zemlet.com news
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
I got 'em:
16 tickets to:
The Matrix Revolutions: The IMAX Experience
11:50pm, Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Loews Metreon Theatres & IMAX
101 Fourth St, San Francisco, CA 94103
We'll be arriving around 8PM to eat and hang out in line. Call Surge's or my cell phones once you get to the theater to obtain your tickets. Don't forget your sunglasses (or your guns, if you are the Von Markhams). No whinging about how late we're staying up- I'll be at an airport at 5:30AM the next morning. (PS: whinge IS a word)
Wow, it looks like all I do is work and go to movies. For all of you reading this, I want you to know my life is much fuller than that. (I also play video games and go out to dinner. )
.: posted by Zemlet 2:26 PM
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
I (heart) Fresno
Looks like Henry is scoring us an RV for the Trilogy Tuesday Trip.
.: posted by Zemlet 5:47 PM
Thursday, October 23, 2003
There are people more odd than I am
Paul just sent me an e-mail that had three words as a response to a previous message. Then decided to type "heavens!! the crab people are coming!"
That was it.
.: posted by Zemlet 1:04 PM
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Matrix Revolutions
Tickets for the new Matrix movie go on sale this Wednesday (or Friday, if the Metreon doesn't get their act together in time) according to the guy who answered when I called. (He was just so relieved I wasn't asking about "Trilogy Tuesday".) So, like last time, we're going to preorder tickets to see the midnight show at the Metreon. Now the historic thing here is, the IMAX version is coming out at the same time as the regular version, so we're really angling to see it in IMAX. That version is only playing at 52 theaters in the US, so it might sell out quick. Please e-mail me ASAP if you'd like us to pre-order you tix. We're probably going to make the call the morning of the 22nd, so we don't get left behind. For those of you who went last time, I think we had a ball. Everyone dressed up and wore sunglasses. (The only drawback was that at the Metreon, everyone dresses like that normally, so we blended right in, unfortunately.) Surge and I will be there early to eat and save spots in line. I've been asked does seeing it in IMAX really make a difference? YES. This isn't just blown up for a larger screen, it is a larger film stock, giving more detail and it has a different sound system, inlcuding speakers at various spots behind the screen for localized sound effects. When I saw the second Matrix movie there, you could totally see everyone working inside the Nebuchandezzar as it flew around and all the robots on the engineering level, etc.
.: posted by Zemlet 10:32 AM
Friday, October 17, 2003
Consumer Guidelines
So while I was getting the Saturn Speeder smogged, I went to the new Alameda Marketplace, their verision of Oakland's Market Hall. I do not recommend going there. Everything is roughly twice the price you will find it for at other retail and grocery outlets. In the beauty products department, they carry some of the same brands you find at Trader Joes, only for two or three times as much! However, there is a bakery inside that sells Olallieberry Pie! Now olallieberries seem hard to find, since not many people are hip to how great they are, so go for the pie, but for Pete's sake don't buy anything else.
On the Dirito VW front, they've totally fixed my car, so I'm happy. I asked them to give it the 10,000 mile service, but to use Synthetic oil and not Castrol (even though that is standard for Volkswagens) because my Dad says it isn't really 100% synthetic. And we do not argue with my Dad when it comes to cars! (Or lobsters!) I said I would prefer Valvoline or Mobil1. They put me on hold for a few songs and raided the Audi parts dept which had some Mobil1- hurrah! Now that is SERVICE: I was being very particular and they rose to the challenge! Go go go to Dirito VW Service Dept in Walnut Creek. They are right by BART and open from 6:30 AM to 8 PM so you can take your veedub there, no matter where you live. (Even if it is Oakland- the greatest city in the world.) And then give them all 5's on the survey or I think they might beat poor Tom Morgan to a pulp.
.: posted by Zemlet 3:20 PM
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Procrastination
Yeah I know, I'm supposed to be working on an SOQ to the Port of LA, but how about a little procrastination first? Like a trip to Trader Joes for lunch?!
