Thursday, April 28, 2011

Wedding Fever

On Friday, shall I be:

Lady Lauren Duckworth Williamscott of Los Angelesham

or

Countess Lauren Musgrave Williamsskitt of Phoenixshire

or

Baroness Lauren Tildsley Williamsham of Phoenixbury?

I'll admit I'm a little excited to watch the whole royal wedding go down; I'm going to wear my fascinator headband and attend DVR'd watch party tomorrow night with this one and this one.

The dress will be fab, but Kate's turning into a princess tomorrow - amazing!


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Tasty Thailand Travels

Oh Thailand.

After spending tons of time researching HK hotels, I just couldn't make myself plan for Thailand so I came up with a general plan (bought plane tickets to Phuket and booked one adventure trip) and decided to wing it.  This worked out pretty well, since weather and transportation can be unpredictable.  Just gotta take things as they happen.

We left HK on Tuesday morning and landed in Phuket around noon, with a torrential downpour to greet us.
Not a great way to start things off, but what could we do?
After making our way through customs, we had to figure out a way to get out to Phi Phi island, since our plans that night were to camp at Maya Bay.  Or not, since it was pouring.  Lucky us there was a tourist desk selling ferry tickets to Phi Phi, right there.  Maybe we paid a little bit extra, but it was cheap enough and easy.  They got us a taxi driver to take us out to ferry at Ratsada, which is about 45 minutes from the airport.  It poured the whole way, yet people were still out riding their motorbikes, covered in trash bags or rain slickers.

We found the right check-in desk for the boat, traded our paid vouchers for tickets, and got on board with our bags that had now been drenched in the rain.  Thankfully I was able to leave a couple suitcases in my hotel in HK, so I just had a duffel bag.

I knew from our Catalina trip that I would probably get a little sea sick, so I popped two Dramamine before we got on the boat.  My choice was confirmed to be a good one when a crew member walked around making a wave motion with his hand and said, seasick? and gave out Dramamine to all passengers.  I had no idea what we were in for.

Two hours of eyes closed, praying, being tossed around, having a water drip over my bag, Josh yelling "whoa, look at the wave!" and hearing huge waves crash against the side of the boat and puking by fellow passengers, we arrived in Phi Phi.  I really thought I was going to die.  I'd heard that Thai ferries can have questionable safety practices, and after reading reports of major flooding and ferry rescues by the Thai Navy the very next day, I am amazed that I landed safely.  We probably should not have taken off in that heavy rain.  Alas, I am alive and well.

We got off the boat, still raining, and headed to the meeting point of the camping trip to find out how to get a refund or reschedule.  We got a little lost and wandered around for a good 15 minutes in the rain, and then began to wonder where we'd sleep that night since our camping adventure was off.  More wandering around in the rain and only finding places with no vacancy, we stumbled upon JJ Residence which is a hidden gem.  Too expensive for backpackers, but just perfect for us.  All we really wanted was a dry place, and we scored.
At this point the Dramamine was at full effect - I couldn't keep my eyes open.  MCB was ready to roam around, and in my stupor I told him to come back and get me for dinner and not to let me sleep too long, and to take the room key.  He says he told me he wouldn't go far, more than two turns away, and clearly I didn't hear this.

Two hours later I woke up, in the dark since you need the room key to get any electricity, hung over from the drowsiness, wondering where MCB was, and hungry.  Bad mood creeping in, and fast.  I probably sat there for 45 minutes, debating on how I'd find him, wondering when he'd be back and if I should stay put or venture out.

In his defense:

MCB: LOL
  we made a deal
  u told me to take the key
  i told u i wouldnt go farand i didnt
9:54 PM me: i will quote you in the blog post
  so you can feel defended
 
 It was our one and only "fight."  Took me a little bit to stop being mad, but he'd found a good cheap place for food around there corner, where he'd literally been sitting for hours, waiting for me to show up.  If I'd just walked outside, turned left (there was nothing to the right of us) and walked 20 feet, I would've found him.  I maintain he could've just as easily come back for me. 


The next morning we awoke to more clouds, so we extended our guesthouse stay for another night and took off to see what we could see.  We followed the tsunami evacuation route signs and climbed up the mountain to get a view of all of Phi Phil, after stopping for food at this little place with kitties outside:
There are kitties everywhere!

After a fairly easy climb, we reached the top. Phi Phi is essentially two mountains connected by the low-lying isthmus where the village is located, and that's a big part of what got wiped out during the 2004 tsunami.   The waves came from both bays on either side.

