Ichi. I love salmon, but I will rarely eat cooked fish any more. I no longer like the taste or texture of cooked fish. So most often I'll have sushi over cooked fish.
Ni. I sing to my cats almost every day.
San. I'm allergic to cats and anything with fur.
Yon. I used to have a great fascination of ghost stories, especially if they had been passed down through historical accounts, so much so that I did my 7th grade history report on poltergeist and turned my doll house into a "haunted house" for the correlating model. During the exhibition, the doll house caught on fire. O_O
Go. The more Naruto I watch, the more I crave ramen. :3
Roku. I really love being behind the mic and doing voice over work! It's where I'm happiest.
Nana. I'm usually clueless if a guy likes me... unless he's one of my creepy stalker "fans". They tend to make themselves known right away. 9_9
Hachi. I broke my tail bone when I was 15. Fell from the rafters in the garage onto the concrete, landed on my back. Fun times. >_<
Kyu. I like baked goods with fruit, like cinnamon raisin bread.
Ju. I began programming in Basic in 1977.
Juichi. I have never asked if an article of clothing ever made my ass look big.
Juni. I started taking dance lessons at the ridiculously young age of 3. Tap and ballet.
Jusan. My mom said if I wanted to join band in jr.high my only option was to play flute. I wanted to play drums. Mom's logic was that girls play the flute and boys play drums. The one person I knew who played flute was a boy. I felt my mom's logic was flawed. I played the flute and hated it. Now I play drums. ^_^
Juyon. Because I was born with jaundice, crossed eyed, and ate slowly, social services assumed I was retarded and almost prevented me from being adopted. I no longer have jaundice, I'm not cross eyed,and am clearly not retarded (except when it comes to guys), but I'm still a slow eater.
Jugo. I was adopted and raised as an only child, but I'm actually the second oldest of 5 siblings from my birth family.
Juroku. Growing up in Huntington Beach, most people (if it ever mattered) assumed I was Mexican. I'm not Mexican, I'm predominantly of Hawaiian heritage.
Junana. Because I'm from HB, people outside of the state often asked if (or assumed) I knew how to surf. I do not know how to surf.
Juhachi. I had a paper route for the OC Register when I was 12 years old for a year. Paper delivery 7 days a week. I was up at 3am on weekends because I was the station manager and I had to sign for the newspapers for both my route and another person's route. My route increased by almost half on Sunday's because of Sunday only delivery. Sometimes it took me 3 hours to fold papers and make all of my deliveries by bike on Sundays, unless it was raining, then it was longer. Made $80 a month on average. Blew it all on video games and candy. Ah, the rockstar life of a 12 year old!
Jukyu. I found my birth mom when I was 25. My baby sister was 5 at the time. She turned 20 last summer. @_@
Niju. When I was 9 my mom cut my hair so short I was often mistaken for a boy. ;_;
Nijuichi. I'm a much happier person when my hair is colored purple. ^_^
Nijuni. I will sometimes play "devil's advocate" even if I agree with your position because I feel it's necessary to take all sides into consideration.
Nijusan. I'm told my first steps were taken at a park across the street from Knott's Berry Farm (which is no longer there), chasing the chickens.
Nijuyon. My first article was published when I was 19. It was an interview with drummer, Gene Hoglan, of the LA speed metal band, Dark Angel.
Nijugo. I've just taught you how to count from 1 - 25 in Japanese. Unless, of course, you already knew how. -_o
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving Feast and Memories
It's that time of year when everyone heads off to a great big family dinner, or is stuck in the kitchen cooking that great big family dinner. I am a huge fan of feasting with family and friends. I remember every year my mom went all out. She started early in the morning cooking the turkey, making stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, veggies, appetizers, cookies, all sorts of delicious and amazing foods. I really miss her rumaki and stuffed mushrooms. She was a fantastic cook. We'd set the table, which technically only seats 6, for 8-10 people. It would also have all the trimmings, lace table cloth, fine china, good silverware, crystal stemware. We were a regular Norman Rockwell painting.
I know that I was asked to help from time to time, but I think more often than not I needed to find something else to do to keep me out of the kitchen and out of mom's way. One year, as a kid, I took a bike ride across the way around McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). Riding back up Bolsa avenue I remember watching all the squirrels playing in the grass and pine trees. I wanted to stop and play with the squirrels (remember, I was just a kid), but knew I needed to get back home for dinner. Besides, I'm allergic to light sabers.Each year we would alternate our Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners with my parent's best friends, Uncle Roy and Aunt Fely. It was the same amazing gathering and feast regardless of which household it was in although, my Uncle Roy's place had a pool table and a pool, both of which I loved, so there was that.
