accentuatethepositive

I am NOT my hair

2009-04-12T17:14:00.002-05:00

For a variety of reasons, I cut my hair super-short a few months back. A "pixie" was the hip term my hairdresser used. (And perhaps I've already given myself away. "Hairdresser"? does anyone use that term anymore? Or do "real" women visit "stylists" at "salons"?)

Now, when I had gone from long to medium length hair last year via the same professional, the reviews were stellar. I got so many compliments, I glowed with general good feeling. This time, however, the reviews were much less hearty. and I was okay with that. i mean, it's just hair. I might have freaked out when anything interfered with the long, long locks of my teens, but the time of crying over less than perfect hair has past. I want to look good as much as the next girl, but my entire self-worth is not coif-based. or at least I didn't think it was!

Growing in short hair is tough, especially thanks to others. I was arguably getting a little shaggy, but was reluctant to clean it up. The length was *just* finally getting to a point where it didn't stick straight up, Alfalfa-style, despite my best efforts. But after receiving not so subtle hints like a headshake with a frown and the (sincere) suggestion of a wig by "well-meaning" acquaintances (and I use the term extremely loosely), I relented and paid $60 to bring things back in line.

Once again, I was pleased with the results in the relation to their nature (i.e. if she could have cut hair back *onto* my head I would have been much happier but, seeing as she couldn't, I think she did a fine job). Until a cashier greeted me this morning as "sir". really? I mean, really?!? Nothing about my voice, statue, attire or anything else gave away to you that I am, in fact, a woman?

So let me make sure I have this right. Abundant locks=woman. Short hair=man. well that's just lovely. thank you for pigeon-holing me with your quaint little labels. now please excuse me, sportscenter is on.

Troubles coming and going

2009-04-10T10:27:00.010-05:00

Every year my sister and I take a trip to Kripalu. And every year we get lost. It's always within the last 5-10 miles of the trip, so we're generally overly-optimistic about our directional skills.

"oh, we've got it this year!"
"I don't know how we could ever get lost?!"
"We'll be there any minute..."

This year, we took it a step further with an elaborate game that eventually became painfully ironic.

"see that greenhouse! let's remember that for next year so we know we're going the right way"
"oh, the shaker museum. we'll remember that as a signpost"

Unfortunately, 30 minutes later we realized it was the wrong way, and so began the re-citing of all the landmarks...in reverse.

"haha, there's the greenhouse. *now* remember that means the wrong way"

The jokes got a little less bubbly as "5 miles away" became an hour with no lodge in site. But, we persevered (and tried every possible road) and eventually, the distant lights on the hill announced our arrival at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

To add insult to injury, Kripalu isn't exactly forthcoming about their location. Please note that they possess the absolute smallest entrance sign ever.

I had to stand on top of it before I could read it.

We had a great weekend with lots of relaxing, reading, yoga and yummy food. As we prepared to say farewell to the former monastery for yet another year, we began the ritual of getting at least one good picture of us together to remember the trip. This process can become nearly as arduous as finding Kripalu!

We tried from the nightstand (woops, mostly bon, 1/2 of me)

Overhead (made Bon look sleepy...or drugged)

and my personal favorite, our "Glamour Shot", (which made me laugh so hard I nearly peed)

before finally getting both of us, smiling, fully in a shot.

Can hardly wait for next year!

Can't we all just get along?

2009-04-05T11:44:00.006-05:00

God Against the Gods : The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism by Jonathan Kirsch

Words I *thought* I knew the meaning of:

Pagan - a village-dweller, i.e. a "civilian". one not willing to be a "soldier" in the service of the one true god.

Athiest - first used by the pagans to describe Christians because the latter did not recognize the pantheon of gods.

Heresy - derived from Greek for "choice" (integral to polytheism)

Traitor - from Latin for "one who hands over", specifically those that handed over Christian writings and artifacts to Roman soldiers.

Catholic - "universal"

Orthodox - "correct belief"

This is how history should be told! I actually read the last few chapters in eager anticipation, as if reading the climax of a juicy novel. At one point I had to laugh...we *know* how it turns out and paganism *didn't* win. but boy was I rooting for them!

I likely found this book more fascinating than, say, someone fully steeped in the Bible and committed to Christianity would because, let's face it, he doesn't make the Christians look so hot. At least when it came to religion, paganism was all about tolerance, and that's the way it had been since time began. It seems odd to think about Christianity as it must have been then, something unheard of, strange and downright opposite of all that religion had ever been.

Of course, history is written by the victor, which Christianity ultimately was. Its state-(read: power) driven propaganda machine was so effective that the word "pagan" likely conjures up *much* more and viler things than "civilian" in the average person's mind, and that's unfortunate.

I found this book so compelling that I'm considering keeping (rather than swapping) it. that is the highest of praise in my world, to join harry and frodo on the shelf.

