Autumn in New England (part 2)

As astute readers may remember, I wrote some weeks back about Fall. How much I love it, and how I went to the pumpkin patch which was awesome but that in no way compared to autumn in New England.

Fall in the West is simply inadequate by my very stringent standards.

But, behold:

I have some amazing friends in Boston who fashioned an effort to get me on a plane out there. Then my friend Lucy drew up a delightful and action packed itinerary for us, based on my wishes for autumn that appeared on the blog.

And I'm leaving on Thursday--how can a girl say no to that?!? (it also doubles as my pre-employment last hurrah.)

In the aforementioned blog post, I discussed ziplining over the orange, yellow and red trees of Western Massachusetts, which despite my fear of heights and better judgment, we have officially signed up for.


We're eating dinner at Legal Seafoods, Boston's premier seafood eatery. There's not enough lobster or clam chowder in the greater Boston area to satiate my recent New England cuisine cravings (to speak nothing of the quanities of Dunkin' Donuts coffee I'll be consuming during my stay):


Stomach's growling just thinking about it.

We're going to Salem on Halloween.

Salem on Halloween!!!

I can't wait. It will probably be mayhem, but well worth combating the costume clad, cotton candy eating masses.

As Lucy said in her itinerary, "there will be more pirates than you can count, more witches than you can take pictures with, and more shady looking characters than you’d care to encounter at once. Would you really want to spend Halloween anywhere else?"

Nope. No I wouldn't.

And of course, there will be time with good friends. It sucks when 3,000 miles separates you from people who mean the most to you. But such is life.

This history-loving, lobster-cracking, leef-peeping, coffee-guzzling girl couldn't be more excited to see them.

Big changes

Today I'm talkin' 'bout Facebook!

Whether you're an active user, fueled by lack of a job, say, or a limited Facebooker, you've no doubt noticed the changes to the homepage as of late.

This throws people for a loop. Every time.

Here's why: people don't like to see their favorite site change. At all. No no noooo to change. But as Slate writer Farhad Manjoo wrote in March after the last redesign,

"It used to be easy to get to people's photos and notes, but now you've got to click around to find anything. Are you at your wit's end? I've got news for you: You'll get over it soon enough."

The Facebook team knows not to take people's threats to abandon the site seriously. For example, Facebook came along with the NewsFeed in 2006. And people hated it, calling it obtrusive. This was before my time, of course, but can you imagine Facebook without its signature Newsfeed?

As I was saying with a new friend the other day, it makes stalking so obnoxiously easy.

In case you're confused, as I was, about this past week's redesign, here it is:

1. The "live feed" (which is based on an algorithm that scores every update coming through based on "likes," comments, and your past interactions with people) is now at the top of the page and shows the number of new items since your last visit.

2. Highlights and hot status updates are the default, called "news feed."

3. Birthdays and events have replaced the old "highlights," making it even less likely that you'll forget anyone's birthday ever, assuming they're your friend on the Facebook.

Of course, there's a group called "I Automatically Hate the New Facebook Homepage."
The group's descprition:
*I hate change and everything associated with it
*I want everything to remain static throughout my entire life.
*I do not know what I want from things I cannot control
*By logical deduction I automatically oppose the new Facebook streaming homepage.
*If I have to explain this group it is no longer funny.

Not surprisingly, Mark Zuckerberg and other staffers are members.

Even less surprising, people have joined thinking it's real.

Onion Friday!

Have you guys browsed the Onion's store?

It turns out the Onion is not only a superlative publication but also a thriving bastion of commerce!

Here are some of my favorites. And Christmas is right around the corner!

1. A framed copy of a paper from a memorable day (typically, I avoid expletives on the blog, but the following is an exception on account of awesomeness):



2. The world's only USB powered single slice toasting device!



3. For the outdoors lover in your life. Or the Nalgene bottle lover (of which there are a lot more in this world):



Or another, equally introspective, approach to quaffing:



4. "At last, a personal debris removal system that will not cause injury if used properly."

This could have done wonders for our house in grad school.



I also want the t-shirt that says "Area Woman" and a shamefully accurate coffee mug that says, "I often make light of my chemical dependency on caffeine."

I wonder if admitting weakness would be frowned upon in my new job....

Cognitive fitness! Move over Richard Simmons...

I saw this study the other day, and since I still feel like I'm 18 years old, I didn't think twice about it.

Until I did.

I just turned 29, after all--not quite the spring chicken I once was. Also, I'm always looking for ways to prove that spending time on the computer is salubrious--not dissimilar to my affinity for studies that prove (then disprove and prove again) the health benefits of coffee and red wine.

At UCLA, researchers determined that the Internet is healthy for middle-aged and older people!

Healthy!