If we hosted I know mom would always insist on Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante sparkling wine. I'm not sure why she thought it was so great. As a kid I would get a tiny taste, but now as an adult I don't care for it. There are other sparkling wines or champagnes I'd rather have. However on Christmas we'd also have Japanese plum wine, which I totally love. I'm sure they played pinochle at our place too. I never played and still have no idea how to play. I would sit with my mom and watch because she was really good at the game, but they played so fast it was difficult to simply figure it out and I don't think I ever asked to learn.
My mom, unfortunately, passed after her second fight with breast cancer in June of 1991. Uncle Roy also passed a few years later. Though my aunt still hosted dinners, it was not quite the same without both of them. So at some point, though I was still invited to attend, I stopped going. I have to admit, the main reason I quit attending was the heavy Christian influence of her son and his wife. Though never overt, I felt judged like an outsider, even though I grew up with them and for all intents and purposes they were my family, but I felt terribly out of place. I know that as I came out of the broom closet, her son and his side of the family were less interested in maintaining a connection to me. I never really talk to him, or his now ex-wife. I do still talk on very rare occasions to one of his daughters.
Unfortunately my father also stopped attending at some point, mostly because he has a girlfriend and thus spends every holiday with her, her children and grandchild.
It's kind of sad if you think about it. This was a family tradition between the two families that lasted about 30 years and it is no longer.
For a time I would spend holidays with my birth-mother who lived a mere 20 minutes from my home. However, she moved out of state a few years ago, so it's just me now.
This year I had no desire to host anything or even attend anything today. I know, seems strange given that I'm hosting one event or another every week and I did receive several invitations for dinner with friends, but I was genuinely ok with being home alone, relaxing, and enjoying my time. I planned on cooking whatever I felt like eating. FYI, I'm really not a huge fan of the big roasted turkey. I dunno why. I'll eat the dark meat, or skin, but the big roasted turkey is just not something I crave. I'm a bigger fan of the yams, fresh bread, 
and pumpkin pie. Honestly, I'd rather have chicken or pork. Last year I made Hawaiian Kalua pork (called my birth-mom for the recipe), and today I made Greek Avgolemono lemon chicken soup. I made it as a hearty soup with chunks of chicken, potato, celery, carrot, onion, fresh lemon juice, eggs, and rice. I'd never made it before, but I literally had a flash of insight on how to make it and knew last week that I was cooking it today. It turned out great! I later topped off my dinner with a vanilla ice cream Drumstick. Granted it's not pumpkin pie, but I'm still good with that. As far as I'm concerned it was the perfect meal for me today. ;-)
I'm not real fond of the heavy amount of pressure we put on ourselves to make these holidays "perfect". I find the pressure unnecessary, and prefer not to buy into it. The holidays, events, gatherings, whatever it is will likely turn out to be perfect just as they were meant to be. It just might not be Martha Stewart perfect or Hollywood perfect, but it will most likely be just perfect for you and your family. The main point is to share the time together. To be honest I'm really not sure how my mom managed it. From my perspective she did it all with an amazing amount of ease. Don't get me wrong, I do know she worked hard at it, but I never felt like she was frazzled or ridiculously stressed about it even though she really did most of the work.
So today, as I am every day, I am thankful for my mom, Nole (pronounced NO - lee), for having been the one who choose me (and paid for me! Lol!), raised me, and taught me so many things in life despite the short time I got to have with her. I love you mom! The holidays are never quite as perfect without you.
 |
| My fave pic of my mother and me visiting her favorite animal at the zoo. 1970 |
Friday, November 19, 2010
New Beginnings
I think I opened this account about two and a half years ago. I actually have several online blogs for a variety of reasons, but tend to post on my MySpace profile where I have a fair following of readers. However, aside from the fact that MySpace holds very little relevance to keep my interest as a website, they've also changed their website format, making things painfully annoying for me when I make a blog post there.
So here I am today, posting on Blogger instead. This will be my new main blog. :)
There's a lot going on right now. I'm gearing up to begin teaching a new class. I'll be teaching what I've labeled an "Eclectic Pagan Studies" class. I've had a list of people waiting for me to teach a class on Wicca. However, I've been in the midst of my own studies for the last 4 years with a new coven in a secret tradition of Wicca. I will graduate come this Candlemas (Feb 2nd - Yes, that's Groundhog's Day to the non-pagan types) as an Elder High Priestess of this tradition. I'm an ordained priestess in 2 other traditions of Wicca and as my current coven's tradition takes 4 years I was not ready to teach anyone this year in that particular tradition. I also wasn't particularly enthusiastic to teach the other two traditions. Not that I don't like them, I just didn't feel a strong pull to teach only one tradition. I did, however, have a great desire to teach a variety of pagan traditions that I've incorporated into my own personal spiritual practice over the last 28 years.
