Sunday, February 1, 2009
This year, I love Superbowl Sunday!
No, not for the reasons that you think!
I am considered an outcast of society, here in the Football capital of the world. Being a Texan, it is considered sacrilege to dislike football. That's ok, because I loathe it. I just don't understand the frenzy, the madness and ticket prices! Oh and the egotistical tesosterone heavy on-air commentary/pre-game/ post-game banter makes my toes curl.
So, why do I love Superbowl Sunday? Well this year, my in-laws are having a Superbowl party to show off their new monstrosity of an HD fancy schmancy L.E.Diculous television. The gentleman of the house decided to go and so kindly took our daughter with him. I now have control of the remote, the laptop, the sofa and the living room. I am recalling a time, many years ago, when I had such amazing freedom.
This is so unprecedented, and it has been so long since I have had any "mom" time that I really had no idea what to do first. For about 30 minutes, I just sat in the giant armchair in my daughter's room (my favorite place in the house), windows open, ipod on, eyes closed and I did absolutely nothing. I usually feel guilty participating in such self-indulgent behavior, but not today. All of the important stuff can wait.
I am enjoying my own little Superbowl party. It is filled with a giant glass of Cabernet, a bit of pate, Netflix streaming my favorite 30 Rock episodes, some feshly made hummus awaiting me for dinner, and lots of creative inspiration for my latest writing endeavors.Life is good.
I am sending in a petition to the NFL for a Superbowl re-match in about 6 months. Anyone with me?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Brother and Sister Blogging Duo
I have decided to stop flying solo and join forces with my brother on our own, blogging adventure. See my wonderful bro pictured below with my dear daughter!
Wait maybe not quite so flattering. Let's see what about this one.....
Ahhhh, yes, much better.
Right, the blog. Well, he is a brilliantly hilarious writer. He is the yin to my yang, the cabernet to my franc, the Miley to my Cyrus and we are finally collaborating. Pulling out all of the stops and exposing ourselves. Well not to each other, to our reading audience. Proceed with caution!
It is still in the works, but I assure you, it will be fun, informative (in a very biting, critical kind of way) and will give you just enough to keep wanting more.
Please stay tuned for more updates!
Oh, and you can follow his personal blog It's Very Expensive just for a lemony taste.
Wait maybe not quite so flattering. Let's see what about this one.....
Ahhhh, yes, much better.
Right, the blog. Well, he is a brilliantly hilarious writer. He is the yin to my yang, the cabernet to my franc, the Miley to my Cyrus and we are finally collaborating. Pulling out all of the stops and exposing ourselves. Well not to each other, to our reading audience. Proceed with caution!
It is still in the works, but I assure you, it will be fun, informative (in a very biting, critical kind of way) and will give you just enough to keep wanting more.
Please stay tuned for more updates!
Oh, and you can follow his personal blog It's Very Expensive just for a lemony taste.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Paris, Ma Ville
*Thanks to Matthew White of Matthew White Photography
Paris. That’s the town for me. My first visit was love at first sight. I was smitten. I visit every year and return home with a gut wrenching depression that lasts for months. Some might call it “culture shock,” I call it homesick.
Gertrude Stein once said "Writers have to have two countries, the one where they belong and the one in which they really live. The second one is romantic, it is separate from themselves, it is not real, but it is really there." My second country is Paris. Yes, I know, Paris is not a country, but, it might as well be. It encapsulates enough passion for the entire globe. The passion was in my blood long before I was born, as the destination for my honeymooning parents, and it still beckons me even during the simplest, most ordinary of days.
As an outsider and an insider, I see Paris differently than most tourists and certainly than most residents. The longest period I lived in the city at one time was a year (and that was as a student) therefore, I never grew bitter of the hustle and bustle. I don’t yawn every time I cross the Pont Neuf and I still, willingly, climb every single step in and around Montmartre.
I will take you on a journey through my Paris.
My Paris is rich, chocolaty, full of mystery, and a little bit Catherine Deneuve. If you want a guide to the Eiffel Tower or the Mona Lisa call Triple AAA. I can’t give you that. You are welcome to see the sites in two days, but you will never feel Paris. If you want to blend in and travel the cobblestone paths, keep reading.
Paris is a city for foodies. Some call it the City of Light, but I am not sure why because I usually gain at least 5 pounds per visit. I cannot give you any restaurant recommendations, though, because I have never selectively dined at a restaurant for the Michelin rating or fancy name, I simply happen upon bistros. You can eat a five-star meal for a one-star price in every neighborhood (or arrondisement, as we Francophiles say). Explore your neighborhood. Stop in if the menu seems pleasing and the food looks appetizing. That is part of the discovery. In Paris, I have never had a bad food experience. Well maybe once, at McDonald’s, with my terribly American cousin, but that’s not really Paris. If you absolutely have to go to McDonald’s, I recommend les frites. Divine.
