Keys Part II

Do you remember way back on March 1st when I bragged about an awesome spur of the moment purchase from Pottery Barn that suited my eclectic decorating style to a T?  No?  OK, here’s the post.

I was filled with confidence that even though I didn’t know where I was going to put the keys, they were so perfect for me that they would tell me where they wanted to be put on display – they would talk to me.

Well, here it is 6-1/2 months later and I’ve come to the only logical conclusion that exists.

I ended up with a mute set. 

Yep, the keys are still homeless, unless you consider their temporary location of being stacked on my mantle as their final resting spot (I don’t).

Last week a new Pottery Barn catalog arrived and as I was flipping through it not only were the keys still available but I fell in love with theses two guys:

As I debated about ordering yet another set of keys I was staring at my entertainment center.  That’s when I knew where I’d put the keys!  I’d run them along the wall above the center!

I was so pleased with myself that I scampered on-line to order my new goodies.  The keys were no problem but the spiders?  They’re no longer available!!! 

I ordered the keys anyway and they arrived safe and sound yesterday.  Between the order and arrival dates I became concerned that the key placement picture in my head was not going to look good on the wall.  Then I started thinking that I could run each set of 7 along the vertical edges of the entertainment center instead.

Yeah, I agree with you – that idea is even less appealing than running them above.

*sigh*

I walked around my house and am now fairly confident that I have found the true home for the 14 keys that I now own.  I’ve decided, at least for now, that I will create a carefully planned and measured random key display on this empty wall in my hallway.

If I don’t like the random placement I come up with I hope the second set of keys is much more talkative than the first.  If not, I’ll now have 14 homeless keys instead of 7.

I Was Crowned

Again.

Yesterday morning I spent in the dentist’s chair having yet another tooth crowned.  Before I moved to CA, my MA dentist had told me not to be surprised if my new dentist said that some of my teeth need to be crowned.  I waver between being ticked off at my former MA dentist and being thankful.  Ticked off because he didn’t crown my teeth over the years, opting instead to put huge fillings in, and thankful because he forewarned me so when I heard those words from my CA dentist I didn’t have to question their validity.

The silver lining to being crowned?  When I open my mouth I don’t see as much silver as I used to 

Back to yesterday…

I was in “the chair” by 8AM.  Shortly thereafter the dentist rounded the corner and asked how I was doing.  I said fine then asked how he was doing.  He echoed my response.  My comment?  Something along the lines of “You’re the important one in this room.  If I’m cranky or tired it’s no big deal but if you’re not in good shape my mouth could be in trouble.”

He laughed.  I love easily amused dentists. 

The rest of the highlights?

Several times during my stay I had this flexible plastic guard in my mouth.  At first I called it a torture device but soon I figured out it was a toy to keep me occupied.  Not only did it stretch across the inside of my mouth and prevent ground off tooth/filling debris from going down my throat but it also kept my mouth propped open and dried out (thanks to the non-stop suction tube on one end).  The toy part?  It didn’t take long for my tongue to figure out it could move around and play with the suction on its side of the plastic.  Needless to say that kept my mind and my tongue busy for a while.

After the tooth/filling were drilled away the dentist filled a cavity on the side of a neighboring tooth where the crown and tooth will touch.  This was unexpected but oh well, best to do it now while the dentist had 100% access vs. later when the crown would be in the way.  While the cavity was being filled I compared this discovery to the timing belt replacement I need to have done on my CRV.  Replacing the belt itself is only three hundred bucks, but once the old belt is off several other things are replaced because there’s easy access to them, hence the final tally of +/- $700.  This of course made me wonder how high my crown bill just jumped.  And yes, you read correctly, I just compared dental work to car repair.

Once the cavity was filled and the dentist went back to the crown I raised my left hand ‘cuz the Novocaine had worn off.  A second needle-full later and we were off and running again.

There was another weird association I made while in the chair.  At times I felt as crowded as when I fly in the middle seat of three in an airplane.  The hygenist was leaning over me from my left, and squishing my arm, while the dentist was doing the same from the right.  My upcoming trip must be weighing on my mind…

While the crown was being laser-cut, baked and cooled I read the book that I brought with me.  When said addition to my mouth was ready, the dentist came back and sprayed its new home with water while the hygenist primed the air sprayer.  When I heard the latter, the dentist and I had a conversation.

