Small Feet, Big Kick

I'm Moving...

2011-04-20T12:05:00.000-05:00

...to a new site. Click here to catch up on Small Feet, Big Kick.

Penny for Your Thoughts

2011-03-31T14:53:00.000-06:00

For a country that prides itself as being "all about freedom", America sure can be fickle. Controversy over a breastfeeding doll? Please.

Here's the argument that really cracks me up: "this doll teaches little girls to be mothers and we need children to just be children". People. A doll is a doll is a doll. When you also stop buying your little 'uns Barbie, Baby Alive, Cabbage Patch, American Girl (and so on), then maybe you'll sound a little more credible.

Maybe. But probably not.

We Made It!

2011-03-25T18:12:00.000-06:00

Well, friends, Cass turned one year old last Friday. Dan and I took the day off work and drove over to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, where Cass giggled at the tigers and watched the silver-back gorillas with wide, saucer eyes. It was chilly and overcast when we arrived, but the sun came out soon after and it turned out to be a classic spring day. I hope that we can do something like this every year on our little guy's special day. We ended with dinner at Upstream Brewery, whose asiago & artichoke dip and yummy house-brewed seasonal stout are certainly worthy of mention.

We hosted the actual birthday party on Sunday and about 30 friends, family members and neighbors joined us for a potluck bbq, cake and lots of outdoor activities. It was another beautiful day, perfect for basketball, sidewalk-chalking and tandem/mini-motorcycle rides up and down the block. Thanks to all who came and we wish that those of you who live far, far away could have been there.

Shout Out

2011-02-10T13:37:00.000-06:00

I live in the kind of 'hood where neighbors shovel each others' sidewalks in winter and mow each others' lawns in summer. It's Pleasantville, in technicolor.

Last week, for instance, we were invited to a Groundhog Day party. Last year, the jennies on the block threw me an incredible baby shower. And for major holidays like Christmas and Independence Day, elves bedeck the street lamps with holly and line the street with mini flags. True to form, neighbors have literally stopped by to borrow a cup of sugar or to drop off a plate of freshly-baked cookies, and we really do have a neighborhood newsletter. There is an annual block-wide garage sale each fall and, without fail, a Happy Birthday sign will show up on your porch for your special day.

If home is where the heart is, then the neighborhood must be like some other major organ - one that you might technically be able to live without but that makes life so, so much more pleasant!

Free As A Bird

2011-02-02T12:43:00.003-06:00

Saw this hungry fellow near East Campus a few weeks back. He was fearless and inspires me to be. So much uncertainty these days. There are universal issues like the economy, the job market, and environmental sustainability and then there are the hundred-and-one uncertainties specific to each of us. Will the gas bill break the bank this month? Will we be able to find a sitter for Wednesday? Will I pass this week's CNA skills?

In times like these, it would be easy to lose focus, to feel defeated or to simply put yourself on autopilot and sink into a comfort zone. But then the cosmos sends you a sign, a sign that says be strong, fly straight and show no fear. You're free as a bird.

Plans

2011-01-24T15:49:00.008-06:00

Here's the lowdown, the rundown, yeah, the skinny and the scoop. I'm back in school working on the prereqs for a sonography program. I'm excited and nervous and a little sad that it's taken me so long to find a "path", but here's hoping that 2011 will be a catalyst for positive change. The program is pretty small (translation: selective), so most of our plans for the future are on hiatus until we find out if I get accepted. My ninth-grade English teacher always said "patience is a virtue". As it turns out, I find it is infinitely easier to be patient with others than it is to be patient with myself. I want what I want and I want it now.

So, here's hoping for that nice big welcome packet in the mail come spring!

Sundy Morning Rant

2010-06-27T10:21:00.001-05:00

Dan is out of town for a few days and Cass, uncanny little squirt, knows it. He's trying to see just how close he can get to making me crack. Not so, you say. A 3-month old baby simply isn't capable of scheming. Yeah, well...a new mother clinging desperately to her last nerve simply won't listen to any logical explanations, either.

The kid, who has been a pretty sound and predictable nighttime sleeper up 'til now (never did like daytime naps), has suddenly become a tosser-and-turner, jerking his arms and legs like some kind of marionette on speed and grunting like a wild boar. And waking up every hour - 3:30am, 4:45am, 5:15am, 6:25am...you get the idea.

And after weeks of being pretty darn happy, now we have fussy again. Pick me up, no not like that, I wanna face out, now I wanna stand, now sit, walk around, put me down, do jumping jacks to entertain me, green light, red light, feed me, no I'm not hungry anymore, sing, stop singing, read, stop reading, I'm tired but I might miss something if I take a nap so I think I'll just sit here and howl...

So if anyone in the Lincoln area wants to do something charitable this week, please stop in and visit us. Thank you forever. Amen.

Celebrating With Food and Drink!

2010-06-08T19:35:00.003-05:00

Dan and I were married for two years last Saturday. My, how Father Time rushes past without a backward glance. How we stare after him, open-mouthed and breathless, wishing we had snatched golden opportunities instead of waiting for hypothetical tomorrows...

In true "seize the day" spirit, we vowed to make the most of our day, infant and all. With Cass in tow, we set off for the Farmer's Market this morning and browsed the local tasties and crafts. Sipping iced mocha, we strolled hand-in-hand and smiled at the hustle-and-bustle. Ever the frugal twosome, we satisfied ourselves with take-home purchases of Wisconsin buffalo wing cheese (exactly what it sounds like) and a jar of honey. After all, there are still four months' worth of marketing left. Have to save some goodies for next time..

Next, we decided to visit James Arthur Vineyards in Raymond, NE. For $5 you can sample any six of JAV's 20 wines. We took our first pick, a dry red, to a shaded table in the courtyard, where the air was fragrant with summer blossoms and there was a lazy breeze to keep us cool.

JAV would be a beautiful spot for a wedding reception or golden anniversary party. We left with a bottle of full-bodied St. Croix and an award-winning Edelweiss. In truth, we easily could have left with all six of the wines that we sampled BUT lo and behold...The Wine Passport.

A compilation of Nebraska wineries: hours, contact info and map. It's one of those "visit-to-receive-a-stamp-and-get-discounts-and-prizes" type things. So, sure, twist our arms. Since we had such a good experience at James Arthur and since there just happened to be another winery in Raymond...yes, well. You can guess our next stop. WindCrest Winery was much smaller and more intimate. Owner Dale was extremely personable (and generous - he let us sample TEN wines for $6!) and though his wines didn't have the "drinkability" of James Arthur's velvety reds and buttery whites, they did win points for originality. For example, WindCrest has a whole line of cherry-based wines and the chocolate color of their hearty De Chaunac is intriguing in itself.

So, I found a whole host of new places to check out right here in America's heartland. And the Mr. and I are not waiting around for our next anniversary to visit them!

B is for Berry and also for Mmmm...

2010-06-01T14:12:00.022-05:00

The Warrens celebrated Memorial Day with a trip to the Roca Berry Farm for the kick-off of the 2010 strawberry season. If you make the first right after entering, you can purchase cartons of pre-picked berries for $2.00/lb. Or, you can travel a bit further down the long dirt road and tromp through the fields with basket in hand for $1.25/lb. Personally, I think I'd pay extra for the pick-your-own experience. Few things can say "summer is here" like the sticky-sweet aroma of strawberries baking in the hot May sun.

Husbadoodle and Cass sat back in the shade and I headed for the sea of dark green shrubbery. The picking window is short - 3 weeks at most - so we got there early to get the jump on our competition. There were still quite a few unripened berries, though. I was told by one of the few seasonal workers to push back the leaves and root around near the earth. Sure enough, lumps and mounds that I first took for dirt were actually the plumpest, choicest berries, half-buried by their own weight. I worked my way along the row and every so often I thought, that's more than enough for just the two of us. But the allure of that sugary smell made me drunk with the pleasure of being out, plucking away, watching the berry pulp stain my fingers.

I almost feel like I never really had a strawberry before this. Deeply red and rich and juicy, the skin didn't make a whisper of sound when I bit into it. There was no hint of resistance in the texture.

I'm pretty much ruined for store-bought fruit now. I think I'll head down to the farmer's market on Saturday for some cherries as well. Who knows? Maybe I'll even try my hand at growing a pineapple plant!

Roca Berry Farm reopens in the fall for pumpkin season and goes big with haunted houses and barns, fair-style munchies (candy apples, funnel cakes, kettle corn and more) and hayrides. I know where we'll be getting our jack-o-lanterns this year...

Fun in the Sun

2010-05-25T15:36:00.014-05:00

With only days of spring left, the weather here has finally turned warmer. Dreadfully rainy and overcast, but warmer at the very least. I live for the heat. Heat means barbecues, vacations and sun tans. Heat means freedom and adventure.

The school year is quickly coming to an end and that means two months of R&R for me. With a baby on board, our doings will be more restricted than in the past: no visits to far-off continents, no late nights out on the town. But that doesn't mean we have to sit around like bumps on a log. Dan and I will stay busy celebrating our anniversary next week, hosting our annual bicycle ride in June and taking our wee little lamb to meet his great-great-grandfather down in NE Texas in July.

