Meandering Missive: October 2005

Monday, October 31, 2005

Happy Halloween!!

I hope the good folks at Google don't mind me using their image to decorate my blog this hallowed eve. I'm not doing it for any for-profit purpose, and I'm giving full credit for it to Google (my fave search engine). I just thought the motif was very creative (all their holiday-themed "decorations" are!), and I also kept being drawn to the scary, evil hand of the vampire reaching over the second "o". *shudder*

Anyway, I hope everyone had a fun and SAFE Halloween. :) In past years on Oct. 31, I've gone to people's parties, gone to venue parties (like Cheers or the Saddle Rack), gone to the Haunted Forest in Los Gatos, or actually volunteered at the Haunted Forest. This year, however, I stayed home and handed out Hershey's Miniatures to the 24 or 25 kids who knocked on the door (mostly in groups). You'd think in a townhouse complex of 315 homes, there'd be a lot more trick-or-treaters, since it's so fast and easy going door-to-door. Maybe they were all at the mall! *chuckle*

Earlier in the day, I carved my WHITE pumpkin. Since almost everyone uses standard pumps with orange skin, I like to be different and use white. Plus, I think the color contrast between the pale outside and orange inside is beautiful. And then there's the interesting smell. Instead of the standard "pumpkiny" aroma (which I do like), the white ones smell mildly of cantaloupe and cucumber. Very nice. It's not all that surprising, since pumpkins (and other squashes), melons and cucumbers are all in the same family -- Cucurbitaceae! (Gourds are too). I sometimes call this the "coo-coo family," not only because the Latin name starts out that way, but also because it brings to mind the frantic melon on the 9th floor. *smirk* (Don't ask!)

I also did something a little different with the carving. Normally I make some type of jack o'lanterny face, but this time I wanted to be creative, so I bought a pumpkin-carving kit that included a book of templates (stencils?) The tools got a real workout, but instead of using one of the templates, I instead went through my library of oak leaf and acorn theme images and printed out one to carve. Here's what it was....

And here are two views of how my pumpkin turned out. Not as well as I expected, but definitely not as bad as it could have been! :) I decided to forego the sticking-up twig part. In the second photo, the middle-pointing oak leaves almost make it look like a mask.

And, of course, here's what the pumpkin looked like at night, when illumined from within....

Last but not least, I get to use a word that I love, yet hardly ever have occasion to use: PEPITA! It sounds so cute and diminutive, it almost makes me think of what I'd name a pet rodent. (Most folks know I used to have rats and love all rodents). The pepitas in question, however, were none other than the seeds of my aforementioned pumpkin! :D I tossed them in some butter and a tiny pinch of seasoned salt, spread them on a cookie sheet and baked them for about 30 minutes at about 325 degrees F.

Ovens vary widely, especially ones with old dials like mine, so if you want to roast your own raw pumpkin seeds, please don't take my time duration or temperature setting as gospel. The best way is to keep a careful eye (and nose) on them, and stir them around at least once during the baking process, otherwise you may have too many burned ones. After they cool, crack and eat as you would sunflower seeds. Mine were toasty, nutty and yummy! :) As Emeril would say: "this ain't rocket science!" And now here is the exciting photo...

Today I am feeling festive.

posted by ScaryShari @ 11:00 PM 3 comments

Garden update: 4 o'clock SURPRISE :)

My OTHER 4 o'clocks are sprouting! :)

As many of you know, I planted a handful of 4 o'clock seeds (Mirabilis jalapa), also called Marvel of Peru, in mid-September. I harvested the mini black grenade-shaped seeds myself from 2 of my fave plants. Half were from a plant with magenta/pink and white variegated flowers; the other half from a plant with magenta/pink and yellow variegated flowers. (I planted them in the same container but did not mix the 2 types).

Here's a refresher of ONE style of 4 o'clock variegation; flowers can have any mixture of stripes, splotches or "pie piece" chunks of color! Click either pic for a larger close-up.

By the end of September, the mag-and-white seeds began germinating. Please visit my Sept. 28 entry for more info about the seed sowing and about the unusual beauty and habits of 4 o'clocks in general. :) As October began, mag-and-white seedlings popped up in the container I started them in and also in the poor soil along the fence where I threw a few. (Among the many good attributes of 4 o'clocks is they tolerate almost any soil). Take a look at these thriving babies for the proof!

My Oct. 6 entry has a short update on the progression of the container germinated seedlings, and a photo of how cute they looked as their lanceolate "adult" foliage was just starting to come out.

Unfortunately, NO seeds from the magenta-and-yellow 4 o'clocks had sprouted for most of October, and I couldn't figure out why. Both seed groupings got the same amount of water, sun and warmth. I concluded that even though both parent plants were the same Mirabilis species (jalapa), perhaps they were different strains/varieties. So far I've heard of three different names for 4 o'clocks with variegated blossoms: "Jingles," "Broken Colours" and "Kaleidoscope". I don't know if these also represent three truly different strains/varieties or not. What I do know is that the mag-and-yellow parent is taller, and has stronger-scented flowers than the mag-and-white, so maybe their differences carry through into germinating habits as well.

The good news is that just a few days ago, the magenta-and-yellows FINALLY sprouted! First it was ONE lonely little head peeking up out of the soil, but now -- as if making up for lost time -- there are at least EIGHT! I'm so happy and proud of them! :D I wasn't sure if they were sterile seeds or simply "late bloomers," so I never gave up on them. And I'm glad I didn't!! And here they are (not all are in the picture)....

