i am my own reality show

White Peach Tea Flower

2010-05-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've always wanted to try blooming tea. (If you're viewing on Facebook, visit the original post to see the video.)

@no1cuter getting comfy in the new sheets.

2010-04-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Acorn Squash Updated for Spring

2010-03-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Acorn Squash is not known as a spring veggie, but I ordered one from Fresh Direct a few weeks ago and I really needed to do something with it.

I found Smitten Kitchen through a Google search for "unusual acorn squash recipes" although I don't think she used the term "unusual." It started with roasting in the oven.

Then I made a sort of sauce with cilantro, lime juice, garlic, toasted arbol chili peppers, and a little olive oil.

The result was delicious paired with a fontina/guacamole quesadilla.

Surfeit of shelves.

2010-02-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

Half-hearted.

2010-02-17T10:15:00.001-08:00

Hello

2009-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

I've been a real slacker lately, at least as it relates to this blog. But that's only because I've been so busy moving back to the States (hello again, New York), getting a new job (hello, POKE), and shopping (hello credit card). Up next: apartment hunting (hello, sticker shock), moving (hello, annoying), and the holidays (hello, friends and family).

Siblings

2009-11-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

This is me with my two siblings. We've never all been in the same place before--it was pretty cool.

Hopefully we'll all get to hang out again!

Endorphins...or just gasping for air?

2009-09-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am not a runner. I admire friends who run like DesignLadyNYC. She's raising money for Race For the Cure and tracking her runs with Nike+, which I find completely awesome. Yay Jerlyn! And then there's my friend Ericka who managed to do a half-marathon in the middle of raising her two gorgeous boys. Double-yay Ericka!

But I have NEVER liked running. I would be embarrassed to use Nike+ because my posts would say "Gardenia ran 1 mile at a speed of 3.2." Lame. But you have to do something, right? So today I ran. And thanks to a podcast from Motiontraxx, it didn't suck at all. I think that part of the reason I don't like running is I get really bored. I've tried music, but if you don't get the tempo right, it just doesn't work, and most of the music I enjoy listening to doesn't exactly work. I've tried audiobooks (like Ericka) or podcasts from NPR (naturally), but that only works if you also like running, which I don't. The Motiontraxx podcast was perfect: built in tempo, duration, and intervals, and a soothing voice telling you when to change tempo. I will definitely be downloading more tracks from them.

Not sure how far or fast I went--I do know there were a LOT of hills, most of them up. The podcast I used was 32:15, but I wasn't home by the end of it and probably went another 10 minutes. So maybe 45 minutes of running and walking intervals. That's got to be at least 3 miles, right? Yay me!

Here is me, post workout:

Just what I needed.

Self Portrait

2009-08-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'm exactly talented, but this is the first thing I've ever drawn that actually looked like something.

Vintage Inspiration

2009-08-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Been playing on colourlovers.com almost every day, and today I got inspired by a poster who created palettes from vintage typewriter ribbon tins. After searching through vintage images I found a group of vintage hairnets (discovered in the basement of an old porn studio, so the story goes) and created a few palettes from this inspiration.

Color by COLOURlovers

Puros animales aqui.

2009-08-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

We've had some recent visitors from the animal kingdom. First there was the garter snake we found while out walking the dog.

And the day after we let her back into the wild, we had this little fellow stop by.

Plays with Colour

2009-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with colors and palettes on ColourLovers.com. Here are some of my creations:

A tribute to my birthday:

Color by COLOURlovers

Color by COLOURlovers

A tribute to the sofa I dream of having:

Color by COLOURlovers

Color by COLOURlovers

A tribute to Swingtown (WHY did they cancel that show?):

Color by COLOURlovers

Color by COLOURlovers

Color by COLOURlovers

Celebrations

2009-08-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is called a casuela:

Mineral water, a little orange juice, and chunks of citrus fruits. Oh, and tequila.

And this is the mariachi band and dancers:

It's always great to celebrate!

Rainbow

2009-07-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

The best part about the rainy season in Mexico is all the rainbows.

Coconut raspados

2009-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

At long last, pictures of the coconut raspados. By the way, shaving the ice is a lot harder than you would think.

Firefox add-ons that will probably not change your life.

2009-07-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Seems like there are a billion lists of "Firefox add-ons that will CHANGE your Life." I doubt my list will change anyone's life, but here are the add-ons that I have installed in Firefox--I use them all regularly, so no fluff here:

Ad-block Plus: I just installed it this morning, and it took me a few minutes to realize that the ads were gone and pages really do load faster. I don't know why I didn't install it sooner. (I know, I create digital advertising for a living...what can I say?)
Delicious Bookmarks: Love it for bookmarking. I haven't used browser-based favorites for years.
Download Statusbar: Replaces the download window, which keeps my desktop tidier. Apparently has other features that I haven't tried out.
DownThemAll: Great when I purchase an album from GoMusic--I can start all songs downloading in one click.
Drag & Drop.io: I love drop.io and this makes it super easy to add files and manage Drops.
FoxTab: My new all-time favorite. It's kind of like Exposé for Firefox tabs.
FoxyTunes: Puts iTunes controls in the Firefox status bar. Saves switching to iTunes when Milli Vanilli comes up in shuffle.
Google Gears: Installed so I can use offline Gmail and sync my iCal. Had to go without for a few weeks after upgrading to Firefox 3.5, but Google caught up this morning so I'm back online...er offline, that is.
GreaseMonkey: Necessary for Facebook Purity, which blocks quiz and application messages from my Facebook feed. Sorry, but I don't actually care what type of pickle represents your favorite 80's movie.
Read It Later: Kind of a holding area for links that I don't want to deal with now, but don't necessarily want to bookmark and tag in Delicious.
ScreenGrab: It's like having Snaggit integrated in my browser. Especially great since I can't remember the keystrokes to take a screen grab on a Mac.

It's amazing how useful some of these add-ons are. A big thank you to all the developers!

Memories of Sesame Street

2009-07-14T15:23:00.001-07:00

I LOVED this guy.

Squid Chunks in their Ink

2009-07-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

A can of "Squid Chunks in their Ink" came free with my box of crackers, so I thought it was time to try it out.
I'm....not a fan.

Recipe for Snow Cones

2009-07-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, they're not called snow cones here, they're called nieves or raspados, but they're basically the same principle as a snow cone: shaved ice and yummy syrup. Well, snow cone syrup isn't known for its yumminess in the US, but here in Mexico, raspados are made with fresh fruit and they're delicious.

I got lucky and found an ice scraper at the tionges in Tonala for $30 pesos (that's about $2.25 US), so I've been wanting to make raspados for a while. I finally got down and dirty in the kitchen today.

Only one problem, all the recipes I could find were in Spanish. Now, my day to day Spanish is getting pretty good--it should be after living in "real" Mexico for 3 months. But following a recipe in another language is a whole other kind of challenge. For example, what does deshacerla mean? Google translate helps, but it's not perfect. Factor in the difference in units of measurement and the need to substitute ingredients and reduce the quantity, and the whole process gets a little challenging. But I've always loved a good challenge.

Here's the original recipe that I found for raspados de coco:

Hierve 3 litros de agua por 5 minutos.Agrega 6 tazas de azúcar y mueve para deshacerla.Vacía 4 tazas de leche en polvo con 1 taza de fécula de maíz, mueve.Agrega 2 kg de coco rallado y 2 latas de leche condensada.Cocina 15 minutos y deja enfriar y espesar.

Here's the recipe I ended up making:
1 liter water
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup corn starch
200 grams toasted grated coconut + 1 cup diced fresh young coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil the water and turn the heat to low; dissolve the sugar (I cut the original recipe's sugar in half and it's still very sweet). Mix the powdered milk and corn starch together and add to the hot water mixture, stirring to dissolve. Add the coconut and condensed milk, and cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes. When I was done, my mixture was very thick, so I ended up adding another cup of water just before I turned off the heat.

Tomorrow the ice will be frozen, so I'll post pictures of my raspados de coco and give an update on how they tasted.

Something old is something new.

2009-07-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

When my dad came to visit, he brought two laptop computers, in addition to one he sent me a month ago. These computers were donated by clients of a friend of my dad's. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone involved and show you where the computers ended up.

The laptops are a few years old, but still function perfectly well. They came with clean installationss of Windows XP, AVG Free antivirus software, and Microsoft Office. I added iTunes, Firefox, Microsoft Encarta (which is a lot cooler than I ever imagined), TypeFaster, and Rosetta Stone with American English Levels 1, 2 and 3. All the program interfaces, except for the operating system and Microsoft Word, are in Spanish. Two of the computers have WiFi cards and can be connected with my "high" speed DSL. (Broadband service here is not exactly universal; I have DSL rated at 1MB/second, which is effectively about 100kb/second. But it's internet, and it's fairly reliable for browsing. I can even stream some videos and download a 100MB file in about 20 minutes.)

The first computer went to my goddaughter. She's been using it for about a month and it's great. She has computer access in school, so she was already comfortable with using the operating system and a few programs. She was less experienced with downloading programs and organizing files, which makes sense, since they're probably not allowed to do that on school computers. The real biggie is internet access at home. One day while doing homework, she asked if I knew what a "ho-ule" was. After a brief discussion about what subject she was working on (Science), and after I figured out that something pronounced "ho-ule" in Spanish would be spelled "joule" I told her (in my toddler Spanish) that a joule is a unit of measurement of energy. Correct, yes, but not a terribly complete answer. Then I said, "why don't you look it up on the internet?" That was a very cool moment.

