Lunas Demagog

Awards Galore! / Hip Hop Hurrah! / Misc.

2006-03-14T12:30:00.000-06:00

Thought you would all want to know that our very own Bob took first place in a very large brewing competition with an as of yet unnamed Oatmeal Stout. And as his dad would say, Panfastic!

And I know that lots of folks who read this disagree, but man was I happy that Crash won the Picture of the Year award. I did a little dance in a restaurant in Stamford CT when I heard. Fortunately, Eagle and I saw this before any hype, and before we ruined it for people by wildly exclaiming that it is the best movie either of us has ever seen EVER. We saw it based on one preview I had seen. And Swinger and I have talked about this, as he is one who disagrees, but I really do think that it broke ground and not only was important, realistic and relevant, but damn finely acted. And to be fair, I havent seen Brokeback Mountain, but it has got to be about more than just 2 guys who have sex once a year to get me to change my mind on this one. Seems like just another love story - although I am sure its a good one - with risky politics. Crash blew my mind like no other movie has. I will give Brokeback a chance though and will report back in.

In junk in the trunk news, the hip hop/funk/house dance class continues to be a winner. I have already signed up for the next session.

In random news, I was doing another round of listening to albums I bought and never listened to, only to find out that not only had I listened to the album, I knew all the words (Ryan Adams Demolition). That was bizarre. It was actually my favorite album a couple years ago.

For those of you who dont know, Lasher is starving to death these days. He has hyperthyroid that we havent gotten a handle on, although we are working on it. I think Lasher is loving it though as he gets to eat all the time - and soft cat food at that! Some days I think he is less boney, then other days I panic. But the vet has upped his meds so we have our fingers crossed.

MIA and such

2006-02-28T21:40:00.000-06:00

Its been a dogs age since I blogged. And so much has happened. Kinda. Well I guess the first thing to acknowledge is that in general, I wasnt doing so good for quite some time. And all the signs were there and I just wasnt noticing them. I was biting my nails, not blogging and sleeping more than usual. I am talking falling asleep at 7:30. And that all just made the depression all the worse. Not to mention that I have been working serious hours at work. But I was offered a position in management at work and I turned it down. After that, things started to look up for me. It felt really good to turn it down. When it was presented to me, it sounded a lot more like a threat than an acknowledgement of the hard work that I do. Not to mention that because I had just gotten a raise, they werent willing to raise me up to the salary of a manager. So once again I would be underpaid for what I do. In addition, if I didnt meet the expected statistical measures, while figuring out how to delegate the extra persons job I am already doing, while getting project management certified and managing darn near all the companies websites, he said there would be no guarantee that at that time I would be moved up to a proper salary. And while I originally agreed, I called the boss later that evening and declined. It felt awesome. There is of course more drama and outrageousness to the story, but it just angers me to reiterate so I am going to stop there. I think that whole experience really helped to illustrate just how sad I have been. And really, I dont think there is much to do about it. These things happen in life. I am just waiting it through and letting Eagle know what is going on.

In awesome news, I started my HipHop/House/Funk dance class last night. It was just what I was hoping for. It was physically really challenging (complete with 10 minutes of ab work, followed by push ups and a back bend. Brutal. And while 10 straight minutes of ab work doesnt sound hard, I recommend you try it before judging.) The instructer was seriously cut, both arms and abs. And the class itself was just the kind of dance I was hoping for. Totally applicable to party dancing, if thats the right term. And as I expected, I was terrible at it. I am really going to have to alter how I am used to moving my body to get this. And I really wish I had a mirror to practice in front of. As much as she talked about how you have to just sell it and not worry about doing it right, thats not how I work - or specifically, not how I dance. I have to count this stuff out, memorize, get it perfect. I'll do that 'go with it' thing when I feel less like an ass doing the moves. And thats ok with me.

Well, I am feeling like this is a rather dull post, lacks focus, so my apologies on that. Just trying to get back in the saddle.

Best quote I've heard in a long time

2006-02-07T12:13:00.000-06:00

From Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast:

Stop asking God to bless what you're doing. Get involved in what God is doing - because it's already blessed.

The boy has got a way with words.

It is ON, Petey

2006-01-13T16:41:00.000-06:00

Its that time of the year where I look at my CD collection and go, wow, there is so much here I have never listened to. And then I force myself to spend some serious time with each (half-assing it is only an option for a new CD.) There have been some fabulous results. I finally listened to the Arcade Fire Funeral which I bought probably almost a year ago, downloaded to the iPod which adds some shame. Since it was on EVERYONES top 10 list, I thought I would give it a shot. As everyone but me already seems to know, its a great album. The exciting part of it though was discovering 'Wake Up'. In addition to being a fabulous song, it is one of the songs U2 plays right before coming out on stage. Having seen them several times on this tour, I was very jazzed about finding that song as I loved hearing it in the stadium.
And now, for the controversy. I also started listening to Mercury Rev's Secret Migration. And man, do I love that album. I told Petey, who asked if I listened to Deserter's Songs, wildly held to be their best album. I hadnt so I put that in the mix as well. And I have to say, Secret gets my vote. Of course, Deserters has some really REALLY great songs. But as a whole, Secret delivers the goods for much longer than Deserters does. And any album that almost gets me to reach for the curling iron 'microphone' while I am already singing and dancing in the bathroom is just genius.

Other winners in this endeavor include Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine and most of the mixes The Swinger brings home.

today's tiny miracle

2006-01-06T14:08:00.000-06:00

The photographer was supposed to send me several to look at on the trip. She sent just this one. Previously I was unable to download it or save it. For some reason it worked today. Excellent.

Rolling with the punches

2006-01-05T22:11:00.000-06:00

So, I was hoping that this would be a blog about how the surgery went, some funny story (probably the one where I forgot to zip and button my pants and walked around the hospital completely oblivious) and other general nonsense. Unfortunately, on our way to dinner with Chivas and Improv for Chivas's birthday, we got that news that indeed, all our wedding pictures are gone. They couldnt save anything. Not a single pic. Both myself and the photographer were crying. (well and Eagle too of course.) Man, I just didnt really think they would be gone. I thought it would be a great dramatic story that got resolved. Part of me is still in shock. Our freaking wedding photos. Wow. So anyway, we are looking for a second opinion - just in case. If anyone knows anyone who would look at the drive, we'd love some advice. And if someone reading this has pics from the wedding, we would really love to see them.
And we are thinking about some solutions to this, but right now we are just being sad about it.

The bright side of this is that really, nothing went particularly well about the whole getting married process, from the ring, to the dress not fitting, to the sound system not working, to the bridesmaid who is no longer speaking to me, to these pictures. Really, lots went really wrong. But wow, being married has been awesome. Its so nice to be continually delighted by the strength of our marriage. And as we wanted, being married really changed everything. Life was astoundingly different from the moment we were pronounced husband and wife. Even the little things. I sleep different because now I sleep next to my husband who promised his life to me. Like that, all over my life. A complete state change. And nothing changes that. Excellent.

Uncomfortable 2: Electric Bugaloo

2006-01-03T14:25:00.000-06:00

Well, I finally did it. I finally registered for the Hip-Hop/House/Funk dance class that I have been eyeing for quite some time at the Old Town. And man, I love to dance, but wow, I have no idea what I am doing in the realm of Hip-Hop/House/Funk. Hence the uncomfortable part. (And for those that dont know, Uncomfortable 1 was Belly Dancing.) I can hold my own at most types of dance, but this one is nothing like anything I have ever done. But I am excited about it, and maybe, just maybe, I might let folks know when the recital is this time. We shall see.

Oh, and the surgery is tomorrow. At 1:30! I thought those doctors like to have this stuff done early. Oh well. Makes for a short work week again. Yippee!

Random Thoughts/ Funny story

2005-12-30T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here is some stuff I just want to stop thinking about blogging and have no interest in making into some kind of narrative:

Top 3 reasons I think D was supposed to be on our honeymooon with us:

3. There was something about the places we went to that for some reason I kept thinking that D would really appreciate. After seeing how much he appreciated Vegas, I cant imagine the enthusiasm for something on the other side of the world.

2. On our walk back from getting groceries in Aitutaki, and island of 1000 people, we heard, blaring loudly, The Humpty Dance.

1. Sometime at the beginning of our trip we saw a 'classic' D woman, wearing a homestar runner t-shirt. We cant remember where exactly we saw her, but it was somewhere in French Polynesia. That was the clearest sign (hence number 1)

The best thing I brought with on the trip: band-aids.

The price of sun tan lotion in Bora Bora: $28 US.

Our favorite non-us show (that was just now brought to the US): Deal or No Deal. Their version is better than our Howie Mandel version.

People keep asking what our favorite part of the trip was. We went places that were so different its hard to say. Swimming with sharks was awesome. Climbing the Fox Glacier was most excellent. Sea kayaking in Doubtful Sound was amazing. Uluru (and the aboriginal culture) blew our minds. The water in French Polynesia is unlike anywhere else. Even though Aitutaki boasts to have the best lagoon, it cant hold a candle to Bora Bora. The singing on Rarotonga definitely was the best musical experience, and we heard a lot of great music. I might go back to Raro just to hear another church service. And the people we met were so gracious. Totally top notch.

So, funny story. Yesterday I was on my way into work and while exiting the train, the doors started to close. I reached out to push them open, as did the guy in front of me. As a result my hand was pinned between the door, and the wall. Normally this would have been a 'oh, ouch' and move along scenario. However, the finger that got stuck was the one with the granuloma on it. Within seconds my hand was covered in blood, literally dripping blood. You can imagine the guys face who did it. Complete shock and dumbfoundedness. I kept saying 'it was just an accident, dont worry about it. I work upstairs and will handle it there.' He keep staring at the inordinate amount of blood saying 'I am so sorry. What do we do. So sorry.' and then finally 'I have a wetnap.' I took the wetnap in hopes of making him feel better. I used it to keep blood off the floor. As I expected, all is fine. But the drama level was superb.

Speaking of which, I saw the doctor today for my pre-op physical. As usual, she was great. And Jamie and I were pleased to find out that I was not pregnant. Apparently both of us were concerned that I was, although we hadnt talked about it. I have been dizzy and feeling a general malaise, different than anything I have experienced before. Having never been pregnant and recently married, that was where both our minds went. Apparently Jamie was already preparing, and I was preparing for Jamies freakout. Truth be told, I have always been much more pro-life than I let on, well, particulary for myself. I am officially pro-choice because I think some decisions are too complex for me to judge and I will leave that to the persons involved and their maker if they have one (which is also why I am against the death penalty.) But for me, there is no real choice to be made. So while Jamie and I are not actively choosing to have kids, I wasnt too upset at the possibility of having one because, for me, when you are pregnant thats it. And still, glad to hear that wasnt what was going on. Now, I still dont know why I havent been feeling well, but frankly I dont care. As I told my doctor, its always a pleasure to see you, but frankly, we are seeing far too much of each other. I hope I dont see you again soon. She agreed.

Ok, rambling way too much.

Home

2005-12-21T14:51:00.000-06:00

Well we are finally back home, and man it is good to be home. Sort of. Its been a less than stellar return for us. While we are so glad to be back and be able to talk to our friends and family, reality has delivered a whole bunch of 1-2 punches. Some highlights are that my mom and Eagles dad both fell and are in pain (both will be ok eventually), we were served with a lien for our building (which means we cant sell it til its resolved), my work paid me while I was gone which I have to repay so we have less money than we thought (and we were already broke), the only copy of our professional wedding photos was on a hard drive that crashed so we dont know if we will get those back (although there is still a chance), and I have a friend who isnt talking to me and from what I can tell may never talk to me. And I have surgery this week. And I am swampped at work, complete with having to make late night conference calls to China. And Eagle is sick. And the condo is in shambles.

