Bite me

Well, that's what the mosquitoes did during our hot spell last week. I currently have at minimum 15 red welts on my arms and legs from the carnage. Mosquitoes have always loved me from the time I was a child. I really think my scent somehow whets their appetites. As a teenager, I had bites so bad that it swelled my eye shut.

As Chico Escuela would say, "Fog is bery, bery good to me..."

August 2008 high school reunion

Yesterday, I got a classmates.com e-mail notifying me a new guest "signed in" to view my profile. I don't have too many, but it's nice to know who visited. It was one of the guys from my graduating class. He was one of the popular guys, so the 17-year old in me got a thrill out of it.

I then noticed a bulletin board posting from another classmate who mentioned that a 30-year reunion (OK, so you now know how old I am) is currently being planned for this August. I attended the 10 and 20 year reunions and had a lot of fun. As it stands now, I should be able to attend the 30-year reunion.

If the reunion does indeed take place in August, I'll be faced with the challenge of finding attire to look hot in and stay cool.

An Unforgettable Act of Sportsmanship

As a former softball junkie and torn ACL victim, a college softball game played earlier this week between Central Washington and Western Oregon grabbed my attention.

Western Oregon's Sara Tucholsky hit her first home run with 2 runners on base. After Sara rounded first base, she tripped and tore her ACL. The umpires told Western Oregon Sara would not be able to score with help from anyone on her team. Western Oregon's coach asks the umpires if she can make a substitute. They tell her no. It later is determined the call is incorrect, but in no way does it diminish what transpires next.

Mallory Holtman, Central Washington's first baseman, asked the umpires if she and a teammate (shortstop Liz Wallace) could carry Sara to touch the bases to make the home run official. It brought tears to my eyes and reinforces why playing sports isn't always about who wins.

Central Washington lost the game. What Mallory and Liz did would have NEVER happened in a men's game. Period.

Scream for Ice Cream, the sequel

It has been a little over a week since my I raved about Dreyer's Slow Churned Butter Pecan. Well, the next trip to the grocery store was last weekend, and we tried a new flavor, Take The Cake. It tastes just like yellow cake. Sprinkles included. MMMMMMMM.....

Luscious, tasty, satisfying. Not overly sweet and definitely fulfilling. My compliments to the flavor developers at Dreyers. You're coming up with some yummy tasting ice cream at half the guilt. I'm jealous of the tasters that work at the plant. If any of you should happen to call in sick, I'd be more than willing to sit in for you pro bono.

Gotta scoop me up a bowl right now.

Old is new again

I first heard this song this past Sunday on the drive home from the gym on KLLC-FM (Alice 97.3 FM). I heard it again on the drive home from work today and have been singing the song all evening. The singer is Duffy (Wales native, first name Aimee), song title is "Mercy".

This is the first time in 10 years I was so taken with a song as soon as it came on. To me, the sound is a mix of Aretha Franklin and the Supremes in their prime. The last song to get me hooked so quickly was The Tragically Hip's "Poets" in 1998.

I know I'm old. From what I'm reading on the internet, the song has been out since January. As a teenager, hearing a song that's 3 months old would have been considered ancient.

We all scream for ice cream

I really feel sorry for those that are lactose intolerant. As a passionate cheese lover, I'd weep for days mourning the loss of grilled cheese sandwiches, a slice of Swiss with my turkey on wheat, or milk to dunk my Oreos in. Most of all, the oozing, warm sensation in a Gordo's flour quesadilla with shredded pork.

The other loss would be ice cream.

In the past year, Dreyer's has put on the market their line of reduced fat and sugar flavors marketed under "Slow Churned Rich & Creamy". Other brands I've had of "reduced fat" = "reduced taste". While it isn't god-awful like lowfat cheese, it doesn't satisfy like real ice cream does.

I then started to notice how often I was seeing "Slow Churned Rich & Creamy" flavors showing up in the checkout lines. I finally asked a woman in front of me if the ice cream was any good. She said yes, but not the enthusiastic-jumping-up-and-down kind of yes I was hoping to get. It wasn't until they went on sale that I finally put one into my cart.

Mint Chocolate Chip was the first flavor I got. It is one of my favorite flavors of ice cream. This version is good, but not great. Better than most reduced fat ice creams I've had. Almost as satisfying as premium ice cream. Now I understand the woman's reaction in the checkout line. Then a limited edition of peppermint came out during the Thanksgiving-Christmas season. Oh man.

And this past week, Butter Pecan. I really like it. An "oh man" in my book. Standard versions of Butter Pecan ice cream are usually too syrupy and rich for my tastes. But Dreyer's version does it right. Enough to satisfy my fix, but not too much that I have to be wheeled out on a gurney. I had some last night and finished the remainder in the carton this morning.

For a middle-aged foodie, it's enough to hold me over until my next visit to the grocery store.

Hollywood Chinese

Last night, I went to go see Arthur Dong's documentary, "Hollywood Chinese" at the Sundance Kabuki.

As an avid art house film goer, trivia geek and American of Chinese ancestry, this was my kid-in-a-candy-shop kind of film. In general, I find documentaries fascinating and very informative. What made this film standout was the history of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in Hollywood cinema.

This included the "first" official Hollywood film featuring Chinese-Americans, pioneer Anna May Wong, and extremely insightful and candid interviews from a who-who's list of Chinese in cinema that included: Tsao Chin, Lisa Lu, Nancy Kwan, James Hong, Amy Tan, Wayne Wang, Ang Lee, Justin Lin, B.D. Wong and Joan Chen.

As discussed in Jeff Adachi's "The Slanted Screen" (2006), the documentary touched upon the not so positive portrayals of Asians in cinema. But "Hollywood Cinema" goes further. It points out the strong, prominent roles native Chinese such as Chow Yun-Fat, Jet Li and Jackie Chan have gotten in recent years. American born actors such as Michael Wong (Russell's brother), Lee-Hom (Alexander) Wang, and Maggie Q had to go to Asia to get the meaty roles they were unable to get at home.

Had I been born and raised in California, I think my calling would have been in film. Since I wasn't, documentaries like "Hollywood Chinese" fulfill for me "what could be".

photo courtesy of DeepFocus Productions

Bugs Bunny - Daffy Duck - Elmer Fudd trilogy

I watched this on YouTube last night and it brought back a ton of fond memories. This animated trilogy is one of the funniest of all time. I laugh so hard everytime I watch. Enjoy.

Goodbye, Columbus (oops, I mean Skybus)

I just learned today that Columbus, OH based Skybus Airlines shut down operations. As a Columbus native, this airline provided the best option to fly direct to my hometown. It never happened. Skybus opened just about a year ago (refer to previous blog posting) and after I lost my job, planning a trip to visit Cindy got pushed down the priority list.

Now it's back to the dreaded spoke-and-hub system to visit Columbus. Another reason why I haven't gone back to Buckeye country in 2 1/2 years. Run my butt off to the other side of the terminal to dodge an endless sea of pedestrians, strollers and luggage to catch a connecting flight due to depart in 15 minutes is not my idea of fun.

another sports jock ad

Be honest. At the beginning of this TV ad, how many of you initially thought the person was a man in drag?

