A Bachelor's Fridge

I know...I suck as a blogger lately. It's freakishly hot here in Texas. The heat has zapped my energy and inspiration. And since I hole up and try to stay out of the extreme weather, it's not very conducive to meeting new potential dates.

This week, I'm out of town, staying with my recently divorced uncle, who had some orthopedic surgery. He's still in the hospital tonight (surgery went very well), and since I know there is a hope or possibly an expectation that I will take over the cooking duties while I'm around, I went through to see what I'm working with. Here's a sampling of what I found:
* almost all the condiments you could need
* 4, yes 4 bags of grated "mexican cheese" - this is one of those repeat purchases. You know, every time you go to the grocery store, you think, oh yeah, I'll get one of those. Not remembering you already have one (or more) at home!
* several cans of chicken and beef broth
* a couple apples
* very ripe bananas (I'm thinking banana bread...although there's no flour or sugar yet)
* 6 yellow onions
* much meat in the freezer

I'm sure if one of my sisters looked through my bachelorette fridge, it would also be eye-opening about what's there, and what's not. It just made me laugh to see how much of some items he had, while completely lacking in others.

Tri it

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. What can I say? I have had ideas for topics to write about, but either they are too personal -- and I don't want them out there on the world wide web -- or they're about topics that I'm not ready to talk about yet. Sometimes, it's best just to keep your mouth (and keyboard) shut.

I haven't had any dates lately, since the way-too-young-for-me guy. But most of the time, I don't miss it. My life is full with good stuff. I spend my free time with friends, family, or exercising. I've been reading lots of great books that stimulate my mind, and I'm still travelling quite a bit for work, which exposes me to different cities and some great restaurants.

I finished my fifth Danskin triathlon last weekend, beating my previous time by a couple minutes. I was pleased with that. I trained harder than ever before for this one, and my only regret was that I had a massive muscle spasm (in my abdominals, of all places!) on the run, which slowed me down tremendously. I think it was due to not taking in enough electrolytes. I've got another tri next weekend, again in the Texas heat, so my plan is to load up on the electrolytes. The course next weekend is easier than the Danskin, with less hills, and there's less people, meaning we should finish sooner in the day before it gets too unbearably hot.

Some people ask me, why do you do triathlons? I admit, it is a bit daunting, and years ago, I never would have ever thought I would do one, let alone five or six. But that's exactly why I do keep doing them. It's a reminder to me that I can do something I never thought I could. And if I can do this...what else can I do? The possibilities are endless...!

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

Right Now

I'm supposed to be in Chicago right now. But I'm still in Austin.

I went to the airport as scheduled early early this morning to learn once I got there that the flight was delayed 1.5 hours. So I got some breakfast and settled in, even took a cat nap in the uncomfortable lounge area. When I woke, I learned the flight was delayed another hour. And then another. And then ANOTHER. There were multiple reasons given: there were tornados in the Dallas area last night, keeping flights from coming into Texas, there was a hail storm in Austin this morning, damaging some aircraft, and our flight crew was MIA.

Eventually, it got to the point where I wouldn't be getting into Chicago until the end of the day, missing all the meetings I had scheduled. Tomorrow's day was already truncated, with the plan to head back to the airport around mid-day. It didn't seem worth it to go all the way up there for a half day of meetings, so I asked for the credit for the flight and headed into the office here.

When I lived in NY, I heard so many NYers stories of where they were on 9-11-01. There were several near misses -- people missed their train or bus, a child was sick or something else kept them from showing up to the World Trade Center building on time. It reminds me that we don't have the overall picture. While the horror and tragedies that occurred that day are still hard to comprehend, those near misses make me think that sometimes, we aren't supposed to make that plane, or we're supposed to be in traffic.

What if you're exactly where you're supposed to be RIGHT NOW.

It's My Birthday

Just enjoying the day, which started with a 6:30 a.m. bike ride. I am NOT a morning person, but the endorphins from exercise do make for a nice start to the day.

Had lunch with a dear friend, who brought me a balloon. :-) It's a red, helium-filled balloon, and it makes me feel like a kid again!

My coworkers got me cupcakes, and I'm looking forward to dinner with my sister, niece & nephew tonight at a Japanese hibachi restaurant.

And I'm also looking forward to the year ahead! Exciting things in the works...

I've Still Got "It"

Although 40 is looming like a dark storm on the horizon, apparently, I don't look it.

When I was leaving in Honduras from vacation, I struck up a conversation with two guys in the exit tax line. When they heard I was going to Austin, they asked if I was in school at the university here. I laughed and said no, explaining I was a BIT older than that.

And then getting asked out on a date this week...I knew he was younger than me. I just didn't know he was THAT much younger. Ah, well. We had a nice time. He's mature, and we had a great conversation. So I accepted his invitation to dinner on Friday, too. It's hard not to like the attention from a younger guy.

A Date!

I have a date tomorrow! It's just drinks, but after such a long dry spell, it's pretty exciting.

I went to a friend's party a couple months ago. Many of his gay friends were there, and I enjoyed talking to everyone I met. It was a great party! Towards the end of the night, I was talking to one of the few straight guys there. I didn't think much of it -- he's younger than me -- but we had a good conversation (although I can't remember about what now). He did ask for my phone number, but I forgot about it.

And then he sent me a text message, saying "I'm not sure if you remember me, though I definitely remember you." and asking if I wanted to go out for drinks. So, we are. Tomorrow.

Ahh...

What a relaxing vacation! The resort we stayed at on Roatan was remote and sparsely populated. I had lots of time to catch up on reading, listen to the ocean and experiment with my camera (I recently took a photography class and learned a bit more about it). It was all very refreshing.



I enjoyed taking pictures of the different creatures we saw as well, and Kelley and I sat at the table by the hummingbird feeder every meal we could. At night, the bats would come and finish off any sugar water the birds had left.




And I was thrilled to get to meet the little girl at the local orphanage that I am mentoring through an Austin-based non-profit.


We also enjoyed snorkeling -- so many different fish! -- kayaking, and enjoying the sunsets.

Cuidad de Mexico

Just a quick post from my quick visit to Cuidad de Mexico. I arrived here yesterday to meet up with my cousin Kelley who has been living as an ex-pat here for three years. We had a lovely dinner last night in a local restaurant, although we had difficulty talking over the tremendous storm. The "rainy season" just began, which usually entails 2-3 hours of rain in the late afternoon. Last night was the storm to end all storms, beginning with a clap of thunder that nearly had me diving under the table. I swear, it sounded like a bomb had just leveled a nearby building. After the thunder, it proceeded to POUR down small hail for at least an hour. Rain was also coming down in torrents. We took our time through our meal and hung out until the rain was just a drizzle. Walking back to my cousin's place, we watched people sweeping the hail off the sidewalk.

Today, we headed to the center of town and toured the national palace, where the president still works. To celebrate Mexico's 200th year of being a country, there are several exhibits in the palace, including one on the history of the country and another which features the bones of the heroes of the revolution. Yep, we got to see bones. The bones haven't always been well taken care of, but in honor of the anniversary, they were restored as much as possible and presented to the public for viewing. Each hero is honored by a small chest which is partially open (all encased in glass). By the small opening, you can identify some bones -- in some cases, a skull, in others, a vertebrae or rib. I thought I would be weirded out, but the scientist part of me took over and just had fun identifying the bones. At one point, I said to my cousin, "here's a femur!"

The national palace is also adorned with incredible murals by Diego Rivera. I took many pictures, the best of which I'll share once I'm home. There were also different policia, army and some guys in ninja-turtle-like armor. We had to go through a cursory screening to get in (no fee), and they took away our pens. I figured it was a small price to pay for all we saw.

Tomorrow morning, we leave uber-early to the airport to fly to El Salvador and then on to Roatan, Honduras. I don't know if I'll have internet access, so the next post may be after I return home.

Dating?

People keep asking me if I'm dating. My response is, "I'm open to it!" I just haven't had any opportunities, but sure, I would like to go out. Not dating makes for a very boring blog, I know. My life right now is full of work, family time, work, travel for work, studying & homework, and training for the triathlon. I honestly don't know when I'd fit in a date anyway. For the past two Friday nights, I've scheduled sessions with my trainer. At least the gym is pretty empty on Friday nights! I was talking to a friend who is having some complicated relationship issues, and I sighed with relief that I don't have to deal with that. I've had my share of drama with boys, and I'm thankful not to have that in my life. And then recently a smug-in-a-happy-relationship friend asked me if I'm lonely. I answered honestly -- yes, sometimes, but I'm also enjoying my life as it is -- but she persisted, "But doesn't it get SO LONELY?" It got to me, making me focus on the lack instead of the abundance I have. I know part of me is fiercely independent. I don't want to be dependent on anyone for anything, but the truth is, we all need other people in our lives. Is it possible to have a relationship without dependence? I guess until I reconcile this in my head, it's best that I just focus on me.