FInding Religion

2009-03-29T14:33:00.003-05:00

Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George

I opened this book knowing nothing, either historical or proposed, about Mary Magdalene. I tried to keep it that way (avoiding wikipedia as much as possible) until I finished. I favor historical fiction and, generally, I like to get the complete story the author is trying to tell before determining what was "historical" and what was "fiction".

My overall feeling while reading the novel was that the author was glossing. Despite being 600+ pages long, I never truly felt connected to the characters or the message of the book. After learning that the early and personal details of Mary's life are pretty much unknown, I feel like that is the likely explanation.

Once Jesus officially enters the picture (and cures Mary of her demons), my confusion deepens. With little biblical knowledge besides a few memorized passages (sorry mom), it was like the message and life of Jesus were being presented to me for the first time. and I didn't get it. besides all the miraculous healing, I wasn't feeling that he was saying anything so profound to the disciples that they should abandon their lives and join him.

The author's handling of the story post-crucifixion made sense to me. she makes it seem very reasonable that, because Jesus' comments were subtle, each of the disciples "heard" him differently. time passed. and then they finally realized (1) he wasn't returning immediately and (2) lots of people wanted to know what he said, etc. and so they better start writing it all down or run themselves ragged trying to get the word to everyone interested. different writings were transmitted with differing success levels ultimately shaping Christianity.

Ultimately, this is probably my least favorite read by this author. but still, well-written enough to make me want to pick up the Bible and learn more.

Brains

2009-02-14T18:00:00.006-05:00

A Brief Tour of Human Consciousness : From Imposter Poodles to Purple Numbers. by V.S. Ramachandran

This book held me captivated for 4 hours straight, start to finish. Despite discussing some pretty complex stuff that goes on (or potentially goes on) in our brain, V.S.R. is so darn logical and precise, you can't help but "get it".

Some of the things that made me stop, reread and contemplate were:

His (possible) explanation for laughter originating to serve as a "false alarm" signal, i.e. communicating to those around you that some potential danger being detected is nothing to worry about. Essentially, pain is experienced in two phases - the raw sensory data and then our emotional reaction to it. if you get the raw sensory data (see/hear/feel/taste something that makes you uncomfortable) but it's not followed up with an emotional response, the sound of laughter may have started as a means of communicating that.

You can "unconsciously" drive while having an animated conversation, but you can't unconsciously have an animated conversation while you're driving. how does language relate to consciousness?

Your right and left brain deal differently with discrepancies in incoming data. The left hemisphere smooths over conflicting info (denial), while the right side recognizes and is very sensitive to it. (Patients with right brain damage resulting in paralysis of their left side will deny that paralysis). Makes me wonder if I should view all things I'm skeptical of on my right side, forcing my left brain to smooth over anything I don't want to see:)

The role of mirror neurons in the transmission of human culture and the social awkwardness of autistic children.

How art taps into our neural perception functioning in ways that don't obviously make sense to us.

The chapter on synesthesia is, I think, why the book originally made it on my "to read" list. That many people can see numbers as colors and so on is fascinating in itself. But the implications of that for our abstraction and metaphoric abilities is amazing! Basically, he's proposing that it's due to cross-wiring in the brain, the same sort of thing that accounts for phantom limbs in amputees.

That chapter ends with his thoughts on the evolution of language, which I think will pose some lively discussion between J and me. He (J) is a big Steven Pinker fan, who believes that language evolved step by step for communication purposes. Whereas V.S.R. is proposing that a few things were going on in the brain for different regions that ended up reinforcing one another with the result of spoken language. I'm not going to even try and go further than that.

The coolest parts of the final chapter are when (1) in discussing the "self" (which has numerous components, each of which can be viewed separately in the actions of patients with damage to various parts of the brain) he hints that the Hindu philosophical view of no difference between the self and others may parallel some of the findings of neuroscience and (2) the research that shows your intention to move your finger is preceded by seconds with a firing in your brain and the implications of that on "free will".

While being around 150 pages long, including *lots* of endnotes, this book is densely packed with radical yet simple and logical food for thought.

A Very Un-Vegan Book Review

2009-02-14T11:49:00.008-05:00

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Into What America Eats

Michael Pollen, this guy is not! He spends an awful lot of time describing the containers and plant layouts of the places he visits. I guess he's trying to paint me a picture, but I'm less than interested in "Rooftop pipes, insulated and jacketed with sheet metal..."

It's interesting (and telling) to me how often this guy writes something off as a process or source about which he couldn't find info. My first reaction was, jeez man, if you couldn't research the book, you shouldn't have written it. But as I thought about it, it makes total sense. So much of what he's looking into concerns huge, multi-national chemical companies and highly manufactured ingredients. lots of industry secrets to hide.

I feel like i got more "random" knowledge from this book than anything. Like "can"ola oil comes from Canada and vanilla beans are really the seeds of a rare(ish) tropical orchid.

