Going Places

oh, zark!

2012-01-24T01:36:00.000Z

Arkansas sunsets really do it for me.

boom!

2012-01-12T17:40:00.000Z

I just paid off my credit card debt. holy guacamole, that felt good :)

Now it's time to put my money to good use and put my career to even better use! Pretty excited about 2012. Pretty much.

staple gun fun

2012-01-03T22:28:00.000Z

please pay no attention to the cat-butt indentation on the couch cushion.

I found this little ditty at goodwill outlet for a whopping $2. Yes, $2. I was out of town for a long time, and couldn't be bothered for awhile, so I left it sitting in the back seat of my car until this weekend I realized there would be weekend sales going on.

For $5 (50% off) I picked up 5/8 yard of creamy white vinyl (it's less plastic-y and more leather-y) at Hancock fabrics in Kirkland, then tore up the original '90s teal-green nasty fabric and went at it with a staple gun. Now I have a cute, clean, COMFORTABLE task chair for sewing and doing my arts & crafts at home (aka, entering expenses for work) and it only cost me $7 + 1.5 hrs of effort!

Dad says he preferred the original. Mom rolled her eyes. What do you think?

new year

2012-01-01T01:06:00.002Z

Where did 2011 go? It felt like once I made the decision to leave my job and join my current firm, time sped up exponentially. And now in December, I'm feeling like 2011 left a lot to be desired. I don't feel like I did much on a personal level.

I've been mulling over goals and next steps. I want to make 2012 one of my best years, ever, right up there with 2010 and 2008. Maybe there's something about the even numbered years? I found an old vision / brainstorm diagram from when I spent new year's in Austin with my friend N, and found a few half-started one note notebooks about goals and resolutions and personal development. It got me excited about potential. True to form, I started thinking about programs and strategies and experts... and then I read a blog post that helped me level set and cut through the noise.

Until you quiet the resistance and commit to actually shipping things that matter, all the productivity tips in the world aren't going to make a real difference. And, it turns out, once you do make the commitment, the productivity tips aren't that needed.

You don't need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment.

-Seth Godin

So, here's to 2012. And here's what I commit to accomplishing, however it happens to take shape. I commit to living my year:

well-read (a healthy mix of genres, a healthy number of books and blogs)
well-fed (clean eating, not too little, not too much)
well-traveled (both domestic and international)
well-spent (within my means, debt free, excepting the condo, by 2013)
well-lived (reduced wasted time, busy work, out and about, healthy mix of physical activity and brainpower)
well-loved (quality time with family and friends, share more of myself with those I hold dear)

xoxo,

Rachel

the cure

2011-12-29T19:48:00.000Z

‎"The cure for anything is salt water-sweat, tears, or the sea."

-Isak Dinesen

a friend posted this on facebook today. so true! i love it.

crystal bridges

2011-12-21T17:12:00.000Z

last week, i didn't peace out of ar-Kansas until saturday. by friday afternoon, i was pooped. long work week, long days. i decided to visit crystal bridges. holy cow, that place is incredible. blows my mind that this place is in smalltown arkansas. i wandered through the museum by myself, sans headphones or tour guides, and left feeling oddly calm & relaxed. i know some of you get to hear me sarcastically refer to the time i spend in the ozarks, but i honestly do like it here.

taking my favorite muppets to see the muppets.

2011-12-21T16:50:00.000Z

a coupla weekends ago i decided to forego (forewent?) my flight home and visited the acceptable children instead. I am not ashamed to admit I'm a huge fan of the muppets, and while I'm not sure their adoration is quite on par with mine, it's nice to have the acceptable children as an excuse to go see things like this exhibit at EMP and the Muppet Movie.

cameron couldn't be bothered :)

Then we hit up the church christmas party. i recommend only attending these sorts of things with the entertainment of small acceptable children.

still couldn't be bothered...

until dad started teasing him...

and he decided this little game wasn't so bad..

...after all.

took awhile to "prime the pump" but
once he got some food in his system, he was back to being pleasant.

this NEVER happens.

2011-12-15T23:01:00.000Z

how we do.

2011-12-07T20:19:00.000Z

yesterday, at my account team's monthly planning meeting, we ended with an "are you a wine snob?" tasting party and white elephant gift exchange. well, i'm (luckily) allergic to sulfites, so i used that as my excuse to bow out of the brown-bag red wine tasting, but you better believe i participated in the white elephant!

my gift (we had a $10 limit) consisted of:

a tshirt in this print,
with the message "arkansas: where you were born to hunt" emblazoned on the chest. $2

a huge slim jim + processed cheese. $2.

Hand warmer. $2

Arkansas repreSENT!

{30 day photo challenge} day 6: from a low angle

2011-12-07T16:52:00.001Z

I left my badge at home and haven't gotten a replacement ID badge. In the meantime, I'm relegated to the supplier collaboration rooms and have been sitting below this gentleman for 12 hour days. It's awesome.

epic australia.

2011-12-05T21:42:00.002Z

so.... the trip.

first, i spent a few days with bro and SIL down south, working from "home" (their home, anyway) and getting things at work all wrapped up and ready for vacation. oh, PS: may i just say, i LOVED spending time with my SIL. she is somebody i would want to be friends with even without being my SIL. we went shopping together, she took me to a freaking cheap (it's how i do) nail salon for mani/pedi.

the night before i left for AU, i decided we should celebrate bro's birthday, since i guess technically for me it'd never happen (taking off on 11/16, losing 11/17, landing on 11/18) so i treated him to dinner. we visited the redondo beach pier and met a friendly little guy:

yeah, that would be a legit taxidermied great white shark. probably not the best pre-great barrier reef sight....

then i met up with my travel companion cousin in LAX and we caught our flight together to brisbane/cairns. i figured with the int'l date line and time change, i'd be best off staying awake for a few hours, then getting a legit 8 hours' sleep and just pretending that day never happened. it was super cold on the plane and not the comfiest in economy, but luckily nobody sat in between us and with curling up in fetal position and taking over that middle seat for my feet, i got a legit 8-9 hours and wasn't very jetlagged at all.

we landed around 7am, took the next flight to cairns, and luckily since my cousin did not have any pork loin with her (what the?! seriously, this is the question they've deemed of utmost importance? not meat in general, but pork loin specifically?)

we got to palm cove a little after 1 or so.

after a couple of little initial snafus, our time in cairns was just what the doctor ordered.

we visited a few touristy sights (rainforest canopy hike, tropical zoo, an epic/nauseating drive along the coast),

enjoyed the hotels

and esplanade,

and went on a FANTASTIC scuba/snorkeling adventure in the great barrier reef (we went with quicksilver and it was an all day deal with over 3 hours in the water) SO GREAT. i will update this post to include the underwater pictures once i bust out the CD we caved and bought from the underwater photographer Wing Ding (no, no, i am not kidding. that's his name.)

but anyway, yes, we saw nemo. and the big ol' clams like unto the little mermaid. and big huge ugly maori something or other fish with nasty teeth and a penchant for loudly chomping down on coral mere centimeters from my face..... it was, by far, my best sightseeing adventure to date.

then we headed down to sydney for the remainder of the trip.

but oh, it raiiiined.

and rained.

and rained.

soooo, we went to lots of museums and indoor things. my souvenir ended up being an umbrella instead of a shoe-venir, i wore the same jeans and sweater (aka, the only "warm" clothes i'd packed) for most of those days, and my favorite travel shoes became a soggy stinky mess and if i can't get the musty smell out of them, i'm sadly going to toss the ol' workhorses and send 'em to the glue factory.

oh, but i totally recommend the convict sydney exhibit. it was probably my favorite tourist thing we did there.

