math humour

sqrt(-1) says to e "Be rational!", and e answers "Get real!"

<snort>

[with thanks to todd]

heh

Excellent quote from one of the gazillion Facebook emails that went flying after the quake:

"The only aftermath I felt was the email thread."

<snort>

5.6

Whee!!

crushing on tyler

Watched "Wordplay" again, and can't help crushing on Tyler [just you shush about the age difference...it's a fantasy crush, it's fair game]. In his Trogdor t-shirt [long live the Burninator!], cranking through the puzzles, alternating between confident one moment and nervous/shy the next, smart, adorable smile, self-deprecating, funny, smart. He reminds me a lot of Steve, actually...

"i know what it's like...

...it's like when you fancy someone, and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like."

<significant look shared between Martha and Captain Jack>

Captain Jack [to Martha]: "You too, huh?"

what a world

It isn't often that you get to loan $20 to a multi-millionaire who doesn't have any cash on him.

Even less often when you realize later that you will never see that $20 again.

Sheesh.

oooo, scary

"Pirates of Emerson" was a lot of fun...and quite frankly, kicked Gyro's 3-D ScreamFest's zombified ass for total experience. Gyro's was good, got the adrenaline pumping a lot, and had a lot of booga-booga, people-jumping-out-at-you, chains-smacked-against-walls moments, but it was rather haphazard and disorganized...we frequently didn't know which way to go, where the next turn was, and a few times accidentally walked through one of the many emergency exits to the outside, which tended to break the immersion and the mood. Surprising, considering it is touted as "the Bay Area's premier haunted house", and one of the three houses in it is designed by Rob Zombie.

"Pirates", on the other hand, was all about the immersion. Six different "haunted houses", ranging from very cool to slightly lame, but all with their appeal. Narrow passageways, different floor textures and varying degrees of unevenness, and one house had a very disorienting passage of very close air-filled walls that you had to push your way through in total darkness [I can't describe it sufficiently, but I found it interesting that the most psychologically challenging part of the whole thing was the one that was the simplest and the one that you couldn't see at all]. That and the walkway through the rotating tunnel [with 3-D glasses on, no less] were the two parts that made the biggest impression on our group tonight...definitely memorable.

One thing that Gyro's had over Pirates, hands down: the performers wandering the grounds. Somehow a buxom wench saying "'Ello, love...gi' us yer ticket, then" just doesn't inspire much fear, and while the costumes were good, the performers were just wandering, not really interacting much. Gyro's, however, gives you the creepy zombie guy who comes lunging at you with a running chainsaw, or the scary clown who slaps a quite-substantial metal chain against the wall just as you walk by, or the skeletal man in ragged clothing who runs past you screaming maniacally, waving a shovel...then as he gets past you, he flips the shovel over, puts the blade down against the pavement, jumps onto it, and surfs it for a few feet, spewing sparks behind him and making a horrendous screeching noise. Awesome.

Gyro's was about the people and lots of booga-booga moments, while Pirates was the more immersive experience with occasional booga-booga moments. Both good, but very different from each other...and both worth the money.

mute horror

Tonight is "Pirates of Emerson" with Jen 'n' Andre 'n' gang. I'm a haunted house junkie... :^)

i have no voice, yet i must scream

Heading down to San Jose in a few minutes to hit Gyro's 3-D Terror Festival of Horrors and Screams and Frights Galore [or something] with a friend from work. Shouldn't be going, sick, blah blah, but come on...how often do you get a chance to go to a frickin' *Rob Zombie* created haunted house??

the universe is laughing at me

That will teach me to taunt the universe. It saw that I was in my 'path less traveled, face the fear, take the shot' introspective mood, and it decided to call my bluff. Big time.

Facebook counter-offered.

One [big] difference: I would be working on fixed asset accounting, using my IT knowledge, retentivity, and familiarity with corporate-wide asset processes to help pull things together. I've been doing a lot of it for years; this would be making it official and my primary role. It is outside my comfort zone, but within my abilities...and the potential is worth the risk. The suckiest bit? Having to miss out on Atheros. They are the rockingest IT team and just plain excellent people, and I was really looking forward to joining them. Sigh. No reward without some compromise, I guess.

So this is me...practicing what I preach, taking a leap of faith, changing my path, taking a chance, taking the detour, trying something new.

<holds her breath and plunges in>

a cool phone number

Round Table in Mountain View: 961-0361

[hint: think square]

[[yeah, I'm a dork]]

happy birthday, sister of mine!

Happy birthday to my favorite sister...love you!

wheeze

Frakkin' sick again. Very wheezy, fever of 102, throat is swollen nearly shut. It's been threatening to come on for about a week or so now, but I was hoping I'd beaten it...guess not. Been a rough few months for Stacey's bronchial passages...sheesh. But hey, maybe I'll get lucky and skip Minnie Mouse and go straight into Kathleen Turner this time [though with my luck, I'll end up in Bea Arthur Land again].

[And a really gross observation: don't you hate when you cough and are left with that phlegmy aftertaste? Blech.]

secrets

An incredibly powerful site:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

teh r0xx0r!!!11!!!

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/21/ninjas-attack-richar.html

i *so* want to see this movie

Baaa!!!

http://www.blacksheep-themovie.com/

to sleep, perchance

Another late night [early morning?], but I'm not complaining. Dinner at my favorite cheap sushi place with Lawrence [a table full of bento, edamame, sushi, tea, and salad, all for under $40...r0xx0r], a walk down to Starbucks for some chai [new trick learned: order it "no water"], then back to my place to kick back, sip chai, talk, watch "The Invisible", then more talking for two or three hours about anything, everything, and nothing. Maybe not quite as exciting as last night, but just as enjoyable.

Tomorrow [today] is breakfast with Anne...looking forward to catching up with her. It's been a while, and we both have stories to share about recent life events. After that, I'm not really sure. Watching more "Weeds" [thanks, moviestar!], reading more graphic novels [just re-read "V for Vendetta" [thanks, Sean!] and have volume 2 of "Grimm Fairy Tales" waiting], maybe see a movie, go geocaching, nap, walk, drive...basically play it by ear.

Exactly what a weekend should be... <contented sigh>

this was *totally* my morning

Grumble. Didn't crawl into bed until 3a or so, and frickin' Bean decides she's dying of starvation and simply MUST be fed RIGHT NOW at murfleburfing 6:30am.

How utterly appropriate that CuteOverload posted this for Caturday morning:


I'm going back to bed...

wow.

http://www.mediastorm.org/0014.htm

awesome-sauce

To Bay Meadows with S and L to see Tainted Love, ended up doing more hanging out in the stands and talking than rocking to the 80s. Crowd was rowdy, wasn't as much fun as the concerts normally are, place was packed and hot, so we stood in line for-frickin-EVER to get some pizza, snagged a tray to carry everything, then headed outside. Even with the drizzle, it was an excellent evening...we bet on a few races, Susy won big on the last race, I won my money back, and [just for you Andre!] I went inside to rock out to "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Then the place closed up around 11p, and we weren't willing to call it a night yet...so we throw out some suggestions, and one of us [not sure which] jokingly suggests a strip club.

Silence. Thoughtful silence. Then agreement from all parties.

So away go two gals and a guy to hit the Kit Kat Club. A *major* disappointment...$20 each to get in, no atmosphere, no energy, no vibe, just bored-looking girls shilling for every dollar, trying to get us to invest in a private table dance [and ignoring us completely if we said "not yet"]. We stayed for a while to try to make it worth the $60 plus sodas, then head out...

...to the Brass Rail. And proceed to have a EXCELLENT time. The vibe was awesome, the Tokyo Teas were tasty, the crowd watching was intriguing, the girls were real and interactive and possessing of booties that were frickin' hypnotic. Susy and I got in free, and it was only $5 for our male fellow guy-type person friend to get in. Bonus.

Many smiles, laughs, jokes, shakings-of-head-in-disbelief-and-utter-admiration <deep breath> -and-fascination-that-a-body-part-could-bounce-like-that, and many, many dollar bills later, we close down the Rail and head back to my place. Susy heads home, L and I hang for a bit and chat, then away he goes into the night, hopefully to sleep in.

And that is where I end my tale...hopefully to sleep. Thanks, youse guys. I had an excellent time...

leap of faith

I mourn the times I didn't jump
Regret cold fear that stayed my hand
Rue the path I didn't take
Tsk the times I over-planned

For I have found the moments best
Were those that came as pure surprise
When I allowed the hand of fate
To guide me forth with open eyes

Eyes that saw a chance to leap
Though the head would argue no
The heart said yes and so I jumped
Onto that unknown path I'd go

Not always good but always forth
At least I knew that I had done
Something to fight against the fear
That for the moment I had won

So come the next fork in the road
Diversion, barricade, or bump
I shall think upon the times
That I had mourned I didn't jump

half a bottle of wine later...

doo bee doo bee dooooo....

wheeeee!!!!

the paralysis of choice

It's an awkward fact of life that having too many choices can be far more inhibiting and paralyzing than having limited choices. When there is only one road to take, we have no option but to keep on it...but when faced with multiple paths, the woulda/coulda/shoulda/yeah-but/what-ifs can be overwhelming, locking up the system and grinding the gears. We end up choosing by not choosing, continuing with the status quo, one foot in front of the other. This also means that it is much easier [and very much a part of human nature] to convince ourselves that we have no choice, that we are helpless and at the whim of fate, circumstances, the past, the present, the tides, the constellations, the gods, the neighbor next door, anything and everything that helps us cope with what life is for us right now.