Sweet Girl

Weekend before last, we celebrated my niece Anna's 10th birthday. Her parents and I reminisced about the day she was born and how the decade has gone by so quickly. She is such a sweet, caring girl. She's super smart and creative in many ways. And she just has a radiance about her that makes it seem like the sun is shining when she smiles.

She debated over her party this year. Options abounded: a sleepover? a spa party? Olympic-theme? But she decided on a Mystery party, and as usual, her mom organized a great event. The games culminated in a mystery about "who stole the cake." Clues were hidden around the playground in a scavenger hunt style, and the clues pointed to one of the party guests. All the sleuths were in the dark until they began fingerprinting the guests to match the print with one recovered "at the scene." And then it came out: it was me! Anna took it so seriously, she asked me later, "Why did you steal the cake?" Of course, I hadn't really -- and it was always just at the house waiting for the proper unveiling -- but it was cute how she had gotten so wrapped up in the game.

And the cake! OMG, have we been feasting. Bro-in-law Anthony made the party cake -- in the shape of a magnifying glass. The actual day of Anna's birthday, I made cupcakes and took them to school. And that night, we had an INCREDIBLE chocolate cake that IS TO DIE FOR. (I'm actually craving it again tonight.) It's a good thing I'm in high gear with triathlon training, because it's been a lot of sugar!

Kitchen Duty

When I was assigned kitchen duty for the week at work, I'll admit I first grumbled to myself. After all, I rarely use the kitchen. I occasionally make a cup of tea, and afterwards put my cup in the dishwasher. I have extremely infrequently brought my lunch and used the refridgerator. I don't really use the dishes, other than the occasional mug, and I have even loaded others' abandoned dishes that were left in the sink into the dishwasher. Apparently, not everyone was doing this -- or even at the least, cleaning up after themselves -- and we got a calendar with weekly assignments of kitchen duty. We have a small office here, and I still am grateful my company allowed me to move from NYC to Austin, so I didn't grumble publicly. This week was my week. I like to approach life and situations with two values in mind: I try to leave things better than I found them (or at the least, not worse), and I do my best when I take on an assignment. This is the way I was raised. Monday through Thursday: not a big deal. I ran the dishwasher a couple times and emptied it. Wiped off the counters. Friday: on the list of tasks to do is clean out the fridge and microwave. This is supposed to happen EACH FRIDAY. Yeah, right. The microwave had stuck-on food that had to be scrubbed off. I don't think anyone has ever cleaned that thing. I used bleach wipes and washed my hands afterwards. And then I opened the fridge. Cleaning up after other people like this really gives you a whole new opinion of them. There were plastic bags with containers of food that had mostly been consumed and what was left was dried up and shrunken. There were condiments that expired 6 months ago. And there were some really interesting science experiments going on in there, mold of various color and shape. Again I used bleach wipes and washed my hands afterwards. It is definitely in MUCH better shape than when I entered.

Holding On vs. Letting Go

The other day, as I was slowly entering the highway in rush-hour traffic, I noticed a fly on my windshield. He had landed while I was at the stoplight, and as I accelerated, he tried valiantly to hold on. His body was pushed towards the roof of the car as his little legs gripped with all their might to the windshield. Realizing the inevitable, I found myself thinking, "Just let go!"

And then I thought, how often do we cling to something we know rather than let go and enter the unknown possibilities in the future? I know I have.

We are created as "creatures of habit." We like routines. They are predictable, dependable. They bring order to our lives. But life ALWAYS throws us curve balls, things that rock our foundation and make us wonder about how we define ourselves.

The only constant in this world is change. Intellectually, I know this. But still, some part of me wants to hold on -- hold on to the sweetness of a child's laughter, hold on to the shared camaraderie with a colleague as we work on an assignment, hold on to the excitement of a new flirtation. But the child grows up and the relationship changes, the colleague moves on to a can't-pass-up opportunity, the flirtation evolves into something more or dissolves into nothing.

It's impossible to hold on to those moments. They are all fleeting. And I'm learning that to truly enjoy the moment, we have to also let go of our fears of the future when the moment is gone, and embrace whatever comes next.

Duathlon

As a warm-up to my annual triathlon in June, I agreed to join a friend of mine in a duathlon a couple weekends ago: 2K run, 10 mi bike, 2K run. It was her first ever event like this, and days before the event, she called and said she'd learned that participants can do it in a relay with one person doing the running and one doing the biking. I considered her suggestion -- for maybe 30 seconds -- but I had been training for both and really wanted to do both. She found another friend to share the race with, and they got second place in the relay group!

