I broke a brand new CFL bulb just now and according to the EPA I need to stay out of the room for fifteen minutes. I was thinking as I was opening the package how nice that they make it easier to open plastic packages these days. And then bam the thing hits the floor and shatters. Ugh!
Been commuting to Novato for the past couple of weeks. Now it's back to working from home on a couple of projects with friends/colleagues. It's been fun working on different stuff, and I make the same amount of money that I did at my nonprofit gig, except the checks are much more sporadic. Hopefully, the jobs will start coming more frequently. The Novato gig would be awesome if it were in the City, but it's paid the rent for a few months this summer
Did yoga today and then went on a thrift binge because the bus wasn't coming soon enough. Of course I found a lot of good stuff because I shouldn't spend the money. It always works that way.
Bummed that we won't be making it to see Radiohead and Beck at the Outside Lands Festival tonight, but I'm hoping we'll make it in to see Wilco and Rogue Wave on Sunday night. Fingers crossed.
Alemany farmers market tomorrow morning. Yay!
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- Currently working on a fun freelance web project, thanks to Sheila. Have had a few promising freelance leads fizzle out this month, thanks to Mercury being in retrograde. What, it makes sense! Luckily the retrograde is over now though. Next one starts September 24!
- Saw "World's Angriest R.V. Salesman" Jack Rebney live at the Found Footage Festival. He was very nice (and almost blind), and that clip is amazing. There were people at the fest filming a documentary about Jack.
- Saw Loquat play at Du Nord last week, was pretty drunk, but always love seeing them.
- Saw Roque Wave and Deathcab for Cutie at the Greek Theatre on Saturday. We had working passes, so we got to hang out back stage and talk to the Rogue Wave dudes. From the side of the stage, in the wings, is the way to see a show, I tell you.
- Went to an awesome, unpublicized rummage sale in Japantown a couple weeks ago, where I bought a whole new wardrobe of vintage, polyester old lady shirts, many of them handmade. It's an annual sale that consists of mainly the elderly Japanese community and their teenaged/20-something grandchildren helping out. I feel a little guilty for not writing about it in SFist -- I didn't want the competition.
I have tried many times to give up the polyester habit, but I've been finding too many awesome items that actually fit well lately. SF has perfect polyester weather. Back in the Midwest, polyester always made me feel too hot or cold, but generally the temperate SF weather doesn't pose an issue, except last weekend when it was scorching hot. Then it was cotton-only for me.
- I recently realized that Ross is kind of a glorified thrift store. These days, Goodwill is about as expensive. Hence, I came out of Ross the other day with two pairs of jeans, three pairs of great shoes, a cute dress, and a bathing suit that's actually pretty flattering. (I'm taking one pair of jeans back.) I seriously have a whole new wardrobe now.
- On a similar thrift note, I also went on a spree at this chruch thrift store near my house that I usually don't have luck with. I found three dresses, a blouse, and a cute jacket. Then, the next day, we were all at drunken happy hour at Beauty Bar, and a couple of the women who work at the thrift store came in wasted off their asses. It was pretty funny. One of them totally hit on me, which was very flattering, but now I will be too embarrassed to ever go in there again. I've only been in there a couple of times anyway, since their stuff is usually too preppy for me. I seriously get so shy and weird when I become a "regular" at places, and when people flirt, it makes it even worse.
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May. 29th, 2008 @ 05:52 pm
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I'm going to make this tonight (pasta with lentils and kale) and will add ham.
Daniel's not feeling well now. It seems like the virus has a very long incubation period. I left it with a few of my family members back home too... Bummer!
Laughing over Jameth, as usual.
Still looking for work and finding it hard to get motivated again. Hoping to get the job. It was one of the first ones I interviewed for, and I've been waiting a month to hear back about a second interview when the director gets back from his month-long motorcycle vacation. I still have good leads through friends that have been very fruitful. It's been fun meeting new contacts and hearing that I'm actually pretty good at graphic design. I have my rent paid through July, at least. Portfolio and resume here.
