Wildest Dreams

Wrong, so wrong...

2008-06-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

GET MORE AT ManBabies.com!

Like a Hobbit House

2008-04-25T15:47:00.001-07:00

Oh, what a lovely little home.

Missing the '80s?

2008-04-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Mix your own tape.

Jessica the Hippo

2008-03-17T08:57:00.002-07:00

Weekends with the Kids

2008-03-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful children on the weekends.

Death Proof

2008-03-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

It was so rockin' to see that Death Proof by QT is actually a chick flick! Gotta love those women with strong legs.

Mr. Sartorialist...Coming to Reno?

2008-02-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

I would love to be caught by this guy's camera...on a good clothes and hair day. It's not likely he will be coming to Reno anytime soon.

Oh, wow...

2008-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Crashing at IKEA

2008-01-18T11:09:00.001-08:00

Mark Malkoff (of 171 Starbucks fame) decides to live for a week in IKEA. That's a good way to learn to speak Swedish.

Mark Lives in IKEA

Evil Eye Baby

2007-12-31T10:37:00.001-08:00

Baby Gives The Evil Eye - Watch more free videos

I am dying!

Snowball Fight!

2007-12-20T09:29:00.001-08:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Accidental Housesitters

2007-12-04T16:45:00.001-08:00

I love this blog and they are housesitting in the exact area I want to live. Lucky duckies!

Lately I have been so antsy and want to do nothing but sell all my stuff and live out of a teardrop or airstream. Housesitting in beautiful BC would be a nice change from camping.

More teardrop fun

2007-11-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am planning on going to a rally at Lake Shasta next year. No telling what I may see.

Shipping Containers Rock

2007-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have always looked at shipping containers as funky cool objects to build a home out of, even when I was a kid I would pretend they were my house. Someone took my idea. This is slick.

If Stars Were Ordinary

2007-10-02T16:08:00.001-07:00

Planet Hiltron

More Like "The Time Machine" Every Day...

2007-09-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

There was a very interesting interview with journalist Matthew O'Brien on KUNR about the underground flood tunnels of Las Vegas and the subculture inside them. I had no idea that hundreds of people live in these tunnels and periodically are washed away and killed during the Las Vegas floods. The author has found small communities, a land of art, old cars, furniture and even psycho killers. Beyond the lights and glitz lies darkness and gore.

Logo for my Rascal

2007-09-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am in Retro/Americana mode, so I designed a logo for my teardrop.

Me at Home in Black Rock City

2007-09-06T16:10:00.001-07:00

Heath's Hair

2007-08-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

More teardrop lovely

2007-08-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Golden Compass

2007-08-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am reading the trilogy for the second time. I have not thought about the His Dark Marterials books for years, but I'm so glad to see the Golden Compass being made into a movie. I don't like that they are calling it the next Lord of the Rings though. It's totally different.

Beautiful website!

Number Four

2007-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I completed my fourth triathlon, the Pyramid Lake Tri. I did pretty good in the swim (56 out of 151) but not so great in the bike and run, coming in the last 15 or so. This might be my last full triathlon. My metabolism is not doing so well and neither are my knees. If I do another one it will be a relay, with me doing the swim and two other people doing the other two legs. I noticed from my pictures too, that I have really gained weight. I feel great, but I'm not looking great. I can't understand it. I work out a lot...hmmmm, but that makes me hungry, too..

My Little Rascal

2007-07-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I broke down and bought one. I got a Little Guy Rascal which is as cute as a bug. Two people can sleep in it and it has a work surface area in the back. Perfect for our trips to Oregon and the 2007 Burning Man.

Crying for a Teardrop

2007-07-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am hooked (no pun intended) on the little teardrop trailers. I am looking for a retro, pre-owned teardrop if anyone is interested in giving me one. Hmmm, or I could build one...
Desert Teardrop

I'm as Mad as Hell...

2007-06-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

America's healthcare slogan: "Don't Get Sick."

I really hope that Michael Moore's new movie, "Sicko", will arm the American people to do something about the state of health care in this country. Don't get sick, get mad.