I found his closing anticlimactic, oversimplified and much too forgiving. Basically, you can break most anything down into it's chemical components (like an apple), so "foods" built of chemicals are really no different. "Food" is defined by the eat-er and so the overabundance of processed crap in our society these days really isn't a bad thing. I wholeheartedly disagree, Mr. Ettlinger.

Throw a vegan a fry

2008-08-23T09:32:00.003-05:00

Two conflicting culinary drives live within me. I love to try new restaurants, get a different view, soak up their unique ambiance. But, being vegan, the suggestion to do so is most often met with "we can't eat anything there." Far from a crabby-pants, J is just realistic. My counter-argument is usually, "well, if nothing else we can get fries." Considering we have both confirmed that life on a desert island with just fries would be okay, this is a somewhat compelling argument. Last night that argument painfully crashed and burned at the illustrious South Philly Tap Room.

I am perpetually begging J to accompany me to the SPTR, which is a bit of a hike for us. The two times I've been there, their on-tap beer selection has been amazing. When the age-old argument reared it's ugly head, this time I was ready. I called to mind an article concerning their acquisition of a new chef that is very vegan friendly. I swear there was such an article. I was wrong.

Even the things on their menu that appeared vegan were apparently not. Hummus platter? "The pita has egg in it" (since when does pita have egg!? it's a flatbread, for goodness sake!) Veggie burger with no cheese? "The bread has a butter coating" and so on. Fine, whatever, we're used to limited selection, and the beer was quite good. "We'll just have an order of fries." Here's where the wind was forcibly knocked out of me.

Fries come for an additional $2 with the order of any sandwich. so the only way we could get them would be to buy a (non-vegan) sandwich (or at least pay for one - all about $10) and then pay the $2 for fries. What!?! I can handle "gastro-pub"s with random unnecessary meat, ridiculously fancy entree names, and less than ideal veg/vegan selections, but this is too much! not even allowing us a plate of fries. I was ready to sacrifice the good beer and walk.

J, ever the picture of calm (despite being hungry enough to eat a seitan horse), suggested we finish our beers (which *were* outstanding, by the way) and catch a cab to our oh-so-vegan-friendly standard dinner destination. But before we could, our waitress came to say that the chef would like to prepare us a former menu item, tofu stir-fry. We agreed but rolled our eyes a little after she left, with visions of soggy bland tofu and sad looking greasy vegetables in our head.

Boy were we wrong! This was hands down the best stir-fry I've ever had and puts many vegetarian restaurants in the city to shame. The tofu was well-fried, firm and tasty. The veggies included crispy bok choy and (swoon) brussels sprouts. The flavor was deep and intense, nothing bland about it. A-mazing. (I think there may be a fight for the substantial left-overs.)

So in the end, i was glad we went. The beers (Slyfox Saison, Dock Street Champagne Wit and Blue Harbor Blueberry) were awesome, the waitress was uber-helpful and friendly and (just maybe) we helped encourage this particular chef to rethink returning the tofu stir-fry to the menu. oh, and you're damn right we got a "side" of fries with that stir-fry!

cyber-cooking

2008-04-12T11:52:00.016-05:00

so mdm and I are foodies of the most obsessive sort. what better way to spend time together than cooking? unfortunately, 7 months ago, I moved about an hour's drive away from her. I know, I'm a jerk.

enter the interwebs! with the help of Gtalk, we can chat and cook nearly simultaneously, without the risk of dropping the phone in the pot. so far, we've had two cyber-cooking dates (we're busy!) but hopefully there will be more to follow. on "date" 1, waaay back last year, we made a borsht of sorts, which I must admit I still have one lonely helping of in my freezer. I realized too late that my camera batteries were dead for that one, but I was prepared this time around! well, I was prepared with the camera, at least. here was the state of my kitchen as I logged on to "meet" mdm.

in case you can't tell, that is every available counter space, most of the stove and the dish rack overflowing with dishes, pots, plates, etc. I spent much of our prep time intermittently doing dishes, which worked out nicely as mdm was making a double batch. thankfully, the pantry shelves were not nearly so disheveled and provided a nice space for the laptop (and my gingerbrew - too much drink the night before so I opted out on the wine portion of the "date").

speaking of disheveled...
back to the food, here was the recipe of the night http://urbanvegan.blogspot.com/2008/03/cashew-curry-casserole.html from pretty much my favorite blog (by a fellow Philadelphian).

ingredients...

check.

I could tell instantly, from the consistency of the sauce, that I was going to love this dish. Despite being a firmly committed vegan, I am quick to admit that my palate has a predilection for the creamy and so I am forever seeking ways to create that texture sans animal. I'm generally pleased with a nutritional yeast cheesiness, but the cashew butter blows that out of the water! I also liked that this was a curry that did not rely on coconut milk. not that I don't love me some coconut milk, but I'm perpetually displeased when we make curry at home with it. It always comes out runny, not creamy like take-out (oh, Tamarind, how I love thee).

