On The Eve of my 41st Birthday

Yes. What is 41? It's not an important "BIG" birthday, like 21, or 30 or 40 or 50. It's not the meaning of life, which we all know is 42! It's a prime number, meaning it's only divisible by 1 and itself, but are you really in your "prime" when you reach 41? Some say yes, some say no way and I say I haven't quite decided yet. No, I'm not exactly where I thought I would be at this age. I'm not married, I don't have kids, I'm not living on a horse farm in Kentucky, which was my dream when I was younger, or in England, which became a dream when I got older. I haven't published a book or even completed writing one. My grandparents and my parents are all gone.

On the positive side, my 41 years have been quite interesting. I have learned a lot through school and through living. I have lived in 5 different states and traveled to many more. I have been in the minority group and the majority group. I have graduated from high school. I have graduated with a degree from college. I have read some of the greatest books of all time. I have voted. I have served as a foreperson on a jury. I have bought and sold a house or two. I have bought and sold a horse or 3 or more. I have owned my dream car and realized it wasn't such a dream after all. I have worked with my hands as barn help and horse trainer, I have worked in a corporate setting, I have worked with motorcycles, I have worked in one of the iconic museums in the World. I have taken a break from work. I have moved back in with my parents, and in turn, had them move back in with me. I have been nurturing and been nurtured. I have lost a child. I have made friends, I have made enemies. I have made music. I have been on TV. I have created works of art. I have created poetry. I have written so that I wouldn't harm myself. I have written songs. I have made up words. I have tattoos, 13 of them, all of which tell a story. I have been on stage. I have seen Broadway shows, but have yet to visit Broadway. I have never been to Las Vegas. I have eaten at a Michelin starred restaurant and I have eaten in dives. I have met famous people. I have played sports, watched sports, and most of all loved sports. I have watched Michael Jordan fly to the basket. I have watched the Bears win and lose a Super Bowl. I have watched the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup and have seen the Cup. I have seen Tiger Woods play golf. I have been to White Sox games. I have been to Cubs games. I have not seen the Cubs win a World Series. I have had long hair, short hair and now graying hair. I have traveled, but not as much as I would have liked to. I have swum in lakes, oceans, seas, and swimming pools. I have been a computer geek and a cool chick. I have chopped down my own Christmas tree and I have had an artificial Christmas tree. I have survived blizzards and heat waves. I have seen a tornado. I have been on a cruise ship. I have been through the Panama Canal. I have been on 3 continents. I have had money and I have been poor. I have won blue ribbons. I have gained and lost weight. I have been shy and I have been bold when necessary. I have stood my ground and I have run away. I have stayed up all night. I have gone to bed early. I have adopted pets. I have found strength even when I didn't think I had any. I have loved, I have been loved and I have lost love and loved ones. I have been adventurous, and I have stayed close to home. But most of all I have lived. So looking back on some of the things I've done throughout my life...maybe 41 Is Just...me.

Oops!

Well, 2011 didn't start exactly as I had wanted. New Year's Eve, Eric fell down the stairs (so help me, if he wears his Crocs outside again in winter I'm going to kill him) and injured his left "backside." So we had to spend New Year's Eve day in bed and going to the Take Care Clinic at Walgreen's to see if there was anything more we could do besides ice and ibuprofen. (There wasn't). I cooked a nice dinner which worked out, but Eric hurt just sitting eating dinner, so we retired to the bedroom early and he was out and asleep before 10pm. I watched the ball drop on my own and feel asleep before Midnight central time. Gunfire in our neighborhood to celebrate 2011 woke me up and I heard a loud clunking as a bullet shell bounced off the roof of Eric's car. Made a dent but no other damage so we're ok and the car is ok.

Now, for Christmas, Eric got me a set of Guy Fieri Knives. They are awesome. The first nice knives I have ever owned. I was excited to get up New Year's morning and make a

bacon/mushroom/goat cheese frittata. While I was cutting fresh basil with my new, wonderful, and very sharp knives, I almo

st sliced off the tip of my left index finger. Luckily I just cut through the nail. I figured that was my error for the meal. I had been roasting grape tomatoes in the oven to make a sauce to go along with the frittata and when I took it out of the oven, I used a potholder since the handle was hot. I poured the tomatoes and garlic into a bowl and put the skillet back on top of the stove, I was going to wipe it out and then cook the frittata in it. Well, after I grabbed another bowl in which to mix the eggs, I went back and grabbed the skillet. This time without the potholder. OUCH! I dropped the pan, (luckily not on a cat), and yelled some sort of obscenity. Eric came out and asked if I was OK and I very calmly said "No." My right hand felt like I was being stung by 100 bees and I started to cry. Eric asked if I could take a break and I said "No." Hell, I had seen the chef's on Top Chef suck it up all the time and keep going, so that's what I did. Crying the entire time and running my hand under cold water when I had a chance. Luckily the frittata worked out and was delicious!