Below are more pix of what the magenta-and-yellow and magenta-and-white 4 o'clocks look like as adults. (Click for close-ups). I'm always amazed by the variety of colors and patterns on their flowers. :)

Today I am feeling gleeful and

proud (of the seeds!).

posted by ScaryShari @ 1:55 PM 1 comments

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Halloween Corn 'Maize'

How mortifying! It was one week ago TONIGHT that I rounded up a handful of brave souls to check out the Fremont Corn Maize. I can't believe I haven't blogged about it until NOW! *blush* Actually, I could have written about it any time, but I somehow didn't get around to Photoshopping all the digital pix until yesterday.

In case the above-linked website goes down a few months from this entry, here's a picture of what the 2005 maze looked like. As a California native, I appreciated this maze's theme, but it sure was funny how one path is going right into/out of the gold-panner's butt!

For years, I've wanted to check out the mazes of maize (aka "corn mazes") that crop up each October. This year, I decided to take the initiative and plan a trip -- or at least TRY! My online research showed that the most "local" mazes were in Hollister and Fremont, with perhaps another in the Half Moon Bay area. Fremont was obviously closer for most folks. The location was Ardenwood Historic Farm, which has done this for the past 6 years.

I printed a Yahoo map of how to find the Farm without verifying it on a real map. I also didn't even realize it was almost directly across the street from Karts N Golf, one of two places I celebrated my birthday in 2005. So, due to my lameness, Tony and I drove up and down Ardenwood Blvd. a few times and took a few wrong turns off the boulevard and kept missing the farm. Finally, we pulled into a nearby fire station (across the city limit in Newark!), where I asked for directions. *blush* Like many females I know, I too found myself a wee bit flustered and giddy in the presence of a group of firefighters! Fortunately, one of them knew exactly where Ardenwood Historic Farm was and helped me realize the error of my ways. (I'll definitely verify everything on my AAA maps from now on!)

During the day, it was a normal fun and challenging corn maze. On Friday and Saturday nights, however, it turned into a "haunted" maze with scary characters, props, etc. scattered amongst the corn to add fright to the night! I mistakenly thought it was haunted Sunday nights too, but that was only true for Sunday the 30th. Sorry about the boo-boo! :( But even without the added haunting, we still had fun! At least I did. :) How about you folks: Tony, Karrie, Dan, Dan, Bronwyn, MVA, Coleen and Larry? (Several others also wanted to attend, but couldn't)

Apparently some folks found it scary enough just being a cornfield at night, as last Sunday I overheard a maze visitor comment that it reminded them of the M. Night Shyamalan 2002 sci-fi/chiller Signs . In this movie, the crop circles in an American farmer's fields are portents of a malevolent alien invasion. One unnerving scene is when the farmer (played by Mel Gibson), searches through his cornfield at night, hearing the rustling of an alien and catching an ALMOST glimpse of one. As I was in the maze, I was thinking about 1999's sleeper hit The Blair Witch Project, but in retrospect I agree that Signs is a far better match.

In a different vein, one of the FUNNIEST things to happen at the maze was when my cellphone suddenly rang from the inside pocket of my jacket! As some of you know, my phone's ring is a bouncy, cheerful rendition of Minuet in G Major by J.S. Bach. This link provides a midi file of the real minuet; I couldn't find a clip of my actual polyphonic ringtone (which sounds more like the Disneyland Electrical Parade!) If you click on the link, I'm sure the melody will ring a bell (if not a cellphone! heehee)

The phone rang because Karrie called me, pretending to be frantic and fearful and "lost" somewhere in the maze (complete with screams in the background). It turned out she and some of the other group members weren't even far from us! ;D The high-tech-ness of the ringtone, not to mention the gleefully cheerful ring, were such a total antithesis to the whole maze experience that I couldn't help but LAUGH!!

One of the more interesting things about the maze was that every so often, you'd come to a post with a paper on it containing multiple-choice clues. Some were so easy we said "duh!", whereas some were so obscure we said "huh?" Flashlights, glowsticks or illuminated cellphones (haha) were a must for reading these clues. Next to each answer was the word RIGHT or LEFT; depending on your answers and your memory of how many right and left turns to make, you'd either wend your way successfully to the next clue, or get hopelessly lost in the corn!

But enough of my ramblings. I'm sure by now my gentle readers (remember Miss Manners calling everyone that?) are eager to see the photos from the trip. Well, here they are! As always, you can click on a photo to view a larger version.

MVA emulates a gracious game show hostess as she reminds us of the maze rules, which are enforced by the 'corn cops'.

Coleen and Larry prepare to venture forth into the maze of maize; their smiles belie the fear that grips their hearts!

Tony and Shari are dwarfed by the vastness of the maze.

Intrepid trio Karrie, Dan and MVA as seen from a bridge above the corn, as the vampiric strangers behind them recoil from the light.

Tony studies one of the clue sheets, determined to ensure our escape, not seal our doom!

We all celebrate our eventual emergence from the maze. But wait! Aren't two guys from the group missing?

The celebration continues. The light from my hands is not the result of shouting "Lumos!" (HP ref. for Karrie's amusement). I was actually just using my mag light to help the photographer see where we were in the dark!

Today I am feeling spooky.

posted by ScaryShari @ 7:18 PM 2 comments

Friday, October 28, 2005

"not-so-scary" Shari? :|

I just took one of those inane little quizzes at Blogthings.com, many of which have the spelling, grammar and syntax of a careless third grader. Oh how I dearly WISH I could get paid to be a copy editor for a site like that!!

