Adventures in Dallas

After a short writing hiatus, I am back.  Chuck and I are spending the month of January in Dallas.  I am vaguely familiar with Dallas and what I know of it hasn't overly impressed me.  I must remember that my exposure to Dallas is through the eyes of my in-laws.  They re lovely, lovely, giving and kind people...we just don't have the same tastes in entertainment and culture.  No biggie, but I forget that there are other things out there from what I have seen.  One goal for this trip was to find the culture in Dallas.  I know it's there. 
Just to recap on the week...we drove down on Saturday (Christmas Eve).  It was a long drive because a) flying is so much more -efficient and I like efficiency,  b) our trainer drilled us on Thursday and our legs were really sore and a long drive was only tightening them up.  I felt like I was 70.  We got in at 6pm and walked into a one bedroom apartment, not the 2-bedroom we requested.  No biggie, we can move, we would just have to wait a few days.  We can't unpack, we can't settle in, but a minor setback.  It was 60 degrees...nice weather just makes things better.  I would be the most easy-going person in the world if it constantly sunny and 60-80 degrees.
Christmas morning we walked to church and then spent the day out in Addison where Chuck's parent's live.  Addison is less than 20 miles from us.  It is well-planned and tidy.  Lots of shopping centers and every chain restaurant you can imagine (I didn't know there were that many chain restaurants).  It is a nice area and very well suited for them and probably what I will be looking for when I am their age. 
We're currently living in Uptown.  It is a lively area with new construction, tired buildings (which is our bldg), and great remodels.  I like the un-planned-ness of all of it. The area has bars, restaurants, shops (chain and unchain), a grocery store, gym, Walgreens, Target,and an independent movie theater all within a mile.  Without a car, this is perfect for me because I can easily get out of the house and be functional. 
We moved into the 2 bedroom on Wednesday (when Chuck was in St. Louis for the day...yup, that's right St. Louis).  The space is nice, more room to spread out and better windows.  Tonight is our first night out.  It is 70 degrees (sorry, weather will definitely be a constant theme) and we are just going to walk and explore.  I love this neighborhood.   The last 3 day weekend for a looooong time.  I am definitely taking advantage of it. 

Fun facts about Dallas and explains a WHOLE lot:  according to Wikipedia (we have a 50/50 chance of its correctness), Dallas is the 9th largest city in the US.  They have more shopping per capita than any other city in the US and consume more energy per capita than any other city in the US.  Yes, I definitely believe these facts.  I personally believe that my in-laws are setting a world-record in paper towel consumption. 

What I learned last night

If your child eats his/her own poop, it's ok (from a poisonous perspective, not a health or social one).

If your child eats another person's poop, you need to call your doctor or poison control. 

When I told Chuck this, he asked why I continue to go to BFDC, and I responded, "because it just solidifies the decisions I have made in my life."

Oh yeah, and it's fun minus the brief fluids talk.

Best weekend ever

There are just some weekends that click and there are some weekends that just fall flat despite even the best efforts. Two weekends ago, Chuck and I were staring at each other with no motivation, 12 degrees outside and a serious case of cabin fever. This weekend was an entirely different story.


Friday night, Chuck and I met cousin Sarah to see the Oscar nominated animated shorts. Good films, overall entertaining, Wallace & Gromit are nominated and I am always a big fan of their shorts (even if they are the popular ones). After the show, we went to Barrister’s, a bar in Clayton that we have become regular patrons. Great night.

Saturday started with a beautiful warm morning. I am on a young professional board for Mayor Slay and we had a meeting downtown. I grabbed my essentials and headed to the Metrolink. The meeting was at Soldier’s Memorial (which I thought was just a park until a couple of weeks ago). What an amazing building! First, the outside is an impressive and massive building. We have all seen it a thousand times, I just have never looked at it. Our meeting was in the auditorium (it looked like a courtroom) on the second floor. I was just taken aback when I walked in. I felt like I had stepped back in time to 1964. I felt out of place without a pillbox hat, white gloves and not discussing segregation in the classroom. It was an adorable room. I tried to take pictures on my phone, but that was useless. St. Louis could make millions renting it out to movie theaters. Since I am currently obsessed with all things 60’s, I was just tickled to death sitting in the meeting. The meeting was pointless, but that’s not important to our story. Go to the second floor of Soldier’s Memorial, it’s just fun.

