Archive for the 'squee!' Category

how i spent my thanksgiving: an essay by posh d. pants

the main idea for this essay is that i had a really great thanksgiving. and now i shall prove this main idea with several examples.*

on the actual day of thanks, i went over to my cousin jim’s house. and when i say “cousin,” i mean “person i am somehow related to.” i don’t actually have any first cousins, but my mom’s side of the family is so big, they really make up for it. the house was packed with about five different tables to seat the forty or so people that had gathered (some of these folks i haven’t seen since i was a little girl, and it was one of the few times in my life when the value of nametags outweighed the dorkiness).

in fact, this was pretty much the thanksgiving of my dreams. henri says that my ideal holiday is the first ten minutes of “home alone,” which is totally double true (esp. the pizza). i love the crowds! the chaos! the confusion! in fact, jim’s house was SO packed, henri said “wow, i can see how they forgot about kevin.”

speaking of forgetting something important, i left flossie at home, but sadie came to the rescue and allowed me to take gems like this:

my dad sooo knew that picture was going on le blog.

i think the main reason i love all of the chaos of big family gatherings is that i grew up as an only child, so our house was always rather quiet (and calm, which i generally prefer). but it’s not just about the boisterous atmosphere… it’s also the INSANE NUMBER OF DESSERTS!

LOOK AT THAT! LOOK! AT! THAT!

also, i was sitting right next to that table. cos i am full of strategery!!!

the third reason thanksgiving was so great (after family and food) was that there was a baby there!!!!

and i got to play with her! and pinch (gently) those massive cheeks! hi ruthie!

ruthie’s older sister, bailey, was there too. i wish i could’ve taken her home, i.e. the Cutest Leftovers Ever.

my uncle scott and i spent the next two nights with my parents in round rock, where we did the usual things: reading, watching movies, talking… oh, and scaring the pants off of each other via facial masks.

RAAAA!!! i’m so lucky that i got my mom’s gene for Zombie Face.

we also put up the family christmas tree, a tradition that always gives me major squee.

and yes, we do all wear santa hats. and we LIKE IT!

even though it happens ever year, i cherish unfolding each ornament, esp. when i discover that it’s one of my all time favorites. then i do a litle dance while shreiking the name of the ornament, like it’s been lost for a hundred years and was just discovered in, like, the remains of the titantic.

this year was kind of a major milestone, though, cos i brought some of my childhood ornaments home… for my own tree, in my own apartment. it’s almost like i’m a grown-up or something.

yay! the tree is ready! so let’s have christmas now!

after all of our decorating, we drove over to downtown georgetown for the tree lighting ceremony. since georgetown is a pretty small place, it felt more like a little neighborhood block party, which only added to the charm. the town square was decked out with lights, and yes, there were carolers!

most of the stores were open late, so we explored charming little places like this bookstore, which YES had a tree made of BOOKS!

and of course, a ton of antique stores. the pitres love their antiques!

seriously, though, how inviting does that window look? so many sparkles! and colors! and whimsy!

we ended the night with a serenade from some carolers dressed in, CHECK, victorian gear! the only thing missing was the roaming band of broadway bound tweens singing their hearts out and dressed like orphans. you know what i’m talking about.

after such a wholesome holiday, it only seemed right to drive to san antonio with erica and henri so we could be as touristy as possible on the riverwalk. i knew it was going to be a good night when we got a surprise bottle of champers from some of erica’s old hotel co-workers. cheers to US!

also, thanks to erica, we got to stay in a posh hotel room!! with an awesome view! rather than jumping on the bed, henri, being the mature adult that he is, decided to build a fort with the couch cushions.

the riverwalk is always a fun (and yes, cheesy) place to visit, but during the hoidays, it turns into a WINTER WONDERLAND! well, i mean, minus the snow. fake snow, however, would definitely be cool (san antonio, are you reading this?).

i asked erica and henri to pose for a “we’re on the riverwalk!” picture, but instead of taking the picture, i played that prank where you hit “record” instead of taking an actual picture and then after about a minute, yr subjects realize they’ve been posing and feel like idiots and everyone wins with the hilarity! esp. when henri and erica are involved, cos they LIKE looking like idiots.

we tried to check out as many touristy places as possible (except the rainforest cafe. we walked in… and walked right back out. there’s only so much THEME one person can take), but my favorite was the dueling piano bar!!!

first of all, i cannot BELIEVE people paid $23 just to have their phrase written on a mirror board. i think i’m going to put a white board up in my cubicle and see how much money i can make from my co-workers.

second of all, I LOVE DUELING PIANOS!!! even though they didn’t play nearly enough billy joel for my taste.

we ended up sitting with a husband and wife who were out celebrating the wife’s birthday. another good thing about piano bars: it is v. v. easy to make friends when you’re singing yr heart out to elton john.

esp. when the husband is REALLY EXCITED that it’s his wife’s birthday and repeatedly asks you to wish her a happy birthday. NO REALLY IT’S HER BIRTHDAY TELL HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY! IT’S HER BIRTHDAY!

in other words, the riverwalk and its people totally met and then, amazingly, surpassed my expectations.

and so, in summary, i had a great thanksgiving because:

there was so much family!

there was so much pie!

there was a baby and a toddler!

i went to the riverwalk and enjoyed its culture!

the end.

p.s. did you guys have a good thanksgiving?

*i really wanted to start this essay with the webster’s definition of thanksgiving but i just couldn’t bring myself to that level of high schoolness.

