Counting down the best of 2011.
17. The sousaphone
16. Bean bag chairs
15. Qi gong tui na
14. The New Astrology: A Unique Synthesis of the World's Two Great Astrological Systems: The Chinese and Western
14. The Last Unicorn
13. Abaci
12. Muddlers
11. S'mores brownie pie
10. Sleepy
9. Dopey
8. Doc
7. Blitzen
6. Comet
5. Dr. Pepper for men
4. 103.5 KTU
3. Periwinkle blue
2. Canned tuna
1. Please consider the environment before printing this list.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas Dinner Menu
This year I volunteered to cook Christmas dinner. Why, you ask? Because I'm a great daughter. And because I've been doing nothing but gorging myself on my dad's cooking since I got home.
After much deliberation, I think I've settled on the perfect menu. This menu is sure to please as well as conceal any amateur mistakes that may arise.
The BLT Prime Popover
This soft and flavorful bread course will no doubt evoke great memories of when my brother and I enjoyed the delicious popovers at BLT Prime earlier this year. Of course my sure-to-be somewhat burnt and flat popovers will be all my own.
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Gruyere
This piece of meat will no doubt be enjoyed by the whole family, a family that doesn't always appreciate the pork belly for being too "fatty". And a stuffing of spinach, mushrooms, and cheese - all of which are inherently juicy - will mask the dryness of the pork itself.
Roast Fingerling Potatoes
A step up from our typical mashed potatoes. They might or might not end up mashed by individuals.
Broccoli and Peppercorn Drizzled with Cheese
Obligatory vegetable dish. But made better with cheese!
We'll see if this actually happens. My mind's been changing every other day, so check back with me to find out if I cooked or if we just ordered Dominoes.
After much deliberation, I think I've settled on the perfect menu. This menu is sure to please as well as conceal any amateur mistakes that may arise.
The BLT Prime Popover
This soft and flavorful bread course will no doubt evoke great memories of when my brother and I enjoyed the delicious popovers at BLT Prime earlier this year. Of course my sure-to-be somewhat burnt and flat popovers will be all my own.
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Gruyere
This piece of meat will no doubt be enjoyed by the whole family, a family that doesn't always appreciate the pork belly for being too "fatty". And a stuffing of spinach, mushrooms, and cheese - all of which are inherently juicy - will mask the dryness of the pork itself.
Roast Fingerling Potatoes
A step up from our typical mashed potatoes. They might or might not end up mashed by individuals.
Broccoli and Peppercorn Drizzled with Cheese
Obligatory vegetable dish. But made better with cheese!
We'll see if this actually happens. My mind's been changing every other day, so check back with me to find out if I cooked or if we just ordered Dominoes.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Aloneliness
You end up getting to know yourself a little better once you're comfortable facing the judging stares of society. I say that in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
I had dinner by myself for the first time this year. It's been a whole of mine for a while to have dinner by myself in a sit-down restaurant with waiter service without reading material or any sort of distractions. I know it's a strange desire. Most people use going out as a way to enjoy the company of others.
I chose an easy restaurant where this type of dining is common. I had my dinner in the restaurant of a hotel while I was on a business trip, and I was able to cross this goal off my list.
Tonight, I had dinner by myself again (though I was smarter and brought reading material). This time, it was in a restaurant where dining by yourself is not a common occurrence, as I deciphered from the surprised look on my hostess's face. Yet I felt completely comfortable eating alone. It's probably because I had already done it once this year, but the glances at my table from both waiters and other diners didn't bother me.
From this experience, I realized that sometime during the past 5 years, being alone and being lonely no longer mean the same thing to me. My feelings of loneliness only creep back on occasion as I become more and more comfortable with the thought of being alone. I used to enjoy being alone because I needed to recharge from social situations, but it was inevitable that the feeling of loneliness would return. Yet I've now come to better appreciate being alone because I know that I won't be alone for long.
This experience helps me better understand what it means to be my own person. There's a very thin line between defying social norms and becoming an outcast, but hopefully I haven't yet stepped to the side of being a social outcast. I just want to find ways of not being bound by what everybody else says is the right thing to do. Even if it's being able to enjoy a Reuben sandwich while reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
I had dinner by myself for the first time this year. It's been a whole of mine for a while to have dinner by myself in a sit-down restaurant with waiter service without reading material or any sort of distractions. I know it's a strange desire. Most people use going out as a way to enjoy the company of others.
