simple stories

a new blog.

2007-05-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

haha. i know. i know. i know that you are laughing at me right now. especially if you've followed me from blog to blog. but this time... i swear.. this time it's for keeps.

http://trappedinthesuburbs.blogspot.com/

bookmark it.

the dark lord has risen...

2007-05-11T15:38:00.000-07:00

i thought this shirt was hilarious! couresty of course of cafe press. enjoy.
i've always wondered how to combine my love of harry potter and my hatred for ol' dickie boy.

help reform the farm bill! undo the injustice!

2007-05-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

this is something i'm volunteering with oxfam on:

if you are interested in helping out, let me know! i will be hosting a house party to write letters to members of congress, again, let me know if you are interested.

banyan!

2007-04-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Banyan Tree Project is a national campaign to stop HIV/AIDS-related stigma in Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities. To learn more please visit http://banyantreeproject.org/about.html (more)

God Grew Tired Of Us...

2007-04-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool Darfur Awareness/Benefit Event happening this Sunday, April 22 @ Camera 12 in downtown San Jose, 3 p.m.

Join us (Save Darfur Coalition) for a screening of "God Grew Tired of Us", the Sundance award-winning documentary about the Lost Boys of Sudan. Following the film, one of the Lost Boys from San Jose, from the film, will speak about the current conflict in Darfur. Tickets are $20, $10 for students, and all of the proceeds will support Solar Cookers for Darfur refugees living in Chad

To purchase tickets visit: www.jvalley.org, or for more info: www.savedarfur.org/page/event/detail/wt5.

Come out and support a good cause.

step it up: climate action festival.

2007-04-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

hopefully blogger + google is cooperating and you can view the above image. but this saturday, april 14 is a national climate day of action. there are quite a bit of events happening in the bay area-no surprise there. you can get a listing of events by zip code if you visit this website. i think i'm gonna attend the palo alto one, because the only other south bay event (apart from santa cruz ones) is a private event at harker academy. lame.

and while i'm on the topic of global warming, i have to link this article from green options that was an april fools prank that i totally feel for. i'll just lead in by saying the headline is: "president declares april as national oil awareness month." how sad is it that i could actually believe ol' bush would say most of these things? even if i read them with a gaping mouth and found myself laughing in a sad sort of way.

oh those damn nerdy bloggers.

google earth + darfur = open your eyes people!

2007-04-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

more google bragging, apparently google earth has teamed up with the u.s. holocaust memorial museum to raise awareness (even more) about what has been going on in the sudan since 2003 (when the conflict escalated).

check out this cnn article.

and make sure to check out google earth. And the ogle earth blog.

and in relation to darfur & community awareness, please check out this film & speaker event happening at Camera 12 (in downtown San Jose) on April 22. It's being sponsored by the Save Darfur Coalition. Go here for more information.

biodiesel myth-busting.

2007-04-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

green options has a cool installment on biodiesel fuel that you should check out. Click here for the first installment.

subscribe to their blog, it's a good one. also--if you are a googlephile, and have a gmail account, i highly recommend using their google reader feature. on the personalized google homepage you can personalize a bunch of different options, including adding google reader... where all your blog subscriptions show up in an awesomely accessible way.

South Bay ONE Campaign Chapter Meeting

2007-04-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

If anyone is looking for something positive to do tomorrow from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. I'm attempting to set up a South Bay ONE Campaign Chapter meeting. Send me an email if you are interested and I'll send you the details.

holla @ yer girl.

i know, i'm stupid.

a new spot to bullshit.

2007-04-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I decided that this blog is becoming too social change advocacy based to post about my stupid life bullshit... so I've created a new spot for my BS. If you are interested in the website address... leave a comment and I'll send it to you. Sorry to be so secret about it but there's some folks who don't need to know it......

But for now, this blog will stay up and focus on current news, upcoming events, etc. etc.

More later...

- Nicole

march 24 is shutdown day.

2007-03-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

i'm a little late on this subject, but apparently tomorrow is "shutdown day." apparently there is an attempt to encourage as many people as possible to avoid using their computer for 24 hours, tomorrow, march 24. (or really in about 8 hours @ midnight)

the big question is can you go one day without being on the computer? i don't know that i can. i know i have, but it was never a choice it was more of a computer wasn't available. the event was set up by two guys from Montreal who are trying to see just how many people can go without it.

visit the shutdown day website for more information. the globe also did a pretty good article on the topic which you can find here.

you think you could go one whole day without email? google maps? myspace? youtube?
so far 55,734 people say they can, while only 9,049 say they cannot.

i guess we'll see.
i dont think i can go a day without checking my email, especially because i have a wedding to go to (which i'll need to probably get directions from online for), as well as a dance night up in sf (which requires me checking email/myspace to see if anyone else is down)... although knowing all this ahead of time i could easily just make phone calls instead of emails, and just write down the directions tonite...

yeah right.

how many blogs is too many?

2007-03-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

i just ate way too much sushi over at omogari (korean food place in japan town--that recently started serving sushi), and i had to undo my top jeans button so i can breathe. even though i'm at work, no one can see me because my back is turned and i face my little corner cubicle walls.
. . . . .
lately i've been playing with the idea of creating a separate blog for my personal blog posts & my more political/community advocacy blog posts. lately i've done more of the latter, and i kinda miss just writing my bullshit thoughts down too. what do ya'll think? does anyone really read this? actually, thanks to google analytics, i know that at least a few people read my blog on a regular basis... and i know from what areas. i have blog readers from the bay area to los angeles, to canada, to china and even chile. i just don't know who... or why.

i can see how a more narrowly focused blog is more beneficial to readers, because then i can separate my personal life things which only my friends would probably read, vs. community level things that various people might find some interest in (community groups, advocacy groups, etc).

then if i do decide to do a new blog... should simple stories remain my personal blog while i create a new one that serves my other interests?

i don't know... wow. this is really what i'm thinking of at 3:20 on a friday, huh?

gimme shelter.

2007-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

! "GIMME SHELTER"

An exhibit to raise money and awareness for national problem of homelessness.

Exhibit: ONE NIGHT ONLY! - Friday, March 23rd, 2007

7-11 pm, free and open to the public

Music by: Troy Curtis

GIMME SHELTER is a touring exhibition of 400 works of art by 280 artists on cardboard to raise awareness and money for the national problem of homelessness.

Homelessness is roughly defined as "not having a safe, permanent, affordable place to live." It affects more than 600,000 people in the US on a daily basis, with about one-third of that number identified as "families."

Projections of homelessness in America paint a gloomy picture. Without intervention, and given the current rate of inflation, more than one million people could be homeless within the next ten years. The majority of the new homeless will be our elderly who will have to choose between vital medicine and a roof over their heads.

Gimmeshelter is partnered with The National Coalition for the Homeless, a Washington, D.C. - based organization that is dedicated not only to solving the systemic issues that lead to homelessness but works to provide for the immediate needs of the homeless. Any funds raised as a result of the US shows will go directly to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Artists from around the globe have contributed works on a piece of corrugated cardboard, no larger that twelve inches on any one side. The list of talent ranges from well-known artists to obscure emerging talent. (Some familiar names to the Anno Domini audience would be: Anthony Ausgang, attaboy, BigFoot, BLINKY, Laura Brink, Dalek, Mike Giant, Jennybird, Jeremyville, Mars1, Kathie Olivas, OuchClub, Alex Pardee, Andrew Pommier, Poor Al, Jesse Reno and THINKMULE to name a few.)

Following the tour, all works of art will be sold on the Gimme Shelter website.
100% of the proceeds will be donated to: National Coalition for the Homeless
View full list of Participating Artists at galleryAD.com
Exhibit: on view March 23rd, 2007 AD - ONE NIGHT ONLY!Gallery hours: Tues. - Sat., Noon - 7pm
.......................................
so come on down & check it out. i am gonna go when it opens & try to see if i can afford buying something. :)

nicole.

weigh-in me not...

2007-03-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

no weekly weigh-in. no progress has been made... which is because basically i havent had much time for exercise or wii play lately, so maybe when i start to feel like there's something actually worth posting i will start it up again, but for now.. no more.

remember: today is WORLD WATER DAY.

educate yourself & become aware of global issues. spread awareness & advocate for those who can't.

love, nicole.

(as always i promise to blog more later).

obama-rama!

2007-03-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

i know that obama-rama is totally NOT clever, but how could i resist?

anyway, as you probably know, or hopefully know, barack obama is gonna be in oakland tomorrow. to rsvp go here, although i'm sure you can just show up & hope to get in. i really, REALLY wanted to go, but unfortunately i cannot make it. hope he'll make his way back around here again before the primaries... since the California Primary finally means a little more since it's earlier! woohoo.

AND since it's been 4 horrible years since the start of the Iraq war, there are numerous war protests happening this weekend. i will most likely take part in the ANSWER sponsored protest march in san francisco on sunday. but check out united for peace.org to get more info on a number of events taking place (including a candle light vigil in downtown san jose on monday evening).

also..... last bit of advocacy for this post, march 22 is world water day, to raise awareness about the fact that 1 BILLION people don't have access to clean water. go here for more information, and please post a banner/ad on your blog/myspace. & support (buy) ethos water (if you INSIST on buyin' plastic bottled water, then at least support a good cause--even if its corportized because starbucks' vp & former vp are the creator of, whatcha gonna do?).

alright, i'm off my soapbox for now. ta-ta.

chillin' with oxfam.

