Just wanted to post quickly to say Merry Christmas from the lunch club! Our office is closed next week, so we'll be back in posting mode after New Years.
Today was a bittersweet day, with it being Leigh's last day. She is leaving us to go have her little one... he/she could come any day now!
It was only fitting that today's last lunch club with her would cover, what else, one of the less glamorous parts of childbearing... episiotimies! If you don't know what an episiotomy is, just... google it. Anyway, Leigh was arguing against the routine use of this procedure, and that the natural tearing was no more harmful, and in many cases has a less painful recovery. Of course banter ensued, and the boys were simultaneously intrigued and disturbed. I tried to find the most mainstream, least biased opinion I could, and according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Leigh is right on! This organization made a statement last year that episiotomies were far too often used, and that, while there may be a few instances where it might be necessary, their general use should be curbed: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr03-31-06-2.cfm
Moving on from that topic we went on to television and movies. We're all still disappointed and fussy about the strike of the writers guild. I think for the most part we are on their side but we still miss our shows! We talked about how individual production companies are allowed to negotiate with the guild, and what if anything would cause one of the majors to break rank with the others and try to negotiate their own deal. Stephen suggested that if it comes to the point where the Academy Awards don't happen because of the strike, that might be enough to break the production companies. Stay tuned... you can visit http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com for updates on the strike.
Our attention shifted to movies and I don't quite remember how, but we ended up dogging on Ryan because it seemed like he had a bone to pick with every movie we mentioned! The quote of the day came about as one of us summarized/mocked his commentary on Passion of the Christ and The Nativity Story: "So according to Ryan, Jesus wasn't bloody enough and Mary was a Muslim." His actual comments were that he thought people had overhyped the violence in Passion of the Christ and that he had heard the girl who played Mary in The Nativity Story was a Muslim. The generalization was much funnier. :)
Our lunch wound down to an end after that, as we all scurried back to our offices to tie up all the loose ends before our long break!
So from all of us at lunch club to all of you out there, have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Secret Santa Reveal!
For the past two weeks we have been playing a game of good ole Secret Santa here in our office. I saw we, but a few party poopers decided not to participate... we gave them a hard time, of course! But I suppose I understand their reasons, and they still helped by playing elves or surrogate santas for people who were out of town.
Anyway, today at lunch club was the final reveal, where we each took turns guessing who had been giving us gifts. Leigh and Lynn had done copious amounts of spying and notetaking and had what ended up being a fairly accurate list of their guesses for the whole staff. Except for a few, everyone was pretty much at a loss as to who their santa was. I guessed correctly that Andres was my santa - pretty impressive since he spent most of the last week out of the country. (Turns out Ryan was doing his deliveries.) I received, amongst other things, a cookie cookbook, which should come in handy, and a horse calendar, which took me right back to middle school. I mean high school. I mean now. I still love horses, okay?!
Jorge's santa was revealed to be Anne, who had worked diligently to create several handmade basketball ornaments for him. Jorge had also mentioned that he wanted an over-the-door nerf basketball hoop like Stephen got last year - and Anne delivered again. Such a good little elf, that one!
Anne's santa turned out to be intern Christine, who had delivered her gifts with a sense of humor, including one printed essay on the history of the bagel.
Beth received her goodies from Jorge, including a spectacular liquid-sensitive light-up shot glass.
Leigh's secret santa was Webster, which she deduced due to the fact that a poem accompanied her gifts and in it big words were used. Clearly a mark of the Webster.
Anyway, we had a great time with the reveal. For the rest of lunch club we mostly bopped around from topic to topic, including of course the impending arrival of Leigh's little one. Only one more week til we all leave for Christmas break, and so we selfishly want the baby to be born before we leave as opposed to while we are gone! To her credit, Leigh has been an awesome pregnant lady to be around... in a good mood and of course full of interesting information. We know she'll make a great mama!
Well, that is all for today!
Fondly,
Liz
Monday, December 10, 2007
Merry Merry Birthday!
Welcome back to all our lunch clubbers! We return to the blogging world after a brief hiatus. Today is of course a Monday morning, but not your typical Monday morning because we get to celebrate my birthday today!! Leigh here. Birthday's at our non-descript office are always a joyous occasion. We love to celebrate each other, and what better day than the day we were born? I came in this morning to a desk adorned with Christmas lights, pictures of goats, and baby's with cloth bums. :) Thank you to all my co-workers. How did I know that I'd have goats incorporated into my birthday somehow??
For my birthday lunch, I decided to order Thai food. Lynn did as well, but unfortunately the restaurant gave her the complete wrong dish! I then alluded to the language barrier between the restaurant and ourselves closing with, "Poor them". Ryan, of course, chimed in with, "Poor them?". Well, I'm sure you can guess the rest of his comments. Some of which were correct such as, if you open a business in an English speaking country you might want to learn English. But I was saying in their defense, I've been to a country where I was the minority and could not speak the native language. Although my stay was just as a tourist, people treated me differently and not always good. I do have a new perspective on being a "foreigner"; we are all foreign to somewhere and should show patience! Anyway, easy for me to say... they got my order right!!
On to much more exciting conversation! Ryan just realized that his wedding is about 3 weeks away. Ryan, aren't you counting down the days?? Don't boys wait for this day their whole lives with anticipation? As far as Ryan and Jorge are concerned, "Um... no". Ok, well said. Jorge even went as far to say, "The day is really all about the girl anyway. You walk down the aisle, I walk out the side door." Good point. Sounds a little bitter though, right? Now we know how he really feels!
So I don't know about you, but weddings make me think about another lovely topic... BABIES!! If you ask Ryan when a baby is written into his newly married plan, he'll tell you 5 years, if not more. I know what you're thinking, FIVE YEARS?? I have a feeling it will happen sooner than that. But anyway, I was telling everyone how I heard a commercial this weekend about a birth control that will keep you infertile for 5 years! If you wanted to reverse it, it would be no problem, but it could potentially last for 5 years. Apparently the doctor has to implant it into the upper arm. I personally don't like the idea of birth control at all, but Ryan said, "There are no side effects." No, not at all. Except for the verbal warning on the commercial that states, "Ovarian cysts may occur but usually go away." Hmm.. wonder what the fine print says.
Well, that's about it for today's lunch highlights. Time to get ready for our wonderful company Christmas party tonight located at the home of Webster and his lovely wife. It shall be a time for good food, good company, and good cheer! See you all next time.
Leigh.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Politics and Drool
I guess it’s my turn again – Shannon, that is. Today’s lunch club had a unique feel as we gathered in Andre’s office and sat in a cozy circle on the floor. Our normal spot was overtaken by some very important meeting (only a couple clubbers were unfortunate enough to have to attend), but that didn’t stop the Lunch Club! As we found our spots on the floor, I removed my boots much to Jorge’s horror. I assured him that my feet don’t sweat, and therefore do not stink – but I don’t think he was comforted.
Our conversations today were all over the board once again. I kind of think that the Lunch Club is much like that well known children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie....for example: we started talking about our evenings last night. I asked if anyone had watched the republican presidential debate (I had), which of course spurred a discussion about the next election…which evoked a question of whether or not a woman should/could ever be president (the main consensus was ‘no’ in case you were wondering)…which lead to a discussion as to what role Bill Clinton would play should Hillary be elected president…which lead to a really lame intern joke by Steven with a ph (sorry Steve-o, but it was pretty lame). Are you starting to see the similarities between us and the children’s book?
At some point the conversation turned to zombie movies which Ryan & Jorge discussed with fervor. Liz mentioned her recent disappointment in Stephen’s movie taste when he told her he thought the classic movie The Sandlot was (and I quote) “just okay.” A brief frenzy of disbelief/shock/horror broke out at that point, to which Jorge responded, “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” Liz & Lynn thought perhaps Stephen’s lack of approval towards the film was perhaps due in part to something in his childhood…but they didn’t get much farther than that.
Before lunch officially ended, Anne brought up the exciting office topic of Secret Santa’s – which we are drawing for tomorrow. Oliver, Ryan, and myself have chosen not to participate this year and once Anne found out, we were interrogated. Ryan’s defense was his wedding – as always – and Oliver and I just tried to explain our dislike of this particular Holiday tradition. We don’t like trinkets – shopping for them or receiving them. Seems like a good enough reason to abstain, don’t you think? I’m not sure Anne was satisfied with that answer.
Before I wrap this up for the day, I believe I was supposed to include some comment I made about hating drool. In all honesty, I don’t remember the particular comment – I just hate drool. I’m sure you understand. Until next time....
