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I update the sidebar every now and then, but I was thinking of posting updated sidebar info so you know when it’s changing…

reading pleasures

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

I really liked this book. It was a realy quick read (finished it during my Seattle trip). It’s about two boys during China’s cultural revolution who are sent to a remote village to be ‘re-educated’ in ways of life. During this time, books are outlawed, but these two boys manage to find a secret stash of Western books, translated to Chinese. Anyone who really loves books can appreciate the magic the boys feel when reading the books, and how precious these treasures become.

song stuck in my head

‘Where is the Love - Black Eyed Peas

I’ve always loved the Black Eyed Peas, since ‘Joints and Jam’ from way back when. Here, they make a social statement on how the world has changed, and where we can go to find the answers to make things better again.

at the movies

Matrix: Reloaded

I liked it. Not as much as the first one. But it swas good. The fight scenes kicked ass, though I could still see the CGI. But it was well choreographed. The story was ok..you really had to pay attention to what was being said. Can’t wait til the 3rd one!

yummy for my tummy

sourdough bacon cheeseburger

Damn Burger King. Damn them for making such a tasty burger!

addiction

traveling

IT SUCKS!

The Friday Five

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?
Colgate Total

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?
Charmin

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?
Payless. Once in a while I’ll splurge.

4. What brand of soda do you drink?
Coca Cola, Nestea Raspberry

5. What brand of gum do you chew?
Wrigleys Extra Wintergreen

Adventures in Seattle

Hmm…I’ve been a pretty busy gal in Seattle…here’s a little rundown…

Yuki and the 2 Hour Haircut

Dave called me a stalker. I said that I’ve been busy as hell lately, my hair was long and out of control and I needed a haircut, and Lord knows the next timeI would have an hour at home to get it cut. I knew I was going to Seattle, and what a coincidence, I know of someone that has a salon in Seattle. It just so happens to be the salon of Yuki Ohno. There was no stalking going on here, it was just convenient. Ok, maybe just a little stalking.

So I get there, and I start to wonderg if Yuki would remember me from SLC. I mean, I was sitting in front of him for half of the comp. And I’m sure he caught me glancing at him. Luckily, I was able to make an appointment with him. He starts washing my hair, and asks me what I do, and I tell him I work at a software company. He asks me if my company is in Seattle or if it’s out in the suburbs. I tell him I don’t live in Seattle. He looks surprised. ‘You don’t?’ Then I tell him I’m from Chicago. Once again, the surprised look. I know it’s time for me to ‘fess up.

‘Um, I’m a fan.’

‘You are?’

‘Yeah, a fan of yours!’

Yeah. Smooth Yano, really smooth. So then, he asks me what name I normally use online. This is the real test…I don’t know why I’m scared to tell him the batname. I shyly say ‘Yano’. And Yuki starts laughing. ‘I know you you are! You’re the one that brought the camera crew to Salt Lake City!’ Ok, I’m not the one who brought them, but I like that sound of it. ‘Yeah, that’s me,’ I reply. ‘I knew I recognized you from somewhere! I thought it was because I had seen you around Seattle.’ Wow. I’m almost feeling famous here!

So that kinda broke the ice for me. As he cut my hair, we talked about a ton of things. Crime rates, unemployment, my upcoming wedding, and of course, short track. Yuki knows his short track! It was really cool to chat with him, and he was so friendly and outgoing. He made me feel comfortable at once, and he was SO nice! However, there came a point when I started wondering, just how long have I been here? And I looked at my watch, and it was already an hour and fifty minutes after I sat down. Yuki was cutting my hair FOREVER! But I could tell that he was a perfectionist.

Afterwards, I asked him if we could take a picture together. I tried being cool and tried taking our picture in the mirror, but as you can see, it didn’t turn out that well. The funny thing was, before taking the picture, Yuki kept on pulling out the scissors and doing little spot trims, trying to make my hair picture perfect.

