I forgot to add this to the post where I outed myself as a cold-hearted bit** (as if any of you were truly surprised):
When the authorities tell you that if you're staying that you should take a magic marker and write your social security number on your forearm so they can more quickly identify your body, that should be a MAJOR CLUE that you should get the hell out of Dodge. As if the National Weather Service using the term "certain death" was not scary enough.
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Letter
Dear Short-But-Broad Dude in the Middle Seat,
I completely understand that it's no fun to fly in the middle seat. I'm in the window and have comparatively more room from left to right, so I'm willing to concede the entire armrest that we share to you. But the second that your elbow touches my waist, all bets are off. I'm not a small woman, but I have small waist, and when you're touching it, it means that you have overstepped your boundaries by quite a lot. Either fork over $100 or stay in your space. And please, please, please, for the love of Mike, cut back on the garlic consumption.
Love you, mean it,
Catherine
I completely understand that it's no fun to fly in the middle seat. I'm in the window and have comparatively more room from left to right, so I'm willing to concede the entire armrest that we share to you. But the second that your elbow touches my waist, all bets are off. I'm not a small woman, but I have small waist, and when you're touching it, it means that you have overstepped your boundaries by quite a lot. Either fork over $100 or stay in your space. And please, please, please, for the love of Mike, cut back on the garlic consumption.
Love you, mean it,
Catherine
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Movies & TV Shows for Strong Women
Despite the fact that it's nearly 2009 and that we almost had a woman as a Presidential candidate, I think that there's a fair amount of crap in the media that's not good for us or our psyches, regardless of whether you're a man or a woman. So here's a partial list of movies and tv shows that I think are a nice counter to the crap out -- these all have heroines who are smart and independent and manage to rescue themselves:
Remington Steele (this is one of my favorite tv shows of all time -- this was such a nice palate cleanser in the 80s after the jigglefest of Charlie's Angels. Don't get me wrong -- I loved the Angels, and yes, they carried guns and managed to rescue themselves much of the time, but the major focus of Charlie's Angels was T&A.)
Enchanted (I had my doubts about this one, but I watched at my cousin's house with her and her 3-year-old daughter at my cousin's insistence. Not only does Giselle rescue herself, but she also rescues the man she loves. It was so much better than I was expecting!)
Ever After (I also had serious doubts about this one, but I'm starting to see Drew Barrymore as a reliable indicator that the heroine of the movie will be able to kick a**. Besides, I'm a sucker for movies that have heroines who like to read.)
Legally Blonde (Truthfully, Elle Woods grates on my nerves. But I like the message it sends to chicks about being true to who you are and living up to your own expectations rather than other people's. Reese Witherspoon also seems to be a reliable indicator of a strong chick movie.)
Penelope (I've written about this before. It's a great movie, and I think Reese Witherspoon produced it. See? Reliable indicator.)
Juno (Just a warning -- don't watch this one with the director's commentary on, because Jason Reitman is an a**hat. Regardless of what you think about teen pregnancy, the heroine is smart and independent and doesn't take crap from anyone, including the jacka** Jason Bateman character. I'm in favor of not taking crap from anyone.)
What have I missed?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I Don't Understand This
I've been obsessively reading CNN.com and the Houston Chronicle's website for more information on what's going on in Houston. Given what I've read and the updates I've gotten from friends who are there, I'm seriously considering getting a wheeled duffel bag and buying some groceries here in NYC to take back home with me on Friday. People are standing for hours in line just for ice, water, and MREs. I know I have power again because the answering machine is working, but I don't know if the windows made it.
In any event, I've run across this particular line a few times in articles on CNN.com, and it confuses me: "Among [those who didn't evacuate Galveston] were Paul and Kathi Norton, who overslept as Ike closed in on their home."
HUH? OVERSLEPT? From what I saw on the Weather Channel, it seemed like people could have safely gotten out on Friday afternoon. So did Paul and Kathi Norton sleep until the evening? Maybe they took a nap that went on too long, but that doesn't make sense to me, either. Even if you assume that they were up all night boarding up the house and loading the car, doesn't it seem like with a hurricane coming, you just get in your car and evacuate BEFORE you take a nap? And even if you assume they were so tired, they just had to take a nap -- there's a HURRICANE coming, and it was ENORMOUS. How do you relax enough to fall asleep???
