Screwed over, ONCE AGAIN...

I regret to inform you that the PHOENIX SUNS have lost to the DIRTY, ROTTEN BASTARDS San Antonio Spurs. It's really true. I saw it with my own two eyeballs. The San Antonio Spurs have won!* So, whoever said that cheaters don't win is dead wrong.

We have suffered quite a few injustices this week. It all started with Goldie (real name "Courtney") being kicked off of Flavor of Love: Charm School because *drumroll please* she didn't get into arguments! Then, Melinda Doolittle got voted off American Idol. Now this. What is this world coming to? Am I going to have to root for the Jazz, who some have referred to as "The Utah Momos"?? I really never thought I'd have to stoop so low, but maybe that is the ticket. I don't know. Will it hurt San Antonio to win the Western Conference title and then lose the Championship? Or, will it hurt them more if they didn't even win the Western Conference title? These are all questions that I am juggling at this point in my life.

Suns, boy did we get screwed. I'm proud of you guys, though, especially Bell (he's cute!). No, I'm kidding. I'm REALLY proud of Nash. Sure, some say he could have played better and that the Spurs shut him out completely, but give the guy a break. Did you see the bruise on his left leg? He's taken a beating, much more severe than anything any NBA player should have to take. After all, this is not ghetto ball we're playing. In some sense, it would've been easier to play ghetto ball if everyone was playing that. But, when you have a team that shoves players into the scorers' table, or kicks players in the nuts, and they aren't treated in the same way, how exactly is that special kind of evil to be defeated?

Now, it is late, and I have many orange tears to cry into my purple pillow...

* This big red asterisk will FOREVER hover over all references of the Spurs' win.

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Goings on at the ranch...

Tonight is the big game and the Nus are all ready for it. Mr. Nonny Nu's Friday night apparel will include this shirt. And, as some of you may know, Nonny Nu has her game face on ALREADY with her awesome T-shirt and her awesome bracelet.

Go PHOENIX !!

Also, we are moving today at Nu Nu & Nu, LLP, so I will soon be ensconced in my new cubby hole. I have a new idea and will debut it on the blog as soon as I have all my ducks in a row.

Finally, I do the grocery shopping at home and wanted to give Mr. Nonny Nu more input into what I buy, so I put a notepad on the refrigerator. Look at the first entry.

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I have nothing to say today. (nm)

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Roses (updated 09/28)

So, I'm growing all sorts of stuff in my office, including roses (!). Like the NBA playoff schedule, I'll try to update this blog entry often with pictures of the roses. The current day's photo will be the one shown on the blog. The older photos will be linked. You will also find a link to this blog entry in the left hand menu entitled "What's Growing in Nonny Nu's Office?"

Everyone is aware of the tragedy that usually befalls roses that enter my office (those purple ones didn't last). That's why I didn't include these yellow roses (you can't tell because their blooms are gone) in the "What's Growing in Nonny Nu's Office?" list at first. I just figured that the blooms would wither and die, and the entire plant would follow. But, check this out! I watered faithfully and put her in the sun. Now, there's new growth!


Sept. 28 Update: Bloom's over, but there is much new growth (all the lime green areas). I'm thinking of relocating the these gals into a larger pot.


Sept. 6: Well, it has been two months since my last confession update. I missed the last blooming roses because I was out of the office during MonkeyPig's visit to HQ. But, here they are blooming once again!
July 17: Folks, this is a miracle. This is a MIRACLE, I tell you. Not only is this thing NOT dead, it's blooming. BLOOMING!
June 6 (a), June 6 (b): Dudes, check out the bud that's growing on my ROSES!!!! I can't believe it. I just can't. After having killed about 3 of these things, I just didn't think it could be done. Roses in my office. Can you beat that?!
June 28: New development...there was some white powder on the leaves. I can't tell if it's dust or if it's some sort of growth. What do you guys think?
June 1: No actual roses yet, but this is the longest living rose plant I've had in my office.
May 21:More growth!
May 15: The light green portions are new growth.

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DIRTY, ROTTEN BASTARDS !!!

See those guys to the left? Those are some DIRTY, ROTTEN BASTARDS!! It's the last minute of the PHOENIX-San Antonio game. Nash is bringing it in, he's running along the sideline, Horry slams him right into the announcers' table. BODY CHECKS HIM. I watched this in real time and I could NOT believe my eyes. Of course, the PHOENIX bench heads onto the court. Raja Bell (he's cute!) gets in Horry's face and Horry tried to elbow Raja in the neck. A couple games ago, Amare Stoudamire made a comment that the Spurs play dirty. I was sorta iffy on that, because I haven't really been watching the Spurs this season. But after tonight, there is NO DOUBT that the Spurs are some DIRTY, ROTTEN BASTARDS.

Good job, Suns!

104 98 -- PHOENIX.

P.S. Dudes, I really hope the NBA accepts that Amare and Diaw were going in to check in. If not, and they get suspended for the next game, I don't know what I'm going to do.

[EDIT] People are NOT happy about this situation: read this.

Suns-Spurs injuries here.

And, I can't believe Nash didn't win MVP. Nowitzki??? Blech. Watch this folks:

And this:

But, Nash is most famous for his passes. In this last season of college basketball, the kids seemed to be imitating Nash's passes. It helps that he's ambidexterous and has those crazy wide set eyes that look in separate directions, too. Here's Nash talking about his passes:

I leave you with this:Nash's Top 10 Plays of 2006...

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What's Growing in Nonny Nu's Office?

Click this to see everything that is growing in Nonny Nu's office.

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Stood Up at Castle Rock

I wasn't able to go hiking last week because I had to work, so I was really looking forward to going this weekend. Unfortunately, Stillman emailed me and said she couldn't go because she pulled a muscle, so I thought I'd take Mr. Nonny Nu instead. When I presented this to Mr. Nonny Nu, he agreed to go. Well, Saturday morning rolled around and Mr. Nonny Nu was too busy being a sour puss to hike. So, I just went by myself. I wanted to conquer Castle Rock anyway, since it scared me half to death the last time I was there. Don't laugh--I'm not crazy for thinking that.

I haven't ran in a week and also missed hiking last weekend, so I went with a healthier menu today.

Although Castle Rock doesn't allow dogs, they apparently allow other pets. I might bring Stubbie some time.

You all aren't strangers to Castle Rock, so you've seen that it's basically half shady tree hike and half death-defying cliff trotting hike. The shady tree part is called the Ridge Trail and the cliff part is called Saratoga Gap Trail. This week, I went backward, taking the Saratoga Gap Trail first, then looping back on the Ridge Trail. Before getting to SGT, however, I went through some shady tree areas. But first, I took the detour to see the Castle Rock. I figured that I should see it at the beginning of the hike in case I die later on during the hike.

I thought I had seen it last week, but what I saw wasn't Castle Rock. This is Castle Rock. Someone was climbing it, but he had a helper. I looked around and saw that there were people practicing their techniques on smaller rocks. I thought I'd give it a try. I just jumped onto the Castle Rock and started scaling it. After about 20 minutes of this, some of the climbers I saw before came by to check on my progress.

So, with that bit of encouragement, I returned to the hike. Hey, did you know that, at Castle Rock, the park rangers actually walk the trails and pick up trash? I met one of these guys. He had walked all morning and only found this much trash. Must not be a lot of litering going on around here. Okay, so I finally get to the Ridge Trail. At the beginning, it was lined with beautiful, mossy manzanitas, and yellow, red, purple, and white wild flowers. There were also some other yellow wild flowers that looked like bananas. Of course, I finally got a couple shots of the swaths of wild irises I told you about a couple weeks ago (swath #1, swath #2). All throughout my hike on Saratoga Gap Trail, there were hordes of industrious butterflies working on these flowers, and one let me get so close that I could see its fur. There was also a lone bumble bee who didn't seem bothered by my presence.