I've been reading Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain for the past couple of months. It's been very helpful for dealing with LP's death. (I also found out about someone else's death back home last week who I briefly knew ten years ago.) I find it very fascinating -- it's very spiritual, philosophical and biological at the same time. I have a quarter of the book left. Some pages are one entire paragraph though and I mostly read before bed, so sometimes I can't get through one page before I fall asleep. There was one agonizing chapter I tried reading during my fever. The intensely philosophical dialog between two characters kind of made me more ill and unable to sleep.
Can't wait for free sushi and Dewer's tomorrow night! Can't wait for our trip to Portland in August!
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 So sitting in the airport bar for five hours yesterday wasn't so bad. The hot toddy and cough medicine helped it swirl by in a blur.
I sent my resume into everyone I had been meaning to contact for a while. And everyone else in the bar was also on the SF flight. Always the classiest people in the Indy aiport are going to SF with me.
The flight was great too. The Coach Choice seat meant that no one was in the middle seat, so I didn't feel claustrophobic. So so worth the extra $25 (on Northwest, FYI)! I had my inflatable neck pillow with me, along with my slowly dying, geriatric iPod, oh and my Breathe Deep Yogi tea. It was all good.
Then, my bag was one of the first to come out at baggage claim. So I sailed on out to the Door to Door van service to find that one van was about to leave. And guess what, they were going to Union Square and could stop at my place in the ol' Tendernob along the way. I made it home in a record half-hour.
Then I slept for about twelve hours.
About to sleep some more. Got to stay in bed today... |
| » one trip to Indiana, one memorial, one cold + fever later... |
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I'm sure things could be worse than they have been on this trip, but I'm about at my wit's end. At least I now have cough medicine with codeine w/ a prescription so I could bring it on the plane though...
I was able to come home to Indiana for LonPaul's memorial, which was heartbreakingly beautiful.
Then, I managed to develop a chest cold and mild fever that was going around at Txxxx when I was freelancing there a couple of weeks ago. I spent more than half my trip in my high school bedroom at my mom's but was only able to sleep two full nights out of the six I was home. (I seemed to have insomnia before the cold set in -- stress, I guess.) I watched a lot of movies. All of them good -- except You Me and Dupree, which I watched on HBO -- would've never rented it, I assure you. Here's the list in order of preference, which might have been categorized differently had I not been feverish:
The Namesake
Savages
Love Actually (I know it's cheesy and everyone's parents love it, but darn it, so did I)
Dan in Real Life (ditto)
2 Days in Paris (It was really good, and Adam Goldberg has an impressive penis, but the neuroses made my fever worse)
Broken English (LOVE Parker Posey no matter what)
The Devil Wears Prada (guilty pleasure -- it was really cute too)
Last night I was only able to sleep for about two hours, a little bit of thanks to the pre-pubescent boy whose bedroom was directly above mine. He was chattering and jumping about until about 1:00 a.m.
My flight was supposed to leave at 8:15 this morning, but of course I get here to find out it's been delayed until 10:30. At least it's nonstop, and I had splurged for a "Coach Choice" seat in the exit row. I couldn't help but burst into tears when I heard I would have to sit in the airport for three hours, pissed at myself for not checking the status before I left (not sure I would've had a ride later on anyway)... I hate myself for calling my mom to cry about it -- now she'll be even more upset when she gets to work. She can't handle it when I leave.
I should get into SF by 1:00 PST though, so I can sleep all afternoon.
I will soon probably get a dirty martini -- my favorite airport drink -- that will mix wonderfully with the cough medicine. I know it's very bad on my liver, but you know what, I need this.
Someone call a waambulance...
UPDATE: Flight is now delayed even further, until Noon. And I'm having a hot toddy and french toast, sweating my feverish ass off.
May. 19th, 2008 @ 04:34 am
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| » 3 bridges, 2 suicides later... |
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I had a crazy day of driving from one job in Berkeley to the next in Marin, and then babysitting in SF. It's been a strange day, and apparently there were two suicides in two Union Squares today -- one in SF and one in NYC.
