Sniffles

Another holiday season, another cold. Alas, toward the end of my visit with Sis, I caught a cold (probably from my dad). Now I am blowing my nose every few minutes and plying myself with hot water and throat lozenges. (No, I will not be venturing out for matzo ball soup.) Thank goodness I get to work from home this week. Though there are deadlines to meet, at least I get to stay in my pajamas and work in the relative comfort of my home. Telecommuting is a wonderful invention.

2008 probably wasn't a great year for most people, but I really can't complain. After all, I finally escaped Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie, and though the road has been a bit on the bumpy side, I truly enjoy my new job. My team is awesome, and the work is engaging and creative. Here's hoping everyone's 2009 is filled with health, happiness, and fulfillment. Happy New Year!

Holiday Travels

I spent most of Christmas day in a car, going from LA to the Bay Area. The varied weather conditions that met us on this trip made it a somewhat surreal experience. The beginning of the drive was marked by heavy rain that significantly reduced visibility. It was a bit like driving through white mist, except the pelting rain persistently reminded you of its physicality. Then we hit the higher elevations, where patches of snow decorated the mountain peaks and valleys. After we got through the Tejon Pass, the weather cleared up, and blue skies greeted us. High winds, however, made this stretch of the drive challenging in more ways than one. Not only did the wind affect steering, but it hurtled tumbleweeds across our path! I'm not exaggerating when I say that some of these tumbleweeds were as big as hay bales. And they were often not easy to dodge. I saw a car going in the opposite direction whose entire front bumper was obscured behind a fat, thorny tumbleweed. We emerged from the bombarding tumbleweed episode relatively unscathed, having only been hit by a few smaller and mid-sized ones.

As we entered another gray sky area, we saw a very pretty rainbow brightening the clouds. Unfortunately, I did not get my camera out quickly enough to take a picture. A little past the halfway point, we stopped for lunch at a Carl's Jr. I don't think I've ever seen a fast-food restaurant so crowded and chaotic before! Who knew so many people would be traveling along the I-5 on Christmas day. The rest of the road trip was relatively uneventful. It was lovely to finally arrive at our destination (my sister's new home), and enjoy the rest of the day with conversation, food, presents, TV, video games, and general merriment. Happy holidays, everyone! :)

Immersion

After nearly 10 months of freelancing for the Mouse, I was finally brought on as permanent staff last week. Becoming "official" meant I had to participate in a day and a half of orientation (or, as some have dubbed it, "indoctrination"). I actually found the experience very interesting, and it was quite a nice morale booster. The highlight of the orientation was a tour of the studio lot, during which we got to walk into the sound stage for Eli Stone. Though I don't follow the show (and it is yet another ABC show slated for cancellation), it was still pretty cool. And I loved that the statue of Dopey (part of the facade of the executives' building) was adorned with a large Santa's hat in celebration of the holiday season.

We also visited the Archive Library, where we marveled over historical Disney artifacts. Did you know that decades ago, Donald Duck lime cola and Donald Duck frozen flounder fillets could be found in stores? Of course, the Archive Library also displayed props from recent films; these included Prince Edward's sword from Enchanted, the cursed medallion from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Julie Andrews' Genovian driver's license from The Princess Diaries. The best part was when the librarian brought out an Academy Award, and we actually got to hold it. The Oscar felt very heavy and substantial. No wonder so many winners remark on its heftiness!

To cap off the day of immersion, we were given tickets to attend the company holiday party at Disneyland that night. (We were brought on just in time for it!) The park was open only to employees and family members from 8 to midnight. It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, so I had a blast (despite the long day). We hit the Indiana Jones ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (the repeated references to the film trilogy felt a bit forced), the Haunted Mansion (brilliantly redone in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, just for the holidays), Star Tours (probably my favorite ride), Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (no line, but I apparently suck at it!), and Space Mountain. It felt very much like grad night. ;) Even though I didn't get home till around 2 AM (and I still had another half day of orientation the next morning), I am so glad I went. To top it off, the holiday decorations were absolutely beautiful.
It certainly puts one in a festive mood. Only 9 more days till Christmas! Yay!

