Check it out -- a new twist on an old idea...
Cell Phone Booth!
Now, do they make any for cars?
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Playing Catch Up
Hey guys,
Last week was very busy as is this week, but I've noticed my energy levels are revving back up, so I'll try to post more often. Great things have happened in the interim since I last wrote -- firstly, two (more!) of Steve's friends got married up in Healdsburg -- one of the more awesome weddings I've been to. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, and everyone totally got into it, Jewish or not -- singing to get the couple to come out and sign the ketubah (sp??), crying at their vows, laughing at their foibles; at the reception: hoisting them up in chairs, forming a circle and doing goofy little skits and dances to make them laugh, and going even further -- doing the wave during dinner, creating cheers for each individual table (which were named after obscure islands -- we sat at Palau), and everyone in the room squinting one eye and shouting "ARRRRR!" like a pirate at the best man's behest. It was one of the most participatory weddings I have ever seen, and it was awesome.
The second major event was Steve's "3rd annual 29th birthday," as he likes to put it. This past Saturday we threw a little late afternoon barbecue and lots of people came -- the last guest didn't leave until 7 hours later!! We created a new drinking game too, one whose premise is not based on getting smashed, but rather, based on guts. Succinctly, we called it ring toss. Between my birthday and his birthday and people showing up bearing booz,e we had a lot more alcohol than we could have ever anticipated, and people were daunted by what to mix. Rather than maturely suggest common drink combinations, we created three foil rings and willing volunteers threw them until they landed on three different bottles -- which they then combined in a shot and drank.
I know warning bells may be going off in your head, so let me tell you the parameters:
1) no one was forced -- to play you had to volunteer
2) you only mixed 3 things
3) there were lots of standard non-alcoholic mixers on the table, including some wild cards -- rice vinegar, pepper shaker, home-made hot-pepper infused vodka, etc.
4) the ring-tosser got to choose their own quantity of each ingredient, and these only combined to the size of a shot, so no one got ill
5) we only played three rounds
Immature, gross, and hilarious, but by no means a road to getting smashed, which is why it was fun. Actually, the most fun part was coming up with terrible names for the things we had to drink, most of which aren't reproducible here. One of the grossest ones, for example, was named "living death" by its drinker -- lemon juice, beer, and tequila rose -- which for the uninitiated is a creme liqueur that tastes like an ever so slightly alcoholic strawberry milkshake -- the key word involved here is "Curdle."
Last week was very busy as is this week, but I've noticed my energy levels are revving back up, so I'll try to post more often. Great things have happened in the interim since I last wrote -- firstly, two (more!) of Steve's friends got married up in Healdsburg -- one of the more awesome weddings I've been to. It was a traditional Jewish wedding, and everyone totally got into it, Jewish or not -- singing to get the couple to come out and sign the ketubah (sp??), crying at their vows, laughing at their foibles; at the reception: hoisting them up in chairs, forming a circle and doing goofy little skits and dances to make them laugh, and going even further -- doing the wave during dinner, creating cheers for each individual table (which were named after obscure islands -- we sat at Palau), and everyone in the room squinting one eye and shouting "ARRRRR!" like a pirate at the best man's behest. It was one of the most participatory weddings I have ever seen, and it was awesome.
The second major event was Steve's "3rd annual 29th birthday," as he likes to put it. This past Saturday we threw a little late afternoon barbecue and lots of people came -- the last guest didn't leave until 7 hours later!! We created a new drinking game too, one whose premise is not based on getting smashed, but rather, based on guts. Succinctly, we called it ring toss. Between my birthday and his birthday and people showing up bearing booz,e we had a lot more alcohol than we could have ever anticipated, and people were daunted by what to mix. Rather than maturely suggest common drink combinations, we created three foil rings and willing volunteers threw them until they landed on three different bottles -- which they then combined in a shot and drank.