Of course, all of this isnt necessarily bad. The issue with the friend not talking to me has brought up some really interesting things for Eagle and I to talk about. And some great changes in our lives are going to come out of it. Now, I cried about it for 6 1/2 hours but I think I am done. But it really brought up again all the things about the wedding that we were disappointed about. And to find out that the wedding was probably the last time I will see this friend was really upsetting. And really enlightening. We are now taking a good hard look at where we put our energy and money. Now that he and I are a family, we need to make sure that we arent wasting our energy on efforts that arent reciprical. And that is hard for both of us, because these people mean a lot to us, but we have a future to create and a partnership to nourish. Above and beyond the issue with my friend, we also cant be flying all over the country to visit friends who dont call and dont ever come to visit. Literally, we spend almost all our vacation time visiting people. That time, money, and energy could best be spent somewhere else. And please dont misunderstand, we arent talking about all our friends here, and certainly realize the importance of our good friends. And we arent angry at anyone who isnt reciprical, we just realize we cant put all the effort in by ourselves to make the friendship work. Part of us feels guilty about it, but when we think about it we realize that they are just already doing what we want to do. They spend their vacations in Hawaii or Europe or wherever, taking care of their marriage/relationship/family. We've been fools for not doing the same. And to reiterate, we love these people, think they are great, we just arent going to spend as much time and energy on the relationships.

Anyway, back to the good things. Of course, the surgery is a good thing as my finger is SOOO gross. The rest of it, well, it makes me laugh (with the exception of our parents pain of course). For some reason I have been convinced all along that something had happened with our wedding photos so I was already prepared for that. And, they could end up being just fine. Who knows. And with work, well, salary review comes up at the beginning of the year so heres hoping that all this work will pay off then.

More good news is that Eagles mom and step-dad are coming out for the holidays. We are quite excited as this will make it a large Christmas celebration as my family is coming to the city as well. We even bought furniture for the occasion! Unfortunately our table wont be in on time so we have to put up some card tables at my brothers. But I kinda like the idea of the whole family taking a walk down Lawrence together to have dinner.

Other good news is that Eagle had a good interview with the Baha'i today. We are hoping for a job offer before Christmas so we can celebrate that with his mom and Rick.

Ok, still going to post some honeymoon wrap-up in a bit, but all this was really wanted to be said so I did that first.

Jelly fish and a southern cross

2005-12-04T05:37:00.000-06:00

Ahh, finally in Oz after all. Am terrible with nicknames. Well, actually, we only have one week left of our fantastic journey. Regardless of what I told anyone, we arrive back on Dec. 11th.

I dont have much time on this computer and its really hard to type on, but here are some Australian highlights...

In Sydney we met up with ICC, we went to the Opera House (actually tan in person,, not white like it looks), went to the zoo for an awesome free flying bird show. Really great. Went to the aquarium and saw a fabulous shark exhibit. We could have sat there all day. went out to the blue mountains and it was ok. Manly beach was fantastic and if we ever go back, Jamie and I would stay there. ICC went to Bondi, said it was ok. Went on a harbour cruise. The highlight was meeting up with the aforementioned friend we met in Aitutaki, Juels. She invited us to her brothers for an authentic Australian Barbei (no idea how to spell that.) And although it was similar to our bbqs, there was just something in the air that was different. And the company was superb. Everyone was so wonderful, reminded us of all of you. And Jamie is now fairly well educated on how to play cricket. I still only know thebasics. As he learned I was busyh having a hair removal conversation with a woman who admitted to me she was having it done, and had told no one else. We of course bonded.

Next was Uluru and it was worth every minute. We were very moved by the whole experience and Jamie and I were both completely infatuated by our guide who was translating our tour from our Aboriginal guide. I know its a rock, but I could have spent days there. We also went and saw another formation, the Olgas. Also quite impressive, but doesnt have quite the spiritual significance of Uluru. We couldnt get enough.

Next was an overnight stay in Alice Springs. I have known about the remoteness fo Alice Springs from Priscilla of course, so I was completely enthralled. Jamie, not so much. We did double our money at a casino though, so that was all good.

Next, we left ICC to head to Cairns while he explored Adelaide. We went to Fitzroy island where we scuba dived on an fringe reef. ANd because I love the drama, I managed to get stung by a jelly fish. On my face. Nice. Doing fine though, no worries. THe next day we went out to snorkel on the reef itself. Indescribable. We saw a fleet of squid and amazing psychodelic fish. If we didnt ruin our film, we did take pictures with our underwater camera. So fabulous. Now, we also went to a casino in Cairns, lost money, but met an illusionist there who invited us to his place a couple days later for lunch. His wife is from Thailand and cooked us an amazing fresh thai meal. So good. And hthe magician is well established so theconversation was great. We are now on Kangaroo Island and just saw the Little Penguins in their homes on the beach. Earlier we saw a wild kangaroo and wild koalas. of course, we have pictures of all of it. Speaking of which, according to our camera we have taken over 1200 pictures. Whoa.

Oh, and several folks mentioned seeing the southern cross. Not so easy. Saw it for the first time tonight and havebeen trying the whole time!

Ok, running out of time. Must post. Cant wait to see all of you!

Chirstmas/Jumps/Missing

2005-11-15T21:38:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah, wanted to request that if possible that the friends Christmas gathering happen after we get back. Since we are buying all our Christmas presents on the road, we would love to be able to give them to the peoples at the official gathering. We get back Dec 12th. I dont know if its possible, but we just wanted to throw that out there.

And Jamie survived the bungi jump and is blogging about it on his blog at http://greatsandini.blogspot.com.

And man, do we really miss all of you. I was just thinking the other day that while this is so beautiful, and the world is so amazing and interesting, but it doesnt compare to laughing with D, hearing Mikey sing, watching H with the muchacho, being with G at her cabin, 'going to the store' with Pat, an ICC meal, overthinking something with Lazlo, hanging with Rochelle at the Salon, etc. I think you get the picture. There is something about being with each of you that beats any of this. And while each has its time and we are certainly glad we are here, I just thought I would pass on how much all of you are missed and loved.

Queenstown update

2005-11-14T15:39:00.000-06:00

Hello and other salutations!

Well, here we are in Queenstown, the birthplace of the bungy jump (I know natives did it, but I think Queenstown is responsible for bringing it to the public.) And Jamie is doing just that right now! From 135 meters. I will let him give the update on that when he gets back!

Well, since we left the north island we flew to Christchurch, which bizarrely was the cheapest way to get there. Once there, we picked up our wheels, an EZY Cruiza. Its been a ton of fun to drive, and a source of some travel preference differences. We thought if we got it, then we wouldnt have to pay fees to stop for the night. That wasnt true. So, we could pull to the side of the road and risk it, but if there is one thing I dont like, its risk. So I prefer to pay $20 for access to a toilet, and to be around folks. Of course, its ok with Jamie, but he likes to keep a look out for all things cheap. Along those lines though, we are doing a stellar job of cooking all our own meals. We eat out maybe one meal a week. That of course saves us a ton of money.

Well, we promptly left Christchurch and decided that we would go north to south, and avoid all the north wine country due to time constraints. We headed to Hanmer Springs for our first landing space. Hanmer Springs is this gorgeous town in the mountains (Ok, how did I not know that NZ is almost entirely mountains? Southern Alps to be exact). The Springs part refers to the natural hot springs. Jamie and I splurged and spent a morning hanging out in the hot springs, getting a little sun, and smelling some fine sulfer. It was a perfect morning.

From there we headed to Hokitika, making a quick stop in Greymouth for some DVDs. One of the great things about the Cruiza is that it has a DVD player which can be plugged in if you are staying at a site with power. Of course, since we are trying not to spend money, we bought collections of 4 movies for $9.99. And the quality matches. Actually, they arent too bad and certainly watchable. We have been hitting a good bit of rain so its nice to set up in the van and watch a movie while waiting for it to pass. Between Greymouth and Hokitika, we got our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea. Most fantastic. Jamie gets really jazzed when he sees water. We got a cup of coffee in Hokitika and enjoyed the view. We also found a bulldog on the beach that would fetch rocks. For hours. Hysterical. Occasionally he would get too much sand in his mouth and on his body so he would run to the ocean, plop down and wash the rock and his mouth out. Too cute. As with all the other locations we have been to, we are buying a ton of presents. Hokitika has a ton of local artist shops so it was a field day for that. I am going to buy a new bag today because we cant fit everything in our packs anymore. (For the record, it was Mikeys present that put us over the top.) We knew we would have to increase our bags at some point, so this isnt a surprise.

From Hokitika, we headed to Fox Glacier, the less popular of the glaciers. The one people usually go to is Franz Josef. We heard that Fox was less congested and from other folks we talked to we were right. Again we splurged and decided to take a hike on the glacier itself. Totally worth it. I have never had crampons on boots or walked up an ice staircase before. Really groovy. Saw crevices that just formed so the pure ice was visible. And since it rains over 200 days a year there, we got downpoured on. And it was still amazing, and tiring. It was a serious workout. Our guide reminded us of Pat. Then he said that in the off season he does project management work for ING. And we nodded our heads, yep, Pat would do something so bizarre like that - give glacier guides in the summer, go into investments in the winter.

From Fox, we headed to our current location, Queenstown. Holy crap. The drive was just unreal. So. Beautiful. We thought the north island was gorgeous, but they arent kidding about the South Island. We have taken over 500 pictures so far, I think I took 100 yesterday just on the drive. We really wish one of us knew how to use a really good camera, and that we had a really good camera. And Queenstown is a fabulous town, although part of us feels like we are Breckinridge. We leave today as soon as Jamie gets back from his Bungy jump to head out to Te Anau which is near Milford and Doubtful Sound. We are likely to go to Doubtful sound as it is the less touristy of the two and I hear its just as lovely.

While we are having an amazing time, we cant believe that only a month has passed since we got married. And we are really glad we arent on a year trip. There was too much running around before we left which I am still dealing with the stress of, or the release of that stress. Oh, and the pyrogenic granuloma I have on my finger is still just so gross. And its on my middle finger of my right hand so it makes doing most anything harder. We really hope it falls off soon. Also, I have been good about keeping only wheat out of my diet and so far, so good. Still crossing our fingers that its a wheat intolerance.

About to run out of time here. If you are reading this, drop us a line and let us know. We would love to hear how folks are!

Birthday thanks!

2005-11-05T13:47:00.000-06:00

Bunches of thanks to everyone who sent a long a birthday card with Jamie! It was the highlight of my birthday. We also went horseback riding and are staying at a B&B overlooking the Bay of Islands. Perfect. Today we head out to Rotorua for some thermal mud baths, then back to Auckland to fly to Christchurch to pick up the Cruiza. Sad note there, we arent getting the asterix van. We found one that was leaps better for just a bit more money. We are sad about the lack of grooviness, but the Asterix van looked like folks had been using it since the 70s. And not in a good way.

Another update, the thing on my finger is not a wart. Its an infected Pyogenic Granuloma. Ugh. I will have to get it surgically removed when I get home. They did liquid nitrogen here, but I dont think that will be enough. I never thought it was a wart, it was too weird. Oh weirdness.

Time for breakfast! More later! Thanks to everyone who sent a card or good thoughts!!

Random LOST post

2005-11-03T16:04:00.000-06:00

I know we are way behind, but just thought I would share that in the ep where there was the shark with Sawyer and Michael, according to those with Pause capability and Tivo, the shark had the logo on it that the guy in the hatch was wearing. Interesting indeed.

I thought everday was Halloween...

2005-11-02T17:39:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the land of OZ. We arrived here in Auckland on Nov 1st due to dateline issues (Happy Birthday Petey!!!), entirely missing Halloween (which isnt a big deal to me as most of you know.)

Lets see, how to update quickly... So far we have been to LA, Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, Rarotonga, Honeymoon Island, One Foot Island, Aitutaki, and now New Zealand.

Highlights from each island:

Bora Bora: we had an amazing room over the water. Fed the fishes through the floor of the bungelow. The lagoon there is brilliant. The water is so clear that when we were swimming with the sharks in the ocean, we could see the scuba divers at the bottom. Thats pretty freaking clear.