I chose an easy restaurant where this type of dining is common. I had my dinner in the restaurant of a hotel while I was on a business trip, and I was able to cross this goal off my list.
Tonight, I had dinner by myself again (though I was smarter and brought reading material). This time, it was in a restaurant where dining by yourself is not a common occurrence, as I deciphered from the surprised look on my hostess's face. Yet I felt completely comfortable eating alone. It's probably because I had already done it once this year, but the glances at my table from both waiters and other diners didn't bother me.
From this experience, I realized that sometime during the past 5 years, being alone and being lonely no longer mean the same thing to me. My feelings of loneliness only creep back on occasion as I become more and more comfortable with the thought of being alone. I used to enjoy being alone because I needed to recharge from social situations, but it was inevitable that the feeling of loneliness would return. Yet I've now come to better appreciate being alone because I know that I won't be alone for long.
This experience helps me better understand what it means to be my own person. There's a very thin line between defying social norms and becoming an outcast, but hopefully I haven't yet stepped to the side of being a social outcast. I just want to find ways of not being bound by what everybody else says is the right thing to do. Even if it's being able to enjoy a Reuben sandwich while reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Acceptance
It's funny how things have a way of working out sometimes. There always feels like there's a sense of destiny to the world.
My best friend's getting married soon, and her mom was telling me the story of her mother-of-the-bride dress fiasco. Her original hot pink dress which would've made her look super stunning never came in. The store had ordered her the wrong dress and wouldn't order her a new one for complicated reasons that I'll leave unexplained. So here we are two months before the wedding and no dress.
She ended up going to this other store where dresses were altered and sold off the rack. There was no ordering involved. And she found an even better dress that fit her style for $100 less. This is where the story got good because there was genuine excitement at the great find. The best part is she already has the dress in her possession since it doesn't have to be ordered.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the progress and consequence of events. Sometimes, all you can do is keep an open mind and hope for the best. Had my friend's mom negatively reacted to the dress situation, she would never have found an even better alternative. Instead, she took initiative and opened up to other options. And perhaps it's best to just have a little faith that in the end things always sort themselves out.
My best friend's getting married soon, and her mom was telling me the story of her mother-of-the-bride dress fiasco. Her original hot pink dress which would've made her look super stunning never came in. The store had ordered her the wrong dress and wouldn't order her a new one for complicated reasons that I'll leave unexplained. So here we are two months before the wedding and no dress.
She ended up going to this other store where dresses were altered and sold off the rack. There was no ordering involved. And she found an even better dress that fit her style for $100 less. This is where the story got good because there was genuine excitement at the great find. The best part is she already has the dress in her possession since it doesn't have to be ordered.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the progress and consequence of events. Sometimes, all you can do is keep an open mind and hope for the best. Had my friend's mom negatively reacted to the dress situation, she would never have found an even better alternative. Instead, she took initiative and opened up to other options. And perhaps it's best to just have a little faith that in the end things always sort themselves out.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Unassuming Dentist
If I hadn't been going to the same dentist for approximately 23 years, or since whatever age you start taking your children to the dentist, I'd most definitely be freaked out by the whole experience here.
As you come down the heavily trafficked road, you'll notice (actually, you probably won't notice) a fully stuccoed building that looks like it should've been torn down years ago. The fabric has long disappeared from the rusting awning structure, and the parking lot has knee-high plants growing from the pavement whose cracked pattern almost mimics a spider web's design.
This is where we turn in.
Then it becomes a fun game of avoiding the weed patches to get to the back of the building. The parking lines are barely visible, but no one pays attention to them anyway. There's always the one guy who parks perpendicular to everybody else, but it doesn't matter because there are only two or three other cars there at any given time. Four if you count the rusting pickup in the back of the lot. I always wonder who are the other people crazy enough to come to this building. And what purpose do they have here?
And you'd wonder too when, as you're walking up the rickety stairs, you see only one sign that indicates the building is occupied at all - Dr. Larry Chen, D.D.S. However, the waiting room has one other patient, at most, so the question of who the other people in the buildig are and why they're here will remain forever unsolved.
