Instant Stupidity

I love doing these number puzzles.  I have books strategically located throughout the house, sharpened pencils (with erasers) tucked securely inside.  Not only are they in the house, but when I travel one always finds its way into my luggage just in case where I’m going or how I’m getting there has blocks of time which do not keep me busy.

I’m not very fond of the first category of puzzles even though they make me seem very intelligent…

They’re just so easy there’s no challenge.

The second category of puzzles is my favorite.

They’re just hard enough that I have to exercise my brain matter but not so challenging that head scratching is part of the process.

When I get to the end of this category I turn the page to…

…instant stupidity!

I fill in the blanks on every puzzle the same way — work the three horizontal rows of 9-square blocks then the three vertical rows;  work each of the 9-square blocks individually going left to right in horizontal row 1, right to left in horizontal row 2 and left to right in horizontal row 3, then I work each of the 9 horizontal rows followed by each of the 9 vertical rows.  If there are any blanks I start the entire process again.

I never vary from this routine as it’s the only way I’m sure I’ve checked every possible way to fill in the squares.

No matter how thorough this system seems, it doesn’t work for the “hard” puzzles.  Nope, I’m now a believer that in order to solve these puzzles, one must attack them logically not just methodically, and that dooms me to failure as I have no puzzle logic.

Really.

Honestly.

None!

There are Logic Puzzle books you can buy where a series of statements allows you to put a yes or a no mark in boxes where the names of people intersect with locations, hobbies, traits, etc.  My sister loves and excels at these puzzles, but not me, and I’ve tried…a lot.  I do fine if there are 3 people and just 2 things I’m trying to match up with them, but once either quantity is exceeded?  Even a flashing red neon sign pointed at the obvious (to others) won’t help me.

I’m doomed to fail at Logic Puzzles and most of the hard Sudoku puzzles because my brain is just not wired correctly for solving them.  But I keep trying to solve the latter with my methodical method, and when I reach the end of the book I go back through the entire category giving the puzzles that don’t have “done” scribbled next to them one more try before recycling the book and starting a new book…at the beginning…in the easy category…where the last book’s failure is replaced by success.

Front Yard Update

I’m so excited – last night I finished the layout for the front yard conversion!!!

Right or wrong, good or bad, the plan is done!  Here’s the main yard…

…and here’s the garage side…

Even though the layout looks full, when its planted there will be a lot of space for the first year or two as the plants grow and fill out.  I added everything based upon its mature size, not purchase size.

All the colors used for each plant represent the bloom color of said plants.  I did this so that I could make sure I wasn’t color-heavy in any area.  And all the small orange circles?  Those will be California Poppies that I’ll plant from seed in December, just in time for rainy season.

So, what’s left to do in order to get everything off to the HOA?

Tonight I’ve got to pull together pictures of all the plants and place them on two or three pages.  Ditto for the mulch, rocks, boulders, bridge and arbor.  Then I have to write up some info about the conversion and my step-by-step plans to get it done.  I’ll e-mail my work self all the pages so I can print out multiple sets tomorrow – 3 for the HOA, 1 to mail to my Dad (‘cuz he likes to see what I’m up to & he loves getting mail) and 1 for me to use once approval has been received.

Friday night and the weekend will be spent on “neighbor watch” so I can get the required signatures from the neighbors on either side of me and across the street. Monday I’ll bring everything to work, make copies of the HOA forms and cross my fingers as I place all the paperwork into an envelope and drop it in the mail.

Then the 30-90 day wait will begin.  And the daydreaming will continue.

Doodlebug

Me + writing implement + blank area on paper + situation that doesn’t require my full attention = doodles!

When I’m in a meeting that is interrupted by phone calls, Skypes or lectures to other attendees, I look down at the pad in my lap and start doodling.  I don’t have ADHD or anything, it’s just that I have so many things to do that sitting idle can be frustrating and I need to occupy my brain.

Besides, the paper in my lap is calling to me…

Laaaady…there’s an area over here that is feeling left out, can you please fill it with lines and circles and colorings?

