"Strong Beer Time".
I'm researching our next trip.
Munich here we come!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
I'm in LURVE
Oh people. People people people!
I'm in love. With a pair of speakers. Who knew a love could be so strong? So full of glorious high notes? So full of bass?
I always thought our old speakers were good. They were big. They were loud. There was bass. What else do ya want?
Oh. Yeah. Maybe things like details and high notes and low notes and that ineffable quality of clarity where you can hear the singer take a breath or the guitarist's fingers on the string a split second before he hits the note?
Holy CRAP these new speakers are nice. They are considered fairly entry level in the whole audiophilic universe.....can you imagine what more expensive ones can do? I'm pretty sure my downstairs neighbors hate us already!
I can only compare the old speakers to a 70's American muscle car. Thumpy, rumbly, powerful...but finesse? Not so much. There's fast or not fast, loud or not so loud. Pick one. There's the button.
The new speakers? Ah. A finely tuned turbo Audi A-6 that keens on the downshifts and roars when you pass that slow guy on the autobahn....all while you hear the whisper of your own breath add the subtle hum of your air conditioner. (Hmm....I think I need to go driving sometime soon.)
Anyhow, this new system has worked a treat. I can totally listen to the iPod, the turntable (I only buy sound systems that have a dedicated "phono" setting, I will never give up on vinyl, baby!), the DVD or the CD and all sound great. I haven't reached the full loudness of the speakers yet, though I think they go to 11. Unfortunately, I think our neighbors probably only go to 6.
I'm in love. With a pair of speakers. Who knew a love could be so strong? So full of glorious high notes? So full of bass?
I always thought our old speakers were good. They were big. They were loud. There was bass. What else do ya want?
Oh. Yeah. Maybe things like details and high notes and low notes and that ineffable quality of clarity where you can hear the singer take a breath or the guitarist's fingers on the string a split second before he hits the note?
Holy CRAP these new speakers are nice. They are considered fairly entry level in the whole audiophilic universe.....can you imagine what more expensive ones can do? I'm pretty sure my downstairs neighbors hate us already!
I can only compare the old speakers to a 70's American muscle car. Thumpy, rumbly, powerful...but finesse? Not so much. There's fast or not fast, loud or not so loud. Pick one. There's the button.
The new speakers? Ah. A finely tuned turbo Audi A-6 that keens on the downshifts and roars when you pass that slow guy on the autobahn....all while you hear the whisper of your own breath add the subtle hum of your air conditioner. (Hmm....I think I need to go driving sometime soon.)
Anyhow, this new system has worked a treat. I can totally listen to the iPod, the turntable (I only buy sound systems that have a dedicated "phono" setting, I will never give up on vinyl, baby!), the DVD or the CD and all sound great. I haven't reached the full loudness of the speakers yet, though I think they go to 11. Unfortunately, I think our neighbors probably only go to 6.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Insatiable Lust
Heh. How's that for a title that will grab your attention?
Last night I could hardly sleep because I wanted my mochachocalattayaya coffee so much. Seriously. I couldn't wait to get up and have one. My 'kafe mocha med lett melk og vanilla' is so addictive. I especially like the ones made by the guy at the local mall, his coffee is the best. I think he puts crack in it. I really do. I'm like a whore on penicillin.....I just gotta have my shot!
In other news, yesterday I went out and bought our first piece of electronic equipment in AGES. I bought a new (and very tiny) reciever so that I could listen to my records, connect my iPod, watch dvd's with better sound and play cd's. Up until now we had been using my birthday present to me circa 1995...the old Sony system with the five cd revolving disc changer. I will say that stereo sounded AWESOME and gave us many years of good service, but it was time to move on. Ol' Bessie was sent to the charnel house. As were the speakers. Our house was silent and we had a big hole in the bookshelf to fill (though it matched the big friggin' hole in the wall....).
So I went to the local audiophile store (I'm old enough now that I want SERVICE and someone knowledgeable to talk to, not the take a number and take what you can get approach of so many of the stores here). I was the only chick in the whole joint, the place was all full of nerdy guys and one wierd nose-picker who were practically wetting themselves over audiophilic minutia. (Stereophile wanking.)
Of course, getting someone to help me took a while, I mean, everyone knows GIRLS aren't into stereos, so I stood around and pouted for a bit, but I finally flagged down a guy to help me (Thor!) and he totally was awesome. He knew the products, understood what I wanted and managed to keep me within budget. (Ok so I splurged on the speakers a bit, but they just sounded so much better than the lower level ones I had thought I would get.)
One thing I like about Norway, when you DO get service, it's not about how much money you spend, it's about getting the best choice for you, and they will help you get just the right thing whether you spend five kroner or five thousand kroner. (That's probably a symptom of them generally not working on commission.) Plus I figured the place vetted the products they sold pretty thoroughly anyhow, music and sound quality being a religion in some circles, so I knew I was starting off from a pretty high level of quality. Whatever, it was a very pleasant experience.
And so I got a Denon F102 receiver and some Dali Concept 2 speakers. (As I found out later, the speakers had been voted *Bookshelf Speakers of the Year* by some German audiophile magazine or other.)
Let the dancing begin!
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Monday, January 07, 2008
How age can change a viewpoint
This weekend I watched the movie "Educating Rita". Remember that one? It came out in 1983 and was about a married lower class woman who wanted to go back to school to learn about literature, to 'better herself'.
When I saw it was 16, maybe 17. I saw it in late high school, a few years after it had come out. I remember, when I saw it, thinking a few life changing things simultaneously. First, I thought how sophisticated this movie was, what with Michael Caine being such an erudite professor and all, and how much I wanted to study literature as well. Study literature, mind you, in the BRITISH way, not the boring old American way. Second, I remember thinking how OLD Rita was, how grown up and obviously over the hill she was. I seriously remember thinking how admirable it was for such an older woman to want to restart her life like that. Poor old thing. I would never do that, I was so sure where I wanted to be in life and how to go about it.
Imagine my surprise when, on seeing it after so long, I discover that Rita, in the movie, is 27 years old. Twenty fucking seven. A baby!
So, looking at that movie now, as many years older than the main character as I was younger when I first saw it, the movie is completely different to me. Rita, my 'elderly muse' when I was 16, seems now, at my age 39, so young and confused in the film, so at odds with herself and her world. So restless and bent on achieving a dream that seems so empty. (She's also a hottie. Granted, a hottie with a really bad haircut, but still a hottie.So much for fusty old lady!) Michael Caine, my former British sophisticate, the epitome of all I wanted in a professor, always sneaking a drink, spitting out wise bon mots and lounging about in such an intriguing way, now seems a completely sad spineless drunk who is afraid of the world and spends his time hiding behind his books.He knows the other side of what Rita wants and is helpless to make her see the darkness of it.
I did manage to realize my dream of studying literature in the British style, both in college at UT and at Oxford. I've never gotten a job using my degree, except in a very roundabout, 'yes I can write' sort of way. My surety of my future all changed when I met Rich, when I didn't get in to graduate school to study literature, when life took me in different directions, when I didn't move to New York to assume instant editorship of Glamour magazine.
Looking back on it now, I am glad I got the degree I did, but I also sort of see the silliness of it all, the endless discussions of minutia in books that are based in dead times by dead people. What was so important to Rita was important to me then, that whole idea of understanding the unsaid bits of the book and thus the writer, but now I just read for the story and not any subtext or hidden meanings. I don't question the motivations or the meaning of the story anymore. (Hell, I read the whole 'His Dark Materials' trilogy and NEVER ONCE got the blatant anti-religious undercurrents! I just thought, Kick ass! Talking bears!)
