Arianna Georgi

Because I like setting myself up for situations that resemble lame sitcom plots and because I love animals, I got suckered into being Santa Claus this Saturday at my local Petco.  This means that from 1:30-4 pm or so I will be dressed in a beard, pretending to be jolly, and taking photos with people’s pets.  And since my office Christmas party/Booze Cruise is tomorrow (and since I plan on introducing everyone involved to the West Coast Margarita) I will also probably be trying my best to avoid vomiting on chihuahuas and regretting being born for most of the time.  I am doing this because no one else would, five dollars of every photo go to Rescue House, and I’ve always wanted to dress as Santa and bring people joy (that last part is a lie).  Seriously though, come down and torment me.  I encourage you to do it.   Email me if you need more info.

I will be the Santa that smells like stale West Coast Margarita.  Expect a blog about the experience to follow.

Tags: Cats, Petco, rescue house, Santa, Worst Hangover Ever

The other day, in the car, I heard a song that I first thought was probably an advertisement for Jose Curevo (although there was an awful lot of talking about panties going on for a commercial). Basically some rapper came on and said that he had a new song, as a lady I was likely to find it very exciting. He also said he was going to tell me about a new drink. What sort of new drink? The West Coast Margarita. The West Coast Margarita isn’t really a margarita as much as it is “a little Jose Cuervo and a little Sprite” (Yum???). Anyway I was intrigued and (as the song suggested I would be) excited, so I decided to do a little more research.

The creator of the West Coast Margarita and its delightful theme song is a rapper named Young Dumm. I was able to find out a lot more about him on his myspace page like the origin of his interesting/insulting nickname (I put his full bio below, thank me later). Anyway, according to his info “he acquired his name from a neighborhood confidant after being constantly told he was doing “too much” referring to his seemingly increasing run-ins with the law.” Also he was really dumb (it doesn’t say that but I am going to assume it). The bio goes on to say that Young Dum, or DummDumm (for short?), is a pretty badass guy. He “endured substantial obstacles throughout his young adult life before he was taken back to prison on a parole violation for 7 months for being shot 7times in early 2003.” I was unaware that you can go to prison for being shot, but I guess you can and that sucks. Can you imagine getting shot 7 times, and then getting thrown in jail for it? Our legal system is pretty messed up. YoungDumm is also from “the infamous streets ” of Compton, which “makes him a man of the streets” but he refuses to let “these life etrocities hinder him.” I find this admirable and plan to use the word “etrocities” in a Scrabble game soon.

Young Dumm must have a cousin or something at the local San Diego Hip Hop station since his profile only has about 16,000 views (mine has been viewed 32,000 because of an unfortunate “Cool New People” incident when I first set it up) and the song West Coast Margarita has only been played 502 times ( two of them were me). His Myspace encourages you to call him “Direct.” I called because I wanted him to justify his “gangsterism” even though his myspace bio said he that he would not do that (I’m a rebel). When I called some guy picked up and yelled “What up? WHAT UP? WHO THE HELL IS THIS?” I assume it was DummDumm but he honestly sounded terrifying and all that stuff about him being shot and knowing the codes and violence of the streets made me nervous so I hung up on him.

So hopefully I have done a good job of spreading the word about the West Coast Margarita and the music of Young Dumm. I personally plan on getting trashed drinking Yingling and Old Bay (Baltimore Margarita) later on tonight. If I get drunk enough I may even call Young Dumm again. I want to know more about why he chose Sprite as his mixer of choice (why not squirt?) and the streets.

