OrangeZen

Random thoughts...from a random redhead.

Saturday, February 28, 2004


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Public Service Announcement...
When you use a pot holder, make sure it's dry...2nd degree burns hurt =(

Friday, February 27, 2004


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Well I tried to do a good thing and do a Friday Five, but it appears there is no Friday Five this week... =(
So I will steal one from The Redhead hehe
1. What vehicle do you drive?

A silver 2003 VW Golf GLS

2. How long have you had it?

Since July of 2003. Love it! but it's too small...


3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle?

In summer - Sun roof
In winter - Heated Seats!!


4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?

See number 2...

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?

A BMW...or a Mercedes...silver with some get up and go...or just something with good gas mileage....hehe


Oh well..try again next week....going home FINALLY ughh..

p.s. still haven't managed to stop using ...'s.... .... oh well =)


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Kozy Shack vanilla pudding is really good..


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I must say that I think Thai food is superb. Last night we went to a restaurant where the tables you sit at are in booths with little pillows on the benches. You're supposed to take off your shoes (which would have made getting into and out of the booth a LOT easier) but neither my sister or I did that. We had a good meal which included chicken satay, pickled cucumbers, hot and sour prawn soup (called Tom Yum Goong...we laughed at the names...kinda hard to pronounce), chicken cooked with coconut milk, curry, and garlic, and beef cooked with green beans, onions, and a basil sauce. It was all fantastic. Some of it didn't seem that hard to make if I just knew what was in them and how it was cooked, but I guess that's the secret, isn't it?
Anyway, it was good food and good conversation...interesting to say the least...she was a little disappointed that the wine they brought us came in teeny tiny glasses and that hers was almost empty by the time dinner arrived. (Who's fault is that I might ask?)

Thursday, February 26, 2004


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I shouldn't wait until this late in the day to post...makes me think I forgot things.
The Great Girl Scout Cookie Sale has begun. People have been pestering me non stop since they ordered their cookies about when they would be in and the are finally in and handed out, thank god... I swear people freak out about these damn things. They're not THAT good...aside from maybe, the Thin Mints...they're just COOKIES ffs. Now I just have to get the people who haven't paid me to cough up the money (you know who you are...).
Tonight I'm off for dinner with my sister. She's actually my half-sister; we have the same mom. We're going to go to a Thai restaurant that was referred by a woman that I work with. I've not had very much Thai food so hopefully we can both find something we like. There's also a meditteranean restaurant near there that sounds good too. I like to tru new and different food. I don't always like it, but I like being able to say that I will try it. I have to draw the line at...i don't know...gross things...like eyeballs. I don't think I could ever bring myself to eat an eyeball. JO has talked about eating cod semen...def. don't think I could bring myself to eat that either. Then there's the whole "Fear Factor" thing about eating insects...nope, don't think those would stay down too long either.
Gimme a scrambled egg sandwich and a tall glass of milk and I'll be happy...

Wednesday, February 25, 2004


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It's been a good day. Not too much hassle, not too much stress...just right.
I found an interesting site today. The idea is that your name holds certain philosophical ideas and motives for you. Here is what mine said...

Your name of Janelle creates a desire for association with people and new experiences, many of which have been rather bitter. This name has given you a gregarious personality and a quick-thinking, creative, and versatile nature, but one that is very emotional. You desire change and travel and would enjoy opportunities that allowed you to be creative and to act independently, rather than to conform to system and routine. However, this name does not allow you to complete your undertakings, as farther fields always look greener.

I would say I agree with most of what it says. I do like to travel and I like to think that I am fairly independent. It's interesting anyway...Kind of like those personality tests (see side panel). You can learn a lot about yourself and the people you know by taking one of those tests.

Here's a couple other links...
What's in a Name? (apparently my name is Irish for "Ugly Brute" hehe...this site is pretty funny)
AstroExpert (I really don't understand this...but it was interesting)

Tuesday, February 24, 2004


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Well it wasn't much of a walk because it started to rain...typical.
I know there was something I wanted to write about...
Ah yes...it was this article entitled "The art of slothfullness". I think everyone should have one day of the week (Sunday is ideal...) where they sit and do absolutely nothing. This means you lie in bed until about noon...not sleeping necessarily, but not doing much of anything else...just relaxing. Watch some tv, read a book etc. When you've had your fill of that, get up, but don't get dressed. Just walk around your house in your pj's for the rest of the day. Don't bother taking a shower, brushing your teeth or any of that other unnecessary garbage that you have to do for OTHER people. This day is for you. If you have other members in your household, encourage them to join you in your "me" day...although I guess it would be a "them" day for them. It's really a fun thing to do. Of course you might get some looks if you have unexpected visitors...or solicitors coming to your door...just tell them you're not feeling well and go back to doing whatever you were doing. This is your day to completely be free of commitments, regulations, and responsibilities...to do NOTHING. When someone calls and asks you what you're doing, you can truthfully tell them "nothing". When someone says "so what were you up to this weekend?", you can tell them "nothing" and mean it. It's really quite liberating...