2007-03-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

I'm on an online/phone conference training with Oxfam to discuss advocacy around the 2007 Farm Bill Reform- which is a big issue. They gave a good look at what the bill is & what problems need to be reformed.

The second part of the training is on how to focus on tips to writing a good letter to legislators.

They are going to do a second training on Monday, March 26, 5 p.m. our time, 9 p.m. EST. You can check out their materials here.

more later...

update (3/16): to join the oxfam farm bill action team then click here.
AND to view the new PBS video “A Growing Hunger” about the Farm Bill and cotton farmers in the US and Africa, at http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/310/index.html.
plus visit oxfam to see specific efforts being done on the farm bill.

who to point the finger at? and which finger?

2007-03-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

i am fucking pissed & annoyed at google & blogger because they can't figure out their shit problems with the image posting for blogger!!!! you can't effectively publish them through picasa or by directly uploading them into a blog post. now images i had posted several posts ago don't show up on my computer, or randomly show up on some computers but not all. what the hell google?

come on google, get your shit together. you're supposed to be badass and you are totally not. and clearly i've been watching too much daily show and i'm starting to sound like jon stewart...

and you too blogger, don't think you're getting off lightly, ever since you have new blogger, beta blogger users are given the shaft. i made your switch over to new blogger and look where it's gotten me! image red "X" death boxes!

i curse you blogger! i curse you google! i curse you until you fix these problems that are affecting me and then i can love you again.

until then...

update (3:20 p.m.): why do my photos show up now after i posted my rant? can the few people who read this please let me know if you see images from previous posts??? GRRR. :)

conebone in sf. (& oh yah, weekly weigh-in)

2007-03-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

sweet. conan is coming to san francisco for a week. you can try to get tickets here. i sent in my request last night.
......................................
week 7: 97
week 6: 98
week 5: 99
week 4: 99
week 3: 98
week 2: 101
week 1: 100 (baseline)
(refer to previous posts: week 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

i have lots more updates but it'll have to come later.

nic.

the weekly weigh-in.

2007-03-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

week 6: 98
week 5: 99
week 4: 99
week 3: 98
week 2: 101
week 1: 100 (baseline)
(refer to previous posts: week 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

no time for anything else to write.

come to this fashion show tonight! it's for a good cause & come see some amazing young designers display some amazing fashion items w/ a positive message.

nic.

welcome kiera elizabeth baird.

2007-03-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

lots have happened this week & i've been slow to post... cuz of the fashion show that's happening today. but i wanted to do a quick update, especially with the big news that....

i have a new neice! my sister finally had her baby, a little girl--kiera. she's adorable. i am going to go & see her next week. she was born on tuesday, march 6 around 7 p.m. in the evening.

f-u-c-k.

2007-03-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

i'm tired, drained, feeling beat-up and phased out. words & phrases of the weekend: emotionally drained, territorial, arrogance and new job. long fucking weekend. i'll spare you on the details. gettin' out the bad emotions is more for my own diary-esque reasons.

lots happening. festival & con' city. noise pop. wondercon. cinequest. i attended 2 noise pop shows this weekend (as well as snow patrol on thursday)... so basically spent my weekend nights (thurs-sat) up in san francisco. friday's ted leo show was disappointing. i love ted leo, but this was the worst time of all the 10 or so times i've seen him. he played 8 new songs & the album isn't even out yet. he ended his set with a chumbawamba song, and it wasn't even tub-thumping (or whatever the fuck their hit was called). it just seemed kinda lame. opening bands sucked too.

then last night, i went to the ponys show @ bottom of the hill which can be described with two words: fucking boring. all the bands were fucking boring or cookie cutter, and the ponys whose album "laced with romance" has this awesome raw rock'n'roll sound ala phil spector, totally blew. they also played a bunch of new songs (again, album not out yet), and the songs werent even good. at least ted leo's new songs were good. the ponys flew all the way out from chicago for this show & clearly didnt even want to be there. the entire crowd was so bored that they didnt even cheer for an encore, they just left to go outside and smoke. i miss their old singer/songwriter. last time i saw them a couple years ago, they were way better.

the one highlight of both nights: getting to hang out with old friends & talk shit. plus i had some really great chinese food on saturday, and on friday jocelyn gave me this cheesecake on a stick pastry that was amazing.

wondercon... nothing to report. i didnt go this year. nothing in the lineup really inspired me to go. i think i'll just wait for alternative press expo & maybe, just MAYBE i'll head back down to comic con this year after a 3-year hiatus. we'll see.

cinequest... haven't gone to anything yet, but assuming that i have time between work stuff, i plan on checking some stuff out with laura. tho, most of it will probably be on saturday or sunday so i can de-stress and just fuck off.

i kinda want to hibernate for a week. a sign of depression? no. more of mental-health necessity. or maybe just annoyance.

other thoughts on the weekend...

fuck ann coulter.

no... the chinese new year's parade is not at fisherman's wharf. ha.

what's with the standing ovation for isaiah washington at the naacp awards? i guess repeatedly using gay slurs is still considered civil? hmmm.

kscu got a makeover. it was my first time down there in over a year, and the library looks awesome! (nice job eid & olga!)

this isn't exactly from this weekend, but still worth mentioning... kenneth eng, "asianweek" columnist, is fired because... well, because he wrote some crazy racist shit.

and, i bought tickets for the arcade fire show & the shins show--two of my favorite bands.

ok. i've got stuff to do now. later.

the weekly weigh-in

2007-03-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

weigh-in time. no change. which isn't bad considering i haven't exercised much this week, and have been eating kind of bad food. i can live with that.

week 5: 99
week 4: 99
week 3: 98
week 2: 101
week 1: 100 (baseline)
(refer to previous posts: week 4, 3, 2, 1).

that's all i have time for, for now. i will try to post more in the next couple of days, but i will be super busy with work & noise pop shows.

nicole.

you're the only ONE for me...

2007-02-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

the weather outside is NASTY. it's bonkers! pourin' down rain, thunder, lightning, how the fuck do you spell lightning? is that right? or it lightining? that looks wrong too... well whatever.

i wish there were more hours in the day. by the time i get off work i feel like i dont have much time to do anything. do i have too many hobbies? is the wii taking my time away from the internet, and is the internet taking my time away from the tv, and is the tv taking my time away from my dvds, and are my dvds taking away my time from my fashion designing/sewing projects, and is that really even going to happen?

tangent.

what i came here to say is that i went to the One Campaign training up in San Francisco on Saturday and it was awesome. (have you noticed i choose correct capitalization at random times? again, tangent). so the one campaign. another psuedo-celebrity charity campaign? i had my suspicions, but i walked away from the training feeling empowered that all my advocacy through One was not for naught. it was cool too that we had breakout sessions by region so we were able to network with other folks from the south bay who are into these same things, which is rare. not to mention an 11-year old who was there with his mom (by him wanting to be there), after he learned about One through Warped Tour. this kid was pretty awesome.

the one blog has a good rundown of what happened at the event, as well as their materials (powerpoints, sheets, etc) available for download.

turn on the bright neon lights.

2007-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

i'm streaming the new arcade fire record, neon bible on the nme website. you can stream it here, you just have to register for the nme website. i'm through track 8 (of 11).. so far it's okay. havent had enough time to really review it, but first impression is that it wont top the last one.

in other arcade fire news, win butler's been running his mouth off. to some extent he has a point about the U.K. music scene (not to mention it's uber incestual). but about the marketing... while it does annoy me to a point, it's still a business.

and speaking of new music, after a couple of listens, i'm really diggin' the new bloc party.

alright, i best be getting to work. more later...

peace, love & understanding!

nic

mood: blah (i feel like i'm coming down w/ somethin')
music: arcade fire- neon bible

march overload.

2007-02-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

i'm completely smitten over the winter weather today here in northern california. it's cold (california cold) and rainy and it just gives off the warm and cozy vibe.

i'm lovin' it.

just found out about an event that could possibly get me to go to popscene again:

"Thursday, March 1st ::GUEST DJ TED LEO
GUEST DJ TED LEO of TED LEO AND THE
PHARMACISTS.FUNNNNNNNNNN. Record Release party for the debut album of ALBERT
HAMMOND JR. Look out for goodies courtesy of Filter Music Magazine!"

one problem: it's the same night as snow patrol... so it seems i'll have to pass on it. though i will be seein' him the next night, and my experience with "guest-band popscene djs" aren't good. they usually suck. something makes me say teddie would be different, but why bother convincing myself if i can't go?

okay. time for me to head home & continue with my billions of projects (more on those later).

xoxoxo

nicole.

the weekly weigh-in.

2007-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

so it's weekly weigh-in thursday. not so good this week.

week 4: 99
week 3: 98
week 2: 101
week 1: 100 (baseline)

(refer to previous posts: week 3, 2, 1).

could have a bunch of excuses, but i'll just say, it's time to step it up. :) i'm not seeing any difference after three weeks of wii-ercize.

i did reach pro boxing status today. woo. i figured out a new move too. i should probably double up my wii boxing time from 20 minutes or so to 40. although after a couple of games the wii usually encourages you to take a break. hahaha.

this weekend i played the rayman raving rabbits game & it's fucking awesome. it might be the best one i've played yet. wario ware is growing on me, but the multi-player mode isn't all that to me. maybe once we can get another wand and do 2+ players it'll get more fun. me & nathan tried out the rampage game that nathan's sister got him. that game was pretty fun. it'll probably be good on multi-player as well.

i gotta get ready for work, promise to update more later on.

