NaBloPoMo Day Two Post Two -Taiwanese Toilets

Mac and cheese, or rather some tube like noodles and cheese is what I'm having for dinner. I'm a lousy cook but can bake fairly well. I'm left brained and it's obvious. I'd like to be less nerdy, but I can't, never could really. Some people claim to like it and think it's cute...but some how I suspect "cute" really means something equivalent to "look at the girl who can't walk but tries so hard, you can't help but adore her effort"...I'll take what I can get I guess.

Anyway, as I promised, a blog a day. I'll give you some words and a story and be on my merry noodle eating way!

Taiwanese Toilets

I'd been out of the country before...Mexico, Ireland, and now Taiwan. It was a school Fellowship to see the earthquake damage of Chi-Chi Taiwan. It was a treat to go, and I had almost decided not to even send in the application. But I did, and I was accepted, and I went. I was nervous as anyone could imagine, going alone to a country that was of Chinese language, nothing of which I could speak or understand.

I was alone, did I mention that? I was meeting a handful of other students in Taiwan. Fortunately for me, I managed to meet one of those students in Detroit before heading into Taiwan. Thankfully I didn't have to be scared alone! We could be scared together. Anyway, cut to the chase, we had a crazy driver that got us to our hotel, then I realized I'd left my money at home. Luckily I had just come from Ireland less than 24 hours before, so I did have money on me! I'm certain I cried for about 2 or three hours before I passed out from exhaustion. Then the adventure was on!

The trip was all in all, very cool! I learned a lot, met really great people, became adventurous with food (you'll eat anything if you are hungry enough), and got to see some very unique things in a part of the world I may have not seen otherwise.

The part I want to tell you about is the toilets. In many of the places we traveled (with the exception of hotels/rest stops/finer dining establishments) the men's restrooms/bathrooms/water closets/what-ever-the-hell-you-call-it were traditional toilets with a seat and tank and a lid and a flusher. I know this because of the conversations we had with the boys. In the women's restrooms/bathrooms/water closets/what-ever-the-hell-you-call-it were holes in the ground. Yes, a simple pipe that came up to collect waste. Imagine my surprise when I walk in to use the toilet and open the stall door and see a hole! I walked back out and saw the universal "chick in a dress symbol"...yep girls in here. I stood and looked. A girl walked in, went into the stall, I saw her squat, I saw her "waste", I cringed. Really? This is how I have to do this? Camping style? Well okay...only had three beers by now and have to squat. Okay, I'm used to hovering, how hard can this be? Well about five minutes later I braved the stall, I squatted, I wasted...it was a toilet experience I'll never forget!

Words...

feeling fist:The fist used to express deep or extreme emotion during a song, in which the singer extends a fisted hand and brings it back in towards the body with intensity of emotion.

In Use: When singing Hungry Eyes on the karaoke machine, Joe impressed us all with a perfect feeling fist.

pitching wedge: Someone who only looks good from far away.
ride on dubs: To drive a car with 20-inch or larger rims.
lappy: Short for laptop computer; especially old and outdated models.
midnight gardening: The act of passing out or falling over in foliage after large amounts of liquor have been consumed.
no homo: Phrase used after one inadvertently says something that sounds gay.

In Use: His ass is mine. No homo.

I Always Say Too Much!

Okay, I have an agenda of topics, so pardon my "bulleting"...I've had a magners, some chocolate, and a long effing week...buckle in and hold on to your britches!

ONE...I've decided to be Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween. I'd love to have the whole berry gang too, so if you feel compelled to dress up, and if you feel compelled to hang out with me [for plans yet undecided], then please, by all means, pick one of the gang and dress up with me! I plan on making my costume, but if I fall short on time I'll be dressing up in a premade sleazy Shortcake costume. Mike, you'd make a cute Huckleberry Pie. If we were talking in person I'd use my smirk to charm you into to it! ;)

TWO...this story was boring, I deleted it...I will assume you are grateful. Please save your thanks for later! [Had to do with me using power tools is all]

THREE...I was going to complain about going to the girly doctor. I even had it all written out. But, then I felt like it revealed too much medical information that I shouldn't share. I will assume you are grateful. Please save your thanks for later!

FOUR...So yesterday I got home from a really long day of work. I walk in to find out that my beautiful bully Bella was grey. You may not see the alarm in this, but you should know that she is a white furred doggie....covered in ashes from rolling in the burn pile. To say the least, I was not pleased, but this did mean that she and I had to shower together [the only real productive way to bathe a dog]. Here are some snapshots!

the bait	the beast	smile!

FIVE...Just a few things to some people who may or may not read any of this...Shane posted on Facebook today, he IS alive, I am completely elated with this knowledge, I hope to hear more! I am hoping @ibificus is enjoying his Friday that is leading to a hangover for Saturday...which is sure to be "impressive". Those boys in Ireland worry me sometimes! Speaking of boys in Ireland, another I'm sure I should worry about is @FrankieP. If there were ever a human that enjoyed scaring themselves, it would be him. I could see him dressing up in frightening costumes and then jumping in front of the mirror for the simple pleasure of the heart racing fright he might get! He inspired a nightmare I had about a masked person. To @sheehanpaul, I hope you are enjoying your trip to the west coast of the US. You inspired a dream I had about a Tommy Gun [see nightmare link above]! To my sis Holly, I've not heard from you in days. Yes I am aware I should sign into MySpace more often, the phone works both ways, etc; anyway I hope you are well. Becky, I got the invite, I plan on attending the shower. Brandy, I got the invite, I plan on attending the party. Mike C., your birthday is approaching, what would you like to do? Kelly G., your birthday is approaching, I have some gift ideas! Kelly P.-F., we need to get together sometime for tea, popcorn, and board games!

Phew, that was a lot...now, your words...
peep this: similar to "check this out".
anysexual: One whose sexual preference is not limited to man or woman or both. Targets include dinosaurs, rocks, fish, plankton, and balloons. To see an anysexual, please peep this!

My Itinerary

For those of you that choose to keep track of me, like Amanda, Holly, and Drew (for mom) . . . here is my itinerary for next week. (This is also my back up copy).

[For reference, STL-St. Louis, ATL-Atlanta, DUB-Dublin, LHR-London Heathrow, GLA-Glasgow, all US flights are Delta booked through Northwest]

DUBLIN
JULY 14 Flight DL1723 STL-ATL 15:15; arrive 17:57
JULY 14 Flight DL0176 ATL-DUB 20:55; arrive 10:00 (+ 1 day)
Hotel Jurys Inn Parnell Street (353 (0)1 878 4900) [In-15th, Out-16th]

LONDON
JULY 16 Flight BD124 DUB-LHR 11:40; arrive 13:00 (44 (0)13 3264 8181) [REF#32L4ZX, bmi]
Hotel Euston Square Hotel (44 (0)20 7388 0099) [In-16th, Out-18th]

GLASGOW
JULY 18 Flight BA1492 LHR-GLA 17:35; arrive 19:00 [REF#32FWHT, British Airways]
Hotel Victorian House Hotel (0141 332 0129) [In-18th, Out-20th]

DUBLIN
JULY 20 Flight AL225 GLA-DUB 10:55; arrive 11:50 [REF#25FJ2N, Aer Lingus]
Hotel Jurys Inn Parnell Street (353 (0)1 878 4900) [In-20th, Out-21st]

HOME
JULY 21 Flight DL0177 DUB-ATL 11:50; arrive 15:45
JULY 21 Flight DL0909 ATL-STL 17:35; arrive 18:20

Anyone wanting to drop me off and/or pick me up at the airport or a Metrolink station may volunteer! ha, like how I threw that in there!