LINKS

ready to salivate over thanksgiving food all over again? check out what michelle made… uh, michelle, want to come over to my house next year?

i loved this jezebel entry about food descriptions in books, cos, hello, that’s mostly what i remember about books, esp. the ones i read as a kid. like, the maple syrup ice cream in “little house on the prairie”! or the ice cold milk in “the boxcar children”! heck, even the turkish delight in the narnia book… and i don’t even *like* turkish delight.

BEST JENGA SET EVER (thanks for the link, john!)

check out this preview for the new electric company. i kinda want to learn to read all over again!

panda parade!

why was the turkey sent to the principal’s office?

cos he used fowl language!!! muhahaha!!!

(i know, i know, i’ve been posting a lot of terrible jokes lately. and i can’t even apologize, cos i’ve been ridiculously enjoying them)


drawn by lauren at st. jude children’s research hospital

happy almost thanksgiving, pants world!

i can’t deny that i have given quite a lot of thought to the food i will be consuming in the next 48 hours, BUT instead of writing an entry about pie (believe you me, i was tempted), i decided to make a list of things i’m thankful for, cos I’M HOKEY AND NOT ASHAMED OF IT.

and i’m hoping that maybe, in the comments, *you* can tell me about something you’re thankful for!

and also what one food item you’re most excited about devouring. cos, after all, this IS still my blog.

SOME THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
by posh d. pants

(in no discernable order)

a new president

videos of baby animals

my job, which is actually meaningful and fun and it’s really hard to get fired from UT so suck it, recession!

my new gold shoes

my parents, who love me and support me and humor me (and this blog)

$4 martini mondays at parkside

quorn fake-chicken nuggets cos they provide me with a tasty, healthy lunch every day

my friends!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

hollywood toddlers

stanley, the best bike in the world

the clay pit

henri, who takes me to the clay pit

indoor plumbing (well done, international toilet day)

YA books

little naomi and little (big) max, who have the power to turn any day into the Best Day Ever

PANTS!

ok, now it’s your turn, pilgrim pants!

oh and as for my favorite food item, i don’t know yet!! cos i don’t know what my family is bringing! but i *do* know that i’m baking a salt-kissed buttermilk cake with raspberries, and that is bound to be some tasty business.

LINKS

MSW sent me a treasure trove of videos by parry gripp– have you heard of him? he makes songs for youtube videos, and they are HILARIOUS (and weird). my favorites: chimpanzee riding a segway and soccer ball (in the face).

DUDE. the new terminator poster is AWESOME.

blast from the past: today i discovered that one of my high school theater friends, artemis, has been appearing in “it’s always sunny in philadelphia”! you can watch a clip of her comic genius here. even in high school, i was pretty amazed that the houston suburbs managed to produce someone as zany and creative as she is. go artemis!

happy thanksgiving from winston, my favorite internet cat.

josh and erica got married!!!!!

warning: this post is basically just a bunch of pictures, marinated in squee. which is really how it should be because JOSH AND ERICA GOT MARRIED!! YAYAYAYAYAYAAAAAAY!!!!

and guess what? it was one of the best weddings i have ever had the honor (and pleasure) to attend, not because i was the officiant (although, ok, i did a pretty great job), but because i LOVE JOSH AND ERICA and there were so many old and dear friends there and DANCE PARTY!!!

first of all, let’s start with the bachelorette party on thursday night.

erica_bach

i love how erica manages to be adorable even while wearing tacky private part jewelry.

the ladies in the group represented various facets of erica’s life– college, spain, austin– and it was such a treat to learn new things about erica (ask her about a certain pilgrimage in spain). but the best part is that these girls were ready to BRING IT as we descended upon the streets of downtown.

group

i swear, some of these girls were bachelorette professionals, and it was their mission to mortify erica as much as possible. for example, candy with dirty phrases!

candy

the pièce de résistance, however, was this magical little wand!

wand

this wand made many appearances throughout the evening, all of them mercifully far, far away from me.

as you would expect, a big group of foxy, raucous ladies on a downtown rampage attracts a lot of attention, esp. from guys that like to wear their shirts open except for one button.

weirdo guy

i could give you more details about skeevy guys and sixth street antics, but i think it will suffice for me to tell you that we visited seven different establishments that night, obtaining free drinks at five of them and participating in dance parties like this:

packed club

i would call that a success.

and if you want to see more pictures of erica being a total trooper, click here.

and now let’s move on to the big day!!!

i met up with josh at his house so i could hitch a ride with daniel, one of the groomsmen. i admit, it was kind of strange to see josh being the goofy guy i’ve known since 1997 and then think: “he’s getting married today!” but it was a happy, butterfly-in-the-tummy sort of strange.

josh at home

the wedding and reception were held at the charming star hill ranch, which is basically a collection of neat old buildings that make up a quaint sort of “main street” (and yes, this did elicit a lot of election jokes).

main street

i immediately found erica posed in mid-bridal-photography, looking incredibly beautiful!!!

bride

and, as if things couldn’t get any better, there were LITTLE CHILDREN INVOLVED! josh’s nieces, to be exact. here’s maddie, who served as the flower girl:

maddie

and here’s lila, who served as the major attention magnet for the evening (ok, well, aside from the bride and groom… mostly):

lila

as the officiant, i had the unique power to hang out with BOTH the bridal AND bachelor parties, sort of like a diplomat (josh referred to me as switzerland). i particularly enjoyed hanging out in the bachelor quarters, i.e. an old timey saloon!