And here's some proof that I don't have a lot of the milk of human kindness running through my veins: after getting the mandatory evacuation notice, THOUSANDS of people stayed in Galveston. Now there is no running water, no clean drinking water, and no power. I'm reading quotes in articles from folks in Galveston that they're not being rescued quickly enough. When the National Weather Service says that you are risking "certain death" by riding out the storm, and when officials ask you, who have refused to evacuate, to write your social security number with permanent marker on your arm to aid with identification after the storm, I really, really, really don't think you now have room to complain that people aren't coming to save you fast enough. It's not like the National Guard and the fire department and the police department and all the other departments working on this are sitting around taking a bunch of coffee breaks, and you were told on numerous occasions by many people in authority with good information to get the hell out of town. I just don't have that much sympathy.
I understand that I'm really lucky that I have a job that allows me to be out of town nearly at will and that I have the means to fund staying away from home. I know that not everybody had the resources that I have. And I don't think that these folks have gotten what they deserve -- nobody deserves the devastation I'm seeing in photographs that they're experiencing live. I just wish people used the sense that God gave them. Especially in a city like Galveston, where there's historical evidence of the carnage that a huge hurricane can wreak everywhere you look.
In any event, I've run across this particular line a few times in articles on CNN.com, and it confuses me: "Among [those who didn't evacuate Galveston] were Paul and Kathi Norton, who overslept as Ike closed in on their home."
HUH? OVERSLEPT? From what I saw on the Weather Channel, it seemed like people could have safely gotten out on Friday afternoon. So did Paul and Kathi Norton sleep until the evening? Maybe they took a nap that went on too long, but that doesn't make sense to me, either. Even if you assume that they were up all night boarding up the house and loading the car, doesn't it seem like with a hurricane coming, you just get in your car and evacuate BEFORE you take a nap? And even if you assume they were so tired, they just had to take a nap -- there's a HURRICANE coming, and it was ENORMOUS. How do you relax enough to fall asleep???
And here's some proof that I don't have a lot of the milk of human kindness running through my veins: after getting the mandatory evacuation notice, THOUSANDS of people stayed in Galveston. Now there is no running water, no clean drinking water, and no power. I'm reading quotes in articles from folks in Galveston that they're not being rescued quickly enough. When the National Weather Service says that you are risking "certain death" by riding out the storm, and when officials ask you, who have refused to evacuate, to write your social security number with permanent marker on your arm to aid with identification after the storm, I really, really, really don't think you now have room to complain that people aren't coming to save you fast enough. It's not like the National Guard and the fire department and the police department and all the other departments working on this are sitting around taking a bunch of coffee breaks, and you were told on numerous occasions by many people in authority with good information to get the hell out of town. I just don't have that much sympathy.
I understand that I'm really lucky that I have a job that allows me to be out of town nearly at will and that I have the means to fund staying away from home. I know that not everybody had the resources that I have. And I don't think that these folks have gotten what they deserve -- nobody deserves the devastation I'm seeing in photographs that they're experiencing live. I just wish people used the sense that God gave them. Especially in a city like Galveston, where there's historical evidence of the carnage that a huge hurricane can wreak everywhere you look.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Partial List of Things That I Don't Love
Cilantro
Celery
Tarragon
Salads (I've just discovered this in the last few months -- I eat them because I know I should, not because I like them)
Sandwich turkey (it's starting to strike me as really weird)
Berries (they're delicious, but the seeds are REALLY irritating)
King crab
People who pretend to be independent but are really not
Oaky wine
People who put all of their stuff in the overhead compartment (I know, I know, but it belongs on the list)
Dry cupcakes (I had the driest cupcake of my life yesterday -- really, really bad)
Public bathrooms
Shopping under duress
Celery
Tarragon
Salads (I've just discovered this in the last few months -- I eat them because I know I should, not because I like them)
Sandwich turkey (it's starting to strike me as really weird)
Berries (they're delicious, but the seeds are REALLY irritating)
King crab
People who pretend to be independent but are really not
Oaky wine
People who put all of their stuff in the overhead compartment (I know, I know, but it belongs on the list)
Dry cupcakes (I had the driest cupcake of my life yesterday -- really, really bad)
Public bathrooms
Shopping under duress
Partial List of Things That I Love
Pocket doors
Vegetables (but not lettuce)
Ceramic tiles
Sephora
My new Revlon ColorStay lipstick
Sudoku
Purses
Sage (the herb -- interestingly, I'm learning that I don't like tarragon)
Sauvignon blanc
Gala apples
Craftsman-style architecture
Braised beef
The sensationalistic nature of the Weather Channel's coverage of natural disasters
Snow crab
Snarky men
Symmetry
Dinner parties
The smell of gasoline (I know this is not good for you, so it's not like I hang out at gas stations huffing or anything, but I don't mind getting out of the car to fill up the tank)
Vegetables (but not lettuce)
Ceramic tiles
Sephora
My new Revlon ColorStay lipstick
Sudoku
Purses
Sage (the herb -- interestingly, I'm learning that I don't like tarragon)
Sauvignon blanc
Gala apples
Craftsman-style architecture
Braised beef
The sensationalistic nature of the Weather Channel's coverage of natural disasters
Snow crab
Snarky men
Symmetry
Dinner parties
The smell of gasoline (I know this is not good for you, so it's not like I hang out at gas stations huffing or anything, but I don't mind getting out of the car to fill up the tank)
The "Sorry I Haven't Updated in So Long" Post
It's been kind of a crazy few weeks! My vacation in Italy was fantastic -- I have pictures and video, but I haven't been able to get everything up. (The pictures and one video are up on Facebook, so that's a good place to start.) I liked the cooking school so much, I think I'm going to back next year. And I'm going to learn some Italian. They're so laid back there that I think it's really good for me.
