things I do to save the environment on a daily basis:
1. refuse any shopping bags - if the items fit in my purse, or if I can carry the item home.
2. use one paper towel after washing my hands in ladies room.
3. tear off part of a paper towel if using a paper towel from a roll that is not already perforated in half pieces.
4. recycle cans if a receptacle is in the area.
5. recycle newsprint and magazines.
6. cut up 6 pack plastic ring holders.
7. write on both sides of the paper.
8. break down milk cartons and boxes

"There's coffee roasting, do you smell it???"

-my way of telling my coworker to wake up and smell the coffee.

This is my answer to a favorite question I like to ask people. It starts so many conversations - I can't even begin to tell you how many.
Question: Where would you live per decade from 1900 to 1990:
rules:
United States only (I will do the world later). assume you are living comfortably. eternally 25. cannot live in 1 city 2ice.
1900: Boston
1910: Cincinnati
1920: New Orleans
1930: Miami
1940: Chicago
1950: Las Vegas
1960: San Francisco
1970: Los Angeles
1980: New York
1990: Seattle
side note: this game basically proves that NYC kicked ass in every decade. Hell, it has kicked ass since the Indians.

I have to go in for blood work tomorrow at 7am. I am scared. I remember this one time, my mom and I were living in Minnesota together. I was 5. She was 25. I needed to go to the doctor to get a shot. I was crying. She told me that we could go get ice cream if I was a good girl. There was a stuffed bumblebee hanging from the ceiling of the office. I ended up crying, and making a fuss, but I was spoiled, so we went to the drive up A&W after the appointment.
I don't think kids should be rewarded with food. It's just one of those things I don't really agree with. I will try not to do this as a parent, but I can't make any promises.

not to get all cheesy on ya'll, but i feel like in some small way, fellow bloggers, and myself are making history. its more of an arts and crafts type history. not the history that war activists made in 1969 - just personal histories put together. yet, history none the less. i mean we are keeping a record of our common-everyday-nonsense filled lives. i think it will seriously be cool to look back on. who knows, maybe one day when i am 73, i will sit in a rocking chair and read what i wrote to my grand kids. of course they would all have to be over the age of 18, but you get the point.
i think about that a lot. not sitting in that rocker. (hi rocker) but writing and sharing for an audience beyond the present. some would call that the future.
there is this one religion that believes that our lives (essentially) are being video taped, and that during the second coming (when christ comes back to earth...) we will all sit down and watch each others lives. whenever i hear this story i always laugh and wink or wave at "the camera." its fun. i hope my movie is entertaining and interesting. sometimes when i am alone, i think about that as well, and i start talking to the camera, narrating whats going on. uh, i guess some would call that crazy. i think its being considerate to my future audience. i hope they serve carmel popcorn. hmm yum.

i like the part in Oceans Eleven where Clooney asks Roberts:
C: Does he make you laugh??
(silence)
R: He doesn't make me cry.
(silence)



pleasantly surprised. it has seriously been weird to wake up in the morning, look out the and see sun.

One day last summer, Frank McCourt came over to hang out with Doug. They were sitting on the porch. Frank drank wine, and Doug stuck to soda. Diet coke I believe - he is not a drinker. Stopped cold one day. Hasn't took a sip since. A psychologist once diagnosed it as "spontaneous recovery". So anyway, Liz comes home and gets all hyper about Frank being over at the house. She asks me to prepare something for Frank and Doug.
L: Anise, you know who that is? Its Frank McCourt.
A: Yes, I know, we met. I like his work.
L: Oh. Well Frank is Irish.
A: Wait, what!? Frank McCourt is Irish!? Since when!?
L: ha ha very funny. What do you think we should have? Soda bread?
A: Why don't we just serve potatoes??

bud dum dum ching.

I am surprised that more anorexic people don’t hang out with fat people. I mean, they see themselves as fat, right? And for the most part we all hang out with people similar to us, right?
Well, then again, I guess it’s the whole eating thing. fat people actually take part in that absurd ritual...

I used to work for a socialite, & at a popular store in the village - so I would like to publish all the conversations that I have had with famous people. If noted otherwise, all conversations took place on the phone.

Melanie Griffith -
ring, ring.
A: Hello?
M: (in a verrrry chilled out whisper) Hey, it's Melanie.
A: wha, who?
M: Melanie Griffith. How are you?
A: uh, great. How are you?
M: ahh everything is cool with me. say, do you know when Stella should be there in the morning?
A: at the apartment?
M: yeah, she is going to camp with robin.
A: no, I am sorry I have no clue what time Stella should be there. I suggest you call Liz. Do you have her cell number?
M: Yeah, let me check that with you. (check number) Cool. Thank you.
A: No problem. Have a great night.

Paul Newman -
ring ring
A: hello?
P: hey its Newman, is Lizzie there?
A: no, can I take a message?
P: ah, just tell her newman called.
A: deal.

Chelsea -
ring ring
C: is Liz there?
A: No, may I take a message?
C: Its Chelsea.
A: Would you like me to have her call you back?
C: Don't you have another number where I can reach her?
A: I could give you her cell phone.
C: Okay. I will try her there.

Alec Baldwin - (we met once at a restaurant in East Hampton - and he found out that I was from Alaska.)
in person.
Al: Hey Alaska! How's Robin?
A: Great. What are you up to?
Al: Just felt like an afternoon jog. I am going to keep my car in the drive way while I jog the beach.
A: That’s cool with me.
Al: Great. I'll be back in the next hour.
A: Have fun.

Debbie Harry -
ring ring
A: Hello?
D: Is Miles in?
A: Yes, may I tell him who is calling?
D: Debbie Harry.
A: just a second -

Paul Newman -
in person
Doug: Anise something is burning in the kitchen.
A: Oh my! I left robin's papers in the stove!
P & JoAnne Woodward: (laugh at me)
D: what!? why would you do a thing like that?
A: I never use the stove, and needed a place to store her work.
P: Well its cooked now!
D: that’s for sure.
later, in the kitchen:
P: say, could you tell me where the beer is?
A: yeah, in the fridge, let me get it -
P: oh, no that’s okay sweetie.
again, in the kitchen:
P: Would you mind hooking me up with another Sierra?
A: No problem.
P: The meal was absolutely delicious.
A: Gee, thanks.

Bev D'Angelo -
B: oh, that girl loved you. Do you nanny?
A: No, but I baby sit and tutor from time to time.
B: How are you with 2 year old twin boys??
A: Love 2 year olds. I used to watch two boys both under 2.
B: Great. could I have your number in case I need a sitter?
A: not a problem.

Lauren Bacall -
L: Hello darling, where is the coat room?
A: around the corner to your right.
L: Thank you.

McCauley Culkin -
in person
M: I am waiting for a small Buddha statue from the back room - could you tell me how long the wait will be?
A: Well, I would guess maybe 15 minutes. You could wait here, or I could page you once Jose returns.
M: I will wait here.
A: Fine - so how has your day been?
M: Fine.

Holly Hunter -
H: Hello, I am interested in a comforter over there, could you help me?
A: Yes, I will find a sales associate for you. Please wait here.

Barbara Walters -
A: ABC Carpet & Home, how may I help you?
B: I would like to purchase 6 gift certificates for my staff.
A: Great - whom may I say these are from?
B: Barbara Walters. Actually could you individualize them?
(then we went through the whole process. I doubt you want to read that, and I dont want to type it.)

Jimmy Buffet -
ring ring
A: Johnson residence, Anise speaking.
J: Hey - Lizzie in?
A: Sure, may I ask who is calling?
J: Jimmy Buffet.
A: please hold.

in person
J: dinner was delicious. Thank you.
A: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

Alan Alda -
in person
Al: Thank you! Dinner was fantastic!
A: Thank you! glad you had fun.

Dan Rather -
D: Where could I find a restroom?
A: Down the hall, to the left.
D: Thanks.

Michael Pitt -
in person
A: Hey, I never do this, but I just wanted to say you were amazing in Hedwig.
M: thank you. I really appreciate that.
A: Man, it was fucking brilliant.
M: Thanks.