It was as easy as pour...

stir...

and bake!

I moved the laptop to the (now clean) counter and pulled up a seat to converse with mdm as we baked.

We ran into some issues with our brown rice, in that mine cooked faster than expected while hers took longer. that, combined with the added time for her double batch meant that I was drooling looking at my completed dish while she still had a good bit of time left to cook. so we skipped the eating together portion of the "date":(

as you may have guessed, I *loved* the final product. my only suggestion for next time would be to maybe pre-cook the broccoli a little bit OR make the sauce a little runnier (blech) to provide more liquid to cook the broccoli. It was cooked, but still pretty firm. oh, and I put in the full 2 tsp. of red curry paste, but it was nowhere near hot enough for us spice-addicts. I'll do at least an additional tsp next time. don't get me wrong though, I'd eat another batch of this stuff as is (was)!

hello, my name is onkelo and I'm a hermit

2007-12-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

I met up with one of my super coolest friends after work today for drinks. her exuberance is infectious and she's artsy to boot (check out her designs here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=76461. even this accessoriphobe knows they're fantastic!) it felt *so good* to relax and chat about anything and everything with someone so lively and just plain fun. following on the heels of a recent evening out with ms. mdm, i'm feeling all sorts of social and simply loving it. it's unfamiliar terrain for me, these days at least, and I'm holding off on making it a goal for the new year. "get out more" or "be more social" seems to be on every resolution list I've ever created, but I never seem to be able to follow through? and it's not for lack of, ultimately, wanting to. I *know* I have fun when I'm out, I *know* I'll feel happier mentally if I hang out rather than hibernate. And yet, year by year, I become increasingly reclusive. granted, moving into the city has definitely helped. meeting E. today was easy, as is Quizzo on Tuesday nights. but invite me to something after 6pm and I'm already calculating how much it's going to cut into my bed time:) is there any hope for me? a 12-step program maybe?

Miso happy:)

2007-09-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

Fan-tastic! I just returned from a wonderfully interesting lecture presented for free at my friendly, neighborhood natural foods store. The speaker, who runs a macrobiotic center and cafe just north of us (tomorrow's field trip?), focused mainly on miso and yet covered and convincingly explained many of the ills currently plaguing our society. Though I thought I knew, I learned the keys to a nourishing miso soup (shock the miso? dilute it outside of the soup? who knew!?) In addition to that simple recipe, I learned to tell the difference between an aged and a young miso (and which is better nutritionally), why I should saute my kale instead of steaming it, more reasons for an alkaline diet and a more powerful alternative to kombucha. I don't know what I'm happier about, the cool things I learned or the fact that I have this resource (lectures every wednesday) available a block away for free!?

fashionably delicious

2007-09-24T19:31:00.000-05:00

in lovely "yeah, I live in the city" fashion, I headed out on (what I thought was) a single errand or two after lunch today and didn't make it back home for five hours! I had intended to visit the Reading Terminal Market and drop off a volunteer app. (booth closed on mondays, drat!) and *maybe* check out Macy's. See, my wardrobe is woefully interview inappropriate at this point. Granted, no one is beating down my door for interviews as of yet, but I figure I best be prepared when they do. Unfortunately, a good shopper I am not. Macy's, Anne Taylor, H & M, the list goes on. Not a top or shoe that met with my approval. Is paisley hot this season? really? I'm in trouble. I *did* manage to spend some money at Urban Outfitters, but the employer would have to allow even more casual-ness than HfHBC for my purchases to count as work-wear.

As I drug my weary self back in the direction of home, I found myself at Broad and South. okay, I walked there purposefully, are you happy? at this juncture lies Govinda's and Gourmet to Go, establishments I have often heard about but never experienced. Oh, sweet vegan mecca! I intended only to step inside and see their menu but, well, we've already seen how my intentions were panning out today.

could it be? a freezer case with...hand-dipped vegan ice cream before my very eyes!?!

me: what's that one?
slightly bored looking GtG employee: strawberry royale.
me: (high-pitched shriek of pleasure)
sblGtGe: would you like to taste it?
me: zomg, yes!
sblGtGe: (silently hands over spoon)
me: wa-hoo, that will do!

I love Philly.

hoo-ray for sunday!

