pet PEEVED

When did it become okay for people to have conversations on cell phones in quiet public places? i.e. the waiting room of a doctor's office?

I know I have talked about this issue before, but this is honestly one of my biggest pet peeves, and it seems as if the problem is just getting worse. As much as I embrace technology and am absolutely addicted to my *crack*berry, I cannot stand the lack of etiquette people seem to have when it comes to using their cell phones.

From my own personal experience the past few days, it seems that loudly rehashing the events of last evening, to a mystery person on the other line, especially in generally quiet areas such as waiting rooms and elevators, is now an acceptable practice. I guess I missed the memo. This entire time I have been politely leaving these quiet areas to answer my phone in a hushed voice, only to inform the caller that I will call them back when in a more acceptable atmosphere. I had no idea I could have just been enjoying the conversation without exerting any effort to move at all. Think of  all of those wasted extra steps! For a person of my laziness, that really hits me where it hurts.

Call me old fashioned, but I think conversations about how your bowel movements, or lack there of, should be discussed in a more private manner. But what I especially dislike is the fact that you have chosen to have that conversation in a venue in which the surrounding people cannot escape. Believe it or not, I'm not sitting in that Doctor's office reception area at my own leisure, looking for a good time. I'm most likely stuck there. Waiting for an appointment that's an hour behind schedule. Getting up and leaving is not really a feasible option, and therefore I am being forced to listen to the drama you're having with your best friend, and what a dirty whore this supposed best friend is. It may seem shocking, but I don't care. And if I don't really care about something, I most certainly do not want to listen to only half of it. I have no idea what the person on the other line thinks, but judging by your blatant stupidity and rudeness, it's their opinion I'd probably rather hear. If you're gonna be so disruptive to us all, the least you can do is put it on speaker, so we can hear the entire story!

So next time you're sitting in a classroom before it starts, or a movie theater 20 minutes before the show, or riding in an awkward elevator, or sitting in your dentist's waiting area; go ahead and take this advice: Stick to Texting! There is no need to alert the people around you to your idiocy. We can probably already tell from the blank expression on your face. While most offenders in this area are the young teens and adults of this world (it's apparent that our generation has a large dilemma in the manners department), the older generations should not rule themselves out completely. In fact that last three times this has happened, it has been people in their 40's+ causing the problems. While I have great respect for those older and wiser than me, just because you're a "grown up" does not mean the rules don't apply.

The Climb

I really love to walk. And for the most part, when I'm not tripping over thin air and running into walls, I am actually pretty good at it. My temperamental back limits the kinds of activities I can do, and since running, jumping, and pole dancing are all out, walking has become my main focus. Living in San Francisco gave me plenty of opportunity to really challenge and fine tune my walking skills. There are so many amazing scenic walks you can do, not to mention since the city is so small, I tried to use walking as a mode of transportation as much as possible. My favorite walk was one I did right from my house. It was about a 3.5 mile loop that peaked at the Moraga Steps and then winded back down to my house at Ulloa. That walk kicked my ass many times, but it was always worth it when I got to the top of the stairs and could see over the entire Sunset all the way to the beach. Unfortunately once this past semester got crazy, it seemed I never had time to fit in any long walking adventures, so instead I just settled for the decent walk to and from school.

Now having moved back to LA, walking to and from places seems to be a laughable concept. Not to mention the pretty flat layout of the valley doesn't really provide much excitement or challenge. So I have decided that the obvious next step is to become an avid hiker. Duh, right? It makes total sense in my crazy mind. I'm determined to make this happen, and I am taking my parents down with me. The first weekend I was back I made them get up at 7 am, and we hiked up near the Franklin Reservoir and the Lake where they filmed the opening to Andy Griffith. (OH the glamor of Los Angeles!) It wasn't until my Dad said, "Watch out for rattle snakes" did I think maybe I made this decision a little rashly.

But I'm going to power through. Rattle snakes schmattle snakes! I'll just have to pick up a walking shiv, just in case any shanking becomes necessary. I am really looking forward to exploring different and more nature oriented parts of the city. And with any luck, I'll do something stupid, providing laughs and enjoyment for us all. If your looking for a hiking partner, you now know who to call....

