Earth Day April 22, 2006

Happy Earth Day dear readers! This Earth Day I spent in Northern California at my parent’s house. My father was taking part in the local clean-up in some nearby areas operated and overseen by the Park’s District so I decided to join him. We got started early and the city provided breakfast and buses to 3 different sites that needed our attention. My father had the task of greeting volunteers and setting up lunch while I went with a group to a recreational park that also serves as a summer nature camp for kids.

The rangers pointed out where the stream in the park had overrun its banks and left debris in the water and on surrounding banks. Our task was to remove the leaves and dead foliage from the living plants and put it into a pile to compost a bit further downstream. While some of us were handing that, others were recruited to bring in gravel and build up a trail that was washed away. Upon completion of this work a large wooden bridge was installed across the stream to provide easy access from one side of the park to the other.

The group of volunteers I was with at the park of included a school teacher from the High School I attended, a member of the city’s beautification committee, kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers, and 4 park rangers (one rather unfortunately named Ranger Rick, I am NOT kidding). Having helped found the Environmental Club when I was in High School, I was happy to see a lot of older teenagers who were wearing sweatshirts and hats from my alma mater.

Once all the volunteers from the various worksites were bused back to the original location lunch was provided. We were also treated to educational pamphlets on keeping your garden bug free using non-toxic means, recycling used motor oil and filters, recycling batteries, keeping water and air clean. We got some really well made, ORGANIC t-shirts. Breakfast, a snack, lunch, and a free t-shirt…I should volunteer more often huh?

Second Successful Seder

Close friends, delicious food, ample wine, a thrilling saga of danger and triumph, and finger puppets, what more could a Jewess want? Besides a little bacon, nothing. Kidding, kidding, please do not reign pestalence upon my crop for a little Kosher joking.

On Wednesday night, April 12th, my roommates and I hosted our second Seder at our humble abode. oh boy, if each and every Seder is supposed to top the next one then this one was right on track.

The menu was typical Jewish fare (at least for a girl who grew up in Northern California). We had apricot chicken, pot roast, matzoh, and the apple and walnut charoset that I grew up with (although my Dad still makes it better then I do, but I've only made it a dozen times while he has been making it for over 30 years). The Brown One and Jedi were kind enough to cook delicious side dishes. The Brown One also bought us a beautiful new Passover Seder plate that was much needed after the Seder plate I made a couple of years ago at Color Me Mine got broken in the move.

The Brown One also contributed the most hilarious new element to our Seder meal, the 10 Plague Puppets. Not sure if everyone has seen these, but they're 10 exquisitely crafted finger puppets, my favorite has to be a tie between Darkness and Locust. Hail is pretty darn funny with his Carrottop hair. For our Seder we let each participant choose a puppet and then read about the cooresponding plague it pertained to, but here's the catch, you had to read the passage in the type of voice you think your plague would have.

We had plague, Death of the First Born, from New York, the Southern Belle Locust plague, and other ludicrous pairings. Our friend Blinky and Koosh were expecially fond of their plagues, Lice and Wild Animals. I tell you, I don't think you have experienced the true freedom and joy of Passover without Ten Plague Puppets.

We didn't have all of this frolic and food without remembering the true reason for the holiday. Our Passover was dedicated to those men, women, and children suffering hunger, rape, war, and an uncertain future in Darfur. We were reminded why we should treasure our freedom from persecution for color, religion, sexual preference, or political convictions. We affirmed that while there remains one person chained, beaten down, murdered for there beliefs we must be their voice, and we cannot stop shouting until we are heard.

As I looked around the table at my friends who are so different from me, hearing them read the story of Moses leading his people out of Pharoah's Egypt. Telling this beautiful tale of freedom from oppression I felt that my heart would burst with the love and goodwill. Next year in Jerusalem.

Me and Stephen King: Reading Soulmates?

I was reading Stephen King’s top 10 books of 2005 today on the Entertainment Weekly Website and was surprised to find that one book I just finished and one I am currently in the middle of are on his list.

First there is Saturday by Ian McEwan. This is the third book that I have read by the author and I admit that his writing style is so descriptive that it takes some getting used to. I prefer to listen to his books versus reading them. The added benefit is that the reader is British so he really captures the more English expressions and contemporary slang terms that are not used here in the United States. There are mellifluous passages that goon page after page describing the minutiae of the main character, Henry Perowne’s day. Since the book takes place over the course of one Saturday in the main character’s life you are able to read every thought he has, every impulse he acts on and know exactly where within the body of his emotional, financial, professional, personal, and physical life this single day occurs.