In U.S. News and World Report, Moore mentions Congressman John Conyers' HR 676 bill in Congress: affordable health care for all. It seems to be the only concrete plan we have going for us now. Support it.

My favorite name ever

2007-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo

Isn't it amazing that I can remember the name of the main character in this children's book after 20 years?

Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

2007-06-19T12:50:00.001-07:00

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life span.

Bodies for Oil

2007-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Let's see, it might take about one republican and half a skinhead to run my little Neon. Not a bad idea!

Let's Make Oil

Ouch, ouch, ouch, tee-hee!

2007-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Back from Italy

2007-06-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'm back from beautiful Italy. Rome was crazy, crowded and unfriendly, but a lot to see. Florence is on the list as one of my favorite cities. I saw Anthony Bordaine of No Reservations filming in Pisa and the Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Here is just a taste of little Vernazza.

I will find you...

2007-05-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

...no matter what occurs. Just a nod to one of the most romantic movies of all time since I heard the music on Realms of Spirit.

Cleaning Jag

2007-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

These ladies are my new heroes. I am horrified by the state of some homes in this world. How can we clean up our air, water and the earth when so many people can't even clean their own toilets. Bravo to Kim and Aggie.

How Clean is Your House?

Excellent!

2007-04-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is what you go to the movies for.

Automan!

2007-04-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten all about this show! Thanks Andres for reminding me. The awesome car was so far ahead of anything else on TV during that time. Cheesarific!

Deathly Hallows Cover

2007-03-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

The new Deathly Hallows cover has now been revealed. I am on pins and needles about the book. Please don't let anyone spill the beans before I have read it please!

Ahhh...the Atmosphere!

2007-03-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for this for years! One of the funniest commercials ever.

Library Card Generator

2007-03-06T13:05:00.001-08:00

For those who miss the dog-eared library card catalogs we used in high school. Generate your own.

What the Frak!

2007-03-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

She had better be out looking for Earth or no more BSG for me!

Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot, piiiieeeee!

2007-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for this episode of "Just Shoot Me" for ages. David Cross made me pee my pants.

Sunday morning in winter

2007-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

Doesn't get any better than this...

Life's Little Frustrations

2007-02-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

I think I am going to open another blog about hard to open packaging. I wonder how much of my life's time and energy is spent wrestling with badly packaged items? I'm curious to find out. In the meantime, This is Broken is a fun site to complain about all those little things that annoy the hell out of us.

Here it is: Bad Packaging

Being the best...at God, Inc!

2007-02-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

I am dying of laughter from this show. The new cult of YouTube.

Check out the rest at francisstokesdotcom

Things Look Bleak

2007-01-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

This poster for a graphic design awards show reveals a lot about what is happening to the world. According to the the Mayan Calendar, their world, and ultimately ours is scheduled to end (or at least be affected by a cataclysmic event) on December 21, 2012 at 11:11 a.m. The Doomsday Clock has moved another two minutes to midnight and we are all closer to an earthly disaster. For all of us, things look bleak.

I have noticed a desperation lately that I have not felt in a long time. People working and working and pushing and pushing as fast as possible until there is nothing left. No energy, no life. I have been a victim of the same thing...and I am refusing to let it hurt me. I still hear birds and music, I still smell lemons and rosemary. I will live life to the fullest, to the end.

iPhone

2007-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

What we've all been waiting since Dick Tracy. Call merge? Cool!

Cough..hack!

2007-01-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

The Viral Learning Center

Dig the pink polo, dude.

Apartment Therapy

2006-12-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

Apartment Therapy is a great site for ideas on how to work with, decorate and design small spaces. No clutter allowed here.

9/10ths of the Problem...

2006-12-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

"Possession isn't nine-tenths of the law, it's nine-tenths of the problem." -- John Lennon

The bane of my existence these day seems to be an overabundance of stuff. Things, possessions, crap, doodads, whatever. Every day I seem to be hauling stuff out to my car for the thrift store. I then again bring stuff that has been given to me, or that I have won as white elephant gifts, back into the house. My car's trunk is always full of items coming or going and EBay has become my third career.