Who knew Trader Joe's still had room to cram new products onto their shelves? Great place for all the fixins for an instant party. They have interesting wine, nuts, cheese, fancy dips and good prices on frozen shrimp. Find one in your area! The company was started in South Pasadena, very near to where I went to college. My first Geology prof. introduced me to it and I've been a rabid fan ever since. (Thank you James Sadd!) Well, they now carry Euro-Tamales from a company in LA. Finally a vegeterian tamale that isn't just filled with stupid chiles. They have bizarro flavors like corn-spinach-artichoke- quite tasty. They have also added some divine Spega brand Italian yogurts, which come in cute little glass milk jars. The contents have a consistency like custard and their coffee flavor takes advantage of a layer of decaf espresso on the bottom. I guarantee nobody will steal this out of the fridge, so your afternoon snack is safe. And, they're from ITALY. Nothing bad ever comes from Italy.
Except hit men.
.: posted by Zemlet 1:42 PM
Good Customer Service?
So I take my car into Dirito Bros. Volkswagen of Walnut Creek. The guy who deals with me there, Tom Morgan, is super nice and takes care of everything with a minimum of hassle. The best part about this place is that they give you a loaner car.... and not some crappy rental, but a 2003 Volkswagen, usually a Jetta. They were so cool with the loaner, I totally felt like a VIP. (Guess that's what leasing a convertible buys ya.) In fact, they kept my car an extra day and I couldn't go in that day to get it, so they let me keep the loaner another day, again, totally hassle-free. When I got my car back it had been parked outside, but was clean and I didn't have to wait at all, like a VIP valet service or something. I took a free muffin and coffee and was on my way immediately. They fixed most of the electrical stuff that was wrong with it, but I think they forgot (or couldn't reproduce) a problem I reported with the cruise control. So when the customer service folks called a few days later, I told them the cruise control wasn't fixed. I guess it was good service to call and check up on me, but it was mildly annoying. Then Tom calls up like the next day and asks what do I mean they didn't fix my cruise control?! Again, I guess this is good service, he wants me to bring my car in right away so it can be perfect, but it was mildly annoying. I mean, after calling me, did the customer service thugs take poor Tom in the back room and rough him up for not getting all 5's on the survey? Now I know this is "superior customer service" and it certainly makes me feel important, but it also feels a little invasive for some reason. It is like when Discover Card called me because I'd gone to Piedmont Grocery three times in one day, so they thought my card was stolen. Hey, I kept forgetting stuff. I could have reacted, "wow, they are ever vigilant- what superior customer service" or "how annoying, what the hell is wrong with going to the store three times in one day it isn't THAT abnormal, geez". When does "superior customer service" end and "pestering" begin? In the days of "Do Not Call" lists, I think this will become increasingly important. I worry that solicitation calls will simply be masked as customer service follow ups.
I'm probably just crazy. What I really wanted to say was Dirito Bros. has great service (even if there are no signs on the door telling you where to go) so go to Walnut Creek and have them fix your Audis and shit. Peace.
.: posted by Zemlet 12:20 PM
Friday, October 10, 2003
Trilogy Tuesday
SO- for those of you, like me, who wanted to do LOTR Trilogy Tuesday, you may be out of luck. As I was writing my "One True Bug" rant yesterday I thought hey, I should see if tickets are available yet to that. Turns out they went on sale only hours before I had this flash of insight (whoa spooky)- however, most venues were already sold out. That's right- Metreon sold out in an hour and fifteen minutes, with other Bay Area venues hot on its trail. I called the theater manager there and he said New Line isn't allowing them to add any theaters for this, so it is going to be a very exclusive engagement. Now you can still get tickets on Fandango to see the first two extended movies two and one weeks ahead of time, but that isn't nearly as manly as ten hours of Peter Jackson goodness in a row! Which is why... we're goin' to Fresno! That's right: Fresno, Baby! There are four of us so far who shall get up at the crack of dawn, and travel three hours to Fresno, taking off a full day of work just to stand in line (playing Go and arguing about Faramir) then watch movies all day. If anyone else is going to Fresno December 16, let me know. The more people we have, the more opportunities to split the line waiting and seat saving duties. I'm very interested in setting up a caravan or renting a large automobile or camper so we can sleep the whole way home. More info later... bye!
