KatyDid, KatyDoes

i got friends in high places...

2010-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

the 27th floor of a condo building on the lower west side of manhattan, actually, just a few blocks from the stock exchange and the WTC site. here's the view from his spacious studio:

i'm incredibly lucky the view is so gorgeous since i'm tied to the computer all day today to finish my paper for london. i'm tempted to take another nap on the rooftop skydeck, though... the view there is even more impressive - you can see all the way south to the harbor and the hudson river as well as all the way north over "the pit" and towards the empire state building. i counted 15 cranes at work on the new tower and memorial site. last night, some friends went out to stone street (a cobblestone street with tables where traffic would be right in the heart of the financial district) and then watched fireworks from the roof. maybe practicing for the 4th of july? no one was sure, but i was overjoyed to see the show since i'll be gone in july.

this morning i ran along the river up into "highline park" (a park built onto an abandoned elevated rail line) and then over to terri, a restaurant that serves gluten-free wraps and sandwiches. delicious! on my long walk back, i worked my way through chelsea, greenwich village, soho and tribeca before walking through two churches just next to the WTC site: st.paul's chapel which is right across the street and was where people hung pictures and mementos of loved ones lost after september 11 and is the only colonial building left in new york - george washington prayed his inauguration. the place was crammed full of tourists walking through the building to see exhibits from the weeks after the attacks. i don't know why exactly, but it bothered me to see tour guides and people taking pictures. it seemed tacky somehow - like not the way you should treat a sacred space. trinity church, just down the street, has a Revolutionary War era cemetery and is where Alexander Hamilton (my historical crush) is buried. tonight, paul and his boyfriend prad are going to dinner with me at a pizza place that is totally gluten-free and then tomorrow i leave for london after a lunch stop in brooklyn to see zena.

there is so much to see and do in new york, but i've been grateful to have to rely on less touristy moments to get my fix while i work to get the paper done.

blessings in disguise

2010-06-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

i know there are lots of cliches about how people know they're getting older, but i've definitely been feeling one quite strongly lately and that is the joy of being home. i have always loved to travel and likely will always have at least a dash of wanderlust flowing through my veins, yet my tolerance for back-and-forth jostling-without-stopping has rapidly diminished in the past couple of years. commuting every week to chicago has no doubt contributed to this. though i was incredibly happy to have more time with windy city family and friends, sitting in rush hour traffic or inching past construction as the left side of my body burns into a "driver's side tan" is not really how i want to spend my days.

i'm never going to like that kind of commute. and i do definitely want to be home more than i am. but as my summer gears up (one international trip down, two to go), i want to remember about how seemingly frustrating and awful situations can sometimes be absolutely incredible blessings in disguises. and, even when they're not, isn't it better to have the hope that they will be?

take this story from my recent trip to toronto with friends to visit one of our buddies who just graduated and returned to her native land. we were out and about on our second night there - ate at a great restaurant, had a few delicious cocktails, and then got a ride home in a taxi where my wallet decided not to fall back into my purse but instead onto the cab's floor after supplying money for the fare. i had no idea this happened until i woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next morning to check email. a random man had sent me a message telling me he had found my wallet on the street and that he would leave it for me at his condo's front desk if it was mine. i couldn't believe it - his email had been sent not even a half hour after we had gotten home. i had no idea my wallet was even missing. convinced that it was a close call and nothing more, we enjoyed our day in the city and picked up the wallet after lunch. alas. though all of my bank cards and licenses and library cards and $5 coupons to tex tubb's were there, the $100 i had in a side pocket was gone. i got worried that whoever had taken it could easily have written down the numbers of my credit cards, so i called the banks and was relieved to find that no charges had been made to my account since the loss.

oh, but there had been many charges made in the week prior. many, many charges. for hotel rooms in san francisco. for $3000. that's three zeroes after that three. my bank has been amazing in filing a claim, reversing the charges, and starting an investigation so i'm not worried about getting the money back. i wasn't frustrated or even that angry about the theft (though i am a bit jealous - i've never been to san francisco and the hotels are way nicer than anything i would stay in). mostly, i am shocked and relieved and amazed and almost giddy about how serendipitous the whole event was. think about it: if i hadn't left my wallet in the cab and if some random drunk dude hadn't taken the cash in it before tossing it out and if some other more honest drunk dude hadn't picked it up to return to me and i hadn't called my bank, i wouldn't have figured out that i was being e-robbed 21st-century style until i was in london or kampala standing in front of an ATM wondering where all my money had gone and how the heck i was going to get anywhere. i found out exactly when i needed to so i could fix the problem without any trouble and have time to get all the cards replaced before my trip.

so thank you, drunk dude with my $100. what could have ruined my trip to toronto ended up saving my trips to london and uganda. there is a good life lesson there to remember as i'm sitting in traffic or, in the coming weeks, crammed into a stiff plane seat or grumpy about some inconvenience or discomfort or misfortune that comes my way. maybe that's another cliche about getting older - realizing that things aren't always what they seem. i'm not sure i've totally grown into that adage yet... even more than understanding that something bad might be good and vice versa, i still believe that things usually turn out great if you just wait long enough to see it through. i'd still rather see blessings than curses in disguise.

oh, lois

2010-05-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for awhile, but have had such a busy couple of months that my blog is in a rather sorry state of neglect. As of April 5, Lois the cat is no longer with us and I think a blog post in her honor is the least I can do.

I never had a pet before Lois. I don't think Shadow the cat counts, really, since he only lived with us for a couple of months before mysteriously leaving with my dad one day in a haze of scratched skin and broken ceiling panels. Mourn him we did not. But sweet, sweet Lois we do. Anyone who met her can attest that she was a very, very special creature. Will I miss the cat hair everywhere or cleaning the carpet after her rapidly increasing accidents or the funky odor I can't seem to get out of the corner of the room? No. Will I miss dropping a fat stack of cash at the vet's each month for unexpected medical bills and special gluten-free cat food? No. Will I miss not being able to have friends over because of their allergies? No. But I will miss the way she would jump up on the bed to snuggle at my feet every night and the way she would purposefully bump her head on the coffee table and the way she would always sit on the one sheet of paper I would need and the way she would come get me for bed about 10pm every night and the way she would wait patiently at the screen door for me to let her out so we could sit together in the sun.

More than anything, I learned from Lois that language is way overrated (funny thing to write in a blog, eh?). Here was this little being who loved me and who I loved yet we could never speak to each other (though I still catch myself saying goodbye to her when I leave the house). She knew me and I knew her without using any words. She comforted me and I comforted her without any talking. By having a relationship without any language, I learned to listen and to be patient and to not always need to analyze everything to death. I am a better person because of a cat. If that makes me a cat lady, so be it. She will be missed.

post 100 - better be a good one!

2010-05-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

And I think it is. Meet Evan.

He is my boyfriend and I adore him. We met last semester when I was his TA - he asked me on a date the minute after class ended and kept patiently asking me out until I finally wised up in mid-March. After officially dating for a couple of months, the vast majority of our pictures are with funny faces or dressed absurdly, which I think bodes well for us. This was taken a few weekends ago when we drove back home with Abbey for the ovarian cancer walk. We jammed more into a 20-hour trip than should be possible: sing-a-long birthday party with Kevin, Yvonne, Dad, and Karen at a piano bar (where Abbey stole the show in a breakout egg shaker performance)... 3 mile walk through Raccoon River Valley Park with Hendersons, Abbases (including Grandma Shirley), Ed & Su and my junior high school friend Mandy... brunch at Hy-Vee with the fam, Adam, Linda, Julia, Yvonne, and her mom... a tour of the city including Sec Taylor stadium and South of Grand... a stop by Karen's parents' house... a nap... a round of card games... and a grilled quesadilla dinner whipped up by a proud papa. Needless to say, he was a hit with everyone and a great sport about the whirlwind Des Moines experience.

He just left today for a 10-week stint in Uganda with a day layover in Dubai. He's on his way to student teach in Kasese, a town of about 50,000 people on the border of the DRC just south of Queen Victoria National Park. He is a great writer (funny, compassionate, insightful... all great qualities, yes?) and I recommend you follow along with his adventures at his blog:

http://peaceloveandpancakes.blogspot.com/

I actually have a plane ticket there myself to visit him after my summer class in London finishes. The more I think about it, the crazier it seems to go, but I will jump at any excuse for international travel. I also wanted to see for myself the people and places that will no doubt be a big part of his life. And I already miss him even though his flight left about 12 minutes ago.

take that, modernity!

2010-04-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

i was just talking with a friend about the rising rates of anxiety and depression and how i had heard a psychologist interviewed who claims that the problem isn't those people - it is actually a rational response to how messed up our society is and how much it encourages people to get busier and invest less in each other and think more about themselves.

luckily, my week has been filled with moments that were totally, purely joyful in the best possible sense. and they all had to do with being outside and being with people - just being. (we're not human doings, after all, we're human beings... or, if you ask ee cummings, human merely beings*). i got to sit on a beach and walk through the zoo and hang out at a park and have an awesome interview with a kid and it all feels so wholesome like a tall glass of ice water or freshly baked bread. sadly, there are many weeks when i spend more time watching TV or answering emails ... which ends up feeling like i just drank bacon grease or ate a dozen donuts. or both.

and then tonight, i got an email from one of my Janesville learners who lost her nephew in Haiti's earthquake. his name was Ben Larson and he was there working in a seminary and its orphanage. every article she has forwarded about him is amazing. this most recent one, however, moved me more than usual. i think it was because his idea was so simple and so loving and so grounded in bringing people of all different backgrounds together... what a legacy:

http://www.journalstar.com/news/local/article_16c96788-386c-11df-9fb8-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

how easy is that? take an hour and eat with people and talk with them and make soup and share it. get to know your neighbors. walk outside. sit on a bench. that is what spring is begging us to do.

*my favorite poem EVER

Par-tay!

2010-03-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

I realize that I haven't posted anything about my birthday party yet, which was ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY AMAZING and likely to be one of my favorite nights ever. Here is a play-by-play:

6:30 - Rush over to Brocach, the Irish pub where tons of family and friends from every part of my life are waiting for me (Mandy from junior high/high school, Ann and Erin from college, Garcias, Swalwells, Dad and Karen, Abbey and Eric, Bobby, etc.)... those poor servers had their hands full

8:00 - Head over to the basement of the Argus where my best friends have helped set up food and decorations... including posters Dad made of pictures from every year of my life - yes, even god-awful ugly pictures like the huge blue glasses I had or the costume that makes me look like a leopard / hot dog creature with a penchant for sequins. You don't want to see it.

8:30 - Start dancing (which doesn't really stop for another several hours) - the band (Tani Diakite & Co.) was a Malian blues band that knocked my socks off. Both Dad and Rob played djembe with them. I was totally impressed with my friends' energy and willingness to dance like nobody's watching. That's pretty much all I did all night... I could have talked with everyone who came, but I mostly just smiled, waved, and kept dancing. The only time I stopped was to hear my dad give an incredible toast to me and our family welcoming everyone (several people told me later that they called their dads that night to tell them they loved them) and to blow out my candles on the GF/DF cake that Abbey had made for me. Amazing.

