Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A good movie, fluffy snow and the Shoe Fairy
Last night I went with some friends to see "The King's Speech". Ah, what a wonderful movie. It pushed all my buttons: The Colin Firth button, the English History button, the Moving Story button, the Humor button, and the Using Naughty Words button (in a humorous way, so extra points on that button.
I LOOOOVED it.
We saw the movie in the town we used to live in before moving to Oslo proper. (I still miss our old flat, though I love this one too.) It snowed all day, both in Oslo and there. What surprised me was the difference in snow within just a few miles...quality? Viscosity? Density? I don't know the word for it. Anyhow, the Oslo snow was dense, a bit gritty, maybe even sticky. It stuck together in piles, melding to whatever it fell on. The snow outside Oslo? Most gorgeous thing I ever saw. Fluffy, glittery, light..it was like sparkly dandelion fluff. It kissed and hovered over whatever it fell on, like feathers or baby's breath. It looked exactly like the fake snow you see in department store windows at Christmas in Texas (which I am very familiar with as I used to design department store windows and used TONS of that snow.) I lifted some up with my finger and it sat there, each flake distinct and perfect, and then I blew it away and it floated on the air like diamonds. Extraordinary. What you think snow is like if you have never seen snow. I wish all snow looked like that.
I got to work today and a coworker of mine, who always wears GREAT boots, left a pair of boots she didn't want for me in my office. We wear the same size (41 Europe, I am a 9 1/2 US). Apparently we have big feet for Norway, and we decided to do shoe swaps whenever we have shoes we might want to give away. Anyhow, so she leaves me this STUNNING pair of brown boots, two shades of brown, very lush leather, with sheepskin lining up to the knee and lug soles. These boots are NOT cheap and were comfortable from the second I wore them. I think I want to be buried in them. She hadn't worn them in 2 years....and I am the beneficiary of her disdain for this pair. But how in the hell am I going to reciprocate what must be a $400 pair of boots? I offered her money, she said no. I am SO in love with these boots. The Shoe Fairy came to visit me, and I must've been a good girl to deserve her visit.
A coworker that I work very closely with is down for the count with flu. I am a bit worried about it maybe lurking in me. I hope I don't catch it. It's been a bad year for the sickies.
OH, and yesterday I went and tried on swimming suits and it was so depressing I instead bought a dress and a huge, enveloping cozy sweater. I will just wear my old "booty loose" swimsuits on my upcoming vacation....to a place to be announced.
I LOOOOVED it.
We saw the movie in the town we used to live in before moving to Oslo proper. (I still miss our old flat, though I love this one too.) It snowed all day, both in Oslo and there. What surprised me was the difference in snow within just a few miles...quality? Viscosity? Density? I don't know the word for it. Anyhow, the Oslo snow was dense, a bit gritty, maybe even sticky. It stuck together in piles, melding to whatever it fell on. The snow outside Oslo? Most gorgeous thing I ever saw. Fluffy, glittery, light..it was like sparkly dandelion fluff. It kissed and hovered over whatever it fell on, like feathers or baby's breath. It looked exactly like the fake snow you see in department store windows at Christmas in Texas (which I am very familiar with as I used to design department store windows and used TONS of that snow.) I lifted some up with my finger and it sat there, each flake distinct and perfect, and then I blew it away and it floated on the air like diamonds. Extraordinary. What you think snow is like if you have never seen snow. I wish all snow looked like that.
I got to work today and a coworker of mine, who always wears GREAT boots, left a pair of boots she didn't want for me in my office. We wear the same size (41 Europe, I am a 9 1/2 US). Apparently we have big feet for Norway, and we decided to do shoe swaps whenever we have shoes we might want to give away. Anyhow, so she leaves me this STUNNING pair of brown boots, two shades of brown, very lush leather, with sheepskin lining up to the knee and lug soles. These boots are NOT cheap and were comfortable from the second I wore them. I think I want to be buried in them. She hadn't worn them in 2 years....and I am the beneficiary of her disdain for this pair. But how in the hell am I going to reciprocate what must be a $400 pair of boots? I offered her money, she said no. I am SO in love with these boots. The Shoe Fairy came to visit me, and I must've been a good girl to deserve her visit.