.: posted by Zemlet 11:11 AM
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Good day
Today at work a proposal was cancelled so I don't have to work over the weekend- GO ME. (Instead of the heart-stopping 11, I'm now down to a much more manageable 8!) To make matters better, one of the things I got to do today was draw trees. YES I finally draw trees for a living! We work a lot in LA, which means when we do landscaping mock ups, it usually means palm trees and sand- period. So one of the CAD guys needed somebody to draw trees native to Berkeley since all he really knew how to make were palms. So today I got to draw simplified Coast Oaks, Monterey Cypress, and Sequoias. Of course that meant Kate and I had to break into:
Leaping from tree to tree! As they float down the mighty rivers of… British Columbia!
The Larch!
The Pine!
The Giant Redwood!
The Sequoia!
The Little Whopping Rule Tree!
With my best girl by my side- we'd sing! Sing! Sing!
.: posted by Zemlet 10:27 AM
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Recall Election
Well it took me three tries, but I finally voted. They still had me registered at my old address in Adam's Point, which is three addresses ago. (If the jury summons can reach me, why can't the sample ballot?) I must say, the only thing good about this election is that it allows us to amass a new stash of jokes. Here are my favorite comments so far:
"For the first time ever, critics are referring to Arnold Swartzenegger as an actor" (Jay Leno)
"Since Gary Coleman and Arnold Swartzenegger both drive Hummers, I didn't know which to vote for" (Sinjin Bain)
"I'm just bummed that instead of living in California, now I live in Cawleefouwena" (me)
.: posted by Zemlet 10:56 AM
Monday, October 06, 2003
Weekend Spree
Jonathan and I got our hair cut by Massato this weekend then ate at one of the outdoor bistros which makes San Francisco feel European. We both pulled out books and enjoyed the cold air and street opera singers. I munched on risotto and salad while sipping a Pelegrino and café au lait.
While in the city, I got some shopping done. I wear high heels too often and needed some flats, so I picked up a pair of “True” loafers at Ferragamo. I now have six deep red boxes in my closet from Italy. (When I toured the new Mission Bay apartments, they had these boxes as part of the über fancy staged décor.) Then I made my way to the Wolford boutique to buy some Zarah tights in sahara/black, which Ken referred to as "jailhouse tights" since it looked like my legs were behind bars.
Went and saw "Touch of Evil" (1958) in the theater around the corner- they are having a film noir fest. Written and directed by Orson Welles, he starred alongside Charlton Heston (made up West Side Story style as a Mexican), Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich and Zsa Zsa Gabor (who was in it for all of 30 seconds, yet still listed as a headliner). There is a lot of interesting trivia associated with this classic; it was definitely worth checking out.
We also had a house field trip to see the free Shakespeare in the Park by Lake Merritt- yet another reason to love Oakland. We grabbed blankets and packed a picnic (ok, my roommate brought a picnic, I brought a thermos of tea and the half-empty bag of Peanut M&Ms I found on my dresser). A very enjoyable ‘Love’s Labour Lost’ starring Oakland celebrity, Parkway’s Tiki Goddess as Jaquenetta (who displayed much of her acting prowess from the back of a moving red scooter). It was kind of the “Rat Pack” version of Shakespeare with cocktails, Dean Martin songs, suits and sunglasses. Lord Berowne mixes a martini at one point: he pours in the gin, picks up the vermouth, looks at it, and sets it down (that’s all he needs to add, apparently) then he shakes, pours and throws an olive in the air, catching it in the glass. Now THAT is a Martini.
