{mis}Adventure #14 – Life in Dubai: (Not So) Universal Appliance Symbols

So, a few weeks ago I wanted to defrost some meat that I’d put into the freezer.  No big deal, I’d been using microwave regularly at that point.  A simple twist of the dial to the desired time and all was good in my kitchen.

I must admit I’d never paid much attention to the presets on my microwave during my daily microwave dialings.  So when I approached the microwave ready to hit the defrost button I was stopped dead in my tracks.  Truly bewildered by the image symbols that some international developer thought were clearly "universal".  I present to you my interpretation of the microwave settings on my friendly neighborhood microwave:

• Chef Button: Push this button to instantly become a gourmet chef
• Pot of Auto Fluff : Push this button to auto fluff – no wait, that would be a dryer…maybe this is a baking button?
• Crying Asterisk (Auto variant): Hmmm...this may be the defrost button. 
• Crying Asterisk (lightning bolt variant):  Wait, is this the thunderstorm button?! 
• Pot of Auto Steam:  I knew conventional ovens had a self-clean, now I have a microwave that does it, too...sweet!
• Clock: Timer?
• Notebook paper: Clearly, this is a poorly drawn bacon button – but I know my bacon, and this HAS to be the 'baconator' setting (you know?  push button receive bacon?  see the similarities?!)

• Smiley Face w/ Baseball Cap:  *sigh* shake head and walk away and give up, you can't pay me to push that button…Dubai Strikes again

Don't understand what I mean just from the word descriptions?  
Can't believe that these are real "universal" microwave buttons?  
Then I present to you my Dubai microwave:

{CLOUD}: It can be frustrating living somewhere new and different...

SILVER LINING:...but the hilarity that emerges from the situation will make the memories of your time there that much more enjoyable.  And hey, at least you have a microwave.  (And bacon, don't forget the bacon)

RaNDom Musing #30: 11 Random Things About Me & Other Questions

So...I've been tagged by my friend "my-run-is-not-done" and am WOEfully behind on responding.  Here are the rules and herrrrrre we go:

RULES

1. Post these rules.

2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.

4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.

6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

Let the randomness begin:

1.  My inner child is 12 years old.

2.  As a child, I used to try to make my dimples deeper with my pencil eraser - to this day, I believe I was successful.

3.  I legitimately thought I was 25 years old for the first six months of my 26th year on earth.
4.  I have already selected my daughter's name...even though I am not, nor have I ever been close to giving birth.
5.  I still don't "split the pole" when walking with others and I have been known to make those who do split the pole walk back around while saying "bread & butter"
6.  My inner fat kid LOVES alternately sweet & salty snacks (e.g., swedish fish with salt & vinegar chips, cherry sours & cheddar chex mix)
7.  My iTunes playlists are arranged by experiences vice genre (e.g., L(os)T in Korea - for LT years at Lost-in-the-Woods (aka Leonardwood) & Korea, iRock - for Iraq
8.  I'm a hopeless romantic posing as a hopeful romantic.
9.  I have too many hobbies, but I still try to keep up with them all...
10.  I have an unhealthy obsession with sneakers (namely Chuck Taylors and Pumas) and don't really own too many pairs of "big girl shoes"
11.  I don't know how to put on make-up.

Here are my answers to JME's Qs...

Questions:

1. What is your favorite kitchen utensil/appliance? The microwave & George Foreman grill.  They are a testament to my cooking desires / abilities.  No joke, I had a microwave cookbook as a kid - latchkey!

2. What fitness activity have you always wanted to try?  Hmmm...I don't think there's anything I haven't tried that I wanted to.  I know I have ZERO desire to complete a marathon.  Does that count?

3. Where did you take your best or worst vacation?  Best / worst vaca thus far:  Hurricane Earl in St. Maarten - seriously, I don't have a "bad time"  - always make the best of e'rythang ;)

4. What’s your favorite season? The one with no snow and comfortably warm mornings / evenings and cool breezes! (In America it's called Spring, but here in the UAE it's apparently known as "winter" - it's all relative)

5. Tap water or filtered water?  Is the tap water potable?  If so, them I'm good with that...

6. You have no distractions or obligations, how would you like to spend your day?  In my PJs and dancing around the apartment, then maybe a nice stroll or run...followed by dancing the night away oh, wait or watching a movie on the couch, IF I have a hunny to cuddle with!

7. How many bones in your body have you broken?  2 - and a front tooth.  I've also had 5 or 6 concussions.

8. Who is your fitness inspiration?  Hmmm...

9. Do you have a sweet tooth or a salty tooth?  See random item #6

10. What’s your favorite shoe style?  See random item #10

11. What are you most looking forward to doing when the weather warms up?  Whatever I stumble into...looks like that's skydiving this weekend!  Woot!!


Now, here are my 11 questions for 11 people:

1.  What was the last album you bought (or iTuned or Spotified etc...)?

2.  Where's the best place you've been this year?  This decade?  Hope to "have been"?

3.  What's the strangest talent you have?

4.  What's the hardest thing you've ever done?

5.  If you were a city, what would you be?

6.  If you were sand, what would you say to people on your beach?

7.  What's your "B" superhero power (e.g., able to know a text message is about to pop up seconds before the phone vibrates)?

8.  Should the guy always pay for the date?

9.  Parallel park or drive around the block?

10.  Bring sexy back?

11.  What's something you wanted to be / do when you were little that you've actually done?

RaNDom Musing #29: Conversations with My Roommate - #3: Special Delivery

[A couple nights before the below conversation, our upstairs neighbor had the stereo blasting - I was so pooped that I never heard the commotion.  However, my roommate was very perturbed by it.  When I experienced the same thing a few days later I should not have been surprised by his response, but , alas, I was...]

