Flame Retardant Writing

No shorties or fatties allowed

2011-12-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm actually amazed at the things that come out of people's mouths. And this coming from a girl who has her fair share of 'did I just say that out loud?' moments.

We'll call him Bob (not really his name, don't worry). I'm doing a website for him.

He calls today and says "We need to screen by height and weight for the helicopter rides."

That makes sense to me. I ask "Ok, what are the ranges?"

He answers: "They don't like short people and they charge fat people double." He then adds "I think."

That might make for some of the most awesome content online.....

Book your Las Vegas helicopter ride today! Unless you're short (you be the judge of whether you're too short!) or fat (come on fatties, you know your a$$es need to pay double!).

Wow, pink

2011-11-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

It's been so long that I forgot I changed my blog to such an obnoxious pink color! Not sure where that came from, hope you like the new color better.

What's been going on in my life the last few months? You're probably wondering....

I'm going to have a great Jewish year by the sheer amount of sugary goodness I ate on Rosh Hashanah. Guess who ate an entire apple cake by herself this year? This girl did!

I got somewhat close to a tan this summer and joined a monthly spa club.

I wore a Stepford wife costume to work on Monday for Halloween. My employee and I were the only people dressed for Halloween in IT! It might have been awkward if I didn't love my outfit and wig so much.

Excited for November! I love the cool weather, sweaters, and Thanksgiving! Hope everyone is great!

Showers galore

2011-07-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

And no, not the rain type of showers. Bridal showers, baby showers, you name it - I've got them. It seems like the whole world - or at least the people around me - are in baby and marriage season. I guess it's the age range but I feel like when a woman with no children is on the frequent shoppers list at Babys R Us there is a problem. I actually go to the store (which is scary) since Babys R Us (toysrus.com website) is one of the worst booking engines I have ever seen. And that's saying something since I do a lot of online shopping. Amazon is even suggesting baby toys to me in my recommended section!! It's ridiculous.

Alex and I have decided to try and eat in more days than we eat out. Making lasagna tonight; we'll see how well this sticks toward the end of the week when I'm tired from working and exercising. Wish me luck!!

Shades of Greeeen (That's Green with an Irish accent)

2011-07-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Our Irish honeymoon started off rocky. The custom's agent gave me a look unlike any custom's agent had ever given me (and I used an Israeli passport in Turkey once!) and said "State the reason for your visit." I smiled brightly to annoy her and said "I'm on honeymoon!" She looked around with a raised eyebrow and said "Oh? Where's your new husband? Already lost him, eh? That's not a good sign". I responded that it said one at a time per line and he was in the next line. She shook her head, stamped my passport and told me to have a good time in Ireland and best of luck. It sounded like a threat.

Alex and I then made it to Dan Dooley car rental where we found out it would cost $100 extra to put two drivers on the car. So Alex drove around Ireland. Many of you are probably aware that the last time I drove there - through Dublin - I screamed like a banshee through every roundabout and had to go through them an average of three times each since I was too nervous to count turnoffs. Alex volunteered that we were on our honeymoon to the Dan Dooley agent, who looked at us, raised his eyebrows and asked "Your first?" We both responded "Yes!". He also said best of luck to us.

Luckily the people got friendlier and the scenery prettier once we left Dublin, which actually wasn't so bad. I even had a glass of Guinness at the Guinness Factory (which turned out to be awesome even if you think the drink tastes like dirty mud). I got to see an old friend and meet her husband and got used to the sun setting at 11:30 PM and coming up at 4am. Disconcerting, to say the least, to a bad sleeper like me.

We saw abbeys and castles, burial mounds and tombs, the hill of Tara, the sea, Waterford and more. It was great; history, archaeology, pub food, beautiful landscape and lots and lots of twisty roads. Here are some of our pics:

Newgrange (burial mounds), Kilkenny castle, us on a hill, and stunning Kylemore Abbey. More pics on Facebook if you're interested!

Happily ever after

2011-06-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! I am now officially Ellen Kominsky Koch! I have the social security card to prove it. :)

I'll be back to blogging in no time at all. Here are some pics of the wedding:

Honeymoon in Ireland pics will come next post.

PCs versus MACs

2011-01-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am an objective computer-buyer. I've bought macs and I've bought traditional PCs. I see the value in both (not a mac fangirl). I've actually been having issues with my Firefox browser on my Mac lately and was thinking (just thinking!) of getting a cute netbook for my next computer.

This morning at work I remembered why I chose this last Macbook. Outlook crashed six times in a half an hour! I even got this message from Microsoft:

Seriously, Microsoft?? I'm aware of the issue!

I'm going to be sticking with my Macbook for now.

My iPhone is a different story. I am ready for an Android; my alarm didn't work all weekend! The articles (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110102/tc_afp/lifestyleitinternettelecomapple_20110102181735) said that it was supposed to be fixed today. Guess who overslept this morning because my alarm didn't go off?? I depend on that alarm!

I didn't stay in a grumpy 'I overslept' mood for long because of Shorty. Her first snow adventure was absolutely adorable, there was (in no particular order): pawing at the air, frolicking in the snow, eating the snow from the air, sliding, and barking. Luckily I wasn't in bed when she got back inside, she took a snow covered leap straight for where I had been sleeping moments before.

Holidays

2010-12-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

Evidently the only time I can find to write blog posts any more is around national holidays! Happy early New Year to my loyal blog readers! If I have any left after not posting for half a year.

Lots of changes in my life! Good ones too! 2010 was a great year. I entered the hospitality industry of Las Vegas after a decade of jobs outside of the largest industry in Las Vegas.

I got engaged! On 10/10/10! Now we're trying to pick an equally easy to remember wedding date. And no, I will not be posting pictures of my ring because I am not that girl. If you want to see it, skype me! Or set up a coffee date! If you are outside of Las Vegas I may even be tempted to email you a picture but it's a maybe. I am so excited and it feels great.

We got a dog!!!! She's absolutely lovable; we adopted her from Lied Animal Shelter. She's a labrabeagle (yes, she really is a labrador beagle mix) - she's beagle sized with a labrador face. Basically, a permanent lab puppy!! I never realized how much you can grow to love these little beings. I did really love my cat but a dog really is a totally different kind of love.

We've done some traveling; New York, Hawaii, California (I finally went to Disneyland!!).

This was a great year for me!! I made some new (good!) friends and kept in touch with old ones.

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2011. Should I make my new year's resolution be to start blogging again??

Have freedom from me

2010-07-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! You can all be free of me if you vote at Get Rid of Me

I'm trying to win a free six month trip around the world!

Going green and healthy

2010-04-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I bought a desk bicycle! It's fantastic and i feel like my resolution this year might not have been in vain. Next step will be an actual bicycle, probably this one: Huffy Women's Moire Bike, Cream/Blue, 26-Inch

And I have decided to start walking to work two days a week. We'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll adopt a dog instead and then walk every morning and evening.

