iced coffee

Is it just me, or does iced coffee appear to be the new drink of choice?
It's everywhere now. It's in the windows of nearly every coffeehouse I pass, and not to mention on the sides of buses and bus stops. Just the other day I received an email from a French bakery I love introducing their new iced coffee. And there was a coupon for one for something like $2. Although, isn't that the average price of an iced coffee?
Really, what's so revolutionary about iced coffee? It's easy to make (I make it a couple hours into the day if I have coffee left), and we've had hotter summers that would warrant the news much more than the past few weeks have. And even in Texas, where the heat "is too hot for the devil and too hot for men"* hasn't really had such a prominent display of iced coffee before this summer, from what I gather.
First of all, don't get me wrong. I'm not ranting. I'm just making an observation. I like iced coffee. I buy iced coffee if I'm out, would like something cold to drink and would also like a little pick-me-up. It's just not a revolutionary new drink to me...and yet, it's everywhere. Anyone else noticing this?

*10 points if you know what this line is from. Anyone? :) It's from a poem, Hell in Texas. I think I've mentioned it before, but what can I say? It's entertaining and growing up in Texas...I could relate.

strange sensations...for august

Is it just me, or does it almost feel like fall is here? Or at least fall's trying to make a breakthrough?

Maybe it's just trying to shove its way through the normally hot and sticky month of August. Which I'd have no problem with.

The other day, I had the strangest sensation of fall while walking home from work. Well, I guess it helped that my walk to work that morning was cool and a little breezy.

But since it had rained earlier, a cool, moist feeling hung in the air. But it wasn't thick and sticky, like normal humidity. It smelled fresh, the rain having already cleared away some of the putrid smells of summertime city streets. And because of the clouds, it was more like dusk.* Cars with their headlights only added to this, skipping forward to the shorter days in the months to come. All I needed was a few multi-colored trees lining the streets.

I know. I'm jumping ahead here, but a girl can dream, can't she? I'm hoping, and keeping my fingers crossed, that fall will come sooner rather than later.


*Interestingly enough, when I think of dusk, I think of summer. Maybe it's all those trips to Virginia in the summer when I was growing up. It was practically a family rule that we went out at dusk to catch fireflies. Fireflies signal dusk to me.

a little scottish history

Ok, so here's another book recommendation: How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It by Arthur Herman.

I'll start by saying that it was pretty interesting. He looked at several ideas in the education system that eventually led to those great philosophical ideas we study in school and, one person that I knew very well from school, Adam Smith. And then it also described the Scottish culture influenced the US, Canada, and other areas of the British Empire as the Scots left Scotland in waves.

There were a few little known facts, at least to me, that I found fascinating. And this may be because I've always had a fascination with words and sometimes I think I really should have gone to school to become a linguist. For example, the old political party, the Whigs, was derived from a Scots word, whigg. And it's interesting to note that Tory apparently comes from an Irish word. Bu Herman writes "Whigg is Scots for a kind of sour milk or whey....Whiggamore [sour milk men] soon shortened to Whig; in John Locke's day, it referred to anyone bound and determined to have a Protestant succession, whether in Scotland or England."

The Scottish also went South and influenced endearing parts of "Southern" culture in the US. Herman mentions some words that were also generated from the Scottish and parts of Southern culture, which is strange because I wouldn't at first think of it as particularly Scottish.

It's the little facts that I really like. In my Euro class back in high school, my teacher loved the little facts and one of her biggest things were quotes. We had to memorize a quote from a certain time period or in the case of school, from a chapter. But it was fun and they stick with you. I know I've already brought up the Whig party to a few people.

The book is also a fairly quick read. Yes, it's a history book and history can be...complicated. Complicated in that certain people or families keep popping up and you may have to go back and refresh where they came from initially or why they're on one side of history as opposed to the other (even if they may have been on the other). But that's what makes it interested. I think that there could have been more dates in the book as there were a few times when I had to flip back several pages to figure out what time period, since the entire book wasn't chronological. It was for the most part, but when you have a chapter or two on a cultural aspect, time lines are going to flow back and forth quite readily.

I'll try and be better about my book recommendations. Right now my 'to-read' stack is a little daunting. I've got about 11 books stacked up on a console table, not to mention that there are several on my bookshelves that I'd like to reread. Ordinarily I'll read one, and then quickly jump to the next one for that feeling of accomplishment in seeing my stack decrease. And of course, let me know if you have any suggestions.

success!

There's this opera song that I love, but have had absolutely no idea what it was. You may, and probably do, know which song I'm talking about. It's on so many movie trailers and in so many movies as a battle song or just...well, it's a great song to create tension (and patriotic tension at that).

Whenever I hear it I think I need to look it up. And in May when I last saw my sister, the two of us discussed how we need to look it up. But that was a few months ago.

Friday evening I put in a movie and watched the trailer for it, you know, just to get in the mindset of the movie, and guess what song played during the duration of the trailer? Yeah, it was this opera song. And I thought "hmmm...I'm home, with my computer and internet, and I'm going to look up this song now, while I'm thinking about it." Because like all the other times, if I put it off, I'd forget about it.

And I found it. It's "O Fortuna," from Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff. So, for your listening pleasure, here's one video I found on YouTube. Though of course there are many, many videos.



Sound familiar?

what do we need umbrellas for again?

I woke up this morning to a brilliant, clear sunny sky. But I'd heard all weekend about how it was supposed to rain and on NPR today I heard repeatedly about the severe thunderstorm warnings and watches. I knew it was only a matter of time before the skies let loose.

Now granted, I slept in late this morning, much later than usual. But I'd earned it. So I took my time getting up, drinking my coffee and checking my email, but shortly after lunch the bright light pouring in my window faded. A lot. And I still needed to run to the grocery store a few blocks away.