so was the aquarium.

by day 3 of feeling like i'd traveled all the way around the world just to visit...well, seattle, i was so ready to throw in the towel. i was cold and soggy, my flat iron didn't work with the voltage adapter so my hair was epically frizzy and yuck, i was tired.... anyway, we checked into the marriott (thank you, platinum points!) for saturday night. that morning in the executive lounge over pastries and reading material, i looked out the window, snapped this shot:

and then set down the camera, looked over at my cousin and told her i just wasn't sure i could stand another day schlepping around in the soggy city. she told me she would will the sunshine back. and lo and behold! she did! i kid you not, within 30 minutes the sun had returned.

you look good in blue, sydney.

we booked it back downstairs, changed clothes, and took a ferry over to manly, where the beach was closed to swimmers and beginning surfers due to pollution from all the inclement weather or sumsing. that's ok.

it was nice to warm up, dry out, people-watch and partake of some delicious food.

aussie pie. mmm.

at around 6pm we decided to book it over to bondi to squeeze out every last remaining drop of sunshine enjoyment we could. unfortunately i stupidly got off the bus and followed who i thought were asian tourist beachgoers. not so, unless they were lost, too. sooooo, we started walking in the general direction of the water........ through a park... through a... neighborhood.... stopped a man out on a walk (yes,yes he did laugh at us when i asked "so, um, where's the beach?!" not unlike mr. bean) and finally (precious daylight waning) just hailed a cab driven by a shaky-handed old man and arrived at bondi an hour after we'd left the hotel. gah.

once we got there.... it didn't disappoint.**

**ok, maybe the slightly chilly breeze disappointed a little. maybe.

sunday after sleeping in a tiny bit and a delicious breakfast, we took the opera house tour in the morning.

then we rented a car and drove out through the blue mountains. again, did not disappoint, especially since for this leg of the trip my cousin did the driving (who as it turns out LOVES to drive, whereas I most definitely do not).

hey, so did you know there's a three sisters in the blue mountains in oregon, and another three sisters in australia? yep.

we wanted to take one of the cableways along the cliff, but it was closed waiting for parts, so we took the world's steepest railway instead. apparently the world's steepest railway is just a caged-in car that drives right up and down along the cliff. um, it was basically awesome. and a wee bit terrifying. they didn't strap you in or anything, so i kind of got a decent little leg workout in for the whopping 60 second "ride".

we drove back to a sydney suburb for our last night. since we were leaving at the crack of dawn, we opted to stay at a courtyard marriott for only 15k points. that was a nice plan and all, but attempting to find an open restaurant in suburbia on a sunday night? nooooot fun. we finally did, though, and when we got back to the hotel, wing ding's cousin was randomly dancing in a parking space. sans music. for.... over 20 minutes. by himself. did i mention sans music? seriously. yes, i'm a creeper who takes video of some random stranger dancing alone in the dark in a chain hotel parking lot. yes. i'm the creeper who uploads it for your viewing pleasure.

the flight back was much more painful then the flight out. of the 17 hour flight, i think i eked out about 3 hours of restless rest. we were on a behemoth of an airbus jet, it was huuuge. the in seat entertainment had a cool feature called "skycam" that showed streaming video from the tail of the plane.

again, we landed around 6-7am. here's where my cousin and i parted ways - her to continue home to dallas and me to kick around LA for awhile longer. i went to breakfast with brother, again, went out and about shopping with SIL. i bought a really pretty pair of blinged out earrings kinda like my kid sister's from her trip to LA in august. anyway, we were on our way to the beach when she turned to me at a stoplight and said, "um, rachel, your eyes look like you've been crying. and you're really quiet...." so yeah, i caved and told her i was just too tired for hermosa. instead of the beach, we went back to their apt, where i took a shower, stood under the water in a sleep-deprived stupor for a very long time, repacked my suitcase to include my work laptop and the good stuff I bought in LA, and then caught my final flight to seattle.

and now here i am... exactly one week later in 32 degree northwest arkansas weather, still (sadly) fairly uncertain what time zone i'm living in, brain-dead and trying to dig myself out from underneath the work email and home chaos.

but honestly, i wouldn't have it any other way.

shout out to my cousin for helping me experience epic australia!

Austria? Put another shrimp on the barbie!

2011-11-03T13:04:00.002Z

The countdown to our Australia trip is on! Eeeeeeeeee!

We'll be spending the first chunk of time in Cairns, and the second in Sydney, so two sorta different types of trips rolled in one.

The idea:

The hope:

since i'm going to go for open water dives in chilly puget sound to hopefully get certified before the trip, and will see more of this:

I think this is a very real possibility:

Anyway, we'll see. However things go, I'm kind of excited. And since I'm currently 115% billable on top of a time consuming travel schedule, I think it's well deserved.

allergies

2011-10-27T17:29:00.000+01:00

here's what i think i may possibly have allergies/intolerance:

the high volumed music selection at XNA airport
shellfish / iodine
any laundry detergent besides the stuff at my house
mineral makeup
cats
my phone
non-aveeno lotion
towneplace suites
cigarette smoke
dating
the "second shift" at my job
ombligo
estrogen

i wouild really love to figure out what's giving me hives and then get rid of it. problem is, i'm pretty sure i'm allergic to my life. and not about to get rid of that.

{30 day photo challenge} day 5: from a high angle

2011-10-26T01:29:00.000+01:00

Click here to learn why I'm doing this little project.

grand tetons're down there.

2011-10-10T22:08:00.000+01:00

courtesy cookus interruptus

Worse than a bachelor.

2011-10-01T00:00:00.001+01:00

Gross, right? Even worse? I took a look, then decided I didn't want to a) smell it as it glugged down the kitchen sink and b) walk it up the stairs, then down the stairs to the dumpster, so instead I snapped this pic and shut the door.
Its waiting for me when I get home.

In 2 more weeks.

Ew.

{30 day photo challenge} day 4: something green

2011-09-28T14:49:00.000+01:00

{Click here to learn why I'm doing this little project.}

yup. it really is THAT green up in here.

{30 day photo challenge} day 3: clouds

2011-09-27T23:05:00.000+01:00

{Click here to learn why I'm doing this little project.}

Above the rain

Just try

2011-09-26T20:46:00.001+01:00

Waking to 80s rock without a smile. Impossible. (Even at 530am)

I recommend "take me home tonight" by Eddie money. Wah oh oh oh oh!

{30 day photo challenge} day 2: what you wore today

2011-09-23T15:24:00.000+01:00

{Click here to learn why I'm doing this little project.}

courtesy anthropologie from a bajillion years ago.
i still get compliments on it though, so it stays in heavy rotation.

{30 day photo challenge} day 1: self portrait

2011-09-22T21:50:00.002+01:00

{Click here to learn why I'm doing this little project.}

ugh.

(sigh.) Would you believe the big holdup to getting this stupid thing started was my intense dislike of self portraits? So here ya go, self portrait via camera phone, in the windowless conference room that is my second home, straight into the blogger app. And boom goes the dynamite.

Now I can move on to prettier photo subjects in the challenge.

this is why.

2011-09-20T15:44:00.000+01:00

This weekend is precisely why I opt for the soul-sucking, time intensive jobs. I was able to opt for east coast travel instead of my normal flight home to seattle, and spend good quality family time with SIL, bro and the acceptable children.

