Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

While were were on our tour of ILM on Friday our guide let us (me) do some shopping at the company store.

Before we got to the store, our guide mentioned that they got a really good discount on their Lucas Arts video games. I thought that would be a great thing for me to bring home for Dick and I to play together.

I was really happy when I saw that they had the Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy game for the Xbox. I remember seeing this in stores when it first came out, but wasn't sure if it was something I'd want to spend much money on. (what was I thinking? Star Wars plus Legos!)

As it turned out, they were out of stock on the Xbox 360 version, but they had plenty for the original Xbox. The price was right (on sale for $12!) so I bought one hoping it would still be compatible with my Xbox 360 console.

I popped in the game this afternoon, and well, Dick and played it for hours! It was SO MUCH FUN! The game is a riot - we finished the entire segment for Episode IV: A New Hope. We were laughing the entire time. I don't think I missed out on anything by not being able to purchase the Xbox 360 version. I can't imagine that the graphics would look any better on a 360 game because, well, they are lego characters, after all.

The game takes you through all 3 original trilogy films - it has all of the major scenes. There are moments where they have cut scenes which show full scenes from the movie, animated with the lego characters. The music is perfect, the "scenes" are great (lots of little touches that make them funny) but one of the funniest parts is that there is no actual dialog. The lego characters just make mimic-like noises, kind of like the adults from a Peanuts cartoon.

If you are a Star Wars fan, and have a video game console (Xbox, Playstation, etc.,) I highly recommend it. It's tons of fun. It supports multi-player for 2 people, which is a ton of fun, but isn't meant for group play.

We're looking forward to playing the rest of the game! Hours and hours of Star Wars/lego fun!

I LOVE this game!

A Coke and a Smile

Mexican Coke at Costco

I drug Dick to Costco with me the other day, and we made a cool discovery:

Alongside all of the other Cinco de Mayo goodies were cases of "Coca Cola of Mexico made with Pure Cane Sugar".

We thought this was especially cool - who doesn't love a Coke in a bottle? I always thought it tasted better than in a can. Now I know why: they make it with real sugar, versus the corn syrup that is used here in the States.

We came home, and immediately popped the top off of a couple of bottles. Ahhhh.

'aint nothin like the real thing, baby.

It was like remembering how great a Coke was when you were a kid.
(Okay, now I sound old!)

Yesterday, Dick found this article on the web. It explains that Costco has conformed to CA and U.S. rules, such as CRV and "nutrition" labeling, so everything appears to be nice and legal.

This other article had this to say:

Some say that Coke is Coke, so whichever sweetener used doesn't matter. Others strongly disagree - they feel that the Coke hecho'ed en Mexico tastes like what Americans drank in the long long ago, back before 1985's New Coke/Coca Cola II Project Kansas debacle, back when sugar was the sweetener used by all U.S. bottlers.

Our local Taqueria sells Coke in a bottle. At least I know that when our Costco stash runs out, I can always run there for a bottle.

The Chows tour ILM

geek heaven

My Dad and Mom won an auction item at my niece's (my cousin's daughters) school auction a few weeks ago.

The auction item was for a tour for of the (relatively) new Industrial Light & Magic complex in the Presidio here in San Francisco.

The tour was given by one of ILM's employee's, who also happens to be a Mom of one of the kids who attends the same school as our nieces. She's a layout artist who has been with the company for about 14 years. She's done work on a long list of movies including the Star Wars franchise, Harry Potter films and the Pirates of the Carribean.

The tour was very cool. We saw the new facilities, along with lots and lots of the original costumes and props. We ate in the cafeteria, and were also allowed to shop at the company store! (um, yep, bought some goodies...)

We were only allowed to take photos in the main lobby, but there were still some pretty cool photo ops:

My parents took my sister, her boyfriend (Graham) and me on the tour with them. Poor Dick was supposed to come, but he couldn't get out of work today.


In front of the ILM building


One of the actual original Boba Fett costumes from The Empire Strikes Back


Dad and Darth (an original costume from the Episode IV)


Dad and Graham duke it out - Jedi-style!

Thanks, Mom & Dad! What a cool treat!

funny tidbit...

When I came home, I received an email from my sister-in-law (and fellow Star Wars lover), Meg.

The subject title was: Why is today (5/4) Yoda's favorite day?

answer: May the Fourth.......

Be with you!

To celebrate the day, Meg and Grace (my 6 year old niece) watched Episode IV together! :)

I definitely married into the right family!

Go Warriors!

I've never even watched a Warriors game before this series.

Wow.

Well, that was exciting!

By the way, my sister's boyfriend, Graham, just increased his winnings from our trip to Vegas.

He had the fore site to bet on the Warriors at 12 to 1 odds against Dallas.

Congrats, Graham!

No, we're not addicted...

we could stop at any time. really.


Dick explains the game of Craps to Noe.

It's like having a little bit of Vegas at home! (But we're not addicted!)

Saturday morning, Dick and I went out on a quest to find a set of poker chips. We found a really nice set of ceramic chip (half off!) at Big 5 Sporting Goods (of all places).

When we came home, we went on the internet and found this 3-in-1 Poker/Blackjack/Craps table top - complete with cup holders, and chip holders! We couldn't resist. Dick has been teaching me craps by using a little travel-version that I bought him for Christmas last year. It was getting difficult to play using these tiny little chips.

Anyhow, the new table top came via UPS yesterday, and I gotta say: it's pretty cool! (but, we're not addicted.)

The quality is actually quite good, and, along with our new set of chips, our game of Craps was really fun! Plus, I learned just how quickly one can lose $100 at a $10 table. (about 45 minutes for me last night.)

It's actually quite fun, especially since we're not actually playing with real money.

We're not addicted. I'm going to keep saying that.

Success!

After being turned away the last three times, I was finally able to donate blood again today! I tried to donate three times within a span of two weeks about 6 weeks ago, but each time my iron count was just under the minimum requirement. Today, my iron level was more than adequate, and I was able to donate my one pint for the day.

I also found out today that I've reached my One Gallon mark since I began donating about 1-1/2 years ago. That's pretty cool.

I was so happy that I was able to donate again today. It's good to know that this is a little something I can do to help make a difference somewhere.

My Mom's Dream Pet

My cousin, Cheri, just sent this to my Mom, my sister and me.
For those of you who don't know, my Mom loves penguins!

You should watch this. It's pretty amazing!

The most beautiful fruit basket!

Today is my birthday :)



My sister-in-law sent me this gorgeous fruit basket from Ediblearrangements.com. What a great gift!

I love fruit, and as it turns out, this basket has all of my favorites: strawberries, grapes, a little bit of cantaloupe, and best of all: pineapple dipped in dark chocolate!!!

YUM!

This is such treat!

My Dad, the golf pro

When my parents were in Vegas, they got free tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. My Mom shared their pictures with us yesterday.

This picture cracks me up!