Moorea: The resort sucked and we cant say enough bad things about it. However, the island is so beautiful. French Polynesia is the only place I have been where the postcards dont do it justice. Not even close. Did lots of shopping for pearls there, amidst complaining to the hotel. Swam with dolpins there, and then Jamie jumped in to swim with some humpback whales. I was way too seasick to move. During this whole portion of the trip I wasnt feeling well. Both having a major freak out about all the change in my life, as well as not feeling well. Have since calmed down and been stricter about what I am eating.

Tahiti: We were only here for a day while waiting for our 4am flight. What we really loved about all these places is that you are always greeted with music at the airports. So beautiful. we spent most of our time in the main square watching the food vendors set up, then watching the band play. We walked around a bit, but frankly all the traveling really gets us tired.

Aitutaki: Met a fantastic Australian here, and some wonderful Italians. Meeting up with the Australian in Sydney. Aitutaki is an atoll, which a group of tiny islands. THe main island is home to 2k people. Really really small. It boasts being the best lagoon in the South Pacific. It certainly must be one of the largest. We were only here for 2 nights, but long enough to fall in love with the really kind people. everyone knows everyone. We also took a trip to Honeymoon Island and One Foot Island, which says it has the worlds smallest post office. Tropical paradise indeed. Cant wait to see those pictures.

Rarotonga: we only stopped here because the plane was stopping here and I heard that the singing at the church services was really good. And I did a terrible job of planning it because we were only there while all the stores were closed. However, the church services were out of this world. No freaking kidding. I might go back there just to see it again. The entire church singing in 6 part harmony, men and women, men calling out to the women and the women responding. I cried almost the whole time. It was so beautiful. Each week a village is featured (they sit together in their villages) and sing a lengthy song in the middle of the service. Wow. Cant say enough about it. We also voted in the Raro Idol competition, which is the Cooks version of American Idol. Some really really good singers, although most of them have never sang solo like that and were really camara shy (it was being televised.) Met some wonderful med students at the contest who we might meet up with in Christchurch. Speaking of which, the nasty thing on my finger that kept bleeding is now really gross. I am heading out to the doctors after this to get it taken care of. Its probably a wart, but it weeps all the time, and is really painful. The med students highly recommended getting it taken care of.
Here we also saw a 65 year old man climb a coconut tree in his bare feet in 8 seconds. Amazing. We also made an entire traditional meal over hot rocks by wrapping chickens in banana leaves, as well as lamb, and bananas. It was really interesting. Met a great Australian and Italian couple who insist they take us and ICC out in Melbourne. We will definitely give them a call as they were really nice. They live half the time in Italy and the other half in Melbourne. Rarotonga was really nice and we wished we'd had more time.

Auckland: Well, we are frankly being really lazy here. Watching some movies, just wandering around, and I had a Starbucks! Mainly we are planning the rest of NZ. We realized that neither of us noticed that there was no transportation in our budget so we are in some serious sticker shock. But we are renting a camper van on the South Island and going to just cruise around and suck it up. We think its what Pamber would do. The van is spray painted with Asterix, the cartoon character. Hysterical.

Well, I am running out of time on the computer as I got to IM D for a bit and hear about Peteys birthday which Eagle and I are both kicking ourselves for not emailing him. We really miss everyone, but are having a fabulous honeymoon. Sorry there is so little detail here, but so much has happened. Hope to get more detailed shortly.

Lots of love and kiwis!

honeymoon update un - thats french for one

2005-10-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

kia orana! this will be short as we are using a french keyboard and the letters arent where we expect them.

So far fantastic. Pearl Beach resort and overwater bungelow were just what we were hoping for. Amazing view and unreal water. Who knew the colors werent photoshopped. We are snorkeling fiends and have seen lots of fish. Most outrageous was swimming with sharks. (dont tell our parents); today, in Moorea we are swimming with dolphins. Then we are scuba diving in the lagoon and then in the ocean for more sharks! The best part so far was that after we swam with the sharks and then fed sting rays and went to a coral garden, our guide made us a bbq over the water. amazing. He made steak, chicken, mahi mahi, shrimp, lobster, potatoes, and vegetables. We were on a private uninhabited motu. Really amazing. unbelievable view.

Miss all of you. If D could let us know if the cats are destroying the condo that would be great.

More later when we can type faster.

Gettting all moony

2005-10-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

So, here is the first blog of the honeymoon. We have safely arrived in LA and are doing some serious lying around at our friends apartment watching the Alias and LOST episodes we had missed, anxiously awaiting the day we get Tivo. We leave for the islands tomorrow night.

Well, all that sugar eating and frankly everything eating has caught up with me. I felt terrible today, and I dont think last nights gyros helped at all. But man do I love a gyro. I think having Budackis so close is not going to be a good thing.

In the mad dash before we left Chicago we did manage to get the condo in a somewhat reasonable state for the Swinger. Not quite what I would have wanted, but I seriously worked on it from 8am til I passed out for days. So I guess I got done all I could. It is not going to be fun to come back to that mess. Oh the boxes. And the LDG, well, I have no idea how that is going to go. I think that as long as the swinger scoops enough, we should be ok. Heres hoping.

And just some final wedding thoughts, I am happy to say that the whole thing doesnt occur as a blur. Thats so great. And as I kept rambling about, I really really enjoyed the ceremony. While the details of that may fade as the years go by, I dont think the emotion that was created ever will. It really was everything we had wanted, and in no small part was that because everyone in attendance joined us in the mood we were creating. We couldnt be more appreciative of that. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

The Oompas have left the building

2005-10-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

In case anyone out there was freaking as much as I was in solidarity with me, rest assured, they have moved the event to another bar in the resort. Apparently they used to do this and cancelled it because it was a flop so they had some serious pull in asking for it to be moved.(Its on a sunday after a full weekend of Oktoberfest activities.) Phew!

In other news, if anyone was expecting to come to the resort with Iron Chef Chicago on Saturday, please notify me immediately. He found a ride and is cancelling the car if no one needs a ride.

And in the best news EVER, muchachomama arranged for a masseuse to come to my apartment today to give me a massage. That woman has some serious matron of honor skills. Damn.

Now, where was that ulcer again? Oh there it is.

2005-10-05T10:45:00.000-05:00

So, in addition to coordinating the closing on the condo, and all the other wedding stuff that you are all probably sick of hearing about, we just found out that the resort JUST PLANNED an Ocktoberfest in the bar next to where our ceremony is. WITH AN OOMPA BAND! So while we are trying to have the most significant day of our lives and a sacred event people will be yelling and screaming right outside and being drunk idiots. You might not be able to hear the original music that Michael Strening Jr wrote over the oompa band. To say we are pissed would be the understatement of the year. The resort planner Robert is frantically trying to get them to move the event. We are frantically working on a backup location, and just how much of everything we want comped due to how wildly inconvenient this is. Because really, if this isnt perfect after all we have done to get it that way, we are going to be livid. Now of course, nothing is ever perfect, but an oompa band and yelling drunks? Not within the acceptable realm of not perfect.

LOST theory on the numbers

2005-09-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

As always dont read if you dont want any possible hint at what is going on in LOST. I thought it was interesting. Found it on the innernet...

"I recently found an interesting natuarlly occuring thoery found in our world that states everyone has a mirror image somewhere in the world. You may have heard of this. Its called Roussau's genetic mirror theory, and I must say it is very interesting. Roussau's genetic mirror theory says that everyone in the world has an exact twin somewhere, however according to the theory you never encounter this person, by laws of probablitly and other natuaral occuring phemnomen. Its the theory that was devised by a French Mathematician named Marseille Roussau in the year 1988. He used a series of numbers to explain his theory. Now I know you're not going to believe this but here goes.

4 8 15 16 23 42

Let me explain...

The 4 stands for 4 degrees of separation (not 6 or 7 as commonly stated.) Roussau believed that everyone in the world was connected by four different people. So in theory could meet yourself by using four different people connected to you. Example: Your brother's, boss's, neighbor nephew, knows your mirror. Hard to believe, I know but keep reading.

The 8 stands for the eight continent, or the only place in the world where you could meet your mirror. He calculated it to be somewhere in the south pacific. Now we know its not actually as large as the other contintents but its used figurtively because everyone in all 7 continents could meet there mirror on the 8th universal continent.

The 15 stands for the chances of you acually meeting yourself on this place, as in 15 out of 4,815,162,342. Look at the second set "815." Ring any bells? Interesting huh?

The 16 stands for the maximum amount of people that could encounter thier twin all at the same time. Think about the number of main characters.

The 23 is the number of years apart your twin and yourself are. You are not the same age as your twin. By chance and probablity it takes 23 years exactly for the same genes that made you to be connected again to form another you.

The 42 stands for the maximimum number of years your twin and yourself can be alive at the same time. However people do die at diffferent times so thats why everyone isn't dead at 75. For example my twin was born on Sept. 6 2003 b/c i was born on Spet. 6 1980. Now that doesn't mean i will die in the year 2045, I could, but its not set in stone. My twin could die when he is 16, and then the whole thing starts over again.

This is all very complicated and I don't know how well I explained it but the connections with the show are too coinidental to not be real.

Roussau and his team (wife, included) went to the 8th continent. You can figure out how they died and why by the numbers and equations. It also fits with every character. You can predict when they will die. There are others on the island who are twins of the survivors, but have been there 23 years longer.

There is a book Roussau wrote 16 years ago in 1988 when he came up with the theory. Thats where I got it from."

O Happy Day!

2005-09-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

Word on the street is that Pamber is now going to be a legal entity for all of time. Much love and congrats to them. I cannot wait to find out what kind of wacky nuptualness will ensue. I think it goes without saying that I am really hoping these nuptuals will take place in the great land of poutine.

Hostess Panic

2005-09-20T11:59:00.000-05:00

Trolling around The Knot today to see if there is anything I have forgotten to do, ideas I havent had, etc when I came across this complaint (in their article about what guests dont like about weddings):

"My wife and I recently went to a wedding on a Sunday evening, and we had to be at work the next day. The ceremony was at 5 p.m., the reception wasn't until about 6:30, and dinner wasn't even served until 8. The meal was finished around 9:30, and most of the guests were not from the area where the wedding took place. We left before the reception was over, and still didn't make it home until midnight."

Yep, that would perfectly describe the entire timeline of our wedding (although between the ceremony and reception is a cocktail hour with food, but still). And so now I am wildly regretting the timing of the ceremony. I have always wanted an evening wedding, but I am not getting that anyway so clearly starting at 3 would not have been a big deal. And wow, would it really suck to put this much effort into taking care of your guests and then have them complain like this. So I am pre-devastated about the whole thing. And I really just hope that the people who have a problem with it just arent coming. I guess the long and short of it is that I didnt invite anyone who I wouldnt go to their Sunday evening wedding, in or out of town. And then I forget that people dont view life like I do and wouldnt necessarily do what I would do for them. I just keep telling myself that the above guest was a co-worker. Afterall, what friend would complain about their friends wedding, regardless of time or location? Its not like its a tupperware party, its a freakin wedding. Then again, I would go to Jamaica for a co-workers wedding so maybe I am way out of touch on these things. I dont know.

Day 4 - oh my!

2005-09-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

This morning I came to my morning scan ready with some proscuitto and some steak and rice - ready to be eaten all day long. I layed in the tube like a good girl for a whole hour. My mind wandered. My back spasmed. My hair was blown into my face. All the while, waiting for the sweet release of food. And then she says, do you want the good or bad news first? I say, the good I guess. She says, well tomorrow is the last day you need to come in. I start crying. No one even told me this was a possibility. I say, so that means no food today either? She says yes. I am so sad I dont ask why that was good news or what the bad news was.

She also lets me know that so far they arent seeing anything on the scans which is why they want me to come back in. I am so young that I guess they dont want to take any chances. I can appreciate that. An acquiantance friend of mine was just diagnosed with lung cancer, at 30. I can think of numerous times that I am glad someone didnt just say, well, they are too young to have that disease.