At any rate, one of the quizzes that sucked the least was called "How Scary Are You?". I took it in the spirit of Halloween, and also because my nickname is, after all, ScArY sHaRi *evil laughter*. Not surprisingly, however, here is the result of my quiz. (I thought I should have at least gotten the "You are a LITTLE bit scary" designation! But, I guess not.)

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

Today I am feeling amused.

posted by ScaryShari @ 3:09 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

MEME: "Four Things"

That's "meem", not "me-me"! ;D

I've had my blog for about a month now, but I have yet to participate in one of those eclectic, creative snippets called "memes" that are circulating in blogdom. I actually was "tagged" by L/Milgwimper in early October to participate in the 23/5 Meme, but since part of it involved one's 23rd blog entry, I couldn't participate, because at the time I only had about HALF that number of entries. :( Anyone interested in what the 23/5 Meme is about, please visit the Oct. 9 entry in her blog, "Some Like It Hot."

As for me, I will now participate in the Four Things Meme, which I found in the Oct. 25 entry of another friend, Bronwyn, in her blog at Live Journal. (There doesn't seem to be a way to link to individual blog entries there). Bronwyn didn't "tag" me to do this meme, but when I saw it, I liked it, and felt inspired to answer the questions. :) And so, here they are. I'm not up on all the "protocol" regarding tagging my fellow bloggers to participate, especially since I found this meme NOT via getting tagged, but here are the folks I nominate to complete the Four Things Meme -- L/Milgwimper, Shari (my Las Vegas namesake), Marjorie, and Jo. (I'll limit it to four people, since the meme is all about fours *grin*). Of course, it's totally optional and just for fun. No one is obligated to do it.

FOUR THINGS YOU USE EVERY DAY:
1. bed
2. computer
3. phone (cell and/or landline)
4. water

FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE:
1. babysitter
2. Subway sandwich maker
3. 'media professional' (writer, editor, photographer)
4. freelance version of the above

FOUR TV SHOWS YOU WATCH THE MOST:
1. West Wing
2. CSI
3. Food Network stuff (especially "$40 a Day w/ Rachael Ray")
4. Travel Channel stuff

FOUR PEOPLE YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE LAST:
1. Tony
2. Mom
3. Mike (editor of a magazine I freelance for)
4. Rudolf (tech support for my web hosting company)

FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Forrest Gump
2. Braveheart
3. The Breakfast Club
4. The Princess Bride

FOUR THINGS YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE:
1. Visit Europe
2. Road trip across U.S.
3. Own handcrafted soap biz
4. Fairytale happy ending

FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS YOU'RE CLOSE TO:
1. Parents
2. Aunt Janie
3. Cousin Julie
4. Cousin Ron

FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Las Vegas (most recently!)
2. Yosemite
3. Disneyland
4. Chicago

FOUR COSTUMES YOU'VE WORN ON HALLOWEEN:
1. Renaissance Faire peasant/wench ('default costume' for years)
2. Pirate (1 or 2 times in college)
3. Wannabe punk rocker (high school, I think)
4. I wore so many childhood costumes I lost count, but I recall a very cute, old-fashioned clown costume my mom made for me. :)

FOUR SCHOOLS YOU ATTENDED:
1. San Jose State University
2. Gunderson High School
3. Steinbeck Middle School
4. Erikson Elementary School

FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPINGS:
1. cheese (duh)
2. olives
3. mushrooms
4. pepperoni

Today I am feeling content.

posted by ScaryShari @ 10:00 PM 3 comments

"Where's George?" (and why it matters!)

I forgot to mention this in my triad of entries about Las Vegas trip, but that's just as well, since those were all too long anyway! *chuckle*

What I wanted to say was that I spent a handful of Where's George? dollars on the trip. Where's George is an ingenuous website where you can track everywhere a bill has been and continues to be. I first discovered the site when I came into possession of a dollar bill stamped in colored ink with something like "See where I've been! www.wheresgeorge.com". (It was supposed to be George Washington talking).

I visited the site and found a place to enter that bill's serial number. I then learned how many other people before me had found the bill, entered the number and entered information about themselves (if nothing else, their city and state). Looking at this and the chart that shows how far the bill has traveled in days and in miles FASCINATED me! It's not just about ones, either. The site has provisions for tracking $2, $5, $10, $20 and higher bills as well. It's simply that $1 bills are the most common, and the website's namesake George is on them. ;)

Because I rarely ever receive a Where's George? bill, I decided to start making them myself. I write "www.wheresgeorge.com --> Track this bill online!" along the horizontal top or bottom margin of various bills, mainly ones. Then I highlight the URL portion. I've been doing this now and then for close to a year, but so far only 7 bills I've marked have ever been re-entered on the site (6 were re-entered once, 1 was re-entered twice). The farthest recorded location of one of my bills is Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois. The closest is Campbell, one of San Jose's neighboring cities.

In an effort to get some of my bills circulating faster, I marked some, registered them at Where's George? for the start of their journey, and then spent them on my trip. I hope to see them being re-entered from all across the country! :) I should've made notes of where I spent them, but I think I can still remember most of them....

$5 at San Jose International Airport gift shop

$1 as part of change for a $5 I gave Shelley, my seatmate when we were delayed flying to Vegas and a raffle game took place on the plane (more info on that day here.)

