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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thailand day 5
Was pretty dismal and I chose not to record its existence.
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Thailand day 4
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Thailand Day 3
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Thailand day 2
Its been very muggy and humid while we've been here. Some days it rains and that helps. We got caught in the rain during our scooter ride around the island. Have not spent much time on the beach.
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Thailand day 1
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
Thailand Day 1
Took a scooter ride around Samui.
Will update more later
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
Inspirational
Last weekend, Greg and I went to see the Parsons Dance Company at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.
We see a lot of shows at SCA, and every now and again, they are noteworthy.
We realized a while ago that the people who put the program together select artists that are unique, innovative, often well-known, but always interesting. We get to pay between $30 and $40 to see shows that probably cost over $100 in their resident locations. The amphitheater honestly has no bad seat. And our experience is always enjoyable.
We mostly go to the jazz, latin music and dance shows. The organization allows you to pay a "series" price when you purchase 4 or more shows from the whole program, so you are not restricted in your selection. We started out going to only 4, and as our salaries have increased, we have purchased more and more tickets; to the point where we are close to seeing every show in the program that interests us. I say all this because I think it exemplifies exactly how much we appreciate SCA (and if anyone lands here because they Googled it, I want to make sure that's understood).
Anyway... we see a lot of dance shows. They are always interesting and entertaining; and we are always impressed by the skills of the dancers. But last weekend, was a show that was remarkable. The only other choreographer that has made me speechless is Ohad Naharin, whose pieces we have seen performed by the Hubbard Street and Le Grande Ballet de Montreal.
Last week, it was David Parsons.
Every piece was energetic and fun and happy and positive. There wasn't even one solo/duet that had a little dramatic for the reason of being dramatic moment. The dancers were having so much incredible fun you could see it on their faces. They weren't just smiling, they were laughing, and ooh'ing, and connecting with each other in the exuberance of the choreography. The movement was creative and different, there wasn't any running in circles, or just running around to "use the whole stage". And specifically, here are the pieces of note:
Caught: who would ever thought that this was possible! a pairing between a dancer and a lighting person to truly take advantage of the strobe. You have to watch to believe!
Shining Star: Homage to the 70's.
Sleep Study: dancers in pajamas, sleeping on the floor - seriously, the whole piece was on the floor, moving around as you would in sleep! how come noone has ever thought of anything like that before?!
In the End: dancers in jeans! and T-shirts dancing to a medley of Dave Matthews Band music. Unbelievable! Its been a long time since I've seen music expressed by dance so effectively. If Dave Matthews has ever seen this piece, I'd love to know what he thinks because if I were him, I'd make it my music video!
If you watch the video for Satellite, you'll see that he finds patterns beneath the music that he brings to the foreground through the choreography... amazing! you'll never hear that song the same again!
Oftentimes you want to get up and dance in your spot when you see a show at SCA, but this time, I wanted to get up and run on stage to be with these people in this piece! I wanted to quit my job and start training all day so that I could be part of the Parsons Dance Company, and you know what... that's the first thing Greg said too when we walked out!
We see a lot of shows at SCA, and every now and again, they are noteworthy.
We realized a while ago that the people who put the program together select artists that are unique, innovative, often well-known, but always interesting. We get to pay between $30 and $40 to see shows that probably cost over $100 in their resident locations. The amphitheater honestly has no bad seat. And our experience is always enjoyable.
We mostly go to the jazz, latin music and dance shows. The organization allows you to pay a "series" price when you purchase 4 or more shows from the whole program, so you are not restricted in your selection. We started out going to only 4, and as our salaries have increased, we have purchased more and more tickets; to the point where we are close to seeing every show in the program that interests us. I say all this because I think it exemplifies exactly how much we appreciate SCA (and if anyone lands here because they Googled it, I want to make sure that's understood).
Anyway... we see a lot of dance shows. They are always interesting and entertaining; and we are always impressed by the skills of the dancers. But last weekend, was a show that was remarkable. The only other choreographer that has made me speechless is Ohad Naharin, whose pieces we have seen performed by the Hubbard Street and Le Grande Ballet de Montreal.
Last week, it was David Parsons.
Every piece was energetic and fun and happy and positive. There wasn't even one solo/duet that had a little dramatic for the reason of being dramatic moment. The dancers were having so much incredible fun you could see it on their faces. They weren't just smiling, they were laughing, and ooh'ing, and connecting with each other in the exuberance of the choreography. The movement was creative and different, there wasn't any running in circles, or just running around to "use the whole stage". And specifically, here are the pieces of note:
Caught: who would ever thought that this was possible! a pairing between a dancer and a lighting person to truly take advantage of the strobe. You have to watch to believe!