This is a complex read, not advisable for anyone looking for a beach book or easily followed mystery. The beautiful paragraphs that talk about Perowne’s love for his wife, Rosalind are startling in their intimacies. Sometimes when the author wrote about their deep, abiding, and still passionate love for each other after raising their two adult children I have cause to smile and think of people in my own family who have been together for decades and share a past that contains mutual respect and adoration. I enjoyed this read more then Atonement and Black Dogs and feel that it is the most personal book I have read by McEwan.

The second book mentioned by King is Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and I am chagrin to admit that I put this tasty morsel down after 200 pages to read King’s newest bestseller Cell (Jedi raved about it and that in and of itself was enough to intrigue me, but 2 friends who also have blogs-theirs are specifically used to review books also had good things to say about this latest offering). Atkinson’s book jumps around quite a bit, but once you catch onto the writing style it proves to be a fast paced, detail oriented read well worth the adjustment. I will be picking it back up this week and maybe just for kicks I’ll start at the beginning.

Charge: Odd Food Collector, Verdict: Guilty

I like going to all sorts of specialty markets and buying obscure or difficult to find items. In the past, these purchases have included dried grated turnip, jars of dulce de leche, hunks of sweet sticky guava paste, Jerusalem artichokes, star fruit, tahini, and kasha. Now some of the previous list you might recognize from Ralph’s or Von’s, but would you know what to do with them once you get them home? Yep, me either. Therefore languishing in fridge drawers and cupboards are the lotus root and red bean paste that seemed so inspiring while browsing the aisles of an Asian market near my house. Yet they keep each other company in the refrigerator awaiting the day when I will reach for them to inspire and motivate my outrageously misguided palate.

Other offenses include yummy, delicious, amazing anchovy wrapped capers in extra virgin olive oil. In my defense I bought these full well intending to eat them. They were a purchase made in the depths of nostalgia for the wondrous meals my Grandparents would cobble together of various pickled items, leftover roast beef, and vegetables galore. Never would I have thought that seedless rye bread spread with a thin coating of unsalted real dairy whipped butter and a smidge of real mayonnaise topped with several anchovy filets (looking almost flowerlike around their caper center) could taste like heaven. Albeit, salty, full-fat heaven, but such simplicity can be the right combinations to make me wax nostalgic. What I never counted on when I bought the tin of anchovies was how incredibly difficult it is to find fresh baked seedless rye here on the West Coast. Yeah, I know, cry me a river, my life is SO hard.

Is there something unmentionable lurking in your cabinets or veggie drawer? Maybe in the dark, cold climate of your freezer? Let me know, I don’t want to be the only one collecting weird foodstuff.

My Pirate Name

My pirate name is:

Mad Ethel Kidd

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Scent Memories

Have you ever noticed that particular smells remind you of certain times, places, and people? Your sense of smell is a strong trigger for memories. Here are a few of mine:

Violet Water – this smell reminds me of my Mom, especially when combined with the scent of Youth Dew perfume. I would often sneak sprizes of these toilet waters from my Mom’s dresser where she kept her perfume selections. These remind me the most of her.

Rising Bread Dough – the yeasty warm smell of bread dough that is “resting” before being baked never fails to invoke thoughts of my Father who used to prepare fresh bread every weekend during my early childhood. Old Spice also can remind me of my Dad, or the smell of a pipe which he stopped smoking before I was a teenager. Going into a tobacco shop can instantly bring to mind my father’s pipe clasp between his teeth on Fall afternoons while he was changing the oil on the cars in the drive-way.

Drakkar Noir – I remember my brother drenching himself with this assault on your nostrils that he would call cologne. I think he thought it’s scent would seduce the teenage girls into ignoring his heiniously bad 80s hairdo and have them falling at his feet.

Chalk and oil paints – these always bring me back to my first art teacher who was a friend of my family’s through our temple. In fact, her mom was my Sunday School teacher at one point. My art teacher was maybe in her late teens when she showed me how to use watercolors, charcoal, and pastels to render faces, hands, and inanimate objects on a page. She even explained to me the meaning of the Car’s song “Who’s Gonna Drive You Home Tonight” when my youthful inexperience thought it was about someone drinking too much at a bar.

