One more from the Vermont Country Store!

Vim & Vigor - An Ounce a Day Keeps the Doctor Away-100% Natural Vim and Vigor Keeps Your Body at Its Best!

Another gem from the Vermont Country Store

This is the "Adorable Springtime Lamb Made from Mouthwatering Top-Quality Solid White Chocolate," from the Vermont Country Store. I ordered something for my mom there (no, not a mumu or float) and ever since then, I get their emails and catalogs, which are chockfull of items you didn't think people wanted anymore. Such as this deranged looking white chocolate lamb. Or Flicker shavers - who knew they were still around? Or Dippity-Do? Amazing. Really. However, that lamb is really scary looking to me.

whaddya mean it's not Thursday? (3-14-07)

THE MERCURY RETROGRADE HAS PASSED!!!! (for now)

As you know, I do believe in astrology (duh) but I don't dictate my life around it. It generally opens my mind to the idea that there are other forces out there, either inherent or external, which impact me (let's face it, it's all about me). One aspect of astrology that I do believe in is the damn Mercury retrograde. During this time, the planet Mercury moves backward through the zodiac. What does this mean? Per Astrology.com :

--------------
In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially people who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips and spin doctors, teachers, travellers, tricksters and thieves.

Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray, or awry.

It is therefore not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is very likely that these decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde, these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual, as the critical faculties are dimmed. Make sure you pay attention to the small print!
--------------

So what did this mean for Michelle? Well, let's just say I butted in where I shouldn't have butted; I spoke when I should have said nothing; and in general people were asses.

+=================================+
So, you should know by now this is Super Lucky Pig Year (actually the Year of the Red Pig or Year of the Golden Pig). People born in the pig years have good luck and wealth. The red pig year is particularly auspicious, but this particular red pig year is exponentially so since it is the special red pig year that only comes around every 600 years. Asians and others who follow the lunar calendar and the Chinese (or what I call ASIAN) zodiac believe that this year is VERY LUCKY for business and family; and children born this year (in the lunar calendar) will be REALLY blessed with EVEN MORE good luck and wealth. (Article about SUPER PIG YEAR here)

However, how does this year apply to me? I plan to eat more bacon and pork dumplings, and lots of it.

+=================================+
Check out your weekly horoscopes at:
Free Will Astrology
Horoscopes for week of March 15, 2007
By Rob Brezsny
© 1995-2004, Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved.

My February in Photos (3-9-07)

This is what happens when I don't blog for a month. I warned you.

+================================+
I started off in February going to Chicago for a 1-day meeting and then to Florida for 10 days. Here are some shots of my Chicago trip.






Yes, it was that exciting. And -20F.

Then I had a Chicago dog.



Wikipedia.org says: A Chicago-style hot dog– as served in the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois and its surrounding suburbs– is a steamed or boiled all-beef, natural-casing hot dog on a poppy seed bun. It is topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt[1]; but not ketchup.

I can attest that underneath all of that stuff is a hot dog. I really have nothing to say about this hot dog. The shame is beyond me.

Then I went to Florida in February to be with my mom and work at the same time. I don't know who created telecommuting but they should be hanged. It's horrible when you have to juggle meals, conference calls, document reviews, Wheel of Fortune, client memos, making lunch, trying to find a good telephone signal, Oprah... I mean the list goes on and on. However, I did find time to notice a few things which had changed at my folks' house (unfortunately I forgot to take photos).

Remember the sandhill cranes?



Well, this is a photo of them and they are on my parents' lawn (it's the size of a twin comforter). I wish I could have taken more photos of them, but I can't. Why? Because they no longer come and visit since we put the mothballs in the ground.



This is Dad making a hole for the mothballs.

Also, we no longer have the groundhog or nutria, which is what my brother thinks it was.



Sad.