We managed to make it through the rest of the day without falling or burning ourselves or cutting off any limbs. When I asked Eric what he wanted for dinner last night he said "Anything that doesn't involve you cooking or me going out." I was able to slice an onion without

problems and dinner was successful.

So it wasn't exactly the way I had planned to start the year. My hand hurt too much to start learning a new song on the guitar. It was very cold outside so I didn't take poor Harley for a walk for some exercise (and Eric's in no shape right now to join the Y with me). Someone had blocked our driveway New Year's Eve so we couldn't even get our cars out to go anywhere. I figure it can only get better from here!

Starting Over

Here it is, the last day of 2010 and I noticed that once again, I have been neglecting my blogging duties and haven't had an entry since August! Well, New Year's is the time for resolutions and starting new, or at least they say it is. 2010 was a good year. I was employed for the entire year and although I was still a contractor, I stayed at the same company, handled changes, new bosses, new duties and even got a new computer the last week of work. I went to my first Drum Corps show which was amazing. It was in Minneapolis, which was another first for me and I found the city charming. The show got rained out or rather violent stormed out, but the Corps I did get to see were fantastic and have made me a fan for life. I ate at several new restaurants, some good, some just so so. I turned 40. I picked up a guitar for the first time since college and began playing again. I stood in line at the Apple Store for the release of the iPad so I could be one of the first to have one. Met Derrick Rose on the same day. I reconnected with my brother whom I hadn't spoken to since I moved out of Florida. And, of course, I really enjoyed cooking with my oven! I'm not going to look back on regret on the fact that I didn't read all 100 books I was planning on reading or that I didn't blog every day or every other day about it. Can't change the past, just have to move forward.

So, since I made promises that I simply couldn't or didn't keep last year, this year I'm making no promises. Just a list of things I would like to do/achieve in 2011.

• I would like to be employed permanently. (Hopefully with the company I've been "contracting" for for 2 years.)
• I would like to learn a new song a week on the guitar. Meaning I will have to play every day and by next New Year's Eve have a repertoire of 52 songs!
• I would like to read more and watch TV less. I have an iPad and Kindle loaded on my iPad and computer so there is no reason that I can't download any number of books I would like reading.
• I would like to get in better shape. The plan is to join the YMCA and start out in the pool until my muscles are used to working out again. I want to lose weight, yes...but I would also like to simply be fitter.
• I would like to continue to cook new recipes and explore new restaurants.
• I would like to go to Minneapolis in July and see a complete Drum Corps show and especially stand in front of the horn line of Phantom Regiment to feel that awesome power!
• I would like to go to London in November, and if not...Door County for Thanksgiving or Jamaica for Christmas.
• I would like to write in my blog every day.
• I would like to get back on a horse at some point during the year. I miss riding every day and being around those gentle giants.
• I would like to take our St. Bernard, Harley on more walks, which would be good for us both.
• I would like to swim in Lake Michigan at least once during the summer.
• I would like to see another opera.
• I would like to go to a live sporting event, whether it be golf tournament, football game, baseball game or hockey game.

So those are just a few of the things I'd like to see happen in 2011. Let's check back in a year and see how many of them I accomplished. I'm stubborn, and when I set my mind to something, I can do anything!

Munchies and Monchichi's

Once again it's been awhile and I'm not even going to come up with excuses or promise that I'll write more often, because obviously I don't write as much in here as I'd like to or as I should. I suppose I should just write when the moment feels right and not worry so much about it.

It's hot here in Chicago, been in the 90's to upper 80's most of the past 4 days now and more humid than I think I ever experienced while living in Florida. I'm not complaining though, I've spent the weekend on the couch, watching golf, grabbing things for FarmVille on Facebook and having a severe case of the munchies. Yesterday I munched on several different boxes of mini cereals, some miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, a few Tootsie Roll pops, some Entemann's doughnuts and a pint of Ben & Jerry's chocolate ice cream. It's that glorious time of the month for me and my cramps were severe yesterday which for some reason, made me extremely hungry. Today, the munchies linger, but we're out of munching food and I can't decide whether or not to get in the car myself or send Eric to the store to get potato chips, Dove chocolates with caramel and some more ice cream! I know I shouldn't be munching on any of those things, but sometimes you just have to munch.

