she's just saying...

Top 10: Strange comments edition

It's back! Not that anyone noticed it was gone.

Top Ten odd phrases I've uttered in the pursuit of my profession.

1. The goat is ready for his close-up.
2. Cue the seagulls!
3. Can someone fluff the curds again?
4. Just don't let Tom Skerritt fall through the floor this time.
5. Trim his hair another inch and we're good.
6. You can't use the fake scoop for the hero shot.
7. Can you lick the Twinkie a little less suggestively?
8. Let's wipe off the cow snot and do it again.
9. Can we dub in the fart later?
10. I think we've got to cut the Chihuahua.

Shout out to RayO!

Top Ten: Happy Homemaker edition

Here's a quickie:

Top ten main dishes I make for dinner:

1. Pasta with pesto sauce. This is (strangely) Henry's favorite food. He'll eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner, and even after dinner. I have to buy the bulk jars of pesto from Costco in order to afford this. I add fresh tomatoes to get a little more nutrition in it.
2. Spaghetti with tomato sauce, homemade with turkey sausage added.
3. Pad Thai. This is easier than it seems, using jarred pad thai sauce. It uses a lot of pans though.
4. Fish tacos. Easy.
5. Caesar salad with grilled salmon. Another surprise is that Henry loves salmon. Praises be! I make a killer Caesar dressing that I've perfected over the last 25 years. Secret ingredients and all.
6. Lemon chicken stir-fried with veggies.
7. Zucchini risotto. My sister Susan's award-winning recipe, minus the heavy cream and 1/2 the butter.
8. Roast chicken on the grill. No clean-up.
9. Grilled teryaki tuna. Super easy, with Japanese sides.
10. When we're out of time, Spaghettios or chicken pot pie. For him, not me. I go to cheese, crackers and a glass of wine.

(PS: I don't eat beef or pork, which is why meatloaf isn't on the list. Henry can if he wants, but I don't cook it.)

Top 10: manly qualities edition

I recently read an article about how you can manifest your ideal man by identifying and writing down the 100 desired traits you're looking for. (This was not in a trashy magazine. Really.) 

Sounds like casting a spell with eye of newt and hair of dog, but less messy. So, here are:

Top 10 qualities I look for in a partner.

(If I list only 10, does that mean I'll get only 1/10th of a man?)

1. Intelligence. This is the deal-breaker. I've met a lot of nice friendly guys, but they just don't have it upstairs. I'm not talking about academic intelligence, but the ability to understand, challenge, and stimulate.
2. Sense of humor, of course. I remember saying: "Everything he says makes me laugh, even when it's stupid." My friend Hans replied that's what every guy hopes to hear. Maybe I'm just simple-minded.
3. Compassion. Kindness, caring, warmth, tolerance; however you put it, it's another deal-breaker, really. I could never date a man who's rude to a waiter, as a minor but telling example.
4. Chemistry. Since my mom occasionally reads my blog, I'll leave it at that. Crucial, but is occasionally misleading. I'm just saying.
5. The ability to dredge up a positive attitude, even in the face of discouraging situations.
6. Energy. Vim, vigor, drive, what have you. Not a slug.
7.  Self confidence. Not the in-your-face kind, but the ability to trust and like oneself.
8. Able to give and receive support -- it's the basis of a partnership.
9.Open to commitment. To me. (Well, that rules out the last eight guys I've been involved with. Hmmm, could that possibly be a pattern of some kind?)
10. Passion. Of all kinds, for all kinds of things.

Reading this over, I realize this quite accurately describes Neighbor X. With the notable exception of #9, of course. Am I asking too much?

Top Ten: High Desert edition

Ten things I've learned in the last three weeks:

1. Regurgitated owl "pellets" must be frozen for a month before use
2. Centipedes are venomous, millipedes aren't (or is it the other way around?)
3. Foxes have stinky scent glands and smell like skunks
4. There's a bear named Henry at a gas station in Mitchell, Oregon
5. Badgers buck and rear when they're mad
6. Hissing cockroaches really hiss, loudly
7. "Hoofstock" is the preferred term when referring to horses, elk & antelopes
8. Porcupines "scent-mark" everything with quite pungent urine
9. Badger fur is really very soft
10. Bobcats like to poop in water

Top Ten Tuesday: Fantasy Jobs edition

(you thought I'd forgotten, didn't you?)

