Proof that Britain is evil.

Like you needed it.


(This is just a teaser before I finish my account of Murry's and my exploits over the final days of her visit. Why did she have to gooooooo?)

Don't cha wish your [best]friend was [lame] like me?

The great thing about having friends is how dumb you can act in front of them and not worry whether they'll still love you. For example, you can do pilates in front of/with your best friend, and you'll feel silly, but you'll also get an even better ab workout because you're laughing hysterically during all the moves.



Don't think that your friends are all love, however. They'll still tease you when you mysteriously develop a double chin in every single photo taken from arm's length. So flattering.



Happily, you can make fun of them too when they try to learn aerobic salsa dance moves from the Nikewomen website.



Then you can show them how it's done. Just look at the confidence on my face. That's the expression of mastery, my friends. Watch and learn.



After getting schooled on the dance floor, your friend might decide to wow you with his musical skillz. Trust me, Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys has nothin' on him.



Being lame is hard work, so you'll probably need to relax. Enter: the hot tub.



Ahhhhh...much better. :)



Damn, there's that double chin again!

Life's a beach

Nothing says 'living it up' quite like the hillbilly dance.


As you can see, Murry and I went to the beach today. Abbey was kind enough to walk us down to the beach nearest to her house, then take this humiliating picture of us enjoying the sun and sand. Classic.

Later, we stopped by Dad and Nilofer's for some dinner. Drew tried to duplicate the hillbilly dance, with only marginal success.

Times. Good ones. I've been having 'em.

You can probably guess from the lack of regular blog updates that I've been busy. I've been having a kick-ass time with Murielle. No surprise, since we always have a great time together, but it seems that the days are just flying by. Not a lot of lolling around I suppose. (And no, watching Veronica Mars does NOT count as sloth.)

Since she got here on Monday night, I suppose we haven't done anything particularly eventful. We have, of course, been watching lots of Veronica Mars (which she loves (yay!), so it's not like I'm forcing her). We've eaten Mexican food, so she can cross that off her list. We went to see a movie (V for Vendetta...not bad at all). We mocked/watched American Idol with Corey and his friends.

But the highlight, so far, I'd have to say, was going to the mall. I'm not a big mall girl, I suppose--too full of people, too easy to spend money you don't need to spend--and I'm of the opinion that malls are better handled in pairs or packs. I don't have a pack available to me most of the time (except when Abbey and I make an expedition), so I don't go to the mall very often.

Now, despite my slight less-than-fondness for malls, I've already stated that I had a kick-ass time with Murry. Why is that? Ten words: trying on fancy dresses we have no intention of buying. Ohhhhh, such good times.

We went to the posh dress area of Macy's and completely regressed to high school and loved every minute of it. Each of us picked out dresses for the other one - half nice, half hideous. While we had a good time with the pretty dresses, we had an even better time with the ugly ones. Check out these abominations:

Now, if I were one of the girls from Go Fug Yourself, I could probably do this justice. Instead, I'll just say that Murielle looks like she's going to eat your soul, and enjoy it, while wearing a thrift-store wedding dress that was last owned by a six-foot-tall Russian mail-order bride (well, her husband-to-be, who bought the dress, also bought her story that she was six feet tall and foxy--in reality she's about 5'4 and sporting a 'stache). Meanwhile, I look like a call girl who went from one appointment (dominatrix duty for Dr. Spank-me-a-lot at 4:30) to another (high school reunion, class of '86--trying to prove my pea-soup-green prom dress still fits) and forgot to take off the shoes in-between appointments while grabbing dinner from Arby's, where I was served a less than 'Market Fresh' sandwich.

Nah, they do it a lot better. :) But they don't have pictures of themselves in some sweet millinery, now do they? No, they do not.

If I were the kind of gal who gets drunk, right now I'd be gulping Guinness

This week, it's been all about work. A big project I've been working on is finally coming to a close, and it's an enormous relief. While I'm really excited about this finally finishing up, I'm also a bit frustrated because I don't quite feel my coworkers know how much effort I put into this.

