Workout Playlists

Music is a big part of my day - if I walk to work in the morning along the waterfront, I listen to some fun music (my playlist is literally named "fun"); I use the same list or my general "favs" list to block out loud talkers at work; and I choose from several playlists when working out at the gym.

Now that I have a workout routine set by my trainer, I had to create a new playlist for my hour-long cardio sessions since my other playlists were too slow/not inspirational enough. It took some tweaking, but here is the latest version:

1) This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race/Fall Out Boy
2) Evenflow/Pearl Jam
3) Get Up, Get Out!/Godsmack
4) Leave You Far Behind/Lunatic Calm
5) Dragula(Hot Rod Herman Remix)/Rob Zombie
6) Break Stuff/Limp Bizkit
7) Rock is Dead/Marilyn Manson
8) Whatever/Godsmack
9) The Beautiful People/Marilyn Manson
10) Pressure/Staind
11) Smooth Criminal/Alien Ant Farm
12) Excuse Me Mr./No Doubt
13) C'Mon C'Mon/The Von Blondies
14) There and Back Again/Chris Daughtry
15) For You/Staind
16) Nookie/Limp Bizkit
17) Take It/Staind
18) The Pretender/Foo Fighters
19) Rollin/Limp Bizkit
20) Front Row/Alanis Morissette

My criteria: fast music with a good beat, and lyrics that I know.

Do you have a favorite workout list? What is your criteria?

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Meeting a Legend

Surprise!  Yep, I (Darren) am back again with another installment of what I like to call a, “ I should have written this for the blog ages ago, but didn’t” post.  Anyway...though I have recently taken up a new makeup position, this post is regarding events about 2 months ago when I was still working at Weta Workshop.

For those who have never heard of Dick Smith, he is basically the “Godfather of TV/Movie makeup” and a living legend in the business. Luckily, I had the great pleasure of not only meeting Dick when he came to visit us at the Workshop, but actually working with him off and on for the two weeks he was with us.

During the time I had with him, we talked about everything from the best way to remove bubbles from molds, to health and nutrition, even politics.  Dick (as he prefers to be called, no Mr. Smith thank you) is a brilliant man and though even he admits that his mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be, has so very much to teach (even outside of the makeup field).  One day I found myself sitting with him and my writing/project partner Bill Hunt, having lunch and talking about such random topics as the dangers of politics vs. religion and the hazards of soymilk and fluoride.  The wealth of knowledge that this man brings to the table (figuratively and literally) is awe-inspiring and I was truly humbled to be in his presence if only for a few short weeks.

I now email Dick off and on, with questions or comments or just general inquires about his health and family. The fact that I can happily call Dick a friend is a testament to how far I have come both professionally and personally. He has seen my work, critiqued it, and after many conversations has thanked me for my insight and knowledge. This experience has been, and will continue to be, an amazing addition to my life.

--------------------------
Rest In Peace STAN and thank you...

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A Prehistoric Visitor

So, after my walk home today, I (Darren) am about to put the key into the door to the front of our flat, and what should I see… a Weta! “Big Weta in My Back Yard!" (random Dead Milkmen reference sung here).

Yep, we had a visitor from New Zealands’ past stop by for a visit. I was told some time ago that this is very good luck and fortune for your home and family, so… guess we shall see.

In any case, I asked permission to take a few pictures and thanked him after (stop rolling your eyes - you would, or at least should, do this too) and then ran upstairs to share them with Dawn!

For those of you who have never seen these beautiful creatures, they are rare in areas like ours, so this is a very special treat; not to mention that they are very cool-looking, fierce little buggers.

If ever there was a question about New Zealand being one of the last truly untouched places on earth, these creatures that have stayed the same with little evolutionary change for millions of years (190 million to be exact!) are the living proof. Enjoy the pics and click the (weta) link above for more details. They are so amazing I am actually planning on getting a tattoo of one!

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New Music

Full confession: I own all of Alanis Morissette's albums. Well, not the pop-music ones from her days in Canada, but everything since Jagged Little Pill (which coincidentally came out the same year of a very bad breakup). I was angry, she was angry - it was beautiful.