Upon deeper reflection I decided to teach a pagan class that incorporated learning about a variety of pagan religions, traditions, histories, mythologies, rituals, various divination practices, energy work, healing modalities, etc. We'll be going on field trips to experience different group's rituals, lectures, exhibitions, and festivals. I have people coming in to speak on various topics of which they are more experienced in than myself. To be sure, the class will be extensive. The entire point is to expand knowledge.
I was planning to start with a small group as this class in it's topic and structure are new and different, but I now have 13 students. I have another handful of potential students waiting for the next round of classes to begin and we haven't even started this round yet.
I'm positively excited about starting these classes in January! It seems that just before I finish one journey, I'll begin a new one.
On the flip side of new beginnings, I have a less than happy new beginning. Last week I took Big Boy kitty to the vet. He'd been loosing weight. He was a ginormous, but sturdy, 30 lbs. He dropped down to 21 lbs in a rather short period of time. Turns out he'd been having a mild respiratory ailment and just recently developed diabetes. I had to give him a liquid antibiotic, eye ointment, and insulin shots every 12 hours. He didn't seem too bothered by the shot, did not care for the liquid, but absolutely did not like the eye ointment. His antibiotic and eye ointment treatment is complete and he's noticably better, but of course I need to continue on his insulin shots.
Understand, BBk doesn't camp out at the food dish, and I'm very particular about what they, he and his siblings, eat. He and his brother are both very large structured cats. His brother, Edmund, is 20 lbs. BBk's front paws are as wide as 3 of my fingers across.
The vet said that we caught his condition pretty early on and that if we get his weight down that it is possible he can naturally reverse his condition. She seemed very optimistic about it. :)
She also prescribed a food change. Low fat, high fiber Science Hills prescription diet. Stuff's not cheap! A 10 lb. bag is $28. Currently the kids all eat a turkey and oatmeal diet because I took them off of corn. It seemed to help greatly with some skin issues they were having and my allergies to them. However, the new SH food, the first ingredient is chicken-by-product, then corn. I'm not too happy about that, but I'm going to give it a try to see how they do. I've been slowly mixing the food ratio between the two from the turkey/oatmeal to the SH over the last week. In a few more days it will shift to all SH. I noticed all of the cats are now eating less. Much like humans, cats don't like diet food either. *bleah*
Tomorrow I'm going to take BBk into the vet to get his blood work done and see if the insulin has been helping or if they need to adjust the dosage. *fingers crossed*
There's also been a slew of recent drama going on all around me. To be honest, I don't feel like blasting it across the intarwebs even though it might be entertaining to those not directly involved. Hehe. In the end, it's just not worth the hassle. If people want to be silly, cause conflict, stir shit up, and create ridiculous and unnecessary drama, they can go do it elsewhere. I'm totally bored with it.
Otherwise, all is moving along, just as it should be, and the world keeps on spinning...
So here I am today, posting on Blogger instead. This will be my new main blog. :)
There's a lot going on right now. I'm gearing up to begin teaching a new class. I'll be teaching what I've labeled an "Eclectic Pagan Studies" class. I've had a list of people waiting for me to teach a class on Wicca. However, I've been in the midst of my own studies for the last 4 years with a new coven in a secret tradition of Wicca. I will graduate come this Candlemas (Feb 2nd - Yes, that's Groundhog's Day to the non-pagan types) as an Elder High Priestess of this tradition. I'm an ordained priestess in 2 other traditions of Wicca and as my current coven's tradition takes 4 years I was not ready to teach anyone this year in that particular tradition. I also wasn't particularly enthusiastic to teach the other two traditions. Not that I don't like them, I just didn't feel a strong pull to teach only one tradition. I did, however, have a great desire to teach a variety of pagan traditions that I've incorporated into my own personal spiritual practice over the last 28 years.
Upon deeper reflection I decided to teach a pagan class that incorporated learning about a variety of pagan religions, traditions, histories, mythologies, rituals, various divination practices, energy work, healing modalities, etc. We'll be going on field trips to experience different group's rituals, lectures, exhibitions, and festivals. I have people coming in to speak on various topics of which they are more experienced in than myself. To be sure, the class will be extensive. The entire point is to expand knowledge.
I was planning to start with a small group as this class in it's topic and structure are new and different, but I now have 13 students. I have another handful of potential students waiting for the next round of classes to begin and we haven't even started this round yet.
I'm positively excited about starting these classes in January! It seems that just before I finish one journey, I'll begin a new one.
