I'm ready for my close-up

Or at least to be eclipsed by the professor (20 sec mark) so you can't see me at all!



Back in April we spent an early morning filming a portion of the U's new campaign video at the law school. I posted a photo from that rushed morning here.

Wouldn't you know, when all the editing was complete I got shot-blocked right out of the commercial. I woke up early for this? I dealt with a ranting librarian for the opportunity to be hidden behind the professor? At least they had 3 versions of the commercial, oh wait, I'm not in any of those either. They only changed out the girl graduating at the end from Indian to a waspy Caucasian and then had a Spanish version with a dude and his parents at the end.

Consider my alumni donation severely reduced for 2009-2010.

Twinkies, the apocolyptic (petroleum-based) food

Few foods scare me in life but there are a small sampling of items that I will NOT eat, Twinkies being one of them. I made this decision a long time ago and was pleasantly surprised when grad students at Rice University developed the T.W.I.N.K.I.E project. I would happily reproduce their experiments with my summer camp kids & turned another generation away from the "more chemical than food" food. It was more fun than science but at least it got them thinking about what they were putting into their bodies.

After watching the Food Inc movie this week I am trying not to let it outright ruin my eating habits but it sure reinforced my stance on the Hostess snack cake from hell.

To further my point, there is a great article in the LA Times today that will help my case. It's always nice to find out it takes some Chinese Petroleum to make that golden delicious snack. Mmmm.

Enjoy the ever more mysterious cream filling (just remember it will cost you your soul & the health of your G.I. track).

You can find the article by clicking here.

True Story.

Food Inc, the movie

Advanced screening in SLC on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 provided by the Salt Lake Film Center.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/



REMEMBER TO BUY LOCAL AND SUPPORT FARMER's MARKET
When: Saturdays, June 13 - October 17, 2009
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
Where: Pioneer Park (300 South & 300 West)

What I did this Summer (take 1)

Sure, the retelling of "what I did this summer" usually happens when you get back from vacation and stand in front of your elementary school class. A bag of sand, a few seashells and a postcard "wishing you were here" all splayed in front of oohing and ahhing classmates. A silent tension, everyone vying for who did the coolest things while away from the confines of the classroom is a highlight of the fall term.

I figure if I wait until September I will forget the best (mis)adventures of the summer so here we go with round one. Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off all things summer. Somehow growing up we always ended up leaving California and coming to Park City, Yellowstone, or the national parks in and around Utah. Now that I live here I want to return to California but since Hunter is up from Houston (& I just went to CA) we stuck it out close to home for Memorial Day weekend. Here is what I learned over these fine 3 days of summer vacation:

-Bonfires can potentially be ruined by friends inviting friends of friends and having said individuals consists of tools, posers, sheltered bubble children, and those that want their lives to be as “exciting as the Hills.” How could I forget, there are also those kids that still communicate exclusively through insider mission stories (WTF?!). In this situation one must use patience as a weapon of choice and wait out the needy, they will find shiny objects elsewhere.

-Enjoyment of particular bonfires can be maintained by ignoring passive aggressive people that feel entitled to attention and act out like spoiled children when they don’t get what they want. Bonus points to the whack job that couldn't stay behind with a swine flu cough and camped out at a nearby picnic table coughing for all the sympathetic ears. This sickly individual sure could gobble a charred brawt when it came time to eat though, she had a magic gullet.

-Events that are spontaneously planned should still be planned enough to include a destination and communication to the socially infirm (see friends of friends of friends) so they can make it to the mountainous destination without having to run red lights in a game of vehicular follow-the-leader.

-It’s OK to expose posers for what they are. Especially when the dinks can’t even talk the talk to begin with. Example: whitebread, flatbrim hat wearing Utah rappers that barely have fireside cred let alone street cred (Yo, yo dawg. Next time leave TightyWhitey & Crew off the guest list).

