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June 30, 2005
Ü Would Love Organic Valley
I have not mentioned recently how much I love Organic Valley. After their presentation at a dinner for high falutin' food funder types in Davis last night, I am compelled to gush about them. Again.
Here's why they are awesome: they're a cooperative completely owned by family farmers, not some ginormous industrial food company. They continually pay their farmers much more than the national average for their organic milk/eggs/whatever. The average age of their farmers is under 40, which is Totally Inspiring (the young folks get it!), considering the national average is over 55.
And their products are actually worth eating. That's not just my bias; their cheese wins awards, here and abroad.
***
In another presentation, there were some wild statistics thrown out about cooperatives. According to someone who apparently knows a lot about these sorts of things, there are more co-op members in the US than there are people who own shares on the stock market. And more people in the US work for co-ops than for companies traded on the stock market. I don't care how many REI members or Good Vibrations employees there are (yes, they're a worker-owned co-op), I'm a bit shocked. Haven't tried to confirm or disprove the statement; I'm just passing it on for interest's sake.
***
The Food. As it should be at any foodie event, the multi-course meal featured all sorts of goodies from local farms that were listed on the menu. Because I am a lightweight and had already had a glass of the Rominger wine, I was unable to partake of more than a taste of the 2003 Bonny Doon Vin de Glacière before driving back to SF, alas! At least I got home in one piece.
Posted by Elizabeth at 2:40 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2005
Another Day at the Office
So I finally arrive at the new office around 3 o'clock to discover that the phone and DSL lines are down. So I turn around and head back home, where a lot of nothing continues to get accomplished. Some days (er, weeks) are like this... I get lots done in the office, really I swear, when it's operating properly.
If you had asked me a few years ago if I'd be chomping at the bit to have an office job with real, live co-workers and a regular schedule, I would have thought you were crazy. Now, I'm sure that in fact, I am crazy. Grad school will do that to a person. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
At least I'm not wrapping my boss's office in tin foil, which is what one "working" person spent the day doing. That is, when this person wasn't checking my blog, an event which the Site Meter informs me occurred three times already today. Not that I've been checking my traffic (and IP addresses) or anything.
Posted by Elizabeth at 5:16 PM | Comments (1)
June 27, 2005
Setting the Record Straight
The Curmudgeon once said, “I love to be wrong.” Me too, and yesterday I was delighted to learn that the phrase is actually “self-deprecating humor,” not “self-depreciating humor.” While aforementioned humor may actually decrease one’s value, that’s not what I’ve been meaning to say all these years...
Lewis and I were BOTH right about Vinyl’s percussionist: Noah does half the gigs, and Will-from-Bolinas (now hailing from Santa Cruz) covers the rest. When Will and I were introduced to each other at Rancho Nicasio Saturday it was clear that we’d met before, but it took me another ten minutes to realize he also plays with SambaDá (see right). Now if folks would just stick to one thing, it would be a lot easier for me to keep it all straight...
On the topic of musicians who spread their love around, Vinyl trumpet player Danny has a gig with his other group, the Du Uy Quintet, on Tuesday night at the Bubble Lounge. Let’s go!
Posted by Elizabeth at 12:22 PM | Comments (2)
June 25, 2005
Pride Party Pooper
There has been some debate as to whether my neighborhood is technically the Mission, or Castro. If you've ever tried to park near my apartment during Pride (or the week leading up to it), I think you'd agree that I live in the Castro.
There are good things about Pride: every store, restaurant, pole, and person in the 'hood is decked out in the finest regalia. The bars are packed by early afternoon with shiny happy people from near and far, which has been fun to check out on the way home from work. There is an abundance of cute boys that I keep having to be reminded are not here for the girls.
There are not-so-good things about Pride, other than the fact that since everyone and their lover is parking here too, the Let's Find a Parking Spot game becomes an hour-long adventure: the bars discharge the now-very-drunk happy people onto my street around 3am, which would be fine, if they weren't so damn loud, or amused by honking their car horns repeatedly. The usual thoroughfares are impassable due to parades and such. There are hazards on the sidewalks, such as clowns selling whistles on chains decorated with rainbow beads.
And so, due to lack of sleep (and stress over how to get to Point Reyes without losing my parking spot), I'm wearing my Cranky Pants this morning. I think I'll resort to staying in Marin all weekend, leaving whatever you call this neighborhood to the folks who are actually enjoying it.