I comply…

I don’t have any plan when I start, in fact I don’t ever remember consciously thinking about what I’m doing, the pen/pencil just takes off…

…though sometimes after I’m done I can “see” things in the doodles.  This one reminds me of peacock feathers…

I think my mind had a lot of spare time on this one because there are so many different shaped doodles instead of a repeating one like the peacock above…

And words are not safe from the doodlebug in me…

Just so you don’t think the only time I doodle is at work, a few years ago when I spent an entire morning in a  juror waiting room I  rested my left foot on my right thigh and drew my sneaker…

…in a little 3-12/” x 4-3/4″ sketchbook.  The jury group I was in didn’t even get called into the courtroom, but I did end up with a pretty good sketch of my sneaker!

So folks, when you’re bored in meetings or waiting rooms what do you do to occupy your time?

Faith Hill Concert Review

Row EE (actually row 11), seat 41 at the Pacific Amphitheatre found me nearly dead-center for Faith’s concert Saturday night!

Was I excited??  Beyond so, even given the difficulties in getting my butt into my seat!

No…it’s not that wide.     The problem can be summed up in one word — traffic!

I left my house 4 hours before the concert at the O.C. Fair (Costa Mesa, CA), arrived at the fairgrounds 1 hour later, then spent the next 2-3/4 hours trying to navigate to a parking space in the barely moving fair traffic!  How “barely moving”?  Hhhmmm…1 hour to go 1/4 mile…ugh!

If you know me at all then you know that statement has raised two red flags.  First is about the traffic – I absolutely positively canNOT stand So. Cal. traffic!  Second is my need to pee, especially when I can’t.  At one point I was so frustrated with the traffic issue that I wanted to cry but I knew that would serve no purpose, I’d still have to pee.  So I didn’t do either.

It was 7:48PM when I finally parked and shut off my CRV…+/- 1 mile from the amphitheatre!  It was decision time – do I wait for the free shuttle or do I walk as fast as possible?  Which would be less upsetting to the bladder???  Time wasn’t the deciding factor – even though there was just 12 minutes before showtime, there was an opening act – Jennette McCurdy – so Faith wouldn’t hit the stage ’til 8:30 or so.

I walked…very quickly…did what I had to do then plopped into my seat at 8:10PM, to the view of the empty stage in the above picture.  Hhhmmm…what happened to the opening act?

Just after 8:30PM the lights dimmed, the band took their positions on stage and the audience went nuts.  They went REALLY nuts when…

…Daisy Duke took the stage!!!!

Seriously, it was Faith, but my instant reaction was Daisy Duke (it totally does not help that I think there is a strong resemblance between Jessica Simpson and Faith Hill).  Unfortunately I still haven’t gotten that Daisy Duke association out of my head…

Faith’s song selection was very good…a mix of oldies, newbies and covers, and she did a great job on all.  She ventured to the sides of the stage frequently, though a bit “stage left” heavy, and waved and winked often.  She even crouched down to grasp the outstretched hands of her fans and even allowed one to sing in place of her.  She frequently encouraged her fans to sing and clap along as she sang and rocked around the stage.  And the eye candy that was Faith?  Yep, the guys were quite happy…

Now for the negatives…

Not once was there any mention of what happened to opening act Jennette McCurdy…in fact, Faith’s chatter with the audience was minimal, and uncomfortable.  The song selection was a very good representation of her body of work, but even when she gave everything she had to her song “Stronger”, the audience reaction told me it didn’t reach their core (though I thought it was awesome).  When the song ended I made a point to turn around and watch the fans…less than 1/3 gave her a standing “O”, and those that did quickly silenced their hands and sat back down.

There were obvious interruptions as well.  Before the concert began I watched a gentleman, I will call him Stage Manager, come out and anchor a long length of paper to the floor directly in front of where Faith would stand.  Halfway through the show he came out and turned said paper…try as he might it was a very obvious move.  On two other occasions Faith finger-invited him on stage and whispered in his ear.  One time was between songs, the other was during an instrumental portion of a song.

It was quite obvious she was having issues with her IFB pack…and her ear piece…her hands frequently visiting her back and her ear.  Let’s not even discuss the corded microphone!!!  On at least one occasion the cord and microphone stand tangled in such a way that a guitar player had to step in and untangle the two to head off a disaster.