10:00 - Talk several of my girlfriends out of leaving their boyfriends for Robert given his incredible charm and unbelievably delicious guacamole (said one of my friends the next day: "If I had to choose to go to your party again or sit in a closet and eat that guac, I'd choose the guac").

11:00 - Start an ill-fated drinking contest with Robert every time the band leader says "Thank you!" ... let's just say that whenever I heard some say "Thank you" during the next week, I tasted gin and tonic.

12:00ish - Pack up and head home after the band finishes its grand finale. Best part of the drive home is Eric getting pulled over and being issued a ticket. The streets of Madison were so much safer, let me tell you. I have no doubt in my mind that Eric was the most sober person driving in Madison that night. It was ridiculous. I'm mostly just impressed that Rob and I kept our mouths shut. Eric, of course, was a perfect gentleman to a very misguided traffic officer.

6 am - Realize how bad an idea it was to get involved in a drinking contest with Robert. I realized this on half hour intervals for awhile, actually.

8 am - Get up with Abbey, Eric, and Rob to go over to the hotel so we can say goodbye to Garcias, Swalwells, and my Dad and Karen... I think I should win some sort of award for being able to actually accomplish the movement needed to do this. It was slow going, but worth it.

10 am - Rob makes me a delicious breakfast, we nap, and then drive to Milwaukee so he can catch his plane with a quick stop at Jamerica for a snack. What an incredible weekend.

Everyone who couldn't be there was definitely there in spirit. And I'm pretty sure I'll hire this band again for my graduation party... though instead of drinking gin and tonics every time Tani says "Thank you", I think I'll just give high fives.

Spring Has Sprung!

2010-03-18T12:45:00.001-07:00

Aren't these pretty? The vase is from Karen - it's this cool ceramic pot with holes for each stem on the top. Red tulips are my favorite for it so far. I bought them to celebrate spring which has clearly sprung in Madison (I wore sandals and a cotton skirt yesterday! with no coat!) as well as to jazz the place up a bit since I have a roommate for March and April. Alice is from London and is a visiting scholar who needed a place to stay - since I'm hardly ever here, I offered her my spare room. Lois has welcomed her by peeing in several spots on the carpet, which is so generous of her. Sigh.

It's great having somebody else to come home to and cook dinners with. The accent is getting to me, though - I've started saying "Hiya!" in the morning like she does and reading everything I type with a British accent. It's weird, I'll be the first to admit. So far, it has shocked her how big all of our jars and cans of things are at the grocery store, how quick people are to abandon coats and shoes once the temperature breaks 50 degrees, and how Americans take doggy bags home with them from restaurants. Her favorite things about the US thus far, however, is reading the headlines on weather.com every morning: "Storm Shreds Northeast!", "Cyclone Slams Fuji!", "Temps Crash In Denver!" "They all sound like tag lines for horror movies," she remarked. She's right.

High Times In Evanston

2010-03-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've been very delayed in getting up any posts - whether as gratitude logs or just a general recap of what's been going on lately. This lack of documentation is mostly due to my Chicago routine: Monday teach in Madison, Tuesday morning drive to Evanston and take the train into the city, take the train into Lincoln Park Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, Friday night drive back to Madison ... and then do it all again with a few weekends in Janesville thrown in for good measure. Lots of singing to music and car dancing. And no speeding tickets... yet.

I actually like the commute and kind of appreciate having parallel lives in these two places. It's also been great to get a taste of living in Chicago... which I looooovvvve. I'm actually not too crazy about Evanston, but am open to that opinion changing as the weather gets nicer. I'm only a few blocks from the lake and can't wait for the spring thaw for walks and jogs along the shore.

Here are a few of the recent highlights:

There's a cupcakery just a few blocks from my research site that serves (drumroll, please) gluten and dairy free cupcakes. Are you kidding me? Yes, I will give you $3.50 to taste the most decadent, rich, unbelievably scrumptious goodness ever. And yes, I will walk as fast as I can to sneak one in between classes. Almost every day. I also just stumbled across a gluten-free cafe in Evanston with the best bread I've ever had (no sugar - agave syrup instead and sprouted gluten-free grains... so nourishing). I also treated myself to a carrot muffin AND devoured an entire piece of GF/dairy-free cheeesecake in the four minutes it took to drive back to my place. It was not my proudest moment, but one of my most delicious.

This is the view from the living room at the condo where I'm staying. It's truly breath-taking and every sunset has been better than the last. I need to stop taking pictures with my phone, though... the reflection of a huge digital clock doesn't really add to the aesthetics.

This is taken (from my phone camera... not too shabby!) on the L tracks near the Fullerton stop on the Purple Line. More than anything else about Chicago, I love taking public transportation. First of all, no nap is quite as good as a train nap for 15 minutes in the middle of the day. Secondly, trains are the best place ever for people watching. You just have to remember that you're being watched, too.

The Big 3-0

2010-02-13T16:57:00.001-08:00

I have been telling people I'm 30 for about 6 months because I was so excited, so February the 5th wasn't necessarily super-monumental. It was, however, still my birthday and I was missing my mom more than usual that day. On the early train ride into the city, a young man sat down next to me. He was adorable - picture Nick Cannon in a winter coat on the El.

I felt like he wanted to say something to me, but this is the rush hour commute. No one talks. They are professionals. He smiled at me, though, with the kindest eyes and asked about whether the purple line route would change in the upcoming budget cuts. We started to chat and he was incredibly warm and friendly. I learned about his job (investigating corruption charges for the Elections Board), his time in the military (a tour in Afghanistan), and his childhood (on the South side). We introduced ourselves and I told him that it was my favorite ride into the city yet. It wasn't until I was walking the block to the bus after we said goodbye that I realized it was the kind of heartwarming, genuine interaction my mom had with people all the time. As I got on the bus for the last leg of my commute, I smiled and got a little choked up thinking that maybe she had sent Darrell as a sign that she's with me on my birthday. As I thought this, I looked over and a school bus pulled up alongside us. The kids were laughing and singing and totally oblivious to the adults across from them. The one little girl across from me had a heart drawn into the dust of the window. I got a little choked up, but totally lost it as the bus pulled forward and one dust-heart became dozens (30, perhaps?) with the word "MOM" written smack-dab in the middle.

Yep. I cried on the city bus. And I cried about five more times that day just thinking about it and thinking about my wonderful mom who I miss so very much. As excited as I am to turn 30 (see ya, 20s) and as excited as I am for my birthday party next weekend, that day has become the day I mourn my mom the most... and that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when I have special moments like that.

Bye Bye, Naperville... Hello, Evanston!

2010-01-27T06:39:00.001-08:00

I had such a wonderful fall semester for many reasons... good times with Abbey and Eric, ridiculous dates with my little cousins (like the afternoon Gwen and I spent creating the ugliest possible Mii characters on the Wii),

and fairy tale-like nights in the city going to the best restaurants, plays, and sports events. Check out how gorgeous Union Station looked at Christmas during my last train ride home in 2009:

Now I'm in Evanston staying with a friend while I collect data from a school in the city. Yesterday was my first day and I was quite proud of myself for taking the purple line and making a connection with bus #22 to get from Northwestern all the way down to Lincoln Park. Let's hear it for public transit! (Though CTA is going to have to cut services basically in half because of budget cuts... ugh). So far, things are going great. My friend and I used to work together out east and we got along really well. I can't tell you how hard I laughed when I saw his baby picture in the living room:

Yep. That's him. How ridiculous is that picture??? The hair. The suit. The little strut. Seriously.

Here's to a new phase of the study and to keeping my eye on the dissertation prize! Stay focused!

Worst Days Have A Way of Bringing Out the Best

2010-01-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

You know when you have a day that you can't wait to end so you can just start fresh tomorrow? That is today for me. It could be worse. It could be much, much worse... but being sick in the wee hours of the morning (like shivers, cramps, needing to be in the bathroom for multiple reasons, etc.), then having romantic hopes challenged, then worrying that your cat might be dead (she's fine), then finding out your car battery has died and the hood is both broken and partially frozen shut is enough for one day, thank you very much.

However, at every step of the way, I encountered kindness and compassion: pulling back my hair and finding medicine and rubbing my back while I was sick, phone calls with supportive friends and soup from sister to listen to woes, buddies willing to go out of their way to check on Lois, and a neighbor and brother-in-law who stay outside in the freezing cold with a crowbar to jimmy open a broken latch. Thank you!!! Interactions with me today provided ample opportunity for karma bonus points.

Is that a silver lining, or what?

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

October??? Is that really the last time I posted? This blog started as a way to be grateful on a daily basis and evolved a bit to capture snippets of my life. It's amazing how the specifics of many fleeting moments are forgotten, but are what builds a life. Here are some of the highlights from '09...

COSTLIEST DAY
The costliest day of '08 was separated by the costliest day of '09 by only a few months and both involved automobiles. My Corolla needed repairs after I ran a stop sign and then, in March, I rented a car while in Seattle and got a rather pricey speeding ticket. Wince. I think I should do more walking this year.

CRAZIEST DAY
That would be a couple of months ago when I was able to hear Howard Zinn speak, then DROVE WITH HIM IN A CAR where I got to TALK TO HIM ABOUT MY RESEARCH and chit chat about much more interesting and important things like his family, visited Emma Goldman's grave with him and got personal stories from him about many of her permanent neighbors, stopped off at the coolest bookstore I've ever been in on the U of C's campus, then ate a fabulous gourmet dinner at a certain UIC education professor's house who became quite famous during the '08 Presidential campaign. And then a great date night at an Argentinian cafe where we ate large quantities of all kinds of meat and drank wine for hours. What. A. Day.

BEST DECISION
To stay in Madison for the summer. I used to love Madison, but this summer I fell in love with that amazing city. I'll probably gallavant again this summer a bit and move to Chicago sooner than later, but we'll always have the summer of '09, my dear City of the Lakes.

HIGHEST MOMENT
That would be on the top of Mt.Evans... about 15,000 feet? Am I making that up? Ahh, the sign says 14,000. Let's round up. Viva los Montadores! If I'm talking about pride, though, I would have to say becoming a dissertator. It's not even the academic, intellectual work that has been so challenging - it's definitely the paperwork and bureaucratic hoops.

LOWEST MOMENT
Literally, when I laid on the floor writhing in pain because of some mysterious shoulder injury that likely occurred because of typing up my prelims for hours in a row in a super uncomfortable chair. Thanks, grad school. Also, "lowest" as in "least proud" would probably be calling the TV station when The Bachelorette was interrupted by weather reports.

MOST INSPIRING PERSON
My little sister who kicks ass. There's no other way to say it. I have witnessed her commitment to fitness firsthand and am actually trying to live up to her example a bit. We'll see.

