Monday, August 04, 2008
towel origami
every day when our cabins would be cleaned the staff would create animals out of the towels. creepy and fascinating.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
miami makes me want to own a bright red bikini with gold chains. oh wait. i have one of those. well, miami makes me want to wear it. proudly.
i'm sitting in a condo in miami looking out at a delicious cerulean blue ocean. i hope cerulean is a shade of blue. it might not be. but i like the sound of it, so it's staying. i could have looked it up on the wonderful world of the interweb in all the time it took me to ponder whether it is, in fact, a shade of blue. but that would have meant opening a new window. searching. finding out i was right/wrong. and then losing an entire paragraph of pointless babble. so i won't be doing that.
while you were all spending your week doing whatever it is that you do, i was on a carnival cruise ship doing one of the below things:
hanging out with 32 members of devon's family
eating entirely way too much
wowed by the tackiness and gaudy glitz
soaking in the sun
staring at the vast ocean
staring at the sky
reading
deciding what to eat next
cringing at the 'entertainment'
ordering room service when not hungry in the slightest
the highlights were finding a dark nook on the ship where we could curl up and look at the stars, unhindered by any lights. i learned why pluto is no longer technically a planet, and what a shooting star is. i learned about meteors and galaxies and i was surprised to find myself fascinated by what i was learning. this either means that my high school science teachers were really crappy, or that i now have the maturity to sit still and listen to facts about the universe instead of practising my signature and deciding what i was going to wear on saturday night at the next keg party.
i loved the day we spent in cozumel. we all rented rickety little scooters and drove around the entire island, stopping to snorkel or eat or get directions. i haggled with the shady snorkel equipment rental men which started off as cutesy eyelash fluttering flirtation and ended with threats of defamation. i saw dozens of brightly patterned fish and spied a barracuda. we ate plates of shrimp nachos made of real non-processed corn chips. drank virgin pina coladas at some random rasta bar while lazing in hammocks. ocean surf lapping at the tide, marley blasting...it was bliss.
here is a list of things of things you should know about cruises:
1. all you can eat lobster tails can lose their novelty
2. the cabin might have a fake window. they even put a blind on it. but push away the blind and there is nothing. a plastic beige wall. not even a faux scene painted on to ease the claustrophobia of being stuck in a tiny 2 foot cube.
3. the waitstaff are friendly for the most part. we did have a waiter called 'bagus' who was a little highstrung. one minute he was mad at us for ordering seven hors d'oerves and the next minute he was dishing out hugs.
4. if you are high or intoxicated you are probably going to have a lot more fun. or at least 'think' you are having fun. i'm not recommending that you get trashed on a cruise. i'm just saying that if getting wasted isn't on your agenda you might want to pick a different type of holiday.
5. vegas style decor (think lots of gold plated light fixtures, mirrors everywhere, purple sequin curtains, black marble) doesn't really appeal when you are sober.
6. you will eat more than you should and because room service is 'free' you will really believe that you want a BLT at four in the morning.
in conclusion, i've decided cruises are not really for me. i don't like being restricted to a boat. even if that boat is the size of a small country. i don't like set meal times. or buffets. or lots of middle aged oiled up naked people drinking too much and sitting in a swimming pool cesspit. i didn't get in the pool on the deck one time because i'm pretty content not having hepatitis thankyouverymuch.
i did love being with devon's family. his grandmother recently turned 80 - she is sharp witted, elegant and understandably proud of her five children and all the offspring they have spawned. dev's cousins were all a blast - some now parents, wrangling with altogether-too-beautiful-and-too-intelligent-for-their-own-good-kids. i heard lots of 'you should have known devon when he was a child' stories and we all forced frozen smiles through one hundred too many family 'group shots'.
now i've got a couple of days in picture postcard pretty miami with devon hugh. then he takes off for iceland by way of california, and i go back to nashville. this summer has been so full of adventure and newness. i'm still reeling from it all and it will be nice to have a few weeks of stillness to let it all sink in and take a moment to think about the full-to-the-brim-wonderfulness of life right now, and yet to come.
p.s. in lieu of a souvenir from my trip i've taken several hundred pictures just.for.you. but instead of making you sit through my slideshow that i have created with powerpoint and set to native american flute music, i'll just post up some of my favorite pictures. that is my gift to you. i know, i shouldn't have.
