the stuff of which life is made

I know I must be getting better and better because the urge to run has turned into an alarm that I just can't turn off. Deep down, I know its a true joy and luxury to complain about a lack of running and to ache to move faster. For the record, I am happy to be at this new stage. (now let's continue, what was I saying about discontentment?...)

When I get my "Running Time's" magazine in the mail, I have to immediately hide its mocking cover away until I can read it "some day in the future."
When I see runners relishing in the cool fall weather as they stride past me, it takes all I can muster not to say "quit bragging!"
When Neil innocently tells me about knocking out 7 miles on the treadmill - I swallow the mean response of "how fun for half  the people in this house" and force a smile to simply say "how fun"
(admittedly, this is not my best self)

Stupidly, I've chosen right now to finish the borrowed book "Running the Spiritual Path" by Roger Joslin, so i can return it to my friend Caitlin. Its a great book, and its not helping matters. On this perfect autumn running day, I will share a (rather long but beautiful) excerpt from the book. It expresses the love/hate/love relationship I have with running and it gives insight into why I miss it so much.

source

Joslin wrote this excerpt after completing a 22 mile run through the deserts of the Rio Grande...
[emphasis and spacing mine]

"When I returned from the trip to Big Bend and was asked about the run, I was uncertain how to reply. To those who wouldn't understand, I was likely to offer a flippant answer. I would say that the run was "great" or "hard" or "beautiful." These replies were, at least on a superficial level, perfectly true.

The twenty-two mile run down the Old Ore Road in Big Bend was like life itself. The same can be said for almost every run I take. Every run contains elements of the "stuff of which life is made." All the worries, fears, distractions, hopes, regrets, pain, and joy that fill life are often played out over the course an hour-long run.

Running in Big Bend, a place where God's spirit abounds, the examples of God's handiwork are evident as both challenging obstacles and lofty displays of inspiration. I felt as if years of experience in dwelling in the Divine Presence were compressed into only a few hours.

At times it was easy, exhilarating, joyous, and awe inspiring. Then I would emerge from a dry creek bed to find that the trail had become dangerous, worrisome, difficult, painful, and exhausting...

I tend to saddle each run with the complexities of my personal experience. And over the course of the run, these complexities are reduced to the simple matter of moving and breathing in God's presence."

old, new, borrowed...

I have a number of great books lined up in my reading queue for this month, so many that I feel a bit of the overwhelm as the library notifies me of their return dates...

Dark Star Safari 

by Paul Theroux

summary here

Haunted

by Chuck Palahniuk

summary here

Infinite Jest

by David Foster Wallace

summary here

and these are just the ones I have currently checked out from the library... my 'to read' list is a mile long and ever, wistfully, wonderfully growing! (and I'm always taking suggestions) 

But I find myself torn between venturing into the books that I have yet to read and returning the few I've read over and over - the ones I love so much, that they feel like home. I feel this way about travel as well. With a whole world out there, do I see something new or do I go back to a place I adore? And that great restaurant - do I try out more of the menu or do I go with the dish that I know will satisfy? 

So I might risk that hefty fine of five cents and shelf those borrowed books for an old one that has long been my favorite. I read it every time I'm going through something. That is to say, I only pick it up it when I need it. (sadly, I don't want to admit to you how many times I've creased its cover.) Despite it's cheesy sounding title of "When the Heart Waits"; it's very real and honest and good to me. 

When the Heart Waits

by Sue Monk Kidd

summary here

Which are you... always seeking the new? or comfortably resting in the old? I find I need a balance of both, but if I'm honest, I trend towards the new. I don't like the idea of something fun or exciting existing and I don't know about it. (I was always the last to fall asleep at slumber parties). 

Do you have a book you go back over and over again... a book with deep spine grooves and crinkled pages and passages that you remember by what they mean to you at different phases of your life? Mine are Sue Monk Kidd's above, "Tale of Two Cities", and "Traveling Mercies". 

blurbs and books of love

There is company I love called blurb and I feel the need to tell you about it. My friend Lauren first introduced me to it a few years ago and now I'm hooked.

I've used both snapfish and shutterfly before to make a custom photo album (we had one made for our wedding guest book) and they can't compare to the quality you get with blurb books... for the same prices!!  (we made photo books for our parents with wedding pictures and they look better than some professional albums we've seen)

Its a small company and they don't just do photo albums - they do novels, cookbooks, children's books, even mini instagram flip books! Its like a tiny independent printing press.

And the best part is that you can create something and then make it public for others to purchase.... so if you have a stack of family photos and recipes you want to scan and preserve you can do it - then the whole clan can log on to buy it for christmas! (am I the only one blown away by this? its awesome right?) You can also search the site for other people's items, often they have ones sold for charity, and buy them as well.

