Weekend adventures

What a full weekend! Saturday I went with Arvind to the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill.


We saw their presentation entitled "Life in the Universe." It was pretty cool. I hadn't been to a planetarium in ages...not since grade school, I think. Griffith Observatory in L.A. is pretty kick-butt, however it is closed for renovation indefinitely. Anyway, the experience is somewhat similar to IMAX, in that your field of vision is incredibly large. The film discussed whether life on other planets is feasible, from a chemical perspective. We saw lots of molecule models dancing around on the screen. I think I might enjoy "Carolina Skies" better...more stars, less scientific narrative. But it was a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. The highlight was getting a pressed penny. Being the nerd that I am, I collect these. Unfortunately, being the unemployed oaf that I am, my mind has taken what I hope is not a permanent vacation, and I used the machine incorrectly. Long story, not worth explaining. Suffice it to say, I felt like a rah-rah, but the coin turned out okay I guess, just not the design I'd originally wanted.


Afterwards we strolled along Franklin Street. The wind was biting cold, and there was occasional drizzle, but the area was bustling with people. The UNC campus is very stately...I bet it's beautiful in the spring. Or summer. Or fall.

Sunday I woke up to an absolutely gorgeous day. No more clouds or drizzle, but instead a glorious blue sky and a strong sun. Perfect day for a scenic drive! Arvind and I went to Jordan Lake, which is about 20 minutes west of where we live in Apex. I pass by it every time I visit my parents in Pittsboro, but have never stopped. On a clear, sunny day like Sunday, the water is a gorgeous blue, and although many of the trees are now dead brown sticks, some of them are evergreens so they have that going for them.

We parked in the nearly-empty lot and strolled down through the trees to the beach. There were picnic benches and a designated swimming area, and even a shelter with a stone fireplace.


I bet this place is hopping on summer weekends. We drove deeper into the park and walked around one of the campground areas that was open. I imagine that would be a very relaxing place to camp...great views of the water, not many people around. And of course by "camp," I mean, "in an RV." The sites appeared to offer electric and water hookups...all the comforts of home. My favorite part was the smell of the campfires. I wish they made a camera that could capture smells.

The forest was very peaceful. Nothing but the sound of the breeze in the trees. The temperature was chilly but with the sun blazing it was definitely manageable.


I can't wait to see everything in the spring and summer...it must be so beautiful and green. That was pretty much my mantra this weekend: must be so much prettier in the spring, summer, or fall. Everything is so unattractive in the winter. Dead brown sticks aren't exactly scenic. Unless you like the stark, barren look. I prefer lush and verdant.


That said, I do try and find something to appreciate about every experience. And when you start thinking about it, there was a lot to be grateful for. I was not alone, but rather had top notch company. I got to take lots of pictures. I got to explore an area while it was more or less vacant, so when I return I will know where to go. And even in the dead of winter, nature does afford bountiful opportunties to find beauty.

When it rains, it pours

I can go for days without anything of real interest going on, at least nothing interesting to blog about. And then I have a day where, like, 38 interesting things happen. Yesterday was one of those days!

Job Hunt
I had a "pre-interview" of sorts over lunch with someone at a giant techie corporation in RTP (Research Triangle Park, for those of you outside NC). I was quite nervous, because I am in no way qualified for an IT job. But apparently for this one you don't need a background in IT. They expect you to learn on the job. Apparently I made a decent impression, because the guy who met with me decided to pass on my resume to his boss. So hopefully that will lead to a real interview. I feel like I did after I quit teaching...I'm at the point where I'm willing to take any job that will pay the bills...not desperate enough to apply at McDonald's, but okay with putting the search for a dream job on hold because this is a great opportunity to beef up my resume in an entirely new field, and it pays well. Well enough that I might be able to get monthly massages! Woo hoo! Oh, and buy a house and save and all that responsible stuff.

(I think I'm on a massage kick lately because I am suffering from some serious tension in my shoulders. Another sign I'm spending way too much time on the computer.)

So it was my first trip into RTP, and it is very impressive. Big expanses of trees, with little clusters of buildings here and there. They all look rather new, and none of them are tall. It's the kind of business park where occupants call their offices "campuses." It definitely felt like college at lunch. We ate in the company cafe and it was like a new-fangled dining hall. Not the kind where the lady behind the vat of mystery casserole plops a giant helping onto your plate, but the kind where it looks more like a food court and all the options are genuinely tempting. I would love eating there everyday! The most college-y part was when you put your tray into the cleaning racks after you're finished. Definitely a flashback!