Of course, the English major in me also understands that it was my training in thinking critically that allows me to write about this at all...and that in some wierd Karla way I am still thinking critically and always will. Just, I guess, not about literature so much anymore, but more about life. Now, I think about life just as I did books, wondering what the subtext of this is, should I rethink this idea, and why should I believe this when obviously my gut tells me to go with that.
Hmm. Critical thinking. I can see why Caine's character drank so much.
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Sunday, January 06, 2008
Looking forward to spring
As I sit here in our flat, with two feet of snow accumulated outside from this weekend's "snow event", a glass of wine in my hand and wearing my not-worked-out-in workout clothes (You Go Karla on spectacularly failing your NYE resolutions in the FIRST WEEK!), I can only look forward to spring.
In spring I have lots to look forward to. Wedding festivities and associated parties for two of my favorite people in the world in April....my cousin Carl in Germany and my bad assed (literally as that girl can FART) buddy Karla May in Austin.
Three count 'em THREE concerts in May and June....Dolly Parton (in Kristiansand, so ROADTRIP! woo!), The Police, and ohmygod I can't wait Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. (Robert Plant, I publicly announce that you are my all time Rock God and I could die happy if I could just meet you and have a beer and a chat. Every interview with you is intelligent, funny and good humored and you flirt like a pro. So can I...we'd have a good time, I can hold a conversation about all sorts of things too! Oslo is small and what else are you going to do here after your show anyhow? Hell, the beer is on me, no small offer with Norwegian prices!) I am memorizing the album (I bought the cd) on my iTunes so I can sing along and bask in the warmth of his Robertness. Wonder of anyone ever calls him Bob? I hope not. Bob is not a worthy name for one so talented as Himself. His Plant Self.
Spring. 5 months. To Spring.
January. February. March. April. May. June.
I can make it I know I can.
In spring I have lots to look forward to. Wedding festivities and associated parties for two of my favorite people in the world in April....my cousin Carl in Germany and my bad assed (literally as that girl can FART) buddy Karla May in Austin.
Three count 'em THREE concerts in May and June....Dolly Parton (in Kristiansand, so ROADTRIP! woo!), The Police, and ohmygod I can't wait Robert Plant and Allison Krauss. (Robert Plant, I publicly announce that you are my all time Rock God and I could die happy if I could just meet you and have a beer and a chat. Every interview with you is intelligent, funny and good humored and you flirt like a pro. So can I...we'd have a good time, I can hold a conversation about all sorts of things too! Oslo is small and what else are you going to do here after your show anyhow? Hell, the beer is on me, no small offer with Norwegian prices!) I am memorizing the album (I bought the cd) on my iTunes so I can sing along and bask in the warmth of his Robertness. Wonder of anyone ever calls him Bob? I hope not. Bob is not a worthy name for one so talented as Himself. His Plant Self.
Spring. 5 months. To Spring.
January. February. March. April. May. June.
I can make it I know I can.
Friday, January 04, 2008
oh how very very t rue, and a bit scary t oo.
I recieved this email from my friend Hanna, and it is a bit scary how true it is.
You know you have been too long in Norway when...
....you start believe that if it wasn't for Norway's efforts the world would collapse.
....you only buy your own drink at the bar even when you are with a group of people.
....you can't remember when to say "please" and "excuse me".
....you always prepare to catch the closing door if following closely behind somebody.
....a stranger on the street smiles at you, you assume that:
a) he is drunk
b) insane
c) American
d) all of the above
....silence is fun.
....you use "Mmmm" as conversation filler.
....you actually believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
....you know Norway's results in the last three years in the "Melodi Grand Prix" song contest.
....it seems nice to spend a week in a small wooden cottage up in the mountains, with no running water and no electricity.
....you know at least five different words for describing different kinds of snow.
....an outside temperature of 9 degrees Celsius ( 45F ) is mild in mid June.
....you know the difference between Blue and Red ski wax.
....you don't fall over when walking on ice.
....you associate Friday afternoon with a trip to the Government liquor store.
....you think nothing of paying $50 for a bottle of 'cheap' spirits at Vinmonopolet ("the wine monopoly").
....it's acceptable to eat lunch at 11.00 and dinner at 15.00.
....it no longer seems excessive to spend $100 on drinks one night.
....you know that "religious holiday" means "let's get pissed".
....you find yourself more interested in the alcohol content than in the name of the wine.
....you enjoy the taste of lutefisk (jelly-like, bad-smelling fish).
....you like to wrap your hotdog in a cold pancake.
....you associate warm rice porridge with Saturday and Xmas-eve.
....you can prepare fish in five different ways without cooking it.
....you wear sandals with socks.
....your wardrobe no longer has suits but blue shirts and mustard coloured sportjackets.
....you don't look twice at business men in dark suits wearing sport socks.
....it feels natural to wear sport clothes and backpack in the cinema (as well as everywhere else.)
....you find yourself speaking halfway Swedish with Swedes.
....you can't understand why foreigners haven't heard about Bjorn Daehlie.
___________________
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
housing hell....with update
Right now there is a guy cutting a rather large hole in our ceiling with a saw. In order for him to do this, I had to move our whole entertainment center set up. I don't know how we are going to put it back together. To say I am unhappy about this is an understatement.
Apparently, our new building may not have been built right and they have to check if this is the case. A beam may not have been connected right. A BEAM. On the the FIFTH FLOOR. Is the building going to collapse and us with it? Thus, the hole. If everything is ok, then no worries, they will repaint and fix it all back up. At some point.
If NOT? Then we gots worries. Bigger hole, repairs and God knows what. This pisses me off because, as renters, we get all the hassle and no recompense. (ACK! He's making the hole bigger! The saw is cartoonishly big! AAACCKKK!!!!)
Why couldn't they have discovered this when the BUILT that place is my wonder? So we got these guys on the inside cutting a hole, and on the other side of the same wall, is another guy, on a scaffolding, doing something on the OUTSIDE. Is this wall ok? Will it fall? I told the guys inside to just go ahead and cut through and say hi to the guy on the other side....that would be funny. Not.
This is not my only house worry, right now. The night before we left for the US, a bottle of blue fast dry nail polish fell on the tile floor of our bathroom and broke, spattering all over the floor. (Rich went ballistic. I hung my head like a dog caught chewing your favorite slippers.) I can tell you there is NO way to clean up nail polish easily. Best is to wait for it to dry and use lots of acetone nail polish remover and paper towels, which luckily works a treat. If you try ANY OTHER WAY, you will have a mess the likes of which you can't imagine. I had to forcibly stop a panicked Neat Freak Rich from grabbing bath towels to wipe it up...they would be ruined forever.
Of course we did not have enough nail polish remover to clean it up that night. And the stores were closed. And it was bedtime (had to get up early for the flight!). And so the splattered blue polish is sitting there, waiting for me, to clean it up with the four BIG bottles of remover I brought back with me. I will be high on fumes for the rest of the day.
Oh God, he's using the saw again. HELLLP!!!!!!!!!
_____________
5 hours later
_____________
....We have not only a hole in the ceiling but also a hole in the WALL. The hole in the ceiling is covered with a hatch they brought that opens and closes. It looks ok. The one in the wall is covered with white paper they taped up. NICE. NICE in a totally NOT NICE, sarcastic, it looks like ASS way.
...The nail polish came up with a minimum of fuss and bother and took less than half a bottle of remover along with some deft toothbrush manoueverings. However, it smelled so strong that I am fairly sure I have just fried whatever eggs I have left in my ovaries. Sorry, Mom, you won't ever be a grandmother (at least from me, go bother Kit) now. I burned my eggs in a haze of remover fumes. I think I am ace-stoned. (Get it? Acetone? Acestoned? Maybe the fumes are just making things funnier. Hey....is that tomato blue?)