bachelor pad

my chief duty, aside from performing the actual ceremony, was serving as a messenger between josh and erica. this position gave me the lovely pleasure of delivering letters between them and then watching their reactions!! squee!!!!

josh reading letter

josh totally won this round of the crying competition, as erica had to dab her eyes several times during the course of the letter.

erica reading letter

i know she was worried about messing up her make-up, but honestly, erica was so happy, there was nothing in the world that could tarnish her beauty on that day.

bathroom veil

i’m guessing the photographer will photoshop out the bathtub, but i liked the idea of a bathroom portrait.

finally, it was time to begin! the boys and i lined up and waited for our cue, which is when one of my favorite moments of the night occurred– one of the groomsmen (mitch?) started playing “november rain” on his iphone!!! YES!!!!!! you guys, talk about PERFECT MOMENT. then we started joking about how we forgot to bring the “jock jams” and our tear-away pants. for a minute, i think the wedding coordinator was a little bit nervous that we would actually run out to the tune of “Y’ALL READY FOR THIS?” which, ok, would have been preeeetty awesome.

instead, we chose to be dignified.

sarah leads

even though this is the second time i’ve officiated a wedding, i felt so nervous! and yet, the minute i got up to the huppah and looked out at all of the excited faces, faces that color the lives of erica and josh, everything just felt right and good. which is pretty amazing, considering that it was TOTALLY FREEZING AND REALLY WINDY.

but, like i said, erica is a trooper, and she looked radiant (and serene!) as she walked down the aisle.

veiled bride

not only is it an honor to bring two people together in marriage, it’s also a v. intimate experience. you’re standing right there with them, hearing their sweet whispers, watching their smiles widen and eyes tear up, hearing the tender emotion in their voices. you’re basically walking them through a major milestone, a magical, life-changing day, and it’s hard to feel worthy of that, no matter how much you love the two people before you. with that said, i tried my darnedest to speak words of hope and happiness and truth. i wanted to celebrate josh and erica, the people they’ve been (yes, there was a mention of josh’s long hair and “they might be giants” references) and the people they’ve become. and you know, i think i did ok!

ceremony

henri was nice enough to record my “speech” part of the ceremony, so you can watch some of it if you’d like!

after the ceremony, i was eager to mingle with all of the familiar faces in the crowd, like ray and juliet!

picture bandit

yep, that’s henri, pulling a “ray” in the background.

and winston and eden!!!! i was so happy to see them!!!!!!

winston

henri and i were seated at table 8, which turned out to be the coolest table in the whole reception hall. how do i know? well, first of all, within the first five minutes we had a nickname, EL OCHO, that we would loudly shout while toasting our own awesomeness.

secondly? our table was daring enough to use apples from the centerpiece to indulge in one of my favorite high school pastimes: the dangerous, high stakes game of APPLE ROULETTE!

in case you’re not familiar with this risky business, apple roulette is played by passing an apple around and ramming it into yr forehead. eventually, the apple become v. soft and mushy until BAM! it explodes on the unlucky loser.

basically, the result of apple roulette is this:

apple snot

no, that’s not snot, it’s apple juice. way to go, ray!

you guys, this game does not get old. even as yr forehead begins to pulse with pain and apple juice spreads through yr hair, YOU CAN’T STOP PLAYING. it’s totally just like what happens to christopher walken in the “the deer hunter.”

and now, a series of apple roulette portraits:

henri!

henri apple

mondro!

mondro

leah!

leah

juliet!

juliet

daniel! looking a little juicy!

daniel
sarah, who wasn’t afraid to face hard!!!!

sarah

and, further proving the supremacy of our table, we even got the groom involved!!!

josh

but, before you try this at home, keep in mind that apple roulette isn’t child’s play. serious injuries may result!

ouch sarah juliet

el ocho totally left its mark on the wedding, and not just in the form of red spots on foreheads. EL OCHO 4-EVER!!!

table 8

and yes, the tables all had pictures of josh and erica at the age corresponding with the table number. isn’t that precious?!

and now, a short break to check in with lila:

sleepy lila

whoah there, lila! maybe you outta take it easy on the booze, yeah? slow down, sister!

after dinner, we moved into the dance hall, where i discovered the cake!!! yay cake!!

cake

and GUESS WHAT THERE WERE CUPCAKES OMG!!!

cupcakes

specifically, they were cardinals baseball cupcakes, as indicated by the top cake:

cardinal

FYI josh loves the cardinals, probably as much as i love cupcakes.

then it was time for the first dance! erica and josh swayed around the room to “question” by the old 97s, a song that normally makes me squee and, featured at a wedding, makes me put my hand over my heart and close my eyes (known as the “with or without you” effect).

first dance

immediately after the first dance, josh’s friend benjy’s band took the stage, and you guys, they were a totally AMAZING 80s COVER BAND!!! i mean, we are talking INSTANT DANCE PARTY.

josh henri dance

i don’t think i’ve *ever* seen a dance party like this at a wedding. there was no “you make me wanna shout!”, kool & the gang, brown-eyed-girl type of mediocrity. oh no. this was SERIOUS.

ray dance

obviously, el ocho was pretty much the main force behind the dancing.

el ocho

but we definitely had some help from people like teresa and justin:

teresa justin

and of course, my favorite erasure partner from college, matt:

matt dancing
in the middle of the party, josh and erica were lifted up in chairs, per jewish tradition. this was probably the only time erica actually looked nervous on her wedding day.