As for the Monchichi's--I don't know why but a few months ago when Eric was rubbing my legs after a long day at work, it felt so nice that I babbled something about monchichi's. Why that came up? I don't know. Then, of course, I had to sing the whole song for him, which he had never heard...and then proceed to show him pictures of the cute and cuddly little monkey children who suck their thumbs. I don't believe I ever even owned a Monchichi of my own. It's kind of weird how some things pop back into your head after so many years. Now"MONCHICHI!" has become an exclamation of pure joy around here, and sometimes we say sad, quiet, "monchichi's" when something hurts, accompanied by a pouting lower lip.

I'm just grateful that tomorrow the cramps will be gone, the munchies will be history, and hopefully I will come up with better ideas for my blog postings than this silly nonsense. Next weekend will be our summer weekend at Ravinia. Counting Crows on Saturday and Crosby, Stills & Nash and Sunday. That should be something to write about.

A Man Like Edward

I will admit that until tonight I had never seen any of the "Twilight" movies. I'm not really one to go to midnight showings of the latest flick and really don't want to sit in a theatre full of screaming teenage girls, even though I used to be one myself. I love the Harry Potter books and movies, but I have never been to a midnight release of those books and/or movies either. I didn't think I really wanted to see another "vampire" movie and thought Kristen Stewart basically had only one facial expression--bored teenager-- whether in the movies or in interviews I've seen on TV. I also believed that I would never see Robert Pattinson as anyone other than Cedric Diggory from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie.

I have friends on Facebook who were planning on taking daughters, nieces and friends to the latest midnight release of the latest "Twilight" saga on Wednesday evening. I couldn't understand why they would subject themselves to that, especially if they had to work the next morning. But I can now, sort of, see where they are coming from.

Edward Cullen is an interesting character and a man we all would love to have in our lives. Whether teenager or older woman. He has good looks, a loving family that would accept us for who we are, he's polite to fathers, he can play sports, he is intelligent, he never sleeps, he drives a whole bunch of neat cars, he plays the piano, he lets us dance on his feet, he can take us to places we've never been before, and he watches over us as we sleep yet he cannot read our minds so he's never going to figure out what we're really thinking. Plus he will fight to keep us alive at any cost. He wants nothing more than to protect us. On the downside, he's got cold skin, and he is a bit moody and could kill us at any moment. I also think it would be tough for him to stay in one place for very long. I mean, he can't keep going to high school in the same town for years and years. I did really like the clever artwork in the house where they had a whole bunch of graduation caps.

The first movie was good. Took a little to get into, but once the action started I thought it was interesting and had some good plot twists. I almost hate to admit that I'd actually like to see the next two movies. I'd also like to read the books.

Those of you who have already seen all the movies or read the books please don't ruin it for me. I want to decide for myself if I should be on Team Edward or Team Jacob. Right now though, Edward looks pretty good to me.

Throwing in the Towel

Ok, that's it. I quit. My literary pursuit of the 100 most notable books of 2009 by The New York Times is over. I know I only read 10 books, but I only enjoyed one of them so I figured it was best to move on to books I do like. Now I'm not saying The New York Times doesn't know what it's talking about, and I'm sure the books all had their merits, but they just weren't my kind of reading. The last book, "Love and Summer" was hard to follow, didn't really have much of a story, and left you with characters who had unresolved issues/lives. One passage in the book did make me cry, but that was the passage about an old dog passing away. It was probably the best written passage in the whole book and that's not saying much. I think my tears were more due to the fact that I'm an animal lover, rather than the beauty of the writing.

So without further ado, I am now reading Jasper Fforde's latest book "Shades of Grey." I love Jasper Fforde. He has written a series of novels called the Thursday Next books which involve a woman who travels through time and helps various literary characters. It's part mystery, part comedy and is absolutely perfect for those of us who were English majors in college. If you haven't read some of the great novels of our time, you won't get it. "Shades of Grey" is a different novel, this is about people who live in a world of colors and their society is based on their colors. The main character, Eddie Russett is a "red" who is supposed to marry another "red" but then falls in love with a "grey" woman who threatens to break his jaw the first time she meets him. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and was laughing out loud just by reading the table of contents. I'm only a quarter of the way through the book, so I can't give a full review yet but I know I will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed Fforde's other novels.

