tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48532608434119846312024-03-12T21:22:15.203-04:00Midwestern in MiamiA Midwestern girl's adventures in the Sunshine State.Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-25783920526319753772014-07-16T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T00:00:00.238-04:00Seattle to South KoreaQuite a bit has happened in the year that we've been in Seattle. It's been a great change for our little family and I'm happy to be in school. Not only am I pursuing a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Library_and_Information_Science" target="_blank">MLIS</a>, I will also be working towards a Master's in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museology" target="_blank">Museology</a> starting this fall.<br />
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One of the main reasons I was interested in attending the University of Washington was that I would be able to study abroad. I am excited to announce that I will be going to South Korea for a month this summer! I haven't blogged about this last year, but it is a school requirement that I blog about my adventure. If you are interested, you can follow me here: <a href="http://seatosk.tumblr.com/">http://seatosk.tumblr.com</a><br />
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Best wishes to all of you- wherever this message finds you!Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-18383785376334034362013-07-29T10:00:00.000-04:002013-07-29T10:00:10.152-04:00One Journey's End<style>
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</style>I have spent 29 days in Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left Miami 31 days ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fact astonishes me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life has changed dramatically in those few weeks and it is just going to change
again after we get to our new home in Seattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>J and I have accomplished so much in such a short time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t think it was physically possible to do it all… in fact, tears
were shed over how overwhelmed I was with everything on our to-do list as well as the things that popped up (like both cars needing repairs/attention).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Here was the original list I posted awhile back (I crossed off what we did do):</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Join this century and get an
iPhone </span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Visit Greenfield News and Hobby
with Dad</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Madison</span></s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>(we saw the Farmer’s Market, State Street,
Arboretum, Campus, Chazen Art Museum, Bluephie’s, Alchemy, Cooper’s Tavern, Genna’s,
and the Old Fashioned with our friend Abe)</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Make a trek up to MN to see a very
special friend and her very adorable baby</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check out the Rusty Quarters arcade while in MN <i>(instead
we went out the night before)</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Visit with J's high school buddy
in MN</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Go to my family's cabin</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><s>Brewer's Game (for J)</s></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Go back to my old sanctuary: The
Milwaukee Art Museum</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comet Cafe for Old Fashioneds and
oh-so-bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good food</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sprecher’s Brewery Tour</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Red Raspberry Frozen Custard at
Kopp's</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">American Science and Surplus</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Date at Alterra and <s>Discovery World </s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>(instead we saw Monster’s University and
Despicable Me 2)</i></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dentist</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Girl Day with my future
sister-in-law</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Treat our newlywed friends to
dinner </span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meet up with an old friend from middle school</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bake a Rhubarb and Raspberry pie
with my grandma</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Special Dinner with the 'rents</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoy time with my new
puppy-sister</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barbeque with the Z's</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Makin' stuff with Mom</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><s><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Visitors! Emmy and her boyfriend in
WI</span></s></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dream Items: karaoke, paintball, and/or laser tag! </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I also managed to fit in a lot of family and friend time that didn't originally make that list. It made for a very packed July. Here is a sneak peek at the things that required scheduling... it doesn't show all of the impromptu errands and events.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBNQctbNIHc/UfWbuTmdf9I/AAAAAAAAAi4/JufTfDMvU2U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+12.00.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBNQctbNIHc/UfWbuTmdf9I/AAAAAAAAAi4/JufTfDMvU2U/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-07-28+at+12.00.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instead of writing a insanely long post regarding each and everything we did, here are just a couple of pictures of fun places and fun events:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BRD9kCy5pCk/UfWcgtdSpPI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kaaHfmr5VZs/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BRD9kCy5pCk/UfWcgtdSpPI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kaaHfmr5VZs/s400/-1.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have always loved these giant, pink plastic snails in Coral Gables. They added some humor to my time there.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzYmNQ9V0YI/UfWcsnFM_rI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/5qw443e07fw/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzYmNQ9V0YI/UfWcsnFM_rI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/5qw443e07fw/s400/-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wIsUnNwCD9o/UfWckTNtlVI/AAAAAAAAAjI/b9qBKqWEwLE/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wIsUnNwCD9o/UfWckTNtlVI/AAAAAAAAAjI/b9qBKqWEwLE/s400/-3.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a thing for funny statues. Can you tell? This orange moose was spotted on the way up to Minnesota and we made a point to stop by it on our way back to Milwaukee.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SuStE0ZPu0/UfWczujN8BI/AAAAAAAAAjY/co76YA6Zr_M/s1600/-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SuStE0ZPu0/UfWczujN8BI/AAAAAAAAAjY/co76YA6Zr_M/s400/-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of my favorite places on earth. We spent hours there. It was a windy day, so the "wings" were in, but our guests still seemed to enjoy the art and the architecture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kN6VV9rkIi8/UfWc89yodiI/AAAAAAAAAjo/y1sMstssReU/s1600/-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kN6VV9rkIi8/UfWc89yodiI/AAAAAAAAAjo/y1sMstssReU/s400/-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madison! Specifically the view from my first dorm. I miss it a lot. I kept reminding myself that I didn't miss winter, though.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEHiBTNhAYs/UfWeqSrgA7I/AAAAAAAAAj4/TFs0SUqKB68/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEHiBTNhAYs/UfWeqSrgA7I/AAAAAAAAAj4/TFs0SUqKB68/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A favorite stop for me and my dad: Groppi's Italian Food Market on the South Side of Milwaukee. I'm not Italian, but I love the old-world feel of the place.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDWPI1P4bvU/UfWe4ncn-RI/AAAAAAAAAkA/4cO3vPSq2xA/s1600/IMG_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDWPI1P4bvU/UfWe4ncn-RI/AAAAAAAAAkA/4cO3vPSq2xA/s400/IMG_0099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new favorite piece for me at the Chazen Art Museum. It is <i>L'Amante</i> by Beth Cavener Stichter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqPQ1cwwesY/UfWfIsv3myI/AAAAAAAAAkI/g1rlfkxFLrA/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HqPQ1cwwesY/UfWfIsv3myI/AAAAAAAAAkI/g1rlfkxFLrA/s400/IMG_0120.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from a farm off of "M" road. This was one of the few places we had cell phone coverage at my family's cabin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IW0X-NFBYO0/UfWfKqbENeI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/u-FDgP9mYqA/s1600/IMG_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IW0X-NFBYO0/UfWfKqbENeI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/u-FDgP9mYqA/s400/IMG_0121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of their cabin... isn't it just the cutest?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWaEklSpib0/UfWhEJc4jCI/AAAAAAAAAko/yLX92hLD9R8/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWaEklSpib0/UfWhEJc4jCI/AAAAAAAAAko/yLX92hLD9R8/s400/IMG_0133.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful flowers from the local Farmer's Market/Amish Market in town.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P20qO1S4ySo/UfWhty758-I/AAAAAAAAAlM/rNgEc8prnV0/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P20qO1S4ySo/UfWhty758-I/AAAAAAAAAlM/rNgEc8prnV0/s400/IMG_0136.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of my favorite things in this picture: the hubs and oodles of books. This is from my favorite used bookstore in town.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WTNTt9r9G1g/UfWhpXoDSuI/AAAAAAAAAk8/P2k_zgiP6sw/s1600/IMG_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WTNTt9r9G1g/UfWhpXoDSuI/AAAAAAAAAk8/P2k_zgiP6sw/s400/IMG_0137.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom and I went to the opening party for this bookstore a couple of years ago and they had a live band play. It was really neat and the atmosphere was very welcoming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyxPQgXneyo/UfWhoal1iHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/wR8WyC24Otg/s1600/IMG_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FyxPQgXneyo/UfWhoal1iHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/wR8WyC24Otg/s400/IMG_0138.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food from the local co-op. New Glarus is a Wisconsin brewing company that only brews locally. I'm not a big beer drinker, but their Serendipity, Raspberry Tart, and Apple Ales are amazing. The kombucha is my weak way of bringing some health to my cheese-heavy diet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f59579qpKwo/UfWhrXl8FII/AAAAAAAAAlE/fSf04EUWfN4/s1600/IMG_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f59579qpKwo/UfWhrXl8FII/AAAAAAAAAlE/fSf04EUWfN4/s400/IMG_0139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw a lot of fun things while antiquing in town. I bought an old camera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbx8lSmephs/UfWhymftIGI/AAAAAAAAAlU/hZ65GMMrOCQ/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbx8lSmephs/UfWhymftIGI/AAAAAAAAAlU/hZ65GMMrOCQ/s400/IMG_0144.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drive to Seattle is going to be rough, but my friend Miss E made me the sweetest care package to keep me occupied for the four days on the road!</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
we didn’t get to go to the Rusty Quarters Arcade, but we did get to go out with
a good friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we didn’t get to go
to Alterra (just the two of us) but we did get to go to some movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t get to see my middle school friend
either, but I did get to see five girl friends from college and a Miami friend
came to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
stay in Wisconsin thoroughly covered friends, family, and terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did a lot in Milwaukee, a lot in Madison,
and we even made it to Minnesota and spent some time in southwestern Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did a lot of driving… and we are about to
do a lot more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
are excited to take the next step in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m also a bit nervous too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have a lot of responsibilities to take care of as soon as we hit
Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also should detox from the
amount of dairy food I’ve consumed while in Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for joining me on this journey from
Milwaukee to Miami and back again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe I’ll write about my life Seattle, but if I don’t, this was a fun
project to chronicle what I’ve done and seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This Midwesterner is still adventuring…</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E63_9cdibKE/UfWc2hs23_I/AAAAAAAAAjk/Z891ZUWMG5w/s1600/-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E63_9cdibKE/UfWc2hs23_I/AAAAAAAAAjk/Z891ZUWMG5w/s400/-5.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Girl Reading </i>by Johann Georg Meyer</td></tr>
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... while she studies for her Master's in Library and Information Sciences. Wish me luck!</div>
Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-61145140327016254722013-07-14T18:32:00.001-04:002013-07-14T18:33:04.575-04:00In case you were wondering...We made it to Wisconsin. The drive was okay (2 days). We are busy. Very busy. Here is what I look like after a long drive:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MxMlVm7U4u8/UeMmbZtq5XI/AAAAAAAAAiY/E5jzzQvtiTE/s1600/Photo+on+2013-07-01+at+16.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MxMlVm7U4u8/UeMmbZtq5XI/AAAAAAAAAiY/E5jzzQvtiTE/s400/Photo+on+2013-07-01+at+16.13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three very tired girls.</td></tr>
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Here is what makes me feel better from said drive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OFxzY0Pdqmk/UeMm1Ju29VI/AAAAAAAAAig/COkOXXplUwM/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OFxzY0Pdqmk/UeMm1Ju29VI/AAAAAAAAAig/COkOXXplUwM/s400/-1.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An epic Bloody Mary at Benelux in the Historic Third Ward.</td></tr>
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-27413170381235958422013-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:002013-06-21T12:07:11.892-04:00Lessons for Miami MeI figured I'd follow up my <b>Lessons for Little Me</b> post with a <b>Lessons for Miami Me</b> post. Enjoy!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Try New Food</b></div>
This picky eater is trying to be more adventurous. Eat the duck tongue. Eat the oysters and clams. Try dim sum. Try Peruvian food. Dining with friends is fun. Dining with J is a great experience to talk. I have found a lot of new cuisines that I like and restaurants that I will miss. I'm looking forward to exploring the dining scene in Seattle now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5B2A2fppzbA/UbOAYCqMU6I/AAAAAAAAAgY/Uh_U7yHgz-c/s1600/-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5B2A2fppzbA/UbOAYCqMU6I/AAAAAAAAAgY/Uh_U7yHgz-c/s400/-7.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tapas. Yum.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Travel</b></div>
It's a cliche, but it's true: it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. Some of my best memories are about what happened on the way to a end-point and who I was with (reading silly billboards in GA with Miss E comes to mind immediately). San Fransisco was a cool place, but going there with our friend and meeting up with J's brother enhanced the trip for me. France is beautiful but my friends also made it fun. Eat the local food, sleep on the floor if you have to, but just <i>GO</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTbfYtAmDpg/UbOCaT3AaOI/AAAAAAAAAgw/2SxR_Bu78mA/s1600/166_607380193147_6053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rTbfYtAmDpg/UbOCaT3AaOI/AAAAAAAAAgw/2SxR_Bu78mA/s400/166_607380193147_6053_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France is <i>Fun-iculaire</i> with friends. Inside joke.</td></tr>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Learn Constantly</b></div>
I've taken a writing class and numerous crafting classes. I've also learned from people around me: how to crochet, how to work smarter and not harder, how to live and work in Miami... I'm really passionate about being a life-long learner. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1yBeuAZ2xeE/UbODQrroZmI/AAAAAAAAAhI/oSqZ5caKg2g/s1600/Photo+on+2011-09-14+at+21.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1yBeuAZ2xeE/UbODQrroZmI/AAAAAAAAAhI/oSqZ5caKg2g/s400/Photo+on+2011-09-14+at+21.57.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've learned how to do things that I never thought I could do...</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Read, Always</b></div>
I've had my nose in a book since I was a wee little thing, but my reading went to the next level while living in Miami. I joined a book club and read books that I normally would not have picked up and in the process my world expanded even more. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtjbf36DYjQ/UbOC4yxCPvI/AAAAAAAAAg4/lQzrbV1eDTE/s1600/Photo+on+2013-05-28+at+20.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtjbf36DYjQ/UbOC4yxCPvI/AAAAAAAAAg4/lQzrbV1eDTE/s400/Photo+on+2013-05-28+at+20.38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading with wine is even better!</td></tr>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Be Brave</b></div>
Yes, I am afraid of murky water. Yes, I think about crocodiles grabbing me, but if I have to swim through murky water to pet a baby manatee and if I get to see that manatee roll over on it's belly because it likes being pet then I will just have to be brave. When we went on that trip I was literally saying "Be Brave, Becca" over and over in my mind while snorkeling. I'd never gone snorkeling before and that in and of itself was a challenge that I overcame. I've had to be brave while driving and while working with some difficult individuals. Be brave and you'll be fine most of the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2mbgU8Wj-JQ/UbODokR7k8I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/r1hbXM1aMl8/s1600/528145_10101951533687727_506240815_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2mbgU8Wj-JQ/UbODokR7k8I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/r1hbXM1aMl8/s400/528145_10101951533687727_506240815_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not the murky water! This was from the same trip, though.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Be Assertive, Ask Questions</b></div>
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I've had to stand up for myself, my husband, and my pets in situations that I might have usually shirked away from. It can be difficult doing that in a city with a different culture than the one I grew up in. I've been confused in some situations and I've had to ask questions. I'm actually a fairly shy person (unless I'm one-on-one) but in the last three years I've had to learn how to navigate some challenging situations and keep some conversations afloat (to avoid that potentially awkward silence). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPSDt4PSFso/UbOEMwvxklI/AAAAAAAAAhg/V5OtH14Q4Bo/s1600/Photo+on+2013-06-03+at+19.48+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPSDt4PSFso/UbOEMwvxklI/AAAAAAAAAhg/V5OtH14Q4Bo/s320/Photo+on+2013-06-03+at+19.48+%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca and Grumpy Cat both hate awkward silences.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'm sure there is more, like: How to do Your Laundry and Dodge Little Lizards and That was a Miami-Left Turn... but that's it for now.Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-66325234925904587632013-06-10T08:00:00.000-04:002013-06-18T11:30:07.457-04:00Lessons for Little MeI wrote this list in a notebook a little less than a year ago and I've added ideas here and there. I was just thinking of what I had learned thus far from life and what I could have benefited from knowing when I was younger. I figured I'd share it on my blog because -hey- why not?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lessons for Little Me </b></div>
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(in no particular order)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8lMFtlFEbg/UbONk-GXPtI/AAAAAAAAAhw/068dhWaCIYc/s1600/Photo+on+2013-06-08+at+14.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8lMFtlFEbg/UbONk-GXPtI/AAAAAAAAAhw/068dhWaCIYc/s400/Photo+on+2013-06-08+at+14.33.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that dubious expression. I still make that face. And I'm still not sure about my baby brother...</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<ol>
<li><b>You are undefinable in genres, styles, and interests.</b> Don't feel like you cannot like something even if it doesn't fit your "code" as long as you enjoy it.</li>
<li><b>Get over your fear of missing out.</b> You are a homebody prone to spurts of wanderlust and adventure. If you don't enjoy parties, don't go. If you don't like certain people, excuse yourself if you can. And do what you like.</li>
<li><b>Friends come, friends go, some stay. </b> Of all the people that are in your life, <i>only you are constant</i>. Be good to you, be true to you.</li>
<li><b>Everything in moderation.</b></li>
<li><b>Everything is relative.</b></li>
<li><b>Don't expect others to care as deeply as you do.</b></li>
<li><b>Don't stop searching for your life soul-mates</b>. These are the people who you can let your guard down with, the ones you can be honest with, the ones who will not judge you or your quirks.</li>