Why should everyday objects take up an entire Saturday? I spend hours cleaning up and reorganizing stuff that has multiplied or moved out of their respective places. Why should I be so bothered by it? I can't relax, do work or cook or eat until my surrounding area is clean and clutter-free.

Our nation is the land of cheap and plentiful, and I think that this has hindered us more than helped us as a society. Some homes are so cluttered with useless junk, that I am horrified and have to grab my camera. But looking at the pictures stresses me out.

Frozen iPod

2006-12-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

Thank you to MtDewVirus for this...what to do if your iPod Nano freezes up when turned on.
Frozen iPod

Celebrating a-ha

2006-12-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

Two great videos from the masters of Norway...just to show that they are still going strong. Come to the U.S. guys!

More Mount Rose pics

2006-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

Mad World

2006-12-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

This song is the ultimate ear worm. The commercial is the best.

OJ Dumped!

2006-11-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

There is a God! OJ's so-called memoir is canned. What a putz!

OJ Book and Show Cancelled

Drink up me 'earties! Yo ho!

2006-11-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

What Type Of Swashbuckler Are You?
brought to you by Maddog Varuka & Dawg Brown

Ahoy from Deadeye Mary!

Not good

2006-11-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

Bordt?

2006-11-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to seeing Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. It looks irreverent and hysterical. But comrades, be careful when using the Cyrillic alphabet as a graphic element. It is a real alphabet and the "A" is actually the Cyrillic "D". Bordt?

Fun Around the Area

2006-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Harry on the Mount Rose summit. We made it!

Us ladies shopping (and eating) at IKEA.

Another reason to visit Japan. Kikkoman!!

2006-10-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

We want you...for the Cylon Resistance.

2006-10-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

BSG starts tomorrow night. Life can begin again. Pant, pant, BSG, BSG, BSG...

Pan's Labyrinth

2006-10-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

We need more fantasy/horror movies. I really enjoyed the Devil's Backbone and I'm looking forward to Guillermo Del Toro's newest movie, Pan's Labyrinth. It seems to have shades of Legend in it, but hopefully no long-haired Tom Cruise.

Babaganoosh!

2006-09-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our newest obsession is MXC on Spike TV. It's been on a while, but what a great way to wind down after a long work day. There is something hysterical about small, non-litigious Japanese people falling down and hitting their heads. Kenny Blankenship and Vic Romano have the best jobs in the world. "Right you are Kenny!"

Save Pluto!

2006-08-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

A group of astronomers in Prague want to downgrade the little brother of our solar system from a planet to a "pluton". He even has his own moon, Charon, which you can't say for the sun-hog, Mercury! Granted, the little dark guy will be in his own category, but I feel sorry for him.

Imagine, being the last in orbit of a beautiful and diversified system. Your sun is only the size of a large star. Your days, as well as your nights are cold and your surface is rock and ice. Now you are downgraded and sent further out into the universal depths.

Pluto was always one of my favorite planets. A farthest reach for an elementary school child hell bent on heading out into space by age 22. This dark little giant will always be a planet in my mind and you will have a hard time convincing me otherwise.

Pluto Downgraded to Pluton?

Save the Chickens!

2006-07-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Save the birds at the Eastern Shore Sanctuary by making a pledge to ultra-blogger, Heather.

Blogging for Birds 2006

One. Word. Titles.

2006-07-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

I think general audience movie makers are getting lazy. We recently went to see the new (and fun) Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest. All the previews featured movies with one word titles: Fearless, Invincible, Transformers, Accepted, Descent.

Is it more of an attention getter to have one word titles or are we so strapped for time that we only have the memory capacity to remember one word? Of course, we movie watchers have always had experiences with excellent one word titles: Jaws, Casablanca, Fargo, Titanic. But these words evoke a sense of excellence and have staying power. Maybe it's time we think of some new words.

Hanging Out in the Bay

2006-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics of a fun trip to San Francisco and Muir Woods with Harry and the gang. I feel myself desiring more and more of these little trips.

San Francisco Trip

Shakin'

2006-06-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Check out these brave souls shakin' it for the world to Shakira's new song, "Hips Don't Lie". I have to practice at home with the shades drawn.