Apparently, our new building may not have been built right and they have to check if this is the case. A beam may not have been connected right. A BEAM. On the the FIFTH FLOOR. Is the building going to collapse and us with it? Thus, the hole. If everything is ok, then no worries, they will repaint and fix it all back up. At some point.
If NOT? Then we gots worries. Bigger hole, repairs and God knows what. This pisses me off because, as renters, we get all the hassle and no recompense. (ACK! He's making the hole bigger! The saw is cartoonishly big! AAACCKKK!!!!)
Why couldn't they have discovered this when the BUILT that place is my wonder? So we got these guys on the inside cutting a hole, and on the other side of the same wall, is another guy, on a scaffolding, doing something on the OUTSIDE. Is this wall ok? Will it fall? I told the guys inside to just go ahead and cut through and say hi to the guy on the other side....that would be funny. Not.
This is not my only house worry, right now. The night before we left for the US, a bottle of blue fast dry nail polish fell on the tile floor of our bathroom and broke, spattering all over the floor. (Rich went ballistic. I hung my head like a dog caught chewing your favorite slippers.) I can tell you there is NO way to clean up nail polish easily. Best is to wait for it to dry and use lots of acetone nail polish remover and paper towels, which luckily works a treat. If you try ANY OTHER WAY, you will have a mess the likes of which you can't imagine. I had to forcibly stop a panicked Neat Freak Rich from grabbing bath towels to wipe it up...they would be ruined forever.
Of course we did not have enough nail polish remover to clean it up that night. And the stores were closed. And it was bedtime (had to get up early for the flight!). And so the splattered blue polish is sitting there, waiting for me, to clean it up with the four BIG bottles of remover I brought back with me. I will be high on fumes for the rest of the day.
Oh God, he's using the saw again. HELLLP!!!!!!!!!
_____________
5 hours later
_____________
....We have not only a hole in the ceiling but also a hole in the WALL. The hole in the ceiling is covered with a hatch they brought that opens and closes. It looks ok. The one in the wall is covered with white paper they taped up. NICE. NICE in a totally NOT NICE, sarcastic, it looks like ASS way.
...The nail polish came up with a minimum of fuss and bother and took less than half a bottle of remover along with some deft toothbrush manoueverings. However, it smelled so strong that I am fairly sure I have just fried whatever eggs I have left in my ovaries. Sorry, Mom, you won't ever be a grandmother (at least from me, go bother Kit) now. I burned my eggs in a haze of remover fumes. I think I am ace-stoned. (Get it? Acetone? Acestoned? Maybe the fumes are just making things funnier. Hey....is that tomato blue?)
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
like mother like daughter
My Dad sent me this picture today of me and my Mom at a 'kaffe klatsch' at her friend Edith's house. This was taken in September.
Of course I know my mom and I have similarities, but it's sort of freaking me out how much we do look alike, especially in this photo. Note the poofy hair, same face shape, the same tops we are wearing (didn't notice that AT ALL that day), the same length necklaces (we both prefer that length).
I only hope I can look as good as her as I get older. Not, of course, that she IS older, I mean, she is only 39. Which is also my age. Which, actually, makes us twins. My Twin Mom.
back
We are back in Norway. Our flight (both directions) was very smooth. (Unlike the experiences of my friend Grant. He was put through HELL by KLM trying to get home to Edinburgh.) And, blessedly, short. We got exit row seats but they did not recline, so we had leg room but the seats were so upright that we felt like we were sitting pushed forward. I sat on the floor for a while, leaning against the wall of the plane. That was more comfortable until my ass fell asleep then froze from the cold. Ever had a frozen sleeping ass? Don't recommend it.
Before the flight we had a very good steak at Galllagher's Steak House in Newark Airport. Flavor wise it was a bit bland (just cooked meat, no salt or nuthin') but the steak itself (small filet mignon)(small being the 10 ounce which was HUGE) was excellent, cooked just right and fork tender. If I could somehow have that steak with the Smith and Wollensky sides and atmosphere, we would have something really amazing.
I was told we had Norwegian celebrities sitting in front of us on the flight. Some ski champion or other.
On the flight back I watched a movie filmed in Austin, the Wendell Baker Story. It was ok, and I didn't get to finish it as we landed too soon, but oh my God did it make me homesick for Texas. Every location was in Austin or thereabouts and the main body of the story happened at Laguna Gloria. Sometimes I could hear the locusts humming in the background and it just sounded like those hot lazy summer days back home. It totally reminded me of why I love Austin. It captured the funk of the place perfectly. Sigh. Texas is part of me and watching that movie made my blood sing for home. I could FEEL the humid air and smell the trees and the grass.
And now I am back and have to face reality and unpack. I HATE unpacking. The only thing I hate more is....packing. At least with unpacking I can look at all my new goodies.
Before the flight we had a very good steak at Galllagher's Steak House in Newark Airport. Flavor wise it was a bit bland (just cooked meat, no salt or nuthin') but the steak itself (small filet mignon)(small being the 10 ounce which was HUGE) was excellent, cooked just right and fork tender. If I could somehow have that steak with the Smith and Wollensky sides and atmosphere, we would have something really amazing.
I was told we had Norwegian celebrities sitting in front of us on the flight. Some ski champion or other.
On the flight back I watched a movie filmed in Austin, the Wendell Baker Story. It was ok, and I didn't get to finish it as we landed too soon, but oh my God did it make me homesick for Texas. Every location was in Austin or thereabouts and the main body of the story happened at Laguna Gloria. Sometimes I could hear the locusts humming in the background and it just sounded like those hot lazy summer days back home. It totally reminded me of why I love Austin. It captured the funk of the place perfectly. Sigh. Texas is part of me and watching that movie made my blood sing for home. I could FEEL the humid air and smell the trees and the grass.
And now I am back and have to face reality and unpack. I HATE unpacking. The only thing I hate more is....packing. At least with unpacking I can look at all my new goodies.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all!
We had a very quiet one, just hung around chatting and snoozing, then I caught the last two minutes of Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Though, judging by the way ol' Dick is tottering around, I think the "rockin' " now refers to him in a chair or swaying on his unsteady geriatric feet rather than anything relating to music. We considered being in the city for the dropping of the ball in Times Square, but will leave that for another time. My dad told me that he and my Mom did that in 1964.....very cool.
We fly back to Oslo today. I managed to score exit row seats all the way, so rock on with my bad online check in self!
Not much else to report. We went to Woodbury Commons outlets on Sunday and let me tell you...that is an outlet worth checking out. Once, of course, you manage to get past all the frenzied, rude and pushy Europeans and Chinese running around looking for bargains like they are the most important people in the world and you are a mere obstacle in their path to the Perfect Purchase, that is. Seriously, people, MANNERS!!!!! In the US of Freakin' A we say "excuse me", "please" and "thank you" AND we observe niceties like door holdings, personal space, queueing and not pummeling your fellow man over a bargain priced Gucci bag. Being at the outlets was like having all the worst mannered people in the world put on a sinking ship....every man for himself and screw you if you get in my way! Once I got over my annoyance at the rudeness, the bargains were outstanding and they had every outlet shop you could ever wish for. And I do mean EVERY shop. There were even queues for some...especially Gucci and Coach. (I'd never queue for Coach, I can get that any time in Austin. I didn't queue for Gucci either.)
I got a couple of dresses (90% off!) and some stuff at BCBG and Neiman's, and Rich had to drag me away just as was getting into my shopping mojo. Oh well, just means more to carry anyhow.
