putting the knit in shizknitz

I went to the LA Dodgers vs. Anaheim Angels game yesterday. I had gone to a Dodgers game once, when I was in college, squished on the back of an old Honda Hatchback Civic with 6 others intoxicated by gas fumes. We had seats so high the air was thin and the only thing I remember were the Dodger dogs. This time, we had awesome seats as we went with my dad’s friends who were regulars at the scene. He knew every shortcut to get there, best place to park and of course, to know when to move out of direct sunlight. There’s something special about being there - baseball typically bores me on TV. I don’t understand the hype my uncles in Japan would place on baseball as it just wasn’t as exciting as football or hockey, even. But when you’re there smelling the freshly cooked hotdogs and seeing the huge stadium and its perfectly crisscrossed lawn, it puts a whole new dimension to the game.

Kazuhisa Ishii pitched for the Dodgers, so you know, had to cheer the brutha’ on!

What a treat - a day away from the office for an all day retreat. We went to this beautiful location on the coast of Malibu, where surfers hung out all day and once the June Gloom cleared up, it was amazing. The smell of the salty ocean air plus the loud crashing of the ocean waves made it all seem more like a vacation than a day of bittersweet reflection.

All I have to say is, Garlic Fries. Damon & Pythias has some great things on their menu, but their garlic fries are a delight to those who love garlic, and crispy crunchy french fries. Yum.

I wanted to note that the book I received from my big boss is a compilation of heart warming short stories from immigrant perspectives to the US, called “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri, and was a Pulitzer Prize winner in Fiction. Being an immigrant from Cuba after seeing his best friend killed, my big boss worked his way up the ranks, as a returning older student in the Community College system in New York. I think he relates so well to many types of people because he’s actually seen, tasted, experienced the world, and knowing this has made the book that much more special.

My favorite books are of the immigrant experience (fiction or non), perhaps because I can relate to them so well in many different ways (even if it is about a different culture). Another book I’ve recently read is called “Funny in Farsi” a memoir by a woman named Firoozeh who came to the US from Iran at the age of 7 during the 70’s. Lots of humor used, and personal stories involving her immediate family made it difficult to put this book down.

Let me now throw the question out to you - are there any books you would recommend that is related to an immigrant experience?

RBJ Site

I’ve been working on my Charlotte’s Web - I’ve restarted a dozen times now, because something’s gone wrong for some reason or another. It is an “easy” shawl relatively, but I’m now a tad burned out and needed a much simpler project to start, finish and wear to keep my spirits up. Above you see my new order from Morehouse for a simple shawl, Verona in Aster color. It is a knit kit, so it comes with the yarn and pattern which is a simple stockinette. My last Morehouse Merino wool is now a “vest”, also known as a sweater with no arms. Neither my bf or I are in a hurry for me to finish it.

Famous last words. The last time I heard that, we were in for an evening of cheap booze, pizza & chips, and chaos which led late into the night. However, as time always seems to pass by faster than my mental age, I was stunned to be escorted into an evening of candlelit festivities orchestrated by chef Matt who had carefully planned each and every homemade crub last night. You see him here below with David and another equally sleep-deprived friend in the art of making meatballs. I unfortunately didn’t get a photo of the bruschetta which was really good too, but I was too busy eating.

On the menu? Bruschetta, tomato & mozarella salad, spaghetti and meatballs and last but not least, “cheesecake” (please pronounce that in the same way Homer says “burger”).

Yum. Oh, and I met some neat people as well. They enjoyed the free dinner as much as I enjoyed eating it. Below are Matt’s friends, all of which relations began in some connection to the internet, or pre-internet days of muds and bbs (from left, skinny funny guy, Jin, Tobin, Matt and attack cat sleeping peacefully on the empty chair). Now please excuse me as I have to run an extra lap to work off all of these calories.

Here’s some humor to offset my grumpiness from yesterday

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JIM AND EDNA

“Just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to, doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.”

Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.

Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out. When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna’s heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, “Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you’re being discharged; since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of another patient, I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness.

The bad news is, Jim, the patient you saved, hung himself right after you saved him with his bathrobe belt in the bathroom. I am so sorry, but he’s dead.”

Edna replied “He didn’t hang himself; I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?”

I’m grumpy today.

So far everything’s been good - good medium non-fat latte, strawberries were sweet, my staff in on time - but I’m a grump.

Maybe because I had to ditch my stalking neighbor who wants to hook me up with her homestay guy from Japan.

Maybe because I was late getting into work.

Maybe because my SPAM has increased to include German porn (it used to be just Korean porn).

Maybe because I just want to be.