erica chair

and for good reason. yes, that IS a chair leg.

chair leg

ok, time for another quick check in with lila…

lila asleep

and she’s out for the night! which was too bad, cos she missed the timeless wiess tradition, the ubangee.

ubangee

ah yes, the ubangee. so classy! so mature! so ceremonial!

speaking of rice, this wedding was TEEMING with owls. of course, we had to take the group picture destined to be sent to the owlmanac after two or three years have passed:

rice folks

i know, right?!! i felt like i was back in the acabowl, minus the smell of old beer.

it really was great to catch up with so many people from college. as i’ve mentioned before, josh and i were in the same orientation group, and our advisor, emily, was at the wedding! o-week reunion!!

emily fellow

i also got to visit with the former wiess masters, the hutchinsons, which was truly a pleasure.

hutchinsons

and then it was back to the dance party!!!

henri ray dancing

winston and brian just can’t stop the rock!

winston brian

daniel and leah performed a dance known as “the microwave” that leah invented in college. i really liked this dance, mostly cos it reminded me of food.

microwave dance

due to her back injury, erica g. couldn’t dance, but she managed to throw down some v. v. sassy arm motions. and also, hugs!

henri erica

i don’t know what led teresa into a crouching position on the floor, but it may have had something to do with new order. or human league.

teresa floor

you know how at a lot of weddings, the bride and groom don’t really get to enjoy themselves cos they have to talk to everyone and do things like cut the cake or whatever? well, josh and erica enjoyed the PANTS out of their wedding, which made me so v. v. happy.

josh jump erica

there were times when i almost kinda forgot we were at their wedding, cos it felt like a regular night of being goofy together. except more dressy!

sarah josh erica funny face

it’s good to know that we can still be our ridiculous selves, even at a v. momentous occasion.

henri josh erica funny face

we danced and hugged and celebrated ourselves silly until it was time for erica and josh to go. and even then i wasn’t too sad, cos SPARKLERS!!!

sparklers

i love that feeling that comes at the end of a wedding, when everyone gathers together and you can *feel* the collected joy and excitement as the crowd sends the bride and groom off into an open, inviting, light-filled horizon.

congratulations, erica and josh!!!! i love you guys!! (<-- and in case you're wondering, yes, i did actually say that in the ceremony).

different animals being best friends!!

today i received the following picture from meredith in my inbox:

dog and goat

of course, i immediately SQUEED MY PANTS OFF and then sent an OMGGG email to meredith. as we proceeded to !!! back and forth, i wondered: why do i love animal friendship so much?

and then i laughed, cos that is a HILARIOUS QUESTION TO ASK MYSELF.

i mean, what’s not to love about animals overcoming their differences in the name of frolicking and cuddles? in fact, we should be following the example of these compassionate and gentle creatures!

bird and mouse

the world would be a better place if we all so easily lent a wing to a friend in need.

in fact, now that obama has given all of us actual hope about our future, i predict that you’re going to see a lot more people following in the footsteps of animals like this frog and mouse:

frog and mouse

drowning in the recession? jump on my back, friend, and i’ll help you weather this bad economy!

hedgehog and squirrel

suffering from a lack of insurance? don’t worry, mr. hedgehog, universal health care is on the horizon!

i mean, when you think about it, animal friendship is a powerful thing. if you’ve read “incredible journey” (or seen the movie), you know what i’m talking about.

incredible journey

i mean, these are pets! they can’t speak to humans! they have no money! and yet, they manage to overcome numerous obstacles and make their way across treacherous lands in order to be reunited with their human family.

if two dogs and a cat can do that, then we can save this country!

don’t even get me started on animals that are surrogate parents for other animals.

tiger and pig

EEEEEEEEE!

and if you need further inspiration, guess what!! there is already a blog DEVOTED TO ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP!! and it’s called… let’s be friends!!!!!

so now it is up to us to harness this squee and heal this country so that its citizens, in the famous words of jessica b, can go to a place where we can all be friends.

isn’t that right, bff kitty and monkey?

monkey and kitten

LINKS

in case yr quota of squee has not been filled, i give you PUPPY CAM!!!!! prepare to lose an entire workday to this site.

if you haven’t seen it already, check out keith olbermann’s moving, thoughtful commentary on prop 8. i have nothing to add except “a-men!”

looking for a unique xmas gift for that special someone? check out tampon crafts!! don’t thank me, thank ann, who so graciously shared this link with me today.

it’s the little things

this weekend was about the little things.

little food in the tasty form of dim sum!!!

btw, those are fried sticky rice treats camouflaged to look healthy. i love sneaky food!

LITTLE PUPPIES!!!!

i met these puppies on saturday, thanks to an animal shelter that set up shop on second street. my favorite is the one who is sleeping with her head snuggling up to her sibling’s privates. COMFY!

feeling little on henri’s balcony!

i read my book and drank coffee while totally dominating the austin skyline. yessss.

little hippo!!!!!!

i wish i had met monifa in person this weekend but i DID watch this video five times and squealed at every wiggle of those teeny tiny ears!

little particles of dust in my nose!

total amount of time spent at fun fun fun fest, given aforementioned dust particles: two hours. nose, eyes and lungs– you guys owe me one!

little moments of friendship sweetness.

my dear old friend erik came into town for the festival and spent a lovely, lazy sunday with henri and me. note about the photo: the balcony isn’t loud, it’s WINDY (and the wind takes great pleasure in putting all of my hair in my face).

