Frasier Fir

This is an awesome tree. Still smells grreat! We waited til the last minute and paid a quarter of the original cost.

Gums

Ouch, I had gum surgery yesterday. 
So I got a bottle of OxyCodone (5/500 - which means 1 tab is 5mg oxycodone and 500mg acetaminophen) for the pain
and a bottle of a medicinal mouthwash that so happens to be 12% alcohol. 
I could be a junkie.

ben harper

so, ben harper married laura dern on xmas. he's so hot. (BAM, he's your man.)

when i happened to google him, i found a review of his Diamonds on the Inside album on a christian blah-blah site...here's a fast read:

Faith is a regular subject in Harper's work, but his private life is another matter. He has been known to smoke marijuana, and his music sometimes includes racy themes of "sexual healing." Perhaps he's since grown out of those tendencies, now that he's a family man. And in interviews, he regularly calls himself a "believer" to whom faith is important. Are these spiritual references in Harper's songs sincere or are they simply done for style? There are many conflicting factors at work concerning Ben Harper, so it's probably best to take Diamonds on the Inside at face value—a delightful crossroads of musical styles that offers some seemingly well-intentioned declarations of faith.

it's an awesome album btw.
i've only see him live once at ACL fest 2003.
he'll be at the Vic in Chicago this July...i will have to be there.

Merry Christmas

Getting ready for Christmas Mass (Christmass...hehhe) with a little sore throat.
Not bad about the throat. After having kids cough in my airspace (and even in my face)
for the last 3 months, not bad.

On Thursday, I almost cried at work. I sent a patient to the OR to get a new kidney. That means goodbye dialysis, hello urine, and much better health. She was so excited. And her mother was on the horn updating friends and relatives. Another patient of ours who got his kidney last summer was there to cheer her on. Ya see, after being in and out of the hospital all your life, you become friends with the other kids you see there. So on Thursday, not only did I feel like a nurse, I felt like a coach. Go team kidney.

Gmail

Gmail, I'm getting a root canal b/c you're so sweeeeet!
Have you noticed the links to recipes with Spam in your Gmail spam folder?
Cute...and I bet there's a cookbook full of these recipes in the Phillippines...as a wartime staple and a common breakfast food (fried with rice, of course) now.

Just Googled "Gmail spam" and found this...you can send an autoreply to emails...
http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/gmail-vacation-autoresponder/

Welcome to Houston's Bush

Just home from work. I'm eating a tortilla from Pappasito's Cantina, Houston...so good...nothing you can get from any of the poor excuses for taqueria's here. Spent 4 days in Houston for an early Christmas with the family. Good time, good food, good to see the family. Like last year, we started a Thomas Kincaid 1000-piece puzzle, but unlike last year, we didn't finish. My sister left early to take a final.

Now we're back. I have to stay up a little longer than I want...Dental appt coming up in 2 hours.

Last night work was very cool...felt very nursey...saw a typical reaction to a drug.

I earned this tortlla.

What's the difference?

On my walk home from work this morning, I watched the interaction between 7yr son and 40 yr old mother and this made me think of shit.  He was being a little shit and she was doing the same.

What's the difference between stool and feces?  We use the term "stool" and the verb "stooling" at the hospital.
This is what I found on www.m-w.com:

Stool - 3 a : a seat used while defecating or urinating b : a discharge of fecal matter

Feces - bodily waste discharged through the anus : EXCREMENT

Christmas Party

Seems to me the workplace party in December are still called a "Christmas" Party here at Hospital Jr. 

I call them ass expanders.

Follow them size 5's

My savior...some patient's parent popped in the Goonies...it's being broadcasted to all the rooms. 

 

FightFight

Even though I've been up for ther last 14 hours, I caught this HUGE error on the Chicago Trib. Here's a pic in case they figure out it's a FISTFIGHT and not a FIGHTFIGHT...This is not a filipino kid they're talking about (i.e. LingLing)

Oh, fuck it...i can't upload the pic...basically, the headline says fightfight and not fistfight. some poor bastard died and the Chicago Trib bolded a typo for all to see.

Tres Santos

Good coffee from Intelligentsia.
They can get away with playing the Smiths albums.

And Tres Santos is grown by a few Colombian Co-ops.

Each August our Intelligentsia World Exclusive Tres Santos is rebuilt from scratch. There are seven small-scale cooperatives that contribute coffees, and every season we spend weeks cupping and evaluating individual batches of coffee from single farmers, looking for those that really have the glow. Occasionally during the selection process there appears a coffee that quite simply belongs in a league of its own…a coffee so inspiring and with such immaculate taste that allowing it to be blended with anything would be some sort of cosmic sin. Thus is born the micro-lot… as close to perfect as it gets.

the new hottie of Austin:  http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/08/lost.lottery.tix.ap/index.html

 

Snowed...the traffic on La Salle going towards downtown was so slow that I saw an elderly chap in a scooter (a Rascal?) go faster than the cars around him! and when he arrived to his building, the doorman shoveled a path from the street to the sidewalk just for him.

Anyway, my friend K2 and I got to the Chase Auditorium for a taping of NPR/WBEZ's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me...Egon from Ghostbusters was the special guest. Funny guy. This taping was better than the one we saw a few months ago. Mo Rocca and PJ O'Rourke...very funny. the woman, can't think of her name at 5AM was ok.