By far the most irritating part for me was that Faith kept looking down and reading…whether it was the paper or a teleprompter I’ll never know…but it happened…frequently!  Don’t believe me?  Here’s a picture…

It was very clear that she didn’t just have her eyes closed…she was looking down and reading.  I’ve been to enough concerts to know that “help” is a standard practice just in case, but for it to be so obvious?  Not so good…

I think Faith had a great time, though at times I thought she was struggling with her identity, performing more like a rock ‘n roll gal than a country gal.  And for the most part I enjoyed the concert very much…it was just missing the magic that happened two nights earlier at the Martina McBride concert.

Will I attend another Faith Hill concert?  Negative.  If the tickets were free?  Still negative.  If I had a backstage pass?  Doubt it…  Will I listen to & purchase her albums?  Definitely!  She’s an awesome singer but just not a good live performer, at least in my opinion.

Oh…to add insult to injury, this was the traffic heading east on the 91 Freeway at 11:10PM (pardon the blurriness)…

…and this was the view 4 miles later when we were all stopped due to an accident…

Yep, that’s four lanes of vehicles that after coming to a complete stop, crawled at 5-10mph for 3 or 4 miles until the accident was passed (didn’t look too serious, but we So. Cal. folks are known to be looky-loos).

Martina McBride Concert Review

See that lady walking across the upper part of the stage?  That would be Martina McBride, the 5’2″ vocal powerhouse who captivated more than 7,000 people for 98 minutes, and who left each of those people wishing for at least one more song…

Martina opened the show with “Ride”, an upbeat song from her latest album.  I have to admit that I wasn’t super impressed with the performance – at times it was hard to hear her voice above the instruments, almost like the sound guy was asleep at the controls.  Next up was “When God Fearing Women Get The Blue” – the one song I do not like at all.

I still clapped and cheered because…well…everyone else was enjoying themselves and as Friend said, at least the song I didn’t like was over early.

From there the concert was an uphill thrill ride, one that moved at warp speed!  Her vocal ability was absolutely incredible, even with the microphone a foot or more from her face.  She held perfectly pitched notes ’til I was ready to pass out from not breathing, and she did this while moving to the beat.  Martina ran around the stage (while in spike shoes) and constantly interacted with the audience.  She repeatedly walked to the sides of the stage and sang to fans in those side areas, she pointed and waved to people throughout the audience and yes, she chatted a bit between songs.

I won’t mention all the songs she sang because I know I’ll forget some, but three songs were absolute standouts for me.

First was “Broken Wing”, a song about an emotionally abusive relationship in which the woman finally breaks free, “how” is left up to the listener to decide.  From my seat I felt the anger pouring out of Martina, anger that was in defense of the woman in the song.  The resulting performance was the first standing ovation of the night!

Next was “Anyway”, my absolutely favorite Martina feel-good song.  Martina’s vocals were spectacular throughout, but the audience went wild when she started belting out those last 7 words — I siiiinnnng, I dreeeeeaaaaam, I looooooooooooove, anyway.  The ensuing standing ovation for this song made our first standing O pitiful in duration and emotion.

Martina’s reaction to our reaction on these songs?  She genuinely seemed moved…

Martina’s final pre-encore song was “Independence Day”, a song about physical abuse and the extent to which a mother will go.  Though the topic is sad and disturbing, Martina’s passion combined with her incredible vocals are always a battle cry for all who hear it.  Thursday night’s rendition was no different, the audience was on its feet from the first notes, rallying for the cause.  The amount of emotion flowing out of that 5’2″ person was incredible, and it was absorbed by everyone in the audience and then sent right back to her, in spades.  The streamers fired out to the audience as the final notes were sung were the perfect exclamation point on which to end the song.

The two-song encore, covers of rock songs “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi and “Summer of ’69″ by Bryan Adams, was pure fun.  It was all about rockin’ to the music and playin’ with the dozen or so beach balls of varying sizes that the stage hands had sent into the audience.

All in all the concert was spectacular!  Martina had the audience singing, clapping, dancing and cheering and wanting more.  Yeah, there were a couple rough patches where the beat was off and the vocals were overpowered by the instruments, but those moments will quickly fade from my memory and forever be replaced with all the other special moments of the night.

Whenever Martina is in your area I highly recommend you treat yourself to an evening you won’t soon forget!

It’s Morning Already?