Field Trip
After the lunch meeting I went to see where my friend Arvind works. I felt like a kid on a school field trip. He does the closed-circuit TV broadcasts for the giant techie corporation. Yes, the corporation is giant enough to have several of its own TV stations! They have little talk shows where they discuss techie stuff. And I think they do quarterly meetings that way too. Anyway, the control room was overwhelming...so much equipment, so many buttons and little screens, and all of it just a comlpete mystery to me, and like a second home to Arvind.


And you thought YOUR cord management was challenging!


Amazing. It's basically a one-man shop, too--he does the lighting, the sound, the cameras, everything. Down to brushing the suede chairs before a show so that they look better. It's all in the details. There are people who notice that kind of thing, and I'm one of them. Here's me in the studio...


On my way out, I encountered some geese, which I'm told refuse to leave the campus because they are so well fed. I think they are cute, but they are also rather dirty. Giant birds=giant bird droppings. Enough said.


Bunco
As if that weren't adventure enough for our heroine, she had to rush off to Bunco night afterwards. It was our first meeting, and I didn't know what to expect. The lady who volunteered to organize it did not give us any indication of how prepared she was, but it turned out great because she had a delicious spread of munchies and had photocopied rules for everyone. It is not a hard game to learn...there is no skill involved...but it can get confusing when you don't know which table to move to, and what to do when there are "ghost" players. But we all managed to do fine. It helps when everyone is laid back about it, and just rolls with the punches. You forgot to ring the bell? Eh, who cares? We scheduled the next one for four weeks from now, and I'm already looking forward to it! Everyone there was positively delightful. I enjoyed meeting all the new faces.

News Flash: I'm French!
One incredible coincidence: when the hostess asked my last name, and I said it, one of the ladies there exclaimed, "Did you say 'Mertz'?! That was my maiden name!" I have never in my life met a Mertz I'm not related to! She was from St. Louis and said there are tons of Mertzes there. Her family got into researching their geneology, and traced the Mertz clan all the way back to the 1500's in the Alsace-Lorraine region of Europe. Now, is that part of Germany, the country I always assumed was my ancestral homeland? It sure sounds French. Hold on. Apparently it flip-flopped between German and French control, and is now vehemently bi-cultural. How cool to think that I've got French blood in me!

Movies
The other thing I wanted to write about is a couple movies I've seen. I saw Wedding Crashers the other day on DVD...I was very disappointed. It had done so well at the box office, and from the previews I'd imagined it having a lot of potential. But it was basically just crass and dumb. Granted, I did watch the unrated version, so maybe the theatrical version would not warrant "crass," but I bet it would still be "dumb." The other movie I saw was The Family Stone. It was very good. More of a drama than I'd expected, but that made it meaty, so to speak. The cast was amazing. I adore Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel McAdams is rising on my list. Of course Diane Keaton rules (Something's Gotta Give is in my top 10, if not my top 5). Stone is definitely one I want to watch again...I often like movies more the second time around. But Wedding Crashers? Nope, doesn't warrant a second viewing in my opinion.

Websites
You gotta check these out because they are fun and incredible, respectively. First, a time-wasting game (thanks, Arvind!): my high score is 318...anything over 250 is doing well though. And second, a fascinating concept site (thanks, Mom!): photos taken with an extremely high-resolution camera. The photos are gorgeous by themselves, but then when you see the cropping/zooming capabilities, it just wows you.

Lazy blogging

Thanks to Gabrielle for this meme...

What were you doing ten years ago?
Let’s see, January 1996 I was still in college…my second-to-last quarter at UC San Diego was just starting about now. I was living in a three-bedroom townhouse in La Jolla, with my friends Brittney and Meredith. Unfortunately I have no idea where they are now, or what they are up to. Last I heard Britt was working with autistic children in San Diego, and Mer was going to grad school in upstate NY. Anyway, I had just returned from Fall Quarter at Dartmouth, which was an incredible experience. It was my second plane trip ever, and my first (and so far, only) visit to New England. I was in awe of the landscape...the foliage was breathtaking, and then of course the first time it snowed I was beside myself. The history classes kicked my butt (Two B’s?? How dare they?!) but it’s Ivy League, after all. Back in So Cal things were easier. I think around January is when I started volunteering at a local middle school, in preparation for applying to teaching credential programs. We know how that ended up.