Henry Chow gives Tiger Woods some golf pointers

I think I've only been to a wax museum once, and I can't even remember which one it was. I do remember that they were all scenes from movies, or from notable times in history. Since they were complete scenes, they were blocked off so that you could not actually touch the figures, or take part in the scene.

That's why I was so surprised to see these photos from my parents. Dick said, "Of course! That's what you do at wax museums!"

I never knew!

New Harry Potter Movie Trailer

In case you missed it yesterday (like I did)...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie Trailer.

Paigow Poker

uh-oh.

and I thought that computer solitaire was a bad time-suck.

Java Pai Gow Poker

Some favorite photos from the weekend

Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip to Vegas with the Chow Family.


Happy 60th Anniversary


The Happy Couple


Grandma & Tiffie


Another Happy Couple! Bruce & Robin


Cheri & Kenneth


Fun at the Paigow Poker Table!


Chowing Down on Dim Sum


Annie with her doll without a name
I think she later named her Nancy Pelosi


The Star Trek Experience


Trina & Dick meet a Klingon
(I was standing on my toes in this picture!)


Grandpa & Grandma bobble heads in the back of their car

Like herding cats...

Just got home from Vegas. We had such a wonderful time!

It turns out that traveling/making plans with 20 people is quite a challenge!

Dick equated it to "herding cats".

Just when you think everyone is "on board" and ready to leave...

"meow" (one of the cats strays...)

Then that cat is wrestled back into the herd, and...

"mew" (another cat gets distracted...)

Round up that kitty, and everyone starts moving along again, and...

"meep!" (yet another kitty falls behind...)

It was pretty funny, and all things considered, went really, really well!

I'm not saying that I was a "herder". I'm sure that I was just as much as a "cat" as anyone else! 20 is simply a lot of people to organize and keep together!

Now that I'm home, I'll offer a few closing remarks:

1. Happy 60th Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa!
2. I LOVE my family.
3. Gambling at a poker table filled with family members is really fun.
4. Gambling with my family members in Vegas is a surreal experience.
5. What would we do without cell phones?
6. I think I'm addicted to Paigow. (thanks, Bruce.)
7. (and speaking of...) My cousin, the gambling pastor. enough said :)

An amazing trip that turned out to be even better that I ever imagined.

I'm so glad that we were all able to make it, and to celebrate the entire weekend as a family.

A whole lotta Chow Fun!

Another fun day in Vegas!

This morning, the 20 of us made our way to the New China Town in Vegas. My Grandparents had been about 8 years ago, and incredibly, my Grandpa was able to remember where it was, and how to get there.

Now, here's the thing. There are 20 of us, and we were going to Chinatown for dim sum at Noon. At any given time or place, we would have had to wait for at least an hour to be seated. We, however, have Grandma Chow! Anytime we go anywhere in Stockton, she always seems to know everyone, and is always able to "get us in" to where ever we're trying to go. Come to think of it, she was able to do the same thing for us when we all traveled to China together in 1992.

Anyhow, we arrive at the restaurant, and she tells them that we'll need two tables of 10. Miraculously, they offer us a private room, which just happens to have two tables! They were also able to seat us immediately! None of us knows just how Grandma manages to pull off such tasks. We just watch in awe and amazement. Like I said, it was Noon on a Sunday, and the restaurant was plenty busy.

The dim sum was delicious, and so much fun to do with the whole family.

In case you don't know, one of our favorite dishes is a (wide) noodle dish called Chow Fun. I've joked now for many years that when you're with our family, we always have Chow Fun. Now, here we were in Vegas. All twenty of us, having Chow Fun - in both senses! Great fun.


Chow Fun

I have some really great photos that I'll post once we get back home.

After lunch, my Mom, Dad, Sis, Graham, Dick and I made our way to the Hilton to checked out the Star Trek Experience. The four of us had come to this attraction about 8 years ago, but they have a whole new addition of a Borg 4-D movie, as well as other updated things. Graham and Dick have never been before.

We all had a blast! The two atractions: the Klingon Enounter and Borg Invasion 4-D were both really fun and enjoyable. It was especially fun to do all of this with my Mom again, since she is a long-term Trekkie.

After we finished with both attractionsk, we stopped for drinks and snacks at Quarks. That was fun, too.

Graham wanted to get in a few hands of poker, so we made our way out to the casino. Dick and I found a $5 Mini-Paigow table, and hung out there for about 45 minutes. (we came out $35 up!)

We meeting my immediate family for dinner again tonight at 9:00, while the rest of the family is out at a couple of shows. We're all hooking up again later tonight for some more Chow Fun in the casinos.

I can't get over how much fun this trip has been for the entire family. Who knew that we'd all have so much fun in Vegas! It's really neat to be here with everyone, and to spend time with each other in a whole new place. (Not to mention how much fun it is to gamble with all of them!)


Chow Fun!

Tomorrow we're going to check out the Hoover Dam before catching our flight home in the afternoon.

More Fun in Vegas

Oh, boy. Last night was a lot of fun.

We had a really nice dinner with the entire family at Panevino Restaurant. My sister had previously arranged this dinner with a friend of a friend who works there. It was a perfect way for all of us to celebrate Grandma & Grandpa's 60th Anniversary together.

After dinner, 8 of us went back to the MGM to see Ka which I really loved. The visuals and staging were stunning. I've never seen anything quite like it.

While we were at the show, the rest of the family (minus the 3 little girls) were out and about on the stip! We hooked up with them after the show at the new Planet Hollywood Hotel (formerly the Aladdan). They had spent a large part of the evening playing Paigow Poker. I'd never played before, but decided to jump into the table to join in. It was a lot of fun. We took up the entire table.

Let me tell you, it's a bit surreal to find oneself playing poker in Vegas with one's Aunts, Uncles and cousins! We've never vacationed together as an entire family before, let alone played poker together in Vegas!

Dick and I left the party around 2:00am, which I thought was pretty good for us!

We're hooking up with the family again later this morning to experience Dim Sum in Vegas! Yes, Dim Sum. We're all going to drive over to Las Vegas' Chinatown. (who knew)

After lunch, I think we may go our seperate ways for a while. Dick and I are planning to hit the Star Trek Experience with my parents! (this time, we'll plan to go before they close!)

Vegas, Baby. Vegas!

Here we are in Vegas!

We took an early flight this morning (8:30am) and arrived around 10:00. We are staying at the fantastic Signature Hotel at the MGM Grand. We just checked into our room, after being out-and-about all day. This hotel is spectacular. We have a full kitchen, a LCD TV, a clock radio which will play my iPod, huge bathroom, full sitting room, etc.,

Dick and I took a nice walk around some of the neighboring hotels: the MGM, New York, New York, the Excaliber, The Luxor, and Mandalay Bay. We played a little Blackjack at the Luxor ($10 table) and managed to win $115 between the two of us! :)

We haven't had a chance to hook up with the rest of the family yet. We'll all be having dinner together tonight at 6:00, then a smaller group of us will be seeing "Ka" at the MGM. Should be a lot of fun.

