Poem

Here is a poem I love. Written by a 9 year old.

Snow

Snow is in the air,
It tickles my tongue,
Now there is sun and
I am done.

Snow slowly starts
melting away.
What bliss it was
to be carried astray
in snow.

-AB, age 9

I ask as people are running around in shorts on this 70 degree day, is it too much to ask for a little snow?

The Family Guy Christmas

Ok, my husband loves the show The Family Guy. Watches it all the time. Much like I used to watch Sex and the City all the time.
Anyway, the show is starting to grow on me. I saw an episode the other day that pretty much summed up the Christmas experience for moms, to a certain extent.
Basically, Christmas is total chaos. The dad accidentally gives away all the Christmas gifts and there is a major accident involving the dog, Brian, the oven and the fire extinguisher. Lois, the mom, retains her calm demeanor throughout until she tries to clean up the mess. Her daughter mentions they are out of paper towels. Lois goes off the deep end. She yells something along the lines of "YOU THINK THIS CHRISTMAS SPIRIT JUST HAPPENS???? I WORK SO HARD IT COMES OUT OF MY BUTT!!!" Then she runs off, takes the star off the tree in the town square, and gets shot with a tranquilizer gun.
All I can say is, I hear ya Lois. I feel for you Lois.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving for me always means family, friends, cooking, cold weather and lots of food. A not-so-common tradition that began with my sister is to eat cold pumpkin pie the morning after Thanksgiving for breakfast. Even if it sounds strange, it is truly delicious.

For the first time this year, I celebrated Thanksgiving while on vacation in a hotel. I have never even had Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, much less at a hotel in a tropical climate. I worried about this for quite some time and even thought I'd have to cook a full-on Thanksgiving dinner upon my return home. I have to say, though, once we were seated oceanside and I ordered a maitai, I was OK with it. Really, I was.

The other day I happened to make pumpkin pie sans the crust. I got home from my run this morning and was looking for breakfast. I suddenly remembered my strange tradition and had the tastiest breakfast. Yum. For those who doubt, don't knock it until you try it!

Holiday Craziness

As I begin, (yes, begin...we were traveling over Thanksgiving therefore I am now just BEGINNING) my holiday shopping, I wonder how it will all get done. I also wonder when the stress will really kick in. So far, I've only ordered stuff online. I'm already a little overwhelmed and I haven't physically gone anywhere to shop yet.

Each year I take on too much...too much shopping, baking, decorating, preparing and socializing. It's my way, as I love this time of year and I value our family traditions. I also love sharing this time with family and friends.

The desire to make it all happens stems from many things, not the least of which was the year my daughter didn't get what she wanted for Christmas. I can still recall the disappointment in her voice, and it has been YEARS. Painful, it was. She got the item the next year, but I'm still reeling from the incident.

I'm sure other parents out there feel the same pressure, especially in a financial crunch time. I guess we need to focus on the spirit of the season, not the craziness that goes with it. Despite that, I'll still end up making at least 14 batches of spritz cookies. My family and friends will undoubtedly be happy ;)

I'm Spelling Impaired

I'm a terrible speller, and I really want to be a good one. I have always wanted to be great at spelling...especially since my best friend in third grade, Tracy Geers, won the district spelling bee. My sister Sue got second place in the fifth grade division. I also love the movie Akeelah and the Bee. Sometimes I even feel I can channel Akeelah and imagine myself as an extraordinary speller.

I think there is something inherent about being a good speller, either you got it or you don't. I guess I'll have to make up for that shortcoming in other ways...perhaps with being an extraordinary baker?

(Notably I only had one misspelled word in my first draft. Not bad for me.)

Separation of Church and State

I recently heard that a Roman Catholic parish priest in Greenville, South Carolina has been denying holy communion to any parishioners that voted for Barack Obama.
As a non Roman Catholic christian I find this terribly offensive and I dare say, even unchristian. My interpretation of Christianity includes, amongst other things, welcoming everyone to the table. This would include people of all age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political beliefs. As some might say "we are all God's children". Apparently, that doesn't ring true if you're a parishioner at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Of course it doesn't surprise me terribly because only Roman Catholics (as opposed to all baptized Christians) are welcome at the communion rail in any Roman Catholic church. I always found that odd and exclusionary, as Roman Catholics are welcome to our communion rail. Sigh.

Hurry up and wait. Now!

So this is something that is, at this very moment, aggravating me. I planned particularly well today, covering all my bases for the approaching event for which I am currently in a holding pattern. Phone calls were made, things were written. I am in no way at fault for this delay.

As the day went on, it became one of those "hurry up and wait" days. I sit here, blogging, somewhere fairly far from home, bored to tears. I should be dining with my family, perhaps at home or one of our favorite spots. This is after I've checked my email (11 times) and Facebook (12 times).