While I was down South, I had a lot of SWEET TEA. This is a phenomena which refuses to come North. I think people in the North don't want CONCETRATED GLUCOSE over ice. I don't know why. It's so good!!!! Of course for every cup of tea, there is about 5 cups of sugar and probably corn syrup mixed in. Here's a photo of my giant cup of sweet tea from KFC (which most probably was full of rats too):



I think there should be more sweet tea in this world. There just should.

It also rained in Clermont. THAT seriously never happens. It sprinkles, dark clouds hover over, but not a rain like this:



I also went to Hanamizuki, a fantastic Japanese restaurant in Orlando. Very authentic and can rival some of the restaurants in New York. Here's an action shot of sukiyaki.



Then I came back to NYC, tired and overworked. And the JetBlue plane, which left ON TIME (!!!!), was having a very important technical difficulty: the tv signal was out.



I wasn't pleased about this.



However, I was brave and survived. And went to the New York Comicon!!!!!!

Yes, where comic fans and ooglers congregate and pay homage to fictional characters in tights. I went with my pal Fralex who took a stand that day and refused to wear a comic-related t-shirt or dress up as his favorite super hero (booo!). I went as an Asian girl. It was a pretty easy costume.

Here I am with some stormtroopers. I am the Asian in the middle.



Here's Fralex with Phoenix (who turned out to go to Vassar, where Fralex went!):



Fralex and I had lots of fun:


Especially with this guy:



And we got to see the NYJedi demonstrate light saber fighting. Really. I mean it. It's a club in New York and they even create their own light sabers that will not fail you while you fight the Dark Side. Really. I mean it.

Here's some action shots:





By the end of the day, after meeting Leelu; watching people Dance, Dance Revolution!; and seeing mini-padawans...



I was pooped. Seriously, seriously pooped.



For the full photo montage of Comicon, go to my Flickr set.

+================+
I will stop here. I haven't even gotten to March yet. But I really blame my lack of communication to the mercury retrograde.

+=======================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Cassandra
Bob and Russell
Ertischek
Marthas
Alex
Annie, Dabney and Annie's Family

+================+
Check out your weekly horoscopes at:

Free Will Astrology
Horoscopes for week of March 8, 2007
© 1995-2004, Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved.

Too lazy to post anything real, so here is this...

When They Put Up a Barn, It Stays Up

Old black guy #1: You know who really has their shit together?
Old black guy #2: Who?
Old black guy #1: The Amish.
Old black guy #2: For sure.

--F train

via Overheard in New York, Feb 26, 2007

Hoo-hoo

Nobody in New York Knows the Difference between At-Home and Outside Conversations

Yuppie kid: Mommy shaves her hoo-hoo!
Yuppie dad: Okay, honey. Look, do you want your book?
Yuppie kid: I came in the bathroom this morning and asked Mommy what she was doing and she said shaving her hoo-hoo. Mommy shaves her hoo-hoo!
Yuppie dad: Dylan, remember when we discussed at-home conversations and outside conversations?
Yuppie kid: Yes.
Yuppie dad: Well, this is an at-home conversation.
Yuppie kid: Okay, daddy. [Sings to herself quietly] Mommmyyy shaves her hoo-hooo...
Black lady: See, home conversating, outside conversating -- that's bullshit. My kid says shit like that, I smack him. He won't say shit like that again.
Yuppie dad: Okay, thank you, but I think our method works just fine.
Yuppie kid: Lady, do you shave your hoo-hoo?
Black lady: Oh, yeah, that shit is workin' just fine. She's all kinds of polite.
Yuppie dad: Okay, Dylan, this is our stop.

--R train

Overheard by: SandmanEsq

via Overheard in New York, Feb 22, 2007

FIEDLER IS FAMOUS!

I got Frannie and Frabney's dog Fiedler on MyPetSmiles.com. He's the springer spaniel with the mullet!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S WORLD NUTELLA DAY!!!!!

Padawan Fraham!

Friend Matt from The Dave and Matt Show used his Jedi senses to see that Fraham is full of midi-chlorians. Here is Fraham practicing with his light sabers. Thanks for the photo, Matt! (har har)

FRIED RICE!!!!!

