Tuesday, February 21, 2006

21 does me wrong

tonight was the much anticipated wizards v. timberwolves game. at least much anticipated for me. originally, it was going to be an opportunity to see two of my favorite ballers play live and in person. then sczerbiak went and got himself traded, which in the grand scheme of things was okay, since garnett is my true love.

i made the mistake many many years ago of waiting too long to see the man who spawned my love of basketball--dominique wilkins (the original 21). by the time i saw him, he had long since left the hawks, played internationally, and was sucking it up with the celtics. i didn't want to make the same mistake, and while garnett probably has many years left in him, i wasn't willing to risk it.

corey accompanied me, and after a quick dinner, we were on our way. i cannot even put into words what it is like to see your favorite athlete in front of your very eyes (although gwen and stephanie can probably relate). it's almost magical. and even when that athlete is looking a little flat, and it sort of pisses you off that you paid so much to be in the highest tier of the arena, and it's a total let down that his team lost, it's still okay, because he's yours and you are his, and finally, you are together.

it's certainly not the first time i've been let down by a man. i will move on from this, and think back fondly on our good times together. that first few minutes of the game, when he exhibited perfect grace. or that gorgeous jumper in the third quarter that came amidst some otherwise sloppy play. those are the memories that will last.

in addition to having a good time at the game this evening, i also got to play with my new gorillapod! many of you know that i have carried a mini-tripod in my purse for some time now, which has been replaced by this nifty new toy. i'm still figuring out how to maximize it's potential, and loving every minute of it.

for the rest of the game pics, click here.

in other news, just a quick mention that as of today, i have eight months left to find a man and marry him. just joining us? a little confused? well, this probably won't help.

more ross

i really wish that ross the intern's tonight show segments were available on youtube, because they are very delayed on his site. this is the latest one posted (from last friday).

last night's was extremely funny as well (lara-he made out with jo dee messina!), but i can't share it with you yet:(

things filling my head today

have you ever gone through a period that started with you being anti-social, and then ended up with you feeling like you were being excluded from everything. it's this weird cycle i go through every year. i get burned out, so i take a break. withdraw a little, take some deep breaths, focus on me. and after a little while of the self-imposed down-cycle, the paranoia sets in, and i start to wonder if i actually did it to myself, or if the truth isn't that everyone just got sick of me, and no one wanted to tell me. that's where i'm at now.

fortunately, if history holds true, the paranoia will eventually disperse, and i will soon be back in the full swing of things. but it always takes baby steps to get there. this weekend's baby step was joy and kelli's celebration of february. though i was extremely late for the hoopla, i ended up being glad, because by the time i got there, it was a pretty small group. a totally chilled out, relaxed, glorious, and effervescent (ha ha) group of people i hadn't seen in awhile, which as it turned out, was the perfect prescription for paranoia. inclusion in the slow lane.

so i'll keep taking baby steps until i'm on hyperdrive and i blow a tire. but in the meantime, i will keep trying to enjoy my thinking time.

some of the things i've been thinking about lately, are how cowboy hats have so much power, they can make jake gyllenhall even hotter.

and how ice dancing is only interesting when aerials get postponed and all the skaters fall.

and how it is possible that bush is either the stupidest man alive or the most vindictive.

and how i am going to finally get to see kevin garnett play basketball tonight.

and how excited i am to go see deb in ny in a couple of weeks.

i've also been doing some thinking about dreams. not the 'when you are asleep' kind of dreams, but the 'i really want to _________' dreams, and whether or not they will ever come true.

so i'm curious. what are yours? fill in the blank.

for me, i've decided that...

i really want to live at the beach.

i really want to make a living as a photographer.

i really want to own horses.

i really want to work at the olympics again.


what do you really want to do?

Thursday, February 16, 2006

random and completely unrelated to anything

currently battling it out to be mr. right: chad hedrick vs. seth westcott

chad hedrick

sport: speed skating
birthdate: april 17, 1977
birthplace: houston, tx
hometown: spring, tx
residence: salt lake city, ut
ht./wt.: 5'11" / 167 lbs
olympics: debut



















seth westcott

sport: snowboarding
event(s): snowboard cross
birthdate: june 28, 1976
birthplace: durham, nc
hometown: farmington, me
residence: farmington, me
ht./wt.: 6'2" / 181 lbs
olympics: debut


















oh hell yeah.

no doubt hedrick is fine, but westcott is in the lead right now. he's the right age and height--and the frosting--he was born in the right state.
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brett ratner told the nation (via mtv) that the third film will most definitely mark a close to the x-men franchise. "we wanted to make sure the audiences knew that this was a trilogy. even though they weren't made together like 'lord of the rings,' this is really closure for the x-men series" said ratner. this seems to dispel rumors largely filled by vinnie jones and his contract that a 4th and 5th film could be in the future.

only three movies with hugh jackman and his long spiky fingernails? major disappointment.
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japan's obsession with camera-equipped mobile phones has taken a bizarre twist, with mourners at funerals now using the devices to capture a final picture of the deceased.

i get the sense that people no longer respect the dead. it's disturbing," a funeral director told the mainichi shimbun newspaper.

at one ceremony several people gathered round the coffin and took out their phones to photograph the corpse as preparations were made to begin a cremation, she was quoted as saying.

"i'm sure the deceased would never want their faces photographed," she said.
but others called it a form of a memento in the modern age.

"some can't grasp 'reality' unless they take a photo and share it with others ... it comes from a desire to keep a strong bond with the deceased," social commentator toru takeda told the paper.

okay, this is just plain creepy!
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for the female olympic fans...check it out. (men--you have been warned. avert your eyes or face the consequences.)

have i mentioned i love the olympics?
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if the camera on your mobile has become as indispensable as the phone itself, you might want to liven things up a bit with these add-on lenses from kenko digital in japan. these inexpensive lenses come with a strap so that you can hang them from your phone. the lens itself has an adhesive cushion so that you can stick it temporarily over the lens of the camera.

there are 14 different types to choose from, some offering two special effect lenses on the same strap. you can add a colour tint to your photo or zoom in on your subject, for example. my personal favourite is the one that makes your subject look slimmer - your friends will love you for using it!

oh great, more tools to aid us in our online dating deceptions.