-Trips to Park City for the Alpine Coaster/Slide can be derailed by surprise guest appearances by girlfriends of friends of friends that exhibit unjustified demands and socially aggressive behavior. Good thing this one was kept in check from the click of her 3-point seat belt. Too bad the nagging could be heard throughout the stillness of the Aspen trees at PCMR. Auditory deflection can be used to block out sniveling tantrums, some people are as transparent as scotch tape (Caution: it's OK to put baby in the corner in this situation).

-When there is a possibility of defaulting to a bad dining destination one must fight passive aggressive behavior with matter-of-fact statements like: “no” and “we shouldn’t waste our money there.”

-Shopping with great people can make the outlets fun, if not completely entertaining.

-Doing expensive things with cheap people can be trying at times (especially when expensive starts at the "anything over $10 level). Red Rock Brewery trumps the Baja Cantina at PCMR any day of the week, suck it up and pay the extra $5.

Lessons all worth learning, I just wish they weren't so "trial and error" while Hunter is in town from Houston. Next time the pesky people come swarming I will pack my repellant. Deet works on people too ya know.

Furnished apartment for the summer?

Turns out that I am housesitting (gratis) for the summer and will be ditching my apartment from June-August.

If anyone is interested in a well-furnished 1BR near the Catholic church on South Temple just let me know and we can talk numbers. It's a top floor, corner unit with covered parking. If it goes empty, which it probably will, let me know if you need a place for summer visitors (it’s better than having them crash on your couch or pay for a hotel).

Here are some pictures for curiosity sake:

Yes, that is an original Nintendo and it will be traveling with me for the summer.

Sit Back & Relax

A late lunch after a light hike up Little Cottonwood canyon...great day of relaxation. The doctor's orders were taken to heart (& the fact that they were doing pest control on my building meant no sleeping in for me today).

I don't wanna work

I want to bang on the drum all day.

Is it too early for this?

Ehh, who cares, I'm posting it anyway.

The 80's were a strange and seemingly clueless era for advertisers. Let us all benefit from their lapse in judgment, have a laugh at the expense of the hair styles and clothes then watch it again for the product. This has to be a precursor to the Valtrex and Cialis ads that populate the airwaves today.

I feel the need, the need for speed

Can you hear me now?

It seems that a few photos didn't upload from yesterday so here are the highlights. The day ended up being quite hot and the sun reflecting off the water had me squinting for most of the afternoon. Maybe it had something to do with the shiny metal table that helped bake my face too but that's in the past now as I face the Monday ahead of me. In any event here are 3 quick pics to prove that the day was a little more San Diego than Seattle.

The Red Bull Helicopter is famous for flying upside down (shown here flying like any other helicopter). I would have posted a picture of the inverted chopper but it did most of its tricks right in the path of the sun. In the interest of not going blind I refrained from snapping those shots but I am sure there is video online somewhere.

Thanks to the helpful Red Bull flight attendants (& the creativity of Kate) I was able to join the group in the Race Club Section. Hooray for free food and all the water bottles you can carry.

The winning flight. Frenchman Nicloas Ivanoff. Not my favorite by a long shot but better than having Hannes Arch win again. Wish Mike would have made it to the final 4, 5th place makes for a short race day.

All good things...

...must come to an end. Monday is now a quick nap away and San Diego is already starting to feel like it was only a daydream. Coming back from vacation is always a bit rough.

Repete Por Favor

Yes, really.

15 minutes & counting

It's almost showtime...

Mission Accomplished

VIP area + me = happy

Combos

Belgium Waffles and Bacon. Richard Walker Pancakes and Red Bull Air
Race.

Combos made for each other.

Blue makes everything better

Jenny Craig...

...would not consider this a sensible lunch (the shake is contraband as well) but I'm not too concerned :)

The clouds parted...

...and sunshine was brought back into my life. Thank you for all of
your prayers. Praise tha' lord.

High Tide...