Saturday night was the night. We have been waiting for this: Bugs at the Symphony. We went to Herbie’s for a pre-show cocktail to make a whole night of it. I did not realize that Herbie’s has quite a drink menu. Not the tuity-fruity cosmo/apple martini’s drinks, wonderful delicious drinks with bitters, Benedictine and a flaming orange peels. Don’t ask me, I don’t make them, I just drink them. Amanda (my new best friend or as some people would call her, the bartender at Herbie’s) walked us through all the drinks let us taste all the different gins, scotches, and bourbons that went into the different drinks for different reasons. Yum. We decided to make dinner reservations after the show just to get another drink.

The show was so much fun. You know, but you forget how much goes into a Wil E. Coyote short. To see all the instruments doing their own thing to work together into an amazing complex piece, just humbled me. The conductor was great in explaining the history and importance of the pieces and composers. I struggled between paying attention to the cartoons and the musicians. I am really looking forward to going back and enjoying the symphony again.

After dinner: back to Herbie’s. Drinks were still very good. We split the rabbit pasta, which I loved. The conductor or the symphony came in after us and we heard him refusing the rabbit (because of Bugs), but I blamed him for ‘kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit’ and we had to have the rabbit. Amanda even came by the dining room and check in on us while we were there too. Herbie’s has moved up to one of my favorite restaurants, very very impressed with the food, drinks and people.

Sunday we ran errands and bought a new sofa. Someone is coming by tonight to buy the old ones.

Life is good.

Thank you Mr. Pollan

He’s at it again. Michael Pollan has a new book out, it’s called Food Rules. He has actually given rules to live by on how to choose what you eat. It can’t get easier than this. I do not have the book but I have been following the reviews closely and here are some interesting rules:
#11 Avoid foods advertised on TV. Reasoning: Only the biggest manufacturers can afford to advertise their products on TV. These manufacturers have simply reformulated their food-like substance into the trend of the moment (no HFCS, fortified with grains, low-sodium, etc). Avoiding TV food is avoiding food-like substances and not paying for the advertising in the price. It makes sense to me except for Kashi. Darn it, I love that company (even if they are owned by Kellogg’s, I always imagined them different than others). He has a point though; there are LOTS of other good things out there.
#19 If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made from a plant, don’t. High-fructose corn syrup, enough said.
#39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. I love this. If you have to clean up the mess, you are going to eat a lot less often, but you still can eat it. There are also so many things that taste so much better homemade: cakes, ice cream, doughnuts. If you do happen to break this rule, just remember french fries, chips, and cupcakes are TREATS, not food.
#47 Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored. This is where I struggle the most and my thighs are finally taking notice. I am trying so hard with this one.
Oldies but goodies from Pollen (I am sure they are in the book, but I don’t have the number):
Don’t eat anything that won’t rot. Snack cakes, cereal, etc.
Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce: sodium caseinate, dimethylpolysiloxane, calcium pantothenate.
Don’t eat anything your Grandma wouldn’t eat or recognize (while that’s true for my grandma, I think he meant his, so go back another generation)

There is a difference between food and food-like substance and there is a difference between food and treats. Please know this difference.

While we are on the subject, Chuck and I have joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Every week we pick up a load of meat, cheeses, produce and condiments (jellies, butter, salsa’s, etc) all produced and grown from small local farms in the area. I pick up my first load tomorrow and I am excited to see what I get. I will keep you posted.

it slipped to #2

I have made my love for 'How I Met your Mother' very known. It is a great show: funny, original, the timing /writing of the show is a breath of fresh air, and Neil Patrick Harris. I am here to tell you that HIMYM has moved to #2 in my favorite TV shows. 'Modern Family' has moved proudly into that spot. Holy hilarity Batman. Genius. Cameron and Manny are the two that keep in in tears throughout the show, but the whole cast is a bowl full of talent. It can get a little happy family Brady Bunch at times, but overall, a good watch.


It is refreshing to see that sitcoms are having a comeback. We had a low time of less-than-quality shows and it seems we are moving back into a substantial group of shows that are neither reality or drama. Thankfully, we have grieved 2004 and are ready to start seeing other people again ('04 saw the series finale of Sex & The City, Frasier, Will & Grace, and Friends, among others).


My favorite line:
Cameron: Mitchell is a snob.
Mitchell: No, n-no, I'm discerning.
Cameron: Official slogan for snobs.
If you have time, check out Modern Family on Hulu or ABC.com.

Meandering

Right now, nothing important is going on, just a little of this, a little of that.


