Where Have I Been?
So many things to blog about.
Let's
begin with Jury Duty. On Monday, I spent five hours of my life sitting
in a crowded jurors' lounge waiting for my number (211) to be called.
It was called for two panels, which meant I got to stand up, leave my
seat in the jurors' lounge and wait in a hall outside a courtroom until
I was told that I wasn't needed. Then I got to go home. It wasmind numbing
and felt a bit like I was in jail for the day (or how I imagine jail
would be) because we couldn't leave the lounge for more than 10 minutes
and if someone did, and their number was called - trouble! They would
call the name of themiscreant over the loudspeaker VERY loudly and demand whoever it was report to the jurors' office immediately. All of this would have been fine if I hadn't been robbed of my leatherman on my way into the courthouse.
I have (had) a small pink Leatherman Squirt that I carried with me in my purse at all times. It had such dangerous tools as scissors,
tweezers, a nail file, a screwdriver and a teeny tiny knife that would
be effective at slicing a very tiny block of cheese and that's about
it. I forgot it was in my purse and put it through the scanner. The
guard said i needed to take it out, I did and said, "Oh my goodness, I
forgot to leave this at home. I'm early, so I'll take it home and come
back." To which the guard said, "Once you enter the building with it,
it's mine."
What the???
Even at the airport, they allow
you to mail that stuff to yourself. How can he justify not letting me
leave the building to take myleatherman home? At the end of the day, I
returned to the scene of the crime and tried to talk them into giving
it back to me. It was still there, shiny and pink, in a cardboard box.
They actually handed it to me (I should have sprinted out the door) and
told me to put my name on it, come back to the court on another Monday
morning and ask the chief judge to give it back. I am pissed. I took
time out of my (busy) life to be a good citizen and do my civic duty,
they stole myleatherman , stuffed me into a dirty and uncomfortable
Juror's lounge, treated me as a number and then refused to return my
stolen property.Aaaahhhhhh!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
America's Mayor
Last weekend was beautiful. The sun was out, it was warm enough to forgo a coat and spring was in the air. To take advantage, Neil and I went on long walks on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, we were on our way home when Neil said, "There's Giuliani, I'm going to talk to him." And before I could process the sentence, I was whisked across the street and found myself standing in front of Rudy Giuliani who was stylishly dressed in a powder blue v-neck sweater with a collared shirt underneath. As soon as I thought, "What is Neil going to say?" Neil opened his mouth and very enthusiastically said, "It's America's Mayor!" Rudy smiled, and shook Neil's hand as Neil asked, "What are you doing in Washington." The reply: "Just enjoying the beautiful day." And then, Rudy and his advisor and security guard began crossing the street as oncoming traffic barreled toward them. Rudy jumped back to the curb before getting hit by an SUV and said something like, "I just can't get used to not being in New York. In New York, you walk out and they stop."
I was struck by how, in person, Rudy looked like a charicture of himself. His wrinkles were deeper and his features seemed exaggerated compared to the magazine and television images I have seen. He was very friendly and was obviously flattered by Neil's characterization of him as America's Mayor. Did Neil make that up? Neither of us are sure...
Once the light changed, Neil and I walked quickly and were a couple blocks ahead of the Giuliani three and so Neil began telling people walking by, "Giuliani two blocks ahead!" or "Giuliani straight ahead!" Which had me in stitches.
Sure, I'd probably rather run into movie stars on the street, but Washington is really cool in that way. As one student on a summer program through my work said, "Washington has the stars of Reality and LA has the stars of entertainment." It's cool to run into Rudy Giuliani on the street a few blocks from my condo. Next time maybe I will open my mouth and say something, too.
Last weekend was beautiful. The sun was out, it was warm enough to forgo a coat and spring was in the air. To take advantage, Neil and I went on long walks on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, we were on our way home when Neil said, "There's Giuliani, I'm going to talk to him." And before I could process the sentence, I was whisked across the street and found myself standing in front of Rudy Giuliani who was stylishly dressed in a powder blue v-neck sweater with a collared shirt underneath. As soon as I thought, "What is Neil going to say?" Neil opened his mouth and very enthusiastically said, "It's America's Mayor!" Rudy smiled, and shook Neil's hand as Neil asked, "What are you doing in Washington." The reply: "Just enjoying the beautiful day." And then, Rudy and his advisor and security guard began crossing the street as oncoming traffic barreled toward them. Rudy jumped back to the curb before getting hit by an SUV and said something like, "I just can't get used to not being in New York. In New York, you walk out and they stop."
I was struck by how, in person, Rudy looked like a charicture of himself. His wrinkles were deeper and his features seemed exaggerated compared to the magazine and television images I have seen. He was very friendly and was obviously flattered by Neil's characterization of him as America's Mayor. Did Neil make that up? Neither of us are sure...
Once the light changed, Neil and I walked quickly and were a couple blocks ahead of the Giuliani three and so Neil began telling people walking by, "Giuliani two blocks ahead!" or "Giuliani straight ahead!" Which had me in stitches.
Sure, I'd probably rather run into movie stars on the street, but Washington is really cool in that way. As one student on a summer program through my work said, "Washington has the stars of Reality and LA has the stars of entertainment." It's cool to run into Rudy Giuliani on the street a few blocks from my condo. Next time maybe I will open my mouth and say something, too.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Face Plant
Sometimes you have to fall flat on your face in order to begin again. Maybe the unfortunate slip on black ice this morning that landed me face-down in a parking lot was just a way of helping me to really get back on my feet?
And now I am ready to stand up for myself and be strong.
Or maybe it was just falling on my face, smashing my apple and getting some bruises.
Either way, I suspect I am stronger for the experience.
Now I hope to go for at least a month without falling.
Sometimes you have to fall flat on your face in order to begin again. Maybe the unfortunate slip on black ice this morning that landed me face-down in a parking lot was just a way of helping me to really get back on my feet?
And now I am ready to stand up for myself and be strong.
Or maybe it was just falling on my face, smashing my apple and getting some bruises.
Either way, I suspect I am stronger for the experience.
Now I hope to go for at least a month without falling.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Aah New Mexico
Two news stories about my home state have cropped up over the past week that have had me in stitches. Basically, they typify New Mexico in so many ways and show a little bit of what I love and hate about the Land of Enchantment.