Sometimes days like this are your fault, but other times you can't avoid them. It truly amazes me that no matter how hard you try or how well you plan, so much of your life hinges on the actions of others.

Thank goodness for the Internet...

Yea! or is it Yay?

I have noticed recently that most of my friends, when proclaiming joy, spell the word they use Yay! I have always spelled it Yea! and was starting to feel a little ignorant. I had never even heard of the other spelling before seeing it on my friends' facebook pages. I decided to investigate.

According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, Cambridge Dictionaries Online, and several others, yay is not a word. yea, on the other hand, is a word.

I found a few references that acknowledged the word yay, including dictionary.com , but it refers to the word as an alteration of yea. Wiktionary.org says that yea is an alternative spelling to yay, and also mentions that yay can refer to size, as in "He was yay high".

I guess it can be a matter of preference, but it seems that the more traditional dictionaries don't even acknowledge the word. So Yea! I'm not ignorant. Phew.

BTW, when I spellchecked this document, blogspot highlighted every yay as an error...

Rock & Roll

Last night we had the pleasure of seeing the musical "Rain", a tribute to the Beatles. It was a great show, with all live music and singing.

It got me thinking about a class I took in college at Indiana University. History of Rock Music was taught by Glenn Gass, Professor of Music at IU. Indiana is one of the most extraordinary music schools in the country. It was the first class of its type in any music school and was wildly popular amongst undergraduate students. It took until my last semester in school before I could coordinate my schedule to be in that class.

Dr. Gass inspired every class to understand the influences of early rock music on the music we listen to today. In the first class, he asked "Who likes Elvis?". About 1/3 of us in the class raised our hands. By the last class of the semester, he would yell "Elvis!" and the entire class would respond "King!".

Who would know the influences that rhythm, gospel and the blues had on present day music? The African American artists of the 50's influenced Elvis, who changed the face of Rock & Roll because he was white, and could sing and dance like his black counterparts. His race made him acceptable in the mainstream, therefore he enjoyed a success that was difficult for his predecessors.

Buddy Holly, one of the most influential factors in Rock & Roll, died prematurely in a plane crash in February of 1959 (the day the music died). He influenced countless artists, including a teenager who attended his second to last concert in Minnesota. That boy, Robert Zimmerman later became a star in his own right, Bob Dylan.

In early 1964, our country was still grieving the loss of John Kennedy. The arrival of the Beatles to the US and their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February was the lift the youth of our country needed to relieve themselves of the grief they felt. The changes in the Beatles' music during the 60's were so distinctive that the style of various songs would indicate the year they were recorded.

I feel very fortunate to have been exposed to different genres of music, classical and rock alike. I will always appreciate the education I received from Glenn Gass in that class. It has enhanced my perspective of all types of music. Thanks, Glenn. It sounds cliche, but you rock.

Election Post Mortem

Love that phrase...post mortem because it really refers to autopsies, which I always found fascinating during that phase of my education. I really don't intend to dissect the election or results, but I think this event had a profound effect on many of us, especially in North Carolina, and my interactions with family, friends and clients were quite interesting.

My thoughts are this: we live in a country where we all have the right to vote, and the right to vote for (I almost said "choose" but that wouldn't be correct) whichever candidate is the one each one of us wants.

There are many of my friends who are strongly on one side of the fence or another, and I admire their ability to take a stand. My personal feeling, though, is that everyone is entitled to whatever choice they want, and I'm not going to be offended if they have different political views than I. It almost keeps me on my toes, forces me to examine why I made the choice I made.

It's the same feeling I currently have about religion. Believe what you want. Whatever you choose is right for you, and I won't be offended if you have a different god/savior/greater being than I. There is not just one "truth".

I would make a terrible evangelist.

The Wonderful Pomegranate

There has been a lot of buzz about the pomegranate over the last few years, as it's benefits have been marketed heavily in the US since 2004. This unusual fruit provides a large amount of polyphenols, which may have antioxidant effects for us.

Although sometimes difficult to eat (peeling and picking out those little seeds can sometimes be frustrating), they are delicious. The juice is great, and can be mixed with many other liquids (more on that in a moment).

Interested trivia about the pomegranate, according to the website jewishrecipes.org, there is a lot of symbolism with this fruit:

1. It is said to have 613 seeds, the same as the 613 commandments of the Torah.
2. Ancient Egyptians were buried with pomegrates.
3. Grenada was named from the Spanish and French words for pomegranate
4. The hand grenade was named after the pomegranate, largely due to the shape, seeds(fragments) and color.

So here's one of my favorite things about pomegranates: the juice, mixed with vodka makes a damn good martini. Good for you, too.