$1 as part of a tip I gave the Las Vegas shuttle driver who took me to The Aladdin

$1 in the hotel's gift shop

$1 into a slot machine

$1 as a tip for a drink

$1 toward my bill at either Starbucks or the Zanzibar Cafe (both inside The Aladdin)

$1 I think somewhere else, but I'm not sure

I know everyone (including myself) has much better things to do, but I really encourage everyone to give Where's George a try. Whether you enter a bill you found or start your own bills, let's get those dollars circulating! (And unlike the old "message in a bottle" concept, you actually stand a good chance of success with Where's George!) So keep your eye on the money! %-)

Today I am feeling interested.

posted by ScaryShari @ 2:05 PM 1 comments

Monday, October 24, 2005

Las Vegas: TUESDAY Oct. 18 (Part 3 of 3)

The last of the blog trio on my trip to Las Vegas for the SPJ journalism convention! *cheer* If you haven't read parts 1 and 2 yet, I highly suggest you read them first. Otherwise, the rest of this won't mean much. (They're also more amusing and more illustrated than this one)

I forgot to mention that by the time I went to bed on Monday the 17th, I had broken out and I don't know why. I had red, relatively small, mildly itchy welts on my neck and upper and lower arms. Because I wanted to KEEP them small and mild, I took an antihistamine before bed. I can't believe my absent-minded brain even thought to bring antihistamines with me! Fortunately when I awakened Tuesday, I was no longer bitchy (I mean itchy, LOL). However, then I felt kind of stuck-up (I mean stuffed up, LOL again!)

For what it's worth, I took a picture Monday night of my sleepy/tired eye, after I took off my make-up and washed my face. I cringe at the thought of posting it here, because I think it looks so bad. But I also think it's funny, and it made me laugh. So here it is for your shock and amusement. Remember: you're laughing WITH me, not at me *smirk*!!

Anyhoo, the first set of programs began at 10 a.m. (not counting a special panel from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. -- too early for yours truly!) Some of the set sounded interesting, but none were particularly pressing for me and my situation. That was good, because it gave me time to dress, eat and pack up all my belongings by my 11 a.m. checkout time. It was rainy and very overcast Tuesday morning, and I was not encouraged by the view from my window, part of which included the now almost invisible McCarran Airport! See for yourself....

I then lugged my 500-pound carry-on piece of luggage to the 11:15 program: "Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Freelance Writers' Salon." The presenters were two freelancers: SPJ Freelance Committee chairperson Wendy Hoke again and Roberta Wax. ( Creative Ink is Wendy's blog). This program was very good, but its focus was more on how and where to find/develop story ideas, whereas the previous day's freelance-themed program gave actual resources freelancers could use/visit. But this program was still inspiring, interesting and valuable, and I certainly took notes.

There were one or two afternoon programs I would have truly liked attending, but unfortunately I could only get a 3:15 p.m. flight out of LV's McCarran Airport. That meant I had to arrive at the airport by 1:15 p.m., which meant that I had to get on my way soon after the 12:15 p.m. program conclusion. (I didn't know how long I'd have to wait at The Aladdin for an airport shuttle, and I KNEW I wouldn't be able to walk quickly around the airport, since now my luggage was even heavier than when I arrived (a few souvenirs make a big difference when you have chicken wings for arms! *chuckle*)

But first, a quick backtrack! On the way to The Aladdin on Sunday, we passed the Hard Rock Cafe. Part of the landscaping was a very long line of very tall date palms. One palm caught my eye because its "head" was crooked and looked like it was about ready to fall off! I wanted to take a picture but we went by it too fast. WELL, on the way to the airport on Tuesday, where should my shuttle stop but right in front of the gimpy-headed date palm! The window was spotted with raindrops, but you can still see the palm clearly in the photo below. I suspect it was damaged by careless pruning. However, its fronds seemed as lush as its neighbors'....

When I got to the airport I was so hungry that I didn't even go through the security checkpoint and find my gate. All I did was get my boarding pass at the self-service kiosk, verify my plane was still leaving at 3:15 p.m. (it was, but that changed later), grab an errant luggage cart that some guy didn't return to the locking mechanism, and proceed to the nearest restaurant. It was a Tex-Mex place called Don Alejandro's and it barely even seemed like an airport restaurant. Great menu, nice ambiance and fast service. All I had was an iced tea and their light lunch special of vegetable soup and a tuna salad sandwich (not very Tex-Mex of me). The soup was one of THE best veggie soups I've ever had, and I told the host so! :)

Long story short, here's what happened at that airport as a result of air traffic delays and inclement weather in LV as well as in L.A. That's right -- I had to fly to Los Angeles and then catch one of American Airlines' American Eagle "shuttle" planes back to San Jose. My plane was supposed to leave LV at 3:15 p.m. By the time I left Don Alejandro's, I saw on one of the flight monitors that it was pushed up to 4 p.m. Not bad, I thought. :) However, by the time I got through the security checkpoints and found the right A.A. gate, it was changed to 5 p.m.!

When I told the lady at the gate desk that I was supposed to catch a 6:15 p.m. plane in L.A. to S.J., she printed me another ticket/board pass. It was good for the LAST American Eagle out of L.A. at 7:45 p.m. If I missed that one, she said I'd have to wait until the next day. Yikes! :( I threw away a little money gambling in the airport (which always struck me as weird), and I caved in and bought another frosty Starbucks java chip frapp to drink while reading a magazine and eating one of the high-protein Balance Bars I always take with me on trips. I also made phone calls and/or text messages to L/Milgwimper, Tony and my folks, and almost called Becky too but realized she was still at work. I was so bored (and overtired at that point) that I would have chatted up a stranger, but there was no one right near me! *chuckle*

My plane didn't leave LV until after 5:30 p.m.! I think some folks at other gates actually had their flights cancelled (to other parts of the country). I felt so bad for them!! What a day! I obviously didn't get to L.A. in time for my 6:15 p.m. American Eagle, but fortunately I had enough time to grab dinner to go from the airport's Burger King Express and get to my gate. I could have had to drag myself halfway across the huge airport, but another fortunate thing happened: my gate was quite close! :) I was also EXTREMELY happy that I decided not to check my luggage through, because with all the delays leaving Vegas and the missing of my original connector in L.A., who knows where my luggage might have ended up?! (LOL) Probably not in San Jose by the end of the night!! Timbuktu is more likely -- or at least Dubuque, Iowa! *snicker* So, despite the fact that I got major hand, arm and back fatigue from my leaden luggage, I was very glad I chose not to check it through!