So I walked in snow, on unplowed sidewalks to get to work. one of the nurses scheduled for 7pm didn't get there until 11pm...she was on the road for 4 hours...another nurse was in the process of getting towed, so she couldn't come in.

Bad news at Midway. Poor kid in a car on 55th who got hit by a Southwest Airline plane and died. They didn't take him to this hospital.

My body is running on greasy taqueria food, cherry coke, and a few cookies from the ER holiday party.

I DO miss texas taqueria food. the stuff here isn't good sober.

Peas out,

sweetyellowcorn

Snow Storm

25 degrees and the snow is falling. A snow storm in Chicago. How news worthy (smirk). Actually, this is causing havoc in the city...traffic galore and delays and cancellations at Ohare and Midway.

Tonight...Snow in the evening. Snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches. Lows in the middle teens downtown and 5 to 10 in the outlying suburbs. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the west after midnight. Wind chill readings 10 below to zero.

Here is a pic of my court yard.









Here's a pic of the snow coming down.

Double Decker Bus

Bye Bye London's Red Routemaster double deckers.

LONDON (AP) -- After half a century, London's red Routemaster buses are rattling into retirement. Thousands of fans said farewell to the hop-on, hop-off buses Thursday, the last full day of regular service for the icon that has been the subject of thousands of tourists' photographs and postcards.

This will keep Morrissey (and his "girlfriend") safe for another day.
See: "There is a Light That Never Dies" from the Best of...2

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

Wilco

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a really really good album. And I picked it up during my Music Hunger 2004...The girl working at the music store said she liked this album the best out of her others. I listened to it a couple of times and thought, "still hungry." About 2 months ago, I started listening to it again...I love it. Really good. And the on the cover of the album are the Marina Towers, or what many call the Jetson Buildings.

plans

tonight i'm back on the night shift...11pm to 7am. sucks b/c i slept last night. crashed in the middle of the Queens of Comedy on Comedy Central. hopefully i can catch some sleep during the day.

i'm starting on the "secret santa" stuff today. we're supposed to give our person a $25 gift and do 2 good deeds. my first good deed is a "food deed." I'm making some Cayenne Pepper Chocolate Cookie dough...so she (who i am secret santa for) can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. i may make her some steamed pork dumplings that she can keep in the freezer, as my second good deed.

Running in 12

last night, my friend K and I ran after sundown in 12 degree weather. and ya know, it wasn't that bad. the snow on the ground makes things, um fun. we were both dressed just right. Check out what RunnersWorld suggests.

Along with hat and gloves, from inner to outer layer I wore:
sleeveless shirt that wicks moister away
longsleeve shirt that wicks
fleece jacket
outer shell of a ski jacket

I wore a scarf just in case.

K wore about the same thing i wore, but she wore silk thermal long johns under her pants...I didn't but i'm getting some today.

Linklater Movie

A Scanner Darkly...Looks very cool. Using the same technique as his Waking Life. The Charles Schwab "Talk to Chuck" commercials use this too.

Maureen Dowd

Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report interviewed Maureen Dowd tonight. I got sick of her about a year ago. Sure she is sharp, but she doesn't use it well all the time. I am not a fan of G.W. Bush, but her op-ed pieces on him got really old. SOrry I don't have any links to let you see what i mean.

Night Shift - The beginning

Tonight, my first night shift

7PM to 7AM...strange to walk to work, with all the stores open, and when everyone else is going home.

I don't mind working nights...I mean, it is expected as a nurse.

But it's really tiring.

The sorority of nurses are up and about...doing nurse business.

Even the cafeteria is open - there's a short-order cook that will make you anything...even big-ass pancakes.

I will sleep WELL after the shift.

Oh, I have heart burn or something. 

 

There's tomorrow night.

Cheers and goodnight.

My friend* just sent me this...she logged into her email only to find her junk mail to contain 666 messages. Is it a bad sign?

*I blacked some stuff out for my friend's privacy

A Tribute to the Bird

On Thursday, I said

It's freakin COOOOLD here! 20 degrees with winds putting us at just 7 degrees. Gotta love Chicago.

Taking out the trash yesterday morning was my only direct experience of nature. GOD it was SO cold. Great day for staying in and making a Thanksgiving feast for 8.

Today, it's in the 50's. WTF? Well, I welcome the weather in the 50's to stay as long as possible. Tollwaywarrior and I think the party was a good one. Lots of wine, good conversation, and so much warmth that it was a relief to have the blasts of 20 degree air come through the window cracked open. I talked so much that I am still trying to regain my voice! People were too full to eat dessert. And I have to mention how good one of our guests Pecan Pie tasted...he said it wasn't going to be good. OMG, au contraire my friend...freakin good pie.

The Bean - Downtown Chicago

Pretty Red Tree

Unlike a premature grey hair, this red tree is beautiful.

Halloween

This was taken back in October. A bar down the street from us puts out pumpkins every year. You should have seen these carved dearies on Nov 1...stacked in the dumster.

Spider Kid

Watching this kids pose for his mother's camera was priceless. He really got into his costume. Added some kicks, punches, and sound affects too.

