This is me with a sign

Brooklyn Bridge

2009-07-28T10:16:00.001-07:00

CT is in New York. And CT likes to play along. (Don't we all?) Here he is on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Little known fact: the Brooklyn Bridge used to be called the "New York and Brooklyn Bridge" but (as you may agree) that seems long, especially back in the day when printed matter was hand set with leaded type, and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle apparently coined the nickname which was thusly adopted by the city in 1915.

In other news, I've never been to New York. It's definitely on the list, though. I'm not anti-big-apple. (I'm from the little apple, so I would like to see how the other half live some time.) Thank you CT. Have a good trip.

Guest sign maker: Second Sam does hot coconuts

2009-06-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

WARNING: There's a long, sort of boring story before you get to the actual explanation of the sign. Hang in there, dear readers, it will be good. I promise. (Just look how excited Second Sam is to hold her sign and her hot coconut. Just look.)

Life was hard around the office for awhile. A couple impromptu meetings were held to deliver some bad news. This made everyone sad. Sad is bad (you know this because it rhymes). I made a joke to the other directors one day that staff were about to have PTSD every time an impromptu meeting was called...and that we should call another meeting sometime but have root beer floats waiting for staff (instead of bad news). A couple directors took me seriously. (And I'm not complaining here. It was a good idea...I mean...since it includes FREE ICE CREAM, and all.)

And behold, one afternoon an all-page was sent out calling a meeting...and when we appeared...ice cream (regular, low fat, and dairy free) and Thomas Kemper Root Beer and Orange Cream soda! Huzzah!

Now the dairy-free was no nasty rice cream...no. It was Coconut Bliss. (And if you need dairy-free ice cream...get thee some of this stuff. It's yummy. Even for people who loves them some dairy, like yours truly. You see, Coconut Bliss gets its creaminess from coconut milk...not beans or rice. And let that, readers, be a lesson to you. If you're making DESSERT, think sweet things, like fruit. Not beans. Just sayin.)

So. We ate and drank floats. It was good. But it's all beside the point. The point is this: there were left overs. The freezer was (and is) full of ice cream (regular, low fat, and dairy free). And, Second Sam was in the mood for a creamy coffee beverage one afternoon. HUZZAH, said Second Sam, (insert cartoon light bulb over her curly haired head), I will use the Coconut Bliss in my coffee to make a creamy beverage.

And the hot coconut was born.

Now, if you've been paying attention at all, dear readers, you'll know that it doesn't take much to entertain (and, in fact, EXCITE) us TIMWAS models. And this Hot Coconut experience is no different. Second Sam was in love (♥) with her newly discovered hot coconut recipe, and she wanted to share that love with the office.

Second Sam IMed me (I live in the front of the office, Second Sam lives in the back with the rest the crew...in a land called Cubeland, where all the walls don't quite meet the ceiling BUT there are windows) to tell me of her new found drink concoction. She was so excited. A creamy and sweet beverage for someone who is dairy (and soy) free. Good times. Plus, we had all the ingredients right here in the office.

She typed (excitedly) that she was so excited about her hot coconuts that she was considering putting on a bikini and standing on the side of the rode with a sign saying "HOT COCONUTS HERE" offering the beverages (and the joy) to passersby.

And the TIMWAS sign was born. Actually, it's a little funny: I said, Okay. Make me one. And Second Sam thought I meant make the sign, but really I meant make me the drink. Luckily we got it sorted out, and she ended up making both. (See photo above, where Second Sam is putting the special ingredients into my lime mug.)

Note that Jules likes hers cold. NBD. We can accommodate that.

Note that Stephen just happened to walk in while the crazy was happening in the kitchen. He's holding the sign because that's what dedicated TIMWAS models do: they see a sign, and they immediately hold it and pose for a photo. That's just how they role. (I have trained them well.) Note that Stephen did not actually consume a hot coconut beverage. Oh well.

everything's better with sprinkles

2009-05-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

it's true. Take, for example, a recent journey to Spotted Cow Cream and Bean, a local coffee/gelato shop up here in Snohomish County.

I ordered a caramel macchiato (not the real kind of macchiato, the Starbucks kind..with loads of sugar and a ridiculous amount of ingredients, but sometimes you need a treat, okay?) and noticed, as I was waiting patiently for my drink to be created by the barista, a shaker of sprinkles (jimmies, to be precise) and I might have asked if she could put some sprinkles on my drink. Of course, she said (cuz she aimed to please) and then she brought over another jar of sprinkles (not jimmies, to be precise*) and I got to CHOOSE between the two.

I picked the little round ones. They melt to make a colorful display, and they're crunchy, not soft like a jimmy. Look how happy I am:

and how sad Jules is Cools is without sprinkles:

And Fourth Sam too. So sad. So sprinkle-less.