Largest cities in 9 Bay Area counties

As mentioned in yesterday's blog, I asked if anyone could name the largest city from each of the 9 San Francisco Bay Area counties. It's likely you would have told me to go jump in a lake because I've got nothing better to do with my time. But, for those who eat up this kind of useless information, here they are:

1. Santa Clara - San Jose
2. Alameda - Oakland
3. Contra Costa - Concord
4. San Francisco - San Francisco
5. San Mateo - Daly City
6. Sonoma - Santa Rosa
7. Solano - Vallejo
8. Marin - San Rafael
9. Napa - Napa

I actually did contemplate making future entries with trivia questions, but Cliff Claven immediately came to mind. A female Asian-American Cliff Claven. Not someone I would exactly look up to or aspired to be as a child.

Perish the thought.

San Francisco Bay Area counties

This August will be my 25th year as a San Francisco resident. Wow, a quarter of a century. When I first moved here, the San Francisco Bay Area was just over 4 million residents.

The 2000 census for the 9 county region was 6.7 million. As of July 2006, Wikipedia lists the population at 7.2 million, making it the 5th largest metropolitan area in the U.S.

Geez, that's almost double the size since I first moved here. Despite the high cost of living and the highly competitive job market, I still wouldn't live anywhere else.

Once I started reading about each of the counties, it piqued my curiosity where they ranked in terms of population. When I tallied up the numbers, it really didn't come as a surprise to me. They are (taken from 2000 census listed in Wikipedia):

1. Santa Clara

2. Alameda

3. Contra Costa

4. San Francisco

5. San Mateo

6. Sonoma

7. Solano

8. Marin

9. Napa

Bonus: Can you name the largest city from each county? I know these can be found on the internet, but if you've lived in the Bay Area long enough, at least 5 of them should be obvious. Answers will be posted tomorrow.

What not to wear

At lunch today, I headed to Hillsdale Mall to exchange a blazer I ordered online from J.Jill. I seem to be buying a lot of their clothes lately. Like Eddie Bauer, most of the clothes at regular price are too expensive, so I wait for them to go on sale when the price becomes much more reasonable.

Once I found another blazer (also on sale) to exchange, I was at the counter waiting for the associate to ring up my total, another woman came up to buy a sweater. She initially wasn't going to get it, then she changed her mind. What caught my attention was that she bought the sweater in a size small. Not usually a problem, but the woman was at least my size if not bigger. I'd be bursting seams out of most size small sweaters. She said buying the sweater would make her go on the diet she should be on already.

To me, this makes no sense. I'd wager the $70 she spent on her sweater that she'll never wear it. She'll end up giving it to a friend or donating it. On the other hand, if this was a wedding dress the diet would have started last year. Women wanting to look slender in their wedding dress, that's another part of womanhood I never got. Bust your butt for a year to fit into a dress that several sizes too small for an event that lasts for ONE FRIGGING DAY. Sorry, missy, I have more important things to think about.

After I left J.Jill, I headed to the food court to grab lunch. There's a Japanese place that makes a pretty mean chicken teriyaki bowl (I go light on the teriyaki) that I frequent. On my walk there, I must have seen at least 3 teens wearing henleys and sweaters with the buttons ready to burst. While it's not OK to wear something baggy and hanging, there are more girls that think it's acceptable to wear clothes 2 sizes too small.

Once I got my food, I sat down at one of the tables and in front of me was a girl, probably no older than 20. She was wearing a heavy waist-length fleece lined coat in flip-flops with her midriff showing from the back of her low-cut jeans. I really don't get it. Wear REAL SHOES + top long enough to cover backside = no heavy coat.

When I finished lunch, I got up to leave and I saw two women wearing what looked like their pajamas trying to decide where to eat. Both were in sweats. One of them was wearing a long-sleeved undershirt with no bra underneath. And she wasn't exactly flat-chested.

Where are Stacy and Clinton when you need them?

Red leather recliners are here!

At 11:20 a.m. this morning, I heard outside the window a truck stopped on the street. Like Ralphie on Christmas morning, I immediately went to the window to see if the truck was from Macy's. It was. My Red Ryder BB guns arrived.

The delivery guys brought up and assembled the guns, uh, recliners in about 10 minutes.  .

The rug from Overstock.com (which replaces the torn one from HomeDecoratorsOutlet.com) should arrive in the next 1-2 days.

Pupsicles at the Iditarod

While reading my morning news, I sometimes take at a look at SFGate's Day in Pictures. The picture, courtesy of AP, is taken from this year's Iditarod.

As a mainlander, I know very little about the Iditarod. I went to their website today and it's chock full of information on anything and everything about this longtime winter event. If you buy from the Iditarod store, the purchase is put into a sled rather than a shopping cart.

The race is currently in Day 8, which is about halfway before the finish. If I can convince myself to brave the cold (it's 4 degrees Fahrenheit in Nome right now), I would love to see this event.

sunset in the Sunset

I left work around 5:10 this evening and had a 6:30 appointment for a cut and color in the Outer Sunset with my longtime hairdresser Lucy. I've been a client of Lucy's since 1985.

I got to Lucy's salon (Virtuoso) at about 6, so I had about a half-hour to kill. I sat in the car listening to my CD and then began to notice a really nice sunset. So I pulled out the cameraphone and took the shots seen on this blog entry.

All of the pics were taken while sitting in my car on Judah Street and 32nd Avenue facing west. The first pic is my view from the driver's seat. The second pic is the sunset from my rearview mirror, and the last pic is the N-Judah streetcar taken across the street speeding east.

Not bad for a cameraphone.

Rain, snow or fog + wipers on = Headlights ON

It would seem many drivers in California still don't know since summer 2005, one must have headlights turned on when windshield wipers are in use due to rain, snow or fog. On my 15-minute drive to the gym today, I must have seen at least 7 cars without their headlights turned on.

These are probably the same drivers that talk incessantly on their cell phones and hold up traffic because they are engrossed more on their conversation than they are on driving.

Please turn on your headlights. This is to make yourself visible to other cars, pedestrians and cyclists. And while you're at it, hang up, shut up and drive. It can wait until you've reached your destination.

Neti pot update

It's been a bit over a week since I first began using the neti pot in hopes to wean myself off nasal sprays. I'd been off Rhinocort for about 4 days and only took oral antihistimines. My travel neti pot arrived today from Amazon, so it reminded me to provide an update.

Unfortunately, life without nasal spray didn't last long. A few days later, my nose felt like it did after swimming when water gets inside. My head felt congested and my throat sore. It was time to return to a nasal spray. This time, Nasonex. The good news is that unlike Flonaise, Nasonex works. Flonaise burned and stinged and had no effect whatsoever for me. Nasonex didn't. I started to feel the effects of it almost immediately. I'll save at least $15/month by switching my prescription to Nasonex.

In conclusion, the neti pot is a great supplement to nasal spray, but not enough to rely upon completely alone. For me, it will be an effective aide should my allergies go through really bad patches when sprays and pills aren't quite enough.