Since then, I've bought each CD as it was released, immediately bonding with her at each new stage of her life. When she released Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie(1998), I too was moving on with my life and examining parts of my past. To this day, every time I hear 'Unsent', I think of the same five boys I thought of the first time I heard it; and many of the lyrics of 'Sympathetic Character' brought up memories I had been avoiding.

The next new album wasn't released until 2002 (Under Rug Swept). The album covered a wide range of topics - love with an emotionally unavailable man, as struggling relationship...and hope. At the time, the songs 'Narcissus' and 'So Unsexy' were especially poignant for me. I tended to shout '21 Things..' every time I listened to it, as if the perfect man would just materialize!

So Called Chaos was next in 2004. She was finally happy, and so was I! Yet, I didn't like this album. I was much happier with the re-release of Jagged Little Pill as an acoustic album in 2005. It was difficult to believe 10 years had gone by since all that anger, and it was good to look back on the songs in a new, softer light. I felt wiser from the struggles of those years.

I didn't even hear about her latest album, Flavors of Entanglement, until just a couple days before it was released. Of course, I immediately ordered it on Amazon (didn't even think that it would be in the stores here, but I think it is!), and sent a copy to my good friend Kim, who has critiqued each album with me since we met in 2001.

I love it.

And sad to say, I think it's because she just went through another bad break-up. (She was engaged to a douchebag actor, but never made it to the altar.)  

She's not angry this time...she's heart-wrenchingly sad. In the second track, 'Underneath', she says "Look at us being cruel kids with both our hearts blocked.."; in 'Not as We', she laments starting over again "as I/And not as we"; and in 'Orchid', she sums up her relationships with 'I've just not been trusted with altars".

What would a break-up be without self doubt? Such as in the song 'Tapes': '"I am someone easy to leave"/"Even easier to forget"/a voice, if inaccurate', even going so far as to eschewing relationships in 'Moratorium'.

There is a tiny bit of hope in the CD, though, in the songs 'Giggling Again for No Reason', and 'In Praise of the Vulnerable Man'. And there's many references to the strong female friendships she has; in 'Limbo No More', she sings "I sit with filled frames/And my books and my dogs at my feet/My friends by my side/My past in a heap". The last song on the bonus album is titled 'On the Tequila', and is quite humorous! Apparently, she has quite the tolerance built up...

The first track, 'Citizen of the Planet' is quite political and seems a bit out of place, but since all the songs I like are folded into my "Favs" playlist on my ipod, it doesn't really matter to me.

The sound of the album is more dance-ish, and reminds me a bit of Madonna's Ray of Light, which is a good thing.  I like the new sound, even if it means she is sad again.  Luckily this time,  my life does not mirror hers.

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Duck Time

As many of you know, we don't have a car, so my commute has involved a lot of walking and occasional use of the bus system.  My walk used to take me through the city - which is ok, I rather like Wellington - but there quite a few stoplights and way too many smokers who spend more time holding their cancer sticks while walking than standing out of the way.  

With the new job came a new commute path along the beautiful Wellington harbor.  The walking path is huge and full of walkers, runners, cyclists and the random skateboarder.  The best part of my commute - by far - is the time I spend saying hello to all the ducks that hang out in areas near the harbor.  I always make sure to allow for my 'duck time', and I'm certain it is why I'm in such a good mood on the days I walk in.

Now that Darren works just a block from my office, we walk in together.  The first part of our commute takes us through Waitangi Park, which has dedicated wetlands.  On the warmer mornings (which are becoming very rare now!), there are heaps of ducks swimming around between the tall grassy areas.  Yesterday there was just the lone duck - 

Just to be sure, we checked each section...

...until we found a group of duckies right before the bridge linking the park with the harbor path.  These guys swam super fast to come say hello to us!  Sadly, I forgot to bring bread.

As we cross the bridge, we look out on the little beach area - there are always ducks sleeping or preening each morning...

...and seagulls.

We continue our walk along the harbor - even though it's winter, the mornings have been quite beautiful.

Finally, we check the area behind Te Papa for any last duckies...

...before continuing on our way to work.

Is there any part of your morning commute that makes your day better?

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Oil, Gas and Rising Prices

A couple months ago, I mentioned my new job as a tax accountant within an industry (as opposed to an accounting firm).  Today, I'm going to talk about that industry a bit.

I work in the Oil and Gas industry, aka the Petroleum industry.

