Hello folks,
Today I leave to go back to Berlin, so that is the reason that I haven't really had time the past few days to post. But don't worry! I have a lot of blog topics in mind that I intend to write on the plane. When I get to Berlin, my Mom is going to be with me, so I'm going to have to do a bunch of Touristy things for the next week on top of my imminent Jetlag. So in light of all that, please cut me some slack for the upcoming lack of posts!
I'm just going to write something quick right now, for it is about 9am in the morning the day of my flight, and I haven't packed a single thing. Whoops.
The other day, I got a little letter in the mail from my dear friend Amanda. I had been expecting it, for she owed me some money, but when it finally arrived, it just made me so happy to see that she had taken the time to write a little letter along with it! In the age of electronic deposits, emails, and even blogs, we often forget how sentimental receiving and writing an actual letter is. So, to keep it short and sweet, I challenge every one of my readers this week to actually write AND send a letter. It can be long, short, written with pretty colors of ink, written with pencil, a post card, a thank you note, a "get well soon" card, a "i can never turn down a challenge" card...
It doesn't really matter what it is or how long it is. But I promise it will make someone's day.
Unless you opted for the "blackmail" card... I don't suggest that one.
Until next time:
HBP
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
"LOST" in translation
Before I get too carried away with this next blog, I would like to give credit where credit is due. My boyfriend and fellow coffee enthusiast, Ryan, is the one who introduced me to the “two-cup-luxury” phenomenon, and it would be unjust of me to take credit for that realization without mentioning him. So thank you Ryan, and keep fightin’ the good fight (or drinking the good coffee… whatever works for you).
I’ve been having a difficult time thinking of a good topic for today’s post. I made a little list on the back of my Blockbuster receipt of all the interesting things I could talk about, but I’m just not feeling any of them right now. So maybe I’ll flip to the other side of that Blockbuster receipt and see if I’m feeling inspired by that.
Hmm… I rented LOST, season 4. Now I know that I just “lost “(pun intended) 90% of my readers, and the remaining 10% are going to flip out and want to talk about every conspiracy theory under the sun pertaining to this hit show.
Now as many (MANY) of you know, I am a HUGE TV show junkie. I am more devoted to my tv shows than I am to my undergraduate education (whoops.. did I just admit that outloud??). Oh well, it’s no big secret. The LOST train took me a while to get hooked on, and even though I do enjoy it, it’s definitely not my favorite. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a really good show, and even though it gets weirder and less believable the more I watch (I’m currently halfway through season 4) I still find it fascinating and can’t wait to decode it’s many mysteries and clues. Yet, as suspenseful and full of mystery as LOST is, it will never be up there with my favorite shows.
Again, as many of you know, I like to analyze things.. maybe too much. Maybe that’s why I’m a literature major. I like figuring out WHY something is or isn’t my favorite, instead of just accepting it and moving on. So why is it, despite an incredible cast, beautiful setting, and suspenseful cliff-hangers, that I can’t seem to appreciate LOST as much as the rest of the world??
Reason #1: Unfinished business:
The writers of LOST have an annoying habit of leaving TOO many cliff-hangers, and never going back to resolve them. Granted, I’m not fully caught up, so I can’t say with certainty that they will never be resolved, but it’s almost like the writer’s themselves have forgotten all the little unsolved details that got me interested in the first place. I won’t go into specifics, to spare my readers who don’t watch it, but it really is annoying to bring something up, and never go back to it.
Reason #2: Too many characters:
This might seem really trivial, but it’s an honest reason. There are so many characters with so many intertwining backstories, that it’s almost impossible to keep up! This makes it especially frustrating in between seasons when you have an extended break and then are expected to remember everything! I have a hard enough time keeping tabs on my own life and the people in it, let alone an entire airplane and island worth of strangers! I think I would have a better time adapting if the writers just chose like, 6 main characters to work with, instead of an overwhelming amount like 20.
Dispensable characters:
Ok this might seem like a direct contradiction to what I just said, but hear me out. IF the writers are going to take the time to develop all these characters and intervening layers of history, STOP KILLING THEM OFF!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been distraught, literally distraught, that they killed off a character that they spent nearly 15 hours of my time building up and getting me to like! Yes, I understand that they are trapped on an island and have a seemingly infinite number of enemies to ward off, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! You’re killing me here!! Stop getting me to like people just to kill them off!! Not only are you making me sad, but you’re putting good actors out of work!! Now that’s just selfish!
