Luisa Prieto's Blog, page 6
October 6, 2011
the walking dead
The new season for the Walking Dead will begin next weekend (argh!). To taunt-I mean, to excite their fans, the show has released six webisodes (one day that word will be normal. Today, "webisodes" makes me giggle).
FSM, I can't wait until the 16th >_<
Part two
Part three
Part four
Part five
Part six
FSM, I can't wait until the 16th >_<
Part two
Part three
Part four
Part five
Part six
September 26, 2011
it rained!
For like a minute. Then it stopped. A few hours later, the clouds wandered off and the weather has been gorgeous since.
Besides snickering at Yahoo weather, I've been coming up with a list of reasons why it didn't rain. Here's what I've got so far:
* we hadn't plan on cooking out (I'm certain if we'd put charcoal in the grill, it would've stormed)
* the moon is in the seventh house (I don't know, it might be)
* we hadn't washed the car recently (well, we've washed the windshield, but rain doesn't count that)
* Jupiter is aligned with mars (if the moon is in the seventh house, it makes sense)
* we weren't planning on driving far (though, with Halloween next month, we will be planning our epic trip to the corn maze and pumpkin patch. Watch, that's when it'll storm)
* I've been cozying up with Projected Fears (currently on the Night of the Living Dead chapter), and some bad weather would've given me an excuse to stay in and read instead of going out and shopping and longing for pumpkins. The age of aquarius? It wasn't always very nice.
Besides snickering at Yahoo weather, I've been coming up with a list of reasons why it didn't rain. Here's what I've got so far:
* we hadn't plan on cooking out (I'm certain if we'd put charcoal in the grill, it would've stormed)
* the moon is in the seventh house (I don't know, it might be)
* we hadn't washed the car recently (well, we've washed the windshield, but rain doesn't count that)
* Jupiter is aligned with mars (if the moon is in the seventh house, it makes sense)
* we weren't planning on driving far (though, with Halloween next month, we will be planning our epic trip to the corn maze and pumpkin patch. Watch, that's when it'll storm)
* I've been cozying up with Projected Fears (currently on the Night of the Living Dead chapter), and some bad weather would've given me an excuse to stay in and read instead of going out and shopping and longing for pumpkins. The age of aquarius? It wasn't always very nice.
September 23, 2011
forecast calls for rain... maybe
We usually have pretty pleasant weather here in the Bay Area. It's never oppressively hot or freakishly cold for long (goofy anecdote: I once whined to my brother that it was hot. It was 87. His response? Come to Vegas; it was 110 there).
During the spring and fall, I glance at Yahoo weather before going out, in case the weather's decided to be cold/hot when I don't expect it. This week that's been a challenge. A few days ago, the expected high was 85. The actual high at that moment? 92.
Today's challenge: it might rain this weekend. Really big storm, the first storm of the fall, here's a severe weather warning.
And then, on the weekend forecast: it might not rain. It might just be a little cloudy. Hard to say which way the wind may decide to nudge things.
o_O
Okay, I get that the wind can tweak things. Weather prediction is rarely a hundred percent accurate (predicted high for today: 84. Current high: 87). If I was a weather forecaster, I'd want to hedge my bets too. People need to be warned that there's a storm out there and it's going to going to drop a ton of rain. Go ahead, issue the severe warning. I'd like a different icon for the weekend forecast, though. Instead of a sun with a wisp of a cloud in front of it, how about a magic 8-ball?
Will it rain, magic weather ball?
Ask again later.
During the spring and fall, I glance at Yahoo weather before going out, in case the weather's decided to be cold/hot when I don't expect it. This week that's been a challenge. A few days ago, the expected high was 85. The actual high at that moment? 92.
Today's challenge: it might rain this weekend. Really big storm, the first storm of the fall, here's a severe weather warning.
And then, on the weekend forecast: it might not rain. It might just be a little cloudy. Hard to say which way the wind may decide to nudge things.
o_O
Okay, I get that the wind can tweak things. Weather prediction is rarely a hundred percent accurate (predicted high for today: 84. Current high: 87). If I was a weather forecaster, I'd want to hedge my bets too. People need to be warned that there's a storm out there and it's going to going to drop a ton of rain. Go ahead, issue the severe warning. I'd like a different icon for the weekend forecast, though. Instead of a sun with a wisp of a cloud in front of it, how about a magic 8-ball?
Will it rain, magic weather ball?
Ask again later.
September 1, 2011
zombie crawl
Sad truth: when I'm focused on writing, I lose track of things. E-mails, the blog, making dinner, my own birthday; if it's not on a post-t beside my computer, it doesn't exist. This is why, for the last two years, I found out about the zombie crawl in San Jose after it actually happened.
