le monde du kiki

also, this happened

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

50 seconds in.

chakra cleansing crystal bowl meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:23:00 +0000

so, january 4th was national hypnotism day. i got the supportland newsletter in my email inbox that day, and they were promoting a local hypnotist (hypno-therapist?) who was having a "hypnosis 101" event. i've always been intrigued by hypnosis- who wouldn't be? if it works, it's like an instant fix to any problem, no work required.

i decided that if it was close by, i would go check it out. as luck would have it, it was being held at awakenings, a wellness center on se 12th, less than a half mile from my house. no one wanted to join me, but i was feeling very optimistic- it's the new year! learn new things and go new places, alone!- and i resolved to still go.

also thanks to something i'm calling the new year's state of mind, i decided to walk. i left late, of course (being on time NOT one of my resolutions this year) and arrived a couple of minutes late. i've never been to awakenings before, though it's right next door to the coolest looking bar in town, roadside attraction. that place just looks like an adventure. there's a note on the front door, "hypno something something something, downstairs, room 3." so i took my shoes off (it's that kind of place) and ran downstairs. i got to room 3 just as they were shutting the door.

i asked if i was too late, and the girl who was shutting the door kind of hesitated a little, then asked if i had rsvp'd. i said no (thinking weird, this didn't seem like an rsvp type of event) and added that if i was too late, no problem. she said "we've got room for one more" and with that, i was in.

as soon as she said "rsvp" i must have known something was not right. and when i looked around the dimly lit room, i was even more confused. there were about 18 people seated in a room that would have been comfortable for 8. most people were on the floor, sitting on cushions with their backs against the wall. some had blankets on their laps. the middle of the room was reserved for the girl who answered the door, nicole. she was sitting in the middle of 9 crystal bowls, which were also resting on pillows.

yep, a lot like that. similar size room too.

i sat down right next to the door, and the guy next to me locked it. some people were giving nicole money, which was confusing because i also thought this was a free event. also that this event was being hosted by a man. the clues are adding up, but i'm not quick enough to put it together. after a minute or two, she starts talking. my "oh my god i am in the wrong place" suspicions are growing stronger, but for some reason i still don't move. i think, okay, once she stops talking i am going to get up and leave. but then she actually starts talking about hypnosis, and i think, "wait, maybe this is just some kind of introduction"... but by the time i realize this red herring, the meditation has started and i can't leave. i keep visualizing jumping up and flying out the door, but i am paralyzed in a "i can't believe this is happening" kind of way and i can't move.

i settled against the wall as i realize that whatever this is, i am in it for the long haul. everyone has closed their eyes and nicole has started playing the bowls. she started counting down to put us into a meditative state. everyone else looks super relaxed but i can't stop my right eye from twitching. i can't believe that i'm stuck here. i keep thinking, wait until i tell facebook about this, and this is like a goddamn portlandia episode. then i start to feel bad, because here i am in this room of what seems to be highly evolved, spiritual beings, and my energy must be seriously fucking things up in there. so i decide to make the most of it, but i can't stop the gerbil in my head from racing on his little wheel. i am stuck in between hysterical laughter and absolute mortification. i feel like a fraud. i don't know if this situation is my fault or portland's.

the session lasted about 75 minutes, and was focused on prosperity and abundance, something i could really use this year. nicole talked us through all the chakras, i suppose "cleansing" each one as we went. it reminded me of the time i went to the naturopath and one of them told me that my throat chakra was blocked, and that was the cause of some of my issues. i half believed this (because it kind of made sense in regards to what i was going through at the time) but i'm still skeptical and haven't truly drank the kool aid.

so i was never actually able to visualize myself receiving the prosperity and living a life of abundance. i basically just daydreamed the entire time, though i did enjoy the effect of the crystal singing bowls. they are seriously powerful, and are even able to evoke a physical response in your body. so that was cool. but i'm genuinely pissed about missing the hypnosis 101. i wonder where it was?

