Bon Voyage!

Well, my suitcase is packed, iPod updated and fully charged, books packed, last minute items in a semi-neat pile, and I think I'm ready as I'll ever be. As of 11:30 pm U.S. time I will be landing in Rome, Italy, for the beginning of a 12 day tour of Europe. Our flight departs from John Wayne at 6:45 am and our travels will take us to Rome, Venice, Lucerne, Paris, and London. Right now I am most excited about visiting Venice and Paris. Coffee in a Parisian sidewalk cafe certainly hits the spot...then again, so does shopping at Harrods, touring St. Paul's, admiring the beauty of Venice...

I'll be sure to post pictures and a synopsis of our trip upon my return. I must admit, part of me can't quite believe I'm actually going. Hopefully, it will hit me on the plane. Bon voyage!

Hollywood Blvd.

Last Saturday I took Seth to see Phantom of the Opera. We decided to make a day of it and spent time walking along Hollywood Blvd., grabbed a bite to eat, and then saw the show. I thought it would be fun to post some of my photos of the stars.

I pretty much forced him to take this picture with me. Since it was for his birthday,
I said he didn't have a choice!

Europe

Two weeks from today I will be in Venice, Italy! Am I feeling ready? No!!! I know it's going to be the trip of a lifetime, and I don't want to miss a moment of the many adventures that await. I just hope I can pull my packing together because I can't afford to do it the night before we leave. :-) I always overpack when I throw my suitcase together last minute...

Multitasking: Art or Distraction

This article was on MSN this morning, and it set me to thinking about how I multitask in my own life. http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/article.aspx?cp-documentid=16121365&GT1=32001

In today's society, women (in particular) take such pride in their ability to multitask, but at what cost? Yes, it is important to keep everything running within the family, on the job, etc, but does this actually detract from producing quality work? In my case, I think it does. I think we get so caught up in "multitasking" or juggling everything at once, that we forget how to be in the moment and immerse ourselves in the task at hand.

I first started noticing the effects of this at work. I would have several projects going on at once, which is fine, but when I tried to work on them in bits and pieces at the same time, I found I was losing focus on what I was doing. When I prioritized and worked on them one at a time (allowing for phone, e-mail, and student interruptions, of course!) things were much smoother. This also happens during phone conversations. Remember the days when phones were actually attached to a wall and any task had to be within arms reach? Obviously, those days are long gone, and now with cell phones I can do lots of things at home or out of the house while I'm "catching up" with friends. Great, right? I'm not so sure. Because my mind is not fully engaged in the conversation at hand and is focused on other things, I don't recall as much about conversations as I used to. This pattern has emerged over time, and I would like to change it. I won't stop multi-tasking completely, but I will take more pride in what I am doing. Quality is more important than quantity, and I'm not failing if I chose to not do a million things at once. Multi-tasking certainly has its place, but it's not the only way to accomplish something!

(I'll climb off my soapbox now...)

Inside my head

This song has been going through my head ALL day. Good thing I like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6b9xzS_rDo&feature=related

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

A Green Thumb

Do you see this poinsettia? It was given to me at the beginning of December, over one month ago, and IT IS STILL ALIVE!!!! For those of you who know me and know me well, you will understand my excitement. I am not exactly known as the local green thumb and have killed more plants than I have kept alive. And, this one is still alive and kicking. Please allow me to revel in my excitement of keeping a plant alive for longer than a few days. Yah!!!!

New Years Eve Party

This past December 31, my friend Christina and I hosted our first ever New Years Eve party. If our current plans are any indication, this will be the first of many! Despite being planned rather last minute, everything came together beautifully and a grand time was had by all.

Sampling of our deliticable assortment of appetizers.

(This is the chocolate fondue with dippers, which tasted wonderful if I do say so myself.)

Guests acting silly right before midnight. We watched the ball drop, toasted each other,

and went a little crazy...well, not that crazy.

Assembling the mysterious whodonit Hitchcock puzzle.
Some of the guys.

Two tired, but pleased party hosts. (and yes, I am being attacked by a blower)

Goodbye 2008

Happy New Year, everyone!!! As my friend, Christina said,

may 2009 be a year of possibility.

Thoughts about a film

This may sound silly, but I am so happy after reading Adam's latest film review. No, I'm not astonished at his writing (after all, I have lived with it for a very long time!). Rather, I am feeling a sense of gratification to see him grappling with issues that have, at times, taken over my life. It all started yesterday when he and I went to see The Reader. Naturally, I wanted to see it because of the World War II plot woven throughout the story, and, happily, it did not disappoint. Once again, something has reminded me how much I truly love my thesis/research topic. It can be doggone depressing at times, and I have seriously wondered why in the world I am drawn to this. Truth be told, I have no answer, except to say, it captivates my very being. I can't say too much more since I am at risk of spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it. Suffice it to say, the story takes a valid historical argument (Primo Levi's "gray zone") and shows ,how in the Third Reich, not everything was/is black and white. Simply brilliant.

(and, no, I'm not getting my PhD!)

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

Finally, some decent pictures of the Christmas tree!!

This is exactly what I was going for...with the exception of

the bright light. What's up with that!

