Monday, December 18, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Short. Attention. Span.
Sometimes I feel like I'm suffering from ADD with all the emails, IM, phone calls and breaks in conversation I get at work. I'm constantly having to jump from one topic to another and by the time I get back to the original topic, it's difficult to remember what I was doing in the first place.
Now I'm staying in a hotel convenient for business travelers like myself and I think they have developed their marketing campaign for people exactly like me. Everything, and I do mean everything is broken down to a few words and a period - beginning at the door:
hello.
we're happy you are here.
relax.
enjoy your stay.
some like it hot.
some like it cold.
check out the new Hampton bed.
freshen please.
thought pad.
shampoo.
conditioner.
pillows by hampton. firm.
clean your face.
working.
clean your body.
vanity kit.
As I look around the other bathroom products, my eyes land on my new hair gel. In one place where I'm not distracted by conversations, IM, emails and the phone - the bathroom - I can look over at this one bottle which reads:
all on one bottle.
no joke.
Now I'm staying in a hotel convenient for business travelers like myself and I think they have developed their marketing campaign for people exactly like me. Everything, and I do mean everything is broken down to a few words and a period - beginning at the door:
hello.
we're happy you are here.
relax.
enjoy your stay.
some like it hot.
some like it cold.
check out the new Hampton bed.
freshen please.
thought pad.
shampoo.
conditioner.
pillows by hampton. firm.
clean your face.
working.
clean your body.
vanity kit.
As I look around the other bathroom products, my eyes land on my new hair gel. In one place where I'm not distracted by conversations, IM, emails and the phone - the bathroom - I can look over at this one bottle which reads:
Bumble and Bumble. Bumble and Bumble. Bumble and bumble. Bumble
Curl Conscious Curl Conscious.
Curl Creme Curl Creme Curl
Creme a Boucles Creme a Boucles Cre
For Fine to Medium Hair For Fine to Medium Hair For Fine to Medium
Cheveux Fins a Moyens Cheveux Fins a Moyens Cheve
Belle Du Jour
Baby Doll Botticelli Muse Nordic Angel English
Wavy Woman
Curl Conscious Curl Conscious.
Curl Creme Curl Creme Curl
Creme a Boucles Creme a Boucles Cre
For Fine to Medium Hair For Fine to Medium Hair For Fine to Medium
Cheveux Fins a Moyens Cheveux Fins a Moyens Cheve
Belle Du Jour
Baby Doll Botticelli Muse Nordic Angel English
Wavy Woman
all on one bottle.
no joke.
Monday, December 11, 2006
No Presence for Presents
Even though our house is all decorated for the holidays and I love to see the decorations in downtown SF everyday, I still cannot believe Christmas is just 2 weeks away. I am not ready for it! Where did the shopping weekends go?! I had thought we would get some shopping done last weekend, but when it came down to it, there just wasn’t time. First we had to go out to the East Bay for our last wood class (oh! I must blog about the stools we made!), then meet sis-in-law in SF for lunch. It took us longer to find parking then it did to actually sit in the restaurant. After lunch was over we then had about a half hour to shop before we had to race home so I could get ready for a “gig” that evening with my brass quintet. Afterwards Mr. Mingle and I treated ourselves to a fancy dinner in the city to celebrate the fact that I was all dressed up. I mean, if I’m going to get into a cocktail dress for my brass quintet, I may as well take advantage of it right?
Anyway, I do need to pause here a moment to tell you about our dinner, because it was a lovely unexpected surprise. We were in a section of town that we weren’t familiar with and my feet were already screaming at me for standing on them for 2 hours in heels so there was only a limited distance that we could walk. Therefore, after the gig was over, we stopped by a nearby hip hotel to see if they had a restaurant. The hotel’s restaurant was closed for a private party so they directed us to the concierge to give us some tips on nearby restaurants. And boy, was he helpful! Assuming that we were staying at the hotel, he told us all about restaurants and then called ahead to get us a table at the one we chose (Les Amis). He even told the restaurant that it was our anniversary, and that they should take special care of us! (We in fact had told the concierge that “no” we weren’t celebrating anything.) When we showed up at the restaurant they greeted us with champagne and then seated us very quickly. Mr. Mingle and I were not very hungry since we had had a late lunch with Sis, so we split everything and therefore got to try a few small things. It was delicious!!! I give the restaurant 4 Mingle Stars (out of 4) – friendly (not snooty), knowledgeable service (excellent wine recommendations) and very yummy food (except for the parsley soup with escargot…don’t need to ever have that again).
Where was I? Oh yes.. shopping. Last Sunday was spent cleaning the house and grocery shopping to get ready for Sis-in-law and husband who came over for dinner to celebrate her birthday. So, all in all, no shopping was done except for the one gift we had to buy which was for the birthday girl.
Now, I am sitting in a hotel room in Phoenix, where I’m traveling for work and will be here until Wednesday. I don’t really want to buy gifts here since inevitably someone will want to return something. Meanwhile we have to ship Mr. Mingle’s dad’s gift (which we haven’t bought); celebrate Christmas with Pop and J this Sunday (to give gifts that we have not purchased); and then leave for Hawaii next Wednesday (with gifts for the rest of the family which we do not have). Can anyone say gift cards?