A coworker that I work very closely with is down for the count with flu. I am a bit worried about it maybe lurking in me. I hope I don't catch it. It's been a bad year for the sickies.
OH, and yesterday I went and tried on swimming suits and it was so depressing I instead bought a dress and a huge, enveloping cozy sweater. I will just wear my old "booty loose" swimsuits on my upcoming vacation....to a place to be announced.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Send my remains to Austin
I decided yesterday in a moment of spontaneous madness to join a company ski trip to Trysil this weekend.
Lord have mercy. When the body bag is delivered to my husband, have him cremate me and send my ashes to Austin to be spread on the warm Texas breezes, willya?
I do have cross country skis, and I have skied a few times in that style. So I lugged my rugged weekend wear into the office, skis, boots, hats, wool longjohns, etc, so that I could catch the bus to the trip later this afternoon.
I don't think it's a good sign that when my coworkers saw me coming in with skis and stuff, that to a man they bust out laughing and said, between guffaws, "YOU'RE skiing?"
Well, yes?
I mean, I DO have legs, I am in decent (not great) shape, and can manage to glide myself around on the (flat) cross country tracks. I'm not saying I am a good cross country skiier, and I get terrified on a downhill slope, but I have done it a few times. I'm willing to give it another go.
The fact that there is supposed to be lots of apres ski partying and there is a jacuzzi and a spa at the cabin we are staying at has nothing whatsoever to do with my decision to give this trip a go.
Nope, none whatsoever.
Lord have mercy. When the body bag is delivered to my husband, have him cremate me and send my ashes to Austin to be spread on the warm Texas breezes, willya?
I do have cross country skis, and I have skied a few times in that style. So I lugged my rugged weekend wear into the office, skis, boots, hats, wool longjohns, etc, so that I could catch the bus to the trip later this afternoon.
I don't think it's a good sign that when my coworkers saw me coming in with skis and stuff, that to a man they bust out laughing and said, between guffaws, "YOU'RE skiing?"
Well, yes?
I mean, I DO have legs, I am in decent (not great) shape, and can manage to glide myself around on the (flat) cross country tracks. I'm not saying I am a good cross country skiier, and I get terrified on a downhill slope, but I have done it a few times. I'm willing to give it another go.
The fact that there is supposed to be lots of apres ski partying and there is a jacuzzi and a spa at the cabin we are staying at has nothing whatsoever to do with my decision to give this trip a go.
Nope, none whatsoever.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
new appliance
New oven! Our oven broke last Thursday and after a long weekend of things cooked only stove top (I didn't realize how much I use the oven until I didn't have one) our landlord ponied up for a new one. Its much better than the old and much more use friendly. I made a pizza tonight, my first in a month and a half.
We got a new fridge when we moved in. Now I'm just waiting for the dishwasher to go and then we'll have a whole new kitchen!
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
eventful to me but probably boring to you
Well it's been a busy few days.
We had our company formal party on Saturday (my company, not Rich's) and it was a big hit. I was on the party committee. As you can see, I take my job seriously. I don't think you can see the feathers in my hair that stuck up above my head about 5 inches? I looked a bit like a Victorian actress or something.
Our oven broke on Thursday, but I gotta say, our building manager and landlord are pretty cool and got us a new one by today. When we moved in the refrigerator broke, so now we are up a new oven and a fridge. I'm hoping the dishwasher goes next, and then score! new kitchen!
I've been busy busy with work. I thought this year might be a bit easier after a few upheavals and a lot of change from last year, but I think this year will be even busier than last and damn, it gets tiring. Exhilarating, but tiring. I'm trying to treat it as an opportunity to up my game and maybe work in a new direction (I'm rather fond of the research and market analysis function of my job, and hope that can go somewhere) but we will have to see. Sometimes it frustrates me that I got into this corporate game rather late in life, and am missing about 10 years head start that other people around me have already had. I can no longer be a whiz kid, I will only ever be a late bloomer now.
