6 posts tagged “growing up”

The State on DVD!

Apr 23, 2009
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If you're a fan of Reno911 or Kids In The Hall or just good sketch comedy, MARK YOUR CALENDARS: July 14, 2009! Just in time to work up a good hangover for the sixth Harry Potter movie coming out the next day. ;)
I used to watch this show growing up with two of my BFFs. We spent many a day rehashing the amusement, so this is exciting. :)

Full post with info over here: http://adviceandfables.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/the-state-on-dvd/

Vegas '09 Recap

Apr 7, 2009
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Michael Jackson impersonator/dealer in action: 1
Unconscious people lying full-length on the ground outside: 1
Unconscious people lying full-length outside the elevator doors when they opened: 1
Arrests: 1.5
Actual strippers (female): 40
Actual strippers (male): 2
Girls who just wanted to look like strippers: 500
Bums: 5
Beers: 4
Shots: 2
Wine: 5
Other drinks: 4
Guys in drag: 2
Rpattz lookalikes: 1
Blisters: 2
Girlie cards collected: 60
Bachelorette parties seen: 2
Brides seen in full dress running through a casino: 3
People getting tattooed: 1
Limo rides: 2
Hours to drive round trip: 11
Regrets: 1 [not bringing comfy shoes]

Full entry over here: http://retention.livejournal.com/776687.html?mode=reply
Full album over here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=799177&albumId=3460442

And another thing...

Nov 5, 2008
2 comments

So, yeah, some of you are sad that Obama won, but hey - at least it's balanced out by the fact that all those pesky gays won't be getting married anytime soon and wrecking your traditional lives with all their wedding festivities. Sorry, no champagne for you!

I mean, especially if you're straight and already married, that would TOTALLY just wreck whatever empire you've already built. DAMN YOU, GAY PEOPLE, wanting to have the same potential to end in divorce as everyone else! What were you thinking?!?!

:headdesk:

In the meantime, we've gained about 12% more tolerance than we had four years ago. Baby steps, apparently. It *is* progress, seriously (and how awesome are we for finally growing up enough to be okay with having ::whisper:: A Black Guy For President)... but that doesn't mean it's okay to just turn a blind eye now. I don't care if my president is a green polka-dotted tranny with a fetish for midgets in girly clown costumes - I just want to start with the rest of the world not hating us (and each other). Whoever can fix that, GET ON IT.

At this rate we might even be okay with some girl walking down the street holding hands with another girl. Or maybe a guy holding hands with a girl who is a biological guy, but really just likes to wear dresses and hopes you'll call him "Miss".

Is that it, Yes On 8 people? Is that what's really bothering you? The thought of TWO DUDES KISSING? Because honestly, let's look at some of you folks who are straight and have been married thirty or forty years. (Apparently the majority of supporters are over 55 years old.) When was the last time you walked down the street holding hands with your partner? When was the last time you had sex? Hell, when was the last time you told your husband or wife that you loved them? Maybe that's what's bothering you. Maybe you don't want to give the lesbian couple across the street a chance to wreck your 'traditional' marriage, because you know you're doing a fine job of that already.

I mean, you talk over the fence to them about how maybe this winter the frost might kill those bulbs if they don't get them in early, or if they saw the score of that one game, or isn't this economy just going right to hell in a hand-basket, but that's all. You know they've been together six or seven years and you know that they're a real nice couple, but maybe you see them uncomfortably refer to themselves (in front of other people) as "my roommate" or "my friend". Maybe when they catch you seeing them hugging just a little too long they quickly break apart. Maybe when you talk about how excited you are for your ten-year wedding anniversary, you just kind of ignore that small glint of sadness in their eyes.

In case you didn't know: schools aren't required to teach about any marriage (this has been confirmed by the California Superintendent of Schools), and haven't been formally doing so for ...quite awhile now. Remember Home Economics? Do we even have that class anymore? I don't know about you, but all I really learned in Home Ec was how to sew a pillowcase, and in Wood Shop I once made a pretty awesome duck-shaped basket. However we never learned anything about telling Little Johnny and Little Jimmy that they couldn't get married to each other, but if one of them wanted to buy a ring for Suzy that was fine. Maybe I skipped that class? Honestly here though........ the only thing I can think of that is an actual "class on marriage" is that in some colleges they have child/family development courses, but I don't think anything like that is taught in any pre-college schools. If I'm wrong then PLEASE show me where, but in fourteen years of classes, none of mine were ever to teach me the rights or wrongs of marriage.

Anyway, there's no way marriage can be tougher than trigonometry.

I digress.

