See? I do keep my promises... eventually. Here's the recipe to the YUMMIEST COCKTAIL EVER. AND it will knock you on your butt. Perfect for right after a grueling day of work, especially in combination with popcorn that's been doused with truffle oil.
UPTOWN MANHATTAN
2 oz Maker's Mark
3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
2 dashes orange bitters
1/4 oz cherry brandy
Combine, stir, strain. Garnish with brandied cherries and flamed orange.
I can only drink 2 of these, 3 if it's an especially long night and I've been good about hydrating.
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Italian Cooking School, Finally
I've been meaning to write this for months, but of course, haven't. A friend asked me to write a note to her mother to get her to go, and I ended up with something that could also be used as a blog entry. Also, since I just mailed off my check to go again at the end of October (YAY!), it seemed like I should get this off my to-do list as soon as possible.
Last year when I went, I was completely stressed out from work and had reached the point of burnout. Both my brain and my body felt completely bruised when I got on the plane to Italy, less than 12 hours after getting back from a work trip to DC.
Because I traveled by myself and booked a single, my expectations were fairly low. A lot of times, places will put the single travelers off into a cramped corner. At Torre del Tartufo (and I suspect also at Casa Ombuto), this wasn’t the case. There were 7 of us in my class – a single woman from Ireland, a single woman from NYC, and two couples who’d been friends since college celebrating a 60th birthday for one of the wives. I think the temptation at most places would be to cram the single girls into one suite of rooms to save on the cleaning, but Sarah, Heather, and I each got an entire apartment to ourselves. If you go to the website, you can see pictures of the room I stayed in (Origano). The couples were up in the Tower, where the views are breathtaking (that’s where they’re putting me when I go back this fall).
Every detail is thought of – it’s not luxurious like the Ritz Carlton, but it’s pretty and cozy and spotless and amazingly comfortable. When you come in, there’s a little welcome gift waiting for you. There are no phones or televisions or clocks in any of the rooms because they want you to relax. (The school manager told me there’s only one alarm clock, so if multiple people need to get up early, the person who gets up earliest gets it first, then resets the clock and tiptoes into the next person’s room, and so on. Awesome.) This place has only two goals: for you to feel at home and for you never to feel hungry (that’s my take on it anyway). And halfway up a big hill in Tuscany on a truffle farm, so it’s really quiet. The first night, I woke up in the middle of the night and honestly though I’d gone deaf for a few seconds before I shook off enough of my disorientation to clap my hands (yes, I know how ridiculous that is -- I was jet lagged and disoriented! It was the middle of the night!!). It’s THAT quiet.
There’s only one computer, and it only has dial-up access, which the school manager asks that you not use for too long, as the school only has the one phone line. I was able to get BlackBerry coverage, but only down by the pool, and who wants to use their BlackBerry at the pool on vacation??? I did check my BlackBerry but mostly just to post on Facebook what a good time I was having. :)
Sarah, Heather, Diane, Helen, and I took the cooking class, while Ira and Marty (the husbands) smoked cigars, drank wine, and sat in the pool. We had four days of cooking class, all in English (apparently, they're always in English), and we cooked a LOT. When I first saw the itinerary for the week, I thought four cooking classes was too few, but by the fourth one, I was exhausted! We made our own lunches, afternoon snacks, dinners for every day that were there. Almost all of the herbs we used came from the spectacular gardens. I even had to snip bay leaves from an actual tree!! (The chef had to show me which one it was.)
On the field trip day, we ate lunch made by an Italian grandmother at a little farmhouse where they make cheese, and then we had dinner at one of the best seafood restaurants in Tuscany. In addition to the cheese farm, we also visited an ancient, walled city and a ceramics factory, where I picked up a couple of lovely items for the dinner parties I have not yet thrown.
There’s also a day that’s completely free – no cooking classes and no planned activities. Franco, the chef, purposefully has us make too much food on the other days so that there are leftovers to eat on the free day if you decide not to go sightseeing. There’s also a fully stocked refrigerator if you’d prefer to make something else. I decided not to go sightseeing, even though I had options. The couples invited me to go to Florence with them, and Sarah invited me to go to Cortona (where they filmed “Under the Tuscan Sun”) with her and Heather, but I was enjoying the solitude, and I had 6 books to read (all of which I finished). Also, I got to pretend that I owned the place by being there by myself. It was heavenly.
We asked Barbara, the manager, whether it was common that everyone got along as great as we all did, and she said yes. She also said, “Why wouldn’t you get along? You all already had two things in common when you got here: you chose Italy, and you chose cooking.” You’ll meet people from all over the world. We happened to have people mostly from the US, but Barbara said that they get people from as far away as Australia and easily from all over Europe.
It’s really the best vacation I’ve ever been on, even better than taking the Queen Mary 2 across the Atlantic. If you love Italy and cooking, you HAVE TO GO. If you need some solitude and silence to work through the tangle of partially formed thoughts in your head, and you have a stack of books you want to get through, it's perfect. (Diane and Helen coaxed me away from my books and into a conversation, but Marty and Ira told me not to feel pressured to join them – they totally understood my desire to rest my brain and just read.)
I can't wait to go back. There are enough changes happening at the company that I suspect that I will REALLY need this vacation when it finally happens. I'm excited to see Tuscany in the fall!
And it's time to open that Rosetta Stone box that contains my Italian lessons!
Last year when I went, I was completely stressed out from work and had reached the point of burnout. Both my brain and my body felt completely bruised when I got on the plane to Italy, less than 12 hours after getting back from a work trip to DC.
Because I traveled by myself and booked a single, my expectations were fairly low. A lot of times, places will put the single travelers off into a cramped corner. At Torre del Tartufo (and I suspect also at Casa Ombuto), this wasn’t the case. There were 7 of us in my class – a single woman from Ireland, a single woman from NYC, and two couples who’d been friends since college celebrating a 60th birthday for one of the wives. I think the temptation at most places would be to cram the single girls into one suite of rooms to save on the cleaning, but Sarah, Heather, and I each got an entire apartment to ourselves. If you go to the website, you can see pictures of the room I stayed in (Origano). The couples were up in the Tower, where the views are breathtaking (that’s where they’re putting me when I go back this fall).
Every detail is thought of – it’s not luxurious like the Ritz Carlton, but it’s pretty and cozy and spotless and amazingly comfortable. When you come in, there’s a little welcome gift waiting for you. There are no phones or televisions or clocks in any of the rooms because they want you to relax. (The school manager told me there’s only one alarm clock, so if multiple people need to get up early, the person who gets up earliest gets it first, then resets the clock and tiptoes into the next person’s room, and so on. Awesome.) This place has only two goals: for you to feel at home and for you never to feel hungry (that’s my take on it anyway). And halfway up a big hill in Tuscany on a truffle farm, so it’s really quiet. The first night, I woke up in the middle of the night and honestly though I’d gone deaf for a few seconds before I shook off enough of my disorientation to clap my hands (yes, I know how ridiculous that is -- I was jet lagged and disoriented! It was the middle of the night!!). It’s THAT quiet.