Our conversations today were all over the board once again. I kind of think that the Lunch Club is much like that well known children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie....for example: we started talking about our evenings last night. I asked if anyone had watched the republican presidential debate (I had), which of course spurred a discussion about the next election…which evoked a question of whether or not a woman should/could ever be president (the main consensus was ‘no’ in case you were wondering)…which lead to a discussion as to what role Bill Clinton would play should Hillary be elected president…which lead to a really lame intern joke by Steven with a ph (sorry Steve-o, but it was pretty lame). Are you starting to see the similarities between us and the children’s book?
At some point the conversation turned to zombie movies which Ryan & Jorge discussed with fervor. Liz mentioned her recent disappointment in Stephen’s movie taste when he told her he thought the classic movie The Sandlot was (and I quote) “just okay.” A brief frenzy of disbelief/shock/horror broke out at that point, to which Jorge responded, “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” Liz & Lynn thought perhaps Stephen’s lack of approval towards the film was perhaps due in part to something in his childhood…but they didn’t get much farther than that.
Before lunch officially ended, Anne brought up the exciting office topic of Secret Santa’s – which we are drawing for tomorrow. Oliver, Ryan, and myself have chosen not to participate this year and once Anne found out, we were interrogated. Ryan’s defense was his wedding – as always – and Oliver and I just tried to explain our dislike of this particular Holiday tradition. We don’t like trinkets – shopping for them or receiving them. Seems like a good enough reason to abstain, don’t you think? I’m not sure Anne was satisfied with that answer.
Before I wrap this up for the day, I believe I was supposed to include some comment I made about hating drool. In all honesty, I don’t remember the particular comment – I just hate drool. I’m sure you understand. Until next time....
Hodge-Podge
Jorge’ here. I forgot to write the blog yesterday so that is why there was not a posting on Wednesday. Please keep this in mind while reading as I am fuzzy on some of the details. Yesterday’s lunch club was back on the normal track of a joint conversation instead of the North v. South splits of the day before. But there was a hodge-podge of topics.
It started off with the typical banter and jokes being thrown around. It was noted that Lynn typically is 7 seconds behind in most conversations. So, as the group had moved on to another topic, Lynn thought we were still on the prior and became confused. Several times!!!
Ryan discussed the rule his fiancée had about waiting until the Saturday before their wedding to open/set up the wedding presents they have received. He mentioned his desire to set up the TiVo system earlier, but Oliver suggested that he pick his battles when it comes to the Mrs and leave it alone.
The conversation moved on to earthquakes and Deasy’s many experiences with them while living in California. Jennifer mentioned how a prior employer had not informed her on what to do in an earthquake, but decided to save himself without regard for her safety.
Oliver delved into his uneasiness with females playing the role of Peter Pan in theatre. Which led to reminiscing about old Peter Pan movies that in turn led to remembering old cartoons. At this point the girls of lunch club went on and on about cartoons of their youth which I had never heard of. One of them had a Koala bear, I think. I was busy recollecting with Steven (with a “ph”) about G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Voltron, and all of the other toons of our childhood.
Beth and Lynn started to discuss an episode of “Brothers & Sisters” they had recently seen when Anne told them not to because she hadn’t seen it yet. Either Beth or Lynn (I can’t remember which) told her to cover her ears. To this, Anne promptly replied, “I can’t…I have a taco!”
And the lunch club quote of the day would have to be “I can’t…I have a taco!” If you are reading this, it might be fun to say it out loud right now wherever you are and note the reaction you get. It would probably be the same reaction Anne received.
It started off with the typical banter and jokes being thrown around. It was noted that Lynn typically is 7 seconds behind in most conversations. So, as the group had moved on to another topic, Lynn thought we were still on the prior and became confused. Several times!!!
Ryan discussed the rule his fiancée had about waiting until the Saturday before their wedding to open/set up the wedding presents they have received. He mentioned his desire to set up the TiVo system earlier, but Oliver suggested that he pick his battles when it comes to the Mrs and leave it alone.
The conversation moved on to earthquakes and Deasy’s many experiences with them while living in California. Jennifer mentioned how a prior employer had not informed her on what to do in an earthquake, but decided to save himself without regard for her safety.
Oliver delved into his uneasiness with females playing the role of Peter Pan in theatre. Which led to reminiscing about old Peter Pan movies that in turn led to remembering old cartoons. At this point the girls of lunch club went on and on about cartoons of their youth which I had never heard of. One of them had a Koala bear, I think. I was busy recollecting with Steven (with a “ph”) about G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Voltron, and all of the other toons of our childhood.
Beth and Lynn started to discuss an episode of “Brothers & Sisters” they had recently seen when Anne told them not to because she hadn’t seen it yet. Either Beth or Lynn (I can’t remember which) told her to cover her ears. To this, Anne promptly replied, “I can’t…I have a taco!”
And the lunch club quote of the day would have to be “I can’t…I have a taco!” If you are reading this, it might be fun to say it out loud right now wherever you are and note the reaction you get. It would probably be the same reaction Anne received.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
North Vs. South
Hey there lunch clubbers, Lynn here! Time for another exciting tale from a non-descript office building in the middlde of an average-sized American city.....
Today's lunch club consisted of a myriad of conversations, causing Jennifer to ask Jorge if he, as President of Lunch Club, prepares and begins the dicussions each day. One of the great things about Lunch Club, however, is how naturally our random conversations begin. Sometimes a particular event or circumstance will lead us into discussion. Other times, we will randomly begin talking about a particular subject matter just because the moment presented itself. One thing is for sure: when participating in lunch club, expect the unexpected. Most of the time, the whole table unifies to discuss something interesting like goat's milk or prenancy. Other times, the table is divided into several different conversations. One end could be in one conversation while the other side is talking about something completely different. The North Vs. the South. Today was one of those days.
The conversation at the North end began with Ryan telling a story in which he prounounced the word "vehicle" with three separate syllables. VE-HI-CLE. Leigh found this endlessly entertaining, leading us into a discussion about accents, and how people from different regions of the country speak differently. Now, although we now all reside in the same average-sized American city, all of our Lunch Club members are from different places around the country, giving us each a unique perspective. Northerners speak one way. Southerners speak another way. Needless to say, we all felt that our own accent was normal, and everyone else's stood out.
Meanwhile, on the South side, Liz was sharing about an exciting musical event she was able to attend with her husband the evening before. Well known artists were present and performed at this function, including Liz's favorite, Garth Brooks. This brought us into a discussion about music, and how easy it would be for Garth Brooks to sell out several statiums in a matter of minutes.
The North side of the table caught bits and pieces of that conversation, and somehow began talking about Kanye West. Leigh very adamently shared her dislike of Kanye, saying that his lyrics are arrogant and that he always acts like everyone owes him something. Ryan mentioned that he agreed, but that he still loved the musical loops of Kanye's songs. Andres and Jorge then began talking about how rap artists just find good loops from other artists, and that's how they build their songs. (Jorge was on the North end, and Andres was on the South end, so this was an interesting cross-table conversation.) We then started talking about how many rap songs have similar tracks and loops, because they do not write unique music for each song. Ryan even brought up the similarities between a certain Vanilla Ice song and a more recent Switchfoot song. Who would have thought...
Lunch Club ended with a unification of the North and South sides when Marie brought in an entertaining email forward about children's perspectives of marriage. As we all passed the email around, the married lunch clubbers started sharing their own advice and perspective on marriage. This led into specific pet-peeves they had with their respective spouses. Apparently Leigh's husband has a strong passion about the toilet seat lid staying down, while Jorge tends to be anal with bathroom cleanliness and Ryan has an unusually extreme disgust for touching dirty dishes. Everyone began sharing how they and their spouse work through those issues, giving Ryan valuable information and insight for his upcoming nuptuals. Hope you were paying attention Ryan. Of course, if all else fails, you can adhere to the advice of a 10 year old child found in Marie's email forward. "Just tell your wife she looks pretty, even if she really looks like a dump truck." Out of the mouths of babes.....
Until next time!
Lynn
Today's lunch club consisted of a myriad of conversations, causing Jennifer to ask Jorge if he, as President of Lunch Club, prepares and begins the dicussions each day. One of the great things about Lunch Club, however, is how naturally our random conversations begin. Sometimes a particular event or circumstance will lead us into discussion. Other times, we will randomly begin talking about a particular subject matter just because the moment presented itself. One thing is for sure: when participating in lunch club, expect the unexpected. Most of the time, the whole table unifies to discuss something interesting like goat's milk or prenancy. Other times, the table is divided into several different conversations. One end could be in one conversation while the other side is talking about something completely different. The North Vs. the South. Today was one of those days.