Christmas Cheer

I'm wrapping Christmas presents!!!! (and taking photos of my favorite packages!)

Christmas Lights

In honor of my mother's birthday we went out looking at Christmas lights, and I thought I would share a few of the pictures I took.

This is a view of Old Town Orange. The center tree is gorgeous,

but thanks to being in a moving vehicle, the photos did not turn out.

I hope to go back before Christmas and take a still.

One neighborhood in Old Town is beautifully decorated.

Here is one example of a front yard display.

This is a side view of our neighbor's house. Please excuse the street sign. It's not easy taking a picture without looking like you're gawking at the immensity of it all.

The car was moving at this point, but you get the picture.

Christmas Cheer

Christmas has arrived at the office!!! I was talking with a co-worker last week sharing my desire of how I wanted to decorate the El Toro office for Christmas, and the next day she brought two bags of snowman themed decorations. Hurrah! Coupled with a trip to Michaels I have So today, I spent some time decorating and wanted to share some of my Christmas displays. Naturally, after I took the photos Trish brought me some more things, but I didn't have time to take pictures of them.

My so called, Christmas table. I have candy canes and

candy kisses in the basket. Yum!

I had to do something with the pencil holder!

To top it off, I finally found decent picture frames for my sunset photos. I need to frame a grand total of 5 pictures and am starting with 2. When you have to provide your own private funding for office "improvements" it takes time to scour local establishments for good deals!

Carlsbad Photo Blog

Here's a smattering of pictures from last week...

Welcome to Seaport Village sign. I hadn't been there in years.

Flight deck of the U.S.S. Midway, moored across from the village.

Decent photo of Seth and I. :-)

This picture was taked around 1:00, and the ocean really is out there.

The majority of the week looked like this.

Point of view shot: crabs-eye view!

Seth really liked how this turned out. It was chilly by the water.

The next two pictures were taken from the jacuzzi. I haven't photo shopped them at all.

Las Vegas has arrived...next door??

For the most part we have very nice neighbors. We aren't exactly 'close' but wave at each other, pick up mail when we're on vacation, you know, that kind of thing. But then there are the neighbors next door. Somehow they missed the concept of the standard, accepted definition of neighborly. To me that means being friendly, helpful, and most of all, respectful of your fellow man. I mean, if you have a party, isn't it polite to move it in side, around 10:00-10:30 so as to not subject the houses surrounding yours with undue loud noise? If the city ordinance says parties should cease at 10:00, doesn't that mean something? But no, we endure at least one wild party a year complete with live (and VERY loud band) a year. (where they attempt and fail miserably at recreating Led Zepplin's Star Spangled Banner, I might add) In the summer they have multiple get-togethers on the weekend, which in and of themselves wouldn't be negative, except they are usually drunk/buzzed and very rambunctious into the wee hours of the morning. You get the idea.

Which brings me to Christmas. A most joyous time of the year, and one they go waaaaay overboard on. Once again, every single inch of they roof, lawn, trees, and open space on their house is covered with lights galore, a blow up snowman, a blow up snow globe, candy cane archway, plastic trees, snowflakes, a moving train, etc, etc. And, I am not kidding! The light is so intense I think the power they use for it could generate enough electricity for a third world country! This years theme is blue since they recently had their house painted that color and they added the candy cane archway. It's so much an so overboard, the rest of the neighborhood looks pitiful in comparison. I know its fun to enjoy the Christmas spirit, but how about doing it with some taste and style. Just a thought. I'll try to take pictures so I can prove I am not making this up!!!!

P.S. I almost forgot about the Christmas music they play until midnight and the cute, little Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes they use. What if I wanted to go to bed before midnight!!!!

A little of this & A little of that

Why in the world am I using Thanksgiving of all days to catch up on blog entries?? Well, maybe because I actually have some free time this morning! Last week we spent a week in Carlsbad with numerous family members going back to Orange County for various reasons (Adam and I for work, Seth for class, etc). Regardless of all of the comings and goings, it was nice to have some time away from it all, even if I did have to spend a couple of days working remotely. We had a great ocean view (on the days it wasn't foggy) and some nice walks at the beach. I also went to Seaport Village for the first time in years. It looked much smaller than I remember! I'll post some pictures of our Carlsbad adventures later. The week before we left I finally finished my graduation scrapbook. It certainly took long enough! The good news is I had just the right amount of protectors and decided to end it where I did so I didn't have to go buy more. I am feeling a little scrapbooked out right now. I suppose it's time for me to get busy with my day. Photos will follow before next week!