.: posted by Zemlet 5:40 PM
My Parents are Cool
You are all so jealous, I know. A Japanese magazine did an article on California New Beetle Culture and featured my parents. You can see photos of the "Ballard Bungalow" where they live and my Dad's flamed out car "Cueball" including the superfluous roll bar and fighter pilot seatbelts. (Check out the matching toolbox and engine casing painted with flames.) You can see the car parked in front of the little red schoolhouse. The school is over 100 years old and started as a one-room schoolhouse. We used to live across the street from it and my sister and I both went there (and were still late every day, despite its proximity). |
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.: posted by Zemlet 12:00 PM
Friday, October 03, 2003
No Time Like the Present
Well, I went and talked to the Big Boss. We has decided it is time for me to hire somebody or get some contractors or find an assistant or something. It is now officially my problem to solve- he has magically infused me with the power to do so and wants to hear my plan in November, during a performance review. This should be quite a challenge, because there is no office space available in the company except for our new office in Stockton, and there are some office politics to consider. But hey, if things were easy, they wouldn't be fun. And let's not forget that I'll probably get another person dedicated to my department when this is all over. So, pretty much... woo hoo!
.: posted by Zemlet 4:44 PM
Work Update
I was just reading back a few entries where it says my personal life is going great, but I dread going into work. For those of you keeping score at home, my personal life is still great... gets better every day, but I'm more and more depressed about work. Perhaps it is this comparison that is fueling it. Since my life at home is going so well, it shows me I don't have to settle for something that is just "ok"- I deserve "great". Then again, I could just be tired.
Actually, I'm exhausted. I'll be working 50-60 hours per week all this month and still not getting everything done, which feels oppressive. On average I produce 4 proposals a month. This month, I’ll put out 11. In April I did 8 and that about killed me. So, yes, I could just be tired.
The company vision statement reads: “By the year 2005, we will generate an annual revenue of X with a before-tax profit of Y, while maintaining our integrity and improving the professional and personal lives of our employees.” To me that says, “yes, we’re in the business of making a buck, but not at a cost of being a bad company”. I think I need to work on the whole professional and personal life being improved part, since I'm already doing more than my fair share on the revenue front. Of course, how much of a personal life can you have when you work 55 hours like I’m going to this week? You know what happens when you work 55 hours a week? You get 0.5 hours of personal time at the end of the day. If you spread 55 hours over a full seven-day week, you get 3.64 hours of personal time per day, but no weekend. A normal 40-hour workweek yields 3.5 hours per day of personal time and a totally free weekend. (My average work week up until recently was 45.8, which leaves 2.34 hours of free time a day plus a full weekend, which felt fine to me.)
Eleven proposals, this is seriously going to kill me.
It might just be easier to quit than have to go through this month. I mentioned that this morning to one of the Vice Presidents in what I probably thought at the time was an offhand, jokey way, but probably wasn’t. He said I need to talk to the big boss. As luck would have it, the “big boss” is my boss.
.: posted by Zemlet 1:46 PM
happy picture
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This post title sounds like the name of some J-pop song.
Now most who know me, know I like wearing lipstick (stuck on a desert island with only only type of makeup: lipstick, definitely) and those who know me even better know I use my Clié as a "mirror" to put it on. But most folks don't try to horn in on the camera while I'm doing it. |
.: posted by Zemlet 9:25 AM
Thursday, October 02, 2003
oh yes I can
For some reason as soon as I hear I cannot take pictures, I suddenly want to. When we went to Aida, before the performance a booming voice annouced we could not take photos. Wanna bet?
.: posted by Zemlet 10:00 AM
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
And in the Darkness Blog Them
Just got back from Monterey and have posted some pictures. The jellyfish at the aquarium were so damn cool... my pics were (again) taken with the Clié so they are total pixel-vision... but I think it gives the images a "spy" quality. Before leaving, J-dog bought flowers for me. As you can see below, at the base of this arrangement are thistles! Very Scottish, don't you know. (He is such a sweetie!) I'm realizing from the amount of TP I seem to go through even when out of town, that my bathroom gets the most guest action, being closest to the living room. It seems many people are seeing what "item of the week" is featured on the top of the loo. I'll have to showcase something disturbing sometime soon. For now it is:
.: posted by Zemlet 5:18 PM
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