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I Heart Kasey Keller

June 15th, 2009

So I have a new favorite on the team. I think that watching international football (my boyfriend is a huge fan, so English premier league & World Cup is on our TV…everyday.) has kind of exposed me a little bit to “real” soccer. Or football, depending on what you want to call it. American Soccer is different than watching international soccer.  I think that, and my BF pointed it out, that in international soccer, there’s a lot of crossing (I am not a soccer player, so excuse me for not knowing the technical terms) up, so that when someone like Fredy Montero kicks the ball, there’s someone who has crossed up the center to kick it in. Also, in international football/soccer, it seems like they are better and quicker at passing, and it doesn’t seem like they pass it back – they actually pass it up field. That’s one thing that is always bugging me at games – I want them to pass it up! I guess it’s some kind of tactic to keep it from the other team, or to waste time. But, guys, pass it up so we can score!

Anyway, the whole point of the post – I heart Kasey Keller. I think that since I HAVE started to watch some of the more experienced teams, I’ve started to realize how lucky we are to have such an amazing goalie.  When I played soccer (I was 12, so it doesn’t really count) I hated being put into the goalie position. It was boring. I wanted to be in on the action. And really – at 12 – who has goalies that are any good? Who has strikers that make having a good goalie a requirement? So I’ve never really appreciated the need for having someone who can get the angles and will put himself out there to save it.

Another thing that I’ve learned about Keller – he puts the team first. It was recently explained to me about “designated players” and how the rest of the team only gets to split about $3million for everyone else’s salary, but the DP has no cap. I think that is ridiculous. Now, Ljunberg seems to be pretty amazing, and I’m not saying that he hasn’t earned his money. All I’m saying is that we have an awesome player that really did take one for the team (since he also has the experience and skill to earn a large salary!). (If I remember correctly, Keller was on premier leagues as well.) So, all I REALLY wanted to do here was recognize Kasey Keller and tell everyone that I think he’s awesome. So, Keller, you’re awesome, and here’s to you!!

PS – anyone know where I can get a Keller t-shirt?

OCD

May 26th, 2009

I hate being OCD.

Hate it, hate it, hate it.

I’ve never been diagnosed as OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), but it has taken me up to 20 minutes to leave my apartment. During the time that it takes me to leave – I’m checking and re-checking EVERYTHING. Making sure that all of the heaters are off (even though we only used them twice this last winter), that everything’s unplugged (hairdryer, straightener, iron, toaster, tea-maker, etc. — even if I haven’t used any of them), making sure that the oven is off, double checking, triple checking Titan’s crate if he’s home. Then, once I finally get out the door, I usually pop back in to re-check Titan’s crate, then I usually have to glance again at all of the outlets…and it goes on and on.

Once I’ve suffiencently checked everything and convinced myself that it is OK TO LEAVE, I close and lock the front door, then check it again. I usually end up walking about 10 feet away, and then coming back AGAIN to check it one final time. It’s easiest if I have someone on the phone who can listen to me check everything, so I have reassurance that I DID check everything. And everything is off.

I don’t have a routine – like I don’t have to lock and unlock and lock the front door 3 times.  Or not step on any cracks, or bring my own silverware. (But I am obsessive about getting veins out of meat when I’m cooking. It freaks me out when they’re in there, so I have to cut them out when I am preparing food).  I’m also kind of obsessive about washing my hands, especially when cooking. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

I guess I could go see a doctor. Or people have suggested making a list that I can check off each time I leave the house. But I don’t think that would help…I just need to be more confident in myself, making sure that I check everything, and trust that I did. Cause I always do, I can’t leave without checking. So why do I have to re-check, and re-check again?

I think this is my dad’s fault. Honestly – I remember being a little kid and we’d leave the house and my dad would say, “Did I close the garage?”  And we’d have to drive back around the block again, and check….So the seeds started early!

To Tattoo…or not tattoo…

May 18th, 2009

That is the question.