I know warning bells may be going off in your head, so let me tell you the parameters:
1) no one was forced -- to play you had to volunteer
2) you only mixed 3 things
3) there were lots of standard non-alcoholic mixers on the table, including some wild cards -- rice vinegar, pepper shaker, home-made hot-pepper infused vodka, etc.
4) the ring-tosser got to choose their own quantity of each ingredient, and these only combined to the size of a shot, so no one got ill
5) we only played three rounds
Immature, gross, and hilarious, but by no means a road to getting smashed, which is why it was fun. Actually, the most fun part was coming up with terrible names for the things we had to drink, most of which aren't reproducible here. One of the grossest ones, for example, was named "living death" by its drinker -- lemon juice, beer, and tequila rose -- which for the uninitiated is a creme liqueur that tastes like an ever so slightly alcoholic strawberry milkshake -- the key word involved here is "Curdle."
What really counts though is that Steve had a fabulous time and felt very loved and celebrated. (A shout out to Mom and HerSt for their generous gifts -- S. was tickled pink and especially ecstatic over the slicer, as you well know! We also received the best buy g.c., though it didn't say it was from you so I had to tell him.)
Other than that, I've been working hard, trying to get to the gym at least twice a week, reading some great books (I think you will very much enjoy Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God -- read them if you can), and trying to relax when I can. This weekend volunteering starts up again, next week volleyball starts up again -- oh, by the way, we were league champions for our division this past season -- woohoo!! -- and tonight I'm going to an A's game.
Life is good. Hope the same can be said for you.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Horsie!
So a funny thing happened on the way to work this morning -- driving down Telegraph in Oakland I see someone on horseback at the side of the road. I was fully prepared to assume it was some loon taking the urban frontier back, but it was a policeman. "Cool," I thought, "wish I could take a picture," and drove on.
When I got to work, I needed coffee -- got lots of meeting minutes to polish. So I trot on over to the coffee joint and who should I see at the intersection but a mounted policeman. "Cool," I thought, "if he's still there when I come out, maybe I'll see if I can take a picture."
He was. I walked up and politely asked to take his pic, and turns out he was very friendly and handsome -- gave me an open smile (while his equally handsome horse turned to inspect me -- probably smelled the sugary cinnamon bun in the bag), and even asked if we wanted him to face or pose a certain way.
"Nope, just a smile will do."
Not one to be passive, he gently tugged his horse ("Rocko?" I think was his name) to look at the camera.
Et voila. I had mentioned that I wanted the pic because it was such a rare thing to see, and he said that was no surprise, because there was only one of him. So it was the same man I saw driving in.
The one mounted policeman in Oakland.
Oh man, do I miss horses. "Rocko?" was very blase and matter of fact about the whole interaction, obviously well accustomed to his rider, traffic, and pedestrians. Aside from that distracting whiff of cinnamon sugar, he was ready for a pleasant amble or a sudden burst of action. How well I remember that attitude from all the bomb-proof trail riding antics of camp horses, or the bond that formed with my favorite horse of all back when I used to take lessons -- Tasha, a long, tall drink of horse water who used to take me around at a break-neck canter and rub her head against my back when we were walking to cool down.
*Sighs.*
Might be time to look into some riding lessons around here, or to take a vacation in Montana -- if only to get my fix.
When I got to work, I needed coffee -- got lots of meeting minutes to polish. So I trot on over to the coffee joint and who should I see at the intersection but a mounted policeman. "Cool," I thought, "if he's still there when I come out, maybe I'll see if I can take a picture."
He was. I walked up and politely asked to take his pic, and turns out he was very friendly and handsome -- gave me an open smile (while his equally handsome horse turned to inspect me -- probably smelled the sugary cinnamon bun in the bag), and even asked if we wanted him to face or pose a certain way.
"Nope, just a smile will do."
Not one to be passive, he gently tugged his horse ("Rocko?" I think was his name) to look at the camera.