Me:  Oh that’s gonna hurt.

Dentist:  Why?

Me:  I felt the cold water.

Dentist:  Really?

Me:  Really.

Dentist:  You’re not numb anymore?

Me:  Nope, I can feel this (I was poking the whole side of my once-numb face).

Dentist:  You should have told me.

Me:   :-/

Dentist walked over to cabinet to get more Novocaine.  As he walked back I put a cap on our conversation.

Me:  Ah, Dr. Dentist, the Novocaine wore off 

Dentist, Hygenist and I laughed.

The crown was secured in place then the dentist gave me a hand mirror so I could ooh and aah at his handiwork.  I don’t think he was expecting my heavy and disappointed sigh.

Dentist:  What’s wrong?

Me:  It’s not lavender!

More laughter.

Now, so you can understand that humor you need to know that when the crown was first made and not yet baked, the dentist showed it to me as he did a test fit.  The crown was lavender.  The dentist assured me that the heat from the 900 degree oven would cure it to a natural tooth color.  I told him that leaving it lavender would be fine as it would be a great conversation starter.

When I left the chair both the dentist and hygenist thanked me for being so patient throughout the process and for being such an entertaining patient.  When I made it back to the reception desk I discovered that I’d been there for 3-1/2 hours.  Yikes!

The bigger YIKES was the bill!!! I’m glad I’m great entertainment for the dentist and receptionist, but I’m hoping that the one more crown I need is the last one for a few years, if not forever.  My “shows” are anything but humorous to my savings account!

On A Clear Day

I imagine when someone says they live in Southern California most people think of Orange and L.A. counties thanks to the images that television programs create.  I live in Southern California but I don’t live in those concrete, over-crowded and tall-building filled acres.  Nope, I live in a valley snuggled between several mountain ranges — Santa Ana, San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Jacinto.  When all good weather things converge in my area of Southern California and the air is crystal clear, the views are breath-taking!

To prove my point, look at these most incredible pictures I took Friday afternoon on my way home from work.

These are the San Bernardino Mountains (Big Bear, Running Springs, etc):

And here are the San Jacinto Mountains.  Just on the other side of the peak is…Palm Springs (I go there more often than I go to Orange County or Los Angeles – much less traffic):

And just because I control what you see, here’s another shot of the San Jacinto Mountains from a different location:

The rest of these pictures are just random views of the valley.  I think that I love them so much because of the distinctive colors – tan, green, purple, blue, etc.  My creative self is constantly amazed at the spectacular display of this limited palette.

The only thing that will make these images even more breath-taking?  When the mountains are covered in snow!!!  Check back this winter for those pictures!!!

So, What Do You Do If…

…you’re wide awake at 3:15AM without the use of the alarm clock?  Not wide awake as in “I’m out with friends and I haven’t gone to bed yet” but rather “I slept for 6 hours and am wide awake and ready to start the day”.

If you’re me this is what you do.  Seriously, this is how my morning went.

I woke up, looked at those neon red lights, sighed when they announce 2:58AM, turned over and waited.  By 3:14AM I knew more sleep was an impossibility so I got up and went into the family room.  I booted up the laptop, checked e-mail accounts, my blog, Twitter and Facebook then decided I really was awake for the day so I made my morning pot of coffee.  I put on ABC World News Now with Vinita Nair and Rob Nelson, surfed the web and played a couple of computer games while enjoying my morning brew.

Unfortunately I was very fidgety by 5AM so I hopped in the shower and by 5:40AM I was pulling into my local Winco parking lot.  Yep, I decided to get my weekly food shopping out of the way!  It’s so awesome to do it this early as the store is less than busy – totally fine by me!  All I had to dodge were shelf stockers and 2 other shoppers!

I was done within 20 minutes and upon leaving the store was met by the first hint of daylight!

Driving up the street to my house I was greeted by the Harvest Moon pleading for its photo to be taken, so I pulled over, stuck my camera out the window and obliged.

Once in the house not only did I unpack all the groceries and put them away, but I had time to cut up the celery and the 2 cantaloupes I bought!  All are now 100% ready to eat!

