I love food, don't you? Well, my favorite food for the moment is Asian. Not just the Chinese that they will deliver to your door. Oh no! I like it all. The Thai, the Vietnamese, the Burmese, the Chinese and the ultimate: the Japanese!
I was introduced to Japanese when I was eight years old and visiting family in Tokyo way back in 1969. We got the grand tour and my uncle being a foodie gave us memorable dining experiences. Well, my palate had been conditioned and ever since I have been in search of my favorite food: SUSHI.
Sushi is everywhere nowadays. It’s prepared and sold in grocery stores, food courts in malls, and yes, restaurants both low-end and high-end. What varies is quality, quantity, freshness and price. I have sampled sushi in all of its different venues. And depending on your cash-flow and your mood, I'd say go for the most you can afford. Also trust your instincts about the fish's freshness. Such as, if the sushi place is doing a brisk business, the fish most likely isn't sitting a long time in the glass case---a good sign of freshness.
Also, sushi requires an adventuresome spirit for most Americans. Most of us can't pronounce the morsels of fish that we will consume and many of us have no idea which ones to order. Be brave and experiment. You'll like some and others you won't like. But you will have at least tried it. That's what's great about sushi---It pushes your boundaries!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Shopping for Tennis Shoes
I used to love shopping for shoes...what woman doesn't? Well, now I'm not quite so sure I do. I'm in the market for tennis shoes for playing tennis. And I'm having a heck of a time finding something I like.
Oh, I've gone to the athletic shoe stores only to find dozens of men’s tennis shoes and maybe three or four styles for women's tennis shoes. Now I know we didn't pass the Equal Rights Amendment but I'd like a little more parity with the men’s shoes. I mean women DO play tennis and so they DO need proper footwear.
But Kathleen and I aren't waiting for the brick and mortar shoe stores to discover our niche market. We are now exploring tennis shoes on the Internet. After Kathleen’s exhaustive search, she found that I would have my choice among 13 or so brands and four to five styles within a brand. I did the math and figured out I'd have almost 85 different shoes to choose from. One problem: I don't get to try on the shoes before I buy them. And unlike Cinderella, if the shoes didn't fit, I'd have to return them and take them to the post office. Since I'm not good about getting to the post office, I think I'm going to do another Google search and find a tennis shop near me.
Oh, I've gone to the athletic shoe stores only to find dozens of men’s tennis shoes and maybe three or four styles for women's tennis shoes. Now I know we didn't pass the Equal Rights Amendment but I'd like a little more parity with the men’s shoes. I mean women DO play tennis and so they DO need proper footwear.
But Kathleen and I aren't waiting for the brick and mortar shoe stores to discover our niche market. We are now exploring tennis shoes on the Internet. After Kathleen’s exhaustive search, she found that I would have my choice among 13 or so brands and four to five styles within a brand. I did the math and figured out I'd have almost 85 different shoes to choose from. One problem: I don't get to try on the shoes before I buy them. And unlike Cinderella, if the shoes didn't fit, I'd have to return them and take them to the post office. Since I'm not good about getting to the post office, I think I'm going to do another Google search and find a tennis shop near me.
Knit One, Purl Two
A while back most of our friends were either breaking up or moving overseas. We were bereft!!! After saying good-by and good luck, we took stock of our social life and realized that we wanted to make some new friends. So what do you do? Where do you go? Who do you talk to?
So Kathleen and I embarked upon a mission: Making Friends. Much to our surprise we had good luck from the get-go. We started a knitting group that met at a local coffee shop. We advertised on some Yahoo Groups listservs. And so, we had knitters arriving once a month for over a year at our gatherings. We made friends too. We even became members of a clique.
But unfortunately, it seems our clique is breaking up now. People are moving away again and moving on to new and different things.
Guess, it's time to get out there again and make some new friends. One has to make new friends constantly because, as many people have told me, people in Washington, DC are transitory. It’s strange that this LA girl who has been in the DC area 22 years is considered by some to be a native. I guess somebody has got to hold down the fort!!!
So Kathleen and I embarked upon a mission: Making Friends. Much to our surprise we had good luck from the get-go. We started a knitting group that met at a local coffee shop. We advertised on some Yahoo Groups listservs. And so, we had knitters arriving once a month for over a year at our gatherings. We made friends too. We even became members of a clique.
But unfortunately, it seems our clique is breaking up now. People are moving away again and moving on to new and different things.
Guess, it's time to get out there again and make some new friends. One has to make new friends constantly because, as many people have told me, people in Washington, DC are transitory. It’s strange that this LA girl who has been in the DC area 22 years is considered by some to be a native. I guess somebody has got to hold down the fort!!!
Summer Shut-ins
"It's hot and Code Orange." That means one thing in our household. We'll be inside our house waiting out the bad weather and the awful air quality.
I used to fight this when I was younger and go out anyway. Well, we still do when Kathleen can't work from home. But nowadays I accept being heat-sensitive and prone to heat stroke. And Kathleen doesn't fight the bad air quality anymore either. As we age we learn to adapt.
It’s like living during a summer hibernation when we stay indoors. Now you'd think our house would be sparkling clean. I'm sorry to report it is not. It's amazing how many naps one can take in the course of a day. But I do believe we catch up on our email and we cook a lot (and eat a lot too.)
Oh, I hate to mention that we also develop cabin fever and have the eventual fight about something trivial. After a while we get over ourselves and make some ice coffee and laugh it all off.
But we've got two more days to go during this heat spell...What the hell, let's clean the house, darling!
I used to fight this when I was younger and go out anyway. Well, we still do when Kathleen can't work from home. But nowadays I accept being heat-sensitive and prone to heat stroke. And Kathleen doesn't fight the bad air quality anymore either. As we age we learn to adapt.
It’s like living during a summer hibernation when we stay indoors. Now you'd think our house would be sparkling clean. I'm sorry to report it is not. It's amazing how many naps one can take in the course of a day. But I do believe we catch up on our email and we cook a lot (and eat a lot too.)
Oh, I hate to mention that we also develop cabin fever and have the eventual fight about something trivial. After a while we get over ourselves and make some ice coffee and laugh it all off.
But we've got two more days to go during this heat spell...What the hell, let's clean the house, darling!
Kitty Kismet
I’ve got the kitten fever
And I’ve got it bad, really bad.
Which one will it be?
Another black one, or
Something different like a calico
Or maybe a tortoise shell?
Shall I name her Juneau or
him Vincent after Van Gogh?
A kitten will bring our household headcount
to 5 like the fingers on a hand or
the toes on a foot.
I hope we will all get along?
And where will we find you?
Will the Universe be our agent
And work it out for us?
I hope so, Kitty Kismet. I hope so...
And I’ve got it bad, really bad.
Which one will it be?
Another black one, or
Something different like a calico
Or maybe a tortoise shell?
Shall I name her Juneau or
him Vincent after Van Gogh?
A kitten will bring our household headcount
to 5 like the fingers on a hand or
the toes on a foot.
I hope we will all get along?
And where will we find you?
Will the Universe be our agent
And work it out for us?
I hope so, Kitty Kismet. I hope so...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Forgetful After Fifty
I don't know about you, but lately I can't remember what I have in the frig. And I do the shopping! Oh, yes, I know that all I need to do is open the frig and look. But sometimes when I have to pitch a menu of dinner options to my beloved at the Metro Kiss n Ride, I've got to know what I have on hand. And I just don't know what I've got.
It’s the same when it comes time to do grocery shopping. I do it the place-an-order-on-the-internet-and-they-deliver-it-to-me method. So I don't need to leave my laptop and arm chair. And the problem is, I don't. For some reason I trust my memory of what we've got on hand, which is a foolish old woman's vanity. The result is that I over buy. At last count, we had 4 bottles of laundry detergent, 10 bags of coffee and 4 jars of spaghetti sauce. (And I'm sure I'm forgetting something!)
This weekend I'm doing grocery shopping the old-fashioned way. I'm taking an inventory, making a list and going to the grocery store. I'll try to buy only what's on my list. But I'll be tempted to buy goodies. I guess I'll just have to tell myself that if I keep pushing the cart, I'll forget about it. Because you know I will.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Keeping Busy!!!
You know, 18 years old to 50 years old is a busy time of life. You've got to get yourself educated, you've got to start a career, you often are looking for a mate whether it be lifelong or temporary. Then some of us marry and settle somewhere. Maybe it’s a permanent place but most likely not. We move, buy a house, upgrade and move somewhere else. In between these moves and career changes, some of us find the time to even have children. Hopefully, our relationships survive all of this. If not, we break-up or divorce and eventually look for someone else. Meanwhile most of us are working and trying to get ahead. A few of us succeed, but for the many of us who don't, we just fade into the background as the successful get the attention of front-runners. And then wow you get hit with a mid-life crisis: I've done what I was told to do and I've got what I think I want and need...So why am I so unhappy?
So we visit therapists, we visit our clergy and it all comes down to this: Just get yourself a hobby, a creative outlet. You'll feel better. And voila, the existential angst goes away...for a while.And then you turn 50 and you're looking at retirement, medicare, social security, and death... All of a sudden everything just got real hard. And then you realize you’re going to need A LOT of good luck!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
A Roll of the Dice
Kathleen and I play a lot of backgammon on her iPad when we go out to eat. It’s fun, and it relieves us from coming up with something interesting to talk about. But more important than it being just something to do while we wait for our food, backgammon has become a metaphor for the flow and ebb of life itself for me.