What else?
snow. rain. melt. freeze. ice. whoops! snow. melt. freeze. ow.
However, it is getting noticeably lighter now, which is doing wonders for my outlook on life. And my ability to wake up.
I did yoga today and it was wonderful. I really needed that.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Snowy Austin
A guy named Stanford E Moore took this picture of Austin in the snow. It's been making the rounds on Facebook. It's an incredible picture of Austin in very rare weather. I think it's extraordinary! So props to Stanford for a picture that has captured the hearts of Austin in a cold weather event!
Dude! Snow in Austin!
This bit of news video has me laughing.
So very Austin....Wait until the end when she talks to the two dudes playing in the snow.
Makes me miss home and that joy when you get 'fun' winter weather. I remember when I used to think snow was fun......
So very Austin....Wait until the end when she talks to the two dudes playing in the snow.
Makes me miss home and that joy when you get 'fun' winter weather. I remember when I used to think snow was fun......
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Stayed home sick from work today. I have a recurring low grade fever that makes me feel funky. Hit me again at work yesterday and I decided, fuck it, staying home if this starts again tomorrow, which it did. So I took the hint, slept late, and will go to bed early again. This gal needs rest. Soon I'll take a hot bath and retire for another early evening. I'm missing my book club meeting, but would rather not push it right now.
In between my resting and napping activities of today I did some little simple things to get ready for the Big Company Formal Party this weekend. (I'm on the planning committee, so I hope it turns out to be a smashing success. We have 300 people attending!) Anyhow, I made my earrings and necklace, and my hairpieces which are hairsticks with feathers on them. Let me tell you, those feathers are slippery little fuckers, trying to corral them was an exercise in patience. I can totally see how birds fly, those feathers were floating EVERYWHERE, but I got them corralled and made my hairsticks. Am now slightly afraid that the long black feathers sticking off my head will look like funeral plumes from Victorian funeral corteges, but whatever, my theme for the party is Feathers and Cleavage, and while the cleavage part is sorted, the feathers need to be addressed. Not that anyone will look at my head once the cleavage makes its entrance......
I do say, when I get to pull out all the stops and Really Dress Up, it usually looks pretty good. This gal can carry off a formal gown, it's one of the few times my rather curvaceous figure gets to wear something where the idea is to flatter the curves and show them off, not make them fit into whatever the prevailing fashion is (like, hello skinny fucking jeans, this means you). Which is why I love dressing up, suddenly I can be Woman with Woman parts and Woman curves, all boobs and hips and waist and eyes, so yeeha for dressy occasions! I'm even gonna wear contacts!
People won't recognize me....it will be fun to see the reactions.
But first, I gotta fight this fever off.
Bedtime!
In between my resting and napping activities of today I did some little simple things to get ready for the Big Company Formal Party this weekend. (I'm on the planning committee, so I hope it turns out to be a smashing success. We have 300 people attending!) Anyhow, I made my earrings and necklace, and my hairpieces which are hairsticks with feathers on them. Let me tell you, those feathers are slippery little fuckers, trying to corral them was an exercise in patience. I can totally see how birds fly, those feathers were floating EVERYWHERE, but I got them corralled and made my hairsticks. Am now slightly afraid that the long black feathers sticking off my head will look like funeral plumes from Victorian funeral corteges, but whatever, my theme for the party is Feathers and Cleavage, and while the cleavage part is sorted, the feathers need to be addressed. Not that anyone will look at my head once the cleavage makes its entrance......
I do say, when I get to pull out all the stops and Really Dress Up, it usually looks pretty good. This gal can carry off a formal gown, it's one of the few times my rather curvaceous figure gets to wear something where the idea is to flatter the curves and show them off, not make them fit into whatever the prevailing fashion is (like, hello skinny fucking jeans, this means you). Which is why I love dressing up, suddenly I can be Woman with Woman parts and Woman curves, all boobs and hips and waist and eyes, so yeeha for dressy occasions! I'm even gonna wear contacts!
People won't recognize me....it will be fun to see the reactions.