Apparently, time spent searching online leads to neural stimulation, which leads to better reasoning and decision-making. Searching requires people to temporarily store information and determine relevant information from a whole lot of it.

Which makes sense. When you're searching, you have to plow through endless piles of data in order to get the information you want, paying careful attention to avoid porn sites and lame advertisements.

A Google session is like a spinning class for the ol' noggin!

We're lookin' at stimulating and building brain function, potentially counteracting age-related psychological slow down.

It's like crossword puzzles or knitting or (my personal fav) Sodoku, only so much more 21st century.

Can't wait until the study on middle-aged Wii use comes out :)

In related news, did you know that older web users are called "silver surfers?"

Feelin' the burn

Today I joined a gym.

Then I worked out in it.

It's 24-Hour Fitness, but it's brand new and totally awesome.

It's me to the power of 24.

There are devices there I didn't even know existed.

There are machines with personal TVs for those nights when I need to exercise but don't want to miss the program du jour, lest I neglect the television habit I've nurtured so vehemently during unemployment. I figure any one of those contraptions torches at least a few more calories than the couch I've inhabited for the past two months.

In the wise words of Kanye West, "one and two and four and get those sit ups right and tuck your tummy tight and do your crunches like this."

Or equally insightful words from "Saved By the Bell" circa 1990, "put your mind to it, go for it, get down and break a sweat, rock and roll, you ain't seen nothin' yet."
(If you're around my age, you're lying if you say you don't know what I'm talking about.)

I'm so stoked to get back into a regular exercise routine. I've been running, but not as much as I used to nor as much as I should.

Today's workout of running and stairs lasted an hour, but only because I was embarrassed to leave any earlier.

Now I'm tired, but high on the idea of feeling less tired after a comparable workout in a few months. Maybe even a class or two. Maybe Pilates. Or spinning. Maybe both.

In our great state of California we have a very astute governor. He likes to work out. Pump iron. Grab a front row ticket to the gun show. Anyway, he says,

“The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.”

I'm goin' every day.

I want to be as cool as the Arnold.

Big news....

I. Am. Employed.

EMPLOYED!!!!!!!!!!

Empleado! Entre au service! Impiegato! Bei einer Firma arbieten!!!!

I shall work here:




I'm so thrilled with the company (The Ritz Carlton) and even more thrilled with my new position (guest recognition coordinator.)

The Ritz Carlton is unique in that they have a guest relations department--a group of people employed exclusively to speak with guests before, during and after their stay, and to make them feel welcome on a far more personal note than a basket of fruit waiting in their room.

I suppose it's hard to hide that I like talking and that I'm generally super smiley when I do it. This, coupled with creative thinking about how to make guests feel welcome, and also some writing of letters and marketing materials, will be my job.

I'm so stoked.

I've worked for the company before, and I loved it. Learned a lot about dealing with people. And I met some pretty awesome people through the Ritz in Vail. Also, they're amazing about promoting from within--movin' up the ol' totem poll--hopefully to PR or marketing one of these days.

Orientation's not until November 4.

That gives me a couple more weeks to revel in the leisure that has been my life for the past couple months....

Peace out, Craigslist. Your services are no longer needed :)

I hope I see this guy...

I've totally fallen off the blogging wagon this week.

I'm heading to sunny, beautiful Los Angeles for a wedding this morning, and....

...this is big....

...I'm leaving my laptop at home!!!!!!

Scary, considering the shakes I get when I'm away from this thing.

Let's call it temporary technology liberation.

Though I will have my Blackberry :) Not entirely ready to quit cold turkey on this one.

Enjoy the 30 Rock premier this evening.

Enjoy the weekend.

We're lookin' at 90 degrees in LA this weekend, so I'll certainly enjoy mine.

Permission to come aboard, Mr. President...

This weekend I had the distinct treat of taking a boat ride through the San Francisco Bay during Fleet Week, a tradition during which active military ships dock in various cities, allowing the crew to visit tourist attractions.

In San Francisco, it means millions of people infiltrating the city and a fantastic air show by the Blue Angles and other amazing flight crews. Also, a copious number of uniformed sailors along San Francisco's Embarcadero.

The beauty of being on the water (aside from the obvious beauty of simply being on the water) was that we could escape the millions of land lubbers on shore while still enjoying the unspeakable beauty that is this city and the bay that surrounds it.

Thanks to my father and his friend who captains the vessel, we took the ride on the USS Potomac. Built in 1934, it was once President Franklin Roosevelt's presidential yacht.

Pretty sweet, right fellow history geeks?

Now, it carts gortex-clad fleet week enthusiasts through the bay. We were fed turkey sandwiches and wine. FDR (or at least a guy that looks a lot like him) still graces the ship, answering any possible question you have (or don't have) about the man himself.

It was a blast.