For the longest time, I thought I would get my name, written in Chinese, with a little Cri-kee (the cricket in Mulan) underneath, with ink dripping off his feet. Anyone who has seen the cartoon would get the reference, I think. But, I got older, and my assuredness wanted.  Would I get Cri-kee in color? Color fades, doesn’t it? Where would I put the tattoo? I didn’t want a “tramp stamp” and I wanted a tattoo that would be easily hidden – to only show it when I wanted it to be shown. I didn’t want “accidental” flashings of it, especially when I was at work. All of these doubts put the tattoo on hold.

Fast forward a few years – to now. I thought about getting a tattoo on my hip – one of a bewitching princess-y like girl, smirking. But since there’s no significance to this girl, no reason to get it permanently tat’d on my body. Plus, the idea was pretty detailed, which probably means LOTS OF PAIN. I don’t like pain… Then, my newest brainstorm – to get a “Paper Princess Peach” type of tattoo, but where? On my hip? Between my shoulder blades?  Do I want a Princess Peach on my body forever? I’m not sure about that. Chris said I could get  Princess Peach elements on me, in a whirlwind of cherry blossoms. (Crown, parasol, etc) This idea intrigues me, but I also don’t think I’ll do it. What if I hate it? Then I’m stuck with it forever?

Thoughts? Ideas?

Old R&B…I’m rockin’ it

April 28th, 2009

 

 

Sam Cooke’s “What A Wonderful World”

 

I can’t stop listening to them: the songs that color my childhood. I distinctly remember my dad singing songs to me – “What a Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “My Girl” by the Temptations, “Hang On Sloopy,” “I Heard it Through the Grape Vine,” and more. As I’ve continued to listen to it, I have found more and more songs that I remember and like. (www.pandora.com, “The Temptations” as the channel.)  Sometimes we’d be dancing around in the house, sometimes he’d be working on the car…but these songs are a major part of my childhood. 

 

Daddy used to sing these songs, turning them up on the stereo system. Then, when we got the karaoke machine, we started singing them as well as listening to Daddy sing them to us. We’d sing things like “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “My Girl,” “Eternal Flame,” & various Chinese songs. (We didn’t sing the Chinese songs, of course, Dad sang those…)  I also remember being in the car with my mom listening to party classics: “It’s My Party & I’ll Cry if I Want To,” “Leader of the Pack,” “Boy from NY City,” & “My Boyfriend’s Back.” I remember jamming out to these…funny thing is, we still do often times when we go places together!

Old music is like a treasure trove of childhood memories for me. It always makes me smile, and most of it, at least that I listen to, is feel good music.  Sometimes it makes me think of how different it was when my parents were growing up. How different their music is from new music today.  But, our music seems to have evolved from past music.  And, a lot of the artists that I like today are inspired by these artists – John Legend, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, & Duffy are just a few who pay homage to the great legends that my parents grew up listening to:  Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, the Beatles, Diana Ross, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Percy Sledge, Al Green, Arethra Franklin, & many, many more.

I’m really excited because my dad said he would make me a CD with all of these awesome songs, then I can upload them into my iTunes library and enjoy them all the time. Yay for parents that introduce the classics! (And…thanks!)

Rock ‘n Roll: Seattle

April 26th, 2009

June 27, 2009 – the day of a new dawn. At least for me! A friend of mine convinced me to sign up for the half marathon. I’m afraidI’m going to die, worse case scenario – shin splints or fractured pelvis*, best case scenario! To prevent this, I think I may end up running/jogging a mile, then walking, then jogging/running, then walking, etc. I don’t want to be on crutches for 6-8 weeks(see asterisk!)….I’m all paid up and registered though, so no getting out of it now.  C’mon, Jon, let’s get running!

The Course!

The Course!

I’m not going to be breaking any records, but I’m doing it. Even if I end up walking it. (Which at this point, I might!)