You must rush into any bookstore once you arrive in the city to purchase the little red or larger green arrondisment guide. This guide includes every single street in the city and all Metro stops. It is impossible to get lost if you have this guide. I love to start off in one area, travel by foot, and explore the sights. Happening upon museums, adorable retail boutiques and choclatiers (who often offer samples) is perfect if traveling on foot. Don the comfortable, but still very chic, shoes because most of the smaller, no cars allowed, side streets are paved in centuries-old cobblestone. Not the best for your dear Blahniks.
My recommended starting points: 2nd, 4th, 6th, 5th, 11th and 18th.
The language can be a deterrent for the non-adventurous traveler, but, that person would have stopped reading after the mention of Gertrude Stein. It is not too much trouble to buy a quick phrase guide and take a crash course in pronunciation on the plane via podcast. Pointing gets you everywhere, sulking and speaking louder in English gets you dirty looks and an overpriced lamb’s brain sandwich. Respecting a culture and a language goes a long way to getting what you want with a beautiful coffee stained smile to follow. Don’t be afraid to try, you may have a Sabrina hidden inside of you, just dying to come out.
Purchase the local Parisian entertainment guide. I recommend Pariscope. This guide is published weekly, in French, and provides listings of events, movies, exhibits and other happenings around town. If you don’t speak much French, ask a local or refer to your handy language guide for help. There are English alternatives such as Time Out Paris, but that just wouldn’t be very Parisian.
To market, to market to buy an antique broche? Visiting the Parisian city markets are such a treat. You will find a wide array of vendors (especially on Saturdays) who know just how to sell you the most amazing trinkets that you certainly don’t need. So many restaurateurs visit the market to purchase special cheeses and fresh produce. Explore the market, and sample the wares. Zabar’s will never be the same again.
Everyone must find their own Paris. For some it’s art, for some dance, for some exclusive custom-made perfume or exposure to some of the best films anywhere in the world, and yet for others it’s Amsterdam. Create your travel agenda based on the things that you love to do so you know exactly where you want to go and what you want to avoid. Photograph, sketch, write or vocalize your journey. Your trip will no doubt start your own love affair that is sure to last a lifetime.
Paris. That’s the town for me. My first visit was love at first sight. I was smitten. I visit every year and return home with a gut wrenching depression that lasts for months. Some might call it “culture shock,” I call it homesick.
Gertrude Stein once said "Writers have to have two countries, the one where they belong and the one in which they really live. The second one is romantic, it is separate from themselves, it is not real, but it is really there." My second country is Paris. Yes, I know, Paris is not a country, but, it might as well be. It encapsulates enough passion for the entire globe. The passion was in my blood long before I was born, as the destination for my honeymooning parents, and it still beckons me even during the simplest, most ordinary of days.
As an outsider and an insider, I see Paris differently than most tourists and certainly than most residents. The longest period I lived in the city at one time was a year (and that was as a student) therefore, I never grew bitter of the hustle and bustle. I don’t yawn every time I cross the Pont Neuf and I still, willingly, climb every single step in and around Montmartre.
I will take you on a journey through my Paris.
My Paris is rich, chocolaty, full of mystery, and a little bit Catherine Deneuve. If you want a guide to the Eiffel Tower or the Mona Lisa call Triple AAA. I can’t give you that. You are welcome to see the sites in two days, but you will never feel Paris. If you want to blend in and travel the cobblestone paths, keep reading.
Paris is a city for foodies. Some call it the City of Light, but I am not sure why because I usually gain at least 5 pounds per visit. I cannot give you any restaurant recommendations, though, because I have never selectively dined at a restaurant for the Michelin rating or fancy name, I simply happen upon bistros. You can eat a five-star meal for a one-star price in every neighborhood (or arrondisement, as we Francophiles say). Explore your neighborhood. Stop in if the menu seems pleasing and the food looks appetizing. That is part of the discovery. In Paris, I have never had a bad food experience. Well maybe once, at McDonald’s, with my terribly American cousin, but that’s not really Paris. If you absolutely have to go to McDonald’s, I recommend les frites. Divine.
You must rush into any bookstore once you arrive in the city to purchase the little red or larger green arrondisment guide. This guide includes every single street in the city and all Metro stops. It is impossible to get lost if you have this guide. I love to start off in one area, travel by foot, and explore the sights. Happening upon museums, adorable retail boutiques and choclatiers (who often offer samples) is perfect if traveling on foot. Don the comfortable, but still very chic, shoes because most of the smaller, no cars allowed, side streets are paved in centuries-old cobblestone. Not the best for your dear Blahniks.
My recommended starting points: 2nd, 4th, 6th, 5th, 11th and 18th.
