Time goes by

Here we are at the end of 2009, and I can't really believe it! I've been on forced vacation for the past few days and my time really has filled up quickly with errands and such. It's pretty amazing that time can move so slowly while at work and go so quickly when you don't really have specific things to do!

Happy new year, Internets!

Fat cat, indeed

My belly is protruding disgustingly over my waistband after a very decadent dinner with Bullet Tosser and her boyfriend. They were kind enough to drive down to Quincy, MA, where I'm staying for the night and we checked out a very packed restaurant called The Fat Cat.

It was fun catching up and hearing about their upcoming move back to Philly. And we stuffed ourselves with fries and other unhealthy, tasty dishes. I tried the lobster mac & cheese, which had five or six different cheeses, a ton of garlic, generous amounts of lobster and a tomato slice or two. The dish was ginormous and I couldn't finish the entire thing!

Dinner was so much fun, and I'm sad that I have to go back to SF after a mere 24 hours on the East Coast.

In-flight entertainment

Somehow, I ended up in the fancy part of Virgin America's economy cabin where all the movies, food and drink were free! I only realized what was going on when my neighbor, a lanky teenager who didn't mind sprawling out annoyingly into the seats on either side of him, ordered some food and didn't swipe a credit card.

So, I enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I also took advantage of getting some bottles of iced tea and a chicken wrap. I considered getting some liquor and a bagel and stuffing them into my backpack, but my silly pride got in the way.

In addition to the freebies, I enjoyed our flight attendant, who seemed very focused on making her voice sound as sexy as possible each time she made an announcement.

To grandmother's house we go

I brought the kitties back from their grandparents' home today and, despite their loud protestations, they're adjusting back to life in the city. I met up with Blanca, who's in town from Hawaii, Mattress, Roommates A&J, had a few drinks and returned home to play with the cats. I'm totes boring but I enjoyed my mom's succulent wreath!

Kitty yule logs

The cats and I traveled to my parents' home yesterday and they've spent the past 24 hours creeping about, being inquisitive and exploring their new surroundings. One of their favorite new hangouts seems to be the fireplace. This isn't something I'm happy about.

Kissy kissy

Someone has hung mistletoe all around San Francisco in random spots: street corners, awnings, etc. I've noticed a few bunches in my 'hood and some even in other areas of the city! Cute.

Don't talk to me

For whatever reason, all these random strangers felt compelled to talk to me yesterday. It began at brunch, when an older gentleman with a chihuahua in his purse joined the conversation that Puppy and I were having. Completely uninvited. He told us about his BlackBerry, bing.com, Anna Nicole Smith and dead people. I tried not to engage him, but he just didn't give up.

And on the muni, some seemingly homeless dude started telling me about the time he turned around on a crowded train and knocked an old lady down with his backpack. Fortunately, the train was so crowded that she didn't actually fall down.

I'm not sure what it is, but I guess people just want to chat with me lately.

I didn't eat for three days so I could be lovely

Another show I dove into during my sicky time on the couch is Skins, a gritty UK show about today's youth. My love for teen-centric television is quite well-documented, so it should come as no surprise that I'm enjoying this import immensely!

It's kind of like they took Gossip Girl and stirred it up with the movie Kids. The actors are all pretty great, there's a generous amount of swearing and some (not entirely) gratuitous nudity. Parents and teachers have questionable morals. There's a ton of drinking and a whole lot of drug use and sex everywhere. Clearly, this isn't a show that would work in the puritanical US. It's really clever, smart and doesn't hold any punches.

One of my favorite characters is Cassie, the broken girl with anorexia, who reminds me of a young Billie Piper.

58 years before the fall

One benefit to being sick is catching up on my TV-type shows and other media. Yesterday, after I was nearly caught up on my DVR-draining, I turned to On Demand to see what else was available. Caprica!

I haven't quite finished Battlestar Galactica (one more season to go), but I thought I'd check out the pilot for its prequel. And oh. My. Gods! I really think I love this show already.

