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May 2003 ArchiveFriday, May 30, 2003Friday Five(more info here) 1. What do you most want to be remembered for? Being smart, creative and hyper-productive. And being very Brandy. 2. What quotation best fits your outlook on life? "Sock it onto others as you would have them sock it to you." - Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone, "Life" 3. What single achievement are you most proud of in the past year? Realizing the online store after talking about it for several years. 4. What about the past ten years? Starting my company. 5. If you were asked to give a child a single piece of advice to guide them through life, what would you say? Be yourself. posted on 5/30/2003 04:24:49 PM
Wednesday, May 28, 2003Huh. I never knew milquetoast was spelled milquetoast.And
I want to be a wind farmer. Every time someone asked, "So, what
do you do?" I'd break out into a giggling fit. "I'm a wind farmer.
I farm wind." In
The News
Tuesday, May 27, 2003Knock My Knee Socks OffJust saw Secretary. Wowsa. Good movie. Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader kicked all kind of ass. Since I've been watching loads of movies these days, thanks to Netflix, I've realized a few things. I really like movies about two characters. I love movies about faces - i.e. great expressions, usually in reaction or silent. I dig movies with well composed shots. Secretary had the first two down, the third enough to satisfy. And how's about the very last shot? Nice punctuation. posted on 5/27/2003 11:00:56 PM
Saturday, May 24, 2003Beware of the Giant ForkJust below my jawline I've got four blemishes (as the kids call 'em, zits) in a perfect row. It looks like I was trying to eat with a giant fork but missed my mouth and injured myself. Oh, my glamorous life. posted on 5/24/2003 05:15:26 PM
Thursday, May 22, 2003Not Everyone Got the Telemarketing GeneTwo voicemail messages. 6:21
pm "This is Daryll McGee, and I'm from blah, blah, blah, medical
service brokers, gurble, mumble, burble, flooey, blah blah..."
He was totally tripping over his words and then there was a pause.
The pause was him s-l-o-w-l-y hanging up the phone. 6:23
pm "Hello, Brandy this is Daryll McGee calling back my phone
is 205-something-something. I'm sorry. I was cut off earlier.
Yadda, yadda about the business. You can call me at 312-something-something." Mr.
McGee, you were SO not cut off. And dude, what's with the
two phone numbers? Uh, sorry, hon, I won't be returning your call. Pah-thetic
Tuesday, May 20, 2003Today Was a Very Good DayIt started out very uncharacteristic and murky, with me on a CTA train at the ungodly hour of 6:30 am. I'm a night owl, not meant for such things. I was heading downtown for a day of graphic facilitation with two of my very favorite people/clients, Mari Pat and Pamela. The process was great and was flexible when it needed to be. The conversation was very interesting and the people articulate and passionate about their work. And better yet, my graphic facilitation fit perfectly into the agenda and the clients really related to what I was doing. I know I need to do a better job explaing graphic facilitation on this site, but I can say that it's all too rare that I get such a home run of working with great facilitators, agenda and clients. Yesterday was very encouraging on that front. Even
better yet, I came home to only positive, productive emails and
voicemails*! Perfect after a day of exhausting work. So I got
into jammies and watched teevee, made some stuff out of other
stuff and went to bed early. Delightful.
*One
of my voicemail messages was my sis, after a long deliberation
in regards to wedding invitation postage, "Brandy. I've decided
on George Washington for the postcards and the breast cancer stamps."
Again, I laughed at my sis's deadpan delivery and laboring over
such details. We've got both of those qualities in common.
Monday, May 19, 2003I thought Quincy Jones' version of Comin' Home Baby was cool. Then I heard Mel Torme do it. It's so cool it's arctic.posted on 5/19/2003 09:58:15 AM Criminy!
Friday, May 16, 2003Friday Five(more info here) 1. What drinking water do you prefer -- tap, bottle, purifier, etc.? Tap. And lots of it. 2. What are your favorite flavor of chips? Chips? Not a big chip eater. Maybe just plain tater chips. 3. Of all the things you can cook, what dish do you like the most? Edamame and Jasmine rice. Not really much cooking. 4. How do you have your eggs? Over medium. For years, I thought over easy just meant fried, so I'd order over easy and be disgusted by the whites being running and snotty. One day someone said, "Well, order them over medium then." Huh. Over medium. I didn't know there was an over medium. 5. Who was the last person who cooked you a meal? How did it turn out? Jim invited me over to share chili. It was tasty.