FAVORITE NEW TRADITION
This is a toss-up... I love the monthly dinners I've been having with three of the best girlfriends anyone could ask for. I also love the evolution of my family's Christmas traditions with the idea of a "theme". First year, gifts that start with the letter of the recipients' first names... second year, colors. This year was regions of the country. Dad and Karen got Maine-lobsters, Abbey got rainboots, and Eric got an LL Bean sweater (and a super fun new card game called "Moose in the House" - totally recommend it).

TOUGHEST GOODBYE
Not getting to see my family (the Swalwells East clan and the Chicago Hendersons) on a regular basis. Hopefully, it's just a temporary good-bye. Also tough was my friends Heather, Dave, Alexa, and Ana Maria moving away. One of the bummers of Madison is that people are always leaving (but new people are always coming, too). Oh, and dairy. Bye, dairy.

The most recent This American Life episode was about predictions for the new year - things we know for sure will happen. I'm not sure there are any clear moments coming up... my Janesville learning community will graduate and my data collection will be done. Aside from that, I know that I will be surrounded by amazing family and friends. Nice to meet you, 2010!

I Am Officially Addicted to Coffee

2009-10-14T15:26:00.001-07:00

One small soy latte a day. That will be my max. And if I can help it, I will only have one every other day. But I do love them... oh, so much.

I saw the name of this locally brewed coffee ("Punch in the Face" - see the top left?) and chuckled about it all day. It's a punch in the face I love. A love pat, really.

Carl's Visit

2009-10-07T07:52:00.001-07:00

It was such a treat to get to see Carl on his too-quick visit to Chicago last week. As always, we had great Deep Talks about politics and economics and morality... you know, just a quick pre-dinner chat. Eric and Abbey took us to a deep dish pizza place (Lou something-or-other's) where I was able to feast on a gluten-free pizza with a sausage crust. That's right... the entire crust was mashed up sausage. Needless to say, I couldn't eat it all and the leftovers became a skillet for four people the next morning.

Good thing I had Lactaid pills to help me digest the cheese... or are those leprechaun condoms? (I think Abbey asked that).

Field Trips

2009-10-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a whirlwind few weeks in the crazy back-and-forth between Madison and Chicago (hopefully home to the 2016 Olympics since that means a high-speed rail will be built to Madison for the events that will be held here - oh, yeah). I have now been on two amazing field trips with the class I'm studying for my research... it's hard to stay focused on my question when I'm enjoying the trip as much as the kids.

We kayaked down the Chicago River from Addison to Chinatown (8 miles through the heart of the city).

We also visited the famous Heartland Cafe (and organic rooftop garden) home to lefty community and political organizing from the 1960s to today, Women and Children First bookstore (one of the last remaining feminist bookstores in the country), Graceland Cemetery (where many of Chicago's most powerful residents are buried), and Hull House - Jane Addams is my new heroine.

If I could run field trips for the rest of my life, I would be so happy.

Nutritious and ... Disgusting

2009-09-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

I dare you to guess what this is:

Macaroni and cheese, you say? Penne pasta with a light cream sauce?

Oh, no. Not for this gluten and (after a visit to my doctor this summer) dairy-free girl. Here is the box this blasted meal came from:

That's right. Chreese. It was so foul. I barely managed to eat one bowl. If you wondered what cheese made from ground rice and lentils tastes like, I'll clue you in: like ground rice and lentils. And shoedust.

Chicago-Bound

2009-09-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

I started my weekly commute to Naperville a few weeks ago and have loved staying with my sis and brother-in-law. I've also started weekly one-on-one dates with my cousins. This week, Sean was the lucky winner of time with me. We walked downtown and got an ice cream and a latte and fed the ducks at the riverwalk. We also named them: Frumpy, Captain, Emperor, Fuzzy Wuzzy, and Cinnamon. We stopped by the bookstore where Sean entertained himself on the escalators and then snuck into the new auditorium with a beautiful new stage. Someday, Sean will be a world famous Irish flute/piano/violin player. It was a lovely afternoon that felt like it had been ripped from one of those Family Circus comic strips showing the loopy path kids take whenever they go anywhere. I loved it.

Victory Tastes So Sweet

2009-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

My pops came to visit a couple of weeks ago and it was one of my favorite ever weekends with him. We were lucky to have an extra day on each end of the visit which gave us more time to relax, play farkle, take friends sailing on the hobie cat, and spontaneously stop by a putt-putt course where I defeated my father for the first time with a dazzling, last minute hole-in-one on #17. Oh, yes. Victory tastes so sweet.

I couldn't find my ball because I couldn't believe it would be in the hole. No joke.

Overall, he was an excellent sport.

On the Street

2009-09-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Before the undergrads came back to campus, it was easy to wander from the parking ramp to my building and notice little things that tickled my fancy. Now, it's too tempting to people watch and I doubt I would have seen these gems.

A determined petunia growing up through the cracks in the concrete:

Evidence of a frustrated (and perhaps a bit melodramatic) skateboarder in need of a spelling lesson:

It's Raining, It's Pouring

2009-08-09T21:05:00.001-07:00

I love thunderstorms. We've had a few good ones in the last couple of weeks and I love the thrill of thunder claps and lightning strikes and hearing that gush of wind and water. It gets my heart racing and makes me want to cuddle up under the covers even more than usual. Before I went to bed tonight, however, I wanted to make sure there weren't any more serious warnings out, so I checked weather.com and found this note which I found to be almost quaint - as if it were written by a kindergarten teacher in the 1950s.

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE BRANCHES AND A TREE OR TWO TO BE BLOWN DOWN... AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.

A Motley Crew

2009-08-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

To those of you who are mothers, God bless you. I just got back from a shift at the restaurant after a weekend with my cousins from Chicago and I am beat. We had a blast and they are great, but six people (three cousins ages 7,9, and 12, an aunt, and an uncle) is a huge crew to have shoved in a two-bedroom apartment for 24 hours. Three kids are quite a handful after living by yourself with a cat for years (a cat who apparently peed on my futon... a futon that is , by the way, now in the dumpster).

Though I am barely awake now, we did have tons of fun this weekend... while Ron and Ann were sweating their tails off at an outdoor wedding, we escaped the 90+ heat at the water park down the block from me. Our favorite was this windmill-like contraption that would fill up with water and then dump a huge bucket on (un)suspecting victims below.

I didn't think there would be much to do at my house, but Sean and Gwen showed off their piano skills immediately and thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with the sounds and rhythms of the keyboard. They also loved finding Lois and trying to pet her - she actually came out from under the bed for awhile this morning. We also ate a huge gutbuster breakfast at Mickie's Dairy Bar, went to the Vilas Zoo in Madison where we saw a Wild Pig Boy (aka Grant). And though the movie wasn't anything I would rave about, we did see G-Force in 3-D which scored us free "old man" glasses.

My favorite part of the weekend involved sniffing candles in the aisles at Walgreens - before we discovered the cat pee, I knew I had an odor I needed to attack any way I knew how. I wanted to buy Febreze, candles, Glade Plug-ins - whatever I could since I couldn't uncover the root of the smell. The kids helped me sniff all of the candles and we started laughing so hard we could barely hold the glass containers... let's just say Walgreens does not specialize in fragrance. One particularly awful candle smelled just like baby wipes. Baby wipes.

I also loved Gwen's random and completely sincere thoughts... a few of my favorites:

"Do I have to wear shoes?" (before we went into the movie theater... she had not worn shoes in the car. luckily, i had an old pair of flip flops in the backseat that she threw on. they were a woman's size 8.)

"Windows down, baby!" (on the way home from the movie theater when it was scorching hot)

"I love the name Frank." (when choosing a proper noun for a MadLibs game)

"So I think I'll just go to college in China, but I won't have any idea what anybody is saying." (when asking questions about how college works)

"Oh, I can use this rubber band!" (picking a rubber band off the sidewalk in front of the capitol building on the way to drop off her parents' keys at the wedding reception)

A Glimpse of Madison

2009-08-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

I really have fallen in love with my city this summer... not just because it's beautiful, though that is certainly one of the reasons. Here are a few of the classic Madison vistas I caught on my cell phone camera in the last couple of weeks.

Lake Mendota, as seen from James Madison Park. I was driving home from a friend's and had nowhere else to go, so I pulled over and laid on the grass and took a little catnap. It was a gorgeous day - breezy and warm and just all-around lovely.

The view from my hostess post... the sunset that night was particularly spectacular. It's so pretty that people often gasp when they first come upon the view. If you have to stand somewhere for 7 hours, it might as well be in a place like this.

I love this picture because it captures two of Madison's characteristics at the same time. In the sideview mirror: many of Madison's major streets are under construction which slows drive time down considerably... as do the semi-frequent protests (driver's side window), like this one demanding health care reform. Hundreds of people (all ages, colors, and sizes) marched from campus to the capitol playing music and waving signs. I was happy to stop for them and wished I had known so I could march with them.

Summer Classes

2009-07-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

When I decided to stay home this summer and enjoy Madison, I knew I would have to schedule myself a bit so that I could avoid the pajamas-all-day-malaise that seemed to set in once I was done with coursework this spring. A climbing gym in town offers classes I could never take before because of scheduling conflicts - sign me up! The university extension classes (aka community ed) offers African dance, which I've always wanted to learn - sign me up! Tonight marks the last of my climbing classes.

I've passed my belay exam and now know how to tie myself to a harness and how to scramble up (only the easiest of) routes. Love it. Isn't it a great gym? The floor is made of 12" thick foam - super fun to walk on. Next Wednesday is our dance class' recital when we will perform "sinte" to live drumming. I'm really going to miss coming together with the girls every week and hearing Mandjou's awesome djembe playing. That's him in the back of this video - our dancing is not this complicated (yet!), but I definitely recognize some of the moves.

One of the lessons I've learned this summer is to keep learning - to keep doing things I'm not good at it (being that one of the things I'm not good at is not being good at things ... so frustrating!). I definitely want to learn more skills, too, and not rely just on getting good at writing paragraphs that no one will read or engaging in esoteric debate. Bo-ring. I want real skills - how to tie a knot or how to do a dance step, for instance. Next up: quilting and sushi-making.

Cindy Bag

2009-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I try not to go to this grocery store that's next to a Target and an Old Navy because I'm always so tempted to go in and "just look around" which turns into a $100 purchase of new clothes or random crap. Yesterday, however, at least my splurging brought me into neighborly connection with a stranger. I was browsing the bags and kept fondling this adorable dark purple purse that would be a great size for hauling stuff back and forth to Chicago. It was buy one/get one half off, but I didn't really need two. Cue Cindy, random middle-aged lady wearing a hot pink shirt, huge white hoop earrings, and white platform sandals - a look she managed to pull off with style. She gave me a look and said, "Are you in?" and we both started laughing. Up to the counter we went, her with the brown version and me with my purple. She agreed to call it her Katy Purse and I told her I would forever know it as my Cindy bag. Thanks for the extra $8.97, Cindy!