Oh, before I forget, here's a picture I call "pastel sky", because that's how it looked on my late-afternoon flight from LV to LA. (The flight from LA to SJ was totally dark).

This was much prettier in person...

All's well that ends well! :) Even though I didn't get to SJ Int'l Airport until several hours after my originally projected time, I did make it! And boy did I sleep well -- no insomnia for me that night!! I also had a wonderful time on my first flight and hotel trip taken totally by myself. It's still more fun travelling with others, but this was an enjoyable and memorable experience and I'm very glad I did it.

And now, in the words of pioneering broadcast journalist, the late Edward R. Murrow, I will say: "good night, and good luck."

Today I am feeling reminiscent

posted by ScaryShari @ 3:33 PM 0 comments

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Las Vegas: MONDAY Oct. 17 (Part 2 of 3)

Good morning! :) I'm not writing this in the morning, but that was my mood Monday, Oct. 17 upon awakening to my 8:08 a.m. (okay, so I like 'crazy eights' *grin*) wake-up call. It was my second day in Las Vegas for the SPJ National Convention (see previous entry for more info). Fortunately the first group of programs/workshops didn't begin until 10:45 a.m. -- I guess they figured everyone would be up late Sunday eating, drinking, dancing, gambling, shopping or just plain schmoozing at The Aladdin or elsewhere.

Like the captive audience I was, I decided to eat at the Aladdin's Zanzibar Cafe -- an expensive spin on a coffeeshop. I didn't venture outside the hotel to breakfast because of dreary rainy weather (which I hadn't expected) and I didn't walk through Aladdin's Desert Passage Mall because I just didn't think of at the time. And so I dropped $15.45 for juice and an entree (excluding the tax and tip) -- not an auspicious start if I want to emulate Rachael Ray, the travel and food savvy star of the Food Network's "$40 a Day" show. *grin*

I ordered the corned beef hash and scrambled eggs (with toast, of course) not only because I've enjoyed CBH at many other eateries, but also because the Zanzibar added an ingredient I've never seen hashed up before: sauteed celery! I know some folks are gagging right about now, but I love celery. Unfortunately, the CBH overall was a bit disappointing, due to the largeness and toughness of some of the corned beef pieces. But it was certainly filling. While breakfasting, I caught a keno runner and played one $2 six-spot keno game, but didn't win.

Here's my meal. The asparagus was VERY al dente, but the strawberry was good!

After breakfast I headed upstairs to the conference center. Each time slot throughout the day had several simultaneous programs running. Fortunately, it wasn't too hard for me to pick, since some of the programs didn't interest me at all, including those geared toward students, "newbie" journalists, sports writers, hard news hounds, etc. But "Interactive Journalism: Drawing in Audiences with a High Tech Approach" from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. was very interactive, interesting and timely. Its presenter was Jan Shaffer, executive director of J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism. (be sure to check out their cool website.)

An awards luncheon for excellence in college print, broadcast and online journalism took place from noon to 2 p.m., which I'd have enjoyed attending but passed on due to its $40 pricetag. I didn't really feel like lunching during this time anyway, since I didn't get done with breakfast until after 10 a.m.! I passed the time doing several things, including a wee bit of gambling, some people-watching and a stroll through Desert Passage, Aladdin's "mall" of more than 140 retail shops, restaurants, kiosks, etc. Some are similar to what you'd find at your local mall; others were not.

What caught my eye the most were the loud colors (and almost as loud 80s New Wave music -- YEAH!!) at Fat Tuesday, which looks like a giant 7-Eleven wall of Slurpee machines, except that these slushes are ADULT beverages! From various types of daiquiris, margaritas and pina coladas to froo-froo cocktails like Sex on the Beach and Mudslides, to unique concoctions called "190 Octane," "Peachtree Bellini," "Eye Candy," "Mardi Gras Mash" and "Tropical Itch," this place is amazing!!

When I walked up to the counter, I was greeted by Biff, one of the few people who could give me a run for my money on effervescent cheerfulness to total strangers! LOL He no doubt was amused by the agog look on my face and my query of "what's this all about?" His immediate reply was a big grin and a "You've never been to New Orleans, have you?" To which I confessed I have not.

Founded in the mid-1980s, Fat Tuesday now has "bars" in nine states, plus Mexico. I sure hope they come to California! ;D Although if they do, I bet it'll be in Los Angeles or San Diego first. :( Anyhoo, Biff was dispensing samples to anyone who stepped up, even if they didn't ask. He gave me the "190 Octane," which happens to be Fat Tuesday's most popular AND most potent potable! Talk about a persuasive seller! *smirk* Not that he needed to lure me in -- I already loved the whole Fat Tuesday concept.