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It's a wonderful thing when you stumble onto a piece of your past. I found the email address to a really good friend I had a long time ago that I'd been trying to find for FOREVER and I finally caught up with her! YAY! It's so good to kind of recap and find out what's going on and stuff...so that's been the highlight of my day.
Had a meeting which I actually was in charge of for a change..I'm not so used to that...something new and different I suppose. Now it's about time for LUNCH...but since I'm not feeling particularly hungry, I think I'll go for a walk...

Monday, February 23, 2004


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The common misperception is that males are messier than females. If you ever go into a woman's bathroom, it will quickly put that misperception to rest...
Women have the unfortunate need because of our anatomy to have to sit down to..um...answer the call of nature. Because of this, and our society's ridiculous fear of germs, many women do that whole hovering thing when they have to do the deed. This makes no sense to me in a hospital where the bathrooms are cleaned religiously, but I guess some people have hang ups about that sort of thing. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if they didn't leave the evidence of said hovering all over the toilet. I mean it's one thing to make a mess, and then clean it up, but these people leave the mess and just leave it up to whoever is unfortunate enough to walk in after them to clean up. Hello! Your mother doesn't work here! Clean up your damn pee!
Don't even get me started on the counters that are constantly flooded with water because people shake their hands off before drying them...
I'm no neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I have some common courtesy...you know actually realizing that other people have to use the bathroom too...I guess it's too much for some people to grasp.
Do I seem bitchy today? Must be hormones...yeah blame it on hormones... =)


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Another question to all the smokers out there...
Do you ever feel yourself coming down with a cold and think "I know just the thing that will fix that"...and then proceed to smoke a half pack of cigarettes? Where is the logic?
Mr. Creepy, who has been sneezing, sniffling, and snorting snot all morning, seems to think this is a good idea...in fact, the whole area now smells like an ashtray...excuse me I think it's time for me to go to lunch...


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wow it's 10:30 already. I love it when days go by like this. 10:30 is my unofficial time to have a snack. It's usually a piece of fruit and a bit of cheese. I've been into pears lately. They are so good right now. I think when they are done I will switch to nectarines. I usually go for string cheese. It's really good with pears.
There has to be some kind of good salad that I can make with pears and string cheese...I'll have to look into that... I don't eat enough salad. I think my colon could use some ruffage...


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It's amusing to listen to people talk about things they don't really know that much about.
Mr. Creepy has a bad habit of not knowing when to shut up. He'll sit there and talk and talk about something that you don't care about. Just when you think you're getting way he'll say "well that's just like what happened back in...." and then you're stuck again. It's an uncomfortable situation. You find yourself thinking GOD will he just shut up...but he just keeps talking and there's nothing you can do until someone comes to save you.
Please someone save me...

Sunday, February 22, 2004


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Ahh..a new format. I like it. It's very orange-y
Now if I can just find a way to get rid of the huge banner at the top....

I'm not sure what to think of The Hours. It was a very complex, serious, heavy film. The acting was superb...Nicole Kidman won an Academy Award for her role as Virginia Woolf...but it was almost as if the director was trying to convey something so strongly that the story or the characters got lost in it. I haven't figured it out yet. I think it's one of those films that you think about for a while.

I started what I hope will be a good book yesterday. It's called Lucky by Alice Sebold. It has some very graphic scenes in it about rape and assault...and it's autobiographical which makes it all the more chilling. I could only read a few chapters but it's interesting so I think I will try to read more. If it's anything like The Lovely Bones (which I still haven't finished...ugh), it should be good.

Time for bed...

Friday, February 20, 2004


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So far so good with the sleepover...2 of the girls couldn't stay all night so it's a LOT quieter now. They are watching The Nightmare before Christmas.

Here's a very interesting site. I haven't taken the test on it yet but I think I will.

Now, time to go watch a movie...I rented The Hours. It won Academy Awards and stuff like that....should be good.