Nasal spray vs. Neti pot

If you've been following me this week on Twitter, I just began using the neti pot to treat my chronic sinus problems. My original intent was to switch to Nasonex, but remembered an unsuccessful attempt to switch to Flonaise about 10 years ago. I then decided this would be a good time try out the neti pot. Perhaps this could wean me off nasal sprays completely.

It's been 4 days since I stopped using Rhinocort and started administering jala neti (nasal irrigation). The last time I was without Rhinocort was during a conference in Fort Worth, TX in 2003 and my sinuses were miserable. The use of the neti pot so far has been quite effective. While I'm blowing my nose a bit more than usual, I've been able to breathe through both nostrils REGULARLY and not sneeze as much.

So far, I have yet to hear any negative results of using the neti pot. I've had relief from watery, itchy eyes by using contact lens saline solution as a rinse, so it made perfect sense to try the same process for my nose. After all, sneezing and watery eyes are the body's reactions to rid itself of pollen and other allergens. The neti pot only speeds up the process to prevent the uncomfortable reaction.

I'm hopeful continued use of the neti pot will further reduce sneezing and nose blowing to a bare minimum. Benefits for the body and wallet. Rhinocort was $50/prescription at my previous employer and is $35/prescription at my current one. I've since ordered a second neti pot (non-breakable) that I'll be able to take with me when I travel. I'm still taking oral antihistimines. That might be something I'll still have to continue using. Updates to follow.

Ms. Money Bags (for now)

We're on a rampage. Now that I'm back to work with leftover severance and an upcoming $3K tax refund, there were numerous big ticket purchases over the past 2 weeks.

Above is the quilted laptop bag. It is my new, girly and sophisticated briefcase bought today (in black) from Edwards Luggage called the Knomo Toyah. I'll be taking my first business trip in my new job to attend a conference in Atlanta next month.

Because I was issued a company laptop, I know I'd need to take it with me. I could have ordered a bag from the office, but I wanted a bag with style. And something I would be proud to carry my Sony Vaio in if needed.

I was very selective about the requirements. No leather. Too heavy. I'd been carrying a gorgeous Coach leather messenger bag for about 5 years. I'd been carrying Coach leather purses for even longer and switched to jacquard fabric about 3 years ago. Man, what a difference in weight. Wear and tear is less visible too. Bag also had to be sleek yet roomy enough to carry my papers and checkbook.

The Knomo Toyah fit the description perfectly. It's lightweighted professional elegance. It will also serve double duty as my purse when I travel on business. This will keep intact my ability to carry-on luggage only. I can't wait to carry it to work with me on Monday. Like Tiffany & Co., there is a unique serial number given to each bag and can be registered online. I did that once I got home.

Third of the big ticket purchases is a new coffee table. 

Last big ticket purchase today was our leather recliner chairs. After admiring Josh's and Amy's Mission-styled recliners for years, we thought that's what we wanted in our place. I found some leather ones online at Macy's this past week and went for a test drive.

There was another recliner in red (Pavia Club Style, as shown in picture) which looked like a regular leather chair. This is what grabbed my attention. I reclined back and it felt very comfortable. It's unassuming and multi-tasks well as a chair and a recliner. I phone ordered it tonight about an hour ago. It's on backorder but will be delivered around the first week of March.

Next is the installation of wall cabinets in the bathroom.

First Week

Yesterday was my first week at my new job. So far, I've been very impressed. There is a huge difference coming from a struggling company to one that's doing well. When I started my previous job 6 years ago, I took a $12K cut in pay. I accepted this current job at $9K more than what I earned before my last one ended.

Day 1: Spent first few hours going over benefits package. I can opt for Kaiser or Blue Cross for medical coverage. Kaiser is free. Blue Cross for single coverage is $35/month. I was paying $90/month at my previous employer. When I reached my 5-year anniversary, it was reduced to $65/month.

Got my tour, introductions to my department associates. Around 3 p.m., IT comes by with my computer, a brand NEW laptop in a humongous cubicle in the back row. I notice later that most managers get the larger, back cubicles. This is my first job with "manager" in the title. Woo hoo!

At my previous job, I got a 7+ year old desktop (eventually replaced) with an even older screen monitor. It was inside a cubicle with a crappy desk chair which took 3 years before the mailroom guy took pity on me and gave me a new one. In 6 years, I moved at least that many times. And each time I moved, I'd be down for a day because I had a card terminal and dinosaur dial-up modem that required a specific phone line routed within my cubicle. When I left the company, I still had the SAME monitor.

Day 2: Attended first all-hands company meeting. CFO introduces me as "the blogger" and one of two new members of the Finance/Operations/Business Systems team. Found the vending machine only charges $0.25 for soda. Twelve cans would only cost me $3, still less than what Safeway or Target charge for the Diet Coke cartons I used to buy because the vending machine charged $0.65 at my old office.

Day 3: Sit in my first meeting with the other departments I'll interact with regularly. My reporting manager also issues a companywide e-mail with yet another introduction. I get over the next 3 days numerous return e-mails from various staff members welcoming me. I am floored at the warm reception. I found it interesting that all of the welcome e-mails except one are from men. Hmmm....

Day 4: Receive my first assignment to follow up with customer phone messages. It is likely in response to a recent mailing they received and have questions about it. I check to see if I have the correct resources to provide answers to the customer inquiries.

Day 5: Contacted and spoke to 3 customers. Two had questions I could address, but bring up other questions where I need to go back and find out the answers. It's bagel Friday at the office, so I grab a bagel and half a muffin as an afternoon snack. I also am asked to draw numbers for the office Super Bowl pool, so there is verification that we are "SOX compliant".

Overall, it is a major contrast from where I worked previously. The office is brand new, having only moved this past August. Friendly, warm, and many of them very smart. I have underground parking. A credit union ATM (co-op'd with mine and no-fee access), upscale grocery store, restaurants and free gym (courtesy of the company) are all in the same complex.

The last time I worked an office this cushy was during the dot-com days with a company that failed to generate enough revenue to stay in business. The company where I am now has been around for 10 years and a profitable business model. At least so far, I earn more money and don't have to work nearly as hard.

Life is tough. NOT.

Returning to work

Tomorrow, I start my new job at a high-tech company in San Mateo. The job has everything I could ask for: excellent location, salary and benefits. The company has been around 10+ years and is in growth mode.

Finding this job took me about 3 months (technically 4, but I don't count the month between Thanksgiving and New Year's where no company does much), which is about how long it's taken me to find work after my previous layoffs. I've been very fortunate to receive generous severances from each of the layoffs. Without it, I would not have had the luxury to be selective about where my next job would be.

Bottom line, losing a job sucks. But living in the pricey San Francisco Bay Area, layoffs, job elimination, and companies dissolving or relocating is a fact of life. For me, being in the same job in this area for an entire career area is naïve, and will get me nowhere if I want to advance.

