I can scarcely believe it myself, but this here blog just had its 10,000th visitor - someone from Klamath Falls who stopped by at 2:33:23 (coming from ORBlogs). I wish I had some kind of prize to award...
Seriously, I never expected to enjoy the whole blogging thing enough to want to keep going after the first few weeks, so it certainly never occurred to me that there would be 10,000 hits here eventually. Crazy. And we're not even at the one-year anniversary yet.
31 January 2006
How the Mozzarella Met its End
Remember the mozzarella we made in Italian class last Tuesday? It met a very timely death Sunday night in one of Chris' famous pizzas. It lived a good (though admittedly short) life, and we enjoyed it immensely...
30 January 2006
The Color of the Sky
I love the Oregon coast at all times, but I think I love it most when it's gray and miserable weather, when you can't tell the where the water ends and the sky begins. This past weekend was that and more - Friday night we were awakened in the middle of the night by a whopper of a thunder and lightening storm, followed by a quick blast of hail pattering against the windows like it wanted to come in for refuge from itself. Then, as quickly as it had all come, it was gone - no more wind, no more rain, just the quiet rhythm of the waves. And I was once again reminded how much I love the Oregon coast.
The gang checking out the highest water we'd ever seen at my mom's cottage; normally, there's a beach there - this weekend, it was 3+ feet deep. A seal swam by not 15 feet from the front yard.
We went to Depoe Bay for a bit of the afternoon on Saturday to watch the water shoot over Highway 101 - and drench unsuspecting passersby. Chris and Glen (above) were well outside the water's reach, but Steph and I still didn't want to be anywhere near them... Do you see the size of that wave?!?
More high water in Depoe Bay
The gang checking out the highest water we'd ever seen at my mom's cottage; normally, there's a beach there - this weekend, it was 3+ feet deep. A seal swam by not 15 feet from the front yard.
We went to Depoe Bay for a bit of the afternoon on Saturday to watch the water shoot over Highway 101 - and drench unsuspecting passersby. Chris and Glen (above) were well outside the water's reach, but Steph and I still didn't want to be anywhere near them... Do you see the size of that wave?!?
More high water in Depoe Bay
My Mother the Filmmaker
My mom's films had their Portland debut last week, and she had a fabulous turnout at the PNCA. I know I'm biased, but the films are part of what I think is an important project. I hope she's able to continue getting funding beyond the two completed films and the two currently being filmed.
Mom presenting the films
Mom presenting the films
27 January 2006
Teaching - Week Two Complete
After Monday night's class I had the first student so far ask me if I was going to be teaching level two in the Spring. I told her the truth, that I haven't yet decided, but just the fact that she asked is making me consider it more strongly than I would have otherwise.
The truth is, teaching two nights a week in addition to taking a class myself one night a week is pretty tiring. I'm loving the teaching, though, and I do like the idea of having some of my current students for another term so that I can get them into more of the "meat" of the language. I especially love the Monday students, as the vast majority of them want to learn the language just to learn it - not for any travel plans - and it'd be nice to see them for more than just eight weeks.
I've got a bit more time to decide about my Spring classes, so I'll continue to stew on the subject for awhile.
The best news - to me, anyway - is that so far I feel like every class gets a bit better. Like I'm actually learning something about teaching from each session, which I'm then actually able to apply to the next session. I'm really excited about this - it's the most I was expecting for this first attempt, that I would improve as the term went on. Small triumph? Maybe. But it's all mine, and I'm embracing it.
The truth is, teaching two nights a week in addition to taking a class myself one night a week is pretty tiring. I'm loving the teaching, though, and I do like the idea of having some of my current students for another term so that I can get them into more of the "meat" of the language. I especially love the Monday students, as the vast majority of them want to learn the language just to learn it - not for any travel plans - and it'd be nice to see them for more than just eight weeks.
I've got a bit more time to decide about my Spring classes, so I'll continue to stew on the subject for awhile.
The best news - to me, anyway - is that so far I feel like every class gets a bit better. Like I'm actually learning something about teaching from each session, which I'm then actually able to apply to the next session. I'm really excited about this - it's the most I was expecting for this first attempt, that I would improve as the term went on. Small triumph? Maybe. But it's all mine, and I'm embracing it.
It's Just Beachy
We'll be heading to my mom's tiny beach cottage tonight with two of our nearest and dearest - their birthdays are both in January, so this is our gift to them. (Well, the getaway plus a nice, long dinner out on Saturday at a restaurant we all adore.) I think the weather's supposed to be crap all weekend, but I'll bring my camera - and if anything is worth shooting and if any of the pictures turn out (two big "ifs" in there), I'll post 'em later.
Stay warm and dry, everybody...
Stay warm and dry, everybody...
26 January 2006
I don't like the term "guilty pleasure"
I don't know why, I just don't like the term. I use it, and I get where it comes from, but there's a part of me that really wants to just enjoy whatever it is without also feeling badly about enjoying it.
Not liking the term, however, doesn't mean I'm immune to the feeling (I'm Jewish enough to have got the guilt thing down cold). Though I sometimes crank the volume on the local 80's station when I'm driving around, and though I have every reason to like the music they play (I am, after all, smack dab in the middle of their thirtysomething demographic), I can't seem to resist the urge to turn it waaaay down when I pull up to a stoplight with my windows open. Why do I care what the guy in the car next to me thinks of my musical choices? I don't know, and it bugs me that I do care.
(This is all leading up to something, I promise.)
I've been indulging many a guilty pleasure lately, too - getting all kinds of CDs of albums I only have on cassette from "back in the day," things I'm not entirely sure I'll ever listen to more than once, things I'm tempted to scan into the computer and then to hide somewhere other than the CD shelves (lest anyone actually see them).
But these things give me pleasure, and there shouldn't be any reason to feel bad about feeling good, right? Right?
In an effort to become my ideal person - someone who doesn't give a shit about what anyone else thinks of the things she enjoys - I'm coming clean here about a blog I've been getting inordinate amounts of pleasure out of in the last few weeks. The pictures of the celebrities are priceless - people caught in their weakest moments (fashion-wise), making me feel less like a complete dolt for some of the things I wear. But honestly, the pictures alone wouldn't do it for me. The writing is abso-frickin-lutely hysterical. I tip my hat to the people behind this site, because they completely make my day. Trust me, if you believe in guilty pleasures, this blog will become one. If you're that self-actualized person who has no guilt, then you'll just love the thing outright. Either way's fine with me.
Not liking the term, however, doesn't mean I'm immune to the feeling (I'm Jewish enough to have got the guilt thing down cold). Though I sometimes crank the volume on the local 80's station when I'm driving around, and though I have every reason to like the music they play (I am, after all, smack dab in the middle of their thirtysomething demographic), I can't seem to resist the urge to turn it waaaay down when I pull up to a stoplight with my windows open. Why do I care what the guy in the car next to me thinks of my musical choices? I don't know, and it bugs me that I do care.
(This is all leading up to something, I promise.)
I've been indulging many a guilty pleasure lately, too - getting all kinds of CDs of albums I only have on cassette from "back in the day," things I'm not entirely sure I'll ever listen to more than once, things I'm tempted to scan into the computer and then to hide somewhere other than the CD shelves (lest anyone actually see them).
But these things give me pleasure, and there shouldn't be any reason to feel bad about feeling good, right? Right?
In an effort to become my ideal person - someone who doesn't give a shit about what anyone else thinks of the things she enjoys - I'm coming clean here about a blog I've been getting inordinate amounts of pleasure out of in the last few weeks. The pictures of the celebrities are priceless - people caught in their weakest moments (fashion-wise), making me feel less like a complete dolt for some of the things I wear. But honestly, the pictures alone wouldn't do it for me. The writing is abso-frickin-lutely hysterical. I tip my hat to the people behind this site, because they completely make my day. Trust me, if you believe in guilty pleasures, this blog will become one. If you're that self-actualized person who has no guilt, then you'll just love the thing outright. Either way's fine with me.
My Father Has a Blog (And Other Bloglines Catching Up)
I suppose it had to happen sooner or later, since I kept pestering my father to start his own damned blog instead of bugging me all the time, but in truth I never expected him to actually do it. Well, he did, and here it is.
Go forth and conquer, Pops.
+++++++
Grey Duck has a link to a story about a town in Pennsylvania that has had an underground mining fire burning constantly since 1962. The pictures of smoke coming out of cracks in the roads are most spooky.
Juan Cole of Informed Comment lists the Top Ten Mistakes of the Bush Administration in Reacting to Al-Qaeda.