Is Roy a HORSE?

Jerry's great-grandfather, John Westley Roy, came to Michigan from Missouri in 1931, in the depths of the Depression. He built a home five blocks north of a plant operated by General Motors' AC Delco division and worked there for a decade before he was injured and retired to a farm.

i'm sure this article will be archived soon..thanks NYTimes!...still not getting nytselect.

Doesn't this sounds so cruel!

Cruelty to vegetables must stop! This is evil! THey never even had a chance to be carved out into jack-o-lanterns! It's like eating VEAL and baby corn!

(you know i'm being a smartass)

Coldplay in Chicago, March 31

We got tickets...I can relax now.

Sedgwicks

Went to new bar tonight...very happy with music rotation. i thought i was at home, asleep, and dreaming. Wilco, Weezer, The Killers, Postal Service, Beck...yeah,freakin grrrreat!

Just the beginning

My little jaunt over to the yarn store made me realize that Fall is over...or the Chicago version of Fall is in full effect. Good thing I had some old Starbucks napkins in my purse b/c after standing out in the 30 degree weather with light snow and wind, your nose will snot continuously when you get to your destination. I was tempted to wipe my nose on the different fabrics sold in the store.

Good Night

Last night, we went to see Good Night and Good Luck. I totally enjoyed the Good Night part and got into it...a bit too much. Like if this were a party, I'm the one who drank from the fish bowl thinking it was a martini glass, and passes out in the laundry room. It was a 9:50pm show and my day started at 5:50am, so it wasn't because the movie wasn't good. Hopefully next time I will enjoy the Good Luck too.

All you font lovers

Thanks Basia!

Open Heart Surgery

I watched an open heart surgery today. Basically, this person would not have made it up to this point (5 days old), before modern technology. I saw a heart taken apart, the top lobe of the right lung moving up and down, the body put on a bypass machine to keep the body alive, and the heart flatlined. This is a gross image, but think cherry slushy...the scrub nurse put crushed ice in the cracked open chest to keep the heart cool. And there was a piece of equiptment that looks like a whisk.

Christo on Broadway?

Nah. But after seeing half the road torn up and covered with a white canvas, I thought Christo had a new installation.

Wash your damn hands!

At a previous job, I kept tabs on the women at the office who washed their hands and who didn't. I wasn't very nice about the women who did not. And I'm not sorry. I told other woman of the one woman who walked out with soiled hands. I warned people after she touched something in the break room. Filthy. She was the receptionist, too. She locked and opened the door, made coffee, and layed out doughnuts and Einstein bagels.

Progressive

This is nice

Boston

Bands named after cities/countries/continents (i.e. Chicago, Boston,Europe) don't work.

SO...

Why would you name your kid after one?

Alarming

Tonight, I picked up my ringing cell phone and turned off my living room stereo.
6:15?! Oh shit, I thought, guess I should get dressed for work.
My sister, who was on the phone, clarified that if it were 6AM, she would NOT be awake to call me. So I soon realized that it's still Thursday. Phew!

The reason for the late afternoon nap is do to the early morning on my day "off." Those who took and passed the Illinois Bar were sworn in today at 10:20AM. What a LONG LONG LOOOOONG event. For those learning about viscosity in physics class, if the ceremony were a liquid, it has HIGH viscosity...It's like pouring chilled syrup on frozen pancakes while dining in the Arctic tundra...you watch in disbelief how long it takes to pour and when it does, it drags on and on.

You wonder why lawyers and for that matter, Chicago local govt get a bad reputation. I can't believe how "commentors" stood there, first had their resumes read (including what fucking high school he/she attended), then mentioned that their "lovely" child also sat in the audience to be sworn in, and gave trite advice that took more than the 2 minutes originally allocated.

First of all, WHO THE HELL CARES?! Second, how much did you pay to get on the "commentors" list. If this were elementary school, your child's ass would have been kicked in the school yard. Get your cronies off the stage. What was supposed to be an honorable ceremony was so cheapened. The words of the oath were beautiful and the new attorney's who recited them must of been so proud. I only wish the cronies were not invited to an event many people travelled far to witness.

Obama on the Daily Show

After watching Mr. Obama with Jon Stewart (non-sexually) tonight, I actually feel this thing in the pit of my stomach called HOPE. Obama is the bomb.com/kickass. He's witty and charming. I'm so damn glad he's on our side! And the analogy of what is going on with Iraq, I almost wanted to cry b/c it was so right on! In a nutshell, Obama said that our presence in Iraq is like a bus that crashed in a ditch...you're already there, so you have to deal with it...However, one thing we have to do is to: Get another driver b/c he has already fucked up the bus!

Hospital Coffee Shop Man

Dear Mr. Hospital Coffee Shop Man aka Barista*,

You're pretty stuck up. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. We rag on you and how you're such a stuck up prick. It seems to me that you've surrounded yourself by people you hate, hospital people mainly (i.e. doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc) because they're educated and I have to agree, think are God's gift. So you're stuck up back to the people you think are stuck up. Strange. If it weren't for my ear for the White Stripes, you'd never be nice to me. Turd.

Nurse SYC

P.S. sorry for shorting you and the hospital $.10.

