Category Archives: doing it wrong

This was at a park in Amsterdam. It has a bunch of clips on it and if you find a mitten you can clip it on there and hopefully the person who lost it will find it.

My life has been filled with technology the past few days. I got a new iPod which once I got home I found out isn’t compatible with my desktop system. I have a laptop that it is compatible with but I don’t listen to music on my laptop so I had to move a gabillion files and authorize and deauthorize and of course my music library is purchased under about 5 different usernames and we had this problem once before but I couldn’t remember how we solved it so research and cussing ensued.

Meanwhile, I upgraded some stuff and installed some stuff. I organized my photo library (finally!) and found tons of fun photos to post. I spent some time figuring out a better system for back-ups which involved different steps and devices and looking at instructions. Every single thing I touch needs a password or wants one I already gave it and makes me click things and wait. Some things hung up the computer so I’d have to quit or save or restart or do this little dance I do to appease the technology gods.

I’m not done yet but I can see done from here. I am very tired of sitting in front of a computer. Just in time for work tomorrow.

I had my favorite New Years Eve which involved going to bed early. Staying home is fun.

It was great time off although, as always, I wish I had a few more days. I expect the next couple of weeks to be busy AND we have RiverCity Bluegrass on Saturday.

I’ve been on a decluttering rampage the past few days. Well, clutter may not be the right word. I went through a giant folder of URLs of stuff I thought I might want to read later.

“Oh look, a 10K word article on Indigenous language in N. California. That might be interesting.”

I’ve been going through all that stuff and either reading it or getting rid of it. Mostly the latter.

I also have about 100 Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials bookmarked that I never get around to and whenever I do, it takes me all day to do one because I can’t remember how any of the tools work.

I’m not a big resolution maker but I think I’m going to resolve to stop saving stuff to do later.

My other project is my digital photos. I try to keep up with them but I’ve got all sorts of folders labeled “duplicate?” “probably delete” “make prints for people” “huge organization project.” I went through a little of that. I need to do a whole series of photos like the one above. Bob has taken zillions of photos of the back of me walking with various friends and loved ones.

The one above is probably Murnau, Germany last Spring with my cousin Lisa.

Here’s one more item found during the purge. I do this. This is one of my favorite things to do when traveling.

Travel Tips for Introverts

4. Develop the art of sitting and watching.

In her book, Helgoe talks about the French term “flâneur” (feminine, “flâneuse”). It translates literally to “idler or loafer,” but the poet Charles Baudelaire defined it as a passionate observer. Yes, yes! I am a flâneuse. I love just sitting and watching people doing what they do, and even more so when I travel.

= = = =

Just in case you hadn’t heard, the holiday letter has been posted here.

I’m going to be offline for a few days.

Merry Christmas.

Vancouver Lake and Powerlines. Or is it Power Lines?

Don’t forget to read the 2010 holiday newsletter.

I had a fantastic morning. I had more shopping to do and given the choice between getting on the bus and going downtown or getting in the car and driving back to that soul-crushing mall, I picked downtown.

I went to the office and checked the mail and phone messages. I took care of a couple of things and watered the plants.

Then I accomplished all of my remaining shopping chores in two super easy stops. Then I bought a carton of kickass Thai noodles. I can’t find a link to the cart. I’m going to have to do something about that.

I was home by 2pm. I still have wrapping to do and we have a couple of food excursions to take care of. We’ve got one long car ride and then: let the sitting around and eating begin!

* * *

During my travels I passed the kiosk where they sell the magical flat irons. They ALWAYS try to pull me over for that one.

Ma’am, can I show you my magical flat iron?

Me: Unless it can change the weather, don’t bother.

I already own a very nice flat iron. I love straight-ironed hair. There is no point in ironing my hair unless it is completely dry outside. I’ve gone from flat to frizz in the three minutes it takes to walk from my car to the bus.

* * *

Cover your eyes Kenman, I’m going to complain about the postal service.

Years ago I used to buy stamps by mail. There was a little envelope with a detachable form. I’d order my roll of first class stamps and stick a check in the envelope and send it to someplace just outside Portland. A few days later I’d get my stamps.

Then I guess the Post Office decided to streamline this process. Or maybe try to wring more money out of it?

Now, 3 or 4 times a year I get this giant glossy catalog. There’s a big order sheet in there and near as I can tell there is no box to check that says “send me 100 first class stamps.” I have to order 5 booklets of 20.

Then it takes almost a month to deliver and I get this:

Five individually plastic-wrapped with cardboard insert stamp booklets.

How is this a better system? I understand that people collect this stuff and I wish the Philatelics the best of luck in saving the Post Office but I just want some stamps so I can mail stuff. Make it easier for people like me.

Christmas living room, I’m going to guess 1980-ish. Yes, that’s orange carpet. Thanks for asking.

The holiday letter is ready!

You can find it here!.

If you want to skip ahead and just read the story, you can find it here.

Enjoy.

Vanport Max Stop

Today is holiday letter and holiday story day. I already have a story. I tried to write a new one that was about Santa’s reindragon but it didn’t come together so I’m recycling something I wrote a long time ago about Indians and government bureaucracy. I know, I’ve got your attention now. Don’t worry, it’s really short.

