tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17313314961827710442024-03-05T15:54:09.438-08:00Small But WeirdSmall but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-43390366259033354802018-10-28T16:05:00.001-07:002018-10-28T16:05:09.121-07:00ConferenceI started using a data visualization software about two years ago and last week got to go to the software's conference in New Orleans. I've gone to plenty of pharma/biotech/chemical engineering conferences before but this was my first software one. And it was a lot of fun! <br />
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The conference center itself was enormous and I was seriously impressed with the amount of logistics and organization. The conference was three and a half days, and for each of the full days they provided breakfast and lunch for all 20,000 people there and some days there was dinner too. I haven't seen catering on that scale before. In the large vendor hall there would be the hot food at either end and several stations with cold food for quick pickup in the center. The food was New Orleans-themed and higher quality than the catered lunches at my office. The first day's lunch had a beef short rib than I've had in some restaurants. The next day had spiced chicken breasts, and the last day a Coca Cola brisket. They also always had hot cooked vegetables and salad at lunch and offered fruit and oatmeal at breakfast so I didn't feel as unhealthy as I often do when I travel. <br />
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The conference sessions were somewhat of a mixed bag. The keynotes were all more theatrical than scientific conferences (they did a takeoff on Iron Chef called Iron Viz where three competitors made data visualizations on stage in twenty minutes). Some of the breakout sessions had business-use cases that were interesting - particularly the questions afterwards that revealed everyone has similar business challenges I do, like "The executives at my company are reluctant to click on things" or "My bosses insist on getting things in email" or "No one codes this the way they're supposed to". I went to one training that taught me I'm actually an advanced user of the software because the intermediate class was a snorefest. But other trainings were very useful, showing me exactly why I've been having some errors I didn't understand. <br />
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There were also other people from my company who were at the conference. One was from my department, and another I knew from our manufacturing plant, and another that lady knew from supply chain. Since we were all there, we went to dinners and events together.<br />
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The first night we ended up having dinner at a place called Red Fish Grill because it was near all our hotels. I got red fish which was very tasty with the Cajun seasoning. I also got their chocolate bread pudding which was amazing. I remembered from the first time I was in New Orleans that bread pudding can be delicious rather than just a way to get rid of eggs and bread. (I did exactly that too many times the summer I lived in Virginia and ended up thinking of bread pudding as trash food.)<br />
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The next day the conference didn't start until the afternoon so my coworker and I went to Brennan's for brunch because it was near our hotel. It sounded as if it was somewhere hard to get into but we walked up right as they were opening and got right in. My coworker got a scallop quiche and I got French toast which was lightly vanilla flavored and contrasted nicely with the tartness of the cranberry pear compote. I also got a pot of chicory coffee which was deliciously dark and deep flavored. <br />
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That night the lady from manufacturing had gotten reservations at Commander's Palace, a fancy restaurant near the Garden District where there were beautiful old homes set back from oak-lined streets. I got seared gulf fish with squash, which had a nice amount of spices and flavors. They were known for their bananas foster so two of the others got that (I didn't because I'm allergic to bananas). I got their bread pudding souffle which they're also well known for. That turned out to be a standard raisin/cinnamon/rum sauce bread pudding topped with meringue which was too eggy for me but the others liked.<br />
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The next night we went to not one but two vendor parties. I was never quite sure what the vendors did (analytics! consulting! business intelligence! words that have no direct meaning!), but they threw neat parties. The first was in a restaurant near our hotel called Arnaud's. They had set out shrimp cocktail, seafood pasta, gumbo, and turtle soup, and then waiters came around with deviled eggs, beef tartare, and tuna tartare. Most of that wasn't up my alley but I did have the gumbo (fine, nothing remarkable) and tried the turtle soup (it tasted like chicken chili).<br />
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After that party we went to the next vendor party which was in Mardi Gras World, the big warehouse next to the convention center where they build the Mardi Gras floats. It was neat to see the floats up close. We were also able to see the programmable robot arm that carves the figures from styrofoam. That party was supposed to have food but we only saw a few trays of passed appetizers for a very large crowd (lamb chops and shrimp and grits, again all not up my alley) so after not too long we left to find a restaurant nearby for more substantial food.<br />
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We chose the most highly rated, closest restaurant and walked there. We sat down, and then realized they had the most unusual menu any of us had ever seen.<br />
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In the end, we ordered the frog roll, the alligator over mashed chayote, the snapper (the most normal thing we got), the cabbage rolls, the beet pie, and a half dozen oysters. By the time the food came I was so hungry I tried everything except the oysters (I had already catalogued the number and amount of snacks I had back in the hotel before coming to that conclusion). The frog and alligator were flavored strongly enough and in such small pieces their taste didn't make an impression. The frog had a very firm texture I didn't enjoy. The chayote mostly tasted like potato, which was a positive. The beet pie was very interesting because it was incredibly spicy and we couldn't figure out where from. Then for dessert we got the fried rice balls that were covered in cilantro oil and jalapeno. I haven't ever had a dessert burn my mouth from spiciness before. Overall I was glad I tried so many unusual, strange things.<br />
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The next night was the conference's big party at the Superdome. On the patio outside the dome they had food stands (bananas fosters ice cream pops, churros with a disposable pipet of caramel, jalapeno hush puppies, shrimp boil, macaroni and cheese with pulled chicken, and jambalaya) and a stage where bands played throughout the evening including the apparently famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band (they must be good - I liked them even though I still emotionally resent jazz after several years in jazz band in middle school and high school). Inside the Dome they had other food (loaded tater tots, fried pickles, chili dogs, and Dippin Dots), a dance floor, the tunnel the Saints run through at the beginning of games, video game stations (they knew their nerdy audience), and several games and activities that had too long of lines for us to do (zip lining, field goal kicking, and a 50-yard dash). When we were exploring the field at one point we ended up watching a dance-off between other attendees who were the unlikeliest guys to be good dancers. I haven't smiled that hard in a long time. It was amazing and ridiculous.<br />
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The next night the same lady from manufacturing had made reservations at a place called Jacques Imo's. The Lyft driver on the way over asked how we had found that place because it was considered a local's restaurant.<br />
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That restaurant was another new-species extravaganza though the overall menu was much more normal than the previous restaurant. I ordered my own potato-crusted drum and the others got things like crawfish etouffee, paneed rabbit, and snails. I only tried the rabbit. It tasted like chicken. Only a few of us got dessert (creme brulee, coconut bread pudding) and when they weren't on our bill, the waiter said it was his treat! I haven't had that happen before. I wonder if it was included in the price of our meal, he forgot and didn't want to ring up new checks, or we actually got comped something. Mysterious.<br />
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The next morning we all agreed to meet at Cafe Du Monde for beignets and chicory coffee before we all left for our flights. When I went to check out of the hotel the lady behind the desk said "Oh, going to go see Hoda and Kathie Lee at Cafe Du Monde?" I was incredibly confused because I hadn't told her we were going to Cafe Du Monde and those weren't the right names. After stammering something confused she said "The Today Show is filming at Cafe Du Monde today!" That was a horrible harbinger of the restaurant being even more crowded than it normally was but we had all agreed to meet there so we set out anyway. And as luck would have it, the lady from supply chain got there first and texted us to tell us that she had already snagged a table so we wouldn't have to wait! As we were walking up we came across a crowd outside the Washington Artillery Park near a Mardi Gras float parked at the curb. We started to push through the crowd when someone right in front of my apologized and I realized it was the lady from the show! I didn't realize they would have so little security.<br />
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We met the other ladies at the cafe and order the delicious beignets and coffee. We were almost done when we realized a table in the corner was being cleared and then set up with perfectly arranged plates and cups without anyone sitting there. We deduced the TV show was about to shoot and decided to wait until we saw it. After a while the hosts came in and filmed a segment for 1-2 minutes, tops. It was astonishingly fast! It was also fascinating to see that ever single word they said was on a teleprompter on top of the camera. Just as quickly they left. Within an hour <a href="https://www.today.com/video/new-orleans-hot-spots-donnadorable-goes-to-hoda-s-favorites-1353839171813?v=raila&" target="_blank">the clip was online</a>. I can barely see my face in the background of a few shots, beside my coworker standing to take pictures.<br />
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After that we had to get to the airport to fly back home. I don't think I've ever had as fun of a business trip. I ate a bunch of new species, had several amazing meals, learned valuable tricks in the software I use, and found out the lady from manufacturing goes to a nearby church. What a great week!<br />
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<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-83193550645475480512018-01-28T21:03:00.002-08:002018-01-28T21:03:56.242-08:00Great DaySome days are just perfect.<br />
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Last Saturday I didn't have plans but wanted to get out of the house, so I thought I'd go do some of the "Places to Go" I've pinned for myself on Pinterest. One was a thrift store warehouse near my office and another was to see the tiled steps up in SF. Before I left I texted a friend whether she'd like to come and she responded in the best way a friend can - by volunteering her schedule. "I can't today, but how about next Saturday?"<br />
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So yesterday we set off for an SF adventure.<br />