<li><b>Always be kind to the nerds.</b> You know you are a nerd and you always root for the underdog, but don't be too kind, otherwise they sometimes start following you around.</li>
<li><b>You have a voice, use it.</b></li>
<li><b>You have a vote, use it.</b></li>
<li><b>You can be a walking contradiction, it's okay. </b> Love fashion and hate the industry. Give advice and throw the rules out when it pertains to you. And it is okay to wear yoga pants to Whole Foods if you feel like it. </li>
<li><b>Your gut is always right.</b> You are still paying for decisions made that you over-analyzed and talked yourself into.</li>
<li><b>Take more risks. Leave home. Make new friends. Leave that home. Make another new home.</b> You will have a different world experience than people who grow roots in one spot. </li>
<li><b>Your outsider's observations paired with your intuition will pay off</b>- in characters for future novels.</li>
<li><b>Write, write, write.</b></li>
<li><b>Keep drawing.</b></li>
<li><b>Keep reading.</b></li>
<li><b>Be more serious about the guitar.</b></li>
<li><b>Your crushes and exes are gay or will lose their hair young.</b> Don't cry so much over them.</li>
<li><b>The loss of a friend can be worse than a breakup</b>, but there will be more of both, so get used to it.</li>
<li><b>You can be whoever you want to be.</b></li>
<li><b>You will become more introverted, but it will be because you realized you were trying too hard to be accepted by people you don't really like one bit.</b></li>
<li><b>Some adults are as full of it as teenagers. </b> You will be disappointed by your role models.</li>
<li><b>Keep your child-like joy and silliness.</b> It will even out that mature, responsible, boring temperament. </li>
<li><b>Don't work so hard that you burn yourself out. </b> Hard work will pay off for you, though.</li>
<li><b>Take French.</b> Yes, Spanish is the more practical language, but you'll suck at Spanish, hate it, and you'll always wish you could speak French.</li>
<li><b>The most painful events are the lessons you really needed to learn.</b></li>
<li><b>Find a great doctor, veterinarian, dentist, mechanic, hairstylist, library, etc... these are gems. </b>They are hard to find but it will be well worth the search.</li>
<li><b>You will make mistakes and they might be costly and embarrassing, but the things you will regret are the things you do not do or do not have the courage to say.</b></li>
<li><b>Sometimes it is fun not knowing where you will go or end up.</b> Enjoy the ride.</li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQOafqOXVlI/UbON7YOGq2I/AAAAAAAAAh4/zjHhxkNwirQ/s1600/Photo+on+2013-06-01+at+20.16+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mQOafqOXVlI/UbON7YOGq2I/AAAAAAAAAh4/zjHhxkNwirQ/s400/Photo+on+2013-06-01+at+20.16+%232.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More to learn. More growing to do.</td></tr>
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I'm so glad that I've challenged myself to live a more global life. I could do even better, but I know that I've expanded my perspective on this world and the people in it. I enjoy learning new things and every day my world gets a little smaller. I don't think that is a bad thing. Right now I have connections to China, to Europe, to Africa, to Latin America, and beyond. I know people from all walks of life and all philosophies. I am excited to see how my world will change, how I will grow, and what I will learn in my new city!Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-80886441859505423642013-06-08T14:26:00.000-04:002013-06-08T14:26:44.409-04:00Summer Bucket List21 days left. 3 weeks!<br />
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We've been so busy with packing, working, and fitting in last minute fun. In the last month or so we've been to the Miami Symphony Orchestra (<i>Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 and Piano Concert No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15</i> with Eduardo Marturet as the conductor and Philippe Entremont on the piano), A La Folie, Fox's Sherron Inn, the arcade, an Italian Greyhound meet-up in Broward County, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden with Emmy, Lan Pan Asian Cafe, dim sum at South Garden (twice), Bahama Breeze dinner with my office mates, lunch with some professors at Peru Criollo, and some drinks with my friends on Miracle Mile -first at John Martin's for Happy Hour and finishing the night at 100 Montaditos to soak up some of that liquor, but they had good sangria too! ;) J and I have also managed to sneak in a last meal at Ms. Cheezious a couple of weeks ago. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farewell to my favorite Miami Food Truck!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of a Rainbow Eucalyptus from FTBG</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cannonball Tree at FTGB is in bloom this month!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see where it gets it's name from...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ending our evening out at 100 Montaditos</td></tr>
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During that time I've still be volunteering, reading towards my goal of 85 books in 2013, and making a lot of crafts. I made a project for J's friends that I cannot wait to show you, but for now it needs to stay a secret! I also made little glass ornaments that were almost like cards for my office-mates. On the front it showed their initial and on the back was a small saying of appreciation. I embellished with dangling beads and keys that said Memory, Love, and Heart. I didn't get a picture of them, but I plan on making one for my Craft Night friend. I also finished my secret project for my future sister-in-law. I've been busy! :) <br />
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We have some plans for what we want to fit in while we are still here. We're hoping to get some good pictures of the graffiti at Wynnwood, some of the trees in Coral Gables, FIU campus, pictures off of the Rickenbocker, maybe of the Venetian Pool from the inside, the Country Club Prado promenade, us by my favorite pink snail sculpture, and picture/video of our Coral Way drive home. I want to take a picture walk and get some of the smaller details too: the awesome tile at the library, a close-up of Miami oolite rock, the lions at the nearby bank, and more. Right now J takes almost all of the pictures for this blog and has to e-mail them to me. I wish I had an iPhone to take pictures of those small moments from my daily life that make me smile... maybe this summer.<br />
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Which brings me to the main point of this post: <b>Our Summer Bucket List</b>. We will have less than 30 days in Wisconsin to see all the special folks, visit the places we love, and eat the food we've missed. While talking to J, I ticked off on my fingers all of the people we're making plans with, events to attend, things to do, and mini-excursions to plan and it was more than one thing a day. We'll be busy. Here is -some- of our Summer Bucket List:<br />
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<li>Join this century and get an iPhone </li>
<li>Visit Greenfield News and Hobby with Dad</li>
<li>Madison (definitely going out, definitely eating some yummy food, definitely seeing friends, definitely visiting the arboretum, probably hitting up State Street, the Chazen, and MoMA)</li>
<li>Make a trek up to MN to see a very special friend and her very adorable baby</li>
<li>Check out the Rusty Quarters arcade (J and I love arcades!) while in MN</li>
<li>Visit with J's high school buddy and his lovely girlfriend in MN</li>
<li>Go to my family's cabin</li>
<li>Tailgate at a Brewer's Game (for J)</li>
<li>Go back to my old sanctuary: The Milwaukee Art Museum</li>
<li>Comet Cafe for Old Fashioneds and oh-so-bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good food</li>
<li>Brewery Tour</li>
<li>Red Raspberry Frozen Custard at Kopp's</li>
<li>American Science and Surplus to see if we can get some funny stuff for our new apartment</li>
<li>Date at Alterra and Discovery World</li>
<li>The Dentist! (I love my dentist.)</li>
<li>Girl Day with my future sister-in-law</li>
<li>Treat our newlywed friends to dinner (we are leaving Miami the day they get married!)</li>
<li>Meet up with an old friend from middle school</li>
<li>Bake a Rhubarb and Raspberry pie with my grandma</li>
<li>Special Dinner with the 'rents</li>
<li>Enjoy time with my new puppy-sister</li>
<li>Barbeque with the Z's</li>
<li>Makin' stuff with Mom</li>
<li>Visitors! Emmy and her boyfriend might come to WI to see where we're from </li>
<li>Dream Items: karaoke, paintball, and/or laser tag!</li>
</ol>
Of course, there are more items that are more personal and specific to special peeps in our lives, but you get the general idea. <br />
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I have missed some Wisconsin things and Wisconsin people, but I have realized there are people and things that I will miss down here in Miami (despite still not being too too fond of the place). I found a little family here that I will miss terribly. Everyone in my office is on to bigger and better things, but we've all expressed the sentiment that we're going to miss our team and the well-oiled machine that we've become. These people made me feel loved and cared for here. I didn't make a lot of friends, but I think the friends I've made are quality friends and I hope they come to visit me and my new life in Seattle.<br />
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Now I'm off to clean the bathroom and maybe try my hand at a new recipe. Catch you later.<br />
Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-87594941177901900402013-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:002013-05-30T09:59:33.332-04:00Scenic run in Coral GablesIt's Joe again with a guest post for you! Keeping with the same theme as the past post, one of the things that I will miss most about Miami is the beautiful stretches of shaded sidewalks and scenic views in Coral Gables. Over the past three years, I have run over 2,000 miles through just about every block in Coral Gables. I'll have some nice running territory in Seattle, but I'll really miss the 7-8 month winter running season in Miami. <br />
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For this post, I made up a 6 mile loop through one of the most scenic parts of Coral Gables. There is some cool stuff in the southern part too but <br />
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Here is the link to the map of the route from May My Run: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/203651892<br />
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The map of the route looks like this:<br />
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It starts and ends (green and red pins) at the corner of Almeria and Segovia. I finished this route in 65 minutes but it can be much faster if you aren't stopping and taking pictures all the time! <br />
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Here is the picture of the starting point:<br />
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This block is like many others in Coral Gables: it has the characteristic pink sidewalks and tree canopy. These trees are Mahogany trees: they keep their leaves year round and have large wooden seeds that break apart when they hit the pavement (or sometimes my car...). The best older trees are located in the northern half of the city, the southern half has younger trees that were planted after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. <br />
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At the 0.4 mile point (red star on the map) is the Coral Gables city hall with the statue of city founder George Merrick:<br />
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Merrick founded Coral Gables in 1925. He carefully planned Coral Gables and named it "City Beautiful" which followed the social movement by the same name which hoped to bring social order and a higher quality of live through urban design. Many of the buildings in Coral Gables follow the Mediterranean revival style and the streets are often named after cities and towns in Spain.<br />
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Just across from the City Hall, you can catch a glimpse of Miracle Mile, the main shopping district in Coral Gables. The business district is also located in that general area:<br />
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I prefer not to run in that area because there is too much traffic and
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Moving on, I then made a sharp turn and headed back toward the west to the Granada Golf Course (purple star on map) which is only 0.75 miles from the starting point: </div>
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The golf course is my favorite spot for a short run, it is only about a 2 mile loop around the road that circles the golf course, Greenway Dr. This general area is very popular with walkers, runners, and bikers in the mornings and evenings. </div>
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Following Coral Way, I reached the Merrick House historical site directly at the 1.0 mile pin on the map:</div>
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Merrick's residence was completed in 1910 and features a "coral rock" facade which is actually oolitic limestone. Real coral rock has actual coral fossils within it. The oolite is porous and comprises most of the bedrock around Miami. The rock for this house and many others in Coral Gables was dug from what is now the Venetian Pool (see later in run). </div>
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Merrick House is also located along Coral Way, which is one of the more scenic roads in Miami. Coral Way is lined with live oaks:</div>
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I followed Coral Way a few more blocks before turning right on Granada Blvd and heading back through the middle of the Granada Golf Course. The west side of the golf course features some amazing Banyan Trees (yellow star on map):</div>
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The Banyans are actually a type of ficus (fig), with large leaves and jungle-like vines. Unfortunately, Banyan trees do not handle strong winds very well, so they really shouldn't be planted in hurricane-prone Miami.</div>
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At 2.1 miles (green star), I passed the Alhambra Water Tower which underwent a full restoration in 1993 and just recently received a new coat of paint:</div>
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The water tower hasn't served any practical purpose since 1931 but it does look cool.</div>
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Just one block to the west of the water tower is a parkway called Country Club Prado:</div>
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I really like running on Country Club Prado because it is less crowded (traffic and pedestrians) compared with the nearby golf course. I didn't run through the whole parkway on this run, but it goes all the way up to 8th St. (Calle Ocho from the Pitbull song) and has fountain at the north end which is a popular place for wedding and Quinceanera pictures. </div>
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For this run, I simply followed the parkway south across Coral Way took a left on Sevilla St. Just past the 3 mile mark (light blue star) is the Church of the Little Flower:</div>
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I've never been inside but it opened in 1926 and is a historical landmark.</div>
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Just down the street from the church is Coral Gables' most famous landmark, the Biltmore Hotel (dark blue star on map):</div>
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The Biltmore is popular with tourist groups who like to take photos just to the left of where I took this picture. Rates start at $300-400 per night so we never stayed here, although rumor is that the weekend brunch is really good and at least somewhat reasonably priced. On the 4th of July, they set off fireworks next to the Biltmore and everyone sits and watches from the golf course behind the hotel. </div>
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Columbus Blvd, another one of my favorite roads, is located directly in front of the Biltmore:</div>
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Columbus has a banyan canopy and is close enough that I can reach it when walking the dogs.<br />
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From Columbus, I took a right on Almeria and followed it east almost back to the starting point. At Granada, I turned south and took a picture of the De Soto Fountain (purple star on map):</div>
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Directly adjacent to the fountain is another very famous landmark: the Venetian Pool. The pool originally provided the limestone for many of Coral Gables' historic buildings. Now, it is one of the more picturesque places in Miami, you can even rent it for special events and weddings. Since I ran in the evening, it was already closed for the day:</div>
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Just one block south of the Venetian Pool is one of the original historic buildings from when Merrick designed the city:</div>
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This is one of around 80 that were actually built. Originally, Merrick planned around 1,000 but the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the subsequent real estate market crash ended any hope of getting them all built. Unfortunately, Merrick also lost his fortune in the collapse and retreated to the Keys in 1928. </div>
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The next part of the run goes through a residential neighborhood. It is one of my favorite areas for walking the dogs and features a few houses with impressive trees (can you tell that I like trees by now?). Sadly, one of my favorite trees in this section recently died and was cut down.</div>
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Eventually, around the 5 mile mark (black star on the map), I reached the Coral Gables library:</div>
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The library is surrounded by trees and a butterfly garden. Directly adjacent to the library is the War Memorial and Youth Center, which features a large field that is always crowded in the evenings:</div>
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At this point, I go a little out of my way to reach the pink snail statue at the pink star on the map:</div>
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According to the local papers, the snails are made of recycled plastic and were originally placed on Miami Beach. However, one night a snail somehow ended up taking a swim in the ocean, so they were relocated to Coral Gables. </div>
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Segovia St serves as the home stretch for this run:</div>
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In the past two years, the city added a median, bike lane, and hundreds of oak trees to Segovia St. For now, it still has too much sun for my liking.</div>
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I'll really miss running through the Gables, if you ever get a chance to visit Miami, make sure to stop by Coral Gables and check out some of these landmarks. </div>
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Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-74960230576705912322013-05-26T17:29:00.001-04:002013-05-26T17:29:41.136-04:00Things I'll Miss and Things I Won't...We have been in Miami now since August 2010. We're leaving at the end of June 2013. We're just two months shy of three years. Don't worry, I'm not wishing to spend any additional time here! The impending departure has both J and I waxing poetic on some things... and saying, "Oh my God, I won't miss this!" on other things. So, I thought I'd do a quick catalog of what I will miss and what I won't miss.<br />
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<b>I'll Will Miss You...</b><br />
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<li><b>No snow.</b> I hated getting up early to brush my car off. I hated driving in snow. I had a couple of close calls thanks to a car that lacks ABS breaks. I didn't like driving in fog, either. </li>
<li><b>MY CAR!</b> We're not taking it with us to Seattle. I'm really mourning this loss. To me a car represents freedom. And I own it fair and square. It is mine, and soon it won't be. I have to learn stick-shift in order to be able to drive in Seattle because J's car is manual. I hate riding the bus (I get terrible car sickness and the smell of buses makes me woozy) but I'm going to have to take it in to campus for work three days a week, so I'll have to get used to it.</li>
<li> <b>Free time.</b> I won't have time to tinker or read when I'm struggling to keep up in school work. I did a good job of making the most of my free time in Miami. I read oodles and oodles. I also volunteered almost three hours every week. I'll be happy to get some time to watch my favorite shows when I'm not doing school work, work work, or sight seeing!</li>
<li><b>Craft Night.</b> I enjoyed having people to craft with. We didn't do it every week, but we did it fairly regularly and I liked feeling like a part of a family, even if it was for two hours on a Tuesday. Crafting, for me, is enhanced by chatting while my hands are working.</li>
<li><b>Living 7 blocks from the library.</b> In Miami I learned how to request books and I utilized the service to the fullest. It saved me a lot of money to borrow books. Reading copious amounts helped ease my loneliness here. In the last year and a half, I've kept myself so busy with reading and volunteering that I don't feel lonely anymore. </li>
<li><b>Living in Coral Gables.</b> It really is "City Beautiful." The trees are gorgeous and I felt at ease living under their green canopy. I don't know that I'll ever get to live in such a tree-filled neighborhood again. The buildings are gorgeous and I'll miss gawking at them too.</li>
<li><b>Bougainvilleas.</b> Always colorful, no matter the time of the year. Seeing as I don't plan on living in such a hot, humid place again, I will really miss them.</li>
<li><b>My 2 bedroom apartment. </b> We're downsizing and yet our fur-family grew. While we strove to be minimalists, we still acquired stuff. We're selling as much as possible, but sometimes I feel bogged down. Where will this junk go in our new place? This was also our first place as a married couple. We made it home and all of the furniture matched and was new (thanks to wedding money and the reasonably priced IKEA). </li>