...means no tide pools but worth it to stand in the most south western
spot in the continental US. Point Loma, CA

June Gloom a month early? Really?

I seemed to have left the blue sky in Utah. *sad face*

Ding Dongs for breakfast?

If they are from DZ Akins, maybe for dessert after breakfast.

Waddayah mean you're not open for breakfast?

Don't ask, don't tell

This was in the driveway of my friend's house. There's a very good
reason for it...

Bright Yellow (& reflective stripes) are the new Pink

Yup, to have access to the flight area you had to wear one of these lovely numbers. They came in one size (too big) and were an annoying pain.

Don't ask why I took this shot in the bathroom. I got locked inside and couldn't figure out the 2-step handle.

Tennis Anyone?

Glad to know that tennis balls work for old people walkers and high speed trickster airplanes.

Waaay better than...

...the SLC tower that delayed my flight twice today. Perfect sky over Brown Field but too cloudy over the bay. Hope they can race on Saturday.

El Indio - God of Mexican Food

Home (browner than I remember)

The ONLY good thing about being delayed

My own row

Wait for iiiit, wait for iiiit

The magic plane is still not here. If Im not in the sky by 1:00 I will accept defeat, hit BINGO tonight, fly to San Diego in the morning and get comp SkyMiles. (the SkyMiles will happen anyway)

Well hello, and welcome to the Delta Cluster 'F'

I got shuffled between 4 gates and 2 flights and eventually got a $7 voucher. My broken plane was blessed and now through the healing powers of a mechanic we can reboard at 1:00.

If this plane crashes I want all my lawyer friends to sue Delta for negligence and poor customer service.

Round and round and round we go

It's not normal to circle Tooele and the Kennecott Copper mine on the way to CA but that's what I've done. Seems San Diego is postponed while we land back in SLC for a mechanical problem.

This sucks!!!

No whammy No whammy No whammy STOP!

My prayer to the Patron Saint of Flying: Please don't sit me next to a
smelly, talkative, large adult or small child/infant or any
combination of the aforementioned. Amen.

Freedom is within my grasp

Why does Utah look like this on the day I leave?

International Meeting Day 2009 (seriously)

* * * *

In case you can't read the posted disclaimer:
International Meeting Day 2009
Events canceled due to H1N1
Flu Outbreak at the Bakery

Help yourself to a discounted
Cookie!
(as a joke people, there's not an outbreak that I know of)

Almost forgot, here is the agenda for IMD 2009:

Theme: Putting the “IN” back in INternational Meetings

10:00 Distribution of official “Int’l Meeting Day” refreshments and MeetINg Appreciation session

11:00 Come IN & Sit Down: How to Chillax your next meetINg

11:30 INevitable Issues: plannINg on miracles & where to order them on the INternet

12:00 How technology can better INefficientize INternational collaboration and discussion (Podcast for iPhones only)

12:30 Dissecting the INsanity of an ABA visit

1:00 Getting INto Wallets, Polite PickpocketINg

1:30 RennovatINg with Main Campus IN 2 Easy Steps: How to play the 1) Request & 2) Wait game

2:00 INcreasINg revenue at home while decreasINg debt abroad (it’s IN the bag)

2:30 Breakout Sessions:

Group A: FINdINg Acceptance IN Rejection: Why didn’t I get INto law school?

Group B: INterrogating candidates to determine INtelligence

Group C: LivINg among mere mortals: my trials as a nINja in the workplace

Group D: The INs and outs of breakINg down the INsidious INclusiveness withIN the INner admINistrative Circle – How to Barter with Chocolate!

Group E: Video ConferencINg: making YouTube IN the office count

Group F: PlayINg It Safe: how to Bcc with the best of them

Group G: ImplementINg work plans IN 4 time zones with INtensity

2:45 Musical Interlude

2:55 Wrap-up: Discussion leaders summarize the “takeaway points” from each session.

3:00 INaction Items: What are those (& how do I get some them?)