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I had floated the idea of stopping at Starbread Bakery and Susie was on board, so we first got (amazing) coffee at Philz in SSF then got a box of Senorita Bread at Starbread Bakery. I'd already had coffee at home but I wasn't about to turn down Philz when Susie wanted to stop. Turns out two cups of strong coffee keeps me up past midnight but I only found that out later. The reason for Starbread was that someone had brought in the small buttery sweet rolls to work once and I was so entranced I wrote down their name. The bakery was really a counter off to the side of an unappetizing looking noodle shop, and besides the senorita bread it seemed to mostly sell chicharones and the sweet potato-based desserts that I won't try because I learned my lesson with red bean paste that I can't get behind vegetables as dessert. The little sweet rolls were delicious with the coffee. <br />
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Properly fueled, we went to our first stop: slides. I'd heard about SF slides - playground-like slides hidden on the city's hills. So steep or rough you need cardboard to lubricate your ride down. I'd prepared by filling my trunk with boxes from several orders of 0.22 um PES vacuum-top filters at work so we were ready. The first slides were at Esmerelda park:<br />
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They were metal and let you go down quite fast.<br />
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They were the only slides I found in my searches ahead of time but Susie knew the name of the Seward park slides so we went there next.<br />
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Those slides were concrete but twistier so they felt more dangerous. They definitely needed the cardboard, and it felt like you might scrape your knuckles off if you held the cardboard wrong.<br />
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After the slides we headed toward our first set of tiled steps but Susie noticed we were near Twin Peaks so we took a detour to see the view.<br />
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Twin Peaks gives a panoramic view of the whole city so we snapped lots of pictures.<br />
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After Twin Peaks we got back on track for the 16th Avenue tiled steps.<br />
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The steps were much taller than I had thought they'd be, and the mosaic transitioned from sea to earth to sky to sun. Once we got to the top we saw we were at Grandview Park, another hill with a view of the city, but this time a sand dune.<br />
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We climbed back down all the stairs and had lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant before heading to the next tiled steps at Lincoln Park.<br />
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These stairs were shorter but wider, and more of a tile design than mosaic like the 16th Ave had been. <br />
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After seeing those steps, I needed a pit stop so we went to Lands End and Susie planned to circle the car while I ran in to go to the bathroom at the gift shop. But when I got out Susie was out of the car because she had found a parking spot. Susie had never seen the Sutro Baths before, so we went down to check out the ruins.<br />
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From there we headed to the last item on the list, the Wave Organ near the Marina Green. It took us a while to find where it was located near the end of the jetty, and we weren't able to hear much, but we ended up being right on the water to catch the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge while the sailboats came in to finish their race.<br />
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(I wore this free jacket from work in case it got ruined on the slides. I think it makes me look like a gorilla.) </div>
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We stopped for dinner at Mel's Diner to let traffic die down before coming home.<br />
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I don't think I've ever had such a nice day in San Francisco. The weather was gorgeous, we found parking pretty easily everywhere we went, we didn't pay for any parking at all, and the only homeless person we encountered was one who sat outside the window at Mel's and watched Susie intently while she ate her sandwich until the restaurant manager chased him off.<br />
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Most of these photos are Susie's because she takes better ones than I do. She's a beautiful person and I'm glad we got to have that day together.<br />
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<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-80486994507975312732018-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:002018-01-06T19:22:04.152-08:00New Craft Room ColorsI had always known the yellow I painted the craft room was too dark.<br />
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For such a small room it was too intense. But I only used the room to sew, occasionally iron, and as storage (I eventually hid a filing cabinet behind the door.<br />
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But this Christmas I decided to do something about it and repainted the room in Benjamin Moore's Natural Cream (adjusted down 50%, in flat Behr paint). <br />
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I rearranged the furniture as well. I was surprised that the room seems bigger with the desk against the window rather than against the wall, where it fit so perfectly. <br />
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I also moved in the leaning ladder bookcase I had built for my bedroom but found too large for that space. So now I'm building a corner leaning ladder bookcase for the bedroom. It's not going well - it's mostly held together with glue and wood putty and all the shelves are tilted because I didn't realize the frame wasn't on level ground when I was installing them. Oh well. I'll stain it really dark and I know from experience I eventually forget about the imperfections.<br />
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I figure I'm making functional furniture, not heirlooms.<br />
Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-59349265395692899792016-02-25T21:53:00.003-08:002016-02-25T21:53:59.316-08:00It's Not OkayThe older I get the less I say "It's okay" in situations where that's the obvious social expectation.<br />
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A coworker screamed in my face at a meeting for whispering in the background. Later,<br />
Her: I hope I didn't offend you.<br />
Me: [Pause] Well, I was talking on a sidebar.<br />
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A college student called half an hour after a scheduled informational phone interview.<br />
Her: I forgot I had a midterm I had to study for.<br />
Me: [Pause] I'm still free, we can still talk.<br />
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Because it's not okay. <br />
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I was standing in a circle with four men at work who are at least ten years older than me, including two of my bosses.<br />
Coworker: I'd tell a [dirty] joke, but, well, Abby's here.<br />
Me: [Smile politely and keep standing there so he can't tell it and doesn't get a reaction from me.]<br />
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I don't want to acquiesce or give permission to things that aren't okay.<br />
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That is my rebellion.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-75703974993544850172015-12-22T14:58:00.001-08:002015-12-22T14:58:14.621-08:00Bedroom ColorsAfter some time, the mint green on the bedroom walls was too much. <br />
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I don't think it was a record number of paint testers to pick a new color, but it was close. Oatbran, Asiago, Oatlands Subtle Taupe, and Woodrow Wilson Putty. I thought Asiago was too pale in the sunlight, but Oatbran and Oatlands Subtle Taupe were too dark without direct light. Even though I had wanted more of a greige than a beige Woodrow Wilson Putty was the winner by default!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI4Cjq7gz5ZJKDdOqz5g5salleWxrmnQOX3moch6u4jvozunFBY1-QxkeKChFi2HTSdfko5ktrR4aTucE0DL-Becm6IMQczHYtlfEYvb-11qNdQ16xz0YZ5VN2q3m80xh4jxh2coHMolk/s1600/IMG_1567.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTI4Cjq7gz5ZJKDdOqz5g5salleWxrmnQOX3moch6u4jvozunFBY1-QxkeKChFi2HTSdfko5ktrR4aTucE0DL-Becm6IMQczHYtlfEYvb-11qNdQ16xz0YZ5VN2q3m80xh4jxh2coHMolk/s400/IMG_1567.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBclUn_OEVluhMLkBKMeOH5xqaVoTc5OYj3-Ig7rJ5xKXvuVnn3oPb-FivU_6ZKxoW8lqW6jBeeqHXrrJItioX3csFw3whQqtrudGATOrYZGR5Z_iicjEvcsaG3FjQzSsUlDppJfVALg9/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBclUn_OEVluhMLkBKMeOH5xqaVoTc5OYj3-Ig7rJ5xKXvuVnn3oPb-FivU_6ZKxoW8lqW6jBeeqHXrrJItioX3csFw3whQqtrudGATOrYZGR5Z_iicjEvcsaG3FjQzSsUlDppJfVALg9/s400/IMG_1566.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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Now it looks calm and neutral but not too plain in daylight:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoA5ui5uf7gJPcvNrJEyFTLlIctSDEO8bu1WA6m1D0Nu3gEbsUVyKXH08lnxnyUY2gRPbZHnkHXTo4JH8qxWRD5xsGtbq-HdaUBS3n1Zlrl5EJK-buOYtts3tH1fTf9xAJ1xrrhvC207N/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoA5ui5uf7gJPcvNrJEyFTLlIctSDEO8bu1WA6m1D0Nu3gEbsUVyKXH08lnxnyUY2gRPbZHnkHXTo4JH8qxWRD5xsGtbq-HdaUBS3n1Zlrl5EJK-buOYtts3tH1fTf9xAJ1xrrhvC207N/s400/IMG_1581.JPG" width="400" /> </a><br />
And in lamplight:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJiX9uFR4VG3hHdK7c4Ip_fG_9GCTzBE13O96mDbI9FMSVK4hSaAqJognU7g5uCrd_fvIYqfqtn4vPALv2PpCCGfXV-4-rUjskY4elMYsxh5Ein6os02NLnIfDS7WZasJB6m1XdkWQgy7/s1600/IMG_1591.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJiX9uFR4VG3hHdK7c4Ip_fG_9GCTzBE13O96mDbI9FMSVK4hSaAqJognU7g5uCrd_fvIYqfqtn4vPALv2PpCCGfXV-4-rUjskY4elMYsxh5Ein6os02NLnIfDS7WZasJB6m1XdkWQgy7/s400/IMG_1591.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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I've decided to start an Excel document with my paint colors because blogging them is likely a strange system.<br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-14533132792097120932014-12-27T21:00:00.001-08:002014-12-27T21:00:48.423-08:00Paint ColorsIn an update on paint colors, I painted my small bathroom.<br />
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The wall color is Benjamin Moore's "Violetta", adjusted down 25 or 50% (I forget), in Behr paint.<br />
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I also painted the vanity in Benjamin Moore's Sihouette, in actual Benjamin Moore Advance paint, because that's so good for cabinets.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-50459322222109077642013-12-20T21:57:00.001-08:002013-12-20T21:57:55.356-08:00I Take the "I" Out of iPhoneAs time goes on, I am increasingly challenged on my decision not to have a smart phone. <br />
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Sometimes the issue comes up when someone sees my phone.</div>
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Sometimes the issue comes up when I ask for directions to a location ("Let's all meet at [restaurant name]. What do you mean, 'Where is it'? Just look it up."). </div>
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Sometimes the issue comes up when I have to correct an underlying assumption ("We can just require every employee to complete their lab safety inspection using an iPhone app on their personal phones.")</div>
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My slide phone (and landline) are generally met with an incredible level of disbelief. It is never accepted without question. Normally there is a barrage of questions about my reasons and motives, none of which are satisfactory. So, to organize my own thoughts, and prepare for the next onslaught, here are the reasons I do not have a smart phone.</div>
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<b>1. I am cheap. </b></div>