Posted by Elizabeth at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2005
She's Crafty
Perhaps because I don't know what to do in the absence of constant homework stress, I've been taking a knitting class. Here’s a sample of the kinds of things we've been learning so far:
Gotta say it’s refreshing and unusual for my work to result in a tangible object; can't wait to finish hat #1! Procrastination tendencies don't seem to apply for knitting assignments, unless you count the fact that I've been knitting when I ought to be doing other things.
Posted by Elizabeth at 8:51 AM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2005
All Wet
Once upon a time, I had to figure out a way to produce how-to books to be displayed for sale in Wal-Mart and Home Depot’s garden sections. Which meant they had to be waterproof. Which meant that instead of paper, they were printed on plastic… and since I was working for a supposedly-sustainable company, said plastic was supposedly recyclable.
After many calls to the manufacturer of the stuff, it was still unclear that a whole book made out of Polyart is technically recyclable at all… and the stuff weighs a lot more than paper, which means we used a lot more energy to ship the books around the country. Oh but we were green in theory, that all that counts, right? Oh, how I despise green washing, especially when I have a hand in it. I don’t work at that company anymore.
Cradle to Cradle is a rather well-known book in the sustainable design world, also printed on plastic. Because I’m not a designer, I gave my copy to The Engineer (just to follow up on this post, his boyfriend is moving to SF in a couple weeks). He happily reports that the book is even heavier after you take it into the bathtub, as it never really dries out. Mold Alert, Fun with Plastic!
Despite what one might assume, Cradle to Cradle might actually be a more interesting bathtub read than this plastic book. A printing company sent this me to prove they had experience with plastic, and I’m not surprised they had extras lying around; most of the Amazon reviewers agree with me that the writing isn’t worth whatever it’s printed on.
Posted by Elizabeth at 2:32 PM | Comments (0)
June 21, 2005
Introducing the Bike Lists!
In the first installment of what I imagine will become a regular feature illustrating the various ways to die (or just get annoyed) en route to work, I present the inaugural list:
Hazards to Avoid While Riding Legally in the Bike Lane (in no particular order)
--Homeless folks with shopping carts
--Double parked cars
--Delivery trucks
--Mail trucks
--Bikers going the wrong way (ie, straight at you)
--Drivers that insist upon passing, only to cut you off to make right turns
--Muni busses that insist upon passing, only to cut you off at the bus stop
--Drivers that pull out from their parking spots without looking
--Drivers that swerve into the lane for no apparent reason
--The infamous car doors
I'm really enjoying the new commute, AND I appreciate the opportunity to face my mortality, twice a day. It's quite invigorating. I highly recommend it.
Posted by Elizabeth at 4:24 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2005
Google Eyes
I'm not the kind of person to ooh and ah over traditional celebrities. Mostly this has to do with my complete ignorance of popular culture, a few recent visits to Pink is the New Blog notwithstanding.
That said, I found myself uncharacteristically aflutter when I spotted Larry Page at a party last night... now I could give a flying fig that movie star A has been caught necking in public with movie star B, but my love for Google knows few bounds. And suddenly one of the founders is in the SAME ROOM as me?!
So what do I do? I become very quiet and try to pretend I'm not checking out the red light blinking on the electronic device in his front left jeans pocket, and the water bottle in the right rear pocket of aforementioned jeans. [I am resisting the urge to make a stupid joke; insert your own here: _______________] I watch with a combination of disgust and jealousy as fancy drunk girls giggle and flip their hairdos in his direction. It's good to be the king. I guess.
At one point I did have to mash myself against him in order to pass from the kitchen to the chill-out room (no, I did not partake of Twister) through the oh-so-packed living room, but I couldn't muster up the courage to say anything. Which was probably a good thing. There had been wine in my glass earlier, and a very strong vodka & cranberry poured by a crazy Brit named Jake.
Biggest bummer: I missed my chance to meet Big Brother, as she left before I could get an introduction. That's right folks, you heard it here first: Big Brother (the person who spies on your Gmail), is actually Big Sister. And I will have to wait for the next Google party to make her acquaintance. Or stammer at her boss. Or something like that.
Posted by Elizabeth at 9:06 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2005
Portrait of the Blogger
It's been a long time since I lived in Montreal, but there are still moments when French expressions make more sense than anything I can drag out of the English lexicon. The phrase of the day is "le lendemain de la veille." Loosely translated, it means "the day after the night before," and as I recall it is often uttered with a shrug while describing what can be remembered from the previous evening's activities, sans trace of embarassment or defensiveness.