You see, the trouble with admitting to yourself that you have choices and paths and options is that once you do, you then have to act. The blinders are off, you can't pretend to yourself, and you are now faced with the fact that the reason you are still in that position is that, for whatever reasons, you are *choosing* to be there. Granted there are things that are entirely out of our control, things like weather, some health issues, other people, the price of oil, that barking dog down the street...but there is much more that is within our ability to influence than we are comfortable acknowledging.

One thing I am working on is being aware of when I am "choosing not to choose". I'm taking the uncertainty out of the hands of fate and putting it into my own, simply by acknowledging that I'm not ready to broach that paralysis yet and start off on another path. It gives me control of the situation, and gives me time to think it through, work it out, and truly own it, without feeling as windblown and lost at sea. Nothing has changed except how I perceive the situation, but that is a fundamental and empowering perception...and when the time is right, and things fall into place, I can make a better decision. This in turn gives me the additional freedom of knowing that no matter what path I choose, I can always adjust and correct it...which breaks the cycle of "if I choose the wrong path, I will be miserable forever, so better not to choose at all, but I'm unhappy now, but I can't do anything about it because if I choose the wrong path, I'll be miserable forever..."

So yes, too many choices can be intimidating and terrifying...but I prefer facing that fear, rather than feeling that I have no options at all. At least with choices, I have hope...

and the answer is...

...Atheros. I start the first week of November. w00t.

not a good start

Verily, it is a Monday. My dryer is dead...damp clothes hanging all about. My voice is going [again, damn it], and I'm wheezing and coughing.

Humph harrumph garrumph.

jamaican a pig of yourself, stacey

[har har har]

Some yummy Caribbean food with Ro[d/y] at Mango Caribbean tonight...good conversation, good food, good drinks [mango mojito...mmmmm], nice walk after. And a bonus: leftovers in my fridge, just waiting for the BuddhaBelly to subside before being enjoyed.

Happy early birthday, moviestar...

poor ianto...

Man, Torchwood is intense. Doctor Who for grown-ups...wow.

connecting

A really good evening, full of connections...old friends, new friends, people much missed. A going-away/congrats-on-the-new-job gathering for a friend [yay!! congrats!!], some incredibly lively conversation with a fun mix of folks [that I *so* need to go out with again], a nice surprise connection from another much-missed friend, and the evening ending with my belly aching from laughing so much.

Good times....

pretty

Rainbow.

and the decision is made

Informing the interested parties now...more soon.

nearing a resolution

More talking with Atheros, conference call with director and manager; also talked with Facebook helpdesk manager. Decision time coming very soon...

i have the coolest friends

Wearing a rockin' rhinestone skull t-shirt today, courtesy of Susy. Coolness.

'vicar of dibley' is back!

w00t! KTEH is showing 'Vicar of Dibley' again...I loves me the BritComs. Hurrah!

international comfort

I love when Cost Plus brings out their international holiday treats...I can get my German goodies (lebkuchen, pfefferneusse) and my British yummies (Penguins, McVitties, Walker's). Some of them are here year-round, but the selection, freshness, and nostalgia are better at this time of year.

Soon will come the real German advent calendars [little windows for every day in December until Christmas, with chocolate treats hiding behind each one]...can't wait.

time to crawl into bed

Just got home...ye gods, what a night. So much fun...dinner at Pyramid Brewery, the pre-show festivities [glam up your own Hed-Head [cardboard "wig" that looks like Hedwig's signature wig], throw gummi bears through Hedwig's open mouth to win prizes [I was the first to make it! Yay me!], get your picture taken as Yitzhak, play lyric trivia, get your t-shirt], the show itself, and the aftershow party at Badlands [whoo boy, the stories we have to tell about that...fondling Lori's chest and admiring her nipples [and getting her phone number], dancing our hinders off, drinking some mighty tasty "Starbursts"]. A very, very, very [repeating] fun evening...definitely worth driving 4+ hours and 250 miles for.