Its really easy to use - I know because I've written several books with blurb (not necessarily good books but they are books none the less, my friends)

When Neil and I had been dating a year we set the gift limit to $1. Around that time I was encouraged by the concussion professionals to journal or write and keep jogging my memory (also a reason for this blog, by the way). In attempt to both work on my brain and seduce my man, I wrote a book about our year together. I wasn't doing well with chronological order so instead I put it in alphabetical categories. It was an encyclopedia of sorts. My Abilities, our Beliefs, his Characteristics, etc, etc, all the way to Vacations. In a used book store, I found an old, worn book for $1 and pasted the typed pages inside.

When we were dating for two years I felt the desire to continue. Both because I still had a huge crush on him and because we were engaged to be married. So I took that computer file from year one and the new book from year two and converted them into Blurb... easy peasy!

I was so happy with the quality, in year three I continued the pattern and the books got longer - that one being 152 pages. (note: I'm not scrapbooker and I don't make photo albums so I slip in a number of pictures here and there for posterity - which pads the stats, page wise)

The best part about Blurb - a paperback, Orbin original, will only set you back $6.95!!! Granted, my books are only for sale to one guy but the point is still the same, you've got a good deal here.

Moving on from my glowing endorsement for just a second, I have to share that our 2 year wedding anniversary is coming up in about a month and the deadline of Aug 22nd is looming ahead because now it comes with the pressure of completing a novel. I'm happy to do it because I still have that huge crush, but I'm a mere 14 pages into our 4th edition! 

Question: is it cheating to copy and paste parts of an irreverent blog into a book of gushing love and adoration? 

HAPPY WEEKEND! hope its a classic

I'm almost done with a fascinating book called "Fire and Rain" by David Browne

(thanks to this summer reading list)

source

It chronicles the music and political atmosphere of 1970.

While I (rather obviously) didn't grow up during that era - I find I'm happily pulled into its orbit. I love all of those bands and I feel foolish for not knowing how each of them existed at the same time the others did... better yet, how they all knew each other (sometimes in the biblical sense).

Growing up with a generation of hard core rock and rollers wearing their addictions and wild parties on their sleeves - it was shocking to know that the mild, strumming James Taylor was addicted to heroine and spent time in a mental institution. (what a different dimension that gives to his songs!)

And how is it such easy going gentlemen like Paul and Art couldn't get along?!?

source

So I'm remembering songs I love and seeing them through a whole new lens. I'm constantly saying "wow, I had no idea...."  and I'm listening to a lot of classics.

Now, to kick off your weekend right I'm going to post some of them for you:

My favorite Beatles...

Golden Slumbers

Don't tell Mt Sinai Hospital, but I would sing the face of this song when I was alone in the newborn nursery with the babies.

My favorite James Taylor...

Mexico

It feels like summer and makes me want a lounge chair and a margarita. I will actively ignore that I almost died the one and only time I've been to Mexico, making it my less than ideal vacation spot. 

Yes, I'll stick with the margarita image.

My favorite Simon and Garfunkel...

Only Living Boy in New York

I had no idea this song was written by Paul when he was angry at Art for leaving the country to film "Catch 22" in Mexico instead of making music for Simon and Garfunkel. Here's a tip, if you ever want to get over a fight with a friend don't put all your woes into a hit song, make them sing harmony, then have them rehash it on stage for decades to come. 

Or should I just say, thank you for the lovely song, sorry you two didn't last.

My Favorite Bob Dylan...

                                 

Girl from North Country

The voice is a bit out of sync on this clip but I love seeing them live. And I love the bitter sweetness of these lyrics. It the nicest break-up song I know. Its just a well wishing and fondness for something that has passed. 

What is your favorite music from that era? Your favorite Zeppelin (I almost walked down the isle to "All of My Love")? Your favorite Clapton? Stones? Mitchell? CSNY? Right on, friends. Lets take it back.

that's right. I said right on.

HAPPY WEEKEND! hope you bask in the june glow

Hooray for June! 
Here are some of the so many things I'm looking forward to this month:

front porch dining
Now its warm enough to have picnics and romantic dinners on our porch.
Last night Neil took me out there for a nice seafood dinner (he said he'd call me again)
A girl could get used to being wined and dined like this!

fire escape cocktails

We don't use our wrought iron stoop nearly enough,
now that its nice we plan to sit and sip and talk the evening away

here is a great article about making simple 3 ingredient summer cocktail drinks

back yard parties

My mom's back yard is less than 20 minutes away and looks like Tuscany

Her pergola, dripping with wisteria, is the ideal place for a candle lit soirée.
(scroll to the bottom to be wowed by the view, then message me and we'll pick a date for a gathering)

our first CSA
I love our farmer's market, so it is with reluctance that we switched over to CSA (community supported agriculture). We went with Clarion River Organics which is amazing enough to do affordable half shares and to drop off at our church. Our first weekly pick up is this sunday - we'll see if its as satisfying as walking the isles of the market and choosing for ourselves.
I suspect it will be - like a fruit and vegetable christmas present every week.