James Tata excerpted two things I liked yesterday - one about the drummer for the band Rush (I've never listened to Rush, really, but the description of the drummer's ability to tap out one rhythm with his feet that happens to be diametrically opposed to the rhythm he's playing with his hands is mind-boggling); and the other about New Orleans. The New Orleans excerpt debunks many of the "chaos-filled city" stories we all heard in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Those stories helped many in the Bush administration to justify their inaction toward those in such desperate need. The fact that the stories turned out to be untrue only amplifies how poorly our government is equipped - or willing, apparently - to help its own citizens (at least the ones who aren't likely to vote for them).
Record Store Geek links to a Frank Zappa-penned article from 1983 in which Zappa seems to have a vision of the future that includes iPods... It's sort of creepily prescient...
William Bragg links to a list I find mostly amusing (however accurate), and also points out (quite rightly, I think) that number four is alarmingly on the money. The other link from Mr. Bragg is, well... I'm not sure what to make of it, really, but it frankly just made me giggle when I read it.
Go forth and conquer, Pops.
+++++++
Grey Duck has a link to a story about a town in Pennsylvania that has had an underground mining fire burning constantly since 1962. The pictures of smoke coming out of cracks in the roads are most spooky.
Juan Cole of Informed Comment lists the Top Ten Mistakes of the Bush Administration in Reacting to Al-Qaeda.
James Tata excerpted two things I liked yesterday - one about the drummer for the band Rush (I've never listened to Rush, really, but the description of the drummer's ability to tap out one rhythm with his feet that happens to be diametrically opposed to the rhythm he's playing with his hands is mind-boggling); and the other about New Orleans. The New Orleans excerpt debunks many of the "chaos-filled city" stories we all heard in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Those stories helped many in the Bush administration to justify their inaction toward those in such desperate need. The fact that the stories turned out to be untrue only amplifies how poorly our government is equipped - or willing, apparently - to help its own citizens (at least the ones who aren't likely to vote for them).
Record Store Geek links to a Frank Zappa-penned article from 1983 in which Zappa seems to have a vision of the future that includes iPods... It's sort of creepily prescient...
William Bragg links to a list I find mostly amusing (however accurate), and also points out (quite rightly, I think) that number four is alarmingly on the money. The other link from Mr. Bragg is, well... I'm not sure what to make of it, really, but it frankly just made me giggle when I read it.
25 January 2006
A Week of Food Firsts
On Sunday we had dinner with some friends, one of whom is on the Atkins diet, so Chris tried to come up with a more Atkins-friendly dessert to bring with us. He settled on creme brulee, which he'd never made before. It's not strictly Atkins, of course, because of all the sugar, but it's better than cookies or cake. And it turned out pretty well, too - especially for a first try. Chris added a bit of orange essence to the cream, giving it an almost refreshing taste (and we all acknowledged that "refreshing" isn't a word one would generally use to describe creme brulee). Torching the sugar topping proved to be the most entertaining part, as you'd expect.
The biggest shock came earlier when Chris was reading the nutritional information on the side of the carton of heavy cream. He was reading the fat content, thinking, "Wow, this is much worse for me than I thought." And then he read the serving size - one tablespoon. In that tiny carton there were 30 servings - and each one was more unhealthy than he'd thought the entire carton would be. Let this be a lesson to you - if you think something is unhealthy and you want to eat it anyway, don't read the nutritional information.
Pouring the sugar on top for torching.
Torching the top of the creme brulee, and the finished product. Twas tasty...
Last night in Italian class, two of our classmates had a surprise for us - a friend of theirs called Giuseppe (born in Naples) was going to teach us all how to make mozzarella. Giuseppe spoke primarily in Italian, of course, so there are significant gaps in my understanding of the steps involved, but I do know that once all the ingredients are prepared the cheesy stuff goes into a giant bowl of hot water and you pull it like taffy. Then you create cheese balls and pinch them off, dropping them into a bowl of cold salt water. Giuseppe said that when you're pinching off the segments of cheese that it can help to think of a spouse or significant other - and then he demonstrated by strangling the cheese. We all got a good laugh out of that.
Giuseppe supervising the cheese production
Chris the cheese maker
Students (top) and our teacher (bottom) taking their turns.
The biggest shock came earlier when Chris was reading the nutritional information on the side of the carton of heavy cream. He was reading the fat content, thinking, "Wow, this is much worse for me than I thought." And then he read the serving size - one tablespoon. In that tiny carton there were 30 servings - and each one was more unhealthy than he'd thought the entire carton would be. Let this be a lesson to you - if you think something is unhealthy and you want to eat it anyway, don't read the nutritional information.
Pouring the sugar on top for torching.
Torching the top of the creme brulee, and the finished product. Twas tasty...
Last night in Italian class, two of our classmates had a surprise for us - a friend of theirs called Giuseppe (born in Naples) was going to teach us all how to make mozzarella. Giuseppe spoke primarily in Italian, of course, so there are significant gaps in my understanding of the steps involved, but I do know that once all the ingredients are prepared the cheesy stuff goes into a giant bowl of hot water and you pull it like taffy. Then you create cheese balls and pinch them off, dropping them into a bowl of cold salt water. Giuseppe said that when you're pinching off the segments of cheese that it can help to think of a spouse or significant other - and then he demonstrated by strangling the cheese. We all got a good laugh out of that.
Giuseppe supervising the cheese production
Chris the cheese maker
Students (top) and our teacher (bottom) taking their turns.
24 January 2006
Torino 2006
I've never been a big Olympics fan, but I would have been happy as a clam to go to this year's winter games - they're in Italy! According to this article, though, the Italians aren't even very excited about the big event in their backyard.
23 January 2006
The Holiday Haul
We finally went to our last Christmas gathering at my father's house this past Saturday, so I can finally post the list of all the CDs and DVDs we received and bought. The ones we purchased is a long list, indeed, because there was a music/book/movie store going out of business in Pennsylvania. We did our part to help them clear the shelves, as you'll see.
CD GIFTS:
Gorillaz - Gorillaz
Peter Murphy - Deep (which I'd had on cassette in college and loved)
The Essential Bob Dylan
Ligabue - Nome e Cognome
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass & Greatest Hits
Whitesnake - Saints & Sinners (a throw-back to my hair-band-lovin' days)
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (another throw-back, this one much more of a guilty pleasure)
Phoenix - Alphabetical
CD PURCHASES (in alphabetical order):
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful
The Bravery - The Bravery
Nikka Costa - can'tneverdidnothin'
Def Leppard - Hysteria (yes, this was a complete nostalgia purchase)
Minnie Driver - Everything I've Got In My Pocket (call it an odd curiosity - though it's mostly boring)
The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
Heart - Bad Animals (another bit of nostalgia, a favorite from high school)
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
Maria McKee - Peddlin' Dreams
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt - Singles
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Velvet Revolver - Contraband
Violent Femmes (the old album that I knew all the words to in high school)
Weezer - Make Believe
DVD GIFTS & PURCHASES:
U2 Vertigo Tour 2005
The Godfather
Il Postino
The Bridge On The River Kwai
La Dolce Vita (2 disc collector's edition)
Sports Night - Complete TV Series
Now if only there was enough time in the day to listen to and watch all this stuff...
CD GIFTS:
Gorillaz - Gorillaz
Peter Murphy - Deep (which I'd had on cassette in college and loved)
The Essential Bob Dylan
Ligabue - Nome e Cognome
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass & Greatest Hits
Whitesnake - Saints & Sinners (a throw-back to my hair-band-lovin' days)
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (another throw-back, this one much more of a guilty pleasure)
Phoenix - Alphabetical
CD PURCHASES (in alphabetical order):
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful
The Bravery - The Bravery
Nikka Costa - can'tneverdidnothin'
Def Leppard - Hysteria (yes, this was a complete nostalgia purchase)
Minnie Driver - Everything I've Got In My Pocket (call it an odd curiosity - though it's mostly boring)
The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
Heart - Bad Animals (another bit of nostalgia, a favorite from high school)
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
Maria McKee - Peddlin' Dreams
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt - Singles
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Velvet Revolver - Contraband
Violent Femmes (the old album that I knew all the words to in high school)
Weezer - Make Believe
DVD GIFTS & PURCHASES:
U2 Vertigo Tour 2005
The Godfather
Il Postino
The Bridge On The River Kwai
La Dolce Vita (2 disc collector's edition)
Sports Night - Complete TV Series
Now if only there was enough time in the day to listen to and watch all this stuff...
21 January 2006
Andiamo!
