Day 212: Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers

This was the first Dorothy Sayers novel that I ever read. I thought the murder method was ingenious - that is until I read the Wikipedia article on the book now. Curse you Wikipedia, and your darn facts! Apparently the author was embarrassed about her oversight and pledged never to write a book that is careless again.

That said, it's still a fun read!

Status: Dibbed

Day 211: Incan Gold

I got this game from a friend and it's supposed to be really good but I just never get around to playing it. I think my subconscious is rejecting the box. It looks like it's meant to be a kid's game. If it's not gone by Sunday I'll bring it to game night and maybe we can try playing it before it goes to a new home.

Status: Dibbed

Day 210: Miracle Fortress

This band opened for Stars at the Showbox several years ago and I remember enjoying them greatly. They're a Canadian band out of Montreal, like Stars. Stars is one of my favorite bands ever. I love seeing them perform because my emotions react strongly to their music. Unfortunately, I haven't cared for their newer music as much. I think Set Yourself on Fire will always be my favorite album and Your Ex-Lover is Dead will continue to be my favorite song.

Status: Donated

Day 209: Asarichan comic

Years ago, a dozen or so of these comics mysteriously manifested at my parents' house. I got rid most of them but kept one volume for purposes of practicing my Japanese. I can almost read the author's name, something-yama Mayumi? The first character looks familiar but my kanji skills are sadly depleted.

Status: Recycled

Day 208: Japanese bag

I received this bag as a gift during my first trip to Japan. I can not remember who it was from but I do recall that I was originally given a comb and mirror and I traded with my sister. We traveled there together during the summer of 2000, the year I graduated from high school. We were visiting family friends.

The friends were a couple who had independently stayed with us for a year each through the Never Again Campaign and ended up meeting back in Japan, falling in love, getting married, and having two children.   The Never Again Campaign was a program that brought Japanese people to the states to visit schools and other organizations and talk about peace. They were just two of many guests who lived with us during my childhood. It was almost constant until my youngest sister's disorders made it too difficult to have other people living with us.

Eating okonomiyaki in Kyoto!

Status: Dibbed

Day 207: Drug store eye shadow

My closest friend was about to toss these so I offered to take them off her hands. In the end I didn't use them because truthfully, I can be a bit snobbish about makeup. I like bright, saturated colors and drug store makeup tends to fail on this account. I don't buy makeup very often but occasionally the allure of MAC will suck me in and I'll blow a lot of money on pretty new colors.

Status: Trashed

Day 206: Biore facial cleansing wipes

I have one full package of these as well as a partial package. I didn't realize I had purchased a duplicate box. They are dry towels but when you moisten them they get soapy. I never use them because I have a difficult time using anything disposable - even things already in my possession. I just hate creating waste.

In a similar vein I have a difficult time washing vegetables because I feel weird using very much water but I don't want pesticides or dirt on the food I'm eating. I spend a bit of time arguing with myself over whether it is necessary to clean my lettuce.

Status: Dibbed

Day 205: The Big Sister's Guide to the World of Work

This was the first career book I ever read, when I was not long out of college. It's been a while since I last read it but I feel comfortable recommending it to any woman just starting off in her career. Since then I've read many career/life/people books but I tend to like the more unconventional advice. Jason Seiden's How to Self-Destruct was a fun read and I'm currently reading Rework. I follow Jason Seiden's blog as well as the blog of Penelope Trunk, whose blog is controversial but thought-provoking. You could say that reading this stuff is a hobby of mine.

Status: Dibbed

Day 204: EtherLink III

This is just one of those things I've had for 8 or so years and I haven't managed to get rid of even though I've never used it. I'm pretty excited about not having it around anymore!

Status: Trashed

Day 203: Salomen women's jacket

This jacket has served me well. It is water-resistant, has a hood and two zip pockets, and it's more substantial than a shell. It is also is identical to the jacket my friend Julian owns. I'm giving mine up because I bought a new jacket at the beginning of the year and it has become a redundancy. I traded it for something more fitted but less warm.

The jacket on a rainy day in the arboretum!

Status: Gifted

Day 202: Larousse's French-English dictionary

The problem with writing every day about things in my past is I can't always remember what I've already written about. Hopefully this won't be a story I've already told.

I've studied three languages in my life and the first was French in middle school. In eighth grade I took a trip to France with some class mates. We toured the Loire valley in a bus and did a home stay in Paris. Of the family I stayed with, only the daughter Emilie knew any English. The level of French I had acquired at this point was minimal.

One of my more vivid memories was sitting down for family dinners. Every night they served some kind of flavorless puffy potatoes in various shapes. I had a strong distaste for those. One night we cooked our own meat on a portable grill. They removed their meat from the grill almost immediately after placing it while I let mine cook longer. They were completely baffled by this behavior.

Another memory was our discovery that the French accent does wonderful things to the word squirrel. For the entire trip, kids were asking random people to say squirrel for us and then we would break in to giggles.