First there were the talking urinal cakes that were deemed so interesting they showed up in the Washington Post's free daily newspaper given out at Metro stations all over DC (Of course, Turtle Mountain was one of our favorite Albuquerque establishments.):
By Tim Korte, Associated Press Writer | February 17, 2007
RIO RANCHO, N.M. --New Mexico is hoping to keep drunks off the road by lecturing them at the last place they usually stop before getting behind the wheel: the urinal.
The state recently paid $21 each for about 500 talking urinal-deodorizer cakes and has put them in men's rooms in bars and restaurants across the state.
When a man steps up, the motion-sensitive plastic device says, in a woman's voice that is flirty, then stern: "Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it's time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home."
The recorded message ends: "Remember, your future is in your hand."
The talking urinal represents just the latest effort to fight drunken driving in New Mexico, which has long had one of the highest rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the nation. (The new tactic is aimed only at men, since they account for 78 percent of all driving-under-the-influence-related convictions in New Mexico.)
"It startled me the first time I heard it, but it sure got my attention," said Ben Miller, a patron at the Turtle Mountain Brewing Co. bar and restaurant. "It's a fantastic idea."
Jim Swatek, who was drinking a beer nearby, said: "You think, `Maybe I should call the wife to come get me.'"
Turtle Mountain Brewing owner Niko Ortiz commended the New Mexico Transportation Department for "thinking way outside the box."
Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the bathroom is a perfect place to get the message across. In the restroom, "guys don't chitchat with other guys," he said. "It's all business. We've got their total attention for 10 to 15 seconds"
Similar urinal cakes have been used for anti-drug campaigns in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Australia, and for anti-DWI efforts on New York's Long Island, said Richard Deutsch of New York-based Healthquest Technologies Inc., which manufactures the devices.
But Deutsch said he believes New Mexico is the only state to buy the devices.
New Mexico had 143 alcohol-related deaths in 2005, for the nation's eighth-highest rate per miles driven. The problem is blamed in part on the wide-open spaces that make it necessary to drive to get anywhere, and the poverty and isolation that can lead people to drink to relieve their boredom or misery.
Also, some have complained that the state has only recently begun to emerge from years of lax enforcement.
Gov. Bill Richardson led a successful push two years ago to require ignition locking devices for anyone convicted of DWI -- a first in the nation -- and each year the Legislature has agreed on tougher penalties for repeat offenders.
New Mexico also has started a toll-free "drunk buster" hot line, boosted DWI enforcement in problem areas and increased police checkpoints. The state also has a DWI czar.
In November, a wrong-way drunken driver slammed into a car near Santa Fe, killing five family members, authorities said. The governor has since directed state regulators to issue cease-and-desist orders against three airlines to stop serving alcohol on flights to and from New Mexico. The culprit in the fatal wreck had been seen drinking on a flight into Albuquerque hours before the accident.
At the Turtle Mountain, the urinal cakes have proved so intriguing that three have been swiped already.
"I'm mystified why someone would stick their hand into one of our urinals," Ortiz said. "But I'm sure we'll see them on eBay. Hopefully, the seller will advertise it as, `Stolen from Turtle Mountain.'"
And then there were the foul-mouthed CD players that got detonated in front of the cathedral in my home town:
SANTA FE, New Mexico (AP) -- Three CD players hidden under a cathedral's pews blared sexually explicit language in the middle of an Ash Wednesday Mass, leading a bomb squad to detonate two of the devices.
Authorities determined the music players were not dangerous and kept the third one to check it for clues, said police Capt. Gary Johnson.
The CD players, duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews, were set to turn on in the middle of noon Mass on Wednesday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
The recordings, made on store-bought blank discs, featured people using foul language and "pornographic messages," Johnson said. He would not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation.
Church staff members took the CD players to the basement and called police, who sent the bomb squad, Johnson said.
The bomb squad blew up two players outside and kept the third one to test for fingerprints or DNA and trace its components, he said.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which marks a 40-day period of fasting and penitence before Easter.
Aaah New Mexico. Amazing climate, incredible culture, beautiful scenery, thriving art scene AND a source of endless entertainment.
Two news stories about my home state have cropped up over the past week that have had me in stitches. Basically, they typify New Mexico in so many ways and show a little bit of what I love and hate about the Land of Enchantment.
First there were the talking urinal cakes that were deemed so interesting they showed up in the Washington Post's free daily newspaper given out at Metro stations all over DC (Of course, Turtle Mountain was one of our favorite Albuquerque establishments.):
By Tim Korte, Associated Press Writer | February 17, 2007
RIO RANCHO, N.M. --New Mexico is hoping to keep drunks off the road by lecturing them at the last place they usually stop before getting behind the wheel: the urinal.
The state recently paid $21 each for about 500 talking urinal-deodorizer cakes and has put them in men's rooms in bars and restaurants across the state.
When a man steps up, the motion-sensitive plastic device says, in a woman's voice that is flirty, then stern: "Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it's time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home."
The recorded message ends: "Remember, your future is in your hand."
The talking urinal represents just the latest effort to fight drunken driving in New Mexico, which has long had one of the highest rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the nation. (The new tactic is aimed only at men, since they account for 78 percent of all driving-under-the-influence-related convictions in New Mexico.)
"It startled me the first time I heard it, but it sure got my attention," said Ben Miller, a patron at the Turtle Mountain Brewing Co. bar and restaurant. "It's a fantastic idea."
Jim Swatek, who was drinking a beer nearby, said: "You think, `Maybe I should call the wife to come get me.'"
Turtle Mountain Brewing owner Niko Ortiz commended the New Mexico Transportation Department for "thinking way outside the box."
Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the bathroom is a perfect place to get the message across. In the restroom, "guys don't chitchat with other guys," he said. "It's all business. We've got their total attention for 10 to 15 seconds"
Similar urinal cakes have been used for anti-drug campaigns in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Australia, and for anti-DWI efforts on New York's Long Island, said Richard Deutsch of New York-based Healthquest Technologies Inc., which manufactures the devices.
But Deutsch said he believes New Mexico is the only state to buy the devices.
New Mexico had 143 alcohol-related deaths in 2005, for the nation's eighth-highest rate per miles driven. The problem is blamed in part on the wide-open spaces that make it necessary to drive to get anywhere, and the poverty and isolation that can lead people to drink to relieve their boredom or misery.
Also, some have complained that the state has only recently begun to emerge from years of lax enforcement.
Gov. Bill Richardson led a successful push two years ago to require ignition locking devices for anyone convicted of DWI -- a first in the nation -- and each year the Legislature has agreed on tougher penalties for repeat offenders.