i looked it up later, and what i actually attended was this.

christmas toys, before and after

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:14:00 +0000

lola also got quite a few toys for christmas. i let her open chipmunk early because she couldn't understand the part about waiting for christmas.

here's chipmunk and reindeer waiting amongst the pile of presents. lola was actually quite good about leaving it be.

ignorance is bliss.

here's a "during" shot:

and finally, the carnage:

merry christmas!

ps. big head giraffe is holding up like a champ! he's another one of those water bottle type animals, like sheepy. i bet he'll last awhile.

mousey: before and after

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:56:00 +0000

he was so cute!

and then this happened:

now he's scrappy and covered in fur:

lost bear face!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:37:00 +0000

this looks exactly like lola! hope he finds his way home soon...

amazing grace- rabbit hole

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 05:24:00 +0000

so, somewhere i ran across this quote, which i think is brilliant:

“I believe in having an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.”

i googled to verify it, and ended up reading about the amazing woman who said it- grace hopper. as i read more and more on wikipedia, i was blown away by her credentials. a female computer scientist (at a time when not many women worked with computers) who is believed to have coined the term "debugging." she rose through the ranks of the navy and returned from retirement several times, eventually becoming the oldest commissioned officer in the navy. she worked through until her death at 85. she's also thought to be the person who stated "it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission."

what an epic woman.

the winning shoe

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:22:00 +0000

i know everyone's been on the edge of their seat... so here is the shoe that made the final cut:

john varvatos hipster chukka $198

jason wants a new pair of shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:22:00 +0000

and since my taste is obviously superior to his, i am doing some online browsing. also, i have more time on my hands. anything that distracts me from taking a nap is a plus in my book.

this post is really just a way to congregate all my shoe suggestions. feel free to skip if you're not interested in my opinion on a "nicer" brown men's shoe.

here are my top choices (rated on a scale of 1-10.)

patagonia loulu $130 (9/10)

ugg lenox $150 (9/10)

timberland earthkeepers city chukka $140 (8/10)

earth clinton $135 sale (9/10)

born harrison $120 (7.5/10)

these shoes will also do:

keen denver $90 (6/10)

clarks desert trek $110 (7/10)

patagonia pau $130 (6/10)

clarks zeno slip on $90 sale (5/10)

surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:32:00 +0000

i felt i would be remiss if i did not make a record of this somewhere... it's the only time (so far) that i've ever received an email to my own surprise party. by the way, i love surprises. this would have been my third surprise birthday...

hey team,
our dear miss karen goat's birthday is on the 30th. some folks are planning a little surprise party for her and this is your invite. we will be gathering this coming tuesday the 26th at the montage. we are hoping to surprise her at 8. i believe there will be a whole bunch of people coming and it will be lots of fun. please be at the montage either before 8, at 7:45 or so, or after 8 at like 8:20 so that you are not walking in at the same time as her. remember this is a SURPRISE party. no mention of it to karen or on facebook or ever at all unless you are in a dark corner with your loved one.
if you have any questions let me know. also please let me know if you are coming so we can have an accurate count for the montage folks.
thanks!
-- - jane

i still award jason points for the effort. got a great turnout at the montage- about 26 people, 24 for dinner! that's a lot of tin foil leftover sculptures. plus, he followed up with surprise timbers tickets on my actual birthday- and they won! overall one of my favorite birthdays.

jason and lola

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:54:00 +0000

i feel lucky to have found someone who really loves lola.

april fool!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 04:57:00 +0000

i'm a big fan of april fool's day, and this year i happened to have a fair bit of free time on my hands. i'm not working, so no coworkers to play pranks on. and jason literally just today gave me my own set of keys to his house. bingo!

i came up with a few ideas myself, and asked the crew for some additional inspiration. i headed out to the dollar store and then spent the next few hours at jason's house.