Saints Alive!

I haven’t been able to blog as often as I’d liked in the past several weeks. This is in part due to my having computer issues. But, I think I’ll save my rant for the next entry since I’d like to write about something fun before delving into a negative spiral. ;P Anyway, this past Saturday, I attended my first All Saints Day party. Guests were invited to come dressed as their favorite saints. We were informed that past favorites included The St. Petersburg Times and Mt. St. Helens.

Being a literature geek, I wrote in my evite response: Not that he's my favorite saint, but does St. John Rivers count, even though it's pronounced "sinjin"? ;P (For non-literary-types, St. John Rivers is a character in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.) When the day came, however, I was uninspired and didn’t have enough time. So, I showed up in a black sweater and blue jeans. Little did I know that my simple attire would soon become 2 costumes in one!

St. Bernard greeted me at the door. He was dressed both as the monk and the dog! He was sporting a monk’s robe, a crucifix, and a mini keg. (Yes, the mini keg was fastened around his neck.) The host, my friend Sergimus, was dressed as the US Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John). I immediately asked, “Ooh, can I be a British Virgin Island?” Turns out the BVIs are not named after saints, but we came up with another Caribbean island for me to be. A few minutes later, I had cut a rudimentary shape out of printer paper, labeled it “St. Kitts,” and taped it to my sweater. (I was later told that my St. Kitts island looked like a cross between a fish and a drumstick.) The Caribbean certainly had a strong showing at the party. Another girl was dressed as St. Barth!

Shortly thereafter, KPGirl and Proof Daddy arrived. They were both wearing black turtlenecks and blue jeans. Proof Daddy said he was Val Kilmer from The Saint, and KPGirl was his understudy. I remarked that I could be the understudy’s understudy. (Not quite as inspired or funny as St. Bernard, but at least I was somewhat saintly.) Other saints at the party included Joan of Arc (who sported an awesome sword), the St. Pauli Girl, a New Orleans Saint, and (my personal favorites) the Monopoly properties of St. Charles Place and St. James Place.

It was a fun and relaxing party, with good company and good food. (The hosts made an amazing array of Chicago Deep Dish pizza.) Amidst the chatting and eating, we played a game of Wii bowling, and I inexplicably got an all-time high score of 216. I must’ve gotten something like 7 strikes and even started the game with a turkey! It was rather baffling. Then came karaoke, the highlight of which was the men’s rousing rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” We even screened a 10-minute film written, directed, and produced by several party attendees. All in all, it was a rollicking good time. :)

"What Is That? A Super Goat?"

So quoth my brother-in-law upon seeing this image of our office scapegoat on my digital camera. Well, I'm sure Azazel would be flattered to be considered a Super Goat, but 'tis only his humble self bedecked in holiday finery (and my scarf) as he assumed the role of a yule goat over the Christmas and New Year breaks. What is a yule goat, you say? Here is wikipedia's explanation: "The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. 'Going Yule Goat' is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen roots." See? I didn't make it up! I love the photos included on wikipedia's yule goat page, so I shall link to them here for your enjoyment.














I realize that it is well past the yule, but a miserable cold laid me out flat for almost a week. I spent the last several days of my vacation in a kind of illness-fogged stupor. Although writing produced during that kind of mental haze may have proved interesting (or downright bizarre), I was too enervated to attempt it. I'm still not sure how I dragged myself back to work this Thursday last. Thankfully, the weekend (though wet) was just around the corner, and I finally feel more or less myself again. So, that is my excuse for this belated entry on yule goats and my belated wish to everyone for a 2008 filled with health, happiness, and good fortune.