around the world in 80 plates
This new Bravo tv show combines all the greatest parts of my favorite reality shows:
It's a bunch of chefs going to a new country every episode, following clues (amazing race)
 Then they take over a restaurant and compete as teams (hell's kitchen)
Then they are judged on their native cuisine dishes and voted off (top chef)
sold and sold

running in delaware

We will have a short trip to Wilmington to participate in a race we truly believe in:

the Arthur J Turner Jr Scholarship Foundation 5K

(don't worry you'll get the full updates on our 8th US race as we go)

a week at the beach
All through my mom's growing up, they went to Stone Harbor NJ
All through my growing up, we went to Stone Harbor NJ
This is Neil's first time there and I can't wait for him to see, eat, and adore all things SH

what is the what
Neil and I both read and loved the book "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
When we go to the beach we want to read another book he penned, "What is the What", the true story of a Sudanese refugee that ends up in America.
Because nothing says relaxing holiday like the biography of a child soldier. (?)

a wedding on a farm
We will be driving out to Goshen, Indiana this month for an idyllic outdoor wedding.
We'll get to see friends from Chicago, Denver, and beyond! I can't wait!
Plus its a union of two amazing people (whose powers combined can only do great things)
Just to give you an idea of how great: their RSVP card was a MAD LIBS game.

Father's Day
We don't have any set plans yet - but this is such a wonderful day.
I think I grow more and more appreciative of fathers (step fathers, fathers in law, etc) with each year.

Do you have any fun traditions?

throwback music

There are a lot of album releases this month from people of my high school days...

Fiona Apple, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Blues Travelers, and Smashing Pumpkins

As I write these names, I realize I'm really only looking forward hearing one of them.

(hint: if the lead singer isn't ultra bald, I find myself just saying "huh")

iced coffee
With the heat index rising, Its officially time to make the switch over.
This recipe for iced coffee seems unnecessarily complex (isn't it just supposed to be ice and coffee?), but Ree has never steered me wrong before so I'll give it a try.
P.S. having an ice maker in my fridge is a first world luxury I thank the Lord for twice daily

louie

Season 3 of Louis CK's show premiers June 28th
His comedy is so unique and clever - some of the best writing on television.

I think the best way to describe it: when so much 'reality' tv feels scripted, this is scripted tv that feels real. He splices in short stand-up bits and he's not afraid to touch on forbidden topics.
FX gave him full reign to do anything and I can't wait to see what Season 3 looks like.
(warning: he curses. also he prods. his episodes incite discussion.)

So what makes your heart shine happy this coming month? Do you have any beach reads you could recommend (preferably without genocide)? Are you going on any trips? Do you have any fun ways to stay-cation?

And if you don't answer, I hope its because you're soaking in the early summer rays! Happy Weekend!

The Very Merry Month of MAY

April Showers bring...

via

So cheesy, but oh man, its like I can't get enough Puritan jokes - especially this month because Neil and I are headed to Providence, Rhode Island!!! (founded by my favorite early American, Roger Williams! thats whats up)

Other things I'm looking forward to this month:

Biggest Loser Finale

Don't tell me who won! We recorded and we're watching next week.

A dedicated group of ladies are making it into the BL Workout

We have to do a burpee every time they say this season's theme "No Excuses"

We pause the TV to guess each contestant's final weight, then subtracting the difference of our guess from the actual we get the number of crunches or jumping jacks to be done

Someone cries - do a push up

...and so much more

(Please don't think us insensitive - We also watch because its an inspiring show and we are encouraged by the contestants - having actually cried while watching many seasons - 

and I love nothing than the moment at the end of each episode when they drop their pants)

Knickerbockers

With an attitude of: I can't even begin discuss what happened to the Bulls last night, I'm looking for distractions. The Knicks seem to be putting on the right kind of show.

I'm looking forward to watching this series now that Stoudemire is out.

Throughout the season, they've only played worse (statistically speaking) with him on the court.

The complaint was that Amare didn't play defense, so instead he went and got real offensive.

I think Carmelo will shine with out him. I'm not saying that they can take the series after a 2-0 defecit, but I am saying I think it could get interesting.

Punch a box o glass Folks, we could have a series!

80s Prom Night

I don't need more than those three words to explain why I'm so excited.

Except maybe these three words:

purple tights. aquanet.

Didn't Die Day

May 15th is becoming my favorite holiday of the year...my non-death-aversary 

This could be because I'm getting more and more macabre as time passes.

I use this day to reflect on where I am, and how far I've come.

I use this day to celebrate.

On this blog, I'll probably rehash all of it so be ready. 

Mother's Day

We always join up to run the Race for the Cure in the morning.

Then he goes with his mom to a Pirate game while I go with my mom on less noble ventures...

to cook some pasta dish and onDemand a low quality rom com

One of us gets Andrew McCutchen, the other gets Josh Duhamel 

(both options pretty fantastic because our mom's are the best)

Asparagus

This vegetable is the first thing that says to me winter is so over!

Its what makes me so delighted in the idea of the coming weeks at farmer's markets.