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astrologyzone.com
Those of you who are not at the commitment stage but rather in an earlier dating phase may begin to lose patience with a partner’s inability to move the relationship forward. Give this alliance a change - you should be pleased with developments after June 29.

On my drive into work yesterday, I contemplated making a post about how Birthdays just don’t seem to be as much fun past 21…. good thing I didn’t.

I walked into my cubicle, and it was decorated with these streamers and a big sign that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIZ” which was covering my monitor. Turns out my coworker came in at 7:30 to give me a cute welcome. My boss brings me yellow roses, another co worker gave me the cutest paper pads - of matching purse and shoes, and the big boss brings me this beautiful paperback and tells me that they are of short stories that “echo in his heart”. He then proceeds to tell me that his computer is having problems and to follow him back to his office - at which point takes me into the lounge and - SURPRISE!!!!!

They had a gorgeous cake from J&J Bakery, pizza for everyone and oh, too much fun. They remembered. In the afternoon came my gorgeous bouquet from Tienshiao via Proflowers and Birthday wishes all day.

Went to Pacos for dinner, of course - but I think the best moment of my Birthday (I’m going to embarass the poor guy here) was when I saw him walk in and came up to where I was sitting and kissed me. There was something so magical about that one simple motion which simply took my breath away.

Everything else that evening was just gravy - I got a new cel phone, tickets to go see Harry Connick Jr, and a trip to Vegas to see “O” (which we missed last time we were there).

It never seemed to end! Another colleague came to bring me the most gorgeous cheesecake with fresh fruit and a beautiful necklace as well as someone else with Bath & Body stuff - my staff got me a gift certificate to buy more clothes and sweet Gracie gave me precious stones which will bring me countless hours of creative fun.

This morning I saw a brand new Honda Accord with a license plate frame that said the following:

TOP: My New Car
BOTTOM: Daddy’s Payments

The license plate should have read “IMDUMB”

I never understood why anyone would want to brag that their parents are paying for their car. Whatever happened to being independent?

Computer parts, books, jewelry, flowers, clothes, yarn. One thing they all have in common is the excitement factor when seeing it for the first time. You want to touch, feel, open, read. In my case this weekend, I got started. I frantically got to row 35, and now, I think that I have dropped a stitch somewhere back in row 33….If only there was an “undo” button in knitting like there is in MS Word….

identity? I had a first happen today….

I went to a meeting with a senior manager and met the project manager on her team. I had email communication with him before and has helped me time and time again but we had never met in person. I arrived a few minutes early at the coffee shop when they entered together. The PM kept looking at me until they reached where I was sitting, where the manager introduced us…..

Manager: PM, this is Shiz from XXXX Dept.
PM: (looking puzzled) What’s your name again?
Manager: This is Shiz….
PM: Have we met before?
Me: No, actually (big smile), but you’ve helped me over email many times. I really appreciate all that you….
PM: (still puzzled) We’ve met before, I know we have..
Me: No, I know we haven’t met before…
PM: and the last time I met you, you were a guy.
Me: No, (a bit shocked) we’ve never met before, and I’ve never been a guy before either.
Manager: No, Shiz is definitely not a guy.
PM: (still unsure) ….hrmm….
Manager walks away to get coffee
Me: (trying to be helpful) … I’ve never met any male Shiz’s before…

This was a first for me - either he’s 1) totally confused, or 2) I really looked like a guy before.

This was a photo taken at work, circa October of 2002, 2.5 months before I started on Weight Watchers. I’ve lost about 45 pounds since then, and have about 10 or so more to go. I still don’t quite believe it myself, but I have a pair of my old Gap loose fit size 14 pants and this photo magnetized on my fridge to remind me of the days long past.

I think many bloggers and internet users in general start to get comfortable with the anonymity this medium brings. I’ve seen a few instances where this gets out of hand and goes from obscurity to front page news overnight. And chances are, someone’s got a copy somewhere.

Here’s a case of an intern in Washington DC and her very personal blog. Just skip down to May 11th, that’s my favorite so far.

at first sight with Sharlyn’s Koigu Charlotte’s Web. I did some quick searching around and found one of the easiest online stores to maneuver, Knitting Zone.

Not only do they have great photographs of their items, but they seem to have a great selection. The best part was the shopping cart and purchasing which can so easily be designed poorly. It was a complete 4 steps, made entering your shipping and billing a breeze and at the end gave you a complete confirmation and close out very simply. At the end when you go back to the site, it welcomes you back and has your order history on the right side of the bar. I know this sounds so mundane, but even with all of the online shopping I do, I was pleasantly surprised.

What did I order? Of course, the Charlotte’s web pattern, 5 skeins of Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino in P814, and my favorite Crystal Palace Bamboo Needles in a size 3. Can’t wait!