*more information than you actually wanted to know. Okay. So. I have always called the elongated sprinkles jimmies. They're really the best choice for donuts. And cupcakes. They're big and hearty. So I was wondering if the little round guys had their own name too, and becuase I love a factually accurate blog posting, I wikied the term sprinkles. WATCH out. Loads of information exists. Check it out here. I think that the correct answer here is that the little round guys (as displayed in the first photo, above) are called nonpareils in American English and French. And, as I mentioned, they are crunchy and wonderful. Jimmies are soft and wonderful, thus blending better with the texture of, say, a donut. It's all about what's UNDER the sprinkles, ya'll.

Also, I am the proud bearer of this new piece of information: in England they call jimmies hundreds-and-thousands. That's pretty great, if a bit long to say.

sammy d gets a computer

2009-05-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need a new computer. AND, sometimes you are having a bad day. SO! You go to Costco and buy that new computer. Yesterday was such a day for Sammy D.

She and Jules is Cools shot right out to Costco to pick up that laptop she'd been drooling/agonizing over. (buying your own computer is a big deal, ya'll. it's right up there with a matching bedroom set and/or a minivan in its "you are now an adult" in-your-face symbolic realism.)

That realism isn't fazing her in this picture, though. We took a couple shots, but this one had the actual enthusiasm we were going for in the photo shoot. Her eyes are wide with excitement; the feeling of faster internet surfing is butt-on-the-edge-of-your-seat palpable. Plus, she's pointing. Even better.

Jules is Cools looks great with the new laptop, if I do say so myself. And I do. Note the recycled/reused TIMWAS sign--made from the box in which the laptop arrived. We're green here. Oh yes we are.

I'm showing off the interesting feature of the laptop--namely the decorative design on the lid. It's circles and stuff. I wasn't sure how I should feel about such decoration on such a machine. I mean, the imac tried with the colored computers, right? and that seemed like more of a miss than a hit.

Maybe machines aren't supposed to be FUN. Maybe they're just supposed to be sleek, and shiny, like my stainless steel toaster (yes, I have a stainless steel toaster.) Maybe. I'm no industrial designer, here, people. Just a girl holding another girl's laptop, asking that girl to love her. Or something like that.

guest sign maker: Jules is cools

2009-05-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jules is cools went on a cruise. A one-day cruise (insert edited Gilligan's Island theme song here). From Vancouver (the real one, in British Columbia, where all the vowels are long and the money is funny) to Seattle. With her girls.

And she was sweet enough to conjure up a sign for TIMWAS. Yes, here she is, on her cruise. She's sitting by the pool. No big deal.

And here she is with her girls, still by the pool. (I'm thinking that when the cruise is only one day long, you have to get as much pool time as possible. But I don't know for sure; I've never been on a one day cruise.)

See, the deal is this: sometimes the cruise ships have to be "repositioned" from Seattle to Vancouver or vice versa...and the cruise ships let you come on and play one day cruise for a few bucks. You sip mojitos (as seen above) and eat quesadillas (ditto) and lay by the pool (unless it's raining, which is usually is).

But first you take a shuttle up to Vancouver...that's a bus to us normal folks. Unless you're Jules is cools. And then you're SO COOLS that you take a limo up to Vancouver.

So there you have it. One day TIMWAS cruise. Thanks guest sign maker Jules.

(yep, that rhymed. Aww, Yeah.)

PS. I should note. More photos and witty commentary about both this one-day cruise and other critical information can now be found here.

office puppy

2009-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

There's a new sheriff in town. And his name is Chaka. He's a Chinook. And he visits almost every afternoon. He is currently four months old, and is (according to his dad) a bit of a drama queen. I think he's real cute, if a bit mouthy (he's all oral-fixation at present).

He's all legs and paws and wiggle right now too, what with being a puppy and all. But the best part about him is that he pads around the office dragging his back feet ever-so-slightly. He's a shuffler. You can hear him coming on the very compact carpet. Shuff-shuff-jingle-shuff-shuff-jingle. It's pretty great. Also, when I see him, I give him a play bow, and he jumps up a little and wiggles over to me. The wiggling is full-bodied, and he often runs into the edge of the door frame on his way into my office. He doesn't notice that he runs into things. He's growing rapidly and this is just a part of his life. This is also pretty great.

Secretly, I think my yellow dog is an almost-Chinook. Very similar characteristics, including size, looks, and temperament. Gentle, even temperament; incredibly loyal, almost barkless. Health problems: excessive shyness, seizures. Check, check, and check. Emotionally sensitive. Check. Double coat with either seasonal or almost constant shedding. CHECK (on the constant). My yellow dog has dropped ears, which apparently, Chaka didn't get. They are "preferred" in the breed. But. Chaka's ears are completely dexterous; he can pin them all the way back so he's aerodynamic. So he's got that.

Here's Jules with the puppy. Note how serious he looks. His forehead is even squinched a little. Serious serious. Jules is not so serious. She's pretending that she doesn't have so much work to do. As am I. We're pretending the country isn't in the biggest recession in twenty years and the federal government didn't just release an enormous stimulus package that's putting 3.3 million dollars into our agency that we have to spend in 24 months without really hiring more people. NBD.