The language can be a deterrent for the non-adventurous traveler, but, that person would have stopped reading after the mention of Gertrude Stein. It is not too much trouble to buy a quick phrase guide and take a crash course in pronunciation on the plane via podcast. Pointing gets you everywhere, sulking and speaking louder in English gets you dirty looks and an overpriced lamb’s brain sandwich. Respecting a culture and a language goes a long way to getting what you want with a beautiful coffee stained smile to follow. Don’t be afraid to try, you may have a Sabrina hidden inside of you, just dying to come out.
Purchase the local Parisian entertainment guide. I recommend Pariscope. This guide is published weekly, in French, and provides listings of events, movies, exhibits and other happenings around town. If you don’t speak much French, ask a local or refer to your handy language guide for help. There are English alternatives such as Time Out Paris, but that just wouldn’t be very Parisian.
To market, to market to buy an antique broche? Visiting the Parisian city markets are such a treat. You will find a wide array of vendors (especially on Saturdays) who know just how to sell you the most amazing trinkets that you certainly don’t need. So many restaurateurs visit the market to purchase special cheeses and fresh produce. Explore the market, and sample the wares. Zabar’s will never be the same again.
Everyone must find their own Paris. For some it’s art, for some dance, for some exclusive custom-made perfume or exposure to some of the best films anywhere in the world, and yet for others it’s Amsterdam. Create your travel agenda based on the things that you love to do so you know exactly where you want to go and what you want to avoid. Photograph, sketch, write or vocalize your journey. Your trip will no doubt start your own love affair that is sure to last a lifetime.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Ill at Christmas
Not me, the baby. Why is that? Poor thing, croupy cough, runny nose, stuffy head and fever. I hope she is well enough to enjoy Santa's offerings. If not, maybe we'll get to sleep in!
Ahhh, she still manages to clown around, despite the sickness.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
IKEcarumba
Satellite Photo of IkeWe survived!
On Thursday night, very late, we left Galveston. Thursday was a very long day of packing, moving, protecting and Jonathan and I were wiped out by the time we reached my Mom's in Houston a little after midnight. We drove down the Seawall one last time as we left town and it was eerily quiet, boarded up and empty. There were two bars open, one aptly named the Poop Deck, hosting the last of those who stayed behind and a few journalists I am sure.
Boarding up Windows and Preparing HouseAs most of you know, the storm was fierce and was much more destructive that anyone could have anticipated for a category 2/3. Unfortunately most of Galveston was under water from the swells and storm surge. Houston was mostly effected by horrendous wind and rain, and even more rain on Sunday after everyone thought the worst was over.
The majority of the Greater Houston area and of course Galveston County is without power. I am sending this from the only place I know that has an internet connection, A/C, and is free - my mother in-law's office near the Galleria.
On Tuesday the City of Galveston announced they would allow residents and business owners to "look and leave" the island to assess damage. We quickly stocked our vehicle, left Eva with Jonathan's parents and headed to the island. It was stated that we would have to provide proof of residency at checkpoints and that we would only have until the 6pm curfew to get off the island or pay a $2,000 fine. After waiting in a line of cars and traveling 4 miles in two hours, we finally reached the island.
The good news: Our house is still standing! The not so good news: For those of you who have not had a chance to visit us, we lived in a renovated, historic, three-story home. Our entire first floor was flooded. Everything that we had to leave on that floor is lost. My car (that was moved to the other side of the island on much higher ground) was also flooded (although this is really good news because I was going to get rid of it any way, so now it is an insurance problem).
This is our stairwell from first to second floor covered in debris and our back door
that had to be forced open. Note the water line on the wall.
The better news: A tall palm we had in our yard was snapped and possibly caused the roof damage we had, but did not break a window (thanks to the plywood). The roof did not leak, as far as we could tell, so everything on the upper two floors was untouched.
The snapped palmThe frustrating part: We only had about 45 mins to assess damages, take photos, gather was many of our belongings as could fit in an SUV and get off the island. The city has not allowed anyone back onto the island, so there our house sits. We cannot open windows and start getting everything out, so it will be in much worse shape than if we had been able to start working on it right away. We are hoping that the dampness does not cause significant damage to everything we have left on the upper floors.
We are officially Ike refugees and are trying to formulate a plan for where we will be and what we will be doing as our home, even we are allowed back and utilities restored, will be uninhabitable.
Eva has behaved beautifully and is being spoiled rotten. She is acting just as a toddler should, getting into everything, not listening (most of the time), laughing, playing, exploring, fussing at bedtime (even though it's just a playpen she is sleeping in). We have tried to maintain a calm demeanor around her so that she won't pick up on the stress and frustration and it seems to have worked. I know she most likely will not remember any of this, but if she does, I am sure it will seem like a fun, never ending vacation.