<li><b>Croquetas.</b> It took me awhile to fall in love with them, but now I look forward to mornings when I have time to stop by Bustelo or even Publix for the $0.69 breakfast treats. </li>
<li><b>LAN Pan Asian Cafe.</b> J and I go here on the regular and we've taken several people to it. Yummy Asian Nachos. Yummier sushi platters. Great service. Reasonable portions for a reasonable price. It started to feel like "our place."</li>
<li><b>FIU Friends/Family.</b> The ladies in my office feel like my family away from MKE. I've celebrated holidays and birthdays with them. They've been there for me and laughed with me. We've disagreed and we've made up. They made me feel welcome in this hard city. I'll miss some of the students I work with, too. They were the closest to me, age-wise, so I always enjoyed chatting with a few of them. I'll also miss some of the teachers. Many of them did things to make us feel appreciated. Many of them made me laugh. I learned a lot during my two years in the real-world working.</li>
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<b>Goodbye and Good Riddance to...</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Rude Peeps.</b> This city is known for being really rude. I'm not going to miss all of those people that acted like butt-munches.</li>
<li><b>Healthcare.</b> J and I received some really horrible service regarding healthcare down here (both of us, multiple times each). My dogs get better care from our vet than we got from some doctors. I do have two good specialists I see, but it took me a long while to find one of them.</li>
<li><b>Identity Theft.</b> South Florida is notorious for it and between J and I we've had our Credit Card/Debit Card information stolen/compromised five times. So frustrating. I hate the bozos who do that kind of stuff. </li>
<li><b>Dumb Drivers.</b> Okay, we don't have the worst traffic in the country, but I think we have some of the cruddiest drivers. They pull fast and dangerous moves. They are always on their phones or having animated discussions with others in the car. I see a fender bender (or more than one) almost every day! ..and I only drive to work and back and while keeping errands to a minimum. The month I worked that terrible job in Fort Lauderdale frayed my nerves with the commute alone.</li>
<li><b>The Heat</b> (temperature, not the basketball team... but I could care less about them too.) Oh. My. Word. I am a sweaty individual. My dad and brothers have the gene too. But I'm a girl. I'm not supposed to be this disheveled looking! I avoided the outdoors so much that I'm really pale now. The lightest colored Too Faced BB Cream is called <i>Snow Glow</i> and it is too dark for my pasty skin. But I don't worry too much because it doesn't stay on me long since I'M SO DAMN SWEATY ALL THE TIME. Ugh. </li>
<li><b>Mold/Mildew.</b> It's humid and we live in an old apartment with cruddy A/Cs and no fan in our bathroom. A neat-freak like me finds this to be a nightmare. I know Seattle will have it's fair share of mold/mildew (everything is covered in moss there), but we're moving into a newer place that will have fans and less build up gunk.</li>
<li><b>DUST.</b> A/Cs seem to kick up a lot of dust. My work desk is dusty and my house is dustier. I now know that I cannot own dark furniture without going crazy. It shows every speck of dust and cat hair. We eventually shaved Tashi to cut down on her tufts of hair flying around and because she is hot too- she's sitting in front of the A/C as it is on full-blast as I type this. In our next place I am planning on lighter furniture. Hopefully there will be less dust.</li>
<li><b>Lizards.</b> They're fast and they make me nervous. But their not fast enough that I don't see their little corpses once in awhile. It totally skeeves me out when they get in the apartment. Give me spiders and snakes any day. Yuck. Enough said.</li>
<li><b>Six months of summer.</b> I could file this away with <b>The Heat</b>, but I miss the change of the seasons. Right, I know I said I don't miss snow. But I miss colorful Fall and pretty Spring. </li>
<li><b>Lack of Comfort Food Restaurants.</b> There will be too many of these in Seattle. I'm going to have to practice self-discipline.</li>
<li><b>Lack of Quality Craft Supply Stores. </b> But, I won't have time for this stuff in Seattle, so, oh well.</li>
<li><b>Crummy Target Stores.</b> I don't know how corporate Target doesn't shut these locations down and start again from scratch, but I certainly hope Target is better in Seattle. </li>
<li><b>Crummy Shopping, in general. </b> I have the damnedest time finding clothing that I like down here. Here's to hoping I won't struggle as much in Seattle. Also, shopping is the Miami past time, so no matter when you go you can count on the malls/stores being frustratingly full and you might have to pay for parking just to buy your junk.</li>
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So, there you go. Things I'll Miss and Things I Won't... I'm sure I'll have more to add as the next month and couple of days progress, but that's how I feel for now. :) Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-72949591143517967852013-05-13T22:12:00.000-04:002013-05-13T22:12:02.966-04:00Garlands Galore!Despite the craziness that is moving cross-country (while still working full-time), I've still been trying to make things. I've been getting lessons from my Craft Night friend on how to use and maintain my sewing machine. I made my own dust cover and I've started making garlands. Garlands are very easy to make and they help me practice a basic stitch. I don't have to worry about them being perfect and they are very fast. <br />
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Pardon the terrible pictures, but that's what happens when you work on projects late at night and have cruddy lighting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are called yo-yos. I did not make them. My friend's sister made them out of vintage fabric before she passed away. My friend generously gave them to me so that I could make things with them. I think they are so cool and the fabric is really inspiring.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of the whole garland. It is very cute. I can see why people like to make garlands for parties, showers, and kid's rooms.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first garland I made. It is just purple fabrics and felts cut into 2" x 2" squares. It doesn't go with the colors in my apartment, but who cares, I'm moving. Please pardon my dusty blinds. I hate those blinds. They are such a pain to clean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another garland that uses yo-yos, felt, and fabric. This one has more of a mixed media feel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture doesn't do it justice, but the color scheme is cute: purples and pinks. I have mostly purple fabric on hand right now from my first garland, but I'm looking forward to making more with brighter colors.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQ1pnw-SIHk/UZGbicBEObI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/JYp82oa_lnI/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQ1pnw-SIHk/UZGbicBEObI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/JYp82oa_lnI/s400/-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my dust cover! My friend helped me sew it. It is my first completed project that I didn't have to revert to stitching by hand. And it helped me learn how to take the pieces of my machine apart so when I had a jam making the first garland above I was able to fix it myself at home. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I'll blog about something more substantial later, but I'm proud of my little sewing projects, so I figured I'd share. J will share a post about his unique perspective on Coral Gables through his long runs. In the meantime, look at this crazy figure:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3600 views in the lifetime of this blog! I started it in September 2010. Who is looking at this website other than my friends and family? I have no clue. Feel free to leave a comment and say "hi" if you'd like. I'm sure most of those clicks are people losing their way on the internet, but still, 3600 views! Crazy. Actually, most of those might be my mom. ;)</td></tr>
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-49688607837374870192013-05-05T17:07:00.000-04:002013-05-05T17:07:14.275-04:00Slow Down, RocketBoy oh boy. Work was sure crazy since I got back from Texas. This last week it finally felt manageable. In the meantime, my inner organizational fairy has turned into a nasty sort of sprite and has decided that it is better to kick it into high gear for the move. I'm freaking myself out with the amount of time I have left. "Why, Becca," a rational person may begin, "don't you have almost two months left?" To which I reply, "NAY!" When I calculated it, I took out work hours, and then completely cut out the days where I do Craft Night, Volunteer, or have other obligations or errands in the evenings (because, hey, you know I still <i>LIVE</i> here). Which sometimes leaves me with two work nights a week, plus the weekends. Now, that would be fine, minus the fact that I'll be on puppy-duty next weekend and not in the least bit able to pack, organize, or clean as hard-core as I have been going.<br />
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I should let up. I've done something to my back. I didn't tweak it. It's just this general achey sort of all over pain. Perhaps it is the pain one experiences from working out? I wouldn't know. It's a deep pain where even sitting on the couch up-right typing this hurts. I was working hard yesterday sweeping, dusting, organizing, packing, unpacking, repacking, evaluating, pulling things to be sold on Craigslist or Etsy or Amazon, stacking, piling, re-cleaning because I inevitably made a mess... and that was all after a full morning of running errands with J to get supplies for a garland I want to make and beads for a top-secret project I've been gladly assigned to and grocery shopping. Last night I was so wired (AND sick with food poisoning - I curse you forever Chipotle) that I couldn't go to sleep until 2:00 AM so I just stayed up working on my secret project.<br />
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This morning I woke up and could barely get out of bed. Of course my inner-jerk insisted that 7:30 AM was the last I'd see sleep. I immediately got pissed off at how dusty my room was so I hobbled around sweeping, spraying, and dusting. I wasn't kidding when I said my nice inner fairy turned into something more sinister. Back off, lady! I'm in pain! But she's not satisfied, no. After a trip to the dog park (to wear them out so we could get even more stuff done!) I set on listing more books on Amazon and revamping my Etsy page. I've learned the hard way: take photos with natural light. Your products look so much better. That took me a few hours. Feel free to check out my new stuff:<br />
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https://www.etsy.com/shop/PhysicksAlchemy<br />
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I added some of my story on my new About page:<br />
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https://www.etsy.com/shop/PhysicksAlchemy/about/<br />
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Do you like the picture of Lily on my About page? I haven't shared it on my blog yet. Here is a better version of that picture. She sometimes doesn't realize her tongue is sticking out. It is so funny. Silly Lily. It is a very accurate portrayal of her personality. She is so bubbly and loving. Everything is automatically the best thing ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UNvSzyG8qag/UYbDTDd5fLI/AAAAAAAAAZc/nML-AOna5iQ/s1600/silly+lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UNvSzyG8qag/UYbDTDd5fLI/AAAAAAAAAZc/nML-AOna5iQ/s400/silly+lily.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She reminds me of Einstein.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOdaXGQTZR8/UYbDZ4S8DSI/AAAAAAAAAZk/aiHA9IIodO8/s1600/93434191-einstein-tongue_custom-36fb0ce35776dc2d92eda90880022bf48a67e192-s6-c10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOdaXGQTZR8/UYbDZ4S8DSI/AAAAAAAAAZk/aiHA9IIodO8/s400/93434191-einstein-tongue_custom-36fb0ce35776dc2d92eda90880022bf48a67e192-s6-c10.jpg" width="356" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See?</td></tr>
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Here is another one of my favorite pictures of her. I was working diligently on my computer a couple of months ago and she was not satisfied unless she was on my lap. I really love the Photobooth option on my laptop because I can get a lot of candid pictures of the animals when I am cuddling with them. This picture was an example of perfect timing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK_vKIQsArw/UYbDExpdrPI/AAAAAAAAAZA/_nVaNIrWz9o/s1600/Photo+on+2013-02-25+at+09.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK_vKIQsArw/UYbDExpdrPI/AAAAAAAAAZA/_nVaNIrWz9o/s400/Photo+on+2013-02-25+at+09.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am giving her a hug and hiding my face at the same time because I didn't look so hot. God, she is the cutest.</td></tr>
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Lily doesn't usually sit still long enough for cuddles, but today is an exception. Sundays are dog park days (though we -and they- miss our friends that we used to meet up with regularly) and it wears them out. It makes for a slightly calmer household. Whenever I sit down, Ruby is right by my side. It's like she and I have magnets in our bodies or something. We're copacetic creatures. She finds a spot that maximized body contact. J knows that she sees herself as my <i>BABY</i>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XcT61aWie8/UYbDFVtOgmI/AAAAAAAAAZU/TVHbCoyQZbI/s1600/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13+%25234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XcT61aWie8/UYbDFVtOgmI/AAAAAAAAAZU/TVHbCoyQZbI/s400/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13+%25234.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby making herself as tiny as possible and sitting right next to me. I had to hold my laptop above her to get this photo, but you get the idea.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_qo1wp73mB4/UYbDFnW0MTI/AAAAAAAAAZY/Ny1PBSMd6lg/s1600/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_qo1wp73mB4/UYbDFnW0MTI/AAAAAAAAAZY/Ny1PBSMd6lg/s400/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My other cuddle monsters. Oops, aim was off, got too much floor.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzjHKdYQ0uw/UYbDFDJ-jPI/AAAAAAAAAZI/6IYrU-xvUwc/s1600/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tzjHKdYQ0uw/UYbDFDJ-jPI/AAAAAAAAAZI/6IYrU-xvUwc/s400/Photo+on+2013-05-05+at+16.13+%25232.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a better picture. Lily had her front leg around Tashi at one point. Tashi surprises me. Now she gives Lily kisses. There have been some changes in her demeanor since she lost her companion.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I think I am going to take a cue from my pets and take the rest of the day easy. I hate feeling like I have no weekend when I get back to work on a Monday morning. And I have obligations on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evening this week. Sigh. Plus, it is getting hard to type. I went to lay down and animals shifted around me...<br />
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-30595605441426660002013-04-21T16:56:00.001-04:002013-04-21T16:56:06.560-04:00Big Update: Past, Present, and FutureI would first like to start the post by saying that on April 8th we went to the vet with Trini and unfortunately we came home without her. Even typing this is very hard for me. She would have been 19 in July/August. She's been with me longer than my youngest brother. Life has seen us through many changes, many different locations, many different relationships, and our personalities have grown and shifted. She wasn't the easiest cat to love, but I loved her with my whole heart and it broke my heart and I sobbed whenever I had to clean her in her last few days. All I ever want is to be the best guardian and life-steward I could possibly be to the creatures in my care. I am a profoundly in love with my pets, even when they make little messes or misbehave. I know, with confidence, they love me right back. I've tried my very best to move on and pretend as if everything has been fine, but it has been on my mind constantly. I consider myself a very lucky person that I've only encountered death a few brief times in my life and it naturally brings up questions and concerns. J has been a huge support for me in those moments of weakness when I felt I was failing or when I was frustrated with the situation. I called my parents frequently to give them updates because even though they don't particularly like cats, Trini was a big part of their lives too. All that mattered to me in those last few days was that I was doing everything I could. I won't lie, it was very exhausting. When we took her in, someone in the waiting room said something about how she looked "icky" and any other day I might have walked up to that privileged woman to give her a piece of my mind regarding my life companion but in that moment I could have cared less about others. It was about me and Trini. It was hard. I cried a lot and in front of <i>everyone</i>. Thinking about it right now makes me teary, so I will wrap this bit up. All I know is that when I came home, J and I sat on the couch for a long time with the rest of our girls. Tashi, our 10 year old cat, gave me a lot of attention and I gave her a lot of care, too. She seemed to understand. In a very un-Tashi like event, she sat on my chest, maintained eye contact for a long time and then just licked my face a couple of times. She's mourning in her own way. Every day is a little better for her. Every day is a little better for me. As long as I have my loves, I'll be okay. Thanks to everyone for thinking about us. We appreciate it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0JZQb5q0gh8/UXQ-2VM5UpI/AAAAAAAAAW4/aTO_1X4DLRE/s1600/Photo+on+2012-11-16+at+21.13+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0JZQb5q0gh8/UXQ-2VM5UpI/AAAAAAAAAW4/aTO_1X4DLRE/s320/Photo+on+2012-11-16+at+21.13+%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love you, Trini.</td></tr>
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~~~</div>
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In what was probably good timing, I left to visit my friend E in Galveston, Texas two days after we said goodbye to Trini. E helped us move down to Miami and set up our apartment back in August 2010. She really eased my transition from having my wedding to moving two days later. J had to start school the day after we arrived in Miami and I was unemployed in a jumbled apartment in a brand new city. She had moved to Galveston with her boyfriend from Madison and I was excited to be her first visitor. I flew in on a Wednesday and had until Sunday to hang out and explore some of Houston and Galveston. Here is my trip in some pictures. <br />
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On Wednesday we took it easy. Houston to Galveston is a bit of a hike and traffic is -dare I say it- worse than Miami. The drivers aren't as bad as Miami drivers, but there are just more people on the road, so there are bound to be loads of accidents. We went grocery shopping and made tacos for dinner and planned two crafts we wanted to tackle. On Thursday we headed back into Houston. First we stopped at a mall because I had my Sephora VIB coupon for me and a friend (15% off -what a deal!) and then we went to the National Museum of Funeral History and the Cullen Sculpture Garden. I thought the museum would be a fun, unique Houston attraction and I wasn't disappointed. It was in a residential area and it was virtually empty, but for $10 it was a nice way to spend a couple of hours. It was also massive at 30,500 square feed. That is a lot of history. <br />
