my gifts to you

i am nothing if not a giver. i like to share. or at least , sometimes do. but when i do, i let you know that i’m going to, so that while you are deciding if you are going to order your own desert, you clearly understand whether or not you will be allowed to have a bite of mine.

uh. hmm. i digress.

when i make discoveries of any kind, i feel it my obligation to pass them along. (remember the gorillapod? you all thought i was crazy then, but who’s laughing now?)

in the spirit of giving, today i bring you a few of my favorite new things.

bandaid blister block (for everyone, but more so for fashionable feminine types)

it’s blister PREVENTION people! after acquiring a horrendous set of new blisters during the midsingles conference, when i heard about this product ‘in the wind’, i had to check it out. it’s not flawless, but so far, it’s pretty darn close. my officemate (i got her one too) and i have been ‘testing’ this product now for a couple of weeks with our most heinous blister inducing shoes. It has reduced the blistering by 97.463%. it’s very scientific you see. okay, not really, but i will say this, i have felt the difference. it’s like a little deodorant looking thing, for your feet. it won’t help with the smell, but if you rub it on your most blister prone spots, it reduces shoe friction, thereby preventing blisters before you even put the shoes on. given that i now have four pairs of shoes i can wear again, it was highly worth the $8 price tag. get yours here or at a local drugstore.

mixwit.com (for the music lovers)

technically i don’t know if i am a child of the 80’s or 90’s. i’ve also never been sure if i’m generation x or y, but an important part of romance in my day was the mix tape. it was the be all end all way to express your feelings for that secret crush, boyfriend, or guy i (i mean YOU) happened to be stalking at the time. the sheer blissful agony of spending countless hours finding just the right songs, and hoping that the intended recipient would listen to every single word, and somehow know EXACTLY what message i was trying to convey, is not easily forgotten. but, alas, ‘progress’ is unstoppable and we have evolved past the mix tape. or have we? one of my favorite new sites let’s you revisit those feelings in today’s digital world. you can search the web for songs to include or upload your own. you can choose from many already designed tape labels, or create your own. and most importantly, you can share. you can put it on your blog. your facebook. your myspace. whatever.

want to send a subtle message to that blog stalker of yours? here’s your chance.

photoshop for the cheapskates (for the photo lovers)

adobe is now offering a free online downsized version of photoshop located here. though i haven’t done an extraordinary amount of playing, i’ve found it very helpful making basic touch ups (red eye anyone?) when i don’t have my mac on hand (in the office, for example). you can email, download, or embed your edited photo, so it’s completely shareable. there are fun filters (pop colors), black & white options, color and contrast—basically every basic thing your average photo needs. i couldn’t more thrilled that they’ve made this available to the general cheapskate public.

make your own puzzle (for the silly and clever among you)

perhaps you remember my recent query about a phrase that would suit something related to puzzles and pictures. i didn’t clarify then (because i was hesitant to admit just how corny i am), but i had a custom puzzle made from a picture i uploaded. it’s relatively inexpensive (or at least far less expensive than i expected) and makes for a fun quirky gift. upload that family photo, that favorite shot you’ve ever taken, whatever. you can also order a custom gift box to keep it in, but i hope to puzzle-glue mine together and frame it someday! get yours here.

dry shampoo (for lazy ladies)

i’ll admit it. i hate washing my hair. if i could go a week without washing my hair, i’d be in sweet heaven. it’s not so much the washing, but all of the styling time it takes to look decent enough to leave the house. but i’m lucky if i can go two days, and stretching it to three, no way, no how. before dry shampoos that is.

about 2+ years ago i came across a product by a company called ‘cake’. it was a powder that would ‘eat up’ all the grease sitting on the scalp (particularly on my crown). sprinkle it on, brush through and voila. it wasn’t perfect. the color didn’t perfectly ‘blend’ with my own, and sometimes it worked much better in dry climates than humid ones (i traveled a lot with it). but as i mentioned before, progress is unstoppable. in recent months i have been seeing ‘dry shampoos’ pop up all over the place. the goal is generally the same, but they now come in a variety of different forms. i switched to an aerosol spray by ojon and have loved it. in general, i’m a big fan of ojon products, but this solution is far superior to my last. if you’ve been wary about trying these dry shampoos, i say go for it. i really don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

travel insurance (for the paranoid/cursed traveler)

i caveat this by saying it’s not yet available in the us, but when ‘coming soon’ changes to ‘here now’, you better believe i will be on this bandwagon.

for many years i was blessed by the travel gods, as though i were a favorite child. nary a delay or cancellation crossed my path, and never ever did i have to concern myself with things like ‘lost luggage.’ the unimaginable horror!

but alas, some blessings are only temporary, and it seems my fortune has run out. in the last year and a half, almost every trip i have taken has involved lost luggage. i generally can’t afford to fly direct, so with one or more connections, there is no telling where my bag might end up. what is more frightening is that on more than one occasion, i have had to guess, and then insist to the airline agent that they are in ‘x’ city, and someone needs to find them. imagine how much less daunting that would be if i could track them myself. incontrovertible proof (or as close as it may ever get) that that luggage handler really isn’t looking hard enough. i knew it was only a matter of time, but i am so stinkin’ excited that the time is almost at hand!

so there you have it, my gifts to you.