How utterly devastating!

At least it’s FRIDAY morning!

Why am I complaining?

I was out way past my bedtime last night, walking into my house just a few minutes before yesterday turned into today.  Add in my still being wired after a most awesome Martina McBride concert state, I couldn’t fall asleep right away.  This morning I hit the snooze button 6 times, the first two without even waking up!

The concert review post won’t show up until tomorrow but here are some O.C. Fair non-Martina tidbits…

First, I finally had one of those ultra-famous Pink’s Hot Dogs!!  I had a chili cheese dog with mustard and onions and let me tell you, the dogs ARE all that and more!  I’m having another Saturday night when I’m back at the fair for the Faith Hill concert.

For dessert, Friend and I both had chocolate dipped frozen cheesecakes on a stick!  OMG – it is a slice of cheesecake on a stick, dipped in chocolate and in my case, then dipped in sprinkles!  Another do-over on Saturday!!

Here’s Friend…I was surprised she took popped her head into the circle before first seeing what was on the other side!  Guess she trusts me!

Do you know how Brussel Sprouts grow?  I do now!  Here’s the plant from a distance…

…and here’s a close-up of these green orbs of tastiness!

Don’t you just want to break off a few and eat them?  No??? GREAT – more for me!! 

Lastly, here’s a picture of what I want to be doing right now instead of heading to the office after a measly 4-1/2 hours of sleep…

Snoozing while sunbathing, oblivious to everything around me!

Happy Friday everyone!

Little Bits IX

Tire Watch

I followed this white Honda for 3 miles before we both turned down Bumpy Road (that’s not the actual name of the road, that’s my nickname for it thanks to layers upon layers of patched potholes).

At the end of the road I caught up with White Honda again and sighed…

That hanging license plate frame was horizontal for the first 3 miles I was behind the car which means somewhere along Bumpy Road a screw popped out.

Given the magnets that seem to be in my tires I am now on tire patrol…listening for clickety-clacks and watching for flats.  So far so good…

Work Entertainment

Assistant and I had a nice break from work the other day watching this guy clean up his mess.  We didn’t see how it happened, but all the boxes on the forklift had somehow fallen off and scattered themselves on the ground in front of the gate to our office.

Though I didn’t think to grab my camera until he was just about done with the clean-up, he did put on quite the show.  Receptionist heard his swear when the boxes first took their spill, then after putting the first couple rows of boxes back on the palette on the forklift, Guy sat on said forklift and did some serious texting.

I called Receptionist and suggested she get his rear in gear by opening the gate, getting in her SUV and trying to drive out.  Assistant and I thought that was a very funny idea, Receptionist not so much…

When putting rows 3 and 4 on the stack, Guy put the first box closest to him, then had to walk around the stack when adding the others for each row.  Assistant and I were wondering why he didn’t put the first box on the far side so he didn’t have to do so much walking.

After the fourth row was complete the pile was very wobbly and all Guy’s pushing together of boxes, either with his hands or his butt, didn’t secure them so he grabbed the roll of shrink plastic and walked in circles until the boxes were secured in a tight blanket of plastic.

The next act in this little drama was a confrontation between Guy and fellow Girl employee.  We couldn’t hear the words but the gestures were very entertaining…

Unfortunately for Assistant and me, the final act was not as entertaining as all the previous ones as Guy had the mess cleaned up before our Boss arrived at the office.

Neat Retreat

This is one of the seating areas at the shopping area near me.  At night, the big ball on the right has a fire at the top to add even more to the already neat atmosphere.

Awesome View

When I walk to the outdoor classroom at the nursery where I’m taking my garden workshops I have to see this.  It’s such a chore…

…to walk away and actually attend the workshop.  The picture doesn’t really do the view justice – it is breathtaking!

Anticipation

Yes, a singer, two in fact,  but neither are Carly Simon!

One is Martina McBride!!!

She’s in concert tonight, Thursday, and Friend and I have tickets!  The concert starts at 8PM – a mere 14-1/2 hours from right now!

I saw Martina at this amphitheatre 2 years ago and her performance was INCREDIBLE!!!!  So incredible that I don’t mind going to another concert, +/- an hour away (depending on traffic) AND on a work night!!!  Friend and I are both Martina fans and we have good seats so an awesome time should be had for sure!