2007-09-23T18:46:00.000-05:00

Being unemployed is really doing wonders for my ability to sleep in. I can remember, back in high school and college, being able to sleep until mid-day with the best of them. then, I can't recall when, I lost it. was it when I became accustomed to the 9 to 5 habit? when I stopped going out til the breaka breaka dawn? at some hormonally pre-programmed stage in my life? all I know is that, generally speaking, whether I go to bed at 9pm or 1am, I am awake and up between 6 and 7am.

until this past week, that is. yesterday, I slept til (gasp) 10am! sg was up and active by 8:45 and actually had to tiptoe to not disturb *me* for once!?! I was shocked, I tell you, shocked. this morning, I was rudely shaken awake and told "it's 8 o'clock". I thought, right, so hush up so I can get back to sleeping in! but as we had agreed to go for a long morning ride and test out the river trail, I figured I'd better rouse myself sometime during the morning.

the ride was definitely worth it, though I was nowhere near up to par. (not riding seriously for about 6 weeks will do that to a girl) how cool is it that an entire road is shut down for the use of bikers, walkers, bladers, etc.!? of course, if I had a vote, I'd prefer that more of the roads actually be biker-friendly (rather than biker-tolerant or downright hostile), but I'll not turn down a smooth, 4-lane tree-shaded stretch of pedaling perfection.

and now I wait

2007-09-16T16:41:00.000-05:00

I'm having a decidedly not vegan afternoon. we have mice (or just a mouse? could I hope?) and it's bothering me more than I would like. pizza boxes left from last night's festivities showed gnaw-damage this morning and since then, i've already heard the critter making merry and spotted him going for my artisan bread on the countertop. bf is unfazed, but i am getting the creepy crawlies every time I hear the pitter patter (it has no qualms making itself known to me) and I've thus decided that I want it gone...now. so i've just ventured to wawa, then rite aid for traps. i'm not feeling too great about that and I'm not sure why I think I have more of a right to this apartment than it does, but there it is.

it's a small world

2007-09-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

i left home this morning on an exploratory mission. after wallowing in a melancholic haze on the couch all day yesterday, I needed an adventure to reinvigorate my fabulous new city-self. a visit to the Reading Terminal Market and some yummy fresh veggie juice made for a nice start. i then wandered up and down streets with no rhyme or reason just to see what I might find.

i passed a small grocery store that had cupcakes or was called cupcake or something similar and continued walking. though i had no desire for cupcakes (really, truly, I swear) and can't say exactly why, I turned around and went back to the entrance of that store. upon entering, I found the son of my former boss, who has not been heard from since departing, working the counter. it's hard to describe exactly how unnerved this made me. I felt myself stammering while making conversation with him and doing my best *not* to interrogate him as to the well-being of his mom. I hope I didn't offend him by keeping it short and sweet and well, bolting.

a few blocks further into my ramble, I was ecstatic to come across none other than Brew Ha Ha, a relative of my favorite coffee shop from the burbs. unfortunately, it's atmosphere is nothing like the maple glen location and, considering that's why I loved it, I likely won't be making the haul over that way very often. but I felt compelled to stop for a latte nonetheless, as if I had run into an old friend and "so how've you been" chit-chat was in order.

I eventually called it a day (i sound like my mom - it was noon!) and made my way home. exploring the city is hard work!

who would have guessed?

2007-09-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

that I'd absolutely love being a city girl!? granted I've not been mugged or gotten a ticket or been kept up late by drunk revelers yet, but so far, I am in urban heaven! we have no internet at home for another week, so I'm blissfully forced to visit the local (fair-trade, organic, vegan-friendly) coffeeshop every morning to check in with the interwebs.

yesterday I chatted for a good long while with the owner of a tea shop, also around the corner, stocking more than 100 different types of loose tea. wearing a race t-shirt will spark such things between former and current marathoners.

the post office is a mere 3 blocks away. you can get beer delivered to your door (two case minimum, ha!). "vegan" isn't a strange word to anyone I've mentioned it to.

somebody pinch me!

how's your day?

2007-02-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

quinoa pasta with spicy sausage and tofu ricotta
a glass of red wine (and the rest of the bottle as back-up)
the new John Mayer CD, plugged in outside of the bathroom so the light can be turned off
scented candles, big and small
warm water already running for a bath

there is no better welcome home for a girl who's had a long day at work and an intellectually intensive evening of class. there is no better boyfriend in the world.

i may begin plotting bad days intentionally to receive more of this treatment.

mint chocolate banana jerky

2007-02-03T12:33:00.000-05:00

Last night we had friends over for a celebratory dinner party marking the one year anniversary of super-geek and my co-habitation as well as my resultant vegetarianism. I'll find any way to host a party! And we're getting better at it...or so I thought.

After various brunches, dinners and holiday meals at which sg and i spent way too much time cooking while our guests looked on, we aimed for major pre-preparation this time. Two nights ago I sous-ed like crazy while he prepared a wicked good curry. I also whipped up some dips using packaged (gasp) spice mixes. So last night, all that remained was to cut up some veggies, boil the rice, and throw together the mix for brownies which we intended to serve ala mode for dessert.

Yes, the brownies were also packaged, but the ingredients were literally exactly what we would have used from scratch (no mysterious substances or extraneous syrups). Having only to add butter and eggs and voila! fit in perfectly with our "focus on the friends not the food" theme. Of course, we're vegan, so I didn't actually use butter and eggs, but instead earth balance and banana.