A LITTLE FRENCH GIRL!!!

ok, i’m kind of lying, cos i didn’t get this video until today (I LOVE YOU MATT!), but hello this is the cutest little french girl ever!! i want capucine to be my most bestest friend! trust me, if i could’ve invited her over for a weekend full of pooh stories, i would have. she could teach me french and give me kisses, and i could make her cupcakes and we could play dress up!

oh oh, aren’t the little things the best?

LINKS

[today is a total linkapalooza, cos some of these are left over from friday]

if you’re a fan of roald dahl, you MUST read this interview with his wife, felicity. the cigar story is my favorite!

in case you hadn’t squeed enough, check out this video trish posted of a chubby kitty trying to get into empty boxes.

ann posted this link to a fantastic photographic exploration of presidential dogs. my favorite: prudence prim.

have you seen the new trailer for pixar’s “up”? AMAZING!!!

thanks to the daily show, we know a whole lot more about why sarah palin is so dumb.

were you a highlights kid?

is it weird that i looked at these incredible freeze frame photos and just thought, “ouch”?

chris rock definitively answers the question, “why is it hard to make fun of obama?” because, chris says, he’s just like will smith– too cool.

otto, the mischevious octopus! sounds like a children’s story, but it’s true!

erin had to go and make me cry all over again after posting this series of pictures of two little boys on election night.

rollin’ with naomi

my squee quota for the year has pretty much been filled, thanks to a monday night with my favorite little lady, naomi! you may remember her as the Guardian of Mac ‘n’ Cheese or from the Mango in the Pool incident.

her parents acted like i was doing them a favor for babysitting her, but nobody was fooled– obvs, *they* were doing *me* the favor.

here’s how we spent our fabulous evening:

1. Gardening

naomi helps out her mom and dad in the backyard all of the time, so she is basically a Professional Gardener at this point. in case you weren’t aware, “gardening” involves lugging a tiny (but heavy) bucket of water across the yard, spilling half of it on the way (well, the grass WAS thirsty) and then carefully pouring it on the same patch of earth, over and over again.

also, it’s important to sing while you’re gardening. the plants like that.

since naomi has an immense amount of experience, i decided to ask her for some gardening tips.


if anyone can understand those tips, please let me know.

Continue reading ‘rollin’ with naomi’

cats vs. dogs: a highly scientific exploration of internet comedy

the internet is truly smiling upon me today, which is why you will find the link section JAM-PACKED with linky business.

for the “highly enriching written portion” of today’s entry, i want to tackle the extremely controversial question on everyone’s minds as the presidential election approaches:

what’s funnier on the internet: dogs or cats?

before i begin, i want to be completely honest with you. i’m not *really* a cat person. i think kitties are ADORABLE and i love to squish them, but after they get big, i’m kinda meh. whereas, even when dogs stop being small and puppy-tastic, they’re still just so friendly and happy and they just WANNA LICK YOU ALL OVER COS THEY WUV YOU! YES THEY DO!

so, yes, i’m biased towards dogs in real life. but i’m also a real scientist, and therefore i can be totally objective in my search for the truth.

First Stage of Research

i compared LOLcats to LOLdogs. dude, is there even a question? lolcats TROUNCE loldogs. of course, one could argue that lolcats has the better writers, but still. it’s the cats who are providing the raw material.

Second Stage of Research

i looked at all of my saved youtube favorites.

number of cat videos: 5 (including winston, my all time favorite)

number of dog videos: 0 (honestly, I AM SHOCKED)

number of baby videos: you don’t even want to know.

Third Stage of Research

i meticulously combed through today’s entries on my favorite blogs and found two references to cat videos and zero references to dog videos.

here are the two cat videos, in order of hilarity:

basically, after viewing that last video, i knew my study was finished.

Highly Scientific Verdict

on the internet, cats are WAY funnier than dogs.

maybe it’s cos cats takes themselves more seriously; consequently, when they do something silly, like get into a fight with a printer, we find it more amusing than when a dog does the same thing. cos, let’s face it, dogs are ALWAYS doing dumb stuff, so the novelty factor is kinda low. “hey, look at my dog! he thinks the couch cushion is rabbit! isn’t that crazy?!!!” isn’t exactly gonna garner you a ton of views.*

*however, throw in a toddler and you’ve got youtube gold as far as i’m concerned.

Future Frontier for Exploration

videos are one thing, but what happens to *comic strip* dogs and cats when they collide with the internet? obviously, both are entertaining (see: garfield minus garfield and marmaduke explained), but which one is funnier?

well folks, i think that’s enough research for one day.

now i’m gonna go watch that laughing baby video for the sixtieth time.