Ok, been on Jenny Craig for two weeks. Lost 3.8 lbs. And am CRAVING house special fried rice, which essentially is fried rice with the ends and bits from other dishes: shrimp, roast pork, chicken, and whatever else happens to be laying around.

JC is quite filling, but there is nothing like giant bowl of carbs and meat.


Photo stolen from The Food Pornographer

Boom boom boom now let me hear you say wayoh (2-2-07)

EUWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
http://www.gellibaff.co.uk/

+=====================+
You know how it's bad luck if a black cat crosses your path? Well, what does it mean when a person eating a slice of pizza crosses your path? For that matter, two people eating slices coming from different directions. What's weird is I am seeing a lot of people walking by eating a slice. Out in the New York air. Down the street. All hours. Eating and walking.

Now, it's been firmly established that I have germ issues. And I find an entire triangle of cheesy pizza to be essentially fly paper to the flying detritus of New York City. So, I still don't understand why I have seen so many people walking and eating pizza lately. And they aren't doing the New York fold either. They are just eating the point and going on in, exposing their slice to the elements.

I can see the appeal of pizza. I can see the appeal of walking. But walking and eating a slice of pizza is really beyond me. It's not hand-holding friendly like a pretzel or a hot dog. It's drippy and, if done right, greasy.

You know I am probably seeing more people eating pizza in the street because I am on a diet. Damn diet.

+================================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
The Dave and Matt Show - thanks for the shout out! (Check them out!)
Saumya - see ya tonight!
Bob and Russell - big kiss!

+================================+
Check out your weekly horoscopes at:
Free Will Astrology
By Rob Brezsny
Horoscopes for week of February 1, 2007
© 1995-2004, Rob Brezsny. All rights reserved.

See you at the party village at Stonehenge!

Can you imagine? 25 huts, bunch of druids, giant rocks. It would make a great reality show.


CNN's story about villages at Stonehenge.

Scream and wave your hands if you love pandas!

This little peanut...



...became this roly-poly panda!!!!

see pandas!

LOOK AT THIS

The panda's squareness makes my heart ache.

From cuteoverload.com

I pity the fool...

Why would you do this to your dog?

With friends like these...

My friend Frannie forwarded me this article in today's NYT. The article says that scientists have found that stroke victims who have damaged their insula are no longer addicted to smoking.

So Frannie said: "I'll bring my wedge (golf instrument) next time I am in NYC."

She is so kind.

Ironman lives again. (1-25-07)

Oh, what a week. Because of the overwhelming complaints by my intestinal system due to Nutrisystem, I switched to Jenny Craig. You know the one -- they have Kirstie Alley as their pitch woman. So far, so good. The JC food is MUCH better (Nutrisystem tastes ok, but looks like cat vomit) and my intestines have quieted down. You can barely hear them over the street noise now! What an improvement (for me at least, not those down wind of me)!

+======================+
Also, my bro (Frike), sis-in-law (Fren) and nephew (Fraham) have been in town visiting from chilly, chilly Iowa. Yes, they are practically the only Asians in the Greater Des Moines area. You can see them from miles away -- they are the ones with black hair.

Well, you would think that they came a-visitin' to see family and friends, right? Well, partially. But the REAL reason they came to visit was KOREAN FOOD. There seems to be a general lack of Korean food in Iowa. Are you surprised? They have to travel to Chicago to get to a Korean restaurant.

What amuses me most about this is that when we were kids, we used to make fun of my parents for doing the same thing -- traveling far distances just to get mediocre, if not horrible, Korean food (In NYC, it's pretty good; but wait until you have tried Korean food in a tiny Georgia town - mmmmm. not). It wouldn't matter where we were -- if there was a Korean restaurant, we went. Even if it was an hour out of our way. As a kid, I thought - what's the big deal? There are so many other great restaurants to go to -- McDonald's! Wendy's! Pizza! But my parents would sadly shake their heads, rueing the day that they ever stepped on this continent, exposing their young to American culture.

