happy Christmas!

nephew Jake put together a band with his new toy instruments.

O Christmas tree...

we got a tree tonight in the pouring rain...an adventure to be sure. it took us quite some time to set it up, going through 2 tree stands...the first one on a crack in it and was leaking water. by the time we got the thing standing upright my hands were so sticky from the sap that i had webbed hands, and could pickup heavy objects by just touching them. thank God for the internet for remedying this superhero-like quality.
now, we are set for the tree trimming party this weekend!

apples and oranges...

my nephew, Jake, who is almost 3 has started to talk a lot. i remember when i had visited some months back, when he was not talking much, he ran into my room, saw that i was on my laptop, pointed to it (he liked to point to things a lot) and said, "apple." i was like, what did you say?! i thought the kid was a genius or something, i mean he could hardly say my name at the time. then i saw what he was pointing to...the glowing apple logo on my Mac. i think Steve Jobs should know his branding has worked so well, that even a 2 yo knows what it is....i doubt Jake could point to the other computer and say "PC."

so, last weekend i was home for Thanksgiving, Jake saw me on my laptop again, and apparently remembered it. when i asked him what it was, he touched the glowing apple logo and said, "apple computer," then, he looked at me and asked, "aunt Judy, do you have a pear computer?"
i just about died laughing.

the Brits and the Amish....

tonight i was watching my current favorite TV show, Top Gear, and during one of the commercial breaks this ad for a fake fireplace came on that was just...wrong...on so many levels, besides the fact that i was on the BBC America channel. this normal looking guy was advertising for these fake fireplaces that you can roll into any room, and in the background there were these Amish people making the product....it was so ridiculously strange, and yes, oddly entertaining (as evidenced by both my and my housemate's bewildered laughters). as the commercial went on, it explained that you could only order 2 since they were too popular or something, and you saw this Amish guy on a horse hulling 2 fireplaces in a cart....really, i'm not making this up.

i think Saturday Night Live needs to do a sketch about this.

pulling my hair...

i'm on hold on the phone for the water company's customer service, and the music they have in the background is a REALLY bad digitalized MIDI version of "Fur Elise." if it wasn't for that fact that i've already been on hold for over 15 minutes i would end this nightmare right now....whoever put that music there should be shot...yes, it's that bad. Beethoven would turn over in his grave if he heard this! i think they do this on purpose to prevent people from calling.

(it doesn't help that i'm currently trying to figure out how to play this piece of music on the guitar to accompany one of my clients who plays the piano.)

at the pump....

on my way to NYC i stopped for gas in Jersey: $1.91! by the end of the weekend, it dropped to $1.89. yes, the economy is going down, but so are the gas prices, thankfully.

it's a toy, it's a bug...it's a fruit.

Every time i go home my parents buys some crazy looking stuff for me to eat. this weekend i had this funky looking fruit called rambutan. it's native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and tastes like lychees....however i prefer lychees--easier to eat.

opera and pasta...

i finally had dinner at "Victor Cafe" with some friends tonight. it's an Italian restaurant in south Philly that has singing waiters....opera singing ones. so every 15 minutes or so, one of them or a couple of them will break out in an aria. i was a bit disappointed that the female wait staff were not opera singers....they sang Broadway--mind you, they were good, just not what i expected.

i had the pasta alla caruso (pasta sauteed with chicken liver, onions, wild mushrooms,etc)...i think after watching too many episodes of "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" I was craving some liver....but my dish was a bit disappointing, not because i don't like liver, but the sauce was way too sweet, and i think they gave me like livers from 5 chickens on that plate. but, i guess one goes there for the experience and the ambiance....and some for the fact that the latest "Rocky" movie was shot there. me, i just wanted me some good food and good music! (as my housemate can attest, i've been craving food non-stop the last couple of weeks. i think my body wants some extra insulation for winter.)

going to the chapel....

Doug and Amy got married saturday!
we took some formal and some... rather informal pictures at the park...












jump for joy...i think Michael A. (one of the groomsmen) was super excited.

