Skip Has No Secrets

Secrets are hard to keep. No matter how fervently you assure a confessor that 'the buck stops here' there will always be a part of you that aches with the gossipy instinct to relay the story to just one person. No matter how tight-lipped you may be, we have all relapsed on a promise (more than once), even you, my fair readers. But, the truly funny thing about secrets, is that there are whispers about ourselves that we would never let pass our lips. How odd that we can keep secrets but only if they are about ourselves?

There is now a place for you to let it all out, anonymously of course, and not risk your reputation for reticence nor your reputation in general. Just reading these takes the edge off...

At Post Secret.

Skip's Clothes are Reborn

Is there really a better heaven for my spacially-challenged clothes than to be resurrected as my pals' new pets? I think not.

It brings me happy delight.

Skip is Going to Faint

Seriously, I'm hyperventilating. I have to go to Walgreen's and get some brown paper bags to breathe slowly into otherwise I will pass out. In the meantime, look at this...

It's as if someone read my dreams and painted them into a perfect reality. First there is talk of a touch-screen iPod and now this! What is Apple trying to do to my sanity?!?!

Apple mobile phone.

Skip Drives a Hard Bargain

They didn't make the cut.

See, Mom. I told you I could get rid of stuff...

Pretty, Pretty

My family.

Go, Go Gadget Watch

Cool. Night vision.

Swiss Army Watch.

Skip Downsizes

In the spirit of minimalism and cost-cutting and in preparation for a move (see Take Back 2006), I have determined that everything I own will have to be extremely efficient, effective and streamlined...I'm all about product multi-tasking.

This obviously obligates me to acquire some new, key items. For example, rather than an alarm clock and stereo, I will dispose of both and replace them with the iHome i5 clock radio. Then, rather than earbuds for the gym and massive, noise-cancelling cans for the plane, I will simply have the 6i Isolaters.

Et, voila! Less stuff. Genius!

NB: This will all clearly require me to upgrade to the Nano, but it's all in the name of parsimony!

Before and After

This is my dearest friend in all the universe, Bunny (Thumper), and myself at ages 2 and 26.

My how time flies! Have you ever seen anything so adorable?

Skip Likes to Reminisce

Skip's a Fickle Friend

So, I think I might have cheated on Ben...with Mat Kearney.

Last night, Lauren and I (the pledge continues...next up; Stars, Thriving Ivory, Guster and Clap Your Hands) went to Slim's to see Mat, Cary Brothers and The Fray. There wasn't really any need to stay for The Fray as I was already smitten with Mat. Yes, he's a little short; but, his Corbett-esque voice, his rocky attempts at rap and his new piano piece about a couple leaving New Orleans were so endearing and slightly haunting that I'm compelled to make an exception.

His new CD is out April 4th.

I want to go too!

I have never been to Disneyworld (or the state of Florida for that matter), but after seeing the NFL players practicing the victorious catchphrase during Disney's Super Bowl commercial, I am convinced that I too need a vacation.

And, I think I may love Joey Porter now because of his riveting performance in the hot tub...just kidding (hi, Ben).

Watch it here.

Victory

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Skip is a Nervous Wreck

This Sunday my boys (hi, Ben) are playing in Super Bowl XL (40) and I can hardly stand the anticipation! For the past week, I must have read or watched every commentary on the game, and with each new insight my heart starts racing with anxiousness and hope. I love it! The Steelers are favored to win, but as much as I want to pre-order my hat and t-shirt, I can't help but think that anything could happen! Eeeks!

As I have reached an emotional saturation point with regard to the outcome of the game (my nerves can't take anymore), I am moving on to researching the operational aspects of the Super Bowl to take my mind off of the actual game. I know, I'm crazy, but who knew that there were 90 miles of cable used for the cameras and microphones? 6 super slo-mo cameras and 29 mobile vehicles and 500 monitors in 'control trucks...?' Oh my!