New Mexico also has started a toll-free "drunk buster" hot line, boosted DWI enforcement in problem areas and increased police checkpoints. The state also has a DWI czar.
In November, a wrong-way drunken driver slammed into a car near Santa Fe, killing five family members, authorities said. The governor has since directed state regulators to issue cease-and-desist orders against three airlines to stop serving alcohol on flights to and from New Mexico. The culprit in the fatal wreck had been seen drinking on a flight into Albuquerque hours before the accident.
At the Turtle Mountain, the urinal cakes have proved so intriguing that three have been swiped already.
"I'm mystified why someone would stick their hand into one of our urinals," Ortiz said. "But I'm sure we'll see them on eBay. Hopefully, the seller will advertise it as, `Stolen from Turtle Mountain.'"
And then there were the foul-mouthed CD players that got detonated in front of the cathedral in my home town:
SANTA FE, New Mexico (AP) -- Three CD players hidden under a cathedral's pews blared sexually explicit language in the middle of an Ash Wednesday Mass, leading a bomb squad to detonate two of the devices.
Authorities determined the music players were not dangerous and kept the third one to check it for clues, said police Capt. Gary Johnson.
The CD players, duct-taped to the bottoms of the pews, were set to turn on in the middle of noon Mass on Wednesday at the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
The recordings, made on store-bought blank discs, featured people using foul language and "pornographic messages," Johnson said. He would not elaborate because of the ongoing investigation.
Church staff members took the CD players to the basement and called police, who sent the bomb squad, Johnson said.
The bomb squad blew up two players outside and kept the third one to test for fingerprints or DNA and trace its components, he said.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which marks a 40-day period of fasting and penitence before Easter.
Aaah New Mexico. Amazing climate, incredible culture, beautiful scenery, thriving art scene AND a source of endless entertainment.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Hope
Sometimes, when you don't know what else you can do and you've tried everything you can think of and you finally realize that no matter how much you love someone, no matter how convinced you are of their potential to be amazing and to be happy, you don't have the power to make them happy...sometimes a miracle happens that has absolutely nothing to do with you.
In November, when I called my brother to say hello, nine times out of ten, he was too depressed to even pick up the phone. Flash forward to February when he picks up after the first ring and sounds happy and...imagine this... actually talks to me about real things, even about feelings. I can hear his smile in the way he talks and every time I hang up with him, it's all I can do to keep from tearing up with this powerful feeling that is hovering between happiness and relief.
And so, I have hope again. (thank you)
Sometimes, when you don't know what else you can do and you've tried everything you can think of and you finally realize that no matter how much you love someone, no matter how convinced you are of their potential to be amazing and to be happy, you don't have the power to make them happy...sometimes a miracle happens that has absolutely nothing to do with you.
In November, when I called my brother to say hello, nine times out of ten, he was too depressed to even pick up the phone. Flash forward to February when he picks up after the first ring and sounds happy and...imagine this... actually talks to me about real things, even about feelings. I can hear his smile in the way he talks and every time I hang up with him, it's all I can do to keep from tearing up with this powerful feeling that is hovering between happiness and relief.
And so, I have hope again. (thank you)
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Obsessions and Creativity
I have a new obsession. That obsession is Veronica Mars. In the past two weeks, I have watched all of seasons 1 and 2 and the approximately 10 hours of season three that have already aired. Last week, as a way out of my mopey shoulder-pain, Neil's Grandma slump I ate breathed and slept Veronica Mars.. or, more accurately, did not sleep. I was up at 3 am on a weeknight watching episode after episode. I've never tried crack, but I imagine the level of addiction was right up there.
So, now us thinking people must ask: Why Jodi, why do you love Veronica Mars? I'm not sure, exactly. The characters are awesome. They are attractive and intelligent. And, there's something very appealing about a small girl being the heroine. I like the father-daughter relationship, and I love the way the show reflects the human condition in a way that is so right on. Watching it lets me escape from myself while I am simultaneously learning something about being human. And that might be the crux of it... the reflection of the human condition. And so, my obsession with "mindless" television has led me to feel like I need to begin creating things again. I know that's why I am here, why I'm alive. I feel the most alive and complete when I am writing, or taking photos, or creating art of any kind and when I am using my body in a creative way to dance or ski or do something else that is somehow beautiful. So why have I not found a way to do that every day. Can't I make money while reflecting the human condition and telling people something they didn't already know about themselves? Sure, it's a tall order, but there has to be a way. Should I be making TV shows? Writing a novel? Working in Journalism (again)? Opening my own design business? Starting a dance studio? Will the answer come to me at some point? Neil said that last week when he saw his grandma's body at the funeral home, he knew it was empty - his grandma was gone, but her body remained - and he thought about how our bodies are like rentals. We inhabit them for a while and then - poof - we'r gone. And this was just another reminder along the way that I need to live as hard as I can. So I will mull this over and come up with my next move...in the meantime, only one more week until a new episode of Veronica Mars and I have an appointment with my couch.
I have a new obsession. That obsession is Veronica Mars. In the past two weeks, I have watched all of seasons 1 and 2 and the approximately 10 hours of season three that have already aired. Last week, as a way out of my mopey shoulder-pain, Neil's Grandma slump I ate breathed and slept Veronica Mars.. or, more accurately, did not sleep. I was up at 3 am on a weeknight watching episode after episode. I've never tried crack, but I imagine the level of addiction was right up there.
So, now us thinking people must ask: Why Jodi, why do you love Veronica Mars? I'm not sure, exactly. The characters are awesome. They are attractive and intelligent. And, there's something very appealing about a small girl being the heroine. I like the father-daughter relationship, and I love the way the show reflects the human condition in a way that is so right on. Watching it lets me escape from myself while I am simultaneously learning something about being human. And that might be the crux of it... the reflection of the human condition. And so, my obsession with "mindless" television has led me to feel like I need to begin creating things again. I know that's why I am here, why I'm alive. I feel the most alive and complete when I am writing, or taking photos, or creating art of any kind and when I am using my body in a creative way to dance or ski or do something else that is somehow beautiful. So why have I not found a way to do that every day. Can't I make money while reflecting the human condition and telling people something they didn't already know about themselves? Sure, it's a tall order, but there has to be a way. Should I be making TV shows? Writing a novel? Working in Journalism (again)? Opening my own design business? Starting a dance studio? Will the answer come to me at some point? Neil said that last week when he saw his grandma's body at the funeral home, he knew it was empty - his grandma was gone, but her body remained - and he thought about how our bodies are like rentals. We inhabit them for a while and then - poof - we'r gone. And this was just another reminder along the way that I need to live as hard as I can. So I will mull this over and come up with my next move...in the meantime, only one more week until a new episode of Veronica Mars and I have an appointment with my couch.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Hmm
This has not been the best week. It began with a very cranky Monday. For no apparent reason, I felt like the world was coming to an end all day Monday. Then, at around 7 p.m. I discovered the reason for all crankiness as I slipped on the wet escalator in the Metro and proceeded to fall down about five stairs, dropping my groceries and, more importantly, pulling my shoulder out of the socket and smashing my shin into an escalator step (I have the lined bruise to prove it.) What followed for the rest of the week were trips to doctors and MRI specialists. On Tuesday I get to find out what's wrong with my shoulder.
