Archive for January, 2009

ok, I admit it.  I’m one of those people who just doesn’t understand the concept of time travel.  Honestly, it’s enough to drown me in a whirlpool of confusion.  Take for example Back to the Future.  That one was easy enough to follow…he’s gotta be careful not to mess up the time/space continuum and must fix the things he’s screwed up.  Got it.  Ok.  Back to the Future 2 when he’s going to the past and future and trying to not screw things up by running into his past, present and future self, that’s where it started to go wrong for me.  Now that I think about it, I can’t remember too many details about that one.  Maybe I was trying to protect my brain, but I do remember discussing it with my mom and brother and both of them becoming exasperated with my inability to grasp what ever was happening.  I seem to remember the phrase “Christine, it’s just a movie…let it go” being said.  Many times.  and “I don’t know how to explain this so you will understand”, but I heard that a lot regarding Math too. 

Over the past 20 years I’ve come to terms with my time travel deficiency and have been able to function fine in the real world.  Until the movie The Lakehouse came out a few years ago.

I really wanted to like this movie….Sandra Bullock, Keanu..who didn’t love Speed?? (One year, everyone in my family and close friend circle unknowingly bought a VHS copy of Speed for someone else. It was a riot on Christmas morning).  While the movie itself was nice and even keeled as only Keanu can do, the story made me absolutely crazy.  I kept pausing the DVD to say “Huh???” so many times that Jose finally took the remote away from me.

I don’t want to spoil this for any of you who haven’t seen the movie…you should.  It’s not awful, in fact it’s kind of sweet, it just doesn’t make sense!!!

Here’s the trailer:

SPOILERS              SPOILERS             SPOILERS (kind of)

Here’s a little bit of our conversation during the movie:

Me: “I’m so confused.  Explain this part to me…how exactly does this mailbox work?”

Jose: “It’s magic.  You know what I’d do, right?”

Me:  “I don’t care what you’d do.  How does it work?”

Jose: “I don’t know…they put things in it and they travel back and forth two years in time.  But you know what I’d do, right?”

Me: “But, but but…HOW??”

Twenty minutes later.

Me: “I’m so confused.  What is happening here?”

Jose: “It’s magic.  You know what I’d do, right?”

Me:  “I don’t care what you’d do.  How does it work?”

Jose: “I don’t know…they put things in the mailbox and they travel back and forth two years in time.  But you know what I’d do, right?”

Me: “But, but but…HOW??”

Repeat this every so often.

Finally, the end.

Me:  WHAT?????  HOW??? My head hurts!!”

Jose:  “It’s magic.  You’d know what I’d do, right?”

Me: “I don’t care.  What the hell just happened?”

Jose: “Well, duh.  That’s easy.  They “caught” up with each other”

Me: (feeling my brain begin to split) “Huh???  What do you mean they “caught” up with each other?  How does one person fast forward through time?”

Jose: “Oh, there was no fast forwarding, silly.  The other one just “waited”  You know what I’d do, right??”

Me: “Uhhhh.  How does someone WAIT for two years to catch up with someone else who’s two years ahead? and stop asking me. I don’t care what you’d do”

Jose: “I don’t know, it makes perfect sense to me.  He just “waited” for her even though he’s two years BEHIND and suddenly they were on the same time loop.  And then magically, they appeared at the same time next to that amazing mailbox.  It’s simple.  BUT!! you know what I’d do??”

Me:  *banging my head on the wall literally feeling my brain weeping*  “I give up. OK, OK. TELL me, what would you do?”

Jose:  “Oh, I’d build a bigger mailbox and just climb in it”

If that doesn’t sum up  my experiences with time travel, I don’t know what does.  I can’t really watch Quantum Leap, as much as I like that show.  And Journeyman, from last season (with dreamy Kevin McKidd), I managed to hold on through the 13 episodes just fine. I can’t overthink, that’s all.

So I was a tad concerned when I found out my book club’s new selection is “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.  I’ve put off reading as long as possible, even though the book sounds terrific and has good reviews from everyone I know who’s read it.  I’m just scared to start reading.

So a few day ago, I picked up the book and started. I’m on page 20 and let’s just say while I’m enjoying it, I’ve already got the Excedrin handy.

Chris

I’m in the middle of a few books right now. Ever since I was little, I’ve always read more than one book at at time.  I like to leave them around the house so wherever I am, I can just pick up a book and read.  I know it’s weird, but it works for me!  Right now, I have one book on my bedside table, one in the living room, one in the basement and I usually keep one in the car, but I just finished that one. (Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, which was terrific.)  I always have one or two going at school, too, otherwise I’d never keep up!