There’s only one computer, and it only has dial-up access, which the school manager asks that you not use for too long, as the school only has the one phone line. I was able to get BlackBerry coverage, but only down by the pool, and who wants to use their BlackBerry at the pool on vacation??? I did check my BlackBerry but mostly just to post on Facebook what a good time I was having. :)
Sarah, Heather, Diane, Helen, and I took the cooking class, while Ira and Marty (the husbands) smoked cigars, drank wine, and sat in the pool. We had four days of cooking class, all in English (apparently, they're always in English), and we cooked a LOT. When I first saw the itinerary for the week, I thought four cooking classes was too few, but by the fourth one, I was exhausted! We made our own lunches, afternoon snacks, dinners for every day that were there. Almost all of the herbs we used came from the spectacular gardens. I even had to snip bay leaves from an actual tree!! (The chef had to show me which one it was.)
On the field trip day, we ate lunch made by an Italian grandmother at a little farmhouse where they make cheese, and then we had dinner at one of the best seafood restaurants in Tuscany. In addition to the cheese farm, we also visited an ancient, walled city and a ceramics factory, where I picked up a couple of lovely items for the dinner parties I have not yet thrown.
There’s also a day that’s completely free – no cooking classes and no planned activities. Franco, the chef, purposefully has us make too much food on the other days so that there are leftovers to eat on the free day if you decide not to go sightseeing. There’s also a fully stocked refrigerator if you’d prefer to make something else. I decided not to go sightseeing, even though I had options. The couples invited me to go to Florence with them, and Sarah invited me to go to Cortona (where they filmed “Under the Tuscan Sun”) with her and Heather, but I was enjoying the solitude, and I had 6 books to read (all of which I finished). Also, I got to pretend that I owned the place by being there by myself. It was heavenly.
We asked Barbara, the manager, whether it was common that everyone got along as great as we all did, and she said yes. She also said, “Why wouldn’t you get along? You all already had two things in common when you got here: you chose Italy, and you chose cooking.” You’ll meet people from all over the world. We happened to have people mostly from the US, but Barbara said that they get people from as far away as Australia and easily from all over Europe.
It’s really the best vacation I’ve ever been on, even better than taking the Queen Mary 2 across the Atlantic. If you love Italy and cooking, you HAVE TO GO. If you need some solitude and silence to work through the tangle of partially formed thoughts in your head, and you have a stack of books you want to get through, it's perfect. (Diane and Helen coaxed me away from my books and into a conversation, but Marty and Ira told me not to feel pressured to join them – they totally understood my desire to rest my brain and just read.)
I can't wait to go back. There are enough changes happening at the company that I suspect that I will REALLY need this vacation when it finally happens. I'm excited to see Tuscany in the fall!
And it's time to open that Rosetta Stone box that contains my Italian lessons!
Monday, October 13, 2008
My Nespresso Machine
This deserves an entry all by itself, because knowing the background will help you understand why if there were a fire, I'd probably grab the Nespresso machine first.
One of the primary reasons I love going to Australia is to drink the coffee. Shana asked me why I'm so obsessed with the coffee, and I had a hard time describing it to her, but I think I've finally figured it out. Remember the first time you smelled coffee, and nothing else that you'd smelled previously compared to how rich and deep the aroma was? And no experience that you'd had previously compared to the disappointment of drinking it? Coffee is really weird in that it doesn't really taste like it smells. Or at least none of the coffee I've ever drunk does.
Until I went to Australia for work. I don't know what they do to it down there, but the airport coffee in Sydney is amazing, and everything I had afterward was even better, but especially in Melbourne. Coffee in Australia tastes exactly like it smells. It's a heavenly experience every single time. All that wasted anticipation from the first time you had a cup of crappy, American, drip coffee gets satisfied years later in a small paper cup.
If you're a coffee fan, you can't miss visiting Melbourne. It's like they add crack and heroin to the coffee. I'm kind of sensitive to caffeine, so I usually limit myself to 2 cups a day, maybe 3 if I'm really sleep-deprived, but when I'm in Australia, particularly Melbourne, I'm drinking 4-5 cups a day -- I get it anytime it's available or there's a coffee shop in my path.
It's not drip coffee. All of it is espresso and espresso-based. The easiest thing to do is to order yourself a cappuccino in Melbourne and bask in the goodness. Or just drink it as fast as you can and order another two. Not that I've done that or anything.
My last visit in August was primarily to Melbourne -- HOORAY! Melbourne is great partially because the Baileys are there, but if they weren't there, I would still be excited because did you read what I wrote above? Amazing coffee. In any event, Melbournians are justifiably proud of their coffee, and we had a couple of day-long meetings at the Westin Melbourne for the Australian members. At the first one, the hotel served drip coffee, and the Melbournian members were understandably taken aback to the point that they said something to Melissa. Melissa said something to Cindi, who said something to the hotel, and magically, for our second meeting, the hotel put an espresso machine in our meeting room.
That kind of proximity to the espresso machine was HEAVEN. I had a cup at every break. (I switched to decaf after the first 3 cups because I didn't want to (a) speak too quickly or (b) have a heart attack.) I'm very open about my love for Australian coffee, and one of the members suggested that I buy the home version of the commercial Nespresso machine that was in the room.
I wrestled with that one. I wrestled like Jacob wrestled with the angel. And I ultimately came down on the side of "no" because I was concerned about the electricity situation (different voltages in the US and Australia) and how I was going to get the coffee capsules that the machine uses. I couldn't in good conscience ask Melissa, Dawn, and Diane to take turns sending me a shipment of my drug of choice every 3 months.
Then I went on vacation to Italy, where the coffee is also amazing. When I mentioned how much I liked the espresso to the villa manager, she suggested that I get a Nespresso machine. That was it. I didn't buy one in Italy, but when I got home, I got online and discovered that Nespresso makes machines for just about every country in the world, including the US.
It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. I got the milk frother/steamer, too, and I have at least 2 cappuccinos every day when I'm home, and it's a thousand times better than the swill they serve at Starbucks. I just wish I'd known about Nespresso sooner!!! I'm at the part of the year where I travel every week, so I'm not getting as much quality time as I'd like with it. I'm always disappointed when I drink coffee outside my home now.
You might be openly mocking me right now, but ask Melissa and Cindi and Dawn about how delicious the coffee is that Nespresso makes. And if you ever come to Houston, I'll make you a cup, but be warned -- it will change your life and make it nearly impossible to drink any other coffee again without a little twinge of disappointment.
One of the primary reasons I love going to Australia is to drink the coffee. Shana asked me why I'm so obsessed with the coffee, and I had a hard time describing it to her, but I think I've finally figured it out. Remember the first time you smelled coffee, and nothing else that you'd smelled previously compared to how rich and deep the aroma was? And no experience that you'd had previously compared to the disappointment of drinking it? Coffee is really weird in that it doesn't really taste like it smells. Or at least none of the coffee I've ever drunk does.
Until I went to Australia for work. I don't know what they do to it down there, but the airport coffee in Sydney is amazing, and everything I had afterward was even better, but especially in Melbourne. Coffee in Australia tastes exactly like it smells. It's a heavenly experience every single time. All that wasted anticipation from the first time you had a cup of crappy, American, drip coffee gets satisfied years later in a small paper cup.