*Barista - Pretentious sounding word used by dejected art history and drama majors that describes their employment in order to make themselves feel better about serving coffee.

Example:
-So what have you been up to since you graduated?
- I'm a barista at the Coffee Bean, but only until I get a sitcom.
Taken from www.urbandictionary.com

Running with the rat

Saturday, I ran with my running gal pal in Lincoln Park. We had to stop and walk the last half mile. So there was ample opportunities to see what is lurking in the beautiful fall leaves you can't help but crunch your feet in when you're running. There was one leaf in particular that stood out. We saw it and I thought "Ooh! The brown leaf looks like a rat." Quickly, we figured it was a flat rat, dried out. A cartoon family of birds could have used it as a rug in their living room. Disgusting!

My Portfolio Manager, Mr. Crooks!

I'm looking at page 4 of a mutual fund prospectus...one of the portfolio manager's is Mr. Christopher Crooks!

This fund is a winner!!! Mr. Crooks is hopefully workin for me!

ER meets tennis and Jesse

Oh fruck! ER is getting a little desperate and extreme. I just watched the preview for next week...it involves random "famous" people and a plane crash. COME ON! John Stamos??? Uncle Jesse?? and SERENA Williams??? Serena Williams to me isn't a surprise...she was great on the Simpsons.

I didn't really like tonight's episode. I waited for Ray Liotta's wife's head to roll out of his suitcase. In any case, this was all a set up. Dr. Pratt's gonna talk more to his dad...we will see more Danny Glover.

World Series...A (technical) Houstonian living in Chicago

The fireworks popping outside means the Chicago White Sox have won the World Series. No they swept the World Series. Even Northsiders, who are usually Cubs fans, are celebrating. I don't really follow sports...Unless it's a University of Texas football game...But it's great living in a city of a new winner.

In defense of Houston, the Rockets did sweep a series in the mid-90's...I remember being stuck in traffic off FM 1960 with friends and watching "Cassius" run around the car holding a broom.

Regardless of the winner of the World Series, I win. If I'm not from a city of the winning team (H Town), then I'm living in a city of the winning team (Chicago).

Memo

McKinsey & Co, I think you'll need better PR from this point on.

The memo, prepared with the help of McKinsey & Company, said the board was to consider the recommendations in November. But the memo said that three top Wal-Mart officials - its chief financial officer, its top human relations executive and its executive vice president for legal and corporate affairs - had "received the recommendations enthusiastically."

My I suggest talking to people from Altria.

Now back to Walmart talk...This is what you find when you Google "Walmart Sucks"

It's the screeching bald eagle that does it for me.

"The Colbert Report" is a worthy spinoff, an icy-cold beer chaser to the shot of whiskey that is "The Daily Show."

Life Sans Dominick's

When you find yourself shopping for milk, eggs, and snacks at CVS, you know that things are tough. Over the summer, the neighborhood lost a grocery store that sucked in so many ways, yet locals were drawn to the half-assed produce and endured long lines to check-out with strange employees. Fire got it. We've had to shop for groceries at World Market, a yuppie's indoor-third-world-country market. Tonight, I opened a bag of EXPIRED $3 tortilla chips purchase from there. Pissed I was.

More than a woman

Background- I don't think I blogged about this story, so here's the background story:

Over the summer, I got involved in someone's conversation on the bus. A woman with a backpack purse sitting in the back of the bus moved to the empty seat between me and a young woman caring for a rowdy 3 or 4yr old. Backpack-Purse-Woman proceeded to ask the Teen-Mom if she's ever heard of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). They exchanged words. Teen-Mom was just as shocked as the rest of the bus with Backpack-Purse-Woman aggressive talk.
When Backpack-Purse-Woman wrote on a sheet of paper "ADD" and "Ritalin," and handed it to Teen-Mom, I had to intervene. Poor kid (and her child too). I asked Backpack-Purse-Woman if she were a doctor. When she said no, just as I expected, I told her that she shouldn't go around diagnosing people and that it's really rude. And when she played her "profession card" - "I'm a teacher," I had to put down my "I'm a nurse" card. She shut up and got off at the next stop.

I've seen her around quite a bit since: my fav and local coffee shop, ice cream place around the corner, and neighborhood internet cafe.

Finally, the meat...The story:
My fave and local coffee shop has a bulletin board by the rest room. Clearly displayed on the board is a poster with pictures of Backpack-Purse-Woman, advertising Backpack-Purse-Woman's latest record review on NPR, review by critics, and upcoming performance.

I was shocked. She sings. And she sings well so it seems.

BUT IS SHE REALLY A TEACHER???

Peak Performance

To my chagrin, I opened an email (in the Spam folder) with subject "Peak Performance." I thought, AHHH! I WAS THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS???!!! CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) read my mind...This must be an email regarding their own running clinics also called Peak Performance Program with Coach Bill.

Not the case...the spam mail had to do with male enhancement. I'm a fool.

My Big Fat 80's Bar Mitzvah

Shopgirl

Definitely a good read: http://www.amazon.com...
There was one part in particular I highlighted with a neon yellow highlighter.


Hopefully a good watch: THe NYT's Review suggests so.