We're not thinking about that at all. We're thinking about how the puppy is cute, and how we're taking a photo with the puppy, and how the puppy had a play date with another office dawg in the field across the parking lot from our office and is now a stinky sweaty puppy because he hasn't grown in his undercoat yet. And how, after this photo op, we're going to have to wash the stinky off our hands. But in a few months, this won't be an issue at all. And we'll have all the photo ops we want, without the washing.

Although Jules is a bit of a hand-washing freak. So she'll still be washing. But cupcake, not her. She has a yellow dog, and if she had to wash every time she touched him, her hands would be scaly and peeling at all times. And that's just not a good way to live.

this message is from your local high school

2009-03-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

and, by "your local high school," I really mean "my local high school"

Really, Franklin always has the BEST signs, but I'm usually driving when I go past them, and not able to get my camera out fast enough. This time the mister was driving, and to my good fortune, the camera was at the ready. The picture quality still sucks. But the message is timeless, even with the poor coloration.

timeless. i tell you.

jules's last day in the USA!*

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

*for awhile

Jules is going to Ghana tomorrow. Do you know about Ghana? It's a country in Africa. Africa is a CONTINENT (the second biggest one, after Asia). (I wrote this in all caps so that you would remember. A lot of people think of Africa as one big country. It's not. So there. Remember that.) The continent of Africa contains a number of countries. One of them is called Ghana.

Look how excited she is! She is busting-out-of-her-skin excited. It's warm in Ghana, and given that the Seattle metro area was draped in three inches of snow yesterday, she's probably ready for some warm.

She'll be gone for three weeks. That's not a lot of time when you consider that a plane ticket to Ghana costs a lot of duckets, but it's a long time when you consider how empty the office will be without her.

Third Sam (Sammy D) is pretty excited too. Except not as excited, since she has to stay here, on this continent, known as North America. Specifically, she will stay in Seattle. That's where she lives.

Seattle is a city in the state of Washington, which is part of a country called The United States of America (or USA for short). The USA is a portion of the continent of North America, which also includes the countries of Canada and Mexico. [and, depending on who you ask, Greenland, Bermuda, and St. Pierre and Miquelon (which, ps, are PART OF FRANCE).]

[although, if you wiki North America, it tells you that sometimes people think of it as a sub-continent--the whole contienet being called America, and containing a northern, middle (or central), and souther portion. This messes with my brain though, dear readers, because it decreases the number of continents--7--by one--making only 6. I don't like that one bit. There are supposed to be 7 continents, 7 days of the week, 7 wonders of the world...etc.].

Also. If you read on wikipedia, apparently a lot of countries differ on their idea of where North America ends and Central America begins. This too confuses and upsets me. Therefore, I'm going to stop with the geography lesson now. I'm in WAY over my head. This is one more reason that I was a literature major.

Let me introduce Ally to you. Ally is new to TIMWAS, but was gracious enough to play (after I made her take a blood oath that she wouldn't sue me for putting her photo on the internets). She is daintily holding the sign so that you can see the footnote. The footnote says: "* for awhile." This is an important part of the sign, because without it you might think that Jules is going to Ghana forever, and that we as friends and coworkers should have AT LEAST thrown her a goodbye party and not just made this stupid sign to send her off. But, dear readers, she'll be gone for only three weeks, and this stupid sign is enough. I promise.

and now a message from mike mills

2009-02-19T17:36:00.001-08:00

Cupcake has gotten older

2009-01-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

as of...2:35 AM today. That's right, dear readers, it's my birthday. Go ahead, celebrate.

My inter-office birthday buddy (IOBB) is awesome, dear readers. She not only baked me a cake (oh yes, with the OVEN), she provided me with birthday daffodils, a birthday balloon, a birthday card (signed by our officemates), and a birthday starbucks card. She rocks my socks. Oh yes she does. [You can see the flowers and the baloon in the photo. Good photo, eh? So many birthday-specific props.]

My other inter-office birthday pals (IOBPs) helped me celebrate by doing one or more of the following: a) joining me for lunch today, b) joining me for lunch on Thursday (my IOBB coudn't make it to lunch today and so organized an office lunch for me on Thursday), c) showering me with gifts* and good wishes, and/or d) posing in my birthday TIMWAS (see below).

Jules got her hairs cut since you saw her last. You should comment on how cute her hairs look. She didn't take much length off the front, just stacked in the back. You know how it is. The sad thing is that the salon was having technical difficulties with their water system and she had to have her hairs washed in cold water. That's pretty lame, I think. Plus, she didn't even get a free haircut out of the deal. The happy thing is that we went to Panera for lunch and she (not so) casually noted that it was my birthday, and then I got a free cookie out of the deal. Okay, so those two things are not at all related. But one is happy and one is sad. So there. They're opposites. Opposites are related, right? I mean, they attract.