If you're a coffee fan, you can't miss visiting Melbourne. It's like they add crack and heroin to the coffee. I'm kind of sensitive to caffeine, so I usually limit myself to 2 cups a day, maybe 3 if I'm really sleep-deprived, but when I'm in Australia, particularly Melbourne, I'm drinking 4-5 cups a day -- I get it anytime it's available or there's a coffee shop in my path.
It's not drip coffee. All of it is espresso and espresso-based. The easiest thing to do is to order yourself a cappuccino in Melbourne and bask in the goodness. Or just drink it as fast as you can and order another two. Not that I've done that or anything.
My last visit in August was primarily to Melbourne -- HOORAY! Melbourne is great partially because the Baileys are there, but if they weren't there, I would still be excited because did you read what I wrote above? Amazing coffee. In any event, Melbournians are justifiably proud of their coffee, and we had a couple of day-long meetings at the Westin Melbourne for the Australian members. At the first one, the hotel served drip coffee, and the Melbournian members were understandably taken aback to the point that they said something to Melissa. Melissa said something to Cindi, who said something to the hotel, and magically, for our second meeting, the hotel put an espresso machine in our meeting room.
That kind of proximity to the espresso machine was HEAVEN. I had a cup at every break. (I switched to decaf after the first 3 cups because I didn't want to (a) speak too quickly or (b) have a heart attack.) I'm very open about my love for Australian coffee, and one of the members suggested that I buy the home version of the commercial Nespresso machine that was in the room.
I wrestled with that one. I wrestled like Jacob wrestled with the angel. And I ultimately came down on the side of "no" because I was concerned about the electricity situation (different voltages in the US and Australia) and how I was going to get the coffee capsules that the machine uses. I couldn't in good conscience ask Melissa, Dawn, and Diane to take turns sending me a shipment of my drug of choice every 3 months.
Then I went on vacation to Italy, where the coffee is also amazing. When I mentioned how much I liked the espresso to the villa manager, she suggested that I get a Nespresso machine. That was it. I didn't buy one in Italy, but when I got home, I got online and discovered that Nespresso makes machines for just about every country in the world, including the US.
It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. I got the milk frother/steamer, too, and I have at least 2 cappuccinos every day when I'm home, and it's a thousand times better than the swill they serve at Starbucks. I just wish I'd known about Nespresso sooner!!! I'm at the part of the year where I travel every week, so I'm not getting as much quality time as I'd like with it. I'm always disappointed when I drink coffee outside my home now.
You might be openly mocking me right now, but ask Melissa and Cindi and Dawn about how delicious the coffee is that Nespresso makes. And if you ever come to Houston, I'll make you a cup, but be warned -- it will change your life and make it nearly impossible to drink any other coffee again without a little twinge of disappointment.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Movies & TV Shows for Strong Women
Despite the fact that it's nearly 2009 and that we almost had a woman as a Presidential candidate, I think that there's a fair amount of crap in the media that's not good for us or our psyches, regardless of whether you're a man or a woman. So here's a partial list of movies and tv shows that I think are a nice counter to the crap out -- these all have heroines who are smart and independent and manage to rescue themselves:
Remington Steele (this is one of my favorite tv shows of all time -- this was such a nice palate cleanser in the 80s after the jigglefest of Charlie's Angels. Don't get me wrong -- I loved the Angels, and yes, they carried guns and managed to rescue themselves much of the time, but the major focus of Charlie's Angels was T&A.)
Enchanted (I had my doubts about this one, but I watched at my cousin's house with her and her 3-year-old daughter at my cousin's insistence. Not only does Giselle rescue herself, but she also rescues the man she loves. It was so much better than I was expecting!)
Ever After (I also had serious doubts about this one, but I'm starting to see Drew Barrymore as a reliable indicator that the heroine of the movie will be able to kick a**. Besides, I'm a sucker for movies that have heroines who like to read.)
Legally Blonde (Truthfully, Elle Woods grates on my nerves. But I like the message it sends to chicks about being true to who you are and living up to your own expectations rather than other people's. Reese Witherspoon also seems to be a reliable indicator of a strong chick movie.)
Penelope (I've written about this before. It's a great movie, and I think Reese Witherspoon produced it. See? Reliable indicator.)
Juno (Just a warning -- don't watch this one with the director's commentary on, because Jason Reitman is an a**hat. Regardless of what you think about teen pregnancy, the heroine is smart and independent and doesn't take crap from anyone, including the jacka** Jason Bateman character. I'm in favor of not taking crap from anyone.)
What have I missed?
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Sensory Overload
Liz and I went to see The Dark Knight yesterday at the IMAX theater. The movie was fantastic, but I have to say that seeing it on the IMAX screen was overwhelming. The second the movie started with an aerial shot of a skyscraper, I was pretty sure we were in for it.
Don't get me wrong -- I loved the movie. I had my eyes closed during parts of it, which I know was unnecessary because most of the gory violence happens off-screen. I thought Christian Bale was great as Batman/Bruce Wayne, as usual (I've loved him since Empire of the Sun). I love the way that Michael Caine's character, Alfred Pennyworth, and Morgan Freeman's character, Lucius Fox, balance out Bruce Wayne and keep him grounded and sane. And I thought Heather Ledger was amazing, although perhaps not necessarily Oscar-worthy.
But this was a seriously intense movie, both in terms of implied violence, action scenes, and explosions and in terms of the morality themes in the plot. Seeing on that gigantic screen, while sometimes gratifying (hello, Christian Bale's handsome mug), left the audience with no place to hide.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. But I'm glad we went to an afternoon matinee. Seeing the movie on the IMAX screen had the same effect on me as several cups of coffee. My hands were trembling, my heart was pounding, and I was jumpy. If I see the movie again, I think I'm going to opt for a regular screen with a bottle of beer.
Don't get me wrong -- I loved the movie. I had my eyes closed during parts of it, which I know was unnecessary because most of the gory violence happens off-screen. I thought Christian Bale was great as Batman/Bruce Wayne, as usual (I've loved him since Empire of the Sun). I love the way that Michael Caine's character, Alfred Pennyworth, and Morgan Freeman's character, Lucius Fox, balance out Bruce Wayne and keep him grounded and sane. And I thought Heather Ledger was amazing, although perhaps not necessarily Oscar-worthy.
But this was a seriously intense movie, both in terms of implied violence, action scenes, and explosions and in terms of the morality themes in the plot. Seeing on that gigantic screen, while sometimes gratifying (hello, Christian Bale's handsome mug), left the audience with no place to hide.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. But I'm glad we went to an afternoon matinee. Seeing the movie on the IMAX screen had the same effect on me as several cups of coffee. My hands were trembling, my heart was pounding, and I was jumpy. If I see the movie again, I think I'm going to opt for a regular screen with a bottle of beer.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Baseball Game!!
I love baseball. As my friend Kathy said, "Sometimes baseball is just what the doctor ordered." Here's what happened at the Astros game tonight:
* I ate a hot dog. Normally I go with the chili cheese dog, but this time I went with mustard, ketchup, and relish. Delicious!
* I was still hungry, so I got some nachos, too. I didn't eat the whole thing, just a third.
* I had a beer and half. One Miller Lite and one Bud Lite. They both tasted pretty bad.