Day four without food has been interesting. On day 3 I was woozy at points. Today, I had trouble forming sentences and thinking through any kind of logic. I no longer feel hunger per se, but the human instinct to eat is wild to experience. Last night I liked the fork I had made the white rice with in hopes of feeling like I had eaten something. After cooking the steak for today, I peeled the sauce off the George Foreman and sucked on the bits that had burned into a solid. I spit out anything that didnt dissolve. This desperation is wild. My body temperature changes constantly. I am mad as a sack of cats. Now and then. I want to kick your ass and steal your sandwich.

And on the upside, I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks. Pretty sweet.

Day 2 - no food

2005-09-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

So, much to my surprise, I am still not allowed to eat anything. Backing up a couple days, on Sunday I had my first shower with my moms friends. It was really really nice. Lots of these women I havent seen in quite some time, some I hadnt ever met. And it was just really great. And wow, the presents. Yikes. So groovy. However, I naturally couldnt eat much so I had some fruit. At night I had some meat and a small amount of soba noodles, and finally the long awaited wheat free soy sauce. But anyway, not a whole lotta food. So I woke up Monday really hungry and then realized I can only have liquids. For Monday. So this morning I went to the hospital for my octreotide scan. They shot me up with gamma rays, and then let me know that yes, I needed to take more laxatives because I needed an empty system. At this point I realized that indeed, I cant eat any food until Thurs. And man alive I am hungry. So I have decided to turn it into a homage to the hurricane folks. Seems like a much more worthy thing than not eating for a test. And its pointless and a bit silly, but thats ok.

Tonight I stuck my finger in Eagles food so I could lick my finger. Sooo goood.

Iron Chef Celebrations

2005-09-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today is a momentous day in the life and times of Iron Chef Chicago. It is, indeed, his birthday. To celebrate this event we are having dinner tonight in the Square. If you are interested in breaking some bread with the finest chef in town, please email me to get the location. ICC would like it to be a surprise so I am not posting it here. I think the time will be 6:30.

Pooling resources

2005-09-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

Have a couple requests for the wedding. First, if anyone has any vases that they got from having flowers delivered (the plain glass ones) that they want to get rid of, I would love them.

Second, I am compiling the reception music. Please let me know songs that you like to hear and dance to. Along those lines, does anyone have the OMD cd with Forever live and Die on it? I am hoping Mrs Cianfrani will come through on that one. Had that song in my head for days.

Updated settings

2005-09-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Lazlo, I have finally gone into the settings of my blog. I had no idea that anonymous posters couldnt leave comments so that is now fixed. You can now comment even if you dont have an account. Also, I kept getting spam comments so I turned on the annoying function that has you type in letters to insure you arent a spammer. Sorry about that.

Check, check, testing 1, 2, 3

2005-09-01T15:42:00.000-05:00

So, my doctor mentioned that I needed some more tests done due to a high level of something in a previous test. She wasnt kidding. Apparently, whatever the specialist saw in the previous test can possibly be indicative of cancer somewhere in the endocrine system, as all the upcoming tests - according to WebMD - deal with that.

So this morning I had blood drawn, tonight I have a chest CT scan (a lovely addition to my abdominal CT scan), Monday I am on an all liquid diet (since I already cant have wheat, dairy, or sugar, I guess solids would be the next obvious deletion from my diet), as well as doing another 24 hour urinalysis which I drop off Tues morning at 7am, get more blood drawn that I shouldve had done today but they didnt have the right blood tubes and had to order them from the mayo clinic, then walk over to nuclear medicine for an octreotide scan at 8am. I get injected at 8am and then I wait to get scanned at noon, and then repeat the process on Wed and Thurs.

So, ya know, that all sounds fun...

The latest

2005-08-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

So I finally heard back from the doctor about the neurotensin thing. And apparently the specialist didnt know either. So she is faxing him all my test results. He is looking for evidence that my body is spontaneously producing some kind of enzyme. Or at least I think that is what she said he was doing. In the meantime though, I am now on an elimination diet. No wheat, dairy or sugar. For 3 weeks. Wow. The good news is that I am likely to lose some more weight in the process. But I have some questions, has anyone else done this before? Can I eat rice? Equal? Anyone know?

I'm tubbin it!

2005-08-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

Happiness has arrived to apartment 3S. Not only have I felt like a million bucks for the past 2 days, but this morning, finally, Navin R. Johnson jumped in the tub. For those of you who havent gotten the shake down from a wet Johnson (*snicker*), Navin LOVES to be in the tub. But due to her diabetes, she hasnt been able to do this for months. She just sits under the drippy faucet and lets the water run down her back, occasionally licking off a drop or two. She will sit in there til she is good and wet. Then she comes out and jumps up on laps, delighting in your shriek as you realized that a very wet cat has just jumped on your lap/rubbed your legs. At which point we all sing (to the tune of the McDonalds commercial) 'Da da da da da, I'm tubbin it!' Regardless of how often we do it, it seems to make the whole place happy, not to mention Navin. I think this represents a turning of the tide for the whole apartment. Good ol Navin.

I guess I am a woman now

2005-08-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

So, finally, the post about the bachelorette weekend. The Swinger has done a fantastic wrap up of the event. I dont know what more there is to say about it. It really was amazing. No one there really knew more than 2 people and yet, it was so much fun that I forgot that this was the first time several people were meeting. And since I spent most of the weekend being sick, and STILL was amazed at how much fun it was, I cant imagine what it would have been like had I felt well. Muchachomama did a fantastic job. And that folks drove in from LA and flew in from Chicago and Phoenix was just too much.

I dont think that I keep it a secret that I lived a charmed life. One really great thing after another seems to happen to me. And always, at those moments, its all of you who are with me. Different ones at different moments. There is no doubt in my mind that all of you are what makes my life so divine. Seriously. I am just so thankful. And even those of you who werent in Vegas were with me in my thoughts. Again, I cant say it enough - thank you.

results in

2005-08-17T12:36:00.000-05:00

They found nothing. And I have a feeling they arent particulary interested in looking for anything else. I dont know what I am going to do. They only thing it said was that something called 'neurotensins' or something were slightly elevated. She didnt know what that meant and will call me tomorrow. I am sure it will end up not being anything of note either. This is seriously bumming me out.

And I am going to write a post about how amazing the bachelorette weekend was. I promise to write something soon.

Of Frankenstein and Prince Impersonators

2005-08-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

Had another test on Wednesday. This one was an upper GI with a small bowel follow through. The best description I had gotten going in was that like the CT scan in that I had to drink Barium and they would take x-rays. The part that no one told me about was just how fun/absurd the whole thing really is. This part of the fun has me standing up in front of a moveable xray machine. It starts off with drinking some 'Fizzies' which are designed to expand the esophagus and stomache. My job- not to burp. I asked if they had any advice about this, as generally, I am not one to stiffle a good burp. The key, in case this someday saves your life, is to keep dry swallowing. The problem of course is that all your body knows is that something wants to come up. My body wasnt so convinced it was just air. I was sure I was going to puke. While I am freaking about this, they give me some 'thick as glue' barium to drink while the 2 doctors and 2 techs in the room move the xray machine all over the place taking xrays. Then, still not burping, they change the incline of the table slowly so that the table I was leaning on is now one I am laying flat on. Like Frankenstien. Then I drink more barium while laying on my stomache. At this point, I am glad I no longer am convinced I am going to puke. But the silliness is about to begin. From here, I am instructed to - in a hospital gown - roll around on the table. 2 times around to the right, 2 times around to the left. Twice. I was manually coating my stomache. And of course, it was Illinois Masonic so my doctor was the cutest thing. So naturally my ass fell out of my gown.

After that was done, I was sure I was clear and free. Nope, more barium and then a total of 2 hours walking in circles around the hospital, hoping the barium will move to the small intestine. We would take a break every 15 minutes or half hour to check the progress. When I was finally done, it was more of the live xray business. And this time I could see the monitor. All my innerds, right there. The part that I found most fascinating was that the small colon isnt nearly as organized as I wouldve thought. Lots of little bunches here and there. I thought it would be much more compact. One of the bunches he couldnt get to because it was under my ribs. Although he poked and poked and gave it the ol med school try.

All in all, it couldve been worse. I have recently found out that a distant cousin of mine had the same symptoms. She ended up having gall stones. So that is now number 2 on my 'preferred diagnosis' list. The first being something to do with my appendix. But the more I think about it, the more I am pretty sure that our trip around the world just isnt happening. We cant go unless they diagnose it and cure it in the next 2 weeks. Seems unlikely. And I am totally at peace with that. Eagle and I have been thinking about all the really great things we can do if we dont go. And there is lots of good to be had. It will totally all work out.

And it is off to Vegas this weekend. Oh lordy, I cant wait. So much good stuff going down. Lots of friends, lots of gambling, a massage by my favorite masseusse Jay, possible Prince impersonator, naked people at Cirque. Its going to be all good. I cant wait to come back and gush about it.

And speaking of Prince, his documentary for Sign 'o' the Times was on Encore the other morning and we got it taped. Wow. Its a must-see train wreck. A little teaser for you: Prince sings The Cross in a jean jacket with a pink guitar. As Iron Chef Chicago noted, 'Is this a Wham concert?' Fantastic.

tests and results

2005-08-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

So, for those of you who have been wondering, my test results were inconclusive. However, I did find out that my kidney functions better than the average human. (I am so competitive) Since I have had several kidney infections, that was good news. However, as I have mentioned, because my symptoms are so symptomatic for cancer that they are continuing tests. And in the meantime I am taking medication for IBS, just in case and why not. Once I saw the medication, I realized that I was prescribed this in Seattle when I brought the issue up to someone there. However, I thought I was supposed to take it AS I was getting sick. This time I am supposed to take it twice a day. Since it didnt work the first time, perhaps this new way will work. However, my symptoms dont really match, and frankly being diagnosed with IBS can be like being diagnosed with ADD. If they dont know what it is, they call it IBS.

Anyway, so I had my very first CT scan this morning. Not so bad all in all. When Eagle set the alarm he altered the time so I took half the Berium (which didnt taste bad, fyi) before realizing it was 5:30 instead of 6:30. And since I was having trouble sleeping, it was really annoying to be up that early. However, in this case it was certainly better to get up early rather than late. During the exam, I felt something I have never felt before which was the contrast literally flowing through my veins. I could feel it go up my arm and make its rounds through my body. Totally wild. And then I got really hot and felt like I had wet myself. Thankfully, she had warned me of this so I wasnt too wierded out, but wow, bizarre. If my doctor were in town I would get the results on Wed. However, it appears that now I will get them after Vegas. Not too big of a deal as I have another one to do that requires a different Berium. I hope that one doesnt taste bad either. And I really really hope they find something. This not knowing business is annoying. Not only do I like not knowing, but this is kinda all they know to do, and I cant imagine living like this.

And since so many of you are hospital bound, I just wanted to note that I love Illinois Masonic. Seriously. I wouldnt go anywhere else. Customer service up the wazoo.

I think I'll end this on wazoo. Has a nice ring to it. Will continue to keep you posted.

Waiting around

2005-08-02T12:16:00.000-05:00

A couple of times I have thought to write something here, but then kept putting it off because tomorrow I might actually know something about what is going on with me. And since that is the biggest thing I have going on, I was putting off writing something. Which is just so silly, because in the meantime lots of great stuff has been happening. Eagle and I spent the weekend up in Woodruff, WI with my favorite pair of initials, D & G. And it was so so good. It was relaxing and fun and sunny and swimmy and s'morey. And lots of flesh was left a bit seared, but all in all quite delightful. Eagle started prepping D for Vegas and he did well with basic strategy pretty quickly. (2 weeks til Vegas! Hot damn!)

