Ugh. Holiday music at work and Christmas lights blinking out at us from the other apartment windows. I guess there could be worse things. Like Christmas songs sung by boy bands and Christina Aguilera...oh wait...
I truly do like the idea of the holidays, it's just what they've become that bothers me.
At least the lights are pretty.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
This had better be worth it...
I don't care what they tell you, immunizations hurt. Not the actual shot...the little pinprick that the nurse woos you through, but the serum of the vaccine. I now remember why I have avoided this for so long. Fucking Thailand. I can't raise my arms above stomach level! It had better be worth it...and I'm sure it will.
The upside of the 2 hour wait to get our shots was that I was able to make a long list of things that we have to do before we go and to create a grocery list for the Thanksgiving holiday.
We don't have any plans for the holiday, it's bittersweet for me because, on the one hand I'm just as delighted to settle into 'hermit hood' with Joe, but on the other, I like the celebration of food and making a huge dinner at my Dad's, which I've done for at least half my life. So we've compromised by deciding to make a big dinner for the two of us and then getting creative with the leftovers for the remaining couple of weeks before we flee the country.
The past weekend has left us a bit groggy and a huge pile of clothing, knitting and other debris from the car and our traveling packs throughout the apartment. It also garnered the opportunity to trade beers, experience a wee bit of Portland, slaver over bikes and hang out with much missed friends. Ahhhhh, the west coast.
The upside of the 2 hour wait to get our shots was that I was able to make a long list of things that we have to do before we go and to create a grocery list for the Thanksgiving holiday.
We don't have any plans for the holiday, it's bittersweet for me because, on the one hand I'm just as delighted to settle into 'hermit hood' with Joe, but on the other, I like the celebration of food and making a huge dinner at my Dad's, which I've done for at least half my life. So we've compromised by deciding to make a big dinner for the two of us and then getting creative with the leftovers for the remaining couple of weeks before we flee the country.
The past weekend has left us a bit groggy and a huge pile of clothing, knitting and other debris from the car and our traveling packs throughout the apartment. It also garnered the opportunity to trade beers, experience a wee bit of Portland, slaver over bikes and hang out with much missed friends. Ahhhhh, the west coast.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Joe's my hero
I have no idea how long it took, how many beers were consumed, or what frustrations were had...all I know is that when I got home today we had dsl up and running on our home network. HURRAY! I'm such an internet snob. I wouldn't even bother with the blog or "bucket" when we were just doing the dial-up bit. So, to point out the obvious...we've arrived, unpacked and are maintaing a fairly normal existence in our new apartment. I am commuting 8 miles roundtrip to work everyday by bike and I can't complain even one bit, it's mid-November and it was 76 degrees and sunny today, I LOVE it...plus, Joe's daily ride is 10.
For the most part we've settled in nicely and have had few issues, albeit I did commemorate our first bike ride by spectacularly losing my driver's license out my pants pocket somewhere on the 4 or 5 mile loop we did in checking out our new surroundings. So, I'll have to hang out with the DMV for a little while sometime soon. Hurray.
For the most part we've settled in nicely and have had few issues, albeit I did commemorate our first bike ride by spectacularly losing my driver's license out my pants pocket somewhere on the 4 or 5 mile loop we did in checking out our new surroundings. So, I'll have to hang out with the DMV for a little while sometime soon. Hurray.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
New things I've learned about driving across country...
Well…we’re halfway moved…that is to say, we’re mostly across the country and stopped for a well-deserved break before heading on to California. So far, the things we have learned…
1. When driving through the south, signs denoting that Interstate 40 is the “Music Highway” do not mean ALL music. Twang, twang, twang…
2. There is no guitar that is too big for Tennessee…
3. There is no cross too big, nor any amount too plentiful…
4. Bank parking lots were not made for trucks towing cars
5. No matter how well you can execute a three-point turn in your compact car, it cannot be done in a 15 ft. truck towing said car
6. You cannot drive a car off a tow dolly that isn’t attached to something without knocking the wind out of someone
7. You can detach and re-attach a tow dolly to a truck in less than half an hour in a bank parking lot in the dead of night with only a flashlight
8. Circle K’s do NOT have bathroom facilities (especially those in the vicinity of banks)
9. Google is always right.
10. Sometimes the best route is the original one…no matter how many extra miles you think it adds
11. Driving through national park lands is a beautiful and rewarding experience… unless you’re driving a 15 ft, truck towing a car…and its dark out.