But first, I gotta fight this fever off.
Bedtime!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
In Which Your Texpatriate is Miserable
Dudes.
DUDES.
I am a sad sack mother fucker up in here right now. So far, I give 2011 a big thumbs down.
I think the thing that is pissing me off the most right now is this damned cold that keeps coming back. I'm like that nerdy kid at school when you were like, in third grade, that was always snotty and sniffy and kind of gross what with the post nasal drip and snerking noises (I just made that word up, snerk. It's the sound of nasal desperation. The sound of trying not to drown in your own nasal effluent. ARE WE GETTING THE PICTURE HERE, ABOUT THE MISERABLE????) And you wonder why they can't just GET HEALTHY already? That's me. (Actually, if we are gonna be honest, that was me in 3rd grade too, I was the Sinus Princess, my ENT doc probably put his kids through college on what he made off me, you are welcome Dr Graff.)
So anyhow, that's why I don't post much lately, because, seriously, why? You don't want to read about my snot issues. Or see my snot tissues.
Snerk.
DUDES.
I am a sad sack mother fucker up in here right now. So far, I give 2011 a big thumbs down.
- Work has been a right pain in the ass. Things will shake out, but for now? Argh.
- I have been sick since New Years with one cold after another.
- Nasty argument with the husband the other night, we are not seeing eye to eye on things.
- Winter and the icy sidewalks are working my LAST nerve.
- A highly anticipated vacation to escape all this ice and cold might be on the skids as it will be to one of those places that is currently experiencing protests and anti-government rallies. (But I bet we will go anyhow, and no it is not to Tunisia, Yemen (ha) or Egypt.)
I think the thing that is pissing me off the most right now is this damned cold that keeps coming back. I'm like that nerdy kid at school when you were like, in third grade, that was always snotty and sniffy and kind of gross what with the post nasal drip and snerking noises (I just made that word up, snerk. It's the sound of nasal desperation. The sound of trying not to drown in your own nasal effluent. ARE WE GETTING THE PICTURE HERE, ABOUT THE MISERABLE????) And you wonder why they can't just GET HEALTHY already? That's me. (Actually, if we are gonna be honest, that was me in 3rd grade too, I was the Sinus Princess, my ENT doc probably put his kids through college on what he made off me, you are welcome Dr Graff.)
So anyhow, that's why I don't post much lately, because, seriously, why? You don't want to read about my snot issues. Or see my snot tissues.
Snerk.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
brain
I used my brain quite a bit this week at work and it felt strangely good. It also reminded me that I have a pretty good one (brain, that is.)
Nice feeling.
Nice feeling.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I am a bad blogger...but will make up for it now.
Dudes, I know, I know, I am a bad blogger. My posting frequency is shit, and I do apologize, but life, she is a hard mistress and I really barely have time to get through the average day, much less write about it and break it down into humorous vignettes.
But....
Had some serious fun on Saturday night when I met up with some blogging babes at the Dubliner. All people I had previously met this summer at the Oslo Blog Gather, which didn't have a huge turnout but what it lacked in numbers it matched in genuine fun and great people. Last night didn't disappoint either, I haven't laughed that hard in AGES, and I also enjoyed the company of some of my friends who came along to meet some fellow expats and have a few laughs.
Also the Dubliner has hands down the BEST fish and chips in Oslo. I don't know how they do their mushy peas, but they turn them into something that is tasty beyond the humble little pea into something that makes me want to lick the plate. Savory garlicky tasty goodness right there. Nom nom. The Dubliner is one of my three favorite bars in Oslo. The other two? Forest & Brown and Skaugum. I like kind of divey, comfy cozy, non-trendy-poshy bars. I don't like sleek bars with sleek people. They make me stabby.