Shining Star: Homage to the 70's.
Sleep Study: dancers in pajamas, sleeping on the floor - seriously, the whole piece was on the floor, moving around as you would in sleep! how come noone has ever thought of anything like that before?!
In the End: dancers in jeans! and T-shirts dancing to a medley of Dave Matthews Band music. Unbelievable! Its been a long time since I've seen music expressed by dance so effectively. If Dave Matthews has ever seen this piece, I'd love to know what he thinks because if I were him, I'd make it my music video!
If you watch the video for Satellite, you'll see that he finds patterns beneath the music that he brings to the foreground through the choreography... amazing! you'll never hear that song the same again!
Oftentimes you want to get up and dance in your spot when you see a show at SCA, but this time, I wanted to get up and run on stage to be with these people in this piece! I wanted to quit my job and start training all day so that I could be part of the Parsons Dance Company, and you know what... that's the first thing Greg said too when we walked out!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
I live with 2 (old) men
I was going to do Dishwasher Watch this week... since I loaded and ran the dishwasher on Friday night and as of Monday morning when I left for work, it was still loaded with clean dishes... and the sink was FULL of dirty ones (I was trying very hard to not be the one who did it, again!).
But I had a helper during dinner time who did the honors of moving dishes around.
There are many inconveniences when you live with two old men. They talk about nothing for hours while you are looking for some peace and quiet. They are stubborn. They are set in their ways. They tell you that you are always wrong... when all it is, is that they don't understand what you just described because they still use 8-tracks. They watch annoying television. But the most annoying part of all, is that neither of them will do anything that is constued as house-maintenance.
Maybe, just maybe, if you put some stinky fish remains in the trash, they will take it out.
But that's it.
and my dishwasher watch was going to document their incredible ability to ignore filth.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Changing office view
Remember these?
Well, I changed my view....
yip, that's the view from the top of the hill on our land in Costa Rica.
And aren't you impressed with how well I framed it with the tree leaves coming down around the edges?
I did that on purpose.
Well, I changed my view....
yip, that's the view from the top of the hill on our land in Costa Rica.
And aren't you impressed with how well I framed it with the tree leaves coming down around the edges?
I did that on purpose.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Car manufacturer emblems
I'm been thinking about emblems lately. I think its because I look at cars coming around the course and I don't know what they are. I think, how will I identify this car if it hits a cone, because I don't know what it is. So, I started thinking that I should pay more attention while I'm driving and maybe I'll figure out what's confusing me.
It worked.
here is a selection of the most common brands at autox:
They are all round!
here are the exceptions:
of course this one is a hybrid:
and this is what marks me as a "girl"; do you see the differences between these 2 cars?
the only way I can tell is to look at the logos.
It worked.
here is a selection of the most common brands at autox:
They are all round!
here are the exceptions:
of course this one is a hybrid:
and this is what marks me as a "girl"; do you see the differences between these 2 cars?
the only way I can tell is to look at the logos.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
"SAT words"?
I've started thinking that the reason why some of our younger staff don't follow my direction is because they don't understand the meaning of the words I use.
here are two that have come up recently:
nuance
status quo
here are two that have come up recently:
nuance
status quo
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Saving Daylight: for what?!
I hate daylight savings.
Mostly because we don't do it here in Arizona.
What that used to mean is that 1/2 the year I was 2 hours behind at work, and then the other 1/2 I was 3 hours behind.
There is a big difference between 2 and 3.
Being 3 hours behind (I get to work at 9, its now Noon in DC) means that the people I work with/for are going to LUNCH when I get to work.
At this point, they are frustrated that the emails and phone-calls they left for me all morning are still not answered.
When its 2 hours, its still "morning" when I return the messages. Not as frustrating.
Frustration number 2: Most people don't realize that AZ doesn't change time. So, I get phone calls at 6am (oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was 7!); those meetings that I said I could get up for at 6am so that they could do them first thing in the morning? now I have to be awake and alert at 5; all that traveling I do? now my body has another hour to go before its awake while I sit in meetings wishing I drank coffee.
Our lovely President went and changed the daylight savings months last year.
Instead of it being 6 and 6, now its NINE and 3... I ask you, what is the point?!