(I used to live on Rue Esplanade, right under Mont Royal)
I am also reminded of this poem. Enjoy.
***
Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man
It is common knowledge to every schoolboy and even every Bachelor of Arts,
That all sin is divided into two parts.
One kind of sin is called a sin of commission, and that is very important,
And it is what you are doing when you are doing something you ortant,
And the other kind of sin is just the opposite and is called a sin of omission and is equally bad in the eyes of all right-thinking people, from Billy Sunday to Buddha,
And it consists of not having done something you shuddha.
I might as well give you my opinion of these two kinds of sin as long as, in a way, against each other we are pitting them,
And that is, don't bother your head about the sins of commission because however sinful, they must at least be fun or else you wouldn't be committing them.
It is the sin of omission, the second kind of sin,
That lays eggs under your skin.
The way you really get painfully bitten
Is by the insurance you haven't taken out and the checks you haven't added up the stubs of and the appointments you haven't kept and the bills you haven't paid and the letters you haven't written.
Also, about sins of omission there is one particularly painful lack of beauty,
Namely, it isn't as though it had been a riotous red-letter day or night every time you neglected to do your duty;
You didn't get a wicked forbidden thrill
Every time you let a policy lapse or forget to pay a bill;
You didn't slap the lads in the tavern on the back and loudly cry Whee,
Let's all fail to write just one more letter before we go home, and this round of unwritten letters is on me.
No, you never get any fun
Out of things you haven't done,
But they are the things that I do not like to be amid,
Because the suitable things you didn't do give you a lot more trouble than the unsuitable things you did.
The moral is that it is probably better not to sin at all, but if some kind of sin you must be pursuing,
Well, remember to do it by doing rather than by not doing.
-- Odgen Nash
Posted by Elizabeth at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2005
Playing in Traffic
Whee, infographics outsourcing! Even though Nick has but a few days before departing for Alaska with the Treasure America project, he found the time to install a site meter for me. Actually, I think he just did it as part of his campaign to trick me into babysitting Triple Pundit while he's gone...
Either way, I can now check such things as the percentage of visitors located in each time zone:
The traffic counts would be more interesting if there were some way I could exclude my own visits, but maybe this will compell me to stop being so compulsive (ha). Should you care to sample my latest distraction, click on the rainbow square thing at the very bottom of the page, or here.
While I'm babbling on about the Visitor Experience: I offer the Comment Fix to those of you who have complained about reader oppression. It's not intentional, and I'm told the trick is to Preview the comment before Posting it. That said (and the new site meter notwithstanding), I'm fairly certain that the chances of my forgetting to use discretion are inversely proportional to the number of comments posted; take your pick.
Posted by Elizabeth at 3:21 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2005
Office Space
I've had enough of working from my bedroom, and so I've begun squatting in the new (shared) office. Which means that even though the paperwork has yet to be signed, I've procured a key, taken over fridge space, and I'm using someone's mug. Ah, entitlement.
Though the janitor service appears to have been cancelled around the time the bubble burst, the place still has a very dot-com feel. Some of my favorite details:
Bubble wrap? No; my desk (from underneath).
Fun translucent walls.
We're right on a bike lane, which makes me happy. Notice, however, the rain on present on the window. Mental note: check weather report before biking to work, and dress appropriately...
I suppose this means that Dolores Park Movie night will once again be cancelled due to inclement weather, fie. Alternative: Third Thursday at the Academy of Sciences. Mmm, chocolate!
Posted by Elizabeth at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2005
There Will Be Snacks
Though the NYC birthday crew begged to be made fun of, I will now implement a No Fake Blog Entries Policy. It starts today, with a REAL report on Sunday's activities. Ah, West Marin. Summer. Why would we even pretend to go anywhere else?
And it would be very unlike me to not mention the food. More oysters (raw with lemon and shallots, & BBQ'ed with sauce), an appetizer spread involving sauteed leeks and creme fraiche (YUM), and finally a very large and steaming pot full of mussels, clams, scallops, prawns, tomatoes, green onions, and more herbs than I could identify. Then Desserts. Silly word games. A sleepy drive back over the hill. Happy.
***
Meanwhile (don't forget to include that word on the uwouldthinkso bingo cards), I can't stop listening to the Andrew Bird song from which I stole the title of this post. Listen to Tables and Chairs (on The Mysterious Production of Eggs album) if you have a chance. He's a brilliant, beautiful man.
Posted by Elizabeth at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2005
Happy Birthday Feltron!
Had so much fun at Feltron's birthday celebration this weekend!