I'll try to write more later...right now, I need to wind down and get some sleep. Something tells me tomorrow [today] is pretty much shot... :^)

Thank you, Susy...

live version of "origin of love"

I liked this so much that I had to give it its own post and embed it. I was lucky enough to see John Cameron Mitchell live at a Hedwig Christmas show at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco one year...he was on stage, talking to us, reading to us, and after a lot of festivities, he screened the movie. He has a very compelling and personable presence, which comes through in this clip...

much needed

Got to spend time with a very dear friend tonight...she came up my way after work, we had some extremely yummy pizza at Patxi's, then wandered University, got some coffee, sat, chatted, caught up with each other and basically relaxed. I love this woman...I can just relax and be myself with her, don't have to censor or wear a mask. She delivered the coolest shirt that another friend brought back from Cabo for me: a pirate skull and crossbones, demanding you surrender the booty. My friends know me so well... :^)

Tomorrow is heading to Sacramento to see a "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" stage show with Susy. It will be the second time we've seen it together [my third time], and I am really excited about it. It's a unique story, very sweet and powerful and strange and tender and funny, with really good music ["Origin of Love" is one of my favorites]. Seeing it live is amazing...not as much detail as the movie, but much more immediate and personal. Can't wait...

"And when you've got no other choice, you know you can follow my voice..."

i lost the game

Just following rule 3...

dead on

http://briankim.net/blog/2007/10/top-5-things-every-extrovert-should-know-about-introverts/

thursday, october 4th, 1984, 7:47am

All in all, I was [am] a pretty fortunate person.

why apropos?

Funny how song lyrics jump out at you. The one I quoted earlier today, from "Solsbury Hill", hit me hard on the way in to work this morning, dredging up years-old memories. This week is always a hard one for me...coming up in a few days will be the 23rd anniversary of when Greg and I first started dating [gods, how the time flies]. It's a bittersweet, introspective time...I celebrate the years we had, mourn how it ended, am thankful for how I came through it all, and am hopeful about the future.

It took me too many long, painful months to finally "cut the connection" with Greg. I held on too tightly for too long, but it was all I ever knew, and I was terrified to face the world alone. Who would love someone like me? What did I have to offer? If a guy who knew me so well didn't want to be with me anymore, what did that say about me? How could he say I was so important to him, yet turn his back? How the hell would I start dating [for the first time, really] at age thirty-one?? Who was I when I wasn't being someone for somebody else?

Finally I saw past the fear and was able to realize that hanging on to him and to the life we had wasn't worth the pain, distrust, uncertainty; the cost to my soul was too high. The foundation was gone...nothing left to build on. I never really blamed him [though I desperately wanted to]...people change, and we happened to change in ways that no longer meshed. Oh, it hurt, don't get me wrong...but looking back, I realize that it would have been worse for me to stay.

And I've been fortunate. I've found friends who love me, people who were partners and shared the paths with me for a while, even realized that there are such things as soulmates out there. I've learned a lot about myself [and still learning], and grew to like the person I was becoming. October 4th will still bring melancholy moments, but in an odd way, I treasure those as well...there were many good times, and just because they ended, they don't stop being good. I'll always have those memories to smile about, and the entire experience helped create who I am today.

So when a song, a scent, a sight triggers those emotions, I sit back, let them roll over me, and pay homage to times past, present, and future...

flattering

More compliments on the work I'm doing here at Facebook, plus appreciation of my IT knowledge [as it relates to the project] and skills [as the "clandestine IT person" for the Finance team :^) ].

<tail wags happily>

apropros

"So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
"Till I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut

I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom."

[And a quote from Peter Gabriel about one meaning of the song: "It's about being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get, or what you are for what you might be. It's about letting go."]

word of mouth

A few weeks ago, someone posted to the Facebook 'social' list, asking for recommendations for a cleaning service. I replied and sang the praises of The Maids [licensed, bonded, *and* insured; if you don't like the job they did, they'll come out the next day to fix it; they can do your laundry and change your linens; all the good stuff you expect, plus you get to come home to the paper towels and toilet paper folded into happy little triangles :^) ].

Turns out a few folks contacted them...I got a nice call from Claudia at The Maids thanking me for the referrals, and giving me a discount off my next cleaning. Very cool...very smart.

one more time...

Another meeting at Atheros this Wednesday afternoon...this time with boss-of-[potential]boss.

today's science lesson: metal conducts heat

Hair dryer + circular barbell in ear cartilage = YIPE!!