Shakin' Those Hips

Yay Taylor!

2006-05-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Do I know how to pick 'em or what?

Lovin' Taylor

2006-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

I usually don't watch American Idol, but something about grey-haired, soulful Taylor Hicks had me hooked. I was so happy to see that he already has a CD out called Under the Radar. I'm hoping that this season will escape from the norm and American votes for an older, more established singer with a cute smile.

Seduced by fleece

2006-02-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

We have a Patagonia outlet in town, and every few months they have a 50% sale on everything in the store. Normally outdoor-loving, granola-crunching, soy-milk drinking everyday people turn into Gore-Tex stealing crazies. Hundreds of people show up for the sale and leave with armfuls of ski gear, Caplilene long underwear and lovely, lovely fleece.

That's my downfall, a pile of 50% off fleece that I can bury myself in will cause me to whip out my credit card and purchase $300 worth of the recycled plastic bottles. If I were an article of clothing, it would be a fleece jacket. The one that you pull on after being in the snow all day, or after swimming in a mountain lake, as the sun goes down.

Go Heather!

2006-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Heather Stars is biking across the U.S. Wish her luck!

Heather's Biking Trip

Mortified

2005-12-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

How would you like to read out loud your most intimate teenage-angst feelings. Remember the love notes to Rob Lowe or the kissing log? All public knowledge:

"Wacky fun"

2005-11-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching the DVD series of Firefly. One of the best, most underrated shows ever to be on TV. Ranks up there with Battlestar Gallactica, Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure. Long live the Serenity and her crew.

Techno joy

2005-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Like ambient music and techno-nature songs? Check out radio ioambient on iTunes. cool and collective.

www.radioioambient.com

Ping-Pong Highway

2005-09-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Driving in our city is becoming more and more dangerous. Thanks to the influx of Californians with horrendous driving skills ... WATCH OUT! There was ANOTHER one!

Anyways, I've decided to start keeping a list of some of the most dangerous items that are starting to litter the freeways in Reno. It seems that every day I have to dodge the effluvia that litters our roads. A few months back, a truck carrying round, cardboard tubes the size of an SUV broke a strap and the tubes began rolling toward a mass of rush hour traffic I was in. One bounced over the hood and roof of my car and wedged itself under the behemoth driving behind me. It's about time someone take stock of this. Here goes:

September 21, 2005 4:45 p.m.
Item: Several rolled up carpets flew off the top of a truck that looked like it had robbed Carpeteria.
Result: I swerve left, I swerve right, cuss the guy off and begin my list.

September 26, 2005 5:30 p.m.
Item: Sharp,jagged piece of scrap metal.
Result: I ran right over it. Flat tire a week later.

September 29, 2005 6:30 p.m.
Item: Dead motorcyclist; hit a truck.
Result: We sit in traffic for fifteen minutes before using my secret shortcut to bypass another 45 minutes to an hour of more traffic.

This post is depressing me...time to move on.

Katrina: Grounds for Impeachment?

2005-09-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Each decision made by this administration has lead to the horrific events on the Gulf Coast. Lack of funding and leadership for FEMA, lack of communication between the state and federal governments and lack of foresight by half the country who voted for the man, has displaced 400,000 people from their homes and carved a huge chunk out of the heart of the U.S. If we can impeach a president for fooling around with an intern, we can toss a heartless, brainless puppet out of the same office.

The Backstroke of the West

2005-08-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago in a country far, far away the Chinese were busy translating a Chinese version of Revenge of the Sith into English. Wrong, wrong do it they, but laugh we all.

The Backstroke of the West

A day for me

2005-08-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

I decided to make this day mine. I slept in, went kayaking at Caples Lake in California, hunted down some new campgrounds, shot some pictures, ate a turkey and swiss on rye in Genoa and am now ready to take a nap. My day. All mine.

Hi Heath! Good luck!

A special place in my heart for dorks

2005-08-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Dungeons & Dragons player, the A/V geek, the scifi nerd, the gamer ... all men who have a special place in my heart. It would be a sad, lonely world without the members of the Tolkien Society, the library aides, the bookworms, the teenage boys with the detailed sketches of halberds and samurai swords in their notebooks. Bill Gates, Farmer Ted, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Napolean Dynamite ... you would all have my vote, but you already rule the world. May the gods of Valhalla keep you safe.