While most of my books are new to me, one of my current reads is always a book I’m rereading for the second, third or hundredth time.  A few weeks ago I had a long, involved conversation with a friend about my reading habits.  I have a love/love relationship with books that  has gone on for most of my life.  Reading is my one true escape and I’ve been known to get very involved and invested in characters and settings, mostly due to my rereading habit.  Books and characters are like old familiar friends the kind that don’t change, disappoint or surprise you.  I like knowing that some things remain unaltered with passage of time.  I especially like rereading a book I read a long time ago, when I was in a different place in my life, and I find that the book has new meaning, or I understand the actions of a character differently.  It’s not always about the plot, but more of an appreciation of writing style and ability.  To be able to pick up a book I’ve read many times and still be as captivated as the first reading amazes me.

These are my current reads:

The Time Traveler’s Wife byAudrey Niffenegger: I have to say I’m really enjoying. I can’t talk too much about it until after my book club meets, but I’m planning on finishing that one this weekend if possible.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch (recommended by Valerie):  I’m halfway through this book.  It’s so beautifully written, but the story is not exactly shiny and happy, so I’m moving slowly with it.

My “reread” selection is a book I discovered in a college lit class on the Romantic period.  That’s where I discovered the Shelleys (Percy Bysshe and Mary), Byron, William Blake and Coleridge.  While I enjoyed all of these poets, the book that made the most impact on me is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or the Modern Promethus. If you haven’t read this amazing book, you should.  Don’t get confused with the square head, bolts on the neck, arms out marching, monster of the horror film version of Frankenstein, this book is a complex study of psychology, the power of human connection and above all, consequences.  It’s a masterpiece of a novel and even more impressive is that Mary Shelley was just 19 when she wrote it. (I remember that the very beginning is slow…but important, so keep that in mind).  I wrote the best paper of my undergrad career on this book.  I’m sure I’d cringe at it today, but I think my theme (Victor Frankenstein and postpartum depression — seriously…it worked) was pretty spectacular.  I need to look for that paper. I’m sure I have a hard copy, somewhere.

The Cobweb by “Stephen Bury”:  This story takes place during the Gulf War.  It’s co-written by Neal Stephenson and his uncle under the pen name of Stephen Bury. I like reading books co-written by two authors because of the meshing of different writing styles and conventions (ala Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman).  I’m not very far into this one (maybe chapter 4) but so far it’s keeping my attention.  It’s not my typical genre, so I hope I’m able to keep up with all the political, bureaucratic and military speak!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: I got the collector’s edition of this book for my birthday and I’ve spent the last month just looking at it.  I finally started reading it the other day and should finish it tomorrow or Sunday.  It’s handwritten with drawings done by the author, so it’s lovely to look at as well as to read.  There are some beautiful photos on amazon.com of the original one they bought last year. (Scroll down to the bottom)

That’s my current reading list.  I have the following books just waiting to be moved to the top of the pile.  More on these titles later.

The Fire by Katherine Neville (sequel to my beloved “The Eight”)
The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz (A Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award nominee)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

More later,
Chris

We’re in the middle of an arctic blast!  We’ve had a lot of snow and even more days of cold temperatures. Thursday morning at 6am it was -9! and at 6pm it was -24 with the wind chill. Friday was even worse!  It was -31 in AM!

Here’s Jose all bundled up on Thursday morning wearing many layers of clothes!

This is our backyard. Most of this snow fell this week.

And this is the inside hinge of our back door!

It’s hard to believe, as I chitter-chatter while writing in the cold, cold basement, that at one point in my life I was never cold.  I wore shorts and skirts pretty much all year.  Was I crazy?  I’m freezing all the time now (thanks in part to my thyroid problem) but man I miss warmth.  Makes me want to move somewhere toasty.  Until I realize how much I hate the heat. (I’m roasting!  Heather, that’s for you) Even more than the cold.  Although, at this moment, it’s hard to remember how much I hate the summer.

Jose and I picked up Rob, Caroline and the kids from the airport Friday evening, on their return from Australia.  Here’s me and Mackenzie; she’s a year old already!!!  Aby and Zak were playing upstairs so no photos of them, this time.  I’m so happy…Caroline brought me ketchup chips and maple cookies from Montreal! yay!

Chris

I’m not one for making resolutions.  I’m terrible at being accountable to myself, so if I were to make a resolution it would fly quickly out the window.  I like to think that a “goal” is more attainable than a resolution so that’s the terminology I’m sticking with for the time being.