• United Way is gearing up for another year (my last year on the Steering Committee). I will still volunteer, just not as part of the committee. I have signed up to be a volunteer for the United Way through there St. Louis Cares program. It seems to encompass an enormous amount of volunteer opportunities, including free stuff (next week, I get a free yoga class!). This year I am also taking part in Mayor Slay’s inaugural young professional committee, The Vanguard Cabinet. I am not sure what it will be yet, my one hope is more action than talking.


• I have signed up for both sewing classes and knitting classes. I need drapes, I want to make dresses, and I saw very cool sweater knitted pillows at Pottery Barn. I am hoping to get all I can out of these lessons. My worry is that I was not thinking when I signed up and they are happening at the same time. Hopefully, I won’t be too confused.


• Chuck and I have a rough draft of a priority list together to work on the house. The basement bedroom is drywalled. Hopefully the taping will be done in the next month and then I can start painting and putting the room together. This weekend we are knocking the doorway out from the kitchen to the family room. The goal is to get the floor transition between the rooms in place and trim up. I can paint any day. It’s going to be a mess. 60 year old plaster is very dusty. After the doorway is finished, we will paint and hopefully update the fireplace in the living room. If I am confident in my skills, I will start on drapes. But I think I need a test run in another room. Then back to the basement bedroom to finish and my room after that.

• I have recently found out that google gives the wrong directions to my house.  I have alerted them to the problem, but be aware. 


• It is Oscar season, I have been doing what I can to watch potential nominees and catch up on last year nominees. I did get a chance to watch ‘Milk.’ I immediately was not overly impressed with the movie (except Sean Penn), but it’s been three weeks and the editing, direction, and cinematography has stayed with me and really has impressed me. This is a great movie. In the 25 recommended movies from Entertainment Weekly to see for the Oscars this year, I have been failing miserably. I have seen ‘Up’ (which is about the saddest movie in the world. How can Pixar continue to crank out these emotional roller coasters again and again?!). From the Golden Globes last week, I can prioritize the list some: ‘Avatar’ has moved up the list, along ‘Inglorious Bastards,’ and ‘It’s Complicated.’ Ugh. All previously at the bottom. Over the weekend, I saw ‘An Education.’ Lovely little movie. Very subtle, good points. The best part of the movie was the early 60’s fashions, hair, and music. That really was a golden age, I am in love with the soundtrack.


• A couple of weeks ago, we went to Taste By Niche and fell in love. This has to be one of the top 5 restaurants in St. Louis. In a teeny, tiny space, you feel like it’s your own world with a master chef and a delicious mixologist at your beck and call. I felt like royalty (well, until I had to go to the bathroom and had to walk outside to get to one). It is an experience that is worth it, even if you have to walk outside in single-digit weather. With one table in the whole place, I suggest go as a couple or a foursome. It may have some quirks, but worth it.


• Besides sewing, knitting and lots of house products, my new year’s resolution is to read more (14 books this year) and cook more. I am 19 days in and happy to say, it’s going well. Over the holiday we made the best butternut squash soup in the world. I also made vegetable stock in preparation of cooking. Over the past few months, we have been roasting our own chicken to make chicken salad, enchiladas and the like. I am just trying to do more whole foods, make meal prep into its own activity and just enjoy the whole process of it. I read the “Book Thief” over Christmas, and it was fabulous. This is a great book about WWII. The main character is a grade school girl, she is not a soldier, she’s not Jewish, she’s just living life in this very sad and hard time. I felt like it would have been my story if I lived during that time. No real heroics, just a glimpse into the everyday life of Nazi Germany. I am now reading ‘The Shack.’ I am having a very hard time getting through it, but I think you need to be in crises or seeking God to enjoy this book. God and I are on good terms. Nothing in the book is a real revelation to me. I am ready for it to be over.


I am suddenly very busy. Yes, I planned it all myself, but I am not really sure what I was thinking when I did this. At least they are all good things that I want to do, and if I put something off, no one will get hurt or bothered with it, but me.

Guns & Ammo

Hunting. This is a tricky subject.


The pros against hunting:
1. On the surface, it seems to be this violent, barbaric act. Since I typically shy away from barbaric actions and violence in general, this 'hobby' seems to be unnecessary and belittling to a human’s intelligence (read a book, get involved in your community, help others, evolve.)