Yep, they continue to be acceptable. Surprising them was the high point. OG (that's original gangsta) acceptable child was literally shocked speechless when wendi pulled up to me at the airport drive. the next morning when cameron and mike came home from their campout, cameron walked into the kitchen, stopped in his tracks, tried not to smile and then, "aunt waychow. you're... you're heowww..." then just sorta flopped into my lap (as a hug?) and punched my hand (as hello?). julie, on the other hand, was totally cool with it all. just greeted me right along everyone else like it was no different. "mommy!!!!!!! daddyyyyyyy! rachellllllll!"

gratuitous kid pics:

apple orchard.

shortly after taking this picture, i was attacked by killer tropical storm mosquitos and
received a massive mosquito bite tumor on my entire forehead.
this is no exaggeration. it could be seen from the kitchen window.

she likes changing up her perspective sometimes.

i've finally experienced the ah-ah voice in person.

rocking her "superhero cate!" that aunt rachel "made" yeah, so maybe i only facilitated. ok, so "strongly encouraged" wendi to make it while i was still around. hey. i know how to secure favorite aunt status!

10 bucks says she doesn't take it off all week.

Love them!

since i post soooo much.

2011-09-20T15:13:00.000+01:00

Soooooo.... I haven't exactly been all that blog-talkative in recent ~~months~~ years, but on a whim I decided to participate in a friend's "Typical Tuesday" guest blogger thing. I'll admit, it was kinda fun to do. Probably not as fun to read, but hey :) If you're looking for more wit, entertainment, photo ops, then keep reading her blog!

Here's the post. And here's my half-aced apology to my blog readers (all 5 of you) and a hope that I'll write more in future ~~daysweeks~~ months.

countdown to autumn

2011-09-14T02:29:00.001+01:00

we're at t minus 10 days.

i hadn't seen the light of day since key west (le sigh) and as pathetic as this makes me sound, i've actually been wearing sweaters to ward off the super strong a/c up in here, up in here. soooo, despite 110 degree nutso weather, my skin is, well, even whiter than my lovely porcelain-skinned kid sis.

she was pretty pleased to learn about this. she's usually the whitest of the sibs.

can i just say, i feel a little ripped off! such a corporate sellout, giving away my entire summer 2011 to the man.

i spent all day saturday outside enjoying what might be the last of seattle's good weather (85 and cloudless). gave me a bit of a sunburn - whaaaaat?!

whine, whine. sniffle.

ok. on that note... back to work.

it's funny now that it's over

2011-09-03T00:27:00.000+01:00

this is where i wanted to be last night at 2am:

this is of the bed in the rome hilton, but you get the idea.

instead, because i am an idiot and despite the tangle of cords in my codi bag, i neglected to bring this:

the picture i took on sunday did me no good from the safety of my battery-drained cell phone.

gaah! 3, not 5, not 6. THREE!!!!

for the record, the police stand in the terminal, the ground transportation information desk, and the baggage claim area are worthless and devoid of life after 1am.

thank you baby jesus for helping the parking garage payment attendant be brilliant and look up whatever database they have that shows pictures of all of the cars each day, and thank you baby jesus for letting me forget to put my car registration paper in the car instead of in my laptop case so i could actually provide my license plate number.

Hello, latest obsession.

2011-09-01T18:57:00.002+01:00

Have we all heard of Pinterest?

I love brainstorming, i love inspiration/moodboards and I loooove planning. I'm also always on the lookout for home improvement and refining my home decor. This is a great site for all of the above. Here's what the PInterest people say about their site:

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.

If I ever get the a spare moment or moment of boredom, I'm gonna upload and "pin" all the magazine clippings currently stuffed in a magazine holder in my armoire, take snapshots of clothes/shoes and have a pinterest heyday.

Join me!

on why i'm happy being considered a heretic.

2011-08-22T19:53:00.001+01:00

I've been called a heretic on more than one occasion - mostly as a joke between friends, sometimes as a bit of a jab from church leaders and church members. The more years that go by and the more doubting moments (that always seem to grow into "teachable moments") the happier I am being considered a heretic. Here's a quote I stumbled upon last week.

"Some say that the open-minded leave room for doubt. But I believe we should doubt some of the things we hear. Doubt has a place if it can stir in one an interest to go out and find the truth for one’s self. I should like to awaken in everyone a desire to investigate, to make an independent study of religion, and to know for themselves whether or not the teachings of the church are true... There are altogether too many people in the world who are willing to accept as true whatever is printed in a book or delivered from a pulpit. Their faith never goes below the surface soil of authority. I plead with everyone I meet that they may drive their faith down through that soil and get hold of the solid truth... Then, and only then, will we be able to defend our religion successfully. When I speak of defending our religion, I do not mean such defense as an army makes on the battlefield but the defense of clean and upright and virtuous life lived in harmony with an intelligent belief and understanding of the gospel."

Hugh B. Brown.

new project

2011-08-11T20:23:00.001+01:00

I'm definitely going to participate in this. Apparently I tend to do a little better with the short term blogging challenges, and then fall off the radar when life takes over :)

Image source credit here

Who else is with me? It would be REALLY fun to see this from family and friends!

Daydreaming

2011-08-11T00:09:00.001+01:00

I wish I were here right now.

Got my hair did.

2011-08-08T01:51:00.001+01:00

It seriously made my weekend. Amazing what a little bit of pampering can do.

yes please.

2011-07-19T14:00:00.000+01:00

would somebody like to buy this for me?

so what if i'm fickle.

2011-07-18T23:21:00.000+01:00

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"
-John Maynard Keynes

Testing

2011-07-11T01:49:00.001+01:00

Just downloaded mobile blogger. If I like it, you can expect to see more (possibly obnoxious ) photos of the day and similar short posts. Better that than nothing, right?

In unrelated news, here's a picture of acceptable child #3 modeling Archie mcphee stuff. Pretty sure this one will haunt her for years to come. :-)

thank you for that.

2011-07-04T05:44:00.002+01:00

it's been awhile. i've been in a bit of a "can't be bothered" kinda mood, on top of getting up to speed with the new job. there's a lot still up in the air, but i'm learning to take things one day at a time instead of focusing on making future plans (as per usual).

i've been trying to get more involved with some volunteer work at the ronald mcdonald house and cancer care alliance. went over there right after work (aka, inching along the bridge about 5 mph) picked up Prez at her place, then headed over. everything was great, right up to the very last 30 seconds in which said aforementioned Prez called down the hallway after me, "oh, by the way, how long have you had that dress?"

i looked down at my black belted shirtdress and tan coach shoes, admitting, "i got this in 2007. why?"

"you really need to get a new wardrobe, rachel dear. wear more color! don't wear something i would wear."

picture stunned silence, a pinched smile, and me literally fleeing the scene.

thankfully, a good friend talked me down from the proverbial ledge while i drove home, reminding me that said aforementioned Prez likely has no idea that employers of my variety actually explicitly suggest conservative, primarily solid, muted neutrals, that she probably also didn't think about my direct route from work.

it helped.

lesson learned: it's ok to ignore somebody giving you fashion advice about this:

when they're rocking these:

just sayin'.

Wild Geese

2011-06-12T03:19:00.000+01:00

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

by Mary Oliver.

by the way...

2011-04-14T22:26:00.000+01:00

cat's out of the bag. here's how i broke the news.

whatever would i do without Bureau of Communication!

Now I just need to hang in there for 3 more weeks, go see my little bro get hitched, take a couple of trips and call'er a day!

one month.

2011-04-11T04:34:00.000+01:00

wow.

so, this post hinted at a few changes on the horizon. ironically, a few days after writing this stuff down, i got a random, completely unsolicited phone call that set a bunch of changes in motion. hoooo boy. my life's about to become very, very different, and hopefully in positive ways. sorry for being so cryptic, but this IS the interwebs, after all!

how i feel today.