There's not a whole lot to do on Phi Phi island - a couple days and you've mostly seen it all.  We spent the rest of Wednesday trying to teach me chess (fail) and playing a lot of cribbage, which is the best game ever.  There are lots of rules and it's hard to remember them all, but MCB is great at teaching.  Wednesday evening we sat at a coffee shop, watching the world go by with our cards.
Then it was time to explore the Phi Phi nightlife, which is lots of foreign backpackers carrying colorful beach buckets around, instead of making sand castles, they have strong beverages in them. I suppose I am getting old since this fun atmosphere holds no interest for me.  However, we did have to check out the Thai fighting in one bar's boxing ring!
After the 'fake pro' guys went a couple rounds, we noticed this:
They'd take a volunteer from the audience and parade him/her around the crowd, trying to find an opponent - crazy!  MCB said he's glad I didn't tell him to do it, because he'd be torn in wanting to prove his manliness for me and his fear of getting the crap beat out of him.  Thankfully I'd never want to see him do it.  But some girl was up for it!  She looked kinda tough at first but she clearly lost.  They hugged at the end and cried.  Like girls.  Entertaining to watch, at least.   A couple doors down we found a Thai metal cover band, so we rocked out for a few songs.  And that was our night on Phi Phi island.


Thursday morning we woke up, ready to get make it our last day on Phi Phi.  We spent the morning exploring other parts of the island.  There are some resorts away from the village along with some better beaches.

After some souvenir shopping, it was time to escape. I'd hoped to catch a ferry to Railay Beach, where they had excellent rock climbing.  MCB is a climber, so I'd promised him this at the very least. We checked out of our hotel and went to check out ferry tickets, there was supposedly one around 2pm.  Except after hauling our stuff to the dock, there wasn't a ferry.  Why - I don't know.  We'd purchased a round trip ticket with an open return back to Phuket, or to a third location.  When I showed the boy outside the ticket booth (the official looking worker lady pointed to him like he was actually the one in charge) our voucher, he said there was no ferry.  Agh!  Of course not.  Stuck in Phi Phi for another day.

Except that the sun was shining, so maybe our original camping trip would actually be running.  We walked back to the Lemongrass restaurant, I saw the Aussie guy who must be in charge, and sure enough, they were going to take off within the hour.  He'd actually already refunded my earlier payment, so we had to run to the ATM to get more money, but we were on board!  I changed into my swimsuit in a sketchy bathroom, packed MCB's backpack with overnight essentials, and we stashed our stuff in their storage area.

The tour sometimes has up to 40 people - we had six.  Me and MCB, a German brother and sister who'd been traveling for three weeks and a couple from the UK who were living in Phi Phi and had made friends with the crew, so they'd just tag along from time to time.

We hopped on a boat, took off toward the little island (Phi Phi Ley) and first stopped at the Viking Caves.  People live in these caves, harvesting birds' nests for use in soup - a delicacy in China.  No one is allowed in, other than residents and researchers, so we just watched from the boat.  It's crazy to think that people live back in there!
As the sun came out, I finally got a glimpse of the beautiful turquoise waters that I'd been dreaming about.  This was truly beautiful.  We rounded another little curve and stopped the boat for some snorkeling.  I was worried about cold water as I always am, but it wasn't too bad.

MCB popped on his mask and looked like he was ready to go - little did I know that this was his first snorkeling experience!  I always get excited about going, but when it comes to jumping in and seeing all the weird stuff under the water, yeah, I don't always love it.  It does kinda freak me out.  MCB admitted later that he was being brave too.  After about 20 minutes we had our fill, but we saw some good stuff!  The corals had lots and lots of fish.

After another stop in a bay, we were told we had to jump out and swim across to shore, then walk through a tiny cave to get to the other side of the island and Maya Bay.
The big boat drove around with our stuff and brought in a long tail boat to shore with all our provisions for the night.  We and the Germans explored the island while everyone else set up.  Since we didn't make it to the cliffs of Railay, MCB climbed here.


As the sun set, it was time for dinner - delicious curry and rice with steamed veggies.  We pulled some straw mats out to the beach, turned on the speakers and iPod (yes, we had a generator and long electrical cords) and started the party.  And maybe the guides partied a little too much since we were such a small, young group.  Ah, well.  M and Nemo were good company.