Neti Pot

As seen on Oprah and written in the New York Times, the longtime Indian practice of nasal irrigation, also known as jala neti, has recently gained wide exposure. As a longtime allergy sufferer, it caught my interest. In the 20 plus years I've been in California, my allergies are usually at their worst between January and April. So far this year it hasn't affected me much.

But if and when it does strike, I may very well find myself heading out to the nearest drug or health food store looking for one of these mini genie lamps and performing this necessary but not-so-pretty looking ritual over the bathroom sink.

Happy cleansing!

2008 so far

It's been a week since I last wrote. I went shopping crazy again, taking advantage of after-holiday clearance sales to stock up on 2 more suits at Eddie Bauer and Levi's at Kohl's. I got some nice e-mails from friends and family with updates on their activities.

If you've been following me on Twitter, most of my recent activity has been interviewing with Epocrates, a software company in San Mateo. I had 2 interviews last week. I'll be going to my third interview this Tuesday. Prospects on joining them look promising. I applied to them over a month ago, so when I heard from them last week, I was pleasantly surprised.

Because most of my career has been in retail, I didn't have high hopes that software companies I applied to would find my experience suitable. Then again, I do live in an area where high-tech dominates the region. I'd never know unless I tried.

Stay tuned.

Online chat at Comcast

As you may have seen on my Twitter entry today, the Toshiba Regza 47" LCD flatscreen arrived today. Two men brought the TV up, took it out of the box and hooked our cable box to the TV. We were watching TV within 5 minutes.

As they were leaving, they asked if it was OK to take the empty box as well. Wow. I guess I'm still remembering my days at The Sharper Image when you had to pay additional shipping to get exercise equipment beyond curbside delivery. At least for this recent experience, things have changed for the better.

Once the TV was on, it was verified that digital cable isn't set up for HDTV tried calling, but a recording at Customer Service after a few minutes said their circuits were busy due to the storm and disconnected the line. I then went to Comcast's website online and ordered the service.

Not more than a minute after I purchased the service, Comcast's website prompted a message that a Customer Service rep would chat live online with me. A nice guy named Cecil came online and after we exchanged pleasantries about San Francisco's rainstorms, he confirmed that I purchased HDTV to add to my existing service. At the time I ordered HDTV online, the earliest available date I could get was Monday, January 14. When I was chatting with Cecil, he told me an earlier appointment could be scheduled for Tuesday, January 8.

Cool. It's been scheduled between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Not in time to see the Ohio State - LSU Bowl Championship Game on Monday (which would have been awesome), but I'll see the game on a bigger screen than the one we have now.

In contrast to my experience with Red Envelope over the holidays, my online chat experiences with REI and Comcast were very positive. It seems rather apparent Red Envelope didn't train and prepare very well their service reps to handle online chats. With REI and Comcast, I got an immediate response and much, much quicker service than I would have on the phone.

home from Scottsdale, AZ

Got back late this afternoon from Scottsdale (Phoenix), Arizona. Visits included Scottsdale Fashion Center, Taliesin West, and the Phoenix Zoo. We stayed in Old Town Scottsdale, at the Marriott. Very nice hotel.

I was pretty excited that I booked hotel/car rental/airfare for under $1400 for the two of us. While I think this is still an excellent way to book a vacation, we ended up paying an additional $140 in car rental. $10/day to upgrade from Economy A to Economy B, and then the killer tax and residual fees for about $100.

Weather was sunny, chilly and very dry. Tasty and cheap ethnic restaurants and movie arthouses were nowhere to be found. We tried a Thai restaurant in Old Town, but the dining room was a furnace and walked out.

When I was in NYC in October, I ate Chinese food everyday and when I got back, I didn't eat Chinese for a week. When we got back from Scottsdale, I ordered for dinner Singapore rice noodles for delivery. My love-hate relationship with Chinese food. Can't live with it, can't live without it.

98% of you need not apply

As it has been the past 3 months, I go online daily to look at job postings. Craigslist.org is a site I peruse daily, focusing on the finance/accounting and business/management listings. Every so often I look at the retail/wholesale and customer service listings.

This past Thursday, a CRM Implementation Analyst posting caught my attention with particular interest. "Implementation" has been a previous job title in my career, so I went to take a look. The duties described what I've done before, but a bit further down into the job requirements was something I found disturbing, "We are looking for someone with an IQ in the top 2% of the population, or better. "

This piqued my curiosty. I went to the link to direct me to their website and then to the job application. Although optional, the application asks you to provide your IQ. There's even a link to a website where a quick IQ test can be taken.

Now the academia in me (a few times straight A's, National Honor Society wannabe, finished in the top 10% in my graduation class) decided to take the test. I'd taken a previous IQ test at Tickle.com. My score was 122, which is considered high intelligence. The IQ test linked from the job application was a mere 107. This is considered average with a 14-15 point deviance. All the more confusing because I'm now either marginally retarded or highly intelligent! The website does tell mention the test is not intended for professional use.

I couldn't let this go. I took 2 more tests (FreeIQtest.net and TestCafe). FreeIQtest.net had me at 131, TestCafe, 107. I found my lower scores came from websites that had a time limit. My inferiority complex of not having scores among the brainy came flooding back.

Back to the job posting. I ended up not applying. I wouldn't want to work for a place where intelligence scores influences one's chances of being employed. I already have to be aware of age discrimination. Now IQ's!

I do not like this trend. No sir, not one bit.

last minute shopping

As the number of shopping days for the holiday season wind down, I headed to Irving Street and 9th Avenue to pick up some gifts. For me, there are 2 gift stores that are always required stops: Tutti Frutti on 718 Irving Street (near 8th Avenue) and Great Gifts on 1377 9th Avenue (near Judah Street).

Tutti Frutti is a fun, fun store. I always come here for office Secret Santa/gift exchange or White Elephant parties. Whenever Lisa visits, she has to come to Tutti Frutti and always ends up buying out half the store. Items include mini Etch-A-Sketches, Mr. T talking keychains, PEZ dispensers, Wonder Woman and Gumby lunch boxes, and Wallace & Gromit calendars. I rarely see anyone leave the store without a smile on their face.

The other store, Great Gifts, is a wonderful place to buy small personal items such as magnets, jewelry boxes, candles, and small cosmetic bags. They also sell puzzles, kites, toys, extremely cool shower curtains, bath items and household gadgets.

While both places are small and often get cramped with only a few people in the store, most items in the store are no more than $20. For me, it's a very inexpensive way to buy chic/retro/cool gifts from shopkeepers who obviously love being in the neighborhood.

Unless there's a last minute emergency, I'm pretty much wrapped up shopping for the year.

Online service experiences

With all of the online shopping I've been doing recently, the deliveries from UPS and USPS are now coming to me directly and regularly. Ever since I left specific delivery instructions on a post-it a month ago, I'm no longer getting the supposed "missed you" notices I used to get even though I was home.

Today I encountered different experiences with 2 major online retailers, Zappos.com and Red Envelope. I have been ordering from Red Envelope for about the past 4 years. I first knew of them from my dot-com days when they were 911Gifts.com. When they changed their name to Red Envelope, I thought it was an excellent choice, since the name is taken from a long standing Asian tradition. As a child, I got red envelopes regularly on Chinese New Year.