2011-03-28T17:39:00.000+01:00

image source: istockphoto

hoping for my sake (and the sake of my poor bloodshot eyeballs) that things start to improve soon. in the meantime.... barely treading water. obviously.

heartbreaking

2011-03-17T06:41:00.000Z

I got bangs! I'm so now.

2011-02-28T04:01:00.001Z

Don't worry. My hair is still blonde in the daylight.

good reminders

2011-02-17T19:55:00.000Z

considering what i've been through the past few weeks/months, reading these two are good reminders why i'm doing what i'm doing.

There are two kinds of people in the world . . .

Those who make your life easier —
and those who make it harder.

Those whose presence helps you perform better —
and those whose presence makes you do worse.

Those concerned about doing the work —
and those concerned about getting the credit.

Those who leave you feeling up —
and those who leave you feeling down.

Those who simplify —
and those who complicate.

Those who listen when others are talking —
and those who wait when others are talking.

Those who give —
and those who take.

Those who last —
and those who fade.

Which are you?

source: Daniel Pink

The goal, no matter what you sell, is to be seen as irreplaceable, essential and priceless. If you are all three, then you have pricing power. When the price charged is up to you, when you have the power to set the price, there is a line out the door and you can use pricing as a signaling mechanism, not merely a way to make a living.

Of course, the realization of what it takes to create value might break your heart, because it means you have to specialize, take risks, create art, leave a positive impact and adopt generosity in all you do. It means you have to develop extraordinary expertise and that you are almost always hanging way out of the boat, about to fall out.

source: Seth Godin.

I've been slacking. protecting my heart. hovering around the general. avoiding risks. avoiding creating anything lasting. self-centered.

and i don't want to let this become the trend for 2011. time to make some adjustments.

Hell hath no fury

2011-01-31T06:15:00.001Z

...like a man scorned?

Through the joys of the postal service, I've been receiving all sorts of gems in the mail. Unsolicited.

Sex ed... how to be a single mother... working mother... get married. ...

The latest though... wow. Just wow. I wonder what the mailman thinks of me by now.

fabulous

2011-01-24T16:53:00.001Z

There are those [relationships] that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you who you love, that's just fabulous.

"Carrie Bradshaw", Sex and the City (final episode, final quote)

as seen at work:

2011-01-17T17:14:00.001Z

The mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work unless it's open.

realization.

2011-01-14T20:12:00.001Z

image courtesy fotolia

when you take the time to get clear about what you want, you stand a better chance of getting it.

probably because then you're less likely to be distracted by all of the other things that life throws your way...

twenty-one-one

2011-01-04T01:53:00.002Z

image courtesy: istockphoto

Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

I'm looking forward to 2011. i'm still all about my desire to simplify and be happy. more specifically though, here's what i want to do with this year:

make pretty things: photos, decor, music, style my clothes
visit pretty places: maybe this year it's puerto vallarta, the r.b. to visit little bro, australia. wouldn't mind a repeat of the theme park known as mexico for americans (aka, cabo)
free up the baggage: reduce possessions to the essentials, make donations each month, lower bodyfat to 22-24% (fit)
enjoy my time: take quick day / weekend trips, make an effort to return phone calls, host get togethers, enjoy down time and pampering time for myself. take sunday afternoon naps. actually, every night... SLEEP!
waste less: pay off cc, spend less on the meaningless things, try not to buy duplicates
use what i already have: do every workout dvd i own (2+ times), wear every pair of shoes i own (2+ times), improve/maintain the existing programs at work. aka, don't try to reinvent the wheel or start from zero every time.
love: family, friends, strangers, self

Attagirl

2010-12-22T04:37:00.001Z

Went Christmas shopping with z. Really fun night.

Test 2

2010-12-07T02:59:00.001Z

Just looking for a user friendly app. Stand by.

Test 2

2010-12-06T17:05:00.001Z

Just looking for a user friendly app. Stand by.

testing...

2010-12-06T06:25:00.001Z

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

happy thanksgiving

2010-11-29T04:43:00.001Z

made it home from meheeco in time for tgiving, clarkpride style. in a fit of irrational thinking last year, i asked my mom to let me try cooking the meal. i figured since it was the parentals + kid sis Z + me it wouldn't be a big deal if i messed up too badly. but it ended up being totes ridic. so freakin good. so freakin good i asked my mom to let me do a repeat performance and said she could (ok, should) invite other people. you know, so i could hear more praise, gushing, om nom nom, etc.

of course we live in an area where everyone lives near their respective extended families, so nobody was on the guest list up until the day of. the weather got gross in seattle (icy, snowy, looked like it would be a repeat performance of a coupla years ago) so at the last minute my piano teacher from high school and her husband, and some lady my mom knows and her husband ended up coming. thanks, crap weather!

my piano teacher is kind of awesome. they're a quirky couple, she has to be the most stunning (seriously, she's aged very well) 70+ year old woman i've ever met, and after years of working for boeing and traveling all over the world + raising extremely musically inclined children, they have plenty of great stories. randy is her youngest son and he is deaf (but reads lips). when i was in high school, i used to sit by him in church and type / dictate the talks. he didn't want a deaf translator because, as he put it, "i want all the words, i don't want someone's interpretation."

anyway.

the surprise. kay logged onto skype and we watched randy (profoundly deaf, married to a profoundly deaf woman and raising their adopted profoundly deaf child) playing his recently purchased white grand piano while his wife and daughter sang along. afterwards, kay told me he was really hoping i would be there to see it. also, my mom. i guess years ago my mom asked him if he ever had any interest in playing the piano. he looked at her like she was nuts and said, "um, i'm deaf...." my mom said something to the effect of, "well, but there's always vibrations, the tactile skill of reading music...." it feels kinda good when things and people and experiences resurface from years ago.

after the skype session was rudely cut off by my dead battery, we listened to kay play some christmas music and then sent everyone home with leftovers.

i know z was bored out of her mind with all the "old people" lingering after dinner, but that had to be one of my favorite thanksgivings in a long time.

in related news, here's the recipe for the frawsome stuffing i made. i don't like thanksgiving dishes (i have issues with soggy food, can't stand the texture of most tg dishes) so my advice is don't cook it inside the turkey, that's just gross.

1 lb sweet Italian sausage or mix sweet + hot
1 onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 c dried apricots, chopped
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 T fresh sage, chopped
1 loaf potato rosemary artisan bread, torn in pieces
3 c chicken or turkey stock
1 t salt + 1/2 t ground pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T(ish) butter

In a large skillet set over low heat, break up the sausage and cook a bit. Add in onion and celery, and cook until sausage is cooked through and onions and celery are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the apricots. and herbs and cook until everything's nice and fragrant.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked mixture, bread, salt, and pepper. Cover and stick in the fridge until the turkey's ready.
Once the turkey's out of the oven and resting or whatever, remove the bowl of stuffing from fridge and let it come to room temperature. Stir in the beaten egg and pour ½ cup (or more) of the basting liquid over the top of the stuffing, along with the rest of the stock. toss the whole thing to coat.
Place in a 13 x 9” baking pan, dot with butter, and bake for 25 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown on the edges.

how rachel got her groove back.

2010-11-25T04:28:00.000Z

two weeks ago i was frazzled, anxious, lonely, apprehensive, and blah. today i'm extremely relaxed, extremely happy, extremely warm (yes, even with the cold seattle weather i came home to) and extremely lucky and grateful for all of the people and experiences in my life. holy cow it really does not suck! in the words of my friend N, "dude. you just saved me months of therapy bills by inviting me on this trip!"

here are a few pictures. i just uploaded 'em in no particular order.

ours was the second from the left

waking up to this every day was pretty... acceptable.

and coming home to this (with these awesome friends)
was also acceptable.

the beach at the pacifica resort (one of 4) was so peaceful.
kinda looks more like dubai or sumsing, doesn't it?

pool at the pacifica.
our villa on the hillside in the background.

sunset cruise

i don't think eduardo liked my
boat driving skills as much as i did.

it quickly became our routine, and for good reason.

at sunset beach

already planning next year's trip. and a few more trips in between. i realize how much i've missed that / needed the down time.

what you'd hear were you to listen in...