I have two major goals for 2009.  One of them is to go on another amazing vacation with my husband. If you’re not in the know, we went to Italy this past March…check the archives or the Travel button at the top of this page for the postings (more on that in a coming post).  The other one is the obligatory get healthy/lose weight/be happier.  I lump all of those together because in my mind, they are all linked.  If you actually know me, you’re probably familiar with my 10 year health struggle ending in a dual diagnosis of  Crohn’s Disease and a thyroid condition called Hashimoto’s Disorder, so that’s no surprise . If you’ve been a friend of mine since I was in high school, the weight gain is no surprise either.  It certainly didn’t happen over night and other than blaming bad eating habits and very long in coming diagnoses (over 6 years of doctor bouncing) of several auto-immune diseases, I have no real excuse.

My PLAN (sounds even better than GOAL doesn’t it?) is to use this blog as my accountability tool.  I will post an entry each month updating my overall health status, hopefully including PHOTOS!!  Don’t worry, there will be no pictures of me in biker shorts and tank tops, but I will be as honest as I can handle.

The most recent full picture I can find and yes, a photo with Death should warrant a wake up call

Here’s my motivation…these are some photos from high school and college.  While I’d be thrilled to get back to my high school weight, it’s probably an unrealistic goal. I’m not sure my ancient body is that resilient. I’d be more than happy to get down to my college weight (last photo). For Now. It’s my first BIG milestone, with lots of small ones in between.

I’ve been using a really good resource for while called SparkPeople.  It’s free and they have great tools to help you track food intake and exercise as well as providing support when needed.  I also joined a group with some ladies at school which will encourage and motivate our healthy living. It should help when we are surrounded by delicious looking treats, plus the weekly weigh-ins don’t hurt! I’m not going to do a lot of posting about my food intake or my exercise log here, since I’m tracking that on my sparkpeople page, but feel free to view that page too.  I’m terrible about writing down what I’m eating, not because I’m in denial, but because it’s time I don’t have.  I can’t promise that I’ll be updating that daily, but I’ll do my best to keep the exercise log updated, especially since I’m using it to track my triathlon training.

Good tasting, satisfying food is a priority for me, after all, I am a foodie, so while I’m not looking to cut out all the bad foods from my life, I’m trying to moderate their fit into my new plan as well as incorporate regular exercise and mental health strategies. I did remove 99% of packaged foods from our diet, meaning that if I make something like macaroni and cheese, I’ll make it completely from scratch.  It’s not hard and it doesn’t take that much longer to do, and it’s so much better for you than envelopes of powdery cheese substitute, or whatever they call it.  Including more fresh vegetables is also crucial.  I’m the salad queen, I love them and can make a lot of different variations and most of the time, I also make my own vinaigrette based salad dressings (the jars are full of so much junk!)

Check in often for my progress and while I don’t need heat from the Food Police, encouragement will be welcome.  If you know of any good tasting, healthy recipes (especially snacks and breakfast…both are huge stumbling blocks for me), please share!

To be continued…
Chris

After almost 6 years of various projects, things are finally starting to come together in the house.  Our upstairs living room is the first room that’s 95% completely done. Why 95% you ask?, well I still want to hang a tin ceiling and put in a overhead light/fan and do some crown molding, but I’m not sure when that’s actually going to happen.  If at all.

Enjoy the following photos:
The pre-purchase tour

The first paint color.  I really like red, and while it looked better in person than these pictures would indicate, the red never did complement the orange tones of the wood in the house.  Can you tell I like color?

the second wall color:

The “stored” furniture which belonged to the O’Tooles, our traveling friends. We cared for it while they were in England for two years.

the ripping up of the carpet (yikes! what caused THAT??) and the subsequent floor refinishing

and finally! our own furniture and finishing touches: Why yes, that is an alpaca in the corner.  Two, in fact.  BIG Alpaca is from Jose’s parents and Little Alpaca is from my friend Karen.  It’s shiny and has a jingle bell!

Photos of the new bookshelves and portion of my personal collection.  There is another bookshelf in another room.  And, yes, I have an obsession with cookbooks (shelf on the right) and that’s not even all of them!  I just got four new ones for Christmas and my birthday AND gave a boxful to GoodWill.

and finally, the Fu Dogs!  These statues belong to my step-mother’s family and for as long as I can remember, they were displayed in Dad and Val’s living room.  I used to be very scared of them when I was little and would make her put sheets over them at night.  Last year, Valerie mentioned that they were being stored in their basement and I immediately asked to keep them for a while until her brother can claim them.   Jason drove them back from PA buckled in the back seatbelts of his car! We really love them now, they are quite the conversation pieces and the cats love them!  Not to mention how fun they are to decorate for seasonal holidays!

I hope you enjoyed this episode of Amateur Home Decorator. Tune in for the next installment called “You want me to do WHAT with painters’ tape??”  Yes, the guest bedroom will be next.  Here’s a sneak peek!

Stay tuned,
Chris