For those of you who didn't already know that, I'll give you a minute to let it sink in since it seems so at odds with the environmental lifestyle I try to live....

I truly enjoy my job, and I'm proud of the company I work for.  I won't name them, but I will tell you it isn't one of the big American companies.  My company drills for oil and gas here in New Zealand, mostly off-shore.  And not only do they hold very strict safety standards for all employees on- and off-shore, but they meet with local Maori iwis and NZ DOC before beginning any project.  

I would say more about my company, but I'm not sure how much I can say without violating confidentiality, and it's not really the point of my post today.  The point is the industry, and explaining a bit how it all comes down to that price per barrel and huge profits you hear about on the news.   Part of this post was inspired by an excellent course I attended for my job, "An Introduction to Petroleum Exploration", as well as a blog post from my friend Arthur.  

1) Oil fields are owned by governments.  The companies who drill oil fields can only do so with permission from the governments who "own" the fields.  Each country handles the situation differently - some demand a large stakehold (i.e. 80% or more) in the business, but most have their own geologists determine where oil and gas fields may be located, then open the land for bids.  Many bids do not involve upfront payments, but some do.  

Typically, a company is bidding for the right to explore the land and is promising to drill a set number of wells in a certain amount of time.  If the winning company does not honor that promise, the permit area can be taken away from them.   A typical exploration 'work program' (exploration and drilling three wells) over 5 years can cost approximately $40 million.  That's all before finding oil or gas, if any is ever found.  Nine out of 10 wells are 'dry'.

If oil and gas are found, the government will charge either a 'windfall tax' (typical in South America) or royalties based on the volume or dollar amount sold.  Additionally, the profits of selling the oil and gas are taxed via income taxes.

2) Oil and gas are not free-flowing.  I have never been a science person, so this was all news to me!  I've always been under the impression that oil was just under the ground somewhere, sitting around like a big oily lake.  Nope!

Oil is the leftover bits of animals that lived a long long time ago, crushed into a liquid.  That liquid is trapped in porous rocks millions of years old.  Just how many millions of years ago depends on the continent.  In New Zealand, oil and gas is found in rocks of the Mesozoic (specifically Triassic) age, while in the Middle East, oil/gas is found in older rocks.

Since the oil is not free-flowing, it must literally be sucked out of the rocks.  Typically, drilling down that far into the earth creates enough pressure to draw the oil and gas out to the well and up to the surface.

3) Oil naturally leaks to the earth's surface.  Oil floats on water.  And while oil is trapped in rocks, water is too (from ancient lakes and rivers).  As the oil finds water, it floats to the top, going from rock to rock until breaking out onto land, or into oceans.  Scientists in the US estimate that 700,000 barrels of oil per year naturally leak into the Gulf of Mexico!

'Back in the day' oil leaked to the surface quite regularly - esp in Texas.  It is not always an indicator that an oil field is directly below the leak, but back then, there was a fair chance.  The world is running out of such easily found oil, and Oil companies are having to explore more and more remote regions, increasing the cost of exploration and drilling.  

4) Exploration is primarily guesswork.  As oil can and does naturally leak towards the surface, there are no sure places to find oil, even when looking in the correct 'age' of rocks.  Many events happen over time to affect rock layers, and only porous (sedimentary) rocks will contain oil or gas.  Since geologists cannot slice open the earth to see what's going on down there, seismic reflection  studies must be done.  Even the results of these studies can be misleading, however.  In the end, a well must be drilled to be certain. 

(Image courtesy of Geosphere, Inc.)

5) Not all oils are created equal.  This is where I tell you about the barrel price.   Oil is either 'sweet' or 'sour'; it is classified by the amount of sulfur within the oil.  A sweet crude takes much less refining than a sour crude.  Typically, sweet crude is used for petrol (automobile gasoline), while the sour crudes are used for petrochemicals.   As you can imagine, sweet crude is much more valuable than sour crude.

The ever-increasing price you see on the news is based on a West Texas Intermediate (WTI) sweet crude. It is not an average price; it is the price of a barrel of that particular oil in Texas.  Sweet crude from New Zealand commands a higher price per barrel, while sour crude from the Middle East is priced below the WTI.  