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There is no denying that my current phone plan is cheap. I'm on a family plan with my parents which costs $20-$30 a month depending on which additional line I am considered. Since my dad refuses to bill me, whenever I visit my parents I slip a twenty into his wallet and softly call out what I'm doing to which he replies "Okay, sure!" because his hearing aids aren't in and he's pretending he can hear me.</div>
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<b>2. I don't need another distraction.</b></div>
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Trust me, I waste plenty of time on the Internet as it is. Between 10 pm and 11 pm, I spend a good half hour to 45 minutes consciously procrastinating going to bed by reading news and joke websites. It's stupid and I know it but I do it every single day. Plus, I'll admit I've been spending a ludicrous amount of time playing Jurassic Park Builder on the Nexus tablet I won at a conference (notice a theme of me being reluctant to pay for technology for myself). I've been going into work around 20 minutes later than usual for the past six months just so I can poke at dinosaurs and collect their dino coins. If I had dinosaurs in my palm all the time? I can't even imagine.</div>
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<b>3. I would rely on it as a social crutch</b></div>
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Like everyone else.</div>
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<b>4. I own a GPS</b></div>
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Everyone, when trying to explain how useful a smart phone is, mentions maps. Funny thing, that's what a GPS does. Without a monthly subscription cost.</div>
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<b>5. I want to leave work at work</b></div>
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Because of the nature of my job, I'm on call for manufacturing 24/7 for a big chunk of the year. I also frequently work weekends or holidays because cell culture experiments work that way. Having a smart phone capable of having work email all the time would mean I have work email in the little time I currently have away from work. I don't want the capability or the expectation that work invade every hour of the day.</div>
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<b>6. I want to leave email at work</b></div>
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Because my work requires so much email, I've started to feel like email is work. Even to people I like. There are a few people, like my friends from high school and my family, who I think "get" me enough that I can write in my natural voice, but with most other personal emails I have to exert a day job level of effort to avoid inadvertently sounding bitter or sarcastic. </div>
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Sarcasm is my first language. Polite and chipper is a hard-won second.</div>
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<b>7. I charge my phone around twice a week</b></div>
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Not all the time that it's not in my hand. Not in the car. Not with a borrowed charger at a party. My phone battery lasts over four days, and that's only when it gets down to 60% and I charge it because I paranoid and always think of a massive emergency scenario where I'm forced to evacuate my home and would want enough cell phone charge to call my family. </div>
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This is also why I fill my car with gas when it reaches the half tank.</div>
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<b>8. I want to be aware of the world around me</b></div>
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I feel time. I wait in lines. I read books on buses. I remember things rather than Instagram things. </div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/san-francisco-train-shooting_n_4066930.html" target="_blank">I want to be the one to notice if someone brandishes a gun.</a></div>
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<b>9. I don't want to carry something that expensive around all the time</b></div>
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If I lose my phone, it's not the end of the world. Or the end of my paycheck.</div>
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<b>10. I don't want to be the most important person in my life</b></div>
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I'm part of what is probably the last generation that will remember a time before Facebook. I've seen the Internet and social media twist slowly from an experimental realm you used to discover new things to a space where everyone carefully crafts an image of themselves, carefully choosing what to share, what to show off. I'm starting to hear "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!" reverberate inside my head when I look at Facebook or Instagram. If we all think only about ourselves, what we'll post, how many likes we'll get, where do other people fit into our lives except as backup players on <i>our </i>stage (or likers to our posts, commenters on our status)? I don't want my life to be all about me. We're all players on the stage but it's not my stage. </div>
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And I don't want a device in my hand that implies otherwise.</div>
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Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-61716978476580113392013-07-14T21:02:00.001-07:002013-07-14T21:04:45.413-07:00Giving Drugs to StrangersSeveral years ago I told myself that I couldn't let fear of social awkwardness thwart my charitable instincts. I have to repeat it to myself sometimes when I think I can help but don't want to because it might be weird. So then I'll do it. And it is always weird.<br />
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Today I was on a flight back from Atlanta and it sounded like a man a few rows up was asking for medicine from a flight attendant. The flight attendant offered him Tylenol, but said she didn't expect it to help his son's ears. A woman in the row ahead of him mimed holding her nose and forcing air into her ears as a method that might help. While it seemed like the man was getting plenty of input about his son's ear pain, I had a sack full of drugs I thought I should offer.<br />
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When I flew back from Munich the first time, I had a cold I had caught toward the end of my trip. That plane flight was misery; my nose was running the whole time, I couldn't sleep, and the pressure forced junk into my ears so bad that I got an ear infection and spent the whole next week recovering. But that time when I went to the doctor for the ear infection they didn't hand out antibiotics like candy (which I appreciate) but they told me to take Sudafed for several days to dry up the mucus and give my ears a chance to heal themselves.<br />
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This trip, when I was heading to Atlanta, I was at the tail end of a cold but I didn't want to take any chances. I brought two packages of Sudafed (the good, behind-the-counter, show-your-ID, assure-the-pharmacist-you-won't-make-meth kind), a whole bottle of Benadryl (dual purpose since I was staying with a friend with a cat, which I'm allergic to), and a bottle of lorataine (also for the cat). <br />
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So I went up to the man with my box of Sudafed and offered it to him. When I got to their row I could see his son had tears streaming down his face, indicating why they'd gone to the lengths of asking a flight attendant for meds. I tried to explain what Sudafed was, that I had previously had a doctor indicate it for mucus getting into the ears, and I tried to make him read the back of the box including contraindications. But he seemed to be foreign and I wasn't sure if he could read the box and I'm pretty sure "contraindications" wasn't in the vocabulary. After the lady one row ahead had chimed in that she thought it would be better to try the Sudafed before the Tylenol he had given a tablet to his son before I really knew what was happening.<br />
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And that is how I came to give drugs to strangers.<br />
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Of course, after this, I worried that I shouldn't have done that and kept watching to see if I could confirm the kid was 1. moving 2. breathing and since he was in a seat I couldn't see then I wondered what kind of trouble I would be in if he did have a negative reaction. But not too long after he was trading seats with his sisters and going down the aisle dry-eyed. When his father passed me on his way to the restroom he said "After he took your tablet it was like a miracle. Now he is fine!"<br />
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And that is how taking drugs from strangers turned out well for someone once. A story which should never be repeated to any impressionable young children.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-57491575231158522902013-04-30T21:31:00.001-07:002013-04-30T21:32:41.866-07:00A Bit of UnusualI frequently feel like I am the weirdest moment in other people's day.<br />
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For instance, I recently went to the doctor because one of my pinky toes has been turning sideways and feels funny. I figured I needed new orthotics for my shoes and was looking for a referral to a podiatrist but instead I was sent for X-rays and an MRI of the lower spine because my toes tingled when the doctor raised my leg, a "positive sciatic test". Anyway, my HMO puts you through a whole rigmarole before the doctor will talk to you about your actual problem, checking on all your medications, weighing you with your shoes, coat, and purse still on you, etc. <br />
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This time, the nurse asked about my activity level.<br />
<b>Me: </b>Well, according to my Fitbit I've been doing over 10,000 steps a day.<br />
<b>Nurse: </b>[Lengthy silence while she stares motionless at the computer screen]<br />
<b>Me: </b>Is there not a field for that? You could just say 20 minutes.<br />
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Then, later, when scheduling the MRI the clerk made me answer the gamut of questions to see if I'd want to sue them after the MRI.<br />
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<b>Clerk: </b>Have you ever had surgery on your heart, where they might have inserted something metal like a pacemaker?<br />
<b>Me: </b>No.<br />
<b>Clerk:</b> Have you ever had surgery on your head, where they might have inserted something metal like a metal plate?<br />
<b>Me:</b> No.<br />
<b>Clerk:</b> Have you ever had surgery to implant anything in your ears, where they might have inserted something like a cochlear implant?<br />
<b>Me:</b> No.<br />
Clerk: Have you ever had surgery on your eyes?<br />
<b>Me:</b> No.<br />
<b>Clerk: </b>Have you ever had surgery to repair a broken bone, where they might have inserted surgical pins or screws?<br />
<b>Me:</b> No.<br />
<b>Clerk: </b>Have you ever had any surgery at all?<br />
<b>Me:</b> No. [Pause.] Is that in case they left something inside you during surgery?<br />
<b>Clerk:</b> [Confused look at the questionnaire.] I never thought about that before!Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-72183879114689646452013-04-08T21:52:00.000-07:002013-04-08T21:54:40.312-07:00PinterestingMaybe it's because of who I follow, but I've noticed the things on Pinterest fall into a few distinct categories.<br />
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1. Pretty pictures of wishlist type things - travel destinations, quaint forest cabins, fairy gardens, etc.</div>
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2. Household hints that simply cannot all work ("Replace every cleaning product ever with an equimolar and therefore neutralized solution of white vinegar and baking soda!")</div>
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3. Beauty tips, nail polish colors, outfit ideas, hairstyles</div>
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4. Ludicrous, delicious-looking foods</div>
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This is partly why I think that men don't use Pinterest. The other reason is that <a href="http://bandnerdsquared.blogspot.com/2013/01/statistics.html" target="_blank">I did the math and men don't use Pinterest</a>. </div>