Unfortunately, I wasn't ready for alcoholic drinks at 1:30 p.m., otherwise I probably wouldn't make it through the afternoon and my next SPJ convention program at 2:15 p.m. In fact, I was on my way back to The Aladdin to refuel with the caffeine and chocolate of a frosty Starbucks java chip frappuccino (which caused Biff to mock gag when I confessed my intentions!) However, he forgave me because he saw my SPJ tote and it turned out he once was involved in journalism too -- "before I became all jaded!" he said with a chuckle. Although he asked me questions about the various people and things comprising the convention, I don't think he'll be making a move back to the media. "I'm having a lot more fun now!" he asserted of his current job, and I must say it is very evident. :)

I promised Biff I'd come back after dinner and actually BUY a drink, but alas, between a somewhat late and very filling dinner, and a liberal slot machine that I couldn't walk away from, I never returned to Fat Tuesday that night. Oops! :( In exchange for taking the following photos for my blog, Biff said I had to give him my URL, so hopefully he's reading this now and will see my apology. Next time I'm in Vegas (which may be next year, if I can plan a "girls' weekend out"), I promise to bring everyone to Fat Tuesday for drinks! ;D

This place is so bright....

....I gotta wear shades!

Moving right along, I certainly wasn't surprised The Aladdin had a Starbucks coffeeshop in-house. If banks, supermarkets and airports have them, why not a casino? I also wasn't surprised that the smallest size ("tall") of java chip frappuccino (which I sometimes call mocha chip) was $3.95! And here I feel indulgent spending $3.20 for it at home! Ah well, that's what happens when you're a captive audience. *grin* Because I wanted a little sustenance with my frap, I bought some raspberry shortbread tartlets, which were a nice complement to the drink. Of course I took a photo, and here it is: my refreshing festive afternoon repast! (Tony, are you laughing?)

The program from the 2:15 p.m. offerings that I chose was "The Business of Freelancing." Its topic was anything and everything a freelancer might need (or want) to know, and then some. Two of the three presenters, Wendy Hoke (check out her cool blog Creative Ink) and Jill Miller Zimon (no blog but a nice web page) I'd already hung out with for a time at the Sunday night reception. Funny, how of all the hundreds of folks I could have met in the buffet line, it was two fellow freelancers! :) Wendy is also chairperson of SPJ's Freelance Committee, which I am definitely going to join and become active in. I'm also going to visit the wealth of websites Wendy, Jill and Bruce Shutan (the other presenter) had compiled of interest to freelancers. For a list of them, click here (this is as much for myself as any of my blog readers, as I'm likely to lose the list otherwise! *blush*

There were also programs in the 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. time slot, but I forewent them in favor of a "professional review session." Throughout Monday and Tuesday, students and professionals could get their resumes and clips (work samples) critiqued in one-on-one sessions (about 20 mins each) by high-ups in the business. My high-up was none other than SPJ's immediate past president Gordon "Mac" McKerral! I'd seen his column and photo in many past issues of SPJ's magazine, Quill, and I knew of his major experience in the media world. So it was exciting and humbling to have a session with him. I even gave him a copy of my resume, and he said once he got home he'd visit the online version (which I designed myself) and click on the links that lead to a variety of my written and photographic work. I can't wait for more feedback, be it positive, negative or any combination of the two. *blush* If anyone reading this is interested, you can see my resume here.

After this, I went back up to my room to write out the postcards I'd bought the night before in the 24-hour gift shop. As many of you know, I'm a postcard nut who loves sending them even when I know I'll be home long before the cards reach their destinations. *chuckle* My hand was a little shaky due to the Starbucks on a half-empty stomach AND the muscle fatigue from dragging my heavy carry-on luggage the day before, so I hope the 6 of you who received cards didn't think I was writing while drunk! (LOL)

And now a quick mention of my almost-meeting with my Las Vegas namesake Shari, who many years ago beat me to the punch of registering the very cool domain name of Shari.com. But aside from myself (heehee), I can't think of anybody cooler than this other Shari to blog at that domain name, and that is the truth. :) We have a lot of "Shari-ness" in common, including a love of pet rodents, photography, gardening, travel, food, words, wit, writing and random inane things.

I'd been an irregular "lurker" to her blog for a year or two but never posted a comment and never emailed to introduce myself. (I don't know why, pretty lame really). Ever since I got my own blog, however, I guess I felt more "worthy", so I began an email and blog-comment correspondence with Shari and discovered she's a very funny, friendly and interesting person.

We tentatively discussed meeting up in Sin City early Monday eve -- a "bloggable" topic if I ever heard one -- but unfortunately it didn't work out. (A heads-up she left in my blog Monday afternoon but I never returned to the Internet Cafe to see it). Shari also called once (didn't get thru) and sent me several text messages that day, but I never received them. Sorry about that! :( I have Verizon Wireless and my service was VERY crazy and unreliable at The Aladdin. Here is proof that she gave it the ol' college try (she actually blogged about it!). Next time I come to Vegas, we'll make plans more ahead of time, eh? Maybe it will even be when Mike's in from Australia! Then again, if that's the case, you probably will be catching up on lost time far away from Vegas! *grin*

There's always something good in something bad, and even though I was bummed that the two most eccentric Sharis west of the Mississippi didn't get to meet, I still had a lot of fun. I had a beautiful and delicious dinner at The Zanzibar Cafe (which made up for the somewhat disappointing breakfast). It was a plate of 3 fish tacos filled with shredded veggies and juicy mandarin oranges (which I love). The fruity sauce in the upper right was a perfect complement. The meal also came with Spanish rice and a serving of FOUR or FIVE different types of beans in sauce that was also delicious. I've never seen so many types of beans in one grouping before!! Oh, and the dish was garnished with scoops of tomato/cilantro/onion salsa, guacamole and sour cream, with a big red chile (or something) pepper, which I did not eat! Here's the photo (don't look if you're hungry!)