* There were two 24-year-old girls sitting behind Kathy and me, complaining for 3 innings about how their boyfriends who are studying for the BAR EXAM aren't paying enough attention to them. They made me a little embarassed to be a woman. They spent the next 3 innings complaining about how they don't get enough respect at work. Then they left. THANK GOD.
* The pitcher, Moehler, whom I don't know, pitched 8 2/3 innings. It was FANTASTIC. He let two guys get on base in the 9th, and they pulled him out after his 100th pitch. We gave him a standing ovation when he left the mound.
* I saw Lance Berkman hit the ball into the pitcher's stomach. I'm not saying that's something I want to see every day, but holy moly -- I can't believe Arroyo was able to breathe!
* And then Arroyo hit Berkman. Bad pitcher. Bad.
* Which is ok, because Carlos Lee came up and hit a home run. With the bases loaded. In baseball parlance, we call that a GRAND SLAM. FREAKING AWESOME!!!
* Astros won, 6-2.
I know they're not great, but I love them anyway.
* I ate a hot dog. Normally I go with the chili cheese dog, but this time I went with mustard, ketchup, and relish. Delicious!
* I was still hungry, so I got some nachos, too. I didn't eat the whole thing, just a third.
* I had a beer and half. One Miller Lite and one Bud Lite. They both tasted pretty bad.
* There were two 24-year-old girls sitting behind Kathy and me, complaining for 3 innings about how their boyfriends who are studying for the BAR EXAM aren't paying enough attention to them. They made me a little embarassed to be a woman. They spent the next 3 innings complaining about how they don't get enough respect at work. Then they left. THANK GOD.
* The pitcher, Moehler, whom I don't know, pitched 8 2/3 innings. It was FANTASTIC. He let two guys get on base in the 9th, and they pulled him out after his 100th pitch. We gave him a standing ovation when he left the mound.
* I saw Lance Berkman hit the ball into the pitcher's stomach. I'm not saying that's something I want to see every day, but holy moly -- I can't believe Arroyo was able to breathe!
* And then Arroyo hit Berkman. Bad pitcher. Bad.
* Which is ok, because Carlos Lee came up and hit a home run. With the bases loaded. In baseball parlance, we call that a GRAND SLAM. FREAKING AWESOME!!!
* Astros won, 6-2.
I know they're not great, but I love them anyway.
Monday, July 28, 2008
All I Ever Wanted
Oh, my gosh -- I'm going on a real vacation! I'm taking the last week of August off, and possibly the first week of September, and I was toying with the idea of going on a road trip to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore and the Badlands (I love saying "Badlands" -- try saying it with gusto, and you'll understand why). But the thought of being in the car for 20 hours there and 20 hours back made me feel tired, and while I can accept the idea of being tired after vacation, it seems wrong to dread vacation.
I've been wanting to go to Italian cooking school. I read about it somewhere four years ago, and bookmarked it on my computer. And every now and then, I'd pull up the page and think "next year." It's not a cheap vacation, and I doubt Suze Orman would approve of me going (she's the reason I'm not buying a new car), but I'm excited about going, and I need a real vacation. I think the last one I went on was in 2004 when Heather and I took the QM2 from New York City to Southampton and then spent a week in Ireland.
I do a lot of staycations -- vacations where I stay at home. I'll clean my pigsty of an apartment and run errands, basically taking time off to do the things I don't do because I'm traveling. I get a lot of rest during these vacations, but I don't think they actually recharge my batteries, and I desperately need my batteries to be recharged.
My mom's worried that I'm traveling by myself, and she thinks I'd have more fun if I were with a friend (she was gracious enough not to suggest it as a honeymoon), but I explained to her that I've been wanting to do this for four years, and it's hard to find someone willing to drop the amount of money this is going to take. The only reason I can sort of afford it is because I'm using (a lot of) miles for the plane ticket. She's still worried, thinking that there's safety in numbers, which, of course, there is, but I feel like I delay doing a lot of things because there's safety in numbers, and I'm just one. I'm in a rut, and I need to shake things up and get out of it.
I'm looking forward to walking around in the hazelnut and apple orchards on the property of the school. I'm looking forward to sitting by the pool, slathered in sunblock and catching up on my reading (I think my suitcase is going to be kind of heavy). I'm looking forward to not having any connectivity and not being able to check e-mail. And most of all, I'm looking forward to having the time away from my life to figure out what I really want and what I should be doing.
After I get back, I'm going to take a day to catch my breath, and then Liz and I have plans to go to New Orleans. The W in the French Quarter is having a crazy deal, probably because it's hotter than hell in Louisiana in the late summer and nobody in their right minds wants to be there. I've never been to New Orleans, though, and the shorter road trip sounds like fun rather than a burden. And also -- BEIGNETS. I'm a sucker for deep fried dough.
I'm hoping that at the end of it all, I'll be exhausted but rejuvenated with a fresh outlook on life and some mad Italian cooking skillz. I'll let you know how it goes!
I've been wanting to go to Italian cooking school. I read about it somewhere four years ago, and bookmarked it on my computer. And every now and then, I'd pull up the page and think "next year." It's not a cheap vacation, and I doubt Suze Orman would approve of me going (she's the reason I'm not buying a new car), but I'm excited about going, and I need a real vacation. I think the last one I went on was in 2004 when Heather and I took the QM2 from New York City to Southampton and then spent a week in Ireland.
I do a lot of staycations -- vacations where I stay at home. I'll clean my pigsty of an apartment and run errands, basically taking time off to do the things I don't do because I'm traveling. I get a lot of rest during these vacations, but I don't think they actually recharge my batteries, and I desperately need my batteries to be recharged.
My mom's worried that I'm traveling by myself, and she thinks I'd have more fun if I were with a friend (she was gracious enough not to suggest it as a honeymoon), but I explained to her that I've been wanting to do this for four years, and it's hard to find someone willing to drop the amount of money this is going to take. The only reason I can sort of afford it is because I'm using (a lot of) miles for the plane ticket. She's still worried, thinking that there's safety in numbers, which, of course, there is, but I feel like I delay doing a lot of things because there's safety in numbers, and I'm just one. I'm in a rut, and I need to shake things up and get out of it.
I'm looking forward to walking around in the hazelnut and apple orchards on the property of the school. I'm looking forward to sitting by the pool, slathered in sunblock and catching up on my reading (I think my suitcase is going to be kind of heavy). I'm looking forward to not having any connectivity and not being able to check e-mail. And most of all, I'm looking forward to having the time away from my life to figure out what I really want and what I should be doing.
After I get back, I'm going to take a day to catch my breath, and then Liz and I have plans to go to New Orleans. The W in the French Quarter is having a crazy deal, probably because it's hotter than hell in Louisiana in the late summer and nobody in their right minds wants to be there. I've never been to New Orleans, though, and the shorter road trip sounds like fun rather than a burden. And also -- BEIGNETS. I'm a sucker for deep fried dough.
I'm hoping that at the end of it all, I'll be exhausted but rejuvenated with a fresh outlook on life and some mad Italian cooking skillz. I'll let you know how it goes!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Pure Joy
If you're having a bad day, I guarantee this will make it better.
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Fairy Godmother
I'm lucky to have a lot of really great friends. It's arguable as to whether it's right or nice for me to drop friends the way I do when I stop having respect for them or when I have the realization that I don't enjoy spending time with them at all, but what it means is that the friends I do have are all amazing.