The only thing I’m anticipating more?

Her!

That’s Faith Hill and I have a ticket to see her in concert Saturday night…at the same venue…and I’ll be in row 11!!!!

I see two concert review blog posts in our future… 

My 12-Step Process For The Front Yard

Next week I will be tracking down 3 neighbors to get them to sign off on my front yard plans.  Once their signatures are secured I will be sending a novella of sorts to the HOA for their approval.  I’m confident they’ll approve the plans, but I’ll still be crossing my fingers each time I go to the mailbox!

Amongst all the pictures and diagrams will be this 12-step process of what will happen once approval is received:

1. Sprinklers shut off.
2. Plants that neighbors are taking dug up and donated
3. Trees cut down.
4. Arbor and bridge ordered.
5. Dead grass raked up.  Outlines for path and plants spray painted on yard.
6. Arbor and bridge placed in yard.
7. Mulch, decomposed granite delivered.
8. Path edging put in place.  Decomposed granite and mulch spread.
9. Boulders and rocks delivered.  Boulders placed.
10. Dry creek bed created – anchored with cement underneath so rocks do not become toys for kids.  Brown coloring added to cement so it looks like dirt.
11. Plants arrive
12. Plants put in ground.

There are two main purposes for this list.  First, so that the HOA members can drive by my house any time and see that progress is being made, ditto for the neighbors.  Second, and most importantly, this list will remind me to focus on just one step at a time so that I don’t overwhelm myself by looking at the project in its entirety.

It’s like one of my professors said back in college:  picture yourself on one side of a river and your goal on the other.  You can’t get there in one leap, you need to step on lots of rocks to get across the river.  Each rock is a mini-goal within the big goal and if you focus on reaching your goal by going from rock to rock, you’ll succeed.

The professor really shouldn’t have been teaching at the college level, at any level really, but this piece of wisdom has served me very well in many situations (like a cross-country move!).

I do have tangible progress made on my pre-submittal to-do list, also known as research.

First, I’ve found a mulch that I really like!

I figure I need 3-1/2 cubic yards of this stuff.  That will let me cover the yard about an inch or so deep.  I don’t want a lot of mulch, just a deep enough layer that the dirt doesn’t show and the weeds aren’t encouraged to grow.

Second, I’m going to use decomposed granite on the paths (mulch place sells this too!), and the paths are going to be edged with black edging so the mulch and DG are neighbors not mixers.

Third, I ordered an arbor for my backyard (sorry for such a lo-res image, it’s the best the website could spare)!  I really like the looks of this guy and if it’s as awesome as I think it will be I’ll order another for my front yard once I get approval!

Fourth, I’m getting quotes on tree removal and stump/root grinding this week.  Fifth, I’m stopping at my first rock “store” today to get a handle on boulders and rocks.

Lastly, my plant list is just about complete!  Not only do I have the botanic and common names, I also have a location column.  Not location as in where I’m putting the plant, but location as in where I’m buying the plant!  When I head out to the nursery this weekend for my final workshop I’m going to get the prices for the plants I’m purchasing out there, ditto for the other nursery I’ll be visiting as well as Lowe’s.

This weekend the calculator will be very busy letting me know what I can and cannot do with the front yard so I stay within my budget, or stretch it, just a little.  Once I know what works within my budget I’ll finish the front yard layout, gather all the pictures I need and fill out the HOA forms.

Three neighbor signatures and one postage stamp later the wait will begin…

Social Security Card

We all have them, but do you know where yours is?  Is this red, white and blue piece of card stock in your wallet?  Or maybe in a drawer at home?  Is it in your safe deposit box at the bank?

Is your brain now in overdrive wondering exactly where the card is hiding?  If so, strap in for more whirling thoughts!

Boss’s Wife was in the office Monday and just shy of mid-afternoon she ventured up to the penthouse to tell me and Assistant that she did not have copies of our W-4s, driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.  Given that we’ve both been paid since our respective hire dates, we telepathically agreed upon, and laughed at the knowledge that the request was owner-speak for “I lost your paperwork but am not about to let you know that”.