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Well yesterday turned out to not be a total loss after all...not to say that it wasn't a MAJOR source of stress both at work and at home, but I did at least get my belated birthday gift from my mom. She got me a pie plate from The Pampered Chef. In case you haven't heard of it, it's one of those Tupperware-like things where they try to cram useless kitchen gadgets down your throat instead of an endless supply of plastic containers. I never want to be one of those people that cooks and has every imaginable gadget you could imagine. It seems really hokey and I think for the most part people don't need a majority of the things they offer. My mom has all kinds of kitchen junk, but hates to cook. That one, I'll never figure out. Maybe there is some kind of unspoken law that says you have to have a certain number of appliances and gadgets in your kitchen? I may never know that...but I am bound and determined to keep it as simple as possible. Quality over quality....or something like that.
Anyway... Today's been a crazy day!
Started off with an appointment with the, ahem, counselor. I really like her...maybe I'll call her My Friend, the counselor...sounds less scary. It was a good time though. It's nice to feel as though you are moving forward in life instead of standing still...always a plus.
After that it was rush rush to work to find that Mr. Creepy wasn't here today. He had taken the day off to go to a memorial...uh huh..sure. Luckily, Friday's are a piece of cake generally. I like Friday's. Everyone seems chilled and ready for the weekend. This only becomes a problem when there is some sort of crisis. Because everyone is ready for the weekend, they tend to want to get it started as soon as possible (naturally) so the office is pretty dead by 3 in the afternoon. I had one such crisis today that kept me busy for the better part of 2 hours but thankfully it wasn't anything major.
Tonight I will be doing what every parent is loathe to do....having a sleepover for 5 of my daughter's best friends. Whether or not they are going to show up remains to be seen as none of their parents could be bothered to RSVP. I think the fact that RSVP is short for a French phrase is what some people don't understand. It should say "If you want to come to the party, CALL ME OR YOU AIN"T GETTIN NO FOOD"! hehe
I have planned ahead though and should have plenty of junk food, soda, cake, and pizza that they can eat. I've taken measures to ensure they are not bored by renting 3 movies. I think they will be entertained for the better part of the evening...
Ahh well wish me luck =)

Thursday, February 19, 2004


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I cannot even begin to go into what today's been like...
I hate hormones
I hate stress
I hate taxes

whew.................



...breathe in....breathe out.....repeat...

Wednesday, February 18, 2004


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It never ceases to amaze me what other people's idea of 'network security is. In some organizations (who shall remain nameless) it is acceptable to use a generic password for everyone in the organization...one that is the first thing on most people's list if they were smart enough to figure out how to hack into a system. Then there are people in the organization that I work for who get one person to login and then that person stays logged in....indefinitely...until they have to restart the PC. Then they call me and ask me why they can't login. No one seems to care about this problem, as I've brought it up several times. I guess they won't care until they are slapped with some kind of fine or something...
not my problem. =)
My on-going quest for fitness continues and I think I am beginning to see some results. I have lost a total of 9 lbs. So far and my pants are definitely fitting me better these days. I can now walk to the car at a brisk pace without becoming winded and my resting heart rate is down to 64...which seems a little low to me, but apparently it can be as low as 40 and you're still considered alive...maybe I'll panic when it gets below 40... I wish there was a way to lose weight in specific places. I would choose my face first. I have been very thin in my lifetime, but I never cease to have what's known in my family as the "Roberts chin" (thanks Dad...). The next place I would lose would probably be the not so lovely 'love handles' that are there, much to my dismay...yes please make those go away.
On a totally different note, I like the new orangy color for my blog but I want to have headlines or titles, or whatever you call them...I'll have to figure out how to do that... I don't think there's much compelling reading here anyway so at least I don't have to worry about that, right? =)


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Today was better than yesterday. I don't quite know what happened to it. I got here, looked at the clock at what seemed like 10 minutes later and it was 11:30...look at the clock again and it was 1pm..I had missed lunch!..look again and it's 4:22....whew where did it all go?
I did a lot of reading today in the NYTimes. Some days there are articles that I want to read, sometimes not. Today was full of good stuff. I'm also still working my way through the archives of the Redhead blog...not the most exciting reading, but it's well written and that's always interesting. I think she's a lot like me, just more educated. hehe
My desk is now adorned with an adorable little picture...a computer with a cat sitting on top, tail and paws RIGHT in the middle of the screen (as my cats are both prone to do). The caption reads 'cat & mouse'. How appropriate for me. =) My phone battery died today =( I have left it off of the charger so that i could see how long it would last. Apparently not very long...though 2 days is quite a long time. Have I said how much I like my new phone? =)