Yesterday, one of those friends showed me just how amazing she is. Tuesday was a horrible day at the office, mostly because it wasn't supposed to be a day at the office. I'll go into more detail in another entry about what happened from my perspective (because as usual at the office, my perspective doesn't matter), but it's enough to know that I spent a good two hours of the day crying.
On Wednesday morning, Shana sent me an e-mail message that she had a present for me. That's Shana all over -- even though she's had a horrible year, not just a horrible day, and she needs to take a break more than any other person I know, she got me a present to make me feel better.
Only it wasn't a present. It was a MILLION presents. I walked into her office and found a huge, yellow gift bag (the size of a Nordstrom shopping bag) with an 8.5X11 label that said "The 'Because I Can't Stand to See Catherine This Unhappy' Present'" (paraphrasing) FILLED with individually wrapped gifts, all with funny notes on them (again, paraphrased so you at least get an idea of how awesome this bag was).
I'm going to try to list them, but I know I'll forget some because there was SO MUCH (I had to leave the bag at the office because there was TOO MUCH STUFF to fit in my suitcase!!): a package of plastic paratroopers ("for when you feel like throwing something"), a pack of kiwi-watermelon gum, Tootsie Rolls, animal crackers ("it's a snack AND a purse -- what could be better?"), Kashi cookies, a fuzzy poster, a Bratz paper doll book, lip gloss, a yellow bracelet (which I wore home), star-shaped Post-It notes, multi-colored pens ("because you are also colorful and bold!"), a self-inking stamp that says "Terrific!", stickers that say "A+" and "Great Job!", a huge, smelly candle, bubble bath, and a tiny, stuffed rabbit. I know there's more (I'm surprised the bag was strong enough to hold everything), and when I'm back in the office and can do an in-person inventory, I will.
That gift bag might have been the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. Just knowing that Shana got me a present was enough to lift my spirits yesterday, but seeing the thought and effort that she put into it got me peacefully and affably through a dress rehearsal where I actually wanted to set people on fire many times.
I have a fairy godmother, and her name is Shana.
Yesterday, one of those friends showed me just how amazing she is. Tuesday was a horrible day at the office, mostly because it wasn't supposed to be a day at the office. I'll go into more detail in another entry about what happened from my perspective (because as usual at the office, my perspective doesn't matter), but it's enough to know that I spent a good two hours of the day crying.
On Wednesday morning, Shana sent me an e-mail message that she had a present for me. That's Shana all over -- even though she's had a horrible year, not just a horrible day, and she needs to take a break more than any other person I know, she got me a present to make me feel better.
Only it wasn't a present. It was a MILLION presents. I walked into her office and found a huge, yellow gift bag (the size of a Nordstrom shopping bag) with an 8.5X11 label that said "The 'Because I Can't Stand to See Catherine This Unhappy' Present'" (paraphrasing) FILLED with individually wrapped gifts, all with funny notes on them (again, paraphrased so you at least get an idea of how awesome this bag was).
I'm going to try to list them, but I know I'll forget some because there was SO MUCH (I had to leave the bag at the office because there was TOO MUCH STUFF to fit in my suitcase!!): a package of plastic paratroopers ("for when you feel like throwing something"), a pack of kiwi-watermelon gum, Tootsie Rolls, animal crackers ("it's a snack AND a purse -- what could be better?"), Kashi cookies, a fuzzy poster, a Bratz paper doll book, lip gloss, a yellow bracelet (which I wore home), star-shaped Post-It notes, multi-colored pens ("because you are also colorful and bold!"), a self-inking stamp that says "Terrific!", stickers that say "A+" and "Great Job!", a huge, smelly candle, bubble bath, and a tiny, stuffed rabbit. I know there's more (I'm surprised the bag was strong enough to hold everything), and when I'm back in the office and can do an in-person inventory, I will.
That gift bag might have been the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. Just knowing that Shana got me a present was enough to lift my spirits yesterday, but seeing the thought and effort that she put into it got me peacefully and affably through a dress rehearsal where I actually wanted to set people on fire many times.
I have a fairy godmother, and her name is Shana.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A Small Nugget of Match Gold
I got a nibble on Match:
From: Him
Date: June 26
#1 Airline Baggage- Here is my rule, if you have to have wheels on your luggage to carry it, you have too much stuff. [EDITOR'S NOTE: seriously? You've bothered to read my profile, so huge props to you, but that means you must know that I travel a lot for business, and you're being all judgmental about luggage with wheels? Not smart.]
#2 Five things- Are you counting smart and funny as separate items? [EDITOR'S NOTE: just as a reminder, in my profile I write that I'm looking for five things in a man: smart, funny, can take care of himself, has whimsy in his heart, and is totally into me. Use your fingers and count them out, dude. And in what universe are smart and funny equivalent? There are plenty of people who are smart and not at all funny, and there are people I think are funny, but they're not all that smart.]
#3 Infield fly rule- What is wrong with the infield fly rule. I think it has served us well for the last century. [EDITOR'S NOTE: valid question, but if you're a baseball fan, you know what the divide is over the infield fly rule. I appreciate your attempt to engage me here, but this is intellectually lazy.]
#4 National league- Look if the pitcher doesn't bat, he really isn't a baseball player, so you are correct there. Interleague play is also an abomination. What's next? Cheerleaders? Here's what you can do to promote your team: ball day, bat day, helmet day, and for the Chicago White Sox, midget batters and that's it. Enough with the the astroturf, indoor stadiums, and night games at Wrigley Field. And enough with the steroids. If you don't have enough self-respect to stay off the juice, you don't belong in the show. As far as I'm concerned, Barry Bond's home run total is -0-. Sorry, I'm getting carried away here, next subject. [EDITOR'S NOTE: there's a little too much edge in this, but I ignored it as me just being picky and crazy. Little did I know. I do have to say, though, that were it not for indoor stadiums, not a lot of baseball would get played in Seattle, and not a lot of people would go to the games in Seattle or Houston. Too rainy in Seattle, and too freaking hot in Houston. Retractable roofs RULE.]
#5 Hockey? I guess women have a thing for hockey players but I've never figured out why. [EDITOR'S NOTE: my liking hockey has nothing to do with the individual players. It has to do with the speed and the ethical and behavioral code. Interesting that he went straight for what he perceives to be the only reason a woman would be interested in a sport.]
OK, that's it, I'll shut up now.
If you liked Liar's Poker because of the business climate in the 1980's, you might like The Predator's Ball or Highly Confident. I'd stay away from Den of Thieves. I just remember reading in Highly Confident that Michael Milken used to get picked up from his house @ 4:00 AM to get to work before the trading desk in New York opened, and I remember thinking, "that guy really has the eye of the tiger." He also started investing money for people by taking 50% of the profits, but 100% of the losses, and I thought the guy had iron ones. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I guess you could say he had iron ones, but he also went to prison for breaking the law, so I think that all evens out. I'm appalled that he admires Milken, frankly.]
If you liked Liar's Poker because of the juvenile humor and absurdity perpetuated by the world's most powerful men, Masters of the Universe as Wolfe called them, and you like baseball, I'd read Ball Four, of course and The Bronx Zoo. [EDITOR'S NOTE: excellent book recommendations -- he put some thought into it.]