Ga-ga over the Glidehouse

2005-06-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Photo: LiveModern

I have long been a fan of IKEA (I shopped there as a kid in Denmark before it became popular in the U.S.) Eames and modernist style. I try to mix it with my other love of natural design. Reading more about Michelle Kaufmann's Glidehouse, has married my two loves together. It's nice to see a modern design with green details and a view toward sustainability.

The Glidehouse

Gulp! Adobe is the big fish now

2005-06-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

With Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia, the way I do my job will be changing in the next few years. I'm excited. I used to be a diehard Freehand user until Illustrator got its claws into me. With the merging of the two companies I am hoping for a hybrid of the two. Of course, Photoshop will continue to be king, but I will miss Dreamweaver if Adobe decides to axe it. Flash will become the golden boy and I'm sure Adobe will be using the animation and delivery tool for more than just making little movies, it's just that Macromedia has already done all the work.

Should I buy Adobe stock now?

Put in...Take out...Fall in love

2005-05-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

I'm bobbing in the middle of a desert lake and the wind is dashing gray spray into my face in anticipation of another spring storm looming over the Tahoe Range, still topped with snow. In just an hour I've paddled through a small forest of trees growing out of the mud of the lake, been rocked by the large, slick bodies of carp in their rush to escape me, been serenaded by a flock of geese and buzzed by black and white coot.

Ever since getting my new lake kayak (which I fondly call the Missile Pop for it's orange color) I've been up close with a part of nature that I had no idea existed. There is something very freeing yet unnerving about being a foot underwater surrounded by a plastic hull and powered only by my own arm strength.

I've tried river kayaking, but didn't like getting flipped into an icy wash and having my head (cum helmet) banged against the rocks on the bottom. No, I'll be content floating gently with the catfish and racing the mallards across the water.

Beware! Dropping IQs

2005-05-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or are people getting more and more dumb? I have not had so many blank stares or "I don't know" answers as I have had these past few months. Is it fallout from our stupid government? Is it in the polluted water and air? Is it from the years of cable TV and video games? (Please don't answer "I don't know".)

Shopping in a random retail store is hopeless. It's rare to find an intelligent, helpful staff member to help you find whatever you are looking for. A 10-minute trip turns into 45 minutes. It's even more rare to find a person who can think critically in a situation they are not comfortable in.

I guess I shouldn't assume that these people I'm having contact with are actually dumb. They could be tired or confused or dazzled by the brightness of Jessica Simpson, but I can't seem to explain why I have to constantly explain myself. I will have to assume though, that whatever I talk about, that person will have no idea what I'm talking about.

IQ Test

What do you want me to be...?

2005-04-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Where do obsessions come from? Why does some person or issue or food or whatever take complete control of your life for a brief amount of time? Before the Internet, what did people do to appease the obsession monster? Now, with the world at our keyboards, obsessions can be read about, pictures can be viewed, music heard. Whether it be porn or gardening, obsessions can be relieved in a short amount of time. But, with the Internet, there are even more obsessions to be obsessed over.

What's your obsession?

...we're not the fortunate ones, but girls just wanna have fun.

2005-04-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my husband and I took off work and flew down to L.A. for some fun in the sun. Actually we stood in line most of the time at Six Flags, Magic Mountain. My husband has a dangerous itch for riding extreme roller coasters and I thought I would tag along.

I used to be an extreme chick myself, but I realized on this trip that I'm getting old (at 31!). Most of the rides were not fun and they hurt! I got off each ride nursing a splitting headache and sore muscles. All I could think of was getting an ice cream cone.

The mother of them all was called the X (for extreme of course). Even though I'm not religious, I said my prayers and closed my eyes nearly the whole time. When I did open them, I saw either sky or ground. Who knows what happened?

The "X"

Save the EV1!