The Fans:
LOST fans are annoying. Period.
LOST of course has it’s gems. There’s no way it would have the following it does without them. I love the twists and turns, and guessing how it’s all going to resolve, as do all of its viewers! But the fact of the matter is, I personally feel that it has dug a hole that it can’t get out of. But as it is now in it’s 6th and final season, I guess the world will see if the writers can pull it off and make the mystery of Oceanic Flight 815 come to a close.
The following is a short snippet from one of my favorite entertainment sources The Onion. If you’ve never head of The Onion before, I weep for you. It’s a satire magazine/news source and they have some real nuggets of comedic gold. I highly recommend watching the following! Enjoy!
Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever
Till next time,
HBP
I’ve been having a difficult time thinking of a good topic for today’s post. I made a little list on the back of my Blockbuster receipt of all the interesting things I could talk about, but I’m just not feeling any of them right now. So maybe I’ll flip to the other side of that Blockbuster receipt and see if I’m feeling inspired by that.
Hmm… I rented LOST, season 4. Now I know that I just “lost “(pun intended) 90% of my readers, and the remaining 10% are going to flip out and want to talk about every conspiracy theory under the sun pertaining to this hit show.
Now as many (MANY) of you know, I am a HUGE TV show junkie. I am more devoted to my tv shows than I am to my undergraduate education (whoops.. did I just admit that outloud??). Oh well, it’s no big secret. The LOST train took me a while to get hooked on, and even though I do enjoy it, it’s definitely not my favorite. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a really good show, and even though it gets weirder and less believable the more I watch (I’m currently halfway through season 4) I still find it fascinating and can’t wait to decode it’s many mysteries and clues. Yet, as suspenseful and full of mystery as LOST is, it will never be up there with my favorite shows.
Again, as many of you know, I like to analyze things.. maybe too much. Maybe that’s why I’m a literature major. I like figuring out WHY something is or isn’t my favorite, instead of just accepting it and moving on. So why is it, despite an incredible cast, beautiful setting, and suspenseful cliff-hangers, that I can’t seem to appreciate LOST as much as the rest of the world??
Reason #1: Unfinished business:
The writers of LOST have an annoying habit of leaving TOO many cliff-hangers, and never going back to resolve them. Granted, I’m not fully caught up, so I can’t say with certainty that they will never be resolved, but it’s almost like the writer’s themselves have forgotten all the little unsolved details that got me interested in the first place. I won’t go into specifics, to spare my readers who don’t watch it, but it really is annoying to bring something up, and never go back to it.
Reason #2: Too many characters:
This might seem really trivial, but it’s an honest reason. There are so many characters with so many intertwining backstories, that it’s almost impossible to keep up! This makes it especially frustrating in between seasons when you have an extended break and then are expected to remember everything! I have a hard enough time keeping tabs on my own life and the people in it, let alone an entire airplane and island worth of strangers! I think I would have a better time adapting if the writers just chose like, 6 main characters to work with, instead of an overwhelming amount like 20.
Dispensable characters:
Ok this might seem like a direct contradiction to what I just said, but hear me out. IF the writers are going to take the time to develop all these characters and intervening layers of history, STOP KILLING THEM OFF!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been distraught, literally distraught, that they killed off a character that they spent nearly 15 hours of my time building up and getting me to like! Yes, I understand that they are trapped on an island and have a seemingly infinite number of enemies to ward off, but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! You’re killing me here!! Stop getting me to like people just to kill them off!! Not only are you making me sad, but you’re putting good actors out of work!! Now that’s just selfish!
The Fans:
LOST fans are annoying. Period.
LOST of course has it’s gems. There’s no way it would have the following it does without them. I love the twists and turns, and guessing how it’s all going to resolve, as do all of its viewers! But the fact of the matter is, I personally feel that it has dug a hole that it can’t get out of. But as it is now in it’s 6th and final season, I guess the world will see if the writers can pull it off and make the mystery of Oceanic Flight 815 come to a close.
The following is a short snippet from one of my favorite entertainment sources The Onion. If you’ve never head of The Onion before, I weep for you. It’s a satire magazine/news source and they have some real nuggets of comedic gold. I highly recommend watching the following! Enjoy!
Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever
Till next time,
HBP
Monday, March 22, 2010
Coffee continued...
In light of my coffee post, I wanted to share this song and music video with you all. I saw it on the French channel in Germany and thought it was really cool :)
Coffee
I have several friends who don’t like coffee. I have several friends who say they like coffee, but drink really weird things with a lot of splenda and artificial flavors. But I will admit to the world, right here and right now, that I LOVE COFFEE. (ps when I learn my photoshop I’m coming back to this post specifically to make that last part really really big and pretty.)
To me, there are fewer things more luxurious than waking up and easing into the day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Even better… TWO cups of freshly brewed coffee. I love everything about it. I love feeling the spoon dive into the fresh grounds and then slowly coming back up, some of the grids falling back into the bag, all the while the strong Sumatran flavor dancing in your nose, ruining your nose for all other scents. I love pouring the half and half (more on this later) and watching the cream mingle with the coffee in a seductive “pas de deux.” But most of all, I love that first sip.
Wait. Scratch that. I hate the first sip. I’m always really timid and scared and without fail wind up burning my tongue. Let’s re-write that:
But most of all, I love that… 5th or 6th sip when you can finally taste again.
There is something nearly divine that happens when you feel the caffeine slowly seep its way into your veins, and that sudden jolt of warmth wakes you up and ready to take on the day. I’m not kidding! Is this rave of coffee semi-neurotic?? Maybe. Or is it proof that god exists and probably in the form of coffee beans?? More likely…. * please don’t smite me for that one. We’re still cool, right?? *
Hilliary’s Tip for the Perfect Cup of Coffee: Warning! Not for those who only like it sweet!
Step One: Start with a bolder blend. Lately I’ve been drinking Starbuck’s Sumatra which is really bold. The lightest blend I would personally drink would be a medium roast like Starbuck’s Columbia. Remember, you want to taste those beans!
Step Two: The Grind: I have a Melitta coffee maker in Germany, but a normal “Mr. Coffee” coffee maker in the States. Depending on the equipment you’re using you’re going to want different types of grinds. Generally if you ask a Barista, they should be pretty helpful and know what’s best! Also the instruction manual (if you ever even read that crap) should say something.
Step Three: Brew that!! Needs no further explanation!!
Step Four: Adding the cream. I use half and half because it truly brings out the flavor of the coffee. Some people insist on using non-fat milk because of weight loss reasons, but honestly, you might as well just add water. It does absolutely nothing for the flavor of your coffee. Half and half has some sort of miracle molecule (confirm with your local chemist) that makes coffee delicious. I pour in just enough to get THIS color out of my coffee. This is the winner color. When you have this color, stop pouring the cream.
Step Five: WAIT! I know it’s exciting, but coming from a veteran, you WILL burn yourself and it will be awful.
Step Six: Enjoy!!!
Now one last anecdote before I relieve you all of my coffee antics for the day!
A few days ago I was at Borders with my friend Naomi, and decided to waltz (not literally) into their café to get a coffee while she searched for a book. Now, to preface, I love the coffee they serve at Borders. They brew Seattle’s Best, and it truly is a delight to have. However, when coupled with maybe the most annoying Barista in the world, it was anything be a delightful experience (until I left).
Here’s our dialogue:
H: “Hi! I’d like a medium sized coffee with just a little bit of room for cream!”
Sounds like a simple, low-maintence order right??
He responds,
B: “Well would you like to instead try our new Orange Mocha Lattee with Soy Milk for only $4.95??”
H: “Umm.. no thanks just the coffee.”
B: Well would you like to sign up today for a Border’s Rewards Card? It only takes a couple of minutes and it’s free.
H: I already have one. Just the coffee. Thanks.
B: Ok, well would you like to buy an additional bag of Seattle’s Best House Blend to donate to the Troops overseas.
H:…. Just the coffee, PLEASE.
B: Okay. So what was it you wanted again??
I feel like this scene should be in whatever the next quirky Paul Rudd/ Seth Rogan film is.
Till next time,
HBP
To me, there are fewer things more luxurious than waking up and easing into the day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Even better… TWO cups of freshly brewed coffee. I love everything about it. I love feeling the spoon dive into the fresh grounds and then slowly coming back up, some of the grids falling back into the bag, all the while the strong Sumatran flavor dancing in your nose, ruining your nose for all other scents. I love pouring the half and half (more on this later) and watching the cream mingle with the coffee in a seductive “pas de deux.” But most of all, I love that first sip.