Ok, at this point, I'm willing to go read this guy's profile. And here's what I discovered: he lives 2 hours away from me, he is separated from his wife (separated, not yet divorced, divorce is apparently in process), and he's only looking for Asian women. That's strikes 1, 2, and 3, all in pretty short order.
I know I don't owe these guys anything, but this one, while kind of a jerk, actually read and responded to my profile. He deserved a response according to the code in Catherineland. Here's what I wrote:
From: Me
Date: July 7
#1 Airline baggage: I disagree. I don't care how much luggage it takes you to survive your business trip -- just don't put all of it and your jacket in the overhead compartment.
#2 Yes. I know a lot of people who are smart and not at all funny, and several funny people who aren't that smart.
#3 Infield fly rule: it overcomplicates the game. And really -- to avoid an "unfair" out? Whatever.
#4 I agree
#5 Hockey: the game is fast and fair. Women like hockey players because they strike us as having some Neanderthal-like tendencies. We don't like it most of the time, but during three periods of hockey, it's attractive.
Thanks for the book recommendations.
To be totally honest here, I have insurmountable concerns about the fact that you live in [city edited out], that you're not yet divorced, and that you're only looking for Asian women, but I appreciate you writing.
I think that was fairly reasonable and friendly. Apparently, what I think is incorrect, because here's the response that got him onto the blog:
From: Him
Date: July 8
Literatechick-
That is a pretty nice way of putting it, insurmountable. I like that. But, of course, you are right. I am separated and not divorced which is a pretty big deal. Also, you were probably in the 5th grade when I graduated from High School and you are a lot better looking that I. [EDITOR'S NOTE: grammar error and typo. Why, yes, I'm kind of a bitch. Thanks for asking. All by itself, this paragraph seems relatively friendly and accepting, but in reality, it's passive aggressive. The next paragraph is what led me to labeling this as passive aggressive and what made this e-mail string blog-worthy.]
If you ever need help with the "overly complicated" infield fly rule, let me know. I understand a lot of women have a problem with this. You just have to understand that the game of baseball was designed by men, for men, and they didn't really take into account having to explain things to a bunch of women back in those days. Today, women can watch baseball just like men, although most of them still throw like girls. [EDITOR'S NOTE: where to start? I didn't say I found the infield fly rule overly complicated. I said that it unnecessarily complicates the game. As someone who has an opinion on the infield fly rule, I probably don't really need help with it. I do appreciate that he thinks it's ok for women to watch baseball, although since we don't play in Major League Baseball, I'm not sure what difference it makes that girls throw like girls. Seriously -- does he think that being a little bitch like this is going to get me to write him back? You're trying to manipulate the wrong chick, buddy. Misogynistic much?]
One last thing. I am not just looking for Asian women. It's not like this is an exclusive thing. It's just the Seinfeld/Changstein effect. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't watch Seinfeld. I have no idea what he's talking about here. But in his profile, he has ONLY selected Asian in the races that he's interested in pursuing. So maybe he's not creepy, just dumb.]
[name edited out]
This guy makes me happy to be single!
From: Him
Date: June 26
#1 Airline Baggage- Here is my rule, if you have to have wheels on your luggage to carry it, you have too much stuff. [EDITOR'S NOTE: seriously? You've bothered to read my profile, so huge props to you, but that means you must know that I travel a lot for business, and you're being all judgmental about luggage with wheels? Not smart.]
#2 Five things- Are you counting smart and funny as separate items? [EDITOR'S NOTE: just as a reminder, in my profile I write that I'm looking for five things in a man: smart, funny, can take care of himself, has whimsy in his heart, and is totally into me. Use your fingers and count them out, dude. And in what universe are smart and funny equivalent? There are plenty of people who are smart and not at all funny, and there are people I think are funny, but they're not all that smart.]
#3 Infield fly rule- What is wrong with the infield fly rule. I think it has served us well for the last century. [EDITOR'S NOTE: valid question, but if you're a baseball fan, you know what the divide is over the infield fly rule. I appreciate your attempt to engage me here, but this is intellectually lazy.]
#4 National league- Look if the pitcher doesn't bat, he really isn't a baseball player, so you are correct there. Interleague play is also an abomination. What's next? Cheerleaders? Here's what you can do to promote your team: ball day, bat day, helmet day, and for the Chicago White Sox, midget batters and that's it. Enough with the the astroturf, indoor stadiums, and night games at Wrigley Field. And enough with the steroids. If you don't have enough self-respect to stay off the juice, you don't belong in the show. As far as I'm concerned, Barry Bond's home run total is -0-. Sorry, I'm getting carried away here, next subject. [EDITOR'S NOTE: there's a little too much edge in this, but I ignored it as me just being picky and crazy. Little did I know. I do have to say, though, that were it not for indoor stadiums, not a lot of baseball would get played in Seattle, and not a lot of people would go to the games in Seattle or Houston. Too rainy in Seattle, and too freaking hot in Houston. Retractable roofs RULE.]
#5 Hockey? I guess women have a thing for hockey players but I've never figured out why. [EDITOR'S NOTE: my liking hockey has nothing to do with the individual players. It has to do with the speed and the ethical and behavioral code. Interesting that he went straight for what he perceives to be the only reason a woman would be interested in a sport.]
OK, that's it, I'll shut up now.
If you liked Liar's Poker because of the business climate in the 1980's, you might like The Predator's Ball or Highly Confident. I'd stay away from Den of Thieves. I just remember reading in Highly Confident that Michael Milken used to get picked up from his house @ 4:00 AM to get to work before the trading desk in New York opened, and I remember thinking, "that guy really has the eye of the tiger." He also started investing money for people by taking 50% of the profits, but 100% of the losses, and I thought the guy had iron ones. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I guess you could say he had iron ones, but he also went to prison for breaking the law, so I think that all evens out. I'm appalled that he admires Milken, frankly.]
If you liked Liar's Poker because of the juvenile humor and absurdity perpetuated by the world's most powerful men, Masters of the Universe as Wolfe called them, and you like baseball, I'd read Ball Four, of course and The Bronx Zoo. [EDITOR'S NOTE: excellent book recommendations -- he put some thought into it.]
Ok, at this point, I'm willing to go read this guy's profile. And here's what I discovered: he lives 2 hours away from me, he is separated from his wife (separated, not yet divorced, divorce is apparently in process), and he's only looking for Asian women. That's strikes 1, 2, and 3, all in pretty short order.
I know I don't owe these guys anything, but this one, while kind of a jerk, actually read and responded to my profile. He deserved a response according to the code in Catherineland. Here's what I wrote:
From: Me
Date: July 7
#1 Airline baggage: I disagree. I don't care how much luggage it takes you to survive your business trip -- just don't put all of it and your jacket in the overhead compartment.
#2 Yes. I know a lot of people who are smart and not at all funny, and several funny people who aren't that smart.
#3 Infield fly rule: it overcomplicates the game. And really -- to avoid an "unfair" out? Whatever.
#4 I agree
#5 Hockey: the game is fast and fair. Women like hockey players because they strike us as having some Neanderthal-like tendencies. We don't like it most of the time, but during three periods of hockey, it's attractive.
Thanks for the book recommendations.
