Not-so-deep thoughts

I just went to my first trainer session at the gym. Luckily she went pretty easy on me, given my history of disregard for the gym. She showed me some nifty ab crunch exercises that I like much better than sit-ups. But they still hurt.

Now I am contemplating an ice cream sandwich.

Other things I have been contemplating:

• I'd rather buy new dresses and toys than buy an iPhone (which is precisely what I did last weekend). Oh yes, envy my new, awesomely cuddly Sasquatch, designed by the always amazing (and Canadian) Meomi:




• Fine artists who make no effort to master their medium are rather irksome. (as witnessed at a recent art reception where someone made art out of her crap-tastic cellphone video. She admitted she didn't know how to use actual video equipment.)


• The selection of men on Match.com makes me think I'd be much happier dying single.


• The selection of men-in-my-building-elevator who-are-mostly-headed-to-the-gym makes me think maybe I don't want to die single... until I realize that most of them are gay.


• Don't the folks at beautifulpeople.net (–a Canadian dating/social site for "beautiful people only," which I heard about from Canada's MTV) know how easy it is to fake their online beauty? Oh, maybe that's because these retards built the site to work on IE only, for punk-ass PC users. What is this, 1999?


• Thank goodness Drew Barrymore realized she could do better than Justin Long, but I can totally understand her temporary lack of judgement. I'm sure she'll find her way back into love. (God I love that cheesy-ass song and movie!)




• I watched this funny video blog (vlog?? blehgh), called Pot Psychology for the first time. It's an advice column that used to be in text. One of the questions they answered was "How much coke is too much?" One pothead answered, "There is never enough coke. That's why you don't start."
  
  This is the same reasoning for my ears not being pierced. There are never enough cute earrings.
  
  But my god, this pothead chick is the most stylish girl I have seen. I want all her clothes and accessories. This does not mean I will start smoking pot, but it may mean I will pierce my ears to rock big, gorgeous hoops like she does. And I really do need big bangs again.


• Some may find this hard to believe, but I have never tried pot (unless you count the the second-hand pot smoke at various concerts). I never was inclined to, because I giggle way too much as it is, nothing really stresses me that badly (anymore), and I already have a tendency to laze about at home all day long. So the last thing I need is something that exacerbates this. I might die giggling.
  
  So basically, I am already a pothead, without the pot. If I needed to be on a drug, it would be speed. But coffee will have to do for now.


• Why is the best women's magazine in Australia and only available to U.S. subscribers for over $100? I guess I'll have to subscribe to MissBehave for ten bucks instead.




• I am having a pho lunch tomorrow with the office cutie... and about ten other coworkers. He joked about stinking up the office with Durian shakes.
  
  
  
  Later, I sent him and my supervisor this link to an awesome Transformers birthday cake. He replied (to all) that he would want a Transformers wedding cake someday. Holy crap, is he talking weddings already!? Whoa, there mister.
  
  This could be love.
  
  Unless he already has a fiancée. Which really just means I'll have to take her down with my newly gym-trained MUSCLES!




• Pixar created yet another touching, adorable, and funny film with Wall-e. Don't get distracted by the fact that he looks like the "Short Circuit" robot or that Eva looks like a baby storm trooper. It is a really sweet love story... that also makes me feel guilty for making toys that will likely fill the landfills of the world. Sniff.

Photo of durian-avocado shake by foodie.jenius.

Hello Summer!

I am so happy summer is here. It's my favorite season. Today I joined the other Toy Design intern to check out the local street festival, and thanks to my first paycheck, I got myself a shirt, purse, and some books. Guess I'll be shipping stuff back to New York later!

I'll say more about Toronto later, but for now I will say it's been treating me quite nicely, and it's a lovely place to live –in the summer, that is. The temps range between upper 60s and low 80s, which is just about perfect for me. The only thing is that I can't read the freaking weather reports on tv because they're all in CELSIUS! Thank goodness for the internets.

On a downer note, I am already behind on my goddamned summer homework. Can't a girl get a break!?

Also: that guy I liked so much... apparently now has a girlfriend!? Goddamn!

Okay, I admit, I am not entirely surprised. And I don't even want to know when this happened. But doesn't he know that I am the one???

Well, if he's anything like my exes, he'll snap out of this cloud of stupidity in a year and ask to be with me again. Except, from past experience, I'll have to make it clear that I'm over it by then, and then he'll marry the next person he dates. Apparently that is my lot in life. In the meantime, I am doing my best to forget about him. –Like, pretending that he's dead, so I can still look back at the memories with some remnant of fondness.

ANYhow, Spin Master is a great place to work so far. Oddly, it shares some striking similarities with my old days at Yahoo (as opposed to its more somber days now), which is a good thing:

• The company was started by a few young guys, now in their mid thirties


• People work in open cubicles, mostly decorated with piles of toys


• Everyone who works there is super friendly and likable, and people are free to wear jeans or summer dresses to work


• When you start your job, they give you your name printed on a purple star (Yahoo! prints it on a gold star)


• Free bagels and various shmears/spreads on most mornings


• Employees are super nice to the interns, giving them real work, inviting them to big meetings and throwing them fancy dinners


• Marketing folks do their best to make designers antsy at their jobs


• Designers struggle to balance meetings with time to actually design


• Engineers like to tell Designers what can't be done


• They manage to recover from PR disasters (like selling date rape drugs by accident, or pushing porn online)


• I end up having to decline contract work, because I have enough work to deal with as it is, and I like to keep my free time free


• I often get away with free lunches (for things like open brainstorms and presentations)


• They offer volunteer opportunities to employees, to give back to the community


• It's part of my job to play with things


• We produce things that bring general goodness into the world (At least, I like to think so)


• It's fun to answer strangers who ask what you do


• I found myself watching the other designers try on wigs and afros (Some of you might remember that an afro played a key role in an early Yahoo! commercial)


• There is an upcoming tropical-themed office party, luring us with a limbo stick and karaoke video games

Things at Spin Master that are not like my old job:

• No free espresso bar (but of course, we get free drip coffee)


• Lots of women work here


• No free gym, no free commuter bus (but free rent and utilities for interns!)


• Facebook is blocked (which is wise on their part, especially if they knew my habits)


• The other designers like to drink


• The things I work on... probably end up contributing to landfills more than I'd like them to


• Nobody IMs at work... and I don't mind it


• I use colored pencils just as much as I use my mouse, and sometimes more than the mouse


• People don't really care about having the latest gadgets (my supervisor doesn't even own a cell phone!)


• The office generally empties out by 6:30pm


• My vast knowledge of cuteness, fashion, pop culture, and toys comes in super-handy


• People don't presume that this industry is all anyone ever thinks and talks about


• The office is walking distance to the local funky fashion district and all kinds of awesome shopping


• No stock options, no six-figure salary. –Doh! (It's not about the money, right? RIGHT?)

If they get me a Brobee doll, I'm pretty close to being sold on working for them post-graduation. Also they have an L.A. office!

Also, that thing about how the sun doesn't go down here until like 9pm? It completely messes with my head, because then I feel like I should stay up later than I should, and then I don't get enough sleep and I get groggy all week at work. Which leads me to getting to bed now.

(BTW, I am very much digging the album "Shine," by Estelle. You may have heard her single, "American Boy" featuring Kanye West. It's the perfect album for summer listening.)

Hope you're all enjoying your summers too!