" /> Wandering Aimlessly: September 2007 Archives

« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »

September 30, 2007

September 30, 2007


September 30, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
As previously mentioned, Jessica's visiting for the weekend. We haven't done a lot, activity-wise, but it's been fun to hang out. We went to the mall today and did way more shopping than I'd planned to! (I came to the realization that there's a conspiracy within the shoe-sales community; they make it near *impossible* to find the shoes I want in my size, so when I do find the perfect pair, I don't mind paying an arm and a leg just to end the misery of searching. But now that I know this is how they work, I was able to not give in today.)

We went out for ice cream and ordered Chinese food and watched Knocked Up, and there was a lot of laughing and it was fun. It's really too bad her trip is only three days!

Posted by kate at 09:26 PM | | Comments (0)

September 29, 2007

September 29, 2007


September 29, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Our assignment this week for class is to restore an old photo. This is my Grandma Peggy at age 6, according to the back of the picture. I really like doing this! It may not be the most expert job in the world, but it's fun. Now I want to play with all the old pictures my parents sent when I asked for photos to restore. *g*

In other news, I test drove a CRV today. Love it. I want it now. The dealership I went to didn't have the color I like, though. I hate this whole negotiation thing! I'm trying my best to not accept the first offer, as is my natural response. "You have the one I want? Okay, I'll take it!" No, Kate, you need to play hardball. Ugh.

Posted by kate at 08:23 PM | | Comments (0)

September 28, 2007

September 28, 2008


September 28, 2008
Originally uploaded by kayay1
When I lived with C and the boys, we had a bed in our kitchen for a time. A large, queen-sized, pillow-topped bed, right in the breakfast nook in place of our table. I'm glad that this apartment's living room is large enough to accommodate the inflatable mattress I bought last weekend, because our kitchen here doesn't come with a bedroombreakfast nook.

This is me, all ready for houseguests! Or, houseguest. My sister is coming to visit for a few days, which is exciting. I make a good bed, no? It's pretty comfortable, too. And available! (Except for this weekend.) *pokes a few of you*

Posted by kate at 09:19 PM | | Comments (0)

September 27, 2007

September 27, 2007


September 27, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
In honor of the season premiere of Smallville tonight, I dressed up my phone with a new wallpaper. My trusty little beat-up cell phone. Poor thing.

Speaking of premieres, there are lots of shows that look good this season. What are y'all watching? I'm doing a trial run of several: Chuck, Reaper, and Pushing Daisies, along with my usual Supernatural and Smallville, and Nip/Tuck when it's back on. I don't generally like to be tied to the TV, so we'll see what stays and what goes.

Posted by kate at 10:58 PM | | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007


September 26, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This is school. It's the little area between the building I take my class in (behind me) and... the building next to it. Which is... I don't know what. Anyway, it's kind of peaceful and pretty, and there's a picnic table off to the side that I just noticed, so I may eat my dinner there next week instead of in my hot, un-airconditioned car.

Posted by kate at 10:48 PM | | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007


September 25, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Pretty flowers Gen's friend E brought to our Pampered Chef party on Sunday. They're holding up quite well, a little splash of color in our otherwise pretty muted dining room!

Posted by kate at 10:44 PM | | Comments (0)

September 24, 2007

September 24, 2007


September 24, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
It was like a time machine zipped me back to elementary school Arts & Crafts. There's an event tomorrow night, and long story short, our region is involved in a space-related skit, wherein Martians will be interviewing various 'famous people' about our new products. Our office was responsible for making posters the crowd behind the news anchor will be holding. After it all, there are fourteen different, space-themed posters, each made with love. And my hands are covered in marker.

Posted by kate at 06:45 PM | | Comments (0)

September 23, 2007

September 23, 2007


September 23, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
K is a Pampered Chef consultant, so Gen and I hosted a Pampered Chef party this afternoon. I'd fully intended on taking a picture during the party, but I completely forgot.