Weekend Trip

Um, if you want to get away or plan your destination wedding, consider this place:

Jethro's Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino
Carson City, Nevada

Max Baer purchased the vacant 120,000 square foot Wal-Mart building at the South end of Carson City along U.S. 395 at the Southgate shopping complex, two miles south of the state capitol buildings. The Wal-Mart building will be converted to Jethro's Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino along with the addition of a 240-Room themed Beverly Hillbilly Hotel and a 9-screen stadium seating theater complex.

Damn you Ray!

I hate Rachael Ray. Yet, 17 out of the last 25 keyword searches that pull up my blog are related to her...and how much she is disliked! heheh :)


Here are a few:

rachael ray sucks blog (Yahoo)
rachel ray livejournal drinking game (Yahoo)
rachel ray sux (MSN)
Rachael Ray Hate Club (MSN)
www.livejournal.com/community/rachael-ray-sux (Yahoo)
rachael ray sucks community (Yahoo)

Some Guys Prefer Chicken Vindaloo and some...

Stolen Breasts

you can trust me

Look what I found in my INBOX! How can I say no to the daughter of a cocoa merchant/"busnness" magnet?

FROM:GLORIA YACOUBA.
ABIDJAN-IVORY COAST.
WEST AFRICA.
Dearest One,
Good a thing to write you. I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will. I am Gloria ,22years old and the only daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs. Yacouba. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a cocoa merchant)who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days.
It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Febuary 2000.Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled with him at that time.But God knows the truth! My mother died when I was just 4 years old,and since
then my father took me so special. Before his death on Febuary 12 2000 on our to the hospital and he disclosed to me secretly that he has the sum of two five million,seven hundred thousand United State Dollars.(USD$25.700,000) left in fixed deposit account in one of the leading banks in Abidjan Cote d ivoire Africa .
I am just 22 years old and really don't know what to do.Now I want an account overseas where I can transfer this funds. This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast.The death of my father actually has brought sorrow to my life.
I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards.Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
Now permit me to ask these few questions:-
1. Can you honestly help me as your daughter?
2. Can I completely trust you?
3. What percentage of the total amount in question
will be good for you after the money is in your account?
Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.
Thank you so much.
My sincere regards,
Gloria Yacouba.

Parenting

My walk to work takes me past a private elementary school. The 7:50AM bell rang so I watched a mother, irritated like a pinky toe in new shoes, hurry her child up by telling him that she didn't like him anymore because he was slow.

I won't be surprised to see her and her son eating a big ass fancy ice cream cone. (see previous entry: say-i-love-you-with-sprinkles.html)

Fraud of a movie

The Weatherman...getting hit with a milk shake down the street from Union Station (Chicago) and walking to the store for tartar sauce by the Flatiron building (NYC), according to a street sign...what a joke. Pick a city and stick with it. Don't say you're set in New York but use Chicago as a backdrop. A nurse I work with saw Nick Cage by Northwestern Hospital in Streeterville filming a snow scene...the non-Cocaine type...

What exactly are we reporting?

Why is this news?

How Posh...a DecaDANCE

Prom on Long Island


I remember when the days of metal detectors, dresses from Judy's or Contempo Casuals, and the stretch "limo" aka friend's sister's Toyota Cressida...gasp, school dances, those were the days.

Tried playing sudoku...

and I like it.

Don't buy any books. There are tons of websites that have puzzles online.

However, don't try this if you're a student. Perfect getaway.

Check out this site. It's pretty good. You can play easy, medium, hard and EVIL sudoku's... http://www.websudoku.com

For rules and explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodoku

Brunch

The theme ingredient for this weekend...

BRUNCH

Yesterday, we ate at HOT CHOCOLATE in Bucktown. Freakin good brunch menu. As for the decor, all I can say is simplistic cuteness. Coffee is $4...But it comes in a French press.


Today, we ate at Orange, a cafe with "a peel." They played the entire Weezer Blue album. Since this place is closer to home, Orange is now my official place for brunch. Amazing. Worth the 45 minute wait. The menu is a magazine. The omelets are amalgam of goodness and came with a side of peppery potatoes. And their pancakes are very tasty and creative. Although I got the cinnamon roll pancakes, which are as big as the Kerbey Lane pancakes in Austin, which are yummy, I wished I ordered their pancake flight...16 mini pancakes, 4 different flavors. During the wait, they should provide people with bibs to catch drool. Oh, and they have fresh juice. Next time, we're getting their FRUSHI...fruit arranged like sushi.

Stop, Drop and Roll

Unicef's new campaign to get attention.
Where's Gargamel and Azreal?










Here's Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights (1504). The right panel is his depiction of hell.

Is she the answer to our enlistment quota

Lady, please stop procreating. If you want to have more kids AND have the means to care for them, please adopt.

Slip her some Ortho-Try-Cycline or the birth control patch.

This is why making faithful reader PAY to read your column sucks for you

Although I miss reading Neeck Kristoffffah's column in NYT.com, I'm just not willing to pay for it.

Check out how the NYT.com columnists are slowly losing references to peoples blogs.

Tiny Island People

No, I'm not referring to Flips.

This is a link to Slate.com's Explainer about the tiny person skeleton found in Indonesia. Scientists are considering the tiny person is really just a normal person but born with microcephely, or an unusually small skull.