The first year, I found out about the crawl a month after it happened. I whined, I moped, and then I moved on. Last year, it was a week (cue whining and moping).
Yesterday... I found out about the crawl the day it was happening.
I was buzzed. I forgave myself never writing down the date on a post-it and promised to do it for next year. I sent Jen an e-mail at work (zombies! There's a zombie crawl in San Jose tonight!) and then climbed the walls. Zombies! There were going to be zombies and I was going to see them!
When Jen got home, we headed out. Here was the deal: Jen had to be at work early so we couldn't stay out all night. I was just fine with driving around, taking pictures of zombies. I had a camera, it had batteries, we were set.
Until we got downtown and the batteries died.
So there we were, driving around downtown San Jose, watching the zombies shuffle down the streets, me cursing at the camera.
me: I checked your @&*$#!ing batteries before we left!
the camera: eh. I lied.
Jen: (fishing her phone out of her purse) here. It has a camera function.
me: you are so awesome.
Now armed with a camera I had no idea how to use, we circled the area. I saw a zombie with a chainsaw through his body, a shaggy haired guy with a string of body parts hanging from a stick, a bloody wedding couple, and tons of people with the classic torn bloody clothes look. I accidentally took pictures of a streetlight, a side street, and some blurry forms that were likely zombies, and a tree. Between pictures, I stumbled through the phone's other functions.
Jen: how's it going?
me: (trying to figure the phone out) I think I just e-mailed an empty e-mail to myself.
The car slowed to a stop. I pressed a random button, trying to get back to the photo option. Then... I looked up.
We were at a corner. Outside the car, a family of zombies stood. There were six or seven, dressed in torn clothing and bloody wounds on their faces, necks, and arms. One kid held a dismembered hand to his mouth.
My window was open so I smiled and said, "hi, zombies."
They all looked at me. Completely focused, like I was the center of their zombie world. It was totally unexpected and awesome.
And then they took a step toward the car. The kid in front lowered his dismembered hand and reached out toward me. The moment shot past awesome to epically awesome. And, at the same time, a little scary. They were wearing make up and were completely in character but I realized that being the center of a zombie's world meant being dinner.
The light turned green. Jen turned at the corner, taking us away from the zombies. I looked back and saw them turning to watch me leave.
me: wow.
Jen: it occurs to me that if they'd been real, you'd be saying the same thing.
me: I would not.
At least, not right then.
After one more circuit around the area, we left. One of my last zombie sightings was of a zombie couple sitting at the base of the Quetzalcoatl statue.
me: that would've been a very iconic picture, if either the phone or the camera would've let me take it.
Jen: next year.
me: yes.
I already have a post-it for it.
The first year, I found out about the crawl a month after it happened. I whined, I moped, and then I moved on. Last year, it was a week (cue whining and moping).
Yesterday... I found out about the crawl the day it was happening.
I was buzzed. I forgave myself never writing down the date on a post-it and promised to do it for next year. I sent Jen an e-mail at work (zombies! There's a zombie crawl in San Jose tonight!) and then climbed the walls. Zombies! There were going to be zombies and I was going to see them!
When Jen got home, we headed out. Here was the deal: Jen had to be at work early so we couldn't stay out all night. I was just fine with driving around, taking pictures of zombies. I had a camera, it had batteries, we were set.
Until we got downtown and the batteries died.
So there we were, driving around downtown San Jose, watching the zombies shuffle down the streets, me cursing at the camera.
me: I checked your @&*$#!ing batteries before we left!
the camera: eh. I lied.
Jen: (fishing her phone out of her purse) here. It has a camera function.
me: you are so awesome.
Now armed with a camera I had no idea how to use, we circled the area. I saw a zombie with a chainsaw through his body, a shaggy haired guy with a string of body parts hanging from a stick, a bloody wedding couple, and tons of people with the classic torn bloody clothes look. I accidentally took pictures of a streetlight, a side street, and some blurry forms that were likely zombies, and a tree. Between pictures, I stumbled through the phone's other functions.
Jen: how's it going?
me: (trying to figure the phone out) I think I just e-mailed an empty e-mail to myself.
The car slowed to a stop. I pressed a random button, trying to get back to the photo option. Then... I looked up.
We were at a corner. Outside the car, a family of zombies stood. There were six or seven, dressed in torn clothing and bloody wounds on their faces, necks, and arms. One kid held a dismembered hand to his mouth.
My window was open so I smiled and said, "hi, zombies."
They all looked at me. Completely focused, like I was the center of their zombie world. It was totally unexpected and awesome.
And then they took a step toward the car. The kid in front lowered his dismembered hand and reached out toward me. The moment shot past awesome to epically awesome. And, at the same time, a little scary. They were wearing make up and were completely in character but I realized that being the center of a zombie's world meant being dinner.