The conversation at the North end began with Ryan telling a story in which he prounounced the word "vehicle" with three separate syllables. VE-HI-CLE. Leigh found this endlessly entertaining, leading us into a discussion about accents, and how people from different regions of the country speak differently. Now, although we now all reside in the same average-sized American city, all of our Lunch Club members are from different places around the country, giving us each a unique perspective. Northerners speak one way. Southerners speak another way. Needless to say, we all felt that our own accent was normal, and everyone else's stood out.
Meanwhile, on the South side, Liz was sharing about an exciting musical event she was able to attend with her husband the evening before. Well known artists were present and performed at this function, including Liz's favorite, Garth Brooks. This brought us into a discussion about music, and how easy it would be for Garth Brooks to sell out several statiums in a matter of minutes.
The North side of the table caught bits and pieces of that conversation, and somehow began talking about Kanye West. Leigh very adamently shared her dislike of Kanye, saying that his lyrics are arrogant and that he always acts like everyone owes him something. Ryan mentioned that he agreed, but that he still loved the musical loops of Kanye's songs. Andres and Jorge then began talking about how rap artists just find good loops from other artists, and that's how they build their songs. (Jorge was on the North end, and Andres was on the South end, so this was an interesting cross-table conversation.) We then started talking about how many rap songs have similar tracks and loops, because they do not write unique music for each song. Ryan even brought up the similarities between a certain Vanilla Ice song and a more recent Switchfoot song. Who would have thought...
Lunch Club ended with a unification of the North and South sides when Marie brought in an entertaining email forward about children's perspectives of marriage. As we all passed the email around, the married lunch clubbers started sharing their own advice and perspective on marriage. This led into specific pet-peeves they had with their respective spouses. Apparently Leigh's husband has a strong passion about the toilet seat lid staying down, while Jorge tends to be anal with bathroom cleanliness and Ryan has an unusually extreme disgust for touching dirty dishes. Everyone began sharing how they and their spouse work through those issues, giving Ryan valuable information and insight for his upcoming nuptuals. Hope you were paying attention Ryan. Of course, if all else fails, you can adhere to the advice of a 10 year old child found in Marie's email forward. "Just tell your wife she looks pretty, even if she really looks like a dump truck." Out of the mouths of babes.....
Until next time!
Lynn
Monday, November 26, 2007
We're Baaaa-aaack!
Hey everyone! That was quite a long thanksgiving break we took from blogging, but don't worry - we're now back in action!
Lunch club today was quite packed with most of the office present and accounted for. We covered all the things we did over Thanksgiving break, of course, with special attention paid to who did and didn't go shopping on "Black Friday" and what we did or didn't buy. Andres, early bird that he is, was up and had visited three stores before 6 am, only to be deterred at each by the long lines and leave empty handed. Jorge shared a story that a member of his family actually witnessed - one sticky-fingered shopper snatching a desired purchased straight from someone else's cart at Wal-Mart! Shady!
My husband and I also braved the shopping, though we didn't get there too terribly early. Nothing was too crowded except for Old Navy which was full of cranky people and clothes flung everywhere.
The overall consensus - Black Friday shopping is not worth it! Leigh was particularly indignant as she spoke about how frustrating and disappointing the commercialization of the holidays has become, with grown people reduced to whiny children begging for the things on their Christmas lists. So true!
We also covered some assorted other topics including movies seen (Enchanted, Dan in Real Life, miscellaneous rentals), games played (Guitar Hero), games watched (Mizzou/Kansas), foods cooked and eaten, etc. Also, I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure at the other end of the table there was some discussion about animal feeding? Anyone at that end care to elaborate?
Liz
Lunch club today was quite packed with most of the office present and accounted for. We covered all the things we did over Thanksgiving break, of course, with special attention paid to who did and didn't go shopping on "Black Friday" and what we did or didn't buy. Andres, early bird that he is, was up and had visited three stores before 6 am, only to be deterred at each by the long lines and leave empty handed. Jorge shared a story that a member of his family actually witnessed - one sticky-fingered shopper snatching a desired purchased straight from someone else's cart at Wal-Mart! Shady!
My husband and I also braved the shopping, though we didn't get there too terribly early. Nothing was too crowded except for Old Navy which was full of cranky people and clothes flung everywhere.
The overall consensus - Black Friday shopping is not worth it! Leigh was particularly indignant as she spoke about how frustrating and disappointing the commercialization of the holidays has become, with grown people reduced to whiny children begging for the things on their Christmas lists. So true!
We also covered some assorted other topics including movies seen (Enchanted, Dan in Real Life, miscellaneous rentals), games played (Guitar Hero), games watched (Mizzou/Kansas), foods cooked and eaten, etc. Also, I can't be certain but I'm pretty sure at the other end of the table there was some discussion about animal feeding? Anyone at that end care to elaborate?
Liz
Friday, November 16, 2007
Tryptophan...mmmm...
Today was a very special lunch club held in honor of Miss Anne's birthday. She loves fall and we had previously discussed how Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday, being slowly disregarded as Halloween celebrations give way immediately to Christmas. So today we had a surprise Thanksgiving potluck for lunch with all the classics: turkey, ham, mashed potatos, corn, green bean casserole, stuffing, salad, bread, apple pie, and brownies. We turned our rather drab conference room into a homey table set up for the whole gang, right down to the Publix Pilgrim Pair salt and pepper shakers:
It was a wonderful feast! Jorge carved the ham and turkey, naturally - and did an excellent job for his first time. We all gathered round the table and passed the food and just enjoyed each other's company. There wasn't even much conversation... mostly just eating! Beth did come to the shocking realization that gravy is made from meat drippings, and we did talk about how turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid which can make you sleepy. And as I sit here now a few hours later typing and yawning, maybe there is some truth to that! Or maybe we just consumed a whole lotta carbs...
Anyway, it was a pretty special lunch that left us all full and happy, and reminded that if nothing else, we can be thankful for each other.
Sorry to be so sappy... we'll return to our regularly scheduled snarkiness on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Happy lunching!
Liz
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Hollywood and Childhood Clubs
Hey friends, Liz here again. Today's lunch club was a jumble of disjointed conversations, but two distinct topics stick out in my mind. Alas, only one of those topics featured Lisa Frank, so we'll start with that.
For those of you who were not a girl aged 5-14 in the late 80s/early 90s, Lisa Frank is maybe the most awesome designer of stationary and other products for little girls EVER! Seriously, let's review this poster, which basically encompasses everything you need to know:
We've got ponies, panda bears, golden retrievers, whales, leopards, polar bears, dancing animals, and unicorns, all in an exquisite rainbow colored palette. This is the stuff little girls live for! It came on stickers, notecards, lunchboxes, folders, pencils, you name it. Visit her website if you dare... we're talking a LOT of colors and flashing.
Anyway, Lisa Frank came up in our discussion of childhood clubs, which started out something like this:
Me: "That reminds me of how when I was little, my friends and I made up the Unicorn Club."
Oliver: "What does that stand for?"
Me: "Uh, it stood for us liking unicorns."
Yep, the Unicorn Club was exactly what it sounds like - an organization (very exclusive and with a membership application created with pink pen on purple paper) for girls in 2nd grade who liked unicorns, books about the Sweet Valley Twins, and of course, Lisa Frank.
As if my confession wasn't bad enough, Shannon then revealed that she and her friends also had a club. This club was called... wait for it... waaaaaaiiiiit for it.... Jesus Jammers. The club's primary activity, she told us, was to strap on their rollerblades and carry hand-made "Jesus Jammers" banners through the neighborhood streets. And one time they planned a lemonade stand to raise money for... more banners.
Oh childhood, you were awesome.
Now on to the day's next topic, which was basically a rambling argument about who is and isn't a good or bad or predictable or versatile actor in Hollywood today. It started off with Ryan's ridiculous suggestion that Johnny Depp is the same in all his movies. Now, I will give you that Johnny Depp is almost always a weirdo in all of his movies. BUT, it is a completely different weirdo each time! Let's just document this pictorally:
Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Captain Jack Sparrow, Ichabod Crane, Sweeney Todd... while they all certainly have Johnny Depp's stamp on them, there's no way you could argue he is playing them all the same! Sorry Ryan, it's true!