The Cindy Bag (pretty cute, huh?)

The Grand Finale

2009-07-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

The best part of watching The Bachelorette finale last night was not that Ed won Jillian's heart (they strike me as an adorable pair), or that Reid got to speak his mind (oh, what a catch he is!), or that Kipper got his heart semi-broken (he'll be over it in a week), or that my friends and I finished a tray of gluten-free brownies and two bottles of wine... no, my favorite part last night was the storm watch broadcast interruption that delayed the start of the program. It lasted almost a half an hour and I wish someone had recorded our jeers and tauntings venomously tossed at the poor meteorologist who, no joke, kept repeating that "this is a life or death situation - please be patient with us, all you Bachelorette viewers." It was a tornado warning for a county at the very edge of the viewing population. We were not amused. Whatever happened to just scrolling a warning across the bottom of the screen? We first called my sister to see if she could set up her computer to Skype or Gmail video-chat the program to us, but she did not answer. We then called the station several times, finally got through, and demanded to know if the start of the show would be delayed or just cut in. To our relief, it was simply delayed. More time for brownies and wine.

So You Think You Can ... Cry?

2009-07-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

My favorite TV show right now is "So You Think You Can Dance". It is so consistently entertaining and such a celebration of gifted people being creatively challenged. I love it. Last night, however, was really special. Two of my favorite dancers were choreographed to the song "Women's Work" which always tears me up. Add to that the fact the dance was about a woman with cancer... I was a crying mess. But how beautiful. Please watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_TCK5OCgss

Stop and Smell the Roses... and Taste the Honey

2009-07-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Joyce and Abbey came to visit. Both brought me hostess gifts including these beautiful roses to which we added carrot greens after buying a bunch that got grated up for lunch of peanut Thai salad with noodles. What a gorgeous site every morning when I get up to check email.

After their visit, I worked a shift at the restaurant. When it's slow like it was that night, the chefs like to spoil the front-of-house staff by trying out new dishes and letting us taste new ingredients. They made us tartlets, steak fajitas, bruleed pears, and scallops ... and then brought up the honey comb the head chef purchased at the farmers' market that morning. You just stick in the spoon and savor the sweetness and pull out the wax after sucking off all the honey. The next taste test was "spun honey" which is old honey that has crystallized and then been whipped with new honey. It looked like white butter and tasted like it, too. So. Delicious.

Bargains!

2009-07-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Alexa and I had a garage sale last weekend. She made $700, I made $70 (but they are a family of four who are moving and I am but one who is staying). My favorite item for sale which did not sell was this pair of shoes that her husband bought for a joke. Yes, he marked them at $20.

Her daughter was such a charmer the whole weekend. She kept putting on clothes her mom had laid out to sell - including this hat and, later, a snow suit she wore on her head with the hood.

The running joke was that we ended up with more stuff by trading with each other. From Alexa, I got two books, a big wooden salad bowl, an old tent, and these cute shoes that mostly fit.

Aside from garage sale bargains, we also gave brief history lessons as people came into the old squash court wondering what kind of room it was. Their house (more like a cottage) was the game lodge of the old estate - very charming, but not intended to be a permanent residence. They are happy to be moving away from the mice, for example. I still love it.

Gratitude

2009-06-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

As I was reading in bed tonight, I came across this Sufi poem by Shabistiri:

To enter this garden,

see with your heart's eyes and

gaze gently on these blossoms.

All your doubts will fade away.

Don't look for mistakes:

The roses may turn into thorns.

Ingratitude reveals ignorance,

and the friends of truth are truly thankful.

It was a good reminder for me of why I started this blog and why it was initially important for me to post something every day - not to explain my comings and goings, but to be explicitly and consciously grateful at least once every day. It was worth crawling out of bed to post this.

SO. Today I am grateful for many things, but I am most grateful for the tough love of my sister and for enjoying the Union Terrace's live music and fireworks after dusk on a breezy summer night with a few friends.

Local Color

2009-06-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

There is a family-owned strawberry patch a few miles out of town in the bucolic Wisconsin countryside. I've never been (because I've always been out of town in the summer) and asked my friend Alexa to join me with her kids. We had such a great time - it was so beautiful, the strawberries were so delicious (Normandie could not stop eating them!), and the family could not have been sweeter. It was Liam's idea to take a picture making funny faces when we had picked our fill of berries.

I've been enjoying lots of Madison's local gems lately that truly come alive in the summer. I sat on the Terrace last week listening to music with my friends while the sun set behind the lake, strolled through the farmers' market on the Square and wandered up and down State Street listening to live music. The best band I've ever heard there was playing this weekend - I heard them on my way to the wedding and took their card, then saw them again on the way to work Sunday afternoon. I invited them up to the restaurant for a free dessert and had a great chat with them when they arrived. They're from North Carolina and were fantastic (their name is Speedsquare) and so grateful for the dessert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOgEB3KEdMk

(that street in Sedona looks awfully familiar, doesn't it? :)

Cuzfest, Here We Come!

2009-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun with JibJab (and procrastinating dissertation preparation). There weren't enough video options to fit in everyone without subscribing, so I just grabbed the first pictures I could find of the minis, cousins, and the grands. It all started when I realized they had a breakdancing video... Nicholas has been wanting to learn how to "hip hop dance" and I cracked up when I saw the finished product:

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/rjiDrMaLJaG6SpzS

Then I found a great picture of my sister that I thought would make for a good river dance.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/vgn2six53jx5AueP

Grandma and Grandpa are quite flexible for their age, so this seemed appropriate.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/2pVk2FeyojAaR71z

And this is the grand finale. Oh, Robert's dance face.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/cQYnfTt9XyVOOMJj

6.22.2009: Random Thoughts

2009-06-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

A few pics from the last few weeks...

It has been spring-snowing (aka cottonwood shedding) and there have been drifts blowing all through our courtyard and parking lot. I admit to sticking in my hands and tossing big blustery puffs in the air a few times. Can't help myself.

I've been meeting with my UW-L students this week and last. They have been long days, but ultimately very pleasant, especially the day Jane and I spent at a coffeeshop in Janesville with this charming deck that made me feel like I was in the mountains.

I saw this sign at the grocery store yesterday and couldn't stop laughing. I have a weird habit of pronouncing the words on signs in the voices I think correspond with the font. This is clearly meant to be said in a loud Broadway-style voice complete with jazz hands. Yes, I actually said it that way. Out loud. At the grocery store. The elderly produce man laughed.

6.20.2009: Weddings!

2009-06-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Wedding in Madison...

I celebrated with Sarah and Taylor, my friends from the restaurant world, last night at a lovely reception at the Overture Center. It was unseasonably hot and humid on the rooftop of the art museum for their ceremony, but me and my "fake" date Dave survived (Dave and Heather are good friends of mine who just got engaged - Heather has moved to Seattle with Dave to follow shortly and, since I am once again date-less, he graciously agreed to be my escort). Women may have to shave their legs and buy tampons and put on makeup, etc. etc. etc., but we don't have to wear suits outside in the summer. I think we win.

Wedding in Chattanooga...

And a few weeks ago, my best friend Kate and I met up in Atlanta for the wedding weekend of our good friend Amy. It was a fantastic trip kicked off by renting a car at Enterprise a few days after someone had driven through their plate glass windows. "We had to run for our lives," drawled the desk clerk. Apparently, a mom had screaming kids in the back and floored it instead of hitting the brakes. She totaled a car in the parking lot, totaled the car they were in, crashed through two plate glass windows, rubber-burned tire tracks on the carpet and crashed through two offices in the back. No one was hurt, but the family did want to rent another car. Needless to say, they were denied. We managed to get to Chattanooga and back without a scratch. I had never been to Tennessee before and was really impressed with the charm and friendliness of Chattnooga (perhaps a future Cuzfest locale?).

It was a gorgeous day on top of Lookout Mountain. The ceremony was in the yard of Ben's parents' neighbors and my friend Amy could not have looked cuter if she tried. Check out those emerald green peep-toed pumps!

The reception was at "Fairyland" country club in this old castle-like building hanging off the

side of the mountain. We could see seven states from the pool deck... or at least we could before the party started. Then it got dark and there was an open bar, so no one was seeing much of anything after awhile. They had an amazing band and tons of fun friends from all over the country. It was the most fun reception I've been to in a long time (probably since Kate's wedding this past December in DC, actually... see pics below - another great band, another beautiful location in the heart of DC, more great people. I have really lucked out with amazing friends marrying wonderful people ... and throwing great parties).

We spent the next day lounging around on the rooftop's pool and doing the New York Times crossword. It was a perfectly lovely weekend, but it was very hard to come home. There is at least one more wedding this fall for a friend from high school and then I think the baby showers will pick up speed.

Wedding in DC...

Kate and Brian were high school friends who met up again after they had moved to Colorado a few years ago. He couldn't love her more if he tried and they are two of the happiest people I know. Their wedding was at Brian's high school's church in downtown DC and the reception was at a hotel near the Mall with a fantastic Irish pub where we all went every night before bed. I love Kate's family and have known her for years since our first summer at Choate. It was absolutely beautiful and so fun to celebrate with such fantastic people.

The church where they were married - so beautiful!

The row houses where I stayed with my friends from Choate who got married a couple of years ago, are lawyers in DC, and are now expecting a little girl.

Me and Mitch, the nephew of the

groom who became the best man when Brian's

brother got sick. His toast brought the house down - one of the best I've ever heard.

The morning after the wedding a bunch of Kate and Brian's friends snuck away with the happy couple and had breakfast before taking a walk on the Mall and visiting the Native American museum. Everything was within walking distance, including the gorgeous church where they were married.

4.1.2009: Taken for Granted

2009-04-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

There are so many little aspects of my day that I take for granted... yesterday, for instance, I received world-class health care for free during a regular check-up, drove around town in a car I trust to keep going and keep me safe, typed on my wireless laptop while listening to the music I wanted to listen to through my headphones, and ate at a restaurant and a coffeeshop without worrying about how to pay for it. I spent time with several good people who care about me (and vice versa). I slept in a comfortable bed and turned on the heat because I was cold. Nothing spectacular happened - that was a normal day for me. There are times I wonder how I got to be so lucky that a day like that is normal... how many people in the world don't have what I simply take for granted? How different of a person would I be if those things were gone? Deep thoughts.

On a lighter note, I have a good joke. I can never remember jokes, but this is one that I told Will weeks ago and then he told me back yesterday and I laughed just as hard.

What are the two sexiest animals on the farm?

Brown chicken, brown cow.
(said, of course, a la "bow chicka bow wow" sexy music-style). Did you at least giggle?

