A Skirt Around The Issues

Reverend's: Part Three

2010-05-26T10:02:00.002-04:00

I'm a Convert.

Reverend's is the bomb.

Read all about it on my food blog.

Revived

2010-03-03T09:05:00.003-05:00

Stay tuned for upcoming posts.

I'm back to skirting around the issues.

In the meantime, check out The Everyday Palate and Connotation Press.

On Why I Started EverydayPalate.Blogspot.com

2009-07-25T15:15:00.002-04:00

Food never bores me.

My New Blog

2009-07-25T13:57:00.002-04:00

Check out my New Blog: The Everyday Palate.

All food-related posts can be found at The Everyday Palate.

November Won't Come Soon Enough

2009-06-01T16:37:00.000-04:00

2009-04-26T11:08:00.001-04:00

More soon on the AWESOME meal prepared by guest celebrity chef Stephanie Izard, but until then, here's a sneak peek.

Top Chef Winner Coming to Revolver Restaurant

2009-03-31T14:36:00.003-04:00

If you're a fan of the reality TV Show Top Chef, then you may very well soon become a fan of Revolver Restaurant in Findlay, Ohio.

On April 24, Revolver is hosting Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard. There are two seatings at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. for a 5 course meal made by the celebrity chef. Reservations are $95 per person.

Not to brag, but FD and I will be in attendance, and I'm planning on wearing one of my best Orla Kiely dresses from the Grey Colt for this very special event.

For more information check out this clip from Fox Toledo.

Apart from this special event, consider Revolver for your dining group, family birthday party, special gathering, or for just a superb meal out. I recently had a very special dinner at Revolver with some very special friends, and breaking Revolver's very tasty salt rolls and sharing such thoughtfully prepared local foods with my friends in such a comfortable and fun environment made us all feel even closer.

As we hear in the news and in our conversations with others, the economy isn't great, but it doesn't mean we need to change what we value in our lives. If you value good food and independent businesses now is the time to support them or they won't be around when the economy "changes." Bypass that Mickey D's you get a couple times a month and save up your Starbucks change, and I bet you'll have enough for a solid meal at Revolver or a local farmer's leg of lamb. Just some food for thought!

Hope to see you soon at Revolver!

Some Bad BBQ

2009-03-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

One of the things I miss most about Cleveland is Bubba's Q. I could eat there every day. Seriously. The BBQ is dynamite and the sides are pure south--total badass!

Because of Bubba's Q I crave quality BBQ every month, so I was delighted to see a new BBQ place in Rossford (about 20 mintues from Bowling Green) behind the Giant Eagle: Bad Bobs.

This past weekend on our date night FD and I went to Bad Bobs. And it was bad, not in the good way.

Let me begin my review by saying I have high expectations for BBQ joints; I realize this. But I know good BBQ can be done in Ohio, and I expect it. I am a food snob and I'm food conscious. I have high standards when I spend my hard-earned money on a meal I have not cooked. Maybe you aren't as particular as me, that's fine. But this is my review.

Upon walking into Bad Bobs, the first thing I noticed was how clean the joint is. It's immaculate with their practically sparkling clean tables and well-swept floors. I was happy.

The wait to be seated was about five minutes, which is pretty good for a busy Saturday night, and the place was pretty packed.

Our waitress promptly took our drink orders, which was fine. Everything was fine until I asked for a glass of wine. Then it went downhill. Bad Bobs only serves beer. If you like beer, you're in luck; it's pretty cheap and they have a good selection, according to FD. If you want anything else to drink, it's going to be pop or water. I understand liquor licenses can be tricky, so while this didn't make me especially happy it didn't ruin dinner.

Once FD got his beer and I got my water, our food came about 15-20 minutes later. The service is quick and friendly. There was no question about that.

The food is where my issues began. My beef brisket was exceptionally dry; I thought it would come with bbq sauce or I thought the waitress would tell me how it came: wet or dry. I was surprised because the waitress didn't tell me either way. The flavor of the brisket was okay. It was a little bland, but when I put bbq sauce on it, it tasted better. What was truly upsetting were the sides.

My side salad was clearly taken from a bag and plopped in a bowl, which what I expect from most BBQ places. However, at least it could have been spun a bit so it wasn't still wet from the bag. My green beans were runny and tasted metallic, which means they came from a can. That's disheartening. And my mac and cheese was runny, bland, and not cheesey at all. In fact, I told FD I would prefer to eat boxed mac and cheese over what was served. Additionally, the two plate sides were served in little plastic cups, which I didn't understand. Why not be eco-friendly and not use the cups? Just put the sides on the plate. I'm guessing because the plate would be a wet mess...Needless to say, I didn't eat my sides and only half of my brisket.

FD ordered a full slab of ribs: 1/2 wet and 1/2 dry rubbed. The dry rubbed ribs were exceptional: juicy, moist, flavorful--a real delight. His sweet potato casserole was pretty good too. Nothing special, but much better than the mac and cheese and green beans.

We walked out of Bad Bobs having spent about $48 on both meals and two beers. The prices weren't bad, but the lack of food quality (apart from the ribs) made me regret spending that much on the meal.

I would recommend Bad Bobs for those who aren't food snobby like me. It's a fine establishment. However, I won't be going back. I would rather just wait it out and go to Bubba's Q when we visit Cleveland.

FD said he would go back and get dry rubbed ribs for take-out and make his own sides. I would consider that; those dry rubbed ribs were amazing. And I bet they'd be even more so with my homemade mac & cheese and some fresh farmers market veggies.

Bad Bobs: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Bubba Q's: 4.5 out of 5.

Other Than Dog

2009-02-19T12:31:00.002-05:00

Like many dog owners, FD & I have given Bleu various cutesy nicknames: baby dogbert, Bleu-ser, boo-boo-tron.

In addition to these nicknames, we have others. Ones that represent the various other animals Bleu embodies:

A Bear: He stands on his hind legs and tries to dance with us like a circus bear.

A Lion: Sometimes he has a mane. And his jaw is huge.

A Shark: He surfs a counter like a shark surfs a crowed beach.

A Pig: The way he eats and waddles and rolls around in mug makes us think he was a pig in a previous life.

This is just a sampling. The list could on much longer than my lunch break.

What animals does your dog or cat remind you of?

Once Forgotten

2009-02-17T21:06:00.004-05:00

While rocking out to my Twilight mix (of course, made for each book, chapter by chapter--in some cases paragraph by paragraph--if you want a copy, let me know!) and prepping goodies for my cook-ahead, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole, I heard a song I haven't really heard in ages: "Have You Forgotten" by Red House Painters.

When I first heard that song was in my in-between-years as manager of the Saks Off-Fifth Women's Department at Aurora Farms in Aurora, Ohio, when I wanted to study poetry in a MFA program but more importantly I wanted to find myself. I listened to the song many times during many late nights doing stupid shit (there's no other way to put it) with my then (and still) bestees: Gattozzi, PL, & Stokes.

My most vivid memory with "Have You Forgotten" is in Grad School, though. I had wandered down to Falstaff's on my way home from teaching one Friday evening--early on in my Grad career, my first semester. This was my fav bar which happened to be the best burger joint in town: in Grad School my two favorite things comboed in one.

The owner and cook, John, knew me by name. (Yes, it was a Cheers moment every time I walked in.) I was in there one night sipping my Jack & Coke and devouring my cheeseburger and fries after a rough week when I heard "Have You Forgotten."

John was an avid indie radio supporter, and the song was most likely playing on the college radio station. I don't remember. But what I remember was in a bar the size of any good college bar with glossed oak wood counters and four pool tables, it was just me and John listening to "Have You Forgotten."

No one else was in the bar.

That was the loneliest moment of my life.

I missed my brother, my sister, my parents, my Stokey, my Gattozzi, my PL, my Alice, my life in Kent, my job with designer clothes perks, the love of my life (wherever he was), and myself.

What's weird is I never remembered that specific emotional state until tonight. I've heard that song countless times since then, but never with any emotional potency.

What made tonight so special? The smell of onions browning in a non-stick LeCruest skillet?

Food and memory are intrinsically linked...

At first I thought to include this memory in a private letter to my friend PL with a stack of CD burns I've been promising to send him since December, but for some reason that didn't seem to be enough.

This past weekend my sister-in-law Suz told me I needed to update my blog. That she missed it. That she enjoyed reading it.

I thought to myself, "For real? My blog is a joke."

I complain. I whine. I rant.

But the smell of onions reminded me:

I share.

I remember.

I appreciate.

That's good enough by me.

What else are blogs for?

Resolutions...Then Again...

2009-01-01T18:10:00.004-05:00

The holidays have kept me MIA.

But while the potatoes are roasting in the oven and before I stem some greens & carve up some ham, I thought I'd wish you, dear reader, a Happy 2009!

Of course, last night FD & I, joined by a fabulous couple we absolutely adore, dined at Revolver for their special 8 course celebration meal. As always, it was the best meal ever. They continually top themselves.

Which got me thinking.

This year I'm going to continually top myself. ("That's what she said.")

Seriously, this year I'm going to challenge myself--in my job AND my art. I'm going to disregard "What If"s and push myself to live without reservations or worries. I'm not going to second-guess myself; I'm going to accept humanly fallible. And most of all I'm going to embrace the facets of myself I truly love and focus on strengthening them & sharing them with others.

(Why is it so much I say can be followed with "That's what she said"?)

I'm excited to see what 2009 has in store for me as a skeptic, composition instructor, assistant director, writer, reader, doggie-mama, techie, Alicia's Voice board member, Wick Poetry Center alum, locavore, SmartWater drinker, daydreamer, & queen of typos.

Actually, I resolve to reduce my typos...

Christmas Cookies (Round 1)

2008-12-16T17:31:00.003-05:00

FD & I frosted them tonight as we listened to Christmas music.

We had a blast.

And when we finished we realized it was snowing out. Hard.

I love winter.

Most special of the cookies: the Law & Order snowman and the red angel with star eyes.

A Kinda Christmas Story

2008-12-10T15:16:00.001-05:00

The urge starts like the jingle of a tiny bell: Tink. Tink. Slowly, it builds like an orchestra. Strings. Horns. Percussion. All together. I have to go; there is no holding. None.

Usually the instance I felt a tingle in my bladder, I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I was a bed-wetter. I couldn’t be trusted to hold, and I knew better than doing so. I had gotten too used to the hot liquid turning cold fast against my bum, the angry flick of light switches in my bedroom, the bathroom, then the laundry room, the stink of vinegar water on my mattress, the swoosh of sleeping bag against floor, and overwhelming guilt of being a bed-wetter. At home it’s one thing, but around family I never see, it’s completely different.

The Christmas Eve I was seven, my mom and I hitched a ride to Chicago with my grandpa and grandma in their Crown Victoria to visit my uncle and his family. Sure, the whole way there I had to pee, but I was with an old lady who had to pee all the time. For once it wasn’t my fault that we stopped at almost every rest area along snowy the Ohio turnpike. No adult questioned the validity of my bladder’s urge and hushed my requests to stop with “you can hold it until the next one.” Finally, there was an adult who had to go as much as me. It was the first time I had traveled in complete bladder comfort.

That night I slept on the pull-out couch with my cousin Katie and cousin Matt. I could barely sleep thinking of Santa. I tossed and turned, bumping Katie’s reindeer print flannel arm and leg while continually whispering to Matt that he was wimp for not staying up with me. The red, green, and blue outdoor Christmas lights that wrapped around the bushes in their yard and their neighbors cast a warm glow in the sunken den of our room.

Up the stairs of the sunken den was the kitchen, then the great room with the front door and chimney, then a hallway where the three bedrooms were. At the end, the bathroom. My aunt and uncle were the closest to it. I hadn’t seen their bedroom, but I imagined them sound asleep based on the contagious yawns I saw at our early evening arrival. My grandparents were second closest. I pictured them sleeping on Matt’s twin sized beds, each in a separate bed, an arm’s length away from each other. My mom was third closest. I thought I heard her loud eggnog induced snore from Katie’s room, trailing downstairs to me, the farthest person from the bathroom. I found the thought of each family member sleeping in a room much closer to the bathroom than me, not comforting but thoroughly upsetting.

Immediately, my bladder jingled its tiny bell.

I had to get up; there was little time for such a far run. Rolling over Katie, thumping on the floor, that’s exactly the moment I heard it.

Scratch. Scratch. Neigh.

I froze, crouched on the green shag carpet.

Scratch. Neigh. Scratch.

Santa was here.

My first thought was: if he sees me, I’ll scare him away before he sees the picture of Poochie I colored for him, before he eats the special sprinkle cookies, before he sets the shiny presents under the tree. Piss my pants or risk no presents. I’d be damned after how good I had been that year to not get presents. And I certainly did not want my distant relatives glaring back and forth between the present-less, brown pine needle-ridden tree skirt and me. I squeezed my thighs together, squinted my eyes shut, pressed my hands over my ears, and prayed Santa would be quick about his business.

Each second the urge to pee grew. The bell was joined by the strings, the strings joined by the horns, seconds later the percussion section took over until all I could hear under my sweaty palms was the drumming of pain in my bladder, throbbing in every nerve of my body. I tightened my vaginal muscles like the doctor told me. I counted. I breathed. Just like the doctor said. 10. Inhale. Exhale. 11. Inhale. Exhale. The burning sensation began. 12. Inhale. Exhale. I felt a little trickle escape. It was only seconds before my urine made a prison break. I looked to the stairs, consciously clutching my vaginal muscles, preparing my body for movement. I had to chance no gifts. I had to make the break.

I popped up like the little flower I was in the past spring’s play, and when I was up, I ran like never before. I jumped the stairs, my bare feet making sticky noises against the kitchen linoleum. I passed through the great room’s threshold, and zoomed passed the reflection of myself in the front door’s glass. Rounding the 8 foot glimmering Christmas tree, I tripped on the hem on my long flannel nightgown. The hardwood cold underneath me, I crouched for a moment on my palms and knees, gathering myself. So far no leakage. My thighs were still tight. I could make it. I took a deep breath and rose to a slight chuckle.

Looking up, I saw a round belly jiggling slightly, shiny black buttons, a white beard twitching. I literally had stumbled upon Santa, who was looking at our pictures and chewing on a cookie. When we made contact, he winked at me. I know it sounds cliché like something from a holiday movie scene, but I swear he was before me in all his magical flesh. This Santa was not some dude at the mall or my grandpa dressed up. He was the real deal. I could tell by his wink. My grandpa couldn’t wink without closing both eyes. I gave Santa a smile and a curtsey. He motioned his head towards the bathroom. The pain returned swiftly, and again I was racing down the hallway. I flung open the door, slammed it shut. I danced my panties off. I sat on the rim without putting the seat down. I didn’t care. The rush of liquid was exhilarating. It wasn’t until my first orgasm that I realized pissing after holding for a long time feels almost exactly the same.