(hee
hee. I just got a ticket to see the White Stripes on 7/1)
Wednesday, May 14, 2003Prarie SucessI'm no verbal slouch, but a pattern is emerging of major spelling gaffs. In
high school, my chapter of Key Club (the teen equivalent of Kiwanis)
was getting ready for the Spring three state convention. One of
the competitions we were entering was the scrapbook competition.
I can't remember why, but we were making our scrapbook in the
shape of a school bus and we were basically pulling together a
week's worth of documentation in one weekend. I wasn't leading
this particular project, but doing a lot of work on it. The last
page was the conclusion to a year's worth of community service.
In 4" high letter, I wrote a resounding "SUCCESS." Or rather,
I wrote, "SUCESS." I felt pretty shitty when the judges comments
said, "Lovely scrapbook, but watch spelling" or something to that
[sic] affect. One frickin' c. This
time I was creating a last minute entry in the Peeps Easter Basket
contest. A clean month after I sent off the photograph of my entry,
Alise was looking at the remains of my basket Monday night. Reading
the ribbon banner that said "The Prarie State" she asked, "Is
that how you spell 'prarie'?" Oh good god. I look it up - NO.
PRAIRIE. PRAIRIE. [Beating myself up] One frickin'
i. Remember
kids, procrastination and spelling don't mix. Thankfully,
I can lean heavily on the fact that while my career is all about
communicating, it's the visual variety, not so much the
text. And that is why editors exist, right? Recently, Anthony,
an editor by day, found a typo in a piece of artwork that's been
hanging in my living spaces for a decade. No one had ever noticed
it in ten years. I began beating myself up over that too.
Then stopped and thought, "Crimony, a lot of people love and covet
that piece. I'm proud of it. One misplaced e shouldn't undo all
of that." "I
don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way." I
affectionately call editors commafuckers, for their ability to
dwell in the minute correctness of tiny little letters (yeah,
ok, sometimes they are 4" tall) that form words capable of communicating
ideas whether they are spelling perfectly or not. But I do the
same thing visually, adjusting off-kilter frames on walls and
the like. Just yesterday I noticed that one of the benches on
my train platform wasn't bolted down perfectly parallel to the
wall behind it. I thought, "Hell, I can't sit on this bench without
it bugging me." The bench still works even if it's
off half an inch. We've
all got our particular pet minutia...
Friday, May 09, 2003Friday Five(more info here) 1. Would you consider yourself an organized person? Why or why not? Yes. While I feel I'm never organized enough, folks come over to my house and are a bit freaked out by my organization. But while I have a place for everything, it's often not in it's place. I'm a very organized slob. 2. Do you keep some type of planner, organizer, calendar, etc. with you, and do you use it regularly? I've got a 10 week calendar I've designed to note things coming up. I make a to do list nearly every day. 3. Would you say that your desk is organized right now? Kinda, but not clean. I can get my hands on most stuff I need but it's a big of an archeological dig to find older stuff on the desk. 4. Do you alphabetize CDs, books, and DVDs, or does it not matter? Nope. CDs are all in one place, minus the stack next to the computer and the stack next to the stereo. DVDs are stripped of their cases and in one CD/DVD holder. Books are organized by subject. 5. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to organize? My "files" - i.e. all the paper stuff I save because it's cool. Lots of artists call it the morgue. Plus the version of the same on my computer. Plus bookmarks. I finally got a system, based on school subjects. That's become Information High on the site. So, I've got a Room 101 Chemistry binder of physical stuff, I've got the Room 101 folder in the IH folder on my computer and in my Favorites folder and the Room 101 page on the site, sharing my favorite online things on that subject. The binder and online rooms needs loads of work, although the structure is there. Yeah,
I'm a exposing my very organized, white underbelly.
Monday, May 05, 2003My Stripes Are White"Well you're in your little room and you're working on something good but if it's really good you're gonna need a bigger room and when you're in the bigger room you might not know what to do you might have to think of how you got started sitting in your little room" - White Stripes, Little Room. The
lyrics alone don't do the song justice. I fuckin' love this song.
