Sunday, October 31, 2010

Seedless

Another Halloween has come and gone and once again I have denied myself one of my favorite things. Not candy, which I've eaten way more than my share. Not costumes although it was one of the few years that we didn't have a party to attend. And not even trick-or-treaters, since we never get any of those at the townhouse. What I'm talking about is pumpkin seeds. I'm seedless again this year.

One of my favorite things about Halloween is pumpkin carving. I'm terrible at it but I love to create my happy smiling pumpkin heads for the front porch. But this year I didn't even buy a pumpkin much less carve it. No smiling or scary orange heads for the neighborhood kids to smash. And even worse, no seeds. Pumpkin seeds are one of the great pleasures of the fall. Almost better than pomegranates and you know how much I like those. I like to roast my pumpkin seeds with a bit of salt and cayenne for a touch of heat. Done right, they are one of the best snacks, addictive and good for you.

Two years ago, Jeff and I had some friends over to carve pumpkins. I had gone to the store and picked up six of them. We carved and laughed and drank wine and had a good time. After everything was cleaned up I washed the seeds and spread them out on paper towels on the kitchen table to dry. I promised some of the roasted seeds to our friends and they went home. I headed upstairs to change and came back down to find the cat sitting on the table amid the seeds, chewing on them. Needless to say I tossed the whole batch. No seeds that year.

Last year we went to my sister's place to carve pumpkins and answer the door for trick-or-treaters. It was a ton of fun and food and by the end I was so full that I went home without even taking any of the seeds. None that year. So this year I was determined that we would have another carving party and this time I would just roast the seeds without drying them. But I never got to the store. We never had the party. And I never made any seeds. I'm going seedless again this year. It just doesn't feel like Halloween. I'll have to pick up some old pumpkins and carve them up tomorrow. Do you think my neighbors would find Thanksgiving Jack-O-Lanterns odd?


Friday, October 29, 2010

Poetry Friday

It's nine o'clock on a Friday night and I'm sitting here desperately trying to write. Not write blog posts, that's easy for me. I'm trying to write fiction. I've just started a book that makes me want to write so badly I can taste it. I want beautiful and delicious words to spring from my hands. So I type in a couple of lines, and then my brain panics. It screams at me "what the hell are you doing?" and "you can't do that" and all other sorts of crap that my brain likes to give me. And so I close the word document without saving and stare at the computer for a bit longer. As if my courage will somehow come by contemplating this ancient computer. And then I repeat.

So to break the monotony of the cycle I'm posting a poem. I wanted something fearless, something bold. And I sat and read poem after poem looking for inspiration. Instead I remembered this. It's not fearless or even my opinion. But it does make me smile.

For my friends the true carnivores. You know who you are.

The Health-Food Diner
by Maya Angelou

No sprouted wheat and soya shoots

And Brussels in a cake,

Carrot straw and spinach raw,

(Today, I need a steak).

Not thick brown rice and rice pilaw

Or mushrooms creamed on toast,

Turnips mashed and parsnips hashed,

(I'm dreaming of a roast).

Health-food folks around the world

Are thinned by anxious zeal,

They look for help in seafood kelp

(I count on breaded veal).

No smoking signs, raw mustard greens,

Zucchini by the ton,

Uncooked kale and bodies frail

Are sure to make me run

to

Loins of pork and chicken thighs

And standing rib, so prime,

Pork chops brown and fresh ground round

(I crave them all the time).

Irish stews and boiled corned beef

and hot dogs by the scores,

or any place that saves a space

For smoking carnivores.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Old Photos

Wednesdays are my knitting nights so I have no time to post this evening. So instead I'm treating you (please note the sarcasm) to two of my favorite old pictures. That way I feel like I posted, and you get something new...er...old to look at.

Yeah I know that you probably don't really want to see my baby pictures, but it's my blog damn it.

Me in my favorite pose, reading, with my "who made this man a gunner" look. Yeah I was cross-eyed in all of my baby pictures. I was also blonde.

I'm not sure what I'm doing in this photo (or if I want to know), waiting for Kasparov to show up perhaps?

Monday, October 25, 2010

Halloween Cards

I hate how every holiday now has cards. It used to be that you would see cards for Christmas, Valentines, Mother's Day, and a couple of Easter cards, but that was about it. And I was fine with those options. I didn't need more cards to send out. And then the card companies figured out that the more holidays there are, the more cards people buy. And they went nuts. You can send out Arbor Day cards, Columbus Day cards, President's Day cards.... So when I noticed that stores were starting to stock Halloween cards I just shook my head and walked by. Hallmark cards for Halloween...really...Really???