Note that Second Sam has a prop. This is not super newsworthy, as you know, but I'd like to point it out anyway. It's a star-shaped box. She said, "I'll hold this. Because you are a star. That will be cute." It's hard to see the star-shaped box behind the sign. That's why I'm explaining all this. If you could see the star-shaped box better, you'd probably think to yourself, "hmm...I bet she's holding that because she thinks that cupcake is a star. How cute." and then I wouldn't need to be explaining. But the box is smaller than one might think. Especially on the diagonal.

Also, it's cold like a meat locker in Sam's cube. I knit her some Bob Crachits. She likes them. They help keep her hands from feeling like frozen meat.

Stephen likes to play too. He's rocking out...see the earbuds? (They're in his ears.) (I wonder what he's listening to? Monks chanting? Hard-core English Metal? Spanish lessons? Comment below if you think you know.)

He is also dancing, thus the crappy photo quality. It's hard to photograph a dancer in a dark cubical. Yes it is. He sits on one of those ball chairs that make you have good posture and stuff, so to dance he can just bounce. He's on a bouncy ball chair. Yes, he is. Remember those? With the handle? Well, this is essentially that, but in an approved office Grown Up version.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I gots to get me one of those.

WAIT! This just in: My dear Mother-In-Law has sent me a TIMWAS submission. Can you believe it!?!? What a fabulous birthday gift! (and look how cute she is... and look, behind her...could it be...a gavron tag? why yes! yes it could! Thanks for the subliminal advertising!!!)

Unsolicited submissions to TIMWAS make my heart melt. A lot.

this is me celebrating the new year

2009-01-04T17:37:00.001-08:00

not everyone does it this way...but they probably should. it starts with a trip to the thrift store. a browse through the aisles. then some serious decisions--bright pink or aquamarine? curly or straight? feathers or non-flammable plastic hair?

then you visit your four-year old neighbor's collection of dress up clothes for a final wig selection.

on new year's day, you wake mid-morning, dust off your hangover, and don your swanky suit. you congregate at the kiddy wading pool at green lake, meeting and greeting those also engaged in the centuries-long tradition of bringing in the new year donning a coordinated two-piece nylon suit from under the tousled strands of your synthetic hair piece.

you walk the almost three mile loop around the lake with like-minded revelers, greeting passersby with a jovial "happy new year." people stop you and ask if you're part of "some group." you just shrug. you laugh. you walk on.

Day Nine. Or so. Of the snow.

2008-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with the TIMWAS yesterday...and there was mirth around the world because of it. And at a time of such cold and blustery weather, mirth cannot be taken for granted. And so, Jules, Miss Fun Herself, led another spirited round of TIMWAS today...but this time IN THE OFFICE.

That is, those who live near the office were forced to drive their way in today...even though it was icy and blustery and 17 degrees out. (I, however, played the "I live an hour away in normal traffic and it would take an extra hour or two each way to get to work...and what a waste of my time" card and stayed home.)

Here's what Jules orchestrated...not so much a "let's go out in the snow again" type sign, but a more cozy version, seen above. Note, though, the delicious costume that Jules is wearing, and the scenery which which she used as a backdrop. Highly realistic, Jules. Nice job. In fact, I think that if you were not holding that there sign, explaining the circumstances of the photo shoot, I would have thought you were indeed OUTSIDE. And that, dear readers, is AWEsome.

Also awesome, is the cast of characters Jules recruited for her submission, including CT, a first-timer who gave me his "express and espresso" permission to use his likeness on my personal blog. In writing. Oh yes. It's CYA time, ya'll.

CT looks pretty dreamy in this picture, as in, he is loving the idea of a winter wonderland. CT lives in the People's Republic of Woodinville, where re was blessed with over 10 inches of snow while I was busy marking accumulation with my garden quail. He, therefore, wins the "who got more snow and still made it to work" contest, of which, I am happy to be a loser.

Here's Stephen, a now-faithful contributor. He's posing with broccoli, which clearly underlines the message proclaimed on his sign, as no one in their right (or left) mind would take their green vegetables outside. Oh no. Also, you should know that Stephen is married to Second Sam. Yes, that's right. And I'm wondering if Second Sam got her penchant for props from Stephen, or if it was the otherway 'round. Hmmm, I say.

Now though Second Sam would normally carpool with Stephen to the office, Fridays are her days to telecommute. Second Sam is always up for a sign though, and I passed the photos that Jules sent her way as an invitation. Here's what I received, three photos and an important clarification:

A few notes to the readers, to avoid any misunderstanding or miscommunication that is ever present at this time of year. A time when we celebrate love and joy with loud commercials selling me things I don't want (misunderstanding) and when snow falls in Seattle instead of Detroit (miscommunication).

I digress...

In the photo of me, I am indeed PRETENDING to sleep for the sake of the photo. I am indeed working. Not sleeping, except for in the pretend photo. Need proof? Who can possibly hold a sign and push a camera button in her his/her sleep? Need more proof? My performance evaluation is amost done. Note that Darwin is quite happy to pose with the sign.