Wait. Scratch that. I hate the first sip. I’m always really timid and scared and without fail wind up burning my tongue. Let’s re-write that:
But most of all, I love that… 5th or 6th sip when you can finally taste again.
There is something nearly divine that happens when you feel the caffeine slowly seep its way into your veins, and that sudden jolt of warmth wakes you up and ready to take on the day. I’m not kidding! Is this rave of coffee semi-neurotic?? Maybe. Or is it proof that god exists and probably in the form of coffee beans?? More likely…. * please don’t smite me for that one. We’re still cool, right?? *
Hilliary’s Tip for the Perfect Cup of Coffee: Warning! Not for those who only like it sweet!
Step One: Start with a bolder blend. Lately I’ve been drinking Starbuck’s Sumatra which is really bold. The lightest blend I would personally drink would be a medium roast like Starbuck’s Columbia. Remember, you want to taste those beans!
Step Two: The Grind: I have a Melitta coffee maker in Germany, but a normal “Mr. Coffee” coffee maker in the States. Depending on the equipment you’re using you’re going to want different types of grinds. Generally if you ask a Barista, they should be pretty helpful and know what’s best! Also the instruction manual (if you ever even read that crap) should say something.
Step Three: Brew that!! Needs no further explanation!!
Step Four: Adding the cream. I use half and half because it truly brings out the flavor of the coffee. Some people insist on using non-fat milk because of weight loss reasons, but honestly, you might as well just add water. It does absolutely nothing for the flavor of your coffee. Half and half has some sort of miracle molecule (confirm with your local chemist) that makes coffee delicious. I pour in just enough to get THIS color out of my coffee. This is the winner color. When you have this color, stop pouring the cream.
Step Five: WAIT! I know it’s exciting, but coming from a veteran, you WILL burn yourself and it will be awful.
Step Six: Enjoy!!!
Now one last anecdote before I relieve you all of my coffee antics for the day!
A few days ago I was at Borders with my friend Naomi, and decided to waltz (not literally) into their café to get a coffee while she searched for a book. Now, to preface, I love the coffee they serve at Borders. They brew Seattle’s Best, and it truly is a delight to have. However, when coupled with maybe the most annoying Barista in the world, it was anything be a delightful experience (until I left).
Here’s our dialogue:
H: “Hi! I’d like a medium sized coffee with just a little bit of room for cream!”
Sounds like a simple, low-maintence order right??
He responds,
B: “Well would you like to instead try our new Orange Mocha Lattee with Soy Milk for only $4.95??”
H: “Umm.. no thanks just the coffee.”
B: Well would you like to sign up today for a Border’s Rewards Card? It only takes a couple of minutes and it’s free.
H: I already have one. Just the coffee. Thanks.
B: Ok, well would you like to buy an additional bag of Seattle’s Best House Blend to donate to the Troops overseas.
H:…. Just the coffee, PLEASE.
B: Okay. So what was it you wanted again??
I feel like this scene should be in whatever the next quirky Paul Rudd/ Seth Rogan film is.
Till next time,
HBP
Sunday, March 21, 2010
First Post, New Beginnings, I hate technology.. etc...
As I embark upon this new adventure called “blogging” I have to wonder… is anybody even going to read this?? Sure, I have interesting thoughts all the time, but I’m horrible about documenting them, and to be fair, most of them aren’t even interesting, let alone worth writing about. Nevertheless, in light of spending a full year in a foreign country, and having $3,000 worth of photoshop and camera software, I think it’s about time for me to jump on the band wagon and start a blog.
But what to write about?? I must have jotted down over a dozen “blog ideas” over the past hour about things I have “strong” opinions about. Some of them included really pressing matters in our society, such as universal health care, politics, and the environment (all things I care a lot about). Other topics that crossed my mind were a bit more light hearted and whimsical, such as food, travel, funny things that happen to me, etc… Yet none of them seemed worthy of my very first blog entry. So I gave up for a while and became frustrated with myself, the universe, and of course… my computer. Nearly 4 years of college on my belt, not to mention growing up in the age of technology, and I feel I have barely even scratched the surface of this laptop of mine. And then, like a lightning bolt out of the heavens, it hit me. I can blog about all my computer issues!!