More posts are coming, I promise!

New head shot - Since I haven't updated pictures in over a year....

2009-12-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a terrible blogger

2009-12-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

But - there's always a but - I've been so so busy. I went four days on eight hours sleep total just to get my work done. Evidently consulting jobs don't come in pairs but in fours, fives, and sixes.... Not that I'm complaining but it does hinder my blogging.

Lots going on the past few months. I went to Atlanta for the wedding of one of Alex's childhood friends. Love Atlanta. Not only did I get to watch the Housewives of Atlanta season finale IN ATLANTA but I met some great people and ate loads of greasy, delicious fried southern food. I wore an almost identical-looking dress to the bridesmaids and discovered that there are cities with worse drivers than Las Vegas.

I've been baking. A lot. And I've expanded to cooking legitimate full-blown meals, as well. Alex and I did Thanksgiving at our house (with both families) and everything was delicious, if I do say so myself. We did a turkey test run earlier last month just to make sure that we wouldn't ruin T-giving.

I went black friday shopping. It was different. This was my first time and, I have to say, probably my last. It wasn't a bad experience but the masses of people can be slightly frightening for someone my height. I did come away with a super cheap GPS, a bunch of dresses (that actually all fit perfectly!), a beautiful pair of boots, and some card games. Oh, and two hats. For my upcoming trip to New York.

It's two thirty in the morning and time for me to go to bed. I have a phone call in four hours with an Israeli client.

Work from home!

2009-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

I received three contacts on Call on Ellen today asking me about legitimate work from home opportunities. One of the emails, unfortunately, was from a single mother that is looking to supplement her day job with a part-time work from home job. She had paid a site to start working there and had gotten scammed. I will have to take some time to investigate my analytics report to see which keywords these people used to get to my site.

This was a busy week!

I got a new car. A 2008 Mazda 6.

I wrote a lot of copy and a lot of proposals.

I scanned about 100 photos and made a slideshow movie for my Grandmother's 80th birthday.

I read two books about marketing to the affluent.

I reached 950 followers on Twitter.

Professional resume writing services

2009-09-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have helped edit/write many things in my day. Spa pamphlets, menus, obituaries, t-shirts, nostalgic coffee mugs, rhyming eblasts. So, suffice it to say, I don't get asked to write many things that stump me.

Today, a friend of mine asked for my professional expertise for one of his friend's resumes. A friend of a friend's resume. Not too weird, right?

So so wrong.

Evidently his friend used to be a cop. A cop that shot two people who were holding up a convenience store with guns. One of those people died. Unfortunately for him, the person turned out to be 14 years old and the realistic-looking gun was actually a toy. He is now looking for another career.

My friend called me two hours into a web search to ask for my help. I couldn't help it. At the end of the story I HAD to ask:

"What keywords were you using?? 'Sample resume format police officer accidentally shot teenager with water gun + career change'"?????

Was he really expecting to find something?

Photo fun to bring in the New Year

2009-09-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Rosh Hashanah!

Happy Jewish New Year to my blog readers! As always, I wish everyone a wonderful year filled with sweetness, love, success, health, and all that other good stuff.

Alex's sister will be in town this weekend to see the house (for the first time). She is coming with some Entenmann's Apple Tartlets. I am going to try and control myself. When his parents came with crumb topping donuts six of them were gone in two days.

Alex has been away the last few days and, instead of going out yesterday evening, I stayed in and worked. And had fun with photos. Here's a preview:

Check the rest out HERE!

Why I now sympathize with the angry-looking girls that ride the bus

2009-09-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

It started off with a good deed.

I took Alex's car to get an oil change this morning. The service guys told me it would take an hour to an hour and a half. I had brought a book but once I sat down I realized that I wasn't in a Machiavelli kind of mood. I was hyper and hungry (no shock there, I guess) so I started the trek to what seemed like a relatively close McDonalds (across Sahara, for those of you in Las Vegas). Ten minutes into the walk, in 100 degree heat, I discovered that it wasn't very close at all. I kept on, an egg and cheese (minus the meat) biscuit calling my name. My phone began ringing; a girlfriend with whom I had made plans to meet later that day - for a Tai Chi class - was wondering if I wanted to go to an earlier class. I explained what was going on and why I couldn't go earlier.

Then it happened.

A beat up, twenty year old Nissan came to a stop - in traffic! - to ask if I needed a ride. I heard my friend on the phone ask what was going on. A cop (not even wondering what was happening, apparently) swerved around the shady Nissan and continued driving. I said, "Uh, no thanks. I'm totally fine." I must have made a rude/horrified/get-the-hell-away face, though, because he waved his arm in an obnoxious way and offered some unsolicited life advice before driving away: "Maybe you should buy a car instead of an expensive phone and purse, b*tch!"

Really????!!

No wonder girls waiting for the bus always look pissed off! That probably happens to them every day!

I told my friend that I would call her back and returned to the car service waiting room. On second thought, Machiavelli and some vending machine potato chips didn't sound so bad after all.

28!

2009-09-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

I'm turning 28 tomorrow. Two years from thirty, according to a few of my girlfriends.

My birthday wish is for my next 28 years to be as eventful and full of happiness as my last 28 years. For the good times to outnumber the not so good times. That's it.

Okay, not totally true. My other wish is for an iscuba. White floors are freaking hard to clean.

I'm looking forward to another great year!

PS - I got an iPhone so the ads and articles are no longer bothering me, hehe.

Oh I wish upon a shooting star

2009-06-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

To go through one day without hearing about the new iPhone!!

Sorry, I'm done.

I have nothing of value to enlighten the world with today.

I am moving. Did you all know that you have to pack up everything that you own when you move??? Oh well, at least it's not across the world this time.

PS - It's hard to find reasonably-priced painters in Las Vegas. If anyone knows of someone, please feel free to share the info.

Poker

2009-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

I've taken on some daunting extracurricular hobbies over the years. Tai Chi. Learning Hebrew. Learning Spanish. Pilates. Reading every Harvard Business Review book (in print and out of print). Knitting (which has turned out to be the hardest of them all).

It's time to do something fun. Really fun. Something that probably won't make me any smarter but might, maybe, make me a tiny little bit cooler.

It's time for Poker.

No, not video poker. Not Pai Gow. I'm already good at them.

Texas Hold'em Poker.

Who wants to teach me???

I've already started with the basics. I hope you're ready to see my poker face:

I realize my face will not be Photo Booth's color pencil option. I just thought it looked better this way. :)

Call! On! Ellen!

2009-05-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

CallonEllen.com is live and ready for business!

Looking into my crystal ball.....

2009-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

A week ago, an Israeli girlfriend of mine told me that her psychic said "A dark-haired, light-eyed American friend of yours is going to have something amazing happen to her this week." My friend passed on the message and said it was either for me or two other girls. A one in third chance of something great happening??? I was happy to take those odds!

