XiaolinMama

The "Pick Up Artist" recap

Outside of TNT's The Closer and Top Chef,  TV watching was an abysmal disappointment.  Let me put it out there, I love pop culture. I love watching bad TV. I love The Office, Ugly Betty, Project Runway and Grey's Anatomy.  I couldn't wait for Heroes to start up again. After a show, I love to read the blogs and message boards. I know, I am SUCH a dork I am.  After Grey's Anatomy, I read the Grey Matter blog, anxiously awaiting the team of show writer's thoughts about their work.  I heart Shonda, the creator of Grey's, who is a working mom, who blogs and writes with her child in toe.

Regardless, I have to comment on this summer's loser show, "The Pick Up Artist".  It might be my penchant for the random or not being able to find the remote control, but this show took the cake this summer.

The basic premise is one cool guy and his friends teach a group of nerd boys how to be "playahs".   Remember Will Smith In Hitch, where he played this guy who coached awkward men in succeeded with women?  Obviously he found out that when it was his turn to fall in love all his tricks and tips fell to the wayside.  Hitch, the uber cute Smith, was just as awkward as his students.  Somehow this movie worked, the premise was silly, but was still endearing.  In the movie, the message was clear that women were smarter than men, so men had to up their game and be respectful.

On the other hand, in the "Pick Up Artist", the cool guy, was anything but. First, he called himself, "Mystery", I'm sure not a name his mama gave him.  He had ths affinity to wearing swim goggles and extravagant hats as fashion accessory. His "Master Pick Up Artist Crew" was made up of his pals, " J Dog and Matador" , who served as mentors for the "nerds".

The men signed up as "mentees" were your stereotypical nerds - nice, a few even handsome, but awkward and scared to death of women. The looked like normal guys.  Mystery and his pals dressed them up, taught the mentees about hair gel and tanning cream and tutored them in the finer points of "opening lines" and "kissing".  Check out the glossary of "Pick up Artist" terms here. 

What stuck out for me was the complete disrespect of women in this show.  Women were things to be conquered and won.  Most of the mentees seemed genuinely sweet, but simply did not know how to approach a woman in a public setting.  Granted, who really meets anyone in a bar and then starts a meaningful relationship? These masters tutored their students with tips like, "Lock in on your target" and "When speaking in a trio, completely ignore the girl you want and talk to the other girl to make the first girl jealous".  How high school does that sound?

This season finale not only showed the final battle, but had audience members text their favorite pick up lines.  Here are some of my favorites:
*Miss, you forgot something…my phone #
*Be different from all the others, say yes.
*I like my women like I like my peanut butter – chunky
*Your legs look cold. Do you want me to warm them up?
* Hey I’m looking for treasure, can I check out your chest?

Kosmo, who was crowned "Master Pick Up Artist" said, "I am not a pimp… I am a pick up artist and there is a huge difference…. "  Uh Kosmo, how is that different?  Is it because you now wear hair gel with an artistic flair?

Seriously, maybe it is because I am old and married, but these lines and these tips seem so desperate and DUMB.  Has dating changed that much?  sigh...  My husband and I watched in amazement at these men.  My hubby is one of those typical SV engineer, so I suppose he technically coulda been on the show.  But he and the enginerds he knew were MUCH cooler:) and certainly did not need to have Mystery and Crew show them how to pick up the ladies and teach them the ways of the bar/club.

BTW - Who does VH1 think watches this show? What demographic were they going for?  I think that many VH1 viewers are women.  We all should be mad at the lack of respect that VH1 showed us all.

Wati dress for the ballerina princess

Nothin' I love more than a great sale!  (Well, that is besides the kids and the hubby, of course!)  This week a girlfriend and I hit a great house party sale featuring clothes from the super designer, Wati.  We got there semi-early, braving morning rush hour traffic and the dozens of women already there.

Here is picture of Wati, herself.  Not only is Wati sweet, but her clothes are fabu!  You won't find this stuff at your neighborhood Gap!  The ballerina princess at our house loved the dress that I picked up from the Swag Bag put together by the SV Moms Blog, that I had to get her another.  I love the quality of fabric.  Kiley loves that when she spins, so do the ruffles! 

At this week's sale she cleared out her Summer/spring line to make room for the Fall/Winter gear.  I was more than happy to help her make space!  Actually, between my friend and I, I think we bought 15 dresses, 5 blouses and 4 skirts - all at a  fraction of the regular cost. (Something I emphasized to the hubby as I unloaded the bulging bags.)   We bought enough to clothe all our nieces and the other little girls in our lives.  I'm hoping to capture them all in their outfits together, but that would be like herding cats.  But a girl can dream, right?

Here is a snap of my ballerina princess, Kiley in her Wati dress.  You gotta love that pose!