Et voila. I had mentioned that I wanted the pic because it was such a rare thing to see, and he said that was no surprise, because there was only one of him. So it was the same man I saw driving in.
The one mounted policeman in Oakland.
Oh man, do I miss horses. "Rocko?" was very blase and matter of fact about the whole interaction, obviously well accustomed to his rider, traffic, and pedestrians. Aside from that distracting whiff of cinnamon sugar, he was ready for a pleasant amble or a sudden burst of action. How well I remember that attitude from all the bomb-proof trail riding antics of camp horses, or the bond that formed with my favorite horse of all back when I used to take lessons -- Tasha, a long, tall drink of horse water who used to take me around at a break-neck canter and rub her head against my back when we were walking to cool down.
*Sighs.*
Might be time to look into some riding lessons around here, or to take a vacation in Montana -- if only to get my fix.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Alabama, Louisana and Mississippi OPO's
Hey everyone,
While I'm lucky enough not to have close friends or family left behind in the path of the hurricane, I do have "coworkers" there by virtue of the organ donation community. I thought I would let you know that everyone in the Alabama, Lousiana and Mississippi OPOs (Organ Procurement Organization) -- Alabama Organ Center (AOC), Louisana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) and Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) -- escaped unharmed, and they are continuing their operations out of alternate locations, and working on getting their technology back in light of the power outages. Not surprisingly, the hospitals they work so closely with are overwhelmed, but everyone is making a valiant effort to lend a hand -- each OPO to its hospitals and the hospitals to continue to refer potential organ donors where possible -- and of course all 3 OPOs have had numerous offers from the OPO community to back them up with man power, resources, etc.
All of it in the hopes of continuing to donate life (and/or quality thereof) in a death-heavy time. I truly love my job. We combat death and aid the severely ill every day, and in times like these, are particularly well equipped and quick to help.
I encourage all of you who feel helpless in the face of such wide-scale death to put some thought into donating organs and tissue, and if you decide that is what you want to do, make sure it's documented and discussed with your closest kin.
Otherwise, I wish love, light and courage to everyone facing the (personal, professional, and psychological) reconstruction of the coastal south.
Take care and lots of love,
Elise
p.s. in case you noticed, I deleted the "where I've been" post because it screwed up my side bar. Interestingly enough, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana were all on my "I don't think I've been" list. A lost chance for me...but I will be happy to put some tourism money into the reconstruction efforts by visiting soon.
While I'm lucky enough not to have close friends or family left behind in the path of the hurricane, I do have "coworkers" there by virtue of the organ donation community. I thought I would let you know that everyone in the Alabama, Lousiana and Mississippi OPOs (Organ Procurement Organization) -- Alabama Organ Center (AOC), Louisana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) and Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) -- escaped unharmed, and they are continuing their operations out of alternate locations, and working on getting their technology back in light of the power outages. Not surprisingly, the hospitals they work so closely with are overwhelmed, but everyone is making a valiant effort to lend a hand -- each OPO to its hospitals and the hospitals to continue to refer potential organ donors where possible -- and of course all 3 OPOs have had numerous offers from the OPO community to back them up with man power, resources, etc.
All of it in the hopes of continuing to donate life (and/or quality thereof) in a death-heavy time. I truly love my job. We combat death and aid the severely ill every day, and in times like these, are particularly well equipped and quick to help.
I encourage all of you who feel helpless in the face of such wide-scale death to put some thought into donating organs and tissue, and if you decide that is what you want to do, make sure it's documented and discussed with your closest kin.
Otherwise, I wish love, light and courage to everyone facing the (personal, professional, and psychological) reconstruction of the coastal south.
Take care and lots of love,
Elise
p.s. in case you noticed, I deleted the "where I've been" post because it screwed up my side bar. Interestingly enough, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana were all on my "I don't think I've been" list. A lost chance for me...but I will be happy to put some tourism money into the reconstruction efforts by visiting soon.
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