Chia pet - day two: Germination and contemplations

As promised, here's another blog entry as I dive into the world of chia.

After 24 hours, the chia seeds on Hello Kitty have stared to germinate. One thing that the Chia Pet commercials don't tell you is that it is very difficult to get the stupid seeds to stay in place. Even though Hello Kitty has grooves in her head, the seeds have a tendency to slide off. If you have a touch of OCD like me, this may drive you a little nuts. I wanted Hello Kitty to have perfectly spaced seeds, but that's not going to happen. Silly chia seeds...how dare you defy me!

If you look closely at the photos, you can see that one or two of the seeds are starting to germinate (or sprout?).  It really didn't take long. Chia seeds are mostly gray, but can be white, black or speckled. Quite fascinating.

You can see here that the seeds have slid off their original groove placement. When I try to fix the gaps, the seeds end up sliding off the grooves. I just gave up after a while. The problem is that Hello Kitty is very porous and is constantly leaking water. She needs to be porous in order to keep the seeds moist, but the surface of her skin is basically a "slip and slide". Oh well.

If you know me, you know that I followed the directions on how to make a Chia Pet to the letter. Somehow, I have a TON of left over chia seeds. The directions say this will happen, but I have too many left over in my opinion. I tried putting them on Hello Kitty, but they just slide right off. So what to do with all those extra seeds? I could eat them, but I decided to see if I could try to plant them...in my Chia Grass planter. My brother got me the Chia Grass planter last Christmas (I guess the Chia Pets were all sold out; I guess it's the thought that counts).

If something interesting with the these seeds, I'll let you know.

Finally, after giving Hello Kitty a fresh batch of water, I've placed her in a place of honor in my apartment.  Okay, not really. I only have one spot that I can place all of my plants (close to the window for sunlight, but not too close cause it's cold there).  I had to place a plastic bag over her head to keep the seeds damp; I should be able to remove it in another 2-3 days. Hopefully, something interesting will be happening then.

In closing, it's been a very interesting birthday. I got lots more love from folks on facebook than last  year, saw a movie in an actual theatre (Lincoln (directed by Steven Spielberg)...go see it) and I was contacted by an old friend I haven't heard from in years.  It was one of those days that makes you think that anything is possible.

Note: If you happen to share a birthday with someone and that other person says "Happy Birthday" to you on Facebook and you don't say it back, that is not cool and you are a jerk.

Another year older....and a Hello Kitty Chia Pet

 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

 

 

Hey folks, Friday is my birthday. Now, if you are a follower of my blog (all 4 of you), then you should know of my desire to be some kind of professional writer.  I haven't felt the desire to write for the last few months again until now; crazy inspiration just hit me after a few pre-birthday tequila shots.

My kind and considerate boyfriend happen to buy me a Chia Pet for one of my many birthday presents.  Ever since the '80's, I've always wanted a Chia Pet. Chi-Chi-Chi-CHIA!!!

Chia Ram, Chia Bull, Chia Kitty, Chia Dog, Chia Head, Chia Tree, Chia Obama....

Don't laugh...you wanted one too (in addition to a Pet Rock), but I never had the cojones to buy one for myself. Thankfully, that's what having a boyfriend is for.  He went out on his own to buy one for me.  Luckily, Chia Hello Kitty was at the store ready for purchasing (there was also a Chia Clown available, but there was no WAY in hell that was happening).

 

As I started to assemble the magical chia ingredients, I decided I should use this as a motivating reason (or excuse) to do some kind of daily blog. Who doesn't want to read my daily ramblings about slow growing chis seeds? I know you're all excited...I can feel it.

 

Look, throw a dog a bone. I need to jump back into the writing thing. Hell, I might even apply to a MFA program about writing if I managed to write 30 pages of original fiction in 2 months. Wish me luck with that.

 

Anyway, enough with the pity party. Now let's talk chia. When you water the seeds, you are rehydrating a gelatinous membrane that surrounds them. This membrane is what sticks to the groves on Hello Kitty's head. The goal was to get the seeds into the grooves without having them clump together (evidently, crowding the chia seeds is a bad thing).

 

 

 

This also solves a personal mystery of mine from when I lived in Japan. For all those who ate at the Thai food restaurant back in Yokosuka, the dessert at the end was flavored chia seeds. Take a look!

 

 

Dudes, chia seeds taste awesome and are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Want to know more? Get your lazy ass to the library or go on wikipedia and look it up (yeah, I guess I could put a hyper link in this blog so you could directly go to another web page and get more information; I will do so when I learn how).

 

My goal is to post a new pic everyday to show how the chia is growing. I have to cover Hello Kitty's head in a bag for the next 3 to 4 days in order to keep the seeds moist until they sprout. I'm assuming the next few blog entries will be kinda boring. WE SHALL SEE.

 

In closing, I want to leave you with a bit a wisdom that I've learned over the years: Don't be afraid to make fun of yourself.  Self-humiliation can be a source of happiness for others and will open your mind to an infinite amount of possibilities. Perhaps one possibility will be that you will NEVER do that humiliating event every again.  Or maybe you'll be hit with inspiration and write the great novel you've been twirling around in your head for the last 20 years. Or maybe whatever will happen and whoopty fricken doo will occur. Just be brave and go out there and let the cards fall where they may. If you need to have a few shots of tequila first, don't worry...I won't judge you.





How much is that doggie in the window?

When I was a child, I would do the following...

- Watch cartoons
- Read books
- Draw pictures
- Color with crayons
- Give random hugs
- Play with puppies and kittens. I wanted to buy them all.
- Sit on a patch of grass and watch the clouds

Now that I'm an adult, this is what I do...
- Watch cartoons
- Read books
- Draw pictures
- Color with crayons
- Play with puppies and kittens. Now I can buy them all, but I know I don't have the proper environment to have a pet at the moment.
- Go to work

So I no longer give random hugs and watch the clouds. That sucks, but I'm still mostly me. Actually, I still get to watch the clouds a bit...so it's only the random hug thing that's missing.

A-c-t-u-a-l-l-y, I still randomly hug people, but only if I know them (really know them, not just Facebook know them). In New York City, it's safe to only hug people you know who bathe. I assume all the folks I know do bathe (I hope).

And I don't go to work at the moment because I got laid off....so I can't count that.

I guess I still do the same things I've done as a child. Have I grown up? Not really, except that I'm responsible. Buying cute puppies and kittens just because you can is not a good thing. Growing up means becoming responsible...yeah, that sounds good right?

I forgot the point of this blog...I'm going to go color now.

*Note: This is meant to be a funny and introspective self-commentary. If you haven't figured that out yet....well, not sure if there's much help for you.

Fifty Shades of Grey vs Twilight....what is going on here?

As a very young child, I quickly learned how to read. I can honestly say I only have one memory of not being able to read a book.  To quote Yoda, "Do or do not (read)...there is no try". I love Yoda.

The point I'm trying to make is I've read a lot of books...I can't even begin to guess how many.  If I don't have a book I'm currently reading, I get anxious.  I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Books are my crack; there's never been a reason for me to try drugs because I can read and get a natural high. Reading is fundamental (old 80's reference). Who remembers the RIF program?

As an avid reader, I can tell when I'm reading crap or something spectacular.  In the last few years, a lot of questionable "literature" has been released that people are going crazy over.  One is Twilight by Stephanie Myer and the other is Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. War and Peace these books ain't. Hell, The Little Engine That Could these books ain't. 

To be honest, I've read better. Don't get me wrong...I like both of the stories. But if I didn't have such a vivid imagination, I don't think these books would be that good.  A well written book vividly describes the plot and makes it easy for the reader to "see" what's going on. Note: Fifty Shades of Grey is extremely descriptive in one specific aspect. I will give it props for that.

But I'm not here to bash the books. They are what they are and they entertain people.  *Who the hell cares if these books are not the 2nd coming of Romeo and Juliet?

I certainly don't.

In fact, I'm very grateful books like these do well. You want to know why? It's because it gives me hope that the drivel that I write will sell.  All I need is an interesting topic that will hook the tween element and then market the thing like crazy. That's the new American Dream folks - write crap, self-publish and make millions.

So stay tuned for more crap from me!

*Well, you might care if you weep over the destruction of the English language.

The growing allure of escapism

      My current line of employment is a bit oppressive; I often leave the office very tightly wound.  I have many ways of TEMPORARILY escaping the insanity of my job. Reading is my favorite form of escapism. If I don't have a book on my 1hr+ commute to and from work, I often feel like I'm going through drug withdrawal.