The conversation carried on with this same question being posed and argued heartily about many actors and actresses including Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many many more. I think the only thing we agreed on was that Rachel McAdams is adorable and awesome. If you have thoughts on who is and isn't a versatile actor, we'd love to hear it in the comments.
And with that, let's sign off with one for the ladies - here's Johnny Depp breakin' hearts as a gypsy in Chocolat:
Swoon!
-Liz
For those of you who were not a girl aged 5-14 in the late 80s/early 90s, Lisa Frank is maybe the most awesome designer of stationary and other products for little girls EVER! Seriously, let's review this poster, which basically encompasses everything you need to know:
We've got ponies, panda bears, golden retrievers, whales, leopards, polar bears, dancing animals, and unicorns, all in an exquisite rainbow colored palette. This is the stuff little girls live for! It came on stickers, notecards, lunchboxes, folders, pencils, you name it. Visit her website if you dare... we're talking a LOT of colors and flashing.
Anyway, Lisa Frank came up in our discussion of childhood clubs, which started out something like this:
Me: "That reminds me of how when I was little, my friends and I made up the Unicorn Club."
Oliver: "What does that stand for?"
Me: "Uh, it stood for us liking unicorns."
Yep, the Unicorn Club was exactly what it sounds like - an organization (very exclusive and with a membership application created with pink pen on purple paper) for girls in 2nd grade who liked unicorns, books about the Sweet Valley Twins, and of course, Lisa Frank.
As if my confession wasn't bad enough, Shannon then revealed that she and her friends also had a club. This club was called... wait for it... waaaaaaiiiiit for it.... Jesus Jammers. The club's primary activity, she told us, was to strap on their rollerblades and carry hand-made "Jesus Jammers" banners through the neighborhood streets. And one time they planned a lemonade stand to raise money for... more banners.
Oh childhood, you were awesome.
Now on to the day's next topic, which was basically a rambling argument about who is and isn't a good or bad or predictable or versatile actor in Hollywood today. It started off with Ryan's ridiculous suggestion that Johnny Depp is the same in all his movies. Now, I will give you that Johnny Depp is almost always a weirdo in all of his movies. BUT, it is a completely different weirdo each time! Let's just document this pictorally:
Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Captain Jack Sparrow, Ichabod Crane, Sweeney Todd... while they all certainly have Johnny Depp's stamp on them, there's no way you could argue he is playing them all the same! Sorry Ryan, it's true!
The conversation carried on with this same question being posed and argued heartily about many actors and actresses including Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many many more. I think the only thing we agreed on was that Rachel McAdams is adorable and awesome. If you have thoughts on who is and isn't a versatile actor, we'd love to hear it in the comments.
And with that, let's sign off with one for the ladies - here's Johnny Depp breakin' hearts as a gypsy in Chocolat:
Swoon!
-Liz
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Natural-Leigh
Happy Wednesday! Lynn and Leigh here to report on yet another exciting lunch club. We were nominated to write the blog today because lunch club conversations tended to revolve around us.
Lunch Club today began with a riveting analysis of Lynn's extra polished look today. Now, this is coming from Leigh here, because Lynn is denying the fact that she put extra effort into her straightened hair this morning. A little background... Lynn is attending a "friends" concert tonight. Lynn straightened her hair extra carefully for this "friends" concert. Lynn is looking to catch someones eye... hmm. Well, according to Beth and I, this must be. But she is denying that this "friend" is potentially any more than a "friend" despite the fact that after lunch it started to pour and she yelled, "I'm gonna scream!". Straightened hair = date.
So next up, Birthing class. Babies are always a popular topic at lunch club due to our 3 baby watches. Babies and giving birth (despite Steven with a ph's cringing). Now last night was my (Leigh's) second birthing class. I was telling my coworkers about my giggle fit in the middle of our breathing excercises and how my husband was trying to get me to concentrate saying... "breathe... relax your jaw! It's all in your mind." Which only made me giggle more. Before I even finished telling my story, everyone interrupted me with, "Relax your jaw??" YES... a relaxed jaw = a relaxed pelvis. Doesn't everyone know that? Well, now you do. (Disclaimer - some words have been changed to protect the innocent.)
RELAXING THE MOUTH: There is an unconscious neuromuscular association between the pelvis and the mouth, so that if your pelvic floor muscles are tense (and they are often hard to relax when the baby is pushing against them), you can help relax them by intentionally relaxing your mouth and jaw. This is why during labor, and especially during pushing, it is important to have the lower jaw dropped and the mouth gently parted and loose. It is also why vomiting and laughter often increases dilation and the relaxation of the pelvic floor.
http://www.moondragon.org/pregnancy/relaxationpractice.html
Oliver seemed quite intrigued by the whole birthing process. He curiously asked Leigh, "Will you be keeping your placenta?" Well, no Oliver, we won't be. But he informed us all that people in other countries eat their placenta. Very nutritious. When everyone gave him a look for asking such a weird question he replied, "What? She could be like that." Jorge then dubbed Leigh "Natural-Leigh". Apparently, midwives and natural birth equals natural nut job.
Now in order to take your placenta home from the hospital, you must sign off for it and fill out a bunch of paper work. When you take it home, the hospital freezes it for you. For what you ask? Well there are people out there that use the placenta to fertilize the growth of a new tree. Very symbolic. Steven with a ph muttered a witty comment that many of us missed. According to Liz, it involved something with the placenta and popsicles, but he wouldn't repeat it for us. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, and to wrap up the placenta convo, Oliver asked, "what does the placenta look like?" If you really want to know, google image it. We won't post links for fear that no one will ever want to bear children again.
On a lighter note, Disney came out with new celebrity advertisements.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-10-30-disney-photos_N.htm
Now that's all for today. Yes, it is still raining here in our town. As the thunder and lightening began, Lynn yelled one last,"SHUT UP!" So much for not caring about her hair.
Lunch Club today began with a riveting analysis of Lynn's extra polished look today. Now, this is coming from Leigh here, because Lynn is denying the fact that she put extra effort into her straightened hair this morning. A little background... Lynn is attending a "friends" concert tonight. Lynn straightened her hair extra carefully for this "friends" concert. Lynn is looking to catch someones eye... hmm. Well, according to Beth and I, this must be. But she is denying that this "friend" is potentially any more than a "friend" despite the fact that after lunch it started to pour and she yelled, "I'm gonna scream!". Straightened hair = date.
So next up, Birthing class. Babies are always a popular topic at lunch club due to our 3 baby watches. Babies and giving birth (despite Steven with a ph's cringing). Now last night was my (Leigh's) second birthing class. I was telling my coworkers about my giggle fit in the middle of our breathing excercises and how my husband was trying to get me to concentrate saying... "breathe... relax your jaw! It's all in your mind." Which only made me giggle more. Before I even finished telling my story, everyone interrupted me with, "Relax your jaw??" YES... a relaxed jaw = a relaxed pelvis. Doesn't everyone know that? Well, now you do. (Disclaimer - some words have been changed to protect the innocent.)
RELAXING THE MOUTH: There is an unconscious neuromuscular association between the pelvis and the mouth, so that if your pelvic floor muscles are tense (and they are often hard to relax when the baby is pushing against them), you can help relax them by intentionally relaxing your mouth and jaw. This is why during labor, and especially during pushing, it is important to have the lower jaw dropped and the mouth gently parted and loose. It is also why vomiting and laughter often increases dilation and the relaxation of the pelvic floor.
http://www.moondragon.org/pregnancy/relaxationpractice.html
Oliver seemed quite intrigued by the whole birthing process. He curiously asked Leigh, "Will you be keeping your placenta?" Well, no Oliver, we won't be. But he informed us all that people in other countries eat their placenta. Very nutritious. When everyone gave him a look for asking such a weird question he replied, "What? She could be like that." Jorge then dubbed Leigh "Natural-Leigh". Apparently, midwives and natural birth equals natural nut job.
Now in order to take your placenta home from the hospital, you must sign off for it and fill out a bunch of paper work. When you take it home, the hospital freezes it for you. For what you ask? Well there are people out there that use the placenta to fertilize the growth of a new tree. Very symbolic. Steven with a ph muttered a witty comment that many of us missed. According to Liz, it involved something with the placenta and popsicles, but he wouldn't repeat it for us. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, and to wrap up the placenta convo, Oliver asked, "what does the placenta look like?" If you really want to know, google image it. We won't post links for fear that no one will ever want to bear children again.