On the flip side of new beginnings, I have a less than happy new beginning. Last week I took Big Boy kitty to the vet. He'd been loosing weight. He was a ginormous, but sturdy, 30 lbs. He dropped down to 21 lbs in a rather short period of time. Turns out he'd been having a mild respiratory ailment and just recently developed diabetes. I had to give him a liquid antibiotic, eye ointment, and insulin shots every 12 hours. He didn't seem too bothered by the shot, did not care for the liquid, but absolutely did not like the eye ointment. His antibiotic and eye ointment treatment is complete and he's noticably better, but of course I need to continue on his insulin shots.
Understand, BBk doesn't camp out at the food dish, and I'm very particular about what they, he and his siblings, eat. He and his brother are both very large structured cats. His brother, Edmund, is 20 lbs. BBk's front paws are as wide as 3 of my fingers across.
The vet said that we caught his condition pretty early on and that if we get his weight down that it is possible he can naturally reverse his condition. She seemed very optimistic about it. :)
She also prescribed a food change. Low fat, high fiber Science Hills prescription diet. Stuff's not cheap! A 10 lb. bag is $28. Currently the kids all eat a turkey and oatmeal diet because I took them off of corn. It seemed to help greatly with some skin issues they were having and my allergies to them. However, the new SH food, the first ingredient is chicken-by-product, then corn. I'm not too happy about that, but I'm going to give it a try to see how they do. I've been slowly mixing the food ratio between the two from the turkey/oatmeal to the SH over the last week. In a few more days it will shift to all SH. I noticed all of the cats are now eating less. Much like humans, cats don't like diet food either. *bleah*
Tomorrow I'm going to take BBk into the vet to get his blood work done and see if the insulin has been helping or if they need to adjust the dosage. *fingers crossed*
There's also been a slew of recent drama going on all around me. To be honest, I don't feel like blasting it across the intarwebs even though it might be entertaining to those not directly involved. Hehe. In the end, it's just not worth the hassle. If people want to be silly, cause conflict, stir shit up, and create ridiculous and unnecessary drama, they can go do it elsewhere. I'm totally bored with it.
Otherwise, all is moving along, just as it should be, and the world keeps on spinning...
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A Review - Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie
I saw the series a while back and was really looking forward to this film. However, after it came out I didn't hear anything good. I ended up seeing it anyway. Here's my opinion about the film.
Admittedly, I love the series, but like all films, whether from books, comics, or tv they don't quite make it as you would expect or hope.
My issues with the film are many:
1. Terrible acting. I'm not sure if it was the choice of actors or the inability of the director to give them good direction. There's a point when Aang, Sokka, and Katara end up in a prison camp with earthbenders. Aang tries to get the people motivated to rebel. The guards are just standing there while the people begin to fight, like they were waiting for an invitation. Everyone is slow to react. It's just pitiful. And that's only one example of many bad acting/direction issues I had.
2. Forced relationship dynamics. Though this was a rehash of all of season 1, they push you immediately into trying believe that there is a much stronger bond between characters than they actually develop in the film. If you've seen the series then you already know who means what to each other, but here they try to get you to believe a deep bond exists between characters that have just met. I wish they'd allowed things to develop/unfold more naturally.
3. Poor martial arts. For gosh sakes couldn't they have found kids that actually had a grasp of martial arts? It hurt me to watch them do all these stiff, choppy movements on screen. It totally wasn't a secret that there'd be martial arts in this film! You'd think they'd have spent some time with a good choreographer to teach these kids. Maybe it just wasn't in the budget?
4. Not so special effects. So where exactly did the budget get spent? The special effects were atrocious! There was one scene where Aang was in the village of the Northern Water Tribe, he's doing jumps and kicks across the screen. He's not in "Avatar state", he's still himself. It looks as though he's been imprinted upon the movie in the background, but no one bothered to change the lighting to help blend him back into the scene. It stuck out like a sore thumb and it didn't make any sense to me at all. There were a few other times where I though, "WTF?!?" but fortunately I wasn't as annoyed by this through the whole movie as I was the first three issues.
5. Color. Why were all the bad people brown? I know there was already a big issue made about this. Everyone in the Fire Nation was either Indian or Middle Eastern. While I'm totally glad they're in the film (Hollywood needs to add more color to it's films!), but why were all the "heros" white? The entire Northern tribe was white too! However the Earth tribe that was at the prison was Asian. What the heck was that about?
6. Characters. I felt that Sokka was too serious and a little too old. He wasn't funny at all. Aang was impulsive, but not really playful. I think some of the details that make these characters so endearing were missed.
7. Can you say "franchise"? I guess M. Night Shyamalan assumed that no matter how crappy his version there'd be a second film. There's no ending. I heard after the fact that people knew about it. It's supposed to be a "cliffhanger" type ending, so it's not really an ending, but I didn't think it was much of a cliffhanger anyway. It ends right where season 1 ends.