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While I'm happy seeing the first three pass me by, I did want to try some of the foods. But really, when are you going to ever bake an Oreo in a chocolate cookie in a brownie in a tiramisu? I wanted an excuse to cook some of the ludicrous foods so I threw a Pinterest-themed party.</div>
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Sadly, I forgot to photograph the food. This is the closest I came:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbx9UNTYI7NKLQiNFTDBRYoVH_0EIh-vzXCRri2uePOeBFGPFiz-DoVYBRabxFPZUy-ZZb8QWFsh8k_jx6AVlX-p-4Mb71KTL9Um-gDho_SZNA8o6TYlc22Az96gSK8ekXZ9dwa3_C0m/s1600/IMG_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARbx9UNTYI7NKLQiNFTDBRYoVH_0EIh-vzXCRri2uePOeBFGPFiz-DoVYBRabxFPZUy-ZZb8QWFsh8k_jx6AVlX-p-4Mb71KTL9Um-gDho_SZNA8o6TYlc22Az96gSK8ekXZ9dwa3_C0m/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here you can see the pulled pork sliders, pigs in blankets, pizza dip, the ham and potato pancakes, the macaroni and cheese with tater tots, and the "cross between alfredo, lasagna, and mac'n'cheese". Along with the guacamole-stuffed eggs that came later that made up the the savory dishes. </div>
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The desserts I didn't get any pictures of but they were the stars. We had Tofutti pumpkin cheesecake, pistachio toffee, Butterfinger blondies, brownies with peanut butter cups and marshmallow fluff, homemade peanut butter cups, and apple dumplings made with crescent rolls, Mountain Dew, and Nectresse. </div>
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There were also activities. I set up a craft station in the guest bedroom with things to glue on magnets and the ten Biblical plagues hand puppet kit I had. My friend Jen brought her daughter Mariella who made this gem:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqtLy9P9sj3f0VdTTGJXtqFGJAUIgA9eJQ2SsRB1PYFhf4gJs1vFn_IqbKzxQCLWBu9q680N6wrJisDfToys3PZmzMmfkU1ZNRD74eaV1_BA4I2fK2raKYg3ywwi_eqt-EAG2udWYvHUQ/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqtLy9P9sj3f0VdTTGJXtqFGJAUIgA9eJQ2SsRB1PYFhf4gJs1vFn_IqbKzxQCLWBu9q680N6wrJisDfToys3PZmzMmfkU1ZNRD74eaV1_BA4I2fK2raKYg3ywwi_eqt-EAG2udWYvHUQ/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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That is the puppet for the wild animals plague. According to Mariella it's going to a birthday party. It's so cute.</div>
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I also made a pinata.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nXE4s2QsTAS2zrOF6HFDLdbY85aZEpBbKFiMgWI-Y4QuTM8pe-beL8p0019l4sYz5Y5_FE4w-u7b3LuswMY19HLSSUC7UUvojy6fCnf_9otbGVhxZsrjNphjhpH7mldhtuszpjOvFf7t/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nXE4s2QsTAS2zrOF6HFDLdbY85aZEpBbKFiMgWI-Y4QuTM8pe-beL8p0019l4sYz5Y5_FE4w-u7b3LuswMY19HLSSUC7UUvojy6fCnf_9otbGVhxZsrjNphjhpH7mldhtuszpjOvFf7t/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I learned a few things about pinatas. For instance, they have an upper weight limit on the candy you put in them. And then, if you're butting up against the upper weight limit on your pinata, you should take that into consideration when you're having it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEUfEP0SLUKtfOqWs8WLeTewuOKcWSyK6ld8cjxgYgWvROruUu1k8AgpH1J5UvtgdFnNLqj2_UqS9YGYda0JpzzF0dA345FBd6EJ7lthyKOgD2VWr3Kvg1p3I35S-UQcP7KXwwyNx9C9g/s1600/IMG_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEUfEP0SLUKtfOqWs8WLeTewuOKcWSyK6ld8cjxgYgWvROruUu1k8AgpH1J5UvtgdFnNLqj2_UqS9YGYda0JpzzF0dA345FBd6EJ7lthyKOgD2VWr3Kvg1p3I35S-UQcP7KXwwyNx9C9g/s320/IMG_0110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, that is a grand total of three feet off the ground.</div>
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Still, it did take three adults for it to break open.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJAfJzFMlk9ubH7WHsW94LeY1sdjM0wQZfJu21gZ4xUFFJyEmfLn4udR_JBn_2XqMNRmEoorB37YSpCmRPvcYDN163nRvr12qoBC2DKMESlLxVyQcwygBWQSst2XIAV_oArK2NPXo2RXd/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJAfJzFMlk9ubH7WHsW94LeY1sdjM0wQZfJu21gZ4xUFFJyEmfLn4udR_JBn_2XqMNRmEoorB37YSpCmRPvcYDN163nRvr12qoBC2DKMESlLxVyQcwygBWQSst2XIAV_oArK2NPXo2RXd/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-437bf26VdfiOsqj2CTfM8pI1QMUrwvf6ldV4ayanVCzhE1P8zCu5WpLGWxoqZgUaCDMQ3cxvQIQZ3dckRWoOnJ4vMIiyTVIvnkDjJP26bDLJnJK4azhdZC_mdkEgkXVNJr162FkxWgB/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-437bf26VdfiOsqj2CTfM8pI1QMUrwvf6ldV4ayanVCzhE1P8zCu5WpLGWxoqZgUaCDMQ3cxvQIQZ3dckRWoOnJ4vMIiyTVIvnkDjJP26bDLJnJK4azhdZC_mdkEgkXVNJr162FkxWgB/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And after spending probably 15 working hours making a pinata it was gratifying to see adults sprint for the candy and fruit snacks. </div>
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Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-3953259091938771142013-02-28T21:29:00.000-08:002013-02-28T21:42:19.964-08:00IntensityGoing to Georgia Tech means that you pass on at least 50% of the typical college experience.<br />
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Or that's what I gather from television.<br />
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There's the normal stuff like too many drunken parties and football. But besides the rampant nerdiness what seems dissimilar is the sheer amount of work.<br />
<br />
My memory of college is moving into a dorm in the fall, going to marching band practice and the football games, holding a few board game nights with my roommates and our friends, taking a 3-4 day trip somewhere over Spring Break, and until we moved out in the spring we were otherwise either going to class or doing homework or working on a group project for the rest of our waking hours. That's how it was for everyone. Of course there were a few activities, like my roommates and I would normally select a few television shows we would watch together (Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Heroes over the years). But oftentimes one or more of us would either do homework during the show or not watch it at all in order to do work. The constant state of being was work, such that someone who was not doing work was actively and mindfully taking a break from work in order to work harder when they returned. There was not "free time" - there were activities deliberately carved out of work time to prevent insanity. But sometimes you couldn't afford even that and you just went insane.<br />
<br />
And all that work didn't mean anything if you didn't know your stuff. There might have been A-for-effort classes at Tech but I didn't get to take them. Professors made it clear that classes weren't graded on the premise everyone started at As and they took points off. No, everyone started at an F and had to earn points to get to an A. I actually took very few classes where points had any absolute meaning. In most of my engineering classes everything was graded on a curve, so you did not need a certain amount of points to get an A - you needed to get more points than everyone else to get an A.<br />
<br />
One class that didn't use a curve was Physical Chemistry II, which was the quantum mechanics class. I took that class the year it was at 8 am, and the professor was the hairiest man I've ever seen. In that class, getting 33% of the questions right on the test was a C. An A was 66%. I think that demonstrated well how impossible the material was that no one could know 100% of it.<br />
<br />
When the workload at Tech got especially bad, like at the end of a semester when projects were due and everyone was studying for final exams and you had to move out of your dorm room within 24 hours of your last test so you had to pack your entire room while you studied, there was a special state you could get into that I can only describe as "intense". It was a single minded focus on the tasks at hand with a cold and efficient prioritization of all the other features of your life. Your mind became hypervigilant and you could lay almost all emotion aside and solely work. Everything fell by the wayside. You would know exactly how long you could go without doing laundry, without eating, without buying food, without taking out the trash, so you could work as long as possible before having to waste time on those things. You would say no to friends and fun with no regret or guilt. It was all gone. You were just an automaton with one goal: survival.<br />
<br />
Since college, the intensity has been very rare. But now it's back, and it's almost comforting. Being a single-minded extremely busy automaton is way better than being a pretty busy worrywart. Cold, hard, and focused.<br />
<br />
I will say, it's easier to deal with when you have a car, your own washing machine, and enough money to buy convenience foods.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-57125021646309664822013-02-25T21:04:00.001-08:002013-02-25T21:04:14.631-08:00Quieting the VoicesSometimes I wonder if the way I think is fundamentally different from others'.<br />
<br />
The first time I realized this might be true was in college, when I was having dinner with my roommate Karen.<br />
<br />
The cafeteria that night had a chicken enchilada casserole. We remarked to each other that it was actually quite good, then we each concentrated on eating for a few minutes, after which I volunteered, "I wouldn't care if there were insects ground up in here as long as I couldn't taste or feel them."<br />
<br />
To Karen, this statement came out of left field and she made me explain my train of thought.<br />
<br />
First, I had thought of how the chicken enchilada casserole was the least adulterated form of meat the cafeteria had offered in a long time. The chicken was therefore the purest protein we had recently eaten.<br />
<br />
Then I thought that chicken was actually one of the most efficient meat-producing animals.<br />
<br />
Then I thought of how insects are actually the most efficient meat-producing animals, in terms of how much of what they eat is converted to meat.<br />
<br />
Then I thought of how despite that insect meat isn't cost effective because there isn't a big enough industry to have economies of scale.<br />
<br />
Then I thought how McDonald's is accused of padding their meat with things like insects but that wouldn't be logical because insects are more expensive.<br />
<br />
Then I thought I wouldn't mind if more traditional forms of meat were padded with more efficient protein sources like insects as long as the taste, safety, or gustatory experience was not compromised.<br />
<br />
When I explained that to Karen, she said, "That whole time all I was thinking was 'Mmm, food'."<br />
<br />
What I wonder about now is if my thought processes influence my need for near constant audio distractions. Over the years I've realized that the only time I don't want noise is when I'm talking with someone or writing and need to be able to concentrate on my mental narrative. Otherwise, I prefer to have music or TV in the background or my brain gets impatient and it will choose to create its own, often pointless narrative which takes the form of endless worrying or complex and sarcastic Facebook posts. At work, data analysis and lab work practically demand music or my brain is going to zone out and I'll make mistakes. It's almost as if I don't get "quiet" - my brain will provide the noise itself so I get more effective "quiet" with actual noise.<br />
<br />
One of my main disappointments with alcohol (besides the heartburn it gives me) is that it does nothing to quiet my brain. I would be very interested in a product that could shut my brain up sometimes. Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-69874727277748094092013-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:002013-02-22T20:37:02.055-08:00LessonsThings I have learned the hard way:<br />
<br />
<br />
Doorknobs: you have to turn them before they work.<br />
<br />
Nail polish remover is capable of dissolving some scissors.<br />
<br />
Vegetable stock, made in the crockpot, can putrefy if you let it cook longer than the recommended time. The smell will wake you up from a dead sleep.<br />
<br />
"Container compatibility issue" means "that bottle of sodium hydroxide is going to dissolve on your desk".<br />
