Apple Sidra!

Look what our local asian market now sells! This triggers so many fond memories of Taiwan....

Spring Green

Despite my terrible track record with plants, we have attempted an herb garden. After preparing a small bed in the backyard corner, we laid down seed for mint, basil, sage, chamomile and thyme. Should be interesting to see how it goes....

New Car!

Eight years and 153,000 miles later, I finally got a new car.

And it's another Ford Focus hatchback. Because apparently I'm going to chain buy these things until they're discontinued.

My old car drives fine, actually. It's still in my possession with just the normal wear-and-tear you'd expect from years of new england driving. Hell, it even survived minus 10 degree weather on a 600 mile Vermont road trip two months ago.

But I've tolerated an onerous commute with antiquated vehicle amenities for long enough. No more awkward headsets and tangled cords. No more fishing around for CDs or unwinding ipod speaker buds. Now I have bluetooth, voice commands, two USB ports and an SD reader at my fingertips. Plus, the new car has better gas mileage and it's nice to be back on warranty again!

Obligatory New Years Resolutions Post

Four for 2012:

* Half or more meals without any meat

* Go to the public library more often

* Leave work by 5 PM at least once per week

* Learn WPF

Waking Up

A cloudy Sunday morning, a breath of wind and sighing leaves. Cup of tea, dog walked and fed and resting head on paws, Coldplay's Viva la Vida soft in the background, contemplating and reflecting and glad to be alive.

Fall Fashion

Another reason why fall is my favorite season: fall fashion always seems to work best on me.

First, the colors! Gone are the pale pastels and wan flowers. No more pinks and yellows and Hawaiian prints. Instead, all the stores are stocking mulberry and paisley and dusky teals.

And then, the return of sleeves! I do not wear strapless well, given my shortcomings in the boob department. And my workplace frowns upon sleeveless shirts. So I always welcome cool weather fashion, with its sleeves, cuffed and trimmed and buttoned in all their glory.

Fall fabrics are also much to my liking. Not as thick as winter clothing, but nothing you can see through, either. And most fall styles are meant for layering, which is wonderful when shuttling from home to an office where temperature regulation is nonexistent, to grabbing a drink outdoors, to walking the dog.

Oh, and I love fall jewelry. Leaf and acorn motifs, purple and black gems, bronze and copper accents. Plus pumpkins, apples, and other harvest related designs. They sure beat seashells and roses!

The sad part is that fall is so short. Everything turns into sweaters and peacoats within a few weeks. But I'll enjoy while it lasts!

Goat!

Checking "goat" off the list of meats I have tried. This one was done by the geniuses of Stage Left, roasted whole for several hours until the meat fell off the bone. Surprisingly, it tasted like a gamey duck, tender with just a hint of chewy. Of course, it helped that the curry sauce served with it was absolutely delicious - delicate and spicy, a perfect accompaniment.

Book Splurge

The Borders going-out-of-business sale has been extremely bad for my bank account.

But very, very good for my bookshelves!

I guess the one near us is a "superstore" which is receiving stock from other locations that are closed. We keep going back each week and seeing new things to buy at very nice discounts. Man, sometimes I wish we weren't such book whores!

Another One Bites the Dust

Yet another alt-rock station in the NY/NJ area has shut down. FM 101.9 used to play everything from Pearl Jam to Cake to The Bravery. Now they play tepid soft rock. Sigh. That's the third radio station to go since we've moved here.

Savage Beauty

Went to see the Alexander McQueen special exhibit at the MET yesterday. Gorgeous stuff. I'm not really a follower of fashion, but it's easy to see how he crossed into visual design and art in general. No wonder the community was devastated at his passing last year.

Tick Tock

So I always interpreted the "biological clock ticking" phrase as feeling like you want kids because your body/mind insists it's time and you feel this urge to procreate. Kind of like an alarm, indicating "hey, it's time, get to it!"

But now I think it means something else. Not hormones or a switch which signals "time to have a baby!" but instead, it's a "have that baby before your body fails!" message. More like a bomb ticking than an alarm clock.

Pandemic

Not to worry, there isn't some outbreak. We played the board game Pandemic last night and I really liked it! Unlike most games, it's cooperative rather than competitive. You are essentially racing the clock, to cure diseases and prevent their spread across the world.

There were two advantages to working with the other players, rather than against: that nice sense of team accomplishment (though we lost the first time we played...) and it went by so much faster, since you didn't have to sit idly by while your opponents determined their next move.