2010-11-14T02:57:00.000Z

"so, what types of techniques do you use for stress relief?"

[long pause]

[longer pause]

"oh! i know! i love whacking balls."

[eyebrow raises ever so slightly]

"you know, at the driving range. there's something about being focused just on that little ball, that one position, that one swing, that one follow-through. it's basically the only time my brain shuts up. i just discovered it this summer. it's been fantastic."

"that's good... but not exactly a portable, do anywhere kind of stress relief activity, is it?"

so then i learned how to do a couple of deep breathing things from her. she told me she figures those few moments when i'm holding my breath, i probably could get my brain to shut up.

and wouldn't you know it, it works. and good thing, because it's rainy season here for the next, what, 9 months?

ha frickin ha.

2010-11-10T01:14:00.000Z

this came in the mail. specifically addressed to me.

ok, very funny. who's going to 'fess up?
PLEASE say this is a joke.

oh, and one more thing.

2010-10-26T05:07:00.000+01:00

interesting conversations abound when i go to clarkpride HQ. was there this weekend gorging myself on mad men episodes and all, and the topic landed on a series of unfortunate events back in like 1914. kid sister Z was of course excited about the "draaaaamaaaaaa!" and dad was of course annoyed with our dramatic interpretation on a series of unfortunate events, so he went and dug up the copies of old newspapers.

blah blah blah, something something, the 18 year old was....

me: "wait, what? she was 18? oh, WELL then!"

blah blah blah, pregnant, blah---

me: "wait, WHAT?! pregnant AND 18? AND emigrated all by her lonesome? AAAAnd her husband of 4 months expected her to be REASONABLE?"

so here's the thing. my dad has sometimes been guilty of making the following comment. "you must be pregnant!"

i don't have this issue to worry about, but i do have a little bit of emotional hoo-ha certain times of the month. i'm nerdy enough to chart this out on its very own "rachel's hoo-ha" google calendar. in fact, google even includes these brilliant little icon thingies to call out special events. i like the skull, but i wish there were crossbones too or sumsing.

disjointed thoughts.

2010-10-26T04:56:00.000+01:00

my blog is boring.

so's "use it up" month. i realize doing things like throwing a frozen chicken breast on the ol' foreman isnt' exactly exciting news to report, so there's that.

i'm going to meheeco in a mere THREE WEEKS. i'm ridiculously excited about this.

i'm ridiculously sad though because i can't find my pasaporto. it has lots of stamps from western europe and my not so ugly mug from 2003, so i'm kind of sad to lose it. also the expedited price isn't something i necessarily wanted to drop. whatev.

i'm listening to nelly, just a dream, right now? and laughing to myself. reminds me of this time at The BYU in the wilk. i was eating lunch, listening to sumsing, and this really HIP, really WITH IT young man comes up to me and says all cool like that,

"excuse me, are you listening to aTHE aNELLY? i just love his music, man!"

pregnant pause. once over, up, down. i think this guy is from utah county.

"you love his music, man? well, um.... awesome."

his head bobs up and down energetically like a bobblehead doll. feverishly, really. which is what i am hoping was the cause of this giddiness.

another pregnant pause, then i (hopefully) release him with a "word. word to your mother."

ok so now the song's over and my attention span's left with it. so, ok. peace out.

Use it up: Day 1

2010-10-05T19:34:00.000+01:00

Day one dinnar of eat down my fridge/freezer: stroganoff.

Fridge / Freezer / Pantry contents:

1 lb ground beef from the freezer
1 onion from the countertop
garlic from the fridge
s+p from the spice drawer
greek yogurt from the fridge (since i didn't have sour cream)
broccoli from the freezer (as a side dish)

it tasted a little bland. ok, a lot bland. any ~~suggestions~~ ideas? (in other words, how can i salvage the remaining 5 servings...)

30DC: Day 30

2010-10-04T16:18:00.001+01:00

Day 30 — Blogger's Choice

i hereby dub October 2010 as my "use it up" month. and now that i've confessed that to the interwebs, i should keep my promise.

here's the thing. in november i plan on taking a little trip down south. the trip itself (villa and airfare) are already paid, and i'd like to pay for everything else i end up doing without using credit (or without being able to pay it off in full by the next pay period).

i have costco supply of chicken, fish, protein powders and meal replacement bars. i have a whole pile of trader joe's frozen veggies in the freezer. i even have a whole GALLON of milk (danny, don't laugh.) I'm going to make an effort to actually eat what I already have, and wear what i already own, and use the makeup and shampoo and conditioner i already have, instead of buying something new or different. i'll give myself $20 a week wiggle room for fresh produce and whatever ends up coming up so i can still feel good about finishing this thing.

what do you guys think? worth doing? if I pull this off, I could have a nice cushion of play money for cabo!

accent fun

2010-10-03T02:40:00.004+01:00

be forewarned - there's quite a little bit of profanity. but WOW this kid is a riot. wish i could do that many accents!

30DC: Day 29

2010-09-15T12:00:00.001+01:00

Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

ok. so, i may or may not be completely burnt out by the last half dozen or so of this 30 day (which may or may not have stretched to more like 60 day) challenge. that said, please don't assume my answer is a copout answer. it's legit, i swear.

simplify. simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. (da vinci) Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self? (emerson)
be happy. The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself (ben franklin). Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. (gandhi)

there ya go. those of you who know me know getting back to the basics would do me very, very well :)

30DC: Day 28

2010-09-14T12:00:00.027+01:00

Day 28 — This year, in great detail

January: started a cheesy (but effective) life coaching plan
February: put together my first curriculum map for my current employer. (not my first curriculum map. it was very well received. if you understand the emphasis on tenure in this industry, you'd understand why this is such a big deal.
March: made the first of many, many trips to goodwill / DI for donations.
April: stopped visiting NYC. decided the left coast is pretty nice.
May: celebrated lots of family birthdays. got my car detailed (best idea, EVER!)
June: ignored my gym membership and got a bikram yoga and free private pilates lesson thx to groupon and livingsocial. both were REALLY good instructors, too, so it wasn't a sucky kind of deal.
July: clarkpride 2010. i know. i know . i'm sorry you couldn't be there. started taking golf lessons.
August: got a work promotion. after 10 golf lessons, rewarded myself with a set of irons and a putter.
September: turned 30. did some other stuff, too.

30DC: Day 27

2010-09-13T12:00:00.002+01:00

Day 27 — This month, in great detail

September, 2010.