We are all packed and ready to go. Two suitcases each and a backpack as well. NOT a small amount of luggage. Target made alot of money off of us this trip.
We had a very quiet one, just hung around chatting and snoozing, then I caught the last two minutes of Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Though, judging by the way ol' Dick is tottering around, I think the "rockin' " now refers to him in a chair or swaying on his unsteady geriatric feet rather than anything relating to music. We considered being in the city for the dropping of the ball in Times Square, but will leave that for another time. My dad told me that he and my Mom did that in 1964.....very cool.
We fly back to Oslo today. I managed to score exit row seats all the way, so rock on with my bad online check in self!
Not much else to report. We went to Woodbury Commons outlets on Sunday and let me tell you...that is an outlet worth checking out. Once, of course, you manage to get past all the frenzied, rude and pushy Europeans and Chinese running around looking for bargains like they are the most important people in the world and you are a mere obstacle in their path to the Perfect Purchase, that is. Seriously, people, MANNERS!!!!! In the US of Freakin' A we say "excuse me", "please" and "thank you" AND we observe niceties like door holdings, personal space, queueing and not pummeling your fellow man over a bargain priced Gucci bag. Being at the outlets was like having all the worst mannered people in the world put on a sinking ship....every man for himself and screw you if you get in my way! Once I got over my annoyance at the rudeness, the bargains were outstanding and they had every outlet shop you could ever wish for. And I do mean EVERY shop. There were even queues for some...especially Gucci and Coach. (I'd never queue for Coach, I can get that any time in Austin. I didn't queue for Gucci either.)
I got a couple of dresses (90% off!) and some stuff at BCBG and Neiman's, and Rich had to drag me away just as was getting into my shopping mojo. Oh well, just means more to carry anyhow.
We are all packed and ready to go. Two suitcases each and a backpack as well. NOT a small amount of luggage. Target made alot of money off of us this trip.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
no time but much to say
Howdy. Merry Christmas!!!!! This is the first time I have been on a computer in 5 days. Sorry for the lapse in posting.
We are in Pennsylvania now, having been there and done that in NYC. We had a GREAT time. The flight over from Norway was packed, but we managed to score exit row seats, which was a nice bonus as the plane is small and Rich is tall. It took us all of 40 minutes to get through Newark, from start to finish including customs, immigration and luggage. I really think that was a new record. We were in NYC by 3:30, the flight having landed at just after 2!!!!!! We splurged on a cab, cheap by Norwegian standards and no having to hump the luggage up and down stairs at train stations.
Ok, so the scoop on what we did, where we ate, etc.
Short version if you don't have much time:
New Yorkers are very friendly
There is no such thing as bad food.
Lots of foreigners there.
Things in the US ARE cheap compared to Europe.
Stay at the Park South Hotel.
The toilets are very low as compared to the ones in Norway and it freaked me out constantly, I kept thinking I was falling.
Long version, if you have time:
Friday night we ate at a Mexican place (well, sort of nouveau mex) called Dos Caminos, on Park Ave and like, 26th or so. They made the guacamole at the table and it was the best I ever had. The main dish was ok, I had chicken tacos al carbon with oranges and guac and Rich had a yummy quesadilla with shrimp. Mine was kind of cold, and I softly mentioned it to the waitress, (thinking maybe it was more like a salad?), who apologized and seconds later came the manager, who apologized and then gave me a goodie bag with all sorts of stuff including their gorgeous new cookbook! The service there was OUTSTANDING. I'd definitely go back. Great margaritas and they apparently have the largest selection of tequila in NYC.
Saturday we gopt up really early, found a good diner and had a HUGE breakfast, with everything breakfasty you can think of. Rich then went to the Brooklyn Museum and I hared off to the stores on 5th Ave and around. I scored at BCBG (grey boots finally!) and Anthropologie (cute dress and sweater on sale) and Sephora, oh my, and then did a spin through Lord and Taylor and Barney's etc etc. I didn't buy much but what I bought I love. We met back up later and then went to Smith and Wollensky for dinner.
Our reservations were for 7:15 but we didn't get a table until closer to 8. The place was PACKED to the gills, standing room only in the bar. Jolly crowd, all very nice and all ages. We finally got seated at the tiniest table ever known to mankind, Rich looked like he was sitting at a kiddie table and I had some guy's shoulder hitting my left ear. This was not gonna work, so we let the maitre 'd know and he brought us back out into the waiting area with a promise of a better table (and he gave me a beer!)(we love him) . Another 20 minutes and we got a much better table.
We had calamari for a starter, which was excellent. We were served by a very competent, if somewhat brusque waiter, but he was one of those guys who warmed up to you quickly if you talked to him a bit and showed him you weren't an idiot. We both had the NY strip, Rich had bone-in and mine without. I have to say, the steaks were not the best we've ever had. His was fatty, mine was better and very nicely cooked, but compared to Austin Land and Cattle, which is the measure of all things Steak in my world, I give them a 4 out of 10. They were basically just large hunks of flesh, no finesse or anything special about them (except the Flintstone-like proportions). The baked potato toppings were many and generous, however, which was a very nice addition. I would go back to Smith and Wollensky, I liked the vibe, the atmosphere and the very friendly and efficient service, but I would order a smaller steak and make sure it was no bone. We were too full to do anything but go back to the hotel afterwards.
Oh! The Hotel! Great! I can highly recommend the Park South Hotel at Park and 28th for your stay in NYC. We got upgraded to a king sized bed from the queen we reserved and the room was a good size, nicely decorated, and quiet for NYC. Nice bathroom, great maid service, and breakfast included. We will definitely go back there.
We decided to stay an extra night, so on Sunday went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but it was too packed, so we wandered down to Soho and Tribeca. We had excellent Vietnamese for lunch at Pho Bang and I checked out Prada (wow) and we had a great time at the Pearl River Emporium, a Chinese Department store, where I got the most gorgeous brocade coat. Rich got tin toys. It rained like mad and was pretty terrible weather, so we ended up in a pub called Puck Fair which was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and had some Guinesses. Back to the hotel for a rest and then we saw "Enchanted" which was cute. Skipped dinner. Still full from lunch.
My only regret is that we did not eat at Les Halles which was RIGHT around the corner from our hotel. They serve breakfast too. But we never managed to get there. Next time we will.
Yesterday we got up did some last minute shopping and then got a car from the hotel to take us to pick up our rent car at Newark. Easy peasy, and a couple hours later and no traffic, we made it to Pennsylvania. It's cold but no snow, and we have so far had a lovely Christmas day.
So now I finish this and say Merry Christmas!!!!!!! Hope yours is wonderful.
We are in Pennsylvania now, having been there and done that in NYC. We had a GREAT time. The flight over from Norway was packed, but we managed to score exit row seats, which was a nice bonus as the plane is small and Rich is tall. It took us all of 40 minutes to get through Newark, from start to finish including customs, immigration and luggage. I really think that was a new record. We were in NYC by 3:30, the flight having landed at just after 2!!!!!! We splurged on a cab, cheap by Norwegian standards and no having to hump the luggage up and down stairs at train stations.
Ok, so the scoop on what we did, where we ate, etc.
Short version if you don't have much time:
New Yorkers are very friendly
There is no such thing as bad food.
Lots of foreigners there.
Things in the US ARE cheap compared to Europe.
Stay at the Park South Hotel.
The toilets are very low as compared to the ones in Norway and it freaked me out constantly, I kept thinking I was falling.