LINKS

you guys. i have TERRIBLE NEWS. magic island suffered a terrible fire!!! due to an “electrical fire,” which we all know is just a cover-up for some sort of international spy ring conspiracy gone awry. please keep all of those now-homeless magicians in yr thoughts.

in case you haven’t seen it already, tina fey and amy poehler made all of our political dreams come true by apparing as palin and clinton (respectively) on SNL. oh tina fey, why couldn’t you be running vice president in REAL life?!

i just watched this short documentary, “sophie can walk,” about a father who defies all medical wisdom and vows to help his daughter walk within the first year of her life. seriously, WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY. if only for the shot of a baby in a tiny, tiny wheelchair. hilarious and highly squee-able.

if you’re a fan of agatha christie, like me, this news is gonna make you squee!

henri sent me this beautifully-written tribute that sarah hepola wrote for writer david foster wallace, who died over the weekend. i’m ashamed to say that i’m not v. familiar with his work, but jezebel does a good job of introducing him and his incredible, heart-breaking writing here.

this news item reminded me of that buffy ep, where amy’s mom takes on her appearance so she can relive her cheerleading glory days. except that was kinda creepy and cool, whereas in reality, it’s just kind of pathetic.

dude, the changeling looks awesome. and not just cos angelina gets to wear classy retro clothes.

latest “outfits i would kill for” fashion week update: badgley mischka, glammest of the glam. sigh.

book art! yay!

meet naomi, my two year-old foodie soul mate

many of you are already familiar with naomi, my favorite two year old in the universe. i wrote about her first birthday party last year, and her preciousness has been mentioned several times on le blog. believe me when i say i have actually *restrained* myself from totally turning this blog into a “what naomi just did a minute ago” site (plus, she already has a fantastic blog, courtesy of her parents). seriously. she is amazing.

naomi and i have a lot in common, in spite of our twenty-seven year age difference. we both love glitter and singing songs at random times. we don’t always like to share, especially with smelly boys.

and, most importantly, we both love mac ‘n’ cheese.

last week, i had the distinct pleasure of dining with naomi at central market, and so of course i couldn’t pass up the opportunity to interview her about her love of mac ‘n’ cheese. although she was slightly irritated by the interruption (girl has priorities), she eventually obliged.

while conducting our interview, i came to a startling realization: when it comes to food, naomi and i are basically, like, the same person. watching her is just like watching myself when i was two years old… AND myself NOW!! except my current self is slightly more adept at using a fork.

here’s a video of our exchange shortly after her mac ‘n’ cheese arrived.

note that, even though she was excited about her food, she was immediately distracted by the appearance of her mom’s pizza. this happens to me all of the time.

i tried to ask naomi questions, but most of the time she ignored me in favor of her food. again, i completely understand.

later on in the meal, naomi got some gelato, because she understands the importance of dessert. truly, her precocious wisdom is unparalleled. FYI we referred to the gelato as ice cream cos, you know, it’s easer to shriek “ICE CREAM!” rather than “GELATO!” when you’re two.

i don’t know if she deemed her flavor to be “stars” or “scars,” but either way, awesome.

in the next video, you will see that the level of gelato in naomi’s tub is markedly lower than before. that’s because the tub, uh, fell on the ground, and mark (naomi’s dad) had to valiantly scrape off the top so that naomi would stop freaking out. i almost felt like crying myself when i saw the damage.

note the massive spoonful of gelato naomi forces into her mouth– even in the face of eminent brain freezes, she stays focused! EYES ON THE PRIZE! (apologies in advance on my shakey camerwork towards the end… i was laughing too hard).

actually, my favorite moment is the way she sighs before taking a bite, as if to say, “well, half of the gelato is gone but i guess i’ll just let it go and enjoy the remainder.”

either that or “GAH, i really wish sarah would quit bothering me so i can focus on my ice cream!”

even from our brief interview, it’s clear that naomi has already mastered the art of foodie. i can only hope i am lucky enough to gain more wisdom at the feet of this child prodigy.

naomi, will you be my foodie guru?

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even though i’m STILL upset over the postponement of the sixth harry potter movie, i guess i can find a little solace in daniel radcliffe, looking fiiiiine on the cover of “details.”

web urbanist profiles the top 15 most dramatic guerrilla marketing campaigns. uh, hello, where’s the oscar meyer weinermobile?

aww! a little girl wrote a book for winston, my favorite cat on the internet!

how to break the ice without losing yr cool

ha ha, i know, i’m hilarious.

but you will forgive me in a second cos:

pants world, i have some most excellent news to share with you!

and it has nothing to do with food or hip hop dance or the fact that ryan gosling and rachel mcadams are together (although that is obvs news everyone should be celebrating, cos YAY LOVE!).

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!

i did!! i really did!!!

it’s all so exciting!!!

i won’t divulge too many details, since i try to keep my professional life neatly separated from ye blogosphere, but i WILL tell you that i get to work with undergraduate students!! which is what i’ve been really really really wanting to do!!! HOORAY!!!

LET’S HAVE A PARADE!!! seriously!!! let’s all dress up and dance down the street and eat funnel cake!!

anyway, i really am over the moon about it, and i can’t wait to start in two weeks. la la laaaa!

of course, when i tell people the news in person, the second thing they say after “congrats!” is “but wait, what about yr blog?!!”

rest assured, pantsers, that this blog is going NOWHERE! wait, that sounds wrong. what i mean is, of course i’ll keep writing! moreover, my (future) work with student development will most certainly inspire some posts, although obvs i won’t be writing about specific people or anything.

in fact, my new job has inspired today’s entry! and not just cos i wanted to tell you guys. but also cos… i need help!

anyone know any good icebreakers?

no seriously. i need to know. and not just cos i wanted to post this picture of a group known as “the icebreakers,” whom i assume are some kind of tween dance team.