Aside from the big events, I hope to explore more of Lincoln - from farmer's markets to berry farms, free concerts in the park to wine tastings at the local vineyards, fireworks shows to picnics...anyplace we can take a potentially noisy child and all things we can do on a budget. Now that we're parents, we have to quit moving at warp speed. And actually, surprisingly, this is fine with me. Now we'll have time to stop and smell the roses.

Things I Love Thursdays

2010-05-13T10:51:00.010-05:00

I really feel like writing today but lack the time and brainpower to string together a narrative. How fortuitous that today is today, so I can get by with a Things I Love Thursdays post. In no particular order, I love:

Lemon cake, which my lovely coworker Susan made for my birthday yesterday and which I also ate for breakfast this morning. Divine.

Pink tulips - and I like them better closed than open

Movies about dancing, no matter how lame the plot and/or script (Step Up, Center Stage, You Got Served...oh yes, I went there). And I truly do want to see the Disney Channel's "Another Cinderella Story".

Pearls - love them all and will be asking for Tahitian blacks on our fifth wedding anniversary

Shelter dogs, like this one. I wish Nyla played nicely with others. I would scoop up this sweetie in a heartbeat.

And of course, I love my son. The little peanut is 8 weeks old today. Can't believe how time is flying...pretty soon he'll be asking for gas money and bringing home girls that I can't stand.

Back to the Grind

2010-05-02T17:11:00.012-05:00

Six weeks have come and gone, and yesterday I rejoined the workforce. On days that Cass was happy, alert and full of gentle coos, I dreaded this day. On days when he was extra fussy, I begged for it to come faster. Now I find myself wanting some impossible hybrid of both, a perpetual bring-your-child-to-work day...or a work-from-home situation that isn't an envelope-stuffing scam. Either way.

It was nice to feel good at something again, to know with absolute certainty that I'm doing things the 'right' way and to have black-and-white answers for all my questions. Raising a baby seems to be a constant guessing game where all the rule books say, "Most babies do this by such-and-such age, but every baby is different". Which, of course, means you're on your own to figure this thing out. Most of all, I welcomed the return to adult conversation. After all, you can only sing The Ants Go Marching so many times and I already have Where the Wild Things Are memorized.

On the flip side, I miss him. I miss his weight in my arms, his sweet sweat-and-milk smell (not sure how this combination comes off as sweet, but it does) and his gummy smile. I really enjoyed wearing house shoes all day and pumping definitely sucks. And I hate the feeling that I'm missing even the most imperceptible changes - maybe he's holding his head up a little longer today or making a new squeak, and I won't be there to see/hear it. Sad.

But, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder and while I don't think it's possible to love him any more, I do feel that being apart makes me better appreciate being together - every day, every precious moment.

Motherhood Is...

2010-04-28T14:59:00.002-05:00

So, the other day I was changing my son's diaper and like 30 minutes later I found a smudge of orange poo on my pinky. And it didn't gross me out (although it's probably grossing you out). In fact, I laughed about it. Because that's my life now - poo on pinkies, spit-up on shoulders and occasionally even baby wizz on the walls.

How priorities change...Dan and I left our munchkin with grandma Monday night for our first post-baby date night. We were back home after an hour-and-a-half. And even though I had plenty of bottled milk stored up to feed Cass, I didn't even drink my entire glass of wine. Because...I dunno, just in case he was hungry the minute I walked in the door and there weren't 2 minutes to spare heating the cold supply?

And it was difficult to remember the things we used to talk about as a childless couple, which was definitely a bit disconcerting. Daycare, medical bills and upcoming doctor's appointments, and the boy's recent diaper explosions...it was hard to shift focus and talk about something else. And really, do you want to talk about diaper explosions over dinner? Ok, really, do you want to talk about them at all, ever?

But then again, he's given us some great stories after just six weeks and I know there are many more to come- the kind of stories that can be told over and over again without losing their charm. So I suppose that we'll never run out of conversation at the dinner table...though we might agree to stop discussing the contents of those diapers.

And Then There Were Three...

2010-04-26T16:28:00.005-05:00

From conception to birth...and then some. God, could it be that long since I've tapped out a posting??

Well, I suppose I've had other things on my plate. Lots of things on my plate, so it would seem - I gained 60 pounds during pregnancy. Good thing my bouncing baby boy accounted for almost 9 of that. I think water-weight was another 10 or so, as I had no ankles by the ninth month and none of my shoes could contain the fat little sausages that had previously been my feet.

Anyhooo, now that THAT's all over and done with, along with the joys of labor and delivery (one allergic reaction to antibiotics, two failed epidurals, a last-minute C-section and a 4-day stay in the NICU for the babe), on to bigger and better things. Things like raising this little monster. Things about which, on days like today, I feel that I know next to nothing. Not that I'm not up to the challenge of learning...and learning I am.

For example, I've learned that my child does not like the following:
his bassinet
pacifiers
baths
naps
car rides
the vacuum
the clothes dryer
tummy time
not being held while awake
not being held while asleep

Now, I guess I don't blame him for the vacuum because I hate it, too. But seriously? Who doesn't like naps and car rides??

So there you have it. Men truly are a mystery, even before they're men...

These Things I Know

2009-06-22T15:32:00.002-05:00

I have a problem with authority.
The "text" function will be the end of all normal social interaction betwixt humans.
There are too many great books out there to waste one's time reading Tropic of Cancer (sorry Henry Miller fans, but 376 pages of obscenities does not a novel make).
When your A/C chooses to break, it will be on the hottest day of the year.
Lucy Liu is, in fact, the bomb.

I have writer's block, folks. And so, in light of my crippled ability to create through words, I will be taking a beginner's knitting class at The Yarn Shop on Monday evenings. Wish me luck...

Pet Peeve

2009-06-18T11:32:00.001-05:00

I want to be an upstanding citizen. I want to do good works and give unselfishly. And we all know that there are enough charities and non-profits out there in need of help, right? So why have I contacted three different volunteer-dependent organizations in the past few months and gotten no response from any?

I mean, are you fucking kidding me?

When I make donations, my checks get cashed with a supreme display of efficiency. So where is that efficiency when a person wants to donate time instead of cold, hard cash? And you know, if they’re just overflowing with good Samaritans and don’t need any more volunteers, then how about showing a little common courtesy to the rejects by dropping us a quick line to say so? “Thanks, but no thanks.” See, it’s not that hard.

I’ll even volunteer to do THAT.

My Own Personal Chaos

2009-06-02T16:07:00.002-05:00

Living in your new house while performing mass renovation on it is economically viable. It will also make you a teensy bit insane.

The refrigerator is in the basement while we pull up kitchen tile that looks like it was positively welded to the underlying hardwood. The tile itself is an unsettling smorgasbord of yellow, violet and a strange olive-grey hybrid. At the same time, we are pulling down the ceiling tiles and rafters to (hyuck, hyuck) “raise the roof”. The cabinets have no handles, as I took them off to paint but got distracted. The stove is a hulking, ancient contraption that looks like the thing that landed in Roswell.

Our washer & dryer are in the ½ bathroom. The couch is in the dining room. And the dining room table is apparently being held hostage in a Slumberland warehouse, the location of which is known only to the very top dogs over at the CIA.

On the upside, the first round of demolition went well and our house is now free of icky paneling, old carpet, and faux wood accessories. The mutant shrub that was feasting on the right half of the porch – also gone.

I hope to have one room finished before the end of the month…a sanctuary amidst my own personal chaos.

(Everything in this posting is completely tongue-in-cheek. I love my new/old house and the projects associated with it.)

Phoenix Rising

2009-05-20T16:12:00.002-05:00

Like the mythical bird, this blog is going to be reborn from its ashes. Effective - now.

After ransacking old files for old tax returns, paystubs and bank statements, zigzagging across town a couple times to sign paperwork, nagging, haggling, and stamping my feet, we finally - FINALLY - closed on our new house. I expect to post the occasional update (complete with before & after pictures, natch) as we go though the renovation process. Now that summer is here to stay, we can see that we will have peonies, tulips and hostas along the driveway and a rhubarb plant in the backyard!

We picked out a table and chairs last weekend and are negotiating for paint colors (I fancy walls that beg to be looked at; Dan prefers neutral tones). Luckily for us, there are enough rooms - and thus walls - to divvy up between ourselves without causing too much bloodshed and heartache.

In unrelated but equally important news, my oldest younger sister has been in town since Monday and we're having a great time being girly together and hanging out as peers, like we didn't really get to do when I was growing up. With a 7 year age gap between us, I'm sad that I "missed" all those years in the same house with her - now we live 1,000 miles apart and I can't seem to get enough time with her.

Ah, well. Such is life, and I'll take what I can get! Off to have some fun now...

Random Information

2009-04-14T15:32:00.002-05:00

It costs 20 cents more to mail a square envelope than a rectangular one.

Um, why?

Best Easter Quote

2009-04-10T18:12:00.003-05:00

My good friend Angela, in reference to Cadbury Creme Eggs:

"I like to scoop out the goo and just leave a little bit so my chocolate to goo ratio is higher."

Happy Easter to you and yours.