the big prank was to fill his bathroom with balloons. i bought four packs of 25 for a grand total of 100. it barely looked like anything! but blowing up that many balloons was more than enough for one person. i'd blow up 5 or 10, then do another little prank, then blow up more. 100 balloons is about knee deep in a small bathroom:

i tilted all his picture frames.

i switched out our holiday ball picture with this one of a scantily clad man:

jelly things on his kitchen window:

tinsel on the couch. that backfired on me, since i had to help clean up.

weird photos on top of all his fridge photos:

and lastly, reed's idea: soak all of his boxers in water, then put them in the freezer. (with a note telling him where to look for his underwear) i admit, i kind of felt bad about this one. i had also fixed the kitchen and bathroom faucets so that they would spray water on him when he turned them on, but after the boxer prank i decided enough was enough. so i fixed them back.

i tried to work it so he would come home and find all my pranks by himself, but it was too much of a hassle. so i arrived home with him. he found the balloons first, when i asked him to get me some advil. he also found the fridge work, tilted frames and the tinsel while i was over.

the balloons ended up strewn all over the house. lola was not a fan.

today he found the scantily clad man. and he also sent me pictures of what he called the "boxer brick":

still no word on whether he's found the window jellies. but overall a success, i'd say.

for next year: a list of 50 easy april fool's day pranks.

UPDATE: jason sent a picture of the balloon prank to his parents with the words: "a idle mind is the workshop of the devil." great.

i need a fucking job

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:50:00 +0000

i need a job. for lots of reasons:
i recently ended my 10 hour a week stint with flipside, and have no money coming in.
i'm bored.
student loan grace period is done.
dating is expensive. and i don't want to be a frugal stick in the mud all the time.

i'm also feeling quite spoiled. i know how fortunate i am to have been able to pursue an advanced education without worrying about working or taking care of a family. not everyone has that. some of those were deliberate, personal choices (like not having kids) and others were born of circumstance. i have an extremely supportive family network, both financially and emotionally, and i've been very fortunate during these past few recession years.

i came across this website the other day and it certainly gave me pause. i "lost" the game at day 15 because of the following scenario:

note that i have $259 and the treatment is $400. not many good options there. poor lola.

i'm so frustrated with the job search. i'm never the right amount qualified. either the job calls for such specific skills that i don't even both applying, or i'm so overqualified that they don't even consider me. i've been told i was overqualified at 2 out of 3 interviews. i guess i should stop applying for jobs like that. it's just that jobs that i am qualified for come about so rarely! i think a lot of companies hire from within. i know peci does that. i was even told that by their recruiter. they only hire for super high up positions, like ceo, and temp out the low level positions. it seems that most people start as temps there, and then work their way up. i temped there a few weeks ago, and i wanted to blow my brains out, it was so boring. but i guess it was a foot in the door. they seem like a good company to work for if you could just get in there.

i've been trying to network and work my connections. nothing concrete out of that yet but it does seem to be a more promising route. i've got an informational interview at a marketing firm this week. and i got an inside tip on another job that i've applied for. i heard about that from a bgi alum. the company is trying to hire via word of mouth before posting the job publicly. so i've really got my fingers crossed on that one. something has got to happen soon though. i'm pretty much dying here.

v day flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:34:00 +0000

the flowers jason gave me for valentine's day are starting to open up. they also smell beautiful.

valentine's day recap

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:35:00 +0000

this has been the first valentine's day in a couple of years that i've had cause to celebrate. (yay boyfriend.) jason treated me to dinner at otto and anita's in multnomah village (in celebration of our mutual german heritage) and surprise! there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting on the table. he also gave me a couple of thoughtful gifts, like moonstruck chocolates sans yucky flavors.

since i'm poor, i went the homemade route, and was quite happy with the way my gift turned out. i found this tutorial on design*sponge, and seeing as how jason is a lighting engineer, it seemed to be an apropos gift. he liked it.

here's a photo of my version.