2. As a sport, it seems even more ridiculous. Where is the sport? Where is the even playing field of competitor vs. competitor? The idea of killing an innocent animal and then to hang it as a trophy seems disrespectful, mocking, and egotistical.

3. It disrupts the natural balance of things. The circle of life has worked for years, why are we playing God?

4. And this was always my personal argument: we need to rid ourselves of unnecessary violence/potential accidents and there is no sport in hunting. It is egotistical and self-serving way to pass the time and many, many people are accidently shot every year from guns. This is why we need to stop this.

The other side

1. I am a meat-eater. I may not eat much of it, but I never plan on giving it up either. Why is it widely accepted to eat meat neatly packaged from the supermarket, but not take the responsibility of one’s on food chain? Why are farm-raised animals deemed ok by society to eat?

I started to explore my thoughts on hunting when I briefly dated a hunter. His respect for the hunt, guns, and view on the whole process was remarkable. He took more time and care in hunting than I have ever put into an activity (my activities don’t usually have the potential to kill someone either). It wasn’t even the way he talked about hunting; it was his actions that spoke the respect and reverence. I still argued that no matter what, he was taking a life and that made me uncomfortable.

But I am a meat-eater, I am not taking responsibility for what is on my plate. I am not acknowledging that I am taking a life about three times a week. If you can’t take the responsibility, you should not have the privilege of enjoying that juicy prime rib.

My next step in this process was listening to NPR’s ‘To The Best Of Our Knowledge.’ They did a show on hunting in early 2009. It really explored what I needed to hear. Stories about why different people hunt. One man was a conservationist. He saw how deer were destroying trees and all their natural predators were gone, outnumbered, or killed. The deer continued to over-populate and continued to destroy plants and trees, which were destroying the landscape and other animal’s foods. The conservationist saw how he could contribute to reconciling the landscape and order and decided he needed to hunt. Whatever the reason was, they all seemed respectable and reasonable. One woman talked about the need for taking responsibility of what is on your dinner plate. This is the one point that obviously stayed with me.

As I was listening to the program, I had my aha moment. As I was listening, I heard people give the different reasons about why they hunt. Intelligent, educated, and evolved people. I have reached a conclusion that has made me feel a little more at ease with hunting. I think I have confused my opinions on hunting with my opinions on a certain lifestyle. The clothes, the lack of amenities, the typical conversations that are involved with hunters have really jaded me towards the whole situation. My exposure to hunting has been very one sided and I am realizing that now. You can hunt and realize that Obama is not a Muslim (aka terrorist) just because his middle name is Hussein. This spoke volumes to me.

Yes, there are some things about hunting that I will never understand: why get up at 4am in single digit weather to sit outside for 4 hours?  Why are taxidermists still in business? I know men that have never changed their child's diapers but will pull all the guts out of an 600 lb animal without blinking an eye.  These are the eternal questions that will never be answered and we need to accept that.

Am I going to hunt? I don’t know. I feel the need to take responsibility, but my dis-connected American mentality is still screaming to stay naïve and ignorant to the whole situation: cows come from the supermarket.

2009 list

So my new year’s resolution will be to start keeping track of what I watched and read this year because January was a long time ago....

Movies that deserve to be watched (they may be old, but I saw them for the first time this year)
1. The Hangover: hilarity to the extreme
2. Slumdog Millionaire: so good on so many levels
3. Rachel Getting Married: gifted actress, great story without being too depressing.
4. Dan in Real Life: love, love love.
5. The Proposal: better than I thought. Why I was doubting Sandra or the amazing Ryan Reynolds. They rule the rom-com.
6. I Love You, Man: ok, so I was on the plane and I did fall asleep, but it was much more developed in storyline and humor than I was expecting. Not too shabby.
7. Yes, Man. I am not a Jim Carrey fan and I was watching it as I cleaned out the basement, so this isn’t a critical analysis. I liked it because it was about embracing life and taking some chances, because you never seem to regret new experiences. Get out of the coma, it’s a good message.
8. I Have Loved You For So Long: slow, but interesting.
9. Up In The Air: Yes, I am hugely biased because of me, St. Louis and my George. I can’t tell you what it’s about either because I was too distracted, but Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, it leads in Golden Globe nominations, and Jason Reitman, need I say more?!
10. Julie & Julia: I started this last night, but I didn’t finish it. Meryl Streep was mesmerizing.


