i have some blank walls & i want art (!!!) ...

... actually, i just needed an excuse to break out the next set of ears sooner than later. 1st set of ears - st. valentine. 2nd set of ears - st. pat. (next set of ears - st. harvey!)

along came this reason to goof around a l'il bit at work and around downtown SF opportunity.

who came to the rescue?! ... DAVID DUST!!! in short, all i had to do for a chance to win some cool art:

• picture of self
  
• bonus for picture with bunny
• more bonus for picture at arby's
• photoshopping welcome but must be able to see your face

so here was this morn's game plan for pic submittal

COLLAGE-O-RAMA ...

send picture of self, wear bunny ears, get out & about with some pics in SF, and find a bunny with which to take a few pics. well ... the day turned out kind of as expected but kind of a little different-ish.

in the office ...
hanging out in cubeopolis with the ears - admittedly on & off throughout the day. (i straightened my hair this morn - wasn't gonna let THAT go to waste! ha!)

other fun stuff going on in the office pics? ... top chef glossies of no-ass-ryan and top-chef-steph. the original tim gunn (as flag gal) with princess shirlsd peeking around the corner. (talking tim gunn with sombrero was in the shamrock-ears pic.)

i even made a point to take a break down in the lobby area. ponytail was taking the picture. she tells me the best part of the lobby-fun was the little gal who was running down the lobby area and suddenly stopped short as soon as she saw the ears. (see her peaking around the pillar?)

then out & about during lunch ... ponytail & i went to mixt greens (where else?!) over off of mission street for some tasty salad munchies. then i hopped over to the nice bamboo sitting area.

and after some bamboo-bench-bunny-fun and a funky left hip action (which may result in a chiropractor visit), we headed across the street to check out some public art.

me loves public art ... i love public art so much that for an afternoon walk-about ('cuz today was a tough day in cubeopolis for ponytail and shirlsd), just a little more public art fun.

just a block away from cubeopolis is this keith haring sculpture. after unsuccessfully placing the ears on mr. blue of the k.haring sculpture, ponytail took a picture that every other visitor/tourist likely takes at the corner of 3rd & howard.

then i did something not good. apologies to public art. apologies for actually placing the ears on public art. not quite the intent of enjoying this other sculpture along a breezeway between cubeopolis and k.haring. but i did. and i apologize.

keeping score? ... based on the pics that i took, i realized i earned only one opportunity to win rona's artwork. i needed to get a bunny and/or an arby's element in my photo-offering to david dust.

bunnies @ arby's with ears ... well ... thanks to my friend, irene, who is easy-going enough that she was a willing partner in helping me out. fortunately, her young grand daughter has quite the bunny supply, and she had the entertainment book - the one with coupons - food coupons - fast food coupons - arby's coupons!!! (2 for 1 coupon ... irene and i each had a sandwich, shared curly fries, and drank liquids.)

my offering for the trifecta?

and before i throw in the remaining arby's pics ... let me just say that gadgetman sent me the two arby's located nearby my home. (thank you gadgetman!) i even went to where an arby's **WAS** located (y'know ... next to taco bell, kfc, and jack-in-the-box!) - thinking arby's was still there. not-so-much.

and let me thank irene once again for her patience ... one other tidbit. she & i arrived at arby's ~ 7:45 pm. irene wanted to run a quick grocery errand after arby's and therefore make it to the grocery store before 9 pm.

• i told her, "no problem."
• her response? - "well, i don't know if you also plan to do a little skit or play with your bunny friends!" (ar-ar)
• (note to self (and david dust) - if i had a video camera, i might have attempted a video submittal. but i digress.)

so to close this evening's frivolity -
the final set of pics

fun times!
(let you know whether or not i win. regardless, today was fun!)

[update (03/24): after sending 4 pics from my cell via e/m - i e/m'd head dust bitch-in-charge last night:

"here is the blog post ... as promised.

i realize that the number of pics has nothing to do w/my chances - but i just wanted to say thanks for giving me a reason to have a little fun and hope to brighten up your day & night (and kitty's day & night) a bit. you certainly helped me brighten up the office, a couple of blocks in san francisco, and the newark (california) arby's.

later gator - hugs"

- my note to head-bunny-kahuna was for this protracted blog post version that included 3 pics i'd sent him (before midnight eastern - just like the rules say so) and one of the pics i sent him is not in this post. daviddust gets at least one special pic - placemat-bunnyears-arby's pic.]

r|break: pre-work-week fiber break

mister wetpets, huh?
applicable requirements
oversight permits

(yes, this is an insider thing.
neither ponytail nor shirlsd
will ever hijack a meeting.
your turn?! over here.)

r|break: one more shamrock ears pic

this past st. pat's, ears were not just for outdoors but for indoors around cubeopolis.

fabulous!