Long version, if you have time:
Friday night we ate at a Mexican place (well, sort of nouveau mex) called Dos Caminos, on Park Ave and like, 26th or so. They made the guacamole at the table and it was the best I ever had. The main dish was ok, I had chicken tacos al carbon with oranges and guac and Rich had a yummy quesadilla with shrimp. Mine was kind of cold, and I softly mentioned it to the waitress, (thinking maybe it was more like a salad?), who apologized and seconds later came the manager, who apologized and then gave me a goodie bag with all sorts of stuff including their gorgeous new cookbook! The service there was OUTSTANDING. I'd definitely go back. Great margaritas and they apparently have the largest selection of tequila in NYC.
Saturday we gopt up really early, found a good diner and had a HUGE breakfast, with everything breakfasty you can think of. Rich then went to the Brooklyn Museum and I hared off to the stores on 5th Ave and around. I scored at BCBG (grey boots finally!) and Anthropologie (cute dress and sweater on sale) and Sephora, oh my, and then did a spin through Lord and Taylor and Barney's etc etc. I didn't buy much but what I bought I love. We met back up later and then went to Smith and Wollensky for dinner.
Our reservations were for 7:15 but we didn't get a table until closer to 8. The place was PACKED to the gills, standing room only in the bar. Jolly crowd, all very nice and all ages. We finally got seated at the tiniest table ever known to mankind, Rich looked like he was sitting at a kiddie table and I had some guy's shoulder hitting my left ear. This was not gonna work, so we let the maitre 'd know and he brought us back out into the waiting area with a promise of a better table (and he gave me a beer!)(we love him) . Another 20 minutes and we got a much better table.
We had calamari for a starter, which was excellent. We were served by a very competent, if somewhat brusque waiter, but he was one of those guys who warmed up to you quickly if you talked to him a bit and showed him you weren't an idiot. We both had the NY strip, Rich had bone-in and mine without. I have to say, the steaks were not the best we've ever had. His was fatty, mine was better and very nicely cooked, but compared to Austin Land and Cattle, which is the measure of all things Steak in my world, I give them a 4 out of 10. They were basically just large hunks of flesh, no finesse or anything special about them (except the Flintstone-like proportions). The baked potato toppings were many and generous, however, which was a very nice addition. I would go back to Smith and Wollensky, I liked the vibe, the atmosphere and the very friendly and efficient service, but I would order a smaller steak and make sure it was no bone. We were too full to do anything but go back to the hotel afterwards.
Oh! The Hotel! Great! I can highly recommend the Park South Hotel at Park and 28th for your stay in NYC. We got upgraded to a king sized bed from the queen we reserved and the room was a good size, nicely decorated, and quiet for NYC. Nice bathroom, great maid service, and breakfast included. We will definitely go back there.
We decided to stay an extra night, so on Sunday went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art but it was too packed, so we wandered down to Soho and Tribeca. We had excellent Vietnamese for lunch at Pho Bang and I checked out Prada (wow) and we had a great time at the Pearl River Emporium, a Chinese Department store, where I got the most gorgeous brocade coat. Rich got tin toys. It rained like mad and was pretty terrible weather, so we ended up in a pub called Puck Fair which was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and had some Guinesses. Back to the hotel for a rest and then we saw "Enchanted" which was cute. Skipped dinner. Still full from lunch.
My only regret is that we did not eat at Les Halles which was RIGHT around the corner from our hotel. They serve breakfast too. But we never managed to get there. Next time we will.
Yesterday we got up did some last minute shopping and then got a car from the hotel to take us to pick up our rent car at Newark. Easy peasy, and a couple hours later and no traffic, we made it to Pennsylvania. It's cold but no snow, and we have so far had a lovely Christmas day.
So now I finish this and say Merry Christmas!!!!!!! Hope yours is wonderful.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
cold random babbling
It's so cold outside it's redefined my definition of cold. It's not that it's merely cold, it's also that it is sustained cold, cold where the frost never goes away, and indeed has built up to the point where the frost is now resembling snow. Cold, Arctic cold, to where I realized I REALLY don't have warm enough clothes, even counting my duvet coat, my old heavy grey wool military coat and my shearling lined suede coat. No matter what I wear, the cold creeps in somewhere. Who knew wrists and the back of your neck where your scarf slips can get so damned cold? I'm from Texas dammit, I am not born with the knowledge of how dress a la Michelin Man. For me a long sleeved t shirt is considered winter wear!
And I find it ain't gonna be any warmer in New Fookin' Yawk or Pennsylvania either. And to think we had planned on Egypt for Christmas! Even Rich (him of the sun avoidance and hell-no-to-the-beach) is telling me that in spring we will go somewhere warm and beachy for a week. Yesterday I realized IT'S NOT EVEN WINTER YET......it's still Fall, and I really, really, really don't think I will make it through this winter if I am going to be this cold, lame and miserable. And it's strange, because it's been like this other years, so why am I not handling it well THIS year?
All the train stations are plastered with an ad for underwear featuring a very hot, very scantily clad man. This guy is HOT, and I don't really even like blondes all that much. His hotness is only increased by the fact that everyone in the world is covered eyes to toes in wool, fur and fuzz, so there is NO skin to be seen anywhere. And here, on this back lit advertisement, in the frost and cold, is a picture of this dude, all buff and tan and glowingly man warm with a slightly hairy chest (we know Karla likes her a hairy chest) and NAKED except for his little titey whiteys...and I get sort of turned on by this ad. SKIN! In the COLD! HOT MAN SKIN! For once it's not woman skin! NAKED MAN SKIN! I stare at that ad like a moth to flame every time I see it, and by its ubiquity, that is alot. I'm pretty sure, at my age, this makes me a Horny Old Broad.OK, I had other stuff to say....man skin man skin warm golden man skin...um...wha? Oh, oh yeah.
So, in New York. What we are going to do. Yes, that was the other thing I was going to discuss.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions and input. Special thanks to Desertwind for keeping me up to date on my Project Runway (seriously ,the highlight of my sad, humdrum weeks!)
So it looks like we are going to eat at Smith and Wollensky for our Steak Extravaganza. (Dave we considered McD's for a split second before both laughing uproariously.) We looked at EVERY steakhouse in NYC, menus included, and hubs liked Smith and Wollensky because of the lobster and the crabs as sides. (Peter Luger is number one pick, but no go on rezzies.) We'll see how it goes. We can have a drink at the Tudor Hotel before or after, would be nice to spot Uma Fucking Thurman as did Bookhart that time!
We also looked at Les Halles, as big fans of Anthony Bourdain, but as we can get to Paris relatively easy from Norway, AND I ate at a very similar place in London earlier this year, we decided to go for the Big American Style beef instead of the French Experience.
On the night we arrive we will hit Chinatown and eat there. (Big Wong sounds great, I might try to hit that on my own.) McSorley's is definitely on the list, this girl ain't missin' no good pubs (Bonoxious there is NOT a place called Burp Castle, is there?)(holy crap there IS!). I think Rich and I will try to have an Individual Day where he goes to museums and I shop until I puke. Ray's Pizza sounds like a must do for my shopping day, though will try to hit that post puke.....perhaps McSorley's might be the right place for pre puke? Though Burp Castle, which one reviewer said 'smelled like a warm beer fart', might be more optimal for pukage.
We also looked at Les Halles, as big fans of Anthony Bourdain, but as we can get to Paris relatively easy from Norway, AND I ate at a very similar place in London earlier this year, we decided to go for the Big American Style beef instead of the French Experience.