So I threw on some jeans and a T-shirt, left my hair half dry (not that it would matter), grabbed an umbrella and hurried off to the store. No rain. Maybe one or two drops but that was the entire walk to the store. I figured I could grab the things I needed and hurry back home before the rain started.

Not so much.

I looked out the windows when at the check-out and it poured. Not to the point where visibility was impaired, but it was poured in sheets. But I persevered. I figured with my umbrella, I might make it home fairly dry. It was either that or wait around like a few other people were doing. But who knows how long the storm would have lasted. So I hurried home.

A block from the store was the first of many oceans that formed at the end of the sidewalk with no possible way to jump them without landing in their depths. And these oceans formed in the twenty or so minutes I was inside the store. Amazing. Who wants to work with me to dig drainage systems? Or deeper ones since I know there are a few in my neighborhood.

Needless to say I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got home. My jeans soaked up water from the oceans, along with my shoes and socks. Not to mention that the rain was coming in at an angle, so that the only dry part of my jeans was the part my t-shirt covered. Because my shirt was soaked too so it's hard to say how much longer that dry part would have remained dry. And I had some nice little tablespoons of water in my bags (luckily nothing I bought was ruined by water...except maybe the boxes of my granola bars).

And of course my entire walk home, with my umbrella up and me feeling soaked to the bone, I just have to wonder why I'm even bothering.

sorry!

Yes, I'm still here. Sorry for the silence. Last weekend my internet was down for some strange reason (and yes...it was down for the entire weekend). And then during the week for the last two week the days have been a little crazy.

But, I'm still here. And I've got some ideas for some posts so expect them coming up soon. Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about you!

-Patricia

sometimes a greater appreciation comes with age

I'm reading The Historian right now, by Elizabeth Kostova, and because Dracula plays such an important part, I've been thinking it might be time to reread Stoker's book. By the way, I'm only in the beginning of The Historian, so I can't say how much I like it, but so far I'm enjoying it.

Anyway, it's been a very long time time since I read Dracula. And at the time...I really, really didn't like it. I was bored and having read a lot of Anne Rice, all I can say is that Dracula is definitely no Lestat. I prefer the handsome vampires...not the literal living dead ones. So why bother to reread it? I remember what happens and I remember the trials of getting through it (my apologies, Bram). But I have to wonder if maybe I'll like it now.

Around the same time that I first read Dracula, I also read Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. I thought I would happy to never have to read another Hemingway in my life. I wasn't a fan of his short, staccatoesque sentences, and I definitely was not a fan in his portrayal of women. His women, I felt, needed a backbone. Of course, this was all formed after one book, but at the time...it was enough.

Then, years later, we read For Whom the Bell Tolls in AP English. And here's the strange thing. I dreaded having to read it, but as it turned out, I loved it. I wondered how on earth I had come into the English assignment with such dread. Anyone who's since seen my bookshelves will see quite a few Hemingway titles. He's now one of my favorite writers, and I've read The Sun Also Rises many times over.

So what's my point? My point is that our tastes change. Maybe getting older and having other reading experiences enabled me to enjoy Hemingway more. I'm sure there are others I've read and then later reread and enjoyed that much more, but Hemingway is the best example that I can think of. So maybe I'll enjoy Bram Stoker more, and be able to look past the physical flaws of the main character (reminding myself, again, that he probably looks pretty good for a centuries old walking corpse).

Maybe I will. I'm sure I kept my copy, though it's probably with the rest of my books...in storage under the stairs in Texas. If I think of it, I'll have to look through them next time I'm there. And speaking of Dracula, maybe I missed something. One quick note, this next comment is going to appear rather random.

I remember being pleasantly surprised by the movie League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I think the main reason is because I wasn't expecting much from it at all after hearing the reviews. And secondly...it was really kind of a cool idea about having all those characters together. But here's what bothered me...a lot. There's one scene where they're outside on the deck of the sub, and guess who's standing there talking without affect. Mina Harker.

Will someone correct me on this? And again, it's been many years and my mind has since been filled with other pieces of information from other books, but I didn't think Dracula could be out in sunlight. I understand that other vampire authors may allow their creatures to do so, but I didn't think Dracula could. Which would mean Mina wouldn't be able to be in sunlight then either. Laugh all you want, but it bothered me.

Maybe it was just poetic license by the screenwriters, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Dracula did walk in sunlight. Anyone remember?

I warned you that last comment was random. But if I ever get back to Dracula, I'll let you know if my opinions on it have changed. In the meantime, read some Hemingway.

small acts of kindness

Living in a large city, such as this one, many of us can easily find something (or some things...ok, several things) to complain about. One of them is construction. I've read many urban blogs complaining about the sidewalk and street closings, the noise, the dust, etc., etc. so I know I'm not alone. Near where I live is one of these wonderful sites of what will be, I'm sure, a wonderful building when it's finished. But it's been going on for essentially the last several years I've lived there.

I've learned to live with it. As have most of the people in this area.

But occasionally there will be one beast of a truck (or, like yesterday, a great big cloud of dust that almost makes you wonder what went wrong) that throws just the slightest crimp in an ordinary day. And today was one such day. I'm not complaining because really, so what? I have to cross the street in the middle of the block instead of at the end. It's happened before and it may even be quicker. Depending on traffic of course.

And this morning there was a little bit more traffic than usual. Maybe that's my fault since I left about 10 minutes later than normal. But when I stepped out and waited for a break in traffic, one of the crew ran over and stepped out, stopping traffic. I figured this was for some large truck backing out and knew enough to hurry across and out of the way, taking advantage of the moment.

But when I crossed the street, I glanced back and there was no truck. And the man had gone back to the others. Did he just...stop traffic for me to get across?

I glanced back several times, looking for the truck that wasn't there and you know what? Even if he didn't do it just to let me cross the street, that's what it looked like. And it totally made my day. That's the purpose of this post. It's the small things, the little things that make a difference.