Under Construction

New city. Kind of new life. I think it's time for a revamp. My technical team (*cough Jason cough*) and I are working on a new look. Hopefully I'll be back and blogging in a few days ish. If I ever freaking finish unpacking. Dear lord I am getting owned by that massive task. If I'm not back in a week, my stuff probably exploded and I didn't make it out on time.


I'll be back. Not new, but hopefully improved! Til then....

picture here

Swedish for __________?

Oh Ikea, how I hate to love you.

Once again, as I have embarked upon yet another move I found myself weaving through the furniture clad maze of this Swedish gem. Because really...where else is there to go? Ikea seems to have a monopoly on decent ish affordable furniture, which was exactly what I needed. This time I was on the hunt for a dresser, one that screamed COLLEGE GRAD, but wasn't completely selling out on my craaaazy personality, and could handle the ridiculous amount of clothes I own. Almost every single time I go to Ikea, I immediately regret it. Why? Well to start; they have EVERYTHING you need, and then a THOUSAND other things you never even knew existed, but now that you have discovered them, you suddenly need. I mean the person who created the layout is an absolute genius. If you aren't stealth enough to know the secret shortcuts, you have to walk through the entire store, where you inevitably decide that what you really need is a cartoon shaped, hot pink loft bed with matching desk...or is that just me? Not to mention, finally after you have frantically scribbled down all your aisle and bin numbers for the products, with your tiny golf pencil,  you have to walk through that god damn marketplace. Fifty cents for a drinking glass? How can you say no? I'll take ten! I guarantee everyone comes out of there with something they never intended on buying. Guilty: today we left with not only a "grown up" dresser, but also with a ficus tree. Who knew?

 Then of course, once you get home, you have to put everything together. This I suppose is just what you get for wanting cheap furniture. Conveniently the pieces to the desk you just bought came in five different cardboard boxes, which you now have to open and sort if you have any hope of figuring this thing out. Then there are the directions. Oh the directions! In an effort to not have to print out manuals in eight hundred different languages, Ikea directions contain only pictures. This is apparently supposed to make it idiot proof as well. What I actually think it does is make it so only idiots can put it together. It could very well be me over analyzing everything, but I really struggle with those pictures. Pictures can easily be interpreted in different ways, whereas in my mind words are much more straight forward. I'm sure it looks ridiculous watching me pick up every piece and examining it next to the drawn out directions to make sure it is the correct shape and size. I honestly don't think a little wordage would hurt anyone...just sayin Ikea, just sayin. And lastly there is that fucking allen wrench. That fucking allen wrench which is the key to all that is made by Ikea. It's always a good time putting giant pieces of furniture together with that dumb miniature sized tool.  Well what's even better than that, is when you're moving three years later and you can't find that fucking allen wrench anymore. Thank god I have a set of allen wrench shaped tips for my screw gun. Of course none of those fit exactly right, because where would the fun in that be if they did?

 One thing I always loved about Ikea was their delicious and ultra affordable fro yo. Only a dollar! Dollar cones of fro yo are a powerful thing. They can make you forget the madness you just ensued upstairs, beating people down for that last light birch malm bed frame. One lick of that cold yumminess and I remember why I keep coming back to this store. Unfortunately on this particular trip, Ikea had to rip this one joy away from me. Since my diagnosis as a  glu-tard, I can no longer eat the cone that the fro yo comes on. Sad, because sometimes that is the best part. Anyway I went up to order asking if I could just get my cone's worth of fro yo in a cup instead, explaining that I can't eat the cone. I first realized that this is not a common question, because the woman looked completely baffled. She said, "No we don't have any cups." I replied with, "Oh okay, well what about a drink cup, could you just put some in the bottom of that?" She goes, "We don't have any spoons, but I guess I could put some in a cup for you, and you would have to eat it with a straw, and it's gonna cost two dollars." Hmmm, well this presents an issue. First of all, I am not sure when a straw became an eating utensil... she said it so matter of factly, like everyone has eaten things other than a smoothie with a straw. Honestly that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. So not only did she want me to eat my fro yo with a hollow stick but she also wanted me to pay extra for it? Um, I don't think so. It's supposed to be dollar fro yo, and I have to respect the principal of that. I kindly declined her amazing offer, and walked away satisfied that I just stuck it to the man. Take that Ikea. Take that!

pictures found here and here