On a lighter note, Disney came out with new celebrity advertisements.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-10-30-disney-photos_N.htm
Now that's all for today. Yes, it is still raining here in our town. As the thunder and lightening began, Lynn yelled one last,"SHUT UP!" So much for not caring about her hair.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Celebrations and Such
As the president of lunch club, it is time that I (Jorge') step up and take the reigns of the blog for today. I am not much of a blogger, but my assistant has the day off so work with me on this one.
We started off in a festive mood as we celebrated Andres’ and Ryan’s birthdays (Ryan’s was last week). Lynn thought something was very funny, but did not share it with the rest of us. Liz, as usual, supplied the yummiest of treats – Gooey Butter Cake! Upon unveiling the cake, it was immediately noticed that a piece had been taken prior to lunch club. The majority of the lunch clubbers in attendance blamed Andres for the pre-celebration consumption (he is known for doing this), but it turned out to be Liz’s husband. Who can blame him? We usually finish off the dessert before Liz can bring it on home to the guy. Our apologies, Liz’s husband.
Earl introduced the group to several cans of 9 oz. Jones Soda Co. Candy Corn soda to which he initially denied any knowledge of where the came from. Extra glasses were brought in for all the brave ones to try the beverage that had an unexplained neon yellow glow about it. It didn’t taste like Candy Corn to me.
As part of the celebration, the clubbers were encouraged to wear shirts representing music groups/artists of the past. Shannon decided instead to dig out her “bag of confetti” she obtained from a concert of an unnamed Italian artist who Jennifer clearly did NOT date. The bag of confetti was worn proudly around her neck which prompted her to explain many, many times of its significance. Steven (with a “ph”) told us that he was lacking a concert shirt of his own, so he brought his wife’s “H****** R***” concert tour shirt. However, the smallness of it made him uncomfortable, so he changed into something else. We then speculated (envisioned?) that perhaps the shirt revealed a little too much midriff. A treat for all of us.
The conversation then segued into the writer’s strike affecting (or soon to affect) many a television show. Depression set in to the realization that “The Office” and “Lost” (both lunch club favorite topics) were lacking in a sufficient number of episodes already finished and ready for airing. W joined us in mourning the postponement of “24”. I am all in favor of every writer getting paid fairly, but come on, we need our Jack Bauer fix! If you want to learn more about the writer’s strike (don’t worry…it doesn’t affect bloggers), you can visit their blog here: http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/. But please don’t encourage them too much as we need our shows back.
Leigh entered the second half of lunch club with one of her usually unusual dishes. The meat, she said, was dark meat, but I could have sworn she said “dog”. Providing Evans with tips on crock pot cooking, Leigh said it was impossible to ruin food in a crock pot, though she had done it once.
Anyways, a happy birthday to Andres and Ryan. May you have at least 3 more!
Jorge'
We started off in a festive mood as we celebrated Andres’ and Ryan’s birthdays (Ryan’s was last week). Lynn thought something was very funny, but did not share it with the rest of us. Liz, as usual, supplied the yummiest of treats – Gooey Butter Cake! Upon unveiling the cake, it was immediately noticed that a piece had been taken prior to lunch club. The majority of the lunch clubbers in attendance blamed Andres for the pre-celebration consumption (he is known for doing this), but it turned out to be Liz’s husband. Who can blame him? We usually finish off the dessert before Liz can bring it on home to the guy. Our apologies, Liz’s husband.
Earl introduced the group to several cans of 9 oz. Jones Soda Co. Candy Corn soda to which he initially denied any knowledge of where the came from. Extra glasses were brought in for all the brave ones to try the beverage that had an unexplained neon yellow glow about it. It didn’t taste like Candy Corn to me.
As part of the celebration, the clubbers were encouraged to wear shirts representing music groups/artists of the past. Shannon decided instead to dig out her “bag of confetti” she obtained from a concert of an unnamed Italian artist who Jennifer clearly did NOT date. The bag of confetti was worn proudly around her neck which prompted her to explain many, many times of its significance. Steven (with a “ph”) told us that he was lacking a concert shirt of his own, so he brought his wife’s “H****** R***” concert tour shirt. However, the smallness of it made him uncomfortable, so he changed into something else. We then speculated (envisioned?) that perhaps the shirt revealed a little too much midriff. A treat for all of us.
The conversation then segued into the writer’s strike affecting (or soon to affect) many a television show. Depression set in to the realization that “The Office” and “Lost” (both lunch club favorite topics) were lacking in a sufficient number of episodes already finished and ready for airing. W joined us in mourning the postponement of “24”. I am all in favor of every writer getting paid fairly, but come on, we need our Jack Bauer fix! If you want to learn more about the writer’s strike (don’t worry…it doesn’t affect bloggers), you can visit their blog here: http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/. But please don’t encourage them too much as we need our shows back.
Leigh entered the second half of lunch club with one of her usually unusual dishes. The meat, she said, was dark meat, but I could have sworn she said “dog”. Providing Evans with tips on crock pot cooking, Leigh said it was impossible to ruin food in a crock pot, though she had done it once.
Anyways, a happy birthday to Andres and Ryan. May you have at least 3 more!
Jorge'
Monday, November 12, 2007
Just Another Manic Monday
Hello there. Just wanted to give our readers a little insight into a not-so-dull Monday Lunch Club. If I were to truly cover all of the many rabbit trails we took today, we'd both be here for awhile so I've decided to just hit a few of the high points.
Our faithful president Jorge was back today and almost healthy, so things got rolling pretty quickly. Marie was quite excited about a movie marathon she threw for herself this weekend, so the topics turned quickly to favorite movies, deep vs. feel-good movies (and whether or not people who prefer the latter really live in a "bubble"), not-so-favorite movies, wished-I-would-have-caught-the-edited-version movies, and of course some childhood favorites. Being one of few lunch club members who does not have a vast knowledge of movies and movie trivia, I did a lot of listening today.
Marie spent much of the hour throwing out titles and seeing what responses they would get. We learned Jorge's "Three B's" that suggest a quality film: Bombs, Blood, and Bad words. Ryan shared how his choice of entertainment vs. that of his fiance came up at a recent premarital counseling session. The group ran off on a slight tangent at that point (including an Icelandian wedding song), but we pulled it back together shortly.
Anne challenged Oliver's taste in movies, make some inferences that he might be a little shallow. Oliver protested, however, explaining that he simply likes to go away from a movie feeling like good has conquered evil...and he hates depressing endings. I tend to agree with Oliver - why go through unnecessary heart-wrenching turmoil?
We also learned that Marie once starred as a redneck's cheerleader in a country music video, and also that Deasy's husband has a giant chicken suit at home...we were afraid to ask too many questions.
Liz later posed the question of favorite childhood movies, which received some interesting responses. I (Shannon) quickly answered with my favorite - The Wizard of Oz. Stephen's was Star Wars, Lynn's was Beauty and the Beast, Jorge's was Rocky...and then it became a free-for-all as we all started shouting out some childhood favorites. At one point I got a little wound up about the fabulous Wild Hearts Can't be Broken (you can see the movie poster posted here in this blog) and might have even broke into song. Since no one joined me, I have decided to post a bit of the lyrics below:
On the BoardWalk in Atlantic City
Life will be peaches & cream.
Cindrella you will find your fella
Someone waiting for you...
In romantic, enchantic, Atlantic City...
Down by the old New Jersey shore!
This sudden outburst may have been why I was chosen to write the blog today, I'm not sure. Whatever the case, thanks for joining us for another exciting day of the lunch club!
~Shannon
Our faithful president Jorge was back today and almost healthy, so things got rolling pretty quickly. Marie was quite excited about a movie marathon she threw for herself this weekend, so the topics turned quickly to favorite movies, deep vs. feel-good movies (and whether or not people who prefer the latter really live in a "bubble"), not-so-favorite movies, wished-I-would-have-caught-the-edited-version movies, and of course some childhood favorites. Being one of few lunch club members who does not have a vast knowledge of movies and movie trivia, I did a lot of listening today.
Marie spent much of the hour throwing out titles and seeing what responses they would get. We learned Jorge's "Three B's" that suggest a quality film: Bombs, Blood, and Bad words. Ryan shared how his choice of entertainment vs. that of his fiance came up at a recent premarital counseling session. The group ran off on a slight tangent at that point (including an Icelandian wedding song), but we pulled it back together shortly.
Anne challenged Oliver's taste in movies, make some inferences that he might be a little shallow. Oliver protested, however, explaining that he simply likes to go away from a movie feeling like good has conquered evil...and he hates depressing endings. I tend to agree with Oliver - why go through unnecessary heart-wrenching turmoil?