The second computer is going to stay here for the rest of the family to use. I'm going to start giving my friend, who's never really used a computer, some basic lessons so she can use the web (by "web," of course, I mean Google). She's already been asking me to "look it up on the internet" so I think she'll have a lot of fun doing it herself.

The family decided to give the third computer (the one without WiFi) to a 12-year-old cousin. She just finished primary school and had her confirmation, so the computer was a gift to celebrate her accomplishments and acknowledge her entry to secondary school in the fall. Her family (my friend's sister and her three kids) lives way out in the country at the top of a mountain about an hour past the other side of Guadalajara (about two hours from where I live). Their village is teeny-tiny and a lot of the houses don't have running water or telephones. There's definitely not a cyber-cafe in town. The family doesn't have a home phone (mom and the oldest brother have pay-as-you-go cell phones), so they don't have internet access, but we stocked the computer with some downloaded desktop backgrounds, a little music from our collections, and the programs mentioned above. This is where Microsoft Encarta is really cool--you don't need internet access to use the encyclopedia. I added a headset with microphone so they can use Rosetta Stone, and my dad brought a carrying bag.

Here are some pics of opening the present during a family outing to the nearby state forest. You can tell by the look on her face that even after she sees the computer bag and feels how heavy it is, she's not quite ready to believe it's really going to be a computer.

Yesterday at home, we installed the rest of the programs, and my goddaughter showed her cousin how to navigate the English operating system. We practiced opening and using all the programs, learned how to make folders and organize files, and surfed the web for desktop background pictures of cute boys. (They appreciated the teddy bears that I downloaded, but those were rapidly replaced.)

In the States, how quickly does a computer go from state-of-the-art to out of date? From where a lot of us sit, including me with my two-year-old 15-inch MacBook Pro Deluxe Edition which I've been thinking is due for an upgrade (although I'm starting to rethink that), these three computers might seem archaic. But in Mexico it's different. Yes, there are plenty of people who have the latest computers, but there are other people for whom technology is completely out of reach. Thanks to the generosity of those who donated their old computers and others who pointed those computers in this direction, these families have access to a luxury that most of us consider indispensable.

Potrillo

2009-07-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the new mama and foal. The baby was born about two weeks ago.

That should do the trick.

2009-07-04T06:36:00.001-07:00

I don't think our little Houdini will be escaping again.

Tequila Before

2009-07-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is agave on its way to the tequila factory to be distilled. Each piece weighs about 25 Kilos.

Houdini

2009-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

This is Junior. He's a master escape artist. Tuesday he ran away and we thought he was gone for good, which would be awful, because he's such a love. I taught him a few tricks: he knows "sit," "paw," and "other paw," and we're working on "lie down." His "paw" comes down like a sledgehammer. I'm going to buy him a new collar and a longer, stronger lead so he can't get loose again.

Dog's Life

2009-06-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

Biscuit and his good friend Junior.

What I CRaVe.

2009-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Just a little something I picked up today...

MY NEW CAR!!!

What BIG eyes you have!

Biscuit has to give it the sniff test.

It's been a long time since I bought anything over $100, so this was pretty exciting. I'm sure I'm going to love it.

Mount Tequila at Sunset

2009-06-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Not him again.

2009-06-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Two more calls for Carlos today. Please stop. Please.

Fuera de las bocas de los babes

2009-06-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

So I guess I can say I speak Spanish, at this point. I understand a LOT, almost all of what I hear in daily life. And I can ask for what I need, get my point across, have a conversation, tell a story, talk about the weather and the news and what we're going to do next week. I speak like a two-year-old, but I'm getting better, and people understand me. It's really cool to learn a new language this way--total immersion. In fact, based on my previous attempts at learning a language, this is probably the only way I can learn. Unless I NEED something, I don't retain it. Living in Mexico, transacting all of my daily life in Spanish, I retain a lot.

But even if I do sometimes say silly things, you still can't beat an authentic two-year-old's way with words. Playing in the yard with the dog the other day, my friend's daughter shouted "¡Corre con tu vida!" Translated directly, it means "Run with your life!"

And then there's my goddaughter, who's 14, and tried to teach me F language. No, it's not a language that uses the F-word every other sentence. It's similar to Ineg lanuage, where you insert "Ineg" into every syllable. InegI cInegan dInego iInegit iInegin EInginglInegish prInigettInegey wInegell. But it's another thing entirely to try to do it in another language. That you don't speak very well. With F. CreFeoFo queFe eFes aFalgFoo coFomoFo eFestoFo. But that took me 10 minutes with Google Translate and cut and paste to work out.

I think I'll stick to speaking "regular" Spanish, and hope I can catch up to the two-year-old's vocabulary soon.

Chilis Rellenos

2009-06-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

The other day, my friend whipped up a batch of authentic chilis rellenos, starting with fresh poblano chilis.

We wanted to cook outside on the plancha because it's hot and messy business making chilis rellenos.

First you coat the chilis lightly with oil and roast them on the grill.

For the sauce, you need a half kilo or so of tomatoes.

When the chilis are nice and toasty all over, remove them from the heat and let them rest in a plastic bag or other airtight container for a few minutes to soften the skin and make it easier to remove.

The skins peel off easily.

We were all set up with the oil outside, but it started to get windy and threatened to rain, so we moved everything inside.

The tomatoes are done when they're wrinkly and the skins start to peel off (but you don't remove them).

The chilis are sliced open, veins and seeds removed, filled with queso fresco, and pinned shut with a toothpick before being dipped in a very frothy batter of egg whites beaten with a little cornstarch. Then gently lay the chilis in hot oil.

It's better to cook one at a time, because you can ensure the form is perfect and browns evenly.

You can fry the extra batter to make medallions.

Back to the salsa, chop and saute half a white onion.

Blend the tomatoes, their water, and a small clove of garlic.

Strain the the salsa through a colander into the frying pan with the onion.

Stir gently and add...

a handful of fresh cilantro.

When the salsa has simmered a bit, gently place the chilis rellenos into the sauce.

Serve piping hot with fresh corn tortillas, frijoles, and a salad of nopal (prickly pear cactus). Use deep bowls and cover the chilis with plenty of salsa. Pair with una cerveca bien helada. Buen provecho!

Shiny copper and delft blue ceramic.

2009-06-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Instant Customer Service: just add Twitter

2009-06-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's happened to me twice now. I've Tweeted about a product or service and gotten an almost instant response from the company in question. Clearly, companies are setting up monitors to watch for anything being said about them. A month ago or so I asked for recommendations for a program to clean up iTunes because my experience with TuneUp was "meh." And a few days ago, I tweeted that Boingo was down in JFK Terminal 1 when I was in the airport and wasn't able to connect to WiFi. In both cases, someone monitoring Twitter replied to my Tweet with an apology and a request for more information.

I think this is one of the coolest things about the Twitter platform. I wouldn't have contacted either company. I didn't have any complaints or problems, I was just mentioning, to my followers and the world in general, what my experience had been. It's like I mentioned to someone at a cocktail party that my shoes were a little uncomfortable and someone from Steve Madden walked up and said "Sorry to hear that, can you tell me more?"

Yes, he actually DID get cuter.

2009-06-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Biscuit went to the vet for a long overdue grooming session: teeth cleaned, nails trimmed, and his wild fur cut. I decided to have him puppy cut again, because it's too hot for a fur coat here.

Here are some before and after pics.

Before:

After:

My leoncito.

How Much?

2009-06-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

I am lucky. I have dual citizenship, US and UK. I was born in London, so I got UK citizenship at birth. Fortunately I was born before 1984--if you're born in London after 1984 you have to also have at least one British grandparent (I think) to get citizenship. So I lucked out on that count. I applied for and received my British passport in 1999. It's been great to have both passports. When entering the UK I can use the short line, and it's (slightly) easier to travel in the EU. And going to Brazil on my UK passport was great because I didn't have to pay the $100 American penalty.

So it's been 10 years and I need to renew my British passport. I have been putting it off because I need to mail in all the paperwork and I'm in Mexico now and (this is kind of embarrassing) I haven't yet quite figured out where the Post Office is. (Note to self: seriously, look it up.) So today I decided to get down to business. I downloaded the forms and filled them out with an online tool. Then I started trying to figure out how to pay the fee and that's when I realized it costs $199 to renew my passport!! I think when I got the original it was MAYBE $75.

What happened?

According to what I read when searching for info on the increase, it's all because the British government needs more money to help travellers in distress. I mean, yeah, I get it, kind of, but $199? I don't know. Don't they know there's an economic crisis happening?

And the kicker is that it only costs $119 to do it if you're inside the UK. I'm thinking of flying to London just to renew my passport. Yes, I know that will cost more than $199, but I'll get to see my friends too.

Who is Carlos?

2009-06-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have a new phone number, which I have given to almost no one. But my phone rings ALL the time. At first it was kind of exciting...who could be calling? But everyone who calls asks for Carlos. I don't know any Carlos. No hay Carlos aqui. Dejame en paz por favor.

Sunrise from my window

2009-05-16T06:29:00.001-07:00

Nice way to start the day.