It has some of the same philosophical/religious angst of Battlestar, but I love that there's family drama and teenagers! And it was really creepy-cool to see the birth of the cylons. Great stuff!

Also, Esai Morales - nice job on the skin care regime!

Couched

It's been approximately 41 hours since I've been outside and most of that time I've spent lying down. Being sick is no fun.

I hate having to use my precious time off for sick days and it's especially upsetting that I don't feel well enough to do anything productive. Fortunately, I seem to be near the end of this pestilence.

I'm bluffin' with my muffin

You guys, Lady Gaga puts on a pretty amazing show!

Last night I met up with Mattress, Beetle, Roommates A&J, Mahogany Sparkle, Lucy Ricardo and a few others to see Ms. Gaga's second San Francisco show. The venue was pretty intimate - in fact, I was there last week serving lunch to the city's homeless - and it was packed.

There were tons of kids in crazy costumes, some pretty fantastic, but most pretty tragic. Others, who looked like their little girlfriends dragged them to the show, were in pretty boring outfits and many were dressed in-between. As for myself, Mahogany Sparkle described my outfit as "lumber-jill," which seemed kind of appropriate.

As much as I enjoy Lady Gaga's songs, I'm by no means her biggest fan. After last night's show, however, I think I may be a convert. In addition to her crazy costumes and fun choreography, she has a remarkably good voice, as evidenced by her a capella moments that reminded me of Tori Amos (I think it was the piano.).

And by the end of her two-hour set, we were all frantically jumping up and down, screaming the lyrics to "Bad Romance" along with the entire audience - acting crazy and loving every second. Definitely a great performance - one of the best shows I've attended!

Trading in Louboutins for Timberlands

What is it about nature and small towns that connote morals, values and soul?

For whatever reason (okay, Kristin Chenoweth and some men-folk), I scheduled my DVR to record 12 Men of Christmas, a Lifetime Movie Network original, a few weeks ago. And last night, I finally got around to watching (the beginning of) it.

The premise is not new. Kristin plays a tough-as-nails, crazy-ambitious, sophisticated executive of some sort in New York City. New York, as depicted in this movie, represents a lifestyle that affords you an unusually enormous kitchen, a spacious apartment, beautiful shoes and clothing, but a morally ambiguous fiance. It also represents spending Christmas alone on the couch, watching movies from a simpler time while eating a tub of Chinese food with one's dog. Clearly, New York means unhappiness.

Lo and behold! Kristin trades in her fast-paced lifestyle for a new career in a simple Montana town. It's a quaint town which - gasp! - doesn't have a Starbucks, Kinko's or Gap within a 10-mile radius! Kristin struggles to adapt, her six-inch heels sinking into the mud as she makes her way around a local bake sale in support of a search-and-rescue squad that's in dire need of money (although it has an abundance of handsome, well-physiqued men).

I haven't finished the movie, but I assume Kristin comes to appreciate a simpler lifestyle and finds love with the particularly handsome, but irascible gentleman on the search-and-rescue squad. I presume it's the same theme as Meet the Morgans, New in Town and a million other movies that have filled Lifetime's prime time schedule.

I get the appeal of this trope, but I question it's core premise: that you can't have a fulfilling lifestyle if you're a city-dweller. I'm obviously biased, but I do feel like I've made real, human connections in the city and I have a feeling I might go crazy if I were surrounded by the simple dolts these movies portray as native to small-town America.

In any case, it's great to see Anna Chlumsky getting work these days.

Muni workout

On the muni this afternoon, I stood next to a lean fellow in a coral pink thermal shirt that was a bit too long for him, making it appear almost like he had a tunic on over his jeans. In his left ear, he had the most hideous earring. It looked like 100% cubic zirconia and it was about the size of a dime.

He kept flashing constipated faces at all the other passengers, methinks to suggest his gangsta thug life, causing me to take a step or two away from him. And as we pulled out of one station, he grabbed the overhead bar, did three pull-ups, returned to the ground and continued making tough-guy faces.