It snowed like a MOTHER FUCKER last night, I have rarely seen it come down that hard. It was incredible. Then today it warmed up and was foggy all day, the snow is melting a bit which will mean a slippery day tomorrow. I stayed in, nursing a very slight hangover (more just tired than a headache) and played Domestic Goddess all day. I cooked up some chicken to chop and freeze for future meals, made some cabbage rolls that are currently in the crock pot (love my hard won crock pot!) and did some tidying and sorting of various things in 'my' room. 'My' room can get very messy if I don't stay on top of it. My natural state is chaos, and my day to day task is to fight the chaos back so that it does not overwhelm me. I'm kind of a a neat freak stuck in the persona of a Messy Marvin. (I'm very clean but not very tidy. I like to organize but I get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of crapola I own, and it usually wins the war so I then need to either re-organize or just throw the crap out.) (Note to self: STOP GOING SHOPPING, that might help!)
Anyhow, last night was fun, and refreshing. My blog pals make me feel like a rock star, some of them are blogging because they first read my blog and thought it might be fun to do the same thing themselves. I am always honored and flattered when I think that I might have had a small impact on someone's life....even if only in a small bloggy sort of way. Blog on, women! Blog on with your bad selves!
Oh! And Nerd Thrill of the week? I got a retweet on Twitter by @waitwait. For non twitterers, this means nothing, but for me, NPR geek and lover of all things Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, getting retweeted by @waitwait is nothing less than a mention for the Gods On High. I'm still a bit bouncy over it. Squeeeee!!!!!!!
But....
Had some serious fun on Saturday night when I met up with some blogging babes at the Dubliner. All people I had previously met this summer at the Oslo Blog Gather, which didn't have a huge turnout but what it lacked in numbers it matched in genuine fun and great people. Last night didn't disappoint either, I haven't laughed that hard in AGES, and I also enjoyed the company of some of my friends who came along to meet some fellow expats and have a few laughs.
Also the Dubliner has hands down the BEST fish and chips in Oslo. I don't know how they do their mushy peas, but they turn them into something that is tasty beyond the humble little pea into something that makes me want to lick the plate. Savory garlicky tasty goodness right there. Nom nom. The Dubliner is one of my three favorite bars in Oslo. The other two? Forest & Brown and Skaugum. I like kind of divey, comfy cozy, non-trendy-poshy bars. I don't like sleek bars with sleek people. They make me stabby.
It snowed like a MOTHER FUCKER last night, I have rarely seen it come down that hard. It was incredible. Then today it warmed up and was foggy all day, the snow is melting a bit which will mean a slippery day tomorrow. I stayed in, nursing a very slight hangover (more just tired than a headache) and played Domestic Goddess all day. I cooked up some chicken to chop and freeze for future meals, made some cabbage rolls that are currently in the crock pot (love my hard won crock pot!) and did some tidying and sorting of various things in 'my' room. 'My' room can get very messy if I don't stay on top of it. My natural state is chaos, and my day to day task is to fight the chaos back so that it does not overwhelm me. I'm kind of a a neat freak stuck in the persona of a Messy Marvin. (I'm very clean but not very tidy. I like to organize but I get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of crapola I own, and it usually wins the war so I then need to either re-organize or just throw the crap out.) (Note to self: STOP GOING SHOPPING, that might help!)
Anyhow, last night was fun, and refreshing. My blog pals make me feel like a rock star, some of them are blogging because they first read my blog and thought it might be fun to do the same thing themselves. I am always honored and flattered when I think that I might have had a small impact on someone's life....even if only in a small bloggy sort of way. Blog on, women! Blog on with your bad selves!
Oh! And Nerd Thrill of the week? I got a retweet on Twitter by @waitwait. For non twitterers, this means nothing, but for me, NPR geek and lover of all things Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, getting retweeted by @waitwait is nothing less than a mention for the Gods On High. I'm still a bit bouncy over it. Squeeeee!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Because this is my life
It's icy as HELL outside this week. We had a lot of snow over the weekend, then a sudden thaw, then it refreezes every night to make ice. The sidewalks are skating rinks.
So today on the way home, I gingerly negotiated the icy sidewalks, made it through to the drier area, only to end up slipping on a frozen banana peel. You can't make this kind of shit up, you really can't. My life is a comedy cliché, I swear. I couldn't help but laugh.
Especially as I needed the bit of absurdism after a dismally shitty day. Life always manages to remind me to not sweat the small stuff, there is always something funny around the corner. Thank god for that, I was about ready to punch a kitten or something.
So today on the way home, I gingerly negotiated the icy sidewalks, made it through to the drier area, only to end up slipping on a frozen banana peel. You can't make this kind of shit up, you really can't. My life is a comedy cliché, I swear. I couldn't help but laugh.
Especially as I needed the bit of absurdism after a dismally shitty day. Life always manages to remind me to not sweat the small stuff, there is always something funny around the corner. Thank god for that, I was about ready to punch a kitten or something.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
And the new year has begun
In what will feel like a month, it will already be 2012, you know how fast time goes?! But right now it is 2011, and I am trying to get a fresh start on a few things.
Like, I have gone for a week and not eaten ANY wheat. It's not really for health reasons, or anything, and not really for weight loss. I am just a total bread whore, and think maybe I should shake myself up a bit and not have wheat for a while to get out of the bread-for-lunch rut I have been in.
See in my office, in the canteen, they have all these loaves of fresh bread right there, for the taking, and you just cut off however much you want. (Most Norwegian offices above a certain size will have a subsidized lunch canteen, as a way to foster casual communication amongst employees and also as a perk in this extremely food-expensive country. In our canteen lunch costs about 15nok a day, you can't even get an apple at the grocery store for that, so it's a good deal.) All that bread, just sitting there, is like crack to me, I can't resist it. I particularly like the olive bread and the crusty white poppy seed loaf, and have been known to wolf down 4 slices, with the accompaniments of butter or mayo and deli meats.
This must stop. I'm pretty sure the bread has added to the size of my ass, not to mention I don't think that my body processes wheat that well, I think it just goes to fat. (My grandmother, my dad's mom, never ate bread, ever. I think I have her metabolism, so I might as well try her diet too, but with milk (she hated milk) and without so many cigarettes!) I usually feel better on a high protein and veggie diet, but of course, it is hard for me to sustain easily. So, no wheat for me, to wake myself up, see how I feel and think a bit more creatively about food.
It hasn't been TOO bad. This week mostly went ok. The only hard part has been not having fresh boller in the morning, and not having pizza when I am too tired to cook and just want to pop something in the oven and be done. (Pizza might be an issue, actually. It's the only fast food option I find acceptable from the freezer section here.) As long as no one offers me fresh cookies or cakes, I should be ok. I can still have sugar, rice, potatoes, etc., but not wheat. This means no beer, but I can have wine, so that's ok.
I haven't crossed the pasta bridge, yet. I'm going to try it with gluten free and see how that works. I can always just have risotto or something instead.
So, first week of my no wheat promise-to-self accomplished. I told me I'd do it for a month, see how it goes. So far, so good.
Like, I have gone for a week and not eaten ANY wheat. It's not really for health reasons, or anything, and not really for weight loss. I am just a total bread whore, and think maybe I should shake myself up a bit and not have wheat for a while to get out of the bread-for-lunch rut I have been in.
See in my office, in the canteen, they have all these loaves of fresh bread right there, for the taking, and you just cut off however much you want. (Most Norwegian offices above a certain size will have a subsidized lunch canteen, as a way to foster casual communication amongst employees and also as a perk in this extremely food-expensive country. In our canteen lunch costs about 15nok a day, you can't even get an apple at the grocery store for that, so it's a good deal.) All that bread, just sitting there, is like crack to me, I can't resist it. I particularly like the olive bread and the crusty white poppy seed loaf, and have been known to wolf down 4 slices, with the accompaniments of butter or mayo and deli meats.
This must stop. I'm pretty sure the bread has added to the size of my ass, not to mention I don't think that my body processes wheat that well, I think it just goes to fat. (My grandmother, my dad's mom, never ate bread, ever. I think I have her metabolism, so I might as well try her diet too, but with milk (she hated milk) and without so many cigarettes!) I usually feel better on a high protein and veggie diet, but of course, it is hard for me to sustain easily. So, no wheat for me, to wake myself up, see how I feel and think a bit more creatively about food.
