Pumpkineers - Happy Halloween & Birthday!

It is that time of year again ... the end of October and beginning of November - the time of the year when Scorpio birthdays get mish-mashed with the celebratory Halloween frivolity and fun!

Happy Halloween
to my Pumpkin-ish Buddies!

Hugs to My Carpe Diem Friend

With my friend @YvetteF at brunch (May 2014)

Thanks to Yvette for a wonderful friendship that started virtually in 2010 via Reverb10 and has continued to evolve into a wonderful face-to-face friendship - when we are in the same general zip code.

CARPE DIEM.

This is Yvette's mantra and life philosophy - a challenge to herself, which she shares with others. She lives in Colorado. We met for brunch at Ella's when she was in town to run the Bay to Breakers. And we met again yesterday, where she came along to watch an improv show.



Memories

Yvette reminded me of how much I loved writing/blogging. In fact, we met through the on-line Reverb10. This was 31-days of blogging for each participant. My Reverb10 experience is shared in this blog post over here. Yup! That's a lot of writing and self-reflection.

Speaking of writing ... here is a book that Yvette wrote - The Laptop Dancer Diaries. Yup! That's fun stuff!

More later about my friendship with Yvette ... and her efforts toward ALS.

Big, warm HUGS and LOVE to you, Yvette, 
for a wonderful friendship.

the oracle on #dating (?)

New Year with the Oracle ... Since 2000, I have known the Oracle.  "Congrats, Oh Mighty Oracle, for your MBA-ness!"

For more than a decade, the Oracle has provided intellectual banter, often about business development, yet regularly relating to professional and personal development. Past mouth-spew-wisdom has been featured in a previous post over here.

Oracle Favorites

A few of my fave wisdom words include -

• right is always right; not simply when it's obvious or convenient. 
• no one wins a race to the moral bottom. 
• you are the sole architect of your fortune ... and misfortune.
• creativity is intrinsically hard to manage, but there is an essential paradox whereby enough process must be introduced so that creativity is balanced by a certain level of accountability. 

Economics and On-Line Dating

Earlier this week, we caught up on what's what, including chats about holiday activities, family, work, etc. Virtual "high five" for the Oracle's MBA (and more free time)!

Because I turned 50 this past year, I mentioned that I have agreed to try an on-line dating site - ourtime.com - that markets to those 50 years and older. (OH! THE REALITY OF LIFE!) I have yet to post a profile.

 

Immediately, the Oracle mentioned a Bloomberg Surveillance clip came to mind - a clip of a Stanford professor interviewed on Bloomberg TV over here on How Economics Can Help Find Love Online. Paul Oyer wrote a book - Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Economics I Learned from Online Dating - with an overview over here and a companion video (below).

enjoy this clip from Stanford Business (over here)

y'know ... i'm just thinking 

it's about fish in a barrel -
being a truthful fish in a barrel

(is that an economics thing?)

 

 

congrats @LeadByGrace and ...

thanks Kelly ... for the little shout-out to shirlnutkin* in your first post - And So It Begins, on your blog Transformation - where you share your experiences with facing and overcoming life's curve balls on Parenting, Friendship, Fitness, and Faith.

transformation ... kelly's blog (twitter) is her kick-off to kicking-ass (in that awesome way), as she usually does!

mind you, kelly is a single mom of three kids; she balances and maneuvers parenting, working (full-time), continuous learning, and volunteering ... and doing all with and by grace.

when a mutual friend (who had worked with kelly for about a decade) learned that kelly started a blog, he commented -

"Pretty gutsy of Kelly. She is amazingly productive and driven, and making it public is impressive."

- and rightfully so.

when kelly and i met ... kelly had already begun her transformation. i met her in 2004, after she had a gastric bypass. at the time, she had one child.  if i recall correctly, one of my energy project developers was selling a power plant to her company. we were both on the environmental-related side of the transaction. more notably, though, we both learned early-on about our mutual perspectives, philosophies, and values in life. we have continued to keep in touch throughout the years and pick-up very quickly from where we left off.

about kelly as she shares her journey ... in kelly's second post - Look Back to Move Forward - she shares her life's events as she continues her transformation, beginning in 2003.

the short version -  starting out at a weight of 360 pounds, kelly made a mindful decision to have a gastric bypass in late 2003. since then, she has been fluctuating around 190 pounds. her goal is 165 pounds. and while she doesn't mention it in her second post, i know she works full-time, participates and volunteers for many activities, is faith-based, and understands the value of community.

in kelly's words - excerpts from her second post ...

"I stood up from a meeting and the chair came with me... voluptuous thighs, the chair was suspended 6 inches off the ground ... room was full of co-workers ... At 360 pounds ... I was no longer willing to tolerate being overweight."

"I had tried every fad diet out there ... the social stigma ... obesity is a form of socially accepted discrimination ... successful weight loss is further complicated by potential physical restrictions or related comorbidity health issues."

"Food was my coping mechanism; it had been my entire life. In 2003 ... made the decision to have a gastric bypass ... implementing the life-style change ... manage life’s curve-balls so food is used for its intended purpose in lieu of coping... make the conscious decision to use a healthy tool instead."

"My goal in November of 2003 was to weigh 200 pounds and maintain that weight within 5% ... loss of 160 pounds ... buy a scale from the store as it only measured up to 300 pounds ... reached my goal, ten years and two children later I have maintained my weight within the 5%."

"The lowest weight I have achieved in the past 10 years was 175 pounds ... felt more in control and successful (i.e. work, personal goals, etc.) ... I have hovered more in the 190 pound range ... goal ... achieve and maintain my (doctor approved) goal of 165 pounds."

- and finally, her closing statement of her second post -

"Time for a lasting change 

and that is exactly what I am going to do"

*admittedly, it's Kelly's little mention 

that re-ignited shirlnutkin-ness 

from its hibernation.

oh my #fluevog love

thanks to joanne, 

who started something special for the Fluevog IV.

we are celebrating our Fluevog love as 
the MotleyFlue at 
For the Love of Vogs

it all began in May 2011 on Haight Street
L-R: Dorothy, Gladys, Joanne, Shirley

here's my "about" bio ...

Name: Shirley R

Moniker: The Cubevologist

Flue-sona: "The Madam"

Shirley proudly admits to being rightfully blamed by Joanne for bringing Fluevogs into our closets, hallways, and shoe racks. Shirley has recruited those who have found another way of life for their feet. As the oldest (and therefore "The Madam") of the MotleyFlue, she will hit the half-century mark in 2013. Who knows? Will she celebrate her 50th birthday with a 50th pair of Fluevogs? If so, she'll be picking up the pace, given she tallied up 23 pairs when she turned 48 yrs old. While the MotleyFlue's beginnings may be attributed to Shirley, in late 2008 her friend Kate served as her guide  to the Haight Street store; Kate kindly entertained hastily heading to the Haight after a day in cubeopolis. Shirley's virgin voyage was celebrated with a pair of Fellowship | Kathy and with a pair of Operetta | Malibran the very next day. She would later learn about the phenomenon the MotleyFlue have coined as Fluegasm. And she has not looked back!

Meanwhile, as "The Madam" of the MotleyFlue, Shirley also calls herself the "Anthrocubeologist" - passionate about discovering how peer-to-peer interactions can affect workspace cultural shifts (and vice versa). Sure she holds a degree in chemical engineering, but who says the left brain can't meet the right brain?! As a workspace explorer, storyteller, catalyst, improv performer, randomness connector, and servant leader, Shirley often wonders - can the workspace become a playspace simply one Fluevog pair at a time? Join her as the cubevologist, smiling at her Fluevog-donned feet while making others smile.

On style: "Born among the tail end of the Baby Boomers and beginning of Gen X, and working among Gen Y Millenials and Gen Z Digital Natives,  my style is as varied as the generations - choosing from what's comfortable and timeless. I keep my dry cleaning bill to a minimum. Iron clothes? Meh. Steam clothes? Here and there. Wearable off the clothesline or out of the dryer? Preferred. And while I grew up with Glamour's Do's and Don'ts, am a believer in Tim Gunn's 10 Essentials, and get excited when Stacy and Clinton of What Not To Wear have tips for the curvy and petite, none of these have taught me what my MotleyFlue have - enjoy dressing from your Fluevogs up, treat yourself to fun pairs of socks and tights, and remember your feet deserve style, as well."

What I look for in a Fluevog: "It's all about the Fluegasm. Four characteristics intersect to create that special moment when I know a pair(s) of Fluevogs will come home with me - (1) my Greek feet are nicely accommodated, (2) Percy Jr. (a bunion on my left foot) is not cranky, (3) the shoes/boots add more color and texture for my feet-wearing options, and (4) when I look down at my Fluevog-wearing-feet, I am always in a better mood. Comfort, happiness, and a little biofeedback kickstart are what Fluevogs offer me.  Admittedly, I own shoes and boots from other designers that also offer comfort and happiness; however, it is far and few between that they are mood changers.  Simply put, everyone deserves a Fluegasm."

visit us
For the Love of Vogs

r|alex refresh friday

dessert, dinner, a show... that's how my weekend started. i was not in cubeopolis on friday, so thursday became my work-week-friday; friday became my feels-like-saturday. then back on track with saturday as saturday, etc.

natural licorice at
mr and mrs miscellaneous

i spent friday morning out and about with my mom (and an auntie visiting from hawaii) for her appointments. (question: what does one do when a man is flirting with my mom and my auntie in the hospital lab waiting room?)

dessert ... eventually i made my way to s.f. to begin a night out which started in the dogpatch neighborhood (the story of...) - dessert at mr. and mrs. miscellaneous (on facebook, yelp, google+, 2012 best of) for a scoop of turon-flavored ice cream of banana ice cream with caramel tidbits (based on the filipino dessert turon, on wiki). and after ice cream, i tried out their natural licorice - each of the four flavor offerings.

chicken parm at guido

dinner ... then by simply walking across 3rd street on 22nd, just a block away, had dinner with girlfriends at the pop-up restuarant guido (on facebook, yelp, grub street) at just for you cafe (on facebook, yelp, web). guido pops up on wednesday - friday nights. my dinner choice? classic chicken parmigiana (plus green beans, sphaghetti). i also tried their arancini fritti (saffron risotto, house made pork and beef, and fried with lots of lovin'). oh ... and some chianti among the gals. (gulp, gulp, gulp) side note - the co-chef couple includes stephanie, who is the daughter of a good friend of mine from high school.

show ... then two of the three of us gals headed over toward our next destination in the financial district. but before the show, we stopped by the old ship saloon (on web, yelp) for a pint (i tried the poppy jasper amber ale) and to meet a few other show-goers. then we foooted it over to eureka theatre (on web) for the 10 pm show at the 2012 san francisco improv festival (on web, facebook, twitter) - five play improv (on web, facebook) and of sketch comedy performed by killing my lobster (on web, facebook, twitter).

killing my lobster

five play improv

five play improv (L to R): ben, dustin, bobby, sean

audience story suggestion? ... let me tell ya, alex ... five play improv treated us to their long form improv based on the audience-suggested-story-title that went something like - flip that mother f***er. (yes, that suggestion beat out the bicycle chef and one other suggestion, which i forget)

more r|alex refreshing 

as i continue to relax!

r|alex refresh & #improv

alex and me
san diego's art walk, little italy (2007)

reconnecting ... through improv and then some. time to refresh r|alex.

r|alex back story & time line ... it has been 4 years and 8 days since i did an r|alex blog post (on a former blog - Relo'd to BA from SD) for my friend alex. alex lives in the san diego 2-bedroom flat, which i lived in for many years.

after i moved to the bay area late in 2006, in may 2007 i visited san diego. in june 2007, i began sharing with alex about my weekends and out & abouts in the BA - my getting comfy and cozy with the BA after many years of a SD lifestyle (of lightweight clothing, open-toed shoes, sandals, flip flops, fabulous weather, etc.).* after several r|alex posts, in march 2008 alex posted a comment on Relo'd to BA from SD -

"OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!! Wow, looks like you're really acclimated now. Are you going to keep the name of your blog? I mean, seriously, you've been gone like, over a year now. :) The plants you bought for the balcony.... STILL F***ING ALIVE!!!, dontcha know. Woo Hoo!! Sorry for not at least saying hello on here for a while. Be well!"

ultimately, i wrapped up Relo'd to BA from SD and have been at girl nutkin in the BA since jan 2010.

BA is not SD ...  there are truly a few days when i forget i am in the bay area, as if i'm in san diego, and i have been in the bay area for nearly six year. after cubeopolis, i have thought about heading out to get sushi, as if i am heading to ono sushi. i remember wanting tea and dessert one evening and i was wondering whether it would be too crowded at extraordinary desserts. the funkiest mix-up was when i was getting ready to head to the airport and thought, "HEY WAIT! it's way too early. i have LOTS of time." . . . right answer in SD; wrong answer in BA. in san diego i was very comfortably not more than 40-minutes from my-front-door to airport-gate (luggage in trunk - lock up home - long term airport parking - shuttle to airport - ticket counter/kiosk check-in - security line - coffee - gate - laptop on). in the bay area, i'm lucky to make it on the airport shuttle by the 30-minutes mark, and that is without freeway traffic.

michael lewis (via MUT)
"Improvising Through Emotion"

future r|alex memories ... i last saw alex in august 2009 - 3 years since i have hung out in san diego. and when we have touched base - a few phone calls and facebook interactions - we pick up chatting rather quickly. and while i have enjoyed touching base here and there, i'm missing the eyeball-to-eyeball interaction, so i'll head down to SD within the next few months.

sharing improv ... MEANWHILE, alex and i share improv lovin' - with him learning in san diego and me learning in fremont. yesterday afternoon, i totally thought of going to alex's place (forgetting i was in the BA again) to tell him about the very cool workshop i took - a 3-hour workshop at made up theatre (on web, facebook, yelp, foursquare, youtube) - Improvising Through Emotion Workshop with Empire Comedy's Michael Lewis (about him, empire comedy on web, facebook). about michael's workshop -

"Improvisation is the art of acting without a script. Often improv appears more grab ass, and like we are making it up as we go (in the bad way), not the fun magical way we strive for. This class will focus on letting your emotions take the lead and giving you a clear point of view to improvise from. Improvisers almost always have an emotional response to their scene partner; however we are often too distracted by our words to notice how we really feel. Let's focus on finding out how you already feel and bring that into your scene work."

a great way to spend the afternoon 

learning and playing!

looking forward to an

improvised alex and shirlnutkin scene

*memories shared with r|alex ... for a little over 1 year, i shared with alex about my mundane and not so mundane activities including - peet's coffee, ATM visits, chores and errands, a friend's dance recital, car wash, laundry, movie watching, nieces softball game, farmers markets, concert in the park, semi-private swimming pool/rec center, dinners with friends and clients, friend's baby's 1-yr old birthday party italian luncheon, concert at shoreline ampitheater (the fray, gomez, eisley), dating stories, family friend's funeral and mass, visit to san diego, filipino cultural event, hanging out at SF coffee shops, college reunion picnic, tales of burglary of my home, arts and wine festivals, tidbits about my first week workin' for "the man" after 13 years, tidbits about my vermont vacation, blogs i enjoy, new music, a dinner party extraordinaire, house-sitting with 2 dogs, annual chamarita festival in pescadero, niece's basketball game and pizza afterwards, hanging by the bay journal writing, angst about not blogging, and top chef's tour visit to the sf bay area. (PHEW!)

springtime thanks to @billn6 and ...

a springtime thanks to ...

delicate flower, harold's girl, moronicus, joe's pizza, oracle, 

and mom and dad,
as i refresh and reignite 
my 2012 mash-up goals

from my 2012 goals mash-up

since SD and BA, pre-cubeopolis and cubeopolis, 

you have been greatly appreciated touchstones in my life!

and now it's springtime 2012 ... i'm cleaning and re-cleaning house (figuratively and literally). i'm refreshing my 2012 mash-up goals to reignite the excitement of it all. YET before i dig in too deep and reflect on my 2012 mash-up goals, a few thanks for the on-going support for a few* who've been around for the long haul (pre-cubeopolis) -

• for @billn6 (aka delicate flower, shacked up with harold's girl) ... remember the comment you made last year when i wrote about what i'm doing with my yhd2011? you shared - 

"You are way too organized lady. Don't let that engineer-organinzed brain stop your creative brain."  

• for @jenimvt (aka harold's girl) ... oh, soul sister! i cannot thank you enough for your 2007 hospitality - hanging out with delicate flower, junior, and senior. how did we get separated at birth? well, aside from not having the same parents, your being quite a bit younger, and our being different ethnic backgrounds, i mean HOW?! and for that, i have appreciated our banters via text messages, facebook, and the magic of the revolving smartphones we have owned!
  
  
• for moronicus ... in addition to the napkin-life-planning-at-chili's-back-in-the-day, remember that comment you made (circa 2006!) about dating and giving me a moniker? you shared -

"I'll start with Marianas Trench ... shirlnutkin's way too deep to explore, and if you do manage to go there, she'll crush you like an eggshell."

• for joe's pizza ... indeed i have ALWAYS valued and grown from my commute-calls to you in sun-diego! and i appreciate your thinking i'm not a "safe" choice when you shared -
  
  "... assigning a “safe” choice may be the riskiest decision in terms of achieving [one's] goals."

• for oracle ... your nifty spews have ALWAYS been appreciated (and i am sure your family appreciates your words). who'd have thunk that a decade later since first voice-voicing, we are still voice-voicing?!
  
  "sometimes logic must give way to equity." 

• for mom and dad ... and of course, the support of and belief from my mom and dad has shaped me in ways for which i likely am only scratching the surface, while i continue to dig deep into my soul. with april a bit melancholy (since my dad's death in april 2002), perhaps it's why i reflect more deeply around this time of year. 

for this, i will share a 3 part blog post as i refresh my 2012 mash-up goals knowing of the support from friends and family. (and separately, i must say to delicate flower and harold's girl ... it's been TOO LONG for the eyeball-to-eyeball. must get the visuals before senior is in high school.)

thanks again, 

delicate flower, harold's girl, 

moronicus, joe's pizza, oracle, 

and mom and dad

* this is not to say that others have not been supportive. 

it's just saying that back in the SD days (crossing into the millenium), 

these peeps have shared my on-going evolution, unconditionally and graciously. 

f|break: bat-stalgic

THANKS @therealadamwest for my morning of nostalgia. i was thinking about the batman movie, the version back in the day - the 1966 movie - when adam west (on twitter, web, facebook, imdb) and burt ward (on imdb) were witness to the united world organization's security council members "transformation" - each was dehydrated and then re-hydrated, albeit not quite their original selves.

quote-a-licious ... why did batman pop up into my head this morning? i think it is part of in-my-head jibber-jabber - an extension of a conversation i had with a friend early yesterday morning, which included references to philosophy, ayn rand, coal-fired power plants, mnemonics (mister wet pets), and my friend's sharing of ...

"... the more implied importance you assign to [a person], the greater independence they will assume and the more difficult they will be to manage toward the established goals of the more informed."

... i have no idea if my friend watched batman (back in the day). however, whether he did or did not, SO worth the checking out the imdb movie quotes for the batman movie. meanwhile ...

enjoy your morning fiber break with batman (on imdb)

for ~ 3:04 minutes of movie trailer fun ... POW!

BONUS enjoy a fiber break with batman and robin (over here)

for ~ 3:46 minutes ... precisely robin!

f|back (nov '10): oracle friend peek-a-boo

looking up a power plant stack

wisdom words ... oracle is the nickname of a friend whom i shared about in a post back in november '10 over here. the following is a bit of a repost AND includes yesterday's oracle share.

background ... i met oracle in late 2000 through my previous business and have stayed in on/off yippity-yap contact. when i chat with the oracle, i enjoy the intellectual banter that ensues. my friend earned the nickname from the oracle of delphi - he shared a series of different answers to his young daughter's questions and/or quotes he spewed.

2012 oracle share ... attributed to his mentor (andy b.) way-back in the day-

right is always right; 

not simply when it's obvious or convenient. 

past oracle spew ... here are the little tidbits the oracle has shared ...

• nothing is impossible for the person who does not have to do it.
  
  
• dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.
  
  
• (in response to a colored spreadsheet) pay no attention to the man behind the curtain - uhm ... can you just tell me the answers?
  
  
• (quotes aldous huxley) actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery.
  
  
• no one wins a race to the moral bottom.
  
  
• coincidence is a result assigned by those who failed to plan.
  
  
• (in response to a contact list i pulled together) nice work. get yourself a bucket of oats and hit the "turnout" for a rest under the apple tree. and, don't bother the geldings!
  
  
• high performers persevere. perseverance requires optimism. hope drives achievement.
  
  
• things of this world are neither inherently good nor evil, but it is Steve Jobs that makes them so.
  
  
• you are the sole architect of your fortune ... and misfortune.
  
  
• (in response to my leisurely tuesday routine in 2007 - yoga in the morn and kickboxing in the eve) meditate on this in your yoga class this afternoon, or whatever trending exercise class you San Francisco people do...
  
  • you achieve happiness by immersing yourself on working toward a goal.
  • when you stay focused on that goal and give it your all, happiness follows.
  • don't be in a rush to be the best, let it come from hard work.
  • develop the discipline and determination to focus on getting better, not being the best.
  (with a personal note of - "I just sent this to my daughter, and thought you could add it to your book. It is a paraphrased quote from an Indian philosopher (take note: very trendy and cosmopolitan of me), and I happen to completely agree and have been stressing this with daughter for years.")
  
  
• creativity is intrinsically hard to manage, but there is an essential paradox whereby enough process must be introduced so that creativity is balanced by a certain level of accountability.
  

and finally, oracle contributed a quote i've included in my mission, vision, values statements -

sometimes logic must give way to equity.

un-hibernating

inspire and create ... thanks @deedottiedot for your creative thoughts, ideas, and support. and for the no-need-to-over-analyze, go-with-gut-feel encouragement. time for me to un-hibernate and select a dang wordpress theme for anthrocubeology.

un-hibernating ... from this, i want another excuse to have a bar graph where my october activity exceeds september. done. and like the stay-cation i had a few weeks ago, on this faux holiday (of columbus day), i'm back in brainstorming creativity mode.

gimme tunes ... for creativity mode, i likes me my music - full album. this afternoon's choice? lamb (on website, myspace, youtube, twitter), of which gorecki is one of my faves! nevertheless, for now ...

lamb's
between darkness & wonder

got academic probation?

sure ... just a couple of times (or was it a few times?) during my 5 years in college. it's what happens when things like this happen during class. (sweet!)

nostalgia ... thanks, sci-fi guy, for returning a couple of notebooks. i totally enjoyed this little find in my chem e 140 (elements of chemical process analysis) notebook. (you know, the class i took over? was it a class sci-fi guy took over, too? i know it was the one with that cute guy - WB #1 guy - who was taking the class over? ... yes, that one.)

score?! ... after looking over problem sets that apparently i worked on, it was a bit of a roller coaster. and after reading the table of contents of one of my lab books - what the heck?

• viscosity of a polymer solution
• knudsen effusion method for vapor pressure determination
• bomb calorimetry (heat of combustion)
• adsorption from solution of organic dyes
• infrared adsorption spectrum of HCl, DCl, and CH4
• acid catalyzed inversion of sucrose (polarimetry)
• mean activity coefficient of HCl by EMF measure
  

what the ...?!
eh?!

f|back (oct '07): i'm here

four year's ago ... @jenimvt and @billn6 welcomed me to their vermont home. in fact, this is when my soul sister love affair with harold's gal began, and a fabulous friendship was borne. shortly after starting in cubeopolis, i took my already-planned vacation to visit my friends in massachusetts and vermont. my plan? not much, really. just wanted to head east. this mini-vacation was my east coast virgin leaf-peeping experience, along with many other perks.

miss you all - xoxo -
jen, bill, junior, and senior!

(repost from 10/06/2007)

gonna see some colors
and drive around.

got my triple a maps + tourbook. got rental car. got airline tix. got credit cards. fly in to bradley int'l (ct), stay with friend in northampton (ma) for a couple of days, haul it up to somewhere in (vt) for a couple of days with billn + family & bop around wherever, then back down to (ma) before returning to (ca).

small tragic realization this morning? ... and i realized i left lennie (my iPod) at work. sh**!

solution? ... buy foliage (lennie's iPod nano buddy - video baby!) along with a little case and power adapter. can NOT be without m'music.

[thanks, andy f, for the apple gift card last christmas.
continued to go to great use!]

(repost from 10/10/2007)

... just like i said i would be.
it's all about
highways/interstates/routes
(we no say "freeways")

... and coffee

... the capitol

... and cool stuff like old bridges

and cow-stuff
(moo?)

real cheese

ice cream

BONUS?!

lunch in plainfield, vt

joining brain hibernation

a little blog-hush ... i'm joining my friend dorothy in a bit of a brain hibernation. well, i've kind of been blog quiet, anyway, so i guess i'm tagging along. dorothy shared a great quote over here, and here is the quote, also ...

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.

~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Psychiatrist

blog quiet ... from geek-perspective, prior to this post, there certainly has been a dip in my post frequency. and july?! what the heck happened in july? i dunno.

gonna pick up the pace ... nevertheless, we're heading into october, the start of the 4th quarter. so perhaps time for picking up the pace - end of year, birthday thing, 30th high school reunion coming up, holidays, fall weather, pop culture television, ... who knows from where the inspiration will come? well, it was nice to revisit gretchen rubin's 13 tips for actually getting some writing done.

meanwhile, as art shared at peet's this morning -
"cool ... just do it"

#love2011: week 9 on celebrating age

the love project ... this week's assignment - celebrating age.

(image from artist:
kelly paige standard)

yvette, the project's creator, has included a main assignment and an option simply for a quick version of the week 9 assignment -

Assignment 9: Write a blog post or comment about your age and why it is the perfect age to be. Variations might be what you think the perfect age is and why. You can also talk about your birthday, why it's special, and how you are going to celebrate. Or if you really just want a very easy Love Project Assignment, then help me celebrate MY age by leaving me a Happy Birthday comment! Today I'm 51!

(last week's assignment: week 8 on reframing rejection

day after yvette's birthday - TODAY, 02/27 ... it's a GREAT DAY today - just-a-smidge-over 1-year anniversary of yvette's book over here and on amazon.

on internet radio - TODAY, 02/27 ... and CONGRATS to yvette and her book (The Laptop Dancer Diaries: A Mostly True Story About Finding Love Again) and her blog (Single Again Online Diary) for being featured on Boston's the dating marketplace with nic & neely, unregularradio.com internet radio - their show this evening at 8 pm (EST) and therefore 5 pm (PST) for west coast folks.


happy happy joy joy birthday, yvette! ... yesterday (feb 26) was yvette's prime number (51) birthday, so as is the case for any birthday greeting ...

and of course,
the happy happy joy joy celebratory chant
is from mr. stinky wizzleteats
of ren & stimpy fame or infamy(?) (over here)

Happy Happy Joy Joy @ Yahoo! Video

happy prime number 51!

special, just for my friend ...

dear au,
i smiled when i saw your facebook status this morning!

so this clip is for you ...
enjoy your fiber break with three divas (over here)
for ~ 3:30 min doing a cover of prince's kiss.

Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani & Missy Elliott - Kiss (Live)
Uploaded by Schutzengerl1205. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.