Early morning shopping can result in some less-than-stellar decisions, but so what?  I needed some seasonal flair so I bought candy corn and harvest corn in the bulk food section.  After cutting up the fruit and veggies I climbed up and retrieved my awesome Anchor Hocking glass pumpkin and filled it up.

Next up was pulling lunch out of the freezer (homemade beef stew today) and making my portable breakfast (2 banana and peanut butter sandwiches – hot dog style).

It was now time to head to work so loaded up the CRV.  Did you know it was national “Bring Your House to Work Day” today?  That’s the way my silly self felt by the time I climbed into the CRV!  The backseat had my briefcase, lunch insul-sac, Canon Rebel Camera, old computer tower (work I.T. guy is gonna fix for me) and all the programs for said tower.

Not to be outdone, the front passenger seat was occupied by my purse and my porta-breakfast.

As I was heading north on the main road for the second time in 90 minutes I noticed one of the hot air balloons was out playing so I fished in my purse, came up with my pocket Canon Elph camera and snapped away!

One street later the Harvest Moon was calling again…

The rest of the ride to work was uneventful, but I did stop and pick up a caramel treat for me!

Yeah, I know, you’re all probably muttering something along the lines of “like she needs sugar and caffeine”…but I did…and it was YUMMY!

And did you notice the time and date in the lower right corner of my computer monitor?  Not only was I at my desk by 7:31AM, but the computer was up and functioning and I was taking pictures!

Are you tired yet?

Not me…not really anyway.

I am having a bit of difficulty with my attention span (hey – it’s noon, I’ve been up for 9 hours), but my productivity has continued through the morning work hours.  There’s better than 75% chance it will continue this afternoon too, but tonight?  All bets are off…I’m hoping to find a second or third or fourth wind somewhere along the line, but who knows…

Sooo…now that you know what I do when I’m wide awake at this hour, what do you do?

Homesick

Recently I was asked for the umpteenth time if I ever get homesick since I’m all by myself nearly 3,000 miles from family and friends back in New England.

The vast majority of the time the answer is a resounding NO!  This technological world we live in has kept me deeply connected to everyone back east in ways that weren’t possible as little as five years ago.  I can’t get a physical hug when I need one but the cyber hugs abound.  Though I fill most of my non-work hours enjoying my solitude, I do explore my surroundings, hang out with friends and occasionally volunteer my time.

But, every now and then I do get homesick, and surprisingly, it’s not around the holidays.  It’s right now during the first few weeks of Autumn.

Back in New England there’s a nip in the air and the sky is a clearer, brighter and more glorious shade of blue than any other time of year.  The leaves on the trees turn such brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow that on sunny days it hurts your eyes to look at them.  The apple harvest comes in and nothing says Autumn more than biting into a freshly picked apple, hearing the crunch and feeling the juice run down your chin, all while standing outside wearing a turtleneck and sweatshirt or heavy sweater.

When the leaves lose their color and dance to the ground, the rustle that fills your ears when feet scurry through them is such a sign of the season.  Even the memory of raking all the leaves by hand brings a smile to my face.  The blisters, sore muscles and frustration of the seemingly never-ending task  are forgotten, replaced instead by the smell of the leaves and the satisfaction of once again seeing the green lawn.

Houses are seemingly transformed overnight by pumpkins, mums, cornstalks, scarecrows and Indian corn, the last much to the delight of the squirrels!  Football games are attended while bundled in blankets and coats, and Dunkin’ Donuts cups of coffee are in abundance, keeping hands and insides warm.

Oh the memories!

The more I think…

…the more I remember…

…and the more homesick I get. 

But just for a few minutes…

…maybe an hour…

…then all will be great again. 

If Money Were No Object

…and you had a year to do what you wanted to do, what would that be?

Now before you get all excited, there are two things you need to know.  First, I’m not running a contest nor am I offering to support you for a year.  Second, there is one ground rule:  “money is no object” means that your current income will continue without any additional funds except for reasonable expenses.

Reasonable?

Yes, reasonable.  No shopping sprees, 5-star restaurants or exotic vacations.  You didn’t win the lottery, you won something much better.  A chance to spend a year doing what’s in your heart without risk of losing your current lifestyle.  And just to make it even more appealing, your job will be waiting for you on day 366.