Holiday shop talk

Last night was Puppy's annual department holiday dinner, again hosted by one of his firm's partners at an historic San Francisco mansion. Contrary to last year, the mood was decidedly more festive and there was no football game on television to distract everyone.

More members of the department were able to make the dinner this year, and I wasn't meeting most of them for the first time, so it wasn't quite as awkward as last year. Plus, there were very delicious little lobster puff appetizers that apparently are sold at Costco!

Dinner, like last year, was very delicious and everyone spent time bagging on absent attorneys, former colleagues and opposing counsel. Mostly, I just tried to remain polite and awake (It's been a busy week!) and appreciative of the selection of desserts.

I opted for a nice fruit tart, but in retrospect, I probably would have enjoyed the traditional Swedish princess cake much more.

Pizza party

The economy! It seems to have taken a mighty tumble! Last night was Law-Mart's annual holiday party and I attended as Puppy's guest, just like last year. But unlike last year's decadent feast, this year the party was downgraded to a nearby eatery that served Italian finger foods (i.e., a variety of pizzas).

Also unlike last year, the wait to get a drink was very short, which was a welcome change, but made me wonder just how many people had lost their jobs in the past 12 months.

No matter, the toned-down party made for a more intimate and casual affair, which is much more to my taste. Plus, they served these fried cheesey risotto balls that were simply divine!

Lunch lady

Yesterday, the departments on my floor got together and volunteered at Project Homeless Connect, serving lunches to the homeless who depend on this service. I'd never volunteered for this event, and I was impressed by its scale. At the venue, the city's homeless could get a meal, shop for groceries, visit with a dentist, go to the DMV, get a massage, set up a bank account, receive foot care and partake in many other services.

Our group was responsible for taking orders and serving meals in the "cafe." I approached several clients, offered them a choice of turkey or vegetarian sandwich (almost no one wanted the vegetarian), a cookie, a bottle of water, and a choice between an orange or banana (banana was the overwhelming favorite). I then collected the food and served the client whose order I took.

We completely outnumbered the sit-down lunchers, so I was placed on take-out duty, where I essentially took orders from the line of clients and handed them a bag with the contents they requested. We were also supposed to monitor for those who tried to get more than their alloted share, but it was tough since the pace was pretty quick and I have a very hard time saying no to people in need.

It was interesting to see the mix of homeless in San Francisco. The stereotypical crazies were definitely represented, but there were also an alarming number of young people who clearly had fallen on hard times. For some, it was their first time at the event and they were visibly embarrassed to be accepting help. Others seemed to make the most of the experience and were quite engaging. One gentleman, for example, danced up to me and demanded "lobster from Maine, Dom Perignon and caviar!" Sadly, I only had a turkey or vegetarian sandwich to offer.

Obviously, these events always help put things in perspective. They remind us of all that we have and how lucky we are in our abundance. And furthermore, it was a great opportunity to spend time with co-workers from other departments in a non-work setting and get to know them a little bit better.

Would you rather...

... wake up in the middle of the night to find Freddy Krueger stalking about your house, all creepy-like and murderous?

OR

... wake up in the middle of the night to find Meg Ryan on your kitchen floor, munching fancy feast out of your cat's bowl?

Both present pretty upsetting scenarios, no?

Thai team bonding

One of our teammates is in town from the other side of the country, so we planned a department "strategy" offsite for today. Essentially, we went to the Sunset this morning, shopped for Asiany foods at the grocery store and went to a Thai lady's home to learn to cook some dishes.

We started out by making summer rolls, which was probably the most difficult dish we attempted. The rolls themselves aren't terribly hard to make, but getting the rice paper sheets the right consistency so that they roll up without breaking was pretty tough! In the end, it didn't matter that much because it all tasted good.