It was fun! We had a small group, but I think it was actually a good number of people. K prepared jerk chicken nachos (delicious!), I made a banana-Nutella pie (I'd had something similar in a restaurant, and kind of made up the recipe, which turned out pretty tasty!), and C brought pumpkin pie. Yum!

I guess I'll throw it out there: if there's anything you need/want/would like to buy from Pampered Chef, let me know. I have until Thursday, 9/27 to gather orders.

Posted by kate at 05:33 PM | | Comments (0)

September 22, 2007


September 22, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Our friends E and D are visiting from Santa Barbara this weekend. They live so close, and yet we rarely get the opportunity to see them. It was raining on and off through most of the afternoon, but was finally clearing up as we headed out to dinner. On the drive over, there was a huge, gorgeous rainbow, vividly visible in a full arc. I'd post a picture of it, but I was driving. Here, instead, we have the clouds clearing some after a weekend of glorious rain.

To further emphasize the fact that we see E and D FAR too infrequently, we spent the evening laughing so hard our sides hurt, playing Pictionary. I'm not sure I'd ever actually played the game before, but OMG fun! Hardest thing to draw? "Stick figure." Seriously, think about it. HOW DO YOU GET SOMEONE TO GUESS THAT?

Posted by kate at 01:47 AM | | Comments (0)

September 21, 2007

September 21, 2007


September 21, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
First real rainfall of the season! The sky was looking heavy and ominous and purple all day, but it wasn't until late afternoon that the rain actually came. No thunder (yet...), but rain. We need rain so, so badly. The power even went off at work, which was surprising and a little exciting. Thankfully, it came back on before the end of the day so we were able to balance and close up and all that jazz.

I love rain!

Posted by kate at 07:38 PM | | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007

September 20, 2007


September 20, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Today's picture is a little different. Every week for class, we have to do a quick self-portrait "sketch" in Photoshop. So. *nods*

I got my hair cut today. It needed it, holy cow. I torture my hair! It took me three years to find a girl I like, but I FOUND HER! This is very exciting.

Let's see, what else? I got tricked into watching Beauty & the Geek tonight, and it was surprisingly entertaining. Tomorrow's Friday, and that's happy news. Busy but fun weekend coming up. And that's all I've got.

Posted by kate at 10:23 PM | | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007

September 19, 2007


September 19, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This is pretty much the best gift ever. A few weeks ago, as some of you may remember, Illinois was having massive, massive thunderstorms. The kind where I could hear the lightning cracking and the thunder rolling in the background over the phone. I was mentioning that the one thing I really miss living out here is thunderstorms. I can't remember the last thunderstorm we had here! For one, I don't think it's *really* rained in about a year and a half. Am I wrong on that? Maybe a day here or a day there with a quick shower, possibly an overnight sprinkling, but I honestly don't remember any significant rainfall since last spring. And then, when it does rain, even if it's raining hard, there never seems to be thunder with it. It's just... rain.

So a few days after my phone call, this cassette arrived in the mail from my grandparents. It's thunderstorms on tape! HOW COOL IS THAT? Like I said, best gift ever. The only thing better would be actual thunderstorms.

I do think I heard that there's rain in the forecast for Friday... dare I hope?

Posted by kate at 11:27 PM | | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

September 18, 2007


September 18, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I usually think of To Kill a Mockingbird as one of my favorite books, but I realized that it's been at least a decade since I last read it. I don't know what happened to the copy I bought in junior high, so I picked it up on a whim at Borders tonight. Borders is dangerous, by the way. And I can't be sure, since it's been even longer since I last saw the film, but I may have even broken my 'no-movie-covers' rule with this one.

Posted by kate at 08:27 PM | | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

September 17, 2007


September 17, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I am NOT a cook by nature. My natural inclination is to toss some (possibly pre-cooked, if I'm really on a roll) chicken with some boxed couscous, maybe add a little salsa and a touch of swiss cheese and call it a day. To me? That is a gourmet meal. But every once in a while, I manage the whole cook-from-scratch thing.