Me: Did you HEAR the neighbors thumping their music last night?!

Roommate: Nah.  Were they really?

Me:  YESSS!  It was kinda ridiculous.

Roommate:  That's it.  I'm going to have to mail them a dead fish.



[What?!]

RaNDom Musing #28: Conversations with My Roommate - #2: What's Cooking?

[I encouter a used frying pan on the stove...the same one that I want to scramble some eggs in this morning]

Me: Hey...you left this on the stove.  What did you cook in this anyways?

Roommate: Chicken.

Me: You made chicken...what did you marinate it in?

Roommate: The same thing I marinate everything in...Bloody Mary Mix 

RaNDom Musing #27: Conversations with My Roommate - #1: The KJos on Kids

[The KJos are sitting in the living room watching some (lame) movie that my roommate (the boy KJo) coerces me (the girl KJo) into watching when randomly the following conversation ensues...]

Me: You know, I'm not sure I want to have kids. 

Roommate: Mmmm...

Me: I mean - I WANT them, but...I want them to be born five (5)

Roommate: What, as in five years old?

Me: Yep.  Is that crazy?

Roommate: No.  It's called adoption.

RaNDom Musing #26: Conversations with My Roommate - Intro to the Series

For those of you who have been keeping up with my migrations, I have relocated to Chester, VA (near Petersburg).  I will be here for approximately five months.  While I am here I am living with a longtime friend who can also go by the name KJo.  He and I have known each other since we were 13 years old, but we haven't seen each other in five years!

Fast-forward: We have been living together for about a month now and I realize that we have some of the most absurd conversations.  Being the generous person that I am, I felt that there is absolutely NO reason for me to keep these gems to myself. 

So, world, I officially present to you: Conversations with My Roommate.

Enjoy!

RaNDom Musing #24 (24 Jan 12): Why can't I just get what's in the photo?

So...I roll up to the subway counter at the Ft Lee PX and the flatbread Chipotle Chicken Cheesesteak catches my eye.  You know, the photo just looked so very appetizing!  The exchange with the sandwhich maker frustrated me and just had me wondering: Why can't I just get what's in the photo?!

Sandwhich-maker (SM): Hello.  Welcome to subway, how may I help you?

Me: Yes, I'd like that flatbread chipotle chicken cheesesteak (try saying that 3 times fast)

SM: What would you like on that?

Me: Can I just have what's in the picture?

SM:  Well, what kind of cheese would you like?

Me: Whatever's on the picture, please. 

SM: (clearly exasperated with me at this point) Miss, most of our cheeses are light, I can't tell what kind of cheese in the picture.

Me: So wait, you guys don't have a baseline sandwhich lay out or the basic picture reference?

SM: What would you like on that sandwhich, Miss?

Me: I'd really just like whatever is on - nevermind.



Seriously, though.  Is it too hard to ask for and get what's in the picture? 
*sigh*

RaNDom Musing #25 (1 Feb 12): A Roommate Haiku - He Snores.

my roommate snores, LOUD

snoring wasn't in the deal

*sigh* - no 'plugs  on hand

RaNDom Musing #23 (10 Jan 2011): The Significance of Significant Others

Soooo...there I was, texting back and forth with my friend, NJ.  As it's time to head to bed, she asks me to send her a wake-up text.  Of course I agreed, but it reminded me of a few things I miss, cherish and consider to be significant about significant others (aka SOs).

It inspired the below top 5 significant things about significant others:



5. Wake-Up Calls, Texts and Ribbings - They will tell you to turn off that GD Alarm and GET-UP! Even I, as the Snooze Queen, feel compelled to make sure that my own SO wakes up on time.  I mean...so what if I set an alarm to call / text and then go right back to sleep - only to hope or know that they will call me back to make sure I got up, too! Regular friends...if you have good ones like me, then you're covered here, too.

4.  Automatic Ringback - and I'm not talking ring tones.  Your SO has some unwritten pact that they HAVE to call you back and chat with you about your day and your current frustrations etc.  Regular friends they'll call you back, but the amount of time you get to spend on the above is not as much...something about respecting your friends' time, space etc.  Oh, and let's not forget if your regular friends, God forbid, have their own crazy-busy lives!!

3.  Free meals.  I mean, sometimes a girl doesn't want to have to pay for or prepare her own grub.

2.  Body Pillow.  Do I need to explain?

1.  The number one significant thing about significant others?  They are  *drumroll* A Built-in Adventure Buddy!! You know the song about the 90s doll?  ♪♫ My buddy, my buddy...wherever I go, he's gonna go ♫♪  Your SO kinda has no choice and is automatically signed up for any of your adventures with you.  Regular friends...not so much, they can bail, flake or are bound to their own "buddies"

What's the significance of significant others to you?!

RaNDom Musing #22 (21 Dec 2011): Dear Scranton Series - Winter Weather Negotiations

Dear Scranton,

It's officially winter - and true to our agreement during the fall weather talks, I am back to the negotiation table. I've come up with some terms that I think we can both agree to. I understand, you're a Northeastern City and it has to be cold SOMETIME so let me know how you feel about the following:

1. No more than one week of below freezing temps each winter month
2. Make every effort to have weeks of below freezing temps coincide with time-frames that I am not physically in the city of Scranton

Hmmm...that's it.

Warmest Regards,
Your Resident Islander

P.S. I'm rolling out this Friday for about a week, SOOOOO have at it with those freezing temps, my friend!