Next up was pad thai, which was pretty easy, probably because all the ingredients were measured out for us on our little golden dishes. Each of us had an individual cooking station so we could compare notes and make sure we were all doing things properly. I also learned that if a restaurant's pad thai is too red, it probably means they're using ketchup. Who knew?

Finally, we made some eggplant and shrimp in green curry, which was probably the easiest and best dish. Somehow, I think I'll have a hard time recreating it at home without our instructor's special homemade curry paste.

I don't know what "strategy" we accomplished, but it was fun spending time with each other and I am so incredibly stuffed that I feel like I might die.

I felt like eating ham and drinking water

Wow. Just, wow. I caught up on last week's premiere of Jersey Shore on MTV yesterday and I am embarrassed, appalled and engrossed!

It's like a low-brow version of The Real World (let's just stop to think about that for a second, shall we?) where everyone is over-tanned, over-muscled and under-brained. There's no "social experiment" here, no attempt to hide the hedonism and alcoholism. It's just pure voyeurism into a world that breeds, well, The Real Housewives of New Jersey!

Of course, I shall watch every episode.

Things just stay the same

After my work event, I met up with some old friends at the DC swim team happy hour, hosted at the 18th and U Duplex Diner. When I walked in, it was like walking into a time warp.

More than seven years ago, when I left DC, this place was super busy, thanks to a new owner, a strong bar menu, comfort food and an attractive bartender or two. It was crazy packed, just like I remembered it and I fought my way to the bar to order myself a drink as I waited.

Much to my surprise, the bartender was one of the same bartenders who worked there when I left DC, and I think he was wearing a shirt that he owned back then as well. The swimmers and the runners (it was a co-hosted happy hour) didn't seem to mingle and the conversations I heard were all about the same topics that I avoided back in the day. Generally speaking, they were all talking about each other, team gossip and complaining about leadership.

It was strange at first, but then I embraced the situation and I found it strangely comforting to be back in a familiar space, running into some people I knew and slipping back into my friends' conversations at dinner nearby.

Hands off the back button

In my cab ride to Policy Wonkette's house this evening, I was blessed with a cab driver who not only didn't know the way, but also played the same, terrible song five times in a row! I wish I had shazamed it so I could let the Internets know what song it was, but trust me when I say it was horrible and it had a lot of "sha la la la la" in it.

Baby barfy

After freshening up this afternoon, I made my way to Policy Wonkette's house and had a lovely early dinner with her and her new baby. According to plan, I'll be seeing three more babies over the course of my DC weekend, which means I will have to get used to the squirming and the wiggling.

This baby, while cute and generally very tame, is apparently afflicted with acid reflux and was doing his best Niagra Falls impression for about an hour after I arrived. Just when we thought everything was cool, I took a turn holding him and received quite the spit-up present in my lap! Hopefully, the rest of the babies I visit during this trip (and the rest of my life) won't be as generous with their fluids.

Aside from the waterworks, I had a great time catching up with Policy Wonkette and her husband, whose house made me very jealous of real estate outside of San Francisco. And driving to their home, I saw just how much 14th Street has changed since I lived here seven years ago. Neighborhoods are all gentrified!

Mr. Panda!!!! goes to Washington

I just arrived in Washington, DC, where I'm scheduled to meet with supposed experts on "green buildings." It's been three or four years since I've been here, and I'm really excited to be back, since I lived here during some very formative years in my young adulthood.

Driving through the Mall from the airport, I was reminded of how beautiful this city is, with its monuments and lack of skyscrapers. And there were so many people out and about, probably because it's December and it's in the mid-60s!

I've packed my stay with work-related meetings and chances to catch up with my friends, so it's going to be a busy few days!

O holy nigh...zzzzzzzzzzz...

Since it's December, I suppose 'tis the season. I also kind of like Christmas carols since they get me all excited for Christmas and make me think of fun times as a kid. But come on! I really don't think Christmas music is the right music to play at a gym. I'm not so inspired to work out to "pa rum pa pum pum..."