Tuesday, February 17, 2004


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It's been a stressful day.
I found out today that my cell phone bill is WAY more than I thought it was going to be...but that's because I got my phone upgraded this weekend (new camera phone...i LOVE it...) and the dude charged me the wrong amount. It's going to take a while, but I think I'm on the right track for getting the billing error fixed.
My daughter's teacher is telling me she (shock horror) thinks my daughter has ADHD. HellO! WHy don't you stand in line behind everyone else who has been telling me that since the day she was born? So there's been a little bit of added stress there but it's nothing I haven't had to deal with before.
Since I'm a little stressed out, I am also a little bit braindead...you'll have to excuse me.
Here are some links to keep you amused (whoever 'you' are...hehe)

Redhead Riddles
Redhead facts and folklore

These are stolen from my new favorite blog. Being a redhead myself, I can relate. I've been told actually that my hair is orange...and pink...so whatever. Officially I am strawberry blonde. (although I'm not particularly fond of being a blond...I can get away with being a 'redhead' hehe) That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Monday, February 16, 2004


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I like music at work. It makes the day go by faster. When I turn it on, I make it so only I can hear it. Not everyone likes to listen to Coldplay over and over... =)
I think that's just common courtesy.

The woman who works nights does not share this philosophy...
That is why I am now sitting here forced into listening to gospel...or rather "Christian rock". I don't know what it is but Christian music has always seemed 'generic' to me. I'm not talking about the content of the lyrics, just the music in general. I've never heard a genre of Christian music that I could listen to and say 'yeah I really like that song'. I think this is part of the reason I stopped going to church...


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In other news, I'm trying to decide who to vote for in this year's election. It most certainly will NOT be DubYa, because I didn't vote for him last time either...that whole election was a conspiracy (Kathrine Harris needs a stylist, don't you think?) that much is true. I really think he doesn't have much of a chance at winning this time around, especially after the findings that they didn't have any real intelligence saying that Iraq had WOMD's...so in the words of John Kerry (see below) "You're going, we're coming, don't let the door hit you one the way out."
I'm tryng to decide which of the Democratic candidates I want to win the nomination. Right now I think there are 3 likely candidates, John Kerry, Howard Dean, and John Edwards (not to be confused with John Edward). Kerry is the guy that most people are saying will win the nomination and I like what he has to say about a lot of the issues that I care about this election like Iraq, agriculture, taxes, the deficit and things like that. Edwards is said to be a lot like Bill Clinton as far as policys go. I was a Bill Clinton fan...voted for him twice...I think he did a lot of good things for our country and I wish people would just get over it already that Monica gave him a BJ...anyway, so that would make Edwards a good candidate as well. Dean I think changes his story on too many of the issues and is playing too much of a political game...no one likes politicians really but it would be nice to find one who at leasts tries to stick to his story and policys when debating, not changing it according to his audience.
Although I find the whole process kind of interesting, the more I find out about it, the more I start to think it's slightly ridiculous that we all vote but if we live in North Dakota, our vote doesn't count as much as if we lived in California. Maybe I just have more to learn.


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Ahh and we're back. Clean, cleansed, and brand new.
I had a thoroughly relaxing weekend if you can't tell. Valentine's Day was actually very very enjoyable and fun for me. I went all the way to Seattle to get fresh produce from Pike Place Market and came home to make my fab VDay meal. I made shrimp cocktail, pasta with orangey/lemon cream sauce, garlice roasted asparagus, chicken roasted with fennel, and a very rich chocolate cake for dessert. The chicken with fennel was something that I had attempted after reading several other recipes. I hadn't had fennel before. It's kind of good actually and I think if I would have prepared it "correctly" I would have liked it even more. It has a slight licorice-y taste to it...very unique. The pasta was ok. The sauce was good, but slightly bitter I think due my overcooking of it...nobody's perfect. The asparagus was really good. I hadn't cooked it before and was very pleased with the way it turned out. The hands down fave of the day though was the shrimp cocktail and the sauce I made with it. Oh yeah...let's not forget the uber chocolatey rich decadent chocolate cake I made...YUM! It was very very good...worth making again for sure.
I don't think I could have asked for a better day, unless of course I had a 'special someone' there with me...but I can't have everything exactly the way I want it, now can i.
Sunday was my daughter's birthday. I picked her up and we came back to open gifts and eat some more cake (did I mention how good the cake was? hehe) She has wanted crab legs for I don't know how long so I told her for her birthday we would be sure to go to Red Lobster to get her some. We got there...my parents included...waited about 45 minutes to get a table, another 10 minutes for the waitress to take our order, only to find out that Red Lobster, arguably the biggest seafood chain restaurant in the US, had run out of snow crab legs....talk about one disappointed little girl... I felt really bad. Fortunately (for us) they did still have king crab legs...for $28 a plate. I talked the waitress into giving us a half plate, which included exactly 1 and a half king crab legs in the end, and a side of applesauce which she did no problem. At least they have nice people at Red Lobster...can't say much for the people in charge of ordering the crab legs...
So in the end she was a happy bunny and even got a slice of not-as-good-as-mine chocolate birthday cake and a candle. We sang to her and she was happy with everything so that's what counts. Ahhh to be 10 again...