Kids born with FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often have small heads.

When ever I see an adult with a small head, my first thought is, "your mother drank while pregnant!!!"

peace out.

New Shoes

My feet have a new friend.
Got new running shoes.
Broke them in running with my friend Katie.
5miles in 53 minutes.
In the dark.
By the lake.
Phew.

Say "I love you" with sprinkles

When I see parents buy their child (age 3 - 8) an extravagant ice cream treat, I have to wonder why. At the ice cream place by home, Establishment X, I usually see a child with a hand-dipped waffle cone (sprinkles, chocolate, chocolate with oreo crumbs etc with sprinkles) with ice cream dripping down the side and half a melted scoop on the kids face. This "snack" comes out to about $4 + tax.


When parents spend $4 for an ice cream cone for their child, what are they really buying?

• homemade ice cream (1 regular scoop) and hand-rolled and dipped waffle cone?
• a piece of the American dream?
• or is it guilt for not hugging he or she enough?
• for dieting during pregnancy to look stylish?
  
• a way to soften the blow? "Jimmy, I'm sorry your father is never coming back."
  

Soo...This is how I've interpreted orders at the pricey homemade ice cream places...

Dipped waffle cone with 1 scoop = "I Love You/I'm Sorry"
Waffle Cone with 1 Scoop = "Happy Birthday" or "I'm sorry the bully kicked your ass"

Cake or Sugar Cone with regular sized scoop = "You're special" and "I'm sorry for killing the gold fish"

Cake or Sugar Cone with kids sized scoop = Stable & Healthy Parenting!

Go NADS!

The best things I way on shirts:

"Jenn, Marry ME?!"

"I lost 250lbs."

"Go Daddy"

AND MY FAVORITE..."My boyfriend dumped me on Thursday."



"Jennifer Willbanks, the runnaway bride"

MORE COW BELL!

the beginning of cow bell madness. If your name is on your singlet, i yelled it. If you had Texas shorts, I went extra crazy with the cow bell. 

Kenya Dig IT????

Call them the professionals. This is the beginning of the pack!















Saw a white man with "Today, I'm a Kenyan" on his singlet.

mystery smell

in our building's basement, there is a stench. even one of my neighbors asked me about it. tollwaywarrior and i passed the storage unit that is the epicenter of stink. it didn't remind him of a dead body. nope. reminded him of an asian supermarket i took him to in Houston.

Questions from a curious little patient

My little patient this week had some serious questions for me.
1. Are you a teenager?
2. Are you Chinese?

Here's the jest of our exchange (smirk, the kid is on dialysis, so he's had "exchanges" with the dialysis fluid too)...I asked him how old he thought I was...16 he said. I said older...eventually he got to my age and thought i was full of shit.

When I told him I wasn't from China he did not believe me but went on about karate and kungfu that he's seen on TV. He was a lot more behaved when I told him I broke boards with my palm when I took martial arts as a teenager.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Chicago

I'm wasted.
Just got home from going out.
Tollwaywarrior and his friends passed the IL bar.
I'm wasted.
Realized that I don't have a fav bar in Chicago.
I miss Club Deville in Austin.

My scrub philosophy

I will not purchase scrubs with:

1. hideous wacked out prints such as these feline/canine inspired v-neck, 2 front pocket 65% polyester and 35% cotton:

It's like SPCA vomited on cloth.

("No nurse would get got in these polyester rags!" -Data on the Goonies if the Fertelli's were a family of nurses)

2. Characters that are non-PBS*
That means no Sponge Bob, Disney, or Warner Brothers stuff. I've made the socially conscious choice (snicker) of not encouraging the sick kids who look at my clothes to seek such toy of listed characters. Sesame Street...Dr. Seuss...These are good characters that kids should like. I'm down with wearing that, yo.

*I have to admit that I purchased a scrub top featuring the Simpsons. Barney's next to a Duff beer bottle :). This was a purchase to appease a childhood wish.

Nokia/Sister...sponsor ACL Fest...

So, I didn't make it down to Austin over the weekend for various reasons...such as $500 plane ticket and work.
Since I'm a new nurse in nursing orientation, my schedule is not flexible.
If my preceptor is scheduled to work...guess who is also scheduled?
this girl...you can't see that i'm pointing to myself with my thumb.
I had to be at work at 7AM this morning and the earliest flight back (6AM) would leave me over Oklahoma at the time I should be in my scrubs quaffing hot coffee.
So, the 3-day bands were sold...

BUT! My sister called me frequently to let me listen to Thievery Corporation and Coldplay (also the Austin Weezer show on 9/14). Got to listen to static yet recognizable songs.

None of yo beezwax

Free

Reply to: anon-96506775@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-09-09, 4:21PM

We have a bee hive in a tree stump near the house. You may have the bees for free. They must not be killer bees because they did not go after my husband
after my husband knocked it over with the tractor. This is East of Burnet, Texas.

Original URL: http://austin.craigslist.org/zip/96506775.html
------------------------------

-------------------
this craigslist posting was forwarded to you by someone using our
email-a-friend feature - if you want to prevent these, please go to:
http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/te/pJ3apR3cuUmbuF2cz9GdtdGQslWYvNmLAAQbi

Cataract Toe...BE GONE!

