Happy New Year!!!

We celebrated Christmas in Montana - it was snowy, cozy, and overall amazing!  This snow couple appeared at the bonfire/sledding party.  At first they were shy and just tried to blend in.

After the snowmobile missed them by mere centimeters (more than once) they were convinced to show themselves more clearly.

Christmas cards are still in progress - but in the meantime - Happy New Year!!!!!

Pre-Holiday Rant

I am not immune to the aggravations of air travel, although most days I can be amused by fellow passengers and general airport absurdness.  There is also the excitement of going places that usually keeps my spirits up.  A few days ago I was flying on an unfamiliar airline with a boarding pass that assigned me to "Group 2".  Though mathematically "Group 2" should be near the front of the line, I suspected by the time I found my seat there would be no room for my carry-on bag.  It was an inconvenience but not the end of the world, and I was not ready to pay an additional fee to upgrade to "Group 1" (just to avoid the hassles of baggage claim).     

On a whim I re-printed my boarding pass at the airport and was re-assigned to “Priority Access”.  Yay!!!  Neither my bag nor I would not suffer from separation anxiety – and I joined the end of the security line with a sense of calm.  At the gate, the pre-boarding announcement was my clue to gather my stuff together.  The boarding process began and the categories were announced in the following order - one at a time…

•         First Class
•         Those Needing Extra Time
•         Those with Small Children
•         Those in the Military
•         Business Class
•          Elite Partners
•         Executive Members
•         Diamond Alliance
•         Platinum Members
•         Sapphire Alliance
•         Gold Members
•         Priority Access

 By this time they had run out of overhead bin room and were checking all carry-on bags.  I reluctantly took my place in the non-linear mob.  I can only assume “Group 1” was after “Priority Access”, but am seriously wondering who would pay extra for this dubious spot in line.  I would not be surprised if those in “Group 3” had to join their carry-on luggage in the baggage compartment.  Hopefully numbers have actual meaning in the cockpits.  (I may have discovered a reason for the November Navigation Troubles:)

Happily Travelling!!!! 

2014 Calendar Page

Introducing this year's Calendar Page...

Due to time constraints (seriously expected from a calendar page) and Phin's positive encouragement, this calendar page was done all electronically.  I have mixed feelings about this as the theme does lend itself to using actual glue, colored pencils, scissors and fun paper scraps.

Favorite Things

Instead of “whiskers on kittens” I would favor “paws without claws”.  Seriously, cat paws are one of my favorite things (even the term “paws” is fun for me to think about).  The paws and coming up with a name is almost enough to make me want to get a cat.  On the whole, however, cats make me uneasy, and I could never acquire one as a companion.  (Probably a good thing since I’m struggling to keep our two house plants alive and we have a fish-only pet policy.)  This does not stop me from dreaming up names such as Sassafrass, Purrrabola, and Mauers.  Perhaps the time has come to get a fictional cat – on a trial basis of course.

Hidden Amusements

It would not be surprizing to discover an octopus at mini-golf, but my imaginative coworker found this sad guy at a regular resort.  I don't know much about golfing, but I predict being trapped on the links would cause consternation for anyone.

No, it was not the sand that got him but the grading contours - perhaps the work of a mischievous engineer!

P.S.  Should I finish creating a fun coloring book from seemingly mundane engineering designs - or is this taking my amusement too far???

Midway through the Paleo Expedition

Hello from the Paleo Expedition where the journey has been an adventure.  Though technically not an official expedition (for one thing the crew did not include a specialized cook -major mistake, and for another we have not left the comforts of our North End home), the following experiences are in my mind comparable to a romantic voyage to parts unknown:   

Restaurant Void:  It is with mild astonishment that I have gone two whole weeks without any restaurant meals.  If this trend continues for the rest of the expedition, I will set a personal record for “not eating out”.  I think the last time I even came close was when I was still living with my parents (and not responsible for providing all of my own meals).  Even as a poor college student, I would buy the $5.00 Domino’s pizza that would set me up for a couple of days (although I’m not sure Domino’s fits under the “restaurant” category).

Sailing on the Five Cs:  I have had to restock my spice rack since cooking has taken over most of my free time.  It is strange that all of my recent purchases begin with C - Cinnamon, Curry, Chile Powder, Cumin, and Cayenne Pepper.  We have not experienced drastic amounts of sea-sickness, although a Curry/Carrot combination did not go over too well. 