Some Indonesian school girls Lewis picked up in the park beforehand, knowing Feltron would be super psyched.
We go way back.
Lewis & Mariana. Is that a bottle in your shirt, or are you just happy to see her?
Drunk girls Lewis charmed with Tactic #12...
Shebeen had a one night only house band flown in from Jakarta, especially for the Birthday Boy.
Posted by Elizabeth at 12:54 PM | Comments (1)
June 11, 2005
Polar Thinking
Good:
--Eating Small Shed fare backstage at the Sweetwater
--Any opportunity to make faces or holler at my friends while they’re performing
-- Lounging in Adirondack chairs while listening to various legends play live music at Pete & Jeannette’s 30th Wedding Anniversary / Dylan’s Birthday / Natalie’s Going Away Party in Marshall
Bad:
--Parties in brightly-illuminated stores
--Vodka and Red Bull mixed with Elizabeth
--Wilco concerts that are nowhere near long enough
I was so unimpressed by the Puma Party, and had so much fun grooving out to Vinyl last night, I think I have solidified my position on the hippy side of the spectrum, to which I need to add "Breakdancing" on the left side, and the Wet Noodle on the right.
Posted by Elizabeth at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
I blame the internet for my obsessive behavior
I'm trying to decide if internet stalking enhances The Mystery, or ruins it.
Luddite version: some guy sits next to me in a coffee shop, we talk about downcycling and sustainable product design, he hands me a business card, and says "keep in touch" as he leaves a few hours later. I never call.
Internet version: this guy sits next to me in a coffee shop, we talk about downcycling and sustainable product design, he hands me a (very clever) business card, and says "keep in touch" as he leaves a few hours later. I immediately visit his website, and learn that, amongst other interesting activities, he built the Temple of Gravity at Burning Man.
I wonder whether he's into girls in addition to boys, think about calling, and finally decide that if he's as effective as Raeo in tracking his website's incoming traffic, he'll know where to find me...
Posted by Elizabeth at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)
June 9, 2005
Puma Party Tonight!
Somehow, I know people who do such things as host a Puma store's 4th anniversary party, amongst other intimidating-looking events. (Hip-by-association? I think not.) Please come and/or reassure me it's OK to be under-dressed.
P.S. I don't know what Cinnamon Underpants are, but I think I want some.
Posted by Elizabeth at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
June 8, 2005
(Orbit) Size Matters
When Feltron was in town, he asked (in a particularly scornful tone) why I read relationship books. Even though I don't (often), his question shamed me into not purchasing Quirkyalone that day... and so, as a gal who loves to categorize herself, I'm still wondering whether or not I really qualify as a Quirkyslut.
Fortunately I'm surrounded by people who love to talk about their own relationship theories; maybe we'll write our own book one day. In the meantime, the blog will suffice. A popular topic lately has been Linear Relationship patterns vs. the apparently rampant Comet Relationship pattern, in which certain people reappear on the scene rather than disappearing forever (even though perhaps they should).
There are several potential gaps in the metaphor, but it seems to explain revisitation behavior that is not covered by, say, Serial Monogamy. Some folks cruise by more frequently than others, depending upon their particular orbit. Even the ones who are never seen again might be explained by a really large orbit. Some have a bigger impact than others; perhaps this is due to proximity of their orbit to the center of gravity?
Other questions to ponder: are you the center of the universe, or do you, like the earth, orbit larger heavenly bodies? Do comets that pass too close burn up in the atmosphere? Is it possible to implement some sort of Star Wars system to blast hostile objects out of existence (or range)? What role to aliens play in all of this? etc.
Posted by Elizabeth at 1:12 PM | Comments (1)
June 7, 2005
Hipster or Hippie?
The following lists were compiled in the booth we took over from a poor couple at the Make Out Room last night:
Reasons Why Elizabeth is Not a Hipster:
1) Not ironic -- too earnest (see scale below; as a work in progress, feedback is welcome)
2) Dances at shows
3) No knowledge whatsoever of pop culture
4) Fashion sense too outdoorsy
5) Doesn't hand-pick thongs for each occasion
6) Brings camera to bars
Reasons Liz IS a Hipster:
1) Naked photos of herself in her bedroom
2) Hipster glasses (with hardly any prescription)
3) She has a blog
4) Wears grandma's earrings
5) Owns thongs, including one embroidered with cherries
Hippy or Hipster?