The Bio of Young Dumm

In many ways the ideal West Coast rapper, Young Dumm endured substantial obstacles throughout his young adult life before he was taken back to prison on a parole violation for 7 months for being shot 7times in early 2003. One might expect an up and coming rapper to capitalize off the attempt on his life but Young Dumm wants his message to be clear “There’s no amount of money that will bring you back from death?. He continues, “I wasn’t in a coma and I didn’t walk out of the hospital. I rolled out of there in a wheelchair thanking God I was still alive”. The product of an unstable home and gang culture in Compton California makes him a man of the streets, intimately familiar with its codes and its violence. Born and raised on the infamous streets of Compton California he lived what many rappers write about but have never experienced. Young Dumm or Dumm Dumm will tell you that he acquired his name from a neighborhood confidant after being constantly told he was doing “too much” referring to his seemingly increasing run-ins with the law. While he openly admits not being proud of the choices that eventually landed him 3 years and 11 months in state correctional facilities he calls reliving these choices through rhyme music therapy. Afterall, It was in Chino state prison where he gave his first concert. “I was on central yard, east side sycamore, 3rd tier. It was Black’s late night which is on Saturday’s. I had the joint rockin”. “I figured if I could have a yard full of criminals from different hoods feeling my flow, I could duplicate that on the outs”, “I would sign me if I were 50 Cent” Little did he know, the following year on February 18, 2003 25 years after his father was shot three times in the head and survived he would suffer the same fate. “It was 1978 when my dad was robbed at gun point by a man dressed as a woman right outside his cocktail lounge. At the time, he was real known for having one of the most popular nightclubs in the Hub City section of Los Angeles”. A survivor by genetics, Young Dumm refuses to let these life etrocities hinder him and wants you to get his story straight from the horses mouth in a fourthcoming DVD, titled State Raised. “I’m an entrepreneur by definition. whether it be a full featured album or a DVD, I’m a walking opportunity. Right now i’m just trying to organize resources to help take advantage of the opportunity”. For those expecting to be pulled into a fabricated world of drug deals gone bad, fictionalized characters, and the lifestyles of Tony Montanna should be forwarned. Young Dumm wants you to party and have a good time hence his popular song, West Coast Margarita where he introduces a new drink in his smooth melodic Compton dialect over a Lil Rob beat. “I’m not here to justify my Gangsterism. I have nothing to prove. I’m not trying to get in this game and go ass out backwards by catching cases and gaining more enemies than I already have. Exploiting my story is one thing but living it is another. Being able to share my music and story with the masses is a blessing. For me there’s no coming back, life or death. shit, one more strike and i’m out all day with no get back. I guess a hard head makes a soft ass.”

Tags: Rap Music, West Coast Margaritas, Young Dumm

 Poor bees.  Not only are they disappearing at a terrifying rate, but whenever they do set up a home and try and get comfortable someone tries to give them or their hive away for free on Craigslist.  Like this guy:

I just found out we had this hive last night after work. I don’t have time or interest in messing with it. The pic was taken yesterday closest to the edge of deck. Had I had the courage to pan over to the right and take another picture you would have another 12 feet of comb running along three spacings between the framing. Some comb hanging down two feet long! Total area of comb 36 square feet? But there could be two hives under there from what it looks like.

My wife is terribly allergic to bees. I hear there are africanized bees in San Diego now, so if you want to split the honey 50/50 and your remove the comb and all let me know.

Personally, I don’t think this sounds like a very good deal.  You have to come to this guy’s house, remove the hive for free, and you only get to keep “half” the honey???  I think normally you have to pay people to remove bee hives, especially if you fear they are dangerous “Africanized” bees.  If any honey is involved, I think the person that risked their life with dangerous bee removal gets to keep it.

I decided to email this guy to see if he was really hung-up on the 50/50 honey situation, letting him know I would remove the bees, but I was unlikely to let him keep the honey if I did.  “I’ll take care of your bees,” I wrote, “but I want ALL the honey.  Is this okay?”  I have yet to hear back, but I will let you know if I do.  If push comes to shove I am willing to negotiate a 30/70 honey situation, but no less.  We’ll see…