When I took this pic, I confessed to the couple next to me that I had a blog and liked including photos of food in it. They didn't seem to find that weird at all. (whew!) In fact, they even offered me a photo of the brownie sundae they had for dessert, because it was so pretty and tempting. I told them I'd definitely include it, but anyone who knows my eating habits would know I could never eat a huge dessert right after a huge meal. (LOL) I have to put a good deal of space between the two! Anyway, the woman took the following photo herself....

After dinner I'm not sure what all I did to pass the time, but one of the things I did was a little gambling! Normally I always migrate to nickel video poker, because at least with poker you can have SOME effect on the outcome of a given game/hand. With slots, you don't. However, I fell into a nickel slot machine call Bucks Ahoy that was bright, colorful, played appealing music and had a swashbuckling pirate theme that I liked. It turned out to be a propitious choice, because the $10 to $15 I invested on that machine kept me playing for OVER 2 HOURS! Not bad for someone who has trouble with her attention span! *grin*

I got so many "mini jackpots" and got to play so many bonus round interactive touch-screen games that I simply couldn't get up! :D The machine was very fun and generous. (And cool when the pirate talked -- he had a Scottish accent!) I even had a nice chat with a friendly senior lady named Elva who sat next to me (at another Bucks Ahoy) and proceeded to have the same good luck I was having! She could have been from anywhere, but it turned out she was from somewhere in the Monterey/Salinas area -- practically my neighbor! Of course, I told her about Cafe Rustica in Carmel Valley, the restaurant I blogged about on Oct. 15.

Here are two photos: one of me smiling furtively as some random lady took my picture (who obviously jerked the camera as she took it) and another of the video screen when I had just won 100 nickels, which I took myself. It's crooked and weird because I was afraid security would tell me not to take pictures, but no one ever came. Be sure to click on the screen shot, so you can see the various symbols up close (especially the beautiful treasure chest!)

And that's it for this entry! I'll conclude my trip with the next one! Thanks for reading. *blush* Comments are always welcome. :)))

Today I am feeling giddy.

posted by ScaryShari @ 9:49 PM 4 comments

Friday, October 21, 2005

Las Vegas: SUNDAY Oct. 16 (Part 1 of 3)

This will be a real exercise in self-control. As many of you know, I love to write about fun stuff and tend to ramble when I'm excited about and/or interested in something. *blush* However, since there's so much I saw and did on this trip, if I allowed myself to ramble I would risk putting my readers to sleep, earning the dubious "longest entry award" from Blogspot, or both! (heehee)

Please remember that ALL photos can be clicked on to give you a larger/better version of the image. :)

In a nutshell, I was in Sin City on Sunday, Oct. 16 thru Tuesday, Oct. 18 for the annual National Convention of SPJ ( Society of Professional Journalists), of which I've been a member since the mid-1990s. For the amusing background info on my adventures in getting this trip planned, which I won't go into much detail about now, please visit my Oct. 1 entry.

My American Airlines flight out of San Jose International Airport was at 1:15 p.m., but due to thunderstorms in Las Vegas and accompanying air traffic delays, we had to wait more than an hour in San Jose. However, because the airport needed our gate for other planes, mine spent most of that extra hour "sitting on the tarmac", waiting its turn to leave. The only thing worse than waiting in a terminal is waiting in a cramped airplane seat! HOWEVER, being the optimist, I want to focus on 2 cool things that came of it.

First, I had a very nice seatmate, Shelley from Chicago. She was on her way to LV for a "girls week out" that she and her friends enjoy there every year -- sans husbands or boyfriends, sans children! She also happened to be a player of bingo (one of my fave group games) and mah jongg (my mom's fave group game). LOL! Plus she brought a huge stack of "indulgent" magazines like People, Enquirer, etc. and shared them with me. A very friendly person. I hope you had a great trip and won some money, Shelley! :)

The second cool thing was a MONEY RAFFLE! You folks who fly often probably are laughing at my amazement, but I've never heard of this on a plane! About halfway into the hour on the tarmac, the flight crew announced a contest to pass the time. Everyone who wished to participate was told to get out a dollar and write their seat number on it. An attendant collected the bills in a bag and had one of the kids on the flight draw a bill. The person who contributed it won the WHOLE BAG!! :) I unfortunately didn't win the pot, which turned out to be $88 (Not everyone participated). Eight is one of my lucky numbers, but oh well. Maybe next time.

The flight to LV was uneventful. As we landed at McCarran Airport, I was mesmerized by the long row of palm trees (Mexican fan palms, to be precise) speeding by, and the way the plane's wing appeared to be pointing to them. I took a picture figuring the trees would be one long blur, but instead they came out pretty good!

The last time I flew to LV was about 6 years ago with my mom, and I swear I don't recall the animal "sculptures" rising from the floor of the airport! Either we didn't come by this area, or they simply weren't made yet. Being an art fan, I think I'd have remembered them. There was desert horned lizard (aka "horny toad"), some type of snake, and some type of creature I missed. Here's the hisser....

As you know from my Oct. 1 entry , I had to pay a pretty penny to stay at one of the strip's largest and lavish-est resorts: The Aladdin. I could've stayed anywhere on the strip (I prefer the thematic elements of Treasure Island, Excalibur, Luxor and Bellagio), but since the SPJ convention was at The Aladdin, I knew it'd be 100 times more convenient to stay at the same venue. And it sure was! :)

One of the things that impressed me about my hotel room was the "mini suite" nature of the bathroom. (You can tell I don't normally stay in fancy places! LOL) Upon opening the double French doors, a deep, long bathtub faced me. To the right was a long granite vanity; to the left was a recessed shower stall, plus a separate room with another door for the actual toilet (with happened to have a leaky flapper valve!). In one of the pix below, you'll notice my face (and camera) framed in the small round mirror. That was not accidental, but rather the result of careful photo composition! :)

Speaking of observations about my room, the following triad of pix reveals my eccentric love of all things inane. In fact, I'm probably the only person who'd think of photographing (for the sake of future blogging) these things. Well, okay, my LV counterpart Shari (and savvy founder of Shari.com might also be guilty of the same. *grin* As might my best friend "L", a.k.a Milgwimper; she who blogs at Some Like It Hot. (I'll write about Shari's and my ALMOST meeting in the next entry).