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E and I decided to do a quiz. If you got 90% right you got 20% off an item at the gift shop. I thought I could bring something funny home for J. Well, let me tell you- that answer sheet was locked up so tight! E and I diligently answered the quiz and the cashier pulled the money out of the till, set it right in front of me so that she could "grade" us, and then she proceeded to take HALF points off for things like, "Name an animal represented as a fantasy casket" I wrote, "Chicken/Rooster." The answer was "MOTHER HEN." She offered to call management to see if I could get a full point but we politely told her that it wasn't necessary and laughed our butts off all the way to the car. It was especially funny because there was a book on Abraham Lincoln's assassination as a part of an exhibit that was labeled as "top secret" but we felt that the answer key to the silly quiz was more guarded. Still, we learned some really interesting things. I'll enlighten you with just a smattering of what I learned!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-dQkVcGM6U/UXRAnsU8a8I/AAAAAAAAAXE/WqGeob_VJ-s/s1600/Galveston+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-dQkVcGM6U/UXRAnsU8a8I/AAAAAAAAAXE/WqGeob_VJ-s/s400/Galveston+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a glass casket. They stopped making these because when they were lowered into the ground the lids would often crack. It was one of my favorite caskets there because it was so unique and oddly pretty. Glad it's not see-through, though.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qSSALaqDA6o/UXRAqiR4dGI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Ebzm64Rk4Lo/s1600/Galveston+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qSSALaqDA6o/UXRAqiR4dGI/AAAAAAAAAXc/Ebzm64Rk4Lo/s400/Galveston+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a casket for three. It was a sad story of a couple who lost their young child to an illness. They commissioned this casket because they were planning a murder-suicide and they wanted to be buried with their child. They had a change of heart and they moved cities, but they were still charged for this expensive piece. I've never seen anything like it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J9j4lyTRsTM/UXRAonLHIGI/AAAAAAAAAXM/b6eo4wIa6Ks/s1600/Galveston+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J9j4lyTRsTM/UXRAonLHIGI/AAAAAAAAAXM/b6eo4wIa6Ks/s400/Galveston+034.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum had an exhibit on celebrities and I wasn't that interested in it, but I was really intrigued to learn about Mr. Meinhardt Frank Raabe. He was a little person and a Wisconsin native. He was cast as the Coroner in the movie <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>. E and I couldn't remember a Coroner, but sure enough, he's in it, he sings a couple of lines about how the first witch is really, truly dead. He graduated from UW-Madison (Go Badgers!) with an M.B.A. and he came up with the idea for the Weinermobile, something near and dear to any Wisconsin-ites heart.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zulQPnxYdRc/UXRAqECSHlI/AAAAAAAAAXU/9WxNJRZOUC0/s1600/Galveston+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zulQPnxYdRc/UXRAqECSHlI/AAAAAAAAAXU/9WxNJRZOUC0/s400/Galveston+038.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unlike the first glass casket, this glass casket really creeped met out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMzkIzyY7XY/UXRAs2yvblI/AAAAAAAAAXk/5dDROkoyySs/s1600/Galveston+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VMzkIzyY7XY/UXRAs2yvblI/AAAAAAAAAXk/5dDROkoyySs/s400/Galveston+043.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum had a couple of international exhibits. They had a full-sized replica of King Tut's sarcophagus. This mummy cracked me up, though. Mostly because, wouldn't it look like a person while it was being embalmed, not like a movie mummy? I had E take my picture by it, but I looked no better than the mummy, so I deleted it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxD2dyr8Lq4/UXRAtmRWQqI/AAAAAAAAAXs/2dHIIaC2sW8/s1600/Galveston+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxD2dyr8Lq4/UXRAtmRWQqI/AAAAAAAAAXs/2dHIIaC2sW8/s400/Galveston+050.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had a lot of stuff on the first embalming techniques. The "Father of American Embalming" is Dr. Thomas Holmes. Interestingly enough, I saw a table just like this on <i>Oddities</i>, a show I watch that is on the Science Channel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EKlGeSZfv0M/UXRAu4RnkoI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Ul5Mi96_KO8/s1600/Galveston+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EKlGeSZfv0M/UXRAu4RnkoI/AAAAAAAAAX0/Ul5Mi96_KO8/s400/Galveston+069.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I call this picture, <i>"Look out, Abuelita!"</i> Death is knocking on Abuela's door. What a creepy exhibit. This is part of their Dia de los Muertos Exhibit. It had a little girl in it too, but honestly, she gave me more heebie jeebies than Skeletor over there.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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E and I took a ton more photos, but these are just a few. They had a lot, a lot of hearses and carriages and caskets. They had an exhibit on presidential funerals, military funerals, Victorian funerals, and oddly enough, an exhibit on "Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes." That last one was a huge exhibit. As neither E nor I were raised as Catholics we didn't understand a lot of the customs or the pomp and circumstance but it was interesting to walk through, nonetheless. And I got to see the actual Popemobile used by Pope John Paul the II. It was a 1982 Range Rover, in case you were wondering. <br />
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After that we headed to the Houston Museum District to stop and enjoy the Cullen Sculpture Garden. It was free. A lot of the sculptures of people were nekky. A lot of the sculptures were really modern. I mistook a jaintor's cart for a sculpture at one point. I can't take me anywhere. Then we went to lunch at a really cute place called Barnaby's Cafe. It is a dog-themed restaurant with ethical food (I think if we had ate more in Houston, there would have been more restaurants like this to choose from). And then we headed back to Galveston to try to beat traffic and we stayed up past our bed-times chatting and crafting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWYXcJZIR6o/UXRAyA5geDI/AAAAAAAAAX8/UEa4vbMyNfg/s1600/Galveston+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWYXcJZIR6o/UXRAyA5geDI/AAAAAAAAAX8/UEa4vbMyNfg/s400/Galveston+090.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many sculptures. I liked this one because it had a lot of optical illusions (water, reflections, glass).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UBouK1-dDgI/UXRAzZQ_pgI/AAAAAAAAAYI/jMdZ0y765VQ/s1600/Galveston+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UBouK1-dDgI/UXRAzZQ_pgI/AAAAAAAAAYI/jMdZ0y765VQ/s400/Galveston+096.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Nekky. I liked this one, too. He's missing his ten gallon hat, though.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The rest of the trip was pretty relaxed. We stayed close to Galveston. E showed me the numerous antique and thrift shops and The Strand (it was odd, a bit like a shopping street in Universal Studios). Galveston has an interesting composition. It reminds me a little of the Keys. We did a little shopping at Hobby Lobby and Goodwill and the mall. It is nice to go shopping with a fellow female once in awhile. J and I are very purposeful shoppers and we have a nice shopping groove, but it is fun to take your time once in awhile and window-shop for the hell of it. E drove me, yes, drove me to the beach. It was so weird to see cars and trucks driving along the water. We went to a couple of neat restaurants (The Spot, Jimmy's on the Pier, Farley Girls). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQtVfkGRaxc/UXRA0Xp9TeI/AAAAAAAAAYU/St-mfe6X0ok/s1600/Galveston+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fQtVfkGRaxc/UXRA0Xp9TeI/AAAAAAAAAYU/St-mfe6X0ok/s400/Galveston+108.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was interesting to note how different the ocean is on the east coast, the west coast, and the Gulf coast. I found black sea shells for J. I guess the water is brackish. I like the color of the Miami ocean but the look and feel of the Oregon coast. In some places you can see the oil rigs.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeeU-LJJVxY/UXRAzibd9RI/AAAAAAAAAYM/h3MeSwnT-GA/s1600/Galveston+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeeU-LJJVxY/UXRAzibd9RI/AAAAAAAAAYM/h3MeSwnT-GA/s400/Galveston+105.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An entire serving of raw oysters all for me because no one else likes them? Oh what a shame. Who am I kidding, I wasn't going to share with anyone anyhow! :) How I eat these disgusting things, I will never know, but I love them. From The Spot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, so my excuses for this meal at Farley Girls was 1) it's Texas and food there is ostentatious and 2) it was technically National Grilled Cheese Day. I'll have you know I ate with a knife and fork, barely touched the fries, didn't finish the burger, and the grilled cheese was my favorite bit. I felt actually pretty bad after eating this meal. (My tummy wasn't exactly thrilled with my either, J and I eat relatively clean back in Miami.) But, you go to Texas and eat no meat. You can't. Even their salads are chicken salad, tuna salad, bacon and blue cheese salad. No wonder people are unhealthy there. I'm no skinny minny, but it was really eye opening to see all of the food, the size of the portions, and the types of food. Off the bucket list...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp po'boy from Jimmy's on the Pier. I liked the tots. I couldn't finish everything you see here because we also had an appetizer of tots. J informs me that this is not a real po'boy. I'll have to try a NOLA one.</td></tr>
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It was really nice to see E and visit with a friend. If you'd like to read her account of events, please check out her blog at:<br />
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http://theodoregriffithandco.wordpress.com/<br />
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Now, to address the future. As you all know, J and I have been taking steps toward moving out of Miami and continuing the adventure of our lives. I've worked hard at my position as a secretary, but I've always wanted something more for myself. I really have a passion for learning and I've wanted to go back to school for quite sometime. (In the future I hope to have Ph.D. after my name!) I have been attending information sessions and writing away for informational packets for the last two and a half years. (I've even started a career binder that was thoroughly labeled and color coded.) There are many things I think that I could be successful at and many things I like to do, but I spent a long time considering what would bring my passion and talent together. I applied to two schools and J applied to three schools for Ph.D. programs in his field. We got into all of the schools we applied to and it came down to a long discussion about where to live and how to pay for it. That discussion was answered when I was offered a position as a Graduate Assistant that would cover a large portion of my tuition in addition to providing me with a stipend. So... here is the big news... (it's already dropped via Facebook and family, so it's probably not news to most of you, but I haven't said anything yet on the blog...)<br />
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J and I will be moving to Seattle, Washington. As I mentioned, he'll be continuing his studies in Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies and working towards his Ph.D. I'll be working towards my Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences. I'm combining my love of reading, organization (see example of career binder above), information, and learning into a career that is expanding beyond the traditional stereotype of a librarian. I'll be working with technology, assisting professors with their websites and I'll be taking most of my classes online, but I'll be taking some on campus and I'll be working on campus. While I am in school, I hope to get some writing done, unlike now, when I come home exhausted from my 9-5 and volunteering. There are opportunities for me to work with world-class faculty and to study abroad. UW-Seattle is the ranked the third highest in Library and Information Sciences in the country and I couldn't be more thrilled. I was very, very bummed to turn down and opportunity to return to UW-Madison, but we feel like this is the best move for the both of us. We'll be leaving Miami at the end of June (spending a month in Wisconsin before we head out west in August), there is an end in sight for this Midwesterner! Now we'll just become Pacific-Northwesterners. Very busy, very tired, very hard working Pacific-Northwesterners. Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-6333817492949059282013-04-06T21:17:00.000-04:002013-04-06T21:17:46.449-04:00Swimming with the manateesThis is Joe filling in for B to write about a fun trip that we recently went on with two friends from my office. Florida is known for a number of tourist traps: Disney, Universal Everglades, South Beach and more, but one lesser known attraction is at Crystal River Preserve on the Gulf coast: swimming with the manatees! We've been in Florida for over 2 years, but we had yet to see one of the famous "sea cows" before we took a weekend trip to Gainesville and got up close and personal with these fascinating animals.<br />
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The dogs came with us on this trip, so our first stop was Dogwood Park just outside of Gainesville. This is no ordinary dog park, it costs a few dollars to get in but the dogs had about 13 acres of space to run free. Lily and Ruby had fun chasing a tennis ball across a big open field:<br />
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It turns out that Gainesville isn't very interesting outside of the University of Florida. The campus is very nice, but the rest of the city had lots of traffic. However, one highlight was trying some Korean food at Garlic & Ginger. We sampled all sorts of traditional Korean food, I really enjoyed my Korean BBQ:<br />
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Finally on Saturday morning it was time for the main event. We went with "Manatee Fun" tours, which is basically a private boat operated by "Captain" Broderick. It was nice to be alone on the tour and have some privacy. The tour left at 8 AM so it was a chilly 48 degrees when we headed out. However, Crystal River is a favored Manatee gathering place because of the natural hot springs, which keep the water temperature warm, even in February. The preserve is a very popular tourist destination and there are a number of ways to see the manatees including a nature trail on shore, paddleboarding, kayaking, and of course snorkeling! We opted for the up close and personal experience (that's Becca waving to the camera):<br />
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The fenced area to the left is the safe zone where the manatees can go if they don't want to interact with people. There were around 20-30 manatees in the general area. They are very gentle creatures and were happy to come right up to us. We had an old fashioned disposable camera so I quick snapped a picture when a little one came up to say hi to me:<br />
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I also took a picture of Becca when she was swimming by:</div>
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After about an hour, it started to get too crowded, so Captain Broderick moved us to a more isolated location. He was an interesting character, he told us a poem that he wrote to a long lost love among other odd anecdotes. We were...entertained. The private cove turned out to be really cool because we had a private swim with a mother and baby manatee. Swimming with the manatees was a unique and really cool experience for a reasonable price, we would definitely recommend it! We still need to go snorkeling on the coral reef in the Keys before we leave Miami.<br />
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On Sunday we make one last stop before heading home: Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. The gardens are an attractive destination because they are dog friendly so the girls could come along. I managed to get Lily to sit still long enough to take a photo:<br />
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I also took one of Becca with Ruby:<br />
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We really enjoyed our weekend getaway. One advantage to living in Florida is that you can take a road trip in February and enjoy summer-like weather. The dogs also had a great time and were asleep the whole drive home. We'll check out a coral reef sometime this May. Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-2338278511463859862013-03-31T19:16:00.000-04:002013-03-31T19:16:12.970-04:00The Emerald City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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About two weeks ago J and I went to Seattle for a long weekend. Instead of writing a long missive (like I have for San Fran) I decided to let the pictures do most of the talking. It was a whirlwind visit. Flying from the East Coast to the West Coast twice now in four months has given me a new appreciation for folks who do the LA to NYC commute on the regular. It is rough. We couldn't have done the trip without J's dad. He flew down to Miami to take care of all of our fur babies while we were crossing the country. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For dinner our first night in town we went to The Brave Horse Tavern. I'd seen it on Unique Eats. They have communal seating, which is something a misanthrope like me would usually detest, but their Wisconsin-style cheese curds and dill-pickle dipping sauce helped me get over that quickly. J liked the artisinal beer selection. Look at my dopey face. Can you tell how much I liked this dish?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibmzsn9ui_s/UVi2jY5f7VI/AAAAAAAAAUE/LZ89Z1AOUEs/s1600/-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibmzsn9ui_s/UVi2jY5f7VI/AAAAAAAAAUE/LZ89Z1AOUEs/s400/-10.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture of the glorious cheese curds and an excellent pretzel. I didn't care much for the pimento cheese spread, but J loved it. They have plenty of other spreads to try. We happened to get another soft pretzel at Schultzy's Sausage the next day. I can never get enough soft pretzels. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J and I in front of Pike's Place Market. I could have spent hours there. Just down the hill I ran into one of the adjunct instructors from my department back in Miami. Go figure! We also saw a couple with an Italian Greyhound and a French Bulldog. I usually don't approach pet owners but I had to ask this couple and they were kind enough to answer our questions about how the Frenchie and Iggy got along (we've always wanted a Frenchie!). Their dogs (both boys) were so loving and gave me lots of kisses. It helped with the hole in my heart I had from being away from my girls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous fish throwers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous flowers for a really reasonable price.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing selection of produce. I loved getting all of the samples. We only saw a small portion of the Public Market and I could have spent hours there. Maybe someday!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first chowder. Probably my last. I'm sure it was excellent. The place was packed despite the drizzly weather. This is actually a scallop chowder. I just don't like creamy based seafood dishes. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XmtCFMoZPfM/UVi2r6r8c_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/C2KFFf4PRp4/s1600/-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XmtCFMoZPfM/UVi2r6r8c_I/AAAAAAAAAUg/C2KFFf4PRp4/s400/-12.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the 73rd floor of the Columbia Tower. It is cheaper than the Space Needle and higher up. It is a little odd to be walking through a business skyscraper on a weekend. Everything was eerily quiet and we weren't quiet sure we were headed in the right direction (we had to take two sets of elevators up). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQxWwW0QQ-k/UVi22leJKsI/AAAAAAAAAU4/V66uyxou5Cg/s1600/-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQxWwW0QQ-k/UVi22leJKsI/AAAAAAAAAU4/V66uyxou5Cg/s400/-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My only complaint with the Columbia Tower is that you cannot get a 360 degree view. But it is still spectacular. I never realized how big Seattle is. This pictures don't really do it justice. The mountains are incredible. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me looking over Puget Sound.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Famous Fremont Troll (seen in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You). I had to see this guy before we left. It was sort of in an odd location (in the midst of a neighborhood). He wasn't as big as I was expecting him to be, but he isn't as cute as I expected him to be either. Right before we found him we stopped at a place called Pie. I had an amazing Rhubarb Raspberry hand pie. Across the street I popped into a used book store called Ophelia's books. (This particular trip was a reading success for me because I finished two books!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LBvqppEL1L8/UVi2pID1MpI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/TG9uzQ0GO9c/s1600/-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LBvqppEL1L8/UVi2pID1MpI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/TG9uzQ0GO9c/s400/-13.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Fremont we walked all the way to Gasworks Park. It's a pretty neat park that has some old industrial complex/buildings around it. That's me way off in the distance. I added this picture because it epitomizes why Seattle is called the Emerald City. Living in Miami, I had forgotten what spring looked like. But I realized that after 21 years of living in Wisconsin, I had never seen a prettier, more story-book spring than a Seattle spring. It looked like a fairy tale come to life. Fall might have a run for it's money for my favorite season...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJtYmy_jd3o/UVi27r2jpTI/AAAAAAAAAVU/NhA_giGxSl8/s1600/-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJtYmy_jd3o/UVi27r2jpTI/AAAAAAAAAVU/NhA_giGxSl8/s400/-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of downtown Seattle. This is from Gasworks Park. The Space Needle is on the right side.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-flH6AI_Pjrs/UVi-v1YK0FI/AAAAAAAAAVk/7-gOgmvsS7I/s1600/-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-flH6AI_Pjrs/UVi-v1YK0FI/AAAAAAAAAVk/7-gOgmvsS7I/s400/-15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gasworks Park and some of the structures there. It was pretty nippy noodles outside, but there were still plenty of folks playing. The sky was over-cast, but all in all, we had excellent weather for our trip.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I need to finish Part 2 of my San Fran post and post about my experience swimming with manatees! I have been busy volunteering at a local branch of my library in addition to taking steps and making decisions about our future (with J, of course). I've also been dealing with a very sick cat. Trini has lost all control of her bowel movements. We clean up after her and not five minutes later there is another puddle on the floor. This involves baths and drying her with a blow dryer. It is particularly messy because she has also stopped using her back legs entirely and she chooses to drag herself everywhere. Often times this leads to a puddle and then an extensive trail of urine through the apartment. After she is cleaned up then the floor needs to be mopped. I've made an appointment for her for a day that I had my own doctor's appointment. I am dealing with a lot of emotions on the matter of my life-long companion (19 and a half years old!). One emotion I feel in particular is frustration. For the last five months I have been in and out of the vet explaining how she has been rapidly and steadily declining (losing weight [6 lbs or less], urinating out of the litter box, hiding) and they insisted on tests, ultrasounds, and medications. They are excellent vets and I have been very pleased with every other situation we've been in, but I feel that the story of Trini has been unnecessarily prolonged in an undignified way. I feel terrible for her but on the other hand J and I are exhausted. After working full time, volunteering, and caring for my husband and fur-family I don't really want to blog. I'm taking the time to do this on a Sunday because it is the best time for me to do it. <br />