"Some Pig, "Terrific," and "Radiant"

2009-04-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'm expecting to see these words appear in a giant spider-web in my office sometime soon. I appear to be living inside a reenactment of Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. I have seen between 7 and 10 spider babies in the last few days, and I can only assume that they hatched from a magnificent egg sack produced by a versatile spider like Charlotte. I haven't seen Charlotte herself, and there are not (as far as I'm aware) any pigs around who need to be saved from slaughter, but the spider babies made me think of Charlotte.

I'm not a big fan of spiders, to be honest, but I usually can't bring myself to kill them. Maybe it's because I read Charlotte's Web, or maybe it's because I don't like the feeling of their bodies being squished under my feet. But I'm a catch-and-release spider hunter, whatever the reason.

I will keep my eyes open but so far the only web-writing going on has been me updating twitter.

My $0.02

2009-04-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I've been plagued by thoughts of the cent symbol for a while. Where is it? There must be a keystroke for it, so why can't I find it? But I haven't been bothered enough to actually Google it, especially out in the land of slow internets where the simplest Google search can take a frustrating 10 minutes.

But I have wondered...where IS it? I assume that it's not part of the keyboard because it's not really used any more. What costs less than $1? Okay, downloads from iTunes maybe...oops, not any more. So I guess that means we don't need the cent symbol.

But I need it! I like to say to friends, in e-mail or chat, "that's just my two cents, take it or leave it." But it's e-mail or chat--I don't want to write the word CENTS. And I CERTAINLY don't want to write "$0.02"! What is that?

So I Googled it, and I found it. You'll be happy to know that you can get the cent symbol on a Mac simply by typing option-4 (which happens to be where the dollar sign is, so it is easy to remember). I have no idea how to get it on a PC--probably Alt + some combination of 7-10 numbers typed on the number pad.

A quick scan of the search results confirmed that the cent symbol fell out of favor because it's such a small and meaningless unit of currency. Although, with the economy the way it is at the moment, I think every penny counts.

That's just my 2¢.

What's in a name?

2009-04-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

I am driving myself completely crazy trying to come up with a name for my company. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard--after all, I didn't have any problem naming Solo Vino (although I think we should change his name to Eeyore, but that's another story).

I have tried English words, Spanish words, Spanglish words and made up words. I've tried colors and animals and plants. I've gone back and forth on whether I should include the words "digital" and "interactive" (is "digital" sooooo 90s?). I've tried anagrams for crying out loud. ANAGRAMS!

I tried to give myself a deadline of this weekend to pick a name, but I don't know if I'll stick to it. I mean once I name it, that's the name, right? Maybe it's because of my own name that I feel such pressure to come up with something perfect. My name has always, always, always been a topic of conversation when I meet people, which makes the whole idea of a name seem really important. And at the spa for the last eight months, I've been meeting dozens of new people every week, and every single one of them asks me about my name. So HOW am I supposed to come up with the right name for my business?

I have the same problem with all kinds of naming. I don't have any kids, but I have a hard time thinking what I would name any potential kids I might have (yes, I know someone else would likely have input, but still). Fortunately, I don't think I'll be facing that dilemma for a while. I also have a really hard time naming characters in stories I right. It's torture. And I usually change the names at least once in the revision process.

I am pretty good at naming animals, or at least small animals. I named a cat Seldom, which I think is the coolest name ever...although I have to give some credit to my then-boyfriend for that one. His dog was named after a character called Hayduke, and Seldom Seen Smith is a character in the same book. But I also named cats Baghira (from the Jungle Book), and Fermata (a musical symbol indicating "to hold"). I named my budgerigars Honeysuckle and Avocado. I named a beta fish Cobalt Permanganate Iron III. I named a puppy Luna (okay, maybe not brilliant, but she was the color of moonlight with gold paws, and she died when she was a baby so she's very special to me). I'm not as good with naming horses--I've named three: a big black stallion I named Cheyenne, a young male I named Canelo (masculine of Cinnamon), and a gorgeous moro I named Silver, which I admit is VERY unoriginal.

The point is, I am capable of coming up with really good names. I've even contributed good names to friends' baby-name discussions, although I don't think I've ever submitted a winner. But then again, I don't expect to.

So why is this so difficult??

Oh, Solo Vino

2009-01-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of dogs at the spa. Some are permanent residents (Preciosa and Lucy), some have owners, (Panchito, Max, and of course Biscuit), and occasionally there are other dogs who pass through (Percy, Falcor, and many others who've been adopted by guests and taken to the States).

A new dog showed up in September sometime, and he's trying to make himself a permanent resident of the spa. He's white with black ears and spots, and bigger than most of the dogs here--he's probably 75 pounds and pretty tall. He's sweet, gentle, and ultimately VERY lazy. He goes on the hikes with guests in the morning, and the rest of the day you can find him sleeping. Sleeping on the lawn, sleeping on the patio, and mostly sleeping on the lounge chairs at the pool.

When he first showed up, someone told me he was Fernando's dog, so when I saw Fernando with the dog I said "¿Como se llama su perro?" I don't speak much Spanish, but I can manage that, at least.

Fernando replied "Solo Vino." So the dog's name is Solo Vino.

Except...it's not. Because "Solo vieno" basically means "He came by himself." So when I said "What's your dog's name?" Fernando said "He came by himself." As in, he's not mine.

It took me about three months to figure this out.

I think Fernando calls him Kujo.

Ole ole ole!

2009-01-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

My friend Alicia came to visit me all the way from Switzerland. The last time we met up was in Paris, now Mexico...I can't wait to see what's next! It was so fantastic to have a friend here.

From Rodeo

She was here on Virgin of Guadalupe Day, so we went into La Venta to go to the rodeo. Of course I would have never gone without Alicia--safety in numbers. Not to mention she's a native Spanish speaker. There was a guy sitting next to us with two young boys (10 and 2). Alicia spoke with them in Spanish for a while, and the the 10 year old turns to me and says "So where are you guys from?" in archetypal American English. Turns out they live in Oklahoma but they're here visiting--or sort of visiting, because they've been here for six months, they're running a store, and the kids are in school. That's a very long visit...later in the evening we met his wife and other two sons. Very nice people.

But back to the rodeo. The cowboys are insane. First of all, there are tons of people in the ring during the ride. I've been to a couple rodeos before (I did grow up in Montana, after all), and as far as I remember, the ring is empty except for the rodeo clowns who are there to distract the bull if things get out of control. But there were five or six guys on horseback in the ring, along with one ballsy freaking macho dog. While they were prepping the bull and rider, the guys in the ring made their horses dance to the music.

From Rodeo

There was a 10 or 15 piece brass band playing some crazy Mexican music. Alicia translated the songs for me. They're ALL love songs. "I love you. Why don't you love me? I don't care if you don't love me but really I do." Oh, and there was one about drugs and one about losing weight. The horses that dance in the ring are GORGEOUS.

From Rodeo

Finally they had the bull ready. They get them into a little pen so they can't move and put the ropes on. In the States they have one set of ropes just behind the front legs, and the rider uses the ropes as a handhold. In Mexico they have two sets of ropes, one behind the front legs and one in front of the rear legs. The rider doesn't use his hands at all. Picture this freaking guy sitting on a bucking bull and holding on only using his legs. Some guys didn't last too long, but a lot of them didn't fall off. In the States you have to stay on for eight seconds. I don't know what it is in Mexico.

From Rodeo

The bulls' horns are capped, which is a good thing, because one guy got flung up in the air a few times and landed on the bull's head. His foot was caught in the front ropes, so he was bounced around before they got him free.

After the ride is over, the mounted guys in the ring converge in on the bull. One guy will lasso a front leg, and another guy will lasso a rear leg on the opposite side. This way the bull can't buck. If the bull is really pissed, the give him a little room to run around, but they're always tightening in on him. They use their horses, their fearless, beautiful horses, to press against the bull with their chests and subdue him. Well, I don't know if he's subdued, but it restricts his movement and they are able to get control.

From Rodeo

I can't say that rodeos will ever be my favorite pastime, but I'm really glad I got to go and experience a little bit of real Mexico.

Making it work.

2008-11-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get around when you don't speak the language. Really hard. Before I go anywhere, I print out maps, in case people don't understand me when I give the address. And so I know approximately where I am. I'm starting to find a few neighborhoods that I know reasonably well, and I have a favorite cafe, so at least I have an answer better than "Starbucks at the mall" if someone asks me "Where do you go in Guadalajara?"

I've also just found a little guesthouse near the center where I can stay for about $15 a night, which means I can start coming into town much more often.

Next step: Spanish Tutor.

A little tense.

2008-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I don't mean tense like "stressed out" (I live at a spa, remember?). I mean tense, like verb tense in grammar. You remember: present, past, future, future perfect, past perfect, present perfect progressive...

Yeah, that.

I am writing. I started a story five years ago, and after six months of furious progress, I made the mistake of rereading what I had written. I know this is necessary in the writing process, but it was a mistake because even though while I was writing, I knew it wasn't perfect, I wasn't quite prepared to confront my less than perfect prose. I decided that the whole thing was crap and stopped working on it. Apparently I'm ready now, because I've dusted off the story and instead of being bothered by the roughness of the draft, I am enjoying the process of revising and improving. I'm writing again.

But I am having that little problem with tense. I'm not sure what tense to write in, and when I pick one, I find that within two or three paragraphs, I've shifted to something else. I'm trying not to worry about it, but I feel like I need to get it set so that I am thinking in the right tense while I'm working on this draft.

Is it supposed to be this complicated?