What were you doing one year ago?
One year ago I was living in Playa del Rey, right near the LAX airport. It’s funny the amount of noise pollution people will put up with to be near the beach. I loved that my commute was only 5 minutes, but I did not love that I had to sell my condo and practically all my furniture in order to cram myself into a single bedroom. I was working for the Josephson Institute of Ethics as an instructional designer and editor. I loved the work, both in terms of the actual tasks I performed, as well as how it was all driven by our mission. I loved my department. You could not ask for a brighter, funnier, kinder bunch of guys. The only snag was the king, as he liked to call himself.

Five Snacks You Enjoy:
1. Baked Doritos, nacho cheese or cool ranch flavor
2. Cheez It Twisterz, cheddar and more cheddar flavor (they taste like Kraft mac & cheese!)
3. Honey roasted peanuts
4. Hershey kisses, mint flavor (only available around the holidays, alas)
5. String cheese (but only if it’s firm and dry; mushy wet string cheese is gross)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
I love singing along to my favorite artists, so picking just five songs is hard.
1. 10,000 Maniacs – Headstrong
2. Natalie Merchant – Not in This Life
3. Alanis Morissette – Hands Clean
4. Kelly Clarkson – Beautiful Disaster
5. Sarah McLachlan – Answer

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Quit my job. Wait…
2. Travel. In style.
3. Buy a house.
4. Furnish it.
5. Get massages three times a week.

Five Bad Habits:
1. Spending too much time on the computer
2. Staying up and sleeping in too late
3. Not picking up after myself
4. Saving everything like a packrat
5. Being too critical of myself and others

Five Things You Like Doing:
1. Reading blogs (see #1 above)
2. Taking pictures
3. Checking my change for state quarters
4. Eating out
5. Road trips

Five Things You Would Never Wear or Buy Again:
I’m going with “buy”
1. a L’Open pass (tour bus in Paris)
2. a chicken cheesesteak sandwich from Rick’s at Reading Terminal in Philly
3. Mediaworks cable tv/internet service
4. a Kia Rio (okay, so I didn’t buy it the first time; renting one is warning enough!)
5. Red Heart “plush” yarn--it takes forever to make a scarf!

Five Favorite Toys:
1. Computer & the internet
2. DVD recorder
3. Digital camera
4. iPod
5. Knitting needles

Five People I’m Tagging:
1. Tammie
2. Gabrielle
3. Kathy
4. Teri
5. Larry

Art project

An art gallery sent blank nesting dolls to eighteen artists. These are the results. (You must take a peek--they're so cool!)

I can't explain why nesting dolls intrigue me so much. Perhaps it's the notion that there's always something more, hidden beneath the surface. Also, the thematic possibilities are endless.


You can even get custom-made ones if you don't want to paint your own. It doesn't get more romantic than this.

Dolls and Movies

I met with my friend Amy for lunch today at the Peak City Grill on Salem Street in downtown Apex. She brought her laptop and showed me pictures from her recent trip to Europe. She went to Paris, Copenhagen, and Munich with her mom over Christmas. I was so jealous! She said she had a terrific time, and her pictures were beautiful. We talked about Paris for a while (one of my favorite topics!) and I was interested to hear that they didn't even check her passport when she arrived (I would be clamoring for my stamp!). Meanwhile here were gendarmes--soldiers armed with machine guns--everywhere in the city. Odd.

I'd only met Amy once before...we had lunch at Carolina Bakery and cruised the shops at Cameron Village in Raleigh. In one of the stores, I'd pointed out some nesting dolls. I have always had a fondness for them, but I don't have any. So I was very touched and surprised when she pulled out a souvenir gift for me--nesting dolls from Copenhagen! Not only did she think of me when she was vacationing, but she remembered something that I like, then actually bought it and lugged it around Europe and across the ocean for me! I was blown away. They are adorable, and absolutely perfect for me, because they are animals!


I also love that she gave them to me wrapped in the brown bag from the store they came from. Of course I will be keeping it...it has Danish writing on it! So cool.