<br />
<i>(Please note, I almost never get comments on my blog, but I did turn off my comments on this post because I've talked about Trini ad nauseum to the people in my life who know about how much I care for her [J, my parents, my Gma F, a handful of friends, my coworkers] and that last paragraph was all I am going to say on the matter until we have a discussion with the vet. Thank you for respecting my wishes.)</i><br />
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-55233973922583647732013-03-13T10:05:00.000-04:002013-03-13T10:05:02.900-04:00San Fran Adventures (1 of 2)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>I have had Part 1 of this two part post written since I was in San Fransisco. I have just been hesitating on posting it because I wanted to incorporate some of our friend's pictures. J put them on his computer. I should have transferred them to my computer, then edited them, and then added them to this post, but as I've mentioned before: I liked to be disconnected from the internet in the evenings. Thus, I am adding this post quickly during the day. I'll pop in some pictures that I have access to right now. Perhaps I will add some additional ones to Part 2 when I get around to writing that...</i></div>
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I woke up on Wednesday (in early December) morning with anxious excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was nervous about getting myself to the
Fort Lauderdale airport and getting myself out of the San Fransisco
airport by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> J was already in San Fransisco. </span>I had very little sleep on
Tuesday night because there were so many preparations to make for the
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to the airport economy
parking, took a bus to the airport, got through security, and waited to
board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other passengers and I
boarded the plane only to get off five minutes later because there was an hour
and a half delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It ended up being
closer to two hours, but it wasn't terrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The flight was long and slightly boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I must say that Virgin America planes are really clean and streamlined
compared to the planes AirTran and Southwest use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off in San Fransisco at what felt like
5 o'clock Miami-time, but it was really 2ish San Fransisco-time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a bit of an adjustment for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
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I was so impressed by the little bit that I
saw of the San Fran airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
clean, beautiful, and immense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took
the Air Rail to the BART station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
to ask the attendant for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
confused about how to work the stalls and a little scared of going the wrong
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I sat on the BART for ten
minutes without it moving and I was getting immensely anxious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was a thirty minute ride into
downtown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was counting the stops on my
fingers and getting a little motion sick because I was facing backwards while
the tram was moving forwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got off
at Powell Street, which is a very busy thoroughfare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friend Emmy picked me up
immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so glad she saw me
right away, I was immediately intimidated by how many people were around and I
had no idea of which way to turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
walked into the Westfield Mall and she promptly headed me towards the food
court because she knew I would be hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She even met me with cookie in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had some Japanese-style fast food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was tofu with steamed veggies and rice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really good: substantial enough to
satisfy me after a six hour flight, but light enough that I didn't feel sick
(which is how fast food usually makes me feel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ew4STxxA8DY/UUB_dj75jlI/AAAAAAAAASs/Rj1W2-vY824/s1600/papa_beard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ew4STxxA8DY/UUB_dj75jlI/AAAAAAAAASs/Rj1W2-vY824/s320/papa_beard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papa Beard Cream Puffs at Westfield Mall (they don't hold a candle to WI State Fair Cream Puffs, but Papa Beard is cute)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We walked around the mall for a little while before J would be able to
meet us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was huge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After visiting the mall we went straight to
Emmy's hotel room with my bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
thought about going out for dinner, but by that time, it felt like 8 o'clock to
me and I had only gotten five hours of sleep the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided that J and I would head to the
Fisherman's Warf, where our hotel was located, and meet early the next
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While J and I headed to the
hotel, Emmy scouted out Chinatown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
been sick with a cold and a bit of a sinus headache, and J had run a 5K that
morning, so we headed straight to bed and slept for 12 hours. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit luxurious to stay in bed for so
long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually we are up to take the dogs
out and feed the cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also know that
I've needed rest for over a week, so despite “wasting” my first twelve hours in
San Fran, I had much needed rest and my cold was substantially better the next
day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlrW8OJaEIA/UUB_vlDAPYI/AAAAAAAAAS0/tLdRP598Yec/s1600/westfield_mall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RlrW8OJaEIA/UUB_vlDAPYI/AAAAAAAAAS0/tLdRP598Yec/s320/westfield_mall.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't the best picture, but it gives you some perspective on how BIG Westfield Mall is. I would never have found Emmy if she hadn't have found me first. Thank goodness for cell phones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started waking up at 5:30 AM San Fran-time, which was
8:30 AM Miami-time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first
time in a long time that I didn't wake up zombie-fied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We showered and hit the pier for a long
morning walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked a long dock that
looked out over Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit of a dreary morning, but I
enjoyed the cool air that was moist from the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took some pictures of the Ghiradelli
square and walked back towards Boudin, a bakery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate some breakfast there while waiting for
Emmy to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was open!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were up so early and wandering around with
nothing to do by sight-see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fisherman's
Warf is pretty touristy, so we didn't want to hang around too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said “hello” to the stinky sea lions (I
could watch them for hours!) and since it would be another hour and a half
before anything fun opened we decided to head to the Golden Gate Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a long bus ride (we had to make a
transfer) but we got to see a bit of the famous Haight-Ashbury
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAiqM8zfIzY/UUCAcUo-7CI/AAAAAAAAAS8/M_BnxF4S-HI/s1600/emmy_alcatraz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAiqM8zfIzY/UUCAcUo-7CI/AAAAAAAAAS8/M_BnxF4S-HI/s400/emmy_alcatraz.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our good friend Emmy with J. Alcatraz in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O64xI2zB9C0/UUCAetWrC1I/AAAAAAAAATE/27CBePUqxGU/s1600/hello_beautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O64xI2zB9C0/UUCAetWrC1I/AAAAAAAAATE/27CBePUqxGU/s400/hello_beautiful.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As my friend E knows, I could watch these guys all day. Too bad they stink so much.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Golden Gate Park is
HUGE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would take days to explore the
whole thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would estimate we saw an
eighth of the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We entered near the
Children's Quarter (we didn't stop to see the carousel) and headed towards the
Academy of Sciences Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> J </span>had
heard that it was good and we thought we would take a look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did we know how much walking we would
be doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was exhausting (especially
after walking a mile and a half that morning).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Academy was very expensive to get in ($30 per adult, we got in for
$27 since we took public transportation there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was very well done, but nothing so spectacularly “San Fran” that I
would recommend it to someone spending less than a week in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a well-done aquarium (I love
aquariums, by the way), a neat rain forest dome that demonstrated the different
levels (from flooded forest floor to canopy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a circular ramp that you walked up (more walking!) all the way to
the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top was my favorite part
because there were the most beautiful birds and butterflies flying around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an earthquake exhibit where you
could experience a slight “earthquake” in a scaled down living room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a great African exhibit with a lot
of taxidermy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also a room of
“snow” which was kind of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we
saw just about everything, we headed towards the Japanese Tea Gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it would be a small building where
we would be able to sit, have some tea, and relax after all of that
walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked all of the way there
to find out that it was $7 a person to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would have liked to go, but it was more of a Japanese garden and we
were so tired of walking and we had just spent so much money to go to the museum
that we decided to skip it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen
the Portland Japanese Botanical Garden, so I didn't feel like I was missing out
on a truly unique experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, if
I had more time, I would have liked to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hiked all of the way out of the park to catch a bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_VxcuJ_9ww0/UUCBm92hNKI/AAAAAAAAATM/8dP6cR7iocM/s1600/emmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_VxcuJ_9ww0/UUCBm92hNKI/AAAAAAAAATM/8dP6cR7iocM/s400/emmy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Emmy. This picture doesn't do her or the fish justice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6BrIZ0NehU/UUCBoslY0sI/AAAAAAAAATU/rQGxvaOhPBU/s1600/joe+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6BrIZ0NehU/UUCBoslY0sI/AAAAAAAAATU/rQGxvaOhPBU/s400/joe+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J caught a butterfly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this point I was having a pretty bad sinus
headache and I don't like public transportation, but it wasn't terrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off downtown and tried walking in one
direction to find something unique to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We couldn't find anything and we were all pretty hungry and tired at
this point, so we settled for California Pizza Kitchen where we could sit for a
long lunch and take our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
that, J headed to the conference for a quick check-in and Emmy and I headed
back to the humongous Westfield Mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
started from the top and worked our way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has six stories, but neither of us are super rich or super shoppers,
so we made quick work, stopping into stores only when we thought we might buy
something there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shopped at the
Sanrio store and David's Tea where I got some loose leaf teas that I am excited
to try!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we shared a cream puff from
Papa Beard while J checked directions for the Tonga Room, a famous tiki
bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a hike!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked all of the way up an incredible
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so steep that I thought my
heart would beat right out of my chest, flop onto the pavement, and inevitably
roll down the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to take two
little breaks, it was very intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> J </span>is fit, so it didn't wind him like it did for Emmy and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also fairy chubby, okay- fat, and I was
practically begging for a ski lift or something to get me up the rest of the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally we made it to the top and
found the Tonga Room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Tonga Room is
a lot of fun and very kitschy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of
us had been to a tiki bar before and I am pretty sure that this one is
something special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has ship masts and
a pool inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every so often it “rains”
into the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get the buffet,
but we weren't interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got happy
hour tropical drinks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still
expensive, so I'm glad we went for happy hour and not at another time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After taking our sweet time drinking and
talking (mostly resting from a crazy walking day) we headed down the hill
(down, thank God) towards Chinatown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYaXxHXNQh0/UUCDAEsCbvI/AAAAAAAAATc/iwJH6ehmcf0/s1600/Tonga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYaXxHXNQh0/UUCDAEsCbvI/AAAAAAAAATc/iwJH6ehmcf0/s400/Tonga.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of the enterance to the Tonga Room. Emmy has some much better pictures of the inside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qU_Lh5ULLSE/UUCDB4X2IhI/AAAAAAAAATk/uGUB9uB7_Qo/s1600/joe+chinatown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qU_Lh5ULLSE/UUCDB4X2IhI/AAAAAAAAATk/uGUB9uB7_Qo/s400/joe+chinatown.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J by a mural in Chinatown on the way to dinner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Emmy is Chinese, so we were very excited to share that experience with
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked her to pick a restaurant
and our dinners for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She took us to
R&G Lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to wait a bit,
but we were fine as long as we were sitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ended up having appetizers of cold tofu, beef slices, and duck
tongue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, duck tongue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, I ate one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except I ate it the wrong way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't realize you were supposed to pull
out the cartilage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chewed mine and
swallowed it whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was crunchy and I
didn't like the texture or the taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, now I can say that I have had duck tongue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly the most exotic thing I've ever
eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> J </span>didn't mind it, he had
several.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had fried oysters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were good, but I prefer mine raw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we had a spicy bean curd dish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was my favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved the oolong tea with dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something so comforting about
sharing a pot of tea with friends at a meal and drinking out of those tiny cups
with no handles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner with Emmy in
Chinatown will go down as one of my most memorable meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it wasn't my favorite food, but it
was an experience that I may never have again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We parted ways after the restaurant since our hotels were in opposite
directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of taking the bus we
decided to walk the mile and a half back to the Warf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm glad we did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was long, but we got to see a different
street and have a good talk on the way back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Part 2 coming... eventually.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>I also have to add pictures of our adventures of swimming with manatees. </i></span></div>
Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-79839647038213767632013-02-27T12:09:00.002-05:002013-02-27T12:09:20.706-05:002 years, 6 months, and 1 weekThat is how long J and I have been married. 2 years, 6 months, and 3 days is how long I have been living in Miami. Personally, that number is 6 months and 3 days too long, but <i>c'est la vie</i>!<br />
<br />
I have really been dragging on posting about San Fransisco, I know, but I avoid sitting on the computer at all costs in the evenings, so I haven't had the desire to sort through and edit photos. I also need to blog about our recent manatee swimming trip. That was a lot of fun. I'll get there, maybe I'll put it on my to-do list for the weekend. In the meantime, here is something short and sweet to celebrate two and a half years of being married to my best friend. (I borrowed this idea from Carolina Charm: http://northcarolinacharm.blogspot.com/)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Me</b></span> to <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>J</b></span>: Honey, answer these questions, just for fun.<br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">J</span></b> to <b><span style="color: purple;">Me</span></b>: Ain't nobody got time for that.<br />
<br />
How long have you been married?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>2 years and 6 months</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>2.5 yrs</b></span><br /><br />
Where was your first date?<br /><b><span style="color: purple;">Mini Golf </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>The Last Kiss movie on New Year's 2006</b></span> (WRONG!)<br /><br />
Where was your first kiss?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Elizabeth Waters Hall, Dorm Room</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>dorm room </b></span><br /><br />
Who first said, "I love you"?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Moi</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Becca :-)</b></span><br /><br />
What were your wedding colors?<br /><b><span style="color: purple;">Raspberry/Purple/Green</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Purple and green</b></span><br /><br />
What is her most commonly used phrase?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Probably a cuss</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>My head hurts</b></span> (TOTALLY RIGHT!)<br /><br />
Who is her celebrity crush?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Sherlock Holmes (BBC)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Nobody right now </b></span><br /><br />
If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Beer and Cranberry Vodka</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Diet Coke for her, water for me</b></span><br /><br />
What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Breaded Pork chops and/or Dumplings and Mushrooms</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Those dumplings were good :-)</b></span><br /><br />
What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Seaweed Pizza</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Seaweed pizza</b></span><br /><br />
What is the most-played song on her iPod?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Florence + The Machine or Say Anything</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Something random and old b/c she doesn't update it</b></span> (TOO TRUE)<br /><br />
