Very Important

I know it's probably not important in the face of world peace, but somehow it's become a very big deal to me; I am trying to figure out what to do for my 30th birthday. I can't decide what to do, I mean 30 seems big and like it merits something really special.

I have been talking about a deep fried party for a couple of years now. I really do want to have one at some point (basically everyone comes with something to deep fry and share be it candy bars, oreos, korean fried chicken or pizza -- oh the list goes on and on and on). It sounds yummy and seems like such a good idea, both interactive and fun.

The problem is I get sucked into thinking is that how I want to remember my 30th birthday? Don't I want something elegant. . . .

My friend Meg suggested a cocktail party. It sounds fun and grown up and could be totally shi-shi, except we kind of did that at a prohibition party I had a few years ago and while that party was fun, most people didn't end up mixing drinks and so we were left with tons of alcohol (good thing I realized how much I like gin ;)).

I was thinking about an elegant dessert party but, again, my gracious friends hosted a party like that for me a few years ago. It was really really great (I still dream about those brownies Mike Ike made), but if I do it for my 30th, it's sort of a been there, done that feeling.

So nothing seems to fit completely into this vague notion of a spectacular 30th birthday bash that I have (doesn't that sound so terribly childish-- perhaps that should be a hint to me considering I'm turning 30 and should stop obsessing over such nonsense).

Anyway, I am turning it over to you, my loyal readers. Do you have any suggestions? Do you think one of the suggested parties sounds like the best way to ring in my FOURTH decade (I am stupid and wrote third until someone had to email me and point out that not only am I dumb I am old ;))? There's a poll on the side you can click to vote. If you have some brilliant idea not mentioned, please post a comment -- there may even be a reward in it for you!

Rewards of Volunteering

So if I am reading this correctly (and I may not be since I haven't actually had any caffeine this morning) I think Starbucks is rewarding you with a free coffee if you make a pledge to volunteer five hours: http://pledge5.starbucks.com/ I don't think it's even asking you to volunteer five hours a week like a lot of people I know already do, just five hours flat and I don't think you have to sign up with their specific charity of choice. I think it's five hours of volunteering period. . . I could be wrong, but if I'm not, it's a nice little reward for those do-gooders out there already (though not much of an incentive if you don't already volunteer :)).

Live Long and Prosper

So I am bored, I have read all of the blogs I follow and then some. . .

I figured you all might be bored too so I would try and help. An Obama supporter just confided in my boss and me that she's a trekkie. She said she was really excited to find out that Obama was too. I haven't found any news releases that said he's a huge star trek fan, though it is interesting what turns up when you search. My favorite article is this one: http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/tv-reviews/tv-highlights-wednesday-21th/2009/01/13/1231608713097.html He is listed in wikipedia under trekkies

It does make me think that it's time to watch Trekkies again though, since it's the second time in a week I've been prompted to recommend it to someone. If you haven't seen it, you really should.

Noodle Kugel by any other name. . .

So I was slightly annoyed today when I saw mark bittman sanitizing the name of noodle kugel and trying to pass it off as his idea for solving our insatiable need for recession friendly food. I read the recipe and decided right away it was crap (oh you read that right, I didn't try the recipe, I just decided from lack of cream cheese, too few eggs and the addition of raisins it was crap). I will say that it should please the levees though, when they sing in their song kugel, "so don't try and tell me things they haven't changed. The way it's made these days it should have another name. Sorry mom [and Mark] but yours just ain't the same."Mark Bittman has solved the problem of giving noodle kugel that's not your grandma's noodle kugel a new name!

The most annoying bus passenger ever

Scott Adams the cartoonist originally responsible for Dilbert once said (and no, I have no actual proof of this -- I can't find a quote anywhere which might lead you to think he didn't say it, but I am pretty sure he did) that no matter how far he pushed his comic people still wrote in to say that was EXACTLY what was happening in their office and how did he know?! That response reminds me of the 1999 "comedy" Office Space, a movie that in many ways serves as a documentary for office life, at least the office life of several of my friends. . .

All this to say, while I am about to describe one of the most annoying people I have ever had to share a bus with (and mind you I share the bus with him about two to three times a week), you may be able to come up with a more horific story (I know my friend who got a wet willy on a bus ride, and then on a separate occasion had a drunken passenger laid out across her lap will fall into that category). . .

I am not sure how to make this amusing since I find him so annoying but here goes.

There is a guy who rides my bus, he ALWAYS sits on the aisle of the very crowded bus filling the seat next to him with his duffel bag and never once offering to move it or to move over even when people standing practically fall into his lap. He listens to his discman loudly and fidgets. When we hit traffic (which we invariably do since we're riding during rush hour) he sighs loudly and grumbles about the traffic. A stop before the final stop he always tries to stand up and get to the door so he can push his way out before anyone else. If people are standing in the aisle blocking him he sighs some more, or says excuse me in a loud and annoyed way (he gets off at the last stop -- we are all getting off at this stop).

I realize that these are all minor grievances, but every time I have to ride the bus with him, they all add up to me hating him with a passion. I want to stand in front of him blocking his passage out allowing any number of passengers to exit before me (only once have I had the gall to do that and instead of feeling bad, I felt so satisfied. . .).

So yeah, It's been a month since I posted, I have celebrated the birth of The Savior and we've entered a new year but I am still the horrible, person I was when you last heard from me. . . As I used to tell my friend Chris, "it's a new year but I am the same me."