Later I went to the Streets of Southpoint in Durham. Yes, yes, I know I said I would never return on a Saturday because it was a madhouse last time, but I was meeting another friend, Melissa, at the movies. The mall wasn't crowded at all. I did a little shopping before I had to be at the theater. I got two calendars at Barnes & Noble for half off, and a blazer at Casual Corner...they're going out of business! I was so sad to hear this, because although I don't shop there often, I love the things I have from there, and I even got my first suit ever there! In fact I will probably wear it when (if??) I get an interview here.

We saw Fun With Dick and Jane, starring Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni (who, for me, will forever be defined by her performance in Spanglish). It was pretty funny, as can be expected. (Spoiler alert: Stop reading here if you don't want to know details about the plot.) I was relieved that the couple does not resort to robbery until they are about to be evicted from their house, and that they have to work up to it (the first thing he steals is an Icee) but then they commit some pretty serious crimes and they are never caught or pay penance of any kind. Not even in a justice-enough-for-Hollywood form of karmically making up for their indiscretions, such as by giving money to charity or something once they return to financial solvency.

Before the movie we saw a couple previews that looked very promising. RV with Robin Williams...of interest to me because I'm familiar with the RV way of life, and because Robin is almost always hilarious. Also Click, with Adam Sandler. He gets a universal remote control from the "Way Beyond" section of Bed Bath & Beyond...which can control his whole life, from the volume on his dog's bark, to the speed of his life. The premise is similar to a folktale I used to read to my students...if you had the power to fast forward through difficult situations in your life (an argument, the flu, etc.) would you? Naturally. But then before you know it, your life is over, and you've missed it. So the lesson is to savor everything about life, the ups and the downs, yadda yadda yadda. There's potential there. And then there was the new Superman flick. It was a pretty minimalist preview--a teaser--the kind with only a few glimpses of what the movie will look like, but man, the power of music. The score, somewhat revamped, gave me goosebumps. Definitely want to see that.

Game night

As I mentioned, I went to game night at Larry and Carlee's house in Cary yesterday. I had a fabulous time! I started out teaching Mike and Cindy how to play Taboo, and eventually it grew into a group of 5-6 playing--including Melanie, who never plays anything! We don't follow the regular rules...we just take turns giving clues while the whole group guesses. The first person to guess correctly wins the card. If there needs to be a winner, it's the first one to collect X number of cards, X varying depending on how many are playing (a larger group=fewer needed to win). But sometimes you just want to have fun, and identifying a winner is unnecessary.

Next I learned Spades. Larry had showed me the gist of the game a while ago, but I'd never actually played. It's difficult! I mean, you can play with about 20% of your brain capacity, but then you miss the finer nuances...which clearly was the circumstance I was operating under. In one particularly embarrassing round, not only did I undercut my own partner, but I missed a chance to play an ace and do a take. Ah, well, what can you ask from a beginner, and one whose mind is on vacation no less!

While I was swallowing the bitter pill of utter humiliation over my Spades ineptitude (j/k, everyone was more than kind and understanding, at least to my face!), other groups were playing Word Thief and Scrabble, so everyone was engrossed in group revelry and having fun.

After Spades, I wanted something less strategic...so we played Balderdash, which Chantel had brought. I'd played this with some friends in CA (hi Nicole and Debby!) and knew it was very fun. I had to play recruiter, though, because most people didn't know how to play. Basically, players take turns being the leader. The leader reads the "question," which can be a movie title, acronym, person, law, or vocabulary word. The fun part is these are all so obscure, no one's ever heard of them...and your job is to make up a definition, plot summary, acronym meaning, etc. You can be as outlandish as you wish, but the goal is be convincing too, so other people think yours is the correct one. Meanwhile the leader writes the real answer down, and then reads all of them consecutively. Everyone chooses the one they think is correct...if yours is chosen, you get points. You also get points if you choose the truly correct one. Let me tell you, when we finally got a group together, we had a hilarious time! Other groups commented on how there would be periods of silence (while we're writing our BS answers) followed by periods of maniacal laughter (when we listen to the answers being read). It helps to have some creative, sick, and twisted people playing. One drawback of the game is if the judge flubs reading one of the answers; you can tell it's not the truth, because the judge himself wrote the truth and thus wouldn't flub it. More than one round was "ruined" that way. But I want to give props to Larry, who was able to cover his flub so well, it fooled me and one other player completely!

