psychopathic cyclones

The threat of Hurricane Felicia was not as imminent as most news reports indicated, it downgraded to a tropical storm and is still dissipating.

I've included a picture of the storm path over the course of 4 days. At each number was the actual location of the storm on that given day and the lines are the estimated path given by the news forecasts. As you can tell, the storm was steadily heading north, but every day there was a theorized pivot toward the state. Apparently 300-500 miles East of the State there is some kind of phenomenon that makes storms abruptly divert its course and make a beeline toward us. It's one thing to be so narcissistic to think the world revolves around me, but even I thought hurricanes were natural disasters, not psychopathic cyclones. I guess it's possible; apparently I am not always right.

Anyway, I know NOT to ever trust the news forecasts after many years of false hope that school/work would be canceled (well, that and partially because I attended school/worked at places that never closed due to weather), but I just thought it was funny how people respond. Half the state seems to go crazy with hoard-frenzy (I NEED 10 cases of water and 500 rolls of TP), and the other half is barely bothered (when is hurricane season?). At least this time there actually was proof of impending doom -- unlike that time the entire island shut down for the storm that never existed. Seems to me, that time, everyone just wanted a beach day.

Some people actually do work. Bite me.

i have a type: tall, pale, and handsome

I'm in love with a vampire.

I've always wanted to say that. I don't even understand the fascination with vampires (besides the numerous books and movies sprouting in the last 4 years), yet I'm so drawn to this science fiction anomaly. Granted that I have a type: tall, pale, and handsome, which vampire can be categorized.

I'm in love with Edward Cullen. (Twilight Saga, Stephanie Meyer)
Why? The forever young.
As much as I hated being a teenager, I admit there was something exhilarating about being blissfully naive and never realizing that learning was the easy part of life. Imagine the knowledge you would accumulate after constantly matriculating for a century. That's hot - A doctor, a lawyer, and an engineer all in one, with no stress wrinkles or ulcers!

I'm in love with Eric Sinclair. (Queen Betsy Books, MaryJanice Davidson)
Why? The successful entrepeneur.
After being around for centuries, you're bound to learn a trick or two about running a business. This vamp's got it down to an art. What would you do if you had more money than you could count? Well if you're anything like Sinclair, you probably wouldn't do anything differently. That's hot - A guy that's got bank and you didn't even know it!

I'm in love with Lucan Thorne. (Midnight Breed Series, Lara Adrian)
Why? The protector.
The oldest vampire of the three (at 900 years old, give or take a decade), not only speaks in a modern tongue, he also relies on technology to aid in the battle against feral, Rogue warriors. That's hot - All strength and a tinkering for gadgets, who needs to choose brain or brawn when you can have both!

Would you turn down a handsome, wealthy, intelligent, muscular vampire with passion that burns only for you? Ok, so he's got to bite you, btw his venom is filled with an aphrodesiac that enhances all the non-stop sex you will be having (with the exception of Cullen, his bite stings like hellfire but you still get the non-stop sex). Who* would say no?! Where can I sign up DH to be a vampire?

*Exceptions: if you like daylight; if you get stuck with a vampire with the genetic background of a hobbit; if you aren't attracted to male sapiens; if you abhor sex; or if you faint at the sight of blood.

But yet, after all this thought, it's still not what I'm drawn to. It's that in their respective stories, these vampires never loved anyone else. The heroines somehow get these blood-sucking monsters to promise undying, unwavering, and irrevocable love (and an eternity to see it into fruition). I want to be THAT heroine. I want to be THE ONE. Isn't that why women end up in bad, abusive relationships? They think they can change the beast within? There is definitely something messed up about this vampire fetish.

And you, too, if you wanted to be a vampire. Bite me. Literally!
(Hey... I didn't say I wasn't messed up.)

semi-homemade spaghetti

Don't worry this won't become a dedicated food-blog. I'm not much of a foodie that likes to brag about it on a blog with amazing pictures that makes you wish you were me (I'm much more of a person that will just eat it, then if I remember I ate it, hype it up for everyone else). BUT, this is randiomocity and I will randomly post whatever the heck I want.

I thought it would be fun to make a cooking tutorial (and the following day's home lunch), I whipped out my camera phone and a few ingredients. Recipe today? Semi-homemade spaghetti. Of course, I could have made a post about how to make spaghetti and meat sauce from scratch. Forget the eggs and semolina, that takes too long! Let's just be lazy and make a meal in 30-minutes.

What you need:

• Water
• Meat (ground beef, ground turkey)
  
• Extras (onion, garlic)
  
• Seasoning (salt, pepper)
  
• Jar of premade sauce (Classico plum tomato)
  
• Noodles (Barilla fettucine)

What you need to do:

1. Start boiling water for the noodles. This takes the longest, so start it first!
   
   
2. Grab all your ingredients, so they're available.
3. Prepare what needs to go in. Since your water will take a while, best do the prepping while you wait. A watched pot never boils. (But that's a lie, even with all the prep I did, I stood there and watched it come to a boil)
4. Cut your extras -- in my case I diced some onion. What?! You don't know how to cut an onion. Here let me show you!
   Cut the onion in half, and as it lays, slice perpendicular to the root, but not coming too close.
   
   Rotate the knife and slice layers into the root.
   
   Slice parallel to the root.
   
   You'll get a nice even dice, while the onion stays pretty much whole.
5. Prep your meats.
   
   If you're doing a blend, you may want to mash the meats together.
   This will ensure a good blend of the meats. Otherwise, you may end up with clumps of different meats. That's okay too, but I like it mixed. Also, waiting til it cooks a little makes it easier to break up clumps. Whatever you prefer.
6. Brown the meat. Make sure your sauce pan is hot. You want it to brown and cook through.
   
7. Reduce heat and add your seasonings and extras. Here I added salt and pepper.
   Here I added garlic.
   
   Let it brown more.
   
   Let those flavors set in and make everyone in the house hungry!
8. Check on the water. If it's boiling, throw in some salt and olive oil. The salt will help flavor the noodles and the oil will prevent everything from sticking. Make sure the water is boiling, this will help prevent nasty discolorations on your cookware.
9. Add in whatever else you want. Since the noodles take a while, I threw in the onions and let them sit. If you want, you could throw in vegetables to make a primavera or whatever else.
10. Add your noodles to the boiling water!
    Make sure they're fully covered by water and stir frequently. The olive oil doesn't prevent all sticking, you will need to keep it moving.
11. Make sure everything is cooked through.
    Add the premade sauce.
    Since it already has flavor, you just need to heat it up.
    I like to simmer it longer, that way the flavors really settle in.
12. After the noodles are done (use the instructions on the box for estimated cook times, you may also want to test a noodle now and then).
    Drain the noodles and rinse with cool water. The water helps stop the cooking process.
13. Enjoy! Ok, that's not really a step in the process, but what am I supposed to say? "Plate noodles, then cover with sauce. Scoop a moderate portion onto a fork and consume. Repeat."
    

Yes, this probably took more instructions and pictures than necessary. I bet you even think that semi-homemade spaghetti takes no instruction. It's self-explanatory, yes? Well, obviously not if I made a tutorial, duh! Shows how smart you are. Bite me.

we're just riding the waves

I've always liked to watch tv, movies, and made-for-tv movies, despite how disturbingly predictable the stories have become. I can thank DH for my cynical approach to how I waste my time. Now, halfway through watching (or reading, as I've picked up a new hobby), I get distracted by how it's a modified idea borrowed from something else I've seen (how many versions of Cinderella can ABC family make?!) or is an idea trying to bank on the success of other popular themes (vampire romance).

Why do most stories have happy endings? Why do they go on and on trying to develop the characters, only to rush the ending in the most abrupt and typical way? What happens after the story is over? It seems to me that many stories end with the unspoken, "And they lived happily ever after. The End." It's borderline impossible. Granted that movies are ficticious, they're based on plausibility. Corporations know this, and that's why people buy into it. These are so plausible, I wonder if they are based on real truths. The love of my life could be living in the facing apartment, biological warfare is very real and could threaten civilization, and robots from space know that hot women can lure men. Unless at a climax of your life you just cease to exist, your life will never have a front page obit nor a "Happily Ever After" stamp tacked on it. Maybe we should all wear "Manic Depressive" decals: one day you're joyous that everything is falling into place, the next you're dragging yourself through work. But that's physics, right? "What goes up, must come down." Life is the ocean and we're just riding the waves. *HA, look at me making an ocean reference!*

Let's take a realistic look at some predictable endings:

• Scenario #1a:
  You met the most handsome, athletic, and compassionate man of your life... and he's in love with you.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  He lets himself go. Now he's balding, pot-bellied, and emo.
• Scenario #1b:
  The best friend that was so hopelessly infatuated with someone else that it made him/her depressed and down-right crazy realized that you are The One.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  You were actually in love with the hopeless, depressed, crazy version of your best friend. Now he/she's defined a new level of boring.
• Scenario #2:
  A lost child and a family reunite.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  There's a reason why the child ran away/the family didn't care enough to notice the kid went missing. (Home Alone 2 tapped into this idea, but never came to full realization. It's obvious the family never wanted the kid, why else would they forget him at home, at the airport, etc?)
• Scenario #3:
  You left your job to find yourself, and as an extra bonus you snagged your dream job.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  Due to economic downturn, the company can no longer afford to employ you and you don't qualify for unemployment pay.
• Scenario #4:
  You barely survived the worst night of your life after being hunted by madmen/ghosts/fate.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  Your insurance won't cover the injuries/damages incurred as there is no proof that any of said hunters exist.
• Scenario #5:
  You just saved the town/country/planet/universe from horrific destruction.
  Real life, after the credits roll:
  You still haven't found a resolution for poverty/disease/gang crimes/overpopulation/ugly.

Perhaps this is why people are so unhappy. They compare their lives to movies and then reality kicks in. If only we could live blissfully in each moment and savor the good times. Who am I kidding?! Isn't it in our nature to be pessimistic? *HA! That's a good way to be happy, just have low expectations.*

Maybe I'll take up another hobby: Making short films to expose a reality to fiction.