Super Bowl XL stats.

Coldplay

Last night my gal pal Lauren and I met up with our (my new) friends Prav and Gap Dave who humbled us with their breadth of band proficiency (to such an extent that Lauren and I are lit with the motivational fire of 1,000 suns to out-discover these intrepid band crusaders) at The House of Shields for about an hour and then we all headed over to the Coldplay concert at the Oakland Arena.

Now, I am not normally a fan of the musical monstrosities that are performed at places like the Oakland Arena (I mean seriously, Aerosmith plays here), but the show was incredibly impressive. It was actually more of a songful spectacle complete with video projections, light displays and a fleet-footed Chris Martin who bounded around the stage like a buoyant cheerleader. I thought for more than a moment that we were all partaking in another Coldplay music video...and, if it weren't for the infectious energy, consummate setlist and crystalline voice of Chris Martin, I might have held it against them.

Rather, I've spent the evening cursing my technical ignorance because if only I could get the video footage off my fancy phone I might be able to really make you all appreciate my wonderful evening.

Skip's a Foul Mouth

An email I received today (a forward, if you must know) reminded me of how little I care for cuss words and their regular use by some (most) people today. I suppose it's not so much a matter of dislike as it is contempt. I simply think of swearing as a version of oratorical laziness that points to a deeper lack of intellect or, rather, grasp of the wonders of the English language. How very unimpressive it is! I would like to think of myself as being a little more refined and having some sense of decorum. What can I say, it's the elitist in me.

That is not to say of course, that there aren't moments when the use of such unbecoming language exactly articulates the feelings at the time, but I would hope that those moments are few and far between (unless of course you are plumber or prostitute whose job it is to talk dirty) for the majority of men and women.

For those of you out there who find these instances more frequent, perhaps you can turn that frown upside-down and put your verbal vulgarities to good use by participating in the Annual Swearing Festival at the Edinburgh Castle on February 18th.

Get it all out of your system. You might win a raffle prize.

Skip Loves a Good Forward

Email forwards in college were somewhat of a novelty, which was relatively easy seeing that the internet and any email content were also exciting and new. Yet, after a little while, all the dancing-baby-needle-in-the-gas-pump-tell-us-your-favorite-color-friend-and-number-and-we'll-tell-you-who-your-future-husband-is-but-you-must-forward-this-on-to-7-people-as-soon-as-possible-otherwise-someone-will-die-or-you'll-have-bad-luck-forever-and-won't-get-a-check-for-$100-from-Microsoft emails became tedious and trite. So, with the exception of my mummy, who still finds them endlessly entertaining and feels the need to pass them along to her children (and someone called 'smackfam') or she might be cursed with the demonic destiny as dictated by the email, we delete them.

However, I was recently sent a forward by my dear friend, Mike 'Collars Up' Crittenden, that I took the time to open (Michael is such a fastidious forwarder, that I can trust the content of his emails will not be frivolous). Demonic destiny, indeed! What I discovered was a link to an online gallery of Demonic Tots and Deeply Disturbing Cuisine, which kept me entertained for a few hours and left me pondering the marketing wonders that are American consumer goods for even a few hours more.

Enjoy!

Match Made in Heaven; Part II

But, of course! Brake Alignment and Burlwood!

Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA.

Skip Prefers Hayes Valley

My most recent visit to the Marina area of San Francisco was about a month ago (after a 2-year hiatus) when I met up with some people at the divey bar, Mauna Loa, on Fillmore Street. While I very much love my friends, I was reminded on my trip to homogeneity that I most definitely do not enjoy going out in the Marina; the bar was ridiculously crowded, a discomfort only matched by the din of high-pitched Marina girl voices in my ears, and everyone looked exactly the same.

I am very happy to see that my observations and subsequent reasons for hating this nightlife nausea are corroborated by the witty folks at Wikipedia.

Take a peek. Marina District.