So it’s the day after, and my hair is still looking good. It’s a lot shorter, which is a little strange for me, but it feels so much healthier now. Thanks Yuki, for the great haircut, the great conversation, and for being so welcoming and sweet.

It’s Almost Like Seaworld

I’m going on a cruise next week. Haven’t been working out as much as I wanted to. No motivation. So I’m not too fit right now. And I ended up shopping today for clothes for the trip (I won’t be able to shop at home). So I’m shopping for bathing suits, and seriously, it’s the perfect way to torture someone. Have them try on swinsuits. EEK. I had it. I felt like Shamu the Killer Whale while I was in the dressing room. I was tempted to take a sip out of water bottle and spit it outside of the door like a fountain, just so people would know that Shamu was inside. Luckily, I found a nice suit that fits pretty well, and that doesn’t make me look bloated.

Exploring I-5

I never got the returm mapquest directions to my hotel from my client’s building. So I had no idea what exit to go off of (I have NO idea how I got home yesterday). And I was talking on the phone. So I ended up driving up and down I-5 for about an hour today. Just so I could stay on the phone, and I didn’t have anything better to do. Took a wrong turn in the semi-ghetto, though. However, as ghetto as it was, it still had some beautiful greenery. I love Seattle. The first time I was here, two years ago, I fell in love with it. Seeing the ocean, being on the mountain, the lake, it’s all so gorgeous! As much as I get annoyed when I get lost when I’m out of town, this time, it was really enjoyable. I’d love to come here for vacation sometime! Then I can actually go inside the Space Needle than just taking pictures of it.

*sigh* leaving to go home tomorrow. I’ll get in at about midnight. Then it’s up bright and early the day after to go to Des Moines. Dave’s graduating from Med School. Whoo hoo!

OK…here’s my collection of Seattle pics…


Happy Birthday, Fatabird!!!

It’s my wonderful sister Fatima’s birthday today. She’s one of the best two sisters on the planet! I called her at midnight this morning, giving her my very best ‘Happy Biiihhhrthday, mister puhrrresident’ Marilyn Monroe impersonation. I really wish I could be there for her birthday, but she’ll just have to settle for a cool birthday present from Sea-Town!

Love you, sisterfriend!

Me and My Seattle Hairdresser

Got a haircut yesterday. Some of you may know the handsome gentleman who cut my hair. More later today. Gotta go to work.

Yano Hits Seattle

Where is Yano Today?

Seattle, WA

So here I am in Seattle. I’m pooped after the 4 1/2 hour flight. There are no hotel rooms available in all of downtown, so I’m stuck here at the airport. Fortunately, I’m staying at a place where I have a free high speed internet connection. Whoo hoo!

I’m so tired.

Watched ‘The Recruit’ on the plane. Colin Farrell is one sexy bastard. He looks nothing at all like Wil. Muhahaha…

X-Men 2 - Better, But It Still Hurts

So I saw X-Men 2 Saturday. I liked it a lot better than the first X-men, but I still have many gripes. I can go on for days, but I’ll give you a run down of the good stuff, and the not so good stuff… (warning, there might be some spoilers)

Good stuff:
* Nightcrawler’s fight scene was kick ass. He teleports visually just the way I thought he would.
* Storm didn’t have any stupid lines, and Halle Berry’s wig was a lot better looking this time around
* Magneto, as bad ass as ever. Loved his escape.
* Colossus! In metal form! Whoo hoo!
* Hank McCoy and Remy LeBeau. Gotta watch more to see which ones I missed, but these guys are in there, in some form!
* Kelly Hu. Damn. I want to be as hot as her someday!
* The story was A LOT better than the first one
* Jean Grey’s powers. Yeah…big stuff….can’t wait til the next one…