And guess what???

It was for me!!!

Updates, updates, where are the updates??

2009-04-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

April has flown by like an ultra-sonic bat on speed. I got a mac computer (ridiculously awesome pictures from photobooth are coming) and started four new freelance jobs. I love the jobs. I especially love the computer!!

I bought Alex a book called "Map of Ireland" for Easter. It said that it was a short fiction story. Evidently, it's a story about an Irish Lesbian. About as appropriate as giving a Jewish person a book on cooking shellfish and pork products for Rosh Hashanah. Oy. He bought me tons of candy and movies. I've already gained four pounds. Wii Fit scolded me.

Busy weekend ahead. Shows and parties and lunch dates and house hunting.

Happy Passover!

2009-04-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

A friend recently asked me if she knows the Passover story since she's seen The Prince of Egypt movie. While I am a fan of the movie, it takes a lot of creative license from the first edition of the story (The Bible). I told her that she knows more than people who have never seen the movie but less than people who have read the Wikipedia article.

Meat eaters have more fun :)

2009-04-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Especially when it comes in the form of Omaha Steaks! If you don't know the company, google it. And for bargain shoppers, check out their current clearance deals: http://www.omahasteaks.com/clearance

Bon appetit!

Updating my life list

2009-04-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

I finished my work really early today. I was so inspired that I worked straight though all day with hardly any breaks.

Then I updated the list of things I want to do and places I want to see. I actually crossed a few things off too!

Now I'm going to start on stuff for tomorrow.

This is not an April Fools post, either. Just in case you were wondering. The first post today was :D

Animals have souls too

2009-04-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

And that's why I've decided to become a vegetarian. My hamburger days are a thing of the past.

Good thing I ate a lot today

2009-03-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

It added a few pounds to my body weight so that I actually could keep my feet planted on the ground in this ridiculous wind.

'Tis a dark and stormy night. Time to curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book.

Two o'clock in the morning means.....

2009-03-28T02:04:00.000-07:00

Time to go to bed???

Wrong!

Time to write a blog??

Right!!

I'm beyond wide awake right now for no apparent reason. I didn't sleep all day. I, in fact, did many things today. Over the last two hours, I read an entire book. And did Tai Chi.

Still no sleep...

I'm going to allow myself to click on ten StumbleUpon websites. Then I will go to bed.

7 great reasons for working at home

2009-03-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Pursuing interests that you've always wanted to but never had the time to do (my current interests: sewing and learning Spanish).
Cooking during breaks so, without a lot of effort, you have a wonderful home-cooked dinner ready for you when your day is over.
The Commute! You don't waste time or energy in traffic when work is twenty steps from the bed.
Watching TV and movies during your lunch break. Never did it before but I must say that it really helps you relax and calm down for the second part of the work day. (On a side note, don't go see Knowing. I hardly ever stop watching a movie in the middle but this one was so bad that I gave up thirty minutes into it.)
Errands!! Yay for errands!!! Just kidding. But it really is nicer to do errands in the middle of the day with the sun shining and the birds singing than in the dark after a long day at work.
Working from the patio. Obviously, I don't do this during wind storms like Las Vegas has been having all week but it's nice to be able to get work done while soaking up the sun's rays. I heart multitasking. And yes, I consider tanning a task. It takes a lot of time and effort for me to tan and I have to get a head start on the summer.
If you know me, you probably knew this one was coming... Drum roll please..... Working in exercise clothes!! Not only are they a hundred times more comfortable than business clothes, they also inspire me to exercise and do Tai Chi throughout the day.

So there you have it. They may seem ridiculous but they are the added benefits to working on your own business and being self employed. You might have thought it would be a list about not having a boss or the lack of office drama when you work by yourself (which are good too, don't get me wrong). I wanted to do a positive list since I'm in an optimisic mood this morning.

PS - If you missed it in the numbered list, here it is again:

Ellen's advisory against Knowing: don't go see this movie. Don't even rent it when it comes out on DVD. I'm going to go so far as to say don't even watch it online; it's not worth the time.

Losing my passion

2009-03-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Not for anything important. But for American Idol. There was a point of my life - when I lived abroad - that I would watch American Idol telecast in the middle of the night. On work nights!! But lately, I've found myself wandering away while it's on to work, to blog, to gchat with anyone that's online, and to wash the dishes. Some days I miss it altogether and I don't care. Strange, isn't it??

Nothing too interesting going on this week. I may have interesting news next week but not yet. Stay tuned.

He rocks in the treetop all day long...

2009-03-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Yep. You guessed it. I've joined Twitter. And ever since I posted my first "tweet" the lyrics to Rockin Robin have not left my head. Rockin Robin, tweet tweet tweet. Rockin Robin, tweet tweet tweet.

How do I make it stop???

I'm swamped with freelance jobs. It's great. It's keeping me distracted during a pretty rough week. I won't get into details but, take my word for it, it's been rough.

On another note, I've added cooking more meals to my list of daily activities. It's nice to make an effort and then enjoy fresh, home-cooked meals.

Love to hear the robin going tweet tweet tweet......

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2009-03-19T21:39:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Don't hate the iPhone

2009-03-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

But if you do want to annoy people with one, check out this site: Annoy Phone!

It's hilarious and sounds exactly like the phone.

Busy day ahead

2009-03-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Four days in a row. Fist pumps!! Woot woot!

Sorry, had to do that. Don't you love how I'm writing early on a busy day instead of writing days (or weeks) afterward talking about how busy I was??

Yesterday was a clear reminder of how businesses and restaurants are failing. Subway - gone. TGIFridays (where I was driving to meet my sister) - gone. Olive Garden - thank goodness, not gone. But definitely not busy either. It was a weird time but this Olive Garden is usually packed all day.

I'm busy, though! I have a bunch of work and errands to get done today!

$1 hamburgesas anyone????

2009-03-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Went to Bar Louie's in Town Square last night because we saw signs this weekend that they have $1 hamburgers on Tuesdays. Turns out that it was true. :D

The hamburgers only come with a bun and lettuce so if you want to add cheese and a tomato (like I did) it'll run you about $2. And guess what?? They were good burgers. It wasn't even busy at 8pm in the evening so I'm guessing that their marketing team isn't doing a good job. This post is my attempt to help spread the word about this great deal.

Makes me wonder how many other non-chain restaurants have great deals like this that people don't know about....

Moving on...

Today is a really beautiful day. I heard a weather report last night that said today and tomorrow were going to be overcast with a chance of thunderstorms but it's sunny and 65 degrees. I think I will exercise outside today. It's time for my tan to make a comeback.

Purim in the USA

2009-03-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

Purim is the one holiday I really miss celebrating in Israel. Israelis know that grown people dressing up in costumes is no joke. Like Halloween, though, Purim is solidly a winter/spring holiday and even if there had been warm weather for weeks, it will suddenly become the arctic on Purim. Making your adorable, Hawaiian skirt and lei costume very unseasonable. Oh well.