Now that you know all the rules, what would you do?  Spend time at home with family?  Write that novel that your fingers never have time to hammer out?  Volunteer?  Tour the USA?  Become a Halo 1, 2 and 3 expert?

Wanna know what I’d do?

If the answer is no then I highly recommend you stop reading right now.  But…if you’re curious then have a seat on my dream train!

If a year were all mine I would combine my curiosity with my love of photography and blogging and explore some of the mysteries of life.  None of the age-old mysteries like “what came first the chicken or the egg”, but rather the mysteries of how things are done that we don’t even think about.  Unless we’re bored.  Or thinking of how to spend a year of our life.

Okay, let me give you a few examples…

Spend a week on the concert road with a singer (Martina McBride for sure). We’ve all been in an audience at least once, but does anyone really know what happens behind the scenes to create the magic you’ve seen?  I want to know!!  Not the fancy schmancy stuff like meet ‘n greets, hair and make-up, munchies, etc.  Nope, none of that.  I want to know about the gritty stuff — relieving boredom, tempers, sore muscles, daily setting up/breaking down, constantly on the road, etc..

Spend a week on the road with a NASCAR team. Not just the driver, but the team.  As in the hauler driver, the tire changers, gas man, catch can man, crew chief…all of them!  And I want to travel the highways in the hauler and get giddy when people in passing cars honk, give thumbs up and speed ahead to pull over and take pix of the the hauler covered with the face, car, number and sponsor of a NASCAR driver!  I want to walk around the hallowed grounds of the track that the average fan can’t access, and I want to watch the joy and excitement spread across the fans’ faces when they spot their drivers.

Spend a week planting the fields. I’ve seen this process in the movies and on television, but we all know that Hollywood has a tendency to skew things.  Besides, watching is not the same as doing.  I want to know how it all comes together, the real way, and with my help!

Spend time at a vineyard during a harvest. See planting the fields above.

Spend time with a chef at a small, exclusive and popular restaurant. I want to be amazed at the choreography and chaos of the kitchen.  I want to see if the chef really goes to the local markets to get their fresh ingredients.  I want to feel the atmosphere that envelopes the dining area as patrons revel in the assault on their taste buds.

Spend time in a mining town. Once again Hollywood has created my impression of this life.  I want to know if it’s real or not, and I want to know first hand what it’s like to go into a mine.  Scary?  You bet your a** but aren’t you even the tiniest bit curious?

Spend time on an oil drilling platform. See mining town above.

Spend time living the homeless life…in winter. Once again, a scary proposition, but I have this need to know what it’s like.  I want to be stared at, belittled, scared, dirty, hungry…all of it.  I want to know first hand if for no other reason than to be more empathetic and less sympathetic.

Spend a week on the set of General Hospital. OK, another of my “glamorous” desires.  But…think about it.  A soap opera is a brand new hour-long episode five days a week!!!  And each episode has what, 8-10 different story lines?  How is all of that accomplished?  I know GH films about 3 weeks ahead, but how do they do it?  Is one story line rehearsed while another is being filmed?  How many air dates does one filmed story line cover?  Ahhh….so many questions that I want answered!

Spend a week behind the scenes at a North East ski resort. Why the North East?  Well, Mother Nature is less than co-operative in the snow department so exactly what’s involved in keeping snow on these mountains?  What is the magic that can best the lack of natural snowfall?  I want to know…and traipse around in the cold and snow!

Ohh…there’s also the whole autopsy/funeral/cremation thing, the hand-made furniture, the wood-carver, the small town veterinarian, the small town doctor, the milkman who still delivers milk, etc….

There is so much out there that I want to experience first hand – and photograph and blog for the world to read.  But exactly how I’d spend the year would be determined by suggestions from my blog readers.  After all, they are curious too, and I readily admit that there are things I’ve never even thought about that would be amazingly interesting to explore.

So, now that I’ve told you what I’d do, let me know what you’d do!  I’d really love to know!

The Aging Adventure

A friend made a comment on her Facebook page about being in the autumn of her life.  I asked her if it really bothered her or, if like me, she’s looking forward to receiving her AARP card.