I was pleased to see my running pace has sped up from last year, no doubt due to the extra training and the expert advice I've been getting from my ultra-fit-marathoner-triathlete personal trainer. (I love her, but she kicks my ass...in a good way.) But I was a little frustrated with my overall time and that my bike time wasn't faster. Always room for improvement, and I still have several months until the tri.

Parisian Reflection

I had a lot of time to myself while in Paris, and reminiscent of my early days in NYC, I spent hours walking the streets and taking in the views of the architecture, people and monuments. Unfortunately, it rained most of the time I was there and I came down with a cold, but I didn't let that stop me. I took the subway to different areas and walked most of the day, stopping occasionally for a crepe with Nutella or a quiche with salad. I loved it, but my legs and feet ached at the end of the day!

A Night Out in Paris

When my friend Irish Parisienne asked what I wanted to do while I was in Paris, I told her, dancing! She organized the evening with some friends, some of whom I had met at New Year's, and we hit a club. Paris nightlife is like NYC's -- starting the evening around 11 p.m. -- and the drinks were appallingly expensive. The music was eclectic, but most of it was dance-able. We had a fun time!

French Farmers' Market

One of my favorite mornings in Paris was spent wandering through the local farmers' market. The amounts and variety of food was amazing, and I just had to take a picture of the lingerie booth...not something we have in our markets in the U.S.!

Just Breathe

I'm finally back on my current time zone. I had a tough time while in Paris, waking up most nights for an hour or two. And returning stateside, I was in Austin for less than 12 hours to unpack and repack for a business trip to Seattle. I was completely jetlagged in Seattle, and the project demanded overtime. I did get one evening with my aunt, uncle, cousin and her new fiance, which was very enjoyable. And then as soon as I landed in Austin, I was off to ballet practice to pick up niece & nephew, Anna & Colin. I stayed with them for the weekend while my sister and bro-in-law had a weekend away with friends.

Whew! Catching my breath now, enjoying snuggling with my cat and sleeping in my own bed.

I haven't yet downloaded the pics from Paris. Will do soon...

Paris, Revisited

Paris is gorgeous, as always, but the weather has been drippy gray and I've been slowed by a cold. As usual, I've been pushing myself to go-go-go, and I'm quite exhausted. Yesterday and today, I walked and walked, taking pictures of buildings and scenes that caught my fancy, stopping to eat when I got hungry, and seeing as much as possible. The people I've met have been very forgiving with my French, and the food has been divine.

The apartment I'm renting has a computer (awesome!) with a French keyboard (frustrating). It's mostly similar to an English one, but has a few differences that slow me tremendously and force me to "hunt and peck." If I were to type as I usually do, here's how this paragraph would turn out:

The qpqrt,ent Iù, renting hqs q co,puter 9qzeso,e1à zith q French keyboqrd 9frustrqting0: Itùs ,ostly si,ilqr to qn English one; but hqs q fez differences thqt sloz ,e tre,endously qnd force ,e to hunt qnd peck: If I zere to type qs I usuqlly do, hereùs hoz this pqrqgrqph zould turn out:

So, this post will be short! :-) I look forward to sharing pictures when I get back stateside.

Travel Time

It's been a relatively quiet 6 weeks so far in 2011 with only a couple brief trips. But the next couple weeks will be on the road. Tomorrow, I go up to Chicago for the day. This means a 6:30 a.m. flight out and coming back around 10 p.m. A very long day.

On Thursday, I leave for Paris. Yep, going back again! I just love that city, as well as my friends there. I'm looking forward to a few days off and just enjoying everything Paris has to offer.

I get back on a Tuesday evening, and take a 7:00 a.m. flight out the next day to Seattle for work. I'll only be there a couple days, and I wish I could stay the weekend to visit my family up there, but I've already committed to staying with my niece & nephew, Anna & Colin, while their parents have a weekend getaway.

And then it will be March! Does anyone else feel like time is flying by as if we're on a rollercoaster? I'm enjoying the ride, though!

Keeping Fit

When I joined the gym, I got some "gym bucks" that you can choose to spend on a variety of activities. I chose to use all of mine for some sessions with a personal trainer. And she's kicking my butt! (in a good way)

She's a triathlete, too, and has already given me suggestions on how to improve my time. (My goal each year is just to beat my previous time, and so far, each year I've done that.) I also told her I wanted to tone up in general. And I may have mentioned I don't like my upper arms...hence the incredible arm workouts she has added to the cardio and strength training.

Most days, some muscle group feels a bit sore. But overall, I feel so much stronger, have more energy and am sleeping like a rock. It's great!

My gym workouts are also supplemented by my sister's Bollywood aerobic class on Sunday nights, too. I'm feeling stronger (and more confident with the steps) there, too, and it's fun!