This explains why you'll hear of countries exporting as well as importing oil.  A particular country may produce and export sour crude, but still need to import sweet crude.  

6) Many everyday items are made using petroleum.  I'm sure this isn't news.  However, this fact often gets lost in the hubbub of rising gasoline prices.  Some of the products include:

Antihistamines

Asphalt

Aspirin (the coating on tablets)

Ballpoint pens

Cameras

Candles

Carpeting

Disposable diapers

Golf balls

Lipstick, mascara, nail polish

Plastics

Soft contact lenses

Toilet seats

Tires

Water pipes

7) Before oil there was whale blubber.  The industrial revolution was fueled by oil.  Back then, whale blubber was the primary source - it was melted down from slaughtered whales and made into candles and lubricants for machinery.  

To summarize -

It is easy to blame the big bad oil companies for drilling into our precious earth to retrieve oil and sell it at what we believe are exorbitant prices.  And many people will get upset and picket particular gasoline companies (which has no effect - read this article to see why) or suggest that world governments should do something to make sure oil isn't so expensive that we can't continue to live our modern lives.

As evidenced above, world governments profit from oil and gas drilling and sales. In fact, some world governments own percentages of oil companies.  However, since the governments 'own' the land, they also control where companies can drill, and regulate the safety of on- and off-shore operations.

Surely, then, the oil companies are slowing production or hiding oil...?  Yeah, don't think so.  The world is running out of oil, and it is not something that can be created.  It is even possible we have reached 'peak oil'.  As oil companies search for oil in more remote places, the cost of exploration increases, as does the environmental impact.  Exploration is very expensive as it is, and most (if not all) oil and gas companies generate huge losses for several years before finding oil.  

A common model for an oil and gas company is to have huge expenses up front, followed by (hopefully) large profits with low expenses as the discovered oil fields produce oil to sell.  And as oil is a very sought after commodity, when the price of a barrel of oil rises, oil companies make profits.  They need to, in order to continue exploring for more oil as demand increases daily from industrialised nations.  Even so, the profits you hear about on the news aren't necessarily the whole picture; accounting profits and tax profits are calculated differently, and often accounting profits are shown pre-tax and certain other expenses.

Then the Middle East must be to blame...?  As mentioned above, most of the oil from the Middle East is sour crude; it is primarily used for petrochemicals.  In fact, the US gets most of its sweet crude from Canada and South America.  Any oil from the Middle East must go through extensive refining to be used for gasoline.  And if the refineries are overwhelmed, the supply will be slowed.  

The relationship between the price of a barrel of oil, to the price at the gas pump to an oil company's profits is not a simple one. There are many complicated factors involved, including oil companies selling oil to each other and the refining process.

The only sure action to bring down the price of oil is to lower consumption of gasoline and petrochemicals.  If governments interrupt the free-market and lower the price of oil artificially with taxes, individuals and industrialized nations as a whole will continue to consume oil at the current pace (if not faster).  There would be no incentive to do otherwise.  Products other than gasoline are also increasing in price because many of them are made with petroleum, or moved from place to place via vehicles that run on gasoline.

If oil disappeared tomorrow, how sustainable would your life be? How many plastic items do you rely on each day? Personally, I rely on heaps.  The soup I eat most days for lunch comes in a plastic container, and I reheat it in a reusable plastic cup.  I wear lotion and makeup every day, and shower with shampoo, conditioner and soap that are all contained in plastic bottles.  I drink water from a reusable plastic bottle all day.  I walk to work most days, but sometimes I take a bus that is fueled by gasoline.  I ride in the elevator most days 10 floors up to my office - an elevator that has working parts and needs lubrication to keep going.  

And I work for an Oil and Gas company.  A company that will disappear with no oil or gas to drill and sell.  

Alternative energy sources are definitely a viable option.  But will we ever find enough sources to satisfy the increasing demand?  

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The End of May

This blog was originally envisioned to help us keep in touch with friends and family all over the world, but has morphed over the last year and a half. Since I am the main author, I also use the blog to 'talk' about things I personally find interesting (or even upsetting). And, as we are so happy with our choice to move here to New Zealand, we try to write posts that are relevant to those who are thinking of moving here, or have already moved here.