And they say chivalry is dead.

pescetarian? really?

Today I saw an article, and of course I can't find it right now while I'm looking for it, that says that pescetarian is one of the new words to be included in the updated dictionary (along with edamame, finally!). My first reaction: seriously?

Now, I don't want to offend any pescetarians out there, because essentially I am one, but I just tried to think of it in terms of practicality. And maybe that's because I get enough grief from those who love me about being a vegetarian (need I remind you I grew up in Texas). I had this image of announcing that I was a "pescetarian" and the grief I'd get. Or to people who may never have had a romance language.

Me: I'm a pescetarian.
Other person: A pesce...what? What are you?
Me: I'm a pescetarian.
Other person: And what on earth is that?
Me: I'm a vegetarian who eats fish.

Versus the current dialogue.

Me: I'm a vegetarian.
Other person: Oh. Do you eat fish?
Me: Yes.

And then apparently there's this debate on whether or not if you eat fish you can be considered a vegetarian. Maybe I just don't take my status seriously. But my argument, and this has to do with how I was raised culturally, is that you can eat fish on Fridays during Lent, and if you had the same upbringing then you may know you're not supposed to eat meat on Fridays during Lent. Very basic, but it worked when I was about 12 and tried fish for the first time and wondered if I could still call myself a vegetarian (this was during the time I was trying to justify it other than...I don't like the texture)...and oh, how heavenly was that sushi that came shortly after!

At one point I did try to give my specific brand of vegetarianism a name. In junior high some magazine had the different types and I went around telling people I was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian. Translation: I was a vegetarian that ate eggs and dairy. Essentially, not a vegan. And I got strange looks. But then again, this was Texas so maybe the odd looks were from the "vegetarian" part (only kidding!).

Again, I mean no offense. But just my two cents as a vegetarian. We already have labels enough for stuff, do we really need to specify down to the last detail what we eat? And if we do...what about the other things that can't be labeled? After all, there are debates about fish being meat, but what about other animals, like bugs? I'm not in the habit of eating a fried...whatever it was, cricket? But I have had the occasional escargot, and if prepared well, it's delicious. But are snails really meat? I wouldn't put them in the same category as a bull, or even a chicken for that matter. And they're not...fishy, exactly.

Maybe we should start labeling people who don't eat chocolate. After all, that's another important part of the diet. In my humble opinion. Especially dark chocolate (and it's good for you too! theoretically).

j'ai besoin d'étudier

Here is what I discovered after trying to converse in French: I need to study.

Well, let me rephrase that. I need to review. A lot. Excluding the French review class I had (now over a year ago), it's been about six years since my last French class. Really doesn't seem that long. I took a semester of an upper level French class in college and would have continued, except I had to change to Japanese for a year for my minor. And don't get me wrong, I loved Japanese and would love to continue studying it.

But hearing people converse in French, without really thinking about it, reminded me of how much I love French. And I used to be able to speak it a lot better. But that's what practice is for, right? Time to pull out my books and my collections of French poetry and throw myself back into the first language I fell in love with.

The thing is, I have a pretty good grasp of French grammar and a fairly decent sized vocabulary, but when it comes to speaking it, I'm terrified of making a mistake that will sound absolutely horrible that I freeze up and forget the words I'm trying say. So...I just have to get comfortable with speaking it again.

Easy as that, huh?

On a side note, the radio is talking about a cold front coming in over the weekend, which I'm finding highly amusing. I hear "cold front" and I think gusts of northerly winds that will drop the weather to the 50s, maybe 40s. High 80s really doesn't sound like a cold front to me. But of course, it's all contextual since at least it means it won't be in the 90s.

now this could be fun

Dubai plans 'moving' skyscraper

Make sure to watch the video too.

How fun would that be? Both to walk down the street and watch the building move and then also to live inside one and have your view constantly changing. There's this restaurant in Big D (and I'm sure many other places as well) that's at the top of a tower and revolves around to look over downtown Dallas. And it's always seemed really cool.

And I bet that would make for a beautiful and chic housewarming party. I would really like to know more about how that works. The article goes into a little bit, but at one point I used to want to study architecture, and that part of me wants to really understand the nuts and bolts.

And $3.7m to $36m is quite a range. I wonder what the penthouse's view would be. Pretty spectacular I'd wager. Especially at night.

finding admiration in the object of irrational fears

I have an irrational fear. Probably several, but the one that I thought about today was my fear of sharks. Yes, I realize that I have a greater chance of dying by being struck by lightening than being attacked by a shark. I realize that given the whole world with its huge population, on average there are about 100 shark attacks.

But what can I say? I was a Jaws fan growing up. For some inexplicable reason.

And that is why I never learned to surf those years in California, even though I really, really wanted to. So that's my irrational fear.

I bring this up because despite my irrational fear, sharks are, for lack of a better word, cool. Very, very cool.

I think they're fascinating. And this morning I came across this article about whale sharks (which it should be pointed out do not attack humans), that had this to say: "Monster sharks can execute underwater 'flight' moves that would have put some fighter pilots to shame...."

The sharks are normally placid when close to the surface, but when they dive into depths not easily reached by us, they can be quite...oh let's say acrobatic.

There was another link to an article on a "fossil" shark captured on film that was oddly in shallow enough waters to be seen a caught (and if you look at the picture...it does kind of look like a fossil). This article, along with the media buzz on the colossal squid, are just one of several reminders that there is so much we don't know, about the depths of the ocean and even the specimens we do have access to. Again, looking at the whale shark and beginning to find out all this information that was unexpected.