Jane's Pomegranate Martini recipe:

3:2 ratio of 100% pure pomegranate juice (I use Langers from Costco)to vodka (I use Skyy).

sugar to taste

Shake well and freeze. It develops a nice slush. Let it sit out for 10 minutes or so before consuming. Serve with fresh pomegranate seeds if possible. Drink responsibly.

OK, it's not really a recipe 'cause I make it to taste, but you get the general idea.

More Kiwi Puppy Class

So here is more puppy free play time at puppy kindergarten. It really is code for "let's pick on Kiwi time".

Old Friends

Dan & Terri

Greg & Sarah

Colleen

Over the last week or so I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing several old friends. I always feel lucky to see one old friend, but 5 or 6 in just over a week is extraordinary.

First, I got to see Colleen. I've known Colleen since about 1992, well since 1996. Our kids are 2 days apart and we are often (luckily for me) mistaken for sisters.

When we were in Santa Cruz, I got to see Judi, my old boss, mentor and friend. She graciously let us stay in her wonderful beach house. I've know Judi since 1993.

This past weekend back in North Carolina, our great friends Terri & Dan returned for a visit. We met them as we were building our first house in Chapel Hill, way back in 1999. They moved almost a year ago back to Iowa and we miss them terribly, this is their first time back.

I recently reconnected with an old high school friend, Lisa. Although I didn't get to see her, I had a nice long computer chat with her last night. Great to catch up, especially when you're still on West Coast time!

To top it off, one of my graduate school friends came through town this weekend. I've known Greg (aka Chewy for his large stature and formerly longish hair) for almost 20 years (wow). He lives in Canada and was passing through town with his lovely wife Sarah. It was great to see Chewy, haven't seen him in more than 6 years.

I'm thankful that these great folks take time out of their travel schedules to see us...we're lucky. Very lucky indeed.

More Vacation Photos...

This is the view from the top of Mt. TamalpAIS in Marin County, CA. Note San Francisco downtown financial district, the Bay Bridge, etc.

Top of Mt. Tam: Donnie, Ashley and Jane. Note the lack of "Bunny Ears" in this picture.

Jane and Colleen at Muir Woods in a giant redwood.

Well, this was where I slept. I thank Ben for giving up his bed during my visit. Colleen thought it very ironic that we were going to a race and I was sleeping in a racecar bed...


Wonder which one is more comfy...

My First Day at the Races....

Ok, so many of you might I'm referring to horse racing, but alas, it's auto racing. Not typically my scene, but I have to say it was really interesting.

I was visiting my friends Colleen & Adam and Beth in the Bay Area this weekend. Coincidentally, my friend Donnie Barnes (a racecar driver) was racing this weekend at Laguna-Seca in Monterey. Colleen and I were invited to witness this great event...all I can say is Wow.

We were very fortunate to be able to stay at my friend, mentor and former boss Judi's beach house in Santa Cruz. Ahhh...so soothing and wonderful to be staying on the ocean. We saw dolphins and a whale today (but I digress-- thank you Judi & Jay)

The race was the Mazda Mx5 Championship (I think) and was a 45 minute race with a field of 30 racers. We were able to see the cars and drivers in the paddock before the race, and then Ashley (Donnie's wife), Colleen, Hilary, Scott and I went to the grandstand to watch the start. OK, so Ashley was a cool as a cucumber (she's watched a lot of NASCAR) but Colleen and I (being new to the racing thing) were a little on the nervous side. Glad we didn't see the "metal to metal" contact that happen. We were happy that everyone was safe and sound at the end. Donnie did really well, moved up to 12th from 19th position at the start. Unfortunately, due to certain penalties...they bumped him back to 13th. I'm sure he'll eventually explain on his blog if you want to know the details.

On the way back from the race we visited everyone's favorite fast food place, In-N-Out Burger. While I won't say if I actually consumed dead cow, but it was fun none the less.

Colleen and I resisted the urge at the track to buy a sweatshirt that said "Race Chick" but Colleen is starting a new fashion trend by wearing Piloti racing shoes. Such a fashion diva, that Colleen.

All in all a fun day at the races. You never know, I might even be hooked...

For those of you that may not understand (Colleen), below is a video. Just push the arrow button and watch the action!

I Love Our Nation's Capitol

World War II Memorial
Korean Veterans Memorial

Washington Monument

Recently I traveled to Washington, DC for a short weekend meeting. Most of my time was spent in a hotel conference room, but I was lucky enough to spend some time outside, and even luckier that our hotel was fairly close to the Mall (not the shopping type, but rather the one by the Smithsonian).

Saturday morning I went for an early run around the monuments. It was one of those days, just enough chill in the air that you don't get hot and just the right amount of sunshine to make you feel good about being outside. I saw the WWII Memorial, est. 2004, for the first time as well as the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial.