Dangerous and Delicious Discovery:  I had vaguely heard of Jicama  and may have eaten it once or twice, but still thought of it as some kind of Jamaican Flower.  However, several sources in Paleo cookbooks called this vegetable a great potato substitute, so I casually chopped one up and placed it in a soup.  It was so yummy that after dinner I did some research on Jicama and learned the leaves and peel are poisonous.  When I casually mentioned my findings to Phin, he immediately began experiencing stomach pains.  I had some doubts on the carefulness of my chopping, so it was with great relief that after more investigation I was able to assure Phin I had not poisoned him.  His relief was short lived when I told him my reasons for knowing with such certainty - ingesting the peel is associated more with death than mild stomach pain.  I do plan to use Jicama more frequently in my cooking, although “Food Safety Phin” is now in charge of the chopping.  (A Jicama chainsaw that could also be used for pineapples would be a handy kitchen appliance.)

The Value of Adrenaline:  The first week was kind of a bummer with headaches, fatigue and general moodiness (I’m not saying who experienced what symptoms).  We discussed the probability that we could survive on a diet of meat, vegetables and fruits, but the fact that it was so difficult made it seem worth it.  We could tell our bodies were in the detox process and that made us eager to get over this phase and experience the benefits of healthy eating.   

Treasure Hunting:  Finding breakfast meats without sugar or soy products was much like a treasure hunt.  It was a happy moment when we discovered a small selection in Whole Foods.  This joy was tempered slightly when we realized we would have to embark on a different kind of treasure hunt to pay for this extremely valuable find, but savoring sausages made this a worthwhile splurge. 

In conclusion, we are surviving and not yet reduced to eating tuna fish out of a can (although in some ways that sounds easier).  I would love to send a postcard to all of you, but so far post offices seem scarce and carrier pigeons have long ago disappeared (bird seed is not encouraged here).  Suffice it to say, we are having a wonderful time and wish you were here. (Well the last part of that statement is true.)

A weekend conversation turned to a month's resolution!

P:  What do you want to do this weekend?

R:  Something fun and exciting.

P:  Can you give me ideas of what activities you would consider to be in that category?

R:  I’ve been waiting all summer to go to The Foreigner and it closes at the end of September.

P:  I hate to break it to you – but it is the middle of October!

R:  What????  Where did September go?  I can clearly remember August.  But what happened to September? 

P:  I don’t know what to tell you.

R:  We have to slow down time – this is getting crazy.

P:  And how do you propose to do that?

R:  Let’s make the next 30 days super slow – I think if we go on a Paleo Diet and I get up every morning at 6:00am the month will creep by!

And that is how I convinced Phin to go on a Paleo Diet with me.  I'll let you know how it worked to slow time down (and make us feel healthier) in 30 days!  At this time I cannot comment on my rash decision to get up at 6:00am everyday...

August in the Alps

Here are some highlights from our trip to the top of Europe (where sadly I did not master the yodel).

Views from the train had us all spellbound.

Mountains were filled with wildflowers including my favorite - the wild bluebells.

Cows in pastures near the top of the mountain made quite a ruckus with their big bells.  

One little cow was able to match the ruckus level without using a big bell.

Another outdoor dining experience with an amazing view. 

AHHHHHH!!!!!!

There is a website that analyzes your writing.  It compares the word choices and style of your sample piece to that of published authors.  Of course in the end you find out which author, according to the program's statistical analysis, your writing mostly resembles.  I was curious to see if my writing style would match any of the many authors who I admire and love to read.  Imagine my surprise, at this outcome....

I write like

To be fair, I have never actually read any of Stephen King's novel because I am a huge scaredy cat.  The level of horror I can handle is not much above finding out that I write like Stephen King - and even this news is bound to give me nightmares.

P.S.  After recovering from the shock, I had various other writing samples analyzed and never got the same author twice.  It made me feel much better because I don't think I would make it in the horror genre.  I once wrote about a troll and had a good friend review it.  He commented that my troll is never believably scary - and after reading my story I had to agree.  However, it was too frightening for me to create a scarier version.

35 and a Day

When I was younger, the day I reached "35 and a day" was going to be significant.  This was the day I was supposed to get married to a Tommy Lee Jones type of guy.  I was going to meet this guy the day before my birthday, and get married after a 3 day courtship.  I mostly dreamed up this plan so I wouldn't have to worry about dating nonsense for a long time (and I thought I would never be so old).  Also - just to be clear - I'm pretty sure my friend added the Tommy Lee Jones part, although I did love how he talked in movies.

Happily, I did reach this significant birthday and celebrated with an amazing weekend sans dramatic marital twists!  We escaped to a distant city and had a relaxing weekend.  A favorite moment was dinner on a patio with the most fantastic view I think I've ever experienced in restaurant dining.