Once the pitch black hits, there's not a lot to do.  I was too scared to venture too far from our campsite, even though we were the only people left on the island.  All the other tours have to leave at sunset.  There was a long, roofed hut with a raised plank to sleep on in case of rain, but I decided to sleep on the beach.  I took my mat, sleeping bag and pillow a ways down from the campfire and attempted to drift off.  Not the most comfortable, and I woke up feeling not so rested, but hey, I've slept on the beach in Thailand, so add that to life experience.

The next morning the crew made us a good breakfast, but my stomach wasn't feeling so great.  We boarded the long tail boat out to the big boat and took off for home.  MCB left his wallet and climbing shoes in the long tail, and thankfully we were able to flag that guy down and have him come back out into the bay.  We had another snorkel stop on the itinerary, but no one was up for it.  However, if you do ever make it to Phi Phi island, I'd recommend doing this trip.

Our pre-paid ferry back to Phuket wasn't until 2pm, but we bought tickets from another company that had a boat at 1pm.  That still gave us 3 hours to kill though, and we were tired and dirty with no place to go.  We walked back to our original hotel to see if they'd give us a room for 3 hours, but instead they gave us a key to a public sort of shower/toilet structure across the street.  The water was freezing, but I did feel better after being clean.  My stomach was still upset and I was exhausted, so we just sat on a porch and waited.

Back on a ferry, and thank goodness no more rains and winds.  I had taken my last half dose of Dramamine and was able to tolerate things just fine.  MCB on the other hand - not so much.  He had to go outside, lay down and get some fresh air.  Not feeling well at all.  There aren't any taxis that hang out at the arrival pier, so a guy from our boat company put together a shuttle of people going to the same area of Phuket (it's a big island).

We were headed to the airport area for our last night in Thailand, to stay at a resort that was recommended by a coworker in Singapore.  This place was THE BEST PLACE I'VE EVER STAYED.  I think all the other backpackers from our van who were getting dropped off at the airport were jealous.

We stepped into the gorgeous open air lobby.  We looked for the check-in desk.  Instead, they motion for you to sit in their plush chairs, someone brings you a fruity drink, and then someone else brings you all the paperwork you need to check in.  Then, they drive you to your room in a golf cart, because the grounds are enormous.

Since I hadn't planned Thailand at all, while I was in HK, MCB and I were sort of planning via Google chat.  I told him about my coworker's recommendation, and he took it and ran with it, booking us into basically the nicest room they have.  This place has lots of types of rooms, and you could go cheap if you wanted.  But we splurged!

Wonderful design.  Outdoor bath (you can call someone to fill it up with salts, etc, and they massage you while you wait for it to fill), private pool, private courtyard, rain shower, just incredible.  The place used to sit on a tin mine, and that theme is incorporated into all of the design.  I really wanted to stay in the Indigo Pearl for the rest of my life.

Too bad we were feeling so sick and only had one night there.  I started to feel feverish at this point, and crawled into bed.  I made MCB order 2 pieces of toast and a ginger ale, and that was our pathetic dinner.  We passed out soon after, with a pat on the arm and 'sleep well.'

The next morning we both felt quite a bit better and set off to enjoy the amazing breakfast buffet that was included.  Anything you want - it's there for you.  Incredible spread of both American and Asian breakfasts.
We explored the grounds a bit and walked outside into the little village to cut out to the beach.  The beach isn't all that spectacular, so if there's ever a next time, I'll stayed holed up in the resort, trying out all the restaurants and spa treatments.
Soon enough we were in a cab, spending the last of our baht in an airport massage lounge.  I got a shoulder and neck one - it was awesome!  MCB had has first foot massage, and I felt bad for the lady cause she had to touch all his bug bites that he got while sleeping on the beach.  DragonAir took us back to HK.