There's so much we don't know, in all of our thousands of years of observations and study. And I, for one, look forward to the next discovery.

author recommendation

I recently finished reading Jhumpa Lahiri's recent novel, Unaccustomed Earth, which was incredibly beautiful, as her writing generally is. I was first introduced to Lahiri through her first book, Interpreter of Maladies. I picked it up after hearing a lot about it, and because it was to be a phenomenal collection of short stories. I wanted to read more short stories since it's a type of writing I'd really like to work on.

But back to the purpose of this post. In Unaccustomed Earth, Lahiri returns to the short story and her writing is poetry. It flows and, at least from what I recall, there wasn't a single unnecessary word. And I particularly liked the last section where the first stories are told from first person, and then the next, told in third, really joins the two characters and becomes their story, and not just hers or his. I think that was a really neat tool to use.

I know, but as I'm writing this, I can't come up with a better word than "neat." I'll have to come back and edit, but I'm writing this as I go, with whatever comes to mind.

With some of the stories, and her previous works, at first glimpse it may not seem like I can relate to her characters. I don't have that cultural struggle that comes from being an Indian set into a different culture either here, in the US or in England. But she really illustrates that, without "telling" us it was difficult or awkward. That awkwardness comes through the writing and the reader feels it. And I would imagine that might hard to do.

But the cultural background, while a large part, is only part of the story. The characters themselves are multi-faceted and their stories can happen to anyone, and do I'm sure.

Lahiri is a wonderfully gifted story-teller, and whenever I read her books shortly after their release, I just really, really look forward to the next one. But as I know, writing is a process. A long one. So it'll take some time but the wait is worth it. Thinking more on it now too, I'd have to describe her writing as calm. It was like...the pace of what I'd imagine a bard telling the story to be like. Slow and melodic, and engaging. Very, very engaging.

I highly recommend Lahiri's works. All of them are equally poignant, so start from the beginning, the end or pick up The Namesake, the novel in the middle of the two short story collections. Just enjoy on a lazy afternoon or maybe as the sun sets at the end of a long day. And I, for one, will be waiting for her fourth book.

I heart coffee studies

I love coffee. Everything about it. The taste, the smell, the warmth, the shape of the mug and the way your hands mold to it on cool mornings. I love walking in, or even sometimes walking past, coffee shops and that rich aroma spills out and you may only get the faintest scent, but it's calming. To me.

In my relatively short life, coffee and I have had a long history together. And that's what happens when you're a night person but your high school starts at 7:30am. Which of course means you have to be up hours earlier to eat, get ready, finish homework and, until I was 16, catch the bus. Honestly, school boards, 7:30am is way too early for a 14 year old. I'd even argue occasionally for the 18 year old too.

But I digress. My coworker mentioned this new study on coffee drinkers a little earlier today. And I've seen several other in the past on BBC about coffee's effects on memory. Now of course, this doesn't mean to go out and drink a lot of coffee throughout the day, because then we'd never get any sleep. And I've had my moments, mainly pulling those all-nighters in college, where I know I've had too much and I think...oh, I should probably cut back (seeing as how I no longer have those all-nighters, I can say that I have cut back).

But...it does give just a little bit of justification for that vice that quite a number of us indulge in. Every morning.

On a side note, I bought a cup at Monticello with part of a quote from Jefferson that says "Coffee...the favorite drink of the civilized world." It made me smile.

summer music

Driving me back to DC last a night, a friend had blues playing on his stereo and he commented how the blues is summer music for him. Now whether that had to do with the music itself, or summer music memories, could be up for debate. But that got me thinking...

I do have music in rotation throughout the year depending on the seasons. Granted, there a few staples that play throughout the year depending on my mood, such as lounge, dance or rock. Although I do listen to a lot more lounge and softer/quieter music in the winter months. But as soon as summer hits, that music often heads into the background for my summer staples. And it's really time I put that music back into my rotation.

In the summer I love Brazilian music.

Latin in general, but there's a lot of Brazilian in my stereo during the sunny, sweltering months. I'm listening to some on now on Pandora, hoping to find some new artists to add to my collection (my inspiration for that radio station was Bebel Gilberto). And all I want to do is sit out in the sun with a caipirinha and a book, or maybe catnap and let my skin soak up the sun (with the proper SPF of course).

I used to complain that I much preferred the colder months and did not like summer. But I've since learned that has changed. I love sunshine and warmth and being out in the sunshine. Just as you can gather from my last post, it's the humidity that pushes that lazy, contented feeling into misery. If I could just my heat and sun without a lot of the moisture, I'd be a happy girl.

allow me to state the obvious

Wow. It's hot here. And muggy.

And...believe it or not, but I miss North Texas heat. I'd have to say that the humidity is at least fifty percent less, give or take a little bit...but that means that you're not walking in very thick, heavy air.

Hmmm...never thought I'd hear myself say that.

Short post. But...I just really felt the need to state the obvious. You know...for the record and all.

Back to writing. Seeing as how it's too disgusting to do anything outside, unless you're walking from one ice-enclosed building to another (oh thank you thank you thank you to the air conditioner inventors), I'm staying in and trying to be productive.

historical what ifs

History is so full of those little tiny, what ifs? What if this had happened, then how would that have affected the course of...say the Allied victory? And reading John Adams, his first trip to Europe could easily have ended at the bottom of the ocean because of the storms and the threat of the British Navy. And how would that have affected the course of American Independence.

I bring this up because of a book I'm currently reading: Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence by H. W. Brands. I had that "what if" moment when reading about Sam Houston and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1813, where he was pretty much left for dead on the battlefield due to his wounds...only he didn't succumb and he woke up the next morning (and was then given the proper medical treatment of the day).

And I thought..."wow...what would have happened had Sam Houston not woken up?" How would that have changed the historical landscape of the border area? It's been several years since my Texas history class (a big reason why I'm reading this book), but I know he was pretty important. Definitely know he was a President and that he was also pretty important in the fight for Texas' independence.