I looked at Boss’s Wife and told her that I’d have to bring my card in on Tuesday, that I didn’t carry it with me.  Her response was one of disbelief followed by the statement that she carries hers with her at all times.  Assistant on the other hand had everything with her.

After Boss’s Wife retreated from the penthouse I asked Assistant if she really had her card with her.  She replied in the affirmative, that she had been told she should always keep her card in her wallet.

I was stunned.  And I still am.

For two reasons.

First, how often does one actually need their Social Security card?  The last time I used mine was 5-1/2 years ago when I moved to California, the reward for which is having to redo all my paperwork.

Second, in this day and age of hyper awareness of identity theft, why would one carry in their wallet the most important piece of information an identity thief needs, all but holding up a neon sign inviting disaster into their lives?

One million apologies to any reader who was offended by these words!  I may be completely oblivious to a need for this credit-card size piece of cardstock that requires it to be handy at an uplanned moment’s notice.  If you can be so kind as to share that need with me I will blog an apology like you’ve never seen…

But…if there is no such reason and said card is currently living in your wallet, will you please put some serious thought into this post and move this document, one that holds the key to your entire life, to a safer location?

The Laptop Trio

Pardon my silence over the weekend — I had company arrive late Saturday afternoon which meant that after my gardening workshop Saturday morning I did the food shopping and the cleaned, cleaned, cleaned!  Remember me?  I’m the person you don’t want to visit without at least a couple hour’s warning.  Ummm…make that a couple month’s warning — I’ve known about my company since May!

So, who’s visiting?  My cousin Jeff’s 22-year old daughter Meghan and her boyfriend Davis.  They’ve been on an around-the-country driving adventure since June 1st, racking up 10,000 miles so far!!  They took the northerly route to get out to the west coast, stopping at national parks or other places of interest along the way.  Most of the time they’re camping but they  did stay in a hotel in Vegas and with other strategically located relatives.

Saturday they were at the beach in San Diego before heading up here to the blast furnace (102 degrees when they got here).  They took some time getting themselves organized, took showers then we had pizza for dinner and sat around and chatted for a few hours.

Sunday morning their alarm went off at 6AM so they could get themselves out the door to go zip-lining in Big Bear.  I knocked on their door at 6:30 to rewake them, they got up at 6:45 and were on their way at 7:05AM.  They had asked me if I wanted to go as well but since I’m 3/4″ shy of their harness requirement I passed.  I wouldn’t be able to watch them so it would have been going with them for the ride up and down the mountain while doing something else during their adventure.

Instead Scarpetto and I worked on the backyard pathways for 2-1/2 hours.  The second path is all done (YAY) and the third path is about 1/2 dug up.  Once it’s all dug up putting in the blocks will be quick and easy (hopefully).  I put Scarpetto in the house, did some backyard weeding then took a shower and went to Target.  Once back home I puttered a bit, worked on a project for a friend for an hour or so then started doing more research for my front yard overhaul.

Meghan and Davis were back by mid-afternoon so that they could get an oil change, relax and get some laundry done.  We chatted for a while and then settled into a comfortable silence.

Why?

Meet the Laptop Trio!

In this picture Davis was actually multi-tech-tasking.  I think he was texting on his phone in the middle of doing something on the computer…  This scene just cracked me up, probably because I live alone and am never in this situation, because it did seem to be a normal thing for the other two.

Meghan and Davis were organizing pictures from their trip, catching up on Facebook and playing games while I was busy with front yard planning, e-mail and Facebook.

Dinner was salad and leftover pizza with a saltwater taffy dessert for the visitors.  We hung spent the next couple hours chatting and multi-tasking:  Meghan on her laptop, Davis writing postcards and me watching Army Wives and computing.

This morning I’m writing this post while my company is still snoozing.  I’m not sure exactly what time they’re getting up but they want to be on the road around 9AM – and that’s when I’ll head to the office.  They’re meeting one of Davis’s cousins for lunch in L.A. then heading back up the coast to Oakland/San Fran before leaving CA later this week for the Grand Canyon and their eastward journey via a southern route.

It was great having them here for a visit, and I think they enjoyed their time as well.  The visit plans were very loose, just “whatever”, and though they did get an adventure, they also had some catch-up on things time as well.  And best of all?  We had the opportunity to hang out, chat and get to know each other better!