We also learned that Marie once starred as a redneck's cheerleader in a country music video, and also that Deasy's husband has a giant chicken suit at home...we were afraid to ask too many questions.
Liz later posed the question of favorite childhood movies, which received some interesting responses. I (Shannon) quickly answered with my favorite - The Wizard of Oz. Stephen's was Star Wars, Lynn's was Beauty and the Beast, Jorge's was Rocky...and then it became a free-for-all as we all started shouting out some childhood favorites. At one point I got a little wound up about the fabulous Wild Hearts Can't be Broken (you can see the movie poster posted here in this blog) and might have even broke into song. Since no one joined me, I have decided to post a bit of the lyrics below:
On the BoardWalk in Atlantic City
Life will be peaches & cream.
Cindrella you will find your fella
Someone waiting for you...
In romantic, enchantic, Atlantic City...
Down by the old New Jersey shore!
This sudden outburst may have been why I was chosen to write the blog today, I'm not sure. Whatever the case, thanks for joining us for another exciting day of the lunch club!
~Shannon
Friday, November 9, 2007
Sweet, Sweet Virginie!
Hello all, it's Ryan here. So today is my birthday and birthday's around here are quite a celebration. There is usually a theme for the day that centers around something about the person we are celebrating. My theme? Virginia.
I am from the great state of "lovers," as you may refer to us from our slogan "Virginia is for Lovers." Anyways, so I tell you this because as with the rest of the day lunch club today centered around the VA. We played this very informative game called Jeopardy (maybe you've heard of it). All of the questions were about, you guessed it, Virginia.
I will admit I was really nervous going into it. Everyone thinks that I was a little late to the table because of heating up my Ramen noodles, but I was actually putting my "game face" on and wiping the sweat from my brow. So I sat down to take the reins of "team captain" and on the other side of the table was my nemesis (just in this game), Steven (with a ph). Steven (with a ph) is also from Virginia and I am sure knows much more about it than I do, so I was ready to go down in defeat.
I started the game off by picking the first category and as I anxiously stared down Famous Virginians, Virginia Emblems, Virginia History, and Fun Facts in increments of $100, $250, $500, and $1,000. I remembered what my dad always taught me... "Go Big or Go Home." (Actually I don't think he taught me that but let's just say he did) I chose Fun Facts for $1,000! Oh yeah I did!
Liz, who I assume did all of the work for the game (Thanks Liz), proceeded with the question, uh, answer. "These became the state's highest-grossing exports in 2006, surpassing its traditional top exports of coal and tobacco." Answer: Computer Chips, I mean, what are computer chips? Needless to say no one got that one and I quickly realized the "fun" facts were going to be more facts and less fun.
However, we made it right with the very next question thanks to Oliver. Oliver had very responsibly done his homework and studied up on the VA five minutes before lunch, which proved handy in a lot of very crucial moments. The question: "The state motto of “Sic semper tyrannis” translates roughly to this in English." Answer: Thus always to tyrants. Oh yeah, high-fives all around and a $1,000 lead!
Oh, I forgot to list our teams...!!!
My Team - Evans, Oliver, and Earl (We were joined by Anne midway through the game but she couldn't really play since she knew some of the answers, so she "subtly" persuaded us at points)
Steven (with a ph)'s Team - Deasy, Jorge (he's been sick and couldn't say much, point for my team!), and Marie (They were also joined by Leigh about midway through the game)
We made our way through the rest of the board, always sticking to our team motto (Go Big or Go Home) answering questions like, "Who even knew that there were official state beverages? This is the one for Virginia." (Milk), "This actress was born in Arlington in 1964 – at one time she was considered the successor to Meg Ryan as “America’s Sweetheart.” (Sandra Bullock), "The infamous “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan was appropriately adopted in this year, to appeal to the free thinking minds of young Americans of the day." (1969), "When Virginia seceded during the Civil War to join the Confederacy, 48 counties remaining loyal to the Union. Those counties are now recognized as this." (West Virginia), and so on. There were so many interesting questions!
As tension rose and we were all at each other's throats, right when we thought it was about to get out of hand.... just kidding. It was pretty neck and neck until...
Question: "Though its frontman was born in Africa, it was in Charlottesville Virginia that this famous band formed and got its start in 1991."
My Team: "Dave Matthews Band"
Jorge or Marie, or Steven (with a ph): "Oh, he didn't phrase it as a question!"
Liz: "Oooo, that is right... but I'll let it be a warning this time."
Question: "Troops led by George Washington defeated the British General Cornwallis in this crucial Virginian battle that essentially ended the American Revolution."
Steven (with a ph)'s Team: "Yorktown"
And there went their warning...
Okay, so now we all have to be really careful (the hardest part of Jeopardy we quickly realized was remembering to phrase everything as a question).
And the turning point...
Question: "Dog-fighting bad boy Michael Vick was a top player at this Virginia college before becoming the #1 NFL draft pick in 2001."
Steven (with a ph)'s Team: "Michael Vick"... you see here is what happened, the rule was you could not ring in until after the question and Steven (with a ph) accidently hit the button too early, well, when the question finished he was rattled and accidently said Michael Vick, instead of Virginia Tech. So we had the opportunity to steal and did so.
After it was all said and done my team was ahead by a score of $2950 to $1850 heading into Final Jeopardy. We did the math and hoped we knew the answer because if not they were completely close enough to us to pull out the win (this was serious folks, I mean really, this was office bragging rights).
The question: "Name five of the eight president's born in Virginia."
Remember Oliver? Yeah this is where he won it for us, all of that cramming worked. He briskly wrote down the first three and I just thought back to the pictures on my wall in my elaborately decorated office. Sure enough I could remember two more, George Washington and Zachary Taylor.
Answers were submitted and we all awaited the final verdict. We displayed each teams wager, Steven (with a ph)'s Team: $1848 - My Team: $800. And here's how it played out. We answered with five correct president's but... forgot to phrase it as a question, however, Liz graciously allowed our answer to still be considered correct. Steven (with a ph)'s Team answered all but one president correctly meaning no matter how the "cookie crumbled" my team came out victorious! (Insert claps and cheers here)
With still about fifteen minutes left of Lunch Club, Oliver brought up a blog that he had read that was written by someone at a large book distributor. The blog basically discussed the lack of customer service this person had experienced at certain retail outlets and how they compared to other retail outlets. We, of course, hashed this out and came up with our own thoughts and opinions, but instead of telling you what we said I'll just let you read the blog and you can opionionate on your own...
I know I've been very wordy, but I couldn't allow you to miss out on our lesson about Virginia today. Now you know!
1-800-Visit-VA,
Ryan
I am from the great state of "lovers," as you may refer to us from our slogan "Virginia is for Lovers." Anyways, so I tell you this because as with the rest of the day lunch club today centered around the VA. We played this very informative game called Jeopardy (maybe you've heard of it). All of the questions were about, you guessed it, Virginia.
I will admit I was really nervous going into it. Everyone thinks that I was a little late to the table because of heating up my Ramen noodles, but I was actually putting my "game face" on and wiping the sweat from my brow. So I sat down to take the reins of "team captain" and on the other side of the table was my nemesis (just in this game), Steven (with a ph). Steven (with a ph) is also from Virginia and I am sure knows much more about it than I do, so I was ready to go down in defeat.
I started the game off by picking the first category and as I anxiously stared down Famous Virginians, Virginia Emblems, Virginia History, and Fun Facts in increments of $100, $250, $500, and $1,000. I remembered what my dad always taught me... "Go Big or Go Home." (Actually I don't think he taught me that but let's just say he did) I chose Fun Facts for $1,000! Oh yeah I did!
Liz, who I assume did all of the work for the game (Thanks Liz), proceeded with the question, uh, answer. "These became the state's highest-grossing exports in 2006, surpassing its traditional top exports of coal and tobacco." Answer: Computer Chips, I mean, what are computer chips? Needless to say no one got that one and I quickly realized the "fun" facts were going to be more facts and less fun.
However, we made it right with the very next question thanks to Oliver. Oliver had very responsibly done his homework and studied up on the VA five minutes before lunch, which proved handy in a lot of very crucial moments. The question: "The state motto of “Sic semper tyrannis” translates roughly to this in English." Answer: Thus always to tyrants. Oh yeah, high-fives all around and a $1,000 lead!
Oh, I forgot to list our teams...!!!
