Last night i'm at the grove with sara, and we're having dessert at The Farm when i suddenly see: Linda Hunt! My dry celebrity spell is over! She was sitting at the table behind us. It was cool. And of course right after i told sara, she kept turning around "casually," but i think it was pretty obvious. Oh well, not like we'll ever see her again.

And let me just say, the brownie sundae at The Farm is "supoib." Although...it really did need some more ice cream. People should know when they serve desserts a la mode, that the pastry to ice cream ratio should be equal, if not more ice cream. Yet, theres always only one scoop of ice cream. What's up with that? Especially if you're sharing...that brings your ice cream ratio down 50%. You would think that it would also bring the pastry ratio down 50%, but for some reason, it just doesn't seem to work that way. So when you're sharing, like we were last night, you just don't get as much ice cream as there should be with such a dessert. I just think people generally like their dessert with more ice cream than pastry. Am i right?

Example number 2: pizookies at BJs. Lovely wonderful stuff, but again, not enough ice cream! The surface area of the pizookie is big enough to house 4 scoops of ice cream really. In this example, the ice cream to pastry ratio has been brought down 4 to 1. How is that fair? It's not really.

Finally, therefore, in conclusion, to sum things up, the usage of food to solve math problems is more prevalent than people may think.

I rest my case.

Okay okay people!

After much complaints, my blog has gotten a new and fresh look. The margin issues have been fixed, and you can now post your comments (for real this time, i promise). I really like this look, don't you? If only my room looked like this- so fresh and so clean clean.

Ok, time to get to that daily thing that some people call work.

Another adventure in the land of devils...

Today, as i was making my way towards the OC (not just OC, but THE OC), my driverside tire suddenly went flat. There i was, southbound on the busy 101 in hollywood, and i had to suddenly merge three lanes over so i can stop and figure out why my car sounded like it was going to blow up. The shoulder of the freeway was teeny tiny, i barely made my way up it. While sitting in my car collecting my nerves, my car was bouncing back and forth from being so close to the cars speeding past me. I was finally able to get out and saw that i had a flat tire. I would've attempted to change my own tire if i had been in an area that was safe: ie- a place where i wouldn't have gotten run over by speeding cars, but alas, i didn't feel like being injured today. So, i called AAA, and after being put on hold forever, they told me that it would take another 20 min for someone to get out to me. As soon as i hung up with them, i called my mom, and while talking to her, a truck pulled up behind me! I thought it was AAA and was surprised that they came so quickly. But alas, i was wrong, for it was the freeway saftey patrol. The guy changed my tire in 10 minutes, i called AAA to cancel (which was more of a hassel than it was worth really), and i was on my way in no time.

And the lesson of this story? My taxdollars ARE really being put to work. The guy was friendly and fast, and he got there quicker than AAA, without me even calling him! I guess the city ain't so devilish after all...

Except when it's being represented by good looking vampire lawyers and the cronies...but i haven't had to worry about that ever since their cancellation. :-)

So i see that no one wants to post any comments. Maybe i've been too bold to assume that i had more than 5 readers. Even the viagra pushing drug dealers don't want to spam me with comments. I don't think it can get any sadder than that.

(Yes, that was my weak attempt into guilt tripping you into commenting on my blog. did it work?)

I had a nice night with Steve, and now i'm way tired and sleepy...probably just suffering from food coma. That's one thing i like about hanging out with steve. It always involves food somehow. Either eating too much of it, or buying it in bulk at costco and then eating too much of it. Or a trip to the bookstore reading magazines and finding new books we want to buy. Or both.

What is it about schools? Why do they produce that educational institution smell? Not that it's a smelly smell. It's just a very distinguishable scent in the air that isn't commonly found in other places, like work persay.

Yesterday i went to valley college to sign up for a class. As soon as i stepped out of my car, i smelled that smell. That first day of school smell. The smell that i've only smelled in 2 other places: highschool, and UCSD. I thought about this as i was walking to register for my class. Paramount didn't smell like this. Work doesn't smell like this. Only a school would smell like this. Is it the scent of the trees? Can't be. My hs didn't have that many trees, and it had the smell. Paramount had lots of trees, and it didn't have the smell. Maybe its the new-books-combined-with-classrooms-combined-with-trees smell. If that smell could be bottled, i would pick that over baby powder any day.

BTW: Baby powder update- although it still suffocates me from time to time, the smell isn't as strong in my car anymore. In fact i'm starting to miss it a little. That is, until i gag and suffocate again...

So i went to Valley College to sign up for rehearsal orchestra. While i was there i decided to check the class enrollment list, because a bunch of people were hovered over it. I thought i'd join the hullabaloo. As i was looking for my class in the big list on the chalk board, i suddenly had a realization that: maybe i should've signed up sooner! There i was, with only 3 full days to register. Perhaps the class was full a month ago? Perhaps it's the most popular class there???? WHAT WILL I DO IF I CAN'T GET IN??