<br />
If it tastes rotten, stop eating. <br />
<br />
If you are the youngest, most junior, and only female employee in a room, don't do anything they tell you without checking with your boss first.<br />
<br />
Never serve salad dressing out of a cow creamer. You will never get the garlic out of the hollow legs.<br />
<br />
Apple pie, muffins, and toffee are all flammable.<br />
<br />
If your date ever says "I don't know how I'm going to explain [you being here] to my roommates", leave. Leave right then.<br />
<br />
When you're somewhere unfamiliar, double check that the icon on the bathroom door has a skirt.<br />
<br />
When it doubt, don't mix that chemical with bleach.<br />
<br />
If you mix that chemical with bleach anyway, do it in the fresh air. <br />
<br />
Just because you splash things in lab into your mouth all the time doesn't mean that anyone else does. Stop mentioning it out loud.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-50210685932623209922013-02-19T11:29:00.000-08:002013-02-19T11:33:11.275-08:00Sick DayToday is my first sick day in a long time. I don't always make the best decisions at 3 AM, but this is a good one.<br />
<br />
It took a while though. When I started feeling bad in bed my brain thought it would be most effective to explain the discomfort through a dream. The dream started explaining that I had a troublesome genetically modified cell line at work and it was giving me grief. The rest of my brain wasn't with it enough to figure out that there is no possible way a cell line can give you a stomachache, but it did know that lately I hadn't been working with any troublesome cell lines. After a while all of my brain finally clued in that this wasn't a problem with any of the <b>eight</b> cell lines it kept listing in my brain by <b>name</b>, and that the problem was me.<br />
<br />
By 6 AM I had already gone through my entire day's schedule and knew I wouldn't miss anything too major if I didn't go to work. Yesterday I had somehow had a very awesome day of getting things done so today's agenda was mostly make a set of slides even prettier and review two short documents I already had requested access to, printed, and tracked down ancient comparitors for. While I wasn't sleeping I also had already mentally composed the emails to my boss and my reports so I fired those off too.<br />
<br />
I know at work we're not required to say what we're sick with (and if I remember my manager training right your boss can't ask either). But I volunteered that it was food poisoning 1) because I'm suspicious of the shrimp curry we had at our lunch meeting and 2) I think you get fewer emails if everyone pictures you barfing than sitting sedately on the couch drinking tea and wiping your nose every once in a while. I don't know why I always think the lunch meeting food is going to someday poison everyone, but if it does, I want them to have all the information they need. What? Everyone but the vegetarians are out sick today? Call the health department!<br />
<br />
Or report it anonymously online! I found that website once and work is technically in San Mateo County too.<br />
<br />
Once several of us agreed that the two giant key lime cheesecakes at our meeting hadn't agreed with us, but that was more likely the unexpected richness than anything microbial. That was back when we used to get two giant cheesecakes or a sheet cake for 10 people. I wonder why that stopped. That must have been a different caterer. Plus, I see how the food is delivered about an hour early, and how the leftovers get sit out all afternoon. I'm kind of surprised we don't have more food poisoning, actually.<br />
<br />
But in truth, I probably gave this to myself. Most of the leftovers I ate last night were only five days old but before dinner I snacked on an English muffin and I used butter from a butter dish I had only recently unearthed, and it didn't taste quite right. Unsalted butter never tastes quite right, spread on things, which is why I was using old butter dish butter because I was hoping it dated back to when I had bought salted butter (yes, I realize how stupid this is as I write it). But it was unsalted too. And might have been a little rancid.<br />
<br />
Once I can stand to stand I'll clean out the fridge. Protect me from myself.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-91814650457324404562013-02-16T23:10:00.003-08:002013-02-16T23:10:29.951-08:00How to FacebookIf I had my way, Facebook would be different.<br />
<br />
<b>Instead of:</b><br />
I'm in the ER again! OMG, what's going on?<br />
<b>It would be:</b><br />
I'm in the emergency room for the third time this week for chest pain. The doctors have eliminated heart attack and angina. Today I'm in for an imaging procedure. I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this time.<br />
<br />
<b>Instead of:</b><br />
Well, guess what? ____ and I are having a baby in August! That's what happens when you can't take birth control pills.<br />
<b>It would be:</b><br />
____ and I are expecting a baby in August! We're thrilled.<br />
<br />
<b>Instead of:</b><br />
My #$%^&* husband left today. How am I going to explain to our four kids that Daddy just doesn't love Mommy anymore?<br />
<b>It would be:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Instead of:</b><br />
[Below a photo of a newborn] One year. Miss you my angel! <br />
<b>It would be:</b><br />
One year ago today my brother and his wife moved to Saint Louis. I miss my little niece so much!<br />
<br />
<br />
Otherwise I spend too much time worrying people's future children are going to find out horrible crap from future Facebook archives, or that someone is dying in the ER, or that a baby died. <br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-13824878637827776002013-02-05T19:34:00.001-08:002013-02-05T19:35:44.474-08:00Decision MakingI greatly enjoy that Tuesday is garbage day.<br />
<br />
This is not because I like taking out the garbage.<br />
<br />
I have always disliked taking out the garbage. In college taking out the garbage was one of the contentious chores between the roommates: we all hated doing it and unlike mopping the kitchen floor, scrubbing the shower, or wiping down the stove, we couldn't ignore it for entire school years at a time. Living in a seven-person apartment made the garbage situation even more unpleasant, especially because the various randomly-assigned roommates who filled the spare bedrooms when true friends were gone for some semesters tended to do things like fill an entire trashcan with pizza boxes and beer bottles and then disappear into their room never to talk to us again for eight months (yes, that happened).<br />
<br />
But taking out the garbage became a new height of difficulty after I graduated and lived alone for the first time. The trash in college was an unpleasant game of chicken where someone would eventually decide nothing more could balance on top of the can. Living alone, the issue was not volume. It was smell.<br />
<br />
To explain this I might need to explain a bit of how engineers think. I don't have experience with it personally, but I imagine normal people make decisions based on a few straight-forward axes. "What do I want to do?" "What do I need to do?" "If I want to do it, can I do it?" "If I don't want to do it, can I delay it?" Etc. Engineers have an additional criteria which complicates everything else.<br />
<br />
Efficiency.<br />
<br />
Efficiency can by itself be variable. Do you want to be efficient in time usage? Cost? Effort? Engineers know that it is unlikely you can have all at once, so the decision become which type of efficiency is more important in any given situation.<br />
<br />
Left alone to my own devices, the garbage became a problem of inefficiency that I couldn't solve.<br />
<br />
The main problem was that I didn't generate enough trash to fill the can before it began to smell. I deemed it inefficient to take out the trash before it was full. This is because taking out a partly full bag of trash was inefficient in all variables - time, cost, and effort. I would have to take the trash out more often. I would have to buy more trash bags. And the trash bins were far on the other side of my complex, down a flight a stairs.<br />
<br />
So the smell became the enemy. I tried freezing food scraps to prevent them from rotting in the trash, but some scraps inevitably made it to the trash anyway. I tried buying the odor blocking crystals touted by the radio morning show I listen to. I tried buying scented trash bags. I tried buying scent-blocking trash bags. I tried double-bagging the trash can and then tying off the inner bag when it started to smell.<br />
<br />
Nothing worked. I was left with an inefficient system where I played chicken with myself of how long I could stand the smell of the trash.<br />
<br />
I lost that game, over and over.<br />
<br />
But now that I moved, Tuesday is garbage day. Tuesday is the day the truck comes to pick up the garbage, so Monday is the night I have to move the trash cans to the front. And since I have to move the trash cans to the front, I might as well use that day to take the trash out from the house. There is unlikely any true efficiency benefit, since I spend more time taking out the trash, and I take out partially full bags of trash more now than ever. But my perception is that I am "getting my money's worth" much more by having trash in the bin at the curb each week so that my $17 a month doesn't go to waste. Monday comes and without question, I will empty the recycling and the trash into their bins and wheel them to the curb.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I just really, really, really like to be told what to do.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-42808242461636267532013-01-27T18:44:00.001-08:002013-01-27T18:45:32.086-08:00Color ConundrumsMy system for picking paint colors is horrible and inefficient.<br />
<br />
The first rash of painting in my house was done before I moved in, and the colors were selected as follows.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Living room:</b></span><br />
Looked at gray paint chips, two samples, chose the lighter one. Boom - living room is painted Bay Waves by Valspar.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGfVujHZz_lpvs8m7SJqt_B-mpUxgfMKCDyX2QAwJ_z9gbpiX7lLTRJeRS4a1yHb3yk26Zo3yLNahbb0EMP7nOyiLDolK06zchbAKXlGkGjl_fdKbZqZsksEiX9HIDZmyLHy2iIGaTI2R/s1600/IMG_7034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGfVujHZz_lpvs8m7SJqt_B-mpUxgfMKCDyX2QAwJ_z9gbpiX7lLTRJeRS4a1yHb3yk26Zo3yLNahbb0EMP7nOyiLDolK06zchbAKXlGkGjl_fdKbZqZsksEiX9HIDZmyLHy2iIGaTI2R/s320/IMG_7034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><b>Verdict: </b></i> Love it. This is the right gray to go with my eccentric green couch, massive Ikea pussy willow print, and to blend into the dining room color.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dining room:</b></span><br />
Endless pouring over blue paint chips, two samples, chose the darker one. Boom - dining room is painted Tinsel Beam by Valspar.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL73lP9jPcJ1oiLPhquPCZKQ3-_L1S4_paWptKw4irIvEGDd9erqtmo8HxCkeHKzzpVLlfbg33wNEDQe54TdPjDgOeIZ6aE7QlbYDWqTO-AzlGP0hyphenhyphenq39piGXQihJd2FtiKCvS5qjTXGTe/s1600/IMG_7036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL73lP9jPcJ1oiLPhquPCZKQ3-_L1S4_paWptKw4irIvEGDd9erqtmo8HxCkeHKzzpVLlfbg33wNEDQe54TdPjDgOeIZ6aE7QlbYDWqTO-AzlGP0hyphenhyphenq39piGXQihJd2FtiKCvS5qjTXGTe/s320/IMG_7036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Verdict:</b></i> Love it. This is a great light blue on the edge of slate blue which blends seamlessly with the living room gray.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bedroom:</b></span><br />
Sorted through green paint chips, one sample of sage green, it looked like puke. Scrambled to choose a second paint chip, got a sample, thought it was okay. Bedroom is Desert Seedling by Valspar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzRJsDb70vYXppk07_XeamFuyNWniqlwDVrNPr23B2oGllzZPMW0x0GkA9dYAkenFgFdGW0XB48MzjNReTlXf5jgkebiPGC2agfv0OQSmB1twI5pWDaboDzO88KCzwDQB87bQD55VLHUd/s1600/IMG_7038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzRJsDb70vYXppk07_XeamFuyNWniqlwDVrNPr23B2oGllzZPMW0x0GkA9dYAkenFgFdGW0XB48MzjNReTlXf5jgkebiPGC2agfv0OQSmB1twI5pWDaboDzO88KCzwDQB87bQD55VLHUd/s320/IMG_7038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Verdict: </b></i> Like it. It's a good girly mint green, but I had intended more of a sage green. I also find this green hard to accessorize or match with anything because I don't shop a lot and I'm an engineer.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Craft room:</b></span><br />