I logged onto my friends site an hour so ago while babysitting, only to find out one of our dear friends had passed away. No one thought to let me know. I understand that he had a million friends, many of them much closer to him than I was. But I still feel sick about it. I still don't even know what happened. I suspect that it was drugs but can't be sure. Apparently he had been happier than ever this past week though, and he had been writing about making hundreds of print balloons after a recent trip to Mexico.
I hate feeling selfish and petty, but it just doesn't feel good to find out about stuff like this from a website. He was a legendary musician and a painfully weird, honest, and brilliant human being. I feel for his young son that he left behind. Love you LonPaul.
May. 8th, 2008 @ 08:29 pm
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| » Learning to Smile More (to Save My Jaw) |
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My yoga instructor advised another student the other night to smile when she finds herself gritting her teeth. We've all heard that it takes less muscles to smile, but I had only recently come to realize how much it would help my actual jaw.
I was diagnosed with TMJ "issues" a couple of weeks ago and have become painfully aware of all the bad things I do with my jaw. I found myself jutting my lower jaw way forward on Bart this morning -- smile! instead, I told myself. It was kind of hard to keep smiling though. Habits are hard to reform.
I also clench my teeth and tense my muscles when concentrating, and other times I find myself pushing my top and bottom front teeth together. So silly!
I took a picture of my friend's 3-year-old on Easter and later noticed how she was doing a weird underbite while running in one of the photos. How do you tell kids to not do stuff because they'll develop bad habits, and they don't want to grow up to be like me, with my bad posture, asthma, and TMJ. 34 going on 74!
I guess that's why I want to be some sort of teacher eventually, once I get better posture and learn to smile instead of frown. It is easier smiling around kids though...
Can't wait to get my nightguard from the dentist today! (It will keep my from gritting my teeth at night and hopefully realign my jaw in the proper postition.)
Apr. 17th, 2008 @ 10:25 am
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| » Springing Forward |
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It's gorgeous out, and I'm glad I have an even longer chance to get outside today (hopefully before the fog rolls in). I have of course put off a lot of work that needs to get done today. So, here I sit -- the DVR has been on all day. Now it's switched to live TV, which happens to be golf on NBC. I would bet that my mom and grandpa are watching this back in Indiana as well. I'm not actually watching it, but my family likes spectator sports quite a lot. So, that's why I find golf and other televised sports to be comforting.
Daniel and the band left at 5:00 a.m. (which was really 4:00 a.m.) for SXSW by way of Oxnard and San Diego, and then they stop in Juarez, Mexico after SXSW. I really wanted to go but couldn't swing it. I'm very excited for them. I made delicious Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup for Daniel and Quinn last night. I stupidly cut my finger while cutting the kale. But it was all worth it. Now I have a few meals set for when I'm all by my lonesome. Rebecca -- I was telling Quinn that elise.com/recipes (see link above) has a ton of great recipes that aren't very complicated and rarely call for very many spices. There are a lot of meat recipes, but lots of great veggie ones as well, including lots of greens.
It's always weird being in the apartment alone for long periods of time. I can often be anti-social anyway, so I imagine there will be a period this week where I hole up and do work and not really speak to anyone (outside of yoga class). Well, I've kind of made plans for most days this week, so Tuesday will be the only day where I'll be working from home and won't actually be meeting up with someone, except my fellow yoga students.
I haven't lived alone since the year after college ten years ago when I moved back to Indianapolis. It was a really cute, tiny one-bedroom that I painted this dark, greenish "Big Sur" blue. Not the best idea since the place didn't get much sunlight. I was so depressed and lonely during that time that I dreaded the weekends and slept a lot. Incidentally, that's when my night terrors started...
I just have to stay focused and take advantage of my solitude to get stuff done!