The light turned green. Jen turned at the corner, taking us away from the zombies. I looked back and saw them turning to watch me leave.
me: wow.
Jen: it occurs to me that if they'd been real, you'd be saying the same thing.
me: I would not.
At least, not right then.
After one more circuit around the area, we left. One of my last zombie sightings was of a zombie couple sitting at the base of the Quetzalcoatl statue.
me: that would've been a very iconic picture, if either the phone or the camera would've let me take it.
Jen: next year.
me: yes.
I already have a post-it for it.
July 26, 2011
old spice: the eldritch edition
I stumbled across this vid earlier on Smart Bitches. Oh, the humanity! (or, to be more accurate, the hair-anity).
After I stopped screaming at the sight of the blond tentacle monster (ack! Violent anime porn meets shower gel!), Jen sent me to another site to make me feel better.
Whew! That really helped.
After I stopped screaming at the sight of the blond tentacle monster (ack! Violent anime porn meets shower gel!), Jen sent me to another site to make me feel better.
Whew! That really helped.
old spice: the eldritch horror edition
I stumbled across this vid earlier on Smart Bitches. Oh, the humanity! (or, to be more accurate, the hair-anity).
After I stopped screaming at the sight of the blond tentacle monster (ack! Violent anime porn meets shower gel!), Jen sent me to another site to make me feel better.
Whew! That really helped.
After I stopped screaming at the sight of the blond tentacle monster (ack! Violent anime porn meets shower gel!), Jen sent me to another site to make me feel better.
Whew! That really helped.
July 22, 2011
July 21, 2011
ode to the time sink
On average, I think I lose five or six hours a week to TV Tropes. In each instance, it begins with research.
Sometimes it begins innocently, with me wanting to see how others handle a plot complication I'm playing with. It's done wonders for my writer ego (I'm brilliant! I'm original! I'm... oh crap, lots of people have thought of this).
Other times, it comes out of odd conversations (Jen: is it me or is there a domestic abuse vibe between Starscream and Megatron in Transformers Prime?).
And, on occasion, someone mean-I mean, well meaning, sends me a link (I saw this and thought of you: seven of the deadliest words evah).
In honor of all of the time spent researching things that either will go into the current story or will go into a future project, here's a comic strip :)
Sometimes it begins innocently, with me wanting to see how others handle a plot complication I'm playing with. It's done wonders for my writer ego (I'm brilliant! I'm original! I'm... oh crap, lots of people have thought of this).
Other times, it comes out of odd conversations (Jen: is it me or is there a domestic abuse vibe between Starscream and Megatron in Transformers Prime?).
And, on occasion, someone mean-I mean, well meaning, sends me a link (I saw this and thought of you: seven of the deadliest words evah).
In honor of all of the time spent researching things that either will go into the current story or will go into a future project, here's a comic strip :)
July 15, 2011
only you (and by you I mean the cat) can prevent forest fires
Whenever Darian wants something, she'll go to a designated spot. If she wants her litter cleaned, she'll stand beside the box. If she wants outside, she'll stand by the door. If she wants shrimp, she'll hop onto Jen's chair (and, if Jen's on it, she'll jump on the desk and nuzzle the laptop).
After eleven years, we like to think we can translate what she says. Thirty percent of the time it's "love me," thirty percent "shrimp me," twenty percent it's "feed me," ten percent "let me outside," nine percent it's "time to get up/go to bed," and one percent is a surprise.
The first/last time we encountered a surprise was when she had cancer (no cat will ever say "I feel bad, please take me to the vet" but I have to admit she was really patient during that time).
Imagine our surprise last night when, twenty minutes after we went to bed, she woke us.
me: (sleepily) your turn.
Jen: (getting up) are you hungry?
Darian: (runs into the office nook, towards her litter box and Jen's chair)
Jen: (following her) is it your litter box?
Darian: (runs past the box)
Jen: do you want shrimp?
Darian: (runs past the chair)
Jen: oh. You want love. (pets the cat, then goes back to bed)
Darian: mrwl!
me: maybe she wants outside.
Jen: (gets up, opens the glass door to the private yard)
Darian: (runs back into the office nook)
Jen: it doesn't look like she wants outside. (follows Darian) Are you sure you don't want shrimp?
Darian: mrwl!
me: (waking up more) do you smell that?
Jen: (from the bathroom) oh crap.
It turned out that a piece of incense had broken away from the stick. Through the magic of bad luck (nothing like this has EVER happened before), it fell onto the bathroom rug, where it continued burning.
The rug hadn't caught fire yet but it was smoldering. When we turned the light on, we discovered that there was a ton of smoke in the room. If Darian hadn't woken us...