Last week our phrase-a-day calendar had this little gem, which I couldn't not post - in case there are any of you out there who still don't know what andiamo means.
How Smart Are You?
I'd gotten a MENSA test via email late last year, and had worked on it bit by bit until I got frustrated at 19 correct answers out of 33. Still, I thought I was doing pretty well with that number. (MENSA says if you get 19 or more right you're a "genius.") My dad used to do these puzzles all the time, and at one point I'd gotten quite good at them. Unfortunately, most of the ones that appeared on the puzzles back then didn't make it onto the MENSA test.
On Thursday, Record Store Geek posted a link to the test online, which is great. He got 27 right, which is amazing. I'd be more jealous if I didn't get two of the ones he said he had trouble with. (Is that gloating? Hmm...)
I'll keep plugging away at it. If you're so inclined, let me know how you do - but don't post answers in the comments, lest you want to help everyone else cheat...
(And for the record - I think the whole MENSA thing is ridiculous - I just love these puzzles.)
On Thursday, Record Store Geek posted a link to the test online, which is great. He got 27 right, which is amazing. I'd be more jealous if I didn't get two of the ones he said he had trouble with. (Is that gloating? Hmm...)
I'll keep plugging away at it. If you're so inclined, let me know how you do - but don't post answers in the comments, lest you want to help everyone else cheat...
(And for the record - I think the whole MENSA thing is ridiculous - I just love these puzzles.)
20 January 2006
How the Best Bread in Italy Put McDonald's Out of Business
I first saw this article referenced on William Bragg's blog, but the New York Times article was only excerpted there so I had to dig around for the whole story. I found it yesterday.
All I can say is GO ITALY!
All I can say is GO ITALY!
19 January 2006
Deck Construction Update
The construction project underway at our house is coming along nicely. Two of our neighbors are nearly ready for the tiling to begin (they're taking a bit of an assembly-line approach to the schedule), and currently have these sort of clear tents covering the deck framing.
Tent City - the covering over the decks which are ready to be tiled. They've got heaters in them to help keep the temperature at a good place for the tile adhesive.
I got a look inside one of the tents from one of my neighbors - while light still comes through the semi-clear plastic, my neighbors said they'll be happy to be able to look out their windows again and actually see something. The construction crew is doing so well, it shouldn't be long.
Inside the deck tent
Tent City - the covering over the decks which are ready to be tiled. They've got heaters in them to help keep the temperature at a good place for the tile adhesive.
I got a look inside one of the tents from one of my neighbors - while light still comes through the semi-clear plastic, my neighbors said they'll be happy to be able to look out their windows again and actually see something. The construction crew is doing so well, it shouldn't be long.
Inside the deck tent
18 January 2006
Oregon is the Canada of California
I didn't think anyone could make ice cream sound unappetizing, but Damn Interesting manages to with this post.
Belatedly, here are two posts from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Juan Cole discusses what Dr. King might think about the Iraq war, and Ken Foster posts Wynton Marsalis' Monday address in New Orleans.
William Bragg, once again, is clogging my Bloglines (with all good stuff, of course). Among them - the most popular myths in science and an American geography lesson. The former is hysterically informative, the latter would be just plain hysterical if it weren't so sadly true.
Along the Written Road I've found many gems for those among you interested in the idea of being a travel writer... Lonely Planet's promoting their new BlueLists by having a contest, the winner of which gets to become an LP writer... A list of the New York Times' most popular travel articles... A new travel eZine... And travel writing classes with National Geographic.
In the television department, we're always a day behind on The Daily Show and Steven Colbert, so we finally watched them tonight - and Colbert gave a "wag of his finger" to Oregon's Death With Dignity Law, and a "tip of the hat" to the Supreme Court for upholding the law. His reasoning for the latter was as follows: "You've got the right idea - let's get rid of as many of those tie-dyed tree-hugging wusses as we can. I've said it before: Oregon is California's Canada." It's people like Colbert, Jon Stewart and Al Franken who are helping to make the Bush years a little more tolerable - if for no other reason than I know there are others out there laughing (and crying) along with me.
Belatedly, here are two posts from Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Juan Cole discusses what Dr. King might think about the Iraq war, and Ken Foster posts Wynton Marsalis' Monday address in New Orleans.
William Bragg, once again, is clogging my Bloglines (with all good stuff, of course). Among them - the most popular myths in science and an American geography lesson. The former is hysterically informative, the latter would be just plain hysterical if it weren't so sadly true.
Along the Written Road I've found many gems for those among you interested in the idea of being a travel writer... Lonely Planet's promoting their new BlueLists by having a contest, the winner of which gets to become an LP writer... A list of the New York Times' most popular travel articles... A new travel eZine... And travel writing classes with National Geographic.
In the television department, we're always a day behind on The Daily Show and Steven Colbert, so we finally watched them tonight - and Colbert gave a "wag of his finger" to Oregon's Death With Dignity Law, and a "tip of the hat" to the Supreme Court for upholding the law. His reasoning for the latter was as follows: "You've got the right idea - let's get rid of as many of those tie-dyed tree-hugging wusses as we can. I've said it before: Oregon is California's Canada." It's people like Colbert, Jon Stewart and Al Franken who are helping to make the Bush years a little more tolerable - if for no other reason than I know there are others out there laughing (and crying) along with me.
17 January 2006
Eating in France Over the Weekend
Chris took Monday off, so I did as well - and we had a gloriously decadent weekend. Sure, we did tons of errands and chores and a whole host of those things that generally always need to be (but never are) done. But we didn't let a few must-dos get in the way of some enjoyment of a few days off.
Friday night we kicked off the long weekend by cutting out of work early and going downtown to see "Capote." (We stopped en route to buy ourselves some tickets to see Al Franken next month at the Schnitz, something we're both really looking forward to.) It was a pretty full theatre, and we were bummed to be sitting to close to the screen - but in the end it wasn't the kind of movie for which that's a real detriment. There are no action sequences, and no one moves too quickly, so there's no danger of whiplash. We both enjoyed the movie - it's much more about the process of writing than I'd thought beforehand, which doesn't sound like it would be interesting even though it really is - and ended up talking about it over dinner afterwards at Carafe.
We'd eaten at Carafe before, and we both like it quite a bit. It's casual, with a solid French bistro-type menu. The only drawbacks seem to be its location (it's hard to just be walking by and say, "Oh, let's eat here") and the bathrooms (I know it seems I'm on a bathroom jag here lately, but I'll ignore that if you will) - they're actually outside the restaurant in the parking garage next door, which isn't so much a terrible thing as just really odd for a restaurant as good as Carafe.
This time I had an old favorite from my college trips to Paris - a croque monsieur, which is French for "the best grilled cheese sandwich you've ever had, mostly because it has ham on it, too." It's the kind of sandwich you eat with a knife and fork, and even though it comes with a generous helping of crispy and delicious pommes frites it still feels rather sophisticated. Could be the French name, I'll admit.
Saturday night we met some friends at Le Bouchon for dinner. None of us had ever been there, and we were all pleased with our meals. Every course was spectacular. The recommended monkfish was so buttery it was more like lobster than anything else - and despite the fact that the waiter brought me the wrong thing (he misheard me, I think), I ended up liking what he brought so much (duck confit) that I was actually glad for the mistake. Le Bouchon, like Carafe, positively oozes French bistro chic - Le Bouchon has the leg up, however, if for no other reason than it not only feels like a neighborhood-type place on the inside, it actually looks like one on the outside, too. There's a wonderful counter by the bar where we could easily imagine the locals might come for a quick bite on the way home from work. We could have been in France if not for the distinct lack of cigarette smoke in the air...
With all of my emphasis on Italy lately, it was nice to find myself immersed in another European cuisine for a change. My French cousins would have been proud.
Friday night we kicked off the long weekend by cutting out of work early and going downtown to see "Capote." (We stopped en route to buy ourselves some tickets to see Al Franken next month at the Schnitz, something we're both really looking forward to.) It was a pretty full theatre, and we were bummed to be sitting to close to the screen - but in the end it wasn't the kind of movie for which that's a real detriment. There are no action sequences, and no one moves too quickly, so there's no danger of whiplash. We both enjoyed the movie - it's much more about the process of writing than I'd thought beforehand, which doesn't sound like it would be interesting even though it really is - and ended up talking about it over dinner afterwards at Carafe.
We'd eaten at Carafe before, and we both like it quite a bit. It's casual, with a solid French bistro-type menu. The only drawbacks seem to be its location (it's hard to just be walking by and say, "Oh, let's eat here") and the bathrooms (I know it seems I'm on a bathroom jag here lately, but I'll ignore that if you will) - they're actually outside the restaurant in the parking garage next door, which isn't so much a terrible thing as just really odd for a restaurant as good as Carafe.
