Fun With Photos: "Turkey" Edition
A GAL NAMED RANIA
In honor of Thanksgiving I figured I would do a "TURKEY" edition. Unfortunately, I did not come across any actual turkeys during my travels, but I did find a few big birds which I believe would taste just as yummy during a Thanksgiving feast. Haha. Sorry. I would never eat any of the large fowl below :) Anyway, good luck.

OBJECTIVE: Match each of the 3 photos with either of these 3 places: Kauai, Trinidad, or Costa Rica. Post your answers as a comment below, and in one week from now, I will provide the answers. Simple, but very fun if you are easily amused. And if you don't wish to play, feel free to enjoy my fabulous photography :) 

A. 
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SIGNAGE OF THE LOOS
A GAL NAMED RANIA
As mentioned in a previous post, my grandma (mom's mom) who moved into my parent's house when I was born 23 years ago, stays in a nearby nursing home. What you may not know is that she has been a resident there for about 4 years now due to a partial amputation of her right leg and our inability to care for her at home. Since then, my mother or father or both would go every single day to feed her dinner. My brother, other family members, and myself would also go on occasion. However, since my mother's passing, my graduation from college in 2008, and my return home, I have definitely been going a lot more often and in recent months, multiple times a week. Point #1 being: MY GRANDMA WHO IS DEMENTIA STRICKEN & BARELY KNOWS WHO WE ARE YET ALONE WHO SHE IS, is alive and well and still going strong which is quite amazing for being 91 years old. Point #2 being: My grandma's nursing home is definitely like another home to my family. We know all the staff, and they know all of us. We've celebrated birthdays and holidays, mourned losses, and shared stories with each other throughout the years. And most recently, we were all excited about new renovations to the building we all spend so much time in. And here is where the topic of my blog actually begins. 

I LOVE SIGNS. I LOVE CLEAN NEWLY REMODELED BATHROOMS. I LOVE INFORMATION. AND APPARENTLY, I ALSO LOVE BUSTING OUT MY CAMERA IN A ONE PERSON RESTROOM TO TAKE PICTURES AFTER A SUDDEN REALIZATION FOR A BLOG ENTRY WHILE SITTING ON A TOILET. 

ALL OF THE EXHIBITS BELOW WERE TAKEN IN THE NURSING HOME'S NEW BATHROOM. I'VE NOTICED THEM ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT TIME I SHARE THEM WITH THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY ARE TRULY QUITE HILARIOUS AND PROVIDE ME CONSTANT ENTERTAINMENT. I HOPE THEY WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU.


EXHIBIT A: 
IF SMOKING IS NOT ALLOWED, WHY IS THE PICTURE OF THE CIGARETTE IN FRONT OF THE STRIKEOUT CIRCLE? 



EXHIBIT B:
WHY IS "DO NOT" IN QUOTES? IT "DO NOT" MAKE SENSE. IF ANYTHING, THE WORD THROW SHOULD BE IN QUOTES BECAUSE ONE USUALLY LIGHTLY DROPS SOILED PAPER INTO TOILETS AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY THROWING IT IN.



EXHIBIT C:
HOW DOES OPENING THE DOOR SLOWLY HELP IN MAINTAINING THE CLEANLINESS OF A RESTROOM? NOT "THROWING" TRASH IN THE BIN, SPLASHING WATER ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND/OR RELIEVING YOURSELF ON THE FLOOR AS OPPOSED TO THE TOILET IS WHAT MAINTAINS A CLEAN RESTROOM.



EXHIBIT D:
I ACTUALLY HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SIGN. I LOVE ALL THINGS HAVING TO DO WITH SANITATION! WASH YOUR HANDS, FOLKS: THE RIGHT WAY!

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Fun With Photos: Feet Edition
A GAL NAMED RANIA
As hard as I try to make this game someone (ie: my friend, Sachi) always ends up winning! My new goal is to stump everyone who plays and to get more than five participants for every edition! Let's see if I can get it done. With that said, this week's theme is FEETIES!!! I hope no one detests these lower extremities upon which we stand. Good luck! Sorry my little fat feet aren't cuter and more pleasant to look at. 