Movies I think you can skip:
1. Coraline: I love you Tim Burton, I love claymation, but this one was just too odd and scary.
2. Revolutionary Road: an unhappy couple fighting all the time. I am sure you can find that in real life.
3. Confessions of a Shopoholic: cute book, dumb, dumb, dumb movie
4. Sunshine Cleaning: just so-so, I expected more Amy Adams and Alan Arkin.
5. 500 days of Summer: if it’s on tv, it’s a cute little movie, watch it. Don’t seek it out. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is adorable. The story is good, I just missed connecting with the characters.
6. Marley & Me: you have got to be kidding me. This is why I hate dogs, the lack of control and how they run your life: “see, I told you he wouldn’t try to eat the baby.” If that is a worry in your life, your need to rethink your priorities.
7. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: if you have seen the commercial, you got it all. It’s a good ‘chore’ movie. It’s on while you clean and pick-up, you can leave and comeback and not miss a thing.


I can’t remember any books I read this year (except Twilight). I don’t think I can remember because I didn’t really read any great books (yes, Twilight was good, the others slowed, but worth the read). I do have some interesting ones in line for 2010.

This entry is a little pathetic.

Looking for a good home

Another reason I love Chuck....he is letting me sell the sofa and loveseat. Anyone's grandma looking for furniture?

So So Thankful

I am one of the luckiest and most blessed people. Everyone I know has an ideal life for the most part, yet I continue to go about my day saying, "if only...[I made more money, I had a different job, I could water ski]." I never stop and say, "wow. I am sooooo lucky and thankful." I am and here are just a few reasons why.

1. I have about the coolest family on Earth. We have so much fun together, we are all healthy and happy and well-adjusted. I feel sorry for those that have no contact with extended family. Cousins: God's best kept secret. (My friends rock too. I will say that I have the best friends in the world)

2. I have a job. The layoffs came and went, and thankfully I am still here (as is my entire department).

3. We have had the best weather in St. Louis the last couple of years. Yes, it gets a little cold, yes, it gets a little humid, but overall, it has been really nice. I was riding my bike in August and the humidity wasn't insane. I am thankful.

4. I have had a great year of traveling: San Fran, Colorado, Europe, last turkey day in New York, Chicago, all very fun, great trips.

5. I can breathe. My life is not handicapped by decongestants (that always put you to sleep), Kleenex, lack of recooperative sleep, and the constant annoying sniffing would drive me and everyone around me crazy. It sounds small, but I am so happy to breathe.

6. Chuck. I am dating the most amazing man. He is giving and warm. He is mature, affectionate, stands aside to let me be independant, but will step in at the right time (i.e. we trade bags at the airport because his is always lighter). He encourages me and listens. He will do anything with me once, but knows I need my space. I could not have asked for a better partner to walk through life together. I just need to keep me level-headed and not start taking this for granted.

Picture Guide: 1. Norman Rockwell (or typical Sunday at the Gettemeier's!), 2. Grandpa & Grandma Kohnen, my mom, me & cousin Bern at a wedding 3. All 16 of the cousins on the Kohnen side. 4. Tara and cute little Paulie 4. Cousin Sarah and friend Laura 5. Pollard, Doty, Celeste, Morton, & Nord (from Nord's 30th) 6. me and Denae (at Joss Stone) 7. Me & Chuck in CO.

Have a happy Thanksgiving (which I am thankful for the food and a long weekend off!)

The big D

Texas. It's a whole other country. Actually, not really. I thought it would be much more cowboy hats and gunracks. I realize I was in Dallas, and St. Louis is a much different place than the rest of Missouri, but still I expected a few. The good news is that I still did Texas things: I shot a gun, I drove on the George Bush Highway, I ate mexican food, I saw Sarah Palin's book in real life...very Texan. We really went down there to spend time with Chuck's parents and that's just what we did. It was a very relaxing weekend of window shopping and eating. They graciously took me to the Save-A-Lot on Lancaster so I could actually see a store that I designed. I have never seen a store I designed in real life. It was very cool.