To add to my misfortune, Neil got sent to Utah for work the night I fell and then, his grandmother got very sick and he flew to Portland to be with her. She died last night and in spite of three hours on the phone to airlines and on the internet with bargain airfare sites, I couldn't find a ticket under $1,500 and even those wouldn't get me to Oregon in time for the funeral. And so, here I sit, on a Friday night, with a wounded shoulder and a grieving husband and husband's family who are all on the other side of the country.
Awesome.
It has been a rough week, but I am finally feeling a little bit at peace with all of it. As today wound to a close, I felt this great sense of relief. Part of it is probably because Neil is coming home soon and his grandma is in a better place and didn't suffer long and my shoulder hurts a little less, but I think the main part of it was that the week was ending. Funny that an artifical construct like a week can so completely form my frame of reference that the end of a week makes me feel like I have a fresh start, a new beginning. But so it is...So here's to new beginnings and to a much improved set of seven days...starting now...
This has not been the best week. It began with a very cranky Monday. For no apparent reason, I felt like the world was coming to an end all day Monday. Then, at around 7 p.m. I discovered the reason for all crankiness as I slipped on the wet escalator in the Metro and proceeded to fall down about five stairs, dropping my groceries and, more importantly, pulling my shoulder out of the socket and smashing my shin into an escalator step (I have the lined bruise to prove it.) What followed for the rest of the week were trips to doctors and MRI specialists. On Tuesday I get to find out what's wrong with my shoulder.
To add to my misfortune, Neil got sent to Utah for work the night I fell and then, his grandmother got very sick and he flew to Portland to be with her. She died last night and in spite of three hours on the phone to airlines and on the internet with bargain airfare sites, I couldn't find a ticket under $1,500 and even those wouldn't get me to Oregon in time for the funeral. And so, here I sit, on a Friday night, with a wounded shoulder and a grieving husband and husband's family who are all on the other side of the country.
Awesome.
It has been a rough week, but I am finally feeling a little bit at peace with all of it. As today wound to a close, I felt this great sense of relief. Part of it is probably because Neil is coming home soon and his grandma is in a better place and didn't suffer long and my shoulder hurts a little less, but I think the main part of it was that the week was ending. Funny that an artifical construct like a week can so completely form my frame of reference that the end of a week makes me feel like I have a fresh start, a new beginning. But so it is...So here's to new beginnings and to a much improved set of seven days...starting now...
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Things I am not proud of
1) While walking
to the metro on Monday a rude woman passed me going the other direction
and coughed RIGHT in my face. Right before I held my breath and turned
away, my brain entertained the following brief thought: "I should
breathe in really deep and maybe I will get sick and not have to go to
work."
2) The U.S. is playing against Mexico in soccer right now. I am rooting for Mexico. (But I won't be sad if we win either.)
3)
This morning, I was running really really late to work. I can only take
every other train because I go almost to the end of the line and not
all trains go that far. When the third train came (only the second that
would actually get me to work) and I made it to the front of the crowd
and the door chime sounded, I actually shoved some nice people in order
to make it on the train. It's not like they wouldn't have shoved me if
I hadn't acted first. It's not like I haven't actually come home with
bruises from metro shoves. But, still, I pushed some nice people while
trying to get on the metro.
4) Sometimes when I am feeling very unhappy, I resort to online shopping.
Things that I feel good about
1) I have been to the gym every day for the last five days and I feel amazing.
2)
Tonight, when I rolled out a yoga mat at the gym and then went to grab
some free weights and a man sat on my mat and started doingsit ups, I just smiled and got a new mat.
3) My supervisee at work is doing an amazing job and I think that sometimes, I really help her and I think she looks up to me.
4) My little brother is doing awesome in San Francisco.
5) I have amazing friends and I have been getting back in touch with lots of them recently.
Interesting and/or disturbing things
1)
The prehistoric skeletons found near Verona, Italy locked in an embrace
are completely amazing to me and reading about them made me feel, in
some very basic way, that humans are good.
2) I also read today
that the KKK is increasing their membership by hating Mexicans. This
information literally made me nauseous and nearly canceled out the
goodness the Verona fossils imparted.
3) It is absolutely
freezing in Washington, D.C. and I keep dreaming of a beach vacation.
Bath and Body Works sells this amazing body scrub called Island Hot
Spot. If you are longing for summer vacation this winter, run, don't
walk, to the mall nearest you, buy the small tube of the scrub for a
slightly outrageous $13.50 and use it in the shower each morning. It's
completely worth it and will get rid of dead and dry winter skin while
cheering you with it's vacation scent. (Sadly, no, I do not get a
kickback for every tube they sell - I just really like the stuff.)
1) While walking
to the metro on Monday a rude woman passed me going the other direction
and coughed RIGHT in my face. Right before I held my breath and turned
away, my brain entertained the following brief thought: "I should
breathe in really deep and maybe I will get sick and not have to go to
work."
2) The U.S. is playing against Mexico in soccer right now. I am rooting for Mexico. (But I won't be sad if we win either.)
3)
This morning, I was running really really late to work. I can only take
every other train because I go almost to the end of the line and not
all trains go that far. When the third train came (only the second that
would actually get me to work) and I made it to the front of the crowd
and the door chime sounded, I actually shoved some nice people in order
to make it on the train. It's not like they wouldn't have shoved me if
I hadn't acted first. It's not like I haven't actually come home with
bruises from metro shoves. But, still, I pushed some nice people while
trying to get on the metro.
4) Sometimes when I am feeling very unhappy, I resort to online shopping.
Things that I feel good about
1) I have been to the gym every day for the last five days and I feel amazing.
2)
Tonight, when I rolled out a yoga mat at the gym and then went to grab
some free weights and a man sat on my mat and started doingsit ups, I just smiled and got a new mat.