What would she say is your most annoying habit?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Singing those horrible songs in snippets</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Farting or singing random song lyrics or leaving messes</span></b><br /><br />
What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Moisturize and Lotion</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Reads</b></span><br /><br />
If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Nothing</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><b>She already threw out everything</b></span><br /><br />
What would you say is your favorite thing about her?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Humor</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>She's my best friend</b></span><br /><br />
What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Chai Tea Frappuccino</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Chai tea latte</b></span><br /><br />
What's her blog's name?!<br /><span style="color: purple;"><b>Midwestern In Miami</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Midwesterner in Miami</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><span style="color: black;">And for even further, funnier insight into our partnership:</span> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":9i">there you go yum yum</span><br />
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":9h">Thank you!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":br">sorry your fav. drink is the frappachino, not the latte</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":aq">Oooh, I'm going to have to edit some of your answers. First of all, some of them are wrong.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":ar">which one is wrong?????</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":ac">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me:</span> Date: wrong.</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":9s">was it mini golfing?</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":5o">
that doesn't count</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":6d">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span><span dir="ltr" id=":6c"></span>Mini golfing does count</div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":6e">
And if you want to get technical, it was Rumor Has It</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6f">oh yeah</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6g">Not The Last Kiss</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6h">f***</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":5p">
lol</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6i">Wrong frigging year.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6j">no the year is right</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":6k">
jan 1 2006</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6l">Wrong drinks.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6m">what drink is wrong</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6n">Supposed to be alcohol.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":7e">oh</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":6o">Other than that, I loves it.</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":71">
Ookay, thanks for doing that.</div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":72">you have to do one?</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":73">I did it.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":74">send it already</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="becca.fronczak@gmail.com">me: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":75">I'm putting our answers on my bliggity blog.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="km" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kk">
<span class="kn" title="joejoezz@gmail.com">Joseph: </span> <span dir="ltr" id=":2c">probably a cuss</span></div>
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":9q">
lol</div>
</div>
<div class="kq" role="chatMessage">
<div class="kp">
Sent at 11:43 AM on Wednesday</div>
</div>
Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-59255016810746521312013-01-28T20:26:00.002-05:002013-01-28T20:30:40.448-05:00Craving: SentimentalityI am a picky eater. Not by choice. I'd like to think I have refined taste buds. If I try something once or twice and I don't like it, I can't see the point in forcing myself to eat it. I also have a sensitive gag reflex. I can't think of a prettier way to say that, so, pardon me. There are some dishes that I cannot even hope keep down (calamari bad, takoyaki -fried balls of octopus- good). So, the next time I politely decline food, don't take it personally... it would be far more rude to lose my lunch all over yours (first grade, wild rice, and my mom made me write an apology note). Why am I randomly writing about this now? Well, because I was thinking about the foods that I am fiercely fond of earlier today. I wanted to write about it, and even though it doesn't have a whole lot to do with my Miami life, I figured I would put it on this blog.<br />
<br />
I was eating a tomato a few moments ago. I love tomatoes. I crave tomatoes. I despise those mealy, shiny, red spheres the average grocery store passes off as tomatoes. The uglier the tomato, the better it is. Red, orange, yellow, brownish purple, and green... I want them all. Down here in Miami, I usually go for heirloom tomatoes. They are very good, but they are nothing compared to a homegrown tomato that has warmed in the afternoon sun, so ripe it comes off the vine with the lightest tug. One of the first treats that I can remember was sharing a tomato from my grandpa's garden with my grandma and my little brother. We picked it right off the plant: a big, fat, juicy tomato and we took turns taking bites out of it like it was an apple, sprinkling it with a bit of salt... I think of that happy time whenever I eat a fresh tomato. Now I usually cut it up and garnish it with sea salt and pepper. If my husband is lucky, he'll get a slice or two. Every time I see one of those ugly, glorious tomatoes in the store I buy a couple, but I know I'll never recreate that moment in the sun, when I was very young.<br />
<br />
Mushrooms are another food I adore. I should be disgusted by them, like I said, my preferences are irrational. They are fungi and I am a neat freak, but that is fungus I can get behind. I love sauteed mushrooms. I have good memories of meeting up with a friend in high school and we would just fry up an entire carton of them: butter, salt, mushrooms. Delicious. And the first time I had morels?! My mouth waters just thinking about those hideous, spongy things. They remind me of being in Southwestern Wisconsin with good, honest people, sharing a meal of fish (I skipped that- reasons later) and foraged morels. They remind me of a time when I used to be outdoorsy and the teensiest bit wild. These days, when I come across a dish in a magazine that has mushrooms as the star ingredient the page gets ripped out and thrust into my husband's hands. "Make this for me, please?" He's an excellent cook, even if we disagree on how long to cook them (he likes them on the raw side).<br />
<br />
I have so many memories tied to food that are both good and bad. The time I choked an a fish bone from a fish fry: bad. The time I did it again: worse. I keep a wary eye on lake-caught fish fry to this day. The first time I had sushi with friends: so much fun. I already disliked fish and I couldn't imagine eating it raw, but I was hooked (pun intended), and the plum wine didn't hurt, either. My first oyster, purchased for me by my brother-in-law: a risk. I loved it. Sliding an oyster down is like taking a tiny gulp of fresh ocean. Now, the fried oysters I had in San Fransico's Chinatown: I didn't like so much. Duck tongue during the same meal? I tried it. It is off the bucket-list. Never to be repeated. Especially since I accidentally swallowed the tiny bone inside. <br />
<br />
... Spicy Cheesy Bread from Madison's farmer's market? I dream of that and have never been able to find anything remotely like it here. Oregon strawberries? They are red all the way through and taste like no other strawberry I ever had in my life. My grandma's dumplings? Such a simple recipe, but I love it because it reminds me of my 13th birthday, when she came to my house and spent the day showing me how to make them. My other grandma makes -THE BEST- chocolate chip cookies. In our family she's famous for her fudge, but her chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. How does she get them like that? So soft. So perfect. Not too sweet. She tells me it is the Tollhouse recipe, but I'm not sure. It's probably grandma magic. Another sweet I am fond of: Kopp's Red Raspberry frozen custard.<br />
<br />
... And then there are my auntie's fruit pizza and veggie pizza. Oh, it is not a party in my family unless my auntie brings <i>something</i>. I loved coming home from college and enjoying a slow morning breakfast made for me by my dad. I've tried to replicate his french toast and bacon- alas, I cannot. Or what about my brother's scrambled eggs? His are the simply the best. He's ruined scrambled eggs for me, though. I stopped liking them after I was spoiled by his. My poor husband- I won't eat them when he makes them. Brunch with my future sister-in-law at the local Greek diner is always better with her than any I've had down here (even if it is just toast, an over-easy egg, and greasy hash browns). My mom always knows to stockpile the Diet Coke and string cheese when I come for a visit. And I like sharing a meal with her after a day of card making at Archiver's in Middleton. I usually talk her into getting pretzel rolls from Sendik's because my youngest brother and I both love them.<br />
<br />
... In my family, on both sides, Easter and Christmas are time for Adamczyk's Polish sausage. When I was little my brother and I frequently requested pork chops, peas, and mashed potatoes from my grandma. Interestingly enough, I only liked <i>her</i> pork chops. I didn't eat pork (bacon aside) otherwise growing up. Her peas were from a can, cooked in a rue that turned green. They were only loved by me and my brothers because they make my parents gag (I told you I have odd tastes). General Tsao's Tofu and an egg roll from Asian Kitchen in college were almost as good of a reward as the grades that came from late night studying with buddies in the library. Bluephie's, Dottie Dumpling's Dowry, Ian's Pizza, Harvest, Mickey's Dairy Bar... high brow, low brow, it didn't matter what the price point was, I miss those places equally.<br />
<br />
... In Miami I found joy in tapas and bubble tea and Ms. Cheezious and red grapefruit frozen yogurt that is as sour as the sour gummi worms I top it with. Those are new food traditions I share with my husband. We discovered we like home-made risotto and spring rolls. I will have some of these foods when I leave Miami, but there will be some I leave behind. We will find new ones in our new place, wherever that may be. There are just so many foods and dishes that I miss from home, but looking back at this post, it is the people who make the food, provide the food, and the ones I share the food with that bring it to life.<br />
<br />
So I didn't like the duck tongue, but I shared that with friends in a great city and it made us laugh. So I don't like lake-caught fish, but it was always caught by my grandpa or my dad and that made it special. I may not be the best cook, but there are some recipes I'm good at. I married a man who grew up with a rich family food history (his mom regularly wins blue ribbons at the State Fair, I could do an entire post on her amazing food alone). My food history may be different, but just as rich as his. I had grandparents who wanted to show me they loved me with food, but the thing I remember and admire about them the most was how they respected food by growing it, preparing it, and preserving it themselves. I have a grandma who always took the time to put out her signature fudge and cookies at nearly every gathering: fudge on a heavy plate covered in saran wrap and cookies in that iconic tin. I grew up with aunties (related by blood and not) who came to parties bearing Polish sausage and perfect dishes. I have a dad who can cook and grill really well, even if he doesn't do it that often. His respect for nature and hunting gave me a unique perspective on how I want to eat (a challenge here in Miami). I remember not wanting to try the duck and the rabbit that he caught, but those are some of the most memorable meals he made for us and I liked them. I have a mom who produces events that Martha Stewart would approve of. She makes her home the perfect backdrop for family gatherings and she brought my wedding plans to life. I'm sure good food would be good food eaten at a card table, but good food eaten in a warm and beautiful environment enhances the experience.<br />
<br />
I have to clean the dishes now. My husband made a very good vegetarian lasagna... lasagna reminds me of my brother, he always asked for my mom to make it on his birthday.Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-63918824565032399082013-01-01T20:24:00.001-05:002013-01-01T20:24:42.834-05:0020132012 has been a full year. In March I had my 1 year anniversary at work. I feel like I just started yesterday, then again, there are other days that make me feel like I've been there forever. In August, just after starting our second year in Miami, J and I added little Lily to our family. She has been absolutely wonderful. Ruby and Lily fight like sisters, but snuggle like best buds when they are worn out. They care for each other and we are so lucky to have such wonderful creatures in our lives. Joe's family came to visit us in the spring and a college friend of mine came to visit in the summer. This year I created my Etsy store and made a couple of sales (thank you to all of you who supported me in that endeavor!). I continued volunteering and taking classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. I clocked over 100 hours of volunteering in the last year. I also took an online writing class. I have been struggling the entire year with sinus problems and I have been in and out of the ENT's office with no results. I did find out that I am allergy-free, go figure. I challenged myself to watch classic movies, something I had never really done before. I am also proud to say that I have completed my goal of reading 75 books in a year. We hosted our first (small) Thanksgiving and in December we traveled to San Fransisco. I also started doing free-lance work for a local start-up. Our holidays were very low-key, which is fine by me. For Christmas we went out for Chinese food and for New Year's Eve we stayed home and I finished my 75th book. We celebrated 12:00 am New Year's Day with some sparkling white wine cuddled up with our puppies. Today J is watching the Rose Bowl (Go Badgers!) and I am trying to tick things off of my to-do list. Today is also a special day because it marks our seven year anniversary of being a couple. We went on our first date (mini-golf) on January 1st, 2006. We're going out to dinner tomorrow.<br />
<br />
2013 should be a year of change for us. We've been taking steps to challenge ourselves in our careers. J is applying to jobs and Ph.D. programs. I have been applying to Master's programs in Library and Information Sciences. We'll see where the year takes us. We won't be adding another animal to our menagerie. We have our hands and arms (lovingly) full with our four fur-balls. But we inevitably end up hosting creatures of all kinds (to babysit for friends, to foster until permanent homes are found). A move should be in our future, but we don't know where to. It is hard for life to be so up in the air, but it is, so we just truck on with the daily stuff until then. I have challenged myself to read 85 books in 2013. I might have to adjust that number if I get into graduate school. I'm going to take a short break from Etsy to continue my free-lance work. Hopefully I can also fit in some volunteer work at a library in addition to Fairchild. I want to learn how to drive stick-shift. I've been meaning to learn since we got here and I just need to buckle down and do it. J's car is stick-shift and it is silly that I don't know how to drive it. One of my biggest goals is to finish one of the various stories that I have started in 2012. If it is short enough, I will try publishing it as a Kindle single.<br />
<br />
I have been meaning to write about San Fransisco, but I need to edit pictures to go with the post and I was busy with commissions, free-lancing, and finishing my own holiday gifts. I've been able to recharge my batteries the last two weeks by taking a step back. In the meantime, here are just a couple of pictures from our trip.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5yBu1PmVqY/UOOK273DqEI/AAAAAAAAARY/EEeAOqwx8FQ/s1600/14610_10101765313339797_1277952994_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5yBu1PmVqY/UOOK273DqEI/AAAAAAAAARY/EEeAOqwx8FQ/s400/14610_10101765313339797_1277952994_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our first day of the trip, J and I woke up early and walked around Fisherman's Warf. That is the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, you can't really tell though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cyi7n3JeX8/UOOK3uuHKDI/AAAAAAAAARg/8kniqhEa6VE/s1600/251126_10101765300575377_102366329_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cyi7n3JeX8/UOOK3uuHKDI/AAAAAAAAARg/8kniqhEa6VE/s400/251126_10101765300575377_102366329_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who parked my truck here? This is my dream vehicle (okay, aside from a sweet blue Prius).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6Tq71cTchU/UOOK4RjqCiI/AAAAAAAAARo/ue3QCqIfPRQ/s1600/262740_10101765299582367_2107269636_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j6Tq71cTchU/UOOK4RjqCiI/AAAAAAAAARo/ue3QCqIfPRQ/s400/262740_10101765299582367_2107269636_n.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone who reads this blog knows what a soft spot I have for The Addams Family. I was really happy to see this game when we went to the penny arcade. I spent my best $5 of the trip there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FhTI_ba8AU/UOOK45D2CJI/AAAAAAAAARw/R33WDdV2zwY/s1600/312893_10101765301468587_869049530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FhTI_ba8AU/UOOK45D2CJI/AAAAAAAAARw/R33WDdV2zwY/s400/312893_10101765301468587_869049530_n.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of Lombard Street, the world's crookedist street. What a beast to walk up. This is only two thirds of the way up the hill. We had walked another horrible hill the previous day and the day after this will always be remembered as the day I almost died on a hike up a hill in Muir Woods. Brutal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTDThr6vppI/UOOK5hW-p_I/AAAAAAAAAR4/rqiPbhS-FUs/s1600/32319_10101765321373697_1485825944_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTDThr6vppI/UOOK5hW-p_I/AAAAAAAAAR4/rqiPbhS-FUs/s400/32319_10101765321373697_1485825944_n.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worst $0.25 I spent on my trip. This thing was creepy. It just belly laughed in the most horrible way possible.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQXkGtFW-oE/UOOK54FXiuI/AAAAAAAAASA/EbYyChAfs0I/s1600/403522_10101765326174077_1545412030_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pQXkGtFW-oE/UOOK54FXiuI/AAAAAAAAASA/EbYyChAfs0I/s400/403522_10101765326174077_1545412030_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is for my mom. She kept texting, "Did you go to the bridge yet?" I went to the bridge. But it was after the horrible hike, so I decided not to walk across the whole thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-90853147600977974542012-12-26T10:32:00.002-05:002012-12-26T10:41:41.922-05:00Guest Post: Joe's Miami P.O.V.<i>It has been a very busy month since Thanksgiving! We've been to San Fransisco and back. I've been swamped at work with helping students register and scheduling for Summer and Fall of 2013. I also had two friends purchase from my Etsy store (thanks E and A!) so I was working on their orders and shipping those out. I was able to do a little freelance work to help out a local woman start up a very cool business (which I will tell you more about later). On top of all of that, I was scrambling to make/buy/send gifts for our families back home. J and I have also been taking some very serious steps to get ourselves out of Miami and on to our new adventure. I will write more about San Fransisco when I get a chance, but for now, I asked J to write a guest post to give you his take on life in Miami:</i><br />
<br />
This is Joe, Becca's husband (I think I am referred to as "J" in this
blog even though I don't care if she uses my name). Becca asked me to do
a blog post about Miami from my perspective, hopefully I don't repeat
anything:<br />
<br />
My view of Miami is different than Becca's because I came down here
with a distinct purpose: my grad school appointment was already set and I
literally began classes the day that we arrived. It's much different
arriving at a new place with a built-in network of people sharing
similar interests (i.e. grad students who can bond by telling stories of
long hours of studying and research). In addition, our grad school
(like any other) is made up of people form all over the place, so most
of us share the same general beliefs about Miami (that is, we don't
really like it). There is of course a stronger Florida and Caribbean
influence than other places, but even most of the Floridians are from
other places (often Ft. Lauderdale) which are entirely different than
Miami. As they say, "The best part about Miami is how close it is to the
United States!" <br />
<br />
Now, saying we don't really like Miami might seem wrong to you,
especially since I am writing this with the windows open on Christmas
day and nice 75 degree breeze blowing in and you are probably freezing
your butt off somewhere up north for the next 4 months. So I might say
to you, come down and visit us, and I'll prove to you what this place is
really like. However, you will probably end up liking it because Miami
knows how to treat its tourists and you will have a great time seeing
all the cool things that Becca has posted pictures of in this blog. It
can be a little awkward to be a local going to some of these tourist
traps, but our pale white skin and (still persistent) northern accents
blend right in. For instance, we went to Fairchild botanic garden
yesterday and didn't hear a single word of Spanish for like 3 hours.