This time I had an old favorite from my college trips to Paris - a croque monsieur, which is French for "the best grilled cheese sandwich you've ever had, mostly because it has ham on it, too." It's the kind of sandwich you eat with a knife and fork, and even though it comes with a generous helping of crispy and delicious pommes frites it still feels rather sophisticated. Could be the French name, I'll admit.
Saturday night we met some friends at Le Bouchon for dinner. None of us had ever been there, and we were all pleased with our meals. Every course was spectacular. The recommended monkfish was so buttery it was more like lobster than anything else - and despite the fact that the waiter brought me the wrong thing (he misheard me, I think), I ended up liking what he brought so much (duck confit) that I was actually glad for the mistake. Le Bouchon, like Carafe, positively oozes French bistro chic - Le Bouchon has the leg up, however, if for no other reason than it not only feels like a neighborhood-type place on the inside, it actually looks like one on the outside, too. There's a wonderful counter by the bar where we could easily imagine the locals might come for a quick bite on the way home from work. We could have been in France if not for the distinct lack of cigarette smoke in the air...
With all of my emphasis on Italy lately, it was nice to find myself immersed in another European cuisine for a change. My French cousins would have been proud.
16 January 2006
Sinju - It's All About the Bathrooms
On New Year's Eve, Chris and I had no plans. We hadn't been able to stay at my mom's to ring in the new year because Chris was flying to Las Vegas New Year's Day, so we knew we'd probably just go out to dinner and see a movie - which is what we did. We weren't the only ones with that idea, as you can imagine, and the Bridgeport Shopping Center near us was chock full of people - every restaurant had a 45+ minute wait... Except the new sushi place, Sinju.
I'd been eagerly anticipating its arrival, as the banner on the storefront while they were building looked intriguing. And though they were completely booked, there was no one at the bar - which, at a sushi restaurant, is my favorite place to sit.
They'd been open a whopping four days, so we were prepared to forgive them plenty of missteps - but they ended up not really having many. The sushi is unremarkable, but it's tasty enough (especially for a sushi restaurant in a mall, for pete's sake), and the decor is modern and visually interesting. The chairs at the sushi bar are a clear sort of plexiglass, and they pivot on what feels like a ball joint under the seat - a little challenging to get into, but reasonably comfortable once you're settled. The cocktail I had was quite nice, though I don't think there was as much vodka in it as a martini should have (I would've felt it, trust me). The service was hit or miss - either we had too much attention from our waitress, or she was nowhere in sight. The delivery of the food was the most annoying part of the dining experience. We were sitting right in front of the sushi chef who was filling our order, and yet we would get three rolls at once and then have to wait ages for the next two while he filled orders for the restaurant. (Again, while these things were annoying, we were quite forgiving, and plan to give them another chance.)
The next time we go, however, I will make damned sure I don't have to use the bathroom.
When I finally found the bathrooms that night, the manager was in the process of putting scotch tape over a hole in the door jamb underneath where it latched. "We've only been open four days," he stammered, "we're still learning things about the place - like these holes here? People have been catching their fingers in them!" I nodded, smiled, noted the location of the offending grabby-hole, and went into the open bathroom next to the one he was doctoring. (There are only two bathrooms, and they're unisex.)
Then came shock number one - the doors are made of a frosted glass. Now, while I can only hope that someone checked on this kind of thing before installing glass doors on a friggin' bathroom, I did have more than a little fear of being more on display than I'd like to be in that situation. When people came up to try the door (at which point I hoped the manager hadn't inadvertently put tape on the part where the door actually locked), I could see them much more clearly than I'd want to - and I had to assume that worked both ways, something I'm still not comfortable with.
Shock number two happened when I sat down (sorry, folks, this is about bathrooms, after all). The wall facing the toilet and behind the toilet are entirely made up of mirrors (the door wall and the wall opposite are stone or something). I realize that men might experience facing a mirror when they go to the bathroom with some regularity, but women do not. And frankly, there are few positions less flattering than staring at yourself in a mirror when you're on the toilet. Seriously. And I'm supposed to go back out into the restaurant with an appetite? I don't think so. If you're on a diet, go to the bathroom first - you won't eat anything.
Then came the final shock (number three, for those of you keeping track) - the sinks aren't in the bathrooms themselves, but rather in the hallway-like thing just outside the two glass doors, and in plain view of several tables in the restaurant. I can't see this as a good thing from either side - as the person who just used the bathroom, I want to be able to wash my hands, fix my lipstick, make sure there's no seaweed in my teeth, etc. in private; and as the diner, I don't want to be in the middle of a bite of unagi to look up and see someone who has just used the toilet not wash their hands.
In the final analysis, I liked the restaurant well enough that I'll be happy to try it again (after it's lost some of those opening-restaurant jitters), but I will never use the bathrooms there again unless it's a dire emergency.
I'd been eagerly anticipating its arrival, as the banner on the storefront while they were building looked intriguing. And though they were completely booked, there was no one at the bar - which, at a sushi restaurant, is my favorite place to sit.
They'd been open a whopping four days, so we were prepared to forgive them plenty of missteps - but they ended up not really having many. The sushi is unremarkable, but it's tasty enough (especially for a sushi restaurant in a mall, for pete's sake), and the decor is modern and visually interesting. The chairs at the sushi bar are a clear sort of plexiglass, and they pivot on what feels like a ball joint under the seat - a little challenging to get into, but reasonably comfortable once you're settled. The cocktail I had was quite nice, though I don't think there was as much vodka in it as a martini should have (I would've felt it, trust me). The service was hit or miss - either we had too much attention from our waitress, or she was nowhere in sight. The delivery of the food was the most annoying part of the dining experience. We were sitting right in front of the sushi chef who was filling our order, and yet we would get three rolls at once and then have to wait ages for the next two while he filled orders for the restaurant. (Again, while these things were annoying, we were quite forgiving, and plan to give them another chance.)
The next time we go, however, I will make damned sure I don't have to use the bathroom.
When I finally found the bathrooms that night, the manager was in the process of putting scotch tape over a hole in the door jamb underneath where it latched. "We've only been open four days," he stammered, "we're still learning things about the place - like these holes here? People have been catching their fingers in them!" I nodded, smiled, noted the location of the offending grabby-hole, and went into the open bathroom next to the one he was doctoring. (There are only two bathrooms, and they're unisex.)
Then came shock number one - the doors are made of a frosted glass. Now, while I can only hope that someone checked on this kind of thing before installing glass doors on a friggin' bathroom, I did have more than a little fear of being more on display than I'd like to be in that situation. When people came up to try the door (at which point I hoped the manager hadn't inadvertently put tape on the part where the door actually locked), I could see them much more clearly than I'd want to - and I had to assume that worked both ways, something I'm still not comfortable with.
Shock number two happened when I sat down (sorry, folks, this is about bathrooms, after all). The wall facing the toilet and behind the toilet are entirely made up of mirrors (the door wall and the wall opposite are stone or something). I realize that men might experience facing a mirror when they go to the bathroom with some regularity, but women do not. And frankly, there are few positions less flattering than staring at yourself in a mirror when you're on the toilet. Seriously. And I'm supposed to go back out into the restaurant with an appetite? I don't think so. If you're on a diet, go to the bathroom first - you won't eat anything.
Then came the final shock (number three, for those of you keeping track) - the sinks aren't in the bathrooms themselves, but rather in the hallway-like thing just outside the two glass doors, and in plain view of several tables in the restaurant. I can't see this as a good thing from either side - as the person who just used the bathroom, I want to be able to wash my hands, fix my lipstick, make sure there's no seaweed in my teeth, etc. in private; and as the diner, I don't want to be in the middle of a bite of unagi to look up and see someone who has just used the toilet not wash their hands.
In the final analysis, I liked the restaurant well enough that I'll be happy to try it again (after it's lost some of those opening-restaurant jitters), but I will never use the bathrooms there again unless it's a dire emergency.
14 January 2006
Faith
I found this quote the other day on another blog, and have decided I love it. I'm quite certain that I don't always believe this to be true, but I'd like to...
You must realize that something is happening to you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall.
Rainer Maria Rilke
You must realize that something is happening to you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall.