Peaches – whenever I smell peaches, even in my bubble bath last night I can’t help but think of my Grandma on my father’s side. She liked Peach Schnapp’s and would offer it to us kids every now and then. It was such a treat that sweet peachy goodness it made me feel like an adult sharing something special with her.

Clean Laundry – when laundry is fresh and warm straight out of the dryer the smell sets off a cascade of feline memories for me. All the cats I have had or known have loved clean, warm sheets, underwear, shirts, and jeans to knead, burrow under, or simple curl up on.

Chlorine – reminds me of my Mother’s parents, my Nana and Papa who had pool when I was little and I closely associate the smell of chlorine

Marlo Thomas Makes Me Smile

The Brown One mentioned in passing one day that she had the DVD for “Free to Be You and Me” that I might remember from my childhood. Remember…oh boy…I kid you not when I say that right after my fetish for the full cast movie recording Annie, Free to Be You and Me was my favorite nostalgia album from pre-teen youth. Now, not only was I getting to relieve the music, but I was finding out that there was a whole TV special that this exuberant child geared music came from.

What a magical Saturday morning we had watching this DVD chock full of confidence boasting messages for boys and girls of every age, religion, and ethnicity. One of the most endearing scenes is between a young Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack singing a song called “When I Grow Up” that affirms children are valued for who they are, not what they are. They also pay tribute to working parents (believe me when I say, every parent is a working parent) in a song sang by Marlo Thomas and Harry Belafonte called “Parents are People”. Rosey Grier passably vocalizes on “It’s Alright to Cry”, but it is his sincerity and charm that make this one of my choice performances on the DVD. Here’s a sample of his lyrics:

It's all right to cry
Crying takes the mad out of you
It's all right to cry
It might make you feel better!

He ends the song with "It's all right to cry little boy -- I know some big boys who cry too."

Not surprisingly this positive, heartfelt TV special garnered an Emmy Award for containing such understandable messages about gender roles in “William Wants a Doll” and teaching the difference between good help and help no one wants in “Helping”. Let me say that this show stands the test of time, the lyrics to the music came back to me as if I had just watched the DVD yesterday. Marlo Thomas was instrumental in helping all children when she set out to make this piece with the idea that was born--according to the liner notes--by the desire to provide her niece with music "to celebrate who she was and who she could be."

Whatever your age, this is a terrific DVD, full of affirmations about the changes associated with growing up.

Who Will Speak for You?

For St. Paddy’s Day I had the pleasure of a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner with some friends. The couple whose house these festivities were at had recently changed jobs and the lady of the house, we will call her the Queen of Karaoke (QK for short, her boyfriend is Blondie from previous posts) in honor of her boyfriend’s gift to her of a Karaoke machine that hooks into their TV, had recently begun working for a non-profit group called Jewish World Watch. JWW is an organization that is currently advocating for the people of Darfur, Sudan, but the overall concept of the group is to make good on the idea that as human beings we must not allow another Holocaust no matter what name is used to make it more socially palatable. Mass killing, violation of human rights, blocking of aid and relief efforts should bring outrage and uproar to those living with the blessings of freedom.

Currently, JWW is promoting a Passover Advocacy Project. At QK’s house she had 3x5 cards that had been filled out by school children of a variety of ages. Reading those notes was both heart wrenching and hilarious. Heart wrenching, because it's difficult to imagine children with food, housing, peace, and freedom in their home life having to advocate for children who have nothing and hilarious because a first grader is taking our President to task for not living up to his words, “Not on my watch”.

Thinking about the everyday struggles in Darfur make me want a better world for the future and for the children growing up there. I have decided to make their Advocacy Project a part of my Passover Seder this year. Passover is my favorite Jewish Holiday and it will have a special meaning this year as we sit down to tell the story of how Moses brought freedom to the Jews under Egypt’s Pharoah’s rule and we write letters to our representatives in Washington to bring attention to the suffering of men, women, and children in Darfur. Turning a blind eye to the rape, terror, and murder of an entire people is not the legacy I want for this great nation.

You can help stop the atrocities in Darfur from the comfort of your computer, simply go to this website and send an e-mail (conveniently provided here) to President Bush asking him to live up to his words and help the Sudanese people stop the violence and bring much needed aid to the area.