p.p.s. i hate powerpoint and i'm not the biggest fan of flute music either. if you believed that i had a slideshow with these elements we probably don't know each other as well as we should.
while you were all spending your week doing whatever it is that you do, i was on a carnival cruise ship doing one of the below things:
hanging out with 32 members of devon's family
eating entirely way too much
wowed by the tackiness and gaudy glitz
soaking in the sun
staring at the vast ocean
staring at the sky
reading
deciding what to eat next
cringing at the 'entertainment'
ordering room service when not hungry in the slightest
the highlights were finding a dark nook on the ship where we could curl up and look at the stars, unhindered by any lights. i learned why pluto is no longer technically a planet, and what a shooting star is. i learned about meteors and galaxies and i was surprised to find myself fascinated by what i was learning. this either means that my high school science teachers were really crappy, or that i now have the maturity to sit still and listen to facts about the universe instead of practising my signature and deciding what i was going to wear on saturday night at the next keg party.
i loved the day we spent in cozumel. we all rented rickety little scooters and drove around the entire island, stopping to snorkel or eat or get directions. i haggled with the shady snorkel equipment rental men which started off as cutesy eyelash fluttering flirtation and ended with threats of defamation. i saw dozens of brightly patterned fish and spied a barracuda. we ate plates of shrimp nachos made of real non-processed corn chips. drank virgin pina coladas at some random rasta bar while lazing in hammocks. ocean surf lapping at the tide, marley blasting...it was bliss.
here is a list of things of things you should know about cruises:
1. all you can eat lobster tails can lose their novelty
2. the cabin might have a fake window. they even put a blind on it. but push away the blind and there is nothing. a plastic beige wall. not even a faux scene painted on to ease the claustrophobia of being stuck in a tiny 2 foot cube.
3. the waitstaff are friendly for the most part. we did have a waiter called 'bagus' who was a little highstrung. one minute he was mad at us for ordering seven hors d'oerves and the next minute he was dishing out hugs.
4. if you are high or intoxicated you are probably going to have a lot more fun. or at least 'think' you are having fun. i'm not recommending that you get trashed on a cruise. i'm just saying that if getting wasted isn't on your agenda you might want to pick a different type of holiday.
5. vegas style decor (think lots of gold plated light fixtures, mirrors everywhere, purple sequin curtains, black marble) doesn't really appeal when you are sober.
6. you will eat more than you should and because room service is 'free' you will really believe that you want a BLT at four in the morning.
in conclusion, i've decided cruises are not really for me. i don't like being restricted to a boat. even if that boat is the size of a small country. i don't like set meal times. or buffets. or lots of middle aged oiled up naked people drinking too much and sitting in a swimming pool cesspit. i didn't get in the pool on the deck one time because i'm pretty content not having hepatitis thankyouverymuch.
i did love being with devon's family. his grandmother recently turned 80 - she is sharp witted, elegant and understandably proud of her five children and all the offspring they have spawned. dev's cousins were all a blast - some now parents, wrangling with altogether-too-beautiful-and-too-intelligent-for-their-own-good-kids. i heard lots of 'you should have known devon when he was a child' stories and we all forced frozen smiles through one hundred too many family 'group shots'.
now i've got a couple of days in picture postcard pretty miami with devon hugh. then he takes off for iceland by way of california, and i go back to nashville. this summer has been so full of adventure and newness. i'm still reeling from it all and it will be nice to have a few weeks of stillness to let it all sink in and take a moment to think about the full-to-the-brim-wonderfulness of life right now, and yet to come.
p.s. in lieu of a souvenir from my trip i've taken several hundred pictures just.for.you. but instead of making you sit through my slideshow that i have created with powerpoint and set to native american flute music, i'll just post up some of my favorite pictures. that is my gift to you. i know, i shouldn't have.
p.p.s. i hate powerpoint and i'm not the biggest fan of flute music either. if you believed that i had a slideshow with these elements we probably don't know each other as well as we should.