Rainer Maria Rilke
13 January 2006
U2/Kanye West
The Rose Garden, Portland
December 19, 2005
Playing catch-up again, here are - finally - my notes from the last concert we saw in 2005. Now, I'd never been a huge U2 fan. I mean, I've always liked the singles and respected them immensely, but I'd never bought an album. Chris, on the other hand, has always loved the band, and as he has bought the last few albums I've really gotten into them. Neither of us had ever seen the band live - I think we both expected a fabulous show, but even our high expectations were exceeded.
But let me back up a bit...
Tickets for the show went on sale sometime in, like, January 2005 or something - really, I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was ages before the actual show. Chris wasn't home, I was planning to try to buy tickets online (through the service-charge-o-rific ticket seller which we all know and hate), but was pretty sure they'd be sold out before my browser could refresh. Imagine my surprise when I actually was able to get two tickets! I had five minutes to make a decision about whether I wanted to buy them, and though they were sort of at an angle off one side of the back corner of the stage, I figured that if that was the best available at that time, I wouldn't be able to do any better. So, I bought them, surprised Chris with the news, and then promptly forgot about the concert for another 11 months.
(Despite having bought tickets so far in advance of a show, fate [AKA the weather] almost made it impossible for us to go - the day before had been a day of freezing rain and snow, and had it not melted midday on the 19th we never would have left the house. Thank goodness for that warming trend.)
So, now onto the show.
The seats were actually pretty good, though they were sort of angled behind the stage - we were on the side where bassist Adam Clayton stands. U2's stage set up includes a giant circular path around not only the stage but a portion of the general admission crowd. We expected that Bono would be doing laps.
The opening act, Kanye West, was a surprise to us - we were confused when we first heard he'd be opening, but decided to show up early enough to catch his set just in case we ended up liking him. I can't say I'm anymore a fan now than I was before, but it was a pretty entertaining show nonetheless. As a former singer, I'm drawn more to actual singers than rappers. I don't mind hip-hop so long as there's some kind of melody to sing along with. West said himself during his set that he "can't sing," so he's not going to make my top-ten list anytime soon. He's a good performer, though my favorite part of his act turned out to be his lead violinist.
Kanye West with his string section - the lead violinist is nearest to the foreground.
Yes, I said lead violinist - his backing "band" is composed of a small string and harp section (lovely, thin women in tight black dresses, their hair in tight black buns - a la Robert Palmer videos - with black rectangles painted across their faces over their eyes), in addition to the requisite guy-with-turntables. The lead violinist was wearing a slinky white dress and black patent leather stilettos, and frankly seemed like she might fit better in one of West's videos or actually in the front row. She knew all the songs (more than you'd expect a member of the band to know them), and "sang along" while dancing (sometimes while playing the violin, sometimes from her chair), gyrating so violently at times that she wasn't touching the ground - and let me tell you, jumping in stilettos is no mean feat.
The stage between sets - we noticed two small monitors on either side of Bono's microphone, but they weren't the usual sound monitors - they appeared to scroll the lyrics like teleprompters. I imagine for a band with a catalog the size of U2's, that would be a nice safety net. Bono looked like he wasn't using them much.
As the road crew was modifying the stage set up between shows, we voiced our hope that this would be one of those shows where people actually stood up when the band came onstage - neither of us is a great dancer, but we both prefer to actually stand while dancing as opposed to that silly "seat dance" one is sometimes forced to do when no one else around you wants to stand. Thankfully, we got our wish. The lights went down, and the entire arena stood up.
setlist:
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
In A Little While (snippet)
Beautiful Day
Many Rivers To Cross (snippet)
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) (snippet)
Original Of The Species
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Torna A Surriento (snippet)
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Rock The Casbah (snippet)
Bullet The Blue Sky
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)
The Hands That Built America (snippet)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
Help (snippet)
Instant Karma!
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (snippet)
encore 1:
Until The End Of The World
Mysterious Ways
With Or Without You
encore 2:
Happy Birthday
Yahweh
40
I know that the huge shows a band like U2 does now are highly scripted, that there is little left of the spontaneity of the smaller club shows they used to do, and that generally it's a challenge to still make each show's attendees feel like they're at a singular event. In Pennsylvania, after the show, we bought a DVD of the Vertigo tour which was recorded in May 2005 - watching even 45 minutes of it confirmed for me that nothing is left to chance in their shows. The entire thing is planned, even down to the people Bono will pull out of the crowd - their faces change, but their roles do not.
(L) There were these incredible beaded curtains which rolled up and down at different times, only the beads were a kind of computerized light bulb - this picture was taken during the opening of "City of Blinding Lights," where they were just white and sparkling light. (R) Bono entered the stage from the ramp somwhere, as silver confetti fell from the sky.
(L) During the opening song, the entire place was lit up. (R) A close-up of Bono, Clayton and the beaded curtains.
So, while I knew that from the band's perspective it was one more night in a series of similar nights, it's also abundantly clear that the band members love what they are doing. There is nothing of the jaded or bored attitude one could expect from people who have been playing this gig for so many years; no matter how many times they do it, no matter how much their job is about hitting a "repeat" button on the night before, they look like they're having the time of their lives. Bono is a hive of energy, running around the circular ramp, leaping from one side of the stage to the other, and chatting with members of the audience. The Edge (who, I decided that night, just oozes cool) is much more animated than I would have expected, pogo-ing along with the audience much of the time, and even taking a few laps around the ramp himself. Clayton is the understated one (he looks to me like someone's kindly grandfather), as even drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. gets a turn on the ramp when they bring out a tom-tom drum for him to play mid-ramp during "Love and Peace or Else."
(L) A good overview of the stage, which lit up in a series of wonderful colors. (R) The far end of the ramp, with Mullen on his drum and Bono singing.
Two more samples of the beaded curtains - on the right, they were cascading African flags during "Where the Streets Have No Name."
(L) Another light feature were the lovely lamps hanging above the stage - they looked like something out of a 1970's living room, and bathed the stage in light. (R & bottom row) As it was the last night of the tour, the crew came onstage after the 1st encore wearing black shirts with one letter apiece - in the end, it spelled out something like, "the u2 crew would like to thank the edge bono larry and adam for a great 2005" - and there were still quite a few crew members left over! The band came onstage after that to applaud their crew, and sing happy birthday to one of the guys.
To say that U2 is the best stadium-band I've ever seen is almost an understatement - I've seen Prince twice, and I'd happily pay to see him again, but this was something different. There is an adoration of Bono that goes far beyond the hoardes of screaming young girls - U2's appeal seems to be age-less, and people seem to respond not only to the music but to his political persona as well. Just the day before, Time Magazine had come out with Bono as one of three "persons of the year," an honor he didn't even bother to bring up during the show. Chris and I commented to each other more than once that it felt like we were part of something bigger that night, that we were in a place with many like-minded people. It's hokey, but it's the kind of feeling that gives a person hope about a better future for the country and the world.
(L) Bono asked everyone to get out their cell phones before "One," I think it was, and then after people used them to "light up the place like a Christmas tree" (Bono's words), he asked them to text message their names to an online campaign he's spearheading. At the end of the show, the people who had done so saw their names scroll across the giant screens above the stage. (R) The band says a final farewell after their 2nd encore.
December 19, 2005
Playing catch-up again, here are - finally - my notes from the last concert we saw in 2005. Now, I'd never been a huge U2 fan. I mean, I've always liked the singles and respected them immensely, but I'd never bought an album. Chris, on the other hand, has always loved the band, and as he has bought the last few albums I've really gotten into them. Neither of us had ever seen the band live - I think we both expected a fabulous show, but even our high expectations were exceeded.
But let me back up a bit...
Tickets for the show went on sale sometime in, like, January 2005 or something - really, I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was ages before the actual show. Chris wasn't home, I was planning to try to buy tickets online (through the service-charge-o-rific ticket seller which we all know and hate), but was pretty sure they'd be sold out before my browser could refresh. Imagine my surprise when I actually was able to get two tickets! I had five minutes to make a decision about whether I wanted to buy them, and though they were sort of at an angle off one side of the back corner of the stage, I figured that if that was the best available at that time, I wouldn't be able to do any better. So, I bought them, surprised Chris with the news, and then promptly forgot about the concert for another 11 months.
(Despite having bought tickets so far in advance of a show, fate [AKA the weather] almost made it impossible for us to go - the day before had been a day of freezing rain and snow, and had it not melted midday on the 19th we never would have left the house. Thank goodness for that warming trend.)
So, now onto the show.
The seats were actually pretty good, though they were sort of angled behind the stage - we were on the side where bassist Adam Clayton stands. U2's stage set up includes a giant circular path around not only the stage but a portion of the general admission crowd. We expected that Bono would be doing laps.