On Saturday, I found myself in an embarrassing situation.

Background: WHen I run, the nail on the toe next to my Big Toe, let us call her Charlie, rubs against my shoe. Over time and many frictionful runs, Charlie became thick and opaque. It's a cataract toe for that reason. I have been waiting for Charlie to retire off my toe.

While in layed on my mat in Pilates class, I lifted my legs in table top position and to my surprise, Charlie was hanging off. (by a nail? opps, bad joke). Hopefully, none of the neighboring people with normal toe nails saw.

YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE

To my neighbor who stole my FedEx package containing my ACL (Austin City Limits) Festival 3-Day passes,

I don't give a shit if you steal my magazines or 20% off coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond. Fucker, YOU totally crossed the line. Hope you get caught. And I hope you get genital warts. ASSHOLE!

-sweetyellowcorn

Not-so-hot Transgender

In my neighborhood, there are about 5 transgenders whose faces you come to know. There are 2 HTG (hot transgenders... Come on! if i were tall like that and had smallish hips...and had a penis, i would be an HGT too.) and 3 NOT-SO-HOT Transgenders (NSHTG).

Yesterday, I saw a NSHTG give his/her number to some man.
WTF?
It's so obvious that the NSHTG was NOT a woman. Even if he/she were a woman, my goodness, what a scary lookin chick!
Asian fetish to the extreme.

5XL in Nursing Scrubs

Attention Community Health Nurses: Find the nurses who buy 5XL scrub bottoms and HELP THEM! Make them get healthy. No more snacks for the third shift. THIS IS SO WRONG! 5XL??


This is in response to my recent and FUTILE trip to the scrub store. There was Jack and Shit for (and Jack left town) for petites. But RACKS of 5XL stuff. Online shopping...the only refuge for petite shopping.

Comment Spam

stay away blogger comment spam.
i don't care about what you're peddling.
call my home phone...(heheh, i don't have a landline...fuckers.)

He hugs black people

Great article on Bush, Katrina Victims, and Race.

It's worth a look...there's a pic of Bush hugging a black family, with a caption that's laugh/snort outloud funny.

Kanye West...damn, he is brave

Leave it to the Jon Stewart Show to keep me up to date to what's going on. I heard that Kanye West said things that were not part of the script...but I didn't know what his exact words were.

Here's what he said (taken from the washington post)

Myers: The landscape of the city has changed dramatically, tragically and perhaps irreversibly. There is now over 25 feet of water where there was once city streets and thriving neighborhoods.

(Myers throws to West, who looked extremely nervous in his super-preppy designer rugby shirt and white pants, which is not like the arrogant West and which, in retrospect, should have been a tip-off.)

West: I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, "They're looting." You see a white family, it says, "They're looking for food." And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help -- with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!

(West throws back to Myers, who is looking like a guy who stopped on the tarmac to tie his shoe and got hit in the back with the 8:30 to La Guardia.)

Myers: And subtle, but in many ways even more profoundly devastating, is the lasting damage to the survivors' will to rebuild and remain in the area. The destruction of the spirit of the people of southern Louisiana and Mississippi may end up being the most tragic loss of all.

(And, because Myers is apparently as dumb as his Alfalfa hair, he throws it back to West.)

West: George Bush doesn't care about black people!

Clerks 2??

Could there really be a sequel to Clerks? If Dante is still at the Quick Stop or Randall is still at the video store, I don't know what's happening in the great state of New Jersey.

(The jobs they eventually moved to were...um, I have to say it, OUTSOURCED.)

http://viewaskew.com/news/clerks2/

I hate Rachael Ray

She is the most ANNOYING personality on FoodTV! I can't help but be a total bitch and point out how much she:

• claps her hands
• shrugs her shoulders
• giggles

I'm sure more females are annoyed by her than males.
She's too perky!
I bet if I bitch-slapped her she would still giggle.

Read this on MSNBC www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9189565/site/newsweek/

RR Drinking Game: http://www.slobak.com/rachaelray.html

Here's a blog dedicated to pointing out how much she SUCKS! You even have to be a member of the community to post comments.
www.livejournal.com/community/rachael_ray_sux/

Just a sample of what you can find:

02 September 2005 @ 05:46 pm by luxlis

So i'm watching 30 Minute Meals (I was in the mood for a good hate) and she's making something called 'Open-faced Calzones'.

Yeah, I think I've had one of those, Rach.... it was called a pizza, you stupid bitch.

Please Don't Drop Me

Zoom In...See the look of fear on the Groom's face?

Labor Day Weekend: A Summary

Strange weekend. It was like rolling down the car window to peak at people's most intimate moments in life. One day you're crying for one person's loss...The next day you're crying in celebration of life.

Saturday
Morning: Catholic Memorial
Evening: Wine and Cheese yuppie Gathering (at home)

Sunday
Morning: 5 hour drive to Indianapolis with a puppy* and crate in tow
Afternoon: Lunch at Arby's (Lafayette, IN)
Evening: Jewish Wedding (Downtown Indianapolis)...Beautiful ceremony, reception...everything. Very drunk by the end of the night.

