From the Vox archives: more

Jun 25, 2014 00:02

This Is Your Time

Oct 5, 2007
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For the first evening in months, I'm wearing my robe. (It's the bu0-love pink color, since you were wondering.) Jason got it for me as a birthday present a few years back, and it is the perfect length, just coming down to my ankle. This robe is THE BEST. He wins. Speaking of things from Victoria's... this sweater is precious!

Beyond that... fall is truly upon us. Today was beautiful and blustery, but for some reason by the time my shift ended a Headache of Ultimate Destruction had begun. It was probably a combination of constantly giving people directions, hearing them bitch at me, and not even knowing if the directions would even help, but by the time I got home my only concern was to find an immediate solution to the pain in my head.

For those of who haven't noticed (that'd be anyone not in the central coastal area of San Diego), there has been some major geological ....fucking up, lately. Pardon my language but that's really the only word for it. Earlier this week a major sinkhole in the Mount Soledad area of La Jolla caused some of those $1M+ mansions to drop to a price even I can afford. Article Here and Over Here. If you're looking to snag a bit of property over there I bet you can do it over the next month or so for less than a blue collar worker's yearly salary.

After the chaos that was that landslide, a water main broke and "caused a 'humongous' amount of water" to shut off a bunch of roads that cause a huge pain in the rear if they get shut off. Then another little one broke. Basically... the white area on this map was closed to all traffic, and had at least two lanes flooded out for a couple hundred yards. Our neighbors over at The Hyatt Islandia had no water, The Dana had low pressure and so did we. Getting to price emergency port-a-potties was pretty interesting, did you know you can get one for about a hundred bucks (excluding delivery charge)?

Things seem to be back to normal now, excluding the giant landslide mess that is still in need of repair. Luckily I don't go that way often, and it's good that the roads are open again. I'd suggest *NOT* reading the comments on any of the articles, just like I'd suggest never reading any YouTube comments. The part about how "nobody ever warned [the homeowners] about any landslide dangers" strikes me as utter crap... unless they just blindly threw cash at an agent and played the Russian roulette version of buying a house, there is no reason they shouldn't have realized the danger of living there. The giant crack in the floor was no big deal, huh? FOR A MILLION BUCKS, NO BIG DEAL. Blahhhhh.

Next.

It's now 9:30 and the pain has finally subsided, thank goodness. I came home and my solution was to light some candles, take a long hot ultra-pampering shower (with sugar scrub!), make a nice cup of tea and soak my feet while watching Scrubs. Ladies (okay, guys too), DO THIS FOR YOURSELVES. I didn't even realize how much my body needed that, and the only thing that would have made it better would be having a bathtub. Can't win 'em all, I guess. Bonus points were awarded by the sounds of the ocean outside as I sat in dark silence (before realizing Scrubs was on.) My feet are now super soft, I smell like a box of baked goods, and my headache isn't making me blind anymore.

These are the moments to focus on when the need to complain about trivial stuff arises.

I've been working on doing small mental excercises, trying to replace a bad thing with a good thing. For example, when I have to park really far away, I say to myself, "Okay, this sucks because you have to use the bathroom and you're still like ten minutes away from the house. But you're getting to walk home along the boardwalk, and yes, that is the ocean. Those homes are 2 & 3 million dollar works of art, appreciate the beauty here and stop complaining that you have to actually walk an extra block."

On days when I have to face that decision between buying food and gas, I say to myself, "At least you have a car, and a giant selection of fruits and veggies that people in other countries can't even imagine. (Seriously, our produce sections are !!!!!!!) If you don't put gas in the car, you can always bike or walk to work, so no big deal there. And look how nice the weather is!"

It's tough, but it's not that tough. I've finally found the answer to that question about what sort of job would you rather have - money or happiness? Money is necessary, but I do know that I am much more accepting of not having a lot of it when I can appreciate all the other things in life, and not focus on how miserable work is. When you hate your job, it doesn't matter how well it pays, that sense of foreboding will hang over you and ruin your days off.

I love my days, no matter whether I'm working or not. :)
Post a comment Tags: work, zen, san diego
QotD: In Season

Oct 4, 2007
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What fruits and vegetables are in season where you live? Have you incorporated them into your recipes?

I live in California. We have pretty much all the fruits & veggies we want available to us year-round. I don't think we have seasons, just parts of the year where certain things are overpriced.

Second question: Yes.
Post a comment Tags: qotd, food & wine, in season
Can't Get Enough of Your [choco]Love...

Oct 4, 2007
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Rich Dark 65%
Rich Dark 65%
That's a pretty cheesy title, but with all the recent (soon-to-be-blogged-about-on-here) geological craziness, I think we could all use a little more chocolate-y goodness in our lives.

"A complex, bittersweet chocolate. Caribbean cocoa beans add subtle hints of fruit and vanilla. This full-flavored chocolate melts effortlessly in your mouth and leaves a tangy cocoa aftertaste."

Oh words, what are you here but silly descriptors? For those of you who can't (or won't) eat chocolate, I pity you. There is just something special about savoring a bar of really good chocolate. My apologies to you non-US folks who believe our chocolate is garbage... I've been enjoying it for almost three decades now but am trying to broaden my taste range. :)

Every time Henry's is a stop on my grocery list, I try to buy something new, something healthy and delicious. Every so often that item is a candy bar - usually chocolate, most often dark, more often with hints of fruits or flowers. We can't deny that chocolate does indeed have healing properties... rest assured that it has, on multiple occasions, saved someone from a quick five to the face. We also can't forget how helpful it is in fighting off the aftereffects of Dementors!...and yes, I've gone there. For those very stressful days, few things work magic the way a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie does, or a spoonful of melted chocolate chips drizzled over a strawberry.

This particular bar is interesting. The texture (albeit a little harder than I prefer in my chocolate bars) is a smooth one, but the trick is to let it melt a bit in your mouth before crunching away. For small bites, let the entire mouthful dissolve, and savor the aftertaste. For those of you who are not fans of dark chocolate (which can be an acquired taste), this one might be a bit too bitter, but overall it is a small slice of wonderful.

As a design and art junkie I'm also really liking the packaging. The gold seal is raised on one side and embossed on the other, and they've printed a love poem on the inside of the red wrapper. A gold wrapper covers the actual chocolate bar, reminding you a little of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket.

Overall, I think this one gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Post a comment Tags: candy, zen, love, addiction, chocolate, chocolove
Da dee da da daaahh

Oct 1, 2007
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People often ask what happened in my world over the weekend. My first dilemma is figuring out what weekend they mean, since my "Weekend" (two designated days away from work) is Sunday and Monday. Many of my friends work a standard 40 hour week, Monday through Friday. For a long time I worked whenever work was available, sometimes 80 hours, sometimes 20, and always ending around 4 or 5 in the morning.

These days my Saturdays are work-related but enjoyable. There are three shifts that we alternate with, 830-5, 1130-8 or 4-12, and various combinations for overtime when necessary. This week I worked until 5pm both Friday and Saturday, then headed out Saturday night for some food and fun. My friend Eric was nice enough to drive me up to Morgan's house, where the three of us plus Melinda attempted to put together a validating puzzle. I got one piece in place, go me! Apparently Morgan bought the 1000-piece to validate her parking during Comic-Con, although for a moment we thought she meant to validate her life. Classy. Then when she left to go watch the midnight movie (Fight Club on the big screen, yes indeed), we headed to Melinda's place to check out her nifty apartment and play Wii Tennis. Which I rock at.

I am currently in that position where I enjoy work so much that it won't matter if it's not the entire center of my existence. Work is 8 hours per day, sometimes ending by 430, and I need to live, dammit! There are movies waiting to be seen, books needing to be read, and beaches calling to be walked on. Even my art seems to be wasting away in my head, but at least I've made a small step by filling up a cork-board with various items of inspirational nature. I want badly to go up to LA and feel like it will help me to be inspired, but I am probably going to just have to drive up alone. That part is no bueno.

My biggest challenge in life right now is just getting away from my computer. Sometimes I wish I'd been one of those people who just don't care about being online all the time, but more often I wish my time online was more productive. I signed up for some meditative / walking meetups in hope that it will get me out to meet more people, but I just feel really anxious and phobic about doing more than going to work and sitting around at home.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Halloween is also approaching, and this cloud of complacency is overtaking even those plans. The problem with this is that I've been inviting a lot of people to my work party, and we have about 30 that will show up so far. I feel like making a costume is going to be too much of an undertaking, don't want to shell out the hundred-or-so bucks that a new one will cost, and don't want to burden my friend with helping me to make the Coolest Costume I've Ever Worn.

Either way, I need to get on the ball and figure out what to be. Even my boyfriend has finally given in and decided to go, and he's just recycling his costume from years past. Crapples!

Maybe I *will* go as that box of popcorn this year.
2 comments Tags: halloween, blah, dilemma
Vox Hunt: What The Weekend Holds

Sep 29, 2007
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Show us what the weekend has in store for you.

Post a comment Tags: zen, life, beach, san diego, vox hunt, this weekend
Links of Ultimate Want

Sep 24, 2007
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Here are links to things I find nifty… also known as Links of Ultimate Want. Currently they’re grouped alphabetically, though ideally I’d like to have them grouped alphabetically in alphabetical groups.

I’m having that problem with my CDs too… maybe I should stop watching High Fidelity.

Behold!