It hasn't been TOO bad. This week mostly went ok. The only hard part has been not having fresh boller in the morning, and not having pizza when I am too tired to cook and just want to pop something in the oven and be done. (Pizza might be an issue, actually. It's the only fast food option I find acceptable from the freezer section here.) As long as no one offers me fresh cookies or cakes, I should be ok. I can still have sugar, rice, potatoes, etc., but not wheat. This means no beer, but I can have wine, so that's ok.
I haven't crossed the pasta bridge, yet. I'm going to try it with gluten free and see how that works. I can always just have risotto or something instead.
So, first week of my no wheat promise-to-self accomplished. I told me I'd do it for a month, see how it goes. So far, so good.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
A thing about me you should know
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope your year is great, and that, as I read on FB, may your bad times in the new year last as long as your resolutions! (I thought that was great, and it also leads handily in to my topic today.)
So, people will inevitably ask, "What are your New Year's resolutions?" And I will have to say, "I can't tell you". Because I am superstitious about that.
I think, if there is one thing you should know about me, it's this: I'm dead superstitious.
I'm serious. I'm a heathen, I am not religious, I am not especially a believer in ghosts or spirits or anything like that, but I am SERIOUSLY superstitious.
I won't walk under a ladder.
I will NOT open an umbrella indoors, ever.
If a black cat crosses my path I get the hell out of the path and change directions.
I have Turkish 'evil eye' buttons over the main entry doors of the apartment, and I carry a chestnut with me at all times that my Mom gave me, for luck.
I just do those things as a part of my life and I don't argue with it, but I also don't fuck around with it, it's serious up in here, you know?
So I also have this other thing, this superstitious thing, that might explain something about me, if you have been reading me for long. It is a motto of my life, and some people might see it as me being negative, but that is really not the case.
Here it is:
I talk out the bad things, and I don't talk about the good. Which might explain why it seems as if I am complaining or ranting more than being positive? It's because talking about the bad stuff expels it. It makes it go away. It takes the juju away and makes that bad thing go out into the ether and disappear.
Which is why I don't talk much about good stuff, for the same reason, as I don't want to dispel its power, I want to keep it close to me and not let it disappear. I want to keep the light within me and let it shine. (I am pretty sure my brother does this too. As a family, we tend to need to talk out the bad, but we are pretty cagey about good stuff. Is it a German thing? I don't know.)
Now, even within that there are rules. Of course I will talk about the good that other people do for me. I will talk about how nice people are, or how wonderful a meal was, or something. Exterior good things, sure, I'll talk about. But good luck, money, personal good issues, I keep inside. I don't want to jinx it.
Which is why, coming around to New Years, I won't also talk about my New Years Resolutions. I need to keep them in me, to let them plant their seed and grow and so I can make them happen.* Also, if I want to be downright honest, I don't want to say anything because I hate it when people remind me of a failed one, like Rich does. "Hey, why didn't you keep up with that?"
Easier to keep it to myself and challenge and berate myself if it happens or not, than hear it from others.
So, that being said. I have New Years resolutions. They aren't all that exciting, thy are basic. But I need to work on them for a bit to see if they work out.
*And hells to the no, there is nothing to do with getting pregnant or any of that shit in this, so just don't be thinking in that direction. Yeuch, I am so past that now.
So, people will inevitably ask, "What are your New Year's resolutions?" And I will have to say, "I can't tell you". Because I am superstitious about that.
I think, if there is one thing you should know about me, it's this: I'm dead superstitious.
I'm serious. I'm a heathen, I am not religious, I am not especially a believer in ghosts or spirits or anything like that, but I am SERIOUSLY superstitious.
I won't walk under a ladder.
I will NOT open an umbrella indoors, ever.
If a black cat crosses my path I get the hell out of the path and change directions.
I have Turkish 'evil eye' buttons over the main entry doors of the apartment, and I carry a chestnut with me at all times that my Mom gave me, for luck.
I just do those things as a part of my life and I don't argue with it, but I also don't fuck around with it, it's serious up in here, you know?