It's Almost November

Last weekend was crazy. To be more specific, Saturday was crazy. It all started when someone asked me to be on the planning committee for the United Way's St. Louis Servathon. The Servathon is a large event volunteering at the same time in one specific area. With October 24th being 'Make a Difference Day,' we thought it would be perfect. After lots of pre-work, I arrived at the Regional Arts Commission at 7 am. We arranged, coordinated, and prepped the volunteers as they arrived and sent them off to change the world. I was in charge of the housing projects. Ten elderly and disabled U City residents applied to the city to get some light yardwork, etc done. I had a group of 30 volunteers helping out. My morning was spent checking on the volunteers at each house and directing them on to other projects if they were finished. It wasn't hard work, just a little chaotic. When everyone finished, we headed back to RAC and ate lunch. As expected, lunch didn't show up on time (well, not all of it, just some of it, which I don't know if that was better or worse). Luckily, volunteers tend to be very patient people. I also stalled by offering them pieces of cake with icing flowers. I didn't think that would work after you are nine, but I was wrong. As a thank you for helping out, the planning committee each received the President's Award for Volunteer Service, complete with a letter from the President. It was cool, I am very proud of it.

After clean-up, I ran downtown to Sage to pick up soup (Butternut Squash Bisque, the best in the city) and host a dinner party for 11. I had done as much of the prep work as possible before Saturday, but of course there is always plenty to do. It will be a long time until I host another dinner party for 11. It's soooo much more prep than just having people over: drinks, courses, desserts, the logistics of entertaining, cooking a full meal, and serving it all warm. I did plan ahead. My wonderful cousin Sarah came over to help. After 6 that evening, she did it all. I just enjoyed myself. I am so lucky to have such generous people in my life. The evening went very smoothly and I couldn't have asked for anything better. A hectic day, but a good day.

Have you all taken a look at the fall leaves this year? Wow, they are all extreme in color. I don't know if it's the rain, but it is impressive. Now, just to rake them up...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I admit it. I am a Christmasholic. About this time every year I get antsy for Christmas. I do love fall, but fall just reminds me of what is coming next...Christmas (then I block everything out because January is too hard to think about). I made a deal with myself a couple of years ago. I let myself listen to Christmas music after my mom's birthday (October 15th). This week has just been easier with a festive soundtrack. Work is a little tense right now and we are all still waiting (another three weeks they say) to see if we will have jobs at the end of the year. I have found Christmas music to be the sole source of my calm. I have also converted some co-workers who are now listening to Christmas music and I am happy to report the Store Design department is much more mellow this week.

I have always leaned on the tunes of the Yule. In college I relied heavily on Bing to get me through a paper. Don't under estimate the power of Christmas music.

Here are some of my favorites (off the top of my head):

Mariah Carey: "All I Want For Christmas is You." LOVE IT!

Michael W. Smith: both of his Christmas albums are amazing.

Steve Tyrell and The Carpenters: good classic albums

My favorite Christmas songs are: Baby, it's cold outside, What are you doing new year's eve?, and Christmas all over (Tim Petty)

Of course I love the standards Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, etc.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

I am in charge of the animal skulls

Last Saturday I volunteered with the Girl Scouts. They had a large one day of activity, learning, and enjoying the outdoors. It was at Camp Tuckaho out in Troy, MO. I love the Girl Scouts and I do regret not taking scouting further into my life. Here was my opportunity to make up for time lost.

I filled out the application a few months ago and explained that my hobbies were "crafting, interior design, and the environment." I also mentioned that I was very allergic to animals so please, no horses, goats or farm animals.

I showed up on Saturday happy to see the sun and eager to work. I ignore all the stupid mom leaders that have no comprehension that others are in the world but them (not spoiled mothers; busy mothers that have been doing nothing BUT mothering for the last 10 years and can't function in the real world anymore. They can't say bathroom. They say potty, even to 32 year old adults and their 9 year old children who have grown out of the phrase, I could go on, but I know you all know what I mean and will you NEVER turn into those mothers).

The volunteer coordinator informs me that I am at the Nature Center. I meet 4 other women working there, all with former girl scout daughters who are now in their 20's. These women are experts, they know what they are doing, they have got this down. They know their skits/lesson/activity. Another woman shows up with three large duffel bags. We start unloading. They are full of animal skins, skulls, and footprints. They are not just skins, but the whole epidermis of the animal: eye holes, claws, noses. etc. We pair the skull, skin and tracks up and lay them out on the table. The women in charge looks at me (the one with no part) and says, "are you ok, handling this?" Afraid they kick out sissies in the Girl Scouts I confidently say, "yes, whatever you need me to do."

The day was a plethora of over 100 activities to choose from: trails, archery, rock-climbing, making slime, yoga, Pilate's, anything you can think of and Tuckaho is large, so it was more about pick an area and see what there is to do there rather than cherry-picking activities because you would spend all day walking. Over 3500 girls from the St. Louis area were there, including Grace (my niece) and her troop.