On the night we arrive we will hit Chinatown and eat there. (Big Wong sounds great, I might try to hit that on my own.) McSorley's is definitely on the list, this girl ain't missin' no good pubs (Bonoxious there is NOT a place called Burp Castle, is there?)(holy crap there IS!). I think Rich and I will try to have an Individual Day where he goes to museums and I shop until I puke. Ray's Pizza sounds like a must do for my shopping day, though will try to hit that post puke.....perhaps McSorley's might be the right place for pre puke? Though Burp Castle, which one reviewer said 'smelled like a warm beer fart', might be more optimal for pukage.
Shopping.....Ah shopping. I'm going to wear comfortable (yet chic) shoes, carry an extra collapsible bag for my goodies, and I am hittin the stores HARD! I've also extracted a promise from Rich that we will go to Woodbury Commons outlets. They gots EVERYTHING there. I hear tell there might even be some nature thereabouts, but honestly, screw nature. I'm in it for the material goods and the rush of the hunt!
I'm still laughing about Burp Castle. Omigod I hope they have t shirts.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Need your advice!
Ok people. I need your help.
I have two days in NYC coming up. I've been a few times before, so am ready for ideas beyond the basics, you know? As it's only two days, things in central Manhattan are most appreciated.
I need your advice on:
I have two days in NYC coming up. I've been a few times before, so am ready for ideas beyond the basics, you know? As it's only two days, things in central Manhattan are most appreciated.
I need your advice on:
- Where to eat (note: hubby ain't much for posh-poofty restaurants so no "tiny food" places.)(Any good Vietnamese joints? Good diners? Good ol' 'murcan food?)
- Shopping tips (I've been to century 21 and have previously hit all the usual shopping landmarks, wouldn't mind some new ideas. Quirky is good, as is any place with great deals. Any markets? Is Loehman's still around?) Everything in the US is cheap when you are coming from Norway, so I gots kroners to spend and strong arms to carry my purchases with!
- Funky bars, especially of a cozy/old/historical/good beer selection nature. Nowhere that Paris or Lindsay would go, no velvet ropes, please!
- Ok ok..... and cultural stuff too. The Met is already on the list.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
cold like I've never experienced
Ok so the weather outside right now? InSANEly cold. Cold in a way I've never experienced.
How to describe. Well, it's misty outside, and from far away it looks like fog. But close up, and when the sun (which is trying to break through the mist) shines you can see that the fog is not FOG but teeny tiny little shiny glittery ice crystals floating in the air all over. (If you've see "The Golden Compass" it is EXACTLY like Dust.) In other words, it is so cold outside that the mist is freezing into ice and then floating about aimlessly. So if you go outside you will be breathing ice. It's gorgeous in a furiously cold and painful way. Anywhere the sun shines there is a glittering rainbow made of ice particles and sun on a milky misty background.
Our thermometer outside registers 12 degrees fahrenheit. The one inside is 64. It's too cold to get the house any warmer than that. I can feel the cold pouring slowly from the baseboards of the wall.
In other news: Last night I had a Norwegian microbrew beer that cost 125 kroner for one half liter bottle.
Nøgne ø, Jul øl, (see bottle above.) At current exchange rates, that half liter of beer cost $22.50. Was it good? Yes, very. A very dark beer, a porter style, with a complex finish and a strong yet even mix of malt and hops. 8% alcohol content! It finished with notes of coffee and vanilla. I think it could have done with a year or so of sitting and aging, to take the edge off, there was a slight harshness at the very end. The one I had was at the very early end of its freshness date, which ended in 2012. But when that smooths out that will be one HELLUVA beer. At that price, it better be. Luckily it was for a work party and so I didn't pay it. Can you imagine 4 beers that cost a hundred bucks? Still, after so many years of really crap beer it was incredibly heartening to find a Norwegian beer that harks back to what I think the beer was like when beer was a common household staple, made with pride by every housewife.
How to describe. Well, it's misty outside, and from far away it looks like fog. But close up, and when the sun (which is trying to break through the mist) shines you can see that the fog is not FOG but teeny tiny little shiny glittery ice crystals floating in the air all over. (If you've see "The Golden Compass" it is EXACTLY like Dust.) In other words, it is so cold outside that the mist is freezing into ice and then floating about aimlessly. So if you go outside you will be breathing ice. It's gorgeous in a furiously cold and painful way. Anywhere the sun shines there is a glittering rainbow made of ice particles and sun on a milky misty background.
Our thermometer outside registers 12 degrees fahrenheit. The one inside is 64. It's too cold to get the house any warmer than that. I can feel the cold pouring slowly from the baseboards of the wall.
In other news: Last night I had a Norwegian microbrew beer that cost 125 kroner for one half liter bottle.
Nøgne ø, Jul øl, (see bottle above.) At current exchange rates, that half liter of beer cost $22.50. Was it good? Yes, very. A very dark beer, a porter style, with a complex finish and a strong yet even mix of malt and hops. 8% alcohol content! It finished with notes of coffee and vanilla. I think it could have done with a year or so of sitting and aging, to take the edge off, there was a slight harshness at the very end. The one I had was at the very early end of its freshness date, which ended in 2012. But when that smooths out that will be one HELLUVA beer. At that price, it better be. Luckily it was for a work party and so I didn't pay it. Can you imagine 4 beers that cost a hundred bucks? Still, after so many years of really crap beer it was incredibly heartening to find a Norwegian beer that harks back to what I think the beer was like when beer was a common household staple, made with pride by every housewife.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
effin' cold
It is COLD outside. COLD. Like, your breath catches in your throat COLD.
Thing about this is......
If you have been a semi-regular reader of my verbal meanderings (Beer! Beer makes me semantically gifted!) you know that I am a girl who will always choose wearing a skirt over pants of any sort. Skirts are easy, comfortable and they don't squeeze your yum yums.
Problem is... I HATE WEARING HOSE OR TIGHTS OF ANY KIND.
Which means my ass was COLD TODAY. Even under a long suede skirt and boots and a slip and a long coat. That air just crawls RIGHT up there.
Brrr......
I'm going to have to wear tights for a while, my ass is too cold.
Rich made us a reservation for a hotel in New Effin' York for a few days over the Christmas holidays. Shopping? I think so. Since I'll be there and all, might as well.
Thing about this is......
If you have been a semi-regular reader of my verbal meanderings (Beer! Beer makes me semantically gifted!) you know that I am a girl who will always choose wearing a skirt over pants of any sort. Skirts are easy, comfortable and they don't squeeze your yum yums.
Problem is... I HATE WEARING HOSE OR TIGHTS OF ANY KIND.
Which means my ass was COLD TODAY. Even under a long suede skirt and boots and a slip and a long coat. That air just crawls RIGHT up there.
Brrr......
I'm going to have to wear tights for a while, my ass is too cold.
Rich made us a reservation for a hotel in New Effin' York for a few days over the Christmas holidays. Shopping? I think so. Since I'll be there and all, might as well.
great joke I got from my sister in law
MY LIVING WILL
Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to
her, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine
and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug".
She got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.
Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to
her, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine
and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug".
She got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Friday yet?
It's not Friday yet is it? Just Tuesday? Damn.
Not much to report. Al Gore is in town to recieve his Nobel Prize. The ceremony was last night. Usually I go and watch the torchlight processions and such, but this year was just too tired. I seem to be tired alot lately. Gore has been in the news non stop here, everyone LOVES him. Especially impressive to the Norwegian frame of mind was his insistence on taking the Airport Train (Flytoget) into central Oslo instead of being carted by limo. Granted the Flytoget is faster than driving and it is a really nice and incredibly quiet train, so it was not too much of a sacrifice. Still, it shows his willingness to be part of the world and do his share to integrate, and we folks living in Norway like that. It really is a shame Gore got screwed out of the White House. A real shame.