12. Designers of mountain passes (such as those found in national park lands) are fond of the 6% grade
13. Elk country signs bring a whole new meaning when you can’t stop going downhill
14. All major cities in the U.S. are undergoing highway construction simultaneously (especially Albuquerque)
15. Gas prices are on a reverse bell curve, with the low point in Texas ($1.99)
16. Remote gas stations have gourmet priced gas with market levels at $3.69…
17. Petrol fumes will get you at least 15 more miles
18. A hotel room for a night is cheaper than a tank of gas
19. Bring your own coffee-maker
20. Cats will sleep through anything…except the night
1. When driving through the south, signs denoting that Interstate 40 is the “Music Highway” do not mean ALL music. Twang, twang, twang…
2. There is no guitar that is too big for Tennessee…
3. There is no cross too big, nor any amount too plentiful…
4. Bank parking lots were not made for trucks towing cars
5. No matter how well you can execute a three-point turn in your compact car, it cannot be done in a 15 ft. truck towing said car
6. You cannot drive a car off a tow dolly that isn’t attached to something without knocking the wind out of someone
7. You can detach and re-attach a tow dolly to a truck in less than half an hour in a bank parking lot in the dead of night with only a flashlight
8. Circle K’s do NOT have bathroom facilities (especially those in the vicinity of banks)
9. Google is always right.
10. Sometimes the best route is the original one…no matter how many extra miles you think it adds
11. Driving through national park lands is a beautiful and rewarding experience… unless you’re driving a 15 ft, truck towing a car…and its dark out.
12. Designers of mountain passes (such as those found in national park lands) are fond of the 6% grade
13. Elk country signs bring a whole new meaning when you can’t stop going downhill
14. All major cities in the U.S. are undergoing highway construction simultaneously (especially Albuquerque)
15. Gas prices are on a reverse bell curve, with the low point in Texas ($1.99)
16. Remote gas stations have gourmet priced gas with market levels at $3.69…
17. Petrol fumes will get you at least 15 more miles
18. A hotel room for a night is cheaper than a tank of gas
19. Bring your own coffee-maker
20. Cats will sleep through anything…except the night
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
...Signing off
...From DC. I always hate taking down my computer, it's the last thing I do as a result. I seem to have a habit of forgetting the dust and debris...but I always find something fun, like a game cd or some random tidbit that fell behind the desk, long ago and unnoticed.
Well kids, catch you on the flip-side.
Well kids, catch you on the flip-side.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Saturday, October 08, 2005
It's a plague!
I swear people are running around this city as though we've been damned. It's only been raining for 36 hours and frankly I find it quite beautiful.
...despite my love of the rain, it did make our days off a little more challenging. We spent Thursday out of the city apple picking at a lovely orchard near one of our favorite wineries. So wet toes in the muddy grass and wet shoulders from shaking branches...defintely a worthwhile experience.
Overall we ended up with a couple pecks or bushels or something of apples (one for baking and one for eating) and enjoyed a lovely afternoon
on the porch of Linden Vineyard with a bottle of 2002 Reserve Chardonnay, some derby cheese and a baguette. What a beuatiful rainy misty day :)
Monday, October 03, 2005
Er..the unsolicited book review
I wanted to write and tell you about my favorite discovery in books this past summer….his name is Christopher Moore, and the book that did it was “Fluke,” I encourage any and all with a sense of humor to check it out. It’s brilliant. It’s so brilliant, in fact, that I purchased all of his paperback novels after I finished reading it.