But the Raven survived and helped history become the way it is. If he hadn't, would others have stepped up to take his place? It's just interesting...all those what ifs. History's interesting.

I know, a very profound statement, no? But if you do want to learn a little about this state that, I think, has been so romanticized, then I suggest Brands' book. And of course there are Michener's book. We read The Eagle and the Raven (the Eagle is Santa Anna and the Raven is Sam Houston) in that Texas history class, and my Mom read Texas shortly before moving to the state and she's recommended it to me. I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but I will. And then I'll let you know what I think.

I used to the play the flute

I used to play the flute, and now I couldn't remember fingering positions if my life depended on it. If I think about it long enough, F seems to start coming back but then I forget it in an instant (if it ever came back at all). I can still position my lips correctly, so I suppose I could at least make a sound on the instrument.

Random thought, no? But this morning I had the classical music station on and there was a piece that was pretty much all flute. And as I sat with my cup of coffee, listening to it and slowly starting my morning (I'm definitely not a morning person. If it's early, I hate getting up and rushing around to get ready and out the door), I felt...nostalgic for an instrument I used to play, albeit not very well. And maybe that's because I'm sure it's one I won't go back to.

I still have my flute, somewhere. My Mom told me she didn't get rid of it after the move, even though I think I might have told her to go ahead and toss it. If I remember correctly, there's a piece that's loose and needs to be repaired. But of course now there doesn't seem to be the time to go back to it. I barely have enough time for work, writing, piano and Italian. Oh, and now French since I want to go to Paris and try to force myself to speak French (maybe I'll finally bump up to the advanced). And of course there are a couple exhibitions at the museums now i want to see.

When I listen to Josh Bell, I wish I'd taken up the violin and then wonder if that would have gone the way of the piano and flute. I played piano for several years (along with ballet...what little girl hasn't done one or the other?) and stopped, only to finally take it up again in high school with lessons after school. Now I have a keyboard that I play when I have time and study my lessons as though I still had to. But weeks will go by where I don't touch the keys. Would I have gone back to the violin after falling in love with Puccini's O Mio Bambino?

Hmmm...not sure. Maybe I'll have to create a character who plays the flute. Definitely a good reason to try to play that again. Of course, that's assuming I can find the instrument. And fix it.

Anyone else have any instruments in their past they miss or have gone back to?

city of brotherly love

Over the holiday weekend, Carrie and I decided to head out of the city and visit Philadelphia. Having lived nearly all of my life in very, very large states, the fact that I can hop on a train and travel through four states in two hours is...incredible.

The hotel was also neatly situated several blocks from the historical part of Philly, which was nice Saturday even when we dragged ourselves back to the hotel. At least, it didn't quite feel like we were dragging ourselves back there.

It was really cool to visit Philadelphia so soon after finishing John Adams (which is a book I highly, highly recommend), because of course he was in the city so much during the Independence era and of course as president. And it was also kind of nice to have my own agenda of what to see (everything) instead of following one that was set out by parents...even if I did want to see it.

So...let's see, what did we do? Well, we toured Indepedence Hall and the Congress Hall next to it, saw the Liberty Bell, the Declaration House, Todd house, Betsy Ross' house, Christ Church, some other houses, Ben Franklin's grave and other signers' graves, saw the Franklin Mint (closed on weekends so no tour) and umm...quite a few other things. I guess maybe I should go back and look at what we didn't see.

But I have decided I am in love with Philadelphia. It's up there with Boston and San Francisco on my list of favorite cities. Now I'm trying to plan when I can go back to Boston. It's been a long time since I've walked the Freedom Trail and I think, now that I've been reading a lot of US history books, that it's time to do so again. And of course throw some more tea into the harbor!

I'll post a link soon when I get pictures up online. There are some technical issues with my site I normally post pictures, so I'm thinking of just putting them up on Flickr. And when I do, I'll also (finally) post those pictures from Virginia last month.

some good news

Not necessarily some good news, but some news I saw this morning and was very pleased with. But maybe first I should set up why?

When I was a little girl, I, like many little girls, wanted to be nearly everything under the sun: a teacher, an actress, a veterinarian, etc. The one career that I wanted strongly to follow, besides being a writer, of course, was a marine biologist. I often went to the library and bypassed the Nancy Drew books for anything I could find on whales (though I would, on occasion, read Nancy Drew too).

I learned a lot during that time period.

I'm not quite sure what happened to that career goal though. It may have been my aversion to the frog dissection in high school biology. But even during college, and even now, I've often wished I'd continued that. I've even tried to think of a story idea centered around a marine biologist to delve back into all that research.

But anyway, the article I saw this morning that made me happy was this: Humpback Whales Make Huge Comeback.

It was definitely good to see that these animals that so captivated my attention (along with Orcas) are making a comeback. And it makes me want to cruise on over to Amazon and see what books I can get to read back up on whales. Who knows? Maybe that story will come back to the forefront of my mind.

Anyone else have any long-gone career objectives that still retain your attention?

rite of passage

This weekend I went up to Pittsburgh, and after shopping around for a mode of transportation, I rented a car to drive up and back. I've been talking about renting a car after turning 25, and now I've finally done it. And, true to any rite of passage, this weekend definitely had its challenges.

First off, it was strange to drive an automatic, but even more so to drive one of those hybrid part-standard part-automatic things. Because when you have to stop suddenly, your right hand drops to the gear shift trying to shift to neutral and your left foot presses down on the floor looking for a non-existent clutch. And "I've got to get in neutral" races through your mind even while you can't do it.

But that's beside the point.

It rained this weekend, especially on my driving days of Friday and Sunday. It rained a lot. And there was roadwork somewhere in Maryland and I went five miles in one hour. I'm not kidding either. So while my initial ETA was a little before 5, I arrived a little after 6.