10 Questions with Steph

I'm doing something different today, an interview with myself! I could interview someone else, and maybe I will later, but for now, this is my blog, I think I should interview myself. So, ten questions taken from various interviews I've recently read:

Q: Tell us about your background.
I am Steph. I was born in 1979. I didn't have what I would consider the greatest childhood, but I had always thought it was the norm, so I never knew anything different until I was an adult. I became an overachiever at an early age, which is what I believe instilled me with the strength to do things that are scary. I was a shy kid from the beginning, gaining my only friend Eva because her mother told her to be nice to me. We are still great friends, best friends even! I went to SIUE where I gained skills for becoming a structural engineer.


Q: What is it that you do for your job?
Good question, few people know what a structural engineer does. I have two ways to describe this to people: architects make buildings look pretty, they make them functional, make them livable. I make them stand up. OR, you know when you buy a shelf that you have to put together, it comes with instructions on putting it together? Well, I make the instructions for putting a building together.


Q: What do the letters HOK stand for?
This is a question that people at HOK get asked all the time as a getting to know you thing, a sort of "make up your own verbiage" for HOK. My answer is Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum. I'm not clever or witty, I am literal. Sorry.


Q: What kinds of projects are you working on?
Confidential!


Q: What makes design great?
Functional! Seriously, I love art, I love to look at art, I love to use art. But design of structures is different. I believe they can both be artistic and functional.


Q: What do you do outside of work?
Play on the Internets, blog, read, listen to music, travel, daydream


Q: Who or what inspires you?
Seeing my faith in humanity being restored. I get inspired when people do good things, make choices while facing the fears of the unknown, for making the right choices when the wrong one was so easy.


Q: What advice would you give to young people?
Make your own mistakes, make regrets, but be sure to listen to what everyone has to say. Do something before you die. Just try to be a good human!


Q: What is the best trip you’ve ever taken - where and why?
Ireland; I got to go with Eva to one of the most beautiful places known to mankind, and I got to see my Shane Brain


Q: What was the first space that you noticed?

I've always found this question amazing. Now trying to answer it, I find it difficult. My first thought is the old two family dwelling I lived in as a small child. Brick, Victorian. But what I recall about that space was the partial turret that created a sort of bay window. I loved that the space was not square. As I grew up and started seeing the functionality of space, I became appreciative of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, very functional, simplistic and elegant. That would be the first time I really noticed space. Chris and I still really enjoy just going for car rides and looking at houses and neat buidlings. It's a passion for which I hope to never lose.

Word of the day-
derection: What a guy gets when he looks at somebody really ugly.

I Might Punch You In the Head

I needed, or at least wanted to blog again. These days I have been living lately have been so weird. A lot of people are getting bad news, a lot of people are getting good news, and it's all very bizarre stuff! I have opinions on most of these things; but I won't share them because they will likely NOT have any positive impact, and I don't think people will want to hear my opinions. Besides, it's all too much to share right now in a blog. For those of you that are uncomfortable with the word "blog", replace that word with "journal" or "story"!

So for starters, my day is going okay, you know run of the mill sort of stuff. Amanda and I agree to go to lunch across the street from my building. She gets there and shows me a note the cops left on her door last night. Very odd note. Anyway, it has to do with a friend, that for privacy reasons I will call Jeanette. So Jeanette is having some problems, we'll leave it at that; and no one can find her. The cops finally got her to answer her phone. She is at least as far as we know, okay. She's not in any trouble, but she left a note with a dentist that alarmed everyone.

I walk Amanda part of the way back to her building to ask if there is anything I can do to help; en route, the conversation unfolds like this:

Amanda referring to my beloved mobile phone says "You know you're addicted?" I respond, "To what, my phone?" Then...CONK...right in my head with her fist as she shouts "Juneau!"

I mean seriously, who punches people in the head while shouting "Juneau!"? The answer to that is Amanda! You see, she has these made up games in her head that she doesn't tell anyone that she's playing; so out of nowhere you might get smacked or punched in the head while she shouts words out! She gave me the rules, here they are:

CAPITOLS GAME If you see a license plate for a state to which you know the capitol, you can shout it out and punch the other person in the arm; however, if the state is Alaska, you get to punch the other person in the head; if the state is Hawaii, you get to punch them in the face! The exceptions are the state you are in, or any state that touches the state you are in; for instance, if you are in Missouri, you can't shout out Springfield when you see an Illinois license plate!

Yea, so I'm not going to dwell there, if you don't get it, just be forewarned that I might punch you in the head one day for what appears to be no reason at all. If I would have known this game back in the day, while in Ireland of all places, I would have punched Eva in the face while shouting "Honolulu"!

Anyway, it gets more bizarre, we get to a corner where I go back my way and she continues on her way. Right in the middle of conversation she points behind me and says, "It's a giant rabbit". I look, there is nothing there. She says, "No it's there and giant". I still don't see it! "The plastic thing across the next street!" Oh, wait I see it! What the hell man!?! I'm far too confused to get more confused! She made me laugh anyway, so not all bad I suppose.

5 Lessons

Have you ever thought to yourself, "wow, smart people can do some really stupid things and sure don't know as much as they should"? For instance,I know this really smart, super intelligent fellow engineer who did not know in which time zone we lived. Been here her whole life, didn't know, coming from the same person that blows me away with book smarts! Then there are the really smart guys that still manage to catch themselves on fire! It blows me away trying to understand so I choose not to understand! I know where I'm going with this idea, I am choosing not to verbalize though, just a silly thought in a smart person's head.

I wanted to mention a few things that I thought people should know.

First:
When planning for the Apocalypse (see previous post), there are other things that might be really helpful or at least desirable, such as: clean underwear for when you literally crap yourself out of fear; a coat or blanket in case the world should freeze; a good pair of pink boots for both wearing and using as a signal of existence, a flare would also work in this case; a lighter and/or matches; a gun and perhaps several bullets (you and your friends who survive may just choose to shoot each other until one poor sap is left); a life jacket; extra socks, a lesson I learned from Ireland, just take the extra socks!

Second:
Don't bother thinking, there's no point to it! Half the time it's good, half the time it's bad, and the non-thinkers I meet are happy and carefree and just as well off as I am, except happy! So don't even think!

Third:
Revit is very cool and awesome and useful, etc. Don't be afraid of the change, it's sometimes fun!

Fourth:
When I say I am usually right and you are probably wrong, it's true. I might have a very misguided, confused, distorted, and harsh view of reality and this thing called life; but it's like the number 42, it just is, nothing else to ponder! For pondering, see my second note of this blog!

Fifth:
If you are on fire, roll on the ground!

Okay, so that sums of a few of my lessons for the day. I feel better already having cynically written. I should warn you that I will be out of town for the next couple of days, but I will journal my adventures and add them to my stephysite-vacay.blogspot.com blog when I ever get through Ireland and Taiwan. I'm slow (in so many ways), deal with it!

Word of the day:
showmance: A "show romance" that develops between reality show contestants or participants, especially one that ends as soon as the show is over. Often a ploy to gain more camera time.

Borders and BBB

This weekend was good. Friday the 13th was a good day for me. My buddy Shane called me (from Ireland, because that's where he's at). I've made it my goal to prove there is something he does NOT know about The Clash. I bought a book and will read for the most minute of details to catch him, although he's likely to know the answer anyway. After I talked to him on the phone, Chris and I went out to eat, at Denny's! It was super tasty, and there is nothing like breakfast for dinner! Mmmmmm!

Saturday was Valentines Day, and Chris and I didn't really celebrate it. Instead we took the dogs for a car ride. I mean, V-day is about spending time with the one(s) you really love right? So I stayed in bed late snuggling with the dogs, and then we took them for a ride. Chris and I ate at Jack In the Box. I tried the new teriyaki chicken bowl which is delicious! Then we drove over to Clayton to check out the Mini of St. Louis showrooms. I got to sit in the mini's which are super cool! I totally want one! It was great looking, but eh, I have no money for buying a car! So then we went over to Sharline's house to let the dogs see grandma, and to see her new puppy Pearl. She's a mini-dachshund. Super cute. Bella loved her and just wanted to play, but Bella is a little big for her!

Sunday was run of the mill. We cleaned all morning, but the bedroom smells so good, and looks great! I'm sure the dogs will spend today working hard at stinking it back up! Chris cleaned the bathroom while I cleaned up all of my unopened mail and did laundry. After all of that was done, I went to Borders to buy my Clash book; where I ended up buying a birthday present for Grace and a 'Learn French in 3 Months' thingy. Turns out the thing I got Grace is something she already has, but that's okay, I can get her something else that's super cool! Anyway after Borders I ran over to the BBB (Bed Bath and Beyond) to get a shelf to put in the shower and a fogless mirror. At the BBB, they had the Shamwow! So I bought Shamwow! I am sure to let you know how awesome it is!

Anyway, in order to get work done, I should move on, so here are the words of the day and weekend:

L bomb: When someone unexpectedly tells you that they love you. It usually comes out of the blue when you least expect it and are not prepared to respond. In Use:
Dude 1: Dude! Shannon totally dropped the L bomb on me last night!
Dude 2: What did you do?
Dude 1: I said "I love you too".

jackass of all trades: a person who is exceptionally bad at everything.
In use: Stefan is a dork. Give him anything to do and he'll screw it up. He's a Jackass of all trades.

My Newest Dream . . .

My newest dream . . .

So in this episode of 'My Crazy Dreams' . . . Eva and I were arrested!
This is what happened in my dream . . . a group of us including me, Eva, Rae, Josh, Trish, Jason, and some of Jason and Josh's friends all go out some how packed into one car and cause some trouble. We broke a few things and caused enough problems that the cops were out looking for us.

We go into hiding at Rae and Josh's place in some far away city. While there I discover that they have an obsession with toilets and bathrooms. In this one house they have three bathrooms, one of which has 3 toilets in it! That was Rae's bathroom!

Eventually Eva and I have to leave, and so we take the car we have (an old huge boat of a car) and we head back to our home town. Some how along the way we picked up Tori and Erica, who were looking adorable as ever and Eva and I decided that they would help us escape from trouble because they were so adorable. Bad people don't hang our with adorable people, right!?!?

SO we go eat, and cops walk by us never recognizing that we are who they are looking for; we think we have escaped our doom! We leave the restaruant, and Tori and Erica go home; Eva and get back into our boat of car and head closer into town. There we run into a road block. At this road block they recognize Eva (whose hair is long and braided). They arrest her and have a hard time restraining her so they cuff her wrists and ankles and carry her to a cell. In this time I am also arrested, but only my wrists are cuffed. I walk into a cell next to Eva.

Eva and I think we are being arrested for our previously mentioned antics, we kept silent not to rat out the rest of the gang. We were wrong though, that isn't why they were looking for us! This is the reason we were arrested . . . some years ago (in my dream) Eva and I go to Ireland, while there we use some special calling cards that allow us to collect "Travel Money" with each card used. We come home and since the value here at home was higher than in Ireland, we get more of a trip than the card company had planned. We used our "Travel Money" to go to Dublin, Ohio!! Well apparently they said we were commiting fraud. Who knew!? Anyway, they had all sorts of evidnece against us.

I don't recall what happened after that because my alarm was going off. However I do know that in this dream Eva and I got to share a TV, and we watched the History Channel and Discovery. The cops were so surprised by our knowledge and desire to learn that they were convinced the evidence against us was a farce and so we got all sorts of special treatment!