OBJECTIVE: Match each of the 3 photos with either of these 3 places: Kauai, Trinidad, or Costa Rica. Post your answers as a comment below, and in one week from now, I will provide the answers. Simple, but very fun if you are easily amused. And if you don't wish to play, feel free to enjoy my fabulous photography :)

A. 

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My Driving Thoughts. Literally.
A GAL NAMED RANIA
                *Taken by me on New Years Day 2009 on our way back home from Lake Tahoe*

Yesterday while I was driving around town I made these observations not only about myself but about my fellow sharers of the road as well. 

9:03 AM:  Leaving my house bright and early for a 10 am audition at a talent agency in Hollywood. 
OBSERVATION: I really enjoy Ryan Seacrest in the morning on KIIS FM. Sure he may be super tanned, all over the media, and kinda annoying, but he does entertain me. Either he's a good radio host, or I'm half asleep to notice that he actually sucks. I'll go with the former. Too bad I rarely wake up early enough these past few years to still support his radio career. Good thing I still watch E! News, American Idol, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians :)

11:43 AM: On my way home from my friend Sachi's house in Hollywood.
OBSERVATION: Why is the 101 crowded at this time of the day? It's not even noon yet! I don't understand the Hollywood Freeway, and it pisses me off. Argh. 

4:00 PM: Descending the narrow curvy road by my house on my way to Happy Hour. 
OBSERVATION: If a car is pulled over to the side in a driveway with its emergency lights on wouldn't you think that it has no plans on moving? I would. So as I am about to drive past the car, the driver starts to move forward and honks at me as if I am in the wrong. WTF GUY! Regardless if your emergency lights were accidentally on or not, I still have the right of way. Why are you honking? Double Argh. 

5:08 PM: Leaving Happy Hour and on my way to visit/feed my grandma at her nursing home. 
OBSERVATION: Departing Happy Hour usually leaves me feeling a bit heartbroken because of one obvious reason: It's over, and I have to now pay full price. However, yesterday I left Happy Hour feeling ecstatic because my new freelance gig as a Pasadena Happy Hour examiner combined with my friendly nature got me free beer, a tour of a mini brewery, an in with both the bartender and manager, and an invitation to come back for free food. Oh the perks of writing reviews! What if I were a fraud though? I had no proof! Good thing I suck at lying and have a soul. Too bad because I would be pretending to be a restaurant reviewer much more often!! 

6:09 PM: On my way back home from visiting Grandma.
OBSERVATION: Old men need to not cross the street during rush hour traffic. It is no longer summer, and the sun sets after 5 pm now. So jaywalking in the darkness of night on a busy street is just plain dangerous, a pretty stupid idea, and a little scary. I really hope you got home safe, Mister. 

6:13 PM: Still on my way back home from visiting Grandma.  
OBSERVATION: I love the radio, always have, and always will. I believe an iPod and CD's should only be listened to in the car during long road trips! Sure songs get played out, but hey, that's inevitable. Just change the station! Plus, the radio is awesome because when a song that you used to love in 8th grade starts playing and it reminds you of that one afternoon when your first boyfriend called and asked what you were doing and you responded, "Watching the Ghetto Superstar video on MTV. It's a great song." and he responded, "That is a good song, but I only watch VH1" and a whole argument commenced, one cannot help but get excited!  

6:15 PM: Still on my way back but a few minutes closer to home now. 
OBSERVATION: When nobody else is in a vehicle with me, I swear I think I'm on American Idol. I have no shame when it comes to singing and dancing in the car when a great song comes on. I think my mom van is actually more of a karaoke bar than it is a mode of transportation. I wish it was legal to tint your driver side window because that would definitely save me from a lot of embarrassment. I guess I will just have to contain myself at all major stops when directly to the side of another vehicle. Note to VH1: Please bring back that show Motormouth cause it was hilarious, entertaining, and absolutely relatable :)

6:28 PM: Now back at home, safe and sound.
OBSERVATION: Darn, am I hungry! Oooh Cash Cab's on! Crap; I need gas!  