Wednesday, September 1: I bought a new-to-me golf bag from a dude off craigslist. He only asked for $20. It's a pretty good bag. I returned the $120 adidas bag to the store and then whacked balls at the driving range.
Thursday, September 2: I celebrated thunderthigh thursday by skipping out on 2 of the 3 pointless meetings. some other stuff happened too.
Friday, September 3: Today, I drained my bank account and bounced a check for the first time since college. felt extremely pathetic and sorry for myself.
Saturday September 4: I turned 30. cleaned out every single closet. made 4 trips to donate 4 carloads of stuff to goodwill. I did not change out of my grubby clothes until about 10pm, when i finally got ready and went out with friends to Chapel Bar to enjoy the nice (warm, non-rainy) evening and watch some incredible dancers.
Sunday September 5: I happily didn't have to pluck out any gray hairs today. I went to church, played the piano
Monday, September 6: I celebrated labor day by laboring. I also convinced the parentals and Z to come visit. We hung curtains, set up the kitchen table and ate the cake that Z built (no thanks to a very non-baker-friendly kitchen)
Tuesday, September 7: I worked a lot
Wednesday, September 8: I worked a lot, a lot a lot.
Thursday, September 9: I worked a lot, left the office on an emotional high. Went to the driving range and whacked balls.
Friday, September 10: I went to this work seminar.
Saturday, September 11: I went to this work seminar.
Sunday, September 12: I went to this work seminar.
Monday, September 13: I woke up late, took a long bubble bath, listened to pandora, got a manicure/pedicure on the other side of the lake, sewed a pajama top thing. discovered i haven't set the "scheduled post" dates for the last 10 days of the 30 day challenge, so got to it. blogged. and now it's a little before 4pm. I feel so good right now.

30DC: Day 26

2010-09-12T12:00:00.001+01:00

Day 26 — Your week, in great detail

Sunday: I woke up way too early, played the piano for the little kids, went home, napped, and worked while watching every single freaking episode of better off ted season 2. and then i wept because i'd just run out of better off ted episodes. forever.
Monday: I woke up way too early, caught the #11 and #12 buses, went into the office way too early, had way too many conference calls, went to the gym and swam, and went to bed way too late.
Tuesday: I woke up not early enough, caught only the #11 bus (and was super annoyed by that), went into the office, worked my little hiney off, went home and did insanity (THANK YOU LISAFER!)
Wednesday: I woke up at a sort of normal hour, caught only the #11 bus (and that was ok because i ran into my neighbor and friend on the way). led a couple meetings, the last one being a sponsor/stakeholder signoff meeting. Left work on a high point.
Thursday: I won over the hearts of my classroom trainers. They told me they love the program and the materials. Good thing, because the program starts on Monday.
Friday: I spent the entire freaking day at a work seminar.
Saturday: I spent the entire freaking day at the same seminar

30DC: Day 25

2010-09-11T12:00:00.001+01:00

Day 25 — Your day, in great detail

Saturday, 9/11/2010

At 6:25am, I woke up to the "good morning" call alarm on my phone. I turned it off and burrowed my head under the covers.
At 7:15am, I woke up to the second call alarm on my phone. I turned it off and got out of bed.
I opened my bedroom door and tripped over the batcats.
I fed the batcats.
I scooped the litter box, put the bag in with the rest of the trash and put the trash by the front door.
I made a cup of hot cocoa and poured a glass of water and took my vitamins.
I brought my cup of hot cocoa into the bathroom and sipped it while I got ready for the day.
I packed some snacks and made sure I had everything in my wallet/purse.
At 8:15am, I went down to the parking garage, dumped the trash and got in my car.
At 845am, I arrived in downtown fremont.
From 9am to 10:15 pm, I did this work seminar.
at 11pm, I got home.
from 11-1am, I made a few phone calls.
at 1am, I collapsed in bed.

30DC: Day 24

2010-09-10T12:00:00.007+01:00

Day 24 — Blogger's Choice

if it's a jungle out there, it's because we have made it so.

- Og Mandino, author

30DC: Day 23

2010-09-09T12:00:00.000+01:00

Day 23 — A YouTube video

The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—you are a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination. But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. (feelings. words. relationships with others that didn't exist before....)

http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-37,00.html

30DC: Day 22

2010-09-08T12:00:00.001+01:00

Day 22 — A website

http://www.burnthefat.com/index1.html

30DC: Day 21

2010-09-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

Day 21 — A recipe

Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo

Ingredients (per person)
2 very very long, very, very firm zucchini
2-4 oz chicken broth
5-8 oz shrimp
2 wedges laughing cow light swiss cheese
seasonings of your choice (suggestions: garlic, old bay seasoning, etc.)

Instructions:
Prepare the noodles: With a vegetable peeler, peel the green outer portion of the zucchini and discard. Over a saute pan, continue peeling the zucchini, making long, flat strands. These are your "noodles". Peel until you reach the seed-y, meal-y part of the zucchini and then discard the rest.
Prepare the shrimp. Clean and rinse them, toss them in oil (I just use canola oil) and seasonings, stick 'em on skewers and grill. (yes, a foreman is fine)
Put 'er together: Go back to the saute pan. Add chicken broth (or water and some bouillon), heat to medium and toss the noodles until "al dente" texture. Drain the broth (you don't have to be super careful about completely draining it) and return the pan, this time to low heat. peel back the foil on the laughing cow wedges and cut the wedges into small pieces. Toss with the noodles until all the pieces are melted and the noodles are nice and sauce-y.
Serve! (I do like to peel the shrimp and toss right in with the noodles, but it's totally up to you)

YUM!

30DC: Day 20

2010-09-06T12:00:00.001+01:00

Day 20 — A hobby of yours

I have fallen in love with the driving range. More specifically, I am in love with how going to the driving range can make me feel.

My hobby: A few times a week, I drive up to a hole-in-the wall driving range, buy a couple of buckets of balls, head off to the end of the row and practice my swing, my aim and the distance.

It's a totally illogical and unreasonable sport, really. For a person who deals in words and talk and explanations and descriptions, it's nice to be completely unable to describe how or what "worked" about a particular swing. Whacking balls is also a "non-productive" sort of hobby. But I find myself way more productive afterwards and I love how it feels.

30DC: Day 19

2010-09-05T12:00:00.000+01:00

Day 19 — A talent of yours

I can make both the peace sign and the hang loose sign...
with my toes.

yeah. ruminate on that one.

30DC: Day 18

2010-09-04T12:00:00.002+01:00

Day 18 — Blogger's Choice: "Thirty and Flirty and Thriving."

In honor of the day of my birth, here are the things I told myself at 13 that I wanted to be or do by the ripe old age of 30. I'm just slightly ashamed to see how maybe I was a little superficial and maybe I still am. Obviously I changed my mind on some of them and am still working on many of them. Those I've managed to accomplish are in bold strikethrough.

Be an architect
or maybe an interior designer.
or maybe just really rich and the boss.
~~Travel to exciting places~~
~~like italy~~
or africa
~~Fall in love with someone from another country~~
~~Travel for work~~
~~Live in a city~~
Live in THE city
Live in a house with a pool where i could swim every morning and eat breakfast outside afterwards
~~Earn over $100,000 a year~~ {side note: gotta work on doing that again.}
Be an awesome cook
and make fancy meals
and throw dinner parties
And stuff.
Be a runner
and run in races {side note: *snort. wow, dream big, rach!}
~~Live near water~~
Have an awesome view
Be someone younger girls look up to
~~Have long silky straight hair~~ {side note: thank you Chi flat iron technology!!!}
~~Play the piano~~
Play the piano really really well {side note: these things require practice. and a piano. so, there's that.}
Be known
For something artistic
For being compassionate
For loving
For being honest
Be respected.

30DC: Day 17

2010-09-03T18:59:00.000+01:00

Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seattledailyphoto/4931376788/sizes/l/in/photostream/

30DC: Day 16

2010-09-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)

as my sis-in-law likes to say, many of the clarkpride collective tend to be a little bit emotionally constipated. in other words, it takes a lot to cry.

i'd probably be a lot better off if i could cry more frequently. make the tearjerker episodes a little more bearable.

anyway. the song. in all it's angsty glory.

listen on pandora

i believe i heard this in 2002ish. living in the melrose place of p-town with my favorite roommate of all time. let's just say i was going through a rough patch and when this song came on (brokedown palace soundtrack, on in the background) i started bawling. i'm not sure julie knew what to make of all that emotion, bless her heart.