And All That Jazz

2009-03-27T12:03:00.002-06:00

Last night Dan and I dusted off our ‘going out’ clothes to attend the Blue Note 70th Anniversary Jazz Concert at the Lied Center.

I do not profess to be a jazz expert. Really, I don’t know the first thing about it. I just know what I like and what I don’t. And this, this I like.

The opening notes bubbled with the crispness of fine champagne, rising through the air and bursting over our heads and under our feet, reverberating through our limbs as if they were tuning forks. It was lyrical; it was melodious. It was inspired. The set began with Freddie Hubbard’s Hub-tones and closed on Cedar Walton’s Mosaic; however, a standing ovation won us an encore performance of Dexter Gordon’s Soy Califa. I found some new favorites in the Blue Note 7’s renditions of Idle Moments (Grant Green), Search for Peace (McCoy Tyner) and Criss Cross (Thelonious Monk).

In short, it was a romantic evening that I think we need to repeat at least once a month. We have been so busy lately that it’s easy to fall into the bad habit of overlooking one another. So, last night was about taking a time-out from responsibility and putting our commitments aside to remember the most important one of all - the one we made to each other.

(The Blue Note 7 consists of pianist Bill Charlap, guitarist Peter Bernstein, Ravi Coltrane - yes, son of John - on the tenor saxophone, Lewis Nash rocking the drums, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Peter Washington strummin’ bass, and alto sax played by Steve Wilson.)

These Are the Days

2009-03-18T16:30:00.004-06:00

Mondays have virtually no redeeming qualities. They loom on a dark horizon, promising a week of early mornings, starchy clothes and turbo-charged fluorescent lights. They are the Grim Reaper of the weekend. But the first warm, brilliantly sunny Monday afternoon after a long winter - this is an entirely different sort of Monday.

I roared into our driveway after work (roared, I say, because I drove hubby's Titan for the day, so he could fix last Friday's left-front blow-out on my Neon), eager to enjoy the remaining hours of daylight. So Dan and I pulled our bicycles out of the shed and pedaled down the Rock Island trail behind our house. Red-bellied robins peppered the grass along the path. Grass! Can you believe it?! The breeze tickled my face and the sun warmed my soul. Then, after a quick dinner of Asian tuna over mushroom rice and a lovely Piesporter, we scurried off to a 7:05 showing of the much-touted indie flick "Slumdog Millionaire". It was heartwarming and almost poetic.

And if one magical day wasn't enough to satiate our appetite for spring, yesterday turned out to be just as nice. Dan fired up the mini camping grill and cooked some juicy burgers in the golden afternoon light. With Rilo Kiley on stereo and a 6-pack of Red Hook ESB, we were basking in our good fortune like iguanas in the Caribbean sun. We made a brief appearance downtown to give love to the Irish and then called it early - with full bellies, wide smiles and happy hearts.

So This Is Love...

2009-03-09T19:45:00.003-06:00

I found it. I found the thing that's going to make me whole again after a week of running around with my foot on the gas. I have developed a Sunday afternoon ritual, and I call it: the bath.

Now, I'm a shower-type-person by nature. But I think that's largely, and perhaps unfairly, due to the time factor. About a month ago, I dug out the aromatherapy apothecary kit that I got for Christmas '07 and put it to good use. Sea salt mixed with eucalyptus essential oil, peppermint leaves, a mandarin masque and blood orange sugar rub, milk soap, lemon-sage lotion and a mug of chamomile tea later, I was convinced that I would never be angry with anyone again. I felt incapable of anger.

So this is my new love. And it's a great, great love. A true and perfect love. I haven't missed a Sunday since then, and if you're not treating yourself to a sinfully long soak every once in a while, I say shame on you. Heed your shampoo bottle and wash, rinse, repeat.

Hurtling Through Time

2009-03-07T13:58:00.003-06:00

A few things that happened this week in our world...

Sunday: Our adorable nephew William came over to ride the dune buggy with Dan, while my mother-in-law and I went shopping for bedding and knickknacks for the guest room. I got THE BOMB duvet & sheet set from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Monday: We cruised the streets, scoping out all the vacant houses in the 'hood. Drove by about 12 before it got too dark to see any more.

Tuesday: A quick appointment to view a house, and then one of Dan's brothers had a reception at Bennigan's for his new job with Waddell & Reed. I ended up with a lapful of Bud Light, but that's another story.

Wednesday: Dan raked leaves for a woman with a sprawling downtown Victorian and made $100, while I renewed my food handler's permit to do the catering-thing. Dinner with friends at Bread & Cup.

Thursday: We had two appointments to see the houses we found most intriguing from our drive-bys. We just might have something here, people...and the night ended with drinks at Barrymore's.

Friday: Straight after work, I raced down to the Fox Hole where a nice, younger crowd showed up to break it down.

We're headed back to Wilber in a couple of hours, but tomorrow I'm hoping to write a little more about our house-hunting experiences, future plans and, most importantly, my new love...

Things I Love Thursdays

2009-02-26T18:18:00.002-06:00

Suntans. - Because everyone looks better with one.

Bavarian cream donuts. - Deliciously decadent.

Closed pink tulips. - They're so lovably perky and full of promise.

And romance, baby, romance.

Things I Love Thursdays

2009-02-19T20:01:00.003-06:00

The simple things.

Things like my 8-year-old college sweatshirt with the frayed cuffs and the paint on the sleeve. Things like a smile from a stranger.
Things like Andes mints.
And things like unseasonably warm winter weekends.

I think I'm finally feeling "settled" now...

This Month's To Do List

2009-02-17T18:51:00.003-06:00

Read more.
Write more.
Take more pictures. Take any pictures.
Try out my new used bike.
Take my dog for longer walks.
Exercise.
Call the bank and get them to tell me my damn pin number, because I've frickin' forgotten it.

Back in the Game

2009-02-06T08:56:00.002-06:00

I've been absent lately, as me and the Mr. set up house and hit the pavement to find a new career path. We were skeptical about what we'd find in the present economy, and we steeled ourselves for a lengthy search. Still, those worries didn't stop me from jaunting off to New York last weekend.

But wait - there was a reason! I took my mama-in-law to see the Big Apple for the very first time and we had a wonderful trip. In addition to all the regular tourist things (Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, etc.), we did some things that both tourists and real New Yorkers alike enjoy from time to time. For starters, we had tickets to Wicked on Thursday night and I was delighted to see that this show is still going strong. With many shows shutting down production on Broadway, it was refreshing to see a full house at the Gershwin theatre.

On Friday we had a real treat and visited the original Bliss spa in Soho. They have 7 locations across the US with 2 more in the pipes, as well as 2 international stores and another on the way. If you're in any of those areas (you can find the list on www.blissworld.com) and you want a soul-shattering experience, I would highly recommend the 'carrot and sesame seed body buff'. Natural ingredients like milk, honey and sea salt make you feel cleansed and wholesome and pure, while the body wrap, light massage and Vichy shower turned our limbs into putty. In a good way. In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much (they also offer complimentary tea, cheese and crackers, brownies and olives in the lounge) that we made a Saturday appointment for facials!

We spent our last afternoon at the Museum of Natural History - I've think I've written in the past that this is one of my favorite places in the city. I've been more times than I can remember, but I probably still haven't seen half of it. Luckily for us, they had the butterfly exhibition set up and we were able to get up close and personal with hundreds of colorful, glittery mariposas.

Combine all that with a little live music at Terra Blues in Greenwich village, a walk through Central Park, chocolate-covered strawberries from Godiva, shopping for teddy bears at FAO Schwartz, and meals at all my favorite haunts and we had what can only be called "a frickin' blast".

Now lest you think I've forgotten that this post was originally about finding a job - think again, dearies! I went on an interview this past Tuesday and I'm happy to report that I was offered the position. So now I'm a productive and contributing member of society once again. Hubby is at his first interview at this very moment, and I have absolute conviction that he'll be offered a job, too. I couldn't ask for more.

Well, maybe just an early spring.

Shivers and Shakes

2009-01-25T21:53:00.002-06:00

So after cruising the southern hemisphere for a while, I had pretty much forgotten what winter was all about. We've been back in Lincoln less than a week (actually just a weekEND, really) and got quite the rude awakening, but it's been so good to see friends and family. It'd been much too long.

We've spent the past couple of days setting up house and catching up on old times with old friends. On Friday I called Time Warner to reconnect our internet service and was told that it would be at least 10 days before they could get around to us. What a pleasant surprise when I hit Safari for no good reason at all and Google popped up! I don't know where it's coming from and I don't much care. It's nice to be back in the groove.

I'll be uploading travel pics to Flickr between now and Wednesday and *ahem* job-hunting as well. Yay to the former and blech to the latter.

Stay warm, friends.

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

2009-01-14T16:41:00.003-06:00

At the risk of sounding a bit self-centered, I think the gods are telling me that it's time to cash in my chips (err - pesos) and go home.

It has been raining in Cozumel since we stepped (okay, I lurched - ferries make me nauseous) off the ferry four days ago. I'm bored, and if my spirits are not dampened, then at the very least all of my clothes are.

I'm holding out for the elusive ray-of-sunshine but if that big firey ball doesn't pop up tomorrow morning with a great big Mr. Kool-aid smile, then I will have no choice but to admit defeat, steel my tummy, and head back to the mainland.