3.29.2009: Catching Up

2009-03-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

i'll try to get back into a daily posting cycle... no, who am i kidding? i probably won't. but i do want to be more regular about it. for instance, i found a couple of pictures i took this month with my cell phone and had such pleasant memories from them...

the first one is from the union terrace - every once in awhile, local artists put up a sculpture that makes it look like the statue of liberty froze in lake mendota. our city has a great sense of humor and great public art. the snow and ice have melted in the last few weeks, the lakes are now lapping at the shores again, and the statue of liberty is gone. though several inches of snow fell this weekend, it is almost all melted. i love spring! without sounding cheesy, it's amazing how our earth can regenerate itself every season.

the second pic is from the hotel washington coffee shop on the shore of lake monona. it is one of my favorite places in the city - a coffeeshop/yarn and homemade soap store. it has such a great vibe and is filled with grad students studying and middle-aged moms chatting about their teenage kids. so relaxing... and productive.

today's best moments were with will. we ate a huge, disgusting egg and cheese scrambler (will's had gravy - this was seriously a gutbuster) at mickey's dairy bar while working on the ny times crossword puzzle - his first ever, and he was a natural. we had planned to break away on our own to get schoolwork done after brunch, but got addicted to the puzzle for the next several hours and almost finished it. what a wonderful sunday.

3.24.2009: go west, young woman!

2009-03-24T08:12:00.001-07:00

My spring break trip was lovely and I finally have a few minutes to update my blog (and lots to talk about!). I traveled with friends Jess and Heather to Seattle last Monday where we crashed with several friends at the apartment of former colleagues from the steakhouse where I worked when I first moved to Madison. Their apartment is at the bottom of Queen Anne's gorgeous hilly neighborhood with a view of the bay and the Seattle Post-Intelligence building whose lit and rotating sign was hypnotic.

the paper's last day in print, the Pike Place Market fruit stand... gorgeous! driving through Queen Anne for a photo shoot

the view from their rooftop

We shopped till we dropped (I bought a sundress, yellow and purple pumps, and bluish green cowboy boots... no regrets, but strange purchases indeed). We also ate till we dropped... some of the BEST food I've had in ages. We feasted at both Brianna's and Catherine's places of work (Zoe and Lola), little bistros, and homemade dinners with fresh seafood purchased at Pike's Market.

chicken terrine with mustard, sea salted almonds and homemade yogurt, 4 lbs of fresh salmon, and squid kebabs with greek salad

On our last night in town, we visited a park converted from an old oil refinery called "The Gasworks". The hill is super steep and proved challenging to walk up in the pitch black after a wet day - but, oh, the view. I'm the only one of this group of friends who won't be living in Seattle by the summer, but that just means I have seven reasons to go back and visit!

climbing up the hill at the Gasworks... we made it!

the view was definitely worth it!

3.23.2009: family time

2009-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of spring break was hanging out with the Sanders West kids (as opposed to the Sanders East three, the Halpin Hunks, or the King Crowd). The state troopers in Olympia welcomed me on the way down as I was cruising at 75 mph in a 60 zone driving a rented, red Pathfinder. It was definitely worth $93 to meet them. I got an even warmer (and cheaper) welcome from Ava and Henry!

The weather was so gorgeous that I took the elder two on a walk to the park before Carl's cedar plank-grilled salmon dinner. On the way there, Ava braved a chat with a "cary dog" she could see through a hole in the fence (cary dog = scary dog - click here for video) and Henry took some really great creative photos.

We also danced to songs with questionable "booty-banging" lyrics (click here for video) and learned to skip (click here for video). I got to meet Elyse, too, which was a highlight.
What a sweetpea!!

Libby, as always, was a gracious hostess and took the gang to the riverside park before I left. We rode the carousel, walked to the big globe (check out Ava's little hands in her see-through pockets!), and headed back home as Henry very gently helped Elyse snuggle into her car seat. He is quite the hero to his two little sisters.

The kids were great and, of course, hilarious. Ava cracked me up by asking to sip my wine at dinner - I told her no, but that she could smell it. She took a deep whiff and, in response to my asking her "What do you think?" said in a low, husky voice, "I loovve it." Henry loved measuring himself compared to the chalk-drawn measured fish from his guidebook (and Ava joined in, too). Would you believe that it takes 6 Henrys to make one shark?

All in all, a great but quick visit.

3.6.2009: Gorgeous Weather

2009-03-06T17:33:00.001-08:00

What a fantastic night of sleep - cozy under the covers after sweet dreams with a warm but brisk breeze blowing through the open windows. Come, spring, come! We've been waiting for you!

3.5.2009: DMV

2009-03-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I had to renew my license today which meant sitting for two hours at the DMV. I brought articles and got more reading done than I have all week (maybe I should renew it more often). I was grateful, however, for the fact that I live a quick five minutes from the DMV office. I couldn't imagine having to drive from another part of the county to wait in line for two hours and then drive home. Yuck. I've had lots of good times at the DMV (as weird as that may sound), but my favorite story is going to get my first license with my mom and sister. I fell asleep on my mom's lap waiting for my number to be called (providing yet more evidence that I can, in fact, fall asleep anywhere). Once it was my turn, I jumped up and got my picture taken - with the imprint of my mom's woven Sak purse all over my face. Classy. I also once sat in the DMV all day practicing taking field notes and somehow missed the one-armed, mulleted man shouting out people's names for their pictures. Yeah. I'm not cut out for research. Speaking of research... miracle email today from a potential participant. I was so relieved and excited. CANNOT WAIT for this dissertation to be over and it's just starting. Sigh. (Contented sigh this time instead of freaked-out-stressed-to-the-max sigh).

3.4.2009: Impromptu Dinner

2009-03-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

As much as their pervasive presence drives me crazy sometimes, I am grateful for cell phones' ability to increase the potential for spontaneous get-togethers. Wednesday night, for instance, I was in the office and hungry and missing a couple of friends I hadn't seen in awhile. Ring, ring. Hello? Hello! Want to do dinner? Yes - we're at school and will pick you up on our way to Trader Joe's. Yes! Done. Not only did I get a ride home without having to wait for the bus, but I had a great time over pasta and homemade meatballs when I otherwise would have had frozen waffles and leftover rice. Thanks, cell phone.

3.3.2009: Girl Talk

2009-03-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

There's just nothing like good girlfriends. I don't know if guys have an equivalent, or if they even need one, but I love having a network of girls to go to for advice or support or laughs. Tuesday morning started with an early coffee with a dear friend who just found out that a monumental struggle in her family's life was over - her husband got a fellowship in DC and they are moving. They have both been in grad school and had two babies and she has been working three jobs, so the idea of having a stable income and time for her dissertation brought us both to tears. We had such a great talk about love and marriage and our own hopes and dreams. How lucky I am to have a friend like that. And she's not the only one. Holy smokes, I am blessed.

3.2.2009: Compliments From A Stranger

2009-03-02T20:53:00.001-08:00

I just got an email from a TA who I don't know saying that she overheard two students talking about my class and singing its praises. What a way to start the week! (And I wonder if she would have emailed me if they had been cursing my name :).

3.1.2009: New Friends

2009-03-02T20:50:00.001-08:00

After a morning flight and afternoon nap, Will and I met up with friends of his for a couple of drinks at my favorite pub in Madison and had the best time. I knew them both from before in convoluted ways and had wanted to hang out more - we all laughed so hard and had so much fun that we decided to make it a regular Sunday night thing. When, oh when, am I ever going to work on my prelims? For better or worse, I don't really care - this is what life is all about and those darn questions will get done at some point.

2.28.2009: Presenting...

2009-03-02T20:48:00.001-08:00

Our presentation went well, though it was the very last session at the very end of the very last day so you can imagine how fired up and attentive our audience was. We shared the billing with two other papers, one that was quite interesting and one that was totally odd. By the end of the weekend, I didn't really care... it doesn't take long for me to be conferenced out. I'm grateful that I'm only signed up for two of these suckers this year.

2.27.2009: Philly's Finest

2009-03-02T20:38:00.001-08:00

After chivalrously getting dropped off at the airport at the crack of dawn, I napped all the way to Philly to gear up for a weekend at the Ethnography Forum. My paper partners were on board with skipping Friday's sessions to enjoy an afternoon at the Anthropology Museum (fascinating!) and a tour of Philly from a hometown friend (Liberty Bell! Independence Hall! sprawling oil refineries!). I decided at the last minute to go and was glad that I did.

photos of Philly and Min, one of my co-presenters

2.26.2009: Ladies' Night

2009-03-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

A bunch of girls from school decided to meet up for happy hour at Genna's on Thursday for a couple of drinks. It was rainy and gray and I decided to head over there early to see if I couldn't get some studying done. Luckily, the bartender dug up some tea for me and got quite a bit of work done as I sat amidst a sea of bikers who descended on the capitol to lobby for cycle laws. At 4, my friends arrived and the tea turned to hot toddies. It was a great afternoon that finished up with Will stopping by to hang out for a bit. It was quite a cozy way to spend an oddly rainy winter afternoon.

2.25.2009: Phone Dates

2009-03-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

I've been very lucky in my life to make wonderful friends from all over... such far-flungness makes it difficult, though, to stay in touch as much as I would like. One of my favorite people from working in St.Charles is my dear friend Naomi who moved away about the same time I did to her husband's family's farm in northern Minnesota. Their three kids are so adorable and I hate missing out on their childhoods, especially since I hung out with Isabel, their oldest, every day that she was in the womb and for her first year. Naomi was one of the greatest friends I could have had in Minnesota and I miss her a lot - our schedules are quite mismatched, however, so we have to schedule phone dates. Wednesday was our last one and we caught up on so much... even though we only see each other once a year, every phone date feels like no time has passed at all.

This is Isabel, taken four years ago during the last few months I lived in Minnesota. Could she be any cuter???

2.24.2009: Sunny WInter Days

2009-02-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

Another day of procrastination (and a trip to the dentist who warned me about grinding my teeth when I'm stressed - as if I have a choice), but at least it's sunny and crisp outside. Sunny winter days are so beautiful - the leafless branches and crisp white snow against a bright blue sky are truly stunning. And the sunsets are not bad either.

2.23.2009: Himal Chuli.... Yum.

2009-02-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

One of my all-time favorite restaurants ever (to the point where the owner's niece who works there says, "Hey, Kate!" whenever I come in) is Himal Chuli on State Street. My cousin's ex-girlfriend just moved to town and we met up to feast on dal and tarkari... oh, so good. I need to stop eating out, but it's so hard in a town like Madison with so many great spots! If you have the time, you don't have the money and when you have the money, you don't have the time - isn't that how it works? Sigh.

2.22.2009: Potluck Party

2009-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

A bunch of us in my department have been working hard to organize ourselves and build a stronger sense of community... there are times when I want to quit and give up. I'm gone in a year or two anyway, right? And then there are other times where I remember why we started and have a great time enjoying the company of such wonderful people who I'm very lucky to study with. This Sunday, the group hosted a family-friendly potluck with Wii and a gym where the kids could run around. It was a great evening and definitely one of those good times.