Boy, was i completely wrong.

I finally found my class on the list, and i even checked it twice. I found that, with only 3 full registration days left, there was a whopping number of one (1) person that's signed up for the class. Counting me, that would make a whopping two (2). (Unless that one number counts the professor...) You can't have an orchestra with TWO PEOPLE!! At least not the last time i checked, though i have been out of the circuit for a while. So now i anticipate that the class will most likely be cancelled, and i won't get to play with anyone.

Won't anyone come play with me?

So i got my car washed this weekend. I went for the early bird special, and the guy asked me what scent i wanted for my car freshener. It came down to New Car Smell, or Baby Powder. Of course i went for the baby powder. When i got in my car, not only was it clean, it really smelled like baby powder! I was so amazed, not to mention excited that i had such a fragrant car. It was great! ...Or so i thought...

A couple hours later, i started to wonder where they hid this car freshener. Isn't it usually hanging on the rear view mirror? I couldn't figure it out. So i thought maybe they sprayed the inside with this stuff. But wouldn't a spray's scent be gone pretty quickly? Well, apparently NOT QUICK ENOUGH! My car, my lovely white corolla with the noise in the back, my place for solitude and safe haven is now SUFFOCATING ME to death with its scent. Everytime i get in my car i'm reminded that it has a new smell. And it's ok for the first 10 minutes or so when i first get in the car. After that, i start getting a headache! I'll either have to roll my windows down, or turn on the ac, but both just makes me cold. While innocent in name and intentions, i do believe this baby powder scent will be the death of me. As much as i love baby powder, whatever that poser scent is in my car is suffocating me, and perhaps i should've gone for the new car smell. I can't even cruise the right way now that i'm so nauseated by this baby powder. Damn you baby powder! I shake my fist at thee!

And oh yea, a new thing i'm trying out here on my blog: COMMENTS. If you're one of 3 whopping readers out there, feel free to make a comment. I don't know how well this will work or whether i'll keep it up or not. I guess it depends on how many unsolicited porn or viagra links i get inundated with. We'll see.

A tout a l'heure!

[A flourish of trumpets. Enter SH.]

O what a glorious night!

Last night was my first at the Hollywood Bowl. And what a way to begin a relationship! So intense was it that i can only express my feelings in the form of a letter.

Ahem.

Dear Hollywood Bowl,

I love you. Utterly, and truly. Last night you had me at hello. But truth be told, you had me much earlier than that. My affection for you began a year ago, when I made the mistake of exiting on Highland on a saturday evening. Much to my chagrin, i was caught in your traffic much longer than i cared for. Was it my naive understanding of LA traffic being new to the city? Or was it FATE that led me to sit in your traffic, allowing me to read the sign that said Tony Bennett was performing there that night? It's hard to say. But at that moment, I vowed myself to come see you next summer.

Alas, this summer came, and I had heard you were back in town. This time you teased me again with your charming Harry Connick Jr. and your newly renovated good looks. And again, due to unexcusable circumstances, our paths never met. I thought i was doomed to never see you this summer.

But fate works in funny ways. Was it coincidence that i was at Beth's house that night? Was it coincidence that she had an extra ticket? Or did you plant those tickets in her hands as a way to see me, knowing that i can't resist the mention of your name and fireworks in the same sentence? I guess we'll never know for sure. But let me just tell you, i jumped at the chance to see you, not even knowing what you had in store.

The next day, my good friend internet told me you were celebrating 75 years of music with disney. I couldn't believe my luck. You were going to dazzle me with fireworks AND disney music? Really, you're too much. You really know how to wow a girl for the first time.

Not only was i already excited at the thought of meeting you, but you went all out for me. You impressed me with Fantasia and the Bumblebee suite, and Snow White. I was smiling so much it hurt. Everything got so hot that we both had to take a 15 minute break. And when we came back, you just kept right on going.

First you brought out Dick V. Dyke, who even at his age, bless his heart, can still do the jigs from Mary Poppins. Yes. Even the penguin dance.
Then! Alan Menken came out to play the piano while singing some of the greatest songs from Disney movies. While i sang along, i couldn't believe how many i knew! It's as if you, dear hollywood bowl, had personally picked the songs i knew so that i could sing along.
Then! As if alan wasn't enough, he brought out the voice of Ariel, and she sang Part of Your World!
Then! He brought out the voice of Belle, and she sang Beauty and the Beast!
Then! He brought out the voice of Pocahantas, and she sang Colors of the Wind!

And before i had the chance to recover from all this princess excitement, you topped everything off with a Lion King finale with...

FIREWORKS.

Boy, what a way to end the night. Or so i thought...