So, according to my 18 year old self - I am now officially an adult.  This means I should seriously think about getting married (yay - already done), can stay up as late as I want, and eat an entire jar of black olives by myself - even when it is not Thanksgiving.  

Cozy Corners of the New Home

With temperatures consistently in the triple digit range, moving was a bit of a challenge, but also fun when applying a broad definition to that word.  To avoid the heat, we moved in the middle of the night, and I for one pretended it was a covert operation.  Once again, we were made to realize what great friends and family we have - our life is seriously blessed with amazing people!!!!

After a couple of chaotic weeks, the corners of our house are ready to be displayed.  The dining room is organized in a sense; all the stuff that was cluttering it up is now stashed in a closet for sorting at a later date.  But, we can now comfortably invite dinner guests over:)

One of the best features of this house is the claw-foot tub, which thanks to a master carpenter can now be enjoyed in solitude with a fully functioning bathroom door.  (Yes, it is the quirks of old houses which makes me enjoy them, but some modern conveniences like working locks are still necessities.)

This entry makes it easy for our non-committal friends to drop in and take a moment to decide if they dare continue.  The area also serves the shy who can sit and warm up before fully entering the conversations of the house.  (OK - I will probably be the one using this "warm up" area, but watch out for witty conversations after my rocking time!)

And finally, with much assistance from a master gardener, my lifelong dream of planting sunflower seeds has been realized.  It has yet to be seen if a totally different, yet not unrelated, goal of seeing sunflowers in my own backyard will also be realized - sadly the master gardener had to go home.

Overall, it has been fun to organize (using the broad definition again), and although they are clean and spider-free, we promise not to stick you in a corner if you happen to visit.   

Goodbye to Jump Rope Pl

Once again, it is time to revise your address books.  Thank goodness things like this are going digital since I probably long ago used up my allotted space.  (On a side note - I am having serious issues trying to remember my own new zip code -who said engineers were good with numbers?)

I was definitely losing the skip in my step while living at Jump Rope Place.  Despite the fun name, it was not the place for me.  It is so exciting that by putting my eavesdropping skills to good use, we have successfully escaped and found an amazing place to live.  In fact, if certain people (I believe you know who you are) would move to the City of Trees, I could see myself staying here long term - and yes, long term means at least a year!

Is it strange that I never noticed our garage doors were different colors until the photo was taken to sell the house?  It then started to bother me!!

 The other survivor - hopefully as happy as we are in the new home!

I do not eat jello or pudding, however, whenever I move there are always one or two packages in the back of my pantry.  How do they get there?  I always donate them to the food bank so I know I'm not just moving them from house to house...  Any information on this mystery would be appreciated!

We are now open for visitors - let us know if you are going to be in the area!!!

Beware of the Theoretical!!

On a recent road trip, Phin and I were asking each other theoretical questions.  The question I had to answer was, "Who would you like to be sitting next to in a plane crash?"  I'm afraid Phin freaked out when I said I wanted to be sitting next to him.  After a week of trying to explain that answer (which really has no explanation), he is still half convinced I want to murder him.  Not only do I wish I had answered differently to keep Phin's mind at ease, but I am also no longer convinced he would be a good plane crash companion.  I may have been mistaken about the calming presence I had envisioned him bringing to this scenario.  For our next road trip, I will make sure our Ipods contain hours of entertainment and continue my usual policy of never answering questions - theoretical or not.

Alternates for “Reasons to Get Married”

Based on updated experiences, the following are replacements to my original “Top 5 Reasons to get Married”.  These replacements match the tone of the original in that they do not represent the deep and philosophical.  Instead, they are small every-day items that contribute to a joyful marriage.  I had a hard time narrowing it down to two, so came up with alternates for each replacement.

#3a  Restaurant Menu Selection:  Phin and I have an agreement to switch plates halfway through our meal.  This is great for my love of options; I no longer have to narrow my choice to just one entrée.  (People do stare if you start ordering more than 1 meal for yourself at a time – even when you explain you like the left-overs).   

#3b :  Driving almost an entire year without filling the gas tank!!!!  Almost as good as having an electric car, is a husband who does not mind filling the tank.  This was never an enjoyable task for me, but the other day I was at the gas station and realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had to do this chore for myself.  (When using my credit card to pay for this fill-up, I forgot my zip code.  Apparently, living in a fantasy Emerald City is much easier when you don’t have to type in a Desert Kave zip code every week… but that is a different tale for another day.)    

#4a Someone to make phone calls for me:  I have always had a fear of phone calls.  Although I no longer have to bribe co-workers to make my appointments, talking on the phone still raises my heart rate.  I love having a designated phone caller in the family (that is not me) – and am enjoying the convenience of ordering take-out for the first time in my life.  