However, now I understand. Korean food is so hard to make -- you have to pound and mush and blend and marinate all sorts of little things in order to get the smallest dish ready. Don't even get me started on kimchee (scroll down for Kimchee recipe) or the spinach side dish . Let me tell you - cleaning 2 bunches of spinach, cooking it and getting back barely a cup full is not worth the effort.

So, I am not the least bit offended that my family comes to New York to eat Korean food. At least I get to see them between bites.

Here's a slideshow of my nephew Fraham -- I think he will either grow up to be a Jedi or a drummer. Not sure yet.

+================================+
Freileen Frillis (aka "Maria Elena") is playing with her band, Pistolera, at the Mercury Lounge (NYC) tomorrow night at 10:30 PM. $10 cover. Check 'em out!

+================================+
Sugar to cure Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)!!!

+================================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Frichelle Frertischek
Frandy Free
Frike, Fren and Fraham

+================================+
Check out your weekly horoscope at
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 25
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny

Busted at Whole Foods

I took this picture of satsuma mandarin oranges at Whole Foods (Columbus Circle) because satsumas grow around the place where I grew up in Jacksonville. The neighborhood I grew up in is called Mandarin because - yep, you guessed it -- of the oranges. There used to be tons of orange groves in my neighborhood before suburban sprawl occurred. Now there are just a few farms which grow satsumas. So, in a fit of nostalgia, I took this photograph:


However, immediately after I took the photo, I was told by the produce manager that no photos are allowed in the store. No photos???? I understand if it was the Met or Area 51 or the morgue, but a grocery store? COME ON!

MOCHI

Mochi is this great rice dessert that is very popular in Asia. My friend FrAnnie took this video while in Japan -- it's awesome!



Mochi is not easy to make, as you can see from the video. However, it's worth every penny to buy. My fav in NYC is Minamoto Kitchoan which is near Rockefeller Center.

toot toot, barrroooooom! (1-17-07)

Title thanks to Frim Frecker of Boulder, CO!

+============================+
So I started Nutrisystem yesterday. The food does not have to be refrigerated. Pretty scary, huh? It arrived in a giant box which was full of aluminum foiled packets and strange boxes with titles that said: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, SNACK, DESSERT. I am not kidding. There are pretty photos of the food and they tell you what is inside, but just in case you forget which meal it is, they label it. And it is important because breakfast and lunch pretty much SUCK. I am liable to eat DINNER for all meals, but that would be counterproductive to the diet.

My only complaint about this program is the amount of dairy and fiber. On top of the food being chock full of fiber (my breakfast muffin had EIGHT grams of fiber!!!!!) and protein, I have to eat dairy twice a day, protein twice a day, salad twice a day, veggies at night AND a multivitamin twice a day. My body doesn't know what to do with itself. So instead of just quietly going along with this, it has revolted and is voicing its opinion all freakin' day. Yes, I admit it -- I am sooooo farty right now that i can't take it. I have had to make many a walk outside just to get some relief. That mysterious odor all over Manhattan last week? Yep -- that was me.

+============================+
The Bush Family wants to move W's papers and documents to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. However, some professors and students are against the idea. I think it would be a great thing -- he can't have THAT much stuff, I mean, come on -- it's George W. Can he read? There will probably be just a lot of audio tapes, most definitely of illegal wiretaping. Also, it could have the best motto on the building:

The George W. Bush Library: 10 Million Malapropisms Told.

+============================+
This week's horoscopes go out to:
Fraumya, CROCHET NIGHT!
Frichelle and Frasha, burgers are the way to go! And too bad about your couch, Frichelle
FRYVETTE! HAPPY BELATED!
Frike, Frennifer and Fraham, can't wait to see you this weekend!

+============================+
Check out your weekly horoscope at
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 18
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny