When there was Ivy (Papa and I)Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A Visit To My Grandparents House
Today, I drove past my grandparents house in Altadena. (They built their house in the 1940's and it was in the family until after my grandmother passed away a few years ago) There was a big truck full of dirt in the front yard and some workers walked through the open garage and for some reason I decided to ask them what they were doing. The head guy said "Oh we are working on the patio.....Do you want to see?" I asked if the owners were home and he said no, so I said sure.
I wasn't really being sentimental at all but as I walked through the garage it smelled just like it always had.....it was so eerie. The smell brought me to tears. It was a scent that nobody would ever recognize, a scent that exists nowhere but that garage and it instantly took me back and I was really sad.
In the backyard there were a bunch of changes underway. Some brick work had been removed, several planters were gone as was the Bougainvillea, the shop (workshop) area had been turned into a square dog run, the big planter on the top patio was gone and there wasn't ivy to be found anywhere. Everything was different, and for me, that was okay. It will likely look nice when finished but today it was a mess. I snapped a bunch of pictures and then left.......through the garage.
Did I say that smelling the garage was weird? Yes, I know I did but it was SO remarkable. I would never even thought before that the garage had a special smell but walking through it there was no mistaking it. There are a couple of other scents that remind me of my grandparents.....Aramis cologne, honey milk shampoo (they didn't use it but there is something about it that reminds me of being at the beach house with my grandfather), Gardenias, French Vanilla coffee.....I am sure there are others but all of those scents can be duplicated but there is no place else on earth that has the scent of their garage.
I wasn't really being sentimental at all but as I walked through the garage it smelled just like it always had.....it was so eerie. The smell brought me to tears. It was a scent that nobody would ever recognize, a scent that exists nowhere but that garage and it instantly took me back and I was really sad.
In the backyard there were a bunch of changes underway. Some brick work had been removed, several planters were gone as was the Bougainvillea, the shop (workshop) area had been turned into a square dog run, the big planter on the top patio was gone and there wasn't ivy to be found anywhere. Everything was different, and for me, that was okay. It will likely look nice when finished but today it was a mess. I snapped a bunch of pictures and then left.......through the garage.
Did I say that smelling the garage was weird? Yes, I know I did but it was SO remarkable. I would never even thought before that the garage had a special smell but walking through it there was no mistaking it. There are a couple of other scents that remind me of my grandparents.....Aramis cologne, honey milk shampoo (they didn't use it but there is something about it that reminds me of being at the beach house with my grandfather), Gardenias, French Vanilla coffee.....I am sure there are others but all of those scents can be duplicated but there is no place else on earth that has the scent of their garage.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
UCSpots
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The license plate on this truck is UCSpots (The O is with a heart). I am posting this for Tim.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Bad Day
Today sucked, Here are the only bright spots:
(1) I practiced updated my Facebook status in preparation for the Main Event next week. My two favorite statuses of the day were (1) "Kimberly doesn't understand why when she (customer) asks the parking attendant (worker) @ Burbank airport how she is why the parking attendant doesn't ask her how she is" (2) "Kimberly hates it when people refer to tuna sandwiches as tuna fish sandwiches"
(2) I saw the Starbucks that Queen B and I first "tried" to have coffee at. They all but kicked us for trying to use our cameras so we went to another one.
(3) I got to see Jeff.
(4) The pizza Mike ordered for lunch was really good and well worth blowing my diet over.
(5) My plane didn't crash
(1) I practiced updated my Facebook status in preparation for the Main Event next week. My two favorite statuses of the day were (1) "Kimberly doesn't understand why when she (customer) asks the parking attendant (worker) @ Burbank airport how she is why the parking attendant doesn't ask her how she is" (2) "Kimberly hates it when people refer to tuna sandwiches as tuna fish sandwiches"
(2) I saw the Starbucks that Queen B and I first "tried" to have coffee at. They all but kicked us for trying to use our cameras so we went to another one.
(3) I got to see Jeff.
(4) The pizza Mike ordered for lunch was really good and well worth blowing my diet over.
(5) My plane didn't crash
Monday, August 18, 2008
From Ontario to San Jose
I have never seen a cloud cover quite like the one I saw flying into San Jose a couple of weeks ago. It was really cool and looked just like cotton, I was so impressed I busted out my camera after we had been instructed to stow all items we had taken out during the flight
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Support the US Olympic Team
The Olympics are over on Sunday the 24th. I have decided that until then I will boycott all foods that begin with the name of another country. For example: I won't boycott Chinese food but I will boycott Chinese Chicken salads. I won't boycott Mexican food but I will boycott Mexican Pizza's from Taco Bell.