- nic.

fair trade woman.

2007-02-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

this is kinda neat: http://www.myspace.com/fairtradewoman.

shes a worker w/ the oxfam, make trade fair compaign and is raising awareness around fair trade policies, poverty, etc.

speaking of that, a post is due by me on the Farm Bill reform action that is happening. i promise to post something in the next day or two. (it's been a long day today.)

and also speaking of that, there is a one campaign training happening in san francisco at ucsf on saturday. i'm crossing my fingers that i end up going (i did register), but if you are interested check it out & sign up.

other than that, i'm supporting another bill wilson event/fundraiser (in collaboration with CATT), which is a fashion show fundraiser. check out the myspace profile for more info, and add it! the youth are workin' hella hard to make this successful and it's totally going to rule. be there & support the cause. talk to me if you are interested in buyin' tickets to the event, its on MARCH 9 @ the City Hall Rotunda!

time for my daily Wii exercise.

lots of love,
miss nicole.

obama '08

2007-02-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

he's got my vote.

http://www.barackobama.com/

also check out: http://my.barackobama.com/ it's a myspace type site that is for networking with other obama supporters and local & national organizing groups--and of course, fundraising (which obama will need because he's only taking private funds, and not any public funds.)

alright. that's all for now. oh and btw, i might be auntie to another child today! my sister is going into labor as i type this... i just wish she didn't live so far away.

love, nicole.

the weekly weigh-in.

2007-02-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

week 3. not much time to write (i'm trying to get out of my apartment by 8--i'm drivin' down to santa maria), so here's the results:

week 3: 98
week 2: 101
week 1: 100* (baseline, *not actual weight, obviously.)
(refer to previous posts: week 2, week 1.)

not bad, a loss of 3 lbs this week. sweet. i'm still chuggin' away at the wii play. got the new wario ware: smooth moves game. i finally beat the game and unlocked the mult-player mode yesterday (it took about 3 different occasions to finally pull it off). i'm off to visit my sister in santa maria for a day & a half, so i'm loading my mii on the wand and i'm gonna bring wario w/ me so we can test out the multi-player mode. the game itself isnt exactly what i thought (i thought i'd be jumping around more like boxing), but it's pretty fuckin' cool. the graphics are a really cool combo of black & white film noir-esque drawings & hella cute japanese anime.
---------------
valentines day was good. i took the day off and hung out with nate on his break from work. then i cooked us a nice dinner. it was a cute lil' valentines day, satisfying. we also made cookies. check it out:

what happened to wallace?

2007-02-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

So this season of Veronica Mars has been good, but definitely different. In an attempt to get more viewers, the creator (and ultimately the network) decided instead of doing one season long mystery/case, with additional weekly cases for V-Mars, they would just do a couple of bigger mysterys, and then basically do weekly cases. It's worked so far, and the show is always good. (Thank goodness for STRONG writing & likeable characters).

But... what the fuck happened to Wallace? V-Mars sidekick and grounding character to hers (ala Xander via Buffy). Are they pulling a Family Matters, Torkelsons, and getting rid of a character? (I realize he's not a sibling, but he feels like one.) I know I probably missed the one-line when Wallace was off studying abroad, or was accepted into a special program, etc. etc. (I vaguely remember something along those lines.) Although, until I see his baby-fro & hear his sacastic-yet-grounding comments, I will be skeptical that my loveable Wallace is no more.

Screuuuuuuw you Veronica Mars.... scruuuuuuuuuuuuw you.

finding it hard to be out with the old...

2007-02-09T16:09:00.001-08:00

To convert or not to convert, that is my dilemma. No, I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about converting my perfectly simple blog layout that I worked hard to edit and get just the way I want it (basically searching online for simple templates and altering the code to my liking). Blogger is starting to offer some cool features that link up with Google's cool features, and I'm slowly being enticed by them. The google reader shared blog links is what's really got me drooling now. In order to use the feature I have to upgrade to their layouts version of blogger, which means having them upgrade my current layout that I like, and loosing much of my saved data. I suppose I could upgrade and always save the code from my current blog in case I want to revert back. Although, what if I do that and come to find out it's not reversible? Despite blogger noting that I could revert back to my old template if I "need to". I'm still skeptical.

Advice? To switch or not to switch....... Maybe I can convert an older, not-in-use blog & see how I like it.

Sound like a plan?

can you air guitar?

2007-02-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

this is pretty rad: http://www.airguitarusa.com/home.html

air guitar championship. haha.

mood: sleepy.
music: npr- news hour (w/ jim lehrer)

a fruity surprise!

2007-02-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

i had a very nice surprise from a very nice boy (nathan--duh) waiting for me at work last night.

a cute duck-fruit arrangement from edible arrangements! there was also a box with chocolate-dipped strawberries (dark & white chocolate!). yummy!

i was so excited and happy because i've never gotten anything sent to me at work, like flowers, etc. this was my first romantic bouquet delivery at work! and best of all... it was a "just because", not an obligated "i'm sorry" or "it's valentines day" or "happy birthday", it was a "something to make you happy" reason.

i'm gushing like the girly-girl i am. oh well. i'm allowed.

isn't the ducky cute? there are daises made of pineapple & cantaloupe melon, and pineapple shaped stars.
soooo awesome!

well, that's all for now.

the weekly weigh-in

2007-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

today's thursday, which means... weight check time. not much difference after a week longs wii-workout.

week 2: 101
week 1: 100 (baseline)
(remember i'm not putting my ACTUAL weight, maybe once i lose some, but for now, baseline weight is at a 100 lb lie).

so i gained 1 lb, which hopefully means that i'm building muscle and loosing fat. my arms have been sore all week from boxing, so that's a good thing. i'm gonna try to go jogging twice a week (once the rain lets up).

i also signed up for the self magazine challenge (online). i signed up last year too but didnt do much with it. because they have some good low-cal/low-fat recipes i'm gonna check out, and they send you little work-out routines, etc. we'll see how i do with that.

i bought the new wii game: wario ware: smooth moves & so far i'm a little disappointed because i thought i would be moving around more than i am. though i've only used single-player mode & i'm assuming the 2+ player mode will be a little more active, plus i'm still in the process of unlocking a lot of the games. it's pretty cool japanese anime style graphics though. the look of the game is definitely cool.

ok. time for work.

an update of sorts.

2007-02-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

headaches are horrible. horrible. i've been getting really bad headaches over the last three days that pretty much equates to me not being able to do anything except hold my head and rub my temples in extreme pain. i take advil & drink lots of water and it will only go away for an hour or two.

any way... so basically haven't been up to too much the last few days. i've seen a bunch of movies: pan's labrynth (amazing!!! really really good fantasy story), music & lyrics (pretty cute--and loads better than any of the romantic comedies i've seen recently), and volver (also really good. strong female characters, but not a chick-flick--don't get the two confused. men should really go & see movies like this).

obviously i lost on my super bowl bets, so that was totally lame. now i just gotta hope that the sharks win the stanley cup, & i'll win my 50 bucks.

so i've been keeping up with the wii playing. the last couple of days i haven't played as much because of my brain tumor, better known as mind-numbing headaches. i'm completely obsessed with the boxing training games, my arms are so sore.

perverted minds.

2007-02-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

so i have this photo posted on my flickr account:

and i have it labeled "masturbation."

and normally my pictures have a cross between 0 to 10/15 views.

but this one... has 57 views! 57 people.

and i didnt even explain why it's called that. the story goes that me & my family used to stay at this condo in palm springs when we would visit my grandparents. the condo was decorated with the cheeziest shit imaginable, including a bunch of sammy hagar shit, 90210 earrings, and the hanging picture of the girl to the left.

basically me & my sister thought it looked like the chick was masturbating to the ocean. this picture totally rules & i think it's hilarious. i also think it's hilarious that people will view an image 57 times just for the title of masturbation (which isn't event tagged with the word masturbation).

and there's also a picture of my friend berenice that shows off her legs w/ fishnets and that one was viewed 125 times... just because when you first look at it (the smaller version), it looks like you can see under her skirt, but really it's a napkin on her lap.

damn perverts. =D

an hour of wii boxing = an in shape me?

2007-02-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

that's the plan at least. i want to lose weight. i want to get more in shape. i feel blobby. so my plan as of yesterday is to start by playing that wii at least an hour a day. tyler inspired me because he told me that some guy dropped 2 pants sizes playing the wii an hour a day (so he reports on his website). so what the hell. i will give it a shot.

i've been playing a couple of games of boxing, some tennis and some wii fitness practice games. the boxing definitely gets the heart rate goin' and it works my arms (which really need to be worked). i've also been riding my exercise bike and doing some yoga/weight lifts.

i will gradually build up my exercise routine when it needs to be more challenging. for instance--i may play 5-6 games in the next day or two, instead of the three i played this morning. i also might try to venture outside, maybe play actual tennis, basketball or go hiking/jogging once in awhile.

without giving away my actual weight (because that would just be too damaging to my self-esteem) lets just say my baseline starting weight is 100 lbs. (obviously untrue--but it's an easy number to measure gain/loss.)

i will weigh myself one a week, because otherwise you just get obsessed and complain... why isn't anything happening!!!!! damnit! since i weighed myself yesterday, i will keep it to every thursday. that way i dont have to feel bad about vegging out on the weekend and feelin' blobby come monday (cuz damn that super bowl sunday weekend!).

thursday baseline (week 1) = 100 lbs.

we'll see how this goes. i'm also going to try and work on little things about my eating patterns (though i think i've been doin' alright, not eating out as much, hardly drinkin', etc).

mood: awake
music: jimmy eat world- clarity.

can't resist one last post...