But dammit, I really wanted that tan.

Comings and Goings

2009-01-09T12:55:00.005-06:00

I had a couple of slightly strange/unsettling experiences yesterday...

The first is that I had a 1200 appointment at La Paz spa for a body wrap. I´ve had them in the past and at different spas, and they were all the same: massage the body with special ´stuff´, wrap, heat for 20 minutes, rinse. But here...well, there was no gentle massaging into the skin, no cocoon-like wrap, no incubating heat, and no rinse! Instead, I was roughly worked over with two very cold oil concoctions and told not to shower for the remainder of the day. The end.

The other is that I thought for about 2 hours that someone had gotten the numbers from my debit card and made fraudulent charges to my account. If this has ever happened to you (and despite my vigilance, it´s happened to me on more than one occasion), then you understand how your tummy flips and your stress levels soar as you contemplate the inconveniences of cancelling your card, closing your old account and opening a new one and trying to negotiate the details from a foreign country where you are temporarily without recourse to your funds. So it was with an immense sigh of relief but also a serious pang of embarassment when I finally got in touch with the bank only to be reminded that I had, in fact, made the purchase in question a few days earlier. Oops.

To shake off the weird vibe of the day, I stopped by a photography exhibition showcasing local artist Patricio Robles Gil and another guy whose name totally escapes me at the moment. The former housed pictures of exotic wildlife, flora and several landscapes and, though the subjects were deserving and the talent was clearly top-notch, I thought it was kind of unremarkable...like blown-up glossies of any edition of National Geographic - gorgeous but a bit commonplace now.

On the other hand, Mr. X´s exhibition, entitled Falsos Reflejos, was an inspired collection of black-and-white pairs of females in the nude, skillfully contorted in graceful poses that mirrored one another at first glance, but on closer inspection were actually slightly different: a left leg crossed instead of a right, palms facing up instead of down. I feel uncomfortable taking photos of photos (unlike paintings), so I´ll have to post an update when I remember the guy´s name and then you can look ém up.

On Wednesday I went to the local artisans´market, where they sell things like wood carvings, woven baskets, textiles and trinkets. Showing what I like to think of as ´great self-restraint´, I left only $10 poorer with a ceramic vase painted in traditional blue and white, some embroidered doilies and a game of loteria, purchased out of nostalgia. I recall playing this game (basically illustrated bingo) in school as a child during the obligatory Spanish lessons of south Texas´public elementary schools. I´m a bit surprised now because some of the cards would probably not go over so well with our present society´s rigid sense of political correctness. Examples:

El Borracho (the drunk) - Illustrated by a disheveled man holding a liquor bottle.
El Diablito (the little devil) - The infamous red body, forked tail, horns and pitchfork.
La Sirena (the mermaid) - Bare breasts for 8-9 year olds?
El Negrito (the little black man, apparently) - Depicted in severely mismatched clothing, wearing a straw hat and carrying a cane. Um, okay...

But I still think it´s fun so I´m going back today to buy one for my kid sister, who turned 7 yesterday.

Tomorrow we board the 0600 bus outta here, so more in a few days...

An Unexpected Paradise

2009-01-06T11:23:00.002-06:00

So, 2009 finds us waaaay down south in sun-drenched Mexico. We arrived in Mexico City on 29 December and spent the next few days in the zocalo, meandering through the crowded streets and ducking into galleries and museums whenever we came across them. For all its hype as a veritable black hole of violent crime, we had an uneventful travel experience that included many rides on the subway and even a late-night excursion on New Year´s Eve. For a city of such magnitude (population somewhere in the vicinity of 20 million), it still retains its old-world style and charm. You cannot walk more than two blocks without coming across a church that will damn near take your breath away. Go ahead. I dare you to try. We ventured out to Teotihuacan one afternoon for a tour of the ruins and temples there. It was perfect for a day trip and also whet our appetite for Chichen Itza, which we´ll hit up in about a week.

On the very 1st of January, we took a bus out to the colonial town of Valle de Bravo. And this is where I sit now, writing of unexpected paradise. Mountainous, green and situated around a sparkling lake, this little city is a happy place. A haven for paragliding folks, the town is currently hosting one competition and preparing for the World Championships at the end of this month. My hubby is in a state of bliss and while he is soaring through the clouds, I am fully grounded and falling in love with the narrow cobblestone streets, the perpetually festive atmosphere, and the yummy tortas from Cafe El Torton next to our inn.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon hiking through the surrounding forest to witness the migration of the monarch butterflies, who come here in droves to complete their cycle of life and death. The air was thick with busy scurrying and the orange of their wings was luminous in the sun.

We divide our meal time evenly between restaurants and street vendors and have not been disappointed yet. Around the corner from our cozy little room at Posada Mary is a short street dubbed Taco Alley. The second cart on the left makes a deviantly delicious choriqueso taco. You simply can´t have just one, and for only 10 pesos each (roughly 75 cents) why would you??

By the by, the weather is marvelous and the people are wonderfully warm and friendly.

Though we´re in no hurry to go, our itinerary has us heading off to the Yucatan on the 10th. We´ve never been to Cozumel and 2009 seems as good a time as any to change that.

Twas the Season

2008-12-29T06:55:00.002-06:00

Hope everyone had a festive Christmas!

My gift to you is a friendly reminder to never, ever, EVER fly commercially during the holiday season if you value your sanity. Or your luggage.

We depart for Mexico in a few hours so here's us wishing you a rockin' New Year as well.

See you in 2009...

Quickie

2008-12-17T11:21:00.003-06:00

Here's how our trip is wrapping up...

Today we went on a half-day tour of the Soweto area. Soweto stands for SouthWesternTownships and is South Africa's largest township (i.e. "underdeveloped community" consisting largely of government-funded and cookie-cutter housing and squatter camps of corrugated tin shacks). No worries, as we were safely ensconced in a van and our guide was thoroughly knowledgeable and savvy. On Vilakazi street we saw the home of Desmond Tutu and the former home of Nelson Mandela - we drove past his current digs in uberwealthy Howton earlier in the day. The Hector Pieterson museum gave us a peek into the Soweto uprisings of 1976 and is definitely worth a visit, as they've done a really nice job with it.

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Apartheid museum and perhaps try our luck at the slots at the casino next door (in moderation, of course!). There may or may not be a rollercoaster involved as well, since the complex also boasts a small amusement park...

We fly outta here in the wee hours of the 20th and much as I've enjoyed the vacation, I am excited to be home for the holidays. Hope you've got your shopping done!

Full Circle

2008-12-16T10:56:00.002-06:00

We arrived back in Johannesburg this afternoon after our whirlwind adventures in Namibia and Zambia. After my last entry we flew off to Windhoek, Namibia's capital city. To be quite honest I didn't care for the vibe there (more on that another time) and we rented a car the following day and set off for Sossusvlei. These massive dunes are a truly breath-taking sight that is hard enough to capture on film, so I will hardly even make the attempt to describe them in words. That, and I'm very short on internet time.

After Sossusvlei we traveled northwest to the beach town of Swakopmund. I fell in love with this spot, which had a relaxing atmosphere, fabulous restaurants, cutesy shops, and some really great sunsets. I also got the chance to visit their aquarium and museum one day while hubby was off paragliding in the dunes.

After dropping the car back in Windhoek, we took a 22 hour bus to Livingstone, Zambia, which shares a border with neighboring Zimbabwe. In my opinion the Zambians were the friendliest group of people, as a whole, that I had the pleasure to encounter in Africa. As strangers in a foreign (and very poor) land, we never felt concerned for our safety or valuables and on the contrary, the locals were always striking up conversations with us. We saw the famed Victoria Falls and did a bit of hiking, coming thisclose to many, many baboons!

Much more to write and tons of pictures to upload soon - but time's up for now!

From South Africa

2008-12-06T03:30:00.002-06:00

We have been in South Africa for 3 weeks and, like all good things, it must come to an end.

After flying into Johannesburg from Nairobi, we caught a local backpacker bus down to Howick and were picked up by our Bulwer host and transported to his lodge. We spent the next two weeks in the mountains of the Kwazulu-Natal province, relaxing and living the good life. Dan did his paragliding-thing and was able to get about 15 flights, most of which were quite lengthy. I did a great deal of reading and several days of horseback riding at a neighboring farm. Bulwer is a small rural town, and we were without internet access during that time - which is why there were no posts :)

About midway through our stay there, we took a day trip through the Sani Pass and into Lesotho where we had lunch and a Maluti at the highest pub on the African continent!

We can now say "hello" and "thank you" in Zulu.

We are presently in Cape Town and have spent the last few days walking through the marina, driving along the coast, visiting the Cape of Good Hope, hiking Lion's Head to watch the sunset and touring vineyards in the Stellenbosch wine region. We're spoiled and we know it.

Tomorrow morning we fly to Windhoek, Namibia for further adventures.

Until then...

Sub-Saharan Sojourn

2008-11-14T00:51:00.007-06:00

A quick and harried hello from Kenya!

