Your Daddy Named You Lee-Morrow?

Week 12

2010-08-12T16:33:00.002-04:00

So the little bugger that's growing inside me has finally decided to spill out of my pelvis and make its presence known to all those who cast gaze down on my lower abdomen. I am most decidedly pregnant. Or just really fat in a funny sort of way.

The morning sickness has finally started to subside althought the gestational fatigue is still going strong. Thank heaven for working at home and naps.

Ugh, morning sickness really sucks. Big time. The memory forgetting hormone has not yet kicked in for me so I'm not sure I ever want to go through that again. Really-Really-Sucks.

I have yet to have that etheral joyful "I'm pregnant!" moment yet. Mostly just meloncholy about the whole thing so far. Being terribly sick probably doesn't help.

It struck me the other day that I'm really, really sad about the woman that I will no longer be. The independent, risk-taking, fearless women that I am. I mourn her soon demise. I'm sure the woman I will become will be awesome - a mother, care-giver, a molder of tender minds (frightening) - but I haven't met her yet. So for now, all I can do is miss the woman that I am so familiar and comfortable with. The woman I'm so happy to be.

CSA 2010

2010-05-27T14:44:00.002-04:00

What, it's been like a year since I last posted me think. Anyhoo, another year another CSA. This year, John and I signed up for the Chubby Bunny CSA. We'll be picking up our seasonal veggies at the church down the street. Lets hope we don't have a repeat of the zucchini incident of 2006. No one needs 20 lbs of zucchini. There is only so much zucchini bread one can make.

And the puppy now officially weighs 26 lbs. That's 8 lbs gained in 8 weeks. At this rate she's headed for 50 lb territory before her first birthday. We're hoping the growth slows down soon. Oh and we hope she stops peeing in the apartment as well.

It's almost memorial day weekend. We all know what that means! The first batch of strawberry rhubarb jam will be made and put up this weekend! Joy!

Ripley's Believe It or Not

2009-06-24T15:33:00.001-04:00

Yup, the rumors are true. For those who haven't heard. We're getting hitched.

The Year in Review…About 2 months too late.

2009-02-18T23:25:00.009-05:00

NYC Marathon 2008 - Around Mile 17

So it should be a sign of the times that this little review of the past 12 months is a few months old. 2008! What can I say, you have been a dousy. Where to even begin. How about January?

January
The year started off quietly but didn’t stay that way for long
Flew to Dallas to run a gigantic conference with 300 attendees and a $600K budget. Aw the days of endless project budgets!
Gave my notice to the firm. Got a great job (I thought at the time) to be the Director of Diversity for the 2nd largest utility in the US. My mistake.

February
Last day at the firm.
Two week vacation in Argentina with the boy. BEST VACATION EVER!
Two words – Glacier Hiking!
Two more words – Fuzzy Armadillos!
Five more words – Don’t cry for me Argentina!
Started new job at the grid.
Realized my horrible mistake after day three.
Desperately trying to figure escape route
Additional Travel: Boston

March
Still trying to figure out escape route
Start speaking to contractors to gut renovate the bathroom.
Additional Travel: Boston

April
Still POW
Select a contractor and begin the lengthy co-op approval process
Additional Travel: Boston May
Land awesome gig with the association.
Said goodbye to the grid.
Start with the association and realize I am MUCH MUCH Happier
Quick trip to San Francisco while J attends an EP conference out there. Meet his father and sister. Lovely people. Tall.
Run into all sorts of renovation approval snafus
Additional travel: Chicago

June
Get notification, I’m in the 2009 NYC Marathon! Yipeee! Hope my knee holds out this year.
Travel down to attend the wedding celebration’s of dear college mate El and M! Third times the charm! Celebration, not marriage.
Additional travel: Washington DC, Boston, and LA

July
J and I begin cohabitation. Oh what surprises await us!
Ran the NYC Half-Marathon in about 2.5 hrs. Knee holds up splendidly.
Additional travel: none!

August
Attend Wedding in Chicago/Michigan for dear college friend N and M! And it only took them 10 years and two engagements!
Flew out to Jackson Hole, WY for a little vacation and my sister’s wedding! I have a brother in-law.
Got my sexy, sexy new toy. Nikon D300.
Wow! Lots of weddings. But no pressure…you know.
J falls out of the boat while white water rafting…and hilarity ensued.
Ran first 16 mile training run for the marathon.

September
A relatively quiet month personally but quite busy professionally. Traveled just about every week. Chicago, Philly, a week in Atlanta, and rounding out the month in DC.
Got to see the fabulous S in the ATL. Haven’t seen her in like 8 years! I love S!
Ran my first 20 mile training run. Why do I do this to myself?

October
My birthday! 33!
And J and I celebrated year numero duos!
Spent a week in London working with a client who also happens to be a former employer.
Caught up with the slick kid E whilst in London.
Tapering down training for the big marathon.
Additional travel: Boston

November
Ran the 2008 ING NYC Marathon – AND FINISHED in about 5 Hrs 20 minutes! Not to shabby considering that my knee had been out of commission for nearly 18 months.
Spent thanksgiving with J’s mom in Mississippi. I’ve decided I never want to live in Mississippi. The above picture is from a parking lot in Mississippi. I don’t think I need to explain myself further about Mississippi.
I think J and I are finally starting to figure out this whole living together thing.
Started volunteering at the International Center as a career coach. Fun!
Obama wins! The world rejoices! I never did really drink the kool-aid though.
Additional travel: Boston

December
Christmas with the family and post-Christmas with J’s dad and sister in San Francisco.
The fourth annual Christmas Cookie Party with the girls! Hosted by the lovely L. I made ginger-lemon crème cookies. We each ended up with about 9 dozen cookies. J was a very happy man.
Saw longwave in concert at the Bowery Ballroom.
J and I made about 200 mandoos on Dec. 31st. It’s a Korean thing…plus I’m incapable of making food for less than a small crowd.
Went to Alvin Ailey at the City Center. Beautiful as always.
Additional travel: Chicago, and San Francisco (twice in one month)

So yeah, 2008 was a big year of lots of changes, lots of accomplishments, and lots of jobs.
2009 should be another exciting year.

Don’t know what’s in my future but I have a few ideas:
I want to take a pottery class…just cause.
I have my eyes set on the 2009 Reykjavik Marathon in August. Come and join us. It should be fun. We’ll look for gnomes.
J and I also decided we didn't go see enough live music last year. Must remedy that!
And maybe a trip to Greece and Turkey!

2009 has been off to a running start. And no, my bathroom is still not renovated. Sad. :(

Finished!

Man Up!

2008-03-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

I hate that phrase...hate it, hate it, hate it.

What the f*ck does it even mean?

Here's what I suppose people (meaning men) are trying to convey when using the term 'Man Up!'

"Stop being such a wuss. Don't you realize that as a man it is your duty to never show emotion, never show vulnerability, and never, ever admit that you have feelings. It is your duty to act brutish, barbaric, and testosterone laced. Beat your girlfriend, drive drunk, terrorize your children, and buy a sawed off shot gun."

I almost hate 'Man Up!' as much as I hate 'That's so gay.' and 'Do you.'

Can we just strike all three from the American lexicon?

The Best Granola Recipe in the World*

2008-02-28T16:45:00.002-05:00

*At least in my opinion

I love granola but I dislike store bought granola - lots of oats with little to no nuts or fruit, and utterly flavorless. After far too many boxes of disappointing store granola (have you ever seen the fat content on some brands!) I finally tried my hand at making my own and discovered that granola is basically impossible to screw up**. Armed with a fairly simple recipe from Mark Bittman's most excellent cookbook How to Cook Everything I started experimenting and after many tries finally landed on the recipe below. Everything is approximate and I'm constantly making tweaks based on what I have on hand.

Bo's awesome peanut buttery granola

- Approximately 8 cups of old fashioned oats (not the quick cooking kind) - I just use an entire 16 oz drum of oats
- 1 envelope of powdered milk
- Between 1 - 2 cups of sweetened dried coconut flakes
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 Tbs cinnamon (or more to your taste)
- 2 Tbs powdered vanilla (not necessary but nice to add if you have some on hand)
- Approximately 1 cup each whole almonds, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, or any nut of your choice. I usually shot for 4 cups of nuts but you can add less or more according to your taste
- 2 Tbs butter
- Between 1/2 - 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbs vanilla
- 1 16 oz jar of natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky - but make sure it's the natural stuff i.e. the nut oil seperates out) You can also use any other nut butter you like, just make sure it is natural
- Apple juice
- Approximately 3 cups of mixed dried fruit. Whatever you like. I usually use some combination of dried blueberries, dried strawberries, dried cherries, dried Turkish figs (chopped), and dried apricots (sulfate free and chopped)

Mix the first seven ingredients (from the oats to the nuts) in a big bowl. Set aside.

In a heavy, high sided pot (make sure it is heavy and high sided - you're going to make a caramel) combine the butter and sugar. Bring the combination to a boil and allow to boil for anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Stoves are different and some are a lot hotter than others. You want to bring the mixture to the point where it smells richly of caramel but isn't burnt. Once you get to the caramel stage pour in the entire jar of peanut butter and stir vigorously to combine. It will become very thick. Add enough apple juice to the peanut-caramel mixture to create a very thick sauce - about the consistency of a pourable yogurt. Add the vanilla and stir.

Allow the sauce to cool slightly (not too much or it will be too thick to combine - if this happens reheat and add a little more apple juice). Pour half of the mixture into the oat mixture and using your hands, begin to combine. I've broken many a mixing spoon during this stage - best to stick with your hands. After a couple of minutes of mixing, gather together the oats that don't seem to have any sauce on them and pour the remaining sauce on top. Combine everything together and make sure all the oats are well coated with the caramel-peanut sauce. The mixture will be coarse and you'll have lots of lumps of various size. Lumps are good. They add texture.

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line two baking pans with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Evenly spread out the granola onto the pans but make sure not to break up all the lumps. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Stir the granola after 20 minutes and return the pans to the oven for another 10 - 20 minutes depending on how dark you like your granola. Towards the end of the baking time check the granola frequently to prevent burning. It goes from being perfect to burnt in a matter of minutes. Makes about 16 cups. Enough to last me about two weeks.

Annual Wrap Up - 2007 Edition

2007-12-27T16:41:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year to write some of the happens in 07.

January
- Went skiing at Mont Tremblont in Canada. Discovered that I STILL have a terrifying fear of skiing. But I am queen of the bunny hill!
- Dinner party with friends. I made TWO kinds of lasagna.
- Saw M. Ward at Town Hall
- Travel: Boston, Montreal

February
- Went ice climbing for the first time. Very fun. J gets a little frostbite in his fingers. Doesn't get proper sensation back in the tips of his fingers for three more months.
- Went skiing again - in the Adirondacks. This time with a trained ski instructor. Have another near panic attack on the green runs. Decide that J is trying to kill me.
- Took J to get a couples massage for Valentines Day. Highly recommended!
- Diagnosed with a bad knee. Started going to PT.
- Travel: Adirondacks, Chicago

March
- Saw The Shins perform at MSG.
- Still going to PT
Travel: San Francisco

April
- Still going to PT
- No travel

May
- Wrapped up PT. Knee supposedly good as new.
- Travel: Virginia, Los Angeles

June
- Began running again after 6 months of 0 miles. PAINFUL.
- Vaction in Portugal with J!
- Travel: Portugal

July
- Question why I run. So painful.
- Decide to opt out of the NYC Triathlon. Not in proper condition. Would have likely drowned.
- Travel: Dallas

August
- Ran the NYC Half-Marathon. Actually finished without having to walk. Time: 2 Hr. 18 minutes.
- Travel: Dallas (Again), Chicago

September
- Went rock climbing with J and friends around Lake Placid. Very fun. Did my first multi-pitch climb. Nearly peed my pants several times.
- Ran an 18 mile long training run for the NYC Marathon. Knee hurts like a b*tch for several days after. Not a good sign.
- Travel: Dallas (AGAIN!!!), San Francisco

October
- Saw Arcade Fire on Randall's Island, Billy Bragg at SEC, and Margaret Cho at the Zipper Club.
- Celebrated one year anniversary with J!
- Turned 32!
- Went apple picking with Sloane.
- Made the decision to drop out of the NYC Marathon - knee giving me all sorts of trouble. :(
- Travel: Dallas (Last time this year)

November
- Travel: Atlanta, Houston (I can't get away from TX)

December
- My sister gets engaged!
- Third annual Christmas cookie party with the girls!
- Travel: Boston, Chicago

Ah...it was a very full year! A good year overall. These are just some highlights.

2008 is shaping up to be an exciting year. Many changes in the works, another shot at the NYC Marathon, a century planned for May, and Argentina with J in February!

I hope you all (or one) are having a great end of year! And Happy New Year!

How much do you want to bet...

2007-12-18T10:08:00.001-05:00

That should McCain win the Republican nomination, Joe Lieberman will be his VP running mate. Joe Lieberman was never a democrat.

Cacophany of Christmas Cookies Part 3

2007-12-10T10:42:00.000-05:00

The girls and I had our third annual Christmas cookie bake and exchange party this past weekend. A great time was had by all. In total we had 7 different kinds of cookies. We made:

Chocolate cookies stuffed with Rolos and Peanut Butter Cups (Heidi)
Shortbreads dipped in Chocolate (Heidi)
Banana Split Brownies (Liana)
Snickerdoodles (Liana)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Marlene)
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dried Cranberries & Walnuts (Adile)
Rugelach with Lemon Curd, Almonds, and Dried Blueberries (Me)

We each walked away with over 8 dozen cookies/person. Eep!

You can see some of the cookies in the picture above.

Already pimping out the baby

2007-12-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

This story in the NY Times is truly horrifying! Women now want diamonds and pearls for pushing out the baby.

Talk about priorities in the wrong place.

Meat Deprieved

2007-12-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

It is rare that I crave meat. Even before I went vegan and then backtracked (Damn you bacon!) I never ate much meat. Most cuts of meat scare me. You never know what sort of jiggly gristle or vein you might run into (shudder). I like my meat pristine and charred until it is completely dead, dead, dead. I'm also easily overcome by the unctious nature of meat. A few bites and I start to feel a heavy, thick, cloying coat of fat cover the inside of my mouth and stomach. Bleach. The average serving size of meat is 3 - 4 ozs - about the size of the palm of your hand. My tolerance probably hovers around 1 - 2 oz.

It's not that I actively avoid meat - I just don't seek it out. For this reason, I can go days - sometimes whole weeks - without eating a single piece of animal protein (not including fish). It's usually not until I start having weird craving for hamburgers, ham sandwiches, and lasagna (my lasagna has over 3 lbs of meat in it) that I realize my deficit of protein.

Anyway, for the past two weeks - since Thanksgiving - I've been craving hamburgers and bbq ribs nearly everyday. I've been on quite the meat binge as of late. I don't know what's going on. (And no, I am not preggers or anything else of that nature). What's going on here? Has this happened to you?

J and my mom

2007-11-19T16:34:00.000-05:00

In a very disturbing turn of events, J and my mom are teaming up against me to make me break some of my less savory bad habits.

On biting my nails:

(Over dinner in a Chinese resturant)

Mom: You should stop biting your nails.
J: Yes, I keep telling her all the time.
Mom: You see, you should stop biting your nails.
Me: Uh-huh
J: (showing her my fingers)...see what she does to them.
Mom: Very bad. Stop biting your nails.
J: Yeah, stop biting your nails.
Me: ....

On running the NYC Marathon:

(While at my Mom's shoe store)

Mom to J: Do you need new sneakers? Which pair do you like? I'll get them for you.
J: No, it's okay. I'm fine.
Mom to J: No, really. Which one do you want? What size are you? I'll be right back with a pair.
Mom to me: Do you need new sneakers?
Me: Yes, how about these?
Mom: Okay, I'll get both your sneakers.

[Mom returns with sneakers]

J to my Mom: Do you know that she's going to run in the Marathon and her knee is injuried? (I'd not told my mother of my knee injury.)
[Mom punches me in the arm]
Mom: Don't run in the Marathon. You'll kill yourself. You can't have new sneakers.
J to Mom: I keep telling her not to run but she won't listen to me.
[Mom punches me in the arm again]
Mom: Don't run in the Marathon.
J: Yeah, don't run in the marathon.
Me:...

8 Asians

2007-11-19T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hello to anyone who still reads this. Just a quick note that you can catch my as a new blogger over on the Asian/Asian-American themed group blog, 8 Asians. I've posted about 5-6 new pieces over there since I started about a month ago. Most pieces are about race, society, and being Asian in America. I'll try to cross post when I get the chance. I thought my post about Thanksgiving was most in line with something I'd post here...without the witty verbatim comments my mother would make.

Oh...and for those who miss Mother Lee...here is a little exchange we shared recently.

Mom: I like J.
Me: Thanks, I like him too.
Mom: Does he know how messy you are?
Me: Yes...
Mom: And he still loves you?
Me: ...YES...
Mom: J's a good man. You should marry him.

Happy Crowd

2007-10-18T18:29:00.001-04:00

Have you ever found yourself suddenly stumble upon something much bigger than yourself...and also much happier? Well, that's what happened to me last night. I was walking through Penn Station last (having gotten off the 2/3 at one of those annoying exits that force you to exit into the Long Island Railroad terminal rather than the street) when I was confronted by a wall of people - possibly 200 or 300 in total - exiting Madison Square Garden enmass. It being just a bit after 11pm, it was clear this crowd was leaving either a concert or Knicks or Rangers game. See no sports gear I guessed it was a concert. But it wasn't immediately clear what artist. The crowd was largely white and ranged in age from 6 or 7 to late 50s. There was a definite skew toward the late 40s, balding, slightly suburban chubby demographic. The most remarkable thing about this crowd was the uniformly euphoric, almost giddy, and supremely satisfied energy coming off of this crowd. EVERY single person walking towards me was in a good mood...and you could just feel it off of them without even looking into their smiling mugs.

Well, it soon became apparent, I saw of few of those counterfeit T-shirt guys, it was a Bruce Springsteen concert. The BOSS. The scion of New Jersey and Asbury Park. I've always heard Bruce was an amazing performer and a very generous artist...playing encore after encore...even after the house lights are turned back on. And if the atomospher in the LIRR terminal was any indication, he surely delivered last night. It was an utterly unexpected and pleasant encounter for me to walk into this temporary community of Bruce lovers. Happy, polite, and friendly.

Now, the real question is...how do we replicate this same sense of love and family at a Presidential debate?

Rock Climbing in the Adirondacks.

2007-09-21T22:46:00.000-04:00

We climbed all the way to the top of Poko-e Moonshine Mountain. If you look real hard, you can kind of see a very small car on the road in the backround...to provide perspective. And yes, that is Burlington, VT in the distance.

And here is J climbing top rope like a rock star!

I Am Not A....

2007-08-30T09:42:00.000-04:00

Guillble Consumer.

I don't get this bag. Designed by Anya Hindmarch, it has become the $5 fashion must have for Hollywood and fashion victims everywhere. The bags sold out during its UK launch in 90 minutes. Lines marched down several blocks when it went on sale at Whole Foods in New York. I see many UES-types marching around the city proclaiming thier faux-environmentalism on their arm.

Makes this former-vegan, largely pacifist girl want to punch someone.

Come on people, wake up! It's a marketing gimmic conceived by a very clever handbag designer. It's not really meant to change consumer behavior or raise awareness. It's an experiment to determine who amongst our society are expendable should human sacrifice return to vogue in the next couple of years.

I'll admit that it's sort of cute in that faux-homey, "I was made in China but don't I almost look homemade" sort of way. But it doesn't really do a good job of serving it's designated function - replacing grocery store plastic bags. It's not an exceptionally big bag. Not nearly large enough to carry any meaningful amount of groceries in it - I doubt a single box of cereal would fit comfortably inside. I once saw a woman put her ipod in it. So one ding for utilitarianism. It's not widely available - so it's not actually meant to be used by the masses as an alternative to plastic.

In the FAQ on the Anya Hindmarch site, it states that the company feels the bag launch successfully generated publicity around the use of alternative, reusable packaging. Now there is no way to actually gauge this and there is no way to know if anyones behavior has changed due to the bag but given the fact that I saw a girl the other day laden down with plastic grocery bags in one hand and the "I am not a Plastic bag" in the other - I don't think it's working.

"Learning" American Culture

2007-08-24T11:58:00.001-04:00

There has been a lot of controversy of late about various supposedly "non-American" cultural charter schools opening up around the country. The two schools currently at the center of the hullabahoo, the Kahlil Gibran school in Brooklyn and the Ben Gamlan school in Broward County, Florida (Yes, THAT Broward County), are being accused of everything from training terrorists (KG) to violating constitutional seperation of church and state (BG).

There's much for me to comment on (the role of xenophobia and anti-sematism in this controversy, ignorance of the difference between culture and religion, the fact that people seem to forget that Kahlil Gibran was an Christian-Iranian immigrant and also an American citizen) but I'm going to address a tangential argument that critics of these schools seem to bring up. Several critics argue that American schools should only teach "American culture" and English and by introducing other cultures and languages children will have a diluted sense of allegiance to America - thus creating an army of enemy-partriots who will take over the country and spawn a generation of free-love, pro-homosexual marriage, pro-choice, stem-cell researching biracial babies...but I digress.

I don't know about all of you, but I don't have any recollection of being formally taught about "American Culture". It's not like every Wednesday afternoon at the pre-school was America Day where we all ate apple pie and dressed up like Ben Franklin. No, I learned what "American culture" is (if there is such a static, singular thing) by just turning on the TV, seeing a movie, walking down the street, and buying groceries. Everything that I'm exposed to in my day to day life reinforces "American culture", or in my case New Yorkified American culture. A young girl in this country can't get through public elementary school without reading books by Laura Ingalls, EB White, Judy Blume, or Beverly Cleary. And if those books don't provide a healthy does of "American Culture", I don't know what does. American culture is all around us and you can't avoid it if you wanted to. Although my parents put up a heroic battle, their efforts to instill some semblance of Koreanness in their daughters failed miserably. Two parents and a small band of Korean grandmothers are nothing compared to the glamour of Hollywood movies and Saturday morning cereal commericals.

Okay, so then if American Culture is pervasive and unavoidable, a critic might still argue that by emphasizing other cultures in school, you create division in the community and diminish the cohesion created by shared experience. Now, I gotta ask you - how much shared experience do I have with an upper-middle class Southern boy with divorced parents, raised in the suburbs, sent to private school, and ivy-league education? Beats me but J and I seem to be doing a pretty good job of getting along despite how dramatically different our childhoods were.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm not skeptical about these schools (really, what is the value-add of a school that only teaches ONE alternative language - and a language that a VERY small percentage of the world speaks - and never as the only language they speak) but I am saying that a lot of the people critical of the Kahlil Gibran and Ben Gamlan seem to be underground racist xenophobes who are using the schools as an opportunity to express their racism in a safe forum. It's kinda like how SARS became a good excuse for all those Asian-hating people to get their ya-yas out without being labeled an ugly racist.

People Can Be Mean

2007-08-13T12:13:00.000-04:00

So J and I were out on Saturday night having dinner at the pork heaven that is Momofuku Ssam Bar in the East Village. As we were leaving the resturant and heading towards a free production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, some random dude walked right by and in a very theatrical whisper sort of way, said to us "You could do A LOT better." We weren't entirely sure who the comment was directed towards and if the guy was even talking to us or into a cell earpiece thingy. It just seemed like a terribly rude thing to say to two happy people walking down 2nd Ave. Was he offended by our happiness? Was he a recently scorned man who wanted to put a damper on our togetherness?

It was just plain mean and rude. J took it in stride. J could tell that I was a bit more put off by the whole thing. To put my nervous temperment at ease he turned squarely towards me, looked me in the eyes and said "I've never been more happy with anybody then I am with you. I love you and you know that."

Sigh. He always knows what to say.

13.1

2007-08-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I amaze myself. Yesterday was one of those days. Just a scant five weeks ago my weekly mileage was a big 0 miles. I hadn't run for 7 months. Nada, zilch, nothing. The new running shoes I purchased in mid-November still looked disturbingly clean and spiffy.

My first attempt at running was in Portugal with J. My lungs hurt, my legs hurt and I only ran a mile before I had to quit. Ugh. I saw the 2007 New York City Marathon quickly slipping out of my grasp. But through weeks of slowly increasing my stamina, my lung capacity, and conditioning my legs I rebuilt my foundation.

Yesterday, I ran in the NYC Half-Marathon...and I finished!!! And I ran the whole thing. Didn't stop. And my time was better than I was expecting. Given how much pain I was in during and after a 10K run on July 14th, I was pretty sure I'd completely punk out during the half-marathon. But I surprised myself.

Ran at an overall 11:12 pace with two miles (miles 8 & 9) at an 8:20 pace. I was pretty wiped out afterwards but I'm up and about today and the only reminder of yesterdays event is the mild soreness in my quads - an odd pain considering that it wasn't a tremendously hilly course. The knee felt superb.

Anyhoo, here's to the miracles of he human body!!!

I've now got 3 months to prep for the marathon. Upward and onward!

Joining the Harry Potter bandwagon...

2007-07-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

So much speculation on the web about how Harry Potter will end…no reason why I shouldn’t join in the fun.

Any avid children’s literature fan has already picked up on the series use of familiar literary themes popularized in books by Tolkien, CS Lewis, and the like…good vs. evil (Harry and Voldemort), the protagonist’s evolution from a unfathomable naive simpleton to grim realist, the humorous sidekick (Ron), the wise sage (Dumbledore). Given all this, I can only imagine one real ending for the book…the only one that will satisfy and which won’t feel anti-climatic. Harry kicks it.

Yes, I think Harry dies at the end. Voldemort is killed as well, mind you. I don’t think J.K. Rowling is so mean spirited as to allow evil to triumph over good. In quick summary this is what I think happens.

Dumbledore is not really dead, neither is Sirius. They both come back and play a role in defeating Voldemort.
Neville’s parents, currently institutionalizes, somehow are snapped out of their trance and also play a role in the end battle.
Ron and Hermione both die somewhere in the middle to last third of the book. This drives Harry nearly to the point of submitting to his dark side – a la Luke Skywalker. Like young Skywalker, he ultimately defeats his dark temptations and fights for love, freedom, and all that good stuff.
Snape is good and evil. He wants to see Harry dead but he doesn't want Voldemort to live. He betrays both.