3) My supervisee at work is doing an amazing job and I think that sometimes, I really help her and I think she looks up to me.
4) My little brother is doing awesome in San Francisco.
5) I have amazing friends and I have been getting back in touch with lots of them recently.
Interesting and/or disturbing things
1)
The prehistoric skeletons found near Verona, Italy locked in an embrace
are completely amazing to me and reading about them made me feel, in
some very basic way, that humans are good.
2) I also read today
that the KKK is increasing their membership by hating Mexicans. This
information literally made me nauseous and nearly canceled out the
goodness the Verona fossils imparted.
3) It is absolutely
freezing in Washington, D.C. and I keep dreaming of a beach vacation.
Bath and Body Works sells this amazing body scrub called Island Hot
Spot. If you are longing for summer vacation this winter, run, don't
walk, to the mall nearest you, buy the small tube of the scrub for a
slightly outrageous $13.50 and use it in the shower each morning. It's
completely worth it and will get rid of dead and dry winter skin while
cheering you with it's vacation scent. (Sadly, no, I do not get a
kickback for every tube they sell - I just really like the stuff.)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
A Good Start
I am trying to get a good start on the year and that means blogging!
So here I am. New Years was both awesome and terrible. Terrible because I was feeling ill all of the next day, awesome, because we had a lot of fun.
And now it's 2007. Of course, it doesn't really feel all that different, it's just another day. But I like the idea of fresh starts, of the possibility to make this year whatever I want it to be... and I'm going to set out doing that.
I am sure I will have more to report soon.
I am trying to get a good start on the year and that means blogging!
So here I am. New Years was both awesome and terrible. Terrible because I was feeling ill all of the next day, awesome, because we had a lot of fun.
And now it's 2007. Of course, it doesn't really feel all that different, it's just another day. But I like the idea of fresh starts, of the possibility to make this year whatever I want it to be... and I'm going to set out doing that.
I am sure I will have more to report soon.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Newness
I am about to go out for one last time in 2006. For me, this has been a really good year. A year of new friends, of renewed youth, of busy weeks, of many visitors, of traveling and experiencing.
I think it's funny, how we mark things by years. What is a year? A collection of days, really... And yet, to me, something has always seemed so final about New Years Eve. No turning back, another year gone. The upside is that tomorrow will be filled with newness and with the sense of possibility that I am so in love with.
Here's to more living in 2007!
I am about to go out for one last time in 2006. For me, this has been a really good year. A year of new friends, of renewed youth, of busy weeks, of many visitors, of traveling and experiencing.
I think it's funny, how we mark things by years. What is a year? A collection of days, really... And yet, to me, something has always seemed so final about New Years Eve. No turning back, another year gone. The upside is that tomorrow will be filled with newness and with the sense of possibility that I am so in love with.
Here's to more living in 2007!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Blog Gone?
I am so bad at this blogging thing. Maybe it is because I have been blogging for so long? Or perhaps I am less inclined to share my innermost thoughts lately? I am not sure what is going on, but I am taking another stab at it. Since I last posted, I had an awesome trip to New York with Neil, my brother and my grandma. We saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, The Lion King and The Drowsy Chaperone. We rode a carriage through central park, we shopped at Uniqlo, watched my grandma buy diamond earrings at Tiffany's and had an awesome time. Then Dustin (my brother) visited us in DC through Thanksgiving which was awesome. We had amazing weather and it was really refreshing to spend so much time with him.
I also went to New Mexico twice in three weeks which was both wonderful and exhausting. Neil's documentary on the governor was shown at the NM Film Expo the first weekend of December and I was home last weekend for the whole Christmas Eve walk.
All of the intense craziness has been fun, but I am really ready for some nights in. It's introspection time again. 2006 is ending. I have been in DC for more than a year and it's time to think about what is next... or at least to really examine my life and make sure I am really living. So that's what I am up to these days - trying to live more, to love better, to be less selfish, to listen to more music (new favorite album: Rabbit Fur Coat - Jenny Lewis), move more (dance classes anyone?) and just be present in the moment. I think I have been on autopilot again for a while and it's time to be awake.
Good morning.
I am so bad at this blogging thing. Maybe it is because I have been blogging for so long? Or perhaps I am less inclined to share my innermost thoughts lately? I am not sure what is going on, but I am taking another stab at it. Since I last posted, I had an awesome trip to New York with Neil, my brother and my grandma. We saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, The Lion King and The Drowsy Chaperone. We rode a carriage through central park, we shopped at Uniqlo, watched my grandma buy diamond earrings at Tiffany's and had an awesome time. Then Dustin (my brother) visited us in DC through Thanksgiving which was awesome. We had amazing weather and it was really refreshing to spend so much time with him.
I also went to New Mexico twice in three weeks which was both wonderful and exhausting. Neil's documentary on the governor was shown at the NM Film Expo the first weekend of December and I was home last weekend for the whole Christmas Eve walk.
All of the intense craziness has been fun, but I am really ready for some nights in. It's introspection time again. 2006 is ending. I have been in DC for more than a year and it's time to think about what is next... or at least to really examine my life and make sure I am really living. So that's what I am up to these days - trying to live more, to love better, to be less selfish, to listen to more music (new favorite album: Rabbit Fur Coat - Jenny Lewis), move more (dance classes anyone?) and just be present in the moment. I think I have been on autopilot again for a while and it's time to be awake.
Good morning.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Oh my goodness, just let her stay here!
When I read stories like this, I never understand how anyone wouldn't want to allow this woman to stay in the U.S. And then I think about how a big part of me wants to move back to the U.S./Mexico border so that I can witness/document the plight of immigrants. It is so important...
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- He's a serious 7-year-old on a mission to save his mom.
Four-foot-tall second-grader Saul Arellano, a U.S. citizen, was to stand before 500 members of the lower house of the Mexican Congress on Tuesday to plead for their help in lobbying Washington to stop the deportation of his migrant mother, who has taken refuge in a Chicago church.
His fight is being closely watched on both sides of the border: The result could set a precedent for more than 3 million children, like him, who are Americans born to at least one parent who is in the U.S. illegally.
While his mother, Elvira Arellano, stays inside the Adalberto United Methodist Church on Chicago's West Side, Saul has joined a months-long campaign on her behalf, speaking out from Los Angeles to Washington, where he handed a White House guard his letter to President Bush.
"I want my mom to stay with me in the U.S.," he told The Associated Press on Monday in between informal meetings with Mexican lawmakers.