Yes, a part of me feels bad that I didn't make my goal. I didn't even come close to reading two books a week. And I even feel guilty about giving up, and perhaps there are some books on that list that I am truly missing out on. But as I believe I have mentioned before, I love reading, it is a great joy, a great escape, a great way for me to spend my time, and I simply wasn't enjoying the books I was reading. Reading shouldn't be a chore and that's what it felt like it had become.

So I'm happier and believe it or not, will probably get a lot more books read than I had originally planned.

UPDATE TIME

Wow, I guess time flies when you have a new iPad. I realize today that I haven't blogged since I got my new iPad almost 2 months ago and today Apple announced they have sold 2 million of them. I am enjoying my iPad thoroughly and really enjoying the new apps that are coming out specifically for the iPad. Downloaded the Weather Channel app this morning and it is really cool. Plus it was free which is always good. I've also re-discovered my Epicurious app, which has thousands of recipes and good reader/user feedback so I plan on using that a lot to see what new things I can come up with to cook this summer. I was using the iPad to catch up on missed episodes of "Lost" but ran out of time before the finale. I was disappointed in the finale but didn't really think that a show that left me with so many questions each week would possibly be able to answer all of them I've had for the past 6 seasons in just 2 hours. I've also been avidly using my iPad as an eBook reader. I am now on my 3rd book and really enjoying the layout, the fonts, the way the pages turn and the cute little bookshelf that will, I'm sure, be filled by the end of the year with books I have read.

So, brief reviews? First book I read on the iPad was "Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls. It was a semi-biographical book about the author's grandmother. It was interesting. Her grandmother was a rough and tumble girl who grew up on a cattle ranch and had adventures learning how to fly and teaching at local Arizona schools. It was an easy read and I finished it in less than a week. I was entertained by a different view of the "wild, wild, west" and having spent my formative years in New Mexico could relate to the characters. I didn't like the ending, which kind of just dropped you, but I'd probably recommend the book.

The next book I read was "Family Album" by Penelope Lively. This book was about a family growing up in England. It revolved around their house which was called Allersmead. All the children had different stories, and some surprises along the way. There was a live-in maid who ended up having an affair with the father of the family, then she went away and brought the child back and they raised it as one of their own, but the kids always knew their "sister" was different. It's no "Brideshead Revisited" but it was ok.

The book I am currently reading, and should finish this week, is called "Love and Summer" by William Trevor. This book is set in Ireland and follows a few characters, but the main story is supposed to be about a young girl who was brought to be a bride of a much older widower who's first wife died in a farming accident. She ends up falling in love with a photographer who is a stranger in town and they have an affair. It's kind of like the Irish version of "Bridges of Madison County." Can't say I'm really enjoying it. I tend to read a couple of chapters here and there and then put it down for a few days. It's written in a way that is a little hard to follow and the editors did a poor job, as there are several spots where there are gaps in the words or major misspellings.

Today is Memorial Day and the official start of Summer! We're having a thunderstorm right now but they said those should be gone by 4pm so I can still grill. So, hopefully I'll find some more time to do some more reading this summer and try to find a book I truly enjoy. I did truly enjoy "American Rust" but that's one out of 6 from the NY Times list and I'm finding it difficult to pick new ones seeing that I am disappointed so far.

What else is going on? Eric and I have amended our Ravinia schedule and are now only going to four concerts. Steve Martin, The Counting Crows (who were not on our original list), Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Train. We went to our first art festival of the summer up in Barrington on Saturday and that was fun but surprisingly hot, so we didn't stay too long. The Printer's Row Lit Fest is coming up in a couple of weeks and I am really looking forward to going to that. Last year we took our St. Bernard, Harley and he was the star of the show. The downside to that is that I couldn't spend time looking at books because we had to keep answering questions about Harley. This year, Harley is staying at home. We'll also go to the Wisconsin State Fair in August to look at the animals and have some cream puffs, italian sausage and corn. We'd like to get some golfing in at some point, but we'll have to see what happens. I know I'll be grilling a lot, and perhaps this is my summer to perfect a fruit tart.

I will try to keep up with my blogging. I find when I blog I end up having a lot to say, so if I did it more often, my entries would be shorter.

Off to wait for the thunderstorms to end so I can do some Memorial Day grilling.

Thanks again for reading and providing me with positive feedback.