*When I was about 15 I fractured my pelvis playing basketball. Apparently it’s a common runner’s fracture, so I’m afraid I might be easily susceptible to it happening again…wish me luck – that it DOESN’T happen again.

Mario Kart…love song?

April 15th, 2009

 

I love this song. This guy gets props.

I think this has been circulating around the net for some time, but if you haven’t seen it, and you’re a mario fan, you should check it out! It mentions plenty of the Mario traditions – Bowser, DK, Rainbow Road…Just watch it. It’s worth it.

The Circus: Britney Spears 4.9.09

April 14th, 2009

Last week I was on vacation – I didn’t have anywhere to go, but I had a lot of stuff to do. One of the main reasons I decided to take last week off was because I had two concerts to go to: Lily Allen and Britney Spears’ Circus.

I left to pick up my friend around 2:30.  Took me over a half hour to get there, and she wasn’t expecting me so early, so we didn’t leave her place until about 3:25.  Drove to my sister’s place and picked her up. Headed south to Tacoma – right at the beginning of rush hour (plus all of the others that were heading south to see Britney Spears). By the time we picked up our final friend (and switched cars, she drove to the Tacoma Dome) it was about 5:30PM. Parking was expected to SELL OUT by 6PM.  So, I was a little worried, even though we prepaid parking. (Turns out there was a special “prepaid lot” so nothing to worry about.)

We proceeded to get in line. (There were several large lines, divided into sections – A, B, C, etc.) While we were waiting in line, I was surprised to see — religious protesters?

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We finally made it into our seats, and waited for the opening act: The Pussycat Dolls.  While they’re not my favorite group, they were entertaining. And the one with the short hair sure can dance! pussycat-dolls

 Finally, Britney Spears came on, and the crowd went wild. I’m not sure, but I believe there were upwards of 20,000 people there. Amazing! The crowd ranged, from tweens to middle -aged women. I’d say at least 95% were solidly behind Brit’s comeback. (At least from where we were sitting.)

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britney

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All in all, it was a fantastic show. When you go to see Britney Spears, you are expecting a show – not necessarily art, or fantastic music – you’re expecting a performance….and that’s exactly what you get!  The energy was high, the performance was pretty impeccable. She did a great job of incorporating the circus theme into the show – cages, acrobatics, ribbon dancers, creepy clown guys, etc. (Unfortunately, there were no dancers dressed as circus animals!) I only really had two gripes: First, I wish we were closer. This is the kind of show where you WANT to see the detail. Second, the giant screen that was above the stage (it was a circular screen that rose and came down and met the stage to both entertain the crowd and to help hide position changes) showed random videos for most of the show. It would have been nice to see what was going on on-stage…on the screen. Like you do at sporting events. But, it was an entertaining show and I’d go and see it again.  We had a blast!!!  

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*Pictures of Britney courtesy of Becca. We were too far away to get good close up pictures!

Online Shopping: Friend or Foe?

April 8th, 2009

I love shopping. I love getting stuff. I love buying things for other people. So, every now and then I ask myself – is online shopping more of a friend, or a foe?