Civic Duty

2008-10-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm a semi-expat, I'm doing my civic duty in spades this month. I sent away for my absentee ballot, which arrived this week. It was very different from the last absentee ballot I used in 2004. (That year I was in Boston on election day.)

The packet included instructions in English and Spanish, a list of candidates, and an "official blank ballot" that had lines for me to write in my choices:

For the office of ______________________ I vote for______________________.

Kind of weird, but at least it seemed more official than the photocopy I filled out in 2004.

I also got my mail that's not being forwarded from the US, which included a Jury Duty summons for November 4th. Isn't that election day? Kind of strange that I got my first jury summons dated for election day right after I requested my absentee ballot. Coincidence? I called to postpone, so I'm off the hook until May.

Aye aye, Captain!

2008-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

A few pics from my Sunday cruise on Rick's 38' Catalina. What a gorgeous day. I had fun behind the wheel, but I don't know if I'm ready to give up the luxuries of power yachting. I'm definitely going to go sailing again, the next chance I get.

Tonala Market Day

2008-10-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

An artisan's table at the market in Tonala.

Fall in New York City

2008-10-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

The pumpkin display at Manhattan Fruit Exchange in Chelsea Market. Gorgeous. Perfectly fall.

Looking for Miss Muffet...

2008-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Required Drinking for Project Managers

2008-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not working as a project manager at the moment, but I'm still a project manager. What's that saying...you can take the girl out of project management, but you can't take....

Well anyway.

I found some wine the other day that should be required drinking for project mangers: it's called Herding Cats.

Everyone should have...

2008-09-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

...a crown of flowers on their birthday. Today was Mary Pat's birthday, and after cake, I made her a crown of flowers from the bougainvillea and some tiny white daisy-stars.

Mary Pat is one of the guests at the spa--I actually met her two years ago when I was here for the first time. Funny how people return again and again.

Happy birthday to Mary Pat.

How the mall is like a Russian doll.

2008-09-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

I am not normally a mall person. I think I was when I was younger--but back then I didn't have my own transportation, so going to the mall was a good way to get a little autonomy. But as an adult, I've developed an aversion to the mall--I would much rather go to a few cool thrift stores, or TJ Maxx, or...well pretty much anywhere.

But here in Mexico I feel like I've reverted to adolescence in some ways. For example, I don't have my own transportation. I don't speak the language. Someone else decides what I'm having for dinner, and cooks it. I'm not complaining, mind you. Life is pretty darn good.

But I do like the mall. I can get dropped off by one of the spa's vans in the morning, and they can pick me up on the way back at night. And in between, I can go anywhere I want. And I know where the bathroom is. And god bless the gracious people of Guadalajara, a lot of people speak at least a little English, so I can make myself understood.

Right now I'm sitting in the City Cafe, which is inside the Sport City Gym, which is inside the mall. It's kind of weird to have a cafe inside a gym, but there don't seem to be many people working out, and the internets are fast.

Learn something new...

2008-09-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

Did you realize that the term for an upholstered long chair, what is commonly known as a "chaise lounge" is actually a "chaise longue"?

Seriously. Would Wikipedia lie?

Sábado Encantadora

2008-09-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in Lulio's cafe in downtown Guadalajara, just off of Avenida Chapultapec. It's this absolutely adorable cafe with leather-and-shim chairs and tables, a little bar, good food, and some wonderful jazz playing. The tables are filled with locals and at least one other American. Two old men behind me play chess. Some people sit alone at tables, not thumbing blackberries, not guzzling their beverages, not intensely looking like they're trying to be casual. They're just sitting, enjoying the day. People hug when they greet each other, men too. There's a table of old men at the door who leered appreciatively and harmlessly at me when I walked in.

I am wearing a yellow flower behind my ear.

I will be going back to the spa by taxi this afternoon, but for now I am enjoying the jazz and the people and too many coffees. You come to Lulio's to see and be seen after "last night." Last night we went to La Santa for martinis and Thai food (more of one than the other) and then to Barbura Negro to listen to Janice Joplin's long lost sister sing Doors covers. And we had to stop at Bar America to dance to some pounding techno before we crawled home at 4:30. Well, plenty of time to sleep at home.

New music.

2008-09-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded Jesse Cook. Pretty good. Especially this song.

----------------
Now playing: Jesse Cook - Fragile
via FoxyTunes

I meant to write tonight.

2008-09-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Oops. Instead I gave Biscuit a bath, listened to the Car Talk podcast, and wrote a bunch of e-mails to some old friends. I just started an enormous Jenga fire in my fireplace, which puffed out thick white smoke for a while before it finally got going. I'm not sure if that means I'm supposed to take another vote or....

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

2008-09-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Biscuit came with a trick. When I got him, he knew how to "sit, paw, other paw, lay down."

One of the ladies at the spa is an editor and she pointed out to me that there was a minor flaw in the instructions Biscuit understood.

Now he knows how to "sit, paw, other paw, lie down."

Good boy!

What people mean.

2008-09-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

You’re so brave!

That takes guts!

You’re fearless!

When I decided to move to Rio Caliente, I was told this by many people. My parents’ friend said I’m her hero. My direct reports at work said they admired me even more when they learned where I was going, the brave thing I was doing.

But it doesn’t seem that brave to me, or that strange. I have moved around a lot in my life, more than most people. By the time I was 12 I had lived in eight states; by the time I graduated from high school I had been to 13 schools. That’s more than one a year. Three in 4th grade alone. I did my Master’s degree in London, so this is not even the first time I have moved to a different country.

But no matter how I demurred, people said “you’re brave.” And then I realized what they were really saying: ”You’re crazy.”

I am doing the unthinkable. To leave a job in Manhattan as Associate Director of Project Management for Publicis Modem. To leave a rent-stabilized apartment in the Meatpacking District. To leave my Republican friends, the ones who live on the north shore of Long Island and have big boats. To leave the condo I own in Connecticut. You’re brave. You’re crazy.

I am not crazy—my mother is crazy, actually, so I know about crazy. The best way to answer people who tell me I’m brave/crazy is to tell them I have a backup plan.

Which I do (I’m not crazy after all). Here is my back up plan: if I want to go home after six or eight or ten months, I will go home. I am not banned from the country, I still have my US Passport (unless McCain wins, in which case I might consider voluntarily relinquishing it). I have a tenant in my condo in Connecticut, but the lease is up in March. I have a friend who runs Project Management at an agency about 10 minutes from my condo. He will give me a job any day of the week that I want to walk in the door. That’s my back up plan. I can go back to the way things were, to my last life.

But I’m not going to. When you change your life, like I have changed mine, you never need a back up plan, because something new happens. When I moved to New York in 2002, I think my back up plan was to take a job as a nanny for an American family in China. Who can remember? Instead I got a job at an agency in Connecticut and bought a condo. That wasn’t my original plan, and it wasn’t my backup plan either. It is what happened in my life.

So I’m not brave, I’m not crazy, I do have a back up plan. But more importantly, I’m going to see what will happen next in my life.

In the big city...

2008-08-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Guadalajara, thanks to Mary Louise, who gave me a certificate for a free weekend at the Hilton and babysat Biscuit while I was away. It was good to be out in civilization again, even if civilization is dirty, hot, busy, and illegible to me.

I made a couple of friends on Craigslist, so I had some companions to meet up with and explore the city. I also met up with a friend from the spa. Overall it was a very fantastic weekend.

Here are some pics:

Happy camper (mostly).

2008-08-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Biscuit has really never been happier. In the morning we go for a (leash free) stroll down to the pool area and Biscuit checks to make sure all the rocks and bushes that he peed on yesterday are still where they're supposed to be. Mostly, they are. Then we go back to the casa for breakfast (Biscuit's--home made chicken, rice and carrots). I usually check in on the internets to make sure they're where they're supposed to be (mostly they are) and then get dressed.

Biscuit tolerates this delay, but he can hardly contain his excitement until we are on our way up to the dining room for breakfast (mine--usually melon, eggs, and potatoes, or sometimes oatmeal). You should see him race up the hill. I've never seen him run so fast; he's like a new dog. In the dining room, Biscuit checks on all the guests to make sure that everyone is up, enjoying breakfast.

The only thing here that bothers Biscuit is the thunder. He shakes with terror when it thunders, and there is nothing I can do for him. It thunders pretty much every day, so I would have thought he'd get used to it, but apparently, he's not going to.

But when it's not thundering, Biscuit is loving life. Maybe it's the lithium water.

Fireflies

2008-08-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

There are fireflies here, which surprises me. When I first saw them it took me a minute to realize what they were. I think I associate fireflies with hot, humid, hazy nights and it is anything but hot and humid here. I have only been hot once or twice...the rest of the time, the afternoon rain keeps the day from boiling over. And my casita is at the base of a hill, and shaded, so it's always nice and cool.

Speaking of my casita, I know I have been promising some pics, so here are some pics of the inside. I really haven't done it justice, and (shockingly) it's not as tidy as it might be. But then again, I was never much of a housekeeper, and that's not likely to change.

It's been a good week and a nice and lazy weekend. I slept most of yesterday and I spent today devouring a book called The Doctor's Wife. It was intense and well-written and I enjoyed it a lot. I've had a lot of time to read, which is nice--I'm even thinking about flexing my own writing muscles again. I mean, beyond Blogger, of course.

The fireflies have gone to bed now, and I won't be far behind. Just going to set the computer up to download a TV show over night...it takes about 3 hours to download a one hour episode, so I do it at night.

New sign language needed...