I love explaining the concept to people:

Which holiday is Purim, they ask.

It's the one where they tried to kill us, we lived and now we dress up in costumes, eat, and get drunk to celebrate.

So it's basically like every other Jewish holiday, they remark.

No. We don't usually do the costume thing. That part is special for Purim.

I also have to say that I loved the depth of the Wikipedia article about it. I've seen pages going over the entire history of a nation that aren't as long as the Purim Post.

And this is totally unrelated but I thought it was worth sharing: http://www.break.com/index/giant-ant-colony-is-a-world-wonder.html I was amazed by it.

Ellen Kominsky went from "bad blogger" to "not such a bad blogger"

2009-03-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

In the last month I've kept in touch with friends through my facebook status feed. Sometimes I'm a worse friend than I am a blogger. Sorry about that.

Lots of changes in my life. I left my job a few weeks ago. No, I didn't get laid off. No, I'm not crazy. I know it's a recession and I know it's a bad time to be job hunting. But I'm not worried. Las Vegas was never an easy place to get a job at start-up or online companies and I've always managed. And besides, I've started my own company and I'm doing freelance work. Lots of freelance work. People still seem to be starting websites, fixing websites, and needing traffic to their websites and, as long as they do, I'll be able to find jobs with them.

This is what I always saw myself doing but for one reason or another put it off. Freelancing was a part time thing I did on slow weekends. But since I've started doing it full time, I feel great. I'm picking and choosing what I want to do. I'm writing from home, from libraries, and from Coffee Beans.

I went to Missouri and visited my grandparents a few weeks ago. It was freezing, absolutely freezing. Everyone kept saying it was unseasonably warm. I'm going to still respectfully disagree. 20 degrees Fahrenheit can never, ever be considered unseasonably warm. It was great seeing them. We hung out, ate gooey butter cake and BBQ, played with their new dog (the cutest English bulldog ever!) and my grandmother taught me how to knit. As a right-handed woman, I found learning from a left-handed woman quite challenging. I even found slip knots challenging but I persevered and finally got the hang of it.

I will be better with the blog. I am now eating healthy, exercising daily, and working from home. I am adding blog to my list of daily activities. Blog, blog, blog actually. If I say I'm going to do it three times a day, maybe that will result in every other day or some more-realistic goal.

I almost forgot!!! I traded in my blackberry for an iPhone!!!! It gets better every day too if you can believe that!

Oh Hello!

2009-02-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

One blog per month. That's really bad. I'm a bad blogger.

I haven't been busy at all, simply lazy. Just kidding. I've been uber uber busy. Busy squared. At the cross streets of busy and busier.

Just got back from Vancouver last night. Loved it! Great city, great people, great food. Okay (suprising, I know) weather even. Vancouver gets my vote. Would definitely love to go there again.

Pictures and more updates are coming.

PS - Life's too short to constantly be doing what others expect from you!! Do what you want!

2009

2009-01-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Has the makings to be a crazy year!! It has certainly started off crazy....

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday (yay!). And tomorrow, according to my horoscope (thanks Stasya!), someone from my past will contact me. I kind of/sort of/maybe feel like everyone that I know is someone from my past so that just means one of them will give me a ring or shoot me an email tomorrow. She disagreed. We will see....

Posting while drinking

2008-12-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

Never a good idea. I know this. Oh well. I didn't drink that much.

Brings me back to college and my inebriated poetry days... Ah, the good old days. When I ate maize. And basked in the sun's rays. Hahaha, just kidding. My poetry did not rhyme. Pinky swear.

I've had a good month. A really good month.

I got a wonderful assortment of gifts for the holidays. Blockbuster gift cards, massages, facials, books, more books, a shirt that says "hire me", and an absolutely beautiful turtle necklace made of jade. If you're interested, I have a wonderful list of books you absolutely MUST read. Start with The Last Lecturer. It's wonderful.

In the last month (while I haven't been posting) I've done the following:

Signed up for more MBA classes
Read many, many books :)
Started exercising again
Started writing again (fiction)
Volunteered (very early on a Saturday morning) at a charity marathon
Decided what I really want to do when I grow up
Worked. A lot.
Many other things that I can't remember right now.

I love bullets. I love my life. Happy Hanukah! Merry Christmas! Blessed Kwanza! Happy whatever you celebrate!!! In the last year I've moved across the world, traveled, changed directions, traveled some more, had a baby named after me, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Despite some setbacks. Despite the recession. :) I've grown and learned and loved and tried my best and I'm happy with what I've done. I hope that at the end of next year I feel the same. Have a great new year.

Busy weeks behind me and busy weeks ahead

2008-12-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger. I realize it. Being busy is no excuse so I won't explain.

I've got another busy fortnight coming up so posts may be sketchy for a while. Holiday parties, events, and concerts are a few of the highlights.

Also, there is an exciting new development in my life that I'll let you all know about soon. :)

Hope everyone is great!! Happy Holidays!!!

Don't usually do this

2008-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

But I'm making an exception in this case. It's too funny not to link to. Get ready to travel back in time with this JC Penny Catalog from 1977 (with commentary)

Did I mention that I heart jumpsuits??? :) Enjoy!!

Super busy week

2008-11-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Doing millions of things, no time to really write. Sorry! Here are some of Alex's pictures from Greece that I really liked. You can stare at pictures of me (and Greece) instead of my writing this week...

I was told

2008-11-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

That if you don't blog at least once a week you are not a true blogger. So there's my post for the week. I'm a real blogger!!!

Had a good weekend, nothing too exciting. Relaxed, hung out, did some freelance work. Saw Role Models - it was actually really funny.

Went into cleaning mode, too. Cleaned my room, then the apartment, then the inside of my car and then the outside. Got to work this morning and cleaned my desk. I've organized my spaces. Feng Shui here I come. It's now time for you to kick in and organize my life. That's how it works, right?? :)

Busy week ahead, lots of work and activities.

And before I go.... Anyone hear about the mafia car bomb in Israel that killed Yaakov Alperon?? It happened on the street corner where I used to live!!! Craziness, right??

Social Media Optimization

2008-11-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't know what it means, you may already be doing it. Promoting your website or business through online social networks. So if you've ever mentioned that your business is open on your Facebook status.... Guess what? You're an SMO specialist! Everyone seems to be one these days. Sort of like SEO gurus and copywriting professionals. The same rule still applies people. If you don't get paid to do it (translation = if you're not good enough to get paid for it and never have been) you are not an expert. You are closer to your crazy great aunt who knows everything about anything.

While I'm on the topic....

I've mentioned before that I don't particularly care for MySpace. Not a fan although I use an account for work-related activities. Randomly, for some magical MySpace reason my profile page (which used to be private) was suddenly displayed to the world. The only reason I found out was because I accidently clicked my URL link (I wasn't logged in, if you were wondering) and saw my entire profile page. The page previously said "this profile is private" or some other such phrasing. And, no, if you're wondering, I haven't changed my settings. I don't change them. Ever.

Almost the weekend. One day left....

Walked by it a million times

2008-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

And I've noticed the book before. 14,000 things to be happy about. Never picked it up and looked at it before. Other people certainly had; the one at Borders looked like it had been through a war. A tug of war, at least.

The book is really no book at all. It's just a list. I flipped to a page that mentioned baking powder and charm.

I wonder if anyone has ever read through the entire list. What would be more noteworthy?? Reading through that book or making a giant list of your own. Things that make you happy. It could be random (like charm and baking powder). I think I would have more than 14,000 things if I put an honest effort into making the list.

Here's my first ten:

1) Grilled cheese
2) Ancient coins
3) combs
4) blueberries
5) turtles
6) people who snort when they laugh
7) Internet rumors
8) Sun
9) Books
10) Writing

Don't worry, I'm not going to post all of them. Just thought I'd show you the beginning of my list. Yes, I realize two of the ten are food. Don't email me just to point that out. Below, find a picture of me writing. In Greece (second row, middle pic). And a few other pictures from Greece for good measure:

Political bloggers

2008-11-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Are in a league of their own.

I just had to put that out there. I know that you can write a post before it goes live. That's obvious. But these people were ready. They even had time to include DETAILS. There were thousands of posts in less than a minute. A minute!!

Weekend in review

2008-11-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Had a great weekend. Productive but relaxing. A nice combo. Like couscous and cucumbers (it tastes delicious, I promise).

Did you all know that tarantulas live in Las Vegas? They do. Sometimes they even crawl up your screen doors. On Halloween. When you're watching Rosemary's Baby. I'm not even joking.....

This week will include:

Work
Exercise
Hanging out
The usual

On a bigger scale:

The election! Tomorrow!
Miriam's wedding! In Canada! MAZAL TOV, woman!!! :)

Dear Website Owners,

2008-10-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

It's time for us to have a little chat.

There's something that many of you have been doing that is just plain wrong.

No, it's not using free hosting or template websites. It's not bad design or bad color schemes. It's not leaving "This is where the title will be" in the < title > tags on your site. It's even worse than all of these combined.

It's sound.

Yes, that's right. Sound. Music. Unnecessary noise on your website. Tiny buttons that you need to hunt for to turn it off. Tiny buttons that often don't work. Cheesy music echoing out of my computer speakers and assualting my ears.

Not neccessary. Annoying. Terrible. The list could go on.

So all current/future webmasters and website owners: Please, I beg of you, make the noise go away! No one likes it. There is no value. And if I have to turn off Pandora just to stay on your site, there really is no choice. Your site will not win that battle.

Yours truly,
Ellen Kominsky

PS - Whoever told you that ca-cawing seagulls sounded good on your site was being very very mean to you.

Website need a revamp??

2008-10-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned it a few times in passing but I think it's time to tell people what I do for a living.

I make websites better. I make them look better, read better, and get found easier in the search engines. And I love what I do.

If you want to find out more, contact me.

Lots of work done, time to party

2008-10-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Heading out for sushi and drinks now.

Had a semi-productive work day. Had an email string 30 responses deep with each response being somewhere along the lines of "looks good, few more tweaks," or "looks great, couple minor tweaks." I hadn't seen that much tweaking since high school! For reals.

Almost the weekend, w00t w00t! Below, witness Greek graffiti expressing the same sentiment:

Week in Greece recap, part dos

2008-10-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Didn't happen last night but here's the next Greece post:

Tuesday (continued)
One more thing from Tuesday that I forget to mention (somewhat surprisingly) was a scavenger hunt. One of my fellow travelers had read about a secret restaurant that supposedly had amazing food but no address, only clues of how to get there. Not really my thing but my tired mountain-climbing body was willing to try and give it a go. One and a half hours later I firmly believed that the place (a) didn't exist or (b) was a tourist trap. At an intersection, we stopped for the 83rd time to look at the map. "What intersection is this?" one of my friends asked. I answered. "We're at the intersection of my feet hurt and my ass is sore. I'm ready to go home." No one paid attention (except for Alex and Jessica who found me amusing). Luckily, we found the place two minutes later. Food was okay and, thankfully, wasn't too overpriced.
Wednesday!
Once again, we stopped in Marathon for breakfast. Despite learning how to say "No meat. I'm a vegetarian" I still received a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast. We then took off to Delphi - where the oracle once prophesied obscure visions of the future - an estimated three hour drive away. We pulled into a gas station that was, literally, off the side of the freeway. It had the strangest bathroom I'd seen yet (in a country where every bathroom was a brand new experience). There was no seat, no lid. Just a big porcelain bowl (that resembled a punch bowl, actually) sitting on the ground. To flush I pulled a string dangling from the wall and heard the startling sound of water falling from above my head. God bless reflexes is all I can say. I jerked back milliseconds before I was doused with water from very questionable origins.

We also played a great game of road trip 'name those lyrics'. 5 things I enjoyed about the trip to Delphi:
1) Twistiest roads I'd ever seen
2) Cow crossing signs
3) View from the bottom
4) View from the top
5) The company :)

The trek up and down the mountain had been described in the tourbook as "light to moderate". The rock climbing, twisty, winding path down and then up the mountain could only be described as treacherous. I wore shoes for light to moderate walking and my feet may never be the same.

Thursday!
Alex and I took an alone day on Thursday and it was wonderful. An absolutely perfect vacation day in my mind. We visited the Marathon battleground where 6,000 Persians were killed - and their army defeated - with only 192 Greek casualties. The burial mound was amazing and the scenery couldn't have been prettier. We even had a stray dog join us for our trek around the park. We found a nice little fast food joint and I had my first real Greek gyro and it didn't disappoint. Heaven with some tzatziki on top. After that we went to the beach, played backgammon and drank some type of lovely wine (the label was in Greek, lol).

Friday!
Second favorite day of the trip was Friday. Woke up at the butt crack of dawn and flew to Santorini. Santorini is literally one of the most beautiful places on earth (that I've ever seen at least). Everyone should go there at least once in their lives. We saw amazing views, ancient ruins, went shopping and drove around the island like a biker gang on ATVs. Sooo much fun.
Saturday!
Slept in, packed, bummed around the house and then took off to the south to see the Temple of Poseidon and watch the sunset. Truly gorgeous. It was a great way to spend the last day there. Sunday!
Traveling days are no fun and this was no exception. It wasn't terrible but between restless sleeping, a long layover, and bad food I was ready to be home.

Going straight to work Monday morning wasn't the smartest idea I'd ever had but my brain readjusted itself around noon and got back in the swing of things. Sort of. It's definitely readjusted now despite my 3am jet lag wake-ups.

So there you have my week in Greece recap. Next vacation plan: Dublin (with maybe a dash of Scotland and England thrown in for good measure). Happy hump day!

