Sending Birthday Love to My Mom Happy 25th (+ 33)

Adventures in Cooking: Baked Mac'n Cheese (what's left of it)

My High School is Turning 90

Good'ole G-R-O-S-S-M-O-N-T is getting old. I just got word that in September they will be having a bit of a birthday party to celebrate what has happened over the last 90 years. Sadly, the district will start demolishing buildings and heavy remodeling in the coming year so now is the best time to go see the old stomping grounds. I guess after nine decades of complaining about the "old school" school they are starting to do something about it. I hope they don't mess with the blue stage out on the main quad - or at least auction off chunks of it.

I guess this means it's time to start making travel plans for the weekend of September 18th.

How can I pass up the opportunity (excuse) to go back home to San Diego?

Green Thumb (Miracle): Almost a Month & Still Growing

TRAX is off the Track (6 hours later)

New Glasses: Attempt #2

Rankings Surprise

It's the time of year when US News and World Report puts out their Best Graduate School's in the US edition. Anyone that is thinking of going into higher, higher-education at least browses this magazine down at Barnes & Noble or hits up their website.

When I started my job we were ranked below the unofficial Tier-1 marker of 50 (we came in at 57). Three years later we are tied with our rival down south (BYU) at 42. Somethings are worth cheering about.

On a side note, for everyone that scratched their head when I opted to go to the U for my grad program, it's current ranking is 10th in the nation. I admit that the program is not ranked every year but until that number changes, 10th is not that bad.

I Skipped a Few Upgrade Cycles...I'm Always Late to the Party

Green Thumb Update: Still Alive & Kick'in

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

It's Back to the Future Part II (minus the hoverboard)

This could be the solution to my view of the One World Cafe (but it still can't help with the smell on a steamy, stench-ridden summer day).





Here's how it was done (& yes, the system & software will be on sale - eventually). Remember to measure twice and cut once ;) This is the blessing of having dorky friends with a penchant for programming AND carpenter skills.

$75 for a bowl of candy (yes, it was worth it)

Scott Matheson normally donates Sourdough Bread starter for the Minority Law Caucus auction but this year he opted for homemade Old Fashioned Honey Candy. He made sure everyone in the building was aware of its 'natural' goodness with free samples about two weeks ago. Trust me, they are good.

This gem of an auction item had a few people teaming up to bid just in case things got too spendy. The auction had item going for over $500 so you never know how high things are going to go. Thanks to a healthy first bid of $40 things got to $75 quickly (Thanks Carolynn). Luckily for me there were two bags and both I and a professor walked away with our respective bags. I, however, split my bag with the accountant and had to quickly part with 50% of the winnings before I was tempted to dine on them for an impromptu lunch.

Never fear, I will stay strong and not eat them myself - it's good to have a full candy dish on my desk. When it is in front of me I never eat it so come on over and help yourself (it's candy made by a judicial nominee people).

Now I need to go eat a filling lunch so I can kill the temptation to justify a mouthful of honey candy.

FYI: forgetting Heavy Cream in the Freezer does not help when trying to Whip the Cream

Nuch's on 23rd east (near I-80), GO!

Really?! My clean car only lasted 48 hours

Green Thumb: Week 2 (it's not dead yet)

After ditching my dead palm and wilted ivy plants on Palm Sunday I thought I'd take another stab at keeping green things alive. I've kept the one in my office alive for over a year so I know that there's a slight hint of hope. 

In a hasty decision I went with an orchid and two more ivy. Seems that I should have learned from my orchid experience last summer (it was one of two house plants that didn't do so well while I was housesitting). Meh, we will see how long these new plants last. Here's a pic to measure initial progress (even though I admit that the plant would look like this is was clipped and in a vase)

 

Pearl Jam & My Hearing Problem

I know that I have posted this before but the song just popped up on Pandora and reminded me about my hearing problem. As many of my friends know I often misinterpret phrases and turn them into random, if not completely inappropriate sayings. The stalwart example being:

Did you say "damsel in distress" or "damn slutty dress?"

It's more out of bad hearing than trying to be funny - that's just an added side effect.

Rethink your Chocolate Milkshake next time

Via: Online Schools

Let it snow, let it snow, let it STOP!

Blast from the Past: Pippi & the Monchhichi's

Today at work I had a random conversation about old-school cartoons. I guess the topic originated from a cake that was left in the front office that just happened to look like a mushroom. It only took a minute to search the interwebs and print off a Papa Smurf finger puppet to guard and protect the remnants of the cake. (I thought it was funny but the joke was lost on the younger people that saw it).

Seems there is a very specific demographic that remembers the crazy stuff of what was once the coveted Saturday Morning Cartoon block. If you are part of this group you remember the cast members of random NBC shows hosting Saturday Morning Cartoons and it would last for half of the day. There was something weird, even back then, of having the girls from the Facts of Life introduce a 60-minute block of the Smurfs but we were kids and didn't care. (Really, what kind of name is Tootie any way?!)

Living in L.A. we would usually watch whatever the brilliant minds put on KTLA from 7:00 a.m. until it was lunch time. After lunch we would return to the family room to watch the Family Feature movie - chanced were it was one of the three Pippi Longstocking movies. These crazy movies introduced me to the concept of dubbed movies (aka the words never matched the lips). After great thought on the matter, this is the genesis of my amazing king-fu mimicking (you killed my family, you must die - I guess you have to see it AND hear it to appreciate it). If you have never seen the "old" Pippi movies spend a few minutes to see the movies that warped my young and overly-impressionable mind. The newer, English-based movies are laaaame. If the dialog matches the actors lips it's not as funny, old Swedish flicks are the way to go, trust me.

Watch and be amazed:
My sister will freak out when she sees this clip. "We're all together, yes all together and together we'll be happy and we'll have a lot of fun..." (minute 3:30)


*I love how Anikka sounds like a Long Island princess. 

If you had one of these - you were a child of 1985:

The Easter Bunny showed up early this year

Guess Again dwb...