www.macys.com I love to buy jeans, dresses, make-up and more at macys! It’s also great for gifts – wedding gifts, birthdays, etc.
www.espritshop.com My favorite place to buy coats and sweaters. They have awesome prices in their outlet section
www.nordstrom.com My favorite place to buy shoes! (and more)
www.urbanoutfitters.com I love to buy shirts here. And bathing suits. And art. It’s kind of a funky little place with all kinds of cool clothes and stuff. If you get a chance to actually visit the store, do it!
www.victoriasecret.com Underwear + sales. ‘Nuff said.
www.oldnavy.com Basics – Cami’s, gifts, scarves.
www.gap.com Sweaters, t-shirts. Basic around-the-town stuff.
www.bananarepublic.com I like to shop here for work clothes. And what’s cool – oldnavy.com, gap.com, piperlime.com & bananarepublic.com are all connected. One check out, one shipping charge!
www.amazon.com Bluray….! I love to buy used bluray discs for a fraction of the cost of what a new one would be. I also love their wish list option. And that you can find just about ANYTHING on amazon.com. Awesomeness = Amazon.com
www.buy.com Buy.com sends me emails that tells me where I can find good deals…on just about everything. I got an email today saying that I could get a Coach handbag on sale for 30% off, AND it showed me where I could get a Sony LCD monitor on sale, too! I bought my Xbox live membership here for $11 off!
www.zappos.com Shoe superstore! Free shipping – both ways! What’s not to like?
www.overstock.com Overstock.com has a great selection of STUFF to choose from. Almost anything you need for your home, you can almost always find it here. I’ve even seen sinks on here!
www.target.com Target is impossible to not spend money at – especially when you’re there in the flesh. They have so many useful things at really reasonable prices. And sometimes there are “online exclusives” that are awesome!

So with all of these great online stores, great promotions, and special “email offers” – does online shopping actually add up to being better than shopping in person? First – you lose out on that instant gratification.  Second, you have to pay shipping (most of the time). Third, it can be a pain to return or exchange something. So – is it really better?

I have to say: I enjoy both forms of shopping.  It’s especially helpful around the holidays (expedited shipping, anyone?) If you get a chance, check out the online stores above, and let me know your thoughts. I’m going to be checking out some other kinds of shops in the next couple of months – I have a friend that is having a baby so I’ll be sending stuff her way!

4.6.09/Lily Allen @ the Showbox Sodo

April 7th, 2009

Lily Allen

We got to the showbox at 7PM and proceeded to sit in the bar. The doors to the stage area opened at 8 – we got in line at 7:30PM. Finally made it down to the audience area, we were in the 2nd row (thank goodness because I’m quite vertically challenged). The opening act (Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head) came on at about 9:15. To quote Ragingpandabear, “they were so 80′s it hurt”. While their music wasn’t anything that I’d choose to listen to, they were entertaining! (And I will probably always wonder — “who dressed them!?” Their songs consist of such titles as: “Me + yr Daughter”, ”Beard Lust”, “Sophisticated Side Ponytail”, etc. NPSH is native to Seattle, which is kind of neat.

When Lily finally came on, the crowd was ecstatic!  She’s quite the character. Someone I think that would be a lot of fun to hang out with — as long as she likes you.  I’m pretty sure that she was intoxicated throughoutthe performance.  At one point she asked for a glass of wine, and she was given some cigarettes during her show. She was quite amazing though, and I’d definitely go and see her again. dsc022881
The crowd that was there surprised me: there were a lot of young girls.  Now, if you’ve never listened to Lily Allen’s lyrics, her voice is sweet and ethereal, her music is generally happy & upbeat or soft and dreamy. However, if you’ve listened to the lyrics, you know that she keeps it real! She’s very sarcastic, often slightly crude, and a bit potty-mouthed. (I, of course, knew this before going to the show. And all of those reasons are exactly why I like her.) I’m sure that the parents that didn’t know what they were getting into got quite a shock.
All in all – great show. If you get a chance, go see it! (unless you don’t like that kind of thing.)

Seattle Sounders…Team Song?

April 2nd, 2009

So, the Sounders need a song. Or a chant. Or something. Something for the fans to sing and chant and blow the minds of the other teams! Anybody got that team spirit?

Ragingpandabear told me there’s a song that starts “The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle” that people are trying to get people to sing. But I’m not sure how…rhythmic that is. So far, here’s my idea:

The bluest skies are in Seattle

Where the Sounders wage their battle

——– That’s all I really have so far. I have some other ideas, but I’m letting them … cook a little longer.

Now, I asked & received permission from Ragingpanabear to post his idea – a chant:

Sounders til I die!

Sounders til I die!

You are green with envy

We are green with pride!

Sounders til I die!

———————

It just seems a little violent to me. What do you think?

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