Yogi, however, is rejecting the sign. No sign for yogi. She moved onto my leg to sleep. Not pretend sleep. But real sleep.

Late last night, I realized I had forgotten to play. Lukily, the mister obliged me with a great shot. I thought, since everyone else had stayed INSIDE, I should go OUTSIDE, just to add a bit of variety to the posting. And here I am:
Tristan, the yellow (and currently very fat) dog, came to join in the fun. Since Darwin and Yogi got to play, here too is Tristan.

A bone-chilling, electricity-losing, storm-to-end-all storms is on its way, dear readers. Hunker down. Stay safe. Drink plenty of fluids.

SNOW

2008-12-18T16:17:00.001-08:00

Really? In Seattle? YES. See here for a blow by blow (and, btw, as of this posting...it's STILL SNOWING. And it's not supposed to stop.)

So. I sent out the word this morning to the coworker peeps who so graciously model for this here blog. Make your own sign, I said. Go out in the snow, I said. And you, too, I said, will be featured on TIMWAS.

So Joe and I had to go to the post office. Cuz Santa has to come, ya'll, even in a snow storm. And then we stopped for mochas at the best bakery ever. And then for a walk through Columbia Park, to view the sweet snowball fight occurring between EVERY teenager in town. But by the time we got our double mochas in our 100% US made corn travel mugs...the teens were gone. Boo. Alas, I still got a shot (with mocha) in front of not ONE, but TWO, stalled, jack-knifed, and stuff articulated city buses. Cuz that's how Seattle rolls, ya'll. The buses run on snowy days...until they can't run any more. And then they just block traffic for a number of hours until the city can get the mega-tow-trucks out. NBD.

Sorry about the wide angle shot there, folks. A girl's got to show off both of the stranded buses. BOTH.

And here's the mister. Sporting some art. Not sure what it is, and there was much too much snow for me to read the plaque. That is, dear readers, if there is a plaque. A girl might not know...since there was snow. (And that, my friends, is called a RHYME.)

I want to give a big shout out to the mister for his very first TIMWAS appearance. He doesn't work at my office, you know, so he's often not there for a photo shoot. But now, alas, he works from home. And when it snows I do too! Huzzah. Now he can play too.

(Also, he was at my big girl birthday party, but it's sad, because I was so busy running around getting everyone's picture with the sign that I--gasp--forgot to get him with it. HIM! My favorite person ON THIS EARTH. I was so sad when I realized it. And then mad at him for not saying something at the time. But that, dear reader, is neither here nor there. He has made his maiden appearance on TIMWAS now. And you should (perhaps) expect to see more of him.)

So! Back to the TIMWAS submissions from across the Puget Sound region. In the order in which they arrived in my In box. (which is not a box, really, it's fairly flat.)

First comes Jules. Jules is SUCH a good sport. She ran right out--RIGHT OUT--I tell you. And not only that, but it appears as though she used the BACK side of a piece of paper that had already been employed for another purpose. That's mighty eco-friendly of her, wouldn't you say? I would. In fact, I just did.

BEHOLD:

And next, dear reader, comes Sammy D, who...you might notice...is missing something. What could it be? Comment below if you think you know. It's okay. Not everyone is as excited about TIMWAS as I might be. That doesn't make their contribution any less special. No it doesn't. PLUS, SD is super cute. And bundled. And EXCITED looking. And she must get props for that. So. There. Props to SD.

While the mister and I were out shooting strange art and jack-knifed, stranded, articulated buses, Second Sam was in her yard practicing the new vogue art of...SNOGA. You heard it here first, TIMWAS readers, snoga...the new trend that is sweeping the nation. Here she is in...what is this...modified sign-holding tree pose? (SS--you'll have to comment and correct me on the poses...you can even add the Sanskrit names since I know that the TIMWAS readership loves them some factoids.)
And my personal favorite from the SNOGA collection: the handstand. Note the cold hands. And the tape to keep the sign on. This is some serious Snoga dedication. We applaud you SS, for your snoga dedication. And we find you a bit odd. But in a good way. In a super sweet submission kind of way.
And then. Please meet Ash. Ash has not participated in TIMWAS yet. And why, you might ask? Cuz Ash is BUSY. That's with all capitol letters. SO BUSY. She's an accountant. And that means she comes in really early and stays awhile, but is not often found screwing around. (Or let's say, her screwing around is even more subversive than ours...) But I think this is a BANG UP first submission, readers, and so will you. JUST LOOK:

She is having so much fun. But where are her mittens, you ask. That is a great question. Hopefully she did not get frostbite, like dear Second Sam almost did. Snow is fun, ya'll. But it is also dangerous.

But this here is the best shot of all, don't you think? Props to Ash's main squeeze Jordan (yes, like the almonds--YUM) for the high-shot photo. (No they don't have a crane in their yard. Yes they live up high like birds in a nest.)