She’s not looking forward to the card, and I’m pretty sure that I’ve now re-confirmed my “she’s weird” status from high school.

*sigh*

For me, life is an adventure. and that includes the aging process.  I haven’t always thought this way, but I’m at a place of absolute contentment in my life.  I’m no longer in a hurry to reach a career goal and I’m happy and comfortable with who I am, so much so that I don’t feel the need to prove myself to anyone, nor am I trying to live my life the way someone else feels I should.

Though I am always busy, I’m taking the time to enjoy everything around me.  How many other nearly 50-year olds do you know who crawl around on their stomachs to photograph a praying mantis?  Heck, how many of them would have even taken the time to see the green gal, or pause long enough to irritate her with one’s curiosity and cause such an awesome display?

A big part of why I am enjoying the aging adventure is the first part of it has given me the confidence and contentment I now have.  I understand that this process has an inevitable end, and I’m not looking forward to that, but all the stuff between now and then?  Adventure city!

My participation so far has been limited — no body aches or pains and thankfully, no arthritis or hint thereof.  I do have gray hair finally starting to show up on my head, but that’s fine with me.  As long as it doesn’t come in like a skunk stripe or a geometric pattern, I’m not going to hide it.  It’s not because I think I’ll look awesome with a gray top, but because I know that I’m too lazy keep up with coloring it.  Besides, the gray is a badge of honor isn’t it?

I’ve been playing dodge-ball with “the change”.  Sometimes I miss but other times I don’t.  When I’m hit it’s not necessarily fun, in fact, it’s down right annoying at times, but it is definitely interesting to recognize what’s happening and to pay attention as it unfolds.  The best part?  Thanks to this adventure, I eat a piece of chocolate every day!!!  Okay, it’s the calcium supplement Viactiv, but it’s still chocolate!

That’s the extent of my adventure so far, kinda boring if you ask me.  But I know there is a lot of the aging process ahead, some of it will be good and some will be bad.  But all will be an adventure.  I’m not afraid of it; I’m not fighting it; I’m not racing towards it; I’m just enjoying it.

Shame on You Elle Magazine!!

Did you see one of the headlines in the entertainment section of MSNBC.com today?  If not, let me insert it here:

“Was Gabourey Sidibe’s skin lightened on Elle?”

I don’t know about any of you readers, but when I hear Gabourey’s name mentioned the instantaneous mental picture I get is of a young woman with extremely dark skin.  Pretty much the darkest I’ve ever seen on an African-American woman.

Well…here’s the picture that accompanied the article.

The young lady on the right?  That’s the Gabourey I know from red carpet premieres, movie clips and television interviews.  The one on the left?  If her name weren’t as prominent as it is on the cover and I’d seen the magazine in the store I would NOT have known who graced the cover!

The article on MSNBC.com was very short, and Elle’s explanation even shorter…and as evasive as possible:

““Precious” actress Gabourey Sidibe is featured on the cover of Elle magazine’s 25th anniversary issue, and the image of the Oscar nominee is stirring controversy, as it appears that her skin is several shades lighter on the magazine than it is in many other un-retouched red-carpet photos.

Elle says that what you see is what you get with the cover, and has issued a statement saying, “nothing out of the ordinary was done. We have four separate covers this month and Gabby’s cover was not retouched any more or less than the others (which feature Megan Fox, Lauren Conrad, Amanda Seyfried). We had 25 cover-worthy subjects in our portfolio and we chose Gabby because of who she is.

“We shot this as a story of exuberant young women changing the world,” Elle said. “If you take a look at the portfolio, each of the women were shot in different ways and for different reasons.“

Since no clear explanation was given, there was one reason that came immediately to my mind.  I truly hope I am wrong because if I’m not, the decision made by the editors at Elle just undid years worth of struggles.

My fear?  That Gabourey’s skin was lightened because it was too dark, she was too African-American.

You have no idea how much I hope I am wrong, but the lack of a clear explanation from Elle is making me conclude that I am not.  And if there is a legitimate reason to clearly lighten Gabourey’s skin, I’m sure the lack of an immediate answer from Elle as to why it was done has more people than just me jumping to the same conclusion.

Shame on you Elle Magazine for allowing the thought to enter even one person’s head.