Of course, Santa was gone when I reentered the great room. Crumbs from his cookies rested on the plate and on the chair. I had triumphantly seen Santa. A tale to tell to make all kids jealous. I was proud tiptoeing my way back to bed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep after glimpsing the stacks of shimmering paper and perfectly puffed fabric bows. Christmas would happen after all. I wouldn’t be blamed for scaring off Santa, but soon I realized I would never be believed for seeing him.

(Thanks to Ray Ray for helping this essay come to fruition.)

Some Things Are Worth Repeating

2008-12-09T14:27:00.002-05:00

When I first saw Elf I couldn't get this song out of my head. I thought Zooey Deschanel's voice was amazing. (Thankfully, She & Him came into existence!) I didn't really listen to the lyrics until I burned the Dean Martin version from my mother-in-law. From there, "Baby It's Cold Outside" has taken on this whole new life (in my brain). It will forever be known as "The Christmas Date Rape song." I don't want to spoil your Christmas joy, but once you listen to the lyrics really carefully, you might feel the same way.

During My Research

2008-12-04T20:12:00.002-05:00

This article says everything I've been thinking about.

I wish I had written it.

Yes, I'm This Obsessed

2008-12-03T20:30:00.001-05:00

FD found this spoof on YouTube and shared it with me.

Such a loving husband!

But I was bound to find it since I've been watching scenes from the film on YouTube to get my daily fix.

Just So You Know, I'm Totally Kidding

2008-12-02T20:18:00.003-05:00

Another obsession: telling cute kids under the age of 3 and my dog that I want to "eat them" and pretending their limbs are corn on the cob.

Bon Appetite: mon Bleu de chien! (Who, apparently would be quite tasty!)

Why on earth would one want to eat their children and/or dog?

For now, I (among others) speculate it may have something to do with the only way to truly consume something is to eat it, ingest it, let it become part of our own bodies. Or maybe those scary European bedtime stories are to blame; you know the ones where two kids are plumped up with candy and then shoved into an oven for a witch's dindin? Or maybe it's because we watch too much FoodTV, which tells that food equals love?

I'm determined to get to the bottom of this sometime soon.

I need to for my own mental and legal safety and the safety of my dog as well as all the cute children in the world with chubby, edible cheeks, legs, and arms.

What Goes Around...: A Yoga Reflection

2008-12-01T21:47:00.002-05:00

Today I endured countless gripping from students: "Do we have to peer review?" "I don't have a peer review copy. That means I can't peer review."

My responses: "Peer review is good for you. Do it." And "Run. Right now. Find the closest lab and print out a peer review copy if you want to be considered present today. Do it!"

All the while I kept thinking to myself, "If I was a student, I wouldn't be so whiny and reluctant."

Once again, I eat my words.

During yoga class tonight, I whined and pleaded with my yoga teacher to "please not make me do that pose again." I dished out all the rations of shit I got from my kids today.

The exception is I feel horrible about it. (But, for the record, my teacher handled it with much grace & encouragement.)

I find, though, that the poses I'm most reluctant with are the ones that I feel the most and are the ones that, in the best of ways, challenge me the most. I need a good challenge. Always. For example, Crane & Handstand.

Three notes to self: 1.) Press down in my hands for a sturdy handstand.

2.) In Warrior I & II tuck the pelvis to open up the kidneys. Practice Warrior III more intently for handstand practice, according to Yoga Journal.

3.) Stop being such a wimp about Crane Pose (photo cred: Yoga Journal). Widen the hands, creep up on the toes, tuck the knees deep into back of the armpits, place head on the floor, and press up--pump up through the hands.

I'm noticing a hand theme emerging.

Another challenge lies ahead.

I promise that's NOT a gripe but rather a positive statement.

I Haven't Been This Crazed in a Long While...

2008-12-01T11:05:00.006-05:00

Confession: I once sent Josh Hartnett a care package with a mix tape & handmade friendship bracelet after seeing him in The Faculty. If you ever ask me about this, I'll deny it.

I fell hard for New Kids on the Block in 6th grade. So hard I blew probably the equivalent in cash of my whole college education on Big Bopper magazines & tape for plastering my walls. (Not to mention, actual plaster & paint after having to take them all down when we moved.)

Now, as a woman in my 30's, I have a totally new obsession: the movie Twilight. I admit I am/was obsessed with the book series first, but the writing never really made me love them like I love Pride & Prejudice. What made me love them was the plot & drama of it all. What's fantastic about the movie is I get to bypass the long tedious passages for the quick visual & mindlessness of watching hot boys on the big screen. Normally, I prefer the books, but in this case, NO WAY!

I haven't done anything obsessive as send Robert Pattinson a care package or carve a Twilight pumpkin (as found on a Twilight fan page on Facebook). However, I have seen the movie twice, and I can't stop thinking about Edward Cullen, which I consider a bit obsessive at my age.

Of course, all this seems quite innocent, but for some reason I have to turn it into some big deal. I know a lot of popular culture appeals to teens, and I've always been proud of my involvement & support of teen culture and pop culture. I realize that media is valuable mindless pleasure that helps us escape from bills, work, & seemingly trivial life bullshit. And I realize most times my most brilliant writing ideas come after giving myself a break with this mindless pleasure. All of this I'm cool with.

What bothers me most is that I was a Jacob fan while reading the books, and now after seeing the movie, I adore Edward. I was skeptical of Robert Pattinson as Edward, but the more I see the movie, the more I firmly believe he was the perfect choice. He captured the essence of Edward while being extremely easy on the eyes. I was dissatisfied with my poor Jacob. He was cool & friendly, but not what I expected from Jacob. Of course, in Twilight the book, Jacob hasn't really "matured" yet, but still...I'm upset to be swooning so hard for Edward.

And I'm happily married & I realize Edward isn't real, but I care enough about this to blog about it. I find that weird.

Just as NKOTB made a comeback & their sold out shows were mostly packed with 30 year-old fans who never stopped loving them, I think the same, in a sense, is why so many adult fans are in love with Twilight & Edward. The feeling of the book & the movie reminds me of those awkward days when I was 17--unsure I'd meet my soul mate and, more importantly, unsure about myself while being extremely cocky and maybe a bit whiny at the same time. Perhaps it's the ignorance of those days I miss. Or that surprise element of angst-ridden drama. (Though, Lord knows I NEVER want to experience that drama again. But it's cathartic/rewarding watching Bella & the not-so-17 Edward going through it...)

And seeing a movie like Twilight is inspiring, in the sense that, I'm lucky to be married to my own version of Edward & to know that romanticism isn't dead after all--that it just takes hard to work to make a life with your unconditional love and, above all, that movies with bathroom humor can be beat out by a love story, no matter how cheesy that story might be at times.

One Part of a Weekend That Made Me Extremely Happy

2008-11-15T21:12:00.002-05:00

Jane Mead reading.

Photo cred: Karen Babine.

Happy Day #2

2008-11-12T17:13:00.002-05:00

I've been getting periodic phone calls from the Hubs making sure I'm feeling okay after I told him this morning, "I feel like someone has tipped me over and stomped all over my body."

I'm grateful for those phone calls & all his love.

Happy Day #1

2008-11-11T17:33:00.003-05:00

As motivation to blog more often and appreciate the happy moments of each day, I'm beginning a "Happy Day" series. (Viva La Fonz!) I'm not going to commit to a year of these posts or anything, but I really believe posting a few would help my morale & blogging frequency.

To kick off the series I have two happy moments to share:

1.) To calm my not-so-bad-but-normal nerves today before my interview for the job I already have (just go with it!), I remembered my lovely dinner date at Revolver with my totally awesome hubby. The food & the love made me feel giddy, which I believe came across fully in my interview.

2.) This morning Babine & I went for an hour long walk. Talking and laughing made my cardio workout fun and made me love Babine even more.

Happy Day Yay!

Thinking...

2008-11-09T09:23:00.004-05:00

If I get an iPhone & use TwitPic more, then I don't really need a blog.

For example, last night during yet another AWESOME FABULOUS Revolver Restaurant experience, I could have used the iPhone's camera to take a pic, then used wifi to post the pic to TwitPic where I would have written a stellar update about how awesome my food was & how jealous you should be--if you have or have not eaten there! (And you should eat there SOON!) The whole thing would have been faster, easier, & more in the moment than writing a long post here, which unfortunately I'm finding less & less time to do. Like right now, for example, when I need to cook my own fabulous meal for my in-laws, swiffer up all this black dog hair on our wood floors, and visit a dear friend's brother's & dad's calling hours.

Microblogging is the wave of the future. I just think it might be better for my life than actual blogging at this point. I'm tried of thinking of "catchy" posts, needless time-consuming writing (when I should be creatively or professionally writing), the impersonal internets & feeling guilty about being self indulgent. Maybe I wouldn't feel this way if I was a celeb or a mom or using my blog as a business tool, but I do feel this way right now.

Any other bloggers feeling this way too or am I alone here?

Happy 1st Birthday, Levon Hubert Bleu McGuire Rzicznek!

2008-11-08T15:28:00.007-05:00

Then...

Now...At one year old...

The Most Important News on the Eve of Election Day

2008-11-03T10:15:00.001-05:00

Good Lord, could he look more like Jeff Tweedy.

We'll miss you, Joaquin. Your music better rock.

Campus Visitor Saturday Evening

2008-10-31T09:44:00.003-04:00

Change is coming too.

BGSU is a campaigning hot spot.

Lucky us.

Because I opened the Flood Gate

2008-10-30T08:57:00.001-04:00

"Witness the fire power of this fully-armed and operational battle station."

2008-10-29T11:53:00.004-04:00

"The Death Star is almost operational."

Pic from the Toledo Blade.

Guess Who's Visiting BGSU today?

2008-10-29T09:15:00.003-04:00

If only it was the Tina Fey version of Palin...

Then I'd be excited, not fearful.

Picture courtesy of FoxNews.

Empty Promises

2008-10-26T18:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't abandoned my blog.

But I'm not upkeeping it well either.

Best places to stalk me: Facebook & Twitter.

More soon. I promise.

Teaser

2008-10-15T09:23:00.005-04:00

The Why & Later Readers at the KBG Bar.

More on my AWESOME trip to NY coming very soon.

Thanks to Carly, Erin, & Kiely for making it extremely special.

When The Cow Came Home

2008-10-11T14:14:00.003-04:00

While obsessing over food this year, I decided to take my meat-buying by the horns. (Lame pun intended.)

I could bore you with the facts about grass-fed beef and its health benefits and supporting local farms and the slow food movement, but I don't have enough time at the moment. (I'm heading off to Detroit then NYC for another soon-to-be-blogged adventure...)

I do, however, have a moment to welcome home Rudy, our grass-fed quarter of beef from Luginbill Family Farms.

As you can see, Bleu was just as excited as us to have many cuts of beef to choose from.

One of the happiest moments I've had in a long time was picking up our meat from the processor. As geeky as it sounds, I'm beyond ecstatic to know where our cow was raised and slaughtered. I still can't stop smiling at the fact that every cut of meat in our deep freezer bears my name.

How cool is that?

Who Doesn't Love This Kid?

2008-10-06T17:00:00.003-04:00

He's fabulous.

Period.

Bleu's Halloween Costume

2008-10-02T11:48:00.003-04:00

Can you imagine?

Thanks, KJ, for sending this to me!

♪ "Weather the Weather" ♪

2008-09-25T09:39:00.003-04:00

Not only am I fan of The Postmarks song "Weather the Weather," I also am a fan of the weather.

So much so that I've actually considered "going back to school" to become a meteorologist.

This week at BGSU's annual Learning Fair hosted by the Study Skills Center, I was beyond ecstatic to meet the one & only "Blizzard" Bill Spencer, Toledo's fabulous local meteorologist.

Blizzard Bill talked with first-year students about his job experiences and shared with them the benefits of "not giving up, no matter what." I was kinda jealous of the way the students were memorized by him. If only I had that kind of magic in the classroom...However, my spouse has been been sucked up into a tornado and I've been the only person in a tv station during a tornado.

As you can see, tornadoes played a big part in his presentation.

Here are some other highlights I jotted down:

On moving from ABC from NBC: "They're into theme parks, not strip malls."

Why Toledo: "Because Toledo is where the weather action is."

On his first wife: "A tornado sucked my first wife into its funnel. After that our relationship was never the same."

On chasing tornadoes: "Being on scene 30 seconds after a tornado is the one memory that stays with me. Seeing people's lives spread all around the neighborhood and them crying, devastated by their losses, motivates me to be the best weatherman I can be."

His talk was the highlight of my week, especially because the weather has been so boring here: sunny and 70s every day.

I could use a good storm.

Some local weather drama would be nice.

A New Hope (MAYBE It's As Cool As Star Wars)

2008-09-20T22:13:00.003-04:00

When I said I needed some hope I wasn't lying.

And when the Wick Poetry Center delivered, I became a true believer.

For the first time in probably years, I actually feel like a worthwhile writer & contributor to the Creative Writing community.

And I must say it feels pretty good.

Don't get me wrong, I've been doing readings & loving every minute of them, but something about being back in Kent & coming full circle from the kid who went to the readings to being the kid reading meant the world to me. And it motivated me in ways I'm not ready to articulate.

Apart from the fact that I got to spend time with some of my favorite kids who made me feel "oh-so-ready-to-pop-one-out."

Now that I'm home do I still feel that way?

No...Yes...Maybe...No...

But what I feel like is writing. Which can be like having a baby. Good enough for now.

I'm not doing my trip any justice...Just know that the readings were phenomenal. The panel was lively & rigorous at times. And I was always my usual freak-show self.

Once more links become available I'll be posting.

Until & between then I'll be writing.

I really wish I had some pics...

My new fav heros: Tony, Arlan, Carly, & Katherine.

Confession: I cried so HARD when Katherine & I said our good-byes I looked like an idiot.

Two (or More) for Tuesday

2008-09-16T14:30:00.003-04:00

A homecoming is in my horizon.

Tomorrow I visit Kent State to celebrate the Wick Poetry Center 25th Anniversary by reading with past scholarship winners/some dear friends I haven't seen in a while as well as reading as part of the Why & Later anthology with benefit yoga classes.

If you can make it out Wednesday the 17th at 7:30 in the Honors College (Johnson Hall) is the Why & Later reading. Thursday the 18th from 11-12:15 p.m. is the benefit yoga class at the KSU Student Rec Center. Thursday the 18th at 8:00 p.m. in the Kiva is the Past Scholarship Winner Reading.

I'm beyond excited. In fact, I'm so excited I can't decide on what to wear.

Looks like I'll have to study the wardrobe binder intently tonight.