Okay, that's it for now. Will post more later!

On the Road Again...

Can you believe I just got home from the Mid-West on Wednesday evening, and I'm already taking off again tomorrow morning?

Where are we going to this time?

Vegas, Baby. VEGAS!

Ah, yes. Las Vegas.
Sin City.
The City of Lights.
The Entertainment Capitol of the World.

..and why are we going to Vegas?

Why, to celebrate my Paternal Grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary!

Yes, you read it right: 60 years! Pretty amazing, huh?


Chuck and May Chow
April, 1947

In honor of their 60th Wedding Anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa wanted the whole clan to go to Vegas together.

Just how many people are in our family?

count 'em: 20.

That's 4-Generations of Chow.

20 people

How many Chows can fit in Vegas?

20.

That's a whole lotta Chow.

It should be a really great time. We've never ALL traveled together as a family before. The ages in our family ranges from 3 (my cousin's youngest daughter) all the way up to 85! (Grandpa)

I'm sure we'll have many-a-tale to tell.

My cousin Bruce has already begun the battle of the blogs!
Bring it on, cuz. Bring it on.

We're lucky to have Uncle Christopher here to stay with the kitties while we're away. Thanks, Bro!

I'd date him

but I'm happily married, and not looking...

Dick just found this site on sfgate.

MaybeMike.com.

You gotta give this guy big kudos for putting himself out there (or up on the web, as it were) like that!

Bonus points for the cute logo.

you just know he's totally going to get the girl with this site.

Travel Bliss

Big breakfast with a great friend to start off the day.

No traffic on the way to the airport.

On-line check-in at home 24 hours before my flight. All I had to do at the airport was check in my luggage at a special booth, which had no lines. Total check-in time: less than 2 minutes.

10 minute line through security.

30 minute wait until flight boards.

Flight leaves on time.

Good movie on flight. (The Pursuit of Happyness)

Flight arrives 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Turn on phone, walk down to baggage claim.

Get a call from hubby - he was able to leave his conference early, and came to the airport to pick me up! (Surprise! I was planning on taking a cab home.)

Find luggage, find hubby, drive home.

Happy kitties.

Lucky Girl.

It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip. :)

Homeward Bound...

My how time flies.

It's already time for me to pack my backs and head back home.

Our time in Chicagoland has been really wonderful. We spent the majority of our time visiting with our many friends here: breakfast with Eileen, dinner with Bill, and a raucous night in downtown Chicago with Jason.

It's been a great trip - as always. I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful friends here.

Time to go home. I miss my kitties. I miss my hubby. :)


Breakfast with Eileen ("Hi Eileen!")


Bill & Tammy


A visit to Chicago is never complete without a visit with The Amazing Jason!

New Bio Trina!

This just in from my friend, Andrew, who lives in Spain:

I was thinking of you the other day when I saw the new Bio range from Trina! You will be pleased to know that you are now fully free of genetically modified ingredients and includes a yoghurt range. Go Girl!

It's good to know that I'm fully free on genetically modified ingredients!

I tried to have a mojito, but nobody knew what one was....

Another WGI has come and gone...

When I was at WGI Headquarters (essentially, the hotel gathering place/bar), my friend, Benji offered to buy me a drink. Everyone knows that I don't drink much, but I figured, when in Rome... (or, Dayton, as it were...)

So, I requested a Mojito.

Benji didn't know what it was.

I described it him.
He thought it sounded yummy.

He came back a few minutes later, asking for my second drink of choice.
Apparently, the bartender had never heard of one either.

Tammy and I just woke up. We're planning to meet some friends for breakfast before we all head home. We didn't get to bed until 4:00. (typical) We woke up at 8:00am, a bit groggy (to say the least), from our lack of sleep over the past two nights.

Tammy mentioned in disbelief that she didn't even have a drink at headquarters last night. I acknowledged that I haven't even had a drink all weekend. (which she laughed at, reminding me that I don't usually have a drink at WGI at all.)

That's when I said, "I tried to have a drink, but nobody knew what a mojito was..."

Her reply: "Trina: You asked the boy from Eau Claire, Wisconsin to ask the bartender from Dayton, Ohio to make you a Mojito! Are you surprised?"

that thought never occurred to me, and made me laugh.

So, another WGI has come and gone. The show was really good last night. One of the strongest WGIs in recent memory. I might even have to buy the DVD this year.

Have to go get ready to meet Sal and Cody for breakfast now.

Will write more once we're back in Chicagoland... :)

webTrina: finding bargains in Kentucky!

Tammy and I have had such a great day (already!).


Gap Clearance Center, Hebron, KY

As I've mentioned from previous years, one of our favorite activities during our girl's weekend in WGI is when we make the drive over the border of Kentucky to do some serious shopping at the Gap Clearance Center!

We were not disappointed! Some great clothes, and wonderful bargains were found!

To summarize: I bought 5 pairs of pants (2 of which are for my Mom and my Sister), 1 pair of spandex leggings (been wanted to get some of these for a while) 5 tops, and one pair of sandels.

"How Much?" you say?

You'll never believe it...

To top it off, as we were nearing the check-out counter, a nice woman approached us, offering a 20% off coupon!

"So how much was it?"

But wait... there's more!

They also threw in a free Gap CD - which I'm listening to right now, and it's really great!

So, lets summarize again...

5 pairs of pants
5 tops
1 pair of leggings
1 pair of sandles
1 music CD
6% Kentucky Sales Tax

(minus 20%)

Grand Total: $73.68.

Oh, yeah!

webTrina strikes again!

For the record, Tammy found 2 pairs of pants, 4 tops, a jacket and a bag. She paid under $50.

This is why we love coming here!

After our early afternoon shopping spree, we drove back to Dayton to our favorite little High Tea Restaurant, which we just found last year.

The food was amazing: great tea, tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries.
All for $12/person.

I'm telling you, there are some great buys here!


Afternoon High Tea in Dayton!

We're taking a quick break in our fabulous hotel room, resting up for the big night ahead.

WGI Finals is tonight!

....followed by a late night at headquarters!

Good Times in Dayton, Ohio!

The drive from Chicago to Dayton went really well. We were lucky that it turned out to be a bright, sunny day - perfect for a road trip! We made it in to Dayton right on time today at 6:00.

We met our friends, Rich & Benji at 7:00 for dinner. That was a wonderful treat, as we never feel like we're able to spend enough time with them each year at headquarters.

After dinner, I talked everyone into having an ice cream with me at Graeters in Centerville. (yum)


Benji, Tammy & Rich outside of Graeter's

We decided to hit headquarters tonight to see what the scene was like. It was a bit slow when we arrived around 10:30, which was nice, because it was easy to see people. By the time that we left at 12:30, it was pretty packed, and we managed to see lots of people - several who don't necessarily come on a yearly basis, so we had some really nice surprises.