Since August 15 -- the day she was scheduled to surrender to U.S. authorities for deportation -- mother and son have lived at the church. U.S. federal officials have said there is no right to sanctuary in a church under U.S. law, and nothing to prevent them from arresting her.
But so far, they have not moved to detain Elvira Arellano, who has won the support from political figures across the United States, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Arellano, 31, said she sent her son to her homeland because she believes the Mexican government has the ability to help her.
"If the Mexican government can negotiate a free-trade agreement, they can negotiate a good accord to keep families from being split up," she said.
But immigration reform has proved to be a much tougher issue to resolve than trade. President Vicente Fox, who leaves office December 1, has struggled throughout his six-year term to gain Washington's support for a migration accord that would allow for thousands of Mexicans to work legally in the U.S. And while Bush personally supports a temporary guest-worker program, Republicans in Congress limited action to strengthening the border fence.
Arellano said she should not have to choose between leaving her son behind in the U.S. or bringing him to Mexico, away from his school, friends and familiar environment.
Conservative columnists and anti-illegal immigration activists say she put herself and her son in this difficult spot by repeatedly breaking the law.
Arellano illegally crossed into the United States in 1997 and was deported shortly afterward. She returned within days, living for three years in Oregon before moving to Chicago in 2000.
She was arrested two years later at O'Hare International Airport, where she worked as a cleaning woman. Convicted of working under a false Social Security number, she served three years probation before being ordered to appear at the immigration office in Chicago.
When I read stories like this, I never understand how anyone wouldn't want to allow this woman to stay in the U.S. And then I think about how a big part of me wants to move back to the U.S./Mexico border so that I can witness/document the plight of immigrants. It is so important...
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- He's a serious 7-year-old on a mission to save his mom.
Four-foot-tall second-grader Saul Arellano, a U.S. citizen, was to stand before 500 members of the lower house of the Mexican Congress on Tuesday to plead for their help in lobbying Washington to stop the deportation of his migrant mother, who has taken refuge in a Chicago church.
His fight is being closely watched on both sides of the border: The result could set a precedent for more than 3 million children, like him, who are Americans born to at least one parent who is in the U.S. illegally.
While his mother, Elvira Arellano, stays inside the Adalberto United Methodist Church on Chicago's West Side, Saul has joined a months-long campaign on her behalf, speaking out from Los Angeles to Washington, where he handed a White House guard his letter to President Bush.
"I want my mom to stay with me in the U.S.," he told The Associated Press on Monday in between informal meetings with Mexican lawmakers.
Since August 15 -- the day she was scheduled to surrender to U.S. authorities for deportation -- mother and son have lived at the church. U.S. federal officials have said there is no right to sanctuary in a church under U.S. law, and nothing to prevent them from arresting her.
But so far, they have not moved to detain Elvira Arellano, who has won the support from political figures across the United States, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
Arellano, 31, said she sent her son to her homeland because she believes the Mexican government has the ability to help her.
"If the Mexican government can negotiate a free-trade agreement, they can negotiate a good accord to keep families from being split up," she said.
But immigration reform has proved to be a much tougher issue to resolve than trade. President Vicente Fox, who leaves office December 1, has struggled throughout his six-year term to gain Washington's support for a migration accord that would allow for thousands of Mexicans to work legally in the U.S. And while Bush personally supports a temporary guest-worker program, Republicans in Congress limited action to strengthening the border fence.
Arellano said she should not have to choose between leaving her son behind in the U.S. or bringing him to Mexico, away from his school, friends and familiar environment.
Conservative columnists and anti-illegal immigration activists say she put herself and her son in this difficult spot by repeatedly breaking the law.
Arellano illegally crossed into the United States in 1997 and was deported shortly afterward. She returned within days, living for three years in Oregon before moving to Chicago in 2000.
She was arrested two years later at O'Hare International Airport, where she worked as a cleaning woman. Convicted of working under a false Social Security number, she served three years probation before being ordered to appear at the immigration office in Chicago.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Aaahhhh
A short sigh because after watching the election results come in this evening, I feel as if I can breathe a little easier. Sure, new problems will arise (gridlock, party infighting...blah blah blah) but I feel a tinge of hope knowing that the majority of Americans in a lot of states are thinking a little bit more like me again. The nation is swinging back toward the middle - away from the right and I believe that just the increased diversity of our governing body will do us a whole lot of good, no matter what side of the aisle we align ourselves with...
Old
It's official. I am oldish. I am on the downslide toward 30. I had a really good birthday with a nice amount of attention. I am not an attention hog, but one thing I like about birthdays is the way they remind me that I have special people in my life who care about me. So thanks everyone. Thanks for the party that lasted until 3:30 am. Thanks for the cards, phone calls, e-mails, Myspace comments, gifts and conversation.
A short sigh because after watching the election results come in this evening, I feel as if I can breathe a little easier. Sure, new problems will arise (gridlock, party infighting...blah blah blah) but I feel a tinge of hope knowing that the majority of Americans in a lot of states are thinking a little bit more like me again. The nation is swinging back toward the middle - away from the right and I believe that just the increased diversity of our governing body will do us a whole lot of good, no matter what side of the aisle we align ourselves with...
Old
It's official. I am oldish. I am on the downslide toward 30. I had a really good birthday with a nice amount of attention. I am not an attention hog, but one thing I like about birthdays is the way they remind me that I have special people in my life who care about me. So thanks everyone. Thanks for the party that lasted until 3:30 am. Thanks for the cards, phone calls, e-mails, Myspace comments, gifts and conversation.
Monday, October 16, 2006
OMG! Comments!
Oh my goodness. I had no idea anyone was reading my blog. Since April, I have not received any comments! I was thinking that I had suddenly become very uninteresting and lost all of my readers and I could not figure out why. Then, tonight, as I was posting my end-of-weekend-bummer-still-hung-over-on-sunday-night poem even though I no longer feel so bummed, I noticed a button in Blogger that said "Moderate Comments". I thought, "Ha, like I have any comments to moderate" and then I clicked on it to see what those lucky people with comments get to do and there were a bunch of comments dating all the way back to April.
So, I feel loved again AND I feel really lame for thinking you were all tuning out all these months. NO WONDER I WAS FEELING LIKE BLOGS WERE PASSE!!!
Anyways, I am back and so are all of you my fair commenters.
More blogging to come...