So I wanted to write a message extolling his creative genius, but I realized that to date, what with studying and packing and working that I have only read 2 of the 7 books…meanwhile Joe has been nibbling away on them and will soon be finished. Despite this fact, I have been eyeing his most recent book (still in hardback) with keen interest and noted that a version 2.0 would be arriving in store this holiday season (for those that are paying attention, the title is “The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror”). Confused by this version action I checked book sites and even the personal site of the author himself (www.chrismoore.com) I was unable to find an explanation. So…on a whim I thought I’d use the contact button and query the author himself. Not only did I receive a response, but it was thankful, helpful, kind, it actually answered my question directly and in less than 5 hours after I posted to his website. What a remarkable person :) How fucking cool is that?
So I wanted to write a message extolling his creative genius, but I realized that to date, what with studying and packing and working that I have only read 2 of the 7 books…meanwhile Joe has been nibbling away on them and will soon be finished. Despite this fact, I have been eyeing his most recent book (still in hardback) with keen interest and noted that a version 2.0 would be arriving in store this holiday season (for those that are paying attention, the title is “The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror”). Confused by this version action I checked book sites and even the personal site of the author himself (www.chrismoore.com) I was unable to find an explanation. So…on a whim I thought I’d use the contact button and query the author himself. Not only did I receive a response, but it was thankful, helpful, kind, it actually answered my question directly and in less than 5 hours after I posted to his website. What a remarkable person :) How fucking cool is that?
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Dilly Dallying
So I have to admit...I wanted more from that last post, I wanted amazement, I wanted defiance, I wanted discussion, I wanted people to be as excited as I am...I wanted...well, more than Matt's plea for cheaper goods. Speaking of which Matt...I'll pick that bone later...
For Tommy's sake I'll say that I finally read "Jennifer Government" and seriously, I was not amazed...it struck me as a modern 1984...commentary on society...not quite as eloquent, but that's all. I do give thanks for the recommendation though AND I laughed out loud more than once :) To save myself from a rant, I will say that Tommy's last recommendation "His Dark Materials" was amazing and I recommend it ALL the time to lots of people.
For Tommy's sake I'll say that I finally read "Jennifer Government" and seriously, I was not amazed...it struck me as a modern 1984...commentary on society...not quite as eloquent, but that's all. I do give thanks for the recommendation though AND I laughed out loud more than once :) To save myself from a rant, I will say that Tommy's last recommendation "His Dark Materials" was amazing and I recommend it ALL the time to lots of people.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Green Geeks...everywhere!
Ah yes…the Green Festival, put on by those lovely people at Global Exchange & Co-op America (in both DC and San Fran)---beware the awesome power of the hyperlink.
For a nominal fee, Joe and I spent the whole day yesterday sampling socially and environmentally friendly goods (either being: organic, fairly traded or, packaged in bio-degradable ware) including coffee (an odd coffee substitute/herbal coffee made of herbs and nuts), tea, chocolate, honey, soy jerky, wild caught salmon and more…
The festival is also host to a plethora of other things “green” (and political) and while we sipped our fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee we wandered through the booths learning about new green technology (the highlight of this row was the newly designed solar back-packs), green media, green home building (where I again I fawned over bamboo and cork flooring), green clothing (mmm…alpaca sweaters, hemp shirts, sweat free shoes & tees, natural plant dyes), green energy, green investing, handcrafted and fairly traded goods (our pick of this aisle being the used wine bottles turned into tumblers and wine glasses and the beautiful bamboo floor mats).
We also attended a fair trade coffee “blind tasting” and lecture where we sampled three different coffees each from a different co-op in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Mexico; followed by a fair trade chocolate tasting where I learned that in the U.S. annual chocolate consumption has fallen from an average of 27 pounds per person in 1995 to roughly 11.5 pounds per person in 2005..yikes and yikes… Of course one of the main messages here is that if you buy coffee or chocolate (or many other goods) you can either prop up a bad system where farmers get paid less per pound of coffee than it costs them to grow it or you can buy fair trade certified coffee, and know that the farmer is getting paid a decent and living wage for their hard work.
We lunched on tofu curry and falafel provided by the organic food court and then sampled Wolaver’s (Otter Creek’s brand) organic beer with Joe openly declaring his love for the oatmeal stout which was an excellent dry stout. They also had the Wit and Brown ales on tap which were lovely to behold as well. We were lucky enough to share a sampling table with the funny and smart guys from Green Mountain coffee and had an excellent discussion on commodities, farming, fair trade, free trade and Chiapas.