We checked into a mediocre hotel on HK Island this time, since we'd mostly been on Kowloon.  Great Wan Chai neighborhood, though quite old, small rooms.  Had to venture back to original hotel to get my bags that had been left there, and haul them back.  We did venture over to the Symphony of Lights, the coordinated laser show of all the buildings.  Worth seeing once, it's a tourist thing.  Then dinner at Pizza Hut.  Again.  Sad. But good!
Our flight on Sunday wasn't until nearly midnight, so we slept in and lounged around the room as long as possible until we thought they'd kick us out.  Then our last adventure, to Stanley Market!  We caught a double decker bus to the south side of HK island (along with a ton of other tourists).  It's a great place to shop, though I wasn't really in the mood for buying a ton of souvenirs or gifts.  Been there, done that, I guess. I did buy a nice black and white print of HK in the 60's and I had to pull MCB's wallet out of his pocket to make him buy a scarf that was less than $3.  I shall tame his miserly ways some day!
I wasn't too much in the mood for food, so we boarded a bus back to the city, walked some street basketball, and grabbed a taxi to the airport.  I was generous enough to give my business class lounge pass to MCB to get free food and drink, since they wouldn't let me take in a visitor.  What a sacrifice, I know, since I'd be in biz class and he'd be almost in the back of the plane.  I did maybe promise that I'd visit him during the flight, but after sleeping for a few hours and being comfortable, maybe I didn't and maybe he was sad/mad when we got off the place in LA.  But all is forgiven :)

We landed at LAX before we took off, making our Sunday 37 hours long or something, and Monday I came back to real life.

As much as I enjoyed the trip (though I won't be back in Phi Phi again), I think I'm done with Asia for a bit.  Time to head south and speak some Spanish!

Monday, April 25, 2011

This Might Be the Most Beautiful Album of the Year

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (out on May 4)

Go listen now on NPR to the last track, Grown Ocean.  

I'm only on my second listen, but I'm loving it. 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Feliz Pascua de Resurrección!



On a funny side note, while driving home from the Easter Pageant last night, my roommate started to mention her family's Easter traditions, and I immediately started to think about what we did while I was growing up.

Then it hit me - my brother and I would request the weirdest thing to be in our Easter Basket.

A jar of this.

Why? I have no idea.  I'm sure no other kid in the history of the world has ever asked for that in his Easter basket.  As my brother texted back to me last night, 'we could've gotten something so much better!'

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Two Door Cinema Club

I had to settle for Coachella streaming on YouTube this year, which actually wasn't bad.  I saved a few hundred bucks and had an excellent view of a lot of stuff, including Two Door Cinema Club.  I am kicking myself for not getting their album last year!

This is my new jam, on repeat.  The beginning is so-so, but wait until the breakdown at the 2:00 mark and the full on dance party rock out at 2:18.  Goodness, it's good.



And then go listen to more of their fun stuff. It'll make you happy.


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Asian Food Addendum

You know you're doing well when your Chinese colleagues comment on how well you use chopsticks, and your Indian colleagues think that you don't know how to use a fork.

Score!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Hong Kong Bliss

Asian Adventure Part I

Not to sound ungrateful, but honestly I kind of dreaded making the trek to Hong Kong for work, for several reasons.  It's a lot of work upfront to prepare for these kinds of meetings, and to top it off, I had to coordinate people meeting in HK from Singapore, plus people dialing into meetings from Taiwan and Japan (until the earthquake happened), and trying to get everyone's schedules and agenda items together is a lot.  Plus my boss wasn't going with (she has a newborn) and she's brilliant at these things and I felt like I'd be lost and potentially run over and I was just a little overwhelmed trying to put it all together and run meetings for a full week.

Plus it's a 15 hour plane ride.  Fifteen hours.  When's the last time you sat in one spot for 15 hours and couldn't really go anywhere?  I've done two of those trips and a third felt kinda tough.

However - the things we got accomplished and learned and what we can improve - we made strides by meeting in person.  Totally worth it.

I flew to LA on a Friday night to hang with MCB before making the trek.  My flight was delayed, I got there later than expected, and we didn't do much.  I think I rearranged my gazillion bags and fell asleep watching a movie, as usual.  Saturday morning I took off to LAX and at the check-in desk, I ran into my coworker from Phoenix, who was also traveling with me.

Once I got settled into my business class seat, I remembered how nice and great it is and that I'm totally spoiled and fortunate.  The plane ride could've been 24 hours, and I would've been fine.  No complaints!


The food was plentiful and delicious and detailed out into a menu that was several pages long.  They even have Haagen Dazs for a snack.   Below is delicious zucchini with prosciutto and mozerella.

I'd planned to sleep a little, with my cushy blanket, multiple pillows, and flat bed, but alas!  The entertainment selection was just too great.  Lots of new releases, barely out of theaters, that have been filling up my Netflix queue Saved section.  I'm all about using those 15 hours for really productive things, and I'd say that getting through about 6 movies was time well spent. It's just slightly alarming after watching four films and you realize the flight is only half over.