I leave you with this poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller (a controversial figure for his support of Hitler prior to his persecution by the Third Reich) about how German intellectuals responded to the Nazi rise in power:

First they came…

When they came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews.
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

All I Want to Be is ....EVERYTHING!

Often over the past 7 years I have wanted to have a career different from the one I have. This has lead to fantasies about working in fields that actually make a difference, that help people, animals, soceity as a whole, or fulfill my want to feel special and/or important. Instead, I am a cog in a large industrial machine and the realization of my more altruistic side is found through volunteer work, charitable donations, and armchair political activism.

Below are some of the jobs or in some cases careers that have attracted my attention or been my aspiration in the previous years.

*Forensic Pathologist-I imagine working with the dead would be peaceful, but also interesting. My respect for the bodies they leave behind and the information gathered by Pathologist is useful in alleviating family’s grief, solving crimes, and improving science. The amount of school I would need to go back for to do this job makes it financially prohibitive.
*EMT/Paramedic-Helping people is the central draw of this career path. Not to mention the excitement and critical thinking involved. I have an Uncle who does this and he is tall and strong with a calm, deep voice. Being short of stature and a women, the physical requirements are daunting, especially when you consider the possibility of needing to carry someone down countless flights of stairs safely.
*Editor-I love reading and writing, but aside from that have no real qualifications that would recommend me to this position.
*Adventure Racing-You may have guessed that I am a huge fan of Mark Burnett’s Eco-challenge on the Discover Channel. I love watching teams push past there human limits and show an endurance of the mind and mastery of the body that you see in very few sports. The Kayaking, Biking, Hiking, River Rafting, Map reading, and interpersonal interaction is appealing to me. I like the comradery and the variety of events, and think I could handle them well if I were in better physical condition. Something unique to this sport is that most of the participants are not in their twenties, they are instead seasoned athletes who know their strengths and weaknesses. A girl like me is more cut out to consider this strictly a spectator sport.
*Author-Same pros and cons as being an editor, plus I am uncertain if I possess the self-motivation required to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day writing.

Random Questions with 4 Answers

I stole this from a friend’s blog.

Four jobs I've had:
*Making pizza for a take’n’bake shop in Northern California
*Assistant Sound Operator/Designer for American Musical Theater of San Jose (formerly known as San Jose Civic Light Opera when I worked there)
*Hostess at Carrows Restaurant (waking up at the cruel hour of 4AM to spend 8 hours on my feet…I am in awe of people who do this everyday, they are amazing.)
*Assistant to a VP at a large television company

Four movies I can watch over and over:
*Labyrinth (Duh…this is the movie I celebrate with, I cry with…I love this movie…or maybe it’s just David Bowie’s wardrobe)
*Super Troopers (the crash humor in this is a delight)
*Blood Simple (the Cohen Brothers at there absolute best…fascinating noir thriller)
*Cider House Rules (taken from my favorite John Irving book, Tobey McGuire is superb and Michael Cain is heartbreaking in this excellent adaptation)

Four places I've lived:
*Northridge, CA
*Sherman Oaks, CA
*Burbank, CA
*Los Angeles, CA (near USC)

Four TV shows I love:
*Oz
*The Muppet Show
*The Shield (best show on TV)
*Investigative Reports

Four places I've vacationed:
*Oahu, Hawaii
*Mammoth, CA
*Disneyworld in Florida
*Williamsburg, West Virginia

Four of my favorite dishes:
*My matzo ball soup
*My dad’s coleslaw (and he makes great waffles)
*My mom’s pot roast (she does an incredible NY Cheesecake that is so dense and rich it’s like being in the Big Apple)
*My boyfriend’s baked apples (and he also makes pretty darn good pancakes too)

Four sites I visit daily:
*CNN
*NPR
*FARK
*IMDB (usually work related)

Four places I would rather be right now:
*at home reading
*Peru hanging with the sloths
*Brazil eating the fantastic food that I have heard about there.
*In my car finishing up the book on tape I am listening to.

Spiritual Journey Cultivates Intrigue

In the doctor’s office today I was reading a National Geographics Travel Guide of some kind It looked a lot like the Nat Geo magazine from my childhood, but instead of simply showing beautiful pictures of exotic locals, it gave the reader the information needed to travel to those edges of the world and see the amazing plants, animals, and people shown and talked about in the articles. (I found out later that the magazine is called “Adventure”, I think I am going to subscribe and drool all over the incredible pictures and stories from all parts of this wonderful planet).