World Champs!! (well, not quite literally)

yes, the Phillies won the World Series....there were plenty of very enthusiastic fans going nuts at the parade...the craziness wasn't helped by the fact that it was also Halloween. i was crossing Broad St. in the sea of people (not even in Asia have i been in such a packed crowd) and felt an arm around my shoulders and navigating me towards the direction he was walking. i stopped and the guy looked down, a bit surprised (but also a bit drunk) and said "oh, i thought you were my girlfriend"....apparently he lost his girlfriend.

the cat is still alive...

my housemate has been away on vacation this past week, and left her cat to my care. generally, this should post no problems (besides the fact that i'm allergic to cats--thankfully my allergies doesn't seem to be kicking in with Taylor), however, once you consider the cat is diabetic, and has a thyroid issue, it's not so easy. so my week of learning has also expanded to administering thyroid pills and giving insulin injections to cats---i bet not even cat lovers can say they know how to do that!

there was a scare last week when i thought perhaps i was going to have to take the cat to some cat emergency room...since apparently she also has seizures. yes, i'm totally serious.

fire!

this city girl has just learned how to start fire in a wood burning fireplace!! thank God for friends who know how, or else i might have to invest in lots of fire extinguishers. yes, i know it's lame that i didn't know how before now, but read: city girl. now i have access to one, i intend to make use of it on cool nights. there's just something about sitting in front of the fire...the smell, the crackling of the wood, the hypnotic flames....ahhh.

now, if i could just find wood so i can stop burning chopsticks or contemplate tossing in "spare" furniture....(feel free to bring fire wood to my place when you visit next time.)

leaf peeping in New Hampshire...

couple of weekends ago i went up to NH with my friends, tina and sue, to do some hiking and leaf peeping (which is a term that some people seem to find...obscene, for some reason). anyway, nothing was perverted about this trip with the exception of maybe my insistence of documenting the food i ate.


the first thing we did before hiking any trails was eat.... we heard about a place called Polly's Pancake Parlor, so we went and waited more than 30 minutes to be seated since it was that popular (with locals and travelers). had some gooood pancakes with their housemade maple concoctions. Sue and i spent sunday afternoon driving to Portsmouth , and grabbed a hotdog at the famed, Gilley's, for appetizer before going to a brewery co. for for some beer tasting and pub food. then it was killing some time before we can eat dinner over in Maine, at Bob's Clam Hut.....yes we crossed state line to eat.


the foliage was nice, and we did plenty of hiking for our long weekend away. we hiked the White mountains, drove through the Kanc (Kancamagus hwy) and did some shorter trails there, as well as Mt. Monadnock (which claims to be the 2nd most climbed mountain in the world, after Mt. Fuji in Japan). with all the exercise, you can see why food was of importance to me, no?

!#$#%$$^%...

what?! just heard the news that Lance Armstrong is returning to professional cycling. it's just craziness. not sure how i feel about this news. i must admit, it was exciting to watch his reign in the past decade, however, after 3 years in retirement, making a bit of a spectacle of himself with the Hollywood crowd, some respect has been lost. never the less, it would mean an interesting year for cycling, especially for next year's TDF. maybe i need to start planning my trip to France....Steffen are you reading this??

let the wine flow...

a few of us went to the new french bistro on Rittenhouse Sqare, "Parc", to celebrate Christina's birthday. the food was great, and i'll be looking to return to try more from the menu. i'm usually not a dessert person, but i had a pretty darn good profiterole.
Christina had to crash on my couch a little before driving home since she was definitely feeling the effects of our alcohol consumption....i was a bit too happy myself, but what's a celebration without a *little* libation?

yard sale...

my friend, Karen, invited me to her block's yard sale and block party Saturday. it was a great day for sitting outside, and i befriended some of her neighbor's precocious kids....my favorite was, Ali, who dubbed one of Karen's toys King Willis, and ended up climbing all over us throughout the day.

the melting 'maids...

it was a hot and humid day for the surprise bridal shower for Amy, but we all survived the heat, and managed to make it look like we weren't all melting.

just say no...

i helped a friend with a photo shoot this weekend for the dedication of the new digital organ at church. it was sort of a big deal, as the organ was donated by a former US Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, who was an elder at the church. A renowned organ player, Paul Jacobs, was invited to play the concert, which included a rare piece by Samuel Barber.

it was an interesting experience, especially since Dr. Koop was such an influential Surgeon General. i mean, i can't tell you who the Surgeon General is now, or before/after him, but i distinctly remember him....this is saying a lot since while he was serving in the '80's, i was just a youngster and didn't care about what all was happening in the world except what color jelly shoes i wanted. yet, i remembered what he did with tobacco warnings, saying no to drugs, etc. at 92, he still looks the same, and just as dignified as i recalled....and sharp! i hope if i get to his age, my cognitive faculties will still be intact.