The weather was wintry for the first time this season and our guests arrived in dribs and drabs, nibbling on snacks until the full contingent arrived. Dinner, once served, was awesome (I can say that because sg was mainly responsible.) The curry once again was right on. I don't know how he does that?

As everyone chowed down, we threw the brownies in the oven so they'd have time to bake and cool. As they did so, the scent of bananas filled the apartment, which should have been the first clue of things going, ahem, awry. I knew the pan I used was slightly larger than the recipe called for, but I was assured by a very reliable guest that brownies "puff up" when they bake. i can now say from experience that, when banana is used instead of egg, they do not, for the results were the thickness of pita bread and the consistency of taffy.

But we were all in good spirits and everyone adventurously took one. some of us scooped on neopolitan soy ice cream, thinking that would improve things. again, not a wise decision. the jokes got rowdier and funnier as everyone did their best to consume what could only loosely be defined as dessert. comparisons were made to peanut brittle and, more appropriate consistency-wise, jerky. I was laughing along with the rest, mainly eating the ice cream in my bowl, when I decided to go for it and take a bit of the brittle/jerky. unwise decision number three.

I immediately felt the snap and threw my hand up. sg, still in joking mode and thinking maybe I had bit my tongue, quipped, "what, did you chip your tooth or something?" um, yes. or at least sort of. see, due to high doses of antibiotics in my younger years, my front teeth were terribly stained. so 10 or so years ago my dentist whittled them down a bit and capped them with veneers. For the orally challenged, veneers are like Lee press-on nails for your teeth, but the glue is a heck of a lot stronger. apparently not strong enough for these "brownies", though, as one had simply snapped off.

I rushed to the bathroom to confirm what I already knew. One capped front tooth, one noticibly smaller bare one. This, oddly enough, was a nightmare come true. I often dream that I have snapped one of those babies off and have to walk around all snaggle-toothed, but it hasn't actually happened in 10 years! There was nothing to be done, of course, so I went back to our guests.

Hilarity ensued as we pondered my predicament. It dawned on me that I had a meeting scheduled for this morning and would simply have to suck it up. I found myself covering my mouth as I talked until my co-conversationalist assured me that she was not, in fact, looking at my teeth. Others across the room pointed out that they couldn't see a difference.

I was struck by how awesome it was to be in an atmosphere that encouraged me to laugh at myself and my vanity (the wine probably helped). And, considering that I still haven't been able to reach my dentist, I think I'll be drawing on that feeling over the next few days-or longer?!-until symmetry can be restored to my pearly whites.

On the road again

2007-01-31T22:41:00.000-05:00

Recently, my sister and I made our annual retreat to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox , Massachusetts. This is our second year making this trek, but roadtripping to destinations far and wide is not something new for these two former shamokinites!

Growing up, my sole exposure to the "outside" world was this very sister. Despite working two or three jobs and pursuing her education, she always seemed to find time for me. Long hours of support on the telephone, but also wonderfully exciting get-aways, traveling to places like Gettysburg and D.C., and enjoying the drive just as much, if not more than the destinations themselves.

Being well-prepared snack-wise was always a must for our trips and my sister continues to excel in that area, despite my increasingly difficult dietary tendencies. If nothing else, I can be sure that I will not suffer from thirst, as she's always well stocked with water, gatorade and what have you. One of my cherished memories from those early trips isn't the snacks themselves, though, but the joy we used to take in simply throwing their wrappings on the floor! how very novel for me to encounter someone who was *not* telling me to clean up my mess, but instead gleefully laughing with me as I used the space about my feet as a trash receptacle.

If you have ever talked with either my sister or myself, you know that brevity is a strongpoint neither of us possess. So it is not uncommon for us to launch into hours-long conversations when we get together, and this particular drive was no exception. We had not seen each other for some time and we were more than three quarters of the way into the drive before I even thought to look at the clock...or the gas gauge.

After some hasty mental calculations, we determined that we had to get off within the next exit or two or risk being stranded at night in the cold on the NY Thruway. We passed one exit with no amentities and then another, at which point my sister caused me to laugh so hard I nearly peed when she stage-whispered, "and the car goes silent as they both begin to wonder, 'will we make it?'" The chatter had dropped to nil and I was white-knuckling the steering wheel.

We decided the next exit had to be ours. The kindly toll-taker informed us that there were no gas stations nearer than the next exit on the thruway, 8 miles away. No, wait, she said, and proceeded to give us directions for a station within 2 miles that *might* be open. We promptly mangled those directions not 1 minute later and got ourselves on some good, ole' deserted back roads. Yes, we were about to become those girls that run out of gas out in the middle of nowhere.

but we were in luck! A savior was near and his name was Joe and he owned a little steakhouse in, well, the middle of nowhere. he quickly jumped in his car to lead us to this elusive nearby gas station and, lo and behold, it was located at the next exit on the NY Thruway! Better safe than sorry, right?