Here are some of the things we saw (you can click on the image for a closer view, or not :)

The Patriots Jet Team over Alcatraz, complete with very patriotic exhaust (which we were told is environmentally friendly. Gotta love SF.)



The Blue Angels coming over the Golden Gate:



A closer view of the Blue Angels (the show was canceled after this fly over because of fog. And damn was it foggy.)
They fly about 2 feet from each other, so the elements are bad news bears for safety, hence the cancellation:



Finally, my happy family (photo credit: nice lady who is intimidated by big cameras):



Thanks, Dad, for a wonderful time. Fleet Week will never be the same.

Fun fun math!!

Thanks to the magic of StumbleUpon, I have encountered "pie chart humor."
Now, as a disclaimer, I don't know if I have a ridiculously lame sense of humor or I'm just desperate for a laugh because tonight's "The Big Bang Theory" is just not very funny.

I think the fact that I'm admitting that pie charts can be funny automatically decreases my coolness factor, but alas, admitting one's nerdhood may be the first step in combating it.

I'm presenting you with my favorite pie charts, in FAA order (that stands for "funniness according to Andy.")

(Hopefully you'll think they're funny too. If not, watch tonight's "Big Bang Theory.")

1. "We've known each other...for so long..."


2. Old school video games rule:



3. "I'd run right in to hell and back...."



4. Ah, the vicious truth behind processed food:



5. Mmmmmmm, pie. It would only be better if it were pumpkin :)

It's Onion Friday!

Despondex: "A huge step forward in the battle against exuberance."

If you personalize your license plates and participate in community theater, this could help.

Hilarious.

Have a good weekend!


FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful

Another year older....

Wiser? Eh, not so much....

So yesterday was my birthday.

I don't like my birthday.

I stopped liking my birthday after I turned 21.

But that's not to say that I haven't been happy with how the day's been celebrated in recent years.

Last night I had an amazing dinner with my family at Foreign Cinema, complete with Rosemary's Baby playing on a big screen in the courtyard.

Getting ready for bed after this amazing meal somehow triggered a curious and unexpected nostalgia for my birthday in Missouri.

Nostalgia for my birthday in Missouri. Words I never thought I would write.

But my 27th birthday marked one of my best memories of graduate school. It was the first of many in our 7-girl house. It was semi-formal.

It was the beginning of a series of insane cakes custom baked for each roommate's birthday.

There were amazing decorations and appetizers.

There was champagne.

There were photos taken with people I hardly knew who would go on to become good friends.

And there was a keg stand in my black dress that my roommates still won't let me live down.

There was a party the next year also. You can't expect people to dress in semi-formal attire two years in a row, but it was a great time--with an unbelievable and very very thoughtful pumpkin shaped, pumpkin flavored cake that would make Betty Crocker jealous. Lord knows I loves me some pumpkin.


Thank you to everyone who made those birthdays so special.

I do miss my life there.

Though I did just see flash flood warnings are plaguing central Missouri today. They're seeing a potential 9 inches of rain.

I suppose that helps a bit...

Unemployment and the art of couch sitting.....

In the early days of this looking for work debacle, I had a "no TV during the day" policy, in hopes of stimulating my brain through reading and other like productive activity.

Thanks to Hulu and all-day marathons that mysteriously suck your will to get off the couch, things have changed a bit. Additionally, the regular baseball season is over, and the Giants have hung up their cleats, clearing 3-hour blocks of my evening to fill.

I didn't watch TV in graduate school. Short of the Thursday night lineup, I was strictly an NPR girl, and proud of it.

TV, after all, is the culture of the unemployed. And I was a busy girl. Between class, school work, and my six roommates, I was rarely hurting for plans.

Now, I don't know if my standards are getting lower, or if I just have way too much time on my hands, but there are a lot of television shows on right now that I'm pretty impressed with.

So as both therapy for me and advice to you, I thought I would share the programs I like this season. I watch a lot of this online, but with research I've broken it down into a weekly schedule for your viewing pleasure.

Note: as a rule, I avoid like the plague: vampire shows, reality TV (with one super awesome exception), and cheesy high school dramas.

Monday: How I Met Your Mother. This show is legend--wait for it---dary. Still funny, even after all of these seasons.

The Rachel Zoe Project. My one reality exception. It's so obnoxious, but like any good weekly train wreck, I need to watch. Every week. As Rachel herself would say, "It's bananas."

Wednesday: Glee. The best new show on TV. Hopefully you already watch it, so I'll say no more.

Modern Family. A mockumentary-style take on a typical family sitcom, except the families are far from typical. So funny. Watch it on Hulu.

The Middle. Another dysfunctional family show, set in Indiana. Watched it last night on Hulu with low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised.

Thursday: Parks and Recreation. The Office. 30 Rock. Best shows on TV.