Moving East

Growing up in Alaska can be very isolating. Even as a child, you can feel the isolation. My parents however, did a great job in encouraging us to learn and discover places outside of my hometown. We had a small library room, and the garage was lined with national geographic magazines. We are the family who takes the scenic route, and always drives to the 'lower 48'. Anyway, around 1990, National geographic did an article on the subway system of New York City. I remember reading the issue, and being obsessed by the pictures of the skyscrapers, the streets, and the underground subway system. I knew what the average American kid knew about New York, however reading the article took my breath away. Luckily, there was a pull-out map of Manhattan inside that was marked with the most prominent buildings and other points of interest. I hung the map by my bed, and would memorize each building and neighborhood. To this day, I hang the map everywhere I live. I am bringing this up because as of Saturday, I have officially been living in New York for 6 years.
I flew out of Alaska on June 21st, (summer solstice) just as the sun was dipping below the horizon - only to rise a few minutes later. I remember never wanting to forget what I saw out of the plane window that day. The cabin of our plane was filled with an intense orange light of the sunset, and I was wearing a wool pea coat.
A week earlier, I had been mowing the grass by my city's airport. It was my second summer home from college. My friends and I worked together for the city's Parks and Recreation department. After work we would go hiking, mountain biking, or just chill at the beach. The upcoming fall semester I was transferring to the Art Academy in San Francisco. I guess it would be safe to say that my only worry at the time was that I hadn’t yet found a place to live in San Fran. So anyway, back to the lawn mower. I was riding along, when all of a sudden my contact lens falls off my eye, into the grass below. Five minutes later, my supervisor drove by and saw me searching through the grass. He was kind of strict - his name was Terry. Upon seeing him, I begged him to take me to my house so I could get another lens. He agreed to take me to my house, and right as we pulled up to the house, my mom stepped outside with the phone in her hand. I walked up to her, and she told me that it was a man from New York wanting to speak with me.
The character on the phone was Miles. He was a father in dire straights for an emergency nanny to look after his two year old son. His wife was in Paris on business, his nanny had walked out on him. In his panic, he called his sister in law, and she asked her babysitter (my college roommate) if she knew anyone that would want to move to New York. My college roommate suggested myself, knowing fully well how obsessed I was with New York City. So I spoke with him, and told him that I would love to move. He then told me that I will need to move within the next week. I said fine.
After hanging up the phone, I remember turning to my mom and saying: "Mom, I am moving to New York." She said okay (and then called everyone with a pulse). I then told Terry as we were driving off, that I was moving to New York in one week. Terry was a little taken back - but fortunately I had the cool "college kid" job in town, so the position was easily filled. So my friends and I had the appropriate beach gathering, and I was off.
Once in New York City, I felt incredible energy and possibility. I was a nanny for the rest of that summer in a little town outside of the city. I enrolled in a school close to the house, was able to finish University, travel Europe, and eventually move into Manhattan. Every once in a while I get the itch to try out some other city - but never end up leaving. I can't bare the thought that I might be missing out on something. I guess sometimes we just get these strange surprises, and its fun to go with it.

I never want to be a mom that has to ask her babysitter if her kid likes linguini.

mona was telling me this story about this nun that was at the spiritual retreat. the nun was sleeping before and after every activity, and in some cases slept through the activities. bothered by this, she went up to the priest to express her concern. apparently he told the nun that this was normal, and is very frequent at these retreats. he also added that she not underestimate the spiritual growth that is happening while she sleeps.
lets go to bed!

modern day hippie: like their 1970's counterparts, they aren't really accomplishing much in how to solve the problems that exist. they essentially get together, hold hands and feel the pain that is sung or typed about - yet they do not proactively solve - they are too focused on what's going wrong. some might call this complaining. the modern day hippie ranges from the homeless kids begging for food on university and 14th, to the unconscious consumer kid. the modern day hippie idolizes the olden day hippie, yet would never be caught dead in tie dye. they know all the right bands, memorize thier lyrics - but rarely activate or motivate.

now, its not all bad - modern day hippies are needed in a society to remind the people of what's going on. However the workers and the fighters are attempting to get things moving and make efficient changes within the society. After that last post about me wanting to write someone high (not that I would do that kind of thing), I just wanted to reiterate that even though I might have some modern day hippie tendencies - I would much rather be using my brain, and man power to make changes. I suppose we can get high once the changes have been made... but will that really be necessary in a perfect society?

I would like to post an ad asking if anyone would like to become my pen pal with one stipulation - we write each other high on weed (not that I would do that kind of thing). now, I was going to post this on craigslist - but that would be me basically saying "hey feds, here I am, email me, pretend you are high, become my best friend, put me in a compromising position where one day you just so happen to "not have any weed on you" and sentence me to the slammer at 26, for narcotics possession". So anyway, again - let me reiterate that this is an IDEA. Here is the ad I will never post:
wanted: pen pal who is willing to email me high on marijuana. you do not read high times. you get high to hear things in music, look at situations from a different perspective, laugh, and dance around. for some reason I don’t want a girl writing me high - I know that's sexist - but I picture my high pen pal being male. To add more to the fun I recommend a song, then you recommend a song to listen and then comment on. my pick to get things rolling is track 1 on Hail to the theif. a little obvious of a pick, but it should get things rolling. hope to hear from you soon.

I think this may be the summer of parents discontent. I have three friends whom all have one thing in common: their parents are splitting up, or have split up; are selling the house and are moving away. Interesting to note. parents who shouldn’t stay together usually say that they will split up after the youngest graduates from high school. In all three cases - the parents seem to have held out a good 5 years after that fact. I guess maybe they start to think things will change for the better after kids are out of the house - and then after five years it probably just gets worse. So, off they go to, I guess, to start new lives.

I have an idea for a college cooking show to air on the Food Network. Every episode would represent a different college. The audience would wear their college sweatshirts - maybe the show would take the occasional cross country trip to different schools. I would have a male and female host, and they would be professional chefs- having just graduated from chef school. I want them to be chefs because I don’t think it would be fair to give hosting positions on Food Network to anything but chefs. If they were not chefs - the show would be more geared for MTV. The crux of the show would basically be how to live off of 5 dollars a day, with a microwave, a stove used only to boil water, and no tv dinners allowed. Here is an example recipe to be featured on the show:
makeshift pizza in a coffee mug.
1/2 a coffe mug of bisquick
some cheese - but if you don’t have any, it will be fine without.
some spaghetti sauce.
directions: fill a coffee mug half full of bisquick baking powder. add water until you get the same consistency of shampoo. put the mug into the microwave for a about 2 minutes. the bisquick will in turn cook into a nice roll right inside the cup. take mug out after two minutes - looking at the top to make sure all dough is cooked. with a fork, pull the roll away from the cup, and pour some spaghetti sauce onto the roll. sprinkle with cheese and enjoy.
other toppings: honey & butter, brown sugar, cheese, jelly.

why do people do this (b*stard) to the word bastard??

cast your vote here.

Today in Barcelona about 7,000 people took off their clothes, and lay down on the pavement for photographer Spencer Tunick. Spencer is well known in the art world for taking pictures of peeps naked, laying about. His photographs really make you think about being naked with thousands of other naked people. Sign up to pose nude.
Of all papers to cover the event- the Kansas City Star gave Tunick the kudos he deserves.

Here is this week's six feet quote:
"it’s the positive people that are taking the risk, in thinking things will turn out good, when there is the possibility that things may turn out terribly." (or something like that...)

got nothing to do this summer? These guys decided that it would be fun to walk from Chicago to san Francisco. if you are still making summer plans and thinking of something fun and creative to embark on - I am thinking it might be cool to meet up with them forrest gump style. create a small summer revolution of sorts.

Direct quote from a letter I received today from a relative:
"I dreamt about this letter last night and in the dream I wanted to ask you something but I forgot. In the dream it was something really important that I really wanted to ask you. Ahhhh!
Oh! I remember! What do you use now that tokens aren’t used on the subway?"

Last Thursday at work, I went into the office break room to get a plastic knife for cutting an ice cream cake. After 15 minutes of struggling with a plastic knife, my supervisor suggested that I go retrieve a real knife from the drawer by the sink. So, I went back to the break room, to the drawer by sink. To my surprise, I found about 12 knives, all larger than my head, all sharp as fuck. Well, I don’t know how sharp the word 'fuck' is, but it always make things sound tough, and in this case, I am hoping the word will convey a sharpness, uncanny to any sharpness you have experienced. So anyway. I would like to express how disturbed I am by the amount of sharp knives that exist in a place I had associated as being generally sterile. Sterile in personality. Sterile in hygiene. Sterile in décor. In the end I shook it off, and told myself that I had been watching way too much Six Feet Under for fuck's sake.

Here is Tamara's joke about knives being in the kitchen:
Boss: You're fired.
Tamara: What? uh, wait a second, can we move this conversation to the kitchen?? Uh, I think I need a cup of coffee... I'll be right back.

This weekend, I am going down to DC to see my dad who is there on business. One of our adventures is going to be visiting the International Spy Museum. I am way psyched. The museum is full of fun games, and interesting tid-bits about secrets codes and duh, spying on people. Click here to send messages in secret code.