I didn't sleep a wink, which was probably good since we landed around 8pm and I needed to fall asleep and be ready for Monday morning meetings.  (That's not me in the pic below, FYI.  Nor is it my neighbor).

Hong Kong hotels were ridiculously expensive that week because of the Hong Kong Sevens, so we ended up staying on the Kowloon side, kind of far from the office.  After our Monday commute in a cab, we decided to brave the subway the rest of the week, and that was an experience in personal space that I've never quite had, even after many subway rides on crowded DC days.

Kunal and Mahasweta came from India, Kaushik and I from Phoenix, Lynn from Singapore, and we all had a great time working (lots) and shopping (lots) and eating (lots).  The HK team was super fantastic about taking us out almost nightly to some good eats and shopping.  I really had a blast with them.


One night a team from HK took us to Xiao Nan Guo Premier, which is an excellent Shanghai-style restaurant in a tall building with views of the harbor.  The harbor views get my every time - HK is just such a cool city. We ordered at least twenty dishes - the food kept coming!  I thought I was going to explode.  And it amazes me that everyone can stay out so late, night after night, and still come into the office early the next day.  My favorite dish - Shanghai style pork dumplings with soup inside.

Another night a different group from the office took us to their version of a diner - it's cheap, quick, and pretty much everything is good. I loved the crispy noodles with shrimp.  We also ordered the HK dish of fish balls which I don't really love though everything else was great.   Another great thing - a waffle-like treat from a street vendor.  We spent the night eating more street food, having mango-themed dessert and shopping.

It's very easy to get around HK if you speak English, but it's just more fun to have people order for you in Chinese.  And there's usually not just one waiter assigned to your table - if you want something, just raise your hand and flag anyone down.  If you don't, you won't eat!  Especially at lunch when everyone goes out and it's crazy crowded and busy.
After eating a ton of food, we went out shopping in the Ladies Market, which I never tire of. I could walk through there daily and find new things to make me laugh.  Just like last time, it's great for souvenirs, and we ended up with some fun Angry Birds stuff.  I apparently can't make an angry face in a photo, despite several attempts.

As much as I love Chinese food, after a week or so, I was ready for a break.  Thank goodness Pizza Hut is everywhere, and it's a really nice place overseas.  The menu and decor are quite classy.  I didn't feel bad about it, especially since the pizza was just like a slice from home - exactly what I needed.  Some Tim Tams and an imported Dr Pepper from the UK helped, too.

The next day I was back to dumplings though; this time at Din Tai Fung, which is super famous across Asia and even has a California location.  We ate at the Tsim Sha Tsui location, which apparently has been awarded a Michelin star.  You maybe couldn't tell since it's in a mall, but then again, there's nothing in HK that isn't in a mall.

I was ready to switch up to Thai food by the time we got to Thailand, and I think I had green curry for every single meal.  Every one.  We thought about the BBQ from the sign above, though MCB wanted to dress as a woman to get the ladyboy discount price.

Bottom line: Asian food is excellent, and it's a good thing I walked a lot, otherwise I would've gained 10lbs.


The work week was quite long, right up until Friday at 6pm.  I really think we could've been productive for at least three more days of work.  Once you add a 45 minute commute each way in a very crowded subway car, I was looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday and to prepare for MCB's arrival on Sunday morning.  

MCB claimed he would be ready to rock and roll straight from the gate, after a 15 hour flight that landed at 745am on Sunday morning.  I decided to meet him at the airport so we could head straight to the Big Buddha, which is near the airport.  Sure enough, after a quick stop at a grocery store for some refreshment, he was ready to go and didn't seem worn about by the journey at all nor his backpack that he had to carry.  

I'd been to see Buddha before, but I wanted MCB to see it.  You take a 25-minute cable car ride up through the mountains to reach the monastery, tourist village, and the Buddha.  I hate that as I get older, I get more and more afraid of heights.  I almost hated the whole ride, but I didn't want MCB to know that I was sorta scared.  Eeek!  

While exploring the tourist village, it started to rain so we popped into this weird little shop.  MCB loves seeing weird things and he was tripped out by being in Asia.  This was a good start.