2008-08-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Biscuit LOVES Rio Caliente. I mean, what's not to love, whether you have four legs or two? But for this four-legged little guy, life just got dramatically better, and his life didn't really suck before.

I'm still cooking for him (mostly chicken, rice and carrots--or pollo, arroz and zanahorias) and I'm going to make him some special dog biscuits on Wednesday with the help of the spa's bakery. (I forgot I didn't have an oven in my casita...a minor detail!) But now Biscuit gets to spend every day following me around which is about as close to heaven as he can imagine.

He usually sticks pretty close, but his favorite room is definitely the dining room, and once in a while he'll just beeline for the kitchen and dining room. He's also gotten so comfortable here that he isn't too worried about where I am, so yesterday when I let him out, I found him down at the pool 20 minutes later, collecting affections. Even now he's whining to go up to the dining room, and we just came back from there!

I can usually get Biscuit to pay attention to me by whistling and snapping my fingers, but in the past few days, that hasn't worked so well. I'm not sure if he's going partially deaf too, but he's not good with identifying the direction a sound comes from, so I clap my hands to help him find me sometimes. But when he's not listening, I try for a louder sound...so I smack my thigh or my butt in the universal sign language for "come on! let's go!"

Well Biscuit has not been listening too well, and my butt is starting to hurt!

I need new sign language.

Well, that answers that question.

2008-08-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Of course there are snakes here. It's the mountains. In Mexico.

Here's a pic of the charming fellow who was just peeking in my casa window.

And by "charming" I mean "eek! that is a real live snake! Biscuit come inside!"

Ai yai yaiTunes

2008-08-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my Microsoft Office programs haven't worked on my MacBook Pro for...oh, maybe a year. I have tried everything I can think of: uninstall and reinstall, upgrade, downgrade, delete permissions, use a different registration key (my copy came with three keys--yes, I have a legit copy). Basically, I've just lived without Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Entourage on my home computer, making do with Google Docs and Gmail (thank goodness for Google!).

But down here in Mexico, as I've mentioned, the internets are not that fast, which makes relying on online programs less than desirable. So I was poking around said internets, looking for a solution that I hadn't tried, and I found a brilliant one! Create a new user account and see if the program works in the new environment. Because separate user accounts have their own preferences, MSOffice would have a chance to start from scratch in the new account.

So I tried it.

And it worked.

Rejoicing over my triumph, and kind of embarrassed that it took me a year to figure this out, I started trying to transfer all my files over to the new user account. And here is where I made what may turn out to be my fatal mistake. I tried to move my iTunes library.

A quick Google search (thanks again Google) showed me that it was a pretty simple matter to drop my iTunes library into a shared file so that the second account could access it, and then open iTunes under the new account and viola! all would be well.

Well, all was not well. I moved the file, opened the program under the new account, and...nothing. I knew the music was still there, because I could see the files in my Finder, but there was absolutely NOTHING in the iTunes library.

Back to Google. There were some instructions for modifying the ACL (which sounds like a part of the kneecap, and not something I'm interested in meddling with), and other tips on how to start iTunes from an external drive, but I couldn't find help for my particular problem. Somehow, moving the iTunes library into the shared folder scrambled the xml file that holds all the iTunes data. I tried importing the music, but with over 30GB, my computer choked and stuttered after just a few. Then I tried importing just a few folders, and it choked and stuttered on the album artwork.

After restarting four or five times, I got so frustrated with the whole thing that I turned the computer off and went to the pool for a soak in the lithium hot spring. There are advantages to having technical problems at a spa.

When my hands got pruny enough, I was driven back inside to try to deal with the problem again. Of course I can't just leave it alone. This time I started by setting up some other apps, like Firefox (installing my Pink Hope theme and Delicious toolbar), changing the desktop background (with images from my downloads which are located in my other account's images folder), and setting up iChat. Although it seemed doomed at first (when I first opened Firefox it was hanging the way Word used to hang, which was the reason I started this project in the first place!) but after a few minutes, it seemed to sort itself out and work normally.

I still wasn't quite ready to tackle iTunes, so I Googled again for info on how to get to iPhoto from the new account, and found a very simple solution. When you open the program, you can hold down the alt/option key and force iPhoto to ask where the library is. You then browse to the old location and viola! And this time it really was viola!

I tried the same thing with iTunes, but somehow when I moved it, I think I deleted the whole library. Fortunately (and unbeknownst to me) I had a very recent backup stored in a folder called "Previous iTunes Libraries." I was able to load this library THANK GOODNESS!!!!!! Then all I had to do was import the few songs that I've added since that back up. I really don't have any idea where it came from.

Now the only problem is that I seem to be storing music in two locations...some in the shared folder where I moved my entire 30+GB library, and some seems to have been copied to a new music folder inside the "Previous iTunes Libraries" folder. I don't like that situation, but I think I will wait till tomorrow to try to resolve it.

Now I am going to go open a Word doc!

The internets...

2008-08-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Biscuitprefers browsing the web with...

Into every life a little rain must fall...

2008-08-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

"A little rain" doesn't say the half of it! It's a deluge. Absolutely pouring! And thunder cracking around like nobody's business.

Caroline called for one of the men to pick us up and take us from the dining room down to our casas, which are opposite each other. Several other guests also needed a ride, so five of us plus two dogs, Biscuit (mine, of course) and Panchito (Caroline's) piled into the back of one of the spa's VW buses. We rolled down the hill, windshield fogged up and wipers not doing much to help matters. At the bottom of the hill, we discharged two passengers near their door, then rolled forward a few feet to the next guest's room.

Unfortunately, the driver overshot the doorway a bit, and it took about five minutes of pulling forward and back, at various angles, before we could impress upon the man that where we were was close enough. Just after the woman closed the door, she opened it again quickly and pointed to the gym, where a lone figure waved frantically from inside.

After several further lurches forward and backward, we managed to pull around to the door of the gym and pick up the yoga instructor, who had been preparing the next day's class. From there, we drove down to Caroline's casa. We tugged the door open and Caroline stepped out and tried to put up her umbrella, but was hampered by the bushes, which we had practically parked inside of. Since she couldn't manage the umbrella, the bushes, the car door, the keys, and Panchito, I grabbed the pooch and made a run for the door.

Of course, I got thoroughly soaked. And of course, the first thing Panchito did after being deposited dryly on his doorstep was step back into the rain to look for Caroline.

By the time we pulled out of Caroline's drive and back onto the road, the driver had already passed the shortest route to my doorway, so I asked him to back up. It took a few tries to get the VW into reverse, but he finally managed it. I took two trips to the front door, first to carry my computer and the provisions I was bringing home (popcorn, oil, honey, butter...YUM), and then to get Biscuit, who was, after quivering on my lap for 20 minutes, starting to make himself quite comfortable in the bus.

We finally made it inside, and now Biscuit is cowering in the bathtub and I've got a fire going in the fireplace. It's still raining a little, but the thunder has stopped.

I think I'll make some popcorn.

33 on the 3rd day of 8/08

2008-08-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday for my birthday, Caroline took me and some of my new friends to Teuchitlán to see the round pyramids of Guachimontones. These beautiful structures are set high on the hill, with a lovely view of the town and the lake below.

There is a very soft and peaceful feeling in this place, and I loved walking around the grassy shapes. Although we couldn't climb the smaller structure, which has been restored, we were allowed to walk up a switchback path to the top of the larger structure.

Because of the trees covering the mound, and because tomb raiders dug deep tunnels into the center weakening the structure, this pyramid can't be restored.

We went to lunch afterwards at a lovely little restaurant called Soky, on the lake. Our table was right at the edge of the water. The food was very rich after a week of eating the light, vegetable-based meals at Rio Caliente. First we had queso fundito and marlin stewed in tomato sauce and vegetables (I think). Then I had camarones al coco, which I thought would be shrimp in some kind of chocolate mole, until I remembered that coco was not coca, and it turned out to be coconut shrimp, which was delicious.

Of course, no lunch is complete without a serenade from a passing Mariachi band, and I was serenaded by two of them! A ten piece group in full Mariachi regalia with guitars, bass, violins, and trumpets played Las Mañanitas. The second trio of guitars followed up with La Bamba and a few other fun songs! Videos coming as soon as I can upload them, which might take a while, the internets being what they are down here.

Top that all off with a little birthday cake, a little margarita, a little glass of vino...not necessarily in that order! Thanks for a GREAT day, Caroline!

Las Mañanitas

2008-08-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Las Mañanitas is a traditional Mexican song that is sung on birthdays and other important holidays. It is often sung as an early morning serenade to wake up a loved one. At birthday parties it is sung before the cake is cut.

Las Mañanitas Lyrics:

Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el Rey David,
Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti,
Despierta, mi bien, despierta, mira que ya amaneció,
Ya los pajarillos cantan, la luna ya se metió.

Que linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte,
Venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte,
Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio,
Levántate de mañana, mira que ya amaneció.

Translation:

This is the morning song that King David sang
Because today is your saint's day we're singing it for you
Wake up, my dear, wake up, look it is already dawn
The birds are already singing and the moon has set

How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you
We all came with joy and pleasure to congratulate you
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light
Get up in the morning, look it is already dawn.

Shoes on the horizon.

2008-08-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

I took my first trip to town yesterday. This was not a trip to expand my horizons and explore my new environment (I'll be doing that tomorrow). This was a trip to acquire some basic necessities that I wasn't able to bring with me in my luggage. Like conditioner.