Mar. 9th, 2008 @ 02:46 pm
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| » Toothpaste 69 |
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I think I'll just keep blogging via Flickr. This is how the toothpaste was arranged last night when I was getting ready for bed. So funny. Of course I use the Tom's of Maine (I heart fennel!) and Daniel uses Crest Whitening. But even the way they're bent is so funny -- I guess technically this position isn't exactly 69 and would be physically impossible for humans, but I like the yin-yangness nonetheless.
Feb. 24th, 2008 @ 02:14 pm
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| » Oh, and we got married |
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It was an incredibly gorgeous day on the coast overlooking the pacific, 5:30 p.m. on a late-September Saturday, close to sunset. A friend said that there were two hawks (I think) overlooking the ceremony the whole time. My grandpa walked me down the aisle. Our friend Greg married us, and surprised us with the command to read what we had written for him to read.
Then lots and lots of pictures. Weren't sure who the hell to look at, but I looked damn good in most of them. (Except for the ones shot from below that gave everyone double chins.)
Then Daniel and I, along with half of our guests, jumped into the crazy wedding bus driven by SF mayoral candidate (at the time) and showman Chicken John Rinaldi (who didn't know where the Golden Gate Bridge was). People feared for their lives, but they'll never forget it!
Then we ate delicious organic food at the Mill Valley Golf Clubhouse, amongst the redwoods and across from the tennis courts. Tri-tip and Eggplant Parmesan (plus a vegan tray!), with mixed greens with pear and gorgonzola, mixed squash, and new potatoes. Lots of champagne and wine from the Larson Creek winery in Sonoma. (And lots of leftover whiskey, vodka, and beer -- we overestimated our drinking friends). Italian rum cake -- delish!!!
Then we danced and posed for the makeshift photobooth. A most lovely night indeed.
Jan. 25th, 2008 @ 11:26 am
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| » Same haircut. |
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This picture really bothers me, but it's hilarious at the same time.
I am still in need of posing lessons.
I will update this blog again soon. I started this huge post and realized that it needs to be several posts. And that maybe I should post some of it on this other blog that I started but haven't told anyone about, and then co-mingle them somehow.
I have too many projects going on, along with the lure of free entry to spectacular events to review on SFist. Like SF Sketchfest, for instance. Tim and Eric and Dr. Katz, woo-hoo!
Jan. 25th, 2008 @ 11:11 am
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| » It's a girl! |
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My roommates had their third child last night at 11:08 (I think that was the first time I heard the cat-like scream). She's an 8-pound girl who will likely have a great time keeping up with her 7- and 10-year-old brothers.
It was a home birth with a midwife, like both the others, and definitely a weird thing to experience, even though I was in my room working the whole time. Nancy seemed to be having contractions for two days before the actual labor. She even took the kids to the Exploratorium on the first day. I had been gone for 24 hours, thinking she would've had the baby within that time frame, but nope, she had just started labor when I got home yesterday at 3. I guess I was meant to vicariously bare witness!
They haven't come up with a name yet, nor are they taking suggestions any longer. But I've had the name Maddie, Madeline, in my head all day. It would go great with Sebastian and Julian. Maybe they'll think of it themselves, if I think of it enough.
Also, when I first saw the baby, Spanky said, "Meet Baby Leanne." I almost shit my pants thinking they had named her after me. I mean that would be sweet, but unlikely.
Jul. 19th, 2007 @ 01:57 pm
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| » The bug inside my computer |
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It's about time I updated this thing.
There's a tiny bug crawling around inside my iMac's monitor. Literally. It's a real bug, and it's not on the surface because I've tried brushing it off. It's really inside there! ~ I think it's gone now. It's probably in the motherboard or something now.
I've had a headache for the past couple of days. I thought yesterday's was because I slept for 10 1/2 hours on Tuesday night, but I slept only 8 last night and it has returned. I've also had about 56 oz of water so far today. Maybe it's caffeine withdrawal, which I'm remedying right now.