The End. 


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The Hills Have Eyes: Mine To Be Exact and A Lot of Other Dumb Viewers Like Myself
A GAL NAMED RANIA
It's Tuesday night, and I can't help but wonder about a few things while I watch The Hills. (HOLD ON A SECOND - THE COMMERCIALS JUST ENDED - OKAY, I'M BACK - NOT THAT YOU NOTICED)  As I was saying, ever since Season 6 premiered a month or so ago, the following have made me absolutely curious for answers and/or utterly annoyed. 

1. Since when did "Homewrecker," Bartender Stacie become a permanent staple on the show? One second she's pouring Spencer Patron shots and getting yelled at by a jealous Heidi and now she's suddenly Kristin's new best friend and all over the place. Umm...Hills "writers"... back story please as to how this all came about? I really would like to know if Kristin and Stacie randomly met and befriended each other or if they were forced to be friends by some MTV producers. **The producers most likely needed/wanted a new Jessica (Kristin's bestie from Laguna), and Stacie just happened to be nearby (ie: a great person to stir future drama amongst the other cast members)!

2. Why the hell do Enzo's guardians think that Heidi and Spencer are appropriate people to watch this poor child/possibly child actor? Have they not heard all of the Speidi gossip? **Apparently not. A lot of money usually results in hearing loss. 

3. Why are Justin Bobby and Brody so sexy? **They both need to ditch Audrina, Kristin, Jayde, Lauren, and whomever else this instant and come find me :) 

Basically, I am aware that The Hills is a bunch of garbage, but I can't help but love it. I never was a fan of Lauren (LC for those of you idiots who don't know her real name) during Laguna Beach and always preferred Kristin. However, after 5 seasons of The Hills she definitely grew on me, and I do feel that the show is a little strange without her. Unfortunately, she's too busy writing and promoting bad "fictional" literature and selling her clothing line at Kohl's to care. Fortunately, I still love Kristin and think that she's an excellent addition to the show. It would have been fun to see them on TV together though. But, oh well. I guess we'll have to wait for the Laguna Beach reunion for that one.
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Fun With Photos: Egret Edition
A GAL NAMED RANIA
Last week's Sunset Edition ended up being somewhat easier than I had hoped for, SO i decided to make this week's theme a lot more challenging. Apparently, EGRETS are a popular fowl in the places I travel to. Yay for these gorgeous birds! Unfortunately, I had to crop these pictures a bit to hide the backgrounds, which made the quality go down just a bit. My apologies, but have fun.

OBJECTIVE: Match each of the 3 photos with either of these 3 places: Kauai, Trinidad, or Costa Rica. Post your answers as a comment below, and in one week from now, I will provide the answers. Simple, but very fun if you are easily amused. And if you don't wish to play, feel free to enjoy my fabulous photography :)


A. 
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Just Freaken Shrimptastic!
A GAL NAMED RANIA
Yesterday, while at the grocery store, my dad decided to buy almost 2 pounds of LARGE SHRIMP since they were on sale and looked fresh! He asked if I would be able to cook them, and I said, "Sure." Fast forward three hours later, and I was desperately regretting my kind gesture. 

If you weren't already aware of this, I absolutely love all things food related and really enjoy cooking. If you also already didn't know this, my mother passed away almost two years ago, and since then, both my dad and I have been doing a lot more cooking. So with that said, I really didn't think that cooking the damn shrimp would really be that horrible. Actually, let me rephrase that. Cooking the shrimp was a breeze. Preparing them, however, was what was HELL. 