Christmas Musings

Just a few random thoughts as I sit here tapping away at my keyboard after a day full of laughter, much food, DVD and TV movies, some snippets of sports, and overall good cheer. The house is quiet, as several family members have turned in early (some in preparation for a long drive back home in the wee hours of the morning). However, fragments of Christmas tunes are still floating in and out of my head. I recently learned (from wikipedia, of course) that the singing of Christmas carols derives from the Old English tradition of wassailing, the practice of singing door to door "until paid to go away and leave the occupants in peace." How funny; I never realized annoyance was a factor in caroling!

This time of year, Christmas-related commercials clog the airways. Some are cute, some cloyingly sentimental, some irritating, and some just plain lame. Perhaps this exposes me for the sap I am, but I do have a favorite. Disney has used this Dumbo ad a couple years in a row now, but I chuckle over its adorable cleverness every time I see it. It's been years since I've visited Disneyland, but this ad makes me want to go again, just to become a kid again for a day. In many ways, that's what the holiday season allows us to do: recapture some of our childhood joys and innocence (and without the hefty entrance fee!). Merry Christmas, dear readers! Hope and peace to all...

Happy Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It also marks the first day of the winter season. Perhaps it's because of my love of astronomy and history, but I've always found the winter solstice to be rather romantic and atmospheric. The mere term conjures images of quiet, snow-laden trees without and logs burning in a crackling fire within... of shadow and dark surrounding a golden hearth. A vague air of mystery and mysticism pervades the dormant world on such a day, as we await and celebrate the coming rebirth.

It is currently 56 degrees, a bit chilly for us thin-blooded Angelinos, but even we are not self-indulgent enough to build a roaring fire tonight. Still, in the spirit of the solstice and all its attendant festivities, I did purchase a bottle of Chaucer's Mead from Trader Joe's (surely one of the best food stores in existence). The bottle came with two packets of spices for making mulled wine. The label certainly prods me to revisit The Canterbury Tales one of these days, but I digress. I am feeling particularly sentimental as we prepare ourselves to settle into a cozy winter. As I sip from my mug of mulled wine tonight, I will be thinking, "Happy Solstice Day to all, and to all a glorious winter season."

The Most Important Gift Catalog in the World!

Yesterday, my friend KPGirl (she of the alpaca finger puppet) told me that she was looking through her Sunday paper when (surprise!) she came across the following advertisement:
Given all the recent animal-inspired conversations, we both took one look at this cover and burst into laughter. Opening the leaflet, we found a veritable zoo of animals being offered for purchase, including (drum roll please) llamas! Upon closer inspection, we learned that Heifer International is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty and hunger. The catalog lists opportunities to purchase animals, plants, and insects that can help support or feed families in need throughout the world. $20 can buy a flock of geese in China, a trio of ducks in Ghana, or a starter flock of chicks from Cameroon to the Caribbean. A llama in Bolivia will cost you $150:
Oh yes, and you can buy shares of animals, too. We are pondering if we can round up enough people from work to jointly purchase a llama. For those whose pockets are plumper, you can purchase a heifer for $500, a milk menagerie (heifer, 2 goats, water buffalo) for $1000, or a Gift Ark (breeding pairs of selected animals) for $5000. The Heifer Ark actually travels around the world, continuing the organization's humanitarian efforts. Pretty cool.

So, what started out as something funny to laugh about ended up having an important message, particularly on this holiday. Though not everyone may wish or be able to purchase farm animals to help others, we can still take some time to help fight hunger with a few mouse clicks. In that spirit, I am including the same link that my friend Trivia Duchess posted on her blog:
By playing this vocabulary game, you can donate rice to help feed the hungry. Each word you correctly match with its synonym results in a donation of 10 grains of rice. Most of the words are fairly difficult, but it is still fun to try. Besides, it's for a good cause. So far, in three separate games, I have been able to donate 8 bowls of rice (or 800 grains). All my wordsmith friends out there, please give it a go!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)