things i wish websites would do

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:48:00 +0000

first off, i wish that there was some sort of sticky note program so that you could take notes on a webpage. for instance, if you followed a recipe from a cooking site, you could make a note to yourself that next time you use that recipe, use less oregano. or bake for a few minutes less because the edges got burnt when you followed the recommended baking time.

another useful function would be if you could bookmark a website to go back to at another time. i have a folder called "*" where i put websites or articles that i would like to read, but don't have the time to do it now. of course after i put things in this folder i never look at them again. when i do try to go to this folder, i get so overwhelmed because there are so many links in there and i have no idea what some of them are. sometimes i open a link and then leave it open in a tab on my browser. then i end up having 20 open tabs, which is also overwhelming. i wish i could bookmark something and command it to pop back up in 4 hours, or 3 days. kind of like making an event in my calendar.

maybe these things exist and i just don't know about them.

things i am going to spend money on when i have money to spend (update)(x2)

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:39:00 +0000

new couch
climbing gym membership
more soccer teams
more floating sessions
renew my passport
soupscription to soupcycle
subscription to wired magazine

also boring stuff like:
paying off loans
paying down debt
building savings and retirement funds

new year's resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:12:00 +0000

i actually think new year's resolutions are stupid, since they're destined to fail, but i suppose the sentiment behind them is what's important. i make the same ones every year (exercise more, eat better, etc.) and they barely last a week. i stumbled across this website, healthmonth, that tries to help you stick to your resolutions by making them into kind of a game. i like that. i think it's a good idea and i'm trying it out for the month of january. (i have 3- one is to cut out the amount of sugar i consume, one is to cook dinner at home at least 3 days a week, and the other is private.)

but this morning i thought of a new, better resolution that i think i can keep. i think a lot of resolutions fail because they're about sacrifice. you always have to give something up. no one likes to go without. but my new resolution doesn't involve depriving myself of anything.

as i mentioned a few posts ago, i broke my wrist just about 2 weeks ago. that was a total bummer, since it meant no soccer for 5-6 weeks. i've been playing 3-4 times a week this winter, so this was kind of a big deal. i actually broke my wrist playing pickup. this morning, i received this email from one of the regular pick up guys:

Karen,

How are you doing? We were thinking of taking a collection for you to help pay for your wrist injury, if that would help. We also find out that Andy, Gus, Eric and Huang are all in the medical field if you need some help.

Let us know,

Pat

i thought that was just such a nice gesture. i might've even teared up a little. and it occurred to me that this kind of situation happens to me quite a bit. people frequently go above and beyond what is normally expected. and they do it for me. that makes me feel so cared for. and this is a scenario that has been repeated far more often for me than by me. so my resolution is to do more for people this year. go above and beyond. take the extra step that so many people have taken for me. it doesn't have to be every day, just when the opportunity arises. i feel like this one will be an easy resolution to keep. it feels hopeful and optimistic. and i think that's how new year's resolutions should feel.

merry christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:53:00 +0000

0 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:46:00 +0000

christmas is just hours away! in many parts of the world, santa has already arrived. you can track his progress on norad's santa tracker site. pretty nifty.

1 day until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:02:00 +0000

and by 1 day i mean one more day after tomorrow...

this medical discovery is amazing. rudolph!

2 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:30:00 +0000

the santa branding book. genius.

3 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:18:00 +0000

i missed a day. i'm chalking it up to the fact that i broke my wrist monday and was high as a kite on painkillers. at one point i thought my arms were on backwards.

also, i can't count. really today is 4 days until christmas. not sure how that happened.

4 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:08:00 +0000

this is the kind of story i like reading about at christmastime. i hope this man gets lots and lots of good karma back to him.

5 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:09:00 +0000

i'm going to be working this gig from 11-5 today. time for some last minute christmas shopping- buy local!

6 days until christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 02:39:00 +0000

not quite in the spirit of christmas, for so many reasons.