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Are you planning a trip to Kenya? If you are, here's a site that you might want to check out first.

Only in Kenya...

Friday, February 13, 2004


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yikes it's time to go and i didn't even know it!


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What a perfect time to start something new. Friday the 13th and all...Friday Five? worth a try...so here goes

1. Are you superstitious?
My lucky number is 33. I used to always think that if I looked at a particular building (it was a podiatrist's office...go figure) when I passed it then I would have a bad day. I have had black cats pretty much my whole life. I open umbrellas indoors all the time. I don't walk under ladders because I'm afraid they will fall on me. When I drive over a bridge I absolutely CANNOT look at anything but the road in front of me. I'm very afraid of heights, you see. If I look over the side, or even worse, through the grating under the car, I get visions of plummeting over the side helplessly...it's not fun for me to drive over bridges. So I guess you could say sometimes yes I am superstitious. If you're asking if I send out chain e-mails for fear that someone will burn down my house or something, then no.

2. What extremes have you heard of someone going to in the name of superstition?
My friend Julie absolutely cannot receive a chain letter email without forwarding it. She can't help it, god bless her.

3. Believer or not, what's your favorite superstition?
I'll have to think about this one...I guess I don't really know that much about superstitions outside of the normal every day ones. I am a firm believer in Karma. I would say that's my favorite.

4. Do you believe in luck? If yes, do you have a lucky number/article of clothing/ritual?
See above. 33 is a great number, don't you think?
I believe in Fate...not so much luck. Maybe that's because I have no luck? lol
I used to have a 'lucky' pair of jeans until I gained too much weight. They are still in my closet though.
I've been rather ritualistic lately about brushing my teeth. I don't want dentures, they seem uncomfortable and aren't very becoming.

Fate, though...I absolutely believe in...Even if it sucks sometimes...

5. Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?
I absolutely believe in astrology. I've had readings and had my cards read. It's amazingly accurate (the astrology, not so much the cards). I receive my horoscope every day in my email and it almost always has some little nugget of advice or is just the thing I needed to read when I read it.
In the words of Jamie Oliver...'there are too many things in this world that are too flukey to be flukes'. He was talking about cooking...I am talking about everything.

Well that was fun...don't you think?


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Handshakes are weird things. I always wonder what kind of things I am conveying to people I meet with my handshake. I hate shaking hands with people (especially women) and it feels like I'm shaking hands with a wet sponge. I like a firm handshake. Guys always seem to take this too far. They seem to be in some kind of dominance game where they have to feel superior. I always thought it was important to have a firm but not killer grip and look the person in the eye. Maybe that's just me though.


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This is a prime example of why I like Jamie Oliver, not just as a chef, but as a person. Not that I know him personally or anything, but he seems so genuine and down to earth as a person and I really admire that. He is very proud and passionate about what he does and, like he says in the interview, if people are like that and they are genuine, it's contagious. He would be a good role model for any young person, and not just in the food industry.

Thursday, February 12, 2004


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OMG...my MOTHER sent me this email at work....I couldn't believe it. Isn't there something between parents their children that says you're not supposed to know what an orgasm is??

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. (Hardly seems worth it.)

If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. (Now that's more like it!)

The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet. (O.M.G.!)

A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes. (In my next life, I want to be a pig.)

A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy.) (I'm still not over the pig.)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. (Do not try this at home...... maybe at work.)

The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off. ("Honey, I'm home. What the....?!")

The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field. (30 minutes... lucky pig... can you imagine??)

The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)

Some lions mate over 50 times a day. (I still want to be a pig in my next life...quality over quantity)

Butterflies taste with their feet. (Something I always wanted to know.)

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue. (Hmmmmmm........)

Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people. (If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)

Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. (OK, so that would be a good thing....)

A cat's urine glows under a black light. (I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that.)

Starfish have no brains. (I know some people like that too.)