My Team - Evans, Oliver, and Earl (We were joined by Anne midway through the game but she couldn't really play since she knew some of the answers, so she "subtly" persuaded us at points)
Steven (with a ph)'s Team - Deasy, Jorge (he's been sick and couldn't say much, point for my team!), and Marie (They were also joined by Leigh about midway through the game)
We made our way through the rest of the board, always sticking to our team motto (Go Big or Go Home) answering questions like, "Who even knew that there were official state beverages? This is the one for Virginia." (Milk), "This actress was born in Arlington in 1964 – at one time she was considered the successor to Meg Ryan as “America’s Sweetheart.” (Sandra Bullock), "The infamous “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan was appropriately adopted in this year, to appeal to the free thinking minds of young Americans of the day." (1969), "When Virginia seceded during the Civil War to join the Confederacy, 48 counties remaining loyal to the Union. Those counties are now recognized as this." (West Virginia), and so on. There were so many interesting questions!
As tension rose and we were all at each other's throats, right when we thought it was about to get out of hand.... just kidding. It was pretty neck and neck until...
Question: "Though its frontman was born in Africa, it was in Charlottesville Virginia that this famous band formed and got its start in 1991."
My Team: "Dave Matthews Band"
Jorge or Marie, or Steven (with a ph): "Oh, he didn't phrase it as a question!"
Liz: "Oooo, that is right... but I'll let it be a warning this time."
Question: "Troops led by George Washington defeated the British General Cornwallis in this crucial Virginian battle that essentially ended the American Revolution."
Steven (with a ph)'s Team: "Yorktown"
And there went their warning...
Okay, so now we all have to be really careful (the hardest part of Jeopardy we quickly realized was remembering to phrase everything as a question).
And the turning point...
Question: "Dog-fighting bad boy Michael Vick was a top player at this Virginia college before becoming the #1 NFL draft pick in 2001."
Steven (with a ph)'s Team: "Michael Vick"... you see here is what happened, the rule was you could not ring in until after the question and Steven (with a ph) accidently hit the button too early, well, when the question finished he was rattled and accidently said Michael Vick, instead of Virginia Tech. So we had the opportunity to steal and did so.
After it was all said and done my team was ahead by a score of $2950 to $1850 heading into Final Jeopardy. We did the math and hoped we knew the answer because if not they were completely close enough to us to pull out the win (this was serious folks, I mean really, this was office bragging rights).
The question: "Name five of the eight president's born in Virginia."
Remember Oliver? Yeah this is where he won it for us, all of that cramming worked. He briskly wrote down the first three and I just thought back to the pictures on my wall in my elaborately decorated office. Sure enough I could remember two more, George Washington and Zachary Taylor.
Answers were submitted and we all awaited the final verdict. We displayed each teams wager, Steven (with a ph)'s Team: $1848 - My Team: $800. And here's how it played out. We answered with five correct president's but... forgot to phrase it as a question, however, Liz graciously allowed our answer to still be considered correct. Steven (with a ph)'s Team answered all but one president correctly meaning no matter how the "cookie crumbled" my team came out victorious! (Insert claps and cheers here)
With still about fifteen minutes left of Lunch Club, Oliver brought up a blog that he had read that was written by someone at a large book distributor. The blog basically discussed the lack of customer service this person had experienced at certain retail outlets and how they compared to other retail outlets. We, of course, hashed this out and came up with our own thoughts and opinions, but instead of telling you what we said I'll just let you read the blog and you can opionionate on your own...
I know I've been very wordy, but I couldn't allow you to miss out on our lesson about Virginia today. Now you know!
1-800-Visit-VA,
Ryan
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Denominations & Falafel
Today president Jorge was out sick... lunch club is never quite the same without him sitting at his regular place at the head of the table. Still, we tried to carry on.
So first, a little background. One of our favorite topics of recent (probably due to all the impending births) is names. Ever since Oliver admitted an interest in naming a future son of his "Blaze," he has suffered our merciless mockery. Seriously, it is a horse name.
Today's discussion began with our questioning of whether the alternate spelling of "Blaise" was more acceptable. As in 17th Century philosopher Blaise Pascal. And, as our Catholic constituency helpfully pointed out, there is a St. Blaise, patron saint of throat illnesses.
This led to an interesting conversation about the many different denominations of Christianity, which led to Ryan mentioning that his fiance's grandparents are Mennonite, and that at their local Wal-Mart you can find "parking" for your horse and buggy.
On the food front, Leigh had brought some falafel patties as part of her lunch, and after much pressing, convinced Ryan to try a bite. I asked him to take a minute and describe for us the experience.
Thanks Ryan, that was informative.
And finally, the random find of the day, courtesy of Oliver: This story about a Japanese skirt that can transform into a coke can so one can hide from muggers. Yes, there are pictures.
Happy lunching!
Liz
So first, a little background. One of our favorite topics of recent (probably due to all the impending births) is names. Ever since Oliver admitted an interest in naming a future son of his "Blaze," he has suffered our merciless mockery. Seriously, it is a horse name.
Today's discussion began with our questioning of whether the alternate spelling of "Blaise" was more acceptable. As in 17th Century philosopher Blaise Pascal. And, as our Catholic constituency helpfully pointed out, there is a St. Blaise, patron saint of throat illnesses.
This led to an interesting conversation about the many different denominations of Christianity, which led to Ryan mentioning that his fiance's grandparents are Mennonite, and that at their local Wal-Mart you can find "parking" for your horse and buggy.
On the food front, Leigh had brought some falafel patties as part of her lunch, and after much pressing, convinced Ryan to try a bite. I asked him to take a minute and describe for us the experience.
First, it kind of looked like dung (no offense to Leigh, because I’m sure that’s how they are supposed to look). It was brown with a lot of bits and pieces of other items in it. I know, why would I eat anything that even looked like that? My answer to that is… well, I don’t know but I did, I guess, this was one of those rare occasions when I decided to try something new AND falafel just sounds fun. It was one of the weirdest feelings in my mouth (and it wasn’t like “a party in my mouth”). It was very dry and the more I chewed the less I could swallow causing things to just cycle from the left side of my mouth and then to the right and back again. I almost felt like I recycling center, separating all of the bits and pieces in my mouth before I could swallow them. Anyways, after I finished shuddering and shaking from the chills that were running through my body from the disgusting taste I was able to take a “swig” of Mountain Dew to remove the taste from my mouth. That’s about it for my experience with the falafel. Oh, and there was some sort of cucumber sauce which looked like ranch dressing… it didn’t help!
Thanks Ryan, that was informative.
And finally, the random find of the day, courtesy of Oliver: This story about a Japanese skirt that can transform into a coke can so one can hide from muggers. Yes, there are pictures.
Happy lunching!
Liz
Today's Outsider Perspective
Hello gang!
Evans, Betsy, and Lynn here! Who said lunch club had to be confined to the conference room? That is preposterous!! Today not only did we have each other at the front desk, but special guests Celine and Whitney joined us, leading us in a jam session of "It's All Coming Back To Me," and "I Will Always Love You." A scratch on the disc could not hinder these ladies from providing the perfect opening act for KC and JoJo. Sitting at the front desk during the "lunch club" hour does not stop the camaraderie that Lunch Club provides. It only, in fact, enhances the laughter heard from the conference room, due to our lovely paper thin walls. We are able to partner with our fellow lunch clubbers, knowing they are with us in spirit from the Conference Room. We have enjoyed today's outsider perspective of Lunch Club, but are greatly looking forward to re-joining our fellow clubbers tomorrow in the Conference Room. :-)
Until then,
Lynn
Evans, Betsy, and Lynn here! Who said lunch club had to be confined to the conference room? That is preposterous!! Today not only did we have each other at the front desk, but special guests Celine and Whitney joined us, leading us in a jam session of "It's All Coming Back To Me," and "I Will Always Love You." A scratch on the disc could not hinder these ladies from providing the perfect opening act for KC and JoJo. Sitting at the front desk during the "lunch club" hour does not stop the camaraderie that Lunch Club provides. It only, in fact, enhances the laughter heard from the conference room, due to our lovely paper thin walls. We are able to partner with our fellow lunch clubbers, knowing they are with us in spirit from the Conference Room. We have enjoyed today's outsider perspective of Lunch Club, but are greatly looking forward to re-joining our fellow clubbers tomorrow in the Conference Room. :-)
Until then,
Lynn
Lunch Club Baby Watch Update
Today Jorge found out that he and the Mrs. are having a boy... that makes 2 confirmed boy babies on the way, one for them and one for Andres! We are about 50/50 split on whether Leigh is having a boy or a girl, and she's not finding out until he (or she) is born.