Only in San Francisco; Part II

I am not kidding. There are people twirling flaming batons around their heads at 10:20pm in the park outside my apartment.

Skip Wants to Go Back to College

Before I left for London I had the most glorious weekend reunited with my college roommates, Mary and Natalie, all three of us together for the first time since our university utopia.

What shining girls they are!

Skip's Fairyland

Anyone who knows me, is all too aware that I am scared to death of air travel. The paranoia begins about four hours before airport departure as I sweat and panic at the thought of getting into a flying tube. In flight, I clutch my cross necklace and say my 'goodbyes' at each tumble of turbulence. My fear ends only as the plane touches down and I thank God for delivering me safely (while I mutter to myself how I should be in control, because clearly I would have flown the plane better than the loon at the helm).

However, there was a brief respite in my persistent flight fright on my most recent trip to London (my location at press time). Not only was the flight going to be in record time thanks to some hefty tailwind, but also I was blessed with three empty seats and so I fitfully attempted to snooze as a way of making the time pass. Clearly, it was not going to happen and so I gazed out the window.

We were just west of the Hudson Bay and the sky was pitch black save for the most amazing display of Northern Lights. It sounds cheesy, but I was immediately at peace as I watched the glow flickering across the sky as if invisible ice skaters were leaving a trail of green embers as they sliced across a night pond. It looked like the darkness were tearing open to reveal some lightness beyond and it made everything quiet in its beauty for almost two hours. I was silent, awe-struck.

How can you not believe in God?

Take it back, Brad

No. This is wrong on so many levels.

Tune Buckle.

Skip to the Future

Apparently JBL had 'The Jetsons' in mind when they created this spacy OnTime iPod alarm clock. It's ridiculously cool looking and I can already see my cats' heads stuck in the halo space (which is clearly a reason to buy); but, though I consider myself a modern girl, this just might be too contemporary, architechture-as-consumer-electronics for me.

Then again, maybe not. Have you seen the size of the snooze button?!?!

Down Under

She's Back!

Dinner for Friends

Despite the dirty wine glasses in my sink, it was well worth it.

Skip Loves Dull Men

I have recently come across one of the most entertaining websites on the entire internet. It is the Dull Men's Club. Their motto: 'A place -- in cyberspace -- where Dull Men can share thoughts and experiences, free from pressures to be in and trendy, free instead to enjoy the simple, ordinary things of everyday life.' No, seriously.

Here, boring men from around the world (funny that most of them live in England) can share their inane stories and insipid facts about Baggage Carousels and Bingo, Rest Areas and Roundabouting. For example, who knew that of '366 airports reporting. . . 45.5% are counterclockwise, 29% clockwise, 7.7% go both ways, 3% other, 15.8% have no carousels.' Amazing! If only I knew what 'other' direction a baggage carousel could go in?!?!

You see! It is a wealth of pointless prosaic information that happily feeds my mind's need for just such nonsense and keeps you wanting more!

Skip is a Cheesehead

Part of my 'Take Charge of My Life' focus in 2006 (a reference to the moving 'Take Back the Night' episode of 90210 when Kelly works to counter violence against women at her university after being raped) involves determining where I want to live next. This would ideally be somewhere I could settle down and buy a home (read: NOT somewhere ridiculously expensive like New York or DC, but a place where I can have a yard. I want a yard. I want a puppy...but that's a different blog entry), enjoy the outdoors, seasons, movies, sports and still have a Neiman's and a Cheesecake Factory nearby.

In determining my next move, I utilized the Find Your Spot engine to generate geographic fits to my personality after answering a short series of questions.

Where will my next adventure take me? Apparently, I'm headed to Milwaukee.

Skip into 2006

Some New Year's pics for those who missed out...

And, there's more at Ofoto.com.

Skip's Mobile Phone Update

The wait is over! My oft'-blogged-about favorite phone ever, the Motorola SLVR, is now available in the US.

At eGizmo.com.