The villa is about a 40-minute taxi ride away from the Arezzo train station, which is itself an hour train ride away from Florence. The last 15-20 minutes of the taxi ride are up a pretty steep gravel trail (it's really deceptive to call it a road) with many switchbacks, so getting to Torre del Tartufo isn't easy. It's absolutely stunning there -- beautiful views of the mountains and valleys, and the sky was so clear at night, you could see thousands of stars. I only left twice -- once on the excursion that's an official part of the week, and once to get some cash from the closest ATM (30 minutes away). Other folks went to Florence and Arezzo and Cortona during the week, but I had a stack of 6 books to read, and I read them. Heavenly.
I was supposed to go to New Orleans the following week, but when my plane from Florence landed in Paris, I had an e-mail from the W there saying that because of Gustav, they weren't going to be able to honor my reservation. It gave me a chance to clean up my apartment some (not completely -- I hate cleaning) and sleep in some, so that was ok. I ran some errands and slowed down my calorie intake (Italian cooking school is not for people on diets) and got some work done, too, so it was more like my usual staycation.
Sunday, I left for Dallas to spend some time with my parents, Monday I was writing script for Tuesday's meeting, which went well. I had dinner with my parents after the AER on Tuesday, and then jumped on a delayed flight to San Jose. And that's when my plans started to fall apart.
The meeting went relatively well on Thursday, but the IRO for El Paso Energy was there, and he was scheduled to be on the 6pm flight from SFO to IAH (I was originally scheduled on the 6:10am from San Jose to IAH on FRIDAY, but changed it to the 6pm from SFO on Thursday when I started paying attention to Ike). He'd been tracking Ike all through dinner on Wednesday night and all through the first part of the morning on Thursday, and during the break, he informed me that he was now taking the 2pm from SFO to IAH, that he had to leave right after noon, and that I should get on the same plane. I present in both the morning and the afternoon, so that wasn't really an option for me.
After he left, the other 15 IROs and my colleagues all started telling me that I was crazy to try to hurry back to Houston to beat a hurricane. So I switched my ticket to go back on Monday, found a cheaper rental car, and started the search for a cheaper hotel (I don't think the company will cover my expenses).
Luckily, the company has a San Francisco office, and I have two lovely colleagues who work there who happened to be in town. They organized dinner, and then we went to karaoke (SO MUCH FUN), and then we spent Saturday in the Alexander Valley. They both invited me to join them in their plans on Saturday night, but I was tired, and I wanted to watch the Weather Channel obsessively and check in on my friends who stayed in Houston. I've gotten updates from most, but I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing from folks.
I'm not flying to Houston on Monday -- there's no point. My understanding is that they've barricaded the downtown area and won't be starting on cleanup until they've made good headway in the Medical Center (which makes perfect sense). I've called my number, and my answering machine is not picking up, which tells me the electricity is still out (I'm NOT looking forward to cleaning out the fridge and freezer when I get back). And the answering service for the apartment complex is not picking up. I'm just really hoping that my windows made it. If they did, everything will be fine, but if they didn't, I'll have a huge amount of debris and dirty water to clean up, and I suspect I'll have to throw away most of my belongings. Plus, I'll be vulnerable to looters, curfew or not.
Because of that curfew, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get home on Friday night. My flight won't land at the airport until after 8pm, which is when it starts, and since I'm not certain what I'll be going home to, I'm not sure what to do. Is there any point in rushing home to an apartment where there's no power and water (for whatever reason, if the power goes out in my place, so does the water)?
