Coraline

I really want to see this movie again in 3D, but now it's mostly being shown in regular film dimensions. It is really good. The story is a typical Neil Gaiman tale with a secret other world, tempting and troubling choices, and creepy characters. The animation is gorgeous and clever. If you haven't already done so, go see it!

On The Road

Mostly, I work out of my home, and I love it. I wake up, go from bed to desk with a cup of coffee and skip dressing up, driving, parking, and engaging in personal and face-to-face interactions. As much as I've enjoyed some office scenes in the past, I can't imagine going back to it.

There is a price to pay for the "luxury" of working in sweats and socks however. I have to travel up and down the state several times a month. I also drive out to work sites in the Bay Area. I'm on a trip now, staying in Long Beach, California. The only good things about staying in a hotel by myself are the heat and the t.v. I can crank up the heat and make a sauna of my room. (I'm not allowed to do this at home or in hotel rooms I share with Elias.) Also, the t.v. in my room knows no sports. The work is o.k., but I'd prefer to be home with Elias and my dogs. Even if it's cold and basketball is on the tube.

Favorite Sugar Free Things

I drink diet coke for the caffeine in it, but tastes horrible compared to some of the other sugar free things out there.

My number one love is the pricy Boylan Bottle Works Diet Cream Soda.

In the very affordable range, and cheapest when purchased at Trader Joe's, is Hanson's Diet Root Beer.

My third favorite tasty treat is the hard candy, sugar free version of Werther's Original. They're available at Wallgreens everywhere. I never thought I'd love sugar free candy so much.

Happy Ash Wednesday

Are you observing Lent this year? A good friend is giving up alcohol. I plan to do him one (or two) better. I'm giving up baked goods. That means no cookies, cakes, bread, pizza, or any of the other foods that make up the bulk of my diet (and cause for my bulk). I plan for one dispensation for my birthday weekend because I need to eat my cake. Failing to do so would be bad luck, right? In addition, I plan to blog every day until Easter. Doing so should bring me closer to me, God, fine, etc.

Random Things Cont.

I want to own Facebook content of others so that I can be sure that what you're about to read will not result in my being sued for copyright infringement. OK, here goes.

But first a little introduction. I have a few contacts/friends on Facebook that I totally don't know and have never met. I don't know why I accepted their requests except that they asked and we have mutual friends, or I should know them in person, but there's been no opportunity. There are also some contacts/friends who are from way back. I'm talking Ukiah High days, and I haven't seen them since graduation or before. It's through one of these folks that I stumbled on a Nascar fan site and I got hooked on reading the comments and loved them. Many of them tell whole stories.

I read this one from TC:

"We are huge Jeff Gordon fans! I took my 3 year old to qualifying here in Phoenix in April and there weren't that many people at the track so I kept him right there at the fence ... as close as you could get to the cars as they waited to qualify. I put my son up on my shoulders and as soon as the little guy spotted Jeff Gordon in the Nicorette car he started screaming like he was at a Beatles concert "Gordy ... I here Gordy ... it's me - C! ... I here Gordy" He was screaming so loud that I can't imagine that all of the drivers couldn't hear him."

And this one from JH:

"Been a fan since his rookie year. Started collecting anything and everything I could get me hands on. I moved to Las Vegas so I could be by a track. I have a Jeff Gordon tattoo on my leg. (yes I went that far.) ... ."