Now we actually had to pump the gas, which proved harder than I expected. I would pull the handle, releasing fuel for all of 3 seconds, before the pump would shut-off. Joe must have sensed what he was dealing with and thus hadn't driven off yet, so when I blurted "wtf?" he again came to the rescue. apparently this is a common occurence with gas pumps when it's incredibly friggin cold outside (and you're tired, hungry and late for dinner).

Thanks to Joe, we arrived safe and sound at Kripalu and were cozily settled in our room within the hour. It is an amazing facility, with an air of peace and calm, and definitely worth whatever adventures are thrown in one's path to get there!

oh, so much to Discover!

2006-06-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

I have taken my super-perfect boyfriend's weeklong absence, due to a nationwide geek conference, to reacquaint myself with one of my most enjoyed but oft-neglected pieces of reading material-Discover magazine. Every issue is jam-packed with interesting stuff presented in an easily understandable way (especially useful for a Biology major who hasn't made use of that degree since matriculation). yet for some reason, I lapse into phases of being a Discover collector rather than reader, accumulating 7 issues (and renewing my subscription!) this time, before coming to my senses. Perhaps they are so meaty that I perpetually feel incapable of devoting the time necessary to truly digest them? all I know is that my office-mates good-naturedly roll their eyes at me when I announce during a Monday lunchbreak that I have spent the weekend catching up on my magazines. If nothing else, strange and interesting conversation is bound to follow!

Things that struck me this time around:
(note-I am only mid-way through April and the suspense of knowing what has occured through July is killing me!)

The visual awareness parts of your brain shut off each time you blink, saving you from being continually plunged into blackness

Scientists have developed a way to grow meat in the lab

Having the malaria parasite in your blood makes you smell more attractive to mosquitos

A native hemorrhagic fever producing virus may have led to the demise of the Aztecs and Incas, not diseases carried by the European invaders

The exhibits of BodyWorlds that spent the spring at the Franklin Institute were from "unclaimed corpses of people who died of natural causes," not people who chose to legally sign over their remains as I had assumed.
*okay, so I had to read forward into next month's issue on this one. a letter to the editors assures readers that not only did the producer of the exhibit sue the newspaper that originally published this story (and won), but also that all but a few of the organs that are in the exhibit are from individuals who have, in fact, willed their bodies, um, willfully, to the exhibitors.

A study on placebos finds that getting fake acupuncture reduces pain more than taking fake medication. Researchers believe that rituals explain the difference

Our perception of "real time" is a creation of our brains. Sensory information reaches our brain at different speeds, where it is all integrated and perceived as happening "now". (example, watching yourself tap a finger on your desk. You *should* see it and then hear it)

office-mates beware!

to sleep, perchance to dream

2006-05-09T13:35:00.000-05:00

At last, a full night's sleep! I recall dreaming but not what those specific dreams were. in any case, I awoke this morning refreshed. throw in some yoga and a lovely breakfast with a british feel with my boy and it was a great start to the day.

last night's outing with the girls at a local brewery was mighty fun. lots of good girl talk (about boys, of course), a heaping plate of nachos and a youngish waiter who repeatedly asked, "is there anything I can *do* for you!?!" I genuinely laughed and felt good. (a possible reason for the good night's sleep?)

I think I've entered an uncharacteristic girl-y phase lately. I'm currently reading the new novel by Jennifer Weiner (which has a very Desperate Housewives feel) with books by Jodi Picoult and Anne Tyler in line next. oh, and a not so girly "How to be idle", which the super-fantastic boyfriend got a kick out of. "you are *not* going to read a book to learn how to do nothing!?!" I explained that it was more of a social commentary on the craziness of American society and our incomprehensible drive to work ourselves to death, but I'm not sure he bought it. I can't hold his skepticism against him, though. I mean, the boy exudes ease and relaxation. nothing seems to upset him or make him lose his cool. yeah, I'm jealous.

back to being girly. I realized yesterday that I have an inordinate amount of pink clothing, which came as a shock. I knew that I had been taking the baby blue phase a bit too far lately (blanket, slippers, house-sweater) but significant numbers of light pink clothing in addition to that is just too much. I must seek deep, earthy colors on all upcoming shopping excursions. (oh wait, I hate shoppping!)

"you're a great little speaker"

2006-05-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

those words made my night. as always, my grumbling on the way to this once a month, late (for me) meeting, was quickly replaced with upbeat, well, soroptimism. a hearty greeting, by name, when I walked in the door was a great start. pasta primavera for the vegetarian? no sir, not this time around! they were ready for us with a scrumptious dish of grilled portobellos intermingled with grilled veggies and topped with melted cheese. green beans and a baked potato on the side finished things off nicely. I spent dinner in lively discussion with one of our partner families. She was moving into her home right as I was coming on board and so I never really got to know her. I'm so happy that I finally got the chance! between dinner and dessert she and I got up to do our spiel, which apparently went very well as evidenced the praise mentioned earlier. I also got to participate in the installation of new officers, which was both funny and touching.

it's a bike day, wa-hoo! must be my train guy's day off, 'cause there was a youngster there in his place. only 8 hours until I can bike home:)

how come no bike?