Another post

2008-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let all of you know that I voted.

That's it.

A third post may be coming tonight. Stay tuned.

I heart these pics :D Greek romance and off-roading

2008-10-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm back

2008-10-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

I'm back!! Pictures to come!!

Some quick snippets from Sunday, Monday and Tuesday:

Sunday!
First restaurant experience was hilarious. Lost in translation on crack. We ordered so much food and had no idea what we'd ordered until it came. The joys of traveling abroad, right?? It was also (get ready for it) karaoke night! Very little singing but lots of "testing, testing" (ehna, ehna in greek). Luckily, it was delicious even though we all smelled like workers at a rosemary processing factory afterward..
Monday!
On the way to Athens, we got our first taste of Greek musical taste. Boy, do the Greeks love Madonna. And techno. Some other songs included: I Will Survive (techno version), Barbie Girl, Rocky (techno version), and Blue (techno version). We also learned that "okai" means NO in Greek and "nai" means YES. We enjoyed the archaeological museum, Angora, drank Sangria, and strolled along the streets of Athens. Mr. T leaned over at one point of dinner, burped in my ear, and then mumbled "this is why I don't have a girlfriend." Hilariousness.
One confusing thing (well, one of the confusing things) I noticed is that "iced tea" was always under the "hot drinks" section of menus. And when you order an iced tea, you are asked whether you would like your tea "hot or cold".
Tuesday!
Seven people using one shower made us miss the early bus into athens. Despite the extra time to get ready, my hair was bigger and curlier than it's been in years. Learned "me lah tee anglika" - do you speak english and "paracalo" - please and, most importantly, "poso can ee afto" - how much is that? I deleted about 300 pictures from the 700 I'd taken since they were almost all duplicates. I ordered a coffe and had my first goof of the day (there were many more to come) when the waiter said "Nescafe?". I answered KEN (yes in Hebrew). My brain heard nescafe and switched to Hebrew, LOL. Hebrew also came in handy when we were getting yelled at in random historical sites for walking where we weren't supposed to, climbing where we weren't supossed to, picking up wildlife (turtles), etc. etc. Alex said something about babbling in Hebrew so I did. It worked. Guards are startled when tourists don't speak any English. I said something to the effect of: "I like cheese. Do you like cheese? What is the meaning of life?". Moving back to breakfast, we were excited by what our waiter called a "toastee". It was a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. For breakfast. Yummy...
On the way to Athens, we passed the "{really really really long greek name} School For English Studies". It was amusing to see grafiti in English opposed to the Greek grafiti that was EVERYWHERE. Some highlights: "All cops are bastards", "There are ghosts", and "I cry tears". Dramatic English-speaking Greek hoodlums. Awesome.
Next, we were on to the archaeological museum. It was amazing. I won't go into detail but I have to admit that the Greeks knew how to make statues. Pretty impressive. Also, the jewelry was great. I would actually wear most of it!!

Stay tuned. The rest of the week is coming....

I am now - officially - on vacation!

2008-10-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'll be back in a few weeks with great pictures, stories, and a tan!! Okay, maybe not a tan but definitely great stories and pictures.

Η Ελλάδα, εδώ έρχομαι! :D

ONE!!!!!!

2008-10-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

THREE!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

FOUR!!!!

2008-10-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

FIVE!!!

2008-10-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

SIX!!

2008-10-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Seven!!

2008-10-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Eight!

2008-10-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

NINE!

2008-10-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Countdown (the official one) has begun!

2008-10-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

10 days!! W00t! W00t!

Busy day but productive day at work. Busy but productive week, actually. With very few technical difficulties (shocking, I know).

Plans for tonight: eat less sugar than yesterday so I won't be on a sugar high all night. Plans for tomorrow: the VP debate. I was thinking I would just watch the SNL skit of it this weekend but decided that I am interested in checking it out.

Remember to mail in your voter registration by Saturday (in Nevada) if you want to vote. It has to be postmarked by Saturday!

Everyone thinks they're a copywriter

2008-09-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

I, at least, get paid to do it!

So there!

Also, I don't argue about an issue unless I'm >98% sure that I'm right. So, for your own sake, you should just assume that I'm right if I'm arguing with you. :) It will be better for everyone.

Random topic change: New Year's festivities continued today. And by New Year's festivities I mean eating tons of chocolate rolls, apple strudel, and loads of my delicious apple cake. I'm not bragging but I honestly think it's the best thing I've ever baked. Even better than my bread pudding.

It's going to be a great year!

2008-09-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

The best year of my life!! :)

In fact, that's my resolution. To wake up every day and realize how blessed and lucky I am.

Happy Rosh Hashanah! Hope everyone has a year filled with love, fun, laughter, success and much much more.

Internal organs

2008-09-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Missed a few but thought this was worth sharing:

I named 22 organs in 4 minutes!

Very busy week for me... Will update the blog this weekend (fingers crossed).

A picture

2008-09-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

Of me. At Alex's family BBQ on Saturday. A little reminder in case y'all have forgotten what I look like. :)

Hello hello

2008-09-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I am well and kicking, just busy. A quick recap of the last week:

Bullets, I've been writing a lot of copy with bullets in it
Working, I've been working a lot
Hanging out, doing some of this too
Wine Walk last Saturday - really really fun, i recommend going to the next one. I won't be there though. I'll be on vacation. :)
Eating, lots and lots of eating. Check out these places if you get a chance:

La Collina
Swish
Tacone
Arby's

Hope everyone's week is going well.

Four days and counting

2008-09-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't had any caffeine since Friday. Woohoo. Go me.

No coffee, no tea, no iced tea, no coke, no diet coke, and no Dr. Pepper. No, if you're wondering, I don't like Dr. Pepper. But I suddenly had a strong craving for one yesterday since I couldn't have it. LOL.

It's a little rough but I'm alive and awake and kicking. We'll see if this makes me feel healthier. If not, I can always go back to my beloved coffee breakfasts...

Old school birthday party

2008-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Had a great time yesterday. My coworkers got me some great cards, gifts, balloons, cakes, the works. It was a great surprise. Went to lunch at McCormick & Schmick's and ate a truly delicious Parmesan crusted tilapia and mashed potatoes. Even the iced tea was delicious. Went to Blue Martini for the pre-evening celebration (and I'm going back tonight in a minute too, LOL) and then headed over to ye olde Excalibur to watch Tournament of the Kings. Good times, good times.

We sat in Russia (if you know the show). Go Russia!

Have to head out for the evening. It's the weekend, people! Enjoy!

It's my birthday!

2008-09-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

I am 27!!! Crazy!

I loved getting late-night international phone calls wishing me happy birthday. I got calls from Australia, Israel, Ireland, and England! Pretty global, right?

Las Vegas: Help out by eating out!

2008-09-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Restaurant Week is here!