My friend Edo with another friend's adorable baby with the longest legs ever.

2.21.2009: Water Works

2009-02-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

My sis and bro-in-law came to visit this weekend and, as always, we had a blast. After a delicious breakfast and a few hours at the (free!) international fair downtown (capoiera, Gaelic a cappella, and African storytelling goodness), we came back to my place for another round of the classic game Water Works. Abbey managed to make the most complicated pipe system ever. How many T-pipes can one person have? She redeemed herself during a rousing game of Outburst where her knowledge of reptiles, golf accessories, and famous horses pulled her through.

2.20.2009: Natural Caffeine, Here I Come

2009-02-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

After a great coffee this afternoon with a friend, I have come to the semi-tragic conclusion that I need to stop drinking coffee... at least slow things down a bit. I still need a pick-me-up around 2 every afternoon, so it looks like I'll have to rely on natural caffeine. Cue increased apple consumption! I ate this apple this afternoon - it was just so pretty, I had to take a picture. Not much is better than the perfect, crispy apple. I just hope it can substitute for soy capuccinos. Sigh.

2.19.2009: Scrabble Babble

2009-02-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

I played Scrabble with a friend tonight who has never played Scrabble before. You heard me right. Never. Not once. It was like playing with an alien. It was also super fun and I almost lost once he got the hang of it. Next we'll amp things up by playing the version of Scrabble I would play with my mom where you can only play a word if it is a) not a real word and b) if your definition makes the other person laugh. An example would be a word that got played... "WARF": the sound a dog makes when puking; also, a character in the sequel to Spaceballs.

2.18.2009: Puddle Jumpers

2009-02-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my navy blue rubber rain boots today. (Yes, it is mid-February and I'm wearing rain boots which is also pretty cool.) I have never had galoshes before and always wanted a pair and now that I have them I love splashing around in puddles and worrying not a bit about wet socks or cold toes. Even if it means I have to wear them over tights and knee high wool socks, I will wear them. There is just something so satisfying about walking in a straight line through whatever comes your way... puddles, slush, mud. I'm like a walking Hummer.

2.17.2009: Run-Ins

2009-02-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

Last night I stayed on campus working like the devil on my dissertation reading list (which is long and daunting). I'm most productive in a coffee shop, so I picked one that I rarely go to, got a capuccino and settled in. A couple of hours later, just as I was craving a break, two good friends I haven't seen in awhile walked in the door. It was so wonderful to run into them and have a great chat and a bit of gossip. Several hours later, I took one of the last buses home. To avoid the looney bins that come out of the woodwork after dark, I was waiting right by the bus sign when a bus pulled up. It wasn't my line, but the door opened and someone said, "Hey, Katy!" It was my former driver and friend James who drove the bus home whenever I worked late at the restaurant. We always had such good chats and, once he switched lines, I was sad to think I would never see him again. He stopped the bus, gave me a hug, and chatted for a bit before he had to continue down his route. It reminded me how great it is to be in a city where I can run into people I've met in all sorts of random ways... as anxious as I am to leave and be done with school, I really feel a part of this city.

2.16.2009: Rub a dub dub

2009-02-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

I love baths. It's go time with my dissertation and nothing relaxes me before bed like a hot bath. I'm always extremely grateful for that super-hot-almost-burns-you water... it doesn't always come out of my faucet. Every so often, I get a lukewarm namby-pamby bath that just doesn't hit the spot. It reminds me of the summer I studied abroad in Russia and had to boil water in two tea kettles on the dorm kitchen stove. In a towel, I would trudge back to the bathroom, pour one tea kettle over me and scrub faster than I ever thought possible. The second tea kettle was to rinse. I actually got pretty good at rationing out the water just right, but seriously. I do not take that tub full of water for granted.

2.15.2009: Jam Band

2009-02-16T17:59:00.001-08:00

I am lucky to have a lot of great friends, but few are as special as Ann and Erin, sisters I met at UNI where we bonded over not wanting to get stuck in a church retreat basement. Ann and her husband lost their 6-month son Luke over a year ago to a stroke. I think about them all the time and am so amazed at how their family has endured such a tragedy with faith and humor and love. They are amazing. It was especially fun to see them all this weekend where I saw Ann, her brother, their guitar teacher, and a harmonica player named T-Bone perform at a tiny bar behind a laundromat in Marion, Iowa. The place was packed with friends-turned-fans and we clapped and cheered them on like they were the Rolling Stones. Even Ann and Erin's mom got up to do a solo on the piano which, of course, made me think of Mom's C-F-G blues. I just had been talking with a friend about how great it would be if Americans spent more time singing and playing music together... I felt very lucky to be part of that circle of friends where you don't even have to know all the words to sing along.

2.14.2009: Gluten-Free Waffles

2009-02-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day this year (a holiday that I have never cared about - not that I'm a Valentine scrooge... it just seems so cheesy), my sweetheart dad made me gluten-free waffles that were so delicious - and shaped like hearts. It was like a cross between a crepe and a waffle - topped with thinly diced apples and syrup, it was divine. What a treat!

2.13.2009: Home Sweet Home

2009-02-16T17:51:00.001-08:00

It was good to finally get back to Des Moines after a six month interlude. I was definitely grateful for my tough little Corolla, though, once I got onto I-235 and entered a massive blizzard. Let's hear it for anti-lock brakes and heaters!

2.12.2009: Home-Cooked Meal

2009-02-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

There's nothing better than having someone think you're an amazing cook even if the pot boils over, someone gets cut chopping onions, it takes 2 hours longer than expected, you bought the wrong cheese, and only have one dish. The key is to cook for someone who regularly eats mac and cheese out of the pan... anything looks good compared to that.

2.11.2009: Dinner With Friends

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

I've eaten dinner with friends the last two nights and I appreciate it so much. There are definitely certain times when I enjoy being alone, but meals are rarely one of them. It's just so nice to break bread with loved ones - everything is better... the cooking, the taste, the clean-up, the conversation (Lois never really has anything interesting to say, God bless her). Even if we're just eating take out on our laps, I would rather eat with than eat without friends.

2.10.2009: Sweet, Sweet Sleep

2009-02-11T12:45:00.001-08:00

I am so grateful that my schedule allows for naps and odd hours. I have gotten about a total of 12 hours of sleep since Thursday and am hurting in my bones (but wouldn't trade those late nights for an extra minute of slumber). Today I'm finally starting to get back on track, but couldn't have done it without some serious naps. Luckily, I had enough energy to make it to a K'Naan concert in Madison which was amazing - alas, he wasn't "feeling it" and didn't play too long. I can't blame him - playing funky hip hop to a bunch of Midwestern white men has got to be tough. I highly recommend his music, though. He's a Somali refugee who lives in Canada now and his rhythms/melodies combine the best of jazz, soul, funk, rap, and African beats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMwpVF58c2c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t5l31IVkC4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvNJvHSKPc&NR=1
and my favorite of the night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBXsbgxp0MQ&feature=related

2.9.2009: Spring Fever!

2009-02-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

It was raining today. In February. In Wisconsin. I love it. Fall used to be my favorite season and is still a close second, but spring has been taking the cake the last few years. There is just something in the air - something so exciting and filled with possibility. To splash through puddles in February (even though I know it's short-lived) gets me so excited for spring. I am especially grateful this year for my new rainboots. I've always wanted a pair and found cute navy blue galoshes at TJ Maxx. Bring it, rain clouds! I'm ready for you!

2.8.2009: Chinese Rice Balls

2009-02-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful full moon and my Chinese friends from school organized a party to celebrate the Chinese Lantern Festival. It is so fun to have friends from such different cultures who want to share their food and music and stories. The legend of this festival says that there used to be magical creatures in the sky and that humans shot one of the birds down. The emperor god was angry and promised to wipe the humans out in two years. His princess came to earth to warn them so they gathered an army, but realized they could never defeat the angel warriors, so they got crafty and made thousands of lanterns to make it look like the earth was on fire to the gods in heaven. The emperor god was fooled and never sent his soldiers to earth. If I ever get to China, I would love to go during the first full moon of the new year... it sounds like such a beautiful time! And gluten-free rice balls! What could be better?

2.7.2009: Quirky Sense of Humor

2009-02-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

So, I've decided my favorite sense of humor is the quirky hypothetical imagination that gets increasingly ridiculous. My sister is perhaps the world's best connoisseur of this brand of humor. For years, she has left me strange little notes starting with "Picture this..." followed by the strangest situation you can imagine to see how hard we can make each other laugh. I had a great night with a new friend laughing so hard my cheeks hurt picturing what we would do if we could create movie montages in the real world. Bam! Montage! "Eye of the Tiger" would start playing, my house would get clean in a series of clips with a few funny moments/faces, and then I would stop the montage just as I was enjoying a bowl of ice cream. I am grateful, then, for those nights when you laugh so hard you cry and for finding people with similarly warped senses of humors and overactive imaginations.

2.6.2009: Happy Burf-Day

2009-02-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

My birthday lingered on with more cards and phone calls - one of my favorites was from my nephew-cousin Nicholas who sang me a very articulate "Happy Burf-Day" song... and forgot who he was singing to. He also then asked me what I was doing for my birthday. "Going out with friends," I said. He said, "Dinner with friends - ooooooooooo" in total sincere amazement. Love it. I also got a couple of poems forwarded to me by an old family friend in honor of my birthday. They're both by ee cummings who is one of my favorite poets of all time... what a great gift.

since feeling is first

who pays any attention

to the syntax of things

will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool

while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,

and kisses are a far better fate

than wisdom

lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry

—the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other: then

laugh, leaning back in my arms

for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

__________________________________________________

let it go-the

smashed word broken

open vow or

the oath cracked length

wise-let it go it

was sworn to

let them go-the

truthful liars and

the false fair friends

and the boths and

neithers-you must let them go they

were born

to go

let all go-the

big small middling

tall bigger really

the biggest and all

things-let all go

dear

so comes love

2.5.2009: Birthday Bash

2009-02-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Whoa... I need to catch up! Obviously, it has been a whirlwind of a week if I haven't posted since Feb.4. My birthday was wonderful and my gratitude that day was for the tremendous well wishes from far-flung family and friends. I loved hearing from former students on Facebook, getting calls from family, and celebrating with friends new and old downtown. I felt so loved and so lucky. Who could ask for more?

This was my "VIP Bottle Service" champagne chiller - classy, eh? That's what you get when you come to the restaurant where you work for your birthday and are buddies with a wise-cracking bartender.