To be totally honest here, I have insurmountable concerns about the fact that you live in [city edited out], that you're not yet divorced, and that you're only looking for Asian women, but I appreciate you writing.
I think that was fairly reasonable and friendly. Apparently, what I think is incorrect, because here's the response that got him onto the blog:
From: Him
Date: July 8
Literatechick-
That is a pretty nice way of putting it, insurmountable. I like that. But, of course, you are right. I am separated and not divorced which is a pretty big deal. Also, you were probably in the 5th grade when I graduated from High School and you are a lot better looking that I. [EDITOR'S NOTE: grammar error and typo. Why, yes, I'm kind of a bitch. Thanks for asking. All by itself, this paragraph seems relatively friendly and accepting, but in reality, it's passive aggressive. The next paragraph is what led me to labeling this as passive aggressive and what made this e-mail string blog-worthy.]
If you ever need help with the "overly complicated" infield fly rule, let me know. I understand a lot of women have a problem with this. You just have to understand that the game of baseball was designed by men, for men, and they didn't really take into account having to explain things to a bunch of women back in those days. Today, women can watch baseball just like men, although most of them still throw like girls. [EDITOR'S NOTE: where to start? I didn't say I found the infield fly rule overly complicated. I said that it unnecessarily complicates the game. As someone who has an opinion on the infield fly rule, I probably don't really need help with it. I do appreciate that he thinks it's ok for women to watch baseball, although since we don't play in Major League Baseball, I'm not sure what difference it makes that girls throw like girls. Seriously -- does he think that being a little bitch like this is going to get me to write him back? You're trying to manipulate the wrong chick, buddy. Misogynistic much?]
One last thing. I am not just looking for Asian women. It's not like this is an exclusive thing. It's just the Seinfeld/Changstein effect. [EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't watch Seinfeld. I have no idea what he's talking about here. But in his profile, he has ONLY selected Asian in the races that he's interested in pursuing. So maybe he's not creepy, just dumb.]
[name edited out]
This guy makes me happy to be single!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Whanged Out
I'm still trying to recover from my delayed redeye back from Portland: I left for Pilates and lunch and came back to discover that my house keys were still in the lock.
More on Portland, with pictures and possibly video, later!
More on Portland, with pictures and possibly video, later!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fun Weekend!
I didn't have any specific plans this weekend, aside from test driving a Mini Cooper convertible. I LOVED driving it. It's close the ground, so you really feel like you're part of the car, and because it's so small, it's really zippy. I would love to own one, but it's completely impractical. My car is small, but the Cooper convertible is TINY. The space between the backseat and the front seat is literally a couple of inches. And the trunk is only about 4 cubic feet. That's ok, but the way it's configured, there isn't any room for my smallest suitcase. The backseats can be folded down and secured, which increases the trunk space to about 21 cubic feet. The trunk is where they put the CD-changer and MP3 player, so you don't even get to use the full 4 cubic feet. I sort of feel like Mini would have been smarter to make the Cooper convertible a two-seater and done something more practical with the trunk, because all of that space is just wasted.
After the test drive, I went to visit Jennifer and Mark and Natalie. Natalie has started talking, and it's so much fun! She's so cute and so verbal, and she's stringing her words together into sentences. She's still a thrill-seeker, so you can still make her laugh by throwing her in the air or by chasing her or by lying in wait and yelling "BOO!" at her. Good times! Jennifer is very pregnant, and she and Mark are frantically trying to get some stuff done on the house before the baby comes. Selfishly, I hope she has the baby while I'm in town, but man, she's ready to stop being pregnant. And it's really hot outside, so I know she's horribly uncomfortable.
My sister came into town to pick up some more clothes, and we did a little light shopping. I took her to Academy for some new running shoes (I got some new "athletic" slides), and then we went to Best Buy and World Market. I always forget how much I love World Market until I get there. I managed to limit myself to some potato chips and Botan rice candy (YAY!!).
At Best Buy, I bought a USB hub. Why do I need a USB hub? TO PLAY ROCK BAND! After we got home from dinner, I made Judy play with me, and she did not regret it. She was doubtful at first, and then we started to play, and she's a huge Rock Band fan now, too. We even tried doing a song at Medium skill. So fun! We played until 1am. Oops.
The next morning, I meant to get up at 8:30 so we could go for a walk at Memorial Park. That happened, except that I hit snooze and then slept until 11:30. We decided to walk to Discovery Green and then around Minute Maid. So we got 45 minutes in, which is all I was really looking for. I have to start somewhere!!
I made lunch, and then Judy packed up and left. And I have been doing pretty much nothing ever since. Good weekend!
After the test drive, I went to visit Jennifer and Mark and Natalie. Natalie has started talking, and it's so much fun! She's so cute and so verbal, and she's stringing her words together into sentences. She's still a thrill-seeker, so you can still make her laugh by throwing her in the air or by chasing her or by lying in wait and yelling "BOO!" at her. Good times! Jennifer is very pregnant, and she and Mark are frantically trying to get some stuff done on the house before the baby comes. Selfishly, I hope she has the baby while I'm in town, but man, she's ready to stop being pregnant. And it's really hot outside, so I know she's horribly uncomfortable.
My sister came into town to pick up some more clothes, and we did a little light shopping. I took her to Academy for some new running shoes (I got some new "athletic" slides), and then we went to Best Buy and World Market. I always forget how much I love World Market until I get there. I managed to limit myself to some potato chips and Botan rice candy (YAY!!).
At Best Buy, I bought a USB hub. Why do I need a USB hub? TO PLAY ROCK BAND! After we got home from dinner, I made Judy play with me, and she did not regret it. She was doubtful at first, and then we started to play, and she's a huge Rock Band fan now, too. We even tried doing a song at Medium skill. So fun! We played until 1am. Oops.
The next morning, I meant to get up at 8:30 so we could go for a walk at Memorial Park. That happened, except that I hit snooze and then slept until 11:30. We decided to walk to Discovery Green and then around Minute Maid. So we got 45 minutes in, which is all I was really looking for. I have to start somewhere!!
I made lunch, and then Judy packed up and left. And I have been doing pretty much nothing ever since. Good weekend!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
AM I CRAZY???
I'm thinking about buying a new car: Mini Cooper Convertible or Volkswagen EOS. I AM crazy.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
It's Weird Being an Adult
One of the benefits of being in DC for as long as I am is that I got to join a mini-family reunion. My cousin Yoon-ji graduated from a residential high school in Warrenton, so her mom flew in from Korea, and my mom flew in from Dallas. We all had dinner at my (2nd) cousin Susan's house, where we were joined by Susan's parents (they act as Yoon-ji's guardian in the US) and Susan's cousin (my second cousin) Joong-shik.
Before I go any further, are you keeping all these familial relationships straight? Here's a little key:
Mom (my mom, lives in Dallas)
Hyun-bin Emo (Emo is "aunt" in Korean; my mom's sister, lives in Seoul. Because she's my mom's sister, I generally just call her Emo, even when there are other Emos around.)
Yoon-ji (my first cousin, Hyun-bin's daughter, graduated high school on Thursday)
Yoon-hee Emo (my mom's cousin, lives in Ashburn. If she's the only Emo around, I just call her Emo, but if there are others, or if I'm referring to her in conversation, I'll call her Yoon-hee Emo.)
