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Thursday, February 28, 2002
Cab drivers and eidetic memory?
So tonite, Sage and I went to Osaka Grill as he had never been. The ONLY true teppanyaki restaurant in the city and OH SO YUMMY (I refuse to categorize Benihana as "teppanyaki". that is more like, "throwing shrimp in the air while drumming on the grill with salt and pepper shakers"). So I catch a cab with Sage after dinner. At a stop light the driver turns around and says, "I remember you." This seems to happen to me a lot. Of course my first reaction is one of complete skepticism seeing as there are oh, like, a GAZILLION asians in San Francisco and I figure that the driver is just mistaking me for someone else. So I politely reply, "oh really? Maybe I've been in your cab before." The driver says, "yeah. you live at XXXX Pine Street, right? How long have you been there?" OH MY GOD!! CREEPY!! He even knew my address! The last time this happened:
Cab Driver: Oh I remember you! I used to pick you up from work when you'd work late.
Me: Oh really?
Cab Driver: yeah, you used to work downtown, didn't you?
Me: [thinking to myself that is a pretty safe guess] Well yeah but I've worked in a few places downtown.
Cab Driver: No, I REMEMBER you! you used to work at 600 Harrison, right?
Me: OH MY GOD, THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO!!
Cab Driver: yeah it was awhile ago but I would drive you home when you worked late. I think you had blue hair then.
Holy moly! How scary is this?? Not only do they remember where I worked 8 years ago but they remember my hair color at the time?? Truly amazing. And why do they all say, "I remember you!"? Makes me worry that perhaps I am suffering from blackouts and am doing very strange things in cabs to be so memorable....
posted by Sandra at 9:10 PM
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Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Oh my god! Look at my toes!.... they're FABULOUS!! "A day with the girls" conclusion
So what I did not realize was that BOTH Todd and Conrado had never had their nails done before. Todd did not want the pedicure because he "never wears sandals" and "didn't really think much about his feet." I told him he HAD to at least try it once, just to get the full experience at the nail place. He agreed and the guys went off to pick out a color. We decided to go with clear polish for our fingernails and a color for our toenails since no one would really see it anyway. Todd chose an amazing "CAR BLUE" (almost like that) and Conrado went with a more subdued LIGHT BLUE. I went with a nice MAROON color. So after a nice warm foot soak and a relaxing hand/foot mass@ge, the guys were sold!Conrado: Boy we should do this ... EVERY WEEK!!
Todd: Look at my toes! I LOVE THEM! I need to get sandals now!! Not only was it relaxing and decadent but entertainment was supplied as well. A "lady of the night" was there getting HER nails done when we got there. She was wearing stiletto heeled boots and a slip dress. Conrado: She didn't even cross her legs while she was sitting there! I had a view right up her dress the whole time we were sitting there!! EWWWWWWW!!! Hell, who needs Style magazine when you've got THAT to look at?? As we were sitting waiting for our nails to dry....Conrado: Oh no! I touched my thumbnail!
Me: Oh no, well tell the woman to redo that one!
Todd: [rolling eyes in exasperation]
Conrado: [hanging head in shame] ... I'm such an amatuer...
posted by Sandra at 11:40 PM
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"A day with the girls"
Well not really.. actually I'm the only "girl" involved. Today should prove very entertaining. I am taking both Todd and Conrado out for manicures and pedicures. This will be Conrado's first time. I sure hope he's not ticklish. This is going to be very strange going to get my nails done with two men. Ahhhh you just gotta love San Francisco!! I will make sure to detail our day on the town.
posted by Sandra at 2:40 PM
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Monday, February 25, 2002
Are you Margaret Cho?
Perhaps one of the most amusing things about living here in SF, is that several times now, I have been mistaken for Margaret Cho. Granted I think she she ROCKS and is totally hysterical but honestly, I don't really think I LOOK like her. What's even more interesting is that I think Geno has been with me every time this has happened. hmmmm, VERY suspicious if you ask me... Best "mistaken identity" incident to date:
[Geno and I take a cab to a club. Typical, inappropriate discussions that should not be had in a cab, ensues. We arrive and are paying the driver]
Cab Driver: So, ummm... I just have to ask... are you Margaret Cho?