Don't kid yourself, you know if I did make short films (regardless of content), you would watch it... and love it. Bite me.

adventures of the seldom traveler

I hate to travel. I hate being alone. It makes perfect sense why I would hate to travel alone. It just doesn't make sense that anyone would want to travel alone when there is just so much going on for any one person to keep track of -- your stuff, gate changes... You can't just go use the bathroom while some is guarding your belongings. You can't just ask someone to grab you a drink while you save seats in the waiting area.

My company used to host its annual training in Vegas during the summers. These were the first times I would travel sorta alone. I say 'sorta' because when your whole company goes up at the same time, all the flights are booked together, you end up traveling with people you know -- even if you don't socialize with them the entire time. So pretty much, it means traveling alone.

Anyway, this year, the company decided to host it at home, and we didn't go to Vegas. I thought I was in the clear. But oddly enough, my dear husband (to be later referred to as "DH") was going to attend his training in Vegas. Flights were cheap enough that I would join him. Only problem being that we're going for budget while his work is going for contract. We would fly separately and meet up in Vegas. Uh oh, here I go again, traveling alone.

I'm pretty familiar with traveling. Though I hate to do it, I know the procedure, check-in online to avoid lines, go through TSA, blah blah blah. Just when you get to know the procedure, the airlines goes and changes everything up! I'll get to that in a bit.
Anyway, so I glance at my ticket, alright 34... that means I jump on the shuttle, head over to the overseas terminal, and wait for 2 hours. I'm starving and by the time I get to 34, there's no where to eat. There's a dinky little concession cart that sells chips and sandwiches. I guess that'll do. I buy 2 large liter waters (I get really thirsty), a chicken pesto sandwich, and classic lays. $18.81. Hahaha, you know, I think beverage companies have an agreement with the airlines. Don't allow liquids in the airport -- charge an arm and a leg to parched passengers. BTW, the sandwich had golden raisins in it. Fruit does not belong in food. Bleh!

I pull out my computer and as it loads up, I realize I'm sitting among middle aged people, a few younger individuals. This isn't quite the Vegas crowd I'm used to. In Hawaii, flights to Vegas are usually filled with geriatrics with yarn pompoms matching their outfits, large groups of younger folk ready for a week of fun, 50-somethings yapping loudly to other 50-somethings about high school days they will soon reminisce about at their 40th Class Reunion. A very different crowd than any of the people sitting around me. I check my ticket again. In tiny letters, I read "Gate 61". That's a joke, right? I'm at the wrong gate.

Anyway, I haul ass from one end of the overseas terminal back to the main airport and out to the opposite end of the Hawaiian Interisland terminal. That was a trek and a half. I finally get to the gate, passing by Starbucks, Lahaina Chicken Co., and Burger King -- all more desireable than the crappy raisin sandwich I ate earlier. Whatever. I ate, I should be happy about that. I pull out my computer again, and finally get settled into posting about this. I mean, how random is it that I never travel, yet everything possible goes wrong. Then the announcement.
"Hawaiian Airlines announces the following gate change Hawaiian Airlines flight 18 to Las Vegas will now depart from gate 31 at 2:45PM." DAMNIT! Seriously. I just came from there.

Throughout this whole ordeal, my sister's boyfriend (who happens to work here at the airport) sees me running from one terminal to the next, and back again. He's laughing at me as I walk through agriculture all over again, "Eh, You know where you going, or what?"

So now, I'm sitting at gate 31, hoping nothing else changes.

Who knew? Even when I'm wrong, I'm closer to being right! Bite me.


UPDATE 6/3/09: After the post, I got up to use the bathroom, to return and -- you guessed it, someone snagged my seat! I would have tried to hold it until the plane (I hate to pee on planes, or while in any moving vehicle for that matter, but at least you don't have to tote all your belongings with you and return to find someone occupying your space), but that wasn't possible seeing as how it was DELAYED to a 4:15PM departure. I was going to have to get up eventually. The flight wasn't all lollipops and sugar clouds either. Talk about worst flights. The turbulence was annoying: at some point I was completely lifted off my seat only to fall back into it uncomfortably. At least we landed safely, after 1AM with my luggage finally gliding out with the LAST of the bags half an hour later.

the blue rubber ducky flew through the air

So why 'randiomocity'? Well, for obvious reasons - my name IS randi, and for less obvious reasons, if you don't know me - i AM random. It must stand for something when even I stop to think how random a thought just was.

A quick Google of randomocity supplied me with a result from urban dictionary (Webster, who were you kidding? This generation has no use for words derived from Latin or 1300-50 French! We use words such as redonk and possimpible. Right? Right? HIMYM! What UP?!):

1.	Randomocity	17 thumbs up
	The word used to describe an event or situation being completely and utterly out of the ordinary The blue rubber ducky flew through the air in a complete act of randomocity. random randomness randomly randomest weirdest by Brooke Bassett Apr 20, 2007 share this

You know, as much as life is random. It isn't. Not to go all Hitchhiker on you and all hypocritical on myself, maybe random coincidences are but the workings of the universe. So the more random something is, the more carefully plotted and destined everything is. Ooooh, insightful.

BTW, Yes, I DID just link to the movie rather than the book. Bite me.