I eat so much of it I get sick. (I will avoid talk of my pee) Then just as I feel I can take no more, it disappears from the crates for another year and I miss it again.

Here is a unique recipe- it kills at pot-lucks 

Don't be afraid of not cooking the stalks, I was too, its okay.

Habitat Walk

On May 19th Habitat for Humanity's Pittsburgh Chapter is having a walk not a run.

There is a 5K and one mile option.

It's all donation only and my friend Derek is coordinating the whole thing.

You can go online and donate without even showing up if that syrups your waffles,

or you can make your way to the stadiums for a gorgeous waterfont stroll and a really good cause!

(Neil and I will be at the registration tent congratulating you on a decision well made)

p.s. if you donate, you can join the "hot metal" team

Avett Brothers

I last saw them live in 2007, and this will be Neil's first time seeing them.

Its going to be outside on the lawn at Stage AE on May 20th

So we are stoked. yep we are!

Memorial Day

aka: that weekend with weddings and parades

By some large miracle, I have no plans!

Maybe I'll make it my goal to finish the very depressing book, 

A People's History of the United States

I can commemorate our fallen soldiers with morose facts about the treatment of american minorities

with some outdoor grilling of course

Rhubarb Collins

Right alongside asparagus is the spring season's other funny looking plant: rhubarb. 

I love it paired with strawberry in jams and crisps, but have never put it in anything else.

Then I saw this recipe for a spring cocktail using rhubarb.

I can't tell if it looks bitter and horrible, or creative and amazing.

In the name of science - I might have to try!

To end in a Merry way: The Avett Brothers - 

singing a song called "Bella Donna" (my mother's name)

What lovely things do you have coming this May? any races? any hot dates? any great spring recipes?

(and I wasn't kidding about wanting puritan jokes)

Books and Social Awkwardness

I just finished one book and I'm half-way through another and I can't get either of them out of my mind.

Have you ever had a book really stick with you? Has it played in your head in that certain way where all you want to do is talk about it? Except you when you begin to talk about it, you just get frustrated because the other person can't understand - they haven't read it.

I'm dealing with back to back books like that.

And here's the kicker - both topics are big NO-NOs for casual social conversation:
Nazis and Presidential Assassinations

All I want to do is talk about them and all I meet are road blocks. There's no natural segues into these conversations...

Neil, watching the NFL draft: "Poor Richardson, doesn't know what he's getting into going to the Browns"
Me, hoping for an opening: "You know who else didn't know what he was getting into - Ambassador Dodd - when he was sent to Berlin in 1932, right before Hitler rose to power."
....
Me, again, clearly not reading the room: "Sorry, you probably don't want to talk about that right now. But real quick. Did you know that the saloon where John Wilkes Booth plotted to kill Lincoln is now a Chinese restaurant called Wok & Roll? You can drink bubble tea in a booth where they conspired."

So PLEASE help me. I can't join normal parts of society right now. Instead, our only option is for someone to read one/both of these and then talk to me in a little strange societal pocket on the side.

In the Garden of Beasts

by Erik Larson

Assassination Vacation

by Sarah Vowell

hurry. go. read. help!

HAPPY WEEKEND! hope you get adventurous

I do. I hope you get adventurous because I will not. I have ONE thing planned - a saturday race and bike ride. (maybe two things if I can seduce a certain someone into a dinner date, but I won't get ahead of myself there.)
With all the lack of craziness, I couldn't be more pleased.

So what is this girl's idea of adventure? (the girl who will be watching all day marathons of "house hunters") I'll tell you friends, in my wild list of recommendations.

beer in the shower - I go with bottle over can, but I'm not about to split hairs here. The hotter the weather, the better this cool refreshing treat will be.  Friday after work - need to unwind? I promise once you uncap and step into the steam, you will never go back to a better beginning for a weekend.

robe with attached belt - When will we stop saying "its the best invention since sliced bread"? Because since then, we have been blessed with fruit roll-ups, DVR, and stuffed crust pizza. And this Christmas I discovered the mecca of loungewear - a robe with the belt attached at the back... you heard me. the future is now.

frozen garlic squares - I could write a whole book of sonnets to the wonders of Trader Joes, but now I'll just flirt with that mini ice cube garlic tray... it has individually divided, crushed cubes of fresh frozen garlic!! My stink free hands offer up a classy golf clap.

luol deng - Don't get me wrong, I have love for Derek Rose. But when I lived in Chicago (the tickets were cheap and fans were sparse), I developed a deep and lasting crush on a different baby bull... Luol. He has everything I look for in a favorite player - he increases the moral of the team, he is selfless, he flies under the radar, he has a story that would break your heart, and he has a name with a rich cropping for puns (DEYYYY-NG that shot looked good!) If you want a player to love this play-offs, I recommend LD.

