and material things (*cue Hallmark theme music*), but Christmas gifts have become an acknowledged means of showing gratitude for the people we care about. Unfortunately, I don’t have an endless supply of time, money and patience (or even a limited supply actually) so not everyone’s going to get the perfect gift. Maybe when I’m more organized and prepared and buy gifts at some point before December 24th. Until that time…um…your gift’s in the mail.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving (at least its non-sentimental and materialistic side), here’s a list of fifty random (and purely material) things I’m thankful for, in no particular order: 

(1) Lucky jeans; (2) costume jewelry; (3) The Coffee Bean; (4) ipods; (5) pumpkin pie; (6) nut body butter; (7) shower water filters; (8) Splenda; (9) chocolate covered soy nuts; (10) Asics running shoes; (11) The Economist’s photo captions; (12) Mr. Darcy; (13) Cetaphil moisturizer; (14) Pixar films; (15) black teas; (16) Prescriptives makeup; (17) feather mattress pads; (18) Victoria Secret’s tangas; (19) Ambrosia apples; (20) Stargazers flowers; (21) Orion’s Constellation; (22) stadium seating; (23) dim sum; (24) Monty Python and the Holy Grail; (25) Sleek Look by Matrix hair care products; (26) Coach purses; (27) Serenity, the movie; (28) Udon noodles; (29) Winesburg, Ohio, the book; (30) down comforters; (31) The Daily Show; (32) tomato and mushroom pizzas; (33) Bill Bryson; (34) Gmail; (35) Sakonnet’s dry ice wines; (36) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy; (37) peppermint stick ice cream; (38) berry scented candles; (39) banana bread; (40) The Simpsons; (41) Spaceballs; (42) The Onion; (43) Sweet Retreat’s tangy frozen yogurt; (44) Issey Miyake’s L’eau d’Issey; (45) blogs; (46) H&M; (47) The New York Times; (48) The Reduced Shakespeare Company; (49) Carolina Herrera’s 212; (50) mint chocolate anything.

Enjoy your stuff, each other and your health.  =)  Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving all!

Made my first foray to the mall to start my Christmas shopping. Ended up with a suit, necklace, top, and pair of pants … for myself. Walked away from a cute argyle sweater and wool coat.  I really, really need to learn how to do this Christmas shopping for others things.

Sixteen mile run on Saturday was excellent! I’m hoping I’ll make the shorter eight mile run while at home this weekend. It’ll be hard to do anything between sessions of stuffing my face. If anyone feels like driving down to San Jose and joining me, or knows someone who knows someone who might consider it, please let me know! I hate running alone.  =(

Saw Pride & Prejudice.  Loved it.  Knew I would.  The best description I’ve heard of described this latest version as Jane Austin with a touch of Emily Bronte (no one thinks the person who wrote/said this was anything other than an English major, right?).  Much more melodramatic than most Austin adaptations.  There were some scenes where it could have easily been Heathcliff in the moors rather than Mr. Darcy in Hertfordshire.  Keira Knightly was a stunning, slightly giddy Lizzie (a little too glamorous to be totally believable though) and Matthew MacFadyen was probably the most endearing Mr. Darcy I’ve ever seen (more awkwardly shy than aristocratically aloof). 

Went to a Tiki Boat party in Newport Beach.  Got lost.  Went to a house party in Pasadena.  Got lost.  Had fun (when I eventually got there) though.

Still trying to churn through these documents.  In the meanwhile, here’s some randomness:

For those who haven’t seen it yet, this is a great site with old Weight Watcher’s recipes.  My favorite is probably the Mousse of Salmon, although there are many, many hilarious (and disgusting) recipes to choose from. 

I picked up a Michael Kors bag that was half the price of the Coach one I’ve been wanting and ordered a cute Fossil bag (see below) this week. 

This is it though.  I’m done with the purse thing.  One of them may even go back, depending on how much retail therapy I feel I need… although, they’ve finally exhausted my tax and 401K withholdings, so it’s practically like getting a raise!  =)  And for those keeping track of my recent purse purchases:  Purses recently purchased (4).  Purses returned (2).  Potential purse returns (1).

Am excited about going home for Thanksgiving.  Haven’t been home in months, as my grandmother frquently and tearfully reminds me.  It’s hard being the best-loved granddaughter (um, no offense B. and L.).  Anyways, if you’re in the Bay Area over Thanksgiving, give me a call.  And if you’re interested in going out in SF with my Quad friends Saturday Friday night, definitely give me a call!  

Oh, and please don’t let me within ten feet of anymore Halloween candy.  I think I may be sick.  (I don’t know why people seem to think that just because one’s not ten anymore and one is therefore ostensibly an “adult,” one has any more self control now than one did then.)

Interesting article on the politics of fat.  Apparently there’s an underground pro-fat group that disrupts Weight Watcher’s meetings.  Who knew?  Anyways, maybe I’ve bought into the diet industry’s propaganda, but I just can’t believe (as much as I would like to) that being overweight isn’t unhealthy.   