Happy Birthday to me!

Monday was my birthday – the big 36! (Thanks to everyone who left me a shout out or called)  I was starting to feel older, not all that wiser, as I thought about how I as entering my “Late” thirties.  The hubby and I had a very "thought provoking" discussion about what constituted “late”.  It went like this.

Me: I’m in my last year of the Mid 30s now – do I look smarter?
Him:  Well, what don’t you mean "late" 30s?  36 is past 35 which is past the half way mark from 1 to 10.  So you are on the downward spiral.
Me:  Hmmm…well if you divide the decade into thirds, not countin 30 or 40, then 31-33 is early, 34-36 is mid and 37-39 is late.  So then I am in the last year of my mid 30s! My math sounds better.
Him:  I guess, what ever makes you feel better!  BTW you are smarter than before.
Me:  Thanks I think…

Regardless, I think the hubby did get one thing right, I am smarter.  A year ago, I left a job I loved and started a new job – it was horrible.  The job itself wasn’t so bad, but it didn't fall in line with my newly found priorities of “Being there” with my kids.  I came home bitter and upset that what I thought was going to be SO great –well wasn’t.  I re-adjusted. I quit that job and got a new game plan.  Now I work from home (so far so good) , started blogging and now help with homework and occasionally bake cookies! Moreover, I have become more protective of MY time and my families time.

A year ago, I had moved to a new nice neighborhood, with great neighbors who seemed to have it all together.  I was intimidated.  I always felt like the punk kid that somehow snuck into the show for free.  I’ve learned my family fits in just fine, nothing to feel insecure about.  Geez. We all struggle – with kids, paying mortgages, losing weight, carpooling, careers and just figuring out our daily lives.  Duh!  Our family is what is it. I am who I am.  If you don’t like it, well move.  We’re staying.

This year I figured out that I had to plan the birthday celebration I wanted.  Duh! I booked a massage and bath at the yummy Burke Williams Spa.  I took my son to soccer practice and had dinner with the family.  With the exception of the massage, it could easily be seen as boring, but being “WITH” the family in the moment, was the exact gift I wanted. Though, J, if you are reading this – a year of monthly massages at Burke Williams would be a nice added gift too!

Happy birthday to me – a year older and definitely wiser!

Look at me. I'm an ART COLLECTOR

I am horrible at decorating. For a while, I was afraid the Fab 5  from the Queer Eye would come to our house and that Thom and Carson would laugh at our stuff. Yikes! Whatever happened to them? I leaf through the Pottery Barn catalogs, thinking my house could never look that way. I’ve come to terms with my lack of PB style and have decided that my style is brighter, edgier and more eclectic anyway. Screw PB! Yet, that realization still hasn’t translated into making my house look any better.

On another note, I have always loved learning about artists, their inspiration and their lives.  I always thought that some day, I'd have my own art collection.  One filled with pieces that reflected my life and loves.  Never did I think about where I'd get the money to do that - call that naivette. :)  To date my collection, has consisted of things passed down (hence, my velvet, yes VELVET Elvis from my father), watercolors we've picked up on our travels and my Ikea art; combined they probably are valued less than my Ipod.  Hmmm...

But I have arrived!  Today I hung up the first three pieces of my art collection from the talented Sonya Paz, pop artist extraordinaire.  The large piece on the left commemorates the 150th anniversary of my son’s elementary school, where Sonya and her son also attended.  The other two reflect the energy of living in Silicon Valley with local landmarks, California sunshine and wine.  The pieces are playful, vibrant and make you smile with their simultaneous simplicity and complexity, much like my own life!

What makes these even more special is the artist herself Sonya Paz.  As a new “collector”, I’ve never walked into a gallery and knew, “I’m here to buy, not just ogle”.  It was a different feeling.  I am also easily intimidated and annoyed by pretentious sales people, so I wasn't prepared to be bowled over so quickly.  I met Sonya at her Campbell gallery.  We hit it off right away.  She was easy to speak with and was happy to share her work.  She offered to come over to my home to help me size photos and pick the “right” pieces.  We talked about raising kids, where she got her inspiration from and her My Space page. How cool is she? It was like having your spunky and fun gal pal over. 

I highly recommend you check her gallery out.  Her art can be found on pillows, t-shirts, furniture and magnets.  Her modern cubist take on life in the Valley is unique and she is even cooler!  BTW her watches were placed in the swag bags at last years Academy Awards.  Now me and Cameron Diaz have something in common☺

Now Sonya’s pieces grace my green walls and I can’t stop smiling at them. I think about how they are a symbol of the optimism and passion I feel about living here in CA.  They are vibrant, passionate and complex.  They are a reminder that I indeed am creating a HOME that reflects me and the whole family, not just Pottery Barn decorating.  Carson and Thom, you’re invited to come over to check out my new collection.  I know this is just the beginning!