Tags: bees, Free Stuff, honey

I like going to Spin Class, and by like I mean sort of hate but go anyway because it feels like a pretty good workout and people seem to be overly impressed by it.  In Spin Class you control the knob and so it is only really as tough as you make it.  But whenever I tell someone about going to Spin Class twice a week they make some statement to the effect of “oh sweet Jesus, I can’t believe you’re that tough” so I keep telling them about it and pretending like I am. I consider myself somewhat of a Spin Class coinsurer.  I went to Spin Class at my old gym.  I go to Spin Class at my new gym.  I went to Spin Class when I took a cruise to Alaska and I was out in the middle of the ocean.  And right now I am in Park City and I’ve been going to Spin Class here too.   Despite making me sort of an expert on Spin Classes (and a total Spin Class snob), all of this experience has shown me something.  Spin Class is EXACTLY the same wherever you go.  Seriously, I bet you could go to a Spin Class in the Amazon forest and it would be run by a fit, but not necessarily enviable person with ankle tattoos.  If mankind ever sets up a colony on the moon I can almost guarantee that Spin Class there will have the same ten people, and the same techo music.  Spin Class is universal, and in case you have never been, here’s a brief overview of what to expect.

Universal Spin Class Truth 1:  There will be one really creepy older guy in the class taking the whole thing way too seriously

This guy will sit in the front.  He has his own clip in bike shoes and will wear very tight bike shorts.  He will make terrifying grunting noises and sweat (even more than I do if that’s possible).  Even when the instructor tells everyone to take a break, he’ll keep standing up and pedaling as though he’s competing in the Tour de France.  He is will have a Livestrong bracelet.  This guy or a version of him has been in EVERY spin class I have ever attended.   He puts the rest of us to shame.

Universal Spin Class Truth 2:  At some point, the instructor will play Coldplay’s Speed of Sound

It will probably occur during the cool down section, but if it’s the techno version it may happen on the last hill.  The constant playing of this song while I am physically exerting myself now causes an almost Pavilion response that just hear the first few bars of that damn piano makes me start sweating.  I think Coldplay may have a secret pact with Spin Class instructors everywhere that they have to play their song.  It doesn’t really belong in a spin class, which usually features techno versions of Christina Aguillera songs so it must be a conspiracy.

Universal Spin Class Truth 3:  There will be one very out of shape woman who doesn’t really understand the concept of spin and spends the first ten minutes struggling to peddle with the bike set way too hard

This poor lady.  She probably read about how awesome Spin Class is in her Women’s Health magazine.  She’s got the bike shorts.  She’s ready to go.  She shows up in class and completely misses the idea of “cadence.”  When the instructor says you should turn it up a notch she turns it up all the way so that even creepy older guy would have a hard time turning the wheels.  Her face turns red and she struggles to push her way up what is the equivalent of spin Everest.  After burning herself out in the first ten minutes she spends the rest of the class sitting when we are all supposed to be standing and looking exhausted. 

Universal Spin Class Truth 4:  The instructor will tell you to relax your shoulders

She just will.  If you are like me, and don’t take criticism well you should run over this exchange in your head so you don’t react violently to her advice.   

Universal Spin Class Truth 5:  An incredibly fit woman will show up and make some comment about she just had twins a month ago so she hopes she can “keep up”

She will then take off her top and spin in a sports bra putting you to shame with her incredible toned abs.  She will smile the entire time and clap when the instructor says motivational things.  She won’t sweat so much as she will glow.  Sometimes when the class is going on, her unreasonably handsome husband will show up at the door holding a baby and with a toddler in tow.  The toddler will wave enthusiastically and so will the fit woman.   It is okay to hate her.

This image is from http://www.ultimatefit.net/images/spin_pic.jpg.  I think pretty much every person I mentioned in my article is pictured here.

Tags: Coldplay, exercise, spin class, universal truths

So I am still trying to decide if I want to wear my costume to work since (even though there is a costume contest) everyone seems to think they are too cool to get dressed up, but I thought I would go ahead and put some photos up.  Here it is, the ghost of my own futre, my crazy cat lady costume!

Please note the cat lady shoes:

Awesome cat lady pins:

ENJOY!

Tags: crazy cat lady, Halloween