From Co-Worker to Mingle:
"Do you know what makes you good? You're a hard-ass."
Friday, February 16, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Only In The City...
...will a man on stilts walk up to me and say, "Now, I can relate to you...", as he did today.
Happy Valentines Day
Happy Valentines Day
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
We Could Have Saved So Much Money
A friend from my old company forwarded this to me today. It was an actual announcement on their internal website. Names and company were changed by me, but everything else is exactly as received:
Wedding Announcements On Thursday January 25th at 1:00 pm
Mary James of St. Petersburg’s Customer Operations was married to Assan Nazrallah. Mary and Assan were married at Mingle's Old Company in a conference room, during Mary’s lunch hour. She is such a dedicated employee that she was back at work at the end of the hour. One of the MOC security guards who is also a Pastor, officiated the ceremony. Below is a comment from Mary (along w/pictures -(unfortunately I have no pictures)) as to why they chose to get married during her lunch hour, at work.
From Mary: The reason why I married at MOC is because I had been sick for two weeks with bronchitis and the second week of February I’m off all week because I’m going on a cruise, so I felt that requesting additional time off for the wedding was not appropriate, especially during peak season. Another reason was that since my husband speaks Arabic and his English is not that well, we needed someone to translate for him and the court wouldn’t allow it. We believe that a big wedding is a waste of time and money, so instead we will use the money to buy a house. Marrying at Mingle’s Old Company certainly was different, and I’m glad I did it here because a lot of my nice co-workers were able to attend, even one who was off on that day came in! My husband and I enjoyed it and appreciate everyone who attended. I hope they enjoyed it too!
Considering Mr. Mingle and I met at this very same company, we really could have saved money by doing this too... Now why didn’t we think of this before????
Wedding Announcements On Thursday January 25th at 1:00 pm
Mary James of St. Petersburg’s Customer Operations was married to Assan Nazrallah. Mary and Assan were married at Mingle's Old Company in a conference room, during Mary’s lunch hour. She is such a dedicated employee that she was back at work at the end of the hour. One of the MOC security guards who is also a Pastor, officiated the ceremony. Below is a comment from Mary (along w/pictures -(unfortunately I have no pictures)) as to why they chose to get married during her lunch hour, at work.
From Mary: The reason why I married at MOC is because I had been sick for two weeks with bronchitis and the second week of February I’m off all week because I’m going on a cruise, so I felt that requesting additional time off for the wedding was not appropriate, especially during peak season. Another reason was that since my husband speaks Arabic and his English is not that well, we needed someone to translate for him and the court wouldn’t allow it. We believe that a big wedding is a waste of time and money, so instead we will use the money to buy a house. Marrying at Mingle’s Old Company certainly was different, and I’m glad I did it here because a lot of my nice co-workers were able to attend, even one who was off on that day came in! My husband and I enjoyed it and appreciate everyone who attended. I hope they enjoyed it too!
Considering Mr. Mingle and I met at this very same company, we really could have saved money by doing this too... Now why didn’t we think of this before????
Monday, February 05, 2007
Loco for Lemons
Do you like lemons? I mean, really, really like them? Over the weekend Mr. Mingle and I picked lemons from the tree in our backyard. Bags of lemons. And once we were done picking, the tree still looked full. We plan to give lemons to the landlord, and anyone else who wants them. Today we started by bringing in bags of lemons to each of our workplaces. I schlepped about 40-50 lemons with me on the bus and didn’t think I’d be able to get rid of them. Turns out I was wrong – very, very wrong. First I stopped at my favorite little coffee place, and the lady there took 10 lemons off of me, calling them “organic”, which had not occurred to me. Then I got to work and distributed them between the break rooms and sent an email advertising – “take lemons!” Within an hour they were gone, and some people were upset they missed out. Turns out I’ll be hauling a few more bags of lemons on the bus in the coming week. The CEO came to my desk with his hands filled with lemons and asked,
“Are these Meyer lemons??”
“Um.. I’m not sure…they came from a tree in our backyard (we rent)”
“Because these look like Meyer lemons, and if they are – you have a gold mine! I’ll try it out tonight, and if these are Meyer – I’ll take all the lemons you want to bring!”
“Um..ok…will you give me a raise too?”
(Just kidding – I didn’t say that last part.)
My big boss (that’s the boss above my direct boss) emailed me:
Him: “What type of lemons?”
Me: “I don’t know…’backyard lemons’?”
Him: “We have a lemon tree too.”
And another email from the same man – “Your lemons look more uniform”
Seriously, these people are Loco for Lemons!! Although as one coworker pointed out, “you could bring in dirt, and someone would take it home…”.
Stop by for some lemons – I hear they’re worth their weight in gold.
“Are these Meyer lemons??”
“Um.. I’m not sure…they came from a tree in our backyard (we rent)”
“Because these look like Meyer lemons, and if they are – you have a gold mine! I’ll try it out tonight, and if these are Meyer – I’ll take all the lemons you want to bring!”
“Um..ok…will you give me a raise too?”
(Just kidding – I didn’t say that last part.)
My big boss (that’s the boss above my direct boss) emailed me:
Him: “What type of lemons?”
Me: “I don’t know…’backyard lemons’?”
Him: “We have a lemon tree too.”
And another email from the same man – “Your lemons look more uniform”
Seriously, these people are Loco for Lemons!! Although as one coworker pointed out, “you could bring in dirt, and someone would take it home…”.
Stop by for some lemons – I hear they’re worth their weight in gold.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Subject to a Special Search
This week I was in Oregon for two nights. My customer is in Salem, so that is where I stayed, but I spent the first evening in Portland visiting with JP & JD and the second evening in Eugene with BeattieBeattieBeattie. Other then two great evenings with friends, I spent the rest of the time either driving or at the bank where everything was going ‘not quite right’. (sigh)
When I got to the airport to come home I found out that my flight was cancelled, but fortunately I was able to take another one about an hour later. When I walked through airport security I found out that I was the “subject of a special search” (randomly selected). This included standing in a machine that blasted me with puffs of air and then waiting while all of my things were searched. After listening to the chatty TSA agent comment on my stuff -- purse: “This is a blackhole”; jacket: “Are you going to Siberia?”; Computer: “A laptop was once dropped and busted into pieces when a TSA agent handed it back to the passenger” -- it was finally determined:
I am, in fact, very special.
When I got to the airport to come home I found out that my flight was cancelled, but fortunately I was able to take another one about an hour later. When I walked through airport security I found out that I was the “subject of a special search” (randomly selected). This included standing in a machine that blasted me with puffs of air and then waiting while all of my things were searched. After listening to the chatty TSA agent comment on my stuff -- purse: “This is a blackhole”; jacket: “Are you going to Siberia?”; Computer: “A laptop was once dropped and busted into pieces when a TSA agent handed it back to the passenger” -- it was finally determined:
I am, in fact, very special.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
A Day in the Life of the Traveling Mingles
We spent this past weekend in Seattle and although Mr. Mingle and I were only in Seattle together for two full days, we made the most of it. And, as I had predicted prior to leaving – we ate our way through the City…
Saturday 10am: After a leisurely wake-up and get-ready, we left the hotel in search of brunch. Mr. Mingle had planned ahead and printed out a list of recommended brunch places but when we looked at where hour hotel was, compared to where we wanted to end up – the Seattle Space Needle, we abandoned the list, thinking the places were all too out of the way.
An hour of walking later, we did in fact end up at one of the restaurants, Le Pichet, but not near the Space Needle. Oh well, change of plans are good.
Brunch was delicious, but not a typical American breakfast of heavy eggs/bacon/potatoes, so although we were pleasantly full, we were not stuffed and set off towards the Pike Place Market. We visited a few quaint shops on the way, and took note of a wine tasting shop that would be open later on.
12ish: After thoroughly exploring the market, we decided that is was time to find the next food stop. After careful investigation of a piroshki shop and a couple of bakeries, we settled on a cheese shop where we could get mac ‘n cheese and a crab and cheese sandwich. While there we also picked up some special cheese to have as hors d’oeuvres later on in our room. (In other words – we like cheese)
1:30: Next stop – Pioneer Square about a mile away. We continued to amble along, stopping into shops along the way, including a gelato store where we looked (and admired) but did not buy. Eventually we made it to Pioneer Square and decided to go on the Underground Tour to get a little history of Seattle and do something different (other then eating). The tour guides were fun and informative and we enjoyed it immensely. The tour also started and stopped in a pub so we were very delighted to learn that our ticket got us a $2 beer at the end.
4:00: Left the pub after our $2 beers in search of bread to go along with our cheese for hors d’oeuvres. First we got the bread, and then we went back to the wine tasting shop to find the perfect bottle of wine to go with our cheese and bread. After tasting four Syrah’s that were recommended to go with our cheese, we settled on a different bottle for the cost and the label. (Jester’s Red)
After leaving the wine tasting shop our intention was to go to the Space Needle which was the first place we were headed when we initially set off on our walk in the morning (it was now dark). As we walked we investigated the restaurants along the way to find the one that looked the best for dinner. (Mr. Mingle may say that he scoffs at planning ahead, but when food is involved…puhlease….)
Unfortunately the Space Needle was closed for a private party (it turns out there was a convention of librarians in town who had taken over) so we walked the last 15 minutes to our hotel on Lake Union to enjoy our hard earned wine, cheese and bread.
8:00: Arrived for reservations at Twist. The food was good, I guess you would call it Asian Fusion, and I particularly enjoyed my cocktail – a Mojito with a twist. When we were finished, we weren’t yet ready for dessert so went in search of the next stop…
9:30: Enjoyed dessert at another restaurant across the street: BellTown Bistro. This was the perfect place to end the day – it had a lounge with comfortable leather chairs where we relaxed and traded questions from the Trivial Pursuit box that was sitting next to our chairs. We ordered S’mores which turned out to be just that – flaming sterno, graham crackers, hershey’s chocolate bars and marshmallows. Relaxing in leather chairs making s’mores over a flame – it’s a good life.
(The next day we made it to the Space Needle)
Saturday 10am: After a leisurely wake-up and get-ready, we left the hotel in search of brunch. Mr. Mingle had planned ahead and printed out a list of recommended brunch places but when we looked at where hour hotel was, compared to where we wanted to end up – the Seattle Space Needle, we abandoned the list, thinking the places were all too out of the way.
An hour of walking later, we did in fact end up at one of the restaurants, Le Pichet, but not near the Space Needle. Oh well, change of plans are good.
Brunch was delicious, but not a typical American breakfast of heavy eggs/bacon/potatoes, so although we were pleasantly full, we were not stuffed and set off towards the Pike Place Market. We visited a few quaint shops on the way, and took note of a wine tasting shop that would be open later on.
12ish: After thoroughly exploring the market, we decided that is was time to find the next food stop. After careful investigation of a piroshki shop and a couple of bakeries, we settled on a cheese shop where we could get mac ‘n cheese and a crab and cheese sandwich. While there we also picked up some special cheese to have as hors d’oeuvres later on in our room. (In other words – we like cheese)
1:30: Next stop – Pioneer Square about a mile away. We continued to amble along, stopping into shops along the way, including a gelato store where we looked (and admired) but did not buy. Eventually we made it to Pioneer Square and decided to go on the Underground Tour to get a little history of Seattle and do something different (other then eating). The tour guides were fun and informative and we enjoyed it immensely. The tour also started and stopped in a pub so we were very delighted to learn that our ticket got us a $2 beer at the end.
4:00: Left the pub after our $2 beers in search of bread to go along with our cheese for hors d’oeuvres. First we got the bread, and then we went back to the wine tasting shop to find the perfect bottle of wine to go with our cheese and bread. After tasting four Syrah’s that were recommended to go with our cheese, we settled on a different bottle for the cost and the label. (Jester’s Red)
After leaving the wine tasting shop our intention was to go to the Space Needle which was the first place we were headed when we initially set off on our walk in the morning (it was now dark). As we walked we investigated the restaurants along the way to find the one that looked the best for dinner. (Mr. Mingle may say that he scoffs at planning ahead, but when food is involved…puhlease….)
Unfortunately the Space Needle was closed for a private party (it turns out there was a convention of librarians in town who had taken over) so we walked the last 15 minutes to our hotel on Lake Union to enjoy our hard earned wine, cheese and bread.
8:00: Arrived for reservations at Twist. The food was good, I guess you would call it Asian Fusion, and I particularly enjoyed my cocktail – a Mojito with a twist. When we were finished, we weren’t yet ready for dessert so went in search of the next stop…
9:30: Enjoyed dessert at another restaurant across the street: BellTown Bistro. This was the perfect place to end the day – it had a lounge with comfortable leather chairs where we relaxed and traded questions from the Trivial Pursuit box that was sitting next to our chairs. We ordered S’mores which turned out to be just that – flaming sterno, graham crackers, hershey’s chocolate bars and marshmallows. Relaxing in leather chairs making s’mores over a flame – it’s a good life.
(The next day we made it to the Space Needle)
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Christmas in Hawaii
This year Mr. Mingle’s brother and sister are both living in Hawaii, so rather then fly to Indiana for the holidays, his mother, and we, flew west to spend Christmas in Oahu. We had a wonderful vacation and it was nice to catch up with the family. We even had a chance to visit with Manoa Missy before she flew back to California to spend the holidays with her own family. Many, many thank yous to Missy for loaning us her apartment and car while we stayed in Hawaii!
My best memory of the trip is also a surprising one, because it doesn’t involve surf, sand or sun. Instead, it was about getting to know my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law. Wait, say that again? Mr. Mingle’s sister’s husband’s mother (got that now?) flew out to Hawaii from Bangor, Maine to spend Christmas with the family as well. I had met her once before at sis-in-law’s wedding in Maine last year, but didn’t get to talk to her much then. Lady M is 80 years old, going on 50. I am absolutely fascinated by this woman’s life and she is sharp as a tack. She certainly likes to talk, but I found her stories so interesting that I really didn’t mind the constant narrative. I especially enjoyed her story of how she went to Norway for her 80th birthday (by herself!) and her luggage didn’t arrive for 4 days. She joked about telling the tour group that she would soon have to resort to wearing her only other piece of clothing – her nightshirt – which she promptly whipped out to show us. A massive nightshirt covered in African safari animals. (She’s also been on four safaris…) We dropped Lady M off at her accommodations a couple of times while in Hawaii, which was at the University down the street from sis-in-law’s house. One of these nights she even invited us up for a nightcap to try some of this special liquer she likes from South Africa. I never thought I would be invited up to an 80-year-old’s place at 11pm for a drink! I hope to be like her when I’m that age.
Although we still had the traditional turkey meal with all the fixins’ on Christmas and opened gifts with the family, it felt very odd being in Hawaii because it was so warm and sunny. On Christmas Day Mr. Mingle and I dawned shorts and t-shirts and hiked up to the top of Diamond Head for the view. The only chance of a white Christmas there is on the beach! Sadly, within two days of returning to an unusually cold SF, Hawaii already seemed like a world away - but luckily there are pictures to remind us of the good times:
My best memory of the trip is also a surprising one, because it doesn’t involve surf, sand or sun. Instead, it was about getting to know my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law. Wait, say that again? Mr. Mingle’s sister’s husband’s mother (got that now?) flew out to Hawaii from Bangor, Maine to spend Christmas with the family as well. I had met her once before at sis-in-law’s wedding in Maine last year, but didn’t get to talk to her much then. Lady M is 80 years old, going on 50. I am absolutely fascinated by this woman’s life and she is sharp as a tack. She certainly likes to talk, but I found her stories so interesting that I really didn’t mind the constant narrative. I especially enjoyed her story of how she went to Norway for her 80th birthday (by herself!) and her luggage didn’t arrive for 4 days. She joked about telling the tour group that she would soon have to resort to wearing her only other piece of clothing – her nightshirt – which she promptly whipped out to show us. A massive nightshirt covered in African safari animals. (She’s also been on four safaris…) We dropped Lady M off at her accommodations a couple of times while in Hawaii, which was at the University down the street from sis-in-law’s house. One of these nights she even invited us up for a nightcap to try some of this special liquer she likes from South Africa. I never thought I would be invited up to an 80-year-old’s place at 11pm for a drink! I hope to be like her when I’m that age.
Although we still had the traditional turkey meal with all the fixins’ on Christmas and opened gifts with the family, it felt very odd being in Hawaii because it was so warm and sunny. On Christmas Day Mr. Mingle and I dawned shorts and t-shirts and hiked up to the top of Diamond Head for the view. The only chance of a white Christmas there is on the beach! Sadly, within two days of returning to an unusually cold SF, Hawaii already seemed like a world away - but luckily there are pictures to remind us of the good times:
Manoa Missy and The Mingles
Spending Christmas Eve at the Beach 
(That is our niece playing with the sand)
Brother R with his wife and Sis-in-law (front)
Mr. Mingle and Mom
Mrs. Mingle enjoying the wisdom of Lady M
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
Every year (or so) I write some resolutions for myself which I’m inevitably doomed to fail. For example, there’s the one about, “I will not pick at my fingers” – I’ve been trying to quit this nervous habit since I was in the eighth grade. However, it’s to the point where I don’t even realize I’m doing it, so there is no way a resolution at the start of the new year would get me to stop that cold turkey. And then there’s always the one about “I will get in better shape”…I honestly have the best intentions when I write this one – however, there’s one fatal flaw in my plan. I hate going to the gym. Hate it. The gym to me is just one step above torture. Mr. Mingle on the other hand likes working out so much that he will go to the gym twice, sometimes three times a day, in order to insure he gets his full workout in. If only I could have a quarter of his “I love the gym” energy.
So, this year I have decided to make some resolutions that I can keep. Ones, that at the end of 2007, I can look back and honestly say – “I kept all my resolutions!” I like to call these, Resolutions for the Modern Woman.
I will drink beer.
I will watch the CW channel.
I will wear sweatpants in public.
I will not go to the gym every day.
I will pay a lot to get my hair done.
I will not drink coffee without half & half.
I will stay in bed so the cat can sleep longer.
I will not make a home-cooked meal every night.
I will blame the cat when I belch (or emit other sounds).
I will use my feminine wiles to get my husband to do the chores.
So, this year I have decided to make some resolutions that I can keep. Ones, that at the end of 2007, I can look back and honestly say – “I kept all my resolutions!” I like to call these, Resolutions for the Modern Woman.
I will drink beer.
I will watch the CW channel.
I will wear sweatpants in public.
I will not go to the gym every day.
I will pay a lot to get my hair done.
I will not drink coffee without half & half.
I will stay in bed so the cat can sleep longer.
I will not make a home-cooked meal every night.
I will blame the cat when I belch (or emit other sounds).
I will use my feminine wiles to get my husband to do the chores.
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 RideTuesday, November 28, 2006
Transportation Hell
Today I was supposed to fly up to Bellingham, WA for work, but first I had to go into the office in SF. I started the day by dragging my suitcase to the bus stop and then carting it to work with me via bus and muni train. All in all, it wasn't that bad (thank god for wheels - they truly are a marvelous invention). I was supposed to leave work to catch BART at 12:45, and around 12:30pm I found out that my flight between Seattle and Bellingham was cancelled due to snow, and the rental car company was inquiring if I still wanted the car since Washington State was putting out a warning to stay off the roads if possible. Apparently the poor Seattle-ites who went to the Seahawks game last night were still trying to get home this morning.
I decided that I would fly to Seattle anyway and then take a bus up to Bellingham, so I dragged my suitcase, and my new computer case (also with wheels) to the BART station and hopped on. (When will wheels be developed that work on stairs?) While on BART I had the brilliant thought to call my customer in Bellingham to make sure they would even be open tomorrow. She confirmed that they were, but expressed concern that I was still coming. We decided that if it was okay with my company I could support her testing requirements over the phone rather then in person tomorrow. By the time I got to the airport, and dragged the bags through the BART turnstile (when will they make BART exits that accommodate bags with wheels?) I was pretty sure that I would not be traveling today. Fortunately my company agreed with me and I made all the calls to postpone my trip.
But I still had to get home. The original plan was to have Mr. Mingle pick me up when I returned home Thursday night - I hadn't intended to come straight home today. Dragged the bags back through the turnstile, back onto BART, to go to the stop nearest my home. The escalator at the station was working but at the top I dragged the heaviest of the two bags over my heal while trying to avoid a petitioner at the top. ouch. (when will they make wheels that are foolproof?)
Now I had to take the first of two busses to get home - the total mileage was maybe 2 miles. Not that far, but too far to drag the bags. Fortunately I got on the first bus immediately and got a seat. The lady driver was one of the surliest, but no harm done and I got off a mile later. Dragged my bags across the street and waited for the second bus. And waited.. and waited. Finally it came and I dragged the bags onto the bus and grabbed the first seat I could.
It was after we started moving that I realized the man to my left was full blown crazy. He started cussing and swearing and talking about all the things he could/should/would if he could do to women. It was as if his angry speaking intensified with the speed of the bus. The faster we went, the crazier he was. When we stopped he was quiet so another unsuspecting soul would sit down. I had to laugh internally when I realized the woman who was sitting directly across from him, seemingly on the other end of his tirade, was blind. The poor woman - I've never seen a blind person move so quickly when her stop came. My bags and I got off a few stops later and tried to wade through little kids waiting to get on. (when will they make wheels that go over kids?) As the bus pulled away, I looked up to see the mother and kids sit down directly across from Mr. Crazy. Those poor, poor children...they may be scarred for a long while.
Two and half hours after leaving work, I was home again and the good news is - I got home earlier then I would on a regular work day - so I have time to blog about it!
I decided that I would fly to Seattle anyway and then take a bus up to Bellingham, so I dragged my suitcase, and my new computer case (also with wheels) to the BART station and hopped on. (When will wheels be developed that work on stairs?) While on BART I had the brilliant thought to call my customer in Bellingham to make sure they would even be open tomorrow. She confirmed that they were, but expressed concern that I was still coming. We decided that if it was okay with my company I could support her testing requirements over the phone rather then in person tomorrow. By the time I got to the airport, and dragged the bags through the BART turnstile (when will they make BART exits that accommodate bags with wheels?) I was pretty sure that I would not be traveling today. Fortunately my company agreed with me and I made all the calls to postpone my trip.
But I still had to get home. The original plan was to have Mr. Mingle pick me up when I returned home Thursday night - I hadn't intended to come straight home today. Dragged the bags back through the turnstile, back onto BART, to go to the stop nearest my home. The escalator at the station was working but at the top I dragged the heaviest of the two bags over my heal while trying to avoid a petitioner at the top. ouch. (when will they make wheels that are foolproof?)
Now I had to take the first of two busses to get home - the total mileage was maybe 2 miles. Not that far, but too far to drag the bags. Fortunately I got on the first bus immediately and got a seat. The lady driver was one of the surliest, but no harm done and I got off a mile later. Dragged my bags across the street and waited for the second bus. And waited.. and waited. Finally it came and I dragged the bags onto the bus and grabbed the first seat I could.
It was after we started moving that I realized the man to my left was full blown crazy. He started cussing and swearing and talking about all the things he could/should/would if he could do to women. It was as if his angry speaking intensified with the speed of the bus. The faster we went, the crazier he was. When we stopped he was quiet so another unsuspecting soul would sit down. I had to laugh internally when I realized the woman who was sitting directly across from him, seemingly on the other end of his tirade, was blind. The poor woman - I've never seen a blind person move so quickly when her stop came. My bags and I got off a few stops later and tried to wade through little kids waiting to get on. (when will they make wheels that go over kids?) As the bus pulled away, I looked up to see the mother and kids sit down directly across from Mr. Crazy. Those poor, poor children...they may be scarred for a long while.
Two and half hours after leaving work, I was home again and the good news is - I got home earlier then I would on a regular work day - so I have time to blog about it!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
A Mingle First
In all my life, I can never remember a time when we had the Christmas tree up and decorated any earlier then a week or two before Christmas. I knew that there were families out there who started decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving, but frankly, I thought they were a little crazy…
This year however, after hosting Thanksgiving at our house, Mr. Mingle and I were overcome with the holiday spirit. It started off when Mr. Mingle spent all day shopping downtown on the busiest shopping day of the year (I unfortunately had to work) and it didn’t push him over the edge. Instead, the two of us went back downtown the following day as well and bought some ornaments.
You see, this is the first year that we can actually have a full-size tree in our house, and we were very excited to put it up. We bought our tree last night, and as I write this blog now, it is already up and decorated!
I supposed if you also think, as I once did, that to decorate so soon is just plain crazy, then so be it. I will enjoy one full month of Christmas spirit, sipping spiked egg-nog, singing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs, and trying to put reindeer antlers on the cats. Of course, that is until we actually go away for Christmas, this year to Hawaii, where I doubt I’ll see much in the way of Christmas trees. Maybe Santa pulling a sleigh led by dolphins, but somehow, it’s just not the same.
I'll keep trying until Mini looks happy about it
Christmas 2004
Our old tree is one and half feet tall. Our new tree is over 6 feet!
A Mingle Thanksgiving
For the first time ever, Mr. Mingle and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. We are happy to finally have a home that is big enough to entertain, and were excited to test it out. We started cooking two days in advance, and I’m pleased to be able to tell you that it was a success!
Ten people in all came (plus one more non-eater – Little Baby Sniffy), but only eight stayed for the full meal. Step-sis and beau Mackus had to leave early to have dinner at her mom’s house. Rounding out the rest of the crew were Mom and J, Uncle D and Cousin G, and Sniffy, Hubby and little E.
We started everyone off with some Thanksgiving punch made with fresh squeezed OJ, grapefruit juice… lightly spiked with Cognac. For appetizers we made sweet potato bruschetta, and mom brought some olives over for a little extra.
The turkey was ready around 2:00 and after that, it was time to stuff ourselves silly! Everyone had seconds so I took this as a positive sign that the food was yummy. Mr. Mingle and I got our recipes from Food and Wine Magazine, AllRecipes.com, epicurious.com and williamssonoma.com. We were happy with how everything turned out, and aside from lots of chopping and preparation ahead of time, they were fairly easy recipes. The “Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins and Pine-Nuts” was the overwhelming favorite of the whole meal. I would happily recommend all of the recipes below if you are interested in making a Thanksgiving meal of your own.
The Mingle Thanksgiving Menu
Citrus-Cinnamon Punch
Sweet Potato Bruschetta
Classic Roasted Turkey
Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins and Pine-Nuts
Holiday ONLY Mashed Potatoes (Because they are too fattening for regular consumption)
Spicy Cranberry Chutney (My personal favorite)
Peas (Thanks to Mom)
Salad (Thanks to Sniffy)
Pumpkin Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Thanks again to Mom)
Ten people in all came (plus one more non-eater – Little Baby Sniffy), but only eight stayed for the full meal. Step-sis and beau Mackus had to leave early to have dinner at her mom’s house. Rounding out the rest of the crew were Mom and J, Uncle D and Cousin G, and Sniffy, Hubby and little E.
We started everyone off with some Thanksgiving punch made with fresh squeezed OJ, grapefruit juice… lightly spiked with Cognac. For appetizers we made sweet potato bruschetta, and mom brought some olives over for a little extra.
The turkey was ready around 2:00 and after that, it was time to stuff ourselves silly! Everyone had seconds so I took this as a positive sign that the food was yummy. Mr. Mingle and I got our recipes from Food and Wine Magazine, AllRecipes.com, epicurious.com and williamssonoma.com. We were happy with how everything turned out, and aside from lots of chopping and preparation ahead of time, they were fairly easy recipes. The “Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins and Pine-Nuts” was the overwhelming favorite of the whole meal. I would happily recommend all of the recipes below if you are interested in making a Thanksgiving meal of your own.
The Mingle Thanksgiving Menu
Citrus-Cinnamon Punch
Sweet Potato Bruschetta
Classic Roasted Turkey
Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins and Pine-Nuts
Holiday ONLY Mashed Potatoes (Because they are too fattening for regular consumption)
Spicy Cranberry Chutney (My personal favorite)
Peas (Thanks to Mom)
Salad (Thanks to Sniffy)
Pumpkin Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Thanks again to Mom)
We were blessed with beautiful weather too, as it was clear and crisp. The perfect temperature for walking off the meal by traipsing up to the top of the hill and taking in a view of the city. At the pace we travelled I doubt we knocked off any calories, but it sure felt good to go for a walk after eating so much!
The Chefs are relieved their first turkey turned out
Mingle and family enjoying the view
Sunday, November 12, 2006
A Surprising Success
This past month has been a very busy one. I've already mentioned that work is hectic, and Mr. Mingle is in a play, but I have also been busy planning a surprise 60th birthday for my dad (Pop). I first got the idea to throw it only 6 weeks ago, so my party planning skills were kicked into high gear immediately. I originally thought it would be easy after planning my wedding last year... I still don't think anything is as involved as planning a wedding... however this party still proved challenging. I immediately began trying to find addresses of Pop's old friends which was difficult considering I couldn't ask the main man directly and my step mom doesn't share the same address book. Not to mention she was in Hawaii for two weeks with Pop during the initial planning stages so she was pretty much out of contact.
I enlisted my aunt to get me some addresses, but that took a few weeks, so in the meantime I went on an internet search. I found one of Pop's old coworkers and called him up, which fortunately turned out to be the right connection. After flubbing through the initial conversation with his wife, "Hi, I'm Mingle, I used to be Smith's daughter..." "You used to be Smith's daugher, but you aren't anymore?" she quickly replied.. "no, ha ha, I'm still Smith's daugher, but now I'm Mingle..." she gave me addresses of other old coworkers so I sent those invites out.
I then searched through old emails from Pop, to see if there was anyone on the CC list who I could contact. This proved fruitful for a few gentleman from Pop's other life. "Hi", I would write, "I don't know who you are, but I found your address on an email from my dad, would you like to come to his party?"
Invitations went out to about 50, and 30 were expected. Then the other plans started...many calls with the stepmom and aunt both of whom I don't speak to on a regular basis. "yes, yes" says Mingle, "I did consider buying food..." "yes, I did invite my family", "Yes, I am getting alcohol..." I found myself repeating many conversations over and over, because in my mind, I had everything planned and under control and just needed others to bring a few items. The others thought I was not buying anything and went out and bought over and above what we needed. ("Yes, yes I did bring plates (read: I'm not an idiot, please leave me alone)". During the last two weeks stepmom called even more, "Hey Mingle, I invited so and so's mom....Hey Mingle, my son is bringing his 3 friends - they know Smith....Hey Mingle, I invited the gardner and the tenants..." I was kind of waiting for the postman and garbage man to show up, but alas they must not have run into my stepmom in time. Finally, I realized that 50 would most likely be the number. Some would come, but not respond, some would respond but not come, and some would just show up. So, about two weeks ago anytime someone asked, "how many people are coming?" I'd just respond - "Oh, about 50". Sure enough... it was right.