  
We hopped back into the city for a nap, then headed out for the night: food plus ferry ride plus HK Sevens craziness in Lan Kwai Fong.  I'd gone on Friday night when the party was at its peak, but Sunday night was full of fun too - lots of middle-aged men from rugby-loving countries, dressed up in ridiculous costumes and cheering their favorite rugby teams for the weekend.  
We made friends with an Aussie guy who teaches English in mainland China, but he's only about 90 minutes away from HK and comes into the city regularly.  Sounds like a tempting life, honestly.  He and his buddies were dressed as a police officers and they blew their whistles to stop all the cute women who walked by.  It was pretty entertaining.  
Monday morning we hopped back to HK Island (we were still staying on the Kowloon side) and stopped into the best grocery store ever, in the basement of the Pacific Place mall.  Everything looked so good, but we decided on sandwiches for lunch.  While there I finally found a box of Krave cereal, which I'd only heard about but never seen, since it's not available in the US.  I immediately snatched up three boxes, because my coworker and I needed it.  

We took our lunch into HK Park and watched little Asian school children on a field trip, saw the SARS Memorial, the Tai Chi garden, Olympic Square, and we skipped the aviary.  Up next, the tram ride up Victoria Peak.  
Back to the hotel for clean up (it's hard work being a tourist), then we ventured out for some appetizers at the bar at the top of the Peninsula Hotel, because it's a sight to be seen, and some dumplings at Din Tai Fung.  Not everyone spoke great English at the dumpling house, and the menu was in Chinese, but they were super helpful in making sure that we followed proper dumping etiquette and our tea was always full and we had everything we needed.  I hope the California location is just as good!



Last night in Hong Kong before our Thailand adventure - stay tuned!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Today's Message Brought to You by Liz (and the people who taught you how to read)

I'm still thinking about blogging about my Asia trip, but I'm not quite there.

Instead, I'll share you with Liz's story about tutoring.  Because it's good, and you should be grateful that you can even read this blog.

Thanks for sharing this story, Ms Liz.

Highlights:
Because he had glasses and a bad back growing up in the 60s he got put in to Special Education and "graduated" high school but with an elementary school reading level. He's been told his whole life that he was dumb and he couldn't do anything. Not OK America! Not OK!

I showed him how to find a Library book. He had no idea. I showed him how to find "The Phantom Tollbooth" and then checked it out. He's never checked out a book before. Until today! Today is the day!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Fabulous Hair and Music

Seeing all the Coachella noise this week makes me slightly sad that I'm not going for the 4th time.  Alas, when I look at the actual set times and line up, I remember that, while good, it's probably worth saving the few hundred dollars that I am by not going.

And I can't feel bad because FINALLY!  TONIGHT!  It's Arcade Fire and Local Natives and it is going to be amazing.

And I got my hair done today (cut and color) and usually I do that on Wednesdays when I work from home, and then I come home and continue to work until 9:30pm, and no one ever sees my fabulous hair styled by Damian.   But tonight I'm going out!  With fabulous hair!  To see amazing music!!

Can ya tell I'm excited?

Monday, April 11, 2011

Do Want.

I now have this in my hands, which means I will be devouring all week!  FNL, I miss you already.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Musical Miscellany

In music related speak, the new Kings of Leon documentary is entitled Talihina Sky.  That would be in reference to the town of Talihina, OK, nearby the town of Poteau, OK where I grew up.  If you ever want me to pronounce those two names for you in the local accent, just let me know.

My good high school friend, Scott, appeared in KoL's first music video for King of the Rodeo, and I remember him telling me that he and the band discussed our good ole Southeast Oklahoma roots.  Funny what sort of things come out of that area, like major rock bands and Bigfoot.

As for the new Death Cab album - I'm excited.  I really dig the first single, I love that they tried something new with their music video, and my goodness, did Ben Gibbard get hotter?  Ms. Zooey has done him good, both in the new music and looks department apparently.

Finally, the best 99 cents you could spend this week - picking up the new Friendly Fires single on Amazon.

Monday, April 04, 2011

Feels Like I've Been Away Forever

What awaits me now:
Piles of laundry (getting rained on in Thailand and having soaked bags = dirty, smelly clothes that never really got dry)
Piles of mail
Piles of Google Reader items
Piles of pictures to edit and share
Piles of new episodes of shows to watch
Jet lag (fingers crossed it's only a couple days and not three weeks like my last Asia trip)

I think I want to stay put for a couple weeks.

Must not fall asleep.  Must not fall asleep.  Must not fall asleep (it's only 4:50pm - too early for bed!)

2023 Recap

Oh, hey there. It's been awhile. I disappeared for a bit. Everyone's doing their 2023 year in review today, and I figured I'd ju...

StatCounter