Anyway, I do need to pause here a moment to tell you about our dinner, because it was a lovely unexpected surprise. We were in a section of town that we weren’t familiar with and my feet were already screaming at me for standing on them for 2 hours in heels so there was only a limited distance that we could walk. Therefore, after the gig was over, we stopped by a nearby hip hotel to see if they had a restaurant. The hotel’s restaurant was closed for a private party so they directed us to the concierge to give us some tips on nearby restaurants. And boy, was he helpful! Assuming that we were staying at the hotel, he told us all about restaurants and then called ahead to get us a table at the one we chose (Les Amis). He even told the restaurant that it was our anniversary, and that they should take special care of us! (We in fact had told the concierge that “no” we weren’t celebrating anything.) When we showed up at the restaurant they greeted us with champagne and then seated us very quickly. Mr. Mingle and I were not very hungry since we had had a late lunch with Sis, so we split everything and therefore got to try a few small things. It was delicious!!! I give the restaurant 4 Mingle Stars (out of 4) – friendly (not snooty), knowledgeable service (excellent wine recommendations) and very yummy food (except for the parsley soup with escargot…don’t need to ever have that again).
Where was I? Oh yes.. shopping. Last Sunday was spent cleaning the house and grocery shopping to get ready for Sis-in-law and husband who came over for dinner to celebrate her birthday. So, all in all, no shopping was done except for the one gift we had to buy which was for the birthday girl.
Now, I am sitting in a hotel room in Phoenix, where I’m traveling for work and will be here until Wednesday. I don’t really want to buy gifts here since inevitably someone will want to return something. Meanwhile we have to ship Mr. Mingle’s dad’s gift (which we haven’t bought); celebrate Christmas with Pop and J this Sunday (to give gifts that we have not purchased); and then leave for Hawaii next Wednesday (with gifts for the rest of the family which we do not have). Can anyone say gift cards?
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Just Wait For It
Back in August we were house-sitting at my Mom's house with her two cats and dog. Mini was trying to figure out the cat door to my mom's cats chagrin. Here you can see Mini trying to get out, but not knowing how, and the other two waiting behind her. But then something unexpected happens....
Sunday, December 03, 2006
So Long Sella!
The Car I Love to Hate
It’s no secret how I feel about Mr. Mingle’s Saturn. This car has plagued me since I met him. First it was the little matter of the registration expiring and needing to pay for the towing and to get it out of the impound lot. No sooner had we got it out of that mess, there was a flat tire. Then some ‘hooligans’ came along and scratched obscenities in the vehicle.
Then came the reign of parking at the West Oakland Bart Station which led to 2 or 3 windows being broken (we lost count), and of course the oft talked about car-theft which occurred twice. To my chagrin it was found both times – the first time cost us to fix the clutch which they destroyed, the second time we had to pay for the towing charges and to get it out of the impound lot (again). The police have no sympathy for the victim – if it’s your car, you pay everything to get it back (whether you want it or not).
There were the other things we just didn’t fix knowing it wasn’t worth it – the droopy headliner, the broken stereo and the broken-down seats for example. It rattles with every stop, and when Mr. Mingle gets home at night I can hear him coming because his radio is so loud it cuts clear through the car and the house. Why this occurs I have no idea considering he only has one rear speaker, and he listens to NPR. A long time ago I named the car “Sella”, so I could say “Sella Saturn…get it? Sella Saturn!!”
Sella’s saving grace was that once Mr. Mingle started commuting 50 miles each day, the car was getting over 30 miles per gallon, which was nothing to scoff at. Until I realized he also had to buy a quart of oil each time he filled up on gas – so I’m not sure the cost savings was all that great.
But today was the day I have been waiting for …. Today we bought Mr. Mingle a new car! We’ve been shopping around for quite awhile, looking for a fuel efficient car that we both liked, and one which made sense price-wise. Finally, we settled on a Scion xA. It gets 37 miles per gallon on the highway, it’s only 154 inches long which is perfect for parking in the city, and it has a lot of bells and whistles for an affordable price.
Finally, the day has come – we can Sella Saturn!! (get it? Get it?!)
Then came the reign of parking at the West Oakland Bart Station which led to 2 or 3 windows being broken (we lost count), and of course the oft talked about car-theft which occurred twice. To my chagrin it was found both times – the first time cost us to fix the clutch which they destroyed, the second time we had to pay for the towing charges and to get it out of the impound lot (again). The police have no sympathy for the victim – if it’s your car, you pay everything to get it back (whether you want it or not).
There were the other things we just didn’t fix knowing it wasn’t worth it – the droopy headliner, the broken stereo and the broken-down seats for example. It rattles with every stop, and when Mr. Mingle gets home at night I can hear him coming because his radio is so loud it cuts clear through the car and the house. Why this occurs I have no idea considering he only has one rear speaker, and he listens to NPR. A long time ago I named the car “Sella”, so I could say “Sella Saturn…get it? Sella Saturn!!”
Sella’s saving grace was that once Mr. Mingle started commuting 50 miles each day, the car was getting over 30 miles per gallon, which was nothing to scoff at. Until I realized he also had to buy a quart of oil each time he filled up on gas – so I’m not sure the cost savings was all that great.
But today was the day I have been waiting for …. Today we bought Mr. Mingle a new car! We’ve been shopping around for quite awhile, looking for a fuel efficient car that we both liked, and one which made sense price-wise. Finally, we settled on a Scion xA. It gets 37 miles per gallon on the highway, it’s only 154 inches long which is perfect for parking in the city, and it has a lot of bells and whistles for an affordable price.
Finally, the day has come – we can Sella Saturn!! (get it? Get it?!)
Mr. Mingle's New Ride
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