More about me

I’m so embarrassed. I can tell I've been putzing around way too long when I got tagged to do a “5 Things About Me” post by TWO different people, and then get the “Lists of Four Things About Me” email from two additional people, as well. I’m just trying to be coy; If you keep making me tell you more things about me in these lists, what secrets will there be left to keep? Really, now.

And then, Dianne gave me this award, and it became clear that it would be so terribly ungracious of me to let that sit as well.

Here are a few things you might not know about me yet.

Four jobs I’ve had, that proves that higher education pays:
- Pineapple canner (Dole)
- Census taker
- Toxicology lab tech
- Rocket scientist (moved up the food chain after college, huh? All this, but what I really wanted to be as a kid was a cartoonist).

Four T.V. Shows I watch:
- Man vs Wild
- Mythbusters
- The Dog Whisperer
- 24 (worked through the first three seasons on dvd with my guy)

Four of my favorite foods (no, PB&J is not one of my favorite foods, just happens to be one of the more frequent):
- Sushi
- Cookies
- Zippy's Zip-Pak plate lunch
- Chips and Salsa (nomnomnomnomnom!)

I love college football. Big Ten football. The worst thing about living in LA isn’t having to hear the endless hype about that football team. Ahem. The worst thing is having to hear that football team’s endless, mindless, brass-laden fight song. Over and over and over and over and over and over again (no, I'm not even going to link to the song. Over my dead body).

[Geh! Okay, wait. Let me get that yucky taste out of my mouth. Gaaack-Pf!]

My favorite colors are soft tints of blue-violet and yellow-orange (I'm wondering: What does it say about a person that specifically lists tertiary colors as their favorites?)
Are your eyes tired of all these excessive color changes? Yeah, too much extra html programming for me, too.

Okay. I’m not going to tag anyone to do anymore “Five things” lists (Mr NerdGuru and Mr Mom in FL are going, “Whew”). But I will list a few of the many lovely blogs that I’m visiting often... Besides the people who tagged me in the first place.

- What is love? Love is what you pack into your kid’s lunches, every day. Look at these amazing and terribly cute daily bento lunches that this mom makes for her young’uns. You thought you packed some pretty great brown-bag lunches? OMG. Go look: Bentoblog

- Yes, I love Cute Overload and happiness is indeed a warm puppy. And there’s a certain charm to ICHC, too, but this is even more precious. Love is in the company we keep, which sometimes, is unexpected.

- Love is sharing recipes from your family with the whole wide internet; food that tantalizes the eyes and promises to warm your soul

- Since we're sharing the love, I want to send hugs and warm thoughts to Roma.

Share some love, why don’t you? Let us all know a few blogs that make you smile, inspire you, and fill you with hope, warmth and love.
1. If you get tagged (or, if you just want to play along), write a post with links to blogs that you love,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

Tagged!

I’ve been tagged by Desiree. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do a meme. What’s a meme? Here, try this on for size. I thought it was, you know, like Me-Me (as in “it’s all about ME!”). [shrug]

Anyway.

Seven Random things about me:
Isn’t my whole blog about random everyday things about me? Not trivial, let’s be clear, but random? Scritch, scritch, scritch. Okay, no matter. Here we go, maybe there’s something new to learn.

1. I am a degreed mechanical engineer and worked in aerospace for over ten years. On the Space Shuttle Main Engine and other advanced rockets. So when I roll my eyes and say, “Look people, this is *NOT* rocket science”, know that I say that with authority. Indeed.

2. Karen occasionally asks me, because people are curious and ask her, about my (ethnic) background. My grandparents came from Okinawa, so that makes me Okinawan / Japanese. The “Lee” part is my ex-husband’s, and even then, it’s of the Caucasian variety. You know, like, Irish.

3. "You were married?" Yes. It’s an unusually and exceptionally friendly divorce and I’m thankful for that. That explains the whole dating-at-40 thing, doesn’t it?

4. I’m allergic to cats.

5. I wear by wristwatch on my right hand, but don’t let that fool you: I’m right-handed. I discovered in design school that it’s impossible to draw with my watch on, so if the wristwatch comes off, I’m on a roll and in for the long haul.

6. I love Chinese Almond Cookies. And jello. Cut into little cubes (you have to love food that’s so jiggly in its exuberance, in spite of its seriously geometric form, don’t you think?).

7. I’m a degreed Industrial Designer. What’s industrial design? I have lots of thoughts on that, but for now, this should work. I teach industrial design at two great area colleges and work as a product design consultant. And volunteer a good chunk of time as an advocate for the profession. I know that's not really random, but I don't think I mention exactly what I do very often here. It surprises people, when they find this out, the people who know what product design is...

Okay, so now (rubbing my hands together) ... who do I want to tag, next? I get to pick seven people.

Can I segue this into something even more? I found this collection of "Small is Beautiful" bloggers:



The first part of their manifesto goes: "We believe stories are valuable, no matter how many people read them...". This is what I love about reading blogs, the little stories of the everyday, often told by creative people. I think that we should get more random insight into some of the bloggy people out there who make the world a richer, cozier, much more intimate place, by sharing their stories and art.