And here are a couple of theories that I’ve mulled over but haven’t made up my final mind on:

Harry is the ultimate Horcrux. Voldemort, with no other choice, installed part of his soul in Harry when he realized his imminent death. In so doing, he destroyed part of Harry’s soul. The prophecy states that neither can live while the other survives. If Harry is nothing more than a vessel for Voldemort’s soul – should Voldemort retrieve his soul from Harry, Harry would die. However, to stop Voldemort, Harry must sacrifice himself before Voldemort retrieves his soul.
It is revealed that Harry and Voldemort are distant relatives – remember that Voldemort is a half-blood, his father was a muggle. Harry’s mother came from a muggle family. There’s a connection there. Remember also that it is Harry’s mother’s love that saved him – again a sign that their genetic relationship has somehow made this all possible. Harry is Voldemort's heir apparant and has the potential to be even more powerful and evil than Voldemort. Dumbledore realized this long ago and therefore did everything he could to prevent this from happening.
And for my most controversial theory – Neville is actually the true “one”. At the end of book six, Dumbeldore stated that it could have been either Neville or Harry who was the one mentioned in the prophecy but Voldemort chose Harry because of his muggle blood. No one ever mentions whether Voldemort made the right choice with Harry. There may be a reason why Neville was raised to be a bumbling fool. No one would ever believe such an incompetent twit would be the one to eventual kill Voldemort. But maybe this was Dumbeldore’s plan all along. Shield Neville and protect him by implicating another child. Neville is the one who ultimately kills Voldemort.

Oh well, we'll know in just a few more days....Happy reading!

Muggles, Motors, and Mobility

2007-07-16T18:10:00.000-04:00

Just a random update on activites as of late.

First - Muggles and Motors. Saw two GREAT (and VERY long) movies this week. First off was the most excellent Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Clocking in at nearly 2 hours and 24 minutes, the director did a good job of shrinking the 900+ page Order of the Phoenix into a fast, fun, squeal inducing adventure into magic. My butt barely got numb. Saturday night brought in Transformers. What can I say? I LOVED it. I think I may have liked it more then the 5 guys I saw it with. Mind you, I saw it with 4 doctors and a computer programmer (yes, all of J's friends. Couldn't drag a single female friend of mine to see it) and I was the one most excited. I'm a NERD of the highest order. I highly recommend you go out and see both films, if you haven't already.

Now for the mobility. After being diagnosed with a case of tendonitis and patello-femoral pain syndrome (aka Runner's Knee) nearly 5 months ago and enduring 4.5 months of PT, I finally ran my first race this past weekend. And I finished! Not quickly and not with much effort...but I finished. It was a 10K around the Central Park loop (one of the toughest 10K courses in the city in my opinion - all hills and valley). I finished in just under 1 hour and 10 minutes - are about an 11 minute pace. WAY off my usual pace - but I didn't stop running once. I'm quite proud of myself. And my knee hasn't hurt since. Knock on wood.

All in all, a most excellent weekend.

Portugal

2007-07-01T18:12:00.000-04:00

O fim de mondo - The end of the world

Sagres, Portugal - The southern most point of continental Europe. At one time in history people believed that any boat that sailed beyond the horizon from this spot fell off the earth. The earth is flat, don't you know?

Just returned from a week in Portugal with J. Explored countless Cathedrals, Roman ruins, and Moorish Castles, swam in the place where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Ate fish, caught hours earlier, grilled with nothing but salt - the smell of the sea thick in the air. Yum.

A busy week, a peaceful week. Never checked email. Never read the news. Never turned on a TV. Books were read and discussed.

The days started cool and crisp, warming to a point of almost discomfort by mid-day, and ended once again breezy and cool...not all that dissimilar from LA in this regard.

Left tawny, freckled, and smelling slightly of the briny sea.

Coffee

2007-06-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

How do you coffee drinkers do it? Drink 4, 5, even 6 cups a day. I've never been able to drink coffee. It's not that I dislike the taste. I actually find it mildly pleasing when combined with enough sugar and milk. It's the extraordinary jitteriness, head rush, and overall inability to focus that comes from the caffine that I find utterly bothersome.

I've always had a sensitivity to caffine. I feel funny, nauseated, and jittery whenever I consumed caffinated soda and tea. Coffee was the true killer though. One cup and I'm out for the count for at least 3 or 4 hours. Every once and awhile, though, when I've had a particularly challenging night of sleep (like last night - insomnia) I reconsider my stance on caffine. Maybe this time it will give me the jolt of energy (minus the naseau) necessary to stay awake and be productive. Alas, this mornings cup of iced coffee left me feeling nervous, twittery, and slightly headachy. I just don't understand how all y'all dedicated coffee drinkers do it.

And while we're on the subject of stimulants and sedatives - What's up with the alcohol? How do people deal with the aftereffects of alcohol? I've never been partial to the taste of the stuff. I can't seem to get past that bitter, stingy, burning taste to reach the nexus of complex flavors that everyone extols. I'm like the little yellow canary when it comes to alcohol. Even the smallest amount of it will destroy an otherwise perfectly tasty cocktail. But aside from the whole taste factor, I've never really liked the way alcohol makes me feel. Since I don't drink very often, I'm easily influenced by the smallest amount of the stuff. One cocktail and I'm feeling lightheaded, stumbly, and discombobulated. Furthermore, the effects of the potent potable still linger the next day. I wake up weary, unfocused, and heavy in the body. I'm told that if I drank more I wouldn't be nearly as susceptable to it's biological impact - that's kind of a scary thought.

I guess that's really it. When I use either stimulants or sedatives of any form I feel disassociated with my body. For me, if I'm mentally feeling tired, I need to my body to also feel tired. When I'm mentally feeling awake, I need my body to feel similarly.

Sometimes it's fun just to live life

2007-05-24T10:44:00.000-04:00

I realize it's been ages since I last posted and I doubt that even the most devoted of my friends who read this probably gave up on me long ago. That's alright. It's unfulfilling to come back to a blog day after day and see nothing new.

At this point, the blog really is just for me and serves only as a documentation of my life in my early 30s.

So, with that said, what then to make of my recent disappearing act. Am I depressed? Busy? Wrapped up in some ultra-secret, international espionage ring? Nah. It ain't all that interesting. I've just been living my life. My happy, largely mundane, uneventful life. Work, yoga, gym, boyfriend, cooking, baking - you know - life. Days pass, I discover a new white hair or two (!!!), I salivate over the new digital SLR cameras that are being launched, I contemplate what my next culinary adventure will be (did I tell you I braised a whole 9 lb pork shoulder a couple of months back? )...and I'm content.

No real drama, no real story to tell. If someone published "Bo Young Lee's Diary" a la Bridget Jones - I doubt you'd be able to convince pouty lipped Renee Zellwegger to play. No excessive boozing, smoking, or fluctuating weight. The only real adventure in my life is my on-going PT for patello-femerol pain syndrome. Damn knee doesn't want to heal up.

Another reason I'm not on here as much is because I've found another venue to air all my crazy theoretical conjurings. His name is John and he's a good listener. The boy is quite good at simply allowing me to talk until I'm good and tired and ready for bed. All those crazy essays I would traditionally post here now get vetted whilst sitting on my red living room couch while John tries to watch whatever art house movie he's recently rented.

So I write all this just to say that I'm here, I'm alive, I'm happy, and I'll keep posting here from time to time - but maybe not as frequently as I had when I first started this little game.

Kimchi Mamas

2007-04-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

I stumbled onto this blog last week and I find it endlessly fascinating.

I'm not a mother, nor do I plan to be one anytime soon, but I find so many of the topics just enthralling. I guess part of it is driven by the fact that at some point in the future I will be a parent struggling to figure out how to balance my Korean heritage with my overall American cultural orientation. I also think part of it has to do with the fact that a lot of women on the blog are one half of an interracial marriage and are raising mixed race babies. My future probably will include both of these.

When did I become so maternal? Go figure!

Aye-Yah

2007-03-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

When did it become March 19th? What happened to February and the first two weeks of March? Time really does seem to fly, doesn't it. Well, at least thing have been fun and productive.

This week/end alone I walked through the slush, had dinner with an old college chum, went for a swimming lesson, picked up my bike from the shop, saw the Shins perform at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, introduced the boyfriend to my older sister, got my period, and got my new night guard. All this activity is making my grind my teeth!

I meant to write about my adventures ice climbing a few weeks back...but then sort of let that slide. I've got some pics and promise to do this within the next week.

On a completely different note, people should go see The Host when it hits your hood. Good filmmaking fun from my peeps in Korea.

Diagnosis: Runner's Knee

2007-02-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

So it turns out my grouchy knee is actually a case of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome aka Runner's Knee. It's also coupled with a bit of tendonitis and inflammation of the ligaments around the knee. Blech.

At least nothings broken.

I've been perscribed 6-8 weeks of good ol' PT.

My doctor asked me if I've ever had PT before. I had to keep myself from laughing. In the last 4 years or so I have had PT to treat the following injuries:

- Lower-back: Irritated vertebrae facet joint - I'm not responsible for this one. I fell down a flight of stairs!
- Left Hamstring: Tear - related to the facet joint. The irritation caused the muscles on my left side to tighten, making them more prone to injury.
- Right Hip: Tight hip capsule - I haven't the slightest idea what caused this injury.
- Left Ankle: Hyperlaxity of the joint - This is a chronic injury that was caused by a bad ski injury back when I was 7.

Me thinks my body is trying to tell me something. Oh well...

My PT should be over by the end of March which means I will hopefully be back in fighting shape and ready to train for the NYC Tri and the NYC Marathon. I offically registered and got my guaranteed spot today at 12:05pm.

Expect lots of grumpy posts about my various training horrors over the coming year.

YES!!!!!!!!!

2007-02-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

First Name: Bo
Last Name: Xxxzzz
Address:
Date of birth: Some Month/Some Day/19Some Year
NYRR#: #####

Congratulations Bo! You are eligible for guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2007, which takes place on Sunday, November 4. You will be able to take advantage of this opportunity starting at noon on February 12 when the 2007 marathon application becomes available.

The ING New York City Marathon is never the same race twice. Every year we find ways to improve the event, with new race souvenirs and enhanced services for runners. Of course, the famed five-borough course and spectators provide thrills each year. This event is esteemed around the world. Having guaranteed entry is an enviable position.

Complete information about registration will be available on February 12 at http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/.

Contact XX if you have any questions, and be sure to include your name and date of birth in your correspondence. We look forward to presenting you with a finisher medal after your 26.2 miles in November! Until then, best of luck and happy training!

The tyranny of breastfeeding

2007-02-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, breast feeding is better for baby. Yes, there are multiple benefits. Yes, more breast feeding is better than less. Yes, I try to live all holistic and stuff...

BUT!!!

I've had it up to here with the tyranny of breast feeding. I'm disturbed by the recent trend of government health campaigns encouraging breast feeding...or rather...I'm truly pissed by the completely biased and ill focused nature of these campaigns. The campaigns focus exclusively on shaming and bullying mothers to the complete exclusion of trying to change the social conditions that often prevent women from breast feeding for 6 months.

The campaigns may increase maternal guilt but they don't provide any viable solutions for mothers to utilize. I don't see any legislation being introduced that would guarantee mothers 6 paid months of maternity leave. I don't see any programs that encourage corporations to adopt workable flexibility policies or legitimate career pathing that won't punish women from taking maternity leave or having a family! Or maybe some true tax incentives that make having a child more affordable - thus eliminating the need for both parents to work two high-pressure/high-income careers.

If you want women to nurse for 6 months provide us with the social support structure that will allow us the time and emotional space necessary to breastfeed our babies!

2007 ING NYC Marathon

2007-02-05T16:37:00.001-05:00

When is it too early to think about marathon training? Simple answer: It’s never too early.

I probably started thinking about the 2007 NYC Marathon back in April 06 – about a week after I finished Paris. Well, actually it was about 30 sec. after I crossed the finish line…

Self: “Hey, that wasn’t so bad. I can TOOOTALLY do NY.”

And then I promptly threw up the apple I ate too quickly after finishing.

Thus the process began.

I probably didn’t really think about the marathon in earnest until I was back in NY. New York, much like London, is a game of chance, for the most part. Enter the lottery and hope you’re lucky. That is of course, unless you live in NYC. We New Yorkers have a little loophole called the New York Roadrunners club. Join the club, run 9 sanctioned races and voila instant entry in the next years marathon. However, this plan requires a little planning.

I ran my 9th race in Dec. A painful 10K run/walked on an injured knee. I’m typically not such a procrastinator but my ankle problems last summer all but eliminated my ability to run any races throughout the months of May, June, and July. Furthermore, while I know it wasn’t good form to run on an injured knee, had I not run the 10K I would have had to run a 10 miles race the following. The 10K was the lesser of the two evils.

Since then, I’ve been trying to give my knee a break. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success healing the darn thing. It still feels tweaked and torqued, grouchy and unloved. I finally relented this afternoon and made an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. Hopefully, it is something that can be healed with some PT and rest. Surgery would not be fun.

Assuming that all goes well with the doc, here’s my athletic schedule for the next 8-9 months:

Jan – present: Taking private swim lessons to strengthen my technique and stroke.
March 2007: Start training for NYC Tri in earnest
April 2007: Swim, bike, run, repeat
May 2007: Swim, bike, run, repeat
June 2007: Try to find a body of open water (not the Hudson) where I can practice open water swims.
July 2007: Compete in the NYC Triathlon…my first Olympic length Tri. Don’t die.
August 2007: Start training for the NYC Marathon in earnest. Hopefully, I’ll have a boost from the NYC Tri training. Run the NYC Half-Marathon.
Sept. 2007: Run first 18 mile & 20 mile runs. Maybe participate in the Danskin Tri again.
Oct. 2007: Run 2nd 20 miler (maybe make it a 22 mile run). Attempt to run this distance at an 8:30 pace.
Nov. 4 2007: Run the NYC Marathon. Published goal time (sub 4:30). Unpublished goal time (sub 4:15). Don’t die.