~

In other news, I've offended almost all of my friends by declaring my presence a politics-free zone. I care. But, more so, I don't. Usually during this time every 4 years I'm all fired up and ready to talk shop with propaganda pins neatly attached to my denim jacket and stickers attached to my bike helmet. Not this time. Really what difference would be had if I did care? Every candidate declares change, but there never is one. I don't have the emotional energy to deal with another loss or the brain occupancy to deal with bickering about something that will be over in two months. I easily could turn this blog into a rant about both sides. But being that I declared this a politics-free zone, that would go against the whole idea. I will say, though, my dream is to see Nader or Perot on the ballot. Again.

~

In more uplifting (or not) news, the Big Bang Experiment seems to be going well.

~

Thank God I'm going to Kent. Looks like a reunion is just what my spirit needs.

I Really Need to Stop Thinking So Much

2008-09-03T10:00:00.004-04:00

Normally on Twitter my 140 character updates come pretty easily.

Today it was different. I had several different things I wanted to say and they all got jumbled so I just said I had several things to say and I figured I post them here because I don't have a character limit.

Being that I have such a rich online life is a blessing. I'm keeping in touch with old friends I dearly love who live far, far away from me. (The fabulous picture was taken by my great friend E.Waters who posted it to Facebook today! How rad to be able to keep in touch with her!) I get to meet new friends from all around the globe. And I get to feel pretty smart being in the know about all the new techy stuff. And Web 2.0 has several important education benefits that have enriched my teaching career.

With that said, the downside is sometimes my online life makes me feel like a huge loser. I thinking about the times I write on a friend's Facebook wall & he/she doesn't respond to me but he/she responds to all these other people & I have to see how much he/she loves his/her other friends on my News Feed. Or when I try to reach out & respond to a Tweet, I get silence in return. Or worst is seeing how awesomely exciting and action-packed everyone else's lives are & all the cool shit I'm missing out on.

I think the reason I felt so jumbled on Twitter is because if I Twitter what I love about the internets, then I come across as a loving, normal person, which is exactly what I want to portray to the online community. However, if I tweet about feeling like a loser, I come across as a whiny, sad, lonely, unhappy hermit. Which is NOT the case. It's just that internets sometimes brings out my self-conscious side, and I want to be able to express that feeling without feeling like even more of a loser.

(But I'm probably looking more like a loser by talking about how I sometimes feel like a loser but I don't want peeps to think I'm a loser.)

For the most part, I don't care what people think. But then again I must if I'm thinking about all the unanswered wall writings, unanswered tweets, unanswered phone calls, unanswered blog posts, etc. etc. etc.

But the other side of the coin is this: we're all freaking crazy busy. How on earth could we respond to every little internet interaction?! If we did we'd go bonkers! And what about all the wall posts, blog comments, tweets, etc. I've left unanswered? Did I cause someone to feel like a loser? Like I don't have time for them? Like I don't care about them?

Now I'm a happy, go-lucky, loser asshole.

In other words, I've been over-thinking the internets and internet friends way too much, and this little psychotic rant is just a taste of a few minutes inside my head. NOT fun.

But let me be clear, I LOVE my online life and my actual life. In fact, I find my actual life quite rich and beyond satisfying. I'm not convinced I'm an all-out loser. I just can see why so many creative-minded people I know avoid having an online life; obviously, they don't want to feel all this rush of crazies every few days (or few minutes).

I wonder how you cope with your online life vs your actual life. Does any one else feel this discord? If you do, how do you avoid it?

It's very possible starting the new semester has awoken by brain a little too much.

In other acutal life news, my students are great, teaching is going well, Bleu is doing well, and I'm seriously considering applying for the reality tv show Big Brother.

Farwell, my dear friend, Time.*

2008-08-18T10:08:00.003-04:00

I like to think I have a sunny disposition. That I'm happy, warm, lovable.

That I spread my joy to all who know me.

Until this week. (Don't worry, next week I'll be fine.)

This week, though, is my last week of summer. And today is the only day that is going to be totally mine. Therefore, I must make it count. I will cross off these six things on my to-do list today: swim, finish reading Rachel Zucker's The Bad Wife Handbook, finish the first draft of a new chapbook, dry the Blue Basil leaves I have no idea what to do with, wrap FD's bday presents while snacking on cheddar cheese and NutThins or raw baby carrots (I'm not much of snacker but I LOVE cheese, to put it mildly), oh, yeah, and complete this blog tag** from Stokes.

Easy enough.

10 years ago I was entering my 4th year of undergrad, just taking filler classes like yoga and ice skating because I finished all my major classes in 3 years and I was going to the gay bars to dance my off ass because I didn't want to be worried with being assaulted by drunken frat boys and I was discovering the world of poetry. It's funny to think today I'm the teacher, preparing for the first-year writing students, who dances around my house while dusting, a Swiffer as my imaginary microphone, and who knows full-well that the world of poetry isn't all that magical.

It's this last week of summer, though, that makes me wish I was a billionaire. That I could teach a few classes here and there when I felt like it. And set up a pretty fat retirement plan for me and FD as well as for both of our families too. And build my prefab dream house with a guest house and two detached offices (one for me and one for FD) all with the arty, expensive appliances and furniture I see in Dwell each month. And give money to worthwhile foundations like Alicia's Voice. And travel to cool places like Japan and India. And do yoga whenever and whereever I want. And hire a cleaning staff, a chef, and, because if I was rich why not have kids and hire a few nannies. Finally, of course, I would be a shareholder of The Grey Colt and wear extra fabulous clothes all the time.

Yeah, that'd be the life. But then if I was billionaire, would I really appreciate the days when I cleaned residential construction sites, sweeping wood and dust into piles and shop vacuuming it all up? Or when I cleaned model homes, how I adored making perfect vacuum lines in the never-used carpets? Or when I worked for a cleaning service and scrubbed the settled cigarette smoke off cheap vinyl floors in some office that could totally be in a 70s sit-com, even though clearly we were in the 90s? (God, no wonder I'm a clean freak!) Or when I managed Hons' clothing resale shop & every Thursday Stokes & I would go to Applebees for dinner & drinks b/c she got a discount there. Or how about when I was the women's clothing department manager at Off Fifth & I went into debt buying hoity toity designer clothes. (No wonder I'm a label whore!) Or my days struggling as a TA, trying to figure out what kind of poet/teacher/woman/person I wanted to be until I finally figured out & became the poet/teacher/woman/person I always wanted to be.

Really would all that be lost if I became a billionaire? How would my values change? Or how would I teach my children values, that is if I decided to have kids?

Maybe it's simpler knowing I start teaching again next Monday and life will regain it's schedule, a schedule that I know & have come to love.

That doesn't mean I won't dream of living on Captiva Island, FL; or in Portland, OR; or Martha's Vineyard; Napa Valley; Boulder, CO; Ireland; Scotland; or even just plain ol' Clevelend, OH.

I guess as much as I don't want to, I need to look on the sunny side of this summer, the good times had, the time that I wasted doing God-knows-what.

Last week of summer, please treat me well. Be kind to me. Help me accomplish my to-do list in the best of moods. And help me smile when I wake up in the morning of the 25th, ready for school to begin again.

*Said in a unbearably tight hug that turns into a sloppy sob fest 08.
**I tag SEM, Chop, & C.L. Jones.

The Last of It

2008-08-14T10:05:00.004-04:00

It all began with the shoes.

The desire to see each pair without opening the box. (Thank you countless fashionistas in NYC & Martha Stewart.)

Campers are precious shoes that deserve full exposure.

Now the masterpiece is almost complete. Closet domination!

After going to bed I realized I hadn't taken pics of my favorite accessories. And I realized I hadn't showered.

This morning I took those pics & will be adding the accessory photos with stories to the closet binder very shortly. After taking a shower.

(Side note: Walgreens online photo center is the BOMB. Easy to upload photos & easy to pick them up at your local store after receiving the photos-are-ready email.)

Looking at this first pic my closet looks like a mess. But it's small & cramped. (One day my dream of California Closets will come true!) For now, I promise you, dear reader, it is well-organized & exceptionally neat.

For the shoes that are boxless, such as my Orla Kiely wellies and Coleman hiking boots, I hung their pics on the top shelf as reminders.

The only things I would do differently are write stories on the back of the shoe photos, take photos of every t-shirt and tank, take photos of my winter sweaters too (which I can do during winter break...), and print doubles of shoes so one set can go in binder (which I can do during winter break too).

I was thinking this little project is perfect for organization & outfit preparation, but on a morbid note, it's good for insurance purposes & casket attire too. (If that sounds weird to you, clearly you don't know how weird I am.)

From Tuesday night to Thursday morning. Not bad. For pics with stories, outfit suggestions, and level of love codes.

According to my closet, the most loved designers are Orla Kiely, Johnny Was, Lilly Pulitzer, Free People, Boden, and Gap Demin.

The best deals were $188 Blue Cult jeans for $19.99; $130 Campers for $25; and countless of designer (Juicy Couture, Lilly Pulitzer, etc.) finds by Hons at the resale shops in Ft. Myers, FL.

I'm serious about hiring myself out as an organizer. If you're interested leave a comment with your email & we'll discuss.

I just might have a new calling in life.

But before I answer that calling I need a shower & a great summer outfit.

Oh NO She Didn't...!!!

2008-08-14T00:18:00.005-04:00

28 hours later. I'm done.

Booya! I am motivated after all.

After 3 hours of taking pictures of my wardrobe.

4 hours after uploading pics to Walgreens, petting Bleu in between uploads (approximately 20 minutes for each 12 pic set of 136 pics).

2 1/2 hours waiting for Walgreens to call on my order.

4 1/2 put together time. (Well, calculate in 45 mins of Project Runway [We have the original DVR TIVO]. Thank God for Tim Gunn giving me a break while firing me up!)

AT 12:30, here I type, should-be-drunk-on-wine-but-exhausted-and-accomplished-yet-still- looking-for-some-pics-that-seem-to-be -missing.

Each pic in the binder contains the buttons & tags as well as the story behind the garment.

If only I was this motivated & OCD about my writing. Maybe one day...Maybe...

However, b/c I'm a label & money whore I'd be willing to this for your closet at a fair price. Fair being a very subjective word depending on your warobe & care of it...

Fun in the Sun

2008-08-13T14:38:00.008-04:00

New Buffalo, MI. Harbor Country.

I met up with a very close friend from grad school, KLA, recently for a girls' getaway--something we both really needed. (Thanks for a great time KLA! You rock!)

Of all the pics I took this one was my fav. I took it from the balcony of our room at the Harbor Grand. The hotel was exceptionally clean and comfortably spacious, and its central location made getting around town on-foot or bike a cinch. The pool area was goregous too! However, the staff were not-so friendly or informative. I would recommend Harbor Grand if you know the area and/or don't use the concierge service much. If you rely on the concierge, I suggest finding another hotel with better customer service or figuring out your way around BEFORE staying there. The concierge at Harbor Grand were force-ably nice, not reliable, & a little put-out with our questions and requests that were not of of the ordinary and were encouraged by their website.

The area is fantastic, though! AB FAB!

Best memory of our trip: The first night there as a horrible storm where lightning struck one of the marina's piers, creating a human-sized sparkler. Of course we gawked from our patio door with it open & our heads hanging out. Then the tornado siren went off. Instead of huddling down in the lowest level of the hotel (a 1/2 flight of stairs down from us), we braved it in our room, swearing (literally dropping f-bombs) & swearing to dive into the bath tub if we see any twister action. It was AWESOME. I haven't laughed that hard in a really long time!

If you find yourself in New Buffalo or Harbor Country, check out these great restaurants or places of interest:

Redamak's: Great for lunch, especially if you're hungover. Burgers are the specialty. Milkshakes are grainy in that powdered-milk way, so avoid those. They only accept cash. Remember to bring cash. ;)

Timothy's: AWESOME for a swank dinner out while wearing casual attire. It's a seafood place, so know they're not the best at cooking filet mignon. Portions are huge and the food is intoxicatingly delectable. Prices are good. Homemade blueberry martinis are a MUST!

Gordon Beach Inn: Where Timothy's is located. This inn has a woodsy, homey vibe. Definitely a place worth investigating for future stays.

Bentwood Tavern: Rumor has it that one should be asked to sit on the roof of this marina restaurant.

The Stray Dog: No Black Dog Tavern but decent food in a beachy setting. Again large portions.

Vickers Theater: KLA & I talked about going here just b/c it looks purely radical. However, why see a movie when there's so much to catch up on? Therefore, I plan on going there with FDR sometime.

Go to the Beach: Of course!

And explore all the fun that can be had in MI!

In the words of Sufjan Stevens, "Say Yes to M!CH!GAN!"

And said YES to MI we have! KLA & I both loved the area so much we're planning next year's trip with ourselves, husbands, and dogs. I can't wait! Lounging on the beach, swimming in Lake Michigan, and eating at fabulous restaurants like Timothy's with good friends sounds beyond fabulous.

I just wish we were going this week. But, no, a year from now.

This week is dedicated to lesson planning, uploading Blackboard sites, and general readying for the semster, not fun in the sun.

Book Review: Zucker's _Eating in the Underworld_

2008-08-03T16:17:00.001-04:00

Eating in the Underworld by Rachel Zucker

rating: 4 of 5 stars

I worship Rachel Zucker.

I wouldn't say I worship _Eating in the Underworld_, though.

This poetry collection was beautifully crafted, perfectly lyrical, and all-around well-written, but it wasn't exactly for me.

I like that Zucker puts a new spin on the Persephone/Hades myth, but sometimes it felt more like a project than a book that could change my life forever. However, without this book and the grappling between mother and daughter/child I'm not sure _The Last Clear Narrative_ would have been so life changing.

If anything _Underworld_ gives me hope that my younger poems are building towards something grand.

I'm happy I've read and I own _Underworld_. It is after all written by one of my fav poets...

View all my reviews.

Book Review: Bonomo's _Installations_

2008-08-03T10:21:00.002-04:00

Installations by Joe Bonomo

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bonomo's _Installations_ is mysteriously gorgeous and intellectually haunting. Each prose poem (beginning with the lines: "A large, well-lit, white-walled room. You walk to a red line painted on the floor.") serves as an installation art piece that is examined by a "you." These pieces (the poems/prose/memoir) replicate the art pieces in an innovative way--one that realistically enacts viewing art into written word. Like viewing art sometimes I just moved on to the next piece without hesitation, sometimes I lingered, other times I obsessed and forgot the time, and almost always I acknowledged rigorous thought and felt some kind of emotion.

Note to self: One emotion I felt several times was jealousy (over the form, language, concept) but, of course, the kind that is from the most loving place.

Like minimalist contemporary art some of the pieces "seemed" easy or underwhelmed or repetitive in a non-repetitive way. Though these qualities could be viewed as shortcomings, they appear to be intentional, at least in my reads. These are aspects I would like to hear Bonomo discuss, though.

