The Goldfish Bowl

Teany

2006-05-22T10:13:00.000-05:00

I found this stuff in a Japanese market down in SoHo on Saturday night:

It (the bottle) says it's made by "Moby" (and we were wondering if its the Moby). Well! After some research I am fairly positive that it is made by one singer/producer Moby. And it is originally from a cafe down by E. Houston street which serves veggie/vegan foodstuffs and many, many tea-oriented products. MMMm....

Now if only they sold these awesome tea-beverages up here! I should have bought more than 2 bottles of it...

Never Settle

2006-05-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

I just found this post in my MySpace blog as I was going through and removing everything. It's from way back in the day (Sept 28, 2004):

Never settle

A strange thing happened to me at work about a week ago. A couple of people know this story but most don't. Wanted to write it down regardless, though.

An older gentleman, who was very distinguished looking and well dressed (wearing European clothing, gold cufflinks, etc.) came into the restaurant last Monday night; we weren't busy and I had a couple of parties going on, there were a few servers milling around, but out of everyone this man pulled me aside.

The man asked if he could see the menu and I politely said of course he could, as I usually do; he also asked if he could sit down in one of the booths to read it. I showed him to one of the booths and asked if he would like me to get anything for him or if he would be having dinner that evening. The man replied that he wouldn't be having dinner but that he was visiting the neighborhood, saw that the restaurant was new, and wanted to see what we were all about. He told me he was in from out of town and was staying in a friend's house on Lakeside (where all the large, posh houses are in the neighborhood), and that his friend was staying with his cousins in Italy; the man also said that it was a funny coincidence that the restaurant was Italian, since his family was in the business in Tuscany

We continued to chat and he asked if I was Italian myself. I told him that I'm not Italian but that I am southern French so alot of people ask me if I am northern Italian instead. The man said I had a 'Renaissance face', and that I look like the women in the paintings of that period from the romance countries (which is funny, because I've been told that before and whenever I go to the museums I get slightly freaked out). Before continuing further he says "you know, you hold yourself with such poise and grace and that's rare these days. It's refreshing. And of course I'm not telling you all of this to pick you up or try take you home because that would obviously be pointless- I'm much older than you, and if I did want to take you home I'd want to take you home as a daughter". Of course I was flattered and told him so (people don't tell you things like that every day).

But after all the flattery the man tells me (and addresses me by my name because I had told him my name by this point) "Kimberly, never settle for anything less than perfect. You're one of those women who never should. You'll have lots of men chasing after you, lots of attractive and successful men, but try to find one with a soul and substance, too. They're the ones that are worth it. Truly though, never settle for anything less than total perfection". After a couple more comments and after thanking him for all of the kind words, compliments and advice, I told him that I needed to check on my parties but to let me know if I could get him anything. By the time I turned around less than 30 seconds later, he was gone.

All of this happened while I was breaking up with my boyfriend. I think it was a sign. But it's strange and eerie how things happen sometimes.

I think he's right, and I'm taking his advice: now I won't settle. And I wish I could find him to thank him

*******

It's always interesting to find things like this, because it still holds true.

Transcendentalism in modern society

2006-04-23T16:59:00.000-05:00

According to the theories of transcendentalism, all people are good by nature and it is society's fault for making people corrupt. Can this possibly be true? It throws out the line of thinking that people are inherently evil, of which the thinking is supported by the Christian church and all Western religions in general.

Funny that this theory began in the Unitarian Christian church and branched out into the writings of Emerson, et cetera in the mid-1800's.

What would the inverse of this be? All people are evil by nature and it is society which gives people the chance to break the mold set forth for them and become the exact opposite of what they were supposed to be?

If we are all here to learn as much as possible and to grow as people, which is another tenant of transcendentalism, how could it be true that we learn from the world around us and from society, when it is society that supposedly has such a negative impact on our souls and our minds? What, then, are we going to learn from? I suppose it is possible that we are to learn from the mistakes of society, but that still leaves a huge gap in what we can learn from our immediate surroundings and what we have the capacity to learn as human beings.

Intellectual/social theory makes absolutely no sense. Way to go, Unitarians!

As an end note, I haven't died. In fact, I am alive and wallowing in my writing endeavors and school assignments/classes whilst attempting to stay afloat amongst the debris of my relationship and the boogey man of my fatigue. Huzzah. I'm going to try to make more of an effort to write on a regular basis, or I'm going to lose everyone's interest. Stay tuned!

100 questions

2006-04-13T07:03:00.000-05:00

Since my last post I have gone through the rigors of Seafood ID & Fabrication. 7 days to memorize information you usually absorb over the course of years in the business. 100 test questions, 20 identifiction questions today. 5 page paper due today. rough draft of my essay for writing due today. ahhhhh.

Sleeping and eating are highly overrated while you're at school. I don't do much of either (much less of the latter).

But I'm going home this weekend and I hope it results in at least a little rejuvination. I'm burned out already!!

I just want today to be over...

Procrastination, part 1000

2006-04-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

Always procrastinating, that's my trademark. I have an essay to write, rough draft due Tuesday. Today I feel so damn tired, so no-on and not myself, and I'm having trouble getting started. I have 2 1/2 days until it's due, right? Yes, I do. So I think I'm going to read about Joan Didion instead. One day I'm going to be like Joan Didion, dammit. Every bit as good; I will be poignant, concise, moving, and completely unwavering in my attempts to bring the truth to the masses. People need a good kick in the shins to wake them up these days!

The problem is, the last essay I wrote was very good; I'm normally very hard on myself but even I will admit its value. My professor now wants me to consider being a published writer, and that makes writing terrifying for me. Right now it's kind of like standing by the side of a pool when you're taking swimming lessongs on a cold morning: you know the water's frigid, you're shivering outside anyways, you know it won't be so bad once you finally get in the pool and get yourself moving, but it just takes so much goddamn effort to get in for some reason. That is precidely how I feel right now. I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid of letting down not only my professor but myself as well. I know that that isn't going to happen, but it's still scary to start writing this new one. I just need a clear head to do it, and today I don't have one. Not at all.

There's always tomorrow.

Is my blog boring? I know there's people reading it, but you peope never say anything. True, it's been pretty mundane lately, but my life has been in general. I'm finally adjusting to my [relatively] new surroundings and meeting people, but I have so much goddamn crap on my plate right now that it's had to sit down and collect my thoughts.

My friend gave me awesome advice about my situation this afternoon, though. While I'm an overachiever and care about my grades in my cooking classes quite a bit, perhaps I should be concentrating way more on my writing. So I'm going to do that. Fuck getting straight A's in the kitchen classes. I'm here to learn, but I'm here to furhter my knowledge so that I can be a better writer. I'm not sure how that's going to work, but I think I'll be okay.

I'm going to go look for Joan Didion books now...

2006-04-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Four and a half hours of hiking through the woods and up a mountain has left me exhausted today (and I'm usually pretty tired anyways...maybe I should start taking those sleeping pills). Sure I had alot of things to do and I have to do them all today instead, but it was totally worth it because I made use of a beautiful day! Hoping to go out again next weekend

Today's weather is cloudy and gray. Perfect for napping, which I wish I was doing right not. Ah well, 10 days until break...

Work calls me. Ick.

Library

2006-03-20T18:53:00.000-05:00

Why is it hard for people to understand that a library, especially a lab in a library is supposed to be quiet?

Across the way, girls are chatting, and their voices are like nails on a chalkboard. Just the sound of their voices make will make my brain matter start seeping out of my ears at any moment. My IQ just dropped 30 points just by being in the same room as these people.

I have absolutely no patience for the impolite.

Detergent Thieves

2006-03-19T10:55:00.000-05:00

I was doing laundry last night, and in between putting my laundry in the washing machine and going upstairs for 20 minutes to wait for it to finish it, someone stole my l.aundry detergent. WHO DOES THAT?! People seriously never cease to amaze me. It's rediculous!! Bastards

Distractions

2006-03-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

It's 3 o'clock, and the distractions won out over the library.

Food is much more important right now.

Maybe I'll go back to being responsible and studious later. Hah.

Library Days

2006-03-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm at the library.

Yes, I am a part of that small group of individuals who is studious even on the weekends. Proud member of the intelligencia.

It's mildly amusing that the library was built by one of the Hiltons. I don't think Paris has even been in here, so don't even ask.

However, it is not mildly amusing that the drinking water we get here tastes reminiscent of blood (really I mean iron, but blood, too). I stick to bottled water.

There needs to be some more excitement around here (scratch that...there needs to be something more exciting to do than sit around a dorm room and drink, which I've never done and don't plan on doing in the forseeable future). I'm not holding my breath.

Three cheers for living in the middle of nowhere!

Huzzah!

Celebration

2006-03-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

In honor of amateur drunk d...I mean St. Patrick's Day...I gorged myself on awesome, authentic Mexican food. Take that, boiled cabbage!!

But really, overall, I'm trying to eat healthier. The banquet gourmet food at school is weighing me down. I miss salads and fruit!

My mom sent me 5 boxes of cereal in the mail the other day, though, and I am SO excited!! I <3 cocoa puffs

My product knowledge professor totally went nuts today, thanks to me. The entire class was laughing for 2 hours straight AND we got test questions out of him. Ahhhhh I'm so good! He claims to be aiming to break me of my habit of saying "really?" by the end of next week.

Hahhhhh...yeah right.

I loooove being lazy and napping. I just don't get enough of it these days!

The hated roommate will be gone by Monday at the very latest. Hell yes! Sure, we're getting another roomie so the place is going to stay super crammed, but anyone is better than the roommate from hell. My mom's not going to have as much to laugh at now, though. How sad.

I shouldn't have said that...because now we're probably going to get someone worse. Dammit.

I'm lonely. *sigh*

Starting Over

2006-01-25T21:16:00.000-05:00

Starting over, almost from scratch.

Just couldn't do it anymore

Lookie! I'm the Music Man!

2006-01-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

Currently listening to: Belle & Sebastian - Another Sunny Day

I'm currently making a 1.5 hour playlist chock full of indie-rock goodness for my friend. He's covering someone else's radio show and asked me to help out. Therefore, the perfectionist and music nerd that I am, is spending hours putting this together.

It has to be great! It will be great! Because I am great! hah!

There are a few men out there that continue to prove that most of the male species is stupid. Good job, dude.