textures | tones

This was a dinner I cooked for Maria while still at Bunker Hill Towers. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m in the process of re-importing all my images into my new blog now. I thought the meal was wonderful: pan fried eggplant, zucchini, and broccoli rabe stacked then baked with fresh mozzarella and basil on top, baked garlic bulbs with olive oil, basil, and balsamic vinegar, and toast points.

Edit: The baked garlic also had tofu in it, I just realized. And I should try to look up when these originally took place so that I can add them to the relevant posts.

So I realize I’ve been tweaking this install of WordPress a lot, and I think as soon as I do a WordPress upgrade, it’ll nix all the changes I’ve made, so I’ve started keeping track of the backend PHP changes I’ve been making. The point of the changes, of course, is to implement the new jQuery functionality, the tooltips, fancy transitions, etc. And of course, most notably new, the photo gallery feature. Pain in the ass actually to integrate Lightbox with the built in WordPress gallery short tag. But it’s working! I do think though I might set the image constraints to 600px max; it’s at 800px right now and though it fits across most browsers width wise, it’s a little tall. Hmmmm…

I also realize my WordPress install’s gotten a little bit, messy. Some of the plugins I tried using left database tables even after I deleted them :-\

And, most importantly, only about two weeks left! And only four days of work left! And uh, man my father wants me to delay leaving for China until the 25th because that’s when he’s going. I really want to just, ignore that, and go whenever I want.

Keep a look out for photo albums, under the photos sidebar.

These photos were taken from the view of my apartment in Downtown LA, at a building called Bunker Hill Towers. It’s kinda stalker-ish I realize, but I think the city looks lovely at night.

…and only 4 more actual days of work! It’s almost finished!

We successfully got our Visas, good for 60 days at a time, 4 times a year, so effectively we can stay there for 8 months even if we really mess up our longer term Visas; we’ll just have to leave and come back in to the country every two months. Supposedly it’s good enough to even just go to Hong Kong and back. Or I’m thinking we can use this as an excuse to take a vacation every two months. Although, ideally still, we should have year long Visas that can be renewed without leaving the country. It’s just hard not thinking about vacation! Even though I’m desperately POOR! But my credit’s doing real good now that I’ve gotten most of my debts paid off.

This countdown may actually be a little in accurate now, and there may not be anything I can do about it. My father would like us to travel back to China with him. He gets to the states on the 15th, and he’s “thinking” of returning “most likely” on the 23rd. Completely uncertain though! Apparently, and I don’t think I’ve ever had to do this before, I wonder if it’s a new policy, but we’ll need to be registered with the local police station when we get there, and it’ll be easier with my father, which I don’t doubt. I just don’t want to delay our departure anymore than I have to. By that point I won’t have a job anymore so it’s not like I can work some more and make some more money. We’d have finished our last US vacation as well. We’ll basically be completely ready but sitting on our hands still. Not a very pleasant proposition I don’t think.

Our “farewell” party will also be next weekend, sometime. It was originally supposed to be this weekend, but I guess that didn’t pan out. Hopefully, it’ll be at my boss’ home, with some work friends, and the few friends I’ve left in LA. Maria’s going to be seeing some of her last friends next week, and I think tomorrow we’re heading down to Orange County to see one of them. It almost doesn’t feel real.

I’ll need to see my mother, at some point, before I leave. I’m thinking next week, during the week may be appropriate. It’s all wrapping up really, and I don’t have much exciting to say at the moment. Maria and I’s conversations are continually and exceptionally wonderful slash insightful. I can’t really wait until we get to China and we have a whole new slew of stuff to talk about.

My relationship with this blogging enterprise is a little iffy.  Not that its goals need be defined from the get-go, but I wouldn’t mind if they were.  Or, perhaps, if *my* goals were.  (I *have already* been giving it time!!)

I like the idea that this will serve as a record of what Sean and I accomplish, especially in China.  Right now, though, the accomplishments are pretty boring.  I got visas.  I completed my continuing legal education requirements.  I took my 401k rollover paperwork to the post office, again.  I did a GMAT practice quiz at the Arcadia public library and politely asked some makeup-wearing pre-teens to keep it down.  (I wasn’t sure why the 8 other people sitting closer didn’t take it upon themselves to do this, but when I left I saw that most of them were wearing earplugs and apparently watching videos on their laptops.  These did not appear to be particularly educational videos, either.)

I also like the idea that the blog will be a kind of online diary: recording my thoughts, serving as a vehicle for me to practice writing, helping me work through ideas and plans.  This possible goal is in part harpooned by the fact that an online diary is not private, and particularly by the fact that Sean will read it.  Is there any more obvious subject for a woman to treat in her diary than her gentleman friend? Of course, some issues are fair game: e.g. my thoughts on the immediately relevant question of what health insurance plan Sean and I should secure before leaving the country.  I may well treat the readership to this a bit later. 8)

The most appealing goal to me, though, is as a form of one-to-many communication (…or showing off?).  To the extent anyone cares what we’re up to in China, I can inform the masses without unnecessary duplication, merely by posting my amazing photos and describing my amazing experiences here.  Yeah, not so amazing to call Toyota dealerships to set up appointments to get quotes on what they’ll give me for my Corolla.  (Maybe I can get my picture taken with the winning dealer and post it here!!)

I admit that I’m already enjoying the benefit of additional Sean-insights.  (What did he write?  What on earth was he talking about?  Was that for real???)  Will he and I learn significantly more about each other from the blog?  (A slightly horrifying suggestion, actually–he tells YOU things he doesn’t tell ME.)  Eh.  I’ll take what I can get.

In the meantime, I acknowledge that the blog, like everything else right now, is allowed to be transitional.  Not that I mind being unemployed one little bit, but I can imagine improvements on the situation otherwise.

Ok so it’s a little geeky, but I finally got this page to validate, both the html and css. I also transitioned the javascript from mootools and prototype to jquery, which I am more familiar with. I’ve also properly formatted the code in all the pages I’ve edited.

I must say I’m surprised. I really do enjoy this theme that was created already, and it’s been quite easy to customize and tweak and whatnot, but I had at least expected the code to validate on it’s own, out of the box. All of the css classes/IDs are in Italian also, which is a total pain in the ass. Still, I feel good. I’ve implemented some new features, made some minor, probably not noticeable streamlining changes in the backend php. Coming along nicely if I must say so myself.

We have also just passed the three week mark. Only eight business days left of work also, one of which includes the luncheon. Maria got our Visa applications in to the Chinese Consulate today. She’s picking them up on Thursday. Everything is progressing.