Philip, Trina & Jeff Worth! (first time back at WGI in 12 years! So happy to see you again!)

I took some fun photos, and will post them soon.

PS: to our amazement, we found out tonight that Dayton (or maybe State of Ohio) has now outlawed smoking in bars! :)
tomorrow, we'll be waking up in time to enjoy our free breakfast at our fabulous hotel. Afterwards, we're off to Kentucky to go shopping at the Gap/Banana Republic Clearance Center! :)

PSS:

funny story
Here's my WGI Geek moment of the night:

I was at headquarters, and Mike Gaines introduced me to Tommy Keenum of Final Analysis and other memorable WGI shows.

When I was introduced to Tommy, I shook his hand and said, "I love your work. I've been a big fan for a long time..." (oh, what a dork I am!) I also told him that one of my favorite WGI shows ever was The Color Purple (Final Analysis, 1988)

Anyhow, I don't suppose many people compliment him on shows from nearly 20 years ago, so he was probably a little taken back, but appreciative.

Mike continued the introduction by telling Tommy, "Trina marched in Blackhawks, Kingsmen, and State Street..."

Tommy said, "You couldn't have possibly marched in those shows. You don't look like you're any older than 24!"

That's when I said, "Oh, Thank you! Now I'm an even bigger fan!"

Oy. I think I may be the world's biggest dork.


Tommy, Mike & Craig

Prelims Scores.

Greetings from Chicago!

Okay, technically, I'm in Bloomingdale...

Good morning!

It's a sunny day out, albeit cold and there's still a lot of snow on the ground!

Tammy and I are up and getting ready to head out to make our trek across Illinois, and Indiana to Ohio!

Once again, I'm proudly sporting the Ohio t-shirt.

The trip (not including any frozen custard spots along the way) should take about 6 hours.

See you in Ohio!

Mid-West Bound!

It's that time of the year again!

Time for my annual trek to the Mid-West!

I'm flying out this morning to chilly Chicago. I'll be staying at Tammy's place tonight, then tomorrow we'll be taking a road trip to Dayton, OH! It'll be pretty much the same itinerary as every year: Good food, a little color guard, some discount shopping, and great friends. We're both really looking forward to it!

Last year, I started to dub this vacation as my "girls weekend". Tammy and I have such a blast, and it's always such great fun to do a road trip together. While I'm away, Martin will be visiting Dick in San Francisco. They'll be having their own "boys weekend" while I'm away. While my weekend will consist of eating at Bob Evans (yum!) and Chicago Style Pizza, their weekend will consist of dining out at some of San Francisco's finest restaurants! This is the second year in a row that we all planned the "girls weekend"/"boys weekend" thing. It's a lot of fun for all, and no one feels like they're missing out on the fun.

I plan to bring my computer and my camera along this time around. Will try to post during the trip!

...and, oh, yes. I do plan on wearing my road trip t-shirt again this year! :)

Marcel's new stairs

A couple of months ago, I realized that our "big cat", Marcel, would be turning 13 years old later this year.

This made me a little sad, as this means that Marcel is slowly but surely becoming an "older cat".

One thing that occurred to me is that several times a day, Marcel jumps up to and down from our bed. Our be has a pillow-top mattress, and is pretty high off the ground. Marcel is usually able to jump high enough to make it, but every once in a while, the poor guy misses.

Also, whenever he jumps down from our bed to the hardwood floors, you always hear a loud "Ker-Plunk!" when he lands. I worry that someday he might injure himself by falling or landing wrong. He's a hefty little guy, and I don't know what kind of strain his little legs are under when he lands.

I brought up my concerns to Dick, and suggested that we should be pro-active in keeping Marcel safe from injuries caused by a fall by investing in some kitty stairs for him. Dick agreed that it was a good idea.

We found several sets of stairs on the web, but decided on this one.

This was the perfect height to allow Marcel easy access to the top of our bed, plus it was more narrow than other models (usually made for larger dogs) so it wouldn't take up too much space in our small bedroom.

Bonus: we were able to order it in a leopard print, which makes us laugh.

We were a little concerned that Marcel wouldn't take to the stairs, and wouldn't use them.

When the stairs were delivered, Dick enticed Marcel with a couple of treats and voila! He got it instantly, and has been using them ever since!

It's really funny to be lying in bed at night or in the morning, and seeing Marcel climb up and down his stairs. I think he really likes them.


In my mind, Marcel is saying, "Hey, guys! This is cool! Thanks for the stairs!"

Fun with ZOOB!

One of new clients is a toy company called Infinitoy. (I love that name.) They have an existing site that they need to have updated.

When I met with them, they sent me home with several samples of their products. (I love my job!) That's right: they gave me toys!

Blane came over for a quick visit this afternoon. He had a short break in between his pilates clients, so I invited him over for a break.

We sat in the sunroom while we had a snack, and he noticed the stack of ZOOB boxes on the table. I told him what they were, and I could see that his interest was peaked. That's when we busted out the ZOOB and started to play!

Here are some fun pictures of us with our ZOOB creations!

Banana Bread

This morning, as I was cutting a slice of banana bread for my breakfast, I started to sing, "Banana Bread" to the tune of "Mana Mana".

Dick caught on, and joined me.

We were dancing around the kitchen singing:

"Banana-Bread"
"Do, do, doodoo do..."

"Banana-Bread"
"Do, do, do, do..."

"Banana-Bread"
"Do, do, doodoo do, do doodoo, do doo doo dood do doot"

In case you don't know when I'm talking about, you can watch the Mana-Mana video here:



I LOVE the Muppets!

The Easter Bunny wears Leather Chaps

At least he does in my neighborhood....

This morning, I was treated once again to one of my favorite Easter in the Castro sights:

A big bear of a man, dressed in a full pink (and furry) Easter Bunny suit, (ears and all) wearing a big black leather jacket, drove up on his big, phat Harley bike. He hopped off his bike, and toted his easter basket up the stairs to the home of one of our neighbors.

One of these years, I'm going to have to snap a picture of him...

More Tales of Shortness...

I bought new pair of jeans yesterday.

They were available in "Short" "Regular" and "Tall" lengths.

I bought the "short" (obviously).

They still drag on the ground, unless I wear heels.

Apologies to the RSS Folks...

A couple of weeks ago, I started to add labels (categories) to my blog posts. I also started to go through my 3-1/2 year archive to label my old posts as well.

It just occurred to me that this may be very confusing to to folks out there using an RSS reader to check for updates on my blog. Suddenly, all of these old posts are showing up as new (because I added the labels, and republished them).

I was wondering why my cousin, Bruce, had left a comment on a post that was nearly two years old. (X-Wing MINI) Now I get it!

Apologies all around.
We hope to have this all straightened out soon.

-Management

The new MUNI T-Line

"T" is for "Trina"!

The new MUNI Third Street Line (T-Line) will be starting full service today!