We've gotten two Christmas cards so far this year: One from Jan Mayen Island and one from Bangkok. I rather like the juxtapostion of locations, so far north and so far south. My friend Kristen is working on Jan Mayen for 6 months at a weather station there. Her stories of life on an Arctic Island are priceless. (Check out the website, the webcam is cool.)
Of course, we've seen our Christmas card reception drop dramatically over the years, for one main reason: We never get around to sending any! I think we did sent them a few times, but it usually comes around to being the week before Christmas, which is too late to send cards internationally, and we are all "Oh shit! We need to send cards! D'oh! It's too late! Crap!"
Yes we suck. Saturday we even tried to go to some Christmas markets but a) they were lame and b) there were pubs very nearby, so we ended up drinking beer with Grant instead. None of us were feeling the Christmas spirit much, and honestly, shouldn't there be things to buy at a Christmas market? Because there wasn't much of anything to buy at the ones we went to. Beer seemed a much better use of our time and money. There is a nice Irish pub in Oslo, who knew?
Hey...is that the sun I see? Wow....I forgot what that felt like.
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
It's raining men...no, I really mean it. IT'S RAINING MEN
Sometimes life just hands you things, exactly when you need them.
Today for example. I was on what I can only call an Angst Walk. This is when, as lately, things get to be a Bit Too Much and so I grab my iPod and go for a walk, playing very loud very angry music, sometimes wandering into the woods where I can cry and rage and sniffle whilst Trent screams dire things in my ears. Catharsis, Karla Style. I am an angry girl lately. Watch me rage.
So, there I am, in the woods, hauling ass down the path that cuts through My Favorite Meadow, raging and pissed off, when a man fell out of the sky. I tell you what, there's nothing that will stop you crying quicker than a dude falling out of the sky right over your head. You're all "WAAAAAAA!...aaaaa......um...huh?.......(snifff)?????"
Then another dude floated down, and another. All these tall gorgeous blonde men falling from the sky, hanging from big poofy parachute thingies. It was like Christmas and New Year's and my birthday all in one. Only thing that would have made it better is if a) they were naked and b) I had my camera.
Then a helicopter landed next to them. There was all this noise and air and men in tight suits and macho hugging and high fiving (all in Norwegian, but hey, international language of "DUDE THAT SO KICKED ASS" is pretty easy to understand). And then they got in the helicopter, it lifted off, after first doing some very extreme show-offy helicopter acrobatics (who knew they did that, I didn't) and then up they went for another man rain shower.
It rained men four times.
Hallejullah.
Today for example. I was on what I can only call an Angst Walk. This is when, as lately, things get to be a Bit Too Much and so I grab my iPod and go for a walk, playing very loud very angry music, sometimes wandering into the woods where I can cry and rage and sniffle whilst Trent screams dire things in my ears. Catharsis, Karla Style. I am an angry girl lately. Watch me rage.
So, there I am, in the woods, hauling ass down the path that cuts through My Favorite Meadow, raging and pissed off, when a man fell out of the sky. I tell you what, there's nothing that will stop you crying quicker than a dude falling out of the sky right over your head. You're all "WAAAAAAA!...aaaaa......um...huh?.......(snifff)?????"
Then another dude floated down, and another. All these tall gorgeous blonde men falling from the sky, hanging from big poofy parachute thingies. It was like Christmas and New Year's and my birthday all in one. Only thing that would have made it better is if a) they were naked and b) I had my camera.
Then a helicopter landed next to them. There was all this noise and air and men in tight suits and macho hugging and high fiving (all in Norwegian, but hey, international language of "DUDE THAT SO KICKED ASS" is pretty easy to understand). And then they got in the helicopter, it lifted off, after first doing some very extreme show-offy helicopter acrobatics (who knew they did that, I didn't) and then up they went for another man rain shower.
It rained men four times.
Hallejullah.
I killed a man just to watch him die
Ok, ok so I lie. But I DID get really HUFFY.
Basically (and girls, this one is for you) if you go to a place where there is dancing and there is a handsy little bastard who keeps dancing on you and you tell him DO NOT DO THAT and he does it again and you tell him DO NOT GRAB ME and then he does it again and you push him away and say again DO NOT GRAB ME I'M SERIOUS and then he rubs his bony little ass up against you and you say STOP THAT I AM NOT KIDDING and then he says "Hey we're just having fun so DANCE WITH ME BITCH!"......what would you do?
Considering that this is a dude who grabs or insinuates himself in an offensive manner every damned time I see him (and he does it to every other woman as well, and honestly, any warm body on the dance floor) and he doesn't SEEM like a stupid guy? I mean, he has a JOB that apparently SMART people are supposed to do?
How much NO can you put in NO before this person understands NO? I will TALK to you but I will NOT tolerate you putting you hands on me in that insinuating way. Just because I am a woman does NOT mean you can grab me. (And believe me, I am VERY tolerant of the flirtation, nudge-nudge-wink-wink and general drunken abandonment that happens on a typical night at the pub/club. I mean, VERY tolerant, even, at times, enthusiastic. ) I do have a nice curvy figure, yes, but I also have a HEAD and BRAINS and you do not get to DISREGARD those and aim straight for the yum yums, as if that was ALL I AM.
So what did I do, you wonder.
I killed the little slimy bollocked bugger.
Ok, ok I lie again. After he said "Dance with me bitch", I stopped dancing, flashed green lasers out of my eyes, turned around and stalked off the dance floor. I mean I STALKED. I FLOUNCED. I think I even STOMPED.
I wish I had slapped. (One of the highlights of my collegiate career was the time Bookhart and I were at a bar and a guy was sort of rude to us and Bookhart ever so elegantly threw her drink in his face. Seriously, the ballsiest move EVER and another reason why she rules. If I had a drink in my hand last night I would have thrown it in his face, but I only thought of it now and seriously, drinks are sort of expensive to just go throwing them in slimy bollock's faces?) But when I flounce, man, you KNOW it's serious. If I ever flounce in your vicinity, you want to tread lightly with me from then on......
I've tried being pleasant to this person, I mean I AM Southern and we Southerners always try to be nice to everyone, but he is off my list and there is no getting back on my list once you are off. I've flounced and that is IT.
Basically (and girls, this one is for you) if you go to a place where there is dancing and there is a handsy little bastard who keeps dancing on you and you tell him DO NOT DO THAT and he does it again and you tell him DO NOT GRAB ME and then he does it again and you push him away and say again DO NOT GRAB ME I'M SERIOUS and then he rubs his bony little ass up against you and you say STOP THAT I AM NOT KIDDING and then he says "Hey we're just having fun so DANCE WITH ME BITCH!"......what would you do?
Considering that this is a dude who grabs or insinuates himself in an offensive manner every damned time I see him (and he does it to every other woman as well, and honestly, any warm body on the dance floor) and he doesn't SEEM like a stupid guy? I mean, he has a JOB that apparently SMART people are supposed to do?
How much NO can you put in NO before this person understands NO? I will TALK to you but I will NOT tolerate you putting you hands on me in that insinuating way. Just because I am a woman does NOT mean you can grab me. (And believe me, I am VERY tolerant of the flirtation, nudge-nudge-wink-wink and general drunken abandonment that happens on a typical night at the pub/club. I mean, VERY tolerant, even, at times, enthusiastic. ) I do have a nice curvy figure, yes, but I also have a HEAD and BRAINS and you do not get to DISREGARD those and aim straight for the yum yums, as if that was ALL I AM.
So what did I do, you wonder.
I killed the little slimy bollocked bugger.