The first troop came and I let them guess the different animals (they look different when they are flat) and touch them. I showed them how a beaver jaw and a squirrel jaw look very similar even though they are different in size. I was amazed at my expertise compared to an 8 year old. I could easily impress them with my "facts." A little National Geographic Channel goes a long way.

The day went on and I got into my groove, while personally being a little grossed out, I knew how important it was to get over it. At the end of the day I could properly identify the coats and skulls of a beaver, squirrel, rabbit, otter, raccoon, skunk, possum, deer, coyote, bobcat, & fox.

I was happy that I did get challenged out of my comfort zone and I am thankful they didn't have me in charge of any live animals, that wouldn't have been a little much. Saturday ended up to be a gorgeous fall day and I loved that I got to spend the whole day outside. Around 3:30, the sun sank beneath trees and it got cold quickly. I was grateful to be at the nature center because we has access to an indoor (heated) facility with a real bathroom and hot coffee in the kitchen. The volunteer coordinators broke me in softly and now have me hooked. I would do it again, animal skulls and all.

In the nature center I saw this quote: In the end, we will only conserve what we love. We only love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I LOVE fall. I love back to school. I was always ready to get back to a new year in school. The weather turns crisp and warm, but the nights are cool enough to have fires and snuggle up in coats. Everyone starts to talk of holidays and the associated festivities. It just makes me soooo giddy. (Let's let leaves out of the equation for now, I am moving into a house with 6 oak trees. I despise oak trees).

One of the best parts about this time of year is that there is so much to do. Clayton Art Fair, Schlafly Art Fair, Balloon Glow, Balloon Race, Oktoberfests, lots of birthdays to celebrate over long dinners on patios, etc, etc. Yipeee!

On another note, I am 90% moved. Celeste is coming over tonight to continue the motivate me in the last of the little things and help clean up. It's amazing what you can get done when you are fighting jet lag.

Once I have all my pictures sorted and together, I will finally post them. It was a great vacation with lots of things to do, but at a leisurely pace for the most part. All I can say is charming, charming, charming. The low countries are just quaint. I got the posted picture off the Internet, but I took the same picture in Damme, Belgium.

Greetings from Europe

Not that I need to tell you all...but Europe rocks. We have been to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Bruges. Tonight we are back in the 'dam and are heading to Delft, the Hague, Haarlem, and Edam over the next couple of days. Bruges is definitely one of the most charming and quaint cities I have ever seen. We stayed at an amazing b&b. We are now staying in another b&b at the 'dam. This is the way to go. Wonderful homes, lovely breakfasts and they are soooo clean. I almost thought about not using my sleeping bag (but I didn't). I can't speak of U.S. b&b's, but this is definitely the way to travel in Europe.
I would post pictures, but that is a lot of work that I just can't handle right now (converters, adapters, camera's, ipods, and this teeny tiny computer that my parents lent us that is great, but no memory to hold a pic). Besides the fact that I am old and my tech skills are embarassing. I will post when I get home to convince you all to head to the Low Countries.
Interesting things about Europe: capri's and fanny packs are very cool for men/teenage boys. I have seen a lot of mullets (we have pictures). These people have cat-like reflexes to bike, walk and drive here, I am in awe. I have found my food soulmate in Belgium: beer, waffles, and mussels.
I am so sad to come home on Saturday.

Nothing

Nothing to post. Life is packing the house, packing the suitcase, unpacking at Chuck's. Do I have the converter? Do we have tickets for ___? Where is the dutch phrase book? (in a box in storage). Nothing but small details that annoy you in your own life, so I am not going to bore you anymore with them.
See you on the 5th.

SF & BF

I have one small piece of advice: never go to a good St. Louis restaurant after you have just gotten back from food heaven.