Geno: *doubled over with laughter*
Me: um no. Butt what would made you think that?
Cab Driver: Well... ummm... you LOOK Korean... and you're with a gay guy.
Geno: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA we LOVE you!!! So a word to the wise: if you are an asian woman that looks Korean, do NOT hang out with gay men unless you want to be mistaken for Margaret Cho.
posted by Sandra at 2:11 PM
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Wednesday, February 20, 2002
Most amusing keyword searches for my site
It's so great what you can learn from HitBox! They list the top keywords that people were searching for when they found your site. What is funny is that I'm not too sure how my site came up for some of these searches... These are my favorites so far: - tarts sex porn - OH YEAH, BABY! hehehe people must have been very disappointed to find that the tarts referred to pecan tarts.
- congo pea fowl - I have no idea what this is!
- photo gallery of bacteria - EWWWWWWW!
- my piercings - huh?
- smallest dog in the world - did I say that?? I just don't think so!
- why does my african grey have no tail - MY PERSONAL FAVORITE! Had me howling for days. Like I would know why their parrot has no tail?? and thank you very much but MY parrots DO have tails!
posted by Sandra at 6:10 PM
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Another dinner conversation...
[Finished a wonderful dinner at Le Bistrot with Geno and Todd. Now contemplating what to have for dessert...]Me: What are you guys getting for dessert?
Geno: ooooh FRUIT SOUP!! (his absolute favorite dessert)
Todd: You ARE a fruit soup!
Geno: HA!
Me: Todd, didn't you try these Grand Marnier Crepes before?
Todd: Yes! They were FA-LAMING Crepes!!
Geno: YOU are a FLAMING CREPE! All fiery and folds easily!
Me: I'll just get the cake. I find it fascinating that even something as innocuous as dessert can somehow become a source of great amusement and questionable defamation for these two.
posted by Sandra at 1:53 AM
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Tuesday, February 19, 2002
A.I., not the movie, the real thing...
I have to admit that I am quite enamoured by "bots" and their learning abilities. Although they might not be the AI we see in movies, they can be quite funny. This is a transcript of vtamadabot chatting with her real-life counterpart. Via SuperHyperDemonChild.
posted by Sandra at 12:55 PM
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Friday, February 15, 2002
Memories of New Jersey
posted by Sandra at 10:17 PM
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Monday, February 11, 2002
Harry Potter and the Missing System Files
NJ was not what I expected it to be. For some reason, I was expecting a post-Armageddon landscape with oil slicks everywhere, but I think that's just a graphic designer's hyperactive imagination. There *are* an awful lot of business parks, and today I got my first taste of a New Jersey mall. I guess a mall in Union City is not that different from a mall in Paramus.
My sore inability to comprehend the New Jersey freeway system and Sandra's vertigo keeps us housebound most of the time. But, that is good since we I was able to get Dee and Herb's computer up and running. Yep, I take full credit for finding that aberrant system extension.
Speaking of Herb and Dee, I am not exactly sure how to address them. Should I call them "Dee" and "Herb"? Should I say "Dr. and Mrs. Wakai"? "Uncle Herb" and "Auntie Dee"? Sandra was not much help on this point, as she just told me to call them "whatever I felt like". Now, what kind of help is that?
Being housebound most of the time caught me up on reading. I have gone through 4 books since I got here, and I am on the last Harry Potter book. Folks, if there was any tinge of doubt, I think this pretty much clears it up. Conrado is a geek.
So, what do we have planned for tomorrow? Well....nothing. Dr. and Mrs. Wakai's computer still hangs up at start-up periodically, so I think we shall back up their computer on my trusty iPod (gloat) and try to do a clean install of the latest Mac OS. And, maybe I will try to dissuade Tomi of his recently developed Conradophobia, although that is a losing battle. He has made up his mind that I am uber-predator and that I am out to get him while Sandra's attention is on Pchan. Sigh.
posted by Conrado at 8:57 PM
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Thursday, February 07, 2002
It's like buttah!