3:30 Calisthenics: Facial Warm Ups: How to avoid INadvertent & INappropriate facial responses to coworkers

4:00 Strategic SeatINg: Life IN the back row, it’s better than you think

4:30 Snow Removal: June assignments

5:00 MeetINg Agendas: To Be Distributed via Courier Pigeons

5:30 Wrap-up: Take Aways (that you can remember)

5:55 ½ Assignments for Int’l MeetINg Day 2010

6:00 Final Thoughts

6:02 Schedule Next MeetINg

6:03 Smoke'em if you got'em (just no where near the building please)

Calling all personal shoppers – I need new board shorts!

Summer is almost here. Technically, May 15th is the end of the semester for my corner of the world aka law school…then it’s summer. In honor of the end of classes and newly silenced hallways I ditched out on work early today (a legit half-day) for a selfish errand. These types of selfish errands are something I really need to do more often, the “Me” in tiMe management has gotten lost in the past year.

I have issued an Amber Alert on new board shorts. Has any one seen a great pair of sartorial sweetness out there? You see, every year I make it a personal quest to pick up some gnarly new shorts, yea even like unto the level of rad.

Just as Monty Python produced a well-rounded group to search for the Holy Grail (& an opportunity to use the Holy Hand Grenade) so must I. In an effort to find the new addition(s) to my summer wardrobe I enlist my friends (& strangers) to one-up each other in finding me my new favorite board shorts. If you are out and about and see a pair of sweetness (size 31 or 32) take a picture, note the price and send it my way.

The ’09 season is already in full swing people. Keep and eye out and your camera phone at the ready. If you submit a winner I just might treat you to dinner (sun, surf, and sand subject to availability).

*The shorts posted here are examples of what won last year (translation: low probability of a repeat taking the prize again this year)

Law Day 5K

There’s nothing like going to work at 7:30 AM on your day off, in the rain to run (or at least jog) a 5K. I should have looked at the course map before signing up; then again, I should have looked at it before the eve of the race. Who in their right mind designs a course that starts uphill? It was a maze of cones, strollers, and wedgies all headed uphill and in your face.

I was impressed with my group of friends that ran the 5K. Everyone finished ahead of me except those that were walking the course (my 10-minute mile was not the best ever but I am happy with the results). I neglected to bring my camera along and didn’t snap off any pictures with my phone so you will have to settle for the cones that spent the weekend in our loading dock. The lack of photographic proof of my rainy day misadventures is a regret I will have to deal with. This decision was attributed more towards me not wanting to slip while running than not wanting to record the moment for posterity. I had enough trouble with a key and a phone in my pocket! By the end we were quite the sight, all sopping wet, a study discipline and at high risk for catching whatever virus or ailment lingered in the lobby.

In all seriousness, it was a great race and more fun than I thought it would be. Sure, the lobby at work was filled with 100+ germ-incubating runners that produced a humid odor that superseded the usual smell of dated lobby furniture but I had my office key and retreated from the pre/post race stinkers.

In usual fashion, the real race was to see how quickly we could get to the Original Pancake House for breakfast. I had my first breakfast burrito Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised. I’m not big on eggs so the thought of wrapping them in a tortilla was never too appealing, my perceptions have been changed and I am no longer afraid of the burrito listed among the breakfast food. Saturday was life changing.

Being Cr38t1v3

I'm a bit of a design junkie and wish I dedicated more time to pursuing creative projects. Appreciating good design is one thing, being able to (re)create it is another. I traditionally peruse stacks of magazines for the ads and design concepts, I even read an article or two while I'm at it. Ever since I can remember I have been a magazine junkie - with the shift towards electronic publications there are fewer hardcopies on the stand at the local bookstore. I have adjusted some of my habits and tend to find some great resources online.

Here is link that keeps my right brain synapses firing and reminds me that I can always improve:

Smashing Magazine (one of my favorites)
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/