We just got back into Nairobi last night from our 3 day safari into the Masai Mara, where we saw the Big 5 in just one day! We are still riding the high from our sheer dumb luck. We saw lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, rhino (i.e. the Big 5), zebra, crocodile, hippo, baboon and monkey, giraffe, hyena, and many types of bird and gazelle/deer-related creatures. Took loads of photos, which I will upload whenever I can find a public computer that will tolerate it - so, probably not till we're back in the states.

We also visited a Masai village and today we are going to the giraffe center and elephant/rhino nursery. We fly to South Africa early tomorrow morning.

The funniest thing about Kenya is that literally EVERYBODY (even the Masai, who live in remote tribal communities) knows that Obama won the election and they are constantly asking us how we feel about it, if we voted for him, if we're excited about the things he's going to do, and so on...we feel a bit like rock stars, through no real achievement of our own :)

We were fortunate enough to safari with three other women - two Aussies and a New Zealander - who were knowledgeable, hospitable and tons of fun. Always nice when you're crammed into a van together for long stretches of time. Overland travel is a treat for the eyes, but quite hard on the rump!

I've carried on for long enough and my time is up - more in about a week!

Hope you are all well!

EDIT 5 DEC 08: So, I have to eat crow and admit that apparently the cheetah is NOT one of the Big Five after all - it's the leopard. However, in our humble defense, Dan and I have seen souvenirs proudly proclaiming the cheetah as a Big 5-er, so we don't feel too clueless - seems even some natives are confused as well!

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-11-05T23:15:00.002-06:00

Bicycle rides on the tandem. – Yep, that’s the one with two seats. Hubby sits in the front and steers and I sit in the back and pedal my buns off. We live right off the bike path and can follow it down to a pond with ducks and swans and geese.

Cheese. – A few that I’ve been itching to nibble these days: Amarelo (soft/semi-soft, goat/sheep, Portugal), Appenzeller Reserve by Emmi (semi-hard, cow, Switzerland), and Chaorce (soft, cow, France).

Simple chores like washing dishes and folding laundry. – I like to play at being domestic. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and makes me feel like a grown-up :)

Remy Zero’s Prophecy. – It’ll get your motor runnin’…

Tiramisu. – Once upon a time, I didn’t like coffee so I never wanted to give this dessert a chance when it showed up on the menu. But I am so glad that I bit the bullet one fateful day and tried it, because there’s nothing quite like the taste of whipped silk.

Little Known Facts

2008-11-02T09:40:00.000-06:00

When I was younger…

I wanted to be left-handed. I even practiced.
I never let boys win on purpose.
In my eyes, Gadget from the Rescue Rangers was beautiful.
I wanted to be a veterinarian.
I thought that if I pressed long and hard enough, I could make myself a chin dimple.
I spent a lot of time pretending I was a dog. Or a horse. Or a deer. Ad infinitum.
I won the school spelling bee in 4th grade.
My favorite color was purple.
I found puppets, a la Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street, extremely creepy.
I had a lot of nosebleeds.
Four-square was for sissies.
I was attacked by a rooster.
I put on lipstick after I was dropped off at school because my mother wouldn't let me wear it.
I hated all green food. And I still do.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T07:10:00.004-06:00

Happy Halloween to all the lucky ducks out there who will be dressing up and getting down this evening!

I haven't missed one in ages, but sadly I won't be able to dress up this year. But, there's always next year, so I've made this list of "stuff I wanna be one year" and it goes a little sumpthin' like this:

A Victorian lady
Joan Jett
A Grecian goddess
Brittany Spears in her I’m A Slave 4 U costume complete with snake
Rainbow Brite
A geisha
An assassin in black leather and spandex with a red wig
A Native American princess

Have fun tonight, partygoers :)

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-10-30T08:49:00.003-06:00

Warm weather. – Brr, it’s getting colder and my genes say NO!

Black eyeliner. – If I could have only one cosmetic product, this would be the one. It’s versatile and straightforward, and it’s the only thing that works with my big dark eyes. Every now and then I flirt with a shimmery pastel eye shadow or cherry red lipstick, but my heart belongs to black eyeliner.

XMen. – Especially Wolverine and Jean Grey. Oooh, or a cross between the two??

Dogs. – Especially big ones, but I don’t discriminate. I share the love with all. Breeds I think are particularly lovely for their coats: Catahoula Leopard Dog, Blue Lacy, Hungarian Viszla. Breeds I think are fricking cool for their inherent badassness: Czech Wolfdog. And this girl is my favorite:

Secrets. – Not the kind that hurt people, but the kind that mean I made some semi-frivolous purchases online and didn’t tell my husband about it. Some call them little white lies. I prefer secrets.

Busted

2008-10-23T08:52:00.002-05:00

Seriously – I haven’t written anything all week? That’s icky. How time does fly…

Here’s something I did do, though…busted my daily bandwidth allotment at work. Which means I used so much that somebody noticed. I don’t know how, because as you see, I was less active on the net this week than in weeks past. I plead temporary insanity and also, I blame you (not really – that’s just in case the boss reads my blog today).

Other than that, this week has been about reading and daydreaming. I’m still – STILL, I say – trying to finish Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. I wish I could liquidate it and pour it into my ears and have it all settled into my brain, just like that *snaps fingers*. Super dense stuff. And I’m daydreaming because I found a great, great house for sale in Lincoln, which I’m not in any position to buy. But it's so very, very perfect...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if realtors gave discounts based on how badly you wanted the house? For instance, if you wanted it so badly that you would drink toilet water - 3% off. Willing to lop off a pinky toe? 15% off.

Just a thought.

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-10-23T07:50:00.002-05:00

Halloween, my very favorite holiday. – And just what will you be this year? :)

Bubble baths. – Although I can never make mine as foamy as Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman…

Wine that I always have stocked. – Tomaiolo Chianti, Folie à Deux Ménage à Trois, both Red and White (the former is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and the latter contains Chardonnay, Muscat and Chenin Blanc), and good 'ole standby Yellowtail Shiraz

Salmon sashimi. – With spicy mayo (and shrimp tempura rolls, too).

Sydney Pollack’s The Way We Were. – I do sappy.

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-10-16T00:33:00.002-05:00

Arcade games. – I like the fighting ones where everybody has special powers. Dan is ridiculously good at Streetfighter, but sometimes I get lucky.

Ginger Tea. – For the aroma and color as much as the taste.

Random stuff like this. – http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/view2/countries

Fast Food. – I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care if it’s bad for me. I still like it, and I can’t help it and I don’t really want to help it.

Snail mail. – Care packages and cards for no good reason. Most of my friends move an awful lot, though, and keeping my address book up to date is a challenge.

Native Son by Richard Wright

2008-10-14T07:18:00.002-05:00

A good read about oppression vs. injustice, popular opinion vs. morality…and mostly about hate – what breeds it and what it breeds. Outwardly, it is a novel about race. Truly, it is a novel about humanity. Though a sense of futility saturates its pages, this is a novel that attempts to shine a light into the deep wells of ignorance.

Native Son is separated into three ‘books’ – titled Fear, Flight, and Fate – which track the physiological development of the central character, Bigger Thomas. Bigger is a young black male (does the name resemble another word you know?) in 1930s Chicago. He is awarded a job from the relief office as chauffeur to a family of multimillionaires; however, on his very first night he unintentionally murders the family’s only child, a beautiful white girl about Bigger’s age. Bigger tries to cover up his crime and is ultimately caught.

Wright’s style is unaffected, sure and well-ordered. The final speeches made by Mr. Max and Mr. Buckley are especially gripping and poignant. I admit that I was expecting a more radical conclusion, à la A Time to Kill – not in regard to the actual verdict or the sentiments of the populace, but in the realizations of a few major characters and Bigger Thomas in particular. Instead, all other characters fade quietly out of the picture, and Bigger...well...

In the end he does grow, but he remains stunted. He recognizes new levels and facets of the society in which he lives and he acknowledges his feelings towards that world. He finds an identity…but he ultimately fails to understand it or to come to peace with it.

Down the Homestretch

2008-10-10T03:09:00.001-05:00

I love lists, and I’m forever making tick marks, striking through, checking off, and counting down. These days I have notepads, calendars, day planners and post-its spread higgledy-piggledy over my desk in unabashed disarray. Its organized chaos, and I rule it all.

Hubby and I are plotting our exit strategy from the corporate nightmare. So far, we’ve booked tickets to Kenya, where we’ll safari, and then onward to South Africa, where Dan will paraglide for several weeks and I will try to catch up on the reading that I’ve been neglecting as of late. Still a little fuzzy on what happens next, but eventually we’ll end up on the Zimbabwean border to experience the majesty of Victoria Falls.

I know you’re probably thinking, wait a minute – didn’t you guys just get back?? What about the sad state of the economy? Why relinquish the stability of two perfectly good, high income jobs with stock markets crashing all around you and the uncertainty of the future looming over you like Grendel?

Partly because I think that the next step on this crazy rollercoaster ride will be a massive bailout for ALL consumer debt, so clearly it makes as much sense to spend as it does to save. In essence, I’m giving the financial finger to those who should know better. Sort of like: hey Fed – bail this!

But mostly because that’s just how we roll.

