A friend left it on my desk today... good brand

 

 

Yup, I have a fake tree. Some years ago, getting a real tree was a movie thing, then I moved to the USA and I kept seeing those trees riding on top of people's car every December. It seemed crazy initially. What?!? They kill the poor tree to ornate the house? Turns out it's a better solution for the environment (read here). So,what to do? 

 

I first go to the the more practical questions: How hard is it to get this thing on top of your car? What about all those leafs falling in the floor... do I need to vacumn every day? And can I kill the poor thing before December 25th? It probably needs some care,like watering... ok, I was not ready for it this year. I still have a baby at home, so I'm taking shortcuts whenever I can.

 

On the good side, it looks beautiful and it smells good. I still think I won't enjoy that much bring the tree home, but I think it will be cute to get my kids to choose the tree and who knows build a new family tradition. I'm tempted to do it next year.

 

Did you ever have a real tree? How hard is it?

 

 

 

 

Do you have the new Beta for Messenger? If not go to http://download.live.com/.

 

I found an adorable new feature called Dynamic Picture. You capture a few images from your webcam and associate them to different emoticons. Next time you use the emoticon your tile changes to reflect your mood. Isn't it fun? Check this out:

 

 

 

 

This is my regular tile:

 

 

Now that's my tile after a smile:

 

That's my cool looks with sunglasses:

 

 

 

It's very easy to use, click on your name e selecione "Change Display Picture", then select "Dynamic picture...", take the pictures for the emoticons you choose, then just go have fun with your friends!

 

I just finished reading a great book:

 

"If You Want to write

A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit."

Brenda Ueland

 

It turns out that it wasn't just about writing, it was really about everything you want to do in your life. In the first pages the first thing that came to my mind was the hope that I could teach it to Camila. I have to say I was really impressed that it was written in 1938, her teachings are trully timeless.

 

It's a simple philosophy too. Are you able to tell a good story? Great, that's all that you need. We worry too much in "writing" the story. Which words to use. Does it sound smart? Stop. You are talented and if the world of critics haven't locked your mind in this land of worries then you will be able to express that great story you have to tell.

 

I especially like how she describes how important it's to tell the "truth". When you are telling a story do you really mean what you write? If you don't you won't convince anyone else, and they will be bored by the second page. Trully see your character, what does he do? How tall is he? Would he really be able to kill a little bird? It doesn't mean you need to know a short guy who killed a bird to tell this story, but the guy you imagine... oh this guy, he had no remorse when he killed the bird... or maybe he did, hummm, if I don't kow it yet it is because I can't tell his story quite well right now ;-)

 

Keep writing, a diary for example (in today's case it's really a blog). Practice my dear, practice.

 

It's interesting, I believe I write Camila's blog much more freely, frequently and careless then when I write in my own blog. I do wish to tell her stories, I can't wait a second before I tell them. That's why her blog is a lot better then mine. And that's why I also get better at it.

 

 

Today I hanged at my office wall a Valentine's card done by Camila. The first one! It's a heart with a sticker and some of her drawings, very abstract representation of love and friendship. It was something very special for me to decorate my office room with my daughter's art work. It made me smile.

 

I just got to know much more about myself thanks to my brother-in-law (Alexandre). He pointed that I was born on the same day as Jennifer Aniston, Burt Reynolds and Leslie Nielsen. But it's not the most important celebrit fact in my life. I'm 96% compatible with Justin Timberlake. And he guarantees, it's cientificaly proved. Here are the detailed results:

 

 

But Alexandre is a really wise man and told me that if Carlos got upset with this I just had to tell him that I'm really interested in George Clooney, and I have no chance with him, because we are only 43% compatible. So Carlos has nothing to worry about, because I truly dislike Timberlake and I have no chance with Clooney.

 

If you want to check for youself go to www.celebmatch.com. Of course I went there just to check if Carlos was compatible with some famous hot chick

This is a book from Donald A. Norman, a must read for every designer, doesn't matter which industry you are from.

 

After you read it you start to look at the world from a different angle. Questioning why some things are so hard to use: is there an easy way to figure out what to do? how can I improve it? if something goes wrong do I get any feedback?

 

Reading it made me remember of a Brazillian sitcom (the translations would be something like "The normal couple"), in one of the episodes the main actress was complaining how the Japanese engineers spend too much time thinking how they can make her life into hell, so they create a alarm clock that is really difficult to use.

 

It's not that she is dumb, neither the designers are that evil. It's just that sometimes they choose apearance/cost over usability... but sometimes they just don't know how to do it right.

 

I only watched Lost on DVD, so I have no idea what happend at the beginning of the third season. I don't want to wait until they release the third season on DVD, so I end up reading the "Catching up with Lost": http://tv.msn.com/tv/catchingupwithlost. It worked well enough. I was able to watch the show (which is in the middle of the third season) and I wasn't lost. I mean, as much as someone can, after all I'm still sure there's no way the writers can give a decent end to this story, but I do hope for an end soon, just so they can prove me wrong ;-)

 

Talking about the end, watch this funny video when Matthew Fox was at SNL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWKPbQbs6EU each person has a theory on what is going on. Those are true lost fans!

Have you tried Dim Sum? If you haven't get some of your friends and go for the adventure!

 

Dim Sim is a Chinese meal with great variety served in small potions, similar to Spanish Tapas (not in flavors, but in size). Servers bring the food to the table in carts, you basically have to take a look, see what looks appetizing and point to it. After some time you get to know some of their names.