The story of one traveler fascinated me no end, it was the experiences of Kira, the author, on a trip down the Amazon in Peru to experience a spiritual/physical journey using ayahuasca (containing the hallucinogen DMT), a “shaman medicinal ritual”. The article goes on to describe a frightening, but fascinating incident that has healing aspects for the writer and various responses from the other fairly typical European and American participants. The ayahuasca, which is mixed by the Shaman is said to have healing properties ranging from curing cancer to alleviating severe depression (as attested to by the writer). I was captivated by the internal journey explored using this mixture and it very much reminded me of a college friends stories of trying Peyote buttons with his Native American Grandfather when he reached adulthood.

In no way am I advocating illicit drug activity, but this ritual is something I equivocate mildly with the indulgence in wine that my religion is involved in to celebrate Passover (my favorite of all Jewish holidays, even before I liked wine). They are both means to expand ones daily boundaries and indulge in rites that our ancestors did. This aspect of the shaman’s ritual, that it has gone before us and will continue after each of us is dead is suggestive of the continuity of live. Of course, one could argue that penguins lived in the arctic before I was born and will also be there after I die and that there is a timeless quality in that as well. As usual, I digress, when what I really mean to say is that I am intrigued by the authors abilities to depart the everyday 9-5 lifestyle and travel to a country with a past, with religious views and rituals so different from my own.

After reading this article I am more inspired to visit Peru then ever before. Not only for their rich tropical foliage and unique wildlife (specifically the three toed sloths that I have seen in Peruvian Market pictures-although I would be happier to see them in the jungle then in captivity…they look like Muppets!).

Cool Piggy Product

Exhausted and Overwhelming: Solving the Schedule Crisis

Exhaustion has been a constant the past couple of weeks. Whenever I yawn, rub my eyes, stretch my back, and yearn for sleep I think I should call the doctor. Sadly, I suspect the truth of the matter is that I am not sick in the least and that I am simply overscheduled. Let’s take a look at a typical week for yours truly, Miss Megastein:

-Go to 40 hour a week job (my commute is about an hour each direction).
-Have lunch with a friend or co-worker a minimum of three times per week.
-Enjoy dinner out or some event with my significant other and/friends at least five times a week.
-Have two scheduled events during each weekend (last weekend was outrageous, Friday night I attended a jam band concert, Saturday was Book Club followed by an evening at the symphony, and Sunday was Nascar out at the California Speedway.).

At the end of December I moved and here it is March and I am still unpacking (granted, the roommate whose place I am taking did not move until the end of January). Yep, no doubt about it, I am overbooking myself. Heck, I have things on my schedule all the way out until November of this year. Plus I feel this enormous drive to take the scuba lessons I received as a birthday gift, but the time commitment is daunting (it’s really not all that much, but right now to my way of thinking the payoff would add to my schedule crisis). In this state of mind even my netflicks movies seem to be taunting me with my inability to watch them in a timely manner.

So, dear reader, I need to cut back. I need to rearrangement my responsibilities, obligations, needs, and wants in a way that give me more structure and additional energy. I know what I need to do and like the old Saturday morning interstitials say, “Knowing is half the battle”. It’s the execution of said knowledge that is overwhelming. So baby steps it will be. I’m going to check out a gym with my roommate this weekend, which seems like as good a place as any to start.

Cute Babies, Creepy Adults

I am babysitting a dear friend’s 10 month old baby boy tonight. Watching this baby grow from a new born to this point where he is on the cusp of being a toddler has been an amazing experience for me. Many of my cousins have children that I have received pictures of frequently, some from birth to adulthood, but seeing it happen so rapidly right in front of my eyes has been incredible.

Something that I have noticed is that babies often smile using their whole face. Their eyes light up, eyebrows raise, mouth opens with glee and they have such enthusiastic open expressions. So, the other day I mentioned to Jedi this observation and went on to ask him why we seem to lose this ability as adults. He looked at me with raised eyebrows and said “This is why” and proceeded to make the most disturbing and frighteningly weird face I have ever seen. His eyes were bugging from his head, his eyebrows were arched in absurd surprise and his mouth had a humongous smile that was supremely creepy in a “clowns-are-cannibals” kind of way.