2005-03-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

NPR ran a story last night about an organization to save the endangered EV1, an electric car made by GM who now is destroying the entire line. It seems no one wants to buy them because of the lack of manufactured parts. Move over fuel-efficient vehicle with no dependence on foreign oil ... the Hummer cometh. Bastards!

Save the EV1

Funtime blogger

2005-03-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite bloggers is Andrea Harner of NYC. Funtime gal and all around interesting person.

Andrea Harner Photo Blog

Don't forget the cover sheets on your TPS reports

2005-03-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

I'm in a tired-of-full-time-work, sick-of-stupid-drivers-causing-traffic-jams, nice weather-outside-stuck-inside bad mood. This makes me feel better:

Office Space quotes

Eating Colors

2005-03-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm a big believer that good nutrition will keep away most modern ailments. I grew up in a European family that really enjoyed good, beautiful food and made time to sit down and eat it. Most of them live very well into their '90's with very little disease.

With the fad diets going by the wayside (au revoir Atkins!) I think people need a common-sense based way of eating. I like to make sure my daily meals contain all the colors of the rainbow. No, I don't mean Skittles.

Red: apples, beets, cranberry juice, some red meat
Orange/Yellow: citrus, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, some fats
Green: greens, kale, swiss chard,
Blue/Purple: blueberries, eggplant
White: soy, milk, beans, chicken, fish
Black: licorice
Brown: whole grains, chocolate (yes!)

5 A Day

HOA? No way!

2005-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

The other weekend while walking my dog I had to clip her leash on to cross a busy road. I never have to do this. She runs free, I try to keep up. Simple as that. But this time when I hooked on her leash I had a vision in my head of what it must be like to live in a suburban shake n' bake neighborhood under the power of a Home Owners Association instead of where I live, a rural valley surrounded by natural parkland (and a few scattered rednecks with shotguns).

Most certainly my freedom-loving pooch would have to have a leash on before we left the driveway, our house would have to be painted beige or a variation of beige, our grass cut to an exact 1/2 inch, our cars unseen in the garage, no laundry enjoying a fresh breeze and worst of all, no garden gnomes. As I thought of this I had a slight panic attack and envisioned a Wrinkle in Time scenario with rows of duplicate houses and rows of children bouncing balls in unison.

Why would people live in a place that is as confining and rule-abiding as their work? Home is comfort and escape, not a place to worry about whether your neighbors have the regulated number of flower boxes in their windows.

The panic attack began to ease up a bit when I took a look at my own neighorhood: junk cars and trucks in people's yards, piles of wood waiting to be chopped, rusty swingsets, slobbering German Shepherds and homes in hues of blueberry, mandarin, pine and lemon. I unclipped my baby from her leash and watched as she ran free into the hills. Far away from the HOA.

HOA Horror Stories

Starbuck's a girl!

2005-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

When the original Battlestar Galactica was on TV, I was about 8 or 9 years old and in love with the brash pilot, Starbuck. Now he's a girl!

The new BG on the SciFi Channel is smart, fun, sexy and really engaging. The original characters are back in new form and my favorite pilot is a vicious, blond fighter. I love it!

BG has now joined the ranks of The Amazing Race and Lost as some of my favorite shows.

SciFi's Battlestar Gallactica

Nubile New Age

2005-01-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of New Age music. I love Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre, Oxygene, Radioio Ambient streaming music and the lovely Enya. Anything nature/space oriented married with electronica gets my groove on. I'm thrilled to find a new artist from Finland whose tunes I found on Ampcast.

Karoliina Salminen

Snow!

2005-01-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Reno is being slammed with snowstorm after snowstorm. It's been years since we have had this kind of weather and the city is in a panic. It never used to be this way. We used to take it all in stride. I think it must be the influx of new southern Californians. They freak out when the weather turns...yet they drive even faster. Hmmmm...

Holiday Spice my a**

2004-12-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

I try not to drink soda, especially the brown ones. My favorite drinks are water and green tea (I want to live a while). So I thought I would try the new Pepsi Holiday Spice for fun. Crap...a wasted can. It's tastes just like regular Pepsi, but it's red. How dumb! Another reason not to drink soda...it's dumb.