the highlight of the shoot was meeting Dr. Koop, and receiving a "challenge coin" from him. i learned what the coin is for (and especially like the last bit):

During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country joined newly formed flying squadrons in France. It is said, that a wealthy lieutenant ordered solid bronze medallions struck. These medallions carried the squadron emblem, similar to the coin on the right, and were given out to all squadron members. On a flight shortly thereafter, the lieutenant's plane was downed behind German lines and he was immediately captured by a enemy patrol. The Germans wishing to discourage escape, took all of his personal identification except for the bronze medallion which he wore in a small leather pouch around his neck. He was taken to a small town near the front. Bombardment was heavy that night, he escaped his captors, but without his identification. He made his way to the front lines avoiding German patrols and with great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land. Eventually, he managed to stumble onto a French outpost. Unfortunately for him, the French in that area had been plagued by sabotage. The saboteurs often masqueraded as civilians. The French didn't recognize the lieutenant's American accent and were ready to execute him as a spy when he remembered the leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to them and they recognized the squadron insignia on it. His medallion bought him enough time to confirm his identity. Now instead of shooting the young lieutenant, they gave him a bottle of wine.
When he was returned to his squadron and his companions heard his story, it became a tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion at all times. To ensure that each member carried their coins, they instituted the "challenge". A challenger would ask to see your coin. If you couldn't produce your coin, you were required to buy a drink, of their choice, but if you produced your coin, the challenging member was required to pay for both your drinks.

so this is a fair warning...get ready to buy me a drink next time you are in a bar with me....

sending out an SOS...

i just got back from a mandatory CPR training for work. so now i'm recertified to perform the life saving skill* on anyone who might need it.

*disclaimer: CPR has a low percentage of actually saving any lives...like very little, unless you have professional medical help. so basically i can put air in your lungs and possibly break a few ribs while hoping more trained persons will get to you before you permanently expire.

cigarette vender...

i was at a neighborhood bar grabbing some dinner when i noticed that there was this guy carding people next to my table near the entrance way. at first i thought perhaps the guys he was carding were young-ish, however, further observance showed that he was carding them b/c he was selling them cigarettes...right in the middle of the restaurant--where no smoking is allowed.
he had a little duffle bag filled with different brands of cigs to choose from, and a portable ID reader. it was strange to have this transaction happen next to you while you are eating. he reminded me of someone who sells popcorn or drinks at a ball game. it was a rather strange sight, one that i've not encountered before.

wake me up when Septmeber comes...

i'll be bed-less the next few days. this move isn't mine, but i definitely feel the stress of it. can't wait till this whole process is over and life can be resumed to fairly normal again.

the movers are here today to pack and move F.'s stuff. i had to leave work early today so i can be around to make sure my stuff isn't packed away and shipped to Spain....however, if the movers would like to ship me to Spain.....

NBC sucks...

i actually got up at an ungodly hour this morning hoping to catch my man Cavendish race in the Olympics. of course it's not in any of the sponsored TV stations, nor their online stream (my Mac sans intel felt the discrimination). i even ventured the less legit channels --with all the internet stuff out there you'd think it'd be easier--but no Cav.

anyway, why they don't think that an indoor cycling race with 2 man tag teams going round and round for 200 laps is mesmerizing and deserving of full coverage, i'll never know. in the old days, the Madison, as the race is called (they raced in Madison Sq. Garden), was a 6 day race where the riders were exhausted beyond their limits, and apparently people would go and watch the race as the riders' condition worsened (conditions included delusions and hallucinations, and riders wobbled and frequently fell):

The New York Times said in 1897:

"An athletic contest in which participants 'go queer' in their heads, and strain their powers until their faces become hideous with the tortures that rack them, is not sport. It is brutality. Days and weeks of recuperation will be needed to put the Garden racers in condition, and it is likely that some of them will never recover from the strain."