On the way home Eagle and I started a conversation about what we expect from marriage and then specifically our spouse. Questions like 'What does your vision of 'wife/husband' provide for you?' 'What do you want our marriage to be about?' 'What does having a spouse vs boyfriend/girlfriend fulfill?' Stuff like that. Above and beyond all the interesting answers that came out of that, I noticed that nowhere in my life have I heard those questions asked. Never heard them growing up, no one has ever asked me that, never heard anyone talking about it, etc. And they seem like really important questions. And as I have mentioned before, its a perfectly acceptable thing to have marriage be no different than dating, except that now its harder to break up, but I dont think people actually want that out of marriage. Or maybe they do. Its certainly easier than confronting the possible answers. We are certainly going to dwell in the inquiry of that for awhile longer. Any married folks out there have their own answers for these? Would love to hear them in the comments.

Really people, really

2005-07-27T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is officially taking it too far. And remarkably, its not Tucker Carlsons opinion I am talking about.

Harry Potter (the other Potter)

2005-07-20T12:44:00.000-05:00

I finished Harry Potter last night and am about to blog about it. While I wont reveal any spoilers, you may still not want to know my opinion about it. If so, stop reading.

So, all in all I was quite disappointed. While this book certainly leads up to the next book, the other books in the series were satisfying enough that the lead up to the next book just created suspense, but part of you was certainly satisfied with what you read. There are mini little plot points all along, but really, nothing I considered to be substantial at this point. Again, perhaps they will be interesting later, but they werent in this book. What I like about the previous books is how great the bait and switch is. This book only sets you up for later baits and switches. And, if I have guessed correctly a huge plot point already, I am going to be really ticked off. Regardless, it was enjoyable to read. I just dont think it lived up to her standards, and frankly read like someone else wrote parts of it. To me, some of the characterizations seemed off. For anyone who has read it and would like to discuss some spoiler points, leave em in the comments.

Spoiler Alert!

2005-07-19T17:22:00.000-05:00

For those of you whom she gives you 'The Feelings', please take note that there is a quasi-spoiler on Arianna Huffingtons blog about Harry Potter.

The Illinoise in my head

2005-07-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

And in case you were wondering how further listens to Illinois went, I realized that in my initial review I definitely sold it short. If you are reading my blog, chances are that you should own this album.

Checking In

2005-07-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to post something because it has been so long and we know how Eagle feels about people not updating their blogs (his not included of course). I think mainly I have been so quiet as part of me is trying to pretend that I dont feel like I am barely holding it together. And the other part thinks perhaps I am taking advantage of some really great dramatic circumstances in order to be able to suffer. And what is definitely showing up is a good bit of anger. I cant begin to describe how busy I am at work. I literally took over another project managers job, for no more money. And this is my normal busy time of year anyway. And of course, there is the wedding, the honeymoon and the condo. And I have been sick and tests are really ramping up for that. Apparently my symptoms are textbook for a carcinoid tumor, but initial tests havent shown one. They are looking into whether my symptoms are hormonal before they go back to see if the tumor is in my small intestines. So far they have only checked my large intestines. Obviously, we want to get this diagnosed before we leave for our trip, or it could mean that we dont leave depending on the treatment. And for the worriers among you, apparently this kind of cancer is rarely fatal as it is remarkably slow moving. AND we dont know that that is it yet, which is why I havent mentioned it earlier. But man, I am feeling some serious pressure. Or maybe today is just a bad day.

Downloads

2005-07-08T09:58:00.000-05:00

Strangely, when I get new emails from iTunes I rarely have an interest in looking at them, while knowing full well that if I dont buy an album while it is still on the homepage of iTunes, I probably never will. Anyway, I was on iTunes the other day looking up Sufjan Stevens because folks just wont stop talking about him, and since his current album is Illinois and I am a patriot, I thought I would look into it. Anyway, no such luck. Nothing. But lo and behold, an email from iTunes 3 days later with a link to Illinois. This morning I downloaded and set it up on the pod to listen to while reading on the train.

And I just couldnt pick up my book. The album is, so far, fantastic. And intruiging. And how did he write a song about Gacy and get away with it. And how great is the song title "The Black Hawk War, or How to demolish and entire civilization and still feel good about yourself in the morning, or We apologize for the inconvenience but you are going to have to leave, or I have fought the Big Knives". I am going to put myself out there to say this is really good. As a comparision, I was thinking it was like Nick Drake decided to do a Frank Zappa album and pussed out on going all the way, but thats a good thing because Nick Drake should never really attempt a Zappa album. And I am only half way through the album. I'll let you know if I change my mind.

Cat --> Bag: Adios!

2005-07-07T16:17:00.000-05:00

Thats right folks. The cat is out of the bag and BossMan is now aware of all the grooviness that is awaiting Eagle and I on our honeymoon. In a surprise move, he suggested that I take it as a sabbatical. Now, that could be because he knows it will never happen, but I'll take it. And man, no more secrets is fabu.

You give me fever and rabies, and Japanese Encephilitis, and tetnus....

2005-07-01T15:51:00.000-05:00

Eagle and I have started our immunization process. So far, so decent. We are 4 shots in out of god knows how many. Eagle has some serious flu symptoms. I just have arm pains, although yesterday I felt all over terrible.
The woman who is giving us our shots has us quite perplexed. At times she is delightful and nice, other times she is reactionary and downright cold. And this is all in a span of 20 minutes. We just dont get it. Interesting to note, Eagle had to leave the appointment early to catch a train. The minute he left, she was all smiles. I dont get it. Then again, people sometimes are just weird.

Words of a father

2005-07-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

Most of the time when I talk to my dad I have to listen through a filter. Dad sometimes can take an extreme opinion on things (Dont go anywhere in Southeast Asia. Those people were selling children after the tsunami. It isnt safe.) And he watches Fox news, and not for entertainment. And Dad is a smart guy who has good points, you just sometimes have to shift through what he says to find the gold. And today he had a doosey. In response to me saying I was going to tell my boss about the trip today he wisely reminded me "If they let you go early, and you dont have a job when you go to get a mortgage, you are in serious trouble." Wow, he didnt even need to add any drama there. He was right on. I would be screwed with a capital S.
So, Eagle and I are seriously considering putting it on the market. This has come up previously as without two people living in it, it becomes quite the expense while we are gone. And it seems more often than not, the only the Iron Chef would be in it. And the rational part of me knows that we just dont need a place that nice. As remarkable and fantastic as it would be, we would be just as happy in a 'lesser' place. And according to our calculations, all the money I had is pretty much going to be gone. Which is not a bad thing, it got loaned out all over the place, used to pay for many many meals with friends, donated, and used for education --which is what I wanted it to do. But when its gone, its gone. So the idea of not having any expenses while we are out playing with yet unknown friends around the world is really appealing. And if I sell it, I can definitely quit my job on schedule and have nothing to worry about. I am going to take a closer look at this with Eagle. I cant figure out just what keeps me from immediately putting it on the market. Is it just that I wanted to finally move into a place that wasnt already falling apart? Could it really just be that juliet balcony off the master bedroom that has me swooning? Or is it the possibility that holding on to it could be a better investment for me? And my real estate guy recommended I not sell it yet, which seemed so out of character for a real estate guy (since if I sell it he makes money) that I am giving it some pause. Crap, I really didnt want to think about anything else right now.

Junk in the trunk

2005-06-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

So, last night amidst various wedding reality series on WE (see below) I got an email from iTunes which reminded me that its been awhile since I downloaded something. I checked on the most downloaded section for an obvious answer, and there it was. The new Black Eyed Peas. I consider the BEP to be a guilty pleasure of mine. While they had lots of cred pre-Fergie, their multitude of appearances at sporting events around the world have soured me a bit (and man I cant stand Fergie. Did you know she was on Kids Incorporated? Did I just out myself as having watched that show?) And yet, Elephunk is a fantastic album. Even with its sometimes questionable lyrics. So I downloaded Monkey Business. On first listen, I was not impressed. Of course, I have several more listens before forming a firm opinion, but the only thing that pleased me was that they have a 'junk in the trunk' song. I think Junk in the Trunk is possibly the best phrase to come out of hip hop in a long time. Forget that Crunk is now not only a noun, adjective, and blossoming music style, its got nothin' on JIT. It just doesn't.

Some stuff

2005-06-28T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I havent said anything in awhile, and I suppose that just in case someone is reading this I should say something. So much is going on, and very little of it, in the grand scheme of things, is important.
The most important would be Navin who appears to be doing ok. She still isnt walking well, but she is walking and eating and being a cat. I suppose thats all we can really hope for at this point. And she clearly is not getting worse. So there's that.

The whole wedding business has been interesting. I am feeling a tad overwhelmed at this point. It isnt that any one thing is un-handleable, its more that there is just SO much to do with the wedding, honeymoon, and condo. And clearly, these are fairly priviledged problems but that doesnt mean that I dont have to deal with all of it. And the thing about the wedding is that for Eagle and I, it really is a community event. We expect that our marriage will be a contribution to our community, and that our community will be a contribution to our marriage. And while people talk about how our wedding is about US, its so much more than that. Its about us, and our community, and the promises we make to each other in front of the people we care about. I think that if we wanted it to just be about us, then we should elope and have it be just about us. But that isnt how we want it. And to the end, I am so committed that people have a great time that I pre-panic about things. For instance, I think very few people have made reservations at the resort and man alive I worry that they wont be able to stay if they want to. And I literally wake up in the middle of the night wondering about the ettiquette of inviting just half of a family. So crazy. Anyway, I think this is why the honeymoon should be organized around relaxing. I watch Bridezilla on WE so I can be present to not quite being as crazy as those ladies. Yet.

Well, I think thats all the rambling for now. Time to panic about who can make it to the Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend.

Navin R. Sugarcat

2005-06-12T19:24:00.000-05:00

Well, the verdict on Navin R. Johnson is in. She is diabetic. So thats better news than we previously had gotten on her condition. However, the vet wasnt sure it was going to take care of her issue with walking. According to what I have read, it should take care of it. Heres hoping. So far, she doesnt seem to even notice her insulin shots so that is good. Iron Chef, who would probably take over her care should we "go somewhere," seemed fairly confident that he could do it. It is ridiculously simple. The vet seemed to think that once we got it under control that we would be able to maintain it with just an alteration in her diet. That would be the best possible world. We have to limit her eating so that she gets her insulin after she eats. Lasher seems to be cooperating so far, but I fear his patience will wear thin. He is rather particular about his food.

On again, Off again

2005-06-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

Eagle and I are back from the deep woods and trying to recover. Its amazing how grueling it was, and just how fun. I cant believe we leave for Portland tonight. It feels like the dumbest idea we have had in a long time. But anyway, we are gone til Monday night so the blog will be quiet until at least then.

Also, Eagle took Navin R. Johnson to the vet today. Ol' girl is having trouble walking. She cant take more than a couple steps without laying down. Odd thing is that she doesnt seem to be in any pain. You can touch her legs and she doesnt react. The vet doesnt have any idea what is wrong with her and is taking x-rays as we speak. Someone suggested a pinched nerve that has caused her to go numb. Sounds fairly plausible. We are hoping for a simple solution and if not we are looking into possible carts so she can wheel herself around. Navin R. Wheeliepants.

Big work stuff going on here. Waiting for more details. Seems that I am going to be made a manager with a couple reports. Should be interesting, will keep you updated.

Blogger On - My Life as a Stripper

2005-05-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the wild mountains of Montana! Wow, where to begin. Eagle and I arrived here on Wed morning -- way too early. The mountaineers live about an hour up a mountain right outside of Missoula in what is technically Frenchtown. On our drive up it rained, snowed, and hailed. No kidding. And this is a one car road, so at times we had to back up the suburban to let other cars and trucks go by. In the rain. On a road next to a cliff. Quite precarious indeed.

Once we got to the ranch, the weather was cleared up a bit and we could get a pretty good view of the land. 67 acres, over 20 horses, 6 ducks (in their newly created duck house), some chickens, and my favorite -- several Bantam roosters. Bantam roosters are like regular roosters execpt about 1/3 the size. Hysterical to watch doesnt even begin to describe it. He has some complexes so he crows pretty much on and off all day.