2007-02-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

i think this is the funniest shit that has happened in a long time, and i cant stop myself from posting about it. maybe it's the fact that i've been watching the show since day 1 & visit sites like the mooninites random quote generator... but this is seriously fucking genius.

click the image below to see a video on youtube about how the guys put them up all over the city (the embedded code was being a dick so i couldn't post it directly).

-------------------------------------------

and i couldn't resisit posting a picture of my socks that tyler got me @ comic con.

please click the socks for another hilarious account of the mooninites bomb scare, courtesy of the boston-ist. my favorite quote from the article is that the Boston Globe called the mooninites: "little square-shaped men frowning and making an obscene gesture." priceless.

am i the only one finding this much pleasure out of this? oh how the simple things amuse me...

one last amusing bit.

2007-02-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

via boing.boing. via some other person's website.

mooninites now boozin' it up.

2007-02-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

the lastest on the aqua-terror square...

2007-02-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

San Francisco reports.

and to boston authorities: "i'm giving you the finger as HARD as i can..."

just laugh at yourselves for being the bumbling bomb squad that you are and go about your day.

(i also enjoy the fact that "the finger" is censored out of the news reports.)

i don't think i'll ever grow tired of this story... i'll make sure to update more as the story unfolds.

mood: incredibly AMUSED.

number one in the hood, g!

2007-02-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

this is AMAZING!!! anyone wanna scout out SF for ignignot & irr (sp??)???
what a GENIUS marketing strategy.

2 men held on bond in Boston hoax case

BOSTON - A judge ordered two men held on bond Thursday for allegedly placing electronic advertising devices around the city in a publicity stunt that went awry and stirred fears of terrorism, shutting down parts of Boston.

Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were held on $2,500 cash bond each after they pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct for a device found Wednesday at a subway station.

Officials found 38 blinking electronic signs promoting the Cartoon Network TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" on bridges and other high-profile spots across the city Wednesday, prompting the closing of a highway and the deployment of bomb squads. The surreal series is about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball. The network is a division of Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc.

"It's clear the intent was to get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location," Assistant Attorney General John Grossman said at their arraignment.

The 1-foot tall signs, which were lit up at night, resembled a circuit board, with protruding wires and batteries. Most depicted a boxy, cartoon character giving passersby the finger — a more obvious sight when darkness fell.

The men did not speak or enter their own pleas, but they appeared amused and smiled as the prosecutor talked about the device found at Sullivan Station underneath Interstate 93, looking like it had C-4 explosive.

"The appearance of this device and its location are crucial," Grossman said. "This device looks like a bomb."

Some in the gallery snickered.

Outside the courthouse, Michael Rich, a lawyer for both of the men, said the description of a bomb-like device could be used for any electronic device.

"If somebody had left a VCR on the ground it would have been a device with wires, electronic components and a power source," he said.

Boston officials were livid when the devices were discovered.

"It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme," Mayor Thomas Menino said Wednesday. "I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today's incidents."

Berdovsky, an artist, told The Boston Globe he was hired by a marketing company and said he was "kind of freaked out" by the furor.

"I find it kind of ridiculous that they're making these statements on TV that we must not be safe from terrorism, because they were up there for three weeks and no one noticed. It's pretty commonsensical to look at them and say this is a piece of art and installation," he said.

Fans of the show mocked authorities for what they called an overreaction.
About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday morning with signs saying "1-31-07 Never Forget" and "Free Peter."

"We're the laughing stock," said Tracy O'Connor, 34.

"It's almost too easy to be a terrorist these days," said Jennifer Mason, 26. "You stick a box on a corner and you can shut down a city."

Authorities vowed to hold Turner accountable for what Menino said was "corporate greed," that led to at least $750,000 in police costs.

As soon as Turner realized the Boston problem around 5 p.m., it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in 10 cities where it said the devices had been placed for two to three weeks: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

"We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger," said Phil Kent, chairman of Turner, a division of Time Warner Inc.

Kent said the marketing company that placed the signs, Interference Inc., was ordered to remove them immediately.

Interference had no comment. A woman who answered the phone at the New York-based firm's offices Wednesday afternoon said the firm's CEO was out of town and would not be able to comment until Thursday.

Messages seeking additional comment from the Atlanta-based Cartoon Network were left with several publicists.

Authorities are investigating whether Turner or other companies should be criminally charged, Attorney General Martha Coakley said. "We're not going to let this go without looking at the further roots of how this happened to cause the panic in this city," Coakley said.

In Seattle and several suburbs, the removal of the signs was low-key. "We haven't had any calls to 911 regarding this," Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said Wednesday.

Police in Philadelphia said they believed their city had 56 devices.

The New York Police Department removed 41 of the devices — 38 in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn, according to spokesman Paul Browne. The NYPD had not received any complaints. But when it became aware of the situation, it contacted Cartoon Network, which provided the locations so the devices could be removed.

"Aqua Teen Hunger Force" is a cartoon with a cultish following that airs as part of a block of programs for adults on the Cartoon Network. A feature length film based on the show is slated for release March 23.

merck is no more.

2007-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

i just read through a warp records email that the merck label is closing shop. back when i was music director & radio dj @ kscu, i sought out merck in an effort to get more music from electronic labels & i fell in love w/ them when i first heard the tiki obmar record (and saw them live at CMJ). they had quite a few artists that i totally dug, including: machinedrum, proem, tiki obmar, helios, deceptikon, syndrome... mostly idm-electronic stuff.

this is what the website has to say: "We are both sad and happy to announce that this will be the last year of Merck Records. Once we have released 51 cds (Merck 047 + 4 Mixes) and 50 vinyls which should be complete roughly around January 2007, we will stop releasing new material. We have many reasons for this, in the interest of briefness we will just say that its time to move on. After we have completed 101 total releases (currently at 94) we will sell off our remaining stock and there will be no more represses. We thank EVERYONE who have supported us over the years, you made this possible. "

the owner's label, gabe, was very friendly and always responded to my emails requesting (begging) for machinedrum vinyl & other merck releases.

R.I.P. merck... i'll miss you.

apparently there is a sister label to merck, narita, that put out some good releases last year. they are up & running, so i will have to check them out.

merck just released their last cd ever, the new proswell (another artist i enjoyed)... so shop them out, and check out narita.

currently listening: npr- fresh air archives.
mood: sleepy.

friend opportunity.

2007-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

i went shopping during lunch yesterday at streetlight (how great is it that streetlight is in walking distance to my work & rasputin is just a couple minutes drive?). i made the following purchases:

the shins- wincing the night away
deerhoof- friend opportunity
feist- open season (remixes & collabs)

haven't had enough time to absorb any of them to comment.

there's also tons of shows coming up. i've already got tickets for snow patrol (march 1) & ted leo (march 2), i'm also planning on getting tickets to the ponys (march 3), camera obscura (february 16--maybe), muse, kaiser chiefs, japan night @ the independent (march 19) & i heard ted leo is comin' again in april so i'll definitely be there.

time for work.

currently listening: howard on sirius.

vegas, baby.

2007-01-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

this past weekend i learned the following: never split a pair of queens in blackjack; there is now a cirque d'soleil show i am a fan of; what over/under & total points mean in sports bets; driving 152 at 10 p.m. @ night sucks ass.

just got back from vegas yesterday. we (me, nate & his sister & mom) went as a combo of nate's birthday and nathan's mom really wanting us all to see "love" the beatles show.

the trip was definitely the best of my three trips out there. the first two had their good moments but were clouded with a nastly flu-puking bug & a bladder infection. bleck.

in typical nicole fashion... the highlight list-form rundown:

i learned how to "really" gamble for the first time, meaning i played blackjack long enough that the cocktail waitress came around at least 5 to 8 times! i got a blackjack on my first hand & i was hooked after that. i doubled my initial $60. starting point & ended up making $125. reno anyone?
i am in love w/ "love", the beatles cirque d'soleil show & i want everyone to see it.
i am super unlucky with @ the roulette wheel. just not my thing.
keno is awesome, especially when you bet 1 number at a time. (hey, i won $2!!). nathan was the champion of keno though.
sports betting is a little confusing. i placed three bets, 1 for the sharks to win the stanley cup (5 to 1 odds), & two super bowl bets: the bears need to win by more than 8 points, and the total points scored in the game has to be less then 38 points. so lets hope for a 18-10 bears victory! & hey, at least it'll add a little excitement to watching the superbowl; w/o the bets the only excitement would be the k-fed commercial.
casino coupons rule!
i dig the smaller, less fancy casinos (like the one we stayed at--the gold coast, off the strip & i also dig imperial palace on the strip).
video blackjack is a good way to learn what to do & what not to do in certain situations... which was where nathan schooled me that if i was to ever split a pair of queens like i did on video blackjack that the other people at the table would probably henry viii-me.
oh & catch & release is a horrible movie, and though i love the man, kevin smith should stick with directing & NEVER act.
click the photo to view the full set of vegas photos.

alright. time to end this blog. i'm two episodes behind on battlestar galactica & i'm testing out some frozen indian meals tonight... me & nate are a little scared. i'll make sure to report back on them & at the very least i bought some fresh naan & grabbed some chutney & tamarind sauce from tandoori oven to balance out the ghetto-ness.

music: otis redding- it's not just sentimental.

mood: hurried.

joker's wild.