Polar bears are left-handed. (If they switch, they'll live a lot longer.)

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. (What about that pig??)


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Thursday....not a bad day of the week. I think I like it better than Monday or Tuesday. Tomorrow is Friday. That's always a comforting thought.
Tonight it's more gym...arms tonight...so I won't be able to lift anything this weekend. That means no cleaning! =)
It's getting closer to the end of my fave tv show, Friends. I think it may be everyone's fave. It had a good run. I like the beginning episodes much better than the later ones...especially Monica. She used to be my favorite character, but she got weird and annoying and kind of bitchy in a way in the later episodes. Now I like Rachel better I think. I guess it doesn't matter now anyway.
Today I did some interesting reading on Nostradamus' prophecies...or the misinterpretation of them. Apparently he's predicted everything from the plague to 9/11.

Wednesday, February 11, 2004


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hehe just in time for the dreaded VDay, an appropriate post by the London Call Girl... always a good read. My sentiments exactly.


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This article hits on a nerve (not mine though... Baby Boomers are so passe.I suppose I'm considered more of a Generation X'er...the post-Baby Boom generation. It made me laugh, but I don't know why. It's talking about 'those old people'. I think it's funny how our perception of what 'old' is changes during our life. When I was 16, I thought 25 was old. When I was 21, I thought 30 was old. Now I'm 29...but dammit I'm not old! I find comfort in the fact that I still get carded when I order a glass of wine (sometimes), but I also cringe when teenagers call me 'ma'am'. I am now starting to realize what women have been talking about all of this time when they are dreading birthdays (not that I dread them...yet), not wanting to give their real age, and being obsessed with looking younger. I think I'll be ok if I stay out of the sun...

Tuesday, February 10, 2004


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I don't know what to write. Where to begin?
Valentine's Day
It is my least favorite holiday. I hate it, plain and simple.
This year I am going to be making myself a fab dinner though so I am a little excited about that. I am thinking italian, def. Maybe some pasta, a chicken dish of some type with a veg and, of course, something chocolate for dessert. It should be fun. Maybe I'll go the whole way and rent a chick flick or 2, I don't know yet, but I feel the need to do something for myself. I think a hot bath would be appropriate.
There's a conversatoin going on here at work about annoying people at the gym. It reminded me about the woman on the treadmill next to mine last night who must have been so paranoid about smelling bad that she bathed in cheap perfume before she left the house....I thought I was going to pass out...ughh. Fortunately she didn't stay for very long...must have broke a sweat (rolls eyes). It's really unfortunate that people feel they have to get all dolled up to go sweat at the gym for 2 hours. I know that some people go to a gym in hopes of 'meeting someone' but I think some people take it way too far. I see these women going in pairs, they do the lightest weights, chatting away the whole time. It's called WORKING out for a reason...it's work, not a social hour...ugh... I guess it's a pet peeve of mine. I'm sure Im not alone.

Monday, February 09, 2004


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Ever gone to one of those 'budget traveler' web sites like Travelocity or Expedia, put in your reservation in, only to find out that half of the seats are taken? According to this article, they aren't taken, but reserved for people willing to pay full price for them. The way the airline industry has the whole scheme rigged so that you're roped into paying for the ticket and not allowed to cancel it is absurd. They can get away with it because they know people need to get from point A to point B and they have no other choice. Isn't that the definition of a Monopoly?


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Happy Monday! or something like that...
This weekend was good. Sold a ton of cookies on Saturday in the freezing rain...fun fun fun I tell you...then came home and cleaned like a mad woman. I am not what you would call a 'neat freak', but when I get the urge to clean, I REALLY get it. I spent about 6 hours cleaning, organizing, sorting, scubbing, dusting, etc. on Saturday night until I collapsed into a heap...ok not really, but by the end I felt like I had gone to aerobics class. According to this site, I burned close to 1500 calories! Yay bonus exercise!
Sunday was a much more laid back day. I went shopping and got various cards and gifts (valentine's day and all...) not to mention a new cutting board for me. I even got to try it out...made a roast beef dinner Sunday night...and it works beautifully. It may sound insignificant to you...but it's things like that that make me feel good! (sad I know...)
(Ok, and I did burn about 1000 calories while shopping...)

Friday, February 06, 2004


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This site is always a hoot. Be sure to visit the "Recent Discoveries" section.


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If you are a nerd (or just play one on TV) you may like this link. It's a collection of pictures taken from the Hubble telescope. There are some very cool pictures in here, not to mention that the music has kind of a 'ohm' meditative effect.