I can’t tell you how many times per day, nay, times per hour, that I bitch about something related to my computer. “Hurry up!! You’re so slow!!”...
No.. no… just highlight the one word… god dammnit!”… “Yes,.. I’m sure I want to run this app... I come to this website every day you stupid thing…” “Why did you delete the whole thing?!?! How do I undo?!?!” These are sentences I find myself saying essentially every day, without any sort of real guidance on how to change it. More recently, I found myself in possession of a really expensive, really elaborate piece of software, given to me by my uncle. When you think of the stuff Pixar animators use to do their work, you’re in the right ballpark. This software is SO sophisticated, that I can’t even figure out how to do the most basic photoshop with it. Granted, I’ve never been creative in an “arts and crafts” kind of way. In fact, I got a B- in Art as a 6th grader when I’m pretty sure the teacher was required to give everyone an A for effort… To be frank, I’ve never been good at art. I can appreciate it when it’s “good” quote and quote, and I can perform it in a musical sort of sense. But the fact of the matter is if you gave me a box of crayons and a color-between-the-lines coloring book, your typical 3 year old would show me up.
But I declare, no more! I have too much free time on my hands to let a cool opportunity like this pass me up. So, as of right now, 9:22PM Pacific Time on March 22, 2010, I will try to learn how to use this sophisticated software, and overcome my lifelong fear of all things creative and artsy. I will use this blog, and the comments of the people who follow it (i.e. my parents and my loyal friends trying to find something to do while they suffer the reality that is the 9-5 workday), to help me figure out Adobe!!
So, maybe not the most interesting blog post, but we can’t all be Barney from How I Met Your Mother…
Until I become more suave and figure out how to do cool things with photoshop, here's a picture of a kid in a school bus. Don't even ask.
Till next time:
HBP
But what to write about?? I must have jotted down over a dozen “blog ideas” over the past hour about things I have “strong” opinions about. Some of them included really pressing matters in our society, such as universal health care, politics, and the environment (all things I care a lot about). Other topics that crossed my mind were a bit more light hearted and whimsical, such as food, travel, funny things that happen to me, etc… Yet none of them seemed worthy of my very first blog entry. So I gave up for a while and became frustrated with myself, the universe, and of course… my computer. Nearly 4 years of college on my belt, not to mention growing up in the age of technology, and I feel I have barely even scratched the surface of this laptop of mine. And then, like a lightning bolt out of the heavens, it hit me. I can blog about all my computer issues!!
I can’t tell you how many times per day, nay, times per hour, that I bitch about something related to my computer. “Hurry up!! You’re so slow!!”...
No.. no… just highlight the one word… god dammnit!”… “Yes,.. I’m sure I want to run this app... I come to this website every day you stupid thing…” “Why did you delete the whole thing?!?! How do I undo?!?!” These are sentences I find myself saying essentially every day, without any sort of real guidance on how to change it. More recently, I found myself in possession of a really expensive, really elaborate piece of software, given to me by my uncle. When you think of the stuff Pixar animators use to do their work, you’re in the right ballpark. This software is SO sophisticated, that I can’t even figure out how to do the most basic photoshop with it. Granted, I’ve never been creative in an “arts and crafts” kind of way. In fact, I got a B- in Art as a 6th grader when I’m pretty sure the teacher was required to give everyone an A for effort… To be frank, I’ve never been good at art. I can appreciate it when it’s “good” quote and quote, and I can perform it in a musical sort of sense. But the fact of the matter is if you gave me a box of crayons and a color-between-the-lines coloring book, your typical 3 year old would show me up.
But I declare, no more! I have too much free time on my hands to let a cool opportunity like this pass me up. So, as of right now, 9:22PM Pacific Time on March 22, 2010, I will try to learn how to use this sophisticated software, and overcome my lifelong fear of all things creative and artsy. I will use this blog, and the comments of the people who follow it (i.e. my parents and my loyal friends trying to find something to do while they suffer the reality that is the 9-5 workday), to help me figure out Adobe!!
So, maybe not the most interesting blog post, but we can’t all be Barney from How I Met Your Mother…
Until I become more suave and figure out how to do cool things with photoshop, here's a picture of a kid in a school bus. Don't even ask.
Till next time:
HBP
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