I really love my new job, as much as I can love an 8:30-5:00 job in an office. I'm surrounded by beautiful wilderness with an animal refuge complete with owls, eagles, bobcat, lynx, porcupine, fox, an otter and horses. (They're all "special," which is another story.) I work with smart, funny people who are dedicated to what they're accomplishing. And, there's a cafe on the premises!

But sometimes I think about the paths not taken. Or not open to me due to lack of talent or independent income. Forthwith, my:

Top Ten Fantasy Jobs:

1. Backup singer for Stevie Wonder
2. Doggy daycare worker
3. Food & wine writer for a travel magazine, or travel writer for a food & wine magazine
4. Pastry chef
5. Mural painter
6. Voice-over talent
7. Yarn shop owner
8. Divemaster on a live-aboard boat off the Great Barrier Reef (wait - I did this already! But I'd do it again)
9. Goat farmer: you got your goat cheese, goat's milk and cashmere wool. No goat meat though.
10. Professional flamenco dancer

How about you -- what's your dream job?

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to School edition

For my four readers who don't live in Central Oregon, a weather update: we woke up to frost on the ground yesterday. I realize that Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer, but did we need such an obvious reminder?

I'm really not ready for fall and I resent it being thrust on us so quickly. But in an effort to get back to UPBEAT!, here are the top 10 reasons I welcome the end of summer:

1. Baseball playoffs (especially when the Bosox are involved)
2. Knitting in public doesn't seem as weird
3. No mosquitoes
4. Less temptation for the recovering tanaholic
5. Best tomatoes at the farmer's market
6. Foster kitten season is over til spring
7. Hot flashes are more tolerable (not that I'm having any)
8. Don't need to mow as often
9. I can wear the fingerless mitts I'm knitting
10. OK, scraping the barrel here: um, can't smell the compost bin from the hot tub?

Compost pile with Wonder Worman worms

What are yours? Give me something here, people!

c'mon get happy

I'm all about UPBEAT! on this blog, and last night's post didn't measure up.  So here is a list of

Things making me happy this morning:

1. Not working
2. The perfect weather for not working
3. Getting kitty hickies from my latest kitten
4. The consulting work I'm doing (& getting paid for)
5. Henry's summer of camp, bikes & squirt guns
6. Blueberries are on sale at Costco
7. My knitting group drinks wine meets here tomorrow
8. My friend Mary & her crazy puppy who stay here weekends
9. The tadpoles growing in my pond-ette
10. Dressing like I was 12 all day (shorts/tank top/flipflops)

Top 10 Work edition

Today is my department's official last day at our company, though we haven't actually been there for awhile. The swallowing and digesting of Edge by the Big Blue Globe is complete, and we've been spit out. Today we turn in keys and go to lunch, this time with margaritas. So, to mark the day:

Top ten things I'll miss about Edge:

1. My team, my peeps, my kids - I miss their energy and their stories.
2. Working with smart, motivated people who all like each other.
3. The candy in accounting.
4. Casual Friday every day.
5. Playing with the latest "devices" (cellphones)
6. Brainstorming on silly radio spots.
7. Hanging in PJ's office talking about knitting.
8. The warmth and openness of our CEO.
9. The company plane, stocked with donuts and beer.
10. Getting a paycheck every other week - sweet!

Top 10 Summer edition

Around here, we measure the summer in daycamp weeks. First Multisport, then Gymnastics, Bike Week at the club, British Soccer Camp, Flag Football, etc. We're on Island Week now, so that puts us halfway through the summer. Hence the list:

Things I planned to do this summer but haven't*
      *plus the likelihood of them happening

1. Clean out the garage                                  Unlikely.
2. Go camping at the lakes                             Fairly unlikely.
3. Lose the last 5 pounds                                Fat chance.
4. Go to a Mariners game with my boyfriend    Problematic as we've broken up.
5. Take Henry to Universal City                      Could still happen.
6. Work out regularly                                     As of tomorrow. Really.
7. Build the water feature                               Still digging.
8. Practice math problems with Henry            We're starting tonight.
9. Get a job                                                  Still have 6 weeks-don't rush me!
10. Hang out at the pool                                Headed there right now.