San Fran was great. As I have eluded, the food was phenomenal. Too many fish options to count, salads, salads, salads, and hardly a fried option in the bunch. It was refreshing, not to have to search for decent food. Saturday we went sailing in the bay, which rocked. Definitely an experience to remember. The rest of the time, Sarah and I just walked around. I broke in the new shoes for Europe (see photo...and they are environmentally sound). The conference was fab. I learned lots and lots that I won't bore you with except for a 2 things. One is a video from World Wildlife Federation about changing the way you think: http://www.worldwildlife.org/ted/latteflash.html

The water footprint site (did you know it takes 50 gallons of water to make a latte?!): http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/home

This leads me to last night. I returned from SF on Wednesday night and had Bodily Fluids last night. We went to Jimmy's. Yes, Jimmy's, one of my top 10 restaurants. This is why my new rule is in effect. I felt like Monica in the wedding dress episode (on Friends). She had experienced the ultimate and now nothing could compare. I had a very good dinner. Delish, the caprese salad was tasty, but none of the fish on the menu was sustainable. I found myseld continuously comparing the experience to SF. It was unfair to me and Jimmy's. It was great conversation though. The last few dinners in SF were business small talk so I welcomed conversations among friends again. BF Becky showed up and I avoided her as much as possible. At the end of the dinner I did hear the words "poop," "placenta," and "my breast milk smelled like gin," come out of her mouth. Ugh, seriously, she has issues with personal boundaries. Doesn't she EVER stop?! We will see next month.

A Moment of Panic

I am having a moment and I need to release. HOW THE $%&@@ am I going to do this?! I admit it, I am not a multi-tasker. I will lie through my teeth in an interview because I know I am not. Give me a task, let me complete it in its entirety and then I will move on to the next. This is how I function and I come from a LONG line of hard-headed stubborn schedulers.

This weekend was pretty good. I have 2 rooms moved, My very very very generous brother Jeremy offered his spare garage (you have those when you live on a farm in the middle of Ferguson) for me to store things. My green room and spare bedroom are packed up and gone. There are some things I still need to clean out in there and the closets are currently in use, but the 12 boxes of books are gone along with some furniture. Now I am at a kind of a stand still. I don't want to live in a house for a month with the bare essentials and echo's, so I don't know what else to pack. Chuck had the obvious idea that I missed and told me to get all of my needed stuff over to his house and then move the rest of the house. OK, I admit that works. Now I am at the issue of vacation. Yes, Anna is stressing about going away for pleasure (see where I fail at the multi-tasking?!). On Friday I leave for San Francisco. I am so excited about going and can't wait to visit one of my favorite cities and trust me, I will have a good time. It just puts off packing and moving for 6 days. After I get home from SF, I am home for 6 days and leave again. Besides having plans the majority of those nights, packing still wouldn't get done because I can't move in to Chuck's AND try to pack for a 10 day vacation.

That puts me to September 5th. Let's face it, I am not going to pack up my house immediately when I get home. I am gone 2 days that week for work. Hopefully, I will be able to do it the weekend of the 12th juggling the other things going on (it's United Way campaign time and there are some volunteer events, many I am missing for vacation, so I can't miss these too). My goal is to be completely out of the house by September 20th. That leaves me with 3 whole days with nothing planned at this point. I realize there are days after work, but that's another 3 days (of things I don't have already scheduled). It will get done. It's amazing how many stolen moments you can find when you need them.

So that leads to the next panic...what do I need right now? What do I need in 6 months? I have to move into a full house that needs to sell. I have to immediately tuck everything away and choose carefully what I do bring so that I don't clutter the house. You may say pack everything into storage until you realize that you are moving in to a boy's house and are expected to host Christmas this year. Then you realize you are hosting Christmas without a back-up house to detox in. What am I doing? I am way to much of an introvert to ever live with people. Holy crap.

OK, update on the panic. Tuesday, Karla and I had to get the occupancy permit, which took seconds to complete (I thought: government agency=hours of waiting). I got home on Tuesday with a few hours to "pack." It was more of an excercise in making my house more of a disaster, but some things were accomplished. Then last night, plans fell through so after the United Way meeting, I went over to Chuck's and we unpack some of my boxes I brought over. I am not as busy as I think I am. This will work out. Chuck isn't going to San Fran with me anymore so he gets to stay home all weekend and work on some things done. Whew. It's still going to be tight, but managable. Stay tuned for the next panic attack.

Well, it's official

So I am moving. I have rented my house. I have to be out by October 1st. There are a few repairs to be done and some paint to be sloshed, but I am out. It's bittersweet, but good. This is what I want, but I will say I am a little sad to move my house that has been my fortress for the last seven years. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, she has been good to me, but let's face it, it's a house. It's time for someone else to love this house.

So here is the plan. I am moving in with Chuck (yes, right next to the devil house). We will put his house up for sale and then find a place together (most likely in the city).

That's the plan. I am excited to move. I am excited that there is only one house to sell at the present moment. This is the first step of many, many, I will keep you all updated!