Up until today, I've never had to exchange or return anything at Red Envelope. I bought Lisa's and Michael's wedding gift from there. She told me she read my blog entry from December 4 and graciously asked if it was OK to return my gift. I said of course. So after I got off the phone with Lisa, I went online to Red Envelope to get a Return Authorization Number (Gift Return number to Red Envelope).

The website said to call Customer Service to get the Gift Return number. But when I saw the Chat Online option, I decided to try it. I used it once for an REI order where I mistakenly entered San Diego rather than San Carlos for store pickup. My experience online with the REI rep was quick and pleasant. Got everything wrapped up in less than 10 minutes.

Because this week is reaching critical stage for holiday shopping, I'm willing to cut a bit of slack, but the Chat Online experience at Red Envelope was less than satisfactory. It took about 5 minutes before I got a rep named Mustafa. I immediately wrote that I needed a Gift Return number. It took Mustafa another 5 minutes to tell me I need to be transferred to Whitney. After another 5 minutes, I got Rae Ann instead. When I wrote AGAIN that I need a Gift Return number, Rae Ann told me I needed to CALL customer service. I said OK and closed the chat.

This is what gets me. I call Red Envelope customer service. A person named (I kid you not) Rae Ann answers the phone. I don't understand why I couldn't get the Gift Return number via chat. I went back to the Return + Exchanges policy to see if I erred in reading the instructions. The website does say to call, but it doesn't specifically state that you can't chat.

My other online experience is with mega-shoe purveyor Zappos.com. I've known about them for a few years, but mostly kept my shoe ordering to Nordstrom.com. But when I kept seeing FREE OVERNIGHT shipping everytime I went to the site, it pulled me in. I just returned my Eddie Bauer boots, and last night I decided to try Zappos.com out. It took me awhile before I finally decided on what I wanted as 3 previous pairs of shoes I liked were sold out. Ah, the demands of Christmas.

At 8:04 p.m., I got a confirmation e-mail that my order had been placed. At 11:58 p.m., I got my UPS Overnight tracking number. At 10:30 am this morning, UPS delivered my shoes. Wow, extremely comfy. I am still floored at the FREE OVERNIGHT shipping. ZERO SHIPPING FEE. OVERNIGHT. Even got friendly instructions advising to try on the shoes on carpet to minimize wear so that returns can be made easily.

I wish I was told this when I bought a pair of Ecco loafers at an unnamed shoe store in San Mateo's Hillsdale Mall 3 years ago. I wore them outside for a few minutes. When I realized they didn't fit as I thought, I went back the NEXT day in an attempt to exchange, NOT RETURN them. The store manager bitched that he wouldn't be able to resell the shoes, how expensive they were, etc. I yelled back and told him Nordstrom's located 2 doors down would take the shoes back without the attitude. He finally relented, apologized because he was having a bad day. I ended up exchanging the Eccos for a pair of Dansko clogs I absolutely love. But I will NEVER shop at that store again.

OK Lani, deep breaths now. As a longtime retail finance professional who's talked to hundreds of customers, it's something I get passionate about. While I can't argue about the lack of intelligence and compassion of many sales associates, customers are just as bad. STORES Magazine Executive Editor Susan Reda recently blogged about a recent shopping experience.

I'll stop for tonight. Happy Shopping!

Top 10 Blogging Cities

I read from SFGate's Technology Chronicles Nielsen's top 10 cities for blogging in 2007:

1. Austin, TX
2. Portland, OR
3. SF Bay Area, CA
4. Seattle, WA
5. Honolulu, HI
6. San Diego, CA
7. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
8. Columbus, OH
9. Nashville, TN
10. Colorado Springs, CO

My initial thoughts would have the SF Bay Area #1, Austin #2, and Portland in the top 10, but lower, like #6 or #7. For me, the most surprising was to see my birthplace, Columbus, as number 8. I know 24 years is a long time to be away from a city, but I am still astounded by how much Columbus has grown in size and sophistication whenever I now visit.

No kidding. Sizewise (according to Wikipedia), Columbus is the 15th largest city in the United States. Right behind number 14, San Francisco.

Columbus, number 8???????????????????

My Cyber Monday

I spent most of Monday online. I spent the first half chatting via e-mail and phone to 2 recruiters about possible job leads. I've talked to so many recruiters in the past 6 months that it's starting to make my head spin. I don't take anything seriously until I hear from the company's hiring manager.

I spent the second half shopping for gifts. I got a good chunk of shopping done. Following in Josh's footsteps, I also updated my wish lists for the holiday. I added yesterday a second wish list from Amazon. I fully agree that wish lists can be construed as arrogant and self-centered. Then again, I think wish lists aren't that much different than wedding registries. I've always loved wedding registries because it takes the guesswork out of what to buy.

So, those of you out there that know me and seek gift ideas, look no further. The links are located on the left side of my blog page. I've tried to keep the list to items that won't break a person's piggy bank, but there are a few that are really "wishes". These are items I'd want to buy once I get back to work.

Online Crosswords

Having completed a second month without work, I'm spending a lot more time online. To keep myself occupied while waiting for job updates or recruiter e-mails, I do crossword puzzles online.

I currently do 3 crosswords at USA Today, WebCrosswords.com, and the Los Angeles Times. I chose these 3 because they are all in the same format (edited by Timothy Parker). If I choose the "regular skill" format, the puzzle will highlight letters in red if they aren't correct.

While this isn't the bonafide way to do a crossword puzzle, my ultimate goal is to see how quickly I can complete the puzzle. On average, it takes me about 20 to 25 minutes. I love it on Sundays when the LA Times features a total of 3 puzzles: Daily, Magazine and Calendar Sunday. Magazine and Calendar Sunday are the hard ones. It usually takes me about 45 to 50 minutes to complete them.

I bet you're wondering if I've tried the New York Times crosswords. No, I haven't. First of all, they're really hard. I'm not at that skill level. Second, they're only available offline. I did try online puzzles that were published 2-5 years ago. Still too hard.

This is a good way to kill time, but like I said about not working on Black Friday, I don't want this to be permanent. I look forward to the day I won't have time to do puzzles.

Perfecting Imperfections

Today's blog from Tara Parker-Pope located in the Health section of the New York Times discusses the problems many women have finding the right fit in jeans. As a recent purchaser of a different cut and smaller size of Levi's, I can totally relate. The blog references 2 websites one can go to for help in finding the right fit based on size, weight and personal preferences in clothing type.

One of the websites, zafu.com, requires you to answer a series of questions which should take about 3 minutes. I did this for finding jeans and bras. I wanted to find out if what I currently own was listed among their selections. For jeans (Levi's 550 Relaxed Bootcut Stretch) and bras (Bali double support, no wire), they were both listed in the results in the sizes I currently wear, however they were listed as "well fit" as opposed to "very well fit".