All for the love of coffee

Yesterday I had a plan. Since it was the day before Thanksgiving, and we all had to work a full day, I thought to myself why not ring in the holiday season with my favorite holiday beverage: a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. Great idea right? To sweeten the deal, CSUF just opened a full-service Starbucks in the new business complex and provided 20 percent off coupon for trying it out. So, I arranged the details. I would save the coupon for the 26th and get myself a nice cup of joe. Everything was working out perfectly: there was no traffic on the freeway, I made it to work in plenty of time to buy the coffee and walk in at 9:00, I found a parking spot close to Mihaylo Hall, and headed in for my holiday treat...only to discover they closed the Starbucks for the entire week. My plans were dashed. Now, I know Fullerton keeps food services on a limited schedule during student breaks, but why, I ask, would they promote a new business with a coupon that expires during a week they aren't even going to be open?? Someone made a big error, and since I didn't have any more time to drive to the nearest Starbucks I headed for work without my peppermint mocha. Somehow I made it through the day. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Calling all Streisand Fans

Regardless of your political affiliation, I thought this was hilarious! (and, yes, I knew all the words, of all the songs, and knew where he messed up on the notes!!!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeocOXQx_iU

Photo Blog: Pittsburgh through Photos

View of downtown Pittsburgh as seen across the Ohio River

This view looks amazing enlarged ~ the blog photo does not do it justice. :-/

Catholic Church as seen from our room.

The trees actually change color!

My Fellow Travelers

Dear Fellow Traveler,

I am in need of advice. Not just any advice but very specific advice about my next trip. Having recently returned from a trip to the East Coast, I am reminded of how arduous a task packing ones suitcase is. Make sure you have essentials, but don’t take anything you really don’t need. Wear your comfortable (and usually, heavy) shoes on the plan to conserve both space and weight. It is such a job! Now, as you may or may not know, on February 12, 2009 I embark on a thirteen day tour of Europe. Needless to say, I am very excited to finally see the many national landmarks that, up to now, I have only read about. However, I am a little concerned about one little aspect: packing. Per tour regulations, travelers are only allowed one (and I emphasize one) suitcase, plus your carry on and purse. This is unfortunate because I would happily pay the 2nd baggage fee just to have a little more room and have a specified place to stow souvenirs.

Do you have any packing suggestions that would benefit me? I know things like, buy travel size items, wear clothes more than once, etc, but anything else would be greatly appreciated. Traveling in February means it’s going to be cold, and sweaters certainly weigh more than tank tops. Any suggestions about what to carry on the plane so you don’t have to pack it?

Thank you in advance for your help in preparing me for my dream come true…a trip to Europe!

-Excited Traveler

On the road again...

View similar to what we see from our room.

I love these bridges!

Greetings from Pittsburgh! Yes, I boarded yet another airplane this morning and spent my day traversing the country to ole' Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I must say, that from a 'room with a view' perspective, ours looks out over the Ohio River (we think!), and the landscape is dotted with glistening water and beautiful lights. While I'm on the east coast for business, I hope to spend some time sightseeing tomorrow night. It's getting rather late on this end of the continent, so I shall provide further updates at a later time. Auf Wiedersehen.

Travelers Note: Do not, under any circumstances, fly while you have a cold. The pressure on the ear drums is excruciating, and I DO NOT say this lightly. :-( I deplaned 3 hours ago and am still waiting for an ear to pop.

Homecoming

On Thursday night I attended a Homecoming in an aircraft hanger. Number 244 to be specific. Not exactly a traditional "homecoming," but one filled with honored guests and special memories. For those of you who don't know, I am part of an oral history project documenting the history of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. I have been with the project since the very beginning and am currently working full-time as the Acting Director through the end of January. Thursday night the Orange County Great Park (funding behind the project) held the El Toro Homecoming for all of the project narrators (people who give their oral history). Over fifty narrators attended, many with family members and special guests, and it was wonderful to see these special people again or meet many for the first time. Having listened to or read scores of their interviews, it was a treasure to watch them interact, greet old friends, and share stories about their time in boot camp, Cherry Point, and, of course, tales about El Toro. The evening included bus tours of the base, a reception, group photograph, buffet dinner, and a display of donated artifacts and photographs of each narrator. To top it off, we even got some publicity. One of my first narrators, Faye Shumway, was interviewed by our local NBC affiliate for a news story!

This project is something I believe it, a reason to go to work each day. I feel like I am making a difference in someones life, insuring their memories live on. It's all about the people. They are the heart and soul of oral history. Having these amazing individuals welcome us into their homes, prepare delicious snacks, take us to lunch, serve tea in a tea cup their son brought back from Russia, barely remember anything about their past yet whistle when they see a picture of their wife saying, "Isn't she a beautiful girl?"and receiving a thank you note for our visit...these kind gestures make it worth it continue on. I may despise the corporate side and bureaucratic politics, but we can make a difference in our own little way. I can believe in the people and their legacy. Helping preserve their history truly gives meaning to my own life.

Here I am with Faye Shumway, one of my favorite narrators

Inside of hangar with guests milling about and catching up with old friends

Close-up of group photo

Group photograph taken in front of Hangar 244, the same hangar Faye

worked in while she was stationed at the base.

Ashtray made out of half of a missle (no kidding!) This was donated to the project.

Magnificent sunset, as seen from inside the hangar.

(Notice the Great Parks signature orange balloon.)

My lunch break

Since my oral history interview was canceled this afternoon I decided to use my lunch break to buy more items for my graduation scrapbook! Of course, I found even more options since Michaels has an endless inventory of scrapbooking tools, and I happily spent more money on paper and decorations. Now, I just need to find time to put it together...hey, you only get a masters once!