So I also have this other thing, this superstitious thing, that might explain something about me, if you have been reading me for long. It is a motto of my life, and some people might see it as me being negative, but that is really not the case.
Here it is:
I talk out the bad things, and I don't talk about the good. Which might explain why it seems as if I am complaining or ranting more than being positive? It's because talking about the bad stuff expels it. It makes it go away. It takes the juju away and makes that bad thing go out into the ether and disappear.
Which is why I don't talk much about good stuff, for the same reason, as I don't want to dispel its power, I want to keep it close to me and not let it disappear. I want to keep the light within me and let it shine. (I am pretty sure my brother does this too. As a family, we tend to need to talk out the bad, but we are pretty cagey about good stuff. Is it a German thing? I don't know.)
Now, even within that there are rules. Of course I will talk about the good that other people do for me. I will talk about how nice people are, or how wonderful a meal was, or something. Exterior good things, sure, I'll talk about. But good luck, money, personal good issues, I keep inside. I don't want to jinx it.
Which is why, coming around to New Years, I won't also talk about my New Years Resolutions. I need to keep them in me, to let them plant their seed and grow and so I can make them happen.* Also, if I want to be downright honest, I don't want to say anything because I hate it when people remind me of a failed one, like Rich does. "Hey, why didn't you keep up with that?"
Easier to keep it to myself and challenge and berate myself if it happens or not, than hear it from others.
So, that being said. I have New Years resolutions. They aren't all that exciting, thy are basic. But I need to work on them for a bit to see if they work out.
*And hells to the no, there is nothing to do with getting pregnant or any of that shit in this, so just don't be thinking in that direction. Yeuch, I am so past that now.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Leo horoscope for 2011...in which I am to learn and travel some more.
Leo-Year 2011 Overview
This is the year of expanding your mental and physical horizons, Leo. Expect loads of travel and awesome adventure in 2011, especially between March and June when a barrage of planets enter fellow fire sign, Aries, sparking your sector of foreign travel and higher education. You'll be pondering some of the deeper existential questions like the meaning of life, who you are and why you're here on a daily basis. Nothing is taken for granted, as life becomes one giant college campus dishing out one lesson after another. An overwhelming desire to see the world, experiment with new philosophies and indulge in scholarly pursuits become potent themes for the course of this dynamic New Year!
Mental pursuits of all stripe dominant your time and attention for another year as Saturn continues his residence in your communication sector. Finding your true voice becomes a spiritual practice. Expressing yourself through carefully cultivated word choice proves especially rewarding. If you've ever wanted to write a book, learn a new language, go back to school or take up some radical new course of study, 2011 is your year to take the risk and make your literary dreams come true.
Pluto continues working you to the bone in 2011 through the extended transit in your work and health sector. You're beginning to actually get accustomed to the emotional gutting as the Lord of the Underworld dredges up each and every repressed emotional issue you've ever had with authority figures. You're coming into your own power the hard way -- but this is the kind of self-possession and confidence that becomes an integral part of your being and thus can never be taken from you.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
This explains a lot
All the poo stuff has to do with "caganers". An interesting Catalan tradition, to say the least.
Read up on them via the link. Thanks to everyone who posted with links and information!
I wanted to buy one, but didn't find the ones I wanted (a pooing George Bush or an Obama, they make them to resemble current characters.) I definitely plan to go back to Barcelona, I loved it there, and will get me some Caganers next time I go. It will be a Caga Christmas!
Read up on them via the link. Thanks to everyone who posted with links and information!
I wanted to buy one, but didn't find the ones I wanted (a pooing George Bush or an Obama, they make them to resemble current characters.) I definitely plan to go back to Barcelona, I loved it there, and will get me some Caganers next time I go. It will be a Caga Christmas!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Mango sauce with chocolate mousse poo
This dessert looks like someone took a shit in it. Tasty, though.
Monday, December 27, 2010
In which my Spanish failed me
Dammit. I did not mean to order this. This is what I get for trying to be adventurous. These damned fish are looking at me!!!!!
In line at Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia. Very long line to get in. Being a tourist can be hard work!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)