Things I Love Thursday

2008-10-08T23:56:00.003-05:00

Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate. – JM just released their second album, and I’m getting my hands on it!

Air hockey. – Because I ROCK the air hockey.

Scrapbooking. – I haven’t been able to play with mine for ages, but I just bought some cute embellishments from Joann’s and can’t wait use them.

Trail Mix. – Especially with banana chips.

My supportive husband. – Who took care of me Tuesday night, when a mini-troll was enthusiastically ripping through the wall of my stomach with a rusty machete.

Pixie cuts. – Some days, I really miss short hair.

Other Adventures

2008-10-05T05:09:00.003-05:00

Thailand is really a cakewalk for tourists – everything is conveniently packaged and written in English. Sure, you could probably save a few bucks by making solo arrangements, but when you’re strapped for time and eager to see it all – well, it just makes sense to leave matters to the experts.

On our second full day in Chiang Mai, Dan and I visited six hill tribes (Akha, Lisu, Hmong, Laku and two different clans of Karen). Originally refugees from neighboring Burma/Myanmar, Tibet and China, these tribes were granted land and permission to stay by the Thai government. They maintain their own customs, dress and languages within their villages, although some now travel into the cities to work or sell their wares. The Karen are very reserved and quiet, while the Lisu were noticeably more vocal and the Akha literally chased us down the road as we left the village, trying to sell us more of their goods – even after we had already purchased several items.

A few days later, we visited the elephant camp and later partook in a wee spot of bamboo rafting. Asian elephants are much smaller than their African cousins, although an elephant is an elephant is an elephant and they’re ALL big. These elephants once worked in the fields, dragging trees, but now there is a halt on further deforestation. So, like the rest of us, they have to earn their daily bread. In addition to vegetation, the gentle giants nosh about 200 kg of bananas each day – bananas which were conveniently for sale to all the google-eyed tourists. If I sound a bit cynical (and I always sound a bit cynical), don’t be fooled. I was quite happy to pay for the chance to do this:

We also got the opportunity to check out some live music, which included a performance by the most fantastically rhythmic, red silk-adorned ladyboy that mine eyes have ever beheld.

Two Years O' Happy

2008-10-04T08:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Dan and I celebrated two years as partners in crime.

We met in the fall of 2006 in Africa (every time I say that, I hear echoes of Meryl Streep saying “I had a farm in Afrika…” in my head), and we had instant chemistry. Being more of the ‘just wing it’ variety, I actually had to chase him. Luckily, I am both persistent and shameless, and soon we were inseparable.

So, I guess you could say that we ‘rang in the new year’ a tad early with a romantic dinner at Ruen Tamarind while in Chiang Mai. Ruen is located in the Tamarind Village hotel complex, so dubbed for the 200-year-old tamarind tree located on the grounds. You can enter from a side street lined with bamboo, the tree tops bending inward to a gentle point overhead, where the buzz of city life quickly melts away. Two musicians played soft jazz and though the dining room was quite small, the tables were admirably spaced, so that the atmosphere was both casual and intimate.

We shared a bottle of Monsoon Valley (ok, I had the lion’s share), a very flavorful Thai blend of Pokdum and Shiraz. The shrimp spring rolls were fried ever. so. delicately. so that the shrimpy goodness was not overpowered. Hubby ordered the beef, pounded nice and tender, and I selected curry with grilled prawns – both yummdidliummy. And for dessert: sticky rice with mango and two spoons :)

The food was perfectly prepared, the service was impeccable, and the whole night reminded me that I am one heck of a happy girl.

Ink Stains

2008-10-03T09:19:00.003-05:00

I had the best intentions to post the events of our trip in chronological order (I also made a valiant attempt with the pictures on flickr), but it’s not going to happen. Because I’m itchy. Literally.

On our last day in Bangkok, roughly 4 hours before we left for the airport, Dan hesitantly agreed to check out the tattoo parlors with me. I’ve been carrying around this tattered henna design for the past two years, just waiting for the opportunity to get it done. And then I threw in a second for good measure.

So here are numbers 9 and 10, respectively:

They’re in that incredibly annoying scabby phase right now, but I think it should be over after this weekend. And this, friends, is where I lay down the flag. No more tattoos for me – but now we get to start looking for Dan!

Cooking For Dummies

2008-10-02T03:55:00.002-05:00

Dan and I did manage to take a one-day cooking course in Chiang Mai, and we had a blast. They gave us both nifty little cookbooks to take home. Each one had about 25-30 dishes, complete with glossy illustrations to make you drool (and silently curse your own creation for not looking quite as mouth-watering as the picture).

Our first stop was the local outdoor market, where we learned the staple ingredients for most Thai dishes: coconut milk/cream, chilies, basil, lime, rice and noodles, assorted veggies and “The Sauce Trio” – fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce. We picked up some fresh dragon fruit for a morning snack, and Dan got splashed by a fish waiting for the butcher’s block.

We made Coconut Chicken Soup (this is the dish that I can most see myself making regularly) , Pad Thai (I heart noodles and the sauce was yummy), Red Curry with Fish (although ours turned out more brown than red), Fried Mushrooms and Veggies (for the garnish, we cut starbursts into shitake mushrooms and made curly-cues out of green onion tips), Papaya Salad (also learned how to make a tomato peel rose for this one!) and Steamed Banana Pudding for dessert (five courses preceding this one, and I STILL ate it all).

All said and done, it was a great – and tasty – experience.

Back in Black

2008-10-01T05:45:00.000-05:00

Finally back from our trip! We had SUCH a great time – saw loads of stuff and left plenty more for “next time”. Photos will be going up intermittently on my Flickr page, along with comments and tidbits about our doings. For now, here’s a brief synopsis of our itinerary:

12 Sep – 14 Sep: Lazy days in Dubai
15 Sep – 16 Sep: Bangkok (Grand Palace, Wats Pho and Arun, Reclining Buddha, Thai boxing, Khaosan Road)
17 Sep – 23 Sep: Chiang Mai (Elephant rides, 6 tribal villages, bamboo rafting, waterfall, cooking course, spa day, Night Bazaar)
24 Sep – 27 Sep: Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Victory Gate, Banteay Srei and various others)
28 Sep: Bangkok (new tattoos)
29 Sep: transit back through Dubai

And on 30 Sep, I was back to the daily grind. Just in time to start scheming for the next trip :)

Bon Voyage, Tout Le Monde!

2008-09-11T08:32:00.001-05:00

Today has been hectic, and there’s not enough time to cover everything. I finished Elizabeth Bowens’ The Death of the Heart, and in the absence of a full review, here’s a piece of wisdom from St. Quentin to sum up:

“But I should never write what had happened down. One’s nature is to forget, and one ought to go by that. Memory is quite unbearable enough, but even so it leaves out quite a lot. It wouldn’t let one down as gently, even, as that if it weren’t more than half a fake – we remember to suit ourselves. No, really, er, Portia, believe me: if one didn’t let oneself swallow some few lies, I don’t know how one would ever carry the past.”

Moreover, it’s a Thursday – which means I have to leave you with a little TILT:

Traveling. – Hubby and I leave for Thailand tomorrow! Seems the Prime Minister has resigned…we’re spending a couple days in Dubai, even though it’s Ramadan, so hopefully the last bits of urban restlessness will fizzle out and fade away.
Michael Buble. – Seamlessly soulful vocals. Plus, he’s pretty :)
Perusing the Crate & Barrel catalogue. – I’m particularly addicted to their glassware, kitchen gadgets, and seasonal items. And I really have my eye on the DeLonghi espresso machine…
Donating to a worthy cause. – A really funky woman I know in St. Louis, Missouri is walking for Lupus and taking donations here (sorry, no time to figure out the hyperlink): https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=268375&lis=0&kntae268375=C56CADE5389B46AEBDF57A1C0CB7C75C&supId=0&team=2758088
And SHE is donating 10 cents per photo that YOU submit here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/lupus_awareness/

And finally, a word from your sponsor :)

I probably won’t be doing any more than sporadically checking email over the next few weeks. So, until next time:

Be safe, be well…and every once in awhile, do a mad lip-sync to a Britney Spears song. Because you know you want to.

Adieu, mes chères!

Random Musings On A Blustery Tuesday Afternoon

2008-09-09T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I ordered four new pairs of jeans online. Today, I had delicious Mexican food for lunch and a cup of mocha ice cream in the afternoon. I probably should have done those two things in the reverse order, come to think of it…

I had to buy the jeans, though, because it’s been ages since I’ve been able to find the brand in stores. They’re called Seven7 and are not to be confused with the uber-trendy Seven For All Mankind label (sidenote: Seven7 had already been around for about 4 decades before SFAM was even a warehouse full of underpaid workers in China).

Not that I have anything against designer jeans – far from it. There was a time when I owned enough pairs of Diesel jeans to...uh…well, it was a lot. What I do have an issue with are label junkies, who purchase these brands, liquefy their legs to get inside the jeans (while their tummies are spilling out the top) and then brag about their superior sense of style. Label junkies across the globe – allow me to clear the air. I’m not buying Diesel jeans these days, because they simply haven’t produced any new styles that fit. And I’m not paying $250 for a pair of jeans that doesn’t make my bum look like anything less than a Kylie Minogue carbon copy. You shouldn’t either.