The opening act, Kanye West, was a surprise to us - we were confused when we first heard he'd be opening, but decided to show up early enough to catch his set just in case we ended up liking him. I can't say I'm anymore a fan now than I was before, but it was a pretty entertaining show nonetheless. As a former singer, I'm drawn more to actual singers than rappers. I don't mind hip-hop so long as there's some kind of melody to sing along with. West said himself during his set that he "can't sing," so he's not going to make my top-ten list anytime soon. He's a good performer, though my favorite part of his act turned out to be his lead violinist.
Kanye West with his string section - the lead violinist is nearest to the foreground.
Yes, I said lead violinist - his backing "band" is composed of a small string and harp section (lovely, thin women in tight black dresses, their hair in tight black buns - a la Robert Palmer videos - with black rectangles painted across their faces over their eyes), in addition to the requisite guy-with-turntables. The lead violinist was wearing a slinky white dress and black patent leather stilettos, and frankly seemed like she might fit better in one of West's videos or actually in the front row. She knew all the songs (more than you'd expect a member of the band to know them), and "sang along" while dancing (sometimes while playing the violin, sometimes from her chair), gyrating so violently at times that she wasn't touching the ground - and let me tell you, jumping in stilettos is no mean feat.
The stage between sets - we noticed two small monitors on either side of Bono's microphone, but they weren't the usual sound monitors - they appeared to scroll the lyrics like teleprompters. I imagine for a band with a catalog the size of U2's, that would be a nice safety net. Bono looked like he wasn't using them much.
As the road crew was modifying the stage set up between shows, we voiced our hope that this would be one of those shows where people actually stood up when the band came onstage - neither of us is a great dancer, but we both prefer to actually stand while dancing as opposed to that silly "seat dance" one is sometimes forced to do when no one else around you wants to stand. Thankfully, we got our wish. The lights went down, and the entire arena stood up.
setlist:
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
In A Little While (snippet)
Beautiful Day
Many Rivers To Cross (snippet)
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) (snippet)
Original Of The Species
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Torna A Surriento (snippet)
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Rock The Casbah (snippet)
Bullet The Blue Sky
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)
The Hands That Built America (snippet)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
Help (snippet)
Instant Karma!
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (snippet)
encore 1:
Until The End Of The World
Mysterious Ways
With Or Without You
encore 2:
Happy Birthday
Yahweh
40
I know that the huge shows a band like U2 does now are highly scripted, that there is little left of the spontaneity of the smaller club shows they used to do, and that generally it's a challenge to still make each show's attendees feel like they're at a singular event. In Pennsylvania, after the show, we bought a DVD of the Vertigo tour which was recorded in May 2005 - watching even 45 minutes of it confirmed for me that nothing is left to chance in their shows. The entire thing is planned, even down to the people Bono will pull out of the crowd - their faces change, but their roles do not.
(L) There were these incredible beaded curtains which rolled up and down at different times, only the beads were a kind of computerized light bulb - this picture was taken during the opening of "City of Blinding Lights," where they were just white and sparkling light. (R) Bono entered the stage from the ramp somwhere, as silver confetti fell from the sky.
(L) During the opening song, the entire place was lit up. (R) A close-up of Bono, Clayton and the beaded curtains.
So, while I knew that from the band's perspective it was one more night in a series of similar nights, it's also abundantly clear that the band members love what they are doing. There is nothing of the jaded or bored attitude one could expect from people who have been playing this gig for so many years; no matter how many times they do it, no matter how much their job is about hitting a "repeat" button on the night before, they look like they're having the time of their lives. Bono is a hive of energy, running around the circular ramp, leaping from one side of the stage to the other, and chatting with members of the audience. The Edge (who, I decided that night, just oozes cool) is much more animated than I would have expected, pogo-ing along with the audience much of the time, and even taking a few laps around the ramp himself. Clayton is the understated one (he looks to me like someone's kindly grandfather), as even drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. gets a turn on the ramp when they bring out a tom-tom drum for him to play mid-ramp during "Love and Peace or Else."
(L) A good overview of the stage, which lit up in a series of wonderful colors. (R) The far end of the ramp, with Mullen on his drum and Bono singing.
Two more samples of the beaded curtains - on the right, they were cascading African flags during "Where the Streets Have No Name."
(L) Another light feature were the lovely lamps hanging above the stage - they looked like something out of a 1970's living room, and bathed the stage in light. (R & bottom row) As it was the last night of the tour, the crew came onstage after the 1st encore wearing black shirts with one letter apiece - in the end, it spelled out something like, "the u2 crew would like to thank the edge bono larry and adam for a great 2005" - and there were still quite a few crew members left over! The band came onstage after that to applaud their crew, and sing happy birthday to one of the guys.
To say that U2 is the best stadium-band I've ever seen is almost an understatement - I've seen Prince twice, and I'd happily pay to see him again, but this was something different. There is an adoration of Bono that goes far beyond the hoardes of screaming young girls - U2's appeal seems to be age-less, and people seem to respond not only to the music but to his political persona as well. Just the day before, Time Magazine had come out with Bono as one of three "persons of the year," an honor he didn't even bother to bring up during the show. Chris and I commented to each other more than once that it felt like we were part of something bigger that night, that we were in a place with many like-minded people. It's hokey, but it's the kind of feeling that gives a person hope about a better future for the country and the world.
(L) Bono asked everyone to get out their cell phones before "One," I think it was, and then after people used them to "light up the place like a Christmas tree" (Bono's words), he asked them to text message their names to an online campaign he's spearheading. At the end of the show, the people who had done so saw their names scroll across the giant screens above the stage. (R) The band says a final farewell after their 2nd encore.
12 January 2006
This Is Old Hat Now
I can't begin to emphasize the difference between my first Monday class and my first Wednesday class. There were the obvious perceptible differences - class size (12 on Wednesday as compared to 25 on Monday), room setup (Wednesday was more conducive to interaction), noise level (Wednesday's class was much quieter and more attentive)... But it went beyond that.
On Monday, I felt compelled to announce to the class that I had never taught before. On Wednesday, that felt completely unnecessary. On Monday, I was swallowing ginger pills and other antacids all day long in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to quiet my nerves. On Wednesday, I spent the day occupied with work and nearly forgot I was teaching that night.
Was Wednesday a perfect class? Not by a long shot - they were almost too attentive, so we breezed through everything I had for them with about twenty minutes to spare and I had to make up a last-minute activity. But I felt so much better on Wednesday than I had on Monday that I really felt like I might have found my new favorite hobby - teaching.
I'm not so deluded to think that I'm going to walk out of every class feeling like that, but I sort of feel like if I can infect the students with my love of the Italian language, country, culture and people that I've been successful.
The best news of all is that I don't have anything to do tonight - nowhere to be after work. You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to a night in my sweats with my cats crawling all over me... It's the little things, y'know.
On Monday, I felt compelled to announce to the class that I had never taught before. On Wednesday, that felt completely unnecessary. On Monday, I was swallowing ginger pills and other antacids all day long in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to quiet my nerves. On Wednesday, I spent the day occupied with work and nearly forgot I was teaching that night.
Was Wednesday a perfect class? Not by a long shot - they were almost too attentive, so we breezed through everything I had for them with about twenty minutes to spare and I had to make up a last-minute activity. But I felt so much better on Wednesday than I had on Monday that I really felt like I might have found my new favorite hobby - teaching.
I'm not so deluded to think that I'm going to walk out of every class feeling like that, but I sort of feel like if I can infect the students with my love of the Italian language, country, culture and people that I've been successful.
The best news of all is that I don't have anything to do tonight - nowhere to be after work. You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to a night in my sweats with my cats crawling all over me... It's the little things, y'know.
11 January 2006
La Lingua Bella
Last Friday I watched "Ricordati di me" ("Remember Me, My Love") with a friend, and though I had no high hopes of catching any of the Italian at all, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were several lines I could understand. Certainly, most of the time the dialogue was far too rapid for me to make sense of any more than the odd word here and there - but every once in awhile I'd notice that the subtitle wasn't complete based on what they'd said. That was a nice little ego boost going into my teaching debut on Monday.
I was so nervous before Monday night's class that my stomach was doing somersaults for two days beforehand. I kept hoping that my first-night jitters would be non-existent for the start of my Wednesday night class - and I'm happy to report that I'm jitter-free today. I just have to get the paperwork sorted and make the necessary copies, but I'm not eating antacids all day long... So I guess that's progress.
I was so nervous before Monday night's class that my stomach was doing somersaults for two days beforehand. I kept hoping that my first-night jitters would be non-existent for the start of my Wednesday night class - and I'm happy to report that I'm jitter-free today. I just have to get the paperwork sorted and make the necessary copies, but I'm not eating antacids all day long... So I guess that's progress.