But once you walk into Dr, Larry Chen's office, the feeling changes. Sure, the fake wood panels on the walls left over from when it was popular in the 70s still remain, but you can't help but agree that it fits here. And if you don't pay attention to the children's drawings on the wall, many of which are dated pre- '92, making these colorful scribbles the sole indication of the feelings these "children" once had towards their dentist.
The drawings deserve to remain. Because Dr. Larry Chen is quite the dentist. He may not have the latest high tech dentist gadgetry, but he does a good clean and actually cares about his patients. He's asked me questions about my Barbies, my high school clubs, my college major, and now the traveling I do for my job. He makes sure everyone is comfortable, and he'd probably still let me pick out of the 20 year old treasure chest if he knew I still had a secret desire to do so, in the hopes of scoring a finger puppet or a coveted ball and paddle.
As you come down the heavily trafficked road, you'll notice (actually, you probably won't notice) a fully stuccoed building that looks like it should've been torn down years ago. The fabric has long disappeared from the rusting awning structure, and the parking lot has knee-high plants growing from the pavement whose cracked pattern almost mimics a spider web's design.
This is where we turn in.
Then it becomes a fun game of avoiding the weed patches to get to the back of the building. The parking lines are barely visible, but no one pays attention to them anyway. There's always the one guy who parks perpendicular to everybody else, but it doesn't matter because there are only two or three other cars there at any given time. Four if you count the rusting pickup in the back of the lot. I always wonder who are the other people crazy enough to come to this building. And what purpose do they have here?
And you'd wonder too when, as you're walking up the rickety stairs, you see only one sign that indicates the building is occupied at all - Dr. Larry Chen, D.D.S. However, the waiting room has one other patient, at most, so the question of who the other people in the buildig are and why they're here will remain forever unsolved.
But once you walk into Dr, Larry Chen's office, the feeling changes. Sure, the fake wood panels on the walls left over from when it was popular in the 70s still remain, but you can't help but agree that it fits here. And if you don't pay attention to the children's drawings on the wall, many of which are dated pre- '92, making these colorful scribbles the sole indication of the feelings these "children" once had towards their dentist.
The drawings deserve to remain. Because Dr. Larry Chen is quite the dentist. He may not have the latest high tech dentist gadgetry, but he does a good clean and actually cares about his patients. He's asked me questions about my Barbies, my high school clubs, my college major, and now the traveling I do for my job. He makes sure everyone is comfortable, and he'd probably still let me pick out of the 20 year old treasure chest if he knew I still had a secret desire to do so, in the hopes of scoring a finger puppet or a coveted ball and paddle.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Detailed Description of this Saturday's Work Schedule
1. Pull up most recent Word doc with partially written case study that was not finished due to the gorgeous weather on Friday
2. Crack knuckles to mean business
3. Open report that case study references
4. Type one full worded sentence riddled with business jargon
5. Check to make sure the word "align" hadn't been used in the prior 3 sentences
6. Start next sentence
7. "I wonder where I can get Guinness ice cream" ~friend
8. Google [Guinness ice cream] (phrase match, obvi)
9. Stumble upon AccidentalHedonist.com
10. Read several articles on beer
11. Get inspired to blog
12. Open up Blogger without a real topic to talk about so start creating a chronological list
13. Realize it's been 30 minutes since the last half constructed sentence for case study
14. "Do you want to see Brittany's new tattoo?" ~friend
And here we are. I think I need the constructs of an office to really get anything done. However, I am feeling rather like a literary arteest with my laptop and lemonade at the local Panera. It's the look that counts, right?
2. Crack knuckles to mean business
3. Open report that case study references
4. Type one full worded sentence riddled with business jargon
5. Check to make sure the word "align" hadn't been used in the prior 3 sentences
6. Start next sentence
7. "I wonder where I can get Guinness ice cream" ~friend
8. Google [Guinness ice cream] (phrase match, obvi)
9. Stumble upon AccidentalHedonist.com
10. Read several articles on beer
11. Get inspired to blog
12. Open up Blogger without a real topic to talk about so start creating a chronological list
13. Realize it's been 30 minutes since the last half constructed sentence for case study
14. "Do you want to see Brittany's new tattoo?" ~friend
And here we are. I think I need the constructs of an office to really get anything done. However, I am feeling rather like a literary arteest with my laptop and lemonade at the local Panera. It's the look that counts, right?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A Culture All Its Own
Office politics exist - I'm not naive enough to believe that it doesn't. However, I do believe that managers can single-handedly affect the level of office politics within a team based on their own biases.
It's not enough to want to avoid office politics for your team. Just because a manager doesn't want office politics doesn't mean office politics will be completely ignored. A manager needs to physically set the example and demonstrate that office politics will not be tolerated. Anything that can me construed as gossip and is damaging to a person's character needs to be actively stricken from everyday conversation.
I bring this up because I've gotten into a situation recently where office politics is clearly in play. For me, it's almost become a fascinating study of human nature as I watch things unfold from a somewhat active sideline position. I know one party in question sees things through the lens of needing to play in the game of office politics. That there's even a strategic game to play. From this point of view, there's no way everyone else won't get sucked into the gameplay as well. Everything move is deliberated on, an intricate game of chess where some pawns don't even know they're playing. I'm lucky enough to have been brought into the know so that at least I understand I'm a part of the game.
I personally approach this situation as a course that needs to be studied. I've unintentionally enrolled in a school of manipulation, but I don't regret it. I believe that in order to know how to avoid or at least limit involvement in office politics, it's necessary to understand when it's happening and what the rules are. Otherwise you'll (unknowingly!) be dragged back and forth by the people who are really controlling the situation. Manipulating the puppet strings, if you will. And I refuse to be played like that.
However, I still believe it's best to steer clear of derogatory statements about coworkers no matter how tempting it would be to bitch and complain. I've given into temptation in the past, but I try to remember that I don't often see the full picture, and misunderstandings often occur simply because everyone's approaching the situation with different backgrounds. The key to avoiding office politics is to keep all defamatory opinions away from those not involved. If something really needs to be said, it should be said to the other party directly, a manager, or an HR representative.
Business runs with its own social constructs. If I had gotten into social psychology, this would be where I would focus most of my studies. It's definitely a fascinating area that's really difficult to study because not too many companies would allow a social psychologist within their midst to expose such intimate secrets about company culture and behavior. Maybe this is what I'll focus on when I write my post-retirement book.
And I realize this post is littered with cliché analogies (puppetmaster?? game of chess??) but I felt it was appropriate because these are totally acceptable/expected when writing emails or notes for around the office.
It's not enough to want to avoid office politics for your team. Just because a manager doesn't want office politics doesn't mean office politics will be completely ignored. A manager needs to physically set the example and demonstrate that office politics will not be tolerated. Anything that can me construed as gossip and is damaging to a person's character needs to be actively stricken from everyday conversation.
I bring this up because I've gotten into a situation recently where office politics is clearly in play. For me, it's almost become a fascinating study of human nature as I watch things unfold from a somewhat active sideline position. I know one party in question sees things through the lens of needing to play in the game of office politics. That there's even a strategic game to play. From this point of view, there's no way everyone else won't get sucked into the gameplay as well. Everything move is deliberated on, an intricate game of chess where some pawns don't even know they're playing. I'm lucky enough to have been brought into the know so that at least I understand I'm a part of the game.
I personally approach this situation as a course that needs to be studied. I've unintentionally enrolled in a school of manipulation, but I don't regret it. I believe that in order to know how to avoid or at least limit involvement in office politics, it's necessary to understand when it's happening and what the rules are. Otherwise you'll (unknowingly!) be dragged back and forth by the people who are really controlling the situation. Manipulating the puppet strings, if you will. And I refuse to be played like that.
However, I still believe it's best to steer clear of derogatory statements about coworkers no matter how tempting it would be to bitch and complain. I've given into temptation in the past, but I try to remember that I don't often see the full picture, and misunderstandings often occur simply because everyone's approaching the situation with different backgrounds. The key to avoiding office politics is to keep all defamatory opinions away from those not involved. If something really needs to be said, it should be said to the other party directly, a manager, or an HR representative.
Business runs with its own social constructs. If I had gotten into social psychology, this would be where I would focus most of my studies. It's definitely a fascinating area that's really difficult to study because not too many companies would allow a social psychologist within their midst to expose such intimate secrets about company culture and behavior. Maybe this is what I'll focus on when I write my post-retirement book.
And I realize this post is littered with cliché analogies (puppetmaster?? game of chess??) but I felt it was appropriate because these are totally acceptable/expected when writing emails or notes for around the office.
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