Here's my quick boycott list:
Chinese Chicken Salads
Mexican Pizza's
French Dips
French Fries
French Toast
French Onion Soup
French Vanilla Ice Cream
Canadian Bacon
Russian Dressing
French Dressing
Italian Dressing
Greek Salad
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Italian Ice
English Muffins
Welsh Rarabit
Italian Sausage
Spanish Omelet
Italian Sorbet
Swiss Cheese
Hungarian Goulash
Turkey
Turkey Sandwich
Swedish Meatballs
German Chocolate Cake
Polish Sausage
Irish Cream
Are you in? What foods have I left out?
P.S. Thank God there isn't a country called Chai or Chicken
Here's my quick boycott list:
Chinese Chicken Salads
Mexican Pizza's
French Dips
French Fries
French Toast
French Onion Soup
French Vanilla Ice Cream
Canadian Bacon
Russian Dressing
French Dressing
Italian Dressing
Greek Salad
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Italian Ice
English Muffins
Welsh Rarabit
Italian Sausage
Spanish Omelet
Italian Sorbet
Swiss Cheese
Hungarian Goulash
Turkey
Turkey Sandwich
Swedish Meatballs
German Chocolate Cake
Polish Sausage
Irish Cream
Are you in? What foods have I left out?
P.S. Thank God there isn't a country called Chai or Chicken
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
SWA's "Want My Advice" (Take 2)
Last year, I wrote this blog about SWA's advice column. Basically, it discussed the common sense items that people write in about. I had to do a take 2 on this one because I couldn't believe this one in the August edition of "Spirit":
"When buying curtains, keep the zippered plastic bag they come in to store those extra things like toiletries when traveling. You can see the items easily through the clear bag"
OK....REALLY? How often do people buy curtains? She acts like this is a daily purchase! Just use a Zip lock bag lady! Is that really a traveling tip? And if it is, is it really the best one she has?
"When buying curtains, keep the zippered plastic bag they come in to store those extra things like toiletries when traveling. You can see the items easily through the clear bag"
OK....REALLY? How often do people buy curtains? She acts like this is a daily purchase! Just use a Zip lock bag lady! Is that really a traveling tip? And if it is, is it really the best one she has?
Flashback Friday (13)
One year ago today I had my touch up appointment on my eyeliner. For those that don't know, last summer I got my eyeliner tattooed on. Not one time have I regretted the decision! It is so much easier getting ready in the morning without having to put on that pesky eyeliner. Better than that, I can rub my eyes and never have eyeliner smudge!
Did it hurt? Yes but it wasn't terrible
How long did it take? Two appointments, about 2 hours for the first and an hour for the second
How much did it cost? It was a gift but I think about $500.00
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The 23rd Reason
In June, Queen B wrote a blog of 22 reasons that my identity has gone from Kim1Champ to Sydney's mom. Here's reason 23:
I was planning on stopping by an Outlet mall and so I looked online to see what stores were there. Usually, I would look for Eddie Bauer, Williams Sonoma, J Crew, Gap and Le Creuset (to name a few). Today, I went straight for the children's section and decided not to go since they didn't have a Carters.
REALLY, Who am I? I guess I'm Sydney's mom
I was planning on stopping by an Outlet mall and so I looked online to see what stores were there. Usually, I would look for Eddie Bauer, Williams Sonoma, J Crew, Gap and Le Creuset (to name a few). Today, I went straight for the children's section and decided not to go since they didn't have a Carters.
REALLY, Who am I? I guess I'm Sydney's mom
People Send Me Pictures
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Happy Birthday, Jason!
You Rock! What a great family you have! I hope you have a sensational day and a great year, you certainly deserve it!
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Anonymous Comment From 8/12/08
This morning I deleted an anonymous comment from my "The Store" post. I deleted it only because it referred to contract negotiations and other things that were directly related to work. Regardless, the comment just struck my funny bone so I am going to share it but I have edited out the work comments:
Why don't you ever talk about important things on your blog? I can't believe how shallow of a person you are. Life is way more important than this stupid store or the stupid restaurant across the street. Why is it you insist on blogging about stupid trivial things? I know your small mind is limited to only what is going on in your life at that very moment. Sad. You have the potential to be so much bigger than this!
Why not blog about why (OK, Here is the part I edited out that speaks derogatorily about our company) Talk about that instead of stores or coffee or your family! Let's see if your 5 - 10 loyal followers are able to keep up with something more important than blackberries!
OK-thats it. Usually I know who the anonymous person is but this time I don't have a clue so good job! So, I said the comment hit my funny bone: First funny thing: I'm shallow. Second funny thing: Nice to see that this person takes the time to read about stupid trivial things. Third funny thing: I'm glad they think I have potential Fourth funny thing: I love that they tell me not to talk about my family. Fifth funny thing: This person is obviously a loyal follower. Maybe they keep coming back because it's like an accident scene, you just have to look to see what happened or whats happening next. Thanks for reading!