8. The end, finally! I'm the kind that stays through all the credits. I like to read to see who did what. I have friends that work in various aspects of the industry and I love finding their names in the credits or just reading the unusual names you find. I did not stay for the credits. I just wanted it to end. I felt like it went on and on and I was expecting it to end on more than one occasion, so when it finally did I was ready to get the hell out of the theatre.
Overall the film feels rushed and messy. I feel M. Night Shyamalan doesn't pay enough attention to the whole film and how it comes together, nor to some of the details that could make a film like this shine.
So to sum it all up:
Admittedly, I love the series, but like all films, whether from books, comics, or tv they don't quite make it as you would expect or hope.
My issues with the film are many:
1. Terrible acting. I'm not sure if it was the choice of actors or the inability of the director to give them good direction. There's a point when Aang, Sokka, and Katara end up in a prison camp with earthbenders. Aang tries to get the people motivated to rebel. The guards are just standing there while the people begin to fight, like they were waiting for an invitation. Everyone is slow to react. It's just pitiful. And that's only one example of many bad acting/direction issues I had.
2. Forced relationship dynamics. Though this was a rehash of all of season 1, they push you immediately into trying believe that there is a much stronger bond between characters than they actually develop in the film. If you've seen the series then you already know who means what to each other, but here they try to get you to believe a deep bond exists between characters that have just met. I wish they'd allowed things to develop/unfold more naturally.
3. Poor martial arts. For gosh sakes couldn't they have found kids that actually had a grasp of martial arts? It hurt me to watch them do all these stiff, choppy movements on screen. It totally wasn't a secret that there'd be martial arts in this film! You'd think they'd have spent some time with a good choreographer to teach these kids. Maybe it just wasn't in the budget?
4. Not so special effects. So where exactly did the budget get spent? The special effects were atrocious! There was one scene where Aang was in the village of the Northern Water Tribe, he's doing jumps and kicks across the screen. He's not in "Avatar state", he's still himself. It looks as though he's been imprinted upon the movie in the background, but no one bothered to change the lighting to help blend him back into the scene. It stuck out like a sore thumb and it didn't make any sense to me at all. There were a few other times where I though, "WTF?!?" but fortunately I wasn't as annoyed by this through the whole movie as I was the first three issues.
5. Color. Why were all the bad people brown? I know there was already a big issue made about this. Everyone in the Fire Nation was either Indian or Middle Eastern. While I'm totally glad they're in the film (Hollywood needs to add more color to it's films!), but why were all the "heros" white? The entire Northern tribe was white too! However the Earth tribe that was at the prison was Asian. What the heck was that about?
6. Characters. I felt that Sokka was too serious and a little too old. He wasn't funny at all. Aang was impulsive, but not really playful. I think some of the details that make these characters so endearing were missed.
7. Can you say "franchise"? I guess M. Night Shyamalan assumed that no matter how crappy his version there'd be a second film. There's no ending. I heard after the fact that people knew about it. It's supposed to be a "cliffhanger" type ending, so it's not really an ending, but I didn't think it was much of a cliffhanger anyway. It ends right where season 1 ends.
8. The end, finally! I'm the kind that stays through all the credits. I like to read to see who did what. I have friends that work in various aspects of the industry and I love finding their names in the credits or just reading the unusual names you find. I did not stay for the credits. I just wanted it to end. I felt like it went on and on and I was expecting it to end on more than one occasion, so when it finally did I was ready to get the hell out of the theatre.
Overall the film feels rushed and messy. I feel M. Night Shyamalan doesn't pay enough attention to the whole film and how it comes together, nor to some of the details that could make a film like this shine.
So to sum it all up:
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Monday, September 7, 2009
RSVP
I deal with RSVPs on a regular basis. Between my multiple Meetup groups (I'm in 21 groups total including the 7 I organize), party and ritual inviations, I have to respond to an average of 7 events a week. No, I'm really not kidding about that.
Over the years I have found that most people assume RSVP means to respond only if you are attending. I'd like to take a moment to inform folks, that is not exactly true.
"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" or "respond if you'd please". In Western and European culture, it is often considered rude to not reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining.
I have seen, on rare occasion, invitations that ask invitees to RSVP only if they plan to attend. However, in 99% of the invitations I send or receive that is not the case.
On occasion I have discovered that people will wait to respond at all because they are uncertain if they are able to attend the event. I can understand this, especially if there is only a Yes or No response. However, if there is a Maybe option, perhaps its best to respond with that and then change your response accordingly when you have a more firm idea regarding your attendance.
In some cases, such as Meetup events, it is also an option to change your RSVP, as much as you like, prior to the event. If you were a Yes, but discover you are unable to attend, you can change to a No. However, this may be different with an event such as a wedding where the head count is very necessary as the bride and groom have to pay for each person. So to change your response at the last minute can be costly for them.