1) Public interest work
2) Love of things organic
3) Invites debate / inquisition into hipsterness of self
(the naked photo thing might belong in this list)
Forgot I had my camera until long after their set, so there are sadly no photos of The Dying Californian in all their multi-band-member-plus-backup-singers glory. I hope we embarassed Liam and Kate with our whooping and hollering of appreciation.
Posted by Elizabeth at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)
June 6, 2005
Gradumacation
Saturday I graduated, along with the rest of the crazy folks who signed on to be the very first to receive an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio World College.
In the middle of the ceremony, a golf ball came sailing in from the neighboring green, bouncing off the podium before rolling into the faculty seating area. Mikey said he paid the guy $400 and he still missed the speaker's head by 6 inches...
Several of us celebrated last week with a camping trip to Big Basin:
***
Tonight: Liam's band The Dying Californian is playing at the Make Out Room around 9ish. Tunes here.
Posted by Elizabeth at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
June 5, 2005
Queen Bees and Wing Girls
A few days ago The King Of Bonding inappropriately accused me of being a Queen Bee, based solely on the fact that I don't have a vast array of single female friends to introduce him to.
Sunday Jeff corrected this assessment, noting that I'm really more of a Wing Girl; he also pointed out that The King ought to be grateful I'm not charging for this service. $75/hour seems a little steep for friends though... just keep up the Sushi Dates and we'll be fine.
***
Speaking of dating younguns, I recently came across this photo of the Tycoon, who was two years my junior:
Whether or not we could have survived his move to Tahoe--he just bought a SECOND house there--looking at him grin in front of his friend's Czech fighter jet kinda confirms that we weren't cut out for each other.
Posted by Elizabeth at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)
June 4, 2005
By the Numbers
The Memorial Day Weekend Count.
Oysters Consumed at BBQ #1: 84 (total weekend count well over 100)
Cases of food poisoning: 1 (alternate explanation: excessive drinking?)
Weekend dog total: 4
Random hookups: 1
Glasses broken with hula hoop at BBQ #2: 1 (my bad)
Dishes served up at BBQ #2: at least 10 that I can remember (steaks, chicken, salmon, another fish, corn on the con with chili and lime, sweet potatoes, salad, garlic green beans, roasted red pepper, bean salad leftover from BBQ #1, oy)
SPF: 30
Weather: on a scale of 1 to 10, it was perfect (Eliot's joke)
Number of times I had to explain that Lewis and I are not dating: 5
Digital cameras present: 3 (which is why I don't have any good photos from BBQ #1)
Digital cameras accidentally given away: 1 (retrieved Tuesday, thankfully)
Posted by Elizabeth at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
June 3, 2005
What's the Point of a Blog?
The "Oh my it's been so long since I've blogged" sensation lies somewhere between guilt and a feeling of irresponsibility, which I realize is absurd, and so I've been musing on the point of The Blog.
Here are a few that come immediately to mind; most confirm my suspicion that this is a bizarre obsession:
--It's handy to have an uncontested soapbox (comments notwithstanding, though as far as I can tell very few people visit, much less comment on anything here)
--Reviewing and/or recommending cultural events and happenings seems to somehow prove that I actually attend such events and happenings, which for some reason seems important
--If I'm spending too much time at the computer for school or work, it makes me feel smug to do something personal with this infuriating tool (oh, the irony)
--Stirring up shit with the other bloggers is somewhat amusing, and giving Lewis space to post comments is a much quicker way to access his writing since the novel is not yet forthcoming
--It's fun to wonder whether blogging demonstrates humility and transparency, or whether it's just plain old egoistic hubris, especially given the choice of what to include...
***
The King Of Bonding has requested that particular pseudonym (and insists that all words must be capitalized). It shall be so. At a more reasonable hour, I may even go back and change all previous references. If you too want a special name, let me know.
To close for tonight, a tip for those of you seeking under-age dating prospects (which serves the double purpose of proving that I went out tonight, and I might as well throw in the self-validating fact that not only did I go out tonight, I woke up in a tent in Big Basin this morning))))): attend Of Montreal concerts.
UPDATE: apparently there was some unintended ambiguity in my wee-hours post. To clarify, I did not in fact wake up in a tent this morning with any high school boys from the concert; it's been at least three years since I've dipped into that demographic. Fab Fact: lots of high school kids at a concert means that unlike many other indie rock events, the crowd actually dances!
The tent comment was in reference to a trip with fellow grad school students. Photos of Big Basin, Seadrift, and Bolinas TK.
Posted by Elizabeth at 1:30 AM | Comments (0)