Backgammon is played on a board with discs and dice. It’s the dice that really matter after you've mastered a certain skill level. And I propose that this luck factor is how it goes with life too.
Sometimes the dice will be with Kathleen, and she will win game after game. Now she knows what to do with the good rolls and also how to minimize the damage of a bad roll here and there. So with some good luck, Kathleen will have a winning streak that will last the meal or even days on end if she's really hot.
It pretty much goes the same with me. I love the dice and often have good luck with them. Things get really interesting when Kathleen and I are both throwing good rolls and the dice are working for us. It’s then a hot game that is full of excitement.
But eventually, the dice go cold, and all your rolls are losers. But I've learned that this too shall pass. Either stop playing for a while or play through the losing streak. The good rolls will come again, and you'll win again.
And so you see, this too is how life goes. After you get the skills, experience, and have honed your intuition, it’s all a matter of the dice. And a willingness to play the game whether it be backgammon or life!
Backgammon is played on a board with discs and dice. It’s the dice that really matter after you've mastered a certain skill level. And I propose that this luck factor is how it goes with life too.
Sometimes the dice will be with Kathleen, and she will win game after game. Now she knows what to do with the good rolls and also how to minimize the damage of a bad roll here and there. So with some good luck, Kathleen will have a winning streak that will last the meal or even days on end if she's really hot.
It pretty much goes the same with me. I love the dice and often have good luck with them. Things get really interesting when Kathleen and I are both throwing good rolls and the dice are working for us. It’s then a hot game that is full of excitement.
But eventually, the dice go cold, and all your rolls are losers. But I've learned that this too shall pass. Either stop playing for a while or play through the losing streak. The good rolls will come again, and you'll win again.
And so you see, this too is how life goes. After you get the skills, experience, and have honed your intuition, it’s all a matter of the dice. And a willingness to play the game whether it be backgammon or life!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Training Humans
Well, I guess you could say I'm a cat lady in training. Most of my pet experience was with dogs until about 15 years ago. So you could say I've just started my training with the basic care-taking duties for cats. I chose to be the "food mama" for our cats. I'm a person of routine and pretty regular, so the regimen of feeding and providing water is easy for me. Of course, the cats ignored me at first. No acknowledgement that I provided them with their food. For so long I just felt like a servant. But cats are not easy with their affections. And I knew that if I persisted that they would come to appreciate my ministrations.
You also must understand that the other cat lady in our household ranks on the level of a cat goddess. Kathleen practically grew up in a zoo. Her mother was both a breeder and trainer of dogs. And her mother always had a few cats in the house, so Kathleen was surrounded by pets from an early age. I also think that Kathleen's affinity for pets, and cats in particular, is both genetic and a product of many lifetimes. Cats will often ignore me while they are drawn to Kathleen. So, you see, I've got some tough competition for the cats' attentions and affections.
Well, years of feedings have passed, and I've been reliable. I make sure feeding time is always "on-time", and the food is top quality and never in short supply. Our alpha cat, Perrier, will actually remind me an hour or so before feeding time. This is the only time she pays attention to me, but we still do the will-you-feed-me-now-routine every day. We have bonded. I have found my place in the cats' lives. Finally.
You also must understand that the other cat lady in our household ranks on the level of a cat goddess. Kathleen practically grew up in a zoo. Her mother was both a breeder and trainer of dogs. And her mother always had a few cats in the house, so Kathleen was surrounded by pets from an early age. I also think that Kathleen's affinity for pets, and cats in particular, is both genetic and a product of many lifetimes. Cats will often ignore me while they are drawn to Kathleen. So, you see, I've got some tough competition for the cats' attentions and affections.
Well, years of feedings have passed, and I've been reliable. I make sure feeding time is always "on-time", and the food is top quality and never in short supply. Our alpha cat, Perrier, will actually remind me an hour or so before feeding time. This is the only time she pays attention to me, but we still do the will-you-feed-me-now-routine every day. We have bonded. I have found my place in the cats' lives. Finally.
Sucker for a Pretty Face
"You're a goner," Kathleen flatly states. "They've bewitched you."
"Is there a treatment? A cure?" I implore.
" The kitten fever passes...just be patient."
"How patient is patient?" I wonder.
"Soon you'll appreciate cats and kittens without having to make them yours."
"Hmmm, sounds good, and we've got Perrier and Evian. Two will do." I sigh, "For now!"
"Is there a treatment? A cure?" I implore.
" The kitten fever passes...just be patient."
"How patient is patient?" I wonder.
"Soon you'll appreciate cats and kittens without having to make them yours."