Let me be clear: This project was sort of thrust upon me. People in another group decided to do it, probably without really understanding what it would entail. Since it directly - nay, primarily - involves one of the key areas for which I'm responsible, I had to be involved. I had to be very involved. It wasn't work I planned to do, or that people consulted me about before taking on. It pretty much dropped into my lap--you know, like a screaming child, one that someone else gets all riled up and then hands over to you.

That said, it was a useful project, and something I'd have been keen to do myself, given the time. But I didn't really have the time. I've been busy enough with the main product I work on and several other side projects as well. Still, if I wasn't involved, I knew people would fuck it up and do things I'd disagree with and I'd be unsatisfied with the results.

So, I had to really throw myself into it and carve out a big chunk of time and deal with things that were severely unenjoyable for me. By severely unenjoyable, I don't mean staying up until 2am reorganizing data or spending mindless hours copying and pasting or getting territorial when people cast a severely critical eye on my work. I mean, coworkers.

I know there's no "I" in team. But Lord how I wish there were no "me" in team either and I could avoid working with other people all together! I could just stand on my mountain of content, possibly with some sort of scepter, and issue decrees to the people. "Yes, you may have the new email you request!" or "No, thou shalt never get the tracking links you desire!" Trust me, it would be awesome. I'd be the most loved benevolent dictator ever.

At any rate, I'm going to be pretty psyched when the project is completely out of my hands on Monday and I can go pick Murielle up at the airport with the appropriate carefree joie de vivre. Unfortunately, in order to prepare for said joie, I've got to work this weekend to make sure my commitments are all taken care of. Le sigh.

This addict didn't get her fix

It's Thursday, and a new Veronica Mars was on last night, and I didn't watch it.

(Pause a moment for effect.)

I didn't watch it because I was working until 2AM finishing up something for work. You know, it's funny, I hear there are jobs where you actually do all your work from 9-6, or 8-5, or whatever, and then you don't come home and do more work. Do those really exist? Because I don't seem to have one. And when your job prevents you from watching the show that pretty much justifies your existence, things are looking down. Don't get me wrong, I really lucked into my job, and there are aspects of it I absolutely love, but there are also days I want to trip my coworkers as they walk by in the halls, cover them with Elmer's glue, and pour a bucket of scorpions on them.

On the plus side, I am delayed gratification girl, so I will enjoy watching VM later today and having less time to wait till the new ep next week. But I beware of spoilers! If you've seen the episode (that means you, Mom), please keep mum.

The name is wicked wit, not wicked talented

I leave the wicked talent to others, like my friends, who outshine me in the art department like a 1000-watt bulb. Observe:

copyright ilc photography

This picture was taken by my amazing friend Abbey. Stunning, right? (Both the lady and the picture.) Abbey's just breaking into the photography business, and it seems like a great match for her artistic, independent, searching nature.

Looking at this picture, I feel that I'm right there, watching the dimming sky stretch into the distance, feeling both hopeful and mournful as the dark encroaches upon the light. I have the sense of something lovely but ephemeral--bittersweet and beautiful. There's peace there, too. Peace and calm.

It's gorgeous. Keep it up, Abbey!

Guess who's coming to California?

MURIELLE!!!!!

That's right. My long-absent best friend will be visiting the bay area once again. She's moving back from Paris to Strasbourg, and with two free weeks between the move and when she starts her new job, I suggested (demanded?) she spend some time out here. It was fairly last-minute, but seeing as how she misses the States and me (who wouldn't?), she jumped at the chance. I'm elated to say she'll be out here from March 20-29. Gleeeeeeee!

It's been a long time since Murry was out here, and while the last visit didn't go 100% smoothly, I have higher hopes for this visit. I'm going to take some time off work and we are going to bliss out, girl style. Potential activities include:

• Watching the entire first season of Veronica Mars


• Doing each other's hair


• Taking Drew out for a picnic (if parentally approved)


• Going to the beach/visiting Abbey


• Eating Mexican food (as stipulated by Murry)


• Mall-haunting


• And more!