30DC: Day 15

2010-09-01T09:28:00.000+01:00

Day 15 — A fanfic

if inquiring minds really wanna know...

this isn't my thing, at all. i heard there's a funny one called "nightlight"... and another one involving jane austen and zombies... i dunno. sorry. when do these topics start improving?

30DC: Day 14

2010-08-31T09:00:00.004+01:00

Day 14 — A non-fictional book

yep. it exists! gift wrapped options available!

This book is non-fictional. It really was written, and people really have spent money on it.

it's a short book full of plenty of poo-fect slogans right up the clarkpride alley (as sad as i'm sure that makes mom. i mean, not all of us are tacky).

but seriously. Poo-phoria? The Ring of Fire? i mean, come on!

30DC: Day 13

2010-08-30T21:54:00.000+01:00

Day 13 — A fictional book

How to Win at Life, Love and Everything in Between, by yours truly.

yep. fictional. doesn't exist. otherwise you bet your sweet little butts i'd be linking to it.

these next few topics are kinda lame since i already did my book post.

30DC: Day 12

2010-08-29T18:27:00.007+01:00

Day 12 — Blogger's Choice

Ahh, technology.

thank you for allowing me to binge on this 30 day challenge when i "had the time" (pfffft) and for letting my dearly beloved readers (all three of you!) have something to glance at each day.

30DC: Day 11

2010-08-28T23:29:00.000+01:00

Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently

30DC: Day 10

2010-08-27T09:26:00.001+01:00

Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago

larsen pride, grants pass oregon circa 1983

30DC: Day 9

2010-08-26T09:00:00.000+01:00

Day 09 — A photo you took

oahu, hawaii 2005

30DC: Day 8

2010-08-25T09:00:00.001+01:00

Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad

dum dum dummmmmmm!

It's fuzzy, but people, this is my first gray hair. Oof. I discovered it in Milan Italy in September 2007.

Yes, I cried.

Ok, so maybe I just gasped in horror.

Yes, I plucked it out.

Yes, they've multiplied.

30DC: Day 7

2010-08-24T10:24:00.001+01:00

Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy

I used to take "in air" sky cloud and sunset pics all the time. I loved the ones at sunset coming home from the east coast. With the flight speed and time zones, it sorta felt like enjoying 4 hour sunset...

30DC: Day 6

2010-08-24T00:44:00.000+01:00

Day 06 — Blogger's Choice: On Unhooking the e-leash

the trackball wheel on my blackberry popped out and i couldn't find the darn thing.

in a nutshell, this means i can answer calls, type in a phone number and place a call, and end calls.

and that's about it.

i found some shady radio shack esque store (dead giveaway #1: it's on aurora; dead giveaway #2: they spell toys with a Z...) and then flinched at their $35 phone quote to take the itty bitty part out of the package and pop it in. instead, i ordered a replacement off amazon on Saturday, paid .01 for the part but USPS has it out for me (I'm 0 for 2 on recent USPS shipments) so I wasn't surprised to see their "delivery shipment update" of my $10 expedited shipping pushed out to this Saturday.

part of me kinda likes being this disconnected.

the other part of me reeeeeally wants to know what those 26 unread text messages say.

30DC: Day 5

2010-08-22T20:56:00.000+01:00

Day 05 — Your favorite quote

there are so many quotable quotes i've shared and cited on here. and so many sayings i've picked up over the years ("well, i'm just sharin' henry's thoughts, here, just sharin' henry's thoughts...", "not being with you is killing me, it's killing me, to death!" "you lie! woman you lie! you lie like a woman!" "oh, well, now, there IS that..." "you're dead to me." "he turned to stooooone!") but I think my all time favorite is a family classic that will never die (to death):

taken on an escape trip to CA with mom and z, circa 2005

CLARKPRIDE!
-poppa clark, circa 1994(ish?)

indeed.

30DC: Day 4

2010-08-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

Day 04 — Your favorite book

Ok so a bit of background here As a kid, I couldn't get enough of books. Seriously. I'd read under the covers with a flashlight. I'd read in the bathtub, filling it up and draining it so many times I was beyond a prune. I read anything I could get my hands on. I remember my mom finding me reading Up the Down Staircase in early elementary school - it was one of her required readings as an education major (and the book mysteriously disappearing that night). I read the great bridge before I turned 12 - another required reading, this one for my dad's civil engineering major. Back in the day, the king county public library system let you place holds on an unlimited number of books and they'd even mail it right to your house in brown paper packages (yes, even tied up with string). Obviously they don't still do that, but I do still place holds on books from the seattle public library.

My love for reading pretty much died to death in college, where I was an English major. I realized pretty quickly that I didn't exactly like writing 10 pages about a 1 page poem, etc. It took me about 3 years of not picking up a book at all before I started traveling heavily for work and then yet again, I'd pick up a book (usually something saccharine and chick-lit esque in an airport bookstore) and polish it off by the end of the flight. Now I work across the street from the Seattle Central Library so I'll grab a book here and there. I no longer despise reading, so I guess higher education didn't kill me to death.

Anyway. On to my favorite books. It has to be plural, because, well, just has to.

Favorite children's fiction:

click here to buy a copy

Ok, so seriously? Claudia rocks. Why suffer unnecessarily when you can live like a queen in the MET? I also adore the relationship she has with her younger brother. I can relate. Actually, I may have roped my younger brother into a few schemes in my day.

Favorite Storybook:

click here to buy a copy

Favorite self help:

click here to buy a copy

but rachel, you may be asking. this, self help? where's the 90 day program? where are the tips on reducing cellulite? where are the sunshine and rainbows?

no, wait. you know me. you wouldn't be asking those things of "stone cold" no-nonsense rachel! this book has helped me look at what I can provide my family, my friends, my coworkers and customers, my neighbors and community. ever not been responsible for making a decision, but asked for advice? (aka, consulted?) yeah. exactly. seriously. fabulous book. buy it.

Favorite cookbook:

click here to buy a copy

again, rachel, what's with the random book selection? you don't have any babies or small children to feed or sustain! correct again. ok, so what i love about this book is how simple the recipes are. the author, cynthia lair, is a local seattlite over at Bastyr University. her blog is pretty fun, too, i gotta say.

anyway, thanks to this here cookbook i finally know how to prepare the basics like those darn dark leafy greens, any vegetable i'd need, and i'm even figuring out acids, alkalines, and why things like vinegar and fermentation does a body good. as for the whole "feeding babies" part, i think all the author recommends is reserving some of the food prior to completing and pureeing it. easy enough for us non-children types to ignore.

so yeah for simple and no nonsense cookbooks!

30DC: Day 3

2010-08-20T00:04:00.000+01:00

Day 03 — Your favorite television program

So, I got in a little fight with the cable monopoly in my area. I wanted them to value me as a long time customer and give me some semblance of a discount. They wanted me to pay over $200 a month for cable, internet and phone. Now, I've taken classes and been trained in mediation for small claims and parent-child, and taken classes and been trained in negotiation, so basically I told them what I wanted, and knew I'd need to stand behind my "threat" and be ready to walk away if it came to that.

The didn't budge an inch. Not even a dollar. Nada.

In other words I don't have cable.

I do watch some shows on Hulu when I remember, and I make my parents DVR episodes of Mad Men. When the weather isn't as nice I'll probably go down there and have a TV binge. I could also sign up for cable again and qualify for the new customer pricing. Maybe when the weather isn't as nice...

My favorite shows are (probably in this order):

Yep, half are already cancelled. I'm behind the times.