Getting Closer…

2008-09-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

The past few days at work have been uncommonly busy – almost as busy as the start-up phase of operations.

I haven’t been reading as much, and my creative juices are not so much flowing as trickling…dripping, even. Now that we have set a departure date, I really feel like I’m treading water. It’s a combination of lethargy and lack of inspiration. But, it’s all for a bigger purpose, so I’ll just put on my game face and play.

I am anxious to start packing for our trip. Less than one week away! I’ve stopped checking the news for updates, which might be foolish and ignorant, but I don’t care. When hubby and I went to El Salvador, there were no travel warnings and we still had one of our buses shaken down by armed banditos. And while living in New York, I once had a guy try to abduct me at knifepoint. So I’m not scared of a little ‘ole thing like a state of emergency. Sheesh.

I’m 62 inches of spitfire and scrappiness. Plus, I can always hide behind Danny. :)

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-09-04T00:28:00.002-05:00

Old things. – Today, tomorrow and forever. A little history gives character.

My sweet puppy, Nyla. – She can really try my patience at times, but when she looks at me with those brown button eyes, all things are forgiven. Even the time she peed on my bed.

Laughing out loud. – What could be more therapeutic than a great, big, belly-shaking guffaw?

Knee-length tights. – Especially the ones I got from the kids’ section at Old Navy, because they were about half the price of the adult version and they have a lil’ bit o’ glittery in ‘em.

June Jacobs’ Mandarin Moisture Masque. – see Monday’s post.

Jack Johnson’s latest album, Sleep Through the Static. – A little funkiness + a little tenderness + one slightly raspy voice = a lot of rhythmic goodness

Such Is Life...

2008-09-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

We are supposed to leave for Thailand in 9 days, and the frickin’ country is now in a state of emergency. An eruption of violence last night/this morning claimed one casualty and injured 44 others. Protesting factions are threatening to disrupt public services (overland transportation, electricity, water…) and possibly cancel flights and close some airports.

I’m starting to feel a bit cursed. Initially, when planning our journeys, Dan and I had discussed traveling to India. And wouldn’t you know it – multiple bombs go off in Ahmedabad, killing about 50 people and injuring well over 100. The wounded are transported to a nearby hospital, where the insurgents had planted bombs as well.

We also have plans to visit South Africa in November. And naturally, South Africa is also experiencing unrest, as the native South Africans and the migrant workers from poorer surrounding countries clash over jobs and wages.

I mean, really: what the hell are we doing to each other? How did it come to this? And where will it stop…

We are boarding that flight next week and going to Thailand. We’ll head north, just as we planned, and hide out in the jungles – because at least the elephants aren’t homicidally political.

Life doesn’t stop, and it doesn’t get better or worse. It just moves…and we struggle like hell to keep up.

Pretty Stuff For Girls

2008-09-01T11:08:00.002-05:00

The day is drawing to a close, and the only thing on my mind is a June Jacobs Mandarin Moisture Masque. I made a trip to the spa in May (about a week before our wedding) and splurged on three treatments: a detoxifying body wrap, a facial and one sublime hour of full-body massage (which left me nearly as limber as Gumby). Then I was wrapped in a thick, fluffy bathrobe, whisked into a candlelit room garnished with rose petals, and propped up on a pillow-topped lounge chair with a pot of peppermint tea. After this kind of pampering, I was an easy target for a little “upselling”.

The charming beautician that worked with me (an adorably teensy bit of a Thai woman with a tinkling laugh and mirthful eyes) merely suggested, in a voice scarcely above a whisper, that an eye serum and a masque would be beneficial to my dark circles and lackluster skin (my adjectives, not hers). I don’t think I even let her finish the entire sentence before vigorously nodding my head and fishing out my wallet. At that point, I was overflowing with rapture and goodwill and could probably have been persuaded to buy HER some eye serum and a masque.

Really though, if you like what I call “good smelly type stuff”, the June Jacobs Mandarin Moisture Masque is cool and refreshing, and it smells good enough to eat. Off to have one now...

Goodbye, Summer. Goodbye.

2008-08-30T08:55:00.002-05:00

Today is the end of the pay period for the month of August, which means I am one check closer to freedom. After we take our trip into Southeast Asia (only 12 days away!), hubby and I have decided to return to our paper-pushing jobs and give our 30 days’ notice. It’s time to move forward with new goals, even if it means stepping outside our comfort zone and living on Ramen and love.

I’m a bit homesick these days. I miss our friends and family, and I’m sad that I won’t be able to watch summer fade into fall. I say ‘summer fade into fall’, because people always say that – but really, I think fall is quite as colorful as summer. At least, in some parts of the world…but I suppose in some parts of the world, neither is very colorful. Ok, I’m rambling now.

The point I’m trying to make is that I want a job that’s closer to home, and I’m going to make that happen very soon. So goodbye to summer, and goodbye to climbing the career ladder. I’m afraid of heights anyway.

A Death in the Family by James Agee

2008-08-29T07:48:00.001-05:00

Ahh, the beauty of words. The way an author can make them weave and commingle and intertwine to form a sentence, a chapter, a story.

If you take nothing more from this novel, just grant yourself the freedom to bask in Agee’s luxurious prose.

A Death in the Family is largely autobiographical, so it’s no small wonder that Agee dazzles us with his wonderful character development. In a novel at once heartbreaking and heartwarming, the reader will explore life, loss, relationships, faith, human frailty and the ways in which we find the strength to cope.

Part of the last passage spoken by Andrew is particularly lovely and unifies the emotional experiences of the central characters. The butterfly is a symbol of hope and an embodiment of the soul.

A few enjoyable phrases:

How far we all come. How far we all come away from ourselves. So far, so much between, you can never go home again.

The less he believed them, the more he was led to believe them, and the easier it was for him to believe them. The more alone he felt, the more he wanted to feel that he was not alone, but one of them.

Without either desiring to see her face, or caring how it looked, she saw that it had changed; through the deep, clear veil her gray eyes watched her gray eyes watch her through the deep, clear veil.

I’ll end up reading this one again some day – I’m sure of that. To date, this is, without a doubt, my favorite novel on the 100 Best list.

Things I Love Thursdays

2008-08-28T00:02:00.002-05:00

Lunch hour with my husband. – Actually, I get to have lunch with him everyday, but it’s nice to pause, reflect and be thankful for it.

Grey’s Anatomy marathons. – I love this show. Truthfully, I wish the characters really existed and were my friends. I preordered season 4 on Amazon.

Carrot cake and coffee in the afternoon. – I have to admit that I never really gave a sniff for carrot cake, before I had a slice with coffee. Mmm, a perfect blend.

Alison Krauss’ song Restless. – She has the sweetest, most wholesome voice. This song is like a big hug or a cup of chamomile tea: warm and comforting and gentle.

Greeting cards by Coffeehouse. – They come across sincere, not sappy. Cutesy illustrations and a lot of pretty pastels, too.

The delicious proximity of Fridays. – So close. So very close.

Heat Wave

2008-08-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

Today, we had a power outage at work. It was incredibly hot without the A/C. On the bright side (and I promised yesterday that I was going to look on the bright side), it was nice to take a break from the computer. My eyeballs, at least, are thankful.

I’m actually quite tired (energy zapped from the heat wave) and don’t have much of anything to say. Plus, it’s time to lock up the office and head for the hills.

However, today’s music was brought to you by: Zero 7. Pure, smooth and mellow. Breathe a little harmony through your ears.

Office Etiquette…Or Lack Thereof

2008-08-26T00:12:00.000-05:00

What IS appropriate: delineating what is/what is not communal office property and adhering to those rules

What is NOT appropriate: drinking someone else’s very last and clearly marked Diet Pepsi

And by clearly marked, I mean my name written in all CAPS and black, permanent marker right across the tab of the soda. If this was a first offense, I could forgive and forget. If it was a second, I could at least forgive. But if it was a sixth (oh yes, a SIXTH)…well, the gloves simply must come off.

This is why I have a hard time keeping mum. It usually comes back to bite you on the arse.

*No ranting tomorrow, promise.*

Growing Pains

2008-08-25T04:03:00.001-05:00

So here’s what.

I was really inappropriately rude to my boss today. Actually to my boss’ boss. But my inappropriateness was a direct response to his inappropriateness, so I feel justified. I’ve never mastered the art of ‘holding my tongue’, and I probably never will. I have patience for dogs and children, but not so much for adults who act like children…or dogs, as it happens.

We have been having a lot of sand storms lately – a great fog of hazy, grey opacity that coats everything in a fine (and sometimes, not so fine) layer of soot and wreaks havoc on our electronics. And today the thought struck me: what if it’s not really a sand storm, but rather a physical manifestation of Stupid out there floating around? But that’s just me waxing philosophical on you. As my mother-in-law said, “the ignorant can read a book, but there’s no cure for stupid.”

Vacation is not coming fast enough to stifle my feelings of oppression and override my need to escape. If I were being rational, I would think to myself – gosh, Krista, how lucky you are to HAVE a job. But I’m not wearing my rational pants today…so bear with me, as I rant.

Why, oh why, do we ever have to grow up?