That is probably a record. Although sometimes the Spanish speakers are
tourists also, usually from South America, so they probably feel right
at home here. Miami Beach is very culturally diverse, it is popular with
both European and South American tourists, and of course also as a spot
for wandering 20-somethings to live for a few years.<br />
<br />
The day to day experience is much different outside of the beach
area. First of all, we have to deal with the traffic, which is
definitely the #1 complaint that I hear about Miami. The traffic volume
isn't necessarily that bad here, many other big cities are worse and
they have made an effort to improve the highways in Florida. The issue
is that people drive very poorly. I think there are a number of causes
for that--too many BMWs and Mercedes on the road, people chatting with <i>abuela </i>in Cuba on the way to work, and maybe just that Miami tends to
wake up late (service economy) and everyone rushes to work around 9:00.
Rush hour peaks about 60-90 minutes later here than the Midwest, if you
are on the road at 7:30-8 you will have no problems. Other people we have talked to don't like how much Spanish is used here, but it isn't really a big deal to me. I'm a blonde boy
so I don't look like I can speak Spanish and almost everyone can speak
English even if they don't want to at first. (Becca is often mistaken for Cuban, go figure.) Rudeness is definitely a
major problem, again that is something that you will rarely see in
tourist heavy areas we encounter it all the time in places like Target.
Running errands is never a pleasant experience here. At the beginning it
was especially bad, now we generally know which places to go to and
which to avoid (voicing our opinion with the almighty dollar). It seems
like the average person doesn't care, otherwise some of the notoriously
bad places wouldn't be in business. Much of the reason they are in
business comes down to perspective, if we grew up in Cuba instead of
squeaky-clean Milwaukee suburbs, we probably would just be happy to be
here too. <br />
<br />
As for other interesting observations, I can give you this:<br />
<br />
1. In Florida, the farther north you go, the more "Southern" it gets.<br />
<br />
2.
Florida might be full of old people, but most of them don't live in
Miami. This is a very young city, there are lots of people in their 20s
and 30s with kids. You have to go west to Naples or north to Palm Beach
to find the retirees. Fun fact: Sunrise, FL used to be named "Sunset"
but the chamber of commerce must have decided they didn't like the
connotation. <br />
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3. When the temperature drops below 60 degrees, people dress like there
is a blizzard coming. We've lost some of our acclimation to the cold,
but not nearly as badly as some people. Usually I wear my sweaters not
because I'm cold, but because it's the only time that I can. <br />
<br />
4. As a culture, people are very obsessed with image and material
things, especially plastic surgery and Mercedes-Benz. The people driving
these cars live in the Miami equivalent of West Allis. We have spent
way too much time trying to figure out what goes through the mind of some
of these people. It clearly does not make them happy if you are
wondering, Miami is often ranked as one of the unhappiest cities in the
US (and also the least-educated). <br />
<br />
So that's a quick review of Miami for you. I hope you don't get a
bad impression of the place or think that I can't stand it. I just
wanted to give an honest opinion. I do many fun things here in my spare
time which Becca has asked me to share in future posts. Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-82492022174119891102012-11-25T18:54:00.000-05:002012-11-25T18:54:07.761-05:00Thanksgiving Weekend Picture PostI am really overwhelmed with work, personal projects, and the holidays right now... So here is another picture post instead of a lengthy description of my holiday weekend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UgubZJKPMm0/ULKpDVFbA1I/AAAAAAAAAPs/IwIkd9AR5Dw/s1600/-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UgubZJKPMm0/ULKpDVFbA1I/AAAAAAAAAPs/IwIkd9AR5Dw/s400/-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had J's friend over for a semi-traditional American Thanksgiving. She has treated us to traditional Chinese food on more than one occasion and this was the least we could do to return the favor. Ever since J and I started going to one another's family functions I have been in love with his Grandmother's Sage Stuffing. I asked him to ask his mom how to make it - and for his first attempt at stuffing, he did an excellent job! He also wanted to do most of the food on a grill, so we grilled potatoes instead of mashing them.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvyYOOcomoI/ULKpGI4n4NI/AAAAAAAAAP0/pKWRlkxY2Yk/s1600/-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvyYOOcomoI/ULKpGI4n4NI/AAAAAAAAAP0/pKWRlkxY2Yk/s400/-5.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our table for three. We skipped the turkey (see the last post) and aside from stuffing and potatoes we had steak, vegetarian squash tart, salad, and grilled corn. I was the only one who wanted the pumpkin pie, though... More for me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6KB8L5-pfQA/ULKpJH5NZMI/AAAAAAAAAP8/CsJc6T0dvwc/s1600/-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6KB8L5-pfQA/ULKpJH5NZMI/AAAAAAAAAP8/CsJc6T0dvwc/s400/-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A better view of our feast. We sent our friend home with a ton of food and we still have leftovers. I guess that's the American tradition- overkill. (She liked the sparkling cider. Personally, that is always one of my favorite family traditions.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31EyXfxN28g/ULKpMJppXuI/AAAAAAAAAQI/umts4YM2tIM/s1600/-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31EyXfxN28g/ULKpMJppXuI/AAAAAAAAAQI/umts4YM2tIM/s400/-7.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J and I went on a day-date on Saturday. We decided to go to South Beach. We hit up Bolivar again (we went their on a food tour with my in-laws). We've both been craving their fried plantains and we decided to give tapas a try. I've never had tapas before, but I think that it will be how J and I dine from now on. We had a lot of fun, got to try a lot of different things- all wonderful, and it was reasonable ($40, tip included, for two people). By the way- we did not touch the ketchup, the sauces (in the background) were amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc3OqtFSnYQ/ULKpT069RSI/AAAAAAAAAQY/JUSyB2Vp2p0/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc3OqtFSnYQ/ULKpT069RSI/AAAAAAAAAQY/JUSyB2Vp2p0/s400/-1.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The purpose of our SoBe trip was to visit the Wolfsonian Museum. We've been wanting to go to more art museums, but sometimes it is hard to justify the price. This one was free for us. It was a pretty small museum and had more of a "design" aspect than a straight-up "art" aspect. It was neat, but we don't have to go back. Me with the Wolfsonian Museum's famous "Wrestler" statue. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3i-3mKUdb_0/ULKpXzkeyvI/AAAAAAAAAQg/Xp5izhhRLSA/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3i-3mKUdb_0/ULKpXzkeyvI/AAAAAAAAAQg/Xp5izhhRLSA/s400/-2.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J in front of the "Lo and Behold" or "Miro y Ve" fountain. This picture doesn't do it justice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0CiooAS0BA/ULKpZOyuj5I/AAAAAAAAAQo/oQL1a9TKeL4/s1600/-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0CiooAS0BA/ULKpZOyuj5I/AAAAAAAAAQo/oQL1a9TKeL4/s400/-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It wouldn't be a blog post by me if I didn't include my babies. This is an older picture that J took when walking the dogs. Now Lily is as big as Ruby. They are a funny duo. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TH3dmWxfro8/ULKpbs6wTTI/AAAAAAAAAQw/lUKavyTIKmo/s1600/-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TH3dmWxfro8/ULKpbs6wTTI/AAAAAAAAAQw/lUKavyTIKmo/s400/-11.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a doll. I like the way she crosses her paws. You can tell how much bulkier she is than Ruby just by her paws alone. This was after a particularly trying day at work a couple of weeks ago. (You can tell because my hair is frazzled. It likes to do that when I'm stressed.) I love coming home to a full house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7JOsWn0EAo/ULKpd0fQN6I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/Uz40KoXt3bA/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7JOsWn0EAo/ULKpd0fQN6I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/Uz40KoXt3bA/s400/-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily loves everyone. Equally. And she doesn't take the hint. Tashi is an opportunist though, so if she thinks she'll get some nice cuddles out of it, she'll stay. Lily is in her new sweater that we bought her last week. Ruby has the same one in red. I don't know WHAT we will do with them when we move to a colder climate. They are wusses.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ufO0VIsuGk/ULKpQmlR_CI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/aurFFj4bDqE/s1600/-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ufO0VIsuGk/ULKpQmlR_CI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/aurFFj4bDqE/s400/-9.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday was a good day. We had our day-date, went to the dog park, and then I came home to my Etsy package. I had been spying on this little creature for several weeks and I decided that because I've made two sales (plus the ones to my mom) that I would treat myself to an Etsy item. She's custom made and all the way from Australia. You can't really tell, but she is sitting on a half-shell. (You should check out the artist's work- she's great: http://www.etsy.com/shop/scarletsbones?ref=search_shop_redirect) It has been a long time since I have ordered something online, so I was anxiously waiting for her arrival </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So, that's my holiday weekend in a nutshell. (Minus the top-secret holiday preparations for work and family/friends... and the two loads of laundry... and the massive cleaning on Thursday... and the grocery shopping... you get the picture- I just gave you the highlights.)<br />
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I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your loved ones. I am glad that J and I were able to host our first successful psuedo-Thanksgiving. We had fun. I don't know what we'll do for Christmas, but honestly, I'm not even ready to think about that. Now, I'm off to pull my laundry out of the dryer. Fun stuff!Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-11051433770045235152012-11-19T21:37:00.000-05:002012-11-19T21:37:59.550-05:00Picture Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been busy with work and preparing for the holidays. J and I will be hosting a guest for Thanksgiving and we want to show her a semi-traditional dinner (sans turkey because -hey- we're not the best of chefs and what is the chance of finding a heritage, free-range, ethically treated bird down here for less than $25 and how the heck can three people eat something that big anyways...). I'm a bit nervous because she has had us over for traditional Chinese food twice now and she is an AMAZING cook. <br />
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I have also been working on Christmas gifts. I submitted some stuff to Ramble Art Festival down here again this year, and some sold. I'm not sure how much because I haven't picked my things up yet, but it did take me awhile to pull everything together.<br />
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Instead of writing a long missive on what has (or hasn't) been happening in our lives, I figured I'd do a picture post. I'm not the best photographer and I'm using J's camera (some of these are from his iPhone). So please, disregard the quality. I make no claims to be an artful blogger. Just an honest, and hopefully sometimes funny, one. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IgOrhMZCrds/UKrmgl8v6EI/AAAAAAAAAOk/QK28EjnsQRc/s1600/155308_10101686878523797_1646039805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IgOrhMZCrds/UKrmgl8v6EI/AAAAAAAAAOk/QK28EjnsQRc/s400/155308_10101686878523797_1646039805_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Halloween costume inspiration. Every year J and I watch something for Halloween. The last two years we
watched <i>Hocus Pocus</i> and <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i>. This year, in honor of my Classic Movie Challenge, we
watched the first season of <i>The Addams Family</i> television show (circa
1964). They are a loving family through and through.
Gomez and Morticia are sickeningly romantic (they'd take that as a
compliment). John Astin is my favorite incarnation of Gomez, but
Christina Ricci is my favorite version of Wednesday. I loved Wednesday
as soon as I saw the movie as a kid (circa 1991). I have always had a soft spot for
Cousin Itt, though. In college I had The Addams Family comic day planner. I wish I would have kept it. That dark humor oddly brightens my dull Miami life.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wLXY8IuHck/UKrmol47JQI/AAAAAAAAAOs/yXfclEaakf4/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1wLXY8IuHck/UKrmol47JQI/AAAAAAAAAOs/yXfclEaakf4/s400/-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't my best costume ever, but it was just for work. People kept saying I looked <i>cute</i>. They didn't realize I was in costume. All I could think was, "Wednesday would be mortified." The only thing I had to do for this costume was braid my hair. I guess I have a dark wardrobe if no one noticed the difference. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Z4H1nN1UIk/UKrm1wX14tI/AAAAAAAAAO0/OYMdBnSJqkk/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Z4H1nN1UIk/UKrm1wX14tI/AAAAAAAAAO0/OYMdBnSJqkk/s400/-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you see in this picture? I see three sunbathing cats. Sassy puppies. For the record, their mommy doesn't let them lay on top of the couch cushions like that.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5jlefchinn4/UKrm3agHuYI/AAAAAAAAAO8/SJ8_e74J7VE/s1600/-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5jlefchinn4/UKrm3agHuYI/AAAAAAAAAO8/SJ8_e74J7VE/s400/-3.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lovely Lily. I wish a camera could do justice for her beautiful hazel eyes. I adore her so.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zLS_oa8pUk/UKrm77zqE_I/AAAAAAAAAPE/uVvIxuoymbk/s1600/Trini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zLS_oa8pUk/UKrm77zqE_I/AAAAAAAAAPE/uVvIxuoymbk/s400/Trini.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took these pictures a couple of nights ago when Trini and I were lounging in bed, wasting too much time on the Internet. I have had her since I was seven. This is what 18 years of friendship looks like: love, slight annoyance, and complete understanding of one another. She is experiencing some difficulties lately due to age. Her one eye is completely covered in a cataract (and the other one is going too). She used to keep it closed all of the time, but after a couple of visits to the vet we seemed to ease the irritation for her. Now her legs are giving out to arthritis and she doesn't move much. She tries hard to make it to the litter box, but sometimes she doesn't realize she's in it and she misses. My mornings are messy, but I would do just about anything for this cranky old broad.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_etDXqyIKrM/UKrrIzdEx7I/AAAAAAAAAPY/mGMh6miA354/s1600/Photo+on+2012-10-30+at+17.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_etDXqyIKrM/UKrrIzdEx7I/AAAAAAAAAPY/mGMh6miA354/s640/Photo+on+2012-10-30+at+17.42.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happiness is warm puppies. My lap, and my heart, are always full thanks to a house full of animals.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Weekend!</b></div>
Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-35069460794369286362012-10-28T23:17:00.000-04:002012-10-28T23:17:02.363-04:00Since September...I haven't posted since September... yeesh. In my defense, J has been working diligently on his thesis and I have been trying to help around the apartment in little ways (planning meals, cooking dinners, cleaning, keeping a watchful eye on animals). He's finally done with writing and he'll be defending his thesis in the beginning of November. I'm incredibly proud of him. Aside from working like crazy for school, he is an excellent puppy parent, an avid runner, and he's been working on side projects like his blog: http://www.wxnotes.com/blog/<br />
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Our animals have been keeping us busy. We've been taking the dogs to a new dog park that was recommended to us by a fellow UW-Madison graduate. Sometimes we meet up with her there on the weekends. We've started Lily in Puppy Classes with the same trainer that worked with Ruby. We keep them busy because happy dogs are tired dogs... but that also makes for tired dog owners who'd rather relax than blog. Guilty. <br />
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I haven't been lazy though! I have been working hard on my goal of reading 75 books in 2012. I am currently reading two books (60 and 61). If you want to keep up with what I am reading, you can check out my Shelfari account. (http://www.shelfari.com/beccaf) There is no doubt in my mind that I will meet my goal, but despite my fast reading pace, it still takes a lot of time to read that much.<br />
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I also was able to go home for a week in late October. My mom and dad paid for my ticket to come home so that I could celebrate my second cousin's wedding. It was really beautiful. She and her mom did some cool things for me when I was planning my wedding so I would have been disappointed to miss hers. Aside from the wedding, I was able to spend good time with my family. My mom and I hit up a Wisconsin farm-stand and I bought goodies for the girls at work. I also indulged in New Glarus Raspberry Ale and cheese curds. I was able to get all of my favorite food stops in: Kopp's for Red Raspberry frozen custard, Bluephie's for Ooey Gooey Pasta (with two of my best buds), Noodles, and The Comet Cafe. It was a really good trip. I was dying to get as far away from Miami as possible for the last couple of months. I needed a reality check: somewhere where people are nice and there are a few of them who care about me. Sometimes it is hard living so far from family and friends- even if it is an adventure.<br />
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Going back to Wisconsin helped also get me back into my creative groove. One day my mom and I made a pumpkin still life that was inspired by some of her home decorating magazines. I miss having a crafting buddy. I always did my scrap-booking and card-making with her. I hate doing those things alone- so I haven't done them in years. We made a lot of elements for my wedding together and making those pumpkins was a fun activity. When I came back to Miami (after I was sicker than a dog for two days) I pulled out my crafting supplies and started on some new projects. I'll add some pictures below. You can see more at my Etsy site. And speaking of Etsy- I made my first "outside" (as in someone I don't know) sale two days before my trip!! Someone in Nova Scotia bought some magnets. I jumped for joy!<br />
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Current projects I've been working on: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAez4Xnbq5w/UI3vqtv5UaI/AAAAAAAAANk/cHeQYV21oHY/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AAez4Xnbq5w/UI3vqtv5UaI/AAAAAAAAANk/cHeQYV21oHY/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first altered Moleskine journal I made.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another altered journal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GcpqTjXAcNk/UI3vvwippzI/AAAAAAAAAN0/NnSvS-P-6PQ/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GcpqTjXAcNk/UI3vvwippzI/AAAAAAAAAN0/NnSvS-P-6PQ/s400/009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another. I'm sort of addicted. I have to wait and see if these sell before I buy more journals to alter. I don't want to end up with too many sitting around like some of my other crafts. *See footnote*</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8f9tQe8Q1kg/UI3vzXVBhjI/AAAAAAAAAOA/4vcpunq4uY0/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8f9tQe8Q1kg/UI3vzXVBhjI/AAAAAAAAAOA/4vcpunq4uY0/s400/014.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Fairy Ornament that I decided to try. The idea came to me when I was trying to sleep and after I thought of it I couldn't actually fall asleep because I was so excited to try it out. It finally gave me an idea of what to do with all of the bits I've collected/found over the years. This one is sea-themed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPZpp92nPn4/UI3v3H0ZqiI/AAAAAAAAAOI/5UDaYtu0bGU/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPZpp92nPn4/UI3v3H0ZqiI/AAAAAAAAAOI/5UDaYtu0bGU/s400/025.JPG" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is Halloween-themed. I wanted to do one in colors that reminded me of the holiday. Please don't judge my photo styling. I'm not a photographer and I was trying to get the pictures taken while there was still some natural light outside.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xb_1Jk4VfE/UI3v5T-X_bI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/-WjnxUoSWbQ/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xb_1Jk4VfE/UI3v5T-X_bI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/-WjnxUoSWbQ/s400/034.JPG" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where my ornaments are currently residing: on the wine bottles that we don't drink. :)</td></tr>
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<br />
On Monday I go back to work. I know I'll have a lot on my desk. I was supposed to go in to work the two days after I got back, but I was sick on Thursday and worse on Friday. I got up and took a shower at 7:00 AM both days. On Thursday I was exhausted from traveling and had a headache/sore throat, so I didn't even bother getting dressed. On Friday I woke up feeling even worse, but I figured I really had to go in since it would only be me and one other office member. I pulled on my clothes, told Joe that I might be home early, drove about a mile, and then pulled into a gas station so I could get sick all over myself. I called my co-workers and explained that I would not be in, I needed a shower and different clothes, and then I went home and got sick three more times. It was, by far, one of the worst days of being sick/having a migraine in my life. I couldn't keep anything down: water, saltines, Sprite, or medicine. I just iced my head in bed until 1 AM when I finally fell asleep. On Saturday I still had a bit of a headache, so I took it slow in the morning, but by Saturday night I finally felt better.<br />
<br />
I should go get ready for my first day back at work since the 17th. Besides the work I have to get a campus parking pass and schedule an allergy test- a tale for another day- so I'm sure tomorrow will be crazy. But I kind of don't want to get up to make my lunch right now. I have two tuckered puppies cuddling my feet and I don't want to disturb them. They look so angelic... then they wake up. :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
- - -</div>
<br />
* I went a little crazy with the magnets I was making. I liked repurposing magazine pages and it was so easy to put the magnets together that I made more than I needed. I personally like the painted ones best, but I can't make too many at a time without getting a headache from the fumes. When I was meeting with another Etsy crafter (http://artzazzle.blogspot.com/) she mentioned that it would be cool to leave crafts like geo-caches. I used to geo-cache with my mom and I loved the idea. I'll save the geo-cache idea for when I live in another city, but I decided to leave some gift bags around town of some surplus magnets, my business card, and a note that reads, "Surprise! A gift for you or someone you love. Just a little way to brighten your day." I hope people find them and enjoy the fun that is finding a little secret. Who knows? Someone will probably find it, hate it, send me an e-mail telling me what a jerk I am for some inane reason, and then instead of making their day better they'll ruin mine. (I've been living in Miami too long; I expect the worst of people.) *<br />
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-76970523678569900662012-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:002012-10-28T22:24:48.052-04:005 Things: Songs to Write ToI once could not do any homework, reading, or writing unless it was dead silent. Then I went to college and I learned quickly if I didn't make the most of every moment because I was bothered by noise, I would never get anything done. Still, I do not like to read with music in the background- moderate ambient noise is okay. When writing for this blog or for fun I have to listen to low-key music. Anything too bouncy and my mind focuses on the beat (probably because I'm daydreaming about being the best drummer that ever lived!). Here are five songs from my iTunes <i>Music for Writing To</i> playlist.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBTUAHGpQqE" target="_blank">My Only Swerving </a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBTUAHGpQqE" target="_blank">by El Ten Eleven</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWN3kf1GliU" target="_blank"><i>So Long</i> by Guster</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2gOAji-E3M" target="_blank"><i>North by North</i> by Faded Paper Figures</a><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIIxlgcuQRU" target="_blank">Maps </a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIIxlgcuQRU" target="_blank">by Yeah Yeah Yeahs</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcAT63V-bvM" target="_blank"><i>Easier to Lie</i> by Aqualung</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Let me know of any music you like to work to. I'm always looking to expand my playlist. :)Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-39732718339091752442012-08-28T21:02:00.001-04:002012-11-25T18:54:33.952-05:00Lovely LilyI haven't posted much lately, and for that I apologize. Work has been really hectic and then we had to leave town to go get Lily. Despite the tropical storm, things went off without a hitch. We lost power for a short while and work/school was cancelled on Monday. Today was rough- I am fighting one of the worst migraines I've had in awhile, but I did want to post pictures of my second fur-baby. I will write more about her personality and our story of the first couple of days with our little Lily in the near future.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zIBNJh75nGI/UD1oqySBlkI/AAAAAAAAAMs/T5BTczu-RVU/s1600/Lily+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zIBNJh75nGI/UD1oqySBlkI/AAAAAAAAAMs/T5BTczu-RVU/s400/Lily+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby in July</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYIdVgQ2aLI/UD1oyc6T2DI/AAAAAAAAAM0/nTitVCxb2lE/s1600/Lily+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYIdVgQ2aLI/UD1oyc6T2DI/AAAAAAAAAM0/nTitVCxb2lE/s400/Lily+028.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adorable and Tired</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cfUHssK7fP8/UD1o5D49IXI/AAAAAAAAAM8/ghmX6wqrgy8/s1600/Lily+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cfUHssK7fP8/UD1o5D49IXI/AAAAAAAAAM8/ghmX6wqrgy8/s400/Lily+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Blue Eyes- those won't stay like that. Lily is very cute, very soft, and very affectionate.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JT7BHcJKYs0/UD1pGd0wdVI/AAAAAAAAANE/R5ilxgmm3kE/s1600/Lily+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JT7BHcJKYs0/UD1pGd0wdVI/AAAAAAAAANE/R5ilxgmm3kE/s400/Lily+072.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All my girls in one picture. (Ruby in the background, moping, Tashi, Lily, and Trini)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHQDqEJfBJg/UD1pdNzmUQI/AAAAAAAAANM/cAokQ4MBymY/s1600/Lily+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHQDqEJfBJg/UD1pdNzmUQI/AAAAAAAAANM/cAokQ4MBymY/s400/Lily+094.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is taking Ruby a little while, but gradually she is warming up to Lily. Lily follows her big sister's lead.</td></tr>
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-72044725702683798252012-08-19T10:57:00.000-04:002012-08-19T10:57:00.719-04:005 Things: Places I Want to Live InPortland/Seattle<br />
<br />
I have been to Portland and I have been dying to go back. J and I have wanted to do a roadtrip through the Pacific Northwest for our honeymoon. I have no idea when we will get to that. All I know is that this region is beautiful. These cities are big enough to be cultured, but the surrounding areas are beautiful enough to escape to. (The closest thing I have to that here is the Everglades, and trust me, you don't want to "escape" to that.) The dining and music scenes are also phenomenal.<br />
<br />
San Fransico<br />
<br />
J's brother is currently living here. Boy, I am jealous! Actually, I'm really happy for him. San Fransico is iconic and has a rich history. It's more laid back than other big cities and unlike L.A., appearances aren't everything. I've been told that UW-Madison was based off of the Berkley campus, and I've always wanted to go and take a peek (and maybe a class or two). I hear that there are lot of excellent restaurants there, too! <br />
<br />
Denver<br />
<br />
Another great city that is surrounded by nature. As a kid and a teenager I enjoyed being outdoors. I would love to go white water rafting, canoeing, and hiking. I feel like I am out of touch with nature living in Miami. I do like living next to a large body of water (I grew up with Lake Michigan in Milwaukee and Lake Mendota and Menona in Madison), so being landlocked is the one thing I wouldn't be crazy about here. But I'm sure there are plenty of things that would make up for that if I was living in Denver.<br />
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Abroad<br />
<br />
I have dreamed of living abroad. One regret I have about college is that I didn't take the chance to do so. I didn't really have the funding for it, but it is one of the few times in your life when it is exceptable to pick up and move without being too tied down for a couple of months or a year. Living in Miami is sometimes like living in a different country and I've made life work for me here, whose to say I couldn't do it elsewhere. J and I sometimes discuss the post-doc oppurtunities abroad. I don't know if we'll ever have the chance to live in Europe or Asia, but if the oppurtunity ever came, I'd be hard pressed to turn it down. <br />
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Madison <br />
<br />
I don't know if I'll ever live in Wisconsin again. I'm okay with that. In some ways I really miss the state and in others I don't. Madison is the place I think of when I think of home. It was my first time out on my own. I had to establish myself and figure out a lot about life. Madison was a great city to test out my wings. I didn't always fly beautifully, but there were times like I felt I was soaring there. I have not been able to recreate that feeling here. In Madison, during my college years, I had a mix of friends, school, work, community, art, music, food, comfort, and new experiences that I don't think I'd ever be able to recreate. If J's career brought us back to Madison, we'd be pretty happy campers.<br />
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<br />Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4853260843411984631.post-67604472687149639592012-08-16T08:00:00.000-04:002012-08-16T08:00:13.294-04:00Classic Movie Challenge: The Gay DivorceeI went a bit academic in my review for <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>. I couldn't help it. That movie had me itching in disgust (bad pun intended). I actually watched that movie and <i>The Gay Divorcee</i> on the same Saturday. I had a rough week at work and I wanted to curl up with movies and unwind. I am having another crummy week, but I don't know if I'll have the luxury to catch up on movies this weekend. Then, next weekend, Lily comes home! And J and I will be catching up on sleep (due to new puppy parenting) and not classic films. So, I apologize for two reviews back-to-back, but a blogger has to do what a blogger has to do, and I scheduled them to post a couple of days apart, so it's not that bad. ;)<br />
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Instead of critiquing the story and its execution behind <i>The Gay Divorcee</i> in the way that I did with <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>, I am going to instead, focus on the lighter things. However, I would like to mention that I thought this movie was interesting in Mimi's approach to getting a divorce: get caught cheating and your loser husband will HAVE to acquiesce to the split. Here is the synopsis from Wikipedia:<br />
<br />
Mimi Glossop (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Rogers" style="color: blue;" title="Ginger Rogers">Ginger Rogers</a>) arrives in England to seek a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce" title="Divorce">divorce</a> from her geologist husband Cyril (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Austin_%28actor%29" title="William Austin (actor)">William Austin</a>), whom she hasn't seen for several years. Under the guidance of her domineering and much-married aunt Hortense (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Brady" title="Alice Brady">Alice Brady</a>), she consults a bumbling and less-than-competent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawyer" title="Lawyer">lawyer</a> Egbert Fitzgerald (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Everett_Horton" title="Edward Everett Horton">Edward Everett Horton</a>),
who happens to be one of Hortense's previous fiancés. He arranges for
her to spend a night at a seaside hotel and to be caught in an
adulterous relationship, for which purpose he hires a professional
co-respondent, Rodolfo Tonetti (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Rhodes_%28actor%29" title="Erik Rhodes (actor)">Erik Rhodes</a>). But Egbert forgets to arrange for private detectives to "catch" the couple.<br />
<br />
By coincidence, Guy Holden (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Astaire" style="color: blue;" title="Fred Astaire">Fred Astaire</a>)
an American dancer and friend of Egbert's, who briefly met Mimi on her
arrival in England, and is now besotted with her, also arrives at the
hotel, only to be mistaken by Mimi for the co-respondent. While they are
in Mimi's bedroom, Tonetti arrives and holds them "prisoner". They
contrive to escape and dance the night away.<br />
<br />
I've seen Astaire's dancing skills in <i>Funny Face</i> and I was excited to see him dance again. Although I adore Audrey Hepburn (she has a background in ballet), she doesn't compare to Ginger Rogers. I know that people have often commented on the dancing duo of Astaire and Rogers, so I'll keep it brief: they are amazing. I smiled while watching them dance. This was the first musical where I was willing to be swept away in the silliness while not worrying about the plot. I didn't know a thing about Rogers before watching this movie and I was really captivated by her beauty and gumption. She brought Mimi to life in a complex way: she's guarded, but sweet, beautiful, but strong. The dances were awesome. Astaire was awesome. Rogers was awesome. But the thing that I loved most about the movie was the CLOTHES! Oh. My. God. I'd die for that wardrobe!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awuaamHv8OA/UCrmjEkXP7I/AAAAAAAAAL8/tev-ODkQ__Y/s1600/Ginger+Hat+and+Cape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awuaamHv8OA/UCrmjEkXP7I/AAAAAAAAAL8/tev-ODkQ__Y/s400/Ginger+Hat+and+Cape.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rogers in an early scene of the movie. I love the beret.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4lBUVhNsno/UCrmoCodjYI/AAAAAAAAAME/ix7U1QEou_g/s1600/Ginger+Hat+and+Sweater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4lBUVhNsno/UCrmoCodjYI/AAAAAAAAAME/ix7U1QEou_g/s400/Ginger+Hat+and+Sweater.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If they sold this outfit at Anthropologie, I'd buy it in a heart-beat. She's sad, but she's so chic!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3qXoQXJ3_U/UCrmotmsIMI/AAAAAAAAAMM/XQBsTHX3wFI/s1600/Ginger+Night+and+Day+Dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r3qXoQXJ3_U/UCrmotmsIMI/AAAAAAAAAMM/XQBsTHX3wFI/s400/Ginger+Night+and+Day+Dress.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This dress was poetry in motion. What is is about black and white movies that make diamonds sparkle more? I wish there was a better picture of it. I was mesmerized during this number (Night and Day).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Everything that Mimi wears in this movie (even what her older aunt Hortense wears) is simply stunning. Her day-to-day fashion was adorable. Oddly enough, some of the fasions in this film could be applicable today. Just look at this jumpsuit from the number Knock Knees (sorry that the picture is so small):<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvaobQRgqo/UCrmpXTw6KI/AAAAAAAAAMU/k026M6Hlov8/s1600/Knock+Knees+Jumpsuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvaobQRgqo/UCrmpXTw6KI/AAAAAAAAAMU/k026M6Hlov8/s320/Knock+Knees+Jumpsuit.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggbert's socks and sandals are an affront to fashion- but I forgive him since he's the lovable goof in the film. (You're not off the hook, Dad!) This jumpsuit, while I wouldn't wear it, is similar to what pop stars are rocking today. (This is not Rogers, by the way.)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The women in this film were glamorous, the men were dapper, and the interiors were beautiful. I wanted to take the hotel room Mimi was staying in and make it my living room. It was fabulous and graphic- I guess it had to be when film was black and white. The writing and performances were pretty good too. Unlike <i>The Seven Year Itch</i>, there was only one character I didn't like (Mimi's husband). In <i>The Seven Year Itch</i> I only liked one character: Monroe's. But one thing that both of these movies have in common is that they were both adapted from plays. It sort of goes to show you that there hasn't been an original idea in Hollywood for a loooong time. <br />
<br />
I would highly recommend this movie for someone who is looking for something pleasant and light to watch with a glass of wine after a long day at work, for a musical lover, or for someone who wants to enjoy some serious fashion. Beahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01735817936164327541noreply@blogger.com0