Endless pouring over yellow paint chips, two samples of butter yellow, chose the darker one, Maple Cream by Valspar. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0YPntdTWD65no8F_Bia9g0DGoxvRGtO2TdfS3_4zVsJelL4nZMD7AHllHsixoI0YPLaEm1myLbxST4pz9qHsRG5E9A_2AVwcIkYliTAmTg5Qhq1N4F_ZgH_Ty8BCFc1OejLXxILZHETX/s1600/IMG_7040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0YPntdTWD65no8F_Bia9g0DGoxvRGtO2TdfS3_4zVsJelL4nZMD7AHllHsixoI0YPLaEm1myLbxST4pz9qHsRG5E9A_2AVwcIkYliTAmTg5Qhq1N4F_ZgH_Ty8BCFc1OejLXxILZHETX/s320/IMG_7040.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Verdict:</b></i> It's too dark. This room is very small (that desk is the actual width of the room) and it's also dark - that window is under a porch. I also used satin paint, which was too shiny for a small room too. If I repaint this room (and I might) it would be two to three shades light, in eggshell finish at the shiniest. This room's walls also have an issue where the paint will stick to anything that leans against it. If I repaint I would investigate super-duper primer like the VOC-heavy, this-might-be-the-most-ethanol-intoxicated-I've-ever-been BIN Zinsser shellac-base primer I used on the kitchen cabinets. That stuff seems to penetrate well, and for this room it would have to get through not only the two coats of Valspar primer and two coats of Valspar paint put on during my ownership of the house but also the blue paint I was covering up, and however many layers are between the blue and the pink layer that shows up after the peeling.<br />
<br />
<br />
The next wave of painting was for the third bedroom. Since I wasn't under the time-crunch of having to move in, this time I wanted to make sure I chose the right color. I wanted a warm, ocean blue to cover up the horror of the icy toothpaste green the walls and trim (the musty, unpleasant upholstery in this photo was ripped out far before I got around to painting):<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWdFMwA5BQOPj6-uh3DRKfw81_YjgncicwWZqPnWgNs4ICCBrZ44rVcR8WW9WTq5UaqGcG6EiDRfXs_3tCph6THw8qcd15f9zgYC81it82-46AdKRqOd8qPKa-yBmY-1oWoFz8J4MJ9H5/s1600/IMG_7042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWdFMwA5BQOPj6-uh3DRKfw81_YjgncicwWZqPnWgNs4ICCBrZ44rVcR8WW9WTq5UaqGcG6EiDRfXs_3tCph6THw8qcd15f9zgYC81it82-46AdKRqOd8qPKa-yBmY-1oWoFz8J4MJ9H5/s320/IMG_7042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Third bedroom:</b></span><br />
Endless pouring over blue and teal and green paint chips. No fewer than six samples. Maybe more. Maybe I didn't photograph all the samples. Maybe I don't want to go to the shed and count the sample containers. In any case, I settled on Behr Aqua Spray, adjusted to 75%.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHc4Pp1Vz-0VboboQy9hAbQe7f3yt6Nj-5OfJzfQC5fSK1h-PGy_EkM28aD9ROiXNbF9o6Yy5lTH507L7mbrIZQcCWGPs6CvFZBee8qcv4hyphenhyphennzAWDRe8s3Jy5Mojf2a9Pa2PAlif_fa5R/s1600/IMG_7239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHc4Pp1Vz-0VboboQy9hAbQe7f3yt6Nj-5OfJzfQC5fSK1h-PGy_EkM28aD9ROiXNbF9o6Yy5lTH507L7mbrIZQcCWGPs6CvFZBee8qcv4hyphenhyphennzAWDRe8s3Jy5Mojf2a9Pa2PAlif_fa5R/s320/IMG_7239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>Verdict:</i> </b>I like it, but it's not what I intended. I wanted it to be slightly greener. It's also darker than it should be. But this room is big enough that it's not too dark. So it's good, it works. And this room taught me that if you're trying to paint something white that wasn't previously white, like that trim, use primer! Three coats of paint, all done with an artist's brush by hand, shaping out that inexplicably wave-shaped trim. I thought that green wasn't very dark but it was. It was.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kitchen:</b></span><br />
<br />
Benjamin Moore doesn't sell samples. I had decided to use their Advance paint, so I would have would be chips. So I taped some paint chips on the cabinets, liked Marscapone, bought it. Choosing the wall color was a cycle of taping paint chips next to the tile, choosing three samples, mulling over it, choosing the one I had liked first on the chips, Benjamin Moore's Everlasting (which I remember as "Perdurable" which was the Spanish name on the chip).<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNh_-jWjOYB61vh94F5YftTObfhhMVMVziH7NaEg5fXpBfeeTFz-rftVgj3AGolnZJ8RuXQL6YZ_mguk-SnF9nLnJV9ljOxbArynIqHhZqQMReyTOh3GJNRTtAUGScikdbPgzRGr7PF21/s1600/IMG_7829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNh_-jWjOYB61vh94F5YftTObfhhMVMVziH7NaEg5fXpBfeeTFz-rftVgj3AGolnZJ8RuXQL6YZ_mguk-SnF9nLnJV9ljOxbArynIqHhZqQMReyTOh3GJNRTtAUGScikdbPgzRGr7PF21/s320/IMG_7829.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Verdict: </b></i>These were just the right colors. The white is not too white, the tan is warm and is bold enough to offset the amount of white cabinets, and to draw away from the bold tile. I'm very pleased with how these turned out.<br />
<br />
<br />
The next painting job was the bathroom. Choosing a bathroom color was difficult because the tile and linoleum are black and white, and I couldn't decide what color went with them. Yes, they're neutrals but still certain colors "go" better. I can't explain it, color is something I'm weird about. I've read that women who are carriers for color-blindness, like I am, might actually see an expanded palette of colors, which might explain it. The bathroom was also difficult because I had to see past the dolphins:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O18KJxUhugDHiaevMnSjA0uffMdVfSmA1J7zVdfmWj7EtGfeiMwYtLgC8oJiypQ6wihzJt4O3BNQUzpqd0xkEd5BtVMCIQPp-BkBEIlB4hu1mGG2j4CDXm9vBrSHkIctkqCHr8RxTVrI/s1600/81132210_6_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O18KJxUhugDHiaevMnSjA0uffMdVfSmA1J7zVdfmWj7EtGfeiMwYtLgC8oJiypQ6wihzJt4O3BNQUzpqd0xkEd5BtVMCIQPp-BkBEIlB4hu1mGG2j4CDXm9vBrSHkIctkqCHr8RxTVrI/s1600/81132210_6_0.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
That wallpaper border is dolphins, the shower curtain was a double-layer thick of dolphins, the robe hooks were shaped like dolphins, and the light fixtures were Baroque gold.<br />
<br />
The color decision for the bathroom went something along the lines of "I like green. I'll do green." Choosing the paint color went like this:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bathroom:</b></span><br />
Looked for green/black/white bathrooms online. Couldn't find many. Looked at color suggestions on <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/" target="_blank">Young House Love</a>, liked their previous nursery color. Poured over paint chips. Got two samples: one the Celery Sticks Young House Love used, one a similar Benjamin Moore color. Liked Celery Sticks but after the third bedroom experience thought it might be too dark so I went to Home Depot and asked for a 50% lighter sample. It was twice as dark as the original. Argued with the guy behind the counter. He re-made it three times and it kept turning out darker. I refused to pay for any of the samples and left, never to return to the San Carlos Home Depot again. Went to the San Mateo Home Depot, they made a sample that at least was lighter but now looked like a different color (much more yellow). Made my own 75% sample by mixing the two previous samples, it was okay but I was indecisive and just went, "To heck with it. I like Celery Sticks, just do Celery Sticks". So the bathroom is Celery Sticks.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DYtl0FklE5C159tjBWkn8bGFfAyttrpXlyDC3z3wIQsq9HZd6R_lM4rS7BBG0Z64lbGDNyrSMBA4D0qPlFvr-9v6aQ3J8cnAyGHzWjhh6L0QsK59MTWTnOfWLLOtoTV9wmv7eea11rZz/s1600/IMG_8209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DYtl0FklE5C159tjBWkn8bGFfAyttrpXlyDC3z3wIQsq9HZd6R_lM4rS7BBG0Z64lbGDNyrSMBA4D0qPlFvr-9v6aQ3J8cnAyGHzWjhh6L0QsK59MTWTnOfWLLOtoTV9wmv7eea11rZz/s320/IMG_8209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Verdict: </b></i> Freaking love it. This is my favorite paint color in the house. A lot of the other colors I chose because they're nice or sophisticated or they coordinate with what they need to coordinate with. But this green is for me. I love green and this is the right green.<br />
<br />
<br />
What I've learned from all this is to go with my gut. If I like it, I'll like it. If I think too hard I might not make the right choice. Since I'm the person who has to live with it, it's my opinion that matters.<br />
<br />
I've also learned that contrary to what you would think, any color will look better once it's over a giant wall. Not sure how that works.<br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-18477945940310676012013-01-04T17:44:00.001-08:002013-01-04T17:44:55.576-08:00Discounted<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">Sometimes there's an exact moment when you realize why something ended up at the outlet store.<br />
<br />
Today I got this jacket I like at the Gap Outlet in Milpitas.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_W7GS3LFwyKx4jY0px9vMDBj55dCfKBhSi1gmFQATLag9dP6cD-m0cC0oV8EfOboAzsFfDCClgeeH5YEHc6BBcmWkeGvhErYwymVOlX0IY80Q8hKDb7dT6T_qtbCouZ7582Q9hZyB3TS/s1600/IMG_8375.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_W7GS3LFwyKx4jY0px9vMDBj55dCfKBhSi1gmFQATLag9dP6cD-m0cC0oV8EfOboAzsFfDCClgeeH5YEHc6BBcmWkeGvhErYwymVOlX0IY80Q8hKDb7dT6T_qtbCouZ7582Q9hZyB3TS/s400/IMG_8375.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Then I was curious about whether the zipper could go all the way up and discovered the placement of those snaps that hold down the collar wings.</div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPkjXkEodN5E7cUXoazxNZUK5IquGt2ap1tN-WvOyqjgJ2r5TO_NNax-GWIKvQrsocwPFB8zYtuI-73WZr_JJU93K-_IA7KOMoFgVotpqinBcOmhW0sdSu2zVaOgtBRP2SU2dtPvXTtAG/s1600/IMG_8374.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPkjXkEodN5E7cUXoazxNZUK5IquGt2ap1tN-WvOyqjgJ2r5TO_NNax-GWIKvQrsocwPFB8zYtuI-73WZr_JJU93K-_IA7KOMoFgVotpqinBcOmhW0sdSu2zVaOgtBRP2SU2dtPvXTtAG/s400/IMG_8374.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
Hello, extra nipples. Hello, way in which I will never wear this jacket. It's weird to meet you.</div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-12447691594752213832013-01-03T19:13:00.001-08:002013-01-03T19:15:27.892-08:00StatisticsMy parents did a very good job of raising me to be race-blind, which has resulted in some social embarrassment ("Why are they casting an Asian actress for Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies? Isn't she blonde?" "What do you mean the guy who plays Morpheus in The Matrix is African-American?"). But lately I've realized that I have some deeply held prejudices on male/female behavior. Well, mostly male behavior. And it's not many. Mostly it boils down to these two.<br />
<br />
1. Single men do not own cats.<br />
2. Men do not use Pinterest.<br />
<br />
I don't know where the cat one came from. Maybe because it's always crazy old cat ladies. Multiple cats are the sign of female spinsterhood. Maybe it's because I went out with one guy who turned out to have cats and he was the most immature, tied-to-the-apron-strings person over 30 years old that I have ever met. And of course there are exceptions. Men, as part of a couple or a family, can of course own cats. There just has to be a woman or a child as part of the equation for it to be normal. Alternately, if a single man had inherited a cat from a relative and his ownership of the cat was keeping the cat he already knew and loved from death or stranger adoption, then sure, that's fine. <br />
<br />
The Pinterest one I wasn't sure of. So I had to figure it out. Why did I think men don't use Pinterest? Just because everything I see on there is about crafting, cooking, decorating, cleaning, and exercising? I noticed that Pinterest knew exactly how many of my Facebook friends were on Pinterest. I know how many Facebook friends I have, so that was pretty simple math. With the data set of my Facebook friends I found that:<br />
<br />
44% of my female friends had a Pinterest account<br />
10% of my male friends did<br />
<br />