This proposition is basing itself on a book that doesn't exactly apply to everyone (and is also supposedly based on Love Your Neighbor As Yourself). Non-gay people who hate gay people will continue to do so unless we can break that hate down. Maybe you don't "HATE" gay people, maybe it just makes you uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable with same-sex marriages and voted No, you are to be commended. You're breaking the mold and saying, "I don't like this, but it's not my place to say who should love anybody, I'm not perfect." Go you! However, for those of you who supported Prop 8, why? Honestly, you don't even have to say anything out loud or type a response, just ask yourself why you denied someone the same chance that you have. Did you do it because somebody told you to? Did someone tell you we will have to pay same-sex taxes? That sounds a little scary, so I need to go look.

You all realize this means I have to be 'tolerant' of looking at the YesOn8 website (protectmarriage.com), but I DID IT (with little complaint). You have to look at both sides if you want to try and have a solid argument.

PROP 8: (as copied from the California Voter Guide) ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

[This proposition] changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:

Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments.

In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments.

......SO......

A) Children will not be taught in public schools about marriage in any form, something that the California Superintendent of Schools has not been and will not be required.

B) People will have to "be forced to not only be tolerant of gay lifestyles, but face MANDATORY COMPLIANCE regardless of their personal beliefs. (That sounds harsh! Are guns going to be involved? Is this 1984?)

I'm pretty sure folks will try to keep the orgies in the streets to a minimum.

Another argument is: "...while gays have the right to their private lives, they do not have the right to redefine marriage for everyone else."

I thought that marriage was a union between two people who loved each other? You go down to the courthouse, get your license (sometimes take a blood test), and ta-da. Oh, except for gold-diggers (who are in it for the money), girls who get pregnant just so they can get married, and pre-arranged marriages. Oh, and guys who get married so they can get hit on more (because wearing a ring apparently means that will happen?). Oh, and what about the women who get married because they've been together ten years and she knows he promised to stop hitting her if they get hitched? No, wait, we don't talk about that. So there's that..... oh, and ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS THEIR OWN DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

Gay people getting married doesn't mean proposing to your dog next. Uh, hello, same-sex isn't the same thing as looking outside your species.

So now that we've looked at what "Yes on 8" is worried about happening, let's see what else we've got.

No same-sex taxes. Okay, we're not losing money. Lawyers, wedding planners, officiants, caterers and everybody else involved in special events or weddings are, but not you. What about the churches? Churches have ALWAYS had the right to deny a couple to get married... ever wanted to marry a Catholic person that attends services? Have fun taking those marriage counseling classes. Have fun converting to Judaism if you want to marry a devout Jewish person. Okay, let's skip all that... if you want to marry OUTSIDE the church and have religious families, have fun telling them. You want to have your wedding in a field, on the beach, in the mountains, in Vegas, and somebody's family is all bent out of shape. Then you have to redo the seating arrangement like TWELVE times because Becky can't sit next to your mother's best friend and she tells you like a week before that she's bringing a freaking DATE. Good job, Becky.

Gay people, you see what you're getting into? Oh wait. Well, someday you get to look forward to this.

The Yes On 8 ads say "think of the children"... what happens when your daughter grows up and tells you she loves another girl? Or your son says he loves another boy? Are you going to disown them? Are you going to abandon them as a parent, and say "You are no longer my child?" Are you going to tell them you created them, so you can deny them a wedding and a chance at a solid, loving relationship? Are you going to tell them your own marriage or relationship is perfect? Are you going to force them to be hateful towards you and everyone who doesn't want them to love who they want to love?

ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WILL DO, SUPPORTERS OF PROP 8.

If you supported same-sex discrimination and are not married, not in a relationship, childless, and are perfectly content as such, ask yourself why you are denying someone else a chance to be happy. Why? ASK YOURSELVES WHY. They aren't hurting you. They aren't "contagious". I promise you, allowing gay people to marry does not make you gay.

As for my own opinions : my current relationship has never been perfect; our moments of good and bad are many. However who are we to deny anyone else those same chances? Who are we to tell people who to love? We are not perfect; who then are we to step up and say, "I am better than you and want to tell you that you cannot love someone because they are the same gender"?

Loving someone enough to say "I want to marry this person" is NOT wrong, and I don't care what any translation of any handed down story says. It also says "love your neighbor", it doesn't say "love your neighbor... unless they're the same sex". Loving someone of the same gender does not make you less of a person. We are all human, and we all deserve basic human rights: food, shelter, resources, love.

Those in doubt, feel free to cast the first stone.

--- ---

Also: Here is the list of all of the organizations, businesses and individuals that helped fund the Yes On 8 proposition: http://www.californiansagainsthate.com/dishonorRoll.html

Those folks are obviously very proud of having the resources to donate $5,000... $10,000... some even upwards of A MILLION DOLLARS towards such a cause, let's take a nice peaceful stance and get their names out there.

Calm the ocean breeze, quiet the raging sea

Nov 3, 2008
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First offer didn't really get a chance to fail. The bank accepted someone else's (higher) offer with no counter. This was about a week ago.