Tonight, I had a go at Aarti's Butter Chicken 'recipe'. I use the word loosely because, while there's a list of ingredients and a general order for which they should be combined, some key details such as measurements are missing. All in all, I think it came out pretty well. A little on the spicy side, but I like it spicy. Yum.

Posted by kate at 11:07 PM | | Comments (0)

September 16, 2007


September 16, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
There must be something veeeeeeeeery interesting outside, no? After seven episodes of Supernatural (hey, it was Sunday and we'd gotten our productivity over with by early afternoon), it was worth checking out whatever phantom creepy noises the cats were riveted by outside.

Posted by kate at 10:52 PM | | Comments (0)

September 15, 2007

September 15, 2007


September 15, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I think of Los Angeles as this big, metropolitan area. Which it is. But Simi Valley? Is a little bit hillbilly! I forget that the surrounding hillsides are big farming areas, whether it's citrus farms or horse farms. I overlook the many customers who come in wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats and flannel shirts. I do not think of myself as existing in a farming community in the slightest, but the Simi Valley Days Parade proved me wrong.

There were rodeo groups and square dancing groups, Western-style horseback riders and 4-H clubs. I'm used to parades with caravans of classic cars; this one had a caravan of classic (and not-so-classic) tractors. Seriously. There were dozens of tractors! I didn't see politicians in their fancy cars, I saw baseball teams hanging out the backs of pick-up trucks. School marching bands. Wee cheerleaders.

We handed out water, since the bank was pretty much dead from the entire street being blocked off. Since no one really parked it in front of our office (as you can see), I spent the morning running up and down the street. It was hot, but a pretty enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning at work.

Posted by kate at 05:11 PM | | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007


September 14, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
On Fridays, I usually get lunch out somewhere and bring it back to the office. For some reason, I was really craving sushi, so J and I went to Trader Joe's and brought this back. I'd never had store-bought sushi before, so I have to admit to being a little nervous. It was actually pretty tasty! Especially the spicy California roll. Yum.

Posted by kate at 05:01 PM | | Comments (1)

September 13, 2007

Homework Assignment the First


Homework Assignment the First
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Not a Picture of the Day, but I think I finished my first "real" homework assignment for class. We were to combine three photos, incorporate a sphere, and add text. I kind of like the way it turned out. For a first effort, anyway. I'm so used to Paint Shop Pro that it was much more difficult to create this in Photoshop, but there really are many more powerful things that can be done in Photoshop, once you get down to it. Hopefully by the end of the semester, I'll have a bit more of a grasp on it all!

Posted by kate at 09:45 PM | | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007


September 13, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
It was a productive, yet unexciting, day off today. I cleaned the apartment, did laundry, and ran errands. I know y'all are jealous of my posh and jet-setting lifestyle!

These are the pillows on my bed. The one in back is wearing the new sheet set I bought last week, which I finally got washed and onto the bed today. It's so soft! Is it weird that I'm looking forward to going to bed, just so I can sleep on the sheets? *laugh*

Posted by kate at 07:59 PM | | Comments (0)

September 12, 2007


September 12, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I always look for patterns in things, even if I don't realize it. Like names (business names, email addresses, etc) that may actually be a different word spelled backwards, or numbers that form some kind of pattern. For whatever reason, my car also likes numerical patterns. I can't tell you how many times I put my car in park and realize the mileage is something weirdly symmetrical. Like this.

I took this picture before leaving for class, and would you believe I happened to glance down at the odometer at the exact moment it read 120021 on my way home? See?? WEIRD!