2006-05-03T08:14:00.000-05:00

well, it is confirmed. my morning train guy actually likes helping me lug my bike on and off and therefore misses it on days when I walk to the train. or at least that is how I am interpreting his sole comment of this morning. far from being positive, I am slightly bitter about tonight's evening meeting which prevents me from biking home from work. but tomorrow and Friday are meeting-free and, legs willing, will be biked.

there is much cause for celebration today! after three nights of tossing and turning, a decent sleep I finally had last night. all it took was approximately 4 glasses of wine (I say approximate because I was simply too drunk to count), a little Cho Cho San and some chocolate fondue thrown in for good measure. could there be a more super fantastic boyfriend? I think not.

i scream, you scream

2006-05-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

perhaps I should change the name of this to "ice cream makes everything better"? today's staff meeting was particularly unsavory with the announcement of yet more staff turnover. coming on the heels of my third insomniatic night, I was more prepared for tears than for rational discussion. however, the consequent trip to DQ, which is conveniently located across the way, seems to have righted nearly everything. I certainly feel much more awake and my mood is downright optimistic! i highly recommend the mud pie blizzard to all those who are feeling a little down!

best weekend ever?

2006-05-02T07:58:00.000-05:00

Progress is being made with the train guy! though he admonished me for having on sandals (and rolled the tire up my white pant leg possibly in an effort to reinforce his point), nevertheless we had a little chitty-chat about biking and he genuinely seemed impressed that I ride home rather than taking the train.

don't let my recent quietude fool you, these past few days have been awesome! immediately following work and a ride home on Friday we packed up the car and headed up into the mountains for some lively campfire family time. after one too many close calls with hot dogs on a 4-pronged skewer (are there laws about drunk people wielding flaming meat on a stick? there should be!), we called it an early night.

saturday morning started leisurely with some coffee and baby ogling. following eggs and toast, it was back down the rock slide (my poor car) and on to the trail for the most invigorating and draining first ride of the season. I have rarely in my life felt so bone-numbing tired, and I loved it. lots of rafters and kayakers out on a rather chilly morning. we *must* take up kayaking! after some recuperation and stretching, it was back in the car for the drive home.

showers and brief visit to the shop to ensure my car was still road-worthy (kind of), and we were off to Harrisburg, for a wildly colorful home tour and dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. ice cream was a necessity after dinner and we ended up at 3B where I had the most amazing ice cream, PB Supreme. they don't mess with sizes and what was handed to me (in a sugar cone, of couse) was a few stories high. my companions gasped, but I assured them that I was up the the task. we were then taken hostage (kind of), while my sister took us on a tour of downtown harrisburg, the harrisburg state hospital and various decent and sketchy neighborhoods of the city, all with detailed running commentary. we went from giddy with sugar to giddy with exhaustion to simply exhausted before we reached home.

sunday was a gorgeous sunny spring day that inspired me to clean the apartment and then take up residence on the balcony to read magazines. with brief breaks for phone calls and crystal light pink lemonade, that's all I did until DH and GA that evening.

quite possibly one of the best weekends ever.

happy half birthday to me!

2006-04-27T21:29:00.000-05:00

this morning I was presented with a half birthday present, something I had never before received. my fabulous friend and co-worker had been preparing this gift since my actual birthday, which falls in late october. while some might question the wisdom of bestowing a belated gift, I can truly say that it meant more to me in April than it would have in October. and not only because my day was balancing on the cusp, precariously teetering on the line between good day and bad. the out of the blue offering is exciting by its sheer unexpectedness. don't get me wrong, I love birthdays. why shouldn't everyone have one day out of 365 where their very existence is celebrated? heck, I even have a semi-patented birthday dance! but having someone recognize and celebrate you randomly is immensely more satisfying, I can now say from experience.

highlight number 2 was the arrival of a message from my recently departed boss and mentor, who relocated a month or two ago to a different state. not having heard from her in weeks has been rough, after seeking her wisdom and inspiration on a daily basis. but thankfully she is settled in to a new house and a new job and doing well.

wouldn't be right if I didn't mention the ice cream cake brought by a super dedicated volunteer to tonight's meeting. a day is nothing but awesome when ice cream cake is served.

oh, oh, I completely cleaned out my outlook inbox today! I'm sure I'll have 34 new messages by tomorrow morning encouraging me to seek help for my erectile disfunction in order to better please my lover, but I will sleep soundly knowing that I actually left the office caught up on at least email.

and in closing, my super perfect boyfriend told me he loves me at least 4 times in the 2 hours that I've been home.

until tomorrow and another day filled with good things...