I think cooperative games are probably harder to design well, since you have to prevent the players from becoming too powerful when banded together, but still ensure they are motivated to work with each other. I think Pandemic handles that pretty well. I definitely want to play more!

Bath Suds

About two months ago, I tried a sample of Villainess Soap and I've been smitten ever since. It started with a thin little sample slice, and now I'm contemplating buying half a dozen bars at once.

Starting at $5 per 3.5 oz bar, they are definitely luxury items. But I love, love, love how they feel on my skin. The lather is smooth and silky, the fragrances are delicious without being overbearing, and the formula manages my oily skin without turning it to sandpaper.

It's actually kind of sad - I wish I could take more showers each day!

Closing Time

Sign of the economic hard times: my favorite bagel place, ice cream vendor, framing store, and Italian restaurant have all closed within the past six months.

I guess there just weren't enough customers, no matter how good the product or service. It saddens me when small businesses go, especially these little mom-and-pop places which offer something unique at a reasonable price. I can only hope the owners bounce back when times get better.

Tax Season

Alternative. Minimum. Tax.

We got hit with AMT this year. This must be how Republicans are made.

Victory Sleep

Having slain the terrible fuzzy stuffed cow, the warrior pup takes a well deserved nap.

Sometimes I think she's a little cat trapped in a big dog's body.

Verse

This weekend I read through my T.S. Eliot collection and remembered how much I like his work. Today, I had images inspired by these lines running through my head:

       I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river
Is a strong brown god - sullen, untamed and intractable,
Patient to some degree, at first recognised as a frontier;
Useful, untrustworthy, as a conveyor of commerce;
Then only a problem confronting the builder of bridges.
The problem once solved, the brown god is almost forgotten
By the dwellers in cities - ever, however, implacable.
Keeping his seasons, and rages, destroyer, reminder
Of what men choose to forget. Unhonoured, unpropitiated
By worshippers of the machine, but waiting, watching and waiting.
His rhythm was present in the nursery bedroom,
In the rank ailanthus of the April dooryard,
In the smell of grapes on the autumn table,
And the evening circle in the winter gaslight.

Excerpt from The Dry Salvages

It's been a long time since I've written poetry. This month I plan to read more, in celebration of National Poetry Month. Maybe I'll turn out a verse or two of my own as a result!

Three Zero

Where did Q1 2011 go? We're on the prowl for a new house, work is ridiculously busy, and oh, I turned thirty. Yeah. Thirty used to be mid life. Half gone. Crisis time.

Well, maybe not. Certainly we're living longer these days, so 30 isn't exactly panic time. I hate the thought of getting old, though. Despite all the shit life dishes out, ultimately, I'm content and don't want it to end. It's still early, but I'm finding it difficult to come to grips with aging.

It seems I've spent most of adult life fulfilling petty childhood dreams. I own a dog. I went to San Diego Comic-Con. I own a Lego Star Destroyer and Death Star. I routinely feed my insatiable appetite for books. I collect original artwork. I order from Previews. I indulge in pretty paper, paint, and all manner of art supplies. I have awesome sex. I watch whatever TV shows I want. I own more than one corset. All these things I wanted as a child, all these small wishes, I've spent the last two decades fulfilling. It sounds selfish and ignoble, but in the end, the little pieces add up to a significant whole.

The best is that I've achieved financial independence. As a teenager, this was my wildest dream, my greatest hope - that some day I wouldn't need to rely on anyone else for money. In my thirtieth year, I can pay my own bills, provide for my loved ones, and plan for the long term. I'm proud of this fact, and while I'm sure the inevitable fall will come, at least for now, it makes turning 30 not so bad.

But then again, mid-life crisis is a good excuse to buy a Maserati...

Starting 2011

Had a lovely vacation in Washington DC before New Year's. It was so nice to take some real time off! I haven't been that completely disconnected from work since the honeymoon in March.

We stayed at The Monaco, which was wonderful. In addition to being pet friendly (we got to bring the dog!), the building is historic and beautiful (it was formerly DC's general post office) with friendly staff and complimentary benefits: coffee/paper in the mornings, wine each evening, reliable wifi. We were upgraded for free to a spacious room with comfy king bed. It was walking distance to the metro, national mall, and a host of eating spots. I would definitely stay there again!

We did the usual DC tourist museum hopping and ate lots of great food. My favorite was Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant, where the mixed drinks were amazing and every dish was fantastic.

It was a nice, relaxing trip. None of the snow hit DC while we were there. We spent the days sleeping in, taking long meals, strolling the streets, and generally enjoying ourselves. I couldn't have asked for a better way to wind down.

Make With the Happy Holidays!