Soon enough, I got to the point in the Saratoga Gap Trail that (I think) gave the trail its name. As I trudged along, I came across some poop from a carnivore. (Yep, that's right, I spent some image memory on this one so that I didn't have to resize the image or crop anything out--I wanted you to see the detail in this very important picture.) Now, when our guest blogger MonkeyPig was in the Everglades, she regaled us with some alleged alligator poop. At the time, I was not buying the whole "this is gator poop" story, since there weren't any feathers or fur in the poop. After extensive debate, we concluded that the only thing we knew about the poop was that it wasn't MonkeyPig's.

Anyhow, when I finished the hairy poop analysis, I continued on my hike and, lo and behold, a really cute jack rabbit came running across the path. Then, I arrived at the treacherous part of the hike where I only had a narrow ledge to walk along. Some places were so treacherous that there were metal cables attached to the rock so that we could hang on for dear life.

So, that was the very end of the Saratoga Gap Trail. I finally made it to the Ridge Trail, which was a whole lot calmer. I thought I'd reward myself with a snack. There weren't any trash cans in the park, so I left the baggie out in plain sight so that the park ranger would quickly spot it on his trash picking strolls through the trail. I'm kidding! I can already hear Stillman thinking, "NO!!! Take your trash with you!!," which I did. So, you all saw the rest of the Ridge Trail from the last time I was at Castle Rock, so I won't bore you with more photos. But, I do have an interesting one that I didn't see because I was walking the other way last time (Ridge Trail first, then SG Trail). Going backward, today, I was able to see the trail from a different perspective. There was a rock that looked like a man's face in profile, so I named it Profile Rock.

Anyhow, I don't know if it was because I went backward on the trail loop this week and saw the cliffs from a different perspective, or I just got over the fear of falling to my death, but it wasn't as scary this time, and I'm kinda proud that I did it by myself.

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Office Layout

Here's what the new office looks like right now:

Here's my first idea for reconfiguration:

Here's my second idea for reconfiguration:

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I'm Moving!

We are building out the office and there will soon be a mad musical chairs routine going on where people are moved closer to their secretaries and what not. Offices have already been assigned. My current office is TOTALLY AWESOME. It's right near the back stairs so I can sneak in and out without being noticed. Yet, there are a lot of people who also take the back stairs so all my friends come by and say hello/goodbye when they come/go. Also, the plants really enjoy all the afternoon light that my side of the building gets. The only one who could use a change of scenery is Stubbie. He does get a bit toasty in the afternoons.

This morning, I went to check out my new office. Sadly, it's one of those offices where there's a column in the middle of the back wall. The window, which would have run the full length of the office is now split in two. Plus, since the column is sticking out two feet from the window (I just now borrowed a tape measure from one of the construction crew, snuck into the office, and measured it--YES, I'M STILL WORKING AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT), there may be furniture problems.

But, you know what? I'm going to make this work for me. There is definite potential in this office. Previous occupants have approached it with a defeatist, well-I-guess-I'm-stuck-with-this-crap-office attitude and have tried to work around the architecture of the place instead of embracing it and really incorporating its unique features into the whole floorplan. No, this shall not continue. I'm going to make this office the JEWEL of ##### XYZ Boulevard, Suit NNN, City, California, 9####. Just you wait and see.

Anyhow, as I said, I measured the new office. I will circulate a map of the office shortly and you guys can tell me your ideas on how to arrange the office. I hope I can fit in a little armchair area. I'm planning on using the column as a "gallery" area where I will hang a painting. Then, I will probably put Stubbie on the side of the column so that the column will give him some shade from the morning sun (that side of the office is rumored to have morning instead of afternoon sun, especially when the axis shifts in the winter time). Also, that side of the column is the same side as the door, so people can see Stubbie as they are walking by. See? It's already working out.

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Okay, FINE!

A few days ago, during a moment of weakness, I actually solicited blog entry topics from you people. SHEESH! Talk about bad judgment on my part...

But, my very very dear husband--my heart, REALLY--answers my misguided and poorly thought through request.

So, what was this $35 get-rich-quick-scheme? Well, we have all seen these on college campuses. You know, the flyers, ends shredded so you could tear off the contact information, promising riches beyond your wildest dreams for doing absolutely nothing. Kinda like this one, minus the greenie message and plus the "send $35 cash and I'll tell you how to make $100 per hour" message.

This was back in the mid-90s when I was going to college and needed to make some dough. I held back for a long time. Really. I guesstimate that I saw the flyer and thought about it for about 20-30 seconds. I then decided I'd make what seemed to be a lucrative investment. Of course, we all know how this story ends, right? It wouldn't be like me to make decisions based on good judgment. Look at how we got to this topic, after all. So, long story short, I dutifully sent in my $35 cash and promptly received a binder encouraging me to basically post the same type of flyer and watch the money roll in.

Now, I bet that Mr. Nonny Nu is just DYING to tell you that I didn't get my money's worth. But, if you think about it, the flyer method ACTUALLY WORKS. Post flyers and watch the money roll in. Those were the instructions. Obviously, people DO send cash to others just because they saw a flyer. Therefore, joke's on you, Mr. Nonny Nu, joke's on you.

Come on, people. I simply do not believe that I'm the only one who has ever done this. Let's all be honest here. I 'fessed up about my $35 get-rich-quick scheme. Now, you tell me yours. Fair is fair.

Nonny Nu Trivia: Back in the day when I was tutoring for a living, I actually used the flyer method to advertise. It really worked! I was "The Low Cost Math Tutor," and my flyers were all different colors. I didn't charge the $100 per hour that would have fully realized the instructions I procured for the price of only $35, though.

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My Trip to San Diego

Sorry, guys, but I haven’t updated the NBA bracket or my plant pictures today because I wasn’t in the office. Stubbie’s Godmother had to take care of him today as well as water the plants.

This morning, I got up BEFORE the crack of dawn to catch a flight to San Diego. I usually fly out of San Jose, but I had to fly out of San Francisco today because I had to make a meeting at 9am sharp. Anywho, before I was even awake, I was boarding the plane. To my pleasant surprise, United upgraded me for free to first class! I was super excited, but it turned out to be just okay.

Anyhow, I was too busy boning up on the meeting material to take any photos on my flight out, but now, I’m on my way home and the only thing I have to bone up for is tonight’s Game 2 of the series between PHOENIX and San Antonio. Since the middle of last week, I’ve been working like a dog (weekend included) and I am really looking forward to being home and relaxing with Sushi and the hemlock-resistant mister. Have you guys ever been so dog tired that you can’t wait to just get home and see your family for a few hours? I only have a hubby and a cat and am already this way. I don’t know how people with kids do it.

So, that’s why I’m sitting excitedly in the waiting area, reading and re-reading my ticket. I’m almost there! They’re boarding my flight now. Ah, here is my seat. Sure, it’s roomier, but it’s just a one and a half hour flight. People don’t really need a first class section on these flights. We take off and people start getting their drink on. No joke. Some dude and his chick sitting across the aisle are imbibing. GMAB already. (Ha! Word says that “GMAB already” is grammatically incorrect. Well, I’m keeping it as is. Take THAT, Bill Gates!)

Seeing as how I’m not some rich I-drink-wine/martinis-on-my-one-hour-flights-in-first-class stuffed shirt, I make myself useful and finish reviewing MonkeyPig’s contract. (Can you believe the quality of her fax?) After that, I took a little break and read an article about Ferrari and Lamborghini in the United Airlines Hemispheres magazine. Dudes, Lamborghini CEO Stefan Winkelmann is kinda cute! Here’s what they say about him in the magazine:

“Lamborghini S.p.A.’s striking CEO, Stefan Winkelmann, a convincingly romantic German (who has spent his life in Italy), encouraged us to drive with brio. You just know he’ll set the best example.” Ken Gross, “Dream Drives,” Hemispheres Magazine, May 2007, p. 61.