Growing up, I watched my mom cook all the time and helped as often as possible. She was quite the foodie, an amazing cook, and loved being in the kitchen. So of course I had seen her clean fresh shrimp on multiple occasions and have most likely cleaned probably less than ten in my lifetime. And by clean I mean, SHELLING and DEVEINING the entire crustacean. Because of this, I had become somewhat of a snob when it came to shrimp. If it wasn't cleaned properly, it was badly prepared shrimp. Plus, one could always tell the difference between a great buffet and an okay buffet if their shrimp was deveined or not! UNDEVEINED SHRIMP = AUTOMATIC TURNOFF. Therefore, properly cleaning the recently purchased shrimp was a must! 

As previously stated, I really didn't think cleaning shrimp would be that difficult. And by difficult I don't mean hard but just extremely STRENUOUS. It literally took me an hour and a half (Yes, 90 minutes) to CLEAN 67 LARGE SHRIMP. To top it off, I work fairly quickly but meticulously. Shelling each shrimp was easy and was done in less than five seconds. However, deveining the small bastards definitely took much longer. If you are not familiar with the anatomy of a shrimp, the vein is the black line of excrement, guts, and other nasty stuff located down the back and inside curve of the sea creature. You have to use a small scalpel to get it out. It's pretty simple and easy to do, but just takes time when cleaning more than a dozen shrimp. And the time it took definitely took a toll on my body. Let's just say my back was hurting after bending over the sink for that long, and it was NOT FUN! The entire time I kept yelling at my dad about why he had to buy so much shrimp! 

It was such a hassle, that I also kept thinking, "Wow! Cleaning shrimp really should be some sort of torture method." Those undergoing the torture would of course not be able to eat the shrimp and would have to watch others enjoy all their hard work. Therefore, making it even more unbearable and quite agonizing, at least to a fat ass like me. Haha. Crazy thoughts, I know. Anyway, unlike these supposed torture victims, I was lucky enough to eat the shrimp I prepared. SPICY HONEY DIJON SHRIMP. No recipe followed, and they came out tasting quite delicious :) SO.....

Question: Is spending 2 HOURS cleaning and cooking shrimp worth the 10 MINUTES                 it takes to eat it? 
Answers: My foodie self says, "YES, the effort is worth the savory and                                       scrumptious meal." 
                My lazy self says, "NO, go back to frozen shrimp. It tastes just as good." 
 


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Tricks & Treats
A GAL NAMED RANIA
I hope everyone had a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN weekend full of costumes, parties, and yummy treats!! I definitely did, and to prove it, here is a LIST OF HIGHLIGHTS. 

1. My homemade referee costume cost less than $10.00. Plus, more than one person thought I actually bought the jersey which was definitely exciting. NOTE: Black electrical tape works wonders when properly applied to fabric, and whistles are extremely fun accessories to have at parties!

2. At my friend Roxana's party Friday night, a girl dressed as a Parisian let me have a piece of her baguette. It was very tasty bread! An hour later while discussing cake decorating techniques, my friend Myiesha also randomly mentioned that she read THIS blog which was just as surprising as it was exciting! NOTE: More than five people actually peruse my site :)

3. Some trick-or-treaters came by Halloween evening while I was getting ready to go out. My dad answered the door because I was in a towel and not about to scare away kids with my partially exposed body! However, I caught a glimpse of the girls, and they were definitely older than 14 or just very developed. NOTE: I no longer feel guilty about going trick-or-treating with friends every year in high school and am still curious, why I have stopped. I still look like I'm 12, and I want candy too! 

4. At my friend Grace's costume party Saturday/Halloween night, I won two straight games of beer pong, started a dance party, ate some really good guacamole, and thought a guy dressed as the Octomom was a girl for at least 30 minutes. Sorry, Dude. NOTE: Wigs can do wonders!

5. I made Halloween Cupcakes Saturday night while I watched USC lose to stupid Oregon :( I was very sad, but quickly got over it when everyone at Grace's party thought my cupcakes were store bought!! NOTE: According to the party-goers I should work at Ralphs (as a cupcake decorator since that's where the ingredients were bought) My response: No thanks! I prefer Trader Joes :)






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