Yeah, I now understand why grownups limit their smiles to their eyes and mouths.

As a sort of after thought to this whole conversation is this:
We were watching Scrubs last night and noticed the John C. McGinley who plays Dr. Perry Cox sometimes does the whole face smile thing. He does in some respects look like a baby, but mostly it’s just scary.

Valentine's Day

Jedi really outdid himself for Valentine's Day. He set a standard that I think a lot of guys would have trouble beating. When I got home from work he was already in the kitchen preparing 2 different pasta dishes from an America's Test Kitchen episode we had seen earlier that week. Our roommate/friend, The Brown One, and two of our friends were joining us for dinner. Least anyone ask why we did not choose to be alone, I say that we are quite casual in our household and enjoy sharing holidays and most events with friends very much. Plus we spend a great deal of time together and are blessed to having many friends in common. I'm sure there will come a time when we are so busy we will need to schedule date nights, but that time is a bit in the future.

The pasta dishes were magnificent. He made Penne with Toated Nut and Parsley Pesto
and followed it up with Campanelli with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze. Neither of these are dishes I would have tried to prepare on my own, but as demonstrated by Jedi they are not only quick to prepare, but deceptively simple as well. Plus they are vegetarian which is great since The Brown One does not eat meat. Who knows, I might have to try making the Spaghetti with Olive Pesto this week.

On top of this amazing meal my wonderful boyfriend was preparing, he had also bought me 2 gifts that proved to be very insightful. I received a gorgeous cymbidium orchid in full bloom, it was sitting on his dresser in the new room we share. I am not a fan of cut flowers in the least and would always prefer something living instead. Green foliage and flora are something I take pride in watering, repotting, and making thrive. Orchids just happen to be my favorite flower, I am certain Jedi must know that considering how much time I devoted to looking at them in Hawaii. They are exotic and difficult (for me) to cultivate.

If the flowers and dinner were not enough, Jedi had got me one more gift. He gave me a gift certificate for the Nitespa in Venice, CA. This is a spa that specifically caters to people who want to pamper themselves after work. It is in a little house right off Abbot Kinney, it is adorable and personal. Two nights after our Valentine's Day celebration, I went to Nitespa for their AfterParty Antioxident Detox Facial. It was FANTASTIC!!! Not only did it address my current dry skin (it is desert out here people!) and moderate acne problem, but the women told me I had well hydrated skin. I tell you, I felt like a rockstar when I was finished there and have been drinking gallons of water to keep my skin as hydrated as possible so I can get more compliments like that.

Jedi knew I wanted to be pampered and feel relaxed and he took the time and trouble to make that happen. Of course, he tends to be very sensitive to my needs and wants most of the time, but it was pretty special having that happen on a Hallmark Holiday like Valentine's Day.

Fashion Fantasy #47

Like many people out there I have a vivid fantasy life. I do not dream of sex or money, or even fantasize that some day I will be famous. Nope, I just want a pair of pants that fit. I mean is it really asking too much of the American clothes industry to create a decent pair of black or khaki pants that go from store to home fitting like a gem? Apparently so because I have yet to find slacks that are correctly proportioned for my body.

Admitedly, I used to believe that I had an "odd" body type, but as I look at my friends and fellow fashion victims I realize that either we are all "odd" or the perfect size anything person is the oddball. It has reached a point where if something is not too big or not too small and kinda fits ok, I buy it. This is not the way it should have to be to buy clothing! My closet is filled with a hodgepodge of clothes from Target, Nordstrom, Ross, Chico's, and Ann Taylor Loft that not only do not match, but do not flatter.

I know I am being superficial in the belief that my life would be easier if I were the subject of "What Not to Wear" or an Oprah Makeover guest. Afterall the problems in Darfur and affecting people in the aftermath of Katrina and the Tsunami are far more important a topic that I should think about addressing here and bringing to everyone's attention. These tragedies are not on my mind all the time. Being just as human as many people I want to look good, but more then that I want to feel good about myself. Stay tuned for how I figure out the economically sound ways to do this. It might not happen overnight, but all good things take time.