Ewwww, Don't Eat That!

2007-02-02T17:45:00.000-05:00

One of the most fascinating things I've observed about the individuals who choose to live and eat in a natural, whole, and conscientious way is the level of sheer smugness and sense of superiority they exude when discussing their choices and way of life (This of course excludes my two girls El and Allergic Girl.) It seems to me that many so called “conscientious eaters” somehow equate green eating with being a better, superior person. I have heard many a vegan and veg tsk-tsk when someone orders a meat-centric meal and have read countless blogs blasting individuals who choose to purchase packaged, shelf-stable groceries. A recent post by a fairly well known blogger describes a favorite grocery game she plays with her fiancée. The couple walk around their neighborhood grocery store and point out all the processed foods in the baskets of fellow shoppers and then snicker and whisper “Ewwww” to each other. Should this sort of food superiority be acceptable because the person wielding the judgement eats a supposedly healthier diet than you or I? How different is this game than the wayward glances and snide comments made by the popular girls in high school.

Is it an ingrained component of the human condition to degrade someone else in order to feel better about oneself? Is this the only path to self-actualization?

As a reformed vegan and a current holistic health counselor, I’m the first to admit that I’m one of those people who try to shop on the outsides of the grocery store, the place where they keep all the perishable, whole foods; fruits, vegetables, fresh meats. I believe that we should all eat more foods that we can actually recognize and we should eat smaller portions. However, does this make me a better person? Hell no. Does it give me the right to look in someone else’s basket, calculate the nutritional deficit and shudder? No. A person is no better or worse because of what they eat. I have met many an organic chomping, animal avoiding, vegan who spit venom and spite everytime they open their mouths.

In my opinion, the biggest flaw with the current model for changing American dietary habits is that it is based on shame and judgement.

“How can you eat that? It has trans-fats! You really feed your kid French fries and burgers for lunch? You really should eat more leafy greens and cut back on red meat.”

All these statements are voiced to invoke a sense of unworthiness, shame, embarrassment. They do nothing but make people more neurotic and shift their attention onto the wrong thing. It’s not really about what you can’t eat or shouldn’t eat. Shame accomplishes nothing but demoralization of the soul.

The dialogue about nutrition needs to move beyond just the food and focus on the individual and their life. It needs to move from “ewwww, don’t eat that!” to “Tell me what you did today? And why?” I’m a staunch believer that how we eat is a result of how functional (or dysfunctional) the rest of our life is. The healthier we can make the rest of our life, the more we are apt to want to put healthier food into our bodies. Make people feel good about themselves and chances are they will want to put healthier food into their body and eat in a healthier manner.

I realize this essay has kind moved from one topic to another. That’s okay. I think it’s all kinda related.

I leave you with wisdom from En Vogue:
“Free your mind and the rest will follow.”

Heinous Miscarriage of Justice...

2007-02-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

Stories like this are so upsetting. ESPN and the NY Times have covered the story of Grenarlow Wilson, a high school honors student, star football player, and homecoming king from Georgia, who in 2005, at the age of 17, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. For what you may ask? For having consensual oral sex with another minor. That's right, Wilson had oral sex with a 15 year old girl at a New Year's Eve party (the sex was initated by the girl) and due to an antiquated Georgia law that makes it a felony for teenagers less than three years apart to engage in oral sex (even though it's only a misdemeanor for these same teenagers to engage in vaginal intercourse) Wilson has now served two years of a 10 year sentance and will have to file as a sex offender once he is released. The law has since been r evised but the new law can't be retroactively applied to Wilson.

You can find out more and sign the petition here.

Please blog this if you do such things. People need to know. Outrage must be expressed.

It all gets better at 30!

2007-01-30T15:32:00.000-05:00

So, my good man over on the other side of the pond provided some advice to friend who is/was turning 30. He suggested that others also contribute to the whole debate...this was my letter to him.

It All Gets Better at 30!

Now that I've been 30 for 15 months and 10 days I like to think that I'm a bit of an expert in the department. Actually, I'm so advanced I've actually been awarded the very honorable distinction of 31. I'm such an over-achiever. But I digress.

Please inform G of the following. I'm not sure if the same can be said for men, but unless G is considering a sex change operation I think we're covered.

The sex is much better now...MUCH MUCH better.

Let me elaborate...

As a teenager you're a bit obsessed with the idea of being a "good girl". Good girls aren't supposed to want to have sex. You spend a lot of years trying to convince yourself that only bad girls have sex and good girls hold out. Who can enjoy sex with this sort of baggage? Plus, teenage boys (and girls for that matter) haven't a clue what to do with all that equipment.

As a young 20something you've gotten over the whole good girl/bad girl thing a bit. You've hopefully cut a few notches in your belt and have the basic mechanics down fairly well (foreplay, foreplay, in and out, missionary with maybe a little doggie for added spice.) The boys are getting better but they're still a bit self-absorbed. Sometimes you forget their names or they forget yours and well...calling out Jack when you really meant to say Henry can really kill the mood. Plus, if you're anything like the stereotypical 21 year old, you're probably sleeping on some squeaky hand-me-down futon with sheets so old and stained sometimes you think you can actually draw a picture of Daffy Duck's head if you connected all the dots. THAT really helps set the mood!

By your late 20s you're starting to come into your own. Your hearts been broken (probably more than once.) You're figured out that the best way to avoid accidentally calling out someone elses name is not to use names at all (everyone enjoys a well voiced oh or ah). Your collection of sex shop purchases takes up the better half the space in your sock drawer and you've used each item multiple times - both alone and with at least one partner. Now here's the stinker. This is just around the time that things start to get a bit droopy...the boobs start migrating south for the winter, your belly (rather than your boobs) are the first thing to enter a room, and suddenly each wave goodbye is an opportunity for your upper arms to also join in on the fun. Makes a girl wonder if she'll ever be able to turn on the lights in her bedroom again!

And then you turn 30!

You've upgraded to a mattress that's fit for royalty (Queen! King!) with maybe even a pillow top and 300 threadcount sheets!
You're actually starting to enjoy your soft belly. It makes for a great impromptu bongo and a nice pillow for your lovers head.
When you roll over in the morning, you actually recognize the person sleeping next to you...and more importantly he remembers that you like your tea with honey and 2% milk.
You've filtered through that sock/toy drawer and whittled your collection down to the two things that are most important...a good vibrator and lots of lube.
You don't mind kissing with morning breathe.
You've figured out what works and you have no qualms asking for it.
You rarely, if ever, wake up on Saturday or Sunday morning hung over and reeking of smoke...well, unless you like that sort of thing.
You (or your lover) can take a spontaneous luxury weekend trip and still pay all your bills at the end of the month.
He has no problem finding IT...

And for all these reasons...

IT ALL GETS BETTER AT 30.

I Hate Digital Cameras

2007-01-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

So, I've been trying to take pictures with my fancy schmancy digital camera and I've learned one thing...I hate digital photography.

You just can't wack open the aperture enough.

I hate flash. Natural light is the way to go but sometimes you just don't have enough natural light for a proper exposure. That's when you have one of two choices...either open up the aperature or pop the flash. Did I tell you that I hate flash.

I can't seem to take a good photo with my digital camera. Can't can't.

I'm resigned to either my beloved non-digital SLR or suck it up and plunk down the money for one of those even fancier schmancier digital SLRs.

A Picture a Day

2007-01-24T23:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, I need to take more pictures.

I know a lot of other people have done this but my goal is to take at least one new picture each day. I will post them on this site, although I'm not promising that they will go up every single day. Think bulk upload.

Hopefully this will work.

In memory of Art Buchwald

2007-01-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

Art Buchwald, political satirist and all around snarky fellow, passed away last night at the age of 81. The New York Times has an interesting interview with him, filmed in July 2006, wherein Art Buchwald announces his own death.

Here's to you Mr. Buchwald.

"If you can make people laugh, you get all the love in the world." - Art Buchwald.

Skiing without death

2007-01-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

Spent the long MLK weekend up in Montreal visiting a friend of the boy's and skiing...or I should say falling...on the slopes of Mont Tremblant.

To give you an idea of my "stellar" slope skills here are some comments made by my mom and sister.

Me: I'm going skiing this weekend.
Mom: Don't kill yourself.

Me: I'm going skiing this weekend.
Siser: Don't kill yourself.

Check out the crazy hat head on me! It was a fun weekend overall.

Love out to two friends

2007-01-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

Normally my posts are written for all of you to enjoy but today I'm writing this post to two special friends. They know who they are. You can cover your eyes or something to avoid the ensuing mushiness.

Friend #1 in Chicago by way of A-squared

Hey you! I'm so totally not meaning to ignore you. I was thrilled to hear your voice over New Years weekend, if only for a moment. I'd have talked longer if I didn't have someone very special over. So, I was supposed to fly into Chicago later this month but then my plans got changed and people decided they'd rather hold their meeting in NY. Bummer. I haven't seen you since...since...since I think the time I was driving cross country. That was almost 2.5 years ago.

Anyhoo, I'll try to catch up with you real soon. I just wanted to let you know that I think about you ALL THE TIME. Seriously girl, I miss you loads.

Love,
Me

Sassy friend #2 in Georgia also by way of A-squared

Oh my gosh, girl! I got your card yesterday. It was the best card EVER! Thank you. I love the card but now I'm in a bit of a quandry. I was going to send you this really funny card I stumbled across the other day - it has a picture of some buddhist monks riding a roller coaster - but now that you've already beat me to the punch, I don't want it to seem like I sent you the card because you sent me yours. Does that make any sense? I'm actually quite delinquent. I purchased the card almost two months ago and meant to send it to you back then...but then life got busy and I kept forgetting to send it and then it was Christmas and blah blah blah...excuses. I should just send it to you.

I'll write lots more in the card.

Love,
Bo

Oh why are all my most favorite people scattered to the farthest corners of this country?

The iPhone is a Democrat

2007-01-09T14:36:00.000-05:00

I think the best thing about the new iPhone being launched by Apple is that it's a Democrat. If you go to the Apple site and look at the iPhone page, you'll notice that when it demos it's web capabilities, the iPhone goes to the NY Times. But it doesn't go to just any NY Times cover page, it goes to the cover page run on Nov. 8th 2006. Why is this date so special? It was the day the Democrats clinched the House majority. The web demo goes on even further and highlights the article that covers the electoral results.

Coincidental...I think not!

Christmas Cookies v 2.0

2006-12-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday a bunch of the girls got together for the second annual Christmas Cookie bake-off. I love that this is becoming an annual event.

The day started around noonish and we pulled the last cookie out of the oven just before 8pm. Woo. At the end of the day we had 6 types of cookies and each person walked away with about 8 dozen cookies. Suffice it to say that I've been giving away cookies left and right to everyone who can tolerate sugar, butter, and flour!

Here are the cookies we made:
- Chocolate Marble Gems (chocolate & peanut butter marbeled cookies topped with a Hershey's Kiss)
- M&M Oat Bars
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- Oatmeal Lace Cookies
- Rugelach (made by yours truly)

Yummy Yummy

Even with all my gifting I'm still trying to work my way through about two dozen cookies. The Chocolate Marble Gems are my favorite.

I forgot to take pictures but AI smartly brought her camera and took some very tasty photos. I'll post a few as soon as she sends them my way.

See, just cause I'm quite doesn't mean that I don't have a life. :-P

Multicultural vs. Monocultural

2006-12-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

"I'm predicting that America will no longer be one nation but more like the Roman Empire--a conglomerate of races and cultures held together by a regime. The country I grew up in was culturally united, even if it was racially divided. We spoke the same language, had the same faith, laughed at the same comedians. We were one nationality. We're ceasing to be that when you have hundreds of thousands of people who want to retain their own culture, their own language, their own loyalty. What do we have in common that makes us fellow Americans? Is it simply citizenship? Or is it blood, soil, history and heroes?"
- Pat Buchanan, commenting on the increasing multicultural nature of American society

"Privilege is invisible to those who have it."
- Anonymous

Ponder these two quotes if you will. They are more related then you think.

Pat Buchanan's comment is built on the assumption that there was a point in time in American history where only one culture existed. That's the fatal flaw in his ruminations. In the golden olden days of his youth, there may have been a white majority culture that was more prominent and far reaching than other cultures, but make no mistake that an equally well-defined underground culture brewed in hidden corners out of the sight of men like Mr. Buchanan and his peers. The Harlem Renassanice, Jazz, Rock and Roll...all these things are examples of cultural movements that began outside the boundaries of mainstream culture and were only adopted by "the white folk" after much denouncement and condemnation.

In my mind, Pat Buchanan's problem with multi-culturalism isn't the loss of a singular cultural context, he's just ticked off that he and his cohort (old, rich, white men) no longer hold the power to dictate the elements that define American culture.

It's Oh So Quiet

2006-11-28T00:46:00.000-05:00

Whilst activity on this blog has been quiet as of late, rest assured that life in the Bo world is ticking along at a most rapid pace. There have been potates mashed, pumkins pied, babies played with, friends kissed, and merriment all around.