(and now ... ears have been retired for another year.)

st pat meets st valentine ... and then some

i guess i'm the self-appointed "ears" person in cubeopolis ... as evidenced during the fake holiday known as valentine.

(click image on the right)

as for yesterday's holiday-ish frivolity, clover ears worn for the occasion - along with a brief encore presentation from the v-day ears.


just a few pics from yesterday's walk-about cubeopolis and SF.

nothing spectacular.

this year's fake holiday

today was when we - in cubeopolis - disclosed our secret valentine identity to other cubesters. (this stuff)

my friend, au, egged me on to wear 'em ... the antennae heart ears. (doesn't take much.)

i did. i wore 'em at work.
and my walk-abouts around the office were captured on film-ish ... in my squalor-cube

... around cubeopolis ...

and hiding behind a pillar.

oh! and i walked over to marathon plaza to pick up some tasty tacos at maya. yum! (i'd say about 2+ city blocks with 'em on!)

it was a FUN DAY hearing fellow cubesters laugh!
(oh! and my secret valentine gave me ANOTHER chocolate bar!)

for last year's fake holiday ...

... secret valentine fun.
here's last year's frivolity.

enjoy! enjoy! enjoy!

i'm prepared for this year!
(this is just outside my corner cube)

yesterday's costume preview ...

cow costume ... reused, recycled, repurposed yesterday.

halloween '08 costume ... head shot of "bovine methane generator" ... costume features:

• dalmation/cow print fabric
  
• "BURP" sign atop left shoulder blade
• teets (pink ones) - and 7 (3 more than the "real" cows) pee-pee shaped teets, at that!
  
• some "cud" (or leaf clippings) amidst ...
  ... wait for it - - - wait for it - - wait ...
  

BURP!!!
(and maybe a l'il utot)

CH4 methane molecules ... as fashioined by 1 black pom-pom with 4 white pom-poms and SEVERAL of them glued to white pipe cleaners just spewing from my "BURP" ...!

(more pics later)

happy 1 year?

on this date last year i was filling out forms and stuff ...

i have spent a year in cubeopolis.

and now, i ponder ... as i always seem to do.

oh yeah! and then i get side-tracked

... as i always seem to do.

[from mina lee studio]

are my fellow cubesters imaginary?

perhaps.

(delayed post - nearly 3 months ago
.. and there is no real "ending" or "pay-off" to this post - just saying)*

according to my work's how i spend most of my days (in cubeopolis) space policy ... d'oh. i mean ... shhhh ... hmmm, i mean, according to ...? let's simply call it math. according to math ...

two people ... are moving on (tear) - however, let it be noted that neither is departing via a cubectomy - each is just moving on to different cubepolitans ... one floor up and another several floors down. [update: they have already moved on]

the outcome ...? (aside from two vacancies for new worker-bees in cubeopolis) there will be two vacant cubes. these cubes are WINDOW cubes. TWO WINDOW CUBES! let. me. say. this. again ... TWO (!!!) often - coveted - in - cubeopolis WINDOW cubes!

musical cubes (aka musical cubicals) ... is in the line of sight. turns out, depending on one's time-served at cubeopolis - the more years, the closer one is to the front of the line to select and relocate to another cube. in other words, math says that the more time one has spent in cubeopolis (aka "time-served"), the closer one is to the front of the line for deciding which cube one wants. math says ...

• most time spent = head of the line
• least time spent = somewhere behind the end of the line

my number in line? ... it's been approximately 9 months (minus 5 days of leave-without-pay for vacation). but WAIT! this is actually my second stint in cubeopolis, albeit on a different lat/long. my first stint was for approximately 18 months nearly 20 years ago. for math's sake, let's call me: could-have-window-first [update: my 1-yr anniversary in cubeopolis is now just around the corner]

according to cubeopolis's math, two interns my fellow cubesters are zeroes EVEN THOUGH they work their asses off. and frankly, given that these interns cubesters are members of the cubeopolis society, "zeroes my ass!" i say. (loyalty at work, here!)

relevant statistics for two interns two cubesters is 23 months and 22 months. for math's sake, let's speak of them as: 23i and 22i.

estimating the ever-so-critical time-served (aka ...let's follow what math says about calculating time-served) ... what does math say about each cubesters' existence?