Thank you all so much for your thoughts and well wishing. I can't tell you how encouraging that has been for us. We will keep you posted on our progress, as it is literally a day to day existence. Hugs and Kisses to you all. Hope to see you soon. Michelle, Jonathan and Eva
PS - My beautiful, tiny patch of a yard is no more.
Before
After
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
To Perfect the Art of Time Suckage
What did we ever do without myspace, facebook, match, imdb and bloggidy blog blog blogging to help us perfect the art of time suckage? I have to confess that I have joined the ranks, but it was purely for research purposes. Oh it was only a week ago that I found those silly get-to-know-everything- about-me-sites so petty, so trite. This week I am connected to 10 new friends, they all know that I am bringing sexy back, I just gave a pokie to a Billy Joe in Montana and I occasionally dream of swimming in smelt roe. Therefore, I pose the question that surpasses generational gaps and portends to unite slackers and bongers far and and wide, "Can time sucking actually have a greater purpose?"
I urge you to sacrifice as much time as possible to investigate all possibilities. I must issue a warning: Please pace yourself, there are so many possibilities and so much time to waste.
First, create a blog.
Next, fill it with endless blathering about yourself, your family, your opinions, pictures of your favorite shoes, vacation photos (just to make everyone jealous and to make it seem like you had a great time), links to your favorite recipes and your favorite video on youtube. I know there are other things that are included in this list, so it's best to be creative. As long as you post everything about yourself that you think people care to read, watch or look at, but who really are just stalking you, then you have the proper time sucking formula.
Third. Create on online friend network profile.
Facebook and myspace seem to be ideal for optimizing time suckage. You must be prepared to include your profile (see description above) and make sure to add your favorite music, books, movies and religion.
Perfect. You are on your way to the time sucking self-discovery. Be sure, at this point, to track just how much time is sucked up per event. I am not sure why, but it may be important later.
We'll call the next phase "research."
There are so many idle bits of trivial information that are just floating about in cyberspace, waiting for your personal connection. The top Billboard albums from your birth year, for example, can be found in seconds and may lead to other important researching quests such as: Richard Gere v. Gerbil, fact or fiction; what size shoe does Martha Stewart wear; or, how many times has Liz Taylor said her nuptials.
It is important that any of these bits of information be researched via the internet, blackberry or iphone whenever the moment arises. Please note, that researching typically leads to more researching and may soon suck and exorbitant amount of time. Proceed in optimum time sucking mode.
Gossip
Why do we care what the Brangelina twins look like or why do we yearn to know who has made the latest Fugly Dressed list? The answer is simple. In perfecting our time sucking while reading about Hollywood starlets, we avoid having to file our TPS reports for one more day. Genius, pure genius.
So much sucking, so little time.
I urge you to sacrifice as much time as possible to investigate all possibilities. I must issue a warning: Please pace yourself, there are so many possibilities and so much time to waste.
First, create a blog.
Next, fill it with endless blathering about yourself, your family, your opinions, pictures of your favorite shoes, vacation photos (just to make everyone jealous and to make it seem like you had a great time), links to your favorite recipes and your favorite video on youtube. I know there are other things that are included in this list, so it's best to be creative. As long as you post everything about yourself that you think people care to read, watch or look at, but who really are just stalking you, then you have the proper time sucking formula.
Third. Create on online friend network profile.
Facebook and myspace seem to be ideal for optimizing time suckage. You must be prepared to include your profile (see description above) and make sure to add your favorite music, books, movies and religion.
Perfect. You are on your way to the time sucking self-discovery. Be sure, at this point, to track just how much time is sucked up per event. I am not sure why, but it may be important later.
We'll call the next phase "research."
There are so many idle bits of trivial information that are just floating about in cyberspace, waiting for your personal connection. The top Billboard albums from your birth year, for example, can be found in seconds and may lead to other important researching quests such as: Richard Gere v. Gerbil, fact or fiction; what size shoe does Martha Stewart wear; or, how many times has Liz Taylor said her nuptials.
It is important that any of these bits of information be researched via the internet, blackberry or iphone whenever the moment arises. Please note, that researching typically leads to more researching and may soon suck and exorbitant amount of time. Proceed in optimum time sucking mode.
Gossip
Why do we care what the Brangelina twins look like or why do we yearn to know who has made the latest Fugly Dressed list? The answer is simple. In perfecting our time sucking while reading about Hollywood starlets, we avoid having to file our TPS reports for one more day. Genius, pure genius.
Online Dating.
I have come across many the corporate lap dog who profess to wasting any and all available cubicle time (without being suspicious) to the utmost of respectable time sucking ventures - online dating. They get paid while doing it, feel great about it and arise to start it all over again the following morning. They just got married.
Is there a greater purpose to the art of time suckage? As of late, my research results are inconclusive. Perhaps I should make friends with Tila Tequila, chase down the latest pics of Bennifer Garner a la baby bump #2 and update my profile before turning in for the night.So much sucking, so little time.
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