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive. And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Happy V-day

As a tribute to this romantic holiday I would like to tell you, my dear reader about my wonderful boyfried Jedi. He has a plethora of attributes that would recommend him to many women as an ideal man. He is kind and generous, loves to cook, and has an appreciation for arts be it a concert, musical, exhibit, or graffiti. He is open minded and fairly liberal in life and politics, which suits me well as I fancy myself to be like-minded.

But all these things are fairly generic, not that they aren't vital, but these are not the stand-out reasons why I love him. Jedi has a singular passion for music that brings joy and excitement to everyday. Music by diverse groups of artists, both mainstream and little known bands capture his imagination and inspire him to quiet reflection, frentic dancing, joyous revelry, and boisterous singing. A soul of music and light is what attracted me to him.

Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Jedi worked as a deejay. Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, School Dances, you name it, he spun the records for it. Even though he has not worked professionally for some years, when we started dating he would occasionally put some CDs up and use his equipment to mix dance music, adding beats, crossfading, scratching, the whole nine yards. When I moved in last month, there was very little room for my stuff in his apartment (because one of his roommate who was moving out still had her stuff there). One day I came home from work and low and behold, Jedi moved all of his gear so that my dresser could be setup and I would have a little space to call my own. To me, that is romance.

Our common adoration of food provides many opportunities for trying new items at the grocery store, at restaurants, and at friend's homes. Jedi is meticulous in the kitchen, he buys materials suggested by his favorite commercial producer come celebrity chef, Alton Brown. Two years ago, The Brown One, my second roommate and friend, collected funds to get Jedi the first several seasons of Alton's cooking show, Good Eats. He refers back to episodes frequently. My favorite of the AB recipes that he has tried are the pork ribs (no big surprise there huh?), pancakes, meatloaf, and turkey. I am hoping he will soon try to take on Mr. Brown's onion soup, or I may just be up to the challenge myself.

My boyfriend is a dedicated worker too. The meticulousness in the kitchen is probably a hundred-fold more when he is working. Admittedly, I did not have a good understanding of his job as a Computer Consultant until we were in Hawaii where I experienced his work ethic up close and personal. It was a side of him that I had not seen before and brought out a level of professionalism that I admired, especially since it proved to be a difficult situation. His patience knows no bounds when he is trying to relate certain problems at work to me, much of which I have trouble understanding. Proudly, I consider myself better educated in computer networking from these discussions and am even capable of solving problems sometimes on my work computer from what I have learned.

Valentine's Day really isn't an important holiday other then the fact that it gives me the chance to tell everyone about my Valentine. Okay, I don't mind the chocolate either...

I am a Spam Fan!

I have a can of Spam Lite in the trunk of my car. Yes, I admit it I am a fan of Spam. It was a long forgotten guilty pleasure of mine until my recent trip to O’ahu where the prevalence of the product and its many serving styles bring a smile to my face. In Hawaii Spam is a staple of many local restaurants, it is a breakfast favorite often accompanying eggs and Portuguese sausage. However my favorite Spam recipe is for the very simple, quick, and tasty sushi-nigiri-like dish of musubi. Basically it is sticky slightly sweet rice with a slice of soy marinated Spam on top. It is a perfect companion food with beer or as a good start to the day. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but the comlpex carbs and protein add up to enough fuel to walk around the island for several hours without my tummy complaining.

Back to the can in the trunk. I had the intention of bringing it into the house and creating some musubi this weekend, but alas my plans feel through. Plus Jedi was making pancakes, and there is nothing on Earth as good as those (he uses Alton Brown's recipe complete with butter and buttermilk...for that very reason these are not a daily indulgence for us). So, it will perhaps take a trip with me to Northern California this weekend, maybe I could get the family at large to appreciate the pleasing taste and texture of canned pork.

I have added a few cute pictures from the Spam website. They have everything a Spam lover would never think to get, like Spam brand keychains, hats, even a Spam can costume, unbelievable!

Great Music

If you like music in the style of Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, or Matchbox 20 then you might like The Mundaze . They are based in Northern California, but 2 of the members were down in SoCal for NAMM (for those of you not in the industry, be it music or entertainment, that would be the National Association of Music Merchants). They have a convention every year in Anaheim for musicians, audio engineers, and recordists.

I am hoping they get some gigs down here since it's sometimes hard to get up to the Bay Area for weeknight shows. Thankfully, we have some of their albums already, including a live recording that is exceptional both in enery of the performance and the audio quality.