Posted by kate at 07:41 AM | | Comments (0)

September 11, 2007

September 11, 2007


September 11, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
After picking up my Supernatural Season 2 DVD at our new Best Buy (I almost, almost wish I didn’t know it was open yet—I spend too much money at Best Buy as it is, without having one in the neighborhood!), I thought I'd stop by my favorite fast food Japanese restaurant, San Sai. Even though I've been there a dozen times, I am directionally challenged. It’s a fact. It doesn't help that the restaurant is tucked into a less than obvious corner. I've learned not to look for San Sai, but to watch for Casa De Cadillac across the street. MUCH easier to spot. On my next car, I will have a navigation system, and *that’s* a fact.

Posted by kate at 09:23 PM | | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007


September 10, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
In just over a month, I'll be participating in my third AIDS Walk Los Angeles. This year, I've been involved in getting a group together from work, heading up my region. It's a very cool experience, walking with tens of thousands of people all gathering to support AIDS research and services benefiting men, women and children in Los Angeles. People walk with pictures of loved ones or with names across the backs of their t-shirts, and it's very motivational and emotional.

Here's where I use my Pic of the Day to pimp AIDS Walk. If you're able and feel so inclined, my donation page is right over here. You can make a donation directly through the website, or I can give you my address to send a check payable to AIDS Walk Los Angeles. Any amount is very much appreciated, and if there's anything I can offer in thanks (icons, what have you), I'd be happy to! If you're not able to contribute monetarily, please think positive thoughts and cross your fingers for good weather on October 21st. :)

Posted by kate at 08:25 PM | | Comments (0)

September 09, 2007

September 9, 2007


September 9, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This is one of our mystery trees. I have thought of it alternately as a lime tree and an orange tree, depending on the time of year. I'm not sure I consciously realized I was changing the fruit it bears in my head! Today, I pointed out a lime on the ground, and Gen said she'd thought it was a fig tree. We took a piece of mystery fruit and sliced it open, and the consensus seems to be that it's a... lemon tree. These little fellas appear to be unripened lemons (by smell, if not sight) that eventually will grow into ginormous orange-like lemons. Unless oranges smell like lemons in their infancy?

I think now I'm sounding like a person who is painfully uninformed on the subject of citrus fruits. Don't look at me, I grew up in the Midwest where the main crop is corn, with occasional soy fields here and there for interest. I know nothing of fruit growing.

Posted by kate at 01:18 PM | | Comments (0)

September 8, 2007


September 8, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
We often find strange little things around the entryway to our apartment. Most of them seem to fall from the apartment above us (socks, towels, shoes, toys), but sometimes there is the random something that someone... leaves for us? I don't know. This is a little wooden flower garden decoration thing that appeared on the bush next to our front door several days ago. I don't know where it came from; I don't particularly remember seeing it "planted" anywhere in our complex before. It's a mystery!

I took this picture with my old, clunky camera. It seems so HUGE next to my little Canon Powershot Elph! Sad, sad, sad. I have resigned myself to the fact I will just have to get a new camera. It'll cost almost as much to fix mine as it would be to buy a whole new one, and with fixing, there's no guarantee it'll work properly again. *sigh* I'm still in shock that she didn't even apologize for dropping it. Where did manners take off to in this world?

Posted by kate at 01:10 PM | | Comments (1)

September 07, 2007

September 7, 2007


September 7, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I am SO UPSET. I need to rewind the last two weeks and start over. Go back to before my teller quit, before I found out I need a new car, and BEFORE MY CAMERA BROKE. I'm going to cry. I really am.

A group of us were supposed to go downtown to corporate today to take a picture for AIDS Walk, only it was too complicated to coordinate. Marketing asked us to take group pictures at our individual offices, which would allow everyone who's walking to be in the picture, instead of just one or two people. So I asked a customer to take our picture.

She dropped my camera. And not just dropped, no. She practically THREW MY CAMERA TO THE GROUND. The lens was out, the camera hit the ground and bounced a few times. She said, "Oh! I hope I didn't break it!" Smiled sheepishly and shrugged and handed it back. Did NOT apologize or seem worried. I snapped this picture. Got a horrible sinking feeling in my stomach at the blurriness. The battery chose that moment to die (it doesn't give much warning), so I couldn't test it further. Just now, I charged it up, and... still freaking blurry. I can feel the lenses click as I zoom.