Huzzah! Thanks for the participation ya'll!!! And a very happy snow day to you.

also...where's Stephen? He took SS shots for us, so I know he was on location. But why no SB shots with the sign? No Snoga for SB? What gives?

BREAKING NEWS: Stephen apparently forgot (amidst the day's frivolity--or maybe he was just stunned by the ingeniousness of SNOGA) to take his TIMWAS photo. Upon seeing this blog post, he rapidly ran out to the yard for a photo even in the dark. (I can tell you, with absolute certainty, that Second Sam created that sign for him--the handwriting tells all. And that, I say, is a true marriage/partnership. You make the snow pile--er--mountain, I'll make the sign.)

The best part of this photo, to me, is that Stephen is posing with...wait for it...a snow PILE. Turns out our snow yesterday was too cold and crispy for creating snow forts, snow men, snow birds, and snow dogs. So. There were a number of failed attempts around my neighborhood--soft lumpy piles that aspired to be the round ball that serves as the belly base of the snowperson, but just refused to ball.

This is exemplified in Stephen's submission of the snow and the dark.

BEHOLD: the Snow Mountain. (Note, too, the spruce topper to said mountain. A lovely touch.)

A valiant attempt, If I do say so myself. (Again, I just did. So. There.)

Thanks Stephen! Here's a long shot, so you can see the true height and splendor of said mountain.

(Also, your eyes are closed like you are feigning sleep. Is that because it's already dark and you are so tired? Please don't sleep in the snow like that. You're not prepared for the 17 degree temps in that position...see information about the danger of snow, above.)

this is me in a beard

2008-12-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the office today...which is fun. Fun because there are fun people here (mostly Jules and Second Sam) to play with. And by play, I mean, make beards with.

The original idea was this: we would make our seasonal secret spy disguises from keri smith. But, upon closer examination by Second Sam (our resident Jew) this secret spy disguise was much much too much like Santa. (BTW...the Christians won't claim Santa...as he's not the reason for the season...but the Jews won't claim him either. I guess he'll just have to be the patron saint at the temple of the almighty dollar...)

Second Sam wanted to find a good Jewish mask to wear.

Then I remembered another cut and paste project featured on Operation Nice. So I sent Second Sam and Jules the link...told them to pick a beard, print, cut and pose, and here you have it.

I, of course, chose the biggest mustache available. I have a bit of a mustache thing. How they're like little pets on a face. How they make any normal guy look like a pedophile. How horribly ironic they are when worn by hipsters. I think I look pretty good in my handlebars, if I do say so myself.

Second Sam instantly chose the Bob Ross beard. She feels like she and Bob Ross could be relatives. See the resemblance?

Note that Sam wants you to know, dear reader, that while she looks a lot like Bob Ross (think happy little clouds), and while she does have a slight Jew-'fro, she is, in fact, NOT Bob Ross.

Jules went ahead and picked the rapper beard. And you can't blame her. Around these parts she's even known as "Jules is Cools," which might be a sweet rapper name should she ever decide to round up a DJ and lay down some tracks on the ones and twos. (Oh yeah, this white girl knows the lingo, aiiight?)

Check out Jules's sweet rapper pose. She's ready to hit platinum, ya'll.

And, just for grins, here's Bob Ross in his own beard. Thanks to Second Sam for the super awesome low-res print out of Mr. Ross himself.

*Thanks to Operation Nice for the assignment. And thanks to the Build a Beard workshop for the supplies and the incentive.

guest sign maker: Sayra

2008-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

This just in from my dear dear friend Sayra, who is not only a fantastic friend, but also a superstar in the field of sea turtle research.

How do I know she's a superstar? I know because she's currently on her way home from Gabon, where she has been for about twelve weeks hanging out waiting for Olive Ridley turtles to show up to nest so she can tag them. How did she get there? (besides the planes and the chicken buses) oh, you know, National Science Foundation grants and some grant from...I don't know...this little company called...Disney. NBD.*

Look at the turtles swim around here. Read about Sara's Gabon adventures and turtle stuff here.

But. Sayra is not just a rockstar and a super duper friend. She's also the kind of girl who will PLAY ALONG. Give her any game. She'll play. It's totally true.

So you can imagine my excitement (but not my supreme surprise) when she sent me this from Gabon:
That IS a big turtle. That's a leatherback. So rad.

She mentioned in her email that there was a plan to take a photo with another sign that read: me with a sign and a LITTLE turtle, but alas, she was busy actually doing her job, and walking miles and miles of beach in the dark every night looking for turtles. So, if she didn't get that second sign picture done, well, give her a break.

Here's a photo with a little turtle (who, btw, is still pretty big, as in, you're not going to be able to keep this one in that aquarium in your bedroom) in which she could have sported the sign. This is the elusive Olive Ridley turtle, who took their own SWEET ASS time to get to the beach, and thus caused miss Sayra to have to stay in Gabon eating canned sardines for another six weeks or so...