Top 10 procrastination activities

1. Look up projects on Ravelry - the MySpace for knitters
2. Take more pictures of the cats
3. Sudoku!
4. Sharpen all the pencils in the house for Sudoku
5. The Jumble (but only if you're really desperate)
6. Pluck your eyebrows (don't get carried away with this one)
7. Google ex-boyfriends
8. Just one more row on the Clapotis
9. Deadhead the pansies
10. Think up top 10 lists

So what's on your list?  Commenting on blogs is a good one, for sure.

"Things I've done that you probably haven't" meme

Ten things I've done that you probably haven't (censored for public consumption):

1. Peeked into Faye Dunaway's underwear drawer.

2. Dove to 260 feet to get "narced" (nitrogen narcosis). Really dumb, but cool.

3. Pulled a just-born kitten out of a placenta (the mom was busy having another at the time).

4. Taught Mandy Patankin to scuba dive.

5. Toured a vineyard with Ernest Gallo.

6. Laid on the sidewalk in lower Manhattan at 3 am on my 30th birthday.

7. Boarded a train in southern Italy and ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska by the end of the day.

8. Sailed a boat single-handed through the LA shipping channel with no wind and no engine.

9. Scored a perfect 800 on the verbal GRE's for graduate school.

10. Gotten laid off via car phone.

So what's your list??

Anybody willing?

No one wants to try their hand at a list? C'mon, this is your chance to tell the world (or the 10 people who read this) about how interesting and unique you are. I dare you!

top ten tuesday

Ten phrases I hope never to hear again:

1. Ping me  As in: "Ping me next week and I'll give you an update."   Contact, call, email.

2. Populate the form factor  As in: "Once we get the layout determined, we just have to populate the form factor." Write the copy.

3. In my silo  As in: "Sales training is not in my silo; you need to talk to Charlie."  Area, department, responsibility.

4. Long pole [of the tent]  As in: "Obtaining the permits is the long pole in this build-out." Longest lead time.

5. Ideate As in: "Let's set up a conference call and ideate on this." Come up with ideas, brainstorm.

6. Socialize As in "I'll take this recommendation back and socialize it."  Send around for review.

7. OOO  As in "Ping me Monday on this as I'm OOO til then."  Out Of Office.

8. Day Alpha  As in "We need to get this accomplished by Day Alpha."  Launch date.

9. Bandwidth  As in "My department doesn't have the bandwidth for that right now."  Capacity, resources.

And last but not least;
10. Surplus  As in "Employees who are notified of surplus will receive severance."  Laid off.

top o' top ten-ish

OMG - how could I have forgotten the Beck show here last year two years ago? Thanks to a friend for reminding me. Incredible show and wonderful night.

Labels: music, top ten

Top Ten-ish: Concerts

I could never rank them, so I'll go alphabetically. I cheated with a couple and listed two separate dates - so sue me. And it's 14, not 10, but anyway:

Buddy and Julie Miller: Eugene OR '98
Bob Dylan: Amphitheater, Bend OR '03 and '05
Coldplay: Amphitheater, Bend OR '04
Cowboy Junkies: Athletic Club, Bend OR '03
Grateful Dead: LA Coliseum, Jerry's birthday, Aug. 1, '92
Donavon Frankenreiter: Barcelona on my birthday '05
Elvis Costello: many venues in NYC and LA
Jack Johnson: Amphitheater, Bend OR '06 '05
Jerry Garcia Band, The Forum, LA, '88
Los Lobos: NYC in the '80s and Athletic Club, Bend OR '99
Lucinda Williams: Athletic Club, Bend, OR '05 and Salem OR '06
Peter Gabriel: LA early '90's
Rickie Lee Jones:Greek Theater, LA '92
U2: Sports Arena, LA some point in the early '90s

Then there's the infamous Kenny G. concert in LA when I fell asleep and he walked right up to our seats on the aisle playing his saxaphone and woke me up.

How about you? What's your list?

Labels: music, top ten