I didn't pack shampoo or conditioner because I was trying so hard to keep my suitcases at exactly 50 pounds, and the shampoo and conditioner and lotion and sunscreen and bug spray and self tanner and contact solution that I wanted to pack weighed about 6 pounds. I was not about to pay a $100 overweight baggage charge for $40 worth of creams. I realize now that I should have packed them anyway, because the guy weighing the bags didn't care at all if things were a couple of pounds over.

When I got here I asked theoffice to procure some shampoo and conditioner, but I had a feeling that I was going to get 2in1 shampoo plus conditioner. That's what I got from the front desk the last time I came here on vacation. I am not a fan of 2in1 haircare. One step at a time please.

Sure enough, they picked up some Pantene 2in1 shampoo plus conditioner. I suffered with this for a few days, much to my hair's detrmiment. I was so glad to get into town to shop at (of all godawful places) Wal-Mart. Of course, selecting my own shampoo and conditioner was a bit challenging, because everything is in Spanish. I ended up getting some shampoo that was in a pink bottle. I like pink. I think pink is the right formula for my hair.

I also picked up a pair of decent, cheap hiking boots. Apparently these were the only pair of hiking boots for women available in the entire town of Guadalajara. We went to two giant malls and two standalone stores with no luck. We even went to a place called the Shoe Mall...or at least that's what I call it. If I had known a place like this existed, I would have moved to Mexico ages ago.

This mall consists of about 30 stores, and all they sell is shoes. I am a big fan of shoes, and I came to Mexico with FEWER THAN 10 PAIRS OF SHOES. That was not easy. Because I was on a mission for hiking boots, and because I live in a place where I walk on dirt, cobblestones, and grass, I did not indulge in any of the fabulous shoes. I didn't even look at them too closely, so they may not be all that fabulous. But I love just knowing the Shoe Mall exists.

They did have a small selection of very women's hiking boots at one of the stores, but they were ridiculously expensive, and my mission was to get cheaper boots than I could get in the States. Shoe Mall was to leave me unfulfilled in that respect. I also spied a pair of amazing cowboy boots that I might have to go back to get. They were gorgeous, hazelnut colored snakeskin (fake, I think) with green and yellow vines. They zipped up the sides. They had very pointy toes. They had perfect cowboy boot heels.

They were meant to be mine.

Thunder

2008-07-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

It is thundering here. Loud booms of thunder that roll from one side of the sky to the other, trailing the atmosphere behind like an echo. It hasn't started to rain.

I think I've finally managed to coax a fire in my cute brick fireplace. It's built in the shape of half of an upside-down ice cream cone, with u-shaped openings into the bedroom on one side and the living room on the other side. It's big and oval inside, maybe four or five feet from one opening to the other, and about two feet wide, and tall, about three feet from the bottom to the top. The openings don't face each other, they each point into the room they occupy, so at first you can't tell that there is only one fireplace. It might be two separate fireplaces, back to back.

I grew up in Montana, and I have probably started fires a thousand times or more. Not just campfires for s'mores, but real fires in a black cast iron stove just like Laura Ingalls Wilder, who every good pioneer girl wanted to be like. The fires I started heated the house, kept us warm in the bitter Montana winters. I have carried armloads upon armloads of wood, from where they fell from my dad's ax on the chopping block to the woodpile outside, then from the woodpile to the bins near the stove. I have laid fires in the stove, ready to light with a single match when we come home. Though I hated all chores, I didn't mind carrying wood, except when it was freezing outside, and dark.

You'd think with all this experience I would have no trouble starting a fire with heartwood kindling and small, almost identically cut eight inch by two inch by three inch heartwood "logs." By all reasoning, I should be able to light a fire like that with a single match, after it has been perfectly stacked in my fireplace every day by the staff at Rio Caliente. I should be able to light a fire like that with a look and a snap of my fingers.

But I think something about the oval shape and the way the two openings are not directly across from each other has done something to the oxygen in the fireplace. There isn't any, or at least not very much. The fire has to be set in the dead center, right under the chimney, because even though the ceiling of the fireplace is domed to point to the chimney, smoke can't find its way out and air can't seem to find its way in. And they've built up the floor of the fireplace with spare bricks, so that it's eight inches shallower than it was built to be, and four inches narrower.

I've been feeding heartwood kindling into the center of the stack of logs, lighting each piece of kindling from a candle on the mantle. It has taken me almost an hour to get the fire going, but I finally did it. At first I didn't think it would catch, but maybe the chimney got warmed up, or the barometric pressure changed, or maybe the wood just decided to spontaneously combust. I can't see the flames from here in the living room, but I can see that they are there, flickering just beyond the opening, bright and cheery. And I can see the reflection in the window because I haven't closed the curtains yet.

The thunder has stopped. It's still not raining.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

2008-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

I know the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. My journey yesterday was more than a thousand miles, and it took several steps to get started.

The first step was finding out how I could spend more time here at Rio Caliente. I came in September of 2006 the first time, and I knew that I loved it. The second time I came, I took the first step and spoke with the owner about my desire to be here. From there it took just a few short conversations to determine that I would be moving down here in July to run marketing. And what happens after that...well, we'll see.

The second step was preparing to leave my glamorous life in New York (yeah right). I spent months sorting, packing, selling, and storing my things. That was a journey of a thousand miles in itself. I like things. I'm not materialistic, but I like things, and I had a lot of things that I really liked. Some I sold on Craigslist (boy was that interesting). Some I put in storage--the interesting part there will come when I open up that jam-packed storage unit and see what was so important to me that I had to cram it into the 5x5 space till it was full to bursting.

The next step was quitting my job. After four years at Publicis Modem (nee Modem Media) that was a very hard decision to make. But the time was right, and even though it was difficult, it felt like the right thing at the right time.

I've spent the last two weeks staying with different friends (thanks Phoebe and John, Mario and Su Li, Aurea and Lino, Rich and Chris) and really enjoying my time in New York. It was like the city was determined to show me its best side before I left. I had some very memorable evenings, fun parties, drinks, dinners. I do love New York.

And then the day finally came to leave. The whole time, building up, it hasn't quite seemed real. My ride showed up at 6:30 am (thanks for the Towncar, Steven!) and I took one last look out over Oyster Bay and then I was on my way. The driver was convinced I was someone famous, even when I kept insisting I wasn't. He told me some very bad, very corny jokes, that I will not repeat here. But he was friendly and talkative, and he didn't mind when I told him to take a different route from what the GPS said. (Who takes 495 at 7 am?? We took the Northern State and made it to the airport in 45 minutes.)

Once at the airport, I had to stand in a VERRRRRY long line, which really didn't bother me, except that there were three people behind me who were incensed at having to stand in the same line. I was about to let them go in front of me just to shut them up, but they were so disagreeable that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I finally made it through the line, then went for some breakfast down in the food court. The guy asked me ten times if I wanted cheese on my veggie burrito, and I said yes every time, but when I got my burrito, no cheese. Oh well.

I tossed my coffee before I went through security (oops, should have bought that after I went through). Biscuit and I made it through just fine. The only thing I was still agonizing about was whether I should drug Biscuit or not. I've flown with him before and I've never drugged him. He's generally pretty good, but he does bark and I really didn't want to have him upset for hours on such a long day of traveling. Just before we boarded the plane, he started his little bossy "let me out of here" yip, which is how he gets started. I bit the bullet and fed him half an acepromazine inside a stale Auntie Annie's pretzel. The drug was a good choice. Biscuit mellowed out right away and was basically stoned for the rest of the trip, but he has recovered completely already this morning.

When I got to Chicago, I learned what a nightmare O'Hare is. I had to leave security, find a train, and ride to another terminal to find my connecting flight. I am not sure, but I think Terminal 5 is somewhere near Detroit, because it sure isn't convenient to Terminal 1, where I landed. After dragging my drugged dog through security a second time, I was pulled aside to have my bag searched. The security screener was less than pleasant and told me that my bag was "very messy" and didn't even zip it up before returning it to me. Um, maybe it's messy because you just rifled through it.

The worst part of Terminal 5 is that there were NO monitors displaying flight info. I had no idea even where my airline was, so I went to the nearest counter where they basically said "we're not Mexicana, good luck, I think they're over there." Thanks so much for your help.

I finally found a counter for Mexicana Airlines but at first I thought it wasn't my flight because the board was displaying "Mexico City, 2:55." I certainly didn't want to go to Mexico City! Then after about 5 minutes I realized that the board was alternately displaying information for two different flights, and mine was the second one. (Kind of confusing if you ask me.) But at least I was in the right place. I waited in line, because I had to exchange my United boarding pass for a Mexicana one, and that's when they dropped the bomb on me.

"Oh yes, we see that you have booked a dog on the flight, and we see that you have paid for the dog, and confirmed the dog, and even traveled with the dog from New York, but it's up to the captain if the dog will be allowed on this flight." Um. No one mentioned this to me! I'm afraid I kind of lost it for a few minutes, picturing me and my drugged dog wandering around Terminal 5 of O'Hare airport until some Mexicana Airlines captain would allow us on the flight. But...and here was the real shocker...the Mexicana Airlines staff was SOOOO nice and helpful. They assured me that it wasn't usually a problem, and they would do everything they could to convince the captain if he needed convincing. One of the flight attendants said she knew the pilot and that she was sure it would be fine.