If the time is saving daylight for more months a year than its not, why don't we just permanently change it!! and stop all this nonsense!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Maybe Max isn't so dumb
He just smelled the milk in a little jug but it was too low for him to reach it to have a taste, so he dipped his paw in and licked it.
Now, in some contexts, that could be considered a "tool".
Maybe I'm watching evolution in action, and the next thing you know he'll be walking upright on his back legs!
Now, in some contexts, that could be considered a "tool".
Maybe I'm watching evolution in action, and the next thing you know he'll be walking upright on his back legs!
Friday, February 08, 2008
need . more . seconds
every morning as I drive to work, I think of profound things to muse upon here for your enjoyment. By the time I get to work, I've forgotten... and I don't have time to post anyway...
There was a profound thought about John McCain, something moaning about men and dishwashers... oh, I remember that one!
The other day, instead of unloading the dishwasher, Greg put DIRTY dishes IN it.
I asked myself... how can you not think to look at the FULL dishwasher to see if maybe the dishes are clean? How can you not notice that there is no food or beverage on the inside of the tank? Am I asking too much of you?
And so I ran it again!
Work = busy
Life = low-key
we have some events coming up... autox this weekend; Greg's 24 hour bike race next; so mayhaps there will be some photos a-posting.
There was a profound thought about John McCain, something moaning about men and dishwashers... oh, I remember that one!
The other day, instead of unloading the dishwasher, Greg put DIRTY dishes IN it.
I asked myself... how can you not think to look at the FULL dishwasher to see if maybe the dishes are clean? How can you not notice that there is no food or beverage on the inside of the tank? Am I asking too much of you?
And so I ran it again!
Work = busy
Life = low-key
we have some events coming up... autox this weekend; Greg's 24 hour bike race next; so mayhaps there will be some photos a-posting.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
The news, and why I ignore it
I don't watch TV news. ever.
I don't read the newspaper - the ink makes me sneeze
I get my news from the 30 mins or so of NPR in the morning
and listening to Slate Magazine daily podcasts
I give my attention to these sources because I generally feel that they are unbiased and present just the news.
Well, I know that they are biased. And most of the time, I don't notice the colorings and opinions of the presenter woven into the general text of the presentation.
The other day I did.
There was a story about the bombing of a compound in Afghanistan where an alqaida leader was killed.
And the announcer phrased the sentence like this:
...bombing of a compound where 21 people were killed including an alqaida leader. This is great news 'cause this guy was high up in the chain and having him dead is good for the WORLD...
of course, a bunch of people died in Iraq too, so a couple sentences later we had:
...over 15 people were killed in a suicide bombing, this brings the death toll this morning to 20..
or something like that.
Anyway... the gist is that when a guy "we" think is bad gets killed, doesn't matter how many innocent bystanders are also gone.
Dead people are dead people... it doesn't matter who did the killing or what the reasoning was. Don't pretend its otherwise.
I don't read the newspaper - the ink makes me sneeze
I get my news from the 30 mins or so of NPR in the morning
and listening to Slate Magazine daily podcasts
I give my attention to these sources because I generally feel that they are unbiased and present just the news.
Well, I know that they are biased. And most of the time, I don't notice the colorings and opinions of the presenter woven into the general text of the presentation.
The other day I did.
There was a story about the bombing of a compound in Afghanistan where an alqaida leader was killed.
And the announcer phrased the sentence like this:
...bombing of a compound where 21 people were killed including an alqaida leader. This is great news 'cause this guy was high up in the chain and having him dead is good for the WORLD...
of course, a bunch of people died in Iraq too, so a couple sentences later we had:
...over 15 people were killed in a suicide bombing, this brings the death toll this morning to 20..
or something like that.
Anyway... the gist is that when a guy "we" think is bad gets killed, doesn't matter how many innocent bystanders are also gone.
Dead people are dead people... it doesn't matter who did the killing or what the reasoning was. Don't pretend its otherwise.
What I did on my summer vacation!
no, wait, that was actually the middle of winter... here. But in the tropics! its never winter.
We stared at a lot of this:
and this:
we stayed here:
we saw lots of these:
and these:
we did some of this:
and even got to satisfy our professional cravings:
and of course,
Sunset on our Farm:
We stared at a lot of this:
and this:
we stayed here:
we saw lots of these:
and these:
we did some of this:
and even got to satisfy our professional cravings:
and of course,
Sunset on our Farm:
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