So, I tag these Small/Beautiful blogs:

KarenW is my painting buddy and lends a sympathetic ear and warm heart, too. She just outed herself as a paint and plant geek. But we already knew that, Karen. Tell us something even more random!

Toni Not only is the art wonderful and the lettering so graceful, but Soup Night is an extra yummy bonus.

KarenB Aren't her sketches and stories great? The art is super too.

Kim finds amazing and very distracting links on the web, finds beautiful things to make us pause, creates great self-portraits, shares bits and pieces of life in her photographs.

Ophelia is living life very juicy and shares it; raw, gritty, everything! I confess my unexpected affection for Mr. Pooh!

Pete I don't know how I found Pete, NerdGuru. With a name like that, how could I resist? I teach business practices, for designers, and find that his collection of essays on business practices for engineers strikes a resonant chord with the teacher in me, and his stories and book reports are really fun. I am a nerd, deep down.

MrMominFL My dad was a stay-at-home-Dad (SAHD). Remember, that was 40 years ago. OMG, the stigma. Have things evolved? MrMom will give you an earful. And, although our familiarity with Canada might make us think otherwise, when one moves from Canada to the US and tries to get a job, one is still an ... alien. I forget this detail in MrMom's life, that he's from Canada, 'eh. Dude, hope it's going better. The photos (raw and editorialized) are great and fun, too.

I'm going to sneak a couple more in.

Jen Gray's photos are great. And the stories and thoughts? Oh, just go see.

I admit that I almost left out the other Wendee, because her life is normally SO not ordinary and everyday. She's off, out in the world, writing and photographing. Her adventures of the soul and of the wild are great. A normal suburban Texas mom? I don't think so.

Okay. I've given you plenty of places to go visit. Support the Small and Beautiful bloggers out there and the very wonderful lives and stories that they share. Enjoy. :)

Secret hopes

What do you secretly hope for?

- a portable/table easel
- sushi
- a new wallet
- great, funky/designer-y black leather shoes
- a completely guilt-free afternoon at Burke Williams spa
- getting my car cd player fixed
- ginger blossoms
- some time with Jack
- something really purple to wear. Stylish, but purple.

And then, sometimes, well, gosh, just lookit!


A paintbox (Karen claps, “Yay! Finally!”)
and some really, *really* cute shoes.

There are deeper wishes, indeed, (balance, affordable healthcare, quiet, strength, financial security...)
but for today, I’m going to keep it light here, and just share some of the fun stuff that’s come my way.

Here's a really nice read about even better secret hopes that come true.

xox, -w

And lastly, back to work!

I’ve been ...

- Workin’
- Keeping up with helping edit the new students’ resumes.
- Finishing up final sketches and renderings with my other class and wondering if I can find nice cookies (Tony just perked up) or something to bring for our last class.
- Researching and calling around to secure sponsors for our local chapter’s event.
- Enjoying hearing Karen and Robin’s comments about the group show at Lori’s house, and then running into Gaylord (who was my instructor in school) the next Monday, who was talking about it, and then finally realizing Lori is married to Gaylord. Small world.
- Wishing I could find a way to be in Hawaii this weekend to help host the Alumni Luau with my classmates. I’m sending warm thoughts to the rest of the piquant gang out there; have an extra one for me at the post-luau wrap party, ‘eh?
- Making the mental note to not stray so far from what makes me tick again to pass up on a hectic whirlwind 2-3/4 day trip to Hawaii to be with all those great, warm, funny people. Auwe!
- Hoping that Jen’s ride is going well. Jen couldn’t make the luau either, but had a very gallant and heartfelt excuse. She's awesome. Look at that smile! Go Jen Go!
- Thinkin’ that I ought to finish up the work stuff and get to the painting part of it all.
- Planning the next trip to celebrate summer vacation.
- Really enjoying my new usb wireless broadband card and direct connection to the internet for my desktop. Yay :)
- Cruising around LinkedIn.
- Thinking about adding the FridgeDoor toBlogHer and wondering, "Is this blog more about Art and Design? Or about Life? What category do I fit in?" and then starting to think, maybe it's really about procrastination. Hm. Let me think about that ...
- Missing the design gals and thinking that it’s been way too long since I’ve heard from them.
- Listening to “Getting Things Done” and thinking I need to write down my lists. ALL of ‘em. And get the stuff out of my brain.

- and noticing that the agapathus along the walkway have bloomed.

Right, just a bit

What? Valentine's Day is next week? You don't say!
[smirk]


A little bit of Bellows Beach

- Coffee ice cream
- Getting my toes scrunched into the sand anywhere, but especially at Bellows
- The waft of sweet ginger on mountain trails
- The twang of country
- BBQ babyback ribs
- Panda Express
- The sweetness and joy of a child’s unrestrained laugh
- The feel of pencil on paper
- Finding a nice, graceful new adjective to use
- Soft, fuzzy things
- Periwinkle, navy blue and yellow
- Burying my feet inbetween the pillows and settling in for a nap on the sofa
- A really great rendition of the national anthem
- Crisp white cotton
- The feeling of a new haircut
- The warmth in a long talk to catch up with a friend

Things that I love.


I understand that a bit of distraction is headed my way this weekend ;)
You guys have a good one.
xox,
-w