2007-01-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

(an its-it icecream cake...made by me!)

nathan's 31st birthday was tuesday. i got creative.

(part of his gift--i framed his kevin smith posters).

decorations!

happy birthday to you...

and a group of about 8 of us went to eat at original joes... which was a surprise to nathan. it was one of those all-round good days.

this weekend, i'm off to vegas and i'm gonna gamble--actually sit my ass down at the blackjack table for a reasonable amount of time--for the first time ever.

wish me luck.

new hair.

2007-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

berenice, my hair stylist best buddy fixed up my nasty hair monday. she's still gonna trim it for me, but check out the new color. my hair's a little on the greasy side, cuz i haven't washed it since then. no it's not dirty... because of the color + bleach from highlights i wanted my natural oils to keep it from getting too dried out. dang. don't judge me.

thanks berenice! muah! love you!

only the young.

2007-01-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

damn. i am tired. is it sunday yet, because that would be great.

last night i had a dream that i was trying to recruit people to go to a karaoke party where two people were signed up to sing journey. apparently i was a club promoter, and one of the performers (karaoke singer), was afraid i didn't have any journey cds. i told her, don't worry i will just have my boyfriend bring his journey's greatest hits cd.

weird. i think it's a combination of my love for journey + the fact i (youth i work with) have a big event planned for saturday (dance away violence--which i've been heavily promoting--check out yesterdays eye section of the mercury news, page 3?--best bets for youth :)

so that's that. i gotta get ready for work. stop bothering me.

dance away violence.

2007-01-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

what a shopping whore.

2007-01-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

that shopping whore would be me.

so this is the damage at rasputin: $44.20

and these are the goods:

the hold steady- boys & girls in america (FINALLY!)
girlsareshort- early north american (i fell in love w/ this when i reviewed it at KSCU back in the day [2003]
figurine- transportation + communication = love
the rapture- pieces of the people we love
the jim yoshi pile-up- picks us apart

actually didn't do so bad; i managed to stay within the $25- $50. guidelines, and got most of the cds used & under 6 bucks.

the BAD shopping whoreness took place at old navy, which came out to be about $150. damn. though i did buy mostly sale items. i managed to get: 3 pairs of pants, one jacket, a boys hoodie, an orange cashmere pullover, a red work shirt, and two camis.

not to mention a bought a couple things online earlier from fred flare. eep. that's what happens when you get paid and the rent & all the bills have already cleared! you see $$$ and you must consume, consume, consume.

plus, how on earth could i resist this duffel bag? you know my heart obsessed-self could never!alright. i'm starving, time for a popcorn snack and some more ugly betty episodes (bless fox family for airing that marathon on new years).

mood: satisfied. music: girlsareshort- early north american!

glass coversations.

2007-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

just discovered the ponys are playing noise pop. hee-haw. i'm super stoked on that one, and i actually have a friend who's into them as well--thanks teshia! so i don't have to go it alone. i've seen the ponys twice. i do miss their previous singer, but i'm still digging the current band. their new album is supposed to come out this year... (they signed to matador).

so that means... three shows in a row that week. snow patrol (3/1), teddie leo (3/2), and now the ponys (3/3). i look forward to all of them.
.......................
i've decided that once a week i will go record shopping. ever since i've left kscu my music collection just hasn't been the same. nowadays i rely heavily on online-music listening through myspace or music blogs, and i miss record shopping. so if i can limit myself to $25-$50 bucks a week to music, i would be pretty happy with myself. it may seem like a lot of money, but i've got a lot of catching up to do.

while i usually try to support streetlight records over rasputin, streetlight these days (or months or years) has been pretty disappointing. i go in which a handful of records i'm looking for and leave with nothing. they aren't good about carrying a lot of new releases, restocking doesn't seem to take place very often, and their used section sucks now because you spend all your time on the floor.

rasputin on the other hand, has a pretty rad used section that is well stocked, and definitely laid out in a way that makes it easy to search genres. a lot of their new releases though are way over priced--which is where streetlight has them beat (if you can actually find it there).

either way... i'll let you know what my latest additions end up being.
......................
and while i'm out, i think i'm going to pick up some new pants from old navy. you know its bad when you are LITERALLY wearing the same pair of jeans EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. i know... i know. i seriously don't know what i'd do if i couldn't wear jeans to work.

gingerbread mania.

2007-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

we made gingerbread houses on new years eve, instead of during christmas. i made too many cookies at that time, so i saved this for later. can you guess which one's mine & which one's nathans?

......................

ok. no more picture fun for me. time to cook breakfast for dinner (southwest scramble & chocolate chip swedish pancakes as a side dessert of sorts).

mood: creative.

music: old 97s- satellite rides

and oh yeah:

2007-01-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

we got a wii. just in time for new years.

nathan created an axl mii. obsessed?

the afternoon slump.

2007-01-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

i've gotten a lot of work done so far today, surprising after the holiday & being sick, but the office is quiet (people are still gone), so it's been pretty easy. until now. i'm hitting the afternoon slump. those 2 p.m.--4 p.m. hours where you just can't self-start. dangit. i need remedies for this. usually i am busy and out of the office around these hours, but since the schools are just getting started again i'm stuck here.

perhaps caffiene will help. i've been drinking lots of black tea & honey to give me a boost + work the whole sore throat angle with the honey. seems to be doing the trick.

oh yeah, and happy new year! as for resolutions... i am giving up starbucks coffee. i don't really go there all that often as it is, so i'm going to attempt to avoid it (and avoid bringing the youth to it as well). it's not that they are the only big coffee evil, they are just the biggest evil; they are the walmart of coffee.

my other resolution is to really work towards being more green. i'm actually fairly good about it, but it's time to step it up.

tea time. ciao!

she drove it like she stole it.

2006-12-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

back at work today; i'm still sick. i've been sick with a nasty cold since friday. bleck. christmas was good despite the nasty cold. we (nate & i) spent christmas eve at my parents house with my sister, ben & my cute lil' nephew dylan. he's about 1.5 now and boy is he super cute (that's me & him).

he is completely obsessed with cars... so he got really excited whenever he opened a gift and it was a car... he'd go.. "ca... ca... ca... ca..r....".
......................

had a good christmas, but more on that later.

i went to buy my ted leo ticket through virtuous and tickets were sold out, so i rushed over to the tickets.com site to see if they had any available, and luckily they did. so i bought two in case teshia/jocelyn or whoever else didn't get tickets yet.

ok. just a short post for today... more once i upload my photos.

boys & girls in america.

2006-12-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

i know you aren't supposed to buy gifts for yourself so close to christmas, but i'm going to break the rule. after reading over stereogum's top 30 albums of the year, its damn fucking time i pick up the new hold steady record. i honestly don't know why i hadnt already... apart from i'm lazy & forgetful. i loved their last record (not to mention lifter puller) so it really only makes sense to get it. doi nicole. lame-ass.

so before heading off to lulu's to play santa (give her xmas gift), i'm gonna stop by streetlight for the album.

side note: i was happy to discover that i was actually able to stream the mp3's from the stereogum blog from work... normally i get the white screen of death: ACCESS DENIED. they seem to be streaming through a site called "the hype machine" which i know nothing about, but now i'm their biggest fan ever. i heart hype machine. it seems to be some sort of music blog search engine... that focus on finding mp3's and videos (it has several links to videos from you tube).

i think i want to make love to the hype machine. i am seriously obsessed now.

welcome to my jungle, i've got everything you want.

2006-12-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

its the last day at work before the holiday and boy is it boring. no one is here, which has it's benefits, but also makes it so i have no one really to talk with. i was checking out the noise pop festival lineup. not too many shows i'll be hitting up this year, though count me in for teddie leo! i checked ticket prices and they are twenty bucks! seems a little expensive to me, especially for a great american music hall show, but i do not miss ted when he's here. i think i've probably seen him at least 7 times. he also has a new album coming out early next year on touch & go records. too bad the album lands post-show... i hate that.

............

i've been doing a lot of online window shopping, and one thing i just discovered that i wouldnt mind owning is the mel brooks dvd box set collection. why? because i love fart jokes, and potty humor in general. big fan of silly simple humor. also a big fan of political & social commentary humor as well--i'm pretty well rounded in my sense of humor.
............

on npr they are interviewing neal gabler who wrote a walt disney biography. they are discussing club 33 (the hidden club in disneyland) that is located right next to the blue bayou restaurant in new orleans square, and is an unmarked door, with a hidden doorbell on the wall nearby. when my sister and i discovered this club many years ago, we played ding-dong ditch several times. it was awesome. we also used to eat at the blue bayou and throw bread at the people on pirates of the carribbean. maturity is overrated.

nathan didn't believe me that club 33 existed so i showed him when we went to disneyland in august. totally moded him.

............

arg. i was doing my best to avoid getting sick right around christmas but i think i am in the early stages of it. nathan's been sick the last few days, and i think i've got the bug now. great.

speaking of nathan and him doing mean things, he dragged me yet again to a guns n roses concert. second one in less than 6 months. i swear i am not shitting you, i have actually gone TWICE to see them (and sebastian bach!). but more on this topic at a later time (incriminating photo will be included).

chillin' like a little white girl in a frozen apartment...