Exciting!
Happy lunching,
Liz
Exciting!
Happy lunching,
Liz
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Introducing the Clubbers
Hey everyone, Liz here. I thought it would be good to introduce you to all the lunch clubbers and office members you might read about here on the blog. Hopefully each of us will be writing posts so you can get the full spectrum of our conversations and personalities.
Names have been changed to protect the innocent, of course...
Jorge is our fearless lunch club president. It was through his consistent lunching at noon daily that the club began... one by one we joined in until it became clear this was a ritual not to be missed! Jorge and his wife are expecting their first little one soon. Lunch club baby watch!
Ryan is our resident techie and new-music-know-it-all, most commonly found dining on ramen and cracker packets. He is getting married at the beginning of the year and no doubt his soon-to-be wife will be making sure he eats better.
Stephen is a total sports guru, so look for his tips on strengthening your fantasy league... you'll know him by his red lunch pail, which consists of a sandwich, some sort of munchies in a baggie, and a Little Debbie or Hostess snack. Which, if you ask nicely, he will probably share.
Leigh is our office mommy-to-be. We like to spend our time with her rubbing her tummy and guessing the baby's gender. Leigh is always bringing something scrumptious to eat which she probably made from scratch. With goat's milk. Lunch club baby watch #2!
Oliver recently went on a kick where it seemed like all he ate were grapes, although I'm sure that wasn't the case. He introduced us to the delight that is the honey pretzel twist. He is also my fellow in icecream-love. Also, he's a good dresser.
Lynn is a lunch club regular, often to be found suspiciouslly weighing the truthfulness of something Jorge says. Lynn also keeps us on point with some lunch club favorite TV shows, The Office and LOST. She prefers to sit on the left hand side of the table. We're not entirely sure why.
Earl is kind of like lunch club dad. Probably because he is one of the few actual dads in the group. If you say something embarrassing, Earl will turn the color of a tomato. He would also be interested in sharing your chips and salsa, but no double dipping!
Shannon often brings in a lunch which her dear hubby has packed... you can tell because he only gives her two oreos at a time. She'll keep the club entertained with stories from her midwestern upbringing - often involving wildlife and/or the Dutch.
Beth is our delightful Southern belle, and her place at the table is typically marked with her favorite plastic cup from a local deli... complete with lid and straw. And usualy filled with pink Crystal Light. You can hear her laughing from pretty much anywhere in the office.
Evans is only recently starting to grace the lunch club with her presence. Get her together with Beth and it is likely they will soon be giggling past the point of breath. Just today she debuted her Barbie lunch box. For real.
Andres will stun you with his ridiculous knowledge of pop music trivia. He holds the distinction of bringing the most interesting vegetables to the table, courtesy of the co-op he joined this fall. He and his wife are expecting a little boy to go along with their little girl. Lunch club baby watch #3!
Anne attends lunch club from time to time, when she's not running around with her crazy busy job. Do not, under any circumstances, leave any of your belongings in the lunch room with Anne. She is our resident prankster and is especially fond of hiding stuff.
Marie almost always has a great story to share about her kids, and keeps the conversation snapping along with her experience in improv comedy. Nothing weird to report about her food habits at this time.
Betsy and Christine are the delightful office interns... and when we don't have them scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush they are allowed to attend lunch club.
Deasy, who we hope only eats with us sporadically due to her schedule, and not because she thinks we're weird.
Jennifer started a trend of eating our microwave meals off a real plate, which she once pointed out really does make them seem more appealing. She almost always says something unintentionally funny, which we love.
W walks by and pops his head in from time to time. Our company leader, he is usually jetting off to either a very important meeting or to some foreign land. We envy the travelling more than the meetings.
Webster visits the club now and then, brining extraordinary stories from his travels and real-life adventures. Also his vocabulary is outrageous... I mean, he called Jorge a "paragon of veracity."
And I'm Liz, dear reader. I strive to keep the group motivated by being the bearer of baked goods. I like to eat turkey sandwiches, diet coke, and Kit Kats. Chances are you'll be hearing from me frequently, since I've been somehow nominated secretary of our happy gatherings.
So until next time,
Liz
Lunch Clubber since 2005
Names have been changed to protect the innocent, of course...
Jorge is our fearless lunch club president. It was through his consistent lunching at noon daily that the club began... one by one we joined in until it became clear this was a ritual not to be missed! Jorge and his wife are expecting their first little one soon. Lunch club baby watch!
Ryan is our resident techie and new-music-know-it-all, most commonly found dining on ramen and cracker packets. He is getting married at the beginning of the year and no doubt his soon-to-be wife will be making sure he eats better.
Stephen is a total sports guru, so look for his tips on strengthening your fantasy league... you'll know him by his red lunch pail, which consists of a sandwich, some sort of munchies in a baggie, and a Little Debbie or Hostess snack. Which, if you ask nicely, he will probably share.
Leigh is our office mommy-to-be. We like to spend our time with her rubbing her tummy and guessing the baby's gender. Leigh is always bringing something scrumptious to eat which she probably made from scratch. With goat's milk. Lunch club baby watch #2!
Oliver recently went on a kick where it seemed like all he ate were grapes, although I'm sure that wasn't the case. He introduced us to the delight that is the honey pretzel twist. He is also my fellow in icecream-love. Also, he's a good dresser.
Lynn is a lunch club regular, often to be found suspiciouslly weighing the truthfulness of something Jorge says. Lynn also keeps us on point with some lunch club favorite TV shows, The Office and LOST. She prefers to sit on the left hand side of the table. We're not entirely sure why.
Earl is kind of like lunch club dad. Probably because he is one of the few actual dads in the group. If you say something embarrassing, Earl will turn the color of a tomato. He would also be interested in sharing your chips and salsa, but no double dipping!
Shannon often brings in a lunch which her dear hubby has packed... you can tell because he only gives her two oreos at a time. She'll keep the club entertained with stories from her midwestern upbringing - often involving wildlife and/or the Dutch.
Beth is our delightful Southern belle, and her place at the table is typically marked with her favorite plastic cup from a local deli... complete with lid and straw. And usualy filled with pink Crystal Light. You can hear her laughing from pretty much anywhere in the office.
Evans is only recently starting to grace the lunch club with her presence. Get her together with Beth and it is likely they will soon be giggling past the point of breath. Just today she debuted her Barbie lunch box. For real.
Andres will stun you with his ridiculous knowledge of pop music trivia. He holds the distinction of bringing the most interesting vegetables to the table, courtesy of the co-op he joined this fall. He and his wife are expecting a little boy to go along with their little girl. Lunch club baby watch #3!
Anne attends lunch club from time to time, when she's not running around with her crazy busy job. Do not, under any circumstances, leave any of your belongings in the lunch room with Anne. She is our resident prankster and is especially fond of hiding stuff.
Marie almost always has a great story to share about her kids, and keeps the conversation snapping along with her experience in improv comedy. Nothing weird to report about her food habits at this time.
Betsy and Christine are the delightful office interns... and when we don't have them scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush they are allowed to attend lunch club.
Deasy, who we hope only eats with us sporadically due to her schedule, and not because she thinks we're weird.
Jennifer started a trend of eating our microwave meals off a real plate, which she once pointed out really does make them seem more appealing. She almost always says something unintentionally funny, which we love.
W walks by and pops his head in from time to time. Our company leader, he is usually jetting off to either a very important meeting or to some foreign land. We envy the travelling more than the meetings.
Webster visits the club now and then, brining extraordinary stories from his travels and real-life adventures. Also his vocabulary is outrageous... I mean, he called Jorge a "paragon of veracity."
And I'm Liz, dear reader. I strive to keep the group motivated by being the bearer of baked goods. I like to eat turkey sandwiches, diet coke, and Kit Kats. Chances are you'll be hearing from me frequently, since I've been somehow nominated secretary of our happy gatherings.
So until next time,
Liz
Lunch Clubber since 2005
How it all began
In a small, non-descript building in an average sized American city, office workers came together to form what is now known as "Lunch Club." From different walks of life they came, for the common purpose of sitting down around an old conference table and eating lunch. What eventually transpired was so much more - we discussed, we argued, we tackled some of the world's most challenging questions, like, "How do dolphins nurse?"
Join us now as we faithfully recount our daily discussions for your reading pleasure.
Join us now as we faithfully recount our daily discussions for your reading pleasure.
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