This can also be a problem if the event, such as on Meetup.com, has a limit to the total amount of attendees. Often this is due to the venue accommodations. When a person RSVPs with a Yes, but they aren't able to attend and doesn't change their response or notify the organizer of the change, this takes away that available seat for someone who would have been able to attend the event. I have heard many Meetup organizers who create these type of events (often at restaurants with limited seating) complain about this type of rude behavior. I don't blame the organizer for being upset.
Currently I have an event listed through Evite.com. An unfortunate issue with this web invitation service is that sometimes the sent invitation gets lost in the receivers spam filter. I'm not sure why this happens, but it does. So when individuals receive the invitation, but do not click on the invitation link I am never certain if they ever received the invitation. When they do click on the link I am able to see that they did receive the invite and looked at it. When this happens, but they still don't respond with a Yes or No I am less inclined to be concerned about it. I figure they know about the event, but just didn't care enough to respond. I feel less inclined to send further emails or make phone calls.
If they have not clicked on the link and looked at the Evite, my concern is that they never received the information at all and might have liked to have attended the event if they had known, so I go that extra mile to make sure they're aware.
So if you receive an invitation to an event with an RSVP request on it, please take the time to respond with something. :)
Over the years I have found that most people assume RSVP means to respond only if you are attending. I'd like to take a moment to inform folks, that is not exactly true.
"Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "please respond" or "respond if you'd please". In Western and European culture, it is often considered rude to not reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining.
I have seen, on rare occasion, invitations that ask invitees to RSVP only if they plan to attend. However, in 99% of the invitations I send or receive that is not the case.
On occasion I have discovered that people will wait to respond at all because they are uncertain if they are able to attend the event. I can understand this, especially if there is only a Yes or No response. However, if there is a Maybe option, perhaps its best to respond with that and then change your response accordingly when you have a more firm idea regarding your attendance.
In some cases, such as Meetup events, it is also an option to change your RSVP, as much as you like, prior to the event. If you were a Yes, but discover you are unable to attend, you can change to a No. However, this may be different with an event such as a wedding where the head count is very necessary as the bride and groom have to pay for each person. So to change your response at the last minute can be costly for them.
This can also be a problem if the event, such as on Meetup.com, has a limit to the total amount of attendees. Often this is due to the venue accommodations. When a person RSVPs with a Yes, but they aren't able to attend and doesn't change their response or notify the organizer of the change, this takes away that available seat for someone who would have been able to attend the event. I have heard many Meetup organizers who create these type of events (often at restaurants with limited seating) complain about this type of rude behavior. I don't blame the organizer for being upset.
Currently I have an event listed through Evite.com. An unfortunate issue with this web invitation service is that sometimes the sent invitation gets lost in the receivers spam filter. I'm not sure why this happens, but it does. So when individuals receive the invitation, but do not click on the invitation link I am never certain if they ever received the invitation. When they do click on the link I am able to see that they did receive the invite and looked at it. When this happens, but they still don't respond with a Yes or No I am less inclined to be concerned about it. I figure they know about the event, but just didn't care enough to respond. I feel less inclined to send further emails or make phone calls.
If they have not clicked on the link and looked at the Evite, my concern is that they never received the information at all and might have liked to have attended the event if they had known, so I go that extra mile to make sure they're aware.
So if you receive an invitation to an event with an RSVP request on it, please take the time to respond with something. :)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Cat Care Email
This came in tonight from my friend Angela who took care of my kids today since I'm still in Oregon and Dad wasn't home either.
Hi Yvonne,
I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked with your cats today because my allergies went haywire. I've been scratching my face all day. Ugh. Anyway, I gave them all food and checked their water. It smells like someone isn't using the box but I didn't see where they were going to clean it up. The box only had two piddle clumps and smelled fresh so I skipped policing their commode in lieu of breathing. I only saw Big Boy, Ed, Fluff, and Jackie. I was afraid to look under the bed for Einstein because I think they were plotting to smother me if I got on the floor. I just know Big Boy and Ed were waiting for me to get low enough for them to get on my back. From there, they would eat my body. You would have found chew remains of me, stuffed under the bed, but not that far because I don't see cats making that much of an effort to conceal the body :-)
I also didn't see Bob or Little One but I did check and call for them. I didn't see Tortellini either, but I can walk by him and not see him since he kind of blends in.
I hope all is well when you get home. Hope your trip is going well. See you Wednesday.
Ange
Yeah, my cats are pretty lazy. I doubt they'd even bother to try to pull her remains under the bed.