Note: I have NEVER done illegal drugs.  They look kinda scary and Lord knows I don't need to spend anymore money than I'm already spending on my jewelry addiction...but I digress.

Note 2.0: I'm always open for book suggestions...reading is an addiction that I can highly encourage. I had to stop buying books so I get my book fix from the New York Public Library. Support your local library!

      My latest form of escapism involves online gaming.  I've always loved video games. For all those gaming nerds out there, here's a treat: I still have my original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System)and it still works. Yes, bask in my gaming coolness. I've always owned home gaming systems, but my first PC gaming experience happened while in college.  A fellow ROTC friend of mine got me hooked on a PC game called Diablo. This was back in 1998.

      Fast Forward to 2010. I went to visit a friend back in Jacksonville, Fl and she and her husband showed me the wonderful world of WOW (World of Warcraft). The funny thing is that WOW is made by the same people who made Diablo...a company called Blizzard. Naturally, I had to play as well.

       This is what my online 'toon looks like. I'm a level 85 hunter Night Elf. Yeah, I know you're all impressed.

      As a hunter, I have pets that will help me hunt. The flying snake with wings is one of my pets that I named Twink (it's a Rainbow Brite reference).  Now you're super impressed, right?

      The best of part of WOW is the fact that you can buy flying mounts. This picture above shows me with one of my griffins.  Man, I can fell you folks out there drooling at your computers. I can literally feel the envy. No, I'm not drinking while I'm writing this blog...you're crazy to think that.

      The goal of WOW is to complete quests and to advance in levels. The highest level you can get to currently is level 85. After 1 year, I finally got my first 'toon to the highest level possible.  You'd think I'd have a hard time still finding reasons to keep playing...not so. Blizzard have worked into the game ways that keep making you want to play (such as getting better and better armor). That's their ultimate goal folks...if I keep playing, then they keep getting my money.  I pay $60 for a 6-month subscription. If I was smart, I'd invent a video game company.

      Overall, I'm a lucky person. I have a job at a time many people do not. While I want to escape, I do sometimes enjoy what I do at work and being social with other people.  When it comes to escapism, I'm not as addicted to this game as other people. I'm sure you've all heard of folks in China who have played this game non-stop for about one week and have died due to deep vein thrombosis. That's a really a scary scenario. See, I live in the greatest country in the world and have to escape occasionally. What does it say about China if people there have to escape to such an extreme level that they die while doing so?

Spot is my fish and I love him

And now...time for something completely random...

Welcome to 2012 folks. Today, I'm going to talk about my pet goldfish. His name is Spot.  He's so cute.  I actually bought Spot with another fish about 4 months ago. The other fish has since passed into the great beyond...and Spot survived the 30 day mark and so was entitled to a name.  This is my first fancy goldfish that I have ever bought. All of my previous goldfish were cheap feeder comet tails (10 cents each). Now don't get me wrong; comet tails are awesome goldfish. I had a few that lived for years (until I released them into a lake, but they could still be alive). But I always wanted a fish with a bit more "fancy" and thus I bought Spot. Spot cost about $2.50 and that's a lot for a goldfish.

Spot did not always look as he does now. He only had a little bit of black in him in the beginning. But thanks to the miracle of fancy goldfish food, his color has severely changed. If you look at the picture below, the fish that is on the left of the picture is what Spot used to look like. Okay, the picture sucks...and what you can't see is that Spot had a very little black in his coloring.

Anyway, he's much prettier now. His buddy died...and that happens to goldfish and I have since moved on with my life.

Goldfish are great starter freshwater fish.  They're pretty to look at and they are tough fish. I change the water in Spot's tank about every 3 weeks, but I could let the water turn black and he'd still be alive.  Come on folks, they eat their own poop...they have to be tough. Goldfish are also part of the carp family. Carp are poop eaters. Don't eat carp unless you want to eat poop fish.

If I ever write more blogs about Spot, I'll probably write about what he's thinking about at the exact moment I take a picture of him.  For example, if you're looking at the picture at the very top of this blog, Spot is thinking "oh thank goodness...she finally changed the water in my tank. I was breathing in my own piss. You hear me crazy girl...I was breathing in my PISS. What kind of owner are you? $@*&% you!".  Yeah, my fish has got some issues.