I'm feeling a little slow here, but Dick and I just realized that it will go from the Castro Street Station all the way past Monster Park! This also means that Dick and now take this new line from Castro Street to the CalTrain station at 4th and King!

We had no idea that this route was starting/ending at the Castro Station. It's kind of cool. This now gives Dick the option of going to the CalTrain station without having to a)take his scooter b)drive his car c)have me drive him.

It's always nice to have public transportation options! :)

Cody's is closing :(

Cody's Books is closing their store in San Francisco.

That's too bad. I really liked that store.

This is the same local, independent bookstore where I went to a couple of really great book signings over the past couple of years.

I saw Jimmy Carter last January, and also (my favorite) Armistead Maupin in August. Both book signing events were pretty amazing. I felt so fortunate to have a chance to participate in them.

Unfortunately, it's really hard in this day and age to run a successful, competitive, yet independent bookstore. I admit that I've only bought books from this store a handful of times. The truth is, I don't buy books often, but even when I do, it's hard not to buy them at a discount on an online retailer.

I'm sorry to see Cody's go. I was so excited for it, as a local chain, when they moved into the San Francisco location just a couple of years ago.

Their store on Fourth Street in Berkeley will be their last remaining store. I'll make it a point to go there when they have any more great book signing events.

The new MINI Cooper

Here's a good article on the new MINI Cooper.

Mad Tea Party

Today I will be attending a Mad Tea Party, hosted by my friend, Alan Greenspan. (No, that that Alan Greenspan, this Alan Greenspan.)

My friend, Alan Greenspan, is the genius behind all of the amazing hats in San Francisco's famous Beach Blanket Babylon. If you've never seen it, you really should. It's a San Francisco institution.

Alan has been designing and creating the hats since 1978. It comes as no surprise, then, he was nicknamed "The Mad Hatter". He eventually embraced this nickname, and started to collect Mad Hatter paraphernalia from the Alice in Wonderland Stories.

I met Alan a few years ago through our mutual friend, Andrew Tabbat. When Alan started his collection, Andrew taught him some of the ins and outs of building a collection.

Every year, on or near April Fools Day, Alan hosts a Mad Tea Party. I've been to one before, but it's been a few years. It's a real treat, full of wackiness and fun.

Each year that I receive an invitation, I'm always amazed at the creativity that goes into them.

This year's invitation came in the form of puzzle pieces. Once that puzzle was put together, it showed a scene from the Mad Tea Party, with a clever rhyme inviting the recipient to the party.

My sister will be attending the Mad Tea Party this year with me. We're really looking forward to it.

Happy April Fool's Day!


My invitation to the Mad Tea Party!

Green Pinky

A couple of days ago, I went to visit my friend, Eve, in her new garden. Eve, and her partner, Abbe, have recently bought a house a few blocks away from us, and Eve has been tending to the garden.

She's really done a marvelous job with it. It's a sweet garden - complete with multiple tiers, koi pond, and lots of thriving trees and plants. It's one of those inspiring, magical gardens.

Eve was meeting with an Aborist while I was there. The arborist was there to check on the conditions of the trees, the soil, etc., I overheard her give Eve a few quick tips on how to prune a plant/tree.

This morning, as Dick and I were eating breakfast in the sun room, I looked out onto our balcony and noticed the sad state of affairs that the three plants that live on our balcony were in. I have a lemon tree, a jade plant, and a ficus tree. After eating, I grabbed a set of pruning shears, and set out - still wearing my (KN) pjs, and slippers. I pruned back our ficus tree, which was in desperate need of some TLC. I also weeded out the lemon tree, and gave each of the trees/plants a good watering.

This is the extent to which I have a green thumb.

It's very minimal.
Kind of like my ironing skills.

I think the three plants are happier now, and should have a better spring/summer for today's TLC.

My Dad would be so proud of me.

The day I was on the Home Shopping Network

Yes, you read it right. I was on the Home Shopping Network this morning.

Okay, I wasn't physically on the show, but I was on the show via telephone. I was asked to call to give a personal testimony on the featured product.

What was the product? Why, Karen Neuberger Pajamas, of course!

Isn't that hysterical? I received an email about a week back asking if I would be interested in calling in to give a testimonial. They said they were looking for "great customers, like yourself, to speak about the Karen Neuberger brand and your experience with our products".

How did they know that I'm such a fan? It's probably because I placed an order with them over the Holidays, but it's also possible that they may have seen my blog posts here, here, or even here.

I am nothing if not consistent. :)

There was a nice incentive involved, so I figured, "Why Not?". After all, I am a genuine fan of their product, and I've certainly been an advocate of their products to my friends and family over the years. They sent along my contact info to HSN, who then called me with the time and info of when I should call into the program. I had the choice of calling in at midnight last night, or at 7:30 this morning. (I opted for 7:30am.)

So, how did it go? Pretty well, I think. I was only on for a couple of minutes (thankfully). I said pretty much the same things that I've talked about here on my blog: I'm addicted to the brand, it's the only brand of PJs that I wear, and, since I work from home, I tend to wear them all day long. :) How's that for a testimonial?

What a funny way to start the day.


My one-minute of fame.

Star Wars Stamps

My Mom just called to remind me of the date, and that today was the day that USPS was going to make their Star Wars Announcement.

So, here it is! Star Wars stamps, coming out on May 26, in celebration of the 30th(!) anniversary of the first Star Wars Film.

Cool stamps! You know I'll be getting some!

New Harry Potter book cover

In case you haven't seen this yet.

Here's the complete story.

The 7th and final installment of the series is due to be released on July 12th!

No more plastic bags!

Today, the SF Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to make San Francisco the first city in the nation to prohibit petroleum-based plastic checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies.

Read the story here.

I think this makes a lot of sense, as the plastic bags that we're currently using are not biodegradable or recyclable. This law will mandate the use of biodegradable plastic bags or recyclable paper bags.

I've been meaning to buy a large canvas tote to bring with me to the grocery store for a while now. Guess this will prompt me to get one now.

The only thing I need to figure out now... what will I use for kitty-litter clean-up? :)

Tragic Accident

This is so sad.

The UNC student who has dressed in the UNC Ramses Mascot costume for the past 3 years died this morning after being struck by a SUV on Friday. He was in New Jersey, to cheer at the UNC vs USC game Friday evening. He was hit from behind by an SUV while walking to a convenience store near his hotel.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young man. In my many years of coaching High School students and young adults under the age of 22, I often brought them across country to compete in regional and nationals competitions. The parents of these students trusted us to keep their kids safe while we were away.

I realize that deadly accidents happen every day, but when it's school related, it just seems that much more tragic.

Battlestar Galactica

Did you watch the season finale last night?

How about the previews at the end?

Battlestar Galactica...

...continues in 2008

2008?!

What the Frack?!

"Help me, United States Postal Service. You're my only hope."

My sister-in-law just sent this picture to me:


this cracks me up!