girls - This is a preemptive recommendation. Premiering this sunday on HBO is a new show, "Girls", written by Lena Dunham and produced by Judd Apatow. For all the times I've watched shows take place in NYC where impeccably dressed women afford impossibly cool apartments with wow-ingly romantic adventures (and no consequences) - this show seems to wipe all those pretenses away. It seems gritty and real and funny. I won't pretend I didn't like Friends and Sex & the City - I did - but I think I'm going to love these girls. here's a nice review for further reading

marinara on salad - Don't judge until you grow-up Italian... until your pasta part mixes with your salad part on the plastic plates. Then you know its no accident - that a little marinara on top of Italian dressing is exactly what our Bene Dio intended.

rhyme schemes of Andre 3000 - There may be more well rounded rappers than Andre Benjamin (Jay-Z you win. every time.) There may be rap groups that are empirically better than Outkast (I see you there Tribe - hanging out with the Roots) -  BUT I'm hard-pressed to find anyone that can mold the english language with more skill. And Andre, if anyone tries to fight me on this

"you know I got your back / like chiroprac / tic" 

orphan master's son - This novel by Adam Johnson is long and it takes a little bit of time to get rolling but once you know that the author did research on North Korea for six years to write the book, it becomes quite impressive. Analysts have verified that it very closely mirrors the current day country (one of the only discrepancies mentioned in this article was that they don't do lobotomies through eyeballs... that they are aware of), so you see how it also becomes a shocking and eye opening book. I also love this review because it begs the question of can we really believe the novel as realistic - when it represents a nation built on smoke and mirrors.? Oh, please read - and lets talk about all the layers! **Plus this is all the more relevant to read now, with North Korea's UN defiance and missiles being launched.

malkin's parents - Tonight is a big game and you better believe I'll be talking to Nat and Vladi like we're best buds, like we slug vodka on polar bear rugs together, as though they can actually commune with me through the TV. I recommend you like them... quite literally... they're on facebook. And they're so freaking adorable, its no wonder they were able to make Evgeni, and it's not wonder Evgeni was able to turn around and 'make many goal.' GO PENS!

ginger snaps with peanut butter - I like peanut butter for protein and I love ginger snaps for nausea. I put them together and - oh my. Once you do this, know that I prefer my "thank you's" in edible arrangements over flower bouquets.

$13 tattoos - for the super brave lucky, friday the 13th can get you a $13 tattoo in select places. They usually have some rules about size and location (and often it must have the number 13 involved), but if you wait in line early - you've got yourself a deal!

animals doing people things - I can't explain why it's so funny, it just is

lob - This one comes with a question mark. the lob? My hair is getting loonng... its drifting into Dugard territory, and I just don't own enough jean jumpers to go with the look. I've never been much attached to hair styles so while I am considering the long bob - I'm also willing to jump onto any bandwagon that pulls up into my comments section. thoughts? suggestions?

thats all for now.... HAPPY WEEKEND!

Dear Charles Dickens

Today is your 200th birthday (and I agree that it's totally weird that we're counting your age after you die).

looking good CD, looking good

But birthday or not, its a good time to say, I have always loved your books the most. I love that you have drama at each turn. This is probably because you wrote for periodicals and that's what sells the papes (it might be of comfort for you to know this is how things still work. The Biggest Loser is claiming every week to have the 'most dramatic episode ever'). But unlike your counterparts, who wrote in fragments, you knew where your stories would lead. Somehow - always to my disbelief - all the flawed and crazy threads tie together in the end and you give us closure.

I can't explain why, at the age of fourteen, I fell so deeply for the character of Sydney Carton. You remember Sydney, the one who does not end up with the love of his life - the one who ends up in a guillotine instead. (I've read Tale of Two Cities five times now and each time I love Sid more and more). To feel akin to him over Lucie may say a lot about me but I'd rather not get into it - not on your birthday.

You've said "There's nothing better than a friend, unless its a friend with chocolate." so today I'll have some chocolate and reread the part of Great Expectations when we first meet Miss Havisham. She's in her well preserved home, clocks stopped, cake untouched in the many years since she was left at the alter - a perfect monument to her going all crazeballs. Ahhh, It'll feel good being with my friends again.

Charlie, have I mentioned I was an only child? no? anyway, thanks for the memories.

Sincerely,
A fan of yours since you were merely 186 years old

Picture Books

source

My favorite gift to give at a shower is a children's book. Some invites even ask for a book in leu of a card - so I figured I could share some of my favorite children's books in case you find yourself amidst a number of fertile friends, as I myself have experienced. (note: these books aren't your typical Goodnight Moon or I'll Love You Forever - those are great but if you're going to a shower you don't always want to be a repeater)

The Peace Book by Todd Parr

"Peace is making new friends" and better yet, 

"Peace is having enough pizza for everyone in the world"

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

I read this one like I'm droppin' a phat beat. 

(in the hopes my niece and nephew are laughing with me not at me) 

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein

I love this one enough to get a tattoo of it. So there's that. 

Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus

This one is pretty wordy and reads more like a short story but the metaphors are so beautiful. 

One of my favorite adult books, "When the Heart Waits" by Sue Monk Kidd, relies heavily on the simple message of this book.

