W+K Radio

I just read on Creativity Online that Portland ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy, launched their own internet radio station this month, presumably as a way to create a sense of cohesion across their hundreds of employees worldwide and not to show off how much cooler they are than everyone else.

I was a tad skeptical but after a listen, I think it's pretty rad. As the article notes (and we all know by now), internet radio is not new - but when you launch the player, there are no ads (at least I haven't heard any yet) and no gratuitous plugs for W+K or anything like that. It's just good tunes and the promise of cool interviews with bad ass musicians.

Tune in this Wednesday when they interview weird PDX rockers, YACHT.

Listen here.

see sprout run

I just heard about this website that takes all the fuss and frustration out of photoshop, enabling users to create their own little banner ad-like thingees.

It's called Sprout and this is the silly thing I made with it

Exit row

When flying, this is why I always sit on the aisle closest to the exit and NEVER a window seat!

And this is the only time I ever thought Twitter was useful or interesting.


...I'm flying on Continental on Tuesday...Wish me luck!

Old man winter can suck it

A short while back I posted about the weather turning cold. I complained about the temps dropping to 27F and how I long for the more comfortable climate of central California. I'm thinking that I was too hasty in my judgment of the brisk November fall - I should have waited for December. Yesterday the high was something insane like 8 degrees with a -20 wind chill. I'm not F-ing kidding. I have the picture to prove it. It would be one thing if I took this shot in the middle of the night but no, it was 1 degree at high noon.
Today, however, it got all the way up to 23 degrees and it felt like a heat wave.

One reason I hate the snow (and cold) is because I feel constricted in my locomotion options. My preferred mode of transport is by bike. There are many advantages to riding the bike, but that's not the point. The point is that I've always felt I couldn't ride a bike in the snow. I can handle rain, a moderate wind storm, and cold - but snow? How the hell do you ride on snow? Well, apparently it can be done and my friends CC Rider and Miss Liz showed me how.

So today, I donned my two winter coats, hat under helmet, thick mittens, and tights under pants tucked into new favorite winter boots and took my fatty wheels out for a spin.


I did get some interesting looks from passers-by and motorists as I made my way up to campus. Maybe it was the clashing pink hat and garish yellow helmet? Or maybe they were thinking to themselves, "You know, if she slips on that thing and falls over, we're going to crush that garish helmet under our tires." It was precisely 0.5 seconds after having this thought that I took my ride from the bike lane onto the sidewalk.

While waiting on the curb for a light to change, a nice young Japanese man walked over to me, smiling oddly and carrying an application for employment at Starbucks. He stopped and waited for the light to change all the while staring at me, snow covered tires, my smiling face peeping out over the pink scarf that was now quite moist with condensation from my breaths. I smiled politely back, fully aware that he was thinking, "WTF is this crazy American girl doing?" because that's exactly what I used to think, too. He asked me how it was going, and how long I had been riding in snow. He nodded quietly as I told him this was my first day. How is it going so far? Pretty good, slick in spots, but not too bad (slick in spots is one of my favorite phrases, I try to say it as often as possible). With that, the light changed and I continued the remaining half block to my office.

So, suck it, winter! You're not keeping me from riding my bike anymore!

I also just read my Aunt Christie's blog and spit water on my keyboard.

How to change spark plugs in a 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva

I've never been very car savvy or mechanically inclined but lately I decided that I wanted to start doing things myself and actually learn how sh*t worked. My spark plugs needed changing and everyone says how easy it is to do yourself, so I decided to give it a whirl. In only 14 easy* steps, you too can have brand new spark plugs in your Achieva!

Here's how to change spark plugs on a '97 Olds. Achieva

1. Go to NAPA auto parts store and ask
2. Get NAPA sales person to walk out to car in lot and point to the spark plugs
3. Nod like you understand everything but only buy some of the parts needed
4. Wait until there is snow in the forecast to change the spark plugs
5. Remove front cover-thing with wrench to expose the old spark plugs

6. Try to pull out old plugs with hands. Try again with the wrench-thing. Return to auto parts store for longer wrench extension

7. Pull out the old spark plugs with new wrench extension. Get really excited when they finally come out
8. Return to Auto parts store for Anti-Seize grease and new plastic casing-things
9. Smear grease on the metal part of new spark plug. Smear some other kind of grease on the plastic part.
10. Insert slimy new spark plugs in slots where old ones were.
11. And tighten them with your new extension wrench-thing - be careful not to tighten too much!

12. Replace old, cracked black plastic tube/casing-things with new ones.
13. Squish the top part with black tube things on top of new spark plugs. Realize this is impossible, remove black tube things and stick onto spark plugs. Realize this too is impossible and give up...
Just kidding! Finagle some wires to make for easier maneuvering of the top part, once that is in place then line up the black plastic tube things with the spark plugs, squish it all together replacing the top cover thing, tighten the bolts down - keeping in mind that they will heat up when the car is in use, so not too tight.

14. Take a deep breath, insert keys into ignition and turn...

One more reason to move to San Francisco

It's that time of the year again when all I talk/write/think about is how F-ing cold it is.

My dashboard widget is reading 27 degrees outside. But I'm determined to get some coffee and my favorite Sunday morning danish from the Mill, so I'm going to put on some long underwear and my winter standard of two-coats coat, frog hat + mittens and brave this ridiculous weather.

And its only going to get worse from here. One day last winter I went out for my usual morning coffee but it was so cold that by the time I had walked the three blocks back to my house, my coffee was already cold. That day the widget read, "-1 degree". !!! Minus ONE! Are you freaking kidding me!??!?! Yeah, that's going to happen again and again I won't be ready for it and it will be one more reason to move to California. Incidentally, its a mere 54 degrees in San Pancho right now...and sunny for all you pacific NW rain haters (that means you, conrad).

Only 180 days, 11 hours, 44 minutes and 40 seconds left!!!

Soup night!

My first soup night at Lindsey's was great - I hope she invites me back for more.
We went through at least five bottles of wine and one bottle of champagne, two soups, one shoebox of chocolate chip cookies, one tray of sticky peanut butter chewiness, one small rat-dog humping a pillow, one snapping turtle posing for photos, only one wine spillage disaster, and lots of laughing at our favorite ladies man, Transparent C/CC Rider.

One guy was even wearing a hat from a bar in my "hometown" of Lander, WY. Craaazy!

And props to Lindsey for her publications (yes, it's PLURAL!) in some new fancy-pants fisheries book!