today's horoscope

You search and search, and then one day it all becomes crystal clear. When you find the right person, you just know. Today, let your special someone know your search ended when they came into your life.

weekly update

had anyone told me in december that within six months of moving into a new place and starting a new job, i’d be considering leaving both, and that my long distance relationship would be the most stable part of my life, i’m not sure if i would have laughed or cried.

yet here i am, and i’m too befuddled to do either. so while i recount the befuddlement, enjoy random photos.

last week was what i like to call a ‘growth opportunity’, and the theme was ‘girls’. some dramatic roommate challenges have reared their ugly head, and i’ve spent a great deal of time considering how i want to respond. it was also the week during which my company had its second round of layoffs, accompanied by an unofficial announcement that there would be a third round in the next 30-60 days. don’t fret, I am fairly confident that I am as safe as anyone can be. should the company actually go under (which no one expects) I would be out of luck, as would everyone else. but barring that, I expect to be here for a little while. Layoffs are being made according to function, not seniority, and my function is needed for the next few months at least. whatever happens, i have felt that this company and job were very specifically meant to be a part of my experience in california. if and when that comes to an end, i will only be grateful for that, and confident that it is time to pursue new and different opportunities.

long distance dating

the week has not been without it’s highlights though. my roommate ariane invited me to join her for dinner on wednesday with some girls from her ward. though i wanted to hide out and maintain my anti-social façade, i thought it probably a perfect opportunity to meet some new people. it turned out to be an incredibly good time. i immediately connected with two girls in particular, one of whom I’ve seen at a couple of activities and actually thought I would really like to get to know, and the other turned out to be a roommate in one of the houses I had originally looked at—meaning had I done things a little differently, she would have been MY roommate! the three of us spent the evening chatting about everything and nothing, and it was wonderful!

the ‘girls’ theme continued through the weekend. with mick and the boys gone for their father-sons weekend, i met jenny and the girls, along with two little girlfriends (fairly recent transplants from Portland, ironically) for dinner, followed by a visit to the nail salon. The girls and I all ended up with flowers painted on either fingernails or toenails, and they are darling! After nails, there was a little shopping and a little ice cream before calling it a night.

alison brought me a cookie!

i was so excited about saturday that i could barely sleep. a couple of weeks ago, i went bike shopping with my roommate dez. i heard angels singing from the far corner of the very full store, and there it was. the most beautiful beach cruiser i’ve seen. it wasn’t pink, even though i was convinced that’s what i would want, but there was something very ‘me’ about it. when i looked at the price, i almost cried. it was about $100 more than i wanted to spend. but, for the sake of ‘learning’ i test drove the bike anyway. it was a phenomenal ride. the kind of ride that makes me actually opt for it rather than getting in my car. so, we continued searching and visited a couple more places. nothing came close, but i was determined that I could find ‘my’ bike online for cheaper.

i spent the last two weeks researching and visiting bike shops, but nothing came close. for one, it is difficult to find bikes that comfortably accommodate my longer legs. and those that did were generally masculine or more expensive. even attempting to find the wasabi online for cheaper was a miserable failure, as i could only find it at a higher cost--not to mention the shipping.

sadie

by wednesday of last week, i had determined that one way or the other, this was the bike for me, and i wanted to pick it up this weekend since i’ll be in vegas the next, and i’d want it for memorial day (bike prices can jump higher after that—especially locally). on thursday, i learned that i would be getting my economic stimulus money on friday, and that sealed the deal.

on saturday morning, i went to the shop and purchased my bike. jenny and the girls met me there and helped me load it into the van. it ended up being quite the challenge in that they had brought their bikes to accompany me on my first ride (jenny having bought a new bicycle just minutes prior). eventually, we made it work, and after a quick stop at in-n-out for lunch (i’ve had in-n-out before, but never eaten in an in-n-out before. –say it five times fast and you’ll understand how we amused ourselves during lunch!) we headed to my house and unloaded the bikes. we sunscreened up and were off!

beach babes

we rode down to the beach and along the boardwalk, and decided to pause. we locked up the bikes, walked the pier, took some photos, watched the surfers, wandered through vendor tents set up for the weekend, and then returned to our bikes for the ride home. it was the perfect day for a bike ride, and i was absolutely giddy. the four of us had such a good time—i can’t wait to do it again! in fact i’m highly disappointed that i will be in vegas next weekend, as sadie will be quite neglected in our garage. yes. her name is sadie. i don’t know why, it’s not a particularly favorite name of mine. but somehow it fits, and these things just happen.

the next couple of weeks promise to be eventful. on saturday i leave for a trade show in vegas. i’m not a big fan of trade shows, and i’m looking forward to having this one over and done with. i’ll be there for 5 days ‘enjoying’ 100 degree temperatures (woo-hoo??), before returning for a couple of days in the office before memorial day. (how is it memorial day already??) i’m still trying to determine how to spend that weekend—most likely on my bike and at the beach, and of course, preparing for my special visitor later that week.

on the boardwalk

somewhere in the midst of that, i’m either changing rooms in my house or losing a roommate, not sure which yet, but hopefully it will work out the way it is supposed to!

saturday

today is a good day because...

= yummy mexican food at work

= someone got his tickets, and may 30 can't come soon enough!