Monday, August 31, 2009

Today's earworm

Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but..two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.
- - Roger Miller


Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Friday, August 28, 2009

Another eventful day

I spent most of the day on a project that rightfully belongs to a coworker. See, he was out sick, and there was a deadline, so my boss started work on it. She soon found that the way he'd been keeping it was, shall we say, not up to her standards. So yesterday evening she roped me in. Today I got our local IT dude to pull reports for me,* then spent the afternoon blissed-out playing with Excel. Also, avoiding coworker (who I was hoping would be out again today, but no, he came in) because I don't know exactly what our boss told him. I'll be done messing with his stuff on Monday. I hope he forgives me...


*Tip to programmers: when you're creating a database, build in some kind of report function accessible to the end-user types. Everyone will be much happier.


Today's earrings: bees, estrogen molecules

Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Thursday, August 27, 2009

So nice when the right dress wins.

I think Shirin won just for that waistline. As she should.

The Models of the Runway are living up to their drama-promise. In this week's episode:

The models were astonished and displeased that Mitchell survived this round, and they all dread getting stuck with him because a) they think he's not long for this competition and b) he didn't exactly charm them with last week's blame-the-model stunt.

We waste a lot of time listening to the models re-recite the rules of the game, and various among them talk about their sucking-up techniques. Fatma announces that her designer Logan is hot.

Finally, we get to model-picking. Shirin surprises everybody by going back to the model she had in the first episode. Ra'mon makes a big production of wanting to switch to Althea's model, but Althea gives him massive stinkeye and he backs off and chooses the same model as this week. Mitchell chooses Fatma. As she passes behind the screen, she dramatically raises her hands to the sky in a "why me, Lord?" gesture (that everyone sees). She begins tantrumming about losing Logan the hottie for Mitchell the loser as soon as she hits the model room, and won't shut up. Out at the runway, Logan chooses someone else. Fatma glares at her when she gets back to the model room. Somebody tries to reason with Fatma about maybe not being so openly obnoxious while the cameras are running, and Fatma turns on her. The rest of the game of musical chairs goes off without serious incident. The one left out is Malvin's model Valerie, who seems to be a lovely woman. Everyone is sorry to see her go. Except Fatma, who's still pouting about losing Logan.

Next week: Fatma, still not getting over it.


Today's earrings: flies, fish

Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

How I spent my afternoon


Note: "brides chaussure" is not labeled on this diagram. We decided to go with "pull tab," though "bootstrap" was a strong contender.

Today's earrings: frogs, rocks

Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Authentic Alligator Boots







Today's earrings: boots, alligators


Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Monday, August 24, 2009

Galileo's telescope





Today's earrings: turtles, other turtles

Bedtime reading: Swan for the Money, Donna Andrews

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Happy birthdays [observed]!

The bouncy house was a brilliant idea. It gave everyone something to do/watch while eating the yummy food and talking to all the nice people.

Odd fact: all M's friends' children were pleasant and well behaved. All of them. It bothers me that this is unusual.

Fun fact: the bouncy house had the president's picture on the front.



Today's earrings: rockets, theobromine molecules

Bedtime reading: Sand Sharks, Margaret Maron

Friday, August 21, 2009

Found while web-surfing

Poster1: I honestly am having trouble coming up with a meaningful distinction between the insurance companies and organized crime. Seriously.

Poster2: you can contact organized crime after 5pm.



Today's earrings: flowers, other flowers

Bedtime reading: Sand Sharks, Margaret Maron

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Return to the Runway

Plus! Models of the Runway: a weekly half-hour of the model experience. They're going to be re-picking models every week, and they've also got the models sharing living quarters. And there's a cash prize for the winning model. Since there's very little the models can do to influence whether they stay or go, I expect a lot of drama.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Sand Sharks, Margaret Maron

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Happy Meg's Birthday

Party here.


Today's earrings: sapphires, rabbits

Bedtime reading: Sand Sharks, Margaret Maron

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Drinks at the Elks Club

One of my coworkers just became an Elk, and he graciously asked a few of us to have a drink with him in the club bar. It's a very nice bar, right above Farallon. We had several drinks.

On my way to the bus I succumbed to the siren call of the bookstore. They didn't have Repo Man in stock, so I made do with a remaindered copy of Thelma and Louise.


Today's earrings: deer, rocks

Bedtiem reading: Sand Sharks, Margaret Maron

Monday, August 17, 2009

I have this inexplicable urge to see Repo Man again

"Nice friends you got there, Otto."
"Thanks, I made them myself."
- - Alex Cox



Today's earrings: coffee cups, tools

Bedtime reading: Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

Friday, August 14, 2009

Tonight's theme: Electricity

First, the buyer on Property Virgins was a woman who'd been struck by lightning the year before she went on the show.
Then on Eureka, the crisis of the week spread via electrical transmission.
On Warehouse 13, the MacGuffin electrocuted people.
And finally, Dave Chapelle did the electric guitar sketch with John Mayer.

Spooky.


Today's earrings: flies, fish

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Thursday, August 13, 2009

If wishes were owls...

I'd be nocturnal, and it wouldn't matter that the people next door kept the party going until 4am yesterday morning. I hate having to knock on the neighbors' doors.


Today's earrings: owls, wishbones

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

s/w a mortgage broker today

I have surprisingly good credit. Next step: call realtor & make appointment to go tour something.


Today's earrings: hands, keys

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

So, that one place I was talking about

with the wall of glass brick facing the street? If I'm reading google right, the street in question is the alley behind Angry Lemming's office. And if I'm reading the property description right, the apartment has deeded parking.

But does that make up for the place being innundated if sea level rises more than 4 meters? And in a liquefaction zone? Probably not. Liquefaction + glass brick = unhappiness.


Today's earrings: rabbits, suns

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Monday, August 10, 2009

Hot Hot Hot

With puppets.



Today's earrings: lizards, rocks

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Brunch stretches out all day

Turns out everybody was right: Apples to Apples is fun.


Today's earrings: eyes, liberty dimes

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Friday, August 7, 2009

I get a special tchotchke for staying in my job this long

I think I've settled on one of the clocks, but the globe keeps calling to me...


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Cool graph

http://kisonecat.com/2008/01/29/visualizing-pineapple-pancakes/



Today's earrings: pines, apples

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Stuff to consider when buying property

You've got to look to the future. And the huge pdf of hazard.


Today's earrings: pigs, citrine drops

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Afternoon at the museum

Happy news: the poodles are back.


Today's earrings: spiders, coins

Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

Monday, August 3, 2009

Happy Birthday, Sean!





Today's earrings: compasses


Bedtime reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling