books i've read: the disposessed

A couple years ago, I read one of ursula le guin's books for a book club and really liked it (though I never made it to the meeting to discuss it). I decided to try another, the disposessed. At first, I really enjoyed it. I was excited to be able to have something different to read than the twilight series book I was reading. I abandoned that and ran through half of this book. I liked the description of the societies. Then it started getting a little boring. It was too talky, too philosophical/political. It was good that it switched back and forth from the main character in present time, and him growing up and how he came to that time. It broke up the book so that you don't get too bored. I did have trouble with the strange made up names - remembering who is who. Overall, it was interesting, just not her best. This is a good book for thoughtful people, without being totally overbearing. I did like it though.

My love/hate relationship with gift giving

My favorite part of xmas was always the presents. And not getting them, but giving them. Sure it's fun, especially when I was younger, to get new things. I liked the actual unwrapping process. But in the end it's kind of hollow…because while I appreciate the thought, I don't need half the things I get and I end up feeling guilty and etc. But I LOVED when I got to see people unwrap the presents I got them! I was way more excited…will they like it? Will they realize hey they really did need this? Will they notice how I matched the little label to go with the wrapping paper and size of package (I used to spend considerable time doing that)? Nowadays, I don't get to see most of my family unwrap the presents, because we live too far away. I have to take their word for it that they got them. Sometimes, once in a while, I'll get a photo. That really takes a lot of the yay out of it. One thing I do NOT like about giving presents is when I have to. It's so pressured, especially at christmas, to get people a gift at this time, and have it arrive in time, and be something they like. What if I can't think of anything? I hate getting something just for the sake of getting something. Right now, that's what's happening. I was too leisurely about my gifts, and now all the sudden next week is xmas and I'M NOT DONE! I've been busy…and now things will be late. Even if I brave the scary crowds this weekend and shop in person instead of online, things will be late. BOOOO me! Isn't it much funner to be randomly out somewhere, or online, and see something that someone would love? Maybe a present, or maybe just a food that someone mentioned they wanted. Maybe it's just something from the drugstore that they talked about. Just something that says hey I'm thinking about you. Then you give it to them. That's my favorite type of gift giving. But for now, I'm stuck with the xmas rush. But hey, it's still fun.

My funny office

Have you ever seen the tv show the office? If you haven't, you should. Its one of my favorite shows (people say I'm pam). But you know, working in a real life office is pretty funny as well… the stupid things that people say and do and care about can crack you up! There's the guy who is totally anal about everything… the rest of the office spends our day listening to him as he loudly spouts off on anything and everything. One day he had a big fit because all the envelopes weren't opened with a letter opener. After a half an hr of 'who would do such a thing?!' he posted a sign on his inbox informing everyone that they must use letter openers. Signs are a big part of office life. Signs and notes. Right now, there is one in the ladies room, banning bananas (hmm what do they do with the bananas in the bathroom stalls?). Today we had a fire drill. We've had one before, and it's fairly simple. Walk down 5 flights of stairs, wait in that floor's hallway, then go back up. The building does it a couple of floors at a time. When they announced that the above floors would be coming down to stand in our hallway, confusion reigned. Oh no! What do we do? Half the people on our floor crowded over and began going down the stairs, despite the fact that there was no reason to. The intercom clearly told us that people were coming to us. I laughed at them and went over to look at photos in another cubicle. When it was our turn, my tired colleagues had to trek down and up the stairs all over again. We have new emergency monitors. They were regular coworkers, dressed in bright orange construction type vests and hats. They had little walky talkies. They looked ridiculous. Instead of laughing at themselves, they became very serious 'you're all too loud! Quiet down! Stop looking around! Stay put! If you don't quiet down I wont hear the announcement for us to go back!' Yes, the hall monitors from school have grown up folks! I was just laughing and most other people were too. Sometimes, life is just as funny or even funnier, than tv.