Eating at some of the Valley's most exclusive restaurants this week will help feed the hungry.

Find out about Las Vegas Restaurant Week.

Stupid drivers

2008-09-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

I'm normally a very calm driver. It takes a lot to set my pulse or my temper off. On my way to work last week, I decided to go in early. To get some stuff done before other people got in. To be productive. Instead, I spent a half an hour trying to cross the strip. Bumper to bumper traffic, accidents. People who hadn't had their morning coffee yet. The works.

I sat at the light seven times. If you know the light at Trop and the strip, you understand why I sat there for a half an hour. It's the longest light this side of the Mississippi.

I was pretty close (sorry Mom and Dad) to the car in front of me since I hadn't realized that traffic wasn't going to move on a green light. The girl in this VW Bug did not know how to drive a stick shift. Suffice it to say, the longest four seconds of my life stretched on as her car rolled back and back some more until it was practically sitting on my car. She finally figured it out and moved forward a few feet. The next time the light turned green I gave VW girl a lot of space. Too much space evidently as a giant white truck plowed into the lane. The VW girl had issues again and I watched with a little sadness and a little feeling of karma as the VW bug reversed into the truck with a resounding SMACK! Only problem was getting out of the lane after the accident.

I feel like I see a lot of traffic accidents... Is it me or are there just a lot of traffic accidents in Las Vegas??

Beyond that, I enjoyed my three day weekend. Relaxing, fun, and all that good stuff.

Tomorrow is my birthday! I'm very excited! 27 will be a great year filled with happiness, vacations, friends, family, love, more vacations, new challenges, and dancing!!! Lots of dancing!

What is this I see??? A post!!!

2008-08-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

This has been a bad month in the life of 'blogging Ellen'. I apologize. Remember the equation??? Sketchy blog posts = busy Ellen?? Ringing any bells? If it isn't, it should be. I've been beyond busy with life and some days I honestly need to be away from this little box called a computer. Oh, and I've been writing a short story (haven't gotten the urge in a while and decided to run with it). They've even changed the blogger dashboard while I've been away this month.

Moving on....

It's a three day weekend! Go Labor Day!! Except if you have to work on Labor Day :( Then BOO to whatever company made you work on Labor Day.

Got a lot of errands to do/things to catch up on this weekend. But I am definitely planning to rest, as well. I've actually scheduled an Outlook appointment to be lazy both Sunday and Monday afternoons, LOL.

Here's a hilarious video for you to check out: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766

It's good to know that there are other people in the world whose imaginations sometimes run amok.

What is SEO?

2008-08-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the scene:

I was answering this eternal question. On the phone. In the elevator. Leaving work.

I was on the elevator with an older gentleman. Perfectly ordinary elevator trip, you're probably thinking. Ellen on her phone. A businessman with his briefcase.

I'm pretty sure I was saying something along these lines: "If you have a website and people are searching for something related to it, that site can be optimized. It's just a matter of how strong your competition is that makes things easier/harder to optimize properly."

I'm 100% sure that the businessman said this: "You can optimize ME, baaaaaby....."

What????

Seriously????

Creepy!!!

I've gotten a lot of comments/questions/perplexed looks during my years of explaining Search Engine Optimization. But this dude's comments were certainly a first.

Uber-busy (sorry)

2008-08-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy lately. There is no excuse for not updating my blog but there you have it. Here's the wrap-up from the last couple weeks:

PA was good. Fun times.

Coming home was even better :)
Deer are sometimes mistaken for rabbits in Pennsylvania.
My family rocks.

Everyone kept telling me how pretty and skinny I am, LOL.

Been getting a lot of freelance jobs lately.

Part of the reason I've been so busy.

Been going out a lot lately.

Another reason for the sketchy blog posts.

I was a little sick last week.

No more excuses, I promise.
I'm almost better now, still coughing though.

Went to a wedding.
And the Pahrump Valley Winery.

Can't think of anything else now. Will be better this week. Hopefully. Here's a great picture of me and my sister too. Loves it!!

Philly

2008-07-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Heading to Philadelphia tomorrow morning to hang out with the family for the weekend. May or may not have Internet access. Amusing stories are sure to come (as they always do when I spend time with my family).

Allo Allo

2008-07-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yo voy a mi clase de español ahora.

Me gusta mi vida.

Y el queso.

Especialmente queso.

Mañana = mi empresa clases.

Y un artículo (entrada de blog) en Inglés.

Weekend Wrap-up

2008-07-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Another great weekend. Very relaxing. And entertaining. Saw a bunch of shows and movies, the highlights:

Jersey Boys - fantastic show. Go see it.

The Dark Knight - also fantastic. Go see it if you're one of the twenty people who didn't go this weekend.

Hung out, went swimming, shopped a little, baked a little, and did weekend-ey stuff. Not very exciting but good nonetheless. Some might even describe it as wonderful :D

Negative feedback

2008-07-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

I love that people (you know who you are!) enjoy my blog more when I'm rude and ranting as opposed to now when I'm happy and writing about it. Maybe this picture will cheer you up.

Ellen hearts grizzly bears
Six Flags Magic Mountain

Amazing weekend

2008-07-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Saw Rusted Root at the Hard Rock pool on Friday night. They were really entertaining. Hijacked a cabana and chilled in that for most of the concert. After picking out a cute outfit, doing my makeup, and straightening my hair it was all ruined in one split second. I'm not really sure how it happened but somehow I ended up in between JC and AK and the next thing I knew my cute outfit, hair, makeup, and I are swimming in the hard rock pool. Hilariousness. I got revenge. And then Alex got revenge for me again, LOL. Good times.

Saturday I hung out, did some charity with Three Squares (I'll write more about this in a separate post), saw an old friend, skimmed some of my MBA required reading, and then played Wii in the evening. I'm much better at Wii bowling than I am at actual bowling. Never, ever in a million years did I think I would ever say this but i actually enjoy the Wii.

Sunday we woke up at the butt crack of dawn and made our way to Six Flags Magic Mountain. In a twelve-person van. A gold twelve-person van. Soooo much fun. Exhausting but really really fun. I rode sit down roller coasters, loop ones, standing up ones, laying down ones. It was great.

Gotta get ready for the evening now. Have a good week everyone!!!

Forgot to mention this

2008-07-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

In my other post.

I'm having a good week! I'm going to California, Pennsylvania, Greece and thinking about planning a bunch of other trips. I've realized that I love Vegas as long as I can leave at least once a month.

I got a bunch of amazing stuff from my Grandmother. Go retro!!! Scarves, boots, gloves, purses. Amazing purses. Beautiful purses. Clutches, beaded bags, wallets, coin purses, patterned purses. I am going to write an ode to retro purses. They are even better than shopping in my sister's closet.

Dirty Blonde Cocktails

2008-07-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2008/jul/03/dirty-blonde-cocktails/

Fourth of July recap

2008-07-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Fourth of July, America! God Bless the USA, woot woot!