Hi Yvonne,
I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked with your cats today because my allergies went haywire. I've been scratching my face all day. Ugh. Anyway, I gave them all food and checked their water. It smells like someone isn't using the box but I didn't see where they were going to clean it up. The box only had two piddle clumps and smelled fresh so I skipped policing their commode in lieu of breathing. I only saw Big Boy, Ed, Fluff, and Jackie. I was afraid to look under the bed for Einstein because I think they were plotting to smother me if I got on the floor. I just know Big Boy and Ed were waiting for me to get low enough for them to get on my back. From there, they would eat my body. You would have found chew remains of me, stuffed under the bed, but not that far because I don't see cats making that much of an effort to conceal the body :-)
I also didn't see Bob or Little One but I did check and call for them. I didn't see Tortellini either, but I can walk by him and not see him since he kind of blends in.
I hope all is well when you get home. Hope your trip is going well. See you Wednesday.
Ange
Yeah, my cats are pretty lazy. I doubt they'd even bother to try to pull her remains under the bed.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
44 odd things about me that you probably didn't think you needed to know
1. Do you like blue cheese?
Of course I do! It's cheese!
2. Have you ever been drunk?
Not since last weekend.
3. Do you own a gun?
Quite a few. Along with lots of shiny sharp pointy things.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Lime. That's Bryce's fault, actually. Lol! It was his favorite, because it was green, so we had it a lot growing up. It soon became my favorite too.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, not before, but sometimes during. I have been known to make some doctors uncomfortable. Some love that I'm so well informed about my situation/condition and ask lots of questions. However, there have been a few who didn't like this and were a great deal less than professional about things as a means to "even the playing field". One physically assaulted me because he couldn't handle my reason for denying a harmful procedure he himself was abusing, while another used to yell at me because he also didn't understand why I was denying having a harmful (not helpful) procedure done. My denying the procedure meant they couldn't get extra money from my insurance. It also meant that unlike many I'd met who were not only NOT relieved of the issue the procedure was supposed to alleviate but also permanently crippled and disfigured, I'm fully functional and have no permanent physical issues. Needless to say, those men are no longer my doctors.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I loves them! Especially the "Chicago" style dogs at Portillos. Mmmmmm...
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
"White Christmas" (1954)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water, it's the first thing I drink.
9. Can you do push ups?
Not currently. Broken arm kinda makes that difficult, and I never mastered the one handed push-up.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
It's a sterling silver brooch (41mm) with a beautiful interwoven design of Odin riding his 8 legged horse, Sleipnir. I have a matching pendant as well. I bought the pendant first many years ago and the ex bought me the brooch at Koroneburg Faire a couple of years ago. It's one of the few things he did right. ^_^
Of course I do! It's cheese!
2. Have you ever been drunk?
Not since last weekend.
3. Do you own a gun?
Quite a few. Along with lots of shiny sharp pointy things.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Lime. That's Bryce's fault, actually. Lol! It was his favorite, because it was green, so we had it a lot growing up. It soon became my favorite too.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, not before, but sometimes during. I have been known to make some doctors uncomfortable. Some love that I'm so well informed about my situation/condition and ask lots of questions. However, there have been a few who didn't like this and were a great deal less than professional about things as a means to "even the playing field". One physically assaulted me because he couldn't handle my reason for denying a harmful procedure he himself was abusing, while another used to yell at me because he also didn't understand why I was denying having a harmful (not helpful) procedure done. My denying the procedure meant they couldn't get extra money from my insurance. It also meant that unlike many I'd met who were not only NOT relieved of the issue the procedure was supposed to alleviate but also permanently crippled and disfigured, I'm fully functional and have no permanent physical issues. Needless to say, those men are no longer my doctors.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I loves them! Especially the "Chicago" style dogs at Portillos. Mmmmmm...
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
"White Christmas" (1954)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water, it's the first thing I drink.
9. Can you do push ups?
Not currently. Broken arm kinda makes that difficult, and I never mastered the one handed push-up.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?It's a sterling silver brooch (41mm) with a beautiful interwoven design of Odin riding his 8 legged horse, Sleipnir. I have a matching pendant as well. I bought the pendant first many years ago and the ex bought me the brooch at Koroneburg Faire a couple of years ago. It's one of the few things he did right. ^_^
11. Favorite hobby?
Collecting crystal skulls. I have nearly 70 of them, from tiny to rather large, made from various stones and semi-precious gems carved by artists around the globe. I began collecting them in 2000 after meeting Max, the Crystal Skull. They all occupy the ancestor altar I have set up in my living room. I have also used them for their magickal properties to enhance spells and other magickal workings.
12. Do you have A.D.D.?
Definitely. Some times things are worse than others, but I think... hmmm, I need to do laundry... anyway, I know I have a very hard time not... ooooh shiny!! Damn, I think I need to go to the store. I forgot I needed... Did I ever mention I used to be a cheerleader for Buddha? I think I'm hungry. Oh, hey isn't tonight light saber fight night with the OC Star Wars club? Oh that was yesterday, huh? Anyway, yes I think I do.