Quiet for me usually equates to "Bo is trying to get her life into a bit of order". The new job has been wonderful but also filled with quiet a bit of travel, stress, and lots of learning. I've been trying to streamline my life. Gave up teaching my regular Saturday morning yoga classes for a spell. Also cutting away some of my less value-adding extracurriculars. It's all about making space in my mind and my body to explore that which is most important to me.

Even before I ever discovered yoga, it was always important for me to have a lot of "nothing time" - time when I can go into my head and my body and play in that space. I grew up with a very large family in a very small apartment. Between the 7 of us (my parents, my grandmother, my three sisters, and myself) we shared an 800 square foot one bedroom apartment in Flushing, Queens until I was 11 years old. We had one large walk-in coat closet in the very front of the apartment. I would climb into the closet almost daily, dig my way through all the layers of coats one would expect from a family of 7 and sit in the furthest corner behind my mother's very old and antique fur coat from Korea - one of the few luxury items she didn't sell off when we moved to America. I would sit there, one cheek pressed against the cold plaster wall of the back closet, the other brushing against the fur coat and breathe in the comforting smell of old clothing, mold, and moth balls. Even in the summer the temperature in the closet never rose much above a slight chill. It was as though the closet was impervious to the external world. In this space, I'd sit for hours, doing nothing more than breathe. No thoughts ever really raced through my head. I just found immense comfort in sitting and breathing. Sometimes I'd close my eyes, other times I'd stare out, focusing on nothing in particular. I would sit in the closet for hours on the weekends. Sometimes I would sing songs to myself. Nonsense songs for the most part with words that didn't make sense and melodies that changed with every verse.

It's no wonder that I naturally gravitated towards long distance running and yoga as an adult. It's not really socially exceptable for a fairly well adjusted woman in her early 30s to sit in the back of a closet for long stretches of time. It's during my long runs and yoga practices that I most readily find the lovely rich emptiness and solitude that I indulged in as a child.

Milton Friedman 1912-2006

2006-11-16T16:34:00.000-05:00

The legendary economist Milton Friedman passed away yesterday. He was 93. With all due respect for the dead, I hadn't realized he was still alive. Friedman was one of those guys who I thought of within the context of Adam Smith (laissez faire) and John Maynard Keyes.

Friedman is legend in the world of academic economics and due to all my businessy education I've studied his theories pretty steadily throughout my academic career. Friedman is the man who came up with the theory of stagflation (rising unemployment rates coupled with rising inflation), one of the most important economics theories to arise after WWII.

It's always weird to have something that you imagine is dusty and old to pop up in your current events.

Sad story

2006-11-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

The murder of actress Adrienne Shelley is just a sad story about how quickly life can change. Of course people get murdered in much more horrific ways (ex: Iraq) but sometimes stories come along that really punctuate how simple events can lead to extrodinary tragedy.

For those unaware of who Adrienne Shelley is, go rent yourself some of Hal Hartley's early films (Trust and Unbelievable Truth are highly recommended). She was a pixey of a woman who's acting chops contradicted her physical prescence.

She was murdered by a 19 year old construction worker last week because she had complained about the noise he was making in an apartment being renovated in her building. Apparently they had gotten into a fight, she slapped him, and he hit her and rendered her unconscious...it's not clear if he actually killed her at this point. To cover up what he had done, he dragged her back to her apartment, and strung her up on her bathroom shower rod with an old bed sheet to make it look like suicide. Sad Sad Sad.

Life changes quickly. One minute you're a successful independent film actress with a film about to come out, the next you're murdered by someone who isn't even half your age.

I can't help but think back to Malaysia. Had one thing gone differently in Malaysia I could have also been murdered. What if I had a panic attack and started freaking out? What if my bank account didn't have any money in it and they weren't satisfied with the loot they'd scored? So many what ifs? All of which mean nothing at this point. I'm alive. I'm back in NY. I've since hugged my mom and dad and had dinner with them on multiple occassions.

I saw Martin Scorses' film 'The Departed' a few weeks back. It was amusing. There is a scene very early in the film where two people are murdered by some thugs along a desolate lake. That shot, for whatever reason, just wigged me out. Possibly because in my minds eye that's pretty much how I imagined I was going to be murdered back in Malaysia. It was almost the exact set up that I imagined in my head. On my knees, hands tied behind my back, shot in the head, at point blank. Wiggy. Wiggy. Sometimes I still think about this image. Sometimes it still wigs me out. I should see a therapist.

What made me so lucky and Adrienne Shelley so unlucky?

Life can change quickly. Embrace what you have. Enjoy what you have. Tell people you love them. Life can change quickly.

Live with passion. Don't be afriad of failure. Nothing is failure except the missed opportunity to live. All those cheesy inspirational statements on greetings cards are true. Who would have thunk it? If you wanna run a marathon go and sign up for one and start training. Grad school...start studying, take your GREs and apply. Wanna take up photography...sign up for a class, buy yourself a camera, go and shoot lots of film. Wanna have a baby...well, that's more complicated depending if you're single or married...but consider your options and do what you have to do (freeze those eggs, visit a sperm bank, make lots of whoopy with your hubby or wifey). Be like Nike...Just do it.

Don't hold grudges. Arguments mean nothing. Tell someone you are sorry. It's okay to say sorry and that you've made a mistake.

When you think you're going to die, you don't think about the times you fought with someone, you'll only think about how much you wish you could hug them and kiss them and tell them you love them one more time. I can actually guarantee this first hand. All you want is one last moment.

Hugs, kisses, caresses...things we give so freely and casually. They mean the world.

Life is beautiful...it's all beautiful. Let's not forget that and let's not forget to share that.

Really.

Okay, soapboxing over...I'll step down now.

Something to do when you have two hours to kill or insomnia

2006-10-27T03:02:00.000-04:00

My friend sent me this game. It's crazy addictive and fun. Getting to 16 was easy. Then I spent the next 1.5 trying to get from 16 to the end.

Congratulations Michelle and Edwin!

2006-10-23T12:04:00.000-04:00

It was a glorious weekend in San Francisco...the perfect environment for a wedding! Congratulations to Michelle and Edwin! I can't believe they pulled it all together in such short notice (they got engaged in April) and without any external help (excluding friends).

In typical Michelle and Edwin fashion the wedding weekend was filled with lots of laughs, lots of good cheer, and lots of friends. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.

Being back in the bay area was also stunning. People are what make a place special and all the bay area friends definately make SF a magical place!

Dawn in SF

2006-10-20T10:35:00.000-04:00

I'm in SF with a view of the bay and Coit Tower from my Hotel Room. It's 7:20am and I've been up since 6am on a conference call with the east coast. The sun is just coming up and the new rays of light are casting burnished shades of rust and orange on Coit. Along the bay the horizon has just lost its purple hue. The sky is spectacularly empty and blue. I'm always amazed at how beautiful San Francisco is. My heart is in New York but SF is special too.

It's also my 31st birthday! Yip di Doo...and Scooby Too!

LOL.

Finnish Meatballs

2006-10-18T10:24:00.000-04:00

This recipe from today's NY Times Dining & Wine section sounds amazing! I might have to have a dinner party just so I can try these. And to think, I was once a vegan.

October 18, 2006
Recipe: Finnish Meatballs
Time: 1 hour
¾ cup whole milk3 slices white bread, crusts removed
6 ounces Valley Shepherd Califon Tomme, Cato Corner Dutch Farmstead or other mildand buttery Gouda-style cheese
1½ cups loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
¾ cup finely minced onion
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
½ cup flour
¾ cup chicken or beef broth
¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
½ cup heavy cream

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk just until steaming. Remove from heat and press bread into the milk; set aside.

2. Grate cheese on large holes of a box grater and place in large bowl. Add parsley, onion, eggs, salt, white pepper, black pepper and allspice. Stir well to combine. Add ground beef, ground pork and milk-soaked bread. Knead by hand or mix with a large wooden spoon until well-blended.

3. Spread flour on a plate. Roll meat mixture into 1½-inch balls, and roll in flour to coat. Place a Dutch oven over very low heat, and add broth. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

4. Working in batches, add enough meatballs to loosely fill pan. Sear for about 1 minute, then shake pan to turn meatballs. Continue until well browned on all sides, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Transfer meatballs to Dutch oven and allow them to gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring carefully from time to time. Add cream and heat just until warmed. If desired, serve with small potatoes or egg noodles that have been tossed with butter and parsley.

Yield: 8 servings.

The Making of Beauty - The Evolution

2006-10-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Watch this video. It's stunning.

300,000,000

2006-10-17T09:46:00.000-04:00

And the quote of the day is:

"Census Bureau employees planned to mark the moment Tuesday afternoon with cake and punch."

At 7:46 am EST today, the US population officially passed the 300,000,000 mark. The NY Times marked the occassion in this article.

I think it's interesting to note that the Bush Administration isn't really planning on doing much to celebrate. This is in contrast to the celebration Pres. Johnson pulled together after the 200,000,000 baby was born in 1967. I particularly enjoyed reading some of the reasons for why the current administration is so nonchalant about the whole thing, the primary one being that the US population probably exceeded 300 million several months ago (what with all the illegal immigrants living in the country) and it probably won't help the Republicans in the upcoming elections to make note of something that just highlights the US' inability to create any significant immigration policy to manage illegals. (I'm not going to go into my political stance on illegal immigrants today - although it's probably not too terribly difficult to figure it out with a little bit of thought.)

Here are a couple of other things to ponder:

- If the 300,000,000 person was indeed a new born baby, the baby would have probably been a boy (because slightly more boys are conceived and born than girls. Girls only start to outnumber boys around the teenage years) and most likely hispanic (because they are the fastest growing segment of the population.)

- The US population is growing at a rate of just less than 1%. Immigration accounts for about 40% of that growth. The remainder is from births outnumbering deaths. I wonder what will happen when the baby boomers start to pass away. This is in contrast to most European countries and Japan, all of which have negative population growth.

- While the current administration tucked away $20 million in the Iraq war budget for a victory celebration, they can't tuck away $50 for a 300 millionth population celebration?

Let's all make up for Bush's oversight and be like the census bureau employees. Bring on the punch and cake!

Cross-contamination indeed

2006-10-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

So my girl over at Please Don't Pass the Nuts writes very frequently about the problem of food cross-contamination and the havoc a stray nut could cause. I'm lucky in that my only known food allergy is Mangos - something that is still foreign enough to the American dietary palette that a mango-infestation is highly unlikely. (Now my allergy to latex, certain red food dyes, and carpet glue is a TOTALLY different subject all together. Luckily my sense of smell is keen and I can usually smell latex - and get the hell out of dodge - before it ever touches my skin and causes a full on case of anaphlaxtic shock. I do however travel at all times with an Epi-Pen just in case. And you don't even want to know what happened to me when my office decided to put down new carpeting over the weekend and didn't tell anyone until we came in on Monday and I broke out in hives after 2 minutes.)

Anyhoo, back to the topic of food cross-contamination. So I was eating an all organic Chocolate Chip cookie today from Mad Moose Organics when I chomp down on something kinda squishy that was neither chocolate or chip or cookie in texture and flavor. It ended being nothing but a harmless stray dried cranberry. However, this kinda wigged me out. What if it was a dried mango or something. Or even worse, what if I had nut allergies and it was a stray nut. Blah! Get the epi-pen, STAT!

So I write this blog entry today in homage to my girl, Allergic Girl.

Awwwwwww....

2006-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

My parents are cute.

I had dinner with my parents last night and it was the first time I saw my dad after his return from Korea last Tuesday. It was his first trip back to Korea since he left 28 years ago in April 1978. My dad has two younger brothers in Korea, one of whom he hasn't seen in 28 years! My mom had to work so my dad decided to travel alone. I asked him what he thought about the country and how it had changed. This was his response.

Dad[in Korean]: "It was okay but your mom wasn't there. Nothing's really fun when your mom's not there. There's no one to share things with."

He was originally supposed to be in Korea for three weeks but decided to cut the trip short and came back after only two weeks. Now I know why.

SOOOOOOO CUTE. But I guess that's what happens when you've been happily married for 36 years.

And when asked about his desire to ever move back to Korea:

"No, I have no desire to live in Korea. I like America. Korea's too noisy and crowded and polluted. People are rude and everything is soooooooo expensive. I gave up coffee because it was $5 for one cup."

Clearly my dad has never been to a Starbucks. And this from a man who lives in New York City.

Escaping Japan

2006-10-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

I found this article in the NY Times fascinating.

The article puts a spotlight on the young Japanese (largely female) who travel to New York City for anywhere between 3 months to a couple of years on a quest to "find themselves". You can experience these excessively coordinated little things for yourself by visiting the East Village, particularly around St. Marks Place and Stuyvesant St.

What I find most fascinating about these women are the activities they participate in to "find themselves". As one woman in the article declares, her favorite pastimes in NY are "shopping, clubbing with hipsters on the Lower East Side and partying." I'm sorry but that doesn't really constitute "finding oneself" in my book. That just sounds like someone who's escaping the realities of life by flirting with hedonism.

Don't get me wrong here, I fully endorse the occasional appointment with hedonism (the $80 black suede Kenneth Cole boots I purchased this weekend are a very good illustration of this) but a lifetime of excess rarely serves anyone well - except for maybe Hugh Hefner and the guy who started the "Girls Gone Wild" phenom.

The article also spends a lot of time noting that these women are often in the pursuit of an "American Boyfriend". That thought makes me a bit queesy.