Friday, July 25, 2008
move over magic bullet...
the champion is here. well it isn't technically 'here'. but it will be. soon. it's our appliance-we-have-a-crush-on. after the iphone that is. although that is less of an appliance and more of a gadget-we-want-with-a-severe-wanting.
and when it is finally in our clutches the smoothie/nut butter creating/sorbet making magic will begin.
you can come over and try it. bring your own berries.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
how is the music workin' for ya?
i want each of you to send me a picture of yourselves cringing.
if i get 10 cringes i'll take it off automatic loop.
otherwise, start singing along.
i know you know the words.
xg
if i get 10 cringes i'll take it off automatic loop.
otherwise, start singing along.
i know you know the words.
xg
my fault.
today i realized i made a huge mistake at work. an-easily-avoided-should-never-have-happened-mistake. i found out as i was walking out of the office at 5.30pm, so ready to go home, unwind, pack for the impending cruise adventure, and sleep. oh sweet sleep - how i've missed you.
so, 5.30pm. panic stations. heart racing. stomach queasy. the air suddenly heavier. harder to breathe. it's not that my line of work deals with any life or death situations. the last time i checked, touring broadway shows were not changing the world in any drastic way. but i still have a job to do. a job i love. a job that i usually do really well.
i called my boss and left him a message explaining the situation. i apologized and took full responsibility for the mix up. i called my media buyer and she did her best to pacify me. she is an amazing resource to have. someone who has been in this industry and market for nearly thirty years.
boss calls back. cool, calm and composed, as always. reminds me it's just a mistake and tells me it's actually a good thing because it's a lesson to learn from and everything is going to be okay. heart stops its uptempo beating. stomach ceases to flip.
i think that one thing i'm learning how to do better is to 'own' my actions. i have a past that boasts many examples of my aptitude for wheedling out of messes i have created (i know marabeth will nod her head in agreement as she reads this). but in recent years i've realized that growth comes out of claiming those actions/decisions/mistakes/failures in judgment and being accountable, facing the issue head on and doing better next time.
**
i love flipping my pillow over to the 'cool' side
**
having an aesthetically pleasing desktop is a must. make yours lovely today. (thank you ryan lash)
so, 5.30pm. panic stations. heart racing. stomach queasy. the air suddenly heavier. harder to breathe. it's not that my line of work deals with any life or death situations. the last time i checked, touring broadway shows were not changing the world in any drastic way. but i still have a job to do. a job i love. a job that i usually do really well.
i called my boss and left him a message explaining the situation. i apologized and took full responsibility for the mix up. i called my media buyer and she did her best to pacify me. she is an amazing resource to have. someone who has been in this industry and market for nearly thirty years.
boss calls back. cool, calm and composed, as always. reminds me it's just a mistake and tells me it's actually a good thing because it's a lesson to learn from and everything is going to be okay. heart stops its uptempo beating. stomach ceases to flip.
i think that one thing i'm learning how to do better is to 'own' my actions. i have a past that boasts many examples of my aptitude for wheedling out of messes i have created (i know marabeth will nod her head in agreement as she reads this). but in recent years i've realized that growth comes out of claiming those actions/decisions/mistakes/failures in judgment and being accountable, facing the issue head on and doing better next time.
**
i love flipping my pillow over to the 'cool' side
**
having an aesthetically pleasing desktop is a must. make yours lovely today. (thank you ryan lash)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
resuming regularly scheduled programming
list of things i haven't done in the past few months (because it's not just my blog that has been neglected)
1. made my bed
2. gotten more than 6 hours of sleep a night
3. brushed my hair
4. gone grocery shopping
5. read a book
6. experienced boredom
list of things i've done instead:
1. fallen in love
i did also have a salad named after me at the best mediterranean cafe this side of the mississippi (i have no idea where the mississippi really is, or what side of it i'm on for that matter). but, if you go to cafe rakka in hendersonville (which i would recommend if you know what's good for you), get the 'golriz salad'. you'll be addicted.
**
tonight after work marabeth and i jumped on our trampoline. our neighbors may think we are crazy. we are. it's great.
**
1. made my bed
2. gotten more than 6 hours of sleep a night
3. brushed my hair
4. gone grocery shopping
5. read a book
6. experienced boredom
list of things i've done instead:
1. fallen in love
i did also have a salad named after me at the best mediterranean cafe this side of the mississippi (i have no idea where the mississippi really is, or what side of it i'm on for that matter). but, if you go to cafe rakka in hendersonville (which i would recommend if you know what's good for you), get the 'golriz salad'. you'll be addicted.