My mother, who is the last person I wanted to ask to help me (because she is no longer married to my father), realized the state of panic and stress I was in about 2 weeks ago and went out and bought all the decorations for me. I can't say thank you enough. Pop's friends picked up the key to the Senior Center (that's where we through the party - GREAT irony) and came to help me set up. They also led the cleaning brigade at the end of the party, and had almost everything done, (along with Fossie the mopper) before I needed to lift a finger. This was the first time I have thrown a party where I didn't have to do the cleaning. Grateful doesn't even begin to explain what I felt tonight.
But, the best part, was seeing how pleased Pop was. He has been Mr. Grumpy McGrumpigus leading up to his 60th birthday. He's been down, and a sour puss, and just resisting the whole idea of getting older. But tonight, for the first time in a few months, he was happy. Happy, touched and genuinely surprised. And that made all the planning worth it.
I enlisted my aunt to get me some addresses, but that took a few weeks, so in the meantime I went on an internet search. I found one of Pop's old coworkers and called him up, which fortunately turned out to be the right connection. After flubbing through the initial conversation with his wife, "Hi, I'm Mingle, I used to be Smith's daughter..." "You used to be Smith's daugher, but you aren't anymore?" she quickly replied.. "no, ha ha, I'm still Smith's daugher, but now I'm Mingle..." she gave me addresses of other old coworkers so I sent those invites out.
I then searched through old emails from Pop, to see if there was anyone on the CC list who I could contact. This proved fruitful for a few gentleman from Pop's other life. "Hi", I would write, "I don't know who you are, but I found your address on an email from my dad, would you like to come to his party?"
Invitations went out to about 50, and 30 were expected. Then the other plans started...many calls with the stepmom and aunt both of whom I don't speak to on a regular basis. "yes, yes" says Mingle, "I did consider buying food..." "yes, I did invite my family", "Yes, I am getting alcohol..." I found myself repeating many conversations over and over, because in my mind, I had everything planned and under control and just needed others to bring a few items. The others thought I was not buying anything and went out and bought over and above what we needed. ("Yes, yes I did bring plates (read: I'm not an idiot, please leave me alone)". During the last two weeks stepmom called even more, "Hey Mingle, I invited so and so's mom....Hey Mingle, my son is bringing his 3 friends - they know Smith....Hey Mingle, I invited the gardner and the tenants..." I was kind of waiting for the postman and garbage man to show up, but alas they must not have run into my stepmom in time. Finally, I realized that 50 would most likely be the number. Some would come, but not respond, some would respond but not come, and some would just show up. So, about two weeks ago anytime someone asked, "how many people are coming?" I'd just respond - "Oh, about 50". Sure enough... it was right.
My mother, who is the last person I wanted to ask to help me (because she is no longer married to my father), realized the state of panic and stress I was in about 2 weeks ago and went out and bought all the decorations for me. I can't say thank you enough. Pop's friends picked up the key to the Senior Center (that's where we through the party - GREAT irony) and came to help me set up. They also led the cleaning brigade at the end of the party, and had almost everything done, (along with Fossie the mopper) before I needed to lift a finger. This was the first time I have thrown a party where I didn't have to do the cleaning. Grateful doesn't even begin to explain what I felt tonight.
But, the best part, was seeing how pleased Pop was. He has been Mr. Grumpy McGrumpigus leading up to his 60th birthday. He's been down, and a sour puss, and just resisting the whole idea of getting older. But tonight, for the first time in a few months, he was happy. Happy, touched and genuinely surprised. And that made all the planning worth it.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Head Above Water
Hi! Long time no blog!
I must say that the worst thing about getting a job that keeps me busy is not having the time to blog. After JWTLV left the company I got her clients which quadrupled my workload (not hard to do when you only start with 1 client) and sent me traveling.
Shortly after Mr. Mingle and I moved into our new house in the city we were barely around to be able to enjoy it. He's been busy rehearsing for his play (Our Town) which opened last Saturday, and I had to go to Chicago and Phoenix for work, and then perform my duties as a marching instructor on the weekends.
But the good news is, when we are home - we love the house! It's so great not to have any neighbors below or above, and we have our own backyard, garage and laundry room. Oh, and did I mention that our front yard has a picket fence? Yep! But don't let our lush lawn in the front yard fool you - it's just astroturf. A short walk up the hill from our house gives us a grand view of SF which we enjoyed for the first time last weekend when JP was in town for a visit. But, I can't keep talking about the house without giving props to Mini, because without her, we could have never unpacked.
The Start of Unpacking
Helping Mom Put Things On the High Cabinet Shelves
Tired After a Long Day's Work
Thanks to Mini we were able to take a walk and enjoy JP's visit
Mr. Mingle and JP
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