It was good to know I was on the right track and not delusional, as many women seem to be. Particularly those who have been chosen for TLC's "What Not To Wear". The only issue I had was knowing in jeans what my true body shape was. My first results yielded styles I've tried on in the past and didn't like the feel and fit. It took me 2 more tries before I felt the results were reliable.

The key to taking the survey is to be honest with yourself. If you aren't, the survey will yield inaccurate results and you're back to square one, uncomfortable, ill-fitting clothes. This is especially important for women because finding appropriate and well-fitting clothes isn't easy. It's any wonder why so many women have poor self-images of their bodies.

BTW, guys, zafu.com has a section for you.

San Francisco Auto Show

Yesterday, I tagged along with Amy, Josh, Fran (Amy's big sis) and Jeremy (Fran's son) to the San Francisco Autoshow at Moscone Center. This is the fourth show I've attended and it's always fun to imagine what life would be like in a new, cool car.

The pictures shown above are (taken with my cameraphone) views of the new BMW 1-Series. Specifically, the 135i model. It won't be available in the United States until early 2008. It will likely be available only in a 2-door model. If it becomes available in a 4-door sedan, it might very well be my next car. But I'm on my second 3-series (318ti and now 325i) and will likely stay with this series when I'm ready to buy another car.

Whatever BMW it is, it must have a stick-shift transmission. Even if I have to special order it again.

Black Friday online shopping

This past week, I went out to Mervyns to buy some new Levi's. I've been a dedicated Levi's wearer since high school. They're durable, never go out of style, and most of all, it's the brand everyone knows. My current stock have gotten baggy and needed to get new ones in a smaller size (yeah, baby!).

I usually buy Levi's 550's Tapered Leg, relaxed fit. This time I bought Levi's 550, Bootcut, relaxed fit. Man, what a difference. With a bit of stretch (I no longer buy jeans without it), the slight flare at the end, and one size smaller, they looked so much better on me. I bought 2 pair and probably would have bought more had I been able to find them in other denim shades.

This morning, I decided to buy 2 more online. I could have gone back out to Mervyns in another location, but because it's officially the holiday season, I tend to steer clear of stores and malls unless it's absolutely necessary.

I first went to Sears. I had already been there the past 2 days after seeing free shipping. I couldn't pull the trigger. I'd put in, then remove the items from the shopping cart. Today I was ready. It was totally cool when they took off $10, but once I entered my billing address, the site froze. After 10 minutes, I gave up and closed the browser window. I just went there a few minutes ago and they're now completely down.

Next, I went to Kohl's. My last purchase of Levi's came from them. I didn't see free shipping, but thought maybe I'd see something discounted once I put the items in the cart. Once I saw $8 in shipping, I removed the items from the cart and abandoned the order.

Now, the third retailer I know that sells Levi's online at a decent price is JC Penney. They have free shipping, no minimum purchase required from now until 11/26. I would have saved the most at Sears, but the site is down. Even though JCP's Levi's are $2 more than Kohl's, I'd still be spending less at JCP because of free shipping.

This was my first time shopping online on Black Friday. Cyber Monday is in 2 days. It'll be interesting to see what major websites choke under the massive amounts of traffic.

Girl Crushes

As an avid film viewer, I see a lot of movies. Among friends, I love it when we've seen the same movie and we recite/discuss dialog in pivotal scenes. Like any typical movie fan, I have my favorites, particularly men. In my younger days, it was Robert Redford and Harrison Ford. These days, it's Clive Owen and George Clooney.

Up until the last decade, it was very hard for me to find female actors in the same way. Probably because much more complex, strong and intelligent roles are more prevalent for women now. Plus, the majority of films we go out to see are independent or foreign films. My personal favorites, a.k.a. "girl crushes" are all huge stars in their native homeland. Not really surprising for me, my list has no Americans. One is British, two are European and the other two, Asian.

Helen Mirren

Recent recipient of an Academy Award for her role in "The Queen", Ms. Mirren is the most well-known of my girl crushes. She got my respect as no-holds-barred/balls-busting cop Jane Tennison in the "Prime Suspect" series. According to imdb.com, she's played a queen 5 other times, so that should say something about her portrayals of command and authority. She has an impressive résumé of work.

Maggie Cheung

One of the most well-known film actors in Hong Kong cinema, she's starred in movies with fellow heavyweights Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung and Jackie Chan. Her first roles started out as the typical eye candy/supporting girlfriend roles, but lead to meatier roles as she got older. She first got my attention when she did "In The Mood For Love" with Tony Leung, looking fabulous in her chong-sams. Floored me when I saw her last night as a recovering drug addict on Comcast's On Demand in "Clean". Made me jealous when she spoke fluently 3 languages (English, French and Cantonese) throughout the film.

Juliette Binoche

Nicknamed "La Binoche" in her native France, I first saw her in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "Bleu". It was awesome when she crossed over into English-language films, which for me was seeing her in "The English Patient". She didn't do too badly, as she received an Academy Award in a supporting role. She is probably best known to American audiences in the film "Chocolat". Ms. Binoche's latest American film is "Dan In Real Life" co-starring Steve Carell and MLB's World Series spokesman Dane Clark.

Lena Olin

A native of Sweden, I first saw her in the same film as Ms. Binoche, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", and again in a smaller role in "Chocolat". Ms. Olin has gotten considerable exposure in TV, particularly as Jennifer Garner's kick-ass mom in "Alias". While she was not always the good girl, never, ever mistake her for being weak or complacent.

Michelle Yeoh
While I've seen her in only 2 films, "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", she got to show off her martial arts skills both times. She is Ms. Cheung's co-star in "The Soong Sisters", which I haven't seen but should put in my Netflix queue. Like Ms. Olin, she looks great when she's fighting bad guys (or girls, as the case may be). I'd like to her see venture out into more independent projects. To see more of her as a real person, like someone we know among our family and friends.
Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet should be on this list, but to me, their work already gets considerable recognition. I consider Naomi Watts, Renée Zellweger, and Natalie Portman on my list of Honorable Mentions, but I'd like to see what role choices they make when they're a bit older.

Peda Bella Toe Toppers

Yeah, yeah, Lani's on a rampage about feet again. Well, this time it was the other end of the spectrum regarding comfortable shoes.

This morning I had an interview with another recruiting firm. It was a great chance to debut one of my new suits with new shoes. I like wearing business suits when I'm downtown. I feel like a real career professional. Even more comfortable now because I don't have to wear panty hose.

Let's just say the new shoes weren't as comfortable as the Privo Spangles. While I walked more than what I would have had I driven to the Peninsula, it was no more than a mere stroll in downtown San Francisco.

When I left the house this morning, I walked with no problem 2 blocks to MUNI Metro to catch the N-Judah. By the time I finished my interview with the recruiter and walked 4 blocks to meet Josh for lunch, the sides of my feet were getting rubbed raw. When I got off the streetcar, I ended up peeling off the shoes the last half-block and walked barefoot because the blisters were killing me. While in pain, I recalled receiving a catalog that sold socks specifically for clogs and mules (as seen in above picture).

I found the website, but didn't want to get another online store added to my already endless supply of catalogs. The website sells the socks through Amazon.com. I ended up buying them there. Hopefully, these will be a big help the next time I wear the shoes.