2.4.2009: Mentors

2009-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

I could write about being grateful for a new episode of Lost every Wednesday, so I'll try to keep my fandom in check (but, seriously, what an amazing episode... Jin is alive?!! He knows Rousseau?!! Ben was pulling the strings?!! When will I learn!). I am very grateful for lunch today with one of my mentors - a super-smart, down-to-earth, funny, kind, generous woman who is a faculty member with an office across from mine. It's so refreshing to have someone who is several steps ahead of you look back and give you honest, forthright, direct advice about things that make me totally panicky and anxious. We had a lovely lunch in the sun and caught up on professional stuff and life (which is always more interesting). I'm very grateful to have someone like that to spend time with and bounce ideas off of and vent to when I'm feeling at my wit's end. I don't think I'd make it through grad school without that. In fact, when I think back through the different stages of my life thus far, I have been incredibly lucky to always have had amazing mentors who were patient and supportive with just enough dash of whoop ass when I needed it.

2.3.2009: Underdog Lasagna

2009-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in a coffee shop and looking forward to going home where I can indulge in the pan of lasagna I made last night. I was skeptical it would be any good... I had forgotten to buy ricotta cheese and had only one egg, so I scraped together some parmesan and mozarella, mixed it up with plain yogurt and dumped it on the rice noodles I found at the co-op in Milwaukee. Yogurt. In lasagna. What? I also used too much sauce at first so ran out of layers for the last round of noodles and tried to beef it up with as much spinach as I could cram in the middle. It shockingly ended up quite tasty and I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

2.2.2009: Metro Maiden

2009-02-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

I love the bus. I'm so grateful that, as a university student, I get a pass that lets me ride for free... it may not always start and stop at the most convenient times, but it sure beats driving downtown looking (and paying) for parking. I stayed on campus much longer than expected today knowing I could grab the bus home and actually got quite a bit done for my class. Thanks, Metro!

2.1.2009: Support Group

2009-02-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Once again, time with my learning community was totally nourishing and inspiring. We had great speakers that challenged me to be a better teacher and lots of great moments where I laughed so hard my sides hurt. On my way home, I was talking with a friend who remarked on how refreshing it was to hear someone talk about their job in such a positive light. I agree. It is.

1.31.2009: Rise and Shine

2009-02-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

I was so happy this morning when I woke up at 6am, showered, dressed for work, and came down from the hotel to find the sunrise already fading. Yes! Spring is on its way...

1.30.2009: Perkins Platter

2009-02-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

So... I work in Janesville once a month and, nothing against Janesville, it is pretty boring after-hours. It's also painfully lacking in the gluten-free options. I've now eaten at Noodles so often that I get recognized by the same teenage boy who takes my order and the kid who hosts at the Mexican place knows my favorite table. That's it. I was delighted, then, to discover a Perkins near the mall where I could mix up the pad thai and tacos con carne asada with an egg and hashbrowns platter. I never thought I'd be so happy to see a Perkins.

1.29.09: Served Me Well

2009-01-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong... there are so many things I have loved about working in a restaurant: feasting on delicious leftovers at the end of the night, celebrating the end of a tough shift with a round, running around with adrenaline pumping for hours straight, and, of course, working with fun-loving friends who, when we're on our A game, are like a choreographed vaudeville act cracking jokes about rude customers and teasing each other in between flipping tables and running food. After three straight nights of picking up shifts during the super-busy "Restaurant Week," however, I am wiped. I am grateful, therefore, that I can pick up shifts when I want and that I have other work that is less draining to tide me over during the rest of the month. Whew!

1.28.09: La Escuela Fratney

2009-01-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I have been on a field trip so it was a blast to head east with a group of grad students to go to La Escuela Fratney, a bilingual school (Spanish/English) in Milwaukee. The school was delightful - the building itself is so charming, the kids were so poised, and the principal so passionate. It was exciting to see a real life school embodying the principles we learn about on campus and read about in books. My favorite moment was helping a little guy open his milk carton during lunch. Or maybe when a fifth grader realized that "knowing two languages helps you know both better" when he figured out what "equilateral" meant by knowing that "lado" means "side" in Spanish. Or maybe it was when I got to eat a gluten-free pound cake at the co-op a few blocks away. Mmmmmm. Pound cake.

Check out this school - it's doing wonderful things.

1.27.09: Snap, Crackle, Pop

2009-01-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

Before I begin, I have to confess that I just wrote "Smack, Crackle, Pop" and "Crack, Snapple, Pop" before coming up with the real slogan. Sheesh. This gratitude post, however, is about all of those noises that my back makes when I take a deep breath, twist to the side, or sit down. Thank goodness for my chiropractor who popped my rib back into place on Tuesday. It's already slipped out (my own fault for having no muscle strength... if I had to arm wrestle an amoeba, I would probably lose), but the temporary relief is so sweet. It is unbelievable how much noise can come out of my neck when she cracks it back into place. Yowza. But a good yowza.

1.26.09: i love to teach

2009-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

So... if I ever question what my absolute favorite professional thing to do is, somebody shake me. It's not research, it's not curriculum planning, it's not even writing (though I do love to write). I love to teach. That's that. My methods class started back up on Monday and I have great students and things went really well and I had so much fun. It's the best three hours of my week. It feels good to be good at something, you know? Cue contented sigh.

1.25.09: International Buddies

2009-01-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of grad school is getting to know people from far-flung places. Tonight, for example, I was served dinner in honor of the Chinese New Year by a dear friend from southern China. She made gluten-free rice dumplings, a "hot pot" stew with beef and mushrooms, and sweet rice peanut things. Min cracks me up and I hope to visit her someday when she goes back home. Another good friend is back in Colombia now but, thanks to google video chat (yep, another mention!), she and I could catch up and gossip in real time. The world is so small anymore, and I think that's ultimately a good thing.

1.24.09: Nostrils

2009-01-25T18:51:00.000-08:00

I should be more specific... unclogged, not red and raw, non-mucusy nostrils. A head cold is the best reminder of how wonderful it is to be healthy. Luckily, it was a Saturday when I had nothing else to do so I could curl up in a ball with a roll of tissue by my side and breathe out of my mouth all day. I also finished the "Time Traveller's Wife" (sniff, sniff... not from the cold) and made a fresh batch of gluten-free chicken noodle soup. All in all, it took me back to sick days with TLC from my mama, so I was really cheerful despite the lack of air flow.

1.23.09: Man Pies

2009-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

Even if you haven't seen Sweeney Todd, I don't think I'm giving anything away here by the title of the post. I got an email last week announcing half price rush tickets to see the musical and was lucky enough to get center row seats (in the nosebleed section) for me and three friends. My friend Abby gave me the idea for the post when she said, as we were walking into the theater, "How lucky are we to be coming here tonight when it's so cold outside and people are at war and other people are sick and hungry?" Kind of a downer, but she was right. The show was good - what was most fantastic was the actors played all of theinstruments. Astounding. I can clap rhythmically. That's about it.

1.22.09: Smoke Monsters, Pendulums, and Hatch Doors, Oh My!

2009-01-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Yep. It's official. I'm a Lost junkie. Not only do I watch every episode, but I read the chat boards at The Onion's AV Club to hear what people's theories and insights are... I've even thought about joining a Lost book club (all the books mentioned or read by Sawyer on the beach... all clues!). Watching the premiere, then, was definitely the highlight of my day. I actually woke up at 6am -- partly because I thought I had to go court to reduce the fine on my accident citation (turns out it opens at 6 PM), but mostly because I was sure that the episode would be posted on abc.com by then. I searched online for over an hour before ABC finally uploaded it. Is Miles the mysterious Dr.Candle's son? Are the people moving or is the island? Why do some people move and not others? Has Sun lost her mind? Who is really dead? Is Hurley imagining people or are they really there? Why did Sayid stop helping Ben? Have Desmond and Ben ever had a scene together and, if not, why not? They are my favorites. Oh, man... I love it, I love it, I love it.

1.21.09: Gluten-Free and Lovin' It

2009-01-22T04:20:00.000-08:00

Today I was grateful for my learning community job's willingness to hunt down assuredly gluten-free food for me during our monthly four-hour meeting on the east side. They usually serve deep-dish pizza from Pizzeria Uno... basically torture for someone who used to love crusty, cheesy amazingness. Last night, though, they had set aside for me a delicious grilled salmon and mashed potatoes that were clearly labeled gluten-free (none of this "oh, sure, gluten - that's a kind of sugar, right?" craziness). I also get served first on airplanes and the food is usually pretty darn good. I would actually recommend non-gluten-free people check that little box for long flights. Basically, I'm glad I live in 2009 with this disease rather than ten or twenty years ago and I'm grateful for friends and colleagues who care enough to educate themselves about it so I can participate in food-related festivities.

Other items I would recommend to the gluten-able:

--pretzels

--tortilla wraps (teff flour... mmmm)

--brownies (lots of great mixes and all better than the original)

--pasta

--crackers

1.20.09: Hail to the Chief!

2009-01-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have to pinch myself... we have a new President. A President who I am tremendously proud of and a First Family who I think represents our best selves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjnygQ02aW4

My favorite part of the inaugural ceremony was this song performed by Yo-Yo Ma and friends. I have always loved that Shaker melody and was even more moved by the lyrics on such a historic and hopeful and new day:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twil be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Come round right indeed. To hear someone in such a powerful position talk about love and humility and curiosity and creativity is not just refreshing - it's an inspiration in the truest sense of the word. I dare you to listen to that melody and not get choked up.

1.19.09: Sweet Relief

2009-01-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

Today's gratitude is very easy to choose: a 2-hour massage for $50. Sounds too good to be true? Ahhhhhh... it's amazing. I would pay that for someone just to poke me with a stick for a little while, but it's actually the best massage I've ever had and affordable enough for me to go once a month. What a godsend. I know you're jealous.

1.18.09: "nice" weather

2009-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Though it's sort of masochistic to call 7 degree weather "nice", I really appreciated having clear roads, sunshine, and no wind yesterday on my drive back from Janesville. I-90 can be a fairly scary stretch of road when there is ice and snow. When it's a bright day and it's not too windy and I'm driving along, I can almost pretend that it's a lovely spring day. Almost.

1.17.09: let's hear it for great teachers!

2009-01-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

I was in Janesville for my UW-LaCrosse job this weekend. It is the highlight of my month to get together with these teachers and push them to take their practice to the next level. The learners are from schools all over central Wisconsin and teach everything imaginable. We invited a guest speaker on Saturday morning, a 40+ year veteran teacher from Iowa, who blew everyone away. Her passion and knowledge and creativity were astounding - I can only hope that I'll be (to quote her) as "balls to the wall" when I'm in my 70s.

Sadly, my co-facilitator was holed up in the hotel with that nasty 24-hour flu bug that has been going around. Though I always feel so incredibly lucky to work with her, her absence and the presence of a sub (another community's facilitator) reminded me of how serendipitous our placement together was. The sub was a very friendly and positive lady, but made it clear how special my connection to Jane is - we just clicked right away and developed a shorthand within the first weekend that allows to plan stuff without the use of full sentences. We joke that we have parallel lives - every story we share about our personal life is echoed in the other's. It used to be kind of creepy, but now it's just comical.