Of those with Pinterest accounts,<br />
<br />
23% of my female friends were inactive<br />
59% of my male friends were<br />
<br />
where inactivity was defined as accounts with fewer than 20 pins and no activity within four weeks. So in total,<br />
<br />
34% of my female friends actively used Pinterest<br />
4% of my male friends did<br />
<br />
If I also eliminated accounts with no activity within five months, only 2% of my male friends were active on Pinterest. Of those four, two are artists, one uses it for his travel business, and the last one is my cousin. Three of those four are married.<br />
<br />
So that's why I don't think men use Pinterest. Because 98% of them don't.<br />
<br />
Good job, brain. Now work on remembering how doorknobs work.Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-3141065347656199062012-12-27T22:30:00.001-08:002012-12-27T22:30:14.011-08:00"New"I made a big commitment today.<br />
<br />
I cut the tags off my washcloths.<br />
<br />
Yes, this is stupid, but somehow I didn't consider the washcloths <i>I </i>bought, that <i>I</i> use to wash <i>my</i> face, to be <i>mine</i>. Mine enough to have the right to cut off the tags, at least. But today as I was folding the laundry, the little tags sticking out of every single washcloth in the pile seemed to taunt me. I have scissors. I have power. So I cut them off.<br />
<br />
All of them.<br />
<br />
This might be a symptom of a larger issue I have of sensing the age of soft goods. I've had these washcloths for months, ever since I started doing the oil cleansing method and found it disturbing to scrub my face with Pixar characters (Wall-E, get deeper into my pores!). And recently I've realized that clothes I consider "new" are three to four years old. I looked at my Facebook photos and saw that I'm wearing the same three jackets in all of them. <br />
<br />
Part of my problem with clothes is that I've been following the advice to periodically go through your clothes and get rid of everything you haven't worn in a year - but I haven't been shopping to make up for it. So I have one drawer of public-eligible shirts ("top drawer" shirts) and one drawer of jeans, a foot of closet space of work shirts, around a foot and a half of skirts I can't wear to work because I'd splash chemicals on my legs, and those three jackets. Three other drawers are yardwork and gym t-shirts ("lower drawer" shirts), pajamas, underwear, and socks. The rest of my minimal closet space is slacks I only wear at conferences and sweatshirts.<br />
<br />
I've tried. In the past few weeks I've gone to my normal stores (Target, JC Penney, Sears, Kohls) both here and in the East Bay, and I've found a few things. An embellished t-shirt (for the top drawer), a sweatshirt jacket (simply because it was fuzzy). Ah dang it, is that it? Didn't I buy anything else? No no, I bought two blouses at Target.<i> </i>But I did figure out I purchase around 3% of what I try on. Or, I have to try on around 33 items to find one I want to buy. And that doesn't even account for everything I look at in the store before even selecting those 33 things to go into the dressing room with.<br />
<br />
I made that one clerk at Target really sad.<br />
<br />
I should get a button that says "I'm sorry I'm doing this but it wouldn't be necessary if your store used consistent sizing." <br />
<br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-67084176050950476202012-12-06T20:49:00.001-08:002012-12-06T20:51:47.385-08:00UnromanticThe older I get, the less I believe romantic movies.<br />
<br />
That isn't that much of a revelation. Romantic movies tend to be pretty ridiculous. He travels through time for her! They had been married the whole time and didn't know it! Jennifer Lopez is Italian! I've read articles warning women against romances because they set "unrealistic expectations". But we're not idiots. We're not stupid enough to expect any of the normal romance movie tropes:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Secret millionaire! If he appears down on his luck, chances are he's really rich but is just hiding that to make sure a woman loves him "for him". Or he's outwardly rich, and needs to be brought down to earth. Sub-category, she's the rich one! Her riches may or may not be secret. Played to great effect in Overboard.</li>
<li>Love overcomes death AND the space-time-continuum! Played with less effect in Lake House, among others.</li>
<li>Romance is extravagant gifts, whirlwind trips, and rose petals everywhere! </li>
</ul>
<br />
It's not the obvious ridiculousness like that that's bothering me more as time goes on. It's other, subtler aspects of the movies that's getting to me.<br />
<br />
One is that sex is the ultimate expression of love. In many movies, it seems like the end of the story doesn't matter as long as the main couple got to have sex. Case in point, Cold Mountain. I hate that movie. Jude Law spends the whole time going through horrible, horrible things to get back to Nicole Kidman who I think is supposed to be portraying a young, innocent preacher's daughter which makes the whole thing less believable from the start (she's nice but she's not 18 even with soft focus). After meeting several colorful future Academy Award nominees on his way back, he finally finds Nicole Kidman, they have sex, and then he gets killed. I'm serious. That's a romantic movie? We're supposed to be impressed they finally had sex? What if it was different. What if Jude Law was the same grizzled Civil War deserter, went through all the same difficulties, then finally, finally found a prostitute who would take Confederacy money and he gets his jollies with her before continuing on his way? Would that be romantic? Or is it just because Nicole Kidman's character is clean as the wind-driven snow that it's romantic? Also, Titanic. How do we know Kate and Jack loved each other? Because they had sex. Otherwise it would have just been two people who enjoyed each other's company and one happened to die when the ship sank. Sad, but not romantic. It's romantic because they had sex before they croaked? Awesome.<br />
<br />
Another is that it's romantic when men persist in pursuing a woman long past when she has turned him down. The woman will turn him down, turn him down, turn him down, change her mind, and him coming back the fourth time is what's romantic? What would be romantic would be if he got some self-esteem and found someone that was less of an indecisive witch. This cliche is perhaps more worrying because it encourages men to keep going after unattainable women in the hope they'll cave eventually. It's not romantic. It's stalking.<br />
<br />
I think the real appeal of romantic movies to women is much simpler. What I like in romantic movies is a very simple formula.<br />
<br />
1. Man pursues woman.<br />
2. They fall in love.<br />
3. They get married.<br />
4. They live happily ever after.<br />
<br />
And I'll sit through time traveling, extravagant gift-giving, and Jennifer Lopez to get it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-64895710208670015102012-10-04T20:24:00.001-07:002012-10-04T20:24:38.412-07:00The Transformation<div style="text-align: left;">
The kitchen transformation is complete! </div>
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Before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6C9l4f4CD2347wRsolwLRStX2bH40oT3XLTjYN-u95oLHFhPTfu0TrZefUAR56Yo2FcZLf_SJsRginiRlw8AuKKrskax58t3yWVKS8MamrihxdvO2d4rV6hz2Pg-lzhkLhviCH70CGTT/s1600/IMG_7048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6C9l4f4CD2347wRsolwLRStX2bH40oT3XLTjYN-u95oLHFhPTfu0TrZefUAR56Yo2FcZLf_SJsRginiRlw8AuKKrskax58t3yWVKS8MamrihxdvO2d4rV6hz2Pg-lzhkLhviCH70CGTT/s320/IMG_7048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After:</div>
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I put up shelves as well:</div>
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It's so much better than before. What the pictures don't adequately convey is how gross the cabinets were before. The yellow paint was thick, soft, and chipped, and all the cabinets were coated in sticky grease. Parts of the interior weren't painted, even though they had to be original to the house, which is 65 years old.<br />
<br />
Next project: the overly dolphin-ed bathroom.<br />
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Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-11141498887862643612012-08-31T21:07:00.002-07:002012-08-31T21:11:49.416-07:00NutritionI was standing in Trader Joe's, frozen in indecision in front of the breakfast breads, when I realized that I have an ever-increasingly complicated approach to nutrition.<br />
<br />
The debate at hand was whether to buy bagels. I love bagels. Bagels led me to relax my stringent distaste for white condiments and to actually try cream cheese. I just requested (and received) a bagel-enabled toaster for my birthday.<br />
<br />
But in my nutrition scale, bagels have no point.<br />
<br />
Literally, no points. To me, bagels have no nutritional value. No whole grains, no protein, nothing but deliciousness. So I ended up getting the Trader Joe's "Force Primeval Bars" which have whole grains, apples, raisins, and walnuts. They achieved a similar goal as the bagels (I wanted to try out my new toaster), but without the attendant guilt of eating something "pointless."<br />
<br />
Over time I'm realizing I have some useful and some very odd ideas underpinning my ideas of nutrition. They include:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Whole grains, super-fruits, and fish are very good for you</li>
<li>Sugar, butter, spices, onions, tomatoes, and salt are flavorings, not food</li>
<li>Chicken is better for you than red meat</li>
<li>Cheese and cream are bad for you</li>
<li>If I like it, I get less "points" for eating it.</li>
<li>If I don't like it, I get more "points" for eating it</li>
</ul>
<br />
Based on that, some foods get lots of positive points for getting very good press, and because I hate them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>+ +</b></span><br />
Whole wheat <br />
Brown rice<br />
Fish <br />
Leafy greens like spinach and kale <br />
<br />
And some foods get lots of points because they're legitimately healthy.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>+ +</b></span><br />
Cranberries, pomegranates, blueberries<br />
Beans <br />
<br />
Some I view as only kind of good for you because they might be legitimately healthy but I like them, which downgrades their "worth".<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>+</b></span><br />
Whole grain oats<br />
Green beans<br />
Cabbage<br />
Broccoli<br />
Strawberries <br />
<br />
And some I think are only kind of good for you because they're not known for being super-foods but they're not bad for you either. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>+</b></span><br />
Chicken breasts<br />
Apples, grapes, oranges<br />
Eggs (for protein, since I don't have a cholesterol problem)<br />
Skim or 1% milk<br />
All other vegetables<br />
<br />
Then some stuff is bad for you, mostly for having high fat.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">-</span></b><br />
Butter as a main ingredient<br />
Soft or melting cheeses, like Cheddar and Jack<br />
Cream<br />
Sour cream<br />
Deep frying<br />
Coffee creamer and CoolWhip (for being made of plastic) <br />
Bacon<br />
<br />
<br />
Things that don't fall in any of those categories don't have positive or negative points. Some have no points because I'm not sure whether they're good for you or not. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>0</b></span><br />
Red meat (conflicting positive value on protein, negative values on fat and cholesterol)<br />
White flour (empty calories)<br />
White rice (empty calories)<br />
Olive oil (conflicting good press and fat)<br />
Coffee (conflicting caffeine and antioxidants)<br />
<br />
And some don't have any points because, for reasons my conscious mind can't discern, I count them as flavorings, not food.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>0</b></span><br />
Butter for a saute<br />
Parmesan, Romano, and Grano Padano cheeses <br />
Onions (probably legitimately healthy, but it doesn't count)<br />
Tomatoes (ditto)<br />
Cream of mushroom soup<br />
Sugar <br />