It should be a rip-roaring good time and I'm really looking forward to it. Got any suggestions for fun, "only in America"-type things to do? Comment away!

It's a cliché because it's true.

It's easy to conjure up the mental image of college students at a library - students poring over piles of textbooks, sitting cross-legged in the stacks, slumped and snoozing in armchairs. During college, that was me too - only I wasn't in the school library, I was in the public library, and the book I was engrossed in probably had nothing to do with my scholastic pursuits.

Welcome to the life of a library geek. I'm Joobie and I'll be your guide.

As y'all know, I went to college at UC Berkeley. During my first couple years of college, the main branch of the Berkeley Public Library was under renovation, so I went to the North Berkeley branch instead. Though smaller, it was equidistant to my house and in fact closer to my work. (Believe it or not, proximity to the library has always been one of the first few things I check when considering the move to a new apartment. Walking distance is a major plus.) I went to the library a lot during my sophomore and junior years, and even more during my senior year.

Happily, it was during my senior year that renovations to the main branch on Kittredge were finally completed. Viewing the exterior of the main branch, you can't really understand how great it is inside. The children's area is bright and welcoming. There's ample space throughout to spread out and study. There are all sorts of nooks to drag a chair into and settle down with a good read. The place is spacious, full of windows, and well organized. In short, it's awesome.

To me, libraries have always felt like a good place to unclutter the mind for a spell. But they're also like quicksand - oh so hard to drag myself out. Last weekend I went by intending just to return a book, and here's what I came out with:

Three Junes - Julia Glass
This has been on my "to-read" list for years, literally. I'm halfway through it! (The book, not the list. That is waaaaaay too long.)

Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson
Another one from the list.

The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
I heart Kal Penn, AKA Kumar. He'll be in the movie version of this book soon enough.

Love Monkey - Kyle Smith
On the first, now-disintegrating page of the list. They made a show out of this, but it was cancelled, so it looks like I'll be reading the book and just picturing Tom Cavanaugh instead.

My Boyfriend's Back - Donna Hanover
Reading so I can dish with Grandma. Hi Irene!

Fargo Rock City - Chuck Klosterman
Reading so I can dish with China, my mom's coworker.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - David Foster Wallace
Reading so I can dish with Jim from The Office...in my dreams.

All that, plus one (ahem) romance novel and 2 Clive Cussler books for Josh. (Man, is Josh hooked on those Dirk Pitt books! I read them back when I was a middle-schooler and remembered them being fun. After figuring out Josh's taste a bit, I brought one home for him and he devoured it. He's been addicted ever since. Cute!)

What else should I be reading?

In which Joobie regresses to teenage girlhood

From my last post you might've thought I was interested in the Oscars mostly from a critical, cinematic spective. That's not...100% true. I'm partly in it for shallow, superficial, supremely non-feminist reasons. That is to say: pretty dresses!

Look at all these golden girls! As classy as Golden Girls of the Rue McClanahan variety, these ladies are all swathed in shimmering glossy gorgeousness and look every inch the goddess.






Jennifer tripped on her dress but laughed it off - now that's graceful.















Uma looks a bit like a fembot but still ravishing and statuesque.














And of course, Reese is the true golden girl of the night. She absolutely deserved to win, and I bet there was a very happy Witherspoon/Phillippe household after Crash won as well. I hope Ava and Deacon are very proud of their lovely, talented parents.









There were also a couple of nominated ladies who didn't win, but looked stunning nonetheless: Michelle Williams and Felicity Huffman.

Michelle has the striking porcelain radiance of youth and looks absolutely lit from within. Some people might not have liked her canary yellow dress, but I thought it flattered her pale skin and it was a welcome change on a night when most women chose neutral colors.