Business School Memories

2006-10-13T15:44:00.000-04:00

So I was doing a random search for stuff on the NYU Stern website (actually, trying to figure out how to get an unofficial copy of my transcript - I've forgotten) when I somehow randomly stumbled onto this old article from the school newspaper "The Opportunity" about a Spring Break Grand Canyon trip I took with three of my classmates in 2002. I didn't even know that the 4th member of the trip had written something up. It was fun to think back to the trip and realize I had forgotten quite a number of details. Here's the article she wrote:

Spring Break Backpacking Down the Grand Canyon
by Amelia Sadowsky

Spring Break backpacking down the Grand Canyon with 10-50 lbs strapped to my back? I must be nuts.

Through the OAC (Outdoors Adventure Club), Sergio Fonseca sent out an email asking if anyone was interested in hiking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon over Spring Break. He recruited Alon Landa, Bo Young Lee and myself. Little did I know that all three were expert hikers and completely physically fit. Sergio competes in rock climbing contests as well as being an avid backpacker in Brazil. Alon is also an avid backpacker having done Yosemite and the mountains in the Carolinas. Bo is a yoga instructor and was probably in the best physical condition of all of us. However, I was probably in the worst shape of my life having trained hard at Stern by sitting for hours in the computer lab and through class lectures as well as building my arm strength filling my cup at beer blasts.

But I was pysched for this trip and maybe a bit terrified. I felt that this was the best way to see the GC. I also figured if I could accomplish backpacking down the GC, I could do anything. So I outfitted myself at EMS (where the mountain salesmen who wouldn't be caught dead shopping in a mall proceeded to gleefully hop around picking out equipment and clothing for me as if they were Long Island JAPs out with daddy's credit card). My family purchased a few supplies for my trip including a whistle with a compass and thermometer built in (clearly they were afraid I wasn't coming back).

Saturday, March 9th
4am car service to JFK airport Between the four of us, we totalled less than one night's sleep. I managed a whopping two hours and slept more than anyone else.

7am flightWhose bright idea was it to get such an early flight, Alon?We check our packs and each weighs in at anywhere from 30lbs to 45lbs (not including our carry on items, the 7lb camera Bo has brought or any water needed for the trail)

Arrival in Phoenix, AZ
Luck must be on our side. We caught our shuttle from Phoenix to Flagstaff and then our final shuttle from Flagstaff to the GC with almost no hitches. And we made it just in time to put our names on the waiting list for a permit to camp below the rim.

Night one at Mathers campground on the South RimCamping is good so far but a bit chilly. My thermometer reads 40°F but that can't be right. Boys are mumbling something about freezing their nuts off and Alon seems to have lost all feeling in his toes. We are able to have a nice warm campfire and a great hot meal.

Sunday (Day 1 on the Trail): "I think I'm going to die"
What luck! We are granted a permit for 5 nights (originally we thought we were only going to get 3 nights). We will be hiking a trail down Dripping Springs to Boucher Trail, across Tonto to Hermit Creek and further on to Granite Rapids and then back up Hermit Trail. We start out on the trail at 1pm. We are to complete Boucher Trail today to make our first campsite. Boucher is described as "…rugged and steep route challenges hiker with sections of exposure to height… if you can't walk on the edge of your roof, don't hike Boucher." I cannot count the number of times I think I'm going to die. We make it to the flat ground despite my slowing the group down, Alon and Sergio having to take out at least 20lbs to carry themselves and even carrying my entire pack and it being dark (we did not make our first campsite). My legs feel like they are going to fall off. I cannot bend them at all. Dig hole in ground to poop? Pebbles permanently stuck to ass. This must be a bad joke. How the hell am I getting out of here?

Monday (Day 2 on the Trail): "I know I'm going to die"
From Boucher Trail to Tonto landing at our second campsite, Hermit campgroundI am on a death march. Tears of pain are trickling down my face by afternoon. I cannot bend my legs at all. We make it to Hermit just before dark. There are these cute fat little mice swarming our food so we lock it up in food boxes provided at the campsite. Alon's hair has managed a nice bouffant? And we have nicknamed him "pretty".

Tuesday (Day 3 on the Trail): "Wow!"
Back on Tonto trail on to the Granite RapidsBy lunchtime, I will pay anything to get helicoptered out. I tell the group to injure me so I can have rangers come rescue me. I know I'm going to die here in the GC. We make it down to the campsite in the afternoon and it's on a beach right by the Colorado River. Wow, the river is powerful and beautiful. Once evening sets in, we lie outside staring at the stars and listening to the rush of the river. It is so beautiful and peaceful here. There is no other place on earth I want to be.
Sergio is racing along the trails as if he were born in these rocks. Plus he decided to make about 12 helpings of mash potatoes for dinner which he managed to eat almost all of. So we have nicknamed him "goat" because of his ability to navigate quickly on the rocks and because he must have four stomachs like a goat to eat all that food. Bo practices her yoga stretching every day so we have nicknamed her "pretzel" because she is a human pretzel. I have affectionately been nicknamed the big "O" because of all the grunting and heavy breathing I am making the trail. Perhaps they could have just nicknamed me turtle or something…

Wednesday (Day 4 on the Trail): "This was soooo worth it!"
Up the trail and we return to Hermit campgroundMy legs have loosened up and I am picking up speed on the trail. I am still carrying a pack less than half the weight of the others but that is on average 15lbs (with water; gosh, water weighs a lot). It's very windy today. I'm walking on a trail (if you can call it that) the width of my hips and the winds are now trying to blow me of the side of this canyon.Hang up food? The squirrels will just think we are hanging the food as a game. It will not stop them from eating our food.The views are incredible. Pictures just don't do it justice. I wouldn't trade this for the world!

Thursday (Day 5 on the Trail): "Can we stay here forever?"
Back on Tonto to Hermit trail (stopping overnight at Santa Maria Springs)Isn't this amazing? I can't believe we have hiked in and almost out of the Canyon. It just doesn't seem real. I don't even miss civilization and I'm ready to hike the whole trail again.

Friday (Day 6 on the Trail): "I can't believe it's already over."
Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs out to the South RimI can't believe how quickly this time has gone, although the arriving at the South Rim almost a week ago feels like a very distant memory. I'm really gonna miss the GC.Wow, we stink. Bo pulls out a sock that is so stiff that it looks like there is still a foot in it. We all crack up with laughter. We finally get a shower in Flagstaff and it has got to be the best shower I've ever had.

Saturday
We're heading home! Civilization here we come. I miss the GC already…
I want to thank Sergio, Alon and Bo. Without them helping me down, shoving me up and holding my hand, I doubt I would have made it. Their unwavering support and cheering me on was a blessing. I still cannot believe they did not smother me in my sleep and I thank all three of you for sharing one of the biggest challenges and best times of my life.

Furry Love

2006-10-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

I want a puppy! But I can't have a puppy. I'm too busy. But I want one.

Having grown up with a constantly evolving array of pets - two dogs (Pollywog - a german shepard-bull dog mix, and Daisy - a jack russell terrier), two turtles (Rocky - named after Rock Hudson, and Lizzy - named after Elizabeth Taylor), countless parrots and fishes - I still desire the furry, fuzzy love of an animal companion. There is nothing...NOTHING...more heart warming than having a puppy waggle over, plop themselves right next to you on the couch, prop their head on your lap, release a long sigh, give you one of those "I love you mama" looks, and then proceed to fall asleep on your lap. Or to be woken up by a fuzzy dog tongue lapping at your face, trying to convince you that you really do want to get out of bed at 6 in the morning on a Sunday to go out and play with them. And when you don't they relent for about 10 minutes and then try again. Puppies! (and by puppies I mean dogs of any age)

A kitty would seem like such a perfect compromise. You still get all the furry love but without the whole walking, constantly being home thing.

Alas, I'm deathly allergic to kitties. Epi-pens and anaphylactic shock are not fun.

But it seems that a company out west may have found a solution...and it only costs $4000.

I first read about Allerca and their hypo-allergenic kittens about two years ago. At that time they were targeting a per cat cost of $10,000. Glad to see things have come down a bit.

The NY Times is running an interesting article about the soon to be launched kitties. I can definately sympathize with some of the people quoted in the article.

It's a good thing I don't love cats as much as I love dogs. I might be $4000 poorly if that were the case.

Surfing when I'm 80

2006-10-05T11:20:00.000-04:00

I've always said that I'll take up surfing when I'm 80. Why 80? It just seems like as good a time as any to take up something new. Plus, if I plan to take up surfing at that age, I better keep myself in a condition where it will be possible.

I mention this because the NY Times has a really good article today about being old but not frail.

Old but Not Frail: A Matter of Heart and Head

In the article, doctors mention that frailty (an actual medical condition now) is likely due to

1) Undetected cardiovascular disease (not the kind that will only give you a heart attack but the more subtle kind that will block blood vessels to various parts of the body)

and more interestingly

2) Falling victim to negative stereotypes about aging and being old.

Here's a really interesting excerpt:

"A second finding is just as surprising to skeptical scientists because it seemed to many like a wrongheaded cliché — you’re only as old as you think you are. Rigorous studies are now showing that seeing, or hearing, gloomy nostrums about what it is like to be old can make people walk more slowly, hear and remember less well, and even affect their cardiovascular systems. Positive images of aging have the opposite effects. The constant message that old people are expected to be slow and weak and forgetful is not a reason for the full-blown frailty syndrome. But it may help push people along that path."

If you've ever been to one of my yoga classes, you've probably heard me say at one point "Don't let your preconceived notions of what you think your body and you are capable of prevent you from discovering what your body and you are really capable of."

Or as the girls in En Vogue once sang..."Free your mind and the rest will follow." (I realize I'm dating myself here)

I can attest to the fact that getting older for me has meant, from a physical standpoint, getting stronger, leaner, more nimble, agile, faster, more flexible, and generally more physical. Eighteen was not my glory year...to be completely honest, I don't think I have yet to discover that year yet. Every year seems to bring more discovery in my body, more ability, more understanding of how to expand the boundaries of this shell of mine. I would have laughed at anyone who had told me, at the age of 18, that someday I will have run a marathon or finished a triathlon or finished a Century. But here I am, nearly 13 years later, having completed all three. And I've officially sent in my bid for a spot in the 2007 London Marathon (whether or not I get a place is an entirely different issue.) And I'm only 3 races shy of securing my place in next years NYC Marathon.

If the next 13 years are anything like the last, I expect that by the time I'm 44 I'll be levitating or possibly flying short distances (say from Wall St. to Dumbo).

Of course all of this has not come without injury (torn hamstrings, squished vertibral joints, an ankle that will need to be reconstructed at some point) but all in all a small price to pay for the joy I experience in my body.

So, yes, I plan on taking up surfing when I'm 80 or maybe sooner. Surf Diva's summer surf camps for adults look mighty enticing...

On a slight diversion...

If negative messages about getting old can speed the journey to frailty what can negative messages about being a young black man, or a nerdy asian teenager, or a girl who wants a career in science/math do to those individuals.

Things that make you go hmmmm... (Oh god, I'm dating myself with all these 80s/90s song quotes)

Dear John Part II (apologies for the profanity but sometimes it's appropriate)

2006-09-29T00:12:00.000-04:00

Dear September 2006,

I've never had to dump a whole month before so this is new for me. Please bear with me.

Okay, here we go...

We are F*****G through. That's right...you can take your m*****f*****g 30 days, and autumnal equinox, and changing leaves, and stick em where the sun don't shine.

You'd think that being kidnapped and robbed would be plenty for one month...but no...you had to go and throw in being very unceremoniously dumped by your boyfriend to make it all the more fun. And over email no less. What the heck was up with that?! At least you could of had him pick up the phone or something. And what's the deal with the non-response to my calls and emails. That's like rubbing hydrochloric acid into my wounds. Skip the salt.

And while starting a new job is a very good thing, I'm still blaming you for the stress brought on by the newness of it all. If I get a new gray hear because of you, I'm gonna bop you.

Yeah, yeah...there was the whole triathlon, not drowning thing. But that's chump change pal. You're just lucky I've got a good sense of humor or I'd of ditched you somewhere around the 16th of the month.

So grab your bags and don't let the door hit your arse on the way out. I'm shacking up with Oct.

Cordially yours,
Bo

Big Mike

2006-09-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

Read this article!!!!

It may be one of the best pieces of journalism I've read in a long time. And I didn't even mind that it was about football. Or maybe I'm just a big squish ball in inside.

Whatever...it's still wonderfully written. Bets that it'll be in the running for a Pulitzer.

I'm Two Years Old

2006-09-22T16:09:00.000-04:00

Well, not me exactly. But "Your Daddy Named You Bo" is. Since this blog was born out of my need to document and make sense of one crazy year back in 2003/2004, it has become a tradition for me to look back and summarize some of the changes, accomplishments, disappointments, and all around freaky, wonderful, delicious, heartbreaking, and sparky things that have happened to me in the past year. (That was one grammatically incorrect sentance but I'm not in the mood to correct it. So was that one.)