The pieces (as identified by their last lines) that I gravitated towards were: "6:47," "Planes and birds glide in eternal gravity," "Your body, in mourning and great reluctance, received you back," "With history in front of you, you feel a tingle at the back of your neck, and you turn around," and "You want to open that drawer."

My all-time fav for its ability to articulate my own art viewing emotions most closely: "What is that small bloom of dread in your chest that you can't name?"

_Installations_ is full of real and surreal surprises, lockets of images, and invitations to join in. And join in, you should.

View all my reviews.

I Just Might Be A Dog: A Tribute to Bleu

2008-08-02T09:12:00.008-04:00

As Bleu and I rounded the corner onto our block this morning during our walk, I remembered being called a "dog" by my middle school bullies.

Based on how much I love BooBoo, I'd now take being called a dog a compliment.

~

Last night I bawled my brains out when Sam the Dog in I Am Legend died. As GLM pointed out too, I'd much rather see humans die than dogs. What has happened to me?

To comfort me, FDR paused the movie and said, "It's ok. You now just get 'it.' You're now a dog person."

I'm a big black lab person who also loves a mouth-less white kitty.

Oh, the pangs of being a Gemini...

~

The only other living creature I know who is as food-obsessed as me is my dog.

~

In the past 7 months we've spent enough on Bleu to qualify his furry ass as a smooth-bottomed baby:

environmentally-friendly premium dog bed for the living room (check), dog bed for our bedroom (check), specialty collar (check), back-up designer collar (check), Gentle Leader (check) all-natural, allergy-free food (check), 20 vet visits to get rid of parasites picked up from his birth kennel and to figure out his food allergy (check), throwing out the food that he had allergic reactions to (check), new vet (check), flea, tick, heartworm, & other monthly meds (check), pet shampoo & wipes (check), obedience lessons and puppy playdates (check), dog art & bed time books (check), an XL kennel for when he grew out of his L kennel (check), eco-friendly poop bags (and Mama's favorite dog store!!!) (check), deshedding brush (check), pet vac (check), hunting gear (check), countless supposedly "indestructible" toys that we have thrown away (check), Nylabones: the only indestructible toys (check), self-help dog books and dog owner memoirs (check), brake-fast® dog bowl (check), countless-other things-I-can't-remember-b/c-there's-just-too-many-of-them (check). A good $1000 or more.

Bleu resting his little-big head on my feet while I write this blog post; Bleu licking my tears away during I Am Legend; Bleu wagging his butt when he prances out of his kennel when we come home from errands; Bleu swimming like a little gator; Bleu performing any command perfectly for an ice cube; Bleu play-bowing at the words "walk," "eat," and "hunting"; Bleu carefully watching bunnies hop across the yard; Bleu barking to guard his mama from the mailman; Bleu rolling over so I can scratch his belly even more; Bleu trying to sleep in my lap like when he was a puppy; Bleu flopping down and sighing before taking a nap in the shower; Bleu snoring. Priceless.

~

At nine months I couldn't be more proud of my canine best friend. He's still a crazy pup-pup, but he's starting to mature into a handsome dogus.

Happy 9th month birthday, my little moose!

2008-08-01T16:32:00.000-04:00

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

Review of Kitchen Confidential

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Written in the sarcastic, harshly honest, vulgarly funny tone that viewers of "No Reservations" have grown accustomed to, _Kitchen Confidential_ is nothing short of fabulous. Of all the chefs out there, I trust his opinion on what knives to buy--mostly because he's leave pot or pan unturned in this memoir. The only draw back for me was that it felt a little repetitive at times--perhaps that was intentional. Regardless, a must read for those interested in food, travel, and hilarity.

View all my reviews.

♪♪ Because The World Is Round ♪♪

2008-07-29T08:18:00.003-04:00

With my morning cranberry juice I enjoy catching up my friends' blogs. It's kinda like my private time in the morning. The quiet before doctor appointments, puppy playdates, errands, cleaning, get-togethers, blah, blah, blah, etc.

After an usually up-and-down-day yesterday I'm been feeling frustrated, unsatisfied, bored, & generally pissed off to the point I restrained myself from physically bitch-slapping quite a few people.

I considered writing a rant-post about my yesterday. But after reading this post I realized I needed to focus on the things I love. Thanks, Lemon.

So I selected The Beatles' Abbey Road, pressed the round play button on my iTunes, and began this lovely blog-rant.

1.) My husband is by far the only person who "gets" me on every level. His love leaves me speechless in the best ways possible. I would have lost my mind long ago if not for his level-headedness that always pulls me back to the core of our lives & myself.

2.) As crazy as that moose-puppy Bleu can be, in the mornings when he snuggles under the bed covers and curls up in the crook of my stacked legs, I feel such tenderness for him, even to the point that I love him even when he's butt-tucking through the house after his bath shaking water all over the walls and furniture.

3.) I love the joy the freshly cut flowers I got at our Farmers Market brings me. In fact I love the Farmers Market period. I'm learning to be more creative with food, and it makes me feel happy and healthy to know I'm part of a food community.

4.) One great thing yesterday was that I got to talk to a couple of women who've I respected and adored from a distance for quite some time. Talking with them helped me realize afterward that I need to focus more creating a local community of friends, and that there are like-minded people nearer than I thought.

5.) Each day is a blessing, and thankfully each day starts new. And today I'm not going to obsess about yesterday. I'm going to move forward today. I'm going to create something new, worthwhile, and use all this new day's freshness to my best ability. No point in wasting it on non-love. Today is full of love.

The Dog Days of Summer

2008-07-27T11:35:00.003-04:00

I've been wondering about the expression "The Dog Days of Summer" for quite some time.

After continually asking FD where the expression came from he told me in btw-fashion the other night that it comes from the constellation Sirius the Dog rising and setting with the sun during July through September.

I easily could have looked this up on Wikipedia but I would much rather hear from FD. It trust his sources more.

We're finding ourselves in the Dog Days of Summer with many visits to friends' and families' places and visits from family and friends. It's wonderful catching up with our loved ones and enjoy the last few weeks before the semester begins. However, it doesn't leave much time for blogging.

Quickly, though, a list of good things to check out from our adventures:

My bro turned 30! Celebrating with him was awesome!

Bell's Brewery: Great microbrews & healthy bar food for a change.

Food Dance: I could live there and eat there all three meals a day every day. And 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right, Gary? Thanks for taking us there, man.

Perrysburg Farmers Market: Buying almost all of our food sans dairy at the market has been food heaven. I'm dreading winter.

Luginbill Farms: The BEST lamb chops we've ever had. Find them at the Perrysburg Farmers Market on Thursdays 3-8 p.m.

Bass Pro: Awesome if it's your thing. An hour there is good by me. FD needs 10 hours.

I feel like I'm forgetting a whole lot of good things and related stories. Oh well...

More adventures to come as well as some reflections on finding old friends online, writing, random thoughts on the direction of my blog, etc.

2008-07-17T10:06:00.001-04:00

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
While I want to buy this book I'm scared to.

Pollan's _The Omnivore's Dilemma_ is an informative and thoughtful reflection on food and where it comes from in our modern culture. Pollan splices journalistic accounts of his own experiences buying food, working on a farm, hunting and gathering and buying a cow with countless other sources to help credit his arguments and with historical information about food to inform us of the four meals possible in our culture: the processed, organic, grass-fed, and hunted/gathered.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the processed, organic, and grass-fed sections, I wasn't as much of a fan of the hunted/gathered section. This particular section seemed a bit over the top for me, especially as a wife of a hunter and fisherman. I've become accustomed to seeing my meal in its dead form as well as in the necessary butchering stage so it can be eaten and discussing it during the meal in terms of the exact hunt, location, weather, circumstances related to the specific day that meal was caught. So when Pollan talks about hunting it's a little over-sensationalized for me. However, I appreciate his newly found respect for hunting.

Some of my fav passages which I'm putting in the review because I couldn't mark up the library book:

page 215 Arthur Koestler's definition of "holon": "an entity that from one perspective appears self-contained whole, and from another a different part."

page 248 The Weston Price Foundation

page 254 "A protest of what exactly is harder to pin down...expense to opt out...distrusting Walmart...wanting to keep their food dollars in town..."

page 257 "Local food, as opposed to organic, implies a new economy as well as a new agriculture--new social and economic relationships as well as ecological ones. It's a lot more complicated."

page 264 descriptions of the grass-fed meal.

page 281 description of his food journey in the simplest of terms "...to look into the food chains that support us as I could look, and recover the fundamental biological realities that the complexities of modern industrialized eating keep from our view."

page 285 "'Nature,' as Woody Allen character says in _Love and Death_, 'is like an enormous restaurant."

By far the most hopeful and mind-blowing part of the book hands-down belongs to the Grass-fed section. I can't explain how I would irrationally move to Virginia just to be near to Polyface Farms even though I have found my own quite fabulous grass-farmer here in Ohio--Luginbill Farms.

Why would I be scared to own this book? Because it's made me so much in-the-know that I can't go to the grocery store without being hyper-sensitive and critical about what I'm putting in my cart, emotionally, politically, and psychologically, which then led me to become obsessed with the food I eat at the wide variety of restaurants we patron. The only time I feel content eating now is after we visit the Farmers Market and return with our local fruits and veggies or at Revolver Restaurant where they tell patrons on the menu which farms the food came from. While I'm not sure all the food we buy at the Farmers Markets grows on sustainable farms, I do feel better about buying food straight from our local farmers.

My recommendation is this: If you sincerely want to know what is happening in America's food culture, read this book. You'll be forever changed.

If you want to be able to happily eat whatever you wish without thinking about it, don't read this book. You'll be in the dark, and that will be a happy, easy place to remain.

As much as I sometimes wish I was in the dark, especially so I could enjoy restaurant eating again, I'm happy I'm in-the-know.

View all my reviews.

Reverend Chicos: Part Deux

2008-07-16T19:01:00.005-04:00

After many heated comments from Reverend Chicos' supporters on my first blog review of the restaurant, I've decided to swallow my pride and give it another try.

While it did impress me in some ways, in other ways it still failed me.

Good things first: The service has much improved. Our waitress was very kind, quick, and helpful. She knowledgeably answered our questions about popular drinks, on-tap beers, and popular dishes. She checked up on us consistently but not annoyingly, and she was friendly in her small talk.

The ambiance of the joint was still clean, contemporary, and spacious. In fact, I find the exposed brick walls and tall top seating quite nice.

The drinks were AMAZING! I had a Blue Caribbean martini and a Sangria-tini. Both were delicious and filled with the right amount of booze. Also, my husband couldn't stop singing the praises of microbrews they have on tap. Clearly, Reverend Chicos is a place for young professionals to meet up after work, have a drink and relax, which is cool--BG does need an upscale bar like this.

However, let me qualify the food review by saying that I have become a food snob and Revolver Restaurant has spoiled me.

The food still did not impress me. After asking the waitress what the most popular items on the menu were, I chose the Cuban Panini sandwich from her list. And while it was good, it didn't blow my mind. I had hoped the bread part would be crunchy. Instead the bread became soggy and was tasteless. The mustard overwhelmed the sandwich too.

The cheese on my husband's Chimi-chico was congealed and greasy, and the wrap of it literally consumed the other flavors within it; it was so thick the chicken was lost in it. The rice, sauce, and wrap seemed to be the 3 major components.

I just feel the food lacks passion or care or that "umph" that restaurant food should have. It just isn't as thoughtful as I like my meals to be.

Let me be clear: I do think Reverend Chicos is worth supporting, but my argument is it's a better bar than restaurant. The food just feels generic and much like an afterthought in comparison to their drinks.

The desserts were quite tasty, especially the brownie with fried ice cream. Beware, though, our friend KB who joined us for dindin and ordered the key lime pie found it to be more like a cheesecake than key lime pie. My husband liked his flan well enough.

Honestly, I feel like this review is half-hearted much like our experience was.

I gave it another try, dear Reverend Chicos' fans, and I just can't join your team.

After spending $52 including tip I just felt dismal and I realized would have rather spent that money at Trotters where it's clear they are passionate about their Brown Jug Steak.

I give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5, and I would go back for drinks but not dinner (or any food for that matter).

This is just my humble opinion. I respect if your opinion of the restaurant is different. We all don't like to eat the same things, and we all have different palates. But if you feel the urge to leave a scathing comment, please think twice. Why not try a restaurant like Revolver and see what I deem as thoughtful, meaningful food? Then we can have a real conversation about restaurants, OK?

~

PS: The Aftermath of Reverend Chicos (through Twitter):

8 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

11:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m. About 6 Tums

6:00 a.m. Finally able to sleep

8:45 a.m. Surmised that Reverend Chicos possibly uses MSG. Was bloated/swollen, nauseous, had headache, and spend much of the night in the bathroom. Trust me, it wasn't from the drinks; my buzz wore off 15 minutes after dinner when I had about a gallon of water.

Be careful if you have a sensitive system and if you choose to eat there.

♫ "Will You Still Need Me; Will You Still Feed Me When I'm 64?" ♫

2008-07-16T18:53:00.003-04:00

Seriously, this is why Helen Mirren rocks!

63 and she's still hot.

Here's to you, Helen!

You're an inspiration, lady!

(*sigh* I really need to work out more often...)

Thanks to Plattitude for posting this pic to Facebook and props to Mail Online for the pic.

"Heaven isn't too far away; Wish we could go to Revolver Restaurant every day!" (My Tribute Song to Revolver)

2008-07-10T18:32:00.008-04:00

To celebrate our 3rd Anniversary we went to our FAVORITE restaurant in Findlay: Revolver Restaurant.

On the revolver last night was Jimi Hendrix and not exactly the poppy Hendrix you'd hear on an oldies station. It was all-out experimentive guitar solos. RAD!

We decided we'd be pigs and eat 3 courses instead of the regular 2 AND have dessert.

Oh my, we were pigs. The portions have gotten MUCH bigger. But we kept eating. And after dinner during the car ride home we actually talked about turning the car around and doing it again. Seriously, we love it that much. We barely slept the night before. All day long we verbally were counting down the minutes until we could leave. And to boot we left the house early because we couldn't stand it anymore. Going to Revolver, for us, is like Christmas Eve combo'ed with the eve of going to Cedar Point.

Chef Micheal Bulkowski yet again delivered the food we dream about:

Rabbit with baby carrots (the humor of this dish nearly killed us--us eating rabbit who ate carrots ! Love it!)

"Lake Erie Perch with fondant potatoes, spring peas, & parmesan-lemon-thyme broth"--writing this makes my mouth water. I was in heaven while eating it. In case you don't know I'm a huge fan of Lake Erie!

The apps were out-of-control great and again HUGE portions: FD got pork belly (Oh-so good!) and I got "house cured bresaola" with goat cheese and crackers. And I haven't even begun talking about the cucumber gazpacho and my organic greens salad.

Better yet what about dessert? I forgot to take a picture before it was too late...

The only disappointment: that Debi Bulkowski wasn't there. She's such a fabulous hostess-with-the-mostest!

Another Fab dinner.

And we got all this for $100 with a glass of wine and beer. C'mon! That's stealing, especially in NY where a burger alone can cost $20.

The other thing I MUST mention, too, is that Revolver is seriously "homemade," in my humble opinion: we can see the chefs in the kitchen, they use organic goods, and, for toppers, on the menu they list the LOCAL FARMS they buy the food from!

Again, heaven.

Or at least the white light I hope to see when I go there...Well, obviously I would be in hell if there wasn't Revolver.

Best part of the whole dinner: sharing the experience with my husband and best friend.

I totally can't wait to go there again in August with our good friends from Detroit!!

For more pictures of our experience, visit my Flickr page.

2008-07-09T14:50:00.001-04:00

Dot in the Universe by Lucy Ellmann

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once I started understanding and appreciating the experimentation of the blur between first and third person narration, I couldn't put this book down.

The themes/discussions of birth, life, death, love, lust, consumerism, and everything else (I'm leaving out a lot) are incredibly well written.

I laughed many times and other times thought Lucy Ellman actually had entered my brain, especially during Dot's realization and reflection on death and bodily functions.

This book is hardcore, I'd say. Not for the weak in stomach or mind. If you read it, be ready for the vulgar and embrace it. Once you embrace it the book becomes an accurate account of the human experience in its most honest form.

View all my reviews.

Here's to 3 Years and a Lifetime More

2008-07-09T09:52:00.002-04:00

RAD

2008-07-07T18:47:00.001-04:00

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Com-pa-ny products are now on my Christmas list.

Yes, I start my Christmas list in July.

A MUST SEE!!!

2008-07-03T22:22:00.001-04:00

THE BEST indy film I've seen in 4-ever!!!

Rent it or Own it! ASAP!

When It's This Hot Outside...

2008-07-01T16:31:00.001-04:00

...why not become a "shower pig" and hang out where it's nice and cool?

"Weird" followed by Silence

2008-06-25T10:06:00.004-04:00

FD & I have a tradition of talking before we hit the hay.

Last night I told him I don't have anything to say when he asked about my blog and writing.

Because I'm the new secretary for Alicia's Voice, I've been working on projects the help the cause. But this past weekend E., our president, asked if I wanted to read the police report for Alicia's murder. Of course, I knew the story, but I didn't know the story as recorded for public record. The report has been haunting my sleep and keeping me quiet with many inarticulate thoughts--usually how I get before I start writing.

While in Utah this past October FD, Nate, and I had dinner with Tung-Hui Hu (aka Hui Hui) who said a lot of the writers he knows don't like blogging because it takes away from their "writing" time. For me blogging has always helped my writing. But I feel a change in the tide coming. Blogging is great for my essay writing, but I fear it's not-so great for my poetry writing.

While I would like my poems to work as non-fiction and my non-fiction to work like poems, which I always imagined them to be, I'm discovering they are quite different processes. More to explore.

Anyways I may be slower between posts while I'm digesting things and working out a few new poems in the process. It's nice to be at this point again. I kinda missed writing poetry...

Off-topic, in food news, I found a grass-fed organic animal farm. Monday FD & I are going to pick up some "meats" (said in an orch voice). Today we're going to look at deep freezers. I want to damn all those food books I'm reading as well as hug their authors, tightly, very tightly.

On-topic, The Center for Access to Safety and Justice, a collaboration of Wood County agencies working together in one location to assist those affected by domestic violence, will have its Grand Opening on July 1. The ceremony will be held at Stone Ridge Golf Club in Bowling Green. Please RSVP at aliciasvoice@yahoo.com by Friday, June 27. Together we can!

Cursed

2008-06-21T11:17:00.002-04:00

Yes, I'm addicted to a pink whale, my pink pants, and a not-so-pink young adult series of novels about vampires.

Those are things that have been preoccupying me lately. A lot.

Well, those and Alicia's Voice.

And a little black lab puppy who likes to eat the plastic food/water dish in his kennel and poop and puke it out for 3 days straight. Good times.

Seriously, though, Bleu's been awesome lately; I'm really proud of how he's mellowing in his almost-ninth month. Maybe mellowing is too strong of a word, but you get my drift.

Now if only I could stop being addicted to vampire stories and clothes I can't afford. Oh, the joys of consumerism's curse!

Ride On

2008-06-11T09:13:00.005-04:00

Cedar Point: The Top 10 List

1.) I look like I'm from NY, according to a lady from MA with a Lily Pulitzer polo shirt. When I told her I was from OH, she frowned. But it's nice to hear on my birthday, "You have way better style than someone from Ohio."

2.) Cedar Point is a tutorial in tattoos: What NOT to get and Where NOT to get it.

3.) At the Point I saw way too many "hot" chicks looking at "old" men who were looking at "hot" chicks.

4.) Translation of #3: If there were a Cedar Point show it would be a special edition of Dateline mixed with What Not To Wear mixed with The Hills.

5.) Park food is disgusting. Barbara Kingsolver would frown. A lot. After lunch at the 50s dinner by Top Thrill Dragster I wanted to die. Or throw up.

6.) Found a beautiful $168 Tommy Bahama bathing suit at the Hotel Breakers clothing store. I showed it to FD. He frowned. Then he shook his head NO.

7.) Best Food on the park campus: Bay Harbor. FD and I smiled a lot during dinner. Though I thought they could use local veggies...

8.) The TGIF bar in Hotel Breakers is very shapely and a great place for a night cap after riding rides for about 12 hours.

9.) My new arch-enemy: Top Thrill Dragster. In the late morning we waited an hour and half only to make it to the gate on the platform while nervously anticipating the thrill that was to be ours next and hear, "TTD will closed indefinitely due to high winds. Enjoy your day at Cedar Point." Then we were only disappointed again to have the crew tell us after the thunderstorms, "There's no way it will reopen tonight." Only to see car after car go on it while we riding the Millennium Force for the 4the time...

10.) If it storms, STAY at the Point. Go have dinner. Take a break. After the storms there's no wait for rides. We walked on the Millennium Force 3 times and the Maverick twice. AWESOME!

The Rides Ridden List (in order)

Maverick

Mean Streak

Millennium Force

Waited in line for Top Thrill Dragster for an hour and a half.

(Horrible lunch break. Next year I'm going to bring my lunch or eat at the Sports Grill by Raptor or I'm going out of the park.)

Raptor

Blue Streak

Magnum (2 times)

Gemini

Mine Ride

(Dinner and Storm Break. Good times!)

Last hour park was open. Yes, we rode the following rides in ONE hour:

Millennium Force (3 times)

Maverick (2 times)

Millennium Force (Last train of the night)

RAD!!!

While there was a little frowning here and there FD and I laughed and had a great time! It's just hard to go to such a consumeristic place and not become a little depressed by American culture and behavior. I just had to remember it's a dream come true for me to be at Cedar Point on my bday with my totally RAD hubby!

Absolutely Delightful

2008-06-07T20:21:00.000-04:00

Denmark, Kangaroo, Orange by Kevin Griffith

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
An absolutely delightful collection of poems.

Smart and accessible.

Fresh and funny.

Lighthearted and thoughtful.

I adore it. Totally.

While reading I kept thinking if there was a band that could put these poems to music it would be Magnetic Fields.

The highlights: "Your Pants Look Disappointed," "The Kite," "Marriage," and "Coffee."

I whole heartedly recommend this book to those serious about poetry and those who want to like poetry but claim they don't "understand it."

View all my reviews.

Locavore Whore

2008-06-07T15:13:00.004-04:00

It took me a month to get through Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.
Which means I didn't devour it.

Which must mean I savored it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its thoughtful personal essays, well-researched history of food passages, and the fabulous recipes.

Honestly, this book does live up to the hype. I learned a lot about American food culture, how I can be a smarter consumer, and that I'm destined to be become a local foodie (aka locavore). Some of the best parts of the book for me were learning about Slow Food International's Thanksgiving turkey project and Cheesemaking homemade-style, testing the delectable recipes within the book, and reading Chapter 14 about harvesting animals (Yummo!).

With that said sometimes I wanted more from this book. What? I'm not sure. But something I can't quite put my finger on. In the last few chapters, Kingsolver mentions a few items their family still bought at the grocery store, which reassured me that I could trust her as a non-fiction writer. Of course, I trusted her all along, but something about the book seemed off. I told a friend on the phone last night that sometimes I felt like the book was "on par with those new-moms who tell the very-edited birthing story that neglects all the pain, suffering, and grossness." Of course, Kingsolver does fill us in some of the deets regarding animal harvesting, animal cruelty on factory farms, and turkey mating, but sometimes I felt like the book made it sound really easy to be a farmer. What about the crops that didn't go? Or what about getting through the craving of oranges and citrus? I guess I just wanted to see some failure or some loss of hope. The skeptic in me questioned Kingsolver's undying optimism. If she really is that optimistic, then rad; I'd love to meet her and have her rub off on me.

Apart from my skepticism, so much can be gained from this book. It's motivated me to buy local even more than I already was and to rethink the produce or goods I must buy at the store (i.e. flour and sugar) as well as the wanted items I need to learn to not buy (i.e. Reese's cups). I mean just look at this all local food asparagus and feta cheese frittata FD and I made for lunch the other day; it was gorgeous, tasty, and filled me with pride that I knew where our food came from and love for our Ohio farmers and animal harvesters! I honestly could taste the difference in quality, even in the eggs. I'm committed to continue buying from our local farmers markets in BG, Perrysburg, Findlay, Toledo, and other Ohio farms all summer and fall as well as hopefully from certain farms throughout the winter. Also, my new goals are to buy veggies only that are season and not ones shipped from FL or CA that are out of season locally AND to find and buy grass-fed animals.

I think what the book failed to focus on (though, it was mentioned a few times in Hopps contributions) that created a little crook of void for me was do what you can where you are. I'd love to start a veggie patch and garden more, but right now it's not realistically possible. However, there's always community gardens to look into as a start. While one day I know I will garden, today I know for sure I can support local farms, buy canned good from Toledo canneries, and reassess what I buy at the grocery or even rethink which grocery store I choose to buy from. Little steps are sometimes just as important as an all out huge commitment. I'm pretty good with my food practices: we haven't eaten fast food (besides Qdoba, which I can't give up) for almost one year; we've been buying organic for several years; we're thoughtful about how each food comes to our table. We're starting and we're trying. I just feel like it would be too extreme & set us up for failure to swear off all "corporate food" or restaurants that don't serve local ingredients. However, we will start requesting local ingredients on comment cards and supporting more local restaurants that use local ingredients such as Revolver Restaurant.

One day I know we'll really be off and running, and by that I mean I hope (fingers crossed) our green thumbs work and our turkeys hatch babies.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle earns five farm-conscious Hello Kittys. Just be prepared to become obsessed with food and the rethinking of food while reading this book.

Slacker

2008-06-05T18:15:00.001-04:00

I should be blogging more.

But I'm not.

I promise soon though.

Though sometimes I do make empty promises.

Barely Able to Breathe

2008-06-02T20:42:00.002-04:00

Dandelion heads have covered the lawn like snow.

It's hot. I welcome the thought of snow.

Because Idea Theft Is Something I'm Good At

2008-05-29T15:07:00.003-04:00

I like ideas.

Even better than liking ideas, I like taking ideas and refining them. Which gives me license to be a little sneaky.

Sometimes I just like to borrow ideas outright. For that, I always give credit where credit is due.

For example, my idea of borrowing ideas comes from some of my fav female poets: Mary Ann Samyn, Alice Fulton, Brenda Hillman.

I said I give credit.

Yes, so I "borrow" a lot for my writing. Which now includes my blogging.

I was reading Clamhead's blog and came across this post called "Life Cloud."

I like tag clouds. Which basically are word clouds.

Clouds are awesome.

Seriously how much more awesome can a cloud be if it's made up of words?

So I checked my Twitter Stats and made my own Word Cloud. Cool, huh?

Now I've just got to think of something original to do with it...

Of course, I could words from Word Cloud in the poems I intend to write very soon...

But there must be something beyond that...

One Fish, Two Fish...

2008-05-28T19:51:00.003-04:00

We've been swimming Bleu.

He's a natural in the water. When we first get to the pond, he always jumps in to get the feel of the water.

He cracks me up.

And when he swims I think he looks like a little gator, with his nose in the air and his retrieve in his mouth.

Obviously I know Bleu's a dog, but I think of him as a pig-gator-bear-wolf-frog-fish dog.

Speaking of fish, we're fish-sitting Sheba the Beta this summer for our friend and yoga teacher Megan.

Having a fourth member in the McRz family (even though she's just our summer guest) makes our house feel a bit more symmetrical.

Plus, it's relaxing to watch her regally swim around her little bowl. An added bonus: her off-handed comments about how crazy Bleu is are hilarious!

~

Tomorrow is the Findlay Farmer's Market at the Hancock Fairgrounds from 4:30-6:30. Saturday is the BG Farmer's Market at the Woodland Mall 9-1.

I heard there's a Farmer's Market in downtown Perrysburg on Thursday, too, from 4-8.

The weekend holds in store freshly farm foods, sunshine, and lots of reading. In addition to the live entertainment provided by my two little fishies!

In Need of Some Help

2008-05-22T15:10:00.006-04:00

Meet my new button man friend.

Sad thing is he doesn't have a name.

Can you help me think of one for him?

Also, Nameless-As-Of-Yet Mr. Button Man has a request for you too:

If you're an artist or vendor, Alicia's Voice is looking for items for its silent auction on June 18th at our annual benefit golf outing. If you're interested in donating an item, gift card, or service, please leave a comment with contact info and I'll get in touch with you. All proceeds go to Alicia's Voice and The Center.

Together We Can!!!

So Close

2008-05-22T14:29:00.003-04:00

My pick to win since the Top 24 was David A.

So close.

David Cook earned it. Seriously, every week he just got better and better. And I really like his music style. I just hope that in winning he can put out an album he wants to do, not some over-produced crap that doesn't showcase his talent.

Sometimes it's better to lose.

Sometimes.

~

It occurred to me today that I've been blogging over a year now. May 1st was the official anniversary.

At this point the only birthday I absolutely remember is my own and the only anniversary I remember is our wedding. That sounds greedy...

Anyways, with its ups and downs, I've realized blogging has actually kept me sane and introduced to an overall supportive community of "writers." Good times.

~

One last thing: After our meal at Revolver Restaurant in Findlay, OH this past weekend all other food just tastes OK.

Ugh.

So FD & I have agreed to dine out even less and save up for a trip to Revolver every month.

Seriously, if we can control ourselves from lushing it up there, it's not that expensive--no more than a couple of pizzas, mexican meals, take-out burritos, and a "nice" meal out combined--and it's WAY MORE worthwhile. Plus, having a goal like eating at Revolver every month will help me see the food we have and use it more creatively. I get lazy sometimes and don't "feel" like eating what's in the fridge. Revolver will only make me hold out longer and see that eating eggs twice in one day is very OK.

The Busier You Are The Better You Sleep

2008-05-20T19:44:00.008-04:00

With pulling together the Alicia's Voice Poetry Reading and Yoga Event as well as helping out our families, I totally forgot to pay homage to a little black dog & his 6 month bday!

My bad!

Here's Bleu in his birthday collar from The Black Dog.

I really wanted to get him a super preppy navy collar from Vineyard Vines, one of my new favs, (and I still want it!!! My bday is coming up!!! If you need any ideas: hint, hint!!!) but it only went to 15" & I wanted him to grow into it rather than having to buy him a new collar once he was full grown.

But I keep thinking every dog should have two collars--a fancy one and an every day one; just blame the label whore in me.

Anyways, today we went to the dog park in Bowling Green. It was fun.

I mean the park could use a good mowing and clean up. (Seriously if anyone out there wants to help me clean it up, let me know in the comments section!) However, it was a really neat park in terms of its space and agility equipment.

Of course BooBoo had to run through the tunnel 18 million times. Without treats!

That dog has no fear!

Then he tried new equipment with treats, which he seemed to like really well.

I was really proud of how well behaved he was while exploring and running around like a mad man.

The whole time, though, I was worried about him "getting hurt" or "eating poo" or whatever else moms worry about.

Thankfully, FD told me to relax, that I sounded like a mom on the first day of kindergarten and it wasn't necessary--that Bleu is a dog.

Sometimes I have a hard time remembering he's a dog and not my baby...Weird, I know, but until I have a baby he's my baby...
And he even communicates like a kid. We knew he was ready to go home when he kept laying down after walking a few steps.

My little angel...

He's really growing up and starting to learn how to behave himself...at times that is.

Thinking I need to blog every day now that summer is here. I going to try.

Feeling Blessed

2008-05-19T09:55:00.012-04:00

First of all, thank you to all who supported The Why & Later Poetry Reading and Benefit Yoga Classes for Alicia's Voice this past weekend! Even though the turnout was small, everyone's hearts were big. Thank you so much! And thank you to those who were there in spirit too--those that are far away but sent their well-wishes!

I'm excited to continue working with Carly on The Why & Later readings and working as a board member for Alicia's Voice. Both of these causes are very dear to my heart, and it's such an honor for me to be part of them.

Another great part of this weekend was spending time reconnecting with Carly--the sweetheart with a fresh flower in her hair. In two short days, we accomplished a lot: reading poetry together, doing yoga together, and sharing many meals together--literally! The best meal was the one we shared at Revolver Restaurant in Findlay, OH! The Silver Fox (aka Kenny Rogers) played quietly in the background as we ate some of the most delicious food EVER: asparagus soup

shrimp and sweetbreads

walleye brandade

veggie surprise trio for Car

braised short rib meatloaf with asparagus and potato puree

Desserts were delectable too! The pictures say it all!

Thank you, Debi, for your hospitality and for the champagne toast!

And thank you, Megan, for two AWESOME yoga classes that allowed me to feel justified in eating all this great food!

Coming down from a food/activism/friend high is a bit disorienting, hence, my cold. But I'm carrying my happiness with me through this week and beyond.

My only regret is not getting pics of me and Car together, especially at our reading...

Please Join Us This Weekend! Together, We Can!

2008-05-16T08:23:00.005-04:00

Join us to support The Why & Later: an anthology of rape and sexual assault poems AND to support The Center, a one-stop location for survivors of domestic violence. All proceeds go to Alicia's Voice and The Center.

♫ While My Puppy Gently Sleeps...♫

2008-05-14T14:34:00.007-04:00

Right now a puppy is sleeping on the couch in my office, and I'm quite content.

We attended our first puppy play-date, and BooBoo is wiped out. Perfect. Now I can get some much needed blogging in.

While I didn't win the 6word Twitter contest, I did win a different Twitter Zappos contest, which yielded a higher reward: a $150 gift card to Zappos.com! Yippeeee! The Twitter contest from @zappos_alfred was "Best advice I've gotten is from my Mom. What's best advice your mom gave u? I'll pick 2 replies for free shoes." Here's the winning advice I got from Hons: " Winners are: @HelloKittyAMR-mom told her marry your best friend and @katgil-mom told her to always think positive. I will direct msg you."

(Being a part of Twitter pays off, dear friends!)

Because I did marry my best friend, I gave him the gift card for a new pair of shoes. Ahhhh! Cute--I know.

I must admit, though, I bought myself a new pair of shoes too...I'm addicted...And I blame my no new clothes and shoes resolution for it. I will NEVER make that resolution evereverever again.

Still feeling run-down lately and pretty emotional. After Lemon Cadet's comment that I should take a pregnancy test, I must let all of you know I'm not preggars. I'm just crazy, which apparently is one pink line. Speaking of Lemon Cadet, Baby Lemon is here, and she's precious! Congrats Lemon Family!

I've been feeling a lot better over the past few days. Finishing my book review for Literary Review Magazine helped and being home again helped a lot too. I'm finding the older I get the less I like traveling. Perhaps I'm becoming a crotchety hermit. Or perhaps I'm just tired of traveling almost every weekend. It's exhausting and expensive. And as much as I love our families sometimes I just want to be home doing nothing but reading, blogging, and walking the dog. It's hard to be so close to our families and so far away in terms of distance, but it's life so I must try to handle traveling better. Somehow.

The highlights of seeing our families this past weekend was that my sister visited us for two nights and one day, which was really nice, and we had really nice Mother's Day celebrations with all of our moms, and I got to see the Cortes' fam pics with them and Flat Stan visiting the free stamp and Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame as well as Flat Stan sitting on a kid potty. Good times! (Suz, send me those pics ASAP!)

Speaking of Flat Stan, I'm willing host him if anyone out there needs a Flat Stan host...I adore him.

Just a two more things real quick before my sleepy head wakes up:

There's a dog park right here in Bowling Green! Does anyone take their dog there? It looks a little deserted...More on the dog park situation soon when it's not raining and I can investigate more.

And this weekend come on out for the Poetry and Yoga Alicia's Voice Event. We'd love to see you!

Obsessed Yet Again

2008-05-06T19:49:00.005-04:00

If you're on Twitter, you might have seen this RAD contest.

But if you're not, let me explain.

Patrick Sullivan Jr. won a VanHalen towel from a Twitter Zappos contest, and with the towel the very kind Tony included an a surprise, a $100 Zappos gift card.

Well, now the very kind Patrick Sullivan Jr. is paying it forward. He's giving the $100 Zappos gift card to the lucky Twitterer who tweet the best 6 word story.

Upon logging into Twitter this morning, my first thought was: "$100 in Zappos! Campers, darlings, here I come."

But now the contest has been become muchmuch more; it's become an obsession.

As some of you may know, I've been writing one to two line poems for quite some time. As it is, poetry is compressed language, and I'm in search of even-more compressed language that tells a story. The thing is I forgot about this quest over the past nine months b/c of, well, honestly, my job. But now that I'm home for summer I have all the time in the world, as they say.

And I have a sweet-ass Twitter contest to motivate me. Or now to help me realize my goal once again.

Though I want to win so I can get a new pair of Campers (or Vans...) b/c shoes mean the world to me (cliche yet again), I'm thinking I might not. My tweets are little out there.

But why don't you decide for yourself? Hell, which would you pick to win? We'll make our own contest...Well, that doesn't make sense, but I'll send some Hello Kitty stickers to the best (that's subjective) comments regarding this blog post.

My 6 word stories:

She outgrew her wood baby coffin.

He saw only the television reflection.

Loss, a you-never-know away.

Her desire is the snow's reflection.

I welcomed a fistful of mums.

This world full of opened scissors.

She left before the paint dried.

Poolside her toes shattered the water.

Her heavy hand frozen in reach.

My house: it's only one story.

Elated she frosted the chocolate cake.

The dog snores as I vacillate.

Fragile dishes clink in the sink.

The crack in the china is unrepairable.

Body: a shelf lined with bowls.

My dreams are hollow button holes.

Click of keyboard, but no words.

Her voice was garbled with longing.

The boy transferred to another school.

I know this story too well.

Don't make yourself sick over fish.

My palm around the bath’s knob—

My voice lost in a vacuum.

The beauty of it isn't mine.

~

Told you I was obsessed. That's 20 so far...

Most of the "stories" are from some of my poems. Others were on the spot.

I'm still thinking of some and probably will add a few to my list here...I have until midnight. How am I going to sleep tonight?!

OMG, 8:20 and I'm babbling about 6 word stories. American Idol is on. WTF?!

I am obsessed.

The Partial Summer To Do List

2008-05-05T19:17:00.004-04:00

Schedule Dentist Appointments -- Check.

Clean Lawn Furniture -- Check.

Yoga every morning -- Check.

Twitter & convince everyone to join Twitter -- 1/2 Check.

Why and Later Poetry Reading/ Alicia’s Voice Benefit Yoga Classes Promo -- 1/2 Check.

Two Review review -- 1/2 Check.

Puppy Playdates.

Puppy Classes & Training.

CheeBurger CheeBurger date w/ FD.

Shop for Mother’s Day, Father's Day, and birthday cards.

Why and Later Poetry Reading/ Alicia’s Voice Benefit Yoga Classes.

Revolver din-din with Car, FD, me, and a special guest.

Rilo Kiely w/ Stokey!

CTLT Clicker Training Sessions.

Cedar Point for my bday! Yay!

June 18 Alicia’s Voice Golf Outing – JOIN US!

Harbor Grand meet-up with KA. Yay!

Visit families and friends!

ENG 110 syllabus and lesson plans.

READ (about 150 books / 1 down) & post book reviews.

WRITE (as many essays or poems as possible.)

WATCH TV.

WATCH MOVIES.

Catch Up on Gossip Blogs & FAFA.

Nap.

Do “things” not on any to-do list (i.e. be adventurous and spontaneous!)

My Pic Says It All

2008-05-01T20:14:00.002-04:00

More blog action to come soon and more often...

Emotional Rollercoaster

2008-04-24T11:30:00.006-04:00

I've been experiencing this weird inner-debate regarding blogs.

I think sometimes I'm too honest, too raw, too revealing and I think, "Maybe it's time to just write about tv shows or current events or about poetics."

Then I think, "God, that sounds boring and useless..."

With having a public blog, one MUST realize that assholes read one's life events and make fun of them. But I know these assholes do this probably b/c they don't have the guts or creativity to honestly write about their true human experience.

I'm just telling it like it is...

And yesterday held yet another embarrassing experience I feel compelled to blog about. Because I honestly don't care about said assholes and why should I write about boring useless crap anyone can find anywhere else on the web?!

Yesterday I bawled in front of our dog trainer after class.

It was the first time I felt like one of my students, totally. I felt like one of the students who's fabulous but f'ed one little thing on the Works Cited page or didn't develop one small idea more fully and came to office hours to figure out how to do better but ended up crying for no explainable reason and then who got mad at herself for crying and acting "stupid."

Yep, that was me yesterday.

Yesterday, I first almost lost it at the vet. BooBoo is yet again on meds for his crazy-sensitive tummy. He can't have any motivator food besides his dog food, Nutro and Paul Newman's treats, carrots, and green beans. Knowing we had puppy class that night I sunk; with steak and cheese and BooBoo will do anything with no fear and focus on me totally. It was the first day of obstacle course puppy class. F*#$!

I pulled it together to collect the best-112-class-ever's portfolios and give them tons of hugs.

But on the way home, I teared up, thinking about how badly I'm going to miss that class. I heart them dearly.

But I pulled it together again to chop up carrots and beans for BooBoo, get him in the car, drive him to Holland, and get his excited big butt into the puppy class building. I felt calm and assertive UNTIL he started pulling me everywhere. He needed to say "Hi!" to his fellow classmates and their owners. He needed to say "Hi!" to our trainer's new assistant. He needed to say "Hi!" to the toys. That crazy BooBoo.

But then when it was time to start working, he wouldn't do it. Well, he would when he wanted to. The whole time it was me trying to get him to focus on me, him trying to interrupt the other pups' training to play, me trying to again to get him to focus on me, him focusing for a second then leaping towards the toys. And it was back and forth like that for an hour. He did play REALLY well with the other dogs this time, but I just couldn't take him not responding to me. At home, he's by my side all the time; he's my little buddy. But at school, he's too cool for me.

All this reminded me of the HELL I put my parents through in high school. Oy! [eye roll]

After class, I was overcome by memories of being a teen, BooBoo's crazy behavior, BooBoo being sick again, and whatever else, and I just lost it.

The best is, though, this is what I said to our trainer when I started to sob: "I'm so frustrated! He's not like this at home. At all. Or when we go visit places. I don't get it. Being a teen is so hard nowadays. How do they do it? This week has been so hard. Today is so hard. end of the semester is here and I've been grading like mad. Do you understand source synthesis and MLA? Sometimes I feel like I don't either! I miss my students already. And what if Brooke leaves Idol tonight? Oh, and my allergies."

AND WHAT IF BROOKE LEAVES IDOL TONIGHT? WTF?

If I was our trainer, as a person, I would definitely think I was having a nervous breakdown.

But then again, as a teacher, I saw myself as one stressed-out kid who needs a break. A LONG summer break.

When we got home FD was worried b/c I was 45 minutes late, BooBoo acted as a freakshow host butt-tucking all around the house, and I was a crying mess. Still.

And I cried well through Brooke being safe on Idol. Clear up until I cried myself to sleep.

Really what jackass wants to admit this nutso-ness on the internet? No one in their right mind!

Or maybe, just maybe, someone who isn't afraid to share the true human experience.

In my case, maybe a little of both...

~

An after-thought posted on April 25:

I dearly love the blogs I do read and link to on my posts and props column. Said assholes are random peeps I'm paranoid about...I've pissed off many people in my 30 years...

American Idol: A Facebook Convo Between Me & Theresa Williams--Maybe Idol's Two Biggest Fans*

2008-04-23T10:08:00.004-04:00

My Facebook status: Amanda McRz fears that Brooke from Idol is going home, and that makes me really sad...

Theresa: "Yes, I think Brooke is probably going home. It was a good show tonight though, wasn't it? I wasn't sure how it would work out with the show tunes, but they all did all right. I didn't think any of them had their "best" night, unless it was Syesha's best night. She quite surprised me. I thought Jason did better than Simon said he did, but it wasn't the best song he could have chosen. Yet there were moments in the song that were quite tender and lovely, nearly heartbreaking. I thought David Cook's performance a bit odd. Very soft until the end when he let his wonderfully gravelly voice take over. It was kind of pretty, but overall it didn't quite work for me."

Me: "I agree on all counts of Idol. I'm thinking that even though Syesha had her best performance, she still might go home in the next few weeks. She proved theater is her thing; America wants a pop star...I thought Jason did much better too than Simon said. I wish he would have put a Jack Johnson spin on this song, though, like David A did. I think then he would have totally kicked David A's ass! David A. put his pop ballad spin in it, and as sick I am of it, he's still my pick to win. America loves his bashfulness and strong voice. America needs more power pop ballads by males, apparently. David C...how I adore his rock stuff, but last night's performance was too much like a pedophile singing; it creeped me out. Totally. He's safe, though. Then there's my poor Brooke. She's been my personal fav since auditions. The one I've wanted to win. I love her voice and the style of her singing, but a do-over isn't cool, esp live. It'll be Brooke or Jason. But my pick is Brooke."

* Sorry my post isn't my usual rant, but the only ranting I have in me deals with grading...

I See the Light. Finally.

2008-04-21T22:44:00.003-04:00

In about one week, all of you will be able to enjoy the wonderful blogging of yours truly BECAUSE I WILL BE ON SUMMER BREAK!

Right now, I'm grading my little heart out.

So much so these words don't really look like words any more...And the numbers that are grades just aren't adding up. For reals. I totally jacked up one of my classes and gave them all the wrong grades. Then I had to take back those grades and give them their real grades. How do you like that for Just Kidding?...

I'm a Class A Moron, just like my boy Jackie D...

Until next week, relish in this thought:

Kristy Lee Cook is GONE from American Idol and all is right with the world of reality tv again.

[sigh]

The Story of the Great Bleu-dini and The Search for a Tasty Milkshake

2008-04-13T11:03:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I craved a vanilla milkshake.

But NOT just any milkshake. A CheeBurger CheeBurger milkshake.

This is not a "normal" craving. It's a every-other-year thing or a when-in-Florida thing, so I don't mind indulging in the CRAZY amount of calories and fat content.

I figured FD and I would go to lunch at Kermit's (our fav diner in BG) for burgers, fries, and shakes--a 50's kind of lunch. Yum.

When we got to Kermit's we found out they "don't serve shakes on weekends."

When asked why, our server retorted, a bit snottily, "We're too busy."

WTF?! Milkshakes are moneymakers. Someone really needs to tell Kermit that.

In sadness and a bit of anger, we ate our burgers and fries sans milkshake--a 90's kind of lunch. Ugh.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day obsessively considering my milkshake options: McDonald's (can't break no fast food resolution), DQ (didn't want soft serve), Marble Slab (way too expensive unworthily), The Sundae Station (possibly?) or the Ice Cream Machine (maybe?).

All I wanted was a true milkshake with hand dipped ice cream and little crunches of ice, not some watered-down, preservative-ridden, chemically engineered shake. It shouldn't be so hard.

Truth be told, I considered flying to Sanibel, FL (even checked flight costs!) so I could go to CheeBurger CheeBurger. Sans multi-million dollar budget and private jet, I was forced to pick something local.

Well past lunch and still weighing my options, FD and I left the house to grade student essays without worrying about a little black dog named Bleu. We crated BooBoo as always and headed off to the library. FD consumed by his grading ("That essay wasn't so bad...") and me trying to grade but continually talking through my milkshake options ("I could eat a salad for dinner and get a milkshake from DQ...Why can't Myles Baker Street serve gourmet milkshakes?...Why doesn't BG have an old school soda fountain?...Vermilion used have one in their downtown pharmacy; it was so cool...")

FD: "Could you please stop? Just for an hour? I'm really trying to grade."

Somehow I managed to finish five papers during our library visit, which freed up time during the two-minute car ride home to further vacillate my milkshake choices: "DQ and MickeyD's are out...I'm thinking Marble Slab..."

FD: "You want to blow $10 on a milkshake!? Are you nuts? It's not payday!"

Upon opening the door, we saw a black tail wagging beyond the baby gate.

A BLACK TAIL WAGGING BEYOND THE BABY GATE!

A BLACK TAIL THAT SHOULD BE IN ITS KENNEL!

WTF?!

!?!?!?

Somehow Bleu-dini escaped his kennel.

I imagine it looked something like this:
Between Bleu and Kermit's not selling milkshakes on the weekends, I lost my mind.

It didn't return until much later. After I watched the Dog Whisper, after I had my milkshake from The Ice Cream Machine (it was good, but not CheeBurger good), after Bleu pushed open the front screen door and escaped again, after my friend AS came over to play with Bleu and he tried to eat her hair, after an episode of L&O SVU, after I fell asleep and dreamed of Bleu escaping from his kennel again and hopping into bed with us...

~

PS!!!

OMG: There's 2 CheeBurgers in MI! We're so going this summer. Like the first day of summer.

That might mean I have to make milkshakes a twice-a-year thing.

Looks like Bleu-ser and I will be walking an additional mile every day...

Snippets of My Sunday Morning Convo with EJ, My 5yr Old Niece, While Playing Barbies

2008-04-06T16:28:00.003-04:00

EJ: "I didn't know you were a teacher."

Me: "Yah, I teach writing to college students."

EJ: "Should college students know how to write by now?"

~

Me: "What other American Girl doll accessories do you need?"

EJ: "The bed for Emma (her AG doll.) The Bathtub for Coconut. Some new clothes...Being a mother is really expensive."

~

Me: "How old are you going to be this year?" (I knew the answer.)

EJ: "6."

Me: "Do you know how old I'm going to be?"

EJ: Shakes her head.

Me: "Old."

EJ: "Well, I told you my age. Now you have to tell me your age."

Me: "31. Is that old?"

EJ: "No, but you don't look or act 31. You act a lot younger."

In Honor of All the Brain Cells I've Killed Doing Stupid "Things" in My Youth

2008-04-03T10:26:00.002-04:00

FD and I are walking Bleu who is picking up sticks & prancing around.

Me: "Do girl dogs have penises?"

FD: [silence]

FD: "Is that your idea of an April Fool's joke?"

Me: "I totally forgot this week was April Fool's..."

The Frustrated With & The Thankful For

2008-04-02T08:57:00.003-04:00

I really like to appear happy-to-lucky on my blog. Which is why I haven't posted anything lately.

Then I realized it's stupid to only post "good things," as Martha says. And posting my frustrations helped me see what I am thankful for and to rethink my priorities. That's always a "good thing."

So here's me at one of my more honest internet moments. And believe me the internet could use more of those moments. (That's a whole other blog post about the internet as PR, etc. etc. More soon on that.)

Frustrated with:

1.) Students who obviously don't give a shit about their education. Why waste the money? Drop out of school if it's so f***ing easy or f***ing hard.

2.) Online Teaching. I love it. Don't get me wrong. But what I don't love is all this bullshit about how upcoming online classes (like the ones I created) "overuse" technology. Resistant students, teachers, dept. heads, deans and all those other people scared of new technologies because they don't understand any of them and aren't willing to use any themselves need to stop campaigning against them and get on board by taking an online class or teaching an online class. The future is next year and technology is part of it--online or f2f. Ask any 18 year old. Now go ask a 10 year old. Then a 5 year old. BOOYA!

3.) Kristy Lee Cook. Seriously, how long can her untalented ass hang by a thread? Ramielle is going home tonight. Ugh.

4.) Never having enough time.

5.) Myself. Seriously, I know I need to let go of these frustrations and control what I can by making more time, voting more for David A, David C, & Carlye so Kristy Lee goes home, holding development sessions in my program to show how new technologies work and what they are good for, and accepting the fact that some students don't care and never will so they earn the NP and become someone else's problem.

Thankful for:

1.) My husband

2.) My puppy

3.) My awesome students ( you know who you are!)

4.) My morning free to blog, go to the rec, and read something other than essays.

5.) The two HKs in my life: Hello Kitty and Hell's Kitchen. We know by now about my love for Hello Kitty. The other HK, namely Gordon Ramsey, always makes me feel better. Or least justified in being frustrated.

Props to Fox for the pic.

Then and Now

2008-03-27T20:31:00.005-04:00

A Little More Hello Kitty Obessed than Usual

2008-03-19T14:16:00.005-04:00

Because I don't already have enough to do and I seemingly lost my mind this semester, I'm writing an 8-10 page Researched Essay with my ENG 112 classes.

And you guessed it: mine's on Hello Kitty. I'm speculating causes of HK's popularity among grown-up women in the USA.

While researching I discovered one possible cause of her popularity: her mouthlessness.

Several of my sources claimed she was popular because her mouthlessness is like a mirror. Fans of HK can project their feelings on to her, and suddenly HK is feeling the same way as them.

I like this theory.

But what seems most accurate to it is that most pet owners do the same thing. I can't tell you how many times my little Bleu is happy, sad, frustrated, excited, yadda, yadda, yadda because I'm projecting my emotions onto him, even though he has a mouth. My little pet is my mirror.

And, for me, HK is my little pet in many ways too...

I'm Cuter Than Usual. Thanks, Lemon Cadet!

2008-03-19T14:09:00.005-04:00

Jealous?

Get your Yeti on here!

Buy your own little bean here!

Thanks, Lemon Cadet, for the tees. I totally heart them.

Me Want Food!: A Tribute to The Best of Local Eats

2008-03-08T12:22:00.006-05:00

There are days I crave brownies.

To the point I would die if I don't eat one.

My problem was I'm not a baker and I just couldn't find any place that had the "perfect" brownie.

Needless to say, I died many times over the past 4 years.

I'm dying no more, though.

Thank you, Myles Baker Street!

Myles Baker Street has the BEST cookies, desserts, cakes, and truffles in Northwestern Ohio and dare I say Southeastern Michigan. Their prices are completely reasonable for the high quality ingredients they use and the gorgeous aesthetic of each baked good. Myles Baker Street also serves breakfast goodies and lunch goodies, and I've heard their soups are AMAZING! (I still need to try their food, but I've been such an addict over their brownies I keep forgetting the have food.) Additionally, the environment of the cafe is cozy and modern with wireless internet. If you live in or visit BG, you MUST stop at Myles Baker Street; I promise you won't be disappointed.

~

Besides brownies, the other food I'm addicted to is Mexican. I seriously could eat refried beans EVERY day. And so I go to El Zarape at least once a week. Their prices are beyond reasonable for their portions. (The appetizer chips and salsa are still FREE!!!) Their service is super-fast and friendly. And their food is tasty without the grease of some Mexican restaurants and authentic unlike "chain" Mexican joints. I recommend the Sopa Azteca, a Mexican soup, the enchiladas, and quesadillas. Fun fact: You can purchase their salsa to go; I always pick up a 16 oz container before I leave.

~

Our friend JP recommended the next two places to us, and I can't thank her enough.

FD and I have recently developed a taste for curry. And so far the BEST Asian restaurant we've eaten at in Northwestern Ohio is Bangkok Kitchen. Their curries are FABULOUS! You can order any of their dishes mild, medium, or hot. Just beware, the hot is fire-hot. What I love about Bangkok Kitchen is that they are always really sensitive to my shelled-seafood allergy. I just tell them about it every time before I order and they make sure I don't die. It's quite nice. Their fried rice rocks my world too. I haven't had any of the entrees except for the curry--I recommend the green curry and the Pad Nam Prik Pow--but I would bet anything you order would be beyond satisfying. The prices are pretty good. Just be sure to get there early if you go on a weekend night; the joint gets packed. Also, have patience. The food does NOT arrive quickly, but the taste more than makes up for that little snag.

Our other new fav international restaurant: Indian Restaurant The Jewel. The Jewel has a lunch buffet and dinner hours. Being that I'm new to Indian food and I'm a germ-a-phob, buffets aren't for me. I trust their wold be good, though, based on our dinner. The dinner portions are enough for dinner and lunch the next day, and for me, the prices were reasonable for that amount of food. (My Chicken Masala was $12.50 and FD's Lamb Subj Gosht was $13.95.) The Nan is to DIE FOR! I'm still craving it! And the setting is really Indian-inspired and quite comfortable. Hot tip: You can bring your own alcoholic beverages to The Jewel; they don't sell them, though.

For those of you who are new to the fantastic world of international foods my biggest suggestion for finding a good place is this: if you see people of that restaurant's ethnicity eating there, you can be sure it's good. That was the case for our experiences at Bangkok Kitchen and The Jewel. In other words, I rarely see any Asian folks or Asian workers at The China in BG, and the food at The China can't even compare to Bangkok Kitchen's. Also, don't be afraid to talk to your server and ask for recommendations and help. I've found that the servers know more than me and I have always like what they recommended for me.

~

If you're in the mood for Pizza, order from Pisanello's. Their ingredients are high quality and their crust is light and yummy! Why support corporate pizza when you can eat local pizza?

If you're in the mood for a deep dish pizza, try Myles. Good pie! Just be ready for cheese galore and HUGE pieces.

~

Surprisingly to me, South Side 6 has the BEST burgers in town.

Trotter's Brown Jug Steak Dinner is the BEST steak in town.

Call of the Canyon has the best sandwiches and corn bread.

And Stimmel's has the best lunchmeat--Boar's Head.

For microbrews and wines and a local grocery store that has it all including sinks and flooring (think a specialty grocery store meets Lowes), check out The Andersons. I'm a fan of the meatloaf and stuffed peppers at The House of Meats.

Best breakfast in town: Kermit's.

Best Cosmo in town: Tea Tree Asian Bistro.

Best Semi-Fast-Food Mexican: Qdoba.

Goes without saying, the best gourmet restaurant: Revolver.

~

All this talk of food is making me hungry...and craving refried beans, brownies, and a Cosmo.

Kinda A Little (OK A Lot) "Creepy" with Many Quotation Marks Involved

2008-03-07T18:37:00.006-05:00

Meet Prada Eames, my Second Life avatar.

My label whoreness=Prada.

My love of L&O CI=Eames.

I've been flying around Second Life, and I get it. But I don't.

Here's what I get: That, in terms of education, it's the next step. In the picture, you see Prada viewing the BGSU art gallery. How rad, right? And how rad that there are faculty offices where you can "meet up with" and "talk" with your professor bypassing all the awkward BS that comes with face-to-face meetings? And how rad that you can be at class in a "video-game-like" world? I adore all this business. But seriously how many students have the the newest Mac computers (or PCs) that are able to support Second Life? Most college students I know are poor, praying for enough money to get their textbooks.

Which leads me to what I don't "get": the desire to be freak-ish. Yes, in Second Life it's "cooler" to be something you could never be in real life. As you can see in Second Life I'm a brunette with Christian-from-Project-Runway jeans and a killer white jacket. No tats or pink skin or mohawk hair; I'm just me. (I admit if there was a Hello Kitty avatar I'd be her.) Aside from Hello Kitty, I don't want to be anyone else quite honestly. Also, I just don't want to put that much energy into a world that isn't Godly.

Yes, Godly.

Here's where SL gets creepy for me. Didn't God create us to live our lives in the flesh and blood? Aren't we put on this crazy planet to learn about life, love, fashion in real life? So why do so many people live their lives in SL? Seriously? I have a fab marriage, awesome friends, a sweetie puppy I adore, a job I love; why in the world would I need to live a computer-generated life? Aren't things complicated enough, though, with feelings, life lessons, and understanding the world? Why in the world would anyone want to "live" in SL? I mean bad things happen there: you can assault avatars, bomb buildings, terrorize islands. I can't figure out why people do that in real life; how in the world would I ever be able to understand the code for getting a therapist after a SL assault?

I totally understand the merit of online education/distance learning through SL. How rad to "transport" a class to India to learn about Indian poets and food. How rad to have a common meeting space to be able to "see" one another even though we're online and in different corners of the world while in class at the same time? In terms of all things education, I'm all for SL.

What I'm arguing against are those who use SL to live their lives.

That shit scares me. Our lives are so rich and meaningful; why in the world turn to digital media to create a life for yourself? Just walk outside and take a walk. For real.

Maybe a lot of people are afraid to go outside, let alone take that walk. But what does that say about our society? To me it says shouldn't we invest in cleaning up our world rather than creating digital ones (Hello, owner of Amazon who created SL in order to boost online shopping and online sales)?

The sad thing is I'm living in this real world and the Second Life one, and I don't have the hang of either one yet.

Though I see the merit in both, I just prefer the real one much more.

Quick About Things (A Sneek Peek of Sorts)

2008-03-05T19:18:00.005-05:00

This past Friday Stokes and I went to The Beachland Ballroom and saw the ever-so-sweet Tim Easton play live.

Because I'm a wimp who was afraid to have her digital camera confiscated, I'm using a photo from imaphotog. Thanks, imaphotog @ Flickr!

Yeah, there were like 100 people there, and tons of crazies with their digital cameras standing right in front of the stage taking awesome pics. I just watched them from my seat, crying a little. We all know my pics would have been awesome. And that I could have gotten Tim Easton to take a photo with me that I could have made my profile pic on Facebook. C'est la vie...

Tim Easton was beyond great--never a let-down yet when I've seen him live, even when he's hopped up on cold meds. The audience was weird, though. There was Random Clapper, Superfan who couldn't shut up between songs (literally, he yelled 5 minute convos with Tim), and the Sleeping Housewives. Guess you had to be there...

Regardless, Stokes and I had a fab time. And I learned how to text faster on my phone. Thanks, dollface.

Saturday, FD and I got some Bangkok Kitchen in Maumee. We're addicted to their curry. It's so good I crave it every meal. (Which reminds me I need to write post on all the local restaurants I love like Bangkok Kitchen, Myles Baker Street, and El Zarape. Another time though. Idol comes on in few minutes.)
After our tasty curry meal, we came home to snuggle up with BleuBerry and watch The Darjeeling Limited--twice! Finally, an idie film worth a damn. Thank you, Wes Anderson. How I love that you love little "stuff" and create sets that I want to live in or eat because I love them so much. Seriously, in my humble opinion Wes Anderson is THE best indie director right now.

Then Spring Break began, and, of course, I've been working the whole time. Why wouldn't I? Tonight through Sunday, though, I'm taking a little break to cuddle with my BleuBoo who was neutered almost 12 hours ago. You wouldn't be able to tell by the running and jumping he's doing that he's not supposed to be doing, but he is a little more tired and whiny than usual.

I'm hoping over the next few days I'll have a few moments to blog more. I have ideas for posts. One on Second Life. Another on how Hello Kitty is a form of escapism. Yet another on Pimp My Kennel. Or the dog that's allowed to eat high-end designer "wife-beaters." And we can't forget the standard here's-who-should-lose-on-Idol-this-week? (Definitely Danny and Luke from the Boys. I'll Twitter my girl predictions tonight.)

So many topics and so little time.

The Girl Picks & My Season Winner Pick

2008-02-28T11:06:00.005-05:00

Good-bye Kristy Lee Cook and Alexandrea.

And how much do I adore Brooke?

Top 4: David A., Ramiele, Asia'h, and Carly.

Top 2: David A. & Ramiele

Winner: David A.

Thoughts during Breakfast for Dinner

2008-02-27T19:00:00.003-05:00

I made eggs, bacon, and potatoes for dinner.

Bleu had his nose in the air, sniffing while wagging his tail.

It was the first dinner I had made that made him WANT people food.

Normally, I eat the table while he lays on his bed and watches me closely. (Our dining room table looks directly on his bed and vice versa.)

But tonight he begged. He paced. He rubbed my legs, dangling from the chair. He wanted bacon.

I didn't give him any. Instead I kept smiling at him and looking away, hoping it translated in dog language to "I love you, but I love my food more."

But one moment his eyes were so sweet and so sad, I was tempted to feed him bacon. I thought twice and realized that wouldn't be good.

I also thought and said to him, "If I love you more, I'd have to kill you."

It was weird. He looked so cute, so helpless, so loving. Excuse the cliche, but my heart melted. And I thought to myself, "So this is what it's like."

It's taken me 30 years of love to figure out what it's like to love a puppy. On my wedding day and each day I feel love for my husband, but love for dogs and kids. I didn't get it.

Then, suddenly, seeing Bleu beg for food, I got it. I understand why people love their pets.

But all this hoop-la about loving pets as kids means: I'm scared to have kids. If I loved them this much (as much as I love Bleu), I might beat them to death.

(No, I'm not an abuser, but just think of the PT Anderson movie Punch Drunk Love and you'll see what I mean. And think of the people who say, "You're so cute I could eat you.")

In short, so now I realize why my parents love me and want to see me all the time.

What would it be like with Grandkids???

Love. It's an f-ed up thing.

The Boy Picks

2008-02-27T09:35:00.003-05:00

Jason Y & Luke are gone Thursday.

At least I hope.

How much do I love David A.? That kid is a natural. He gives me chills.

I promise more soon on all-things-not-Idol.

Almost.

2008-02-22T10:15:00.002-05:00

3 out of 4 Idol Loser picks isn't too shabby.

I should have called Colton instead of Luke. I had a feeling America was as pissed as I was about Kyle not getting through...

American Idol: My Girl Picks

2008-02-20T21:25:00.003-05:00

Top 6 Girls will be:
Carly
Alaina
Amanda
Asia'h
Ramiele
Syesha

The Two Girls Going Home Thursday:
Amy and Joanne.

My Fav Girls:
Brooke (She so pure.)
Amanda (She's totally herself.)
Carly (She's Irish.)
Ramiele (She's so cute!)

The Girls I Can't Stand:
Amy--The performance sucked so bad I'm speechless.
There's just too many blondes. They remind me of Carrie Underwood. Doesn't a girl with another image deserve to win?

Tonight I noticed more so than any other season before that the contestants are hyper-aware of their appearances and images--how they look, how they dress, their hair, their shoes, what their promotional material is like, what image they are portraying. I keep thinking this has something to do with all the self-promo we do online via Facebook, MySpace, etc. Maybe I'm over thinking Idol, but I had to share.

And do you think Britney is crazy enough to appear on Idol just to meet Kady? I DO!

Tomorrow my girl and boy picks to win.

Tonight enjoy the lunar eclipse.

American Idol: My Boy Picks

2008-02-19T22:31:00.005-05:00

Top 6 Boys will be:
David A.
Jason C.
Michael Johns
Chikezie
David C.
Robbie

The Two Boys Going Home Thursday:
Garrett and Luke.

Yes, Simon, you were right, my husband and I had Big Question Marks above our heads during these two performances. In fact, we just Tivo-ed through them because they were so horrific.

My Fav Boys:
Jason C.
David A.
Robbie

The Boys I Can't Stand:
David Noreiga--Lose the cockiness, dude; it's too much.
Garrett--Simon's right again; you need some sun and some fresh air.
Colton--It should have been Kyle up there, not you.

Back to voting!

Confessions (Two for Tuesday)

2008-02-19T11:23:00.004-05:00

If you've read my Twitter this morning, then you already know.

But Bleu sleeps in his kennel all night--from 11:30-6 or 7 a.m. But the past two days we've put him in bed with us from 6-8 a.m. to get some more sleep.

And we do get more sleep. It's heavenly.

But that little pig is becoming a pillow hog.

Even more honesty, though, I'm worried he'll want to sleep with us all the time and stop liking this kennel. But I know if we make the pattern just for the morning and keep the night pattern the same with his kennel, he'll be fine.

You should see him jump off the bed. It's like he's saying, "I'm done sleeping. NOW, let's eat!" It's priceless.

~

I can't stop thinking about the shootings at NIU.

I want to say something more than "I'm sorry." Or "My heart is with them." But I don't know what to say about something so horrific.

I don't understand why that kind of violence.

My confession: More and more in my role as college instructor I'm becoming paranoid about my safety, my husband's, my students', and my colleagues.

I feel like I need to become a protector in order to be a good teacher. That scares me.

No matter what fear is not going to stop me from being the best teacher I can. If anything, I'm going to use it to empower me and appreciate my students even more.

Ugh.

2008-02-17T21:22:00.001-05:00

The title says it all.

I'm not feeling well.

Mental note: Don't buy school lunches for awhile.

I'm smart for giving up fast food 6 months ago.

Right On.

2008-02-12T11:17:00.000-05:00

This past year was all about Rehab (think: LL & BS), so it seems fitting that "Rehab" was song of the year...

Thinking About A Lot of Stuff At Once

2008-02-11T10:56:00.001-05:00

RIP Prince

2008-02-10T18:39:00.001-05:00

I just found out my parents had to put down our family cat Prince unexpectedly tonight at 5:30 p.m.

I feel helpless for Pops and Hons. But I feel even worse for my sister Angie.

I know I'm shook up; I can't imagine how Ang is taking it.

I want to write more but I just can't right now...

RIP Prince 2004-2008.

Props to my bro Ross for this great picture of Prince; I know he's hurting too.

I'm Not Above Stealing Ideas

2008-02-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

Maybe you remember my jealous post?...

If you don't, a brief recap: I was friended on Facebook by a girl I went to high school with and after viewing her profile I found out she has a kick-ass blog (she doesn't call it that, but I do.) I was jealous. Until Stokes set me straight. (Thanks, dollface!)

Plus, I've done lots of yoga and thinking since then.

I'm no longer jealous.

But, happily, I'm going to steal one of her brilliant ideas.

She's been doing self-portraits every day on her Flickr page. (Yeah, I stalk her on Flickr too...)

And I've decided I LOVE this idea. Think about it: so much happens in one minute, one hour, one day, one week, one year. Here us bloggers are documenting our lives with words (with a few YouTube videos thrown in), but self portraits? Be still my heart: how I adore Visual Rhetoric.

Really, I should get my PhD in Comp Rhet for how much I LOVE Visual Rhetoric and digital identity.

Alas, I love the money I make much, much more. (Even though, truth be told, I wish I made much, much more. LOL!)

Anyways...

It's so easy to expedite the self-portrait idea in this digital age, right? Hello, Photo Booth on Mimi the Mac (and other Macs...) And even digital cameras. (What of the new trend of taking your picture in a mirror?)

But here's my spin: to not pose. To post the first pic I take with Photo Booth. And to capture an emotion in the heat of the moment, not to try to replicate it later.

And I've been obsessed lately with feeling like I don't look good. Maybe I could debunk some of these "gross" feelings if I saw myself being natural in the moment and feeling an emotion in that moment without worrying, "A hair is out of place. Retake the photo."

So many people tell me I have a very expressive face. Shouldn't I put it to good use?

And perhaps get a good Facebook profile pic out of it...

Today's is called: "Unwinding on the internet."

Literally, I'm unwinding the internet.

I need to stop before I get more ridiculous...

Very soon I need to tell you all about my new awesome addiction: Myles Baker Street.

A Skirt Around The Issues

Reverend's: Part Three

Revived

On Why I Started EverydayPalate.Blogspot.com

My New Blog

November Won't Come Soon Enough

Top Chef Winner Coming to Revolver Restaurant

Some Bad BBQ

Other Than Dog

Once Forgotten

Resolutions...Then Again...

Christmas Cookies (Round 1)

A Kinda Christmas Story

Some Things Are Worth Repeating

During My Research

Yes, I'm This Obsessed

Just So You Know, I'm Totally Kidding

What Goes Around...: A Yoga Reflection

I Haven't Been This Crazed in a Long While...

One Part of a Weekend That Made Me Extremely Happy

Happy Day #2

Happy Day #1

Thinking...

Happy 1st Birthday, Levon Hubert Bleu McGuire Rzicznek!

The Most Important News on the Eve of Election Day

Campus Visitor Saturday Evening

Because I opened the Flood Gate

More

Guess Who's Visiting BGSU today?

Empty Promises

Teaser

When The Cow Came Home

Who Doesn't Love This Kid?

Bleu's Halloween Costume

♪ "Weather the Weather" ♪

A New Hope (*MAYBE* It's As Cool As Star Wars)

Two (or More) for Tuesday

I Really Need to Stop Thinking So Much

Farwell, my dear friend, Time.*

The Last of It

Oh NO She Didn't...!!!

Fun in the Sun

Book Review: Zucker's _Eating in the Underworld_

Book Review: Bonomo's _Installations_

I Just Might Be A Dog: A Tribute to Bleu

Review of Kitchen Confidential

♪♪ Because The World Is Round ♪♪

The Dog Days of Summer

My review

Reverend Chicos: Part Deux

♫ "Will You Still Need Me; Will You Still Feed Me When I'm 64?" ♫

"Heaven isn't too far away; Wish we could go to Revolver Restaurant every day!" (My Tribute Song to Revolver)

My review

Here's to 3 Years and a Lifetime More

RAD

A MUST SEE!!!

When It's This Hot Outside...

"Weird" followed by *Silence*

Cursed

Ride On

Absolutely Delightful

My review

Locavore Whore

Slacker

Barely Able to Breathe

Because Idea Theft Is Something I'm Good At

One Fish, Two Fish...

In Need of Some Help

So Close

The Busier You Are The Better You Sleep

Feeling Blessed

Please Join Us This Weekend! Together, We Can!

♫ While My Puppy Gently Sleeps...♫

Obsessed Yet Again

The Partial Summer To Do List

My Pic Says It All

Emotional Rollercoaster

American Idol: A Facebook Convo Between Me & Theresa Williams--Maybe Idol's Two Biggest Fans*

I See the Light. Finally.

The Story of the Great Bleu-dini and The Search for a Tasty Milkshake

A New Hope (MAYBE It's As Cool As Star Wars)

"Weird" followed by Silence