an ode to comfy jammies

Ok its not really an ode. Just a blog. Old navy was having a $10 jammies pants sale yesterday (for women and kids, not for guys, weird) and I went and got a couple of pairs. One is more xmassy. I wore the other last nite. Cute yellow with red plaid flannel long pants (and a red tank). This blog has no real purpose except to say that sitting around snuggled in soft, cute, warm jammies, is a seriously overlooked luxury in life. I always get into jammies as soon as I get home. These new yellow ones might be vying for first place with my tea cup jammie pants… hmm, I wanna be snuggly… go home and get comfy today!

books I've read: New Moon

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer is the second book in the twilight series. It was a little better than the first. Most of the book we are saved the sugar sappiness that ruined the first book, although it returns near the end. Halfway through the series, I'm only reading it at this point because the whole thing is in my house, and I need something to read. Bella still annoys me…she got a little more backbone but only in a suicidal way. She could make anyone want to jump off a cliff. The only one that saves the book is Jacob. That whole storyline is sooo obvious, but at least he's a likeable character, someone I'd be friends with.

restaurant review: sultan

I went to sultan one sunday around 5, after pride. they had just opened for the evening, so it was basically empty. we had a nice window seat to see everyone walking by. this is not a random hole in the wall restaurant, its a nice sit down place. the mango lassi was very good. b tried berry lassi, it tasted good, but not anything special. im glad i stuck with mango. i had a chicken spinach veggie dish which was very good and filling. i got a side of rice and a side of naan (they are not included but just about $1ish each). j's was the best, a chicken in a tomato cream sauce. b's was good too, some kind of curry. oh, and j had the lamb stuffed naan which i forgot to try but he said was good. we left stuffed.

My first protest

Back when I was in school, we learned about the civil rights movement. I've seen books and movies of the people in the sixties, and then also in waves different years before that, protesting for the rights of different groups of people. It was so historical. I'm sure there have been protests going on around me, but I never really noticed them. But now it's another chapter in the civil rights movement, and what better place than CA, which was one of the places we were shown having protests. As you may know, proposition 8 passed in CA, making it illegal for people of the same sex to marry. Similar propositions passed in other states. They actually changed the state constitution by just a vote of the barely majority. That is being disputed in courts right now, but in the meantime, we have started having rallies and protests here, and all over the country. There was a country wide protest at 10:30am PST on 11/15, and I decided to make that my first ever protest, despite the early time. I was pretty excited to be making fresh history, and wore a "free hugs" shirt because it was the most 'hippy activist' thing I could find (and we should always free the hugs). I actually arrived late, accidentally. When I arrived at the city hall, there were still bunches of people there. They were listening to speeches. I couldn't see who was making the speeches, or really tell what they were saying, despite the microphone. It seemed to inspire other people though. I found a couple of my friends, and we discovered that people were marching, so we went and joined them. It was a little confusing, but someone took charge with a microphone and we marched downtown (away from the gay district, Castro). It felt kind of important to be all marching down the main street of San Francisco, with so many other people, all different ages and gay and straight, and even some dogs were wearing signs and supporting the cause. A tour bus passed by on the other side of the street and they yelled approval, someone even had a no on prop 8 sign. We blocked up the traffic (and stranded a street car) as we marched down the street to some really old "gay" music by some guy on a bike. There was the requisite random naked guy that no one wants to see naked that shows up at every SF event, and a guy on stilts in tiny undies, but most of the people were normal looking. I thought they were stopping, and my friend who I don't see too often invited me to the park, and the other one was leaving, so I decided to go to the park and left the march. I later found out it marched all the way down central square, through chinatown, to north beach and embarcadero. Oops. I guess I missed some. I don't know whether our march in our city, and all the other cities who joined did too much, but at least it must have raised awareness in some that wouldn't otherwise think about this important issue. If you treat one group as second class, 'separate but equal' citizens, it opens the door for other groups to be singled out later on along the line. Equality for all! :)

PS for the full photos I took of the protest, go here. This video was by Jade. For another of the protest by her, but without me in it, go here.