Felicity, judged by critics at previous events as "harsh" and "aged", looked warm and feminine and classy at the Oscars. Her plunging black gown might have seemed overly revealing to some, but I thought for a woman of 43 she looked strong and carried herself well.








Of course, let's not forget about the man-pretty either.

Look at that smile! Not a winner tonight, but just a gorgeous, talented, well-dressed man. And how could you feel bad about losing to this looker? Nominated for directing as well as acting, Clooney proved a great speech-giver and a great heckler - a real class act. Easy on the eyes, too.


So concludes my Oscar obsession. That is, until next year.

March madness - and I don't mean hoops

I'm not a big fan of college basketball, so March doesn't have any special sporting meaning for me. No, the reason I'm mad about March (this year anyway) is the Academy Awards. I'm not as fanatical about them as I used to be. For years in a row I watched them diligently, making snide or adoring comments about dresses and actors. One year, my spring break fell just before the Oscars, so I spent the week seeing nominated movies to make sure I was well-informed about who should win. It was fun, but watching Monster followed immediately by 21 Grams will do something to a person. Something that ain't good.

Last year, however, I may not even have watched them. I can't remember. I might've just chilled with Josh instead. I remember having the thought: "I'm not even that interested in watching them. Who I am? What have I done with the real Joobie?" But then I probably went back to snuggling.

At any rate, this year, I've fallen somewhere in the middle. I've seen a fair number of the nominees, and I'd like to watch the show, but it simply isn't as fun when you a)aren't a teenage girl and b)don't have any of your girlfriends to watch it with (so you can feel like a teenage girl). Maybe some year in the future I'll be the type of woman who hosts Oscar parties with canapes and fake ballots, but this ain't the year.

Still, I'm sure you're just dying to know what I think of the nominees, so here we go (if it's italicized, I've seen it):

BEST PICTURE
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich

Only two of the nominees? Shameful! That said, I'd probably have to pick Brokeback Mountain, because Crash was a little heavy-handed with the themes, and Brokeback Mountain was just so durn purdy.

BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck

Here, I've got to pick Heath, and not just because I liked watching him mack on Jake Gyllenhaal. Nope, it was because he completely disappeared into the performance. I never got the sense of him acting. I believed it completely.

BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Again, only two. I'm sorry! I really meant to go see Transamerica, but it just didn't happen. Based on the two I did see, I have to pick Reese. I love how she says one thing in dialogue but something else entirely with her eyes. She could win it purely on the "baby, baby, baby, baby" line, in my opinion.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

Only two. What a shock! But I've been buuuuusy. Here, I really don't care, as long as it isn't William Hurt. Don't ask why, 'cause I don't know.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain

Man, Amy Adams and Michelle Williams are both so so so good. It's incredibly hard to pick here, but I'd have to go with Amy. Michelle perfected a look, a reaction, that was so honest and full of emotion, but Any sustained a performance for almost an entire film, a role filled with such exuberance and energy it must have been exhausting to keep up with.

And those are my two cents. What do you think? Who do you really want to win? What should I absolutely see that I haven't had the time for yet? Should I really try to get over Philip Seymour Hoffman's insane squirrelly creepiness and watch Capote?

Eyes are the windows to the soul? As if!

As a former psychology major, perception has always been pretty interesting to me. I mean, who doesn't love attribution theories, like the actor/observer difference or the fundamental attribution error? Good times. That's why the Johari Window that's going around now has caught my attention.

Here's how it works:
-I pick some adjectives that describe me
-Other people (i.e. you) pick some adjectives that describe me
-We compare to see if they match or if I'm a deluded primadonna with no self-awareness whatsoever.

Sound fun? Go tell me what I'm like. And remember, I can see who picked which adjectives, so don't all choose 'smelly' and think I won't know about it. (Or, do pick smelly, but pick a good anonymous name for yourself.)

I'll now go back to reading my social psych textbook. SO FUN.