I’ll post notice when it’s all done. Meanwhile, if you’ve got nothing to do you can always read back issues.

One of the main gifts I like to give is books. Ideally I like to give books I’ve already read so I know if they’re any good, but I read a lot of books with vampires and zombies and sword fighting. Often my recipients aren’t huge fans of those books so I have to dig around online and look for recommendations. I’ve done okay with indiebound and overbooked.

Last week I was going through a bunch of “best of” lists and every single fiction book was like:

“After an explosion destroys her family … ”
“After her son is diagnosed with spleen cancer mixed a rare face-melting disease … ”
“In a war torn country where there is no food or water or anything to look forward to … ”
“In this deeply disturbing and profoundly sad tale … ”

Wow, how do I choose? I kept crossing them off “too bummer-y.”

I did find some that I think will be good.

Remember Summer?

I very rarely carry an umbrella.

Generally, any the time I’m going to have to be in the rain I’m dashing from one dry place to another. The car to the grocery store. The bus to the office. It’s not worth the trouble for a quick dash to be stuck carrying a dripping wet umbrella around.

And in downtown Portland I usually do have to make longer walks in the rain but there is always a wind effect between the highrises that means I spend time fighting with the umbrella which gets more rain on me than if I just dash between rain drops.

This is the evolution from the California girl who would cancel anything for a gentle mist.

Sleeping Man with iPad

I’ve never been a person who ran around talking about how much I loved the holidays. But I’ve never been a hater, either.

This year I am hating it.

I keep my shopping list very simple. I shop for family. I discourage other gift-giving. I had the great idea of co-worker and I exchanging Timbers swag.

I can’t find anything that I’m looking for. I’ve been on three major shopping expeditions. There is tons of crappy stuff out there that no one wants but nothing good that I want. It’s been making me really cranky.

I’m going to go to the liquor store and get everyone booze.

I saw Voyage of the Dawn Treader last week. As a Narnia geek, I loved it.

In all other categories it fails.

It’s a really lame movie with some super cool parts. If you liked the books I can tell you that Eustace Scrubb is GENIUS. Seriously, worth the price of admission right there.

(Aside: favorite first sentence: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”)

But the writing is lame. There were parts that were what I do when I need a short cut to get through a scene but plan to go back and fix later.

“Wasn’t it great when we were kings and queens in Narnia?”

“Yes, but now we’re stuck here with our terrible cousin Eustace Scrubb. In drabby England.”

“Yes, while Mum and Dad and Peter and Susan are in Americker.”

I’ve never done 3-D before and for the first few minutes I was afraid I was going to gack-up my nice Xmas lunch. Also that Yogi Bear movie looks like an abomination. And I grew up with Yogi Bear.

Overall: I give it a B-. I’m sure I will dorkishly see it again. And complain about the lame parts.

big public marriage proposals, esp. involving jumbotrons

eating contests

flip-flops except at the beach or pool

yellow mustard

pineapple on pizza

affiliate programs

book trailers

jaywalking

the sequel to Tron

facebook [I don’t disapprove of all of it but am too lazy to articulate the specifics here]

the phrase “across the pond”

aftermarket tinting

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I have to do the photo at the end b/c if I leave it at the top of the post it looks like I don’t approve of a truck filled with meat and that is not true.

Last week we had lunch at Ned Ludd and the meat delivery came while we were there.

At dinner I told Bob I had a good day. I only had two things I didn’t do on my list and since my list usually contains at least five more things than I can actually do in a day, two leftover things wasn’t so bad.

Writing this post is one of those things and at this point, I’m phoning it in.

I’m one of the three people in the universe who did a backflip then passed out with joy when I found out that Psych was doing a Twin Peaks episode.

Twin Peaks is the only show in history that I watched every single episode in its original network airing. Live. I didn’t leave the house if that show was coming on. I’ve been severely fanatical about numerous things in my life so no sense trying to make this into the biggest but my Twin Peaks achievements include: meeting the Log Lady and Lucy and going to a party where Leo was present. (Not in a wheelchair, I noticed.) I have genuine off-the-set memorabilia. It’s the Bob wanted poster and you can tell how much it means to me because I haven’t the slightest idea where it is right now. I own the soundtrack. I read Laura Palmer’s diary. I saw that terrible prequel movie the first weekend it was out. I think I own two copies of the DVDs. One is regular and one is the complete collectors edition. I’ve watched the series start to finish only twice. Maybe I’ll do it again this winter.

Psych is one of my guilty pleasure shows. It’s stupid and hilarious and I love it.

I thought the Twin Peaks episode was dorkily fabulous. Sherilyn Fenn was brilliant. Ten stars.

Bob and I hardly ever watch movies together but on Friday we watched Get Him To The Greek with Jonah Hill, Russell Brand and Elizabeth Moss. It’s pretty good and hilarious but also really weird. There was stuff I was laughing at, like that whole bit where they were petting the furry wall, but I was also thinking, jeez, this is weird. The Lars Ulrich cameo is the best: “Enter Sandman.”

I had a whole bunch of other things I was going to write about but I’m too tired.

I finished a short story today. The first new thing I’ve finished since the beginning of time which was is fantastic but also melted my brain. I’m going to watch a show and then go to bed.