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I am sad after reading this article. The girl was 11...a little more than a year older than my daughter. She was walking home from a friend's house. This is exactly why I don't let my daughter go places by herself. My daughter will be 10 in about a weekThe thing of this is, the creep that did this to her has tried to do this before. He has a record of attempted kidnapping and was aquitted by some idiot jury who obviously wasn't paying attention. I hope they are now.
I can hear someone behind me talking about it too. When things like this happen it affects everyone. You can only ignore things like this for so long until reality smacks you in the face and you have to think about the horrible people who are out there. It's scary to be a parent sometimes.

Thursday, February 05, 2004


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Ho Hum...boring day. I did have a meeting today but it wasn't what I would call 'exciting'. Just normal every day work stuff...oh and they decided to make me the 'point person'. You know what that means? It's when something goes wrong and they want to know who to point to...yeah that's me. Maybe it'll add a little interest to the job though. I get to do something besides surf the net all day and post in this blog. I'm sure I'll still find the time to do both though...

Wednesday, February 04, 2004


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No matter how many times I read it, this always makes me laugh hysterically. One day while I was listening to it (and laughing hysterically), I got a call from my boss. He said 'what's the problem?' I said, "sorry I was just reading something funny". He said ' well you need to stop that and get to work'. He was having a really bad day apparently because he never says stuff like that. If you think about what he said, it doesn't make much sense. 'stop having fun at work'. 'stop being cheerful at work'. You're at work, it's not a place to laugh.
Sheesh...talk about bringing someone down...


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I'm about to go off on one, so if there are any smokers reading this (you know who you are), then I apologize...and you should probably skip this post..

I think smoking is a very inconsiderate habit. Actually, more appropriately, most (not all) smokers are inconsiderate people. The incident that brought out this disdain today was when I was coming back from lunch. I saw two people, one in a hospital gown (after all, I do work at a hospital, you know... a HEALTH FACILITY), sitting directly in front of the front door of the hospital smoking cigarettes. A little boy about the age of 3 or 4 was sitting next to them playing with a toy. Directly behind them on the outside wall of the building was a no smoking sign. You know, one of those signs with the picture of the cigarette with a huge red cross through it and a circle. This, I assume, is just in case the person smoking can't read, but I'm not sure. So there they were smoking away totally oblivious to the fact that people had to walk through their cloud of smoke to enter or exit the building. Now, let's forget for a moment that one of them was A PATIENT IN THE HOSPITAL, and let's also forget that there was a small child not more than 2 feet away who was having to breath the stuff, but the fact that they were sitting there directly in front of, not one, but a whole row of signs with the cigarette and the red cross smoking away to their heart's content, speaks volumes of how LAZY and inconsiderate these people are. They have no problem making everyone around them breathe in the poisonous cloud they are exhaling. They have no problem giving the proverbial finger to the people who bothered to setup a DESIGNATED SMOKING AREA not more than 50 feet away where no one else would have to be subjected to the lung cancer causing aura that surrounded them. I don't understand why people are like this. I don't understand the mentality of people who willingly kill themselves and feel that they have a RIGHT to do this in the company of people who do not wish to die horrible deaths from lunch cancer, emphysema, heart disease and all of the other nasty things that are attributed to smoking. I don't understand why 'normal' people can't so much as throw a wad of gum on the ground but smokers can litter the ground with thousands of cigarette butts. Remember those huge fires last summer in California? They were started when some idiot threw a cigarette out of the car window. How many people died in those fires? This is exactly what I mean by INCONSIDERATE. There was recently a big deal made about the fact that some counties here where I live have passed ordinances prohibiting smoking in public places. Imagine being able to go to a club or a bar or a restaurant, coming home and actually being able to wear the same thing the next day without having to wash it because it REEKS of cigarette smoke. Besides that, why should the servers and employees (and OTHER CUSTOMERS) in bars and restaurants have to breath that crap just because you want to have a cigarette? Take your ass outside. Too cold? Well then do us all a favor and QUIT. You are driving the price of healthcare to astronomical levels and then when you finally do get cancer and die, your family will sue the people you bought your cancer from, tying up the court system and preventing people with REAL PROBLEMS from having their cases heard in a timely fashion. If you want to smoke, then do it in a place DESIGNATED for you to do so...preferably far away from people who do not smoke. I should not have to be subjected to it and neither should anyone else.
Regarding the people outside the hospital, I casually mentioned to the security guard at the front desk that he may need to go explain what the no smoking sign means to the people smoking in front of the building. Security guards love to do stuff like that anyway...kind of like giving parking tickets.