I don't know what types of moths they have in LV from spring through mid-summer. However, if they're able to fly up (or down) the sheer face of a high-rise hotel and finagle their way into a long, narrow vent and into hotels, maybe I don't WANT to know!

In today's litigious society, it's good to warn people about every possible safety hazard, but was this sign really necessary? The only time carpets are slippery is when they're still damp from the shampooing -- my carpet was as dry and rough as a bone! Perhaps the "slip n' slide" effect may result if hotel guests engage in activities that get the carpet damp all over again! But we won't go there!

And finally we have this sign for all the people who might otherwise REALLY get the carpet wet! Nevermind the fact that there's a whole closet in which to hang clothing, and nevermind the fact that I had to climb up on a chair in order to reach this sprinkler -- and then just barely! I guess at least one hotel guest (probably there to attend a Stupid Fest) caused a sprinkler deluge! BTW, the sticker says: "Contact with sprinkler will cause flooding."

A few programs/workshops took place Sunday afternoon for the early-arrivers, but unfortunately I didn't get there soon enough to take the one that sounded interesting to me: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" The topic addressed when to stay or leave a media related job. It sounded like it was partly geared toward young professionals who'd outgrown their first job, but I'm sure it would have addressed folks like myself, who have experienced general burn-out after 8-10 years of being overworked and underpaid by various community newspaper groups. Then again, I already made the choice to go -- I now make my living solely by freelancing. Currently that's with one newspaper group, two Bay Area magazines and one website chain.

At any rate, the highlight of Sunday was the opening night reception form 7 to 10 p.m. at Aladdin's swanky Curve Lounge. I'm not even sure if you can visit the lounge without a reservation or a VIP status! However, I didn't need to worry this time; I was "with the group." Here's how our convention booklet described the gala:

The Aladdin's ultra lounge, Curve, will be closed to the public as journalists take over the place. Don't miss this great opportunity to network and take advantage of a delicious menu of Italian favorites along with scrumptious desserts and a hosted bar.

The buffet did include Italian food, but it also included Middle Eastern fare with a touch of Indian and Asian fare as well. Very nice selection and presentation! :) My fave food, was, of course, the Italian. I didn't take any photos because it was hard enough balancing my heaping plate in one hand and my icy cosmopolitan in the other! (I don't normally drink cosmos because I don't want to be seen as a "glam girl", but the bar didn't have the ingredients to make any of my fave "froo-froo" fruity cocktails like Sex on the Beach, etc.)

I did, however, score a delicious dessert platter shot! After a suitable break of walking, sitting and schmoozing, I went back for a treat -- right when a server set down a new, untouched platter! Unfortunately the succulent white and dark chocolate-covered strawberries were not on this platter, but you can see a tiny corner of them in the lower left. I didn't even realize that, because I was in a rush when I snuck this photo (not that anything's sneaky about a blinding camera flash) before anyone took anything. The yummies didn't last long -- I can personally attest to that! ;)

After the reception petered out, I found my way to a "practice" room where a handful of PATIENT croupiers were teaching people (mostly convention folks) how to play craps. I've never been able to figure this game out, but since this was a no-pressure situation with play money (chips), I took the plunge! The croupiers explained things too quickly for me to absorb it all (especially since I have trouble processing anything involving numbers), so I just kept asking over and over and staring like a deer in headlights. I also just kept playing. These guys will never see me again, so why should I care if they think I'm an idiot? %-D As it turns out, after about a half hour, I no longer felt completely lost -- only partially! And I definitely understood some concepts that previously were alien.

On the way back to my room (on the 27th floor), I noticed something that reminded me of a strange sort of still life on a table in the elevator waiting area. I don't know why, but I took its picture. I call it: "Still Life with Phone and Wine." ;D

I guess I was still wound up from the whole day and evening, because suddenly I hit upon the idea of photographing myself jumping on the bed wearing my clothes and boots! Or maybe it's because Tony, with whom I'd talked on the phone earlier that day, jokingly asked me if I'd been leaping across from bed to bed in glee. (I've never in my life stayed at any motel or hotel alone and was giddy from the indulgence of it all!)

This is where camera self-timers come in very handy! The first shot below is hilarious and so perfect -- I'm totally in the air. I think I almost hit the ceiling! (If not with my head, probably with my hair!) The second picture was snapped right as I landed (from another jump). If not for the fact that my hair hasn't fallen yet, it would simply look like I was standing on the bed with my arms and legs out. But in fact I had just landed from another jump! *giggle*

And that's it for the SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16 portion of my trip. I'll do separate blog entries for the 17th and 18th later, which will include purposeful programs, fantastic food, slutty slot machines and airport aggroness! (If I write anything else now, this entry will become WAY too long!) Any and all comments are welcome and always make my day. :) *blush*

Today I am feeling happy.

posted by ScaryShari @ 11:11 AM 1 comments

Welcome to my blog: 'Meandering Missive'!

: Name: ScaryShari; Location: South Bay Area, California, United States

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