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle said:

"The wear and tear upon their nerves and their muscles, and the loss of sleep make them [peevish and fretful]. If their desires are not met with on the moment, they break forth with a stream of abuse. Nothing pleases them. These outbreaks do not trouble the trainers with experience, for they understand the condition the men are in."

hum. i think they should go back to the good old days....imagine the ratings....NBC, are you listening?

ps- in case you were wondering, my British duo did not win a medal....if only they had me cheering...

sticking around...

a few weeks of stress over housing, and now i'm set to stay put (phew!). i really dislike moving, and the idea of having to pack up and move again is not very appealing, to say the least. and, i've grown to adore where i live. so, come September i will be living with 2 friends (+ a cat....yes, i know, i'm allergic, but unfortunately, i can't seem to escape them....why is it always that way in life??).

speaking of stress, i know i didn't sign up for being in the office 9-5....but since the surgery, i've had to put a lot of admin. time, and i don't know how people do it. i need my voice to get better soon...like yesterday.

ps- i need a vacation....or at least the hope of one!

more pasta please....

just back from having dinner at my friend, silvia's place....she just got back from a visit home in italy, and with her, came grandma's homemade pasta, and sauces. i was transported back to all the amazing meals i had in sicily..... the fact that my brain didn't have to work overtime to work out what everyone was saying made the meal that much more enjoyable. but i appreciated the thick italian accents.

...pasta is just not worth having if it's not homemade by a grandmother.

que sera sera...

am in the midst of a housing dilemma. may have to move again in a month, which freaks me out a bit, since it might be like last time, packing and moving all within 2 weeks. i'm hoping i won't have to move, so we'll see how it goes.

if i don't move, i'll need to find another housemate. so if anyone is looking to move down town (or knows of anyone) and wants to live in a super cute house, with good private space for yourself, let me know!

au revoir, le tour!

as my month of captivity by the television ends, i'm rounding off July (aka month of cycling) with this awesome story about cyclist Chris Horner, and what he did at the Cascade Cycling Classics in Oregon this month (too bad team Astana was not at the TdF). apparently, a fellow cyclist had crashed badly, and no cars were in sight to give him and his bike some aid, and he was going to walk the last 2k with his bike to the finish....

so, as the cyclists recover, i, too, will have time to recover before being inevitably sucked into the Beijing Olympic games next month.
(my television: "ahhhh, yes, resistance is futile. ")

put another nickel in...

music, music, music....just got back from my 3rd concert at the Mann in less than a week. tonight was Carmina Burana, monday was Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, and last friday was a fun one with violinist, Leila Josefowicz.

one can never have too much music, especially live music. however, this is what happens when you have time on your hand...am loving it--at least there's an upside to this whole vocal healing time.

soft fingers...

the callouses on my fingers are slowly fading after 4 weeks of not playing the guitar. i guess i should pick it up soon, or else it'll be painful when i do start using it again on a regular basis. i wonder what other skills have deteriorated in the last month...probably some brain cells.

i'm no saint...

...and can safely say that i won't be one in this life time, but i like what CS Lewis says:

"Here is another way of putting the two sides of the truth. On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as 'decent' people. If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He is determined to produce in every one of us in the end. The job will not be completed in this life; but He means to get us as far as possible before death.
That is why we must not be surprised if we are in for a rough time. When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected) he often feels that it would now be natural if things went fairly smoothly. When troubles come along--illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation--he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now? Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level; putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us." --from Mere Christianity

star of Isle of Man...

so i've been watching the Tour de France, and now i officially have a new crush: Mark Cavendish. He's a young sprinter, at 23, he's a baby, but oh-so-crazy-fast (i guess it also doesn't hurt that he's eye candy). he just won his 4th stage today (a first for a British rider at the tour)....at the end there, i found myself yelling for his win--probably undid weeks of vocal recovery. Mark, if you are reading this, you owe me a few weeks of speech therapy.

he might not finish the tour so he could ride for the UK in the upcoming Olympics, but fortunately, that means we'll see him race for gold in august.

apparently the Dalai Lama is lying...

...according to these buddhist demonstrators outside the Kimmel Center, where he was speaking.
they were demonstrating against a ban by the Dalai Lama on praying to a deity called Dorje Shugden. the busy city noon crowd was greeted with a mass shrouded in gold and red, and a *soothing* chant of : "Dalai Lama, Stop Lying!"...though, i'll bet not all monks have adopted the chant as part of their spiritual practice.

(flash back: the noisy daily debates of monks at the Sera monastery in Lhasa)

fish face...

teaching the nephew important things...