I
had seen The White Stripes in tiny flashes, digging the graphic
quality and the intention of their red and white look. I'm a freak
for consistency, color and simplicity, and they've got that triumvirate
down. Last Thursday, I walked past a copy of Interview
magazine with the duo on the cover and thought, "Geez, that guy's
cute." Jack White. And Meg's got that lovely babydoll face. They
are so fetching. Previously,
several friends recommend that I investigate them. I got as far
as getting Hotel Yorba on my audiopharmacology mix (songs that
just make me happy). Spent Friday night surfing for info on them
like I was cramming for a Saturday morning White Stripes quiz.
Downloaded some stuff, dig it lots. Intriguing song names.
Became a fan in 24 hours flat. Listened to an NPR segment where
a fan was bemoaning that they were becoming so popular saying,
"It's Mtv's fault." Nimrod, it's because they're doing
cool shit. Read the Interview article. They can be my friends
because Jack's favorite sandwich is a Rueben and Meg loves cotton
candy. Here's
their
site. Here's the
best fansite. Beet
Pee Mystery Solved
Sunday, May 04, 2003*Shudder*I was just in the elevator with a woman who told me a woman jumped from her window and killed herself somewhere in this apartment building. Apparently, my corner, because her body landed outside on the conveinence store on my corner. For some reason it's really creeping me out. I expect it to be creepy, but it's 11:35, cold, rainy and I'm exhausted, so my creeped-out threshold is deeper. I
think I'll distract myself with a non-suicide themed movie.
Saturday, May 03, 2003Rational BrideNot an oxymoron. At least not in the case of my sis. First, I sent Burgundy the link to "14 Things You Can Learn at a Wedding" and I quoted this: "It's a Cajun tradition for older unmarried brothers and sisters of the bride or groom to dance with a broom at the wedding reception--thus mocking their single status." I told her I wouldn't be dancing with a broom. Her
deadpan response, "There will be no broom. Trust me." Then
yesterday I had a meltdown. A truly Brandy kind of meltdown. I've
been working nonstop and I'm completely fried. I've been on the
cusp of a I-just-can't-win pity party. Yesterday,
I was practicing accordion. I realized that I on August 2nd I
had committed to both playing accordion for a big gig in downtown
Chicago and being in Minnesota for my sister's bridal shower and
bachelorette party. My brain likes to solve things and I just
couldn't come up with a way to solve this, and do all things. #@%&! I
zip off a pathetic, crabby email to my mom and sis about the conflict.
Then stomped off to do an errand. Considered buying a pint of
ice cream and scarfing it down. I've gotta be mega stressed to
lapse into stress eating. I mananged to get back to my apartment
without any ice cream in hand or stomach. Burgundy
had written, "you are fired. I am just kidding no problem." Then
her message went on to acknowledge that a bachelorette party of
drinking won't be loads of fun for me, her teetotaling sis. I
read her words and my one-big-knot-of-a-back relaxed a little.
She makes so much sense. Ahh...
Friday, May 02, 2003Friday Five(more info here) 1. Name one song you hate to admit you like. ?? I readily admit my love of the Monkees, which most people wouldn't cop to. 2. Name two songs that always make you cry. (1) Cry - Johnny Ray (doesn't make me actually cry, b/c I am robot, but it does hurt my heart) (2) Ok, groups of people singing trips my tear ducts, so I'm not really a robot, but recorded music doesn't really make me cry. 3. Name three songs that turn you on. (1) Sweet Nothings - Brenda Lee (2) Love and Happiness - Al Green (3) Chills and Fever - Tom Jones (lordy, that voice) | Plenty more, those are the first three to come to mind. 4. Name four songs that always make you feel good. (1) Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones (2) Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (3) La La La Love You - The Pixies (4) Don't Rain on My Parade - Bobby Darin 5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without. (1) Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones (2) Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (3) Danke Schoen - Wayne Newton (4) To Sir With Love - Lulu (5) Carlisle Wheeling - Mike Nesmith posted on 5/2/2003 12:12:40 PM
Thursday, May 01, 2003Springs RainsFinally, some real spring storms in the last 24 hours. Perfect weather for working on the computer wearing toe socks, wrapped in a blanket and listening to The Smiths Louder Than Bombs. Heroine
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