2006-12-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

it is really fucking cold in my house. i think it's below 60 degrees. my hands are like frozen french fries. i got the pilot light lit but that damned thermostat choses to be a bastard, so i called my rent company and they are sending someone tomorrow.

other than that... things are going well. i have only one gift left to buy & i just have to wait until tomorrow (when i get paid). this season its all about the baked goods for me... i am going to make our family famous sherry-wine cakes for my peeps, and i'm also going to make pumpkin cookies & me and nathan are gonna make gingerbread houses... (hopefully).

i could really go for a fatty mug of hot chocolate right now. some hot chocolate and a little mario party action would be ultra sweet.

speaking of mario, me & nate were shit outta luck on the wii-target situation on sunday. we got there and about fifty people were in line ahead of us... and target had about 10-15 wiis. damn them. BUT amazon did a raffle to allow people to purchase some and BEN my savior (and brother in-law), won! it'll get here a few days past christmas but nevertheless, we'll have a wii-filled new years. that game console is seriously A-MA-ZING! i want to make love to it. it's that amazing.

ok. it's tamale-time for me... nate's work had a tamale-fest (w/ mariachi's!) and i'm reeping the leftover benefits.

wish me luck in not freezing to death.

in memory.

2006-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

over the past couple weeks i have had to say goodbye to my grandpa & a friend of mine from high school... it's been a tough month.

in memory of my grandpa (charles mcewan) i post this picture:

don quixote. as my sister put it, my grandpa was never the type of person to say "i don't know". if he didn't know... he made it up. he was a man of many stories (some of them true, some of them tall-tales). he had a big heart and i love him & miss him very much.

this picture is for my high school journalism buddy nancy nguyen:

nancy always loved piggys...she never parted with one in high school (a stuffed animal one that is). nancy was my friend senior year of high school--where we battled out ms. williams, our mean journalism teacher together. nancy was quietly quirky then--i saw myself that way too. she had a big heart and she will be missed.

.................

it might be cliche to say, but at times like these you really start thinking about your life & how you want to leave your mark on the world & about doing everything you want to do in life & getting everything you want out of your life... and just loving life. which i do.

love, nicole.

whats going on here?

2006-12-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

i know, i know. i am flakin' out on my blog that i was so dedicated to for a few weeks. things have been pretty crazy busy and intense this past month.

there's been: trips out of town (to and from palm spings twice), day after thanksgiving thanksgiving, canceled concerts-at least my attendance at (wolfmother & not so silent night), tons of holiday shopping, lots of work projects & tasks, family drama, sadness, dog-sitting & house-sitting, neglected netflix and ironweed film club dvds, wii playing, decorating x-mas tree, present wrapping, holiday parties, trip planning, fillin' up my itunes, movie night get togethers (nachooooooo)... and that about sums it up.

coming up: g'n'r friday night (egad!), christmas in the park & vasona lake lights, the nutcracker, more shopping (attempting to get a wii from target on sunday), vegas-beatles "love" performance, christmas w/ three families, scary work budget cuts, hanging out with friends... ??

and now, time to watch outfoxed because i think netflix shipped it to me over 2 weeks ago. yup, they are definitely making money off me these past couple of months. oh well.

up...down...right...left...diagonal...360 degrees...

2006-12-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

i just discovered 360 degrees pictures. they are way rad. the above photo is a link to check out a 360 degree version of the mural of a farting girl... that's on display at the boston contemporary arts museum. i think it's awesomely rad. check it out.

mood: tired.
music: cannibal ox- the cold vein

learning.

2006-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

these are two new things i hope to tackle next year:
1. learn how to knit & sew a tad better ... & ... 2. learn how to make sushi (at least make it once).

current mood: inspired & creative, but quietly contained and contemplative (because of the whole work-cubicle situation)
music: my sad bastard iTunes mix, currently playing: magnetic fields- "all my little words".

STOP AIDS: keep the promise.

2006-12-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

today is WORLD AIDS DAY.

educate yourself. get tested. spread awareness. wear a red ribbon. donate to organizations. buy (RED) products.

DO SOMETHING.

peace.

nicole

back from the dead.

2006-11-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

i am alive. i swear. this post right here is the proof.

more to come...

love, nicole.

p.s. i saw the hidden cameras last night.
p.p.s. yeaaaaah!

get out the vote: you lazy fuckers.

2006-11-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

tomorrow is election day, and that means taking five whole minutes out of your day (your employers are REQUIRED to give you time off to go and vote!) and going to the poll! if you are registered, but don't know your polling place, go here. if you aren't registered, then do it NOW in time for the next election.

if you are stuck on certain issues: the league of young (& pissed off) voters has a great voter guide to help in your decisions (& if you are progressive-minded folks--which you SHOULD be if you are my friend--then the guide is right on!).

a couple highlights:

governor: obviously, phil. sadly the only hope to defeat arnie. i really do despise the democrats right now, but not as much as the republicans.

overall: i'm actually going green this year & voting for todd cretian (senator) mehul thakker (treasurer) & larry cafiero (insurance commissioner); despite that feinstein is going to be voted in until she kicks it; she's been in office for like 30 years! i know its still a two-party system, but it'll never change unless people vote differently...

major props:

83: NO! i actually stole this from Avi cuz i feel the same way and he said it better than i could... If you get drunk at a bar, don't feel like waiting in line for the bathroom, and get caught by pissing on a tree in the alley out back, you are a registered sex offender. The law already says you can't be within 200 feet of a school or park. This law extends that distance to 2,000 feet, meaning that registered sex offenders, even if they just pissed on a tree fifty years ago, would only be allowed to live in super rural parts of California or entirely leave the state, and would have to wear GPS tracking anklets for life. This law would not have prevented any repeat crimes or done much to make us safer.I want to kick rapists and pedophiles in the nuts as much as the next guy [girl], but this goes to far and isn't narrowly tailored enough to focus on the right people. And that GPS shit is going to be WAY expensive, taking funding away from things like schools, roads, and fire departments where its needed.

85: NO NO & more NO!! this is a republican tactic to put a conservature prop on the ballot so they'll get out there and vote & thus vote for republican party candidates. don't be fooled! parental relationships cannot be forced, and we need to protect young women, especially because they can't vote & truly decide for themselves.

86: of course, YES! no this $$$ is NOT going to BIG HOSPITAL--don't be fooled by the ads. hospitals are struggling to stay open (sj downtown regional med closed, now thousands of people in downtown are w/o a major hospital), plus big hospital does not = big tobacco. the $$$ is going towards tons of health education and treatment programs including cancer research, prevention programs, nursing, and much more.

87: YES! we need more accountability for the BIG OIL companies that are gouging away. they don't want competition because it creates accountability (most of the time :) PLUS---- 87 creates a tax on oil companies who extract oil in California. currently we're the only major oil-producing region without such a tax. what's up with that? the tax would generate $4 billion for alternative clean energy technologies that will fight climate crisis, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create tens of thousands of new jobs. 87 also prevents oil companies from passing the tax on to consumers.
......................
for more definitely check out the leagues guide, its really good at breaking down the issues.
and for goodness sakes, go out and vote tomorrow! i will be asking all ya'll if you did and the answer better be yes or expect a nasty look & lots of lecturing.

xoxoxoxo,
nicole

ban marriage

2006-10-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

any of you'z guy'z i hang out with wanna go to see the hidden cameras with me on november 29th @ the independent? i don't really know which or if any of my friends likes them. (i stole the cute skull you see from their website.)
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tish's event last night at emmas was a success. it was an art & music show, which i only saw the art part--since i left at around 10-ish before the music started. i bought a pair of earrings made by my friend renee, and put in a request for another pair. she makes some rad stuff (i'll try to post more info/pics so you can see how rad).
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i think cold season has hit. i've been fighting something off for most of this week...but it could have more to do with long work hours + physical/building halloween sets of tarps that are five years old & full of dust and paint chips.
-----------
the election is coming up pretty soon. hopefully all ya'll are registered and taking your asses to vote on the 7th. i will bitch your ear off if you aren't. and PLEASE even though it's too late to register and vote in time for this election, just REGISTER NOW while it's in your head, so that you can vote in the next election. thank you.

so... this election i'm finding myself voting more green. not a big surprise considering the sad state of the democratic party. there's a big different between being a liberal & a progressive (i consider myself the latter). i'll be posting more on the election in the days to come. if you're stuck on issues/candidates... the league of young voters has an amazing voter guide to help guide you.

that's all for now folks.

salmon nigiri.

2006-10-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

these pillows are super cute. i'd get one. little sushi pillows. mmm i could go for sushi for lunch/dinner soon.

---------------
it's been a little hard for me to blog lately... been working 'til pretty late every day, 'round 7:30/8 so when i get home i just basically make dinner, and watch a tv show then go to sleep. not much fun.

though tonight i'm going out to an event my friend leticia is putting on. it's at emma's (mexican food&bar) in downtown san jose. it's an art/music show. come check it out.

and the winner is...