The Not so Good:
* Nightcrawler - where’s the *bamf* when he teleports? And he’s not my furry blue elf! And if he said ‘My name is Kurt Wagner’ one more time….
* I still can’t get over the fact that Bobby Drake is a teenager. Grr.
* What’s up with Wolvie’s hair? He was channeling Jim Carrey’s white devil hairdo from Ace Ventura.
* Cyclops. Man. I can’t get over that he looks so much younger than Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey, and he really didn’t have any character development. You’re almost rooting for Wolvie to get Jean.
* Although we did get to see Colossus, Kitty and Jubilee, they didn’t get much screen time.
* Dude, when are we going to see the Danger Room?
* In the comics, Mystique is Kurt’s mom, and she was Rogue’s foster mother. I wouldhave loved to have seen some hints to that.
* More bad guys with mutant powers!
* Kelly Hu was great to look at, but dammit, give the gal some lines to say!
* Hugh Jackman needs more scenes with his shirt off. *wink*
* I don’t think that Professor X would have been as easily manipulated as he was in the movie. Also, Patrick Stewart needs more screen time!
* To me, Mystique is the character in the movies that is the most unlike the comic book version. She’s a lot better in this one, but I’d love to see Mystique with some guns and talking, and I really like the white dress with the skull belt from the comics.
* Although Rogue used her power in the movie, she only used it to take someone’s powers, not to use the powers herself. How awesome would it be if Rogue took Cyclops’ powers and started blasting everyone away?
* I have a big gripe with the ending, but I don’t want to give anything away, but all I have to say is ‘Why don’t you do it INSIDE the plane?!?!?!’

OK, I’m done griping for now. Really though, I liked it. I got all excited when I saw Hank McCoy. It was TONS better than the first. I think I might actually see the next one on opening day this time. Can someone say ‘Dark Phoenix Saga?’

I give it 3 stars.

Urbana’s Last Feliciano Sister

Since the fall of 1993, there has always been a Feliciano sister attending the University of Illinois. I started in 1993, ended in 1997, Claudine started in 1996, ended in 2000, Fatima started in 1998, and finished up yesterday. An era has ended. And my father breathes a sigh of relief. No more three hour drives through cornfields. No more moving in the daughter to a new apartment. No more bounced checks. No more calling your daughter at school and 1 in the morning, and she doesn’t answer. No more 3 hour fashion shows he has to attend.

But for, an era has ended. I loved Urbana, and even after graduating, I had a reason to return and relive my college experience through my sisters. Of course, as time went on, I felt older and older, and more out of place, but still. It was home for me. But now, I have no reason to go back. I’ll miss it.

And so, with that, I want to congratulate Fatima on graduating from the University of Illinois, with a Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology. Hope that degree does you more good than it did me, little sister. We’re all proud of you! I’m really happy to have you back home.

It was a pretty long day, waking up way early, driving to Urbana, going to the graduation, then driving back home. Thanks to Mel for keeping me awake while we were going there, and thanks to her again, for what she did on the way home. No, we weren’t in deep conversation. Actually, I think she was in a deep sleep. But knowing that if I crashed the car, I would be taking her own life as well as my own was enough to keep me awake. Most of the time, anyway.

And also, I did my part to save a life today. While talking to Fatima on the phone as I was driving, a opossum skittered across the road, right in the path of my car. I swerved a bit, gently hunked my horn, and the lil critter turned and ran the other way. I had seen enough carcasses on the road today - I didn’t want to create a fatality. I want to give life, not take it away!

The Wanderer, the Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wanderer…

I’m going to be a busy traveling bee….check out the Yano tour schedule for the next couple weeks:

May 18 - Urbana, IL
May 19 - May 22 - Seattle, WA
May 23 - May 24 - Des Moines, IA
May 25 - Miami, FL
May 26 - May 30 - Cruise, going to Key West and Cozumel Mexico
May 30 - June 1 - Savannah, GA
June 3 - Denver, CO

Whew!

How am I going to plan this wedding?

You Could See it Coming…

Head hurts. Should have drank more water….