After stunning disappointment, I downed a couple adult beverages and (with J's insistence to get off my ass and stop being sad about things we can't control), proceeded to see what else is available. Started by looking in the place that's always felt like home: Mission Valley. Surprise - 3 condos were available, and in our price range (without stretching).

We went to view 3 today and put in an offer on the one that felt like "Home", not just another set of walls.

Cross your fingers, now we have to wait another effing 72 hours. In the meantime I'm playing the Sims and bookmarking decor/design websites. Mmmm, HGTV.

Here, have some awesome!

Decor8

http://decor8blog.com/

Simply Stated [oh my goodness, look at the bird wall graphics!! LOVE!]

http://simplystated.realsimple.com/home/holly.html

Purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

Mar 24, 2008
1 comment

I'm in a weird place at the moment. Jason has headed off to visit the family until Saturday night. The outlook seems favorable, as always. Speaking of favorable, it's not too shabby over here either.

boardwalk life

It would be so nice if my neighbors just let me enjoy this view, and kept it nice and quiet. But they don't. They are obviously not the types who just sit still and enjoy life.

You know why we pay $1250 a month for six hundred square feet of cat-fluff-covered space (plus one cramped parking spot)?

lawn

Because when I step outside my front door and turn right, this is my front yard.

I want to love it. There are times when (like now!) the waves just compliment the ambient-electro soundtrack playing from CafeCody or Live365 or SomaFm. Or even falling asleep, it's a very nice hypnosis.

What sucks is the cookout that occurs right outside my window (no, they're not double-paned), or the drunken after-bar conversations (almost every night), or the construction that's been going on for WELL over a year. Do you understand where I'm coming from? Why can't people just enjoy what we've got? Are you really that numb to where you can't enjoy this without alcohol?

::breathe::

--- --- ---

I never want my blogs to be those that just give you the laundry list of chores and activities, but that's what happens, isn't it? My year so far has been going pretty well, so why not chronicle it? I suppose it's all the fault of Leo Babuta. The day when zen through minimalism truly turned my head seemed to be late September 2007. ZenHabits had been one of those sites that my monthly need-for-inspiration websurf took me to. It had been quite awhile since my last visit, but shortly after posting about The Entertainment Beast, I wandered over that way, and this article cropped up.

There may have been a random link somewhere, but it led me over to Unclutter's Workspace of the Week... and the lightbulb came on. It was more of a buzzing, bare, swinging, slightly bug-filled lightbulb, but hey! It was on! That article prompted me to go on a mass cleaning spree, and actually start taking care of myself again. I was so excited about all this, that I tried to joint the October Zen Habits challenge. However it didn't work. Technical difficulty foils me again! However the habits and inspiration stuck with me, so I feel that my 2008 has started off on a nice solid foundation. Down the road will be a self-interview of sorts, that allows me to go on a bit in more detail on all this, and hopefully inspire someone as I was.

What's really tough about trying to keep things clean is this: I Own A Cat. Not just any cat, but a mediumish-kinda-long-haired White Fluffy Cat.

brakalicious

I love my cat.
I hate his shedding.
I hate his litter.
I love my cat.

It's like a mantra. Something to keep me sane in the impossibility that is Dark Wardrobe Versus White Cat.

Also: you may have noticed I'm a fan of links. There's really nothing to fuel the fire of my OCD-ADD like de.licio.us. That site caught my attention a long time ago, but my sign-up was pretty recent. In saying that, I'd like to present:

http://del.icio.us/larissayoung

That should give you something to do while I'm out payin' the bills. [No seriously, I have to go to the bank and then to AAA.] Next time on Vox, we'll cover why you should never sign up for anything EVER, and why I had to get a new bank account. Woohoo!

Hearing:The Waves, SomaFM - Secret Agent

Get off my lawn!

Mar 7, 2008
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This year so far has been a whirlwind of change... for the better. It's semi-epic. Huzzahs all around. Here are some highlights, in no real order, since I haven't been really updating much. Ever. I am surprisingly quite behind on responding to emails, comments, phone calls and various things of that nature. My apologies, but I'll be back soon. :)