So why was I standing in Target last week picking up two Halloween cards that I know that I'll never send out? I bought two cards for the most useless card giving holiday ever. And they now proudly adorn my table. I show them to random people and now I'm blogging about them. What happened to me?

I'll offer a little whine to make me feel better about it. I didn't want to buy the cards but Jeff made me. We were walking through Target when he told me that we had to buy some Halloween cards. When I shot him an incredulous look, he just smiled. "Wait until you see these," he promised. "You'll buy them." So, like an idiot I stood in front of the Halloween card display and picked through them. I felt almost guilty. I wondered if people around me weren't staring at me thinking, "she's buying Halloween cards?" But then I picked up the ones he was talking about. Two Terry Border creations. And of course I carried them up to the checkout proudly. I even hoped that the cashier would see them and comment (I'm petty that way).

As you guys probably know, I love Terry Border's work. His Bent Objects have made me laugh and think and be amazed. He's just so incredibly talented and odd (and I mean that in the nicest way). I've talked about him here, and here, and here. So of course I have to support him. It doesn't hurt that these two are some of his best work. Zombies is one of my favorite images of his and Halloween Candy Corn is a classic. Well worth the couple of bucks. Even if it meant sacrificing my dignity to buy Halloween cards. I better hope he doesn't start making Arbor Day cards.


Friday, October 22, 2010

Bodies...at Rest

I have an incredibly strong stomach for medical maladies. As the daughter of a pathologist, dinner conversations occasionally centered around what Dad had cut up that day. "Oh so the appendix was pus-filled. Wow, that's so cool. Hey pass the alfredo sauce." I would leaf through Dad's medical journals, both horrified and fascinated by skin lesions, tumors, and the occasional surgery. I've never sat in on an autopsy, but I've wanted to.

Even having said that the first time I saw a head, stripped of skin, and cut in half, I was a little taken aback. For a second I was nervous. And then I was fascinated. While Jeff and I were down in St. Louis we had the option to go see Bodies--The Exhibition. This incredibly displays shows each of the different systems of the body, using real bodies. The skeleton exhibit was like any anatomy class you may have taken. There was a sternum bone, some tiny ear bones, a full rib cage (with muscles still attached), and a full skeleton. The bones were beautifully preserved.

Stepping 10 feet over brought you to the muscles section, and that's where I had my first and only moment of uncertainty. The half head, used to display the muscles of the jaw, tongue, and neck, was just a little too off-putting for me. Strangely the entire body, posed as if kicking a soccer ball didn't give me pause at all. The body, stripped of skin, showed muscles, bones, nerves, and veins. It was incredible to think of how all the parts fit together. But that was nothing compared to what I was going to see. After that we walked downstairs and into the sections covering the digestive, respiratory, reproductive, nervous, endocrine, and circulation systems.

Bodies--the Exhibition uses actual cadavers to show off body systems. Bodies (or parts) are injected with liquid silicone rubber which replaces the water in the organs and tissues, making them impervious to rot. I had read about the technique in Stiff, Mary Roach's book about the uses of medical cadavers; and I was excited to see it in person. I had seen some images of other body exhibits but the focus of this exhibition seemed much different from the circus like images I'd seen. This exhibit focused on promoting health. We saw parts that were diseased alongside healthy tissues. An enlarged spleen was at least four times larger than its healthy counterpart. The lungs damaged by smoke sat right next to a healthy set of lungs and a box where you could drop your cigarettes.

The image that I will take away forever from this exhibition was a male body standing in the back of the room. The cadaver still had all its skin and had been cut into five different slices, from head to toe. Each section showed all the bones, internal organs, and muscles that made up the human form. We could peer into the sliced heart, and see the mess that makes up our intestines (not quite as orderly as I expected). Only the brain and the liver had been kept whole and hung out of the section that it had been cut from. I was in awe of how compact the human body really is. And I was truly fascinated.

There are no pictures for this post. First I didn't feel that it would be appropriate for my readers with less strong stomachs. And secondly (and more importantly) because the exhibit doesn't allow photography, a request that I applaud. In fact the exhibition was far more tastefully done than I was expecting. I think I had been prepared for a bit more of a circus sideshow feel rather than the very medical and educational exhibit we walked through. Jeff, Jeff's dad, and I all went and I think we could all say that the exhibit was far more informative than we had expected. I walked away with a better idea of how bodies fit together. I was also thinking of how important health is. I've seen the alternative. And its not pretty. But the bodies I saw that day were amazing. And beautiful in a bizarre way. More than anything I was glad I had gone. Informative and interesting.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Trivia Fun


I don't have any time to write up a real post tonight (heading to knitting) so I thought I'd try something fun. Can you guess the actor above? This might be too easy. I found this picture a while ago and think he was just gorgeous when he was younger (he's still attractive IMO). Let me know in the comments who you think it is. I might even have to think up a prize for it. Good luck!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Take the Long Way Home

Robert Frost famously wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." And I've finally realized how true this statement is when it comes to traveling. I'm a huge fan of the back roads. The blue highways if you prefer. I'm a fan of any road where I don't have people flying past me at 90 and where I can actually see some sights that aren't billboards. In the last year Jeff and I have started traveling where we never take the interstate if we can avoid it. And that one move has completely changed road trips for me.