**
tonight after work marabeth and i jumped on our trampoline. our neighbors may think we are crazy. we are. it's great.
**
Thursday, July 17, 2008
i can be found at 4pm eating almond butter straight out of the jar
tonight i cleaned and organized the disarray that surrounded me. clothes back in drawers and on hangers. laundry folded. kitchen swept and swiffered. and at this juncture, i'd like to pause and officially thank the creative genius behind the swiffer. i charged my ipod and my shuffle and the battery for my camera. i answered emails. i returned calls. i debated about whether to go to the grocery store and buy real food - but then decided i was perfectly content with a dinner of yogurt, almonds, frozen banana slices drizzled with maple syrup.
my life recently has been full to capacity and so the 'to do' list grows increasingly longer - but it occurs to me that what doesn't get done today, may get done tomorrow, and even if it doesn't, it's probably not that important anyway.
impromptu list of things that are more important than the things on my to do list
seeing the stars that are held captive in certain eyes
noticing the perfection that exists in nature. a blade of grass. a petal. a cherry.
sharing prayers
sharing dreams
sharing fears
forehead pressed against forehead
smiling at strangers, and friends, and not yet friends
hands holding hands
bare feet
spontaneous ballroom dancing in the middle of the street
inhaling and exhaling
hugs
laughter
melodies
anything that is whispered
truth
hope
gratitude
**
my life recently has been full to capacity and so the 'to do' list grows increasingly longer - but it occurs to me that what doesn't get done today, may get done tomorrow, and even if it doesn't, it's probably not that important anyway.
impromptu list of things that are more important than the things on my to do list
seeing the stars that are held captive in certain eyes
noticing the perfection that exists in nature. a blade of grass. a petal. a cherry.
sharing prayers
sharing dreams
sharing fears
forehead pressed against forehead
smiling at strangers, and friends, and not yet friends
hands holding hands
bare feet
spontaneous ballroom dancing in the middle of the street
inhaling and exhaling
hugs
laughter
melodies
anything that is whispered
truth
hope
gratitude
**
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
drum roll please
i have a very large trampoline gracing my backyard.
let the jumping fun begin.
side note: a HUGE thank you to devon for putting this together in the searing heat while i stayed inside the a/c and observed with glee.
Monday, July 14, 2008
box o' pancake mix
sugar free
wheat free
yeast free
gluten free
DELICIOUS pancakes
can exist.
this mix makes it happen.
it's only found at trader joes.
a lovely lad sent me a whole box.
i'd recommend you get your hands on some asapers. if you bring the blueberries i'll share mine with you. also bring a change of clothes because inevitably there will be oil splattered in your direction. many a dress has been lost to this cause.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
a to z of my thursday
Awake by choice not by alarm
Bird motif green pajamas
Cake for breakfast
Dancing in the middle of the street
Elated by it all
Figuring out how to justify getting an iPhone
Getting to work from home
Hookah hilarity
Ice tea sweetened with honey
Jafsy on skype
Kisses
Lotionfoot a.k.a the secret to life
Maple syrup is no longer my enemy
Never getting lost again thanks to tom tom
Only a few weeks till i'm sailing the high seas. sort of.
Pine nuts make the world a better place
Quiet moments
Ragamuffin hair
Salad with gulf shrimp, spinach, roasted corn and bacon equates to deliciousness
Talking like the Tudors
Uncoordinated t-tapping with Maz
Vespa riding
Wishing it was the weekend already
eXcited about impending adventures
Year of miracles
Zed not zee
Bird motif green pajamas
Cake for breakfast
Dancing in the middle of the street
Elated by it all
Figuring out how to justify getting an iPhone
Getting to work from home
Hookah hilarity
Ice tea sweetened with honey
Jafsy on skype
Kisses
Lotionfoot a.k.a the secret to life
Maple syrup is no longer my enemy
Never getting lost again thanks to tom tom
Only a few weeks till i'm sailing the high seas. sort of.
Pine nuts make the world a better place
Quiet moments
Ragamuffin hair
Salad with gulf shrimp, spinach, roasted corn and bacon equates to deliciousness
Talking like the Tudors
Uncoordinated t-tapping with Maz
Vespa riding
Wishing it was the weekend already
eXcited about impending adventures
Year of miracles
Zed not zee
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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