Today's post is a mix of the above-mentioned goals. The subject is personal, and is inextricably linked with our move and those we left behind. Which also makes it relevant to those considering the big move. And since I suggested our site on my favorite website, MentalFloss.com, I figured I should write a blog post or two!

I've been working on this blog post in my head for a while. As a numbers person, I have a knack for remembering dates - my high schoo

l boyfriend's birthday (May 1st), my junior high school boyfriend's birthday (May 13th), even the date of the first prom I attended in 1989 (May 20th).

May is certainly chock-full of dates! My birthday, Laurel's birthday, Kara's birthday and wedding anniversary. And Karee's birthday. Her birthday is the last day of May, which is today back in the US. I've known this date since I was 10 - twenty-five years now.

Karee is my former best friend.

Never thought I'd write that sentence. Why would I? We were best friends before we even

knew each other - her mother was my 3rd grade teacher and would talk to me about Karee, and go home and tell Karee about me. We finally met in 5th grade and decided we were obligated to be 'best friends'. We only attended the same school for 2 years, then went our separate ways to Junior High School, High School and College.

This was way before cell phones and the internet, IMing, Facebook, texting etc etc. We kept in touch every day on the phone when we lived in the same town and by letters, cards and postcards once I'd moved away to college. In our 20s, we only talked on the phone when something really big happened. We were so close it was almost as if we could read each other's minds - in the same room, we could have an entire conversation with our eyes and a few randomly spaced words. And it was the same on the phone, so we didn't bother wasting the money for empty air-time. We even once sent each other the same greeting card at the same time from across the country.

Karee and I have been through some crazy times together, many of the them family related. She is the source of many of my happy memories, and in my younger years I was at my happiest and most relaxed in her presence. We had lots of fun adventures together, and would endeavor to meet up once a year in a city that was half-way between us (most often St. Louis). We drove cross-country together, went to Vegas and toured France. Many of the significant events in my life were with her - when I met my father again at the age of 18, when my first love was arrested for a serious crime, and my wedding.

And that's where it ended. Quietly. I would have thought a life-long friendship would end with a huge fight. But we didn't fight; we never had anything to fight about.

Yet, the time between her wedding in 2004 and mine in 2006, our friendship faded. Looking back, I think much of it is due to her husband (and maybe perhaps my move to New Zealand). Not all of the blame is his, though, as she is her own person and made her own decisions. He never understood why she didn't consider him as her best friend, as he was her boyfriend, fiance then husband. And up until their marriage, she had her own apartment and life, and we maintained our friendship. Afterwards, though, her entire life became one of making sure he was happy.

I didn't even notice this subtle ever-increasing change until weeks before my own wedding when they came for a visit. Our connection was gone when he was in the room. There was a glimpse of it when she had a moment alone and we spoke on the phone like the old friends we were.

She threw me a gorgeous wedding shower, but gave me a double-sided book that had a guide to marriage on one side, and a guide to divorce on the other. It was not a farcical book. She spent most of that weekend in DC visiting the monuments and museums instead of meeting my soon-to-be-husband and spending time with her 'best friend'. Because her husband wanted to see DC.

On the wedding weekend, they arrived late to the rehearsal party and left early. They never uttered the words "congratulations". There was no card, and they did not 'sign' the guest book (we did a polaroid book). She left the reception early so that "they could get up early and see DC" the next day. When saying goodbye that night - a mere two months before our big move - there was no hug, no tears, no wise words. Her last words to me were "it was fine" when I asked if she had fun.

It was very clear she did not agree with my more recent choices - my husband, my move. I had known for a while that she was having trouble with my decision to move to New Zealand because even Maryland and Pennsylvania had been too far away from Oklahoma where she lives. She was worried we'd never see each other and our friendship would end. I thought (at the time) that our friendship defied time and space. New Zealand is perhaps just too far.

I was angry for a long time, and a part of me is still hurt. I've had several dreams about her, though - the Karee I knew 'back when'. And I miss her.

We started a tradition when I went off to college in 1991: when either of us had a life-changing event, we would go to a park, sit on the swings and talk about the future. We made sure to take the time after her wedding reception - in our gowns! - and swing on the swings near her apartment. We never had the chance for my wedding, though, or my move.

Tomorrow I will swing by myself, in a park looking out on the Wellington harbor, and think of my former best friend and the date I can't seem to forget.

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