Well, as for the cabin we came to build, it turns out that it is a much more literal process than we thought. We are actually building the cabin from the ground up which means there are folks cutting down trees, bringing them to be stripped of all bark, then chainsawed the right length and then laid on top of each other. Today will be my fifth day as a stripper. Dear god. I dont know that I have done this hard of manual labor for this many days in a row, ever. What I do is get a log propped up against something, straddle it, and run a draw blade down the length of it. I do it over and over and over again until nothing but white wood is showing. I do this for about 8 hours a day. Its more than intense. Eagle has been mainly weilding a chainsaw which pretty much scares the crap out of me. However, its amazing to watch and be a part of building a real log cabin. The 'foreman' is named Curry, and lives most of his life in a teepee and a hooch (which is a longer square type teepee). He is remarkable, and a world champion tomahawk thrower. Apparently he can throw a tomahawk at a moving target and hit a playing card. Not only that he can cut the card at the angle you specify (just the top corner, etc.). This is a real mountain man. Muchacho mama would love him.

The ranch here, just to give you a sense of it, has no electricity (they run generators) and is one of the few ranches with a regular bathroom (although they also have an outhouse -- and a nice one at that.) Phones dont work up here, but they have a special cell phone that is strong enough. My phone laughs when I turn it on trying to get a signal.

The other folks that are up here are so much fun to be around. Regardless of all the work people are putting in, folks are in great spirits, joking and laughing. Our only problem with them is the amount they snore and how early they get up. Eagle and I joke that we cant wait to sleep in the quiet of the city.

Almost forgot, the mountaineers business here is horse breeding. And she does it by hand, which I guess is more of an assist. We have watched a couple of those take place. Its a fascinating process. And man are those horses big. Speaking of which, we have only gotten to see the Clydesdale a couple times. He is being trained right now so he isnt around much, but man, is that one big horse. I'll try to get a picture.

Well, I think thats all I have to blog about now. We are taking the morning off and watching some Battlestar Gallactica that someone had burned on their computer. Excellent. Its the first TV I have seen in 5 days, which just might be a record for me. We are also planning the wedding with the mountaineers mother. Eagle and I are crying alot. No surprise there.

We miss all of you and cant wait to see you again!

Blogger Out

2005-05-25T00:54:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, I am going dark for the next week or so. Probably. Eagle and I are off to the great mountains of Montana for an old-fashioned cabin raising. I may update from on location, but maybe not. Should have some pics when we get back.

Lunas Out.

Organic Trade Federation

2005-05-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

I dont have sound at work, so somebody has got to tell me if this is as hysterical as it looks.

I was this close / What is Sith (its it)

2005-05-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

Eagle and I had quite a delightful weekend this weekend, culminating in the Shirtsagainst.org Texas Hold Em Tournament. Yours truly made an unlikely and (I think) remarkable comeback to not only make it to the final round, but to make it to the final 2. However, lack of time caused a 'whoever has the most chips wins' resolution to the evening which had me come in second. It was a delightful 'loss' and I felt really great about how I played, whose tells I figured out, and not pouting for too long when I got spanked by The Swinger early on.
And the rest of the event was fantastic as well, wonderful food, even better people, and a great festive atmosphere. Eagle and I are pleased to think that perhaps a couple more people may have caught the gambling bug. And now that we have recently acquired a great set of chips, you can be almost certain that upcoming events in Apt 3S will include some good wholesome Texas fun.

*********

On Friday, Eagle, the BossMan, Missy and I went to see Sith. Overall, I thought it had the majesty and magnitude that we have come to hope for from the franchise. And, also as expected, it had some really terrible scenes that made me wonder "Did they really not have enough time to do another take on that?" But more than anything, I was really present to how fortunate the fans are that Lucas made these. It was an amazingly difficult task (when was the last time you saw a series of six sequels/prequels that were all really great, not to mention that the first three were already iconic) and under intense scrutiny. That he bothered, when he didnt have to, is really admirable in my book. We wondered what these 3 would be like, and now we know. I love it when curiousity is fulfilled.

mere geek vs snob dork

2005-05-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

So not only did we get tix for Sith tomorrow, but we are seeing it in the ONLY theater in Chicago that projects in DLP (Digital Light Projector) which is the way Lucas intended it to be seen. Of the 72 theaters, there are only 4 in Illinois and only 1 in Chicago. And yes, it took research to find that out. And yes, Venson was the one who found that out.

Feel free to make fun at will.

(reminder to all not to mention this blog to Venson until I have made my announcement.)

Crash

2005-05-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Went and saw Crash this past weekend, and to those of you I havent gushed at yet, it is my most recommended movie of the year so far. Seriously, go see it. Hard to watch but ultimately rewarding. And I hate to say it for fear of ruining it, but I cant not say it. Its the best movie I have ever seen. And to clarify, it isnt my favorite movie -- I wouldnt want to watch it again and again, but rather its important, well-made, accurate, surprising, entertaining, and moving. The Swinger saw it and disagreed with my emphatic 'best movie' opinion, but still liked it. Go see it, and let me know what you thought. I fear its not getting enough attention because of Sith. And that would be terrible.

Morning Perfection

2005-05-12T13:44:00.000-05:00

I have had this thought a couple times and thought I would throw it out there as perhaps a discussion topic. This morning on the train I was listening to 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' by Roberta Flack. I dont know that I have heard a more perfectly produced song. Ever.

Anyone have any other noms?

Update: I am going to go ahead and state the other obvious entry. Buckley's Hallelujah. Nothing wrong about that song.

2005-05-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

From my cell phone that cant manage to get reception comes barely discernable photo of U2

Another One/ Bono made a liar out of me

2005-05-11T14:01:00.000-05:00

So, just as a matter of record, I did run 2 miles last week. Figures that it would take me 30 years to run one mile, and then 2 weeks to run 2.
*******
Saw U2 on Monday night. For the logistical types, here was the set list:
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
Electric Co
A Cat Dubh/ some pumpkins sample (I didnt catch it, but Iron Chef Chicago heard it)
Beautiful Day/Blackbird
New Years Day
Talk about Miles Davis and moving on from their past
Miracle Drug
Dedication to his dad/Sometimes You Cant Make it On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday/Into the Heart
Bullet the Blue Sky/Hands that built America
Dedication to the troops/Running to Stand Still
Talk about UN Declaration on human rights and invitation to join the ONE Campaign
Pride
Where the Streets have no name
One
**1st Encore***
Zoo Station
Fly
Mysterious Ways
**2nd Encore**
Only Because of You
Yahweh
Party Girl with girl from audience playing guitar
'40'

As you can see, it was a huge set list. And I have to say, it was a fantastic show. For the past 5 years or so, I have been really disappointed with their shows. In the past, part of what I loved about going to their shows was that they almost always had new lyrics or verses to their songs (the most infamous being the extra verse on With or Without You). In the past couple years though, it was like listening to the album with a lot of Bono running around. This being the 18th year of seeing U2 with ICC, I dont really care to hear anything that sounds like it does on the album. This round was almost consistently re-worked and even included, what I would consider to be impossible, an upbeat version of '40'. I also thought that I finally could appreciate Love and Peace which was right at home in the large stadium. And in conclusion I would like to note that yes, the nachos were good.

butter chicken/bummer

2005-05-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

Had lunch on Sat with the Misters Patel and must say that it was quite a delight. The littlest one couldnt have been cuter and even smiled at me (kids of all ages, in general, dont smile or like me.) With that little mole next to his eye he is certain to be quite the handsome man. I cant remember the last time Casual and I had a conversation, just the two of us. And it really felt long overdue and as if we only just started a conversation that we will continue at a later time. And the indian food was spectacular. Not only did they have Channa, but also Butter Chicken and tandoori chicken and all the nan you could eat. I am already trying to figure out when my next visit will be.
***
Happy Birthday Muchacho!!!

On my way home Sunday from the Muchachos birthday I had 3 voicemails. 2 hangups (which is usually Iron Chef Chicago) and a message from ICC himself requesting some C2 if we are going to a grocery store. Due to phone troubles, I notice a half hour later another message from ICC however its rather garbled and the only words I hear are 'dont worry.' I assume that he managed to get himself some C2, but leave him a message anyway letting him know that I couldnt understand the message. Lo and behold, ICC shows up at our backdoor with bandages galore on his hand. Apparently the message was 'Ive sliced off part of my thumb and am going to the emergency room to stop the bleeding. I am ok though, dont worry.' And true to his word, he was ok, but not only does he have less thumb, he didnt get any C2 either. Bummer.

Pilfering

2005-04-29T12:57:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Lindsayism via the gum

Idea for a cartoon:
One panel. A girl with a Bettie Page haircut and tattoos is talking to someone at a cocktail party. Caption:

"Well I was raised goth, but I converted to rockabilly when I married Bobby."

I was shocked that the Swinger hadnt written it.

Shout out to the LDG

2005-04-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

Today is the LDGs birthday! (Also known as Lasheroni and Cheese and Navin Letterman)

They dont look a day older than 5

People always forget that they are related, let alone born in the same litter. I think they forget that when a cat has kittens, there is no telling what those kittens are going to look like unless they come from pure breds. Since these two were probably born in a barn, it isnt terribly surprising that they dont look too much alike. When I got them, there was also a white one in the bunch. You just never can tell.

That day

2005-04-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Well, this morning I got on the train platform and no one was there except a couple people (usually both north and southbound are fairly full) so I asked a guy standing there ‘so, why is no one here. Is there something I don’t know?’ and he says ‘I don’t know. I cant remember what time this train is.’ So I look at my watch and say ‘Its supposed to be the 8:48.’ And he says, ‘No, I think it’s the 7:55’ and I just stare in confusion and he explains that I am an entire hour early. I think that it was subconcious solidarity with Iron Chef Chicago who now has to be at work by 6am.

Immature post for the day: Feel free to giggle at the name

Much excitement is going on this weekend! Casual and I are having some sweet indian food on Sat. (no, you cant come with) then Sunday is the MS Walk, Dip it in the Sauce, and the Muchachos 2nd birthday. Still uncertain about having a party for the LDG, mainly because Eagle as so much stuff to do, what with moving and all. Now, dont you worry, I have soft cat food for their celebration. But whether it will be formal or not, still no telling. And I figure we are all seeing so much of each other this weekend that perhaps another party is not the thing to do. Heck, I offered Puck Snoop tix and didnt hear back. Folks must be busy.

Born to Run

2005-04-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

So some of you have already heard my squeals of delight on this, but yesterday, for the first time in my entire life, I jogged a mile. Now, in the grand scheme of things, this may not seem like such a life-altering event, but it is. Its freaking huge.
I have mentioned the running thing before, but to reiterate a little context, I have wanted to run a mile my entire life. Like no kidding. I dream about it, and frankly have been putting a quasi-serious attempt at it for a couple years.
And I think more importantly to note, I really, really had myself convinced that I couldnt do it. I had so much evidence to prove that I just wasnt someone who could run. When I was in high school and in the best shape I have ever been, having dance practices for 12 hours a day, I still couldnt manage to run more than a couple blocks. I figured that if I couldnt do it then, there was no way I could do it now. I really occured for me like impossible and something I could chalk up to just one of things I am not good at. And thats why it so big to me, because I didnt quit. I had all the reasons to quit and none to keep going, and I did.
Now, for the nuts and bolts of it, I certainly didnt jog the fastest mile ever done. Not by a long shot. But as the end was in sight, I could feel a pull, almost literally, to stop running, to come just short of it. It was so unconscious it kinda scared me. And my legs were not happy with me, and I could have justified stopping. But to throw it in my own face, not only did I finish the mile, but I continued on for another quarter mile. Then I walked an 1/8 of a mile and then jogged the rest of the second mile. (How does she know these measurements, you might ask. The park I run around is a quarter mile each side. Makes for very easy distance calculation.)
And when I got home and was walking up the stairs, I started thinking about dinner. Then I realized that I was already ignoring what I had just done. That I had just done something that I thought was impossible, and realized that I didnt want to just ignore it. So I called Eagle, Muchachomama, and talked to CHLS and his little lady in the hallway. And now I am telling you, because I think its important to know - yesterday someone did something that for their entire life they thought was impossible.
And I bet that most of us have, so tell me about it in the comments.