Privo Spangle

Today after my workout, I headed to Sports Basement to replenish my supply of energy gel. It was a very short drive to get from the YMCA to Sports Basement so it made running the errand extremely painless.

But, as it always is whenever I visit REI or Sports Basement, I end up buying more than I intend to. The great part about Sports Basement is that most of their merchandise is at outlet prices, so the guilt isn't as painful.

I ended up buying the Privo (a division of Clarks) Spangle, exactly as depicted in the picture shown. Really, I didn't intend to buy the shoes. But once I tried them on, saw how great they looked and felt of what few were remaining, the Imelda in me screamed that I had to get them.

I was in for a pleasant surprise when I got to the checkout counter. The salesperson noticed my VISA was issued by AAA and members get a 10% discount. Woo-hoo! Once I got home, I purposely picked out clothes to go with the shoes so that I could wear them to dinner with Josh and Amy.

While I didn't need the shoes, how does anyone pass up a $12 reduction + plus 10% discount off a pair of comfy, cute shoes?

Presidio YMCA/Arc Trainer

This past week, I joined the Presidio YMCA gym. Prior to my layoff from work, I would workout twice a week at the Foster City Athletic Club and on weekends at USF's Koret Center (total 4 times a week).

Since my layoff, I cancelled my membership at Foster City Athletic Club and started going to USF's Koret Center exclusively. Problem with the Koret Center is that I was only eligible for "Red" membership. Which means my hours to visit Monday through Friday are from 6 a.m to 2 p.m. I would have to be a student, faculty, alumni or neighborhood resident to visit without restricted hours. Parking wasn't exactly convenient since the lot permits only free public parking on Sundays. I got a hefty $50 ticket last year to prove their point.

It also doesn't help that sleeping in now until 9 and not being conscious until 10 leaves me only a 4-hour window to workout. Which means if I want to have lunch or use that time for shopping, errands, or interviews, I would have to give up the workout. Bottom line, I don't have much schedule flexibility if I continue going to USF.

After a ton of online research, I found out through many favorable reviews on Yelp that the gym most suitable (distance, cost, and quality) for me was the Presidio YMCA at the Main Gate in the Presidio. I drove over Monday afternoon to check it out. While the locker room isn't very large, and the outside of the building is non-descript, it's a great gym. Fee is only $60/month. If you live or work in the Presidio, it's $45/month, which to me is extremely reasonable.

First and most importantly, the place is very, very clean. Another great perk is the free towel service. LOTS of free parking. All of the equipment is brand spanking new. And, something neither Foster City or USF have, an arc trainer. I tried it out for the first time today and really like it. It works in a similar fashion to an elliptical machine. The major difference is the arc versus elliptical motion. I find the arc motion less stressful on the knees and provides a great all around workout. It feels like the same sweat storm I get on the treadmill.

If my next job lands me back in San Francisco, then it's likely I'll keep the YMCA membership, as it stays open until 10 p.m during the week. If I end up anywhere else outside SF, then I'll look for something close to work. I'm being intentionally cryptic, but based on recent events with my job hunt, things are leaning on staying in SF.

CushTop by Belkin

This past weekend, the lap desk (for my laptop) I've had for about 7 years started leaving behind filler on the couch and the rug. I'm pretty sure I know what I did to cause the problem.

Regardless, it was time for something new. I originally looked at lap desks at Levenger, Stacks & Stacks, and Amazon. Most of what I saw was flimsy, uncomfortable, too big or too expensive.

I then decided to head out to the nearest major office supply store Sunday afternoon, which is Office Max on Arguello Boulevard in the Inner Richmond district. I went over to where laptop storage and cases were and found exactly what I wanted, Belkin's "CushTop" (as seen in photo).

The CushTop is washable and made of microfiber. The gap in the center can accommodate a mouse and battery pack. Most importantly, it's a sturdy, straight surface where the cushion absorbs heat from the laptop. It is primarily designed for non-desk use such as a chair, couch or bed. For me, it's the couch. I bought the CushTop in chocolate.

I paid about $32 (including tax) for the padded top. Computer superstore places like PC Universe sell it considerably cheaper, but for me, I didn't want to wait. Plus, UPS delivery to my home address is spotty at best. Last week, UPS left me a delivery note last week for my shipment from Sears. They said they would redeliver the next day.

I stayed home all day to wait for the package and no one came by nor did I get any notice. When I went online to find out the status, the driver claimed he tried to redeliver and said I authorized the shipment to be left at the local UPS office. Liar, liar pants on fire.

But I digress. I really like my CushTop. It's much more stable than my previous lap desk, it's light, and most importantly, I can put it away in my storage cube without worrying about filler falling out.

photo courtesy of Belkin

words misspelled or used incorrectly

I am far from being a grammar freak. Perhaps because I'm spending more time online due to my job hunt it's getting increasingly annoying for me to see words misspelled or used incorrectly.

Some common examples:
The present tense of "lost" is "LOSE". Not LOOSE. I don't understand why this is so common, especially since "lose" isn't even pronounced the same way as "loose".

The incorrect use of "your" when it should be "you're" or vice-versa. Get a clue. A word with an apostrophe means it's been shortened from the full phrase. "Your" is a pronoun, like your car, your clothes. "You're" is shortened from "you are".

Same with "there" and "they're". There she goes. There's the bus. "They're" is shortened from "they are". After typing or writing "they're" in a sentence, repeat the same sentence using "they are". They're moving next month. They are moving next month.

The word "receive" is NOT spelled "recieve". Give me a break. Use YOUR spell checker here. I've seen far too many craigslist.org job listings misspell this word. It would make me think twice about applying to an opening with a misspelled job title.

Oh, and one that really annoys me. "Alot" is NOT one word! It is "A LOT". Geez, I almost hyperventilated on that one. Is there a brown paper bag handy?

I realize for many of us spelling and grammar in school were not fun subjects. For me, it is something I probably worked harder at than most people because my parents are not native English speakers. But if you want to be taken seriously anymore these days, choose your words correctly!!!

Unemployment, week 4

It has been a full 4 weeks since my layoff. In reality, it hasn't been that long. Like my first layoff in 1994, I knew about it months in advance and began looking before the actual layoff. I ended up finding a job I really liked, which I hope will be the case this time around.

While I have a generous severance and got my first unemployment check today, being out of work is not comfortable for me. Shoot me, but since I've been out of work, weekends have become inconvenient because it means I have to wait 2 days before anyone will look at my résumé.

So far, the search has been pretty much what I expected. I get at least 1 to 2 e-mails a day from recruiters sending me job opportunities. However, same old story. They're not the right fit. This past week, 2 recruiters tried to get me contract positions. One in Silicon Valley for a well-known high tech company, the other a growing retailer in Half Moon Bay. As I haven't heard back and it's now Friday, these positions likely are now filled. Which is fine, as my ultimate goal is to find something full-time, salaried and permanent.