And it was. The even let me board right after first class, and someone helped me carry Biscuit down the aisle and get him situated under the seat. Biscuit was so stoned this whole time, I'm sure he didn't really care what was happening, but I was kind of a wreck and so relieved that they were so nice.

The flight wasn't bad, although we had to circle in Guadalajara for a while because it was pouring rain when we tried to land. Once on the ground, I went right through immigration and easily secured a 180 day visa by asking for a 90 day visa. I waited at the baggage carousel for a while, and of course there was no sign of my bags. But someone came up to me and said "Are you Gardenia Willoughby" and told me that my bags were still in Chicago. I kind of had a feeling that would be the case. It was no problem, though. They took all my info and stamped me with lost bags at customs and promised to deliver them this morning. The woman who helped me gave me a receipt and her name and a phone number to call with any questions. I'm telling you, Mexicana airlines is GREAT!

Biscuit passed quite easily through customs. The vet came over, glanced at the dog, and took the third copy of his paperwork. No sweat.

Mario from the spa was waiting for me when I came out, and we drove to the spa through a Friday night traffic jam. It still only took just over an hour to get to the spa, and when I arrived, Caroline was waiting with the pink keys to my little casita.

The casita is adorable, all brick and tile, with an awesome round fireplace that opens into both the bedroom and the living room. I have a sturdy wooden desk, a phone, wired internet connection (we couldn't get the wireless to work, but maybe I'll figure it out later), and a small kitchenette with an adorable gas hotplate. Everything outside my windows is green and lush, and there are tiny flowers and birds all around. Biscuit loves the grass and doesn't want to come inside because there are so many interesting smells.

So far, day one hasn't really started. I had breakfast in the dining hall, and now I'm just waiting for my bags to show up so I can change my clothes and go for a swim. Or vice versa.

I'm here. I'm in Mexico.

I heart Craigslist...and I'm psychic.

2008-05-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to sell my stuff on Craigslist. This has been very hard for me, even though I'm only selling things that I don't need and haven't used since I moved back into the city. But I don't like getting rid of things--what can I say? I'm a pack rat. I like my stuff.

So far I've sold about a dozen items for a total of $165. Not bad huh?

The most recent thing I've sold is my old RCA VCR. I really didn't think anyone would buy it, but it's not like I'm in any hurry, so I posted it two weeks ago, and then posted it again tonight. Well I got a response right away, and the first thing that popped into my head was "someone wants to watch porn." So these three guys just came to pick it up, laughing and giggling.

"Why do you want to sell this?" they asked.

"Well, what am I going to do with it?" I said. "What are YOU going to do with it?"

"Uh, that's a funny story," one guy said.

"Let me guess...you're going to watch porn."

"We'll, it's a funny story..."

Turns out, one of the guys just moved into some building in the East Village. Apparently it used to be a whorehouse, and they found this stack of unmarked video tapes. But they can't find a VCR anywhere in this city.

I should have charged them more than $10. Those guys would have paid anything.

Books I've read in 2007

2007-01-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

I've always said that my only regret in life is not making a list of all the books I've ever read, but then I never start the dang list, because it's always too late. Well, I'm starting it now.

Here are the books I've read in January 2007, so far:

1) Empire Falls by Richard Russo
2) On the Street Where you Live by Mary Higgens Clark
3) We'll Meet Again by Mary Higgens Clark
4) Bag of Bones by Stephen King
5) Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keys
6) The 10th Circle by Jodi Pachett

Oh, I just realized that I read the first three before January 1st, so it's not really a January list. Okay, the list starts 12/19/2006. I bet I can go even farther back than that.

But I think I want to write the list down on paper too...

Robert Louis Stevenson's Prayer

2006-12-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank Thee for this place in which we dwell; for the love that unites us; for the peace accorded us this day; for the hope with which we expect the morrow; for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies, that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth. Let peace abound in our small company. Purge out of every heart the lurking grudge. Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Offenders, give us the grace to accept and forgive offenders. Forgetful ourselves, help us to bear cheerfully the forgetfulness of others.

Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends, soften us to our enemies. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors. If it may not, give us strength to encounter that which is to come, that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune, and to the gates of death, loyal and loving to one to another. As the clay to the potter, as the windmill to the wind, as the children of their sire, we beseech Thee this help and mercy of Christ's sake.

Amen.

Organic Girl

2006-07-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

I know we can't buy all organic all of the time, but these are the foods that contain the highest pestiside residue:

apples
cherries
imported grapes
nectarines
peaches
pears
red raspberries
strawberries
bell peppers
carrots
celery
green beans
potatoes
spinach
hot peppers

Rules of Life

2006-07-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto, the blockage will be almost
instantly removed.

Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.

Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:
You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Phrases I hate.

2006-05-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Net-net.
Reach out.
"Thru" instead of "through"

What a way to start the day!

2006-04-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Click here.

Try this at home.

2006-04-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

open your right hand as if you are preparing to "high five" someone
extend your right arm to the side of your body with you palm facing in front of you
bend your right arm at the elbowhand like you're preparing to say the pledge of allegiance
close your right thumb, ring finger and pinkie into a ball to form a "peace" sign
swing out your right elbow in front of and perpendicular to your so your "peace" sign is facing left
slowly turn the palm of your right hand toward your body as if you're giving the "peace" sign to yourself
slowly cock your wrist forward so the back of your hand is parallel to the floor
swiftly move your hand toward your face

The object of my desire:

2006-04-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Must.
Have.
It.

What would Scooba do?

2006-03-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

I just got Scooba, the robot that mops your floors. I was inspired by a work friend who got Roomba for Christmas--at first I was skeptical, until he brought it in to vacuum his office. O. My. God! The lazy technophile inside me DEMANDED a Roomba. Until I heard about Scooba.

My condo is all hard flooring. You remember last fall when I spent two months installing laminate flooring and vinyl tile and all my other DIY adventures? Well I love my floors, especially when they are clean and shiny and uncluttered. However, I am not a very good housekeeper. This is not something I'm going to try to change about myself, it's just something I've accepted. Sure, as I have more responsibilites, I generally find myself keeping a higher standard of cleanliness around me, but cleaning just doesn't come naturally to me.

So I have a theory about Scooba. I think Scooba will make me keep my house clean.

First, Scooba is soooo cute. It's a little round disk about the size of a medium pizza...if the pizza were four inches and had wheels. It's easy to anthropomorphize Scooba, since it moves on its own. Or, not anthropomorphize, because it's not like you think Scooba's human, but it's easy to think it's animate. Like maybe like a mopping dog.

Anyway, to continue with my theory...in order to use Scooba, you've got to pick up everything off the floor. Well, when you pick something up, you have two choices about where to put it down: put it somewhere else, or put it away. So my theory is that when I let Scooba out, I will first put away anything that has crept out of place. And part two of my theory is that I will like my clean floors so much that I will do this often.

Scooba did the whole house this morning, and it looks awesome. Now I have to go fold laundry and put the dishes away.

Thought for the day:

2006-03-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

Smart but misunderstanded.

Thought for the day:

2006-03-22T06:09:00.000-08:00

There's no need to get all itallicky about it.

Thought for the day:

2006-03-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Type A cares about Every. Little. Thing.

Type B will have another margarita.

For those of us who are going to die alone, surrounded by cats.

2006-02-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

Feline Haikus

The food in my bowl
Is old, and more to the point
Contains no tuna.
----
So you want to play.
Will I claw at dancing string?
Your ankle is closer.
----
There's no dignity
In being sick - which is why
I don't tell you where.
----
Seeking solitude
I am locked in the closet.
For once I need you.
----
Tiny can, dumped in
Plastic bowl. Presentation,
One star; service: none.
----
Am I in your way?
You seem to have it backwards:
This pillow's taken.
----
Your mouth is moving;
Up and down, emitting noise.
I've lost interest.
----
The dog wags his tail,
Seeking approval. See mine?
Different message.
----
My brain: walnut-sized.
Yours: largest among primates.
Yet, who leaves for work?
----
Most problems can be
Ignored. The more difficult
Ones can be slept through.
----
My affection is
conditional. Don't stand up,
It's your lap I love.
----
I don't mind being
Teased, any more than you mind
A skin graft or two.
----
So you call this thing
Your "cat carrier"? I call
These my "blades of death."
----
Toy mice, dancing yarn
Meowing sounds. I'm convinced:
You're an idiot.

Train wreck?

2006-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

It looks tragic, but looks can be deceiving. My friend Misty's AmeriCorps group got to take a first responder course--and apparently, they practiced on each other.

Damn Extreme Makeover!

2005-12-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

I thought I banned myself from watching this show. But sure enough, another Sunday rolls around and I'm sitting in bed in front of the TV watching damn Extreme Makeover Home Edition. This week, the family is a dad and three girls. The mom died a few months ago. Bam, tears.

Damn TV.

Onion Tears

2005-11-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

When you're cutting onions, your eyes water. That's just the way it is. But somehow, those first tears break some invisible barrier that has been holding back all your real tears, and out they come one by one.

Things that make me cry:

1. Ice skating.
2. Animals in the shelter.
3. Extreme Makeover Home Edition (I must remember NEVER to watch this).
4. Old AT&T commercials (the one where the mom takes the daughter to college and gives her a phone card and the daughter calls the mom on her cell phone before she gets home and says "Just checking").

Please use in a sentence:

2005-09-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

Today's word of the day:

deliquesce: to melt away or become liquid.

What a great word!