Emo-bu (literally translated -- "aunt's husband," Susan's dad. I just realized that I don't know what his name is. Seriously. I call him Emo-bu. I also call Yoon-ji's dad "Emo-bu," and if there are multiple emo-bus around, I'll say "Yoon-hee Emo-bu" for Susan's dad, and "Hyun-bin Emo-bu" for Yoon-ji's dad. Wow. If you're not Korean, this is confusing, right?)
Susan (my second cousin, Yoon-hee Emo's daughter, lives in Reston, referred me to the firm)
Michael (Susan's husband)
Joong-shik (my second cousin; his mom is Yoon-hee Emo's older sister, lives here, works for the IMF)
Ok, now that we have that straight, you basically have a list of everyone who met up for dinner at Susan's house to celebrate Yoon-ji's graduation. We had a GREAT time. Emo bought some delicious food so nobody would have to cook, and we stuffed ourselves. We also got to see pictures from Susan and Michael's trip to Korea and the Phillipines (Michael is Filipino-American). Looks like a whirlwind and some serious WORK, but it also seemed like they had a great time.
After dinner, Susan, Michael, Joong-shik, Yoon-ji, and I played Rock Band. And because the "kids" were having so much fun, my mom and Emo also played -- I couldn't believe it! But they had a go, and they had a great time. My mom was excited (and also a little jealous) when she found out that I had Rock Band at home. I played bass, and it was my first time using the guitar. I didn't realize that you had to strum the lever thing in the middle, so I got our band booed off stage a couple of times until Susan figured out what the problem was. The guitar is super fun, but I had carpal tunnel pangs in my forearm the next day.
After that, we karaoked. Of course. Yoon-hee Emo, Emo-bu, Joong-shik, Yoon-ji, and Susan sang Korean songs. Michael, Susan, and I sang American songs. My mom and Emo begged off, saying they can't sing. That's not really the point of karaoke, but they got away with it.
That was all Friday night, and on Saturday I had to work (I'm working today and tomorrow, too -- that meeting script won't write itself!!). I talked to my mom on Saturday night, and she told me that I work too much and she didn't want me working on the weekends. I had to remind her that before she retired, she had busy times at the bank when she had to bring work home or stay late. She conceded that when there's work to do, you have to do it, but it took that reminder for her to come around. It's the millionth time that I've gotten the impression from my parents that they don't really think of me as having a job. I mean, they know that I have a job and that I'm supporting myself somehow, but I don't think they realize how serious and real my job is. It's hilarious, but not at all in an insulting way.
I say not insulting because I kind of understand where she's coming from. I'm 35 years old and a fully-functioning and -contributing member of society, as are Susan, Michael, and Joong-shik, but we all definitely split along generational lines on Friday night. The "kids" played Rock Band while the "adults" watched. My mom and my aunts were trying to feed me dinner and dessert. My mom tried to send Susan up to bed for a nap (Susan is 8 months pregnant).
And really, I don't feel like an adult. I thought it would change when I got a real job. It didn't. I thought it would change when I was paying all of my own bills. It didn't. Then I thought when I bought my first car I'd feel like an adult. Nope. Maybe buying a house will do it, but I don't think so -- Susan and Michael have a house and a baby on the way, and they were in the playpen with the rest of us kids. We'll see how things shift once Susan's baby is born.
Before I go any further, are you keeping all these familial relationships straight? Here's a little key:
Mom (my mom, lives in Dallas)
Hyun-bin Emo (Emo is "aunt" in Korean; my mom's sister, lives in Seoul. Because she's my mom's sister, I generally just call her Emo, even when there are other Emos around.)
Yoon-ji (my first cousin, Hyun-bin's daughter, graduated high school on Thursday)
Yoon-hee Emo (my mom's cousin, lives in Ashburn. If she's the only Emo around, I just call her Emo, but if there are others, or if I'm referring to her in conversation, I'll call her Yoon-hee Emo.)
Emo-bu (literally translated -- "aunt's husband," Susan's dad. I just realized that I don't know what his name is. Seriously. I call him Emo-bu. I also call Yoon-ji's dad "Emo-bu," and if there are multiple emo-bus around, I'll say "Yoon-hee Emo-bu" for Susan's dad, and "Hyun-bin Emo-bu" for Yoon-ji's dad. Wow. If you're not Korean, this is confusing, right?)
Susan (my second cousin, Yoon-hee Emo's daughter, lives in Reston, referred me to the firm)
Michael (Susan's husband)
Joong-shik (my second cousin; his mom is Yoon-hee Emo's older sister, lives here, works for the IMF)
Ok, now that we have that straight, you basically have a list of everyone who met up for dinner at Susan's house to celebrate Yoon-ji's graduation. We had a GREAT time. Emo bought some delicious food so nobody would have to cook, and we stuffed ourselves. We also got to see pictures from Susan and Michael's trip to Korea and the Phillipines (Michael is Filipino-American). Looks like a whirlwind and some serious WORK, but it also seemed like they had a great time.
After dinner, Susan, Michael, Joong-shik, Yoon-ji, and I played Rock Band. And because the "kids" were having so much fun, my mom and Emo also played -- I couldn't believe it! But they had a go, and they had a great time. My mom was excited (and also a little jealous) when she found out that I had Rock Band at home. I played bass, and it was my first time using the guitar. I didn't realize that you had to strum the lever thing in the middle, so I got our band booed off stage a couple of times until Susan figured out what the problem was. The guitar is super fun, but I had carpal tunnel pangs in my forearm the next day.
After that, we karaoked. Of course. Yoon-hee Emo, Emo-bu, Joong-shik, Yoon-ji, and Susan sang Korean songs. Michael, Susan, and I sang American songs. My mom and Emo begged off, saying they can't sing. That's not really the point of karaoke, but they got away with it.
That was all Friday night, and on Saturday I had to work (I'm working today and tomorrow, too -- that meeting script won't write itself!!). I talked to my mom on Saturday night, and she told me that I work too much and she didn't want me working on the weekends. I had to remind her that before she retired, she had busy times at the bank when she had to bring work home or stay late. She conceded that when there's work to do, you have to do it, but it took that reminder for her to come around. It's the millionth time that I've gotten the impression from my parents that they don't really think of me as having a job. I mean, they know that I have a job and that I'm supporting myself somehow, but I don't think they realize how serious and real my job is. It's hilarious, but not at all in an insulting way.
I say not insulting because I kind of understand where she's coming from. I'm 35 years old and a fully-functioning and -contributing member of society, as are Susan, Michael, and Joong-shik, but we all definitely split along generational lines on Friday night. The "kids" played Rock Band while the "adults" watched. My mom and my aunts were trying to feed me dinner and dessert. My mom tried to send Susan up to bed for a nap (Susan is 8 months pregnant).
And really, I don't feel like an adult. I thought it would change when I got a real job. It didn't. I thought it would change when I was paying all of my own bills. It didn't. Then I thought when I bought my first car I'd feel like an adult. Nope. Maybe buying a house will do it, but I don't think so -- Susan and Michael have a house and a baby on the way, and they were in the playpen with the rest of us kids. We'll see how things shift once Susan's baby is born.
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