Continue reading ‘how to break the ice without losing yr cool’

mexican pantalones: a bachelorette, beach reading & mr. grand coco bay

where was i wherewasi…

right! so the bike gang arrived, victorious, back at the resort and proceeded to clean our badass (read: sweaty) selves up for the evening’s bachelor & bachelorette festivities!

all of the ladies were headed to this super charming italian place, which i took a picture of during the day:

yes, it’s called ula gula, which sounds like the name of a rotund jungle queen.

as the bachelorette, meredith was forced to wear really cheesy “THIS IS MY LAST NIGHT AS A SINGLE GIRL WOO-HOO I’M CRAZY PANTS BUY ME A SHOT!” items by her sisters, erica and stacey. she accepted all of her accoutrements like a good sport and even managed to use her handy shot glass necklace once (or twice).

after dinner, we walked down fifth avenue, where all of the old men sitting in the outdoor cafes whistled to her and yelled out, er, compliments in spanish. it felt like a combination of old world europe and sixth street, but with less of a b.o. smell.

we strolled into this seriously cool bar/restaurant called the blue parrot, which i ALSO took a picture of during the day, cos i am a crafty blogger pants.

isn’t that awesome?!! all of a sudden the bachelorette party had turned into a swiss family robinson episode, where the older kids figure out how to make tequila with some stones and a little bit of old fashioned elbow grease.

after THAT, we met up with the guys, who had spent the evening eating giant platters of meat and smoking cigars (you know, pretending to be manly), at this super hip rooftop bar:

yes that is a POOL. i seriously felt like we were on “the hills” or something, cos the lighting was totally mod and neon and all of the bartenders were hot with ironic mustaches.

henri decided to be a good friend and not let meredith drink alone.

we hung out at the bar for a little while, and i got to know more of the folks in the wedding party, including kiley’s (the groom) brother, tom. tom is what you would call A Hugger.

fortunately, stacey was not harmed during the taking of this picture.

the party eventually moved on to the beach-side of the blue parrot, which features a dance floor and a bar with swings!! you guys!! you can SWING at the bar! what a SUPER FUN BAD IDEA!!!!!

and yes, yes, i took a picture during the day. you don’t have to thank me.

of course, the club was an entirely different creature at night… the music was blaring and the dance floor was HOPPIN’, thanks in large part to participation of our party.

see look! more swings!

jim and alexandra demonstrated how to bar swing responsibly:

meanwhile, we GOT BUSY ON THE DANCE FLOOR!

i can say, with all confidence and extreme pride, that my friends *know* how to bring on the dance party. whether we’re in an apartment or a parking lot or even a moving vehicle, we shake our groove thangs like nobody’s business, with the attitude to match.

i mean, just look at these dance faces:

and hey, there’s alex! some of you may recall this charming, terribly witty gentleman from the boat house last summer. it was SO GREAT to see him again in mexico, since he now lives far away in LA.

oh, you want MORE henri and alex dance action? ok, i’ll give it to you.

seriously, i didn’t see anyone else REMOTELY close to stepping it up like these guys or the rest of our group. however, i *did* see a drunken high school girl pour her (full) drink on top of her head and then, in a pièce de résistance, fling the glass onto the (cement) dance floor, where it smashed into a million highly dangerous pieces. esp. given the fact that some people, like alex, were dancing barefoot.

thanks, drunk high school girl!! SPRING BREAK 2008 WAAAAAAA!!!!

it didn’t take long for henri to steal meredith’s veil and use it to obtain kisses. “hey, it’s my last night as a single gal! gimme a kiss!”

the dance party eventually gravitated even closer to the ocean onto the sand, where everyone tossed off their shoes and danced with wild, “we’re on a beach at 2 AM! we are children of the night!” abandon.

all in all, definitely a fantastic night.

the next day, there was actual sun! just like the brochure said!

it turns out that breakfast is the best buffet meal of the day, so you can bet yr bottom dollar i showed up there every morning with an excited tummy and a big ole smile for the omelette lady.

plus, check out the great view!

in addition to evening entertainment, the resort staff puts on all kinds of activities, like beach volleyball and soccer, i.e. things i would never do, esp. when i’m on vacation. i was a little tempted by the water aerobics, though:

i found erica and stacey hanging out at the swim-up bar with their dad, mr. greenhouse, known affectionately as “papa g.” he’s a wise-cracking, slightly crotchety guy from new york who loves bruce springsteen and vodka on the rocks. once i asked him what he thought he wanted to be, as a kid, and he replied, “a bookie.” yep, that’s all you need to know, folks.

anyway, i love this picture, cos erica had just touched his back with her cold and wet hands.

i ran into henri, who never made it to breakfast for the duration of the trip (surprise), and we decided to check out the beach. and guess what? there was a beach baby!!! OH HAI BEACH BABY!!!!!!

well, actually, there were two beach babies.

you can also find this picture on the “july” page in the Hot Studs of Playa del Carmen calendar.

in spite of my vampiric nature, i was so so so happy to soak in a gorgeous day at the beach…

… in the shade, of course. i proceeded to spend the next few hours in one of those beach chairs, under an umbrella, reading my book while coated in sunscreen and wearing my hat, for good measure.

you guys. THIS IS BLISS. I COULD DO THIS UNTIL THE END OF TIME. like, whenever i thought about this trip, i pictured myself doing EXACTLY THIS. AND IT WAS JUST AS AMAZING AS I HAD HOPED.

it helps that i’m *completely* engrossed in the dark tower series (thanks again to meredith), which i will eventually review on this blog but WOW. in spite of my amazing view of the beach, i rarely looked up from the pages of this incredible, epic adventure (sound familiar, mom and dad? “sarah. we are in HAWAII. put down yr nancy drew and LOOK AROUND FOR GOODNESS SAKE.”)