*sigh* This camera is not even nine months old. I am so careful with it. I could scream.

Posted by kate at 08:55 PM | | Comments (0)

September 06, 2007

September 6, 2007


September 6, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
They shouldn't give me days off anymore, because I just spend money. I bought a new set of sheets, because they were on an awesome sale, and toothbrush heads (?) for my electric toothbrush, and a birthday gift. This picture is of none of that, though. It's a throw pillow that I really liked but didn't buy, because it doesn't match my house AT ALL. Fun, though, isn't it?

Posted by kate at 07:09 PM | | Comments (0)

September 05, 2007

September 5, 2007


September 5, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Today was one of those days when I just didn't have the energy to find something interesting to take a picture of. I had class tonight, so it was a looooong day. I'm tired. It was J's last day, which is sad. One of the employees taped a sign to J's desk that said: Today is J's last day. Make him feel bad. I probably should've taken a picture of that, but I didn't think of it.

So instead, these little guys. They're just advertisements for the newest seasons on DVD (handed out at Comic-Con), but I've had them sitting here and decided to frame them this weekend. The wall doesn't actually look as empty in real life as in the picture, but I may do something else with them. We'll see.

Posted by kate at 10:48 PM | | Comments (0)

September 04, 2007

September 4, 2007


September 4, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I figured out how to change the accent color on my camera, and now I'm addicted! I just wandered around the apartment choosing different colors and trying to find an interesting picture to take with them. I settled on these dried red roses we've had on our counter for, um, ever. I don't even remember which one of us they belonged to, or if they came with the vase they're in.

Posted by kate at 07:41 PM | | Comments (0)

September 03, 2007

September 3, 2007


September 3, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
My camera does all kinds of cool things, and I don't know how to use any of the features! It's a real shame. Eight months of daily picture-taking and I still don't know how to use 98% of my camera. I was messing around with it today, and landed on the "color accent" setting. It appears to pick out green and only green. I'm not sure if I'm able to change the color it focuses on or not, but I haven't found a way short of pulling out the dreaded user manual. I should probably unearth that thing one of these days if I'm going to put the camera to good use.

Posted by kate at 08:14 PM | | Comments (0)

September 02, 2007

September 2, 2007


September 2, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
So today was one of those "best laid plans" days where I didn't even leave the house. I had two sets of plans that both fell through (one my fault, one not), and it ended up being so hot outside that I turned on my AC and hid out with a good book and cold Diet Coke.

Then I found myself at 11:00 pm without having taken a picture, oh no!

So I walked outside to see what I could see. I was all set to take a picture of the courtyard and pool area when someone surprised me by coming in the front gate, and I moved the camera. This is what came out, and even though it's a bit of a mess, I kind of like it. It's psychedelic. Oooo.

Posted by kate at 11:06 PM | | Comments (0)

September 01, 2007

September 1, 2007


September 1, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
We're havin' a heat wave, a tropical heat wave. Only, not as tropical-feeling as desert-feeling, since there's not a nice ocean breeze accompanying the scorching temperatures. The thermometer in Gen's car has proven to be fairly accurate, and this was not the hottest reading it gave this afternoon.

Tomorrow, Gen and R are going out to Joshua Tree to hike and climb rocks. I was going to go with them, but if it's this hot in L.A.? I'm sayin' NO, THANK YOU to spending the day in the middle of the desert, where there is no shade to be found.

We broke down and have had the AC on for just about the entire time we've spent at home today. This is the first time I've had it on for more than a quick "cool down" this year. I think 100+ temperatures warrants it, don't you? I don't know what people did before air conditioning. I'm glad I don't have to find out.

Posted by kate at 06:45 PM | | Comments (0)