Status: Donated

Day 201: Milk Tea

Milk tea packets consist of pre-mixed powder containing sugar, non-dairy creamer, cappuccino creamer, and instant tea. My grandmother always stocks milk tea and I used to enjoy it so I bought some from Uwajimaya. When I tried them I realized that they are way too sweet for my tastes. My tolerance for sweets has been steadily declining over the past few years and milk tea is yet another casualty.

Status: Trashed

Day 200: Chell costume from Portal

This was my Halloween costume a few years ago. Tragically, I do not have a single photograph from that evening. Even worse, the Portal gun I was wielding wasn't sturdy enough to survive the evening. I could have had a video of myself, wielding my Portal gun, singing "Still Alive" on Rock Band but I blew it.

It's not as flattering as the version in the game but I think I made a decent go at it. I picked up the jumpsuit at the Army and Navy Surplus store. I took it in a bit and spray painted the Aperture logo on the back. I thought about saving it for the Portal 2 release but I always feel strange wearing the same costume twice.

Status: Dibbed

Day 199: Vintage Dress

This dress has long been a favorite of mine but alas, it does not fit me well. I bought it for fifteen dollars at Red Light. I was seventeen and it was to be worn at a Wizards of the Coast company holiday party.

I wanted to make sure this dress went to a good home so I brought it along to a friend's birthday party last night. It didn't work out for the first woman who tried it on but the second try was a perfect fit. The contrast of the classic elegance of the dress and pearls with her tattooed sleeve was absolutely stunning. I've been attached to this dress for a long time so it was wonderful to it being worn so well. Without this blog, I would never have let go of the dress. I could not possibly have donated it with an unforeseeable future at a thrift store.

A photo of me, at seventeen, wearing the dress! I'm hoping I can get a photo from last night to go with this.

Status: Gifted

Day 198: Paula Dorf eyelash curler

Every makeup artist I've ever spoken with about the subject has recommended curling my lashes and using mascara. I've tried getting in the habit but it's just maddening because not only am I terrible at applying mascara but my eyelashes are ridiculously short. When I'm good about using eye drops I also have a tendency to accidentally pull them out. The eyedrops goos or dries up on my lashes and when I try to remove it my lashes come off as well. I finally gave up on my lashes and stick to lining my eyes.

Status: Dibbed

Day 197: Board Game Top Shop

Board Game Top Shop is kind of a Monopoly clone. You run around the board buying properties (storefronts) and the unfortunate souls who land on your shop have to pay up. It's completely brainless and yet I love it. I used to be able to time my pencil rolls (the Top Shop version of dice) for optimal rollage. I always played the character shaped like a cactus and named her Chloe.

Status: Dibbed

Day 196: Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh

So my mistake last night wasn't grave, but I did party too hard on a Thursday and forget to post. I went to the Kindle for Android launch party at Garage. We had a grand time - food, drinks, bowling. I do not work for Amazon but when my best friend got a job there I ended up becoming friends with almost everyone on the Kindle Cross-Platform team. A year later their team has grown to almost double the size so I only know about half the team. There are some fantastic people in KCP and I feel fortunate to have been brought in to their group.

If you're curious which posts were late, I almost always date stamp them at 11:55pm.

Status: Dibbed

Day 195: The Cat Returns

I received this as a gift years ago but I never got around to watching it. This is a little strange since it is the sequel to one of my favorite Miyazaki movies - Whispers of the Heart (Mimi wo Sumaseba). I think it is because I'm not a fan of anthropomorphized animals. There is one glaring exception: pugs look freaking adorable in little outfits.

The family pug, Beaumont, after making off with my sister's rose

Status: Dibbed

Day 194: Found II

Friends of mine started a group to play a monthly game of the popular dice game Bunco. I won this book as a prize for getting the most Buncos. It's a great chance to see my friends but unfortunately I don't care for the game much. It's entirely based on luck. I know this appeals to some people because it levels the playing field but it also means you can't improve your game.

I've been wanting to start a ladies poker group if I can get enough interest. I am not much of a gambler but I feel comfortable with tournament style because I know exactly how much money I can lose throughout the evening. I used to be obsessed with the World Poker Tour and I love playing Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 7 Card Stud.

I've found that poker is a great way to bond with people while traveling. The photos below are from a coffee shop in Amsterdam. My (now ex) boyfriend and I wandered in to this cafe on our first night and noticed these guys playing cards. They were on a soccer team in Marseilles together and were heading back to France the next day for a big game. They invited us to join them and I took their pretend money. Granted, I had an advantage since I didn't partake.

In Cusco, Peru last year, some guys were running a game in the hostel. Twenty soles buy-in, me and ten Israeli guys. I made some new friends and took their money.

(Top) French Footballers (Bottom) Ex-bf, French Footballer

Status: Dibbed

Day 193: Ordeal by Innocence

I started babysitting when I was eleven but I consider my first job to have been taking care of an elderly lady down the street. I was twelve or thirteen at the time and I spent five hours at her house every Monday. I was paid ten dollars an hour which seemed like a fortune at the time. My duties included: microwaving her a frozen dinner, making tea, watching Roseanne, changing her diaper, and eventually emptying her catheter. I am pretty impressed with my thirteen year old self; I performed these undesirable tasks remarkably well.