I checked out http://www.uspsjedimaster.com, and there's a teaser up there with a video clip, and a statement saying "On March 28th Two Powerful Forces Will Unite".

I, of course, have to know what it is, so I submitted my email address at the bottom so I can "Be the first on Planet Earth to know why".

I'm such a sucker.

I'm hoping this means that we're going to see a lot of little mailboxes around the country dressed up like R2-D2.

That would be hysterical.

...and as my sister-in-law says, It makes me want to dress up as Leia and go mail something!

Random Tidbit

I always thought this was really funny....

When I was first diagnosed with Axial Myoclonus, I had a prescription bottle with the following directions:

Take daily, as needed for jerks.

I was dating an old boyfriend at the time, and needed to take the pills frequently.

I switched medications (and boyfriends) soon afterwards.

S.L.S. (Short Leg Syndrome)

Just how short are my legs?

Having just returned home on a cross-country flight, I'm reminded that my legs get really sore in the upper thighs after flying for a few hours.

This is not for lack of leg room, as one may think.

Quite the opposite, actually.

I think my legs get sore because they are too short, and don't reach the floor when I'm sitting properly in the chair. Because of this, there's no support, and my legs just kind of dangle for hours on end.

Does anyone else have this problem?
(Dick certainly doesn't, so I can't ask him to relate)

March Madness in North Carolina - even crazier than advertised!

Yesterday, I mentioned how huge college basketball is here in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. There's no escaping it - it's everywhere!

Tonight was the first time I've ever had the experience of watching a UNC game (let alone an NCAA tournament game) with Dick and his entire family. (sisters, father, brother-in-law, nieces, nephew, uncles, cousins, and even an old friend from Dick's UNC Graduate days)

Dick's sister hosted a dinner for the entire family to come over to watch the game and visit while Dick and I are in town.

Watching an important UNC game with Dick, just the two of us at our home, is an intense experience in and of itself.

Watching a UNC NCAA game with the entire clan is all that, but to the nth degree.

Even before the UNC game started, we watched back-to-back games all day. They were all pretty close (at least two going into overtime) and exciting.

But when the UNC vs. MSU game came on, that was a whole other thing. Lots of yelling, clapping, knocking on wood, ooohs, ahhs, etc., This game had it all.

In the end, the Tar Heels pulled it out, and were victorious. (Thank goodness!)

I feel like I just survived some kind of crazy initiation into the family!

I took this photo towards the end of the game. It doesn't do the evening justice. The photo makes it look like everyone is just relaxing, watching TV. The truth is, everyone was tense and stressed, holding their breath, anticipating what would happen next!


March Madness with the Craddock/Cohen family.

Basketball Haven

Greetings from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I do believe that this may be center of College Basketball Haven: We are mere miles away from UNC, Duke and NC State.

We flew in Wednesday evening, just in time to meet Dick's family for dinner at Squids.

I've come to North Carolina several times now, but it occurs to me that I've never come during the month of March. March Madness, Baby.

I thought that I've done a pretty good job over the past few years of getting more hip to College Basketball. I'm familiar with the teams now, I'm hip to the lingo, I can follow a game pretty well.

None of this prepared me for being in North Carolina during the month of March. Yesterday, as we were driving around town, Dick flipped on the radio station, and the only thing that anyone was talking about was the NCAA Tournament.

As one of the radio DJs said, "It's like Christmas, for Basketball Fans". This is true, of course, but I had no idea how all consuming it is for anyone who lives here! Anywhere we went to had TVs tuned into the first day of the NCAA tournament. We went to "Four Corners" on Franklin Street - a popular sports bar located across the street from UNC. There were easily a couple of dozen TVs tuned into 3 different games. The place was packed at 2:00pm. That's when I learned that most people actually take days off from work during the tournaments, and at the least, most people will watch it from TVs (or computers) at work (or school!)

I'm telling you, it's a whole different world over here. Having grown up in Northern California, I never even knew what "March Madness" was until I met Dick 8 years ago. He has told me how weird it was for him to move to the Bay Area from North Carolina in 1986: no one knew or cared anything about College Basketball, and it was nearly impossible to watch any of the games on TV.

Now that I'm here, I finally fully understand just how huge this whole March Madness thing really is. In order to get into the spirit of things, I bought a North Carolina t-shirt yesterday from a store on Franklin Street. Now, I'm ready!

We watched basketball all afternoon. We took a break in the evening to go to a Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Game! (it's a big sports week for me!) The hockey game experience was exceptional. We went to see the game with my friend, Kristi, and her two little girls. Kristi's husband is on the team. We watched the game from their private box, which was the coolest way to watch a game. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes lost, 2-3, but we had a lot of fun, anyway. Our box had a couple of televisions in it, so we were able to keep up with the basketball games, even while we were watching the hockey game.


The Cohen family with Dick and Trina at the Carolina Hurricanes game

We came back to Dick's sister's house around 11:00, and continued to watch Basketball. The UNC game ended around midnight, then Dick watched a recorded game that he had missed earlier in the evening.

Right now, I'm sitting here in Dick's sister's living room with Dick, his two sisters, and his Dad. It's raining outside, and we plan to spend the day inside watching basketball all day. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing this all weekend long!

Go Heels!

Geek Heaven

This weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning), Dick and I attended the 2nd Annual Technical Recognition Event for Dick's work. Last year, it was in Vancouver, this year, it was held in San Francisco!

We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in Nob Hill, which was a real treat. The weather couldn't have been nicer, which was a welcome change for about 95% of the people who came from out of the area.

The event was for the high-end tech guys at the company, and their S.O.'s. This is a real treat for me, as I had a chance to meet and talk with some really interesting, and brilliant people who have done some amazing things in their careers. As you can imagine the geek factor was very high.

During dinner last night, the promise of a "special guest speaker" was highly anticipated. We already knew that Bill Gates would be speaking (whom I really enjoyed listening to last year) but no one knew who the other speaker would be.

..and then the time came.

...and the lights dimmed...

...and the Star Wars music came...

Yes, it was George Lucas! After Dick and I saw it was him, we thought it made a lot of sense: he's local to SF, is big into technology, and is interested in the same types of education endeavors as Bill. The two of them talked on stage for about 30 minutes before holding a Q&A with the audience. I have to say, it was pretty cool.

After dinner, Dick and I were both pretty tired, and decided to skip the After Dinner Disco Party. Too bad for me! This morning, as we were checking out, we saw that the attendees of the Disco Party received these really cool light sabers as a gift! What a bummer that we missed out on that! I had coveted them at Costco about a year ago, but they're pricey suckers!

Anyhow, it was a fun and interesting geek-filled event.
This computer/Star Wars geek was very satisfied.


Uncle Bill with Uncle George

I Love a nice surprise!

The doorbell just rang.

It was the UPS man!
I wasn't expecting anything to be delivered today.

I looked at the box, and saw that it was sent from Karen Neuburger, my favorite jammie company!

What could it be?

