California Pride

copyright Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times

It is so wonderful to see joyous faces in the newspaper. Hooray for justice and equality.

Science!

Today Bill & I visited NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories at Cal Tech, which are, incidentally, not at Cal Tech.

It looked a lot like the set of Real Genius, but I didn't see Val Kilmer. When we toured various labs and saw things that were more or less like lazers, I kept thinking, gosh, how come all scientific equipment looks just exactly the same as it did in 80's movies. Suffice it to say, some of the exhibits were a bit beyond my Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry comprehension level.

However, we did get a fair amount of free stuff-- namely stickers, bookmarks and even a notebook!

Also, I will note that NASA sprung for the deluxe port-a-potties. Literally, the word "Royale" was emblazoned on the side. I mean, the port-a-potties were larger than high school classroom trailers that fill the playgrounds of the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District, for my non-resident readers). Let it be known that I would prefer my tax dollars go to classrooms, not deluxe lavatories.

Finally, the labs are located in the city of La Cañada Flintridge, a lovely part of Los Angeles I had never visited before and indeed, assumed to be La Canada as many listings omit the tilde. So I'm glad I visited, saw the "Welcome to La Cañada Flintridge: Home of the Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory" signs, noted the en-yay (!), and remembered to look up the correct pronunciation (la can-yadda) upon my return home.

Officially a Los Angeleno (a?)

Today I saw Morrissey in a bar and kept my cool.

While I did take a gratuitous bathroom trip to investigate this sighting and, let's say, let my eyes linger, I did not scream, squeal, or express in any way my excitement in a way that would have been apparent to the Moz. Fortunately, my friends & I were on the patio and the Pope of Mope was seated inside (shockingly, with his back to the mirrored wall) so I could manage a little squealing here and there.

Spotted today

Very old (80+ for sure) man carrying a reusable grocery bag with a bumper sticker: Impeachment is Patriotic.

I love old liberals.

Hi, World.

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry that I have been so neglectful of you over the past year or even two. Part of the problem is that my life just isn't terribly eventful. I can't even think of the last time I saw a stranger jerking off, attempted a bagel-making project, or outed my roommate as a total freak!

Ah, but the truth is, my boyfriend still eats stuff for breakfast that is so predictable it's hilarious.

And, I still make exciting stuff to feast upon. Just yesterday I put yogurt into my macaroni and cheese! This is all part of my total infatuation with European or Greek-style non-fat, plain yogurt. It makes literally everything more delicious.

So, blog, I vow to try again. And try harder. And be totally awesome in every way. Especially since unemployment looms in my future. Thanks for that, President Bush and your war-mongering. That's right, folks, I may soon be a victim of the not-quite-recession. Fortunately, we have my boyfriend's graduate student income to sustain us.

And here we go, looking forward to a future of awesomeness.

Warmest regards,

Ruth

Happy May Day

Just received this email from my boss and felt the slightest pang of sadness that my work situation will soon change:

"Pause for a moment to consider the irony of your boss wishing you a happy May Day, which, of course, I do.

Now, get back to work!

The Management

"

Statistics

OK, you know that statistic about how 50% of young people couldn't find Iraq or Israel or wherever on a map?

Well, I'd really like to see the map in question. I think I am pretty decent at geography, but I don't think I could properly fill in a blank map of the Middle East, despite my success on the Map Tests in World Geography as a freshman in high school.

That's all.

Google, have you no morals?!?!

under

lovelovelovelovelovelovelove

So mad at me!!

Ugh, my annoyance with myself has skyrocketed, as I stupidly flaked and forgot to buy Magnetic Fields tickets and now it's sold out. And I owe money on my taxes this year so don't think I can justify paying scalpers' rates and my stupid lower lip won't pop back in.

On-sale dates are exactly why calendars were invented and anyway, GRRR GRRR GRR.

Fuck you, Year of the Rat.

Apparently, I'm going to have an atrocious 2008. Great news, especially since there are a number of anticipated changes upcoming.


The Year of the Rat for the Rooster

I swear, any time I read any astrological predictions, I just get incredibly angry. I guess I never caught the pre-destination bug from my time spent in presbyterian sunday school. gr.

Juicy in LA

On my way to work this morning, I saw a Range Rover with a Juicy Couture air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror.

Would you believe I've been enjoying life in LA quite a bit recently?

Wow, it's been a little rainy today, and the view from my work's window is the most beautiful thing I've seen in a while. The window overlooks the 405 freeway and the McMansions that dot the hills of Bel Air, and the light is that perfect twilight through the clouds, etc.

It's a little depressing, though, that I'm so excited to see a little sun-through-the-clouds action, casting shadows on nothing-too-special.



Sorry, under-attended blog, that this is the best I can come up with. That said, the only readers of my blog appear to be googlers of umbrella tattoos, so my guilt is minimal.

It must be awesome to have a girlfriend.

math

I just found an old post-it on my desk, and it says "6+11=18."

I hope I didn't write that.

Day of the Dead

Awesome.

feeding frenzy

So, Boyfriend "Can you put some more bacon on top of my milkshake?" Bill has decided that, given his advanced age, the time has come to more greatly consider the long term effects of diet and exercise.

I am glad of this, as I didn't want to worry about a) Bill burning his tongue while lapping bacon grease out of the pan or b) Bill ruining yet another evening whinging about brain freezes and begging for milkshake runs or c) Bill stealing the fat from my steak off my plate.

But prior to Bill's "oooh, do we have any flax to put on top of my high fiber cereal?" transformation, he was my food id, and I, the superego. Our powers combined created a sensible ego known to share a small (ok, mid-sized) bowl of ice cream while making kissy-face on the couch.

Now, however, I am driven by an insane hunger. I have consumed, on average, 3 servings of Oreos a day for the past few days. I contemplated leaving work to go buy a cupcake, even though I don't actually like cake very much.

I just finished my lady-time, so no, I'm not pregnant but thanks for your concern.

No, I fear that a certain number of calories must be consumed in our apartment, and I am, unfortunately, being forced to pick up Bill's slack. Sigh. Just call me "Jack Sprat's live-in girlfriend."

ohhh, the working world.

I just received this email from a colleague:

"Could you also make each caption seven points instead of eight? You just highlight the caption including the final paragraph mark, then highlight the 8 in the little formatting box and type in a 7, then hit enter."

Thanks for that.

next year.

I don't know how I missed National Punctuation Day (or its official meatloaf), but I did. And I am sad.