On the way home there wasn't much traffic, but as I neared DC and had about thirty minutes or so of time left before returning my car, the skies opened up and poured, making it a little difficult to see. And of course, I don't drive in DC so I'm attempting to check my directions and watch the signs and attempt to watch the traffic around me through a veil of raindrops.

But...I passed. I got my car, and myself, to and from in one piece and managed to do so in a strange car on a strange drive without getting lost.

And the trip was more than worth it and worth the annoyances and the slight stresses. And it will also be no big thing to rent another car in the future.

stories

When visiting family, old stories inevitably come up. And I've always known my grandmother had a wealth of stories to tell, an ability I'd like to think came my great-grandmother, an Irish immigrant to the US who used to scare my grandmother with stories of the Bean Sidhe (banshee in Gaelic). Maybe she was a descendant from some great Irish bard. It was from my grandmother that I first heard the myths of the old Nordic and Greek gods.

In high school when studying World War II, we had to interview someone from that time for stories. And though I heard a few, the one I remember the most was my grandmother traveling back to the States from Panama (my grandfather was in the Navy), alone with a newborn (my aunt), on a blacked-out ship that cruised through the waters in a zig-zag pattern.

Anyway, while in Virginia, I learned more about my great-grandmother that weekend than I had in the last twenty-five years. I knew, for instance, that she had a brother who went away and fought in Europe during WWI, but I didn't know she had more than one brother. And to be honest, I really didn't know anything about my great-grandfather.

So after coming back to DC and thinking about it, I'm sending my grandmother a note to ask her to write down what she can of my great-grandmother, and also more stories about herself. Not only is it valuable information to know about yourself and where you came from, but as a writer, it could also provide the idea for the next great story. I already have one idea in mind after hearing more about a story I sort of knew a few details about. Of course, after thinking more about it, I wondered if it would be "realistic" enough for a novel. Sometimes life can be much stranger than fiction, you know?

i'm back!

I'm still here, or rather, I'm back! I went on a long vacation over the weekend to see some family and some tourist attractions in Virginia (Natural Bridge and Monticello). Today was my first day back at work after nearly a week, and let's just say there was a lot to do. Plus...yesterday I was a little tired from running all over Virginia for a week.

But I'll have pictures this weekend when I get a chance to take them off my camera. Apparently I've been to both Natural Bridge and Monticello, but have almost no recollection of going since I was too young. While at both places, I saw several young kids with their parents, and I joked with my Mom that we should tell them not to waste the effort or the money, and just wait until the kids are older. Otherwise, they'll just have to do what we did and go back years later.

Though, I think my Mom enjoyed going back. Yes, she was in town and that's why we went traipsing across the state. I'll let you know when pictures are up. Hope everyone else is enjoying this gorgeous DC weather! (if you have it, of course. My Dad told me he recently had snow, so it's not quite spring everywhere yet).

john keating: my poetry teacher

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion....But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

This was my favorite movie growing up (and not just because of a young Ethan Hawke), but because of the subject matter. I've always been an advocate for thinking for yourself, and I think part of that was shaped from this movie. And then also because the writing was so poetic (example, above).

I know I promised more poems this month, but it's been extremely busy. And what reminded me of it was NPR talking about poetry a little bit ago. And there was just one brief mention of Pablo Neruda. And even though I was only half listening, I thought with a sigh, "Oh...Neruda." I still remember the first Neruda poem I read, even if I don't remember which one it was. Even in the English translation, it was like a whisper. It was love and it was passion and beauty.

In high school when I read my first Verlaine poem in French, I remember thinking how I was going to have learn so many languages to be able to read poetry in the original language. I loved how in the French poems the words used had a specific meaning, but then because of other meanings it just opened the poem up into whole new depths.

Poetry can be beautiful, yes, we all know that. But its intensity and beauty can both be violent, and defiant, such as some Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.

I need to buy Dead Poets Society on dvd, especially because now I really want to watch it again. Even though it's sad, and I will probably stll sob at the end, it's just...it's such a poweful film. I don't think it'll ever be knocked off my top 10, or even my top 5.

And poetry does that too. It's a glimpse into a particular feeling or a particular time, raw and bare. Even though I look back at my poetry from college and even, oh lord, high school, and want to laugh at it, at the time it was what I felt. It was a moment in my life, a snapshot of a place I'll never be again and a feeling I'll never exactly have.

And now I've realized how this post doesn't quite tie in together. I started thinking of Dead Poets Society thinking about poetry, because of that scene where there's a graph drawn on how to tell whether a poem is great. And Keating essentially says "eh, screw it. You should judge a poem on how it makes you feel." Keating's exact words were: "Excrement! That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard! We're not laying pipe! We're talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? 'I like Byron, I give him a 42 but I can't dance to it!'"

"...you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.'" Don't be resigned to that. Break out!'"
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

update

I'm finally getting around to redesigning my website. Yes, I've talked about it for awhile now, but I was doing other things (editing and studying Italian). Oh, and of course that whole working thing.

But this morning I woke up early for yoga, though seeing as how I'm not a morning person (and never really have been, though there was a period in college where my flatmate and I went to the gym at 6am), I usually try to think of reasons to stay in bed. And since my computer is right by my bed, I decided to get to work on the site.

This morning I only had time to rework the main page, it's not up yet since I'm going to wait until the entire site is done, but it's the basis on which I'm going to build the entire site. So...the big part of it is done. I'm pretty happy with it. Since it's tied to the novel I'm working on, I used pictures from my trip to Montana (earth and air), California (water), and a candle in my apartment (fire).

I'll let you know when it's done and up!

back to paris

Ok, not that I've been yet, but I'm back to trying to make it happen this year. Initially I'd put it off a year to possibly go with my sister (and it's now a good thing I did since the time I had planned to go was when there was much striking going on). Then I thought maybe I'd put it off until the dollar starts doing better because of the whole $15 hamburger phenomenon...not that I eat hamburgers, but still.