10 January 2006
Bloglines Overflowing
I've been saving a few things from my Bloglines subscriptions, thinking I'd post links to them here every so often, but I've fallen behind so I'm going to post them all here together. The end result is that this list will have nothing in common except that they're all in my Bloglines subscriptions. Will this be a sign of a multi-faceted mind, or a scatterbrain? I'll leave you to be the judge (so long as you don't tell me what you decide). Here they are, in alphabetical order by blog...
altportland has some useful tools which I haven't yet actually used, but they still appear useful. Perhaps you'll find them so?
Aaron Hamburger's New Year's Wish would have been more timely had I posted it last week, but I think there's value in it regardless of the date. I found myself saying, "Yes" out loud more than once while reading it.
Damn Interesting is always good for a few chin scratches.
My old favorite Conor has posted a fabulous list of resolutions - not for himself, mind you, but for everyone else. Which makes them much, much better.
The Record Store Geek posted links to a few things I couldn't let go of... I'm not an SNL fan in general, and I don't plan on seeing "The Chronicles of Narnia," but this "digital short" had me howling... I haven't gone through yet to see if I own any of the CDs with banned cover art... And here's what looks like a cool way to find Portland's many fine music stores.
William Bragg has posted so many things I've saved, I should just tell you to read his blog every day and be done with it. But I won't. I mean, I will tell you to read his blog, and in addition to that I'll list things that catch my eye. Like these:
And finally, The Incredible Talking Monkey posts this hysterical list of reasons why gay marriage is wrong.
Ahh, now my Bloglines page isn't horribly full of saved posts, and I feel cleansed.
altportland has some useful tools which I haven't yet actually used, but they still appear useful. Perhaps you'll find them so?
Aaron Hamburger's New Year's Wish would have been more timely had I posted it last week, but I think there's value in it regardless of the date. I found myself saying, "Yes" out loud more than once while reading it.
Damn Interesting is always good for a few chin scratches.
- The Physics of Quicksand (I feel better about hiking in the desert now)
- I was curious about this one, mostly because of the first line - I didn't know why the sky was blue...
- As I'm planning on being cremated when I die, I'm absolutely into this idea - talk about a family heirloom!
My old favorite Conor has posted a fabulous list of resolutions - not for himself, mind you, but for everyone else. Which makes them much, much better.
The Record Store Geek posted links to a few things I couldn't let go of... I'm not an SNL fan in general, and I don't plan on seeing "The Chronicles of Narnia," but this "digital short" had me howling... I haven't gone through yet to see if I own any of the CDs with banned cover art... And here's what looks like a cool way to find Portland's many fine music stores.
William Bragg has posted so many things I've saved, I should just tell you to read his blog every day and be done with it. But I won't. I mean, I will tell you to read his blog, and in addition to that I'll list things that catch my eye. Like these:
- Procrastinators are brilliant? No wonder I've put off posting all these links!
- King George should read this.
- Calculus as taught by girls in bikinis. Umm, yeah. Isn't there a shortage of women in math and science? I didn't think they really needed to recruit men into the field...
And finally, The Incredible Talking Monkey posts this hysterical list of reasons why gay marriage is wrong.
Ahh, now my Bloglines page isn't horribly full of saved posts, and I feel cleansed.
"Sono ottimista."
This was the phrase yesterday on our new Italian phrase-a-day calendar, which was perfect for yesterday. I was absolutely freaking out about teaching for the first time, but underneath it all I was certainly an optimist - if I wasn't, I wouldn't have gone through with it.
The good news is that it went pretty well. I was still nervous when the class started, but about 20 minutes into it I kind of settled into the idea. It's a full class - there were 25 there last night, with about 5 who didn't show (so I don't know if they'll be there next class or not) - and my voice was wrecked afterwards. As I was sipping tea in my kitchen at home afterwards, I thought, "Wow, it's like I've got two gigs a week now." So I've got to be active in taking care of my voice. My throat was really dry when I woke up this morning, so I'm going to try to take it easy today so I don't lose my voice before my first Wednesday class tomorrow.
I'm not sure whether I should've done this, but I did tell them at the beginning of the class it was my first teaching experience. At the break, a woman came up to me and said, "As a retired teacher, I have to tell you - you have the teacher gene! You're doing wonderfully!" I must've looked relieved and thankful, because she went on to say that she thought I'd probably want to hear something like that... She was right, I did want to hear it.
Teaching felt much more like performing than I'd expected it to - but that's a good thing, because it actually felt more familiar than I'd expected it to as well. I used humor to my advantage several times and had the entire class laughing, which felt very good. I see how addictive eliciting laughter can be. So, while I don't have a future as a singer anymore, I do think I'll learn to like this kind of audience as well.
The good news is that it went pretty well. I was still nervous when the class started, but about 20 minutes into it I kind of settled into the idea. It's a full class - there were 25 there last night, with about 5 who didn't show (so I don't know if they'll be there next class or not) - and my voice was wrecked afterwards. As I was sipping tea in my kitchen at home afterwards, I thought, "Wow, it's like I've got two gigs a week now." So I've got to be active in taking care of my voice. My throat was really dry when I woke up this morning, so I'm going to try to take it easy today so I don't lose my voice before my first Wednesday class tomorrow.
I'm not sure whether I should've done this, but I did tell them at the beginning of the class it was my first teaching experience. At the break, a woman came up to me and said, "As a retired teacher, I have to tell you - you have the teacher gene! You're doing wonderfully!" I must've looked relieved and thankful, because she went on to say that she thought I'd probably want to hear something like that... She was right, I did want to hear it.
Teaching felt much more like performing than I'd expected it to - but that's a good thing, because it actually felt more familiar than I'd expected it to as well. I used humor to my advantage several times and had the entire class laughing, which felt very good. I see how addictive eliciting laughter can be. So, while I don't have a future as a singer anymore, I do think I'll learn to like this kind of audience as well.
09 January 2006
Teabag Tag
As I'm currently completely freaking out about my first night of teaching tonight, I'm taking this morning's teabag tag as not just wisdom but actual instruction:
There is nothing left to you at this moment but to have a good laugh.
- Zen Master
There is nothing left to you at this moment but to have a good laugh.
- Zen Master
The Dandy Warhols/The Out Crowd
Wonder Ballroom, Portland
December 13, 2005
I know, I know - this review is ages in coming. Terribly sorry about that... I'm going to blame it on the time of year and the stupid illnesses I was dealing with since basically the beginning of December. The bottom line is that I'm finally getting to it, which makes me feel better. I'm sure it makes you feel better, too, right? Right?
December 13 was the welcome-home show, in a sense, for the two bands, as they'd been out on the road since mid-November. We were looking forward to seeing my brother, and frankly I was hoping we'd get a chance to see the folks we'd met in Los Angeles in mid-November. My mother had also driven the 2+ hours up to Portland, since she'd not yet seen The Out Crowd perform. I was not-so-secretly hoping my mother would get a chance to meet Courtney of Dandys' fame, if only because how many peoples' mothers get to do that?
We didn't get a chance to see Brother Caleb before the show, so when The Out Crowd took to the stage Mom and I walked over to Caleb's side just to wave and let him know we were there. Then we walked back to the mid-center of the hall to listen to the show. Unfortunately, The Wonder Ballroom has a seriously less-than-wonderful house soundman. (Or at least they did for that show.) It was so bad - indescribably bad. The band looked frustrated, and I was annoyed. They'd sounded so great at the L.A. show, and my poor mom didn't get a chance to hear that. Instead, the only thing that was coming through the house speakers was the bass (when my bass-playing brother heard that he said, "Oh, well, maybe the sound wasn't so bad after all..."). The vocals and guitars seemed to be coming only vaguely through the monitors, along with lots of feedback. We felt badly for the band, who clearly wasn't showcased in their best light - and after such a great tour, it had to have been a frustrating way to end things.
Brother Caleb on the left, and the whole Out Crowd on the right - plus one. Greek trumpeter Achilles joined the band onstage for a few songs at the end of their set. Apparently, he'd been doing that for awhile on tour.
After their set, Caleb came out and brought us backstage - which, in this case, was a downstairs hallway lined on one side with what looked like gym lockers. I got my wish, as Courtney walked past just then, met my mother, and stood around with all of us to chat for awhile. He and Caleb joked about the venue - although it's actually quite pretty on the inside, with interesting designs painted on the walls (its grand opening was just in the summer of 2005), the stage was rather small and it did have the overall feel of a high school gymnasium. Courtney and Caleb said that during soundcheck the two bands were talking about which one was going to win the Battle of the Bands that year.