So, again, I apologize if you were offended by what I wrote above. I am a fairly easy going person, but when I have an opinion about something, I am usually pretty vocal. I think that may be a good thing and a bad thing...

Tuesday, February 03, 2004


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Not a whole heck of a lot going on today. Work has been actually very busy today...maybe not busy, but steady. I like days like that, they tend to go by faster.
I've been doing lot of reading about running lately. I want to lose weight. I know I can, but I want it to happen sooner rather than later so I've decided to bite the bullet and begin a running "program". Here is a site I found that says "couch to 5k in 3 months". That's not a bad claim. I wouldn't say I'm a couch potato, but I also can't really say I work out that often so I suppose it applies to me. At any rate, I started the "week 1" program last night. I feel a little 'fatigue' in my legs and my knees feel a little stiff, but all in all I feel good. Now I just need to keep going. That is always the hard part.
I made risotto again last night. This time it was Roasted Sweet Garlic and Thyme Risotto with Toasted Almonds and Breadcrumbs. Sounds weird but was very good...a lot better than the last one I made. I just wish it didn't take half of the night to make it. The results are worth it, but it's hard to do when it's so late at night.
I guess I don't have anything else worthwhile to say at the moment...

Monday, February 02, 2004


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Yesterday was my birthday....I am now 29. This is the last year I will be able to say "I'm in my twenties". Next year, I have to enter my "thirties". I'm not happy about this although I don't think it'll make that much difference to me personally, I think people in general think 30 is old...I guess I am a little depressed about that. I don't get it. I always thought that I wouldn't be one of those people who gets depressed about getting older. I guess it helps that I still get carded....
I had a good weekend...went skiing. I am glad to say that I did not fall. That's not entirely true though... I fell when my daughter fell in front of me. I fell when I stopped to write my name in some untouched snow. I love to ski through it or touch it in some way whenever I see it. Unfortunately it's hard to stand up in... I fell when my daughter and I were getting on the lift. She had her skis crossed and was off balance. She was grabbing onto me, which made me fall and she fell on top of me. The chair, however, kept moving right up over the top of us. It actually came off of the cable and fell on us. We were not hurt, just a little shaken and, well, embarassed. So for the rest of the time we had the lovely designation as the people that broke the chair. They had to stop the lift for about 10 minutes while someone came to inspect it to see if it was still safe to put people on. Apparently they are 'supposed to do that'. Ok so what's to stop it from happening when we are about 50 feet off the ground?? I tried not to think of that of course. All in all it was a good trip. I got birthday cupcakes, but no song...well I did get one song, voice mail is a great thing.
I think that I am finally over my cold. The bad thing is, I am now addicted to cough drops. At least they are sugar free.
One interesting thing occurred to me as I was looking at the stats. People have found my site by doing a search for 'phillipino dessert recipes' (only 'dessert' is spelled 'desert' which has nothing to do with a sweet thing you eat after a meal) and 'easy phillipino cookies'. I can't think of a time I have posted about a phillipino dessert, or desert, but I thought maybe I should post one since people are looking for one and my site comes up in the search results (shrug).
So here goes: (taken from this site)

Leche Flan
Custard:

12 egg yolks
1 can condensed milk
1 pint Vit D milk
I thought it was interesting that this calls specifically for Vit D milk...what if you only have non-VitD milk?
1 tablespoon vanilla (lemon essence or peppermit can be substituted)

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Pour mixture into a loaf tin lined with caramelized sugar (see below). Cover with aluminum foil. Place tin in a larger baking pan half-filled with water. Place pan in pre-heated oven (375 F) and bake flan for about 1 hour or until it is firm.

Caramel:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put sugar and water in a saucepan. Caramelize in high heat. Line loaf tin with caramelized sugar. Be sure to line the sides of the pan.


I like flan. I made it once as a project for 9th grade Spanish class. It's not that hard to do. Kinda yummy.

Maja Blanca

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups coconut milk
3 cups grated coconut

Mix cornstarch and sugar in a bowl. Add water and stir. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil and gradually stir in cornstarch mixture. Boil for 5 minutes, until the starch is cooked. Pour into a buttered cake pan and let cool. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast at 350 F until brown. Sprinkle cake with toasted grated coconut and serve


I've never had anything like this before, but it reminded me of maybe a Mounds candy bar without the chocolate on the outside. I'm probaby way off on that though...

So there you go, you people looking for Phillipino desserts. I hope I have enhanced your Internet experience.

 
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