2006-10-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

big necked jeffrey; the winner of the third season of project runway. i was happy that he won, i think he took the most chances, and his line was the most varied. overall though, this season wasn't very exciting. there was something missing--like, i don't know--humor. no santino type. no austin or jay type. no wendy pepper to loathe type.
---------------
work has been very exhausting lately. i didnt attend my kick-boxing class at all this week (neither monday or wednesday). i was also going to have berenice color my hair, but i didnt even have time or energy for that. i'll wait until after the haunted house is over, and then i'll get pampered... cuz boy do i need a manicure.

and i'm starvin'... i'll bite your arm off!

2006-10-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

I LOVE CANDY!!!!!!!!! Ahh... it's Halloween season; my time of year.

Halloween is my favorite season because 1) I get to eat lots of candy, 2) I get to dress up as something silly (this year--a corn dog w/ mustard & a scary nurse/insane asylum patient for our haunted house), and 3) the decorations are of cute & scary monsters.

this time of year also means lots of working over time for little ol' me. each year we do a haunted house at one of the schools i work at, and boy does it take a lot of time and energy to do one of them. ive never been in drama or theater stuff before so i'm never used to it when it gets to be october and i'm building sets/scenes out of giant tarps and hanging them from ceiling light fixtures. in the end, its always really freakin' awesome though.

which by the way, if you aren't doing anything halloween night, come on by silver creek high school. the school hosts trick-or-treating at all the classrooms, and then you can pass through our FREE haunted house. woo-whoo.

alright. i'm out for now... not much time for blogging these days.

walking for cause.

2006-10-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

today was the walk for AIDS in san jose (i believe you can still donate!). i marched with a bunch of our youth advocates. we cheated and took the short cut. this was my 8th year doing the walk, and it just gets weirder and weirder every year. by weirder i mean, taken over by giggly asian girls and mainstream interact/key club high school students. where are all the community groups that work doing HIV/AIDS awareness? there's definitely a presence lacking there (there is SOME presense, but not much)... and there could have been some better information given out throughout the walk. still always a great thing to participate in... and continuously advocate for (expanded testing, rapid testing, tolerance, awareness, etc)...

after that we all went to do health outreach at the berryessa flea market open air health fair. i was pretty drained by the time we got there and set up our CATT table. luckily the youth had enough energy to handle tabling for a couple of hours. they rule. these are definitely the aspects of my job that keeps me sane and coming back to work day after day in this suburban-sprawl called santa clara county.

weekend work like this makes me really not want to go and sit in my tiny closet of a cubicle tomorrow morning. luckily our advocates at silver creek high school are planning their second-annual healthy haunted lounge (our fifth year doing a haunted house at various schools), so we get to have a planning meeting in the afternoon.

that's all for now... basically my weekend was spent working for the most part. i managed to sneak in time for a sushi dinner saturday night with the boyfriend and nicole, the boyfriend's sister. (she's awesome and let me burn the new beck cd!) also managed a trip to mervyns for some new bras, socks and underwear.

oh. i hella party. i hella do.

a simple kind of day.

2006-10-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

so i thought i was supposed to work today at the open air health fair @ the berryessa flea market. come to find out that its actually tomorrow. now after i do the walk for AIDS its off to do five hours or so of health education outreach. goodie.

despite going to the flea market for nada, me and jasmine (one of our youth advocates) made a day of it, and i bought one of those GIANT spicy-salami sticks that my sister was obsessed with. they are fucking huge and cost 16 bucks! oh but they are so delicious. i also bought some chili-lime pistacios. i looked all over for lucas, the mexican chili-powder candy that my sister is obsessed with and that we used to eat 24-7 as kids, but no luck. this is the story that goes with the lucas search: my sister LOVES this stuff... LOVES this stuff. while she was pregnant with my nephew dylan she craved this stuff like crazy, and now that she is pregnant with baby number two (sidenote--hopefully with a little girlie), she is craving lucas even more.

only here's the rub: last december the FDA decided to crackdown on the mexican candy because of lead levels... of course, lucas was investigated and plucked from the "market". i thought--i bet i can still find that shit at the flea market. so... while i was there i looked everywhere for it. no luck. so i called her and told that even the mexicans at the flea market won't sell the candy--therefore it's probably best not to ingest it. i dont want my little neice/nephew getting lead poisoning (or my sister for that matter). apparently ben (her husband) is VERY happy that we have had no luck finding lucas.

sorry rach, i tried. i really did.

my new bike!

2006-10-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

i bought a "new" bike! well... it's new to me, but definitely not NEW. its a 65-68 (the guy didn't know the exact year) raleigh sprite 27 cruiser! i dont know what that means, but i dig it. i found it on craigslist and got it for half of what the guy was asking (i paid 75 bucks). i've never bought anything off craigslist before... it was a little weird. it's a fixer upper (as you can tell), but i'm super stoked about it! i already wiped it down a bit and put more air in the tires. i think the back tired needs a new tube, plus i've got to get a new wire for the back brake & replace the gear shifter but HEY! I GOT A NEW BIKE!

i can't wait to pimp my bike, give it a rad paint job and "nicole-it-up". i'm excited. now i can be part of the bike gang with jocelyn, robin, eidelyn and olga (lulu and virginia said they aren't into the bike thing).

either way, woohoo.
--------------------------------
i was looking forward to coming home, enjoying the rogue "dead man's ale" i just bought and watching grey's anatomy. rogues ale is fucking awesome, by the way--it's brewed in oregon and has rad bottle art (view at right). check out there website too--they have some really amazing sounding beers. so anyway... i sit down to watch it [grey's anatomy] on the replay (what you kids call tivo) and it wasn't there! i did some investigating and figured out that nathan set something to record at 8:30 tonight (the same time greys anatomy repeats--so it erased my saved episode!).

oh well... i will watch it at 8 and then battlestar at 9 p.m. its a good tv night for me. i was planning on going over to barnes and noble to check out "the end" a series of unfortunate events release party at 7 p.m. but now that i'm home, i'm in "home-mode" and i don't want to leave. i'll definitely pick up the book this weekend though.

note to self.

2006-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

in honor of my most favorite saturday night live weekend update anchor, norm macdonald, here's a note to self for later:

follow up on this band: the prototypes. song: dis moi (cute french girl pop).
follow up note: checked them out on myspace just now (10/12, 7:24 a.m.). some songs are cute, some are too similar.

currently listening to: somaFM: indie pop rocks.
mood: a little on the bored-side (waiting for 6 to come 'round so i can go to my kickboxing class).

pinball wizard.

2006-10-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

i thought this was pretty rad, pinball shots up close & personal. click the picture for link...

from head to toe.

2006-10-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

yesterday i got a free hair cut from my friend berenice at head to toe salon in campbell. she just recently got her cosmetology license, so she needs hair models (tuesday & wednesday--if you're interested).

the haircut took awhile (2.5 hours) but it was a model-lesson type of deal so i didnt mind. PLUS they always offer a beverage of your choice when you go there... so you know i was having a beer (they also offer wine for you winos). plus berenice gave me a chocolate chip cookie so i was all set.

i am totally happy with the haircut. i love it. plus her boss checks over her work to give her tips and make sure everything looks good--in case you're worried about leaving looking like a beauty school hair model. ha.

any way... i recommend it. she also needs guys who need haircuts to practice.
------------------------------
monday night i went to mexico lindo for dinner with teshia and jocelyn. i was annoyed that we went to eat mexican food and they ordered salads. silly girls. we could have just gone to togos.

after dinner we went to karaoke at the blank club. jocelyn ("walking on sunshine") & michael (know the song, not the title) sang, me & teshia did not. i have too big a case of stage fright to sing. i heard my first incredibly HORRIBLE version of "sweet caroline" (one of my all-time favorite karaoke songs) while we were there. the lady was super drunk (which can make for good karaoke or very bad), and in this case it was definitely the latter.

tonight is the finale of project runway. we are attempting to revive our project runway girls night get-to-gether in honor of the season 3 finale. i'm rooting for michael, but i'm excited to see jeffrey's line.

time for me to leave for work.

monkey biz-nazz!

2006-10-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

yesterday i came into work around 8:30ish and i am walking to my cubbie to set down my stuff, and i see what i think is my co-worker lorna.

my first thought is: wow. lorna is here early.
...
my second thought: why is she wearing a fuzzy russian hat? ... and why does she look so much shorter?
...
then i realized... THAT ISN'T LORNA.

it's a GIANT GORRILLA.
...
people kept walking by and proclaiming...

"lorna has a lot of hair".

"oh wait.... what is that? is that a monkey or a bear?"

yesterday was a good day.

dearly departed... we are gathered here today... for some violence & popcorn.

2006-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

i saw the departed on sunday. let me start by saying that i had to gradually become a fan of martin scorsese. i had a bad initial watching of goodfellas and while i loved taxi driver, i kind of shied away from many of his other movies. it wasn't until i went to see bringing out the dead (I THINK one of his underrated flicks), that i started opening up more to some of his previous classics (as well as revisiting goodfellas a couple of times).

i thought he [marty] was robbed with gangs of new york at awards season, but i have to say--i didnt quite enjoy the aviator. i heavily questioned (WHY OH WHY) is leo dicaprio becoming his new bobby deniro?