You teased me three more times, but you always delivered fantastic encores. First, a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sing along. Then you made Beth happy by giving her what she'd been asking for all night: When you wish upon a star. I was so overwhelmed with everything i can't even remember what you did last. It was sensory overload.

I will miss you when you leave me for Fall. Hopefully, i will be able to see you again before you leave. But if i don't, promise me we'll meet again next summer, I'll know where to find you. And perhaps we can spend another amazing night under the stars in the hills of Hollywood.

Until then, love and happiness.
SH


[Exuent SH and POSSE, tending to her tears.]

Isn't it ironic that my initials, SH, coincide with the same initials as Straight Hood? Coincidence? I think not.

So it's all over. I've been discovered. The coworkers have now found out about my blog. Who knows, they're probably reading this sentence right now...or now. It's ok if you're a friend and you're reading my blog, because you know me! It's ok if you're a stranger in kansas city, because i'll never meet you! But to have coworkers read my blog? To have people i interact with professionally (well...as professional as you can get with a dartboard and beachball around) on a daily basis read about my love for tofu and hot dogs or my embarrassing blunders...to me that is a little strange.

It's like the time Bruckner discovered my blog. A little bit shocking at first, but eventually, i get over it because i think really, people just forget about it after a while. Either that or people just don't understand what i'm trying to get across since i practically live inside my head. Oh well, i'm over it. That's right Diaz. And you Velasquez! They can read all they want because in a month, they probably won't be. Haha.

But those pesky coworkers discovering my blog was good for one thing: I realized that people are blogging again! Boy was i surprised when i found out there were new entries to read and catch up on. I *almost* gave up hope on you guys! But your blog entries give me hope that my blogwagon will keep on truckin. Forever and ever! And ever.

This is Straight Hood, peacing out.

So, thanks to that stupid show, The Simple Life, i can no longer eat hot dogs.

Yes, yes, i know you're wondering why i'm watching that stupid show in the first place. Well, what can i say, those blondes sparked my interest. I'm incredibly sad at the thought of leaving my hot dog/sausage eating life behind. Those who know me will know my love for hot dogs. Simple and plain, with ketchup and a bit of mustard. That was the way i liked them. Sometimes with that green relish stuff if it was around. Other times with grilled onions...damn those grilled onions smelled so good. Those one dollar hot dogs at Ikea....those were the days. But those days are no longer. This after watching how hot dogs and sausages are made. They stuff the ground up meat in pig intestine!! I'm definitely a carnivore, but sometimes when i see the process of meat and how it gets to my plate, i feel like i can turn herbivore. But chicken...chicken is soo good. I feel that though chinese by birth, and recently american by citizenship, i share one thing in common with the african americans: our love for chicken. Roasted, toasted, deep fried, pan fried, with or without the waffles...however you do it, chicken is just plain yummy.

But i digress.

So i shared my sadness with my cubicle buddy mitch, who is a vegetarian. He informed me that there are vegetarian hot dogs out there, and they're not bad. So, i guess all is not lost. But i haven't tried those suckers yet, so i can't really say for sure whether this new no-hot-dog-eating thing will be a dilemma for me.

I guess its what they call, "ignorance is bliss." If i didn't know how meat was processed, i would probably eat it all. But once i know how something is made, or what is really is in front of me (ie, sea urchine, intestines, liver...etc), I won't want to eat it.

A couple weeks ago i went out to lunch with my mom and my uncle, who is a vegetarian. And so we went to try a new chinese vegetarian resaturant, which was pretty legit (this coming from a carnivore), so much so that i even forgot we were in a vegetarian restaurant (even after the buddhist monks showed up...haha). We ordered some noodles, and in mine, i found a piece of something i was not familiar with. I showed it to my mom and asked her what it was. She said, "thats what they call, pig intestine."

Ugh, yuck, i thought, and began a process to donate this unfamiliar piece of food to my mom, something i often do to my parents when i don't want to eat something. But then she said, "SH, YOU CAN EAT IT." Thats when i realized and remembered: duh! i'm in a vegetarian restaurant!! So i just chuckled to myself, and ate my artificial pig intestine. It wasn't bad! It's amazing what they can do with soy these days. :0)

Sometimes i think i can go vegetarian. Almost all vegetarian meat products are made out of soy, and i love soy byproducts like tofu, so whats the problem right? But there come those times when i just want a nice piece of chicken, or a good in n out burger. Not steak so much...i'm not a big steak fan. Sometimes when i eat it i just feel like i'm chewing on a piece of muscle...cow muscle. But sometimes i just want my meat. So, we'll see where this thing goes.

Today at Trader Joes i saw those veggie dogs that mitch spoke of. But i knew i couldn't finish so many, so i went for the veggie ground meat instead. I'll let you know how that goes.

This is SH, signing out.