I love to travel but I'm not always happy with long car trips. They tend to be more stressful than they are worth. Or if nothing else, they are boring. We would arrive at our destination cranky and tired. And the miles seemed to drag on. That is until we started taking the back roads. When Jeff and I went to Iowa City a couple of months ago, we started out on Interstate 80. It was a crowded Saturday and we were both tense. The traffic was going 85 or faster and we were struggling to stay with the pack. We were also exhausted after a late night. About Newton I suggested getting off the interstate. We'd take Highway 6 over. The moment we drove off the interstate we went from tired and tense to relaxed and happy. We passed farms and towns, little produce stands, and plenty of wildlife. Suddenly the journey didn't seem quite so long. Or so terrible. We added a half hour to the trek, but it was well worth the happiness.

So our recent trip down to St. Louis was a bit longer than normal. We took Interstate 35 down to Kansas City since Jeff had to be there at 2 and we didn't get on the road until 10:30. Too close for a back roads trip. After the stop, we headed onto Highway 50 rather than Interstate 70. Highway 50 runs through Warrensburg, Sedalia, Jefferson City, and the unfortunately named Knob Noster. We stopped along the way for dinner but most of the drive was uninterrupted. After Sedalia, it was rare to see another car and even more surprising to see a billboard. We saw a ton of cows, many small towns, the state capitol, and enough trees and creatures to keep me constantly pointing out the window. It added an hour to the drive, particularly with the winding road after Jeff City. But we were happy and still smiling when we arrived in St. Louis.

The city of St. Louis is built around a great interstate system. We took the highways and interstates everywhere in the city. So when it came time to drive back, Jeff and I were looking for something even smaller than our typical drive up Highway 61. I found it with Highway 79, or the Great River Road. Listed as one of the prettiest drives in the Midwest, the highway lived up to its name. It was filled with scenic overlooks of the Mississippi, beautiful towns like Clarksville and Louisiana, and lots of hills. Even better, there was no traffic and no real rush. After reaching Hannibal, we took Highway 6, a mostly flat road across the middle of Missouri. But flat was short lived. Highway 149 has to be one of the most winding roads in Missouri. We drove up and down hills and were constantly turning. About halfway up through the drive I could no longer tell which direction we were going. By the time the road ended, both Jeff and I were feeling a little sick from all the twists and turns but I'd taken plenty of pictures of the beautiful fall colors and the rolling hills.

We could have taken 61 to Interstate 80 and most people would have thought that was varied enough. We could have taken Interstate 70 to 35, a route we have taken on bad winter days. But we would not have had near as much fun. The drive ran 7 and a half hours (about an hour and a half longer than normal) but I arrived at home relaxed and refreshed. I wasn't stressed at all. "I took the one less traveled," has become my mantra. You never know where the blue highways lead. But they are well worth the trip.


Friday, October 15, 2010

Twice Studios

A couple days ago I mentioned that my boss had an art photography/t-shirt store that he ran in his free time. What I didn’t mention in that post is that I’m going to very quickly go broke buying things from the store. Not because he’s my boss. Because the art photography has to be some of the most unique and beautiful I’ve seen in a while. And the t-shirts are easily the softest (and most interesting) I’ve ever worn. In fact I’m sitting here writing this in the t-shirt I bought from the store last week. I’ve had a couple people comment on it already. Comfort and a conversation starter, I’m in.

The store is Twice Studios; and it’s run by my boss, his sister-in-law (the photographer) and his brother-in-law (the medical illustrator). Now I know what you’re thinking, a photographer and a medical illustrator, what type of store is this? My favorite kind, of course. A bit eccentric, a bit odd, and just the right amount of beautiful. The photography is what originally interested me in checking the store out. My boss had mentioned it as a hobby of his but when I checked out the art images I was instantly infatuated. I’m already thinking of adding the image above (Mermaid) to my walls along with the Tea Party image below. Prints are so reasonable that I’m also thinking of adding this image (Truth) to the walls of my studio.