• could-have-window-first = ~ (9 + 18) = 27 months
  
• 23i = 0 months
  
• 22i = 0 months
  

that is what math says. my fellow cubesters do not have a place in line. math tells me, figuratively speaking, that the two interns my fellow cubesters (whom i've spent quite a bit of time with - at least ~ 8 hrs a day, if y'know what i mean) are actually, well ... they are kind of imaginary, like an imaginary unit, sorta kinda, i guess. i wouldn't say they are "zeroes", y'know?

in short, they are not imaginary.

*(o.k. - that's all i got, 'cuz the rest of writing this post has escaped me.
simply put, i don't agree with cubeopolis's math, and
although i had the option to move to a window cube,
i chose not to exercise that option, out of principle.
i've lent money to 22i and 23i has pardoned my utot**,
so i KNOW 23i and 22i exists in cubeopolis 'cuz they know i exist.)

**(update: sacto floyd has commented - "i stink, therefore i am."
as a result, it has come to my attention that just a few of the 7 of you
may know what utot means. so what are you waiting for?
when you don't know a word - google or urbandictionary it.
so here, here and here works for me. have we not yet trained you?
oops. pardon me.)

r|break: pre-saturday fiber break for l.a.g.

[adding to the 13-year old boy humor with l.a.g. & ponytail. no l.a.g. pre-saturday, so ponytail and wcdbunny offer this up!]

and of course, we cannot forget ...

they're pinky and the brain
yes, pinky and the brain
one is a genius
the other's insane.
they're laboratory mice
their genes have been spliced
they're dinky
they're pinky and the brain, brain, brain, brain
brain, brain, brain, brain
brain.

before each night is done
their plan will be unfurled
by the dawning of the sun
they'll take over the world.

they're pinky and the brain
yes, pinky and the brain
their twilight campaign
is easy to explain.
to prove their mousey worth

they'll overthrow the Earth
they're dinky
they're pinky and the brain, brain, brain, brain
brain, brain, brain, brain

narf!

(oh yeah! and don't call me allyson.)

r|break: ... sunday evening fiber break with ponytail

[continuing the inside "homage & chuckle" rolled into one for pr5air's ponytail - last week it was l.a.g.'s turn.]

i will miss ya tomorrow - so here goes a little break for you all.

and of course, the new found chuckle for a few folks in the office
(and please wipe up after yourself when you are through watching this) ...

"you're craze ... you're crazy, man. you're crazy.
i like you, but you're crazy.
i feel tired."

see ya on tuesday!
(you're crazy, man!)

r|break: ... saturday morning fiber break with l.a.g.

(just an inside "homage & chuckle" rolled into one for a few pr5air peeps - or at least for l.a.g.)

8-p

"i will name him george l.a.g. and i will ...

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

... hug him and pet him and squeeze him ... and pat him and pet him and ... and rub him and caress him and ..."

X-|

"Chip l.a.g., I'm all jacked up on coke ... ... .... uh(?)-cola Mountain Dew!"

i will miss the crew at cubeopolis next week!
(wah.)

(mantra while you all are gone? - - -"stick it in yucca mountain.")

top chef-ardy [part 6]

these were the winners
shades on the left - - - l.a.g. on the right

this
was
the
main
prize

and this was
the final score
and interestingly enough,
$1.50 + tax is how much the main prize cost*

(l.a.g. is psychic. one of the audience members was psychic.
wooooooo---whooooo!!! honestly, l.a.g. had NO idea!!!)

top chef-ardy [part 5]

FINAL
top chef-ardy:
ELIMINATION

self-explanatory

pics of each of the cheftestants to be placed in order of elimination. for the "finale" - l.a.g. and shades just needed to have the last 3 in no special order. it was the OTHER ONES that had to be in order - ALL CORRECT to win final jeopardy. and how did they do? both - not so well.

the final score?
(later. will be posted under [part 6])

top chef-ardy [intermission]

our score card
going into the tie-breaker

• pick a pic ... each peep selects an icon/avatar/game-appropriate marker (aka piece) that the tracker updates each week by either moving the piece forward or watching it languish.
• point system ... without going into details, points are given for selecting the correct quick fire, winner, and/or loser. also, selection of the "top chef" occurred mid-season, thus a method to begin to weed out the chaff. in other words, BRAGGING RIGHTS!
• selections ... predictions are due promptly at 4:30 PM (PST, via the atomic clock) each wednesday before the new episode. predictions allowed via phone, i/m, text, or the bugging the commish (or delegated person(s)). selections are compiled and sent out to everyone.
  