See how little? And sweet? And how fabulous Sayra is?

Yes. Yes you do.

*Thus, rockstar status.

Drive by signage: Yes we can

2008-11-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

i'm not one to get too political, since i would die defending your right to disagree with me. but, i must say, i'm pretty excited about this new president we just elected. and i'm pretty excited not just about him as a guy, necessarily, but about him as a galvanizing force for our country. hopefully we'll all stay (become) community organizers. we got work to do, ya'll.

this is me with a tiny hat

2008-10-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

At the What about Tomorrow Career & College Fair, at which I was taking photos (back shots, not face shots, of the children--whose likenesses are not to be used without their parents' express permission) and the whole thing was COLD because it was held at the Comcast Arena at the Everett Events Center, which is where ice hockey is played and where ice is living, under the floor boards (which are really not like boards at all, but like that crappy cardboard-board-like stuff, which is thin and not at all insulative).

Exhibitors were warned in advance and told to bring carpet remnants to sit on, but I, dear readers, was not sitting. I was walking and taking photos. I wore my Danskos, the tallest heals I have, but my feet were still cold. And so was I. And if you follow my tweets, you know that. BUT, I did get a pedicure mid-fair during which I asked for extra soak-your-toes-in-the-hot-bubbling-water time, which you also know.

Cuz, yes yes, ya'll, the tweets don't stop.

So.

Some hats. Tiny ones. Props, if you will. Not suitable for wearing on site at an actual construction area.

you are beautiful

2008-09-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure you want to keep your fingers

2008-09-22T16:52:00.001-07:00

So don't mess with the sign, k?

from Stellar Pizza, a great little place with good pizza, good beer, and a photobooth. Oh, and a awesome plane you can now ride for a quarter even though the sign says it costs 50 cents.

hair twinz!

2008-08-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

You've heard of identical hand twins. What about hair twinz?

It's true. Thanks to Fourth Sam for reminding me about the poof. The poof is EXCELLENT styling method while growing out your bangs, if, like me, you want to claw your eyes out after more than three hours of hair in your face.

I used to do the poof, way back when, when my hair was first growing out and making me crazy. Back then just one teeny tiny claw clip could hold the poof. But my hair (thankfully) kept growing. And the teeny tiny clip no longer held all the hair. And slowly, I forgot about the poof.

AND THEN. Fourth Sam appeared, and reminded me that the poof can be done with old-fashioned bobby pins! So now we're both poofed. And I'm the copy kitten. But I don't care, because now, by the end of the day, I don't feel the crazed urge to scratch out my eyes due to the hair and its tickling all up in my face.

Sadly, Jules is NOT poofed today. Cuz if she was, we could have been POOF TRIPLETS.

No worries, Jules has her own hair twin. AND, they have twin grimaces too.

Fourth Sam

2008-08-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

So, even though Governor Gregoire announced a hiring, travel, fun, office supplies, driving, and working freeze, and the economy is in the tank, and biodiesel is still over $5 a gallon, we have hired our fourth Sam. What? you ask, you didn't know about the third Sam?

I know. Remember how signs are on the DL? We can't always initiate every Sam we hire into the TIMWAS circle. The TIMWAS circle is, dare I say, sacred.

The truth is, we didn't actually hire the Third Sam. We only lease space to him in our office, since we can't hire new people and we have open cubicles. It's a money saver. (In these times of economic downturn, we all gots to get paid, foo')

Anyway, we didn't actually hire the Fourth Sam, either. The Fourth Sam is a member of our AmeriCorps program, who will be housed in our office for the service year with the title of TEAM LEADER. AmeriCorps Members are not employees in the traditional sense, ie they can't claim unemployment when their term of service is over, and--hey--they don't get paid so much as they get a living stipend which, by the way, is not enough to really live on. But I digress.

The TEAM LEADER leads the team of AmeriCorps Members. I'm not sure where they're going, but she will lead them, oh yes she will.

(Second Sam and Fourth Sam)

BTW--In case you wanted an extra challenge, there's a hidden riddle in this TIMWAS posting. Much like Where's Waldo*, this posting might be called "Where's First Sam?"** She's in every photo. Take a look and see if you can find her!

* CAUTION: this link leads to comic sans. Don't say I didn't warn you.

** Answers below. Click to enlarge.

NOLA love

2008-07-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Just returned from 10 days in my new favorite city: New Orleans. It's been almost three years since Katrina and Rita slammed this city, and there's still SO much work to be done. What's exciting (and part of what makes me love NOLA) is all the public art that has sprung up in response to devestation, loss, and despair.

Take the Generic Art Solutions(GAS), and this sign...click on it to read the words more closely: Hope can make a difference.

this is me with a hat

2008-07-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Roxy doesn't have a sign. But she does have a hat.

Guest sign maker: Jules & 2nd Sam

2008-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Who has the BEST coworkers ever? I do.