Tour de France...

another event that makes it summer for me is the Tour de France. ever since summer '03 when i happened to check out the on-demand feature on my cable tv and saw the tour on, i've been watching (it helped me pass late night packing sessions during my move). didn't know much about cycling, but it happened to be a great one with lots of drama, and i was hooked. 5 years later, i'm still watching, even though people are disgusted with all the scandal surrounding it. i think it's just amazing and inspiring what the human body is capable of.

my brother-in-law says that if he was a guy dating me, he would have to end the relationship if he found out that i was a fan of the Tour. hum. that's why i'm not the one married to him.

2nd Annual BBQ...

i had friends over for a cook-out for the holiday. here's what went down:










so...what's wrong with this picture?? hum. thanks guys.

Ben Franklin & Betsy Ross got married...

i just got back from an outdoors Philly Pops concert at Independence Mall, where i saw Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross get hitched....apparently we, as good tax-paying citizens of Philadelphia, paid for this union. according my friend, Christine, they will spend their wedding night at the Four Seasons hotel, and the honeymoon, where else, in Philadelphia.

The Real Wedding of Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross
In real life, the city’s well-known Benjamin Franklin (Ralph Archbold) and Betsy Ross (Linda Wilde) re-enactors fell in love and decided to get married. In a public ceremony with Independence Hall as a backdrop, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will officiate over the nuptials with the Grammy-winner Peter Nero and the Philly POPS providing the wedding march. The couple, attendants and several of their family and friends will don Colonial attire.

summer has officially begun...

it's summer for me when i go out to that first Mann Music Center concert. tonight was the opening night for the summer season for the orchestra, and they had Yo-Yo Ma. it was the most beautiful night for an outdoor concert, and of course, the music didn't disappoint either.

in the spirit of doing my part to save the planet (or just save a trip to the gas pump), i rode the bus. it was probably the most non-urban-dweller filled city bus i've been on...especially one that is headed out to west philly; i felt like i was on a school trip.

to speak or not to speak...

i've been very bad at following the directions for my vocal rehab....it's just very hard to keep track of when i speak and when i don't. this week at the office has been challenging, and i've not done what i needed to to. and today and tomorrow i'm in all day training meetings, and since i'm not allowed to whisper, it's hard to even talk to myself every 10 minutes if i wanted to...however, the meetings are with mental health workers, so maybe my outbursts won't faze them?

perhaps i should actually take more time off from work to do this thing right. i'm sure my speech txist will be very disappointed come next week.

talking to myself...

so i'm being taken off complete voice rest, and eased back into the world of sound. "ease" is the key word here, as i'm only allowed 5-6 minutes of voice use per hour. not just any way i would like to use those precious minutes, but i must use 1 minute every 10 minutes. so if you hear me talking to myself periodically, you'll know why.

according to the post-op voice use instructions:
"...you may want to keep a stopwatch handy to track how long you are speaking."

not only will i need to carry around a notebook to write with, i have to add a stopwatch as well. people will not only think i'm "special", but also crazy as well. great.

dietary restrictions (good friends, part II)....

according to the doctor, i'm not to have any tomato based foods, no fried foods, no cheese or dairy products, nothing spicy or acidic, and to avoid caffeinated products....

so i'm eating:
thanks to christina.

good friends...

recovering from surgery...i've been getting well-wishes.

I knew you wouldn't be able to talk or whisper, but not even mouthing words?!? I want you wear a chalk slate around your neck like the mute did in the good old days. I bet you could even do some panhandling for extra cash!!

did i mention i'm not allowed to laugh?

family cruise...

some pictures from the family vacation for mom's 60th bday:

Table Mountain and winery...

we took the cable cars up Table Mountain, it was a beautiful day, no clouds (which locals will call, "table cloth") covering the mountain. awesome view from the top of the city and the bay. did a bit of hiking up there which was great.

hungry after our hike, we visited the winery, Buitenverwachting*, to have lunch and do some wine tasting....and tasting we did. i did get a couple of bottles, one of which is their flagship, which i'll have to wait til 2010 to open.

*means "beyond expectation" in Afrikkan. as for pronounciation, "ui"= "a", "v"="f", "w"= v".

Cape Town Bound...

what amazing views in this part of the country! we chose to hug along the coast on our way to Cape Town, and the southern peninsula.
yes, those are little African penguins roaming the beach!