BUT--now we are at present day, and here i am watching the departed. while i'm still heavily weary of 12-year-old paper-boy dicaprio, i have been definitely stoked for this movie.

right off the bat: i highly recommend the movie, two thumbs up, etc. etc. definite quality acting across the board, from matty to leo to jack to alec to wahlberg to sheen to even vera farmiga (the girl-role)--who reminds me of cate blanchett. the script is really fucking good--the film is actually funny at times and you genuinely fucking care about the characters (pardon the language but we are talking "dirty cop" movie here-so its practically warranted). i found myself caring and rooting for certain characters (leo actually--and partially for jack). plus jack has a fucking rad wardrobe (take note of the leopard print--click the movie tickets for a sneak-peak), and everyone complaining about how jack is always jack--get over it! that's what is so great about him. he's an amazing actor, and how great is it to see two great villains (the joker & jack torrance [the shining]) combined into one character for this flick? well i think it's pretty fucking great. AND let me also say this: leo looked like a MAN in this movie... a real live man. he's all grow'd up--THANK GOD.

and on that note--i highly recommend checking out this movie. to put it simply: it fucking rules.

adventures in puppy-sitting...

2006-10-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

this weekend was spent babysitting my parents adorable little beagle, penny. she's about 2 and a half years old (i believe), and she's awesome!

my parents have a pretty amazing little house nestled in the outskirts of alum rock park. looking out from their back deck you see the hills, and at any given time the following animals: deer, wild boar, wild turkeys, peacocks, and once mom was scared by a mountain lion one evening.

while i was there i went swimming in their little "club house" pool. it was completely empty, and pretty cold (but you get used to it). the hills surround the pool and theirs a little pond surrounding the pool that sprouts a little water fountain. it was pretty fucking awesome scenary for swimming. no one can really see you in the pool from their houses either--it's pretty private.

my parents are always overly supplying us (me & nate) with food and goodies when we agree to puppy-sit, which is AWESOME! we basically have the laziest weekend imaginable, because we're set up with the snacks, plus they have every movie-cable channel possible, including on-demand (which im still waiting for COMCAST!).

thus we mostly spent time watching episodes of survivor: segregation. and baseball. we attempted to watch phantoms... you know... "affleck you the bomb in phantoms"-phantoms. i fell asleep. i think it's more than a sign that its time for bed, when you go upstairs and penny is already asleep upstairs on her little chair-bed.

anyway, getting back to penny... she is the cutest, sweetest little girl. she mostly just sleeps, but who can blame her, she's a dog afterall. she likes to bark at all the wild animals, and she also enjoys licking the dishes as you put them into the dishwasher. observe at right. i like the pink collar my mom gave her.

-------------------------
today is my day off and im definately enjoying it. i was waken up before 8 a.m. by the phone, but i wasnt that pissed. actually it was good to get up early, so far i've played around on myspace, hooked up the subwoofer (arf! arf!)-computer speakers for the sirius radio that my dad gave me (i'm gonna test them with my ipod in a bit), uploaded some photos from my camera to picasa, and now i'm just about dressed and ready for a day of hanging out with tish and berenice, then after my kickboxing class, dinner with joce & teshia then brit-pop karaoke at the blank.

today should be a good day.

music:
mood: upbeat.

but contessa.... i already did.

2006-10-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

i just made my first iTunes purchase! woo for me being years behind on technology! my first ever purchase was a live version of "streets on fire" by the new pornographers. not a big shocker there. i also bought a live version of "new slang" performed by the shins & iron & wine. i'm HELLA indie-rock.

i'm now going to go completely broke 99 cents at a time! what the hell have i gotten myself into!
as you can tell i've recently purchased a video ipod (my baby is pictured).

i'm a little sad because they don't have the ugly betty episodes up for download. its my only show conflict and i was going to try to watch it ala my video ipod--but no luck. i guess that's what tv on dvd is for.

i'm still scouting out a good car-adapter... i've been told the iTrip isn't all that, and that there are some better alternatives. if anyone has something they like that is 30gb video ipod compatible--holla at your girl! also--i'm looking for an rca adapter to hook it into the tv as well. i know there is the apple brand, but my sister says its not necessary to purchase it, that you can get a cheaper more generic one, you just have to play with the inputs because apple purposely makes it weird so you "have" to use their products. apparently digital video recorder adapters work--so that is what i shall be looking for... i am not technologically savvy, so i will be reading some consumer reports.

ok. i'm going to continue exploring this itunes thing and just music in general...

score!

2006-10-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

i just discovered that i have monday off! sweet. a three-day weekend is just what i needed. of course, scoring a day off due to columbus day is a little sad (rape? pillaging anyone?), but i will make sure not to let it go to waste. i will work really hard to be as lazy and useless as possible. or maybe i'll actually do something... go shopping in san francisco/santa cruz or go hiking. or maybe i'll do something girly like use my birthday gift from nathan--which was a day at a spa, with a nice massage, seaweed wrap, facial... i've never had any of those done. being pampered sounds like a good thing to do.
------------------
by the way, i'm already behind on my exercise schedule. i turned off my alarm instead of hitting snooze and slept in. whoops! but i did manage to get some time in on the exercise bike, as well as a few stength exercise-yoga type moves. maybe i can go for an evening jog tonight (before earl & grey's anatomy!)--if it's not raining.

tomorrow's the day.

2006-10-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

while in the shower just now, i decided that tomorrow is going to be the day i start my regular exercise routine. i feel like if i make a set schedule and post in my blog--that if [when] i skip out on something i will read it on here and feel blobby & lazy& sucky.

soo... this is my tentative routine:
mon/wed: kick-boxing class (which i'm already in)
tues/thurs: morning jogging + some strength training
friday: swimming
weekend: outdoors activities (tennis/hiking/basketball/bike riding--note to self: search craigs list for used bicycles).

there it is. wish me luck, and if anyone wants to join me, let me know! company is always good encouragement.
----------------------------
i just finished watching the veronica mars season premiere. sharp and sassy as always. this is my favorite show on television right now... with battlestar galactica maybe a close second. (not counting my name is earl--cuz its a comedy and in a different category). AND speaking of battlestar.... in both this week's GILMORE GIRLS & VERONICA MARS there were battlestar galactica references! which is FRAKIN' awesome! speaking of BG--season premiere is FRIDAY NIGHT! i would totally stay home to watch it, but i might go with nathan to check out the departed, which i'm also really looking forward to. there's something about matt damon with that boston accent that really turns me on.

any way... getting back to V-MARS, the premiere was great. it's always a little awkward to do the high school-to-college made-up-school that everyone goes to transformation, but everything seems good so far (on-going cases w/ mr. mars and mizz mars are both en-route). plus in the buffy-verse they managed to pull out one of it's most hilarious seasons (season 4) when they transitioned to college--so lets hope miss mars + co. can do the same. one small complaint about the new season: i am NOT digging the slow-downed version of the dandy warhols theme song. this new one seems too emo.
---------------------------
on a totally unrelated note: nathan and the "don't stop believing" softball team lost their playoff game last night. it was quite a sad loss, but the team took it well.

and with that... i leave to make a cajun catfish & orzo dinner & to finish watching contempt. i dont know what orzo is exactly but it looks like a noodle/rice thing (nathan got it from work). the catfish is in honor of my fishing catch-and-release.

it's better in the matinee...

2006-10-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

i got off work earlier today because i had a doctors appt (basically i TOOK time off), so i decided to hit up a matinee at the campbell plaza down the street from my apartment. i was in the mood for stupid-funny. dumb-funny. so i decided on school for scoundrels. i kinda have a "thing" (not really a "thing-thing" just a sorta-"thing") for billy bob thorton. i also ADORE sarah silverman--who had a TINY part playing the bitch (type-cast?) friend/roomate.

any way, i also decided theater over netflix because roeper said it had JUST ENOUGH laughs to recommend the movie. ummmm. what laughs? it was anger management part 2 except that billy bob wasn't messing around--he was really a dick doing all this mean stuff. there was a lot of mis-used talent in the movie, including david cross.

overall--roeper can eat it, i don't recommend a theater viewing of this--wait for cable.
..............................

veronica mars season premiere starts in five minutes! but i'm off to nate's softball game. actually i'm running late so i'd better end this.

catching fish.

2006-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

two weekends ago, me and my boyfriend (nathan) went up to clearlake to hang out with my family. my mom & dad had rented a house on the lake for a whole week. they also rented a boat for a couple days. my sister, my brother-in-law and nephew also came up. and then there was also penny (parent's adorable beagle).

it's been awhile since i've done the boating/fishing thing, but i really enjoyed it. i can easily see myself doing that type of stuff a lot more often. we went out on the boat a bunch, and i went swimming in the lake. i think me and ben (bro-in-law) were the only two who went for a swim. it was hard enough convincing nathan to go on the boat (but he did eventually!). me and him had some good times fishing. he caught the first one... a blue-gil i think... a smaller-ish fish. :) i, on the other hand, caught myself a decent sized catfish. we ended up throwing it back because none of us knew what to do with it (how to get the hook out--as it was deep inside it, or how to clean it, etc), so we threw it back in the lake.

it was good times. next step: convice my parents to buy a boat! i'm hooked. aha. get it... hooked. anyway... click on my clever drawing for pictures of the clearlake adventure.

xoxoxo, nicole.

music: snow patrol: eyes open. (track 6 & 8 i'm totally in love with!)
mood: cramped (pap smears are not my friend--is that too much info? oh well. its clinical so its not dirty.)

a new home. a new beginning.

2006-10-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

so.... yours truly has a little problem keeping with one blog. i can't help it! i'm a creator! plus i wanted something really simple looking, to go with my simple way of blogging, and my simple way of life.... hence: "simple stories. a blog by nicole."

here it is. enjoy it!