2modern - Furniture / Home Decor

Agape - Furniture / Home Decor
allthatanda - Random Buyables
ApartmentTherapy.Com- - Furniture / Home Decor
ApartmentTherapy's Plant Therapy- Plants, Home Decor
Axi - Furniture

BenjaminHubert.co.uk - Home Decor
Book of Joe - Random Blogger and Various Home Decor
Behind the Curtains - Furniture / Home Decor
Becca-jo- Crafty / DIY
blogging top design - Interior / Exterior Design
Black+Blum- Home Decor
http://www.blueflipart.com- Art

Cheryl Think Tank - Food, Random Blogger, Crafty
Curbly -Crafty / DIY
Coolhunting.com - Random Buyables
Cribcandy.com - Random Buyables / Home Decor
Core77.com - Art / Design Resource
Christy's Modern Links - Don't Click Here, It's A Trap
Circa50 - Furniture
Cool & Eclectic - Furniture
Chiasso - Furniture / Home Decor
Cool Living - Furniture / Home Decor
craftster.org - Crafty / DIY
clothes-pin - Clothing
charles and hudson - Home Improvement / DIY
covetable - Random Buyables
crunch22 - Art / Gadgets / Random Blogger

Decor8 - Home Improvement / DIY / Crafty
Designllama - Art / Design Resource
Designsponge.Blogspot.Com - Home Decor / Random Buyables
Designspotter - Furniture / Home Decor / Design Resource
Dune - Furniture
Design Addict - Design Resource
Designobject - Home Decor / Random Buyables
Design Within Reach - Home Decor / Furniture
Design & Comfort - Furniture
design-milk - Home Decor / Furniture
Designbot - Art

eatdrinknbmerry - Food / Art
elaine vigneault - Random Blogger

Funfurde.Blogspot.Com - Home Decor / Art / Furniture
fabulously green - Interior Design / Style
fototiller - Art / DIY / Crafty

Generate - Furniture / Home Decor
Goodman Charlton - Furniture / Interior Design
grass roots modern - Furniture / Home Decor / Art
Georgina Goodman - Fashion
Gizmodo - Gadgets / Random Buyables
Green-Links - Save The Earth And Stuff

House&Garden Mirrors - Home Decor
Hive - Furniture / Home Decor
Home and Tell - Interior / Exterior Design / Home Improvement
Home Rejuvenation Blog - Home Decor / Interior Design

Idealist.Blinkr.Net - Ideas!
InhabitLiving.com - Home Decor
Ikea - It's All Their Fault
Informidealbite.com - Eco-Friendly Tips
ikeahacker - Furniture / Home Decor / Home Improvement
IkeaFans - Furniture / Home Decor / Home Improvement

Jensen-Lewis - Furniture
Jean Snow - Furniture / Home Decor / Random Buyables / Art
Josh Spear - Art

kfreshdesigns - Art / Random Buyables / Random Blogger / Interior Design

LandLiving.com - Home Decor / Design / Gadgets
LifeRemix.net - Random Blogger / Tips For Life
Lightology - Home Decor
Ligne Roset - Furniture
lovemarks - Uber-branding

modern-roost - Furniture / Home Decor
minimal.com - Furniture / Home Decor
minimal.com's Corner Lamp - Home Decor
MocoLoco - Furniture / Home Decor
Moss - Home Decor / Random Buyables
my marrakesh - Style / Fashion / Random Buyables
modernflat - Home Decor / DIY
modcottage - Home Decor / Random Buyables

NY Times House & Home - Home Improvement
NOTCOT - Home Decor / Design / Random Buyables

On the 6th - DIY / Food

Plushpod - Furniture / Home Decor
Purecontemporary - Furniture / Home Decor / Design
Product Dose - Random Buyables
project top design - Home Improvement / Interior Design
Positive Fanatics - Ikea News

Reluct.com - Home Decor / Design
Retromodern - Home Decor
Retrothing - Gadgets
RoseAndRadish - Home Decor / Art

Sedesregia.lt - Furniture
SOMA Sofa - Furniture
Straight from the Crate - Furniture / Home Decor
silkfeltsoil - Home Decor / Art
sfgirlbybay - Home Decor / Crafty / Home Improvement
shelterrific - Home Decor / Home Improvement
Shakadoo - Home Decor / Home Improvement
Szado - Furniture
Soho Spices - Food / Home Decor
SuckUK - Home Decor / Art
Straight Line Design - Furniture
Sensory Impact - Art / Design / Gadgets

The Groovy Mind - Random Buyables / Food
The Magazine - Furniture / Home Decor
The Well Dressed Home - Home Decor
this old house - Home Improvement
Treehugger - EcoFriendly Stuff
Trendir - Home Decor
Think Geek - Gadgets / Random Buyables
top design wiki - Interior Design / Home Improvement

uberreview - Gadgets / Art / Random Blogger
Urbane Online.com - Furniture / Home Decor
UrbanPeel.com - Home Decor
Urbana - Furniture
Unica Home - Home Decor / Random Buyables
UK Modern Furniture - Furniture / Design

Velocity - Furniture / Home Decor

WhatIsBlik.com - Art / Home Decor

Zoe Design - Furniture / Interior Design

Post a comment Tags: design, links, diy, zen, gadgets, art, furniture, crafts …
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