 

I know I'm over simplifying here, but you basically have a matrix like this:

* steamed or fried

* beef, pork, chicken or shrimp (I mainly ask for the pork and shrimp ones, I think they are tastier)

* few vegetarian options

* thin or thick layer of wheat or flour

* scary or not :-)

* high in carbs or higher in carbs

 

The dishes come in 3 or 4 pieces, so it's always good to go in groups with a multiple of 3 people, but sometimes there can be a fight on the 4 piece dishes. If you are ready to try, first invite me, then don't forget to ask for:

 

I caught myself playing "Pollyanna" many times over the last weeks. I've been really looking at the bright side of things. And I am constantly making fun of the situation. It all makes this period less painful. Thanks Carlos for the great effect you have on me. I love your easy-going, positive and caring personality... and for getting me candies.

I thought it would be hard to keep up with our social life once we had a kid, but then I realized it's not that hard. It's hard when you have a kid, your leg is broken and your kid is sick. It's probably the same effect as having twins :-)

 

Everything we seem to be able to work around, except when Camila is sick. It's such a powerless feeling. It's really hard seeing your child sick. That's the toughtest part of motherhood.

 

Here are some pictures of recent events. One of my best friends babyshower and Victor's (one of Camila's best friends) birthday party.

In Brazil we care too much about the looks. My whole life I felt like I was fat, even when I was a teenager and was swimming five times a week for at least one hour. We always had some miracle diet and a big number of people would take pills to inhibit their appetite (even though some a dangerous for your health).

 

Whenever I go to Brazil there's the bikini panic. How am I going to fit on this thing again?!? And I know, many people are going to offer suggestions to lose the last 2 Kg, or worse tell it on my back.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's really good to be in shape, you fell good, it seems that you never get sick, but I hate to have it in my mind the whole time. It reminds me of an ad where a bunch of women have a scale attached to the ankle, we just can't take this out of our mind. And I am as guilt as one can be.

Every couple of months you hear some story of a mom that was forced out of some place because she was breastfeeding. It makes me soooo mad. It's a lot of work to keep breastfeeding by itself, doing it here in the US is much harder. People don't see it as feeding, they just see the breast. People just can't disassociate breasts from sex. What makes me think that all those people that get offended by nursing moms are basically creepy.

 

Here is the MSNBC article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16773617/wid/11915773?GT1=8921

 

 

- I have a bad stomachache that takes me to the bathroom every 20min. The crutches make the trip to the bathroom too long.

- I had a small fall from one of the stairs steps, thankfully my ass saved me

I was planning to work from home this week, but Camila got sick and we couldn't take her to the shared nanny. She had fever from Sunday to Tuesday; Tuesday she was throwing up; Wednesday seemed that it was close to an end: no more fever, no more vomiting. She was just a tired; then Thursday came and brought with it sneezing, coughing, and tons of mucus. Again Camila felt more like hanging in our arms and complaining from time to time.

 

And there I was with the damn cast. I can't help that much, and I can't work that much from home either. I learned that things can always get worse, so I've been very pessimistic about next week. Don't even ask me what my expectations for my birthday are...

Here are the pics from the infamous soccer game...

...VP (Vice President)

 

Today Carlos and I (and 8 more people) went to a dinner at his VP house. There were a chef who prepared the Menu with the help of 3 GMs (General Managers) and some people helped too (also good to get some of the chef's tips). The party was really fun, the people were great and the food was just delicious!

 

But the house, ohhhh the house, it is all I imagine a VP would have. If you have ever watched the "Dream House" in HGTV and got a modern one, you saw something as inspiring as this house. Clean, high tech, impecable details... a dream house. It has a Rainier view (it was at night I could only see the I-90, but I bet it's there in the morning) and to Baker, there is a sound system that you can control which song plays in which part of the house and it's connected to everything (Rhapsody, Napster... you name it). Carlos and I picked a Marisa Monte song (Magamalabaris) which was a success. One of the guests knew some phrases in Portuguese that a friend had taught her, very funny. Another was just hilarious, he brought a t-shirt for each of the GMs and for the VP that says "Yeah baby... I had dinner with <his name>", really, really funny.

 

To start the dinner we had a delicious soup with a scallop; the main dish was a risotto with seared bass; for dessert a hazelnut chocolate creme. I'm so full... and I can't even describe the finger food and the wine. Great night!

Here I am sitting in my couch then the dryer machine starts to beep, I decide to let it finish, I don't want to go upstairs. Then the phone AND the cell phone ring. And I know as soon as I get my crutches and stand up the phones are going to stop. I decide to wait. The caller from the phone leaves a message, the answering machine starts to beep, and it's going to beep until I explode! %&^%$@*...

The orthopedic doctor told me that in 4 weeks my bone should heal itself. Weee!!! Next week I'm going to take another X-Ray to check the progress. And by the end of the 4th week I will have a MRI and if everythings goes as expected I should start the physiotherapy. I just need to be quiet this first week just to be sure the fracture doesn't aggravate (it was close to be a compound fracture).

 

Anyway, given the bad options mine was the least terrible one! :-)

I fractured my tibia (one of the leg bones) while playinc soccer last night. I tried to avoid the ball from hitting my face but end up falling in a weird position. It felt like my knee twisted. I couldn't move for some seconds, it was really scary and painful. Then I was aplying ice and it looked like it would be ok, my friend drove me to the hospital and then after some X-Ray I got to know I had a fracture :-(

 

The good news is that the tendons and ligaments are all fine and the bone is all in one piece (not a compound fracture).

 

I hope it doesn't take too much time for it to heal.