I'm so grateful for this job - to work with people like Jane and our community members and to meet people like Nancy who are incredibly inspiring. Professional development: woop woop!

1.16.09: technophile

2009-01-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not nearly as tech-savvy as I want to be, but there are moments of synergy when you're working with different programs that is just amazing. Take the meeting on Friday for the grad student organization I helped get started - I was typing minutes in google docs so that the other leadership team members would have access to it, projecting it on a big screen from an LCD projector, and flipping back and forth between the document and our website for reference. We've been debating about where to post a world map with flags for each student when one of the members suggested we use google maps. We can upload pictures of everyone tagged on their hometown! How cool is that?

I just realized this is my second post about the magic of google. That is a bit disconcerting.

1.15.09: and the crowd goes wild

2009-01-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind in my posts, here... last Thursday I went to the Wisconsin/Minnesota basketball game that got progressively more exciting with every last second. Though the Badgers held the lead by an average of 10 points throughout the game, the Gophers burrowed back (ha, ha) to sink a 3-pointer at the buzzer that kicked the game into overtime. The next five minutes was pitiful, but we scrapped back to salvage some hope in the last 30 seconds. Ultimately, we lost and the lone Minnesota fan behind us (an undergrad girl whose shrieks would be a strong contender for Most Annoying Sound in the World) went wild. I didn't really care that we lost - why I go to games is to be in a stadium full of people who rise up together in thunderous applause. I'm not a sucker for just any large crowd (obviously we're not talking about the Nazi rallies here), but there's something about cheering throngs that just makes my day.

1.14.09: been there, done that

2009-01-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

warning: this gratitude post may be a bit of a downer. i just found out that one of my good friends and former collegaue's husband has colon cancer. he's in his 30s, in amazing health, and the news has come as quite a shock. they're taking it well and staying positive as he goes through the initial surgery to remove the tumor to find out what stage the cancer is at, but i'm sure all the good vibes you can send them and their three little kids would help. i've been thinking about them so much recently and remembering how pivotal that moment is when you find out that someone you love more than anything in the world has cancer... it's like all the minutes of your life line up before that moment or after it. what i'm grateful for today, then, is that i am free of that gnawing mix of worry and fear and hope and faith that churns around in you every day after you find out. this may sound completely morbid, but one of the feelings i had after my mom died was one of relief... as much as i would do anything to have had the conclusion to that whole episode be different, i am so grateful to be at this stage of the grief rather than back at the beginning where everything is so raw and uncertain and confusing. i have a lot of confidence that he will beat this, but my heart breaks for their family knowing that even as strong and close as they are they will be put through the ringer. i think i can even say that i've been grateful for that ringer. and, of course, more than anything i am grateful for the time i had with my mom and my family which was beyond words wonderful.

(sarah is on the left - this was taken on my last day of school in 2005)

p.s. does anyone know why my windows are completely frosted over? it looks like i'm trapped in a mr.freeze ice cube.

1.13.09: having nothing to do is way overrated

2009-01-13T20:05:00.001-08:00

This afternoon, I was invited to a portfolio presentation of three former students from my methods class. It made me feel so incredibly grateful to be in the field of education with a profession that makes me feel like my time working is always worth it. I was so proud of them and so jealous that they're in there, working with kids every day and generally being useful to society. I'm not going to lie - as great as some parts of grad school are (flexible schedule, naps, coffeehouses, etc.) there are also some seriously frustrating parts (flexible schedule, naps, coffeehouses, etc.). I'm excited for classes to start again so I can at least feel useful once a week.

I will say, though stuck in front of my computer quite a bit, that I am enjoying the local DJ-less radio station that plays all sorts of random music. Today I've bounced along with "Ho-tel, mo-tel, Holiday Inn! Say what?", "Purple rain, purple rain!", "We built this city! We built this city on rock and roll!" and "Mmm bop! Bop a bop doo bop a ditty bop bop mmm bop..." It's a way better song than I remembered. You better believe I sing along. If I were my neighbors, I would start to worry.

1.12.09: Legs That Work

2009-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Weird title, I know. But I have used my legs a lot today without really thinking about it and would like to give a shout out to my legs. First of all, I went to the Pilates Nazi's class this morning (she snapped on cue for how fast we were supposed to be doing our 100s, but I loved her); scissor kicks and the teaser would be kind of hard to do without legs. I danced around to "Single Ladies" while tidying up. Then I was able to be out and about today driving in the snow and clamoring around snowbanks to wipe off my windows with only the cold cramping my style. I take for granted a lot that, in general, my limbs do what I tell them to do. At church a couple of weeks ago, the priest mentioned a teenage boy who had offered to go get the car for an elderly parishoner who was having trouble walking on the ice and I've been thinking about that a lot - how easy it is for me to get around, even in nasty weather. I feel like I'm going to jinx my legs by saying thank you, like I'm going to lose them in some freak ironic accident, but I'll take my chances.

1.11.09: Smoke-Free Establishment

2009-01-12T07:55:00.001-08:00

Madison has been smoke-free since just before I moved here, a regulation that I take for granted all-too often. I was reminded how amazing it is to be in a smoke-free community, however, when I met up with friends last night for a good-bye party (another one is off to the mythical Seattle!) at a cigar bar. I have to admit, I kind of like the smell of cigars; it makes me think of sweet old men playing chess in the park or offering sage advice from the corner of an Irish pub. I don't know why it makes me think of that - I know no such men. The initial sweet smoke, however, turns into nastiness given an hour or so. After I got home, for example, that nasty business had settled into the fibers of my favorite scarf, new coat, and dry clean-only shirt. I tied them to my balcony to air them out last night, but it just made them cold. Ugh. So, a huge shout out to Madison's smoking ban. Thank God.

I think the only person who hates the smell of smoke worse than me is my sister. I still laugh thinking about her calls to every bowling alley in the city asking them, "Excuse me, but are you a smoke-free establishment?" You can imagine the responses she got.

1.10.09: New Old Room

2009-01-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I've basically wasted the day napping and eating, but at least it was spent in my new bedroom. After living here for four years, I just switched bedrooms and can't explain why it is so much better. I've been sleeping like a rock... probably too well, actually.

1.09.09: My Crafty Neighbor

2009-01-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

I'm sure this will come as no surprise to those who know and love me, but I have lost my bus pass. Again. To get to campus, I've been driving my little Corolla and scouring the streets for free 2-hour parking or paying through the nose to park in a ramp. Today, as the sky dumped snow and traffic slowed to a crawl, I found enough change to pay the Metro fare... it was comical to see my struggle to get the quarters out of a tiny coin purse with bulky gloves on. Luckily, my neighbor buddy and her adorable little girl were waiting for the bus, too, and she generously covered my fare with her pass. It was small, but it made my day. We always have great chats on the bus and in her shop while I work on photo collages. As a shout out to Sachi, check out her indie craft shop on State Street (my favorite place for crafty gifts): Anthology

1.08.09: MAM time

2009-01-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

About this time a couple of years ago, I had a serious case of cabin fever. To shake it, I was inspired by the book "Yes Man" (surely better than the movie) and decided to be a "Yes Girl" for a month. It led to me getting a banana facial, going snow tubing, protesting the war in DC, and joining the Milwaukee Art Museum. The MAM is one of my favorite museums in the world - not only is the location and structure itself breathtakingly beautiful, but the pieces inside are quite interesting. The rotating exhibit today, for example, was "interactive art" like a floor that lit up when people stepped on it and a wall full of rotating wooden pieces that magically reflected your image back in clunky pixels. My favorite piece was this huge black box you walked into that had mirrors and glass everywhere (floor, ceiling, walls) and thousands of lights strung in an optical illusion so you felt like you were walking in the stars... totally amazing. They also have a great collection of Haitian art, American folk art, German beer hall paintings that are hilarious, and a collection of Biedermeier furniture that was astounding. This couch was made in 1805. Doesn't that look like something would come in a box from IKEA?

1.07.09: Gore May Coup King

2009-01-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

I was feeling both productive and culinary this morning which led to me whipping up a beef stew in my new Le Creuset fancy pants pot, arepas with shredded beef and eggs, and fried plantains. Per usual, I grabbed an apron, took down my smoke detector, and cranked the tunes and heat up high. Now I have a mess of a kitchen, but a full tummy and food for the next two weeks.

I also made a rather excellent chili a few days ago and invited my game-loving buddies over for some dinner and Mad Gab last night. I have not laughed that hard in a long time. The last time I played was with family friends who were in hysterics as my brother-in-law innocently repeated "puss hole" in varying accents for several minutes. Karma's got my back for good food: in exchange for chili and cornbread, my friends gifted several old games to me including Water Works and an Egyptian chess-like game that uses real laser beams. No joke.

1.6.09: The Magic of Googlevision

2009-01-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today's gratitude comes to you courtesy of gmail video chat. Thanks to this tiny camera at the top of my MacBook, I can hook up via video to anyone else through gmail with the same little camera. It is infinitely better than just talking on the phone, especially when it's with people I don't get to see very often. And it's free. Take that, Verizon Wireless. After coming home last night from an ugly sweater party, for example, Catherine and I chatted it up until the wee hours of the morning. I got to show her my fabulous sleeves (from waist to wrist!) while eating a fried egg. Can a phone do that? Can email? No. Only gmail video chat. In the future, we will all have flying cars and extra organs growing in our fridge ... and video chat.

1.05.09: Tweezers

2009-01-05T16:18:00.000-08:00

While sauntering down my apartment's staircase today, I was humming a little tune, sliding my hand down the bannister and got the most wicked splinter I have ever had. It was at least a quarter of an inch long (which is long). It was like someone had purposely inserted a crudely painted toothpick just under the pad of my thumb for, I don't know, some sort of secret weapon or party trick. For lack of a better term, it hurt like a bitch. So I postponed my trip to the store, walked as calmly as I could to my bathroom, and proceeded to remove said splinter from my thumb. This took upwards of fifteen minutes. It was so huge. Its hugeness cannot be underestimated. And after it was out, all I thought about was how amazing tweezers are. I could have kissed those tweezers. I love tweezers. If I were on a desert island, the first thing I want - over music, books, flint, whatever - would be tweezers.

1.04.09: Snuggles and Singing

2009-01-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

This morning, after waking up with amazing snuggles from Lois the Cat (who was seriously snuggle-deprived after two weeks alone), I found an article about PS22 5th grade choir in the New York Times. It reminded me of those transcendent moments in the A Cappella choir with Mr.Salucka after drilling us into excellence that I have not experienced since. The kids' YouTube channel is enough to brighten anyone's day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_tcE4rWovl

1.03.09: The Return of the Corolla

2009-01-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

After an accident that cost close to $700 to repair (and that was with insurance...), my Corolla is finally back with me. I'm pretty sure a belt is going to blow soon, she's got a rusted dent in the driver's door, and I haven't cleaned out the trunk in over a year, but she's a solid little Toyota. Thank goodness for reliable personal transportation.