30DC: Day 2

2010-08-19T06:23:00.039+01:00

Day 02 — Your favorite movie

Amélie: Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain.

"Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love."

I love love love this movie. I can relate to Amelie in a lot of ways. She's quirky, she's okay with being quirky.

Amélie: [whispering in theater] I like to look for things no one else catches. I hate the way drivers never look at the road in old American movies.

She is able to not only sympathize, but empathize with random people in random ways.

Narrator: With a prompter in every cellar window whispering comebacks, shy people would have the last laugh.

Amélie: [piping up in the vegetable vendor's behalf] At least you'll never be a vegetable - even artichokes have hearts.

While she's really good with others, she's a bit of a chicken when it comes to her own life.

Narrator: [Amélie has found Nino's photo album and his "lost" posters] Any normal girl would call the number, meet him, return the album and see if her dream is viable. It's called a reality check. The last thing Amélie wants.

Love.

30DC: Day 1

2010-08-18T06:22:00.001+01:00

Your favorite song

click here to listen to a preview

Smile
Smile though your heart is aching;
Smile even though it's breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by.
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow,
You'll see the sun come shining through for you.

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near,
That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you just smile.

That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.
Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons.
Music written by Charlie Chaplin, 1936.

my freshman roommate michelle had this clear gorgeous soprano voice. i remember sitting with her in one of those windowless little practice rooms in the HFAC (prison cells, more like) playing through the accompaniment while she sang this song. i've heard it covered a few times since then, and loved it every time.

food for thought.

2010-08-17T21:52:00.000+01:00

Maybe being good isn't about getting rid of anything.
Maybe being good has to do with living in the mess
in the frailty
in the failures
in the flaws.
Maybe what I tried to get rid of is the goodest part of me.
Think Passion.
Think Age.
Think Round.
Maybe good is about developing the capacity to live fully inside everything.
Our body is our country,
the only city,
the only village,
the only every
we will ever know.

[... ]

We live in a good body.
We live in the good body.

-Eve Ensler, The Good Body.

draft from 1/1/10

2010-08-17T06:52:00.000+01:00

Some people say motivation doesn't stick. Neither does a shower; that's why we advise you to take one everyday.

suckers!

2010-08-17T06:20:00.001+01:00

so perhaps somebody from dress for less in the 'hood reads my blog...

exhibit a.... aaaaaaaaaand, exhibit b:

I probably shouldn't feel this smug... but i do.

in which she joins the fun.

2010-08-17T06:08:00.003+01:00

it appears i've been in a bit of a writer's slump. i'll blame it on the fantastic weather and lack of motivation, but in related news, i perked up at the idea of a 30 day blog challenge (as seen over at my cousin's blog). maybe this will help me post more regularly.

The Deets:

Day 01 — Your favorite song
Day 02 — Your favorite movie
Day 03 — Your favorite television program
Day 04 — Your favorite book
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Blogger's Choice
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Blogger's Choice
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanfic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Blogger's Choice
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Blogger's Choice
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Blogger's Choice

here goes nuthin...

in which she waxes philosophical.

2010-07-28T18:18:00.001+01:00

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindy47452/138432725/

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. -a proverb from the american west, california folklore quarterly.

those of you who know me really well know that i'm not exactly a poster child for patience, long-suffering, endurance... well, it looks like the knot i tied nearly 22 months ago has held up quite nicely. i'm probably ready to stop hanging on and start climbing.

in other words, good things are happening and it's about damn time!

he turned to stone.

2010-07-06T05:49:00.000+01:00

in which she feels a little sheepish

2010-06-30T03:58:00.000+01:00

i'm a sucker for a good deal. sometimes, so much a sucker that i bend my definition of "good deal" to fit the circumstances...

so, i recently discovered a ross dress for less down in the 'hood. i may be stereotyping here, but since stereotyping saves time and my sister says it's ok, i do it all the time. anyway, the location essentially means a LOT of screaming good deals amongst the piles and racks of crap. seriously. it's kind of like how the downtown nordstrom rack is completely picked over, or kind of really like how the DI in ptown is overpriced and understocked. you know, like that.

anyway. i found a black calvin klein pencil skirt in the clearance section. 7 bucks. fit nicely. done. wandered on over to the shoe section (since i reeeeally need more of those) and my eyes landed right on a pair of coach sandals on a mid-level shoe rack. coach! then i did a double-take. coach... at ross? yup. coach. price? 9.99. "regular price"? 29.99. um, seriously, ross? i want to know where you can obtain regular price coach items for under 30 bucks, because i really don't mind paying "regular price" there.

yes, i feel a little sheepish about wanting teal flower sandals.

yes, i bought them.

i feel my shoe collection is all the more complete now that i own ridiculous teal flower coach sandals. don't you?

t minus 10 days?

2010-06-14T23:19:00.000+01:00

until i get to see these lovelies:

i can't stop laughing at the facial expressions. the niecephew sure are acceptable. their parents are, too. clarkpride!

like old times

2010-06-14T20:36:00.000+01:00

in 2005, i lived in an apartment building with a bikram yoga studio across the street. in 2005, i also had a hellish commute (12 miles, 1-1.5 hours) and by the time i got home around 7:30ish, i'd look at the open doors and steamed up windows and think, man, that'd be one way to unwind...

so one tuesday i mustered up my courage, walked over and paid the drop-in fee. i ended up meeting 2 neighbors from my building (that's exactly 2 more than i ever met while actually IN my building) and really loved it (once i got a package)

now that i'm getting back in half decent shape, i was super excited to see this amazing deal at the sweatbox. it's not the closest location to me, but hey, for 20 sessions and less than what i paid that first time in '05, i'm ok with the drive.

here's to sweating buckets and looking ridiculous and loving every minute (90 total!!) of it!

so fresh and so clean, clean!

2010-05-10T20:03:00.000+01:00

last year to celebrate my parent's wedding anniversary, i bought myself a new hobby.

this year, i found a most excellent deal on craigslist and decided to get my car detailed.

BEST.IDEA.EVER!

Isn't it pretty?! It even SMELLS like a new car. He even cleaned UNDER the car, people! I had originally thought it would be nice to sell the car and have more discretionary income to play with (read: TRAVEL) but now I'm thinking I might just enjoy the car I've got...

even better, at a mere $300 in exchange for a brand.spankin.new.car, I can also spring for a trip here to celebrate the big 3-0 (thanks to family friends with a "friends and family discount"). So yes, I will get to drive AND travel.

A girl really can have it all!

in which she keeps her eyes on the prize.

2010-04-19T19:14:00.001+01:00

We all want to be happy, but it doesn't just come to us randomly. Happiness comes from contentment with who we are and what we are. And we can only be content if we are continually succeeding in achieving our short-term goals.

so what are your short-term goals? mine are pretty simple:
1. eat breakfast. (i do this already, so continue doing it).
2. successfully make the kale "chips" recipe i've seen floating around the interwebs.
3. successfully eat (and enjoy) the kale "chips" and acquire all those fabulous vitamins.
4. bump walking lunges up to 3 sets of 20, with weights.
5. finish reading my book on the bus instead of thinking about how sucky the bus ride is.
6. fix the electrical outlet in my kitchen.

in which her world is rocked

2010-04-06T00:08:00.000+01:00

and we didn't even feel a thing. i think we were driving to hermosa beach when it happened.

my brother wants to move away from LA.

and i kinda want to move there.

ironic, no? grass is always greener.

to clarify, maybe i just want to live someplace where i can wake up to sunshine and enjoy the outdoors those precious moments i'm not working.

yeah, probably mostly the latter.