Oh my goodness. I had no idea anyone was reading my blog. Since April, I have not received any comments! I was thinking that I had suddenly become very uninteresting and lost all of my readers and I could not figure out why. Then, tonight, as I was posting my end-of-weekend-bummer-still-hung-over-on-sunday-night poem even though I no longer feel so bummed, I noticed a button in Blogger that said "Moderate Comments". I thought, "Ha, like I have any comments to moderate" and then I clicked on it to see what those lucky people with comments get to do and there were a bunch of comments dating all the way back to April.
So, I feel loved again AND I feel really lame for thinking you were all tuning out all these months. NO WONDER I WAS FEELING LIKE BLOGS WERE PASSE!!!
Anyways, I am back and so are all of you my fair commenters.
More blogging to come...
Weekend Ending Blues
sad.
because a good weekend is coming to an end?
because my family is far away?
because life is imperfect?
because I can't fix my brother?
because I love too many people too intensely?
because alcohol is a depressant?
because I am imperfect?
because I would rather do many things than work?
because I can't do it all?
because I am lonely?
because I am scared?
because I don't know what to wear tomorrow?
because temptation is hard to resist?
because it is easy to be lazy?
because I can't get anyone to pick up the phone?
because I can't fix myself?
because of politics?
because I can be better?
because it gets dark so early?
because I work so hard?
because time goes too quickly?
because 28 is close to 30?
because the homeless women down the block are going to be cold tonight?
because I miss the mountains?
because of a sad song?
because I have to wait until Thursday for the next Grey's Anatomy?
because I am always trying to speed through the weeks?
because I miss my friends?
because sometimes I miss myself?
because
because
because
sad.
because a good weekend is coming to an end?
because my family is far away?
because life is imperfect?
because I can't fix my brother?
because I love too many people too intensely?
because alcohol is a depressant?
because I am imperfect?
because I would rather do many things than work?
because I can't do it all?
because I am lonely?
because I am scared?
because I don't know what to wear tomorrow?
because temptation is hard to resist?
because it is easy to be lazy?
because I can't get anyone to pick up the phone?
because I can't fix myself?
because of politics?
because I can be better?
because it gets dark so early?
because I work so hard?
because time goes too quickly?
because 28 is close to 30?
because the homeless women down the block are going to be cold tonight?
because I miss the mountains?
because of a sad song?
because I have to wait until Thursday for the next Grey's Anatomy?
because I am always trying to speed through the weeks?
because I miss my friends?
because sometimes I miss myself?
because
because
because
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Enchanting
There is something about British accents that is just so enchanting.
Over?
I thought blogs were kind of over as marketing tools. There are about 75 million blogs. Why would anyone want to market in an audience that fragmented? But today I met with a guy my age who works in a kick-ass office in downtown DC who is convinced that word of mouth on blogs is the way to create buzz. Maybe I only thought blogs were dying because mine is dead as of late?
NYC
In about one month, I am going to NYC with my brother, grandma and Neil. We're seeing two Broadway shows and the Radio City Rockettes. I am so excited about this trip that I dream about it once a week.
Pigtails
I got a haircut last week. My hair, which used to be below my shoulders, no longer touches my shoulders. This makes my pig tails look really hilarious. Last night I had a nightmare about a business meeting I attended and was running. There were about 20 old white men in suits around a super-fancy table and I could not get them on-topic. To make matters worse, I had forgotten I had a business meeting that day and my hair was in little tiny stick-straight-out pigtails. How humiliating...
I think it's interesting that business meeting anxiety dreams have finally replaced my classroom anxiety dreams. I don't know how many years after graduation I had dreams about missing a test, or taking a test I'd forgotten to study for, or forgetting to go to a class for an entire semester... and now, I have moved on to the much more sophisticated "pigtails in the boardroom" nightmare. Aye yie yie.
Honor
It is really a huge honor to be asked to be someone's bridesmaid. I feel really honored to be in Nancy and Britty's weddings next summer.
Late or Early
Neil is working all night tonight. From 11 pm until 6 am. All the way from late to really late to early.
Meanwhile, I am going to bed.
There is something about British accents that is just so enchanting.
Over?
I thought blogs were kind of over as marketing tools. There are about 75 million blogs. Why would anyone want to market in an audience that fragmented? But today I met with a guy my age who works in a kick-ass office in downtown DC who is convinced that word of mouth on blogs is the way to create buzz. Maybe I only thought blogs were dying because mine is dead as of late?
NYC
In about one month, I am going to NYC with my brother, grandma and Neil. We're seeing two Broadway shows and the Radio City Rockettes. I am so excited about this trip that I dream about it once a week.
Pigtails
I got a haircut last week. My hair, which used to be below my shoulders, no longer touches my shoulders. This makes my pig tails look really hilarious. Last night I had a nightmare about a business meeting I attended and was running. There were about 20 old white men in suits around a super-fancy table and I could not get them on-topic. To make matters worse, I had forgotten I had a business meeting that day and my hair was in little tiny stick-straight-out pigtails. How humiliating...
I think it's interesting that business meeting anxiety dreams have finally replaced my classroom anxiety dreams. I don't know how many years after graduation I had dreams about missing a test, or taking a test I'd forgotten to study for, or forgetting to go to a class for an entire semester... and now, I have moved on to the much more sophisticated "pigtails in the boardroom" nightmare. Aye yie yie.
Honor
It is really a huge honor to be asked to be someone's bridesmaid. I feel really honored to be in Nancy and Britty's weddings next summer.
Late or Early
Neil is working all night tonight. From 11 pm until 6 am. All the way from late to really late to early.
Meanwhile, I am going to bed.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Need
Have you ever felt that every organ in your body, every pore on your skin, every bit of your soul was in dire need of a vacation? That's how I am feeling as of late. I am too responsible for too many things. I'm constantly taking on more responsibility. I'm drowning in it. At work, home, in my social life, with my family. I need a vacation, not somewhere exotic necessarily... just somewhere away from myself.
I know, good luck with that.
Have you ever felt that every organ in your body, every pore on your skin, every bit of your soul was in dire need of a vacation? That's how I am feeling as of late. I am too responsible for too many things. I'm constantly taking on more responsibility. I'm drowning in it. At work, home, in my social life, with my family. I need a vacation, not somewhere exotic necessarily... just somewhere away from myself.
I know, good luck with that.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Music as Religion
Yesterday was Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Neil an I went to services at a new place in our quest to find a synagogue where we feel at home. Rosh Hashana is one of the two most important holidays of the year and we took a risk by going to services ad an unknown synagogue. Sadly, the risk did not pay off. The services were terrible for so many reasons I don't even want to go into it on my blog. Suffice it to say that I left the service feeling angry that I was deprived of the spiritual growth/fulfillment that I usually feel on Rosh Hashana.