After Balderdash, most people left, and we ended up playing a game called "Things...Humour in a Box." We made up our own rules. Basically a card says something like "Things you should not say to a teacher..." or "Things you should not do in public..." and players each write down one thing on a slip of paper and hand it to the judge (we all took turns playing the judge). Then the judge reads all the answers aloud and picks his or her favorite. Very subjective, but you can play to the judge if you know him/her well, and with such open-ended prompts, things can get very creative. Things quickly turned rather raunchy, but it was all in good fun. I was laughing so hard my sides were hurting!

Finally!

I got my car back! I got the call a little after 11:30 am yesterday...yippee!! She's beautiful. She's now fully functional, thanks to a whole new door panel for the rear driver's-side. That means the whole inside part of the door was replaced. Apparently the difficulty in procuring it is somewhat warranted...seems that most LX Contours have cloth door panels...mine is plastic. The guy at the body shop said this interior trim package is so unique, it must have been special-ordered by someone. (Not me! I ended up with her because I wanted anti-lock brakes, and she was the only one left in CA with that option.) He also said that I got the absolute last non-cloth Contour door panel available on earth, so this better not happen again! As we parted ways, he said, "I hope you don't need our services for a long time!" Amen to that!

Of course, as soon as I drove off, I realized that I'd forgotten to fill up the rental car's gas tank. Nauseous at the though of paying $5 a gallon or some ungodly rate, I turned around and had to walk back into that office yet again. They were very nice, and let me take the car real quick an fill 'er up. Tiny tank. Three quarters empty and it took like six gallons. Anyway, when I finally drove off in my car for good, I had to get used to her layout. After a couple weeks in a different car, things felt a little off. The steering wheel is much thicker, and also tighter to turn. Also, it was very obvious that my car is SO much heavier than that little Rio. One thing I missed sorely was my stereo. The Rio did have a CD player, thank goodness, and pretty good bass, but virtually no treble. Compared to mine, which has separate tweeters...makes such a difference.

So last night, I went to game night at Larry and Carlee's. I didn't count how many showed, but it was at least 15 again, if not more. I had tons of fun. But when I parked, I left the window down a few inches to let the car air out (she reeked of paint). Well, when it came time to depart, I was surprised to discover it had been raining...which means the inside of my car got soaked! Must have been windy, because I found raindrops as far as the center console, and I'm sure the passenger seat got a few too. My car was still basically empty, so I didn't have any towels to mop things up. The steering wheel was wet, as well as the entire door panel, but that was nothing compared to the seat...the cold water quickly soaked through my pants, which as I'm sure you can imagine, was oh-so-snuggly. I hope everything dries out okay. I guess it was a baptism of sorts...for the next 7 years of her life!

Macaroni Grill brings out the drill sergeant in me

Last night I went out to dinner at Macaroni Grill with Arvind, Larry, and Carlee. It was intended to be Larry and Carlee's last big pasta hurrah before starting their new diet. I was impressed that neither of them cleaned their plates...if I was headed into months of deprivation I would totally pig out.

Anyway, our server, Tiff, was new, and under the supervision of Jan, the trainer. I remember their names because they wrote them on our table. If you've never been to Macaroni Grill, let me explain. Instead of table cloths they use butcher paper to cover the tables (and to give all their patrons paper cuts), and they provide you with crayons so you can scawl at will. One year, I went to a Macaroni Grill in California for my birthday, and I wrote "Happy Birthday Melissa" on the table, then spent the rest of the evening trying to cover it up with plates because I didn't want the server to see. As if regular waiters and waitresses singing some non-royalty-protected version of natal well wishing isn't bad enough, Macaroni Grill often has trained opera singers going around...having one serenade me would turn my cheeks crimson and make me want to crawl under the table.

All right, so back to the server-in-training. She was awful. I was unwilling to cut her any slack because, as the trainer told us, she was in her second fourth "follow," or observation. Meaning, after initial instruction, trainees get followed four nights by a mentor server. After the fourth go-round, they should be ready to be on their own. But this chick was on her second fourth follow. Funny they don't call it a fifth, but rather a second fourth. Of course, I was perfectly courteous to the trainee's face, but when the mentor asked my candid opinion, I was honest. The girl interrupted us constantly, disappeared toward the end of the meal, and had zero personality. Or rather, not the personality a waitress should have...you know, friendly, outgoing, at ease with new people. Now, I'm sure this lovely girl is perfectly adept at many skills and tasks at which I fail miserably, but some people are just not cut out to be in the food service industry. I openly admit I'm probably one of them, but then again I'm not working in a restaurant, am I?