• QA/QC ... our pool of peeps are quite sensitive when it comes to tracking & scorekeeping, therefore, a draft tally is forwarded to the commish, as well as one or two other faithful participants
  

some tidbits for this effort ...

• early withdrawal ... our little "ratatouille remy" moved on early in the game, however ratatouille remy was present and accounted for at the tie-breaker (loyalty at its best, and we are glad rr came along!!!)
  
• legacy ... regardless of scores or early withdrawal, we make a point to ensure some legacy
• mood-markers ... some participants changed out their markers, depending on the success or failure of predicting the outcome of each episode. as a for instance, we watched "tom c" change his mood from a shit-eating-grin to an oscar-the-grouch-grrr expression. also, "the whisk" was gaining ground for a couple of weeks and morphed into an electric mixer, only to be down-graded back to a handheld whisk.
  
• lazy selections ... one participant got lazy a couple of times and voted for the SAME CHEFTESTANT for each of the categories in one show (quickfire, winner, loser).
  
• vacation ... vacation does not deter some, as our commish flew off to a far away land for 3 weeks and still managed to acquire 11.5 points. (not bad at all!)

intermission almost over.
please return quietly to your seats.

top chef-ardy [part 4]

the overall atmosphere ... was pretty much smiles, laughter, guffaws, and just plain fun for the entire tie-breaker.

i believe that this picture was taken is just before [part 3], so props to the camera man for capturing this before-moment! MEANWHILE, fast forward.

daily doubles ...
one in each round. both daily doubles were all about
"how much could we make fun of your shitty
good is your palate?"

green souvenir bandana for round one; orange souvenir bandana for round two. (both 100% cotton, of course)

why souvenir bandanas? ... faux hawk wigs were too expensive (relatively speaking).

first round's daily double ...
was all about l.a.g. and the syrup taste test.

second round's daily double ...
was all about shades and the EVOO taste test.

long story short ...
neither passed the taste test. wagers deducted from their points.

top chef-ardy [part 3]

WHAT?!?!
we forgot to make
name tags and cue cards?!?!

before we got into the swing of things for the tie breaker ... tie breaker organizers shirlsd and CahHh shared this moment.



CahHh was introducing the work horses (the 4 sweater-wearing-gals in these pics) and introducing the tie-breaker-give-me-my-prize-folks.

in this pic above of shirlsd and CahHh ...

who said what to whom?
who did what to whom?

did someone fart out loud? did someone not fart out loud but fart nonetheless? can shirlsd's feet touch the ground? was there an earthquake? did CaHh have a joy buzzer moment on shirlsd's shoulder? does CahHh have to go to the bathroom? did shirlsd already go to the bathroom? why is the gal (aka l.a.g.) in the light grey hoodie simply looking on? did CahHh steady herself after unsuccessfully attempting the tree pose?

turns out CahHh called out ... l.a.g.'s name when intending to introduce shirlsd as vanna. shirlsd is not l.a.g. l.a.g. is just slightly less than 1" taller than shirlsd. shirlsd's hair is longer than l.a.g.'s hair (always). l.a.g. was a tie-breaker-constestant. shirlsd was CahHh's partner-in-crime.

honestly, it's not like l.a.g. and shirlsd look alike. they don't all look alike. i mean, if you ask l.a.g., she'll say the same thing. she'd agree - l.a.g. and shirlsd don't look alike. but l.a.g. and shirlsd do know some form of martial arts (or have friends that know martial arts), are so-so drivers, use chopsticks (even to catch flies), and are pretty good at math. really.

top chef-ardy [part 2]

[part 1] is over here. and i figure a few visuals of the features & benefits that were talked about would help.

our top chef-ardy board ... currently set up for regular top chef-ardy (aka round 1) with the yellow cards and double top chef-ardy (aka round 2) with the pink cards.