Monday
Morning: Southwest Airline from Indianapolis to Chicago Midway
Afternoon: 5 hour nap
Evening: Banana Chip Ice Cream...I got the last scoop at Bobtail Ice Cream
Watched The Constant Gardner

*HUGE puppy

Anderson Cooper rips LA Senator (D) a new one

Gotta love the news guy who tells a senator that the beaurocrats aren't doing shit and need to stop patting each other on the back for the ease and speed of emergency sessions regarding aid and funding to New Orleans. In times like this, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GET ALONG!

There's a replay of the interview on this site.
http://www.slate.com/id/2125581/

Check this blog out

EU Rota, a libertarian blogger from Washington, D.C., who usually focuses on EU politics, has EU Rota, a libertarian blogger fromdelved into LexisNexis to show that President Clinton considered levee-building a "local problem," not a federal issue. "The post is not a slam on President Clinton, it merely shows that his administration was not exactly tackling the flood-control issue in Louisiana," he writes. "… No amount of money can guarantee the risk-free existence so craved by the US Left."

This was from Slate.com http://www.slate.com/id/2125630/?nav=fix

Lt. General Russell Honore for President

I've never been so impressed by and proud of a single stranger. The "Ragin Cajun" is what the troops call him. Lt. General Honore is a no-nonsense ball-buster who seems to get stuff done. CNN showed him as someone who cares and shows no resistance to working with the soldiers and being with the New Orleans/Katrina victims. From the perspective of someone watching the suffering and disorder on TV, he is a welcome presence. He is definitely a BADASS!

Despot

If we had a despot running our country, he/she would have whipped New Orleans into order already.

Update on sweetyellowcorn

my piece of shit HP PAVILLON laptop blows, so i haven't been able to upload any pics to this blog.

good news is that i'm making dumplings tonight for friends. East meets West with turkey dumplings and potstickers.

Afraid to say the "R" word or "C" word

Slate.com keeps it real...
http://www.slate.com/id/2124688/nav/tap2/

Just read this....funny shit

http://longislandpress.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=2037

Catholicism...WOW!

Catholic Frats...the future of Catholicism
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9024945/site/newsweek/

Appliance on Overstock.com

If you live in a small apt, trailer, or airplane, then THIS is for you.

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=1151789#

Conversation Transition

When you thought the UPS/Fed EX experience wasn't cute/absurd enough, I saw something else.

Tollwaywarrior and I were walking while talking about poor Emmitt Till.

(Apparently, he had a speech impediment. His mom told him to whistle if he couldn't get what he wanted to say out of his mouth. Ironic and Tragic.)

To say the least, the conversation was a little serious. Mood completely changed when I looked what was sitting on a local ice cream shop's bench...Homeless dude, with huge afro, holding a blow-up baseball bat featuring the Simpsons.

Funny?
Maybe? Maybe not?
You had to be there.

Fed Ex Dude Vs. UPS Dude

If this is possible, then peace is just a handshake and beer away for rivals...
Get a tissue now...

Yesterday afternoon, I watched the Fed Ex Dude and UPS Dude exchange smiles and "how are you's?"
These men separated themselves from the uniform.
I wanted to cry for joy.

This consumer's report

i hate my HP (Hewlett Packard) laptop...or "desktop replacement unit" as the HP rep called it 3 years ago. it's a pavilion 1250 and has to be the most unreliable piece of shit money can buy! right now I am blogging through a Dell Inspiron 2650 that is literally held together by white medical adhesive tape! this poor thing is more reliable than my HP which has had 4 new hard drives installed over the last 2.5 years.

As for other HP products, I love the printers. I have HC PSC 1610 All-In-One Copier/Printer/Scanner and if it were possible, I would be honored to bear its children. In the words of Ferris Bueller, it's SO CHOICE.

I need a new laptop.

Dear Santa...

SWC

The Dork Knight

OMG, you can buy Silent Bob's signature coat.

If you are a Kevin Smith fan, have a few bucks to spare, and have a room dedicated to COOOOOL SHIT, I advise you to buy everything from Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash.

I want everything:

Brotherhood of the Union Dealers - Membership Card

If only I were still in college...

Brodie Bruce

Just saw the commercial for "My Name is Earl" on NBC...some show starring Jason Lee. JASON LEE?? WTF? He's a former skateboarder turned actor. Not that one can't change careers...But who knew? To me, he will always be Mallrat's Brodie Bruce.

If it's brown, drink it down

So if I have "shit brown eyes," is this sink water the proper color?

Did I forget to pay the water bill?

Or is this my own espresso machine in the bathroom?

So Proud...SHE'S FLIP!

New head chef at the White House.

A naturalized U.S. citizen from the Phillipines, Comerford has a bachelor's degree in Food Technology from the University of the Philippines. She has worked at Le Ciel in Vienna, Austria and at restaurants in two Washington hotels -- the Westin and the ANA.

Palace of Fine Arts 

Chinatown, San Francisco

To get the rarefied Chinatown Experience, you have to go on the streets off and parallel to Grant Street. There you will find the spices and herbs, choice underwater creatures, and live and cooked fowl. We found the authentic Chinatown smell at the grocery store.

"It's stinky and sweet at the same time!"

Here are a few shots of tasty birds.

Chicken 

Chinatown's finest fowl

Yesterday's duck is today's Peking Duck