So, since Sept. 22 of 2005, I:

- Travelled to Thailand and learned to cook Pad Thai, a Chicken Green Curry, Fish Cakes and a few other dishes.
- Got kidnapped in Malaysia.
- Sued a corporation for the first time (well, technically we're-the lawyer and I- still investigating but I'll likely really get the ball rolling very soon)
- Re-entered the for-profit world! SELL OUT! :-P
- Dated someone for more than 3 months (That should probably be number 1 on this list)
- Revisited Paris for the first time in 9 years
- Figured out that I really DO prefer good old film photography to digital (but maybe this has more to do with the fact that I don't have one of those nifty digital SLRs)
- Made a nifty new chum in arms
- Learned that sometimes you really do have to follow the directions that come with the box of pectin (but the pseudo-jam still tastes pretty darn nifty on freshly made Oatmeal Pancakes.)
- Accepted the fact that I really do need to hire a weekly house clearner. I'm just not domestically gifted like that.
- Turned 30!
- Hosted a Thanksgiving dinner in my apartment. Who knew you could actually cook a 10 lb turkey in my itty bitty oven. Not to mention all the fixins.
- Realized that at some point in the future I'm gonna have to get reconstructive ankle surgery (but I'm trying to postpone this until...well until I'm ready to not walk for about three months)
- Competed in my first triathlon (and didn't drown)
- Ran my first marathon (and didn't die)
- Biked all the way from Beacon, NY to New York City (that's about 75 miles!)
- Visited Dia:Beacon (can you tell that my memory works via association?)
- Fell in love with Anna, my Cannondale R800 road bike.

That's about it for now :-P

Todays blog is brought to you by the letter Rrrrrrrrr

2006-09-19T23:51:00.000-04:00

Today I jogged around the Capital Building (I'm in DC) and even passed a barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (International Talk Like a Pirate Day)

And it only took one Tri

2006-09-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

That's not a mistake. I completed my first triathlon today. And I didn't drown!

Whooo Hoooo!

Go me! :-P

Sign that the world is still a really great place

2006-09-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

So I saw this in the NY Times and thought it was just the coolest piece of news.

Three Rabbis were ordained in Germany today. Check out the article. It's the first time since the holocaust. And there was even a Muslim community leader in attendance at the ordination. The article also reports that the population of Jews in Germany is growing. Only 30,000 existed when Germany first reunified. Now there are approximately 100,000. That's pretty cool.

Now everyone can enjoy the pleasures of matzo ball soup, a good brisket, and kvetching in Yiddish.

Please Don't Pass The Nuts

2006-09-13T21:24:00.000-04:00

A quick shout to my girl Sloane and her newish blog Please Don't Pass The Nuts. Check her out. Her blog is especially interesting for those foodies out there.

WTC

2006-09-10T20:19:00.000-04:00

Today I went for a bike ride and ended up riding right past the site of the WTC. This time five years ago I was having a restless night of sleep and woke up around 2am and couldn't fall back asleep. That night, five years ago, I decided that rather then toss and turn I would go for a very late night run. Those that know me well know that I love late night runs. The more empty, quiet, and mist filled the night, the more I crave a good run. I call my late night runs 'Running in Solace'. They keep me sane.

That night, five years ago, I ran down a very familiar path. I ran along west Houston until I hit the yet unfinished West Side Esplanade (it's still not but it's come a long way.) From there I turned south and ran along the Hudson heading towards the WTC and Battery Park. In total the run is approximately 5 miles and it usually takes me about 45 minutes to complete. That night I stopped at that point in the route when I reached Stuyvesant High School, my alma mater. I walked for about 15 minutes. I wasn't tired or out of breathe. I just wanted to enjoy the complete solitude. I was alone and the night was completely mine to live in. A rare gift in New York. It was probably 2:45am by this point. I walked from Stuyvesant to the towers of the WTC. I remember savoring the sheer minimilistic beauty of the buildings. The WTC towers were never traditionally beautiful. Upclose they appeared quite anemic. It was the sheer grandeur and unabashed presence of those structures that made a person realize that beauty is not defined by the eyes or brain but by the heart and spirit. I continued my run soon after passing the WTC towers and was home, showered and in bed by 3:30am.

And the Voice Said...

2006-09-07T21:39:00.000-04:00

I realize that since I started this blog some two years ago the readership has expanded beyond the 4 or 5 people I had initially meant to stay in virtual contact with. Those 4 or 5 know who they are.

One thing that I've always been hyperconscious of is the fact that my "voice" is not exactly typical and/or appropriate for any of the personas that I have adopted. I'm not your typical New Yorker (although I come close from time to time), nor do I possess the soulful equinimity of a yoga teacher, the easy cynisism of a corporate MBA twat, the Long Island inflected drawl of a designer shoe obsessed sample sale junky, the pseudo-academic nebishness of a community college lecturer etc... etc...

I always wonder if this lack of consistency ever surprises those individuals who have only known one of my personas.

One more thing...

2006-09-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

Someday this story is going to make an excellent chapter in my autobiography!

This entry is titled either "Possibly the worst 48 hours of my life" or "Why I'm thankful for Yoga and God"

2006-09-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

I'm back in the US - New York City and I don't think I've ever been more happy to return to it's familiar chaos and cool autumnal weather. Don't get me wrong now, Thailand was a complete and utter blast. Bangkok lived up to every rumor, song, and hushed tale told of it. New York may be the epicenter of all things cool and forward but Bangkok is the epicenter for all things nonsensical and gloriously chaotic. It's a city that was designed by taking a box of pixie sticks and dumping the contents on the floor. The red pixie sticks represent all the major highways and roads. All the other colors represent the various one way streets, dead ends, and streets that seemingly run in circles that comprise all of downtown Bangkok.

*Non-sequitor*

Whilst wandering through one of the many new mega-malls that seemingly dominante the psychology of every teenage Bangkokian I made a profound discovery - shows are cut wider in Asia! This is a huge discovery. I got into A LOT of trouble!

*End of non-sequitor*

Now, back to the reason why I gave this entry two titles. Bangkok was a blast. I ate too much, practiced some good yoga, bought many pairs of cute comfy shoes, was invited to watch a female eject ping pong balls and open bottles with her most private of parts, and drank far too many fresh, young coconuts. All the problems began when I left Bangkok. Whilst enroute to NY via Kuala Lumpur I somehow got kidnapped for 4 hours and robbed. Sounds rather dramatic - it was. It's funny the thoughts that run through ones head when they think there gonna die in a foreign country. Since I'm writing this entry, hopefully it's obvious that I'm completely fine, both physically and psychologically. But let me tell you, thank goodness for God and Yoga...and I'm not talking figuratively. I'm sure both played a fairly large role in making sure that all things turned out well. God for that extra protective hand, Yoga for the calmness of mind to help me stay rationale and entirely far to boring to make for a good afterschool special protagonist.

After some review of the events and discussion with the US Embassy in Malaysia (and a criminal attorney) I'm starting to realize my kidnapping and subsequent robbery was an inside job - some combination of Malaysia Airlines employees, KL International Airport employees, and hotel employees. In anycase, I'm pursuing legal actions against all three parties. According to the detective who took my report, kidnapping of tourists, particularly Americans and Europeans, is a highly common crime in Malaysia.

So kids, what have we learned from today's lesson?

DON'T GO TO MALAYSIA!

Now, don't all jump to leave me sympathetic comments about blah, blah, blah. I'm fine...really. I'm just kinda pissed that they took my favorite sports watch.

Did you know that Errol Flynn was Australian?

2006-08-27T04:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, Robin Hood himself was an Antipodean. I was as suprised as you probably are right now upon learning this fact.

Why exactly am I writing about Mr. Flynn whilst in the middle of the Thai tropics, you ask? Well, one of the greatest joys of holiday is the ability to do absolutely nothing and not feel an ounce of guilt. And while I have been filling my holiday with quite a number of interesting things (kayaking, SCUBA, mountain biking, cooking classes etc...) I've also spent countless hours pool side or in a coffee shop simply enjoying a good book. It was in Bill Bryson's book 'Down Under' that I picked up the little tidbit about the dashing man in green tights.

Now, back to Thailand and things a bit less colonial. After 8 days on the tropical island of Koh Samui, I am now in the northern city of Chiang Mai. In the last two days alone I think I've visited at least a dozen Buddhist Wats (Temples). A buddhist temple is a bit like an old church or museum in western Europe. Once you've seen one, you've kinda seen them all. I'm not trying to be sarcastic in any sort of way. Nor do I want to dimish the spiritual significance of the temples or to the churches of Europe but really I've never much found "houses of worship" to be all that interesting. This may sound a bit weird coming from a person who considers herself to be deeply spiritual and faith driven. Maybe it's all the yogic philosophy I've ingested over the years but for whatever reason I don't really attach spirituality to any space or figure or representation. Spirituality can be found anywhere...in a forest glade, floating in the ocean, praying in a church. For me, the most interesting sacred space lives inside the person, not a space, no matter how much gold is used to spruce up the place.

I've decided that Chiang Mai have 6 types of retail spaces - tourist offices offering every sort of trek, elephant ride, mountain biking excursion, and whitewater rafting experience an adventure oriented person could want, resturants catering to both Thai and Continental taste buds, craft shops selling authentic tchochkies crafted by "REAL HILL TOP TRIBES!", tailors who will make you two whole suits for only $200, massage parlors, and auto mechanic shops. Now, don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate why the economy is tilted in this manner. In a country that is rapidly trying to join the economic ranks of China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, one must jump upon an opportunity when they see one. And what better opportunity than the swarms of white tourists milling about with their big bottles of distilled water and wearing flip flops that they probably paid $30 dollars (or more) for in their home country. Thailand is a land of immense opportunity and thus a lot of opportunitic behaviour. Someone is quickly becoming a billionare in this country and if it ain't you then it's probably the person down the street. That's what happens in a country with few set rules for success.

On a more sociological perspective, I think I'm confusing everyone in Thailand. The Thai's don't know what to make of me. The question I get most frequently is "What are you?" or "Where are you from?" Many have commented on the fact that I look kinda Asian but I clearly don't act Asian. I don't think they're quite used to seeing westernized Asians. Many have commented on the fact that I look bi-racial. I don't think I do at all - I only ever get this comment when I travel to Asia. I really may be the whitest asian girl in the world. On the flip side, I'm quite tan right now (spf 50 has nothing on the Thai sun) and many of the European tourists (men) think I'm a local female (albeit rather tall and big for a thai woman). I've had the rudest, most crass comments directed towards me. I'm assuming these European men are under the notion that I won't entirely understand them but that I'll be aglow with excitement from getting any sort of attention from the rich white men. I wish I could take a picture of them as I open my mouth to respond in my VERY American accent. Oh how silly and stupid they must feel. Well, I'm assuming they feel silly and stupid. One hopes that they realize their behavior really isn't acceptable in any culture.

Over and out for now. I'll be in Bangkok in a few short days. Lets see if that song from the early 80s is true...

S.C.U.B.A.

2006-08-19T06:49:00.000-04:00

I spent the day today in a pool learning how to avoid death when you are 10 meters below water. I hope I'm a fast learner. Tomorrow will be the real deal when I get to swim amongst coral reef and fishies.

My instrustor is a total Austraialian cutie. Why does it seem that all scuba, ski, and other adventure sport instructors are cute? Is that a prerequistie? Is appearance a qualifier for certification? In any case, Sean the instructor is the classic case of a very bad boy who is trying to turn his life around. He is quite the chatty fellow and in the few hours I've known him I've picked up several things about him. 1) He comes from a very wealthy family, 2) He used to be a former architect and interior designer (he swears up and down that he is not gay), 3) He had gotten into a bit of trouble in his previous life - mostly alcohol and drug influenced I gather, 4) Scuba instruction is a means for him to clear his head and his lifestyle - he's given up drinking for the time being and is currently a veggie.

Isn't it funny how people who have lived toxic lives adopt extrodinarily asectic habits when they try to turn themselves around? Sean is not the first person to utilize this strategy and I'm sure he's not the last. LOL. I'm also guessing that Sean is not the only Ex-pat here in thailand that is trying to run away from something.

Thailand is an interesting country. It's a country caught somewhere between 21st century modernity and third world poverty. Everyone seemingly has a mobile phone and one can find any number of Unilever consumer pacakged goods at the local tin hut. However, drive a bit and you will eventually drive by little shanty towns. I was reading an Economist article on the flight over and it was discussing the economical transformation that has taken place in Vietnam. In the article I learned that about a third of Thailand's population still lives on less than a dollar a day. This is of course a huge improvement from over 50% just a decade ago. Makes me wonder when I marvel at the delicious Pad Thai that I've consuming on a near daily basis that only costs about $2.25.

30 hours later I'm in Koh Samui

2006-08-16T06:39:00.000-04:00

What an adventure getting here...but here I am indeed.

Koh Samui.

Basically things break down like this. All times are in EST.

Monday 10pm - Take off from Newark
11pm - Actually take off from Newark after some weird delay
Tuesday 6:30am - Land in Stockholm, Sweden
6:30am - 8:15am - Sit in Arlanda airport waiting for plan to be refueled etc...
8:15am - 7:00pm - Leave Stockholm, fly over the entire world and finally land in Malaysia
7:00pm - 10:00pm - Walk around KL Airport waiting for connecting flight to Bangkok
10pm - Take off from KL
10pm - 12:05 am - Fly to and land in Bangkok
Wednesday 12:05 - 1:20am - Wander around Bangkok airport, get lost, eat ice cream, get oriented
1:20am - 2:30am - Fly to Koh Samui
2:30am - 3:30am - Drive to bungalow where I will be staying
3:31am - Collapse
3:35am - Go to pool

That's a lot of travelling I tell ya!

Many observations thus far but the biggest one is this, finding the "spiritual" side of Thailand will be a challenge. It's here, you can feel it, but it's hidden behind the HUGE wall of tourism that permeates seemingly everything. I think I'm saved in that I'm Asian and people can't automatically assume I'm a tourist. I could easily be a Malaysian business women. But then I open my mouth and out spouts the good old American English.