My $10 Experiment

About 10 years ago, long before I strayed to Southern California from my native New England, my friends George and Anita got me hooked on ginger brandy.  I happened to be at their house one late autumn or early winter evening when it was time for their nightly ritual – a small snifter of ginger brandy.  They offered to pour one for me, and in an effort to not be rude, I accepted even though I’d never had any kind of brandy before.

After my first sip  I remember being shocked as the fiery liquid made its way to my stomach, but I don’t think I coughed or teared up.  A few baby sips later and it was time for me to go home so I downed the golden liquid in one quick motion then stumbled to my car (not because I was drunk but because my eyes were so teary I couldn’t quite see where I was going).

I drove the 6 or so miles home, went into my house, walked to my bedroom then woke up hours later, sprawled across my bed and still in my clothes from the night before.

I was hooked!  I had a most awesome cold weather nightcap that would soothe and warm me from the inside out AND help me fall asleep in a relatively quick manner.

Imagine my horrors 5 years ago when I moved to Southern California and found that ginger brandy was not available…anywhere!  Want any other flavor – peach, apricot, plain?  No problem!  But ginger?  Sheesh you’d think I was purple and sporting four heads with the funny looks tossed my way by the store clerks!

Though this lack of ginger brandy was frustrating for me it provided my friends and relatives back east with the gift to get me for my birthday and Christmas…every year…    And all my travels east were made with space in my suitcase so bottles could come home with me.

Now for the experiment…

I found a recipe on-line to make this awesome treat.  All I needed was one 750ml bottle of this,

and some fresh ginger root…

finely chopped until the 1/2 C measuring cup was full…

The two were put together in a container like so…

…and stored in a cool dark place for a week’s worth of fermentation.

At the end of the week, the ginger was strained from the container and put into a pot with 2/3 C of water and 1/3 C of…

These three ingredients were simmered until thickened then the pot was set aside until cool.  That’s when everything was put together in the container.  I let it sit on  my counter for a couple of days before pouring some into a glass for a taste.

The result?

HAPPY DANCE!  I had ginger brandy!!!!  Since it was perfect to my taste buds I strained out the rest of the ginger to prevent it from getting any stronger.

Unfortunately Mother Nature has kept the evening temperatures warm, thereby postponing my continued enjoyment of this treat.  However, in order to ensure that I have a continuous supply available, I will be making a double batch this weekend so that it is ready for late September consumption.

I love when cheap experiments yield awesome results!!!

This Was So NOT MY FAULT!!!

Honest Injun I did not do anything wrong!  I am completely innocent!!!

Sort of…

Mostly…

*sigh*

Monday night when I finished Tuesday’s blog post (which has been demoted to Wednesday thanks to this incident), I noticed that the outdoor temperature was down to the low 80′s.  What’s a gal to do in this situation?  Open windows of course!

All was fine until I pulled back the blinds on the sliding glass doors…that’s when I saw it.  I quickly grabbed my camera, slid the glass door open then took a picture.

I wasn’t happy with this guy being in the dark so I slid open the screen and went outside for a better view…

He must not have liked the snap of the camera because all of a sudden this little guy had SERIOUS attitude.  Not only did he jump off the screen, but he went into attack mode…

…and hissed and clicked his displeasure.

I took another picture of him from a different angle…

…then noticed that fearless kitty Scarpetto had tuned into this green guy.

Though I enjoyed Scarpettos’ discovery of a new friend, I decided that I had irritated this green guy enough so I went inside.  When I looked back I couldn’t help but snap another picture.

I started transferring pictures from the memory card to my passport and discovered that I didn’t have a really good close-up.  One glance over my shoulder revealed that the green guy was still in full anger mode, so I grabbed the camera, went back outside, laid down on the concrete patio (in my summer tank top jammies), slithered backwards along the patio and block pathway, then snapped this…

It was definitely worth having to brush sand, spider legs and dead leaves off myself before going back in the house.

When darkness fell I looked outside and was thrilled to see that not only was this guy still right outside the door, but his night-vision eyes were present!!

Really, annoying this guy was NOT my fault…all I did was open a door with my camera and never-ending curiosity nearby!  Truth be told it’s his fault for hanging out on the screen in the first place