Bay Area Derby Girls Night

On Saturday I am going to see the B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls showdown near the Oakland Airport. This should be pretty fun and a nice change of pace to what my life is about on a day to day basis. I look forward to cups of MGD and seeing some body checking.

Tonight I took a nap from 7-1030pm, so now I am up and on the Internet. I should go to sleep but I am kind of wired. This week has been hard at the start, but midweek things trickled down. I am trying to enjoy it rather than work to get ahead for next week. If anything I have learned these past few weeks is that I will never likely "get ahead". It is better to use that down time to nap and try to exercise and see Roller Derbys in Oakland.

I just heard the door open, so that means Pedro is home or someone with a key to our place just broke in. I am hearing the stove flame light up under the tea kettle, so I am assuming it is Pedro and not some burglar.

Sunday morning pet peeve rant

I just got home from nearly an all nighter in studio. Typical story, but anyway, I just need to vent an annoyance before I get a few hours of shut eye (gotta be back at school in 8 hours!).

My irritation stems from the uncouthe practice that young people my age have for using Mason jars as regular drinking vessels. Do you know what I am talking about? These jars are ridiculously oversized and inappropriate for using as a water glass. They are clumsy, dangerous (glass breaks) and garrish looking. I am not referring to those little jam and jelly jars that some folks use to serve orange juice in. No, sir. These jars run anywhere from 28-32 ounces, maybe more!


This is *NOT* a glass. It is a jar for pickling and preserving food!

Imagine having to watch someone quench their thirst with a large emptied Best Foods/Hellman's mayonaisse jar? This is what I am talking about! It's vulgarity and unrefinement to the tenth power. The most inane thing about this whole situation is the fact that most of these jar abusers have two or more personal Nalgene or Nalgene-esque bottles at their disposal to use. Yet they still reach for the jar! Society's underlings have found a way to mock the upright and steadfast practices of the proper glass and cup-using cultures. And to my estimation, it won't be the last time, either.

Say no to drinking out of scuzzy old jars. Reach for a clean, 12 ounce glass and join the normal people.

A coup as "smooth as silk"

This morning, Thailand's military successfully overthrew the government headed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Read article here if you haven't heard anything about this yet.

I wrote one of my friends I saw recently in Bangkok this past summer saying I hoped that things were alright and that what ultimately comes out of this is a better situation for the Thai people. This is what she wrote back:

Dear (Miz E),

Thanks for your kind concern. I think this coup is not that bad, you know Thai coup smooth as silk :P There are many army tanks rolling around the city last night but there's no threatenning or fighting happened, only an order from the coup leader that today is a public holiday, but I still want to go to work....cos no transportation system is disrupted. The only thing I hate is all the TV channels have been re-showing similar programs and annoucement again and again. CNN and BBC here is unable to access.

Thanks again for your email, I am still fine, no injury and a bit excited to involve in this situation- as living in the heart of the city. that's all.

Best,

Yui

Party recap and other great music shows

Friday evening on MLK Jr. Way provided nearly 5 hours of intense partying fun. Attendence was off the charts, beer and spirits consumption also reaching record levels. Only one glass of wine was spilled in the course of the evening.

At one point, I noticed about 6-7 thug-clad white people in my apartment, holding paper bags and drinking Colt 45s. I had no idea who these people were, where they came from, or why they decided to stop by. Because they appeared to be behaving themselves and causing no difficulties, I didn't interrogate them and moved along to go chat with Jackie. It was only this morning that I found out they were the butt of some practical joke. My roommate Pedro had emailed a handful of people saying that the party had a gangster theme. They arrived and were pretty much the only people wearing heavy oversized winter coats, rhinestone jewelry, and baseball caps worn askew. I noticed they actually finished that malt liquor, all 280 or so ounces of it between the group. All I have to say about that is *impressive*.

Here are some shows to take notice of...

September 26, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Fillmore
October 7, Magnolia Electric Co., Great American Music Hall
October 11-12, Sufjan Stevens, Zellerbach Auditorium
October 14, The Elected & Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos, Cafe du Nord
October 16, Bettie Serveert, Cafe du Nord
October 21, Two Gallants, Bottom of the Hill
October 25, Lucinda Williams, The Fillmore
October 30, Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, The Fillmore
November 9, Islands, Great American Music Hall
November 17-18, Hot Buttered Rum String Band, The Independent

Can't sleep

So I got home at 2:53 am from studio (assignment complete!!!! woo-hoo-yah!) and I really can't sleep. I am kind of wound up. I am not totally doped up on coffee (I had a coffee about 12 hours ago) but working so fast and furious kind of makes one a little stir crazy. This is what I've done since I got home:

1. watered the plants on my deck
2. swept the kitchen floor
3. ditto bathroom floor
4. clipped and filed my fingernails
5. got on computer
6. cleaned out my school bag becauce an After Eight dinner mint got smashed into a crevice of the interior

I have to get up at 7:00 am and I havent slept for neary two days. I got about 4 hours of sleep on Friday and 3 hours of sleep last night. Tonight I will get about 3, too. This gravy train ain't stoppin' at the depot anytime soon, either. There is another drawing assignment due at midnight tomorrow. Er, I mean, midnight today.

In other news, Adam is leaving for home this week and will be gone until the end of next week. He also got a new kitten which he is very excited about.

Hm, my eyelids suddenly got super tired...zz..zzz.........zzz..z

13 days into a journey of neary 1000

Today was day 13 of being back in school. So far we've already turned in about 5 or 6 assignments. We have an enormous piece of work due at 9am this Monday morning, which I am about 40% done with, so I will likely be only ONE place this weekend. Such is the life of a planner-landscape architect in training. It's very much like design bootcamp. Oh, did I mention I just got home and it's nearing 1 am...and that I have to be back on campus in less than 8 hours?

Still, I write to my loyal reader(s)! Now that is dedication worthy of reward.

Tonight was the inaugural College of Environmental Design happy hour down in the landscape courtyard. New to happy hour this year is the required presence of a staff member chaperone. Although most of us in this college are over 25 years old (and some older than 35) we apparently still need someone to check IDs to get through the liability issue of serving alcohol on campus. Even so, tonight's happy hour was a nice break and people seemed to enjoy themselves. There were two grills going, a bowl full of Cheez-It's, peanut M&Ms, and a flowing river of Charles Shaw. Can't ask for much more than that.

Tomorrow is another long day but I remain content. The work in this program is so different than anything I've ever done so it's a rather invigorating experience. Still, I really need to learn to stop what I am doing, look around, and appreciate where my two feet have landed me this time around.

There is word of a party celebration to hit Martin Luther King Jr. Way next Friday. The plan is now being hatched and I will return with more details when they become available. This party will commemorate the 28th birthday of a good friend, Jean Paul Velez, Colombiano and fellow city planner.



I have been told I shall make a chocolate devil's food cake. I'll see what I can do...

Take me to the ferry!

On Saturday, Adam, Maria, Mike, me, and some of Maria's relatives went to the Ferry Building for the S.F. Farmer's Market extravaganza. Taking the 38L Geary from The Richmond District, Adam and I arrived in style. In less than two hours we spent $12 on three yogurt vessels, $15 on some delicious Mexican food, many dollars on organic beef (I was not in charge of this item), and I also took a lot of photos (for a school homework assignment).

Here are a few from Saturday.


Ferry Building, North side


Tasty food from the Primavera food cart (ceviche tostada and a white corn tamale with black beans)


I love red bells...


Ghandi is at the back entrance of the Ferry Building. Go figure.