Live larger, drive smaller

2004-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

I heard about a company called Hyperion that was paying its employees $5,000 if they bought a hybrid car. We need more corporations to think differently and keep the future of not only their bottom line in sight, but the life of our planet. Bravo Hyperion! I wonder if their job announcement board stats shot up this week?

Small Car Incentive

Right now I drive a little Neon, but I love the Toyota Prius. I just wish I didn't have to get on a waiting list for the thing and that it was cheaper than $20,000. For a poor graphic designer, used and Hyundai might be the way to go.

Washoe Valley Fog

2004-11-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

A foggy morning in the mountains near my home. Who says the desert is boring?

(photo by Harry Thomas)

Your home on Central Park West

2004-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wouldn't mind living in Central Park.

(photo by Harry Thomas)

Miniaturize!

2004-11-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

I have finally broken down and gotten a cell phone. I know, join the 21st century. But I have been avoiding it for the very reason I make fun of people who yak and drive at the same time. I don't want to be one of them. So I got a tiny, itsy-bitsy Audiovox that fits in my palm.

This has inspired me to go smaller on many other things. Purse, lunch bag, wallet, etc. I have always had an affinity towards small things: small homes, compact cars, walkable cities, small towns, little people. Maybe it's because I'm a fairly big, tall person. I feel the need to curl up and go fetal. I wish I was cute enough to be tucked into a pocket.

The next step is to make myself a little smaller. Too bad it's the holidays.

Land of the corporation, home of the scared

2004-11-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

There is a deep black hole in the pit of my stomach. I really don't know how half of our great country can be so ignorant. George Dubya has run this country on money and fear and the rednecks and moral majority have fallen for it.

In some ways I hope that he screws up so bad, that an impeachment will be in order...but with a Republican congress and house...that will never happen. We will be subject to whatever wims this half-wit Texan has in his tiny brain and we will end up broke and broken.

My husband and I were talking with a German judge last year in Hamburg. He said that the view of the U.S. by the rest of Europe has completely flopped. He said that the U.S. used to be the heroes of the world. Always willing to help out. Now under the Bush regime, we've become the bullies. No one wants that.

I'm getting ready to move to Canada

I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps!

2004-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

I just returned from New England and NYC. The fantastic city is now in my blood and I can't get it out. I have lived my whole life in Reno, but I've traveled extensively in the U.S., Europe, Central America and Canada (Asia and South America is next) and I love visiting the extraordinary cities of the world. So far NYC is my favorite. The mass amounts of different types of people (Reno tends to be white bread), the noise, traffic, buildings, lights, food, smells, subway, and the ultra-craziness has seduced me. I've got to go back.

Home Repairs Bite

2004-10-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been steadily working on my mom's old and very large house...getting new tile in, cutting down old trees, getting rid of junk and replacing doors. It bites having a huge, old house. Too expensive and too much work.

My dream is to have a small, clean, non-cluttered and efficient cabin that is under 1,300 square feet with solar power, a water catchment and gray-water system. A small woodstove and radiant heating. Nothing fancy...just warm and easy to care for.

Paying for my freedom

2004-09-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

For the last three years I have been stealthily planning my early retirement. Most people plan their lives around home, career, children, etc. I plan mine around when I can leave full-time work.

Dismiss the typical image of retirement from your mind. I won't be sitting on my butt watching soaps. I plan on leaving full-time work at age 44-45 (I'm 30 now). It is my main goal in life. Of course, I still live my life to the fullest (traveling, good food, great weekends) but on a budget geared toward buying my freedom, not stuff.

You would never imagine the harsh criticism I receive from people when I say that. Other will look at me like I'm crazy. They ask what I'll do after I retire and the answer is always "Whatever I want." The first plan is to buy an RV with my also retired husband and go around North America...in the meantime, while working, we are traveling the world. No sense in letting work be our entire lives.

Of course, I may work in some fashion...but never full time. A temp job, part time, substitute teaching, freelancing...the possibilities are endless.

For more info on retiring young:

The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs
Your Money or Your Life by Dominguez and Robin
Stop Working, Start Living by Dianne Nahirny
You Can Retire Young by Larry Ferstenou