13. What's your favorite shoe?
I have well over 200 pairs. Yes, I believe I am related to Imelda Marcos. Anyway, my most frequently worn pair are my black on black cat head mary janes. I have three other pairs of cat heads: black cat heads on red shoes, black cat heads on white shoes, and pink cat heads on black shoes.
14. Middle name?
Yep, I have one.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
Going to Tune in Tokyo tonight and figuring out what I want to wear, getting the ritual together for the movie I'm filming in March, and singing a Flogging Molly tune in my head.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Water, sprite/7up type soda, more water. I stay clear of caffeine because it makes me ill, and despite this past weekend and some of my parties, I really don't drink very much overall. With that in mind there are very few drinks I will have when I go out.
17. Current worry?
My next project: "Honoring the Ancestors"
18. Current hate right now?
Hate is such a harsh word and I can't really say I "hate" anything. I greatly dislike a lot of things though. I greatly dislike the state of limbo my broken arm and pending surgeries put me in.
19. No number 19
Hey, where'd it go?
20. How did you bring in the New Year?
It was awesome! Eileen and I went to the middle of freakin' NO WHERE, east of here, to celebrate Joe's 40th birthday and catch up with Jeff, Carla, and Paul all of whom I hadn't seen in about 7 years. We were all buddies from school, but Jeff, Joe and I were also all staff writers for different rock magazines back in the early '90s. My OCAG crew called me and all wished me a Happy New Year too. It was fantastic! :D
21. Where would you like to go?
Japan, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Italy, Spain, Peru, Brazil, and Germany.
22. Name three people who will complete this:
Seriously, do I have to? Meh. I greatly dislike these kind of questions.
23. Do you own slippers?
Yes.
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
A white OC AIDS Walk t-shirt.
25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?
I sleep on 600 count sateen sheets and love 'em! But regular satin sheets... never have.
26. Can you whistle?
Indeed, I can, and when I do the cats come. Go figure.
27. Favorite color?
Deep purple - It's my hair color
28. Would you be a pirate?
How dare ye ask me such a question. O' course I be! I be th' Queen o' the pirates in these parts! Besides, the ninja club was full the month I tried to join. o_O
29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Whatever's stuck in my head at the time. Pop, rock, chorale, pagan.
30. Favorite Girl's Name?
Sophia, Isabella, Yumiko
31. Favorite boy's name?
Matthias, Octavius, Thorstein
(no, I really can't just pick a single favorite name)
32. What's in your pocket right now?
I'm not wearing anything with pockets.
33. Last thing that made you laugh?
The most recent set of comments my friends posted on my PantheaCon photos.
34. Best bed sheets as a child?
Clean. And might I add, what a weird-ass question!
35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child?
Falling from the roof and breaking my tail bone. whee!
36. Do you love where you live?
Love? Hmmmm... I've lived here for 18+ years now. It would not have been my first pick, but it could have been far worse. Besides, I'm still in OC and for that I am happy.
37. No number 37
FAIL!
38. Who is your loudest friend?
That's easy: Jason, the self-proclaimed "Omnipresent Mouth". I use him to quiet the crowd when I have announcements and such.
39. How many dogs do you have?
Um... reminder, I have cats. They don't seem to be terribly fond of dogs. However, I have been contemplating getting a British bulldog or a Corgi. They're just so damn cute!!!
40. Does someone have a crush on you?
Apparently a few. o_O
41. What is your favorite book?
Really, just one? In case you haven't noticed I don't do well with picking just one favorite. Fine! One of my faves at random: "The Birth of the Chess Queen" by Marilyn Yalom
42. What is your favorite candy?
Hands down: English Toffee. I love that buttery sweet taste. (Oh wow, something I was actually able to just pick one for!)
43. What song do you want to be played at your Funeral?
Geez, I have an entire playlist! It includes Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Flogging Molly, Home Made Kazoku, & Tyr.
I have hopes my funeral will be an open funeral pyre (loaded with fragrant herbs), outside - perhaps in a big open field (not exactly viking style - no boat burnings please), at dusk. I hope my friends will feast, drink plenty of mead and beer, have good tunes playing, and party all night in my honor. That would be quite awesome. :)
Is it strange that this is what I have wanted for my funeral for as long as I can remember? If it is, I don't really care.
44. Favorite Sports Team?
The Anaheim (not Los Angeles) Angels.
Is it strange that this is what I have wanted for my funeral for as long as I can remember? If it is, I don't really care.
44. Favorite Sports Team?
The Anaheim (not Los Angeles) Angels.
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