 #4b Night-time reminiscing of festive gatherings:  It is fun to come home after a dinner party and continue the merry-making by talking about our favorite moments.  It is even better, when after hosting a party ourselves; we tuck ourselves in for the night and give rave reviews of the evening.

For the official replacements, I'm leaning towards choosing 3a and 4b:)

Happily Married

I recently reviewed my top 5 reasons for getting married.  (“Top 5” may be a misnomer as the list does not plumb the deep psychological depths of my reasoning.)  After a year of testing, I wanted to see if my expectations were correct and what revisions I may need to make to the list.

#1 Human Alarm Clock:  I can recommend marriage on the basis of this reason alone!!!!  I love the fact that someone gets up before me and starts the day.  Not having the pressure to “start the day” I merely join the party and it makes the waking up much less painful.  There is also the satisfaction of getting to sleep longer while my poor husband has to get up at the crack of dawn and trudge to work.  I do feel bad for him, but it makes my wake up time seem easily achievableJ

#2 No more drooling on strangers when sleeping on planes:  Once again, this reason has exceeded expectations!!!!  The ark animals were on to something - all forms of travelling is so much easier when done in twos.  There are several factors that make this true, but it is great when your Human Alarm Clock can transform into the Human Travel PillowJ

#3 No more funny looks when I introduce my date (previously imaginary):  I should have known my days of receiving funny looks were not over.  The other day, I ordered dinner for myself and a missing husband.  The waiter believed me until I was still alone after completely polishing off my dinner, and starting on Phin’s – his tater tots were irresistible.

#4 Learning to crotchet:  My crocheting days seem to have come to an end – although the days of crotcheting sneak up on me unawares.  On a list today, this would no longer make the cut…

#5 Excuse to make Wedding Invites:  Worth having a huge celebration party for the process of invite creation!!!

In my next post – I will come up with alternatives to replace reason #3 and #4… 

Mapping

Mapping:  When actual travel gets too exhausting (or expensive), one blindly picks a location off of a map and creates a commentary based on real or imaginary knowledge.  (As an added bonus, this activity helps keep actual maps in circulation and saves them from extinction.)    

Pittsburgh has an unfortunate name.  There are probably some neighborhoods where one can escape the depths of despair by watching the Pirates or Steelers.  However, it's hard to deny that even Pittsburgh's sport franchises make it sound like a shady place. 

But then shady means giant elm trees and sipping ice-tea.  Is there anyone who doesn't like a good elm tree in the height of summer?  I guess if ice-tea is not your beverage of choice, you could try sampling (before immediately spitting) Wigle Whiskey.  This will improve your skills and prepare you for the upcoming season of Watermelon Seed Spitting Contests.  Despite some early misgivings, I found mapping in Pittsburgh to be a interesting, and perhaps worthy of an actual pit stop in future travels.

 

Missing Person Report

He is the type who casually disappears.  I like to think he waved a sad good-bye that no-one saw before his path diverged from mine.  But in any case, it was not too surprizing that when I turned around he was gone.  The real question was - how long ago did he depart?  Thinking back, it has been awhile since I remember a full interaction.  I know I saw glimpses of him last December, so it is a slight relief that the absence has not stretched to years.  Without him, life has a tendency toward mundane routine and it is with difficulty that sparkle moments are recognized. 

Whimsy, if you are reading this, please come back – I miss you! 

Banking Hours

I know they say that time starts flying the older we get, but this spring my time has been disappearing by the hour.  First - the usual daylight savings, whereby most people in the US lost an hour and some people (mentioning no names) were late for church.  Second - an oceanic crossing, whereby 7 hours disappeared as if by magic (don't worry I'm not complaining about a chance to travel even in sub-zero temperatures).  Third - a surprize second round  of daylight savings, whereby around 2:00am another hour went missing in Europe (thanks to a well-informed sister, trains were still caught!).   I am hoping these missing hours are banked somewhere and at some point when I need an extra long day I can make a withdrawal.  All this  confirms the fact that time is not a constant and I am just thankful that I haven't yet lost or misplaced 11 days.  

Congratulations!!

"He is out...going to sleep and will
call later.
love you"

This is seriously the best announcement
I have ever received - and I love you too!!!!

It's my Year to Win!!!

"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it."  Sadly I'm still wrestling and although it looks like it has the upper hand at the moment, I'm not giving up hope!!!!  I have exactly six months to match Elwood P.'s record :)

Happy Birthday!!!!!!