Not only did Joe and I just post our first ever commercial (which is to say, for sale) screen printed tshirts on our etsy site two days ago, but Jules was our FIRST ever tshirt customer. She's a rock star.

And now look...I'm working from home today and I get an email from Jules with these awesome guest signmaker photos. Look how stunning Jules looks in her new tshirt from Gavron Designs. I bet seeing her makes you want to run out* and buy your own awesome cherry tree** tshirt.

But enough about me. Let's talk photos.

Look at how happy Jules is in her new tshirt. Look at what a great fit it is, mostly because it was manufactured in Los Angeles in a sweatshop free, vertically integrated company framework. Holler!
Couple things though. See this second shot, below? See how awkward Jules' arm looks? Don't try this shot at home. Seriously. Jules has these amazing jelly-donut-esque limbs that make all manner of poses possible. (She does love her some posing and she's had lot of practice.) And it's good too, so that you can see the awesome gavron logo printed on the back of her new awesomely awesome tshirt from gavron designs.

It's been printed in silver. How cool is that? You don't see silver ink everyday, do you? But you wish you did.

Secondly, can we talk about all the cubicle wall clippy things Jules has behind her? What's that about? Remember when we used to work in the old building and the office supply Nazi reigned and we weren't allowed to order things like cubicle wall clippy things and so when people came in late to work, or took a vacation, or even a long lunch, we would raid each other's cubes to steal all unoccupied clippy things?

Remember? And they were all white? Because if you could make some detailed argument about the absolute NEED for cubicle wall clippy things (CWCTs) then you were NEVER allowed to order anything with color, because they not only disguised the drabness of the office (must continue meeting drabness quotient) but they also cost about three cents more EACH which was going to immediately put us into a budget shortfall so that we wouldn't be able to help poor people ANYmore. All because of YOU and your vacuous need for CWCTs.

Well, someone finally broke though the barbed wire lines of the order supply Nazi and got us some--GASP--colored CWCTs, and we all went CRAZY for them, knowing that things of this sort were like GOLD around the office, and that they could be taken away and SCARCE again at any time, and so we HOARDED them, in our desk drawers and in locked file cabinets, in the arm rests of our cars out in the parking lot, working under the assumption that the supply order team was never going to order any more ever again (this, by the way, was also happening around the office with binder clips, pens that didn't suck, colored post-it notes, and highlighters) and should we again feel the need to clip something to our cube walls the stockpiling would leave us adequately prepared. We were all stocking up for the Office Armageddon.

But the Armageddon didn't happen. And because we went from over 30 employees to our current 16.5*** until there was a surplus of CWCTs. People would leave (retire, find other employment, get laid off, get fired) and we'd run into their cubes to steal leftover office supplies, including CWCTs. And then, we were facing 30% year over year federal budget cuts, and we stopped replacing those people who left, and we all suddenly had too many clippy things. (Can you really ever have too many, you ask? What if you get a lot of things that need clipping?) Well, dear reader, I have to say that Jules might have too many. She is, however, in the process of moving cubicles (another long story), and these photos were taken mid-move, and so it may be that she has taken down all her clippable items and not yet migrated the CWCTs over to the new cube, where she may affix them (clipping, if you will) and then clip the corresponding clippable items. There may not, indeed, be a surplus of CWCTs and this post may be in vein. I will of course, dear reader, keep you posted.

Now on to Second Sam. See how sad she is? Her sign says she's sad because she doesn't have a gavron shirt. But I know for a fact that she just placed a special order with one of the business partners of gavron (that would be me, for those of you playing along at home), and that maybe she's sad because she doesn't have as many CWCTs as Jules has but she can't steal them while Jules is taking her picture because then there'd be HARD EVIDENCE of the thieving.

Or, she may just long for a gavron designs shirt. I know that the shirts are so awesomely awesome that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to long for one.

So. I think that there are two morals to pick up from this post (long and painful though it may have been). Firstly, don't be sad like Second Sam. It's okay to pop on over to gavrondesigns.etsy.com and order a shirt. And second, if you see an unoccupied CWCT, GRAB IT.

*and by "run out" I mean "log on" to gavrondesigns.etsy.com

** look familiar? Say from this calendar? I thought so.

*** Rest assured, the .5 is a half-time person, not just a head and torso.

Did someone get LINK HAPPY in this posting? I think so. Is it a bit of shameless advertising? Yes, it is. Is is a bit funny? Wait and see.

Guest sign maker & cupcake love

2008-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

This just in from TIMWAS field reporter and guest sign contributor DS. Look at her fabulous daughter's new t-shirt! Just look! Since DS loves her some Cupcake (the author), and she knows that her Cupcake (the author), loves her some signage, she and her daughter, Little Miss Cupcake (LMS) sent in this photo.

Okay, so there were three photos, but this one was the best, not only because of the tongue, but because of the sweet temporary tattoo seen on LMS's chubby cupcake arm.

If TIMWAS had its own t-shirts or some other parting gifts, I would send one your way, DS and LMS. Thanks for thinking of me!