This That and The Other

I saw this video the other day (it was recommended to me by YouTube) and I thought it was too cute!! Those little lion cubs are from the National Zoo, in my home city of Washington DC. Since watching that video, I've also watched little bunnies, how adorable! I tell you, nothing like a cute lion cub or bunny to make your day better, makes me hope that my daughter will not have a fear of animals like I did/do.

Went to see Paranormal Activity 2 this weekend, bad idea for an expectant mom - the movie centers around this entity trying to get a baby - I wish my sister had mentioned that in her reviews of the film!

Watched President Obama's appearance on the Daily Show, not very funny, no sense of humor from the President, but I still feel for President Obama, he looks like he needs a serious break - he seems to have lost all of his optimism and exuberance that we saw in the 2008 election. I feel like the bad guys have broken his spirit. Don't let the haters get you down, President Obama!

Seriously MSNBC did you really have to stop all other news coverage because of two suspicious packages on a UPS plane. Really, there must be other stuff going on in the world, I don't need a minute by minute recap of searching for a box. Bo-ring!

Finally, The team at Women on Their Way have selected 10 US hot spots to enjoy the holidays this season. In addition to the recommended locations, suggestions for what to do and see and also insider tips are shared throughout the website.

Nurish Deep Down

Monday laughs

Did anyone watch the updated version of Sherlock Holmes on PBS this past Sunday? I LOVED it! I was hesitate at first but it was brilliant! I am just glad that there are more episodes in the chute, I would have hated if that was a once-off.

Since when did Nancy Pelosi become a synonym for evil? Out here in Arizona they use her name (and of course President Obama) with the same venom as if the big bad wolf is in town - insane. I am sorry I just don't understand economic policy that has the government spending less in times of recession, the school of economics I studied found that when times were tough the government has to spend to stimulate the economy.

New job is nothing super exciting but so glad to have a full time honest to God job! Yay! Its an administrative assistant for the clinical psychology department at a local university. In this job market and for the amount of months I have been searching, this was heaven sent! Of course this meant I had to quit my airline gig, because I was just not able to hack two jobs, I was becoming physically exhausted and what was the point really? I wasn't happy at the airline gig anyway.

I Got Your Back, Ladies be Crazy

I have quit my gig with Hawaiian Airlines, that was the airline I was working for - with my new full time gig, I can't hack the two jobs. Plus I ended up getting stuck with the night shift with Hawaiian and its becoming too much for me.

Before my last day I wanted to add a few more airline tips I've gleaned in my time as a customer service agent:

1. If you are traveling with a baby or small child, arrive to the airport early, at least an hour and a half before departure, it will make your entire flight experience so much easier!
2. In the kiosks, don't panic if you don't get your boarding pass try checking to make sure the paper isn't just stuck halfway through.
3. Dress to get through security faster, no layers (sweaters/coats), wear slip on-off shoes, avoid belts if possible, light jewelry.
4. I know its frustrating to wait for your bags at the baggage carousel, but I promise you, no one is purposely keeping your bags, usually the bag handlers are hustling and it just takes some time to get the bag from your plane to the belt. Believe you me, airlines DO NOT WANT a loss baggage claim.

I know the airport experience is generally not fun for most, but if you can go in with a smile and a healthy sense of humor, it won't be as painful.

Bad Driving

Sometimes you have an example of such bad driving, one must write about it.

On Saturday I was running some errands and coming home on the AZ-101. The 101 is a loop around Phoenix, at various points you can get other area highways from this one. I was driving in the slow lane heading towards the juncture where the I-17 on ramp comes up from the 101.

Suddenly everyone in front of me came to a stop. What was going on?! Some idiot in the fast lane had missed the I-17 on ramp and was now proceeding to cut across all the lanes, not looking to see what was going with the other lanes they were cutting across, I guess assuming that everyone would just yield to them. And mind you this was almost past the point of no return for that I-17 ramp, this moron had to get on to the I-17 at the section where its all sandy and the barrier starts to come up.

I was so annoyed! Its not like there were not signs indicating that the I-17 was coming up, what was this person doing, why were they not paying attention than? And if something had been going on and they realized too late they were going to miss the on-ramp, do what a normal person would do, go to the next exit and turn around.

Instead they decided to disregard all rules of traffic and driving and take a great risk to everyone on that highway. So dangerous! We could have had a major car pile up! All because this person was out in la-la land and than needed everyone else to accommodate them when they returned to Earth and driving.

The best part of this is that I know people like this bad driver, people who insist they are good drivers and yet I don't think this kind of driving should rank as, "good driving." What was this person thinking when they did this, when they do this?

Cooking Utensils

Now that I have a honest to God sit down job (yay!), I can listen to the BBC at my desk, I love it!!!

Today they had a story on about the situation in Pakistan regarding the aid for flood victims, about how the rich of Pakistan should be giving where it seems they are not. I couldn't agree more.

These poor victims lost everything, their homes, their blankets, animals, radios, bicycles, cooking utensils, plants, farms, buckets, clothes, everything! And chances were these people were on the bottom of the totem pole to begin with and yet the elite of Pakistan don't seem to be pulling their fair share.

I find the whole Pakistan situation very perplexing, having grown up with so many Pakistani's, I still can't understand them. They are a proud people and don't seem to really like to take charity, yet if America doesn't give aid, they scream. Even when America does give aid, they hate the USA. I get that they find many of the policies of the USA abhorrent, but if that is the case, than why ask us for help? Stand tall, even if that means going without, holding your own country accountable.

Also, Pakistani's appear to feel some constant inferior complex to Middle Eastern countries, trying, I guess, in some vain attempt to prove their "Islamic" worth??

I just don't understand it, but for this, the poor people continue to lose as usual. Sad.

Jury Duty

Last week I went in for jury duty. Ironically (if I'm using that word right), I got called for jury service here in Arizona after only nine months - its funny because I lived for years and years in Virginia and never once got called!

I tried to get out of it, but to no avail. So on a clear sunny Tuesday I went in to the courthouse, resigned to my fate, sitting around all day and being bored. People did tell me I had two good excuses under my belt should I be chosen for a jury, I'm pregnant and I am starting a new full-time job.

First thing out the bat, I get called into a jury selection group. Yipee. There were 55 of us and we were ushered into the judge's courtroom. After the legal speak, the judge got down to business, asking for those who believed they had excuses to state their reasons. My favorites were the one from the kid currently in high school (even a judge can't allow the skipping of school!) and the guy whose family members were being tried in another courtroom for murder. both got out of it.

During this time, I said nothing. After the group had been weeded out, the second round of questions began, about the nature of the crime. Still I said nothing (though I could have argued on religious grounds to get out of it).

Next came lunch, we returned and the group had been dwindled again. The judge asked about those with law or law enforcement connections. Again I said nothing. The group shrank once more.

Finally the lawyers came up and asked pointed questions - still I said nothing. I thought through this all I would get a chance to speak but not in front of such a big group of strangers. Maybe have some one on one time with the judge (what was I thinking?!).

1:30pm roles around the judge announces, "I need the remaining potential juries to step outside the room, the lawyers and I will now select the jury and call you back in."

'oh crap,' I thought, 'here I had all this time and did nothing, now I was screwed, no way to get out of this!' I sweated for 20 minutes as the judge and lawyers seem to deliberate and deliberate, 'get on with it!' I wanted to scream!

The moment of truth arrived, the last 30 or so of us were escorted back into the courtroom. I sat on tenderhooks, the first six jurors picked, so far so good.

Number 10, still not me, number 11, cleared and than number 12.........someone else!!! I didn't get picked!!! I was elated! Though I had no hand in it, but instead through sheer dumb luck, I got out of sitting on a boring jury, missing my first day of full time work and as an added bonus, for going through that whole process, I am excused from jury duty in the state of Arizona for 18 months, in which time I hope to be outta here!

cheap hotels in Paris city centre

In the same vein as my previous two posts, I am now traveling to the amazingly lovely city of Paris. You have heard the cliches and just about all of them are true when it comes to the City of Lights. Paris is romantic, beautiful, haunting, creative, and classic.

Recently, two of my good friends were in France's capital, visiting, which is what got me thinking more of this city. I have been to Paris at least three times in the past and I still haven't seen everything there is, to be honest, every time I have touched down in Paris and gotten off the Metro, I become so enthralled in it all, that I lose all sense of a plan to go to certain points. I begin to wander, because in Paris, wandering will allow you to find the most unusual and exciting things - all very Parisian (or at least what I think of as Parisian). One time in my wanderings, I stumbled on an English bookstore with the cafe in the back, so quaint and delightful! Another time I happened upon a lovely museum that featured tapestries of the middle ages, which tied in wonderfully with a book I had just read, "The Lady and the Unicorn."

I am aware that many people in the US have a hesitancy in traveling to Paris because of persistent rumors that the French and Parisians in particular are snobs and treat Americans very rudely. In all my travels to France I have never ONCE had that happen to me and I don't speak a lick of French. I found being friendly, learning a few key French phrases and never getting mad or pushy served me well.

France is a great vacation, airfare is always competitive from many cities in the US, not just the East Coast. There are a variety of accommodations to be had, including cheap hotels in Paris city centre. Upon reaching Paris, tours are a plenty and most in English.

There is nothing more valuable than a great memory - for me it was sitting at a cafe right next to Notre Dame, outside, along the banks of the Seine, very early morning, as most of Paris still slept, sipping an expresso and eating a pain au chocolat, utterly at peace with myself and the world.