The next couple hours were spent airing out the room, vowing never to burn incense anymore. We also lavished loving attention on the hero of the hour. For her part, Darian has been basking in the attention, deigning to allow us to feed her shrimp on Jen's chair, in her perch, and on the bed.
And, throughout all this, she's continued to be awesome.
The biggest kerfuffle in her kitteny reward occured this evening, when Jen and I discussed whether or not to go to the late showing of Harry Potter.
Darian: mrwl.
Jen: she said no.
me: then we're staying in.
If Potter's lucky, he has an awesome black cat watching out for him.
After eleven years, we like to think we can translate what she says. Thirty percent of the time it's "love me," thirty percent "shrimp me," twenty percent it's "feed me," ten percent "let me outside," nine percent it's "time to get up/go to bed," and one percent is a surprise.
The first/last time we encountered a surprise was when she had cancer (no cat will ever say "I feel bad, please take me to the vet" but I have to admit she was really patient during that time).
Imagine our surprise last night when, twenty minutes after we went to bed, she woke us.
me: (sleepily) your turn.
Jen: (getting up) are you hungry?
Darian: (runs into the office nook, towards her litter box and Jen's chair)
Jen: (following her) is it your litter box?
Darian: (runs past the box)
Jen: do you want shrimp?
Darian: (runs past the chair)
Jen: oh. You want love. (pets the cat, then goes back to bed)
Darian: mrwl!
me: maybe she wants outside.
Jen: (gets up, opens the glass door to the private yard)
Darian: (runs back into the office nook)
Jen: it doesn't look like she wants outside. (follows Darian) Are you sure you don't want shrimp?
Darian: mrwl!
me: (waking up more) do you smell that?
Jen: (from the bathroom) oh crap.
It turned out that a piece of incense had broken away from the stick. Through the magic of bad luck (nothing like this has EVER happened before), it fell onto the bathroom rug, where it continued burning.
The rug hadn't caught fire yet but it was smoldering. When we turned the light on, we discovered that there was a ton of smoke in the room. If Darian hadn't woken us...
The next couple hours were spent airing out the room, vowing never to burn incense anymore. We also lavished loving attention on the hero of the hour. For her part, Darian has been basking in the attention, deigning to allow us to feed her shrimp on Jen's chair, in her perch, and on the bed.
And, throughout all this, she's continued to be awesome.
The biggest kerfuffle in her kitteny reward occured this evening, when Jen and I discussed whether or not to go to the late showing of Harry Potter.
Darian: mrwl.
Jen: she said no.
me: then we're staying in.
If Potter's lucky, he has an awesome black cat watching out for him.
July 12, 2011
the joy of (not) cooking
In our quest to streamline things, Jen and I have begun a new approach to shopping: making a menu for the week and then just picking up things for it.
Though I occasionally miss the zaniness that was "I might want a tuna sandwich this week, I should get some just in case," things are a lot more organized now. They're also zany, in their way.
Example:
Monday menu (on paper)
Cheese omelet (good, vege start to the day)
Cucumber sandwich (the veginess continues)
Chicken and polenta (now for something different)
Monday menu (the reality)
Cucumber sandwich (it's easy)
Cucumber and ham sandwich (very easy)
Chicken omelet (finally have the time/energy to cook)
I imagine in a couple weeks we'll have worked out the bugs (and possibly introduced oatmeal and granola to our menu, in the hopes that we don't get sick of cucumbers).
In the meantime, here's tomorrow's menu:
Tuesday menu (on paper)
Cucumber sandwich
Ham and cheese souffle
Ribs
Tuesday menu (the likelihood)
Cucumber sandwich (easy and yummy)
Cucumber and ham sandwich (so easy and yummy)
Ribs...
Too much work. Cucumber sandwich
Though I occasionally miss the zaniness that was "I might want a tuna sandwich this week, I should get some just in case," things are a lot more organized now. They're also zany, in their way.
Example:
Monday menu (on paper)
Cheese omelet (good, vege start to the day)
Cucumber sandwich (the veginess continues)
Chicken and polenta (now for something different)
Monday menu (the reality)
Cucumber sandwich (it's easy)
Cucumber and ham sandwich (very easy)
Chicken omelet (finally have the time/energy to cook)
I imagine in a couple weeks we'll have worked out the bugs (and possibly introduced oatmeal and granola to our menu, in the hopes that we don't get sick of cucumbers).
In the meantime, here's tomorrow's menu:
Tuesday menu (on paper)
Cucumber sandwich
Ham and cheese souffle
Ribs
Tuesday menu (the likelihood)
Cucumber sandwich (easy and yummy)
Cucumber and ham sandwich (so easy and yummy)
Ribs...
Too much work. Cucumber sandwich