Yesterday afternoon, after services, we drove to Charlottesville, VA, to see the Dave Matthew Band play in the band's hometown. The drive through rural Virginia took about 2.5 hours. We saw big beautiful Southern homes, stopped at a general store that had been in business since the 1800's and generally enjoyed ourselves.
At the concert, we were on the floor of the arena in the 14th or 15th row - great seats. The concert was incredible. The band played some new songs, I was close enough to see the facial expressions on Dave Matthews and most of the other band members. It was awesome. During about the fifth song, as I felt my chest pound with the rhythm and sang along to a song about how we all fade away, I realized that the concert was more of a spiritual experience than anything I felt that morning. That maybe music is my religion.
On the drive there Neil had told me part of what he doesn't like about music is how it transports him to the time and place where he first heard the song. I think it's the transportative quality of music that I love so much. When I listen to a favorite song, it brings me back to all the people I've listened to it with and all the places I have heard it. It's truly a spiritual experience. Hearing music live only heightens the power of the experience. It may sound cheesy, but there is nothing that can make me fell more alive and inspired than hearing my favorite band in person. This does not mean I am abandoning Judaism. We will try another synagogue for Yom Kippur and hopefully it will have more to offer. But it's nice to realize that I can also turn elsewhere for my spiritual fulfillment.
Yesterday was Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Neil an I went to services at a new place in our quest to find a synagogue where we feel at home. Rosh Hashana is one of the two most important holidays of the year and we took a risk by going to services ad an unknown synagogue. Sadly, the risk did not pay off. The services were terrible for so many reasons I don't even want to go into it on my blog. Suffice it to say that I left the service feeling angry that I was deprived of the spiritual growth/fulfillment that I usually feel on Rosh Hashana.
Yesterday afternoon, after services, we drove to Charlottesville, VA, to see the Dave Matthew Band play in the band's hometown. The drive through rural Virginia took about 2.5 hours. We saw big beautiful Southern homes, stopped at a general store that had been in business since the 1800's and generally enjoyed ourselves.
At the concert, we were on the floor of the arena in the 14th or 15th row - great seats. The concert was incredible. The band played some new songs, I was close enough to see the facial expressions on Dave Matthews and most of the other band members. It was awesome. During about the fifth song, as I felt my chest pound with the rhythm and sang along to a song about how we all fade away, I realized that the concert was more of a spiritual experience than anything I felt that morning. That maybe music is my religion.
On the drive there Neil had told me part of what he doesn't like about music is how it transports him to the time and place where he first heard the song. I think it's the transportative quality of music that I love so much. When I listen to a favorite song, it brings me back to all the people I've listened to it with and all the places I have heard it. It's truly a spiritual experience. Hearing music live only heightens the power of the experience. It may sound cheesy, but there is nothing that can make me fell more alive and inspired than hearing my favorite band in person. This does not mean I am abandoning Judaism. We will try another synagogue for Yom Kippur and hopefully it will have more to offer. But it's nice to realize that I can also turn elsewhere for my spiritual fulfillment.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Culinary Magic
Most people who know me also know that I am not a genius in the kitchen. In fact, I mostly despise cooking. Part of the reason for this is sheer laziness, but in addition to my preference for having other people cook for me, I find cooking to be very stressful. I do not know how to look in the fridge, pull some ingredients together and make something. I have to follow recipes and the recipes have to be explicit. A "pinch" of salt is not clear enough. I stress and worry that if I do not measure everything exactly, it will come out wrong. I have similar problems when I try to knit, which has resulted in my completely giving up the hobby. I know some people find cooking and knitting to be relaxing, but to me, they are two endeavors that make me want to pull my hair out. If I have a loose stitch in a scarf I'm knitting, I will unravel the whole thing until I fix the mistake. Other people think such blemishes are charming, to me they are endlessly frustrating. I am sure this says something about me as a person, but I like to think I am not this kind of crazy perfectionist in every area of my life...
Anyways, my new friend Debbie gave me cooking advice the other day. She told me that all good food starts with sauteed onions. This sounded reasonable to me, I love sauteed onions. She also said that I should pick foods of a variety of colors and put together ingredients I like. This is very little guidance, but for some reason, I decided to take a risk and go for it. Last night, I sauteed an onion and started adding things until I came out with a really delicious pasta sauce. I had never successfully made sauce from scratch with no recipe before and this sauce was so good that Neil must have said yum at least ten times while eating his bowl of gnocci. It was like a miracle. I threw this food in a frying pan and it turned into sauce. I am sure I sound ridiculous to those of you who can cook, but this was a major breakthrough for me. Who knows, I may even be ready to try improvised cooking again soon. So long recipes, hello culinary magician!
Most people who know me also know that I am not a genius in the kitchen. In fact, I mostly despise cooking. Part of the reason for this is sheer laziness, but in addition to my preference for having other people cook for me, I find cooking to be very stressful. I do not know how to look in the fridge, pull some ingredients together and make something. I have to follow recipes and the recipes have to be explicit. A "pinch" of salt is not clear enough. I stress and worry that if I do not measure everything exactly, it will come out wrong. I have similar problems when I try to knit, which has resulted in my completely giving up the hobby. I know some people find cooking and knitting to be relaxing, but to me, they are two endeavors that make me want to pull my hair out. If I have a loose stitch in a scarf I'm knitting, I will unravel the whole thing until I fix the mistake. Other people think such blemishes are charming, to me they are endlessly frustrating. I am sure this says something about me as a person, but I like to think I am not this kind of crazy perfectionist in every area of my life...
Anyways, my new friend Debbie gave me cooking advice the other day. She told me that all good food starts with sauteed onions. This sounded reasonable to me, I love sauteed onions. She also said that I should pick foods of a variety of colors and put together ingredients I like. This is very little guidance, but for some reason, I decided to take a risk and go for it. Last night, I sauteed an onion and started adding things until I came out with a really delicious pasta sauce. I had never successfully made sauce from scratch with no recipe before and this sauce was so good that Neil must have said yum at least ten times while eating his bowl of gnocci. It was like a miracle. I threw this food in a frying pan and it turned into sauce. I am sure I sound ridiculous to those of you who can cook, but this was a major breakthrough for me. Who knows, I may even be ready to try improvised cooking again soon. So long recipes, hello culinary magician!
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