Author: Ali Carras

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTxsIJBVCD0]

I love this youtube video. One suggestion: play something a bit peppier in the background while you watch it. The music in the video just doesn’t work for me.

Speaking of music…for some reason I have been really into the acoustic version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” song. My favorite is by the chapin sisters, but Yael Naim‘s rendition is just as good (she sings the “New Soul” song for the MacBook Air ad). I love it so much that I had to add it to my myspace page. I may have lost some points for enjoying Britney’s Toxic song, but I don’t mind. I will share my Toxic love with pride and confidence.

Cooper, on the other hand is obsessed with Yael Naim’s “New Soul.” He whistles it all the livelong day.

Mr. Squirrel (p.s. this is not my foto)

I promise not to link to my work blog often, only when it is really really important. I recently was introduced to this video from one of my favorite designers, Blu Dot. You just have to watch. That is all I’ll say.

“I am not a paper cup”

I love this mug. Although I have to acknowledge that I occasionally buy a cup of something warm in a paper mug, I try as hard as I possibly can to make my own coffee every morning. I personally don’t know how people can justify buying $3 lattes everyday, let alone think it is ok to collect paper cups in their trash cans. But, I suppose I am just a little frugal and perhaps a bit more eco-minded. Case in point: last night Cooper wanted to take me out to dinner, but a little voice inside me said…”Assin, you guys have 12+ trips coming up which will require $$$…don’t go buy a $4 beer when you have 3 cases of great beer at home. You also have food in your refridgerator that needs to be eaten.” Needless to say, I caved and we went out for beers and curly fries (oh my, I am now addicted to curly fries!).

Anyhow, I love this mug. It isn’t in stores yet…looks like some time in February.  (found at DCI…Decor Craft Inc.).

****

I had a thought the other day…

I see that Kate Hudson is in a new movie with Matthew McConaughey called Fool’s Gold. I don’t know too much about the movie, but I do know that it involves a big boat. Hmmm. When I saw the preview I had flashbacks to Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in Overboard. I then realized that this new movie is not a remake, but a treasure hunting something something. Wouldn’t Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey make the perfect duo for a recreation of the original Overboard? Gosh. Perhaps I should get into screenwriting or something.

There are a few people I would like to have attached to my hip, and this little person is one of them:

Amelia hugging my leg

Eskimo kisses

Which do you like better?

Surfer-ish dude: 

or…

Caveman:

Funny how digital cameras make such an impact…one day I take these photos of my brother:

And the next day a little two year old wants to look at the photos on the camera…then she does this:

Last week it looked like this in Colorado:

Today in Oakland it was so rainy and windy I thought a tree was going to come through our window (to which Cooper decided to cut the branch from the window…I am surprised no one on the street below us got hurt).

It is time to recuperate from the holidays. Everyone seems to have had a cold and now I guess it is my turn (my nose is raw!). I don’t have a lot of mental juice, it seems to be seeping out of my nose every 2.5 seconds.

***

A highlight from my time at home for the holidays… 

What do you do when your dad turns 65? Remind him of his youth: 

“Dr. Daddy Bruce Heads,” dinner at the Flagstaff House, Dad’s 65th birthday

I have given into the trend and bought a pair of rainboots with the intention of walking in the rain from bart to work with a dry confidence…the only issue…we have not had any rain. One day a week ago it was sprinkling outside so I thought, “Yes! Today is my day to wear my wellies!” Unfortunately the light sprinkle was all the moisture amounted to and I looked a little silly with my big rubbers on. If anything, it was wonderful to not have to really worry about what I was stepping in…which leads me to this story…

Some may consider it paranoia, others see it as careful stepping…when I walk on the sidewalks in San Francisco I never look up. I am always focused on what is below me and whether or not I am stepping on human feces, piss, spit or puke. I have seen it all and I have seen it all far too often. Not kidding. Farrrrrrrrrrrrrr too often. I know this is common in cities, but it is really sad and pretty gross.

I have not seen my buddy in quite some time, but there is one homeless man whose territory is the one street I walk on to get to work. The first time I saw him he was sitting off the curb during morning rush hour and pooing. Tons of people passed him by and he didn’t seem to care. This was moment #1 when the paranoia began. The second time I saw him, all I saw was his backside and between the legs a gushing waterfall. Again, during morning rush hour. Third viewing he was crossing the street with his pants down then he popped a squat on the curb to do a #2.  During my lunch hour that day I sat in a park and noticed that a homeless man was sleeping near a curb. I seriously looked over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure he wasn’t pooing. The fourth time I wasn’t paying attention and I hear a police car pull up. A storeowner had called the cops because I guess my buddy had been harassing their employees. When I saw him on the ground I also saw his peeper as he began to relieve himself. At that point my heart sank and I felt so bad for the guy. My feelings went from disgust to pure sadness. I really hope my buddy can find a place for himself somewhere in this world and feel like people care.

Quite possibly the last college-ish party I’ll ever get to go to….Feliz Navidad

I think it is official. The transition into adulthood has begun. It wasn’t until this past weekend when I realized that I am actually becoming an adult and all the people around me that are about the same age are also embracing/entering true adulthood. For quite some time people would practice their attempts at doing adult-ish things…like dinner parties and such…but just recently I realize that people are no longer practicing. It is the norm now to seek out really good food with titles and descriptions that you don’t understand, or to go to holiday parties and converse like adults, or be married, or the best yet…order champagne before dinner (this was new to me, but I loved it!). I accidentally slipped back into “young adult” mode last night when I encourage Justin (the host of the holiday party) to take a swig out of the bottle of wine. After he did so I realized that the “adults” around me probably thought that was disgusting and immature. I am sure it was a good bottle of wine that I ruined. Woops. So, maybe I personally am not ready to be called an adult and I certainly don’t want to be called a “woman” (I don’t like that word)…if anything I suppose I am trying to embrace this life transition as best I can and observe and learn from those who are “already there.” Um, I have a lot to learn.