Oh, The places you’ll go!

When I started blogging a few months ago I had NO idea what I was getting myself into.  I thought, "What's the big deal? I'll set it up, write a few stories and find a new hobby. "  Little did I know that my little ole' blog would result in bloggin', face bookin', twitterin' (albeit for a total of 10 minutes), Digin', posting on wikis and finding a whole new set of people to commiserate with, share reflections with, bitch with and cry with.

Today I had lunch with a new friend and fellow blogger, Go-Go Mommy and her beautiful girls at yummy Palo Alto Creamery. (I had a delish vanilla soda, not that gross kind out of a can.)   We both won manicures at the Silicon Valley Moms makeover Contest.  It was a blast getting our hands prettified.  While I REALLY needed the mani, the prize was getting to meet Beth B., aka, Techmama and Janet, aka Go Go Mommy.  We talked about video game obsessions of 7 year old boys and our 3 year old princess loving girls.  The three of us are VERY different, our social paths would not have crossed.  But here I am a couple months later and Go Go Mommy and I are trying to solve the mysteries of using TypePad together and sharing stories about my father in law and the circus, while our daughters play dress up.  Wow!  I heart blogging!

I've cried reading posts; sparking me to rethink how I want to live, raise my kids and even what I want to do with my career.  Blogging has introduced me to people and experiences I've only imagined and challenged my assumptions. Blogging has helped me process my insecurities by connecting me with others who feel the same way or were there before.  I found fellow Filipina mothers. I found moms who lived close by. I found others with delicious recipes that saved the day.  I found others who make me laugh.  It has helped me find my voice.  It is scary, infuriating, hard work and fantastic.  I heart blogging!

I've also learned to cut myself some slack.  I've held this image in my head that I could DO IT ALL.  I know now that having it all is possible- well sort of.  I've learned not to feel guilty if it doesn't work out so well all the time.  Keeping up with the Jones is such a joke, especially in the Valley, because Ms. Jones is trying to keep it together just like me.  I've romanticized her and everything that she came with - the clean orderly house, the uber rewarding career saving the world, the polite no-burping in public kids, the gold fish crumb-free car and the fantastic fulfilling sex life.  I've been shackled by guilt and self loathing for years.  But I'm getting better at seeing my life as it is adn what it can be - good days and bad.  Wine helps with that:)   I heart blogging!

I've also learned new skills, like HTML coding and making an avatar.  I've expanded my vocabulary to include: search engine optimization, scrabulous, site metrics, LOL, advertising and probloggers.  I heart blogging - I think!

Most of all I have found a space all my own - a place where this waanabe-superhero xiaolin mama, doesn't always have to have a plan, the right answer or the ability to fix anything.  I write about, meditate on, complain about whatever it is I want.  I've also found other compadres that feel the same way!  Oh, the place I've gone and will go with bloggin'. I definitely HEART blogging!

A Perfect Day

It is almost midnight and the house is eerily quiet.  I just finished watching my summer obsession, Top Chef.  I loaded the dishwasher, which means I actually did the dishes and I hung a new painting on my living room wall.  The kids are asleep and I am eating ice cream, Haagen Daz, Mayan Chocolate - oh yeah!

Today was one of those days that was perfect, while I didn't get to spend the day at the beach with a mai tai in hand, it was perfect in a  "keep your head above water" kinda way. I don't have those days often, where most of the "To do" list is actually done.  Usually, I look up at find that it is 4:00 p.m. and have no idea what happened.  Maybe I just have overly ambitious lists - doubt it.  But today was a different story, I crossed off everything on my list! Applause now is totally fine! 

My daily list is like every other mothers: Dress kids, feed them, take them to school, go to work, think about exercising, pick up kids, take them to soccer/tae kwon do/ballet/play dates or whatever else is going on, contemplate dinner options, wish I had a team to cook, shop and clean for us,  wake up from that fantasy and cook, shop and clean as needed, make dinner, bathe kids, read books with kids and collapse.   

There, of course, is a multitude of things that happen in between, like hug and laugh with kids, greet husband and maybe a quick smootch, help with homework, save the world, laugh at the list in the first place and eat ice cream as often as possible.

Whew, it's no wonder I never get my list done.  My view of a perfect day has changed dramatically since the kids arrived on the scene.  It no longer is the day on the beach with a tanned hunk feeding me grapes.  I now have a whole menu of perfect days - one featuring adventures with the family, one finding the ultimate pair of shoes on sale and one where my husband and I are actually out on a date alone.    Aaah - and I have the perfect day where the "To Do" list is transformed into the "all done" list. Though  the "hunk feeding me grapes" day is still one that I look forward to!