Daniel's broken wrist is starting to get a little better, but he's still often overcome with pain and depression. I can't blame him since there are screws attached to his bone. That would definitely take some getting used to. And then there are the moments when he fears he'll have to start his guitar-playing all over again. (I try to tell him that maybe that's not such a bad thing, if that were to happen. Learning things from a different perspective can be good. He might even be better than he was before! That's definitely "easy for me to say," though.)
I've decided to quit the Pill after being on it for 4 or so years. I'm hoping I'll be able to lose weight more easily, and more importantly, I'm hoping it will boost the old libido. The Pill is such a freakin' irony in that respect. Messing with the hormones is a little disturbing to think about, along with the fact that doctors always seem to push the Pill pretty hard. And they always brush off people's side effects a little too easily, as I've noticed while doing research online, making them feel even crazier than before. Sometimes, they'll even prescribe anti-depressants on top of the hormones! I am worried about the heaviness of my period coming back, though. I used to have to use Supers in high school! But on the Pill it was almost non-existent, which isn't always a good thing... Sorry for the TMI...
The bug is back, but my headache is nearly gone, I think!
Jun. 7th, 2007 @ 11:42 am
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| » the polar bears |
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We watched a few of those Planet Earth episodes last week, which are all so amazing. The footage of the snow leopard in the Mountain episode was awesome, as well as the weird sea creature in the Deep Sea episode whose tentacles light up. But the Ice Worlds episode was the one that has affected me the most so far. The part where the male polar bear was desperately searching for food but couldn't get any rest from swimming because all of the platforms had melted away (due to climate change) had my stomach churning. Then when he finally got to land but had lost half his body weight at that point, he wearily tried to go after a huge walrus in a pack of other huge walruses, but they all got away and he ultimately starved to death. I was balling my eyes out for 20 minutes. I don't know how the camera crew could handle it.
I mean, it's one thing when pure nature is at work in an animal's death or suffering, but it's so f-ing heartbreaking when it's directly related to global warming, which is something all humans play a part in.
I will force myself to keep that footage rolling in my head so I will keep doing what I can to reduce my carbon emissions. I will also try to inspire others to do the same.
Let's all read Treehugger, Grist, EcoRazzi (server seems to be down at the moment), whatever we can to stay abreast and inspired.
Here are my 3 green posts that I've done for SFist: Greening Your Office, Is Polyester Our Doom?, and Greening San Francisco.
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We watched Mike Judge's Idiocracy last night. Pretty thought-provoking, absurd and disturbing. Lots of laughs though.
Apr. 9th, 2007 @ 10:02 am
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| » gagged kinky pokemon |
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That was the subject title of the latest spam I received, which was selling Cialis and Viagra.
I will update again soon about the great music I've been listening to, as well as photos of my cute thrift-store shoes that disintegrated while watching Aim Low Kid last week. I've been writing a review of the awesome Of Montreal show we attended last night, so that's why I'm lacking lj time at the moment.
Feb. 2nd, 2007 @ 03:11 pm
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| » New Year |
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I don't know why I never post to my journal. I read my friends list nearly every day...
New Year update:
Here's my Best of 2006 in SFist.
12/31/06
Had filafel and other Mediterranean fare and lots of champagne with my roommates and a few friends. Then stopped by a party that I half remember. Then went home, since Daniel wanted to have a mellow night at his house. I proceeded to pass out on Daniel's bed from about 11 pm until 2 am. I kind of missed everything, but I kind of didn't care.
1/01/07
My early passing out enabled me to feel somewhat ok on New Years Day. I was able to do yoga that afternoon. Nothing like starting the new year off right!!!!
Yoga will banish my adolescent angst
I've since been doing yoga 5 consecutive days a week, with two sore days off. Our instructor has been kicking our ass. To learn more about this curious teacher I always talk about, read my recent interview with him on SFist.