Gardenia Joy's Handy Woman Service

2005-09-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a home owner! I'm busy with about two hundred improvement projects. See how I'm doing in my DIY blog: DIY or Die Trying.

Getting to know all about me.

2005-08-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

What is your occupation?
Multimedia Project Manager

What color are your underwear?
Today they're pink with black trim.

What are you listening to right now?
Oprah--playing hooky from work.

What was the last thing you ate?
Trader Joe's Tuna filets in Red Penang curry sauce

Do you wish on stars?
Daily. Well, whenever I see the stars in NYC.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
More to the point, what is WRONG with those people at Crayola? They didn't pick ANY of my submissions for the "Name the Colors" contest a few years ago.

How is the weather right now?
Hotter than Hades.

Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My realtor.

Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yeah, Jodie's pretty okay. ;-)

If you could be anywhere right now where would you be?
Honestly, right now I'm happy sitting on my couch. But lying on the deck of my 200 foot yacht somewhere off the coast of Italy, being oiled down by a man named Sven and sipping a cool beverage wouldn't be too bad either.

Two 70's bands you would die to see?
Um, I am really bad at this stuff. I don't know any names of bands. And I don't really know decades of music either. So ...

Ever skinny dipped?
Not only have I skinny dipped, I'm a founding member of the OBWTDP.

Have you ever smoked?
Nope.

Do you wear contacts or glasses?
I've worn glasses since I was five, but I finally got contacts when I was 17 and now I only wear glasses at night.

Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, or Jessica Alba?
Angelina

Brad Pitt, George Clooney or Johnny Knoxville?
George. I have an autographed picture from him.

Favorite show(s)?
Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, Monk

What was the last movie you watched?
Actually, I'm not sure--I hardly ever watch movies. I was talking about The Princess Bride yesterday, though. That's one of my all time faves. I keep track of some of the movies I've watched on my movie blog.

Favorite day of the year?
My birthday, of course! August 3!

What do you do when you are sad?
I sit around and think about how sad I am, and then usually call somebody to try to get myself out of my funk.

What was your favorite toy as a child?
I mostly played with boxes and sticks. I had a little bunny named Lavendar that was a favorite.

What is your favorite thing to do?
Either salsa dancing or reading.

Morning or late at night?
All good, all the time. I like mornings though.

If there was a song about you what would it be?
There is a song about me, somewhere, half-finished. The chorus goes "How many hearts are breaking tonight? How many loves won't take flight?"

Living arrangements?
Currently with two roommates in a great three bedroom apartment in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. However, I'm in the process of buying a condo in Norwalk, CT, where I will be very happy to live by myself.

When was the last time you cried?
Today.

What is on the floor of your closet?
Laundry basket, canvas bag, gym bag, plastic drawers full of office materials.

Who is the friend you have had the longest?
Misty Timber--we've now been friends for TWENTY years. But Jodie's right--she's my longest friend in terms of regular communication.

What did you do last night?
Had dinner with my parents at my uncle's house in Long Island, then drove back into the city and gave my other uncle a ride back too.

Who inspires you?
Different people for different reasons. I'm especially inspired by true friendship.

What are you afraid of?
That I won't be able to take care of someone who needs me.

Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Nirvana Vegetable burgers from Trader Joe's. YUM.

Favorite Actor?
I'm totally on the Johnny Depp wagon. I also love Patrick Stewart (O Captain, my Captain).

Favorite Actress?
Uhm. No favorite, I guess.

How many emails did you receive this morning?
27 at work, 5 in Yahoo, and I don't know how many in my personal e-mail because I haven't been able to check it for a week!

How many years at your current job?
Almost one. Hey, that's good for me.

Coffee in the morning?
Yes, when I get to work, we have these machines that make individual cups that aren't half bad.

CTS

2005-07-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

CTS is the the code for "offer accepted" on a listing in the Multiple Listing Service. As in "I put in an offer on a condo and my Realtor called me Thursday to tell me that the seller has changed the status on the listing to CTS."

I'm going to be a homeowner!! It makes a great brithday present for myself, doesn't it?

It's a little scary, because the longest I've lived in one place is three and a half years, and that was during college. Buying a home feels so stable. But the good news is that my commute to work will go from about three hours a day to about fifteen minutes a day. You can bet I'm doing the happy dance over that!

Of course, there's still lots of stuff that has to happen before the place is actually MINE. I have to get the inspection, I have to review the condo docs, I have to have my attorney review the contract. Oh, and then I have to get a bank to lend me the money. Details, details.

By lucky happenstance, my parents are here this week (to celebrate my birthday), so they get to see the new place, and my dad can even be there for the inspection, which definitely makes it all a little less scary.

And my lovely brother said that he's getting me a doormat. My choice: Your Home or You're Home. Isn't he sweet?

Marvin the Mole.

2005-07-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what made me think of it, but Marvin the Mole just popped into my head. Marvin was the anthropomorphic rodent that my high school chemistry teacher used to help my sophomore chemistry class understand the concept of the mole (6.022 x 10^23 molecules of a substance). It's really not that difficult to understand if you think of it like a dozen. A dozen = twelve, a mole = 6.022 x 10^23 (that's Avogadro's Number by the way). Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

I'm actually not sure why Mr. Korin introduced Marvin. But sophomores will be sophomores, and it wasn't too far into stoichiometry that poor Marvin became "Marvin da ho-mo mole." Whenever Korin would start to talk about a mole of this or a mole of that, someone--usually one of the boys on the football team--would squeak "Marvin da ho-mo mole." Poor Korin would flush bright red and try to ignore them. He actually took a LOT of crap from the kids in my class that year and the next year when I took AP chemistry.

A favorite saying in AP was "Bend over, I'll show ya." The class was mixed juniors and seniors, but mostly seniors and boy did they torture Korin. He got them back one day during lab though. One of the usual suspects made the mistake of saying "What's this thermometer for?" and Korin quickly replied "Bend over, I'll show ya."

I suppose that kind of thing wouldn't be tolerated these days. Maybe I should change the names to protect the innocent.

What was I doing while all this was going on? Mostly trying to ignore it. I didn't mind Mr. Korin, and I loved chemistry and I was good at it. I tutored chem in college. One of my drunk tricks is that I can still derive the Henderson-Hasselbach equation.

Hey! After a little Googling, I discovered that Marvin was not the personal invention of my high school chemistry teacher. He even has his own day! (Marvin, that is, not Korin.) Who knew?

And speaking of moles, I love Trader Joe's Avocado's Number guacomole. Get it? Guaco-mole? Avocado's Number? They are so clever!

Connecticut vs. New York City

2005-06-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a perfect city day.

I went shopping in the morning and found two GREAT pairs of summer sandals, one white, and one brown, and both on sale. I wandered throught the Union Square Greenmarket and enjoyed all the vendors, but I didn't buy anything because I was still on a shopping mission and didn't want to lug my veggies around with me. On the way home I called and ordered lunch from my favorite Thai restaurant, Highline. I took lunch home and sat out on the patio to eat, and then came upstairs and took a little catnap. Around 4:30, I went rollerblading with my roommate Joel, down the Hudson River Park Development from Greenwich to the Statue of Liberty and back. Along the way we saw lots of runners, cyclers, bladers, the trapeze school, the skate park, people playing tennis, big ships in the river, Scott Stringer, park patrol yelling at me for being on the upper level, vendors, and couples on a Saturday stroll. When i got home, I grabbed my canvas bag and went to Chelsea Market and loaded up on fresh fruit and veggies at the Manhattan Fruit Exchange. All this at my fingertips with no plan required.

What's going to happen to days like this if I move to Connecticut?

Well, there aren't many Born Again Christians in Trenton, New Jersey

2005-05-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan to take the train home, but when I heard that a retaining wall came down on the Henry Hudson Parkway, I figured that traffic would be pretty terrible, so I left my car in Connecticut and jumped on public transportation.

Here are my favorite quotes from the conversation I had with three colleagues:

"I don't think vampires would do very well in space."

Q: "Do you feel like you're chillin' with your harem right now?"
A: "Yeah, my intellectual harem."

"Well, there aren't many Born Again Christians in Trenton, New Jersey."

What a great ride.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

2005-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

This book was a little strange for me. I liked it, but I sometimes thought the author was taking the easy way out. Some things didn't seem connected, didn't seem relevant . . . seemed like something I could have written myself. I tend to mistrust authors who write things I think I could have written. I worship authors who write things I wish I could have written.

The story is told from the perspective of an autistic boy. Actually he's supposedly writing the story. So the story is in the story. That's a little weird for me too. It is definitely an interesting perspective, and impossible to say if its authentic, but sometimes it really worked for me.

It's amazing though. All it takes to have book is a few threads of plot and a compelling narrator. I think I have it backwards!

Hats off to Rio

2005-04-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

P1010215
Originally uploaded by gardeniajoy.

Taken at the top of Sugarloaf. Nice view, huh?

Pre-rehearsal

2005-04-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

4 - 1
Originally uploaded by gardeniajoy.

Taking advantage of a chance to sit down ... one of my only chances that day.

Nice one, bro

2005-04-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

6 - 40
Originally uploaded by gardeniajoy.

Taking a break

2005-04-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

6 - 31
Originally uploaded by gardeniajoy.

Having danced my behind half off, I took a well deserved rest during the reception.

Going to the beach and they're gonna get married....

2005-04-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

I finally updated the website for my brother's wedding.

Unity and Flavia's Wedding in Buzios, Brazil