Long train apparently

2005-04-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

I really thought I was going to update this sooner. How time flies. Anywhoo...
While the apartment has certainly been missing The Swinger, and Navin is still obviously waiting for his return, Eagle and I are definitely taking advantage of having the apt to ourselves. We had forgotten that it had been awhile since we were just alone - not out together amongst other people, or in the apartment alone waiting for The Swinger to return. We had some fantastic chill out time. So great. And we are excited for The Swingers return on Sunday, wondering if he can top last years mexican death masks made by lesbians.

In race news, this weekend I am doing the Ravenswood 5k through my very own neighborhood. Considering it starts at 8am, I am glad I dont have to go far. And in related news, I had an all-time best continuous jogging distance on Tues. I jog around a rather large park and previously had only gotten around 2 sides before having to walk for a distance. Tuesday, I went 3 sides. And not only that, I kept up my usual walk/jog pace for the rest of the distance (I go around the park, and through the park, and back around, etc.) I felt so good about it that I havent gone back. I should do something about that tonight.

And in tasty news, Eagle and I are going to taste wedding cakes this weekend! This is the part of the wedding process I have been looking forward to the most. We got to request four types of cake to taste. My guess, pre-tasting, is that the Vienna will be the winner: 5 layers of yellow cake with alternating layers of custard, raspberry, and apricot filling topped with a white chocolate ganache. Jesus. And since we are also planning on having a sweets table, they are going to let us try some of their various pastries. Please let there be a napolean. Those are so my favorite. Wish I could remember how much I budgeted for dessert...

Random thoughts: This saturday is laser treatment #2. Will let you know if anything reportable happens. Next friday, the 29th, is Navin and Lashers birthday. Thinking about having a shindig. Will consult with the Swinger and then get back to you. And OH.MY.GOD friday is Eagles last day of work! (and no, he doesnt have another job yet but still...) yippee!

Oh so quiet

2005-04-18T17:20:00.000-05:00

I know I have been rather quiet on this here board for a couple of days. Not terribly sure why, probably some kind of performance anxiety. Moving along.

The Eagle, Vinnie K, Missy and I went to go see Sahara. Remarkably not as terrible as we would have expected. Its kinda like a Bond film, not at all believable, plot line has plenty of holes, but the writing is good, the scenary beautiful, and overall quite entertaining. I would certainly see a sequel.

Totally skeezed out on seeing Andrew Bird. Part of me regrets it, but Eagle and I were having such a great weekend, its hard to regret anything about it.

Wow, just realized I have to catch a train. More later.

Those mysterious eggs

2005-04-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

Wow. So, after the favorable review by Lazlo regarding Andrew Bird's The Mysterious Production of Eggs,(Note to the Eagle, he got the title of the album from a magic book.) I decided to go ahead and take a listen. (For those just catching up, I loved Weather Systems, but not so much the stuff he did with Bowl of Fire so I was hesitating and waiting for the word from Lazlo who likes both sounds.) I was on my way home from being at dinner with the MuchachoMama and walking by Lauries Planet of Sound and decided to go old school and buy the CD hard copy. I was instantly pleased as the CD came with an egg! Filled with snacks and a notice about the CD release party. More about both of those later.

So this morning I took the NIN out of the CD player (it is a rare occasion when I take the time to switch out what I have in the CD player, but I had lots of time and actually remembered that I had a new CD.) Anywhoo, wow. You know its a good thing when you are listening to something for the first time in the background a room away while getting ready and its so good that you stop what you are doing to get yourself closer to the source. Specifically I am talking about Fake Palindromes (which my iPod has misspelled as Plaindromes). Jesus, 2:52 of pure joy. I found myself saying unconsciously 'brilliant.'

The rest of the album is great as well (any album that has as a refrain 'There will be snacks' is already tops of my list) but I immediately had to go back to the Palindromes so many times that I havent really spent enough time with it. It did, however, solidify that I will be attending his CD release party on the 16th. Anyone else game?

Satan has left the building

2005-04-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Satan chooses to visit my workplace in various different forms. One of his most appealing forms is the Chili Cheese Frito. On those days when he shows his frito-rific face, I forget all about that lovely wedding dress that, in order to fit, requires me to lose a half inch in the buttocks area. I throw away all the good I do by jogging in the morning. I forget just how foul my breath will be if I eat them. I dig through my bag with a ferver usually reserved for nachos and indulge. So it is with great joy that I announce that once I paid my mere 50 cents for satan-in-a-bag, that what appeared behind it in the vending machine was nothing other than his lazier, less appealing cousin - the plain frito. All is right again.

And no, I dont know why I blogged about that.

Saturday sun/Being Careful/The big finish

2005-04-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

What a marvelous weekend. On the quasi-recommendation of Hilesh, I spent Saturday morning with Eagle and Swinger listening to Guero to fantastic results. I think at points all of us found ourselves dancing in the apartment, probably me more than the others, but still. Great results. I dont know how Girl could possibly not end up being a hit this summer. Well, at the very least it will be a hit in our apt.
************************************
Some of you may have noticed that I have had a hard time crawling out of my hole these last couple of months. Truth be told, I have been rather depressed (not for any particular reason) and even more annoyingly in a terrible mood. And terrible doesnt begin to describe it. Just an awful cycle. I think I can safely say that the mood has passed for the moment. Man, this being human business can really get in your way of having a good time. Heres hoping I can keep it at bay for awhile again.
************************************
Well, Missy and I finished the Shamrock Shuffle this weekend. And we were even running when we finished! Now, we werent running the whole time but I would say that of the 5+ miles, we at least ran half of them. Not too bad for people who were not at all trained or ready for such a feat. On the high of that accomplishment we registered to do the Ravenswood 5k in our neighborhood and are thinking of doing a 10k in two weeks. However, before that I have to get new shoes. Some of you are familiar with the ongoing saga which is me trying to find shoes. Buying expensive shoes and once I have worn them and cant return them I find out that they arent the right fit for me and my feet are in pain. The good news is that my muscles werent sore after the race, just my feet hurt. I wonder what I will be capable of once my feet dont hurt. Most exciting possibility. Will keep you posted.

Not enough time

2005-04-01T13:54:00.000-06:00

At the back of the fantastic guide book I have been reading, they have a quick list of all countries with information on Visa requirements, water conditions, ATM availability, etc. So, for fun on the way into work I put a check next to all the countries that Eagle and I are fairly certain we are going to.

Already, the guidebook's number one tip came into play: You cant see everything.

I had checked off 48 countries. In a years time, that would leave about a week per country. Not at all the pace we were looking for. I doubt I could be in nearly enough Bollywood films if we were only in India for a week. You cant do Everest in a week unless you are a Sherpa. We are already planning 3 weeks in Australia with Iron Chef Chicago. Clearly, we have an issue to resolve. And what a great issue to have.

Just looking to finish

2005-03-31T12:49:00.000-06:00

So I have officially registered for this years triathalon. Which is probably a good thing since I convinced 5 other people to do it with me who had already registered. For those of you who dont remember, last years triathalon was nothing short of bizarrely triumphant. First, had charcakes not been on my ass, there is no way I wouldve done it. She loaned me a bathing suit, got me a bike hat, and drove me to the hotel which she had arranged. I hadnt been feeling well and was in a terrible mood. The day of the race I was literally the last person in the water, mostly because I was waiting for Eagle to cheer me into the water. Little did I know, but Eagle was on the other side of the lake, wondering if I was ever going to come out of the water.
So, my friends were almost done with the tri before I ever got into the water so I was standing there all alone, participating in the 'do it with your friends' category which my friends had failed to tell me they werent participating in. Not a friend in sight. Oh the drama. I got into the water several shades of pathetic. I think at points I was even crying, feeling sorry for myself. To continue the misery, I shortly figured out that I had developed a fear of putting my face in the water. Something I wouldve figured out if I had bothered to swim as part of my training - had I bothered to train. Sometime around the middle of the lake, when I was sure I could make it to the other side it just wasnt going to happen quickly, I found a certain level of peace. That, and I knew that if I didnt cut out the drama I probably wasnt going to make it to the other side. And that wouldve sucked. Anyway, I started feeling really great about the whole thing, and then I saw Jamie holding a sign, looking terrified that he had missed me. I waved to him while I was swimming and he finally saw me and started cheering and holding the sign high above his head that said he loved me. The rest of the race was cake. I cant wait for this years adventure.

Along those same lines, some of the tri-babes are doing the Shamrock Shuffle this weekend. Some are running, Kim and I are shuffling. Is anyone else registered that I dont know about? If you have any interest in laughing at us, come on down on Sunday. Dont forget to change your clocks. Race starts at 9:30.

And again along those lines, I have officially started the pre-wedding workout routine. My roommate, endorphine man, is keeping me thinking about it. I Working out 5-6 times a week, and am taking another stab at jogging. And as the Swinger and I discussed, running is terrible for you. But for me, its all about the dream. I have never run a mile, and still cant, but someday I swear I will.

Hopefully that day will be soon, my feet hurt.

Silence / Joy

2005-03-28T10:55:00.000-06:00

Eagle and I just found out that our friend Laura's mother passed away recently. Most of you dont know her, but if you would, take a minute to think fondly, talk to your god or the universe, and wish all of them peace. It was a very long death process and they could use some good vibes and prayers.

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The Beekeeper emailed over the weekend to find out how the wedding plans were coming along. And I was just so moved when I was describing to her just how great the plans are coming along and just how much love and support we have been getting. So many of you are giving your time, energy, voice, and love to make our wedding amazing- it was really overwhelming. We are just so fortunate to have all of you in our lives. I cant possibly say enough thank you's so I figure I should start now. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The Eagle has landed

2005-03-23T09:57:00.000-06:00

in cyberspace. (It was so cliche I couldnt avoid it.) The warmest of welcomes to our newest blogger, The Eagle.

As always, its good to have you here.
Update: By decree of 3S, until he blogs again, he is officially being labeled as Senor Poop Eagle.

Under and over the surface

2005-03-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

Right now I am really present to just how much is going on under the surface in my life. All the things unspoken that are affecting and sometimes ruling my life. And then of course, there are all the other really great things that I get to focus on to avoid whats under the surface. Not that these things are just a distraction, but they are important things that I get to look at instead of what is underneath and not have to justify spending time and energy on them. Speaking of which, Eagle and I went to B&N this weekend and bought several books that pertain to our trip. There arent as many books about the topic as you might think, but we found 4 we didnt already have. I am completely smitten with mine so far. The author spends 1/3 of the book giving tips only on how to BE on the trip. Nothing about what to pack or what credit card to bring. Rather, ways to distinguish what your mission is for the trip, heirarchys of what is important (integral to distinguish before the trip and for Eagle and I to agree on - or at least know each others as to respect them), and pros and cons of different types of traveling. This is my favorite quote so far (as part of distinguishing whether or not you are what he calls the Independant Budget Traveler):

You will travel for an extended period of time.
Your journey will be counted in weeks or months, not days. "Extended" implies much more than a minimum amount of time. If you feel as though your trip will be a consequential piece of your life - an important period of transition or growth that extends you - then the term fits. (emphasis mine)

I have a feeling that a couple months into it, what we will be present to is the extending - which isnt necessarily comfortable, but good for you. Sometimes I forget that what we are doing isnt going on a vacation. And I bet that is a trap we will fall into all the time (and I should check with the Eagle, because he might actually be going on 'vacation' which is really different than what I think we are doing.) I am so scared. And I cant wait.

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The Swinger and I started a workout routine, kinda, together this weekend which consists of going for a run/jog/walk on Sunday mornings (in addition to our seperate trips to the gym). And although it was his first ever, I have to give many kudos to him for doing really really well. I was impressed. And I have never gone for a run with anyone and it was quite nice. The time really passed quickly.