There was a letter in the box that read:

Dear Trina,
As one of our valued Shop KN customers, we wanted you to be one of the first to enjoy KN Karen Neuburger's new sportswear collection!

The letter also talked about the new sportswear collection,where you can buy them, etc.,

Now, I've got to say, I'm very impressed!
Last week, I had received an email announcement from them, as well as a postcard in the mail.

So, they made sure that I'd would already be aware of their new stuff. But, to top it off, they're sending me a free sample?!

I love this company this much more now!

What did I get?

A cute little printed tee. It's cute and sporty. I'll wear it. :)

I've already been raving about this company's pajamas to my friends and family for years. Seriously, they're the most comfy jammies you'll ever own! Just ask Lora!

Now, I just might have to try out their new sportswear line. Perhaps a new hoodie and pants to replace J. Lo? (Dick's name for my old workout suit that he hates.)

It occurs to me that I got my first pair of KN pajamas for free 8 years ago. Since then, it's the only brand of pajamas I'll buy. Dick says it's like crack: the first one is free. I think I'm in trouble.

Anyhow, what a good marketing campaign!
(see how well that worked? They send me a free sample, and now I'm telling you all about their products!)

Madison, WI voted #1 for walking?!

really?

Wow. Here's a surprise. According to this article, Madison, WI was voted the #1 city in the US for walking.

Having had the pleasure of living in Madison for 2 years, I have to admit, that I'm quite surprised. Now granted, I lived there during the months of October through May, so I was certainly there during the cold season.

But the truth is, I don't remember ever walking anywhere when I lived there! It was simply too cold. It's a beautiful place, and really pretty during the spring/fall, but what about the rest of the year? It's really, really cold during the winter, with a LOT of snow and ice. And it's hot and humid during the summer.

San Francisco ranked #3.
Hmmmm...
All I can say is that, personally, I walked in San Francisco on a regular basis a heck of a lot more than I ever walked in Madison.

curious.

In case you're wondering, Austin, TX was ranked #2.
I haven't been there, but I hear it's lovely.
...and warm.
...and it doesn't snow.

Is it really ever okay to ask this question?

I was at our local grocery store a few weeks ago, and the cashier said to me, "So, you and your husband have been together for a while, right? You've been coming here a long time."

It was a friendly enough conversation, and I certainly recognized him as someone who has worked at the store for as long as I can remember.

"Yep," I said, "We've been together for about 8 years."

That's when he asked the question:
"So, when are you going to have kids?"

I took pause for a moment, and assessed the situation.

Here's someone that I don't know at all. I mean, I don't even know his name, and he only knows mine from looking at my credit card.

Is it me, or is this a very personal question?

I gave him the standard, "Oh, I don't know, we'll see..." (in that non-committal, I don't really know you, so I don't feel like getting into this conversation kind-of-response....)

...but he didn't get it...

..and he just kept on going...

"Aw, you've got to have kids! no question! Your life won't have meaning without them."

Now, is it just me, or is this completely inappropriate?

This guy doesn't know me. He doesn't know my husband. He doesn't know our situation. He has no idea what our thoughts are on the subject.

And don't get me wrong, I know where he's coming from: he has kids. He loves his kids. I'm quite certain that his kids were the best thing that ever happened to him, and I understand that.

But I don't think it ever gives one person cause to make assumptions on someone else, especially when they don't even know then.

I mean, it's a slippery question, isn't it?

You don't know...

you don't know if the couple desperately want children, but are unable to conceive. Or if they have medical problems. Or if they are trying to be responsible because they can't afford kids. What if it's an extraordinarily sensitive topic?

Then again, what if the answer is that the couple simply don't plan to have kids? Shouldn't it be okay to say that?

I realize that this is nothing new. I don't get asked these types of questions very often, and I think that's why I think about it when it's brought up.

I have a friend that I've known for several years. She has her degree in some kind of child-care field, has worked for several years in child care, was a nanny for a while, and works as a child-advocate. Although she has wanted to have children of her own in the past, she and her husband have decided that they probably won't have children for very personal reasons.

Knowing all of this, she has another friend, who upon having her second child exclaimed, "You have to have kids! I mean, it's you."

Now, call me crazy, but that's just downright inconsiderate and insensitive?

I guess what I'm getting at is I think people need to think before they make such broad assumptions that everyone thinks and lives the same way as they do.

..and if you really need to ask the question (to a family member or a close friend - not a random stranger) then please consider rephrasing your question:

"What are you thoughts on having kids?"

or

"Do you two plan to have kids together?"

At least it takes the assumption out of the equation.

Note: I'm writing about this because I was back at the grocery store today, and the same clerk asked me the same question: "SO, when are the kids coming?"

The Pros and Cons of working for yourself

Believe it or not, next month will mark 10 years since Trina Chow Design was hired by my first client to design and implement a web site! (That client, by the way, was Adler & Co Gallery way back when they were an animation gallery on Union Street!)

There are obviously many pros and cons to be said for working for yourself. Sure, I get the benefit of setting my own hours, choosing my clients, having creative freedom, etc.,

However, I also work by myself, which, after 10 years, I've learned can be somewhat limiting.

Case in point: I learned HTML the old-fashioned way...
About 12 years ago, I read the classic Teach yourself HTML in 14 Days by Laura Lemay.
I learned all about tables, formatting, how to code by hand, gif animations, image-mapping, frames, etc.,
Sure, I picked up some tips and tricks here and there, but I always stuck to the tried-and-true basics.

This limited knowledge worked well for me for a very long time.

About 3 or 4 years ago, Dick started to introduce me to the idea of CSS. (Cascading Style Sheets for those of you who aren't in the know...) I admit it: I shied away from learning CSS for months, and even years. I couldn't grasp the thought that I might need to change the way that I'd been doing things for years. (gasp!)

A couple of years ago, Dick helped me in the complete redesign of the Adler Gallery site (yes, the one and the same as my first client!). This would be my first major CSS project, and what an enormous project it would be! I came to embrace CSS, and learned to love it. Gone now were the days of doing layout using tables! Style tags don't belong in HTML! They belong in my .css page! Begone you table tags! Stop cluttering my HTML!

So, I've been enjoying a couple of years of basic CSS euphoria, when, every-once-in-a-while, Dick brings in something new and different (gasp - again!)!

Each time, I cringe! I shy away! I wonder why do I need to change?

Each time, I get over my fears and anxieties, and eventually learn that it's good to learn, it's good to expand, it's good to keep up. It's good to learn about "ems".

I feel very fortunate that my hubby is so interested, on a personal as well as a professional level, in some of the same technologies that I use for my small, one-person business. He keeps me up-to-date, and helps broaden my mind to new ideas that I wouldn't have if I kept to myself.

So, it turns out that I'm one lucky girl. I have all the benefits of working by myself, but I also get to benefit from the fact that my hubby will make sure that I won't fade away into HTML oblivion. I even get my own personal tutor who actually enjoys learning, and sharing his expansive knowledge with me!