Another fabulous benefit of the Green Festival is the line-up of speakers that they host, among them we were able to see beer activist Chris O’Brien who talked about zero-waste breweries, green architecture, and discussed the many ways you can save the world through drinking beer. He’s one of the founders of the Seven Bridges Company where Joe gets his organic home brewing supplies. One of my favorite things from the lecture was the slideshow featuring green brewery designs, hop gardens and the “loggerhead.”
Mostly it was just a good day of getting out and seeing that other people are trying to make a difference, a lot of them!
For a nominal fee, Joe and I spent the whole day yesterday sampling socially and environmentally friendly goods (either being: organic, fairly traded or, packaged in bio-degradable ware) including coffee (an odd coffee substitute/herbal coffee made of herbs and nuts), tea, chocolate, honey, soy jerky, wild caught salmon and more…
The festival is also host to a plethora of other things “green” (and political) and while we sipped our fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee we wandered through the booths learning about new green technology (the highlight of this row was the newly designed solar back-packs), green media, green home building (where I again I fawned over bamboo and cork flooring), green clothing (mmm…alpaca sweaters, hemp shirts, sweat free shoes & tees, natural plant dyes), green energy, green investing, handcrafted and fairly traded goods (our pick of this aisle being the used wine bottles turned into tumblers and wine glasses and the beautiful bamboo floor mats).
We also attended a fair trade coffee “blind tasting” and lecture where we sampled three different coffees each from a different co-op in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Mexico; followed by a fair trade chocolate tasting where I learned that in the U.S. annual chocolate consumption has fallen from an average of 27 pounds per person in 1995 to roughly 11.5 pounds per person in 2005..yikes and yikes… Of course one of the main messages here is that if you buy coffee or chocolate (or many other goods) you can either prop up a bad system where farmers get paid less per pound of coffee than it costs them to grow it or you can buy fair trade certified coffee, and know that the farmer is getting paid a decent and living wage for their hard work.
We lunched on tofu curry and falafel provided by the organic food court and then sampled Wolaver’s (Otter Creek’s brand) organic beer with Joe openly declaring his love for the oatmeal stout which was an excellent dry stout. They also had the Wit and Brown ales on tap which were lovely to behold as well. We were lucky enough to share a sampling table with the funny and smart guys from Green Mountain coffee and had an excellent discussion on commodities, farming, fair trade, free trade and Chiapas.
Another fabulous benefit of the Green Festival is the line-up of speakers that they host, among them we were able to see beer activist Chris O’Brien who talked about zero-waste breweries, green architecture, and discussed the many ways you can save the world through drinking beer. He’s one of the founders of the Seven Bridges Company where Joe gets his organic home brewing supplies. One of my favorite things from the lecture was the slideshow featuring green brewery designs, hop gardens and the “loggerhead.”
Mostly it was just a good day of getting out and seeing that other people are trying to make a difference, a lot of them!
Friday, September 23, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
My Day off...and the bittersweet taste of Packing
So, in the theme of moving, we spent most of yesterday packing away things that had previously hung on our walls. I must say that for the last few places I've lived, it's not felt like home until after I have been able to put some photos up, so taking them down and packing them away a full month before we leave and knowing that they will be stored for the short time we're there, makes me sad. However, it is nice to see some progress on getting out of this apartment and blank walls is most definitely a stark sign.
The other thing I have been doing (and it's been ongoing since June) is cataloguing our books. It's not just in the interest of being anal, but for insurance purposes, I mean we have a lot of books. So that makes packing them a much longer process, however fulfilling...
The other thing I have been doing (and it's been ongoing since June) is cataloguing our books. It's not just in the interest of being anal, but for insurance purposes, I mean we have a lot of books. So that makes packing them a much longer process, however fulfilling...
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
It's LB's Fault
So...it's LB's fault that I have a blog now...you have to be a "user" and have a password to post a comment on his blog...but after his honesty, who wouldn't want to?
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