In any event, I'm happy to be safe. I felt a little guilty while I was having fun with Carlos and Judith on Friday and Saturday, knowing that so many of my neighbors are miserable in the heat without AC. Part of me felt like I should have been there, too, hunkering down and trying to outlast Ike, but the rational part of me (the part that took the advice of all those smart people on Thursday) is really glad to be here in San Francisco, making plans to go karaokeing again tonight.
Depending on what's happened with my place (power? windows? looters?), I'm going to try to get video up this weekend, which I'll post here. I hope everyone is doing well!!
The villa is about a 40-minute taxi ride away from the Arezzo train station, which is itself an hour train ride away from Florence. The last 15-20 minutes of the taxi ride are up a pretty steep gravel trail (it's really deceptive to call it a road) with many switchbacks, so getting to Torre del Tartufo isn't easy. It's absolutely stunning there -- beautiful views of the mountains and valleys, and the sky was so clear at night, you could see thousands of stars. I only left twice -- once on the excursion that's an official part of the week, and once to get some cash from the closest ATM (30 minutes away). Other folks went to Florence and Arezzo and Cortona during the week, but I had a stack of 6 books to read, and I read them. Heavenly.
I was supposed to go to New Orleans the following week, but when my plane from Florence landed in Paris, I had an e-mail from the W there saying that because of Gustav, they weren't going to be able to honor my reservation. It gave me a chance to clean up my apartment some (not completely -- I hate cleaning) and sleep in some, so that was ok. I ran some errands and slowed down my calorie intake (Italian cooking school is not for people on diets) and got some work done, too, so it was more like my usual staycation.
Sunday, I left for Dallas to spend some time with my parents, Monday I was writing script for Tuesday's meeting, which went well. I had dinner with my parents after the AER on Tuesday, and then jumped on a delayed flight to San Jose. And that's when my plans started to fall apart.
The meeting went relatively well on Thursday, but the IRO for El Paso Energy was there, and he was scheduled to be on the 6pm flight from SFO to IAH (I was originally scheduled on the 6:10am from San Jose to IAH on FRIDAY, but changed it to the 6pm from SFO on Thursday when I started paying attention to Ike). He'd been tracking Ike all through dinner on Wednesday night and all through the first part of the morning on Thursday, and during the break, he informed me that he was now taking the 2pm from SFO to IAH, that he had to leave right after noon, and that I should get on the same plane. I present in both the morning and the afternoon, so that wasn't really an option for me.
After he left, the other 15 IROs and my colleagues all started telling me that I was crazy to try to hurry back to Houston to beat a hurricane. So I switched my ticket to go back on Monday, found a cheaper rental car, and started the search for a cheaper hotel (I don't think the company will cover my expenses).
Luckily, the company has a San Francisco office, and I have two lovely colleagues who work there who happened to be in town. They organized dinner, and then we went to karaoke (SO MUCH FUN), and then we spent Saturday in the Alexander Valley. They both invited me to join them in their plans on Saturday night, but I was tired, and I wanted to watch the Weather Channel obsessively and check in on my friends who stayed in Houston. I've gotten updates from most, but I'm encouraged by what I'm hearing from folks.
I'm not flying to Houston on Monday -- there's no point. My understanding is that they've barricaded the downtown area and won't be starting on cleanup until they've made good headway in the Medical Center (which makes perfect sense). I've called my number, and my answering machine is not picking up, which tells me the electricity is still out (I'm NOT looking forward to cleaning out the fridge and freezer when I get back). And the answering service for the apartment complex is not picking up. I'm just really hoping that my windows made it. If they did, everything will be fine, but if they didn't, I'll have a huge amount of debris and dirty water to clean up, and I suspect I'll have to throw away most of my belongings. Plus, I'll be vulnerable to looters, curfew or not.
Because of that curfew, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get home on Friday night. My flight won't land at the airport until after 8pm, which is when it starts, and since I'm not certain what I'll be going home to, I'm not sure what to do. Is there any point in rushing home to an apartment where there's no power and water (for whatever reason, if the power goes out in my place, so does the water)?
In any event, I'm happy to be safe. I felt a little guilty while I was having fun with Carlos and Judith on Friday and Saturday, knowing that so many of my neighbors are miserable in the heat without AC. Part of me felt like I should have been there, too, hunkering down and trying to outlast Ike, but the rational part of me (the part that took the advice of all those smart people on Thursday) is really glad to be here in San Francisco, making plans to go karaokeing again tonight.
Depending on what's happened with my place (power? windows? looters?), I'm going to try to get video up this weekend, which I'll post here. I hope everyone is doing well!!
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