When I went away to college I was leaving the only home I had known for the first 18 years of my life. It was a frightening and exhilarating new chapter for me that held the responsibilities and freedoms of adulthood. Leaving the comfort of the bedroom I lived in for almost two decades was difficult, but I did bring many cherished items along as reminders of where I came from. One of the best items I brought with me to college was a quilt that my mother made for me. Sleeping under it made me feel safe and loved.
It wasn’t an ordinary quilt, but one made in my favorite color combination of turquoise and orange. Being made in a traditional quilt pattern it incorporated many different hues and variations on this color them with the end result assaulting your eyes in brilliant crashing shades. I loved displaying this blanket in my studio apartment at school. Fellow students, neighbors and friends would comment on the choice of combining cool and warm tones. Most people had a strong reaction to the mixture containing bold stripes, muted ginghams, solids, and floral patterns.
It wasn’t soft when I first used it on my bed. The cotton was a little scratchy, not worn in with love and time. I still have the quilt, it's needs some repairs, but then again what well loved item doesn't? Over the years the quilt has grown raggedy, popping its stitches, sustaining a horrible rip down the middle that has been repaired repetitiously, but the dye has not faded. I’m so pleased that my mother did not play it safe and just make something in one color or choose something more fashionable that was not “me”.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Saturday, January 21, 2006
New Year's Resolution
Ever since Hanukkah I have been reading like a mad woman. Part of this is due to the gifts I received from my boyfriend’s Mother and her boyfriend. They sent me 8 books, one for each night of Hanukkah and they were all books that I wanted to read which is probably why I have already finished 3 of them and am working on a forth right now. Also, the fact that I was on vacation for a week spending most meals by myself (since Jedi was working), I would read of listen to books on tape while watching passers-by. Since New Year’s I have already completed 2 books on tape. However, you may all have noticed that I have been incredibly remiss in writing about any of them or writing about anything at all lately. I’d say that I made a New Year’s resolution to write a bit each week, but that wouldn’t happen. I did make a resolution though. I want to try and travel outside the United States this calendar year, even if it means Canada or Mexico.
I also made a promise to myself to try and stop one of my myriad of bad habits. During work meetings and serious conversations and…well, a lot of time when I am concentrating I put my fingers in my hair and twirl it around and around and around. My boss has commented on it several times and so has Jedi. I really need to work on getting my hands out of my hair. Not only is it distracting to people, but it leaves my curly frizzy hair in Rastafarian-like dreadlocks. Gotta work on cutting this out of my repertoire of moves.
I also made a promise to myself to try and stop one of my myriad of bad habits. During work meetings and serious conversations and…well, a lot of time when I am concentrating I put my fingers in my hair and twirl it around and around and around. My boss has commented on it several times and so has Jedi. I really need to work on getting my hands out of my hair. Not only is it distracting to people, but it leaves my curly frizzy hair in Rastafarian-like dreadlocks. Gotta work on cutting this out of my repertoire of moves.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Hawaii
This past week I joined my boyfriend for a business trip to O'ahu, Hawaii. Dream job huh, getting to actually travel on expense account to tropical paradise? You might think so, but alas, I beg to differ. Jedi ended up working such wild hours we barely had any time together. Not that I'm complaining, because I do well exploring on my own, but this was not an ideal vacation experience. It was both an adventure and extremely restful for me.
O'ahu is an incredibley beautiful island with soft, white sand and translucent green-blue water. It is also a melting pot of cultures, religions, and lifestyles, I was surprised to see so much diversity in such a small place. Los Angeles used to strike me as being very diverse and accepting, but I think Hawaii beats us hands down.
Just to give you an idea of the mix, I interacted people from Vietnam, the Phillipines, Korea, China, Japan, Cambodia, Australian, New Zealand, England, and United States Mainland. Plus most of these people are represented in Hawaii with their culture's food. I ate ramen, tacos, sushi, BBQ (both Hawaiian and Texas style), and macadamian pancakes with coconut syrup. Does anyone know what the fascination serving macaroni salad and white rice with everything??? And the macaroni salad is nothing more then elbow shaped pasta and mayo...hello? What is up with that?
Speaking of food, the airline actually served meals at no additional cost and they were sort of tasty too. I played it safe and had pasta on the flights to and from Honolulu. I have to say I enjoyed Hawaiian Airlines service quite a bit. They were unceasingly kind and punctual too (which is saying a lot when it comes to traveling). Since childhood I have been a notoriously bad traveler, but I am improving with age (I'm uncertain if my boyfriend would agree).
O'ahu is an incredibley beautiful island with soft, white sand and translucent green-blue water. It is also a melting pot of cultures, religions, and lifestyles, I was surprised to see so much diversity in such a small place. Los Angeles used to strike me as being very diverse and accepting, but I think Hawaii beats us hands down.
Just to give you an idea of the mix, I interacted people from Vietnam, the Phillipines, Korea, China, Japan, Cambodia, Australian, New Zealand, England, and United States Mainland. Plus most of these people are represented in Hawaii with their culture's food. I ate ramen, tacos, sushi, BBQ (both Hawaiian and Texas style), and macadamian pancakes with coconut syrup. Does anyone know what the fascination serving macaroni salad and white rice with everything??? And the macaroni salad is nothing more then elbow shaped pasta and mayo...hello? What is up with that?
Speaking of food, the airline actually served meals at no additional cost and they were sort of tasty too. I played it safe and had pasta on the flights to and from Honolulu. I have to say I enjoyed Hawaiian Airlines service quite a bit. They were unceasingly kind and punctual too (which is saying a lot when it comes to traveling). Since childhood I have been a notoriously bad traveler, but I am improving with age (I'm uncertain if my boyfriend would agree).
Overcoming Diet Coke Dependency
At my job there is an ongoing joke that diet coke should be illegal. My co-workers and I crave it with something akin to a chemical depencency. It is easier on the stomache then coffee, readily available in vending machines, gas stations, and grocery stores (except Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, they know better).
I’m not sure how many of you out there can identify with me on this, but I crave specific foods like smokers crave nicotine. Sometimes these longings are so acute that they take on a life of there own. Some recent comestibles that I have been seeking, found, or otherwise consumed have included Vlasic dill pickles, Nathan’s Fat Free All-beef hot dogs (with tons of ketchup and relish), diet root beer, beets, thousand island dressing (had it yesterday, but sadly it was not up to par), dark chocolate, and garbanzo beans (not together). Mostly I crave pickled items, anything that has brined is sweet music to my tastebuds. I have a sweet tooth as well, but it is more opportunistic then purposeful. My workplace is teeming with chocolates, cakes, lollipops, taffy, and hard candies. Anything that someone did not think their family would eat or wants to keep themselves from consuming ends up in the company kitchen for collegues to devour while kvetching about calorie content.
Someone even brought in a tinned fruitcake this morning and by 10AM it was just crumbs! I mean come on people, have some standards!
I’m not sure how many of you out there can identify with me on this, but I crave specific foods like smokers crave nicotine. Sometimes these longings are so acute that they take on a life of there own. Some recent comestibles that I have been seeking, found, or otherwise consumed have included Vlasic dill pickles, Nathan’s Fat Free All-beef hot dogs (with tons of ketchup and relish), diet root beer, beets, thousand island dressing (had it yesterday, but sadly it was not up to par), dark chocolate, and garbanzo beans (not together). Mostly I crave pickled items, anything that has brined is sweet music to my tastebuds. I have a sweet tooth as well, but it is more opportunistic then purposeful. My workplace is teeming with chocolates, cakes, lollipops, taffy, and hard candies. Anything that someone did not think their family would eat or wants to keep themselves from consuming ends up in the company kitchen for collegues to devour while kvetching about calorie content.
Someone even brought in a tinned fruitcake this morning and by 10AM it was just crumbs! I mean come on people, have some standards!
Quote
This one is from my a friend in Washington's e-mail signature and I thought it was rather funny.
"Don't miss opportunity. It dresses in overalls and looks like work." - Tune
Tech auto sign (Spokane, 12/04)
"Don't miss opportunity. It dresses in overalls and looks like work." - Tune
Tech auto sign (Spokane, 12/04)
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Pasta Night
A dear friend of mine made an incredible feast of homemade pasta for me and ten friends last Thursday night. Let me say that having tried my hand at making pasta from scratch, this was an eye-opening revelatory experience. Where my pasta dumplings (calling them ravioli would be far too kind) were ill-formed, thick, and chewy, his fettuccine was light, soft and smooth, practically silky in texture. I cannot extol the virtues of at-home preparation more then with this wonderful meal. It was a testament to patience and skill.
My friend, we’ll call him Chef Hightower for his height and cooking prowess, used to make all his pasta using a hand cranked roller. We arrived in his kitchen last night to see that he had the modern convenience of a motor attached to his pasta maker. It’s impossible to blame him for taking advantage of this amenity since the quantity of pasta he was creating was enormous, enough for each of us eleven to indulge more then once.
Jedi, my boyfriend, made both pumpkin pie and pumpkin cream cheese roll with the pumpkin leftover from the holidays. They were incredibly moist and delicious, they were accompanied by freshly whipped heavy cream (far better then the canned stuff). The only element missing for me was a rich dark cup of Brazilian coffee. Perhaps next time.
My friend, we’ll call him Chef Hightower for his height and cooking prowess, used to make all his pasta using a hand cranked roller. We arrived in his kitchen last night to see that he had the modern convenience of a motor attached to his pasta maker. It’s impossible to blame him for taking advantage of this amenity since the quantity of pasta he was creating was enormous, enough for each of us eleven to indulge more then once.
Jedi, my boyfriend, made both pumpkin pie and pumpkin cream cheese roll with the pumpkin leftover from the holidays. They were incredibly moist and delicious, they were accompanied by freshly whipped heavy cream (far better then the canned stuff). The only element missing for me was a rich dark cup of Brazilian coffee. Perhaps next time.
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