Status: Dibbed

Day 192: Shadow of Destiny

The concept of this game was really cool - the first scene when you start the game is your own character being murdered. You are given a special power that allows you to go back in time to prevent your own death. The murderer doesn't give up so you are constantly watching your back and going further back in time while learning about your past. I didn't get very far because it was slooow and I have a difficult time with slow paced games.

Status: Dibbed

Day 191: Dominion Conflict issues

These aren't mine but they were lent to me about ten years ago by someone I probably won't see again. Loaner items are such tricky things. I feel guilty for never returning them but after this much time it's pointless to hold on to these any longer.

Status: Recycled

Day 190: Dress from Effie's Heart

I like this dress but it's a little too big for me. I am getting rid of it so I'll stop wearing it out. I want to get my wardrobe pared down to things I really love, plus the basics of course.

Size Medium

Status: Dibbed

Day 189: Dress from Red Doll

(Pictured without tie that goes around the waist)

My sense of style has greatly improved since I was younger but I still make some mistakes when buying myself clothes. Mainly I buy things that my younger self would have enjoyed wearing. I still think this dress is super cute but I feel strange wearing it. I've linked to the Etsy listing so you can get an idea of the size and what it actually looks like on a person.

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/21247154

Status: Dibbed

Day 188: Beeswax Hand Creme - Almond Milk

I had another of these that I mostly used up but I don't really like how it feels on my skin. I prefer products that are not noticeable at all after application. That's one of the reasons that summer is my least favorite season. I hate having to slather sunblock all over my body but I don't have any hats I like and I don't want to damage my skin. My grandmother is in her eighties and has the skin of a woman twenty years younger. I'm hoping I inherited her genes but she is much better about protecting herself from the sun than I am.

Status: Dibbed

Day 187: Goggles

Goggles! I don't carry passengers often and I wear a full face helmet when I ride so I think one pair is enough. I'm keeping the tinted ones. Now that it's getting warm I should see if anyone wants to go riding with me. It's fun and I need more practice riding with the extra weight.

Status: Dibbed

Day 186: The Boondock Saints

I worked in a video store during college and The Boondock Saints was my number one movie recommendation for customers.

My number two recommendation was My Neighbor Totoro. On Saturday I took my youngest sister to see Toy Story 3 and to my delight there was a giant Totoro stuffed animal in the movie. It was the perfect counterpart to the Pixar shout out in Spirited Away.

Status: Dibbed

Day 185: Blue Monday: Absolute Beginners

I'm slowly working my way through my comic collection. Since they don't take too much space I'm holding on to all of them until the last one is posted and then I'll see if a comic book store wants them. Of course I still have some hope that a reader will want them.

Status: Dibbed

Day 184: Amplitude

I was going to post Frequency today - the prequel to Amplitude - but I opened up the case and instead found three other games: Odin Sphere, Jade Cocoon 2, and Bust a Move 2. This was a completely awesome fine because I've been wanting to play Jade Cocoon 2 again and was even considering buying a new copy. It's a cutesy monster raising game but it has a fun story and graphics. I've also been scouring my parents' house hoping to find my old copy of Azure Dreams. Today's find gives me hope that maybe it will still show up.

I'm curious, do you guys have past gaming loves that you still think about and which games would you like to replay?

Status: Dibbed

Day 183: Fruits Basket 1-21

This post marks the halfway point of my project so I wanted to post something significant to me. Fruits Basket was my most beloved manga for years and I thought I would always want to come back to it. If I have children I was sure I would want to pass them on.

Something changed because if you've read the series you'll notice that I have all but the last volume. I already read it at least a year before it was released but I generally re-read manga and I just haven't had the urge to do so. It's not that I don't enjoy manga anymore. I've read the series Skip Beat! all the way through the released volumes at least five times (my collection has grown from 9 volumes to 20).

I'm still not sure I'm ready to give them up but what has pushed me over the edge with this series is I have started thinking about my future with my possessions. I can't imagine lugging this around with me for the next twenty years - which is possibly how long it'll be before I have kids old enough to appreciate them.

My guitars, my drawings, my two favorite books. What can you picture yourself carrying around for the next twenty years?

Status: Dibbed

Day 182: Alchemist

I played this for the first time last night, at The Stumbling Monk. My friend is attempting to try everything on their beer menu by the end of the year. The challenge is that the beer menu is constantly changing and we always ask for the beers that will most likely leave the menu soonest.

Last night I tried a new sour lambic on the menu and loved it. I'm on a fruity beer and foamy cocktail kick lately. Drinks I think my sister would enjoy. I've started ordering a variation of the Hemingway Daquiri that I came up with when I was craving a pink foamy drink. Rum, equal parts grapefruit and lime juice, creme de cassis (instead of maraschino liqueur), simple syrup, and egg white. It's pretty damn tasty!

Status: Dibbed