My Heart Is Broken

2008-08-24T00:48:00.000-05:00

Maybe I’m the last to know, but I just found out that Polaroid is discontinuing instant film. As in, not making anymore. At all. For the rest of time.

Does anyone else think this is wrong?? My favorite pictures from childhood are Polaroids. An instant is like a fingerprint – you can’t ever reproduce it. It’s 100% one of a kind. Don’t get me wrong – I love digital as much as the next guy. But can’t we have our cake and eat it, too?? I suppose the next step is to stop printing books and use only e-copies, or to stop playing musical instruments and just simulate them on some sort of gaming system. Hey…wait a minute…

Call me sentimental, call me a fool. But for the love of all things truly original, give us back the Polaroid!

Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone

2008-08-23T05:05:00.002-05:00

Briefly...

A grim novel about cultural degeneration in 1960’s America. You know from about the 15th page that the principals are never going to pull off their drug heist. And you have little sympathy for them, not because they are weak or ignorant, but because they merely drift through life – vacant, listless, and devoid of moral decency.

I'll be moving on to James Agee's A Death in the Family this evening, as the 47th novel in my reading challenge found here: http://kvead15.googlepages.com/home .

Today's music: Brandi Carlile in all her emotionally-charged, wide-ranging vocal glory. You'll love that break in her voice in "The Story".

Beer and Beer with Beer on Top

2008-08-22T07:50:00.002-05:00

One of the hardest things about living and working in a Muslim country is foregoing that cold, bubbly, life-sustaining substance that we all know and love: beer.

Lincoln has a great little brewery down in the Haymarket district that produces some really fantastic stuff. And when hubby and I went snowboarding in Beaver Creek last winter, we made sure to stop at the Odell and New Belgium breweries in Ft. Collins on the way home. If you trust me, hunt these down:

Empyrean Brewing Co (Licoln, NE)
Vanilla Porter – sweet, malty goodness makes this our #1 pick.
Third Stone Brown – dark but not heavy and smooth as a baby’s…well, you know.
Oatmeal Stout – thick, hearty and capped with a cream-colored froth of almost buttery deliciousness.

New Belgium Brewing Co (Ft. Collins, CO)
2 Below – very floral winter ale with a serious punch! Two of these bad boys, and hubby is all silly and googly-eyed (oops, did I tattle?). Seasonal only, so get it while it’s hot…er, cold.
Frambozen – skyrockets in flight, raspberry delight :) Also seasonal.
Mothership Wit – organically-produced wheat beer with a citrus-and-spice tang. For all my fellow tree-huggers.

Odell Brewing Co (Ft. Collins, CO)
Cutthroat Porter – smooth, creamy texture with the flavor of chocolate and coffee. 3 of my most favorite things all mixed together in liquid form. Sigh.

Things With Leaves

2008-08-21T03:44:00.001-05:00

My coworker is on vacation, and I am killing her plant. I have watered it, talked to it, dusted its leaves, and fertilized its soil. This is particularly bad, because I want to plant a garden one day and clearly do not have a green thumb. Oh, and also bad because she won’t be back for another week, giving me ample time to finish the plant’s total annihilation.

To tell the truth, I think the plant is pouting (and based on this suspicion, I deduced that the plant is spoiled and named it Fifi). Fifi is an ivy and lives on the file cabinet behind me. I also think she is a bit of a masochist, who is cruelly willing her leaves to turn yellow and brown and brittle for the sole purpose of getting me into deep shit with my coworker. Either that, or I think I need this upcoming vacation really badly. Imagine, suspecting an ivy of sabotage…

…when everyone knows it’s always the ferns.

A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh

2008-08-20T07:37:00.002-05:00

Using a lighter form of satire, Waugh delivers a firm poke in the eye to high society by exploring concepts of morality, corruption, and tradition.

Brenda and Tony Last, the proverbial golden couple, share a happy, if uneventful, life at their country estate, Hetton. Driven largely by boredom, Brenda begins an affair with a man who can best be described as a social parasite. As her affair continues, Brenda begins to assume leech-like characteristics of her own. Following the death of the Lasts’ only child (and the only lovable character in the whole darn book) in a riding accident, Brenda seeks a divorce. Tony goes to great lengths to grant her request, but Brenda finally crosses a line when her demands grow so large that it would require the sale of Tony’s beloved family home to fulfill them.

For the first half of the novel, I wanted to drop kick Brenda from here to next Tuesday. Then, when Tony refused to grow a pair, I wanted to turkey stomp him as well. The characters are notably similar in that none seem to feel remorse. Not for infidelity, or greed, or indifference. The couple is devoid of originality, real intellect, or chivalry in its true sense. Brenda is repugnant for her infidelity. Tony is contemptible for his cowardice.

The novel itself is delightfully well-composed. Waugh maintains a lovely balance; the tone is cynical but not dark, ironic but not thoroughly depressing. Some passages are highly comical, but it is certainly not a funny story. It becomes clear that the characters are hopelessly incorrigible, but still the novel is not bleak. Waugh forces us to question our notion of civilization; we reject complacency as stagnation but also become conscious of the barbarism implicit in our so-called evolution.

I say: read it.

Hungry For More

2008-08-17T23:43:00.000-05:00

I lived in NYC from 2001-2006 and have been feeling an eensy bit nostalgic in the last few days. I think its largely food-related, though. I think the last really great meal I had was the filet mignon with creamy walnut and gorgonzola sauce at Herve on St. Thomas in June - best steak ever. Ever, I tell you, and I know from steak.

Anyhoo, if you're ever in the Big Apple, these are a few of my local* favs:

Cafeteria: for breakfast - Green Eggs and Ham (scramblies with pesto and goat cheese and the juiciest chunk of country ham) or The Waffle with berries and cinnamon cream. Hubby and I agree to disagree.

7A: for breakfast/brunch - LOTS o' food for the money and so easy to find (it's on 7th St. and A Ave.)

Baraonda: this is my numero uno. The sun-dried tomato in olive oil concoction they serve with the bread is delish, as is the nutella crepe for dessert. I usually get the tuna tartare for an appetizer, and a simple dish of pasta bolognese for the main course - but that's just me. I love the Valentino Cortazar portraits that cover the walls; if I could have figured out a way to filch one without getting caught, make no mistake that I very likely would have done it.

Uva: for bird food and cocktails - sample the Ubriaco Veneto and do let the bartender select a wine to accompany

Olive Tree Cafe: late night - have the wings and a drink. They have a lot of salads too, for those of you who eat the stuff. There's also a comedy show in the cellar, where people like Ray Romano and Dave Chappelle started out.

I realize I've left out lunch, but only because I consider lunch the least fun of the three meals.

*Note that I said local. Of course there are fancier, trendier, and "better" restaurants - but most New Yorkers (read: I) can't afford them. If you can, by all means - eat and be merry. If not, the above were easily affordable on a bartender's wages.

Egad, I'm a Blogaholic!

2008-08-17T03:27:00.001-05:00

Sheesh, no wonder people are doing this. It's like sex and drugs and my very own AmEx Black all rolled into one...ok, maybe that's going a bit far, but it IS fun. Anyhow, I've been having a hard time staying focused at work lately. Dan and I are leaving for Thailand and Cambodia in 25 days, and it's pretty much the only thing on my mind. I had to get a new passport, and if you can believe it, my new picture is worse than my old one :) You wouldn't think it was possible, since I was 15 in the old one and have since learned a lot about waxing and make-up...

We had to pick between the north and south of Thailand, because we only have two weeks and won't have time to see both. Since we did the Caribbean in June, we figured that we had enough of beaches and decided to go with the jungle-y, mountain-y northern area roundabouts Chiang Mai. I know there'll be a cooking class in the future, some elephants, lots of hiking, and *fingers crossed* waterfalls and river-rafting.

Oh! And the first edition hardcover of Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn that I bought last week arrived safe and sound to my mother-in-law's house. Yay! She'll be keeping it warm and cozy for me, while hubby and I are off trekking the globe.

More Irons in the Fire...

2008-08-16T02:01:00.000-05:00

I guess I'll jump in with both feet. Flickring, blogging and now: 43 Things. I made my "Life List" early last year, and I'm such a sucker for writing things down and then checking the boxes. It gives me the most euphoric sense of accomplishment. Credit goes to Beckie for exposing me to this online goal-setting community. To play along, come see me at:
http://www.43things.com/person/kvead15

In other news, I finished Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter last night. An ironic tale of duty and love, religion and spirituality, honor and responsibility, success and failure. I love a book in which you, as the reader, know more about the story than the other characters do. By highlighting the characters' inability (unwillingness?) to understand each other, maybe it will encourage a little more compassion for humanity in the reader...

Loving this quote: "Innocence must die young if it isn't to kill the souls of men."

The Saga Begins

2008-08-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

Guess what I did at work today? Well, I started a blog, naturally...

I've always been the last to get on board with this sort of thing. Napster was kaput before I ever heard of it. My ancient junior-year English teacher introduced me to Google. By the time I decided Myspace might deserve a second glance, the world had already moved on to Facebook. And so, finally, I've arrived here. A little late in the game and still slightly bewildered, but hey - there's a first time for everything.