Well, one of my dining companions (who shall remain nameless because turtles love anonymity) thought I was being rather harsh in my judgment of Tiff's skills. Granted, I was in a very spicy mood last night. I get that way sometimes. Usually I'm compassionate to a fault, but I felt fully justified in my assessment. As I explained to the server, I used to be a teacher, and if someone is not performing up to standards, you should not pretend they are. It behooves everyone in the long run, although it can be a little wince-inducing to deliver the news.

So here's where the table cloth and crayons come into play. The nameless turtle decided to express his dismay with my hatefulness by writing "Big Meanie" on the table, then drawing an arrow pointing to me. In response, I wrote "Big Weenie" and drew an arrow to him. Not content to let the immature insults end there, he proceeded to scrawl "Poopy Head" and draw a less-than-flattering portrait of yours truly. Yes, this is the kind of witty repartee my friends and I engage in. Delightful, no?


Notice how the N's are both messed up...we were writing upside down and who knew that a capital N upside down is the same as it is right-side up? Guess you learn something new everyday. Unless you're Tiff. Ouch. Did it again. I'm so hateful.

You'll be relieved to know that if Tiff doesn't make the cut as a server, apparently she still gets to keep her job. She'll just be a hostess instead.

The job search continues

I applied for two positions today. While I still have high hopes for the Environmental Educator job with the county, I cannot put all my eggs in one basket so to speak. Now that the holidays are over, more employers will be hiring, so I jumped right into the job pool this morning to dive after a couple good finds. I'm still at the point where I feel comfortable being selective; I do not want to apply for anything and everything willy-nilly, because then I'll end up with some nondescript office job that is neither challenging nor rewarding, in either the financial sense or the karmic sense.

The first one I applied for was for an agency called Timely Text. They are seeking instructional designers and trainers. Of course, not knowing which company I would be placed with concerns me a little...I would prefer something mission-oriented rather than profit-oriented, but at some point beggars can't be choosers. At least this position would make use of my more unique skills and experience, unlike a boring clerical job that any kid could do straight out of high school.

The other job was with the NC Trial Lawyers Association, as their public education coordinator. This one intrigues me, because among the duties is organizing the annual mock trial competition for high schools. While I myself have never had an interest in becoming a lawyer, I respect any high school student who is dedicated enough to put in the hours necessary to be good at a mock trial competition. Teaching left me quite disillusioned with most students' sloth and ineptitude. Helping create an arena for top-notch students to demonstrate their intellectual prowess sounds like something I could really bite into. The other aspect of the job is public outreach and education, so there's that whole betterment-of-society angle, which is always a draw for me.

So let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? And do a ceremonial job dance. And wish on a star, or a birthday candle, or a lucky penny. If you have a rabbit's foot, put it to good use, for pete's sake, and I'll pretend it doesn't bother me that you have severed animal limbs lying about.

Phooey on the fuss over resolutions

How's this for thumbing your nose at New Year's Resolutions:

My only intention is to be unapologetically who I am. It is the resolution to favor authenticity over manipulation.

Thanks to Teri for pointing this out, and to JackZen for writing it in the first place.

Oh the drama that can arise over the spectre of self-improvement--the struggle, the cautious optimism, the fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of the unknown world which awaits, if only.

Yeah, I guess that's where my mind goes when I don't have pretty flowers to distract me on New Year's morning.

But let's get 2006 off to a less glum start! Last night Arvind and I went to a lovely gathering at Larry and Carlee's house. We played Apples to Apples and even breaking the rules I couldn't manage to win a round! Of course at midnight I could be found plopped in front of the TV watching the ball drop. I squealed with delight when I saw the local station's inset of Raleigh's Acorn dropping, right next to the fancy New York number. Poor Dick Clark. I applaud his hard work--recovery must be quite tedious--but how sad...I think he should have left the hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest, and just enjoyed the festivities. Heartbreaking to see what has become of such an icon.

So last night, at the party, I met Carlee's sister, Cynthia, and her husband, Dan. Dan has a grown-up camera. Big, heavy, expensive--and fabulous! It takes amazing photos. Gasp-worthy photos. I must have one. I always knew an SLR would do better, much better, than my dinky point-and-shoot, but man, I never knew how much better. It's a whole new world, as Aladdin would say.