I walked into one of the local stores that sell Twice’s t-shirts last weekend and picked up this shirt. Heart has quickly become my favorite t-shirt. It’s interesting certainly. I get a lot of people commenting. But what really makes me want to wear it is the softness. This shirt is incredible, one of the softest I’ve ever worn. And you all know how much I like comfort. The other one I would love to purchase is the firefly shirt. There are a couple local places that carry the t-shirts but I’ll be picking up my art prints from the Etsy store. I love the idea of supporting local artists and particularly ones whose work is so interesting.

I’m thinking about buying the t-shirt below for my brother. For those of you not of a medical bent, this is a Sphenoid bone, a beautiful butterfly shaped bone found at the base of the skull. As a doctor I think he’d love it. Heck, knowing him he’d try to wear it to clinic to see patients. As a big fan of comfort, I think he’d wear it all the time.


On the Road Again

Thank god for free wireless at Panera!!!

I'm sitting in Panera in Kansas City waiting for Jeff to get done with the networking event that brought us down here. I accidentally left my book in the car along with my knitting. The only thing I grabbed in the rush to get him there on time was his computer. So here I sit, happily typing while watching the people go by. I have an hour and a half before he's done and I couldn't be happier. I have a coffee and a cookie, and life is good.

After this we're heading east, to St. Louis to see family for the weekend. We were last there in May and we both decided that it would be good to get into town sometime before the winter. Once winter hits, I get a lot more leery of traveling. And I've been missing my in-laws. It's time for a road trip.

Jeff and I used to travel a lot in the winter. In fact it seemed that the moment the snow started flying we started getting cabin fever and would head out of town. I've driven through blizzards and freezing rain. We've slid off roads and almost gotten stranded a couple of times. One trip back from Minneapolis, sent us back up to the Cities after they closed the Interstate. We even had one horrific five hour drive back from Iowa City where we had to use the rumble strips just to get some traction. We've traveled in the winter and sometimes paid the price.

But as I've gotten older, I've become a bit more cautious. I'm less likely to throw my bag in the car and head out of town when there is threat of snow. I'm not my old college self who would travel in anything. I check weather reports (some would say obsessively) and prepare for the worst. So this year I think we'll stay home this winter. After last year I'm still a bit gun shy of even walking on ice. Driving will be nerve-wracking. So we'll stay home and deal with cabin fever in other ways. Of course I say this now. We'll see what happens when the snow flies. Most likely we'll be back on the road again.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Ten Trillion Dollars


I posted a couple of posts ago about my friend Jason who passed away last month. I had written a bit about my feelings and a little about how I was dealing. But I don't think I mentioned that I had purchase something to remember him by. A bit of a tribute if you could call it that.

One of Jason's prized possessions in the last couple months of his life was a 10 trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe. He had bought it on Amazon and paid next to nothing for it. The bill itself is probably worth less than $.50 which is just horribly sad when I think about it. But Jason was thrilled when he got it and rushed up to my office to show me the ludicrously large bill. He opened his wallet with a huge grin and said "I'm a trillionaire!".

After that he'd bring out his bill and show people around the office. He was so excited just to have something that odd. He bought a frame and framed the bill for his office. After his death, the bill was the thing I latched onto. It was an incredible reminder of his passion for unusual things. So last week I finally hopped on ebay and bought one for myself. I paid a ridiculously low amount for mine and today it finally arrived. I'm taking it into the office tomorrow and I'll buy a frame and put it up. It may not be worth much in the real world, but for me, this bill is priceless.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Just a Little Tilted

I've been talking about photography a lot at work lately. Our new IT guy shoots photography in his spare time and my boss has a business selling art photography and t-shirts (more on that later). One of my conversations today about photography turned interesting. While I was waiting for my computer to have some software installed this afternoon, I was talking with Jeff, our new desktop guy and he happened to mention making miniatures. The conversation went a little something like this.

Him: It's like creating miniatures in photo.
Me: You mean tilt-shift?
Him: Exactly, how do you know about tilt-shift?
Me: Are you kidding, I'm fascinated by that type of photography. What types of things have you done?
Him: I've taken a couple downtown shots. I just have fun with it.
Me: You'll have to bring them in to show me. I would love to see them. It's something I've always wanted to learn.
Him: It's actually really easy. I can show you how to create them.

At this point I'm salivating. Not only does he do tilt-shift work but he'd be willing to show me how to do it. Of the long list of things that I would like to learn, this is right there at the top. Of course now that means I'll have to actually take some real photos. And pick up photoshop.