I also have something else in the works with another company. Unlike most recruiters that have contacted me, this one is directly employed for a well-known retailer. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the commute wouldn't be far, but I don't want to say anything more specific for fear of jinxing any chance I have of getting an interview. The described work would be the perfect progression in my longtime retail finance career.

The third and last professional business suit I bought on sale arrived today. The alterations on my second suit will be ready on Monday, at which time the blazer that came today will be dropped off to be altered. No, it won't be the arsenal of suits I used to rotate in the mid 80's, nor would I want it that way. I already have more than enough non-suited corporate attire in my wardrobe now.

Just get me back out there to interview again. I'm ready to go.

Rookie vs. Veteran

So far, I've been on 2 interviews since being laid off 2 weeks ago. One company thought I had too much traditional finance experience, the other too little (in other words, I didn't have an accounting or finance degree). It's still early, but so far, I already know finding the right job will be a battle.

There was a job opening yesterday for an unnamed San Francisco company looking for a Treasury Staff Accountant. I think this is the position a recruiter called me about on Monday. But the posting came from another firm, the same one that had me set up for an interview last week in Redwood Shores.

Everything in the job requirements are tasks I've done in my most recent position. What concerned me though, was that they encouraged recent college graduates to apply. The high range of compensation was only $1K less per year than what I was currently making, so I forwarded the listing to my recruiter to see if her associate would put my name in as a candidate.

My recruiter e-mailed me back 2 hours later to tell me her associate didn't think I was a fit. I'll try not to take it personally, but it was very apparent the company and/or the recruiter wanted to go with young and inexperienced. Because I know there are VERY FEW recent college graduates that would have had experience in ALL of the job requirements for this position.

I don't get it. I could have walked into the job with very little training and still make about the same salary as my old job. To me, to hire someone they won't have to spend much time training is well worth the additional $10K/year. Maybe they want someone young and eager and won't complain about working long hours.

Their loss. They don't know me.

"Virgin" experience with JetBlue

As mentioned last week, my trip to New York was on JetBlue, my first flight with them. Josh flies them frequently and really likes them. I did find the passengers at JFK vastly different from the passengers at SFO.

My initial experience was not exactly pleasant. While JetBlue flights are domestic, they are located in the International Terminal at SFO. When I got to the gate, they had 3 kiosks at the check-in gate, but only one was working, and sporadically at that. Whenever I now fly, I almost always have carry-on and don't check in luggage. But because I couldn't use the kiosk, I had to wait in line with the other passengers doing the standard, painstakingly slow process of checking in with an agent. This took 30 minutes.

Once I got the friggin' boarding pass, I then had to go up one escalator, walk across to the domestic terminal and then down another escalator to get to the actual gate. The good part is there's no first class, no frequent fliers that get called first for priority boarding. The people that get called first are those who need extra time, then it's all rows boarding. Because I had to wait so long for my boarding pass, everyone that was waiting had already boarded so I didn't have to stand in line.

Then to my seat. Ahhhh....considerable leg room. Got my headphones, plugged in and started watching TV. When we flew Virgin Atlantic non-stop to London in 2003, we got complimentary headphones and a huge selection of movies. I saw 3 movies on an 8 hour flight and it really helped pass the time.

With a 5+ hour flight to NYC, the same thing. I usually sleep at least half the time, but with the headsets, I spent most of the flight watching the Food Network and HGTV. Same thing on the way back, except I was blubbering (I blame it on recirculated air) through most of "Love, Actually" on USA, a 2003 British holiday film (wow, same year we were there) . The other great part about JetBlue was that they were very good with replenishing beverages. I got 2 snacks, which is a luxury in coach class these days.

Perhaps it is because I live in such a tech-savvy area, but when I was at SFO, at least 3 people had no problem trying the kiosk even after the screen said it was down. This morning at JFK, a group of 3 women had a printout with their kiosk check-in barcode, but was surprised they never used a kiosk before. I let them watch me and then offered to help them. They picked it up very quickly and thanked me.

After I made it through security, a woman was standing in front of me looking a bit lost. Her husband was wondering why she hadn't yet gathered her belongings. She said, "I'm too nervous. I'm afraid I'll lose everything!" I'm guessing she had valuables on her that she put in the trays and felt everyone around her was going too fast. But we've had this kind of security check since 9-11-2001 and I would have thought she'd know the drill by now.

I then proceeded to the food court to grab a quick breakfast. A woman kept staring at the warming trays and asked if they could make her an omelette with egg whites only. Sorry, sweetie, but this wasn't exactly a full service restaurant. I didn't see omelettes as a menu item. Another woman was with her son and he wanted the fruit cup. She asked the counterperson how much it cost. When told how much, she told her son it was too expensive. Granted, airport food is not cheap, but you couldn't splurge $1.95? I'd be grateful he wasn't begging for Cinnabon! It was apparent that none of these people fly much.

Oh, well. I've never traveled much on business, but I guess I do fly often enough to look like a seasoned traveler. And I will fly JetBlue again.

manual vs. automatic

In today's New York Times Automobile section, writer Richard Chang wanted to find out from readers whether or not driving a stick-shift (manual) transmission car was considered a life skill. For me, it is. To most people who drive in the United States, it isn't.

Up until I moved to California, I only knew how to drive an automatic. My cousin Wilgee's first car was a Lancia (don't remember the model type) and I was jealous that he already learned to drive stick-shift. Determined to learn, I got my first chance when a co-worker graciously agreed to take me out in her Honda Civic in the back parking lot of Tanforan Mall in San Bruno over 20 years ago.

With only that afternoon as my experience in stick-shift driving, I bought my first manual transmission car, an Acura Integra, less than a year later. The salesman had to drive my car home. For the next month, I went out every night to practice. It took me about 3 weeks before I considered myself proficient enough to drive to any part of San Francisco.

I haven't gone back to an automatic transmission car since. I'm on my fourth manual transmission car and plan on driving them until I physically am no longer able. Sure, there's the control that everyone talks about. But for me, it's just a lot more fun. The coordination of clutch pedal, shifting and accelerating takes skill and is something I can boastfully say I've mastered.

image courtesy of BMW

No more envelopes!

Since I visit a Wells Fargo ATM just once a month to deposit our HOA checks, this is a feature you may have already seen and used. This morning I visited the Wells Fargo ATM location on Irving Street and 8th Avenue. The cool new feature at the ATM is that you can now deposit up to 30 checks without envelopes.

Once the scan is complete, the ATM gives you the option of printing the receipt with the image, without the image, or no receipt at all. Since this was the first time, it should have been easy enough for me to scan the 3 checks I had all at the same time. Instead, I scanned them one at a time and got 3 separate receipts.

The best part of this feature is that it eliminates the hassle of pulling an envelope and having to fill out the necessary information while the machine is waiting anxiously with its annoying beeps for you to send the envelope through the slot. If it took you too long to get the envelope ready, the machine would ask you if you needed more time, but for me, I found the machine would end up cancelling the transaction and I would have to start all over again.

With this new feature, no more. I would love to see this feature at my credit union, but it's likely I won't see it anytime soon.

photo courtesy of sfgate.com