Celebrating Victories

I went on a hike/walk today. That may not seem like a big accomplishment, and normally, since I consider myself in training for my next triathlon, it's not to me. But I got felled by a nasty case of food poisoning this week, and it knocked the...well, everything out of me. I'm rebuilding slowly, and today was the first day I felt a little stronger. So the walk felt especially precious, and I enjoyed it immensely.

As I walked along the uneven path, I couldn't help but think about how similar it is to life in general. Some really rough patches, but some easy and smooth. Sometimes there were others on the path with me, and sometimes I was all alone. At one point, while I was alone, I came to the end of the path. I looked up and down but couldn't find where the path went. It seemed to have disappeared. I decided to cross over what looked like a dried up river bed, and it was challenging to walk over the rocks set in different angles. I got to the other side, and I found a new path open up to me. I smiled and thought how that has happened in my life so many times. Just when I think the path has disappeared completely, I find a new path.

Ten years ago, I was recovering from my second divorce. Part of that recovery included filing for backruptcy. Part of the debt was truly mine, and part of it was from each of my exes. All of it was overwhelming. But filing for bankruptcy wasn't easy. It affects your credit rating for seven years, but it stays on your record for ten. During that first seven years, there were many times when I was travelling for work and was expected to cover my expenses, filing an expense report afterwards for reimbursement. I had a credit card with a $300 limit, which doesn't go far when you're travelling often or to large cities. More than once I relied on my colleagues to help, but that meant explaining to them why I needed the help. It was a humbling experience, but it guaranteed that I wouldn't make the same mistakes again. I built up a positive credit rating slowly, and learned how to live within my means.

And this month marks the 10 year anniversary when it will be off my record for good. I am proud of what I have accomplished. And I'm really glad that's over! On to the next path...

When You'll Meet "the One"

I watched an indie movie tonight called "Timer." It's set in the future, when a technology has been developed that allows you to know when you will meet your soul mate. People get a timer implanted into their wrist, and when their soul mate also has a timer, it provides you with a countdown -- the days, hours and minutes until you'll meet -- and both people's timers beep when you meet "the one."

Would you want to know?

Some characters in the movie want to fall in love "the old fashioned way" and refuse timers. The heroine goes for most of her life with a blank timer, meaning her soul mate hasn't gotten one, and she drags numerous guys in to the store to get their timers, only to discover they aren't her "one."

It's an interesting premise for a movie. And it sets up some interesting situations. If you know you won't meet anyone for years, what do you do with your time until then? Do you get a lot accomplished, such as degrees or marathons? Do you "save yourself" for the one or enjoy the people you meet in your life and live in the moment?

I think I would want to know, even if I was disappointed with the answer.

What Happened to January?

I feel like this month just disappeared somehow...I can't believe it's already over. Guess I've been keeping busy, so here's a random assortment of thoughts and activities:

At the gym: Although I love the amenities, I've always been shy about changing in public. (And yes, it's women-only in the dressing room, but it still reminds me of junior high days when everyone was looking at and comparing to each others' bodies.) Some women have NO issue with this however, and quite a few I would suspect are exhibitionists. I politely keep my eyes averted, but I couldn't help overhear a conversation between two young moms where one showed off her boob job. Really?! I guess she was proud of the work and maybe had to justify the cost to herself by getting external approval.

On the learning front: I'm taking a tele-course by Martha Beck, best-selling author and life coach, and I'm LOVING it. Of course, there's quite a bit of homework to factor into my busy weeks, but I'm learning so much about myself and gaining new perspectives. More to come on this.

On life and death: A friend and former colleague of mine passed away last week after a hard battle with pancreatic cancer. He was just 41 and was diagnosed just after his wedding 6 months ago. Ray was one of those energetic, charismatic people that draws people to them, and although I am saddened by his death at such a young age, I truly admire how he lived his life.

On crazy Texas weather: We had a beautiful, spring-like weekend. It was unbelievably warm and sunny. But in just a few short days, we will be hit with another winter storm. The extremes are amazing, so I had to share a iPhone visual for those who won't be here to experience it in person (and I've included the Celsius version for my European fans):



On creativity: One of my colleagues is pregnant with her first, a baby girl, and she has been one of the most welcoming to me on my transition to the Austin office. I enjoyed making her a baby quilt (this pic was taken in progress), and her reaction to it was truly touching.


So next up: February! More winter weather, travel, personal victories to celebrate...2011 is off to a roaring start.

And with my Chinese food lunch, my fortune is "A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you." I believe that's true. :-)