But lately as I've started putting together tentative travel arrangements for the year, I can't get Paris out of my mind. And of course, Paris has never been far from my mind. I had thought to replace Paris with a shorter long weekend in Oaxaca, which would be fun too, but a trip I'm not as excited about. I think I've come to the realization that I need to get to Paris first, and then I can go to Oaxaca and Montreal (another travel possibility this year).

So...now I'm looking at September/October...and of course, I still may end up going over Thanksgiving as was initially planned. And that would of course give me an extra few months of saving for some spending money. Not that I'm going to go on a spree on the Champs-Élysées, except in my dreams of course, but I'm sure I'll definitely find a use for it.

My friend and I are also tentatively talking about visiting Italy next year to practice our Italian (we're about to begin our second class), and as I thought about it...I figured I really should visit my first love first. It's only fair.

So...that's about it. I came to this realization this morning, but it's been tugging at my mind for the past week or so. Now to call my sister and let her know, see if there's a chance she'll still want to go this year after I said I probably wasn't going.

writing soundtracks

I'm trying to think of music that will work best for my screenplay. I think music definitely helps the writing process. Even in school, I was one of those people that could never work in silence. I hated studying at the library because it was too quiet. I found that the slightest thing would distract me. I looked for those distractions. But give me music or a coffee shop and I can work for hours.

When I worked on the Bali story, I listened to a lot of classical music. It was calming and there were no lyrics to distract, which was great since I had to really build up this world and the experiences that I've never had (and hopefully never will). In the early part of the story, I listened to a lot of lounge music since it was a little more...easy going.

Now that I'm working on the YA novel, I find myself listening to the alternative rock music I listened to in high school. Or at least the bands, even if the CDs have come out later than that. I've been listening a lot to Dave Matthews and had the urge the other day to pop in some Coldplay. And of course there's Garbage and the soundtrack to Romeo & Juliet (with Danes and DiCaprio, still one of my favorite soundtracks) and Brokedown Palace (also a favorite).

But I'm not sure yet which CDs will be most conducive to my current work this month. I've listened to Dave Matthews and Joss Stone, just since that's what's currently in my CD player. But this weekend, when I hope to really get ahead, I need something...inspirational to the story. Hmmm...maybe a little Fiona could work in the beginning, or maybe Jem. But...I'm not sure what else. My lounge and trance I definitely don't think will work. Maybe for one or two scenes, but it's not the same mindset.

I'll let you know what I decide. Sometimes I'll just stare at my CDs and something will jump out and it'll be perfect.

In other news, it's April and, aside from Script Frenzy, it's also National Poetry Month! Last year I posted a few of my favorite poems, and will try to do that this year (in between editing and writing and, of course, that whole working thing.

For kicks I'll leave you with one of my favorites: Hell in Texas.

There's not a great, deep meaning here. But it's fun. And true.

Apparently it's a song. I had it in a collection of poems (The Best Loved Poems of the American People). Looking it up online I only found it as a folk/Cowboy song. So...there you go.

the joys of starting out

Quite recently I'd finished something that was definitely cause for celebration. Or for doing something celebratory. Nothing big, but a small, personal celebration. So...I have this small bottle of nice champagne that I'd received as a gift awhile back and I figured now was as good as time as any to open it.

Only one slight problem. No champagne flutes.

I didn't think about champagne flutes when I moved into my apartment. It was one of those "things I'll eventually buy." Like a toaster. I went about two and a half years without one because I didn't think I'd use it, I did fine without it, and living in my shoebox sized apartment in downtown DC...I couldn't completely justify the counter space.

I have since gotten said toaster, and I love it. Bagels and cream cheese every morning.

Anyway...back the champagne flutes. I figured that would be my celebratory purchase. I found a set of six that I loved from Crate & Barrel (can't go wrong there!) and also a set of rounded bowls that will be perfect for salads with my "rabbit-food" diet.* My roommate had bowls similarly shaped senior year in college, and I loved them! We could make the best huge salads with lots of added toppings, like raisins, lots of nuts, etc., and not have to worry about them dropping over the sides.

So there's one thing I can cross off my list, nearly three years after graduating. Next up...I'm thinking a casserole dish. Or at least some more larger dishes that are oven friendly. Or mixing bowls. Right now I use some of my oven-friendly dishes. And I'm thinking about a TV. Or a really comfortable chair to read, write and watch the aforementioned TV. Hmmm...

*When you grow up a vegetarian in Texas with family members that really enjoy their steak, your "weird" food tends to get made fun. Not that salads are weird, but the fake chicken nuggets and fake bacon I like are. To them.

upcoming projects

I had a couple of ideas for posts over the weekend, and just really wasn't around a computer to get them up. And of course now I think they're sort of irrelevant. Anyway.

I have a couple of upcoming, and I guess continuing, projects that I'm really excited about. The first, as some of you know, is the YA series I've worked on lately. It's been so much fun to write and really develop the four main characters, the sisters. They're so different from each other and it's been fun to slip into each one for awhile and give her a voice.

The second is that April is fast approaching and I'm going to participate in Script Frenzy. In college I dabbled a little in screenplays but it's been years since then. And I've had this idea that I love that never quite seemed to work as a novel. I tried different voices, different beginnings, first person and third person and...nothing. I was never satisfied with where it was going. But then as I started talking to people about Script Frenzy, I started thinking that maybe it would work as a movie. And then I started picturing scenes and how they'd play out.

So I expect April will be a little busy. In addition to attempting to write the first draft of a script in a month, I do have a nice long weekend vacation coming up right in the middle. And quite possibly another weekend trip up to New York. Busy month!

Anyone else participating? Wish me luck!

sláinte!

If you're lucky enough to be Irish...
You're lucky enough!