seriously, though, if i was rich, i would do this all day. but maybe with my own private margarita-making staff. and also my own starbucks barista.

anyway

that night, it was time for another round of scintillating entertainment brought to you by the grand coco bay staff!!!!!

first, for the kids, there was an extremely intense musical chairs contest, featuring the mighty force known as leo.

check out leo’s unique approach to handling this most serious and often deadly competition:


honestly, this game got SO INTENSE. i was sitting next to erica, with her parents (leo’s grandparents) behind me, and we could BARELY KEEP IT TOGETHER. every time the music stopped, i swear i almost peed my pants. WOULD LEO GET A CHAIR?!!!!! THE FATE OF THE WORLD HUNG IN THE BALANCE.

watch the end of the competition and tell me that you didn’t at least stop breathing for a minute or two (special thanks to henri for this video):


LEO WINS!!! LEO IS THE CHAMPION!!!!!

note the grandparents leaping to their feet with applause… cos that’s what grandparents do! they beam (and sometimes explode) with pride!

they also wear matching clothes with their grandkids! check out the little champ with his v. proud grandpa:

after his amazing victory, leo learned a dance on the stage with the rest of the kids. of course, being the superstar he is, he had to throw in some of his own moves. also, watch for a cameo from my favorite little girl! I LOVE KIDS DANCING.


oh, but the night wasn’t over yet! cos it was time for the MR. GRAND COCO BAY COMPETITION!!! and guess who got nominated?!!

no, no, it wasn’t leo.

it was HENRI!!!!

henri (supposedly) didn’t want to go up there, but alexis, a member of our party, pretty much forced him to. i think he was nervous, since he’s conducted his fair share of competitions on the alamo stage and knows that most contestants would never volunteer if they knew what lay in store for them…

first, since mr. grand coco bay is a manly man, there was a chugging contest. but with straws (SATC cosmo race shout-out! holla!).


ok, that guy on the left was FAST! he became known as “chicago” (henri was “texas”) and appeared to be the greatest threat to henri’s victory (although personally i was worried about the bald guy next to henri, who looked like he could kick the crap out of every person on stage using just his plastic straw and brute power).

i’d like to point out that by this time, little mr. champion pants had fallen asleep. sorry, henri, but this was no High Stakes Musical Chair Battle.

the next contest was even MORE manly: push-ups! yikes!

fortunately, henri is always a man with a plan.


sure sure it’s funny now, but at the time, i was like, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT MAN COULD CRUSH YOU WITH HIS PINKY FINGER!”

fortunately, that guy had a sense of humor, esp. given the fact that his son ended up being henri’s #1 fan. yeah, it turns out that the super cute kid in front of me (who i had befriended at the pool earlier that day– i asked him, in spanish, if he spoke english, and he replied, “i’m not speaking english,” as if to say, “i could… buuuut i’m not really feeling it right now.”) was ready to cheer for anyone who WASN’T his dad. he developed a preference for henri, however, and when chicago won the push-up competition, my friend was not pleased.

the final portion of the show consisted of each man coming out, dressed in ridiculous drag, and lip synching to a divalicious pop song. this was, by all accounts, the best part of the show. i mean, look:

I KNOW. HENRI IS WEARING A JUMP SUIT. AND A TIARA.

i actually have video of henri’s inspiring performance of britany spears’ “toxic,” which included a caterpillar move that LITERALLY brought the house down. but… henri asked me not to post it. and, since i like having a boyfriend, i have reluctantly agreed.

(but if you come over to my apartment, i will totally show it to you! shhh!)

suffice it to say, henri’s incredible (and agile!) performance earned him the crown (er, tiara) of Mr. Grand Coco Bay, a title everyone (except for henri) enjoyed referring to over the next several days.

my little friend was, of course, TOTALLY EXCITED.

henri was awarded with various grand coco bay accessories, including a scarf and fanny pack that i’m *pretty sure* you will see this summer at the beauty bar. and, like any conscientious celebrity, mr. grand coco bay took time out of his busy coco baying schedule to take a picture with his greatest fan.

i really, really want a mug with this picture on it.

tomorrow: the posh deluxe interview! and next week, i’ll resume with more mexico stories… the wedding! coco bongo! my afternoon as the richest person ever!

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i just found something that i love more than cupcakes. i know, it’s hard to believe… until you see what i’m talking about. MINI TOY DESSERTS!!!!!!!!! YOU GUYS. I MUST HAVE THESE. if i was cruella deville, these would be my dalmatian coats. that is how cray cray obsessed i now feel. esp. the pierre hermé collection, which of course is sold out. seriously, it is NOT too early to start thinking of what to get me for my 30th birthday…

so i’ve always wanted to live in a house with a secret passage way. then, i read about this apartment on fifth avenue. now, i want a house filled with puzzles and secret panels and hidden doorknobs and poems behind walls and WOW. way to spend yr money well, rich people!!

thanks to ananka’s diary, i just found my new favorite artist: yarisal kublitz. you GUYS. you MUST watch these videos of her art… funny, creative, amazing. also? she made an anger vending machine. dear city of austin, pretty please?

as if i need another reason to be hungry, raymond sent me this food porn site. GAH TASTY BUSINESS WHY MUST YOU TAUNT ME.

this column is kind of about the new flip video mini camera, but my favorite part is how the author addresses our love of instant nostalgia, thanks to digital slideshows and videos.

and, finally, for yr squee of the day, meet cinderella, a little pig who apparently doesn’t like getting her hooves dirty: