mittenmusings

Back in the Mitten again

We have returned to Michigan, where it was 29 degrees this morning. It's hard to believe that I have been in shorts, t-shirts, and Birks for the past few days! The sun was warm, the company even warmer.

I have a bazillion things to do today: pick up the Wonderdog from where he was boarded, grocery shopping, and a tire checkup. Two of the tires on my car keep losing air. Gggggggrrrrrr. What a pain.

We took 70-ish pictures over the length of our stay in Florida. I haven't loaded them all on Flickr yet, but will soon. I have so much to write about, too! Goodness.

Here's a few teaser pics:

That's it for now....Domestic Duties await!

Thanksgiving Hiatus

This afternoon, hubby and I are leaving for the Sunshine State. We are spending Thanksgiving with my mom and stepdad in Orlando. My stepdaughter LC will be joining us on Wednesday evening. I am really, really excited about getting to see family. We live so far away from our loved ones that we don't get to see them very often.

My mom, however, has been a bundle of nerves since we kinda, ahem, invited ourselves to Florida for the holiday. Mom has always manufactured a great deal of stress for herself for as long as I can remember. A little background: my parents had a terrible marriage. Though they lived in the same house, my father was physically and emotionally unavailable. I can't remember when my mom started to try to "make up" for his shortcomings.

But, I do know that she has never stopped.

She is wound tighter than the tightest drum about our visit. I know that she is striving to make everything perfect for me. It's really bumming me out. I hate to see her so stressed. Instead of making me feel loved and cherished, it makes me feel like a burden. I am, really, pretty easy going. I'm not sure if that comes across in my writings here, but I hope so. I just want to spend time with my Mommy. I could care less if the mini-blinds are clean, or if the gravy is (gasp!!) storebought. That stuff, although nice, doesn't mean as much as talking with my mom over steaming mugs of coffee.

I just want her to not try so hard. However, she's in a 33 year rut that may be tough to break out of.

Now my husband, remember, is a vegetarian. Bless his little heart...he is hiding this fact from my mom for our visit. He shall partake of token bits of animal flesh so that my mom won't implode from trying to find Tofurky in the heart of Orlando. I love this man. This is an incredibly thoughtful thing for him to do.

LC, aka the stepdaughter who gives me grey hair, is looking forward to a break from her everyday life. Since the tumultuous breakup with her boyfriend, she has really pulled her shit together. She has a good job, and just had a performance review where she earned a raise! Woohoo! She's doing well in her classes at community college. And, she just got a tattoo. I can't wait to see it! She's wanted one for awhile, so I'm glad she saved up and got one. LC is a sweet, sweet girl, with a good heart. I am happy that she is starting to finallly find her way in the world. I just wish that she didn't live so far away! She lives in Kansas. I'd rather she was a little clloser, so that I could keep a watchful eye on her.

Gus the Wonderdog will be boarded at a local vet during our family visit. Last night was spent making up individual serving packets of tuna and taters. I hope that damned dog knows how good he has it! I will miss him terribly while we are in Florida, but I know that he will be in good hands. Who knows? He may even get to run the front desk! Oh, the stories I'm gonna get from the vet staff when we get back...

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post from Florida. Mom does have a computer, but I doubt I'll have much free time to post anything. I need to take plenty of pictures while I am there. I haven't visted Florida since we got a digital camera, so I have lotsa shutterbugging to do! We return on Sunday evening.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday. Spend time with people you love, and take time to be thankful for not only all that you have personally, but also all our nation's bounty.

Health Update

Gus the Wonderdog and I are feeling much better here in Casa de Mitten. My headaches have subsided, and I haven't had to clean up dogbarf in almost five days! Woohoo!

Many, many thanks to you kind folks who sent "feel better" wishes.

Here Come the Brides

We spoke with my stepdaughter MB yesterday afternoon, and were so excited to find out that she and her sweetie R are planning a commitment ceremony for next summer. They have been talking about it for awhile, and now that they've picked a date (July 2) and an actual venue, it all seems like a go.

They are still in the preliminary budgeting and planning stages. You know, the usual stuff: "How much are we gonna spend on food, pictures, etc etc etc." MB loves planning these sorts of things. She really has an eye for design, and an eye for bargains, too. R gets stressed out by stuff like this. I told her the best part will be cake tasting. Mmmmm....

I am so thrilled for these two girls. They are so happy together. I haven't known MB all that long, but hubby says that he has never, ever seen her so happy. They have has to weather a fair bit of adversity in their relationship already. R comes from a very Catholic, very old-school Mexican American family. Coming out to her family was traumatic, dramatic, and painful. R also has struggled with a devistating illness. MB's work has been intermittently stressful and demanding. They bought a house together, and anyone who is a homeowner knows how tough THAT whole process can be! However, they have come through these challenges with great deal of hard work, love, and respect.

They are sad that their union will not be a legally recognized one. However, they are bright young women, and have taken necessary legal measures (as urged by moi and hubby) to have documents drawn up for wills, medical decisions, etc. The celebration they are planning is for them to joyfully announce to their friends, family, and community that they are family. I can't wait.

***
Note: Here's a key to the cast of characters in this post:

MB: daughter of my husband's second wife, to whom he was married for almost 13 years. He has been a stable father figure to her for most of her life, and continues that role. She's 27. I''m 33. Welcome to the new American family! :)

R: MB's girlfriend/ sweetie of about 4 years. They met in Austin, Texas at their workplace.

AWOL?

Yep, the posting has been a little lean this week. I wasn't too worried until I was tinkering around in my file manager and saw this:

So, you might ask, what has captured my attention this week?

1. First and foremost, I have been suffering from terrible, horrible headaches. I think they qualify as actual migraines, because I've had all the classic symptoms: sensitivity to light, nausea, fatigue, and skull-crushing pain. I think there is a hormonal connection to this, and I am not amused.

2. I've been plunking away at my NaNo novel. I've kinda run out of steam, or at least my story has. Because my head has been hurting so much, it's also been hard to work on ye olde novel. I have to make a decision to either leave it as is, and have a great short story to tinker with, or kill someone off and take things in a newer, gorier direction. I have learned from my NaNo experience that I really like writing fiction, and plan to do more of it. Yippie!

3. Gus the Wonderdog had a severe vomiting bout this week. Severe, as in throwing up undigested tuna and taters for two days straight. Poor poochie. We went to the local vet for some subcutaneous fluids and antibarf stuff. He seems to be doing better, but my little heart always sinks when Gus is unwell.

4. We are getting ready to go to Florida to visit my Mom and stepdad over Thanksgiving. We, uh, kinda invited ourselves. And my stepdaughter LC too. Aren't I a great daughter? My Mom, bless her little heart, is wound up SUPER TIGHT. If there was ever a candidate for anti-anxiety drugs, she is it. She has been stressing over the past two weeks as to what she will feed us for breakfast. Good heavens. It will be an interesting holiday, to say the least.

5. I have taken up knitting again. Damn you, Internet and your damnable Knitting Bloggers. I picked up a copy of Stitch 'n' Bitch with the last bit of a Borders Gift Card that I had (thanks, Gus!), and I am hooked all over again. I was amazed to realize that the knitting lessons my Gramma gave me, oh...25 years ago are still stuck in my brain. Just amazing! I am currently working on an oh-so-soft chenille scarf.

Yah, it's been a bit of a tough week, but I am hanging in there. My head is feeling better, Gus is doing better, and my scarf is lengthening by the day. Now if I can only get my novel to write itself, and my Mom to chill out....

Gonna make you sweat

I have gotten so much feedback from my Friday's Feast post that I thought I'd do a little update with regards to my fitness routine.

I have started up with training indoors for next spring/ summer's cycling season. Hubby and I have our bikes set up on trainers in the basement. We are currently using the Spinervals series of DVD's. I think that I am going to cycle instead of using the elliptical machine at the gym. Even with good tunes blaring in my ears, it's just...so....dull.

A few people wrote me notes lauding my fitness and exercise efforts. I made a decision this spring to get in better shape after I pulled out my shorts for the summer, and realized that I couldn't squeeze them over my expanded ass. Plus, I had decided to start cycling anyway, because it's a nice "together" activity hubby and I can enjoy (in public). I feel better when I am fitter. My clothes hang better. I have more energy. My moods don't swing up and down quite so much. AND, I can drink more beer!!

I lost about 13 pounds altogether to get down to my fighting weight of 125. I didn't follow a special "diet" persay, but did use a program called FitDay PC to manage my caloric intake and physical activities. From there, I just did the math: to lose a pound, you need to exert X amount of calories more than you eat. (I forget that actual figure because the software does it for me). I've lost the weight, and kept it off.

Am I a size 6 like I was in high school? No. But I am happy with how my body looks and feels. My blood pressure is low (90/60), cholesterol is good, and when I pulled my jeans out this fall...I could get them over my ass.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name 3 cosmetics/toiletries that you use on a daily basis.

1. Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion, because I have awful dry skin this time of year.
2. Burt's Bees Lip Balm: mmmm...minty moisturizing goodness.
3. White Musk perfume oil, from The Body Shop: I've been wearing this perfume for over a decade. An old friend, after not seeing me for awhile, hugged me and she said "Lisa, you still smell the same!"

Soup
Approximately how much exercise do you get per week, and what type of exercise is it (walking, running, swimming, etc.)?

Weightlifting: three times a week (a full body workout each time)
Walking: brisk one hour walks three times a week
Elliptical machine at the gym, which bores me to tears: two times a week, for as long as I can stand it. Ugh.

I'm so active for two important reasons:

1. My mom and grandmother both have/ had osteoporosis. I know that weight bearing exercise and a healthy diet now can lessen the chance of my developing it later on.
2. I really like to eat, and drink beer. 'Nuff said.

Salad
Write a sentence including your favorite color and your favorite food.

I remember wearing a purple sweater when I visited the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont.

Main Course
What famous person/celebrity do you think you look like?

Um....uh...I have no idea. Someone once compared me to Helena Bonham-Carter. I'm still not sure if that's an apt comparison.

Dessert
Name 2 simple things that never fail to make you happy.

1. That first sip of coffee in the morning. Aaaah.
2. Smiling at babies when I am out and about, and having them smile back.

((Whimper))

It is currently sleeting here, with SNOW showers on the way.

It's not cold enough for it to accumulate or anything, but still....

Yuck.

Oh, and...

If you click on that link to The Palace in the previous post, you'll see that The Motor City Madman himself is coming to town soon.

No, not Eminem.

Um, no...Bob Seger was never THAT much of a baddie was he? I mean, he ran Against the Wind, but sheesh...

And they say there ain't no cultchah here in the Mitten. Harumph.

Darn it!

I actually ended up liking, nay, enjoying Saturday's basketball outing.

Saturday evening's basketball game was a "reward" outing for one of the teams my husband manages. I think they met a goal early? Maybe? Anyhoo... The ride to venue was part of the evening. It was on a little mini-bus dealie that was really comfortable. Now, my hubby works with wonderfully intelligent, scientifically inclined, geek-a-troids. And I mean that lovingly, and admiringly, because these people think of amazing solutions to things that I never, ever could. However, the social price one pays for such brilliance is to be unable to make anything that resembles non-work small talk. The ride to the The Palace was an hour and a half of multi-syllabic, acronym-laden jargon. But, bless their hearts, these people do work that ends up helping a lot of people, so how can I really, really complain?

We arrived just before the singing of the National Anthem, and were whisked to our box. Nice. There was a respectable amount of refreshement already there awaiting us, and we ordered a tad more. After the Anthem, the announcer introduced the teams. OK, when did they stop wearing the short shorts on the basketball court?? I was, well, dissappointed. My husband was horrified when I asked him this, maybe a bit too loudly.

Well, shoot. He asked me to come along!

The trouble I have always had with basketball is that it has been hard for me to see the plays as they develop. B-ball is dull as dirt when it's just one showboater after another running up the court and stuffing in the ball. Ho-hum. Watching the games on TV doesn't really tend to give a whole court perspective of the game. However, from our vantage point up on high, it was much easier to see the game develop. Oooh! Passing! Oooh! Defense! Oooh! Fouls!

I get it now.

Basketball will never be my favorite sport, not by a long shot, but I certainly have a better appreciation of it than I did.

****
My Gosh. I just wrote a long entry on my newfound admiration of the sport of basketball. It may be the end of the world as we know it.

Let's get it started...and all that

Tonight, I'll be attending an NBA game, the Detroit Pistons against the Philadelphia 76er's. It's going to be a fairly swanky time. Yep, I'm a-gonna be all high-rollin' in a luxury box. There will also be refreshments and munchies.

Now, this would be GREAT, if I liked basketball.

I find basketball really, really boring. Yah, they run up and down and up and down and try to put the little ball in the hoop. Sometimes they do something bad and somebody gets to take a free throw. The person taking the shot usually misses. Then there is more running and showboating.

((((Yawn))))

I actually feel a bit bad that this spot in the box will be, well, wasted on me. Hubby is the one really invited, and he wanted me to come along. I would just as soon stay home and play a Board Game.

Heh heh heh.

No More Moping!

OK, I think I have pulled myself outta my post-election funk. Here are some things that have boosted my mood over the past couple of days:

**The pictures in this entry by the Dooce make me so warm and squiggly inside. Oh yah, the prose will make your ovaries ache, too.

**Pablo, un Gato Soñoliento is one silly kitty. Oh, and you might wanna open up the extended part of the entry...

**I adore everything this woman does, but she's really outdone herself with this year's Christmas cards!

**This picture made me homesick for New England. In the good way, though....I'm remembering autumn and good friends and cider and pumpkins.

**Giggle. Balls.....teehee.

**Deb's gonna be a grandma. Like, any second! Yay!

**HEY! I still have leftover Indian food in the fridge. Sweet!

**I've been following the saga of Riggs, Canine Escape Artist Extraordinaire. Don't forget...this was a free dog.

**I am still revelling in the fact that my BoSox won the World Series. Here is a great photo gallery from the victory parade in Beantown.

**More cute kitties!

**Lest the poochfans get testy, view this set as a slideshow. All together, now...aaawwwwwwww.

Now playing: "A Boy Named Charlie Brown," by Vince Guaraldi

Comfort Food

My husband and I were kinda in a "post election, damn it's getting dark early, when did the weather turn so crappy" funk last night. So, we decided to treat ourselves to a dinner out.

We decided to go to a place that has only recently been put into the eating out rotation, Shalimar (in Ann Arbor). Mmmm. Indian food. I love Indian food. It's so flavorful and spicy. When I go out to eat, I enjoy most going to restaurants that prepare food like I never could. Italian food? Bleah. I can cook Eggplant Parm and pasta myself, thank you very much. But delicate curries and naan? Oh my goodness. (swooning)

We started with an fried onion cake appetizer that was surprisingly light. Think crabcakes, but made with curried onions and potatoes instead. They were served with two sauces: a bright green cilantro mint sauce, and a sweet and spicy red pepper sauce. I swirled the sauces around in my mouth, trying to taste every nuance of the spices that were used.

My entree was chicken in a tomato based sauce, moderately spiced, with onions, tomatoes, spinach, and coconut milk. And oh...was it good. The chicken was tender and moist. The spinach was soft, wilted, and just a touch bitter. It made a nice contrast with the sweetness and heat of the sauce. The heat of the dish was spread all over my tongue and made me grin like a fool.

Hubby's entree was a mushroom, onion, almond, and coconut saucy mixture. He likes his food HOT HOT HOT. The amazing thing about his meal was that yes, it was fiery hot, but I could still taste the subtlety of the spices that were used. I used naan to sop up the dregs of the sauce. I only ate a smidge, because it was really too hot for me.

Our dinner conversation was conducted in low, somber tones. Of course, we talked about the outcome of the election. We discussed our sadness and frustration. We held hands quietly in between courses, wrapped up in our individual disappointment. We also talked about the dog, Kansas (the state, not the band), and our respective meals. However, the political tenor of our beloved country definitely took precedence.

After finishing our meal, settling up the bill, and happily thanking the restaurant's proprietor for a lovely experience, we walked silently back to our car, hand in hand. My tongue was warm, my clothes were curry fragranced, and my thoughts were dolorous. It was a quiet ride back to the homestead.

Today, I am deflated.

Day 1

Ok, maybe it's too soon to celebrate, but I wrote 1948 words today.

At least 386 of them were profound.

OK, back to folding laundry. More tales from the NaNo front will follow, I promise.

Gus sends tuner kissies and tater dreams.