Why don't you ever talk about important things on your blog? I can't believe how shallow of a person you are. Life is way more important than this stupid store or the stupid restaurant across the street. Why is it you insist on blogging about stupid trivial things? I know your small mind is limited to only what is going on in your life at that very moment. Sad. You have the potential to be so much bigger than this!
Why not blog about why (OK, Here is the part I edited out that speaks derogatorily about our company) Talk about that instead of stores or coffee or your family! Let's see if your 5 - 10 loyal followers are able to keep up with something more important than blackberries!
OK-thats it. Usually I know who the anonymous person is but this time I don't have a clue so good job! So, I said the comment hit my funny bone: First funny thing: I'm shallow. Second funny thing: Nice to see that this person takes the time to read about stupid trivial things. Third funny thing: I'm glad they think I have potential Fourth funny thing: I love that they tell me not to talk about my family. Fifth funny thing: This person is obviously a loyal follower. Maybe they keep coming back because it's like an accident scene, you just have to look to see what happened or whats happening next. Thanks for reading!
Monday, August 11, 2008
"The Store"
Since the Facebook addiction started I have noticed that my old friend Courtney frequently has a status update of "Going to the store", "Working at the store", "Hanging out at store". As you know, we refer to "Avolio's Restaurant" as, "The Restaurant", The same way, "The Store" indicated possession to me. I figured that Courtney must run a store but I knew nothing about it, until this weekend........
"Eaton's Gifts" is located in downtown Monrovia. It's a great store! A dangerous store! I could spend a fortune there. I managed to get out the first time with $67~ worth of stuff but it could have easily been several $100~. They have a little bit of everything-the perfect store for unique gift shopping. I highly recommend a trip there. (There is a cute little restaurant across the street you could visit and make it the perfect little outing)
Here are a couple pics inside the store:
"The store" is located at 111 E. Lime Avenue in Monrovia. All you Southern California readers need to plan a trip. All the out of town readers you can still check it out by visiting and shopping online! Eaton's Gifts.
"Eaton's Gifts" is located in downtown Monrovia. It's a great store! A dangerous store! I could spend a fortune there. I managed to get out the first time with $67~ worth of stuff but it could have easily been several $100~. They have a little bit of everything-the perfect store for unique gift shopping. I highly recommend a trip there. (There is a cute little restaurant across the street you could visit and make it the perfect little outing)
Here are a couple pics inside the store:
"The store" is located at 111 E. Lime Avenue in Monrovia. All you Southern California readers need to plan a trip. All the out of town readers you can still check it out by visiting and shopping online! Eaton's Gifts.
Williams Sonoma vs Verizon
Today I had lunch at Green Street with Brian. When we were leaving I insisted we walk through Williams Sonoma. As we were walking out I said "that's my favorite store". (Brian had no idea that I love to cook). Brian responded (seriously): "Who Knew? I was sure it would have been something like Verizon wireless".
OK, that proves it, I am a geek.....but I do prefer Williams Sonoma and Eatons Gifts to Verizon Wireless and Best Buy.
OK, that proves it, I am a geek.....but I do prefer Williams Sonoma and Eatons Gifts to Verizon Wireless and Best Buy.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
At Least It's Not The Pantry
The other day, I took this picture in the office. Somebody I know in the Pasadena office actually keeps all of these pairs of shoes under her desk! Are you kidding? How many shoes does one person need at the office? I will tell you this: (1) At least it's not the pantry (2) I know where I am going if there is an earthquake (or other emergency) while I am at work and I suddenly need sensible shoes.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Exercising For Cupcakes
I went to Violets today with Jinjer and Erin. Violets is a cupcake place in Old Town Pasadena. The cupcakes are delicious. Today, I didn't get the Elvis instead I went for a peanut butter and jelly cupcake that was nothing short of fabulous.
While there, these two women walk in. They had clearly been getting their exercise in by walking or jogging to Violets. A little sweaty, they were both wearing pedometers as well as exercise radios on their upper arm. We really weren't paying attention to them but as we were getting up to leave I looked over and they were DEVOURING cupcakes. I counted eight cupcakes on their plate and they were definitely eating them.
What in the world would possess you to exercise and then go eat that many cupcakes? Show some self control! I wondered if they did this regularly. I have to be honest, it looked like a routine to me. What do you think?
While there, these two women walk in. They had clearly been getting their exercise in by walking or jogging to Violets. A little sweaty, they were both wearing pedometers as well as exercise radios on their upper arm. We really weren't paying attention to them but as we were getting up to leave I looked over and they were DEVOURING cupcakes. I counted eight cupcakes on their plate and they were definitely eating them.
What in the world would possess you to exercise and then go eat that many cupcakes? Show some self control! I wondered if they did this regularly. I have to be honest, it looked like a routine to me. What do you think?
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