My teacher brought up today that even though my posture has improved, I'm still really tight in the chest, which is why I had bad posture in the first place. I said that my bad posture stems from puberty (ie, growing boobs and briefly being taller than everyone else for a year in 6th grade). 20 freaking years I've held onto my stupid adolescent angst and insecurity and self doubt. How pathetic is that? Well, I am getting rid of it once and for all!
I've always wanted to teach at some point in my life, and I think I would best serve the junior high demographic. They seem to be the most nightmarish group to teach, but I would love to motivate some kids out there to not hold onto all the crap that many people hold onto for their whole lives that usually starts at puberty. Maybe if I get really good at yoga, I'll teach it to junior-high aged kids in my spare time... It's a plan.
Wedding plans
I never mentioned that Daniel and I are engaged on here. We got engaged in May and set the date for next September. We secured an outdoor spot for the ceremony on the coast near the Golden Gate Bridge and are looking for a cozy lounge for the reception. Still trying to nail the lounge down but have a couple of leads...
I found a champagne-colored, vintage, '30s-inspired evening gown a few weeks ago that fits me like a glove. It was only $35 but needs a new zipper. I hope to lose a few pounds before Sept anyway, so they'll be able to take it in when they replace the zipper. I then found the cutest pair of retro-inspired designer Peter Fox wedding shoes that were on sale: $200 instead of their usual $350/400. And they're called Leanna! (My real name's Leanne, for those who don't know.)
We still need to get a "Save the Date" out and then invitations. I want to do the Save the Date through email and direct people to a web page with the details. I don't know if that's tacky, but I will just say I'm conserving paper.
This week
Yesterday I did my first "green" post on SFist. I decided that once I've put in my first 10 articles and can gain editor status, I will become the Green Editor (I suppose they will probably make me call it the Environmental Editor).
I got a new haircut today! And Daniel got me new glasses for my birthday and Christmas! I feel so new!
Jan. 24th, 2007 @ 09:11 pm
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| » Craziness |
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OKYO - A man who went missing in western Japan survived in near-freezing weather without food and water for over three weeks by falling into a state similar to hibernation, doctors said.
Mitsutaka Uchikoshi had almost no pulse, his organs had all but shut down and his body temperature was 71 degrees Fahrenheit when he was discovered on Rokko mountain in late October, said doctors who treated him at the nearby Kobe City General Hospital. He had been missing for 24 days.
Read the rest of the article.
Dec. 21st, 2006 @ 10:44 am
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| » too cute to believe |
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This is just so precious. (I first read about it in SFist.)
"For weeks, Piedmont police were stumped by the Beanie Baby bandit. The popular stuffed animals were mysteriously showing up overnight on porches and in the yards of two homes on Rose Avenue. One of the families feared a stalker.
Now, police in the tranquil East Bay city think they may have identified a suspect: Gertie, one of the family's cats, which was caught on a surveillance camera carrying the furry toys in its mouth."
You just have to read the whole article.
"It all began about seven weeks ago, when Clancy found Beanie Babies strewn all over his yard and on the porch of his Victorian home on the 900 block of Rose Avenue. He picked them up and thought it was all a joke, but more appeared the next day, and again the following week."
Dec. 15th, 2006 @ 02:23 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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I've been writing for the SFist on a regular basis now and thought I would compile the four pieces I've done so far.
Here's the general link under SFist Leanne.
Christmas at Cow Palace is as Fun as the Dickens.
A fun look into SF's bizarro annual Dickens Fair that's been going on since the 70s and is the biggest of its kind outside of the one in London.
San Francisco Loves Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos.
A short piece about our friends' band in Indianapolis who are taking the country—and soon the world—by storm. It includes a video from their most recent SF show that Daniel shot because I was way too short to see over the sea of heads.
Wake Up and Smell the...Gentrification?
A "contraversial" article about the vacantly cool and modern coffee shop that just opened up in my neighborhood, which is the last remaining authentically Latino part of the Mission.
Diary of a Poll Worker.
This was my first piece about my experience working the elections last month.
I will be doing may more articles soon!
Dec. 14th, 2006 @ 11:16 am
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