... take a break and get artsy-fartsy-craftsy. YOU can make one as well, or buy one of those 'photo boards' from an arts/crafts store. make one? ... board, fabric, ribbon, buttons and/or whatever (tacks, pins, staples, tape, nails, ...). clever use, eh?!

top chefardy work horses ... four gals IN FRONT of the partition served as the work horses.

from left to right ... shirlsd (aka vanna),

pony-tail-gal (scorekeeper),
commish (timekeeper),
and CahHh (aka alex).
in the background,
an interloper
(aka l.a.g.)

and we did have a camera man, also.


top chef-ardy answers ... for the record, CahHh came up with the answers for both rounds, with a little help over here. and let me tell ya - there were a few that were really pretty good Qs - several, in fact, that neither of the die-hard tie-breaker-participants were able to figure out. i was CahHh's sidekick and props person, despite my misplacing one of the important (relatively speaking) props just before heading over to the venue where we hosted our top chef-oolery! nevertheless, this was the crew for the top chef-ardy-aganza.

props? yes, props (and supplies) ... these included daily double stuff, some more prizes, and other needed accessories. here are some of the more important items.
from left to right ...

• BACK ROW (for the daily double): plastic containers , EVOO(-ish), syrup(-ish), syrup (maple syrup), EVOO
  
• MIDDLE: solo plastic container
• FRONT ROW: winner's tiara/crown, buzzer #1, filler packets (soy sauces), loser's 2nd place winner's tiara/crown.
  

other props included: watch, buzzer #2 (errr ... more like squeaky/obnoxious toy), white board (for scorekeeper), tape, cardboard, bandanas, ribbons, pens, paper, and stuff. most importantly, CahHh kept one of the props in line with the top chef freakin' product placement theme and the drum . beat . of . one . of . the . sponsors . no - NOT her, but this blah-blah-blah.

about the daily doubles ... there was one in each round. and if you haven't figured it out yet, it was a taste test of "which is the higher grade between the two mystery liquids?" syrup was in round 1 and EVOO in round 2.

daily double outcome? ... NEITHER of the we obviously have sh**ty palates tie-breaker-give-me-my-prize-folks scored on the daily double, therefore losing points they wagered. no bragging rights for either of them. (wah-wah-wah) but it was good to have them EACH chose a daily double. made it easier to make fun of both of them.

their souvenir for daily double? ... as part of the homage to miss flavors of asian cuisine (no, not the gaysian), they did, however, get little astro/neon souvenirs.

top chef-ardy gang returns from venue ... we certainly had fun and bonded a little over this healthy, lunch time break spent over at marathon plaza (over on 2nd/folsom in SF). it was actually a sunny day - tho' from this pic where we are flashing our secret top chef signs, you'd think it was winter!

(part 3 later)

top chef-ardy [part 1]

well ... i didn't quite finish posting the frivolity from our prw-air activities (and i will do so ... eventually. really. i. will.)

top chef-o-rama ... however, we did continue our frivolity with top chef. nearly a dozen of us participated in our "forecasting" of the top chef winners (and losers) for each show. a point system was created. a commish (aka commissioner) and scorekeeper kept us in check. there were a bunch of rules.

prize to the winner of the tie breaker ... when all was said and done, there was a tie. a frackin' tie. a tie between two folks. how the hell could there be a tie?!

regardless - HENCE, the need for a tie breaker.
which we did. today. in public.
and the tie breaker resulted in a winner who got a little congrats prize.

the main prize.
a $1.50 (USD) + tax (in california) prize.

a little set of cooking utensils

(well, sort of, i guess)

teaser-ish ... in short, it was all about TOP CHEF-ARDY. yup, top chef via jeopardy. features and benefits included:

• 3 rounds
• regular jeopardy
• double jeopardy
• final jeopardy
  
• 4 categories - true/false, quotes, gossip, potpourri
• 4 questions for each category
• 2 daily doubles - one in each round
• in honor of top chef, taste tests for the daily doubles
  
• a point system - round 1 at 100/200/300/400 and round 2 at 200/400/600/800
• buzzing in via ... a taboo buzzer and a little squeaky toy
• four top chef-ardy work horses and an assistant camera man
  
• an alex - host and answerer-sayer
• scorekeeper - writer-downer of scores and math wiz
  
• a vanna - index-card-hander-over to alex and point-presenter to scorekeeper
  
• timekeeper - buzzer, sound effects, and speeder-upper
• prize(s) for the winner

so ... about the main prize

the best part ever of this set,
in my opinion (and others)?
[click on the picture]
nice english translations, eh?!

ENJOY!!!