I'm going to try and avoid most of the more touristy trappings...by that I mean the cheap "handmade" village jewelry that gets hawked at every road side petrol station and food stand. My goals are as follows: back, swim in the ocean, practice some yoga, get lots of Thai massages, maybe take a class on Thai massage, take a cooking class, get SCUBA certified, and maybe get a tailor to replicate my favorite summer dress a couple of times.

I'm gonna have dinner soon and then probably collapse for awhile.

Cheers for now.

Greetings from Malaysia

2006-08-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

I'm here for a connecting flight to Bangkok. I've been flying now for about 19 hours and am currently on a public computer.

The KL airport is impressive, if not a bit amusing. Kinda looks like a pseudo-high end European wanna-be mall. The people here are also interesting. Will write more once I'm settled on Koh Samui.

Dick Cheney Disappearance = Shit Going Down

2006-08-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

For about the past month or two Dick Cheney has been conspicuously missing from the public eye. Even Leno and Letterman made note of his disappearing act in their opening act. Then, like the hungry neighborhood cat, he reappears on Wednesday with an interview. Next thing we know, all poo hits the roof in Heathrow and Gatwick. I may sound like some sort of conspiracy theorist but doesn't it seem that the VP tends to disappear right before some really wicked shit goes down? I mean, where exactly was he right after 9/11?

Going forward, whenever scary Dicky disappears, I'm hoarding bottled water, duct tape, and granola.

Canon in D

2006-08-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I think this pretty much rocks! And the kids looks to be about 12.

OUCH!!!!

2006-08-09T11:44:00.000-04:00

Getting old sucks big time.

I woke up on Monday morning with the most horrible pain in my right hip...turns out I have bursitis. And for those who haven't had bursitis...IT SUCKS! Tha pain in my right hip is currently hovering somewhere between a dull ache to the occassional stabbing bolt of pain that make me want to crumble to the floor.

I'm going to see my Orthopedic Surgeon this Thursday (again!) and have him check it out. I'm going to try and convince him to give me a cortisone shot into my right hip to make the inflammation go away before I leave for Thailand. Doesn't that sound scary? Getting a shot directly into a joint! Bleech.

I tell you...this summer has not been a good health summer for me. Dislocating ankles, mysterious breathing problems, and now bursitis! Ack!

And to top it all off, I found two new grey hairs. They are multiplying I tell ya!

The boy isn't making matters any easier, either. At 45, he keeps reminding me that things are only going to get creakier and creakier. Damnit, I refuse to accept that. Other than the bursitis, I don't think any of my other ailments are due to old age...everyone is susceptible to mystery viruses that decide to take refuge in the back of ones throat. Right?

Men's Stock Crashing Everywhere

2006-08-07T15:15:00.000-04:00

The boy sent me this email today...

It kinda sucks to be a guy these days, if we can judge by the New York Times.

1. Articles about men who are unemployed, unattached or marginally employed and unmarriable.
2. Articles about how Wall Street is trying to retain more women.
3. Florida passes "Stand Your Ground" law which allows more use of deadly force in "self defense."
4. War in the middle east.

I give up. Guys should just give up, let women do all the work and concentrate on playing cards and getting laid. It seems men are just not fit to run societies.

Yours in Sympathy,

A***

Eeeh...I'm not so sure a woman dominated world would be much better. Have you seen the movie 'Mean Girls'? Yeah, we should probably avoid that scenario as well.

I wonder if I'll run into Yul Brynner

2006-07-20T00:04:00.000-04:00

It's official folks...I got a new job. If you wanna know more details you've got to email me. It's a great opportunity for me. A wonderful career move and something that will take me one step closer to my ultimate career goal...to become World Diversity Champion of the Universe.

Anyhoo, in honor of this change I'm taking some time off and travelling to Thailand in August. My last day is August 11th and then it's off to the country formerly known as Siam for three weeks! Any good advice or travel insight would be appreciated.

Very Very Pink

2006-07-18T15:40:00.000-04:00

I was invited by a friend to her family summer home in Bradely Beach on the Jersey Shore this past weekend. Now I am various shades of brown, more brown, pink, and very red. So much for waterproof SPF 50.

I'll post a picture of the post beach bbq soon.

Another reason for Corporate Diversity

2006-07-10T15:25:00.000-04:00

Sony advert
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

Sony launched the advertising campaign for its new, all white PlayStation Portable with this billboard in Amsterdam. The only thing I can say is 'What were they thinking?' The billboard reads "PlayStation Portable: White is coming" and depicts a whiter-than-white woman aggressively dominating a blacker-than-black woman. The obvious play on racial domination and social oppression is ridiculous and unbelievable. The fact that a roomful of executives could sit around and let this sort of imagery fly is almost unthinkable.

One has to wonder if someone in the room didn't go "Hey guys, I migh be a little sensitive here but doesn't this campaign strike you as just a little bit...oh I don't know...Klu Klux Klanish."

Here are a few alternate tagline suggestions for Sony:

PlayStation Portable: Making Racism a Little Sexier
PlayStation Portable: Hate crimes are only illegal in the real world
PlayStation Portable: Because we think slavery is due for a comeback

Granted, this billboard is not in the US (where the history of racial oppression is probably better documented) but it's not like the folks in Western Europe aren't dealing with their own share of racial tension.

Geez Louise

Triple Berry Jam

2006-07-05T22:56:00.000-04:00

IMG_0091
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

Don't these berries look luscious? I spent a portion of this weekend making Triple Berry Jam (Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry). I've documented the whole process in flickr...check out the set.

NYC Half Marathon

2006-06-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

I signed up for the inaugural run of the NYC Half Marathon today. It's going to take place on Aug. 27th. It looks to be an interesting course and who wouldn't want to run all over the street of Manhattan at 7 in the morning on a Sunday in the middle of August when the weather could easily be 97 degrees and 95% humidity! Blah.

The field is being capped at 10,000 runners and it looks like it will fill out very quickly indeed.

Poetry in Motion

2006-06-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

I read this poem on the subway this morning. It thought it was lovely and also rather appropriate given the upcoming celebration of Father's Day this weekend.

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Robert Hayden (1913-1980)

Jam Season

2006-06-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

Ah...I was walking through the Union Square Farmer's Market recently when I noticed all the lovely stalks of new spring Rhubarb...what a lovely sight. This reminded me that jam season is upon us once again!

This year I am going to kick things off with a lovely Rhubarb-Orange Jam/Marmalade. This will be my first marmalade like treat so it should be fun/educational. Pics to come shortly.

No NYC Marathon this year

2006-06-09T11:05:00.000-04:00

So...I didn't get a slot for the NYC Marathon this year...AGAIN! Well, there is always 2007 I guess. But I'm already more than semi-conditioned to run a marathon damnit! So, I'm thinking of signing up for the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, DC on Oct. 29th. I'm actually really tempted to sign up for the Berlin Marathon as I've heard many good things about it but it happens to fall on the same Oct. weekend as my birthday (which really isn't a problem) and my friends Michelle and Edwin's wedding in SF (more of a problem).

Anyway, if I'm going to run another international marathon I want to make it a big one...like Sydney or Auckland or Beirut (which by the way I hear has plenty of opening as only 50 people ran it last year...I wonder if any were women?)

In other news, I dislocated my left ankle (again!) last week. My doctor is trying to convince me to get surgery on the sucker but that would pretty much leave me immobile for about 6 to 8 months. Boooooooh....no. Maybe when I'm older and less active. Now is not a good time.

And other news...

- Why does it seem that ex-boyfriends seem to crawl out of the woodwork at percisely the moment when it is least convienient?
- Yes, I am still dating the 44 year old, twice married, once widowed, three kids man.
- I think all the swimming I've been doing whilst training for my upcoming triathlon is giving me that truly un-sexy broad shoulder look. I look like a linebacker in anything with slightly structured shoulders.
- I remeasured myself at the doctors office and I'm still 5 feet 6 inches. People never believe me but it's the truth! All y'all who think your 5 feet 9 inches but stand the same height as I do are deluding yourselves.
- Yet another friend is preggers.

I heart the Internet

2006-05-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

Why do I heart the internet?

Other then keeping in close cahoots with all of you lovely beings, where else can you find a list of all the triathalons being raced in the US and a list of all the century bike rides to boot in under 5 secs?

BTW, I'm going to compete in my first tri this July in Norwalk, CT. I have another scheduled in September in Sandy Hook, NJ and I think I'll be doing a century ride sometime in the next few months or so as well.

In other news, I ran my first two races post-marathon last week. The first, on Mother's Day, was a slow one for me. I missed the start by about 5 minutes, but no worries, I just ended up behind a bunch of walkers which probably added a couple of minutes to my time. The second 5K was much faster. Ran it at just under a 9 minute pace. It's amazing how long it takes the body to recoup from a marathon.

Ah...I love being kick-ass fit. LOL.

One last thing...the NYC Marathon lottery will be held in just a few short weeks. Keep those fingers and toes crossed for me. I'm really hoping to get a slot this year.

The Evolution of Dance

2006-05-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg&eurl

Check this out...it is too funny...but be warned, it's 6 minutes long.

Adile and Daniel Horsing around

2006-05-08T11:35:00.000-04:00

Adile and Daniel Horsing around
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

Just another fun picture from the weekend. It was a decidely fun day. Afterwards, we drove to Astoria and had the most delightful meal at Mundo's (Mr. B's suggestion) and quite the crazy tummy tightening laughing marathon.

Thanks for a fun day you guys!

Hunting for our supper

2006-05-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

Bridge with Daniel
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

What better way to spend a Saturday than forging for wild edibles in Bear Mountain with the delightful Ms. AI and Mr. DB (lead by the ever so quirky Steve "the Wildman" Brill. Here's a fun picture of our post salad greens scavanger hunt yoga schenanegans in the meadow.

Conclusion: Too Pink

2006-04-25T16:27:00.000-04:00

The experiment has ended and the conclusion is that the pink template was just too pink. It was hurting my eyes. I have to learn some template design. I want some pink but not too much pink. Get my drift?

It just gets stranger and stranger

2006-04-24T16:43:00.000-04:00

So...

What would you say if I told you that I was dating someone who is 14 years my senior, twice married (once divorced, once widowed) and the father of 3 kids (15 & 13 - from the first marriage, 5 - from the second marriage)...

Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say.

Too Pink?

2006-04-18T16:35:00.000-04:00

What do you think of the new layout? Too Pink?

I was feeling kinda devilish this morning. I might change it back.

Interesting

2006-04-18T13:09:00.000-04:00

I received this from a friend and thought it was very interesting fodder for contemplation.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

The origin of this letter is unknown

Bicoastal

2006-04-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'll see a picture of San Francisco or get an email from a friend out west and I'll remember how much I really do like SF...not enough to settle there for the rest of my life mind you, but enough that I wish there was a way for me to be completely bicoastal. Isn't there some sort of job or life out there where I can basically live part of the year in NY (spring and autumn) and part of the year in SF (winter and summer)?

After the marathon

2006-04-14T11:18:00.000-04:00

After the marathon
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

After running for 5 Hrs, 6 minutes.

Don't worry, I'd already walked about a mile prior to this picture being taken.

Running

2006-04-14T11:17:00.000-04:00

running1
Originally uploaded by jboylee.

That's me. Number 33508

Fini

2006-04-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

Things have been crazy...but just wanted to post a quick note that I did finish the marathon!

Time: 5:06

I was hoping for a sub-5 marathon but I hit a major wall at mile 22!

Well, I now have a goal for my next marathon...and yes, there will be a next!

It was so much fun!

More to come in another post...complete with embarassing picture.

Bonjour

2006-04-05T12:21:00.000-04:00

Apologies for my typing mishapes. These French keyboards are a bit different than what I am used to.

So I'm in Paris...just days away from the marathon. It was cold this morning when I arrived. 2 degrees C or about 36 degrees F. Brrrr....

More later.

Joining the Army

2006-03-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

Just a quick shout out to my girl MF for joining the blogging ranks. Give her some love and read up on what my lifestyle could have been if I had stayed put in SF.

Damn Bible Beaters

2006-03-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

This is from the NY Times "Dear Diary" column which runs every Monday morning.

Dear Diary:
The other day on the A train, a large man dressed in a camouflage sweatsuit was being grilled by a woman about not going to church enough.

He defended himself, saying he showed his devotion to God through his actions, but the woman wasn't satisfied.

She said he had to go to church to win his place in heaven.

Just then, a young woman about 30 feet away doubled over and collapsed.

The man in camouflage was the first on his feet to help her. He propped her head with his backpack and sat on the floor to hold her hand while he directed others to alert the conductor.

When the train stopped at 14th Street, the conductor announced that there would be a delay for a sick passenger, and the man's church friend rushed across the platform to catch a local train.

Meanwhile, he continued to sit with the young woman, holding her hand.

After the police helped her off (she was a cancer patient), the man put on his earphones and returned to his pew in the greater church of New York.

Aaron Garretson

Green scents

2006-03-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

I was down in Philly on Wednesday and Thursday and decided to go for a nice 6 mile run along the Schukyll River. It was lovely...in the mid 50s or so. And during my run I caught a whiff of the undeniable scent of Spring Green. You know that smell...fresh, pungent, and exact.

Yummy...I'm ready for hiking weather!

I LOVE seasons!

Which is harder?

2006-03-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend I have to:

Do my 20 miles training run.

And

File my taxes.

I can't decide which will be more difficult.