There's something to the playing of the pipes that makes one think of misty mornings up on stone filled mountains, with green for as far as the eye can see. The sound takes you back through history, and to the myths of Erin's emerald shores and a culture that no matter what, wouldn't fade into the mists like the gods before. It's what makes the Irishmen far and wide want to go home to Ireland.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind always be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

So in honor of that and of my ancestors and the past, have a great day today. Don't forget to wear green!

May the lilt of Irish laughter
lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic
shorten every road.
And may your friends remember
all the favors you are owed!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

birthstones and meanings

This morning I did a quick search for September/Virgo's birthstone for the novel I'm finishing up, and came across a really interesting website about the meaning of each birthstone. The only ones I really knew were January (for obvious reasons...it's mine), February (again, my zodiac sign has February's birthstone and my Mother's birthstone) and June (my sister's birthstone). Oh, and for some reason I knew the emerald was May...I think from high school when I debated getting that or a garnet in my class ring, my high school's color or my birthstone.

I went with the emerald. But was able to get a garnet for college since my colors were maroon and grey.

Anyway. while looking up September (a sapphire, by the way), I came across the American Gem Society's site that went by each stone for each month, even if they have two or three stones, and told the meanings behind each stone and a little bit about them like where they're from and what they've been used for historically.

For instance, a garnet was so named because of its resemblance to the pomegranate seed. Hmmm...I wonder if stones were also assigned to the gods and goddesses if in Greece this stone was then Persephone's stone. But the stone is also said to represent trust and friendship, which, interestingly enough, relates to the Aquarius trait of loyalty...even though I know Aquarius is technically amethyst, the sign starts in January.

And it dates back to 3100 BC.

Ok, I think that's cool. It also makes me want to go buy some more garnet jewelry. I only have my college class ring now, which I still where every day.

I'd like to hear what you found interesting about your birthstone if you take a look.

je suis ici

I'm still here! I know it's been awhile, but the past week has been crazy, or the past two weeks I guess. And of course my weeks are busy since Wednesday nights I have my writers' group and then the night after is Italian. And have also just been trying to figure some things out.

And on that note, today I stopped at the bookstore to buy a workbook on Italian Grammar Drills to have some extra practice with articles and eventually, when I know more, verbs. While there I also picked up a book on French Verb Drills for a refresher. And I've been pleasantly surprised that I remember more than I thought. Words that I rarely used when I was learning the language and may rarely use in the future.

And of course there's the novel I'm working on. I had a pretty good response from my writers' group with the first chapter and the basic idea, so that was good news. But that also means that I'm hunkering down and making some major edits to the first chapter and then finishing up some edits/plot lines for the rest. So...we'll see.

But I'm here! And I'll try to post some more excitement. I'm glad to see my Monty Python post was a hit. Maybe I'll have to start watching some Flying Circus and post my thoughts on that.

Only kidding.

the declining relevancy of monty python?

Over the weekend I started watching a few episodes of Fawlty Towers, with Monty Python's John Cleese and Connie Booth. I started watching the show probably back in junior high school after discovering the genius of Monty Python. And I remember finding these shows a riot.

I recently saw that Netflix had the show on their instant viewing, so I sat down one evening and starting watching it. I cracked a smile many times and even let a couple of giggles escape, but there wasn't that riotous laughing that I remember.

I mentioned this to a friend and wondered if maybe my humor had changed since then, as things often change. And she said possibly, or maybe I'd just seen it so many times (although that never stopped my friend and me in high school with our movie nights rotating the same three or four movies).

Then I had a thought: What about Monty Python? If my humor was changing, would I still find Monty Python the type of side-hurting humor that I used to? Would I still spend the entire movie/episode laughing so hard I could hardly breathe?

That's a horrible thought.

I hope I never sit through Monty Python and the Holy Grail with only a giggle or two.

And this led me, somehow, to think of future generations. We've got the most brilliant special effects these days, that it can be disappointing to watch older films (I have The Six Wives of Henry VIII on my Netflix list and many of the comments suggest putting aside the poor film quality and occasional bad acting, using the excuse that it was the 1970s). And no one can argue that the Black Knight is realistic.

So if I ever have kids and eventually have them watch Monty Python, will get I get a surly teen look in return and a haughty "why are we even watching this? This is so bad!" Will the poor quality detract from the humor or will the humor have changed so completely that the Python humor is just not funny...to them. Will they even care about an African or European swallow?

I did recently watch Holy Grail several months ago and was very pleased to have found it just as funny, even if my reaction was a little more muted since I knew (by heart) what came next. But...I can only hope that our generation's children will have the same experience I had on that first magical viewing where they may be left wiping tears from their eyes at the end and caught trying to catch their breath.

One of my favorite episodes from Fawlty Towers is up next, so there may be hope left. Here's hoping I get even the slightest cramp in my side from merriment.

to chop or not to chop

Senior year in high school I made the decision to cut my hair into a pixie cut. I chopped possibly over a foot of hair off. And, I loved it. I loved that it hardly took any time to style for the day, that it took almost no time to dry and I didn't have to worry about bumps from a pony-tail or not drying it completely straight.

What I didn't love was the time it took to grow out. I got a little creative with pinning it back so that I wouldn't have to keep getting it cut so often while it grew out (I was in California and the salon I preferred and knew was in Texas). And since then I've kept it long, only cutting off a few inches a year ago to take it closer to my shoulders.

But lately...I've been getting antsy. Especially in the summer when I have to worry about humidity and how hot it can be with my hair down. And for the last year or so I've debated chopping it all off again. I really, really want to, but I don't want to have to go through growing it out all over again. But then it's so much fun having it so short.

I will cut it probably in the coming weeks, and I have one almost shoulder-length style in mind. But there is a growing part of me that things maybe I should just chop it. Have fun with it. So...maybe I should. Hmmm...any thoughts?