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With that basis, my mind, mostly unconsciously, computes the total value of a meal. Tonight, I had two hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat spaghetti with pesto, and corn on the cob. Lots of points. All positive. No negative. Mental pat on the back. But what about the Cincinnati chili I like? That's a ground beef chili (0) over white spaghetti (0) with beans (+), onions (0), and Cheddar (-). Not healthy. But the pasta primavera I make? That also uses white pasta (0), plus cream (-), but has mushrooms (+), green beans (+), zucchini (+), and peas (+). Definitely healthy. <br />
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Dessert doesn't have a system. Dessert is supposed to be delicious.<br />
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That is its only point.<br />
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<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-37321558515015771822012-08-18T10:11:00.000-07:002012-08-18T10:21:42.911-07:00Kitchen ColorsAfter seven weeks I finished the cabinets.<br />
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My friend Cindy came over for dinner and helped me hang the last of the doors - specifically the ones that were too heavy for me to hold in place and screw in at the same time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiFmc673EJVDfGATMgi0bg-K2DI_DnY2eosW5bKAgNJea8JdmK3zFdREYQsZbf5SWlbZ2jmwDa1pX7iaJqpq1g70gAU03z3GV3iPF9vXPI7YEMUuMAFK0ceEVdOHzHkVluHxzbTSgc0qt/s1600/IMG_7793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiFmc673EJVDfGATMgi0bg-K2DI_DnY2eosW5bKAgNJea8JdmK3zFdREYQsZbf5SWlbZ2jmwDa1pX7iaJqpq1g70gAU03z3GV3iPF9vXPI7YEMUuMAFK0ceEVdOHzHkVluHxzbTSgc0qt/s320/IMG_7793.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After that I thought I would take a break before deciding on a color for the walls.<br />
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Yeah, that lasted two days. I ended up getting samples from Lowe's and Home Depot, depending which I was nearest at the time. One fun discovery was that both stores can look up and give you colors from other places. I had brought in a paint chip from Sherwin Williams, after I found out Sherwin Williams paint runs $70 a gallon and yeah, that's not gonna happen. I handed it to the girl at the Lowe's paint counter and asked her to color match it, assuming she would hold it up to the little color scanner like they do with stuffed toys in the commercials or with a chip of paint from the outside of my house when I had to do some touchups on the front.<br />
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After perusing doorknobs and shelf brackets because owning a home has made me a boring, stereotypical Saturday morning DIYer as cloyingly portrayed in sunlit HGTV clips, I went back to the paint counter. The girl was examining the paint dot on the top of the sample. "This looks like it," she said. "I found it on the computer." At my puzzled look she said, "Oh, we can look up other company's colors." "Really?" I said. "I thought I was cheating but apparently it's legit!" <br />
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So I used that to my advantage and got two more expensive brand colors in big box brand paint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8hF1cdLrOYVDDGdlC7HEdPdETnsfN37_KKYAkQDKj9sSA58ZoUXQoEYWe9tX5tcK2acuiNwyCokpM2uj1wp-qvLwQio3w9kh0LTtIR5_YFtA5OJvPcppVGjzAgJgd81ME3WdLIGVPi6I/s1600/KitchenPaintColors.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8hF1cdLrOYVDDGdlC7HEdPdETnsfN37_KKYAkQDKj9sSA58ZoUXQoEYWe9tX5tcK2acuiNwyCokpM2uj1wp-qvLwQio3w9kh0LTtIR5_YFtA5OJvPcppVGjzAgJgd81ME3WdLIGVPi6I/s320/KitchenPaintColors.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Current frontrunner is Benjamin Moore's Everlasting (1038). Funny, because it was the first one I picked before getting distracted by Sherwin Williams "Interactive Cream". Interactive Cream was too dark, and orangey, so I also tested Sherwin Williams Biscuit. That was too close to flesh tone, and once I realized it reminded me of the color of what's stuck under your fingernail when you scratch a lot it was never going to happen. I also think the Behr sample was closer to paint chip than the Valspar samples, so maybe Home Depot's color matching works better or Valspar's new oval sample cans don't mix as well. I could see streaks of white or green unmixed in the Valspar samples, so those colors might not be exactly true.<br />
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Now that this is my kitchen wall I'm kind of committed. Maybe that's something I can do over Labor Day. Compared to painting the kitchen cabinet it will be ludicrously easy!Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1731331496182771044.post-60493502025696306592012-08-12T21:27:00.000-07:002012-08-12T21:27:08.527-07:00ExpectationsI remember library card catalogs. I know that's one of the things the next generation will have no concept of, like payphones or the US having a thriving economy. I'm definitely not one of those kids who always had the Internet at their fingertips, who never had to figure out the Dewey Decimal System to find the right section in the library to find the right book to find out what koalas eat for their fifth grade report. <br />
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And yet, I find myself still expecting to be able to find through Google every single thing possibly worth knowing. And normally, Google has not let me down. Though it took a few months, and extensive rephrasing, I did end up finding that painting my college roommate (Karen, actually) described as "dead people on a raft." Google has obviously refined their algorithm since then because the Wikipedia article for "Raft of the Medusa" is now the first listing.<br />
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But what Google is now not able to serve up for my intellectual delectation is pictures of every paint color I might conceivably want to paint a room in my house. Yesterday I thought I might be interested in Sherwin Williams' "Bagel 6114" for the kitchen walls, but the majority of the photos I found on Google were "a similar color would be Sherwin Williams' Bagel 6114". Well, yeah, sure. Even harder to find where pictures of Benjamin Moore's Mohave Desert, since those photos were of the actual Mohave Desert. <br />
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So to perhaps keep others from hitting the same dead ends, I wanted to contribute my small part to the Internet's paint color collection.<br />
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The dining room is Tinsel Beam by Valspar, eggshell finish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegnaGFor26AzIuNuS-8gQF_2ZzP5up4nCgzCn7BBp1o5vejGv8P5nmdc7XJ_5aLxv-jifwsNh1bmNC0PPigCaz3RfoFMtSDLq8CmZTNqRELkk8B_cnwcqxHPwbv4T3WxP5SOilYUAEVpy/s1600/IMG_7794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegnaGFor26AzIuNuS-8gQF_2ZzP5up4nCgzCn7BBp1o5vejGv8P5nmdc7XJ_5aLxv-jifwsNh1bmNC0PPigCaz3RfoFMtSDLq8CmZTNqRELkk8B_cnwcqxHPwbv4T3WxP5SOilYUAEVpy/s320/IMG_7794.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The living room is Bay Waves by Valspar, satin finish. It is a very good honest gray, not too dark or too light.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHUkJNyY9oIp25FaRACsMnMHgyuF_vGtejyuw1e687PLwYjJ6Kuq-QUy_ECKO3lWhj9SYKwysmC2YRV0e-WIqerk8XnhkJM1nKiUUfJm7KTWIGnugDjWh4zk355w-z8BxcEOzKdw3ZTP9/s1600/IMG_7797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHUkJNyY9oIp25FaRACsMnMHgyuF_vGtejyuw1e687PLwYjJ6Kuq-QUy_ECKO3lWhj9SYKwysmC2YRV0e-WIqerk8XnhkJM1nKiUUfJm7KTWIGnugDjWh4zk355w-z8BxcEOzKdw3ZTP9/s320/IMG_7797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Visitors often ask if the rooms are blue or gray and I have to explain that one is blue and one is gray. Here are Tinsel Beam and Bay Waves side by side:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacVVKlYW9F76FGte5CodmbO3GCDplzO2N_9W1ED0G6qdu6YV3-XvXK_SvfOJyX4qHBhIsXmm3LgcgZWmtMh60_qekm5fSI07BGnkRmKs6lazmXgNsEoGmZ7Xik6CJR5Hp6VzKE4R60dlr/s1600/IMG_7800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacVVKlYW9F76FGte5CodmbO3GCDplzO2N_9W1ED0G6qdu6YV3-XvXK_SvfOJyX4qHBhIsXmm3LgcgZWmtMh60_qekm5fSI07BGnkRmKs6lazmXgNsEoGmZ7Xik6CJR5Hp6VzKE4R60dlr/s320/IMG_7800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The kitchen cabinets are in Mascarpone by Benjamin Moore, satin finish in the Advance paint. The pulls are Thomasville Grayson from Home Depot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X2nncYk6XK7YHb2mpptEObhT4i0LjRkt2dXDhVnsGpWB7k5KhZPdFJuIZZarR_o__2y0vnYq72HaJdbM2WBDxTc3y1_Nq_8rlIDEqEvP9WK30AU5yVzwGENdMyyZdHEMhg_vYQVbWn2I/s1600/IMG_7801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X2nncYk6XK7YHb2mpptEObhT4i0LjRkt2dXDhVnsGpWB7k5KhZPdFJuIZZarR_o__2y0vnYq72HaJdbM2WBDxTc3y1_Nq_8rlIDEqEvP9WK30AU5yVzwGENdMyyZdHEMhg_vYQVbWn2I/s320/IMG_7801.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Mascarpone is a creamy, slightly yellow white (like the cheese, I guess). Here is the Mascarpone up against the whiter white of the trim. I don't know the color of the trim because it is original to the house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNzPC2JKe9dYlj7JmPQN4dsv4TPGFlRulkPJeHrxwyTtkhjBvMk4s8yaKlniGUOnYkfw5myyRe2VrQuMhCpaNnR3HCb0fDvvYCSgTA53kHbBOVrG94cUs3Dh2zFKxkzq9t7a79bn31aE/s1600/IMG_7802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNzPC2JKe9dYlj7JmPQN4dsv4TPGFlRulkPJeHrxwyTtkhjBvMk4s8yaKlniGUOnYkfw5myyRe2VrQuMhCpaNnR3HCb0fDvvYCSgTA53kHbBOVrG94cUs3Dh2zFKxkzq9t7a79bn31aE/s320/IMG_7802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And against the white fridge:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38ZYgtbhf_a0jQmSJPbZX0FgZEHiLOp8z5ZH_S4YShoGe8p5kuhfoEMXFeDAUu7koDWQFX60kJ4hNZfY0mh9g1AjHxp3KHPL4dKzycV4OjFX-b-2Hi7LcVvDYDiiX0SkNH_Zo0QgKawmJ/s1600/IMG_7804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38ZYgtbhf_a0jQmSJPbZX0FgZEHiLOp8z5ZH_S4YShoGe8p5kuhfoEMXFeDAUu7koDWQFX60kJ4hNZfY0mh9g1AjHxp3KHPL4dKzycV4OjFX-b-2Hi7LcVvDYDiiX0SkNH_Zo0QgKawmJ/s320/IMG_7804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This bedroom is Aqua Spray by Behr, adjusted to 75%, in satin. The cabinet is Du Jour by Valspar, in high gloss.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt8j4BCKtDCFqg8pDmFrDgns3J-GxUpjw56KiMgX14T3AX6Ks5yPOO9bKNjjcQYWdZi8yZCJwFs4QagRkTF_EnSXY7gurwHznsaHY2GzaLgIf1lU2OCp4BA4ym8hZGHP-bvnYPjT8nmFN/s1600/IMG_7805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt8j4BCKtDCFqg8pDmFrDgns3J-GxUpjw56KiMgX14T3AX6Ks5yPOO9bKNjjcQYWdZi8yZCJwFs4QagRkTF_EnSXY7gurwHznsaHY2GzaLgIf1lU2OCp4BA4ym8hZGHP-bvnYPjT8nmFN/s320/IMG_7805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is the 75% Aqua Spray in a different light. I admit it is a bit more fluorescent than I wanted. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WtZbB5bZ4Ikk5S4i6MVgJFaAHkr7PvDQjgJtjwza5mKC-63g1G92jP6G3sKUa1gAIgzOwdnFFiKiZqI8M1rBOS1qOLs8eNPeNxx1xVeAIUl8tD5xbI2lGmtsKhyphenhyphenR0NEZLjOPGTvCu1_5/s1600/IMG_7806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WtZbB5bZ4Ikk5S4i6MVgJFaAHkr7PvDQjgJtjwza5mKC-63g1G92jP6G3sKUa1gAIgzOwdnFFiKiZqI8M1rBOS1qOLs8eNPeNxx1xVeAIUl8tD5xbI2lGmtsKhyphenhyphenR0NEZLjOPGTvCu1_5/s320/IMG_7806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This bedroom is Maple Cream from Valspar, in satin. The trim here is Du Jour by Valspar as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZr8vZ_Y0J4wC05lDr2sHY920Q8Vn_uZUQUaa-vUxGy7xELCNn1Xu8PrLlsiOvHvcnCHd_nWMoFX7kmd8mm0PXtifUpKqymYXu0iATq7kXNA9YGOnXk4oS7KT-8Utxd2KZJHbd3R5OfTm/s1600/IMG_7807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZr8vZ_Y0J4wC05lDr2sHY920Q8Vn_uZUQUaa-vUxGy7xELCNn1Xu8PrLlsiOvHvcnCHd_nWMoFX7kmd8mm0PXtifUpKqymYXu0iATq7kXNA9YGOnXk4oS7KT-8Utxd2KZJHbd3R5OfTm/s320/IMG_7807.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This bedroom is Desert Seedling by Valspar, in eggshell.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8dZpTqbCZvBLji-3rB0fEqIW92Id8F9WAKjDG1KzMPXw5xx1oGFTBGi8l4gAPM3NBtuygg-9xFT6Kz0eUk3rL3CpjBAcgxX3s1BcYe2IiBCQ8eZ9lTYobspdY0n67F368or_o7gIoATc/s1600/IMG_7809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8dZpTqbCZvBLji-3rB0fEqIW92Id8F9WAKjDG1KzMPXw5xx1oGFTBGi8l4gAPM3NBtuygg-9xFT6Kz0eUk3rL3CpjBAcgxX3s1BcYe2IiBCQ8eZ9lTYobspdY0n67F368or_o7gIoATc/s320/IMG_7809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Small but Weirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04563704752288667675noreply@blogger.com0