I enjoyed my day off by taking my car into the shop, cooking a nice breakfast, cleaning and exercising (ran three and a half miles, baby!). Having Fridays off makes me feel very productive, I am starting to believe in the merits of a four day work week....

Went to a party at Turnberry in the evening and liked being able to see the fireworks in almost all directions. Saw WALL-E after that and loved it! It's a great movie. Would have loved to see the actual screenplay - it probably was about ten pages long, lol. But what the movie lacks in words it makes up in wit and entertainment.

Today, I'm having backwards meals and some more relaxation. I had TGIFridays for breakfast (go cheeseburger breakfasts!) and now I'm leaving to get Original Pancake House for lunch. Maybe I'll try and make brunch for my dinner tonight. Off to eat dutch babies!! Have a great weekend y'all!!!

Great start to the week

2008-06-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Everything is going right in my life!! And it feels great!

Ellen rhymes with Melon

2008-06-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

Had a good weekend. Very fun, very weekendesque.

Drank a little, partied a little, relaxed a little and worked a little.

Some highlights:

~Blush
~BBQing
~Definitely, maybe
~Getting called out by a 75-year-old man for attending his surprise party (having never met him before....)

Fun times

2008-06-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

I skipped Spanish class again this week. Last week I was so exhausted from my work and extracurricular schedule that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Last night I was wide awake but at the Cornell Alumni dinner (at Simon's in Palm's Place) which was definitely worth skipping Spanish for. Next week, I will be good and go. It's settled.

On a totally random side note, I am so ready for the Mamma Mia! movie. I'm rocking out to the soundtrack in my car.

Thank you for the music
The songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy
They're bringing
Who can live without it
I ask in all honesty
What would life be

Life is good! On another random side note, I need to have a tag line for myself. Suggestions appreciated. Off to work now...

Loving the crazy emails

2008-06-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start referring people to this post instead of answering all the emails.

These should answer almost all of the questions:

1) Everything works out the way it's supposed to.
2) I'm happy, really happy.
3) I'm being very productive at work even though my mind is a little distracted.
4) Everything works out the way it's supposed to.
5) No, I don't have plans yet for the fourth of July. I was invited to two parties earlier this month but they have both been subsequently canceled.
6) And yes, I would love to meet up over the fourth of July weekend.

Sleep, where art thou?

2008-06-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

I've been sleeping even less than usual (amazing if you know how little I already sleep). I'm not going to lie. I'm struggling.

Must....get....sleep....

Random wonderfulness

2008-06-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

A picture-heavy post for your viewing pleasure today.

Picture #1 - Doesn't need any introduction. From the spelling errors to the overall message. True genius.

Picture #2 - Homemade pizza with pesto, peppers, artichokes, olives, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese. Pure deliciousness. It was one (of the way too many, lol) appetizers we made for Father's Day.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!!! I definitely am :D HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!

Couldn't sleep last night

2008-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I got caught up on my high-level American television last night. Here are my impressions of what I watched:

The Real World, Hollywood
Ellen's opinion: Doomsday is approaching.

A Shot at Love 2 with Tila Tequila
Ellen's opinion: Tila Tequila has a weirdly shaped head. And Doomsday is approaching.

40 Greatest Moments on Reality TV
Ellen's opinion: Doomsday is definitely approaching.

I usually enjoy my late-night forays into the unfamiliar world of TV. I like CSI and Law and Order and random Crusader documentaries on TLC. Last night was a bust. Couldn't find Law and Order. News channels bother me late at night. CSI showed a very graphic intestinal shot and I'd just eaten Chinese food - it looked too much like the covering of the dim sum (dramatic shudder). So I watched doomsday approach with show after show of truly terrible, horrible, mind-boggling bad reality tv.

One last quiz result

2008-06-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

I knew I was destined to have a cute little dog:

Your Ideal Pet is a Little Dog

You're both high strung, hyper, and cute.

You're one of the few people who can get away with carrying your little dog in a little bag.

What's Your Ideal Pet?

Now I'm off to do my work and start my day.

It will be awesome!!! (The day, not the work.) :D

Okay, nevermind. I lied. One more quiz result:

Your Luck Quotient: 73%

You have a high luck quotient.

More often than not, you've felt very lucky in your life.

You may be randomly lucky, but it's probably more than that.

Optimistic and open minded, you take advantage of all the luck that comes your way.

How Lucky Are You?

I'm a lucky girl!!! Mega bucks, here I come!

I'm a good American!

2008-06-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Awake before the sun

2008-06-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I crash out at ten thirty. I wake up the next morning before the sun and all of human civilization.

So I'm going to take Internet quizzes and contemplate doing some of my work. I know, I know. Saturday morning at 5:30 is not an appropriate time for a normal person to be doing work but if you know me or have ever read my blog you've already probably noticed that I'm not normal.

Life is like a box of chocolates

2008-06-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

Except it's better than chocolates. It's more like chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, loads of whipped cream, oreo cookie crumbles and jimmies on top.

Oh, and stop reading my last post and sending me emails asking what I'm wearing today. Dirty people.

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Color coordinating

2008-05-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

I seem to have a knack for choosing sporting-game affiliated clothing. Last week, I wore green when the Celtics were playing. Today, I wear red when the Phillies are playing. It's very strange.

Tel Aviv's rival soccer team was my favorite color of green. I accidentally wore green every time there was a game. A few times I was even screamed and cursed at.

So what can we conclude from this story?

1) Ellen wears red and green an awful lot.
2) People should just assume a girl is wearing that color because it looks fantastic on her and not because of a sporting team.

Go see Sex and the City!

2008-05-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Go now!!!!

Happy weekend everybody!

The Life of Ellen

2008-05-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

This morning was not a good morning in the life of Ellen. I don't want to talk about why, let's just leave it at the fact that it was a terrible morning.

To cheer me up, a coworker suggested latte therapy. So we went to Starbucks. A group of people in the elevator was speaking Russian, one of the men was even chivalrous enough to let us get off the elevator before him.

Unfortunately, he spoiled the gentlemanly gesture two minutes later when we were crossing the road. Crossing the first section of the street, we looked to the left to make sure no traffic was coming. No problem. Standing on the middle separator, we look to the right. No traffic. As we cross the middle of the street, the group of Russians - in their bright blue minivan - swerves around us a second before mowing us down, driving the wrong way on the street. Seriously???????? Unless I'm mistaken, I'm pretty sure they drive on the same side of the road in Russia so evidently they were out to get us. Yes, my mother did teach me to look both ways but on this curvy street it is impossible.

Coming back, my coworker was relating the near-death experience to another coworker (along with the fact that I'm having a bad day) so I shrugged and said "getting run over by Russians? at least it would have made a great story!"

And then, the epiphany!!! One day I will name my autobiography (if I ever do anything important) "It would make a great story". Brilliant, right?? Maybe not??