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Saw The Forgotten this weekend. A solid rental with some really well done scenes. I quite enjoyed it, as did the Swinger.

Not for the squeamish

2005-03-14T17:06:00.000-06:00

Please dont continue reading if there are things about me that you dont want to know. For instance, Iron Chef Chicago should not continue reading.

This was just so bizarre that I had to blog about it, and you know me, poor personal boundaries. Anyway here goes. So given the style and length of our honeymoon, I have decided to get laser hair removal for my arm pits and my bikini area. That and it would kick ass to not have to shave ever again. Another friend of mine is getting it done as well so I decided to go to the same salon she is, which is luckily across the street from an Ann Sathers. Mmmm. Anyway, to paint a picture, I am getting this done from a gay guy half my height named Dik. Of course I am.

Since I didnt know what kind of condition my hair should be in when I arrived, I had been letting things go. I wasnt sure what was optimal and that scenario seemed like a nice default choice. So he does my underarms first. It was a little more painful than I expected (as the test run didnt really hurt at all), but no big deal. So then its time for the bikini area. Even now my mind cant wrap just how bizarre it all got. He was down there, just trimming away and chatting about the freaks that have come in. All the while he has an enormous spot light on my completely naked crotch, taking time to occasionally back away and gauge just how even everything is. Remember the Brady Bunch episode where the movie director was scouting Mrs Brady in the parking lot and using his hands to create a framing effect? It was kinda like that.

All in all, I am actually a bit surprised as just how well I took the whole thing in stride. You just dont know how you are going to react to a complete stranger shaving your privates until it happens. Apparently, I find it mildly bizarre. Who knew?

That should fill your TMI quota for the week. You are welcome.

meltdown, the first one

2005-03-10T18:55:00.000-06:00

So I really am avoiding blogging about the wedding as much as possible as I realize that the details, while wildly fascinating to me, are of little interest to anyone who isnt also planning a wedding. But I had my very first wedding related meltdown which resulted in a really fantastic fight with the Eagle that we so needed to have, and I just wanted to mention it. It was a perfect fight. The Eagle really needed to do some whining and complaining and I really needed to be a covert martyr, suffering in silence, finally getting my moment of recognition of just how hard I have been working on the wedding.

Part of what makes our relationship so perfect is that while I cant manage to be angry for more than I day, I do enjoy the whole experience. But the Eagle has no tolerence for fighting so although he kinda hung up on me twice, he then called me back each time to talk about why he hung up and to make sure we cleared the air. Of course at the time I was being too righteous and indignant to care, but I know, somewhere in my mind, that I love that he loves me in such a way that he is less interested in being right than he is in being present to loving me. Tis an amazing thing, and no part of me takes any of that for granted.

You always wanted a theme song, didnt you?

2005-03-04T15:10:00.000-06:00

So theres a site out there designed to aid folks looking for a theme to their life. The basis of their theory - why not have your life themed on the song that was #1 on the day you were born. This sounded like a fantastic idea. So I checked it out.

So, first they make a point of saying that it is generally agreed that 1974 was a terrible year for music. But since I own the Singers and Songwriters collection, in its entirety, I ignored this.

I move down the weeks and see Jim Croce Time in a Bottle. Classic. I pretend I dont see Ray Stevens The Streak and move along. Oh, John Denver's Annie's Song. I love that song and had no idea it was released the year I was born. I ignore Clapton and move to Barry White. Oh yeah. Cant Get Enough of Your Love. Babe. So now I am just anxious to get to my week only to find out that Chicagos Handsomest Lead Singer (and fellow November birthday) got one of my favorite Stevie songs You Havent Done Nothing and I got jacked with Bachman-Turner Overdrive You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet. And the week after me is Lennon! Oh the injustice! To be birthed in between two greats like that. And now I cant get that song out of my head! Curses! I guess I will go back to my earlier, its-only-my-theme-because-I-say-it-is theme song, Alone Again Or.

Crap.

I hope you fare better than I did.

Ba ba ba ba ba ba Baby.

Doctor! Doctor!

2005-03-03T13:49:00.000-06:00

So one of the things I forgot to mention in my weekend update was that I was quite excited about having downloaded The Thompson Twins Into the Gap. I have that album on cassette tape and figured it was time to move to digital. I am notorious for downloading anything that catches my fancy and then being rather nonchalant about the album once I have it. I have to say, this album is not falling in that category. Just love it. So, for whatever reason, when I played it for Jamie in the apt I skipped Doctor! Doctor! and went right to You Take Me Up. So, today I am listening to it at work and started at the beginning and heard Doctor!(2) and immediately I was back in grade school.

What I had forgotten is that I loved that song when it came out and had decided that I was going to dance to this song at the grade school talent show. So I waited and taped (on Beta of course) Friday Night Videos. Then, I got my little bombox and sat next to the TV to tape the song. I did that for hours, trying to get all of the song but none of the person doing the intro. (I think in the end I had to compromise and missed some of the song.) But I spent days and days in my family room choreographing a dance/gymnastics routine to that song. And I cant even remember if I actually performed the peice or not, but I do remember just how serious and passionate I was about it. I think its time I looked into classes at the Old Town again. And I dont think I am going to do Bellydancing again. I definitely enjoyed it, and am glad I did it, but I need to do a more advanced class and although they now offer the second level, I guess I am just not inspired by it right now. I think I want something more challenging. Perhaps a west african dance (oops, already full), or really make myself look like an idiot and take Hip-Hop/House/Funk. And apparently classes start this week so I should probably get on that.

Weekend Update

2005-02-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

Lots and lots of really great goings on this weekend. Started off Sat morning morning with my very first trip to Ann Sathers with D&G. Been hearing about those cinnamon rolls for years now, and even have an Ann Sathers in the building I work, but had never actually had one. Verdict? Gooooood. However, my stomach is still reeling from the flu and I couldnt then enjoy the yummy potato sausage I had also ordered. It made for a sad meal. Then we trotted over to Evanston to see Finding Neverland. Having been a fan since his 21 Jump Street days, there are those moments when I wonder if my fascination with Depp should've gone the way of my Ralph Macchio and Morton Harket obsessions. But no, I still swoon. And what a great film. I think G and I cried almost all the way through it.

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Sunday morning the Eagle and I went out for breakfast and had a talk we've been meaning to have for quite some time. When both of us took an honest look at our life, in this moment in time, we both admitted that this was not how we wanted our engaged life to look. Engagement, like everything else in life, is only a big deal if you say its a big deal. And we say its a big deal, an amazing thing with lifelong implications. And what it seemed to devolve into was something to do, and for me specifically, something to handle alone and feel guilty about asking Jamie to spend his small amount of free time on. We both realized that this rite of passage could easily just drift by us and be something we remembered as a missed opportunity. We decided it was time to intervene. So today (as best as I know right now) Jamie is quitting his job. And we are both really, really excited. We dont really know what he is going to be doing next, and for the most part arent terribly worried about it.

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So about those Oscars, the thing that I have been mulling over is just how terrible Hilary Swanks speech was. In a sea of rather delightful speeches and entertainment, hers was a major dud. Way to be a machine Hilary and thanking all the various cogs. Yuck. I dont know why, but that really really annoyed me. The second thing that really bothered me was that Beyonce sang almost all the nominated songs. I like Crazy in Love as much as the next gal, but Beyonce doesnt have range when it comes to genre. She sings like an R&B singer, which is fine for her career, but I was sad to hear her do the song from Phantom. They had Josh Groban, why didnt he sing it? And although I havent heard the original, I doubt she was the best pick to sing something from a movie called The Chorus.

All in all though, it was a fine Oscar night. I had never watched them all the way through and was quite pleased. Chris Rock was daring and didnt sell out on his style which was great. And Prince, well, I waited all night to see him and was a little sad he didnt make a better showing. Or at least practiced his lines and the names of the nominees. But I still love him. Of course.

When Kooky goes Creepy

2005-02-25T13:07:00.000-06:00

Went out for my first social visit in a long time last night. And it was a fine one. The Impaler was there, Chicago's Handsomest Lead Singer, and The Swinger.

Not too much to say about last night, other than Life is Good.

God love a coworker

2005-02-24T15:26:00.000-06:00

Here at work, it has been plenty a month since our coffee maker last spewed out the filth that passed as coffee. On a good day, you can find both a plastic fork and a plastic spoon. We never run out of things to complain about. To that end our little kitchen in the left wing has seen many a note left regarding all sorts of kitchen-based atrocities: someone keeps throwing out my gladware, whoever emptied out the fridge threw away all the food I bought yesterday, someone didnt refill the water pitcher. I introduce to you the latest: where have all the paper towels gone.

Yes, someone I work with has the time, energy, and desire to 3 times a day (!!) check the status of paper towels and record those results. Apparently, twice (!!) this person had to go to the bathroom for a paper towel because there were none in the kitchen. And the suspicion is that they are being taken.

I keep thinking, perhaps once we get this handled we could start working on world peace. But first things first I suppose.

The Eagle Just Peed

2005-02-24T14:13:00.000-06:00

Via the Gum:

Compact Risk just released a mashup called "Drop it like its Huey" which would naturally be a mash up of Snoops "Drop it" and Huey Lewis' "Power of Love"

Thats why I love the Gum.

Little story about the Power of Love, when we were first dating and making each other mix CDs, the Eagle, of course, put this song on a disc for me (and I bet you all cant wait to hear it at the wedding.) In the accompanying liner notes he explained that this was a little song he 'found' on the Back to the Future soundtrack.

Anytime you see me laughing, I am thinking of that story.

One Trick Pony

2005-02-24T10:51:00.000-06:00

This whole blog business has really brought forth one of the fundamental things I deal with all the time. Failure. Failure to the point of paralyzation. Its everywhere in my life, in all my relationships, in everything I do. Not like a reality, but like a presence. Hanging around, hoping I will notice and acknowledge.

So, I have many a great blogger friend whose blogs I read on a daily basis, hoping there has been an update. I find them fascinating, engaging, and interesting, even when the blog is about Calculus. And man, I find myself wishing no one knew I started this. Cuz I dont know what I am doing and I am avoiding writing anything. And I know, no one knows what they are doing but that isnt what I am talking about. Man alive, I dont do anything that I dont already know I am good at. (Thankfully, I am good at a lot of things so I dont live the life of a hermit.) And I know this isnt something uniquely me, but in my group of friends it kinda is. Seems like everyone is out there, giving their heart to some kind of uncertainty. Putting their heart on canvas, in lyrics, in a cat tower. Of course, I put all my heart in the eagle. But given the ring on my hand, that isnt too terribly much of a risk. And sure, I have my things - walks and triathalons and such, but nothing that opens me up to too much judgement. This whole blog thing, a whole 'nother story.

And whats really great is the more I talk about it, the more stupid the whole concern seems. But I think on some level, that is the fear talking again.

Caution- This blog causes fever

2005-02-21T10:34:00.000-06:00

and chills, and headaches, and loss of appetite, and the sweats, and general body aching malay.

So, my grand entrance into the blog world ending up being nothing more than a whimper. Have spent the last 3 days catching up on some quality time with my couch. Normally, this of course would be a good thing. Great thing even. But shortly after I posted my very first post I got hit with a flu unlike any other flu in my memory.

Side note: I am as guilty of this as any other, but did you all know that unless you have a fever you dont have the flu? As I got a fever and it broke about 3 times a day for 3 days I was having a little hatefest for all those folks out there who say they have the flu and yet arent experiencing the joys of shivering and adding more blankets then immediately sweating and taking off clothes and kicking off blankets. Over and over again. And at the same time I felt sympathy for those people because, man, no one really believes you feel bad if you say you just have a cold. You might as well call in with a hangnail. You'll get no sympathy. So on some freakish level, I was rather proud to say I have the flu and could back it up with tales of a wicked mean fever.

I need to lay down now.

Hi. Thanks for reading.

Lets Get It Started

2005-02-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

Wow, I guess it all starts here doesnt it.