And the jury's still out on Community. People like it. I don't, but feel I should give it another chance since it resides within the beloved Thursday night lineup.

Saturday: SNL. One of the reasons I love Hulu so much is that you don't have to watch an entire episode--they have it broken down by sketches. I watched some of the Ryan Reynolds show the other day, and I was definitely laughing.

Sunday: Mad Men is sooooo awesome. It's "mesmerizing," as my mom would say.

I watch the Today Show but stay away from CNN, MSNBC and any other 24-hour news network because I think they make Americans hateful and fearful and compliant for no reason.

Anything else I could be missing?

I got time.

I will write about public relations...

...because that is ultimately what I want to do with my life.

Ah, Wisconsin. I read this and loved it. Whether you have a healthy appreciation of the Badger State (go Pack go!) or can't point America's Dairyland out on a US map, it's funny. And it's an interesting look at a public relations decision.

Here's the story:

The Wisconsin Tourism Federation (yes, WTF) quietly changed their name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin (TFW), according to the AP.

WTF has been around since 1979, before I was born and way way before people who say "wtf" were born. But rather than just laughing about it and chalking it up to victimhood of modern-day acronym omnipresence, WTF backed down.

Some people say that this was a huge mistake--that embracing WTF could help rake in the tourism dollars.

Picture it: one minute someone is typing "wtf" into Google to learn to talk with his kids in modern slang, and the next he's planning a lovely trip to lovely Sturgeon Beach, WI, with stops at the Maritime Museum and a chilly jaunt on a rented snowmobile. Everyone wins!

One blogger said, "What I fail to understand is why people who wear cheese on their heads at football games are this sensitive about being called WTF.”

If it were up to me, I would have capitalized on it. It's a ballsy move, but it seems that so much success these days is the direct result of ballsy moves.

I suppose you gotta give the Midwest props for being wholesome. You betcha!

No big post today...

..but something I saw this morning that I thought was hilarious, if also very sad and disturbingly accurate:

(if you can't see it, there's a better view here.)

Maybe you've seen it before. I hadn't. And it makes me laugh. I love how Canada is "uninhabited."

In other disturbing news, I read the other day that 75 percent of Oklahoma high school students can't name the first president of the United States.

Sad reflection on our educational system. Not ok, OK!

You can read the questions and responses from OK students here. See how you do :)

"Most Americans feel that being out of shape and unhappy are core American values..."

Onion Friday!!!!

I loved this video--hilarious.

"He's frolicking with Michelle while most of the country is trying to make it through one more day with their intolerable spouses."


Poll: Happy, Healthy Obamas Out Of Touch With Miserable Americans

One more thing:

I follow a lot of career coaches and recruiters on Twitter, and usually the posts are full of pretty serious, thoughtful advice, especially in this tough economic climate.

But one of them posted this this morning, and I liked it. A little bit of humor in an otherwise very serious time. And a nod to my fellow Big Lebowski fans out there.

My fav line:

"I’ll tell you what I’m blathering about…I’ve got information man! New shit has come to light!”

Noting to myself to use this in my next conversation with my future boss. I'm sure it will win me serious brownie points :)

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

News from the Bucks

In case you fell like you haven't been adequately inundated with Starbucks marketing as of late, I thought I would discuss it, inspired by the extremely heavy rotation of their commercials in the mornings.

I've never been a big fan of Starbucks coffee. I think it's too expensive.

I think it tastes burnt.

And at the risk of exposing my serious lack of sophistication, I admit that the bottomless coffee at IHOP rivals it.

But that's not to say that their most recent ad blitz isn't interesting. I appreciate them for embracing the fundamentals of modern marketing--getting the customer involved.

Talking with them rather than at them.

Letting the product speak for itself.

Apparently they've been developing Via, their instant coffee product, for 20 years. It's a scary thing to move to instant. You don't want to cheapen your $4/cup brand, but you want to make it accessible to peeps who aren't near a store at a given moment, but have a hankering for a nice cup o bucks.

After all, instant coffee is a $20 billion market.

Starbucks just had to tap that eventually.

As far as the marketing goes, the idea is to get customers into one of the 7,500 Starbucks stores in the US to do a taste test of the real stuff and the instant stuff. Regardless of your coffee tasting prowess, the thank-you card is good for a free cup of coffee and $1 off the instant stuff.

As it is now, the instant stuff is only available at Starbucks stores, REI (I've always said that camping should not equate to terrible coffee), Office Depot, Compass, United Airlines, Barnes & Noble cafes, and Marriott and Omni Hotels.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued.

Would you guys try it out?

In other innovative Starbucks news, the coffee giant is now accepting mobile payments. In short, your iPhone = your Starbucks card. Ah, technology.