If you've forgotten, tilt-shift photography is taking photographs, blurring the edges and creating miniature scenes from real landscapes. It is taking what are often sweeping aerial views and making them look like models. I've posted some Olivo Barbieri images before but here are some other tilt shift images to get your imagination going.

I'll check with Jeff to see if I can post some of his images.


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Special Talent

I had a conversation this afternoon that got me thinking. My boss and I were chatting about things we're good at and he asked what my special talent was. And it threw me completely for a loop. I sat there dumbfounded. I struggled to think of something that I'm really fantastic at or something which surprises me about myself. I stammered out an answer that somewhat makes sense to me: I'm awfully good at telling stories. I make them up daily and tell them to myself, often in the car. But I rarely write them down.

But as I was driving home I started thinking about the things I'm good at. I'm a decent writer and an exceptional reader. I'm great at writing academic papers (a talent that's underused outside of academia). I'm a fairly decent knitter and I'm working to improve. I can juggle although not always with grace. And that's when it hit me.

I'm a terrific zombie. Being a zombie is my special talent. Now you're probably wondering how often one gets to use a talent like that. And I would have to answer every time my nephews and niece come to town. Our favorite game is to chase either other with Nerf guns or swords. Almost inevitably sometime during the game I will get killed. And then it's my turn to shine. I drag my left foot behind me (not a tough task for me), contort my face into a hideous expression (also not hard), and make a horrible guttural moan that has them running and screaming. I normally chase them until my voice gives out or until I get the magic kiss that turns me back human again. And then they beg me to start over.

So that's it. I'm a decent writer, storyteller, reader, juggler, knitter, and paper writer. But I'm an incredible zombie. Luckily this kind of talent has longevity. Who knows I may come back as a even better one. I've had a lot of practice.

What's your special talent?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Guess What I'm Reading

In August I was rummaging on the shelves for something to read and stumbled across a book that would define the rest of my summer and a good chunk of my fall. Years ago Jeff had picked up the collected works of Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't paid the books much mind. I'm not much of a mystery reader. But in August, shortly after coming back from Alaska and catching a bit of the Robert Downey Jr. version, I picked up Holmes and was instantly hooked. I started with A Study in Scarlet, his debut, and went on from there. I literally couldn't stop.

I've read all four Sherlock Holmes novels (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear). I've read every short story that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his master detective. Lately I've been looking for some background information about the fictional detective and his trusty companion Watson. I'm also seeking out every film version on Holmes that I can get my hands on. I am completely and utterly smitten.

Reading Sherlock Holmes is a bit different from reading other mysteries. With other mysteries there are little clues and hints that lead the reader towards the culprit. Often a reader can figure out the thief or murderer well before the reveal. Not so with Holmes. Since we hear most of the tales through Watson's viewpoint, there are no clues for us to connect. There are no clear suspects for us to follow.

Frederic Steele's Holmes

In fact it was incredibly rare that I could figure the mystery out before Holmes did his final reveal. Instead, most of the time I was just along for the ride. Doyle's stories build over a number of pages, with investigation and discussion, but it is always Sherlock who at the end states the facts, how he came to his conclusion, and apprehends his criminal. Always in the most surprising way possible. We are often left in the dark (like Watson) up until the final moments. It's that bit of surprise in each story that kept me reading. These are not mysteries. These are unexpected tales.

Sidney Paget's Holmes

And Holmes himself is an enigma. Cold, calculating, standoffish, he is the genius who lacks a bit of social tact. He's not ogreish but he is not the most warm and fuzzy character. He's vain and impatient. He's distant to the point of callous. As Watson puts it so beautifully, he's immune to the softer passions. He often uses Watson badly during his adventures but here's the odd part, we still love him. He's just so damn brilliant. Watson on the other hand is not as brilliant but instantly likable. We enjoy his company even if it isn't constantly filled with bits of knowledge and odd deductions. The two play foil against the other. Watson with his general good-naturedness and Holmes with his prickly intelligence.

Downey Jr's Holmes

I'm a little ashamed to say that the first Holmes representation that I've seen was Robert Downey Jr.'s. I was surprised by how many lines the movie took directly from the books. The film was in the spirit of the stories although Downey Jr was a bit more human of a character than Holmes seemed to me. The film was fun and filled with great scenes that fans would easily recognize from the books but the involvement of Irene Adler and Moriarty seemed a bit too much to me. For two characters who play such a small role in the books and stories (Adler one and Moriarty only a couple) they had a large impact on the film. Now I'll have to find Basil Rathbone's version. And continue on with Sherlock Holmes mania. Who knows, I may just read the stories all over again. Yep, they were that good.