 Even Tomi has gotten into the New Jersey spirit! Here he can be seen modeling a beautiful and stylish purple hair scrunchie! Tomorrow we are going to go to the mall as Conrado would really like to experience a real New Jersey mall. Perhaps we can get Tomi some decals for his nails!
posted by Sandra at 10:27 PM
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Woo-hoo!! We're online in New Jersey!
Whew! I am SO relieved that Conrado and I got my parents' computer up 'n' running!! Not only that but, as you can tell, got the cable modem working also. I was duly impressed that Conrado pinpointed the one cantankerous mac extension that was causing the computer to freeze on startup. One, little ATI Graphics Accelerator extension seemed to bring the computer to its knees. What a nightmare! But Conrado was quite determined and spent the whole first day trying to get the computer to start up. Once we got the computer to start up, the next problem was that we were unable to get the cable modem to work. The most baffling thing was that Conrado was able to hook up his laptop to the cable modem and it worked just fine. Again, he tried to figure out what was wrong. He gave up on the second day. I used his laptop to access the web and see what I could find. Well, I found some troubleshooting instructions for this particular cable modem and basically what it said was, "unplug it from the wall, wait a few seconds, plug it back in..." We were laughing so hard. Granted Macs are supposed to be fairly simple to operate but I think this was taking things a little too far. Well I tried it and guess what... CONNECTIVITY!! YEA!! So we have accomplished what we came to NJ for - the computer is fixed and online! Other fun things that have happened so far: Conrado got to see falling snow for the first time, Tomi has consumed more food than parrot-ly possible, and *I* can NOT stop watching Animal Planet. Today was exciting as Conrado and I went to Barnes & Noble so he was able to admire the glory that is NJ turnpikes and highways. We also got lost which was quite an adventure. I have not lived here in over 12 years, so places may look familiar but I have NO idea where they are in relation to where my parents live nor to where we want to go necessarily! Tomorrow will be very fun as we are going out in search of a Bank of America. I hope we not only find it, but also find our way back home! We will also take some pictures along the way. This should prove interesting so stay tuned. I also realized that as much as I love seeing my parents, I miss everyone back in SF and can't wait to see everyone again!
posted by Sandra at 10:09 PM
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Tuesday, February 05, 2002
"Hello, my name is Tomi the African Grey Parrot and I'm a Krispy Kreme addict..."
 I just KNOW they put an addictive chemical in Krispy Kremes!! I mean what is UP with that?!?!? And, now I have proof. Even Tomi the parrot is addicted to them! Granted he is only allowed a bite and very rarely but that bird knows the Krispy Kreme box and knows what is in it. Case and point: this weekend Aleesha took James and me to the Krispy Kreme in Daly City. We had never been before. Well we took the bird with us so he could go for a "car ride." When we got there it was SO crowded that we had to park at the far end of the parking lot. I stayed in the car with Tomi while James and Aleesha went in to get the donuts. We lucked out and by the time they reached the counter, there were fresh, hot donuts rolling off the line. Aleesha put most of the donuts in the trunk while James kept one dozen out so we could eat them right away. Well Tomi spotted the Krispy Kreme box and was suddenly standing on the edge of his carrier, peering over James' shoulder. That bird was just about ready to leap into the front seat of the car! Tomi would look at the donuts, then look at me, then back to the box. Then he looked at me and quietly said, "cup-cup?" [he has a very limited vocabulary so if it's not a grape, nut or chip but IS something very yummy and coveted by a parrot, then it's deemed a "cup-cup" for some reason.] So I grabbed a donut and let him take a bite of it which actually led to a "tug of war" with said donut as he decided that he deserved the whole thing! Then again, do you blame him? What would YOU do if suddenly faced with a hot Krispy Kreme donut roughly the same size as you??
posted by Sandra at 12:46 AM
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Monday, February 04, 2002
Blogging: most efficient way to communicate or most efficient way to make you REALLY paranoid?
I was just thinking about what a cool thing blogs are. For me, it's nice to jot down funny things or conversations that happen on a daily basis. I enjoy reading my friends' blogs and see what's going on with them. I just forget sometimes how "close" everything is on the web. I forget that people read my site and forget that my friends read my other friends' sites! This then leads to me thinking that everyone is either psychic or that I'm getting senile and forgetting what I have told and to whom OR that "big brother" is watching and I should be VERY paranoid! So for instance, James had come by one nite and as a present had bought me the DVD Tron - which resulted in my squealing and clapping my hands. LOVE THAT MOVIE!! Later that nite I was talking to Todd on the phone when he said, "oh can I come down and borrow Tron from you?" I was like, "WHAT?!?! HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT I HAD TRON?!?!?," looking around wildly for the hidden camera! Now James is sitting in my apartment and I know he has not made any calls. I'm pretty certain that I had not talked to anyone since he got there.... REALLY made me think that I must have had a blackout somewhere and had called and told Todd that James got me the DVD... Unbeknownst to me, James had already posted on his blog about this and Todd had read it - hence why he was calling me!
posted by Sandra at 11:58 PM
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Weekend recap: Masa's, adobo, and a very "oriental" website...
What a great weekend! Friday night's dinner at Masa's was absoluting astounding. We all had the 9-course tasting menu and the chef threw in a couple extra courses! I think we were ready to throw in the towel, oh around the 5th course! By the end of the meal, Cat, never one to be defeated, was left brandishing her little sorbet spoon in a vain attempt to ward off the last remaining courses. Aleesha had a very memorable and delicious b-day dinner. Saturday was spent sleeping late and trying to recover from the previous nite's feast. That nite we were treated to authentic philippino Adobo by Conrado who quite the cook himself! It was devoured in minutes. The rest of the evening was spent designing the new "look" of my site. As I watched Conrado drawing and designing the various elements of my site, I couldn't decide if I should be laughing or just VERY afraid. I watched as perfect little nigiri icons were brought into existence.... would this be a sushi restaurant site? The chinese "take out" font for the header confirmed it! I was going to have a restaurant site! We were trying to think up things that could be deemed "oriental." I had to put my foot down when the topic of dragons came up.... and absolutely NO Helly Kitty!! Once we put it all together, it was just perfect. All I can say is thank GOD I was able to threaten Conrado with physical harm before any neon signs saying "MAS$AGE" went up! :-) However he DID sneak in the geisha!
posted by Sandra at 12:10 AM
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Sunday, February 03, 2002
The dangers of "artistic license"
AHHHHHHHHH!!!! OK, so this is what happens when you take one very talented, professional asian web designer with a twisted sense of humor and tell him, "I think I'd like you to design a 'look' for my site...something that will go with the theme of my blogger." Then add the input of equally twisted friends, and this glorious piece of "oriental" craftmanship is the result. A big thank you to Conrado and Geno for the new "look" of my site.
posted by Sandra at 3:53 AM
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Saturday, February 02, 2002
Conrado is color blind
Notice the colors that Conrado has picked for his postings. I'm a little concerned about this. He will now be able to post to my site so he can give first-hand observations on his trip to NJ.
posted by Sandra at 11:03 PM
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test
smokey is grey.
posted by Conrado at 10:29 PM
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Friday, February 01, 2002
Back to the land of big hair and malls!
Next week I will be going back to NJ to visit my parents. I always have mixed feelings about going back there. I'm always really excited to see my parents but being back in Jersey is always a shock to my system - iceberg lettuce salads, malls, being called "oriental," big hair, big nails, etc. However, I think the thing that will actualy make this trip absolutely hysterical is that I am dragging Conrado home with me for a week!! A gay, philippino designer from San Francisco in the heart of white suburban New Jersey. This is going to be priceless and I'm sure MANY stories will come from it.
posted by Sandra at 2:38 PM
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Happy Birthday Aleesha!!
The fun and festivities begin for this weekend. My friend is coming up from Santa Cruz to spend her b-day here. I have promised to take her (and Cat) tonite for a VERY long-awaited dinner at Masa's. The REALLY sad thing is that we are not so much excited to eat there because it is considered one of the top restaurants in SF but because the executive chef, Ron Siegal, is our hero - he's been on Iron Chef!! Not only that, he won his "Lobster Battle" against Iron Chef Sakai! Tomorrow nite Conrado will be sharing his culinary expertise in down home Philippino food - adobo all around!! :-) This should be quite the weekend.
posted by Sandra at 2:19 PM
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