I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I  think this little gem is the perfect mix of sweet and silly.

I gave it to Neil for our first Valentines Day when the big "L" word still gave me hives. 

Later we used a quote from it on our wedding programs....

Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

This is less of a book for children and more of a book for adults. 

If you can take a light hearted approach to the difficulties of trying to get a child to go to sleep, then this would likely be the book for you - better to laugh than pull out your hair right?

(and here is Samuel L Jackson doing an audio reading... caution, explicit)

Do you have any favorites that I missed? I'm always looking for new ones to gift away!

looking forward

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in 2012! too many for one post. so we'll call this the "Entertainment Edition" and here is the (incomplete) list of things I just can't wait to see/hear/read in the coming year...

SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK
My absolute favorite blog has been Smitten Kitchen, and after what has felt like years, Deb has finally sent off the pages of her cookbook... now we just wait for it to hit the shelves! I made a pact with myself not to buy any new books this year, which makes this news especially hard to swallow. My darling husband offered to film himself reading the book to me as a loophole to having me purchase the book. (yes, I want it that badly)

these are her Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

that changed my life, not for the healthier

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED, BY ANNE LAMOTT
If I had a favorite living author - it would be Anne. In college we would take turns reading parts of her books to each other on road trips (is that not normal? it seemed normal at the time). At one point I mailed 9 copies of her book "Traveling Mercies" to my closest girl cousins with personalized notes saying something along the lines of "Read this. Or else..." Her books - largely the nonfiction writings - are the ones I return to again and again, and I refer to them like old friends. And this year she'll come out with another nonfiction novel!! This time about the experience of becoming a grandmother. I'm freaking out (is that not normal?)

T.I. "TROUBLE MAN"
I have a deep love for T.I.'s album "Paper Trail" which he wrote while on house arrest. This newest album (release date uncertain but I keep hearing it will be SOON!) was the product of 10 months in the slammer and then time on the home front with family (hello, VH1 reality show) and friends (the collaboration on this record is insane). Not to mention, "Trouble Man" is inspired by a 1972 Marvin Gaye song with the same title. Based on the few leaked songs we got so far, s'gonna be good!

ANDREW BIRD "BREAK IT YOURSELF"
I don't know how one becomes a professional whistler but I have to respect the title when I see it. It's been a while since I've spent time with Mr Bird and I have to admit, I'm really looking forward to this March when it will be happening again.

DR. DRE "DETOX"
It seems like I'm looking forward to this every year, and every year it's release is somehow postponed. But I guess when you're a badass physician like Dre you can do what you like and we will all patiently await your genius. (but seriously, it better come out this year)

I'm not the only frustrated fan - other people are so sick of waiting

they're are making fake album covers

FRIENDS WITH KIDS
Usually I don't like when I see the formulaic repeat of cast members in movie after movie (see Adam Sandler movies, then Ben Stiller movies, then Will Farrell moives, then Seth Rogan movies) but the minute I saw this trailer, I was all about a repeat of as much of the cast of Bridesmaids as possible. yes please!

LES MISERABLE
One of my all time favorite books and musicals is (once again) being made into a movie. Its set to come out in December and it has Huge Jackmon, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway!

LIFE OF PI
Another beloved book that's being made into a movie (also to be released in December). I'm so intrigued by this one. I don't want to give away the story here, but I can't wait to see how director Ang Lee decides to work that plot twist into the films. Don't you think it will be just beautiful and thrilling to see this come to life?

and the piece de resistance....

MOONRISE KINGDOM
I'm a huge Wes Anderson dork. I love everything he touches. I recite obscure lines from Bottle Rockets. I regularly check his IMDB page, just to see what he's up to. And I have big news people - he's up to things!! On May 16th I'll get to wait in line to watch a late showing of this gem called Moonrise Kingdom. And remember that thing I said about disdain for repeat casting - it never applied to him. Bill Murray can do whatever he wants (and in this trailer, he wields a gun. and throws a shoe.) New to the Anderson team - Bruce Willis!! Ed Norton!! There's even a character named "lazy eye". I feel as though it could not be possible for me to be happier than I am right now.

This is just the tip of the iceberg (I didn't even get into Dicaprio playing Gatsby or Kid Cudi's third try at greatness). And I'm always taking suggestions for book club reads, new albums, and movie dates in the coming year!

2012 Resolutions

Having not quite met my 11 goals for 2011, I'm going to try again with 12 goals for 2012.

I wanted to make some of them fun and some of them challenging. But most of them fun.

They are quite specific because I don't do well with saying 'read more books' - I need to say 'read __ # of books' or else I won't feel like it's been accomplished. Also, I like to make little check marks next to list items (in many cases below, I'll be making twelve of them - its all so satisfying.)

specific yet attainable 12 Goals for 2012

1. Eat in 12 New Restaurants in Pittsburgh. I didn't want to repeat any from last year, but I wanted to continue going on date nights once a month so - loophole - eat in new places and hit on my husband in the process.

2. Learn how to fix a bike. I have my mother-in-law's old bike with brakes that occasionally work. Thankfully a wonderful place exists in this city called FREE RIDE where I can take some classes on bike maintenance and maybe even build myself a new one if my little death trap on wheels, Black Mamba, craps out on me.

3. Continue blogging through this year. Neil suggested this one....plus, my doctors and concussion books recommended that I journal or blog or write to work on those brain processes. But saying that is deferment away from me because it's still kind of embarrassing to blog. to say 'I blog'. Its easier to say 'other people said to do this'. But with the resolution I will gain ownership of something and stick it out longer than I may want to admit. (and that's good. right?... all four readers out there feel free to agree)

4. Learn to cook with 12 new fruits or vegetables. In this last year I began cooking with kale and swiss chard and brussels sprouts and tofu (things I had eaten but never ventured to prepare myself) and it was really fun with only a tinge of scary. This year I want to expand to celery root and okra and pomegranate and kumquat! We are going in on a Community Supported Agriculture, so come summertime I should be getting nice and adventurous in the kitchen!

5. Run a 5K in under a 9 minute mile. I was close to this goal in October, but I started a new medication early December and my running took a major hit. Now I'm struggling through 11 minute miles and can't run much more than 3 miles (after having completed a half marathon not long ago). I know it will be challenging and it will take a long time to chip away - I really do know because I've already done this - but I'm ready for it. "Burn some dust here. Eat my Rubber!"

6. Watch 12 movies I've never seen from the AFI Top 100 Films list. I realized recently that there are a lot of classic films that I've never seen. I have also recently had the benefit of gaining access to an amazing movie collection when my cousin moved into our building. Last night Neil and I watched 'Fargo' for the first time.... and now I'm only about 15 years behind on the wood chipper reference. (one little check mark down, eleven to go)

7. Read 12 books I've never read from the BBC Top 100 Novels list. Last year I read big pile o' books and the ones I tended to appreciate the most were the classic literature novels. I had no idea Wuthering Heights was so dark and twisted - I thought it was very Jane Austin - get yourself a man - kind of writing. And if a Bronte an knock my socks off like that, what else is out there? (I mean, they are classics for a reason right?)

8. Learn how to make beer. Neil got a beer making kit for Christmas and we started the 10 week process on New Years Day. It all felt very witches brew-esque. You stir, check temperatures, boil, and stir. There is still a lot of 'learning' that needs to be done on my part because even though we started the process together, I was very much the Vanna to his Pat Sejak. No worries, I'll take an active interest in what all the sticks with measurements mean in a couple of weeks. (or maybe then I'll just drink the stuff)

9. Volunteer with 12 different events. This was going to be volunteer once a month but then I looked at how busy January was shaping up to be and thought best not to box myself in. (Probably not a good outlook for the year but I'm going to stay positive.)

10. Don't purchase any new clothing. Not even at my happy places - goodwill and consignment shops. Not even cheats and asking for clothes for gifts. This isn't because I feel I have a clothes purchasing problem, its because I took inventory of what I have and realized I absolutely don't NEED a single other item of clothing. So I'm trying a year without it. **exception: complimentary race t-shirts and maaaybe new running shoes

11. Don't purchase any new books. Not even at my happy places - goodwill and half price books. Not even cheats and asking them from everyone all the time. This IS because I have a book buying problem. I have a definite problem and this will be very hard for me. I took inventory and I own over 50 books I have yet to read. I got a nook for Christmas that downloads up to 10 free library books to me any time I want them - YET - I already struggle with this resolution. Hot Dam, it's only january 3rd.

12. Save $___ . This amount is specific and possible but a bit of a stretch since we are essentially a SINK-PME (that's single income no kids - plus medical expenses). Its a bit over 25% of what comes in so its a good thing I'll be reigning in my ability to spend $20 at the .50c book bin. Thing is we are happy to save because we also know how to splurge a bit too - and all that saving means we can own a house which really means we can finally live somewhere that we can own a dog (which really means it will be the worlds most expensive dog)

So Happy Resolving!!!

According to this chart, 12 percent of people that make resolutions actually achieve their goal.

dare accepted.

2011 Resolutions

On January 1st of 2011, I made some resolutions goals. I wanted to accomplish things that had nothing to do with healing and were not remotely pain-related. Here were the things I came up with:

11 Goals for 2011
1. Read 52 Books
2. Write 11 Meaningful Letters
3. Learn to Use a Sewing Machine
4. Kayak the Pittsburgh Rivers
5. Go on 12 Date Nights (One Per Month)
6. Take A Class
7. Learn To Play a Song on the Guitar
8. Work My Way Through Rosetta Stone: Italian
9. Learn to Like Black Coffee
10. Run Under a 10 Minute Mile Pace
11. (This is For Flirting with My Husband - No Internet Details Needed)

Now that the year is almost over I am checking-in and see how I've done...