That's just like Mr. Nonny Nu! Except Mr. Nonny Nu doesn't have brown hair, isn't German, didn't grow up in Italy, doesn't head up Lamborghini, and doesn't set even a good example! But, that's it--everything else is exactly the same...

Oh, gotta go! We’re landing!

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How to Use Apostrophes

I've customized my Google page and included a "How To of the Day" widget. Here's today's "How To". After reading that, you'll note that it was completely useless to me in that it said nothing of how to use an apostrophe to pluralize the _'s in the new linked text instructions. I suspect that I should've written "'_'s" instead of "_'s" if I were a "modern" person. But, I'm not, am I?

[edit] Check this out!! See? Someone DOES care! I asked.

[edit] I've updated the linked text instructions so that they no longer require the pluralization of _.

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Are those instructions about linked text clear enough?

"Clear enough for what, Nonny Nu?," is what I'm guessing will be the immediate response. Well, clear enough for my Internet-challenged sisters to understand. So far, only three have shown up (guest blogger MonkeyPig, Ca Loc, and Wah Toh). The two in the middle (3fish, and [insert name here]*) have not shown up. 3fish at least checks her email somewhat regularly (although she is notorious for writing ESSAYS for responses). [insert name here]* doesn't even check her email (not really--once in 2-3 months doesn't really count). Instead, she uses a PAGER. Yeah, a PAGER. Can you believe this chick? That is so 80s.

*The reason why I don't have a name for her is because she actually doesn't have a nickname. Don't get me wrong, we call her all sorts of names, but just not anything that would fall under a "nickname" category.

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Where in the World is Nonny San Diego?

Working, that's where! I have really neglected the blog as well as my running and hiking. Coach Nelson and Stillman are completely disappointed in me, I know. I spent Saturday and today working, which means that, if my internet stalker is true to his word of stalking only on Saturdays, he will work all day next Saturday as well.

But, you know what? My plants are really starting to sprout! At least I was here to see them take their first steps. Also, Stubbie didn't have to spend another weekend with nothing to eat.

So, what do you guys think? Is this blog going to die off? Or, is Nonny Nu going to hang on by a string and barely eek by?

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Viola (updated 04/01)

So, I'm growing all sorts of stuff in my office, including African violets (present from Green Thumbs McGillicutty!). Like the NBA playoff schedule, I'll try to update this blog entry often with pictures of my dear Viola. The current day's photo will be the one shown on the blog. The older photos will be linked. You will also find a link to this blog entry in the left hand menu entitled "What's Growing in Nonny Nu's Office?"

Apr. 1 Update: After half a year of sleeping, Viola has finally awoken! Take a look at her now. She has three buds up front, but seven buds in the back!



Sept. 28: This is just the gift that keeps on giving. One died on the vine and didn't bloom, one already finished blooming and has been removed, and three more have yet to bloom. Plus the five you see here, and this batch totals 10!
Sept. 6: Viola's getting ready too bloom again (I count 7 currently).
July 17: Look at these beautiful blooms!
July 9 (a), July 9 (b): Three days later...bloom!!
July 6 (a), July 6 (b), July 6 (c): I have a good feeling about Viola. She's a good girl. She has been working on her blooms. Look, she has as few buns in the oven!
June 28: Look! The little nubs ARE new blooms!! (Pic 2, Pic 3)
June 18 (1) (Viola lost all her blooms (as is too be expected)...)June 18 (2) (but this might be a new bloom rearing its head.)
June 1: Well, Viola is losing her blooms one by one, but she's still a beauty and very healthy.
May 21: Seven blooms!
May 15: Six blooms!
May 10: Two new blooms.
May 9: What a pretty little girl! She's very happy here after escaping from the evil clutches of Green Thumbs McGillicutty.
May 7: New blooms.
May 6

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