Ok, ok I lie again. After he said "Dance with me bitch", I stopped dancing, flashed green lasers out of my eyes, turned around and stalked off the dance floor. I mean I STALKED. I FLOUNCED. I think I even STOMPED.
I wish I had slapped. (One of the highlights of my collegiate career was the time Bookhart and I were at a bar and a guy was sort of rude to us and Bookhart ever so elegantly threw her drink in his face. Seriously, the ballsiest move EVER and another reason why she rules. If I had a drink in my hand last night I would have thrown it in his face, but I only thought of it now and seriously, drinks are sort of expensive to just go throwing them in slimy bollock's faces?) But when I flounce, man, you KNOW it's serious. If I ever flounce in your vicinity, you want to tread lightly with me from then on......
I've tried being pleasant to this person, I mean I AM Southern and we Southerners always try to be nice to everyone, but he is off my list and there is no getting back on my list once you are off. I've flounced and that is IT.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
what I did tonight
I went to a Christmas cookie slash wine drinking party tonight. This is my "Xmas family in Thailand". She's wearing a teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini. Full disclosure, I did not decorate the one in the middle. The other two are mine.
exploding heart cookie
A Goth Christmas cookie moment. I went to a wine drinking/cookie decorating party tonight.
they were just lucky I didn't get around to teaching them how to make the Naughty Christmas cookies, in choice of 3Dor 2D.
Christmas cookie with candle
My standard artistic cookie effort, the candle decoration. Done with toothpicks dragging the icing around.
and the suckage continues
Have you ever had a day where NOTHING went right?
Nothing I have attempted today has gone smoothly or to plan. Even removing a tag from my shirt resulted in a giant hole in the seam.
At work? I can't even punch HOLES correctly...have to redo them ALL for the project I am working on, and believe me it ain't a small project. Who reset the frigging hole puncher???? DAMMIT!
I feel like a monkey pretending to be a person. The simplest thing is beyond my ken. I should just sit on a tree branch somewhere, scratching my ass and throwing shit on unsuspecting passers by. That's about the limit of my intelligence and capabilities today.
I must have done something karmically very bad in my sleep to deserve this.
The only thing keeping my spirits somewhat up (like so I don't kill anyone or crawl under my desk and weep) is having my iPod on FULL VOLUME with all the danciest music I can find. I'll worry about ear damage later. Besides, of course, only one ear bud really works anyhow. So I'll only go deaf in one ear. Small comfort.
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I think i had a bad day today..but I am not sure
Have you ever had it where you had a really bad thing and a really good thing happen in one day? And so you aren't sure what to think?
That happened to me today.
I'm confused. But right now the bad is winning out in my mood, mostly because the bad can overcome the good if things don't work out as I would hope. (The bad and good are sort of all tied up in one package. Sorry to be vague, it's all work related, but just trust me, it's a good news bad news scenario.)
It could all go horribly pear shaped.
(Thought...why is something going pear shaped bad? I like pears...and have an affinity for the shape, sort of having that shape myself.)
Screw the pears, I want pepperkake.
That happened to me today.
I'm confused. But right now the bad is winning out in my mood, mostly because the bad can overcome the good if things don't work out as I would hope. (The bad and good are sort of all tied up in one package. Sorry to be vague, it's all work related, but just trust me, it's a good news bad news scenario.)
It could all go horribly pear shaped.
(Thought...why is something going pear shaped bad? I like pears...and have an affinity for the shape, sort of having that shape myself.)
Screw the pears, I want pepperkake.
success and abject failure, and some music too
Last night I threw together dinner, with a vague notion that I wanted shrimp with a cilantro (coriander) flavor, but not sure how I was going to achieve it. So I made something up out of the blue. It turned out SO good, I was surprised. So here it is. Try it and let me know what you think.
I got some nice raw shrimp and peeled them and tossed them in a bit of vodka. (Vodka removes fishy taste from shrimp and enhances the sweetness.) Poured off the vodka and dusted them with cornstarch (to help dry them out and thicken the sauce later) and let them sit.
In a big skillet I melted some butter and sauteed a small chopped onion. When the onion turned sort of clear I added the shrimp, tossed them around and added a good amount of garlic, some black pepper and a bit of salt. I squeezed a lime over it. When it was almost finished (the shrimp are firm and pink) I added a good handful of fresh chopped cilantro and a bit of cream. Stirred it all around so that it all stuck together in a creamy sort of sauce. Served with more fresh cilantro on top. It had a yummy sort of Caribbean flavor to it. So that was the success of the day.
The failure? I totally fucked up the rice. Not sure what i did but it was terrible. First time I have done that in a while. So instead of shrimp with rice we had....shrimp. I prefer to think of it as an appetizer with no main course then a main course without a side...but that's semantics.
And music. NIN has a new album, and what a doozy of a name....Y34RZ3r0r3mix3d. I hope I got that right. (Damn name reminds me of one of those annoying Blogger word verification thingies.) Anyhow, the album is a remix by various bands and dj's of NIN's latest album. As a NIN fan it's a must. If you aren't a NIN fan...there's alot of great stuff on it. Judgement call I guess. I also downbloaded some Gary Numan and some dance stuff that hopefully will be good. I dunno, I just wanted something to shake me up a bit.
So I've gotten this reputation at work of being an ass kicker and a bit of a task-mistress. It cracks me up because people totally get stuff done for me. This is very unlike my real life, I must admit, where it seems procrastination happens all around me no matter what I do or say (me? SO not a procrastinator, my thinking being what you put off actually hurts you more later than if you just freaking face it head on.) It's nice to feel a bit more in control at work and like I can make shit happen. Of course, my penchant for tall black boots with pointy toes does not hurt my efforts....people are worried the boot will end up in their backside, and I haven't done anything to disabuse them of that notion. I'm considering bringing a whip to work to hang on the wall and naming it "The Enforcer".
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Reason has left the building
Monday, December 03, 2007
NoMoDiMo
Yeah, so December is No More Diet Month.
As exampled by:
Dinner, last night: Cookies.
Dinner, tonight: Red wine, pasta carbonara, and cookies.
Fuck it, and fuck the diet. I lost, like, two pounds anyhow. Though, I will say, I've changed my diet habits a little in that everything carb-ish in our house is now whole grain, which is good. Who knew I liked brown rice?
I am oddly bereft, as I heartily enjoyed NoMoBloMe or whatever the fuck November is, where everyone was blogging? Because all my best friends who don't normally blog all that often blogged ALL THE TIME and I LOVED it. And now they have stopped and I feel like my favorite source of information, news and happenings is GONE and I am SAD.
Well, also a little drunkish as I had WINE for dinner. And COOKIES. Pillsbury cookies, that I had saved in the freezer. The weather was so bad this weekend it merited cookies. Cookies and movies.
And now it's Monday again....damn.
As exampled by:
Dinner, last night: Cookies.
Dinner, tonight: Red wine, pasta carbonara, and cookies.
Fuck it, and fuck the diet. I lost, like, two pounds anyhow. Though, I will say, I've changed my diet habits a little in that everything carb-ish in our house is now whole grain, which is good. Who knew I liked brown rice?
I am oddly bereft, as I heartily enjoyed NoMoBloMe or whatever the fuck November is, where everyone was blogging? Because all my best friends who don't normally blog all that often blogged ALL THE TIME and I LOVED it. And now they have stopped and I feel like my favorite source of information, news and happenings is GONE and I am SAD.
Well, also a little drunkish as I had WINE for dinner. And COOKIES. Pillsbury cookies, that I had saved in the freezer. The weather was so bad this weekend it merited cookies. Cookies and movies.
And now it's Monday again....damn.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
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