Yesterday’s run was fantastic!  Perfect California weather.  Impending foot pain never materialized (thank you new shoes!).  Running friends all showed up (I have running friends!).  Chatted the entire run (incredible how much more quickly time passes when engaged in conversation).  Was not forced to run behind guy with weirdly long strides (therefore disrupting the stride of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught behind him – kind of like a running doppler effect).*

Went to Ikea yesterday.  Roomie appears to be going through a nesting phase.  She does this periodically.  Very odd.  At least she bakes banana bread when nesting.  Am addicted to the stuff.  Am pro-nesting as long as it keeps me in banana bread.

Should also do some work today.  Am keeping fingers crossed this will actually happen.  Otherwise, may be forced to weep copiously to get out of trouble for lack of progress on major assignment.  Am a girl like that.

* Assuming I have an inkling of what the doppler effect was.  Which I don’t.  Again, am a girl.  (FYI, I’m reading Planet Simpsons, which discusses how The Simpsons defined a generation and am in the midst of a chapter entitled Lisa Lionheart.  Simpson watchers will know what this means and how it relates to the just a girl references.  Non-Simpson watchers, well, what’s wrong with you?!)

Edited to read:  Posting things one feels bad about later.

I LOVE this time change.  Yes, it means I never see the light of day since it’s pitch dark when I leave the office every night.  Yes, it means I’m exhausted by 10pm (9pm if I’m being honest).  But, on the other hand, I’ve been springing out of bed (well, relative to my usual routine of curling up into a ball and hitting snooze until I only have enough time to brush my teeth before heading out the door) at 6:30 every morning to work out.  I’ve been to a Pilates and a body sculpting class this week, as well as having made it to both my mid-week runs.  I feel great!  Can’t wait until the 14 mile run this weekend!

I care pretty much not at all about baseball, but I find Theo Epstein’s departure from the Boston Red Sox a fascinating human interest story.  There’s a great article on it at ESPN.com.

Oh and bit of a non sequitur (although not really if you follow this blog at all), but I love, love, love these pocket satchels in varying shades of brown from Coach.  But I need a really, really, really good excuse before I’ll let myself buy one.  Like passing the Bar again.  Hmmm, maybe if I sign up to take another state’s Bar?  After all, I did take two or three weeks of the NY state Bar exam classes before I switched to California (long story for those who haven’t heard it).  How hard could it be?  =)

Updated to add:  One of my fellow associates, A1, suggested I buy it to celebrate surviving my first year as a lawyer.  This is a pretty good excuse, as far as excuses to purchase purses go.  If I hadn’t wasted $1,000 (!!!) on a crown for my back tooth last month, I’d be buying the purse right now.  But the $1,000 is still hurting.  Lesson – Always buy dental insurance!

Sigh.  Suddenly Miers doesn’t seem like such a bad choice… 

Although, according to today’s article in the NY Times, Alito is a very nice person.  So, um, clearly, that should count for something, right?  Cause, you know, even if you’re completely ideologically opposed to the most powerful court in the United States, it’s a consolation if the Justices are at least nice.  (You’re not so convinced either, huh?)

Someone please pry me away from my TV. 

Why, oh why did I get Tivo?  Whereas before, TV was a passive experience for me (as in, I’d watch whatever’s on Comedy Central when I had time), its now become an all consuming obsession.  With Tivo, you can watch all your favorite shows all the time!!   There’s no excuse NOT to be watching television!  (Aside from the whole having a life thing.)  Sigh.  I just hope that, as with all my obessions, I quickly lose interest.  If not, please stop me before I become a morbidly-obese shut-in.  Um, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Luckily, the whole having to work or else starve to death thing gets me out of the apartment most days.  I’ve also been pretty successful at dragging myself to Santa Monica for marathon training every Saturday (moment of bragging:  I did last Saturday’s 10 mile run in an hour and forty-two minutes without injury!!).  Unfortunately, I haven’t quite managed to make my mid-week runs (moment of seriousness:  if I don’t start training mid-week there is no way I’m going to make it to 26.2  miles).  I’m hoping the time change will help, since it was the last time change that put a stop to my working out in the first place (moment of prayer:  please let me get up early to go running tomorrow!). 

When not running or vapidly watching TV (I believe I sunk to a new low when I actually watched Disney’s Twitches this weekend – I’m not ready to talk about it), I managed to make it out for Halloween with some of my friends.  We went as a troop of Brownies.*  KA – Thanks again for organizing the outfits!  I had a great time.  Sensible Brownie signing out.  (Yes, that’s right, I get all the sexy nicknames.)

* And for those of you who are thinking it, yes, yes, I realize this costume may be somewhat problematic (in the same way that Abercrombie & Fitch ads featuring young children/teens are problematic), but in the name of not over-analyzing, let’s leave it at the fact that I recognize the problems inherent in the costume.  But I don’t like thinking too hard.  It hurts my brain.