1. My diet has changed to be largely vegetarian. Bonus points for getting J'luxe to partake in this sort of thing. He ate tofu with me. Stir-fry FTW! This been going on for about a month now; my visit to Jyoti-Bihanga switched on a light. After our orders arrived (Daisy graciously accompanied me), I realized that veggie meals are cheaper and easier for me to make at home as well as on-the-go.
I never realized how many options there were and how tasty they can be! I think the trick to switching is not to consciously make A Change. Just eat better, eat healthier, listen to your body. If you say one morning, "I'm never going to eat red meat again!", you're going to want a steak by dinnertime. You know how it works. Instead, tomorrow make a salad with a bunch of tasty fruits and veggies. Make it giant where you're not hungry, but later maybe you could have some long-grain rice and steamed snow peas with a bowl of pear halves for dessert. You just take it one day at a time, and really, after you get past the first few days you just don't want the things you used to. I do still enjoy tuna quite a bit, chicken and shrimp aren't bad either, but my cravings now are less for Chik-Fil-A and more for foods that don't give me that blah feeling an hour later. It's kind of awesome.
Cutting out sugar is getting to be a little easier too. When grocery shopping, it's easier to resist picking up a pack of Oreos as opposed to some raspberries and organic chocolate bars (to melt over the berries). Okay... maybe not Oreos, those beasts are like the Sirens of the cookie world. Thank god there's only one more sleeve of Thin Mints remaining, this should finish up our Holiday Stash of sweets pretty nicely.

2. drunkbunny is forming itself into a nice little bundle of something. I've been working at about 50% of where I should be, although progress is definitely being made. A few days ago a light bulb hit me in the head and I realized if I'm ever going to get anything done I need to actually do it. This involves a social hiatus, which should probably last about two weeks to be effective. I have, however, made prior plans that last me until at least Monday, so I'm not going to cancel on everyone. Instead I will just not make any more plans after this for the next two weeks. Remember how I mentioned being very behind? I'm hoping to catch up on all of that while getting portfolio work done as well. Oh, and speaking of hiatus, this ties nicely in with my next item:

3. Finance control! Never in my life have I wanted to make a finance spreadsheet, let alone check ALL my statements and collaborate them to figure where the fuck I screwed up in my life. However, what did I spend part of today doing? You guessed it. Then I brought my paperwork home and installed Excel so I could finish. It's interesting. The first thing to catch my eye as a solution was this:
Current problem: Expenses > Savings/Deposits.
Solution: Savings/Deposits > Expensese.
It's not really tough.
My goals now involve tracking things rather fastidiously, and trying to do little things to save where necessary. Like opting to ride my bike to work instead of drive my car. My commute (one way) is TWO MILES. Did I mention living in Sandy Freaking Eggo? Have you guys heard anything about the weather here? It's like that one joke...
Anchorman Bob: So Pete, what's the weather like in San Diego?
Anchorman Pete: Um, we've got.... nice. Okay Bob, back to you.
It's like I watch somebody else living my life. Ridiculous. I could get up and do 15 minutes of yoga on the beach, get ready and bike the two miles to my waterfront job, have a nice healthy breakfast and tea there while helping people plan their weddings or parties. Then I hang out for eight hours, bike back home, and make art or play video games or blog or go to dance class or have coffee with friends. I'll tell you right now what got me into getting up earlier (by the way), it was this site: Zen Habits. That guy just writes to inspire, so whatever he said worked.

3b. Oh yeah, I filed my taxes early! And I'm getting a refund!! You know what I'm doing with that? Paying off a bill that's been haunting me for two years and opening a savings account. AWWWWSUUUUUUM.

4. On the health/fun/fitness front, I've started taking dance classes again, with the ultra-talented Sabrina. I can afford her classes and she has a great personality, plus it's just so nice to feel that spark again. Dance does something to me that not even art can do, although it comes pretty close. I think to be able to see yourself you have to find someone that reflects it, someone that inspires you to do your best. This comes off as so cheesy, but I've always enjoyed watching Sabrina dance. Not just because she is beautiful and expressive and technically talented, but because she is one of the few people that really translates the music. When you watch it's just hypnotic, almost magical. She really feels the music and shares it, and it's just ...good. I only hope I can afford to continue taking instruction from her, and that I actually do something with it.

5. Realizing Adulthood.
It's true. I lump all those thoughts together, realize that my life right now (even though I've got some debt) is not horrendous. I've got a car that's just barely five years old, a stable relationship, a decent figure, a comfortable job, some talent, a SWEET oceanfront apartment, a handful of very stable and awesome friends, and a cat who thinks he's a puppy. Things slowly seem to be working in my favor, and it's times like this, where I can sit back and regroup, that I just hold on to the moment and remember it for later. We're talking about buying a house again, which is another reason for wanting (needing!) to keep a very tight watch on my finances. Every small thing, down to buying generic versus brand-name soy sauce.

For some reason, this birthday seemed to be more real than the others. Maybe because my coworkers keep saying "Just wait 'til you're 30, just wait"... but why? I don't fear getting older, I fear instability. Being poor. Waking up one night and realizing that I have totally lost my bearings in life, THAT is what scares me. Age doesn't matter. You just have to make every moment count.

I think this is the year that will start off many of those moments.

The State on DVD!

Vegas '09 Recap

And another thing...

Calm the ocean breeze, quiet the raging sea

Purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

Get off my lawn!

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