That evening, at about 9pm, my long time friend Marlene and I went walking around the monuments at night. We saw the above ones as well as the Vietnam Memorial and my personal favorite, the Korean Veterans Memorial. These are the words on the ground next to the statuary garden:

Our nation honors her sons and daughters

who answered the call

to defend a country they never knew

and a people they never met.

and nearby:

"Freedom is Not Free"

Wow. Statements like these, and the monuments themselves never fail to amaze me when I go to Washington. They have a huge impact on me and my general overall impression of the country. It also brings to mind that no matter how much you disagree or agree with a war, the ones fighting for us deserve our respect.

As an aside, as I was running I wondered what I would say if I saw George W out running with his secret service (I didn't, but I did see someone who looked a whole lot like Karl Rove). Finally, I came to the conclusion that I would tell him that running on these concrete paths is terrible for your joints, and they should think about a rubberized surface for the trails around the monuments... At this point, what else can be said?

There's always next year...

Well, another year of baseball has come to a close for Cubs fans. Sadly, it didn't end in the way we wanted it to. It never does. Never.

Living with disappointment is something our group learns to accept. This year was almost as painful as the five outs away from going to the World Series/fan (who I will not further name because I really feel sorry for that guy) interferes with catching the ball year, 2003. Billed as the best team in both the National and American Leagues this year, the Cubs were predicted to win the World Series. They didn't even win a game in the National League Division Series. At least we didn't get our hopes up for too awfully long this postseason.

We used to identify with Red Sox fans, but no longer. They seem to have won a few World Series in recent years and thus have broken their curse.

Our curse, The Curse of the Billy Goat, began in 1945, the last year that the Cubs went to the World Series. they ejected Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis and his pet goat (pictured above) from Wrigley Field due to fans complaining about the odor. He stated at that time there would never be another World Series at Wrigley Field. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was 1908. One hundred years ago. *Sigh*

I have been alive for 40 years (yes, I admit it, I am 40) and have been waiting my whole life for the Cubs to win the World Series, or at least go to the WS. I really feel sad for my Dad. He's 79 and he's been waiting his whole life for a Cubs WS win. I hope he gets to see one in his lifetime. I hope I get to see one in my lifetime.

Puppy Kindergarten

We are lucky enough to have a great puppy, a six month old Golden Labrador (that's a cross between a golden retriever and a yellow lab) named Kiwi. Overall, she's a great dog. Family friendly, food motivated and fun. The part about being food motivated should make it easy to train our 50 lb. friend. The problem though, is the excitement level she raises herself to when she enters the training facility at the Orange County APS.

Sniff, sniff. Tug, tug. Pant, pant. Bark, bark. We usually spend most of the hour trying to avoid choking the poor creature from her pulling on the leash. Of course that's why we're there, but you feel just a little bad when she can't breath.

As long time dog owners, we appreciate a good dog training class, with plenty of owner education on how dogs think, socialize and interface with humans. We also appreciate the exercise our furry friend gets.

One of our favorite things about this Senior Puppy class is puppy playtime. All 8 dogs in the class are let off the leash and have the run of the room. There is such a wide variety of dogs...a goldendoodle, a jack russell, a boxer, a golden retriever, etc. Kiwi sometimes gets picked on...she often rolls in a submissive position and lets the other dogs have their way with her. She goes home exhausted with exhausted but happy parents.

This cell phone video shows Kiwi and a few others...one of her tamer moments at the class.

Irrational Fears?

We all have our fears in life. Snakes, spiders, heights, and falling to name a few. One of my fears seems a bit strange to most.

Birds. They scare me. Their scaley claws, sharp beaks, mocking attitude and their general lack of warm n fuzziness just don't appeal to me.

Truth be told, I was forced to watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as a young child (by my mother who passed on her irrational fear of birds to her youngest daughter). Despite the profound effect it had on my psyche, I still think it is one of the best scary movies ever made.

This photo was taken in Hawaii at a meeting. One of the exhibitors had a booth full of large birds that attendess could be photographed with. Me personally...well...I took 10 steps back took several shots and left to go check out the shoes...much more in my comfort zone.

Desire to Blog?

Ok, so I'm not all that convinced that I WANT to blog, but suddenly, in a fit of insomnia, I feel the NEED to blog. In the not so distant past, I imagined blogging about various aspects of my life. Things are a bit different now, but I guess there is still a small part of me that might have something to say.

Tonight after having some good friends over for dinner, I had some other good friends over to watch The Sex and the City Movie. I've always loved the series, and also loved the movie. I realize in these small fragments of my life that I have great friends and family. I truly mean great. Makes me feel damn lucky, and someday I will be able to repay all the kindness I have received.

Maybe it's time for ambien...or a boring book. It's late!