"Hmmm, sounds good, and we've got Perrier and Evian. Two will do." I sigh, "For now!"
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Fine Shelter Indeed!
I have been to the nicest, cleanest, well-kept and kept-up animal shelter. This shelter was beyond even my imagination. It was like a Beverly Hills Rehab and Spa Center for cats and dogs. The Washington Animal Rescue League's facilities are state-of-the-art. The cats and dogs look very healthy and seem very emotionally stable and well-adjusted. If I can drive there, it would be a great place to volunteer.
I think I'd become a cat socializer, which is someone who plays with the cats and kittens. That’s just my speed. I'm sure the cats and kittens would do me more good than I would them. But isn't it always that way with us humans? Well, I think animals give us so much and really ask so little in return. It’s amazing that they decide to live with us…
You know, President Truman said that if you "want a friend in Washington, DC, get a dog (or cat)." Really, we humans need the companionship of cats and dogs. We need them---a lot. They help keep us emotionally balanced and physically fit. And amused. I mean how many times have you laughed at your cat or dog? Countless, right? And then there's the unconditional love...priceless!
I think I'd become a cat socializer, which is someone who plays with the cats and kittens. That’s just my speed. I'm sure the cats and kittens would do me more good than I would them. But isn't it always that way with us humans? Well, I think animals give us so much and really ask so little in return. It’s amazing that they decide to live with us…
You know, President Truman said that if you "want a friend in Washington, DC, get a dog (or cat)." Really, we humans need the companionship of cats and dogs. We need them---a lot. They help keep us emotionally balanced and physically fit. And amused. I mean how many times have you laughed at your cat or dog? Countless, right? And then there's the unconditional love...priceless!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Tough Cookie
Lately, I haven't felt like such a tough girl. Maybe it’s been the not smoking. There's something about a cigarette dangling from your mouth that just evokes that tough girl aura. Well no longer for me. And maybe all that bravado I had was really a by-product of the nicotine and caffeine that I was ingesting. So now I'm calm and not quite as passionate about things. I find myself not caring about political issues and quite apathetic at times.
The big issues consumed my life for many decades; in many ways I neglected myself and my own life. Well now I've discovered the notion of self-interest, and believe me, it doesn't always contradict with your social/political/economic altruism. And since my progressive politics are now considered centrist by some, the world has evolved enough for me to relax a little. My fighting days at the front lines are over. At times I feel like a place-holder or at other times like a sacred observer. It’s very different than being a warrior or an activist.
So now I'm more interested in reflection than advancing a cause. I'm just trying to make sense out of it all. So what about you?
The big issues consumed my life for many decades; in many ways I neglected myself and my own life. Well now I've discovered the notion of self-interest, and believe me, it doesn't always contradict with your social/political/economic altruism. And since my progressive politics are now considered centrist by some, the world has evolved enough for me to relax a little. My fighting days at the front lines are over. At times I feel like a place-holder or at other times like a sacred observer. It’s very different than being a warrior or an activist.
So now I'm more interested in reflection than advancing a cause. I'm just trying to make sense out of it all. So what about you?
Monday, July 11, 2011
A High-Priced Ticket
I was dreaming last night about attending Wimbledon. So I did a little Internet research. I pulled up the tour company we used when we went to the US Open. Well, depending on the package you want, it ranges from 2 days at Wimbledon for about $5,000 (plus airfare) per person to a top-of-the-line package for $15,000 per person. These packages include hotel in London, tickets---the only way you can get Centre Court tickets---and transportation from the airport, and to and from Wimbledon.
Most likely we'll be buying a car instead in a few years. Maybe we'll splurge and get a wide-screen TV and watch Wimbledons in the future from our living room in HD style.
But I'll miss saying I saw the Queen at Wimbledon. She looks so lovely in that robin-egg blue. Oh well...
Most likely we'll be buying a car instead in a few years. Maybe we'll splurge and get a wide-screen TV and watch Wimbledons in the future from our living room in HD style.
But I'll miss saying I saw the Queen at Wimbledon. She looks so lovely in that robin-egg blue. Oh well...
Long Lost TV
I've re-discovered TV. For almost 15 years I hadn't watched it except for an occasional basketball game, tennis match or presidential campaign news coverage. Before that, the TV was on constantly from morning to night. I lived with a girlfriend who was very keyed into the entertainment industry and LA culture, and the TV was her portal to it. And consequently, she HAD to have the TV on all the time. Needless to say, I quickly became turned off with TV. And it stuck all these years.
Now I can barely operate our TV or decipher the remote. I'm learning. I watched all sorts of shows yesterday. Amazing what's on when you havn't been watching for a while.
Now I can barely operate our TV or decipher the remote. I'm learning. I watched all sorts of shows yesterday. Amazing what's on when you havn't been watching for a while.
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