Before the Dandys went onstage, we were ushered back upstairs into what turned out to be a much fuller hall. It was so full, in fact, that we didn't make it far past the backstage door. The Dandys, of course, have their own soundman, and so predictably their sound was fabulous. We didn't stay for much longer than 45 minutes or so (my mom had that 2+ hour drive home, and it was a Tuesday night), but I got to hear several of my favorite songs and my mom ended up liking the Dandys quite a bit. I imagine not many peoples' mothers do that, either.
The Dandys in concert.
December 13, 2005
I know, I know - this review is ages in coming. Terribly sorry about that... I'm going to blame it on the time of year and the stupid illnesses I was dealing with since basically the beginning of December. The bottom line is that I'm finally getting to it, which makes me feel better. I'm sure it makes you feel better, too, right? Right?
December 13 was the welcome-home show, in a sense, for the two bands, as they'd been out on the road since mid-November. We were looking forward to seeing my brother, and frankly I was hoping we'd get a chance to see the folks we'd met in Los Angeles in mid-November. My mother had also driven the 2+ hours up to Portland, since she'd not yet seen The Out Crowd perform. I was not-so-secretly hoping my mother would get a chance to meet Courtney of Dandys' fame, if only because how many peoples' mothers get to do that?
We didn't get a chance to see Brother Caleb before the show, so when The Out Crowd took to the stage Mom and I walked over to Caleb's side just to wave and let him know we were there. Then we walked back to the mid-center of the hall to listen to the show. Unfortunately, The Wonder Ballroom has a seriously less-than-wonderful house soundman. (Or at least they did for that show.) It was so bad - indescribably bad. The band looked frustrated, and I was annoyed. They'd sounded so great at the L.A. show, and my poor mom didn't get a chance to hear that. Instead, the only thing that was coming through the house speakers was the bass (when my bass-playing brother heard that he said, "Oh, well, maybe the sound wasn't so bad after all..."). The vocals and guitars seemed to be coming only vaguely through the monitors, along with lots of feedback. We felt badly for the band, who clearly wasn't showcased in their best light - and after such a great tour, it had to have been a frustrating way to end things.
Brother Caleb on the left, and the whole Out Crowd on the right - plus one. Greek trumpeter Achilles joined the band onstage for a few songs at the end of their set. Apparently, he'd been doing that for awhile on tour.
After their set, Caleb came out and brought us backstage - which, in this case, was a downstairs hallway lined on one side with what looked like gym lockers. I got my wish, as Courtney walked past just then, met my mother, and stood around with all of us to chat for awhile. He and Caleb joked about the venue - although it's actually quite pretty on the inside, with interesting designs painted on the walls (its grand opening was just in the summer of 2005), the stage was rather small and it did have the overall feel of a high school gymnasium. Courtney and Caleb said that during soundcheck the two bands were talking about which one was going to win the Battle of the Bands that year.
Before the Dandys went onstage, we were ushered back upstairs into what turned out to be a much fuller hall. It was so full, in fact, that we didn't make it far past the backstage door. The Dandys, of course, have their own soundman, and so predictably their sound was fabulous. We didn't stay for much longer than 45 minutes or so (my mom had that 2+ hour drive home, and it was a Tuesday night), but I got to hear several of my favorite songs and my mom ended up liking the Dandys quite a bit. I imagine not many peoples' mothers do that, either.
The Dandys in concert.
07 January 2006
Happy 40th, Stephanie!
Today is our dear friend Stephanie's birthday, and her husband actually managed to surprise the hell out of her tonight with a gathering of her good friends and family. I left a little early, as I was the only one without a spouse or family member to rely on for conversation, so I missed out on the ouzo and plate breaking. It was still fun, though - here are some of the pictures.
A surprised Steph (left) quickly got into the swing of things (right) with everyone else on the dance floor.
And there was much dancing...
The very happy birthday girl with her very wonderful husband.
A surprised Steph (left) quickly got into the swing of things (right) with everyone else on the dance floor.
And there was much dancing...
The very happy birthday girl with her very wonderful husband.
06 January 2006
Xmas 2005: Episode II
Here's our second holiday celebration at my mother's in a picture essay format. Round three will be sometime in January, methinks, with my dad. And then we'll actually be done with Christmas/Hanukkah for another few months...
When we arrived, my mom's road reminded us of a Thanksgiving many years ago when the fields on either side were so flooded that Chris & Mom kayaked through them. (The road even flooded at a couple points, meaning guests to the feast that year were ferried back and forth in my brother's SUV.) The kayaks have been sold, so this time we went for a walk. That's Mom and Chris on the road.
These fields are usually inhabited by cows, sheep and horses. The lakes aren't usually there.
The horses on the left are grazing on some of the field that's still above water. On the right, the normally tiny creek rushes underneath one of the two bridges on my mother's road is significantly larger than it's supposed to be. It's this bridge that has flooded in the past.
My favorite horse out there belongs to my mom's neighbor. His name is Calypso, and though he's beautiful he's a bit of a meanie. He's also quite greedy, and he only came over to say hello to us because he thought we had goodies for him. One of the last times we brought him apples, he nearly took off a chunk of Chris' hand... So, Chris is naturally a bit more reticent to get any closer than this now.
On the left is my mother's fabulous tree in her fabulous great room, and on the right is our nephew opening his stocking at our belated Christmas morning, with my mom looking over his shoulder to see what Santa left for him.
More gleeful stocking opening...
One of our nephew's gifts was some kind of gun thing that made a zillion different noises. My mother's cats kept walking on it as they crept under the tree to drink the tree's water, but they didn't seem bothered by the zapping and buzzing (they're 18 or something, you'd think they'd have heart attacks). The humans around, however, were confused until the gift was opened.
A lazertag set was the big hit of the holiday - on the left, my brother is modeling the orange gear and on the right my nephew is modeling the green gear as well as aiming the gun at his own eye. (No harm done, there's no lazer coming out of it.)
Chris and my mother also played a bit of the lazertag, though here Chris is doing more modeling than actual playing. Mom was actually pretty good at the game.
This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend - our nephew "stalking" my brother (his father) with the lazertag gun.
For reasons we don't completely understand, our nephew wanted an Easy Bake Oven. So we got him one. He was so happy he jumped for joy. Literally. I helped him make mac & cheese later that night, and though it tasted completely vile he was pleased with it.
When we arrived, my mom's road reminded us of a Thanksgiving many years ago when the fields on either side were so flooded that Chris & Mom kayaked through them. (The road even flooded at a couple points, meaning guests to the feast that year were ferried back and forth in my brother's SUV.) The kayaks have been sold, so this time we went for a walk. That's Mom and Chris on the road.
These fields are usually inhabited by cows, sheep and horses. The lakes aren't usually there.
The horses on the left are grazing on some of the field that's still above water. On the right, the normally tiny creek rushes underneath one of the two bridges on my mother's road is significantly larger than it's supposed to be. It's this bridge that has flooded in the past.
My favorite horse out there belongs to my mom's neighbor. His name is Calypso, and though he's beautiful he's a bit of a meanie. He's also quite greedy, and he only came over to say hello to us because he thought we had goodies for him. One of the last times we brought him apples, he nearly took off a chunk of Chris' hand... So, Chris is naturally a bit more reticent to get any closer than this now.
On the left is my mother's fabulous tree in her fabulous great room, and on the right is our nephew opening his stocking at our belated Christmas morning, with my mom looking over his shoulder to see what Santa left for him.
More gleeful stocking opening...
One of our nephew's gifts was some kind of gun thing that made a zillion different noises. My mother's cats kept walking on it as they crept under the tree to drink the tree's water, but they didn't seem bothered by the zapping and buzzing (they're 18 or something, you'd think they'd have heart attacks). The humans around, however, were confused until the gift was opened.
A lazertag set was the big hit of the holiday - on the left, my brother is modeling the orange gear and on the right my nephew is modeling the green gear as well as aiming the gun at his own eye. (No harm done, there's no lazer coming out of it.)
Chris and my mother also played a bit of the lazertag, though here Chris is doing more modeling than actual playing. Mom was actually pretty good at the game.
This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend - our nephew "stalking" my brother (his father) with the lazertag gun.
For reasons we don't completely understand, our nephew wanted an Easy Bake Oven. So we got him one. He was so happy he jumped for joy. Literally. I helped him make mac & cheese later that night, and though it tasted completely vile he was pleased with it.
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