11 Goals for 2011
1. Read 52 Books

Last year I almost got an e-reader but felt bad because I has sooo many unread books that I owned. So I promised myself that if I could read 52 books in a year, I deserved a Nook. (Where did I get this idea? Bartering for dummies?). Well I did it. This year I read 72 books, in fact. Thats right 72. Remember that when you see how I've failed at the others...

2. Write 11 Meaningful Letters. I didn't count thank you notes and I didn't count emails. That left me with a sad, sorry 5 letters. (Did I mention I read 72 books?)

3. Learn to Use a Sewing Machine. Thanks to my dear friend Kristin, I can say yes to this one. However I feel I still would need her close-by to fix my inevitable screw-ups. Things I made with new found skills: two small bags. one scarf. (so watch out Project Runway)

4. Kayak the Pittsburgh Rivers. I choose this goal because I long to own a kayak, but I fear I'll be a kayak owner that never uses it. This experiment is proof because I never went, not once. 

5. Go on 12 Date Nights (One Per Month). Our rules were as follows - it had to be just the two of us and it had to be somewhere at least one of us never ate before. I'm guessing it was because this one involved eating - we never missed a month! It was also nice because it meant we saved money by only going less.

6. Take A Class. This was one of my favorite goals. My mom and I took an Italian cooking class, where we learned to make pasta and then we ate a lot of pasta. I wish I could say it was more complex than that but it wasn't. 

7. Learn To Play a Song on the Guitar. It's still in the case. fail.

8. Work My Way Through Rosetta Stone: Italian. I don't know whether to check this one off or not. I made a little over half way through the course. I know enough now to know that the Italians opt for the dolce vita (sweet life) over studies and that's what I did this year. Soooo half success?

9. Learn to Like Black Coffee. You never know when you'll run out of creamer and you're head hurts too much to run to the store. Or maybe you want to impress someone in the wild west so you say 'I take my coffee black'. These things happen. So I switched to milk and reduced my sugar bit by bit until my brew was as dark as the night. Sure i still prefer it with a little sweetness, but I can handle like the real men can. 

10. Run Under a 10 Minute Mile Pace. When the year began I was running an eleven minute mile and to lob off another minute seemed impossible. In this year I kept running and training and if you can believe it I got faster. The picture below is of us Orbins at a 'Black Tie 5K' - I ran the 3.1 miles in 28:20. If you're counting, that's a 9 min 8 second mile! And if you're really counting, that was done in a skirt and evening gloves and pearls! And if you're really really counting (and apparently I am) that was done on a morning after a long night on Bourbon St - where the last stop was actually called 'big ass beers' 

11. (This is For Flirting with My Husband - No Internet Details Needed) - check

So my grand total completion rate is  6.5/10

Pretty soon I'll make my 12 goals for 2012 and I'm taking suggestions. (should I carry over my failures or start anew?)

What are your resolutions?

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I recently finished the book "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer, and it's one of those stories you just can't get out of your head. The writing is haunting yet sweet. heartbreaking yet endearing.

Its, in part, a story about coping with loss. Most of the book is from the vantage point of a creative nine year old boy, Oskar, who attempts to move on after his father dies.

Its fair to say death is an exhausted topic in literature, but Foer's approach is so unique and fresh. The story is touching with out trying to manipulate your emotions (anyone who has read Jodi Picoult knows what I mean there).  In a book that centers around the morose, there is lightness and laughter. Maybe that is the essence of what children bring to the world - honesty and humor.

When Oskar is sad he says his boots are heavy. When he can't sleep he imagines a series of drains under all the pillows in New York City, which collect the tears of all the people with heavy boots. And all the drains connect into a reservoir, where levels raise and fall, giving a daily report of the sadness of the city.
(how beautiful is that?)

I really loved reading from a little kid's point of view. Sometimes I forget kids can have big ideas and unique thoughts - ones still filled with imagination. There's an episode of "This American Life" called How To Talk to Kids where Ira Glass interviews some children and about thier biggest gripes against adults. The verdict: we treat them like idiots, and we only ask them about school.

Maybe it's time to reframe how I listen to the little ones around me and maybe it's time to find better questions than "how was your day? did you learn anything?"

Pinkish

As October comes to an end, so do the Breast Cancer Awareness Advertisements. With a small window remaining to acceptably say words like 'breast' and 'female empowerment' - I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on the ladies in our society (this goes just a bit beyond NFL accessories.)

(photo from nowpublic)

I read two seemingly unrelated books this month, and found my self getting an education on a woman's role in history. The most refreshing aspect of these novels - they don't scream feminism and they don't lament inequalities. In reading their stories, I can see how they left a huge imprint on their time. And while it's not explicitly stated, I can hold their lives up as a mirror for our time to see how things are very little has changed. At the risk of this turning into a rant, I'll just say: I like the books because they simply tell the story of women who are far more complex than the labels society gave them. 

Because ultimately, none of us are completely the harlot...

 and none of us are entirely the saint

now go read. and get a mammogram.

Happy October!