It turns out that I'm not working entirely by myself after all! I get to work with my hubby!

In case I haven't mentioned it in a while, I love my techie-honey! :)

One Man Star Wars Trilogy

The name says it all...



Friday morning I got a call from my friend, Cynde. She was in the car, listening to the radio as she was driving to the gallery. She had just heard about a Star Wars theater show, and had to let me know about it.

"Cool!" I said, "I'll have to look into it."

I met my friend Andrew for lunch that day. During our conversation, I mentioned that my Mom had recently digitized my "Story of Star Wars" LP for me.

Andrew said, "Speaking of Star Wars, have you heard about the new show in town?"

I said I had just heard something about it from Cynde, but I didn't know much about it yet, because I hadn't had a chance to look it up yet.

Dick came home from work later that evening. He told me someone on Caltrain had told him about this One Man Star Wars show which was showing at the Post Street Theater.

Clearly, the universe wanted to make sure that I saw this show!

So, we looked it up that night. We found it was showing at the Post Street Theater for just over a week, and decided that we should try to see it this weekend! I didn't read much about it. I figured, the name pretty much says it all, right?

We saw today's matinée performance at 3:00pm.

The theater was pretty full, and what surprised me the most were how many kids were in the audience.

The show did not disappoint. It was exactly what I had expected: one man, reciting lines, and doing sound effects for all three of the first three original Star Wars films. It was an hour long in total. I checked my watch at the end of Star Wars: Episode IV, and it was about 20 minutes in length. Barley taking a few seconds to take a sip of water, he launched straight into The Empire Strikes Back.

I was amazed at the amount of energy and enthusiasm this guy had! He put in just as much energy into "Return of the Jedi" as he did into Episode IV. It's clear that this guy was/is one heck of a Star Wars geek. He nailed the lines, and even nailed the special effects sounds.

If you are a Star Wars fan of any level, you really must see this show.

Here's a clip I found on You Tube showing some highlights of the show.

I used to be a good troubleshooter...

....and then I started to date, then married someone who is an even bigger computer geek than I ever was!

I have an external drive connected to my laptop that backs-up my computer each night. Tuesday morning, I noticed that my computer was unable to read the drive, and the only option I had was to initialize the disk. Well, that's never my first choice, so I decided to restart my computer a few times, and re-connect the drive. No go. It didn't work at all.

I considered reinitializing the entire disk, but decided not to do anything until the weekend. A full backup of my drive takes a bit longer than 24 hours, and I didn't want it to disrupt my work for an entire day (or two). I figured I'd have Dick look it over during the weekend, and if I still needed to initialize the disk, I would just leave my computer alone for the entire weekend.

This morning, I asked Dick what he thought I should do. I asked, "Should I just initialize? It hasn't been able to read the disk all week."

He said he'd come up to look at it. I asked if he wanted me to restart my computer, and disconnect an re-connect the drive.

He said he'd just turn it off, and on again first.

....then he left the room.

....then my external hard drive showed itself on my desktop, all fine and happy...

...and I felt like an idiot.

I should have known this! This is the first thing I should have tried after restarting my computer didn't work.

Why is it that I rely so heavily on Dick's geekdome, that I've relaxed my own inner-geek, and can't step up to the plate to figure these things out for myself?

It's like there's some weird geeky-comfort knowing that Dick can fix things. I used to be the one my friends would call for computer questions! I used to be able to figure stuff out like this all the time. This is not difficult.

I've become the techie-geek damsel in distress because I married a knight in geeky armor.

Shame on me. Time to step things up, and become my own geek again.

Dick just walked back in, and read my blog.

He said that Craddock's First Law is "When in doubt, power cycle."

I should write that down.

Oh, I'm so embarrassed!

Dick is blogging again...

...in case you didn't notice.

Yep, there are a few new posts up there. They're pretty funny.

You should read them in chronological order, though. (don't read from the top down)

One Grumpy Dick.

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets...

...and with a face like that, who could resist?

Congratulations to proud new Papas, Andrew & Barry!

Andrew & Barry adopted a 10 week old Tibetan Terrier Pup last weekend!

I went to meet little Lola for the first time today, and what a cutie she is! It'll be fun to watch her grow!

I have no doubt that Lola will be a happy, and loved little girl. I look forward to visiting her (and her Dads) again soon.

Congratulations, Barry & Andrew!

We ARE those old hags!

Mmmmmm....Chicago-Style Pizza. Just like being back in the Mid-West!

I had a great evening last night with two of my longtime color guard friends, Philip, and Mike Gaines (Mr. WGI Hall of Famer, himself!).

While in the planning stages, the evening was dubbed "Mid West Color Guard Night Out", and later "The Gathering of the Old Color Guard Dinosaurs". Way back in the mid-late 80s, we all used to march in the mid-west, and thought it would be fun to get back to our "roots".

I went all out, and proudly sported my "Friends Don't Let Friends Live in Ohio"t-shirt, underneath my dapper State Street Review member jacket. Philip and Mike both got a kick out of this.

We started out the evening with fruity drinks at the Orbit Room on Market. It's been a good long while since I've had a chance to hang out with Mike (he's' on the road so much nationally and internationally teaching guards still), but we all quickly found our way to talking about "the old days" and catching up on related gossip.

In true mid-western form, we went to a new Chicago Style Pizza restaurant in Hayes Valley. It didn't disappoint - Chicago Style Pizza the way it was meant to be: so chock-full of cheese, you're stomach (and no-doubt your arteries) are full after your first slice!

After dinner, we made our way to Philip's new pad for a few hours of complete and utter geekiness: we watched old WGI videos/DVDs dating back from 1982-1993. Oh, what a guilty pleasure that was: watching some good old fashioned color guards with two of my old color guard friends. Now, I admit that I've watched these shows a few times within the last year or so, but Mike and Philip claimed that they hadn't watched these in over 10 years.

The thing is, once we started watching them, it was if we'd gone back to the days when we used to do this as teenagers: We knew every movement, every toss, every break, every single minute detail instantly! All those years of watching those videos for hour after hour were still there in the back of our minds.

And the funny thing is, all the old emotions and memories came back too:

• Mike was still bitter about losing to being boo'ed during retreat for beating Sac in '89. (corrected on 3/5/07 WOW! How did I get that wrong!)
  
• I still had a personal grudge against the Raiders, and a certain amount of bitterness towards Alliance '91
  
• Philip was still (understandably) bitter about never having made finals, and thus, never making "the video". (yeah, that sucks)

Sure, we know we're old. We know we're "those old color guard hags" that still go to WGI each year. But, the thing is, those were our most formative years when we developed into the people that we became. That's the time when I developed my most close friendships. It's the ties that bind.

I love my color guard friends! I'm so glad that I still have so many in my life. We may be geeks, but at least we admit it! Say it loud, and say it proud!

Thanks for a great evening, guys.
Let's do it again soon!